A Deep Thought

 Today we are in a world that is hopeless, do you know why that is? Here is a thought for you. They all are wanting something, they have lost the true meaning of life, love and joy. For some reason in the last 30 years, the world was flipped on its end, it was tipped upside down. They think it is what can I get and no longer what can I give. 

For example love, love isn't love until you are willing to give it away, love is just a word to so many people. It is tossed around, used, abused like it is going out of style. It is just a word to so many people, if you ask someone what it means, they really can't tell you a true definition of the word. Love is an action. How many people can say they love someone, but yet they are disrespectful of that person, they are mean, hateful, disobedient, etc... That is not love, that is the opposite of love, but yet they still say I love you. See love has been taken and the word love has been broken, just as we have been broken by the word love. We do not trust that word anymore, because we don't know how to trust anymore. We have lost hope in the people that speak the word love, yes even the Christian people that speak the word love, because they too are broken. We all have sinned, we all are broken, we do not measure up, but when we as Christians put Jesus Christ first in everything we do, I mean everything and that includes using that word love, we say I love because He first loved me, it means that I base my love not on the worlds love, but I base my love on His love, that changes everything. We can't base what we do on the world, but on Him who sent us. 

The world doesn't have Jesus, they don't understand the hope that we have in Him, they don't understand the Love that we have, because He died for us, that we have, because He came to us as a baby. They don't understand that He was born to us and because of that we have the true meaning of love, we have the true meaning of hope, we have the true meaning of so many things that the world is missing today. They are lost in depression and lost in themselves, because they can't see outside of themselves, how many Christians do you know that are in this same boat? They have lost the true meaning of Jesus Christ or maybe better yet, they never really knew the true meaning. Hard place to be, hard truths to hear, we all have had hurts, we all have been broken, crushed, but God. We all have been left, betrayed, but God. Jesus is here today, what are we missing when we say, there is no hope? When you hear that from Christians, what is your response? 

Today is a new day, yesterday is gone, tomorrow is not here yet, but Praise God we have been given a new day, He gave us a new day to live. Why I don't know, but He does and I will trust in Him. For He has a purpose and a plan for me today. And I know He has a plan for you. We go through things to learn, what we do with what we learn, God is in control, we trust God to lead us through. When we take things out of His control we take it on our own power to do it, which is horrible and we become hopeless just like the rest of the world. Time for a change.

To Much Work or Is It?

My second thought for the day is more about our actions. We are given choices in life and those choices are to help us along the path which we have chosen to be on. However we can chose to make the choice that will make it easier or harder for us, but that is ultimately our choice, it isn't someone else's choice or someone else's problem or fault if we chose not to make the choice at all. It is our choice to choose. That is the issue today, there are people that want to blame others for the choices that they will not make, they want to blame others for the choice they have made, instead of realizing that the choices they made are their own decisions, based on their own brains. We all have a brain and we all know the difference we can make based on our past, present and what we define as our future, we can make valuable choices, we don't have to look to others to decide what is the right choice by others actions, we can choose it based on what is right for us. Because what is right for me, may not be right for someone else. Remember that, when I share what I am about to share.

I find it very hard when people are given a choice to make, this choice is either they can get better by doing a certain thing. For example, I have joint issues, I can solve the joint issues, by taking a herbal supplement daily, the choice I have is I can take the supplement daily and feel the difference or not take it. That is my choice, but that sad point is, when someone says it is too much work taking the supplement, so they choose to stay in pain, because they think that taking the thing that can help them feel better is too much work. It takes me approximately 1 minute to take the supplement, how is that too much work? Same with other things. 

If that is too much work, how is their spiritual walk, we have to wonder if taking a herbal supplement to help them feel better is too much work. How about walking closer to God, will that be to much work too? Generally how we approach our daily lives, is how we are going to approach our spiritual lives as well. Same with our relationships, if you have ever seen a marriage that is falling apart, look at there relationship with God, how is it going? Because generally when the marriage relationship is broken and they are not willing to work on it, the same holds true in their relationship with God.

I find it amazing how the simple facts of life are forgotten, how the simple things, like our own choices are forgotten, because we are caught up in the world of life. We forget that our choices are having a lasting impact on those around us. Just think, how you treat those around you, who is watching? Those are being directly influenced by your choices, by how you talk, what you do, how you react. Now think about your relationships, how are they? Are they drawing you closer to God or is it the very thing that is driving you from God? These are hard questions, but if you are not willing to take the look at yourself in the mirror, you aren't willing to take the thing that will fix the very problem. You too wills say it is too much work. 

Nothing is too much work. Have faith of a mustard seed, God said it, I believe it, do you?

Gender

 I am taking a different role here today, because I have a bug in my side. We as Christians seem to have blinders on, we seem to miss things. I have heard it said by many that God has made two genders, that they are defined in the Chromosomes. Just look at the Chromosomes and you will be able to tell if it is a boy or a girl. Have you heard this? I am sure you have, XX and XY, that is the definition. That God only created those two things and that is it. 

Well, I have news for you, if that is true, than I am a true misfit, I don't fit into that and then where do I belong? Does that mean God did not create the men that have Chromosomes that are XXY or even more? We as Christians need to be cautious of how we lay things out, we need to look at science before making rash statements, because I have a genetic syndrome, which sets me apart from most other men, does that make me less or different maybe, but do I need to be an outcast by my own brothers and sisters of Christ? No, it shouldn't, but when we use statements that God defined male and females by the Chromosomes we exclude the people that have different chromosomes. 

Today, I would just like to say, there has to be a different way, take a look at science, take a look at what God is saying. Because God did create male and female. But to those people that the chromosomes don't align with the nature that people are preaching from the pulpits will be turned off and walk away, be careful, because we do exist out here, we are not just one or two. 

I sat thru a class were the pastor told me that we are defined male and female by our chromosomes. After the class, I approached him and asked him, what does that mean I am? I said Dave, I have XXY, what does that mean I am, does that mean God made a mistake making me? He didn't know what to say, because so many people put God in this box, we can't put God in a box. I think this for me is a blessing. I see things differently than most males, I see things through different eyes, I don't relate to many people, I don't get along with most males and I have issues, but God. He made me this way for a reason and I am thankful.

The reason I share this, because remember that God is God, we can't put Him in a box. We don't know why He does what He does, but when we try to define what He does, He throws us a curve ball. Maybe I am a curve ball, I don't know, but I do know that God made me, doesn't mean He made a mistake. I may have both male and female chromosomes, but that doesn't mean I am a female, but it does mean I am different. Next time you think  you can define something by a term, make sure you look it up. My 4th grade teacher posted an article on Facebook trying to say the very thing, males and females are defined by chromosomes. I sent him a link to the Klinefelter's page, he took down his article. Be careful what you post, because it affects people like me. 

Have a blessed day. 

Choices

In my life, I have found so many people that don't understand choices, they seem to think that everything that they go through is just by chance. They don't realize that it is by the choices they make, it is by the decisions they are where they are at, but no one wants to look at this. They want to blame it on everything else. No one wants to take a hard look at themselves, they want to place blame on others. Why is it so hard to really look in the mirror and say I can make a choice to do this differently? Is it that hard to stop blaming everyone else and start taking responsibility? 

When I was younger my Mom taught me to take responsibility for my actions, so many times I wanted to blame others for things I had done. I wanted to say that it was because someone had made me upset, but she would than say to me. But Geoff it was your choice to react, that was such a hard lesson to learn. It was my choice to react, that means I did not have to react, I could have bit my tongue, turned the other cheek, walked away, done something other than react. How many times have I reacted instead of walking away? How many times should I have just taken my foot of the gas and slowed down, how many times should I have just shut my mouth and not said that word? These are all my choices. A reaction is a choice, it is not a learned behavior, it is not a knee jerk reaction, it is a choice and if we start watching our choices, calling them exactly what they are, we will start seeing that we can not blame others anymore. 

Start owning your actions, start saying it was my choice to do that, instead of blaming it on others, start being the difference. Teach your kids to do the same, lets teach the world, because it is time we own our choices and call it that. No longer is it about what color our skin is, what language we speak or where we are from, it is our choice to be who we are. Lets be who we are called to be and rise up and be different, be the people we are meant to be. 

Chose you this day whom you are going to serve. Are you going to serve yourself and blame others? Stand up and be accounted for, be who God calls you to be, He talks about our choices throughout the Bible. It is just if you want to search it or not. Take the time, you will see it too.

Thoughts

 Some thoughts I had in the middle of the night I thought I would share on here. I am not sure anyone really reads this, but at least I can journal my thoughts either way. 

First thought is, remember that the things that annoy us most about someone else are probably something that we tend to do ourselves. It is like we are looking in the mirror, but we don't like to admit it. So next time you are getting annoyed at someone for something they are doing, take a moment and reflect on your own actions and think, do you act like that? It is a good checker on our own fronts, because before we try to remove the speck from someone else's eye, we must first remove the plank from our own eye. (I have seen this play out time and time again). Someone comments about someone else being selfish and how mean it is, however the reason that person is commenting, is because they themselves are the selfish one, even more so. Just saying, watch out for your own faults, let God take care of the other person.

Secondly, be the change you want other people to be. If you are complaining that other people don't do something, be what you think they should be like. Other people will not change, but you can show them how they should be, by being it. People don't learn from being told, they can hear it over and over again, but they don't listen anymore, they are deaf, they can't hear. Be the example, if you want something to change, you have to be the representation of that change, if you are not willing to do it, don't complain about the others not doing it either. Again, it is about doing to others what you would like done unto you. 

Lastly, if you want to be treated kindly, listen to how you talk to someone, watch how you stand, think about your eyes, your mouth, your arms, if you have to record yourself. You will be amazed at what you hear, because the truth of the matter is, we are not doing well communicating. We have to treat others the way we want to be treated, if we are rude, they will be rude back, if we are disrespectful, they will be disrespectful back and so forth. If that person is just disrespectful, I don't know what to say, but we still have to treat them with kindness, a harsh answer turns away wrath, a gentle word calms the spirit. Try it, it works, if you want to extinguish the fires of hate and anger, you have to work on how you are, you can't preach to them, it will not work. You have to change you, that is the only way any of this will work. 

These things are easy to type, easy to think about, but so much harder to do. All that I write is easy to write, easy to put on paper, but so much harder to put into practice. I fail daily at them, I get angry, upset, I react, but then I look at how I was and learn and try again. We have to learn from our mistakes, get back up, brush off and go back out there and try again, that is life. Life is learning and growing and changing, not giving up. Don't give up, persevere to the end. Each day is a new day, yesterday is history, today is a gift and tomorrow is a mystery, enjoy today for the gift it is, unwrap it every chance you get. It is exciting and what it contains no one knows, but enjoy every second of it. 

Vocabulary

 Have you ever thought about words and how we use them? Have you thought about how they define us? I will not do a study on words, but I do study how people talk and I listen to people when they talk to me. It intrigues me to hear when people have issues in their lives and marriages to listen to them. You can tell a lot about them by the words they use. 

I will explain. When someone is speaking to you, if they are more interested in only speaking about themselves, they can't look at things from another persons point of view, you can tell that they are self focused or self centered. This is a red flag, this is a huge warning sign on any front. The issue is we called to look at things from others peoples perspectives instead of just looking at it through our eyes. We can't make an honest assessment of any situation from our perspective only, we miss so much by looking at it through only our eyes. We miss feelings, we miss how other will feel. If we only see things through our eyes, we don't take into account anyone else and that is a huge issue. 

In a marriage if a person only speaks in the "I" or "my" speak, like "my house", "my room" instead of saying "ours" it is also an issue. When 2 people get married these things become a joint bond, they become one. They share, there is no longer a my about anything, there is no longer a possession about anything. If one is trying to be possessive of things, that is a red flag as well. The "my's" need to be changed, it has to be conscious effort to change this, because that is a direct impact on the marriage. This becomes a battle ground in a marriage, because the other spouse will see this as a possession of ones things, verses sharing. 

Words are not just words, but a tool. They mean so much more than what people think. They come from the heart of us all. They emanate what we can't say, they say what we think, they mean more than what we want to portray, but they still come full circle and then they spew from our mouths and we can't take them back. Be careful what you say, because those words are sharper then a double edge sword, they pierce like a knife, they cause more harm then good. The words you speak portray your intentions more than anything else does. So when you speak, choose your words carefully, make sure every word is picked and selected for the occasion you are in.

Bottom line, life is not about you, think about the others that you are influencing with your words. Speak carefully, remember your words will last longer than anything else. 

Moving Forward

I am learning more and more about the Satan is using tactics of the past to keep the believers of today rooted in the very things that Jesus Christ has taught us about, however people have forgotten what He has taught us, because they believe they know better, they think they understand life. They are unwilling to let go of yesterday, because yesterday was what made them angry or what set them off, or what caused them to feel the way they feel. But Jesus said in order for us to find freedom, we have to let go of yesterday, we can not be held down with the fears of yesterday or tomorrow, we have to focus on what He has for us today. How many people do you know that are not willing to let go of the past? I bet you the names keep popping into your head. That is the tool of the enemy, the enemy has come to rob us of the joy that Jesus has brought to us today. 

See Jesus gave us the peace that passes understanding, not for what happened yesterday, not for what happens tomorrow, but what is going to happen today. He has given us grace for today. He has given us peace for today. He has given us what we need today. The people that are lost in worry about tomorrow are missing what Jesus is doing for them today. The people that are lost in the worries of what happened yesterday are missing what Jesus is doing for them right now. The tool of the enemy is to remind us of our past, is to tell us about all the things we have to do tomorrow or the next hour, Satan will always tell you what you have to worry about. He will never tell you what you have to be joyful about, allow Jesus to minister to your soul, soak in Jesus, not in the worries of yesterday or tomorrow, for those will just take years of your life. 

 Unforgiveness and bitterness will do the same thing, if you can't forgive someone, well that is between you and God. Jesus said if we are unable to forgive, He is unable to forgive us. We are to be like Him, He died to forgive us of our sins, how much more is it for us to forgive someone of a wrong they did to us or caused us. Yes, there are some wrongs that will take a long time, but by the grace of God, He is more powerful, but He is God, allow Him to work through you to forgive. He doesn't say forgive and forget, He says forgive. Allow Him to wash you white as hyssop, allow Him to wash your mind, allow Him to minister to you. Because it is only through Him that the cleansing will take place, only through Jesus Christ. No counselor worldly counselor will tell you that, they will tell you to live in the past, that is what they get paid to do, they are tools, they will tell you to relive it over and over again. They will bring the bitterness and hatred back, because for some reason they think that will help, but look around you, it doesn't help, it only breaks people, makes them angrier, causes suicide rates to go up. Reliving the past doesn't help, it hurts. Yes justice is sought, but God will bring those who did wrong to the justice they deserve. Allow God to rule the day, allow Him to be God, because we do not make good god's. Allow Him to minister to you. He will, open up to Him. Just my thought for the day.

Honesty

 Today I am really struggling, I am at a juncture in my life and I am finding it harder and harder to get past what is being taught from the pulpit and what I know to be true. Maybe I am just being to caught up in my own thoughts, maybe I am just lost in the way I thought it should be to or maybe I am just crazy, I am not sure. I figured I would just put it out here, because I don't know. Not many people read this anymore, I actually only think one person reads this now and I thank you for that, you know who you are. :) 

What is being pushed is that we go into the world and preach the gospel, which I agree with, I have no problem with that. That we serve in our community which I also agree with that, but at what cost? What I am talking about, they have taken the emphasis off the home, the have placed it on the unsaved, but I believe that we will reach more people with a solid home foundation, than a broken home. If we are jeopardizing the foundation of our homes and doing things that break our marriages, break our families, doesn't that go against what is first and foremost? I don't know, I see some bad things happening, they are pushing so much to make people believers, they are missing the very thing that people believe in, they are missing the love of God, the truth of who God is. God wants a solid foundation and He wants a solid home life.

I was thinking this morning, look at the the early 70's, 80's and 90's how many preachers kids do you know? How many of them have walked away from God? Is it because the Father was to busy to be a Father to them? I think God has called us to a place to be home for a families first, get your house in order first, then feed my sheep, not the other way around, because He will honor the ones that put Him first. Those that are honoring everyone else before the ones that should be the ones that are most important to them, what does God say to that? Yes, that was their choice, but it was also their choice to be married, have kids and so on. Isn't high time that we build our houses correctly and isn't high time that we teach it correctly so that when we go into the world, we can teach them how to as well?

We don't teach the world by example, by saying do as I say, not as I do. We teach them by saying do as I say and do as I do. We are the example, we are what they look at. Our words mean nothing, if our actions do not portray what we speak. Isn't it high time that our actions represent a Christ follower, not just our words? It doesn't matter if I say all the right things, but when I get home my home is falling apart, my kids have no respect, my house is just a image of perfection and that is all it is, because it was taken from a fairy tale, because people see through the lies. It is high time we fix our homes and once our homes are in order, we will be effective in ministering the gospel to others. 

I am sure there are rare cases this will not work, but in those cases that is between them on God, but in the cases that both are followers of Christ, then put Christ first, fix the home life, fix the marriage, fix it be who God calls you to be and then you will be the effective team that God calls you to be.

A house will crumble without a foundation. Build the foundation, maintain the foundation, without it, the house will fall. It is so important it to keep the foundation in order. The devil wants the foundation to crumble, that is what he goes after, it is easy to forget about because it isn't seen, but that is the most important thing. When that isn't in order our lives will be in chaos, if your life is in chaos, look at your foundation are their cracks in it? Repair the cracks, shore up the foundation, fix the issues, before the house crumbles. 

Make sure your foundation is solid and your house is in order, because people will see the truth of who you are. A marriage counselor can't be a good marriage counselor if their own marriage is crumbling. Just the same with our own lives, what do our lives look like, are we a good witness for Christ? That is the bottom line, do people know from how we treat the people we are with? How our homes look? Etc...

Lion's Exhibit

 You walk into the zoo to see the lions, before you stands a fence a mote and plenty of space, because those lions are fierce predator's. You gaze at them, you see their teeth, they are sharp, their claws look well maintained from clawing at the trees in their exhibit and maybe from tearing apart the meat that they get for their daily diet. If you look at their size and compare it to yours, you see that they are quite large, you can see that one swipe from their paws could render a large gash in your side, but you realize that there is a large distance between you and them. 

You have a healthy fear of them, you respect them and the safety measure that have been put in place to keep you safe from them. Why do you respect them? Is it because you understand how strong they are? Is it because you see their power? What is it about the lion that you respect? What is it about them that you fear? 

The reason I am writing this, is because I believe we have lost the very thing that give us wisdom and respect, we have lost the key element that God has directed us too. In Proverb 9:10 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." If we do not have a healthy fear of God, we don't understand who God is, we don't look to Him for help, we don't understand that He is our Father, we don't understand that He will guide us, direct us, punish us, just like our own parents would do. I think we have lost the meaning of what it is to be fearful of our parents, to be respectful of them. For me growing up, I had a healthy fear of my Mother, I wouldn't be disrespectful of her, because that was wrong, because that was un-honorable. Why does it seem today, that it is expectable to be disrespectful? 

If you want wisdom, seek God first, He is your Father, He is Abba Father, He is maker of Heaven and Earth, He deserves our respect. He is greater than anything or anyone. We respect people, but we draw the line at respecting God or our parents, why is that? We respect the lion at the zoo, but can't respect the God that created us? Isn't it time to get back to the basics? Isn't it time to return to the beginning to see why our hearts are hardened to God?

Is your heart hardened to the truth of Our Father? Get back to the beginning, go back seek Him, find out why. Don't give up, for the fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom...

The Box

 We as humans have a box, we place things in this box, the box is formed of time, space and so many other things. If you think about the box, it has 6 sides, it is constructed and what goes into it is formed and designed by our own minds. We have formulated this box, because we can't seem to comprehend things without this box. If you take a moment and imagine the box, what things do you put into the box. Maybe you put your job, your relationship, your hobbies, what others things do you put in there? Do you put God in that box? 

If you put God in a box, you define God by putting Him in a box, because you place Him in there, stating that He is structured to think like you want Him to think, like you. That is not true, God is God, He does not think like us, He does not does not live in a man made box of our building, because God is infinite. Our minds can not grasp the very concept of God, however we try to understand His infinite understanding and in that, we get lost in the weeds. We need to take God out of the box we built and realize that God is great than any box, that He is God, He has no limitations, that the limitations that we put on God are our own limitations that we put on ourselves. 

We think that God can't do it, because we can't do it, but the moment that we think that, we limit the possibilities, we limit God, we lack the faith. We need to trust God. There are things in this world that God has placed in it that are there to help, don't get me wrong, I believe He has given us doctors to help us get through life to help those that need surgery, that need to have an arm fixed or what have you, but there are other thing, you need to seek God, pray, see what you feel is right, not in mans eyes, but what you believe by faith in God's eyes. It isn't by putting God in a box, but trusting by faith in God. 

Get God out of a man made box, get God back to where He belongs. God doesn't belong on a shelf, He belongs in our hearts free to be God, free to be the creator of this world, free to be God and rule this world like He has for ever before and ever more. No box will hold God, don't let a box ruin it for your walk. Let God out, don't put rules on God, based on the rules you put on your own life.

Our limitations are not God limitations, the are ours alone, repent of this, seek Him first and trust God fully. He will guide your way. 

Thoughts and Things to Look At

 Just some thought provoking examples in life. Not always true, but somethings you can tell by examples. I don't know if you have heard any of these, but here we go: 

• If you want to know how a man will be to his wife, see how the man treats his mother. 
• If a child is all about themselves, selfish, self centered, this is a learned behavior and never dealt with, see where it comes from. More than likely the parent or parents have this trait as well. 
• If you are looking for a mate, look to see if that person just dusts around the furniture or under it, if they dust everywhere, that means they aren't trying to hide anything, because they are more willing to search out the dirt in their own life. 
• Compassion is a trait that is taught, it is a learned trait, if there is someone that doesn't have it, run away, because it wasn't taught at a young age, that means it will be hard to teach it now, there is a reason they are where they are, don't try to teach them it now, because the only person that will end up being compassionate is you, it will cost more and be more painful to you in the process. 
• Love is only love if it is given away, love is not selfish, it can't be held onto, if a person says they love you, they will be willing to show it, willing to demonstrate it in more than words. Words are cheap and meaningless, unless backed by love being given away. Anyone can say I love you, that is free, but the action of being loving is costly and it means that you are willing to give all and be hurt in the process, that is what love is. 
• Listen to those that are outside of the situation, because they do see the things that you do not see. It is hard to ask for help from those people, but wisdom comes from a multitude of counselors, don't be like the foolish person who is unwilling to ask for help and thinks they know it all. Be willing to ask, be willing to seek help and be willing to be venerable, because that is how we learn.
• Life takes work, that is the bottom line. Yes we all must work to live, might as well find something you enjoy doing and do it well. We all have tough days, don't let the days get you down, choose to be better then those days, choose to find the happiness, not be finding the negative, but finding the positive of life.
• There will be negative in every situation, it will be the easiest thing to come by, anyone can find the negative, anyone can complain about everything, anyone can be the one to find the worst possible things to say, the most downright cruel things, but what I tell you, don't be anyone, be the one that says the positive, looking on the bright side, look for all the positive things in everything you do and be thankful in it all, know why, because in doing so you will stand out, you will be different then everyone, you will be the one that is the light in the room in the darkest moment everyone will say you are different. You want to be different, don't be like everyone else. Different is good. 
• That in itself is the best of it all, different is good, don't worry about what people think, you can't control what others think of you, who cares what they think. You didn't do anything wrong, you can't control them, just like they can't control you. You can't change them and they can't change you, so what does it matter if they don't like your hair or your shoes, who do you have to impress, who do you have to be great to? You have to stand in front of a mirror and look good for you. The only person that really matters in the room is the person that will stand before you every morning and night in the mirror and that is you. So stop trying to please everyone, because you can't and start seeing yourself as beautiful and wonderful, start being thankful for the very air you breath, start being thankful for who you are and that you can read, start being thankful that you have eyes and stop wishing that people would see you, because know what, that brings a whole new world of trouble...
• That brings me to my next point. We will all stand before God one day and we will have no one to blame for our mistakes, we will not be able to blame it on our parents or the devil, because we will be standing before God and it will be only you and Him. Not anyone else, you can't say that they made me do it, or they made me mad or that I did it because X, Y and Z, because God wants you to take responsibility for your own actions, because we must own our actions, we must own our mistakes, our anger, our frustration, our sins, they are ours, no one else's, don't blame it on someone else, take it and own it and stop passing blame. Just like driving down the road, we get cut off, it is our choice to get angry, we have 2 choices, get angry or bless the person, what do you choose? 
• The world lies, don't listen to the world, they will tell you that you can't do it, or you are not fit enough or you can't change and negative lies about yourself. But I am here to tell you, if you listen to the negative about yourself and believe it, then that is all you will be, but if you stop believing the lies and start ignoring the lies and start declaring them as lies and start saying that I am not ugly, that I am worth it and that I am smarter and that I am... and I am... that the more you stop with the negative and the more you start with the positive things will change in you, in your life. Try it, it takes more then a day, try it for a week, see what happens, after a week a month then a year, it will grow on you and so on. (I truly believe that our skin, our health our body is based on so much more then just our food intake, but that is for another conversation).
• If you really want to change you can, but again it takes work. Nothing easy is free, nothing that will last is easy either. So if a pill is easy to take and will make you lose 100 pounds, there is something wrong with it, because trust me when I tell you, that it doesn't happen that way. Every good thing that will last takes work, marriage work, relationships work, kids work, our life with Christ work, job work, etc... you get my point. If you want something to last put the work into it, it will pay off. In a relationship, it takes 2 to tango, one sided the relationship will crumble, it takes two.
• Taking the easy way out, it doesn't mean it is the best way out either. Just because you can do it, does it mean you should do it. Sometimes we are put in a situation because we need to be in it, because we need to learn from it, we shouldn't look to get out of it. Walk through it, learn from it and deal with it. 

I could go on and on, but I will stop for now, because I have work to do. I hope that someone can get something out of what I have shared. Thank you for reading. Have a blessed day!!

God's Word

 I was asked recently, if the 10 commandments don't apply to us now because the old law was removed because of Jesus, what are we supposed to do now. We have no real rules to follow as Christians. I chuckled to myself when that was stated because it was by a fellow believer, but that got me thinking, because if that is what other people think, what is our churches teaching believers today? What are they teaching people, that all they have to do is give their lives to Christ and that makes them a good Christian? That is all they have to do to get to heaven? I know it states in the Bible that we are not saved by works, but if someone gives their live to Christ, but continues living a sinful life, I would think that means that person truly did not love the Lord with all their hearts soul and mind, because that is the first and greatest commandment. See there is so much, that they are leaving out, that is why I think it is so important that we teach these people the truth of what they are agreeing too. 

I don't know, I know God can change hearts, but you can convert someone that isn't going to change, but God can change them. Or you can teach them what it means to be a Christian, teach them about God, teach them, what it means to follow Jesus Christ. If you think about the Disciples, they where not saved until after Jesus died. Wow that is kind of mind blowing, when you take it down to that, because they followed Him in life, then they had to chose to follow Him in death too, some of them went back to fishing before the Holy Spirit came to them. It was then and only then that they were filled with the Holy Spirit, they had power like no other, they were able to minister to do things they never did before. Why, because they believed in Jesus Christ. 

The Bible says, which mean God says we can have that same power, we are limiting what the Bible says, when we say it was only meant for their time. We are limiting what God says, when we are translating it to mean what we think it should. Maybe instead of translating it to mean what we think we want it to mean, maybe we should allow God to minster to us how He desires too. Maybe it isn't about how our Church teaches us, but it is how we ask God to show us. We are the limit we put on God, because God is limitless. Wrap your  mind around that, if we limit God, we are putting God in a box, God is bigger than any box, we can't put God in a box, we have to stop. Isn't it time we stop saying that God can't talk verbally, isn't it time we stop limiting God and stop saying He will not and stop saying He can do anything He wants to do. Stop putting Him in the box the churches have done for years, time for Him to be free. 

I got off on a tangent, but really, we need to teach people what it means to follow Jesus Christ, what it looks like to be a Christian, to be a Christ follower. Yes we all struggle. Yes we all sin, there is no one without sin, but we can all aim to work on being who God calls us to be. We can all strive to stop putting God in a box and allow God to be God. 

Let God's word be a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path. He will guide you, stop trying to fumble your way through. No need to do it on your own. 

Our Language

 I am wondering as Christians, if we need to change how we speak, how we communicate to each other, to our church, to our fellow believers. I don't know.

The reason I ask this, is recently I had to fill out a survey for community groups. Now they asked a wide range of questions, but one of the question was how much time do you spend praying a day. It gave a wide range of multiple choice answers, such as: Non existent prayer life, 1 minute, 5 minutes, 10 minutes and on up to over 2 hours. 

My Checklist

• Read Bible
• Pray
• Do a good deed
• Speak nicely to someone
• Be respectful to my elders
• Honor God

OK I did all those things, I am a good Christian, now I can go about leading my life. That is not what being a Christian is about. It is about living a life that is set apart that is different that is pleasing to God. We should be in a mind set of prayer, we should be different. We shouldn't have to bow our heads and close our eyes to pray, we should be able to pray when we drive, when in a meeting, when and where ever we are, because that is what God calls us to do. We should be so ready to fight the battle, that we are ready and full of fire and vigor that when the enemy attacks and he will, that we don't have to say hey wait, I have to go home to my prayer closet and close the door, to hide. We should be able to pray while we are sitting in a meeting or driving praying and calling out to God.

Isn't it time we change our language, change how we talk, in order to change our perspective to change what we are thinking, change what it means to others to follow Christ Jesus. Not about I, but Christ who lives in me. 

I guess, I don't know about other churches today, but are we teaching lukewarm Christianity or are we teaching Disciples to be all in. I go back to the Iranians and when asked to be all in, they dive feet first knowing they could be giving their lives up for Christ, but are we willing to give up or modern luxuries for Christ? Are we all in or just fence riding until something better comes along, or until it gets too hard? Life isn't easy, being a Christian isn't easy and for those who think it is, I have to ask what are they doing as followers. 

Have We Missed It?

 Have we missed it? Have we been caught so off guard by the culture of today, was once our family known as Christian or Christ followers been so diluted that we don't really understand what being a Christ follower really means anymore? I am struggling to find the answers that in this I am looking for, so many unanswered questions, so many thoughts go flipping through my head and no true answers, because the church of the west is based on numbers not based on what it is to be a Christ follower, not based on what it truly means to follow Jesus. God looks at our hearts, not what I give on Sunday morning in the tithe plate, He looks at does my life reflect the love that He shows me each and every day. I am saddened by the actions of church, I am saddened by what is happening, the church is growing because they are looking for blind people to fill the plates, but we are not called to fill the plates or the pews with people, because they are blind, we are called to teach them about Jesus Christ. 

I love the way the Iranians are doing it, they teach the people about what it is to follow Jesus first. They don't convert and then teach to make a disciple, they teach and then convert. They made a great point, the disciples were not believers before they followed Jesus, they were after. Why do we make them before and then try to teach them what it is to follow Jesus? Maybe we have it backwards, maybe that is why people come and go from the Christian faith, they don't know what it is like and what it means to serve Christ, they give an alter call, people go forward, give there life to Christ and then they tell them they have to give up their sinful life, they have to do this and that to continue to follow Christ. Are we doing it wrong? 

Maybe we have it wrong? We are making Disciples first instead of Discipling people to become Christ followers. A disciple that is made will follow till the end, a person that is thrown into it, will give up because it is too hard, because they don't want to give up there sinful lifestyle, because that is not what they signed up for, it is a different way of thinking about it, because they gave there life to Christ without knowing the impact of their life. See we do have it wrong. We just want numbers, but God wants commitment. 

What if instead of doing an alter call for conversion we do an alter call for discipleship and teach these people what it means to be a Christian, what it looks like to follow Christ. What if we change our ways now? Do you think it would make a difference? I do, maybe it is time to make a change. I don't know, what church would do this, what church here in the west would make a change so impactful, it would change the way they did things across the board, no more would be about the numbers of conversions, it would be about the number of disciples that they were teaching to follow Christ on a daily bases. What a story that would be. 

Spiritual Wakeup Call

 I have a wakeup call for you, nope not one that you get at a hotel, but one that comes from heaven. This one is so impactful, that listening to it will cause you to think twice about where we are today in America and what are we doing. Is there any way to change the path that we are currently on? I don't know if there is the answer to that, we have started asking that deep question, because our hearts have become so soft, so turned from the truth, that are we able to see the truth of who God really is? 

I urge you to listen to the video that I am going to attach, there is a longer version and I would recommend listening to that one too, but this one is just a taste of the other one. Both are so impactful, both are full of the movement of God, but not here in the United States, but in Iran. I believe it will change your view of many things, I would love to hear your thoughts after you have listened to it. 

Thank you

Negative Test

 I am stuck on the negative impact thing, because I think negativity has more of an impact than people realize, more than anyone will really admit. Lets admit it, if the devil gain serious power from the negative thoughts of people, do you really think that he will allow people to put out much research on the impact of the negative side of it? I really think that it will just be swept under the carpet like so many other things that have such a negative impact in our lives and that we continue to go along with, because that is just how life is. Like choice, we don't have choices, that is how we were raised... There are so many lies that have become so engrained in us, that we are no longer able to fight for the truth anymore, because it is just the easy answers that we look for. The devil made me do it, instead of looking for the truth, we blame others, instead of realizing the reason we did it, was because we made the choice, we became angry, because we allowed the other person to get under our skin, we made the choice to react. The truth is, this is so much more then the negative test, this is so much more then it all, this is life in a nut shell.

Back to my point at hand, if people realized that being negative took years off there life, would they continue to be negative? Yes, probably. If they realized that it gave them bad skin, would they continue to be negative, maybe they would start realizing that the impact of being negative was not just effecting the person they are on the inside, but it starts affecting the person they are on the outside. Can I prove it? No, but look at someone that has spent years being negative, they are starting to be that negative thought they portray, but look at the person that is being the positive thoughts they they portray, they have a light about them, they are different. Why is that? It is because the air they breath is not about the negative, it is about something much richer. I think us as Christians should be living in the positive, because that is where God calls us to walk, but sadly, I don't think that is where people are today, they are lost in themselves, lost in the "I", not the Christ that lives in them. I am not trying to judge, just trying to call back to Him. 

Maybe my Mom was right, I am to hard nosed, to straight forward and that is why people don't read this. I am called to be compassionate and loving. I am struggling with all the love talk and I am afraid we are losing site of the truth talk, what is the truth of the gospel. Yes we are to love, but not love the sin, not continue to sin and not live in sin. We can not serve two masters. 

They say you can do the test with even store bought fruit, I have not tried it, but I would encourage someone too. Let me know, speak negative to one and positive to the other. See if it matters. 

It Is Well With My Soul

This song keeps going through my head, I am not sure why, but I wanted to post it. Sometimes, we have songs that play in our head for a certain reason, sometimes it is for a certain person, other times it is because we just heard it. I didn't just hear it, so I know it isn't that one. I wanted to share it.

It is Well With My Soul

When peace like a river attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well with my soul

It is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come
Let this blest assurance control
That Christ (yes, He has) has regarded my helpless estate
And has shed His own blood for my soul

It is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul

My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought (a thought)
My sin, not in part, but the whole (every bit, every bit, all of it)
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more (yes!)
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

It is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul

Sing it as well

It is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend
Even so, it is well with my soul!

It is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul

Sing up to Jesus, it is well!

It is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul

Negativity

 Negativity in a Christians walk has no place, God made it very clear and when we live in the negative, we are not walking according to God's plan for our life. If we cannot walk seeing the way He planned for us, because all we see is the way we did not go, we see what the devil wants us to see. It holds us back from the true meaning from which God has planned. We need to break free from the bonds of the negative, we need to do the work that God has for us. I truly believe that it takes work and pray to break the bonds of the negative, but today people do not want to do the work it takes to break the bonds, because it is too hard and it costs. Yes it costs, it doesn't cost money, nope it is free from all financial loss, it will not set anyone back a cent, but it will cost the freedom of being able to give into the power of the flesh, which will cost you the freedom of self, it will no longer be about "I". 

I think that is the bottom line, people want to be selfish, they want it all about self, not about bottom line. The bottom line, is that Christ lives in me, that He is the ruler of me, that He is the King of my life and that He is the reason I am here today. If I look at everything as negative, what am I gaining Him? What am I showing others about Him? That is really the crux of this whole thing, it is time to break free from that, it is time to let go of the negative and move to the positive. Yes we live in a fallen world, but it isn't going to get better, but we have the opportunity to change who we are based on the God we serve. We have to rise up, just as He did. We have a chance to stand and be known, but we have to be willing to die to self to live for Him and that means being willing to die to the "I" and live for Him. Be willing to die to the negative to live in the thankfulness in all things. Be willing to say, yes we are in a bad situation, but God is in control, He knows and He has a plan. 

We do that by simple things. By changing our negative thoughts, by stating things like. He gave me a brand new day, it may be raining out, but He made the rain to make the grass grow. It may have snowed, but we need the water. It may be warm and the sun may be out, but we need the vitamin D. We need to be willing to think outside the box and be thankful in it all. Our car may break down, we need to thank Him in it all. I lost my Mother, Father and stepfather, hard all in 8 weeks, hard to be thankful, but God had a reason for it all. Thank you Lord, your plans are bigger than mine, your ways are greater than my ways, I don't know your reasons, but I thank you for taking them home before this world turns on itself they got to see You sooner.

We have to stop looking at everything as the worst things and start seeking God in it all. Stop giving into the Devil and start standing for God, be thankful in it all. 

Just a Thought

 I am only thinking out loud, maybe I shouldn't even publish this, maybe I should, but it is just a thought that is all it is. I have been listening to a few messages and I have had a thought bouncing around in my head for quite sometime now. It is about the Holy Spirit and the Church of today. For example the church I attend does not believe in the filling of the Holy Spirit, not like how the Charismatic movement does, it seems that movement is growing more and more quiet. They believe the Holy Spirit is about not the same things as I was raise believing (like a somewhat wimpy version of the Holy Spirit and I mean no disrespect to the Holy Spirit at all, just that is how they portray Him to be). My Holy Spirit is awe inspiring flame of God. Look at Him in the Bible flame filled the room, coming from Heaven and quenched the people. 

We are an empty vessel, we are directed to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Now on salvation we get a taste, but we are not fully filled, I truly believe it is only a taste. What if we only have a taste and we need to be filled with the rest of the Spirit just like the in the days of Old, the spirit will come in like a flood. Giving power to us like we have no idea and no one of today has observed. What I am suggesting is the people of the new churches are weak and it is only because of the leadership is teaching them that the Holy Spirit is received upon salvation and that is it. I have to ask, what if they are wrong? We could have warriors, I believe we are going into a battle and if what I hear is a fraction of the truth, we here in the USA are going to be tested. 

What I have heard said, is people that claim to be Christians, out of the number of them that claim it, there is an actual number that truly follow God and it is only a staggering number of 6 to 10%. That is low and heartbreaking. I didn't make that number up, you can do the research, I can give you the links and the people that have done the research to find those numbers, that when called upon will not stand up for Jesus Christ. 

Maybe all I am saying about the Holy Spirit will make no difference in the end, but I want to be one that speaks the truth or at least writes the truth. I pray that just as it was in the old, that the scales will fall from the eyes of those who believe so that they may see the truth, before it is too late. 

I believe that there is so much writing in the Bible that people are missing, that people are formulating there own beliefs because they think that God is a God of love only, but I believe in Heaven and Hell and I believe that there is an end and a beginning and we are nearing the end. 

We Are What We Think

 I have stated this before, but I am going to write it again, because I have seen it play out so many times and the more I see it, the more I want to capture it on paper. I want to put it to words. 

The saying holds true, we are what we eat. What we put into our bodies, is what comes out of our bodies. Why can't it be true for the words that we speak in the same essence of nature. If we speak negatively about ourselves, the same things holds true, we are what we say we are. The more we speak negatively about ourselves, the more we believe the words we speak, the more we believe it the more they become true to us. The more they become true, the more we believe it and the role becomes the words we speak become the reality we live. 

If I constantly berate myself, I will become that ugly person from the inside out, it is sad to say, but it is like my body eats away at itself, because of the negativity that lives with inside of me. It blackens my heart, it causes my heart to harden against any form of encouragement from the outside, it then blackens my soul. The more it affect the inside of who I am, the more it starts to affect the outside of myself, it is like the plague of negativity and it is affecting people today more then ever before. You can see it in the faces, you can see the hate and anger, the rage coming from the soul of people, because it is coming from within. 

I believe hearts are hardening to the truth of who Jesus Christ is and what He has done for us. I believe that we are in a place where we have never been before a place where the truth will become wrong and the right will be wiped away. What we see as right will be mocked. I believe that anger will rein and be ok to encouraged, I believe that what we see happening is only a glimpse of what the future holds, because there are a few people out there that still know right from wrong, but it is growing fewer and fewer. 

We are being brainwashed, scrubbed and cleansed. They are getting into our brains, they are causing us to stop thinking for ourselves. I am seeing it more and more, they have infuriated our minds, they have figured out doorways into our brains in advertising to hide messages that we don't see, but our brains do. We should be afraid, but we are busy about our lives, consumed with everything that is going on, we are lost in the word of so much information, that we have lost what is important.

Time to get back to basics.

What is the most important things? What should be number 1 in your life? What is number 2 and so on? Is it important to be sucked into the news? It is important to be sucked into what ever and lost in the world of media? I am speaking to myself too on this, what is important?

Delight

Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."

What does it mean to delight? You might think of a delight as a tasteful treat, or something that you see that makes you happy, but what does it truly mean to be delighted by the Lord, what does the Lord mean by being delighted by Him mean. Do we know that? I think if we read the Bible, we get a pretty good idea of it, it means that we long for Him, we desire to chase Him, we can't wait to spend time with Him, we don't dread praying, we don't have a bucket list of things to do that we have to check off in a day, we long to do it. How many people have you heard say I have to ready my Bible today? Like they hate doing it, but they have to do it? That is not a delight in the Lord, that is a dread to be doing something He desires us to do. It is a longing to spend time in the presence of the Most High God, it is the Longing to give God our best, not our left over, it is to give Him our most, not to give Him what we dread, it is to give Him our all, not to give Him what we don't want. We don't have to go to Him with a list of request, but with a list of praise and thanksgiving. It is to praise Him, to be thankful in everything. 

Today, how can you change your wording, to give Him thanksgiving instead of making it the same as it always is. Let me make some suggestions. 

Instead of saying Lord please go before me today, change it up, Lord thank you for going before me today, because He says He goes before us every day. We are thanking Him for doing something He already says He does.

Instead of asking for peace, thank Him for the Peace He gives us. 

Instead of asking for comfort, thank Him for the comfort.

Instead of asking Him for His promises, thank Him for all He promises us. 

When we change our prayers, we change who we are, because no longer are we asking, we are changing from being a greedy person, to being a thankful person, we are thanking God for all He has done and for all He is doing. He has promised to give us the desires of our Hearts, but our hearts must align with Him, but they will not align with Him, if we are not being thankful in all that He has and is doing for us. 

It is a matter of perspective, it is a matter of changing the way we look at things, we have to change our conversation with Him, stop asking and start praising Him, being thankful for what you have and all He has given you. It changes everything. It will be amazing how it will change you in the process. 

Do Not Quench The Spirit

1 Thessalonians 5:19 "Do not quench the Spirit." 

I think that we can quench the Holy Spirit without even knowing we are doing it and we do it without even thinking about it. He is that still small voice inside of us. 

In the world today, we are combatted with the loud noise of our mind, it doesn't even have to be loud around us, our mind is loud enough because we have so much going on in it. We could even have just the thoughts of what we are going to do today going on trampling on what the Holy Spirit is trying to say. We are driven by the thoughts of getting through the day, we driven to get to the next tasks, instead of saying the very thing the Holy Spirit wants to hear. You may ask what is that?? That is Lord, I am yours, please lead me and I will follow.

That still small voice leads us and we do not follow, we are quenching the spirit. If counsel guides us and we ignore the counsel as well, we are not only quenching the spirit we are quenching the spirit in the counselor as well. We have to be aware that we are affecting the very thing that we are told not to do. Once we quench the Spirit, that is a very dangerous ground to walk on, because without the Spirit, we are missing the very guidance that leads and guides us. 

I am saddened by some of todays church, because they have removed some of the power of the Holy Spirit. I will probably be shot for saying what I am going to say, but from what I have seen, instead of what Paul saw in his day, the quenching fire, some have made the Holy Spirit a some what rainbow of things, like you get the gift of clerical work, or... I am sorry, I believe the Holy Spirit is so much more than that, maybe He is that, but God is so much great than just that. What happened to the Teacher, the Healer, the Speaker and more, God is God and we have put Him in a box, it is time to take God out of the box. God is God, creator of the universe. 

The Gospel is here to teach us, to bring us to repentance for our sins. We are deluding the gospel, we are hiding from the truth, we are watering it down. My heart is breaking. When was the last time you heard a message on Sin, true sin, the kinds that breaks God's heart? When was the last time that sin was called sin, not just that we love the sinner, but hate the sin. When was the last time? Yes, Jesus ate with the sinners, but He did not except the sins, He said turn from your sins and sin no more, not keep sinning. That is the difference. We are saying come eat with us and keep sinning, because we can't call your sin sin, because that isn't up to us, that is up to God. What happened to calling sin sin? 

I am sorry!!! Are we quenching the Spirit by not speaking the truth of God? Maybe I shouldn't post this. 

Double Life

 As recent news hit the stands, media hustle and bustled about the newest evangelist to become another one that sinned, not just any sin, but the secret sin. Wow, people eat that stuff up, not just the world, but Christians too. The talk of the church, how could this be someone living a double life, hidden from the world, hidden from the public eye and such sin, such depravity... The list goes on and we sit there and eat it up. They debate is he in heaven or hell wondering did he make it, however the real issue is not his soul, it is yours and mine.

How many of us go to Church on Sunday, open our bibles for the first time all week, the first time reading the word, first time praying, first time even speaking the name of God in a worship sense of the term? Wow did that hit a cord? That is a double life as well? 

We can look at someone else sin so easily and call it that, but when we look in the mirror it is harder to call our sin sin, because we are talking about ourselves. How many of us complain or do the very thing that God tells us not to do? Do we confess it as sin or do we just consider ourselves forgiven? God calls us to confess our sins, not just once, but daily. We are called by Him to repent, to turn from our sins, turn from them, not turn back to them. We can easily point out other peoples failures, but what about our own. 

This news that hit the stands, maybe it is hitting the stands for us to look at our own lives, not for us to look into this guy, but for us to say am I living the life God calls me to live every single moment of the day, whether someone is watching or not? Am I being the same person in front of my coworkers as I am in front of the people at church? Would I be acting like this if Jesus was standing right here with me? 

Maybe it is time to stop judging the guy that is dead, stop wondering if he is in heaven or hell and start making sure we are going to heaven and taking those around us with us, by living the life God calls us to live. 

New Pictures of God's Creation

 

Thoughts

 I am reading Acts and Paul was very clear about how the people received the filling of the Holy Spirit, first the were baptized by water, but than baptized by the Holy Spirit. But today, how many churches do not teach this? They teach against the filling of the Holy Spirit, they say it is automatic, they say it isn't written about. Maybe I am reading into too much, but Paul was very clear on this about being filled with the Holy Spirit and how important that is. I have to wonder, are we doing the followers a disservice in the body of Christ by not teaching the same thing as the Baptism of the Holy Spirit? Paul knew that one could just be baptized in water, but that was only half way there, because there was so much more power when they received the Holy Spirit. 

I have heard it taught many times about why the teaching of the Holy Spirit is wrong, but I have also heard why it is right too. I guess I am one of those old school Christians that have to raise the question, that says are we doing a disservice to those that don't know any better, that says what if Paul hit on something. Like in Acts 19:1-2, we have to ask ourselves, why was this so important that God has it in the Bible? We can't allow man remove it or speak that it is not important, we have to pray about it, because I think there is so much more to it than what some churches are trying to teach about it today. 

I want to encourage you all to take time, seek God in this. I believe the Holy Spirit is powerful, not just when we except Christ Jesus, but we need to ask Him to fill us up, to be part of us. To overflow us with Himself. They explained it in the Bible like it was a quenching fire, can you imagine that, a quenching fire, those people that get knocked over, people laugh and say that can't be real, but can you imagine a quenching fire filling you up? We have removed the power of the Holy Spirit, because we have removed the power of God because we have thought about it with human minds, we have to start thinking about the power of God in the form of that we can't fathom His power, we can't imagine or comprehend His grace, His will for our lives. 

Isn't it time for us to stop trying to figure God out and allow God to be God and us to be His sheep, not His goats. My Mom used to say all the time. Goats but, sheep follow. It is time to follow and stop butting against God. He wants a people to follow His voice, to follow His example, to follow His leading, not to but against what He has laid out before us. How many people are trying to but up against God's word? Don't be like those people, follow God no matter what. 

Our days are numbered, as Christians here in America, we will face some hard days ahead. We don't realize what we will face, we have had it easy, but this is when the wheat and the shaft will be sorted. What are you, God's wheat or are the shaft? Hard days to come.

I Have to Wonder

 I am sitting here thinking today about all the warnings in the Bible about how what we see affects us. How is it than, that we seem to feel the need to watch shows, movies that are truly demonic in nature, they are not of Christ, the Bible states it clear. Why do we feel the need, why do we put such filth in our minds? 

I have often wondered if that is just a tool of the devil to gain control of our thoughts, it is a great weakness in our human existence if you think about it. The Bible states it clear, our eyes are a doorway to our souls, so what goes into our eyes, is linked therefor to our souls, if we do not watch what we put into our eyes, we do not filter, we are putting such filth into our souls. We are along the devil a foothold into our lives, we are giving a foothold a doorway into our souls and they say we don't even know it, but the Bible is clear that we are doing it, how don't we know it, if we are reading the Bible? Sorry, this is all flooding out, because it has been in my mind for so long and needs to flood out, so many thoughts and so many run on sentences, but we are allowing the devil to run on our lives, on our children's lives, by not speaking the truth about the music, about the stuff they watch they see, about the movies, the horror movies, because they say it is just a movie, it is just music. We have allowed so much of it, we have become so callus to it, we don't see the garbage of it all, we have are not seeing the danger anymore. 

Be careful little ones what you watch, be careful little ones what you hear, be careful little ones, for the Father up above is looking down in love, oh be careful little ones what you say. 

I shouldn't have to raise the red flag about the movies or shows. What types of doors are you opening in your mind from the music and movies you are watching? Maybe it is time to ask God to close those doors and only have one door open and that is the door for God in your heart. 

The Biggest Lie (or at least one of the Biggest lies)

 I think one of the biggest lies ever told of today, is that we do not have to do anything for things to happen. Yes, you heard me right. See, we have this idea that in order to change we have to just sit there and it will happen. That is so not true. I have experience 3 deaths in my family and we are grieving, however in the grieving process there is things that we truly go through, but if we do not attempt to forgive, we will not get through them. I have found it interesting that people will say things like I am not there yet, or I can't get there, yet they have not even tried. They say I can't let it go, but they have not even tried to let it go, because they think that it is just going to happen, they don't realize that it is a choice they have to make. The lie of this world is that we think just by doing nothing that things will change, how many times in life have you gotten somewhere by doing nothing at all? I bet you can't answer that? Because no time in our life can we do or accomplish anything good by doing nothing at all, we can't make things work, by doing nothing. We have to put in effort, we have to work, we have to want something in order to get something, if we want something in return, we have to work at it. In order to gain on our return, we must put in work. 

It is not easy to lose people, don't get me wrong, yes there is grief, yes there is sadness. I am not saying that will not come, yes I go through hard points in my day, but if we hold onto the anger and resentment towards those people, we will never move through the grieving process, we will not get to the point where we need to be. Today I still have not buried my mother, because of the person that is grieving her loss has not finished the point of the burial, because he is to angry with her to finish it. He is only worried about his anger to see the hurt he is causing others. That is what anger and resentment can do, it will fester inside of us and cut the living off and cause issues in the ones that we love. Don't allow the living to suffer from not dealing with the things, by believing the lies that have been told to us, that we do not have to do anything, that time will do it, because time will not do it, we have to take the steps to get through it. 

It is time to take the steps to get through things, it will hurt, it will be hard, but what things that are easy really last? Good things take work and are hard, but they last. Look at a house, a straw house is easy to build you can lean straw up and it will be built in a day, but one big storm comes and it will blow away. Take time to build and the storm comes and it will not blow down. That is the same with everything, life takes work, relationships take work, put in the work, put in the time, put in the effort, because only then will the things that took the time last. Grieving takes work, it doesn't just happen, don't listen to the lie that it will just happen on its on. How many people are still grieving after years, because they are still waiting for it to happen? Hard lessons, but they don't want to hear the truth, but the truth will set them free. How many of us are afraid of the truth?