Walking Down a Cobblestone Road

Imagine walking down a cobblestone road talking to a man in eastern type clothing. Just simply reminiscing about the execution you just saw and how awe struck the body laid there. The pain in his mother eyes you wish you could pluck out of your head. You knew him from a far off distant sermon he gave a few months ago in Galilee. He spoke of something great. An eternal life in the kingdom of heaven . You say to man walking,"I keep remembering the part he said he would concur death. What does that mean?" Immediately your eyes are wide open. Then the man you are talking to shows his scars in his hands,feet and his pierced side. Immediately you are anew. And you tear your sack cloth and kiss his feet cause he is your Lord.

Well I'm going to be talking to that man this weekend. On the Walk to Emmaus in North Georgia. I have no idea what to expect. Except something incredible-life changing knowledge. I hope you pray for me as I journey on into Graceland. Not the one in Memphis ding dong but the glory city in heaven. My friend and mentor Rev. Joe McKechnie from Arbor Pointe Church is sponsoring me. Please pray for his safe travels as well as my parents who will be puppy sitting.

Live for the Lord

Letting go, to me, the last few months has been really a jolting task on me. In some respects. Letting go of my wife was and still is the hardest test I have ever gone through. In the few months before I was in a Truckers Chapel service. I remember thinking man am I tired of money all I do is chase it. More bills just keep coming, never ending the more money I made the more bills. I remember saying in prayer please God just end this cycle for me. I want to be home I want a home job with my wife. I just want to be home. Well I got my chance but without a wife. She didn't want me home because it interfered with her lifestyle unbeknown to me. God took her out of my life physically but put mentally she is still there. It too shall pass. Mean while the Lord has blessed me tremendously. I make a meager amount, off work three days week, volunteer, go to college. Its a vacation let me tell you. I have been mentally preparing to live the mission life. But if you stop to think about it. I have been preparing everyday of my life. A couple of months ago God told me to turn off the air conditioner in the middle of the summer can you IMAGINE THAT. I am so blessed to enter another facility with air. I am freezing now. The other day I was over Mom and Dad's house. They are building a house and they are drenched with sweat they were complaining its hot. I'm and saying DUDE are you local,crazy, and must be out of your mind. Its beautiful weather. I wasn't hot or cold-it was just right. I started drinking pure fruit juice too! I all but eliminated carbonated drinks. No special reason and for some reason I don't crave drinks. God is preparing me for something special. Its missions. What is he doing in your life? Are you in his life? I encourage you to get back to the basics. Live simple.. Live happy...Live for the Lord.

Sad or Happy

I don't know weather to be sad or happy. As you all know I volunteer at the food bank for Franklin County in Georgia. We have some doozzies(my own word) of a rain storms which flooded Toccoa pretty good wiping out our water supply since Sunday. All government buildings have closed as well as Schools across the county are closed. But nobody advertised the food bank was open. The sad thing was only 7 families got served. We usually have 60 come through this week in the month. They will be without food for a week.If you know these families pitch in and help your neighbor out. The good news is I got to relax and chit chat with the volunteers. We usually don't have the time cause we are busy beavers. I myself support the volunteers by keeping the shelves stocked and rotated as they are getting food off the shelf. I also carry and assist people to their cars or put bags securely on the wheelchairs. Then I take inventory and place an order at the end of my day. Al and Edith Vulcano brought a neighbors kids in to help us. Its does a heart good to see children get involved. Its like a new generation of Samaritans growing before your eyes. Parker was the boy who helped me out cool kid in 7th grade and loves science. He was a really big help. His sister helped keep the records of families coming in. My apologies can't remember her name. Please pray for though families who didn't get served and the water to be turned back on. Hope all is well your way.

You Are Worthy

I want to stand in the middle of a crowd and yell I am worthy and YOU are worthy of Gods grace. He accepts who you are at every moment. I want to say to every man,woman child, orphan,sick, dying, and healthy person. You are worthy of his love and affection. Let down your walls,open the door and let him in. Will you do it this day, this minute, this hour? Time is wasting away. Your everlasting life is just around the corner. All you have to do is believe in Jesus Christ with your whole heart and confess it among men/women and you shall enter the Kingdom Of God.

Are you making deep footprints?

This is thought for you today. I really have been giving a lot of thought this question. Is it really important to leave deep foot prints in someone else lives. By footprints I mean tiny remembrances in the heads of others that turn out to big impacts on their lives. I think we are called to do this by God. So how are we called to do this?

Mark 9:35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."

Now I realize the disciples were arguing amongst themselves who is the best disciple. But I like to take a different level. Lowering yourself and putting yourself last will put a bigger impact on someone else lives. For example when your boss comes and works right beside you. Don’t you feel more respect that he/she is on his knees with you, instead of telling you how to do it? Another example I think, God realized that giving up his son and having faith in him to do his will on earth. Jesus allowed himself to become equal among men by being born and dying here on earth. He showed us how to live here without sin. By lowering himself, he became first, leaving deep footprints in all our lives.

I like to thank DR. Ken Freshour,pastor at First United Methodist Church in Toccoa Georgia, for giving me the tools to figure this out. It seems like every week God provides me the answers. Through somebody unexpected.Think of your big footprint person this week? What impact did he/she have on your lives? Let them know by telling them so.I truly pray that the Holy Spirit will use this blog to have an impact on somebody in some small way. Have a great day and God Bless.

Are you serving God like a dog?

Are you imitating your dog to serve God? Everytime you come home who greets you at the door, your dog. They are abundant in enthusiasm. I think God waits for your knocking on his door with the same enthusiasm. He is so excited to see you he loves you unconditionally. Matthew 7:7“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. “He is willing to give you everything to you. All you have to do is believe in him as Lord of your life. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

There is another aspect to a dog that’s like Jesus. He will never leave you. He is waiting to see where you go checking on you throughout the day. He patiently waits for his time to play with you. He is ready to serve you with abundant love and enthusiasm at a moment’s notice. Deuteronomy 31:8, The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

I ask, do you serve God like your dog does? I think he wants you to. The first command of Jesus "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with your entire mind.” The second command of Jesus is “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But I say love Jesus like your dog loves you, with abundant love, enthusiasm, and unconditionally.

Visions

A friend of mine (Micheal Airgood) wrote a blog entry on the topic,

Anyone can count the seeds in a melon. It takes vision to count the melons in a seed.” –Unknown*

Wow, what similar vision I had. A couple months ago God turn my life upside down. You see I had a vision from God a couple years ago. He wanted me to go in to missions. He specifically said, "Learn to teach others so they can teach others." My wife at the time did not want any part of it. Chaos took over my life because I didn't follow God's plan. Don't misunderstand me. I didn't stop listening or stop going to church but I instead started going more. You see I made excuses not to attend church while I was on the road. I didn't have time,out of my way, or whatever non-sense I could think of. I removed those things from my mind and started attending the Truckers Chapel whenever I saw one. Then eventually I would make an appoint to stop at only Truckers Chapel truck stops. Then I got brave and started attending them while I was under a load. I was never late for a delivery, close but not late.
You see this was not what God wanted for me. He saw the fact that I could not do what he wanted because of my loyalty to my wife, and because he is a jealous God, he removed her from me. I can tell you it has ripped a hole in me that is the hardest thing I have ever experienced in my life.
So now I am trying to catch up on the vision from God. I am not on the road anymore. I am going back to college. I am learning God's Word getting involved in volunteer work and finding out things about missions. I came across a website Adventures in Missions and I attended a "Be Conference" with them today. I really feel this where I need to be in my walk with the Lord. Please pray for me. To get accepted into this organization and solicit donations to pay for these transitions to come.