Doing God's will

Doing God's will I was reminded of that today in an e-mail from my son-in-law Justin. Over the past several days I have felt a full range of emotions from being sad because my family went back to Kansas City and Roxanne went along and will be there for 6 weeks, to content but excited of what God wants to do in my life, to a reflective day (maybe because it is raining) As being a human in our society I am bombarded by all types of messages and most of the time it is you are your own god, you have control of your destiny (and maybe that part is true for my destiny is on how I respond to God and his call on my life) to grab for all the gusto that you can yet nothing is mentioned about letting God be the directing force of your life.
As I sit here in my office and look out on the rain that is falling a nice slow soaking rain my mind goes to that of God and how after we go through a dry time spiritually then he blesses us with a slow soaking rain of his presence and things begin to look brighter. I don't know what the future hold I don't even know what the next second holds but I do know who holds all of that and I am secure in the fact that God has my best interest in mind. May I daily pray "your kingdom come your will be done."
Blessings

Same thought different people

Over the past week I have had two different conversation with two differnt people and the conversation has gone to the very same subject. That subject is ,"if God is not a God of confusion then why do things seem so confusing in my life". I have been thinking about that alot over these past few days and I think the reason why it seems so confusing is that we are not doing as the acronim F.R.O.G. (Fully Relying On God) encourageous to do. Jesus tell us to come to him who are over burben and we are to take his yoke on us and learn from him. Things get confusing when we begin to muddy the water I remember as a small boy going on family vacation to the foothills of the Ozark mountains just below the cabin that we stayed in was a small river and we could tell how wet of a winter the area had by how clear the water was in the river. Along the shore of this river you would find pockets of water that were crystal clear until you began to stir up the water with your hand and the dirt that had settled to the bottom of the pocket of water was brought up and the water went from crystal clear to muddy. We do the same thing when it comes to God and our lives it is when we put our hand into the mix that things get muddied up and confusing. It is not God who brings confusion but we who bring the confusion if we would just Fully Rely On God trust in his wisdom confusion would flee (Iknow this is easier said than done)
Blessings

paper or plastic

They say that life was simple at one time (well at least there were some simple ways). I remember an episode of the Andy Griffith show and a busy business man came through town and his car broke down and he wanted to get it fixed now and Walley the owner of the local gas station was off because it was a weekend and this busy business man was forced to slow down and take it easy for the weekend. This business man saw the simplicity of sitting on the porch after church on Sunday and trying to peel and apple without breaking the peel on the apple and having one long continuous peel well by the time the car did fixed the busy business man was enjoying the simple life. I wonder if you would ask some one of that era if life was simple what they would say. Simple is a relative term what is simple to one person is complex to another and life today as we know it maybe simple or complex but we have to admit there are a lot of decisions to make even if we want paper or plastic to bring or groceries home from the store in. Sometimes I wish life was that simple all I would have to say is paper or plastic, but at time life demands a more complex answer and at times they are not easy to come by, but for the child of God we have an advantage it is found in God who will direct our foot steps be that counselor and all we need to do is come to Him. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us, "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Paper or plastic what ever the decision may be I know the Lord has a plan for me and I can rest in sweet assurance that it is not to harm me but to make me prosper not in the eyes of this world but in his precious eyes. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all that we will ever need he will provide
Blessings

Coming Down From the Mountain

Several years ago I spent a few days in Maggie Valley, NC the cottage we stayed in was 3000 feet about Maggie Valley and Maggie Valley is 3000 feet above sea level so I was told. The area was beyond words and the view from the upper deck of the cottage we were staying at was great, but at the end of those few days we had to come down from the mountain top and back to the every day grind of life. It is true of our spiritual journey some times we are in the valley and some times we are on the mountain top, but most of our living is not in the valley or even on the mountain top but as I would call it on the flat land. When we are on the flat land we go through the regular routine of life face the daily hassles and struggles. It is those days of being on the flat land that we learn the daily need of manna for our life we are not basking in the extra blessing of God nor or we struggling in the valley it is just routine. But through that routine I learn that God is ever presnt there is no showers of blessing and again nor is there any crying out to God to get me out of the valley, but just the assurance of his presnce and know he will always be there
Blessings

But for your Grace

As I was reflecting back on this morning worship service I began to go through every part of the service from the I worship videos to the announcements to the message and everything in between. My thoughts went to one of the I worship videos "But For Your Grace"sung by the Women of Faith the first line of this song says, "But for your grace I could not be saved, but for your gace I would go my way I am forever grateful that you have been faithful." I must admit at times I have not been faithful in my walk with God but he has always been faithful and waiting for my return. This spiritual journey that I am walking now has been one of God's faithfulness and my learning what FAITHFULNESS ON MY PART MEANS. So all day long I have been singing "but for your grace I could not be saved" and I know if it was not for God's grace well my life would be of a different sort and one that I would not be proud of. As I said at the beginning of this blog I was reflecting back on the service and when I came to the message I verbally said well that was not one of my best sermons and at that time God checked me and said to me who made you judge of that message and what right do you have to think that way and did you preach the message I gave you to preach? Well all you were to do is be obedient and leave the rest up to me. But for your grace I could not be saved but for your garce I would go my way I am forever grateful that you have been faithful" help me Lord to be ever more faithful as we walk this thing call life
Blrssings

Taking up the cross

Have you ever heard a tune and it has stuck in you mind all day and you have hummed it, whistled it, or even sung the words and some times it is a child song that can become very annoying or other times it brings back memories of days past. Today the words "take up your cross and follow Jesus take up your cross every day" was the words that I sung all day long sometime out loud (when know one was around) and other times just to myself. So what does it mean to take up your cross and follow Jesus. In Matthew 8:18-22 Jesus talks about the cost of following him and at times we use excuses to not follow just as these did that came to Jesus. If we look at the passage that follows Matthew 8:18-22 we see that Jesus and the disciples face a storm tossed lake. God's word tells us that Jesus got into the boat and the disciples followed, Jesus knew the storm would hit but he moved out anyway across the lake. The disciple followed in ultimate faith and and when the storm hit they witness his power to calm the storm. But God does not always calm the storm but he calms his child. So to get back to the question what does take up your cross and follow Jesus mean to me. There will be and have been storms in my life and at times Jesus has calmed the storm and other time he had to calm this very frighten child of God. For me to take up my cross means no matter what to follow Jesus into the storm or where ever it may be. It is not about me it is all about Jesus, it is not about what I want but what Jesus wants, it is not my will but his will .
Blessings