Everything’s got a moral, if only you can find it.
-Lewis Carroll
God has greatly invested in you. Every gift, talent, like or dislike is in you for a reason. You were created for a purpose. An important purpose as an essential part of God’s plan. You are here for a reason. Even the time that you are alive has been put in motion by God.
Everything, even the bad things can be redeemed, and God can draw good out of it.
God has greatly invested in you.
You were created for a purpose.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
-Jeremiah 29:11
You probably didn’t know it, but I have Beauty Shop in my house.
No seriously. I do.
Throughout the week the Mistress of Beautification (my wife Tiffany) works the tresses of 3 little girls (my daughters Diara, Kirah, and Raina). Braids, Twists, Pull-backs, Flat-Ironing, Shampooing/Conditioning, and other stuff (that’s how they are able to look like they do!).
They get the works.
It is quite the sight to see on a Saturday afternoon/night when our kitchen and living room is transformed into a place of perpetual hair-dressing motion & movement. Girls and hair EVERYWHERE.
In the middle of a hairdressing session earlier today, I thought of a way that could really make this whole thing a more attractive and lucrative endeavor.
Rather than running a free operation, we would start charging the little clients.
While Raina was getting some beauty work done today, I let her in on my little idea.
“Hey Raina.”
“Yes Dad?”
“I came up with an idea.”
“What is it?”
“It is about your hairstyles and all the stuff that you get around here.”
“Yeah?”
“Well. The new idea goes like this: Instead of letting you and your sisters get your hair done for free, we are going to start charging you.”
“What?”
“Yes. You are going to have to pay money from now on to get your hair done around here.”
“Nope.”
“Nope?”
“No. You can’t do that. You can’t charge us money.”
“Really? Why?”
“Because she is my mommy. And mommies can’t charge their children.”
I stopped talking and smiled.
It was a great answer.
And an answer for all of us.
When in God’s family we get blessed.
Not because we pray a lot.
Memorize hundreds of scriptures.
Or sing praise songs all night.
Sometimes we get blessed just because we are in the family.
If you have, you know that you cannot run any faster. There is a Usain Bolt type energy that charges through your body and if you were being timed, you could win an Olympic medal.
Easily.
The potential danger pushes the legs to move with an insane level of urgency. Urgency that we rarely possess when we aren’t being chased.
This is also true when it comes to our relationship with God.
When trouble is upon us, chasing us like a rabid dog, we have a sense of focused energy.
We pray. We seek God. We read the bible. We go to church. We obey His commands. We invest our time wisely. We do the things that we know that we should be doing.
But when the challenge has passed, the bills are paid, the sickness is over, the pain is gone, we stop running.
We lose our focus. Forget to be urgent. Neglect the things that are most important.
We rely on ourselves, leaning on our own wisdom and strength.
We put God in the backseat of the car while taking the wheel ourselves.
Then the dog returns.
Trouble is back again. Crisis is here. Adversity is present.
Urgency toward God is then resurrected.
We pray. We seek God. We read the bible. We go to church. We obey His commands. We invest our time wisely. We do the things that we know that we should be doing.
All while running from the big dog.
But when the challenge has passed, the bills are paid, the sickness is over, the pain is gone, we stop running.
We lose our focus. Forget to be urgent. Neglect the things that are most important.
We rely on ourselves, leaning on our own wisdom and strength.
We put God in the backseat of the car while taking the wheel ourselves.
And the cycle continues.
But wouldn’t it really be something if we ran after God as if the big dog was chasing us, when the big dog wasn’t chasing us?
I saw this truck 2 weeks ago. Really cracked me up. What are ‘mystic supplies’?
But it also makes me think. Psychics get their supposed information from a spirit realm that is disconnected from God. This psychic in particular promises good luck, money, marriage, and love (for a fee of course!).
Despite the promises, when we see an advertisement like this, we don’t take it seriously. Most often we simply ignore it. We would never go to a psychic for guidance or insight.
Or would we?
Though most of us wouldn’t go to the Psychic Reader, we don’t always go to God when it comes to the things that matter. We consult our horoscope, conventional wisdom, or other people that don’t make God’s word their foundation.
Though we believe philosophically that the Bible is God’s message to humanity, we don’t always treat it that way. Many times the newspaper, the internet, or a favorite novel or gossip mag gets more of our attention.
And our marriages, finances, relationships, and leadership bear the evidence of our lack of attentiveness to God’s word.
The good news is, God can turn it around.
All we have to do is go to Him for guidance.
Then, listen to what He says, and follow where He leads.
Today is my birthday. 36 years ago today I began my adventure on planet earth on a Marine Corp. base near San Diego, Ca.
Over that time period I have been blessed with great friends, an incredible wife (she is absolutely off the hook!), and 3 beautiful daughters (they look like their mother!).
Along that journey at about 7 or 8 years old, I gave my heart to Jesus.
Over 25 years later, He is still with me every step of the way.
Thank you Jesus, for another year to love and represent You.
If Jesus was on Twitter account would you be His follower?
If Jesus was on Facebook, would you be His friend?
If Jesus had a blog, would your name be in it?
“Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”
-Luke 9:23
“I no longer call you servants, because servants do not know their master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”
-John 15:15
“He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”
-Revelation 3:5
Everything’s got a moral, if only you can find it.
-Lewis Carroll
God has greatly invested in you. Every gift, talent, like or dislike is in you for a reason. You were created for a purpose. An important purpose as an essential part of God’s plan. You are here for a reason. Even the time that you are alive has been put in motion by God.
Everything, even the bad things can be redeemed, and God can draw good out of it.
God has greatly invested in you.
You were created for a purpose.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
-Jeremiah 29:11
Posted in The Future, Transformation | No Comments »
You probably didn’t know it, but I have Beauty Shop in my house.
No seriously. I do.
Throughout the week the Mistress of Beautification (my wife Tiffany) works the tresses of 3 little girls (my daughters Diara, Kirah, and Raina). Braids, Twists, Pull-backs, Flat-Ironing, Shampooing/Conditioning, and other stuff (that’s how they are able to look like they do!).
They get the works.
It is quite the sight to see on a Saturday afternoon/night when our kitchen and living room is transformed into a place of perpetual hair-dressing motion & movement. Girls and hair EVERYWHERE.
In the middle of a hairdressing session earlier today, I thought of a way that could really make this whole thing a more attractive and lucrative endeavor.
Rather than running a free operation, we would start charging the little clients.
While Raina was getting some beauty work done today, I let her in on my little idea.
“Hey Raina.”
“Yes Dad?”
“I came up with an idea.”
“What is it?”
“It is about your hairstyles and all the stuff that you get around here.”
“Yeah?”
“Well. The new idea goes like this: Instead of letting you and your sisters get your hair done for free, we are going to start charging you.”
“What?”
“Yes. You are going to have to pay money from now on to get your hair done around here.”
“Nope.”
“Nope?”
“No. You can’t do that. You can’t charge us money.”
“Really? Why?”
“Because she is my mommy. And mommies can’t charge their children.”
I stopped talking and smiled.
It was a great answer.
And an answer for all of us.
When in God’s family we get blessed.
Not because we pray a lot.
Memorize hundreds of scriptures.
Or sing praise songs all night.
Sometimes we get blessed just because we are in the family.
Posted in Family | No Comments »
Have you ever been chased by a dog?
If you have, you know that you cannot run any faster. There is a Usain Bolt type energy that charges through your body and if you were being timed, you could win an Olympic medal.
Easily.
The potential danger pushes the legs to move with an insane level of urgency. Urgency that we rarely possess when we aren’t being chased.
This is also true when it comes to our relationship with God.
When trouble is upon us, chasing us like a rabid dog, we have a sense of focused energy.
We pray. We seek God. We read the bible. We go to church. We obey His commands. We invest our time wisely. We do the things that we know that we should be doing.
But when the challenge has passed, the bills are paid, the sickness is over, the pain is gone, we stop running.
We lose our focus. Forget to be urgent. Neglect the things that are most important.
We rely on ourselves, leaning on our own wisdom and strength.
We put God in the backseat of the car while taking the wheel ourselves.
Then the dog returns.
Trouble is back again. Crisis is here. Adversity is present.
Urgency toward God is then resurrected.
We pray. We seek God. We read the bible. We go to church. We obey His commands. We invest our time wisely. We do the things that we know that we should be doing.
All while running from the big dog.
But when the challenge has passed, the bills are paid, the sickness is over, the pain is gone, we stop running.
We lose our focus. Forget to be urgent. Neglect the things that are most important.
We rely on ourselves, leaning on our own wisdom and strength.
We put God in the backseat of the car while taking the wheel ourselves.
And the cycle continues.
But wouldn’t it really be something if we ran after God as if the big dog was chasing us, when the big dog wasn’t chasing us?
Maybe we wouldn’t see the big dog quite as much.
Posted in Prayer, Discipleship | No Comments »
Message/Talk from this Sunday from Grand Haven Res Life that asks 4 Questions:
1. Are you giving God your Best?
2. Where is your heart Located?
3. What are you Becoming?
4. Who do you Worship?
For video, click here.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
I saw this truck 2 weeks ago. Really cracked me up. What are ‘mystic supplies’?
But it also makes me think. Psychics get their supposed information from a spirit realm that is disconnected from God. This psychic in particular promises good luck, money, marriage, and love (for a fee of course!).
Despite the promises, when we see an advertisement like this, we don’t take it seriously. Most often we simply ignore it. We would never go to a psychic for guidance or insight.
Or would we?
Though most of us wouldn’t go to the Psychic Reader, we don’t always go to God when it comes to the things that matter. We consult our horoscope, conventional wisdom, or other people that don’t make God’s word their foundation.
Though we believe philosophically that the Bible is God’s message to humanity, we don’t always treat it that way. Many times the newspaper, the internet, or a favorite novel or gossip mag gets more of our attention.
And our marriages, finances, relationships, and leadership bear the evidence of our lack of attentiveness to God’s word.
The good news is, God can turn it around.
All we have to do is go to Him for guidance.
Then, listen to what He says, and follow where He leads.
Posted in The Future, Discipleship | 1 Comment »
The sun’ll come out
Tomorrow
So ya gotta hang on
‘Til tomorrow
Come what may
Tomorrow! Tomorrow!
I love ya Tomorrow!
You’re always
A day
A way!
-’Tomorrow’ from ‘Annie’
Our today is linked to yesterday.
Our tomorrow is connected to today.
Everyday we make investments into a future that will one day become our present.
Though we can’t go back and change yesterday’s investments, we can invest in tommorrow today.
Invest wisely.
For tomorrow’s sake.
Posted in The Future | No Comments »
Today is my birthday. 36 years ago today I began my adventure on planet earth on a Marine Corp. base near San Diego, Ca.
Over that time period I have been blessed with great friends, an incredible wife (she is absolutely off the hook!), and 3 beautiful daughters (they look like their mother!).
Along that journey at about 7 or 8 years old, I gave my heart to Jesus.
Over 25 years later, He is still with me every step of the way.
Thank you Jesus, for another year to love and represent You.
Posted in Family | 2 Comments »
A GREAT post on America by Josh Aldrich.
Wow.
Posted in Media/Culture | No Comments »
God has the ability to do anything. He has the power to change our lives, and transform our futures.
But the funny thing is that He waits for our permission to do so.
God is a gentleman in the sense that he doesn’t twist our arm, or violate our free will.
He can change us, but we have to say yes.
Yes means to humble ourselves to His leadership, and to surrender everything into His hands.
God is ready to step on the scene, but is waiting for our permission.
Posted in Discipleship | No Comments »
You are not an accident. This moment is not an accident. God made you with purpose. And with that purpose, He has a plan.
It doesn’t matter where you have been, what you have done, or what your story is. God loves you. He cares. And He is with you.
You are not alone.
You are not an accident. This moment is not an accident. God made you with purpose. And with that purpose, He has a plan.
His plan will come to pass. Just keep following Him.
You’ll see.
Posted in Transformation | 1 Comment »
If Jesus was on Twitter account would you be His follower?
If Jesus was on Facebook, would you be His friend?
If Jesus had a blog, would your name be in it?
“Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”
-Luke 9:23
“I no longer call you servants, because servants do not know their master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”
-John 15:15
“He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”
-Revelation 3:5
Posted in Discipleship | No Comments »