vacation.

Today marks the beginning of ten days of rest and relaxation back home in Missouri. My hope and prayer is that I can draw away and find revelation and refreshment. I have been so caught up lately with the rush of work, life, and whatever else fills the hours of my day. I have neglected the One that is so near to my heart. I have relied on my own strength, only to find it doesn’t hold quite like the strength of our Father.

“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.”

“…He loves to feed those who are truly hungry.”

“But only those whose lives are dependent on the person of the Holy Spirit will consistently recognize His voice.”

I hunger and thirst for You. My heart says, “Come” and provide me with the manna of Heaven.

birthday

I turned 26 years old today. Its been a wonderful day. I can’t really say I feel any different or any older. I am excited for this next year as I will be entering into a season outside of what has become the norm for the last nine years. I am definitely prepared for what Father has next and expectant in the unseen. So much on my heart lately. I’m trying to process and put it down on paper, then maybe I can blog about it. Big things. With that, another year begins.

chase.

I really liked this.. this is from a book Mark Batterson wrote..

Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Grab life by the mane. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Accumulate experiences. Consider the lilies. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life. Don’t let what’s wrong with you keep you from worshiping what’s right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze new trails. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don’t try to be who you’re not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away.

Chase the lion.

momentum.

I’m building momentum as I come closer to following the calling Father has placed on me. I turn 26 next week which is huge, because its amazing to see where I have come from. Ten years ago this October I have walked with Father and have truly been blessed by the transformation of my heart and life. Each year, I build upon the foundation that was started with a decision one Wednesday night in youth group. I am ready for what is to come.

Luke 4:18-19 says,

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, for He has anointed Me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the opressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”

There is no turning back, no desire to reproduce what was. I AM here for the now and expectant of what Father wll bring. My heart and prayer is this: Father, continue to mold and shape my heart. Break my heart for what breaks Yours. Strengthen my steps, so that I can run this race to the end. Stoke the fires within my spirit, let it Your presence invade all of me. Pour your annointing over me. I AM a world changer. I will not holding anything back. I want all of You. Burn away the chaff, bring forth the beauty of You in me from the ashes. You are all I desire. Open my ears to hear, my eyes to see, and speak life into the words I speak. May my prayers be powerful and fervent. I love you Father and thank you. Amen.

“Be the change that you want to see in the world.” – Mohandas Gandhi
I will be that change.

wholeness.

Today we weigh in at work. Our store has committed to do the “Biggest Loser” program. I know I don’t have the appearance of a candidate for this program, but I am apart of it nonetheless. I would like to lose ten pounds and tone up a bit. I’ve lost the figure I had in college, which wasn’t that impressive, but satisfying for me. I started working out this week with Pastor, definitely getting my butt kicked. I feel like a wimp, but its the beginning. In a few weeks, I’ll have my endurance back and I’ll be able to withstand the circuit training and the long runs and bike rides. I am thankful I am getting back into working out. I’ve missed it in my life. It helps with attitude, energy, and overall life. 

Similar to the Word, when its left out of  daily life. We lose what strength we’ve built up to whoop the Devil. I was in 2 Timothy 2 this morning and loved a couple verses, I’ll share..

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (15).”

“Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity (19).” 

“Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart (21-22).”

Between the Word and physical strength training, we are able to present ourselves before Father with pure hearts. Continue to seek after what holds value and edifies the heart and soul. Take hold of things that bring wholeness and don’t rob us of the total blessing and abundance from Father. 

Hopefully, I’ll have weekly updates of my training and weight loss. Maybe a couple pictures. We’ll see where this leads.

resurrection.

Today is Easter. What a glorious day it was. Though I worked most of it, I was able to make it to church this morning. Our attendance was busting at the seams with visitors, yay Father! It was good to see so many hungry to reflect or recognize the importance of resurrection of Christ. For me, it was a wonderful reminder of Father’s grace. I am forgiven. It made me want to run harder after the Father. I’m hungry. I’m changed. I won’t return to what was. I am made new. My life is not my own. I wasn’t made to be comfortable. I was made for the front lines. To live a life of sacrifice.

 

Thank you Jesus.

enough.

I don’t have much tonight. I’m truly exhausted from the last few days of work. I need to spend sometime as I feel my reserves being emptied. The one consistent thought in my mind and heart tonight is this.. He is more than enough. There is nothing else that can satisfy or fulfill like He can. I’ll leave you with these quotes from John Piper.

“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him”

“The essence of faith is being satisfied with all that God is for us in Jesus.”

humbled.

1 Peter 5 says,

6Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you,

    ⁷Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.

    ⁸Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.

 

    ⁹Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset--rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world.

    ¹⁰And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace [Who imparts all blessing and favor], Who has called you to His [own] eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you.

 

These last few weeks, I’ve found myself struggling be focused on the Word and the promises it holds. I’ve allowed the world and its busyness overtake my feelings, emotions, and reactions. It wasn’t until this past Sunday night at church I finally let go and humbled myself. I can’t do it alone. I wasn’t intended to do it alone. I can live a life full of the joy the Lord promises. I love how Peter says to humble ourselves, so that the Lord can lift us up. The Amplified adds emphasis to humbling or demoting or lowering our estimation of who we think we are to be. So that Christ may exalt or lift us up. There is so much power in the truths present above. The enemy may be prowling around, but we shall not fear, because he can’t come against us when we are rooted in faith with Christ Jesus. He bore everything for us on the Cross. The victory is ours. The end results of being tested is the strengthening of our faith and foundation in Christ Jesus. Grab hold of the Word, memorize it, write it down, pray it out. Let it soak in your heart.

Father, let us not overlook the power You placed in your Word. Let it soak into our hearts, our very core. Let us be in continual hunger for it, not settling for one filling. Overwhelmed with Your promises. Change us for eternity. We love you and thank you for the life You gave. Amen.

word.

I was encouraged this morning by the “words” in John 1,

^“1 In the beginning the Word already existed.
      The Word was with God,
      and the Word was God.
 ² He existed in the beginning with God.
 ³ God created everything through him,
      and nothing was created except through him.
 ⁴ The Word gave life to everything that was created,
      and his life brought light to everyone.
 ⁵ The light shines in the darkness,
      and the darkness can never extinguish it.“

Again, I’ve dropped the ball on consistently blogging, but its alright I’ll get there. I’ve been listening to several sermon podcasts lately of various topics from the likes of Mark Driscoll, John Piper, and  Brian Houston. The messages are solid. There has been a consistent message within each podcast and that is the power of spoken word. 

James 3 says this about taming the tongue,

 ”¹ Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. ² Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. ³ We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. ⁴And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. ⁵ In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.

   But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. ⁶ And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.

 ⁷ People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, ⁸ but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. ⁹ Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. ¹⁰ And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!”

I’m learning so much right about this. Spoken word can carry so much power, yet it can also self destruct our own being. Jesus healed a lame man in the book of John (5:1-16) by a few simple words, “Would you like to get well? ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk! (5:6,8)” 

When I was Africa last year, I was able to pray for hundreds and saw several of them healed of deaf ears, blind eyes, and immobile bodies. Cancerous growths and tumors were dissolved by commanding them to leave in Jesus name. If you don’t believe me, check this video out and see the testimonies of those healed. I’ve definitely experienced the extremes of taming the tongue lately. I’m humbly being transformed and pruned (John 15:1-17) as I stay connected. John says it best, “The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone (1:4)”

I can either bring life with my words or I can bring death. I choose life. I pray that each day I would continually be transformed and renewed by the Word and that it would cultivate the desire to encourage and bless and not tear down. So yeah, I pray also that this would encourage those that read this blog..

Something that made me smile today,

“From His abundance we have all received one gracious blessings after another.” – John 1:16 

Our God doesn’t act in the “one and done” way, He continually blesses from his “abundance”.. again and again WOW!

chivalry.

I just thought I’d share my thoughts on the subject of chivalry. Sadly, I don’t see much of it throughout today’s generation. Chivalry can defined as the sum of the ideal qualifications of a knight, including courtesy, generosity, valor, and dexterity in arms. As I researched the word, I found it related mainly to being a knight or one of high esteem; a lord or earl. Most definitions speak of the character of each and the word chivalry is tied with it. In today’s world to be show chivalry is to show honor to a woman in word or deed. 

Why do I bring this topic to the forefront? Simple. We need to honor women, period. A few nights ago, I was out with friends. I had picked my friend up that night at her house. We proceeded to my car where I opened her door, shut it, and walked around to my side. It didn’t stop there, I opened the door at the theater, and at dinner. I paid for her ticket, dinner, and ice cream. Whether you would classify this as a date isn’t the point. Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one that was chivalrous that night. The guys in our group held the door, offered their jacket as the weather was chilly, and paid for dinner. I don’t say this to get a pat on the back or an atta boy, but to encourage the guys to treat women like that. There was only one dating couple with us, the rest of us enjoyed the company amongst friends. Women shouldn’t expect it, it should be commonplace amongst men. We need to show honor.

I believe if “honor” was the the focal point of relationships, lives would be changed. Our world would change. A comment was made that night that both broke my heart, yet encouraged me to continue on. My friend stated, “I’m not used to the door being opened for me, I like it.” 

Though Ephesians 5 talks of marriage, I believe the truths are the same for any relationships. The basis is “love, honor, and respect for the other, just as if it were yourself.

 ”²¹Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives and Husbands

 ²²Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. ²³For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. ²⁴Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. ²⁵Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶to make her holy, cleansing^[b] her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. ²⁸In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— ³⁰for we are members of his body. ³¹“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”^[c] 32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. ³³However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”

I don’t know if I expressed my heart clearly, but simply put.. we as men need to rise up as men and honor the women in our lives, whether they are our wives, sisters, moms, friends, bosses, etc. As Mahatma Gandhi put it best, “We must be the change we wish to see in the world.” I will be that the change. My prayer is that more would be as well.