Destiny Moment

This is where destiny is. This moment in Tennessee with a group of 21 high school students holds so much of what I desire. Oh! that these young students would take a little piece with them from these moments that can encourage them onward with Christ. May it set the truth before them. May their lives benefit by avoiding the traps and false sources of fulfillment the world will offer them. In heaven, in God's presence, I hope I can witness the glory of the outcomes in their lives and their childrens and their childrens.
I hope they anchor on the rock of Christ and build their lives on Him and Him alone. Strong happy marriages, solid environments for children, faithful to their spouse, giving to those in need, caring for everyone......

From this appointed time. I hope there was a difference made for the good guys. May Truth, Justice, Mercy, Compassion, and Love increase in this place. In this fallen world, drowning in selfishness, corruption, and debauchery, may the good sound their trumpet to announce a victory against those that delight in dark deeds.

The week comes to a close. There is a certain peace in me. Whatever was supposed to happen, whatever God wanted....there is a peace, that it was done. It is satisfying. It is good.

The Song

What is the source of Truth?
What is it about truth that resonates in the soul
Penetrating deep within
What is the source of Love?
Who first loved us
Lighting a fire deep within
What is it about the outstretched arm
helping those in need
Extending out to help up

Out of the dirt
Out of unfaithfullness
Out of lies
Out of cheating
Greed, dishonesty, cruelty, self indulgence, hatred, and selfishness
Out of the dirt comes Love, breaking through it all

Oh how glorious, how beautiful is love springing up out of the dirt!
What a glory of God!
What a miracle!

Out of the dulldrums
there is a song
bringing to life those that hear it
A song of hope and love
inspiring wonderful mercies
in a land of dirt and unfaithfullness
There is a song of love being heard
being danced too
How awesome
Coal becomes diamond
Rainy days turn into sunshine bright
Out of winter comes Spring rising up through the dirt

What is it about this song?
When you hear you just know its true
Awakening the heart
Releasing all fear and joining in it's tune
Resonating throughout time and place
Inspiring courage and self sacrifice

Who wrote this song?
I can imagine certain attributes about Him
He is most certainly forgiving, loving, faithful, and just
Someone you can really trust

I know this song
I see it in my mind and my heart
I never want to have it cease, I always want to be engulfed in it's rhythms
I want to be lost in it and hear it grow louder and louder
So crystal clear with singing and dancing never ceasing
Drumming me on higher and higher
Lost in the beauty

Running

The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win. Roger Bannister

Roger Bannister was the first man to break the four minute mile, once thought to be impossible.

I like that quote. I enjoy training and running. There seems to be many life lessons in this quote. Many life lessons I take away from running and training. Obviously, there is always the pain from working out or even those points you reach that you just want to quit. Pushing past those points toward that goal whatever it is, you learn something about yourself.

Life seems to be much like this. There are problems that barrage you every day. All the time I have moments where I don't feel like doing some thing. But I do it anyway, because I have goals and I have a vision. I know the things I am doing right now, whatever that thing is I don't like fits into the big picture of things I do enjoy.

In running, there is that freeing feeling in the physical of overcoming all obtacles. Overcoming the pain, pushing past the problems, you can find yourself set free from the troubles that come in life as well. It can reengerize you to take on those problems fresh having conquered other problems/pains/challenges during a run or other physical challenge.

In faith, we are called to be faithful till the end. We are to hit the finish line at full steam. I have heard Chuck Swindall I believe say, I don't want to limp into heaven.

There are obstacles, temptations, and pains we will experience and just like Roger Bannister quoted, we are too drive ourselves further to Christ and hold onto the Word ever tighter to overcome the troubles of life. We are called to be holy, to grow in faith, to change. By the grace of God, may we bend ourselves to God's will to let this happen to us.

May we lay down those things in our lives that are not of God's Word.

Remember

Forgive me Lord for all the things I have forgotten. Forgive me for not carrying your praises with me to freely proclaim your awesome power.

Like the time that you delivered me from my empty pursuits. No money, no drug, no pleasure, no status, no not anything but you can satisfy my soul. How you look upon such a lost soul and shine your mercies and graces. How you filled my heart with purpose. Thank you for saving me in my waywardness and watching over me during my car crash. My God has set a path before me to walk in. A path that takes me away from what I once knew. Takes me away from lies and guides me into truth. Truth a life can be built upon.

Like every time you have answered prayer. When I prayed to be used by you for your glory. So numerous are the times, I am ashamed to forget them in my day to day life. As you opened the way to Kokomo Urban Outreach. As you worked miracles of baptism of my immediate family into your kingdom. As you work your plan to place other travellers on your path beside me for fellowship. As you open doors into my neighbors lives.

So great in your timing are your answers to prayer. You heard me pray for my brother, his wife, and my nieces. Awesome to watch them turn to you for leadership and making choices to do your will. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine my 44 year old brother being soft enough to be baptised, or my 65 year old mother.

Remember the time that you delivered two-fold the amount of shoes prayed for needy children in Kokomo. What I asked you doubled and worked a miracle on the day beyond what I had enough faith to trust for.

I wish I could carry with me every day how Great you are God to answer and deliver to the fullest my feeble prayers. I wish I would always remember how you deliver me and watch over me. When my body hurts, when things don't go my way, when stresses overwhelm, when tragedy strikes, things seem impossible, then I wish I would remember what you have done and trust you for deliverance in all troubles.

"Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life." Psalm 23

Remember, remember, remember what God has Done!

Light Has Entered the World

John 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

There is truth among the lies being spread. Just like watching the sun rise in the morning was Jesus Christ coming into a dark day. There is something beyond comprehension or words to explain that is the life of Jesus. Reading His words and about His life, is just like looking at a beautiful sunrise. There is just something about it that grabs you and you just can't help but sit and wonder at the glory of such a thing. All of nature worships God and is orchestrated just as He created it to. But humans are given the choice to conform to God's will or to follow their own. God so loves us He gave His creation the ability to accept or reject Him. I find it harder and harder to imagine that so many love the darkness, when instead you could for all eternity be looking at the sunrise.

There was a time on earth, that the truth of all the ages was set in the flesh and dwelt among us. His life and words are recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Anyone that is rejecting the light of Jesus must please take the opportunity to read those books of the Bible and then tell me if you do not find the glory of God...the truth of the ages....something beyond this worldly wisdom or created by man stored in those pages. If there is the opportunity to look into the mind of God, would you not take a chance and take a look for yourself? Many can describe how beautiful God is, but at some point, everyone has to make the decision to look away from the darkness and toward the light on their own. He is waiting for all of us to make that journey. I hope you do.

He did it all

Jesus did it all for us. He was whipped, beaten, shamed, betrayed, denied, mocked, pierced, and crucified for you and me. He was rejected, cursed, and there was no room for Him when He was born. He took it all for us, He suffered all there was to be suffered. He was committed to embrace his own sacrifice. And on the 3rd day He was risen from the dead having conquered death.

So while we wait to see Him lifted high on the Judgement Seat before heaven, let us remember, "He did it all," so how much will He be willing to forgive here and now, since He did love us enough to embrace death, yes even death on a cross?

There is nothing we do to earn it, he loves us and extends us pardon freely.

If we could only hold onto a vision of Jesus and His love for us. That no matter what we have done, Jesus' willingness to forgive us is sufficient. His love and grace is so large, that He bore the cross and was tortured beyond comprehension for us. How much more willing does that make Him to extend grace, if He would embrace such torture for us? A love that motiveated Him to lay down His own life, will surely be tender enough to accept a heart felt cry to Him that loves so much. My brothers and sisters in Christ let us always approach the throne room of grace with confidence knowing what He has already done and is longing to do right now. Give your burden to Jesus. He has paid the price to take away your burden and guilt.

I find myself dependent upon Jesus grace, mercy, and love. My sinful nature will flare up and come out of nowhere and blind side me. So I call out to the name that Saves, "Jesus." I am on my knees again in this dark room asking your pardon. I hear Him say, "My grace is sufficient for you little one." "If I suffered so much on the cross, will I not hear you now and be very willing to forgive you?" Yes, Yes, tis true, tis true.

This Christmas, The Best Christmas

There is a need this season, as there is always that stubborn need. That need which sticks around all year for the families living in poverty. On such a commercial celebration as is Christmas, the poor feel especially left out for they have nothing to give. Those that have no gifts for their children and are planning on making a visit to the hospital with a parent dying from cancer. There is much cause for all children with gifts under the tree and parents who can give them to be joyful and thankful to God Almighty that they should have such a privilege. I know there are many who do not have such a joy. Their worries are not if they have the latest xbox or the coolest clothes, but if they have diapers because they have no means of getting any more without some form of charity from someone who cares.

This Christmas has been the best for me personally. God continues to answer my prayer to use me for His will. There was a need for 27 pairs of shoes for a Christmas gift for less fortunate neighbors in my community. There was a fund raising of the expected funds required for such a gift. By a miracle from heaven, God provided a half price sale the day we just happened to make our purchase by no planning or knowledge on our part. God gave 43 pairs of shoes that day. There were 18 apartments where children have 1 additional reason this year to know they are loved and 18 sets of parents out there know someone cares about them as well.

I think I am hooked on walking with the Lord. I am beginning to see that there is no other way for me. I can find no other fulfillment. I can imagine nothing I would rather do. Who would not want to restore justice in the world? Who would not want to stand up for truth? Who would not want to love others no matter who they are or what they've done to you? Who would not want to do what is right? Where else can you do those things? I have found no other place than this faith.

Where else can my heart be opened up and exposed to people close to me? Where else do you find people who care about life, about family, about community, about marriage, about saving babies from being murdered, about helping the poor, about respecting parents, about respecting women for more than just looks, or for raising the bar on morality? Where else can you prepare for eternity if not in the faith? Where else can we turn but to Jesus Christ? He opened the way for us to follow, which leads us into all those things, such as truth, justice, morality. If we pursue any of those things by themselves, we are pursuing a part of Him, a part of divine things. Those absolute good things are divine, they are heavenly and they are only shadows cast on a wall here on planet Earth. But just because they are shadows here, some say they don't exist. They say truth is relative, you decide for yourself what is true. Just because the shadows are not real does not mean there is not something on the other side of heaven, which is real and does exist, casting those shadows. And anyhow, I would rather die with principles and dreams that I chased and pursued than to die with not having stood up for anything I believed in. If a man firmly believes that life is about partying, sex, drugs, and having excessive material goods....Then let him have all of it he wants, at least he is following what he believes. But if a man catch a glimpse of the possibility that there are things of a divine nature here that can be pursued and lived upon and he not pursue what he believes to exist, than shame on him.

All that to say, I am happy this Christmas. I believe I am more happy, joyful and fulfilled than I have ever been in my life. Thank you Jesus for paving the way. And I look to the future with anticipation for whatever may come my way. Even if it be difficulty and trouble, I look forward to pursuing the truth and living by my convictions for all of my life.