The Haunted Houses of Life

 What do you fear?

Fear has a purpose. It reveals an area in our lives of false belief because God has told us so many times to "fear not". 

Fear in life is like the haunted house or the roller coaster ride.  One thing that enables me to "enjoy" these activities is because I understand that even though they can scare me... they can not harm me.  They have limitations. 

There are things in this life that scare us.  Each person has their "boogey man". So many times, the enemy likes to take those things that brings fear into our lives and diminish the freedom we were meant to experience. 

But God has told us so many times through scripture to "fear not."  In fact.. it is the most repeated command throughout the whole Bible.  

Here are just a few times that God deals with fear in the Bible: 

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Isaiah 41:10 

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7

These are just a couple. 

As you read this post.. I know that it will ring true with you.  But... just letting it ring true will not be enough to change how you deal with this fear.  It might encourage you for today.. But tomorrow.. those fears will come back to torment.  We have to take God's word and revelation and constantly repeat this lesson to ourselves so we don't forget it.  Jews even to this day wear scripture on their bodies to remind themselves of God's word.  We are told throughout scripture to meditate on God's word.  For me to learn this lesson of dealing with my fears.. I have to write it down.  I have to set alarms on my phone alarm frequently to remind myself.  I have to be diligent in order to truly learn this lesson.  

One of my biggest fears is a fear of depression.  Depression consumed a large chuck of my life.  Today, I walk in a lot of victory over that dreaded disease. Praise God!  But.. there are times that I wake up and I there is a sense of heaviness and depression that I face.  To be honest it used to scare me.  I had this fear that I was going to slip back into this abyss.  Now.... I am learning to realize that it is just like that huanted house or that roller coaster ride.  It was meant to scare me.... but it can not!   

I will constantly remind myself ot this fact until... I just naturally walk in the freedom that God desires for me. 

Boo!

Be blessed!

The Storm Inside

Titled: The Storm Inside

If you know me well... you will know that I am infatuated with cloud formations and even more so... storms.  I have been told many times that I am crazy for the random exclamations of.... "there's a duck!" or "Look at the elephant!"  while we are driving. My wife  will glance out the window looking for a loose elephant from a zoo.... or some baby ducklings walking along the side of the road... but after all these years she gets me... then her gaze turns towards the sky and just shakes her head. 

But my favorite infatuation with the clouds is when they turn dark.  When clouds start to turn ominous and pick up speed... my phone comes out and I go to an app on my phone that shows the areas of highest concentrated lightning strikes.  If it is within 10 miles.. I will get in my car and drive there and park my car and enjoy the show. 

Even though I enjoy a weather storm as described above.... there is a storm that I have been so fearful of throughout my life........ that is the internal storm.  As I have gotten older I realize that everyone experiences these kind of storms from time to time... I have been one to experience them more than I prefer.  

These storms come with no rhyme or reason.  Sure, I can sometimes blame it on different life circumstances.  Perhaps a bill might be due.  Taxes.   Rejection from others.  A health condition.  The current political debacle (argggg).  But I have discovered after many years that these storms come and go regardless of  external events.  As recent as this morning... day five of my summer vacation.... after a wonderful day of reconnecting with friends from 30 years ago.... reminiscing with my wife about this day (August 1st) being the day that we were engaged 26 years ago.  Having a wonderful conversation with our oldest daughter who is extremely happy in North Carolina..... so..... why the internal storm???   Who the heck knows?  I haven't been able to figure it out in my 50 plus years.  Everytime I go through this.. I fear that I might go back into a time period where the darkest clouds came and stayed for years... 

But today... I was able to keep my senses.  Today I was able to compare the internal storm clouds to the wonderful storm clouds of nature that I adore. I have read so many times the advice by many writers that one should  just sit and observe these internal clouds... because they will pass.  So... that is what  I did..   I didn't try to figure them out. I didn't try to push them away.  I didn't even try to ignore them.  I sat there quietly and just observed them.............  and...... an amazing thing happened.  Suddenly they weren't as ominous.    Then..... they were rolling past. What could have become a day of me turning over, pulling covers over my head to hide from the storm... or a frantic search on Google or Reddit for answers or ways to push back these clouds... I just... observed... these... clouds.   

Now.. here I am thirty minutes into almost finishing this blog.  Not only am I not hiding and wasting a complete day, but I am putting something out into the world that I know others will identify with... because I have talked with others who go through this same thing.   In a few minutes I will be getting up to a very productive day.  If the storm clouds roll back over (which they usually do) I will just simply take whatever time needed to observe them.  

I will stand in awe of the beauty of these menacing visions.   I will look for the elephant in that cloud.  Look... there's a triceratops! (Made you look) 

Can any one relate to this phenonemon? Please feel free to share your story as well. Thanks for letting me share mine

Slow process

Ever feel like nothing is going on in your life. That you aren't growing, learning or discovering?  Back when you first started on this journey with God... things happened almost constantly.  New revelations, new freedoms, new experiences... but lately.. it doesn't appear that anything is happening.  In fact, it might even seem that you are going backwards.  Well, consider this scripture:

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  Philippians 1:6

Just like  sculptor, when he starts a project with a new piece of marble... the beginning cuts are large, drastic and noticeable. Every time you turn around something major is happening.

The closer that the masterpiece gets to its final image... the less noticeable and smaller the progress will be.  To your eye, it might even seem that the work has stopped... but if you look closely... you will see a small cut here... a tiny chip here.....

Be assured,  that progress is being made and the Father is very
proud of the masterpiece you are becoming.

Without Form AND Void

How many can say this describes me either right now or at least some days?
Genesis 1:2  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep...........
Yep.... me to the tee some days!
But look at the 2nd part of that verse..
.........  and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
It seems to me that God searches out those things that are void, dark, hopeless, down and out and starts hovering......... planning...... interjecting His love.... speaking His creative loving words........ hovering some more....  revealing.......slowly.......... drawing........ creating.......
Now.... if you think you got it all together.... that's just fine.... you can go on with your fine self......... Not me..... I want the "hovering of the Holy Ghost" over me....
Hover... hover.... hover.. hover...  a little closer...... a little deeper...... (Not a song.. but should be)
Be blessed this day..... and listen.... see if you can sense or even hear the hovering of the Holy Spirit over your life today.

What A Difference A Day Makes

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is the story of the 4 lepers in 2 Kings.

The short version: The wicked king of Aram had surrounded the Israeli city of Samaria.  They had cut off all supplies to the city.  Because of this.. there was great famine, lack and need in Samaria...read how bad it got in the end of chapter 6.

Well, vs 7:1 Elisha says basically that tomorrow things will be totally different.

Now.... enter four lepers.  We know about lepers... they were the outcasts.. The scum of society.  So... not only were they in this city where it was so bleak.. they were the bleakest of the bleak.

So.... these lepers said hey... what have we got to lose.  If we sit here we are just going to die from starvation or war.   Let's go over to the army of the Arameans and see what we can get in to.

They did!  And much to their surprise the encampment was abandoned.  The Lord had caused this great army to hear what they thought wwas the attack of a greater army........ so they fled.... LOL........   I love it.
 The famine was reversed... in less than 24 hours.

Now... the word for us today is that yes... our situation can look bleak.  It can look unsurmountable with no way out.  But God, can come in in a minute and cause the enemy to flee.  The picture is totally changed.  Wam... Bam.. Thank You I AM.....   That is how big our God is.

Today.. take a breath.   Don't give up.  Don't give in.   Things will look totally different tomorrow.  It might take a week.  It might take a year.  But things will change.  You will get through this.   Trust Him.

The Love Behind Easter

What Is Easter All About?

I am sitting here thinking about this question and so many analogies go through my mind. Here is my attempt to explain to me what Easter is all about.

You..... have a serious heart condition.  The doctors have tried everything to prolong your life.  Medicine, surgeries... you have changed your diet.  You have changed your lifestyle to include exercise.. but still you are in the hospital more than you are at home.

That day comes when the medical team calls in your family to tell you and them that there is nothing else they can do.. that you only have a few days left.  The only thing that could save you at this point would be a heart transplant.  They had considered this earlier... but no heart ever came available that was a match because of a rare blood type that you have.

Saddened by your situation, a close friend of yours secretly has his blood type checked.... and a miracle... he has that same rare blood type.
Your friend goes to the chapel at the hospital and prays, "God, I want to give my heart to my friend".
God says, "Do you realize that this would mean death for you?"
He replies, "I do."
God: "Why would you do this?"
Your friend: "Because I love my friend so much that I want his life to continue, even if it means my life ending".
God: "This is such an unusual and unselfish request that I will grant this request".

He quickly grabs a  paper and pen and scribbles a note to the medical team. "Dear Doctors, my blood type is the same as my friend.  I give up my life so he can live."
To you he writes,  "Dear friend, I love you with all my heart and life".

He goes over to the wall,  pushes the code blue alarm in the chapel... and  lays down at the altar.  He exhales for the last time...... His heart stops.... He is gone.



Days later..... you wake up.  You have no idea what has taken place.  Your family and friends are all around you.  You look for your close buddy... he is not there.  You ask where he is.... and they hand you your friends note.
You are overwhelmed with sadness and gratefulness at the same time.  Of course you have a lot of questions.... you do not  understand how someone could love you THAT much!

You recover. You are given a new lease on life.  You look at life differently.  Every breath you breathe is because of your friend.  Every heart beat occurs as a result of his great love for you.   Every day is a new gift.... because of your friend.


You... dear reader are that person.  You were born with a disease called sin. The doctors have tried everything to fix you.  You have changed everything to try to fix it yourself.... but nothing has worked.  You need a heart transplant.   Someone had to die in order for you to live.   That person is Jesus Christ.  His love is so strong and intense for you that you will never be able to totally  comprehend it.  With that intense love... He gave up His life so that you...... could live.

During this Easter season... reflect on Jesus' love for you.   If you know Him... draw closer to Him.   If you don't know Him,  ask Him into your heart and let Him give you a new heart...... and a new life!