Well this past weekend I got to be a witness to one of my best friends asking his girlfriend of 4 years to marry him. First off congratulations Eric and Ashlee, I am so happy for you and can't wait to see the way you conquer this world together. These events let me see something a lot of people don't see and that is the excitement that the guy has planning this all out. Eric couldn't wipe the smile off his face and just wanted to make sure everything was perfect. He had waited to take this step and the excitement you saw in him you just knew it was right.
This really got me to think about each one of us with God. Do we have this excitement for Him? It is so easy for us to get stuck in the daily "duties" of being a Christian. We go to church on Sundays, maybe go to a bible study here or there, pray when we can, and get into his Word but are we really engaged. Do we go to church but walk out the door having no clue what the sermon was even about? I have done this many times. I try very hard to pay attention but my mind begins to wonder the second the music stops. What about when you pray? Has the prayer become the same thing every night. Are you really talking to God or just repeating what you have said for years? It has become a real challenge for me as the things I pray for are constant and I usually pray right before bed. I am exhausted by that point and notice myself just going through the motions a lot. It becomes hard some times when things become normal or part of your every day life. I work for a manufacturing company and when people become complacent with there jobs errors begin to happen as their attention falls away. I feel this is the same way with our faith. When it becomes the same thing we start to fall away without even knowing.
Back to the engagement. Eric had so much excitement that Ashlee never saw. Now how do we get that excitement for God? How do we create that engagement with Him? There is so many ways we can do this and for each person it will be different. I have noticed for myself that changing when I pray helps some. Also having a strong group of Christians around myself helps me when I begin to fall away from the engagement. I need them to help push me to focus on Him and encourage me that He is the best choice for me. Just like in a relationship you may feel you want to try something else or see what else is out there but in your relationship for God you need to realize He is the one. Do not stray from him but make that commitment. Get excited about your relationship with Him. He is the one who will love you no matter what. When you think things aren't right or you start to stress know he is there to hold you. Show your joy for him in all you do.
While Eric was proposing another couple was near me that was watching it all happen. They had never met Eric or Ashlee but they had a huge smile on their face. They saw his love for her and her love for him. Let's focus on showing that love we have for God to others. Bring a smile to others by showing them the love and engagement you have with our Lord. You may not know the person next to you or ever see them again but that happiness could change their life.
"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."- 1 Peter 4:8
Monday, December 15, 2014
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
The Moment
Well guys today I wanted to talk a bit about taking advantage of the moment. So much has happened this year that has really got me thinking that you need to live your life for every day and take advantage of the opportunities you have. Not only did we lose my uncle quickly this year but my neighbor was diagnosed with cancer and unfortunately has been limited in what she can now experience. It really hit me because I wanted to take her to a Tigers game but kept pushing it off to next year and now I probably won't get this opportunity.
It sometimes is hard to take advantage of these opportunities as life gets in the way. We have too much to do. We have a drive to get more money. We have a fear of not having enough. We fear not impressing our bosses. We fear losing those close to us. I have started to try to live like tomorrow isn't guaranteed which we see in the bible. Who knows when the Lord will come. If he came today would you be unhappy because you always wanted to move to a particular place, see a city, or be a better friend to someone. Take today and live for it.
Last week I got to see this first hand. Melissa and I were at Sleeping Bear Dunes enjoying the relaxing walk up the dunes. When we started this walk I noticed a young man (maybe 25) climbing up the hill. We were on the bottom at this time and he was cresting the first major hill. He had two poles that he was using to help with the climb. In the beginning I couldn't tell if these were crutches or hiking poles. As we made our way up the hill and I started feeling my heart race I couldn't help but continue to watch this guy. As I watched I noticed he could not use his legs and had to use his waist to carry himself. I am not sure if he was paralyzed or what but his legs unfortunately did not work. As we continued our climb he did too. He climbed to one of the highest points in the dunes. Melissa and I got to the same point as him and got to talk to him for a minute. He was from Toledo, Ohio and came to the Dunes every year. He loved doing the climb and enjoying the view. We parted ways and continued our climb but I could not get his accomplishment out of my mind. You can ask Melissa cause I kept saying stuff to her the rest of our climb. As we got to the bottom and I could see him starting to make his way down it brought a smile to my face. I have thought about this guy every day since and how he pushed through.
We can all learn from this guy. That climb pushes a lot of people to not do it because it is hard and these are perfectly healthy individuals. This guy had every reason to stay at the bottom and refuse to climb because it would be to hard or would take much time. He didn't though. He didn't let his disability stop him from the climb. I encourage you this week to push forward and do what you want. Do what you have always wanted to do. Don't look at the reasons you can't do it but look at all the reasons you can. You don't have tomorrow promised to you so don't delay. Get the plans together and accomplish your goals and dreams.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
It sometimes is hard to take advantage of these opportunities as life gets in the way. We have too much to do. We have a drive to get more money. We have a fear of not having enough. We fear not impressing our bosses. We fear losing those close to us. I have started to try to live like tomorrow isn't guaranteed which we see in the bible. Who knows when the Lord will come. If he came today would you be unhappy because you always wanted to move to a particular place, see a city, or be a better friend to someone. Take today and live for it.
Last week I got to see this first hand. Melissa and I were at Sleeping Bear Dunes enjoying the relaxing walk up the dunes. When we started this walk I noticed a young man (maybe 25) climbing up the hill. We were on the bottom at this time and he was cresting the first major hill. He had two poles that he was using to help with the climb. In the beginning I couldn't tell if these were crutches or hiking poles. As we made our way up the hill and I started feeling my heart race I couldn't help but continue to watch this guy. As I watched I noticed he could not use his legs and had to use his waist to carry himself. I am not sure if he was paralyzed or what but his legs unfortunately did not work. As we continued our climb he did too. He climbed to one of the highest points in the dunes. Melissa and I got to the same point as him and got to talk to him for a minute. He was from Toledo, Ohio and came to the Dunes every year. He loved doing the climb and enjoying the view. We parted ways and continued our climb but I could not get his accomplishment out of my mind. You can ask Melissa cause I kept saying stuff to her the rest of our climb. As we got to the bottom and I could see him starting to make his way down it brought a smile to my face. I have thought about this guy every day since and how he pushed through.
We can all learn from this guy. That climb pushes a lot of people to not do it because it is hard and these are perfectly healthy individuals. This guy had every reason to stay at the bottom and refuse to climb because it would be to hard or would take much time. He didn't though. He didn't let his disability stop him from the climb. I encourage you this week to push forward and do what you want. Do what you have always wanted to do. Don't look at the reasons you can't do it but look at all the reasons you can. You don't have tomorrow promised to you so don't delay. Get the plans together and accomplish your goals and dreams.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Loss
It has been a while since I have been able to post one of these. I have been finishing up the summer semester at school and trying to enjoy the weather for the limited time we get it in Michigan. As some of you may know, we unfortunately lost my Uncle Greg about a month ago due to cancer. This time was very hard on my family especially my Aunt and cousins and continues to be a battle as we move forward. This unfortunate event really got me thinking and I wanted to talk about it today.
Death is a very hard time and rightfully so. We have formed bonds with these people and will miss them. This is the same for parents when they let their kids go to camp for the first time or when a close friend takes a new job in another city. We can get very down about this as we know things won't be the same. We will have to change how we do things and not have those times with that individual as frequently or possibly ever again during this earthly life. This is a time where it becomes the hardest the most critical time that we trust God. It is very easy to look elsewhere in these times but putting that trust in God will help lead you down that path of recovery.
I struggle with this all the time. I like to see what the future has planned and hate to leave it up to interpretation. It can be very scary to put your path in the hands of someone else even when he is God. If it is a boss that is pushing you in a direction in your career and holds the keys to that next position, or a relationship you are in that you are unsure of where it will lead. It is important that you are on the same page with those people that could affect that path so that you can reach for the same goals. This is the same with God. It is critical to have a close relationship with God and talk to him regularly. Just like you will talk to your boss on where you want to go and your admirations in life it is important to speak to God on what is important to you. Just like your boss God may not agree with you and may slow you down or lead you down a different path but you need to work on the same page.
It is critical it times like these where your path can be influenced the most you turn to God. Talk to him and let him know what is on your mind. Give him your path and let him guide you. He is the ultimate boss that knows exactly what you need. He knows the training you need and what is necessary for you to continue pursuing your dreams. Don't let a small detour get in the way because if He is leading you then that is the path that will suit you best. Live the words of the Lord's prayer you have probably prayed hundreds of times. "Your will be done". You pray it on a regular basis so now go out and live it. Give him your path and let him be your comforter and leader in all times.
Death is a very hard time and rightfully so. We have formed bonds with these people and will miss them. This is the same for parents when they let their kids go to camp for the first time or when a close friend takes a new job in another city. We can get very down about this as we know things won't be the same. We will have to change how we do things and not have those times with that individual as frequently or possibly ever again during this earthly life. This is a time where it becomes the hardest the most critical time that we trust God. It is very easy to look elsewhere in these times but putting that trust in God will help lead you down that path of recovery.
I struggle with this all the time. I like to see what the future has planned and hate to leave it up to interpretation. It can be very scary to put your path in the hands of someone else even when he is God. If it is a boss that is pushing you in a direction in your career and holds the keys to that next position, or a relationship you are in that you are unsure of where it will lead. It is important that you are on the same page with those people that could affect that path so that you can reach for the same goals. This is the same with God. It is critical to have a close relationship with God and talk to him regularly. Just like you will talk to your boss on where you want to go and your admirations in life it is important to speak to God on what is important to you. Just like your boss God may not agree with you and may slow you down or lead you down a different path but you need to work on the same page.
It is critical it times like these where your path can be influenced the most you turn to God. Talk to him and let him know what is on your mind. Give him your path and let him guide you. He is the ultimate boss that knows exactly what you need. He knows the training you need and what is necessary for you to continue pursuing your dreams. Don't let a small detour get in the way because if He is leading you then that is the path that will suit you best. Live the words of the Lord's prayer you have probably prayed hundreds of times. "Your will be done". You pray it on a regular basis so now go out and live it. Give him your path and let him be your comforter and leader in all times.
Matthew 6:9-13New International Version (NIV)
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Who do you run to?
Well this week has been one of those crazy weeks. So much has happened with some family medical issues including surgery for my sister during a work trip in Las Vegas. This came with multiple days in the hospital and a last minute flight by my mom to be with my sister through the pain. I also had an injury that I suffered the other day and there has been some hard times with some extended family.
With so much happening it didn't seem like this week was ever going to end. Every time I turned around we were being hit with more bad news and it starts to wear on you. I started thinking in this situation who did I run to? Did I run to friends or did I run to God? It is so easy to run in these situations to your closest friends or maybe anyone that will listen to describe just how bad your week has been. I have been guilty of that at times. This time I tried to take a different approach. I went to God first. Yes I went to friends and family to talk through everything but it was to discuss what was happening. I would be lying to you if I didn't tell you I wasn't upset or down this week due to everything. Going to God first was such a relief for me. It quickly put the situations into perspective that they were minor in the grand scheme of things. It made me look at the positives instead of focusing on the negatives. I also was blessed by God's presence by my Christian community around me. Being lifted up in prayer and encourage in my faith allowed me to stop trying to be "Woo" me.
I want to ask anyone who is reading this, where do you run? Do you run to a friend immediately? Do you run to the nearest bar and try to drown your issues? What do you do? I really encourage you to run to God in these situations. I heard this statement before that God is the great comforter but he can't do that if we are always comfortable. I didn't chose these situations to happen this week and wouldn't want this to happen to anyone but God made me very uncomfortable. In all this discomfort though I was able to see his power and comfort. The way he has provided for my family and I this week is great. My mom made it to Vegas in time for the surgery and was able to reschedule work to be there for the recovery, my dad had friends helping us out and giving us information on the medical world in Las Vegas, and my work allowed me to take the time I needed to help. God truly provided and kept our family calm.
I hope through my examples today you can see the comfort God provides. Next time something goes wrong go straight to God in prayer and the go to your friends. Make him your priority and you should be able to see the change in your situation.
With so much happening it didn't seem like this week was ever going to end. Every time I turned around we were being hit with more bad news and it starts to wear on you. I started thinking in this situation who did I run to? Did I run to friends or did I run to God? It is so easy to run in these situations to your closest friends or maybe anyone that will listen to describe just how bad your week has been. I have been guilty of that at times. This time I tried to take a different approach. I went to God first. Yes I went to friends and family to talk through everything but it was to discuss what was happening. I would be lying to you if I didn't tell you I wasn't upset or down this week due to everything. Going to God first was such a relief for me. It quickly put the situations into perspective that they were minor in the grand scheme of things. It made me look at the positives instead of focusing on the negatives. I also was blessed by God's presence by my Christian community around me. Being lifted up in prayer and encourage in my faith allowed me to stop trying to be "Woo" me.
I want to ask anyone who is reading this, where do you run? Do you run to a friend immediately? Do you run to the nearest bar and try to drown your issues? What do you do? I really encourage you to run to God in these situations. I heard this statement before that God is the great comforter but he can't do that if we are always comfortable. I didn't chose these situations to happen this week and wouldn't want this to happen to anyone but God made me very uncomfortable. In all this discomfort though I was able to see his power and comfort. The way he has provided for my family and I this week is great. My mom made it to Vegas in time for the surgery and was able to reschedule work to be there for the recovery, my dad had friends helping us out and giving us information on the medical world in Las Vegas, and my work allowed me to take the time I needed to help. God truly provided and kept our family calm.
I hope through my examples today you can see the comfort God provides. Next time something goes wrong go straight to God in prayer and the go to your friends. Make him your priority and you should be able to see the change in your situation.
Monday, May 12, 2014
God's timing
Well lately a lot has been going on in my life. Work is changing in a lot of positive ways, school is continuing to be busy, and I continue to look for houses. With all of the different activities going on I have really seen God's timing.
He has pushed me back many times in the past few weeks and stopped me from what I was asking for. He has done this for years. Sometimes it is so hard for me to figure out his timing and why He has stopped me but eventually (sometimes years later) you start to see His big picture. This really brought me back to us looking at ourselves before we look at our reason to be on earth. We continually think about ourselves and what we want. We overlook the big picture a lot and look for the instant gratification. I do this all the time. I really wanted this past house I bid on but I did not get it and in turn was very disappointed. I haven't found that right house yet even though I thought I had and God will help put me in the right spot to better service his kingdom.
It is easy for us in our faith and daily lives to get mad at God because we don't get what we want. But have you ever thought about God getting what he wants. God wanted a world without sin. He wants loyal disciples. He wants people to honor his name and follow his commandments. None of us can sit here and say we do all of these things. Do we notice how often we disappoint God because we want to have things happen on our own timing? This is all because we become selfish. We must lay down our lives for the Lord and sacrifice our selfishness for Him. Similar to in a relationship with a girlfriend/boyfriend it will have a hard time working if we are only thinking about ourselves and not about the other person. We must think of His will first and ours second. If you think of His will first you will see a change in your life and daily decisions.
I challenge each of you this week to put His will first. Sacrifice yourself for him. Think about having a relationship with him and making his priorities first. Step back and take some time to reflect on His plan. Even though we don't always see his timing remember He has you in his hand and is molding you like a great piece of pottery. Sometimes you may think you should take a different shape but remember he has the ultimate design for you.
He has pushed me back many times in the past few weeks and stopped me from what I was asking for. He has done this for years. Sometimes it is so hard for me to figure out his timing and why He has stopped me but eventually (sometimes years later) you start to see His big picture. This really brought me back to us looking at ourselves before we look at our reason to be on earth. We continually think about ourselves and what we want. We overlook the big picture a lot and look for the instant gratification. I do this all the time. I really wanted this past house I bid on but I did not get it and in turn was very disappointed. I haven't found that right house yet even though I thought I had and God will help put me in the right spot to better service his kingdom.
It is easy for us in our faith and daily lives to get mad at God because we don't get what we want. But have you ever thought about God getting what he wants. God wanted a world without sin. He wants loyal disciples. He wants people to honor his name and follow his commandments. None of us can sit here and say we do all of these things. Do we notice how often we disappoint God because we want to have things happen on our own timing? This is all because we become selfish. We must lay down our lives for the Lord and sacrifice our selfishness for Him. Similar to in a relationship with a girlfriend/boyfriend it will have a hard time working if we are only thinking about ourselves and not about the other person. We must think of His will first and ours second. If you think of His will first you will see a change in your life and daily decisions.
I challenge each of you this week to put His will first. Sacrifice yourself for him. Think about having a relationship with him and making his priorities first. Step back and take some time to reflect on His plan. Even though we don't always see his timing remember He has you in his hand and is molding you like a great piece of pottery. Sometimes you may think you should take a different shape but remember he has the ultimate design for you.
Sunday, May 4, 2014
The Great Contractor
Well today I wanted to talk about God's house. As a few of you know I have taken the step of beginning to look for a house. This process if you haven't been through it can be very stressful and really beat you up. You look at hundreds of listings online, you look at a number in person, and then you have to decide on what you are going to bid and how much. These decisions all have to be made in a day or less with how fast the market is moving but are decisions that are going to greatly affect you for the next years.
While going through many houses the past few weeks, I think I have seen it all. I have seen houses that are gorgeous inside and out and very well maintained. Then on the other side I have seen some houses which needed to be completely gutted and torn down to the studs. These houses needed thousands of dollars to be invested in them to feel comfortable even sleeping there.
During all of this I really got to looking at my faith and how house shopping is very similar to our own relationships with God. God has many children including each one of you. The price tag on each one of us is the same as we are all equal but the work that needs to be done differs. We work to live a Godly life to help minimize that work but we are still a mess. We are a new bathroom but a destroyed kitchen and living room. We all need work just like every house I walked into needed something. Although too much work on these houses detoured me from putting an offer in it does not detour God. He is willing to put that work in to make you whole. He knows you have a great outer shell and just need some remodeling.
That remodeling can come in many different forms. Maybe it involves going to church for the first time, or joining a bible study within your church. Sometimes it could be listening to different music, or getting into his word more. God uses many ways to remodel you just like you can with a house. You can knock out that wall or just patch it up. Both will work but the way you choose to remodel can affect the outcome. It can be a pain to tear everything down and start new but sometimes it is necessary. We need to allow ourselves to let God completely remodel us. Let him take control and knock those walls down. Don't try to just patch up your problems but let him tear them down and rebuild you. He is the ultimate contractor. He will make you into the best person you could ever dream of plus more. He will make you into that house that you walk into and say "This is the one". In his eyes each one of us are this way. He loves you unconditionally and always has. His love is eternal and even though we are a mess we are his.
While going through many houses the past few weeks, I think I have seen it all. I have seen houses that are gorgeous inside and out and very well maintained. Then on the other side I have seen some houses which needed to be completely gutted and torn down to the studs. These houses needed thousands of dollars to be invested in them to feel comfortable even sleeping there.
During all of this I really got to looking at my faith and how house shopping is very similar to our own relationships with God. God has many children including each one of you. The price tag on each one of us is the same as we are all equal but the work that needs to be done differs. We work to live a Godly life to help minimize that work but we are still a mess. We are a new bathroom but a destroyed kitchen and living room. We all need work just like every house I walked into needed something. Although too much work on these houses detoured me from putting an offer in it does not detour God. He is willing to put that work in to make you whole. He knows you have a great outer shell and just need some remodeling.
That remodeling can come in many different forms. Maybe it involves going to church for the first time, or joining a bible study within your church. Sometimes it could be listening to different music, or getting into his word more. God uses many ways to remodel you just like you can with a house. You can knock out that wall or just patch it up. Both will work but the way you choose to remodel can affect the outcome. It can be a pain to tear everything down and start new but sometimes it is necessary. We need to allow ourselves to let God completely remodel us. Let him take control and knock those walls down. Don't try to just patch up your problems but let him tear them down and rebuild you. He is the ultimate contractor. He will make you into the best person you could ever dream of plus more. He will make you into that house that you walk into and say "This is the one". In his eyes each one of us are this way. He loves you unconditionally and always has. His love is eternal and even though we are a mess we are his.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
The Cross before You
Hey Everyone hope you had a good Easter and got to celebrate the true meaning. I wanted to talk today about your journey with God and putting the Cross first. This came to me at church this morning and with a song I was listening to from Chris Tomlin on putting the cross before you and the world behind you.
The song and story is basically if you put the Cross before you and the world behind you, your worries will be limited. Have you ever thought about doing that in your life or are you doing that? For me it is so easy to do that for the times around Easter and Christmas but once I get caught up in my daily grind I tend to put the world in front of me and the Cross behind me. Now I am not forgetting about the Cross or my relationship with Christ but I am putting the needs of this world (work, school, chores, etc.) in front of me. It is impossible from my side to always put the Cross first because we are sinful. If we always had Christ first in our lives then we would be close to being sinless. We would always be living for him and not selfish.
I deal with this on a daily basis. I face so many different items at work that pull my attention. Throughout the day my focus goes to these projects and usually my frustrations are close behind. Now if I took my day and continually put the Cross before me I am sure my frustrations would be diminished. I have a perfect example of this just this past week when I had to present a tough proposition to a customer. While I was very nervous and worked up about this meeting, I focused myself on God and my fears calmed. The meeting in turn went a lot better then I expected and I was able to relax. I truly believe this was in part due to my focus on the Cross instead of the worldly needs.
I challenge each of you this week to focus on putting the Cross first. Remember the sacrifices Jesus made for you and the blessing you have of eternal life. Take whatever step necessary for you to do this. Maybe you should put a Cross in your car or on the mirror in the morning. Put a cross on your computer desktop or your phone's screensaver. Make it a priority to put the Cross before you and the world will be behind you without even knowing it. These small things turn into a large step in growing your faith and getting closer with your Father.
Mark 8:34-38
34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life[b] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
The song and story is basically if you put the Cross before you and the world behind you, your worries will be limited. Have you ever thought about doing that in your life or are you doing that? For me it is so easy to do that for the times around Easter and Christmas but once I get caught up in my daily grind I tend to put the world in front of me and the Cross behind me. Now I am not forgetting about the Cross or my relationship with Christ but I am putting the needs of this world (work, school, chores, etc.) in front of me. It is impossible from my side to always put the Cross first because we are sinful. If we always had Christ first in our lives then we would be close to being sinless. We would always be living for him and not selfish.
I deal with this on a daily basis. I face so many different items at work that pull my attention. Throughout the day my focus goes to these projects and usually my frustrations are close behind. Now if I took my day and continually put the Cross before me I am sure my frustrations would be diminished. I have a perfect example of this just this past week when I had to present a tough proposition to a customer. While I was very nervous and worked up about this meeting, I focused myself on God and my fears calmed. The meeting in turn went a lot better then I expected and I was able to relax. I truly believe this was in part due to my focus on the Cross instead of the worldly needs.
I challenge each of you this week to focus on putting the Cross first. Remember the sacrifices Jesus made for you and the blessing you have of eternal life. Take whatever step necessary for you to do this. Maybe you should put a Cross in your car or on the mirror in the morning. Put a cross on your computer desktop or your phone's screensaver. Make it a priority to put the Cross before you and the world will be behind you without even knowing it. These small things turn into a large step in growing your faith and getting closer with your Father.
Mark 8:34-38
34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life[b] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
Thursday, April 17, 2014
The Nail
Well everyone this week is Holy week with Good Friday coming tomorrow. This day is always one that always gets me and something I wanted to address today. I hope this blog will give you some items to think about while you are at church this weekend.
Have you ever thought about you being a part of that nail that was hammered into Jesus' hand? Now let's take a step back and think about times that we have gotten hurt. Have you ever put something through your hand? A staple, a nail, or maybe you just got a paper cut. You know how much that hurt and it is nothing compared to what Jesus took on that cross. That nail went into his wrist. Do you know how many tendons, bones, and nerves are located there? I am not a medical person and will not try to be but there are a lot. Now this nail was not just an ordinary nail but one that carried an even heavier weight. This nail was made of fibers that is each one of our sins. Have you ever taken a second to think that the nail that held Jesus up to the cross was because of you? That nail wasn't only each and every one of our sins but also pounded in by our mistakes and issues.
Now think about going through that pain and knowing you can stop it but you don't. You know you have to take this to save others so you continue to suffer. You know your mission and you don't move. This would be like having a hot stove and putting your hand on it. Your nerves and your mind is telling you to move your hand immediately but you can't. If you take that hand off others could be hurt. Of course this is a hypothetical situation but something I don't think any of us could handle. Jesus put his hand on that stove and didn't move but took the suffering.
Now think about his Father. Parents out there say all the time when a tragedy happens I wish I could of taken their place. You never want something bad to happen to any young kid but especially your own kid. God had to feel this way to but he knew the mission. He knew what had to take place and that is why He sent His son because only He could accomplish the mission.
The day of Good Friday is one that moves a lot of people but sometimes it only happens for the hour you are at church or only for that day. This should not be a one day thing but an everyday experience.
Jesus is down fighting the devil and defeating him for us. We all watch the great movies like Captain America, or the Avengers and watch the crazy fight scene. This fight scene would make that look like a slap fight. This fight was one that changed eternity.
I hope this post gets you thinking and has you take a deeper look at your choices and the true meaning of Good Friday. It can be a hard pill to swallow but something that is necessary. Now I will not leave you on that note because this Sunday the Victory is won. God is NOT Dead. He is alive and is in your corner as you fight that fight everyday. He gives you the hydration (bible, church) and tips (Christian community) that you need to live for God. This isn't something you will accomplish yourself but with his help. The Devil has been defeated.
Have you ever thought about you being a part of that nail that was hammered into Jesus' hand? Now let's take a step back and think about times that we have gotten hurt. Have you ever put something through your hand? A staple, a nail, or maybe you just got a paper cut. You know how much that hurt and it is nothing compared to what Jesus took on that cross. That nail went into his wrist. Do you know how many tendons, bones, and nerves are located there? I am not a medical person and will not try to be but there are a lot. Now this nail was not just an ordinary nail but one that carried an even heavier weight. This nail was made of fibers that is each one of our sins. Have you ever taken a second to think that the nail that held Jesus up to the cross was because of you? That nail wasn't only each and every one of our sins but also pounded in by our mistakes and issues.
Now think about going through that pain and knowing you can stop it but you don't. You know you have to take this to save others so you continue to suffer. You know your mission and you don't move. This would be like having a hot stove and putting your hand on it. Your nerves and your mind is telling you to move your hand immediately but you can't. If you take that hand off others could be hurt. Of course this is a hypothetical situation but something I don't think any of us could handle. Jesus put his hand on that stove and didn't move but took the suffering.
Now think about his Father. Parents out there say all the time when a tragedy happens I wish I could of taken their place. You never want something bad to happen to any young kid but especially your own kid. God had to feel this way to but he knew the mission. He knew what had to take place and that is why He sent His son because only He could accomplish the mission.
The day of Good Friday is one that moves a lot of people but sometimes it only happens for the hour you are at church or only for that day. This should not be a one day thing but an everyday experience.
Jesus is down fighting the devil and defeating him for us. We all watch the great movies like Captain America, or the Avengers and watch the crazy fight scene. This fight scene would make that look like a slap fight. This fight was one that changed eternity.
I hope this post gets you thinking and has you take a deeper look at your choices and the true meaning of Good Friday. It can be a hard pill to swallow but something that is necessary. Now I will not leave you on that note because this Sunday the Victory is won. God is NOT Dead. He is alive and is in your corner as you fight that fight everyday. He gives you the hydration (bible, church) and tips (Christian community) that you need to live for God. This isn't something you will accomplish yourself but with his help. The Devil has been defeated.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Motives
Hello everyone,
Well it has been a crazy few weeks but I am back to the blogs. I wanted to focus today on motive and that is stemming from a song that I have had on repeat lately called clear the stage from Jimmy Needham. This is a great song that I heard a few weeks ago about giving God the stage.
It is so easy these days to get caught up in ourselves. If it is proud of an accomplishment at work, or happy for an accomplishment on the court. We easily start to take the attention ourselves. You can easily see this in the NCAA tournament at this time. You may get a stand out player and the world puts them on a pedestal. They hit a few big shots and the world revolves around them. This just doesn't happen to start athletes but to all of us at some point because of our sinful life. We work to make sure other's know what we are doing and what we have accomplished.
Now the song you hear focuses on this happening in church. Are you singing for God? Or are you singing for the image it shows? This is a real hit and I am sure each one of us at some point have been guilty of going to church for the wrong reason. Is it to show the image that you are a strong believer. Are you singing because everyone else is? There are so many reasons that we do these things but did you ever stop to think during this why you are doing it. I have caught myself in this many times and over the past few weeks have really asked myself that question. Singing at church I usually did because well everyone else was or cause I liked the song. When I stopped to realize why we sang in church and what the songs said I hit a new level. It is so easy to get caught up in a catchy beat or just singing to sing. But when you sing with that passion, praising the Lord I truly can't describe it.
I challenge each one of you in the coming weeks to really ask yourself why when you are doing something. If it is a part of your work day or your time with God. Are you doing it for you? If you are take a moment to pray for God's patience. We are not here to glorify and honor ourselves we are here to honor Him. When your motives, are in line with God you will see a difference. Make sure in all you do "To God be the Glory"
John 5
Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.
Well it has been a crazy few weeks but I am back to the blogs. I wanted to focus today on motive and that is stemming from a song that I have had on repeat lately called clear the stage from Jimmy Needham. This is a great song that I heard a few weeks ago about giving God the stage.
It is so easy these days to get caught up in ourselves. If it is proud of an accomplishment at work, or happy for an accomplishment on the court. We easily start to take the attention ourselves. You can easily see this in the NCAA tournament at this time. You may get a stand out player and the world puts them on a pedestal. They hit a few big shots and the world revolves around them. This just doesn't happen to start athletes but to all of us at some point because of our sinful life. We work to make sure other's know what we are doing and what we have accomplished.
Now the song you hear focuses on this happening in church. Are you singing for God? Or are you singing for the image it shows? This is a real hit and I am sure each one of us at some point have been guilty of going to church for the wrong reason. Is it to show the image that you are a strong believer. Are you singing because everyone else is? There are so many reasons that we do these things but did you ever stop to think during this why you are doing it. I have caught myself in this many times and over the past few weeks have really asked myself that question. Singing at church I usually did because well everyone else was or cause I liked the song. When I stopped to realize why we sang in church and what the songs said I hit a new level. It is so easy to get caught up in a catchy beat or just singing to sing. But when you sing with that passion, praising the Lord I truly can't describe it.
I challenge each one of you in the coming weeks to really ask yourself why when you are doing something. If it is a part of your work day or your time with God. Are you doing it for you? If you are take a moment to pray for God's patience. We are not here to glorify and honor ourselves we are here to honor Him. When your motives, are in line with God you will see a difference. Make sure in all you do "To God be the Glory"
John 5
Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Weakness
Well as some of you noticed I did not post last week. Unfortunately, I came down with a bug last weekend and was basically out of commission all week. I have started doing more than laying on my couch this weekend but still am beat. While working through the fever and other symptoms I started thinking more about this weakness and our relationship with God. That is where to blog is coming from today, my weakness the past week while being sick.
Have you ever been sick and feel like you can't do anything? What about when you are healthy and go to the gym and can't push yourself to make the next step? The great thing about being weak is that we can be. As a human it is hard to sit out of work or get out of your daily routine, but it won't kill you. The weakness we experience during sickness or a long workout just shows the us the need we have for the Lord. It is a huge struggle for me personally when I am sick because I hate being weak. I like to be the strong person. I want people to know they can come to me at any time and that I will be strong in whatever they need. When I was sick and still today it kills me because I don't feel strong for others. It has taken me some time to realize that this weakness is okay because Jesus took all our weakness to the cross so we can be weak and that I cannot rely on myself to always be strong. Now it is important that you continue to grow stronger in your everyday life and your faith but that you will have times of weakness.
When you are weak in your faith, take some time to let others help you out and encourage you. It will happen just like each of us will face sickness at points in our lives we will face "sickness" in our relationship with God. Slow down during these times and get extra time in the word. Just like when you are sick you need extra sleep when you are weak with God you need extra time with him. Having a strong community around you when you don't feel you can get out of bed to go to church or take those extra minutes to read your bible is crucial. Just like having a parent that takes care of you when you don't want to get off the couch. Sickness in our lives can be related to our faith. It is okay to become weak but know that you come back stronger. You can be weak at times because the Lord has taken that everlasting weakness onto his back when he carried and suffered on the cross. The weakness you face in your faith or in your life is temporary thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Don't be scared of weakness but embrace it as an opportunity to grow stronger and heal.
Have you ever been sick and feel like you can't do anything? What about when you are healthy and go to the gym and can't push yourself to make the next step? The great thing about being weak is that we can be. As a human it is hard to sit out of work or get out of your daily routine, but it won't kill you. The weakness we experience during sickness or a long workout just shows the us the need we have for the Lord. It is a huge struggle for me personally when I am sick because I hate being weak. I like to be the strong person. I want people to know they can come to me at any time and that I will be strong in whatever they need. When I was sick and still today it kills me because I don't feel strong for others. It has taken me some time to realize that this weakness is okay because Jesus took all our weakness to the cross so we can be weak and that I cannot rely on myself to always be strong. Now it is important that you continue to grow stronger in your everyday life and your faith but that you will have times of weakness.
When you are weak in your faith, take some time to let others help you out and encourage you. It will happen just like each of us will face sickness at points in our lives we will face "sickness" in our relationship with God. Slow down during these times and get extra time in the word. Just like when you are sick you need extra sleep when you are weak with God you need extra time with him. Having a strong community around you when you don't feel you can get out of bed to go to church or take those extra minutes to read your bible is crucial. Just like having a parent that takes care of you when you don't want to get off the couch. Sickness in our lives can be related to our faith. It is okay to become weak but know that you come back stronger. You can be weak at times because the Lord has taken that everlasting weakness onto his back when he carried and suffered on the cross. The weakness you face in your faith or in your life is temporary thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Don't be scared of weakness but embrace it as an opportunity to grow stronger and heal.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Who do they see?
This week has been another busy week with many interesting and challenging times for me. This blog really came to me this week multiple times and God has been leading me to write it which is the reason I am writing a day earlier than the normal. Today I want to focus on what others see in you?
We are all our own unique individuals and it is such a blessing because that brings so many great times into our lives. We have similarities and differences but it makes you you. Have you ever asked yourself what do you want others to see in you? Sometimes it is that you are a great athlete, successful businessman/woman, or helpful person. Have you ever thought about or prayed that people see Jesus in You? There is a great song out there right now called Let Them See You by JJ Weeks Band. This is a prayer that he is singing asking people to see God in him. Now why was this on my heart this week. Many reasons.
This week unfortunately started very stressful for me. A number of items went wrong starting Monday morning when I arrived at work and it seemed like nothing was going to get better. It is one of those days you just kinda wish you didn't get out of bed. I let my emotions get the most of me that day and let others see my sinful side. By the way I talked, to the way I threw my computer mouse across the room I was not letting others see God in me. During this time I did not lose my faith or not know the person I wanted to be I just let the devil get in the way of my Christian lifestyle. I showed to others that I am sinful just like them but in turn caused others to look negatively on everything and not let them see the love of the Lord even in the tough situations.
That was followed by something not as frustrating, but a gut check for me. Hanging out with some friends last night, I began to let myself slip into being relaxed and not living for God. I was a lot more loose with my language, did not speak of my faith, or really show others God. I did not think anything of it (except noticing I was looser with my language) until one of the other people in the group started talking to me about this blog and opened up about their faith. Right there it was like getting hit by an Amtrak train then a Greyhound bus followed by having a ton of bricks dropped on me. At that moment I realized that I wasn't showing others God or necessarily living for him in that moment. I quickly switched my approach and tried to show the others in the group my faith through my actions and my words.
It is crucial for others to see God in you. It comes back to the saying actions speak louder than words. When you get ready for bed at the end of the day, can you say others saw Him in you. Did that frustrating situation overtake who you were or the people you were around overstep you? It is a challenge for each of us everyday but something that can be beat. As you continue to grow your faith and dedication to the Lord others will see Him in you as He becomes a deeper part of you. Say a prayer today or whenever you get in a tough situation asking for others to see Him. Remember your actions and words can allow others to see His love and sacrifice He made for everyone of us.
Matthew 5:13-16
We are all our own unique individuals and it is such a blessing because that brings so many great times into our lives. We have similarities and differences but it makes you you. Have you ever asked yourself what do you want others to see in you? Sometimes it is that you are a great athlete, successful businessman/woman, or helpful person. Have you ever thought about or prayed that people see Jesus in You? There is a great song out there right now called Let Them See You by JJ Weeks Band. This is a prayer that he is singing asking people to see God in him. Now why was this on my heart this week. Many reasons.
This week unfortunately started very stressful for me. A number of items went wrong starting Monday morning when I arrived at work and it seemed like nothing was going to get better. It is one of those days you just kinda wish you didn't get out of bed. I let my emotions get the most of me that day and let others see my sinful side. By the way I talked, to the way I threw my computer mouse across the room I was not letting others see God in me. During this time I did not lose my faith or not know the person I wanted to be I just let the devil get in the way of my Christian lifestyle. I showed to others that I am sinful just like them but in turn caused others to look negatively on everything and not let them see the love of the Lord even in the tough situations.
That was followed by something not as frustrating, but a gut check for me. Hanging out with some friends last night, I began to let myself slip into being relaxed and not living for God. I was a lot more loose with my language, did not speak of my faith, or really show others God. I did not think anything of it (except noticing I was looser with my language) until one of the other people in the group started talking to me about this blog and opened up about their faith. Right there it was like getting hit by an Amtrak train then a Greyhound bus followed by having a ton of bricks dropped on me. At that moment I realized that I wasn't showing others God or necessarily living for him in that moment. I quickly switched my approach and tried to show the others in the group my faith through my actions and my words.
It is crucial for others to see God in you. It comes back to the saying actions speak louder than words. When you get ready for bed at the end of the day, can you say others saw Him in you. Did that frustrating situation overtake who you were or the people you were around overstep you? It is a challenge for each of us everyday but something that can be beat. As you continue to grow your faith and dedication to the Lord others will see Him in you as He becomes a deeper part of you. Say a prayer today or whenever you get in a tough situation asking for others to see Him. Remember your actions and words can allow others to see His love and sacrifice He made for everyone of us.
Matthew 5:13-16
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Reset
This week's blog is exactly what the title says. A reset. As I have spoken about over the past few weeks I have been traveling a fair amount lately which is where a number of my blogs stem from. Well this week I was able to stay in East Michigan the entire week. I got to enjoy some of the normal parts of my life. I saw friends, got to work with Motown Soup, and enjoy time with my family. I also got to get a lot done that has been skipped over the past few weeks. Along with these benefits I got to attend the 2014 Winter Jam at Joe Louis Arena last night. This is a concert of 10 Christian bands giving up their talents for the Lord. A big topic during the time was Resetting your faith and it leads me to this blog today.
As I have had this past week in town I have been able to "reset". I cleaned up on emails, saw some clients who are local that I have been unable to visit, and got a number of items done from my growing list. This week here was not critical to me doing my job but it strongly helped me in continuing to accomplish my responsiblities in my position. It helped me get a fresh view on everything for the coming weeks and allowed me to not feel so overwhelmed.
I see what happened with me this week at work is very similar to our walk in faith. Sometimes we just need a "reset". No matter if you are on a high or a low in your faith having that time, if it is a week or a day, to refocus and reset is critical. So much happens in life on a daily basis that a number of items may come in the way and you start to push away your time with the Lord. "Reseting" your faith allows you to focus back on this. Just like for me with cleaning up emails now you can read the Bible which you set aside during your "travels". I really believe that our faith is very similar to my work life right now. I get so busy for a certain period of time that my priorities get thrown around and I just need to reset. When you reset your faith you also allow your mind to be cleared. Sitting down and having some quiet time to reset is important so you can sort your thoughts out. Also reseting lets you have a new sense of dedication to your faith. As you get busy and stressed your body and mind starts to get exhausted. Due to this you may not be giving your 100% because your body just can't do it. By reseting your faith and refocusing on your life with the Lord it will allow you to rededicate yourself. Now reseting does not mean you are losing everything you have worked on for the past months, or years but just refreshing it.
I encourage you to "reset" when you start feeling stressed. This can be daily or weekly but it is essential for you to continue a strong relationship with the Lord. Take a day or whatever time necessary to refresh your mind and refresh your heart. When we are not giving God our 100% we are cheating him of what he deserves and commands of us. Don't let your life overtake you. Do not be afraid to take a step back take a deep breath and refocus.
Acts 2:25-28
As I have had this past week in town I have been able to "reset". I cleaned up on emails, saw some clients who are local that I have been unable to visit, and got a number of items done from my growing list. This week here was not critical to me doing my job but it strongly helped me in continuing to accomplish my responsiblities in my position. It helped me get a fresh view on everything for the coming weeks and allowed me to not feel so overwhelmed.
I see what happened with me this week at work is very similar to our walk in faith. Sometimes we just need a "reset". No matter if you are on a high or a low in your faith having that time, if it is a week or a day, to refocus and reset is critical. So much happens in life on a daily basis that a number of items may come in the way and you start to push away your time with the Lord. "Reseting" your faith allows you to focus back on this. Just like for me with cleaning up emails now you can read the Bible which you set aside during your "travels". I really believe that our faith is very similar to my work life right now. I get so busy for a certain period of time that my priorities get thrown around and I just need to reset. When you reset your faith you also allow your mind to be cleared. Sitting down and having some quiet time to reset is important so you can sort your thoughts out. Also reseting lets you have a new sense of dedication to your faith. As you get busy and stressed your body and mind starts to get exhausted. Due to this you may not be giving your 100% because your body just can't do it. By reseting your faith and refocusing on your life with the Lord it will allow you to rededicate yourself. Now reseting does not mean you are losing everything you have worked on for the past months, or years but just refreshing it.
I encourage you to "reset" when you start feeling stressed. This can be daily or weekly but it is essential for you to continue a strong relationship with the Lord. Take a day or whatever time necessary to refresh your mind and refresh your heart. When we are not giving God our 100% we are cheating him of what he deserves and commands of us. Don't let your life overtake you. Do not be afraid to take a step back take a deep breath and refocus.
Acts 2:25-28
25 David said about him:
“‘I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest in hope,
27 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
you will not let your holy one see decay.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.’[e]
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest in hope,
27 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
you will not let your holy one see decay.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.’[e]
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Light of Positive
Hello Everyone and I hope you are having a good week. For me this week has been very challenging and caused me to really look at my faith in another light. A quick synopsis is I flew to Mexico for work again and all 4 flights got delayed by at least 5 hours really putting a wrench in plans and causing some long days. My family also faced the loss of a close family friend after a month long battle with cancer, a good friend of mine had her father suffer a stroke, and another friend is seeing their mom's fight with cancer slowly ending. Let's just say it has been a week that can really make you reevaluate your faith.
With all this happening around me it has really made me look at my life and evaluate it. I have had a song really stick in my head this week. This song is by Matt Maher called "Hold us Together" and the below lyrics really stuck with me.
This is the first day of the rest of your life
This is the first day of the rest of your life'Cause even in the dark you can still see the lightIt's gonna be alright, it's gonna be alright
It is so easy for us to get caught up in the bad in life which seems to always happen at the same time. These lyrics show that with a relationship with God you can still see that light. Now it is very easy to go away from that light and find every way to block it out. We focus on the bad parts of the day. It is something that we all do without even noticing it. We start to ask why and push back on the Lord. We try to step out of the plane that the Lord is piloting and deal with it on our own. The pastor at the funeral I was at on Saturday made the statement that He is the one that will lead you through this. How true is that? And when you allow him to be that pilot on your life flight we are able to have him help us. Some people in hard times turn to alcohol, drugs, or maybe just shut everyone else out. I encourage you in times of sorrow and hardship to look at him. Make him your release. Yell at him and let him know your frustration just like you would with your best friend. I have had many talks with God throughout the week and they all haven't been peachy.
Now with the different events that have taken place this week it has affected my outlook. A movie I watched this past week on a flight really gave me a gut check on this. It was called "About Time" and was a decent movie. The message it portrayed was one that hit and stuck with me. The movie allowed the main character to time travel. He used this a lot to change different events in his life and by the end of the movie was using it very sparingly. He used it every day to relive that day focusing on the positives. Eventually he never needed to time travel as his outlook had changed. As I cannot say for a fact but I am pretty sure that anyone reading this cannot time travel. I challenge you and challenged myself to look at the positives. Take a minute to list out the joys of the day. Maybe it is a beautiful sunrise/sunset you see, maybe it was that accident you avoided, or an accomplishment at work or home. Each one of those situations could cause you to look negatively. Another sunrise means another day at work, that accident avoided was probably because someone else made a mistake when driving or a major accomplishment at home/work could mean more work that comes along with that. Each situation in our life we can look at two ways: positive or negative. When being able to take the positive view your day turns around.
Just like in the movie he would have to relive his days. This week evaluate your day every night and "relive" it. Evaluate the good and positive moments that you may have overlooked. Then try to focus on those positives in your daily activities. Soon you will be at the point where your mind goes to the positives instead of the negatives. Your attitude will change and your day will become a blessing and not a punishment. This week make it a positive week. Even with all the negatives around you be the light that those who do not have Christ can see. In the lyrics above, he states that even in the dark you can see the light. For some they do not have that light of Christ in their heart and you may need to be the light that leads them. Take that responsibility serious as your light can lead them to the eternal light of our Lord Jesus Christ.
With all this happening around me it has really made me look at my life and evaluate it. I have had a song really stick in my head this week. This song is by Matt Maher called "Hold us Together" and the below lyrics really stuck with me.
This is the first day of the rest of your life
This is the first day of the rest of your life'Cause even in the dark you can still see the lightIt's gonna be alright, it's gonna be alright
It is so easy for us to get caught up in the bad in life which seems to always happen at the same time. These lyrics show that with a relationship with God you can still see that light. Now it is very easy to go away from that light and find every way to block it out. We focus on the bad parts of the day. It is something that we all do without even noticing it. We start to ask why and push back on the Lord. We try to step out of the plane that the Lord is piloting and deal with it on our own. The pastor at the funeral I was at on Saturday made the statement that He is the one that will lead you through this. How true is that? And when you allow him to be that pilot on your life flight we are able to have him help us. Some people in hard times turn to alcohol, drugs, or maybe just shut everyone else out. I encourage you in times of sorrow and hardship to look at him. Make him your release. Yell at him and let him know your frustration just like you would with your best friend. I have had many talks with God throughout the week and they all haven't been peachy.
Now with the different events that have taken place this week it has affected my outlook. A movie I watched this past week on a flight really gave me a gut check on this. It was called "About Time" and was a decent movie. The message it portrayed was one that hit and stuck with me. The movie allowed the main character to time travel. He used this a lot to change different events in his life and by the end of the movie was using it very sparingly. He used it every day to relive that day focusing on the positives. Eventually he never needed to time travel as his outlook had changed. As I cannot say for a fact but I am pretty sure that anyone reading this cannot time travel. I challenge you and challenged myself to look at the positives. Take a minute to list out the joys of the day. Maybe it is a beautiful sunrise/sunset you see, maybe it was that accident you avoided, or an accomplishment at work or home. Each one of those situations could cause you to look negatively. Another sunrise means another day at work, that accident avoided was probably because someone else made a mistake when driving or a major accomplishment at home/work could mean more work that comes along with that. Each situation in our life we can look at two ways: positive or negative. When being able to take the positive view your day turns around.
Just like in the movie he would have to relive his days. This week evaluate your day every night and "relive" it. Evaluate the good and positive moments that you may have overlooked. Then try to focus on those positives in your daily activities. Soon you will be at the point where your mind goes to the positives instead of the negatives. Your attitude will change and your day will become a blessing and not a punishment. This week make it a positive week. Even with all the negatives around you be the light that those who do not have Christ can see. In the lyrics above, he states that even in the dark you can see the light. For some they do not have that light of Christ in their heart and you may need to be the light that leads them. Take that responsibility serious as your light can lead them to the eternal light of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- John 8:12
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Patience
Hello again everyone with the Olympics just starting I am sure you are struggling with most Americans staying up late to see who won (if you didn't just watch any news station all day and already seen it). This week has been a busy week for me but has been very encouraging. Last week I discussed God being the pilot and having full trust in him. I wanted to incorporate that blog with this one as God showed me how patience is key in letting him be your pilot.
God showed me patience in a very cool and exciting way this week. As many of you know my family and I work with a non-profit called "Motown Soup". A quick background on this is it is a non profit organization run by the social outreach director at Trinity in his spare time. Numerous volunteers, including some of you, assemble soup, dessert, and dip mixes which are then sold in a number of different ways. All the profits are given back to the communities that it is sold in to help support the homeless and feed the hungry. This organization has really touched my life and is very close to my heart along with most of the volunteers. The group has grown tremendously in the past few years with $65,000 being donated this year alone to go over $350,000 over the past 9 years. Now with this group we have grown from selling at a limited number of craft shows to online sales and just recently to a store in numerous malls in Metro Detroit. Now I promise this isn't just an infomercial for Motown Soup but it does all tie in.
With the growth of the business a number of new opportunities have come across our table. Opportunities to partner with different organizations, opportunities to sell at different stores, and numerous other business opportunities. I personally will get very frustrated sometimes with this as I view things a bit differently because of my age and I see the growth this ministry can achieve. My patience for growth has let's just say been limited. I want to grow fast and push every opportunity. Now the Lord has had a different plan. He has definitely helped the group grow but sometimes not as fast as myself or the group would like. The Lord has let us grow at a steady pace and always provided the volunteers to support the growth in business.
This really goes back to my life. I am a goal oriented person and it is hard for me to be patient. I have my professional and personal goals in front of me and most of the time look past possible downfalls because I want to check that item off my list. The Lord has really shown me that I need to live for the day and slow down. Be Patient and focus on him. I notice when I start to focus on my goals so much that I push him to the side. He becomes an after thought instead of the reason for that goal. It goes right back into letting him be your pilot and being on his flight. That airplane is not going to get there any faster because I want it to. So we may hit a good tailwind and things move faster but at the same time we may hit a large headwind slowing us down. Just like in life we have to take these speed ups and slow downs and be patient with the Lord's plan. Let him control your life and don't try to overtake the reins for yourself. I will continue to push to grow but I want to try to focus on him in it all.
I challenge you this week to not have your own agenda out there but have Christ's agenda. Put together your plans if you want but make sure you don't lose focus on him. Be patient with His plan and look at the big picture. Just as if Motown Soup would of grown with some of these partnerships maybe we would of not been able to keep up or possibly we would of made some bad business choices moving away from the goal of the group. So be patient with his plan and he will bring it all together. The Lord showed this plan this week with Motown Soup as we will be featured on Fox 2 News on February 20th at 8:30 am to share our story. This is something we have been pushing for years and it is finally a reality. Being patient with his plan shows trust in Him that He knows when you are ready for these changes.
God showed me patience in a very cool and exciting way this week. As many of you know my family and I work with a non-profit called "Motown Soup". A quick background on this is it is a non profit organization run by the social outreach director at Trinity in his spare time. Numerous volunteers, including some of you, assemble soup, dessert, and dip mixes which are then sold in a number of different ways. All the profits are given back to the communities that it is sold in to help support the homeless and feed the hungry. This organization has really touched my life and is very close to my heart along with most of the volunteers. The group has grown tremendously in the past few years with $65,000 being donated this year alone to go over $350,000 over the past 9 years. Now with this group we have grown from selling at a limited number of craft shows to online sales and just recently to a store in numerous malls in Metro Detroit. Now I promise this isn't just an infomercial for Motown Soup but it does all tie in.
With the growth of the business a number of new opportunities have come across our table. Opportunities to partner with different organizations, opportunities to sell at different stores, and numerous other business opportunities. I personally will get very frustrated sometimes with this as I view things a bit differently because of my age and I see the growth this ministry can achieve. My patience for growth has let's just say been limited. I want to grow fast and push every opportunity. Now the Lord has had a different plan. He has definitely helped the group grow but sometimes not as fast as myself or the group would like. The Lord has let us grow at a steady pace and always provided the volunteers to support the growth in business.
This really goes back to my life. I am a goal oriented person and it is hard for me to be patient. I have my professional and personal goals in front of me and most of the time look past possible downfalls because I want to check that item off my list. The Lord has really shown me that I need to live for the day and slow down. Be Patient and focus on him. I notice when I start to focus on my goals so much that I push him to the side. He becomes an after thought instead of the reason for that goal. It goes right back into letting him be your pilot and being on his flight. That airplane is not going to get there any faster because I want it to. So we may hit a good tailwind and things move faster but at the same time we may hit a large headwind slowing us down. Just like in life we have to take these speed ups and slow downs and be patient with the Lord's plan. Let him control your life and don't try to overtake the reins for yourself. I will continue to push to grow but I want to try to focus on him in it all.
I challenge you this week to not have your own agenda out there but have Christ's agenda. Put together your plans if you want but make sure you don't lose focus on him. Be patient with His plan and look at the big picture. Just as if Motown Soup would of grown with some of these partnerships maybe we would of not been able to keep up or possibly we would of made some bad business choices moving away from the goal of the group. So be patient with his plan and he will bring it all together. The Lord showed this plan this week with Motown Soup as we will be featured on Fox 2 News on February 20th at 8:30 am to share our story. This is something we have been pushing for years and it is finally a reality. Being patient with his plan shows trust in Him that He knows when you are ready for these changes.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
God's "Flight"
Happy Super Bowl Sunday everyone. I hope you are all going to enjoy some time with family and friends today to watch the big game or maybe just the commercials. I wanted to talk today about faith in God. Let's start with a story.
This past week I was traveling for work down to Mexico. On this journey I have 4 flights for the entire trip. Now I am not sure if all of you have flown or not but obviously there are times when you are cutting through the air and you hit some turbulence and the plane drops a bit. You get that gut check real quick and realization that you aren't just floating through the air. Well throughout the years I have always been startled by the turbulence and as I get more flights under my belt it gets a bit easier to take. I started thinking relating this situation back to my faith in a few different ways.
You have probably heard the analogies before about God being the pilot of an airplane we are on. I completely agree when you step onto a plane you put full trust in that pilot. If something happens to him or his co pilot most likely you are not trained to bring that plane safely to the ground. Just like in the airplane God is the only one that can successfully carry you from place to place, journey to journey. Yes we can go out on our own and try to fly our own plane but it can be very rough. God is the one who when we put our full trust in Him he finds the right route and guides you. When we step away from him it is very easy for the plane to slightly drop or even start moving quickly towards the ground. Keeping our faith in him and trust in his plan we can sit in the back of the plane and have no worries.
Another item that I realized from this trip is looking outside at the world that you travel over during your trip. The higher you are up in the sky the smaller the buildings below you look. These can be buildings that would take you hours to walk around due to their size but from the sky they look like a spec of dirt and even disappear as you go farther up. This made me think of our ride with God and the highs and lows in our relationship. Think about it this way. Each one of those buildings below is distractions, sins, or problems we see on earth. Some are bigger than others but they are everywhere. As you get closer with God and continue to climb those distractions, sins, or problems beginning to become smaller. Every step closer in your relationship with God let's the plane go higher. When you are on a spiritual high these worldly temptations are very small and some might even disappear but as you go through a valley they become easier to see. It is hard as we all will go through ups and downs in our relationship with God just as we do in any relationship we have. Working to grow that relationship with him will make the times you fly low not as bad as you are flying higher with God.
The last item that I wanted to talk about today was the turbulence. If you know me I hate roller coasters and I used to hate flying. Now with my current position I can hate flying all I want but I don't have a choice. Therefore as you can imagine some turbulence on the flight or when a wind gust grabs the plane really freaks me out. Like I said earlier though as I fly more and more it has gotten easier. Do I still get a bit unsettled, of course, but do I feel like the plane is about to crash now, not usually. This past trip made me really think about that with God. During our "flight" with God we will hit turbulence and some is worse than others but it will not crash your plane. As you grow with the Lord and continue to dedicate your life to him that turbulence will not be so unsettling. Just like I have gotten more at ease with the turbulence I hit with flying so will you and I feel more at ease the closer we get to God.
I hope that the next time you see a plane in the air or you set foot on an airplane you think about your walk with God. Think about the faith you are putting in that pilot to get you to your destination safely, think about the buildings below disappearing, and think about how the turbulence you hit is just a bump in the road. Then turn those thoughts towards your faith life. Think about your faith in God to get you to your next destination Heaven, think about your worries and distractions disappearing the closer you get to God, and remember that the closer you get to Him the easier the turbulence will be. The turbulence you hit in life will not crash your plane but just test your trust in Him. God loves each and everyone of you. Let him be your pilot everyday of your life.
This past week I was traveling for work down to Mexico. On this journey I have 4 flights for the entire trip. Now I am not sure if all of you have flown or not but obviously there are times when you are cutting through the air and you hit some turbulence and the plane drops a bit. You get that gut check real quick and realization that you aren't just floating through the air. Well throughout the years I have always been startled by the turbulence and as I get more flights under my belt it gets a bit easier to take. I started thinking relating this situation back to my faith in a few different ways.
You have probably heard the analogies before about God being the pilot of an airplane we are on. I completely agree when you step onto a plane you put full trust in that pilot. If something happens to him or his co pilot most likely you are not trained to bring that plane safely to the ground. Just like in the airplane God is the only one that can successfully carry you from place to place, journey to journey. Yes we can go out on our own and try to fly our own plane but it can be very rough. God is the one who when we put our full trust in Him he finds the right route and guides you. When we step away from him it is very easy for the plane to slightly drop or even start moving quickly towards the ground. Keeping our faith in him and trust in his plan we can sit in the back of the plane and have no worries.
Another item that I realized from this trip is looking outside at the world that you travel over during your trip. The higher you are up in the sky the smaller the buildings below you look. These can be buildings that would take you hours to walk around due to their size but from the sky they look like a spec of dirt and even disappear as you go farther up. This made me think of our ride with God and the highs and lows in our relationship. Think about it this way. Each one of those buildings below is distractions, sins, or problems we see on earth. Some are bigger than others but they are everywhere. As you get closer with God and continue to climb those distractions, sins, or problems beginning to become smaller. Every step closer in your relationship with God let's the plane go higher. When you are on a spiritual high these worldly temptations are very small and some might even disappear but as you go through a valley they become easier to see. It is hard as we all will go through ups and downs in our relationship with God just as we do in any relationship we have. Working to grow that relationship with him will make the times you fly low not as bad as you are flying higher with God.
The last item that I wanted to talk about today was the turbulence. If you know me I hate roller coasters and I used to hate flying. Now with my current position I can hate flying all I want but I don't have a choice. Therefore as you can imagine some turbulence on the flight or when a wind gust grabs the plane really freaks me out. Like I said earlier though as I fly more and more it has gotten easier. Do I still get a bit unsettled, of course, but do I feel like the plane is about to crash now, not usually. This past trip made me really think about that with God. During our "flight" with God we will hit turbulence and some is worse than others but it will not crash your plane. As you grow with the Lord and continue to dedicate your life to him that turbulence will not be so unsettling. Just like I have gotten more at ease with the turbulence I hit with flying so will you and I feel more at ease the closer we get to God.
I hope that the next time you see a plane in the air or you set foot on an airplane you think about your walk with God. Think about the faith you are putting in that pilot to get you to your destination safely, think about the buildings below disappearing, and think about how the turbulence you hit is just a bump in the road. Then turn those thoughts towards your faith life. Think about your faith in God to get you to your next destination Heaven, think about your worries and distractions disappearing the closer you get to God, and remember that the closer you get to Him the easier the turbulence will be. The turbulence you hit in life will not crash your plane but just test your trust in Him. God loves each and everyone of you. Let him be your pilot everyday of your life.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Lane Jumper
Well patience has been my biggest lesson this week. Let's start with a quick story. This week I had to travel to Peoria, Illinois to visit one of my customer's. I left normal time on Tuesday and looked at the weather before leaving as there is a stretch which can be pretty treacherous. Everything was clear and I was making good time, looking forward to getting into the hotel a bit early and getting a nice workout in and catching up on some homework. Well just over half way there and 10 miles from Chicago the traffic sign says 10 miles 156 minutes. Must be a misprint right. Yeah I wish. I was stuck in a huge snow storm and it took me over 4 hours to go 10 miles in complete whiteout conditions. This trip did not end there as on my way home I hit white out conditions throughout my entire trip and had some of the worst roads I had ever driven on. I thank the Lord for the safe travel as for others this trip caused many issues.
While sitting in the huge traffic jam and storm on Tuesday my blog for this week came to me. No one was moving, the semis were putting their trucks in park and walking around. 4 lanes of traffic were completely stopped with no route around. You just had to wait it out, you had no choice. Well one lady was not so patient. She constantly jumped lane to lane for the next 4 hours. I never changed lanes and she was always within two cars of me even though she was determined to get out. This really got me thinking about each one of us in our lives. How we get caught up in moving quickly and not sitting down and being patient. When we get stuck in a traffic jam are we the first person to jump from lane to lane to find a way out. Have you ever thought that God may be slowing you down for a reason? It is very easy to get impatient and keep moving as their is so much going on in life and most of the time we all feel we don't have enough time in a day to get everything done.
Patience is a virtue and it is not easy to always be patient. Our society teaches us not to be patient. When you go to a fast food place and you don't have your food almost instantly you are taught to be upset. It is so easy to not sit back and take the time to relax. Life puts road blocks in front of us daily with some being bigger than others. Have you ever thought to take that time and instead of getting upset and pushy to sit back and look at the blessings you have? This time can easily be spent freaking out on a situation you cannot control or it can be a time to reflect on your relationship with God. Did you ever think maybe God wanted you to slow down?
I can tell you I am normally the person who is mad at the fast food people or trying every way around that road block but this week I realized that I couldn't change my situation. I was still antsy to get moving and get to my destination but was able to relax and focus on my relationship with God. I want to challenge each one of you this week to slow down when a "traffic jam" is put in your life and look towards him. Don't be the one who is moving lane to lane to gain nothing but use this time to gain a deeper relationship with him. Relax and have some time with God. We have a hard time getting a break from everything that is going on so when you get a break that wasn't expected use it for the best. Strengthen that relationship with your Father.
While sitting in the huge traffic jam and storm on Tuesday my blog for this week came to me. No one was moving, the semis were putting their trucks in park and walking around. 4 lanes of traffic were completely stopped with no route around. You just had to wait it out, you had no choice. Well one lady was not so patient. She constantly jumped lane to lane for the next 4 hours. I never changed lanes and she was always within two cars of me even though she was determined to get out. This really got me thinking about each one of us in our lives. How we get caught up in moving quickly and not sitting down and being patient. When we get stuck in a traffic jam are we the first person to jump from lane to lane to find a way out. Have you ever thought that God may be slowing you down for a reason? It is very easy to get impatient and keep moving as their is so much going on in life and most of the time we all feel we don't have enough time in a day to get everything done.
Patience is a virtue and it is not easy to always be patient. Our society teaches us not to be patient. When you go to a fast food place and you don't have your food almost instantly you are taught to be upset. It is so easy to not sit back and take the time to relax. Life puts road blocks in front of us daily with some being bigger than others. Have you ever thought to take that time and instead of getting upset and pushy to sit back and look at the blessings you have? This time can easily be spent freaking out on a situation you cannot control or it can be a time to reflect on your relationship with God. Did you ever think maybe God wanted you to slow down?
I can tell you I am normally the person who is mad at the fast food people or trying every way around that road block but this week I realized that I couldn't change my situation. I was still antsy to get moving and get to my destination but was able to relax and focus on my relationship with God. I want to challenge each one of you this week to slow down when a "traffic jam" is put in your life and look towards him. Don't be the one who is moving lane to lane to gain nothing but use this time to gain a deeper relationship with him. Relax and have some time with God. We have a hard time getting a break from everything that is going on so when you get a break that wasn't expected use it for the best. Strengthen that relationship with your Father.
Colossians 3:12
New International Version (NIV)
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Treating others with respect
In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the prophets.
I hope everyone has been having a good week. So much has happened for me this past week and the one item that really stuck with me is something that I experienced just the other day. Have you ever thought about how you treat others? Do you treat your friends, co workers, family, or significant other with respect? Is this respect at all times or only in particular situations?
Trust me I understand it is hard sometimes to treat other's with respect. It is hard to go against the grain with the way that the world says you should treat others. Unfortunately, I am seeing this more often than not. That disrespect pushes people to that edge where they may turn to drinking, drugs, or slip into a depression. People turn around and start to beat themselves up for the mistakes they have made in their life. They get upset at the weight they are or the situation they may be in. Have you ever turned this around and thought about how you would feel if people were treating you the way you treated others? This is very difficult to do as you get caught in the moment of people laughing a lot of the time because they don't know what else to do. Is that the person you want to be remembered as? Think about the way the world starts to view Christians. I just got done reading the new book by Kirk Cousins the quarterback of the Washington Redskins and he said it in a way that I never thought of. Here is a paraphrase of the words that he wrote. When you are a Christian you are putting on the jersey of God. Just like any sports team this jersey has the team name (Jesus, Christian, God) on the front and your last name on the back. When you look back at your day are your actions representing that name on the front in the best way possible? What about the name on the back? Are you leaving the legacy that you want?
Each one of us no matter our education, physical attributes, or family history can leave a lasting impression on thousands of people during our life. Think about the amount of people you come in contact with in one day. Do you smile at them, say hello, hold a door for them, or encourage them? Having a positive attitude and representing that name on the front could change someone's day. Maybe your smile to one person will turn into a smile for another and everything begins to multiply. It doesn't have to be anything crazy but showing others you respect them and that they are special.
I struggle with these items each and every day. I have noticed by starting my day in God and listening to Christian music throughout the day allow me to be more positive and build others up. That necessarily won't work for you but I challenge you to go out and find what will get you focused on God and respecting others. I want to challenge you this week and think about putting the jersey of Christianity on each day. Remember the name that you have on your chest with your actions throughout the day and the way to talk to others. If you see someone disrespecting another stand up and put an end to it. If we show respect to all those we meet in our lives we can make a change in this nation and truly show that Christianity is more than what people see from the outside.
1 Timothy 4:12
New International Version (NIV)
12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.
Monday, January 6, 2014
New Year
Happy New Year everyone!
So what is your resolution this year? Is it the typical hit the gym, or eat healthy? Have you already broke it? While celebrating the new year and looking forward to what 2014 would bring my way I really got thinking of the excitement which surrounds this one day a year. It all surrounds the new start, the forgetting of the past and looking forward. It truly is great to put everything in the past like the choices you made and look forward. To look at the new life and your dreams you have for yourself. But what really got me is why do we only celebrate this once a year on a specific day? Why do we choose this night to be around our best friends and not have time so many other nights?
When you look at a new year it is perfectly similar to the new life we receive from Jesus Christ. Every day is new year's eve for Christians as God clears the past and pushes us to look forward. Have you ever thought about living your life this way? The joy looking forward to what is new. If you can treat everyday with a new beginning and put new goals in front of you. Let's focus on those goals being faith goals, growing your faith, reading the bible, helping the less fortunate, or turning against your sins. Just like on New Year's eve we need to surround ourselves with other believers. Having a solid group who pushes you to know the Lord more will help you keep your resolutions. This group shouldn't be someone you see that one night a year but people that you see and talk to so often that they are family.
I challenge you this year to treat every day as a new year, as in Christ it is. Surround yourself with a good Christian group and have them hold you accountable for your resolutions. Be the person you want to be in 2014 each and every day. With the gift the Lord gave each and every one of us, each day is a new year for us. Take the happiness and joy you have looking at the new year and use this everyday in your life as a Christian.
So what is your resolution this year? Is it the typical hit the gym, or eat healthy? Have you already broke it? While celebrating the new year and looking forward to what 2014 would bring my way I really got thinking of the excitement which surrounds this one day a year. It all surrounds the new start, the forgetting of the past and looking forward. It truly is great to put everything in the past like the choices you made and look forward. To look at the new life and your dreams you have for yourself. But what really got me is why do we only celebrate this once a year on a specific day? Why do we choose this night to be around our best friends and not have time so many other nights?
When you look at a new year it is perfectly similar to the new life we receive from Jesus Christ. Every day is new year's eve for Christians as God clears the past and pushes us to look forward. Have you ever thought about living your life this way? The joy looking forward to what is new. If you can treat everyday with a new beginning and put new goals in front of you. Let's focus on those goals being faith goals, growing your faith, reading the bible, helping the less fortunate, or turning against your sins. Just like on New Year's eve we need to surround ourselves with other believers. Having a solid group who pushes you to know the Lord more will help you keep your resolutions. This group shouldn't be someone you see that one night a year but people that you see and talk to so often that they are family.
I challenge you this year to treat every day as a new year, as in Christ it is. Surround yourself with a good Christian group and have them hold you accountable for your resolutions. Be the person you want to be in 2014 each and every day. With the gift the Lord gave each and every one of us, each day is a new year for us. Take the happiness and joy you have looking at the new year and use this everyday in your life as a Christian.
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