Reruns...

This morning, I wanted to bite the bullet and do my first "re-post".  So, here are a few that I find myself re-reading more than others:


4-18-2011
Preparation, preparation, preparation...

What are we living for?  What are YOU living for?  Each day, what is your purpose?  What are you working towards?  I don't mean in your job.  Or with your finances.  I mean the bigger picture.  Life. 

The way I see it, we are suppossed to be living out the Great Commission first and foremost.  From there, it is about growing with God more and more everyday.  Everyday we should be prepared to face any opportunity, circumstance, or detail that comes our way. 

What if tragedy here on earth struck your life right now?  Are you prepared to deal with it and handle it?  What would you turn to?  What things in your life today would be pushed away and deemed non-important in the event of that?  Well, then I ask, why are they in your life today?  If they have nothing to do with truth, facts, and growing in your faith in God---becoming more and more Christ-like---then they should have no place, right?

I can't help but look at all of the negative in the world and think about how much people tend to focus on bad things.  People love tearing each other down.  They love picking fights, bickering, selfishness, pride, arrogance, money, etc, etc, etc.  I could go on and on.  We are all guilty of it atleast sometimes.  I just hope I am always quick to recognize it and even quicker to stomp on it and remove it from my life.

Those things send a negative witness out there.  What does that tell others about our Savior when we act that way?  Are you a blessing to others, or a curse?

Just some food for thought this week. 

I watched the Passion of the Christ last night.  Man....that hurts to see.  To see those soldiers and people treating MY Jesus that way.  Breaks my heart.

Lord, forgive me where I fail you.  Fill my heart with your Word, humility, love, forgiveness, joy, and thankfulness.  Your peace and strength carry me through my everyday, and I give you all the glory for anything I am that is good.

I love you Lord.


6-2-2011
God's timing...

Well, here I sit at 6:30a.m., in my boxer briefs, watching Gus stab his horse in Lonesome Dove.  LOL.  I have been awake spending time with God since 4:23a.m.  Definitely God's timing, not mine.  And definitely some serious things to think about on my mind.

You know, I have gone through a divorce.  And as I stare some other relationship issues in the face, God has taken me to 1 Corinthians 13 this morning in pursuit of his truth and will for my life.  Not easy.  And if you are in a marriage or relationship this morning, then I hope you take the rest of this to heart.

Have you closely read that chapter?  Well, let's start further back.  Do you WANT God's best for your life?  Do you want a relationship and love to be ALL that HE wants it to be for you?  If the answer is yes, then think about these verses and what God means in them.  If the answer is no, then you might as well prepare for heartache and get on your own and move on!

God's word is clear.

In verse 2, towards the beginning of the "love" chapter, it states that "and if I have a faith that can move mountians, but have not love, then I am nothing".  Wow.  When you take God's word literally, as we are suppossed to, that hits home.  Who among us wants to be nothing?  God did not create us for that!

Verse 6 says that "Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth".  Powerful stuff.  Are we daily living in truth?  Facts are, we either choose God in a situation, or we don't.

Verse 8 says that "Love never fails".  Never is a STRONG word.  Don't most people say "never say never"?  God said never right there.  STRONG.

But the verse that speaks to me most this morning and convicts me is verse 7.  "It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres."  Always is another of those strong words.  Always is always.  I didn't do that in my marriage, but praise God that I have learned to give that my best now. 

What does it mean to "protect" love?  Think about that.  To me, it means that in EVERY instance, if you truly love someone, you think of them and honor both God and them by making the choices that respects that love.  You don't flirt, you don't leave yourself open to known temptations or past failures Satan has used against you, you proactively and selflessly put the other first, and most of all, you hold yourself accountable to seeking God with all you have to be in the best position possible to honor that love.  To me, that is TRUE, GODLY LOVE. 

That is where it is on us.  I suffer consequences in my life for not pursuing God first in my marriage.  My beautiful children suffer because of my actions.  That isn't easy to live with, but God is faithful and merciful and has worked in this.  I have accepted that, and have made the changes that I needed to make so that I can best avoid EVER having that happen again.  I want only God's best when it comes to love and a love relationship.  Any of us that say we want that have an INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTABILITY in our own lives that we HAVE to live to.  Period.  God wants and has called us to NO less.  Again, think about that.

So wherever you are today, whatever situation in a love relationship you are in, or not in, think about what God says about love.  Think not only of what it should look like, but even more about YOUR part in honoring God in love. 

Then think about when we say we love God.  Do we really show it?  Do we only think about human love relationships when we read that chapter in 1 Corinthians?  Or do we rightly hold our love relationship with God to the same standards?

Again, think about that...


There are three or four others that I often find myself going back to for encouragement.  I will leave those for another "re-post" day, seeing as how that was alot of reading right there already! 

I pray your weekend is filled with great joy, and that you ask God to show you the many ways that he blesses you....then just listen....he is so very faithful!!!

Now, off to the Ranger game!!!