Joy that makes God Smile
Happy Family
Reason for CelebrationLuke 15:31-32
32But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "
Luke 15:7
7I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
In the verses above there is incite into the word of God about the Joy that comes to God when one has been found who was once lost. The first scripture from Luke 15:31-32, this comes from the story of the prodical son, which tells of a boy who leaves the house of his father.
This boy is lost to the life of his father, but one day would return and on that day his father embraced him and clothed him with the finest of garments. We are like the prodical son, we were once lost, away from our Father which is in Heaven and there is reason to celebrate from our return to God.
This post I dedicate to my brother Christian, who is now not only my brother, but the brother of the biggest family in the world, Gods Family.
I am so Glad to be part of the Family of God, its the best Family to be part of, and the greatest team you could ever ask to be a part of and the great thing is that tryouts don't happen, because you are already on the Team. Jesus tried out on our behalf and luckily for us He is a all-around athlete, because He defeated death on our behalf. Welcome to the Family!
Dogs and the Pearly Gates
A dog with Purpose, Jack!
My thoughts about Dogs and the Pearly GatesTuesday, October 31/2006, this is the day a friend of man will leave existance. Today is the day that my dog Jack would be put down after a long life of being with my family. Jack was a dog that was born into a abusive family and eventually moved to another home to be kept with a lady who worked with my mother Marylue. From there after being neglected for a short while, Jack would move in with us where he would settle and bring such happiness to our family.
Jack will be remembered by my family as a dog that was always entertaining, in his early years dancing, rolling over, and scratching the door to go outside, all in obedience to receive a bone. I remember as time passed Jack was still seen as funny in his older days as he went blind and would run into walls and people. All joking aside, this dog was a good little dog.
I bet you are wondering, what does this have to do at all with dogs and the pearly gates, well I cannot really give you a definite answer. This is something that is a very debatable subject and I could not give you scripture to back up such opinions. Although I have a thought and a belief of my own, which I will count towards the most awesome and only God who lives. My thoughts are that God works out everything to His purpose, to His will and God never does anything without reasoning, this is why when we make our venture through the pearly gates one day, we can ask God the questions we have been waiting for.
Heres my answer to the question.... I believe that God has a reason for all and I truly believe that God sends us animals like Jack to us for the one reason of comforting us, of entertaining us, enjoying life and having fun with us. Going for walks and perhaps even talking to when we are down.
There is a reason the dog is known as the mans best friend, and that is what Jack has been to my family, believe it or not, even in his last years he was a good friend. He created much laughter as he slept most of the hours of the day.
God sent us a best friend here on earth which is dogs like Jack, so that we will have someone to be with until we are one day with our true Father in Heaven, our true friend, God. Did you know that dog spelled backwards is God, well the friendship aspect works both ways. God is almighty, He has a plan for all of the things of this earth and they are all part of Gods plan for eternity.
I love this Team lots, part of being on Gods team is acknowledging that God has a plan for everything, sometimes we don't have the answers, but for now, this is the answer I have. Someday I will get the oppurtunity to talk to mans best friend, God and ask Him these questions.
The beloved pose... it is completely nothing to do with this blog outing, other than to be a ploy. How ironic though that I am blogging about the ploys in my life.
Have you ever masked yourself, I have many time, now that I think about it, with Halloween coming up it goes with that too.
This weekend at Exalt! it was great...Probably the most enjoyable one I have had since being at Exalt as a youth. It was the first time that I saw all of my friends all interacting together as a body, as a Church for Christ. God's Presence was known. There were tears shed, people broken but put back together, and most of all God's presence was there.
My mind has been plagued with worries of many things, such as will I be alright to go back to things when this is over, will I have the strength to talk to people about feelings that I have, will I express them.
Sometimes I wonder if intentionally a hide things on my mind. With God's help, finally I got lots off of my mind this weekend and because of that I have reason to rejoice!...Seems like everytime I blog things come back to God, or somehow they always come to rejoicing.
This is something that is on my mind too, through all that happens, and boy do I love God. God has worked in those around me dramatically and it has truly been amazing to see both the influence they had from me and the influence of them to others.
The conclusion I came up with of why my worries, problems, and all that I keep from the world always come back to God or rejoicing is simply because if you combine the two you have a duo that creates truth, the truth being that if you have God "why should we not rejoice?."
I am not always happy, although at the moment circumstances that probably should have made me depressed, angry or even discusted with God... They have only drawn me closer to His word. I praise God for all that He has worked in me to do. The conclusion I have drawn is that with a healthy relationship with God, also comes a healthy relationship with others. I have also realized that God works all out to His will and because He works in this way I am Happy!.
My prayer life has been terrible as of the last couple of months or so, but I am beginning to realize that I need to become closer to God, therefore it is my decision to at all costs put Christ first, and by putting Christ first I will be making the greatest decision I could ever make.
Prayer is great, anyone reading this post that needs prayer, I will pray for you, it is my prayer that you will keep me in yours...And in doing so grow closer to the one who Loves all, and has shown a clear image of His Love for us in His Son Jesus Christ.
Lifes Rough, Wear a Helmet!
Well, there is always something to be said thats for sure. If you want to know what is on my mind you sometimes get good things, but then there are the bad, which are'nt so great to hear.
I find things really hard... I don't know why, just do? I think sometimes I make things harder than they have to be, I let them get me down. There are so many struggles it seems going on with my life right now and I just let them piece by insignificant piece rip me up inside.
This may not be enough to be ripped apart emotionally, its also physical, the pain that I experience, its one that is unsharable, yet at the same time, it is good to share. Prayer has been big for me as of late with this.
Illness has plagued me for nearly a week, I still have not fully recovered from kidney stones, yet I keep this to myself, I feel the pain, but do not want pity!
This is something that I only put here so that people can relate, then maybe perhaps see that there is always a solution. The solution that we are told often in society is not the solution that we should turn to.
When contemplating your future, its not good to boggle yourself with pointless worry have faith.
When facing the pains of peer pressure have faith.
While suffering inside from different things that are going on in life, have faith.
If your down and out, lying in your bed, feeling that you could breathe your last, that you will not make it this time, have FAITH!
"Next to faith this is the highest art -- to be content with the calling in which God has placed you!!!" This was a quote of Martin Luthor.
My Faith Is in what God has in store for my future, this one I will hand over to God.
I could definetly find more time for God in my life, I did that finally today, I went to a confined place, and I prayed.
This was a time of devotion, not with others, which is good to have too, but it was a time for Just God and Me, and believe me you will get know other friend than that.
Spending all that time with God helped me to pick the postive from all negative. The feelings I feel are ones as a result of bordom that sometimes arises, but with that time I spend bored, I don't know why I don't invest some of that in God.
Anyone who reads this, again, don't take pity on me, don't feel sorry...But Please take example, realize for yourself the great Faith God provides to you.
Spend time with God in prayer...I miss family more than anything, I get bored a lot... But I am on a team that cannot be Boring, I am on Gods team and I lift His name up to you. His Glory reigns supreme and will get you through anything.
A Truly Unbearable Pain
Something so Small, that can do much Damage!
Recognition Of the Cross In Painful TimesThis world can truly be known for throwing life lessons at a person. Wednesday, October 11/ 2006, I woke up to some rather scary news from one of my best friends Dan Foreman, he had been driving and was in an accident. Thoughts quickly crossed my mind of whether or not he was okay, or what I could possibly do being miles away from him.
There was really nothing I could do. Pain began to approach me, a pain that began to become more and more unbearable as time went by. I went downstairs to the lounge, but this pain would not leave me, at first I thought the pain I was feeling was over my worrying, but it was'nt that.
Before I knew it, Class was'nt looking like something I wanted to do on this day and I went to the secretary at the college I am attending to take me to the hopital.
This pain haunted me, it began to increase more and more by what seemed like the minute, one cannot even begin to imagine the feeling unless they experienced this themselves. Finally, I was rushed to the Hospital, where I would wait....
When in the Hospital I had to register myself to be looked at, then wait around to be tended to. The wait overwhelmed me, the pain made me feel like I was being ripped apart from the inside out, like there was someone with a spear on the inside, chipping his way out.
All thoughts left my mind, all thoughts were gone, but the thought of the possibility that I may not make it through this time clouded my thoughts. The waiting seemed to make the pain worsten. Finally after waiting a person who had been waiting longer than me stood up and told the nurse enough! somebody help this boy.
Obviously, I made it through...I am alive today, living to tell my story of my suffering and that story I will tell with gratitude to the God who got me through my agony. Through this whole time I was having a God please tell me why moment.
I found out pretty quick why? I had problems with Kidney stones in the past, and I had fallen from the instruction I was given to avoid such problems, but I never listened.
Thinking to the suffering I went through, I look back on the morning, where I received some bad news about my friend, through all of this, I never did once think about him or any of my other friends, the pain was enough to think about.
But then I think about Christ, whom God sent for us, who died on that Cross.
He lived as we have, He died as some die, but today He is a risen God who has overcome death. The most amazing thing through all of this is that during that suffering that Jesus went through, never once did somebody stand and say enough! as that women in the hospital room did for me. When Jesus endured the suffering He had, the severe beatings, there was no Mercy shown at all.
Must we forget, that through all that Christ endured on that day that He was Crucified before the people, through all of His suffering, the one thought on His mind was His friends. Through all that Jesus went through He took the Fall and Thought of Each of Us above all.
Life is a journey and there is lots that we can learn in life if we open our eyes to what God has shown us and today He has shown me something beautiful and that is His Mercy, His wonderful power, While I was laying in agony on that Hospital bed, my first thought was my pain, but Gods first thought was me.
God puts us first, let us put Him first!
Toronto Maple Leafs V.S. Ottawa SenatorsA Battle Far GreatTraining and ApplicationTomarrow Night, October 4/2006 is a day that many Canadians I know for a fact has written on their Calendars for sure. I know that any Canadian people who are Leafs or Habs fans alike will be watching this game, because the opening game for the Leafs on this night is scheduled as the Ottawa Senators.
The Ottawa Senators team has gained many enemies over the last couple of years, they have become the one force uniting rivalrus fans....These fans being Habs and Leafs fans.
This is not the topic of this blogging though. Something significant has just been completed by these Hockey Players, this significant thing was an oppurtunity for many to fight for their dreams. In the NHL the pre-season has just been completed.
This is something that required much training for those picked to be on teams, something that took tons and tons of sacrifice, countless evenings practicing, dedication to the game itself, Hockey!
Without a doubt it would be worth it, making Hockey a #1 Priority, how fun it would be, how great it would be to reap the rewards and for many young players finally touch the golden stage of the NHL.
As Christians we are part of the ultimate team there is to be a part of, the best part being that if we make truth our #1 Priority, we are automatically part of this team, simply because the sacrifice has already been made, the time put in!
The Priority, Truth, Being God! and then the Sacrifice being His one and only son Jesus.
Knowing what sacrifice these players in the NHL have put thru to their success, they don't stop, but keep on going to pursue the ultimate prize, that being the Stanley Cup.
Our Ultimate Prize is eternity with God, Heaven, promise that because of Jesus we will never again be alone, never again be let down. This is why for the sake of the Sacrifice of Christ, we don't quit now that our training has paid off, now that we are on the team....Let's Tell others about this Team!
In pursuing a college education at Maritime Christian College, I have had to make sacrifice, some that I have regreted, but much of these sacrifices I would not take back for the world, because Christ made the sacrifice first. He took the fall, He endured all, and thought of me, thought of you above all things.
Let us not just sit around, let us live for Jesus.
Let us be Gladiators for His name...Amen!
