Tiler?

   

  Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.  Isaiah 40:28


  Isaiah is such a great book.  The name Isaiah actually means "salvation of the Lord."  I wish I had I strong name like that.  Mine literally means "tile layer."  Anyway, I encourage you to read the book of Isaiah, it will change your view on the might and glory of our God.  


   I'm sorry a took a little break from blogging.  It has been a very busy week.   Sunday night we got to listen to testimonies from the mission team that went to Nicaragua.  I really truly wish I would have went.  While I was still in school I went on 3 mission trips within the states.  I have such a need to share my faith with other people.  I honestly loved going and spending time with other Christians fulfilling the call in which we were given. It just seems like the presence of God is so overwhelming in every moment.  He is so big and so majestic that we never can fathom how he moves in us or through us.  We truly become nothing more than a tool for his work.  I am so content in that.  I will for sure be finding a way to participate the next chance I get....God willing.  


   Here is something I am truly in love with...KLOVE.  I wish they had an Iphone stream because thats all I would listen to all day.  Its a very encouraging radio station.  Today they had a donation drive for people starving in Africa through World Vision.  I couldn't help but to be moved by the outlook the station brought over the topic.  For every donation made they were able to quadruple the amount.  so if you gave $20 they turned it into $80.  Its amazing what can be worked out when the power if God is behind a goal.  I hope they raise a large amounts of money.  If you are having a bad  or a down day, turn on KLOVE.  It will help I promise.


   I hope everyone has an amazing Thanksgiving.  Be sure you thank God for where you are in your life.  We owe Him far more than that.

Comfort

   Now here is a thought....there is never a time in our life in which we are totally alone.  Like the song says, He is never far away.  I spent all of last weekend sitting on a tree stand hunting and thinking.  My conclusion... Is it not totally awesome that every time we  praise God or bring Him prayer he hears us.  What is more astounding is this: For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.Matthew 18:20.  The vast presence of God in our everyday life should move you.  Think about how big our God has to be to there in our ever present time of need and praise.  


   This brings me so much comfort.  My interview went well last week but I was unable to get the position.  The hiring committee actually decided to go internally to fill the position.  I will have to admit I was a little disappointed, but God was there telling me he had another purpose for me.  So thank you God for showing me direction.  How great is it that He can find you encouragement during disappointment.  


    Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.   Isaiah 40:28-31




  Here is a is a word of praise. My friend Derek has started a blog to honor his walk with God.  Check him out.

The Stand

   I have such a heavy heart for this subject.  Today I was approached by a person wanting to read part of my blog to a group of youth.  It is so hard to be a strong Christian when you are a youth today.  Our whole world is so set on teaching the importance of being "accepted," to go along with the flow when the flow leads straight to the gates of hell.  Taking a stand for God to them is almost like saying that they are giving up their friends, their popularity, or even their family.  When all-in-all you find out what the true meaning of life is and who your true friends are. My prayer to them is that they find out that life does not end at taking a stand for God but it REAL life begins.  

   How far are you willing to go to make a stand for Him?  

   Think about this for a second:  God sent his ONLY son to die for billions of people that are to proud to let go of the pew and walk down a 20 foot isle.  How completely sad is that?  Many adults find a sense of conformity in their everyday life in which they allow themselves to be just like everyone else but still hold on to a tiny sliver of God.  Being a Christan is not a "whenever you feel like it" thing.  The purpose of our life is to glorify God in everything that we do, FULL TIME!  Taking a stand for God is giving everything we have up to Him, all of our worries, all of our confusion, all of our pride, all of our hurt, all of our praises, everything, everyday.  

   Many men nowadays need to take a stand for Christ.  Men are called to be spiritual leaders!  Anymore I find that men are content in having God there for them when they blessing the food.  Where in the world have all the Godly men gone?   I do want to thank the few men of God that are setting examples for people like me.  I pray that I become a true man of God so I may be a Godly example to someone else.  Men stop being content being within your comfort zone.  How will you ever share the love of God?

   Derek Pearson, my friend, you will be my accountability partner and we will become men of God because I'm not content without bringing God glory everyday.

   Be on your guard; STAND firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.  Do everything in love. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 

Revelation

 rev·e·la·tion: a. The act of revealing or disclosing.
                           b. Something revealed, especially a dramatic disclosure of 

                                something not previously known or realized.

   I really wish that we would sing this song in Sunday worship!  I find myself in the middle of the day trying to harmonize " Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty."  Not that great at it, but its worship to God.   

  I'm really stuck on this word, revelation.  Tomorrow I have an interview for a job that could really change my life, but I have no idea what God has in store for me.  I want a revelation in my life, a DIVINE will.  I am just thankful that God put me in a position to change my life.  If I leave empty handed tomorrow or if I leave with a job, it will be to the grace of God and I will adore him.   "Strength and glory and power be to you, the only wise King."  How wise is God?  Its just amazing to me to see how God puts everyday life together and how his timing is unfailing.  There are weeks that my mother and I have had heavy hearts over the same things and then the sermon Sunday deals with that issue.  I pray that my life is ready to conform to his wisdom and timing.  How beautiful is God?  As I said in my last post, God is found in nature.  How beautiful and perfect is His creation?  Everyday God reveals himself to me in just how grand this world is. 

Bull Shoals Lake Dam Today

   So here is the deal.  I know being interactive in a blog is hard to do, but I would just love to put a voice behind the work of God.  If you will help me, tell me how God has revealed himself to you this week.  May it be in the smallest of form or the most epic proportion, Gods revelation should have us all singing.  

 How has God shown his priceless revelation to you this week?

To Know You

 

   What is the true meaning to knowing God?  Everyone with an eye or ear should know that there is a God.  Many people are just content with knowing that there is someone with a higher power than them, but are foolish enough to not pursue a relationship with him.  Truly knowing God is to have a personal, intimate relationship with him.  When was the last time you talked to God?  Many people just expect God to work.  How does that work?  It doesn't.  As believers of Christ, God heard our call to salvation and provided us sufficient, bought and paid for grace.  This is not a contract we become entitled to, but a start of a beautiful relationship we are allowed to enter into with him.  This is truly knowing God!  Having a personal back and forth relationship with him.


   To know God....  If you could not tell, I hear God through music and worship.  I have found the most gratifying moments in life with my eyes closed and the music up.  Spend time with the volume up.  To know God.....  I also find God in nature.  How could you not see Him in the things he has created?  Spend time in His splendor.  To know God....  Paul was enough reason to prove that you find friendship in prayer.  You got a main line to the ear of God.  Spend time wearing holes in your knees.  To know God.....  For everything past, present, and future he knows the answer.  Trust in the power and stability of a true friend.  Spend less time worrying and more time relying.  


    


   God, I just hope you find me as a friend.  My prayer to you is to be content with my life.  Please show me the strength to be a man of God and to be an influence to the body of Christ.  For my life is not mine to live but yours to live through me.  Lord, shape my life from the ugly ball of clay it is now to the will of your artistry.  Let revolution start in my soul and consume my surroundings. Let revolution begin in your church starting with me today.  Reign over this world!!  Reign over this country!!  And lord most of all reign over me!!  Your grace is sufficient for me.  Let all the world say Amen.

Sundays

   Oh Sundays…. I always enjoy Sundays.  Being around people that have the same purpose in their life as I do is very refreshing.  Today our lesson in Sunday school was about our purpose in life and how to live it.  Our verses were out of Ephesians 5, and one stuck hard with me.

¹⁸ Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

   After I graduated from high school and started off in college, I got caught up in a “drinking” crowd.  I have to be honest, I was a mess.  I’ve seen my family pretty hurt by the decisions I have made while drinking.  Brother Steve explained it pretty well, he said:  To be filled with alcohol your body and mind poor out actions that you cant explain or help, but the same is also true with the Holy Spirit.  You actions come out of your love for Christ and the will he has for you.  How great is that?  You cant help but exude the love of Christ and the will he has in store for you when you are powered by the Spirit.  I love the emotion that I receive when I feel the Holy Spirit, although most of the time it comes out in tears.  The power you feel when you know the hand of God is with you is unmatchable.  I went to a MercyMe concert about 3 weeks ago and the power that was in the building as hundreds of people raised their voice in one purpose was too much for me.  I cried, Daisy cried, mom cried, and I think if you didn’t cry you weren’t singing the words I was.  Especially this song.

   The word of God does speak because it is living!  It lives in me and in the body of Christ.  At many times I am at a loss of words.  Not because I'm emotionless, but because there is no way to describe my God and how he does speak to us or how he speaks through us.  I hope Bryan Benedict doesn't get mad at me for using his name, but God speaks through him, more than he even knows.  He is a true man of God and a great role model, but never do simpler words mean so much as they do when God speaks through him.  I want to be in that relationship with God where he wants to speak through me too.  I don't even know if Bryan will ever read this, but just in case, thank you for being the man you are.  

   Another topic we discussed was the urgency in which we should live this life. In verse 16 of Ephesians 5 is says to make the most out of your time, or in other translations, your every opportunity.  How much time have I wasted with being foolish?  How much time have you wasted?  For Jesus is coming.  We talked about your spiritual "bucket list."  What would you do if you knew Jesus would return in a month?  This is how we are suppose to live our life.  I pray that God forgives me for the time I have thrown away.

Snatched God's beauty on my camera hunting a month ago.

   Lets not forget that every sunrise is a gift and every single day is time not to be wasted.  God will provide you a life's purpose and will if you just let his spirit fill you.  Priceless amazing grace.

Second Chances

(Psalms 30:2-5 NIV) O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me. O LORD, you brought me up from the grave ; you spared me from going down into the pit. Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.




   When David wrote these words, he was talking about God's grace toward him. He never would have thought that these words would be his song of redemption for his affair with Bathsheba.  God gave David a second chance and delivered him out of his own wallow.


   God is a God of second chance, lucky for us.  


   For the past 5 month is have been spending a lot of my time with my family and my girlfriend, Daisy.  Having a change of pace in my life has caused most of the change I am feeling.  It all started when me and Daisy started talking.  I just moved back in with my parents and my life was upside down.  Daisy has a beautiful daughter, Maddie, and I was having a lot of trouble dealing with that.  I sat down with my mom one night and had a serious conversation about what I was feeling and how she would feel about having a child around.  It took mother a couple days to come back with an answer, but here is what I got: No matter who you are and what your situation is, God is a redeeming God and everyone has a redeemable soul.  She said as long as the quality instilled within the girl is worth the risk, go for it. Not too much longer we started dating and I don't think mom could ever give Mads up now.


   This thought stuck with me though.  Who am I to not ask for redemption?  For God says to live this life in his likeness and he also says for us to forgive our brother for wronging us seventy times seven times.  This means that God will forgive us an infinite times more if we just ask for it.  No trouble in life is bigger than my God.  For even out of travesty, God can create total bliss....

Priceless

    On a side note, thank you to everyone that sent me a word of encouragement.  It means a lot.  

Beginnings

  I guess it is always custom to share a little but of me and my life in my first post, so here we go.  I am a 21 year old trying to find my way back to the cross from a world that so easily pulls you closer to the fire.  I have been very involved in church since a young age and have always known the savior I serve lives, but in the past five years I have made a fool out of myself and have lost touch with my relationship with God.  The past couple of months have hit me like a ton of bricks!  For as much as I have seen God move in my life, I have acted like he does not exists.

   One look at the sky tonight tells me different, my Jesus is in that. 

  Now, I tell you all of that to tell you this, I am turning a new page in my life.  Out with the old, in with the new, for my sake, for my family's sake, and most of all His sake.

For their sake too. :)

  I leave you with this thought....

And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us. -Romans 5:2-5

...priceless