Just a few thoughts before we all start out with a busy week. I am blessed to be part of a wonderful Church with wonderful volunteers, wonderful staff, and a great Pastor @deanhermanonline . I get the opportunity to serve with an amazing group of volunteers every Sunday morning who give their time to see lives changed.
Tonight, I attended a meeting hosted by Pastor Dean where he shared his vision and passion to "Win this City for Christ". I am humbled every time I hear him say that because that is truly his passion and I am reminded to check my passion to see the lost come to know Christ. I think I often fail at being committed to the cause of Christ and find myself distracted by so many things ("Squirrel!!!!"). Seriously though, Dean challenged me as usual to think less of me and more of others and to take every opportunity to share Christ with others. He reminded us that it only takes one mistake to ruin our ability to lead. He gave several examples that have occurred in the last few months, but one example he gave stuck out in my mind. The Bible says that, "David was a man after God's own heart." and in fact, David had everything. What caused David to fail? The one thing he couldn't have; Bathsheba. David had wives all over the castle to fit his every occasion. But one look at Bathsheba taking a bath, and he decided that he wanted her. Now you know the rest of the story, but suffice it to say, David lost everything and was eventually chased out of his Kingdom by his own son. It only took one indiscretion and his career ended.
Pastor Dean talks a lot about, "Church People" and "Radical Followers of Christ". To put it in even more perspective, 5 Point Church only has two services, both occurring on Sunday morning. Most Sunday evenings, our front door is open and we are outside playing. For the last nine years, we have lived directly across the street from Calvary Hill Baptist Church. Would you believe that in that nine years, there has only been one occasion where somebody from that Church has walked across the street to invite us to come to Church? Nine years!! I mean seriously, Paul and Beth Turner were the only ones to ever invite us to visit and they have since moved on to an amazing ministry at Mt. Carmel Baptist. But it got me thinking. What makes me any different? What have I done to invite my neighbors to my Church? Truthfully, I'm no different.
So what is my point to all of this rambling? It is so easy for us, well me, to look at what other people are doing, or aren't doing. I don't make as much money as they do, but I do so much more than they do. Man if I were the boss, there's no way I would do that. Just like David, I think I lose sight of what's really important and the only thing I can control; my actions. So I'm going to start making some changes right now. Every one of you that reads this blog, come visit 5 Point Church next Sunday. People there really don't care what you look like, what you wear, or where you've been. They will love you! I want to challenge each of you to start right now focusing on you and your actions. Ignore the action (or the lack thereof) of those around you. Spend the next 30 days focusing on growing closer to God by reading the bible and spending time with him in prayer. It won't be easy because Satan DOES NOT want you to focus on the person that God wants you to be. He wants you to be distracted by those around you.
For the next 30 days, I am going to take part in an unusual fast. When I put the kids to bed at night, I spend the next several hours watching TV or surfing the net. For the next 30 days, I am going to turn the TV off and spend some one on one time with Christ and I plan to spend a lot of that time praying for you. I hope all of you have a great week and I pray that every one of you that reads this blog will accept my challenge.
Lord, forgive me when I fail you and when I get so busy thinking about me. Help me see every opportunity to share you with others.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Sunday, June 17, 2012
"How in the world did I end up here?"
Like many of my postings, this question can reflect several different scenarios. My scenario is one of extreme humility because I know how I ended up here; my Dad. So, I thought I would list a few things that Dad is responsible for in my life and share with you my thoughts on what it means to be a Dad. Our focal passage comes from Ephesians 6:4 which read, "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."
For those of you reading this blog, my prayer is that you will take lessons from Dad on what it means to be a great Father. Remember, your daughters will seek out a husband that is like you and your sons will treat their wives like you treat your wife. Be it good or bad, you are the gold standard in their lives. You'll read more about this later.
As early as I can remember, my Dad involved me in things that he liked such as hamfests, ham radio, fishing, computers, and many more. I guess this explains a lot to those of you that know me...lol! I can remember going with Dad and one of his friends, Mandall Rigdon, up to Sassafras Mountain to work on a ham radio repeater. I could not have been more than three or four years old, but Dad took me with him. Fortunately for Dad, he brought along my sleeping bag which proved to be a good thing; we got stuck on the mountain. I don't remember how or why, but I do remember being with him. Hamfests were an annual event in the Littleton family. Dad, my uncle Lewis, my cousin Eddie, and myself took a trip up to Shelby, NC every year to walk around, "The Granddaddy of them All", the Shelby Hamfest. I have so many wonderful memories of those trips, but unfortunately I don't have the time to share them all with you. But again, Dad involved me. I remember fishing trips to the "Hot Spot" and "Hughes Bend". I remember Dad teaching me to work on things; cars, radios, yard work, etc. He always told me, "Check the simple stuff first." You don't know how many times I could have saved a lot of time if I had only listened to that little piece of advice. Dad was always there for baseball games and later in life when I played RA Softball, he was there for that as well.
When we were young, we didn't have a lot of money, but Dad was very creative. Our semi-annual outing was to take a trip down to the Ramada Inn in Clemson. That may seem strange, but my sister and I loved to play in the pool which we didn't get to do very often so Dad would load us up and take us for a one night outing just to let us play in the indoor swimming pool at the Ramada Inn. Sometimes on Sunday nights, he would load us up in the back of his vette, his Chevette, and just go for a ride while Kathy and I would look up at the stars. I remember Dad decorating the house with balloons and other party favors for Mom's birthday. He even let me stay up to wait on mom to return from work on the second shift. Dad was the perfect gentleman.
Now while I'm sure much of the motivation and instruction on doing things for Mom came from subtle guidance from Mom, Dad was willing to do it. He taught me to love my wife and to treat her with dignity and respect. I've never heard Dad raise his voice at Mom to this day and they've been married for 42 years. Dad has always been active in Church and faithful to Christ.
I owe every single success in my life to my Dad. I began training for my career when I was born. I began training to be a husband when I was born. And, I began training to be a father again, when I was born. Why, because I had a Dad that took the time to be involved and who taught me to be these things. Now I'm sure there are those who are reading this blog that didn't have a Dad like I have. I cannot begin to imagine what that must have been like, but there is hope!! You can break the cycle today. Today, you can choose to be a man of integrity, a husband of great repore, and a father of immeasurable compassion, love, and strength. Today, you can choose to be "Courageous" all for the cause of Christ!
Jesus, thank you so much for Dad! Thank you for giving me such a wonderful example of you. I'm sorry when I fail to take advantage of every single second of life with my wife and children. I ask you father to heal broken hearts that may be reading this and who have not experienced a Godly example of you. Please wrap your arms around them and show them your love. I love you so much Lord!
Happy Father's Day Dad!!! You have no idea how much I love you!!
For those of you reading this blog, my prayer is that you will take lessons from Dad on what it means to be a great Father. Remember, your daughters will seek out a husband that is like you and your sons will treat their wives like you treat your wife. Be it good or bad, you are the gold standard in their lives. You'll read more about this later.
As early as I can remember, my Dad involved me in things that he liked such as hamfests, ham radio, fishing, computers, and many more. I guess this explains a lot to those of you that know me...lol! I can remember going with Dad and one of his friends, Mandall Rigdon, up to Sassafras Mountain to work on a ham radio repeater. I could not have been more than three or four years old, but Dad took me with him. Fortunately for Dad, he brought along my sleeping bag which proved to be a good thing; we got stuck on the mountain. I don't remember how or why, but I do remember being with him. Hamfests were an annual event in the Littleton family. Dad, my uncle Lewis, my cousin Eddie, and myself took a trip up to Shelby, NC every year to walk around, "The Granddaddy of them All", the Shelby Hamfest. I have so many wonderful memories of those trips, but unfortunately I don't have the time to share them all with you. But again, Dad involved me. I remember fishing trips to the "Hot Spot" and "Hughes Bend". I remember Dad teaching me to work on things; cars, radios, yard work, etc. He always told me, "Check the simple stuff first." You don't know how many times I could have saved a lot of time if I had only listened to that little piece of advice. Dad was always there for baseball games and later in life when I played RA Softball, he was there for that as well.
When we were young, we didn't have a lot of money, but Dad was very creative. Our semi-annual outing was to take a trip down to the Ramada Inn in Clemson. That may seem strange, but my sister and I loved to play in the pool which we didn't get to do very often so Dad would load us up and take us for a one night outing just to let us play in the indoor swimming pool at the Ramada Inn. Sometimes on Sunday nights, he would load us up in the back of his vette, his Chevette, and just go for a ride while Kathy and I would look up at the stars. I remember Dad decorating the house with balloons and other party favors for Mom's birthday. He even let me stay up to wait on mom to return from work on the second shift. Dad was the perfect gentleman.
Now while I'm sure much of the motivation and instruction on doing things for Mom came from subtle guidance from Mom, Dad was willing to do it. He taught me to love my wife and to treat her with dignity and respect. I've never heard Dad raise his voice at Mom to this day and they've been married for 42 years. Dad has always been active in Church and faithful to Christ.
I owe every single success in my life to my Dad. I began training for my career when I was born. I began training to be a husband when I was born. And, I began training to be a father again, when I was born. Why, because I had a Dad that took the time to be involved and who taught me to be these things. Now I'm sure there are those who are reading this blog that didn't have a Dad like I have. I cannot begin to imagine what that must have been like, but there is hope!! You can break the cycle today. Today, you can choose to be a man of integrity, a husband of great repore, and a father of immeasurable compassion, love, and strength. Today, you can choose to be "Courageous" all for the cause of Christ!
Jesus, thank you so much for Dad! Thank you for giving me such a wonderful example of you. I'm sorry when I fail to take advantage of every single second of life with my wife and children. I ask you father to heal broken hearts that may be reading this and who have not experienced a Godly example of you. Please wrap your arms around them and show them your love. I love you so much Lord!
Happy Father's Day Dad!!! You have no idea how much I love you!!
Saturday, June 9, 2012
"Yeah, whatever..."
The blog for today is one that I have struggled to write for a long time. In fact, I had my beautiful wife, Traci, proof-read it prior to posting. I hope that if you have spent any time at all around me you know that I love to talk about my family! I really do! And if you've spent any time at all around me, you've often heard me refer to, "my oldest", Cody. Cody is 19 years old and is actually my step-son. Many people have no idea that Cody is my step-son and make assumptions based on how I refer to him; this is by design. You see, I've always felt that the term, "step-son" is somewhat demeaning. It's almost like I'm saying, "you're here, but you are just not quite good enough" and that wasn't acceptable to me. Not to mention, Cody's Dad is very much a part of Cody's life and loves him very much. So, I decided to refer to Cody as, "my oldest". It was a tough balance of making Cody feel a part of our home without creating the perception that I was trying to take the place of his Dad. I wanted to make sure that Cody never felt as though he wasn't good enough for our home or me. In my mind, this was one of the ways I could make sure he felt like he belonged. After all, our home was as much his as it was any of ours.
What does this have to do with anything, right? There have been countless times when I've attempted to guide Cody in an effort to prevent him from making the wrong decision. I've tried to help him plan for his future and build a solid platform that he can build his life on. But, there have been just as many occasions where Cody responded with, "yeah, whatever". He would just blow me off and ignore anything I had to say. I guess the truth of the matter is, I was just like him when I was 19 years old. I thought my Mom and Dad only wanted to hold me back and keep me from living life. The reality is that I wanted to live life the way I wanted to live it, and I didn't want anybody telling me any different. I wanted all the glory and none of the responsibility of being an adult.
You know what's funny? I think God the Father must feel the same way I do on a constant basis with us; with me. He must shake his head at me on regular occasions. I can imagine the Lord thinking to himself, "I really wish he would just listen to me.." I should listen to our Father and here is why. His word provides insight into just how much he loves us. If we take a look at 1 John 3:1 (I like the New Living Translation for this one) which reads, "See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!" You see, God loves us so much more than we could ever imagine! He calls us his children! And, just like with my Mom and Dad, we see that God knows what is best. Take a look at Jeremiah 29:11 which reads, "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." The Bible is very plain in that God does not want harm to come to us; he doesn't want us to make sinful choices that will cause harm for us. And like I did at 19, like Cody must feel at 19, and like we as adults feel now, we MUST know better than our Lord what is best for our lives. In other words, we look away from God and say, "Yeah, whatever." I hate to remind all of us, but ignoring God is, "sin". God did so much more for us than just worrying about perceptions of the feeling of belonging. He gave up his son's life for us. He loves us SO MUCH that he plainly calls us, "His children". WOW!!! Did you catch that? He doesn't call us his "adopted" or "step" or whatever, he calls us His children.
Lord, I am SO sorry when I ignore your words and your wisdom. Please forgive me and help me to live by your example and leadership. Please remind me to set the example for my family and friends and to honor you!
I hope all of you have a wonderful week. And remember, "Step up, man up, and be more, "Courageous" all for the cause of Christ!"
What does this have to do with anything, right? There have been countless times when I've attempted to guide Cody in an effort to prevent him from making the wrong decision. I've tried to help him plan for his future and build a solid platform that he can build his life on. But, there have been just as many occasions where Cody responded with, "yeah, whatever". He would just blow me off and ignore anything I had to say. I guess the truth of the matter is, I was just like him when I was 19 years old. I thought my Mom and Dad only wanted to hold me back and keep me from living life. The reality is that I wanted to live life the way I wanted to live it, and I didn't want anybody telling me any different. I wanted all the glory and none of the responsibility of being an adult.
You know what's funny? I think God the Father must feel the same way I do on a constant basis with us; with me. He must shake his head at me on regular occasions. I can imagine the Lord thinking to himself, "I really wish he would just listen to me.." I should listen to our Father and here is why. His word provides insight into just how much he loves us. If we take a look at 1 John 3:1 (I like the New Living Translation for this one) which reads, "See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!" You see, God loves us so much more than we could ever imagine! He calls us his children! And, just like with my Mom and Dad, we see that God knows what is best. Take a look at Jeremiah 29:11 which reads, "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." The Bible is very plain in that God does not want harm to come to us; he doesn't want us to make sinful choices that will cause harm for us. And like I did at 19, like Cody must feel at 19, and like we as adults feel now, we MUST know better than our Lord what is best for our lives. In other words, we look away from God and say, "Yeah, whatever." I hate to remind all of us, but ignoring God is, "sin". God did so much more for us than just worrying about perceptions of the feeling of belonging. He gave up his son's life for us. He loves us SO MUCH that he plainly calls us, "His children". WOW!!! Did you catch that? He doesn't call us his "adopted" or "step" or whatever, he calls us His children.
Lord, I am SO sorry when I ignore your words and your wisdom. Please forgive me and help me to live by your example and leadership. Please remind me to set the example for my family and friends and to honor you!
I hope all of you have a wonderful week. And remember, "Step up, man up, and be more, "Courageous" all for the cause of Christ!"
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
"I'm a Logger"
Any self-respecting Southerner will hold a special place in their heart for Jerry Clower and Ray Stevens. You guessed it; I consider myself a self-respecting southerner. I am a huge fan of Ray Stevens AND Jerry Clower, and Ray Stevens gave me the idea of tonight's blog with his song, "The Haircut Song". Ok, for those of you without my appreciation for such silly humor, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNr1eZopzZ4 for the song. Ray tells a great story about where to get your haircut and in the first two verses, he tells the barber, "I'm a Logger" (which by the way isn't true) and in the last verse, he tells the barber, "I run this church for Loggers".
My personal story to this happened several years ago in Elberton, GA. Several of us from Easley Fire Department took some time off to go spend some time at Elijah Clark State Park. While we were there, a BAD storm blew in causing all kinds of damage. Being the professional firefighters we were, we sat out on the screened in porch of the cabin and witnessed first hand nature's destruction. After the excitement died down, we decided to ride into Elberton to the Huddle House for a late night supper. When we walked in, there was a man sitting at a booth with a straw cowboy hat on what had a Rattle Snake skin wrapped around it with the head of that snake fixed to the front of his hat with his mouth wide open. You can imagine the sarcastic thoughts going through our mind, but the man asked me, (Chief Billy Gibson was witness to this) "Are you fellers loggers?" I immediately thought of The Haircut Song and replied, "No sir, we run this church for loggers." It was all I could do to keep a straight face.
Seriously though, how many times to we customize who we are based on who we think other people want us to be? My focal passage tonight comes from Matthew 16:13-20 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2016:13-20&version=NIV and I want to key in verse 15. Jesus was essentially asking the disciples what others thought of him or to put it in our words, what were the rumors about Jesus? But Jesus asked Peter something that I think really shakes things up a bit when he asks in verse 15, "“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” In today's terms, I think Jesus wasn't very concerned about what other people thought, but it was very important what the disciples thought; believed. I think this passage could also teach us some leadership values, but what if Jesus had cleared it all up for Peter and said, "Peter, don't worry about it. I'm a logger." Or, when Jesus asked what other people thought, if Peter would have replied, "They think you run this church for loggers". The truth of the matter is, Jesus was just like you and me and he didn't have to be anything for anybody. He didn't ride up in the latest chariot with armed guards and an escort, he didn't live in the biggest mansion, and he didn't have his own reality show.
My question to you tonight, is, "Who do men say that you are?" Are you a "Logger", do you "run a church for loggers", or do people see Christ seeping out in you? Does your life reflect that of a life worth living? For me, my prayer is constantly that God will keep me humble and remind me to set the example. And, when I fail, that I seek forgiveness.
I hope all of you have a great week and know, that I am praying for all of you!
As posted before, it's time for us to step up, man up, and live for the cause of Christ.
My personal story to this happened several years ago in Elberton, GA. Several of us from Easley Fire Department took some time off to go spend some time at Elijah Clark State Park. While we were there, a BAD storm blew in causing all kinds of damage. Being the professional firefighters we were, we sat out on the screened in porch of the cabin and witnessed first hand nature's destruction. After the excitement died down, we decided to ride into Elberton to the Huddle House for a late night supper. When we walked in, there was a man sitting at a booth with a straw cowboy hat on what had a Rattle Snake skin wrapped around it with the head of that snake fixed to the front of his hat with his mouth wide open. You can imagine the sarcastic thoughts going through our mind, but the man asked me, (Chief Billy Gibson was witness to this) "Are you fellers loggers?" I immediately thought of The Haircut Song and replied, "No sir, we run this church for loggers." It was all I could do to keep a straight face.
Seriously though, how many times to we customize who we are based on who we think other people want us to be? My focal passage tonight comes from Matthew 16:13-20 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2016:13-20&version=NIV and I want to key in verse 15. Jesus was essentially asking the disciples what others thought of him or to put it in our words, what were the rumors about Jesus? But Jesus asked Peter something that I think really shakes things up a bit when he asks in verse 15, "“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” In today's terms, I think Jesus wasn't very concerned about what other people thought, but it was very important what the disciples thought; believed. I think this passage could also teach us some leadership values, but what if Jesus had cleared it all up for Peter and said, "Peter, don't worry about it. I'm a logger." Or, when Jesus asked what other people thought, if Peter would have replied, "They think you run this church for loggers". The truth of the matter is, Jesus was just like you and me and he didn't have to be anything for anybody. He didn't ride up in the latest chariot with armed guards and an escort, he didn't live in the biggest mansion, and he didn't have his own reality show.
My question to you tonight, is, "Who do men say that you are?" Are you a "Logger", do you "run a church for loggers", or do people see Christ seeping out in you? Does your life reflect that of a life worth living? For me, my prayer is constantly that God will keep me humble and remind me to set the example. And, when I fail, that I seek forgiveness.
I hope all of you have a great week and know, that I am praying for all of you!
As posted before, it's time for us to step up, man up, and live for the cause of Christ.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
"Because That's What You Do!"
It's been some time now since I've written a blog. Things have been very hectic and stressful lately; I think I've lazied out... My eight year old son Will has wanted to spend his every waking moment with me this weekend and I have loved every minute of it. Oddly enough, he's taught me a couple of lessons I want to share with you. I titled this blog, "Because That's What You Do!" because of something that Will said to me yesterday (which I will share with you later), but this statement can mean so many things. It can be good, bad, or maybe even accusing.
I wonder, how many of you who are reading my blog (including myself as I write it) are actively seeking to set the example? And I mean the good example. On the other hand, how many times have I found myself with a bad attitude and chose to take it out on others? How many of us find ourselves engaged in personal warfare while only attempting to hide our own weaknesses or failures? This is not what we've been designed to do! God does not desire for us to act this way nor does he want us to be victim of such antics.
The root scripture of my blog tonight is found in Titus 2:7-8 which reads, "7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us."(NIV) Now the book of Titus is simply a letter written by Paul to Titus with instructions on how to supervise the Churches of that day on the island of Crete. The letter is packed with great guidance, wisdom, encouragement, and words of experience. In other words, Paul was mentoring and setting the example. Let's not forget that the early leaders of that day had every reason to complain, yet people like Paul chose to keep fighting the good fight. He set the example for all of us to follow yet we never hear him complain or try to throw somebody else under the bus to cover up his own mistakes. In this passage, he gives us sound wisdom to follow. Paul knew that there would be attacks on Titus and I'm sure Titus knew that as well. However, Paul reminded him not to fall victim to running his mouth. I think that's a problem at times for all of us; running our mouth.
Before I leave you with my challenge, I want to share with you what Will said to me yesterday. My Mom's cat recently gave birth to six kittens and Will and Katie have feel in love. Will and I were on the way to the farm to plow some garden spots and cut the grass when Will shares this with me;
I wonder, how many of you who are reading my blog (including myself as I write it) are actively seeking to set the example? And I mean the good example. On the other hand, how many times have I found myself with a bad attitude and chose to take it out on others? How many of us find ourselves engaged in personal warfare while only attempting to hide our own weaknesses or failures? This is not what we've been designed to do! God does not desire for us to act this way nor does he want us to be victim of such antics.
The root scripture of my blog tonight is found in Titus 2:7-8 which reads, "7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us."(NIV) Now the book of Titus is simply a letter written by Paul to Titus with instructions on how to supervise the Churches of that day on the island of Crete. The letter is packed with great guidance, wisdom, encouragement, and words of experience. In other words, Paul was mentoring and setting the example. Let's not forget that the early leaders of that day had every reason to complain, yet people like Paul chose to keep fighting the good fight. He set the example for all of us to follow yet we never hear him complain or try to throw somebody else under the bus to cover up his own mistakes. In this passage, he gives us sound wisdom to follow. Paul knew that there would be attacks on Titus and I'm sure Titus knew that as well. However, Paul reminded him not to fall victim to running his mouth. I think that's a problem at times for all of us; running our mouth.
Before I leave you with my challenge, I want to share with you what Will said to me yesterday. My Mom's cat recently gave birth to six kittens and Will and Katie have feel in love. Will and I were on the way to the farm to plow some garden spots and cut the grass when Will shares this with me;
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Random Thoughts
Its been awhile since I've posted, so I thought I would try to make up for it. This has been an absolutely amazing weekend! It started with my team at work making some sacrifices for me to allow me to leave work early on Friday. Yep, I have an amazing team! The reason I needed to leave early is because Traci and I were going to Flat Rock, NC for a marriage retreat with our church. We had a wonderful time and I learned an aweful lot about being a better husband and father this weekend. Not to mention that I got to spend some time with Traci, just me and her.
Church was absolutely amazing this morning! There were 20 salvations this morning!!! God really moved through Dean and I am proud to be a part of 5 Point Church. It never ceases to amaze me at how far they are willing to go to reach people for Christ. I love the fact that Dean is unashamed and unafraid to preach exactly what God puts on his heart.
All in all, I am very thankful for such a great weekend! Sorry, but I don't have any deep thoughts today; my thinker is a little slack today.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
"Why"
I have been so humbled by the comments from those of you that read this blog. When I started the blog, I was looking for a way to vent my frustrations with the typical "Church" without taking it out on others. If you've read my blog before, you understand why I say, "Church"; if not, read some of my earlier posts. At any rate, the blog transformed into my attempts to share encouragement with all of you.
Many of you, share my profession or something to the like. And, like a friend of mine and I were discussing on Friday, we experience high levels of stress even on a normal day. There are so many factors that stress us from the dangers of the job, balancing work and family, political pressures, and many more. I think about all of you so much and I wish each of you knew how much I pray for you, your safety, and the stability and sanctity of your families. All of you are at the top of my thoughts each day. The amazing thing is, that so many of you read my blog knowing who I am, with all my imperfections, and yet you still read and share with your friends. So lately, I've been wondering, "Why?" Now that is a deep question, but it's one I want to spend some time with today.
One of my favorite verses explaining God's desire for us to succeed, is located in the book of Jeremiah 29:11 which reads, "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. " You see, God doesn't want to be a dictator of our lives, nor does he want to set a bunch of rules for us to live by just to make our lives difficult. If we follow his guidance and his teachings, his plans for us to succeed become reality.
This is where the problem comes in. For those of you in law enforcement, how many times have you investigated a crime where the suspect blamed somebody else? It's like the story of the criminal that breaks into somebody's house, falls out of the window and sustains serious injury, then wants to sue the homeowner for his injuries. You see, we want to make mistakes we know are our fault, then blame somebody else for our actions. I heard a comedian once talk about how kids always blame their parents for their (the kids) mistakes. The comedian went on to say, "My mom was good, my dad was good. I guess I'm just a moron." The truth of the matter is that our relationship with Christ is often times just like that. "Lord, I know I've done nothing to deserve your blessings, but that other guy kept me from going to Church." Then, when we hit the bottom, look up at God, and ask, "Why?" We live our lives by our own rules and desires then wonder "WHY" God doesn't bless us.
As I've written before, God's love is so much more than we can comprehend. Even when we've turned our back on God, he's right where he's always been waiting on us to return. Jesus tells the parable of the lost son in Luke 15:20 where Jesus, talking about the Father of the lost son, say, “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him." This passage tells us that the Father was watching for the return of a long lost, greedy, spoiled, punk. He was praying for his son's return, even though the son had been so ungrateful. You see, God know how and why we do things. Some of the things we do break his heart, but he loves us anyway. And when we stray from his love and will, he is standing there with arms wide open, looking for us, waiting for us to return. If you've found yourself like this, maybe today would be a great time to spend some time in prayer alone with God. Something like this. "Lord, forgive me when I try to do things on my own. Forgive me when I take your love for granted. I'm sorry and I ask you to take control of my life. Help me to follow your plans for me. I love you Lord."
I hope all of you have a wonderful week. As I often do, I've included a link to a song, "The Love of God" performed by Mercy Me at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWnvmKoLWUU
Please know that I love and I'm praying for each of you!
Many of you, share my profession or something to the like. And, like a friend of mine and I were discussing on Friday, we experience high levels of stress even on a normal day. There are so many factors that stress us from the dangers of the job, balancing work and family, political pressures, and many more. I think about all of you so much and I wish each of you knew how much I pray for you, your safety, and the stability and sanctity of your families. All of you are at the top of my thoughts each day. The amazing thing is, that so many of you read my blog knowing who I am, with all my imperfections, and yet you still read and share with your friends. So lately, I've been wondering, "Why?" Now that is a deep question, but it's one I want to spend some time with today.
One of my favorite verses explaining God's desire for us to succeed, is located in the book of Jeremiah 29:11 which reads, "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. " You see, God doesn't want to be a dictator of our lives, nor does he want to set a bunch of rules for us to live by just to make our lives difficult. If we follow his guidance and his teachings, his plans for us to succeed become reality.
This is where the problem comes in. For those of you in law enforcement, how many times have you investigated a crime where the suspect blamed somebody else? It's like the story of the criminal that breaks into somebody's house, falls out of the window and sustains serious injury, then wants to sue the homeowner for his injuries. You see, we want to make mistakes we know are our fault, then blame somebody else for our actions. I heard a comedian once talk about how kids always blame their parents for their (the kids) mistakes. The comedian went on to say, "My mom was good, my dad was good. I guess I'm just a moron." The truth of the matter is that our relationship with Christ is often times just like that. "Lord, I know I've done nothing to deserve your blessings, but that other guy kept me from going to Church." Then, when we hit the bottom, look up at God, and ask, "Why?" We live our lives by our own rules and desires then wonder "WHY" God doesn't bless us.
As I've written before, God's love is so much more than we can comprehend. Even when we've turned our back on God, he's right where he's always been waiting on us to return. Jesus tells the parable of the lost son in Luke 15:20 where Jesus, talking about the Father of the lost son, say, “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him." This passage tells us that the Father was watching for the return of a long lost, greedy, spoiled, punk. He was praying for his son's return, even though the son had been so ungrateful. You see, God know how and why we do things. Some of the things we do break his heart, but he loves us anyway. And when we stray from his love and will, he is standing there with arms wide open, looking for us, waiting for us to return. If you've found yourself like this, maybe today would be a great time to spend some time in prayer alone with God. Something like this. "Lord, forgive me when I try to do things on my own. Forgive me when I take your love for granted. I'm sorry and I ask you to take control of my life. Help me to follow your plans for me. I love you Lord."
I hope all of you have a wonderful week. As I often do, I've included a link to a song, "The Love of God" performed by Mercy Me at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWnvmKoLWUU
Please know that I love and I'm praying for each of you!
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