A. J. Cronin

" Life is no straight and easy corridor along

which we travel free and unhampered,

but a maze of passages,

through which we must seek our way,

lost and confused, now and again

checked in a blind alley.

But always, if we have faith,

a door will open for us,

not perhaps one that we ourselves

would ever have thought of,

but one that will ultimately

prove good for us."

Everyone should read Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson

Occupation Matters

H.L. Mencken noted back in 1922,

occupation matters:

If he got no reward whatever, the artist would go on working just the same; his actual reward, in fact, is often so little that he almost starves. But suppose a garment worker got nothing for his labor: Would he go on working just the same? Can one imagine his submitting voluntarily to hardship and sore want that he might express his soul in 200 more pairs of ladies' pants?

Modern Day Church - So Sad!

A Parable: Saving Lives
by Charles R. Swindoll

Colossians 4:2-6; Matthew 5:13-16; Ephesians 5:1-33

On a dangerous seacoast notorious for shipwrecks, there was a crude little lifesaving station. Actually, the station was merely a hut with only one boat . . . but the few devoted members kept a constant watch over the turbulent sea. With little thought for themselves, they would go out day and night tirelessly searching for those in danger as well as the lost. Many, many lives were saved by this brave band of men who faithfully worked as a team in and out of the lifesaving station. By and by, it became a famous place.

Some of those who had been saved as well as others along the seacoast wanted to become associated with this little station. They were willing to give their time and energy and money in support of its objectives. New boats were purchased. New crews were trained. The station that was once obscure and crude and virtually insignificant began to grow. Some of its members were unhappy that the hut was so unattractive and poorly equipped. They felt a more comfortable place should be provided. Emergency cots were replaced with lovely furniture. Rough, hand-made equipment was discarded and sophisticated, classy systems were installed. The hut, of course, had to be torn down to make room for all the additional equipment, furniture, systems, and appointments. By its completion, the life-saving station had become a popular gathering place, and its objectives had begun to shift. It was now used as sort of a clubhouse, an attractive building for public gatherings. Saving lives, feeding the hungry, strengthening the fearful, and calming the disturbed rarely occurred by now.

Fewer members were now interested in braving the sea on lifesaving missions, so they hired professional lifeboat crews to do this work. The original goal of the station wasn't altogether forgotten, however. The lifesaving motifs still prevailed in the club's decorations. In fact, there was a liturgical lifeboat preserved in the Room of Sweet Memories with soft, indirect lighting, which helped hide the layer of dust upon the once-used vessel.

About this time a large ship was wrecked off the coast and the boat crews brought in loads of cold, wet, half-drowned people. They were dirty, some terribly sick and lonely. Others were black and "different" from the majority of the club members. The beautiful new club suddenly became messy and cluttered. A special committee saw to it that a shower house was immediately built outside and away from the club so victims of shipwreck could be cleaned up before coming inside.

At the next meeting there were strong words and angry feelings, which resulted in a division among the members. Most of the people wanted to stop the club's lifesaving activities and all involvements with shipwreck victims . . . ("it's too unpleasant, it's a hindrance to our social life, it's opening the door to folks who are not our kind"). As you'd expect, some still insisted upon saving lives, that this was their primary objective---that their only reason for existence was ministering to anyone needing help regardless of their club's beauty or size or decorations. They were voted down and told if they wanted to save the lives of various kinds of people who were shipwrecked in those waters, they could begin their own lifesaving station down the coast! They did.

As years passed, the new station experienced the same old changes. It evolved into another club . . . and yet another lifesaving station was begun. History continued to repeat itself . . . and if you visit that coast today you'll find a large number of exclusive, impressive clubs along the shoreline owned and operated by slick professionals who have lost all involvement with the saving of lives.

Shipwrecks still occur in those waters, but now most of the victims are not saved. Every day they drown at sea, and so few seem to care . . . so very few.

Do you?



Excerpted from Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life, Copyright © 1983 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by arrangement with Zondervan Publishing House.

Broken Free of The Golden Handcuffs

I have blogged before about the "Golden Handcuffs" see previous post dated 8/2/08, and I spoke about how we are trapped by the income we are earning because we are scared to loose that security blanket. But it is not a security blanket it is an UNSECURE BLANKET, it can be ended at anytime by someone who has power over that paycheck. I say power over that paycheck because they do not have power over you.

I lived under that fear for almost 2 years and now after a gift from God I'm being laid off from work. My first feeling was fear of the unknown how would I provide for my family. But as I thought about this and prayed the good Lord put it in my heart that everything is from Him, so it was God who was providing for my family in the first place and He will continue to provide and show me the way.

1 Corinthians 2:5 NIV
so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power

1 Corinthians 7:21 NIV
...although if you can gain your freedom, do so.

So, it seems as so God has broken me loose from my Golden Handcuffs and he has given me my freedom. So, do I jump right into the same situation another job for someone else as before because it pays the bills and it is safe or do I search for what my heart wants and pursue that happiness?

Life on this earth is like a blink of an eye and when it is over, it is over. A life fully lived is one of the greatest gifts from God and we waste it out of fear.

1 Timothy 6:9-11 NIV
People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. Emphases added

I dreaded going to work it took all of my energy, it drained me, and left nothing but a hollow shell of a person at the end of each day. I was not excited to wake up each day and experience all that life has to offer. I also found myself tired and lifeless at the end of each work day. I deserved more from each day than getting up and going to work, coming home and seating in my chair exhausted, and then going to sleep. My family deserve a better father than someone physically and emotional drained from a tedious day of a mind numbing thankless job. It was not the type of work that I was doing that was slowly taking away my hope, it was where I was working and who I was working for.

I'm blessed with my family and good health and a love of the good Lord so the future is unknown and exciting. I now look forward to everyday instead of trying just to survive each day. I will end with a few quotes;

“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” -- Helen Keller

"People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in the world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, make them." – George Bernard Shaw

"The rung of a ladder was never meant to rest upon, but only to hold a man's foot long enough to enable him to put the other somewhat higher." -- Thomas H. Huxley

“There is the risk you cannot afford to take, and there is the risk you cannot afford not to take.” -- Peter Drucker

"The great tragedy of life is not death, but what dies inside of us while we live." -- Norman Cousins

"It is better to have beans and bacon in peace than cakes and ale in fear"

“The secret of Happiness is Freedom, and the secret of Freedom, Courage.”
Thucydides quotes (Ancient Greek historians and author, 460-404bc)

A Secure Life

(I’ve never been able to identify an author for this story, and have taken the liberty to modify it over the years.)

Once upon a time in the long, long ago the Eagle and the Turkey were very good friends. Everywhere they went these friends went together. It was not uncommon for people to look up and see the Eagle and the Turkey flying side by side through the air.

One day while flying, the Turkey said to the Eagle: “Let’s drop down and get a bite to eat. My stomach is growling.” “Sounds like a good idea to me,” replied the Eagle. So the two birds glided down to earth, saw several animals eating, and decided to join them. They landed next to the Cow. The Cow was busy eating corn, but noticed that the Eagle and the Turkey were soon sitting on the ground next to her. “Welcome,” said the Cow. “Help yourself to the corn.”

This took the two birds by surprise. They were not accustomed to having other animals share their food quite so readily. “Why are you willing to share your corn with us?” asked the Eagle. “Oh, we have plenty to eat here. Mr. Farmer gives us all we want,” replied the Cow. With that invitation, the Eagle and The Turkey jumped in and ate their fill. When they finished, the Turkey asked more about Mr. Farmer. “Well,” said the Cow, “he grows all our food. We don’t have to work for the food at all.”

“You mean,” said the Turkey, “that Mr. Farmer simply gives you all you want to eat?” “That’s right,” said the Cow. “Not only that, but he gives us a place to live.” The Turkey and the Eagle were shocked! They had never heard of such a thing. They had always had to search for food and work for shelter.

When it came time to leave, the Turkey and the Eagle began to discuss the situation. “Maybe we should just stay here,” said the Turkey. “We can have all the food we want without working. And that barn over there sure beats those nests we have been building. Besides, I’m getting tired of always having to work for a living.”

“I don’t know about all this,” said the Eagle. “It sounds too good to be true. I find it hard to believe that one can get something for nothing. Besides, I kinda like flying high and free through the air. And providing for food and shelter isn’t so bad. In fact, I find it quite challenging.”

Well, the Turkey thought it over and decided to stay where there was free food and shelter. But the Eagle decided that he loved his freedom too much to give it up, and enjoyed the consistent challenge of making his own living. So, after saying good-bye to his old friend the Turkey, the Eagle set sail for the unknown adventure.

Everything went fine for the Turkey. He ate all he wanted. He never worked. He grew fat and lazy. But then one day he heard the farmer’s wife mention that Thanksgiving was coming in the next few days and it would be nice to have roast turkey for dinner. Hearing that, the Turkey decided it was time to check out and rejoin his good friend Mr. Eagle. But when he attempted to fly he found that he had grown too fat and lazy. Instead of being able to fly, he could only flutter. So on Thanksgiving Day the farmer’s family sat down to roast Turkey.

*********************************************

When you give up the challenges of life in pursuit of “security,” you may give up your freedom.

There’s always free cheese in a mousetrap. -- Old Proverb

Love of Money!

Zacchaeus the Tax Collector

Luke 19 NIV

Zacchaeus the Tax Collector

1Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." 6So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

7All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' "

8But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."

9Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

Is this true because Zacchaeus no longer followed money but began to follow God?

I believe it is true and I believe this is a model for modern Christians to follow.

Matthew 7:13-14 NIV

The Narrow and Wide Gates

13"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Luke 12:16-21 NIV

"The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'

18"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." '

20"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'

21"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."

So, we work all of our lives to earn money for stuff that rust and moths will destroy and then our lives are taken from us.

We work our lives away getting to retirement and then realize we wasted our lives. Or we die suddenly and never get to enjoy the life God intended for us to live.

How do we get past our fears and really live?

Christian Lifestyle?

I have been thinking a lot about the christian lifestyle or way. I have been really disgusted with the commercialism of Christians. I don't understand how we can go after the American dream and still be Christians? How we can have more than we need and still be Christians? How we can consume more than we need and still be Christians? Why do we have to have so much stuff; large home, multiple cars, more clothes than we can wear in a year, multiple rooms in a house to put our stuff, so much extra stuff we need storage areas to store our stuff.

Jesus says that we can not serve two masters;

Matthew 6:24 NIV

24"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

How then can we live as we are living and serve God as our master. It seems to me that we serve money as our master.

We get accustomed to living with excess and then when the thought of living with less enters our minds we begin to make excuses of why we must live the way we live:

1) We don't live in excess we need every room in our house
2) We couldn't down size it would be detrimental to our children
3) We can't remember life before stuff and become scared of the thought of change

Whatever it is we serve money and not Jesus.

Image a home, street, city, county, state, country, continent, and world in which we served God instead of money!

What value is our time?

Is it the dollar amount we earn at work per hour?

Is it the stuff we buy with the money we earn at work?

Could we use minutes of our life instead of money to buy things?

Assume for arguments sake the following:

Earn $30 per hour or $ .50 per minute.

So, lunch at McDonald's cost $ 6.50 or 13 minutes of our life.

Cable Television cost $ 100 or 200 minutes or 3 hours and 20 minutes of your life every month.

Car cost $ 800 per month (total cost) or 1600 minutes or 26 hours and 40 minutes of your life over 60 months = 1,600.02 hours or 200 days or 6.7 months of your life for the new car.

Home cost $ 500,000 (Total Cost) or 1,000,000 minutes or 16,666.67 hours or 2,083 days or 104 months or 8.67 years of your life.

Would you give up 9 years of your life to pay for a house to live in and have the American Dream?

Is our time only useful to procure stuff?

I pray that the rest of my life is not used for the sole purpose of obtaining stuff to live the American Dream.

American Dream

What is the American Dream?

Is it having a home with a two car garage?
Is it having two new cars?
Is it having HDTV's?
Is it having new clothes?
Is it having just stuff?

Is it working to live pay check to pay check to pay for the stuff that is the American Dream?

Is it spending most of your time at work?
Is it enrolling your kids in sports?
Is it watching T.V. to relax?

What is the American Dream?

Is the American Dream earning more money so that you can buy more stuff?
Is it rushing around constantly from work to event to home to tv and to bed?

Is it working at something to make th emost money possible to buy the pleasurable things (stuff) to make working bearable?

So far the American Dream does not seam to be a dream, but a nightmare.

I Love My Church Day!

We had a fund raising program at our church and from the beginning, it just seemed to be for the wrong reasons. They wanted to have one day were people gave so that they could remodel an existing building, buy a high definition video camera, help get the hope center trailers, etc. The only item out of the list that was to directly help people outside those of us sitting in the pews was the Hope Center's trailers. Everything else was not to help people but to improve the church's facilities.

At first it seemed okay to me, but as I thought about it and prayed, I sensed that this was not about the church helping people, but about the church growing for itself. As I read scripture this passage keep coming back to me over and over again:

Jesus Reinstates Peter (NIV)

15When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
16Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. (Emphasis by me)

Feed my Lambs

Take care of my sheep

Feed my sheep

Nowhere in this passage did Jesus say to construct buildings to be my church. He didn't say give your tithing for the church to buy fancy stuff, no he said "Feed my sheep". Our church raised $50,000 in that one day of given. As I was driving today I was thinking, what else could the church do with $50,000 dollars?

10,000 $5 meals

5,000 $10 meals

feed 100 people for 2 meals a day for 50 days

Provide 2,000 pairs of $25 shoes

Help 50 couples with $1,000 problems.

Sponsor orphans overseas or here in the United States.

The list goes on and on with what we could have done to feed, clothes, and help God's children. How many people would have been brought to the Lord by a kind gift of love and compassion compared to high definition video cameras and a new coat of paint.

I know, I know nothing about growing Churches, but the spirit is telling me that a church is not a grand building filled with stuff, but people coming together in Jesus' name. That being a Christian is by showing love to those in need. I believe from the loving kindness that the money would have shown those in need we would have brought more people to the love, kindness, and saving grace of Jesus.

It seems to me that the church should not be so concerned with getting recycled Christians from other churches, but harvesting the fields of lost people looking for the only that thing that will finally bring peace and joy to their their lives - Jesus.

I guess our churches are just a reflection of what we hold dear to our hearts - material things.

I'm guilty of this obsession and seem to only talk about living the Christian life as I believe Jesus so clearly told us to do.

I will pray for the faith and courage to follow where Jesus leads and I can only hope that others feel the same way. Because if we want a better church we must make a better church.

Maybe next time it will be:

Love Jesus Day!

Toil Is Meaningless - What is the Point.

Toil Is Meaningless

Ecclesiastes 2:17-26 (NIV)

17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 18 I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 19And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. 20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. 21 For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. 22 What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? 23 All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.
24 A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? 26 To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Why do we work and wear ourselves out trying to get more stuff that does not really matter. What really matters, is it stuff or our life. To the one who pleases God he gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness an abundant life. An abundant life is not obtaining money and stuff. This is not an abundant life, but a prison, a prison run by Satan.

A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work.

It is so simple, so why do we waste our lives with struggle, stress, excess, and in the end a wasted life?

We are at the place in our lives at the present due to the decisions and actions we have taken in the past. We will be at a place in the future due to the decisions and actions we take in the present. Where do we want to be?

Are You Saved?

Matthew 7:13-27 NIV

The Narrow and Wide Gates
13"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
A Tree and Its Fruit
15"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
The Wise and Foolish Builders
24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

James 2:17 (NIV)

17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Here is a long video that speaks about the the first passages above, I added the passage from James, because it came to my mind as I heard Paul Washington preach.



This has been in my heart that people profess that they are saved by Jesus, but yet their lives have not changed. I know that I feel tugged by carnal things and do not live as I should. But I do hear a small quiet voice inside me telling me that the things of this world that society holds important are not what God tells us to do. So, that the lifestyles that I see most people living does not represent being saved.

Finally, I do know that only God decides if an individual is saved and not what others or I may think.

Be The Miracle!

I was in a small group discussion and we were talking about Hebrews chapter 13. We started talking about our church and if it is giving us what we need as it pertains to leadership. We complained some and whined a little, but overall we knew that God's hand is acting in our church.

I thought about what we had said and how if something is lacking, why can't we make the change. It seems that everyone, including myself, expect others to see every need and make sure those needs are filled. But I have been feeling that if a need is seen, why not fill it yourself. It doesn't have to start out being a monumental thing but probable should be started small. It could be a loving act of kindness, a small volunteering of time, a gift of money, giving advice, or whatever.

Then the following movie scene from Bruce Almighty was placed in my mind:



So, whatever need that God reveals to me, I will pray to God, take the first step in faith, and "Be the Miracle".

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace Lyrics
"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.

T'was Grace that taught...
my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear...
the hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares...
we have already come.
T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far...
and Grace will lead us home.

The Lord has promised good to me...
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be...
as long as life endures.

When we've been here ten thousand years...
bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise...
then when we've first begun.

"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see. (end)

1 Peter 2:9-10 MSG

But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God's instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.

(emphases added)

Isn't it amazing how you can read scripture and it is just words on a page and then another time you read the same passage and the Holy Spirit has the words jump off the page at you.

2 Peter 1:3-9

Making One's Calling and Election Sure

3His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

10Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, 11and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

So, have the following within you:

1) Faith
2) Goodness
3) Knowledge
4) Self-control
5) Perseverance
6) Godliness
7) Brotherly Kindness
8) Love

Remember it is not us who does these things, but it is the Holy Spirit who does these great works in us, all we have to do is ask.

Howard Storm - Heaven and Hell Experience

Howard Storm is a guy who died and went to heaven and hell and come back to chnage his life in a radical way. He was a professor of art at Northern Kentucky University. See link for detailed information and watch the three videos below for his own words about the revelation. His book is also a good read.

It comes down to the two greatest commandments Mark 12:28 NIV:

The Greatest Commandment

28One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
29"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.[e] 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'[f] 31The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[g]There is no commandment greater than these."

32"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

34When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

Remember Jesus loves us.

Howard Storm Part 1

Howard Storm Part 2

Howard Storm Part 3

1st 5K

I ran my first 5k today, it was the SEEDS Classic Rock 5k in Daphne, Alabama.

My first mile was 11:20

My second mile was 22:30

My finish was 34:50

By no means was it fast, but I did run the whole thing and stayed fairly consistent on my pace. I hope if the good Lord is willing I will do a lot more of these and even move on to bigger things.

One down, a lifetime to go.

Life's Paths and Free Will

So, how is it that we can change our path with our decisions? The post below this one is the famous poem by Robert Frost, and it sums up how we decide where and how we go through this life. We decide which path we take though life. We have control on how we live, where we go, and who we love. That is the beauty of it all, we decide. Some people believe that destiny is already laid out and no matter what they do, their lives are predetermined, I disagree. I believe that the puzzle of our lives are constantly being chnaged by the decisions we make. That God is constantly changing the final outcome of our lives based on our decisions. Someone once explained it to me this way;

Imagine standing at the edge of a enormous forest where the ends can not be seen and as you start to walk through that forest you have to make decisions on which paths to follow. (See how the poem ties into this now) With each decision and each different path the final destination could be changed. So, there infinite paths and infinite endings to our life. It is like the new DVD movies where they have alternate endings. At a certain scene, they change the outcome of that one scene and it changes the rest of the movie.

Now I also know that God puts all around us and in our hearts the paths that he has chosen for us to follow and if we learn to discern his direction then we will live our journey on this planet according to God's will. So, even though there may be infinite decisions (wide path) there are only few choices (narrow path) to live God's plans for our lives. I say plans because as we miss the mark and then come back to Jesus, the path would have changed, but as long as God is the director you can be sure that it will be the right ending.

How exciting is it to live by faith and let God be our director of the greatest movie ever made - our life!

So, it does not matter which path or how far through the forest you have journeyed, as long as God is your compass you will find the right journey - Life.

Matthew 7:13 NIV

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

The Road Not Taken

Robert Frost (1874–1963). Mountain Interval. 1920.

1. The Road Not Taken


TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth; 5

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same, 10

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back. 15

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. 20

Busy!

An Angel

I know there is a God, because he sent an Angel into my life 19 years ago. At the time my eyes were closed and my heart hardened from anger and drinking, but over time my eyes have been opened and my heart softened so that I could see the angel who has stood by me for 19 years. Of course that angel is my wife and my best friend. She has shown me unconditional love and understanding that most would not have been able to considering the emotional state I was in during that turbulent time in my life. I would not be the person I'm today were it not for my wife's love and her sticking by my side all those years.

She introduced me to what a loving family should be, by creating one in my home. Through her loving example I saw how a family should help and love each other. She has given me a gift that is second only to God's love - 4 wonderful children.

Two major things have shaped my life, Jesus Christ as my lord and savior and my wife's love. The first saved my soul and gave me eternal life and the second has given me a loving family.

I will never be able to tell my wife how much I love her and appreciate her, but I hope through my actions, my love and appreciation will be shown to her.

Faith

I have prayed for Faith and it has been revealed to me how to have Faith. In order to have faith in God and Jesus, we have to have God and Jesus’ word in us. It is clearly written in the below passages:

John 1:1 NIV

The Word Became Flesh
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 15:1-7 NIV

The Vine and the Branches
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.”

Now this fits my systematic approach to all things, come up with a step-by-step approach and do the steps and complete the task. I’m not saying that faith is a task, but it is a desire that I have as a Christian.

So, I shall saturate my mind and soul with God’s word and through that saturation build my faith.

Matthew 17:20 MSG

"Because you're not yet taking God seriously," said Jesus. "The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, 'Move!' and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn't be able to tackle."

Quotes About Dreams

"A dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline." -- Harvey Mackay

"It is good to dream, but it is better to dream and work. Faith is mighty, but action with faith is mightier. Desiring is helpful, but work and desire are invincible." -- Thomas Robert Gaines

"The simple act of writing down a goal and making a written plan for its accomplishment moves you to the top 3%." -- Brian Tracy

"If you want to know your past--look into your present
conditions. If you want to know your future--look into
your present actions." -- Buddhist Saying

"There are a lot of ways to become a failure, but never taking a chance is the most successful." -- Anonymous

"You don't have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great." -- Les Brown

What Comes Between You and God?