Good morning and happy Tuesday. We've been reading the minor prophets in Sunday school. Yes Sunday school. Those are still around in some places. The minor prophets are those books at the end of the Old Testament. What I'm learning from them is how well God spoke to the people of that time and then it transcends into our time. Many warnings are given to the people of Israel about their evil ways. And what I find in those people is what I see in us today, a longing to hang on to things of this world that we can see and touch. We hear the warning and change for a little bit but go right back to the way we were. I think some of that is because we don't really see the end that is "near". I can see those people sitting around saying "Oh they've been saying that for years". So they go back to what they were doing. How many of us know someone who died all of sudden. That "end is near" just showed up. By reading those warnings and applying them to our time, we should be able to go about life following Him much easier. But like many people, this is the first time I've read these books. What an eye opener. God is real and alive and working in our lives today and giving us the same warnings He did back then. We have to be better than they were and heed them. Why would we not want to live the life the Creator of all things has for us? I believe we can see what is happening to our country as we stop hearing the warnings of our Lord. It happened to Israel and it can happen to us. Speak out to your friends, family and neighbors. We have to get this ship righted. It's not too late. But don't get caught waiting around. In love always. <><

Good morning and happy Tuesday. How well do you think you would do in prison? Not a night or two in jail, some of us have made that, I'm talking about locked away and not sure if you'll see the outside world again. We've all heard of a "jailhouse conversion". Some will just wish for life to end because they can't make it. Some will adapt to the life of the inside, acclamation. How many of us would be able to reach the world outside or even those inside and care about their salvation before the needs and wants of themselves? How does that even look; Caring about others before ourselves while locked away for no telling how long? Paul, who used to put the Christians in jail, or worse, was now a Christian in jail. He wrote most of the New Testament we read today from behind bars. He loved Jesus so much that he wanted everyone to know Him the way he had come to. Whether he died or not was of no concern to him. Whether he was free or not did not matter. He loved The Lord and The Lord loves us. While Paul knew it was highly likely he would be put to death, he did all he could to reach out to those he could; others before himself. Oh well Bryan that's easy he had Jesus on his side. He had Jesus helping him back then. Really, read that again and see if you don't come to the same conclusion that I'm about to tell you. (Pause for effect here). So do you. He is always on our side. He is always there to help us. He gave us the Holy Spirit to stay with us the whole time. We have no excuse for not doing what Paul was writing about. We've all been called in some way like Paul for something to do for His Kingdom. Be open to be reached and ready to reach out. God is the same today as He was yesterday and will be tomorrow. So what He did through Paul He will do through us as well. His work will be done, with or without you. I pray that it is with you, and He's never without you. In love always. <><

Good morning and happy Monday. Well, I've been up since about 10 o'clock yesterday and it's now 8 o'clock the next day. I'm tired. But I saw a beautiful sunrise this morning. Then all of sudden I just felt refreshed. It's the bodies clock resetting itself to thinking it should be up. It got me to thinking about how everyday we are, or can be, "refreshed" by the grace of God. The darkness of our lives is gone and put away by the all powerful light of The Lord. No matter what our darkness is and how far it's taken us away from the light, we're still able to be saved and renewed by the grace of God. Just as powerful as the sun is on the horizon, is the power of the grace of God. Bright and illuminating to reveal all His glory so that we may see Him, and come to know Him. I love seeing all the signs and wonders God shows us each day. He is still just as alive today as He was way back when. We just need to take the time to see Him. In love always <><

Good morning and happy Thursday. Have you ever been on a diet because you're just a little overweight? Have you ever tried one of the new fad diet crazes? Supplements or anything like that? Do you know what the doctors say is the best diet you can be on to lose weight? They say to eat right and exercise, simple as that. We all know that, we just find it too hard to do it. There's too many ways to get other food a lot easier. All the junk food we want is just right at a window. We don't even have to get out of our cars. This is the same with our spiritual health as well. Everything else is just too easy to reach for and get. And we all know what we're supposed to do and it's the easiest thing to do, we just don't do it. Our daily time with God and studying His word is the best way to achieve the best spiritual health possible. The "weight" of this world that is lifted off of us is so much better than we could ever know. Why is it we can't just exercise and eat healthy? Why is it we can't just follow God and be everything he wants us to be? Those are the simplest of things we can do to be healthy in mind, body, and spirit. With the end-of-the-year coming, and resolutions still to be made for next year, let's start practicing now and do all these things we promise we're going to do and do them well. In love always. <><

Good morning and happy Friday. Well for about two days now, between dreams and conversations, God seems to be telling me about doors. See where this fits for you. A long hallway/corridor type place with lots of doors all around. You can't tell the difference in the doors. One looks like the other. Nothing special about any of them. Which one do you choose? So as I walked around and just randomly tried them, some were locked and others hard to open. The ones that opened, I could not tell what was inside. Then as I got tired of trying the doors with no success of moving forward, I began to talk to God. When I lifted up my tired hanging down in self pity head, I could see the doors now looked a little different. Some were dark and not very appealing, while others were ornately fashioned. But then right in front of me, and had been the whole time, was a very plain and simple door. It opened with ease and smoothness, but I could not see beyond the threshold. Knowing, by the feeling I was having, I stepped inside the unknown. There before me now laid the road to heaven. All the things I had ever imagined God could do was now in front of me. This road to travel is the one He had for me to follow.
We have to stop searching on our own, or believing we are alone. We have to come to God. We have to take the step first into Him before He will reveal His plans for us. There will be more doors and more leaps of faith, but now that you know what it took to get there, those decisions should be easier as you go. Satan will come hard after you but as long as you continue to look forward into the face of God, you will never be taken. Chose to follow Him. Take the first step into the unknown. This is how you know your heart is ready to follow. This is faith in God to take care of you just as He promises. Find the door today by asking God to reveal it to you and prepare yourself to go where He sends you. In love always. <><

Good morning and happy, I'm not gonna say it, Wednesday. Question; do you hate your family and friends? Strong words for someone to ask don't you think? What could I possibly mean by that? Why in the world would I ask that? If you know the answer, then you know why I asked. In Luke 14:25-35, Jesus tells us that is exactly what we are to do. Whoa. Hold on wait a minute, really? Yes He does. So let's look at it. First the word "hate". It doesn't mean the same then as it does now, at least not the way we use it. Part of our problems today. It really means "loved less". I hear the ooohs now. This is how the Bible gets twisted and used against us. Take a verse out if it's context or without knowing the meaning of ancient words and phrases. That is why it is so important to read and learn your Bible. So, with that, let's see what He is saying. Love your family and friends and self less than Me. Put Jesus first and above ALL things in your life, including yourself. The verse that is the parallel to this explains it. Matthew 10:34-39. But if we don't read we don't know. Jesus said at the end of Luke's words. "He that has ears to hear, let him hear." We have to study the words of our Lord. He is our only way to the Father and so why would we not try and learn from Him. Sorry for the harsh words at the start, but I hope it got your attention. It did mine when I read them today. I think it's great the way Jesus teaches us. Study on this passage of Luke. It's a very interesting read. Love God first above all things. Not how anti-Christians would use that verse is it? I love you, but not more God. In love always <><

Good morning/afternoon and happy Friday. I hate gettin old. I love the wisdom gained from failed trials and things gone through but the old things like aches, pains and poor vision, I can do without them. But this morning all I wanted to do was see. My eyes were tired and the little dogs were in my lap and I couldn't read or watch a movie. My eyes just wanted to close. And while they were open they couldn't focus enough to see very good at all. Most days the inevitable would have happened, take a nap. But I have things to do today and really need to get going. So I made myself go get in the shower. Man there is something to be said for the refreshing feel of water. Then God showed up, now that I can "see". I think we can find ourselves in the same thing with God. So tired and run down, that as we try to see Him we can't focus, not even able try really. We get that way because of satan. And he does not want you to get that rest. Not tonight or any other night. Loving God and following God are two different things. Loving Him is easier than following Him. It takes work and rest in Him to make it. Sometimes we have to make ourselves move to Him. Sometimes we have to be washed by the water. Move toward Him today. Get as close as you can. There you will find rest and focus. In love always. <><

Good morning and happy Tuesday. So, everything worked out. The trial you're going through is behind you and you've seen God do His thing. He's the one you prayed to and asked others to do the same on your behalf. Everyone has gone to relax mode because the crisis is over. The prayer hotline has cooled back down. All is good. God is good. So what changed? Why do we stop praying and giving thanks and celebrating our Lord? Why are we so quick to forget what just happened? How do we forget where we were, what we went through and, with knowing who saved the day, slip back into a place of complacency? Christians point out the EC ( Easter, Christmas ; emergency crisis )Christians all time, but are we any different when we are not acknowledging Him everyday with all we are. Love the Lord your God with all heart, with all your soul, with all your strength Deut 6:5. It's not just when it's good for us, it's all the time. All the time. I believe a lot of trials we go through are of our own making because we take a little time for ourselves and forget about God for a little while. He brings us around through a reminder of how we can not do anything apart from Him. Try as we may, we can not, as the world will have and is teaching us to believe, do this life on our own as our own. We have to lose our sense of self. That we can do it alone and without help. The fact we know God should be enough to take care of that, yet we fall down. Self reliance is futile. The world wants us to stand on that. When we do, the world, commonly known as satan, wins a battle of the souls. He's not getting mine and I hope He's not getting yours. I'm not going to fall for his trap again, yeah right. So this is a daily, hourly, by the minute, second choice for us. Stay as vigil as you did when going through the last time you fell. All the time, always. Don't let the devil win another time. In love always. <><

Good morning and happy Friday. No need for a camel on this day. I was asked a question yesterday that sat with me most of the day. "Why are you doing this? And what made you want to do it? ". The discussion was about my adventure God has for me in the "Paid In Full" ministry that we're getting started. It's going to help those in need; elderly, poor, and kids somehow someway this is going to happen. So as I'm out handling a minor problem with a window decal, and she asked me that. Not to be ugly or anything just wanted to know. It got me to thinking about it. Why don't we help? I think inside us all is that desire to help someone. We all want that at some level. Last night I was blessed and touched by hearing a man, who you need to look up, "Doc" Hendly. He decided to help kids get water. Simple. Get them some water. Read his story to see how big our God is. My daughter texts me last night after that speaking event and wants to know what she is to be doing with her life. She doesn't want to go through the motions of life and never accomplish anything for someone else. Makes a dad proud by the way. But that took me back to question of why I'm doing it. Why wouldn't I? Why won't you? I know many of you are doing great things for a lot of people. But if you find yourself wondering about this, pray. Ask God to guide you. Why would we not help anyone in need? This lady who asked wants to help too. She just doesn't know how to. I don't either, but God equips us as we take those first steps. He needs to see that we're willing to follow Him on this journey He has before us. When you surrender your will to His, you will taste new life in a way you can't believe. On my own I would have messed all of this up completely, but I'm not in charge of this and certainly not leading it. As God chose people to use in the Bible, it was always the least likely ones. I guess I'm a least likely. And from some in my past that know me, they would agree. When your kids are hungry you feed them. When God's children are hungry we are to feed them. I'm sorry this is so long but this is God's deal. Look inside at what you are passionate about and go help with it. You'll get your tools as you go. In love always. <><

Good morning and happy Thursday. WWJD. We've all seen that and used it and told someone it for some advice to a situation, but how do we know what Jesus would do? We know our family and friends well enough to say "I know what ______ would do if he/she were here". So do you know Jesus that well? Or are we just assuming we've read enough about Him to know? We're wired to be like Him from the get go, but somewhere along the way the world gets inside us and there it all goes, right out the window. So we think differently than He does. He tells us all through the Bible that His ways are not ours. I think the question of WWJD is a very good one. One we should ask before we do anything. But we have to be close enough to Him to know the answer. We also have to be submissive enough to do what's right and to except an answer we don't want to hear. Jesus asked God for another way to save us in the garden. He may not have liked the answer, and He really probably already knew it, but He surrendered His will to God's will. So before we go throwing WWJD around so carefree and easy, we better be ready for the answer. You see the reason Jesus wanted another way was because He would be out of the presence of God while He became our sin in the cross. He wanted to stay close to Him and never be away from Him. Is that where you are today? Because if it is WWJD is a little easier to figure out. Spend time with Him often and get to know Him more than anyone else and see then what happens to the answer of the question. I double dog dare ya. In love always. <><

Good morning and happy Monday. Yeah I said that. Every day is new day.
For this is a day The Lord has made.
The phone rings and they give the test results and it's not good. Really not sure how long you have to live. What do you do? How do you live out your days? I bet if it was Sunday and you might not make it through the day, Monday would be a great day if you got up for breakfast and work. I know that we really don't just hate a day, but it's just a small reminder of how short life is and how we should be in appreciation of every breath we take. So back to the question. How do you live out your last days? Think about today and ask your friends and then ask yourself and them this; why aren't you/we living that way now? We're not promised the very next breath we take, much less the next day. Our lives have become so busy and you know that's true because the excuse we have to why we didn't make it to or go to something is that we were busy with something else. This is truly one of satan's best weapons. He has a lot of em and we've discussed a few here before but this is the most widely used to reach even the busy church lady. She's working so hard for the church and doing all the good stuff but so busy with it she may be missing her family things by doing the good things. Both just as bad for us. Live like you're dying. Tim McGraw sings that song. Wonderful bible study done on it. Listen to it and let's change the way we live our daily lives. In love always. <><

Good morning and happy Friday. Enough said. Anyway, today is my oldest daughters birthday. It sure makes me feel old for her to be 22. Yet other friends of mine my age are grandparents already, not ready for that yet. But as I look back at the years of my daughters life I'm reminded of where I was in mine. It wasn't a bad place but it certainly wasn't in the light much. I can honestly say that when she was born, my life took a whole new direction. There are a few people along the way that helped to polish me up a bit but that has to be the main course changer in this river of life of mine. The view I had after that was now through a different set of eyes. Eyes of a father. The love and care I now had for this child would slowly mold me in a way I couldn't see. That love of a father for his kids is being lost today by the way side. It's not the same anymore. It saddens me, because this is the love our Heavenly Father has for us. We all need to know it and to feel it. The good part for those without an earthly father loving them, the God of Heaven loves us all the same all the time. He is truly a God of love. But make no mistake that if you go along trying Him, you will feel the sting of life. Just like every good dad, bad behavior has consequences. But it's the love part that I can see as I reflect on my life as a dad with two kids, now four, and one already in Heaven that I get how much He loves me. He really does love me. The screw up, the teen on the wayward side of things, the young adult lost in the worldly world of satan. I've never been too far away. In fact, the furthest I've been is one step away. Thank you God for my children and the tool they are to show your love for us. Thank you for always loving us, no matter what. In love always. <><

Good morning and happy Wednesday. Yeah you know what day it is. Anyway, this morning, after a long night at work, I woke up to tragedy. My heart sinking in my stomach and then also a feeling of pure amazement of caring. I had several texts and PM's about the train wreck this morning. First, my brother works in that direction and was actually at work but not involved. Thank you Lord. Prayers though for those who are injured as I know all of them. But on the flip side I was blown away by the number of people who had checked on me, either through me or my wife. It feels good to be cared about. It's humbling to to know that people care. This is what God wants us to do for each other. This is the feeling we should all have all the time, knowing that we are loved. But as said here before, God loves us just like that. Why do we forget or need an event to take place to remind us? I envy those who really get it every day, all the time. That never take it for granted. It's a place in my relationship with God that I am trying so desperately to get to. To feel that love, like what was felt through concern today, is amazing and uplifting. God gives us this all the time. I don't know if it's because we don't trust what we can't see or because we're afraid to surrender to what is right. Either way, there is nothing greater than the love of God. To know how we, as a whole, turn on Him so many times and hurt Him in so many ways and yet He still loves us like we can never love another. I hope and pray that we can get to that point of knowing and accepting His love for what it really is. To be able to bask in His love and wake every day with that feeling of knowing we're loved more than we know. In love always <><

Good morning and happy Tuesday. So to conclude with Jonah. He's prayed that God save him and guide him and basically going along with the plan. So he preaches to the Ninevites and warns them of their ways. Keep in mind Jonah wanted these people eradicated from the earth. He couldn't stand them and thought their behavior and ways should no longer be tolerated. After the sermon, the Ninevites repented and returned to God. So what does ole Jonah do? Celebrate? Jump for joy? No, he goes and pouts outside of town. How many times do we feel like someone deserves one thing and then something really good happens for them instead and we got all miffed over it? Why would a heart full of love feel that way? Hate and love can not abide within the same heart. As we grow closer and more mindful of the ways of God, we should also be pushing our ill feelings of people out as more God comes in. It's a process, but I'm so thankful God is patient with me. But more so I'm thankful He's patient with all of us so that we can all turn back to Him. Jonah should have been so excited for these people who were lost and now returned to God and His ways, but instead he's pouting. A man who had just been in the belly of a fish and knows that God caused and calmed the storm that got him there is still not grateful for what He's done with these people. Thankful and grateful. I'm thankful for a lot of things. I'm grateful for our God's ability to forgive and to show mercy and grace where it is not deserved, because if He didn't, none of us, certainly me, would not make it or even have a chance to make it. Be a willing servant of The Lord. Be a useful and grateful tool, ready and willing to be used by the God of the universe. Even to save the one you like the least. Celebrate the victories won in the name of The Lord every day. In love always. <><

Good morning and happy Monday. Everyone knows the story of Jonah in the whale. I heard a sermon on it yesterday that reminded me of a few things we do today that Jonah was doing then. God told him to do something. Jonah tried to run from God, as if. But think about that for a minute. Jonah tried to run from God. We know today that that is impossible. How close was Jonah with God to believe it possible to do so. How personable was God to Jonah? I think he knows he couldn't, but the fight or flight in him told him he could. They have a close relationship for that thought to be possible. We think we can hide things because we're not close to God and therefore He doesn't enter into the equation. So then Jonah is on a boat going the opposite direction he was told and huge storm threatens to sink it. Jonah knows God has found him and the storm will go away from the ship if they throw him off of it. Have you ever been caught by your parents at that party you shouldn't have been at? If you leave the cops won't be called and you alone can face the punishment for your actions. Jonah is busted and then in only God fashion swallowed up by a whale. Alone for three days and nights he has no hope but one, God. That's the same for us too. And when he's let out of the fish he's on the beach of the very place God was sending him to start with. Why do we force God's will on ourselves instead of surrendering to it? This story of Jonah has so many things to offer us about ourselves today. Tomorrow we'll finish up this wonderful story and see if we see ourselves in Jonah some more. For today, hear God's voice. Listen for it and follow His direction. He has only the best of things for you. It might be a little rough along the way but some how it is always worth the ride. It may also not be for you that you endure something. It may be for a complete stranger or friend. But it will be worth everything to see the life of someone else changed to see the glory of God. I want everyone there. All of us. No one left behind. Do your part today to do what God is calling you to do. Don't get swallowed up. In love always. <><