Weather - Seasons - Action!?

How's the weather been for you all?

No idea why my mind has been wondering all around the place lately.

The Spring brings me peace. I think I understand what it is. Life will bring about change. Some will experience change more often than others. Being in The Salvation Army, change is bound to occur. Big change.

We've moved from Sandusky to Salem to Painesville to Canton. We've been so blessed! Especially blessed to stay in NEOSA. Going back to visit Salem and Painesville is nice to do. I really enjoy it. It just is not the same now, however. God has called me elsewhere, and I went. I enjoy going back to visit, but it will never be the same. Life, for me, has changed. And with it, so have I.

The spring, however, is the same. The first rain with semi-warm weather - the snow melting everywhere - the smell of winter's departure!! FINALLY!! It's all so familiar. The scent, the rain, everything.

God loves to give us new life! He loves to be our redeemer! As the trees go in season, so do we. Spring - God gives us new life, restoring the joy of His salvation. Summer - our faith and trust in the LORD flourish and shine brightly. FALL - we begin to come down off of our mountain top experience, and begin to face hard times. Winter - our endurance is totally tested, and trials and temptations weigh heavy on us. We may feel alone, we may feel like God has deserted us. But sure enough, the LORD is faithful to His promises - and the Spring is here in no time.

Praise God, you people who read my blog. :)
Praise Him! Dude, worship the LORD our God with your life.
He has plans for your future. That is, He has plans for you for when that time comes. Right now, however, this time has come. He has called you to something today. I can only encourage you to seek first the LORD. I have no idea what you are to be doing.

Sick of 'the church' being shallow?
Do you have questions as to why God isn't found in 'Christians' today?

Do something about it in your life. If you can live in the way God wants you to, He will surely use you to inspire the rest.

I used to love talking about revolution. Let me tell you - revolution is something that every church wants, it is something that every individual Christ Follower needs! Holiness is a huge aspect of revolution happening. Becoming selfless servants, wanting no recognition. This is where revolution is begun.

Instead of anticipating a change in the church, if you are one who would be excited about it, let me be the one to challenge you not to wait until your pastor or parent does something about it - do something about it, yourself!

Colossians 1:28-29: "We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy which so powerfully works in me."

James 1:5, 22:
"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should as God, who gives generously to all without finding fault(HE WILL NOT RESENT YOUR ASKING) , and it will be given to him."
"Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves, but do what it says."

Galaxies to Nanometers - Wrap Your Brain Around This!

The Earth’s circumference at the equator is 24,901.55 miles (the red line on the map)
From Portland Maine, Los Angeles California is 2,644 MILES away (the red line beyond the map)

About Nanometers: A week or two ago I shared some insights on Nanometers. I described them as microscopically microscopic. That is, when you zoom into something microscopic, a nanometer is still too small to be seen. The only way I can put it concisely, for those who may not stick around for this whole post, a Nanometer is microscopic – even at the microscopic level.

I want to share more research I did on Nanometers. First, I wonder if you have heard Louie Giglio’s speeches about the universe. I like comparisons. Louie Giglio got me hooked on comparisons when I first heard his speech about the size of other planets in comparison to the earth. To give a very general overview of what Giglio said:

There are planets so huge that if the Earth were the size of a golf-ball, in comparison, there is a planet with the width of two golden-gate bridges. Another planet is so big that, if the Earth were the size of a golf ball, this planet’s width is the length of something like two Eiffel Towers on top of each other! The last planet that Giglio spoke of utterly amazed me. If the Earth were represented as a golf ball, and that golf ball was placed beside this last planet, than it would be like a golf ball next to Mount Everest! So, climb to the top of Mount Everest, place a golf ball on a tee at the top, climb down and then look up at that golf ball – and that is the size of the Earth in comparison to this star/planet.It is difficult to wrap my mind around the vastness of these planets. This information, as intense and unbelievable as it is, isn’t the beginning of the measurement or understanding of the universe, or the God who created it.

Nanometers . . . I don’t have a clue where to begin! Okay, so I mentioned before that a Nanometer was so tiny that 750 million of them can fit across the width of a strand of human hair. I did some figuring, and found other interesting ways to think about the Nanometer. Instead of a golf ball, I thought a pea would be more fitting for this task.

I found that, if a Nanometer were the size of a pea, the width of a strand of human hair would be 26,600 miles long! To help you understand this, look at that photo. These lines put together equal about 27,545 miles long. Imagine, now, a giant strand of hair. These lines put together represent the approximate width of that piece of hair. Long-ways, the hair is laying North/South – and you are merely looking at how thick the piece of hair is. That is how wide one piece of hair would be in comparison to a nanometer, if a nanometer were only the size of a pea.

The smallest of things can crush us, be careful of what you are getting yourself into!
The greatest of things can humble us, be careful of where your mind is when pride becomes an
issue!

Our God is so BIG that He created the many stars within countless galaxies - the whole universe that is still expanding! Yet, He paid attention to each detail. Nanometers - even atoms! And to think that all of it was created through Christ Jesus for Christ Jesus. Knowing this, it is amazing to think that He still became one of us because of His unfathomable love for us, and held it all together even as a man. (Colossians 1:15-23)

I'm amazed at the wonder in creation. I'm sure there is much more to learn! And I'm sure when my time of learning it comes, I will share it with you. I hope you have better understood and seen the greatness of God by the examples used in this post and my humble attesting to it in my own life.

Under severely freezing weather conditions, small amount of water vapor freezes into ice crystals, forming thin stratospheric clouds - these are called Polar Stratospheric Clouds.

When I think about the LORD
How He saved me, how He raised me
How He filled me with the Holy Ghost
Healed me to the utter most

When I think about the LORD
How He picked me up and turned me around
How He set my feet on solid ground! It makes me want to shout!

Hallelujah, thank you Jesus!
You are worthy of all the glory
And all the honor and all the praise!

Hallelujah, thank you Jesus!
You are worthy of all the glory!
And all my honor! and all my praise!

Inspiring People/Having A Servant's Heart

Many people seek to be successful, but few people take the time to notice opportunities given to them at their current 'appointment,' or circumstances.

I’ve been thinking much about missionary work. Why, I wonder, am I so looking forward to Christ’s ministry overseas when I have perfect opportunity for doing ministry here in Canton? Honestly, I haven’t given more than an ounce of effort or discomfort into it.

Of those who notice current circumstances, many are too selfish to deny themselves and 'take up' the (selfless) lifestyle of a man or woman of God, when nobody will see their deeds. False humility and false hearted-action are two of my greatest pet peeves… also two of my greatest tormentors.

The Bible says to have a servant’s heart – not a servant’s occupation. I pray that one day I’d have the character of a spiritual giant; so to joyfully serve, even while performing the filthiest of tasks, without hope of recognition, but assurance in glory being given to my God.

Thank you Mom and Dad
Thanks Aunt Janice and Uncle Steve
You too, Matt Frye
(and many, many others of you who may be reading this that I haven't mentioned..)

...for inspiring me with your lives, by living with a true servant's heart

God Wants to Walk WITH You

The two main things I want to communicate to you tonight are these:
1. Your role in living for God is as essential as His role is. Although, His role is much greater!
2. There is no need to ‘hurry up’ to be righteous or holy. Do your best to obey God's Word, yes! However, the only ‘hurrying up’ needed is for you to get in good communication with God. A relationship is what He wants to have with you, not some business transaction.

Like a coach training a football team, God wants to train you. Like an athlete, you must have the willingness to be trained. (Otherwise the coaching would have been done in vain) If you are willing to be trained and you seek Him out to train you, then you are good as gold… right? Well, sure... except that the efforts given by the athlete are ultimately what determine his or her success in the area of training. In other words, you can ask God to train you all you want - but nothing will happen until YOU begin to hear Him and YOU decide to put effort into living in righteousness.

God accepts you the way you are, and for a reason. He doesn't merely want to change you; He wants YOU to change, too! What I mean is that our relationship with God is a mutual relationship (that means that something is needed to come from both ends in order to fulfill the reason for coming together in the first place). This is similar to the relationship between a coach and an athlete. The coach needs to teach and guide while the athlete must listen and act on what the coach advises. It takes effort from both people in order for the athlete to get better. (1 Corinthians 3:8)

James 1:22 gives incredible account for the athlete: "Do not merely listen to the WORD and so deceive yourselves, do what it says."

For the athlete, this reads: “Do not merely listen to the coach, and in doing so waste your time at football practice, do what the coach tells you to do!”

God could always flip a switch to make you righteous and holy when you ask Him to... but this would make your relationship with God more like a business transaction than a personal relationship. If He did flip a switch, what effort would we have given in order to become holy or righteous?

God wants to spend time with you. In your walk with God, He has a place He wants to bring you to. Holiness – Righteousness – SALVATION. More than simply arriving at that place, however, He wants to walk with you the whole way. I believe that God desires to walk with you just as much as He desires for you to arrive at your destination.

(Think of it like this: A man and a woman who are in love take a walk. What is their intent: to arrive at some destination, or to be with each other? Likewise, God isn’t in a hurry on our walk)

(Or like this: When I’m a father, I will hope for my son to grow up as an honorable dude and to one day be a godly husband and father. By no means will I want to skip his childhood! I want to take life as it comes, teaching him the importance of kindness, love, respect, black forest gummy bears, and the endless other lessons he will learn, as well as laughing with him and enjoying his company. In the same way, God wants to have a relationship with us – taking time to get to know us - not to be our taxi driver!)

So, the two main things I want to communicate to you tonight are these:
1. Your role in living for God is as essential as His role is. Although, His role is much greater!
2. There is no need to ‘hurry up’ to be righteous or holy. Do your best to obey God's Word, yes! However, the only ‘hurrying up’ needed is for you to get in good communication with God. A relationship is what He wants to have with you, not some business transaction.

The Assurance of Heaven

Here is a small reflection I wrote on my dad's phone while on my way home from East Liverpool on Sunday 1/25 (where the finale was at for mid-winter retreat).

At the end of the service, I was able to see a number of friends I haven't seen in months, some I haven't seen in years!

I was most excited to see this one elderly man in particular. This man is one I hadn't seen in years. He came across to me just as he had the last time I had seen him. Though, aged and seeming ill, the most humble and glad man I am yet to meet.

Already blessed, what was most interesting was what he said next. I had to go get some things done and said goodbye, to which he replied, smiling, "I'll see you again."

After years having not seen him and not knowing if I will see him again in this life, the assurance of heaven was evident through his words. This assurance echoes in my heart tonight.

The Challenge of Today

I get so wrapped up in thinking about who I am supposed to be tomorrow that I seem to disregard who I am supposed to be today. I pray often that I would be a man of God, pointing my future family straight to Christ. That I would be a godly father and husband.

It is good to be aware of who you once were and it is also good to be mindful of the person you are becoming; unless this mindfulness has caused you to be less concerned with today.

Perhaps the single question in the majority of children's heads is this: "what do I want to 'do' when I grow up?" Why, I wonder, don't they ask "what should I do today?" I asked that question.. my answer was to make people smile.

In Salem, I was about 10 or 12 years old when I began developing a method of smile-making (lol). There was an older woman named Libby. She was having a bad day, so I went up to her and said in a loud voice: "Oh, LIBBY! I looooove you! You know that? We should totally get married!" It worked then, so I had done this to four or five others in Painesville as well. Needless to say, it caught many people off guard and laughter did occur! For the remaining year or three in Salem, I continued to call Libby my wife. Her twenty year old daughter even called me dad!

As stupid, weird, or really weird this small action was, it really made people laugh. At the age of 10 or 12, making people laugh was what I felt God wanting me to do.

MORAL OF THE STORY :)
You are not alive today so that you can become something greater in order to do something magnificent tomorrow. Although, you may do enormous things in your lifetime, you are alive today to be successful in the opportunities given to you and the convictions stirring up within you TODAY.