Time to Go off Air

Well I think its that time. The  past 6 month now has been a struggle, hassle and frustration in my life to keep my blog up to date.  And as much as I enjoy having a blog and the idea of writing something that will change the way you view life…or change the way you view my life…I am going to take a sabbatical from blogging.  Not sure how long it will last or if this is retirement but I will keep the blog open just because.  In the mean time I will post occasionally on the outreach blog as the rest of the TLs are posting.

I think this weblog had a good run.  It started with a prank on my uncle…and then didnt end so well for me after that.  You went on vacation with us, and when we got Shiloh and Sophie.  You all helped me choose a banner, and I shared with you about how to be a blogging BFF (even though I didn’t always follow the rules).  OH, thanks for  making my blog one of the top 20 fastest growing blogs on wordpress (for about a week).  You made that happen by going to my site over 1200 times in one day!  With everything said and done I hope that I was able to do what I originally set out to do, and that was to help you and me to step forward < step out < step closer.

Thank you.

Dont Be Skeered

I remember when I first gave my life to Christ I gave up a lot of what I thought brought me happiness. Stereo system, turntables…my bed. I think I slept on the floor for about 6 months if not more. It was difficult at first but afterwards It felt good. It felt good to just be free of needing stuff. I like knowing that stuff does not control my life.   Paul said I have lived with and with out (I know he says it but I cant seem to find it…can anyone help me out?)…

In this time when people are afraid to lose the house, car and lifestyle they have worked so hard for, maybe its time they scaled back and gave away all that stuff they thought they needed. Sometimes I need a dramatic change in my life so I can get everything out of the way and find out what is really important in life.  If your afraid to lose a lifeless object, maybe its time to give it away before you do lose it.  In 100 years it will be gone and so will you, its really not that important.

Turning off the TV

Wow WordPress has changed…Ive been gone so long its like a brand new experiance.

I was taking a shower and thinking like I normally do…(think that is, not take a shower) and I felt the urge to fast.  Not a food fast, although I think I’m due for one any day now, but a TV fast.  I know that fasting (not watching) TV is not a true fast, its something that I should be in control of anyways.  I need a dramatic change from that routine so I can get some priorities back as priorities. It may seem easy, but really this comes at a crazy time.  Jack Bauer is about to kick some terrorist butt (after taking a year off!), the people of  Lost will be trying to get lost again, and all the other shows are going to start finishing their seasons.  :/ Not sure how long this is going to last.  It could be until Thursday or it could be a month or many months…we will see.

I made  a list of what I want to see happen while the TV is turned off.  One of them is to blog…so you should be seeing me on here again.  Ok here we go…

A New Day

WOW.  This really is a historic time.  To have a biracial president elect is a huge deal.  I’m sure there are still people out there that are racially motivated and do not want to see Obama as our next president just because he is half black.  I didn’t vote for him because I don’t agree with him on some major issues, but I do hope that he will lead us well and bring this country back together so we can get some of that good old American pride circulating in our blood again.

I got an email from Cindy Rice today talking about our God given duty to pray for the people in leadership.  I though I would share the prayer that she sent.  This prayer is from the “Prayers that Avail Much” book and is a prayer I will pray if I agree, disagree, like or dislike the leader.  I’m not afraid of the future because no matter what happens nothing can separate me from the love of God (Romans 8:31-39).

PRAY:

Father, in Jesus’ name, we give thanks for the United States and its government.  We hold up in prayer before You the men and women who are in positions of authority.  We pray and intercede for the president, the representatives, the senators, the judges of our land, the policemen and the policewomen, as well as the governors and mayors, and for all those who are in authority over us in any way.  We pray that the Spirit of the Lord rests upon them.

We believe that skillful and godly wisdom has entered into the heart of our president and knowledge is pleasant to him.  Discretion watches over him; understanding keeps him and delivers him from the way of evil and from evil men.

Father, we ask that You compass the president about with men and women who make their hearts and ears attentive to godly counsel and do that which is right in Your sight.  We believe You cause them to be men and women of integrity who are obedient concerning us that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.  We pray the upright shall dwell in our government – that men and women blameless and complete in Your sight, Father, shall remain in these positions of authority, but the wicked shall be cut off from our government and the treacherous shall be rooted out of it.

Your Word declares that “blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (ps. 33:12).  We receive Your blessing, Father; You are our Refuge and Stronghold in times of trouble (high cost, destitution, and desperation). So we declare with our mouths that Your people dwell safely in this land, and we prosper abundantly.  We are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus!

It is written in Your Word that the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord and that You turn it whichever way You desire.  We believe the heart of our leader is in Your hand and that his decisions are divinely directed of the Lord.

We give thanks unto You that the good news of the Gospel is published in our land.  The Word of the Lord prevails and grows mightily in the hearts and lives of the people.  We give thanks for this land the leaders You have given to us, in Jesus Name.  Amen.

Mens Breakfast

Ok so I didnt lie to you by saying that I was going to teach the men’s breakfast.  I was, but pastor had a message that needed to be taught.  He spoke on having character.  The basic definition of character is moral excel lance.  Maybe you have heard this statement before and maybe you ha vent…but it must be said because it is very true…Never let your giftings take you where your character can’t keep you.  I knew someone who could lead praise and worship like no other…it was just natural for him.  However he did not have moral excellence.  His worship did not reflect his life.  He let his giftings take him farther than his character could keep him.  As a result, he took people with him as he fell.

But enough about other people lets talk about me.  One statement that Pastor made during the breakfast really hit home for me.  He said “do you want to know how to have your wife trust you and know that you are a man of character?  Your (my) standard of moral excellance has to be higher than hers.  Take movies for instance, there have been times where she has not wanted to watch a movie for whatever reason.  It just made her feel uncomfortable.  So then I would try to justify why its OK.  Even though while I was justifying it I knew she was right.   I imagine that each time I justify something that is morally wrong in her eyes, I lose some character points.  I am here to protect her and to see her grow, I have to give her something to look to.

It was great you should have been there.  Pastor is finishing this message next breakfast.  It will not be until the beginning of the year until I finish the envision post.  It will fit better then, being the beginning of the year and all.

How to Envision Yourself

I’m teaching at the men’s breakfast tomorrow morning and I am finishing up with my outline.  I thought I would take a break and give a sneak peak as to what I am teaching.

How to envision yourself.  We go through life either not knowing who we are and what we can do, someone tells us who we are and what we can do or we search Gods heart for us and find out who we were created to be.  Early on in my new life with Christ I realized that there was a lot of false truths circulating around in my head about who I thought I was.  I believed a lot about myself that really wasn’t me.  The way I saw myself was not the way God saw me.  I’m glad i took time to envision myself.

So how are you supposed to envision yourself?  If you are a man come to the men’s breakfast.  If you are a brave woman, dress as a man and come to men’s breakfast…or just wait until I post about this again.

Speaking of men’s breakfast…I am curious to know how many men and women read my blog…cast your vote below.

Just the Begining

A couple months ago I was asked if I was interested in being on the leadership council for Raleigh’s 10 year plan to end homelessness.  I have to say that I was honored that they even considered me.  The truth is its not me that got their attention in the first place…it was everyone at Living Word.  From the moment that you gave yourself away last Christmas by remodeling the woman’s shelter and giving to the Wake Forest firefighters, through this year of continuing to support the Helen Wright Center, Urban Ministries and the Support Circle Program, community leaders were impressed at the level of sacrifice we all gave to our community.  Part of the vision of Living Word is to gain favor in the community.  When this happens people see God for who he truly is and not what their misconceptions tell them.  People find hope in the church as a whole, which opens their heart back to God and He saves their lives.

All this happened because you picked up a paint brush, or made a sandwich, or gave a box of food, or gave your money, or prayed, or taught someone how to budget.  It reminds me of a quote by Dwight L. Moody

There are many of us that are willing to do great things for the Lord, but few of us are willing to do little things.

If you do your part, no matter how small it seems, great things will happen because of it.

This is just the beginning.

 

Looks Its Real

The New Opiate for the Masses

This election is out of control.  Both sides have me asking, “is there a third side?”  I know there is but I have not heard one word about anyone else.  With all the media and user commentaries like mine you can get lost in the sea of propaganda.  If you watch to many youtube videos or watch a specific network you can get all the facts you want about why the other person is wrong and a communist.  Somewhere in my learning growing up I was taught to look at both sides.  But as I’m looking and hearing I don’t think there are two sides.  One thing that the Republicans and Democrats are good at, is getting people to choose one side or the other, but that’s the only choice.  Is it about money, power, greed, control?  Is the government so out of control, that everyone is in it for themselves, or are they really for us, and have our best interests in mind.  Is the Government just a little corrupt and I’m blowing up all the negative?  Was I trained to not trust either side because all you see is slander from both sides?  Are we easier to control if we are on one side or the other?  Is choosing a political side the new opiate of the masses?

Colorless

I just stepped out of worship this morning and was blown away by our team…no really it was our church.  Obviously the music was outstanding, the songs they sang were filled with so much life and peace that I wanted to stay in that moment forever.  But what really got me thinking and worshiping was what I saw.  If you looked at the people on the stage, you could not tell what the dominate ethnic group is at our church.  You just see a colorless group worshiping together.  The people on the stage is a representation of our church.  Its not just the stage that is colorless, but in our church you cant see the lines either.  We haven’t tried to do this it just happens when we can all focus on one thing…our devotion to Christ.  When we offer our lives to God and all of our mistakes and failures and issues and sin are taken away from us, we can forget about our past and start over…we can start over.  ”In your freedom I will live.  I offer devotion.”

Thanks for being colorless.

Laugh Your Way

Tonight Jenn and I went to the first half of the Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage seminar.  And we really are lauging our way.  I about lost it when he was talking about the “guy flicks” and the “girl flicks”.  It’s almost as if he filmed our last movie experience. Excellent teaching from Mark Gungor!

One of the truths that I came away with was, you have to give in order to get. You have to always be looking out to give the other person what they want before you can expect to get what you want.  Its great how God set it up.  You have to prefer each other, and serve each other for the relationship to work.  Not, if you do something for me I will do something for you.  We should always be in a race to see who can give first.

P.S. Ladies, sometimes you do have to steer us in the right direction by “encouraging” / “bribing” us to do what you want.  Because sometimes ladies…we just dont care.