The Best Worst New Years Eve Party Ever

A couple years ago I was reminded of my worst and best New Years Eve party ever.  I was at the local gas station when I overheard a couple of people talking about their New Year’s party.  The statement that stuck with me was when I heard the girl say “It was the best party ever.  Everyone was drunk, nobody remembers anything, people were passed out all over the place and there was puke everywhere.”  Then the guy responded “that’s sounds so awesome, I wish I could have been there.” 

I was stunned, how mentally blind where these people?  Everyone was drunk, nobody remembers anything, people passed out all over the place, and puke was everywhere.  Where was the awesomeness in this?  Then I had a flash back, there was a time when I was that stupid as well.  How right the bible is when it speaks of drunkenness and debauchery. 

New Years Eve 1990, that was the worst and best party ever.  It was that year that I was the one who thought drunkenness, lack of memory, being passed out and having puked everywhere made an awesome party.  I don’t want to share details, but I drank so much alcohol it was the worst party ever.  It was far worse than being passed out and puking everywhere. 

It was the best party ever, not because of the stupid, foolish, and ignorant events of that night, but because of what happened as a result.  Carri was so angry with me; she was done with our relationship.  New Year’s Day she laid it on the line.  Carri gave me this ultimatum, “It is either me or the alcohol, and you can’t have both.” 

God did something inside of me that day.  I didn’t know Christ as my personal savior yet, but God spoke to me none the less.  I was so convicted; the debauchery that alcohol causes made me sick.  I’m not talking about the hangover; I’m talking about the stupid, ignorant, and foolish choices and actions that drunkenness leads to. 

New Years day 1991 was the day that I became sober.  I prayed that day and asked God to take the addiction away.  I did not know who exactly God was at this point in my life, but in my heart I was asking the one true God to help me.  Immediately, the cravings for alcohol were replaced with sickness.  The thought of alcohol literally made me sick.  The smell of alcohol made me gag.  Being around the consumption of alcohol made me angry.  To this day those same feelings remain.

 I completely believe with all my heart that God took away my addiction that day.  So tonight, not only will I celebrate a new year, I will celebrate 22 years of being sober.  Twenty two years of no longer living a life defined by the debaucheries of alcohol.  Over two decades of no longer being a slave to alcohol.   I am proud to say that Jesus Christ is my savior and Lord over my life.  The Holy Spirit permeates my soul.  Te cool thing about Christ, is that He will free you from the bondage of all sin and addiction.

This is our puppy after a rough day!

Ephesians 5:18

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. 

Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

John 8:32 

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

May my life be the proof and evidence of His love!

Remember or Forget

How many people can remember what their pastor preached on last Sunday? Or can you remember what your Sunday school lesson was about? How about all I the promises you have made? What about the last time you read our bible, do you remember what you read? If you can not remember that which is meant to better your life then what is the point? Make a purposeful effort to remember what you hear in word, worship, and the way from this point forward. In doing so, you won't be who you were the day before, you will be more like what Christ has called you to be. Forgetting makes you no more than a hypocrite.

James 1:22-24
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

Praise You In The Storm

When my oldest daughter was about 4, she and I were traveling to the airport to pick up her grandpa. I was driving a Plymouth voyager minivan. The kind that had the very low aerodynamic front end. The weather was really bad with rain and high winds, visibility was horrible. Kenzie was crying and kept saying "I'm scarred we are going to die." She was visibly afraid as she was crying and shaking in her car seat. I could see the fear in her eyes.

I remember trying to calm her down and assure her that we would be ok. the further we drove the more afraid she became. finally, I said to her: "lets pray that God will watch over us and protect us from the storm." Kenzie said "ok, pray the other cars won't hit us either." I prayed and immediately she calmed down.

It was not but maybe two to three minutes after I prayed that we almost wrecked. A large full size pickup truck pulled out in front of us. I hit the brakes, we skidded and swerved and somehow was able to maintain control on the wet roads. I then said to Kenzie, "see God is watching out for us, we are ok." she said "I know He is."

Inside my head, I was mad at the other driver for being so careless and nearly causing us a serious wreck. I was also thankful that the Lord spared us. I remember also thinking, thanks God for showing Kenzie you hear our prayers. But I had no idea that minutes later that careless driver would be the one to save our lives.

We drove another three to four miles when all of the sudden, a vehicle heading in the opposite direction crossed the center line and hit the large pickup truck head on. Both occupants of the other vehicle were killed instantly. The driver of the pickup in front of us suffered some bruises to her chest. When it was all said and done, I realized that if it had been my van, the other car would have done much more extensive damage. Probably would have killed me and possible kenzie. What saved the lady in the other vehicle was the size and strength of her truck. Well actually God saved her using what she was driving.

Just know, God uses bad for good and sometimes He just doesn't make sense. That day he chose to use a near accident to keep us from a fatal one. Trust Him, He is in control.

Psalm 121:1-8 I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from?2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.3 He will not let your foot slip-- he who watches over you will not slumber;4indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.5 The LORD watches over you-- the LORD is your shade at your right hand;6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.7The LORD will keep you from all harm-- he will watch over your life;8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

May my life be the proof and evidence of His love!

Thank You Lord for My Sufferings

Have you ever heard the saying "No pain no gain?"  If you have, the first thing you make think of is fitness.  How true it is.  If you want to build muscle, gain endurance, or lose weight, it is going to require some pain.  You for sure wont get healthier by sitting on a couch and just thinking you want to improve your health.  Improving your heatlh is going to require sacrifice and some suffering.  What sacrifices might you have to make?  Well for one, unhealthy food, high calorie drinks, and time.  How about suffering? Lets just face it, any workout that is worthy of improving fitness is going to hurt.  Your muscles will feel it, your lungs will feel it, and mentally you will feel it.  If you are faithful, all your sacrifices and sufferings will be worth it. 

Spiritual growth is the same way.  If we want to strengthen our faith, become more intimate with Christ, and experience His presence more, then we will have to sacrifice and suffer.  What sacrifice must we make?  self, we must sacrifice our selfish desires to sin.  Biblically we must put to death our sinful nature.  Think about it, that is a huge sacrifice.  you must give up anything and everything that displeases the Lord.  Everything in word, thought, and deed.  That includes our hearts, minds and souls.  What about suffering? How does suffering help us to grow?

As Christians, we are never promised a life free of suffering.  In fact, we are told we will suffer even more.  Just as Christ suffered, we must suffer as well.  Here is the deal, suffering will produce one of two things.  It will either produce defeat and destruction or it will produce strength and endurance.  The difference is your perspective on Jesus Christ during your sufferings.  Blame Him for your suffering and you will face defeat.  Praise Him for working you hard and your faith will endure.

One and a half years ago, I was the heaviest I had ever been. I was not huge, but I was overweight.  My pants hurt my waist, my stomach was constantly spewing acid, my chest was feeling lots of pains, my breath was taken away easily, and my doctor said I was border line obese.  My blood labs were becoming liable for heart, lung and blood pressure problems.  I was face with a decision, either give up and let my health take its coarse or get fit.  I chose to get fit.  One main reason, I wanted to be as healthy as possible for my wife.  She has Huntington's Chorea disease and some day she will need me to be at my best so that I can care and provide for her.  My main focus was to be better for my wife, the other was to take care of the temple the Lord had given me.  The bible does say that our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit.  Long story short, I sacrificed and suffered.  Through it, I lost 30+ pounds and I feel healthier than I have ever felt before.  My blood lab values are perfect now, my stomach never burns, my pants don't cut my waist, my lungs get ore than enough air, and the doctor well I have not seen him for a long time. 

Spiritually, my life is a much longer story.  If you want to know about my sufferings I encourage you to read my blog.  Its not a regular blog, it is the story of my life and how I found hope in the midst of hopelessness.  Here is the important thing about it all, I praise the Lord for allowing me to suffer the things I have.  It is through my sufferings that God has made me who I am today.  I would not change that for the world.  Think about these things.  It is in our hurst that we discover healing.  Our regrets help us to understand redemption.  Loss teaches us what love really is.  Humility is taught by the breaking of a hard heart.  Only through suffering that we can learn what salvation means.  I promise you this, God uses pain and suffering to help us grow and more importantly bring himself glory.

Here are just a few of the reasons God allows suffering: it displays His healing power,it unites the body of His believers, it breaks us of our pride, it turns our focus to Him, it allows others to become his heart, hands and feet, and it points us in the direction of eternal hope.  The most impressive reason of all, God becomes visible through the healing and deliverance from our sufferings.  It is hard to grow, experience, and see God when everything seems just right.  Thank you Jesus for using my hurts to make me more like you.  Thank you for my sufferings that have made me more useful in serving you.



This is from a public boxing match
during a festival in Satu Mare, Romania.

2 Corinthians 4:16-17

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
May my life be the proof and evidence of His love!

Seeing Is Believing

If you wanted to see someone in person, you would have to go where they were.   As your journey began, you for sure would want to know how to get there.  But suppose you had no idea.  It would be a “Where’s Waldo kind of search.”  Maybe you had some idea but never did find them.   How long would you search before giving up?  How far would you go? At what point would you decide that person did not exist? 

There are people all over this world following me on Facebook and this blog.  Most have never seen me in person, but yet they believe I exist.  Why do they believe I am real? Is it just because I post blogs, statuses on Facebook?  What kind of evidence is that? Is it really good evidence?  If it is, then why is it such good evidence? People place so much credibility in social media.  But yet social media can be the most deceptive avenue out there.  You can be anyone you want to and most people will believe it.  You can say anything you want to and most people accept it.  Honestly, if you really want to know if someone is real you have to meet face to face.

When it comes to God, people expect so much more evidence of His existence.  People refuse to see God for who He is and refuse to listen to what He says.  Why is this so?  It cannot be distance, because God is omnipresent.  He is everywhere.  It is not because God is ignoring you, He is omniscient.  He knows everything.  It cannot be that God has not done anything, He is omnipotent.  He is all powerful.  If all this is true, then why do some people not see Him, why do some people not hear Him, and why do some people not feel Him? 

The answer is sin.  Sin is what comes between you and God.  The more sin you have in your life, the less you will see, hear and experience God.  Sin blurs our eyes, deafens our ears, and numbs our sensation.  Even with all that, people still want to see God, hear God and feel God.  In our sin, we want to see, hear and feel Him according to our sinful expectations.  People want God to bless them in their sin.  People have placed themselves so far away from God and yet expect Him to still reveal himself where He is not. 

Perspective is huge when it comes to the evidence of God.  Maybe you are in this place of darkness, a place where you know God would not be pleased, and a life that is as far from God as possible.  Maybe you want to believe, yet you have to see, hear and feel before you agree.  And since you can’t see, hear of feel Him you don’t believe.  What if what you were experiencing is the absence of God?  Maybe God has allowed you to be in a place where you are without Him.  You are without Him because you have replaced Him with the ways of this world.  Maybe your sin has blinded your eyes, deafened your ears and numbed your senses. 

If you want to See God, Hear God and Feel God, you are going to have to go where He is.  You are going to have to walk away from sin and walk towards His presence.  When you do, you will believe because you have experienced Him firsthand you will see Him face to face. 

The damage and devastation form Hurricane Katrina was
was unbelievable, even after I saw it first hand.

Matthew 13:14-17

In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: " 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.15For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.17For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

May my life be the proof and evidence of His love!

The Perfect Gift Called Immanuel

I would imagine that by now just about every Christmas gift around the world has been unwrapped.  Not all gifts, but most of them have been opened.  The anticipation nd excitement is over for those who chose to open their gifts.  Some received with great joy, others with great wonder.  Joy because you were given what you had hoped for.  Wonder, because you thought to yourself; "what is this?", "What was so and so thinking when they bought that?" or with a huge fake smile on your face "Gee thanks, I always wanted this, but silently thinking you have got to be kidding me."  Some gifts will be put to great use, some gifts will be returned, some gifts will be hidden or thrown away, and others will be re-gifted.

There is a gift that was given to all that not everyone has received.  We have all heard the bible verse that states; "For unto us a child was born… a savior has been given."  Here is the deal, God truly has given every man, woman, and child a gift.  A gift that cannot be valued by dollar signs, a gift that cannot be returned, a gift that cannot be exchanged.  We have been given a gift that all mankind hopes for.  We all want love, peace, hope, joy, gladness, patience, gentleness, life….  God granted us this gift by wrapping up His son in the form of a baby and sending Him to earth that He may be received.  The gift did not end in a manger.  God fulfilled His gift of salvation through the life of His son Jesus Christ. 

Jesus is not left lying in a manger or still packaged under a tree.  The gift of Christ is lying outside the doorway to your soul.  Gods stands at the door and knocks and if anyone lets Him in, He will enter in. It is not a gift of religion; it is the gift of life.  Life eternal, that brings with it the deepest desires within the heart of man.  Love, peace, hope, joy, gladness, patience, gentleness, life…. 

His gift to you is there for the taking.  The choice is yours, do you want to open this gift and receive what God has for you? Think about the other gifts you have received.  All have become nothing more than a memory; they have been broken, expired, outdated, and even obsolete.  Today marks more than the birth of a savior, it marks the anniversary of Immanuel "God with us." Today is the 2000+ anniversary of the day God abolished ritualistic religion and entered into a personal relationship with man.    

The choice is yours, what is it going to be?

Matthew 1:23

"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, 

and they will call him Immanuel"--which means,

 "God with us."

May my life be the proof and evidence of His love!

What if You Gave Your Christmas Away?

Christmas day is quickly approaching and the anticipation of those special gifts is beginning to swell inside.  Our hopes are getting us excited as we dream of what we will receive.    Maybe it is a smart phone, tablet, mp3, electronic toy, digital game, gift cards, or money.  Whatever it is, you are getting excited.  You know you have gotten what you wanted in the past and so you expect it again.  What if that gift you are anticipating, never makes it under your tree?  How will you feel?  What will you think?  What if on Christmas morning nothing was left under your tree, no smart phone, no tablet, no Mac book, or mp3… What would you think and how would you feel if nothing was left under your tree? 

Truth be known, many of us will find our trees full of gifts like the mp3's.  Then there will be those who hoped for nothing more than a pair of shoes that fit, a coat with no holes, money to pay the electric bill, or even a couple cans of food to eat.  We look at the world around us and question why so many are in need.  We point the finger at others for not meeting these needs.  There are those who doubt a loving God exists since when there are so many who suffer.  Why does that not change our greed?

I was listening on a Christian radio station how you could buy gifts for someone else in need.  You could buy seeds for a garden, sewing machines, chickens, goats, cows, and even a water buffalo.  You could buy things for others who have a real need.  Gifts that would be used to start a business, a farm, a ranch, or even provide food to families in need.  I got to thinking, how cool would it be if I got a water buffalo.  I could give it to a family overseas.  They could use it to plow fields, carry water, and pull carts.  They have no tractors, but a water buffalo could make their lives so much more efficient.  What if I bought some chickens? A starving family could eat their eggs and raise more chickens to eat. 

What about that neighbor across the street, you know the one who struggles to make ends meet.  How about that kid in school, the one that only has worn out shoes and hand me down clothes to wear?  Then there is that elderly man who has no family during his time of need.  Is there a lonely widow who has no one to feed? Maybe there is a kid fighting to beat cancer while you are running around feeling free.  You can meet a need and it doesn't have to be overseas.

What if this Christmas you chose to do without?  What if you gave all or part of your Christmas away?  How would it feel to meet someone else's need?   What a different world this would be if there were no greed. 

This year it is estimated that Americans will spend over $50 billion on Christmas.  We sponsor a Child through Compassion International for $38.00 per month or $456.00 per year.  In doing so, Thomas receives an education, school supplies, food, clothes, medicine, gifts, and the message of Jesus Christ.  How many less people would have an unfilled need if we chose to give instead of receive?

This little girl is showing off her purse.
What do you think she may need?
She lives in the poorest part of Nicaragua
that I have ever seen.

Romans 12:13

Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

May my life be the proof and evidence of His love!

May my life be the proof and evidence of His love!

Finding God

This is a quick devotion that should consume your thoughts. When Jesus Christ was born, the religious leaders expected the Messiah to be born of wealth and royalty. They expected to see and find Him according to their standards and definitions. However God chose to enter this world by His definition and standard. He chose to arrive and live homeless and poor. Are you looking for God by you standards, expectations, and definition? If so you may be missing Him all together.

Luke 2:12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

PRAY for CLAY

Please pray for Clay. He is a boy in my youth group that has been battling leukemia for over a year now. Tonight he is being flown to MD Anderson hospital. There he will be able to receive a medication that will hopefully put him in remission so that he can have a bone marrow transplant. This is very serious time for Clay and his family. I encourage you to share this post and leave comments that I can share with his family.

James 5:14-15 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.

Jesus, Statistically Impossibly Accurate

Well Here we are in The USA several hours into 12.21.12 and others around the world are already living tomorrow.  The Mayan Calendar was wrong to no surprise.  What amazes me is the number of people whom actually believed there was truth in the sketchy prophecy of the end of the world.  The Mayan calendar obviously got a lot of attention around the world. I wonder if people were so interested simply because of the specific date?  Would the end of the world according to the Mayan's had received as much attention if a specific date had not been given?  I would venture to guess that if the Mayan's had just prophesied that the end of the world would happen someday, no body would have cared or even thought twice.  However, what if the Mayan's had a past history of predicting the future with accuracy that was statistically impossible but historically proven?  Everyone would be paying attention to that.

Here is the absolute truth, The Mayan calendar and prediciton of the end of the world captivated the worlds attention. Everyone who knew anything about it was thinking and talking about it over the most recent of days.  Some were afraid, some were laughing, and some just did not know what to believe.  Regardless, almost everyone knew about it.  like I said earlier, if the Mayan's had a past history of statistically impossible accurate predictions, almost everyone would have been afraid. 

I recently learned that the Holy Bible has recorded approximately 333 prophecies in regards to Jesus Christ.  Prophecies regarding his birth, life and death and second coming.  What should get our attention is the statistically impossible accuracy of these prophecies.  Of those 333 prophecies, 224 have already been fulfilled with complete accuracy. It was mathematically calculated the probability of only 8 of these prophecies being fulfilled as 1 out of 1,000,000,000,000,000,000.  That is one in one quintillion.  That is the statistics for just 8 fulfilled prophecies, not the 224 already known. 

Here is the point to all of this, Jesus is a sure thing.  He deserves more than just your attention, He deserves your soul.  

John 14:1-4 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going."
Matthew 24:36-39 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
May my life be the proof and evidence of His love!

The Best Christmas Ever Because of Sorrow

This seems to be the biggest time of year when people deal with sorrow.  Christmas is the time when we are suppose to be filled with emotions like joy, peace, hope, and gladness.  Families and friends are suppose to be united and embracing one another with love, reaching out to each other with gifts and, serving with acts of kindness.  For may that simply is not true.  Christmas for many is a time when they reflect on the pains and losses they have faced in the past or deal with daily.  Losses become more of a reality.  An issue that must be faced and dealt with.  This season of the year has the highest rates of depression and suicide than any other time of year.  Some of us will be rejoicing in the gifts we give, receive, time with family and friends.  Others will be broken and depressed because of their losses and aloneness.  There will be some that will take their own lives out of desperation because they see no hope. 

 

This year it is estimated that Americans will spend over $52 billion dollars on Christmas gifts and decor.  On the top of the charts for gifts to give and receive are smart phones, tablets, mp3's, electronic toys, digital games, and gift cards.  Why? because they are trying to usher in the emotional pleasures they hope for by way of gifts.  With that said, where is Christ in that?  He is not.  These kinds of gatherings and gifts only offer temporary pleasures.  The lack of ushers is disappointment, despair, and sadness.  It seems to me that greed, materialism, and covetedness is at the core of Christmas for some.  For others the core of Christmas is hurt and pain. 

 

In our hearts and minds, Christmas should never be about sorrow and pain.  But what if sorrow is what it takes to really make Christmas a season of joy, peace, hope, and gladness?  I believe this is true.  I am convinced that there is a sorrow that makes Christmas not just a season of great feelings, but a lifetime of joy, peace, gladness and hope.  The sorrow I am talking of is called godly sorrow.  The bible speaks of this sorrow in II Corinthians chapter 7. 

 

So what is godly sorrow? How can it make Christmas an everlasting pleasure and not just a season celebrated once per year?  Godly sorrow is recognizing the true purpose of Christmas.  Yes it is about Christ, but not just His birth. Christmas is about God sending His son to earth in the form of a baby to live a life homeless and rejected.  He was hated, despised and betrayed so that He would suffer a brutal gruesome death on a cross.  He was crucified and shed His blood not because of His righteousness, but because He chose to bear the sins of the world on His shoulders.  He chose to be the the atoning blood sacrifice for your sins. 

 

Godly sorrow is the key to Christmas.  When our perspective is right, then you see yourselves standing before the cross looking Christ in the eyes as He suffers a brutal gruesome death on your behalf.  It is accepting and facing the reality of what really happened.  Imagine the sorrow you would feel watching in person Jesus Christ suffered such horror because of you.  You cant even imagine the emotions and pain you would feel witnessing that first hand.  Well guess what? that is what Christmas is all about.  Not the cute baby born in a manger, gifts, family, songs, trees, lights, cookies, candy canes, carols, or any of that.  It is the gift of God wrapped in the form of a beautiful baby born unto man.  As the gift is unwrapped you find the life of Christ leading to the forgiveness and redemption of your sins on a bloody gruesome cross. 

 

How can this lead to an everlasting celebration and not just a season?  Godly sorrow leads to the brokenness of man's heart because of his sin.  It is in that sorrow and brokenness that repentance is ushered in.  Through repentance, we do not just confess our sins, we give them to Christ on the cross and allow Him to shed His blood over them.  In doing so, that sin is put to death and redeemed for.  We should not allow it to return any more.  Apart from repentance, confession is nothing more than making known your sin and looking Christ in the eye as He hangs on the cross and saying, "What you are doing is not good enough."  True repentance leads to salvation.  Salvation that puts life in its proper perspective knowing that what Christ did was good enough. 

 

Most likely, you will be given all kinds of presents this Christmas wrapped in all kinds of beautiful packages.  However, if you choose to leave these gifts wrapped and never open them, the contents inside remain worthless to you.  It does not matter how much was spent or the value of its contents, without receiving it and opening it, the contents remain worthless.  Godly sorrow is the motivation we need to unwrapped the life of baby Jesus and receive His intended gift of redemption and eternal life.  This is a gift that will not expire, out date, need upgraded, have to be exchanged, or have new contracts signed.  This is a gift that is eternal.  A gift that brings redemptions and life, even to the most broken, hardest hurt, deepest depressed, and strongest of sinner of every man.  It does not get any better than that, a gift that gives beyond every season. 

 

 

 

Isaiah 9:6

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

 

Matthew 20:28

just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

 

II Corinthians 7:10

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

 

II Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

 

May my life be the proof and evidence of His love!

When You Are Totally Clueless

I was sitting at the table this morning reading my bible and searching for what God wanted me to share today. Honestly I was clueless. I had no idea what to share. Normally it's not that way. So I sat and thought and prayed an still nothing. I read more, thought about it and prayed more and still nothing. I've been reading about Joseph and when his brothers came to Egypt for food because of the famine and how Joseph was able to provide for his family. There is so much good stuff from this time in history. Even with all the good stuff to share I remained clueless as to what God wanted me to share. Have you ever felt that way? Just have no idea what to think, what to say, what to ask for, what to share or what is what. That was me this morning. I was trying to figure it all out with good intentions. Then in my clueless state, I realized, I won't ever have all the answers. I don't have the mind of God, I don't always have God on my mind like I should. God always has me on His mind. If I had all the answers and knew all the plans, then would I still be as dependent on God like I need to be? Most likely I would not. The last several weeks have been pretty stressful with life, time, needs of others, Carri having to work extra so we can pay bills, ministry needs, and stuff. I have felt like I'm living in a fog lately. With that stress increases, worries consume your mind, and your focus on God gets blurred. Now I have not been unfaithful to God, not at all. But I have lost my focus on my dependance on Him because of the fogs and stress in life . Being in a state of cluelessness and not having the answers doesn't make God any less. It makes Him even greater. Even when we do not know God still knows. Just trust Him and experience His greatness as you surrender to His will in the midst of the great unknowns of life. Christ said it best, "not my will but yours be done."

This is a church in Granada Nicaragua.

 

 Matthew 6:8

Do not be like them,

for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

 

May my life be the proof and evidence of His love!

Day of silence and Support for Sandy Hook Victims

Riding the Waves of Faith

One of my most memorable Christmas gifts was a surfboard.  All I wanted was a surfboard.  I could hardly stand it; I was losing sleep thinking about it.  The closer Christmas got the less sleep I was getting.  I had visions of me riding 10 foot waves, sliding down the face, entering into the barrel, then ripping out and shredding the wave as I slaughtered its majestic beauty.  I was going to be the next worlds surf champion.

That day finally arrived, I got my first surfboard.  I was so ecstatic, I could hardly believe my eyes, I really got it, I really did.  My dreams had come true.  I was on my way to fulfilling my great dreams of being the next King Kamehameha, or maybe even Kelly Slater this side of Hawaii.  Nothing was going to stand in my way, I could already see it.  I made my choice I was the next great legend of surfing. 

Well needless to say, my dreams were crushed.  I hit the beach like a monster and flopped like a dead fish on my first wave.  I had no idea how hard surfing was going to be.  I took forever to figure out balance and how to even stand up on a board.  Once I was able to stand up, I was surfing with the wrong foot forward.  Someone pointed out to me that I was a goofy foot.  I thought that was an insult.  I was wrong.  What they meant was that I surfed backwards.  I was putting my Left foot forward like everyone else.  I was goofy foot that meant I needed to put my right foot forward.   That made a huge difference.

I remember getting so frustrated from falling, wiping out and getting hit on the head from the surfboard. I just wanted to quit. I just couldn't do it. Then finally it was a small wave. Not a huge 10 footer, maybe 3-4 feet. I paddled, I stood up, and I rode that wave. I was boss. Little by little I rode longer, waves got bigger, and I got better. Before I knew it, I felt like I was walking in water.

Living out our faith is so much the same way. God never promised it would be easy. In fact He promised it would be hard. Little by little you will walk further, waves of faith will get bigger, and before you know it you will be riding the waves of faith feeling like you are walking on water. Not because of what you are able to do, but what He will do in and through you.

The secret to surfing, is keeping steady, never giving up and learning to surrender to the way of the wave. The secret to walking in faith is keeping steady, never giving up and surrendering to the way of the king.  When you fall, get back up again.

When Peter doubted his faith, he nearly drowned.  Do not be afraid and trust in the Lord, He is the author and perfecter of our faith.

NO, this is not me.
This is a picture I took off the coast of Maui.

Matthew 14:29-32

"Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

May my life be the proof and evidence of His love!

God Said Go Tell The World

     In November I was blessed to have the opportunity to serve in Nicaragua on a mission trip again.  It amazes me how every time I go,  God shows me something or allows me to learn things about someone else that blesses me even more.  Seeing God work and watching God move in the people of Nicaragua is so amazing.

     During this last trip on the last day, I met a little girl, about 9 years of age that just captured my heart.  She had a glean in her eyes and a smile that just drew you in.  There was just something about her that captivated my attention.  She was a beautiful little girl, but there was more behind her eyes and her smile.  There was something deeper.  

    I first noticed her while she was sitting in a chair patiently waiting for her turn.  I remember thinking, "This girl has a God size story and I want to know it."  I do not know why I thought that, but I did.  

     Finally, after about an hour's wait she was going to get her turn.  I was blessed to be able to receive her as my patient.   My interpreter relayed the mothers request to me for her daughter; "Can we have some vitamins?"  My response was "Yes, now ask why she needs to see a doctor."  Mom replied, "She does not need to see a doctor, she is very healthy.  We are here to share her story.  God told me to come and share because He wants the world to know what He has done."  I thought to myself, "Wow! This is cool.  Yes I want to hear her story."

     Mom began to tell us her little girl's story.   Angelica was born a normal healthy baby and up until she was about 7 years old, everything was fine.  At the age of seven, Angelica began having behavioral problems, problems focusing, paying attention, fall ling down, difficulty seeing, hearing, and then she began to have seizures. They took her to a doctor and discovered she had a brain tumor.  Her only hope was to have brain surgery.  Because the family was very poor and had no means to pay for medical care, Angelica was placed on some sort of a waiting list.  I did not quite understand the waiting list, other than it may have been for a missionary doctor.  

     Angelica's family took their need before the church and asked for prayer.  The church did not just pray, the fasted and prayed.  All of the members of the church took turns each day fasting and praying for God to heal Angelica.  This went on for a few months.  Finally, the day arrived when Angelica was going to get to see the doctor that could help her.  A CT scan was performed and confirmed their fears; Angelica had a very large tumor in her brain.  Surgery was then scheduled for the following week.

     The day of surgery had arrived.  Angelica's mom woke her little girl up and got her ready to go to the hospital.  Before they left, the church members gathered around and prayed for Angelica.  He mother said that Angelica told the church that everything was going to be OK, because Jesus had come the night before and removed the tumor form her brain.  

     When they arrived at the hospital, Angelica was taken back and prepped for her surgery.  While she was being prepped   for surgery, the doctor noticed a very small scar on top of her head.  He thought that was strange because he did not remember seeing it the week before.  He then went and asked mom if Angelica had had surgery before or if she had injured herself.  Mom said no.  

     The doctor then decided it best to have another CT performed before he went any further with the surgery.  The repeat CT scan revealed no evidence of any tumor or surgical procedures.  Angelica was completely healed from that day on.  She has had none of the problems that she had been struggling with. 

This is Angelica

  

     Mom finished by saying, "God wanted me to share this story with you, He said you could share it with the world."  Mom had no idea who I was or what I did.  As far as she new, I was an American doctor.  I proceeded to tell her that I was not a doctor; I was a paramedic and a nurse.  I also shared with her how I had just started blog and people all over the world were reading it.  She had never seen a blog or the internet for that, but she did know what the internet was.  She said, "So you can tell the world just like God said."

Matthew 9:35

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in

 their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom 

and healing every disease and sickness.

May my life be the proof and evidence of His love!

   

   
   

God has given us the answer

Gun control is not the answer, anger and hatred is not the answer, pointing fingers is not the answer, government is not the answer, revenge is not he answer, or anything else in the likewise is not the answer. The answer is this: pray, seek, and turn as a nation, as a community, as a family and as a people. God has given us the answer to the problem a hand. Pray to Him, seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways. Turning from our wicked ways is a no brainier  I think everyone would agree. However lack of prayer and refusal to seeking the face of God has become the wickedness that we must turn from. That is where the problem lies. 

2 chronicles 7:14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Remembering Newton and Sandy Hook Victims

I know all of you share my sadness over what happened yesterday.  As a mother - I can't FATHOM how those parents must feel. I hope you will all be praying for the people of CT.  They need our prayers.

On Tuesday, December 18th, there will be a blogger day of silence. We will post the button and that's it. Please try to not post anything else that day if possible.

 We are also raising money that will go to an organization in the memory of this tragedy. The organization is called The Newtown Family Youth and Family Services. Here is the official description of the support service we are donating to: 

"Newtown Youth and Family Services, Inc. is a licensed, non-profit, mental health clinic and youth services bureau dedicated to helping children and families achieve their highest potential. NYFS provides programs, services, activities, counseling, support groups and education throughout the Greater Newtown area.

ANY DONATIONS MADE TO NEWTOWN YOUTH AND FAMILY SERVICES WILL BE DONATED DIRECTLY TO THOSE EFFECTED BY THE SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SHOOTING."

Please visit THIS PAGE to make your donation.

 We can't imagine how they must be feeling, especially this close to the holidays. We would love for you to spread the word on your own blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Let's make a difference and use blogging in a positive way. Thank you in advance for participating.

Bee Guts in my Ear

     I just love my son.  He just recently turned 16 and has become more of a man than most male adults I know.  I shared about his birth in the post titled “Almost Lost Another Baby: An Opportunity to Raise Up a Man of God.”  By the grace of God, that he is. 

     His upbringing did not come without it challenges.  He was a very naughty boy, with the cutest smile.  He was so hard to discipline because of his smile factor.  He always had a way to make you laugh even when you wanted to send him back for a refund, just kidding.  We never wanted to send him back, but there were days when we wanted someone else to take him even if it was just for an hour. 

     I came home one day and my wife said to me, with a smile on her face, “you need to go discipline your son.”  “My son?” “Yes your son.” “What Happened?” “He will not listen.”  Apparently Brenton and his sisters were supposed to be eating and Brenton did not want to eat.  He thought it was more fun to tease and pester his sisters.  I thought to myself, “is that not what little brothers are supposed to do?” 

     Carri then told me that he was in trouble for not listening.  That makes more sense, obedience is important and that includes listening.  Carri then laughed and said “I would discipline him, but I can’t. I cannot stop laughing every time I look at him.”  I asked “Why?” Carri’s response “just goes discipline your son.”

     Off to the bathroom I go, preparing my serious dad face.  Just before I open the door, I cleared my throat to make sure it was deep and intimidating.  I then open the door slowly, so that it creeked.  Creaking doors help with the fear factor.  I then squatted down before “My son”, peered into his eyes and firmly asked “Why are you not listening to your mother?”

     After several seconds, tears welled up in Brenton’s eyes.”  My immediate thought, “Fear factor Check.”  Then the answer came out slowly and broken from his sweet little voice, “D..d,da….’dad’,’a’ ba…ba…..ba…’bee’ fla…fla…’flew’’ in’ m…mmm..’my’ e….ee…..ee…’ear’. ‘I’ ta….ta….tr….’tried to’ ga…ga….’get it’ ou…ou……..ou..’out I’ sma…sma…’smashed’ h….hi…’his’ gu…guu…….’guts’ na…..na….na….’now I’  ca…..ca…..caaa….’can’t hear’.”  With that, I busted out laughing in tears.  I just could not keep serious enough to discipline my son for not listening.  As I walked out of the bathroom, Carri was waiting for me on the other side.  She was laughing and said “Now you know why I can’t discipline ‘Our son.’ Now get back in there and go do it.”  Needless to say, Brenton got away with that one.

 

     His excuse, a bee’s guts were smashed in his ear; therefore he could not hear to listen.  Ridiculous and funny, I know.    This creative scheme of a story, was it a worthy excuse? No, hindsight, he deserved more discipline for lying.  Well even to this day he insists a bee got into his ear.  Don’t we do the same with God?  We don’t listen and therefore we do not do what He has called us to do.  Sure Brenton’s excuse was funny.  We showed him mercy, not because he was funny, because we loved him.  God shows us mercy as well because He loves us also.  Our excuse is not funny, in reality it is shameful.  We do not just “not listen”, we ignore God.  Brenton heard what his mother said; he just chose not to listen.

This is Brenton, a few years after the bee incident
To this day he is the funniest person I know

James 1:19-22 

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

May my life be the proof and evidence of His love!

HOPE remains

In wake of the tragedy in newtown ct, there is still HOPE.  We may never know or understand all the answers.  We will never completely heal from the scars that have been made. But none the less HOPE remains.  May God use my life and my story to bring healing and HOPE into someones life.  

Psalms 146:5-6 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,6 the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them-- the LORD, who remains faithful forever.

It Is A Matter Of Life And Death

     Back in the days of black and white and everything seemed like Mayberry.  I was an innocent lad full of joy, trust and adventure.  Just kidding, I was about 13 or 14 years old and I cared about me and what I wanted and really could careless about others as long as I was good.  I was full of adventure, that part is true.  One particular day my buddy and I went out on a fishing adventure.  This trip left me with a lifetime memory.

     We were wandering around the woods and back roads of our community looking for fishing holes.  I bet that day, we must have fished at least 5 miles of canals.  Countless numbers of fish were caught.  It was one of those care free days where it was just the two of us and nobody else in sight.  We were just enjoying the day, laughing fishing, and just being stupid.

     We reached a place where on the other side of the canal were some apartment complexes.  The canal in this particular spot was probably about 30 feet wide and 10-15 feet deep.  The fishing was not that great in this spot, probably because right on the other side of the canal was an alligator.  It was about 10-12 feet long.  one of the bigger gators I had seen.  We were pretty sure he had spooked the fish and they were gone. 

     After we had been there for about 15 minutes or so, an older lady walking with her grandson was passing by on the other side of the canal.  She looked to be in her 50's and the boy looked to be around 3 years old.  The boy was a bit adventurous and kept trying to get closer to the edge of the canal to look down.  Grandma was a tad concerned as she grasped his hand tightly trying not to let go.  The bank on their side was deep and very steep, she had good reasons to be concerned.  Not to mention the gator that lurked beneath where they were standing.

     Things got a little hectic on the other side of the canal when the 3 year old began to throw a fit and pull away from grandma.  Then all of the sudden, grandma lost her grasp and the boy fell down the bank into the canal. He landed in the water maybe 20 feet or less from the alligator.  Without any hesitation, both my friend and I dove in the water and swam as fast as possible to rescue the baby on the other side.  We knew he was either going to drown or be attacked by a hungry gator.  Probably both. 

     We had no fear, no doubt, no hesitation, no second thoughts, no debates, no pointing fingers or drawing of straws.  We just went, as fast as possible.  This was a matter of life and death, the little boy on the other side didn't have time for us to hesitate.  He needed help right then and without any hesitation.  His life depended on it.  We rescued the little guy from the water.  As far as the gator, I have no idea where he went after we jumped in.  That just did not matter, we never second guessed our first instinct.

     When it comes to life and death, its that sense of urgency, the surge of adrenalin that pushes us to the edge.  We do things that we other wise would not.  We accomplish things that we otherwise could not.  I feel that same sense of urgency when it comes to my faith.  I don't want to hesitate, second guess, debate, point fingers or even draw straws when it comes to living out my faith and reaching the lost for Christ.  I want to always live and react now with such passion and energy that no one in my realm of life will drown in hopelessness or be eaten alive by sin that so easily entangles.  We must run and persevere in the faith.

a Group of Kids I reach out to
without hesitaiton in Nicaragua

Hebrews 12:1-2

Therefore, 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. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

May my life be the proof and evidence of His love!

Christmas is Ruined This Year, Really?

I was siting here talking to God and asking "OK God what is the devotion for today?"  Right after that on Fox News a reporter was interviewing a lady in New Jersey.  He was asking her about the effects Hurricane Sandy will have on Christmas.  Then statements were made by both.  "Christmas is ruined this year." "We won't have a Christmas this year."  I just thought "wow! Really!" Christmas ruined and not happening this year?  Seriously.   What a great perspective on where society has on Christmas.  My heart breaks for people like these.  Not because they won't have gifts under their tree, because they have totally missed the meaning of Christmas.  It's not about celebrating a baby born in a manger and adorning our lives with gifts.  It is all about a savior who was born to die a violent brutal death.  As soon as king Herrod heard of Jesus's birth he wanted him dead.  Jesus came into this world willingly not to give us a season of gifts.  He came to give us life and redemption through His death.  When our hearts are so filled with greed and materialism, it is like looking into the face of Christ lying in a manger or hanging on a cross and saying, Jesus you are not good enough.  Don't allow Christmas to be ruined by the anticipation and need for gifts, or the lack there of.  Embrace the savior Emanuel "God with us" and celebrate the true meaning of CHRISTmas! That is something nothing or no one can ever take away.

Here is a Picture of some art we have on display
at our YOUTH.  He is Greater than I.
HE>I

Matthew 6:19-22

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

May my life be the proof and evidence of His love!