Learning To Dance In The Rain

Sometimes Its YOU

2010-05-28T15:00:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love so much about the Lord; He never gives up on us even when we disobey or do things we think is His will and really is just ourselves. Many times we may think that we are hearing God's voice when really it is just us. It takes a close walk and real discernment to know what is from God, what is from you, and what is from the enemy.

A lot of times we think everything that goes wrong is because "the Devil is attacking" us, however sometimes it can be from our own nature. This is not to say that the enemy does not attack us. He does so every moment he gets the chance. Which is why 1 Peter 5:8 warns us: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (NKJV)." The NIV says to be "Self-controlled and alert." The most dangerous sin is Pride and Selfishness. Why? Because Pride and Selfishness/Self Centeredness can drive us to make decisions that benefit us and not others. We are all human, and what to do what we want to do.

Sometimes, when things go wrong, it is based from our own selfishness and our own motive. Which is why it is so important to self evaluate. Look at yourself in the eyes of your loving Savior. Ask why do you do the things you do? What was your motive? Is it biblical? Not to sound cliché but: What would Jesus have you do?

Ask yourself if what motivates you is coming from God, the enemy, or just yourself?

Always remember that God will always be there to advise you through the Holy Spirit and love you even when you make mistakes.

Thoughts in Solitude

2010-05-28T14:33:00.000-07:00

Time has caught up with me in these last few months. School has been hectic, and so has life. There have been some issues going on that have really been stressful and its taken a lot of prayer and conversations with the Lord to get me through; but He is ever faithful. I just wanted to post a quick note of encouragement. One day the President of my school presented me with a small piece of paper that had this prayer printed on it:

My Lord God

I have no idea where I am going.

I do not see the road ahead of me.

I cannot know for certain where it will end.

Nor do I really know myself,

and the fact that I think I am following

Your will does not mean

that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that my desire to please You

does in fact please You.

And I hope that I have that desire

in all that I am doing.

I hope that I will never do anything

apart from that desire.

And I know that if I do this

You will lead me by the right road

though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore will I trust You always

though I may seem to be lost

and in the shadow of death.

I will not fear,

for You are ever with me,

and You will never leave me

to face my perils alone.

- Thomas Merton (1915-1968)

Even though I have no idea where I am going and worry about where You will lead me, I know that there is nothing to fear because You promised in Your word that You would never leave me, nor forsake me. Thank you Lord for keeping me daily and always loving me no matter how badly I may mar things up.

I love the Serenity Prayer (even though it is a bit cliché)

God, grant me the serenity

To accept the things I cannot change;

Courage to change the things I can;

And wisdom to know the difference.

Let God guide you every day and He will lead you into the path He has prepared for you.

Who Am I That YOU Are Mindful of Me?

2010-02-08T21:45:00.000-08:00

Today is definitely one of those days that make me thankful I serve such a wonderful and loving God. Not only did I have a stomach flu but I had a paper and a reading log due today. My log was based on Hebrews 2, which is completely about relationship with Christ. The author of Hebrews quotes Psalm 8 ("What is man that you are mindful of him,, the son of man that you care for him?") to show that even though we were made a little lower than the angels, we are made in God's image and therefore He desire's relationship with us. Sadly, because of the fall of Adam and Eve, that link was severed. In the Old Testament it was required to sacrifice your best to the Lord in order for there to be atonement for your sins. Thankfully the King of heaven invaded our universe, became like us, a little lower that the angels (Hebrews 2:9),suffered death and became the ultimate sacrifice. Verses 17 and say it was "for this reason that he had to be made like his brother in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." So if you find yourself saying: "Man, this is like the worst day ever!" just know that Jesus lived just like we did. He probably had some sort of stomach flu or had projects that had to be finished for his (earthly) father's business. Christ came to identify with us in every way, except for sin. In the Old Testament atonement for one's sins came from the shedding of blood, since life is in the blood (and death is the punishment for sins)by shedding the blood of a sacrifice, one could be forgiven for a period of time of the sins that they had committed. We have discovered through science today that the blood of a baby comes from the father's side. Since Jesus had no earthly father (Mary conceived of the Holy Spirit), he did not have the sin nature in him that we have running through our veins. Which is why he could go through life without sinning and thus become the perfect sacrifice. Hebrews 1 says that "the Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being;" Jesus came to show us that God is not some big meanie in the sky waiting to strike us with a lightening bolt every time we mess up. Jesus has already provided purification for our sins (Hebrews 1:3)and allowed us to live in God's mercy and grace every day. If you have accepted him and made the decision to turn from living in sin, then continue to walk and grow with him! If you haven't made that decision yet, please think on it. You can do it right now, at this very moment. You don't need someone to lead you in a prayer at an alter. You can accept Christ in you life right in front of your computer screen.

Say the following prayer out loud, believe it from your heart, and you will become saved and born again.

Dear Father,

I now believe that Jesus Christ is Your only begotten Son, that He came to our earth in the flesh and died on the cross to take away all of my sins and the sins of this world. I believe that Jesus Christ then rose from the dead on the third day to give all of us eternal life.

Lord Jesus,

I now confess to You all of the wrong and sinful things that I have ever done in my life. I ask that You please forgive me and wash away all of my sins by the blood that You have personally shed for me on the cross. I am now ready to accept You as my personal Lord and Savior. I now ask that You come into my life and live with me for all of eternity.

Father, Jesus - I now believe that I am truly saved and born again.

Thank You Father.
Thank You Jesus.

If you said that prayer and truly meant it, I pray that God blesses and leads you every day. You can talk to Jesus just like you would any friend. He loves you more than you can ever know. The best way to know the Lord is through His Word. Somehow get a copy of the Bible (you could even borrow one from your local library) and really delve into it's pages. It will bring you encouragement and guidance in your daily walk. I personally prefer the NIV Bible(New International Version)although there are several different translations. The most accurate are the KJV (King James Version), NKJV (New King James Version), and the NIV (New International Version). Start reading in Mark and it will help you to get to know your Savior a little better. If you ever have any prayer request feel free to leave me a comment on this post or other posts and I will pray for you.

Here are some helpful verses depending on the situations you may be going through:

God’s 911 Numbers

1. When in sorrow, call John 14
2. When lonely or afraid, call Psalm 23
3. When you want to be fruitful, call Psalm 51
4. When you have sinned, call Psalm 51
5. When you grow bitter and critical, call I Corinthians 13
6. When you worry, call Matthew 6:19-34
7. When you feel discouraged, call Isaiah 40
8. When you need courage, call Joshua 1
9. When you feel down and out, call Romans 8:31-39
10. When the feel in danger, call Psalm 91
11. When your faith needs stirring, call Hebrews 11
12. When God seems far away, call Psalm 139
13. When others fail you, call Psalm 27
14. When you need assurance, call Romans 1:1-30
15. When you want the secret to happiness, call Colossians 3:12-17
16. When the world seems bigger than God, call Psalm 70 and Jeremiah 33:3

He Loves Us, Oh How He Loves Us

2010-02-07T22:28:00.000-08:00

I had the best time with a couple of my best girlfriends in the world tonight. We ate pizza and watched old I Love Lucy episodes until our sides hurt. It was definitely needed after such a long day of studying and worrying about a problem that just won't seem to be resolved. It always seems like as soon as I place this certain issue into God's capable hands something happens, and I want to fix it on my own. The funny thing is: I know that the Lord will take care of it. No matter how many times I've doubted and struggled over the past five months or so God has gotten me through. The nights I thought I was going crazy, He was there to bring me comfort. So why do I worry? Human nature I guess; we just want to fix things on our own. We don't like to give up the control to certain situations in our lives because it makes us feel good to nurse our wounds. And instead of just giving up complete control to the One who created the universe, it becomes this constant tug-o-war of giving it up and then taking a little of it back, giving it up again and then taking a little bit back. Now I don't think its necessarily a crisis of faith, it's just a control issue. We are so afraid to be vulnerable, that we can't seem to get into the right relationship with Jesus, the one who knows us better than we know ourselves. Isaiah 49:16 says that our names are written on the palm of His hands. Those beautiful nail scarred hands that have my name written on them also make intercession for me. So why should I worry? Why not go to Jesus with all of our problems? He is God. He can handle anything you can throw at Him. If you're mad, be mad. If you're sad, be sad. Even if you are exceedingly happy, tell Him that too. Jesus wants to be your closest friend. He loves you so much. If we could comprehend the fullness of His love, I don't think that we could handle it. He wants us to experience life more abundantly and wonderful joy! Now this doesn't mean that we are going to be happy all of the time, nor that we will never experience hardship, but it's the peace that only He can provide when we put all of our trust in Him, even through the hard times. I'm sure you've read the poem Footprints by Mary Stevenson, but read it again now and really think on how much Jesus loves you and how He wants that relationship with you.

One night I had a dream--
I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord
and across the sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints,
one belonged to me and the other to the Lord.
When the last scene of my life flashed before me,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that many times along the path of my life,
there was only one set of footprints.
I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest
and saddest times in my life.
This really bothered me and I questioned the Lord about it.
"Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,
you would walk with me all the way,
but I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life
there is only one set of footprints.
"I don't understand why in times when I needed you most,
you should leave me."
The Lord replied, "My precious, precious child,
I love you and I would never, never leave you
during your times of trial and suffering.
"When you saw only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you."

...Mary Stevenson

Rebuilding the Relationship

2010-02-07T22:11:00.001-08:00

reposted from Facebook - thought if this helps even one person its worth the read...

Marriage...A Must Read

When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I've got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.

Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly.

She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?

I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Jane. I didn't love her anymore. I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company.

She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Jane so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn't have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Jane.

When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month's time and she didn't want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day.

She requested that every day for the month's duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.

I told Jane about my wife's divorce conditions. . She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.

My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mommy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don't tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside
the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.

On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn't tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.

Suddenly it hit me... she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.

Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mom out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy.

I drove to office.... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind...I walked upstairs. Jane opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Jane, I said, I won't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other anymore. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart.

Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.

At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I'll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.

That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed - dead.
My wife had been fighting CANCER for months and I was so busy with Jane to even notice. She knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me from the whatever negative reaction from our son, in case we push thru with the divorce.-- At least, in the eyes of our son--- I'm a loving husband....

The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse's friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!

If you don't share this, nothing will happen to you.

If you do, you just might save a marriage.
Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.

Stephanie Hamilton Brown

Intimacy is the most important thing in marriage apart from centering your relationship around Christ. It's a sad fact that many people are living in loveless marriages. They allow the stresses of the days; work, social situations, every day stresses, even kids to pull them away from each other.

A technique which has been proven to help establish deeper intimacy between individuals is eye contact. Have you ever noticed when you stare into someone's eyes for a while you feel a bit uncomfortable? You have probably heard the phrase: "The eyes are the windows of the soul;" this is a very true statement. When you stare deeply into someone's eyes you see the emotions and everything underneath the surface. The reason you may feel uncomfortable is because there is a level of intimacy to seeing into someone else.

Studies have shown that professionals who try this technique with Autistic children, have a higher success rate of developing a relationship with the child. Children who are exposed to this kind of relationship make more progress socially than those who are not.

This is why intimacy in a relationship can make all of the difference. It builds a bond that cannot be duplicated in any other way. Many people confuse intimacy with sex. Sex in a marriage is extremely important because it is an example of the intimacy and love; however if there is not a deeper relationship there, sex in a marriage can be just as meaningless as casual sex with a stranger. This is a very bold statement; however many people are living in loveless marriages in today's society and the US divorce rate is 40%. The divorce rate, thankfully, is in the decline but, as is the marriage rate.

One must wonder why this generation is so fickle when it comes to relationships. The average first marriage of the divorced, in today's society, lasts about eight years. A study in the Journal of Family Psychology, as well as many other studies, have shown that couples who cohabit before engagement or marriage show more dissatisfaction in marriage than those who did not, and are more likely to divorce their spouses.

So who is to blame for this decline in the family? Some blame the media, which often portrays loose relationships and sex outside of marriage. Or it may be that we are a product of our society. We are creatures of busyness in today's world. Nearly everyone has access to the internet, cell phones, and other social devices. We have become so concerned with being "social" and always being on the go. This leaves little time to fully develop the relationships in which we are involved. Superficiality is very dominant in young people today. Many have fear of being hurt by others, which inhibits them from developing deeper relationships.

This may be the main reason why young people are so comfortable with hopping from one romantic relationship to the next. One also tends to notice the decline in morals. I personally, have heard from many young people today, that sex is not big deal. There are many who believe that everything is permissible and don't understand why they must be subjected to morality. In fact they do not believe in morality. It is a selfishness that has crept into our society which makes it all the more difficult to have meaningful relationships. We want what we want, and NOW!

Is this right? Perhaps this is the real reason why intimacy between friends, family, and marriage partners has been in the decline. Selfishness and pride are the foundations of every sin. We do not like to admit fault and are more concerned with ourselves than those around us. It is sadly human nature; however when we allow Christ to come into our lives and make us into new creatures, we humble ourselves and realize that the world does not revolve around us. John 15:13 says: "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends."

True love is putting the concerns of other before our own.

Something to think about.

First Times Are Fun

2010-02-07T00:57:00.001-08:00

Okay so I've never written a blog before, and this one is probably going to be extremely short. Here goes :)

Growth is a crazy thing. Whether it is physically, emotionally, or in maturity; growth can make or break you as a person. I've learned in the past year or so you have to be willing to change. It sometimes takes the pain of change to bring growth and healing. Self evaluation is extremely important. I strive everyday to figure out why I do the things that I do, and you know what I've figured out? Only God can really allow you to self evaluate. Most times it takes that wonderful loving conviction to make you realize that you are being a total beast. So those of you who actually read this, take this challenge, whether or not you know the Lord; ask yourself: Why do I do the things that I do? What is my motive in this situation? Will this matter in five years?

It might just help you to grow.