Illuminate

When I was younger I use to be terrified of the dark, I would be almost paralyized from what I precieved was just past my vision. I would sit in a chair in the living room waiting for Mom or Dad to come home before I would move a muscle. The only problem with that was, I like to eat! So I would make a plan of action on how I was going to get to the fridge and back with everything I needed. I would start with turning the lamp by the chair on, then the living room lights, then the dinning room lights, then just because the switch was right next to the switch for the dinning room I would to the back porch light on. I would run into the kitchen and hit the light in there, then open the fridge to let the light from inside illuminate my choices. I would get what I needed to fill my hunger and then put the extras back where they belong. I would kick the fridge closed walk backwards the path I had taken to get there shutting of the lights as I go, sliding back into my chair to watch TV. I felt as if as long as there was a lighted path for me I was safe and new where I was going.

Psalm 119:105 says this:
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path (NIV).
By your words I can see where I'm going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path (The Message).
See the word of God does the same thing for us as house lights do in a dark house. When we are paralyzed by life and its problems or decision, the word of God throws a beam of light to our path. It opens up the possibility of getting from one place to another.

The words used for lamp and light is the same word in Hebrew, it means to illuminate.
The word of God illuminates what we can't see; it expands our perception of life.
This light not only opens our eyes to see our surroundings, but helps to direct us in the right ordering of our conversation, both in the choice of our way in general and in the particular steps we take in that way, that we may not take a false way nor a false step in the right way (Matthew Henry).
God’s word is our spiritual flash light. We can turn it on or we can turn it off. It’s our choice.

Illuminate your life.

Illuminate it with Gods word.

Illuminate the will of God for your life.

ON THE THIRD DAY

As I come out of my 22nd Easter I realize this one was probably the most profound for myself.

One of the most Holy Easters? No.
Did I see a vision? No.

So what made it o profound then?

I will start with Good Friday. I began the day reading
Hebrews 9:21-22

In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

This put the whole day in prospective for me, It was what happen years ago that made this one possible for me.

I was spending the rest of the day with my new fiance and her Aunt and cousin. We got up a little late, then went to a buffet that was decent for the small town we were in. We had a good time eating and joking. We then went for a walk down a trail near by the house. We chose the 2.5 mile walk. I need more of these walks. As we walked I thought these walk for Jesus, scholars say its not nearly as far as we walked but it got me thinking any how. We walked up and down hills, through swamps, and woods, in the heat of the day. I couldn't imagine what Jesus went through on this walk. Blood dripping from his crown of thorns, skin hanging off His body. Falling down with the wait of the wood heavy cross pressing down on him, pressured to keep going.

I thought it was funny how God let me experience a moment of thinking about this experience while walking down this beautiful trail. What if we walked in a way that signified our thanks for Jesus and His walk up the hill? what if the way we carry ourselves every day was in position to Jesus and the way he carried Him self with that cross? Never staying down, bleeding, enduring, persevering.

Saturday brought more blessings, we were at an interview of sorts for a pastorate in Ozark, Alabama. I just love that name. We experienced amazing things from the time we spent with the pastor. Our hearts melt for this church and it felt as if God was showing where we were going to end up but in the end maybe not because we are #2 for getting the position, We spent a great time on our way home dreaming of possibilities and time in prayer with God about our thoughts and hopes. A really amazing feeling about this job has overcome me the past few days, constantly thinking about it, and wondering if God was going to make this happen. He might you never know.

These makes me ask what if we were to think of God being our provider in a manner that makes us so excited that we can hardly wait to see what will happen? Not just with the big stuff, but with the small stuff too? God is the God of the seemingly impossible. Please move us to think like that God?

Sunday was just spectacular! Driving to church was probably the best part. There was this think fog. But behind this fog there was the sun rising in the East. The light penetrating brilliantly through the fog. Making this gold haze every where. I just started to think of Heaven right there and then. Now I am a 20 something and have a lot that I want to do still in life, like get married! So I dont always have this feeling of just wanting to get to Heaven, but all of a sudden I just wanted to see the glory of my God in its fullness.

My last thought is what if we look for something that brings us to the place where we can turn our minds on Heaven and the wanting to be there? What if we were to think about Heaven the way some of think about what we are going to eat at the next meal?

Blessings, in His name.

Knock, knock

Sitting in my dorm room this afternoon, enjoying the first few amazing moments of the start of the weekend.
I here a knock at the door and I figure its our rooms room check for the week. So I yell "OPEN," as to suggest they can come in. there is silence so I walk to the door and open it, to be met by a girl and a guy, both looking younger then myself. The girl is stretching out her hand toward me offering me a card. The card tells about their Easter program from the church they go to.

They ask if I go to a church. In my mind I am saying do you know who you are talking to? I just got done preaching the gospel of Christ two minutes ago, I respond yes I go to a great church in Winter Haven. Garden Grove is the name. Without pause the girl responds, "Well not to pull you away from your church but, do you know for a fact that you are going to Heaven when you die?"
I respond with a smile on my face with, "Yes I do!" They said thank you and I shut the door.

As I take the card to throw it away I see the back of the card. In bold letters the top says," WHAT IT TAKES TO BE SAVED" I chuckled to myself in a sarcastic tone. What kind of a question is that?

Two questions come to my mind through this experience.
1. Is this school that closed off from the surrounding community that other churches don't even know that we are Christians too and proclaim the name of Jesus as well?
2. Is that really what we are concerned about? What does it take to be saved?

To answer the first question, well that for your own interpretation.

The answer to question two I will attempt.
NO! that shouldn't be our main focus, it shouldn't be "getting people saved", it should be transforming they way they see themselves and God. To show them a relationship with the heavenlies that is indescribable. Salvation is not a ten step program, it is a journey with Jesus at the center of our life.

Please I urge you to show the way to life and not steps to be saved.

Yuck I don't even like saying that.
Be blessed.

Umm not sure

Just not sure what I am doing right now.

This feeling sucks. Sorry for the language but it does. I am so far behind on school work its not funny. Really no laughing here. Big decisions coming up soon, and trying to find where God wants me to go, or should I say where He wants Kristen and I to go. I love saying that.

In fact that is probably the only real certain thing that I have, Kristen. She is the one that I know God has for the rest of my life! Its a great feeling.

Sometimes in life I guess we must go through times were we dont know what is happening with everything in life, but maybe we have one or two things that are solid in our life.

For me I have papers that I have no idea how I will finish and book critiques and graduation to get ready for. I have to finish tiling a house in the next couple of weeks! That was a project that was to much work for me to do by myself. I feel very bad about taking this job on. But God has given me strength to finish it.

It has been a crazy past couple of weeks and it will just get crazier.

I have this strange feeling that as our life gets crazier and crazier, God is going to open some doors and do some crazy things.

This felt good sorry if there was no insight.

Doughnuts!

What a great day!

I received a box of 12 doughnuts today from my boss at work. They were for my birthday that happened to have slipped by them last week. They felt guilty for missing it so they gave me doughnuts. I love doughnuts. But not a dozen. It isn't healthy.Though I could, I wont. So I got to class and offered them out. There are still 5 left as we sit in class, whoops now 4.

Its funny how the little things in life can make a day so much better. And how the small things in life can make some people so upset. I have come to learn this semester how an unbalanced life can lead to an unbalanced attitude. I have been able to witness this in the people that surround me day in and day out.

When I say unbalanced life. I am talking about, the unbalance people have in what they say they believe and their practice of that belief. When we don't keep a balance of practicing what what we profess we become unbalanced. This semester has showed me how some people say they are called to one thing or another but they dont really show any fruit of a calling and their attitude toward people and life is like roller-coaster. One minute they are nice and sweet with the telephone operator and the next they are hanging up the phone on them in a flustered hurry while saying this and that about the person on the other line, because they didnt get everything they want.

I believe the practice that is so needed everyday in order to maintain a balanced life is diving into the word of God. When we take time out of the day to read anything it takes us to another place. but when one takes time out of the day to get reading the word of God it takes us to a whole other place then just regular reading. It is a manual for life, a guide, driven by the very will of God.

If we dont take our time to read this life manual then we cannot know how to direct our lives and it becomes as if we are blindfolded in a field of corn.

As I watch these unbalanced lives in front of my very eyes my heart breaks for them. They have this misconceived idea of what Life is, what Christianity is and what Church is.

Now dont get me wrong I am not a perfect balanced life, I have had my share of times where my life has got in the way of God's life for me. But I do know how it also feels to have that balance in my life. It is a great feeling to know that this world is temporary and God is forever, and everything that surrounds those to thoughts will be a-okay!

I would hope that we all strive to live a balanced life. One that brings glory to God in everything that we do. One thats puts Jesus in the front of our mind. And one that lives unselfishly before others.

May you be blessed today!

Autograph

So this morning as I was at work enjoying the day, a man came to the mail room window to ask about receiving some books for "The Forum." This is an annual leadership conference that my school holds every spring break for the past four years including this year.
This year the school is getting former president George W. Bush and his wife Laura to speak during the conference,the school is rush along with cleaning and finishing an overdue construction project out front in order for the school to be spic and span for Mr. Bush.
All of these things happen make me think about when I was growing up and we had to clean the house in a day and fix things for when we would have family coming in and such.
Getting back to the guy at the window. He said that he is receiving 750 books of George W. Bush's book on leadership. The title fails me right now. Anyway he was wondering about how to get it to were he needed them and so forth. But in the conversation I asked if the former president of America would be signing books. He quickly replied "No!" with a small laugh.
This was funny to me.
On top of that I found out that the former president doesn't allow cell phones out, because he doesn't want pictures taken on them.
He will have a photo opt session for all of the high contributing donors to SEU though.
Now I am not knocking the former President. I am just thinking that have we really gotten this bad? Have we really came to the place in life were people are to big or good for candid pictures and and autograph here and there. I find it very funny that at a leadership forum for screams servant leadership and being with the people. The main speaker doesn't allow contact with anyone not paying high dollar for it.

Ahhh I can not understand how this can be ok. We need to be people not some high lifted up, glorified, idolized, imagized(don't know if that's a word) type.
Just be real with me please.
Dear Mr. Bush,
Let me have and autograph and a word please.
Sincerely,
Concerned American

Pain

Pain is a part of life. Everyone goes through some kind of pain in life. Be it emotional or physical pain. Loved ones can warn you about things that cause pain but most times it takes us individually to figure it out. Sports can cause pain, girls, food, gas, light, relationships, drugs, cars, doctors, animals, money. Anything can really cause us some sort of pain.
No matter what the pain comes from or the form it comes in we must learn to endure it, until it is over. We can come up with a number of things to get over the pain that is affecting us at the current moment.
I sit here writing this as I am experiencing a little pain. Not as much as I was told to expect after having surgery on my knee, which is good. But it got me thinking on how we deal with pain and the role it plays in our lives.
It most definitely plays a big part in our lives.
It doesn't fail us.
It sometimes doesn't stop.
It sometimes includes blood.
It sometimes includes other people.

No matter what pain feels like to us, no matter how much of it there is, pain will strengthen us. It will teach us more about ourselves thn we ever knew. It will bring us to a place of life experience.

Most importantly the pain we go through is nothing compared to the pain God must have felt when he crucified His Son for US!
The pain he must felt when he punished his son for something he didnt deserve but that we did.

Pain is one of the most just things in the world. It comes as an effect only when needed.

God justly poured out his pain on Christ for us.

So pain is just weakness leaving the body as a t-shirt might read.

But pain is a reminder of Gods love.