You just never know who you will run into...

I love how God speaks to us all the time...

Took my boy John to see our friend Jon at the hospital today. While we were there a family friend had stopped in as well.  I had seen the family friend, Adam, from somewhere before, and it clicked...We met when I used to work at Sprint. These kind of situations are funny to me because you just never know who you will run into and when you will run into them again. It is crazy because you remember faces but you don't always remember the situation...Being in retail it could have been a bad transaction or it could have been a great transaction. But either way its funny how at the time you see the person again it really doesn't matter...It was just a vapor of time that passed and a new day has come. It just reminds me that you better treat others the way you would like to be treated. You never know when you will run into that person again. 

Golden rule: love your neighbor!

No matter what...

I feel like God has been speaking to me on living life to the fullest one day at a time no matter what the circumstances are. I know a lot of times I feel like life is just not what I want it to be like. I didn't plan for my life to be where its at right now but I have to make the best of it. It's my selfishness, my ego and my pride that get me thinking I'm not where I'm supposed to be. We tend to get in these ruts where we feel like, what am i doing with my life, where did the time go, what do i have to show for all the time that has passed, what am i supposed to be doing, when will i ever have enough money, and the list goes on and on.


But the Bible says:


"Companions as we are in this work with you, we beg you, please don't squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given us. God reminds us,
   I heard your call in the nick of time;
   The day you needed me, I was there to help.
Well, now is the right time to listen, the day to be helped. Don't put it off; don't frustrate God's work by showing up late, throwing a question mark over everything we're doing. Our work as God's servants gets validated—or not—in the details. People are watching us as we stay at our post, alertly, unswervingly . . . in hard times, tough times, bad times; when we're beaten up, jailed, and mobbed; working hard, working late, working without eating; with pure heart, clear head, steady hand; in gentleness, holiness, and honest love; when we're telling the truth, and when God's showing his power; when we're doing our best setting things right; when we're praised, and when we're blamed; slandered, and honored; true to our word, though distrusted; ignored by the world, but recognized by God; terrifically alive, though rumored to be dead; beaten within an inch of our lives, but refusing to die; immersed in tears, yet always filled with deep joy; living on handouts, yet enriching many; having nothing, having it all.
Dear, dear Corinthians, I can't tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life. We didn't fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren't small, but you're living them in a small way. I'm speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!"
2 Corinthians 6:1-13 (the message)


You have to live life one day at a time. We have to understand that we all have a purpose in life. We just have to take things one day at a time, loving and serving one another. Doing things to the best of our abilities. No matter what we have to stay grounded and strong in Christ. No matter the circumstances we have to stay connected to God. How does that look one might ask? 


PRAY, PRAY, PRAY, READ, READ, READ God's Word (the Bible)

"miracles are happening, miracles are going to happen. Pray.Believe.Know.Get Inspired!"

Reminded of how simple life is again...

Last night found out a friend of mine that I went to high school with was in critical condition...He got ran over by a car...Immediately I went to the hospital. Met up with a bunch of friends I haven't seen in years. We were all waiting and waiting to see my friend, Jon. After waiting for a little while, I was reminded again of how simple life really is. It doesn't matter how bad or crazy my life may be, it could always be worse. It was a long night of being anxious, worried, scared, sad, and all the other emotions that run through you when something traumatic like this happens.  So much was going through my head and I know it was the same for all the friends and family there as well. But what changed all that was prayer. A pastor friend of the family came to the waiting room and invited everyone to the middle to pray. It was after that when things changed....


It says in the Bible:


"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." 
Philippians 4:6 (NIV)


After prayer, Jon's mom started telling everyone that they should enjoy the simple things in life, not to make things to complicated...That was when I knew he was going to be ok. I felt at peace at that point...About an hour after all of that the phone rang in the surgery waiting room and it was the doctor calling to let us know the status of Jon.  The bleeding stopped.

"miracles are happening, miracles are going to happen. Pray.Believe.Know.Get Inspired!"

The Dilemma of Obedience by Oswald Chambers

"And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision." 1 Samuel 3:15

God never speaks to us in startling ways, but in ways that are easy to misunderstand, and we say, "I wonder if that is God's voice?" Isaiah said that the Lord spoke to him "with a strong hand," that is, by the pressure of circumstances. Nothing touches our lives but it is God Himself speaking. Do we discern His hand or only mere occurrence?

Get into the habit of saying, "Speak, Lord," and life will become a romance. Every time circumstances press, say, "Speak, Lord"; make time to listen. Chastening is more than a means of discipline, it is meant to get me to the place of saying, "Speak, Lord." Recall the time when God did speak to you. Have you forgotten what He said? Was it Luke 11:13, or was it 1 Thess. 5:23? As we listen, our ear gets acute, and, like Jesus, we shall hear God all the time.

Shall I tell my "Eli" what God has shown to me? That is where the dilemma of obedience comes in. We disobey God by becoming amateur providences - I must shield "Eli," the best people we know. God did not tell Samuel to tell Eli; he had to decide that for himself. God's call to you may hurt your "Eli;" but if you try to prevent the suffering in another life, it will prove an obstruction between your soul and God. It is at your own peril that you prevent the cutting off of the right hand or the plucking out of the eye.

Never ask the advice of another about anything God makes you decide before Him. If you ask advice, you will nearly always side with Satan. "Immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood."

Inspired!!!!!!

Its awesome how powerful the Word of God is. Just read got done reading 1 Corinthians 9 and was instantly inspired by how the Holy Spirit uses the Apostle Paul. 


Here is where I got inspired:



"Still, I want it made clear that I've never gotten anything out of this for myself, and that I'm not writing now to get something. I'd rather die than give anyone ammunition to discredit me or impugn my motives. If I proclaim the Message, it's not to get something out of it for myself. I'm compelled to do it, and doomed if I don't! If this was my own idea of just another way to make a living, I'd expect some pay. But since it's not my idea but something solemnly entrusted to me, why would I expect to get paid? So am I getting anything out of it? Yes, as a matter of fact: the pleasure of proclaiming the Message at no cost to you. You don't even have to pay my expenses!
Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn't take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I've become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn't just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!
You've all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You're after one that's gold eternally.
I don't know about you, but I'm running hard for the finish line. I'm giving it everything I've got. No sloppy living for me! I'm staying alert and in top condition. I'm not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself."


1 Corinthians 9:15-27 (the message)


God can use anyone at anytime at any moment if you let Him. I can't help but get inspired by this verse to stay prepared at all costs to share the Gospel (the GOOD news) with someone who has never heard. This verse just shows me that I have to be flexible, teachable, and movable. 


Flexible for the Holy Spirit to move
Teachable to Jesus Christ's ways
Movable to God's direction


We have to be ready to be used by God. We have to remember we are doing this so that others can know and hear about the Good news (the Gospel of Jesus Christ). The Apostle Paul said,


"I've become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn't just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it! You've all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You're after one that's gold eternally.

I don't know about you, but I'm running hard for the finish line. I'm giving it everything I've got. No sloppy living for me! I'm staying alert and in top condition. I'm not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself."

You need understand that there are opportunities all around us. We have to be aware and attentive to the Holy Spirit speaking to us about what to say or do. Its up to us to impact the people around us in a positive way.

"miracles are happening, miracles are going to happen. Pray.Believe.Know.Get Inspired!"

Some questions to ask yourself?

Last night at our young adults/college group was awesome. Jenny shared her heart and passion with us last night. But it was more God speaking through her to stir all of us up. It was a great message...There were some questions that really had me thinking and I thought I would challenge you with the same:

-What am I doing now that requires God?

-Would my life change if I didn't believe in God?

WOW! I know this hit home for me. Is the way I am living require God? Am I relying on God or am I relying on SELF? Is the way I am living glorifying God? Would my life look the same if I didn't have a relationship with Christ? Am I really living to serve others and really impacting this world in a positive way? encouraging others? telling people about Jesus Christ? Sharing the gospel with everyone I come in contact with? Am I living for me or for Jesus? Am I living my life and fitting Jesus where I want Him to fit?  Is Jesus following me or am I following Jesus? Sometimes we get so comfortable in our everyday lives, living for ourselves. We have plans for ourselves and fit God into them as to justify our own selfish ambitions and goals. We plan so far ahead our lives that we arent even focused on living for Jesus NOW!

The Bible says in James 4:13-14:

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 

You think that you need to go to some big city or some other place to do God's work to save the whole world. But all we need to do is live like Jesus today. One day at a time where we are NOW not tomorrow. The things we plan for the next few years, next few months, next few weeks can change when we are following Christ today. Tomorrow is not promised. I just want to encourage you to ask yourselves those challenging questions.

"miracles are happening, miracles are going to happen. Pray.Believe.Know.Get Inspired!"