Relationships

First of all, I'd like to say that it has been awhile since I've done this and I'm sorry for my absence. The good Lord has really been pressing on me lately to write again and so I've been trying to gather my thoughts in the last couple of weeks on what He wants me to write on. I've got several ideas and I also went back and read some of my previous posts, but I really feel the Lord wants me to write on relationships.

The relationships we have and have had in our years here on earth is what has shaped us into who we are today. The people that raised you, whether that's your parents or somebody else I would be willing to guess that they had or may still have an impact on your life. How is your relationship with your parents? How do you treat them? When you talk to them how is your tone? Do your parents know that you love them? How do they know that? I know at times in the past my tone with my mother has been poor. In my last couple years of high school and first couple in college and didn't give the RESPECT that was due. A lot of it was due to me wanting to get out of the house and grow up and my mother not wanting to let go which is perfectly normal. The important thing is that we live and learn.

Another important relationship is that with a boyfriend or girlfriend. Sometimes we as humans can begin to treat this someone not as well as we had in the past. The relationship seems to become a drag. We may have been in it several months or years and it just seems dull and boring. We begin to be more defensive or argument and forget the feelings of the other person and our tone with this person can become damaging. We may not even realize it. So I ask you next time you are upset with this someone listen to YOUR tone not theirs. It is really important that we don't point the finger at somebody else. I know this has happened to me before. I KNEW I was right about something. Wrong. It was misinformation or something else, but I compounded the situation and caused further damage because of my tone and knowing that I was right.

One of the most important things in our life is our relationships. We come in contact and talk with so many people. What is the first impression we give people? Is it an impression of truly and genuinely caring about the person? Or do you give an impression of look at me I'm cool because of ____, and I also know so and so, and I also got this sweet car and the list goes on. It's important for us to realize that it's not about us. It's about Him and He cares for people and so should we. When Jesus was down here on earth he wasn't concerned what was best for him, but what was best for everybody else.

Finally, if any of you have any questions, problems, or concerns I'm here to listen. I'll show the respect your due. I'll show the respect I often forget to give. I'll give you the time of day to bear your feelings and problems. It's such an easy concept, but we are here to get along and help each other out. Relationships are so important and often times we do things to hinder those relationships. Things that tear down and make them weaker instead of building up.

In conclusion, I realize there is a lot to think about in this one, but lets have a positive attitude of building relationships up, not hindering relationship in any way. Give your relationships the respect their due. Jesus loves you and wants the best for you.

Need to talk? Seriously just ask.

Recovering

Today I was thinking how truly blessed I really am. Yes, I do have clothes, food, and a roof over my head, but I was thinking in a little bit of a different sense; I know Jesus and he Loves me. Whenever I get down or whatever it may be, it is usually because I haven't been in the Word and in Prayer. By being in the Word Jesus restores my Spirit and fulfills me. It is really quite amazing if you've never experienced it. It is the perfect medicine. One thing God has been pressing me with lately is that we all sin. Ya, you knew that, but let me expand. So many people, Christians and non-Christians get caught up in the empty pleasures. What do I mean by that? Well, we are living for things that don't give us a since of fulfillment. You might go to the bar or a party and get drunk, but where did that get you? Do you feel any better now? Maybe you get involved in a relationship and have sex and commit sexual sins. Do you feel any better now? Maybe you worry about everything through out the day. Do you feel any better now? Maybe you lust over women or look at pornography. Do you feel any better now? The answer to all of these questions is NO! They did provide a temporary pleasure, but we still come up empty. That empty feeling is still there. We all have that sin we are recovering from. What are you recovering from? What is your sin or sins? Think about it. The only way to overcome these sins and have a fulfilling life is to get in the Word and be in Prayer.

Resiliency

In life there are many things that make us excited or may make us disappointed. Monday night was the conclusion of the college basketball season. Depending on who you were rooting for would depend on your feeling for the game.

A basketball team starts practicing in mid-October for a finale the first week of April. A basketball season that is six months long and the first month is just practice. Just like life we are practicing right from wrong the first 10 to 12 years of our life. We are learning the basics of life. As we start junior high we start to run into some pressures that challenge us to do what is right or wrong. We are being tested to see if we can withstand the pressures of the real world. In the same regard, a basketball team has exhibition games at the start of a season to see if they can handle the competition and to further prepare them for the coming season.

The beginning of February a basketball player is in the heart of his season. The coaches may start to shorten practices. The team already has learned the plays, mastered the basics, and is now focusing on each up coming game. The team is focusing on how to guard each player and learn the opponent’s plays. A team has to be extremely mentally tough as the season continues to drag a long. Can they come back if they are down 15? Can they snap a three game losing streak? Can they win six games on the road at the end of the season to be National Champions? A team has to be resilient!

As we continue to mature as human beings we come face to face with the real world. We begin to finish up school, get a job, maybe get married and have kids, and we become completely engulfed in life. We have no choice it is inevitable. The test that we are faced with is to see how we will handle it. What will we do in times of crisis? When your marriage gets rough, when you lose your job, when you have a close friend die, or your child gets in accident how will you handle it? Will you be resilient? Will you turn to God? Will it bring you closer to God or push you away? We should always try and be resilient. Jesus was definitely resilient. He was cursed at, spit on, beat, and killed. He never blinked an eye. He knew he was put on earth for a purpose. We were also put on earth for a purpose. We were put here to serve God and spread his message. Another great man in the Bible is Job. He demonstrated resiliency like no other. Job was extremely wealthy man. He had everything going for him. Job could be compared to Sam Walton of our time. Job had many times of crisis. He lost his wife, kids, wealth, and everything he had. He never turned from God. He never even thought about. This is simply unbelievable.

Finally, are you going to continue to be resilient? How are you going to handle times of crisis? Are you going to be able to come back when you’re down 15 points? Are you going to be able to finish strong and win your last six games on the road? My challenge to you is when you get that test back and you find out you failed, when you get in an argument with your boyfriend/girlfriend, or when you are struggling to pay your bills just be resilient. Pray to God, bear your problems to him and he will reveal a solution. He might not always give you the solution that you want, but he will always give you the solution that is best for you. He loves you and wants the best for you.

If you need help with your walk with God I am always willing to help. All you have to do is ask.

Standing Strong

Have you ever been teased, picked on, made fun of, or something of this nature? Maybe it was just a joke or maybe somebody was really trying to be mean. I'm sure we have all been in this situation or have put somebody in this situation. I always like to joke with people and I use the word joke loosely because I joke with people that I like and are friends.

Have you ever been picked on because of a sports team you like, a job that you have, or maybe a certain brand that you buy; maybe you like Ford trucks, Nike shoes, Aeropostale clothes, or maybe something simple like Crest toothpaste. We all have brands that we like or "believe" in. Sometimes that leads to people making fun of us because of certain brands that we like. Sometimes we might change what brands we use because of the teasing and sometimes we might not change.

Once again, have you ever been made fun of because of something you believe? This is hard for some to believe, but I have never drunk alcohol. Maybe you have something like this? When you were teased did it make you want to change your belief? Under pressure it can be hard to stay strong. Everybody in the room is watching you and you really want to ______, but you know that it is not right. Take the high road and stay strong. People will respect you a lot more by not giving into the temptation.

Jesus knew that he was going to have to die. He knew his time was coming. The chief priest wanted to kill Jesus because of what he was preaching. Talking about being under some pressure, your life is being threatened because of what you believe. Can you image somebody trying to kill you because of baseball team you root for? Jesus was the outcast of society because of what he believed. He didn't care what people thought about him. He knew in his heart what was right and was willing to die for it. He knew that if he would sacrifice his body and life here on earth, that everyone else could spend eternity with him. Jesus was cursed, spit on, made fun of, and physically beaten almost to the point of death just so that we could live in heaven. He gave his life up so that you could have life.

Finally, are you willing to stand strong in what you believe in? Even if that means getting teased a little bit. Jesus loves you so much! In this Easter season let’s try and stay strong in him. If there is anything that is separating you from Him try and work on getting rid of that sin. Remember, Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice; we should try and sacrifice for him.

Questions? Just ask.

Adjustment

I'm taking kind of a different approach with this post, more of a personal testimony than a life lesson.

I'm going to start you out in high school.

As I went through high school my Christian faith began to build up and climax like a suspenseful movie. I went to church every Sunday, had Sunday night activities that helped my faith, and I went to a Wednesday night bible study which also helped to make my faith stronger. As college approached I began to get anxious. I was really looking forward to the independence. As my freshman year began, I realized that I needed to find a good church and get involved in some Christian activities. I tired out a couple churches in the area, but I found nothing that moved me or that I liked. Therefore, being Mr. Independent I just decided not to go to church. I also didn't go to any type of mid-week bible study. My faith went from being high to starting to spiral downward at a pretty quick pace. My entire freshmen year I did nothing to change this pattern.

As my sophomore year began, my girlfriend at the time talked me into going to Baptist Student Ministries on Thursday nights. As I began to go I think that it did a lot of good. In getting me back on the right track. As the year continued my faith continued to get stronger. In November, my girlfriend and I broke up. I met some new people and they took me to church with them one Sunday in December and I fell in love with it. My faith continued to be on the slow and steady pace forward. In March, I made another a big step and started having a daily devotional. It did wonders for me. I still wasn't turning everything over to God. On April 27, God got my attention with something as simple as a wiffle ball. This ordinary wiffle ball made me temporarily blind in my left eye. As I sat for two weeks and couldn't do anything I realized that I needed to give everything up to him. I would do what he wanted and not what I wanted. The sad thing is this thought slowly faded away through out the summer.

As my junior year began, I had one thing on my mind to accomplish and that was to get a girlfriend. It wasn't that I should continue to try and grow in my faith, but something as shallow as finding a girlfriend. In September, my roommate, Greg, talked me into going to a college-aged bible study with him. This was a great way to keep my focus on Jesus. I guess I should probably let you know that I one thing I struggle with is spending time daily in prayer and the word, but my daily devotional went from being awesome in the spring to non-existent. So I had the bible study and the church, but no daily walk. My faith continued to improve at a slow pace, even though I didn't have the daily walk. One of the basketball players helped me out a lot with my faith on our road trips.

As January rolled around God was having a lot of things stress me out and for good reason. I turned to him and my faith right now here in March is nearly what it was in high school. My daily devotional is incredible and my Christian walk is going exactly in the direction that it needs to be going.

As I made the transition from high school to college I had to make some adjustments. My mom and dad weren't there anymore to get me to go to church. Bible study was no longer the thing to do on Wednesday nights. I had to rediscover all of this on my own. I had to want to seek him because i wanted to and not because it was just something to do on Sundays and Wednesdays. I had to make the adjustment. In the last 18 months there have been several things that have helped me make those adjustments and several people that have had an effect.

My challenge to you today is will you make the adjustment. Will you seek to find the church that is right for you? Will you find a bible study to attend? Will you say Jesus here I am for whatever you want. Everybody knows that feeling that they have inside. Don't ignore God, but live for him.

Searching?

As you begin to read this I want you to reflect on what you did today. Did you go to school, maybe you worked, and maybe you did something of enjoyment. I know I always like to get outside and play some ball or go to the gym and shoot some hoops. I love to be active and doing something physically active. Everybody has things that they love to go and do. Usually, we find these things fun and that’s why we do them.

A lot times we are searching for that one thing that is going to fulfill that void or unhappiness. We feel that if we could just win that game, pass that class, get that job, go to that party, or meet that perfect guy or girl we would be completely happy. At some point and time we have all experienced something like this. When it happens we might be excited for a short-time, but then we think to ourselves, that’s all it was and the event becomes empty, over, and forgotten. Some people jump from job to job trying to find that perfect job and they never find it because they are searching for that one thing to fill the void.

My question to you is, are you searching? What are you trying to fill the void with? Is it a job, school, a certain event, or maybe a relationship if so have you noticed that you are still coming up empty. You still have that emptiness inside and you keep asking yourself why can't I be happy. What am I missing that the person over there has? Why is he/she always smiling and my life never seems to be going right?

To experience the joys of life you have to have God in your life. For a lot of you I just scared you away, but the truth is, he will fill the void. By finding satisfaction in him you can find satisfaction in everything in life. He will fill you with joy. By having God in your life doesn't mean that your life will be perfect. You will have hard times still, but with God in your life things will be a lot easier.

Finally, I ask you, do you want to be satisfied? Do you want to stop your searching and have everlasting joy? Seek God and you will be satisfied.

Pray this prayer with me: Dear Lord, I know I’ve messed in my life. I know that I’ve made mistakes and I want to stop searching for things to fill the void and I want to follow you and for you to fill the void. Lord, please forgive me. Help me to follow you and seek you. Help me to always live for you. In Jesus name I pray, Amen

If you have any questions just ask. Do not hesitate for any reason. No question is a dumb question just ask.

You were bought at a price

Bought? As people we love to go out and buy stuff. We are always looking for the best deal or the best sale. For some things we will go and price things at many different stores before we decide on what item we want. As Americans most of the stuff that we buy we probably don't need, but we see that the guy in class or the girl walking through campus has it and so we think that we need it. Sometimes that means going online to Ebay, Overstock.com, or some other auction site so that we can find the shoes or whatever it may be at a discounted price.

Did you realize that God bought you for a price? The bible says you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. God bought you not a discounted price. He paid full price for you because he loves you. He wants the best for you. The least we can do for him is allow him to use us. We need to honor him and not just with our body, but also with our time, and every aspect of our life. Did Jesus not come down to earth 2000 years ago and spend every waking moment for you so that you could have eternal life and furthermore spend it with him?

God didn't shortcut you on eternity. He didn't try and find the discount or the sale, but he paid full price for you because he LOVES you. Therefore, let’s honor God with each aspect of our life. Let’s be open to what he has to offer. At times, we try to run and hide because of what he wants and it isn't what we want. I've been there. It can be a very scary thing. If we give in to God and allow him to work in our lives, things will be much better off because he can see the big picture.

My challenge for you this week is to honor God because he gave the ultimate sacrifice and paid full price for you. Spend time everyday with God and you will see the dramatic effects that it has on your life. Remember he loves you and only wants the best for you. As you lay down in bed tonight think about how much one-on-one time you spent with God today? Did you spend time with God today? If you did, great job and if not than really try hard to do so. You might find yourself making excuses, but don't, find time.

If you have any questions just ask.