Nearing, uh I mean, hitting overload

Study, study, study....I am in my last month of the Ivy Tech Course, CNC machine operator...and whereas I am glad...it also means this last month has me taking 5 more quizzes "in class", finishing up my "on-line" modules....about 5 more....and then scheduling and taking my NIMS CNC Mill, and NIMS CNC Lathe Tests to become certified....."Help Me Lord!"

Give me the Power

want some Power?" Psalm 119:9 "How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word." Good question. How can a young man keep clean, or an old man for that matter? God's Word! The Word of God is a power in your life, God's power in your life against sin. God has purposed that you hide His Word away in your heart. It is a power to keep you clean. "Give me the power Lord!"

It Feels like Forever

How much creature of habit I am? We've been without our home computer now for 1 whole week, and I miss it sooo bad....silly, isn't it? I've been coming to our library to do my "on-line" studying and even finally put a post on my facebook...I tell you, when you get used to doing something, and then have it taken away from you.....well it really is difficult, ya know?

Hopeless...but never without Hope

"hopeless, but there's still hope" Romans 5:5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love, & Romans 5:6 "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly." You mean...for the good, sweet, wonderful, generous, kind people, right? Nope! Fortunately
 "Christ died for the ungodly." I qualify! "Thank You Jesus!"

Happy Birthday My Love

"This day in History" dateline April 16th, 1960...God brings Brenda Jane Clark into the world! March 7th 1987, Brenda would meet David S. Anweiler, April 17th 1987 Brenda J. Clark becomes engaged to David...July 4th, 1987...."the two become One" Thank You Lord for Brenda J. Clark (Anweiler) "Happy Birthday My Love"

Great Benefits Package

"no pay, but great benefits" Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." I've heard it said..."When you work for sin, your wages are death. When we serve God we get no pay - but He freely gives us the best benefit package imaginable." Can I get a "come on now?" "Happy Friday!"

Accept No Substitutes

"accept no substitutes" Psalm 50:15 "and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me." God says..."Call upon Me in trouble. I will deliver you." Now when you can call on God, why should you accept a substitute? How beautiful it is that we can call upon God. "I will deliver you." And as a result of God's delivering us, we bring Him honor! "How cool is that?"..."Thank You Lord!"

"Keepin' me humble"

"be careful...you're worse than you think you are" Romans 12:3 "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought" It can be a dangerous thing for any man to think of himself more highly than he ought. Come on, let's be serious. You're nothing but a sinner saved by grace. And anything you have God gave to you to begin with, so why are you going around as though you are something? "Give God the Glory, Amen?"

Just an Ordinary, Everyday Joe

"ordinary Joe's" Acts 4:13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. The Sanhedrin must've thought “These guys are just like Jesus! We thought we solved the Jesus problem when we crucified Him, but now it is worse than ever!” The only Jesus they are going to see, is what shines thru us!
That's my prayer...nothin' fancy here, no special schooling, or training...but if people can get a glimpse of Jesus from my life...? Praise God! and may He Alone get all the glory!

Foolishness = Power?

"foolishness or power?" 1 Corinthians 1: 18 "I know very well how foolish the message of the cross sounds to those who are on the road to destruction. But we who are being saved recognize this message as the very power of God." We've gotten used to saying..."the message of the cross"...But in the first century, saying "the message of the cross", was about the same as saying "message of the electric chair" - except worse! But that was Paul...For Paul, the message of the cross was the gospel. It was impossible for the Apostle to preach the gospel without presenting the message of the cross. So, preaching a high moral standard is not preaching the gospel, preaching the universal fatherhood of God is not preaching the gospel, and preaching the universal brotherhood of man is not preaching the gospel. The gospel is the message of the cross. There is inherent power in the preaching of the true gospel, when it is received with faith. The hearing and trusting of the true gospel will bring the power of God into your life! So, we see why...to some it is foolishness, to others...it is Power! I pray, God would open the eyes of your heart, and make the "message of the cross", be Power.

The Lord's Day

"Its time to gather" Psalm 149:1 says "PRAISE the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, And His praise in the assembly of saints." Take a day, make it different than the rest...gather with others, sing unto the Lord!

Nowhere else to go

"self-reliance?"-"God helps them who help themselves!"-"Pull yourself up by your own boot straps!" But I read in 2 Cor 1:9 "But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God" I think God brings us to the end of our own resources, emotional, physical, perhaps financial, that we get right to the end. There's no place else to go. He might even love to hear us say, "I've had it, I can't do it any more...Help me Lord!"
For how many years I "tip-toed" around this subject with God...I'd give Him "lip-service", but in my heart...it was me...me whom I really trusted! It was in my job, in the amount of weekly $ I could bring home, which wasn't any huge amount mind you...but it seemed to pay the bills, and leave us a little (very little) extra. So God finally called me on it, my "heart-condition"...my lack of truly trusting/relying soley on Him...I cannot begin to tell you the number of times I've cried out to God...."I have nowhere else to go!"

Encouragent often comes, when & where you don't expect it

"Encouragement" Psalm 118:16 "The LORD's right hand is lifted high" vs 21 "I will give you thanks, for you answered me" Phil 2:1-2 "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion..." Thanks Lord for encouragement, You don't have too, but its sure nice when You do! Thanks "cuz", you inspire me!

Dead Dogs at the Dinner Table

"dead dogs at the dinner table?"Another of my favorite stories in the Bible...Mephibosheth & David
 2 Samuel 9:8 "What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?" Talk about 'Amazing Grace'...The knock on the door meant that Mephibosheth was no longer hidden from David. Would David do as other kings did and massacre every potential rival to his throne? No, instead David went against the 'norm', he demonstrated love and grace...just like Jesus! A similar promise is given to the followers of Jesus. Jesus told the disciples that they would eat and drink at His table in heaven (Luke 22:30) This story of Mephibosheth & David, I can totally relate to "M", I feel the exact same way..."how could Jesus possibly do what He did for such a dead dog like me?" "Amazing Grace...that's all I have to say about that!"
"Thank You Lord, Thank You Jesus!"

Speaking of feeling overwhelmed

more prayer needed Lord....I just blogged on the importance of prayer, and wouldn't you know it...these 'feelings' of being overwhelmed, come in like a flood! The CNC Machining class I'm taking is pushing into "overload"...3 quizzes next week! Class time, on-line modules, work, cars that won't run right, the "stuff-of-every-day-life", is wanting to mount up on me Lord....and so, I pray another day...."Lord, help me!"

Be Prepared

"always, be prepared" Ah, the old boyscout motto...Mark 13:33  says, "Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is." Calamity, it seems, is all around us...it can be overwhelming. "What can I do?" Ephesians 6:18 says, "with this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying" Want a good 'weapon'? Prayer!..prayer is one of the most, if not the most, powerful weapon we have. Are you praying always? After the Word of God, prayer is our best weapon! "Thank You Lord, for both!"

Little g, or Big G

"define God" Psalm 121:1-2 "I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth." Because there are so many god's (little g) whom people worship and serve today, I must classify Our God (Big G)... "The only true and the living God, the Creator of the heaven and the earth." Now you're defining Him. That's the God that we worship!

One of my favorite Psalms, thank you Lord!

Gap standers wanted

"There is one Man" Ezekiel 22:30 "I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall, but I found no one." Throughout history, God has asked us 'to stand in the gap' for His Name...but we fail Him! Thankfully one Man has, Jesus Christ, our intercessor has reconciled us to God through the blood of His cross. I often have these "grand illusions", these desires...to be this "mighty man of God", but fail miserably. The Lord is merciful. The Lord is plenteous in mercy, slow to wrath and slow to anger. But will He always be so? There will come a day when God must judge. Though He is reluctant, His hand is forced. Now as we see the conditions that brought upon the destruction of Israel, the things that were going on, we look around the land today we see the things that are happening here. History is repeating itself. The principles are still the same; God is still merciful, plenteous in mercy, and God is still looking for men to stand before God for the land. To build up the hedge, to stand in the gap lest He destroy. But God's judgment, though it lingers of a long time, will surely come. "What must I do to be saved?" "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved" Acts 16:30-31
"Thank You Jesus", You make me want to be a better man

Interruptions May Be From God

"doin' my own thing?" Proverbs 16:9 "We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps." Ever make plans...and your plans get disturbed? Maybe, just maybe God is trying to stop me...How many times our plans have been changed by the Lord, God throws the monkey wrench in and stops us...If I pray and ask God to help me to do His will, and I pray and say "God, keep me in Your way"...and interruptions come, perhaps that is God?

"Help me Lord to be "open" to interruptions, they could be from You."

Repeat, Often As Needed

"waiting = trust?" Isaiah 30:18 "But the LORD still waits for you to come to Him so he can show you His love and compassion. For the LORD is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for Him to help them." I often wonder why the Lord waits to do things in my life...Whenever the Lord waits or seems to delay, it always has a loving purpose behind it. We can trust that even when we don’t understand it. Say it with me now..."I can Trust in My Lord!"....Repeat as often as needed!"

Psalm 37:7 says..."Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act."

Another April's Fool

Well surprise, surprise.......another year, another April Fools day....and guess what? I once again fell "prey" to my son Reece's annual April Fools Jokes....."dummie-me....when will I ever learn?" Way to go Reece-r, ya got me again! Love ya son, dad

It's a heart condition

"it's a heart condition" John 21:17 "do you love me?" Jesus asked Peter three times "do you love me?" Jesus doesn't ask Peter..."are you sorry for what you did?" He didn't say, "now promise me, you won't do that again!" He asks Peter for his heart...its the same for you and I, give your heart, all the rest will follow...
So often I concentrate on my obedience, my conduct, even my vows...but truth is, being a follower of Jesus Christ, is really simple..."it's a heart condition"....if you really give your heart to something, or someone....all the rest follows......be a "Jesus Freak"

"Happy Friday Y'all"