Jesus

Merry Christmas

As I thought about today, I had a realization about Jesus and God. God loves us so much that He sent His son Jesus, Jesus loves us so much He was born a man, walked in our skin and died to save us from our sins.

In all of what He did it was not about Himself. It was about others. There are people in this world that believe love is about themselves, they don't see they will have more if they give it away. Jesus was the demonstration of that very thing, He had everything, but it didn't matter until He gave it away. He gave it for you and me.

Today remember that it is about giving your love away, not about how things make you feel, but how you make others feel. That is love and so much more.

Admitting

I have found that I do not like admitting I am wrong, I don't like apologizing for my actions. I have found it is easier to say that it is because someone upset me that I reacted how I did. Yes, it is easier, but is that the truth. It reminds me of the little kid that says the devil made me do it. We all have a freedom of choice and how I react has nothing to do with someone else, it is a choice that I make. It is on me and once I have begun to see that, it seems that I react more. When I feel like I am being attacked, I am likely to attack back, instead of stepping back to look at the situation, instead of seeing how it began I start the reaction and soon I am not the only one reacting, it begins a chain reaction of events.

What does God call me to do? Ephesians 4:31-32 "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." It is written in the bible to avoid such actions, because God knew that was human nature to react, but what He is saying it is time for us to rise above what the human nature is and to be more like Him. Or here is another verse: Galatians 6:5-10 "5 For each will have to bear his own load. 6 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."

What we chose to do, are our choices. We can't say God that was because Joe made me mad, I acted that way, because again I am pointing my finger at Joe, but know what it was my choice to be that way. You say to me, it is how I was raised, but God says we are born again, we are given new choices to walk in His way, not our way. For what was old is falling away and what is now, is living for Christ Jesus our Lord and our King. When we allow Him to move and have His being in me, I am a new creation. I fail and I still react, but it doesn't mean I am not learning, it just means that I am acknowledging that I am learning and growing. Jesus is turning up the heat.

I have found being willing to take accountability for my actions is the right thing to do. I don't like saying I was wrong, I am sorry, but that is what God calls us to do. To humble ourselves one to another. Asking forgiveness does not mean I am weak, just the opposite, it means I am strong enough to say I am wrong, strong enough to say I am sorry and stop blaming others, stand for God.


Matthew 7

Judging Others
7 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

6 “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

Ask, and It Will Be Given
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

The Golden Rule
12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy[a] that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

A Tree and Its Fruit
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

I Never Knew You
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Build Your House on the Rock
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

The Authority of Jesus
28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

These are not my words, but taken right from the Word of God, the Bible. 

Blaming

What happens when I point my finger at someone else and say it is there fault, if they would do this differently, I would react better, instead of looking at the route of the problem. It is easy to say if someone else would change things would be so much better, but what happens when I point?



This is so true, it is easier to tell someone else to change, but so much harder to look at myself. It is time for me to look at me. I can't change other people, but I can work on changing me. God brings hardships into our life so that He may teach us and train us how to deal with them. Maybe I want to ignore them or blame others, but when I see that I have to take responsibility for my actions, I stop saying if you did this, or you did that and say I was wrong and we work together. When we blame, we stop working together and allow the devil to make a wedge.

Never withhold love from the ones you love, for as soon as I do that, I have allowed the devil to put doubt, fear and separation into my life. God wasn't kidding when He said don't allow the sun to go down on your anger, because this creates issues in a marriage. We can't compare ourselves to others, because what is God calling me to, may be different then what God is calling someone else too. I must be willing to say Lord how do you want to use our marriage, really your marriage? Who am I putting first? Myself or you and then who? God help me to put my spouse first, help me to stop getting angry at the little things and start focusing on how you have designed marriage.

Time to train by doing, instead of blaming others, say Lord change me. I want to be the husband You call me to be, I want to be the man that You have designed me to be. I want to stop saying if they did it differently and take hold of what the Lord wants. I must turn it over to Him, for He is the one that will ultimately bring us through difficult times, His way and not ours.

Have a good day!

Joy

John 10:10 "The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have [it] abundantly."

What is the devil trying to steal? He is trying to steal the Joy that Jesus has given us, He comes like a thief undetected and in disguise.

Nehemiah 8:10 "Do not grieve, for the Joy of the Lord is your strength."

If the joy of the Lord is my strength, then no wonder why the devil wants to steal my joy, he wants to destroy me, because he does not want me to experience what Jesus has for me.

Today the Lord wants us to stand and recieve our strength from Him, not of our own will, not of our own strength, but to receive what Jesus has given us. Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance (forgiveness), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." If Jesus has given all of this to us, no wonder why the devil wants to steal it from us with the lies he talks to us, with the little things he loves to tell me. I have heard him say Geoff you are not worth it, you are fat, you are ugly, you will never make it, you can't do it, you are nothing, no one loves you, how could they love a freak like you. I hear these lies and that is what they are.

It is written James 4:7 "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." God calls us to submit to God and resist the devil, 2 portions there, not just resist the devil, but submit myself to God, turn from my wicked ways and say Lord I am yours and resist the devil. I didn't realize that until now, Submit and resist.

God I am standing firm in your teachings, I submit myself to you. Your will in my life and your way, for you are holy and I love you. I resist the lies of the devil, he has come to steal the joy you give me each day, he has come to steal the peace, but in You I find my resting place. Lord I know you are the one true God, You love me for who I am, for You created me. The devil has no place in my life, I am resisting his lies, he can go to hell and stay there. I stand firm in your word. Help me to hear you and hear what you have to share with me. Your love me, You chose me, You picked me and I am the apple of Your eye. Thank you Lord for Your freedom. In You is hope.

A Thought

I am in a men's club, it is called Fight Club. The verse of scripture is Nehemiah 4:14 " After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”"

God has given us each as task, if not one, but many. Are we doing all that it takes to make sure we honor God first in all of them? Are you putting God first in all you do? When we follow the teachings of the Bible, we stop looking at ourselves and look at what God calls us first to do. We put Him first, then our wives/husbands (marriage and we do what it takes to make it work), our children, our homes, then work and then friends, but I don't see it in there that we put ourselves before others. In fact, if we want to have JOY, we have to put Jesus first, then others and then ourselves. Are you lacking JOY, are you lacking the fruits of the spirit? If so, who is coming first in your life? If I want to have those things, I have to accept that I can not be the center of everything, that I must put Jesus first, I must be willing to stop thinking poor me and start thinking how would Jesus want me to be. It is not about me, a Christian life can't be about how I feel, but how I make Jesus feel, do I bring Him Joy, or do I cause Him to feel pain. Jesus died on the cross for me, He died to wash me clean from the ways I was and set me free to be on a path for Him. In that, am I walking in His freedom, or am I focusing on my self.

It is time to change my focus, more of Him and less of me. He is the way to find what I have lost, He is the way to find true JOY and so much more, but I have to put away my childish things and grab hold of what He has for me. It has to be about Jesus, others and me.

When we say we don't have time for God, but have time for other things, who are we putting first? It is high time we stop making excuses and start honoring God in our actions and words. He sees all, if we are watching TV all day, but have no time for God, who is coming first? If we play on a computer or social media, but have no time for God. Who is coming first? What things are you putting before God? Are they idols? Good way to check, can you live without them? I was spending countless hours playing games on my phone, instead of spending time praying or reading the Bible, it was hard to get rid of them, but it changed how I spend my free time.

Fear of the Lord

Proverbs 9:10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."
Psalm 111:10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise."

My thought for the day. If we stop worrying so much about how to please others and started working on pleasing God each day and worked on Matthew 22:37 "Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'" Maybe the way we deal with everyone would change. I am reminded of a story in the Bible 1 Samuel 2:12-36 . It is about a priest and his sons, he was so worried about provoking his sons, that he did nothing to change the way they acted. Instead of correcting them, he allowed them to defile God and His people and in doing so God brought down wrath on his family and him. He did not fear God and turned a blind eye to the actions of them. 

When I worry more about how God will interrupt my actions, how He will feel if I say something then what others think, I am seeing the real meaning behind fearing the Lord. It is time to realize that Jesus is right there with me, He hears and knows all. He sees my thoughts, He hears my words and are they uplifting, or are they crushing someone? It is time for me to stand up to be who God calls me to be, no matter who is watching, because Jesus is watching. That word of hurt I was going to say, God knows it, the attitude I was going to give, is it a reflection of God or of my lack of fear that God is going to hear it. I must have a humble heart, willing and ready to learn. We are to be as little children, able and ready to learn, deal with correction for it is what helps me be more of the man I need to be, not in the worlds eyes, but in God's eyes. Isn't it time to stand up for what God wants of us, fear the Lord, for He is with us always. He wants us to love Him more than anyone, put Him first, seek Him and we will find what we have been looking for, for He is the way.

Today who are you trying to please? If I am trying to please God, who will benefit? 

Forward Motion

I find it difficult to express this point. A Christian life and life in general can be done many different ways, but with adversity comes great reward. When things are easy, it seems that I have no motivation to grow deeper in God. But in the storms, I want to sink my routes into God. It is like climbing a mountain, there will be points in that mountain that I slip backward, that forward movement is a slow go, but God is faithful. If I was to conquer the mountain with no struggles, was it much of a mountain?

3 steps forward and 2 backwards is still moving forward. God didn't say that being a Christian will be easy. In fact He talks about all the adversity that we will hit while growing in Him. He is faithful to have His way in us and He will show us the right way we need to move when we allow Him. It is the hard choices to move the way He wants us too, but I believe when we allow our river to flow the way He defines it, then it will be easier. Yes we will hit rapids, but in those rapids it is just to show us that we are not the captain, He is.

I slide backward, I lose focus on the prize and I sink to the ways I once was, but God is faithful, He has given us much grace. I need to be as Jesus is and give much grace to those I am with. I need to be a mirror of Him and not of me. I am reminded that I am to do to others as I would have them do unto me, that means I must love no matter what. That I must extend the grace, because others are learning just like I am.

Today is a new day, yesterday is gone, the mistakes of yesterday are even gone. Live to learn from the mistakes that were made and grow in the fact that you don't have to make them again. Learn from them, love regardless. Change is not how we change others, but how we allow God to teach us and we change ourselves to love no matter what, to let go of the wrong and cling to the way God wants us to be. Don't be a mirror to others actions, be a mirror to Jesus's actions. The world is falling away, but Jesus is the reason we are here. Let us love how He talks about it, let us live a life as He defines it. Let us let go of yesterday and hold onto what He is doing today, for He made today special and let us above all else give Him praise and thanksgiving for that.

Easy to say, much harder to do, but God is faithful and with Him all things are possible. We are the limitations. Don't limit what He can do, because I am to afraid to let go.

My Actions

We look in a mirror everyday, what is staring back at us is the same thing that is staring at the mirror, but yet we see something that other people don't see. We see ourselves as totally different as other people see us.

Our actions are much that same way, when we see how we react or act towards someone, they see it differently, they do not see it how I see it. If I cross my arms, they look at me as I am on the defensive, if I put my hands in my pockets, they don't think I am serious. Our body language tells us a lot about each other, but maybe, just maybe we are not to look at how the other person reacts or acts, maybe we are called to treat each other how we want to be treated. Instead of comparing how the other person acts towards us, we take the other person out of the equation and we act just as we want to be treated. Don't assume the other person is doing that, because not everyone gets it. They thing they do not deserve to be treated nicely, respectfully, but as I have said so many times before, change starts right here, with me. I need to be willing to follow what the Bible says and it says this very thing: Luke 6:31 "Do unto others as you would have done unto you" or Matthew 7:12 "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

So next time you react to someone, think is that the way I want them to treat me.

One other thing, if something annoys you about someone else, like how they respond or something they may do that really gets under your skin, look at yourself to see if you do that very thing. I have found that those things that really bother me about someone else, that I do that very thing. So next time something bothers you that someone does, look in the mirror and say do I do that??? It is a good way to see the areas in ourselves that we need to change, it is like a check up.

Reactionary

Proverbs 15:1 "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." 

I am a reactionary person, I react when someone talks to me harshly or when someone does things that I don't like. I react, I am learning that I need to stop, take a minute and not react. If I could respond with a soft answer, instead of pointing out someone else's faults, how much further along would I be. When a problem happens, it is so easy to say if so and so handled it differently, I wouldn't react so badly, but when I do that I am pointing at that person and how many fingers are pointing back at me. If you are unsure what I mean, take you finger and point at something. How many fingers are pointing back at you? There should be 3, unless you use both hands... 

How easy it is for me to point out other peoples faults, but my own, do I want to look at them? No, not at all, because that would mean I was/am the problem. I don't like admitting that I am the problem, but step back and look at the last fight you may have gotten into, who was the one that started it? Who kept going? Stop blaming someone else, because as I have always stated, I can't change someone else, but I sure can change how I react to someone else. Change starts with acknowledging that I am the problem, that I need to change, that I want to change. Now it is time to do the hard work and do it well. Don't tell me people can't change, it takes work, but it is so worth it. I want to change, I don't want to react, yes I will stumble with this. 3 steps forward, 2 backwards, means I am still moving forward. Remember that if you are reading this and say it is all my spouses issue, you have not learned about the finger pointing trick. When you both work together at a common goal, guess what, you will reach it much quicker, now add God to the mix and WOW amazing things will transform. It takes 3 strands, allow God to wined you together. 

We are human and we will struggle with this, but I will not give up, because in order to climb a mountain I have to keep moving forward or I will not make it to the top. Each change requires work, each thing that I want to accomplish requires work, but I will do that work for the ones I love, because I want to be who God calls me to be, but I have to do the work necessary, because that is what causes change. Being willing to surrender who I am, to be what God calls me to be, I must die to live according to God. People don't like change, but can you imagine changing to what God is calling you to? 

Choices

I was thinking about the name of my blog, it is called "Life Choices are yours". To often I have seen it first hand that people do not realize that the choices they make are their own to make. They blame it on other people instead of seeing the blame lies right in the reflection of the mirror.

When I get mad at someone, that is a choice I make to allow them to control my reaction, it is my choice to retaliate, it is my choice to react. Just as they made a choice to do something that I was offended by, I did something that blamed it on them. It is a never ending circle, because I am basing my reactions on others. I can't say he made me do it, I have to take the responsibility on myself and say I reacted because I felt hurt, it was my choice. Each acknowledgement of that will change the way we view our reactions and start changing us, but it takes work.

When I get up in the morning with a choice and I am sure you have heard people say it is going to be a bad day or many other things. If I change how I get up in the morning and give thanks for a brand new day, I thank God for allowing me another day to wake up and serve Him. I thank Him for the lessons I am learning, instead of looking at the bad, I start off worshiping the best thing in my life, I thank God for my wife, for my marriage for everything that He has given me. I change the bad to what God has done. He is in each day, it says He never leaves us or forsakes us, so even in the bad, it is my choice to see Him or see the bad of everything.

Today is a brand new day, today is what God has given me. The Lord has given me a new day to live. Instead of reacting to the bad things that surround you, think about how you can just praise God in every situation, thank Him for challenging you to see the other side of the coin. Thank Him for changing you. In Job it talks about how God gives us hard spots, not to destroy us, but to move the head knowledge to heart knowledge. The road from the head to the heart is the longest road, it is full of doubt and worry, but God never leaves us. He is right there with us through it all.

Today when hardships come and they will, praise Him for them. Praise Him for teaching you about our choices, praise Him for giving you freedom of choice, because we are not what other people say we are, but we are what God says we are, it is our choice to walk in it, or to reject it. I chose to believe I am the son of the most High God, I was bought with a price, I am special to Him and He has a purpose for my life. I am walking in that, I will make mistakes, I will sin, but Jesus has set me free to be forgiven of those things and today I walk in Him and He in me.

Faithfulness

God is so faithful.

Have you ever thought about how God works? Nothing is by chance, things just don't fall into place, they are what they are because God is faithful to will and do His good pleasure. Stop doubting where you are and start standing firm in the place He has you. Start each moment with praise and thanksgiving. God I thank you for my wife, my husband, I thank you for the storm, it says praise Him in everything, not just the good, but the bad. In marriage we take a vow for better or worse, we are in it no matter what, praise Him for the hard times, because He is changing us from glory to glory. When we change our perspective from the bad to God, what a change it makes.

Yes, there are things that we don't understand and I can't and won't try to explain them, but Jesus is right there walking with us through them, I just think it is so easy to miss Him, because I focus on how I am feeling, my rights, my thoughts, me, me, me. But when we take me out of it what is left?

God brings people, things and situations into our life to teach us, to change us, but it is very hard to deal with some of those things, because I don't want to change, but God will continue to turn up the heat in my life in order to change me. He wants me to let go and trust Him completely, but man that is the hardest thing to do, I want to hold on. I have done this before and I know what pitfalls to miss, but God says that He can see it all and the only way for me to change is to let go, those are the hardest lessons, they hurt, the sting, but God is faithful through it all. He says He will never leave me or forsake me, He will guide me through the storm, I just have to allow Him to lead.

Do other people have trouble with allowing Him to be in control? Is that just a me problem?

You have heard me admit this before, I fail, I continue to get insecure and pick up the rope, grab the steering wheel and He corrects me every time. When times are easy it is easy to let go, but when the heat is on, I want to grab hold and He says do you trust ME???? I want to be the man He calls me to be, but man it is hard. No one said being a Christian would be easy, but GOD IS FAITHFUL!!!

At The Cross

I woke up singing this song this morning and I wanted to share it with you. At the cross of Jesus, we must be willing to surrender it all, when we hold back and carry the burden on our own, we will stumble and fall. Jesus is saying it is time to die to self, so that we can live in Him forever. Dying to self is one of the hardest things to do, but in the death comes freedom. I want to surrender it all at the cross and no longer hold onto the things that have held me back, fear, doubt, worry, etc. I think it is time not just to give my money, or time, but all of me. 

Time to walk in freedom from the selfish nature that I have held onto for so long. I post this, not to say I am perfect, but to say I have to be willing to lay it all down and say not my will, but Your will be done. Jesus will provide a way, He has gone before me and He is with me in it all. In Him I can be the man, the husband, father etc. that He calls me to be, without Him, I am just as the world and He says do not love the things of the world, but love Me. 

At The Cross, by Chris Tomlin

There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies
There's a place where streams of grace flow deep and wide
Where all the love I've ever found
Comes like a flood
Comes flowing down

[Chorus]
At the cross
At the cross
I surrender my life
I'm in awe of You
I'm in awe of You
Where Your love ran red
And my sin washed white
I owe all to You
I owe all to You Jesus

[Verse 2]
There's a place where sin and shame are powerless
Where my heart has peace with God and forgiveness
Where all the love I've ever found
Comes like a flood
Comes flowing down

[Chorus]

[Bridge]
Here my hope is found
Here on holy ground
Here I bow down
Here arms open wide
Here You save my life
Here I bow down
Here I bow down

[Chorus]

Strength

I am reading a book and last night there was this section about strength. I have prayed a lot to ask God to give me strength to make it through things. But what I didn't realize that it is not my strength, it isn't about me, it is about relying on God. God is the strength that I was looking for, I can't do it, my way isn't the way, but God's way is. I ask God for strength, Lord give me strength, but if I were to wait on God, He is the strength..

My favorite verse is:
Isaiah 40:31 "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

If I wait on God, trust Him for the strength, He will provide. I can't do it, I have to trust in His Holy Spirit, not my will, but Yours be done. See it isn't about me, it has to be ALL about Him. His will, His strength, His way. When I wait on Him, He is the one that will provide, He is the one that will go before me and He is the one that prepares a way. Not my way, but His.

We abide by in Him and the Spirit in us, we hear the Spirit, but do not walk in the way are we doing it God's way or our own? It is all through God opening our eyes, but I truly believe that when we allow Him to lead the way, He will provide just what we need, but in and of myself I can't do it, really when it is about what I want, it will not work, but when I say God it is Your way, Your will and I must die to what I want and allow Him. He will move and have His being in us. Not us in Him, but He in us. Not my strength, but His.

How many times in life have I wanted to do it, but I couldn't. I asked God to give me the strength, but see if He gave me the strength it wasn't His. I need to wait on Him, I need to trust completely in Him. I need to lay down my life, so that He can be the strength, not me, but Him. Even typing this, is hard, because I want to put what I always thought, give me the strength, or provide away for me. It has to be God's way, not mine. I can't do it, but God can move and have His way only when I stop making it about my way.

It isn't just a realization today, it has to be a course change for me. I have to be willing to stop and say Lord X, Y and Z are Yours. I have wanted one thing, but in complete surrender I turn it over to Him. His will be done and when I love Him with all I am, I serve Him with all I am and then His ways are so important to me, it is no longer about me, but about Him. I believe I can say I am a Christian, but if I am not sold out for God, His ways will be harder to see. I will squeak by, but I don't think that is enough. I want to allow Him to move me, not me move and hope I am going His way, but Him move and have His being in me.

Bottom Line:
God is our strength, am I relying on Him or am I trying to do it my way with His help?

Easy

What in life that lasts is easy? Our lives are made up of many things, but when I look at it, nothing that is easy lasts. Life takes work.

If I want a pretty garden, I need to work at it. I need to first plan it, lay it out, Then I have to dig up the grass, turn over the soil, maybe even add new soil. Then I need to chose the flowers and then I plant. After planting I may put in a barrier so weeds don't grow and then put in mulch. After all of that is complete, it isn't done, because weeds grow, the plants need to be watered, they need to be fed. It isn't just letting them be, because they may be able to take care of themselves, it is constant work. Keeping the weeds out is a task in itself, but the feeding and all of that is so important. But the garden will be beautiful only if I am willing to put the work into it all.

That scenario is so true in life too. If you want your garden (figurative speaking) to be beautiful, you have to put the work into every aspect of your life. Just the same as the garden, the weeds grow into our lives choking out the good plants, stealing the water and when that is allowed, then the garden will die. Even though we did all that work up front, it isn't enough, it is tending it.

Nothing in life that is worth having comes easy. You can play the lotto, but look at the people that have played, there are so many that have filed for bankruptcy, because they did not plan, it came easy and they lost it all. They didn't work at it.

In our lives, if we are not willing to work at things, we will see them dwindle and die. Our relationship with Jesus Christ, if we are not willing to put Him first, reading, praying, following His principles and commands we will become stagnate, we will be a branch that bears no fruit. And what does the gardener do with those branches? Isn't it time to do the work necessary, to feed the gardens of our life. It may be a lot of work, but the hard work will pay off. God says it, I believe it and that settles it for me.

Truth on Love

Love is never independent. Love is always dependent. Someone always gives. Someone always receives.

Jesus asked a blind man named Bartimaeus, “What do you want Me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51)

That’s always the question love asks: What can I do for you?

Love is not how much I can get, it is about how much can I give to the ones I love, to Jesus, to my marriage partner, to my kids and then to others. Listen to God, hear Him, what is His call on your life? It may not be easy, but no one said it would be, it may come at a cost, but what cost is to great? Jesus gave His life for us, is it to hard to love like He loves?

Allowing God and Walking By Faith

I went to the Darien Lake a while back and I have a struggle with roller coasters and I can name all the things that can go wrong on them. It is stuck on a track, goes up and down and around corners, but always the same each time, but for some reason I think that in all those things just one thing will break the moment I am on it or maybe it is because I have no control of what can happen. I used to get nervous when other people drove,  I had to be the passenger, it is hard not being in control. The other person driving you are at there will.

How true that is in life too. Giving up control to God is one of the hardest things to do, because I relinquish my control to Him. I say my life is Yours, do what you want, but once the drop happens, it is so easy to try and say no, I will take back control. When things are good it is easy to give Him control, but when things are hard, I pray and ask for help, but am I willing to say God I surrender what is going to happen to You. Lord You take control of it all, not 99.9%, but all of it.

It is so hard to relinquish all to Him, I seem to want to hold onto that 0.1%, because giving up control is difficult, but God says when we have nothing, then we have everything. I want to give Him everything, but man it is probably one of the most difficult things to do. He wants us to go deeper, but even in the deeper it is easy to keep holding onto my own will, my human flesh and He wants me to put it to death and allow Him to lead. To lead a Christian life, it can't be about me, what I want or when I want it, I have to rely on God and His timing, His way doesn't always line up with my way and my timeline.

Faith is the Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Am I willing to take a step of faith, trusting that God will guide my steps?

Guide my steps means that I have to be willing to walk, to move forward and trust God in it all. He is the assurance, He will guide me along the path, but I have to move. It is through faith that I move, that I walk and have my being in Him. I can't just sit still and hope that things change, I have to walk by faith, not by sight. I use to think that God would change things, but I was not moving in the direction, I was planted in my place, but I need to move and allow God to direct each step. Easier said than done. Just like giving Him control of the ship, I have to pull anchor and allow God.

This all comes down to a choice, am I willing to allow God and I am willing to take the step of faith, give up control and allow Him to have His will in me, not just in the easy, but in all the places in my life?

Surrender

I sing this song in church called "My Surrender". The song is sung on some Sunday's, not everyone, but this song I need to sing daily, moment by moment. It is easy to give something to God and then in the next 10 minutes it comes back to me and instead of surrendering it again I pick it up and start carrying it again. God wants me to surrender all to Him, that means giving it up, that means leaving it at His feet. I see many challenges facing me and I need to surrender them. In all the area's in my life,

I can focus on them and what does that do? It makes the problems worse, just like the storms, have I ever gotten through a storm by focusing on the storm? No, I had to take my eyes off the storm and focus on Jesus. The problems may not go away, but my focus is no longer on the problem, no longer on the issue, it is on Jesus. He is my source, the solution, He is the only one that can help. Now let me clarify, that does not mean that I do not work on my side of the issue. I need to continue to turn the issues over to God, but I need to be willing to do my part. It isn't just saying here Lord it is your problem, wash my hands and walk away. I have to say here Lord, what do I do to protect, to learn, to grow.

I need to have a willing heart, to say Lord teach me in this, let me see how I should be as I surrender it to you. Maybe for me it means not pointing out things that bother me and focusing on the good instead, maybe it means just loving despite how I am loved. I can either be part of the solution, or part of the problem. It is easier to say well it isn't my problem, but really if it is in one of your relationships, maybe God is calling you to look at your responses as He is teaching me to do that too. Are you teachable, or is it always the other persons problem? I want to be teachable, I want to grow and not just stay stuck in the ways I was, I want to become more like Christ and in doing so I need to be willing to die to my old ways.

God said that it is all possible, but He never said it was easy. Easy is walking a road flat, with no change, hard is climbing a mountain, but man the view from above is so incredible.

Here is the song:
"My Surrender"
Does it all sound the same?
Are my words getting through?
I’ve been trying so hard
and I’m about to break
So here I am with all I have

And I’m giving it all back to You
All back to You
I surrender
Yeah, I’m giving it all back to You
All back to You
This is my surrender
Take it all

And what song can I sing
but the song that You give
I have nothing to bring
that did not come from Your hand
So here I am with all I have

And I’m giving it all back to You
All back to You
I surrender
Yeah, I’m giving it all back to You
All back to You
This is my surrender

All my plans and all my dreams
I’m giving it all to You
I lay it all down at Your feet
I’m Yours

So what song can I sing but this song?

I’m giving it all back to You
All back to You
I surrender
I’m giving it all back to You
All back to You
This is my surrender
Take it all
Take it all
Lord, take it all
Take it all

I don't want to stand in God's way, I want to change and be changed. My Mom says from Glory to Glory He is changing me. I will struggle, I will doubt, I will wonder why me Lord, but I have to be willing to confess my sins to Him and learn. Allow Jesus to stand you up and brush you off. I am learning that moment by moment. Have a willing heart to say Lord I have sinned and then go back to the people you have sinned against, because in forgiveness is freedom. Walk in the freedom God has given you and me.

Have a good day!!!

Anxious

Today I can see a lot of reasons to be anxious, but what does it do me to get all tied up worried about this or that, worried about the job I am doing, worried about life, about everything that is in God's control. What is in God's control? Everything is, I find it easy to put God in a box, to say He can't fix me, He can't change me, but we are talking about the grand creator, we are talking about the one that made the earth. He designed me just how I am, where I have walked, He knew I would walk there, where I am walking is not a surprise to Him. It says He knows how many hairs on my head, He knows when a bird falls, that is incredible and yet I am worried about what will happen today.

Then I realize, it hits me like a ton of bricks, I can't change others, I have to surrender all to Him, that means even my schedule, even my day, I have to allow Him to lead the way. When I lead I forget all I have learned, I end up going through the same struggles, the same everything I did yesterday or last week or last month, but God says when we are heavy laden to rest on Him, to throw all our cares on Him for He cares for me. Wow, He cares that much for me that I can just surrender myself, the way I am to Him. I can just give it all up and say Lord your will be done in my life, in my marriage, in my relationships, but I have to be willing to surrender them, stop fighting for what I want and allow God to move.

It is called dying to self, it is laying down my life and saying Lord your will be done. It is funny I read a devotional about how a little boy was trying to make the Tabernacle and he was putting this sheep on the alter, but the sheep kept falling off, so he wanted to nail it there. Aren't we just like that sheep, when the heat gets turned up, I want to get off the alter, I want to say this is to hard, I can't do it anymore, but God says Geoff this is how I purify you, trust Me, I will not let you down. I will not fail, humans may let you down, but Geoff I am the Alpha and Omega, I created you, I designed you, I wont let you down.

Today, remember that we are all learning, we are all going through tough things, but the more we rely on God, the more we turn it over to Him, the more He will change the situations, the areas we are struggling, but if we hold onto them, well it is harder to allow the change. Allow God to work, don't put Him in a box like I tend to do, trust Him, He will sustain and He will change you.

Easy to write

I have to go back through to read my own posts, just a constant reminder to myself that I am changing and what God is teaching me, He will continue to bring me around that mountain until I learn what He is teaching me. I was always told to keep a journal, because I can look back at where I was a week ago or even a year ago, but I didn't realize it would show me the answer and I could reuse the same lessons.

It is easy to write things, much hard to live them. I may be good at writing, but less good at actually living them out. God is teaching me that saying them is one thing, but living them out in my daily life is another.

My Prayer today and each day is:

Lord let me not forget the lessons from the past I have learned, teach me to trust regardless of the situation, regardless of everything, because my trust is in You. Let me write Your words on my heart and let me live them regardless. Thank you for the lessons and the hard places, for they establish Your will in my life. I love you Lord.

Trust and Obey

The song Trust and Obey, has meant so much to me over the last week, I wanted to share it with you. God's way is the only way to true life, if we allow Him He will direct our path, but we have to trust Him and obey Him, there is no other way. Our way won't work, His will.

Trust and Obey

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.

But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.

Trust Him He will not fail us.

Son and Sun

When we look at life, we can make it all about ourselves or we can make it about God. It has to be about God, because when it all comes down to it, we are imperfect people in a imperfect world, we will fail, but God will not fail us. He is the beginning and the end, He is ever with us, we need to rely on Him and in that we need to surrender our every discussion to Him.

This song has been going through my head today, I am not sure why, but I wanted to share it with whomever. I think it isn't just with a heart of thanksgiving for what God has done, but asking God to forgive me for the way I made it about me and not about Him. He needs to be the center. The Son (sun) of God. The earth revolves around the sun, we wouldn't be alive without it, just like we would not be truly alive without the Son of God. He made today possible and He is in it all. 

I heard a truth today, a car can not steer or move, unless the motor is on and it is placed in drive, just the same that God can't change us until we move forward. Easy to stand in place, harder to trust and walk by faith and not by sight. Take the step of faith!

MICHAEL W. SMITH
"The Heart Of Worship"

When the music fades
All is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring
Something that's of worth
That will bless Your heart
I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart

I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus

King of endless worth
No one could express
How much You deserve
Though I'm weak and poor
All I have is Yours
Every single breath
I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart

I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
And it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus

I'm coming back to the heart of worship,
And it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
And it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus

Daily Devotional by Max Lucado

I thought this is so true, in accordance to what I had written a few days ago about sin, I thought this was very timely as to get this devotional today. I wanted to share it with whom ever is interested.

Give God Your Guilt & Confess
from Max Lucado

When we pray, most of us are able to take our problems to Christ, but what about our sin?

The prophet Isaiah wrote, “The Lord has put on him the punishment for all the evil we have done” (53:6 NCV). Isaiah did not know the name of God’s sin bearer.

But we do. Jesus Christ. He came to “put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Heb. 9:26). He “was offered once to bear the sins of many” (v. 28).

If you are in Christ, your sin is gone. It was last seen on the back of your Sin Bearer as he headed out to Death Valley. When Jesus cried on the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46 NIV), he entered the wilderness on your behalf. He carried your sin away.

Jesus did his part. Now do yours.

Give God your guilt. Pray the Pocket Prayer.

Father, you are good. I need help. Forgive me . . . Tell Jesus what you did. Place your guilt on the back of your Sin Bearer. Give it to Jesus with this request: “Will you take this away?” Do this as often as needed. One time, two times, ten times a day? By all means! Hold nothing back. No sin is too ancient or recent, too evil or insignificant. Be abundant in your confession, and . . .

Be concrete in your confession. Go into as much detail as you can. You’re tempted to say, Lord, forgive me. I am a louse. But that doesn’t work. For one thing you are not a louse; you are God’s chosen child, and he loves you. For another, healing happens when the wound is exposed to the atmosphere of grace.

Exactly what is it that you need forgiveness for? For being a bad person? That is too general. For losing your patience in the business meeting and calling your coworker a creep? There, you can confess that.

Confession, you see, is not a punishment for sin; it is an isolation of sin so it can be exposed and extracted.

Be firm in this prayer. Satan traffics in guilt and will not give up an addict without a fight. Exercise your authority as a child of God. Tell guilt where to get off. Speak to it in the name of Jesus. “I left you at the foot of the cross, you evil spirit. Stay there!”

The time has come for a clean start, a fresh slate. God does not see the marks of your past. Instead, he sees this: “See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands” (Isa. 49:16). God has written your name where he can see it.

Sin

What is Sin? I was thinking about how we are to ask God to forgive of us of our sins, we must know what the sins are. Have you ever wondered if you are sinning against God, or are you waiting for a feeling of being convicted of our sins?

Yes there are the 10 commandments, but do you think that is all that God has taught us about?
Exodus 20:2-17
The 10 Commandments List, Short Form

1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall not make idols.
3. You shall not take the name of the LORD YOUR God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet.

In the New Testament what does it say are the greatest things?


Matthew 22:36-40 "TEACHER, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord YOUR God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

If we are not putting God first, is that a sin in the Old or New Testament? It is a sin, when we put ourselves before God, we are saying that God's way is not before our way, we are saying that they are our things, we are coveting the very things that God says to release to Him, but we are holding onto them as if they are ours. I am not meaning to stand on a soap box to preach to anyone, I am expressing what I have learned. If we do not know what is sin, then how can we know to walk free from it, to ask forgiveness for it? We are called to humble ourselves before the one that created us, we are not gods, He is the one true God. 

If you say that you are not doing any of the first, that you have no other gods before you, but you are doing life your way, then you yourself are a god to yourself. Kind of confusing, but if you come before God, then you are making the choice that you are more important than God, your feelings are more important than His, your hurt is more important than Him dying on the cross for you. Do you see how it all ties together? 

When I don't want to surrender my way and I don't want to do it His way, I am sinning against the God that made me, I am saying God I know what you teach me, but it isn't more important than how I feel. It is my time and not Yours, I have the right to do what I want, to say what I want to say and no one has the right to say differently. But isn't all that I just said a sin against God? 

If I say I love as God loves, but can only think of myself am I loving as God really loves? I am lying to myself and to others. When we look at the big picture, we see that we are sinners, we come short of the glory of God, we need God, not just on hard days, but every single day, we need Him more then we can imagine. His grace is sufficient to cover our sins, but we must ask for His forgiveness. I want my slate to be white as snow and that is His promise, but we have to ask God for forgiveness of our bad attitudes, of our putting ourselves first, of lying, of what ever else that we may be doing. God can't wipe our slate clean if we do not confess it as sin and ask Him to forgive us of our sins. I don't know anywhere in the bible that says once we are saved that we do not have to ask Him to forgive us of our wrongs? 

James 5:16 "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."

Ephesians 4:32 "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgive one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

What I am saying, is God has said it, we must walk in the truth that He has written for us. There are so many scriptures about forgiveness of sins, about what sins are and how we are to be free from them, but we have to surrender our lives to Jesus Christ. Through Him alone we are free, but we have to allow Him to be Lord of our lives, not my way Lord, but Your will be done. Are you allowing God? Is it His way, or is it your own? 

I lived my way for so long, it is hard to surrender to His will, but with God all things are possible. If you can't see what God wants, do you have unforgiveness and sin in your life? 

1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Mark 11:25 "And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."

It isn't just about asking God to forgive us, it is asking others as well to forgive us of our wrongs. 

What is God saying to you this Sunday? 

Learning

Sometimes with learning we have to be brought to the end of the rope, or the end of ourselves, because we want to keep making it about oirselves, but once we are brought to the end, God is the only beginning, unless we are not willing to look at God as the beginning, but we continue to look to ourselves as our help. We are called to die to ourselves, through water baptism, we are put under the water to signify the death of the old and when we are brought out of the water we are to come alive in Christ Jesus.

I think even though this is a one time action we must do this daily, we must put ourselves to death and come alive to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. If we continue to make life about myself, I am not allowing Jesus to be Lord in my life. I am not dying to myself, I continue to want to make life about me.

This is a moment by moment choice, it is a choice I have to make, no one else can do it for me, I must be willing to say Lord Your will be done, not about me, but about you Lord. It has to be Thy way, not my way, it has to be Him not I. When I surrender all, than He can work in every corner of my heart, even those that I may not want others to see, He knows them all.

Who is in control of your life? Is it truly His way or is it truly my way? What is God saying to you today?

Self Help

I was thinking a lot lately about all the self help books out there, there is self help for every situation or issue. We turn to them in search of an answer that we can't seem to find on our own. We want to improve ourselves, maybe it is just me, but I have to wonder. Have you ever focused on something so much that soon the problem seems so big there is no answer, no help and I feel lost in discouragement when that happens.

I think the Bible talks about this very thing, before I saw the Bible as stories of old, how can it help me, but the more I read it the more the words come to life, the more I can apply it to my life, to my situation. We want easy solutions to the problems that we may face in life. The answer is not in the problem, it is in the solution.

OK, OK, I will tell you what I am getting at, see the more we focus on the problem, the bigger it gets, stop focusing on the problem. See the answer is not the problem it is surrendering the very thing to Jesus Christ. He is here to allow us to walk free from the very thing that has held us captive for so long, He is the answer.

How Geoff can I apply that to my issue that I am having at work or at home? Well, the more you focus on the issue that you are having where ever, the more the issue grows right? Stop and turn it over to God, stop looking for the solution with your own strength and start trusting in God for the solution. Faith is the essence of things hope for and the things not seen, Have you ever seen where a mustard tree comes from? If we have the faith of a mustard seed, can you imagine where God can take us?

When I focus on my rights, my wants, my needs, it is no longer about God, it is about me, what I am lacking, what I want, how I feel, but when I change my focus off of me and stop having the pity party and I start seeing that God is working, but the more I allow Him to work, I take the focus off of myself and turn it to God. God has placed me where I am, God sees the bigger picture, I see what is right in front of me, but if I change my focus, I allow Him to work, I allow His strength to fill me, I allow Him to move in me and around me.

Colossians 3:2 "Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."

Psalm 1:1-6 "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; ..." Where are you looking for help? Who are you allowing to counsel you? Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." God has the answer you seek, He is in it all, even in the storms He is right there with you, He will never leave you nor forsake you, but you have to ask and He will hear. He isn't a magic Geeny (sp?), He is God.

Matthew 6:24 "“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." 

This is a moment by moment choice, you have to make it, not just once, but every chance you get, because the enemy does not want you to find freedom from our human flesh, the enemy wants to hold you captive and say to you there is no help, but God is there. God is limitless, we are the limit, we place limits on God and He says let Him be God, let Him work, but we have to surrender it to Him, surrender all. 

Boxes

It is really easy to put things in boxes, when I do, I know exactly what I am going to find when I open that box. I think when we place God in a box, we place limits on Him. He is the maker of the universe, but yet we place Him in a box. We place that box on a shelf and only take God out of it in hard times. We only think we can open the box on certain things and most other times we feel that we inconvenience Him, that we can do it on my own. He created the universe, why would He want to help me with my job, or the decision I need to make or the small choices that I need to do.

When we believe that God is the God and allow Him to be God, we no longer place Him in a box. We stop putting limits on Him, we start relying on Him for the very things that we thought we could do ourselves. In the Bible it talks about how we are to throw all our cares on Him. How we are to rely on Him for our strength, that as humans we will fail, but when we walk with Him that He will guide us, He will help us not just through the hard, but in all circumstances.  Through my own strength I will surely fail, the scripture that comes to mind Isaiah 40:31 "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." We must wait on God, trust in Him. The strength that we do not have, He will provide, but it is in His timing, not ours.

When we place God in a box, we are not waiting on Him, we are not trusting in Him to do anything, except when we feel we can't do it on our own. Is it time to take God out of the box you have placed Him in? Is it time to allow Him to schedule your day? Is it time to start praying without ceasing, for this is the will of God. People think praying means Dear Lord and Amen, but maybe instead of saying Amen at the beginning of the day, you save it for the end of the day. As I go through my day, I talk to God, when someone comes to mind, I pray for that person, because I may not know what they are going through, but God does and He is with them. It is hard to change the way of thinking, but have you ever been sitting at work, working along, but you are thinking of a hundred different things? If you can do that, than why can't you spend that time in prayer for those people or for what you are doing at work.

Time to take God off the shelf and out of the box, isn't it time that we take Him at His promises. He says I will never leave you nor forsake you. He says that He is with us through it all, even when we walk through the valley of darkness, He never leaves. If He is always with us, why aren't we calling on Him more? Why do we think that we can ask Him for the big things, but not the little things? He says He will not let us down. He has no limits, we are the only limit and that is the limit we put on Him. How can He help, if you think you can do it all on your own?

When is it time to allow Him in all situations?

Rights

I have been thinking about my rights, what are my rights? As a Christian do I have the right to think as the world thinks? I think that it is easy to think that I have the right to react any way I want, but you see that the "I" gets in the way. I believe that in the Bible it talks about how we must surrender our rights to be changed to what Jesus wants in our lives. It is easy to think that I have to right to do what I want, but really when we look at it, one of the hardest things to do is allow God to be God.

As children growing up we think that we have the right to be any way we want to be, because we are in fact individuals. No one has the right to tell me what to do... I have the right to do anything I want to do, I have the right to think any way I want to think, I have the right to be anywhere I want to be. But really when it comes down to it, if I surrender my will to God, that I allow Him to lead the way, do I have any rights as a child of the most High God? It can't be about my rights, but about God's way. I must stop fighting about what I want or what I want to do, I must then surrender to exactly what God wants of me and I stop fighting it, I stop saying but what about me Lord, I start say yes Your way Lord, not my will, but Yours.

See we can learn a lot from the house of God, to the homes that we are raising, to the Christian walk. God talks about how the church is like the same set up as our homes, when we allow Him, we allow Him to transform us from the inside out. I think one of the hardest things to do is surrender. Have you surrendered your life to God? I think it is a daily/moment by moment choice. Sometimes our wills seem to fight us on this very thing, but God says who is in control? We have to say You Lord, Your will be done, Your kingdom come, not about me, but about you Lord. Surrendering our very right to make life about us and allowing it to be about God.

When we change our perspective from ourselves to putting God in control, it doesn't matter who tells us what to do, as long as they are speaking truth and I weigh it against God, I allow Him to be in control. It is no longer about what I want, but about what He wants. His way, His will be done, not mine. It changes everything, it changes how I love, how I react, how I am. Because it isn't about me anymore, but Him.

What Matters More

Thought for today. What matters more to you, is it family or work? God must come first no matter what we do, no matter what family we have, no matter what. What does that look like? That is a very good question. When God comes first, you put His laws, His ways, His desires before our own. I must turn over to Him my desires, for it can't be about what I want, but what He wants. The Lords prayer: Your will be done, not mine, it has to be about complete surrender to what He wants. It is easy to make it about me, what I feel, what I want, what I feel like doing, but in that, am I surrendering all to Him? I want what I want and when I want, that doesn't sound like I am putting God first, it sounds like I am putting my wants and needs before His. When I live a life of complete surrendering, it is no longer about my way, but allowing God to transform me into He desires me to be.

Now after God, what comes next? Is it work or family?

One of the guys I work with, asked me today how do I come in so early every morning. I said Adam, I come in early not because I have to, but because I want to. This gives me time at work and plus it allows for me time at home with the family. Thankfully my job accommodates me, it allows me to put in my hours early and so I have time with the family in the afternoon. He said that he is a night person and I said are your kids up with you late at night? He said no, they go to bed earlier, I said is your wife up with you, he said no because she goes to bed the a little after the kids, I said Adam, who is more important? I said is it you or is it your family? He paused for a moment and said Geoff I get what you are saying. I said to make a marriage work, you must not be the most important person in the equation. I said life can't revolve around you, not your wants your desires, it must be about your wife first, then your kids. I said would it hurt you going to bed earlier and getting to work earlier so that you had more time with your family. He said no, not really, but then he said he would miss his "me" time. You see life is not about his wife and kids, it is about him.

It is so easy to think that life is about everyone around you, but when it comes down to it, what are you putting before everything else? Yes, work pays the bills, but should it be more important then God or family? Where does work fall in your importance scale?

Protecting Our Investments

We put smoke, carbon monoxide, water, alarm systems and other devices in your home to protect you. We buy car insurance for our cars, car alarms, etched glass, special locks, all to protect our cars. Your computers has software to protect them from viruses our outside influence of other people trying to hack in. Look at all the protections that are put in place around you to protect the property that you may have.

Now look at the protection you are giving to your marriage, to your family, is it the same kind of protection that you have given the things around you?

I have talked a lot about the "Love Dare" book and talked how it can save a marriage, but it isn't just about saving a marriage, it is about building blocks to fire proof a marriage and family. Just because it may be a Christian marriage, does not mean that fire will never come, but being prepared for when it does, is so much more worth it. Invest into your marriage and family, take time to grow together. A marriage is a gift from God, two souls unite as one and when God is at the middle, 3 strands are stronger and not easily broken, but it takes work, it takes communication and all of this is so worth it, not because I say so, but it is written in the Bible, it talks about how marriages can work and should work, but it takes surrendering and being prepared.

What are you going to do to protect your car, your house, computer? Those are all replaceable, but is your marriage, your family? Take time to think about what is more important in your life, don't just answer that, think about it. Where you put your time and money into, that is where your heart will be. What are you investing your time and money into?

Our Choices

I started this blog a few years back and I have had some weeks were I write daily and then others I go for many weeks. It is a hit and miss, it really depends on where I am at in that season of my life and what I am learning. Some lessons I am learning are hard to write about, because I want to take into account who might read this, but I also think that it is good to express that we all struggle, we all have difficulties and hiding them doesn't help others. What is God's call on our lives?

I look at myself, I have to ask God what is your call on my life? Is He calling me to reach people by writing this blog, is anyone really reading it to see the truth that God is showing me, or is it just about me? I want to be what God calls me to be and not just do things for myself. God wants us to rely on Him, to trust in Him, to give all our attention to Him.

I was thinking last night and this morning how our life is full of distractions and how when we come before the Lord in prayer are we allowing the distractions to come between our time with Him. When I come before the Lord, reading devotions, praying where is my mind going, is it resting at His feet or am I thinking of all I have to do today.

God calls us to rest in Him, to throw all our cares on Him, but He is the last one we go to when times are hard. How many times do you find yourself struggling through the day and the last thing you think about is how can God help me or you think you (your problems) are insignificant to God? I have been there and done that, but when we completely trust in Him, then He is able to take our task that the day holds and make it more enjoyable, because no longer is it about how I feel, but it is about serving God.

It is so easy to find the dislike for our jobs, people we deal with, the daily task, life, but when we stop making it about "ME" and start making it about God it changes. The joy that God promises is right there, the peace and so much more.

See when life is about me, I wallow in self pity, woo is me and all I can see is myself, but when I rise above and look at the lives that I can be touching just from a smile. God calls us to serve Him, to give Him our attention, to focus on Him and when we do that, what is life about?

I leave you with this thought: If you have a need today, make God your first choice. He is a Father who loves to meet His children’s needs—if they will just ask.

Most Christians expect little from God, ask little and therefore receive little and are content with little.
A. W. Pink

What Defiles a Man?

Our reactions are our own. I was reading my devotional today, the Bible verse is:

Mark 7:15 "There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man."

According to that verse, it isn't others that may cause a reaction, it is a choice that we make. If we chose to rise above what others do, we are able to change able to see that God's ways is so much greater. That is so difficult to do, but so much better then walking in the reaction. I think it is our human nature to react, but God teaches us it can't be about what we want, but what He wants. I tend to blame others, if X didn't say that to me in that tone of voice, I wouldn't have responded how I did, but the response was a choice I made. Their tone of voice is there problem, my issue is how I respond to them. It is so easy to blame others for my reactions, much harder to say it is my choice, it is my responsibility and I need to rise above and not stoop to their level. What does God call us to do?

Mark 7:8-16 "8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”

9 And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe[a] your own traditions! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’[b] and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’[c] 11 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)— 12 then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. 13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”

14 Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15 Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.”"

.

They tried to blame the human laws for there choices and Jesus made it clear that it wasn't about the human laws, but about the internal values of the men. What are we blaming for our reactions to others, is it there fault we react, or is it our choice to react to them? What is God calling us to today, is it to react or to rise above?

Today is a brand new day, allow God to change you, for change starts with you. It is not the things outside that defile me, it is the things which come out of me that defile me. 

Flawed

I heard a good saying today... It isn't Christianity that is flawed, it is Christians. God has not given up on us, we tend to give up on Him.

When things get hard, it is easy to look to the problem, to look at the storm. Our focus is taken off of the solution and onto the problem. It is easy to lose sight of the actual solution. When God calls us to thank Him for everything, that even means the storms, because He sure knew that it is easy for us to focus on the storms, but once we are able to thank Him for the storms are focus is no longer on the storm, but on God. It is in the matter of perspective. When we thank God for what is happening, we tend to see His hand in it and no longer about the problem, but God being the solution.

There is no prayer to small for God, we tend to think our problems, our storms are to minor to pray, so we don't end up praying for them, but God says let all our requests to be known to Him, thank Him for everything. If we are choosing what requests to be known are we then playing God? I know for me, I do not make a good god. I am a man, I make mistakes, I stumble and I fall, but God is always right there to pick me up, but I have to be willing to confess my sins and He will always forgive them. There is no sin to great for God to forgive, I just need to humble myself and ask God to meet me right where I am at.

We can look at life many ways, but when we look at life as a struggle, we only see the struggles that are in our life, but if we look at life as a choice and the struggles as lessons we change our perspective. What is God trying to teach you today? Each day there is a blessing and lessons, we just have to be willing to look outside of ourselves to see them. When I am so focused on myself, I miss the very things that He is trying to show me. Life can not be about me, it has to be about God first, in all circumstances, not just the little or big ones, but in ALL.

God knew what struggles we would face, He knows how hard things can be, but when we ground ourselves in Him, we allow Him to fill us with a joy that is undefined, there is so much that happens, but it isn't easy, but it is God. He never said it would be easy, but it is so worth it, the change He is doing is far greater and far more wonderful then we can imagine. He see the big picture, we see a tiny piece of it all.

Marriage

It doesn't matter if you are one week in or 100 weeks in, it doesn't really matter how long you have been married, but the biggest thing to realize is that love is defined not by the world and what the world says love is, but God defines love as never ending, it is a choice, not always something that is easy, but God. (Talk about a run on sentence...)

God is at work in all of us and when we put Him first in our lives, in our marriage He transforms us to be able to love unconditionally. I am not saying it is easy, but what things in life that are easy, will ever last? Look at the fad diets or diet pills, they are easy, but it does not last, it takes work to maintain the outward appearance that you want, but each step even though difficult is worth it. Be willing to fight for what you believe is right, change starts with me, I can't change the one I am married too, I can only change me.

I heard this song yesterday and I wanted to put it in here.

Love Is Not A Fight
By Warren Barfield

Love is not a place
To come and go as we please
It's a house we enter in
Then commit to never leave

So lock the door behind you
Throw away the key
We'll work it out together
Let it bring us to our knees

Chorus:
Love is a shelter in a raging storm
Love is peace in the middle of a war
And if we try to leave, may God send angels to guard the door
No, love is not a fight but it's something worth fighting for

To some, love is a word
That they can fall into
But when they're falling out
Keeping that word is hard to do

Chorus:
Love is a shelter in a raging storm
Love is peace in the middle of a war
And if we try to leave, may God send angels to guard the door
No, love is not a fight but it's something worth fighting for

Love will come to save us
If we'll only call
He will ask nothing from us
But demand we give our all

Chorus:
Love is a shelter in a raging storm
Love is peace in the middle of a war
And if we try to leave, may God send angels to guard the door
No, love is not a fight but it's something worth fighting for

I will fight for you
Would you fight for me?
It's worth fighting for

__________________________

Take a chance today to see what God is saying to you, when things are hard, press into God. When you don't think you can make it remember all the promises that God has made:

• All things are possible for those that love Him
• He will not give us to much to handle
• God will never leave us nor forsake us
• He turns everything into good
• Love the Lord your God with all your heart.... because in doing so you stop making it about you.

Where does God have you today? You are going to make it, but stop looking at yourself, stop wondering where God is, because He is right there with you.

Love

Love in its truest sense is not based on feelings, but a determination to show thoughtful actions, even when there seems to be no reward. Don't just follow your heart, you have to lead it. Our hearts will love whatever is easiest, in marriage it isn't always easy to love, but LOVE IS A CHOICE. Make the right choice today.

This is very difficult to do, when the result does not seem to be doing anything. I have been reading a book about love and reading a book about His Needs, Her Needs. The person that wrote the book says that it is generally the wife that has to make the first changes in order for the husband to change the marriage. I have to wonder why that is, if the husband is the head of the house, why he can't do the changing first.

It is time to rise up men of God, time to take leadership in the home, time to take responsibility for your own actions and stop waiting for the wife to make the first move. It is time for us to change, not ask our wives to change first. God instructed us to be the head, just as He is the head of the church, it is time that we fight for our marriages, it is time that we fight for what is right and true, no longer waiting in the shadows, because the only thing in the shadows are hurts and pains.

What are we waiting for men of God? Time to rise up, take a stand today and each day. Take a chance to make a change, change does not happen over night, but it will happen. Allow God to change you and in doing so watch what happens, it will take time, but God is God and He will see you through. Get into His word.

The Bible verse for today is: Proverbs 3:3-4  "Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man."

The Process, Struggles, Hopes and The Ultimate God

Slow Fade

by Casting Crowns

Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade

Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Oh be careful little eyes what see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see

________________________

Remember that even when you are going through the change process, it is easy to fade away from what God really wants. If we put our trust in outside sources, we miss what God is telling us, where He is leading us. We must lead our hearts, love is a choice, it is not just a feeling. Remember that God chose to love us, He chose to die on the cross for us, what have we done to deserve it? What have we done to deserve to be loved by someone else?

While you are walking the way God calls us to remember it is easy to fade, but harder to stand. God calls us to stand, don't look at the circumstances, look at where God calls you to.

While I'm Waiting
By John Waller

I'm waiting, I'm waiting on You Lord
And I am hopeful, I'm waiting on You Lord
Though it is painful, but patiently I will wait

And I will move ahead bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience

While I'm waiting I will serve You
While I'm waiting I will worship
While I'm waiting I will not faint
I'll be running the race even while I wait

I'm waiting, I'm waiting on You Lord
And I am peaceful, I'm waiting on You Lord
Though it's not easy no, but faithfully I will wait
Yes, I will wait

And I will move ahead bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience

While I'm waiting I will serve You
While I'm waiting I will worship
While I'm waiting I will not faint
I'll be running the race even while I wait

I will move ahead bold and confident
I'll be taking every step in obedience, yeah

While I'm waiting I will serve You
While I'm waiting I will worship
While I'm waiting I will not faint

And I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You Lord

I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting

Press into God, allow Him to change you, for we can't change anyone else, but ourselves. It is God who will change the other person. We are waiting on God, we can't wait on others to change us, nor can we wait on others to change, it is God's way, His timing and keeping our eyes on Him and not the storm that is around me.

This is my hearts cry and the song for marriage, not just mine.

The Marriage Prayer
by John Waller

[Verse 1:]
Father, I said till*
Death do us part
I want to mean it
With all of my heart
Help me to love you
More than I love her
Then I know I can
Love her more
Than anyone else

[Pre:]
And bring her in
Your presence today
Make her what
You want her to be

[Chorus:]
I pray to hear her heart
I pray she'll love you more
I pray to cherish and serve her
And we'll bring you glory today, I pray

[Verse 2: ~Josee Waller~]
Father, I said till
Death do us part
I want to mean it
With all of my heart
Help me to love you
More than I love him
Then I know I can
Love him more
Than anyone else

[Pre:]
And bring him in
Your presence today
Make him what
You want him to be

Chorus:

Bridge:
Lord, help me love her
As you love the church, your bride
(Josee) Help me submit to him
As I submit to you, my life

Chorus: (2x)

Out:
This is my prayer Amen
____________________________

Remember you can't follow your heart, you have to lead your heart. Love is a choice, the world says that once you fall out of love you should get out. Isn't it time to learn from others that have gone through difficulties? Today is a new day and who created this day? Don't you think He knows just what today holds?