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So it has been a long while since I have been inspired to blog. I guess maybe I was tired, burned out, or maybe not into doing it. What ever the excuse, I'm sure it was deliberate and I'm sure it will happen again.

So I was teaching my normal group at church on Wed. night, (The 706) and we were talking about humility and how Jesus showed the disciples humility by washing their feet just hours before his death. We were reading in John 13; 1-17.

So Jesus knows he is about to be betrayed by one of his closest followers. He knows it. He makes a sarcastic comment about his disciples being clean, "but not all of you." I love how even Jesus made sarcastic comments.

I asked the guys, middle school boys, what super powers they had. They all looked at me with a puzzling look. I asked them once again. I said, "none right?" They agreed. I then showed them how Jesus , who could do almost anything he wanted, started washing the feet of his own disciples. Jesus took his final hours to serve others. He showed humility when he did not have to. How AWESOME!

Have you ever watched track and field on tv? I aways love watching the relay races. You take the four fastest guys or gals you have to compete on being the fastest team. It is not about one or two, it takes a 100% effort from the team to compete. They each run their own leg of the race passing a baton to the person in front of them.

Have you ever thought that maybe our Christian walk can be compared to this race? You take the baton, you run your part and then hand it off to the next.

God has a plan for each of us. A plan that is divine and set fourth way before we were born. What if we stop being obedient during our life and never finish our part of the race? Who is in front of you that will never receive the baton? Who will miss out on God's word or his blessings because you decided not to be obedient? Don't fall short when raising a kid or maybe just talking to a friend. God has a purpose for your life. Finish the race! Hand the baton off, and be blessed. Show some humility. Maybe it will not be washing someone's feet, but serve where you are called. Merry Christmas!

Vacation Time

Ok, so I am packing the car and trying to calm down my two boys. I bet they don't sleep a wink tonight. To tell you the truth, I doubt I will. Our family is headed to the beach for some much needed rest. I need rest from my business and I need some time to catch up with God.

In the hustle and bustle with life, I will miss a devotional and maybe a daily meal prayer. But no excuses this week. I am still seeking direction and will not see it clearly if I am not wearing my spiritual lenses. More blogs to come this week..

--Stay Tuned--

Lost

 I had a brain storm about being lost but this song came to mind and it tells the story better than I can....Listen to this song and check out the Lyrics..

My life,
Has led me down the road that’s so uncertain
And now I am left alone and I am broken,
Trying to find my way,
Trying to find the faith that’s gone
This time,
I know that you are holding all the answers
I’m tired of losing hope and taking chances,
On roads that never seem,
To be the ones that bring me home

Give me a revelation,
Show me what to do
Cause I’ve been trying to find my way,
I haven’t got a clue
Tell me should I stay here,
Or do I need to move
Give me a revelation
I’ve got nothing without You
I’ve got nothing without You

My life,
Has led me down this path that’s ever winding
Through every twist and turn I’m always finding,
That I am lost again (I am lost again)
Tell me when this road will ever end

Give me a revelation,
Show me what to do
Cause I’ve been trying to find my way,
I haven’t got a clue
Tell me should I stay here,
Or do I need to move
Give me a revelation
I’ve got nothing without You
I’ve got nothing without…

I don’t know where I can turn
Tell me when will I learn
Won’t You show me where I need to go
Oh oh
Let me follow Your lead,
I know that it’s the only way that I can get back home

Give me a revelation,
Show me what to do
Cause I’ve been trying to find my way,
I haven’t got a clue
Tell me should I stay here,
Or do I need to move
Give me a revelation
I’ve got nothing without You
I’ve got nothing without You

Oh, give me a revelation…

I’ve got nothing without You
I’ve got nothing without You

 You know, I feel like this song tells my life story. A story of me getting lost on my own and always running back to God. It is like I would always use him as my "911" service when I needed help. I am so glad to be out of that rut and serving him viciously. I know I will still fail, but I will do it with a smile now. 

Signs

   Signs signs everywhere signs,

  blocking up my scenery,

  breaking up my mind,

  do this don't do that,

  can't you read the signs.

  What a cool kick butt song!  Have you ever thought about how many signs you see daily?

I bet it is hundreds. We are surrounded by them.  There are signs telling us how fast to drive, when to yield, when to stop and what lane slow people are supposed to be in. (I think that is the most ignored one.)

 There are signs on bathroom doors that keep us separated. There are signs that give us directions and tells us when bathrooms and restaurants are ahead. Ok, so you get the point right? Signs are all around us.

  Have you ever, while praying, asked God to give you a sign on something you're praying about? Your ready to do his will, but you second guess him sometimes because the sign he sent you was not as clear as you wanted.   Why do we ask him for proof? Was Jesus not proof enough? Is the sign he is giving you a neon billboard in your front yard, but you don't want to see it because you will have to make some life altering decisions to do his will?

 You know what is funny? Those that lived around Jesus and saw him do miracles asked him for more proof.  Yeah, they saw the man heal the sick or feed the 5 thousand, but they needed more proof.  

 So often our lives will change with a giant leap of faith, or a significant act of service. But in reality it takes most of us baby steps. We do and learn most things in life one step at a time.  But, every step is important. 

 One small step of obedience is a giant step towards God's blessings.

Stay tuned....

 Ok...so my below blog is very random and I did not do a good job of pulling a thought all into one. I guess that is my ADD slapping me around.  But hey, don't let my typo's and the fact that I say "so" 300 times too much make you look past the message.  

 I do have one excuse. My computer screen is broken and has a huge crack thru the middle of it. Yeah, I can only see half my screen on the laptop.  It is a thousand bucks to fix. Yeah, who has a thousand bucks right?  So I guess I may need to budget a new laptop in the near future so I don't type like a 1st grader.  

Satan is such a Loser!

  

 My wife and I have been without our TV service for two weeks now.  Don't worry, we did not get all crazy and decide to shut it off because Spongebob said the word "butt" in front our little angels. Honestly, our HDMI input on our TV puts out a crazy green screen now when we plug in our DirecTv. Yeah, what a bummer huh?

 Instead, we have been playing some Xbox 360.  I was messing around with the Xbox and realized that we could get Netflix through it.  So now we watch movies  nonstop and it streams instantly.  How cool is that?  But, here's the kicker - did we replace TV with movies thinking it would be better?

 One of the guys that helps me get plumbing jobs done has been trying to break a nasty addiction of smoking cigarettes.  He has tried everything from patches to gum to going cold turkey.  But nothing has worked.  So one day he came in with some Copenhagen (dip) in his pocket.  I asked him about it and he said that he could break his smoking habit by dipping instead.  Is this really going to help him in the long run?  Cancer of the mouth instead of the lungs? How do we get trapped into these temptations to start with?  

 What I am getting at is that sometimes we take the little "white" sins that we believe we cannot break on our own and replace them with another.  Do we do this to try and trick our conscience into thinking that the change is better for us?  Or is it just another temporary excuse to normalize something that is an abomination against our bodies and God?

 James 1:2-4 

  ² Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. ³ For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. ⁴ So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

 I know that I am tempted everyday and I LOVE IT!  "Did he just say he loved it?"  Oh yeah baby, it is one more opportunity to kick Satan square in the nuts!  "It must suck to be such a loser." (JCapenter)

 

  When you are close to God, temptations are easier to overcome.  James tells us "come closer to God and he will come close to you."  

 So whether your little "white" sin is smoking, or eating or clicking too far on the computer, (yeah guys, you know what I'm talking about) have faith in knowing that God can get rid of any desire on the planet if only you will lay it at His feet. He can't help you if you never ask...

  Stay tuned........