Happy Belated 25th Anniversary Mom and Dad...I dedicate this Blog to You and to the one who has Truly been the biggest Blessing to your Relationship!
Putting God In your Relationships About the Relatinship, in your relationship...
This video I compiled for the party that my Family had put together earlier this summer on August 25th for My Mom and Dad's 25th Anniversary celebration, and I had a lot of fun putting it together. The video itself means a lot to me, but means even more to my parents. But after thinking about why it may mean so much to them and then throwing the idea in the air I wonder,...why is it their relationship has stood the test of time? Well my Dad would say that the answer is simply that from the beginning he told my Mom, "you either take me or leave me!" and she agreed. Then I asked both of them and they came to the conclusive answer, which was summed up in one word, which is "God." In the past, their has been a couple of relationships I have had, failures...practically like an airplane crash, they were that bad, but there is a reason for this. Now your thinking well your going to say that its because God was not there...well that would be part of it. The other part that in the relationships I have been in, I have hung my stars heavily on the other person, and they would do the same to me. As a result all of those stars get juggled around and what happens, well someone messes up, usually both people. Then all the stars hit the ground. There has been so, so, many disappointments, but the reason for that is I hung the stars in the wrong place. I never gave them into the hands of one who could hold the weight, but there is one in God that can hold those stars, I know this for a fact, because I know he was the one who physically put stars in the sky, so I know that he is willing to emotionally hold the stars I am hanging. In a relationship, in even a family atmosphere, God must be the central figure. We must have the strength, the courage to trust in Him. God is part of a Love triangle, in a triangle there are three central points. On the left is you, the right your significant other, the only way you can travel is up or down. If you travel down you travel further apart, if you travel towards each other you cross paths. Think of this,if you travel up, you will meet a stop at the one who is the master of Love, because He is the one who created the essence of Love, thats God. God is part of the greatest love story of All-Time. When you meet God in your relationship, your relationship will begin, and thats where the adventure will start. What are you looking for in a relationship? are you approaching your realationships in the way that is pleasing to God? God is Love Trust in Him to help you in your relatonships, I have made mistakes in relationships, but I am happy to know that now my triangle is heading towards God...
After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.
Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!"
Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.
Where my Joy comes from...
Some have heard me give testimony to events in my life before, but let me now to those who have not heard, here this truth. Often times as a people we often to overlook things for what they are, we tend to overlook reasons that we may have to be happy. For example in my life. When I was born, my family was'nt exactly in a great financial state, they were poor in the worlds eyes. Despite this reality though, we lived life as it had went. My home had no luxuries thats for sure, I remember at a young age always getting up with my Dad early 5:00 am in the morning, directing my Dad with a flashlight out back of my home to the outhouse, to dump a porta potty. This practice happened everyday of my life, from about the age of four, until I was about ten. The Joy for me is that today, things have been accomplished. For another to completely get the full story, I would have to sit down and tell, but I will say that it is because of God that I have an education. My family which was poor, is now rich, not only in spirit, but financially blessed because of God. God sent his people as a Blessing to my family, they were the reason that today my home has luxuries, that is why I am a student of my second year of college. There is so much more also I have to take Joy in, Paul explains in Romans 5:1-4:
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
There is much to take Joy in, but like I have mentioned, with all we have going on, we tend to overlook the good with the bad, we tend to worry and not trust in God, not seeing the things God has done for us. If we fail to see these things, how can we hold faith? We really can't... Thats why we must look to the things God has done for us, look at them, reflect for yourself, and you will truly see reason to hold faith in God! He has given me Joy! more than one could ever imagine... I am glad and will rejoice in knowing God as Savior and Lord of my life. Don't let yourself go to spiritual highs, having mountain of transfiguration moments, then forgetting the Joy of the Lord. Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord Always! and again I say Rejoice. These words are Golden, hold on to them, there is reason to REJOICE!
The first rule of holes: When you're in one, stop digging.
Psalm 40: 2,3 NIV He lifted me out of the slimy pit...he set my feet on the rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.
In all sorts of situations we can make matters worse by our own frantic efforts to save ourselves when God is trying to tell us, 'Stand still.' We have gotten ourselves into a hopeless situations, the more we fail to listen, the worse it gets. Not often enough do we stop digging and pay attention to what God is saying, we panic we get stressed out, we never think of going to the Lord in prayer.
Perhaps it's time to take a pause in your ardent (this is the word of the day) pursuit of a solution or answer that you are seeking. Give God time to do His work, and to speak His wisdom to you. We often say that we are handing our problems to God,but do not put full faith into giving our problems over to God. We often think, well God has better things to do then pay attention to me... He has wars and Famines to overlook does'nt he? Well maybe we should leave that answer to God to decide, and be faithful to God's will. When we Pray we should do so Whole heartidly, that way we can get out of the Hole.
Sometimes living in a dorm full of people, you can still feel alone... There have been times that I have went off to do certain events, have so much fun, yet look back at the way things used to be. I look at the good times that I had living at home and realize the reality that I am not at home anymore, and my heart fills with that sour feeling, alonging for home. This feeling brings about joy as you reflect back on the good times you have had, and as I can relate, it also brings back memories you would love to forget! For example the worries of loved ones who have fallen away from God, loved ones past, and yet you can't do a thing about it! These thoughts cloud my thoughts, and they are something that bugged me for a long time, it was depressing, and made me feel so alone. So Alone..... There are so many times I forget.....I really should'nt, something so wonderful, so great, yet I regret to mention despite the reality of my surroundings I forget. Covering all my problems with books, videogames, and anything else to avoid the thoughts of disappointment. But then I finally remember the Love. 1 John 3:16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
Its mind boggling to me that I could forget such a great love. Yet at the same time, I am happy to know that I can always have Christ there, I am never Alone! When disappointing times come, when things are not well, Christ is there for me. It is my Prayer for myself and for all who have excepted Christ or even have not yet accepted Him, to recognize His presence in your lives. Let Christ be the Centre of your lives, He died so that we may have New Found Life, so that we would no longer need to be burdened by the things that bombard are lives. May God Bless your lives in Christ Jesus!
Approximately 6 years ago in November I made the best decision, a person of any age, gender, race, or lifestyle could ever make. I decided to declare Christ as Lord over my life and joining the greatest team I have ever been on. Many times in my life I have been on sports teams of various different kinds, I love sports. In fact in high school I was named 2 time defensive all-star and entered to try-out twice for the provincial all-stars. There was so much fun back then on that Football team, I love the game. The team I am on now, I enjoy much more. This team is more of a family, because now I am in my second year a Maritime Christian College and I am realizing more by the day about how great my life has become since receiving Christ into my life. I truly believe that in terms of importance to place any pro athete above God would be truly wrong. There is much promise having Christs signiture on our hearts. Gods love toward us is never changing, it is the same today, as yesterday, and forever...God Love is Great! and we all experience His Love it is just a matter of seeing it and showing others God's Love in our lives. I have written a sermon about how great it is to be on God's team, and why I enjoy his team so...and if you have ever met me, and seen me smile, now you know exactly why its not often that my smile is a frown. I believe in New Found Life In Christ Jesus...Romans 6:4 Shall I say it, the victory in winning the coveted Stanley Cup is nothing in comparison to the victory which is found in Jesus, through the victory He has won for us through Salvation by His grace from our sins. This to me is the greatest of trophies that we could ask for, For Jesus has given us more wealth by his Glory than any of the millions of dollars a NBA, NHL, MLB, or NFL player could ask for... Jesus gave us something BIG!, Jesus Gave New Found Life! New Found Life Means "victories won" "a race well run" and "God's will done"
This offer is our decision to make, and this is one contract negotiation that I am glad I never missed out on!
I have been on many teams in my life, but none as great and wonderful as the team I was drafted to on November 11th 2001. God's Team has given me victory, where I had experienced defeat and its by God's goal and the save of our saviour that I was chosen to be a part of this team. This is a team that I would not have made by trying out, but only by knowing the will that the Head coach has for my future.
