Are You Nuts?

I don’t know about you, but when life gets hard I never really think of it as a good thing. Often I find myself wondering what I did to deserve the storm I am about to face. Have you ever thought that the stuff that you are about to go through might be thrown your way to because it’s good for you? This passage that I was reading tonight suggests just that.

James 1:2-4
²Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

I lost a job in June that was paying me pretty well. It allowed us to purchase a house, and things were looking pretty good. I fell into a comfortable groove thinking that all would be settling this way for a while. Then it happened. We had an incident happen at the restaurant that really wasn’t in my control; however, since I was the manager on the floor it became my responsibility. The owner decided to make an example of someone, and I was let go. I was frustrated and didn’t know what was going to happen next, but it seems now that God had a plan. Financially we aren’t where we were, but I think God is preparing other things for my family and I. Right now, I am simply trusting that God will work all things out.

The fact is, this could have been something that made me butter. Don’t get me wrong – I was ticked, but I think that this may have been a test to see if I would let it get me thrown off the path of where God wanted me. In my mind it is almost a compliment sent by God. I know that He wouldn’t allow anything I couldn’t endure to happen to me. With this being said this means He knew I could get through this. If God wasn’t moving in my life there would be no challenges. I’d be stuck fighting the same thing until I beat it with God’s help, or it beat me.

I want to leave a few passages with you to look over to help make sense of some of this.

1 Corinthians 10:13
¹³No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Philippians 1:6
⁶being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Just think of your life as a piece if pottery being molded and shaped over time. Each opportunity you have to overcome a rough patch or challenge in your life adds to the beauty of the creation. You have to decide how pliable you are going to allow yourself to be.

I have gone through struggles in life. Lately if I encounter new ones that is always an opportunity to add a facet to the repertoire God is trying to create in me. I would never think of praying for God to bring them on, but I will ask Him for the strength to endure. With God in my life all things are possible.

When the storm comes know that God has already planned for you to get through it. It’s up to you to trust Him for the way through. I was always relieved when a teacher in school would tell me the test I was about to take was “open book”; the cool thing about your Creator also gives us these types of tests.

Open your Book this week; He has given you the answers.

the lunatic

Action Against Distraction

Image via Wikipedia

I was reading one of my favorite verses tonight. I am sure I have mentioned it before in a past posting. I was brought back to this passage tonight by an old posting by Ron Hutchcraft regarding distraction. I try to read in several versions of the Bible occasionally to grasp different nuances. Biblegateway.com is a great tool for study because it give me an opportunity to look at Scripture in several different translations. Tonight I looked at this passage in The Message and this passage seemed new to me.

Hebrews 12:1-3 (The Message)
^1-3Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!

I was watching a Swimming Championship a few months back and was amazed at some of the suits that swimmers are using today. Swimmers move through the water faster. Track suits develop each year as well and you never know what a runner will be wearing to make them faster. It’s all about shaving that extra second off of your time to surpass your competition. One kid who was in my youth group many years back wore strength shoes to improve his hops on the basketball court. That white boy could jump.The technology today that is at work to improve ones game is fascinating, and has become so defined. I find it amazing.

So many of us have devoted our lives to being the best at something. We focus on our careers, lifestyles, hobbies, and look for the things that will make us better at them. We can sometimes get ourselves so tuned into that we stop hearing the real signal that guides our lives. I am probably the worst person to talk about this due to the fact that I am totally to blame for this behavior as well. As Christ-followers we are called to do what is patterned for us and focus on that with everything we have in us. As I mentioned in my last blog post I believe that Satan use our passions against us to distract us from what matters often to the point that we fight for those desires harder than we do our Christianity.

I was playing a game on Facebook called Mafia Wars. It had become a habitual thing for me. I was moving along very nicely and was hip deep in advancing through the ranks. It was becoming a big issue but I didn’t see it. I am glad that my wife did. She had some great insight and all I could see was that I was about to lose something I had spent so much time doing. Then it dawned on me once I cooled off that this was exactly the issue. I wish I had acted differently when my wife discussed it with me, but I didn’t. See how Satan works? The cool thing is now I am using that time that I would have normally used for that silly game to write tonight.

What is it that is keeping you from focusing on your Creator? Is there a passion that pulls you off course. Look for those things this week. Even better, ask someone else you trust if they see anything in your life that holds you back, and be willing to listen to them. It may be the greatest thing you ever did.

Run for the prize and don’t look back.

the lunatic

Pick Your Battles

I am just going to preface this whole post by saying that some of you may not agree with some of what I am saying. All I can say is it was given to me, and I am compelled to write it down. So here goes.  It was said best by a person this week as she was speaking to kids at the River. Some say that if we don’t do what God is calling us to do He will choose someone else. If this were true the world wouldn’t be broken. What I do here isn’t a big part of what God wants for all of us in our lives, but it helps you to think a little than I have done what I feel God put me here to do. Mindy, thanks for helping God stir my heart this week.

I am hearing a lot of talk about the condition of our families, and our country, and our world. I hear lately some squalling about the Tea Party demonstrations and water on the moon. I am guilty of worrying about whether or not my Fantasy Football team is going to win, or if any of my favorite teams are going to win championships. When you think about these things, in the grand scheme of life they are all going to go poof when it all goes down. Cockroaches and Twinkies may be the only thing left when the world comes to an end, but Fantasy Football, The Chicago Cubs, the Moon’s water, and Tea Party demonstrations will not save us. I am pointing at myself when I say this, if you are not showing someone who Jesus Christ is in what you are doing when you are rallying the masses with your fifteen minutes of fame then you have missed the boat.

Philippians 4:1-9 (NIV)
¹Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!

2I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. ³Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

⁴Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

What fires you up? Do you get bent out of shape with the way the President is directing the Country? This is alright because God can save the world with or without a United States that moves in the direction you think it should.  You do know that there is nowhere in the Bible that mentions the United States finishes as a sovereign place of God’s people. I love America; I am saying there is a point where Satan can use that whole argument to take my eyes off of who is in control of my life. Is the economy messing with your life? I can assure you, if your focus is on God at some point He will deliver you from that storm. Water on the moon will not quench the thirst of one who is parched spiritually. As much as I hate to say it, if my fantasy football team does come from behind to win this year if the folks playing with me don’t know who Jesus is I have dropped the ball entirely.

Ephesians 6:11-13
¹¹Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹²For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Do you ever wonder if arguments over government, race, special interests, and even religion are tools that Satan uses to keep us off the real matter at hand? If he has us focused on the things that eat us up in ordinary life we can’t be totally focused on seeing how we might be able to reach someone who needs God. Sometimes we get so set on finding out what is broken we neglect seeing the neighbor across the street who  may need to know they’re life can be better if they know the freedom Jesus Christ can give.

What are you fighting about? What are you living for? In our lives we can’t always count on someone else to do the right thing; we need to pick our battles and focus on the things that really matter. In our church, several months ago, we were challenged to take inventory of what we spent our money on to see where it goes. This way we could see whet things we focused on and whether or not that was healthy spending. I want to challenge you to look at your daily practices and see what you focus on. Are you putting your energy and time into things that really matter?

This hit me hard this week; I am sorry if it offends anyone.

Thanks for reading.

the lunatic

Breaking Up is Hard To Do

You hear a lot of stories about women or men who stay in abusive relationships regardless of how damaging that can be to their well-being.  People make fun of others because they have crazy habits they won’t give up. I had a friend in college (he is still a friend, and that is why his name will not be mentioned) that used to take pictures of his books at the end of a semester so that when he moved back into the dorm they could go in the same place the following year. Great guy, smart as a whip; just a little quirky. I am no stranger to habits I just haven’t seemed to kick. I drink too much soda and I can’t quit chewing on my nails. I don’t see soda falling off the radar soon, but the nails thing – that can go away anytime and I would be okay with it.

Why don’t people break habits? Why do people do destructive things or let crazy stuff happen to them? The answer to that is generally the same as to why people allow themselves to stay spiritually sick. It is not easy to quit; it’s easier to stay the course. Honestly, who likes life to be difficult; even if it is only for a while? It is said that once you repeat a pattern 21 times it pretty much becomes a habit; then once it becomes a steady part of your life you may very well be stuck with it. As I have stated before in other posts, practice doesn’t make perfect – practice makes permanent.

The writers of the Bible totally have this pinned when you read about giving up something that is not all that good for you. Let’s look and see what some of these verses have in common.

²⁵Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ²⁶Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. ²⁷No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:25-27 (NIV)

²¹So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²²For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; ²³but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. Romans 7:21-23 (NIV)

¹Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

Did you notice words like strict training, beating your body, run with perseverance? All of these items describe a struggle, and training. You cannot kick a habit, hurt, or hangup, without there being some form of resistance. In today’s world it is far too easy to choose the path of least resistance. That’s why the Bible writers relate choosing the Christian lifestyle as a race, or a fight; you cannot be really good at a sport of any kind without pushing yourself there. Changing habits is not pictured as a stroll through the garden. You have to struggle some to get to where you need to be when you want to be spiritually  whole. Frankly, kicking any habit takes a lot of struggle. This is why so many people stick with smoking or nail biting – it’s just simpler. People often are heard telling others that they stay in their abusive relationship because they know what to expect; these people are paralyzed by the idea of change.

What is the answer? The answer pretty much depends on each individual. You have to want to make the change happen for yourself. Changing because others want you to just doesn’t work in the long haul. However, personal experience tells me that conquering these things builds your confidence, and character. I love watching the end stories of “The Biggest Loser“. Some of these people who didn’t make it to the end are even more inspirational because they continued their discipline away from the collective group. I am amazed by their stories.

The cool thing that I love about being a Christian is talked about in Hebrews 12. We have the “Cloud of Witnesses” surrounding us. The Bible is full of accounts of people who have struggled and won. This gives me a charge. We also have a coach, Jesus Christ, who has dealt with struggles like we have and got through them without falling in the challenge. That is amazing. It’s nice to have someone teaching me to run that has already had success in the sport.

The question has little to do with wondering if you can do it; ot os much more an issue of how much you want it. I want to stop chewing on my nails like an anxious squirrel, but it seems I haven’t really focused on doing so. I will say that God is bringing me through some huge hang ups that don’t have me so hung up as they used to. I have had a good coach, but I have also surrounded myself with others who have fought and are winning their daily battles. These people have lots of heart; when they are knocked down they get back up. I want those people in my corner when I am fighting.

When I get up each morning I have to make decisions as to how I want to live my day, and I need to take steps to get to that point. How does your routine when you get up affect your day? Are you stretched and ready to run that race? Think about it as you get up tomorrow; put a card in your bathroom mirror to remind you of your goal for the day.They say, “No pain – No gain.” I will have to say this time they are right.

Anything good is worth fighting for. What are you fighting for?

the lunatic

Who do you run to?

Image by laurenmarek via Flickr

I want to go on record as saying I am really proud of my wife these days. I am proud of the growth I have seen in her. I love seeing what God is doing in her life. On more than one occasion lately the rug of security has been pulled out from under us, and money has been kind of tight. I am loving my job, but I would love a night job to help out with that; it’s not happened as of yet. With all of this being said my wife could be really stressed out right now, but all in all she has been solid. She really gets what I am writing about tonight, and I couldn’t think of a better example right now than Catie.

I was reading Luke 8 tonight and saw some amazing stuff. If you read the chapter you’ll notice that Jesus had a pretty exciting stretch where action was happening all around them, and the people were all buzzing about Jesus and the things that were happening. It is storming tonight, and I was walking our new dog. He heard thunder and absolutely came unglued. Some of this made me think of the frantic experience the disciples had in the following passage.

Luke 8:22-25 (NIV)
²²One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. ²³As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

²⁴The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. ²⁵“Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.
In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

Can you imagine the fear these guys must have been facing? It would have had to be a serious storm to get some of these guys riled up. Think about it, some of these fellas were very comfortable in a boat and I am certain they have seen some rough water. They were so afraid they had to drop the “I am a man and I can do this on my own” attitude and ask for help, but when they did they woke up the right guy to take care of it. They had seen and heard amazing things that day and they obviously still had it fresh in their mind. Now, imagine what they thought when the water just went silent and leveled out. I think Luke could have made a little bigger deal out of this situation when he wrote about it. Crammed in that short passage is an amazing story. What a story to tell to your family!

Who do you run to when it gets rough? What is it that you cling to when stuff is falling apart? I will find a job if that is what God wants for me. If He can raise the dead, and calm the sea, and cast demons out of people, my families needs will be met. I will have to be honest and say part of why I write is to reassure myself. If that seems self serving – live with it. If I write the stuff, and put it out there it is one more reason for me to feel God’s power. I mean, how dumb do I look if I let all of this consume me now? I am stubborn enough to stand by something I put in writing (at least I am much better at that these days).

I hope that you have somewhere to run when the lightning and thunder break through the sky. Our dog, Lou, lays right beside me now while I write this. I can’t stop the rain, but I am the safest thing he knows right now. That is pretty cool. While the storms rage I want with everything in me to cling to God. He is the only one big enough to handle my stuff; when I try, I screw it all up.

I hope you will run to Him – He’s got a rock solid track record, and a really big book full of references. Plus, He created you. There is no one else that knows how to care for you like He does. Hang on to Him when the thunder rolls, and the lightning strikes.

Thanks for reading my ramblings.

the lunatic

Heads Up!

It’s been one of those months. I lost a job a couple of weeks ago I really liked. I had made a mistake when I was busy. I should have asked for more help, but I didn’t. It was one of those times where I wished I could have done the night over again. I can’t, and so now I am looking for another night gig. My job during the day is great, but it’s predominately commission, and that doesn’t always put a lot of money at the end of the month. I owe, which makes me anxious. I am supposed to be the hunter and the gatherer, but right now it seems more like foraging. I am frustrated.

I heard someone talking about a prospective candidate for their company. This person was excited that he was coming to interview with their company. “He’d be an asset to the company.” my friend said. Man, just one time I wish someone would say that about me. Stupid depression.

Psalm 3

A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.

¹ O LORD, how many are my foes!
How many rise up against me!

² Many are saying of me,
“God will not deliver him.”
Selah

³ But you are a shield around me, O LORD;
you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.

⁴ To the LORD I cry aloud,
and he answers me from his holy hill.
Selah

⁵ I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.

⁶ I will not fear the tens of thousands
drawn up against me on every side.

⁷ Arise, O LORD!
Deliver me, O my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
break the teeth of the wicked.

⁸ From the LORD comes deliverance.
May your blessing be on your people.
Selah

(Selah – A Hebrew term that is unclear, but seems to reflect a pause and time for connection)

Sometimes I just don’t understand how David can do it. It’s all coming down on him, and he looks up and praises God. I have said it before and I will surely say it again – David is my hero. In the eyes of the world when he was a kid no one, not even his parents, really gave him a chance to amount to something. King David became a great leader. He certainly made his mistakes, but in the end he became a man that God loved dearly.

As much as I am frustrated right now my God has plans to do something with me. Regardless of how depressed I am I am a big deal in His eyes. He promises that He would take care of me and my family; I may not see it now, but the time will come (maybe in heaven) that I will feel successful. What I feel isn’t the end, what I am in His eyes is everything.

I don’t know what is going on in your life, but I do know God does. Maybe this seems overly simplistic, but wouldn’t it be nice for something to be simple for a change? I want so much to be a success, but I will never truly see that happen unless I keep looking up. What in your life is holding your head down? Force yourself to look up this week. You’ll be glad you did.

the lunatic

Glass Houses

In our lives we are often faced with the decision of how to react to situations. As children we are confronted with issues that can have consequences. A child who grabs a cookie without mom knowing it can get immediate gratification, but at some point runs the risk of the potential circumstances that follow. A child who reaches up and grabs a handle on a pan of boiling water faces the effect of what could occur as well. Both situations can provoke different end results; one has the potential to be life threatening. As we grow up we find that when we are faced with similar issues we have to decide how we will react. We make choices everyday based on what we experience and what we have previously encountered. Decisions made in your life can affect the lives of others and then ultimately we all have to make choices.

Today, a person I know was faced with having to deal with decisions he had made in the past. With this, many other people were faced with decisions as well. Kanakuk Kamps is an organization the my family and I have known and been involved with for many years. My son Brock has attended and we have been involved in it’s ministry to children and families for quite awhile. Many people are reacting to allegations made regarding this man and his behavior with some of the kids. Many years back I think I may have reacted differently to this situation, and I am pretty sure a lot of families are seeing red with the whole prospect.

John 8:1-11 (The Message)
^1-2 Jesus went across to Mount Olives, but he was soon back in the Temple again. Swarms of people came to him. He sat down and taught them. ^3-6The religion scholars and Pharisees led in a woman who had been caught in an act of adultery. They stood her in plain sight of everyone and said, “Teacher, this woman was caught red-handed in the act of adultery. Moses, in the Law, gives orders to stone such persons. What do you say?” They were trying to trap him into saying something incriminating so they could bring charges against him.

^6-8Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger in the dirt. They kept at him, badgering him. He straightened up and said, “The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone.” Bending down again, he wrote some more in the dirt.

^9-10Hearing that, they walked away, one after another, beginning with the oldest. The woman was left alone. Jesus stood up and spoke to her. “Woman, where are they? Does no one condemn you?”

¹¹“No one, Master.”

“Neither do I,” said Jesus. “Go on your way. From now on, don’t sin.”

There must have been something similar in the minds of some religious leaders when they decided to drag a women into the open view of a crowd that was sitting to listen to Jesus that day. People ready to look for a way to not only embarrass this woman but find a way to accuse this Teacher and find reason to further persue His prosecution. As the crowd persisted in badgering Jesus  He finally got up and spoke His mind. One by one people all cleared except for the one accused and the only one capable of judging her. I look at His reaction and marvel at His wisdom in the reaction He gave. He said, “I don’t accuse you. Stop what you are doing.”

I have had times in my life where I have probably been treated very mildly in light of what I had done. I wish I could say that I have stopped making bad choices. I do know that my experiences in life have made it hard for me to make a snap judgment with something that happens in the life of someone else. I also find that I am not the One who makes the life decisions, but when I do make a decision I wish I could mirror the reaction Jesus gave this woman caught in adultery. I am not blameless and I have no right to condemn anyone but the One who is has treated me more than fairly.

What I do want to say is that I love Kanakuk. I love what they stand for and I love what they have done in my son’s life. His life in turn has affected our lives. I know he will want to go back next year and I am certain that my wife and I will be happy to support him. I know that if God allows we will continue to support Kanakuk’s ministry because they are amazing. I love what God has done with Joe White and the Kanakuk family. I also know fully that whenever something good happens Satan tries to get his hooks into it. In some ways I think we can take solice when Satan attacks – it means something very right is happening and He wants it to stop.

People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. This phrase rings out in my head often, and even more so today. I am so happy that I don’t have to sit in judgment in situations of this nature; I am really not cut out for that. I do know that I can’t judge anyone because I am not free to stand in judgment. I cannot throw rocks when I am guilty of too many things to count. I also know that I am thankful to my God for forgiving me of the things I am guilty of. My heart goes out to everyone at Kanakuk and their families. My prayers are with families who have kids that have gone to the camp. I want them all to have the amazing memories my son has had.He is a testament of what God can do for an open heart.

This week as you are faced with tough decisions please consider all of the facets that may be involved. How can what you do affect your life and the lives of others? How can your example through adversity help someone else? Where is your source of strength in a tough situation?

Don’t start tossing rocks when you may be just as worthy a target. It’s amazing at how that can come back to haunt you.

the lunatic

What now!?

Have you ever gone through a time in your life when you felt things were starting to level out, and all of a sudden something happens and you feel like you were hit with a ton of bricks? It’s been one of those days. Not just for me. I was walking home tonight and as I was heading down my hill I saw ambulances and a lot of people standing around. I watched and it looked as if there was an accident. I got closer and saw that there was a car turned over in the ditch. Suddenly, for a while my situation was put in perspective.

Nonetheless, it seemed like situations hit me tonight that just came out of nowhere. Frustration, fear, concern, and a little anger welled up inside of me all at one time. As I have gone through the night knowing there is really nothing else I can do about the situation the feelings start to subside a bit. The cool thing is as I sit and listen a little things happen – awesome things. I am so glad, in nights like these, that God has given me a good memory. Here’s what seems to pour out like a waterfall right now.

Philippians 4:10-13
¹⁰I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. ¹¹I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹²I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:19
¹⁹And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Luke 12:6-7
⁶Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. ⁷Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

In addition to that, I have a sister in law that seemed to know what I needed to hear. She is a great encourager. My wife, obviously frustrated, just let Satan have it. It’s cool to see that side of her. If you didn’t know my wife before, you just can’t appreciate what God is doing in her life like I can. She is really awesome.

My kids are in AWANA and they are memorizing Scripture. I am so glad that my wife takes the time to have them work on that. They are going to have days like today as well, and the wisdom they take in now will pay off later.

Anyway, it seems like I am going to live to fight another day. I may need to make some changes in where I work at night, but God will work all of that out.

They say “Whatever doesn’t kill you will make you stronger.” I guess with that being said I am toning up yet again.

Surround yourself with people, and good teaching. This is the wrong time to let the circumstances swallow you up. I would know. It used to be my main defense tool.

My God will supply all my needs. This is a promise. Therefore I will bank on it.

the lunatic

It is enough, isn’t it?

Image via Wikipedia

This is one of those times I am writing because I may need this more than anyone else. That’s not an excuse to stop reading; by the way.

Psalms 103:6-18 (The Message)

^6-18 God makes everything come out right;
he puts victims back on their feet.
He showed Moses how he went about his work,
opened up his plans to all Israel.
God is sheer mercy and grace;
not easily angered, he’s rich in love.
He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold,
nor hold grudges forever.
He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve,
nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.
As high as heaven is over the earth,
so strong is his love to those who fear him.
And as far as sunrise is from sunset,
he has separated us from our sins.
As parents feel for their children,
God feels for those who fear him.
He knows us inside and out,
keeps in mind that we’re made of mud.
Men and women don’t live very long;
like wildflowers they spring up and blossom,
But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly,
leaving nothing to show they were here.
God’s love, though, is ever and always,
eternally present to all who fear him,
Making everything right for them and their children
as they follow his Covenant ways
and remember to do whatever he said.

Those of you who have read my posts in the past know some of the history of what I have experienced. Many of you who know me know that I have sunk pretty deep in the muck of destruction. I watch the occasional space movie and I liken much of my recent life to an astronaut who is on a spacewalk. It always seems that one guy is working on something and isn’t paying attention to all that is going on around him; when all of a sudden, the tether fixing him to the spacecraft breaks. Floating off into space helpless flailing but drifting out of control; without the heroic efforts of someone else that astronaut is lost. In my life God found a way to rescue me from drifting helplessly into the void. He has put some good friends in my life that love me for who I am but help me see the danger before it becomes perilous.

It took several people to show me how much my God wanted to forgive me (it seems I am to dense to get some things the first time). The passage above means a whole lot to me. I have a God in my life who has taken the things I have done against Him and tossed them as far from me as I could ever imagine. I know in my heart that He has forgiven me. I love that feeling of grace, and I wish I could bask in it forever. Someday I will, but life just isn’t that easy.  It has a flip-side.

Do you ever get the feeling sometimes that people think they need to assist in God’s work by nudging you ever so gently back to reality? You know that in many ways they probably have the right – maybe. Sometimes good people get hurt and in some cases trust never seems to return. I was often told, “Character is what you get when you don’t get what you want.”  Sometimes I think I have developed so much character I could be animated and starring in the next Pixar film.

What do you do with that? Use that as an excuse to jump back into the void? Can you close those people out of your life? Do you confront them? I can say, that for me I try to go back to Psalms. I listen to the words of David who truly is a hero to me. You have to understand – this guy screwed up. I mean really, screwed up. After all is said and done he is considered a man after God’s own heart. I want some of that feeling. Junk happened all around this guy. He dealt with family struggles and people trying to kill him; ultimately he would wind up praising God and prospering for it.

The fact that God loves you can be enough depending on where your heart is set. Life is going to get crappy and people are going to be mad at you because you may have messed them over. I haven’t figured out how to walk that line yet but I can honestly say with God’s help I will die trying. I am not going to get everything I want on earth, but I can keep praying for those people, and hope that at some point they see that God is working in me. Rely on His timing, because no one else close to you has the ability to rise from the dead and save your eternal life. Rewards is coming, just hang in there, God will make sure you have all you need on this earth to make it through if you keep an eye out for Him.

Take it from a guy who could use some help in the focus department… Ok, a lot of help.

Thanks for reading

the lunatic

What are you lookin’ at?

Image via Wikipedia

This is one of those posts you are going to have to bare with me through the end. I am not totally sure this will make sense to everyone; if it does to anyone then it was put into my head for a reason.

⁴Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. – Philippians 4:4-9 (NIV)

Many of you who have known me the last few years know that I have declared some areas in my life unmanageable and without God’s help I would be powerless to such things. I had put my focus in the wrong place and allowed my mind to wander places that I should have guarded them from. Here’s the kicker – it wasn’t my responsibility to defend my heart in the first place. I was putting the cart before the horse. For almost two years I avoided the things I have been addicted to. Just recently dealt with a relapse of sorts that caused me to break down some of what I was still doing wrong, and what I needed God to take from me so it wouldn’t be back again.

I recently took a look at this passage and I am finding that some things here for me were out of alignment. Recently, I have gotten the opportunity to get back involved in the industry I love which is also a potential hotbed for the addiction I suffer. I felt that I needed to put a series of things in place to protect myself from the things that tripped me up to begin with. I was going to guard my heart from the areas that would cause me and my family pain. It seemed the more I focused on such traps the more I seemed to dwell on them. It brought back a famous line from “Top Gun” that sticks in my mind from time to time. Goose says after they had let their egos control their behavior, “We regret to inform you that your sons are dead because they were stupid.” The more I focused on keeping my guard up the more I let myself get tangled up in the very things I wanted to avoid.

You see, if you look at the passage you will see that your job is to focus on the Giver of such protection. Rejoice in, communicate with, and focus on Him and the rest will happen as a promise He makes to us. It is said that if you want to learn to recognize counterfeit currency you need to focus most of your energy on what real currency looks like. If you know the real thing backwards and forwards you will know anything that doesn’t look like the genuine. The same is true about knowing how to do what’s right in your life. If you study the source in which you are supposed to follow you will know when the wrong thing for your life is right before your eyes.

The old song I learned in Sunday School as I very little child “Oh be careful little eyes what you see” was catchy, but I am not sure that I understood it until just recently. What I should see is the fact that my Father up above is looking down in love, but all to often I was looking around for the things I didn’t want to be involved in. I have to set my sight on Him daily or I will lose sight of all of the things that are important to my life.

I am afraid to some this is going to sound over simplistic, but I am also of the belief that Satan wants us to think Christianity is too difficult so we will get weary and give up. The more I live, the more I am finding gets simpler. Sometimes I wonder why I try to make this all so hard.

Here’s to a simple life… and very clear, simple truth…

the lunatic