What were you expecting?

I learned some great things in church today.
  One of them was about marriage.
The speaker thought he had found the perfect girl. Then he went on a missions trip and she was with someone else.
  He then asked us if any of us found someone perfect would they want us?
Not a single hand was raised.
  So I beg the question; especially for those of us who are married;
  Are we expecting too much from our spouse?
  Many people blame Eve for the fall of the human race. But I say, couldn't Adam just have said no? Ever since then women seem to have been second class citizens.
  My point is that no one is perfect.
 Do we expect too much of ourselves?
Do we take our failures out on others?
  Maybe at work the pressure our bosses feel makes them cranky even if we go above and beyond the call of duty.
  If you mess up say I'm sorry.
If our spouse or kids foul things up instead of yelling say, oh well we can try to fix it. And then maybe hug it out.
Because despite my flaws I'm hoping God will say well done good and faithful servant when I get to Heaven.

Crazy?

Some people are convinced that Jesus was just a crazy person. Same for his mother who claimed to be a virgin.
  Maybe he knew the scriptures and found ways to back it up.
   History says that he performed miracles.
Although some say he was a fraud and history is full of lies or at least half truths.
    Certainly crazy people have had huge impacts on the world.
   But here's my take.
    So what if he was crazy?
    And yes people have twisted his message and even killed in the Name of Jesus.
But I'm convinced that Jesus saved my soul. I believe his mother was a virgin.
I believe that Jesus was without sin.
He was killed for what he believed about himself and his mission from God.
  I believe his sacrifice alone will get me into Heaven.
  I may not be a terrible person but I'm not perfect.
Praying to God through Jesus had saved me in ways to numerous to count.
 Faith in Jesus can save you too. Some say he is the only way to eternal life.
  It works for me.
So call me crazy but can all of us who follow Jesus be wrong?
 I encourage you to try God, especially if nothing else is working.

Kind Of Like Star Trek

This may seem like a strange comparison but I think my life could be like Star Trek.
Not the content of the show mind you.
No, rather more like the resiliency of the show.
Star Trek was a show that originally aired in the 60's and just after three seasons it was cancelled.
The show survived in re-runs, movies, four spin off TV shows (a fifth coming in 2017) and three reboot movies.
Not bad.
I might not be flying through space on a starship, fighting hostile aliens. I will probably never save Earth from certain doom, but I have been told how my simple words have changed at least one persons life for the better.
My life came close to being canceled more than once but here I am still chasing the life that Almighty God has given to me.
I had a recent setback.
Or so I thought at the time.
Turns out that despite the pain of it, it wasn't a setback so much as a wakeup call.
The so called loss showed me that God was impressed with my tenacity while at the same time telling me that I'm on the right path but I need to take a turn in the road that I wasn't expecting.
God may do the same for you.
Or maybe he just did.
Worry not. God may have prevented you from plunging off a cliff.
The Lord does give and take away. And it's for good reason.
Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. He wrote our story we just have to learn to trust His direction.
To boldly go where no one has gone before.

Don't be that guy.

I just listened to a very inspirational message about taking a leap of faith.
I didn't know who I was listening to, but it was very much something I NEEDED to hear.
Then I found out who the speaker was and I was surprised. But not in a good way.
Because the speaker seems to have slipped from the godly person who spoke those much needed words.
It made me sad (a little).
I'm not saying that this person is bad. Maybe just a little just in the midst of a backslide. I'm not passing judgment, I've been there, done that.
What I'm saying is this; many people are surprised at the man of God I've become.
I'm shocked at who I am versus who I used to be.
And it's by the grace of God that I'm here at all.
God can use anybody to inspire people.
That means you.
You don't have to be a preacher to share the good news of God.
You can be a teacher, comedian, football player, banker, janitor, recovering addict, etc....
Wouldn't it be nice for people to see how far you've climbed instead of people gossiping about how far you've fallen.

What's Been Started

When you look back The Kingdom of God started in The Garden of Eden.
Adam and Eve sinned and things went downhill.
The human race became so sinful that only a chosen few were saved.
Prophets came and went up to the time of John the Baptist.
The enemy of God thought that killing John would be the end of his message.
A message and warning. Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.
Then Jesus took his place as prophet, teacher, healer, and messiah.
The words and actions stirred the hearts of the people. Some loved him and some hated him.
The enemies of The Christ, thought that if they killed him then that would be the end of the supposed great and powerful new kingdom.
Not true. Oh  sure Jesus did die. But He didn't stay dead!
He's alive to this very day! And he's coming back to destroy the devil once and for all!
What I'm getting at is this;
The plans that God has for you can't be stopped by our enemies.
The good work that God began in you will be accomplished!
The devil stalks the earth like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.
But like Daniel in the lions den, God shut up the mouths of the lions.
So don't listen to Satan, a loudmouth and a liar.
Listen to God who speaks to us in a still small voice.
His voice can calm any storm.
Life isn't perfect. And there will be pain.
But lean on the shoulders who took all our pain, and conquered the grave.
For with God all things are possible.
We can do all things through Christ that strengthens us.

The Same Sin Over And Over

Do you struggle with one particular sin over and over?
And for Catholics, do you go to confession for the same thing nearly every time?
What gives right?
You know it's wrong and you keep slipping in the same way.
So why bother asking God for forgiveness?
The good news is that no matter what sin you've committed God forgives it and forgets it EVERY time.
Especially in sincerity.
More good news.
God will give you grace to overcome.
If God weren't inside you, you wouldn't know right from wrong. And you wouldn't care.
God will provide a way of escape for every temptation.
We may fall but God will pick us back up.
Don't let the excuse "I'm too embarrassed to ask God for forgiveness" keep you from God's everlasting love and grace. After all pride leads to a fall.
Seek out God.
Seek out support groups.
Seek out counseling.
And be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

He Made Me Do It

 God created everything. The universe. The galaxy. The earth and all that lives in the earth. He also created the angels. God created us. He gave us and the angels free will. One angel in particular was the most beautiful. He was strong. He thought he could rise above God. He tried and failed. The light bearer became the adversary, the devil.
  The devil isn't everywhere but he has plenty of helpers.
Sometimes without being fully aware, we become our own worst enemy.
Oh sure a fallen angel may point something out to us that catches our eyes. "Hey look that person over there. In the next cubicle. They're quite good looking aren't they? You should say
hi."
  You admit they are attractive. You say hello and hit it off. You feel a connection. Your co-worker wants to hang out after work. You may be single but your co-worker isn't.
  Reactions may differ at this point.
Would you purposely hang out with someone that's married?
One thing can lead to an other and next thing you know you're having an affair.
Or maybe you back off.
 Choice is yours.
The devil can't force your hand and neither can God.
Be assured that we may not want to face our sinful choices right now but one day we will.
Besides saying yes or no to sin is up to us so is repentance.
You choose to sin. You choose to go before God and not just say "sorry" but take it further and to "Go and sin no more"
Saying sorry and being sorry are two different things.
Don't stop there.
Don't let your resistance to sin fill you with the feeling of being invincible.
You're not.
As you rely upon God to say no, you must remember that it's Jesus that was tempted in every way and yet never sinned.
Remember God pours his spirit upon all who call upon him and who do so with sincerity.
God spits out what's lukewarm.
God rejects the proud.
God will never reject a humble and contrite heart.
Even the angels rejoice over a repentant sinner.
And it's through the willing sacrifice of Jesus that our sins are wiped out.
Recognize your sin. Believe that Jesus is The Son of God. Believing in Him as The One who faced sin and yet lived without falling. Running into the arms of Jesus makes sense.
Jesus pleads before God on our behalf.
Run to Jesus.
He will help you overcome the call of sin.
When you're forgiven of your trespasses is when the greatest healing begins.
When Jesus forgave and healed those who came to him they jumped for joy, sang, and ran.
Confession and healing go together.
Keep your eyes on Jesus, the man without sin.