Time to vent for our country

The time has come for Americans around this country to stand up and demand that our voices be heard without the threat of future retaliation. This country was formed with the promise of freedom of speech and the right for individuals to speak their minds, even if it is unpopular.

I demand the right for ALL people to speak and ask questions. We have the right to disagree and the right to share our opinion. Let's defend the right of those around us, because if they lose their rights we will some day lose ours.

I have been watching the way that the press describes the people who are asking questions in these town hall meetings where those who disagree with health care reform are unamerican, racist, and out to destroy the president. While I did not vote for president Obama, he is none the less my President. I pray for him and his family each day asking God to use him and guard him daily. I do not agree with his plans and question why we have to push bills through without reading the bill. What happened to the promise that we the people would be able to see the bill for 5 days before the president would sign it? Why, congress, would you vote on a bill that you have not read, how do you know what the effect the bill will have on our lives if you have no idea what it really says?

I am not a member of the GOP nor am I am plant, I am just a citizen that is concerned about the direction of his country. If you believe that this country is a great place, granted with its issues, than stand up and defend her for all we are worth!

How

I sit here tonight trying to figure out many things in life. I have hit one of those moments that call us to REALLY think through life, and I am sober! I say that only as a half joke, because many times people hit this point only after a good amount of drinking and they start to wax philosophical. Many of you might not find this post of interest, but I need to blog it so here it is...

How is a question that I am really struggling with...
How do we love, how do we show love, how am I supposed to love as a husband, as a father, as a son, as a friend, as a child of God?
What does that love look like in action?
How will I know if I am loving the way I have been created to love?
How is it that a word that sounds so simple can get so complicated in our lives?
How in the world does God expect us to understand this thing called love?

As I ask these questions a scripture verse comes screaming to mind... "there is no greater love than a man lay down his life for another". (John 15:3). Is that the answer to all of the questions above? I understand that Jesus is the ultimate example of the love of God in our world, but can I be like Jesus... NO, but Jesus can live in me...
If I am to lay down my life to another lets see what the question look like with that as the answer
How am I to love as a husband... lay down my life for my wife.
How am I to love as a father... Lay down my life for my children.
How am I to love as a so... lay down my life for my parents.
How am I to love as a child of God... lay down my life to God.

What does that look like in action? I guess that it means that I put the "needs" of others to the head of my to-do list. I am to make sure all that my wife needs, and I am able to provide, is given. Now we need to be careful here and realize that this does not mean that I ignore my own needs, what I need to do there is trust that God will keep his promise and meet all the needs in my life.

Let's look at the question I started this post with... HOW. How do I love and how do I show love... I love by allowing others to be the priority and allow their needs to be the driving force of the moment. I love by trusting God with my heart even if doing that at the moment may scare me to death, I trust God with all my mind, all my strength, all my soul, and with all my heart. This action allows God to love through me in ways that I cannot love on my own.

It all boils down to trusting God... to meet my needs, cause if God will meet my needs I am free to allow others to needs to come first!

God please help me to trust you to meet my needs, and allow me the blessing of being your hands and feet by meeting the needs of others in your name. AMEN.

Lost the focus and pray for its return

As I lay awake tonight I am struck at the amount of change that the world is under. We live in a country (USA) where many of the fundamental aspects of our country seem to be at risk. In fact so many things are changing that it is easy to lose focus on the goal that God has planted in your heart.

With this in mind I need to confess that I have spent way too much time looking at the signs of the times, (not a bad thing to do, as we are told in scripture that we should know the times) the mistake that I have made is that I have allowed the concern for the future to cloud the vision of what God has called me to do. I have been called to help set the captives free, to help restore sight to the blind, to bind wounds and help people to find the freedom to REALLY live. I am not talking about surviving, but living each day as the greatest gift you have ever been given, as it just might be the last day you are given.

I live in an area that has experienced some of the greatest job loss that has been experienced in a generation. with 20%+ of the population out of work there are many people looking for a sign of hope and a reason to be encouraged. Some looked to Politics thinking that a change of leadership would bring the hope and change we need, but it has and will continue to fail no matter what party is in office. The hope that we need has been promised, but we will not find it in an earthly creation, we can only find it in the greatest gift ever given, JESUS.

I have allowed the urgent nature of the changes to pull my focus off of helping people to meet Jesus and discover a relationship that can and will change lives. My task is not to prepare for the end by some master plan, but to introduce and help the people around me to start the greatest journey they will ever take... a walk with Jesus. I need to remember that God has not called me to come up with the plan to save the people around me, God has already taking care of that, my job is to be faithful in the call I have been given.

My job is to love the people around me without judgement or reservation. I am called to love people even when they are really hard to love or when they refuse the love I offer. I am to show them the love of God at work in me as an example of what God can do in them, if they are willing to allow God in their lives. From this time forward I ask that God will keep me focused on the mission and the goal with total obedience to God's call and Word. May the Spirit burn in me so brightly that everyone around notices a difference and wants to know what is different about me.

This is a task that I ask for your prayer for me, and for your part in the mission of Jesus Christ. Will you join me in helping the world to find real hope and a change that can be counted on? We need to show the world that no matter what happens around us we have no reason to fear for God is with us ALWAYS!!!

Thinking about marriage

As I prepare to do a premarital counseling session I am struck at how little we really think about the marriage we have been blessed with. If you are like so many out there you give very little thought to the relationship you have entered into, outside of the occasional thinking of you gift. What I am talking about is the actual decision to be married that we must make each day.

When we decide to be married it means that our thoughts and desires are not for ourselves, but for our spouses. We take a step back from what the world says we should do, look out for #1, and listen to what God says, look out for our spouse. It is My job to make the path as clear as possible for my wife to achieve her dreams, because her dreams are in essence my dreams.

My goal in life should be, and is, to have a wife that knows how passionately she is loved and knows how deeply I care. Today I make the decision to be married to Amy, now may my actions speak much loader than my words.

I am soo Glad

I am so glad that I am not in control of the weather. Have you noticed that no matter what the day is like someone is ALWAYS complaining about the weather? I wonder if God gets tired of hearing all of the people grip and complain.
God may I spend more time thanking you than I do gripping about so event or something I do not have.

Walking the Walk and Taking Care of Trash

If you were in Wakarusa during the Maple Syrup festival you might have seen some of the people, who call Front Porch ministries home, cleaning up the streets and changing the trash can liners. We were asked to do this as a way to raise funds for the ministry and as a way to serve others, plus it was a great two days to walk around and be outside.
As I was walking and changing trash I thought about how this was just what God has called us all to do in our daily lives. We have been called to put our faith into action by serving others, no matter how gross that task may be at times. There were many trash bags that I would have rather left for others to do, but knew that was not right. In fact how many times in our daily walk do we leave a messy task, such as confronting a person who’s words or actions are hurting others, or reaching out to that less than lovable person in need, for others so that we don’t have to get “dirty”?
God has called us to get down and get dirty as a way of loving people by serving them where they live. The way that we treat the “least of these” is the way that we treat Jesus… “…Anything you did for the least of these here, you also did for me.” Matt 25:40
Where is God calling you to take care of the “trash”, those people others have cast off, and how is it that you will respond? I would like to encourage you to allow God to show you Jesus in the eyes of the least of these, and in so doing you will truly be walking the walk of faith.

The difference

Have you ever noticed how easy it is for people to criticise others and their actions? God has called us to live each day with a righteous abandon. That means we are to live each and every moment like it is our last, and it might be your last.

My challenge is to be the one taking the risk to REALLY live and not merely survive each day. Take the chance of being real with the people around you rather than putting on the "happy face". Yes people will look at you differently and they might even talk about you, but you will be living.

The difference between those that live and those that criticise their actions is the same as a farmer telling the pig that the bacon is not good enough!!

God made you better than good enough so live and enjoy this day to the fullest!!