Amazing Book

I just finished reading a great book, called Forgotten God by Francis Chan. It is about the neglect of the Holy Spirit, something so unique to Christianity that so many Christians forget. This book really made you think about your life and how you are living..

Are you really living a Spirit Filled Life? Are you really living and tuned in to the Holy Spirit DAILY? Not just asking for God's plan in your life, which is a cop-out to always be praying for his will in your life "some day" instead of praying God's will for your life today.

"God's will for my life" is an excuse for inaction or even disobedience. It's safer to commit to following Him someday instead of this day.

Here are some more good lines from the book that really hit me- great Selah moments...

I don't want my life to be explainable with out the Holy Spirit.

"Taking my cross" has become a euphemism for getting through life's typical burdens without a semi-good attitude. Typical life burdens such as: bills, illness, college tuition, jobs loss, house won't sell... These are felt by everyone whether or not they follow the Way of Jesus.

What difference does your presence here make?

I think the fear of God failing us leads us to "cover for God". This means we ask for less, expect less, and are satisfied with less because we are afraid to ask for or expect more.

I don't want to keep crawling when I have the ability to fly. (caterpillar illustration)

Well I hope I didn't give you all the meat and potatoes, but it is a really good book you should read. If you don't want to spend the $10-15, let me know and you can borrow it!!

eunice and lois: thank you moms

mother's day is tomorrow.

a day to really honor your mother. now, that should be everyday, but sometimes we lack it... so the people at hallmark saw a great opportunity to make some bucks and designate a day where you show your mom how much you love her by buying her something.

as i continue in my reading and ingestion of second timothy (aka two tim) paul talks to timothy about his mom and grandma:

"I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also." 1:5

if it were not for tim's mom (eunice) and her mom (lois), where would tim be at?

thanks moms.

thanks grandmas.

thanks aunts.

thanks sisters.

thanks for your sincere faith which you passed through generations.

just focus.

today.

i woke up after a very exhausting week so far. my back ached some. i was hungry and roamed into the kitchen, too lazy to make food, so I chugged some milk.

unhappy.

i then got online. the internet connection was fading in and out. made me so mad.

as i try to print of directions to MVNU this weekend. i think of all the places i need to go and all the things i need to do before leaving. my wife rushes out the door on her way to work, which can be very stressful. i then make a list of everything that needs done. why is my life so hectic? gotta run here and there and here and there.. to the bank, get some food, grocery store, practice piano, pack, yadda yadda yadda... I went to Aldi's to spend more money on food.. all my groceries started dropping out of my box in the parking lot because i didn't have a stupid quarter for a buggy.. some guy almost hit me so I rolled down my window and yelled at him on my way home...

STOP. rewind.

I woke up in comfortable bed with fresh clean linens, next to my amazingly gorgeous wife. we talked a little before she bathed in fresh water put on clean clothes and makeup and left for her job in her car. i slowly got up. went into the kitchen and had something to eat/drink. i proceed to our living room and print off some free KFC coupons on the computer. I also put on some fresh clothes and prepared for my day. I started to pack some in my new suitcase bag I never used yet (we got for our wedding). I then drove to the bank in my car. i cashed the check for our quizzers this weekend in Mount Vernon. I then went to KFC and had a free lunch. It was pretty good too! I then drove to Aldi's to pick up some snacks for the weekend. I had some trouble in the parking lot because I never carry cash on me. I think my plastic card is so much easier, I hate to be burdened with carrying change one me, c'mon now. As I pulled out of the parking lot, another driver was driving carelessly, and i yelled... what am i doing???

we as a nation are so blessed and forget it all.

we are so dumb. i thank God for the reminder of how stupid we can be.

we are so blessed and fortunate and yet we think we are being pissed on by the world. i was so mad at myself for always forgetting. life can make you so busy you forget. you forget how fortunate you are. how God has blessed you- not because you deserve it!

there are thousands and millions of people around the world suffering. SUFFERING. SUFFERING!

we as a nation have it too easy. i wish life was harder. we take everything... EVERYTHING we have to lightly.

today is the national day of prayer. i thought about praying 4 or 5 times so far today... did i???

today i am going to just pray in thanksgiving! i am so thankful and i hope you realize it too.

I AM SO THANKFUL.

THANK YOU.

cinco de mayo

well the long awaited made-up holiday is here... although people in Mexico don't really focus too much on this holiday, just another party day for Americans to act stupid. and NO IT IS NOT THEIR INDEPENDENCE DAY! it is where some state area in mexico defeated the french.. mexcio independence is in september.

any who.. i mowed my lawn today for only the 2nd time of the year. very exciting time that i was really looking forward to, just to be dissapointed. i normally love mowing the grass because it gives me time to think about everything. it is relaxing and it is fun to try to mow the whole lawn without going over the same place more than once..

i have no clue what i thought about the whole hour i mowed. almost makes me mad i missed out on some down-time. i guess i was just in my blank waffle square while mowing.. so i just wanted to share that with all of you. i hope next time i mow i can get the quality time i enjoy and look forward to.

my dream last night

i woke up in the middle of the night.. wanting to write down my dream, but was too lazy. so here i am almost 24 hours later trying to remember.. so i'm sure i forgot some but the feeling was surreal. i also must say when i fell back asleep i wanted to continue dreaming but this was not the case...

to set the scene it was almost an out-of-body like feeling.. i think most of my dreams are. i can see myself walking.. it is dark and stormy outside..

i am approaching a REALLY long brick rectangular-shaped building. i open the door and there is room after room after room going down in this whole building. no doors, just smaller doorways that separate each room.

on the right side of each room are characters. i cannot see their faces. there is only 1 or 2 people, 3 at most in each room and they are still.. mannequin-like. i think they represent a variety of stages in my lifetime so far. or just since i been married. not too sure. on the left side of each room are huge glass windows, covering almost the whole wall of every room. It is dark and stormy and you can hear the rain...

the farther i walk down the hall past these rooms there is a variation in the weather.. it is always somewhat stormy but it clear a little then it storms a little harder.. i get to a room. there is a lady and there is an empty spot next to her.. this is where i am supposed to be... i find this out later.

i kept on walking to the next few rooms and they are completely empty. nothing in them. zip. nada. blank. no lighting either so i cannot see what is coming ahead.. sometimes lightening strikes and i may catch a glance, but by the next bolt of lightning it has slightly changed..

every time the lightning strikes i feel more uneasy.. i eventually end up down the hall in the blank rooms and the lightning picks up...

i just start yelling out JESUS every time the lightning hits.. it was so natural to call out for help when it got to be too much.. i felt so lost but every time the lightning struck and i called out "Jesus" I was led back to the last room where there was something.. it felt so good to feel like i was being led back on track.

i ended up next to this last lady and the storm grew so strong. together we called out to Jesus and the huge glass window in this room broke and glass shattered everywhere. The weather instantly broke and the sun came out..

it was such an AMAZING feeling. a calming that cannot be described.

as for me trying to interpret it, i think it is just a reminder to keep calling out to God especially when things get tough. he knows the future by putting my trust in Him he will make a new door open where we don't even think. Jeremiah says it best: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans not for evil or to harm you, but plans for a future and a hope!!

Lecrae- Send Me

TWO TIM v1.0

i started reading second timothy again because of its realness of current day ministry... not to mention it is easy to read the whole book in one sitting (that helps)... by "current day ministry" i guess i mean to say any christian life.

i was reading an article this past week that used the term "inactive church member" WHAT? that makes no sense... that is an oxymoron.

once you are "saved" you are called to serve in some capacity. fact. you are called to ministry.

also, you have a gift. fact. "but to each one is given the manifestation of the spirit for the common good." 2 Cor.

no matter where you are or what full-time job you are working at, you are called and are enabled with a gift from God... this may sound basic, but paul reminded timothy of this in 2 Tim. "i remind you to fan into flame the gift of God"

when paul writes 'fan into flame', i imagine that means timothy must have to develop his gift(s). we must too find our gift and develop it. we are equipped but that doesn't mean it will be easy. paul talks about suffering for the gospel as well in the 1st chapter... are you ready? look at paul- he is in prison and still optimistic about spreading the gospel- he is passing the torch to timothy- what would you be saying if you were rotting in prison in rome... waiting for execution...?

we have all been called... not just to volunteer at church (although that is great) but we have been entrusted with the gospel... and are gifted to serve...

what are you doing today to serve him? ...is it inconvenient? ...we have been gifted to fulfill the great commission in the church and in the world.

what are you doing today? try to realize what gifts you have been given and develop those gifts for a greater purpose. develop those gifts because you have been entrusted with such.