I'm Moving!!!

I have been writing on blogspot for several years. It has been a great start to gain momentum in my writing and I feel like I have found my groove. 

I have also been working on a book, actually a couple books, for a couple years. I am in the final stages of my first book entitled Made For More. I am really excited and there will be more updates going forward.

I have created a private Facebook group for people interested in joining my book launch team. If you're interested, send me a message on Facebook and I'll get you connected.

Now, this is the big news...

Since I am getting ready to enter the final stages of my book

7 Important BooksThat Should Be On Your BookShelf

I love reading! Studies have shown you actually add time to your life the more you read. It's science, you can't argue with that...too much.

So, this list is being made to help save your life! You're welcome!

2 Ways To Leave A Lasting Legacy

My wife’s grandmother has been in the hospital. She is in her mid-90’s and, up until her admittance into the hospital, has been going strong. It has been a heavy load on the family, but it has been a wonderful experience to see the family pulling together to care and nurture a woman who has cared and nurtured all of them for so many years.

Her grandmother is a wonderful woman and a testimony of faith and perseverance. Every time you enter her home you are offered something to eat or drink. She does not want to sit down and strives to serve everyone who comes through her door. She is a wonderful example of a servant.

Her nephew came into visit her yesterday and said a beautiful prayer over her which included these words: “Lord God, bless your servant. She has cared for so many and has shown your love. Continue to give her your love and care.”

Her legacy is that of a strong woman who has loved and cared for so many, whether they were family or not.

Why The World’s Pain Is Our Pain And How To Respond

“…the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved.”-Romans 8:21-24

As I shared the video of the 5 year old boy who was pulled out of the rubble from a Syrian airstrike, my heart was and is still broken. I can only imagine the pain his family is feeling and the emotional scars that child will hold on to forever. The look of confusion and fear speaks enough. We cannot live in a world that allows a child to experience this pain in their life. (Hard to watch: http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/17/world/syria-little-boy-airstrike-victim/index.html)

The crazy thing is, right now, many around the world are watching the Olympic games. These games were established to celebrate athletes from all over the world and bring countries together in competition and celebrate humanity. I have been watching these very games, making funny comments, and finding joy in the experience.

After seeing the images of the sorrow, I can’t bring myself to watch the games right now. I most likely will go back to them, but I had to turn them off for this time. I know this is not a new tragedy in Syria, this happens almost every day, but it is painful nonetheless. How can I strive for empathy if I can’t step away from what brings me happiness for a little while?

3 Important Reasons To Support Your Spouse

“‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”-Ephesians 5:30-33

Right now, I am sitting in a hotel room in New Jersey. I’m not here for a business meeting. I’m not here for an interview. I’m not here for me. I’m here for my wife.

My wife is a Physician Assistant. She is currently serving as a PA in pediatrician’s office. She loves her job. She is passionate about her work with children, but she is also very passionate about serving new mothers.

She wants to assist new mothers in the birthing process by giving them support, encouragement, and love. So, for the next few days, she is at a conference to enhance her knowledge of breastfeeding in order to advance her steps in becoming a lactation consultant.

I seriously would not have ever thought I would take a six hour drive for such a conference, but I have.

Why?

Simple: I love and support my wife.

Fear Is Natural, But It Doesn’t Have To Own You

“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, ‘Where are you?’  And he said, ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.’”-Genesis 3:8-10

I am in the process of writing my first book. The initial book I was writing has been put on hold while I write this one. I am almost done…I think?

My wife and several other friends have assisted with the process of reading through the first draft. They have made some corrections, suggestions, and edits. I have been overwhelmed by their support, honesty, and encouragement.

They haven’t told me to scrap it, so I guess that’s a good thing. I told them not to hold back, and considering who had been reading, I am pretty sure they would have told me it was terrible and if I needed to trash it.

Anyway, as I have been writing, I have been beating up my fear. Every time my hands went to the keyboard and began to write, I would instantly begin to question my ability.

How Do You Expect To Fill Your Net?

“Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, ‘Children, do you have any fish?’ They answered him, ‘No.’ He said to them, ‘Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’ So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish.”-John 21:4-6

“I’ve got this!” A common phrase shouted when things in our lives get difficult. We recognize how cumbersome a task is going to be and we proclaim with all of our might, “I’ve got this!”.

We get caught between a rock and a hard place, but we have no fear because we know we can handle it on our own. We might not be sure how, but we can do it. Well, at least we hope we can.

I wonder if this is how the disciples felt when Christ was crucified, dead, and buried? I wonder if they fled in confusion and fear, but as the days passed by, they figured they could handle life on their own and everything would work out.

Have You Found It?-Part 2

“‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.’”- Matthew 13:45-46 (ESV)

As I shared in part 1, I have been speaking and teaching on the parables of Jesus found in Matthew 13:44-46.The first parable focuses on a man who discovers a treasure in the middle of a field, recognizes the value of that treasure, goes and sells everything he has for that treasure, and buys the entire field he found the treasure in.

Jesus compared the Kingdom of Heaven to this treasure. He showed how valuable the Kingdom of Heaven is and should be to those who have found it, or should I say, Him. We also figured out that Jesus defined Himself as the Kingdom of Heaven when He first began preaching. He made sure the people following Him, and those who would hear His message, understood that He was and is the most valuable treasure you can discover.

Have You Found It?-Part 1

"'The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.’”- Matthew 13:44

I have been preaching and teaching this message on the parable above for the past month or so. It is a two part sermon focused on this parable and the parable of the pearl of great value.  It has been a fun, yet challenging, experience. This parable is a challenge for all who are seeking to understand the Kingdom, but also those who have already discovered it, or should I say, Him.

When The Church Empowers Christ’s People The World Will Change

“And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”-Luke 10:2

One of the issues churches across America are facing is people either being disengaged in the congregation or not even being a part of the church itself. They are trying to find ways to get people to enter through the doors and step into the congregation through high energy music and activities. However, the question begs to be asked, is that enough?

We can get people to enter into the church, but how do we keep them? If the church is high energy and full of activity inside, then people will come back until the energy dies off or they find something better.

What if the people who claim Christ in the congregation saw their role in the kingdom as a more important aspect than just an hour or two on Sunday? What if the congregation saw that their energy should be just as exciting outside of the church experience?

When You Claim Faith In Christ, Justice Should Become A Natural Instinct

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.”-Matthew 23:23

Right now we are seeing a large amount of justice movements rising to the forefront. We are witnessing an awareness of epic proportions around topics as police brutality, equality for women, the unequal justice system, and more. There are systemic issues on all levels that need to be addressed and change is beginning to occur.

All of these movements stem from a long time, possibly a lifetime, of pain and frustration coming to a boiling point and overflowing with action. There are healthy ways to express the action and there are unhealthy ways and, unfortunately, we have seen both.

The question I ask in all of this is, why? I mean, I know why, but what is causing this to finally be happening?

I can say there are a lot of great things coming from these movements and awareness campaigns, but if I had to say there is only one, I would say

Why The Ministry of Reconciliation is Not Limited to Broken Relationships

“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.”- 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (NIV)

Reconciliation is difficult. When we have broken relationships with individuals or groups it is hard for us to swallow our pride and go to them with a heart of humility. We should go with the purpose of restoring the relationship, maybe not becoming friends again, but creating a balance of respect and peace.

The trick is coming with humility. We have to humble ourselves in the process because it allows us to be open to the idea that we may have been wrong, but also opens the door for us to be willing to apologize. A humble heart is the easiest to work with, especially when it comes to forgiving and/or reconciling with others.

Reconciling with individuals you have “bad blood” with (thanks Taylor Swift) is the common understanding of the word, but what if followers of Christ should have a deeper understanding of reconciliation?

The Power of Water

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life…yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.”-Revelation 22:1-3 (NIV)

My son and I were reading his nightly bible story together in his picture Bible a few nights ago. The stories are abbreviated versions of actual scripture passages with pictures that are colorful and bring images to life for children.

He likes to choose random stories, but he does it by having me turn around or close my eyes, then when he has chosen the story he wants me to read based on the picture, he tells me to open my eyes and he shows me the story with excitement.

Love Will Bring Favor

“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.”-Proverbs 3:3-4 (NIV)

It seems so cliché to say, “All we need is love”, but I feel like that phrase is so true right now. We have so much hatred, violence and pain in this world that people are beginning to question the future.

Perhaps, the people questioning the future should be looking at how they are spreading love in order to be a part of the change for the future?

Love is a significant force and can bring change to lives of many, but we have to look at our hearts and figure out if we truly hold love or if it is just a nice thing to think about.

Parenting for the Win

"And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man."-Luke 2:52 (NIV)

I am going to be doing a vow renewal ceremony for a couple whose kids are involved in the youth bible study I lead. I have had the pleasure of getting to know them and their children over the past couple years and have been blown away by the character and integrity their kids have.

They will be married for 25 years and this is a major milestone for them. I am honored they have asked me to perform the ceremony for them.

One of the things I shared with them is they have instilled a solid foundation in their kids. Their daughters are leaders and have respect from their peers. Many adults have witnessed their kids in action and realize that they are two of the kindest young ladies you will meet.

They said, “We might have been strict raising them, but it was to protect them and guide them. We wanted them to be respectable and hardworking young ladies. We hope we have succeeded.”

Doing Good To All

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”-Galatians 6:10 (NIV)

In a time of heart break and suffering the world needs Christians to rise up. They don’t need Christians pointing out the evil in the world, they already see it and know it is there. They don’t need Christians telling people that the world is broken; they can see it falling down around them.

The world needs Christians to point to hope and demonstrate the hope they know in Jesus.

First Things First

“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”-Psalm 37:4

According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of delight is “1) A strong feeling of happiness: great pleasure or satisfaction or 2) something that makes you very happy: something that gives you great pleasure or satisfaction.”

So, what does it mean to “Delight yourself in the Lord”?

If we place these definitions in place of the word we would discover that we find great pleasure or satisfaction in the Lord. That seems pretty simple right?

Then, why is it so difficult?

Is it possible that we take the verse from above and reverse it? Is it possible that we wait for God to give us the desires of our heart, then we will find delight in Him?

It seems like this is the Christianity that is taking hold of many. We lose faith when our desires aren’t met. We only look to God to provide for us, and only if He does will we take pleasure in Him. We love to look to God as our provider, but if He doesn’t provide what we want, then He is not as good of a God as we thought.

This is a dangerous gospel.

Changing the Narrative Might Mean Influencing the Culture

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”-Romans 12:2

When Christ came to the earth He came with the primary purpose of reconciling creation back to their Creator. He came to reveal hope and purpose to a people who had lost hope and did not understand their reason for being here.

One of the main ways Christ revealed His mission was by challenging status quo. He did not conform to the ways of the world, but worked to shift the way people lived in the world. He did not rest on what was accepted, but influenced what was acceptable in the eyes of God.

You see, He did not want to allow the culture of the time and what was influencing culture to infiltrate the hearts and mind of His people. So, He started to show how life was meant for so much more and the people of the world were capable of more than what they were doing at the time.

Why Listening Matters

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”-Ephesians 4:1-3

In any healthy relationship, communication is what helps make it stronger. When couples can have a good dialogue about issues, struggles, hurts, happiness, success, etc. they seem to find a way to make it through the majority of their issues. In fact, a survey conducted by a lifestyle website YourTango.com that polled 100 mental health professionals, revealed that communication issues was the cause of 65% of divorce (http://www.yourtango.com/experts/rochelle-bilow/want-your-marriage-last?utm_source=huffingtonpost.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pubexchange_article). Interestingly enough, following communication issues, was “inability to resolve conflict” with 43%.

In light of recent incidents of lives being lost which has sparked movements and police officers losing their lives because of mistrust and anger rising to the top, we need to look at the results of this relationship survey.

Grace Doesn’t Give You The Freedom To Sin, But Frees You From The Guilt Sin Causes

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”- Galatians 5:1

Sin is such a hard word to handle. It feels so judgmental. It feels so, cliché. We as a people really do not like hearing about the concept of sin mainly because it hits to our core. You might even be tempted to stop reading because sin is a tough topic, but please hear me out.

We all have a brokenness about us that we know doesn’t feel right. We all have things we think that make us feel uncomfortable, yet we continue to allow those actions or activities to have some sort of stronghold in our lives.

Before we go any further, we need to define sin. Simply put, sin is what separates us from our Creator. When we sin, we choose to pick our own desires over the One who created us. We choose to ignore the concepts and ideas that He put before us in order to do the things we want, even if we know it is not cohesive with what we know God has designed us for.