A Place of Choice

As I reflect on nearly a year ago, I realize how much growth has taken place with my job, and mindset about everything. I know I have certainly matured, however, I wonder sometimes that the maturity that I have gained was it something that was momentary or permanently. I still have times when my desires of future ideas, hopes and dreams are prominent and that is what I am aiming for, but then I read a story like Joseph and all that he went through and I catch myself asking, "am I pursuing my dreams or God's reality?" and the bigger question I ask myself, "which one is more important?"

As of now I am standing at the crossroads of hard choices, do I embrace the reality that God has placed in my life and work through the grind of everyday (not just job, but also home and routine of life) or do I contemplate all other options? I know what I should do but to be honest, it seems/feels so boring and repetitive. I suppose every Christian follower goes through these moments.

So what now? I know what I should do and I know what it will take, do I let go of all that pride that lives within me and truly LET IT GO so that I can honor God? YES and YES again. Letting go of your pride is by far the hardest choice to make as a Christian. So that is a relief but that is just one area of life that is being transformed, what about others? That is another blog in its self. :)

Ecclesiastes 7:8
Something completed is better than something just begun; patience is better than too much pride.

The Desires of your Heart

When I first heard this phrase from Psalm 37, I wondered what my desires and passions are in my heart. I know what I would LOVE to do, I know what my dream job would be. I read books, blogs, Twitters and everything else under the sun about leadership and those who push/challenge those to live your dreams.... but how? How do you take where your at and become what you think you want. I read dozens and dozens of stories and the one common thread between them all is that God blessed them and something amazing happened. So what does it take to receive such blessing? I know it isn't anything I can do other than being faithful and prayer. But why does God make me/us wait. I keep hearing a song on the radio by Brandon Heath "Wait and See" and that seems to be the only thing that is keeping me going.

I love the church I work at, I'm so blessed to have a job in a church and get paid for it especially in this season of our country. So on one hand I can't be taking anything for granted and on the other when could I start DOING the passions of my heart without complaining and grumbling. Cynicism is my new enemy.

God, what do you want me to do with my life? Just wondering.....

Wanting the Curve balls of life

Earlier this month I read a book about chasing God. And in it, it talked about wanting to change the habits of which we put on ourselves. We get in to a good rythym of life and feel like everything is godd. Being human we like being on the mountain top and flying. However, no one likes to climb the mountain nor come down it. We would rather stay up there and the longer we stay up there we become more and more apathetic to life, I think.

Solution: Change the habitual routines we have to create a more sharper perspective of life. You see the more we get into a routine, the more life becomes dull. Where's the fun? Where's the excitement? Where's the childlike joy we once all had?

Reflect on the habits you have. For instance when do you read the Bible? Is it sporatic or always the same? Prayer- sporatic or consistantly at the same time of the day? Maybe even your drive to work? I am sure you have found the best way to get there but could you change that up? Sometimes it is the smallest things to keep us sharp.

My challenge to you is simply change up the routine of your life and wait and see the difference it makes.

Mission Statement failure

I was listening to a radio show this evening and they were discussing how different business' have their own mission statement. After some time goes by, does the business really keep to their mission statement or does it start to waver and make justifications for its actions? Does the business still have integrity and the virtues it started out to be or does it just have the statement on the wall for good show.

Likewise, when we first begin making commitments to God we more or less make a mission statement of what we want to do and what we want to accomplish and all the things we want to do for God. The real question is... are we still pursuing those commitments or are we just getting by?

I know being married it is easy to say, "till death do us part." but now being married for 41/2 years do I still uphold and cherish my wife, does she pursue God because of me or in spite of me. These are the things that were going through my mind when the DJ was talking about all this.

So what are some commitments that you made to God (even your New Years resolution) that you may have forgotten about or didn't really follow through with? Thankfully and gracefully God pursues us with his love and mercy and grace even when we forget about him let alone go after him. However, it doesn't give us the excuse to stop trying to follow through the commitments it just means we get an extended grace period by our Father in Heaven.

The Power of a Moment

As we look around in our life, we always are in full view of many powerful moments. Some moments come and go, others change our lives forever, but each day we are given the opportunity to observe the present; which in a supersonic second becomes the past, but in that nanosecond between the present becoming the past lies a moment. Again, it happens to us of every second of every day. The beauty of a moment is that it can be a large or small chunk of time depending how we view it.

I often times become very nastalgic (especially this time of year) and I am starting to enjoy sitting back and observing people in their element and watching people enjoy the moment that they are in. I can't help but watch my daughter just play and all I can do is just step back and smile, I watch in amazement as she is just loving this life. There are even moments where I take a few seconds to look out my front door and listen, just simply listen. 

If we continue to think about the past that is where we will live. Don't misunderstand me, we certainly can reflect on the past and learn the lessons given but not to dwell. However, if we just soak in the present we ironically NEVER miss the moment at hand. Sure life seems to zip on by, but when you focus on the moment that you're in time slows down and you can enjoy where you're at now, not where you wish you could be or what you could relive.  

So enjoy the moment, embrace the memory, and smile for the next moment is about to approach. 

Psalm 46:10 (Amplified Version)

Let be and be still, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God.

(I think this is how God planned it all along)          :)

The Gift of a Storm

It is interesting that no matter where we're at in life or where we live we will always face some kind of troubles. Whether it be financial, emotional, physical or even spiritual every storm comes with a hardship. And no matter how long the storm stays there is always damage and maybe even a few casualties. Yet each passing storm that comes we somehow get a little stronger from the past one.

You see a storm gives more than trouble it gives a gift. As odd as that sounds, sometimes it is hard to see let alone find but it is there. This gift is something to be treasured because the value of it is irreplaceable and worth having. Even though in the midst of the storm it is bitter sweet knowing that you are receiving this gift even though we don't want it nor think we need it.

So what is this gift? I honestly can't say - you see each person is given a separate one that means something different. Just because 2 people experience the same thing doesn't mean that they learned the same thing. However, I can say one thing that is common in the storm, we ALL show our TRUE colors. In the end; here are some of the things that we either earn or learn from the storm even though it is not limited to these: endurance, perseverance, a lesson learned, and wisdom.

I think we are put through these storms to be tested. Not for a letter grade or a pass/fail but a test I grade myself. In the end the question is, "Am I closer to God or not?" I think this verse sums it up:

James 1:2-6

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. [3] You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. [4] So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. [5] If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. [6] Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought.

A life once lived

Death. The enemy of everyone and a friend of no one. Something that no one can avoid and none of us can get out of. It is in our top fears of life and when we go to a funeral we are reminded of how precious life really is. Death is so hard because some choose it, some are prematurely given it and others forget about it until another loved one passes on and reality sits in once more. It is a subject that no one wants to talk about and yet everyone is thinking about.


As hard as this topic is, it is interesting that more people are open to the good news of the Gospel than ever before. More people came to know and trust Christ after His ressurection. And for those who are still here it is a quick reminder that this life is short and that death shows no compassion to anyone.

So where do we go from here? What is the next step? Well I think the first one is to make sure (through prayer) that our relationships are in good standing. From there we have to ask ourselves, "am I alive or just living?" This life is a one time deal so to live it we need to REALLY live it. How you ask? When was the last time you (or I) stepped out of our comfort zone or gave without wanting something in return or did something out of the ordinary.

Try it and see what happens, what do you have to lose?