Thoughts, stories and other oddities

Re:You needn�t visit a doctor to keep fit!

2011-10-08T23:52:00.001-04:00

.It will rid you of many problems in your life! http://cartomanzia.nu/com.friend.php?gayahoo_id=08jm2

Please remove this address from your address book

2011-10-07T11:36:00.000-04:00

Hey guys, please accept my sincerest apologies. It appears my email account was compromised and bogus email messages were sent from my earthlink address book. If you have received any suspect emails from any of my earthlink address, please delete them and do not click on any of the links provided in the message body.

Please refer to the the address in my cc address to add me to your address book. I will be using this as my primary address from this point on.

Thank you
-Roberto

Re:

2011-10-06T22:15:00.001-04:00

.Have some fun with our new super proposal! http://mikeyjetadore.free.fr/friends.page.php?wjyahoo_id=07l7

2011-09-29T14:03:00.001-04:00

.Especially for you! Special proposal for your little friend! http://complejopalmitos.com/com.friend.php?vypid_friend=70n3

Check out the new blog

2009-04-07T17:56:00.003-04:00

Yes, its back!

I have come back and have a new blog. You can access it in the list below with the other available links.

I've started a home based business and have really started to attack it aggressively. I'm not going to recruit you, but if you are interested, please check it out. For some of us, it may be the very thing that will help bring in that extra cash to help pay some of those lingering bills. I want to see real economic prosperity from this business, so I will be on the internet a lot more promoting it on blog sites, boards and the like.

If you are at least 18 and can log on to a computer, then that's half the battle. I have another page on my links page, that you all may find interesting. I only found out about this site when I began promoting my business.

Please pray for the success of this business, that the Lord would bless and prosper it greatly and that whatever we do, that above all else, this business would be God honoring.

I see lives transformed through this business and has the potential of becoming very evangelical. God has given me vision for this business, please I ask of my friends and family who read and frequent this blog, pray that I would remain faithful and consistent in this endeavor.

Love you all and thank you for your continued support!

Accountability

2009-01-02T13:51:00.004-05:00

I read something that struck a chord with me today and it made me begin to think.

Take a good long look deep inside and ask yourself, am I being honest with myself? Am I being transparent to others or am I hiding my true intentions from others. Whats inside of my heart? Whats the condition of my heart? How are my relationships with others? Do I have someone I can go real deep with or are all of my relationships superficial? Where is my walk, have I gone anywhere with my personal walk with the Lord. Is my life dynamically influencing others, challenging others to live a radical life for Christ, or is it middle of the road, and very vanilla. Worse yet, is my life so worldly that you can't tell yourself apart from someone in the world?

There is never a shortage of great reading material here at my place of employment, and this latest piece comes from one of the most dynamic pastors I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. Let me quote what he has to say about -

Accountability

What do we mean by accountability? In the simplest of terms, it is answering the hard questions. Accountability includes opening one's life to a few carefully selected, trusted, loyal confidants who speak the truth - (in love)
who have the right to examine, to question, to appraise, and to give counsel.

People who are accountable usually have four qualities:

Vulnerability - capable of being wounded, shown to be wrong, even admitting it before being confronted.

Teachability - a willingness to learn, being quick to hear and respond to reproof, being open to counsel

Availability - accessible, touchable, able to be interrupted.

Honesty - committed to the truth regardless of how much it hurts,a willingness to admit the truth no matter how difficult or humiliating the admission may be. Hating all that is phony and false.

That's a tough list! As I look back over those four qualities, I am more than ever aware of why accountability is resisted by the majority. Those with fragile egos can't handle it. And prima dona types wont tolerate it. They have a greater desire to look good and make a stunning impression than anything else. I mean, "the very idea of someone probing into my life!"

Don't misunderstand. I'm not suggesting for a moment that accountability gives the general public carte blanche access to any and all areas of one's private life. If you will glance back a few lines you will notice referred to "a few carefully selected, trusted, loyal confidants." They are the ones who have earned the right to come alongside and, when it seems appropriate and necessary, ask the hard questions, to serve in an advisory capacity, bringing perspective and wisdom where such may be lacking.

Notice this next line, unaccountability is both unwise and unbiblical, not to mention downright perilous.

Today we need others to hold us accountable. Sometimes an objective opinion will reveal a blind spot. Sometimes we may simply need a sounding board to help keep us on target.
-Chuck Swindoll

I can count on my hands how many peoples lives would be radically different if they had accountability partners. Marriages that could have been saved if they were open enough to let one or two people in to help guide them along.

Its hard to find that one person that you can be open to, to not fear you will be judged or condemned.

If we remember one thing, none of us are righteous, no not one. All of our righteousness are like filthy rags in the sight of God. It is Christ alone that makes us clean before the Lord. We have all fallen short of God's glorious standard. If we can keep this in mind before we cast judgement on anyone, remember there is a judge who judges justly. The duty and responsibility of an accountability partner is not to cast judgement, but to restore. To uphold, sharpen and encourage and not to cast condemnation for ones sins.

With this said, if we are to open our lives to anyone we do it with fear and trembling before the Lord and know that the person we have opened our lives to is not there to hurt us, but to help us. Our accountability partners are not there to see us fail, but to see us succeed in life and in our walks with the Lord. They love us so much that they have taken the time and the awesome responsibility to hold us accountable, not to themselves, but to God. Lets not make their tasks any harder than they need to be.

Accountability is not about having the right to rule over someone but to invite someone you have the utmost trust and confidence into your life to hold you accountable to a higher standard. It is an open invitation to have your confidant walk alongside you, to be there to provide a fresh outlook on life, an objective point of view.

A new day

2008-11-05T10:08:00.004-05:00

I have to be honest, I wanted to crawl under my sheets this morning and not go anywhere today. Yep, I'm a Republican, I'm a conservative Right Wing, CHRISTIAN Republican. I'm also a citizen of this great country we call the United States of America. I'm an American and despite my party affiliation, despite my differences with the left and the now incumbent President Elect, I still live in the greatest country God gave man.

Now is not the time to be embittered. Now is not the time to feel depressed or disappointed that our vote fell short of expectations. Now more than ever we need to stand together, and stand united. Last night I watched history take place. Another chapter of American history has turned and a new chapter has begun. We need to celebrate what this stands for, that a country short of 50-60 years ago was hosing down black folk, a country that treated black Americans lower than animals today has elected its first Black American as President of our great country of liberty and freedom. For that we celebrate, despite what he stands for, despite the issues, we go beyond the issues and see what this vote represents. 50 years ago, this would have never happened. We would have never elected anyone of color, much less a black man to hold the highest office in the land. That alone is reason to celebrate how far we have come as a country. To have a black man holding the highest office in the land says volumes.

OK, now that we got that out of the way, Yeah I'm not happy, not in the least. I am still a Christian Conservative Republican. I still hold to a moral compass that points true north. I believe in life, and will fight for the morals and values that our once great country was founded upon. This isn't just a sign of the times, the country as divided as it is, has elected, like it or not the most liberal presidential candidate that has ever run for political office in this our country. We as body of believers had our time, and as the prophetic clock speedily winds down to that midnight hour, we are faced with the greatest challenge we have ever faced. Its not time to tuck in our tails, but to stand upright and represent God in these most important of days. In the coming days and months you are going to hear things, laws will pushed through congress, the conservative voice has never had a greater calling than it does now. As one of my favorite talking heads likes to quote from my favorite author, "let not your heart be troubled." This still is the greatest country God ever gave man.

We stand and fight for the issues we believe in, we stand and fight for our unborn, and keep marriage holy and honorable in the sight of God. Let us not go by the way of the transgressor, let us stand and be heard, let us send a message to the country and to the world that our voices will not go away. We will continue to stand and serve as a beacon of light and a beacon of real hope.

People are hungry for change. They are hungry for hope. The souls of man have never been as readied and primed as they are now for the gospel. The challenge is there for us to accept. We must with all vigilance not despair but be emboldened to pick up our cross, and finish this race. Children of God we are at the last leg of this race. We have seen the twilight of this great and wondrous country and before the clock strikes midnight, we must stand up and fight for the souls of man.

Don't despair, as tempting as it is to give in to it, our work is far from over. Let us pray for our country, let us pray for our leaders, for our new president elect and his cabinet staff, let us pray for our senate and our congressional leaders. This is not a time to despair, but to as God once told Joshua

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go"

Joshua 1:9 NiV

Be strong, be vigilant, and remember who you are in God. He is sovereign and He reigns, despite who takes the oval office, despite who is or isnt elected into political office, God is greater still.

I love you all, stay encouraged everyone and let us all use the gifts, talents, skills and strengths that have been bestowed upon us by our Creator to change a world for Christ.

my dear brother in the Lord

2008-10-01T23:52:00.003-04:00

this is dedicated in the loving memory of Jeff Miller
a dear friend and brother in the Lord

Tonight after a year and a half fight with cancer, he went to be with the Lord. He left hundreds of family and friends, grieving his loss. He was a genuine friend who was gracious, humble and meek. He was adventurous, had a love for speed and frequented oriental cuisine, (sushi anyone?)

Jeffrey Miller was a young man from NY, big New York sports fan, and a bigger Yankees fan. He was employed with Campus Crusade for Christ, and was a part of the Jesus Film Project. He was an integral part of our I.T. team, highly skilled and knowledgeable. He loved all things tech and loved his job and the people he served. He served with a servants heart.

Jeff we prayed for you and pleaded the Lord to keep you here, but He decided to take you home anyway. You will be thoroughly missed my man. I'm still looking forward to having sushi again with you, but it looks like it will have to wait until we meet again. You were a genuine brother who gave unselfishly, you were and still are a model of Christ we can all aspire to.

We love you brother, I'll see you in glory!

1 Thes 4:13-14

Making God the issue

2008-07-11T12:37:00.003-04:00

Pushed out, uninvited, shunned, disrespected, mocked and most vilified personality in all history. Locked out, tossed aside, spat on and laughed at.

He has been tossed out of more public places than anyone else in all of history. He is the most uninvited guest, and yet He is the first one we cry out to when calamity strikes.

When “acts of God” occur we are quick to lay blame, or give reasons as to why there is no God when bad things occur in the lives of others.

How on earth are we expected to say these things and yet continue to shut the door on His face; this is hypocrisy personified.

We stop prayer in schools, we outlaw confessions and professions of faith in the public square saying that uttering the name of Jesus Christ is divisive in nature, we legalize marriage between what God calls an abomination and yet applaud the bravery of those who know full well that a same sex union is wrong, distasteful and goes against the very law of nature itself. We have been created to procreate, to be fruitful and multiply, to fill the earth and to live in its abundance. We are to leave to our children a legacy, a rich and godly heritage, and yet we are called bigoted if we call sin for what it is.

Old traditional values? Are we just being narrow-minded? What would our fore-fathers say of us today? What about the countless sacrifices, the blood that was spilt for us to enjoy the freedoms and liberties we take for granted? What would they say about our actions today? Narrow-minded? Bigoted? Our fore-fathers are rolling in their graves.

We live in a world of double standards. We cry out injustice, and yet live our lives in abject darkness.

The bible states that one day we will all take in account of all that we have ever done in our lives. One day, the Judge will come, and when that day comes, every knee shall bow, every mouth will confess that Jesus the Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is the ever reigning, ever majestic God of Creation, and for those who chose to turn their noses up at Him will now have to answer to the very one they rejected all of their lives.

Abortion, gay marriage, aids and std’s, premarital sex, drug and alcohol abuse, teenage suicide, euthanasia, pornography, these are all just symptoms. Spitefulness, hatred, lust for power, greed, a filthy mouth uttering obscenities, these are all just symptoms of something far more grave and dire. These are not the cause but the signs of moral decay, not just in our culture, but moral decay that resides in the hearts of every man, woman and child. We live in a fallen society. Since the dawn of time we have battled the enemy of our fleshly desires, our earthly lusts that war against the very God nature that makes us ache in places we didn't know existed, deep in the farthest recesses of our hearts.

There is a God shaped hole in the hearts of man; to deny that is to deny our very existence.

Deceit is his greatest weapon, and it is used artfully against us daily.

He revels in dragging the Lord’s name through the mud, however we must never forget that in order to save the lost, we must not try to treat the symptom, but the underlying cause of the sickness.

The absence of God, and the utter removal of God and the things of God from the public eye.

God has to be brought back to the public consciousness. The need for God in our lives and the pursuit of Him overrides all other concerns. We are so concerned over the economy, soaring gas prices, foreclosures, loss of wages and jobs, prices hikes at the supermarket, we are so concerned over things we have no control over that we forget who has control over everything. God is not an “ace in the hole” to be pulled out, an emergency life-line, or our fire extinguisher locked away in a glass box to be broken in case of an emergency. He is our very reason for existence. He breathes life into everything; He is not just some prize to behold, a magic wand to make everything right again, and when we think we “got it” we put Him back into the box.

People, hello? God is Holy! He is not just something to be used as a weapon, or some magic solution to cure whatever ails us. He is Creator God, the author and master artist who breathed life into the very world we live on. The vastness of the galaxy, let alone the universe astounds me, yet we forget why we were ever created in the first place.

We were made to worship and adore our Creator God. We ought to live our lives in honor of the one who gave us life. Honoring your father and mother are just a precursor on how we should honor the Lord. We are to love, adore and honor the ones who chose to give us life, how much more God?

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
Where do our priorities lay? Who comes first in our lives? Do our actions give our lives credence, or do they condemn us?

How are our lives ordered, and how do they fall in line with God’s plan for our lives?

God first,

Our spouse next,

and our children close behind.

Our responsibility is to honor the Lord first, then our family, with our spouse being placed at the seat of honor behind the Lord.

Is our life in order, or is it in abject chaos? Are you seeing the favor of the Lord manifest in your life, or are you constantly living in fear of losing everything? Are things in life, like your finances slipping through your fingers like grains of sand, or are you simply letting the things that are most important to you in life lay in the Master’s hands?

God is the issue, let us address Him first before we try to deal with all of life’s other problems.
He never promised life would be easy for the believer, but He has promised that He would never leave us nor abandon us, even in our time of greatest need.

God is not only a God of integrity, He is integrity personified. He is a God of His word. You can trust His word like no other.

If you haven’t accepted the Lord as your personal savior, why not ask Him now?

Pray this prayer with me now?
Dear Lord Jesus, please forgive me of my sins, cleanse my heart of all wickedness that I may have a heart to serve you. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. Come into my heart Lord Jesus, make my heart yours. Please take your rightful place on the throne of my heart, fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may have the power to live victorious in you. Help me to live my life to always honor you and to be light in darkness, to lead many to the decision I have just made. It is in your most Holy name I pray.
-Amen

If you have just prayed that prayer, then I rejoice with you my new brother/sister in the Lord. Spread the news, don’t keep it bottled up. Get involved in a local church, get rooted and grounded in a bible believing church that will help you and encourage you in your new walk with the Lord.

Overcoming the odds

2008-06-25T10:21:00.002-04:00

Wow, where do I start? It's been a long time since I last posted here. My apologies to everyone that comes often to check out the blog. Lately I haven't had any drive to write, primarily and honestly the only thing I have been writing and posting are on anime sites or sport sites. How is that using my gift properly is beyond me, but for the past week, it's been my earnest desire to come back in here and get everyone caught up with whats been going on in our lives.

Well since the last post we were just finishing up with Financial Peace University. If you haven't gone, i highly recommend it to you all. It's a wonderful class and has so much meat and take away value. It will forever change the way you look at finances. Thank God for my church and the pastoral staff for fronting the finances for us to attend. Since then we have made huge strides in our finances. We still have a long way to go, however we have a budget we work from now and eliminating debt. We are in the process of selling our rental home, please keep this in prayer as this will hugely help us further get out of financial indebtedness. We are still living on one income, with a family of 5 it has been a struggle, but thank the Lord we have been making our essentials. Unfortunately what that means that our "other bills" haven't been touched so we have fallen dangerously behind on a lot of payments. I'm praying that the sale of this house will help us get caught up and pay some of these nagging bills that have been nipping at our heels for over a year now.

My son is as tall as I am now, he wears pants now that are at my length, but he's still thin as a rail. He's growing like crazy, i cant believe he's going to start high school in the fall. His GPA this past year was in the threes, so we are very proud of what he has accomplished. We have enrolled him in Florida virtual school, so please keep us and Darius in prayer. I know he will do great, I just want him to stay focused, and that we do our very best to maintain some balance and structure in his life. With him starting school at home, this means my wife will be staying home on a more permanent basis. It's a sacrifice especially knowing our financial status right now, but I know God will honor our decisions on providing our children the very best environment for them to succeed in their education.

Mariana turned 3 this past May. She is so beautiful and really has been the beat of my heart. We almost lost her last month due to a pool accident, thankfully she is well and more independent than ever. We thank God for Kenny for being there and serving as her rescuer.

She is talking a lot more, getting potty trained and really doing more and more things on her own. She's a firecracker and a real character, she'll make you bust out laughing, she really takes after her mother. :)

Elijah is turning 1 next month. He's still larger than life. The boy is just massive, but not unhealthy, he just looks like a linebacker for the Tampa Bay Bucs. That boy is going to be my superstar one day, lol! He's just a bundle of joy, so good natured and showing early signs of independence. He wants to crawl, crawl, crawl. Before you know it he'll be running around making all kinds of chaos, he's a boy man, and it's awesome!

Dacia and I are doing good. We have been making strides in our marriage and in our communication. With the budget and with our financial planning, tithing and becoming more and more financially responsible, its helped us get a sense of peace we hadn't felt in a long time. We still have a long way to go, but thank the Lord we are so much better off now.

The job continues wonderfully. I work with a great group of people. For a time I couldn't say honestly that I was happy, even here because of the financial issues that we were suffering through. I believe we are turning a corner and hopefully soon we can say that all of our hardships, trials and tribulations were all worth it to get where we are.

We can gripe about the economy, we can gripe about gas prices soaring, the cost of gas is effecting everything we come in contact with, however consumerism is still soaring. We as a people are still making high priced purchases, people are still attending theme parks, and we are all still going to the pump. What are we doing different? Like many people, and like many families we were drowning in a financial mire. We had no plan, we didn't know where our money was going, and how much we had available to pay for our basic necessities. Now we are making our mortgage, our utilities are being paid, we have food on the table and we have a gas allowance per pay period. We don't have much more room to do anything else, but thankfully we aren't out on the street.

The biggest thing, and the largest thing we can point to our recent advance in our finances is largely due to two things, one, we tithe. We are faithful tithers if nothing else. I don't care what any one's views are on that, I wholeheartedly believe in the scripture found in Malachi 3. Tithing to me has been the major turning point in our family's well being. When we began to tithe, God began to aright our listless ship. When we attended Financial Peace and I became a student of Dave Ramsey, we finally had a plan and a course direction to follow. With a budget that works, and a plan to follow, it has helped us maintain a semblance of order in our family. I freak now when we get paid and I haven't gotten around to writing up our budget.

One day, and hopefully one day soon, my hope is to be able to share our testimony when we are finally debt free and we owe no one but the house payment. We are still on the bottom looking up, but there is real, tangible hope we are holding onto, and that's a lot more than what we were able to say before.

If you are facing a mountain, insurmountable odds, an impassable object barring your path, as long as you have God on your side, there is absolutely nothing impossible for the one who places their trust in Him. If you give it to Him, then you can rest assured He will lead you to conquer your giants and move onto greater success; becoming more than over-comers, but pillars of success for others to follow. Fiery trials almost always precedes great moments of success. You have to pay your dues before you can enjoy the spoils. Work isn't glamorous, however it makes it all the more satisfying when you are able to reap the fruits of your labors.

I'm learning, it may be a bit slow going, but I know that God has a plan, and knowing that He is with me makes all the difference.

Hopefully it wont be so long in between posts next time. Stay encouraged, and we hope to see you again here soon.

May God bless you abundantly

The Jesus Film Tour

2008-05-02T18:00:00.004-04:00

Today the Lord got my attention. I asked the Lord a couple of months ago what and why I was here. I didn't feel like I belonged, and it took all that was within me from bolting off the property and not come back here again. Today for the first time, I was able to go through the "tour". I got a hold of the vision for the Jesus Film Project, and I was in tears. The awesomeness of the whole thing left me speechless. It really put things into perspective, seeing lives transformed by the power of the gospel message through film. I saw a multitude of men, women and the children, oh my the children, the wails that came from these children, they got it. They really got it and their hearts were turned to Him. Seeing their eyes light up seeing the Jesus Film for the first time, being in awe of the spectacle, and hearing the Lord speak in their native tongue, amazing doesn't nearly express the magnitude of what I saw.

I sat in rapt attention, full of emotion, if i wasn't anywhere but there, I would have become an emotional mess right there in the middle of the tour. Lord, you saw fit to bring me to this place and become a part of this vision. Words fail me to express how truly honored I feel to be here now.

Oh the children, seeing them get it, crying like they did, watching the Lord be captured, tortured and crucified, it was almost too much to see.

I can tell you one thing, after going through the tour, watching the lives that this ministry has helped change through the years, it gives me all the more motivation to come here and truly become a servant to everyone that steps through those doors, especially to those that I have been called to serve; the staff at Campus Crusade, Jesus Film proper. Lord I got it. I truly got it!

How truly thankful I am to have been placed in a position to help those that are literally out in the mission field, obedient servants who risk their lives daily for the cause of Christ.

Please pray for this ministry, please pray that we here at Campus Crusade never lose our focus. Each of us has a role to fulfill, each has a function, and my job is to help in anyway I can to keep the gears going.

Wherever you are, no matter what job you have, whether it be at home, or in an office, or on the construction site, be faithful. Look for ways to serve, and never fail to show Christ's love.

Beloved have a wonderful weekend and a blessed Lord's day.
May God bless you richly.

updates, updates, updates

2008-04-17T10:12:00.003-04:00

Hey guys, sorry its been so long. To be honest, I miss logging on here everyday and writing in here. Although I have been steadily working on my writing projects, not coming in here to post has left a void in my life.

Well, things are going great at my new job. I thank God everyday that I am here, that I get to walk through those double doors and step into my office to serve the Lord one more day at the place I have longed to be for over 10 years. Doors continue to open as opportunities to use my gifting becomes more prevalent. I'm shocked to say the least as how God continues to move here and places me where my heart longs to be. I never gave it a whole of thought about in what direction I should take my writing; but as I move forward, I see my love for screen writing becoming more and more dominant over any other form of writing. I have always loved writing stories. Crafting them and making them deep and involving. It has always been a passion of mine. Funny, I always focused on one aspect of story telling through my art and as a friend pointed out to me, that you gotta step back and take a look at the big picture. It's the whole thing, not just one aspect.

I wanted so bad to finish art school, to complete my "education" that there was so much more the Lord wanted me to learn. My focus was not on the right things and the more I wanted something, the more obsessive I became. My focus was no longer on God, it was on the things.

Education is not a bad thing, but what was my final intended goal, what was I shooting for? What was I sacrificing for? I neglected my responsibilities, lost everything I longed for and was left with a ton of misery, a ton of bad goods, and a broken heart. I was left in worse shape than I was when I first came to know the Lord. In these past few months, I have come to realize what's truly important are the relationships that we keep. My walk with the Lord and becoming a faithful steward has become my primary focus. Finances, my marriage, the well being of my family, maintaining a happy home, none of this is possible without turning it all over to the Lord. It's hard to accomplish these more important aspects in our lives when we have other distractions vying for our attention. For men, all we want to do is fix things and make it all work. Most of the time, we end up beating our head against the wall when things dont fall into place and work like we would want them to. At the end of our rope when we think "I cant take any more", it's when we get a gentle nudge that it's not through our own power and strength, but through His that we can ever hope to achieve true success.

We can not do anything apart from the Lord. When we try to do things under our own power, more often than not we leave with egg on our faces.

Guys, I'll try not to stay gone so long next time, and post more regularly. There is always time to post a word or two so no more excuses on my part :).

Hope you all have an excellent day, may God bless you richly!

The Crucified Christ

2008-03-20T18:11:00.004-04:00

In Matthew the 26th Chapter, The Lord instituted and established the New Covenant. With earnest desire He stated how He looked forward to sharing this passover with His disciples. The shadow of things had passed into history, sitting in bodily form in their very presence sat the culmination of prophecy right before their eyes. Unfortunately not a single disciple understood until later what the Lord was doing before them. He was to be the passover lamb, slaughtered for the remission of sins. He was our atonement, God's unspotted unblemished Lamb, given as a sacrifice for our redemption.

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom."

(Matthew 26:26-30 NKJV)

On the evening of the Passover Seder, as the Lord broke the bread and passed the cup, I cant help but imagine what must have ran in His mind. His body would become broken, torn to pieces, ravaged by His tormentors. He would be beaten, bruised and battered beyond all recognition; He would be laughed at, mocked, scorned and despised; He would become ridiculed and rejected by the very ones who worshipped Him. As He poured the wine into the cup, and drank from it, it must have tasted bitter to Him. The blood that would be shed later that day would be shed for all of humanity. To right a wrong set forth by the first Adam, the second Adam would make right again with His own life. He would spill His blood and drain Himself to satisfy the debt entirely. Without the shed blood, there is no remission of sins. The price that would satisfy the debt held to man would cost Him His very life.

Innocent, free of guilt, shame and all manner of sin. The Son of God was thrown into a kangaroo court, no juris prudence, no "innocent until prove guilty" here, He was found guilty even before the guards came to apprehend Him. He had no one to represent His case, He had no jury of His peers, all manner of order in the court system was thrown out the window. Mock accusations and false charges were brought against Him with no opposing litigation in His defense. When brought before Pilate, the charges were changed to fit the punishment. The Pharisee's wanted Jesus dead, and not just any death would do, He had to be crucified. Normally for the charges of blasphemy, you would taken out back and stoned to death. Stoning just seemed to kind i guess. The Romans were known for their brutality, and the Chief Priests were going to seek the full extent of the law. They wanted to see Jesus cringe, suffer, and die at the hands of their captors.

You are a King, where are your loyal subjects, where are your armies?
If you are the Son of God, then save yourself.

They laughed and spat upon Him. Treating Him less than an animal, they threw His body at the Romans and brought up more false charges and skewed testimonies to force the hand of the Roman Procurator to render the fatal sentence.

The one who opened the blind eyes, made the lame to walk, fed 5000, raised Lazarus from the dead, healed the woman with the issue of blood, took the Pharisees to task and flung the money charges out of the temple, this very man now stood in the presence of the Roman Procurator, and yet did not utter a word for His own defense. He could have opened His mouth only one time, and Pilate would have set Him free. Pilate didn't want anything to do with this man, and stated so to the Pharisees. Yet, and however as Pilate questioned the Lord, Jesus did not utter a word of defense.

So Pilate asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?"

"Yes, it is as you say"

Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no basis for a charge against this man."

Luke 23:3,4 (NiV)

Pilate finding out He was Galilean, sent Him over to Herod to try Him. Knowing the Herod was Governor of Judea, he would send Jesus to the courts of Galileans. Why should Pilate have to deal with this. More ridicule by the hands of a puppet ruler, Herod made sport of Jesus and mocked Him. Again, Jesus did not say a word. Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate.

This is what Pilate had to say when Jesus was returned to him.

"You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. Therefore, I will punish him and then release him."

Pilate had Him scourged.

The Romans were cruel, their were professional soldiers who specialized in the punishment of prisoners. Tied at the end of a stick, were leather straps with broken pieces of metal and bone. This would come across the back, neck and legs of the prisoner. The one administering the punishment would bring the prisoner to the brink of death and would leave them a massive bleeding bruise. Flesh torn asunder, the prisoner would be then brought back out and released.

The stripes He received and the blood that was spilt was not enough to satisfy or dissuade the crowds cruel and insatiable desire. Make no mistake about it, behind all of this, the enemy of our souls reveled and taunted Jesus every step of the way. Although we could see the physical, no one could see the spiritual battle, the emotional battle waging within the mind of the Lord.

18With one voice they cried out, "Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!"

19(Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)

20Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again.

21But they kept shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!"

22For the third time he spoke to them: "Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him."

23But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed.

24So Pilate decided to grant their demand.

25He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.

Down the long and arduous journey to Golgotha, the place of the skull, the Lord was made to carry His cross to be later nailed and left to die.

You would think, ok, that's enough, its over. Far from it, Jesus now underwent the long walk down the Villa Dolorosa, with no sleep from the previous evening, maintaining full capacity over His mental faculties, His body a massive bloodied bruise, the Lord shouldered His cross and headed down the cobble hand laid stone street to Cavalry.

Amidst more mockery, and ridicule, He endured the arduous journey to the cross.

Why did He do it? Why did He choose to suffer?

Obedience, and love.

Obedience and love to the Father, and His unconditional love for us. He endured the cross for you. He chose to suffer and die cruelly in your place, so the debt held against you would be paid once and for all.

How great is His love for us that He chose to suffer and die in such a horrible way. His claims were true, He was and is the Son of the living God. He sits at the right hand of the Father interceding on our behalf. This Easter Sunday, as we celebrate the Resurrection, the living and risen Savior, He beckons to us to live a life that is worthy of His sacrifice. To live a life that glorifies the Son and speaks of His love for us.

Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

The Crucified Christ died in order for you to be free. Have you accepted His unspeakable gift? He died for everyone, for all have sinned and fallen short of God's glorious standard. No matter how far you have fallen, no matter what sin you have committed, His forgiveness is available to everyone.

The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One."
The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."
There was a written notice above him, which read:THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"
But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence?
We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."
Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
Jesus' Death
It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour,
for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.
Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.
The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, "Surely this was a righteous man."
When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

Luke 23:32-49 (NiV)

It's time saints of God to stop playing church. For some we've been sitting on the side lines for far too long, and for others, you are on the outside looking in. Isn't time you stop watching? Isn't it time you accept God's calling over your life? It's time to get in the game and realize who we are in Christ Jesus. We are called to be the righteousness of Christ. We ARE the body, isn't time we start acting like it?

Do you feel the burning within your hearts? He's calling, it is up to you to answer.

Have a blessed Easter, May God bless you richly!

picking up your cross

2008-03-12T18:19:00.000-04:00

And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14:27 (NLT)

This will be the last post I leave for a while.

What does it mean to pick up your cross? Everyone has a calling. We are all called for something. It's called purpose. We were all created for one purpose in mind, to worship the only one deemed worthy, Jesus Christ our Lord. With this in mind, each one of us in the body has a particular function.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

Interesting note that we must all closely examine, take it for what its worth, but it should serve notice to those who willingly oppose or find "loopholes" In God's contract over our lives.

Check this commentary out for Matthew 16: 24-28

Christ reveals his mind to his people gradually. From that time, when the apostles had made the full confession of Christ, that he was the Son of God, he began to show them of his sufferings. He spake this to set right the mistakes of his disciples about the outward pomp and power of his kingdom. Those that follow Christ, must not expect great or high things in this world. Peter would have Christ to dread suffering as much as he did; but we mistake, if we measure Christ's love and patience by our own. We do not read of any thing said or done by any of his disciples, at any time, that Christ resented so much as this. Whoever takes us from that which is good, and would make us fear to do too much for God, speaks Satan's language. Whatever appears to be a temptation to sin, must be resisted with abhorrence, and not be parleyed with. Those that decline suffering for Christ, savour more of the things of man than of the things of God.

"Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible is available in the Public Domain"

Does God want you to suffer? In my opinion, I would say a resounding no. Why would any parent want to see any of their children suffer. However, leaving your delinquent teenager in jail for an overnight stay or two to get their heads straightened out could be considered harsh, but its still love. You do more harm when you leave out the discipline.

Besides discipline, because many of us deserve a good whoopin' from time to time, Christ Himself stated that we would suffer persecution for His name's sake. Just because we are Christian's who choose to live a life contrary to the way the rest of the world lives. We will be ridiculed, laughed at and treated unfairly. It's a cross we must all bear and here is where the Lord is leading up to in the above statement.

You must first deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow me.

You leave everything behind and you forge ahead in Christ. Despite what anyone else says, God called each of us out to fulfill His Great Commission. In whatever capacity He may have us in, we must do all we can to see a world set free from bondage's, oppression and slavery to sin. God calls us out of our comfort zones and brings us into an uncomfortable place in our lives. The problem is the enemy has dulled each of us, pushed us into our own little box and lulled us into a drugged stupor. We become complacent and find no reason to come out of the box. We hate discomfort. We hate to be challenged. We like our routine world with no changes. God is weeding out the chaff and collecting the wheat into the storehouse. There is a remnant, God's chosen elect is burning with fierce intensity to spread His Gospel message to an unbelieving world. How are we influencing the world around us.

Many of us feel that we are unable, handicapped by debt, or some other bondage of shame that keeps us from sharing with others. How can I minister to others when I myself am not free.

Saints of God, time is of the essence. That time is now, not tomorrow, not later, it's now! Its time we get off our rumps, off our kiester's and go. Stop making excuses for yourself as to why you haven't taken any action. You know what you need to do and you are being disobedient when you do nothing. Shame on you.

This message is hitting me more than it is any of you. So please don't feel under any condemnation, this is to exhort you, and get the fires inside of you to burn with a fierce intensity for the Lord.

This will be my last post for the foreseeable future, and I wanted to leave with you an exhortation. God has poured into you more in these past few months than He has at any other time in your life. He has brought you out of darkness and has placed your feet on solid ground. Its time we stop playing church and become the church, the hands and feet of Christ. It's time we reach out to the unreachable. It's time we touch the hearts and lives of others, and begin to fulfill our roles as minsters of the gospel. Whether you are ordained ministers or lay people in your current assembly, you know that its past time to get involved.

Will you accept your calling or will you see your world go to a devil's hell due to your inactivity or unwillingness and disobedience. Realize who you are in Christ and know that the same Holy Ghost who raised our Lord from the tomb is the same who dwells within each one of us.

The time is now to rock your world for Christ.

Stay prayerful, be obedient and follow after Him for all your worth. There is no greater calling.

In Christ

short hiatus

2008-03-12T16:41:00.004-04:00

hey guys, I'm going to take a short break from posting in order to devote the time necessary for my other writing projects.

From time to time I will leave a post, but it will be more infrequent than it has been recently.

In the meantime, I will be sending in more posts at calle romano's sister site, "who am I". This site was created for such a time as this. It will be to focus more on my creative writing and developing the gifting for God's glory. There you can find updates and look over my shoulder on some of my writing projects. This site will remain my primary site, and Lord willing, go back to having regular postings as before.

Please keep me and my family in prayer as we seek to obey the Lord's leading for our lives.

Blessings to you and your families

prayerfully consider

2008-03-10T14:51:00.006-04:00

I ain't feeling it today, so its better to post something meaningful rather than not post anything at all.

Please keep in prayer as I prayerfully undertake three projects, two writing projects and an art project, my first art project in a very long time. I have the opportunity to submit an original script at Campus. I am praying that this will open more doors of opportunity to write, and write more often. They are looking for professional manuscripts, the important thing for me right now is getting the content down then I'll worry about format later. Keeping the format is my biggest hurdle, but I also want God to have His way with this writing project, so please keep me and this project in prayer.

The art project is for another anthology series a colleague of mine is working on and he's asked me to work on a piece for him. It's a one page piece, and they need it by the 30th of June. We already have a theme in mind, but cant seem to get a bead on what to draw yet. This is for an outreach ministry and will be used to evangelize the 18-25 age range.

If any of you have any ideas, please feel free to send them to me.

The theme will be on the "Good Samaritan", the underlying theme the project lead is leaning on is "entertaining angels unawares". I want to keep it from being overly "religious" the unsaved can smell this a mile away and will steer clear from anything "religious" in nature, however I want to have an image that both draws the person in, and strikes a chord for the viewer. I want to illicit a response of some sort, and I imagine this piece can eventually become the cover for this publication.

The other writing piece is for the same project with the same theme. The last thing I want to do is take my last writing piece for granted, my current graphic novel script underwent a ton of rewrites until it matured into its current state. I'm very happy on how it looks today, but I had to essentially sacrifice a lot to get there. In the end, it truly was a labor of love. I have sent this to one of my coworkers at JFP, so please keep this in prayer that it finds the right set of eyes. I pray that the Lord use it magnificently for His kingdom.

I'm trying to be faithful with the tasks that present themselves, and take advantage of any and every opportunity to operate in my gifting. I want to bless and minister not only to the body but primarily to the lost and hurting. This is for them. So please, prayerfully consider these projects as I move forward in the Lord.

thought for today:
Prayer, have you thought to pray? Have you sought the Lord today? Are you connected or are you simply riding on manual, under your own strength? Pray when you don't feel like it, pray when you are up, and pray when you are down. Don't stop to think about it, reach out to the True source, the power-source who is able to not only keep you charged, but running long after the sun has gone down. Pray, pray, pray some more, when you feel at your worst, pray some more, when you feel at your lowest, pray some more, when you feel down and out, pray some more, when you're happy, pray and thank the Lord, when you're sad and angry, pray and release it into the hands of your mighty savior, pray until you get your breakthrough, pray without ceasing, and bring heaven and it's heavenly forces upon the very door steps of hell to overcome and defeat the oppressive armies of darkness that threatens to overtake you.

We have an altogether more than capable advocate, His name is Jesus. He has taken our case and has gone before the Judge to plead and deliberate on our behalf. He has promised to never leave us, nor forsake us. When no one stands beside you, when all of those so-called friends have abandoned you, Jesus will still be there. Long after all has left you, He has promised to never, ever leave your side.

(The essence for today's "thought for today" was taken from a sermon from a very gifted speaker, I have long forgot his name but his words live on with clarity, may God bless you brother, wherever you may be.)

pray without ceasing
1 Thes 5:17 (NKJV)

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
James 5:16b (KJV)

Pray saints of God, pray until you hear from God. Pray with earnest, pray with sincerity, pray with boldness, and seek His face until you get your answer.

Pray often and encourage one another in love,
May God bless you richly

Freedom! pt 2

2008-03-07T11:51:00.007-05:00

I really wanted to go on with John MacArthur's study, but man this stuff is bubbling up inside of me; it just wouldn't be right to keep this inside and not share what's on my heart today.

Some time ago, a friend, mentor and Pastor told me in my ear, I was an agent for freedom.
He's my spiritual surrogate father :)

I didn't catch on until only recently what that truly meant.

In my heart of hearts, I want to see people walk out their faith with boldness, and godly confidence. I want to see countless souls, all precious in the sight of a holy God, saved, delivered and set free from every bondage. I want to see you set free from shame, guilt, drugs and booze, any and every kind of drug related addiction, porn, perversion, I want to see families restored, I want to see families set free from the bondage of debt. I want to be a recipient of that freedom and bless the body in return, 10, 100, a thousand fold.

Maybe this is why I am so passionate about getting mad over debt, over personal finances, or the lack their of. For a believer, there should be no such thing as lack. The Lord is our portion. He not only owns the cattle but He owns the hills the cattle are on.

Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. Lam 3:23-25 (NLT)

For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine. Psalm 50:10-11 (NKJV)

I'm not talking about prosperity preaching here, I'm talking about getting free from the hand of Satan over our lives and walking out our faith with fear and trembling. To be bold and proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, taking the Gospel message to anyone who will hear.

The Bible states that the borrower is slave to the lender. When we borrow goods, services or money from an institution or even a family member, we become indebted to them. We become their slaves to put it plainly. Saints of God, we need to stop borrowing, we need to get out of debt, and start becoming serious about living a holy and righteous life, pleasing to the Master.

If we want to be all God wants us to be, we need to take care of these blockades and strongholds in our lives, like debt and knock them out in Jesus name.

Get around people who are like-minded, who share the same vision, similar goals, get encouraged, get fired up and live the life you only dreamed of living.

Living free in Christ is above and beyond what makes our walk and our confession all the more appealing to the non-believer. Why would they ever want our Christ, when we are no better off than they are. Why would they want to believe in a God who they think is powerless to set the least among us free from a life of bondage and slavery.

There is a difference between getting out from under a yoke of oppression that you placed upon yourself and going through tribulations like fighting an onset of cancer. I know guys that have never picked up a cigarette in their lives, and yet their lives were turned upside down when that deadly death sentence came knocking on their door.

Praise God forever that they are healed today and set free in Jesus name!

Freedom in Christ should be the goal for every believer, and to live a life that glorifies the Son. This is in my opinion the greatest witness you can ever give, and the most powerful.

http://calleromano.blogspot.com/2007/12/freedom.html

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Gal 5:1 (NiV)

Saints of the most high and exalted God, be blessed, be encouraged and may you have a wonderful Lord's day!

May God bless you richly!

ownership

2008-03-05T10:04:00.009-05:00

If given the choice among radio ministries, my favorite would have to be Chuck Swindoll's "Insight for Living" ministry. I have learned more under his ministry than I have under any other teacher bar none.

With that being said (I missed Chuck this morning) I had the radio tuned into 950 and John MacArthur was on. I'm not a big fan. To be honest, most of the time if he's on, I tune him out and change the station. Sorry Johnnie-Mac fans. However, lol, I gotta give the brother props, I listened through today and came away with some really delicious spiritual morsels.

The jury is still out, but he's got my attention. I will be looking forward to hearing more from this prolific theologian. The brother is good, I give him that.

Today he was teaching on salvation. Many evangelical circles have split up discipleship from coming to Christ. Some are actually watering down the gospel message so much so that many believe that all you have to believe is in a God. When we are reaching out to others about the Lord, we must be very careful of how we evangelize the lost; winning them over to Christ.

Pastor Mac was talking about the Lord's method for evangelism, it was very controversial then, and it still is today. We are so careful not to step on peoples toes. Some say "Its too tough for people to swallow, we have to spoon feed people." What are we hiding? Walking with the Lord is a hard thing to do. It's not for the faint hearted, but the rewards far out weigh the alternative. Many of us have only begun to walk, and the elders of our churches are just waiting for us to take the reins from them, however many of us are still drinking spiritual milk. We still struggle with silly things, stumble and strain over spiritual gnats instead of toppling over the spiritual mountains that lie before us. Taking back the lost within our own family for me is one mountain I wish to see won for Christ. Although we have experienced a set back, its not too difficult to overcome. The enemy always likes to make a mountain out of a molehill, drag things out and make us throw our hands up in defeat and walk away with a "why bother" attitude. Sorry, I don't want to see one soul suffering for all eternity in a devil's hell. That's not my idea of retribution, I would rather stick my nose at him and serve him notice that not one of these precious ones will be lost to the cause of Christ. Not one!

Back to the lesson, lol

So what is the Lord's method of evangelizing? I'm glad you asked, :)

"Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus."

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
Matt 16:24-25 (NKJV)

We know the verse, but Pastor Mac really broke it down; today he focused on denying yourself. This teaching alone will get me to come back for more tomorrow.

Denying your own rights to yourself

When you come to Christ, you are at your wits end, you've tried everything else and have become sick of the world's standard fare.

You are so sick of yourself that you cant stand the sight of yourself, your own smell nauseates you, you are sickened at the mere mention of loving yourself. How can I love something that I am so repulsed by. Think the prodigal

When Christ says, deny yourself, this is what He was talking about.

You are telling the Lord, I cant even tie my own shoes, I cant seem to do anything right, I need you Lord, and I don't want anything this world has to offer anymore. I am through with myself and I need you to take ownership over my life and make it all right for me.

You basically are declaring spiritual bankruptcy over your existence.

Here's the wonderful thing, it doesn't show up on your credit report, LOL!

Isn't that awesome!

To quote a close friend of ours, ownership of ourselves is an 'illusion'. We have no personal rights to ourselves. We are either slaves to one world or slaves to another; to sin or to righteousness. When we give up our supposed "rights"to ourselves, we essentially give up our citizenship to this world and instantly are granted kingdom citizenship with all of the rights and privileges that belong to the royal family of Christ.

True freedom can be found in Christ, but we need to first deny ourselves before we can ever have the opportunity to discover what true freedom is like.

This is really good stuff and I cant wait to share the rest of this message with you, until then however, be encouraged in His love

May God bless you richly

PURPOSE

2008-03-04T11:16:00.007-05:00

What is my purpose?

What is yours?

Do you know what it is?

Many people go through life without truly knowing.

Although many people are searching, seeking for answers, many go through life without really looking into the unknown depths of their hearts. Do you want to know what's there? Do you want to even dare look into that place?

It's not scary, not in the least.

But to look in for some is to invite a sense of great despair and to acknowledge an intense longing within the core of our being.

Here is where the very spirit of God belongs.

As many of us know, this place was occupied with self, with cheap knock-offs, trying to fill a God shaped hole with anything but God. Like it or not, we all have that God shaped hole in our hearts, that missing something that gives our lives meaning. It is the very breath of life, the real wind beneath our wings. Every other pursuit is fruitless, and will pass and go on into obscurity. Many of us want to leave our mark on this world, we want to be remembered, for men, that is altogether important, however, did we ever think about the legacy we are leaving behind for our children? What will people remember you to be? What will your children say of you when you are dead and in the grave? What are some of the memories you will leave behind?

Let me ask you, are we living an honorable life? Is it in total submission to the will of God over our lives or are we still trying to make things happen "our way".

Let me tell you, many times, even for us "supposed Christians" we strive and try to take matters into our own hands, and you know what, at the end of all our striving we are left with egg on our faces. When we wrestle with God, and try to force things to go our way, we wind up less than pleased with the results.

Creation and all of humanity has been created for one purpose, to worship and praise the Lord. Agree or disagree, we were made to worship Him.

I'm going to cut the blog short today, but I will leave you with the lyrics below

Today I watched in silence as people passed me by,

And I strained to see if there was something hidden in their eyes;

But they all looked at me as if to say

Life just goes on.

The old familiar story told in different ways,

Make the most of your own journey from the cradle to the grave;

Dream your dreams tomorrow because today

Life must go on.

[Chorus:]

But there's more to this life than living and dying,

More than just trying to make it through the day;

More to this life, more than these eyes alone can see,

And there's more than this life alone can be.

Tonight he lies in silence staring into space,

And looks for ways to make tomorrow better than today,

But in the morning light it looks the same;

Life just goes on.

He takes care of his family, he takes care of his work,

And every Sunday morning he takes his place at the church;

And somehow he still feels a need to search,

But life just goes on.

[Chorus]

So where do we start to find every part

Of what makes this life complete;

If we turn our eyes to Jesus we'll find

Life's true beginning is there at the cross where He died.

He died to bring us...

[Chorus]

(Steven Curtis Chapman and Phil Naish)
[1 Timothy 6:19 / John 10:10 / Roman 5:17]

Jesus truly is the answer

Stay encouraged in His love for you,

May God bless you richly

in the trenches

2008-02-29T20:28:00.004-05:00

slugging it out

grinding it out

up-hill battle

What do you see when you hear these words? What images come to mind?

War, conflict, struggle …

It takes sheer determination and perseverance to win a battle of wills.

In basketball you hear the words grinding it out, and automatically you either do one of two things, tune into something else, or watch it because they are your favorite team, so you will suffer through the few hours before the idiot box. The game was a defensive contest, that was certain, and yes it was aggressive, but it certainly wasn't a run and gun type of a game. It was just one of those games. Those kind of games aren't fun to watch, but the victor of that contest will remember it for years because no matter what they had to endure, they won it on sheer guts and determination. UFC is a prime example, when those MMA guys hit the mat and they are wrestling around trying to get the upper hand, trying their hardest to lock up the other opponent; sometimes a match like this can be very difficult to watch. Grueling contests of wits, grueling matches that seem to go on for an eternity until finally one walks away victorious.

Sometimes you may walk away with a stalemate, no winners. Both opponents fought with heart, both fought with fierce intensity, so trying to call a winner is sometimes more difficult to make than watching the contest itself.

I’m the type of person who really doesn’t care to watch games like these. They aren’t exciting, you want to see guys in mixed martial arts throw down, not get on the mat and try to submit one another. I rather see the knock out punch, or the Hail Mary pass in a foot ball game to come away with the win. These make the highlight reels, the glitz and glamour of sports. Most of the time displays like these are rare at best. Life emulates art, I believe the same can be said of sporting events.

Most of the time, life is fought in the trenches. Back in World War 1, the trenches were some of the most horrid of conditions. Rat and lice infested, you lived and many times died in those conditions. Intestinal fortitude was born here, in the trenches. Many unsung heroes, who were willing to do the grunt work, did the little things, the hard things that evetually led up to our troops coming home from the war in victory. It was neither glamorous, nor did it bring many accolades; however the win became all the richer, more memorable for those who fought long and hard, to finally achieve victory.

The win goes to the one who endures. The guys who get all the accolades got there on the backs of those who were willing to go the extra mile to reach the goal.

Trench warfare

It’s gruesome, arduous, treacherous, painstakingly long, it is a battle more of wits and guts than glory and glitz, and yet much of our lives are spent right there, in the trenches. Dragging ourselves into a job we are settling for until something better comes along.

Barely scrapping by trying to make ends meet, living our lives day to day, praying for a breakthrough to come our way.

If you are asking yourself “is it worth it?” I tell you, if you have a goal in mind and your sights on that goal; if your forward action is purposeful, meaningful and you are taking those steps faithfully, then yes, it is doubly worth it.

If for any reason you are not doing the things necessary to meet those set goals, please do not feel under condemnation. Make and set goals for yourself. Have a plan.

Do you have a vision for your life? What about one for your family? Are you willing to make the necessary sacrifices to attain those goals?

You only have this life, make the most of it, don’t offer excuses as to why you are not living out God’s best for your life. Do what is absolutely necessary to achieve those goals in a predetermined time frame. Set goals for yourself. The word says men perish without vision. We will be stuck in lala land, with no course direction for our lives, wandering aimlessly without a plan. That to me is a miserable way to live.

For those of you that don’t have a clue as to what your purpose in life is, first and foremost make sure your focus is on Christ.

For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble
Matt 6:32-34 (NKJV)

Place Him first, make sure He gets top priority in your life and live your life with no regrets.

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind
Luke 10:27 (NKJV)

Have a great weekend, and a blessed Lord’s day
May God bless you richly!

morning devos

2008-02-28T16:41:00.004-05:00

Sorry I havent posted in the last few days. There really isnt a reason why, with the new job, and getting overly involved with other projects, my day goes by so quickly. I have 2 posts on the back burner but havent had time to really devote the time necessary to work on them. My current laptop has been giving me fits the past couple of days, so by the time I arrive home, with kids and family vying for my attention it just gets too late to get anything done here.

Today I attended devotionals at my new job, and strange enough, it dealt with focus. Well, that's what I walked away with anyway. Where was my attention being drawn to? We can get so caught up with mundane trivial things, and really lose track of the things that matter most. I thank God that He has surrounded me with so many wonderful brothers who will hold me accountable for living a righteous godly life. I thank God for placing me in an environment where I can freely share my faith, talk about the Lord and not get chased out of a room. I may get the "you're weird" looks from others, but its for a whole other reason now, lol! God is good and He is so worthy to be praised.

Sometimes all we can see is what is in front of us, and the worries and cares of this world threaten to choke and strangle us into a miserable existence. God didnt promise that life would be easy, but He did promise it would be worthwhile, and that in and by itself makes up all the difference.

In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
John 16:33b (NKJV)

So saint of God, beloved child of promise, be encouraged, lift up your heads and know that in this world you do have an advocate, and His name is Jesus. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He has promised to stand beside you, even through the toughest of times.

Be encouraged, be full of faith and realize who you are in Christ Jesus!

May God bless you richly

retracing your steps

2008-02-25T16:12:00.003-05:00

I am notorious for losing my keys, or misplacing things that normally have a significant amount of importance linked to them. Recently I lost a set of keys at Campus, and went as far as sending out a company wide email to alert anyone to my latest crisis of faith. LOL. Thankfully a couple of people were able to help me trace my steps back to where I last had them in my possesion.

Which leads me to my lead in, "retracing your steps".

If you are anything like me, you seem to be forgetful over many things, I keep lists of people I need to see, appointments I need to keep track of, I make sticky notes of reminders, and notes of little used articles of information that will become necessary at a later time. These are all tools to better help me with time management and to keep organized and focused on the tasks on hand. It also helps me keep everything in its proper order. Today, it went all out of whack for me. When my keys turned up missing, everything seemed to go to the wayside, and that became my main priority. My car keys and the house keys were all attached, I wasnt going anywhere without them, so finding them became critical.

Funny when you misplace things, that when you go back to all of the familiar places you once were, your mind beings to start playing tricks on you. This person must have taken them, or they were turned in and no one seems to know anything helpful. You cant concentrate on more pressing matters because your concerned about finding that lost item. It's really awful to be honest. It gets worse as times goes by, and before you know it, you become frantic and overly consumed on finding that missing item. I don't know about you, but when it gets to that point, nothing seems to seem reasonable anymore.

I know I'm not alone in this, and I know others feel the same way, however one thing seemed to but a constant nagging point, did I forget to pray? When the Holy Spirit began to lead me back to the original place where I left them; instead of digging deeper and investigating the entire area, I looked around in the area I once visited, did a cursory check and went on my way to look elsewhere.

Take a deep breath, pray and ask God to give you peace regarding the situation. After you had a chance to calm your nerves and you released you control over the situation, go back, retrace your steps and calmly investigate the area thoroughly. Dont forget to keep those spiritual ears open, and your spirit open to the Holy Spirit's leading.

Phil 4:6,7 is probably a good sticking point

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Probably wouldve been good to have read that earlier rather than later, but thats why its called maturity and growth. Thank God for grace :)

May God bless you richly

Worship

2008-02-22T00:07:00.001-05:00

True worship can be very powerful. Collectively with one voice, the sounds of music filling a hall can leave you literally breathless. Entering a sanctuary with hundreds of voices in concert chorus, singing, adulation and praise to the Lord can bring a person to their knees, some collapsing into fetal position. The power is not behind the voices, but in the anointing power of the Holy Spirit that is drawn by the hearts of men and women worshipping in spirit and in truth; worshipping the only one truly worthy, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Worship is about blessing God. It’s not about you, it’s not about getting from God, it’s not about the worries, concerns, or cares of this world, this time is all about God. It is time to give Him thanks, even when you dont feel like it, to lift up your voices and sing praises and adoring adulation to the One who freed you from a life of sin, guilt and shame.

Worship is more than just a time of singing and clapping of the hands, it’s a time to be ushered into the very throne room of God, into the holy of holies, into the very presence of God; a holy God deserving nothing less than your complete adoration and holy worship. In the presence of a mighty and holy God, what else can you do but to fall down on your face? God is so magnificent, so pristine, and so glorious, He is wonderful and august, supremely regal and auspicious. He deserves all of the praise and honor due to Him, and yet we stand there and barely lift our voices to utter Him praise.

It hurts and angers me to see men, especially men who will go to a ball game and cheer for their favorite team yet refuse to lift their heads, hands and or voices in worship.

What is it with women who willingly with reckless abandon throw themselves into worship, yet the majority of men, even still today refuse to enter into this most basic of worship practices?

I tell you men what is holding you back, many of you are still burdened with guilt and shame, some are just too prideful, not wanting to appear abased.

Man I don’t care. Bump all that! I simply don’t care what people think of me. This time belongs to God. So what? It doesn’t matter how I look in the eyes of men, what truly is important is how I look in the eyes of my God! Am I pleasing to Him? Is my heart right with Him, is my heart truly worshipping Him, or is my mind elsewhere? Are my thoughts on God, or are they on those around me? Is it a show, or is my heart like the arrow focused on the target of God’s throne room?

Worship can take your intimacy with the Lord to a whole other level. It’s not about emotions; it’s about the condition of your heart. It’s not “just” an emotional experience; it’s so much more than that, so much more.

There have been times where I totally broke down into tears, I couldn’t hold it back any longer, expecting God to do this grand thing, show me things, see the miraculous, instead He shatters me into tiny little pieces and weeping like a baby. I became abased for the Lord, I became broken before the Lord and all the kings’ men could not put me back together again. God broke me, and it was His job to put me back together again.

I am so tired of worrying about what others think. I want to be all about God and be involved with what He wants me to do, and not what I want to do. Forget about my own personal interests, what does He want to do? How does He want me involved? Who does He want me to reach? What lives does He want me to touch?

Heavenly Father, I come before you now and ask that in your infinite mercy, touch the lives of those dearest to me; my family and my closest of friends, especially those that are not serving you currently. My God help me reach my generation for Christ. Help me Lord to reach my family for Christ. May they see your light, and your truth. May the scales be removed from their eyes that they may be enabled to serve you in spirit and in truth. To the backslider, I say, return to your first love. He waits with outstretched arms. It is never too late to return and be welcomed by the Savior. My Lord and my God, let us all enter into worship with pure hearts, with one thing and only one thing in mind, to worship You, and you only; to uplift and magnify your name and bring you praise and adoration. For you alone are worthy. I ask that you touch and bless the eyes, hearts and minds of those gracing this page. I ask you bring them into a greater intimacy with your Son. May a greater hunger and thirst be birthed within their souls that You and only You can quench. Touch these lives dear Lord I ask, in Your Son’s mighty and precious name,

Amen

May you have an incredible Lord’s day beloved, May God bless you richly!

Who is Jesus?

2008-02-20T09:40:00.014-05:00

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

John 14:6 (NiV)

Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?"

But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.

Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"

"I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

The high priest tore his clothes. "Why do we need any more witnesses?" he asked.

Mark 14:60-63 (NiV)

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

The Pharisees challenged him, "Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid."

Jesus answered, "Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid. I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me."

Then they asked him, "Where is your father?"

"You do not know me or my Father," Jesus replied. "If you knew me, you would know my Father also." He spoke these words while teaching in the temple area near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his time had not yet come.

Once more Jesus said to them, "I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come."

This made the Jews ask, "Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, 'Where I go, you cannot come'?"

But he continued, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins."

"Who are you?" they asked.

"Just what I have been claiming all along," Jesus replied.

"I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is reliable, and what I have heard from him I tell the world."

They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father.

So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him."

Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him.

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?"

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you do what you have heard from your father."

"Abraham is our father," they answered.

"If you were Abraham's children," said Jesus, "then you would do the things Abraham did. As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. 41You are doing the things your own father does."

"We are not illegitimate children," they protested. "The only Father we have is God himself."

Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God."

The Jews answered him, "Aren't we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?"

"I am not possessed by a demon," said Jesus, "but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death."

At this the Jews exclaimed, "Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that if anyone keeps your word, he will never taste death. Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?"

Jesus replied, "If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad."

"You are not yet fifty years old," the Jews said to him, "and you have seen Abraham!"

"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"

At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.

John 8:12-59 (NiV)

Can it be any clearer? In His own words, can a mere man, a sane man say the things He said, "I am the way the truth and the life"; "I and the Father are one"; "before Abraham was, I AM."

The Jews knew what Jesus was making reference to, it may be lost to us in today's society, but when Moses was ordered and commissioned by the Lord to go back to Egypt to set His people free, he asked, who should I say sent me, The Lord simply replyed, "tell them I AM sent you."

Is it a stretch, the Jews didnt think so, they wanted to kill him!

The very worlds were spoken into existence by the great I AM. He is the Word, made flesh and He dwelt among us. Incarnate God, breathing among us, walking among us, breaking bread, laughing, crying, rejoicing, weeping; it's mind blowing that the very one who spoke the worlds into existence walked on this earth as the 2nd Adam, the pinnacle of His creation, man.

To redeem a world entrenched hopelessly in sin, a world with no hope of redemption. Only the sinless, spotless blood of the holy Lamb of God could ever wash away the guilt, shame and penalty that was brought against our charge back in the garden. Jesus stands apart from every other religious figure, period.

He is not a good man, nor was he a holy man, He was and is God. Don't believe it? Dig a bit deeper, read Romans, read the 1st 3 chapters of John, watch the Jesus Film. He is who He says He is. Jesus did live and walk among us, He did what He came to do and several hundred eye witnesses were on hand to see Him ascend into Heaven.

Beloved, God loves you and He sent His one and only Son to be a ransom for your sins.

Isn't it time to stop running, stop striving, you've tried everything else, and it has left you empty. Give Jesus a try.

Don't take my word on it, take His.

May God bless you richly!

focused determination

2008-02-19T16:33:00.005-05:00

I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running and I'm not turning back.
So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it.
Stick with me, friends. Keep track of those you see running this same course, headed for this same goal. There are many out there taking other paths, choosing other goals, and trying to get you to go along with them. I've warned you of them many times; sadly, I'm having to do it again. All they want is easy street. They hate Christ's Cross. But easy street is a dead-end street. Those who live there make their bellies their gods; belches are their praise; all they can think of is their appetites.
But there's far more to life for us. We're citizens of high heaven! We're waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthy bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He'll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him.

Phil 3:12-21 (The Message)

man, if this cant be any clearer ...

We tend to lose our focus, lose our way on the more important matters in life.

What are we shooting for?

What is our goal?

We get so mucked up in daily living, getting caught up with the "Joneses" that we find ourselves so far from our intended goals. Who cares if you live in an older home, who cares if you are driving an older car, who cares if you have to brown bag it to lunch everyday for the next year or so. If your goal is to get out of debt, or to become financially free and to be able to make solid financial decisions for yourself and your family, then some of those choices become all the more clearer and all that more critical.

I’m so tired of trying to live for others; I'm so tired of having to live a life that only impresses others and not living a life that glorifies God.

What about living a life sacrificially for your family.? If it is for their betterment, then the sacrifices we make today will be for their benefit tomorrow. It my be the unpopular choices that can greater define you later in life, it's called character and winners are built with integrity, guts and a whole lotta heart.

My thing was, man I just want to be real. I don't want to be fake, I just want to be the person God created me to be, nothing else. However, we get led by the proverbial ring in the nose and think if I want people to like me, then I have to be something I'm not. Bump that! God made me who I am, unique and special. He made me one of a kind, not to be a chameleon and change colors depending on who you are with at the time.

This is why I admire some of the people I know in life. They are who they are and make no apologies for it. Some of my friends have flamboyant personalities, some are reserved, some have laid back attitudes, while others, well let’s just say they speak their minds and make no apologies for doing so. As long as its done in the right spirit, we have no room to judge one another.

Let's get back on track, lets not get so wrapped up in the lives of others; let's live for God and live for ourselves, and stop worrying about the lives of others and their points of view. They have their own lives, with their own share of worries and concerns; I for one don't want any of it. God sets us up on our own path, stay on it, don’t deviate from it, you'll be all the happier for it.

Our goal should and always be Christ centered. With this in mind, focus on what’s truly important and aim for the prize, shoot for it with no apologies and don't look back. Arrows are intended to hit an intended target, and they only hit one specific target in mind. Take tiny bites if your goal is a large one. Don’t' get frustrated on not being able to attain the larger goal quickly, just methodically and with focused determination take the necessary steps to attain the intended mark and go for it.

It is always helpful, almost at times, critical to have an accountability partner to keep you on track; to share the same vision as yourself. It will motivate you to reach higher than you could have imagined. I thank God for mine always. Thanks guys, I love you.

Be who God created "you" to be, with your own identity; let no one discourage you from attaining your goals.

Have a goal in mind, take those steps and make it a reality.

May God bless you richly!

growth

2008-02-15T08:43:00.004-05:00

Hopefully as I get settled in more, you will see a regularity in the posts here at calle romano.

Well, it's been a week at the new job, there's plenty of work that needs to be done, but all in all, I am happy I am here. I don’t know how long the Lord will keep me serving in this capacity, but I see a need that needs to be filled, and the Lord has blessed me with a brother with a similar vision for the helpdesk.

It's all about efficiency, and improving the overall makeup of the helpdesk. 7 years working with my previous employer has taught me a lot of things and has better equipped me to slide in and be an effective blessing to my current employer. Now that I am here at Campus Crusade, it brings in a whole new meaning. I make no apologies for wanting to make things better, and we shouldn't, just as long as it’s being done with love and respect for others.

Change is a hard thing. Making the move here was not an easy one, but the transition has moved better than I could have hoped for. I know that God was and still is behind the move. It's been a long time coming, but as I sit back and look at the greater scope of it all, I see why it took so long for me to get here. It was a combination of things but two things jump out at me,

1. my spiritual and emotional maturity
and
2. my current skill level with my present occupation.

I wasn’t ready to make the move. I was wrestling with a lot of things, and there were things that had to be dealt with before the move was made. My proficiency has grown exponentially, seeing I never attended a day of class for my profession, my current skill level and how I relate to the end-user has improved throughout the years. If you aren’t ready, God won’t move you, period. You can force the move, but you are going to have a lot of heartache involved. We try so hard to "make" things happen, in "our" time when all the while we forget who we are and why we are where we are at the moment.

Stop trying to "make" things happen. If you are hitting your head against a wall when trying to effect change, you need to step back and take inventory.

If you look at scripture the Lord always lived in the moment, with the cross as His goal. Calvary was always on His mind, but He never lost focus on the moment. He always lived in the moment. He took time with everyone He came across, never hurrying someone along. You never get a sense that He was rushing to get somewhere. Yet, we get so very impatient with ourselves, and with others, drivers for example on I-4 who tend to go slow, most common reason, rubber-necking; isn't that annoying? However did you ever stop to think, hey this is a wonderful time to listen to Christian radio, hey Chuck's on, or hey, let me put on some worship music and just spend time in worship on the way in to work. Let me call my boss and tell them that I’m stuck on the road in traffic, but will be in eventually." Communicate with those you have prior engagements with and stop fretting over the small stuff, you'll live longer.

Another thing I've seen is finding common ground for compromise. As long as we are not compromising our principles, and our focus is still on Christ, then finding a middle ground with a disagreeable person is always best for peace. You can’t win anyone over if you are constantly nagging or brow beating them. Arguing never does anyone any good, so stop it.

Interesting thing I learned which really made things clearer for me was the length of time it took the department's transition to Orlando. It was within the past year they made the big move bringing over the majority of the department from Cali to Orlando. God was preparing the way for me; I just needed to be patient. God was working it out, even when I couldn't see it happening. Isn’t that how it normally works?

All these years I was striving, my heart always here at CCCi, however both Campus Crusade and I weren’t ready for the move. Here it is 10 years later, and I'm finally here. Praise God!

Beloved, be patient, even when you don’t see God working on your behalf. Keep your focus on Christ and leave the worrying for the unsaved. Be examples of His love beloved and remember who you were called to be.

Have a fabulous weekend and a wonderful Lord's day
May God bless you richly!

dont grumble

2008-02-13T08:56:00.005-05:00

My apologies for not posting here lately; I’m still trying to get adjusted to my new surroundings. Man, what a blessing. Stress, what stress? Maybe when I’m here x amount of years, I don’t know, but since day one, it has been a great experience and believe it or not, I can’t wait to get to work. I’m without a permanent home; they are reconfiguring the offices here, so my cube is being constructed. That’s ok since I get to share a cube with some great guys. God's been good and the people I am working alongside are class acts. I know we are going to work well together; it's just trying to find my way around here and find how I can fit into their system.

The last thing I want to do is try to change things, I want to improve the way things are done here, but since I'm the noob, it’s better to show by doing.

I’m not sure if I explained it here or not already, however, since the very beginning my biggest beef with all of my last employers was that I felt they never took care of me. I busted my hump and yet felt I never got anything in return. I know that may seem selfish, but it just felt you were alone doing a job with no support. You were basically left to your own devices and it was either sink or swim.

I’m a survivor, and thank the Lord I made it through, only by the grace of God.

Now that I am where I have always wanted to be, its up to me to grab the golden ring and blaze the trail, reach for my dreams and stop looking back at my past failures. Like the children of Israel when they left their familiar home of Goshen, in the land of Egypt, they continually looked back and grumbled on the way to the Promised Land. They never made it in, and languished out in the wilderness. Their entire generation died out and never tasted true freedom. Although they made it out of the land of their oppressors, they were solely responsible for not receiving their true inheritance.

Take the children of Israel led by Moses and ask yourselves, what was the difference between them and the ones led by Joshua?

You had disobedient rebellious people who after centuries of oppressive rule under the cruel hand of the Egyptians were freed gloriously and miraculously by the mighty hand of God. You couldn’t but be beside yourself and not marvel at how awesome your deliverance was.

However they still grumbled, they still complained, they were out of their comfort zones and out of the familiar and were venturing out into the unknown. It was scary and the people were being led on faith alone. Their faith should have shot through the roof after seeing the hand of God work on their behalf, however the condition of their hearts were still wicked, not only that but they were conditioned to live a certain way.

Think about it this way, the length of stay they had in Goshen was longer than the United States has been a nation. This is all they knew; hence this "was" their way of life. I’m not trying to give them a pass, however we need to understand that for so many years they lived this way, and thought within their hearts, "God forgot about us." After so many long years, I probably would think so too. Joseph was no longer an influence in Egypt, all of his brothers and immediate family died out, there was no remembrance of yesteryear, and the current Pharaoh was threatened with the growth of the children of Israel.

It was time for the children of Israel to go home, their rightful home of their fathers. They outlived their welcome and it was time to take their rightful place in history; after all they were and still are God's chosen people; His people of promise. His chosen elect.

Take the children of Israel led by Joshua. They kept their mouths shut, they were warriors who learned from their forefather’s mistakes and miscues, and they took the land without blinking.

God's favor is upon His children, we just need to shut up and be obedient. Be loyal to our calling and follow after the Lord for all we are worth.

We will be known for our love for one another; show kindness; never cease to show brotherly love to one another. For the same measure you mete out, it will be returned to you.

Have a great day guys,

May God bless you richly

The day has finally arrived

2008-02-07T11:45:00.000-05:00

My last day as an employee of Westgate Resorts has come. I started my day, rode into work and stepped on to the property for possibly the last time as an employee of this growing and bustling company.

Will I miss it; only the people. I won't miss the job, but I will miss all of the wonderful people I have had the pleasure working with and alongside all these years. The relationships that were formed and forged through my tenure, will always be dear to me, forever.

I was newly married (a little more than 2 years) when I first started here, this year will be 9 years me and Dacia have been married. Mariana wasn’t even a thought, we were still living in a duplex, Darius was just entering Faith Christian Academy and Bush was being inaugurated as President of the United States. Hey if you lean to the left, that’s your problem, I’m keeping politics to a bare minimum, even though we are in an election year.

Since that time, 911 hit, tragedy struck our nation and our people, changing the landscape of our nation forever. We went after the terrorists and began a war on terrorism. We invaded Iraq and brought down the islamofacist dictator Saddam Hussein, and ended decade’s worth of turmoil and oppression in a land ruled by fear and intimidation. Our state was hit back to back by 4 hurricanes, 3 ran straight through Central Florida. That year we had just closed on our new home in Wedgefield, the following May my daughter was born to us. The Patriots won back to back Superbowl's and started a tear in the NFL as the most dominant NFL team in history.

It's funny how the tables have been turned for Boston sports. Boston and New York have such a fierce rivalry, both will argue their teams are the better teams, it’s great for sports. It's too bad the Knicks have fallen so far from grace. To see a winning Knicks team with a super star-studded cast going against the KG-led Celtics would be worth every penny of the ticket price at MSG.

All of you Patriot bandwagoners need to get off the wagon train and don’t you dare migrate over to New York that would be shameful.

Isn't it funny how the tables have turned, all these years, the Red Sox had been stuck in mediocrity, never winning a pennant, and all of a sudden they came back, beat the Yankees and go on to win the World Championship. I could remember it all too well, the Yankees have won so many, and it took them all these years to win "one". Well they’ve come back and won again, and have proven to be consistent contenders for the pennant.

Let's go to the Patriots, how the tables have turned. The Patriots were going to make history; one team dashed all of it away, a New York team. LOL

Don’t get me wrong, I'm Puerto Rican born, and raised a Floridian. My brothers are transplants from Brooklyn, born and raised, so winning just made it that much sweeter. I just see the irony in it.

I made some of the most wonderful friends in the time I was employed with Westgate, both at church and here at the workplace.

They are too numerous to mention here, but you know who you are. You guys mean the world to me.

This is not goodbye, no way; this is see you later. My beloved compadres, you guys are genuinely the best crew I have ever had the pleasure of working alongside. That includes my time in the Air Force. We had something really special; don’t let anyone tell you different. Keep pressing, keep pushing for those goals and never look back. Keep your heads up high and know that all your hard work and efforts won’t go unrewarded.

God is a good and just God. He is faithful and true; and His promises endure forever.

Check in here from time to time, I'm bad with the phone calls, but you can always reach me here.

God bless you, and thank you for allowing me to run with you all.

yr friend and brother always,
Rob

Be still and Know I AM God

2008-02-06T17:08:00.000-05:00

Psalm 46
(NKJV)

1 God is our refuge and strength,

A very present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear,

Even though the earth be removed,

And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

3 Though its waters roar and be troubled,

Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,

The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.

5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;

God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.

6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;

He uttered His voice, the earth melted.

7 The LORD of hosts is with us;

The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

8 Come, behold the works of the LORD,

Who has made desolations in the earth.

9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;

He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;

He burns the chariot in the fire.

10 Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!

11 The LORD of hosts is with us;

The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

more confirmation

2008-02-05T10:41:00.000-05:00

I received more confirmation today that the move to Campus Crusade is for the best. The Benefits department came by to tell us that insurance rates were going up again, and the company policy regarding the 401k was changing. Not for the better.

It seems my current employer continues to take without regard to their employees. We are told to be thankful for just having a job, that you aren't out in the street, or flipping burgers at your local fast food joint. Please dont take this the wrong way, but I know I was made to do so much more with my life than to slave away meaninglessly for an employer who undervalues their staff. So many people give so much of themselves for their jobs, spend countless hours to go home, burnt out and miserable. This is not a life. If you arent happy where you are, and in the pit of your stomach want to do so much more with your life, don't put it off anymore, pursue it for all you are worth. Hold on to that j.o.b until you are able to make that transition and attack it with all you can muster. With God anything is possible, nothing is impossible for the child of God.

On the way in today, I was listening to Swindoll, and immediately the Lord checked my spirit. Yeah, the move I'm making is an unpopular one, leaving somewhere you have "tenure", benefits, employee perks, going somewhere to start all over again, it's so full of risk; too many invariables are involved. In order to achieve greatness and fulfill those long forgotten dreams, you will have to do the moves necessary to get the ball rolling; in order to make your dreams reality.

It's time for the children of God to stop accepting the junk that the enemy is trying to feed us, and change our thought process. Make your dreams goals. Take baby steps, take small purposeful steps to get closer to your intended goals. Sometimes, it takes a radical change to get you moving. For me, it took being suspended from my job to light a fire under my butt. Did it get my attention, you bet it did. I was miserable and needed a change, and there was only one place I wanted to go from here, and God knew it.

God was taking us out of our comfort zones, in the familiar well known confines of Goshen living and moving us out into the wilderness.

Why did you lead us out here to die?

God is and always will be in control of any and every situation. We just need to surrender our personal "rights" or our preconceived notions of personal rights and surrender to God's ultimate will over our lives.

The waters may be treacherous, torrent, and violent, if our focus is on the Lord, He will pick us up and help us to walk above it. Don't be afraid, only believe.

It is no wonder the Lord Jesus used to chastise His disciples for their lack of faith.
Are we any different?

How many times has He told us to trust Him, to be full of courage, to be strong and simply believe?

Trust the Lord, and simply believe

Have a great day, May God bless you richly!

Nurturing relationships at the workplace

2008-02-01T17:16:00.000-05:00

The very first post for the month of February. I have seven days, one week until I leave my current employer forever. Am I getting short-itis? Yeah, a little, but also I feel a sense of urgency to get things done. Thank God I was able to accomomplish all that I set out to do this week; close out some long standing requests. It has been my prayer to not leave anything unfinished. I dont want to leave anything undone before I leave for my new employer. I work with a real good group of guys, guys that I have grown to love over the years. It is a shame that we did not grow a tighter bond, we could have accomplished many things as a team. Unfortunately, with no one to lead us, we have had to fend for ourselves; and my employers wonder why I'm leaving? There a lot of fine people that work here, people that give a lot of themselves for the good of their department and for the company, however, many things go unnoticed, and that to me is a shame.

Words of affirmation, encouragement, a pat on the back for a job well done goes a long way. I have leared a lot since I started here. Things that at my next employer I will take with me to help them grow and further sow into their overall ministry. It's more than a job, it's your second home. You build relationships here and develop long lasting bonds of friendship with others.

The job, I won't miss it, but I will miss the faces, the many people I have come to call friends.

Don't be in such a rush, yeah its a job, and you may not be happy doing the work, but look around you, you have a whole world that can benefit from your service and your kindness. Relationships are built on the love you show to others. Kindness goes a long way. Be smart, build relationships with your clients, your customers, develop them, nurture them. It will make a big difference when it is your time to leave, and you see the long line of well wishers as you start a new season in your life.

Guys, have a great weekend, have a blessed Lord's day and may God bless you richly!

faith, a growing process of trust

2008-01-31T17:45:00.001-05:00

God does everything for a reason. We sometimes think to question God about the whys, but we must always remember that He is ultimately in control. Don't worry about the whys, just be obedient and just take God at His word.

For me it has been a process; a process of growing, learning, failing and repenting. All of us will fail at some time, and I know it’s easier said than done, to get up and brush yourself off, but if and when you blow it, remember, you have an advocate that pleads your case before the throne of Almighty God. His name is Jesus Christ, and He intercedes on our behalf. We have been purchased by His blood, and made righteous in the eyes of God. Not out of our own merit, but by His alone.

He didn’t come in the world to condemn you, but to save you, to free you from bondage and slavery to the kingdom of darkness. Sin entered the world and left a death mark on all of humanity. The price for sin was death, and Christ came to pay it in full.

Picture this, God sent his only son, the Christ to be a ransom for your sin debt. The price too high for anyone to pay, was paid in full by the only sinless man who ever walked the face of the earth; the incarnate one, the Anointed One, the sinless Lamb of God.

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus the Christ was and is the Word that became flesh. He spoke the worlds into existence and holds the universe in the palm of His hands.

If you can get that into your spirit, then you can see that the one who called the worlds into existence holds your life in the hollow of His hands. There is no safer place to be, and no greater refuge to escape to.

If you are heavy laden, burdened and worrisome, run to Jesus today.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:6-7

Beloved, know that He loves you, and will never abandon you, even in your darkest hour.

May God bless you richly

stepping it up - commitment

2008-01-30T21:58:00.000-05:00

What is your level of commitment?

How commited are you?

What keeps you commited?

What drives you; what spurs you on?

On my way to church tonight, driving along the darkened streets and highways of Orlando, Florida, fiddling around with the presets on my car-radio I came across a particular radio ministry.

Let me tell you, throughout the night I heard that still small voice telling me that it was time for me to leave my job, but I chose to ignore it, putting it off and saying to myself, just one more. I was on my computer satisfying my flesh (not to worry, I was reading manga online, Japanese comics, nothing nasty or sinful). I had to be somewhere and even after telling my wife that I would be leaving, I decided to "stretch it out some more". How foolish.

back to the radio program

I was going through my presets, and nothing particularly struck out at me, until i locked on James MacDonald's radio ministry. Tonight he was dealing with commitment. It hit me square in the jam, hitting me in the soft spot in my gut and making me wrench with agony. I was like ok, Lord I got it.

Me first

I chose a leisure activity instead of going to church early and sitting through a Wednesday night bible study with my wife. Yeah, I finally got on property and made it to service, but most of the night had been done by the time I got there.

sticking to your commitments

Less than a month ago we as a church decided to undergo a corporate Daniel's fast. Fruits and vegetables fast. Of course we deviated slightly from it, but we maintained the integrity of the fast at it's core. We decided to suspend the fast since I was going away on a men's encounter, after we got back, we were going to finish it the fast and see it through to the end. we only lasted two days and decided to end the fast a few days early. today I felt horrible, because i knew that I was sending the wrong message to my eldest son, Darius. I decided from today that from now on we would stick to our commitments and see them through. Especially when it came to the things of God. We are not raising a quitter, we are raising a winner. In order to do this, we need to do the things necessary, and have the necessary tools in place to succeed in this endeavor.

When we blow it, we brush off the failure and keep pressing forward. No need to look back, or dwell on it, this will only cause you to lose confidence and momentum in reaching your intended goal.

commitment says alot about a person's character and their intestinal fortitude. are we growing, are we learning from our past failures, or are we stagnant in our walk and have grown complacent or even worse yet, let the fires go out in our lives and simply going through the motions.

It is time we the church wake up and realize our eternal destiny.

He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8

freedom and liberty

2008-01-29T15:57:00.000-05:00

So, since we're out from under the old tyranny, does that mean we can live any old way we want? Since we're free in the freedom of God, can we do anything that comes to mind? Hardly. You know well enough from your own experience that there are some acts of so-called freedom that destroy freedom. Offer yourselves to sin, for instance, and it's your last free act. But offer yourselves to the ways of God and the freedom never quits. All your lives you've let sin tell you what to do. But thank God you've started listening to a new master, one whose commands set you free to live openly in his freedom!

19I'm using this freedom language because it's easy to picture. You can readily recall, can't you, how at one time the more you did just what you felt like doing—not caring about others, not caring about God—the worse your life became and the less freedom you had? And how much different is it now as you live in God's freedom, your lives healed and expansive in holiness?

20-21As long as you did what you felt like doing, ignoring God, you didn't have to bother with right thinking or right living, or right anything for that matter. But do you call that a free life? What did you get out of it? Nothing you're proud of now. Where did it get you? A dead end.

Rom 6:15-21 (The Message)

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:1 (NiV)

It is for freedom He set us free. Live it, model it, exemplify and champion Christ.

I got the job Praise the Lord!

2008-01-28T17:14:00.000-05:00

Ok, I only have 20 minutes to post this blog tonight, so I gotta make it quick.

I got the job, and the increase, praise the Lord!

Saints of God, ask without doubting; if you don't ask, don't expect things to change.

I thank God for my wife, she was the one that initially pushed me to ask for the increase.

To get the entire picture of this testimony, I would need a whole lot more time and right now time is not something I have the luxury of right now. For now, what's important is that God gets the glory. Not only did I get the dollar more, I also got 50 cents on top of that. Something I wasn't expecting at all. I am excited for the new opportunity, and anxious to begin this new chapter in my life.

Earlier today I approached my boss' boss, and handed in my 2 weeks written resignation.
They were shocked and surprised at the news to say the least. (My direct reporting manager had left town and would not return until the end of the week) So with this news, within a matter of days it should have spread throughout the company of my resignation.

You have to understand something, this has by far been the longest I have been employed at any one place of employment. For the past 7 years I have been an employee of CFI Westgate Resorts. In that time, God has brought me through many things, helped me overcome many strongholds, and placed my feet on a solid foundation. As an I.T. professional, God has helped grow and blossom my skills and talents in my career field. God has shown me favor with my employers, the endusers and the various clients of my current employer. I have made many wonderful friends throughout the years; the relationships forged through fire will be carried close within my heart always. I love you guys, and thank God for your love, brotherhood, and friendship. I pray God's richest blessings upon you and hope that in some way through my life God was able to use me to touch your life in some way.

Today went by very quickly everybody. I can hardly believe it. I will use this blog on occasion to update everyone on how we are doing as a family and where God has taken us.

I am not saying goodbye, but I will wish and pray God's best for those I have left behind in Goshen. Stay strong and stay encouraged. God loves you, and so do I.

God's richest blessings
Roberto Maisonave
AkA Prince of Heaven

words of encouragement and affirmation

2008-01-25T13:18:00.000-05:00

It is so important to hear words of affirmation, love and encouragement in my own life, that I tend to focus solely on myself and not on others.

Personally, we may go through various trials and tribulations, face all kinds of adversity, but what of those of our own household? Even our children go through tremendous pressures, even if we think they are minimal, they are larger than life from their perspective.

Have we ever stopped to think that they may need an arm around them, to hear those same words of encouragement and affirmation from us?

Our spouses live and die from those words uttered from our mouths, and yet we can go days without saying a kind word to each other. Try it today. See what effect it has on them, just make sure they are sitting down. Some of you haven't uttered a kind word to your spouse in a very long time.

It truly is better to give than receive.

To those of you who are grieving, to those of you at the bottom looking up, to those who are just plain hurting right now; you are in desperate need of a kind word spoken to you and just one word spoken kindly to you will take you a long way. Friend, beloved of God; God loves you, and so do I. Maybe you never heard those words uttered to you, but know this, you are the apple of His eye.

Is that so strange to hear?

What about this miserable existence I call a life, is that what you call love?

No matter how far you have fallen, no matter where you are in this season in your life, God still loves you, unconditionally, without measure. Can a devoted parent who loves their children, love their children any less; even when we have been out right rebellious and disobedient? No. Absolutely not. Even when things happen beyond our comprehension and we have no answers for the whys, one truth will always prevail and trump anything life will ever throw your direction, God's love for you. His love has no bounds, and can not be measured no matter how hard we try.

His love for you is real, His arms are wide open, ready to receive you into them. All of your hurts, all of your pains, all of your struggles, He is there to pour His healing salve over them to comfort you, heal you and nurture you. He will help you to take that extra step you think humanly impossible to take and give you the strength and courage to press on. Don't hide the pain behind a fake smile, God knows your hurting, let Him in, and let God be God over your circumstances. All you have to do is run to Him. Shelve the pride, and the embarrassment, He knows it all already and wont castigate you. He just wants to love on you; to fill you with renewed hope, and encouragement. Take solace in these words,

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
Jeremiah 29:11-12 (NIV)

that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:14-16 (NKJV)

that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:14-16 (NIV)

Let God be God, and Let Him have his perfect work in and over your life.
Have a blessed weekend and a blessed Lord's Day. May God bless you richly!

CCCI update

2008-01-24T17:41:00.000-05:00

sorry guys, I was out all day and didnt have a chance to post anything today.

I had a great interview, so says the HR recruiter at Campus Crusade. They have to contact my references and then I guess they will be contacting me back with their decision. It sounds good thus far, but I dont want to get too overly excited.

This is a long time coming, and I've waited, maybe not patiently, but I have waited for years for this moment, and it has arrived, on the year of completion.

Never give up saints of God on your dreams. Keep striving, keep pressing, keep forging ahead.

Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
Psa 37:3-5(NKJV)

more to come ... so stay tuned :)

Teach us how to live: redeeming the time

2008-01-22T09:08:00.000-05:00

teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Titus 2:12-14 (NKJV)

Let's look at the amplified version of the holy scriptures to focus in on the selected verse

Awaiting and looking for the [fulfillment, the realization of our] blessed hope, even the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One), Titus 2:13 (Amp)

Merriam Websters Dictionary defines await as - to wait for, to be in store for

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for your risen Son, who lives and dwells in me, giving me peace for my every day, and sustaining me even through my toughest of trials. I thank you for the hope that is found in my innermost being, for I know you are the one who placed it deep within my soul. You have blessed my coming in and going out, You have watched over me as a hen watches over her chicks, dutifully and ever present. You are my rock, and my salvation, my blessed hope and everlasting Father. I pray now dear Lord, anoint me, and this message, may I bring it as you would have me to do so, fearfully and reverently. May it fill the readers hearts with renewed hope as they cast their eyes on the risen Savior and His eventual returning. May we redeem the time you have allotted us to be faithful workers of the harvest; to bring many to Christ. Bless now I ask in Jesus name - Amen

He's coming back. What more can I say about it? These past several months, we have seen God to be a God of His word. His word never returns void. His checks never bounce. His promises aren't empty; they are tightly packed with potent power. We tend to forget who God is and who we are in the grand scheme of things. We become so self absorbed with me, and mine, the daily grind and think that we are the center of the universe; when we are put on this earth for one thing, and one thing only, to glorify and uplift His holy name. We are to worship Him with our very lives. However we have gotten so far off track and have solely focused on ourselves that pride begins to stink us up. We literally become worthless servants who merely become unwilling, disobedient, spoiled children who need a smack on our butts to wake us up, and refocus our attention on the more important matters that surround us.

It's not about politics, its more than that, its more than welfare reform, stop depending on the government to provide for your needs. It's more than the job you have, or the pay you think you are being short changed on. It's more than the clothes on your back, or what you are going to have for lunch today. There are people all around us dying and going to a devil's hell and we fold our hands and keep silent as to not to "offend" anyone. I work with a lot of unsaved people, and I love everyone one of them. It pains me that I can not reach them for Christ, but is it for my own lack of trying, or have I genuinely tried to talk to them and tell them that there is more to this life, a life filled with hope, filled with so much more promise than the one they are living now. I want to see everyone I know, when I leave this world in heaven to be with the Lord. To share eternity with them and to enjoy the very presence of God. The sad reality is, the majority of the people I see day in and day out are heading to a devil's hell, and I am partly responsible for their demise.

Taking it on the chin

There is a problem when we refuse to take responsibility for our actions, or rather inaction. Take for example, and I'm going to air out my dirty laundry here, my non-involvement with my family's finances. I chose not to get involved, and let my wife take care of the bills. Please don't get me wrong, this is not a knock against her, and I'm not being a male chauvinist, rather it is an apology extended to my wife, and to the offended parties. Because of my inactivity, I created a mess within my family and created a divide that has separated my once close knit family. It wasn't her fault, It was mine. My wife did what she thought necessary for us to survive, and because of it, we have hit bottom. Was it wrong? Yes, but she was alone in the budget planning and didn't have the support of her husband. It is not her responsibility to run the household and the finances, it is ours. As the head of my household, the blame solely lies with me and mine alone. Since then we have taken the steps to correct this, forever. God is definitely a God of mercy and grace.

We tend to nit pick our spouses and find fault more than we find positives in each other. We need to stop that. Even if we don't agree on things, we need to find the middle road and keep pressing forward. We wont make it alone, and unless we are working together on a common goal, you will forever strive and achieve nothing.

Redeem the time

Ephesians 5:15-17 states,
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

My prayer lately has been, Lord, help us to redeem the time. I have been so time conscious, especially within the past year or so. I'm late for everything, I tend to idle away my time in worthless pursuits. People, we need to become more serious about this life we live. What is the condition of my household? How am I using my time wisely? Who am I reaching for Christ? Are my kids seeing enough of me? Am I pouring my life into them? What am I modeling in my everyday life?

looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
Titus 2:13
redeeming the time, because the days are evil
Ephesians 5:16

Redeem the time children of God.

Lets place our eyes back on the risen Christ, where comes our help, our ever present hope, and do everything to and for His glory. In order that we may be found profitable in the sight of God.

May God bless you richly.

precious commodities

2008-01-21T17:39:00.000-05:00

The last thing I want to do is post, just for the sake of having something up in here. I want to strive daily to have something worth reading and keep those who frequent this blog to want to come back.

Lets say for instance, I hate to get interrupted? To me its just rude when someone jumps all over your conversation, and they dont know the first thing you are talking about. Interruptions are a fact of life, but it's an annoyance that I still get frustrated over too frequent for my taste. If I got a rhythm going, and you throw a monkey wrench into the works, it throws me out of sync and puts me all out of sorts. Ok, here's something else, every time you see or hear someone approaching, and you know they are after one thing in particular, and that's your time, it feels like nails going across the chalk board. It's grating, and it sets you to boil at times. I dont know if anyone else feels like that, but I do. Im just being real here.

To me these two things are very closely related to each other, and it all stems from one deficiency, communication.

Time for most of us is a precious commodity. Yet we waste it on frivolous things. We spend it on things that are so temporary, and we leave the left overs to the ones who matter most. We treat those that love of us most like garbage half the time and think they are just a petty annoyances. It's wrong.

Our time is valuable, yet we must not spend it on things that will only hang us up, and leave only garbage time for our loved ones. Even if you are doing something important, or even writing this blog, (or leaving me comments, hint hint) if you get interrupted, communicate what you are doing, ask them if it can wait until you are done. If it cant wait, or you have to suspend your activity for a brief moment, weigh it out. (I'm more referring to our families, friends, especially our children who usually get the short end of the deal here) Make sure you complete what you finish, sometimes we just have to say no if we are meeting a deadline, or we are in the middle of a major project and the last thing you want to do is stop in mid stride. One of the best things we can do is learn how to communicate our intentions with others. For some of us, saying no is the hardest thing to do, because we dont want to let anyone down, or crush someone else's feelings. Most of the time however, when we are interrupted, its usually because we are in the middle of something not that important, like watching a television show. If your kid is trying to get your attention, if they want to go out and play, turn the tube off and go play with your kids. Times like that are so fleeting and when they are gone, they are gone forever.

Weigh it out.

For me, its way past time for me to leave the office, and my wife is chomping at the bit for me to get my happy rear home; so thats it for me today. Till next time, keep your head up and your eyes on the prize. May God bless you richly!

who me God?

2008-01-18T17:04:00.001-05:00

Man, what a day I had today. What a week! I found out last week that I would be taking over the service calls for two out of town properties. Last week I went to one of them and just 20 minutes ago I arrived from the other one. (no pay increase mind you) This week we have been working and trying to get everything tidied up at the office, working to clear up our queues and doing our best to keep up with all of the work that comes in and out of our office, and today as soon as I got in, who did I see sitting at my desk, but none other than my boss. I was like, wow. "Hey man, whats going on?" I asked. The first thing out of his mouth was negative, have you been doing such and such? I had to shake my head and be like, wow, where did that come from?

As I thought about this, it made me think about how I am with my wife and kids. Man Lord, am I like this with my family? Do I treat my kids like this? Then it hit me, man does Darius hear this stuff coming out of my mouth? Do I praise him for the things he does, or do I constantly brow beat him over the things he does wrong? This experience I've had with my current boss has made me refocus on how I treat my eldest son, and to do my best to love on him all the more. It's not about legalism or rules, being strict and following the letter of the law, it's about showing the love of Christ to the people who love us the most. If we want our kids to grow up in a balanced home, for our chidren to grow up whole and filled with godly confidence, we need to focus more on "these" things and try our best not to brow beat them all the time.
All I can say is Darius please forgive me, and My God I am so sorry...

Earlier this week I received a call from a place I honestly thought I would never hear from. With so many closed doors, and after so many no's, I just began to look elsewhere for other opportunities. When nothing surfaced, i resigned the job search and decided, there is only one place I truly want to go, and no other. I am through trying to look for job opportunites when my heart is, and has always been there. When the call came in, you can compare it to the illustrator that gets the call from Disney.

Wow, they called me for an interview?

...

I have been praying about this for the past ten years,

Y'all just dont understand, this is the one place that I have been wanting to go to since before I was married. I told my wife in tears more than a month ago that of all the places I ever wanted to go, this was the one place I would drop everything for and go running to. Finally after so long, the door became ajar, they called and wanted to schedule me in for an interview. I was blown away, and at the same time, humbled, because I know God was working all of this out to my favor.

Several months ago, back around my birthday, I was suspended from my job without pay for a week. In debt up to my eyeballs, the last thing we needed was for me to be out of work. Through God's infinite grace and mercy, I retained my job. A few weeks later, my wife was let go from hers. Since then our roller coaster ride of a life got a little bit more wilder, a little bit more scarier. To make a long story short, through all of the turmoil we have been through, in the past month we took our first steps to realize our financial freedom and independence. We have enrolled (or will be enrolled this coming Sunday) at Financial Peace University and will be working diligently to getting out of debt, forever.

Why am I saying all of this? There is a lot I'm leaving out right now, but in the coming months, if the Lord permits, I would like to shed a little more light on this testimony. At this moment in time, the testimony isn't complete. Not yet. It's a HUGE work in progress testimony; a testimony which I am bursting with excitement to share, and as we continue down this path the Lord has prepared for us, we welcome you to join us along the journey.

Guys, I have so much more to share, but in time, I am sure, God willing, you'll get the entire picture. I thank God for our faithful friends, you know who you are. I thank God for those friends that say the tough things, and I thank God for the friends that always has the sympathetic ear and the available shoulder to cry on when needed the most.
I am excited about what God is doing in our lives and cant wait to share it!

have a great weekend, have a wonderful Lord's day and as always,
May God bless you richly!

Teach us how to live: living godly in the present age

2008-01-16T13:58:00.000-05:00

teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Titus 2:12-14 (NKJV)

living godly in the present age

I posted a blog a few days ago about a sports celebrity having a child out of wedlock. I don't recall if I had stated how disappointed I was in this person, but truth be known, it really disheartened me how far we have fallen as a society. For some, I would hear, well that's the nature of the business they are in; the lifestyle these kids are subjected to.

Let me tell you something, I don't envy these men in their million dollar homes, driving their expensive cars, and living the glamorous lifestyle of the rich and famous. I am frightened and humbled by it. The amount of temptation is so far off the charts its mind-boggling. If you have vices, or are weak in any area in your life, the enemy will exploit it to no end and destroy your testimony faster than you can breathe your next breath. It's bad. However let me tell you something, God has placed these people here for a reason. If they stand victorious and live a sober, righteous, godly life, denying ungodliness and the lusts of this world, the rewards God has for you are immeasurable. I would rather live my life pleasing my Heavenly Father, than living a life only existing for pleasure, just for the sake of satisfying my own lustful desires. I know that goes against the grain of today's society, do what you feel is right, do what you want to do mentality, but right is still right, sin is still wrong, and God still reigns on His throne.

Living godly is a choice. How you live is up to you ultimately. We cant force, nor should we ever try to impose our will on anyone, however, the instruction is there, if you choose to follow it. Obedience is also a choice, and one made out of love is always the best.

Who are you living for? What are you living towards? What goals, if any, do you have? Do you have a dream you wish to see fulfilled in your lifetime? What is your purpose and why are you here on this earth?

All of those answers can be found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. I know it sounds cliche-ish, but its true. If you place your faith and trust in Him, He will never let you down. He will never disappoint you. He will never leave you, nor will He ever forsake you. It's a promise and He is a man of His word. His word "is" His bond.

Remember one thing, you will be known by your fruit. How you live speaks loudly on who you are living for.

Who are you living for?

More on that, next post, until then,

May God bless you richly!

new project on the horizon

2008-01-15T16:41:00.000-05:00

I began a new project today, a graphic novel series based on the bible. I will keep the details minute at best, but for right now, as the posts continue to come in to calleromano, be on the look out for small indicators throughout all of my posts. It's going to be special and will go (hoping and praying) a long way to helping us all dig a little deeper into our word.

Please keep me and my family in your prayers as I endeavor to glorify God in this project

Blessings to you all

another off topic post

2008-01-15T12:32:00.000-05:00

I found out yesterday that one of the radio personalities I used to enjoy listening to decided to leave the sports radio talk show "The Finish Line".

Jerry Oneil wasnt only an Orlando resident, but a huge supporter and fan of Central Florida sports. He often spoke favorably of the Magic and the UCF Knights. Jerry was a staple in the community and his voice will be missed on the air waves. If anyone knows where he has moved on to, I would like to send him a note of gratitude for being a light in sports radio.

Another radio personality, that I'm sure many have noticed is no longer on the radio air waves is our very own Scott Smith at 88.3. I wont do his address any justice, so I'll let him talk for himself. He was the first voice I heard on Christian radio when I came back from the Air Force, and to hear that he was leaving was a shock. You had a good long run here buddy, we wish you well brother. God bless you and your beautiful family.

http://zradio.org/index/meet/scott/?from=morning

the love shack

2008-01-14T15:55:00.000-05:00

I had to blog about it today, and I am sorry if this offends anyone, but I was online earlier today and one article caught my eye. A forum opened up with people from both sides defending and throwing stones at the guilty party. "Another sports figure welcomes to the world a son." ok, for one, that wasnt the title, but being a sports fan, and to not be one of those blogs that chooses to draw more attention on this couple, I changed it up a little. So, whats the big problem; two points, one, this sports figure is not married, and 2, this athlete is a professed Christian and role model for youth everywhere.

You dont shack up. You dont live together and you certainly don't sleep with one another. Fornication is a huge sin, one a lot of us are guilty of. I dont know if he was a virgin beforehand, however, he obviously wasnt A.C. Green. Now before I have stones tossed back at me, let me confess something, before I was married, I had premarital sex. Do I approve of premarital sex, no, absolutely not. 100% no! It's not only wrong, you are desecrating something that was originally supposed to be holy and sacred. It is a holy gift. Isn't it worth giving yourself holy to the person you pledge your devotion and marriage vows to? Please don't feel under condemnation for the things I'm saying. If you arent married, and are messing around, stop it. Confess your sins to God, repent and if you are serious about living a godly righteous life with this person, if you both are equally yoked, (meaning you share the same views, and beliefs) pray about it and do the right thing.

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 2 Cor 6:14 (NKJV)

There are untold damages that are committed that never gets discussed. What premarital sex does to your mental health, what it does to your spiritual health, shame sets in, more perversion sets in, and things you wouldnt have done, or thought of doing before, you are doing now, or thinking about doing. Once that door is opened, the enemy starts bringing things in that you would have never thought of doing beforehand. Not to mention jealousy, envy, anger, bitterness ... we arent just talking about sexual perversion, more often than not, these other negative emotions come flooding in and spoil an otherwise healthy relationship. Start a relationship right, God's way and keep it till marriage. You will be all the more thankful for it. Sex before marriage is called forbidden fruit for a reason. Thank God we serve a God of grace and mercy.

Anyhow, I was checking out this forum and I just had to post on it. I didnt go in the intention of bashing, but of restoring. I wasnt going to give the brother a pass, but I certainly wasnt going to throw stones at the brother either. I felt like Nathan the prophet when the Lord led him to speak to King David about his sin. I thought of the opportunity to have God turn this around for good. If this guy is truly serious about being a role model and a godly man for youth to follow, then this is an opportunity to speak on these things and tell the community that he was wrong. They couldve taken the "easy" way out of this and swept it under the rug, but they chose to have the baby, thank God. This young man cant hide the fact that he has a child to be a father to now and must take on the responsibility to teach a generation what it means to be a responsible christian in today's society. Sin is sin, and sin is still wrong. Premarital sex is not justifiable any way you put it. It is an act that is held sacred and holy by a holy God. Whether or not they end up getting married is a moot point right now. There are other matters that really need to be attended to, and namely to glorify God in his failing and turn this thing around for His glory. Being a responsible parent and turning things around in his own life is prime in his life and setting the bar so that others do not have the same failing. I pray that God restore this young man, he has a bright future, and for what I have seen only recently tells me that this is only the beginning for this young man. I'm not about to throw stones at the woman that had the baby, but of what I have already seen, man, my head swam. I thought to myself, this girl is absolutely no good for this guy. She says shes saved, but man, her lifestyle tells me a different story. Educated? Sorry, but I dont see that if you are going to spout obscenities on your website and display lewd photographs of yourself. This to me speaks against everything I believe in when it comes to being a wholesome role model for young ladies to aspire to. My intent is not to bash this girl and to make her look bad, I thank God that she had the moral fiber to have the child, but to me, it just seems that she had ulterior motives, and to me, that is just downright low and antichrist to me.

Why get married to someone who more than likely doesnt share your same beliefs. I was just reading this weekend about saving your best for God's best. Waiting for God's best over your life doesnt mean you are saving yourself for someone with a great personality and great morals, but is a toad on the outside. God doesnt half step, He will bring that special someone you waited your whole life for. Never settle for less. That also means you need to be at your best and not give your prospective mate leftovers. You want to be the most presentable prize you can be, inside and out. It wont do you any good to look absolutely gorgeous on the outside and be horribly ugly on the inside. No man or woman wants that. No way. It's all part of being that whole person, and letting God complete you. Be satisfied with who God made you to be and strive for excellence in every part of your life. No, no one is perfect, but we all strive for God's best, and rightfully so. After all, we are called the workmanship of God for a reason.

For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]. Eph 2:10 (amp)

I realize that today was more of me getting on my soap box than anything else, but if someone is going to portray one thing, but say something entirely different, for guys, you gotta man up and do your duty as a man of God. If you are a public figure, or in the limelight in anyway, or enjoy any kind of celebrity status, you have a higher degree of responsibility. I do not envy you for it, not in the least. Pray for our leaders, pray for those who have the celebrity status and are professed Christians, who strive to live what they preach. The temptations for them are great, and they are heavily targeted by the enemy. Pray for their families, their marriages, pray that they would maintain their purity and that the Lord would send other godly people of influence to help them to stay accountable.

To my brother who this article is about, stay true to your first love. Surround yourself with godly people of influence and do the right thing and get yourselves plugged into a ministry that will only build you up from here. God can always turn this around for good. No matter how low you may sink, you can never sink so low that God's infinite mercy can not reach.

God bless you guys, see you next post.

The Primaries - Using sound judgement

2008-01-09T18:03:00.000-05:00

pardon the brief interruption in the series, however I wanted to drop a quick line, and ask that everyone stay prayerful during the primaries and the upcoming elections.

We who claim the name of Christ over our lives really need to open our eyes and look over the candidates running for public office and the laws being brought before the public. I will not endorse any one candidate, however I will say this, check your personal convictions, check which candidate best meets those convictions, weigh them out against the word of God and pray about it. Pray for discernment. Ask God to reveal to you the person most qualified to run this country.

Come election time, the candidate currently in the race, who I believe truly exemplifies presidential authority and stature, who could best represent this country will more than likely be out of the picture by November. This is not being negative, but in all respects, this race is becoming a popularity contest, the one who best appeals to the itch that needs to be scratched. Whomever is the candidate representing the party by November, will be elected in a landslide victory. This candidate will lead this country to ruin. No one is perfect, and we cant look for the "perfect candidate", because there isnt one, however I will not vote for someone who is a straight up hypocrite, a person lacking integrity and moral fiber.

When that day comes, and the candidate is sworn into office, from outside, it will look grand, but its just a facade, a white washed tomb filled with dead men's bones. Don't be fooled by a wolf in sheep's clothing. Take the whole picture, not just a piece of it, weigh it out, use sound judgement and remember not everyone that says Lord Lord will enter the Kingdom. Don't be fooled

I hope and pray that I am wrong, I really do, and come this time next year, I hope that this post will be nothing more than just an alarmist post, all worked up for nothing; but deep down inside, if we dont vote responsibly, I feel that this post will ring back eerily as prophetic. Like I said, I hope and pray that I am wrong.

I know a lot of people are saying, this country has never been better. Ok, what country are you living in? How is it better? I hear people saying the economy has never been better. Sorry it hasnt been for me nor has it been for my family. I'm not placing blame on anyone, but we are living in dark times, and it's only going to get darker. The time is now to get fiscally fit, to take care of our personal priorities. Our homes, marriages, families and relationships must be right before we can tackle on the world for Christ. If our home is in order, and we have been given the green light for go from the Lord, then child of God, what are you waiting for? You got your marching orders; dont wait around, break out, fly and let God be the wind beneath your wings!

stay prayerful during the primaries and the upcoming elections, do your homework, read up on all of the people running for office, study up on the laws they want us "The People" to vote for, and go out and vote!

We will return to complete the study tomorrow, God willing. God bless you guys!

Teach us how to live: Live Righteously

2008-01-08T10:20:00.000-05:00

teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Titus 2:12-14 (NKJV)

live righteously 1: acting in accordance with divine or moral law : free from guilt or sin 2 a.) morally right or justifiable b.) arising from an outraged sense of justice or morality

I APPEAL to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.
Romans 12:1 (amp)

Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own,You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made for His own}. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body. 1 Cor 6:19,20 (amp)

[Live] as children of obedience [to God]; do not conform yourselves to the evil desires [that governed you] in your former ignorance [when you did not know the requirements of the Gospel]. But as the One Who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all your conduct and manner of living. For it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy. 1 Peter 1:14-16 (amp)

I didn't know what it meant to lead a righteous life for God until the Lord lead me to a small church in the middle of a wheat field in North Dakota. It was here that God would truly begin to instruct me, and deal with my heart. This was my spiritual boot camp. It's been 14 years since then, and I reflect back to those times so fondly. I thank God for the relationships that were formed there, I thank God that He didn't leave me to my own devices, He surrounded me with godly righteous people who genuinely loved the Lord. The lessons learned then, are more valuable today than they have ever been. In a world that eshews God in any form, it is important, no essential to not conform to the ways of this world. We may be in this world, but we are certainly not of it.

I like to relate it to the world of the "Matrix". Once "Neo" was rescued, he learned how he was only a battery to the machines, being used to fuel the matrix and the machine world. The trade off, to lead a normal existence but basically have all your rights stripped of you. (Sounds kind of familiar doesnt it?) When he came back to the world he once knew, he felt displaced, he would remember things, events in his life and realize this was all a lie implanted by the matrix. He was no longer part of that world, he was set free, but for what purpose? All around him, people went on with their lives, totally oblivious to the world around them. Neo was no longer like them, he was different, he new the truth, regardless whether he wanted to believe it or not. Seeing with his own eyes, and experiencing it first hand, he knew that this world he once was a part of was no longer his.

In it, not of it

How can we say we are in this world, but not of it, when we still listen to the same old music, still pick up that cigarette, or pick up that bottle? We go to the movies and watch things we know we have no business watching, and spend needless hours in activities that have no eternal value? How can we honestly say we are living for Christ when our lives dont reflect it.

What about when we laugh at the dirty joke, or we constantly put down or tease one another, oh, its just harmless fun. Really? What would Christ say about that behavior? Would you honestly say that He would be ok to see you partaking in that kind of behavior? Would you want to see your kids doing stuff like that? So why are you any different?

Righteous living is not for the faint of heart. It begins there, at your center, to the depths of your soul. The change has to occur inside out. Not outside in. It will show as you continually submit to God. On your outward appearance, in your relationships, in the very stuff you actively participate in, you will see a steady change.

It's hard when you come into a room and everyone all of a sudden leaves. Is it something I said? you wonder; Was it something I did? Understand something, if you are going into an area where all there is darkness, and you walk in bearing a light, what happens to that darkness?

I want to be likable, I want people to feel comfortable around me, but at the same time, I don't want to compromise my walk with the Lord. What do I do?

Please God. Be obediant. You cant go wrong when you are yielding to God in your life. Check your attitude, and try not to have that hollier than thou attitude. That is going to turn people off quick. You arent going to draw many people that way. Remember, even if your decisions are not popular ones, you will be vindicated in the end. People will respect you more because they begin to see you as a person of integrity.

if anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Matt 16:24 (NKJV)

Pick up your cross saint of the most high God, we got a world to save, and the time is growing short.

Sober up, wake up, get up, its time to start taking back what rightfully belongs to us! Proclaim the living word. Live it out, set the example. Be a light for others, love on those who hate you. Love on the unlovable, pray for those that will spitefully use you; pray for those who callously throw you under the bus. They have their reward, get yours.

Live like God is watching, and lead a lost world to Christ. God bless you

Teach us how to live: Live soberly

2008-01-07T17:00:00.000-05:00

teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Titus 2:12-14 (NKJV)

live soberly

Merriam Websters defines sober as -
marked by sedate, gravely or earnestly thoughtful character or demeanor
marked by temperance, moderation, or seriousness
unhurried, calm

As Christians, we should live with an absence of the excessive, temperate lives in moderation. For some, that seems to be an impossibility. We grow up in a very impatient society. We want everything now, and we hate to wait. Many of us suffer from making decisions on impulse based on emotion rather than thinking things through.

Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. (Matt 10:16)

Weigh your options, make educated decisions based on God's wisdom; try to avoid decisions made out of emotion. Above all, bathe them in prayer, you can never go wrong if you always go to God first.

Be temperate (marked by an absence or avoidance of extravagance, violence, or extreme partisanship) Stay alert, be wise, and avoid the trappings of the world to make you dull and complacent. Watching TV, playing video games, browsing the Internet or spending needless hours in places that do nothing to sharpen your mind are simply a danger that should be avoided.

Remember, saints of God, we are at war. The enemy of our souls doesn't take days off; so why should we? We are in an epic struggle for the souls of men, yet we spend our days doing things that has no eternal value whatsoever. This is not to say, that you can never ever enjoy a ball game, avoid watching movies, playing video games, or taking your spouse or significant other on a date. We need our leisure time. However, we don't do it at the expense of skipping on our godly duties and responsibilities. Work is one of them. We don't tool around on the Internet all day and clock in eight hours and expect to get paid for a day's work. What work did you get done? Did you actually earn those x amount of dollars your company is paying you for tooling around the office? That's why these self contractors and self employed guys are so successful, they hustle for their jobs, and work hard to earn that salary, if they take a day off, they don't get paid. You work, and actually perform the service which you were hired to perform, to their satisfaction, you get your payment. Many of us would be out of a job because of our "work ethic".

All in all there needs to be a balance. Excess in any direction just isn't good. Weigh it out, if you see that one activity is taking too much time away from other things, such as an activity that keeps you from spending time with your family, then something has to give. You cant have it both ways.

He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you, But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8 (NKJV)

Love you guys,
until next time, God bless!

Teach us how to live: Denying ungodly behavior and worldly lusts

2008-01-03T13:17:00.000-05:00

Today I am going to start a series based on the 2nd chapter of Titus

beginning at the 12th verse
teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Titus 2:12-14 (NKJV)

Deny ungodliness and worldly lusts,

What are some of your daily rituals? Do you have any vices or habits that can be viewed worldly?

We are talking about the perfecting of your faith here,

for some it could be watching a novella or sitcom you know you shouldn't be watching, or some reality show that really isn't appropriate but you watch it anyways because it "entertains" you.

Some of us watch movies with questionable themes, we wouldn't want our children watching it, so why should we? We watch anime in my home, but lately I have limited some of the shows because of its content. We need to remain vigilant and steadfast.

For others, you are dealing with secret sins, watching of porn on your computer, reading romance novels that leave little to the imagination. For some, many wouldn't relate the romance novel to porn, but let me ask you something, is what you are reading sexual by any stretch? The theme of the novel, is it something you would want your children reading? What about your neighbor's kids? Try reading a fiction novel from your christian bookstore. Just be careful and do your research.

Smoking, drinking, going to parties or night clubs. You are not associating with others to preach the good news, so don't give me that nonsense about being abased to gain some for Christ. You'll end up losing your own soul because by living a sinful life you have become a stumbling block for others. To quote a good friend of ours, "you may be the only bible they will ever read." so be careful of your "secular" activities. If what you do is unpleasing to God, stop it. If you think that what you are doing would be looked down or frowned upon by a mentor, stop it. "Well its not hurting anyone? There's nothing wrong with it?" If this is your thinking, then you need to check yourself; you may cause someone else to stumble because of your unwillingness to change. God will require it from you if one sheep is lost on your account. Ultimately everyone is held accountable for their own actions, however, your testimony can adversely or positively affect someones walk. That includes those of your own household. I cringe when I see my son do things I know I have done in the past, procrastinating, sitting on things, always waiting until the last minute to do things. It's a bad habit, and I have unknowingly passed it down to my kid. I'll say it again, the things you do are being watched, be on guard that you do not cause someone to stumble because of your callous view on christian liberty.

Live your life like God is watching. Your life is on stage and the audience is the world. God is there to be your harshest critic or your greatest and staunchest supporter. It only depends on you and who you choose to represent. Let's live a life that glorifies God and let the world marvel on as we take a world for Christ.

Until tomorrow, May God bless you richly!

1st post of 2008

2008-01-02T08:45:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year Everyone!

As we look towards the new year with great expectation, we want to wish everyone a prosperous and joyous new year, filled with hope and great expectation!

A Christmas decree

2007-12-31T17:50:00.000-05:00

My original intent was to get this out on Christmas Eve, however, maybe its more pertinent that it goes out today.

Luke 2:1-3 (KJV)
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) and all went to be taxed, every one into his own city

That morning, I was listening to 950 am. R.C. Sproul was speaking on the decree of Caesar Augustus.

Before he became the leader of the most powerful government and nation of the world, he was Gaius Octavius. In the year 44 B.C. Octavius took the name Gaius Julius Caesar (Octavianus) after the murder of his great uncle Julius Caesar. Before marching on Rome, and forcing the senate to grant him the position of Consul, Octavius held no office or official position in government. Throughout the broadcast, R.C. went over how Octavius came to power and his rise to power as the most influential ruler in Rome's history.

Beyond the power of the greatest ruler of that era, there stood and still stands a power far greater; far exceeding the power of Rome. God, the everlasting Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth through the prophet set forth the time, day and location for the birth of His one and only son. Declaring through the greatest ruler of Rome's history, a census that would place Joseph and Mary on the road to Bethlehem to fulfill a minor prophetic statement in the Old Testament. God can and will use anything and everything to fulfill His will. He can use the greatest to the least, and will exercise it through any vessel of His choosing.

This brings to mind something that I have been dealing with for years; obedience and submitting to the will of God. Submission is just plain hard to do. Pride usually is the culprit, and will keep you from receiving hugely what God has for you. Pride is a very dangerous sin, it can disguise itself pretty deceptively; camouflaging itself into a false sense of humility, pride will quickly get a person ensnared into its deception.

When our focus is on Christ, pleasing Him and living out His will for our lives; we find ourselves much more fulfilled, leading fuller happier lives. When we are out of God's will, we will constantly be finding ourselves striving and unhappy, never satisfied and leading an unfulfilled life with unmet expectations. God sets His promises over our lives before we were formed in the womb. There is already a plan for your life, it is up to you to find the center of His will and remain in it to fulfill the divine purpose you were created for.

Christ the King, born in a humble stable, laid in a lowly manger, was visited by lonely shepherds. He didn't have earthly trumpets sounding off his coming. He didn't have a royal procession signaling his birth, there was no pomp, and certainly there was no circumstance. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords had lowly shepherds attend his birth.

Shepherds, did you ever stop to think why shepherds? The Shepherds I believe are a picture of all the pastors and ministers who faithfully serve, teach, instruct, and protect the flock of God's people. They were the only ones that got a hand delivered invitation from an arch angel by God to attend and honor the Lord's birth. This may get lost on some, but how awesome is that, that out of all of the people to get an invite, God chose the shepherds. I know my brothers and sisters who serve in the ministry would appreciate the symbolism.

The wise men, the sage magi from the east came to honor the Lord as well with their gifts and to witness the prophetic become flesh and blood. What did they come to see, what were they expecting to see when they came so far from home? Certainly it wasn't the small infant babe in a lowly village in Bethlehem; and yet, there He was, born to two lowly people from Jerusalem. They didn't know of His rich heritage, of his lineage, they probably didn't realize that the root of David had finally found its rightful heir; the one who preexisted creation itself. All they knew is what they saw. What went on their minds when they left I wonder?

Wise men still seek Him. Some are still trying to find Messiah. The good news is that Messiah has already come in the form of a son, born of a virgin raised as a carpenter's son. Messiah died to set us free from our sins placing us in right standing with God the Father, erasing the sin debt held against us since creation. The risen Lord now sits at the right hand of power interceding on our behalf. Praying for you.

A Christmas Decree was declared for you, for freedom He came, to set us free from the bondage and slavery to sin, to place out feet on a solid foundation. He set us free to declare the good news, Christ the Lord is born this day, in the city of David. Hallelujah to the King, King of glory, King of Heaven, Hosanna in the highest, Hosanna in the highest. God, the Christ has come, to set liberty the captives, to free us all from the bondage's of sin, and to set us free to live life exemplifying the risen Christ.

To all who visit this post, we wish you a joyous Christmas Holiday and a Prosperous New Year.
May God bless you richly!

New site up

2007-12-28T13:32:00.000-05:00

Hey guys,

I just posted a new link on the links page. I have started a new business and believe that the Lord has been leading me to do this for some time. Please pray for us and for my family that God will lead and open the doors. I've been fighting with this for a long time, but I believe with our growing needs, and fighting for more and more freedom, it was past time I started working for myself and not for others. I hope and pray that this just takes off and I can do this full time.

Please pray for PC Solutions of Central Florida to impact Orlando for the Lord.

I will be back later to post the blog for the day.

Blessings to you and thank you!

Belated Christmas wish

2007-12-27T15:37:00.000-05:00

To my family to yours,

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone's day was spent well, surrounded with family and friends.

I will be back tomorrow with a full post until then,

May God bless you richly!

financial indebtedness

2007-12-21T15:25:00.000-05:00

I have been on such an emotional roller coaster this past year because of finances, its been insane. From living somewhat comfortably to surviving on one income and barely staying afloat in a financial mire, you begin to look at every thing and everyone as a solution to dig yourself out. You cling to every semblance of hope, hoping beyond hope that maybe, just maybe this will the be answer to get your head above the murky depths.

It's not going to come. Call me pessimistic, but no knight in shining armor is going to bail you out. It's going to take guts, sacrifice, and a whole lot of heart to get yourself standing financially secure. I know what most people would say, because I am in the same position as some of you are, I have bills to pay, a mortgage that's past due, my power is going to be shut off, I need a financial miracle!

Well first things first, let me ask you something? Are you tithing? I know this is a sensitive issue for a lot of people, while some would give above and beyond what is called generous, many of us hold tight onto our money and are so quick to blow it on movies, fast food or something else, but when it comes to giving to our local church, it's like they killed your best friend. "All they want is your money." Let me tell you a secret, God doesn't want your money, what He wants is your obedience and your faithfulness. He could care less about your money.

The only people you are hurting is yourself and those of your family. You not only hold yourself back of God's blessing over your life, but that of your family as well. If you are married and one spouse only tithes of their paycheck and the other one refuses to do so. One is blessed, but the family continues to sink in financial indebtedness. It is no wonder so many marriages end in divorce over finances. It can either make or break a union. You have to be together on every financial decision, if you aren't, you are looking for a world of hurt. I know, I've been there, got the t-shirt to prove it. Tithing does so many things, effects so many areas in your life. It releases things in your life that you may not even be aware of, but in the background God is setting things into motion to bless you and put you along a path to prosper you. So many times an unexpected blessing would come, and I find a family member pulling up to stock up my pantry, another time, a friend fills my tank and that tank would take me through the week and into the weekend. (Normally I would have to gas up twice during the week) Someone brings you lunch, or you get invited out to eat, and the bill is paid in full.

Be faithful in your tithing, that is the first step in realizing that you are not in control, but that God is ultimately in control over every facet in your life. Relinquish that area in your life and you will being to see amazing things.

Will a man rob God?
Yet you have robbed Me!
But you say,‘ In what way have we robbed You?’
In tithes and offerings.
You are cursed with a curse,
For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation.

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house,
try Me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts,
" If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.
I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,
So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,
Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,”
Says the LORD of hosts;
And all nations will call you blessed,
For you will be a delightful land,” Says the LORD of hosts.
Mal 3:8-12

Focus

2007-12-20T17:28:00.001-05:00

Why is this such a difficult thing to do?

Focus and determination are a powerful combination. If you have a person focused on attaining a goal, you will be hard pressed to keep that person from reaching that goal. They will do anything to reach that goal, and be victorious. For those in the secular world, this means stepping on toes, hurting others and pushing people out of the way to reach those goals. That just isn't right. If you are child of God, you know it ain't right. I want to become determined to meet my goals. I don't want to stop until I meet them and attain a level of life that will not only sustain me and my family but be able to become a blessing to others. Short of sinning, I want to become that person. As long as I am bringing glory to God, I want to see my dreams and the dreams of my family come to fruition.

Discipline is such a nasty word to so many people. We have gotten so overweight and lazy, and yet want everything done yesterday that we now depend on others to do a job we can easily do ourselves. This isn't to pick on anyone person, but the fact remains, we as a people focus on things that are so temporal and forget about the important things in life.

Some time ago I was speaking to a friend about focusing your attention on one thing and putting your whole heart and effort into that one endeavor. (Too bad I don't take my own advice, I'm trying) We want to save the world, but what is God trying to get you to focus on. We want to be a shot gun blast spreading to various places, thinking that we are going to be more effective if we can reach various people groups. Or we think, I don't want to limit myself, hogwash. We must become like arrows. One single bullet that does greater damage in one area. The enemy would have us spread thin and render us ineffective while derailing us from the true goal, to save souls, to make a genuine difference in someones life. To get financially free and out of debt, to own a home, to have that dream job, or to have the ability to stay home and have the freedom to live the life you always wanted to live. Baby steps. Rome wasn't built in a day. Every long journey begins with one step. You know the cliches.

But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn't afford to finish it! Luke 14:28-30 (NLT)

Don't start any project until you count the cost. Check to see you have all the materials before you start. Plan it out to completion. Its just the smart thing to do. We go into things so haphazardly and say, well, we are going in faith. Have you counted the cost? Have you looked at it objectively? The last thing I want to do is talk anyone out of something they feel "led" to do, but look at things objectively before you get into anything, like a business venture, a job move, moving, marriage, having children. Somethings you just cant plan for, but you can prepare yourself for the eventualities. Did you prepare a will? Have you planned for retirement. Do you have nest egg or retirement savings? This hits me harder than it will hit most of you because honestly, I haven't done any of these things. I am learning the hard way, but I am learning and making the necessary changes. The thing I have to keep reminding myself is, it will not happen over night. It will take some time. We didn't get into debt overnight, so what makes us think that we will get out of debt so quickly?

My prayer is that I become the arrow in God's quiver. I am focusing on my target and little by little start taking down the mountain before me. It may take some time, but with God's help, we can finish this race and finally attain the goal of being financially free and out of debt.

Take baby steps, don't lose your focus, keep your goal in sight and take it one step at a time. Don't spread yourself too thin, hit the little goals and slowly but methodically tackle your goals with precision.

Don't lose heart and stay encouraged.

Remember, nothing is impossible for the child of God!

Until tomorrow, stay encouraged and may God bless you richly.

The Alexander Chronicles

2007-12-19T18:30:00.000-05:00

The air had gone stale in the quiet apartment. In a room down the hall was a little boy who quietly stirred from his slumber. Shuffling out of bed, he exits his room and enters the dimly lit hallway. Making his way down the hall, warm rays of sunshine splashed across his ruddy complexion.

He shuffles his feet over to a window and feels the cold stale air seeping through the window sealing. Beaming through, brilliant rays of sunshine flooded the tiny hallway of the small flat in lower east side New Manhattan.

Pusing back from the window, shivering, Alexander shuffles along the hallway.

"Esther...?"

Creaking open the door to the musty room, Alexander approached the sleeping woman.

"Esther...?" Alexander timidly patted the sleeping woman's curler covered head.

"Hmm?" As Esther stirred, her eyes opened to see the wide eyed little boy in his pajamas. "What happened honey?"

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, and looking behind the boy she noticed the tiny wet foot steps behind him.

"Aww baby, it's ok. Miss Esther will make it all right."

She gently swept the toddler into her arms and brought him into her bathroom to get cleaned up.

Alexander hung his head and refused to look into the woman's eyes.

"Hey now, these things happen. Dont let it worry you none."

Alexander continued to keep his eyes downcast, standing silently.

Plopping Alexander into the hot bath she quickly exited the room as the boy soaked into the warm water.

Priorities

2007-12-19T16:01:00.000-05:00

Sorry about not posting yesterday, so I'm making it up with a double. The post I was working on yesterday is part of a series of shorts based on a larger novel series. I hope to have the first chapter done by February of the following year. I am presently preparing an outline for the novel which will layout the ground work for the novel. My goal is to have a finished manuscript by this time next year. This is going to be a labor of love, something I have been toying around with for years, but is finally seeing some light. I was heavily leaning on making this novel a screenplay for a movie, but the more I put into it, the more I realized it deserved to be published as a novel, there is just too much to say, and making the movie may just take away some of the allure of the story. This way, when a movie deal comes in, I will have a pick of where to go from there.

For this post I want to focus on priorities.

Where are our priorities?

It is the Christmas Season, and with it comes unprecedented spending. Credit cards are maxed out and families go into financial debt to appease the family and kids. We as a family aren't spending anything, because we simply can't. Im just being real. We will get a few little things for the kids, but beyond that, we are tapped and just cant afford it this year. My financial goal for the following year is to be debt free (excluding the mortgage of our home). One of my friends purchased a book for me that will be probably go down as one of the most treasured books in our library next to our bibles. It is a tool to put me and my family on the road to financial freedom. The author has a radio show that I have been listening to every time I get the chance. It's been a blessing and we look forward to seeing the fruit.

I will from time to time post how we are doing in our financial goals and eventually post a link to his site. The last thing I want to do is post something we ourselves aren't practicing. We want to be a light and testimony to others.

This Christmas season is a time for family and friends, a time where love is shared and fond memories are built. I want my kids to grow up with a generous spirit, and not one which covets. In order for my for my children to learn that, they needs to see it in our lives first, so they in turn may learn from our example. There is nothing wrong with buying gifts, and blessing our children with presents, as long as its not gratuitous.

Come back in a little while to check out the first in my series shorts. They are really snippets of stories, back story for the novelization. Here's an idea, maybe I will collect them all when I am done with the novel and publish them in an anthology series? If you have any ideas, I would like to hear them. Please leave any comments, or send me an email with your suggestions.

Have a great day everyone, May God bless you richly!

inward reflection

2007-12-17T15:37:00.000-05:00

My biggest goal for this blog when I first started it was to consistently keep an online journal. Write. Just write. It didn't matter what I put down as long as I was writing. A ship can't be steered unless its going somewhere. What's a boat doing if it's still tied at the docks? Not moving. This is why the blog was left open in the first place. A place where I can just write, and not worry about being tied down to an idea. Just write. God will steer you.

Bad habits ...

every one's got em

I'm a sensitive loner; from time to time I distance myself from others. I begin to shut people out. I don't know why I do it, but I do it regardless.

(as i was going back and editing today's entry, it occurred to me why I tend to shut people out. I shut them out, because in one way or another I get burned, or left out of something in someway form or fashion. I guess you can say it's due to hurt feelings. It's a form of being bitter, being disconsolate. I push people away to prevent from being hurt again. I write people off and distance myself, not allowing myself to open up to that person ever again. Sometimes I tend to give people several chances, but after a while, I wash my hands of the whole incident and begin to close the doors of my heart. I close up, and while I am being "distant" I lick my wounds. I may forgive, but like any dog, I will remember the hurt and begin to form a sense of distrust with the offending party. I know it's wrong and it's something I struggle with.)

I had a cup of cold reality splash me square in the face. I brought a lot of grief to a lot of people. Is it any wonder why I get the cold shoulder from others? I've lost almost all drive and motivation to continue. I even struggle with the reasons why I bother to stick my nose to the grind, and continue. I struggle with cordiality, especially with those who say are friends but act nothing of the sort. I am not happy with my current situation, but it is a situation I created myself. It is a bed I made out of my own neglect. You cant expect to survive on the good will of others. The problem isn't external, its internal. If you want friends, you have to show yourself first to be friendly. You cant expect others to think of you, when you don't think of others. It's about shelving the selfishness and putting the needs of others before your own. Even when there is no immediate reward. Even when you don't ever get a thank you, ever. Pick yourself up by the neck and move. You need to continue to be selfless, even though others only think of themselves. You have to be different, not only say that you are, but be it. Live it, exemplify it. Share it. Let your light shine brilliantly. It's not about you, it's about living out a living testimony. Your life has to be both dynamic and inspiring. Even if you don't feel motivated, remember why you are doing it, you are doing it for a crown that can not perish.

I was telling my son the other day about building memories. What kind of memories am I leaving for my children? Am I leaving good ones for them to remember? They will never look at their mother wrong, I know I don't. The mom does what she is supposed to do, period. The brunt and the weight lays heavily on the father. You are measured very sternly by your kids. It's no wonder so many kids grow up so dysfunctional. So inwardly depressed and incomplete. It is our jobs as fathers to help mold and shape them, but it is also to build them up, and encourage them. It's not enough to speak words of love and affirmation. They want to see the fruit. Take them out, spend time with them. Go to the park. Go to the library, go the museum, go to the store with them. Get them involved with work around the house, don't just lay tasks for them to do, get involved with them. Go fishing, go to the beach, take the family on mini vacations. Trips, outings, a walk.

Always in a hurry; always with so much to do, is it any wonder why our kids begin to despise us? They don't feel like our children anymore, just some live-in who just happens to occupy space in the house. We get irritated when they stick their nose in the fridge. Hey, money doesn't grow on trees!

How in the world did I get on this subject.

I digress,

Take a good long look at yourself. When things begin to go south, look inwardly before you start pointing the finger. More often than not, its not them with the problem, its you.

You only get one chance to give someone a first impression, make everyday an opportunity to give a first impression.

When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.
1 cor 13:11-13 (nlt)

bearing your cross

2007-12-14T11:52:00.000-05:00

This was sent to me earlier today, I thought it was very poignant.

We complain about the cross we bear but don't realize it is preparing us for the dip in the road that God can see and we cannot.

Thank you Omar and Ellie for sharing

I had to cut a few out because, well simply it just ran too long for this post. The first few pictures was of the same guy asking God to lighten his load, but did you notice, he was the one doing the cutting, not God.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

1 Peter 5:6-7

Have a blessed weekend and a glorious Lord's day!

Freeform

2007-12-13T18:20:00.001-05:00

"I can't write?"

"I don't know how to start?"

"Where do I begin?"

The blank page used to be such an intimidating thing for me for so long until I learned a secret; know what it is?

Someone put it succinctly to me in one sentence, and I found it to be the most powerful. The blank page is an open invitation from God to partake in the creation process. The words you say, the words you write, the things you call into existence has powerful ramifications. One word can possibly change the course of history for good or for bad.

Ok, maybe that's a little dramatic, but history has shown that a miscommunicated message, improperly read has been the cause of empires crumbling, or industries going under, a misspoken word has lead to marriages dissolving. You can absolutely crush a person with a word, or infinitely build and encourage them. It is up to you to choose how you use your words.

Much like an artist with a canvas, a writer/author uses their medium as a form of expression. Some have developed their craft into an artform. Some authors have woven some of the most beautiful pieces of literature the world has ever seen; becoming beloved classics the world over. Charles Dickens who wrote "Great Expectations"; C.S. Lewis and "The Chronicles of Narnia"; JRR Tolkien and "The Lord of the Rings" Unfortunately like every form of artistic expression, the devil has perverted the arts, making it ugly and twisted. It's all about self expression or pushing the envelope, how far can we go? Sin sells. It's appealing; people will flock to a production to get their fix, and the industry will continue to pour the filth into the minds of our children because it is what is selling. It's all about making the money. Big business.

I digress,

One word of advice, just write. Don't worry about grammar, punctuation, spelling, just get it down and worry about editing later. As long as your thoughts are down on paper, you can always go back and do clean up later. It is a hard lesson to learn, but the most freeing to experience as a writer.

Now get out there and write!

putting your best foot forward

2007-12-12T12:02:00.001-05:00

I feel sick awful today, but I am still at work. Partly because I have no more personal/vacation/sick time in the bank to take, but even if that wasn't the case, I'd still be here today. I have a group of guys who depend on me showing up. If I decide not to come in, that means the work for others have just doubled. I don't like it when it's done to me, so why would I want to put someone through that? I like the guys I work with and find them highly dependable, I want them to feel the same way about me.

The last couple of months have been a roller coaster ride of emotions for me. I have had my eyes open on more than one occasion, and the sad reality is, a lot of the trouble I am in now could have been avoided if I was more active in my personal affairs. Have I learned anything, you betcha. It still doesn't do anything about my now however. You reap what you sow unfortunately. Any who, this is not what I wanted to bring to the table today.

Today, I am putting my best foot forward.

Years ago I learned of an organization in the local community that was heavily involved into ministry. When I first learned of their organization, I said, man, I would love to go there. As the years passed and after so many failed attempts, I finally gave up, packed my bags and decided, I can no longer pursue a job where I am unable to provide for my family. My needs and goals changed and the door closed behind me as I walked away. It became all about the money after that. I began looking for other jobs that would "pay" however it wouldn't be until this year where I had a 2x4 smack me in the back of my head. When I looked back, I saw a little Puerto Rican guy holding this board with a cheesy grin on his face. Suffice it to say, I was none too pleased. However, that's his modus operandi, and although I didn't like the delivery of the message, it was a message I needed to hear. Why did you have to hit so hard dude?

I have been asleep for far too long, noncommittal to too many things in my life, and by God, it was time I made a change. To make a long story short, I made a mess of things, but if I really want a change, a significant change in my life, I need to take those steps in order to achieve and attain that change. An evangelist came to my church a little more than a month ago, and he said something that really stuck with me. I'm unable to quote him word for word, however, he basically said, if you just show up, God will meet you, and back you up. If you are facing a fear, or an obstacle that seems too large to overcome, just show up, determine in your mind that you are not going to back away from this fight. Picture David and Golaith.

In fact take a look at this, and at your leisure, read the chapter, it's awesome.

Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine. 41 So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him. 42 And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking. 43 So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” 45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.”

1Sam 17-40-47

Months ago I submitted a less than presentable application to this respective employer. I've been wanting to go here for years, and now I was flushing it all away by not doing the little things. It is the little things that take you a long way in many circles.

You gotta put your best foot forward. I'm heading over there today to drop off my paperwork. I reprinted all of the paperwork, a fresh copy of my resume and sat and wrote out every piece of information that this resume asked for. There was no room to cut corners, and although my hand was sore after so much writing, I have a presentable piece of paperwork that will hopefully provide to my prospective employer a fresh face. God is the God of second chances, however if He decides to close this door, then at least I gave it my all and will leave with no regrets.

Please pray for God's will to ultimately win here; that no matter what the outcome, I can leave with His peace in my heart, and His direction be laid clear for me to follow.

Until next time, May God bless you richly

RSVP pt. 2

2007-12-11T10:46:00.000-05:00

I went by my friend's house the other night and noticed the painting again in her dining room. The table was indeed a supper table, but it wasn't the one prepared for Passover, this is the table prepared for us for the great marriage feast.

Let me explain,

The Lord came to earth on a mission; to save men from their sins and to set us free from it's bondage and hold over our lives. Once He bought our freedom, He extends an open invitation for all of humanity to join in His work; to proclaim liberty to the captives, becoming agents of Christ in a world mired in darkness. Once in darkness, the scales that once covered our eyes in darkness has been removed, permitting us to see the world in its ugly reality. If this sounds like a science fiction novel, let me tell you, this is the reality. The life that awaits us on the other side is filled with hope, promise and joy unspeakable. Imagine a place where you never have to say goodbye ever again. No more death, no more sickness, no more hurt feelings, no more broken hearts; this is the place the Lord has promised to set aside for you and me, a place we can gladly call home.

For those of us who have answered the call, when the time comes, and the Father sends Christ to call us home, we are instantly whisked away from this mortal earth to be with the Lord. Transformed, our broken bodies are instantly changed, given a new immortal frame which can never die, never suffer pain, nor grow old and decay, never returning to the dust from which we came. The table that we see in this painting, is the marriage feast, the great party that has been cooking for millennium. It's the reunion of all reunions. In honor of the King, we sit around the table, thankful, grateful for bestowing upon us so much. A party ensues, a celebration that is both holy, and merry. This is the party you don't want to miss. This is the engagement that has been prepared since the creation of the world, where else would you rather be?

This is the table to which you are invited, and seated at its head is our Lord, gracious and regal in all of His splendor. He welcomes one and all, and thanks everyone of us for accepting His invitation.

Don't miss out on the party of all parties, don't be on the outside looking in. Accept the Lord's invitation and reserve your place at the table.

R.S.V.P. ?

Diligence

2007-12-10T14:26:00.000-05:00

OK, I don't want to blow my own horn, but I feel pretty proud of myself for getting up on my roof this past weekend. (I have a fear of heights) The lights were going up regardless, and all of the subsequent years of being a home owner, I never got on the roof. I always had someone get up there for me. In this past year alone, I have done things I have never done in my life. I guess it goes with the territory of being a dad. Last night I was up there for hours trying to figure out why a patch of lights went out on me. After getting home from church yesterday, the last thing I wanted to do is get back up on the roof to work on the lights again. It was my day to rest, relax and not do squat. Maybe help around the house a little, but for the most part, I was looking forward to getting some rest in before the work week took off again.

When we were done with lunch and after I took my son to pick up some supplies for a school project, dousing myself in insect repellent; I ramped up the ladder and headed back up to test the lights. After an hour or two of tedious testing, and after changing several broken bulbs, a still small voice was directing me to check the fuses of the non functioning string of lights. Going downstairs I grabbed the little baggie of extra fuses and lights and headed back up, determined to get these lights up and operational.

Thank God after replacing the fuses the lights came back up, unfortunately the lights came up in sections, so again I had to go back and test each and every light until I found the culprit; a loose light bulb. Proud of my tireless efforts I started back down the ladder, triumphant.

Little did I know that when I woke up this morning, I noticed an entire section of lights had gone out. Half of my house is lit up, while the side of the house that really mattered, (the side of the house facing the street) sat in abject darkness. Looks like I'm going back up again tonight.

Diligence is so important. It doesn't matter how often you do a task, you keep at it until you see it to completion. There is something to be said of not only completing a task, but having the satisfaction of a job well done. In Proverbs, it states

He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich. Prov 10:4

and again

The hand of the diligent will rule, But the lazy man will be put to forced labor Prov 12:24

Right now I feel like the lazy man being put to forced labor, but the only one forcing me is myself.

If you are diligent in the little things, the big things wont seem so daunting a task.

who am i

2007-12-10T14:00:00.000-05:00

My second blog site has been placed on hold until further notice. I am currently working on a script/novel, and trying to have a piece ready for presentation for my writers group in January. My main goal is to have a completed manuscript/script by the end of next year. I want to shoot for the summer, but if it takes me past it, I'm not going to stress. I want to get this done right and get it completed. It's going to be a labor of love, since this is a piece I have been working on for years. I will keep you updated.

Please keep me in prayer as I endeavor to glorify God in this writing project.

Have a blessed week, God bless you richly.

FREEDOM!

2007-12-07T16:26:00.000-05:00

Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. John 8:36 (NKJV)

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Gal 5:1 (NiV)

Where the Spirit of the Lord is
There is freedom

Where the Spirit of the Lord is
There is freedom

There is peace, there is love
There is joy (there is joy)

It is for freedom He's set us free
It is for freedom He's set us free

I'm free! (I'm free! I'm free!)
I'm free! (I'm free! I'm free!)
I'm free! (I'm free! I'm free!)
I'm free

We will walk in Your freedom
walk in Your liberty
We will walk, Lord
We will walk in Your freedom, walk in Your liberty

We will dance in Your freedom, dance in Your liberty
We will dance, Lord
We will dance in Your freedom, dance in Your liberty

We will jump in Your freedom, jump in Your liberty
We will jump, Lord
We will jump in Your freedom, jump in Your liberty

Where the Spirit of the Lord is
(Spoken): THERE IS FREEDOM!!
Where the Spirit of the Lord is
(Spoken): THERE IS FREEDOM!(Repeat All)

(above lyrics coutersy of worshipmusic-freedom-lyrics-mp3.kohit.net)

Have a blessed weekend, May God bless you richly!

RSVP

2007-12-05T17:15:00.000-05:00

I went on a search for abbreviations today, don't ask, and found this wonderful site that gave the commonly used meanings of abbreviations used. I did a couple of searches and it hit me, what in the world does RSVP mean?

before I get to that let me run a few your way,

GOP - Grand Old Party
MIS - Management Information Systems
CSPAN - Cable Satellite Public Affairs Network
ISDN - Integrated Services Digital Network

There were some funny ones too ...

ISDN - It Still Does Nothing
Windows - We Indeed Never Developed One Working System
Windows ME - More Errors

and one of my favorites

FUBAR - Fouled Up Beyond All Repair, I remember using it in the Air Force, but not so much out here.

Well as I was searching through, it came to me, what in the world does RSVP mean?

Originating as a French term, it is most commonly used when asking for responses from invited guests,

RSVP - Repondez S'il Vous Plait

RSVP has always stuck in my mind because of a painting a friend of mine had hanging in her kitchen room wall. I was wondering why she would have this painting here of all places.

The painting was of Christ outstretching His hands at the supper table during the Passover feast. Above the letters stood out, R.S.V.P.

I was like, ok. What in the world did RSVP mean?

Repondez S'il Vous Plait

Holding out His hands, He looks across the table and asks, Repondez S'il Vous Plait?

When i first came to know the Lord, and began to learn more about the bible, and the sacredness of certain practices within the church, I came to understand how truly special the Lord's supper was. The Lord's Supper is a very emotional time for me, as I look into the cup and bite down on the unleavened wafer; as you imagine the body being broken for you, and the blood He shed on your behalf, you cant help but feel remorse and at the same time unmitigated gratitude. At times, it is more than you can bear at times. It was the most selfless act you can ever imagine, and He did it for me, for you, for your family, for mine, for all of us. What an awesome God we serve. What an awesome Savior.

This Christmas season, God the Father wants to remind us all of the Son He sent to die for our sins. A little baby who grew up to be more than just a man, God in flesh, was given up to pay a ransom we could never repay. A debt that could only be paid in sinless blood. The blood that washes away the sins of the world.

He's sitting at the table, Repondez S'il Vous Plait?

2 a days

2007-12-05T11:12:00.000-05:00

Im going to start something new today.

Today I'm going to start two blogs a day.

One will be my regular blog entry, a thought, a prayer, a devotional, word or message.

The other will be short story entries, creative writing. This is going to serve as a tool to help me flesh out my creative writing and get me working on my "other" writing projects. Im a big talker, now its time I back it up.

Stay tuned, God is up to something and its going to be special.

thought for the day

2007-12-04T09:23:00.000-05:00

God's abounding grace is the salve for the wounds of the heart.

And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Cor 12:7-10

Have a great day, May God bless you richly

Paid in Full

2007-12-03T14:45:00.000-05:00

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 6:23b

Understand this beloved, you are no longer under condemnation. You are made clean by the blood of the lamb, slain to pay the penalty for our sins.

You are no longer a slave, but a son or daughter of God. When you accept the Lord as your savior, you step out of the darkness where He ushers you into His marvelous light.

When Jesus freed us, He freed us from everything, all of it, every jot, every dot, every spot. God offers us a brand new slate, He makes everything new, all of the old has been washed away; you stand justified through the righteousness of His Son Christ Jesus.

In order for us to be freed, we need to come to a full realization that we are incapable of saving ourselves. We are in a wicked condition, all of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glorious standard. If we are unwilling to surrender to God the junk we are carrying in ourselves, we will continue to live in bondage and never be freed. The enemy of our souls can and will use anything and everything at his disposal to pull you back into a dark and hopeless world. It's his way of thumbing his nose at a righteous God.

If we fail to yield to God's leading over our lives, we will never experience true freedom in Christ. We short circuit our spiritual growth when we fail to acknowledge our sin, surrender and submit to God. Submission is the key to growing in God. To experience true freedom in Christ, we must first learn how to bow.

Let it go, refuse to be a bellman for the enemy, let him carry his own junk. It's not yours anymore, God's forgotten about it, so dont let the enemy dredge it up anymore.

Stay humble

joy comes in the morning

2007-11-30T13:34:00.000-05:00

Sorrow may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning.
Psa 30

Dear Heavenly father,

I am undone Lord, everything about me is known to you Lord. There is no hiding it. I am a vile and wicked creature, but through the righteousness of Christ, I have been made clean, whole and in the newness of Christ Jesus perfect in your sight. How long Lord will you hide your face from me? I tire of my weeping, I tire of my constant striving. Come to our defense, come Lord to our rescue, are you not our strong tower? Are you not our help in time of trouble? I have wasted away the years and find no rest. I am a man of unclean lips, and lend myself to filthy lucre. You are my treasure. You are the best we can ever hope to achieve and attain. You alone Lord are what you desire us to chase after. You are the fulfiller of dreams, and hold our very lives in the palms of your hands. You stand in power and majesty, in whom should we be afraid? In whom should we fear? Is it not you, maker of heaven and earth who formed us out of the very dust of the earth? You have called us by name, and number us among the righteous, in whom should we fear. You have numbered the very hairs on our head, and know our thoughts before they even begin to form in our finite minds. Abba, please forgive me for my insolence, my lack of respect shown to you and to those you have sent to minister to me. Forgive me for my callousness and apathy. I should have known that even when I can not see you working, you are indeed working things out to my favor. I have so very far to go, and yet, as I continue to grow, you stretch me even further. Bad habits are hard to break Lord, but the last thing I want to do is make excuses for myself. Lord I recommit my life and this blog to you, that you alone would be glorified in this work. Lord may you be glorified in every aspect of my life, that I may seek to honor you wherever I am.

I deflect praise to you, and thank you for answering my prayers. You are Jehova Jireh, the God who provides. Precious Abba touch those people that come across this site, bless them I pray. Touch their lives in a special way. Heal wounds of bitterness, discord, and discontent. Touch their minds, send messengers to speak words of love and affirmation. We are not the tail Lord, but the head. We are more than conquerors, we are called Your beloved. We are fearfully and wonderfully made, and you have called us yours. There is no other place to feel more secure than in the arms of Jesus. I fall back into your arms, and thank you for loving me the way you do. My beloved Saviour, thank you for never giving up on me, and thank you for sending me friends who love and care enough to speak the truth.

I ask that you bless my wife, bring her up Lord, help me to hold her up, to esteem her and love her the way you have always wanted me to. She is precious Lord; you have called her your beloved, to be esteemed more precious than any material treasure. Help me to support her, to love her and to be the very man you have called me to be. Your ways are not our ways, your thoughts are not our thoughts, they are higher, much higher than we can imagine. We tend to limit ourselves to so little when you have so much more for us. Thank you for not ever permitting us to have our way. We know you can, but your love for us would never permit it to be so. Thank you for being the model parent, who thinks of us so much, more than we do ourselves. Father I ask that you bless us this weekend, help us to accomplish everything we set out to do. I ask and invite you into our everyday, that everything we touch would be blessed, and increase. That our work will be cut in half and we are able to maximize our efforts and our resources to its fullest, for your glory. I ask that you touch and bless our friends and family, I pray that you keep them in the bonds of peace. In your name I pray dear Lord, Amen

folks, have a blessed weekend, if I get a moment, I'll drop a line or two. Thank you for your prayers and your support, Blessings to you!

open it, or keep it shut?

2007-11-28T13:46:00.000-05:00

If God isn't try to tell me something ...

The last thing I want to do is hurt anyone, or disrupt or create division or dissension. I am one man who will admit he is wrong. This isn't to say that I am puffing myself up for any reason and trying to draw attention to myself. The last thing I want to do is be selfish and be all about me. We grow up in a society where it's all about "me" and "what's in it for me" or "no one is going to look out for your best interests"; "you gotta take care of yourself, because no one else will".

Wanna know something, that's the world, and we can not be like the world. Where's the love when all we can do is watch out for number one? Unfortunately, many times when we do think of others and try to place the interests of others above our own, we are taken for granted and advantage of. When someone is hurting, we throw stones instead of giving a hand up. We tend to press our foot against their throats while they are laid out on the floor and we expect them to get up. Is this the love Christ spoke of? Hurting people do not need to hear what they did wrong, they need to know that you are willing to stand beside them, that they are not going anywhere and will fight along side you to see you through it.

Sometimes it requires us to put people on our backs, while their strength is gone. It's not that we are taking the Lord's spot in their life, but I tell you what, when we decided to get beyond our own selfishness and begin to think of others, don't you think God will bless you for it?

When things look its bleakest, that's when you find out who your truest and closest friends are, that includes those of your own family. Those are the ones you can call on and know that they will have your back, no matter what. When the chips are down, and you are looking around, who are you going to find?

I heard this message today about knowing who to trust in the middle of a crisis, what to look for in a leader, and the analogy struck me vividly.

Sitting in a dead car on a side road at night, in the middle of a storm; you decided to take a road that went off route to save time. When you veered off your car sputtered and died. Now it wont turn over and you sit inside with no phone and no one for miles to come to your rescue. Two people step out of a car behind you and you are praying for an elderly couple who could possibly take you to the nearest gas station, when you see two burly guys tapping on your window. Your gut beings to wrench, and beads of sweat being to trickle down your back as you battle within yourself whether or not to open your window.

Let me tell you, we may not be stuck in a car somewhere, God forbid, but like that helpless person in the car, we keep our feelings locked away, bottled up and offer up pat answers to people, "Just sitting here, enjoying the view. I'm fine."while inside we are dying inside and wanting desperately to let someone in who can help. You just don't know who to talk to or even trust, so you go through life like everything is normal from the outside, but inside its a whole different story; and people wonder what happened when tragedy strikes.

If you need to talk to someone, if you are having issues at home. Talk to someone. Pray and ask God to lead you to a godly couple who will listen to you together. Whether you are single or you are with someone, please don't keep stuff bottled up inside hoping things will just go away. If you don't deal with a problem, it will only get worse. Talk to your pastor, seek godly wisdom and counsel from sources you trust.

And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” Luke 22:31-32

The enemy of your souls wants to sift you like wheat, he wants to utterly destroy you, but Jesus prayed for you. Even though you may be at a very low point in your life, take heart; you have an advocate who not only loves you, but believes in you. He prays for you, interceding on your behalf. However bad it is, or its getting, if all you can do is look up, then you already have a leg up. You have your advocate who will defend you and has paid it all for you before the trial even began. Even though the enemy throws railing accusations before you, one drop of blood washes away a multitude of sins. Even though by rights you should be in jail, or dead and in the grave, God has decided to pay it all, in full. All of your pain, all of your suffering, all of your heartache, God has taken the sins of the world and put it on His back. You are not alone, take heart.

God bless you richly.

Are you not entertained!

2007-11-27T17:57:00.000-05:00

I feel like the Gladiator. I keep getting hit low, knocked down, and yet, God picks me back up and says into my ear, I didn't hear no bell, Now GET UP!!!

It ain't over till it's over!

Are you going through a time of testing? Do you feel the stones? I feel them, and I am serving the enemy of my soul notice, I'm still standing, all by the grace of God!

I dont care about my doubters, I dont care about the nay sayers, I dont care how many times someone has to nit pick me and point out my faults. You know what. God knows. I serve at His good pleasure, and no one else's. Let Him be my sole judge. God see's everything I do, and yes, I will answer to God for all that I have done in my life, but you know what, I am made righteous in His eyes. I am a man after God's own heart. I will cling to Him because He is on my side. I will no longer cling to the empty promises of man, but the promises of my almighty God, who is the Maker of Heaven and Earth. God is to be praised and honored. I know of my short comings, and God knows them all too well. He see's me for all of my faults, and still loves me, is still patient with me and will choose to stand beside me regardless of the little things. I am a man after God's own heart and I stand justified by His word and His word alone.

At the last men's encounter at my church, at a very low point in my life, I felt these very words being deposited into my heart, "No easy victories." God isnt interested in raising soft wimpy Christians, He's raising an army of warriors who will wage war against the enemy. I am His gladiator, and will continue to fight and be the man God has called me to be. Whether I fight alone, or with a battalion at my side, I know this to be true, my King stands beside me and promises me that He will never leave my side, and 2, I will be victorious for Christ, for the battle is not mine, but the Lord's, for this is not a war of flesh and blood, but of spiritual wickedness in high places. God has thrusted me into a trial of fire, and when this trial is over, I will stand pristine and brilliant, with little left of the old me. I would not have it any other way.

You may be going through a valley right now, feeling dry, feeling alone and abandoned. Dont give up hope my friend, God has said in His word that He will never leave you nor forsake you. He will never abandon you, nor put you to shame for placing your trust in Him. Fix your eyes on Jesus, where comes your help, He cares for you, He loves you, and intercedes for you on your behalf. Take hope and courage, be strong and very courageous.

God bless you richly

dealing with past hurts - A Thanksgiving Day Message

2007-11-22T11:41:00.001-05:00

It seems strange to be dealing with this topic, but it is what I felt led to share with you all. Today we reflect back at all the things we should be thankful for. For some though, this is an impossible task because of hurts and things that have occured in the past year. Some have lost family members, some may have lost a job, broken relationships, terminal illness, whatever it may be, it's wrong to give a pat answer and tell them that things will get better. What if they don't? What if they only seem to get worse. Let me share something with you, to give you something to think about this Thanksgiving Day,

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John 16:33

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matt 11:28-30

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:2-4

Sometimes we need to take a step back and see what we do have, and not so much what we dont have to see how truly blessed we really are. Love those that are close to you, cherish one another, hold each other close, Thank God for what you do have, and know that He truly loves and cares for you.

May this Thanksgiving holiday be full of joy, peace, and prosperity for you and all of your loved ones.

May God bless you richly

thoughts and other stuff

2007-11-21T23:42:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day. It is a day where we come together with friends and family. We fellowship with one another, and give thanks for all of the Lord's provision over our lives. I am thankful for faithful friends. I am thankful for those who understand us, stand with us, even when it isnt popular to do so. Offering us advice, wise counsel, and words of encouragement. You don't know how very much that is needed, and appreciated. Thank you just seems so trite, and insufficient, but there are no other words I can effectively express our deepest sense of appreciation. For those of you who have been friends for so many years, through the good and the bad times, we can no longer call you just friends but family. That is from the heart. We love you dearly and thank God for you.

I thank God for the family I have been blessed with. I look at my son who is soon going to be taller than me, I see a young man growing before my eyes. The words of affirmation and approval of others, telling us what a good son we have does a father proud. I am truly overjoyed and encouraged that we are raising such a fine young man. Thank you for doing all that you do for the family, thank you for being such a wonderful big brother to your two smaller siblings. We see how much you dote on the both of them, and how much they adore and love you. I know that at times we seem harsh and uncaring, but realize that we are training you and preparing you for life. We are instilling you core values and foundational principles that will carry you through the rest of your life. We always pray for you and ask God's very best over your life. Keep your head up, stay encouraged and always know that we love you!

Huni, what can I say? We've been through so much this past year, and although we may still be struggling, the storm we are in, is almost over. I see some other things we need to take care of, but with everything else, it will all come in time. Don't lose heart, seek God, His direction and guidance. Always maintain "What would Jesus Do" let it guide you continually as we continue to grow together in the Lord.

I thank God for my precious family, and although a lot has happened in the past year, I know God still has a plan for us all. I am still believing in the salvation of my family. That none should be lost, but all of them would be serving the Lord. I will evangelize my family for Christ. My first ministry however is to my wife and children. Although my heart is in the right place, my priorities have not been. I have not been a faithful leader of my home, and have failed in many areas in my life. I thank God for finally opening my eyes. For being able to see clearly, maybe for the first time in a very long time. I trust God will help me, lead and guide me. As Solomon prayed for wisdom, I ask the same for myself. I want to be all God wants me to be, and be the very best husband and father I can be. Nothing less is acceptable anymore.

I have been told to keep my blog entries short, yet there is still so much more I want to write; but we will see each other tomorrow. Thank you for taking the time to read over the blog. It is my sincerest desire to remain consistent, please leave a note and let me know what you think of the blog. What do you like; what do you not like; what would you like to see more of; and if you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them.

Until tomorrow, may God richly bless you!

built on sand

2007-11-20T13:44:00.000-05:00

Matt 7:21-27

A few years ago, we began to build our home, a home we could call our own. We went out to the lot before they even broke ground. Days, weeks, months passed as we saw walls erected, pipes put in and fixtures installed into our new home. As we walked through the unfinished rooms and began to breathe in the air, I exhaled a sigh of relief, this was going to be our home.

Suffice it to say, although we moved for several reasons, none of them were for the right ones. We made a mistake on leaving, and didn't consult God. In the end, it has turned into sour grapes and we are reaping the consequences of our actions. Have I learned anything from all of this, you betcha I did. I also learned to accept responsibility for my actions. I cant cry over spilled milk. All I can do is make the best of it and pray that I don't fall into the same trap as before.

Some decisions you make may be unpopular ones, but if they are the right ones, you will be justified in the end.

A home is only as strong as it's foundation. What is the foundation of your home?

The Lord in Matthew chapter 7 stated it plainly

... everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash

Matt 7:24-27 (NiV)

Yesterday I mentioned being a surface Christian. On the outside, you have all the visual signs of being a godly person, however upon closer inspection, you begin to see the flaws, small fissures and cracks. What goes unnoticed is what can not be seen from the outside; well below the surface, settling has begun to shift the walls of your home.

These cracks are only exposed when pressure is applied. When you begin to see the signs of wear. If you are set on a firm and solid foundation, it doesn't matter what is thrown your direction, nothing will bring your house down. I want that kind of strength. I want that kind of staying power. Be careful what you pray for. What do you have to do to attain strength, and intestinal fortitude, exercise. If you don't flex those spiritual muscles, then its all for show, and that's not what God intended them to be for.

Guess what, what I wanted, I'm getting them in spades. I'm going through one heck of a storm. Although we may be coming out of one or soon to be coming out of one, I can see one on the horizon that's even bigger than the one we are going through now. It's a battle though I am set on winning.

Right now, I don't need someone trying to knock me down, right now I need someone cheering me on. Don't sit and armchair QB me, be on the sidelines and cheer us on. Sometimes we get so involved in the lives of others that we try so hard to try to help, and find out we have done more damage than good. I certainly don't want to do that, ever. Pray for us, encourage us, tell us you love us, pray before giving us "wise counsel". I know we got a long way to go, but I mean to go the distance. It is worth it to me. I have too much invested to give up now. I have a testimony to protect, and our lives will serve to help others. So I am encouraged and emboldened to press on, bless God!

God can heal anything, God's got the right salve to heal any wound. Stop striving, and start believing. Anything is possible if you have faith. With hard work and determination, nothing is impossible for the child of God.

God bless you richly

Love one another

2007-11-19T22:38:00.001-05:00

Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.
Titus 3:1-8(NKJV)

Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men. At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone. (NiV)

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived, and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. Living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another; but when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, He saved us. Not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy, He saved us ...

We were once in darkness, but because of His mercy, we are made righteous and pure in God's eyes. I don't want to focus on the freedom so much as the sin today. We focus on grace so much that we forget that many of us are still in sin. Many of us still have issues in our lives, areas in our hearts that have not been attended to. It's like a garden, constantly needing to be weeded, raked up and treated. If we don't deal with the root, we will always be surface Christians with no real substance, always having to deal with those pesky weeds that spring out of nowhere.

We don't want to deal with the sin, because we become comfortable with it, we learn to disguise it and just explain it away as just being part of our nature. Then there are those of us who are accused of just being overly sensitive and that we need to develop a "thick skin". Let me ask you, is that attitude Christ like? Lets examine our response to one another, is it Christ like to speak tersely to our friends and family, and yet be perfectly nice to strangers? There is something wrong here. Where is the love? Does it always have to be "tough love"? Where is the gentleness, the meekness and humility? We must be very careful how we treat others, and in the manner in how we conduct ourselves before others. Now I understand that we can't become overly cautious on how to speak to others because we are afraid of hurting their fragile feelings, but some take it to the extreme; that is on both sides of the issue.

All I want to say is this, is our attitude reflective of a Christ like attitude, or behavior? Would it meet with His approval? Love one another, pray for one another, be gentle and meek with another, don't seek to slander or defame someone else, but always try to build up and honor one another in love, especially those of the house of God. When it comes to those of our own family, even more so. The Lord will require it from us.

Be gentle, be loving, check your attitude and leave everything behind at the altar.

This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

May God bless you richly!

something to write about

2007-11-17T11:18:00.000-05:00

I'm going to try and have something in here everyday, at least during the week anyway.

Yesterday at my job we said goodbye to an excellent coworker and friend. He's been with the company for over 8 years and takes with him a wealth of information. He will be sorely missed. As I sat back and looked over the events that led up to his departure, I couldn't help feel a longing for something better. Things occurred throughout the last couple of days that began to solidify my reasons why I wanted to leave my current place of employment. Not to take away anything from my current employer, nor the people I work with day in and day out, however, I don't ever want to become complacent at any one place for any given time. We should all strive to grow and excel in every facet of our lives. When we make decisions, lets make them for all of the right reasons, and not simply out of emotion. This is what I struggle with daily. Do I want to leave simply out of emotional reasons, such as not being happy, or do I have a valid enough reason or reasons why I wish to seek employment with another company. I don't want to take anything away from being happy, but when you have a family, or you have others depending on your welfare, you can't just jump ship just because you are not happy where you work.

If this is the case, then you need to ask yourself some questions; what can I do to make my work experience more enjoyable? Do I truly like my job? What is it that makes me look forward to going to work everyday? Is it the paycheck, or is it a sense of satisfaction I get as a byproduct of doing a job well done? Money is important, but it alone can not and will not make you happy.

As I ponder on these things, I must also think, what does God want me to do in this situation? There's nothing wrong with "testing the market" and measuring your worth. It's an eye opener when you begin to research the job market. For my career field, each employer is seeking applicants with degrees; many with a minimum of a bachelor's degree. I never completed college. I didn't have the self-discipline to complete my education.

Upon seeing this, I ask myself, is it worth investing my time and money? Am I willing to invest my valuable resources in bettering myself in my current career field. I may be off base by saying this, but I feel if I do this, I am tossing in the towel on the thing I want more, and that is pursuing my dream of producing my own film. I'm a writer, and it's my dream and vision to produce christian based entertainment. On another post, I'll go ahead and post something I wrote to the guys a while back on what are my goals, and maybe once in a while, I'll go back and do a personal inventory as to see where I am in attaining those goals.

So with anything, as the Lord said, count up the cost. Before you build, count what its going to cost you. Have all your ducks in a row. It would be awful to start and then not have the resources to complete the task. It's down right embarassing. My suggestion, prepare a list of the pros and cons before making a decision. What do you have to gain, what do you have to lose. What will you need, where do you go for resources? A good friend once told me to take advantage of the resources you have available to you. That includes people. Network, you never know if someone you work with, go to church with or see on ocassion may have what you are looking for, or a possible lead to another resource you werent aware of.

A piece of advice I offer is this, don't make any hasty decisions. Like for instance, purchasing a home when your home you are currently living is isnt sold yet; or quitting a job before you have another one to go to. That's just not being wise. Don't up and leave without a net to catch you, especially if you have a family to support.

I may or may not be able to post tomorrow, but I will definetly be back on Monday.

I'll leave you with a scripture that was given to me when I was in the trenches of the valley of despair, Phil 4:6
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God

Above all, dont give in to anxiety, or despair. God is still and always will be in control. Just trust in His providence and in His leading.

Have a great weekend, and a wonderful Lord's day,
May God bless you richly!

tempered steel

2007-11-15T17:14:00.000-05:00

For years, I've had this growing affinity for all things Asian. I love the culture, anime, films, comics (manga), Kung Fu, but most of all, I have this growing love for the people of Asian descent, specifically those from Japan and China. In recent years I've learned of the growing Christian movement in China. It's growth is far surpassing any across the world, and yet people are suffering by the hundreds. I am sure there are a lot of things we are not privy to, however I believe the Chinese Christians are some of the most courageous people on the planet.

Now why did I choose "tempered steel" as my title you may ask?

Back in early Chinese and Japanese history, sword making was considered an art. Sword smithing done by a master sword smith were treasured instruments of war. A well forged blade forged in the fires of his smithy went through an unbelievably arduous journey. Many of these weapons of warfare were folded hundreds of times over to produce an almost indestructible weapon. A blade which was plunged into fire, immersed into water and beat into submission. The steel had to endure countless hours, perhaps days or weeks, to perfect its strength and durability. As the searing flames melted away the impurities, beading from its porous surface, the sword is yet again plunged into the fiery cycle of the smithy to finally produce a weapon that is both gorgeous to look upon and fierce when placed unto the hands of a master.

Much like the sword, we in the Master's hands are plunged into the fiery trials of life. Searing hot flames burn away impurities, peeling away layers that hid secrets long locked away and forgotten. At long last when we are soothed into the cool water, if we endure until the end, what is produced is this finest instrument ever created for warfare. A double edged weapon, when held in the Master's hands wage Godly warfare on the kingdom of darkness; capable of pulling down strongholds.

One flick of the rest and you send the hordes fleeing.

It's not time to curl up, it's time to grab hold. Child of God, the junk that you are having to weather now, will bless someone going through later. You will be used greatly for God's glory. If you feel the heat turned up, get ready, you may be getting ready for a breakthrough. Don't fear, don't fret, and don't forget that the one who forged this world into existence is the very one who holds you in the palm of His hand. He is not ignorant, nor is he blind nor deaf; He stated in His word, that He will never leave you nor forsake you. He will not abandon you nor put you to shame for placing your trust in Him. Whatever you do, don't let go. Don't hang it up. Don't toss in the towel. God's got your back saint of God. No matter what your friends are saying, no matter what the doctors are saying, pay no mind to the nay-sayers, or the wanna be prophets pronouncing doom and gloom over your life. The Lord rebuke the enemy for his lying tongue. God is still God and He still sits on His throne. He hasn't changed, nor will He ever change. His promises are sure, and His word will last forever.

Be encouraged, know that He loves you. I pray that He send His ministering angels to minister over you. Let the Lord begin to work in and through you, I pray that your wounds, your bruises be healed in Jesus' name. I speak to that cancer and pronounce it gone, in Jesus' name. I pray for every righteous person reading this blog right now, Lord touch them in a miraculous way. Bless them in their families, bless them in their relationships, bless them in their finances, bless them Lord to be successful in every area in their lives. I ask you Lord to have your way and that we Lord set our hearts to glorifying you in our every day. May we speak blessing and cease to speak curses into the lives of others. May we seek to bless others, and give out of our abundance, for when we do it to the least of these, you Lord said we did it unto you. Lord I thank you, and praise your name forever. Amen!

God bless you richly!

True Friendship

2007-11-14T14:48:00.001-05:00

Today I can genuinely say, I feel 100% better than I have in a long time. I feel like I have been walking in abject darkness for a long time.

Confession is truly good for the soul. When you begin to open the doors of your heart and let healing begin, great things begin to happen. Things are set right and order gets put back in place.

Let me ask you something, do you have unconfessed sin in your life? Are you holding onto something? You see, it may not be so visible to you, but others see it. You cant hide the pain behind a smile. They may not be able to put a finger on it, but they notice something just isnt right. God certainly knows what it is, and He wants to help you release it, to let go of it and finally be free from it.

Are you harbouring ill feelings towards another person? Do you feel envious of another person's status in life? Do you feel short changed and dealt a bad hand?

One word of warning to you, if you dont deal with it, it will literally destroy you from the inside. Confess it. Dont keep it bottled up anymore. Go to that person with all humility, and ask for forgiveness.

For me, it wasnt directed to any one person, but they were real feelings that had to be dealt with.

2 years ago me and 2 other brothers got together to form an accountability group. It soon became a lot more. I look back at what we had, and I can honestly say, I love these men who held me accountable to God. As much as I fought them on certain things, I am free today because they refused to turn a blind eye. Mike and Dondi, I love you guys!

Through this group, the Lord set up a foundation to build a road to healing in my life. Accountability. I cant even imagine how my life would have been like. I can say I truly am a happier more fulfilled person because of it. These guys are so humble, (they better be) they will just deflect the praise to God anyway.

Mike, I know you are reading this, I have to tell you, you were the missing piece of the puzzle. You helped me fill out the missing holes. God used you to help me place things back into perspective. Like Dondi likes to say, you brought us the much needed balance we were so desperately needing. I thank God for your gentleness and loving kindness. I truly appreciate you for your friendship and your brotherhood. You truly are a faithful brother who I love dearly.

Dondi, i just roll under the bus, he's so small he'll probably slip through the treads.

I'm kidding, we are always joking about his stature; but make no mistake about it, his stature casts a large shadow. God continues to use this brother greatly, he has a pastor's heart, and genuinely supports the brotherhood of our assembly. I am honored to have him not only as my friend, but my soul brother. I love you my friend.

If there is any take away for today's blog it's this, true friendship is treasured. It's precious, love on them, treasure them. They will hold you up in the toughest of times and love on you when you feel at your lowest. May I be as loyal to them as they have been to me.

God bless you richly!

Envy

2007-11-13T18:32:00.000-05:00

I was sharing with a friend today about the word envy. Man God is so good. You just dont know what you do for yourself when you confess your sins to one another. That is not to say you go to every joe on the street and tell them what you did. People would start looking at you crazy. They probably already do, but thats besides the point, lol.

A few years ago the Lord dealt with me in such a beautiful way. I had this deep rooted resentment after my wife went through miscarriage near the beginning of our marriage. Not towards her, or anyone in particular, maybe it was towards God, who knows, but I could not bring myself to look at small infants, much less pregnant women without envy and bitterness. I looked at them like they were dirty. I was still hurting because of our loss. I dont know when it was when the Lord took away the hurt, but when Mariana was born, and ever since then, I look at a child, an infant, or even a woman with child, and I become emotional. I rejoice over their blessing. There have been times where I flet compelled to lay hands on the infant, of the mother to be, of course you ask before you just start laying hands on people. You dont want to offend anyone of make anyone feel uncomfortable. I get overjoyous and genuinely happy, I rejoice with the proud parents to be. I truly do rejoice, and guess what, almost 4 months ago we were blessed with our 3rd child, our son Elijah. When God blesses and restores, He does it all the way. What a change, and what a mighty God we serve.

I look back at this time and I wonder, Lord, what was that? Why did I feel like that?

Well it crept up again, not in the same way, it came disgused in another form, but make no mistake about it, its the same bag of damaged goods, just in a different package. Obviously it wasnt dealt with properly, not in my heart. This week I confessed it to a couple of brothers. I told them how I looked over at my life and where my life has taken me, our current state of my family and how the same feelings began to creep back into my heart; those same feelings of distrust, anger, resentment, isolation. I'm like, God what is this?

Thank God we serve a merciful God and He isnt like us. He is infinetly more patient than any of us will ever be.

I feel the layers being pulled back. Maybe I am straining against my cocoon; maybe the shell is finally cracking, but let me remind some of you well intentioned brothers and sisters, its in God's perfect timing, and no one else's. Let God do His work. Believe me I am learning to do the same.

For some of you, you may find it strange that I am even talking about this today. Is it so strange to talk about fighting feelings of jealousy? For me it went past jealousy. It wasnt even about jealousy, it was Lord, why? Why does it seem I am going through this, why does my family have to suffer through this. Doesnt anyone even care?

It's not that I was coveting what others had, I got the feeling of being cheated. Short changed. No Lord I dont want what they have, but I do want to feel loved. I do want the job Ive been wanting for the past ten years, I do want to have real peace. I do want my marriage to be successful and fruitful. I do want my wife to respect me. I do want to be successful, and Lord, I want to be out of debt, period.

Listen friend, God never short changes anyone. God is the father to the fatherless. He gives hope to the hopeless and grace to the humble. His mercy is new every morning and although sorrow may last for the night, His joy comes in the morning. God makes everything new and offers us the opportunity to start fresh everyday. We can not turn back the hands of time, but that doesnt mean we are powerless to change our future. If we lay our cares in the Master's capable hands, and leave them there, our futures lay secure. God will give us all the tools we will ever need to accomplish the impossible. We just need to take that step of faith, trust in His direction and go.

Stop looking at the blessing, and look to the blesser, The Blesser. Live for Him, start doing things His way, step out in faith and stop sitting on your hands. Get up, wake up and realize who you are in God! You are not a pauper, you are of a royal priesthood, you are a child of the King of Kings!

Speak with authority, know who you are and live in it!

Child of God, pick up your head, stop slouching. You may be in this world, but you are certainly not of it. Let's be light, and stop embracing the lies of the enemy of our souls.

Child of God, stay encouraged and know, God loves you!

God bless you richly!

More to come

2007-11-12T09:37:00.000-05:00

Been home sick the last few days, so I apologize for not getting any posts up while I was out. Hopefully we can get that corrected soon. (I have an internet filtering service at home and we are having a problem getting onto blogger. I have some real good friends looking into it, so hopefully they can get me up and running at home.)

Just a little something, something until I can get another post back on here. I am praying that I can get on from home so I can work on tomorrow's post later tonight.

Eph 3:20 (NKJV)

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.

Here's a thought and take away from that verse, there is absolutely nothing impossible for the child of God for those who believe in Him. This isnt prosperity preaching, this is knowing who you are in God and realizing the same Holy Ghost that dwells within you is the same Holy Ghost that raised Christ from the grave. There is absolutely nothing impossible for the child of God whose faith is in Christ Jesus, nothing.

Tomorrow hopefully we can get back on the Roman's road, if not, we will play it by ear.

God bless you richly

the prodigal

2007-11-07T17:34:00.000-05:00

I thank the Lord for giving me foresight when creating this blog. I wanted a place, a venue where I can freely share my thoughts, and write freely and consistently without feeling restricted or confined. Granted everything I do here my aim is to glorify God in some way, form or fashion. I know some of you will come after a while expecting to see a bible study on this blog. I will always pull from the word a message. However, the last thing I want to do is turn this blog into is a bible study. This blog isnt about that. My intention is for this experience to never become dry. My walk isn't dry, and my hope is that it will always remain fresh, dynamic and exciting. That's how I believe God to be, not dry and dusty. I want to share not only my heart, but as God leads, His heart as well. I want each experience to be fulfilling and fresh for you my reader. It is my hope that we would together continue to grow in our walk, that we would become mature in Christ, and effect change in the world we live in for Him.

With that said, I'm not going to leave my normal blog tonight. Tonight, I want you to simply listen to the words in the song below as you continue to read the remainder of this message.

http://www.rhapsody.com/jasonupton/faith
listen to the track labeled "Come up Here", it's free and legal so no worries.

listen, meditate, and worship. Please continue to listen as the song plays.

Beloved of God, our heavenly Father desires to fellowship with you, His children.

As a parent you become familiar with the cries in the middle of the night that wake you from your slumber. However, as a father, when you have small children and you hear them crying, what is your first reaction?

You run to find out what's wrong.

Most of the time, (I say most because there are exceptions) all they want is to be held by you. They hunger for it, and many children today are starving for that loving affection. When you hold your children, and they grip onto you tightly, your heart swells. You don't want that moment to ever end. It's the purist form of love there can be. Worship is just that. It's being in His presence, intimately basking in His presence. At times you can feel His love wrap around you like a warm blanket. At that moment, there is no where in the world you want to be, but there. Just as our children yearn and desire that from us, the Lord wants to be able to shower His love on us.

As the prodigal son was on his way to meet his dad, what did his dad do when he saw him afar off?

He ran to him

When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. The son started his speech: 'Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; I don't deserve to be called your son ever again.' "But the father wasn't listening. Luke 15:20-22 The Message

Beloved, continue to listen to His words of love and affirmation. His love is real, and His promises are faithful.

God bless you richly

The price

2007-11-06T17:56:00.000-05:00

Let's get back to the Romans Road,

on our 2nd stop we come to Romans 6:23

This piece of scripture teaches us the consequences of sin

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

We not only suffer physical death but eternal death and separation from God.

In earlier posts we defined sin, analyzed what sin can do to a person and how it can literally destroy us from inside out. Today, we are going to take it a step further. What if you don't repent from your sins? What if you keep putting it off.

Remember the analogy with the tree in the garden of Eden, what was the original question?

Where did the problem lay, the fruit on the tree, or the pear beneath it?

Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Gen 2: 15-17 NKJV

We have been playing the blame game since creation. We refuse to take responsibility for our own actions. We tend to pawn it off, and push blame on some other "responsible" party when in reality we are the ones who are to blame. God is not to blame for your overdrawn account, or your mismanagement of finances. We must weigh all of our decisions carefully, before making any rash decisions based on emotion. Listen friend, God wants you to live free, without the pain of guilt, or condemnation. He wants you to prosper and for you to be happy, genuinely happy. You don't believe me?

Josh 1:7-8

1 Kings 2:3

Psa 1:3

Psa 25:12-14

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen. 13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. 14 I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.

Jer 29:11-14

The problem isn't with God, its with us. We were made perfect in His image; however because of the fall, because of sin, and the fallen world we live in, we are born as slaves. It is only through the redemptive power of the blood of Christ that sets us truly free from sin and the bondage to a sinful world. How does it go, we are in the world, not of it.

When Adam and Eve took of the fruit God commanded not to eat, this was not an act out of ignorance. OK for example, we tell our children, don't touch the iron, it's hot. It's going to burn you. What happens? What do they do? They reach out and touch the iron. It's not just simple curiosity, its an all out defiance to an established command. Why would the bible tell us to train up our children while they are young? Think about it. Adam and Eve were made in the very image of God, made perfect, without sin. Yet they blatantly disobeyed a direct command from the throne. Don't do this, or this will happen. They decided to believe in a lie, and now all of humanity suffers as a consequence to sin. There is always a price and it will always catch up to you.

When you choose to lead a sinful life, such as a life of drugs, alcohol, violence, perversion, more often than not, there is a hefty price to pay. As you get older, and the years begin to pass you by, the unhealthy life style you led begins to show signs in your health, in your job, in your relationships, in your marriage. Some may say it's divine punishment, I say it's the seed you planted in your youth. A well watered seed planted in the ground will produce some sort of plant, tree of other form of vegetation. The same can be said of idle words, actions, things said in haste, a life style that you chose to lead that was contrary to the word of God. If it can destroy your life in any way, its not good, period. Whether we agree or disagree on anything, if you put something in your body that is potentially harmful and hazardous to your health, what are the chances that your body isn't going to suffer because of it. Thank God for His mercy!

The consequences of sin is death.

That sin debt that is held to your account was paid in full by Jesus Christ. He took the sin of the world and with his death paid it in full. With His death, burial and resurrection, He made the relationship that was first severed back in the garden, right again.

Whether you wish to believe it or not, Jesus Christ died for you. Everything He said about Himself was true. All of the prophetic scriptures about His coming in the old testament were fulfilled by Him. He was fully man, and fully God.

He stands ready to forgive, all you have to do is ask. Pray and ask the Lord to forgive you of your sins. Ask Him into your heart today. He will never embarrass you or put you to shame for placing your total trust in Him.

He truly is someone you can trust your heart with.

Blessed are those that don't see, yet believe

John 20:29 (read the entire chapter of John 20. It's awesome!)

God bless you richly, stay encouraged and remember Jesus loves you.

99.5% completed

2007-11-05T15:59:00.001-05:00

How was every one's weekend?

Mine was great, I painted for most of mine, lol!
Praise the Lord, finally my house is painted and my family can breathe a collective sigh of relief.

Thank you Lord for helping hands! Thank you Jose, Anthony, Nathan and of course my son Darius. I couldn't have done it without you.

We are going through a mess with the Home Owners right now. A while back (several months ago) when we began to paint our home, Home Owners told us to stop painting immediately. Apparently the color we had on the pallet did not match the color that went on our walls. For months we went back and forth and for months my house sat unfinished. So as we waited, people began to complain about the "house on the corner". I could have gone ahead and finished it, but I wanted to do the right thing and work within the system. HOA is supposed to work for us, not the other way around, so I sat compliant for the most part. Well finally one of the board members came to the house and told me that we can finish the house, however now they are telling me they will place a lien on our home until we can repaint the house the exact color of the one we chose on the pallet. I had the board rep look at it, even though the paint chip and the color were identical, when it went on the house, the paint changed a shade or two lighter. I have a feeling if we were to put another coat, it will still come out the same. It's not just the shade, but the actual color changed slightly. its a beautiful color, and we get compliments on the color of our home, but the HOA is not digging it. Anyhow, I was like, you've got to be kidding me. Yes I was annoyed, lol, but I sat in compliance. Thank God this weekend we were able to finally finish the house. There are some minor touching ups to do, but for the most part, it sits completed. Now we got an email telling me that they are still working out the details and are not in total agreement. So please, please, please, I am asking for prayer, that the Lord would lead them into a decision to just drop the whole thing. The house looks great and I cant wait to do the finishing touches. (trim and cleaning my boo-boos lol)

My family and I now have another project looming ahead, but it may just have to wait until after the holidays. I am hoping we can get to it before then though. (The garage)

Worship this Sunday was awesome! I entered in and God showed up. I had snot and tears running down my face, and it was all good!

Today's memory verse

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Heb 13:8

Si Dios quieres, we will all be here tomorrow to continue our study on the Romans Road here on calle romano.

Until tomorrow, God bless you richly!

forgiveness

2007-11-02T18:08:00.000-04:00

I love analogies, they remind of the parables; maybe that's why I refer to them so often. It helps me to properly apply the things I've learned to my life. It helps me continue to grow and mature in the Lord.

Picture if you will a party going on inside a warm house. You are out in the cold rainy night. You being to sneeze and fear a cold coming on. Your feet are wet inside your shoes, and you are soaked from head to toe. Through the foggy window you see people walking around in fleece sweaters, laughing and having a good time. Beyond the milling people inside you see a lit fireplace with a roaring fire and your muscles begin to ache. People are carrying steaming coffee mugs in their hands and you wonder what they may be drinking inside those mugs. Every part of your being is screaming at you to simply walk away, why torture yourself, yet you desperately want to be inside. However you say to yourself, I'm a mess, who would want to invite me in. Besides, they don't let people like me in places like that. I wont be accepted.

Let me tell you something friend, God is like that party, and He will accept you in just the way you are. He stands at the door of your heart knocking, all you have to do is open it.

Let me ask you a question, have you ever invited the Lord into your heart? Have you ever made him Lord over your life?

It's never too late. Your sin, no matter how great it is, is never too great that He can't forgive it. "but you don't know what I have done" Brother, Sister, God knows. His grace and love for you goes beyond our understanding; it's unconditional. He will take all of your sins, all of your past transgressions, all of your worries and hang ups and wash them all away like the rain.

Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. Isa 1:18

How do you approach God,
easy, Pray.

Ask God to forgive you of your sins, and invite The Lord Jesus Christ into your heart. He will wash away the old you and replace all of your old emotions with love, joy, peace and hope. He is the only one capable of filling the God shaped vacuum in your heart.

Before I was saved, internally I was the most miserable person on the planet. Everything I did to fill the emptiness could not and would not satisfy the loneliness I once felt. It wasn't until the Lord came into my life where I genuinely felt whole and complete.

Jesus Christ is the only one capable of healing all of your hurts; to help you pick up all the pieces of your broken heart. He will never put you to shame for placing your trust in Him.

For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame. Romans 10:10-11

Look! I am placing a stone in the foundation of Jerusalem [literally Zion], / a precious cornerstone for its foundation, chosen for great honor. / Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced. Isa 28:16

Ask the Lord Jesus Christ into your heart today. Let Him take up residence and start looking to Him for your answers. Remember, He will not put you to shame for placing your trust in Him.

Father I thank you for granting me the honor and esteemed privilege of leading these precious few to your throne. We approach you with all humility and meekness Lord. Touch these lives that have turned their hearts to you. Release them, oh Lord of any bondage's that may hold them captive. No sin is too great for you to forgive. I ask Lord, that the seed planted here will remain, and produce rich prosperous fruit. Keep and hold back the enemy from stealing their testimony. Be their rearguard Oh Lord, protect and watch over them even now. Bless and prosper them Lord, place a hedge of protection over their lives that no harm befall them. I pray Lord that they get rooted and grounded in your Word. Direct them to a body of believers that will help them seek your face, to encourage them to be consistent in their walk with you Lord. Fill them with an insatiable hunger for righteousness that can only be satisfied with continued fellowship with you. I ask these things in your Son's most holy name - Amen!

God bless you richly, until next time, remain in His love, and stay encouraged!

Sin

2007-11-01T16:44:00.000-04:00

Previously, we focused on falling short. Not staying on the mat, but getting back up and continue fighting the good fight. Yeah you messed up, but what are you going to do about it? Cry and wallow, no of course not, you are going to get back up and fight harder than ever. We are warriors for Christ, amen?

Well today we are going to deal with sin.

So without further ado ...

the first step ...

What is sin?

the verse: For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard Romans 3:23 (NLT)

Merriam Websters Dictionary defines sin as:
an offense against religious or moral law

an action that is (reprehensible) or is felt to be highly reprehensible

an often serious shortcoming : fault

transgression of the law of God

a vitiated (to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable; to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of. To taint or to damage) state of human nature in which the self is estranged from God

What is sin, sin is being eternally separated from a holy God. Sin is a direct affront, an all out act of rebellion and disobedience to God. Sin leaves an unbridgeable gap between us and a Holy God.

Earlier today I had the honor to talk with two fine men in the Lord. (I was more listening and occasionally interjecting actually, they were doing the talking, LOL. You learn plenty by just listening though :) ) A lot of wonderful things were discussed and brought out, two I believe apply wonderfully to today's blog entry.

Here's an analogy,

Try to picture in your mind the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the one tree God the Father told Adam and Eve not to eat of. Picture it in your mind, one solitary tree that sits in this lush paradise. Everything that resides in this garden is open game. It is yours lock stock and barrel, except the one tree God told you could not take fruit of.

The problem, where does it lay? With the fruit?

One of the gentlemen (Ashley) said it plainly, "The forbidden fruit on the tree wasn't the problem in the garden of Eden; the problem lay with the pear (pair) on the ground." See Genesis chapter 3 (Thank you Mr. Jones)

I hope I can do this one justice Des,

How does sin begin, how does it take shape, what is its result?

Well the last explanation I believe is self explanatory, but we will go over that as well. Sin like everything else in the world starts small, tiny, minuscule, like a germ, or a seed. Germs causes no harm until it comes in contact with something, or rather someone. It has to attach itself to something in order to grow. Same with the seed, a seed will always remain a seed unless it is planted. The seed bursts and explodes deep within the soil and begins to sprout roots. You can find plants and trees, roots and vines growing in the most peculiar of places. Take a look around sometime.

Sin begins with fascination. It starts usually innocent and harmless. It catches your eye. Whatever IT is, it allures you, draws and entices you. However it is still not sin, ... let me explain further.

Remember the first analogy, where does the problem rest, the fruit on the tree or the one beneath it?

James 1:14 says

But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.

If you succumb to its temptations, it then takes form, and solidifies by your touch. Sin isn't conceived until it takes shape in your heart. It wants to be touched and felt, tasted, and it seeks to please all of your senses. Sin begins to germinate and plants itself deep within your soul. Sin entrenches itself within your soul and before you know it starts to build a foundation. It begins to sprout roots. The more you feed it, the more it grows. With time, it continues to grow and increase in strength. Where it started as an innocent fascination turned into something ugly, distorted and perverse. It tears you up from the inside and transforms you wholly. This is what you call a stronghold.

Fact, because of your committal of sin, there is a divide, a gulf that stands between you and God. For the wages of sin is death,

however

but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord see Romans 6:23 (NLT)

Instead of being slaves to sin, bound and hopeless, Christ with His sacrifice, paying humanity's entire sin debt in full, (this includes yours and mine) places us in right standing with God the Father. He places our feet on solid ground, washes away all of the junk in our lives and replaces them with peace, love and joy. Real peace. When you enter the Kingdom of God as a free man or woman, you automatically are adopted into the family of God, with all the privileges of a son or daughter of God. You become royalty, and heirs, joint heirs with Him in His Kingdom.

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
Romans 8:16-17 (NLT)

Tomorrow we will continue and conclude this segment of this study on sin.

If you have any questions, or need prayer, please feel free to email us at the address below.

God bless you richly, and remember to stay encouraged in the Lord.

Don't give up!

2007-10-31T13:50:00.000-04:00

Dont throw in the towel!

I love analogies and metaphors. Just like a pugilist (boxer) goes in to a contest, when he is knocked down, what is his first instinct as a fighter?

Let me put it in another way, what is the average's person's initial reaction when you are knocked down?

To stay down.
To cower.
To wallow in self pity.

We can not allow ourselves that luxury.

Like the trained pugilist, boxer, fighter, they have been trained for one thing,

and one thing only,

to win.

Failure is not an option.

Rocky Marciano was knocked down several times in a fight, and yet he never lost a contest, he didnt know what it was to lose in a fight. Everytime he was knocked down to the canvas, he got right back up and continued to fight. Failure was not an option. Child of God, failure is not an option. You only fail when you choose to stay down and do nothing.

Keep fighting the good fight.

Stay on your knees

Keep your focus turned towards God.

He will never leave your corner, and He will never ever stop fighting on your behalf.

The Romans Road

2007-10-30T12:12:00.000-04:00

Heavenly Father, I surrender my skills, gifts and talents to you. May this blog site glorify your name. My first fruits are yours, do with this site as you please. As I prepare myself for this study, I ask that you open our hearts, and minds to whatever you want us to take away from this study. Feed us spiritual manna from heaven, nourish our souls as we seek to honor you. I pray for every eye that grace this page, touch their lives in a special way, move mightily Lord in their lives, that they may in turn give you all the glory and honor. I ask Lord, help us use this study to better equip ourselves for the road before us. Bless now I ask in Jesus name - Amen

For my first post on Calle Romano, I would like to start a small study on the Romans Road; a brief bible study surrounding the verses found in the book of Romans.

the first stop

Romans 3:23
also see Romans 3:1-20

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. NLT

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God NKJV

We all make mistakes, none of us are perfect.

Some may say, but I have kept the law, I'm not a bad person.

Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever looked at another person with lust or with malice? Have you ever wanted something that wasn't yours? Have you ever disobeyed your parents?

We all have a sin nature. We were born with it. When we are born into the world, we are born inherently to sin and to break the law. As a parent, if you have the pleasure of having to raise toddlers, oh my what an experience. They call it the terrible two's for a reason.

Let me repeat this again, all have sinned, no one except for Jesus has ever kept the law and fulfilled it to the letter.

With that said, I want to focus right now on mistakes, errors in judgement, what do you when you blow it. We will deal with sin in the following segment.

If you blow it, accept that you've made a mistake or an error in judgement. So you messed up, what are you going to do about it? You cant let the matter hang over your head to keep reminding you of past failures.

One of the hardest things I have found is to be able to forgive myself. Don't let your past mistakes beat you up. It's the worst feeling to have and if you aren't careful, it can become a stronghold in your life. Whatever you do, learn from your past transgressions. There is nothing wrong with self introspection. In fact in most cases it's warranted. Over analyzing isn't good, but taking into account where the mistake were caused will keep you from repeating a matter.

What did I do wrong?
What could I have done right?
Will this come again?

Take steps to better prepare yourself.
An opportunity will come where you will be presented with the same decision or similar scenario, when it comes you will have the tools necessary to overcome the obstacles before you. Use your past mistakes and learn from them. I believe this is truly the beginning of wisdom.

Thank you for visiting calle romano, God willing we will be bringing you the next segment tomorrow. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please feel free to post them. I thank God for your input. God bless you, and remember, stay encouraged!