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Takes Faith !

I am so thankfull, so very thankfull for everything that God has been doing in my life and continues to do each and every day. Every now and then I get to take a glimps into a life that I could be living if I didn't depend on the strength God has been giving me. When the work load is too great, problems add up and become too many...Worry and anxiety seem to always be there welcoming me into the presence of fear and doubt. I've learned to steer clear of their enticements though by keeping several principles in mind. One being that where Gods light is there is no darkness...and he who leans not on his own understanding, but in all he does trusts God, walks within the light. Second being a metaphore I heard from a pastor on the Radio...The world is very inconsistant when it comes to staying within the light of the sun. It turns away from the sun turns back to the sun and it turns away from the sun and back again to the sun on and on this process continues. When we live our lives like this we find that something happens to us spiritually, emotionally and mentally. First of all when someone who is born again walks within the light of the lord, their walk is strengthened. They feel more confident and at peace with where they are at. When they turn away from the light and start walking in darkness(meaning: putting God as number two) They discover a very obvious but not so obvious signal that lets them know they are going the wrong way. This signal is worry, fear, doubt, and anxiety. The things that cause us to Opt for the least challenging decisions we are often faced with. It takes Faith! It takes faith to over come all of this. When we excersize faith we put all that crap aside and walk with a purpose...taking on the challenges of life with a more powerfull stride. It's almost like walking through a forrest full of trees, during pitch black darkness, knowing that somewhere out there is a cliff a mile high. This is when scriptures come to mind and you remember...Gods word is a lamp unto my feet...His holy spirit was sent to lead you through the toughest of times and if you don't take those steps through the muck and mire you will never discover the limits of your current faith...Guess what when you take that walk and discover where your faith potentailly ends, you discover you have more to discover...after a while you'll discover that Faith in God is literally limitless and it only gets stronger and stronger the further you walk down the broken path, fearless of stumbling because Gods word said that he put his angels charge over you, keepig you from stumbling. Takes faith! Currently I am faced with many decisions...One being the purchase of my very first home. Biggest decision of my life and at times I feel like I don't know enough about my current situation in order to do this. But I know that I have a God who planned this day before I was even called to be upon this earth. He has a plan and I trust that all this will work out. No matter what happens my eyes are upon heaven and my heart remains thankfull. Another big event taking place is entry into a new life totally different than I am used to. I'm looking forward to the experience of learning different concepts...Teaching people who are so far from a life that I have lived since I was a child, a people who have been at war physically and spiritually since their birth...I am most excited to see what God is doing in the lives of people across the Globe and discovering how he will use me to impact the lives before me each and every day. It takes faith and faith is something worth fighting for. So...When everything gets too over whelming, turn back toward the light of the son, the son of God and place the crap in his hands. He is much better at dealing with it.

Prayer!

Prayer it turns out is directly linked to faith. Matter of fact it's faith in God that fuels our prayer. A deeper look at prayer would reveal that it strengthens our faith, when we walk by faith and live how God himself has commanded us to live we discover another aspect of our spiritual life that plays a key role; Character. Thats important, very important...why? Because... Character is what determines our conduct. Put another way...People see who we are by the things we hold near and dear to the heart. Also by the habbits we allow into our every day life. Charcter flaws come from a life not dedicated completly to God. Can you be a christian and have a character flaw? Of course! But once you discover what your flaw is... Will you allow it to be a part of the person God is making you to be? Hope not!!! Prayer is so important that it just simply cannot be forsaken. You lose connection with God when you cannot bring yourself to commit your time to him. He won't speak, or rather you won't hear what he has to say because without constant conversation we forget what his voice sounds like. I just came through a season just like this where God has taught me the power and importance of Prayer. I haven't been praying, rather I've been quite lazy in my walk with God. The flesh took over and I would much rather sleep than pray, sleep than read a scripture. It Got so bad that I felt worn out and wasted precious hours of my day doing nothing. Why did this happen? Because I was not commiting my life completely to God. I hadn't surrendured whole heartedly the one thing I have plenty of right now...TIME! God revealed to me one night recently in a dream what my lazyness had braught forth...I was faced with people in turmoil, demon posessed and helplessly distraught naked and rolling around on the floor...I was braught in from outside this cathedral like building, from chest deep water. I was carrying a Cross and struggling to make steps forward. When I got to the building that seemed to be a refuge I looked back and noticed two figures obese in shape following, I lifted the bottom of the cross and hit them with it and they disappeared into the water. I went through the doors of the huge place and there was a red carpet with continuous rows of candles along the route to the stairs that led higher. I remember almost giving up but thinking to myself, if God can do it... I surely can as well, that gave me the strength to follow this priest like figure of a man up the stairs. At the top of the stairs he told me to lay down my cross...surprisingly I found it difficult to do and didn't know how to go 'bout it. I think he said if you want freedom or answers you have to answer question from 1942. At that moment he opened what looked like a newspaper...quite abruptly. So I sat at the table w/ the paper in front of me and noticed the people I referred to in the beginning...One was on his back and all I could see was the lower part of his legs...He was naked and dirty, chanting and shaking, two others that were near him scared for their lives got up and ran past me. I'll cut it off here because this is where I felt as though I was helpless and without strength to handle what was happening...But as I sat there I realized...I don't want to do this alone...I don't want to fight this alone!...I can't do this alone! It was an awakening for me because through prayer God can provide blessings unto us. His presence in our lives provides the strength we need to fight a battle that is very real, and very deadly. Without Gods intervention on our behalf we are helpless...helpless to help ourselves and helpless to help others. Prayer is Powerfull, but only when taken seriously. I urge you wherever you are in your walk with God to discover what kind of Prayer relationship you have with God...Are you putting God first in everything big and small, throughout your entire day? Discover the fire within to advance to new heights in the Kingdom of God. Read, meditate, Pray...Live Strong!

Amazing

It's amazing. Everywhere I go I see people. Do they see me? If so what do they see. Am I just another face? Does my very existence intimidate them? Those who seem to attempt over shadowing my presence...Are they trying to hide their fear from me or are they really sure they can give me a good stomping if it ever came to it? Those who see me and offer kindness...is it real? Do they mean to be rude but are to bored and lonely to do so? +++ Conversations seem short and lack any form of intellectual stimulation, so why bother trying. Walk me down a dark ally, I would rather meet a druggy who will attempt jumping me for their quick fixes and several dollars to buy a small amount of food to hold them over for another night. +++ Why is it that I have such a problem with people, or vise versa...why do they have such a problem with me? Good question!!! --- We all have many various thorns that are uniquely and specifically stuck in our sides. Why? Why, if we are Gods chosen few and we live our lives by faith, why then are we still held down by our weaknesses, and handicaps, blinded by our fears and ignorance. Simple, God uses imperfect people to accomplish his perfect plan. You see that thorn in your side? Is it really so painful that Gods power can't work through it? Without it would you know what other people in your current situation are going through and could you have this same heart to encourage and strengthen them? People you see every day out on the street, in the class rooms and in the work place can be affected simply by the face you present to them in the short seconds as you pass by. It's not much fun when we pass people who give us a glimpse of their unhappy day, life or encounters with others who have done them wrong. But thank God we have the wisdom to know that all these people need is a dose of our heavenly father. It's as easy as a smile or a comment of sincerity. Not everyone you meet will embrace your kindness with open arms, but who cares...you have planted a seed that may someday change that persons life. The flip side of the coin is so much worse and very common, which is why most people don't speak or wave to one another anymore. This is when instead of sharing a little light, we spend time locked away in our minds. Trying desperately to figure out what they are thinking...making up their minds for them and coming to conclusions that are almost always false and potentially damaging to them and to you. As a Christian and as a human being, I feel the necessity to discover who the person is and what their deal is before I make an assumption about them...doesn't always happen that easily but it's more beneficial. If someone is suffering and their taking it out on you, pray for them and offer Gods light to them. There's no reason to continue the anger they have spread throughout their day...Make a stand and don't let their problems be passed through you. Enjoy life and it's many trials. It's the small things God uses to prepare us for the larger task ahead...Fear not the stumbling for God is there to keep you walking forward. Lean on him and he will strengthen you, guide you and direct you. Faith is where it's at, and the reward that awaits us all, though indescribable and unimaginable, is simply amazing.

Getting hot!

It's getting hot right now. I don't mind it much unless I'm sitting in the air conditioning or theres a nice breeze blowing outside. Most days for lunch I like to sit in my truck with the windows down and read from the bible and the notes I have taken on various sermons from various pastors. I talked myself into believing that if I sit in the sauna-like air for an hour reading a half hour of scripture and sleeping the next half hour, I would be refreshed enough to make it through the rest of the day. Truth is that it actually works. I think it has a lot to do with the edification recieved from reading the word of God. Poer nap never hurt either. I also take this time to pray for those in my class who I'm trusting God will encourage and develope into strong christian leaders. Theres a lot of baggage that needs to be cleared but nothing that can hinder the work of the lord. I'm pretty much a quiet participant in this class...I don't say much because I don't feel it's my job to fight against the opinions of others. But when presented with the oportunity I speak openly about my faith. This is an area I could really use some encouragement. I'm always cautious about what to say cause I don't want to make myself out to be a hypocrit or a fool with fancy words. I have at times been able to recognize the holy spirit prompting me to say something, and those circumstances work out well, but I can't help to wonder why I have been created to be so quiet. I used to think of it as a curse, I can now see how much of a blessing it really is though. I'm so thankfull that I don't have a loose tongue or a complaint filled heart. God has been good to me on so many levels that I'm just now starting to recognize. Interesting times we live in...Thats for sure.

What's God Up To?

Today started off great, I stayed up all night saturday night worshiping the Lord. I fell asleep around 4:30 in the morning and woke up at 8:15 to get ready for church. I woke up with a refreshed feeling inside...I guess you can say I was filled with the Joy of the Lord. It's amazing how much easier it was to focus my attention on the worshiping God...I admit that most times I feel distracted by thoughts or events happening around me. But I was really filled with the holy spirit and I was thankful for it. I was happy to see my friend Kailey and I'm often curious how she's been handling her life lately since we don't talk much anymore. She still holds a place in my heart and I will always keep her in my prayers. She has a gift for prayer like I've never seen in anyone before. Her passion for the lord is incredible to witness and I'm glad I'm here to be her friend. I believe God places people in our lives to teach us about ourselves. To inspire us to become things we never before even imagined. My walk with God has moved in so many directions and taken so many paths. Each one having it's own special and unique qualities that have enriched my life.
There are qualities about my father here on earth that I would much rather forget much less aquire. And in a way I think one of the reason I have trouble in reaching people on a personal level is because of a super critical attitude. I realize that's it's not hate for the person I criticize as much as it is a dislike of their mindset. I have an elderly friend named Gurdie that I go to visit on Sundays. She's has so much negativity locked inside of her and at times it seems she'd rather live under a dark cloud than in the brightness of a blue sky. I try to be encouraging but I become critical and I lose the ability to smile or offer the encouragement I started with. God is teaching me through her how to deal with fustrating people in fustrating circumstances. It really depends a lot on faith...I've gone through the process of trying to change her and how she views life, and God in turn has shown me the beauty of the life I live. People I deal with on a daily basis complain about everything that's put before them. How can I possibly do the same when my heavenly father has given me so much to be thankful for. I tell myself that within every upset there's something to be learned, a light to be turned on and a life to be influenced. People still need to hear the gospel and I have been given a heart by God for such a task. He's molding me and shaping me continuously, Teaching me how to do it right. May take a while but patients is an ok thing to have.
No matter what tomorrow brings may we have the grace and the faith to make it through. God you are our number one. We place you before the people and circumstances of our lives as we live it. Lord you are the teacher before these soldiers, students, furture leaders of a world filled with sin. You are a friend to these people I stand with and I am merely a carrierer of your word, your holy spirit. Make this little light of mine burn bright for the glory of heaven and the benefit of those around me today, tommorrow and forever. Thankyou for the word of life you have breathed within me. Thankyou Jesus, Thankyou.

What is God up to?

Today is my first entry into the world of Blog. I decided to title my Blog, "What is God up to". I did this for the simple fact that God is in control of everything I do and anything I write on here will deal directly with his influence on my life. I've learned so much about my personal relationship with God up to this point. So as time evolves through the story of my life, I will devulge facts about the many things God has done for me and what I have learned from it all. It takes time to get to know someone and even when you think you know them best theres a whole bunch more yet to learn. It is a prayer of mine that anyone who reads the words that are to be written on this Blog would find encouragement and insight to help them through a ruff spot. Enjoy and hold on tight, who knows what will be around the next turn.