I get into trouble every-time I write. Without fail, God holds me on what I claim on my blog...
He writes it into my flesh and mind.
Here goes.
I recently read an important idea from Donald Miller's program, "Storyline" (http://storylineblog.com/) to make "What if's" in your life and move towards them.
My biggest "WHAT IF"
What if I truly gave God control over my life each day and every day?
I HATE THE IDEA!.
It's full of scary roads and massive possible failures.
Putting your entire life willingly in the hands of a being that could easily snuff you out?
On top of that, laying down the ability to scrutinize others on their mistakes?
That second one may have got a small chuckle. The truth is, I love "playing god."
To give up 'Giving up on Ben' is terrible. I am so good at it. *Snort*
I've found the reason behind all of my frustration with people. A pesky thing that gets in the way every-time. It stops me from being able to help them with their problems. Wouldn't it be so much easier without it?
Oh yeah, it was a gift from God.
Their will.
I have one too.
He lets us walk away from Him all the while pursuing us with His Love in a way that only He can. That's real love. Allowing Himself to be wounded only to forgive us and accept us as sons and daughters when we return.
I hope that one is etched into my being. That love.
I want to allow God to work on others....and myself from the inside.
Letting God be Himself in me and allowing others to be themselves as well.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
I'm done waiting
Time to get a little vulnerable. As a single guy living in a community where at least 80% of my friends are married, 60% of which are within 2 years of me in both directions...
I often find it a great struggle to focus.
It is human nature to want intimacy with another person. A closeness that makes you feel wanted by one other person.
I've seen MANY books for single women (read none) of
how to wait for the ONE.
Men are often left out to dry..
since we are supposed to initiate the relationship.
But.... What happens if it doesn't happen?
Even if there is a desire, prayer, and even trying to be ready?
While marriage is very important to those who are blessed with it,
we can get so wrapped up in thinking and "prepping ourselves" that we miss the point. This is the time in our lives where we can devote ourselves entirely to falling in love with God.
For men it becomes like a deer hunt: waiting and jumping at opportunities...it becomes an obsession.
God created us for closeness with one another,sharing our life, and to live for the other..
Doesn't it sound sorta familiar?
God created us to echo heaven.
In the "Lord's prayer" it says ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN!
Paul talks about this in Corinthians 7:7
"Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am. However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that."
I am not for holding out anymore. I cannot do it anymore. I have to move on. The desire has been absolutely paralyzing to me.
To sum up this whole thought in a few words it would be "Falling in Love with God above all"
It is something that is missing from ALL marriages that go awry.
To love God means loving that person in front of you whether it is your spouse,brother, sister, or even YOUR WORST ENEMY more than you treat yourself!
In the process of allowing yourself to feel God's love for you, you will then overflow & pour that love on others.
For those who have no spouse, it is easier in a way: putting God first before desires, giving your future to Him, and making Him your desire.
It is both a scary and exciting thing to give your entire future to God. It means He does what HE wants. Is able to fashion you into a tool of His design.
Then...when you are set in another person's life and them in yours, He'll be the center of the union. He is of course to be our first love. The one which all loves are meant to reflect.
I could go on for hours, so I'll just leave you with that. I may need to write an eBook to share what God is working out in me. I'll truly enjoy Him revealing things in the days ahead, since life is about the valley and not the mountain-top.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Like waking from a dream
First of all, I'd just like to say how great it is to be God's. It is so easy to forget sometimes the
absolute amazing power of being His. It is the answer to all anxieties.
Every time I write something of importance, He works it in me.
Lately, I have been hit hard. God had been far from my thoughts, yet I wasn't ever from His. I've been wrestling inside to even understand where I stand.
While I'm not "there" yet, I don't believe I will be till I am before His throne.
Ran across this blog post forwarded on Facebook by a friend.
http://gracefortheroad.com/2012/02/03/idontwait/
It woke me up tonight to hear the same thing Christ gave me 4 years ago being said by someone else.
I get to fall in love again. Everyday
absolute amazing power of being His. It is the answer to all anxieties.
Every time I write something of importance, He works it in me.
Lately, I have been hit hard. God had been far from my thoughts, yet I wasn't ever from His. I've been wrestling inside to even understand where I stand.
While I'm not "there" yet, I don't believe I will be till I am before His throne.
Ran across this blog post forwarded on Facebook by a friend.
http://gracefortheroad.com/2012/02/03/idontwait/
It woke me up tonight to hear the same thing Christ gave me 4 years ago being said by someone else.
I get to fall in love again. Everyday
Thursday, August 16, 2012
The Little Jesus on my shoulder
It is a commonplace these days to "accept Jesus." Churches everywhere preach from the pulpit the Sinner's prayer.
Yet, That is not enough for Salvation
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,- Acts 3:19
Repentance is remorse for our past and turning toward God. Not giving him the terms of how our life is to be. It is giving him control of our heart to shape us.
We (including me) give Christ a "shoulder" to sit on to advise us. Yet we are still in control of how our lives go. We use Christ's words to our benefit and forsake God's voice in our lives.
A heart of repentance is not a man-invoked action. Being sorry...yes. Repentance is a gift God gives us.
Zacheus is an awesome example of this.
A tax-collector, he was a corrupt man. He looked out for Number One. Despised by his own people and his employers the Romans.
He overheard the crowds talk of Jesus the Carpenter who heals and is the Messiah.
He had to see what the fuss was all about. Being a short man, he figures the best way to see Jesus was to climb a tree.
Jesus walks underneath his tree!
Then looks Him in the eye, and says to come down and that...Jesus wants to eat lunch with him!
That was all it took! He gave back all he took in deceit three-fold and turned from his sin.
God moved from inside.
Christ had changed him by first seeing who Zacheus really was.
Our Spirit is the piece of Christ we received to do this very thing. The Fruit of Christ's spirit stirring in us is true repentance. First, we must reach out for him.
He wants inside. That we are off the seat of our heart and he is ruler, not like:
The Creator's place is in His temple. Here he can shape us into what we are meant to be and not who we think we are.
I'll be honest. In the last 5 years of my life more attacks have come from my flesh nature to try to put Him out. I've been on the edge of walking away, asking God to take me out, and giving up completely on life.
On the other side, He has been with me through everything. His light has revealed some ugly things in me. I totally expected Him to give up on me.
THE EXACT OPPOSITE HAPPENED! He showed His love even more clearer. He is never surprised or disappointed with us.
Just his Love can completely change us from the inside out.
(His Spirit is like a microwave. No cooking, just changing the inside and our outsides are benefited)
I pray that we allow Him to purge and go even deeper into our being.
(His Spirit is like a microwave. No cooking, just changing the inside and our outsides are benefited)
I pray that we allow Him to purge and go even deeper into our being.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Loneliness
It seems weird to say that you are alone when you are surrounded by so many people...right?
He doesn't mean that just because you are in the same "church," you are gathered in His name.
How is that possible?
It is a big misconception that just because you are around people you are connected.
When Christ said " For where two or three are gathered together unto my name, there am I in the midst of them. Matthew 18:20
He doesn't mean that just because you are in the same "church," you are gathered in His name.
Before Christ died he bound his disciples together unto himself. He laid claim to them through this act of sacrifice. It is a connection of the Spirit.
This connection is God-induced. Something that beyond the emotional and physical connection of your friends and family.
It is something to be in prayer for. That our meeting together would be in response to our connection and not our connection.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Rooted
For those of you that I don't see daily, I've been going through a "dry" season lately. While it is no picnic, I've gotten a lot from simple things.
There is a gardener who planted a seed in good soil. He tenderly watered the seed until it started to sprout. This tiny plant basked in the love of the gardener.
As the days went on, the gardener came to cut the plant back. The plant pleaded the gardener not to but the gardener came with his scissors and trimmed the plant. He also spread fertilizer around the plant.
The plant was sad.
As the days went on, the winds came and while many other plants were destroyed, the one plant stood.
This puzzled the plant.
The Gardener then came a dug the plant up, and placed it in a mighty forest. The plant marveled at the mighty oaks and was ashamed how scraggly he was.
As the small plant grew, he realized he too was a tree!
Many storms came and shook the tree, yet it stood.
The tree didn't look pretty on the outside, he was gnarly and bent slightly.
It learned many things about the gardener from other trees, and that the gardener was inside his rings.
He realized the pruning, positioning, and watering caused the tree to stand. While the tree wasn't the tallest in the forest, his roots were deep. They entwined with other trees and fed others while being fed himself.
This analogy sort of sums up my life so far. I'm the little plant. Maybe you are too. God intended all of our situations to cause our roots to grow deep and seek out his Life water. We may mot grow visibly as quick outwardly , but when the storms come we stand. We may feel betrayed by the Gardener, but as the dry times come, we find deep down Life in our sap. The Gardener designed us to go through hard times in which he seems MIA. God loves you....Alot. You are his prize.
Delight in Him!
There is a gardener who planted a seed in good soil. He tenderly watered the seed until it started to sprout. This tiny plant basked in the love of the gardener.
As the days went on, the gardener came to cut the plant back. The plant pleaded the gardener not to but the gardener came with his scissors and trimmed the plant. He also spread fertilizer around the plant.
The plant was sad.
As the days went on, the winds came and while many other plants were destroyed, the one plant stood.
This puzzled the plant.
The Gardener then came a dug the plant up, and placed it in a mighty forest. The plant marveled at the mighty oaks and was ashamed how scraggly he was.
As the small plant grew, he realized he too was a tree!
Many storms came and shook the tree, yet it stood.
The tree didn't look pretty on the outside, he was gnarly and bent slightly.
It learned many things about the gardener from other trees, and that the gardener was inside his rings.
He realized the pruning, positioning, and watering caused the tree to stand. While the tree wasn't the tallest in the forest, his roots were deep. They entwined with other trees and fed others while being fed himself.
This analogy sort of sums up my life so far. I'm the little plant. Maybe you are too. God intended all of our situations to cause our roots to grow deep and seek out his Life water. We may mot grow visibly as quick outwardly , but when the storms come we stand. We may feel betrayed by the Gardener, but as the dry times come, we find deep down Life in our sap. The Gardener designed us to go through hard times in which he seems MIA. God loves you....Alot. You are his prize.
Delight in Him!
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