in Christ’s name

Ever made an appointment with God? Ever said, DOOD just meet me here. I need You.

Well, I need one. God’s good, all the time… and I need him. Desperately.

Seems lately it’s been weighing on my heart to make Christ known, just to speak of His goodness, for we know it not. To tell Christians around me, to KNOW He is good, because if we don’t, we misrepresent Him. To have faith from God.  Even the believers, why do we doubt?  And when we do doubt, why do we continue in anything else other than seeking the Lord’s face?  How do I continually cycle guilt and shame in the light of a powerful, merciful Saviour?

Confirmation of Christ

Lord- what a good day.

Jimmy Needham at watermark.  First Dallas concert.  Blessed me.  If you haven’t got his cd, “spoken” get it.  check out benediction, dearly loved, freedom, amongst others.

truly blessed me to see it come to fruition.  two years of prayer, seems the Lord’s just answered so many prayers in the past two weeks, from Ryan’s babies, to Bobby’s marriage to a beautiful God seeking woman in Stacie, to lunch with mom, to work to checks, to leasing the house on Coveridge.  God’s truly shown up.  there is light at the end of the tunnel.  there is hope and a future, even when it seems so dark, and doesn’t seem one will persist.
this time, i don’t know how I’ve come through, but i have become more obedient. lending an open ear and praying for wisdom and the solution.

blessing Bobby and Stacie Rodriguez

My eyes have seen all that the Lord has done to bring this union together, and I have witnessed the glory of the Lord. [With my own eyes i have seen the great trials and the miraculous signs and great wonders.] Deuteronomy 29.3
I am again amazed, and stand in awe at the awesomeness of our Saviour.
Deuteronomy 29.29 The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.

From you two meeting at Bobby’s “re-baptism”, i call it baptism. To the first drink of coffee together, i watched you walk the desert, i have seen this relationship grow and develop, and i have been and am blessed to see you come together as one, but more so to call you my friends.

We have fought the good fight, we have been to the battle. I am so proud to stand with you two on this day. SO PROUD.

berkley and emory- praise report

The LORD has His ways.  Though they are not necessarily my ways, or my thoughts His thoughts, Isaiah 55.8.

i went to a Shane and Shane concert on the eve of the birth of these two little beauties, and prayed.  i met with Ryan, my best buddy from high school, before as they had decided to pursue pregnancy in a tough situation, and prayed.  we praised God as Lacy became pregnant with two little miracles, and prayed.  We shook as we heard Lacy had gone into early delivery and the babes were brought out at 1.5 pounds a piece, and prayed.  25 weeks and an uphill battle to climb, why would The Lord offer any easier path?  men of faith like Ryan are born in these situations.  We prayed fervently as two little beautiful blessings were brought into this world under a covering of prayer that i’m sure many experience, but few with the success of these two little soldiers.  i post, late tonight to share a little victory with you.

Struggle to salvation, pain to praise.  The Lord works miracles everyday.  My dear friends Ryan and Lacy have been blessed to realize this over the last five grueling months, and i am thankful to The Lord, YHVH, for victory today for His kingdom.

man on fire review

ok, trying something new… kind of a stream of consciousness post… watching the movie sunday night, i was struck by the beautiful imagery, and meaning behind the scenes and characters, and actors… and just took notes…
hits home when you know something of the mexican lifestyle and can see the destruction of the mexican mafia interlaced in this movie… very profound… i cannot fathom the pain, hurt or loss, hundreds abducted each year. Many policemen held hostage to their jobs and lives by the mafia, government tarnished by compromise and catering to the needs of these villans. I couldn’t imagine.
We are blessed here in the States. so blessed, this is a movie spoiler, so watch the movie first, a total recommendation from me…

man of faith- George Mueller- 3

George Mueller on Real Faith. – I’ll put my thoughts in hyphens-
“Through faith we understand that the worlds were formed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”

-We live in a present reality. This present reality is not all-inclusive.  All things are not necessarily visible to our senses, God himself is felt and not necessarily seen in this day and age. Emotion drives action, per Tony Robbins, but God himself stands independent of this present reality, senses can’t fully feel him, words can’t fully describe the incomprehensible Almighty Lord. He is. I AM, He says. -

Faith is the exercise of belief in His promises. Rely on the Word of God. “The providence of faith begins where probabilities cease and sight and sense fail.”

Appearances today are not to be confused with faith. –if it appears so, it takes little faith to believe, however God is able to do more than we could EVER ask or imagine. –

glory’s in the grind.

just thinking.
years ago, when the days were longer, summers took forever, reruns of andy griffith, leave it to beaver, and gomer pyle (oh, and fraggle rock) donned the wood lined tv set, and after that when lion king and aladdin ran the vcr… we would get locked outta the house after lunch, and be told… “don’t come back till dinner.”

so we’d play. wall ball, fishin, bb’s lodged in everything around the neighborhood. wonderin why the lights didn’t work on the street corner… we’d play. soccer and baseball.

me.

ever thought it was all about you?  i have.  here’s a good reminder of how good it can be…  named ode to joy. credit to michael felker from kicking at the darkness for the link:

I have to share this… just cause i’ve never posted a video… and… well, you’ll see…

“God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him.”  John Piper

power to the people: collaboration vs institutions

Watching some TED talks, late night last night, this talk blessed me. Brought back some of those old school b-school thoughts, blended with some new age tactics.
I’m working on applying this to “religion” today. Obviously, something things directly apply, ie. the pro-anorexia at the bottom. However, I think there’s more ideas here then we realize, more truth then we’d sometimes like to hear today. As churches build into mega-churches, and pastors become the idols of the day. God’s word forgotten in the ruins, rules of man and standards become a daily goal, an achievable task.
Thoughts go back to Israel during the time of Jesus and the reformation. Who holds the power? Why? and who should hold the power?

I wonder, as much as we talk about it, is there a way to share? truly share? or is this just the picture of heaven we dream about? Is heaven a communist or socialist haven? No answer, i don’t necessarily like it. But indeed, who should hold the power in a democracy?

I’m glad God is good, all the time, and all the time, God is good. Somehow, an omniscient and sovereign God was all about the people, came and died for em, to be raised again, placed on high and given all authority in the world, that at the name of Jesus Christ, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord, in heaven, on earth and under the earth.

Clay Shirky on TED.
Institutions vs. Collaboration.(notes below)

tribute to a good man

grandpa earnest owen, 95 years old and one day…. not one day too many.

man lived a life of hard work.  an amazing work ethic, started a dirt moving company when he was 50.  never developed a huge company because he was such a perfectionist.  Owen and Son dirt company, started and he and Leeland, his son, have moved dirt for the better part of the last century.

in the middle of 22 children… his father was a traveling pastor for the southern baptist convention.  from the words i get, not exactly a stand up guy, seemed the life of a traveling pastor made him a favorite of the ladies in the cities he visited, but still… workin for the Lord, i suppose.  Grandpa Owen had a hard life.  Raised through the depression, he was a man of standards and high ideals.  very competitive spirit, but also very loving to his grandchildren.