Live, learn, be free

Finding Wisdom

I read a story once about an factory assembly line breaking down.  The factory manager called in a consultant to help remedy the situation. After looking and searching the line the consultant pulled out a hammer and tapped an area of the line and it began to work again.  The factory manager was thrilled and thanked the consultant for his help. 

The factory manager received a bill for $10,000 from the consultant.  The manager was upset and requested and itemized bill from the consultant.  The second bill stated $5 for tapping the hammer/$9,995 for knowing where to tap.

Wisdom is knowing where to tap.  There are times in our lives where we need help and we know where to tap but there are other times when we need help and it requires finding someone who knows where to tap.  We would be fools to think we will always know where to tap the hammer.

The book of Proverbs in the Bible is filled with advice for finding wisdom.  God should be our ultimate source of wisdom.  God has also put people in our lives that will walk with us and tap the hammer for us when we don't know where to tap.

When you need to seek wisdom ask God first.  Proverbs 17:24 says, "a discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth."  Lets be people who keep wisdom in view and not let our eyes wander. 

Following Religion or God?

It is very easy to fall into a pattern of following traditions in our churches.  We get used to doing the things our parents and their parents did in church.  We start to believe that we are following God just because we are following a list of things to do.

If we choose to follow God it is the only thing that matters to us.  Nothing gets in our way of following God.  We stay focused on what matters, God.  We show others we follow God and not religion by the way we live our life.

Following religion will lead us to distraction and take us off track.  Following God leads us to the feet of Jesus.  Following religion can be complicated and rigid.  Following God is simple and brings glory only to God. 

We live in a country where we have many options for the type of church we want to attend.  Pray about where you attend church.  Does your church lead you to the feet of Jesus?  Church should not be about religion but about God. 

Take time to pray and ask God to show you if you are following religion or God.  Take a look at the way you live your life.  Are you showing others you are following God or religion?  God is about love, grace and freedom. 

What Are You Waiting For?

When I talk to people about missions I usually get the same response.  People tell me how they don't think they can afford it, or how they don't want to leave their children behind.  I get excuses from people. 

I think as Christians we need to understand that we all have a part in the great commission.  We can't sit around and wait for someone else to do it.  The command is simple but is for everyone.  Matthew 28:19 is clear.  It tells us we are to "go and make disciples of every nation." 

The words of Jesus are not a suggestion, he tells us very directly to go and to teach what He has commanded us.  I understand it can be intimidating to leave the country to serve God if you have never done that.

Think about the command in Matthew 28, God wants us all to join together to help, we can either go or we can send.  Pray about what God wants you to do and get to work.  If you want a place to start you can visit this website and learn more about missions work in Europe.

What are you waiting for?  God has given us all a command and we need to do our part to reach those who have not heard about Him.  I will be leading a trip to Thessaloniki, Greece at the end of May please contact me if you would like more information.

I Have A Confession

I was reading Colossians 2 recently during my quiet time.  As I read through this passage I realized that I needed to stop being concerned with what others thought of me.  I have to admit not just to myself but to God, that I am a sinner. 

We all sin and we all fall short of God's glory.  The problem comes in when we allow others to judge our sin.  When we become concerned with what someone else thinks about what we are doing.  Colossians clearly states for us in verse 16: "therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink or with regard to a religious festival". 

We can not get in the game of measuring our sin by what others think about it.  We are all sinners and sin and sin.  There is no bad sin and good sin, it's all short of God's glory.  Colossians goes on to tell us that we are made alive in Christ and He has forgiven us of all our sin.

God will always be faithful to us, we need to be faithful to Him.  We are not perfect and we can not pretend to be.  I admit I do strive for perfection but not by the worlds standards but by God's.  I long to bow before Him at the throne and hear Him say well done good and faithful servant. 

Let us all put aside our sinful nature and commit to walking with God.  Confess to God and trust that He will be faithful to you.  There is no big sin and small sin, just sin.  God is in control and He will free you from bondage if you just ask.

Til Death Do Us Part

It is very disappointing to see how many people give up on marriage.  Til death do us part seems like an old wives tale in today's society.  In order to make a marriage last I think you need to have a God sized dose of patience. 

The thing many couples leave out of their marriage is God.  Without God we have no hope, no need to persevere.  Lets show others what it looks like when God is in control of our marriages.  Rob and I have only been married for 14 years.  In the large scheme of things that is not long at all but we have made the commitment to staying in this til death do us part.  

Society today treats marriage like a business transaction.  It is crazy to think that anyone, regardless of how much money they make have, needs to have a pre nup agreement.  We as Christians need to remember we are in the world but not of it. 

We need to let God take His rightful place in our marriages and let us show the world what it looks like to stay married for a lifetime.  First of all we need to ask God to help us as we choose a mate.  If God is not involved from the beginning then we set ourselves up for possible failure. 

We must be willing to do whatever it takes to stay married once you are married.  Please understand that I am judging you if you are divorced, just know what God has to say about marriage and divorce.  Don't give up and let God take control of your relationship. 

God designed marriage and wants to see us succeed.  Pray and trust God will help you in the tough times.  Take heart and be patient.  God wants the best for you trust Him. 

Hebrews 12:12

Earlier this year I ran the Flying Pig Half Marathon.  I trained for 6 months.  I worked hard and I planned.  I overcame injuries during training.  I was still caught off guard when my a new injury came up during the race. 

Perseverance and endurance are important in times like those.  My runner partner and I persevered and we finished.  The real joy is just finishing, I knew there was no chance of winning. Some people asked why even try when you know you can't win?

To me running is about my body beating out my mind.  If you have ever done some running you know your mind can get the best of you.  Your body can do the work but your mind talks you out of continuing.  That is what Hebrew 12 is all about. 

Staying in the faith race until the end.  We can have many stumbling blocks in our way but we can overcome them.  We need to stay focused to continue running the race.  Think about what hindrances get in your way.  Hebrews 12 gives us encouragement and support for those times. 

Our biggest struggle for many years has been Asperger's Syndrome.  We have trusted God and prayed for our son.  We have endured and persevered and God has been faithful.  What is your struggle?  Pray and ask God to help you, and He will.  God has given us great hope for our son.   

Busy for Jesus

I will admit I have busied myself with the things of God and my relationship with God has suffered.  It may sound weird but sometimes we get so wrapped up working for God that we forget to spend time alone with God. 

God wants to know us intimately.  In order to do that we need to put down some of the things we are doing for God in order to spend more time with Him.  I realize this seems counter intuitive but it is true.  When we over volunteer for the kingdom our intimacy with God suffers.

As Christians we are the  body of Christ, we all have a part.  Each person needs to step up and do their part.  Just because we see a need does not mean we should fill it.  We need to be a little more selective in what we do for God.

I am guilty of having done this in the past.  I over committed myself at church and my time with God suffered.  I didn't have time to spend with God because I was too busy doing the work of the whole church.

Are you doing too much for God right now?  Take some time to sit and evaluate what you are doing.  Is God calling you to do all those things?  What do you need to say no to in order to say yes to God?  If you are too busy for Jesus than you must take some time to build that relationship back up.

If you are looking for a way to work on building intimacy with God, please check out this link.  It is a book I wrote called In Pursuit of God.  It is a study guide and journal.  It will give you information on the spiritual disciplines.  Whatever source you use remember: working for God and and working with God are two different things.

Marks of Jesus

Peer pressure still gets us as adults, we call it "keeping up with the Joneses."  What we wear, what we drive, and where we live can all be influenced by those around us.  Even our vocabulary can be affected, have you spent any time in the south?  That sweet southern accent can rub off in a second.

We are often tempted to change our behavior in order to be accepted by others.  This lifestyle has a very high price tag.  We need to figure out who's approval is worth it.  We all feel cultural pressure around us.  We must lay every pressure around us at the feet of Jesus. 

Sometimes you may even be tempted to hide your Christianity to make a good impression.  It is important that not matter what comes our way we bear the marks of Jesus.  These are marks of Jesus are the evidence of our faithful service to the King.

Do you have marks of Jesus?  Let us purify our motives in this life.  Let's not go after the approval of men, but let's chase after the approval of God.  The good news is we don't have to run as long or as hard to get God's approval.  He loves us just the way we are, all we have to do is run to him. 

Read through Galatians 6:11-18.  You have already made a good impression on God.  Wear your marks of Jesus with pride.  Give up chasing after man's approval you have already been accepted by God.   

Asperger's Syndrome: An Inside Look

Our family has dealt with Asperger's Syndrome for over 8 years now.  You would think we know it all by now, but we don't.  Just when we think we completely understand something, we realize we don't.  We continue to learn each and everyday about this syndrome.

God has opened the door for us to talk to others about what it is like for us as a family to deal with this.  We have been blessed beyond measure through this experience.  Asperger's Syndrome is not just hard for the person but it is hard for those who love them.

As the insiders it can be devastating until you realize that God is in control.  God created them this way for a reason.  We fully trust God, we know He has a plan that will glorify Him.  There are still times we question and we do still mourn losses at times. 

It all comes back to the fact that God has always been faithful to us, we must be faithful to Him.  In due time this will all make sense either in this life or the next.  God will not hang us out to dry.  He has always provided for us and He will continue to do so.

Asperger's Syndrome is not a sprint it's a marathon.  We are in a for a long haul but we continue to pray for ways to glorify God through our troubles.  Asperger's Syndrome is welcome to be a part of our family but it can not take control of it. 

Elijah is doing so well right.  We can really see God working in Him.  The progress he is making right now is immeasurable.  It is so cool to be a part of this and we thank God for making us "flies on the wall" of His work.

Dueling with the Devil

I know I am going to step on some toes with this blog post but I will not apologize.  I think this topic is so important right now that I want to share this information and I pray God helps you make the right decision for you and your children.  I have noticed a frightening trend in television programming for children.  Harry Potter, Wizards of Waverly Place, Fanboy and Chum Chum and many more have become commonplace.  Magic, witches and wizards are a regular part of many programs on Nickelodeon and Disney.

I want to alert you to the danger of just letting our children watch these programs and movies and read these books.  I have always understood the danger and kept my children away from these programs, movies and books.  Recently I have renewed my resolve to help not just my children but children everywhere. 

We are opening the door to the enemy through our children.  I want to make you aware of the fact that magic, witches and wizards are real.  Satan is in all his glory right now over the fact that so many parents are allowing their children to learn all about him and his powers through seemingly friendly programs.  We can no longer just let our children participate in these things.

Here is the danger: when we let our children watch these programs and read these books we are opening the door to spiritual warfare for them.  You may tell them it's not real, it's just pretend.  Your children talk about it with friends at school who assure them otherwise and they began to change their thinking.  Satan is happy because you have given him an in to your child's heart. 

This is a serious matter.  Our children need to understand that Satan is real and he is the source behind the power to do magic and cast spells.  Most people think it's not a big deal to let them watch this stuff and read these books.  You just tell them it's not real, it's just pretend.  Let me ask you this, if your child came to you and said they wanted to have pretend sex, would you agree to let them?  No, you would be outraged. 

By allowing them to watch these programs and read the books you are allowing them to "pretend" dabble in the occult, pretend leads to real.  Don't be fooled, your child will not be missing out.  My children understand and are alright with "missing out" on these things. 

Please understand this post is done only to alert you to this very important situation.  If you would like more information and details on the specific problems please leave your questions as comments.  You can also visit this website which has more in depth information.  Ben Alexander is a very credible man who started in the occult in a very benign way.  Let's wage war in this battle for our children, we will win and we will be victorious, because with God all things are possible.  He is stronger than the enemy.