Christians don’t always live happily ever after

I am excited for this weekend. Looking forward to a long weekend with the kids. Thankful for veterans that served this country that gave us freedom, seeing MSU play football and relaxing. Even more than that, I am looking forward to teaching at my church and then baptizing my son Ty.

Ty has wanted to make this commitment to Christ for at least two years, but we felt he wasn’t quite grasping what it meant until now. This Sunday he is making that commitment to follow Christ. Hailee and I are excited about that. Along with the excitement means over the past years every time Ty asked about baptism, we had talks about faith. One of the points we made, just because you give your life to Christ doesn’t mean life is going to get easier.

There is nothing stating after you accept Christ, you will live happily ever after and have an easy life. If anything it can get tougher. Satan will challenge you, life will get tough at times and sometimes you will hit rock bottom. What we face as Christians in the USA is nothing compared to the persecution Christians face all over the world. People will make fun of you for your faith and treat you like crap because you claim to be a Christian. Just because people treat you like crap doesn’t mean you are supposed to treat them like crap too. You are called to be loving and caring even when it’s tough. In the end it’s not our jobs as Christians to payback wrong for wrong, everyone will have to answer to God one day.

Paul shares this about facing tough times as Christians 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7: “God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.”

We all will face God for our actions in this life when we pass away. For some people, that is going to be a huge struggle. Knowing what they did to people, what they thought of Jesus and how they lived this life. It’s hard to be a Christian at times and it’s not easy. Paul reminds us that when we have times of trouble as a Christian, God is there to comfort us. Maybe it will happen in this lifetime, maybe it will happen after we pass away when we continue with our eternal life.

I love the fact I get to witness my son making that decision to follow Christ. I always pray that when the tough times happen in his life, he will always know that he can always seek comfort in God, even during the tough times. As an eight year old, Ty will face some struggles in life, I hope I can be there to help him stay strong in faith through those moments.

If you are going through those tough times in faith, know that God loves you. God is always there to comfort you through the good and the bad. Always trust in him, even when you feel like the world is against you.

Have a great day.

Choosing to choke

-->

A gallon of water down the throat is not good, it’s even worse when it comes voluntarily. Yesterday I tried to use my daughters snorkel while swimming. It’s one made for swimming and not for scuba. I pushed off the wall breathed out to let the water out and suck in a whole bunch of water right away. I stopped and spent the next five minutes choking. I ended up swimming 250 yards choking and drinking way to much pool water. Maybe I need to take a break from the snorkel.

Yet this happens in life. We try to do things a certain way and just end up hurting ourselves in the end.

Colossians 2:20-22…

“Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: ²¹ “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? ²² These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings.”

Living for Jesus is different then living for the world. Once you make the decision to follow Christ you by choice are choosing to live a different way of life. You don’t have to follow selfish desires that you had in the past.

Live a different way than you have in the past. Choose a different direction and try following Christ with how you live your life. Live for others rather than your own selfish ambitions. How can you do this today?

Have a great day.

I would be happy if...

It would be sweet to win the lotto. For all the people that say otherwise, liars! Just kidding. Yet you can hear story after story of lottery winners going broke. Why is this? How is it they can live the majority of their lives on a certain amount of money, they gain much more and lose it all?

Happiness and money don’t always go hand in hand. What does it take to be content with what we have? Purchasing a new home and having multiple things go wrong with it has been nerve wrecking. Yet this is nothing new and every new homeowner knows things like this happen. Yet what would it take to make me satisfied?

Paul shares in Philippians 4:12-13…

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who give me strength.”

Paul has an amazing story of being wealthy, having a lot of people think highly of him and had a great life. Then he found Jesus, he gave up everything to follow Jesus. Paul had a wealthy life, political stature, and people that looked up to him. The word content in the scripture means self-sufficient. Another way this was put, “A calm acceptance of life’s pressures,” – The Bible Knowledge Commentary.

Do you have a calm acceptance of life’s pressures? This is an area I need to work on in life.

How about you? Paul gives a great example of how to live life. I need to take a better note today.

Have a great day.

A name worth remembering can be a blessing or a curse

I had a great great great grandpa that was a professional golfer and bowler. I have no idea how long ago this was and I have no idea even what is name was. From the distant stories I heard he was an extremely talented individual. Yet I don’t know his name.

How much do names matter? Are we trying to justify ourselves by having our name remembered? There are just as many good names people remember as bad. For every Robinson, Owens, Bush, Graham, Ruth, Jordan there is Hitler, Mussolini, Manson, etc. Having a name worth remembering can be a blessing and a curse.

Thomas Crapper improved one of the greatest inventions in the toilet. He made an improvement and created several patents that led to the toilets we have today. Yet, sometimes you still hear, “I have to take a crap,” which is a statement that likely goes back to World War I when American Soldiers had to use the bathroom and saw his name on the facility. Sometimes we get a bad recognition. Do we always want to be remembered?

The Bible is full of names of great people and some bad people. Some people are only mentioned by there actions and this is different…

2 Corinthians 8:22…

“In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you.”

In one section of scripture two people are mention for how awesome they are but are not given a name reference in the Bible (This is the second one verse 18 is the first). Paul mentions these men and how great they are, but we do not know their names. Majority of the people think this is Luke and Apollos or someone closely related to Luke. In the end does it matter? Is the name or the message what matters the most?

Paul gives this guy a glowing reference in life. I love how The Message talks about this guy, “We’re being as careful in our reputation with the public as in our reputation with God. That’s why we’re sending another trusted friend along. He’s proved his dependability many times over, and carries on as energetically as the day he started. He’s heard much about you, and liked what he’s heard—so much so that he can’t wait to get there.” Names can be worth remembering in the same way actions can speak louder.

There are times in life I have been saved by someone I don’t know there name. When I was a sports writer, I was stranded with another writer (Matt) in the middle of a snow storm after our car went into a ditch. Several cars passed by us (In the middle of at least 10 inches of snow on a remote country road) and never stopped. Finally a young lady stopped, it ends up she was 16 returning home from work and was a young mom too. She took us to her moms house and we stayed there till 3 in the morning when a tow truck picked us up. I can’t remember there name for the life of me. I honestly don’t know what we would have done if she didn’t stop. I never got their name.

Actions can be remember before names. Many times I have been helped in life by people I don’t remember and maybe you have too. Today is a good day to be remembered not for our name but for our actions. What can you do to help someone out today?

Have a great day.

Car shows crush my soul

One of the most boring times in my life was going to car shows as kids. You will look at a whole bunch of beautiful cars but won’t touch. A marathon of Golden Girls sounded better then this. Yet there was one aspect I loved about it, the pictures of the car. When we would go up to the car and they showed the car when they got it all the way through the restoration. A vehicle from a complete beater to a work of art, an amazing transformation. This is what happens to us with Christ, a complete change.

A restoration of a car is beautiful, a restoration and reconciliation of the soul is even better. 2 Corinthians 5:17-19…

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here. All this is from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹ that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.”

When our life is given to Christ, we are new. The bitterness we had in the past is gone and a new start is here. Gone is sin and selfish desire. We have a new life dedicated to Christ and this changes our attitude and actions. We get a change to go from a life of wrath to a life of blessing. You are a blessing of God.  God doesn’t sit up in heaven counting the sins of your life because Christ took those sins on the cross with him. Christ has a new plan for you, a chance to reconcile.

With a new life of Christ we get a chance to make resolutions. We get to improve and make better the burned bridges in our lives. Those situations that drove us apart we can resolve and make better. Christ resolved our issues with sin by dying on the cross. All our sins and mistakes are gone and we are new. What are you going to do with this new life? Paul ends verse 19 with the message of reconciliation. What can you do to reconcile with people in your life?

Just like an antique car being made new, so are you. The rust and damage from the past has been clean up and is gone. You are a new person. Reconcile, bring together those who have differences. Spread love instead of hate. Make it happen.

Have a great day.

Is waxing a hairy back worth it?

I had a good friend that waxed his back as a joke. This was a very hairy man, I won’t give his exact name we will just call him Jay. Jay got a wax kit and had different people rip the paper after being waxed. It looked like one of the most painful experiences of his life. I saw the youtube video on this and it looked truly painful. It wasn’t quick work. It was brutal and took a while. I couldn’t imagine doing that even if I did have a hairy back. In between me laughing because it was funny and feeling bad for the pain it brought a question up. Is this worth it?

Life is full of tough decisions. Often at times it can feel like we aren’t qualified to make the decision. There is not an easy button in life. You can’t take the easy way out. A lot of what we accomplish takes hard work. Paul wrote a letter about a rough situation the church in Corinth was going through.

1 Corinthians 2:4…

For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.

Paul started the church in Corinth. It wasn’t easy and he made a couple of visits to the church. Yet one time he said he would visit the church and didn’t people jumped on his case. They started to turn their backs on Paul and were listening to people that had false teachings. So Paul answers them in this section of scripture. He answered their questions and conflicts and ends it with this verse above. Paul didn’t take this lightly. He truly loved the church and cared for them beyond words on paper. Sometimes what we go through is tough love.

What tough decisions did you have to make? How did people respond to those tough decisions, Paul had to make tough decisions but in the end wanted them to know it was out of love. Paul had a deep love for this body of believers.

What do you do out of love? Was it easy or painful? Just like waxing a hairy back might be extremely painful, you can end up silky smooth in the end. Is it worth it? Is what we do out of love?

Have a great day.

Good people can go to hell

There are plenty of good people that are headed for Hell. Maybe not today or tomorrow but later on down the road because of wrong ideas of what gets you to Heaven. I was going to be one of them.

I grew up Catholic and was made sure that we attended Church at least on Easter and Christmas (We did attend a lot more and I went to Catechism until fourth grade). After elementary school we attended church at everything from a Catholic church to a predominantly black pentecostal church. I knew who Jesus and God were but I gave up on Church mentally. I thought everyone was a hypocrite, lived one way on Sunday and different the rest of the week. I believed in Jesus, but didn't go much further then that.

I thought faith was so much more then believing in Jesus. I figured there was a scale that mattered. If I did more good deeds then bad deeds, not only would that show up the people that claimed faith, it would gain favor in the eyes of God. So in high school, I rarely drank, never smoked, never had sex and tried to be nice and a good person to everyone. I didn't think I had any enemies and never tried to make enemies. Certainly I was way ahead of some of my so called Christian friends that partied, tried to have sex with everyone, drank like a fish and smoked anything they could get their hands on. I was better then them. Man was I wrong.

God tells us this in Romans 10:1-4...
"Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.  For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes."

We can think we know what gets us to heaven, but it could be our own understanding. The Scripture above tells us the people of Israel at the time were zealous, "the God intoxicated people." They might have been for God but not for God. They thought they had their understanding of faith and it was not right. The majority of them did not believe in Christ. Therefore they thought the good things they were doing and the rules they were following (Obeying the 600+ rules God/Pharisees gave) were the way to live. They were wrong.

Faith in Jesus gets you to heaven and it's the only way. Israel did not submit to God and acknowledge who Jesus was. The result would be a tough pill to swallow at death, Hell. This is one of the biggest lies today and a lie I believed for a long time. Just because you are a good person doesn't mean you will go to heaven. If you think you are going to Heaven because you know of Jesus, shoot, the devil knew who Jesus was and what he did, yet he won't be in Heaven. A lot of peole in Israel missed this, but you don't have too.

A drinker, smoker and someone who had a ton of pre-martial sex changed my thinking on faith. This friend was a Christian and went to church every week when I didn't. He told me Church is about worshipping God and Jesus. Everyone who goes to Church is messed up in one way or another because we all sin. He told me God expects us to be perfect. I couldn't grasp this. We aren't perfect people I told him. Exactly he responded. He went on to tell me this is was Jesus did, he died on the Cross for you and your sins/mistakes, when you have faith in Jesus you accept who Jesus is as your personal Lord and Savior he covers the area you fall short and as a result you get to go to heaven. I remember telling them, "I'm a good person." He told me, "Not good enough."

It took a little while before this sank in. Finally on November 5, 2000. I finally got the point and was baptized. I realized something a lot of Israelites didn't, Jesus paid the price for my sins on the cross and he was my savior. He died for me. Recognizing this and having faith in him allowed me to go to Heaven. No matter what good things you have done, it's not good enough, God wants to see perfection when you have your one on one meeting with him after your earthly life ends.

Faith isn't about doing more good deeds then bad deeds, it's about a relationship with Jesus.  What is your relationship with Jesus? Who is he to you? Christ wants to take you in, but you have to make the decision. The ball is in your court, what are you going to do with it? If you never made that decision, find someone you can talk to about this. If you have friends that have struggled with this, maybe God intended you to be the person they would talk to about this.

Have a great day.

Letting time pass you by

I don’t always realize how much time can pass by. Hailee and I were reminiscing the other day about where we came from.  We talked about how different/tough it was for us with two kids. Now when we just have two kids at home and the other two are at school, it’s peaceful. Years ago when we had just two kids, it was such a crazy time in our life.  Time and life can change.

What at one point was a stress now is a cakewalk.  In the final chapter and section of Paul in the book of Acts we see Paul in Rome and what he was doing to pass the time.  This is how Paul spent the end of the book of Acts 28:30-31…

“For two whole years Paul Stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ – with all boldness and without hindrance!”

Getting towards the end of his life, what was important to Paul? He spent his time visiting with anyone that came to see him and taught about Jesus without hesitation. What was important to Paul at this time? People and Jesus.  This really can make you reflect.  What is important to you?

When you look back at life, people can live lives different ways when they are younger then when they are older.

I learned about this on the way to Kalamazoo to a Porn and Pancakes breakfast with two elders. One of the guys Pat liked to ask questions. I asked him one back, what is something you would have liked to do more as you were younger? Both Pat and Mickey said, spend more time with your kids when you’re younger. They grow up so fast and you truly miss the time.  They were both in agreement with this.

You miss what happens when you are younger. Reflect on this, what are you spending your time doing right now and is that the best use of your time? If you can learn from other people, you can benefit greatly from this.

What can you do with your time that would make you not regret? We only have a certain amount of time on this earth, how are you spending your time and what do you truly what to be doing with your time?  You have a decision, what are you doing with your time? Paul spent his time talking about Jesus to anyone who came to visit. What do you do with your time?

Have a great day.

Against all odds (More than just the autobiography from Chuck Norris)

I love the underdog. I love teams and people that aren’t expected to do anything and they surprise the world. Kurt Warner was a minor league quarterback, a backup quarterback, at one point worked at a grocery store, but after the starting quarterback went down he stepped in and the rest is history.

Being a Michigan State, Lions, Tigers and Chris Kaman (He played for the Clippers a lot of years and then had to go to the Hornets) fan I get used to being the underdog. It builds character and courage to fight through the bad moments.

This happens outside the sports realm and into all aspects of life.

Paul was traveling as a prisoner to Rome. They were on a boat and things took a turn for the worst. A huge storm hit them and they were basically goners. They didn’t see the sun for three days and lost hope. They threw over cargo and almost everything including the ships tackle. Many thought they would die.

This wasn’t the case as Paul talks in Acts 27:23-25…

“Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you. So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.”

The people would be safe. There was less than a glimmer of hope, yet God took care of Paul and took care of the people. Keep up your courage. What do you need courage in? Courage goes beyond being an underdog is sports. The people on the boat lacked courage, yet God came through for them. Take courage even through the worst of times.

Some people that have amazing courage to me…

Single parents – For whatever reason, this is nearly impossible to go through.  Hailee and I were teaming up to feed Nolan, change and get Nolan back to sleep.  We both said the same thing, I couldn’t do this alone.

Those coming from poor situations – It’s hard to have nothing and to make something with your life, it takes a tremendous amount of hard work.

Those with physical or mental disabilities – the strength of what some people have to go throw everyday is beautiful.  When you see people overcoming and not being a slave to a disability and do something awesome it’s a masterpiece.

Kids of divorced families – Stats of shown that the kids of divorced families don’t usually fair as well kids with parents that don’t divorce.  If you are a child of divorced parents you can overcome and do so much with your life.

Paul was able to keep the men’s courage. If you are struggling through life right now, take courage.

Know that through much pain can come much joy. God is there for you even when you don’t feel like it. Take courage. What do you need courage in?

Stay strong, fight the good fight, do everything in your power to make things better and when you come up short, you can always rely on God and Jesus. If things are going good for you….encourage!

Help someone else out. Lift them up with your words, make this world a better place with how you treat other people. Life can get better. Take courage!

Have a great day!

Bad deals

Sometimes we get a bad deal.

 

When Hailee and I moved to Terre Haute we decided to give a cable or dish provider a second chance. We were burned once and hoped this time it would be better. Part of the contract we signed said the deal included local channels, they said it would not be a problem.  After 4 months, multiple calls and letter, we found out, this wasn’t the case, they lied.

 

It was disappointing as they went against what they said they would give us.  Eventually we couldn’t settle with them and paid the $180 to cancel our services with them, even though they were the ones that didn’t follow through with the contract. Sometimes we are thrown a bad deal.

 

Disappointed but learning from that situation we switched to a different company. Sometimes we get into a bad deal, luckily I have not been in a bad deal like what Paul had to deal with. Paul was basically put in jail even though being completely innocent. On top of that and multiple trials, he ended up in a court with Felix. Felix thought he was innocent but was waiting for a bribe from Paul in order to release him.  Paul wouldn’t bribe him.

 

As a result he was a prisoner for over two years. Would things get better? Acts 24:27…

“When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison.”

 

He was innocent, defended his case and Felix had a chance to release him before being succeeded. Instead he was left in jail for a favor. That sucks. I couldn’t imagine how Paul handled this news.

How would you handle it?

 

Sometimes life isn’t fair.  You can feel like all the cards are against you.  Hang in there.

 

Even with all Paul was going through, he never did give up. Don’t give up.  Sometimes there is a bad deal, and we have to make the best of the situation.  Hopefully that situation isn’t as bad as Paul’s but there is a chance for improvement.

 

Even in the toughest of times Jesus is there for us.  He is a healer and an awesome provider (Thank you Chris Tomlin for the reminder).  You don’t have to rely on your own power to fix all the problems.  Trust in God, that is what Paul did.  You can too.  Even through the worst of deals, we get another chance.

 

Have a great day.

Beat down one to many times

Sometimes when it rains, it pours.

Life doesn’t seem fair at times.

Have you ever felt like bad stuff just kept coming at you?

No matter what you did bad things just kept happening?

You could feel like you are in a tail spin.

I felt God was calling me to Terre Haute, IN.

I knew it in my heart and so did Hailee.

It was a big jump, moving to an area when Hailee and I never lived more than an hour from Lansing.

We knew this is where God wanted us.

As we were going to move from Lansing to Terre Haute, Nevaeh ended up sick.

We didn’t know what to do.

Hailee had insurance at her job that was supposed to go to the end of the month.

They cancelled it two weeks early and now Nevaeh was sick and we didn’t have the money to visit a doctor.

We had a Dr. friend that gave her a quick check and thought it was strep throat, but it could be more.

We didn’t have money or insurance and found ourselves having to go to the ER.

Thank God it just ended up being strep throat.

That ER visit cost us over $1300 of money we didn’t have.

We could question God.

God, we are doing this move for you and your kingdom and this happens?

The first week down in Terre Haute and my third day at Union Christian Church I get a call at 3:30 a.m. and my Grandpa just passed away.

I thought I was making the right decision and yet all this stuff was happening.

Sometimes with life it all falls apart at one time.

It happens when you have faith too.

Paul was arrested on false circumstances.

His life was on the line and he was told by the government he had to go before the religious supreme court (Sanhedrin).

He had a comment and was it across the mouth for it.

His life was constantly on the line after he made a decision to follow Christ with his life.

He was almost killed multiple times and after going through all these bad things in the Lord told Paul this in Acts 23:11…

“Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

What?

Paul, was beat to an inch of his life.  He was beaten multiple times and that is his story?

It doesn’t sounds fair.

After making a decision to follow Christ, he gets beat to an inch of his life and is under constant pressure and threats.

God offers him to take courage.

God was there for him through the best of times and the worst.

Just like God was there for Paul through the bad stuff he had to go through, he is there for us today.

Even when we feel beat down and question our faith or what we are going through, he is there.

He was there for Paul.

I know he was there for me and that I am in the exact place God wants me to be.

If you didn’t have any trials or tribulations, would you need faith?

Trust in God, he protects us in life and the bad things we go through.

God is awesome and watches over us even when we feel like he’s not.

If you are having a rough time right now, trust in God.

You can and will make it through the tough times.

Trust in God and he will come through for you, In God we trust is on our money for a reason.

Trust in God.

Have a great day.

Knowledge is power

Gaining knowledge can be key.

When I was young I remember the first time I got online.

I was in seventh grade and at my friend Kevin’s house.

We were messing around on the computer he said, hey do you want to chat to people online?

Ummm sure?

I remember thinking it was extremely boring as we dialed in through his only phone line.

It cancelled and disconnected so much I never thought we were going to go online.

After a long time, we connected.

We got in a chat room and started talking to people instantly.

I couldn’t believe I was talking to people online.

I never thought it would catch on.

Wow.

Look at the computer and how we contact people today.

If there is anything the NBC taught us through the more you know, knowledge is power.

I would have invested so much time and effort to see how the internet would impact society.

Some of those people are absolutely huge right now.

Apollos was a great man known for having “a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures.  He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor.”

He was a great man.

Some of Acts 18:27-28…

“When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed.  For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving, from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.”

Knowledge is power.

He was moving in the right direction and a lot of debate is knowledge.

Not just having knowledge but the ability to listen and refute.

Jesus is the Messiah.

He was and is the savior.

He is there to make everything improve.

Apollos knowledge helped lead people to Christ.

Knowledge is power.

Having knowledge is what can change your life.

You won’t make the same mistakes and struggles when you have knowledge.

You will learn from situations and be able to answer people and have confidence.

What do you need to gain knowledge in?

How can that further your life?

Have a great day.

GPS only works when traveling, where do you end up in life?

GPS is great, but once every while it’s wrong.

There have been terms when the GPS didn’t even know the road we were traveling on (In the middle of Indianapolis).

It makes me think of GPS and how things have changed.

Hailee and I have transitioned to using the GPS on long trips.

It wasn’t long ago we would use MapQuest or Google maps to find out where to go.

Before that we would grab a map and plan accordingly.

Yes we actually had to plan where we were going to go.

This is just with driving to some place, but what about with life.

How much planning is involved in your life?

With your…

·         Career/Job
·         School/Job Training
·         Church
·         Family/Marriage and the list could go on

Life takes planning.

Nobody decided to be a surgeon and walk into the ER the next day and tell them I am a surgeon and get a job.

Being a Dr. you have to have the right grades, college degree and extracurricular activities, get accepted to a school that will take another several years of your life in order to get a chance to become a doctor.

It takes planning.

How do you plan?

What if things change?

Life happens and things change.

There are sacrifices that were made to get you where you are at today.

Paul was going through his mission and there was times when God would tell him not to go into the city/area.

Acts 16:6-7…

“Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.  When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.”

If God and Jesus were for saving everyone, why would he keep them out of certain areas?

It could be to people and possibly riots or threats on their lives, but it could also be for many other reasons it was not the right time.

What is the right time for you?

When Hailee and I were first talking about getting married, we were planning on waiting til after we graduated college.

That didn’t happen.

We were going to wait till we graduated and were settled before having kids.

Then comes Connor and Nevaeh.

Life has a way of not going the way we plan it.

How has your life changed throughout the years.

Does the end result or where you are at make you happy?

In my job profession, I get to talk to people about life.

With my focus being mostly on students, I look at where they are going in life and are they doing what it takes to get there.

This is the beautiful things about life, if you’re not happy you can do whatever you want to do.

I was 1.5 years away from being a full time sports writer.

I was 38 credits from having a journalism degree and I had plenty of experience in order to end up at a newspaper.

God had different ideas.

Part of those ideas meant going to school for a lot longer.

I ended up losing 54 credits in order to go into ministry.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Paul was told to skip by those cities, obviously it wasn’t part of God’s plans.

What are your plans for life?

What do you think God has planned for your life?

Maybe he is blocking one area like Paul in order to put you in a better area.

GPS might be able to get you to a location, but it can’t lead you in life.

Where are you going?

Maybe today is the day you realize the direction you need to be headed.

Have a great day.

You'll be divorced in three months

There are people that don’t care about you or what you stand for.

Some of those people will say things to your face or behind your back.

You could be doing good and they could start talking behind your back to make things worse rather than better.

I got engaged at the young age of 19 and most people were surprised when I told them I was engaged.

I went around my job one day and told people that I was getting married.

One person told you the way things would be said this phrase…

“You’ll be divorced in three months.”

Wow.

I couldn’t believe someone would be that bold to say that.

You will be divorced in three months?

That’s messed up.

We had a conversation and she told me that her friend and her husband were together everything was going great and they got divorced quickly.

I said will it’s different because we believe in God and are faithful people.

She said, “So were they.”

10 years later, I do not write this to say hey been married 10 years but rather to say there are some people that will lift you up in life and others that won’t..

Some people will be against you.

Paul and Barnabas were doing some pretty cool things in Iconium.

They were speaking about the Gospel of Jesus and many people believed.

Yet there were people that weren’t happy with this fact.

It said this in Acts 14:2, 4-5…

“But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers…The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles.  There was a plot afoot among the Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them.”

There will always be people that are for you and some that will be against you.

People will question what you believe, what you do with your life and who you are trying to be.

Some people will encourage and some will not.

There are deceivers among you.

Will you let that affect you?

People will get other people that are deceivers that try to ruin a good thing.

I have seen this happen to me and I have done this to others.

The people against Paul were poison.

They took the good things Paul was for and made people against them.

Are you in this situation now?

Paul and Barnabas didn’t let these people that tried to kill them stop them.

Are you letting poisonous people destroy your life or are you fighting the good fight and staying strong.

With man there are only certain things you can do.

With God nothing is impossible.

Stay strong even when people are against you.

Not everyone is going to be happy with you or what you stand for.

With God nothing is impossible.

Are you for or against the one that makes everything possible?

Some people will say thing to irritate you maybe it’s like saying your marriage will only last three months or something like that.

If you are going through a rough time right now, I pray for you and lift you up.

Hang in there during the tough times, something good is just around the corner.

Have a great day.

Details

A breakdown in details can be huge.

Hailee and I were driving from Mt. Pleasant to Lansing. 

There is a stretch that goes from 70-55 mph.

Usually nobody slows down.

I was driving along with the speed of traffic when Hailee said, “It’s hot.”

So me being the great husband that I am, rolled down the window on her side.

She gave me a puzzled look and said, “Why did you roll down the window?”

I told her she said it was hot.

She told me, “I said look cop not it’s hot!”

I did not get pulled over, but we had a good laugh about it.

Attention to detail can come back and bite us sometimes.

When I am explaining a story or letting Hailee know about something, she tells me to go in better detail.

I can answer her very short in words like: fine, alright, good, cool.

She doesn’t get the necessary details then.

Details matter.

After Jesus died, they gave details to explain what happened after. 

While reading through this, you could think, this has no value but it is really key.

In John 19:38-42 they explain how Jesus was buried.

One of the details they gave in verse 39…

“He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night.  Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.”

The first he they were talking about was Joseph of Arimathea.

This story matters because people claimed that Jesus didn’t die on the cross or that his body was

stolen.

This gave the detail necessary to prove those who believe that wrong.

There were two people that buried Jesus right here, they went to proper authorities and got him all setup in a tomb.

Details matter.

We know that Jesus died on the cross and was buried where they said he was because of the witness of these people.

I need to listen to my wife so I can know when a cop is coming and so I know what’s going on in life.

We need to be able as faithful people to explain what we believe to other people.

The death of Jesus is an area we need to have great understanding in.

We need to pay attention in faith and life.

What do you need to pay greater attention too?

Have a great day.