Tragedy struck our country on September 11, 2001. Like most people, I can remember every emotion I felt on that day, and how it made me feel for the next 10 years. Last night (the night it was first aired) I learned of the death of the head or symbolic leader of the al Qaeda regime. Usuma Bin Laden was finally dead.
People were assembling in joy, in unity, that finally, the evil Bin Laden was slain. I heard people singing songs like "Ding Dong Bin Laden's Dead", or "Na na nana Na Na nana Hey Hey Hey Goodbye." I saw people post numerous Facebook or Twitter rants of "Finally an evil man is dead" or "Good, He needs to Rot in Hell!" These took my by surprise, as I expect this type of response from most people, but a response like this from my brothers and sisters in Christ, I was in shock. I was reminded of what it says in James 3:9-10
9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.
This should not be. That phrase can be taken lightly can't it? What really is meant by that is, It's unacceptable, it's inconsistent, and it's wrong. Can we really curse God's creation to damnation and suffering and praise Him at the same time? We curse (to wish evil upon) people who were created to worship Him and created in His likeness, in his image, so that they could live a life in service to Him, yet we often times choose to ignore people or worse, purposely hope they do not enter into our lives or way of living.
This whole blog might be considered unpatriotic but honestly, I AM glad he was tracked down and and I am glad he was finally brought to justice. Yes, I consider myself a patriotic person and I do love our country, but I also love our world, and our universe. I am in constant amazement at the vastness that our God has created.
Do I view Bin Laden as an evil man? Yes. I most certainly do. He was a man in desperate need of a dose of truth and the truth that was and is and is to come. Jesus Christ. Guess what though, without Christ, we are ALL evil in same form or fashion. We are all sinners and in the same need of the same salvation. So was Bin Laden evil? Yes. But was he more evil or more deserving of Hell than any of us? No. He simply did not choose Christ.
Most people if you ask them whether or not they are a "good", Most, would say Yes, or better than this guy, or that guy. But we need to realize what God says about our hearts, without Him, this is who we are:
In Romans 3:10-12 it says
10 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God. 12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good, not even one.”
and check out what it says later in verses 20-24
20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. 21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
So what these verses are literally saying, is that in God's sights, according to the law itself, we are not made good or evil by obeying or disobeying the law. The law does however, show how much we are ALL in need of a savior. A person can only be made good by choosing Jesus Christ. A person can only be truly called evil by not choosing Jesus Christ. Therefore, we can conclude, without Jesus, we are ALL evil.
To you who follow Jesus and are rejoicing that this man is in Hell. Are you really rejoicing that someone left this Earth and died without coming to know his Creator? Again, this should not be! You should not rejoice if anyone perishes without knowing Christ.
I would urge you to read this out of 1 Timothy 2.
1 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people.
So God wants all people to come to know Him. Is this going to happen? No, by nature of or Sin, no, some people will perish without ever knowing Him, but still, it says here that God's desire is that all people come to know Him, since we are to live as Jesus did in this world, we are to also, desire that all people come to know Him.
So why then am I glad that Bin Laden was caught and brought to justice? I am glad simply from the sense that this man can no longer spread terror and kill people who also are without Christ. It is because of his actions and influences that many other people died and were not given the chance to get to know their creator as well. Under his watch, the world saw more hate, more chaos, more sorrow, more evil. I am glad he was stopped and the people of the USA can finally feel a sense of closure from a man who terrorized so many people and murdered so many loved ones.
I am not happy however, that this man died having lived a life filled with nothing but things opposite of the truth. I am not happy he died rejecting the one Truth that could ultimately save him. He chose to live a life that was in service to things not of God.
So again, I say, it's not wrong to be happy that he was caught, and that evil will no longer come from his life. It IS wrong however, to rejoice in his death and to rejoice in the fact that this man, who was created to worship God, is now separated from God, forever.
May you choose to follow Jesus and live and love just like He does.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Statistics
Disclaimer: This series is not being written to intentionally offend, attack, or hurt anyone else. I am writing it simply to express my thoughts and feelings on each particular subject. I will do my best to make sure my opinions are Biblically based and if you are offended or feel attacked, Please know that was not my intention here. Instead of becoming angry, I challenge you to dive into the Bible and do your own research. Either way, God's truth will reveal itself. I can only hope my words will help someone take a few steps closer to Him.
If you are in a dangerous or abusive situation or marriage, let me say this: GET OUT NOW! It is not God's will for you to be hurt or treated in such a way that is not of Him. If your spouse is abusing you in any manner, your spouse has already broken the marriage commitment and you are free to leave.
They say that 50% of marriages end in divorce. Why then do so many people still choose to get married? In the last 4 years, I've gone to more weddings than I can immediately remember. So, according to statistics, half of those are going to fail?! What a miserable thing to think about! It is my desire that not only all these marriages succeed, but that they go above and beyond and beat the odds by keeping Christ as the center of the marriage.
Not too long ago while I was at work, I stumbled across some news that truly upset me. A couple that I had once been close to, had gotten divorced. I was close to both of them and truly respected them as a Godly, Christ-serving couple. This news was like a slap on the face that you do not expect, it's sudden, it's painful and it makes you really think about yourself. (Just so I make it clear before you think I'm some self-righteous schmuck who is going around pointing the finger, I know I am by no means perfect.)
Before I delve into my thoughts, let's take a look at what the Bible has to say about divorce.
So right away, what do we notice? Is divorce allowed according to scripture. Yes! What is the reason behind it however? A divorce is permitted in the cases of marital unfaithfulness. In Matthew 19, we see some Pharisees attempt to test Jesus. Jesus basically says that in the beginning Man and Woman were created to be together. That's why people will leave the households they grew up in, to be united with their spouse and become one with them.
It would seem based upon scripture, divorce, while permitted in cases of martial unfaithfulness, is not a thing that was intended for man and woman to have to experience. In other words, since sin entered the world, it means that we are imperfect and guess what? Since people are imperfect, surely we are going to do things that aren't in each other's best interests! We can only be made perfect and complete through Christ, it is my firm belief that unless Christ is at the center, there is absolutely no way that a perfect marriage will exist and eventually, of ourselves, a divorce is highly likely to occur. However, if two people who are serving Christ on their own, can come together in marriage, make sure that they are each serving Christ and if they can keep Him at the center of the marriage, what a beautiful marriage it will be!
When people get married, often times there are vows that they agree to with one another. This is good and appropriate. However, when two Christian's marry, there is also a vow to the Lord that you are committing your life to this other person, to serve, to protect, to love and to cherish this person for the rest of your life.
Now, when someone breaks a promise to us, isn't it expected sometimes? I mean, when I got married, I vowed to love my wife at all times and to treat her the way God would want me to treat her. Now, in my human side, do you honestly think that I have always treated her with love and respect and always treated her how God wanted me to? Short answer, no. I haven't always done that, though I had vowed to do this on our wedding day. However, the other side of the vow that was included in our marriage was the vow to God that no matter how hard things got or how different we felt our paths were, we would remain united in Him. That if He was the only thing we had in common, that would be enough to keep our marriage going.
Many of you might say, "It's none of your business what other people choose to do with their marriage, it's a highly personal decision." To this, I might reply, while it is a personal decision which I have no part in making for anyone else, the Bible also goes on to say that the Church, those who are in Christ, make up one body. When one part of the body hurts, it affects the entire rest of the body. Therefore, when a decision is made by a brother or sister in Christ of mine, it affects them, it affects me, and it affects the Church as a whole.
For an example of how sin can affect the entire Church: check out this verse out of 1 Corinthians 5:
So this is a highly different situation than divorce, but the end result is the same. This man, in his sin, was affecting the entire Church. Our call is simple: to be a light in a dark world, to help people realize that darkness, and to present them with the light that is Christ so they can ultimately come to have a relationship with Him as well.
So back to divorce. As you can see with the section above, my sin affects you, your sin affects me. On the subject of vows, we constantly break vows and promises to one another don't we? How often so we say, "I'll pray for you" or "yeah, I will call you to get together this week." Or in extreme cases, how many people vow under oath in court that something is true? This is a common thing. Not a good thing, a thing common to us as people. We might even have good intentions, but many times we say things at the moment, lacking real intention on following through. It helps us to get what we want. However, when we make a vow to God, it's said it's better to not make a vow at all than to make a vow to God and break it.
If you are in a dangerous or abusive situation or marriage, let me say this: GET OUT NOW! It is not God's will for you to be hurt or treated in such a way that is not of Him. If your spouse is abusing you in any manner, your spouse has already broken the marriage commitment and you are free to leave.
They say that 50% of marriages end in divorce. Why then do so many people still choose to get married? In the last 4 years, I've gone to more weddings than I can immediately remember. So, according to statistics, half of those are going to fail?! What a miserable thing to think about! It is my desire that not only all these marriages succeed, but that they go above and beyond and beat the odds by keeping Christ as the center of the marriage.
Not too long ago while I was at work, I stumbled across some news that truly upset me. A couple that I had once been close to, had gotten divorced. I was close to both of them and truly respected them as a Godly, Christ-serving couple. This news was like a slap on the face that you do not expect, it's sudden, it's painful and it makes you really think about yourself. (Just so I make it clear before you think I'm some self-righteous schmuck who is going around pointing the finger, I know I am by no means perfect.)
Before I delve into my thoughts, let's take a look at what the Bible has to say about divorce.
Matthew 5:31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery,
and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Matthew 19
3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?” 4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate." 7 “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?” 8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.” 10 The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.” 11 Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. 12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”
Malachi 2:16 “The man who hates and divorces his wife,” says the LORD, the God of Israel, “does violence to the one he should protect,” says the LORD Almighty. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful.
It would seem based upon scripture, divorce, while permitted in cases of martial unfaithfulness, is not a thing that was intended for man and woman to have to experience. In other words, since sin entered the world, it means that we are imperfect and guess what? Since people are imperfect, surely we are going to do things that aren't in each other's best interests! We can only be made perfect and complete through Christ, it is my firm belief that unless Christ is at the center, there is absolutely no way that a perfect marriage will exist and eventually, of ourselves, a divorce is highly likely to occur. However, if two people who are serving Christ on their own, can come together in marriage, make sure that they are each serving Christ and if they can keep Him at the center of the marriage, what a beautiful marriage it will be!
When people get married, often times there are vows that they agree to with one another. This is good and appropriate. However, when two Christian's marry, there is also a vow to the Lord that you are committing your life to this other person, to serve, to protect, to love and to cherish this person for the rest of your life.
Now, when someone breaks a promise to us, isn't it expected sometimes? I mean, when I got married, I vowed to love my wife at all times and to treat her the way God would want me to treat her. Now, in my human side, do you honestly think that I have always treated her with love and respect and always treated her how God wanted me to? Short answer, no. I haven't always done that, though I had vowed to do this on our wedding day. However, the other side of the vow that was included in our marriage was the vow to God that no matter how hard things got or how different we felt our paths were, we would remain united in Him. That if He was the only thing we had in common, that would be enough to keep our marriage going.
Many of you might say, "It's none of your business what other people choose to do with their marriage, it's a highly personal decision." To this, I might reply, while it is a personal decision which I have no part in making for anyone else, the Bible also goes on to say that the Church, those who are in Christ, make up one body. When one part of the body hurts, it affects the entire rest of the body. Therefore, when a decision is made by a brother or sister in Christ of mine, it affects them, it affects me, and it affects the Church as a whole.
For an example of how sin can affect the entire Church: check out this verse out of 1 Corinthians 5:
1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this? 3 For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this. 4 So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5 hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord. 6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people 12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.
So back to divorce. As you can see with the section above, my sin affects you, your sin affects me. On the subject of vows, we constantly break vows and promises to one another don't we? How often so we say, "I'll pray for you" or "yeah, I will call you to get together this week." Or in extreme cases, how many people vow under oath in court that something is true? This is a common thing. Not a good thing, a thing common to us as people. We might even have good intentions, but many times we say things at the moment, lacking real intention on following through. It helps us to get what we want. However, when we make a vow to God, it's said it's better to not make a vow at all than to make a vow to God and break it.
Deuteronomy 23 - 21 If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the LORD your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. 22 But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty. 23 Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the LORD your God with your own mouth.
So breaking vows to my wife, in a sense, while still not acceptable, can almost be expected due to my humanity. However, according to this verse, breaking a vow I've made to God, is simply, sin.
So what can be contrived out of all that I've written thus far? This: If two Christians have married and vowed to God to be together until death separates them, anything else outside of this, causes them to sin.
Now, in the case of marital unfaithfulness, as we noticed above, this is the circumstance in which Jesus gave permission to leave. Why though? Because, the sin was already committed, the marriage bed had already been violated, thus it was permissible for the spouse who did not commit adultery, to leave, because the other spouse, according to this, had already left.
So let's throw a twist in here, I have to look at it this way, if even looking at another girl and having one thought about her is the same as committing adultery in our hearts (Matthew 5:28), how many husbands are guilty of this?! Yes, even Christian husbands! That being said, if so many people are guilty of this, does that technically mean that our spouses have the permission to leave us? YES. The simple thought of someone or something outside of the marriage to our spouse is regarded in exactly the same fashion as committing the act.
One of my favorite books in the Bible is Hosea. For those of you who aren't familiar with this story, please take time to read it. It is primarily about Hosea who was married to an unfaithful wife, Gomer. God instructs Hosea to take her back. It goes on to compare Hosea's situation to that of the Israelites and God's. This, to me, is a beautiful illustration of God's relationship with his people and how even though they constantly sought after things that weren't of Him, he reached his hands out, forgave them and took them back.
All this being considered, we are also regarded as the bride of Christ. How often do we sin against God? How often do we desire things that aren't of him? All too often. We commit adultery against Christ daily and guess what, He still forgives us and reaches His arms out and says, I will take your sin and I still love you. Simply put, this is how I want my relationship to be with my wife. No matter how much we do to hurt one another, we still welcome each other with open arms, knowing that while the pain from the mistakes will affect us for a while, Christ, as long as he is the center, will get us through anything.
They say 50% of marriages end in divorce. Those aren't very good statistics if you ask anyone. Not only is that a failing grade, but if you were presented with a situation and you were told, there is a 50% chance you will survive this, would you still take the step? My guess is most people would say, it's not worth it. I want to survive. Why then do so many people take the step to get married? I believe that, at one time in our lives, we desire to live above statistics. We believe that, if we take the step, WE can beat the odds. Let me tell you, if you are in Christ, you CAN beat those odds.
To quote DC Talk for a moment, Love is a verb. What the heck do I mean by this? Well, we grow up often times believing that love is like that first crush we had as middle schoolers. It makes us all warm and fuzzy and will never go away. We believe that Love is a feeling. I feel loved, I feel love....therefore I am in love. Let me tell you. While you can feel love for others, you can feel loved by others, Love, primarily is an action. Tell me if this is your idea of love:
Do those things sound like feelings or actions? According to scripture, if I can do those things, that is how I can truly Love my wife. When we fail to do these things in our marriages, when we fail to keep TRUE Love (Christ) at the center, that and that alone is the primary reason that people give up marriages.
Here is some advice I have for all sorts of people out there, pick your category and hopefully, you will find this a catalyst towards a future centered in Christ!
To those of you who are married: Please re-commit yourself to your spouse on a daily basis. Serve one another and be united in Christ. Forgive each other just as Christ forgives us on a daily basis. Don't consider divorce as an option. No matter how much you feel like you aren't on the same page, realize that you already made the commitment and choose to love just as Christ loves the church.
To those of you who are single: When you do decide to take that step of marriage, may it be for good! May you live above the statistics and commit to your future spouse in the same way that Christ is committed to the Church. May you realize the depth of your commitment and stick to it. Rely on God to get you through the storms in your relationship and may he be the glue that binds your marriage together.
To those who are already divorced: May you find that God is full of grace and forgiveness, lean on him for healing and spend time in prayer, commit your hearts to Him. If you and your spouse are both believers and are still not married or together, I pray that God will reconcile your hearts first to Him and then back to one another. It's not too late! Remember to pray for God's direction and God's will in your life. It's my prayer that you will rediscover that you are still able to love the other person, through Jesus of course!
To those who are divorced and re-married (to someone else): Serve God where you are now. While the divorce from your previous spouse may still linger on your heart, trust in God's forgiveness and continue to live for Him today! He can use all things for His good and if you have asked for forgiveness, trust that He has your sin and you are free to live in Him and for Him! May your new marriage be filled with Christ and centered in Him!
That's it everyone. I truly hope that I did not hurt anyone, as I stated above, if you at all disagree with any statements that I made, I encourage you to study God's word and come to conclusions based upon what you find. Know though, that no matter what we think, God's truth will reveal itself in time. I apologize if you were hurt by anything that I said. I DO NOT look down on anyone who has been divorced or anything like that. It's just that I have high hopes when people say that they want to be together and serve one another in Christ for the rest of their lives. May you choose Christ and may you choose True Love, because Love never Fails.
As for me and my wife, we choose to live for Christ and live above the statistics!
May you choose to do the same!
So what can be contrived out of all that I've written thus far? This: If two Christians have married and vowed to God to be together until death separates them, anything else outside of this, causes them to sin.
Now, in the case of marital unfaithfulness, as we noticed above, this is the circumstance in which Jesus gave permission to leave. Why though? Because, the sin was already committed, the marriage bed had already been violated, thus it was permissible for the spouse who did not commit adultery, to leave, because the other spouse, according to this, had already left.
So let's throw a twist in here, I have to look at it this way, if even looking at another girl and having one thought about her is the same as committing adultery in our hearts (Matthew 5:28), how many husbands are guilty of this?! Yes, even Christian husbands! That being said, if so many people are guilty of this, does that technically mean that our spouses have the permission to leave us? YES. The simple thought of someone or something outside of the marriage to our spouse is regarded in exactly the same fashion as committing the act.
One of my favorite books in the Bible is Hosea. For those of you who aren't familiar with this story, please take time to read it. It is primarily about Hosea who was married to an unfaithful wife, Gomer. God instructs Hosea to take her back. It goes on to compare Hosea's situation to that of the Israelites and God's. This, to me, is a beautiful illustration of God's relationship with his people and how even though they constantly sought after things that weren't of Him, he reached his hands out, forgave them and took them back.
All this being considered, we are also regarded as the bride of Christ. How often do we sin against God? How often do we desire things that aren't of him? All too often. We commit adultery against Christ daily and guess what, He still forgives us and reaches His arms out and says, I will take your sin and I still love you. Simply put, this is how I want my relationship to be with my wife. No matter how much we do to hurt one another, we still welcome each other with open arms, knowing that while the pain from the mistakes will affect us for a while, Christ, as long as he is the center, will get us through anything.
They say 50% of marriages end in divorce. Those aren't very good statistics if you ask anyone. Not only is that a failing grade, but if you were presented with a situation and you were told, there is a 50% chance you will survive this, would you still take the step? My guess is most people would say, it's not worth it. I want to survive. Why then do so many people take the step to get married? I believe that, at one time in our lives, we desire to live above statistics. We believe that, if we take the step, WE can beat the odds. Let me tell you, if you are in Christ, you CAN beat those odds.
To quote DC Talk for a moment, Love is a verb. What the heck do I mean by this? Well, we grow up often times believing that love is like that first crush we had as middle schoolers. It makes us all warm and fuzzy and will never go away. We believe that Love is a feeling. I feel loved, I feel love....therefore I am in love. Let me tell you. While you can feel love for others, you can feel loved by others, Love, primarily is an action. Tell me if this is your idea of love:
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes and always perseveres. Love never fails.
Do those things sound like feelings or actions? According to scripture, if I can do those things, that is how I can truly Love my wife. When we fail to do these things in our marriages, when we fail to keep TRUE Love (Christ) at the center, that and that alone is the primary reason that people give up marriages.
Here is some advice I have for all sorts of people out there, pick your category and hopefully, you will find this a catalyst towards a future centered in Christ!
To those of you who are married: Please re-commit yourself to your spouse on a daily basis. Serve one another and be united in Christ. Forgive each other just as Christ forgives us on a daily basis. Don't consider divorce as an option. No matter how much you feel like you aren't on the same page, realize that you already made the commitment and choose to love just as Christ loves the church.
To those of you who are single: When you do decide to take that step of marriage, may it be for good! May you live above the statistics and commit to your future spouse in the same way that Christ is committed to the Church. May you realize the depth of your commitment and stick to it. Rely on God to get you through the storms in your relationship and may he be the glue that binds your marriage together.
To those who are already divorced: May you find that God is full of grace and forgiveness, lean on him for healing and spend time in prayer, commit your hearts to Him. If you and your spouse are both believers and are still not married or together, I pray that God will reconcile your hearts first to Him and then back to one another. It's not too late! Remember to pray for God's direction and God's will in your life. It's my prayer that you will rediscover that you are still able to love the other person, through Jesus of course!
To those who are divorced and re-married (to someone else): Serve God where you are now. While the divorce from your previous spouse may still linger on your heart, trust in God's forgiveness and continue to live for Him today! He can use all things for His good and if you have asked for forgiveness, trust that He has your sin and you are free to live in Him and for Him! May your new marriage be filled with Christ and centered in Him!
That's it everyone. I truly hope that I did not hurt anyone, as I stated above, if you at all disagree with any statements that I made, I encourage you to study God's word and come to conclusions based upon what you find. Know though, that no matter what we think, God's truth will reveal itself in time. I apologize if you were hurt by anything that I said. I DO NOT look down on anyone who has been divorced or anything like that. It's just that I have high hopes when people say that they want to be together and serve one another in Christ for the rest of their lives. May you choose Christ and may you choose True Love, because Love never Fails.
As for me and my wife, we choose to live for Christ and live above the statistics!
May you choose to do the same!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Epic Failure
There they were. The cables to ascend to the peak of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park were finally within my view. I could see several hundred people as they ventured to the top. I was sitting just below the switchbacks of the subdome, staring and asking myself, "Do you have it in you right now to make it up those cables?"
Before I reveal my decision, let's skip back to the beginning. Not just the beginning of this 20 mile day hike, but the beginning of my decision to venture to the top of half dome.
In my early teens (I honestly do not remember when), we were camping with relatives in Yosemite. One sunny afternoon, our group got the idea to venture to the top of Vernal Falls. It was here that I fell in love with hiking and first truly experienced the awesomeness of God's creation. It was me, my brother Jeremy and my Dad that ventured to the top and we finally made it, soaked but feeling like we conquered the world (and it was only a mile and a half one way!)
I found out shortly after that trip that the hike we did was the start of the hike to half dome. Immediately I decided that someday, I would take this hike to that awesome granite rock and hopefully get to the very top!
I visited Yosemite several times between that first Vernal Falls hike until this most recent trip of 2010. Most times I visited the park, I would re-take the Vernal falls hike. Even taking my wife Breeann with me for two of the times. I must say, something about being right at the edge of Vernal Falls looking down at the amazingness it overlooks, really puts me in my place. It really is one of my favorite places in the world. All it takes is a quick second for me to realize that creation truly is crying out that God is vastly bigger than anything I can imagine, yet he still loves me and chooses to use me. It's beyond comprehension.
June 22, 2010. So it was finally here! The day I was going to hike to the top of Half Dome! I slept horribly the night before! I'm not sure if it was from being too hot, or sleeping on pure ground with no padding or what, but either way, I did not get enough rest. Yeah right! Like that is going to stop me! I was all ready to go! Backpack? Check! Water? Check! Sunglasses? Check! You get the idea. And so it was, we were on our way and my excitement was growing bigger than ever.
We finally got started around 7:15. We started up the Mist trail towards the well-known Vernal Falls. I started to feel something I hadn't before. I was feeling physical exhaustion. Maybe I was dehydrated, I quickly drank some water and kept on trekking, noticing that I was falling further and further behind the rest of the group. My heart was rapidly sinking, realizing that I wasn't as ready for this trip as I thought. Doubt quickly set in. It was at that moment, I said what would be of several prayers to God asking for his strength.
My prayer went something like this: "God, you know how long I have wanted to do this hike, and I realize now that I may not make it the whole way. I pray that you give me the strength, to venture as long as you would like me to go, and when you want me to go no further, I pray that you make that very clear."
So from that point on, it was one step at a time. I had no other choice. Soon, my best friend Jon was walking with me, stopping every so often for a breather and eventually I told him to continue on without me. Eventually, I made it to the top of Vernal Falls. Finally! I could breathe again, It was here where I would decide, am I going to go further? Or is this as far as I was going to make it? I said another prayer and God clearly revealed it was ok to go further. I caught my breath and continued on alone. On to Nevada Falls!
I was finally in unfamiliar territory! It was just me and God and I was starting to feel that there was more purpose to just getting to the top of a rock to what I was experiencing but I wouldn't truly understand this until much later in the day. I ventured on alone for another mile and a half until I reached the top of Nevada Falls. Suprisingly, I was much less tired than I was before! I continued to constantly talk to God on the trip, everytime I felt short of breath or pain, I would say, "God, please let me accomplish as much as you want me to so I can say that you gave me the strength. Let this be for your Glory, not for mine"
Little Yosemite Valley wasn't too far ahead so I caught my breath and I kept on going. I quickly ran into Stephen Burton who told me that the rest of the group was at the river ahead, filling up with water. I thought to myself, "really? They are THAT close?!" About a quarter mile later, I ran into Eric and Sarah and her mom. They told me that they were going to continue to the top and to tell the rest of the group. I decided to continue to venture towards the group at the river. I was whistling the whole time around the area, because honestly, I had NO clue where to go or where they were! I then heard something OH SO familiar. A familiar Squeak. I answered it with a squeak back and realized that I had caught up to the other group! Jon Jessee! John Osburn! Stacy! The entire group. I put my stuff down, re-filled my water bottles with Merced River water (Thank you to Chance for filtering it for me!) I ate some Tootsie Rolls, some beef jerky and then decided it was ok for me to continue on. So, in a familiar fashion as the start of the hike, we took off towards the second half of the hike.
Soon, everyone was slowly pulling ahead of me again (no suprise there, after all, I never was good at cross country, I was always more of a sprinter!) I told them that it was ok and that I was going to pace myself and spend time talking to God. After all, it got me this far! So that's what happened. It was just me and God again and I was ok with that!
About a mile later, I ran into a group of 3 guys. They were all going at a similar pace as I was and I noticed that one of their shirts said "Manteca Football." I had some great conversation with these guys and realized that the one with the shirt looked familiar. I realized it was Brad Garlets and I asked him if he knew my brothers Aaron and Brandon and he said that he did. I spent about two miles hiking in the same vicinity at the same pace as these guys. I would pass them, rest, and they would pass me and rest. I continued to talk to God and thank him for the quick companionship he was giving me in others around me.
I finally stopped and took a real breather and down the path I noticed that Rosalynn Jessee, my best friends' wife was coming up the trail with her friend Ruth and her boyfriend. Well then! I told them that they should keep going but they decided to hang back with me. I felt bad at first because Ruth and her boyfriend were definitely made for this type of hike. They weren't really sweating or running short on breath. It was almost discouraging.
I kept on apologizing for making them wait because literally I was stopping at what seemed like every couple minutes (thought it was actually longer, how long? I'm not sure). Eventually I stopped apologizing because I felt that I was getting annoying. We kept on trekking and I could see the back of half dome, my eyes squinted a little when I realized that I could now see a faint line going up the side of the dome and at that moment I realized we were getting closer.
Only a few miles left! I soon realized that as I found company to walk with, I wasn't talking to God as much as I was when I was walking alone, I think this is the reason I was getting more tired and achey. After a couple of miles together and a good distance to go on, Ruth and her Boyfriend went on ahead of me and Rosalynn. Rosalynn and I continued at our normal pace and I kept on saying, "I'm not sure I'm going to be able to much further." Again, forgetting what God and I had been talking about the whole time.
I started to pray again, and prayed that God would make it very evident when enough was enough. But still, we kept on trekking, despite my pain and despite my self-doubt. We had FINALLY reached the bottom of the Switchbacks. The Switchbacks are vigorous sets of steps that are very strenuous. I sat down because I realized that just beyond the switchbacks were the famous Half-Dome Cables.
There they were. The cables to ascend to the peak of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park were finally within my view. I could see several hundred people as they ventured to the top. I was sitting just below the switchbacks of the subdome, staring and asking myself, "Do you have it in you right now to make it up those cables?
At that very moment, I started to feel sick. Not the throwing up kind of sick. I was light-headed, slightly dizzy and at first, was thinking, "NO! Not now! I am so close."
I told Rosalynn to go ahead without me and if I felt up to it, I would continue on by myself. So Rosalynn ventured off (Good luck Rosalynn!). I was upset! I knew I couldn't justify going the rest of the way. I wept for a few minutes as I felt disappointed with what seemed to be failure. I stood up, and began to walk slowly back down the trail. About 200 yards back down, I sat again, with the switchbacks and cables still within my view. I was alone and I sat down and prayed. I asked God if this was it. I had traveled 95% of the way and God answered, "you have come as far as I want you to go."
I can't explain what happened to me when I realized that God wouldn't let me continue on. It wasn't my body that failed! It wasn't a fear that took over and it wasn't that I wasn't willing to go if God wanted me to go. It was that God was with me and wanted me to give him all of the Glory. What an opportunity! To be able to serve God in a way that most people would call 'my failure.' My failure WAS my success! If I had continued on, it would simply have been because "I" wanted to, and that would be to my glory. That might sound like the biggest cop-out or excuse ever, but I cannot explain in words just how powerful this moment was for me.
This hike wasn't meant for me after all! It had all been building up to that moment when I realized that I was there for God and not myself. God wanted me to spend some time with Him and He wanted me to acknowledge Him first and realize that He is my rock. Not some huge Granite dome in the ground. He is bigger, He is stronger and He created it! As long as my feet are planted in Him, I will ALWAYS find success, not my success but His.
You might think this is where the story ends, but it doesn't. You see, I am only halfway done with this hike! I still have the rest of the way down to go. I stood up took about three pictures because I wanted to remember this moment because it was awesome! The view was still AMAZING from where I was! After all, I was 95% of the way there! I started the long trip back down the mountain. I decided to go alone since the others were either on the top of Half Dome already or ready to do the cables, I figured, now would be a good time to leave because they would most likely catch up with me before I got all the way back. So I ventured off, just me and God again.
A few hundred yards later, I saw Tim G. coming up the trail. HOW AWESOME! He had traveled all the way up too, by himself, in pain, in agony and still he was able to make it as far as I went and then some (he made it to the cables and then turned back) He got to see his son, Timmy, as he was coming down off of Half Dome. I briefly told Tim of my experience and that I had to go back now and he gave me a few words of encouragement and sent me on my way.
Let's fast foward a bit, because it's all downhill him here (pun intended). I walked, and walked and walked until I was back in Little Yosemite Valley and I slowly was approaching Nevada Falls and I made my way down the steps up to Nevada falls and I was finally near the Vernal Falls location. (This took me several hours, mind you.) When I was back at the top of Vernal Falls, I felt as though I had NO energy left. I prayed again (and I was praying nearly the entire way back down) I asked God to please give me the strength to make it down these slippery and wet steps of Mist Trail. This part is extremely dangerous, especially by yourself.
So I took a quick drink of water and started down the steps taking it literaly, one step at a time. Once I reached the bottom of the slippery steps, I caught my breath and though my Ankles were killing me, I kept on going. I was finally on the stretch back to Yosemite Valley! My feet felt like they were going to fall off and going downhill at this point was actually harder on me than going uphill was. About a third of a mile left to go in the hike, I hear behind me, "JOSH!" At this moment, I knew that I had gone on the path that God wanted me to. It was Chance, John O., and Timmy! It was such an awesome feeling. We talked briefly and I told them of my experience and we kept on walking until we were finished.
We were sitting down near Curry Village and I got to go back with the first Car and the first thing I did was give my wife a Hug because of the pain I was still in. It was ALL worth it though because God was with me the entire time and I was able to serve Him and spend time with Him and I learned to put His will above my own and how to be a better servant to my wife.
That day, I had some of my most intimate moments with God that I can recall and that my friends, is why my Failure was Epic.
Before I reveal my decision, let's skip back to the beginning. Not just the beginning of this 20 mile day hike, but the beginning of my decision to venture to the top of half dome.
In my early teens (I honestly do not remember when), we were camping with relatives in Yosemite. One sunny afternoon, our group got the idea to venture to the top of Vernal Falls. It was here that I fell in love with hiking and first truly experienced the awesomeness of God's creation. It was me, my brother Jeremy and my Dad that ventured to the top and we finally made it, soaked but feeling like we conquered the world (and it was only a mile and a half one way!)
I found out shortly after that trip that the hike we did was the start of the hike to half dome. Immediately I decided that someday, I would take this hike to that awesome granite rock and hopefully get to the very top!
I visited Yosemite several times between that first Vernal Falls hike until this most recent trip of 2010. Most times I visited the park, I would re-take the Vernal falls hike. Even taking my wife Breeann with me for two of the times. I must say, something about being right at the edge of Vernal Falls looking down at the amazingness it overlooks, really puts me in my place. It really is one of my favorite places in the world. All it takes is a quick second for me to realize that creation truly is crying out that God is vastly bigger than anything I can imagine, yet he still loves me and chooses to use me. It's beyond comprehension.
June 22, 2010. So it was finally here! The day I was going to hike to the top of Half Dome! I slept horribly the night before! I'm not sure if it was from being too hot, or sleeping on pure ground with no padding or what, but either way, I did not get enough rest. Yeah right! Like that is going to stop me! I was all ready to go! Backpack? Check! Water? Check! Sunglasses? Check! You get the idea. And so it was, we were on our way and my excitement was growing bigger than ever.
We finally got started around 7:15. We started up the Mist trail towards the well-known Vernal Falls. I started to feel something I hadn't before. I was feeling physical exhaustion. Maybe I was dehydrated, I quickly drank some water and kept on trekking, noticing that I was falling further and further behind the rest of the group. My heart was rapidly sinking, realizing that I wasn't as ready for this trip as I thought. Doubt quickly set in. It was at that moment, I said what would be of several prayers to God asking for his strength.
My prayer went something like this: "God, you know how long I have wanted to do this hike, and I realize now that I may not make it the whole way. I pray that you give me the strength, to venture as long as you would like me to go, and when you want me to go no further, I pray that you make that very clear."
So from that point on, it was one step at a time. I had no other choice. Soon, my best friend Jon was walking with me, stopping every so often for a breather and eventually I told him to continue on without me. Eventually, I made it to the top of Vernal Falls. Finally! I could breathe again, It was here where I would decide, am I going to go further? Or is this as far as I was going to make it? I said another prayer and God clearly revealed it was ok to go further. I caught my breath and continued on alone. On to Nevada Falls!
I was finally in unfamiliar territory! It was just me and God and I was starting to feel that there was more purpose to just getting to the top of a rock to what I was experiencing but I wouldn't truly understand this until much later in the day. I ventured on alone for another mile and a half until I reached the top of Nevada Falls. Suprisingly, I was much less tired than I was before! I continued to constantly talk to God on the trip, everytime I felt short of breath or pain, I would say, "God, please let me accomplish as much as you want me to so I can say that you gave me the strength. Let this be for your Glory, not for mine"
Little Yosemite Valley wasn't too far ahead so I caught my breath and I kept on going. I quickly ran into Stephen Burton who told me that the rest of the group was at the river ahead, filling up with water. I thought to myself, "really? They are THAT close?!" About a quarter mile later, I ran into Eric and Sarah and her mom. They told me that they were going to continue to the top and to tell the rest of the group. I decided to continue to venture towards the group at the river. I was whistling the whole time around the area, because honestly, I had NO clue where to go or where they were! I then heard something OH SO familiar. A familiar Squeak. I answered it with a squeak back and realized that I had caught up to the other group! Jon Jessee! John Osburn! Stacy! The entire group. I put my stuff down, re-filled my water bottles with Merced River water (Thank you to Chance for filtering it for me!) I ate some Tootsie Rolls, some beef jerky and then decided it was ok for me to continue on. So, in a familiar fashion as the start of the hike, we took off towards the second half of the hike.
Soon, everyone was slowly pulling ahead of me again (no suprise there, after all, I never was good at cross country, I was always more of a sprinter!) I told them that it was ok and that I was going to pace myself and spend time talking to God. After all, it got me this far! So that's what happened. It was just me and God again and I was ok with that!
About a mile later, I ran into a group of 3 guys. They were all going at a similar pace as I was and I noticed that one of their shirts said "Manteca Football." I had some great conversation with these guys and realized that the one with the shirt looked familiar. I realized it was Brad Garlets and I asked him if he knew my brothers Aaron and Brandon and he said that he did. I spent about two miles hiking in the same vicinity at the same pace as these guys. I would pass them, rest, and they would pass me and rest. I continued to talk to God and thank him for the quick companionship he was giving me in others around me.
I finally stopped and took a real breather and down the path I noticed that Rosalynn Jessee, my best friends' wife was coming up the trail with her friend Ruth and her boyfriend. Well then! I told them that they should keep going but they decided to hang back with me. I felt bad at first because Ruth and her boyfriend were definitely made for this type of hike. They weren't really sweating or running short on breath. It was almost discouraging.
I kept on apologizing for making them wait because literally I was stopping at what seemed like every couple minutes (thought it was actually longer, how long? I'm not sure). Eventually I stopped apologizing because I felt that I was getting annoying. We kept on trekking and I could see the back of half dome, my eyes squinted a little when I realized that I could now see a faint line going up the side of the dome and at that moment I realized we were getting closer.
Only a few miles left! I soon realized that as I found company to walk with, I wasn't talking to God as much as I was when I was walking alone, I think this is the reason I was getting more tired and achey. After a couple of miles together and a good distance to go on, Ruth and her Boyfriend went on ahead of me and Rosalynn. Rosalynn and I continued at our normal pace and I kept on saying, "I'm not sure I'm going to be able to much further." Again, forgetting what God and I had been talking about the whole time.
I started to pray again, and prayed that God would make it very evident when enough was enough. But still, we kept on trekking, despite my pain and despite my self-doubt. We had FINALLY reached the bottom of the Switchbacks. The Switchbacks are vigorous sets of steps that are very strenuous. I sat down because I realized that just beyond the switchbacks were the famous Half-Dome Cables.
There they were. The cables to ascend to the peak of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park were finally within my view. I could see several hundred people as they ventured to the top. I was sitting just below the switchbacks of the subdome, staring and asking myself, "Do you have it in you right now to make it up those cables?
At that very moment, I started to feel sick. Not the throwing up kind of sick. I was light-headed, slightly dizzy and at first, was thinking, "NO! Not now! I am so close."
I told Rosalynn to go ahead without me and if I felt up to it, I would continue on by myself. So Rosalynn ventured off (Good luck Rosalynn!). I was upset! I knew I couldn't justify going the rest of the way. I wept for a few minutes as I felt disappointed with what seemed to be failure. I stood up, and began to walk slowly back down the trail. About 200 yards back down, I sat again, with the switchbacks and cables still within my view. I was alone and I sat down and prayed. I asked God if this was it. I had traveled 95% of the way and God answered, "you have come as far as I want you to go."
I can't explain what happened to me when I realized that God wouldn't let me continue on. It wasn't my body that failed! It wasn't a fear that took over and it wasn't that I wasn't willing to go if God wanted me to go. It was that God was with me and wanted me to give him all of the Glory. What an opportunity! To be able to serve God in a way that most people would call 'my failure.' My failure WAS my success! If I had continued on, it would simply have been because "I" wanted to, and that would be to my glory. That might sound like the biggest cop-out or excuse ever, but I cannot explain in words just how powerful this moment was for me.
This hike wasn't meant for me after all! It had all been building up to that moment when I realized that I was there for God and not myself. God wanted me to spend some time with Him and He wanted me to acknowledge Him first and realize that He is my rock. Not some huge Granite dome in the ground. He is bigger, He is stronger and He created it! As long as my feet are planted in Him, I will ALWAYS find success, not my success but His.
You might think this is where the story ends, but it doesn't. You see, I am only halfway done with this hike! I still have the rest of the way down to go. I stood up took about three pictures because I wanted to remember this moment because it was awesome! The view was still AMAZING from where I was! After all, I was 95% of the way there! I started the long trip back down the mountain. I decided to go alone since the others were either on the top of Half Dome already or ready to do the cables, I figured, now would be a good time to leave because they would most likely catch up with me before I got all the way back. So I ventured off, just me and God again.
A few hundred yards later, I saw Tim G. coming up the trail. HOW AWESOME! He had traveled all the way up too, by himself, in pain, in agony and still he was able to make it as far as I went and then some (he made it to the cables and then turned back) He got to see his son, Timmy, as he was coming down off of Half Dome. I briefly told Tim of my experience and that I had to go back now and he gave me a few words of encouragement and sent me on my way.
Let's fast foward a bit, because it's all downhill him here (pun intended). I walked, and walked and walked until I was back in Little Yosemite Valley and I slowly was approaching Nevada Falls and I made my way down the steps up to Nevada falls and I was finally near the Vernal Falls location. (This took me several hours, mind you.) When I was back at the top of Vernal Falls, I felt as though I had NO energy left. I prayed again (and I was praying nearly the entire way back down) I asked God to please give me the strength to make it down these slippery and wet steps of Mist Trail. This part is extremely dangerous, especially by yourself.
So I took a quick drink of water and started down the steps taking it literaly, one step at a time. Once I reached the bottom of the slippery steps, I caught my breath and though my Ankles were killing me, I kept on going. I was finally on the stretch back to Yosemite Valley! My feet felt like they were going to fall off and going downhill at this point was actually harder on me than going uphill was. About a third of a mile left to go in the hike, I hear behind me, "JOSH!" At this moment, I knew that I had gone on the path that God wanted me to. It was Chance, John O., and Timmy! It was such an awesome feeling. We talked briefly and I told them of my experience and we kept on walking until we were finished.
We were sitting down near Curry Village and I got to go back with the first Car and the first thing I did was give my wife a Hug because of the pain I was still in. It was ALL worth it though because God was with me the entire time and I was able to serve Him and spend time with Him and I learned to put His will above my own and how to be a better servant to my wife.
That day, I had some of my most intimate moments with God that I can recall and that my friends, is why my Failure was Epic.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
My Constant
Do you ever have those moments where you just realize how much you have been blessed? Maybe it's a movie you watched or something you read, but despite what it is, it helps you look at your life differently.
The month of May was full of emotion. Full of the need and realization of how much I need to trust and lean on God. Only through Him will I ever truly be successful.
Anyways, so, I'm sitting here at work (productive I know), and I decided to read some of my wife's blog. What have I been missing! Seeing some of her thoughts written out is so refreshing. Sometimes I feel like we don't communicate as much as we need to and I realize that that is partially my fault. Maybe I'm too busy playing a game, or just not being good at paying attention, but she is always so loving to me and always just trying to help me be a better man, a better husband, a better leader. I feel as though I fail her constantly.
But I don't, it's not a constant failure, it's a constant attempt. No matter how much I feel like I don't, like I can't, I have to constantly tell myself and pray about it and realize that with God's help, I CAN be a good husband, I CAN be a good man, and I CAN be an amazing leader! Of course, I've tried by myself, but I can honestly say that my ultimate desire is to love and serve my God first, and my Wife second.
And I think I am slowly learning what that looks like! To be patient, to be kind, slow to become angry, etc. Spending time with some amazing men is really helping me hone in on the areas of life in which I need to grow and the areas of life I need to leave behind. Let me tell you, feeling the freedom in Christ is so amazing!
So My wife and I got the chance to hang out with two AMAZING people this last month. The husband said something that really really amazed me (thank you John for that), he said that he wanted to get a Tattoo underneath his wedding band on his ring finger. At first I thought, YES! That's a great idea, what if you lost it?! However, what it truly meant, was nothing short of amazing. It would symbolize that his relationship with God came first, and then his marriage came second.
What an awesome concept! Thank you Lord for my Amazing wife! Amazing job! Amazing Family! Amazing Church! Amazing GOD!
You also might be wondering, why did you label this blog, "My Constant?" There is a long answer and a short answer. The long answer is this: Go watch LOST, Now, the entire series and you will understand. If you don't want to, here is the short version:
There is an episode that consists of a character who becomes lost between two different times in his life, he is flashing back and forth between these times and there is a danger this could kill him because of the inconsistency it would have on his brain. He was told he had to find "a constant," something he could focus on that existed in both times. So long story short, he finds his constant and that is that, I won't ruin it too much for you.
So, I start to think how much this truly relates to us. How many times do we have one foot on one side of this fence and one foot on the other? How many times are we flashing between the "good" New found life we have in Christ and suddenly we flash back to the Hell we once lived in. This SHOULD NOT BE! We need to fully live to serve God and others and only then will we be where we are supposed to be. To stay in the "Good" Life that we have In Jesus, we MUST find our constant. What was there all along? What was there and consistent even when we weren't? CHRIST of course! That being said, I have two constants. Ones that existed in both worlds but that I can serve and love and this will help to keep me in the world that I am supposed to be in. The world of God.
My First and most important Constant is Jesus Christ. He was there when I was in a bad place, and he's there now that I'm in a good place! If I serve him first and foremost, I will be able to truly love all the rest of the people in my life how I am supposed to! Please Lord help me to keep you first!
My Second constant is my Lovely wife Breeann. She has been consistenly loving to me, consistently encouraging and she has stuck with me, many times when she shouldn't, and even when all others abandoned me. My Wife, has been such an amazing inspiration to me. After all, reading her blog, inspired me to start one too! What an awesome opportunity and amazing gift Jesus has bestowed upon me and trusted me with. It's my job to serve her, to lead her in his ways and to love her has he loved the Church. Please Lord, help me to love her like you love the church!
Well, those are my thoughts, I am choosing Christ. I am choosing love, relationships and friendships. Anything else, isn't worth it.
I love you God. I love you Breeann.
The month of May was full of emotion. Full of the need and realization of how much I need to trust and lean on God. Only through Him will I ever truly be successful.
Anyways, so, I'm sitting here at work (productive I know), and I decided to read some of my wife's blog. What have I been missing! Seeing some of her thoughts written out is so refreshing. Sometimes I feel like we don't communicate as much as we need to and I realize that that is partially my fault. Maybe I'm too busy playing a game, or just not being good at paying attention, but she is always so loving to me and always just trying to help me be a better man, a better husband, a better leader. I feel as though I fail her constantly.
But I don't, it's not a constant failure, it's a constant attempt. No matter how much I feel like I don't, like I can't, I have to constantly tell myself and pray about it and realize that with God's help, I CAN be a good husband, I CAN be a good man, and I CAN be an amazing leader! Of course, I've tried by myself, but I can honestly say that my ultimate desire is to love and serve my God first, and my Wife second.
And I think I am slowly learning what that looks like! To be patient, to be kind, slow to become angry, etc. Spending time with some amazing men is really helping me hone in on the areas of life in which I need to grow and the areas of life I need to leave behind. Let me tell you, feeling the freedom in Christ is so amazing!
So My wife and I got the chance to hang out with two AMAZING people this last month. The husband said something that really really amazed me (thank you John for that), he said that he wanted to get a Tattoo underneath his wedding band on his ring finger. At first I thought, YES! That's a great idea, what if you lost it?! However, what it truly meant, was nothing short of amazing. It would symbolize that his relationship with God came first, and then his marriage came second.
What an awesome concept! Thank you Lord for my Amazing wife! Amazing job! Amazing Family! Amazing Church! Amazing GOD!
You also might be wondering, why did you label this blog, "My Constant?" There is a long answer and a short answer. The long answer is this: Go watch LOST, Now, the entire series and you will understand. If you don't want to, here is the short version:
There is an episode that consists of a character who becomes lost between two different times in his life, he is flashing back and forth between these times and there is a danger this could kill him because of the inconsistency it would have on his brain. He was told he had to find "a constant," something he could focus on that existed in both times. So long story short, he finds his constant and that is that, I won't ruin it too much for you.
So, I start to think how much this truly relates to us. How many times do we have one foot on one side of this fence and one foot on the other? How many times are we flashing between the "good" New found life we have in Christ and suddenly we flash back to the Hell we once lived in. This SHOULD NOT BE! We need to fully live to serve God and others and only then will we be where we are supposed to be. To stay in the "Good" Life that we have In Jesus, we MUST find our constant. What was there all along? What was there and consistent even when we weren't? CHRIST of course! That being said, I have two constants. Ones that existed in both worlds but that I can serve and love and this will help to keep me in the world that I am supposed to be in. The world of God.
My First and most important Constant is Jesus Christ. He was there when I was in a bad place, and he's there now that I'm in a good place! If I serve him first and foremost, I will be able to truly love all the rest of the people in my life how I am supposed to! Please Lord help me to keep you first!
My Second constant is my Lovely wife Breeann. She has been consistenly loving to me, consistently encouraging and she has stuck with me, many times when she shouldn't, and even when all others abandoned me. My Wife, has been such an amazing inspiration to me. After all, reading her blog, inspired me to start one too! What an awesome opportunity and amazing gift Jesus has bestowed upon me and trusted me with. It's my job to serve her, to lead her in his ways and to love her has he loved the Church. Please Lord, help me to love her like you love the church!
Well, those are my thoughts, I am choosing Christ. I am choosing love, relationships and friendships. Anything else, isn't worth it.
I love you God. I love you Breeann.
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