Stepping Stones

These last few weeks I have really been pondering the verse in Psalms 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (esv) It is so interesting that a few weeks ago the Lord had a word for us that we were headed in the right direction...we really don't know the end result or destination but we are headed in the right direction, the actual description was swimming in rough waters (our life isn't going to be easy is it)...Anyways my point is that we will get a picture of the path and all we will most of the time know is our next step.

I have never fully realized what this verse meant until I was in the situation that our family is in now. Being unemployed for almost 8 months will do that to you When we started this process we has made the decision that we wanted to stay in the area where we are living now...after much prayer and being removed from our comfort, God has taken us to a place of totally relying on him and his provision. He knows the end result and He opens the doors as we need them opened. I got to the point that I was willing to purse other options...recently I had the opportunity to pursue work outside of the place where I am at and don't have any clue of if anything will come of it but I am really excited to know that God is in control.

If we step out in faith the Lord will reward us for being faithful to pursue Him even if we are wrong about that step, we tried to listen and are in the process of taking that step of faith.

What a Year

This is the first of many posts...My heart has had a rough year and yet my God continues to amaze me at His provision. So here is a synopsis of this last year I will go into detail later on and share with you (my readers) a more detailed post but I just needed to get out the overall basics.

1. My beautiful daughter was diagnosed with epilepsy in March
2. I lost my job in June
3. We found out that we were pregnant in July and 2 weeks later we found out that we weren't
4. We lost the house that we were going to buy in August
5. Oh yeah did I mention that I'm still unemployed as of today now going on 7 months

Yep it's been a hard year and I would guess that my personal statement for this year would be Broken trying to find joy.

5 Things God Want's for Me to Be

1. A child of the God
To be a child of God means that I walk in obedience and in accordance to his Word.

2. A Husband
To love my wife and to live with her with understanding. To be that example to my daughter of what a husband should look like. To pray for my wife.

3. A Father
To raise my daughter and to teach her what it means to be a Christian. How to love Christ. To pray for my daughter and Lord willing our other children that we don't have yet.

4. A good worker
Just that at my place of employment, I need to work unto the Lord

5. A servant in the church.

Reflections on 2008

This past year has been truly amazing. It started out with a wonderful trip to Lake Tahoe to spend New Years with close friends of ours, from there got crazy, I don't think that we even stopped to breathe until after Easter. Other dear friends moved across country to be closer to family, and I changed jobs. As a nation we elected a new president not the outcome that I desired but the one that I am stuck with none the less. I began attending an all day bible study where once every few months I have to take a day off of work just to go, worth it of course, God has taught me so much about who He made me to be, the man that He desires me to be, the Husband and Father that He desires me to be, and the Servant in the church that He desires me to be.

Coming up we are going to look at the 5 things that God wants me to be.

The Everlasting Mercy of God

"O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever." (Psalm 136:1)

God’s mercy is a monumental theme in Scripture. The English word appears some 341 times in the Bible. The four Hebrew and three Greek words appear a total of 454 times and are also translated by "kindness," "lovingkindness," "goodness," "favor," "compassion," and "pity." Of the 66 books of the Bible, only 16 do not use one of the words for mercy. Even though "mercy" is an important concept, it is somewhat difficult to prescribe a definition for it, especially since "grace" is occasionally coupled with it.

In the first reference where "mercy" is used, Lot has just been expelled from Sodom by the angels of judgment. In spite of the command by the angels that Lot and his daughters "escape to the mountain," Lot begs; "Oh, not so, my LORD: Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life, . . . this city is near . . . Oh, let me escape thither" (Genesis 19:17-20). And later, the New Testament saints are told to "come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). In these and other such passages, the two terms appear to address similar subjects.

However similar they may appear to be, these words are not synonyms. "Grace" is most often associated with the sovereign dispensation of totally undeserved favor, and it is specifically connected to salvation. "Mercy" is more often connected to the withholding of judgment: "For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment" (James 2:13).

Set aside some time today to read and meditate on this Psalm. You will find the day less wearisome if you do. HMM III

Taken from Days of Praise, a daily email from ICR

Economic stress

Don't try and live life on your own. When you try and take on the world with out the Most High in your corner, you will end up between a rock and a hard place.

During this Christmas season remember that it is Jesus that we are celebrating, I know that I am constantly having to check my motives for what I do and what I say. Take some time and look back at why He came to earth. Is there a slow down/recession you betch'ca will we get through it absolutely, you ask how? Will it be hard, sure. I can guarantee you this that if Jesus is your number 1 all of that stress will turn to peace, notice I didn't say that it would be hard I just said you when it is hard you will find your comfort in the most high.

More to come

Matt 6:25-33

I was encouraged by this today

August 4, 2008

The Brave Friendship of God

He took the twelve aside . . . —Luke 18:31
Oh, the bravery of God in trusting us! Do you say, "But He has been unwise to choose me, because there is nothing good in me and I have no value"? That is exactly why He chose you. As long as you think that you are of value to Him He cannot choose you, because you have purposes of your own to serve. But if you will allow Him to take you to the end of your own self-sufficiency, then He can choose you to go with Him "to Jerusalem" ( Luke 18:31 ). And that will mean the fulfillment of purposes which He does not discuss with you.

We tend to say that because a person has natural ability, he will make a good Christian. It is not a matter of our equipment, but a matter of our poverty; not of what we bring with us, but of what God puts into us; not a matter of natural virtues, of strength of character, of knowledge, or of experience— all of that is of no avail in this concern. The only thing of value is being taken into the compelling purpose of God and being made His friends (see 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 ). God’s friendship is with people who know their poverty. He can accomplish nothing with the person who thinks that he is of use to God.

As Christians we are not here for our own purpose at all— we are here for the purpose of God, and the two are not the same. We do not know what God’s compelling purpose is, but whatever happens, we must maintain our relationship with Him. We must never allow anything to damage our relationship with God, but if something does damage it, we must take the time to make it right again. The most important aspect of Christianity is not the work we do, but the relationship we maintain and the surrounding influence and qualities produced by that relationship. That is all God asks us to give our attention to, and it is the one thing that is continually under attack.