“Waiting with Anticipation”

December 21, 2012

Luke 2:9-12

⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

I love Christmas as there is just something about it which brings great surprise and anticipation. As I think about it, Christmas is the only time of year that you can honestly sit back and long for no matter what season of life you may be in.

Birthdays can be something that you may look forward to as a child but as you become older it loses its sense of excitement. I remember, as a child, looking forward to Christmas for a two-fold reason. When Christmas comes being a child you look forward to what you are going to get. In my case though I had Christmas then I got to do it all over again a month later with my birthday.

My birthday never compared to Christmas though. Here it is your birthday gifts are those things that someone else hated and returned back from Christmas just two weeks later or it was the thing that was put on clearance as a result of making room for the spring items.

The best thing I would remember is my mother would keep the tree up for just another month just for me. She would take down all of the Christmas ornaments and replace them with pictures of myself, things I made or just things I liked. She didn’t do this every year but deep down I would wish, “Is this the year she is going to decorate the ‘Chris’s Tree?” I know it sounds silly, but it is just those little things that as an adult you reflect on and remember the sacrifices made.

I have so many great memories though when I was a child just waiting for Christmas. I remember as the seven of us were trying to sleep my parents were tirelessly wrapping gifts all night long as we waited with excitement. At 3:00AM, seeing that none of us truly would sleep, we would sneak downstairs to look at the Christmas Tree with all the gifts under the tree. As a child it seemed like an ocean of gifts (I guess it was when you had seven children and six gifts each ranging in size and value).

The next thing we would hear as we would chatter around the tree was “GO BACK TO BED!” I never really understood that until I had children of my own. Here you are as a parent tirelessly thinking about some great things for your child or children, shopping every store on the planet, because Amazon and Google didn’t exist, waiting in line only to find yourself needing to travel to the next K Mart or Target. You finally find the gifts that you wanted at the prices you are proud about only to have to hurry the children off to bed and spend the next several hours wrapping gifts and making sure you can get a few hours of sleep before the children wake you up at the crack of dawn.

So as we are just a few days out from Christmas the question must be asked; “What are you waiting with anticipation for?” Maybe it is for the gifts under the tree or having family all around. Perhaps it is just the desire for a new beginning or the opportunity for the darkness of this year to end and the blessings of a new year to begin.

Imagine though for a minute if you were told a promise that has been handed down over generations. You find yourself hearing about the promise from your parents and when you go see your grandparents, cousins and aunts and uncles you hear it yet again. As you get older you think to yourself, “I have been hearing this for years and I don’t know if this would ever or could ever happen.”

Then one night you fall asleep and have a dream. The dream you had to check yourself on though. Was it real or truly just a dream? As you were starting to sleep you were visited by an angel who told you to get up as that which generations before you have told you about came true and go see for yourself. Would you get up and search with anticipation knowing all you were told about over the years had just come true and it happened just right down the street or would you drop your head back to your pillow and just try to sleep it off?

Now put yourself in the shoes of the shepherds. Here they are, their parents have told them about a Savior; someone who was going to be the King of the Jews. You have heard this all your life and now at the age of 45 you’re wondering if this would even be a reality. So you go into work, not the greatest job but it pays the bills and you have done well at it for many years.

It is the night shift and you stayed up helping your wife with the children, making sure everything is safe at home and readying to go off to work. So you’re tired. You think to yourself, “I just can’t wait to get to work. Maybe I can get a bit of shut eye during the down time.”

As you are sitting watching the cattle and making sure there is no one breaking in or any danger to your employer’s precious cargo you find yourself fall into a trance or maybe some would consider sleep. As quick as you fall asleep you see this massive light fall before you and a voice tell you to get up. In shear panic you think the world is about to end only leading to how long was I asleep and what is going on.

“Get up” the voice says again. “You have been waiting all of this time for what is happening. Don’t you remember what your family used to tell you?” says the voice.

As you rub your eyes you see a sight you have never seen before. “Am I dreaming or is this real” you think to yourself. As your eyes adjust you see what looks like a person bright as day against the dark sky.

As you jump to your feet the voice continues, “Go, because not too far from here you will find the king. He is born! Run don’t even wait a minute.” The next thing you see is a bright sky like uncountable stars and the most melodious song you have ever heard.

You get up and run. You find yourself running with a song in your heart. Could this be true? Could the Promised Savior really have come as I have been told?

To your amazement there He is, the promised Savior. He didn’t come in royalty rather in simplicity. He did not come with an entourage, but instead a humble cattle herder who was given a legacy, a promise. He came for you!

So as you approach Christmas the question must be asked. What are anticipating for Christmas? Are you looking for that Savior who is inviting you in and is here to heal the broken hearted, give sight to the blind and breathe peace into your situation and into your life?

That Savior is Jesus and He is inviting you in for Christmas! Get up, run and see what He is about.

CAL

“The Advent Event”

 Isaiah 9:6-7 (NKJV)

⁶ For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.⁷ Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

As we approach the beginning of Advent something dawned on me with this time period. I as many believers do not know the importance of Advent. In fact I found myself not even really knowing what it is or it's importance. Is it just a Catholic time frame like Lent or is it more like the longing of the coming of the Messiah during Passover?

The truth is it is both and yet neither. It is so far greater than our imagination.

IT IS THE COMING OF OUR KING, OUR GOD AND OUR MAKER!

As I frequent my nearest Starbucks I noticed the cute little houses for Advent. I thought, “How cool and neat that is.” When I looked at it, it is so much more than the cute little Advent Calendar. Let me explain.

What is Advent you may ask? Well it is the longing, the desire and the anticipation of the coming of the Messiah. It is celebrated with the start being four Sundays prior to Christmas, December 25. With each week prior, the anticipation is celebrated in a different way.

Just as Palm Sunday is celebrated so is Advent in the same way. This is what is so cool about Starbucks, Target or any other large chain that sells the Advent Calendar. They are professing the Messiah’s Coming and may not even realize it. Scripture tells us that God’s Word will not return void (Isaiah 55:11).

As I sit here writing this blog I am just as emotional and passionate about the coming of the Messiah as I am sitting in the presence of God.

A little over four years ago Hillsong put out a song called “You’ll Come.” Over the past couple months my church has been playing this song. I heard part of this song about 6 months ago but could never figure out what the song was called or even who sang it. Then there it was right in the middle of service.

The song goes a little like this.

“You’ll Come”- Hillsong

Verse 1
I have decided I have resolved
To wait upon you Lord
My rock and redeemer shield and reward
I'll wait upon you Lord

Pre Chorus
As surely as the sun will rise
You'll come to us
As certain as the dawn appears

Chorus
You'll come let your glory fall
As you respond to us
Spirit rain flood into our thirsty hearts again

I have decided…to wait upon the Lord. As surely as the sun will rise you’ll come to us. What better news can we have than waiting upon the Lord, the Messiah to come to us? Know that when He comes all the chains that hold us down will be broken and all of the sorrow and pain will have healing and joy. When all of this happens Christ, our Messiah WILL be revealed.

When I hear this song my spirit is so moved with excitement and anticipation. Oh to be in the presence of our God and Savior.

Imagine just a minute if you will. Imagine receiving an invitation to have dinner with the most famous person you could dream of spending 3 hours at dinner with. I am not saying being in the same building; no I mean sitting right across from that person and being able to ask any question that may be vexing you direct without interference.

Now imagine that magnified by 50 times. This is what I am talking about. Now imagine being in the presence of one; the Messiah. The one who made you and knew you before your very existence. This is how we need to be each Advent, each day we attend service and moreover each day we arise knowing we are waiting in anticipation of THE MESSIAH!

What will you see, what are you expecting? Are you looking for a healing? Are you looking for a mended heart? Maybe you are just looking for a Savior. He is all that and more!

So with Advent around the corner what will YOUR Advent Event look like? Will it be another day or will it be a time to see God move in your life, in your family, in your work or in your legacy?

It is up to you. A SAVIOR IS COMING!

CAL

Slip on By

James 4:14 (NKJV)

"whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away."

It is so easy to assume life will continue on forever when your young. You think "wow 20 years is a long time" only to be the one at the end of that 20 years to just scratch your head and think what just happened as you find yourself at the other end.

As I reflect on my short forty years I look at the good and bad to notice one thing remains the same. Life is short. I don't know my time and don't even want to ponder it.

Truth be told with all the bumps and bruises time has done one thing to me, slowed me down. Like speed bumps on a road, life has it's ways of getting your attention. You can try to fly over them only to realize that it creates more damage. You can avoid them but you will find you will never move forward. The goal is take each slowly.

Life is much the same. We need to slow down to find the favor God has in store for us.

When I was younger I found myself wanting to be the conqueror. I loved, and still do, planting flowers and plants. Now I find myself savoring the opportunity to take in the fragrance and tasting the fruits of labor.

Moreover today I find myself planting seed. It is in the seed you find the most reward and requires the most patience. 

Today's seeds are much like the seed of a farmer, but more important. It is that seed that breaths life in another. It is the seed of hope. It is the seed of faith. It is the seed that sees another through next day. It is that seed that speaks life.

So as I look back on my life I know I don't have a guarantee  for tomorrow, as it is only on lone to me, I thank God for today and the promises given to me. It has only been through the tragedies of the past that I have learned how to truly appreciate each day and those I come in contact with.

Just a few weeks ago a song came out by a group called Finding Favour. The song is called "Slip on By."

The song is very good but the music video is much more thought provoking. As you watch, you are drawn into what looks like a photo album of memories of years gone by.

The song talks about an old man who was talking to a younger man of his regrets and how he would change things only if he could. As a result the younger man rushes home to remind his wife how much he loves her.

You know there is one who loves you more than you will ever know. Each morning He paints the sky with such vibrant colors. At night He lights the sky with a panoramic light show more amazing than the best firework display. As we sleep He blesses us with a kiss more precious than what a parent can give. And if we stop and think about Him and talk to Him He wraps us in His embrace.

Don't let another day just slip on by! Don't take your loved ones for granted as you don't know what tomorrow may hold. And more importantly don't talk God's blessings, big or small, for granted as you may miss out on a blessing.

CAL 

Trust

"The best proof of love is trust. "

-Joyce Brothers

The most difficult thing we may experience in life and yet is the most necessary for our existence is trusting and being trusted. We all desire to find someone we trust and also desire to be considered trustworthy.

Being a divorcee, I have wondered can I ever find someone I can trust again with my heart? The betrayal of divorce can set skepticism in the heart of an individual robbing them of the love and desire of life as needed.

Proverbs 3:5-6

New King James Version (NKJV)

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct[a] your paths.

It is very easy to fall into the 'trap' of trusting another, but that has never been God's intent as He knew that people will always let us down as God will not. God's plans for our lives is pure and crafted directly with our best interests in mind.

Trust and the heart are so tightly tied together. As it said in Proverbs, "Trust...with all your heart" (in God). It is matters of the heart that dictates the integrity of an individual and it is their integrity that dictates their trustworthiness.

I often sit and think about key words giving an acrostic for the meaning of that word. As I thought about the word "Trust" I came up with the following:

Total

Reliance

Under

Sacrificial

Truth

What I mean by "Total Reliance Under Sacrificial Truth" is trust is rooted on the complete ability to rely on truth. When someone lies to us or deceives us that truth in that person erodes our trust.

I am not saying people are not to be trusted only the fact that sooner or later they will let us down. God cannot do that as His truth is constant in general and more refined in each of us as individuals.

I know it may not seem so to some of us at times, but the reality is He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows that during our dark times why we need to be there, how we will react and what the final outcome will be.

So the question remains: "Can I trust again through my darkest times?" The only way to answer that is how much do you love and how much love do you require?

John 3:16

New King James Version (NKJV)

16 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.

God loved you so much He entrusted His Son just for you that you may love again. Trust another today by showing your love for them. You may be surprised at the blessing they may be in your life!

Life Upside Down

Jeremiah 31:13

"Then young women will dance and be glad, young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow."

In Central Florida a science center exists called "Wonderworks." Their motto is "the place where imagination can run wild." The most interesting thing about Wonderworks is not that it is a science center nor it's motto, but it's structure. As you stand outside you see what looks like a mansion uprooted from it's foundation and flipped on it's roof from a tornado. Something like a scene from the Wizard of Oz.

Life is all too much the same. We find ourselves planning, desiring and having the hopes of a good future. Maybe we plan for the perfect marriage, a great job, health, children who do not have a health problem or make bad decisions, but then that tornado comes, throws us a curve ball, and uproots our perfect mansion flipping it upside down on it's roof.

 "Oh no...God why...this didn't go how I planned!" Maybe those are some of the questions or comments during those times as we see the mounting bills as we just lost the job, the perfect marriage was riddled with a cheating spouse or the child who we love so dearly requires us to be on our knees as they turn their back on God.

Don't loose hope though. God has a plan so much greater than ours and sometimes we need to be brought down with our world turned on it's head to see God's plans.

Last weekend I had the opportunity to see a singer named Chris August in concert. During his set he sang a song from his new album called "The Up Side of Down."

In his song he talks about the differences of being up and down in life. As he starts out he says "the down side of being up is my inside is empty of the thing I truly need...it is all about me." He continues on by saying the upside of down is we find ourselves closer to God, but as we find things going good we become a fair weathered friend forgetting where God brought us. Happiness can only be found through Jesus Christ.

As I listened to what Chris had to say, I couldn't agree more. When things are good we seem to take things from the perspective of 'God, oh ya, I will see him on Sunday,' but when all hell breaks loose and our lives are turned upside down we run as fast as we can into God's arms.

The truth is when our lives are turned upside down a transformation happens. We find our lives become less self dependent and more independent. You may think the word independent may not be the optimal word, but we become independent on our selfish desires, freedom, and more reliant on God's fullness for our lives. When we release our self dependence relying on God our faith becomes stronger by the day.

I look at Abraham and to be at a point of willing to sacrifice your son or move to a place with an undisclosed destination it doesn't come overnight rather as our reliance on God is building each day.

When we are willing to relent and trust God in all situations we open up a new blessing. As Jeremiah said "I will give gladness for your mourning and joy  for your sorrow." That comes only when we seek Him, humble ourselves admitting our need Him and His plans for our lives and move forward in faith.

God may my life, in both the times of sorrow as well as joy, bring you praise. May I find the upside in my times of being down as You are the giver of life even in the ashes.

We Can't Always Get What We Want

Philippians 4:19 (NKJV) "And my God shall supply all my your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Have you ever found yourself saying "I would rather do things myself than ask for help because I know it will get done my way?" As I have been mulling this over another question came to mind. Am I willing to accept help from others knowing that I may not get what I want but knowing I will get what I need? As I have been pondering that question I had to look at what Philippians 4:19 said..."My God shall supply all my needs." It didn't say all of my wants or desires it said needs. Being a business owner two things I had to learn hard and fast. The first is I can't do everything so I needed to hire someone. The second was whoever I hired will not do everything I desired as they are human an did not catch my vision. As a parent you want to see your child develop faster than they are. If they can crawl you want them to walk. If they can say one word you want them to hold a conversation. Then the teenage years come along and it is them who are wanting and all you find yourself saying is "I wish they could pick up their clothes and clean their room." When my kids were young we used to teach them to cook. The idea was to give them a skill, allow them to take pride in what they did and if their came a time they did not like what was served the opportunity to make themselves something they would eat. What I found as a result was sometimes those things which they may not normally eat they were eating as a result of the pride they had in making it. When we are in the trenches and are in need, yes it may be easier to just do things our way but it may result in us not getting that which we need. Someone may not do things exactly how we want, but God truly knows what we need. When we stop and think about the concept of what our needs are we find out that not always do our needs match our wants. God allow our desires reflect the needs you provide for our lives. Allow us not to be frustrated when things don't go exactly the way we desire, but allow our desires match the plans you have for our lives. In Jesus name amen.

A Change of Perspective

1 Corinthians 13:12-13 The Message (MSG)  12We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!  13But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love. For a living I design houses and buildings. I enjoy the challenge required to accomplish a good product. There are many days that require you to have a different perspective to make things work so you don't repeat mistakes and find yourself going down the same road. Architecture requires one to be open to options and different perspectives. Let me explain. In order to build something you must have a design and the design requires much thinking, research, creativity and one more thing; taking in to consideration the rules and laws. Some challenges architects face can be anything from terrain to heights, lot sizes and restrictions. Maybe like in Florida a high water table or in Tennessee or California the mountains that seem impassable. Our journey in life is much the same. We can opt to be the builder who goes without plans or hire the architect of our lives; God our Father. He is the author and finisher of our faith. About five years ago I had a dream of my maternal grandmother only followed up by a vision that God gave me. The dream went a little like this. I saw my grandmother praying for salvation of others, but her prayer was for salvation not just for herself or her children but for the generations she never met or saw. Understand my grandmother was the last one of my surviving grandparents and passed away when I was only 9 months old. Shortly after the dream I heard God tell me "Change your perspective." my response was obvious; "change my perspective? What are you talking about?"  Upon the question came the vision. Too often we find ourselves walking through a thick dense forest fumbling and stumbling even wanting to give up in the journey. Then I stopped to realize that God's perspective was not horizontal as mine rather vertical and He sees me as He has assessed the terrain even if I have not looked up. As I sit and think about it I am brought back to a conversation I had with my oldest son about his maternal grandparents. You see they both passed away within six weeks of each other this past fall. My son assumed I would be negative about his grandparents so he did not talk to me about the situation of their passing for about 3 or 4 months yet it was eating at him nonetheless. So when I went to visit in January he asked with nervous apprehension. "Dad," he said, "how did you feel when grandma and grandpa, you know Mom's parents, passed away?" I responded, "K, there is much about your grandparents. There were days we had good times and other times we just didn't see eye to eye, but I choose to remember the good things about them as I miss them." I went on to tell him some things I remembered about them which gave way to the painful sigh yet gratitude for the time of getting to know them. As my son sat there he was at a loss because the response he received was far different than what he expected. He said "Dad I never knew you felt that way about them." As I sat thinking about his response it got me to think that this journey God put us on is not about surviving the pitfalls. No it is about being victorious in the journey for generations to come. Too often we are caught in the here-and-now only to realize that God's plans far surpass us and can be used for future generations. It is so easy to accept the final product and dismiss the process to get there. Just like a house, it takes an architect to put together a plan taking into account ALL things to push out the most beautiful product. Likewise God is much the same taking into account the terrain of our lives, the water levels and restrictions of our lives to bring forth a final product. It is not until we change our perspective and have faith that God can handle our future then we will see the beauty of His final plan for our lives. CAL

Our Father-A Tribute to Dad

As I sit on an airplane headed to Chicago I can not put aside the thought of how important our fathers are. I know you probably are too now thinking of your dad and what fond memories you have of him. Being a father myself, I cannot describe the joy it is being a dad. You see dads are much different than moms. They are the ones with drive, strength, or as mine put it tenacity.

Hmmm....tenacity, what a great word for dad. It is that lead by example, I refuse to give up and I will keep working toward the goal all rolled up in one word to describe a father. In contrast mom has the nurturing heart. Unfortunately most assume that dads don't nurture or in fact don't even care. It wasn't until I went through my divorce that I realized fathers most certainly care, but in a far different way.

Let me tell you what I mean. Throughout my separation and divorce my heart was shattered by the events that I went through. My two greatest desires and goals in life were not anything to do with money but everything to do with relationships; being a good husband and a loving father. Men let events define how they are rather than mould who they can be. When I went through the separation and divorce it robbed me of the two most important things that defined who I was and left me feeling like I had absolutely nothing left in life.

During the long debilitating process one man stood by my side, sometimes kicking and screaming as I dragged him in. Some days he acted with godly wisdom while others just humanistic contempt. A little more about him? Well he too is a father of seven children, the first six were boys than a daughter. He worked hard taking care of his family and making sacrifices that sometimes he shouldn't have had to make. He was the youngest of nine and had to fight for who he would become. He was both smart and driven and yes like me full of tenacity.

Most look at him maybe as too driven, hard and maybe one who has a hard time with people. Some of it may be true, but unless you got to know him you would not know the truth of who he is.

As I have gone through this 30 plus month journey I realize I couldn't have done it without him. He has bailed me out financially. It was he that when I said I wanted to give up he told me to keep holding on to God's promises. It was he who has heard about my repeated court cases giving me advise along the way. And yes it was he who has been watching me as I trust God throughout the process only to say, "Son I am proud of you."

Yes if you have not realized who I am talking about it is my dad. All I can say is dad, thank you and know I love you!

Our fathers are but a small reflection of who our Heavenly Father is. God is our strength, provider, support and there all the time and then some.  So if your going through a hard time and your waining and want to give up know this, God is always there. He has said that He will never leave you. He will bring you to the other side of your Jordan. Thank you God for being my refuge and strength a very present help in trouble times.

CAL

I Know That He Loves Me

Love can can be termed in so many ways. Maybe you have an Agape Love for a person (a deep care). Maybe you have a passionate love for a spouse or loved one. The world even has it's definitions of love which are far from what God has meant for your life as it is superficial or self gratifying. Take a look at our children and see what they are exposed to. Time and again God's word shows us His love for us. He says He loved us while we were still sinners. Wow, still in the process of sin and making bad decisions. Can you love someone enough through a process knowing they are sinning? Maybe they have lied to you, broke your trust or cheated on you. I'm not saying love them by ignoring their sin. In contrast I'm saying loving someone enough to make the hard decisions by putting them into God's hands so they can be won back to Him. Over the past four years I have seen God's love in such ways that it has humbled me. Here I am a man raised with the mentality work hard, be strong, be independent and God will bless you for your diligence. Going through divorce, bankruptcy, foreclosure, health issues, custody battles, unemployment twice, family deaths and so much more you find that your perspective and dependency changes. Loosing everything (and I mean everything) there are only two options. You either give up or you press in to God. The prophet Jeremiah puts it correct. Here is, as he puts it, a young man who had no self worth in an area where his people were held captive, lost everything and all hope was lost. He says that I can't do it, but God said "I knew you before you were born" (Jeremiah 1). He said to God that all hope was lost as he sat in prison, but God responded "I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not for harm" (Jeremiah 29). As a result Jeremiah caught the vision and became the encourager stirring up the people who needed hope. Look at what he said as he becomes the flag bearer blazing a trail. Jeremiah 33:3 "Call on me and I will show you great and mighty things which you don't know yet." Jeremiah had to go through a lot to get to that point. He went from being the one who doubted to the one who caught the vision. He was also the one who went through adversity yet never wavered. So as a sit on a plane back to Chicago for round whatever, I started listening to my music and came across a song that I haven't listened to in a while, "I Know That You Love Me" by Martha Munizzi. In her song she says "You never leave me, You forsake me and I will never be alone...So I hold onto nothing. I know that you have me in unending mercy cause that's what You promise me, great is Your faithfulness." As I sit on the plane I can't help but reflect on God's goodness, and understand He loves me. Here is an example of His love. I have friends who have helped me get to court by giving me airline tickets, helping out with rentals and giving me a place to stay. The most recent was when a group of friends came together to collect money just so I could buy something for my son's birthday. Understand the hospitality requires that of humility. The things that happened are things that blew my mind and shook my very core as felt independence is my calling and as a result missing out on what God could do if I took on His vision in the situation and understood that He truly loves me. CAL

Going Through the Fire

Going Through the Fire There is nothing better then a warm crackling fire after the first snow. Sitting there listening to the oak popping and the cherry woods sweet smelling aroma. Life is the same way. A good fire in our lives is extremely painful yet extremely necessary. Don't get me wrong I hate the firefights that some call trials. Believe me I have more than my share. Name it, I probably have gone through it. God allows the firefights to happen in your life to burn away the dross of life. Just like a forest has the grasses that grow up choking out flowers, new growth and yes concealing the dead things (stumps, animals, stagnant water), we too have similar things in our lives. Maybe it is simply the crazy business of life or hidden sin which is rotting our spirit or maybe simply forgetting God's promises. In Group 1 Crew's song "He Said" they put the focus on God's promise and how our mind set must be in these trying times. Here is a sample for there song with probably my favorite part. He Said- (Group 1 Crew & Chris August) So your life feels like it don’t make sense And you think to yourself, “I’m a good person So why do these things keep happening Why you gotta deal with them You may be knocked down now But don’t forget what he said What he said He said “I won’t give you more More than you can take in I might let you bend But I won’t let you break You know oh I’ll never ever let you go” Don’t you forget what He said Don’t forget what He said He said Who you are and what you’re going throughn (yeah) So don’t let it get the best of you Cuz God knows everything you need So you ain’t gotta worry You may be knocked down now But just believe what He said He said My favorite line has to be "who you are is not what you are going through." Too often we find ourselves in the thick of things only to think it is our life, identity or "the cards that were dealt to us." God's best is not a card game nor are we the pawn in His chess game. Far better, we were made in His likeness. Just like Him to joy in His best for you. Do you remember His promises? Have you forgotten what He said about you? If so I listed a few of His promises for you. I encourage you to search for more in order to be encouraged during the hard times. Ps. 94:14-15    God will never walk away from his people, never desert his precious people. Rest assured that justice is on its way and every good heart put right. Josh. 1:5 5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Deut. 31:6 6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Ps. 91:14-16  14-16 "If you'll hold on to me for dear life," says God,        "I'll get you out of any trouble.     I'll give you the best of care        if you'll only get to know and trust me.     Call me and I'll answer, be at your side in bad times;        I'll rescue you, then throw you a party.     I'll give you a long life,        give you a long drink of salvation!" Ps. 37:25 25 I was young and now I am old,     yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. Regardless the trial God knows the best way to bring things back into balance. Believe me it can be the most difficult thing to go through. Remember this though God will never leave you or forsake you. Wait for His healing because His plan is for your best. CAL

Eye Surgery

Eye Surgery

Hebrews 12:2- "Let us fix our eyes upon Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith."

After having almost 30 years of wearing glasses and contacts I never knew technology would come to the point of fixing someone's blind eyes. At the age of 34 I went in to have LASIK surgery done.

Growing up I hated wearing glasses as it made me insecure as here I was with a handicap relying on a pair of glasses to allow me to see. I heard the comments and dealt with having to 'put on' something to see.

Upon getting surgery I found I was able to see immediately. What I did not realize, until talking to the doctor, I was the most extreme case he ever did. My eyesight before surgery was 680/20 with a number 4 stigmatism (5 is the most extreme). After surgery my eyesight improved to better than 20/20 with a stigmatism of less than 1.

Our walk in life is like being blind with an extreme case. When we become a Christian we rely on what I would call 'spiritual glasses.' 

We find ourselves waking up to sin only to put on our glasses to see more clearly, but God has something better for us. God wants to give us 'spiritual LASIK' so we can see through His eyes.

As I was sitting in a support class, Hebrews 12:2 was mentioned. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus. The reality is only through Jesus can our eyes be restored to see from God's perspective. When we can do that we can avoid the pitfalls of sin.

If though we water down our faith by occasionally going to church or reading the Bible on occasion we are doing nothing better than putting on spiritual glasses. Just like wearing glasses and going to play physical sports, it is likely that those spiritual glasses get knocked off or worse yet become broken when we are hit or knocked down. (Broken-turning your back on your faith/ Knocked off-failing to sin and struggling to forgive yourself to the point of getting back up).

God desires to give us Spiritual LASIK so that when the hard times and hits and times of being knocked down we can quickly bounce back without the distraction of not being able to see again. When we fix our eyes on Jesus it is like fixing our eyes on the prize.

John 10:10 Christ says I came to give you life and do so in abundance. How can we expect that if we are not fixing our eyes on Him in order to see?

Turn your eyes on Him! You will never know how much you have missed until you have allowed God's LASIK to happen to you. You will see in a different light and avoid the hits of sin and when the trials come see the prize set out for you; Jesus finishing your faith like a priceless piece of furniture.

CAL

Mi Tiamo

Titus 2:1-5
1 But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: 2 that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; 3 the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— 4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

Sometimes you don't realize the impact someone has on your life until they are gone.

As I sit here on the eve of the fifth year of the passing of one of the greatest women I ever knew I think about the impact and things I have learned from her life and how she loved with an unconditional heart. As my former wife and I awoke to that dreaded call at 3:00AM that Nona did not have much time left to live a flood of both memories and emotions hit.

Here was a woman who lived life up to almost exactly 100 and a half years to the day, gone. It was a difficult time as there were many unanswered questions.

Prior to moving to Florida, Nona lived with us full time for three years and part time for the five years prior. I never had a grandmother so having her in my home was an experience I would not trade for the world.

Here was a woman who through her pain would pray for everyone through her part time English part time Italian speech. Oh the stories she would tell but better yet the example she would live.

I would eat it up as she and I would sit at the kitchen table for three or four hours talking about God and life. Looking back she may not had understood all I was saying, but all she spoke without saying one word spoke volumes. She believed in honoring the man of the home as the leader and emulated it in a way I had never seen.

Grace, she was full of it. I remember when she would see her grand daughter and I get in arguments she would say "Christo forgive Anna regardless. Make peace with her for it is not good for your health." Then there were the times people would treat her like dirt, which would make me very upset, and she would just sit there, show grace and hold her tongue.

The thing I remember the most about Nona was her passion for God. Even though she did not understand having a relationship with Him all her life she loved Jesus none the less.

I remember talking to her many times about heaven (Paradisio to her). I would ask "Nona are you going to go to Paradisio when you die?" Her response was always the same, "I don't know if I am good enough."

With that response it was difficult to leave her and go to Florida as we felt we were called. Her grand daughter was so stressed about the salvation of her grandmother and the only comfort I could bring was that God would do something miraculous in that relationship.

Upon her 100th birthday we found out from a family member that something happened while she had a stint in the hospital. During the visit with that family member they mentioned that Nona had a visitation from Jesus all in Italian. As Nona laid in that bed she entered into a relationship with Christ that only God could do.

Prior to her passing 5 years ago she told Ann that she was going to heaven as she walked with Jesus.

Yes the older are to teach the younger about temperance, patience and even life, but it it takes a special person who is willing to live like Christ.

Nona, Mi Tiamo (I love you). Thank you for being there.

Christo 

Trusting God in All Circumstances

Galatians 6:9
9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 

When times are good it is very easy to trust God. Unfortunately we forget to thank Him and worse yet forget to trust Him in those times as we go with the flow of letting the good times roll.

When the hard times come we run to God yet have a hard time trusting that God has our best interests in mind.

As I started the journey of the darkest time of my life, I found trusting God was a scary place to be and not even know how to do so. As I talked to one of my close friends he mentioned the best place to start was in worship.

Looking back at it today, all I can say is he was right. As we talked extensive hours of God's best in my life I realize that this friend was put at the heart of my life for this very time. Why, because God had my best interests in mind.

Granted we do not talk as much as we did at that time I have found two things that happened. The first is when I talk to my friend my gratitude is continued to him as well as our relationship is as strong as can be; he is a great man of God. The second, and most important, is my conversations with God have become more frequent and in fact more deliberate (even though 3:30AM comes rather fast).

Trusting God has nothing, as I found out, to do with getting what we want. The truth is it is all about submission. Am I willing to submit my ways, my thoughts, my actions and my day to God not knowing what is in store?

As I was driving into work this morning the song "Blessed be Your Name" came on. I have heard the song and have even sung it multitudes of times at church on the worship team, but I have never heard the rendition from Anthony Evans before. Maybe I would had heard the commonly played worship song, but it jumped out as I heard a jazz or gospel version of the song to only remind me of God's goodness.

As the song goes:

"Blessed be Your name
In a land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow.
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
When I'm found in a desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out I'll
Turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be Your name"

Maybe your in that desert, but are you at the point of saying "blessed be Your name?" Trust me it is a hard place to be.

You may be at the place where you are so angry at God for bringing you to the desert place, but you need to get to the place of saying as the old hymn goes "Though none go with me, still I will follow."

God is there. He is the thirst quencher for your soul. He is the light to your path. He is your shelter when the enemy is breathing down your neck. He is the I Am. 

He is GOD (Guiding Our Direction). Praise Him and He will breath the life into you to carry on in the hard times and be your sustainer.

CAL