Can't No Grave Hold My Body Down

"Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here: He has risen!  Remember how He told you, while He was still with you in Galilee: The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again."  Luke 24:5-8

Jesus repeatedly revealed His fate, God's master plan to the disciples, but during all of the chaos that surrounded His crucifixion, many of the followers were left doubting if He really was the Messiah.  Imagine the sheer joy and excitement that they must have felt when they rolled away the stone from the tomb and His body was not there.  All they found were burial linens and an empty grave!

Jesus appeared to two believers traveling and still downcast and not grasping that their Savior was in there presence, Jesus subtly reminded them of all of the Messianic prophesies and then disappeared.

Is Jesus who He said He was?  Do you believe that He conquered the grave? Where does He fit into your life?   If you have opened your heart to receive His love sacrifice and have accepted Him as your Lord over your life, there is no greater day than Easter...the day that our Savior conquered death and defeated the grave.

We may not feel like it every day, but we know with Christ in our lives how our story will end, we will be victorious!!  Rejoice, and praise His holy name!!!!

Hope Falls Down

"Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" And after He said this He breathed His last.  Luke 23: 46

Can you recall a time where you were disappointed and felt let down?  You could probably name a few times over the past week or possibly even today.  Put yourselves into the shoes of the disciples and followers that witnessed Jesus' death first hand.  This group had given up everything to follow Christ and now He was dead?  All of the miracles they witnessed, the lives that had been changed; this was how it all ended?

If He really was the Christ, why didn't He send an army of angels to rescue Him from such a cruel and gruesome death?  How did His mother Mary feel? The baby she had loved and raised was now dead and hanging from a cross? Talk about disappointment....

I am certain in the days between Jesus' crucifixion and His resurrection, the confusion, the hurt, the doubt, and disappointment must have been overwhelming for Jesus' followers.  They must have felt like they had bet the farm and lost it all.  When Jesus took His last breath, His followers must have lost the hope they once had, despite Jesus telling them over and over again that He was 'going away to prepare a place for them'. (John 14:2)

We sometimes overlook the fact that Jesus is always with us when we face disappointment or struggles of our own.  Don't ever let your hope in Him fade away, no matter what it is you are facing.  God will never let you down and He always makes good on His promises.

Good Friday

One of the criminals who was hanging there railed at Him saying, "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"  But the other rebuked him, saying, "Don't you fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?  And we rightly so, for we are getting what we deserve for what we did, but this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom." And Jesus said to him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."  Luke 23:39-43

On Good Friday, we reflect on and ponder Jesus' death on the cross that served as the ultimate sacrifice to bring salvation.  There is nothing more important, no act of love, service, or anything else that even comes close to comparing to what our perfect Savior endured for us in His final hours and His death that freed us from our bondage to sin.

The above passage of Scripture from the gospel of Luke moves my soul as it reveals the saving power and loving forgiveness of our Savior.  The criminals that were also being crucified at the same time as Jesus had been issued a death sentence for their wrong doings.  Jesus was tried and crucified despite being perfect and innocent.  One of the criminals realized that it was indeed the Messiah, hanging on the cross beside him, and right at the moment of his acceptance, Jesus forgave him and assured him of his eternal destination.

It's hard to understand God's grace sometimes.  Why do bad things happen to good people?  Why do good things happen to bad people?  I don't know, but God loves His creation and that includes every human being on this planet.  He doesn't want only a select few, He wants all of us to join Him in 'paradise' when we leave this earth.  He sent His son to live a blameless and perfect life on this earth and then offered Him as a love sacrifice, a Lamb of God, to take our place and die for our sins. He took our place on the cross, and only wants us to give Jesus first place in our lives.

It's Not My Cross To Bear

Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.  I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.  But if it dies, it produces many seeds.  The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”  John 12: 20-23

In the above passage of Scripture from the Gospel of John, Jesus paints a beautiful picture of the necessary sacrifice He was about to make on behalf of all of mankind.  The days leading up to the celebration on Easter for a believer are somewhat difficult and painful.  It has to be this way for us to enjoy a deeper experience of the reality of Jesus’ crucifixion and His resurrection.

After Jesus was brutally flogged and beaten, He was forced by the Roman guards to carry His cross through town and up the hill where He eventually died.  Many of Jesus’ disciples and followers made the journey with Him on that dark day and we too must make our own personal journey to the foot of the cross as well.  It’s a lonely journey; one that only needs to be made in solitude with Jesus.  As we bring ourselves to the cross, we expose our sinful lives and brokenness, which is the only way we can bear fruit as believers.

We cannot just settle for our salvation.  God has far too many plans for each one of us and things He plans to accomplish through our lives.  This Holy Week, take the painful journey to the cross with Jesus and experience the many blessings that God has in store for you in this life and eternity.

Paradise

Jesus answered him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."  Luke 23:43

This past weekend, a dear friend of mine, Maggie Chesser, lost her mother unexpectedly.  While I struggle with finding the right words to offer to a friend who has lost someone that they love, I do find comfort in knowing that those of us who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will live in heaven for all of eternity.  

Clearly, the hope of eternal life alone can give our suffering on this earth and our lives ultimate significance and purpose. Good does not always triumph over evil in this world. The wicked sometimes prosper. Tragedies and suffering that have no apparent meaning or reason behind them often come our way.

Knowing that Jesus has been raised from the dead gives us the sure hope of eternal life and the confidence that all wrongs will eventually be righted. We are sure that Jesus has been raised from the dead because of the testimony of the Word of God;  testimony that is confirmed by the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, the historical witness to the resurrection, and much more.

Beth Jordan was an amazing woman and was loved by many people.  She is most certainly spending eternity with her Heavenly Father, in a place so wonderful-paradise- that it defies all human comprehension. 

Easy Way Out

Always rejoice, constantly pray, in everything give thanks. For this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Life can certainly take an inexpiable turn for the worst.  Jesus knew all too well how quickly things could change. He was greeted by a large crowd victoriously waiving palm branches and chanting "Hosanna in the highest" only to have His closest friends abandon Him a few short days later as He was led to a brutal flogging and death on the cross.

He never wavered on following God's will for His life. Jesus knew what He had to do to save us all from certain death and by becoming the atonement for our sins on the cross. Despite the gruesomeness of His crucifixion, He remained in prayer and obediently followed God's will for His life.

This Holy Week, as we reflect on Jesus' death and prepare to celebrate His resurrection on Easter Sunday, remain in prayer and give God thanks despite your circumstances.

Precious and Few

Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow within him.  John 7:38

Time is such a precious commodity. Our weekends are normally filled with trying to get chores done around the house, birthday parties, visiting with friends and family, church, Life Group, and multiple trips to either the grocery store or a restaurant. With such an action packed schedule, it can sometimes be hard to find some down time, let alone, quiet time spent with our loving Father.

As weird as it may sound, some of the only waking moments I have to myself are either spent jogging or swimming in the early mornings, and it is during those times that I talk to God.

The truth is that those few moments I spend in conversation with God are the most important of every day. When we spend time with God, His blessings flow into our lives like the streams of living water mentioned in today's passage.

By making time every day to spend with God, we glorify Him by delighting in His presence. We must learn to enjoy Him now and forever!!

Wake Up Dead Man

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead...  

1 Peter 1:3

Many people will at least agree that Jesus actually lived on this earth and died many years ago. The truth that is hard to swallow for some is that not only did He live and die, but He was resurrected and conquered the grave. Believing in His resurrection is paramount to our identity as believers and to who we are in our Christian faith.

Furthermore, Jesus is the Son of God, who died a gruesome death on the cross for our sins and then lived again victorious over death. What do you believe? Does it make you uncomfortable to hear the word resurrection? Do you believe that only our Creator could return Himself to life again?

True hope is found in Jesus' resurrection. Could you imagine the despair His faithful followers felt during the aftermath of His crucifixion? That same despair and hopelessness must be what it's like to not know that our Savior lives.

As a believer, we can face death with no fear, but understanding that the end of our time on this earth is only the beginning chapter in a book that is written in God's love that will never end. The best is yet to come as we too will conquer death with Jesus!

You Can't Change That

God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.  1 John 4:16

Unlike what the world offers us, God does not love us, accept us, or forgive us based upon our performance.  God doesn't play favorites either.  He does not love the more beautiful people more than the plain.  He doesn't favor the rich and famous over the poor and unknown.  He doesn't choose the high achievers over the low achievers.  In fact, there is nothing you can do, regarding status, appearance, or performance, that will possibly elevate you one inch in God’s eyes.

Our loving Father accepts us because we come to Him believing in Jesus Christ as the One who has paid the full price for our sins.  He loves us, because He created each of us, and has chosen to love us from the moment He first though of us and there is nothing you can do to change that!

How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You

Beloved, if God loved us so very much, we also ought to love one another.  1 John 4:11

As believers in the body of faith, what a blessing it is to be loved by God.  The problem for a lot of Christians is that we tend to hoard our love away rather than follow God’s will for our lives and give it away.  In fact, we are to love others unconditionally just as has He loved us.

There is not one person on this earth that does not desire to be loved and to find acceptance.  God’s love is the most wonderful gift He could possibly give to any of us.  We all have the privilege to share that love by letting it flow through us into the lives of others.

Many people enjoy ‘getting’ but real joy is found by ‘giving.’  Do you remember those Pez candy dispensers?  We all need to be like a Pez dispenser in the sense that people come to us as a dispensary of blessings and love.

It is comforting to know that we are lovable, now it is up to us to share that love with someone else!

Success Yourself

The Holy Spirit...bears us up in our weakness.  Romans 8:26

Our oldest son, Elliott, goes to great lengths to 'fit in' with some of his older buddies.  As adults, it’s not too much different for us either.  Think of how many people project false images of themselves through social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter each and every day.

The truth is, I am tired of playing games and trying to be someone that I am not. There is a lot of freedom in just being accepted as we are without being facing the pressures of being someone we just cannot be.

God wants us to accept ourselves for who we are, and wants us to actually like who we are, despite our weaknesses. Everyone has weaknesses, but we must realize that God will never reject us because of them.

We must also be careful of placing too much value on our weaknesses because we will then underestimate our value. Our worth is not based on anything good or bad that we have ever done/are doing/will do, but on what God has already done.

We were purchased at a high price and yes we have all disappointed God, but God will never abandon us because He loves us just the way we are. So tell Satan to 'stuff it' the next time Satan tries to convince you that you don't measure up to someone else’s standards!

Faithfully

The Lord rewarded me for doing right.  He has seen my innocence.  To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity.  To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.  2 Samuel 22:25-27

Faithfulness is a bride and groom on their wedding day making their vows to each other to remain faithfully committed to each other.  Faithfulness is being committed to always love your children as a parent.  Faithfulness is being dependable to your neighbors and friends.  Faithfulness is giving your very best at work.

Being faithful originated from our Loving Father...time and time again through the ages, He has shown His faithfulness to His people.

There is no substitute for the security in a relationship that stems from faithfulness and there is nothing that builds our confidence and eternal security more than knowing that God will always remain faithful to us!

Canary In A Coalmine

May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.  2 Thessalonians 3:5

Recently, I have been seeking God's wisdom and guidance about a specific situation,  and began to grow tired and frustrated because I just couldn't seem to hear any kind of answer.  I was hearing other people's insight without a doubt, but nothing from God.  It finally dawned on me that I was neglecting an important aspect of my faith walk by not digging deeper into His Word, which is the reason I was not feeling God's nudge either way.

God can and will speak His truths into our lives if we allow Him to.  When seeking Him, He will always move us closer to His will and His never ending love.  He always leads us to what is right, never wrong, and His answers to our prayers are clear cut, definitive, and absolute.

If you think you can truly seek God by only showing up to church on Sundays or just praying your personal wish list, save yourself some time and frustration by incorporating God's Word into your daily routine.

Everyday I Write The Book

“Stop your striving and recognize that I am God!  I will be exalted over the nations!  I will be exalted over the earth!”  Psalm 46:10

God sure has a unique way of speaking to me.  As stubborn as I am, He often hits me with the same truth(s) over and over again until I finally yield.  The past month has provided a wonderful season of Spiritual growth for me and the reoccurring themes that I have been focusing on are: ‘giving up control’ and ‘yielding to God.’  Almost daily, I have either read or heard something regarding the subject matter of  ‘letting go and letting God.’

The key to giving up control in our life and submitting to God requires us to be patient and wait while remaining hopeful and trusting.  These virtues certainly do not come natural for me, as I would like to have some say over matters or hang onto a false sense of belief that I am actually in control of my life.  Our strength is found in our weaknesses and our patience in waiting for Christ to do His work, which is evidence that we honestly do trust Him.

Hoping is directly tied to our future inheritance in heaven, but the benefits of hope can be experienced right now.  Instead of trying to manipulate or ‘control’ every aspect of our lives, we must learn to just live each day simply looking for or just being aware of His presence.  Your eyes will be opened to a whole new world realizing that God is the one who is in control and his plans are for our good!

If You Leave Me Now

“My God, why have you forsaken me?” –Jesus Christ  Matthew 27:46

To put today’s passage of scripture into context, Jesus spoke the above words from Matthew 27 after He had been nailed to the cross for well over nine excruciating hours.  These words are certainly perplexing as one would cannot imagine how God’s beloved Son could be forsaken.  I believe that it was in those final moments on the cross that Jesus suffered spiritual agony as He was bearing the guilt of the world on Himself by becoming sin for all of mankind. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

There are have been many circumstances in where I have felt like I too, was forsaken or that God had abandoned me.  However- the reality is, God has NEVER left my side and NEVER will.  If you have ever felt this way, please understand that God is bigger than any circumstance you can ever possibly face in your lifetime.  More importantly, as believers in the body of faith, we also must learn to live above our circumstances as well.

Doing this will require us to spend more ‘focused’ time with Christ who is the One who overcame this world.  When we live in His presence, we are set free from the bondage to trouble and anxiety that is common in the world and little by little we lifted up above our circumstances.  We also begin to see our lives from Jesus’ perspective which, in turn, helps us to discern what is important an what is not.

Rest in the peaceful presence of our Loving Father knowing that he will never leave us or forsake us; we can all live with a joy that can never be taken away from us!

The Seeker

You will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.  Deuteronomy 4:29

Being a creature of habit, I like to keep the same routines each and every day.  Recently, I have felt convicted about not spending much time seeking God by reading my bible, so yesterday morning, I read Luke 11, and, as always, that verse was exactly the one I needed for the day that awaited me.

To ‘seek’ God means to pursue Him as the only source of definitive truth and wisdom.  Instead of letting our problems pile up and seeking God out of desperation, how different would our lives be if we sought Him first and foremost in all matters?

To seek God and His way puts us on the path of a life that is blessed and pleasing to Him. 

Helpless

Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.  Jeremiah 33:3

Thankfully, I have never had a first-hand experience with a near-death encounter, but I have always found interviews with people who have survived the unimaginable very interesting.

Living a “Spirit-filled” life begins with the realization that we are absolutely helpless and hopeless without the power of the Holy Spirit.  Until we have an understanding that God is in total control of our lives and everything else in the universe, we will never experience the true power of the Holy Spirit that dwells within each believer.

When we don't draw our strength from the Holy Spirit, we only use our strength and for that reason, we work in vein.  It may not take us experiencing some near fatal accident or miracle to understand that God is in control and we are helpless, but God is an expert at creating circumstances so that we find ourselves completely dependent on Him.

Hold Your Head High

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.  Psalm 42:5

Depression is one of the most common emotional ailments today.  In fact, there are more medications on the market to treat depression than almost any other disease.  Occasionally, there are times where I tend to feel a little ‘down and out’ about my current set of circumstances and it's easy to feel like God is distant and begin to lose hope.

One antidote for feeling 'down' is to meditate on all of God's wonderful  blessings and never-ending goodness that is recorded throughout the Bible.

It gives me hope to read about His promises and reminds me that God is who He says He is. Scripture also gives me proper perspective and helps me to focus my thoughts on God's ability to help me rather than on my inability to help myself.  That, my friends, is a good thing!!

Thorn In My Pride

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me...For when I am weak, I am strong.  2 Corinthians 12: 9-10

Just like Paul, we all have an area of weakness, or a "thorn in the flesh," as is mentioned in an earlier verse from this same passage of scripture from Corinthians. We do not know exactly what Paul's "thorn in the flesh" was, but it was something that caused the apostle to remain humble and stay in constant contact with God.

Too many people often claim that "trouble makes you stronger." I tend to disagree. Once we recognize our limitations, we must rely on Christ for our strength.  We must rely on God for our effectiveness rather than depending on our own energy and individual efforts.

I have faced many situations that have left me feeling completely helpless, weak, and humbled, to say the least.  I have reached the point of having no choice but to rely on Christ for His strength and He certainly carried me through and still is carrying me through to this very day.

Allow God to fill you with His power and you will be stronger than you ever can be on your own

St. Judy's Comet

"Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching." Proverbs 1:8

Our oldest son, Elliott, is the master of prolonging the nightly process of going to bed.   We have heard a litany of reasons, from tummy-aches to bad dreams, to simply just needing to go to the bathroom for the hundredth time.  Just recently, around 9:40 PM,  I heard footsteps in the upstairs hallway.   When I finally went to check on the situation, I caught Elliott sitting down on the stairwell.  He was somewhat embarrassed that I caught him sneaking around after we had put him to bed for the night, so I sat down on the stairwell and just talked with him.  When asked what he was still doing up, He simply replied, “Daddy, I am not tired.”  In a calm manner, I suggested that he get back into bed so that Mommy didn't hear him and he finally fell asleep a few moments later.    

Just like a young child has trouble understanding the importance of a good night’s rest, we too are in constant battle with God for control over our lives.  Just like a loving parent, God is always communicating with us and for us to hear what He is trying to tell us, we must seek Him above all else in our lives.

You see, anything we pursue without talking to God about first, will most likely be in vein.  We must allow the Light of His Presence shine on all of our pursuits so that we can receive His help for the plans He has made for us or allow Him to change the desires of our hearts.

If we seek Him first and foremost, the rest of our lives will fall into place!  

           

Always Something There To Remind Me

Remember the things I have done in the past.  For I alone am God!  I am God and there is none like me.  Isaiah 46:9

Periodically, especially during adverse or difficult times, it’s easy to forget about the 'good' things God has done in our lives.  

When I struggle trust in God, it helps me to look back and remember just how He has worked in my life before, which, in turn, makes it easier for me to come to Him first when I need help in the present.

There are several ways, in addition to remembering the work God has done in our past, to help keep our focus on Him today…

When we have a sense of community, such as regularly attending church, Sunday School, or Life Group, we are more likely to share what God has done and is doing in our lives with others. 

Reading His Word also helps us to gain a perspective of how He has worked throughout history and His plans to share His many blessings with future generations.

When we try a few of these simple steps, we help ourselves acknowledge God’s hand in the past, present, and the future!

Under Control

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-which is your spiritual worship.  Romans 12:1

Our oldest son, Elliott, is into a variety of different things.  In fact, Legos, Nintendo, superheroes, Transformers, Ben 10, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are 'all the rage' in the Fisher household and can be somewhat complex for a boy his age.  While the Transformers are pretty cool, they are even difficult for an old veteran like me to actually transform from a vehicle or aircraft mode to a robot and back. 

Just the other day, I was helping our son transform his vast collection of robots and he grew impatient with me and wanted to help.  I kept telling him to be careful as he was forcing the plastic toy to where it would eventually break if he was not more careful.  After repeated attempts, he managed to break the arm off of one of the Autobots (the good Transformers) and was very disappointed.  I was eventually able to repair the broken toy and was also provided with the wonderful opportunity of teaching our son a valuable lesson.  In fact, I learned a little lesson from this incident as well…

You see, if you are like me, you have no problem giving God control over the ‘big’ or ‘important’ areas of your life.  I struggle, at times, to give God control over the small and day-to-day things.  I can face a number of situations and foolishly try and convince myself, “ You've got this, Will” or ”I can handle this on my own, God” and end up royally screwing everything up along the way.  Just like our son did with his broken toy, I will proceed to turn things over to God so that He can fix or repair the same things I thought I had under control. 

We must ask God to take control of our lives each and every day. One we have admitted our powerlessness and inability to manage our lives, we must come to a place in our faith where we decide to turn our will and lives over to God’s loving care.

Acknowledge the need for God’s guidance in our lives.  When He becomes our new manager, we must also choose to accept life on His terms as well.  God offers us a way to live that is free from our past, allowing us to enjoy new and wonderful experiences in accordance to His good and perfect will for our lives.  Thanks be to God!

Don’t You (Forget About Me)

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing you into a new person by changing the way you think.  The you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good pleasing and perfect.  Romans 12:2

Last week was a typical week for me, but for whatever reasons, I really struggled to reply to some personal emails I had received throughout the week and I felt guilty for not returning phone calls to a couple of friends that only wanted to catch up. 

Sometimes I feel like I have found the perfect balance in my life, and other times, I feel like the demands of my daily schedule are simply unmanageable.

Jesus modeled the perfect example of a life balanced between socializing and solitude, action and reflection, hard work and spiritual revitalization, and mission and meditation.  His pace allowed for Him to be guided by God’s perfect will instead of caving into the pressures of this world.  When you live a balanced life, you realize that every need and every opportunity are not necessarily the things God is calling you to do.

We must allow God to change our thinking to reflect His thinking and He will show us what to do and what not to do.  When we let Him direct our steps, we can then live according to His priorities and His will!

Rescue Me

The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.  I will protect those who trust in my name.  When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble.  I will rescue and honor them.  I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.”  Psalm 91:14-16

It’s hard for me not to feel a sense of peace and comfort when reading the above scripture from Psalms.

Simply stated, God loves us because he made us.  Contrary to some schools of thought, we are not just creatures that randomly evolved, but are instead created in God’s image so that we could have a relationship with Him.

God does not only want a relationship with ‘church people’ or the religious elite; but with ALL people.  Yes, you read that last statement correctly, the Creator of the Universe desires your love and friendship and is, in fact, pursuing it now.

We must stop running from Him and discover the purpose in which He made us.

Gotta Serve Somebody

"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat ; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink ; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.'  "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink ?  'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?  'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' Matthew 25:34-40

God has really been working on the true motives of my heart lately.  What is my purpose here on this earth?  A lot of my energy revolves around my beloved family.  Quite a bit is also focused on my career.  I would like to change the world, but is it just another selfish want of mine to better my surroundings and ensure my own personal gain?

You see,  the only goal of lasting value and fulfillment is actually serving Christ.  As followers of Christ, we should all aim to model our lives after Jesus and Him alone.  Christ, the King of all Kings, did not come to this earth to be served, but to serve.

When you look at what some believers have accomplished with God’s help, it’s truly remarkable.  The Bible is filled with stories of everyday people doing extraordinary things with God’s supernatural intervention.  We all like to make excuses for not tapping into the power of the Holy Spirit more often.  We may feel like we don’t have enough experience or we have the wrong set of skills for the task at hand, but we must remember that God will provide us with the right words to say, the ability, and the circumstances so that we can achieve all He wants done.

We must live our lives every day in such a way that we yield to God’s will and allow Him to provide us with what we need for today and today alone.

(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding

A man's steps are directed by the Lord.  How can anyone understand his own way?  Proverbs 20:24

If you are at all like me, then you also want an understanding of things.  

For instance, at work, I want to be as prepared as I possibly can be prior to a meeting with a client or prospective client.  I don't like the unknown during a presentation or enrollment meeting in front of a group of employees.  

Another would be how I enjoy pondering the meaning of life; why things happen the way they do and so forth.  The more I learn about God's ways, the less I realize I truly understand...

Events that take place in our lives can be confusing at times.  There are many things that we simply may never understand whereas others fall into place and we will be able to look back and see how God worked in certain situations.  

The above passage from Proverbs assures us not to worry, even if we don't have all of the answers.  We must learn to accept that God knows what He is doing and learn to have complete confidence in Him, even if we don't have a clear understanding of His timing and design.

God's promises are real and they always work together for His good; despite our understanding!

Enjoy The Silence

When you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private.  Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.  Matthew 6:6

Moments of peace and quiet are a rarity for me these days, especially with two young children.  If it's not loud toys, video games, singing or playing, there is almost always some kind of noise inside the walls of our home.  Finding quiet moments to pray certainly requires a commitment of waking up extra early each and every morning.

Jesus often retreated to pray in solitude after speaking to large crowds, teaching His disciples, or performing miracles.  He knew the value of spending those quiet moments in conversation with His Father.

Regardless of how hectic and busy our lives are, we must always save some time to be still and quiet so that we may hear God's voice.  Even if it's a few quick seconds a day in the car or even in the bathroom, find the time to enjoy His presence every day...He promises to hear you and will reward you!

Old Neighborhood

Love your neighbor as yourself.  Matthew 22:39

Along my journey, I have been blessed with some wonderful neighbors in all of the various places I have lived.  Many of those neighbors have also become lifelong friends that I absolutely treasure.  It’s made it particularly hard to move to another part of town or different city/state.  The same holds true here in Knoxville and one of the most appealing parts of the neighborhood for our family are the people who make up our community.

Jesus said that loving your neighbor as yourself is the second greatest commandment, after loving God with all of your heart.  That must make neighborly love pretty important, right?

We all have a natural and fleshly instinct to look after ourselves first, but it's when we look to meet the needs of others like it's ourselves that we begin to fulfill Jesus' commandment.

This world is in desperate need of love and it just can't be overstated enough.  Love directed inward is useless, but love directed outward can help change this world, one person at a time!

Let My Love Open The Door

Anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.  Matthew 18:4

Some days, I daydream about being a young child again; full of life, humility, innocence, and love.  Times just seemed a little easier, growing up, didn't they?  

As a married adult and father of two young children, I feel like I have more responsibilities now than I could even possibly begin to name here.  However, being a father has taught me a valuable lesson-the less I strive to bring honor to myself, the more God honors and blesses me.

Humility opens the door for God to work in your life because you are willing to seek His help and give Him the glory and honor.

Pride is true weakness, for it relies on your selfish and bloated ego.  True strength is in humility, for its effects reach deep into the Kingdom of Heaven.  So, let us humble ourselves before the Lord!

Leap of Faith

There is no fear in love; but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears punishment has not been perfected in love.  1 John 4:18

Have you ever began to step out in faith and do something or go somewhere new or make a new commitment, but the thought of actually going through with it caused you to be gripped with fear?  There have been numerous occasions during my life that I can recall being scared out of my mind about taking a leap of faith.  One of the biggest leaps of faith that any man or woman can take is marriage-it's a lifelong commitment and covenant with God.  Another huge leap of faith is becoming a parent and having children.  Making a career move with another company or taking a different position with your current organization certainly requires a leap of faith too.  

I can say from experience that Alicia and I basically decided that facing only one major lifestyle change was not enough; she became pregnant with our first born only after a few months of marriage and I left the company I was working for in Atlanta to follow a new career path in Knoxville, TN.  There were many moments of doubt, anxiousness, and fear during the first couple of years of our marriage, but God was faithful and has been by our side every single step of the way.

If we trust that God is He who He says He is, shouldn't we have nothing to fear?  Sure, but that's easier said than done.  Satan is the master of creating doubt in our minds so that you become fearful of trusting God and then paralyzed in our efforts to make progress or go through with something.

Our best defense is staying grounded in His Word.  There is much power in reading God's story of love and faithfulness to His people.  God's promises that He "will not fail you or forsake you" in Deuteronomy 31:6.

So the next time Satan tries to discourage you or scare you to take a leap of faith, find your strength and power in His Word.  He is good to His people and will NEVER break His promise to deliver you....

Do You Want To Know A Secret?

The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law. Deuteronomy 29:29

All parents certainly have a few "secrets" that they do not share with their children.  Major holidays come to mind...the true identity of the Easter bunny and Santa Claus, to name a few. I could name several occasions where we have had to smuggle medicine into the boys’ food or drinks so that they would feel better..."Daddy, why is the milk pink?" "Yes son, I enjoy Justin Beiber's music. Let's hear 'Baby' again."

The more I think about it, there are many things that we too will probably never fully understand about God...secrets, if you will.

When we fully trust God's lead in our lives, we need to allow Him to direct our every step, each and every day. If you are like me, you kind of like to know how things are going to work out, but with our Loving Father, not knowing the future and trusting Him the same are what is most important in our walk of faith.

Whenever we find ourselves anxious about the future, or worrying, we must repent and return to God. There are many things we will never know or even begin to understand, but we must put our trust into the One who does know exactly what the future holds for us.