Resolution to Resolute

    As the new year is approaching you will hear about every ones new years resolution that they will almost NEVER do. The most famous goal is to lose weight in the new upcoming year. Now losing weight is hard so why would trying to lose at the start of the year be any easier. In fact it is shown that about 50% of people that "vow" to lose weight or start a diet, drop it within a couple weeks of the new year. Another one that you will hear is that people want to try and spend less money. They want to watch less TV so their cable bill isn't as high or they say that they will spend half of what they normally do around Christmas time. Well the reality of that is each year the economy is getting worse and the average American will not cut what they spend their limited money on. And of course all of this leads to debt which everyone has experienced at least once or is still going through. Another resolution you will hear people say is that they want to spend more time with their family. Instead of taking a long nap right after work they want to spend time watching TV or going out with their loved ones. Or they might make a goal to save their marriage that is going south. No matter who makes this resolution to love their family more and spend time with them more. Everyone can learn from that and use that. And lastly the resolution to drinking less alcohol hits the top 10 list for this upcoming year. Drinking less alcohol comes along with other behavior that may include smoking, prostitution, addiction, debt, death, alcohol poisoning, and so much more. Now not all of these effects come right from alcohol but they always seem to link to each other some how. But most people want to quit drinking because its and addictive drug that lies to your body by telling it that is good for you. For most people that make this resolution they are go through with it, but the brave ones that go through with it are going to have a tough but worthwhile road ahead of them.


   So all of these resolutions may not make your list for the year of 2013, but they are the most common for the upcoming year. Now lets take a closer look at what they actually mean in the eyes of God. First the goal of losing weight is a great goal and to God, he will love you anyway that you are because he only cares about the desires of the heart. But losing "weight" for the glory of God can be a lot different and lot more life changing. When you lose weight for God, it is the action of letting yourself surrender to the good Lord himself and then being able to set your forgiven sins aside. Just imagine how much "weight" will be lifted off of your shoulders! So you see, losing weight for the new year isn't just hitting the gym its about letting go of the old you and putting on the glorified imagine of the new godly created you. Next is the goal of saving money by watching less TV or just limiting the things we take for granted. You are probably wondering how can you save money through the Lord? Well good question! I don't have a definite answer for this one because every ones life is different. But the bottom line is try not spending so much money on your favorite thing that you think you need to survive. Once you do this you will realize that the treasures of this earth will never measure up the ever lasting strength that the Lord gives off. Also the goal is spending more time with family. This also ties in with spending less money because once you put both of these goals into action the true meaning with come through. The thing of this world such as jobs, money, alcohol, just anything....are all distractions from you seeing the glory of the Lord because everything is sinful. So never look to an earth possession looking for the glory of God because you will find glory but isn't not the true glory that our Lord promises us. Lastly the goal of not using alcohol as much ties into the last goal pretty well but it also reveals something else about God. We often act as if our eyes are hazed by this world and that we are under its spell and we cant get out of it because we know its right. Now what makes alcohol different from the other goals is that it does lead you in the wrong way but it also allows your body to go through with that 100% thinking that everything is true and worthy. I'm not saying if you use alcohol your going to hell. Because alcohol is just as sinful as everything else in this world but i am warning you that it doesn't lead you into the right direction. And this is why i hope that most people put this on their resolution list because these things lead us so far off the path from our Lord. Take into consideration this coming year what you want to resolute. That's great if you want to lose weight or spend less money. But also keep in mind how you are to make your spiritual life better. When you make your list I challenge you to put a goal for your relationship with God for every earthly goal that you have. Now if you don't normally make a list like me...try one this year you will be surprised what needs some work. Good luck....and happy resolution!






Word of the Year: " And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."
                                                                                    ~Hebrews 11:6

The Regifter

          As well all know, over the years we have made Christmas about ourselves. We all go out and take all of our savings to spend money for Christmas gifts for others and sometimes ourselves. We don't always know what to get for our loved ones for the holidays, so half the time the gift might not be what that one person wanted. As funny as it is to get someone a gift that they say that they "like" by putting on a fake smile. I think its funnier when people get so overwhelmed and just fed up over searching for the perfect gift so they just shop for themselves. And I experienced this first hand the other day when I was working on cash register at my work, this lady was checking out and she had a friend with her as well. She had a good amount of things that she was buying and you would automatically think that she was buying the stuff for someone else. But I was proven otherwise when her friend laughed and said " You most people buy things for other people for Christmas not themselves." Her friend just laughed and said "hey there's nothing wrong with shopping for yourself." I couldn't help but laugh because I think it is acceptable to shop for yourself anytime! But that's not the point of this lesson. Just like the woman's friend said her friend basically needed to stop thinking about herself so that she could show her gratitude to others. Now think about the reason why God came to earth. He was sent here to save us for one but also to put us above himself. We should all really give to others freely all the time besides just Christmas. But as I stated in a previous blog this time of year seems magical because of birth of our God. We often receive gifts for ourselves and we don't share it. I mean I know its hard to share a pair of pants but what we receive should also be given to others to show the true colors of our hearts. Love is not shown by giving presents...the presents I'm talking about here is the gift of the Lord. These gifts may include hope, joy, faith, courage, love, strength, honesty, humility, and so much more. One way or another we all receive gifts from the Lord such as these. Some show them and some don't, but that is all based on lifestyle. If you get anything out of this, remember this... the gifts we receive and inherit from the Lord are gifts that are worth re gifting. When we hear the word re gift... the word cheap comes to mind. Several people re gift presents that they find in there homes or unwanted things you may have bought for yourself just like the woman did the other day from earlier in the story. Gifts are defined as something of value and worth to a certain person. So this is why re gifting seems so wrong because it seems like the person giving doesn't care as much. Its not about the amount or value on the gift. I'm sure you have all heard the saying "Its the thought that counts." Well that's true. Because the the treasures of this earth will fade away but the non-tangible meaning of a gift means the most. We see the things of this world but yet they don't last forever but the one thing we cant see(God) last for eternity. Ironic right? My challenge for you this week is actually really quite interesting. I want you to stop and think of all of the tradition's of Christmas. And then think about God and the story of his coming. Next I want you to put both of the stories together and stand back to see all of the similarities between the two. God had received the gift of love from his father and sent it to us...so we should so much as to think about giving that to others to spread the news.


        When that lady left the store I had a feeling that she knew that it didn't matter if she was buying stuff for herself verses gifts for other people for Christmas because she knew that the gifts didn't matter. I don't know if she was a believer or not but anyone can realize that materialistic things don't compare to what a higher power gives. Remember that eternal gift cant not be measure by the hand but by the heart.



Word of the Day:  "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

                                 ~Hebrews 4:12

 

 

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!!:) I am so thankful to have all of you in this journey!

Never Cease to Amaze

      I think we forget to stop and reflect on the little things that a day can bring. When I write to you guys I often write about big topics or subjects in the world through the bible. But I realized that I never just talk about God freely. Just stopping and thinking about all the great things God has done gives our minds a break from the horrors of this world. I know its hard to see the good in the world in our life and all around us when the world seems so messed up. To some people, their world may be evil but for the rest of us we can look past the evil to see our lives. If I haven't already told you, like several other people I have my own place to go for my quiet times. When I have time I will often take bike rides down to the playground by the water. It is normally pretty quiet down there by the water and this allows me to sit down and have my quiet times. One time I went down there and I was praying to God that he would just show me sign that he was actually listening to me and that I wasn't just talking to nobody. I was having a rough day and I just wanted one of those miraculous signs that I have heard about from several other people. So as soon as I said that I saw a shooting star. And that showed me that God was actually listening. Also another time I was asking him to show me a sign I was sitting on a bench down by the water doing my quiet time to look down at the bench to see a heart carved in the bench right next to me....God does love us. And boy does he show it.

    Every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving me and my family go up to Park City to start our Christmas shopping. This year I was kinda bored because I was walking around by myself and I cant remember why but I was in a bad mood and a little angry with God. So as I was walking around shopping I was walking close to a book store and I was gonna go in but I wasn't sure because I didn't know if they would have a book I was looking for. But I ended up walking into the  store anyways and I walked around for a while looking extremely weird because I couldn't find the Christian book section for the life of me. So I finally found it and when I got there, there was a lady in there looking at the books. Nothing out of the ordinary. So I'm just looking for books and all. And this lady turns around and ask me what bible she should get. I answer her question and then we just kept looking. Then she starts asking me about a couple of authors and the devotions they write and we started talking about that. And I would just like to stop the story for a second and say WOW!!! First off I never get those types of experiences where I talk to a total stranger about God!!!! Okay so back to the story... so we start to talk more and more. And we ask where each other is from and where we go to church and all. Then this older man comes up to the both of us and starts talking to us about this book called Harbinger and how it shows the true reality of today's world without God. So here I am talking to now TWO strangers about the word of God!!!! Once the older man leaves we go back to looking for books and occasionally talking to each other. And I wasn't finding the book I wanted, and I am usually pretty shy so she was talking more than me while I continued to look. And when we would stop talking I got this voice in my head that gave me the idea to tell her about my blog. And at first I wasn't going to do it because I didn't know how to bring it up for her to check out my blog. So I was still looking and I came over the books of Francis Chan and my youth pastor had introduced me to him through youth group and I have written about him on here before. It just clicked then that I should talk about my blog by showing her the books by Francis Chan and saying that I write a blog and that I did one on Chan. So I did. And the next thing you know, she wanted the address to my blog!!!!! And she asked for paper for me to write it down on, and I didn't have any except for this pamphlet that I didn't want to take at a very expensive Pandora shop. So I used that useless piece of paper and used it for something useful. Once we got some info from each other, she ended up giving me a big huge and we said goodbye. And I just stopped and thought to God. You never cease to amaze me. Here I was being a grump while I was shopping and there God went showing me that his glory will always prevail and that he is everywhere.

   There is no certain challenge this week. But I just wanted to just share random things from what I have seen first hand from God. And I knew I wanted to share it with you guys. But for those of you that like the weekly challenge...I encourage you to stop and think beyond all of the hustle and bustle and just REFLECT!! And share by commenting right here on the page or email me or send me a message on facebook and I would love to learn from you or help you or just listen to what God has done for you. Let us share our amazing stories because Gods wonders should never be left untold.




These verses hang on my mirror as a constant reminder to me:
"Don't long for "the good old days." This is not wise."  ~Ecclesiastes 7:10
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."  ~Hebrews 11:1
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not boast, it is not proud."  ~1 Corinthians 13:4
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."  ~Matthew 11:28
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those we earnestly seek him."  ~Hebrews 11:6


Have your own favorite verses or quotes that are your constant reminder? Comment to share I would love to hear what speaks to you! Or let me know if any of these verses work in you!

Love Story

          Yesterday I turned the TV on to expect all those movies that you never hear of until Christmas. I ended up watching a movie about this girl that comes home from her busy life to see her mother. When she comes home she finds out that her high school reunion is going on while she is at home for the holidays. Of course she ends up running into her best guy friend that was always their for her but she always failed to see the love he had for her. But she kept chasing that football star that claims to have always "loved" her. I didn't get to finish the whole movie but I can probably tell you that she ends up getting with her best friend that treats her how a woman should be treated and she comes to her senses about what high school was really about. See I can almost perfectly predict that because all of those Christmas movie specials all end in a miracle. Now when we think of a miracle I think we all automatically think of love. Because of love being so hard to get through we associate love with magic and miracles. But an over load of those love movies about Christmas always made me wonder why just show these movies at Christmas time?! I mean if we all can "relate" to them so much and we always want miracles in our lives then why aren't those movies the only ones that are played? But what other miracle happens at Christmas? Of course its the birth of Christ. Now do you see the connection between all of those Christmas movies and the birth of Christ? These love stories are very different from each other. I think as humans we strive to find somebody for ourselves because we fear of being alone. This is the same thing with our relationship with God. Have you ever just cried to God that he would be there for you because you were scared that he wasn't there or that he was leaving you? Just like finding love, we all hope that a miracle happens between us and God. When God was sent to earth and born of the virgin Mary, he brought all the love possible. Just stop and visualize the job of loving everyone unconditional and how important and just amazing that impact was!!! I'm sure that little baby Jesus won the hearts of Mary and Joesph along with everyone in the world....a savior was born!!! Our world had never seen such a special person before God on earth! So what happened...everyone fell in love with him. Going back to the Christmas movies about love and miracles. I know how hard it is not to buy into all those movies that just warm your heart about finding that special someone for the holidays. I want you to realize how much you have fallen for the love story of Jesus Christ. Have you fallen for his love? Do you know of it? When your going through the holiday festivities and you feel all the love around you. Stop and just be in awe over the love that God has brought the earth and your heart will light up. Fall for God and he will show you the miracles! What joy is it to see the love story that God has created in us all! I want to challenge you to watch those Christmas love movies (warning they may be cheesy!) and use that as a tool to see how, just like looking for love, that finding God is a miracle. I have to admit that I never knew why I always loved to watch those movies and I would always think to myself how funny it was that December became the month of love. Then it hit me...God was born in December and he is love! Everyone yearns for love like I said just like we often do for God, and boy is it more than any normal relationship! Fall in love with God this holiday and choose to fall for his love...you might be surprised to see that he is the best partner you will ever have.




Word of the Day: "I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me."
                                                   ~Proverbs 8:17

Step Back and Watch Him Shine

            As the Christmas feeling is in the air you are probably digging out those dreaded lights.As you are pulling the thousands of lights out you realize that yup, that whole strand is broken. Or the lights look like one giant snowball all contorted together. Once you drag the big ole tree out of your basement or off of the top of your family car, you finally get to set the tree up for the further decorating process. So now you not only have some working lights but you have to get all of the tiny little delicate ornaments out one by one to hang them just in the right place. But you have to first get all of those lights undone so that you can wrap up the tree. Once all of that is done you step back and have a beautiful fluffy tree deck with lights and ornaments and maybe even a little fake snow to top it off. And the lights go on....and the tree just sparkles and you just love to see the Christmas spirit that is radiating off the tree as you sit by the fire. Christmas trees are one of the several traditions of Christmas. We all look forward to the holiday season... it means tons of food, presents, family time, Christmas movies. We also all know that Christmas is always thought of as a celebration for us and just a good time for us. Yes it is a celebration for us but NOT about us. I could sit here and ramble on about how today's society doesn't view Christmas as the thanking and celebration of God by his birth. But I am going to focus your attention on the Christmas tree. I want you to go look at a tree whether if its your own or a public one, the next time you see one I want you to stop and examine it to see if this lesson fits the description of the tree. Like I said, a Christmas tree is normally covered in millions of ornaments that are all different in shapes and sizes and beauty. The tree itself is normally a real tree (even though we all cheat and get a fake one) and do you know what trees do for us when they are still in the ground? God created trees with the mind set that we would get our breath of life from them. We breath because of trees! Can you imagine if we didn't have trees? How would we live? So now the importance of a Christmas tree truly comes through. If you have any kind of tree in your living room for Christmas that shows the life of God and the breath of life that he gives us everyday. Because God is alive and so are we!! Going back to the ornaments, we are the ornaments. Remember how I said there are millions of them and they are in all shapes and sizes and beauty? Doesn't that sound a lot like us humans? We are all unique and every single day we are pinned upon the tree of life that God holds so closely because its his heart. If you step back and look at the tree I have just created in your mind you will see a tree which represents the life that God has and has given us. And you will see the ornaments which symbolize every single one of us and how we are so close to our father in heaven. Now the tree might look great in our mind but to others wouldn't the tree look a little blah? That's why you need to place all of the lights on the tree so that you can radiate the light of Gods life through his and your life! This holiday season I challenge you to not focus on the perfection of the holiday or all of the little details of giving. But I want you to focus on putting up the tree of Gods life in your life and lighting it up so people all over the world can see it. Don't be ashamed of your God because he will out shine any broken bulb.



Word of the Day: " Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself."
                                                ~Revelation 19:7