Being something else

When you see someone out of the norm what do you think? Has there been a time when you felt like you had to act a certain way to be accepted in a group or at a place? There are times when we feel to be silent and there are times when we feel to be loud. We have been in different scenarios where we must adhere to cultural norms. When you think about King Solomon and the wisdom he projects we should remember Ecclesiastes. The book of Ecclesiastes is one of timing. A time to be born a time to die. Everything that man does this book says is meaningless. Having to be a certain way to be accepted is meaningless. Sometimes you will hear people say that they want to be different. I say don't be different, be you. God created you for who you are. The bible says in Romans, "do not conform to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." What does that mean? Have you ever seen a blacksmith that melts metals and purifies them for use? When you read the rest of that chapter in Romans about not conforming you find that there is a test. The renewing your mind is purifying yourself to the point of exercising the test that God meant for use to show His perfect and pleasing will. We are to be a culture within a culture so we may be impactful with our renewing of our minds so our influence can help bring the test to this world. The black smith will burn away all the chaff and bring out the purest form of the precious metal for display. Let the fire begin and consume us all.

an epiphany

The other day my wife had a revelation. We saw a sign that stated do not to feed the animals as it can be hazardous to their health but also change their behavior which can lead to being hazardous to their health. An interesting idea someone had to not feed animals as it can lead to being bad for them. So, what happens when we feed ourselves things that will led to being bad for us? Another decision on the long line of lifestyle decisions that can and will be a life changing event. We have introduced so much of what was not intended for our bodies into our diets that we now have kids with multiple allergies, illnesses, sicknesses and many other things that we should not be experiencing. What if we all ate and lived within the confines God gave us? Would we lead happier, healthier lives? Go on a journey into your DNA to discover what is good, what is not and what your options are to help you make better decisions about your LIFE, not just your diet. Your blood type can give you much insight into what may be better for you. Look at the diets from long ago, like Noah's time or shortly after. God created a culture and lifestyle that would be acceptable and pleasing to Him. Look at what thoughts you have had lately to cause you to go, hmmm! Do not feed the animals as it may change their behavior and be detrimental to their health.

Winning

Competition in life is good. Competition helps you develop as a person. Have you ever ran against someone faster than you to make yourself push harder? Have you taken time to understand your competition so you have a better chance of winning? Have you cheated just so you could possibly win? Have you cheated and still lost? What have you backed down from due to competition? Is there too much hesitation? Second place is just 1st place loser. When was the last time you had stiff competition which caused you to keep playing until you won? Have you repeated a game over and over until you perfected the process of winning the maximum? These are signs that you are human. Being human means we have faults, imperfections, pride and many other faults. Yes, winning is good for morale. The competition is what teaches us hard work, excellence, going further and longer than our opponent. What are you trying to win? Make it a great competition!

What is your excuse?

Because we are meant to live for so much more, what is your excuse? Think about your life. Are you playing to your strengths? Are you utilizing the talents that you were born with? Even Christ asked God "if this cup should pass from me?" we can't leave that statement hanging, "not my will but your will be done!" Christ was born for a purpose. The difference is that He knew His purpose. A hammer will not meet its potential until it is used as a hammer. Christ did not meet His full potential until He rose again. Look at he comparison. A hammer was designed as a hammer. The creator made it what it is. As it sits in the tool box it is still a hammer. As it is held and swung, it is a hammer. When it taps a nail, destroys another object, pulls out nails and many other uses it is still a hammer. It does not reach is full potential until it has driven a nail through something or into something. Christ grew in miracle after miracle. He knew who he was even when His mother asked Him to turn water into wine before His time. Before He died He hadn't reached His potential. In His death He didn't reach His full potential. Now do you understand that you were created with a purpose. Do you see how you have reached your full potential. Do you know where your full potential is? Why do we settle for mediocrity? What do we waste time enjoying just a taste of our purpose without the main course of our full potential? We may feel trapped in our career. We feel that we cannot reach it until we get our children out on their own. Our location may be limiting to us. Our income might be a factor. Who we know or don't know. Our education, the timing, the details or choices. Again, what is your excuse. A hammer will always be a hammer, even in a fire, under water, buried in the dirt or lost. Just because it is not where it should be doesn't change the fact that it is a hammer. The usefulness is still with the hammer even if its owner has lost it. It will always be a hammer. Go be who you were meant to be. Use your usefulness.

Meant to live

Dreams - Abraham, David, Joseph,  Ever wake up and want to go back to sleep just to finish the dream? Everybody has a dream! What is your dream? Look at where you are.  Do you dream about what or where you will be? What do you dream about?   Now imagine your dreams, these ideas are limited by you.  Even our dreams are limited by our own experiences.  Do you want to be better at something?                       Winning the lottery or a large sum of money is a jump start to realize a dream.  Statistics say that winners will be broke again in a few years. It doesn't last. Money is not the answer. Are there times that you feel you can't accomplish your dream?  What is holding you back from stepping out in faith?                           In the bible there are different tribes.  These tribes are broken down by family lines.  These lines show the benjaminites the smallest in number and are not recognized by the other tribes to be in a leadership role.  Yet King David and Jesus came from this blood line.  King David was the smallest and the least of all his family, yet God chose him.  Gideon was the smallest of the family from the smallest family of his tribe, yet he was chosen as a leader to bring judgement on the enemies of God's people.  Prophesy - foretelling, divination the act of telling the future. Jeremiah was a prophet.  Joel was a prophet. What is the difference between a prophet and a disciple? Disciples are students of someone's doctrines.  A prophet is someone who tells the future. Have you discovered your talent that god has placed in you? Have you seen the avengers?  Their jobs are all uniquely different but join together for one goal and purpose. When they work together the job got accomplished.  While we are all off doing our own thing there is no cohesion to bring to job together. Each one is a hero, but together they have different view points which assists the others in the attack. You need to dream, act and realize what God has placed in you.  We all are meant for so much more.  We do not reach our full potential because of fear.  If we only use 10% of our brain then imagine how much less we use of our talents to God's glory. We don't believe that God could do that through us.  How do these verse encourage us to push forward with our dreams? Jer 29:11 a plan to prosper. Exiles of Judah & Isreal Joel 2:28 dream dreams  in end days Acts 2:17 ".           ". Day of Pentecost 1 Tim 4:9-16 don't any one look down on you because you're young Matt 6:19-21 store treasures in heaven Phil 4:10-13 I can do all things through Christ What dreams have you been running from?

New adventure!

Ever feel scared? Have you been on the edge knowing you HAVE to jump but you just can't. Watching dream chasers run into ditch after ditch. No plan, no attack just action! Wondering if each chaser is you? Am I looking at myself taking step after step walking on thin ice? Looking through the ice it seems thin and has cracks throughout it. Then you realize that the ice is not what's cracking, it's your joints trying to bare the weight of reality. God has placed your dream in your heart which is the ice and it is not thin. There massive trucks on this ice to help you with transportation of you goods sold. The ice is your dream. It is strong. It is wide. It is deep. Scared to the point not to take a step is not from God. What was Adam's dream? What was Abram's dream? What was Joseph's dream? What was David's dream? All through the lineage and the stories in the bible people had dreams. What makes them different from you? Is your dream that much out of touch that it may feel impossible? Those that run into a ditch at least RAN into something. Those who tried and failed at least tried. When people fail their dream doesn't end. They are haunted by the failure to get up and try again. No dream is perfect, but it is a dream. You can control your dream. You can grow your dream. You can see your dream and touch it. God is the One who makes it happen. Find Jeremiah 29:11, Philippians 4:13. Take the leap. Enjoy the fall. Find the courage to stand up and do it all over again. Just like the first time you rode the scariest ride or sky diving or something that was the most terrifying experience you thought you could ever do. Remember it because after you did it, ou wanted to do it again because it really wasn't that bad. Where is our new adventure, live it.

Traits

Ever take a personality test? These tests help illustrate where your strengths and weaknesses are. It will demonstrate what talents you can be using or should be using. Learning more about about yourself can and will make you a stronger person. Do you lead people? Have ever started leading a group of people then found that no one is following you? I guess you just wanted to go on a long lonely walk. Leading means people will follow. Leadership is only as good as the quality of the leader. Everyone is a leader. Who are you leading and where are you leading them to? Your experiences and personality traits are influencing others around you. Your circle of friends will impact you, but you too will leave a little something with them. When playing games with friends would you accidentally keep extra cards that benefit you to win? Ever take credit for something that you didn't do? There are times when your personality is obvious of who you are? There are other times when all you are doing is trying to "Con" yourself. When you have an opportunity to exaggerate or inflate the truth will you overstate it? What kind of quality do have to illustrate your personality? Does your character stand up, for itself. Are you in a position that your character is above reproach or above being questioned? Remember that pride comes before a fall. Where is your character? What does your character exemplify as you carry it around? Does your character lead others to God? Does your character only lead you to a fall? Your personality trait can help develop others or destroy others. Where are your traits and what are you doing with them? What are your strengths, use them.

Is there a fight?

In grade school we would see many people running a certain direction and you would just know that there must be a fight going on. You look around the corner and see nothing but people trying to see what is happening. All it takes is one passionate person about their beliefs and convictions about being right. As you grow from grade school it goes from a passionate person to someone who may just be looking for trouble. Many times the person who started the fight when adults are concerned, are just ignorant about priorities and what is important. Is it possible that fights within us have slowly lost the passion that we were testing out. Our experiences is what has brought us to today. It has also made us who we are or are not. The past cannot be changed. Your future is open. Do you have any fight left? What is your passion, priority, goal, LIFE plan? Where is the chase? The push? The desire. Interesting how bumper stickers have some rare intuitive statements. "Life Happens." When there is no plan, there will be life happening. Where there is a plan, life doesn't happen. In every planned fight there will be a designed strategy of attack. When you are not looking for a fight, the lion is searching for whom he can devour. Again, where is your passion. Where is your fight. What will you fight for?

Responsibility

What would happen when you were blamed for something as a child? Would you make an excuse of how it wasn't your fault, or did you own up to it and accept the blame? There are times in life that we are challenged for our morales and ethics that no one will ever know so what do we do? It is not just about no one ever knowing. It is all about who we are when no one is looking. What happens when speed everywhere we go, but it is not fast enough to be pulled over for and it is above the posted limit. Obviously it is called speeding. Do you feel you were doing something illegal if you don't get caught? What if you do, do you make excuses, or worse lie about it that you didn't know, in hopes they are lenient and get away with it? Do you do things just to see if you get caught? Is that your excitement? Now I want you to realize that everything you are, have, and do is not yours. Let that sink in. I just said that your house, job, car, spouse, family, income, retirement, furniture, body, talents, everything.......is not yours. There is a famous talk show host that states the talent is on loan from God. This means we are merely stewards of it all. Are being a good steward when you are not being responsible for your actions? Are you being a good steward when your lifestyle leads someone astray from Gods word? Let's get personal, are you a good steward when you give just 10% of your income back to God, or when you don't treat your spouse with care and respect, or the BIG ONE, we don't maintain a healthy body? Where is the responsibility when we as a servant of God, not do what the Master would like us to do? Whos fault is it when our own bad habits cause undue harm to another? Who takes the responsibility for our obese body and unhealthy lifestyle? What about our witness from our lifestyle? Where is your blame game taking you?

Value

When shopping we tend to look for the best deal. We shop with coupons, compare products, look for the Biggest bang for the Buck. What can I get for my money? Especially today, we are very value conscience because we need our dollars to go further. What about your time? Do you track every minute? Do you check the mileage for driving? Do you try to do too much in the time you have? What about your talents? Do you only attempt things within your talent pool? Are you extending your time into another area where you do not have an expertise in? Why is it always said that it is very difficult to be a missionary in his hometown? Do we as a community not value the talents that others posess and discount it for what it is not. Why is it that when we do not give up something that we don't respect it as much as if we do sacrifice for it. For example, when you buy your first car with your own money you treat it better than someone who was given a car. Another example, when a true man/woman of God is from our own church we discount it but when a caisson army from across the world calls we listen. What about when we have a revival at our own church we get touched but if we drive out of state and across the country we get BLESSED! These are all expectations we have place on ourselves or decisions we have made about others. God has given you exactly what you need. The talent is there, you must tap into it. We need to discerne by listening to the Holy Spirit about what others may be speaking, but don't automatically discount it. Use your time more wisely. Apply your talents wherever you may go because it is your lifestyle. God wants to get His biggest bang out of you that he can. Remember the faith as big as a grain of mustard seed! Where is your value?