How Real Do You Want Me To Be?

OK, so I am back from vacation which was great went to Florida, Spent some time with my parents and son doing some fishing.  Then my wonderful wife surprised me with a 3 day trip just her and I to Beaver's Bend Oklahoma!  Again I had a great time re-connecting with my wife outside our busyness at home.  As I was uploading the pictures I took in both places I was amazed at the beauty of God's creation.  Not that it is new but he allowed me to get some great pictures of landscape and animals which a couple people sometimes never get to see in real life.  I was sitting there pausing and thanking Him for the opportunity to get these images and he brought to my mind a time when I was living in California and during a preparation time for teaching youth He asked me a question.  Not that I heard his audible voice, but I knew this was from Him.  Are you ready? The question was " You keep praying that I will be real to you and these kids, welhow real do you want me to be?"  He brings this back to me periodically when I am struggling with something or just am discourage with where I am in my life.  So I have been meditating on this question for the past several days.  How real do I want God to be in my life?   That sounds like a stupid qustion for a Christian because we all should want God to be totally real in our lives right?  I do want that butwhat I find is I let  others things creep in and all of the sudden I feel far away from God and lost in what I am doing.  As I look at my life God has shown His provision for me both before my marriage and all through my marriage.  The times I seem far away from God when I look I realize He has not gone anywhere it is I that have walked away.  I don't mean walked awayfrom Christianity, let me draw you a mental picture see God is a perfect gentleman and He allows us to choose remember that as I go on painting here.  So He holds us in His hand to protect us from evil nothing can take us out of His hand or separate us from Him right.  I however can choose to walk out of His hand.  He does discipline those He loves and I have found He prods me to get me back around.  So back to the answer to the question.  I want Him to be very real in my life both to and through me!!  Once again we go back to being intentional.  I would not expect t have a close personal relationship with someone I never spend time with or hang out with.  Same goes for God if I want to be close to Him and allow Him to be real, I mean really real to and through me I have to spend time getting to know Him and learning from Him through the Bible (His word) and others He brings into my life.  He knows allabout me there is nothing I can hide from Him!  He also loves me so much He waits for me longing to be totally real to me and it is I that hinder that!  Lord please help me get out of the way!!  So those of you that are journeying with me God has asked me to pose the same question to you " How Real Do You Want God to Be?"  both in your life and through your life.  I love you guys and thanks for listening and walking with me.  Feel free to email or make comments on this and let's grow together.  God is begining something le's watch together and get involved in His work around us as He orchestrates His plan.  Thanks again for reading

Let's get together for coffee!!

Spent some time with a great friend the other day and as we were talking and sharing he shared something from a book I hadn't read in a long time titled "Ordering Your Private World" and that was meeting with God.  He shared that it hit him that he had been doing his quiet time as an assignment or because he felt he had to.  What it should be is like when he and I get together.  It was great as we talked through this!  You see if he and I set a meeting for coffee we show up it would  be very uncomfortable for either of us if we just didn't show up.  Then we got into how many times have we left God hanging cause we set an appointment with him to hang out and talk and because something came up or we just couldn't wake up we don't show up!  I will be the first to say guilty on many occasions myself!  I also as I discussed in an earlier entry tend to go to God and say Lord here is my day bless it, instead of asking Him what are you gonna do today and how can I get involved.  You see we always think that God is going to ask us to do something that will disrupt our lives.  I challenge this, I think that God wants to use us in our sphere of influence so I think He is moving all around us we just miss it so many times cause we are all caught up in everything within that looking external is hard.  It all  again comes back to living intentionally for Him!!  It is hard, not because it really is hard but because we are human and we are sinners and get distracted.  Like the dog Doug in the movie Up "Squirrel!!!!"  God knows this He knows us that is why in the Bible it says many times keep your eyes on Him don't get distracted by the squirrels.  Let's all re-focus and set our eyes on Him!  He will work in us and through us, oh and He will also be there for us when we fall on hard times ourselves.  Let Him use you!  Thanks for reading and doing life with me!!!  Talk to you soon!!

Fat Little Babies

Great Sunday of worship and praise!!  The message was on serving and as my pastor Bruce Miller was bringing the message I was reminded of an Amy Grant song called "Fat Little Baby" and as I was pondering that song the great thing was Bruce looked straight out into the congregation and made the comment "Are you just gonns take?"  Things to ponder!  As I was speaking to some friends after the service we all agreed we were glad we were serving and as Bruce walked up we told him we appreciated him making that statement.  I know it is easy to sit and judge but that is not at all what was going on.  You see Christ calls us to serve!  He re-itterated it by washing his disciples feet.  I am not saying you have to shut everything else off but in some way shape or form as Christians we should be serving.  What is your passion?  What would you do if money was no object?  Start serving toward that capacity.  God has put that desire in your heart for a reason.  My passion happens to be marriage and I try to do whatever I can to help as many marriages as I can.  Many times it is just lending an ear, or my wife and I providing a meal.  The great thing about it is it never gets old helping others with their relationships and watching God move in their lives.  So this weeks blog post is a short one but for those of you that read my challenge is find what your passion is and begin serving God in that capacity then watch as He begins to minister to and through you!  He is the God of miracles and the second(third, fourth, fifth,etc..) chance!  It is never too late to jump on board with what He is doing around you and move in the passion He has given you!  Thanks for reading with me and doing life together with me.  Have an awesome week all!  Talk to you soon!