Where are my shoes!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last Friday Kristen and I were making our way up to Ozark, Alabama. For those of you who don't know where that is, it is two hours South of Montgomery, AL. We were going up there to interview for a youth position. We got the job! God is good all the time!!!! There is so much that has went in the past 4-5 days I cannot even write about all of it.

So my thought for today comes from the first few moments of our trip. Before I picked Kristen up from her school I was dropping my car off and our Pastor's house so it would be safe for the weekend. It actually got wrote on in permanent marker come to find out! lol. Anyway as we pulled up I was greeted by my friend JoJo haha aka Kristin and Pastor sheri who was not feeling good. I was running around my car trying to find shoes and clothes that I needed to transfer to another car. Pastor sheri asked if she could pray and I said,"just one second please." knowing she wasn't feeling up to par I gave up trying to find my dress shoes.

Prayers started to be sent up Heavenward and we were asking God for big things in the days to come. As we prayed my mind was trying to think of where these dress shoes were. I knew I had them in my car. We finished praying and I thought of one last place to look. So I popped the trunk and opened the cooler that was in my car. There they were, my nice shinny black dress shoes. I yelled out, "Who the heck puts shoes in a cooler!" The women laughed at me for a second and then we took off. To go pick Kristen up.

The shoes were in the cooler because I had put them there when packing up my dorm room trying to use every bit of space I could.

Sometimes we pack life to full, so full in fact that we can't remember where God is, or where our shoes are.

I think the example set before us in how to order the fullness of everyday life is found in Mark.

And early in the morning, while it was still dark, He arose and went out and departed to a lonely place, and was praying there. ( Mark 1:35)

Prayer is nonnegotiable.It centers our lives on what is important, that is God!
We must withdraw ourselves from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, in order to find ourselves and to find God.

If we miss these things we will not be able to find our shoes, or worse yet we will not be able to find God.

May His face shine upon you.

Notice the missing piece

About a year ago this time my girlfriend who is now my fiance (Kristen) and I decided to start wearing promise rings. I took my Dad's old wedding band that was straight from the 80's with its twirly design on it. And Kristen took her Mom's engagement ring. We did this for two reasons. One because I am cheap and didn't want to buy rings. Secondly because they both had more meaning then something bought brand new. We both loved the idea of wearing our parents rings.

At first it took a long time getting use to wearing this ring, it was uncomfortable and hurt my fingers if they were squeezed together. After awhile the ring carved out its spot in my finger to where it left an indentation in my skin. I love wearing this ring every-time I see it I am reminded of the love in my life and the commitment I have to her. I know that it isn't a wedding band but soon enough there will be one of those on my left hand to signify that special commitment I will have.

I rarely take my ring off because I will forget to grab it in the morning. So I just leave it on my finger.

Sunday I had the privilege to go golfing with my dad and step-dad. It was a post graduation celebration while Kristen and the women she was with went to pick out a wedding dress.

So as we were hitting the links as they say I took my ring off so it wouldn't pinch my skin between the club. I put it in my pocket as I golfed. It is now thursday and I just realized that I never took it out of my pocket to put it back on my finger. Partly because even as I write this, it feels as if the ring is on my finger. It is the weirdest thing how that works.

We can get so comfortable with the things that we choose to add to our lives. So comfortable that we don't even notice when they are gone.

We notice the new things when they are new. Because they take time getting use to and are different then before. But as time rolls on we get use to them as they become a part of our everyday life. But sadly we do this with God all to much I feel. We must try to remain in a place in life of spiritual newness. Where everyday has the new feeling with God, where we cannot forget that He is there with us, because it is fresh and new. And yes if we have that sometimes it will be uncomfortable. God will show you things in your life that you need to take out and things you need to add. Some may hurt and others may heal. But no matter what we must freshly revive the holy spirit within us everyday.

When when the last time you forgot your ring and didn't even notice it?

When was the last time we forgot to put God in our day and didn't even notice it?

We cannot let ourselves forget the feeling of having God newly involved in our everyday life?

So I pray that your life isn't in a place of comfort without the involvement of God today.

Grace and Peace to you.