untwist my soul

No

2011-06-23T09:41:00.000-07:00

As a father it brings me joy to say yes to my children. They always like it when I say yes. In fact I can never remember a time when they reacted badly when I gave them what they wanted. But when I say no. That is a different story. They cry. They whine. They beg. They pout. They storm out of the room. They stomp. They ask again. They make life at that moment miserable.

I wonder what it would be like if they responded with "OK Dad I understand that you are smarter and wiser than me and I accept your answer. Thanks for loving me so much." It would take me moment to recover. Hopefully I would be sitting because I am sure fainting would be involved.

How do I respond to God? Do I ever make Him faint? Or do I cause Him to roll His eyes because of my little "fit".

Is your faith big enough for God to say no?

"Father.... take this cup of suffering away from me." Jesus

Questions

2011-06-20T09:34:00.000-07:00

I have always been a fan of questions. I tend to ask a lot of them. Sometimes my questions get me in trouble. Mostly they help me be a better person.

One of the most famous question and answer sequences is the one between Cain and God. You know the story. Cain and Abel bring their offering to God and God rejects Cain's offering. This creates a problem. Cain gets angry and dejected. He responds by killing his brother. God responds by asking Cain the famous question, "Where is your brother?" Cain comes back with the equally famous question, "Am I my brothers keeper?"

I believe Genesis 4:1-16 teaches us several things about God's character. It reminds me that God is God. He rejected Cain's offering. We are not sure why. But He did. God is God and we often do not understand His ways. This is why I often need to remind myself that God is God and I am not. This story also reminds me that God ask questions. In this exchange with Cain He asks 4 main questions.

1. Why are you so angry?
2. Why do you look so dejected?
3. Where is your brother?
4. What have you done?

Do you know that the Bible is full of God asking questions? Do you know that when God ask a question He knows the answer? God never asks a question for information. So, why does He ask questions? I believe it is because He wants us to think about His faithfulness, love, grace, mercy and forgiveness. The questions He asks Cain all point Cain to his sin. God is giving Cain the opportunity to repent. To make things right. Cain refuses. He refuses by lying. He refuses by reaming silent.

When I read a question asked by God how do I respond? I hope and pray I allow God's questions to pierce my soul. That I allow them to point me to my sin and that I turn to God for His grace and mercy.

What about you?

"But who do you say I am?" Jesus

Faith

2011-05-09T15:37:00.000-07:00

We are currently in a series at CCAA where we are looking at faith. Yesterday we looked at what faith is. Hebrews 11:1 gives us a working definition " Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." Believing that God is who he says he is and will do what he says he will do requires faith. Do you know it is impossible to please God without faith. Hebrews 11:6 says it this way, " And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him." I can not please God by my works, words or even my actions. I must have faith.

Faith can be hard for lots of reasons. We want answers. We want to understand. We want the questions that are going to be on the test. But God wants us to trust him. To rely on him. When we trust him it puts him in control. As long as I am trying to figure it all out or work it all out I tend to leave out God. Faith is saying OK God you win. God you are God and I am not. It is a better way to live you should try it. But that is the rub. We often do not want God to be in control. We do not want God to call the shots. We want that job. We want to be in control. But I can not please God by being in control. I can only please him by trusting him.

Do you? Do you trust God? Do you have faith in God?

What's my weakness?

2011-03-30T11:37:00.000-07:00

The experts in human nature tell us we all have strengths and weaknesses. I do not think this is earth shattering news. I would say we all understand that we have weaknesses. But do you know what yours is? If we divide our lives into the typical categories of spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical we get an idea of how we are put together. The past 3 months my life has been consumed with starting a church in the Anthem area of Henderson, NV. It has been an amazing journey. It is hard to describe what that first Sunday was like. Standing by the doors with Woody, Sam, Mike, and Danny wondering if anybody was going to show up. They did, and God continues to bring people every Sunday. There are many things in life that are hard. Marriage. College. Working out. Dealing with death. Work. Being a parent. Cleaning the house. Starting a church. Just to name a few. When hard enters into the picture or when tragedy enters into the picture you discover tons about yourself. Mainly you discover where you are weak. In the past few months of leading a team of people in a start up situation I have watched people's strengths and weaknesses explode all over the place including my own. Some explosions have been beneficial, like blasting rock so you can build the road. Others have been not so beneficial. When the stress hits and the work starts, the cracks show up. I have heard it said before that we do not crack under pressure. What happens is the pressure exposes the cracks. Do you know where you are weak? Is it emotionally? Spiritually? Mentally? or Physically? The past few months have shown me that I am not nearly as mentally strong as I thought I was. What am I going to do about it? I will save that for the next post. In the meantime, why not give some thought about your weakness.

The Truth

2011-03-21T09:45:00.000-07:00

How are your relationships? Shallow? Messy? Pointless? Beautiful? Life-giving? Lifeless? Ever wonder makes a good relationship? Ever think about why some of your relationships are so life giving and last for a life time yet others simply do not pass the test of time. Maybe it comes down to the truth. Truth is hard. We often do all kinds of things to keep the truth from being lived or stated. 1 Corinthians 13:6 states that love celebrates the truth. "It (love) does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out." Do you rejoice when the truth wins out?

Speaking and hearing the truth are very hard things to do. So hard that we rarely do either. We often hold back the truth because we do not want to hurt someone. Or we think things will magically get better. Or we simply do not want to deal with the mess. So, we just ignore the truth and swim on in shallow relationships.

I'd like to challenge you to practice speaking and hearing the truth.

When you speak the truth the following statements are important to remember:
1. Motive is essential. When I speak the truth it should be for the benefit of others not simply to satisfy my own desire or circumstances. Ephesians 4:29 states "... let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them." It is always a good idea to ask yourself "for whose benefit am I speaking this."
2. Tone matters. Most of the friction of daily life is caused by the wrong tone of voice. Sometimes how you state the truth is just as important as the truth you are speaking.
3. Timing is king. The right thing at the wrong time is not helpful.

Speaking the truth is hard but hearing the truth is even harder.
I can think of lots of reasons why it is hard to hear the truth. The truth often hurts. The truth convicts. The truth hurts my feelings. The truth makes me mad which causes me to play the "who are you to tell me... game." The big one is that truth requires change. Ouch. Who wants to change especially if it requires hard work. Henry Cloud says it this way "the fool tries to adjust the truth so he does not have to adjust to it." Am I a fool? I am if I do not hear the truth. A wise man hears the truth, owns the truth and applies the truth. Fools fail, move from one problem to the next (if things keep going badly for you maybe you should face the truth and realize you are the common denominator), are lonely and lack God's blessing.

My goal is to have rich and life giving relationships. My goal is to be a wise man not a foolish man. Both start with the truth. Speak it. Hear it.

"love takes pleasure in following the Truth." 1 Corinthians 13:6 The Message

If you want to hear the sermon that today's post is based on check out http://www.myccaa.com/

Imago Dei

2011-03-14T11:05:00.000-07:00

We are currently in our first ever series at Community Church @ Anthem. 1 Corinthians 13 is the focus of our "All you need is love" series.

Yesterday I talked about vs 4-5 "love is not boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged."

How often are you rude, boastful, selfish, and revengeful?

Genesis 1:27 tells us that we are created in God's image. In His likeness. That is a powerful thing to understand. God the creator of all things made me in His image. He gave me the ability to create, rule, think, serve, worship, and love. And that last one is the big one. God is love. We are taught this truth throughout scripture. I am created to love. I am not created to be rude, boastful, arrogant, or selfish.

I know it's hard to remind ourselves that I matter to God. That He created me to love and make a difference in this world. I know it is even harder to remember that other people are created in God's image. Yeah that means the homeless guy on the corner. The people in the streets in Japan looking lost because of the earthquake. Your boss. Your sister. Your pain in the neck co-worker. All of them are created in God's image.

I believe when we start to see people for who they really are, it becomes a little easier to love them. You see, when I am rude to a clerk or the salesman or the Mormon knocking on my door, what I am really doing is being rude to God.

This is why He tells us so often to love. I am suppose to love you. Whoever you may be. Not just because it is right or commanded but because you are created in God's image. Do I really want to be rude, boastful, arrogant, selfish to God?

You are not just you and I am not just I. We are created by God in His image to love.

May you and I live today with love in our hearts. And when we are tempted to be the things scripture tells us love is not, may we see the very face of God in front of us and respond accordingly.

"I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me." Jesus from Matthew 25:45

UPSIDE DOWN

2011-02-28T15:28:00.000-08:00

Last week I sent out an email and asked our church to pray for 175 people to attend Community Church at Anthem on Sunday. I prayed all week for that number and trust others did as well. So, today with great pleasure I get to announce we had 131 -the lowest attendance in the very short history of CC@A. I fully believe that God is in control. I fully believe that God has every right to say no to any of my or your requests. And on Sunday He said no. What do I do with this? Do I get discouraged? Do I celebrate? No. I simply accept. God's plan for Sunday was 131. I will continue to pray for attendance. I will continue to pray that we will impact a community with the Gospel.

How do you measure success? How should a local church measure success? Some say it is all about the the B's. Bodies. Budget. Buildings. Not sure I want to measure success like that. Do we need bodies, money, and a place to gather. Absolutely. But how else do we measure success. I was reading an article last week by Glenn Packman about this topic. Here are a couple of quotes to think about from Glenn:

"Interestingly, nowhere in the Scriptures are we told to 'build the Kingdom' or to 'expand it'. We are invited into it. We are to learn how to live now that we are in it. And we are to announce its arrival in Jesus."

"Spiritual direction or Spiritual maturity is one-on-one work that is deeply personal and unmistakably local. It cannot be hurried or systematized. It is inefficient and messy..."

What do you think? How should you and I measure success in this life? In our personal lives? Our church lives? Our careers? Which, by the way for me is the local church. Is your church successful because it has a certain number of people? Maybe? Maybe not?

Jesus often turns things upside right. He takes the things we think we know and turns them on their heads. I prayed for 175. A bad prayer? I do not think so. 175 would have been great. But maybe Jesus wants you and I to think in a different way. I am going to pray for 175 again this week. I am going to work towards 175. But I also want to seek God for the real measure of success.

In the above picture Madison discovered that a ride on the zip-line was way more fun upside down. May you and I continue to discover that upside down with Jesus is far better than upside right without Him.

By the way, we had our lowest attendance but with that came with our highest offering. Talk about upside down.

"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, says the Lord....."
Isaiah 55:8

BELONG

2011-02-23T15:42:00.000-08:00

A little over a year ago Pastor Rob stepped into my office and asked if I could have lunch with him and a few friends. We set the day and met for lunch. Our topic of discussion was a new church in the Anthem area in south Henderson. In less than a year the talk and dream has turned into a reality. Lots has happened in the past 12 months. There have been lots of meetings and prayer. We have started web pages, bought ads, developed a core team, ordered a portable church, built signs and sent mailers. We dedicated a magazine to the start of Community Church at Anthem and sent it out to 3 zip codes. Lots of work and planning. On January, 30th CC@A was born.

Along the way a slogan or statement has emerged for us. It was not intentional. In fact I am sure Aimee, our graphic design person, placed it on a push card as a reference point. It has stuck. Community Church @ Anthem a "place to belong." This past Sunday it felt like we had a bit of a break through at church. It seems as though a bunch of people who do not know each other and who do not have any stories together decided to know each other and build some stories. It felt like we all decided to join in on the journey. It is like we decided to "belong."

I have been thinking about this word "belong". Notice it is not "be instant" or "be short". You may now insert all your short jokes. If I am going to "belong" I need to "be". I need to be me. I need to be honest, mostly with myself and God. I need to be who God created me to be. If I am going to truly "belong" I can not play games. Pretend. Fake it. Also, if I am going to "belong" I need to understand it takes time. In order for me to "belong" I must put the time in. I must let things develop. Or as John and I often say we need to let things breath. Do you "belong"? Are you "be-ing" who you are created to be? Are you allowing yourself to be patient as you "belong"? "Belonging" is hard work. It is not like our instant downloads, streaming movies, tweets and instant food. "Belonging" takes sacrifice. Like devoting a couple of hours on Friday night to help transform a school into a house of worship and prayer. It takes honesty with being who you are and having the desire to let God transform you into the you He longs for you to be.

If you live in the Anthem area. I know a great place for you to "belong". If you don't live in Henderson, NV find the place where God is being worshiped and Jesus is being preached and "belong".

Just "be aware". Because "belonging" isn't as easy as it sounds.

"And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another.... Hebrews 10:25

Risky

2011-01-31T14:46:00.000-08:00

January 30th, 2011 will go down in history as the first Sunday in the life of Community Church @ Anthem. After years of praying and months of planning, a new church in the Anthem area is born.

Our first Sunday was a blast. It is hard to put into words the experience of standing by the signs and welcoming people to a new church. We are so very thankful that people came and trusted us with their Sunday morning. In all, a little over 200 people gathered to worship our God and Creator.

What God has in store for us we do not know at this time. But we do know we have jumped. We have taken the risk. Our core team took the risk to join something bigger than themselves. Green Valley Baptist took a risk to birth a new church by providing financial support and more important people support. The first timers yesterday may have taken the biggest risk of all. How much can you know about a group of people from a magazine in your mailbox? Or from an ad in a local mailer? Or from a sign on the side of the road? Risk. Lots of people took a risk on Sunday. The reward. A new church. A new place where the church can gather to worship God, hear from God, love God and make a difference in His kingdom. Real risk would be trying to get through this life without a Savior. Without a Lord. Without God. That is a risk I am not willing to take. How about you? Willing to take a risk? Willing to allow God to speak truth into your life?

On Sunday we talked about 4 things that the early church did. They gathered for teaching, friendship, communion, and prayer. We also talked about three things we must do if the local church is going to be meaningful. We must have faith. We must have Grace. Remember we must give grace the same way we receive it. And we must have effort.

Are you willing to take a risk?

How about joining us at Community Church @ Anthem this Sunday at 11:00 in the multi-purpose room at Wallin Elementary in Anthem Highlands.

It's worth the risk!

In His Amazing Grace,

Pastor Marty

http://www.myccaa.com/

Green Bay Crisis

2010-11-29T14:46:00.000-08:00

My 10 year old daughter is a Green Bay Packer fan. When she was very young she was drawn to the yellow and green hats in the sports store. Later she decided she needed a football team to cheer for in the fall. She asked me if she could be a Cowboy fan and I said not if you want to live in the house. She settled on the Packers because she liked the hats and jerseys and discovered that Madison was the capital of Wisconsin. So, a packer fan was born.

She has the hat. The Aaron Rogers jersey. The stack of football cards and is asking for a Green Bay ski hat for Christmas. Until this past Sunday Madison has been a fan in apparel only. She has never watched a game. She would ask who they were playing or if the Packers won but would never watch a game with me. On Sunday this changed. On our ride home from church the Packer/Falcon game was on the radio. She was wearing her head phones and I assumed she was not listening to the game. As it turns out she was listening. Really listening. The Packers score late to tie the score. We get home and turn the game on TV to watch the Falcons drive the field and kick a game winning field goal. Her first watch is not a good one. She had emotionally invested in her first game. She goes to her room and shuts the door. As she leaves the room I say "honey sometimes in life, and in football, your team doesn't win."

I knew the afternoon would be interesting. She gets out all her football cards and spreads them out on her desk. She calls me to her room where she asks "can I change teams?" I say sure as long as it is not the Cowboys. No I did not say that. I told her a true fan stays with their team even when they lose or have bad seasons. We went on to talk about disappointment and fighting through sad feelings when things do not go well. At the end of our talk she said "how about the Ravens? Could I change to the Ravens?" "Your choice sweetheart, but I would not change teams."

Madison was having a crisis of belief. Could she really believe in a team that lost to the Falcons? Could she be loyal when things did not go right? Why believe in something that caused you not to feel well when it was over? We all have been there. We have had crisis of belief about lots of things and people. None more important than about God. Does God really have my best interest at heart? Why doesn't God fix this problem? Why does God seem so far away? Why won't He answer my prayer the way I want Him to?

There are many tough things about life. There are many important things about life. Many important questions. None more important than "Do I trust God?" It is easy to speak and think highly of God when all is well in life. But what about the times when the kick goes through the uprights when you desperately want it to miss to the right or left? What then? When God seems to be silent or distant do you find yourself wanting to change teams?

Do you trust God no matter what?

Our Sunday continued. Then it was time for supper. Madison showed up at the table wearing her PJ's and her team hat. Dad did not need to say anything. Crisis of belief had been dealt with. My prayer for Madison, myself, and you is that we might all trust God no matter what. May we all know that He has our best interest at heart even when we do not understand what He is up to in our lives.

"The father instantly cried out, I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief'."
Mark 9:24

Speaking of Sin

2010-03-03T16:14:00.000-08:00

I just finished my first Barbara Brown Taylor book titled Speaking of Sin. I can promise it will not be my last book by Barbara Taylor. The book is about how we do not talk and think about sin anymore. I thought I would encourage you to read it by posting some of my highlighted statements in the book.

"It is easier and less painful for us to rely on God's forgiveness than it is to believe that God might support us to quit them."

"People sin because they want something and fear that goodness will not get it for them."

"Sin is our only hope, because the recognition that something is wrong is the first step toward setting it right again."

"Our chronic guilt is the price we are willing to pay in order to avoid change."

"There is no apparent danger that repentance will ever catch on with the culture at large, especially since it does not sell all that well in church."

"My accountability partner never badgered me. She knew that was not her job. Her job was simply to keep reminding me what I had said I wanted, and to help me explore my enormous resistance to change."

"We would rather learn to live with guilt than face the hard work of new life."

The book has me sitting with this question: Do I prefer remorse or repentance?

I KNOW YOU HAVEN'T

2010-02-22T14:59:00.000-08:00

This past Wednesday evening I was taking Madison to basketball practice and we passed by a very busy Catholic church. I told Madison that it was Ash Wednesday and it was a special day for people who attend Catholic church. As I tried to explain lots of things from religion/Christianity/ashes on foreheads we settled on Lent. Even though we are no where near Catholic we decided to give up something for Lent. This would be our reminder of what Jesus did for us on the Cross. I told her to think about what she might give up and we would talk about it on the way home. Madison decided to give up computer play time and I would give up Coke until Easter.

Fast-forward to Sunday afternoon driving home from church as we pass the Catholic church I asked Madison if she was staying true to her Lent promise. She said she had. Then I asked her if she should ask me if I had drank a Coke. That is when her face spoke more words than her mouth could ever speak. Her expression was full of confidence and belief as she said "I know you haven't." Her dad would never break a promise. Her dad could not go back on his word. Her dad would not lie. Her dad would not try to fool her. Her dad would not let her down. Her dad would not leave her out in Lent land all by herself. In this moment I was seeing child-like faith in a way I had never seen it before.

If I could only trust God the way my daughter trusts me.

"I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven" Jesus

In case your wondering I have not had a Coke. Giving up something for 40 days is sure easier than trusting God no matter what.

Permission

2010-01-11T10:04:00.000-08:00

Ever ask for permission? It is not a fun thing to do. Asking permission causes us to acknowledge that someone else is in control of a part of our lives. Many of us operate off the motto that it is easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission. Trust me that motto can bring lots of trouble. Regardless of your take on permission we do need it. I am often amazed how often we ask for permission without asking for it outright. We will disguise it in questions like -- What do you think? -- Should I? -- What would you do if you were in my position?

I want us to think about the permission we give ourselves. We do this often. How many conversations are you going to have with yourself today? 10. 20. 453. We are in the season of new and repeated goals. Really, you have set a goal to lose weight again! Lets see new year, new decade and we are setting the same ole goals. I am guilty. My 2010 goals include a weight goal. The first time I did this was back in 2000. I was 35 years old and way out of shape. So, I hit the gym with all kinds of determined resolve. Everyday on the treadmill. Every other day I lifted weights. And every night I gave myself permission to eat all I wanted and as much as I wanted. I mean I worked out really hard. This big bowl of Blue Bell ice cream is my reward. I worked out! I deserve it.

Here is the problem. My goal was to lose weight. My goal was to change the way my body looked and felt. In order to do that I needed to workout AND eat correctly. I was destroying my workouts by giving myself permission to not eat right.

I believe churches are full of people who are giving themselves permission to live ungodly lives. We go to church on Sunday. Maybe we even attend a small group or volunteer in a ministry. Then we leave church and go about our daily lives and make decision after decision that dishonors God. It is like we are giving ourselves permission to live the way we want just because we went to church and did some "christian" things. Hey God, I did my part so you don't mind if I have a big bowl of ice cream do you?

Permission. You need it. Are you giving yourself unhealthy permission?

Spend some time this week asking yourself:

Am I giving myself permission to be spiritually unhealthy?

Am I giving myself permission to be emotionally unhealthy?

Am I giving myself permission to be mentally unhealthy?

Am I giving myself permission to be physically unhealthy?

"It seems like some people have amnesia. If they fail to do what God requires, it's like they forget the word as soon as they hear it. One minute they look in the mirror, and the next they forget who they are and what they look like. It sounds ridiculous but it is true. However, it is possible to open your eyes and take in the beautiful, perfect truth found in God's law of liberty and live by it. If you pursue that path and actually do what God has commanded, then you will avoid the many distractions that lead to an amnesia of all true things and you will be blessed."

James 1:23-25 the Voice

Merry Christmas

2009-12-14T11:34:00.000-08:00

My daughter Madison, who is currently in the 4th grade, has been learning about dead words. Dead words are words like great, really, good, and very. She is constantly correcting me when I use dead words. Dead words are the ones we over-use and since we say them so often they lose there true meaning. Love is not a dead word but at times I think we are guilty of over-using it. We love lots of things. We love hamburgers, football, Christmas, cars, candy, walks, hot weather, cold weather, TV, cards, birthdays, church, people, and God just to name a few. Do I really love hamburgers or am I just really fond of them. Did you notice that I used a dead word twice in the previous sentence? I did not do that to make a point I did it out of habit.

I tend to believe that we treat hope the same way we do love. I hope the light stays green, I hope the Steelers win, I hope Lisa is in a good mood, I hope church gets out early, I hope we have really good hamburgers for dinner, I hope I go to heaven when I die.

What is hope? Hope means to anticipate. Hope means expectation. Hope means confidence. May my hope be in God and in the things He has promised. Because there is a significant difference between hoping in what God promised and hoping for things I want to be true.

My Christmas prayer for my family and yours is that we place our hope in all that is God and nothing else.

Trying not to be Lame

2009-11-05T11:18:00.000-08:00

Last week I had the opportunity to spend a few days with a close friend. We did not do anything extreme, crazy, or wild. We did both fly thousands of miles to be in the same place. That may count as a little extreme. We talked and laughed for hours. Walked by a beautiful fall river and drank our favorite drinks from Starbucks.

We only get to see each other a couple of times a year these days. I can't help but think about all the wasted days when we lived in the same town. So many days we could have gone to lunch or taken a walk by the river in the town we lived. There were hundreds of weekends we could have gotten our families together. But we did not. There was always tomorrow or next weekend. But so often those times never happened.

In a few days, Madison and I are flying back to Mississippi to visit my mom and dad. Madison is waiting patiently for her time to visit Nana and Papa. Here is the dumb part. I actually struggled with buying the airline tickets. I thought about "the things" we could buy with that money. How lame is that? How could I think that a new camera would be better than a week with my parents and daughter? Why have a camera if your not doing anything that deserves a picture?

May you go to lunch today with the friend down the street. May you go for a walk with a friend by your river, lake, beach, or mountain. May you plan that trip home or to see a friend. May you do something today that will enhance your relationship account and not worry so much about the bank account.

Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable?
Proverbs 20:6

Photo taken by said friend by said river.
Thanks,

Danny.

Backwards

2009-10-08T14:24:00.000-07:00

My daughter Amelia is full of life and energy. She has FAS which means she is a very busy little girl. It is not often that she is still. So, watching her sleep is a treat.

When I get that chance I always try to say a prayer over her while she is sleeping. I hold her abnormally small head in my hands and ask God to heal her brain.

Awhile back I was praying and thinking over her before I put her to bed. My thoughts were about how unfair life can be. Her brain damage is causing her lots of problems and she will miss out on many normal things of life. As I prayed I was telling God how lucky I felt and how unlucky life was for Amelia.

Then it was as if God said, "Marty, what makes you think she is the unlucky one. She never has a bad day. Has no idea what it means to be jealous or vindictive. She has never done anything out of spite. Never purposely hurt anyone. Enjoys every day as if it were her first and last. Loves to play by herself. And has never worried about anything."

It was a sobering moment. I was feeling bad for her and God let me know I just might have it backwards.

As I carried her to bed there was one last stinging thought. "She has 6-pack abs and doesn't even care!"

Five Seagulls

2009-07-22T15:55:00.000-07:00

Five seagulls are sitting on a dock. One of them decides to fly away. How many seagulls are left?

No.

The answer is 5.

Deciding to fly away and actually flying away are two very different thing.

Despite popular belief, there is absolutely no power in intention. The seagull may intend to fly away, may decide to do so, may talk with other seagulls about how wonderful it is to fly, but until the seagull flaps his wings and takes to the air, he is still on the dock.

There is no difference in the person who intends to do things differently and the one who never thinks about it in the first place.

So, are you sitting on the dock thinking about the diet, new job, move, wife, husband, children, God..... Or are you doing something about it.

Taken from "THE NOTICER" by Andy Andrews

2009-07-21T14:34:00.000-07:00

There is a God we want and there is a God who is.

They are not the same God.

The turning point of our lives is when we stop seeking the God we want and start seeking the God who is.

Like a Child

2009-07-01T11:26:00.000-07:00

This morning, after my workout, I was walking around the track at the gym listening to some music. "Like a Child" by Jars of Clay popped up on the I-Pod. It has been a long time since I have listened to the song. It is great song with an even better message. I thought I would share the lyrics without the music. Songs without the music can be powerful as well. I think old dead guys called them poems. May God speak to you in some way as you read and reflect.

Dear God, surround me as I speak,

the bridges that I walk across are weak

Frustrations fill the void that I can't solely bear

Dear God, don't let me fall apart,

you've held me close to you

I have turned away and searched for answers I can't understand

They say that I can move mountains

And send them crashing into the sea

They say that I can walk on water

If I would follow and believe

with faith like a child

Sometimes, when I feel miles away

and my eyes can't see your face

I wonder if I've grown to lose the recklessness

I walked in light of you

They say that love can heal the broken

They say that hope can make you see

They say that faith can find a Savior

If you would follow and believe

with faith like a child

"Faith Like a Child"

Jars of Clay

Faith or Discpline

2009-06-23T13:26:00.000-07:00

I am currently reading, studying, and teaching through the Old Testament book of Joshua. It is a fun book with lots of great stories. Today I was reading chapters 3 and 4. It is the story about how God parted the Jordan river so the children of Israel could cross over into the new land.

Joshua, the brand new leader, told the people to get ready to cross the river even though he did not know how they were going to get across the river. They had to have faith. In the end God did part the river. But they had to put their feet in the water first.

It is a reminder to us of how God wants us to have faith. God is really concerned about our faith. The writer of Hebrews says it like this: "It is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him." I focus on two words from this passage, impossible and sincerely. I can not please God without faith and I must sincerely seek him.

I often teach that God wants obedience more than anything. He also wants faith. Maybe I should say God wants obedient faith more than anything. There is this idea that I need to have faith to obey. I think I have this kind of faith.

I believe in God.

I believe he parted the Jordan river and the Red Sea for that matter.

I believe in Jesus.

I believe he was born of a virgin.

I believe he died on the cross.

I believe he rose from the dead.

I believe the Bible is the written Word of God.

I believe so many things about God that this list would be very long if I continued.

I have faith to obey.

But do I have the discipline to obey? I mean I believe but sometimes I just do not want to do the right thing. Sometimes I just simply do not obey. Not because I have lost my faith but because I do not have the discipline to obey. After all, obey is a four letter word. It is not a fun word or thought.

How about you? Is your lack of obedience based on a lack of faith or discipline?

More important what are you willing to do about it?

Blind but now I see

2009-06-16T10:47:00.000-07:00

I taught at church this weekend. I thought I would post the sermon in blog form.

Take some time and read John 9:1-38 real slow.

Here are some things that jumped out at me.

1. Jesus healed in a different way.
He had healed many times before but not with mud.
Our focus needs to be on the message not the manner.
We make a huge mistake when we expect God to always work in the same way.

2. How instead of who.
4 times they ask the man How was he healed.
When I focus on how instead of who I set myself to doubt.
How many times have you said, "I do not know how........."

3. The church people looked past the good to see the bad.
We do this every time we complain or whine.

4. The progression of the healed man.
vs 11 He calls Jesus -- "The man they call Jesus".
vs 17 He calls Jesus -- "a prophet".
vs 24-34 He calls Jesus -- "a man of God."
vs 35-38 He calls Jesus -- "Son of God"

The man's story started with obedience and ended with worship. Because he obeyed, God was able to open his physical eyes and his spiritual eyes.

WITHOUT OBEDIENCE THERE IS NO WORSHIP!

We want the miraculous so we can obey. God tells us to obey so he can do the miraculous.

Are you worshipping? It is what you were created to do. You will never be fulfilled until you worship the one and true God. You will never worship until you obey.

May you and I begin to live this day with the resolve to obey above all else.

If you want to hear the sermon with stories check out http://www.greenvalleybc.org/. It will be under worship media.

2009-05-28T14:43:00.000-07:00

I believe in the sun even when it isn't shining.

I believe in love even when I am alone.

I believe in God even when He is silent.

Graffiti found in 1945 on a wall of a basement in Koln, Germany, where a Jewish believer is thought to have been hiding from the Gestapo.

TROUBLE

2009-05-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

Madison and I like to play Trouble. You know the brainless game with the popper. I tend to be better at games that do not call for much skill. Trouble certainly counts as one of those games. It is amazing just how good the number 2 can make you feel. Or 6 if you're playing with Madison.

The past month or so I have been reading and re-reading John 15-16. It is the passage about Jesus being the vine and we are the branches. Anyway the end of chapter 16 has grabbed hold of my thoughts these days. Jesus tells the disciples that they are about to leave him and he will be alone. I mean the son of God alone. Abandoned. That just jumped off the page. Jesus goes on to say that he will not really be alone because the father will be with him.

I find myself feeling alone a lot. And I know that God is with me. I know I am not alone. Yet it is hard to get that right. I find comfort that Jesus said he would be alone but not really. I kind of think he was trying to convince himself that it would be OK. That is what I do. I mean I know yet I struggle. That is where the ending of chapter 16 comes into play.

Jesus tells us that we will have trouble. We will have trials and sorrows. We miss this fact a lot as Christians. It is a promise that we do not want to think about very often. We are always expecting everything to be great or at least good. I mean that is how we pray. I ask God to make every thing OK even the stuff I screw up. Do you ever pray "God may this day be full of trials and bad things with lots of sorrow". I don't. I pray for perfect and easy days. But life is at times very hard and it is not God's fault. Sometimes it is not even our fault. Sometimes trouble just happens. Yeah I know I could have summed up this paragraph with a bumper sticker. The fact is we sometimes forget and think that because we are Christians that all of life should be great.

Jesus is reminding us in John 16 that life is hard. There are days filled with loneliness and sorrow. But the end of verse 33 says, "But take heart, because I have overcome the world."

I have really never told anyone to "take heart". I have told people to "shake it off", "forget about it", "don't worry about it", "it will pass", and once I told a guy if he was going to throw up to "get off the field" but never "take heart". What does it mean? Courage. To have courage means to face difficulty without fear.

The promise of trouble is not very comforting but the promise that I can overcome the world because of Jesus is rather comforting. Throw in the fact that I have been commanded to face trouble in this life without fear gives me hope that I can handle tomorrow no matter what happens.

May we all face the bad with confidence that we can overcome it. Not because of our effort but because Jesus has done it for us.

So when trouble comes your way "take heart"!

Expectations

2009-04-09T13:23:00.000-07:00

Just returned from a little family get away to southern California with the family. Lisa's mom is in town and we wanted to take a trip with her and the girls. Our plans included a day at Knotts Berry Farm, a day at the beach in La Jolla, and a day at the San Diego Zoo.

Our expectation was for a wonderful time of fun and laughter as a family. We expected great weather, fun parks, and a great day at the beach. Madison expected to have a Coke everyday, something that only happens on vacation. We did have a great time.

But.....

Not everything met our expectations. Sunday on the trip down to Knotts Berry Farm it took us two hours to travel 14 miles. 40 miles from the hotel Amelia threw up in the car. Sunday night Amelia almost coughed her lungs out. This means Lisa and I slept about 30 minutes. Monday night Amelia coughed so much she threw up again and we had another sleepless night. Tuesday Dad took the really long way to the beach. In fact Madison stated "Dad I feel like you do not know where you are going." This trip to the beach was topped off by Amelia losing her cookies in the car again. This time I pull off the road for clean up only to have "CHIPS" pull up behind us and announce to all mankind that we could not park on the side of the interstate. After the beach, you guessed it Amelia threw up again. Our expectations of a great family Mexican dinner in 'old town San Diego' were not met. Our trip ended when the baby elephant was not at the zoo and with Amelia saying "my stomach feels funny" on the ride home.

Expectations are a fact of life. But having the right expectations is key. Chinese philosopher Confucius said; "The way to avoid being disappointed is to not expect too much." Not sure I want to go that way. I do want to have the right expectations however. Much of my disappointment in life has been about having unrealistic expectations. I expect perfect weather, no traffic, quick service, no sick days. You understand.

So, what are your expectations based on? Dreams. Past experiences. Miracles. Movies. Other peoples lives.

Most of us who claim Christ as our Lord expect him to give us a wonderful life. Does he ever promise that? Really. Does "take up your cross and follow me" sound wonderful?

Listen to what God tells us in Hebrews 11: 35-38 about people who followed God.

But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.

Is this your expectation of being a Christian? Not mine.

Should I expect more than forgiveness?

Isn't that enough. I guess what I am trying to say is that anything God gives beyond forgiveness of our sin is ... well a day at the beach without the vomit.

May your Easter weekend be more than hats, baskets, eggs, and candy!

I'm Sorry

2009-02-26T10:41:00.000-08:00

I have heard it said in many different ways and by many different people that there are three really important phrases in our vocabulary.

Please.
Thank you.
I'm sorry.

I find myself needing to say I am sorry all the time. I yell at my kids. I forget to do the things Lisa has asked me to do a dozen times. I don't answer the email. I say things I should not. You get the picture. We are all broken and consistently fall short of what we want to be.

I have been taught to say I am sorry. It is not always easy. In fact, there have been times when it was horrendously hard. But I do say it and I am teaching my girls to say I am sorry. I believe it is important. You most likely believe the same.

But have you noticed that we have a habit after we say we are sorry. The habit is we tend to follow our apologies with excuses. "Hey Madison Dad is sorry for not spending time with you last night, I was tired." I do this all the time. How about you? Next time someone tells you they are sorry, watch for the excuses to follow.

Here is my challenge. Instead of following-I am sorry- with excuses and blame try this. Say "I am sorry" followed by "How can I make it right?" See what happens.

Maybe if we focus on making things right we won't have to say I'm sorry so much.

"Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, "I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!"
Luke 19:8

Just for Fun

2009-02-26T10:13:00.000-08:00

The past Monday night I had a fun daddy moment that I want to share. This post has no meaning or application. It is just for fun. I will also add that if you are not familiar with 80's rock bands this post will be very much a waste of your time.

Lisa was at drama practice at church and I had the girls for all the school night activities. We had finished dinner and Madison was working on a school project and Amelia was in the bath tub. So, I sat down and started flipping through the channels. Vh1 was playing - The All Time Top Ten Van Halen. I was watching the countdown and Madison, my 8 year old daughter, came and sat on the couch and started watching the video "Jump" that was playing. I watched her watch the video. I told her this is one of Dad's favorite bands. I explained that it was rock music and I enjoyed this style of music like she likes country music. She was very engaged in the video and she broke her silence with "They look like girls". I had to agree with her. She then said,"How can he do the splits?" I had no answer for that one. After Eddie's guitar solo she stated that she likes the electric guitar and this made Dad very proud.

The video ended and she went back to the computer room to finish her homework. She reappeared when the video "Right Now" came on. She was just as engaged. I explained this was the same group with a different lead singer. Her response, "They still look like girls." At the end of the song as she walks out of the room she says "dad I like the split dude better". Maybe her tastes are better than I think.

I go and bathe Amelia. We all 3 re-enter the room to find "Panama" playing on the TV. Amelia caps off the night by jumping up and down and shouting "it's High School Musical."

My first ever no point blog.

How do you vote? Diamond Dave or Sammy?

Lasting Impression

2009-02-09T15:32:00.000-08:00

I like football. My wife and girls will tell you that is an understatement. The opening weekend of football should be a holiday weekend. Wait it is. What I am saying is I really, really like football. In August I start counting down the days. I will say, "hey girls you know what happens in 22 days?" They roll their eyes and say football season starts.

I went to Mississippi State which means I really need a second team to pull for. When I was 10 years old I picked my team the Pittsburgh Steelers. This is how it happened. My friends and I gathered to watch the big game. All my friends were for the Dallas Cowboys. So, I had to make a call. Who was I going to pull for in the game. There is something in me that causes me to be just a little off center. I like to cause a bit of a stink. As a result, I picked the Steelers, and a southern fan for the hated Steelers was born. It has stuck. They have been my team ever since. Yes, I do have a Terrible Towel from the the stadium thanks to Dennis Roebuck. By the way, Madison asked me if she could be a Cowboy fan and I said no. So, she has picked the Steelers and the Green Bay Packers. Dad can live with that.

Two out of the past 4 seasons have been really fun for Steeler fans. When Super Bowl Sunday arrived this year I did something I have never done before. I went down to the Las Vegas Hilton to watch the game on a huge screen in a theater with 1,500 drunk guys. Make that 1,499. I was not drunk. It was like being at the game. We cheered and jeered the whole game. It was big fun for me mainly because my team won and most of the crowd was for the Cardinals.

The days after the game everyone was talking about how great the game was. Some were saying greatest game ever. But I was thinking it was not a great game. It was an unbelievable last 3 minutes but not a great game.

We often hear about first impressions. About how important it is to impress people in the beginning. I have read books about how to make great first impressions. I usually do not. Shy and great first impressions do not go well together. But Super Bowl 43-- what's the deal with the Roman numerals-- made a great last impression. Twice. The first half ended with the longest single play in Super Bowl history and we all said what a great first half. Then the second half. Same thing. 16 points in the last 3 minutes. And we all said great game. We forgot about the absurd number of penalties and the fact that the Steelers were one play away from making the game a blow out at the end of the 3rd quarter.

My point is not to re-live the game, although it has been fun to do so. My point is how we can let the Super Bowl remind us of Jesus. Man I have waited a long time to say that. You know He came as a very poor baby born in a stable. Not a great first impression. But in the end He defeated sin and death. Jesus made a lasting impression that has changed the world. What He accomplished on the cross and through His resurrection makes it possible for you and I to have life to the fullest and to spend eternity with God in Heaven. That is a great ending.

My prayer is that you know Jesus as the one who takes your Sin away and promises life to the full.

My challenge is what would happen if we spent as much time on last impressions as we do on first impressions.

Do Nothing

2009-02-09T10:07:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back I was talking with an old friend, Chad Bordelon. We had not talked in about 8 months. So, we had to catch up on the important things like football. It was hard for us to believe that LSU had such a rough season and that Alabama had returned to being #1 only to be dismantled by Utah and that the Dallas Cowboys had once again turned into a soap opera. We also talked about other important things like our wives and our kids. As most conversations go these days, we talked about the economy. I talked about how giving at church was down. How people were losing their jobs and everybody's house was worth way less than it was a year ago. He talked about what it was like being a self-employed business man in a tough economy. And how for the first time in his career he was nervous about borrowing money for new business start-ups. My response was, " I guess you are going to do nothing for awhile, sit back and wait for the economy to turn."

This was his response. "Marty, remember when we were in Atlanta last May and you got a call from Lisa telling you your water heater was broke and the garage was filling up with water? What did you do? You immediately told her how to turn off the water. Then you made phone calls to fix the problem. You did not rest until the problem was taken care of. We could not continue with our day until your family had hot water again. Why? Because doing nothing was not an option. Any time you allow yourself the 'do nothing' option you will take it. Not sometime but every time. If doing nothing is an option you will take it. So, I am moving forward with everything."

That hit me like a ton of bricks. Well, not really. If it had hit me like a ton of bricks I would be dead. But it did grab my attention. I thought about it for days. How many times in my life have I taken the 'do nothing' strategy? Often. More than I want to admit. You see, doing nothing is really easy. It does not cost anything. By the way, the plumbing company said our water heater was broken and was going to replace it for a grand total of $1,800. I called two great fellows, Manny and Frank, they fixed it for $23. Thanks again.

Here is the point. Are you 'doing nothing' when you should be doing something? Stop letting the 'do nothing' option keep you from living life to the full.

Lose the weight

Ask her out

Make the call

Forgive

Say I am sorry

Believe

Send the resume

Adopt the child

Get married

Read the book

Travel

Move

Go back to school

Pray

I do not know your list. I am trying to work on my own list. Why don't you make a list? Now!

It just seems my friend is very wise when he says that when 'doing nothing' is an option you and I will take it every time.

May we know the truth of Gods word through Paul. "For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13

May we all do something rather than nothing.

Successful?

2009-01-05T13:35:00.000-08:00

One of my new year resolutions was to not write a blog about new year resolutions. So, I am not going to write about resolutions. You would not keep them anyway.

But I will pass on this challenge. I was reading about being successful the other day. I can not remember the book. I think it was a book by Henry Cloud. By the way, if you read, you should read every book he has written. Anyway, four things kept repeating. Success was always connected to these four things.

A Job

True Friends

Discipline

Boundaries

Over the holidays I realized I am in need of more true friends. I tend to have the discipline, boundary, and job thing under control. But the friend thing not so much. I have my family and a really good friend across the country. You can read his blog here, http://www.momentsandmusic.com/.

But I really am missing the friend thing where I live. It seems that for me to spend time with a true friend, an airport has to be involved. Last week my family was visiting friends and family in Louisiana (airports again). I had to go see Valkyrie by myself. That was sooooooo much fun. So, in my quest to be successful I need to work on the true friend thing where I live.

What about you? Which one of the four is missing in your life? Is it a job, friends, discipline, or boundaries?

More important, what are you willing to do about it?

Today.

I would love to hear which one is missing for you.

I Have Gotten That Twice

2008-12-15T13:22:00.000-08:00

My daughter, Madison, is in the third grade. She is growing up so fast. It is fun and scary watching her go from little girl to full blown kid. On Fridays I get to wait on the corner and watch her walk down the sidewalk from her school. Most days she is bouncing as she walks because she knows it is movie night and there will be no homework. I love to watch her pony tail bounce up and down. Then her face lights up when she sees her Daddy waiting for her. I know these times are special and that one day she will not want Dad to be at the corner. I do not look forward to that day. This little bit of information has nothing to do with what I want to write about today. Just a little share about a typical Friday afternoon.

A few days ago, Madison asked me if we were rich. I answered with a big yes. I talked about how most people in the world do not have the things and love that we have. I talked about our clothes, food, school, vacations, toys, and cars. She responded with "if we are rich why is our house so small? My friends say our house is small. I have gotten that twice." We went on to have more conversation about what it means to be rich and poor.

I ask you. Are you rich?

What is your definition of rich? There are at least three third graders that judge rich by the size of your house. There is an interesting thing we do. When it comes to material things like houses, cars, clothes, toys, and body parts we tend to always compare up. When I am at the intersection and the BMW 328i pulls up beside me, I always think about how nice it would be to have one of those rides. Here is the interesting thing. When it comes to character, integrity, morals, and spiritual things we tend to always compare down. You know how it goes; you think or say, "I may be bad but at least I am not as messed up as her." Why do we do this? Shouldn't we do the opposite? Instead of me lusting after the BMW, I should be thanking God that I do not have to ride the bus or walk.

My challenge is for you and I to reverse the way we compare. Try comparing down when it comes to material things and up when it involves matters of character.

"Realize that the purpose of money is to strengthen friendships, to provide opportunities for being generous and kind. Eventually money will be useless to you. But if you use it generously to serve others, you will be welcomed joyfully into your eternal destination."

Luke 16:9 THE VOICE- New Testament

Did you catch the part about eventually money having no use. I did.

I ask again. Are you rich?

My prayer is that I can model for Madison the right way to compare. If I succeed, then maybe she will never have to ask again if she is rich.

Merry Christmas

Daddy I Got Snack

2008-12-01T13:25:00.000-08:00

One of the things I try to do as a father is to have special days with my girls. Madison and I go to the movies. That is our thing. Amelia and I go hiking. She is 5 years old and loves to be outside. In fact, her two most spoken statements are: I need snack and Can I go outside? So, most weekends we go hiking in the mountains near our home.

I want to tell you about one of our day hikes but first I need to give you some background information. Amelia has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Her birth mom drank heavily during her pregnancy. As a result much of Amelia's brain is underdeveloped. This means lots of things. One, she is off the chart active. Two, she is almost 6 physically but mentally she is about 3. But the biggest issue for her is cognitive. She does not have the ability to process thoughts. In lots of ways she is similar to a child with autism. For instance conversation is not part of her skill set. She can ask for something or repeat anything. But she is very limited when it comes to communication.

A couple of months ago we headed out to Red Rock Canyon for a Saturday morning hike and climb. We spent the morning exploring, climbing and hiking. This means I follow Amelia all over the place. We climbed to the top of a giant rock and settled in for a snack. I was enjoying the down time and Amelia was enjoying her snack. Then it happened. She initiated a conversation. For the first time with me she talked in a logical and thoughtful way. There was no question. There was no repeating of something already said. She communicated on her own to me.

"I got snack. I got mountains. I got Daddy."

I can not describe how I felt. It was an amazing tear-filled moment on top of that rock. My little girl with a communication problem communicated. Wow!

A few days later, I was reliving this sacred moment by writing in my journal. It was if God said, Marty you know how you felt when Amelia talked to you. Well I feel the same way every time you talk to me. You see I believe in prayer. At least I am suppose to believe in prayer. I know I should pray. Talk to God. But in reality I do not pray very much. I have a communication problem. Prayer has always been presented in terms of "being a prayer warrior" or "have you spent as much time praying as watching TV". At least that is what I have heard from preachers over the years. You know the sermons about getting up at 5:00 a.m. and praying for an hour. I will be honest. The only time I get up at 5:00 a.m. is to catch a flight or go to the bathroom. But I know I should pray. I mean God used a very special moment with Amelia to remind me of just how much He longs for me to talk to Him.

Not long ago I read something about prayer. The article talked about the art of the short prayer. Short prayers. Now that is something I can get my heart and mind around. The idea is simple. Just talk to God in short and to the point ways.

Here are some of mine:

Father, untwist my soul.

Jesus have mercy on me.

Disturb me.

Heal me.

Help me hear Your voice today.

Make me aware.

Thank you for a normal day.

Amelia melted my heart with 5 words.

How many words would it take for you to melt God's heart?

Untwist My Soul

2008-11-19T11:58:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my blog.

Why "untwist my soul"?

Back in the heat of the desert summer I was surfing my favorite blogs. I came across this song by Mike Gugliemucci called "Healer". It was being touted as the next worship song that would impact the church community. Mike had written the song after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. I watched a video of the song. In the video, Mike is singing the song in front of thousands of people with an oxygen tube in his nose. It was moving, inspirational, and caused me to be thankful for my faith and health. Then a story broke. You see Mike did not have cancer. It was a scam. He had lied to his wife, parents, friends, church and to thousands of Christians. This song that was being sung in churches across the world now had a terrible story attached to it. Worship pastors were asking, do we sing the song? Can the song still be used by God?

I found myself watching the video repeatedly. I could not stop watching it. I kept asking how could this happen. How? How does a man write a song with such powerful lyrics from a lie? Then I realized it was not a lie.

You hold my every moment
You calm my raging seas
You walk with me through fire
And heal all my disease

I trust in You

I believe You're my healer
I believe You are all I need
I believe You're my portion
I believe You're more than enough for me
Jesus, you're all I need

Nothing is impossible for You
You hold my world in Your hands

Cancer is not Mike's problem. His problem is a twisted soul. I can not relate to Mike the Worship Pastor with terminal cancer. But I can relate to Mike the pastor with a lying and deceitful heart. My soul is twisted. I think things that are shameful. I do things that go against what I say I believe. I will say family first but many nights college football is way more important. I will say Scripture is my life line but blogs take first place more than Scripture. The difference between Marty and Mike is simple. He displayed his twisted soul to the world. I keep mine secret. "Healer" has become a very annointed song for my own heart. It speaks into the dark places of my soul that so need God's healing.

On September 3, 2008 I sat down and read Proverbs 3. I have been reading Proverbs 3 on the third day of the month since I was a kid.

I really like the way The Message translates verse 32 " ... because God can't stand twisted souls." At that moment I knew God had given me a new daily prayer to pray.

Father God please untwist my soul.