It would be easy to assume it was an area that I didnt struggle with... well... its not!
Philippians 4:6,7
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
My day keeps coming pointing me back to this scripture.. the songs on slacker.com are even throwing me hints... Coldplay - "just be patient and don't worry".
Between sick kids, work and home life there is always something to worry about, for me at least. I would much rather trade my anxious feelings of things that are out of my control for a deeper passion for Christ. It sounds so simple......
anyway...
till next time
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
whats new
Good day so far. Just finished going through some work stuff and taking a little coffee break when.... I get a message from facebook stating someone visited my ever vaccant blog.
well.. here ya go
I thought of a new t-shirt idea. Not that I have stacks of notebooks lying around with t-shirt and bumper sticker ideas...(That would be kind of cool though)
This shirt would be dedicated to all of those who think they can complete a 4 month project in one day. You know this person and this is the shirt you need to buy them....
Rome wasn't built in a day
cause I wasn't in charge....
This is so obvious that it is most likely already a shirt or bumper sticker...
well.. here ya go
I thought of a new t-shirt idea. Not that I have stacks of notebooks lying around with t-shirt and bumper sticker ideas...(That would be kind of cool though)
This shirt would be dedicated to all of those who think they can complete a 4 month project in one day. You know this person and this is the shirt you need to buy them....
Rome wasn't built in a day
cause I wasn't in charge....
This is so obvious that it is most likely already a shirt or bumper sticker...
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Once a fan
Here I am.. Working away at my desk and minding my own business, enjoying a little AOL radio. If you must know I was chillin to the Heartbreak Country channel, OK!
When out of nowhere Hopelessly Devoted to You starts to play. Oddly enough instead of reaching for the mouse to change the station I stayed in my work zone and let it spin. Its cool, right?
Next thing I know I'm all nostalgic and remember hearing the song when I was a kid. Sitting in the play room, or as we called it.. the front room. It was on a mickey mouse record player which sat atop my parents console record player.
I knew all the drum fills and the chord progression. The lyrics seem to roll from my memory as if I had sung it a hundred times..........
Was...... I mean............... could it be....?
No...
Was I an Olivia Newton-John fan?
I was 8 when that song came out for Pete's sake. Once a fan... always a fan, I guess.
When out of nowhere Hopelessly Devoted to You starts to play. Oddly enough instead of reaching for the mouse to change the station I stayed in my work zone and let it spin. Its cool, right?
Next thing I know I'm all nostalgic and remember hearing the song when I was a kid. Sitting in the play room, or as we called it.. the front room. It was on a mickey mouse record player which sat atop my parents console record player.
I knew all the drum fills and the chord progression. The lyrics seem to roll from my memory as if I had sung it a hundred times..........
Was...... I mean............... could it be....?
No...
Was I an Olivia Newton-John fan?
I was 8 when that song came out for Pete's sake. Once a fan... always a fan, I guess.
He is everywhere
I was on my way in to work this morning, radio turned down and doing my best to pray while chasing rabbits.... By the way.... Have you ever had those mornings? The ones where no matter what you want or need to pray about... It just ends up being a 15 min distraction that ends in a Amen? Very frustrating....
During my rabbit hunt I look through the trees and there it is. The most beautiful moon that I have seen in some time.
Its perfection was cartoonish, if that's even a word. Three well placed clouds accented its white hot edges. The craters on its face appeared to be in HD. WOW!
It was at this point that I laid down my gun and watched the rabbits run away.
He had my attention.
Where will you see him today? After all... He is everywhere.
During my rabbit hunt I look through the trees and there it is. The most beautiful moon that I have seen in some time.
Its perfection was cartoonish, if that's even a word. Three well placed clouds accented its white hot edges. The craters on its face appeared to be in HD. WOW!
It was at this point that I laid down my gun and watched the rabbits run away.
He had my attention.
Where will you see him today? After all... He is everywhere.
Monday, October 13, 2008
A thought for the day
Just wanted to share something that occurred to me the other day.
Not life changing by any means but thought I would share.
If you are ever in a trivia game and the topic turns to non-pc candies and there affiliation with secular groups. This might come in handy.
A gay cowboy's favorite candy is a Jolly Rancher.
Have a great day!
Not life changing by any means but thought I would share.
If you are ever in a trivia game and the topic turns to non-pc candies and there affiliation with secular groups. This might come in handy.
A gay cowboy's favorite candy is a Jolly Rancher.
Have a great day!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
If I could just do better.....
I have been studying Galatians with my men's group and chapter 4 brings out law and redemption/grace. Paul uses the allegory of Hagar and Sarah to describe the law vs redemption and a sermon from Pete Awlinson, Rich and Loving it, goes over the fact that the law and redemption can not live in the same house. Good stuff!
I have been down this road so many times. Live the way I should only to fall flat on my face. Which is where I should have been in the first place, on my face before God. Its so easy to get caught up in the routine of the day and create the check list.
It is also just as easy to not create that check list and know that I am covered by the grace and freedom of Christ.
So which is it.. try harder or live in grace?
The great thing about this whole grace and freedom through Christ thing is... well grace!
For me... I will always be like the Galatians. I will float between the grace and freedom of knowing Christ to the "occasional" visit to the legalistic side of life. The side of life where "I can do better". The side where I tend to wallow in self pity. The side where I punish myself for sins that have already been forgiven.... (not the same as conviction for ones sins... but the remembering of those in the past. (Psalm 103:12)
Are you thinking that I am using grace as a get out of jail free card, though it kind of is?
Can you think of one person who knows the true definition of grace. One who has experienced grace and yet takes advantage of it? If so.. Do you think they have experienced it in its truest form? The more we seek the Lord, our desires become His desires.... If we are seeking the Lord and praying the desires of our heart, which He has put there, how does one take advantage of grace?
Psalms 374-5 -
"Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass".
This is not the prayer where we ask for that new car or more money. The more we delight ourselves in the Lord... the more we are wanting what He wants for our life..... Our desires become His desires....
I can go between these 2 camps just as easily. (carnal desires vs hearts desire.. that's another entry)
Paul has already declared Romans 6:1 "What shall we say then? Shall we to continue in sin, that grace may abound? As I stated prior to the Psalms entry. I know of no one in my circle of believers that takes this verse out of context to sin a little extra. I guess that is not totally true. One does not take this verse out of context and live in sin...
Luther kind of describes the law as the bastard son Ishmael, and redemption as the promise of Isaac. I love that! (Galatians 4)
Is it that easy? I mean.. really. When I react under the law I am serving the bastard son of a bondmaid, Ishmael. But when I live under Christ righteousness I am serving the son that was promised. Hmm.. The son that was promised. Sound strangely familiar?
I wish I could live in that daily. But the fact of the matter is.
I could just do better.....
I have been down this road so many times. Live the way I should only to fall flat on my face. Which is where I should have been in the first place, on my face before God. Its so easy to get caught up in the routine of the day and create the check list.
It is also just as easy to not create that check list and know that I am covered by the grace and freedom of Christ.
So which is it.. try harder or live in grace?
The great thing about this whole grace and freedom through Christ thing is... well grace!
For me... I will always be like the Galatians. I will float between the grace and freedom of knowing Christ to the "occasional" visit to the legalistic side of life. The side of life where "I can do better". The side where I tend to wallow in self pity. The side where I punish myself for sins that have already been forgiven.... (not the same as conviction for ones sins... but the remembering of those in the past. (Psalm 103:12)
Are you thinking that I am using grace as a get out of jail free card, though it kind of is?
Can you think of one person who knows the true definition of grace. One who has experienced grace and yet takes advantage of it? If so.. Do you think they have experienced it in its truest form? The more we seek the Lord, our desires become His desires.... If we are seeking the Lord and praying the desires of our heart, which He has put there, how does one take advantage of grace?
Psalms 374-5 -
"Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass".
This is not the prayer where we ask for that new car or more money. The more we delight ourselves in the Lord... the more we are wanting what He wants for our life..... Our desires become His desires....
I can go between these 2 camps just as easily. (carnal desires vs hearts desire.. that's another entry)
Paul has already declared Romans 6:1 "What shall we say then? Shall we to continue in sin, that grace may abound? As I stated prior to the Psalms entry. I know of no one in my circle of believers that takes this verse out of context to sin a little extra. I guess that is not totally true. One does not take this verse out of context and live in sin...
Luther kind of describes the law as the bastard son Ishmael, and redemption as the promise of Isaac. I love that! (Galatians 4)
Is it that easy? I mean.. really. When I react under the law I am serving the bastard son of a bondmaid, Ishmael. But when I live under Christ righteousness I am serving the son that was promised. Hmm.. The son that was promised. Sound strangely familiar?
I wish I could live in that daily. But the fact of the matter is.
I could just do better.....
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Heart for the Homeless
The Homeless Encounter
We have all been there. Walking in to the library downtown or getting gas from the Broadway Exon. The homeless encounter is inevitable.
The thing is.. how do we deal with it.
Do we smile and use the cashless society excuse of "sorry...no cash...all I have is plastic" then shrug our shoulders as if to say...keep it up there gipper, its bound to work on someone today....
My favorite, till this mornings encounter, has always been.... "Hey what time is it".
What time is it?
For real? Late for a conference call? (harsh, I know... he might need to get to the mission or soup line...) From the looks of you... all sprawled out on that bench with Mad Dog 20/20 bottles scattered all around....Shouldn't it be more like.. "Hey what day is it?"
This mornings encounter has surpassed them all.
I was out for my morning walk around downtown and the time is 6:45am. A new route today. Up 2cnd Ave, right on Church and down 1st Ave. This trek is about 1 mile and all uphill till Church St. Great cardio.
The weather and atmosphere are perfect..... Crisp and cool.... No tourists snapping picks of the Wild Horse... I clear my mind for some prayer time and absorb my Nashville.
Then I see him! Poised for the kill.....
Leaning against the wall just past the Beer Cellar. I immediately take the "don't talk to me" posture of staring at the ground, avoiding eye contact with every ounce of energy my morning coffee has given me....
When......
He strikes!
Like a fat kid in dodge ball. I'm pegged!
Here is how it went down.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Homeless Man - "Hey bud, How are ya"
Me - "Good, man" (without looking up.. walking faster, now.)
Homeless Man - "Let me ask you something"
I pause and turn with my watch loaded to give him the time
Homeless Man - "What if I took out 3 tennis balls and juggled them while reciting Shakespeare to you. Would that buy me a beer?"
WHAT? I'm sorry.... At this point I stop dead in my tracks and a huge smile creeps across my face.
Homeless Man - "Just stand there and think about it"
I'm shocked, entertained and a little flattered as I turn toward him. Know one has ever recited Shakespeare to me before.
Me - "Bro, I can honestly say... I have never heard that one before"
Homeless Man - "So what do you say? That's a good one, right?"
Me - Its good.....But it ain't that good...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Turning the corner I laugh out loud and head back toward the office.
I must say. I have never had a heart for the homeless..... but then again.... they never offered to recite me poetry.
We have all been there. Walking in to the library downtown or getting gas from the Broadway Exon. The homeless encounter is inevitable.
The thing is.. how do we deal with it.
Do we smile and use the cashless society excuse of "sorry...no cash...all I have is plastic" then shrug our shoulders as if to say...keep it up there gipper, its bound to work on someone today....
My favorite, till this mornings encounter, has always been.... "Hey what time is it".
What time is it?
For real? Late for a conference call? (harsh, I know... he might need to get to the mission or soup line...) From the looks of you... all sprawled out on that bench with Mad Dog 20/20 bottles scattered all around....Shouldn't it be more like.. "Hey what day is it?"
This mornings encounter has surpassed them all.
I was out for my morning walk around downtown and the time is 6:45am. A new route today. Up 2cnd Ave, right on Church and down 1st Ave. This trek is about 1 mile and all uphill till Church St. Great cardio.
The weather and atmosphere are perfect..... Crisp and cool.... No tourists snapping picks of the Wild Horse... I clear my mind for some prayer time and absorb my Nashville.
Then I see him! Poised for the kill.....
Leaning against the wall just past the Beer Cellar. I immediately take the "don't talk to me" posture of staring at the ground, avoiding eye contact with every ounce of energy my morning coffee has given me....
When......
He strikes!
Like a fat kid in dodge ball. I'm pegged!
Here is how it went down.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Homeless Man - "Hey bud, How are ya"
Me - "Good, man" (without looking up.. walking faster, now.)
Homeless Man - "Let me ask you something"
I pause and turn with my watch loaded to give him the time
Homeless Man - "What if I took out 3 tennis balls and juggled them while reciting Shakespeare to you. Would that buy me a beer?"
WHAT? I'm sorry.... At this point I stop dead in my tracks and a huge smile creeps across my face.
Homeless Man - "Just stand there and think about it"
I'm shocked, entertained and a little flattered as I turn toward him. Know one has ever recited Shakespeare to me before.
Me - "Bro, I can honestly say... I have never heard that one before"
Homeless Man - "So what do you say? That's a good one, right?"
Me - Its good.....But it ain't that good...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Turning the corner I laugh out loud and head back toward the office.
I must say. I have never had a heart for the homeless..... but then again.... they never offered to recite me poetry.
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