Call on the Life...

Last night we played at the NCM like usual. Worship was refreshing and the "pre-show" skits were quite amusing; however, there was a special treat. And no, I'm not talking about dinner at Bob's house or the season premier of Smallville coming on. Although, both of those things did contribute to an amazing night. A friend of ours that used to play in the band with us was speaking and bringing the word last night. The last time that Rog had spoke he talked about warfare and the battles that we wage each and everyday whether we want to or not. Rog is a fellow fighter and hero. The words that be brings from the Father are often inspiring and something that I need to here.
Rog's main point was this, "Where the thoughts go, the man will follow." He made the observation that often times when we dwell on situations of anger or depression those are the things that we become. Whatever we surround ourself with, this is to be our fate. He brought out the point that the Word tells us to think on things that are good, true, pure, and beautiful. If we think on these things then we will be on a greater level with the Father and we will just be happier in general. It makes very logical sense when you think about it. If you think about bad things then you will feel bad and the Enemy can easily get a foothold on you and break you down. If you think on good thoughts and speak good and truth in your life then the Father will have an even greater opprotunity to release His power within you.
All of these things made me think to myself, that a lot of times I am not as happy as I probably could be. For one reason or another I worry about things and dwell on things that are less the beautiful and good and pure. I will allow a thought to come into my head and become so consumed with it that I will almost believe it and will practically have to fly and check it out for myself to make sure the catastrophe that I have dreamed up in my head is not real. That is no way to live. I'm a child of the King with a caller larger than I can imagine and truly fathom. True, that is a massive amount of responsibility, but should I not be thrilled that the Father has chosen me?
When Rog was closing last night he didn't pray with us. He spoke blessings over the entire congregation. He said, "May God bless you and may truth be spoken in your lives and may no curses fall on you." He said some other things too, but I can't exactly remember them all. I got to thinking about, "where the thoughts go, the man will follow." I began to ask myself if I still saw myself as "super" as others did and if I still believed myself to be a warrior in God's army. I had to admit to myself that my thoughts had been in other areas and focused on other things. I had strayed from my thoughts of constant worship of the Father and battling his enemies. I had to fight my weaknesses. I did not want to give in to lust, saddness, lonliness, anger, jealousy, greed, or any other number of things that can plague us all.
Like Peter Pan said, "think happy thoughts and you can fly". Maybe that is the secret. It's a little easier for me than for some...to fly that is. It is hard at times to think good things and focus on the good and not the bad. I am fighting it though. This could quite possibly prove to be one of my toughest foes yet. With the help of the Father, my fellow heroes, and my "super-woman" I know that the good will prevail.

Proverbs 18:21 Those who love to talk will experience the consequences, for the tongue can kill or nourish life.

Choose your words and your thoughts carefully. Don't speak death to yourself and the others that you love. Call on the life and the love that is so available.
See you in the clouds...

Our Happy Home...

Well it is almost here. The season premier of our lovely addiction. Smallville. In preparing for the up and coming first episode of the fifth season of this superhero's life, I watched a few episodes from the last season. I wanted to catch up on a few things that I may have forgotten about or perhaps just to rekindle the fires of addiction. I watched the last disk which included the last three episodes. After watching the last episode and being left at the killer cliff hanger I could not wait until this Thursday when everything would be revealed and questions would finally be answered. After I watched the last few I decided I would start over and watch from the beginning and just check out a few in between. I started at episode one. It begins with our superhero - with whom for some reason I greatly relate to - returning to Smallville via a lightning storm and he gets found by Lois. When Mom finally finds him at the hospital and takes him home she asks him where he had been. He replies with, "I was in a place that felt like home." WOW!
The David Crowder Band just put out their new album called A Collision. It's great you should go and buy it. There is a song on there called Our Happy Home. The words to the chorus are this...

Jerusalem our happy home, Would God I were in thee
Would God my woes were at an end
Thy joy that I might see

Ok, let us assume for a moment that Jerusalem isn't just heaven but simply the presence of God. There are so many times that for some reason or another we find ourselves wondering where God is. Has he left us? Did we leave him? We have always been told that God would never "leave" us. This is true to some extent. He will never leave us alone and leave us unprotected. But at the same time, if he moves somewhere else, wanting us to move there too, we will not experience his true grace until we put whatever it takes aside to get to where he wants us to be. At times, and actually at this time, this song is much of how I feel and I am sure others the same. Our happy home, I wish to God I could be there. How we long to be in the fellowship of God. I wish to God my woes were at an end. We wish so many times that all of our probelms and all of our issues would be out of the way so we could get to God. Many times those trials are there for a reason. They make us grow, they build character in us and they give us the opprotunity to give praise where praise is due. Without Christ, how would we get through things that we do?
When finally we break though to where God wants us to be, to where we need to be, then he restores the joy of His salvation. That road at times can be a long and stressful and rough journey. I'm saying this to you aswell as myself. In all of my strength and the powers that God has given me, I must realize that I can not do this alone. I need him and I need you. We need each other to hold each other accountable and to lift each other up. Just as much as you need me to fight for you and encourage you, I need the same. Thank you for doing that. Live a life worthy of the calling that you have recieved. Although you might not know exactly what you are supposed to do, you know what you can do now. We can not all be superheros, teachers, doctors, singers, or pastors but we all have a mission in Christ. Keep pushing and just trust him that he will provide all you need. He has done and continues to do it for me. Rescue is coming...
...See you in the clouds...

Perfect Imperfection...

Just what is perfection and what does it look like? Does it look like what Hollywood tells us it looks like with plastic implants all over the body and orange skin that closely resembles dried out leather? Does it look like the church tells us and a trim and prim young man or young lady carrying their bible with a perfect attitude and being all sweet and nice? Does it look like an angel or God?
Perfection to me and perfection to you are more likely than not two entirely different things. For instance when you love someone you see them as "perfect". They are not perfect in the sense that they have no faults and no blemishes and that they can do no wrong. No. They are perfect in the sense that they compliment you and everything about you. Where you are weak they are strong and visa versa. To me, perfection looks like this, brown hair, blue eyes, big smile and huge heart. That could be anyone. But I know who it is. That could be the same thing that perfection looks like to you. Maybe it looks like blonde hair and bluish green eyes and a big cheesy grin. It could look like long brown hair with brown eyes and a goofy looking grin. I don't know what it looks like to you.
I wrote a paper one time when I was in high school entitled, What Color is Love?. The paper took many different colors and compared them to each other and showed that there were different levels and different kinds of love. Just as there are many different kinds and levels of love there are equally as many kinds of perfection. Although we may think the ones that we love are perfect-and they are for us-they are actually mere perfect imperfections that add joy and excitement to our everyday lives. They all have little things about them that make them not "picture perfect" but that make them perfect for each of us.
There is one who was and is perfect in every way. He is the "picture perfect". He loved selflessly. He was infinitely bold and so humble and caring all at the same time. He never did one thing that was not called for. That is what true perfection looks like.
So, what does your picture of perfection look like? I'm not saying that it's not ok to think of the ones you love as perfect, because they are for you. What I'm saying is don't get perfect imperfections mixed up with the perfect.
See you in the clouds...

Little things...

In a book that a read one time it discussed different things that would edify a man's inner strength and courage and it also touched on a number of things that could destroy it. It spoke of how perhaps there was something in your past, an episode with your dad or maybe a horrible heart break, things that really could have eaten away at the core of what you were to be as a man. The book touched on knowing a stronger side of Christ and the side that was a warrior and the side that flipped tables over in the synagogue because he was outraged at the way that His house was being treated. Christ would get angry when Israel and his church (his bride) would do things that didn't really make any sense and he knew that where they were going and the things that they were exposing themselves to would just bring them down and take them even further away from Him.
The book made the point that every time that we as men push down our anger and our natural instinct to get upset about something that we sabotage our strength. The question that I have is at what point do you say ok, I have to control myself and not lash out at this situation and at what point do you say, "No I'm not going to keep this inside of myself and therein belittle myself and my true strength and masculinity". This is quite the confusing topic for me. There have been recent things in my life where used to I would have thrown one of those "gallupian fits" and then released all of my rage. But there is also a side of me that has seen the damage that those bursts of anger can cause and the hurt that they can bring. I don't want to experience that and hurt others like that again. At the same time, I am faced with the fact that if I do not release that frustration that I will become calloused and eventually release all of that anger in one place and cause a lot of hurt and damage. I don't want to hurt my inner strength and wound myself as a man, but at the same time I don't want to hurt others that I love. This state of mind is quite troublesome to me and I do not know what to do.
I wrote about this some in class this morning and I asked God to help me lay it down at his feet and not only to lay it down but to leave it there. I know that in the state that my mind and spirit are in I can not perform my job and mission as he would have me to do. I can not rescue those that need it and I can not fight for those that need it when I am having a civil war in my own heart and mind. Father I need you to direct my paths and give me guidance. I know that as a follower of You that I am supposed to be loving, caring, understanding, humble and patient; at the same time I know that as a warrior and leader that I am supposed to be brave, courageous, stern and strong. I know that there is a middle ground in there somewhere. These little things that get to me and make me want to get angry I know are trivial and they shouldn't bother me at all. Perhaps that is why I know that I should not get frustrated with them and release my anger because I know that there is no real cause to release it. Then again, maybe that is the evil one whispering lies in my ear and wanting me to let others go unrescued and undefended. Only you know the truth Father. I need your strength and your guidance. From you is where I recieve my power and my strength and my will to go on fighting and worshiping.
See you in the clouds...