No it's not a reference to "Best In Show" I don't actually have two left feet. It's a song I wrote. "Does hope fly to those who are broken" Some times I think we all ask that question. We somehow get to this place where we just accept the funk we're in and we think that hope belongs to those who are doing really well in life. Everything is going their way and all the pieces of their particular puzzle are fitting perfectly into place. We think that hope is for them. like it's only theirs because of their blessing. BUT if we hope for what we do not see we eagerly wait for it. We eagerly wait for it, as though the anticipation of it would be awesomeness? The Waiting is supposed to be good? I've witnessed so many good friends who I know have had very strong walks with the Lord at one point in their lives, completely walk away from righteousness, holiness, and a life of worship because they thought there was no hope for their situation. To be honest I came close to that place a few times myself. It isn't because I have greater faith than anyone else, or that I have a closer walk with Jesus that I'm where I'm at. I just felt that hopelessness, that deep disappointment, that incurable ache and God let me see that it was a lie. A LIE STEPHEN!!!! No matter what God is TRUTH. GOD IS GOOD. GOD IS JUST. GOD IS FAITHFUL not only to me, and His dear children of God, BUT He is equally Faithful to HIMSELF. Our perspectives need to change if we are to be in the fold of the Good Shepherd. We need to realize that our life, our ambitions, our gifts, talents, and even our calling serve to please GOD not to give us some great sense of satisfaction or wellness in life. Although I strongly believe that they are all inclusive to the person who by faith lives their life, ambitions, gifts, talents, and calling according to God's will. We spend, I think, a lot of time walking in circles because our concept of worship is failingly one-sided. Jesus said we are to worship in SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH. The right and left feet of our steps of faith. We are currently living in a country and time that is leaning heavily on the emotional side of their belief system. I tend to live that way. It's a fight for me to break the habit. It's like a drug to me. An escape from my responsibility to a Holy life. I say it helps me relate to those I want to save but what I really know is that my relatability to the world through my sin and fleshly failings is not what saves people. My ability to relate TO them the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ, which is the power of God unto salvation, is what God uses to save. HOPE is what stops me in my tracks and says walk the line boy. Hope that all the sucky circumstances in life, the "what I thought was God clearly speaking" disappointments, the unanswered call of my life they all are serving a deeper purpose in me that I HAVE to believe is bringing about God's exciting kingdom here on earth.
not sure if this is a blog or a sermon thanks to anyone who actually reads this entire thing. I hope I made sense.

God Who Saves

Family Man

There's a song by Andrew Peterson Called "Family Man". One Line from that song is "This is not what I was headed for when I began . . .it's so much better than." That's what all this craziness feels like to me. It's been one roller coaster after another. God is constantly stripping down the needless adorning of vain things and clothing me with humility and grace. I realized more and more every day that people in the world don't want to grow they just want to enjoy. I have so many conversations with people saying how much of an inconvenience their family is to their enjoyment of life. I'm not trying to say that family life is always a breeze and happy. My inconveniences are falling so far behind the lessons in becoming a man and knowing my FATHER'S heart that all I can do is be grateful every day for a new chance to learn something.
A bit deep for my first entry I know.
Yesterday I had a thought, -I think I'll take my son to the park tomorrow.- A good idea he's been stuck inside for a few days with a sick brother. I was going to take him in the morning but I had a sleep in and lazed about for a while. So we went and he played for a while then I saw a friend from the church we used to attend and had a few minutes of really good fellowship. He said he doesn't go to that park usually but decided that he would today. That whole little story has me thinking about God's sovereignty. I really wanted to have a good conversation with a brother this morning and God knew that AND provided. I forget that God knows what we have need of before we even ask. I think that's why I don't ask. I get so caught up on the big issues I'm facing at the moment, that's what I pray for that's what I want help with and I don't want to bother God with these smaller seemingly insignificant desires, but God really is BIG enough to handle everything that concerns us. EVERYTHING. That's why we worship HIM. Can I get an AMEN.