I want it all...

As I was reading today I came across an interesting story about a man named Achan. A man who had everything that he ever could want. Having enough just wasn't quite enough for little old Achan. You see... He wanted some more...

You can read about it in Joshua 7...

I found some interesting things here, things that just shot out in my mind as I read this story. Here is the short version...

It's a small group after all...

2 Cor 13:11  11 Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.

  Everyone likes to be encouraged. It is always great when you get that note of encouragement or word of encouragement. Sometimes it comes at exactly the right moment when you need it. At other times it is more of a challenge that keeps you going. I can remember moments in my life when I got just the right thing that God was telling me and it came through the words of someone else...

Fire Fire Fire....

Psalm 37:23 NLT

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.

Last september I had an epiphany. and it all started with one sentence. It's amazing to look back on an entire year and think about how your whole life has changed.Changed because of one moment, one event, or in my case one comment. Think about it now. How is your life different now, and what was that defining moment that put you on this path?... Although I found out last year that Alyssa was pregnant, which is definitely a life changing moment, that is not what I am talking about...this time...

My Gas savings bucket list...

So Since the gas drama is in full swing, I thought I would put my own handy little list together (serious and not so serious) to get in the spirit of frugality. Maybe we can help each other out.   Putting gas in your car is a necessity in life. To get to the places we need to go we need cars and unfortunately cars need gas. As you drive around, those precious droplets of liquid gold are slowly (for some not quite slow enough) disintegrated into oblivion. They're gone, never to be seen or heard from again. That is, unless you have an exhaust leak. In which case ROLL those windows down! CO is not good for you!! 

Now unless you are willing to move out to a rural area and buy yourself a horse and buggy (horses have a different kind of exhaust, but we won't get into that) and work toward your goal of self sufficiency (as well as exclusiveness), then we must learn to cope. We can't just sit by and reminisce about the days when gas was only 40 cents and a gallon of milk wasn't infused with steroids (supposedly)! We can't just live the same way as if it might go back to "normal". I have news for you... Now is the new normal, so buckle up and get used to it. 

We have to be pro active. For those of you, like myself, that are spur-of-the-moment- never-think-ahead type people, this will be more of a challenge. 

Here is my list of things we could do, might already do, or probably never would even want to do.!..

Who's your Daddy...

Before Julian (my Son) was born all the fathers that I talked to told me that it would be the greatest experience of my life. I didn't know what to think and to be honest I didn't feel much of anything... Yet.

It was a freezing cold dreary morning. I got out of bed and went through my normal routine. I was unusually awake and although I knew that at any moment Alyssa could tell me "it's time" I didn't think much of it. I started my normal work routine and was listening to some songs on my phone through my radio. The song turned off and I thought it was strange but kept working. I then Heard the ringing of the company phone over the loud speaker...

Looking ahead...

It's hard to remember what exactly you were doing at any given moment in the past. Unless of course it's not... There are those times I remember exactly what I was doing. I was sitting on my couch exactly 4 years ago tonight trying to convince Rachael that my plan was a good one.

You see, she told me she wanted me to make some pictures in the house out of wood. I thought I could do it out of poster board and markers. She wasn't convinced...

Tv, tv, or tv...

I was listening to the radio the other day and heard something interesting. The broadcasters were talking about a show that they were watching and how awful it was and subsequently, what they ended up watching instead. They posed the question "what did you watch instead?" 

Caller after caller talked about the useless things they flipped the channel to. It begged the question inside of me, Why not just turn the tv off? I have to wonder how many people just watched any useless thing because they were already there in front of... What else but their Tv.

I am guilty of it too. Once the tv is on there are so many choices to waste your time watching(even without cable). I have at times, got caught up with watching something I really didn't  want to just because there was nothing else on at that time. I know now and even then that I could have done something far more productive, but I got sucked in. Of course I'm talking about Tv here, but we all have our vices. I can waste an entire day online, gaming, facebook whatever it is... and never really do the things that really matter. I am not trying to say these things are wrong. In the words of Paul, "everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial".
 The bible tells me to seek first the kingdom of God but most times I don't even choose to seek him last. I instead choose not at all.
 What Are your choices today?
 Is it tv, tv, or tv? If your so busy you don't have time for God but plenty of time for all these other things, then it is time to re-evaluate your choices, then... Choose Christ! 

"If it means so much to you that you would be crushed without it, then it's an idol"...
Crush it! 

No car+no money=gift

I had the privilege at one point in my life to have a car given to me. It was a Gold and rusted pontiac sunbird(Imagine all that beauty). It was basically a car that no one would ever want... That is, unless you had no car. When you have no car, even the ugliest one on the road is the greatest thing in the world. You can go to work and make money so you can fix it when it eventually breaks (yea it will). The windows probably wont work and the air, air whats that! Your lucky if the heat works. I guess I can say that i have been there. I know how it feels to only have one car. I know how it feels when that car breaks and the desperate feeling you get hoping that it isn't a major problem. I have also had the opportunity to give a car away and help pay for another. What makes it more amazing for me is that I know how it feels to get that (busted) car that you couldn't live without. Well you could live, you would just be a lot thinner from walking everywhere.
So an amazing thing happened. I had some...

old T-shirt, new perspective...

I have in my closet some older clothing. It is not so old that you could take it out and think "Why did I ever wear this?". Those outfits are long gone (thank God!). Just recently I told Alyssa about an old shirt I own. How I got it and the whole story. It wasn't anything special, But I still remember it and all because I can still hold it in my hands. Its funny how things in life bring you right back to a specific moment in time. It makes me wonder, "If I didn't still own that shirt, Would I ever remember that day when I bought it?" Not likely, It would be just another day that fell into the landscape of the past. A Mixture of memories flung together with all those fleeting moments, most likely never to be thought of again. In fact I can say with confidence that there was nothing noteable that would ever make me think of that day, except that I still own that shirt.

I am by nature a forgetful person... Just today, I stood up and walked into the other room to get my computer. As I walked back I wondered to myself "why did I even walk back there?" Thats me!(yea i don't know how I function either) Needless to say I am not alone. There must be so many all around the world that are just like me. We all at some point need to be reminded about things. Who would know this better than God? After-all he designed us this way. I came across this in my reading recently and it really made me think.

Numbers 15:37 God spoke to Moses:38 "Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them that from now on they are to make tassels on the corners of their garments and to mark each corner tassel with a blue thread.39 When you look at these tassels you'll remember and keep all the commandments of God, and not get distracted by everything you feel or see that seduces you into infidelities.40 The tassels will signal remembrance and observance of all my commandments, to live a holy life to God.

So I ran out right away and started sewing tassels to all my clothing... No I didn't (or did I). 

 It stopped me because God knows me so well. He knows that I will forget how great He is and has been to me. As I live my life there will be moments that I will never want to take for granted... but I will. There will be situations that will tear me off the path He has for me. There will be times when I think I am all alone and there is no hope. What will I do in those situations? Remember!

 I think its great that God blatantly says it right here. "Hey Moses, They are going to forget, I know it, so make them walk around with silly tassels. Then when someone asks or they ask themselves why their clothes look ridiculous. They can say, it's so I don't forget." Maybe this was the thinking behind the good old WWJD(We Want Jury Duty) bracelet. So what do I do to remind me to live a Holy life? I don't think I have anything as ridiculous as a tassel or bracelet. But it helps me to realize if I don't put it front and center it could end up in the back room, hidden behind an old workout machine(thats right hide those too so you be guilted into using them). These words are as true to me today as they were then to the Israelites. I'm probably going to forget, so Tassel me up (no not literally)... What is your tassel?

Mini Mind trickery

I was just telling Alyssa a couple days ago about my mini goals. It's something that I have learned to do over the past year. Why? The answer is simple. Because I have to do it to survive. haha. No, but seriously, sometimes that is definitely how I feel. Life is crazy, It goes by so fast. I am 30 years old and when I was young...er I thought people in their 30's were old. I was just sitting and reflecting on the fact that when I was born, my parents were even younger than I am now. Okay now that will blow your mind. Anyway, No matter who you are life gets super busy. In my case, I either have a million things I need to get done yesterday, or I give myself a million things that I need to finish yesterday. So I started setting mini goals. The last...

Praise what?

Prov 27:21 Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, 

but a person is tested by being praised.NLT

Prov 20:27 The Lord’s light penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive.

You have to love proverbs. It puts it right out there. Sometimes it even calls you a fool, or worse than a fool (I didn't know that was possible), prideful. I am blessed to be a part of and serve in the ministry of worship. It even sounds funny to say. God says to offer ourselves as worship to him. How can I oversee that ministry? Okay so to be honest...

Change of heart...

I can face the truth... babies are not my thing!!   I know that generally my posts are very very serious. It hasn't always been that way, but life takes you to places you never intend to go on purpose. Point and case, my life. I look at it and always think that many people have been through much worse. It's true, they have.  I mean come on, look at Job(you know from the Bible, the greatest book in the world). I am so thankful for what I have been through in life. Situations shape you and make you into the person you are and hope to be. I was working on a

Happy Valentines YEAR!

Valentines day is such an interesting time of the year. It is a time when men and women alike are reminded that we are supposed to cherish that special someone that God has placed in our life. I say reminded because we forget. Naturally we tend to get complacent with things. It's easy to think "Ya ya I see you every day".

What makes you think of and appreciate your wife or husband? What is that special thing that they do for you and have always done, that lets you know they love you? Or do you just overlook it because it's so normal to you know. What do you do for them now that you started because...

oops wrong Exit...

Proverbs 4:25-27

25 Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. 26 Mark out a straight path for your feet; then stick to the path and stay safe. 27 Don't get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.

Don't get sidetracked. What great advice. I am a person who starts wholeheartedly on a project. I have every great intention to finish. I have excitement for the end result. But the middle is what trips me up. After the strong start the newness starts to fade. The excitement wears off and I come to the realization of what i have left. The WORK. Now I am no stranger to hard work. I enjoy going out and working and the sense of accomplishment you get at the end of the day. But what happens in life is I lose sight of the path.I had my heart so set on the goal that I gave up on the race. I have at times decided to run. I would then start and when...

Today or Tomorrow

Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted

Hospitals are not my favorite places. Leading up to the time it was for Alyssa to have the baby I was becoming increasingly nervous. There are so many things to think about and so many things that can go wrong and right. I am naturally a pretty easygoing person and always assume the best will happen.

Being in the Hospital all night brings back so many memories. Nights staying in a hospital with my wife Rachael (who passed away April 2007) when she was going through so much. She almost always did it all with a smile. If she was in pain she didn't show it to anyone except me and even then it was minimal. She was a fighter and a tough Chick. And a sassy one for sure. I know the night Rachael died I thought it was going to be a normal experience. I had seen her go through surgeries and come out. I had taken her home and seen her have hard nights where breathing normally was extremely difficult, and she always came through. I would say I was extremely optimistic when the ambulance took her away. Well that was the last night I ever saw her. If it taught me anything, it's that life is so unexpected.

I often catch myself worrying about small things. A night when perhaps Alyssa is out with friends and doesn't call me back right away. At moments like that my head races with possibilities of what might have happened as to why she isn't answering. Of course few of them are good. A while later when she finally calls there is a mixture of relief and anger. An over-reaction to say the least. It says in God's word that no one is promised tomorrow. God doesnt want us to live in fear of what may happen. We aren't promised another day. Today is the day we should live for.

Needless to say when you experience loss you learn to appreciate what you have.

I lost Rach almost 4 years ago and a baby 5 years ago (baby Raul).

Today I have a living wife and a living baby. I know I dont deserve this grace and love, but I hope to cherish those two as long as God blesses me with them...one day at a time