Refule

The past few weeks I have been wondering why i have been so guarded and really, not myself. After many days of noting key behaviors I have been seeing. I have come the conclusion that I am running on empty. And if youre anything like me or 10% of the church that volunteers there time and puts there hearts into serving Jesus; you might have or might be experiencing this empty feeling that drives us away from our calling and makes us want to run away. I recently listened to Matt and Neils teaching on Refueling our mind, body and spirit. (this was during the broken in series) And when i went back to listen to them and actual apply what they have been trying to teach us, what a world of difference it has made. By just siting for 10-20 minutes and reading the word and putting down the bible and just sitting there thinking about what i read i feel filled and content. Then i will pray and meditate on God. This might sound crazy... "how can someone get refilled by doing more work and reading about God more?" Well didn't Jesus say that "if we drink his water we will never be thirsty ever again"? Try it, for all those running low on fuel. Refuel, get alone with God and he will refuel you beyond all measure.

Quick trip Down town

Pictures!~

I need to take some pictures! Im gunna go out on my lunch and take some pics and post them up = )

Gods Will 2

So after much council and sharing my heart with my friends. I still am not any closer to defining my path to Gods will in his ministry. But I'm getting closer. What I have been able to see is that my heart cries out for missions work. That is the heart that God has given me and I'm gunna follow that. Now, I have no idea where to start but some words of wisdom that where shared with me where. "God only will tell you the direction of where you must go, that doesn't mean that you wont have to climb a mountain to get there." I think that i have started that path; and climbed my first mountain and i was able to leave the worlds view of success and follow Jesus. Now I must see where my next step will be. I'm thinking school, So I'm excited to see where that goes. Bible school would be an option to explore. So please pray for me in this, and that i could find a job that would allow me to go to school during the day and work odd hours or just night shifts.
Thank you
John

Gods Will

Well many of my articles that i have been posting lately all circles around my continued unhappiness with my job. Today was a big step for me. Just recently i had received a little raise from my employer. Now this was nothing big, actually i had 25% of my paycheck taken away from me a year ago because of the falling economy. But back to my point. After i had received the raise i noticed my employer hanging the minor increase in pay over my head. "what time did you come in today?", "i hope your working this weekend to catch up." Well i just cant Handel that. I cant stand feeling like i get a raise and now I'm a slave to that person. i quickly am seeing where God wants me to be. Well actually he gave me 2 options. I can take the raise and be content with working for, a company i don't enjoy, for people that bring me down, to waste my talents in a Carrier that takes, takes, takes and will never give back. Or put money, power, success, and the corporate ladder behind me and follow him rich or poor; but happy. Why was i so blind? Why didn't i see this sooner? So i gave back the raise, and now I am going to sit back and enjoy my time here at this wonderful cafe and rejoice with the Lord.
I never want to feel like this again so the next path i am going to chose is going to be one that i love. What ever that maybe. So here I go. Lord take me i am yours.
Pray for me everyone, because the first chance i get I'm running after the Lord and not looking back.

Trust?

O.K i have spent about 5 minutes just trying to put a title to how i feel. And i guess the entire situation comes down to, can i trust myself enough to know when God has opened the door to the next chapter of my life? I guess you can say its really dark outside and my flash light is growing dimmer every moment I am standing still... But then again I have been praying for God to open doors; and hes opened the flippen flood gates with ministry work. The more I pray for direction the more time I see being spent with my church and with others. I cant forget this, because the more i pull away from this job the more I see I am doing more at my church. I love being apart of my church and would live to have the chance to be in a position to work an entire day for others and God. Is the Lord calling me to full time ministry? And if so will I be able to jump trough the door to get there? I know in my heart that I would if I had the chance. So i rest in the fact that I am not dead to opportunities. But i have to be able to discern what is God and what is not. And thats where i don't trust myself. I trust in Gods love for me but i don't trust in my discernment in were his blessings will come from. So what should I do in the mean time? Prayer is the only thing i can think of. And if yall have any advice on the topic feel free to share = )

Pain

Where is the "hurt" in our city? Have you ever really gone looking for hurt people? Why do these feelings seem so vacant in the world? WE as people are so self centered we focus on our situation and nothing else. I am no saint by any means. The reason I bring this up is because, this weekend I encounter a hypodermic Methamphetamine syringe. I guess some homeless person left it there for safe keeping. But when i thought about it, i looked around and noticed everything around me to play the role of the clean self conscious city. But if we look I know we can find that hurt and helplessness. I have to applaud those street evangelists that go out into those dark allies to save a soul for Jesus. I don't think I'm writing this to say we all need to grab our shield and sword and go be street evangelists. But that we should know that the world out side is a place full of hurt and pain. And that we should keep our eyes open to that. Pray for these people in the world that suffer the pain and hurt it brings. I needed that reminder because some times we grow callus to the hurt and pain of the world and that's when the miracles of God seem to fade away and the clarity of God leaves us.

34It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

35"Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!' " Mark 13:34-37 NIV

John 2 By Matt Weybright

Picture from Matt Weybright

Feelings

-Why do i feel like I'm missing something? Why is it, when I look at my life i see such great mile stones but non of them seem to measure up to my expectations? Why do i feel like everyday at this desk is a waste of my life? I see my soul and its ready to burst out of my chest. My hands tired of seeing this black key board. How they wish to hold a hammer, swing a gold club, clap and rejoice with the Lord. My mind is dull, tired of the same thing day after day. Plowing the fields of corporate America all day and returning home to rest for another days hard work. Where can i go? What can i do today?
- Lets stop asking questions. Lets change my way of thinking. Right here, Right now, I am making a stand for myself. I have a banner on this blog with wild flowers in an open field. Full of adventure and possibilities. That is John, that is my soul. I do not have because i do not ask. Well Lord, i ask you now, over a blog of all things. Lord i want to be free of this desk, Lord use me, Lord i surrender my hand, mind, body and soul. Use them Lord. Take me away from this, close the doors on this chapter of my life. I ask you to start a new page with me. All things are in your time lord; but i know that only through you is anything possible so I rest in that.

31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."[a] 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

-Ok. I love what i do. But is it what i want to do with the rest of my life? I am through with Ticor Title. My real dilemma is where do i go next? I need help. I need prayer!
Here is the dilemma! I want to go back to school. But how? Night school is an option... but after a 11 hour work day, church and other activities, night school seems a little out of reach.
-But on the other hand going to school in the day requires me to work at night... and along with that i have to give up my church activities.
What to do? What to do?
God has to give me some direction on this one.

Jesus Comforts His Disciples
1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God[a]; trust also in me. 2In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4You know the way to the place where I am going."

Don't u wish we could just skip all this and go straight to Jesus?

Sandals Service April 6th

I Love Sandals.

I love My Jesus

3"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:3-12 NIV

Blessed, that's what we are. Blessed to have a book that was written my the hand and heart of God. Blessed to have a savior that died for our sins. Blessed to be able to preach his word. And Blessed to have the forgiveness that is never ending.

-Yes, you might say i am in good spirits today... But more then that i am happy to have Jesus and the love that he gives us all. Thank you Jesus for blessing me with a church family that loves me as much as I love them in return. Thank you for the blessings you have put in my path. Thank you Jesus.

God are you with me?

Every day is a new struggle for most of us. I guess I am really wondering what God has for me. How can i be obedient in the midst of chaos?
-This verse seems to sum it up very well.

16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NIV

-So how can we be obedient to the call of the Lord? We rest in the promise. We rest in the eternal glory. Knowing that, if we move with the Lord we wont be denied the blessings.

OK, i see this point but how do you know if the path your on is the Lords will?

-Try this one.

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

-We don't need to know what will happen next, but to rest in the heart of GOD. Not our own. When i start to talk with "I this", "I that" i can see where my vision is sqewed. And its usually the things i don't want to do with God that i need to do the most. So I think we all need to stop wondering where we are going but to enjoy the ride there. And rest in the eternal glory.

SMILE IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD! =P

TO FUNNY!!

Contentment?

So what does it mean to really be content? The dictionary describes it as "feeling or showing satisfaction with one's possessions, status, or situation". But what does the bible say about such things?
Philip 4:11-13
11I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I 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. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.


This letter that Paul writes speaks volumes on the differences of the "world" and of the "faith". I for starters am not content when I am hungry. I am not content when the walls of my life come crashing down around me. I think we can all say that our hearts still cling to the "worlds" view of contentment. So how can we as Christan's become like Paul?

One word says it all Faith. Faith in he who gives and takes away. That's a big statement. Faith in God, Faith in Jesus is not an easy. But i don't see anything in the bible that has ever been easy.

So where does that put "us" as christian believers... We feel blessed and content when we are not being challenged, persecuted or hungry. But isn't that what Paul is challenging us with? To be content even in the worst possible situation imaginable. You can always tell when a christian is moving in there next step into faith when God lets go of there hand and lets them walk on there own for the first time. We all stumble and fall down, but it is what we do when we fall that makes or breaks our faith.

Some people run back to there old ways and start over again. Some sit there on there back yelling for God. But what good has there ever done anyone? And a few will dig deep, get up and fall again and again and again.

This is what Paul was trying to help us understand, this is his secret. Contentment is puting all your love, heart and soul into "I can do everything through him who gives me strength". So next time youre down remember; dont be content in your surroundings but be content in the promise!