It's a Journey

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When life is not so good, it stinks.

When life is great, it smells like roses.

It's a Journey.

I love the highs and I despise the lows.

I love warmer weather and colorful flowers blooming.

I despise the freeze that wilts them away.

I love the warmth of fire on a cold winter night.

I hate the gas bill when it arrives.

I love the precious gift that my wife is.

I hate that I'm a bumbling fool who sometimes hurts her feelings when I should just shut up.

I rejoice with other's victories,

I agonize over the pain I see them endure.

I should learn to embrace the bad with the good.

I asked for it.

I want all God has to give...

the highs have no earthly comparison.

The lows...
are what I must share in...

to complete the journey.

I press on and cling to the Hope...

that Christ will lead me to be a better man tomorrow than I am today.

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I do not know when you'll take me home to Paradise with You,

the day when I will finally be free
oh the day, when You come back for me!
(lyrics by JJ Heller)

If You'd Told Me...

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If you'd told me ten years ago, that I'd own a home

If you'd told me ten years ago, that Id be married to the woman of my dreams

If you'd told me ten years ago, that I'd be going on annual missions to Africa with her

If you'd told me ten years ago, that my relationship with my son would be restored

If you'd told me ten years ago, that I'd be paid more than ever

If you'd told me ten years ago, that I'd give more than ever

If you'd told me ten years ago, that I'd have more friends than ever

If you'd told me ten years ago, that I'd find inner Peace, Purpose and learn to Trust God as the very best relationship life has to offer

If you'd told me ten years ago, that everything the enemy ever stole from me would be restored

I wouldn't have been able to fathom it.  I'd have thought it was unachievable.  I'd accuse you of having delusions of grandeur,

but...

I'd have secretly wished it were true and hoped it could actually happen and I'd have prayed...

Please God, save me from me.  I have met the enemy and it is me.  Help me surrender to your higher ways.

Please don't allow me to have a license to be irresponsible.

Don't give to me until I am ready to honor You with it!

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Thank You God for hearing my prayers and showing me there is strength in surrender and proving to me Your promises are true.

Thank you for sharing with me, even though I did nothing to deserve it.

God, You are the best relationship I have ever had and the rewards I reap from sowing (surrendering) into it are more than I can ask or imagine.

Life has never been better and I am thankful to You for it, God.

I thank you Lord,
for the Helmet of Salvation
for the Breastplate of Righteousness
the Shield of faith
the Sword of the Spirit
the Belt of Truth
and with our feet fixed in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ,

Lord help us to recognize the opportunities and
give us the courage to act upon them.

Thank you for our friends, our families and our homes.
Please deliver us safely to and from our destinations this day
and bring glory to You in a life of service to all of your creation!

Amen
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School of Life... the inevitable - Trust

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It is what it is.

I despise that kind of blanket statement that explains nothing.  I have to tear things apart and get inside them and figure out why.  For God's sake, WHY?  Why oh why do we have to endure things in this life, on this journey.  The undesirable things.  Why do we develop self defeating behaviors, why can we not see out of our own dilemma?

The enemy forces are lined up on our borders.  We're surrounded and we keep doing what we do.  Peril is at every turn, barely held off by some invisible force and we survive to struggle another day, another week...

Enough to dig the hole deeper.  Enough to weaken the levy, until...

It's inevitable.  I don't like it.  I don't like that it's going to happen and there's nothing I can do about it.

Maybe it's another control issue... I have.

Maybe it's an opportunity to surrender... my will... and see... there is a plan... and it's better than mine.

It's not bad to want to help, but oh how we don't, we enable... prolong... the inevitable.

We stave off the gift, the lesson learned in reaping what we've sown.  The reward of enduring and seeing...

the gift of Prevenient Grace.

I'm feeling, I'm learning, I'm beginning to understand the depth of empathy, concern, caring and pain of parenthood... (a fraction of what my Mama has endured) but I'm getting a taste.

The wanting to help, yet understanding that the prodigal must go his way and find himself.

And I must be prepared for the return... to run into the field, no questions asked and embrace him.

In the mean time, as I endure the daily pain, I can only pray and surrender deeper and deeper into the unfathomable comfort of God's most excellent way.

The endless supply of Understanding, Love and Acceptance and give thanks for where I am...

in consideration of where I came from.

ALL Promises Kept!

I give Thanks.

I lean on you more and more God to help me leave it in your hands and do the only thing you ever asked me to do.

TRUST

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