Saturday, January 31, 2009
Saturday, Saturday, Saturday nights allright!
Hey it's me again and it's another Saturday. Me and the misses are going to take the day and go gallyvanting all over Olathe, It's going to be great spending time with my favorite best friend forever. Hey I'm a lucky dog! Tomorrow's my favorite day of the week, as a matter of fact I don't know about you but just about everything I do all week is based around Sunday. Now I didn't say the Sabbath, because for me Sunday is not a total day of rest. It's a day of service to my Lord and His church. So I am starting to set aside part of my day on Saturday (whenever possible) to take a Sabbatical and just rest [cease to work] and celebrate all the Lord's done. This coupled with my Sunday afternoon full gospel nap ought to refresh my spirit. So if you can't tell, I'm excited about spending time with my lovly wife this evening, did I mention I was a lucky dog? Sometimes I love being me. God is awesome!
LIGHTEN UP!
Somebody just told me that my blogs are too heavy and they need to be lighter, and the sad thing is, I already knew this. So here goes...Clinton, Bush and Obama were on this plane and...NO, just kidding.
I guess I could do like some I've read and write about my every move. I'm sitting here at 1:18am on a Saturday morning (even though this post will record it's 2 hours earlier), but any way's I'm sitting here watching the Ovation channel and watching artist wishing I would start painting again, instead of just watching others express themselves through their talents.
Well I'll probably go to bed in a short while after I finish this post.
Hey I just saw a commercial about a website where I could purchase original Salvador Dali art pieces!...wow...let me get my check book.
Oh well heading for bed now...light enough?
I guess I could do like some I've read and write about my every move. I'm sitting here at 1:18am on a Saturday morning (even though this post will record it's 2 hours earlier), but any way's I'm sitting here watching the Ovation channel and watching artist wishing I would start painting again, instead of just watching others express themselves through their talents.
Well I'll probably go to bed in a short while after I finish this post.
Hey I just saw a commercial about a website where I could purchase original Salvador Dali art pieces!...wow...let me get my check book.
Oh well heading for bed now...light enough?
Thursday, January 29, 2009
This came out of my keyboard!
I know the Super Bowl is this Sunday but I also know that I serve a Supernatural God who deserves much more of my passionate commitment than anything this world could offer. Listen, I’ve seen those guys on TV who’re dedicated enough to the sport to go out in subzero weather with no shirts and painted faces. I’ve seen them jump up and down, clap, and yell their teams praises, especially when they’re team is giving their all and they’re winning. I’ve also witnessed people in their own homes get excited enough to stand and yell at their TV as if the players or refs can hear their cries.
Now I’m not saying any of this is wrong, but I am saying we need to show much more commitment and compassion to our King who has already gained the victory by giving His all. And I’m not asking for Christ followers to choose between church or football because frankly there really should be no competition between the two! All I’m saying is let’s make sure our devotion and commitment are greater to our God than it is to anyone or anything else in our lives.
"You shall have no other gods before me.” “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.”
– Exodus 20.3-4
Now I’m not saying any of this is wrong, but I am saying we need to show much more commitment and compassion to our King who has already gained the victory by giving His all. And I’m not asking for Christ followers to choose between church or football because frankly there really should be no competition between the two! All I’m saying is let’s make sure our devotion and commitment are greater to our God than it is to anyone or anything else in our lives.
"You shall have no other gods before me.” “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.”
– Exodus 20.3-4
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Stop, Drop and Roll!
All of us have probably done some things in our past that we can certainly feel bad for doing and totally regret. But whatever we’ve done, if we’ve asked the Lord to forgive us and we’ve done our best to not do it again, then I believe we should let it “be done”. You see I’m of the opinion that we can allow the enemy, or even our own self-conscious, [not our God-conscious], guilt us all up over our past mistakes, pitfalls or sins.
Which, brace yourself for this now, I wonder if that's a sin in itself?
Can guilt be sin?
I really think so.
Here’s my play on this thought, if you are guilty then guilt should certainly be expected, even welcomed as a Christ follower. Why? Because that’s the God-conscious telling us we need to change to be more like Christ, but if you’ve been forgiven then you’re not guilty any longer and that’s another story.
Let me just lay it out plain simple, if you’re forgiven then you are forgiven, and to feel guilt for something Christ has already forgiven you of and God has already forgotten could be, and in my book would be a sin. Because you’re guilt of a forgiven past is like saying Christ’s work of forgiveness on the cross and God’s forgetfulness in heaven was all in vein.
So let me ask you, or better yet you ask yourself this, "Have I ever done anything in my past that was so bad and so terrible that Christ’s blood cannot cover it and God’s grace cannot release it?" The answer to that is NO! Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." –Matthew 11.28-30
"So if you’re forgiven but still carrying guilt my suggestion to you is to stop, drop it and just roll with God’s forgiveness and grace.
Which, brace yourself for this now, I wonder if that's a sin in itself?
Can guilt be sin?
I really think so.
Here’s my play on this thought, if you are guilty then guilt should certainly be expected, even welcomed as a Christ follower. Why? Because that’s the God-conscious telling us we need to change to be more like Christ, but if you’ve been forgiven then you’re not guilty any longer and that’s another story.
Let me just lay it out plain simple, if you’re forgiven then you are forgiven, and to feel guilt for something Christ has already forgiven you of and God has already forgotten could be, and in my book would be a sin. Because you’re guilt of a forgiven past is like saying Christ’s work of forgiveness on the cross and God’s forgetfulness in heaven was all in vein.
So let me ask you, or better yet you ask yourself this, "Have I ever done anything in my past that was so bad and so terrible that Christ’s blood cannot cover it and God’s grace cannot release it?" The answer to that is NO! Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." –Matthew 11.28-30
"So if you’re forgiven but still carrying guilt my suggestion to you is to stop, drop it and just roll with God’s forgiveness and grace.
Monday, January 26, 2009
The Valuable Void
I've had two recent events that have led to this post.
Today I was able to spend the entire day with just my wife, it was really great!
And yesterday around four in the evening I had the honor of doing a memorial service for a friend in the churches younger brother.
What do these two events have in common? Well these two events in my life, coupled with the fact that my brother and I are having to go through our fathers property and personal property for his estate have led me to receive a greater appreciation for first of all, everyone in my life, whom I will never again take for granted.
And second, I've gained a greater appreciation for what lasts forever.
No matter if you leave this life with fifty dollars or fifty million to your name, your true value is not found in what you leave behind, but in the void you leave behind. You really can't base the value of a persons life on what they had accumulated while they were here. Because true value is really based on how badly you are missed when you're gone. I can only hope the void I leave behind will be at least half that of my fathers.
Today I was able to spend the entire day with just my wife, it was really great!
And yesterday around four in the evening I had the honor of doing a memorial service for a friend in the churches younger brother.
What do these two events have in common? Well these two events in my life, coupled with the fact that my brother and I are having to go through our fathers property and personal property for his estate have led me to receive a greater appreciation for first of all, everyone in my life, whom I will never again take for granted.
And second, I've gained a greater appreciation for what lasts forever.
No matter if you leave this life with fifty dollars or fifty million to your name, your true value is not found in what you leave behind, but in the void you leave behind. You really can't base the value of a persons life on what they had accumulated while they were here. Because true value is really based on how badly you are missed when you're gone. I can only hope the void I leave behind will be at least half that of my fathers.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Saturday vs. Sabbath day
Well it's Saturday again and here I am at the office trying to catch up on the "Lords work." You know, it seems I can't ever work in any down-time for myself. I mean even Jesus took time to go up to the mountains by himself for a little vacation. That's what the Sabbath is supposed to be about, a day of rest. I'm not complaining I'm just pondering the perplexities of the power, peace and prospect of a real "day off".
You know a day where you just do what you want to do, whether it's art, reading or just laying around in your P.J.'s with a bowl of cereal and a remote in your hand all day. We all need a break once in a while, not from God or from His work necessarily, but sometimes His work is allowing Him to work on you.
So take a break, read a book, paint, draw or watch HGTV all day! Whatever it is that gives you release or rest.
Bye, I'm taking my own adive.
You know a day where you just do what you want to do, whether it's art, reading or just laying around in your P.J.'s with a bowl of cereal and a remote in your hand all day. We all need a break once in a while, not from God or from His work necessarily, but sometimes His work is allowing Him to work on you.
So take a break, read a book, paint, draw or watch HGTV all day! Whatever it is that gives you release or rest.
Bye, I'm taking my own adive.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
worthyship
We just finished worship practice and let me tell you it was fee-nom-min-al!
Frankly I was feeling pretty down and really low before the guys showed up to practice but after they jammed I felt better and I even found myself singing while setting the sound. Music is amazing, but God is even more amazing because He invented it.
Todd and Jon are great and they are a great blessing, to not only the church but to me. And I praise God for them every day. If you're reading this, you're not going to want to miss worship this Sunday morning. Just thought I'd let you know.
Frankly I was feeling pretty down and really low before the guys showed up to practice but after they jammed I felt better and I even found myself singing while setting the sound. Music is amazing, but God is even more amazing because He invented it.
Todd and Jon are great and they are a great blessing, to not only the church but to me. And I praise God for them every day. If you're reading this, you're not going to want to miss worship this Sunday morning. Just thought I'd let you know.
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