Working through vacation...

1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)

Each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in it's various forms.

I am very lucky in my job at the fire department in the fact that I get lots of vacation time. So much in fact that I had to take the entire month of May off so that I wouldn't lose any vacation that I was accruing. My family and I had several plans of fun things to do during this time, but unfortunately every single plan we had made was cancelled for some reason or another. This really bummed me out and made me want to pull my hair out.

So, during my vacation time, I worked at church to get better at setting up all of our technical things for services. I have even learned to set up the stage lighting during this time. I have worked more hours than my wife really wanted me to, but I have been getting a lot of stuff done. I have been joking that I need to go back to work to get some rest.

A major part of the work that I have done in the second half of the month has been to help those affected in the Joplin tornado. On the evening it happened, I was called into work at the FD. I joined the crew that was requested to go to Joplin. I spent all night in staging at Joplin after getting to see some of the devastation. Unfortunately, it took so long for rescue to get organized that we had to leave before being allowed to do any search.

After we got back, I went home, changed clothes, came to church, and we loaded a 24ft trailer with water and food and went back to Joplin. We handed out half of it in the damaged area and dropped the rest at a drop site to be handed out later. Needless to say, I had been up for about 40 hours and was exhausted when we got home.

The next day, Pastor Chad and a few others took the 24ft trailer back again. I went to church and helped load a 53ft tractor trailer with even more supplies, this time included clothes, diapers, and toys. We delivered the semi load to Messenger College just on the outskirts of Joplin.

Needless to say this has been the best worst month of vacation. Yes, all of my plans got cancelled and I worked way too much, but I got to use my talents and the desire God gave me to help others. Now, I don't want to sound like I'm having a pity party, but sometimes I feel like I am the most overlooked person at church because everything I do is behind the scenes, however when these days that I get to help happen, God takes all that away and his joy and love overflow from my heart.

So what is all this rambling really about? I know I have said this before, but wherever God has you is where he wants you to be. Do what God has asked you to do not what you want people to see you do. No matter how little the task, in God's kingdom it is huge. Just remember this (this has become my motto for serving at church), God may be the only one who sees what you do, but everyone will see when you don't do what he has asked you to do.

I hope someone can get a lift from reading this. I know that it has lifted me just writing it down. Thanks for stopping by and God bless...

Fork in the Road...

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:13-14

Ok, so at Destiny Church we have an amazing leader in Pastor Chad, and every once and a while one of his thoughts gets completely stuck in my head and I mull over it for a while. His most recent series is called Roadtrip, and this last week he spoke on asking forgiveness then turning around and going back to our sin (aka, Dead Man Walking).

As I have thought about this, I have had a few sayings and thoughts come into my head. The most notable would be: like a dog returns to its vomit. That is how most of us are with our Christian lives. We want our sins to be covered by grace, but we won't stop living in sin. We ask God to forgive our sins and then we turn back to our lying, cheating, lust, porn, bitterness, or whatever it is that is a sin in your life.

Question: How stupid can we be? We have been offered the greatest gift ever in existence and we turn our back on it as soon as we walk out of the church doors. It's no wonder this world is going down the drain. If the world can't tell we are Christians, how will God know.

A line that has become famous from the movie Batman Begins is: "Why do we fall? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up." Well, here is my question, why do we have to fall repeatedly? We are all sinners and fall short, but why must we continually choose to sin? Forgive me for saying it this way, but we are the most stupid animals on the face of the earth. We are the only beings on this planet that do things against our better judgement and that hurt us or the people around us.

It's time to choose. Everyone is at a fork in the road. In one direction, a wide and easy path that leads to death, and many take this road. In the other; a straight, narrow, harder path that leads to life, and very few choose this road.

I'm not saying you cant have cool clothes or have a nice car. I'm saying that we have to choose God. It's harder than what it sounds, but aren't the hardest things in life the most rewarding? We must find time for God each day. Get in his word, pray, do things for others with no strings attached. We must be Christ for this world until He returns for us!!!

I have decided to take the narrow path and make a more conscious effort to avoid sins in my life. I don't expect to be perfect. I may stumble and fall, but I can still strive for His perfection.

You have now been challenged, I hope you will join me on this path. Together we can make it. Thanks for stopping by and God Bless...

Endurance: The New Virtue...

Hebrews 12:1-2

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

It seems that here recently I have been put through the ringer more times than I care to count. I have repeatedly wondered and asked God why I have had to endure these situations. My wife and I have had to fight depression, loneliness, feelings of being pushed away from our friends, and at times feeling like God had turned his back on us. At one point it was so bad, we almost decided to sell everything and move somewhere else and start over.

Slowly I have started to realize what has been going on. During this time we continued to seek God's will in our lives and stay in his word. I have continually ran across scriptures that talk about enduring the race of life and making it to the finish line. Our endurance and resolve continues to every day because we continually look to Him for our strength and guidance. I'm not talking like what should we have for lunch or exactly how we should spend our money, but the stuff that needs guidance not discernment or conscience.

Needless to say we are following what God wants us to do, not what our emotions have been telling us to do. Things are becoming easier, not perfect but easier. Like a long distance runner in training, our endurance is making us stronger in Him. Maybe not all at once, but a little each day.

God has something big planned for our little family, and if you follow him and let him stretch you and point you in the right direction, you will find your endurance in life growing.

My prayer for today: God don't let me stumble. Let me endure on in what you would have me do today. Surround me with friends and loved ones that will strengthen me and lift me up. Let me be there to lift someone else up as well and help them run the race of life.

Thanks for stopping by and God Bless...