An excerpt from Shakespeare’s Sonnet 43….. “How do I love me……let me count the ways..”  Okay, maybe that’s not EXACTLY what Shakespeare wrote but, well, I meant what I wrote.  That must have been from Rhodes Sonnet 43.  In my 35 (soon to be 36…insert eye roll here) years of life I don’t think I’ve found anyone I love much more than I love me, aside from my wife and kids.  [I realize some of you think I’ve flipped my lid right now—stick with me]  If given a choice to bless myself with a million dollars or someone else…..well…..let’s just say I’d have to pray about that one…and fast…..and pray a little more.  Just a warning, it might not be my finest moment, LOL!  Let’s be honest here!!  Whether you want to admit it or not, you like yourself, some more than others.  We may not like to voice it but sometimes we just want to be selfish and choose doing something for ‘numero uno’ rather than others.  It’s natural.  We were all born with that instinct and most of us fight the rest of our lives NOT to allow that monster to take center stage in our decision making process.  Suffice it to say, you can look around and surmise who fights the monster and who doesn’t.

Hundreds of years ago we were given the Ten Commandments. For Christians, it is this list of commandments we must endeavor to abide by…..and even some of the stuff that’s written ‘in between the lines,’ I might add (that’s for another blog).  When the commandments were given, God’s people finally had a concrete list of ways to pattern and live their lives.  Then, Jesus came along and things got a lot more interesting.  Jesus had been teaching and preaching for some time when many religious teachers began approaching him at different times to discredit his ministry.  In one such interaction a teacher of the law approached Jesus and asked him which commandment was the most important.  ***Wait!  They’re ALL important!  Don’t do it, Jesus, it’s a trick!!!  Nope.**  Jesus responds, “^29 … “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰ And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ ³¹ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” [Mark 12:29-31 ESV]

Wait a minute……there’s a list of importance?!? Yep.  But Moses never mentioned that part!!  It may seem crazy but if we can master these two commandments it would change the way we live.  Think about it.  Loving the Lord God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength is HUGE!  If I love my wife like I should I’m not going to want to run around on her.  I won’t choose to take care of myself while she has need of something.  If I genuinely love my wife like I should I am going to WANT what’s best for her too.  I won’t desire to bring shame, hurt, or pain to her life.  If I GENUINELY love God like I should I’m not going to want to steal, kill, covet, be an adulterer, etc.  When my priority becomes loving Him, I’ll abstain from the rest of those things that would bring Him shame out of love and respect for Him.  If I genuinely love God I’m going to learn how to love myself better too because, hopefully, I’ll begin seeing myself as He sees me….and he must love me a whole lot because He refers to me as His “beloved.”  I’m not going to let a number on a scale, past hurts, etc. rule my heart and mind and determine how much I will love me.

Here’s the kicker–How I love myself is how I’m SUPPOSED to love OTHERS.  “…love your neighbor as yourself.”  Let’s face it, sometimes it’s hard to love my neighbor, and I’m not talking about the folks living next door.  Our neighbor = our fellow man.  Sometimes my neighbor cuts me off in traffic while giving me a not-so-nice hand gesture.  Sometimes my neighbor steals from me.  Sometimes my neighbor does things I don’t agree with.  You don’t have to condone their actions but loving and not loving them isn’t a choice if you’re a child of God.  Nobody said loving our neighbor would be easy. BUT if we love God as we should the rest of those things will fall into place.  You can choose not to kill, steal, covet, etc but those choices should be a byproduct of our relationship with God.  You have a choice today.  Will you follow and fulfill ALL of His commandments, especially the two most important ones, or will you making the fleshly choice of loving self in an unhealthy manner?  To fulfill or not to fulfill…….that’s the question.  What’s YOUR answer?

The light has been on for days. You know the one I’m talking about. It’s the one next to the speedometer that tells you when something is wrong with your car. Maybe it’s time for an oil change, engine issues, computer problems or, in this case, an issue with the tire pressure. As I type this blog I am actually sitting at the mechanics. I’ve seen this light off and on through the years. A while back it stayed on but I never knew why until someone encouraged me to check the pressure in my spare tire. Sure enough, that was the problem. I didn’t even realize these newer vehicles (mine is actually 6 yrs old) had a sensor/indicator for spare tires. This time when it came on I immediately chalked it up to my spare tire as I had looked around at all my other tires and they looked fine so SURELY that couldn’t be the issue. Well, six days passed and I have been busy (driving the highway a little more than normal) so I never took the time to check on and/or fix the issue. We come in last night from my daughter’s soccer practice and my wife comes around the car and says, “Babe, your tire back here looks slack.” I’m thinking–Nah, I’ve been watching them…surely not. As a courtesy I walk to the back and sure enough, the tire is pretty slack. I take a few minutes and begin to inspect the tire and, you guessed it, a nail is stuck in my tire. I have no idea how long it had been there or how long I’d driven with it like that but something that may have seemed insignificant in the beginning had turned into an issue that could cause me some problems in the long run.

My mind immediately began reeling and I heard the Holy Spirit speaking to me. It always starts that way, doesn’t it? We see, sense, or feel something around us that raises a red flag. Rather than address and take care of the issue we decide to overlook it assuming it will go away. Ignorant mistake—I’m guilty!!! By the time we’ve looked over it for the hundredth time, the hundred-and-first becomes the “straw that broke the camels back.” Maybe it was that piece of birthday cake. It seemed harmless in the beginning but after eating 20 harmless pieces of cake, well, they aren’t so harmless anymore as we work feverishly to button our pants. Maybe you had been feeling sick for a while but you let it go…..its just a little breathing problem….before you know it pneumonia has set in and you end up in the hospital. Or, the story we’ve heard many times, someone decides to use drugs or drink alcohol once or twice recreationally and it becomes an addiction. Song of Solomon reminds us that it’s the little foxes that spoil the vine. You didn’t plan for things to get out of hand. You didn’t plan on those non-issues to become full fledged problems that now control you and threaten to leave you stranded on the side of the road, overweight, sick, or addicted (yeah, I crammed them all into one!).

I said all of that to say this—I know for a fact those ‘red flags’ are warnings from the Holy Spirit. Trust the God IN you and deal with those issues early on as the Holy Spirit reveals them to you. It’s not a comfortable thing but you’ll be glad you did later. 1 Corinthians states, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”  And last but certainly not least, be reminded what 1 Peter 5:8 warns us about, “Be sober, be VIGILANT [my emphasis], because your adversary the devil SNEAKETH about as a lion, seeking who he may devour.” The devil isn’t going to fight you when you’re strong.  Why?!?  Because he’s a coward.  Lion’s are beautiful and regal looking animals but they’re lazy cowards.  When they attack they don’t just jump in and take what they want.  They sneak around as they follow a pack of animals.  They wait for the moment one of the animals wanders away from the pack and is by itself or has been weakened for one reason or another THEN it attacks.  They may have a loud roar but that’s all it is….a lot of noise.  The devil isn’t going to fight you when you’ve been praying, fasting,  and/or reading your word…..because you’re armed and ready to fight.  That lazy coward waits until you’re weak and THEN he pounces.  BE SOBER AND VIGILANT…..stay on guard!!  Pay attention those red flags….the Holy Spirit is trying to tell you something!!!  When the warning light comes on PAY ATTENTION TO IT!!!  It’s possible you could be driving around with a slow leak that will eventually leave you broken down on the side of life’s highway.

Everyone who knows me is aware I can be a little O.C.D. sometimes…..well, maybe more than a ‘little’, LOL!! [keep your comments to yourself, ha!]  Before my kids were born life was easy.  I came and went as I pleased, my wife and I went out on dates all the time, we could go to bed late and get up late (when we weren’t working), we went on vacation getaways, we only deep cleaned our house one time per week because nothing ever got moved……life was just simpler and quite a bit easier.  Fast forward 7 years later and…….BAM!!!  Everything changed.  I still remember when my daughter was born.  She was the most BEAUTIFUL new born child I had EVER seen.  I know you think YOUR child was but….really, she was gorgeous.  Who could have known that little bundle of joy would turn my world UPSIDE DOWN!!!!!  She was whiny, messy, hard-headed, wanted things her way……let’s face it……she took MY job.  Those were the things I specialized in before her birth.  Three and a half years later throw in another little person, who was equally as beautiful, who decides to do the exact same thing.  What in the world?!?!?  What was I thinking?!?!?  Now it’s 2 vs 2.  It’s us (my wife and I) against them…..and normally they win.

I tell you what I was thinking….there was this void in my heart. Not many guys will admit it but personally, I longed to be a Dad.  But why didn’t someone warn me I’d be so bad at this job?!?  I make mistakes CONSTANTLY!!!  Sometimes I rush to judgment without thinking, fuss when it’s not a big deal, and…well, that list is just too long so I’ll spare you the details.  When I look at my kids it’s like looking in a mirror.  Normally, any negative actions I see in their character, many times, I see it as a learned behavior…..from me.  Being a parent is one of the hardest jobs I’ve ever had.  I find it odd how parenting can feel successful one minute and then……five minutes later–I’m back in ‘failure’ land.  These days I’ve become a circus juggler.  It’s basically controlled chaos in my house.  I’ll be honest, sometimes I get so frustrated.  I want a clean house but it doesn’t seem to be possible.  I like order….not happening.  I like predictability…..not happening.  And, is it asking too much to want to use the bathroom in peace or sleep late one day out of the week?!?

I came across a story very early in my parenting days and it literally changed the way I looked at things. This lady was basically expressing some of the same frustrations.  She mentioned, specifically, trying to keep her refrigerator clean on the outside and every time she turned around there were hand prints and food stains on it.  After cleaning it for the millionth time she realized those hand prints were getting bigger.  Time was beginning to escape her as her children were growing faster than she had been able to comprehend.  It was in that moment she decided to allow her refrigerator to become a museum.  The next time she saw a handprint she placed a frame around it.  The next time the kids made a mess of a certain piece of paper by coloring and scribbling on it, she used a magnet to stick it to that same refrigerator.  Here’s today’s lesson…..Parents:  We’re only given these moments once and can never get them back.  I pray I don’t look back on my children’s childhood and remember how strict I was and how miserable I made them….and I hope my kids don’t either.  Don’t get me wrong—order, cleanliness, and predictability are necessary for children.  They thrive on it.  But one day those same kids will be raising my grandchildren.  The better I parent now the better my children will parent my grandchildren later, and so forth.  I have to remind myself daily to pay attention to the big picture and let the rest of ‘it’ fall by the wayside.  Those dirty clothes and dishes will always mount up……….but those hands are only little for so long.  “³ Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.” [Ps. 127:3 NLT] I became aware of a fellow ministers family who lost their 6 year old son to a bicycle accident this past Sunday night.  My heart broke for this family.  I’m sure they’ve had a million thoughts go through their heads in the past few days…and none of them had anything to do with chores, the cleanliness of their home, etc.  Try to find your joy in the midst of the craziness and remember, your kids aren’t looking for perfection, just a little love and attention.  Hold those monkeys a little tighter tonight……..who knows what tomorrow holds?!?

“…I love you no matter what!” If I never heard anything else, THOSE would be the words I would long to hear the most.  Last week a friend of mine informed me that there was a free streaming documentary on a well known Christian artist and song writer, Dennis Jernigan, on the internet.  Having grown up singing many of his songs, specifically in college, I was intrigued and jumped at the chance to have a peak into the life of someone I had admired from afar.  I knew he was considered somewhat of a giant in the worship world.  I have always placed him into the category with earlier well-known writers from the beginning of the praise and worship era such as Ron Kenoly, Alvin Slaughter, Darlene Zschech and others.  I must say the things I heard in this documentary shocked me as I never realized the personal struggle he endured and how God had still chosen to use him so mightily for the kingdom.  At the same time I felt a great sense of hope as the message of the transformative power of the Gospel spilled over in every minute of Jernigan’s story as he told it.

The first thing that came to mind was a reminder of others, like Jernigan, who had dealt with struggles of their own. Those like the adulterous King David, an alcoholic Noah, a murderer named Moses, a liar named Jacob…..they were all broken vessels that God chose to use in spite of their shortcomings.  Like Paul they ALL had their own personal ‘thorn in the flesh.’  Regardless of these thorns the thing setting them apart was a love and passion for the things of God.  In those moments I was reminded being a Christian doesn’t make us perfect only forgiven.  Christianity doesn’t imply we will have a perfect life free of hurts, trials, and troubles.  Rather it is a public statement we are willing to allow God to use our weaknesses and the flaws of our lives to bring Himself glory.  That simple thought baffles me….He can take my mess and use it….WOW!!!  Jernigan’s passion and love for worship and the things of God spill over in everything he does and it’s very apparent in this documentary.  He’s unapologetic of his past.  As he’s telling his story you can sense the shame that he felt….. but the overwhelming grace and mercy he received from God comes across as being SO much greater than his sins.

This is who Christ is. He’s not looking for perfection, only a willing vessel.  He can take the dirtiest of vessels and use it for His glory.  Your mistakes aren’t bigger than the King of kings and the Lord of lords.  Your past is just that…..the PAST.  It’s over and gone.  It’s a scar.  A BEAUTIFUL scar!  Yeah, I said it.  A beautiful scar.  God specializes in making the ugly beautiful.  He specializes in making the dirty clean.  He specializes in mending the broken.  He specializes in making the impossible possible.  He’s the light at the end of that dark tunnel.  Don’t try to understand it because you never will.  Just accept the gift and walk forth into His loving arms.  If you have the time I encourage you to head over and watch it for yourself.  It’s about an hour and a half long but it’s TOTALLY worth the time.  I would even encourage you to recommend it to others.  This, my friends, is a great example of the God I serve…..and hopefully the God YOU serve…..or will choose to serve.  Have a blessed day folks!!!

Here’s the link: http://www.singovermemovie.com/

Go midway through the page to a link written in red that says CLICK HERE.  All you’ll need to do is put in your email address and then it gives you direct access.

I was a 22 year old music teacher leaving a K5 classroom in route to my next class.  I had barely taken two steps out of the room before one of the school secretary’s approached me with wild-eyed fear as she stated, “A plane just hit the World Trade Center.”  She then continued her pace down the hall to inform others.  Though I’m embarrassed to admit it I must confess my first thoughts were, “What’s the World Trade Center?”  Though I realized I had heard the name before I had no connection to it thus, in my immaturity, it wasn’t very important.  After all, what did the W.T.C. and teaching music have in common?  Where was it even located?  I was young and uninformed.  Because of her body language I realized there must be some importance to what she was saying so I quickly made my way to the main office.  There I found the principal, 2 other secretaries, and a few teachers who were on their planning period huddled around a TV listening to the chaos of all that was going on.  After about 3 or 4 minutes of drinking in the information being given over the news the principal instructed us all to return to our classes and continue the day as if nothing had changed so as not to alarm the children.  After I finished my next 30 minute class I found a television and stood there for nearly 30 minutes listening to all that was going on only to realize it had happened again with the other tower.  This wasn’t a mistake.  This COULDN’T be a mistake.  Something huge was going on and it was unfolding before my eyes.

This was the first time I had experienced something like this in my own lifetime and quite frankly, I was shocked by the horror of it all.  I think it’s safe to say we all remember that day as it changed the way we viewed life here in America.  Until that point I believe many of us imagined some impenetrable dome that surrounded America.  Terrorists attacks were only something you heard of happening in OTHER places.  Not here in the U.S.  The bombing on Pearl Harbor had taken place decades ago and for many, myself included, there was no direct connection.  Later we would hear of other planes that had also crashed.  The following days were sad, yet extremely bittersweet.  So many lives had been lost.  So many families affected by the tragedy yet there was a hope that survivors would be found.  As I left my home each day the thing I remembered most were the American flags flying at every turn.  On buildings, cars, homes, clothing….the red, white, and blue were everywhere.  I saw how people were coming together to help others.  I watched as churches filled with people looking for answers.  I watched as our country momentarily, almost as one, turned back to God for answers.

After a month or so things began to return to the way they were prior to the attacks.  Though we remembered and were still reeling from the horror of this tragedy most had moved on and continued as if nothing had changed.  Sadly, they didn’t realize that everything had changed and nothing would ever be the same again.  September 11th was a wake up call for America.  Unfortunately, many chose to hit the snooze button and turn a blind eye.  2 Chronicles 7:14 reminds us, “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”  Though we will never forgot this horrible tragedy we must remind ourselves concentrating on the atrocities around us should not be our focus.  Be assured, things WILL get worse.  The Bible spells it out in detail.  Our goal should be to keep our eyes on the author and finisher of our faith.  As famed hymn writer Edward Mote reminds us, “On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is shifting sand.”  Where are YOU standing today?

There’s seems to be a lot of questionnaires floating around Facebook these days.  You can find out which cartoon character you’re most like, how southern you are, and a myriad of other interesting facts about yourself that, supposedly, you never knew.  While I find these things good for a laugh I want to pose my own question to you today and you can do what you want with your results.  Let me tell you a little story first.  I walked outside a few mornings ago expecting what had greeted me every morning for the past few months.  I felt my pores tingling in anticipation preparing to sweat in moments that were to follow.  When I stepped outside I was greeted with a much cooler temperature while my pores sat around trying to figure out what had happened.  It’s my FAVORITE things to experience this time of the year.  It’s that day I always wait for.  The day that says…..the seasons are about to change.  I’m a Fall and Winter kind of guy so I LIVE for that time of the year and just deal with Spring and Summer to get back to the seasons I really like.  While I don’t mind Spring and Summer they tend to bring two things that my body doesn’t care for…pollen and heat.  Don’t get me wrong there are things I like about both but those things normally wear off after I’ve walked to my car only to find I’ve sweated through my clothes and on the brink of a sinus infection from the yellow fog that is floating through the air.  The joy of the prior morning didn’t last long before things turned back to muggy temperatures. BUT—it’s okay….because I know the seasons are preparing to change.  Just a LITTLE while longer and my heat-loathing body will get a little break. 

As I was heading to my car and I immediately realized the Holy Spirit was reminding me of the spiritual significance that was being implicated in that same moment.  We all live in different spiritual seasons of our lives.  I find it interesting that the natural seasons seem to mirror the spiritual seasons.  Think about it…. In spring we experience new growth.  That’s the time of the year we see new things beginning to spring forth.  This also happens to be the season many farmers begin to sow seed and begin their gardens in preparation of a season of hopeful growth.  Summer tends to be one of the hardest seasons as it will challenge any new growth that has taken place.  The heat of the sun will beat down on everything around it and if proper nutrition isn’t received, it can lead to death of that new growth.  [Side note:  Just because something new begins to grow in spring or summer doesn’t mean it will continue to grow—or was ever intended to continue growing.  You may be growing weeds and not even realize it-and, if you’ve ever had a garden, we all know weeds tend to grow faster, lol.]  The heat of the summer helps eliminate those things that aren’t strong enough to make it to the next season.  BUT, if that new growth can make it through summer it will be stronger and more capable to continue to grow in the future.  That new growth learns how to sustain itself even in the harshest of environments. 

The fall is normally a welcome change from the abrasiveness of summer.  At the same time it begins to subject that growth to another elemental change that is pending.  During fall, the foundation and structure of that growth are still there but the new growth may begin to change color or lose its leaves.  Fall also tends to be a time of reaping your harvest.  Funny how you can feel like you’re being pruned and still be receiving God’s blessings on top of it all in a totally unrelated way.  Been there, done that.  Just when that growth gets accustomed to fall, winter sweeps in bleak temperatures that are a polar opposite of summer.  In the winter, most likely, that plant will look dead.  It will have lost its leaves completely and no growth will be taking place.  But if you were to dig deep enough you would find the roots, the foundation, of that growth are as strong as they’ve ever been.  Those roots are biding there time until the warmth of spring returns to usher in that time of further growth.

What season are you in?  It would behoove you to figure it out and attempt to understand what the Father is doing in your life.  Sometimes, when we’re in a fall season it seems like we try to hold on to things in our lives that are not meant to be taken with us to that new season.  The leaves (flawed mindsets, friendships, and more) start falling from our trees while we run around picking them up, wasting our energy, and attempt to glue them back on.  God may be pruning you for a reason.  Allow it to happen.  I’m not saying it will be an enjoyable or easy thing but God knows what’s best for you.  You may feel like you’re in a season where you just can’t catch a break.  Most likely you’re in the middle of summer.  Maybe you feel like you’re in a holding pattern and nothing around you is changing……a season where, seemingly, no growth is taking place.  These feelings are normally characteristic of a winter season.  Just wait a little while longer and trust Him…..God is doing something and when the season changes you’ll experience growth like never before—and I speak that prophetically over myself and over anyone who may be reading this.  Whatever season you’re in, figure it out.  Once you understand that it will help you understand why you’re enduring certain things and what you can expect.  If you’ve given Him control of your life, give Him COMPLETE control.  You may not understand what’s going on but trust that He’s working all things for your good [I realize I say that a lot but I feel it even more strongly every time I say it]!!!  Stop trying to rush the seasons.  Enjoy them as best you can.  Yes, even the harder ones.  “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:”  Eccl 3:1  God’s got a plan.  You can rest easy knowing He’s up to something good.  Those changes may not seem pleasant to you but there’s a reason for all of them.  Each season serves a distinct purpose in your life.  There’s a process you must undergo to receive your promise.  Are you willing to wait?  What’s YOUR season?!?      

DISCLAIMER:  To all my church folks–before you think I stole the pastor’s message from Sunday morning’s service (8-25-14) I can assure you I did not.  Truth be told, I wrote this blog the night before he spoke (my wife can vouch for me, lol).  Though he used a different scripture reference I found it interesting how similar our messages were.  I guess you can chalk that under the “one mind, one accord” category, LOL!  Also, sorry for the length.  A little bit of ‘preach’ rose up in me and I had to get it out.  Now, on to the blog!!!

Within the past few weeks my family has been dealing with some personal issues related to sickness.  While I won’t delve into our personal business let’s just say this particular issue has rocked me to my core, and honestly, I’m not sure why.  If I were to guess I would assume it’s because it came unexpectedly.  Though I know my thinking was flawed, I believe there was a part of me that took partial blame for it.  I know, I know!  It sounds crazy even as I type it.  Even though I realize there really isn’t any way I could have caused this particular issue there was still this pang of guilt that I have carried for weeks now.  To begin with I simply panicked.  Those who really know me know that’s rare for me.  I may be a little O.C.D. about some things but genuine panic isn’t something I struggle with.  Normally I go into “how-can-I-fix-it?” mode.  In this instance I was the chicken running around with his head cut off.  After a few days to process my emotions and finally get them in check I found myself doing something I really hadn’t intended to do.  [Side note: it’s funny how in times of crisis you find out what you’re really made of and how far you have/have not come.]  Once I was able to regain my perspective I began reviewing the things that God had done in my life.  The testimonies of my life began to replay in my head.  Testimony after testimony added a little more fuel to my ‘faith tank.’  It had become a bit depleted and I was none the wiser.  Not sure when it happened but it did.  After my tank had been juiced up I found I was no longer in panic mode.  I had flipped into “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” mode. 

Let me explain using a story from the Bible.  Building altars was a common practice during much of the Old Testament.  Normally they were built for sacrificial and worship purposes.  In Joshua 22:28 we find something a little different happening.  These three tribes (Gadites, Manasseh and Reubenites) decide to build an altar.  But rather than it being for worship or sacrificial purposes it is put in place as a memorial.  What?!?  Yep, a reminder of what had happened.  Or, in modern terms, I would call it a testimony.  Stay with me, I’m going somewhere here.  The scripture says, “”And we said, ‘If they ever say this to us, or to our descendants, we will answer: Look at the replica of the LORD’s altar, which our ancestors built, not for burnt offerings and sacrifices, but as a witness between us and you.’”  That altar had a very specific purpose.  It stood as a VISIBLE reminder to everyone who saw it how far God had brought them.  It’s easy to pass a story by word of mouth.  But when you have something tangible to turn to, well, that tends to change everything.  That pile of rocks had become a reminder of how God had brought them through the hard times.  Any time they had reason to doubt or needed a reminded of the promise that was lying ahead they simply had to turn their eyes toward that altar. 

I don’t know where you’re at today.  Maybe you’re on top of the mountain, maybe you’ve been sitting in the valley for a while, or maybe you’re somewhere in between.  Regardless, keep in mind, sometimes you must choose to encourage yourself!  When all your supporters have left you and you’re stuck in a dark place with no one to talk to or turn to, testify to yourself!!  If you haven’t done so lately, make it a point to get a building permit and get to work.  Start building altars in your life.  Keep a journal, make a video on your phone, call and share it with a friend but do SOMETHING.  Those altars….those testimonies are what will get you through the hard times.  Those visible or mental reminders of God’s goodness are the gas for the car that will sustain you on the way to your promise.  Get in your prayer closet, lock the door, and have church ALL by yo’ self!!!!  And here’s the great part……….your testimony will bless and get you through the hard times but it will become an altar/testimony for OTHERS too.  See, those testimonies turn into an energizer bunny.  They just keep on going, and going, and going!!!!  When I hear/see/experience YOUR testimony I’m also reminded that God is no respecter of persons.  If he did it for YOU He’s going to do it for ME!!!!  Whatever comes, He’s got me covered.  Before my needs arise, He’s already worked out the details.  “…All I have needed, thy hand hath provided…great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.”  Got a building permit?!?  You’re going to need it!!

Got a few extra minutes?!?  Check this out.  It will bless you!! 

http://youtu.be/wPuRlqQi57Y

I try not to fuss or spew anything negative on this blog but I need to vent for a minute.  Stick with me but you’ll most likely agree once I’m done.  I think I speak for most all ministers when I say sometimes you just want to punch the devil in the ‘FROTE’ (nice spelling, huh?  Or ‘throat’ if you want to be a little more civil, ha!).  Now I realize we all have seasons that tend to be a little harder than others.  Been there…..done that.  Got the t-shirt to prove it.  Recently, while in a church service, we (my church) were singing a worshipful song.  I looked to the congregation and they were staring blankly at those of us on the stage.  I looked at those on the stage and they were staring blankly at the congregation (Sorry church, I’m telling on us).  Instantly I realized as the body of Christ we are simply NOT doing our job.  I’m not just talking about my church but THE church…the body of Christ. 

In that moment I felt the Holy Spirit say, “My church should be Paul and Silas to the world.”  I instantly knew what that meant and I wanted to share that with you.  The story of Paul and Silas is one of my favorites.  I have always loved the idea of Paul and Silas sitting in a jail cell singing praises while bound with chains, with no hope of a positive outcome for their future.  It seems like the perfect example of the church.  We serve the Almighty King of Kings yet we still have the same struggles and frustrations as everyone else.  Just because we are HIS doesn’t mean we get preferential treatment.  It would be nice but, lets face it, sometimes our problems seem to be worse simply because God is allowing us to be tested and tried (i.e. Job).  Let me explain what I mean by being Paul and Silas. As they sat there with chains on their hands and feet, most likely feeling slightly defeated, they chose to lift a praise to God in the midst of their trouble.  Reminds me of the scripture specifically about Job.  He had the right idea when he said, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him…”  [Job 13:15]  I have often wondered what Paul and Silas sang that had enough power to break chains.  But then I realized it had nothing to do with their song choice and everything to do with the condition of their hearts. I firmly believe their hearts and spirits sang FOR them. 

Whether you realize it or not praise is going to cost you something.  It’s going to be a sacrifice-sometimes more than others.  We see countless examples in the word of God.  And when I say “sacrifice of praise” I’m not talking about choosing to come to church even though it was raining– or your clothes didn’t fit quite right but you decided to go anyway.  We get too trivial with church.  We only come when it’s convenient or many time simply out of habit.  We have nothing we can offer the world except for our personal Lord and Savior.  The world doesn’t need us, THE WORLD NEEDS THE GOD IN US!!!  If we’re not carrying Him to others we’re ALL in trouble.  That’s the basis of the Great Commission.  A relationship with God calls for your death…..death to self.  Galatians 2:20 states, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”  It’s time to die, folks.  Are you ready to die???  REALLY DIE?!?  The world NEEDS your praise. Those chains that are holding so many captive are HEAVY.  Your praise may just be the Paul and Silas-type praise it will take to break someone else’s chains.  Serving God has NEVER been about what you can get from Him rather what you can give to others.  The Christian life is about servanthood, not serving your own personal desires.  Your praise could mean life or death for someone. When Paul and Silas praised in that jail not only did chains fall off of their arms and legs but also everyone that was around them.  Your commitment to Christ doesn’t just affect YOUR life.  It should affect the lives of EVERYONE around you.  YOU are suppose to be His hands and feet.  Are you doing your part?  The world NEEDS you!!!!  Can I get an ‘Amen’?!?

I know it sounds crazy but I feel like the first church I worked at got shafted.  Let me explain.  I began working in my first full time music ministry position in 2001.  I was fresh out of college….and I mean FRESH out of college.  I had graduated at the end of May and began working there in latter June.  I came in FULL of ideas and had intentions of saving the world one worship song at a time.  I had this “Look out world–here I come!!” mentality that proved to be about as faulty as some of these cheap products you purchase off of those random late night infomercials.  I had just finished college and had a $40k piece of paper to prove it.  I had read the books, passed my tests, and had prepared for this moment.  I was READY!  Ummmm, no….not really.  You see, while I had tons of ‘book smarts’ I was HEAVILY lacking in the ‘street smarts’ department.  Everything I had done up to that point had been under the umbrella and covering of someone else.  I had been given a safe bubble to experiment and learn so as to gain some practical knowledge.  While this ‘bubble’ was a blessing it also turned out to be a little bit of a curse as it provided me with a small amount of pseudo-confidence.  If I were to compare a mistake made in my bubble to one made in the real world it would be like a gentle pat on the hand vs. a punch to the face.  HUGE difference!  While I had the best intentions I was still really lacking in the common sense department.  We all know books can only teach you so much.  Truth be told, that church taught me more than I ever taught them.  While I’m grateful for that fact I felt a little bad about it too.  Experience tends to be the better teacher as we have a chance to learn from our mistakes.  Experience seems a bit more hurtful and riddled with greater consequences but you learn faster.  Let’s face it, you don’t really learn a valuable lesson UNTIL you make a mistake.  

Early in ministry I felt like everything had to be perfect……sing the perfect songs, have the congregation respond in the perfect way, the band and vocals had to be TIGHT!  There was NO room for mistakes!!!!!  Did that ever happen?!?  Ha!  Not even close.  What was I thinking?!?  Good grief!  I still shudder when I think of that guy.  What an idiot!!  Well, maybe not a complete idiot–after all, he DID have good intentions while functioning under false assumptions.  I had this crazy idea in my head that God expected perfection.  WRONG!!  Not once in the Bible is that ever mentioned.  Keep in mind, God isn’t looking for perfect, only willing.  If He expected perfection before we could ever be used for His kingdom, guess what?!?  It would never happen.  We’re human.  We will screw up.  I know it sounds crude but it’s a fact.  Even the best of saints will make a mistake here or there.  We are flawed/broken.  Here’s my announcement to you today…..You WILL screw up…….You WILL make mistakes………You are NOT as smart as you think you are…….You DON’T always have the right answers…….You will NEVER achieve perfection.  Now that I have decimated your self esteem and scarred you for life lets bring this thing in for a landing.   

I firmly believe we should strive for excellence in everything we put our hands to.  It is my opinion what we do (our work ethic and so forth) reflects the God we claim to serve.  While I realize we will never do everything perfectly I do believe we need to give our best in completing whatever task is at hand.  There is a HUGE difference between doing things with excellence and striving for perfection.  Learn from your mistakes and attempt to do better the second time around.  But NEVER allow the devil to trick you into thinking your best isn’t good enough.  He is not your judge.  The Almighty King of Kings is.  Do your best to better yourself for kingdom work, not recognition.  1 Corinthians 10:31 reminds us, “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.”  I heard the following statement recently and it hit home……..”Quit majoring in the minors.”  In other words, stop giving those menial things in your life recognition.  Give focus to those things that matter.  Not sure what the important things are?!?  Ask God for clarification!  In reference to ‘perfection’–in the words of the most recently famed cartoon character, Queen Elsa, from Frozen….”Let it go….LET IT GO!!”  (Yeah, you’ll be singing that one in your head all day long now, LOL!!  You’re welcome!!).  Don’t forget, He’s not looking for perfect, just willing!

I was recently around a family consisting of a father, mother, and their newborn daughter.  I have to admit, I’m a sucker for babies in general so I was smitten watching their interaction and the joy that exuded from the new parents of this beautiful baby girl.  I watched the scene unfold.  As is to be expected many family and friends surrounded the baby (who was about a month old).  Everyone who came in contact with her felt the need to touch and talk to the baby, all commenting on how beautiful she was was.  After a minute or two the father was called to another room for some random reason leaving mom and baby with everyone else.  About 20 minutes passed.  The father walked back in to the room and was having a conversation with someone who was standing near the baby.  Instantaneously you could sense recognition in this baby girls eyes as they widened and she did her best to find that voice that she knew so well.  After a minute of this searching someone called him over to pick her up.  Once she was in her father’s arms she stopped her search and quickly slipped off to sleep.  Whether she chose to receive it or not there was love, comfort, and protection in those arms.

This child’s recognition of her Dad reminded me of a familiar scripture found in John 10:27.  It states, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me.”  I was struck with a few thoughts in that moment though I will try to limit them for the sake of time.  No doubt this baby heard her father’s voice while in her mother’s womb.  Upon entering this world, I would imagine, his voice was one of the first she heard and continued to hear over the past month of her sweet little life on this planet.  How did she know him?  Because of the time she had spent with him.  Why did their bond exist?  Because each had made a choice to be with the other (well, the baby didn’t have much of a choice though I suspect she would choose being in Daddy’s presence above others).  The scripture above states that the sheep ‘LISTEN to my voice.’  Listening is a choice.  No doubt the sheep chose to listen to their shepherd as they realized early in the process he was their source of food, protection, and more.  It continues by stating, “…I know them and they follow me.”  Do you think those sheep would follow anyone else?  It’s HIGHLY possible–especially if you were to lure them away with something they desire.  After all, EVERYONE struggles with fleshly desires.  Get where I’m going here? 

Other voices may be unfamiliar but may still be able to exert influence should we, the sheep, allow it. We can’t know our Saviors voice and know what voice to follow if we haven’t spent time with Him.  And be assured, you WILL be surrounded by a LOT of voices in your life.  Intimacy with the shepherd insures you will know the difference between the real thing and an imposter.  The imposter is looking to steal, kill, and destroy you.  He/she/it will NEVER have your best interest at heart.  The REAL shepherd desires to protect His sheep because He loves and cares for them.  Are you spending quality time with your shepherd today?  It may seem stern but– knowing HIS voice could be the difference between life and death, not only in your life but in the situations you deal with.  Do you REALLY know Him?  Can you tell the difference between the real voice of God or an imposter?  Do you KNOW His voice?  Well…..do you?