A Battered Warrior

DEFEATED? HOPELESS?

1 Peter 5:10-11  "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever, Amen."

 

   Everyone feels hopeless as some point in their life - we all have situations we do not think we can possibly endure.  This verse does not promise that there will never be hard times or that we will not suffer... it actually says we WILL suffer for a little while.  God uses our times of trial and struggles to bring us closer to Him, to teach us to rely on Him and believe His promises.

    We often fail because we allow our pride to get in the way, we try to do things by our self, through our own means. We were not designed to function alone, we are social creatures.  The world loves to isolate and destroy, sometimes it is a comfortable and familiar place for us - to be alone.  We think we can limit the pain we feel and isolate ourselves, living in our false sense of control. The truth is we are more miserable than ever... unfortunately the blinders we have on sometimes do not allow us to see it.  

    We must trust in something larger than ourselves.  God is waiting to take our hand, He places people in our lives to help us see things from another perspective.  God does allow us to go through trials, but he promises to always provide a way out too - we just have to see it and trust it.  When we give up hope we lose more than we can possibly imagine....

    We are all going through trials, what do you choose?

I know God CAN..... BUT this is ME!

Mark 5:25-34  "And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for 12 years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors nd spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

    At once Jesus realized that power had gone out of from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"

    "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?' "

    But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

 

   There are several keys to this story. The woman had been bleeding / suffering for twelve years! The doctors of the time could do nothing to ease her pain. While she submitted to the doctor's care, it cost her all her money and I imagine her hope as well. Put yourself in the woman's shoes for a moment, the doctors are telling her she is hopeless and are most likely resorting to some "questionable" practices. I am sure her friends are telling her that she needs to just accept her fate and give up... but she doesn't.  She is desperate.

    Then she knows that Jesus is coming, she knows of his miracles and most importantly believes he can heal her.  So she acts on her faith and is healed.  She could have easily saw the crowd and said "oh well, there are so many people, I can not possibly reach him." But she took a chance and held on to her faith and trusted in God's power.

    After this miracle, Jesus went and raised a girl from the dead.  That story is even a little more telling - the people were there already mourning the little girl, so everyone was telling the parents to give up hope - but through the faith of the parents the girl was healed.

    God can do all things - the Bible is full of examples... the common thread is faith.  It is not always our own faith that heals us, but the faith and prayer of others can help keep us strong and heal us too.  The one question I can not answer is this - Why as Christians do we allow the world to rob our faith?  Our faith can move mountains, raise the dead, the blind can see, and the lame walk - all through faith - it only makes sense that Satan would do everything in his power to rob us of our faith and in turn the blessings God has for us.... Why do we let him?

Random Thoughts

2/19

 

            I cannot seem to keep myself focused on the here and now – I constantly drift to the future or reliving the past.  Why can I not keep focused?  I sit and think, come up with things I know I need to do… but I fail to execute.  Before I realize it, another week has slipped by.  What is wrong with me? 

            How do I get rid of the pain and anger inside me?  How do we guard our heart, yet keep it soft at the same time?  I find myself constantly looking for an excuse to close the door on someone, life is simpler alone – yet desperately unfulfilling and lonely – but simpler.  What have I yet to learn?  I can see the cycles in my life and understand the ones that have led me to this place – I know what is good and how I need to go about working towards it, how do I get the monkeys off my back?  Heck at times it feels like an entire zoo!

            Depression is a familiar blanket.  It wraps you tight and engulfs your world, pretty soon you get used to the lack of light. In fact you begin to embrace the darkness and it comforts you – after all it is familiar.  There are no new expectations, only the familiar voices of failure and disappointment – couple them with inadequacy and worthlessness and you have your own support group. When life gets hard or turbulent – your blanket is there to sooth you.  Just retreat to depression and you will soon be back in familiar ground.  It is a trap I have found myself in several times in my life… the trick is how do we break it?

            I cannot answer my own question… I only know that it must be broken to thrive and grow spiritually and emotionally. It takes God to break it – I know that, but we need a support network too.  People that do not judge us or condemn us, but helps encourage us – sometimes give us tough love too… but most of all someone that we know loves us no matter what.  We know God does, but I also believe he places people in our life to help us through those tough times too. 

I am currently going through an inventory – a friend and influence inventory. It is really hard. Sometimes when you start to limit the influence people have in your life they become bitter – but I believe their response shows their heart… most often my choices have been right.  I pray and ask God’s wisdom; usually he will show you where you need to sever ties and where you need to strengthen them.

I never claim to have all the answers, I have just made enough mistakes that I have learned some things… usually not on the first go round – I have the zoo to prove it!

A Well Know Story Revisited...

Matthew 1:18-25  "This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

   But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet. "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" - which means, "god with us."

  When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.  But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus."

     Most people overlook several interesting pieces of this story. Joseph was ready to divorce Mary.  Put yourself in his place, the person you are set to marry suddenly becomes pregnant - but tells you she is a virgin.  How would you react? The mere fact Joseph does not want to expose her to public disgrace says that he was better than most of us would be in the same situation. The next part is that he has a dream, a dream from God that tells him to marry her anyway.  I believe God does speak to us through our dreams, though imagine having THAT dream.  I know that I would question the source of the dream A LOT, not saying I would dismiss it, but I would definitely go over it a few times. Finally the scripture mentions he had "no union with her until she gave birth".  He kept her pure until she gave birth to Jesus. 

    In a time where we seem to be lacking faith and taking our eyes off God, this story reminds us that Jesus came to the Earth through not only a miracle, but faith and obedience.  Joseph was just a man, but God called upon him to be obedient and exercise a great deal of faith... He has called us to do no more or no less.  God requires our faith in him and our obedience to his will.  Next time you read a chapter in the Bible, try putting yourself in someone else's shoes - you might gain a greater appreciation for the lessons being taught.

What to Do?

Proverbs 17:15  "Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent - the Lord detests them both."

 

    As I read my Bible this verse continually speaks to me.  I have a couple situations in my life that I have been tormented by, if I speak up people could be in serious trouble.  I have opening condemned their actions, but I have not spoken to anyone else about them.  They know I do not approve, but I at times feel my silence is sending the wrong message - that I am enabling them to continue... them knowing I am a Christian may be sending the wrong message.  If you find yourself in a similar situation, I encourage you to pray and follow your heart - you know how God feels...

Turned Away

 

TURNED AWAY

Given freely – with no strings,

My love for you is many things.

A simple note, a quick phone call,

Freely given, no strings at all.

Pressures mount as fear sets in,

Two as one – together we win.

Fairy tales, romantic dreams,

Magical moments or so it seems.

Phone is silent, no more calls,

Spirit sailing – soon it falls.

Love I have – seems so true,

Only love I have for you.

Pushed away, at night I cry,

With no answers, only why!

Now I sit - myself alone,

Still I love, just not shown.

                        -TG

 

 

Overwhelmed?

Matthew 26:39  "Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will""

    

    Jesus was speaking at Gethsemane before he was arrested.  He knew it was coming, and He was scared. Jesus was God in the flesh, but he was also man - he felt our temptations, pain, and fears. Though notice how he handled it...  He submitted his fears and desires to God's will.  Jesus understood his role and that he must be submissive to God's will, but he was also honest about his fear.

    If you read the passage completely, Jesus repeated this type of prayer three times. Instead of trying to figure out ways to avoid the things we fear, run from them, or let the fear paralyze us - we need to rely on God and His will - trusting His judgment and plan.  Satan wins when we allow the fear to control us, to isolate us - if he can take us out of the game, he wins.  Next time you find yourself gripped by fear, instead of relying on your finite intellect, why not submit to God's wisdom and infinite love for you?

Authentic Man?

   I am reading the book, How to Hit a Curve Ball, Grill the Perfect Steak, and Become a Real Man: Learning What Our Fathers Never Taught Us. I came across a profound quote in the book:

"But the litmus test of an authentic man is his willingness to make a fool of himself for what matters most to him.Being authentic means showing up and stepping onto the court of life, regardless of our perceived skills. It's being willing to shoot baskets with your kids even when you play like Pee Wee Herman."

    I often find myself in a position where that little voice in my head tells me how foolish I will look... that voice of self doubt.  I can easily ignore it when it comes to my daughters, their smiles and joy compensates for any foolishness I feel.  Though it is embarrassing to admit that I do not treat other situations the same, how many times have I stopped short because of what others might think?  Self reflection is a painful process, but one we must endure to become better people and closer with God.  It is time to be "weighed and measured".

I Can't Do It!!!

    This past weekend I heard my youngest daughter crying, not a painful cry but a cry of frustration.  I called for her to come to me, but she continued to grunt and pant.  A few minutes later she came down the hall, sweatshirt half on and her head stuck.  She started to tell me, yell about how she cannot get her shirt off.  She still refused to let me help and she continued to flail around. I could sense myself becoming annoyed at her hesitation to let me help her - the crying and yelling was not helping either.  Eventually she let me take off her shirt and in a matter of seconds she was freed from her situation. Watching her struggle was hard, I knew I could help her but she would not allow it. (I am not saying that she was in pain or anything, but she is wrestling with her independence).

     Periodically throughout the day I was drawn back to this scenario and began to think about it in a global scale.  We refer to God as our "Heavenly Father," so I tried to look at it from His perspective.  How many times in my life have I thrashed around, thrown a temper tantrum, and just refused to allow anyone to help me in my struggles.  If I could feel myself getting frustrated by watching this happen, how does God feel about us?  He loves us unconditionally, I am sure he is more disappointed than frustrated, but could you imagine what it must be like.  The creator of the universe is ready and willing to help us with our struggles but we refuse.  The God who placed the stars in the heaven, created all things, is willing to help you take off the shirt you have managed to turn into a prison. Though most often we refuse to let him.

    We bought kites this weekend, my daughters have never flown a kite and I thought it would be a good activity for the three of us.  Unfortunately the wind was not cooperating when we went to the park and I tried to explain to them that we might have to try another day or go somewhere else- in the hills or to the beach to see if there was more wind there.  They were disappointed. My oldest then began to tell me that she could fly her kite here and that she knew how.  She is five.  I conceded and told her that if she wanted to continue to try we could, but I really did not think there was enough wind.  She made a few attempts, soon her excitement turned to frustration and anger.  She began to blame me for not holding the kite right, her sister for being in the way, etc... Never once did she consider that it just might not be the right day to fly a kite - no matter how bad we wanted to we needed a little more wind.  We had to all sit down and talk about it and I promised that we would go on another day and try again, but I could see the frustration on her face.

    How many times do we try to do things on our own, without God's help.  He might be telling us to wait, that it is not the right time, but we decide to run in circles and "make it happen" on our own.  In the end we become tired, frustrated, and depressed, then we start blaming everyone else for our failure.  We never consider that we should have waited, we want to blame everyone else for the mess we are in.

    We can learn a lot from our children...

Where To Turn....

Psalm 118:8  " It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in a man."

 

   When we are scared and broken it is natural to turn to something physical to cling to, to find comfort in, or to distract us from our current situation.  Natural meaning of the world - not of God. God tells us to trust in Him, seek His comfort and His protection.  When the world and its issues start closing in, we must hold strong to our faith and increase it during times of trouble.  God will bring us through it.

Sick Of Baseball???

You have seen the stories:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/bba_rodriguez_steroids

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090209/ap_on_sp_ba_ne/bbo_bonds_steroids;_ylt=AhdGdPFbAZPil4C1AZ4h4z0_z7QF

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090209/ap_on_sp_ba_ne/bbo_mcnamee_stern;_ylt=ArWMeRkMn6IXKtBprj1sbPs_z7QF

Is everyone as sick of it as I am?  Today I was listening to a talk show on sports radio and kept hearing from current baseball players about the whole A-Rod interview.  It was almost comical how the players, when the host would ask them if they took steroids would immediately change their tune and say they would not answer that either way.  They all talk about "saving the game" and "rebuilding baseball's image" but none of them really want to be honest.  The other point I thought was ironic is that they are all concerned with "the list" - should it be destroyed etc.  They were all angry with the fact the list was not destroyed, almost to the point of blaming this whole issue on the guy who kept the list. Amazing!

The more I heard them talk the more I thought about society - we have lost our morals and values.  I know that is an over used phrase and people tend to ignore the concept, but look at A-Rod's "confession".  Is he REALLY sorry? Or just sorry his name came out? Does he REALLY come clean, or just say enough to appease the fickle public.  Look at Bonds - for an innocent man his lawyers are really trying to keep a lot of evidence out of court... wouldn't it be much simpler if people just told the truth?  If we could some how recover the value of our Yes being Yes and our No being No, things would be so much simpler.

I know, I just don't understand and things are not that simple... that is the problem, everyone can justify why they do not do what is right, it has become so much easier than actually having principles. I could honestly care less if Barry did it, if Roger "knowingly" used them, or if A-Rod really knew what he was taking... I think it is a sad day when Congress decides they should waste countless hours and tax payer's money to investigate it!  We have people losing everything and our Congress is more worried about baseball...

In my opinion, besides the decline in values this is a simple matter of greed - yes it is simple.  If they players perform they get paid - cheat and not get caught, numbers look bigger and pay days are bigger. But at what cost? But our society is based on greed and destroying itself because of it - heck look at the oil companies - posting record breaking profits in the midst of this "global recession"... hmmm gas prices are on the rise again despite the oil prices dropping.... car makers are going broke because people can not afford new cars.... yes it is a simplistic view, please spare me the economics lecture - but there is a correlation with greed and where we find ourselves today.  Just a thought....

Christians Got You Down????

Mark 10:46-52  "Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus, was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

   Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

   Jesus stopped and said, "Call him."

    So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He is calling you." Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

    "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him.

    The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see."

    "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road."

 

     I think many of us miss the subtleties of this story, besides a lesson on faith I believe it tells us a lot about our fellow Christians.  As Jesus was coming they tried to silence the blind man and even scolded him for not being quiet.  They used their worldly outlook to minimize him and deem him not worthy of Jesus's time.  Notice how quickly they changed when Jesus acknowledged him - "blind man... COME ON DOWN...."  How many times do we dismiss people based on our own perception of their worth? I have found that some of my deepest wounds are caused by other Christians - when you need encouraged they give judgment...

    The other point to note is the man's response - it was instant. He threw his cloak aside - mind you he was a beggar and probably only had the cloak, no other possessions.  He knew that this was a once in a lifetime chance and Jesus was calling him - so he jumped at it.  How many times have we ignored our call? 

    Just something to think about and work through - the encouragement comes from the end of the story.  The man cried out, acted out of obedience and his faith allowed him to be healed!

Sitting In the Courthouse...

Proverbs 16:9   "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."

 

    As I anxiously awaited the beginning of the hearing I was trying to calm myself by reading my Bible and attempting to find comfort.  I came across this verse and it hit home with me.  I have been here in this same court room several months earlier, I was prepared and ready for a fight.  Then I got blind-sided, I was not allowed to present my side. Angry and frustrated I left and have endured the past few months with the judges decision. Today would be different, I knew it.  God has been working on me and it all makes sense now, I have endured the hardships of the divorce and learned more lessons than I really cared to - It all made sense. "God was preparing me for this moment, finally the good guy can win!"  Little did I know that this verse was not so much as a comfort as it was a prophecy - within a matter of minutes I was walking out of court with nothing but a future date to pacify me.  I was annoyed - I wanted Justice and I wanted it now!  Then I looked down at my notes and read this verse again. 

Justice is not ours to determine, nor is it ours to collect.  Sometimes God is not saying No, he might be saying "not yet, I have a better way."

I Miss That Kid

It was in the article titled, "How Divorce Impacts The Military Man," that I discovered the website: www.imissthatkid.com. The DadsDivorce article is the first of what I hope will become a series of pieces looking at divorce in the military. It is true, however, that this is a subject spoken of most truly when it is spoken from the perspective of someone who really knows. So, we're looking for some perspective. One thing we have found is that there doesn't seem to be much coming to light about this subject. We like many out there, want to learn more.

There isn't really any explanation necessary for the existence of a site by the name of www.imissthatkid.com  We went there and we found that it was certainly one in a series of online tools aimed at increasing the face-time a parent gets with a kid. We could go into how universally applicable the technology that facilitates such a literal "interface" is.  But I was just struck with how the two sites mentioned in an earlier DadsDivorce article ( wizard101.com and etendi.com's BRIDGE) both provide a user-friendly way to interact with your child from long-distance.

Wizard101.com is a very imaginative role-play game where the goal is to fight ones way through challenges in order to finally "save a fractured world through reasoning and skill." Etendi BRIDGE offers a more straight-forward approach to interaction by allowing you to interact visually, creatively through assembling photo albums and interactive drawing capabilities. You can imagine how it would be a much more enhanced experience to be able to look into your child's eyes as you manipulate items on a "common" screen that you are truly sharing.

Imissthatkid.com offers a platform that seems to focus on simplicity of use. I found it interesting to look at these three options side by side, and recommend that you do too. Amazing how technology can enable us to tell our child "goodnight" every night.

Rick Ortiz is editor of www.dadsdivorce.com

Tough Times???

Matthew 6:24  "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."

 

    With all the headlines concerning the global economy, we have to remember who is really in charge. God tells us repeatedly not to worry and to place our faith in Him and He will provide us with the things we need.  He says need, not want!  I understand times are hard, believe me I am right in the middle of it too, however take the time to look at your heart.  Is your heart right?  That is the place everything begins, if your heart is not right and you are not in line with God's plan for your life, you need to fix that first - then He will fulfill all His promises.  He has blessings in store for us that we can not imagine, but first we must die to self and submit to Him and His will. Just something to think about...

Chris Simning

I had the privilege of hearing Chris Simning speak on Sunday, you can listen to the mp3 message here: http://therocksandiego.org/messages/ (just select the Beauty from Brokenness message). He has an amazing testimony and through his words you can hear his heart - God has done amazing things through him.  Every service was packed, but when he spoke you could have heard a pin drop.  If you want a blessing, I encourage you to listen to him - let your heart hear him.

Chris' website:  http://www.obscureministries.com/

Something to Think About...

"Mark it down: God loves you with an unearthly love. You can't win it by being winsome. You can't lose it by being a loser. But you can be blind enough to resist it."  - Max Lucado 3:16: The Numbers of Hope

An Angel

                       

    

An Angel     

                             

Day to day she hears my cries,

Compassion fills her helpless sighs.

Though the pain she did not bring,

To her quite like a broken wing.

The pain comes from choices made,

As pain increases, memories fade.

“What’d I do?” “It’s not my fault”,

Opinions differ, same result.

To my cries, she can not go,

The man upstairs  has said NO.

“Not quite yet, he’s soon to start,

I’m just waiting for a change of heart.”

Through the pain my angels wait,

Learn my lesson, or repeat my fate?

Anxious crowds await to see,

“We will he learn to be free?”

At that moment, there’s a spark,

Not a fire – but it’s a start.

Now another - compassion flows,

From Black to Red – Love it Grows.

The Father’s smile lights the room,

Chase away the pain and gloom.

“Go and get him. Help him heal.

His change of heart is for real.”

                                            -TG

 

 

He Will Not Forsake You....

ISAIAH 42:14-17  "For along time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back. But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant. I will lay waste the mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation; I will turn the rivers into islands and dry up the pools. I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. But those who trust in idols, who say to images, 'You are our gods,' will be turned back in utter shame."

 

    People had turned their backs on God and were hurting - notice, they turned away from God. I kind of looked at this as "be careful what you ask for."  God remained silent and the people suffered for their choices. The verses speak of God's great power - but focus on the promise that is here - God promises to guide them, to make the rough places smooth, and to not forsake them.  He promises to deliver them, but it requires their faith and obedience.  We are the blind - and he will often take us along paths that we are not familiar with, but He can see the end - we can not.  He requires faith and obedience.  The last verse is a warning - unfortunately it is a warning few heed even today.  Our world is full of gods, just watch the television for a few minutes and you will be swarmed with what we worship. 

    The take away - God will not forsake us, even when we turn away from Him.  Things happen in God's timing, not ours.  There are times we will suffer for our rejection of God's Will, but he is always there for us.  The only thing God can not do is force us to choose Him over everything, that is a choice we must make.

Do You Want It?

John 5:1-9  "Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie - the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?"

  "Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me."

  Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." At once the man was curred; he picked up his mat and walked."

 

    We had a guest speaker at church yesterday, Chris Simning.  He told this story, one many people have heard before, in a new and enlightening way.  Chris has a rare muscle and nerve disease, but his out look and message were clear.  I found myself on the way to church caught up in my own "afflictions" - money, ills, work, etc... but something inside me told me I needed to go to church today.  I was so blessed I did.  I would encourage you to look for Chris Simning's messages (he has various links on the web), you will be truly blessed you did.

  God is here to heal us and make us whole - he only requires our faith and obedience.... The man could have stayed on the mat, God told him to get up - he did and was blessed.  We all have mats in our lives, are you ready to give yours up?