I am actually taking a break from the Christmas party here at work so that I can write today. Its been a busy few days but that is no complaint at all. I am thankful in many ways. Work is busy, my walk with Christ has been stretching, having fun with Kyle and the wrestling team, investing into my marriage like I have not done in a long time, working on those few close relationships that I have and keeping with the giving spirit that God is saying - I am blessing you so that you may be a blessing to others. Life itself is such a blessing but for some they make life itself as an idol. My boss is going through a really tough time right now with his mom being sick. They have moved her from the hospital and into hospice care. Its a season, especially at Christmas, that is really hard. I have been through this season and there is nothing anyone can say to make the pain go away. Its just a passage of life. In all of our marbles in our baskets of life, death may indeed be the unwanted, purposeless intruder. It never comes at a good time and it always shows its ugly side when we least expect it.
If we make life the be all and end all - it squeezes God out of our life. We forget that life itself has meaning and purpose but if we put life itself in front of those things it will escape us.
This past Sunday we got our small group together and watched "The 5 people you meet in heaven" and life for the main character just passed him by. His life meant nothing to him and had no purpose until it all became clear and was explained out through his 5 people. The movie infolded how we are interconnected and our journey in life is right along side others. There is such great wisdom in the search and struggle. Never give up hope loved ones.
Paul addresses the issue of never giving up and always reaching forward in
Philippians 3:12-21.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus tool hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold if it. But one this I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many life as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be life his glorious body. Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!
I love the fact that Paul says to never look back and strain forward to what is ahead. So since God has got a hold of your heart loved one, He is not finished with you if you still have air to breathe. There is still shaping and molding taking place on your heart. Those burdens of the loved ones in your life who have not met Christ or who seem to have walked away - It is not yours to carry. You can do only what you can do and pleasing them in every aspect of your life will not bring them closer to Christ. You have to press through and accept those things and know in your heart that your life is to honor God. You live your life starting right now honoring God in everyway you can, in your thoughts and in your actions, in your words and in who you love - Show them what God has put into your heart. Paul says to take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you - meaning one generation passing down to the next generation.
Kyle got to wrestle the other night and even though it did not go as planned - he gave it all he had. Sometimes we have to give it all we have to get through our tough seasons and sticky places in life. Sometimes we need to suck it up and put another foot forward in our marriages and into our children. I think about the children in Jamaica that I will meet this coming summer and those little children in Kenya the following year. They are giving it all they have to just survive and time and time again I read the stories of folks coming back who went to minister and bring hope to them come back encouraged and full of hope themselves. Why? They have nothing themselves but they have everything to give. There is hope in their life and a joy that can only be explained through Christ. With nothing they have everything! They are living life with everything they have. Inspite of everything around them, inspite of the hardships they face daily, inspite the pain and hurt that this life is dishing out to them, inspite of it all - they have a joy and a hope you cant put a price tag on because its priceless. 450 billion is what Americans will spend on Christmas gifts this year. Things we don't need nor want and still there is little joy in it.
Pastor Furtick said last week, "When I give God the highest glory, He gives me the deepest peace."
Let glory and peace come to your heart this Christmas season. Your face reflects your heart - What is your face showing others today?
Time for some more sweet tea now... and dream of the joy and faith that I read about and only beginning to experience. Give it all you got........ in all you do and give God the praise through it.
With God in control, greater things are yet to come.
Lon~
If we make life the be all and end all - it squeezes God out of our life. We forget that life itself has meaning and purpose but if we put life itself in front of those things it will escape us.
This past Sunday we got our small group together and watched "The 5 people you meet in heaven" and life for the main character just passed him by. His life meant nothing to him and had no purpose until it all became clear and was explained out through his 5 people. The movie infolded how we are interconnected and our journey in life is right along side others. There is such great wisdom in the search and struggle. Never give up hope loved ones.
Paul addresses the issue of never giving up and always reaching forward in
Philippians 3:12-21.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus tool hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold if it. But one this I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many life as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be life his glorious body. Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!
I love the fact that Paul says to never look back and strain forward to what is ahead. So since God has got a hold of your heart loved one, He is not finished with you if you still have air to breathe. There is still shaping and molding taking place on your heart. Those burdens of the loved ones in your life who have not met Christ or who seem to have walked away - It is not yours to carry. You can do only what you can do and pleasing them in every aspect of your life will not bring them closer to Christ. You have to press through and accept those things and know in your heart that your life is to honor God. You live your life starting right now honoring God in everyway you can, in your thoughts and in your actions, in your words and in who you love - Show them what God has put into your heart. Paul says to take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you - meaning one generation passing down to the next generation.
Kyle got to wrestle the other night and even though it did not go as planned - he gave it all he had. Sometimes we have to give it all we have to get through our tough seasons and sticky places in life. Sometimes we need to suck it up and put another foot forward in our marriages and into our children. I think about the children in Jamaica that I will meet this coming summer and those little children in Kenya the following year. They are giving it all they have to just survive and time and time again I read the stories of folks coming back who went to minister and bring hope to them come back encouraged and full of hope themselves. Why? They have nothing themselves but they have everything to give. There is hope in their life and a joy that can only be explained through Christ. With nothing they have everything! They are living life with everything they have. Inspite of everything around them, inspite of the hardships they face daily, inspite the pain and hurt that this life is dishing out to them, inspite of it all - they have a joy and a hope you cant put a price tag on because its priceless. 450 billion is what Americans will spend on Christmas gifts this year. Things we don't need nor want and still there is little joy in it.
Pastor Furtick said last week, "When I give God the highest glory, He gives me the deepest peace."
Let glory and peace come to your heart this Christmas season. Your face reflects your heart - What is your face showing others today?
Time for some more sweet tea now... and dream of the joy and faith that I read about and only beginning to experience. Give it all you got........ in all you do and give God the praise through it.
With God in control, greater things are yet to come.
Lon~
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