Resolutions Update

Hey, its me again. For accountability purposes I am giving an update on my post in January regarding resolutions. Some are going pretty good, others not so much. I'll handle them one at a time.

1 Wearing out my new Bible that I received for Christmas. I have not worn out my Bible yet, and honestly it looks in pretty good shape. Sometimes I get caught reading good Christian literature and not reading the most important book of all.  Christian literature is good, but nothing should get in the way of God talking to me through His Word.
2 Volunteer for more community service projects like the Shawnee Rescue Mission. I have been able to help several times already at the Shawnee Rescue Mission serving lunch and donating clothes. I would encourage anyone that can to volunteer some time down there.  There is so much work and so many that need assistance
3 Take part in a Mission Trip. I don't currently have plans for taking part in a mission trip yet but open to the opportunity.  I know our church and association has a partnership with a church in Colorado Springs that will organizing a trip at some point and I know of others that take part in different trips so I hope to meet this resolution some time this year.
4 Phase out mindless TV watching.  Ok, I think I have made progress but there is still work to do.  I currently don't really have any shows that I am hooked on but Thunder games usually grab my attention when they are on. That can be quite a lot of TV when they play several times a week. Our tv contract is up in October I believe so there may be some changes occurring at that time.
5 Read more. I would like to read at least 12 books this year. I have made good progress on my book reading. I have read 4 books already this year and half-way through another. I am ahead of the game on this one.
6 Go to bed earlier and get up earlier. Fail. I haven't made any progress on this resolution.  I injured my shoulder a while back which prompted me to stop going to the YMCA before work in the mornings.  Now that it is feeling better I just haven't gotten the ball rolling again.
7 Spend more time outside.With Spring time upon us, I should definitely have more nice weather to get outside.  I recently returned from a fishing trip with my father and God had the opportunity to show me once again how beautiful his world is.  I gotta get out more.
8 Tell my family and friends I love and appreciate them more often. I think I have started to do this more with my wife and kids but I need to branch out to other family and friends. This is a little out there for me but I know it shouldn't stop me from showing God's love to others.
9 Write and film a short story of some kind. Haven't taken any steps toward this one other than try to get some ideas from my wife.  She gave me a great idea for a documentary but it is a little more serious than I was planning for my first attempt at film making, but I will definitely keep it in mind.

So there it is.  Areas I know I need to improve in are Bible reading, go to bed earlier/get up earlier, spend more time outside, and letting my friends and family know how much I appreciate them.  Sorry for the long delay in blogging, I'll try to keep up.

Do You Remember....

So, I was talking to a friend the other day about a conversation I had on Facebook.  Well, technically it wasn't a conversation because the whole dialogue consisted of movie quotes, from one movie.  You've probably noticed this before by one of your friends or maybe you participated in the activity yourself.  The movie was Dumb and Dumber.  A film classic I know.  The astounding part was that this dialogue from about 4-5 guys lasted about two days or so.  It could have gone on longer but thankfully it ended.  My friend and I were marveling at the ease to which we remembered quotes from a movie but have difficulty remembering other things that would be far more useful like scripture. What makes it so easy to remember movie quotes or songs that we listen to.  Here are some ideas I have on the issue.

1. Emotional link - Movies and songs usually have some impact on our emotions.  Dumb and Dumber makes me laugh.  Songs can get me excited, relaxed, contemplative, etc...  So whats the deal.  Scripture can do all of those things.  "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength", now tell me that shouldn't impact your emotions and get you fired up. God's Word is filled with powerful text that should be filling our emotional batteries.

2. Repetition - This one is easy.  We watch movies we love multiple times usually.  We get CD's in our car or downloaded on our phones and listen to them while we're driving, exercising, doing housework, etc...  It still works students. Repetition, repetition, repetition helps you remember things.  Why don't I remember some of the scriptures that I want to memorize?  I'm not reading them often enough, meditating on his Word, writing it down, speaking it.  That's why.

3. Media and word of mouth - Obviously the media has loads of cash and the means to get their product name (movies or song) out there. Then people buy in to it and spread the word about their new song or movie that they just saw.  They liked it and want to share it with others. They tweet it, facebook it, talk about it at parties.  I'm not saying every word out of our mouth has to be scriptural but I think there is something to be said for sharing what God has been speaking to you about in his Word.  The only way to have that opportunity is to be spending quality time there and listening to Him speak.  When He speaks to you tell people about it.  I always find it encouraging to here what God is saying to other people and how He is moving.

 These are just some simple observations that I personally have been guilty of and probably some others have been too.  The bottom line is God wants us to hide his Word in our hearts and I need to have more arrows in my quiver when facing off with Satan.  There is no way I should get more emotional (in all its forms) from a song or a movie than from God's Word.  I have to be proactive to make sure I am taking extra time to read and meditate on God's Word beyond my daily reading to be able to recall specific scriptures in times of need.  I need to share with others.  As Barney says, "Sharing is caring and it can be fun". (oh that's bad)

New Year

So another year has come upon us.  Everybody still making good on all those new year resolutions? Hope so, if they were worth while at least.  I like to think about changes I would like to make in my own life just because, well, I know what I should be doing and what is worthwhile so why don't I make some goals to work toward.  Some of them are things that I know Christ would want me to be working toward and others are more personal interest things. I didn't want to write down too many because that would just doom it to failure so I chose a few that are definitely attainable if I seek out those opportunities.  They include:

1 Wearing out my new Bible that I received for Christmas. In other words, use it a lot.
2 Volunteer for more community service projects like the Shawnee Rescue Mission. Not just giving but serving as well.
3 Take part in a Mission Trip.  I.E. Go somewhere else and meet people's spiritual and physical needs.
4 Phase out mindless TV watching. No sitting there looking for something that just eats up my time. You could probably include computer time as well. Both of which would give me more time for my next item...
5 Read more. I would like to read at least 12 books this year. Hopefully more but one a month is a good start.
6 Go to bed earlier and get up earlier.  I'm usually laying around being unproductive after 10PM anyway.
7 Spend more time outside. I love being outside, I don't know why I spend so much time indoors.
8 Tell my family and friends I love and appreciate them more often.  You can't really do that too much but you can do it too little.
9 The last one is low on the priority list compared to the above but I would like to attempt it anyway.  I always thought it would be fun to write and film a short story of some kind and have different family and friends be in it.  Don't have any ideas yet on a script but I know it will be good times whether its any good or not.

Well there you have it. My list of things to work on this year.  Its written down and most are measurable.  You can check in on me throughout the year if you want, please do. Or if you want a part in my no doubt Oscar worthy short film, let me know:)

More than Conquerors

Matt Foley, Tony Robbins, Zig Ziglar, the apostle Paul, what do they all have in common- great motivational speakers. Each with different topics but motivational anyway.  Can't imagine Paul using the analogy of living in a van down by the river. Anyway, I digress.  Reading through Romans chapter 8, it culminates with words that should fire any christian up.  My Bible titles versus 31-39 as More than Conquerors. That's exactly how you should feel if you believe God's Word is true and infallible.  If God is for us, who can be against us v.31.  That's really all we need to know but he goes on. God gave up his own Son for us v.32. Yes, almighty God sent His son to be killed in an awful way for you and me.  Let it sink in. If God loves us that much he is going to meet our needs and take care of us.  Wait, what if someone accuses you or charges you with something.  Wouldn't that just be awful, game over right? Not even close.  God is your ultimate judge, oh and by the way, Jesus Christ who was killed for us is interceding for us to his Father v.34.  How awesome is that.  Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. NOTHING! A lot of things look pretty formidable when you look at them through our earthly eyes, but stack them up beside my God and you gain a little heavenly perspective.  Verse 37 states "in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us".  Don't forget that key word "through" in this verse.  Alone we are nothing, a vapor in the wind (James 4:14), but with God we are more than conquerors.  Don't forget this truth when God calls you to do something for His kingdom and fear or doubt creeps into your mind.  Ok, everybody huddle up and put your hand in here.  1, 2, 3,   CONQUERORS!!!!!!!!!!

I Won.......and Lost.

So a couple of posts ago I hinted at some news that I was awaiting. Well, I got the news this morning in my email, about a week after I thought I was going to get the news.  Starting in early August I had bought a new workout program and was going to give it a try.  I have been known to try out various programs from time to time (P90X, Visual Impact, others...) and this one intrigued me.  The other part about this workout was that the designers also host a body transformation contest a couple times a year for people who have bought the program at some point.  Well, I decided I would enter the contest just for fun thinking it would help keep me accountable to my workouts. I also thought it would be fun to see the before and after pictures.  The program lasted 12 weeks and ended right before Thanksgiving.  Needless to say, after all the intense dieting the last couple weeks leading up to my final pictures, I was ready for a Thanksgiving feast. Anyway, long story short, I ended up winning 2nd place in the transformation contest. Yeah!!!! Not so fast.  The title of my blog says I won.....and lost. I titled it this way because I became alarmingly aware of some things during this contest. How can a man have such commitment and focus to something as fleeting as the shape and form of his body and yet have such neglect and poor health in his spiritual body.  This contest required me to go to the gym Monday - Friday about 5:30 AM and workout for approximately 50-70 minutes a day. I did not miss one workout.  For some reason, several days out of the week I could not find enough time to fit my personal quiet time in or read a passage out of my Bible. Can anyone say misplaced priorities?  Jim Elliot said, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose".  I traded something that I couldn't have lost for that which I will DEFINITELY lose. I am here to say that I lost and was a fool. Please don't misunderstand me, I don't think working out and staying in shape is wrong, in fact God calls us to take care of our temples. 

 "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body," (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

But when that activity encroaches on your time spent with God and growing in that relationship it becomes an idol and sin.  I thank my friend Craig and his recent posts testifying to the life God has called us to live.  It has helped me regain some much needed focus regarding what is eternal and what is temporal.  I do enjoy working out and plan to continue in this activity but I also have this on my radar and know that it is an area of my life that Satan would love to see come between me and my Lord. I will be taking steps to ensure I am being held accountable for my time spent in His Word and consistently growing in my walk with the Lord.  Lord give me a hunger for your Word that nothing this world has to offer can take away.

P.S. I won a little prize money for that contest which I had worldly plans for ($350), but I know the people down at the Shawnee Rescue Mission will have a much better use for it. Merry Christmas!

P.S.S. Some people wanted to see the pictures so here is a link to the website if you dare. I don't plan on ever running for political office:)

Fertile Ground

Most Christians have heard the parable of the seeds and the different types of ground that the seeds fall on.  It can be found in the first part of Matthew 13.  Seeds fell on the path, some fell on rocky earth, some fell among thorns, and some fell on fertile ground.  I was re-reading a section of Francis Chan's book "Crazy Love" and reminded that most Christians automatically think that they are the fertile ground Jesus was talking about.  If they are going to church, obey most laws, don't drink or cuss then they have to be fertile ground right? The other ground is reserved for the people that aren't doing those things. I must admit, it is very easy to compare my life to the millions of people that are obviously not interested in following Christ and think by default I am fertile ground, ready to produce a crop many times what was sown in me.  Yes, I know better, it doesn't work that way.  I am accountable to Christ and He knows my heart.  He sees my internal battle with thorns that only serve to choke out any seeds that Christ wants to see flourish in my life.  These thorns can take many forms in this world, including money, possessions, people, status, work, family, friends, and many more.  Anything that keeps your thoughts and desires on the things of this world and away from Christ's call on your life is a thorn.  Some of the things I listed sound like perfectly innocent things that most people enjoy daily.  And I think they should be enjoyed, but not to the extent that Christ takes a back seat in your life.  It is too easy to look at the temporal pleasures in front of us and forget about the eternal awesome treasures God has promised that will never go away. Don't miss out on a crop that produces 30, 60, or 100x what was sown.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.  Maybe the most useful thing I could receive this Christmas would be a pair of gardening shears.

New Site New Experiences

So I decided to move my blog over to this website.  Yes, I am following the crowd but there are so many cool features on this site that I had to do it.  You can integrate this site into a lot of cool Google programs.  I hope to use a variety of media to engage people and have fun while doing it.  In another change, I have found myself doing something that I never thought would happen.  I have been enjoying a cup of coffee in the morning while working at the office.  I must admit, a large part of it probably has to do with the large amount of Creamy Chocolate Coffee-mate that is added to my mug.  Now that may not be very manly but that is where I am at in my brief coffee drinking life. I may be able to decrease the amount of added creamy goodness to my cup as the years go by but it will probably be many years at the earliest (if at all) before I ever utter the words "I'll have mine black".  The only brand I have been using is Cains so if you readers know of coffee superiority that I am missing out on, don't hold out on me.  I am definitely looking forward to this Thanksgiving break and all that it entails.  The sister, brother-in-law and fam will be driving up from Houston late tonight to join us.  I will be splitting time between Thanksgiving lunch at our house this year with Kay's side of the family then meeting up with the Jordan clan afterwards. God is so good, that He chooses to bless us in so many ways despite what we deserve is awesome. Give Him praise at every opportunity.

P.S.  I hope to have good news to share early next week from an activity I have been involved with for the past 12 weeks.  Stay tuned. The news is "Transforming".  (hint, hint)

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