Free cure for all that ales you!!!!!!

What's up? Have you had a good week? Are you ready for the weekend? Do you know of anything you can do to tip the odds in your favor that you will have a good day or maybe a better day? Well, it doesn't cost anything but, sometimes we feel like it is impossible to do. It is called smiling, defined as a facial expression indicating pleasure, favor, or amusement, characterized by an upturning of the corners of the mouth. Why is it that a smile can do so much? Why is it so hard to do sometimes? Let's dig into the good stuff and see what we find........

Bible Verse: Proverbs 15:13 "A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance."

I have a young lady in our youth group that doesn't smile very much. I always see her with this smileless face. I am always telling her to smile. Ok, some of you may be asking right now. What does it matter if we smile or not. Well, let's look at that question. What is a smile? We are drawn to people who smile. Smiling makes us attractive. There is an attraction factor. We want to know a smiling person and figure out what is so good. Frowns, scowls and grimaces all push people away, but a smile draws them in. Smiling changes our mood. Next time you are feeling down, try putting on a smile. There's a good chance you mood will change for the better. Smiling can trick the body into helping you change your mood. Smiling is contagious. When someone is smiling they lighten up the room, change the moods of others, and make things happier. A smiling person brings happiness with them. Smile lots and you will draw people to you.

This is for you people who freak out about getting or looking older. Smiling lifts the face and makes you look younger. The muscles we use to smile lift the face, making a person appear younger. Don't go for a face lift, just try smiling your way through the day, you'll look younger and feel better.

Here is the last one and I think half of my Facebook friends need to try this after I see their posts. Smiling helps you stay positive. Try this: Smile. Now try to think of something negative without losing the smile. It's hard. When we smile our body is sending the rest of us a message that "Life is Good!" Stay away from depression, stress and worry by smiling. I pray you have a great weekend and God bless!

Run Forrest, Run!!!!!!!!!!

Good morning friends! We had a great day yesterday. We are making additions to our youth worship team and had four new girls come and sing. There are also two more that might be joining! It was so awesome to see these teenagers step up and desire to serve the Lord. Just pretty cool. Well, today I would like to share about a conversation that I had yesterday with a young man and the same topic this morning with someone else. This is a topic that most run from and don't want anyone to know they have a problem with. I want to dig into the good stuff and see what it shows us about lustful desires...........

Bible Verse: 2 Timothy 2:22 "Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart."

 Many a person has lost everything due to falling to lustful desires. Families have been ripped apart, jobs lost, relationships destroyed. Over being succumbed by our lustful desires. In this scripture above Paul is talking to Timothy and telling him to run from those youthful desires. He didn't say just turn away. He said "FLEE!" When I was thinking about this, it brought me to remember a movie that I am sure you have seen. Forrest Gump. When Forrest was on the road walking and here came a bunch of boys on bicycles that were up to no good. Jenny told Forrest to "RUN FORREST, RUN" When he finally started to run the braces on his legs really slowed him down. Much like the sin in our lives or maybe the desire to sin. But, the faster he ran away from those evil boys. The harder he tried, all of the sudden those things that were hindering him from getting away fell to the wayside. His running became easy and powerful.

Next, it tells us to pursue or chase after some things. Righteousness, Faith, Love, and Peace. If we are seeking or pursuing these things in our lives it is really hard for the devil to get his foot in the door. Doing what is right and just. Having faith and living it. Showing love to our brothers and sisters, unconditionally. And being at peace with one another when at all possible.

 And last but not least. It tells us to gather with those who seek the Lord out of a pure heart. When we gather together we are a lot stronger. We have sounding boards. We have a brother or sister that will battle with us. That will keep us accountable. Yes, I said accountable. That is a problem for some. Some people do not want to be accountable to anyone. I have said before that we need to have people in our lives that we allow to have access to our hearts and minds. Accountability partners! Do you have one? If not, pray that God can show you who would be best as that role in your life. Make sure it is someone that will tell you when you are messing up or going down a dangerous road. We've all heard the saying "If you play with fire, you are bound to get burnt sooner or later."

I have to add that youthful desires are not necessarily always sexual lusts. They can be pride, ambition, and, above all, the lust of power. God's Word tells us to flee from them. So, as jenny would say "Run Forrest, Run." Have a great day and God bless.

Death to Hypocrisy!!!!!!

Good morning everyone. I have a question for you. What does your day consist of? Do you help others? Do you go out of your way to lift others up? Are you actively seeking to do good? There is something powerful about a life of doing good deeds for other people. This picture above is an awesome woman of God holding an armless orphaned baby. Her name is Mother Teresa. When Mother Teresa was alive, she had totally earned the respect of the entire planet because of her work in the streets of Calcutta, India. Let's dig into the good stuff and see what God's Word shows us.........

Bible Verse: Matthew 5:15-16 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

When you do good things for others, you too will earn a reputation at your workplace, neighborhood, or school as someone who loves God and loves others. This reputation can totally open the door for you to share Jesus in a powerful way. Check this out! I had a guy at work that is not a Christian call me out of the blue a while back and ask me if I would pray for him. He said that he knew I would give him good advice about the problems he was having and would pray for him. If my lamp would've been hidden, he never would have come to me. The best part was I was able to share the gospel with him!

 That’s just a couple of the reasons why a life of doing good is a critical piece of our God-given faith sharing gear. And as Christians we need to exercise this so that we learn to use this piece of gear effectively. It is just another tool.

Now we are coming to the hard to hear part. Hypocrisy! We can't just talk the talk. We have to walk the walk. Hypocrisy was one of the subjects most commonly associated with Christians and Christianity. This is why it is so important that we understand that how we live their lives before the world really does matter. Sharing their faith isn’t just about words, it’s also about actions. Plowing the spiritual soil with a life of good deeds opens doors for the gospel. It also allows us to shed light on Christ to a watching world, for we must always remember that 2 Corinthians 5:20 tells us We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.

Ok. So here's a list of some things we can try to get started down this road. I encourage one to try one or more of the following:

 •Buy lunch for someone

 •Invite someone to the coffee shop for a long conversation about how they’re doing
 •Write notes of encouragement to those who seem down - either pen and paper notes or Facebook posts will work
 •Take time to listen
 •Help others with their work
 •Sit with somebody during lunch you don’t know well and get to know him or her
 •Coordinate a school-wide or work-wide canned food drive for a local rescue mission (Knox Area Rescue Ministry)
 •Coordinate a toy drive for kids / Help with Operation R.E.A.C.H.
 •Help someone in your neighborhood with the yard work that is in need
 •Get a group of friends or co-workers to visit a retirement center on a Saturday just to talk to the elderly and to encourage them

I challenge you to be creative. The list of possibilities is almost endless. The point is to motivate and mobilize ourselves to live a life of good deeds - not to “earn” their way to heaven - but so that the term “Christian hypocrisy” can buried. We can do it! Let's see that a life of good deeds that opens doors for the good news of the gospel and allows the light of Christ to shine in their lives for all the world to see! I pray you have a great day and God bless!

Come as you are........

Hello everyone. I had a great day yesterday. We took a bunch of youth to a house in town and helped a disabled woman clean up her property. We mowed, weed-eated, trimmed, and got the waist high yard looking a lot better. It was awesome to see the youth share the love of Jesus by serving others. When I knocked on the woman door to talk to her about helping her with her yard. I told her that we were there to mow and clean up her yard and she said that she was on a fixed income and didn't have any money to pay us. I smiled and told her we didn't need any money and that we were just there to lend her a hand free of change. That kind of wraps up this thing grace too! Getting something you don't deserve or did earn. Let's dig into some of the good stuff and see what it shows us.

Bible Verse: Ephesians 1:6 "To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved."

Last night after I got home from the yard work I had to go sit down with a youth and their family. They were going through a lot and had made some really bad choices lately. Well, we worked through what we could last night and made a game plan for the future. Then the real subject come up......Salvation! After some tears and explanation. The youth admitted that they did not know Jesus as their Savior. They had been involved in church and knew all the right answers. But, when I asked them about having that assurance. They did not have it. I have to ask you, do you have a "know-so" salvation? What I mean is, do you know that you are saved and have the assurance that if you died today, you'd spend eternity in heaven?

So many people don't have that assurance, and in some cases it is not a spiritual problem. It is a psychological problem. They cannot accept the fact that God has accepted them or they have seen so many Christians act like knuckleheads. Sometimes they even think that they are so messed up that God can't forgive them. These are all lies born in the pit of hell. If you have never heard the song "Just as I am" here are the lyrics. Please read them and realize that God's arms are open and He wants you just as you are. He just wants you to come warts and all!

Just as I am, without one plea,

But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, and waiting not

To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, though tossed about

With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;

Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,

Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thy love unknown

Hath broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
 

Just as I am, of that free love

The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

You are accepted just as you are. It is all about grace. Have a great day and God bless.

How are we defined??????

Good morning everyone. I was talking to a friend that feels that everything she does has to be perfect and she expects her people that work with her to do the same. So, what happens with life happens and things fall apart? Do we fall apart? Do we get angry? Do we throw our hands up and give up? Hey, check this out. I am going to let you in on a little secret.....We're not perfect. We are flawed. I know it stinks to hear this news. At least it was for me. Cause I thought I was perfect for quite a few years when I was younger. Let's dig into some of the good stuff and see what God says about this thing called grace..........

Bible Verse: Romans 12:3 "For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith."

I want us to think about this question before we answer it. Do you try to be the best or do you simply try to do your best? A perfectionist has to be the best. They have to be #1. They have to be the mac daddy or mac momma.  They can't accept themselves. They can't be happy in second or third place. Not everyone is a Babe Ruth or a Neil Armstrong! 

Now, here is the super cool news! The grace of God lifts a man or woman without giving them the big head, and it humbles a person without taking away their self-worth. The person who strives for excellence through God says, "I am what I am by the grace of God." I know some of you are saying that sounds like a big ole' church phrase. Well, kind of but, this is the way we should be!

For the longest time in my life, I valued myself by what I did. My job as a police officer was my identity. I was Tony "the cop". Do you value yourself by what you do or by what you are? Here's is the thing you have a choice. You can either choose to see yourself as God sees you, or you can choose to see yourself as the world sees you. Whose opinion will you listen to today? Whose opinion really matters in the long run? I know you probably have someone in your life whose opinion really matters to you? Instead of defining who you are by their opinions, measure yourself by God's standard in His Word. I know this is a tall order but, you got this! One step at a time. have a great day and God bless!

If in doubt, let Jesus filter it out!!!!!!!

Good morning friends! Have you been making many decisions lately? So, how do you think your decision making skills are going? Have you been making the right ones? Are any of them questionable? Have you been running them through a filter before making them? Do you have a sounding board/person? I want to talk a little life this morning and dig into some of the good stuff.....

Bible Verse: Matthew 14:31-32 "You of little faith, why did you doubt? And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased."

One Sunday I was in the daddy room aka "The Man Room" in our house. That is where my closet is. I was getting dressed and Misty was in bedroom down the hall. I called out to Misty, "Misty, is this shirt clean enough for me to wear?" Without a pause she said, "No." I was puzzled and hollered back, "How do you know it' not clean enough to wear? You didn't even come back here to look at it." She fired back down the hallway, "If you had to ask, it wasn't clean enough!" 

When it comes to the question of whether you should do something or not, if it's doubtful, it's probably dirty. Don't do it! But, here's the thing, unfortunately most of us don't give God the benefit of the doubt. We just go ahead and do it. We don't allow Him to filter our decisions. He is not our sounding board. We want to be big boys and girls and wear our big boy/girl pants. Then when we get in a mess. We go running back hopefully, asking for forgiveness. I can see God looking at us, shaking His head but, holding open His arms and wondering why we didn’t ask Him if it was a good idea.

I have a lot of big decisions in the near future and I don't want to doubt. I want to have assurance. Are you in doubt about something today? If you have even the smallest doubt in your heart that it might be sin or lead to sin, be strong and choose to say "No." I know sometimes saying "No" is hard. And it might even make some people mad at you. If they are your true friends, they will understand and you might even make them examine their own choice. Have faith and remember this, He will be your peace. Have a great day and God bless!

Let's be the tip of the spear........

Good morning everyone. It has been a long week. When I am on day shift I have to get up at 3:45am. So, writing a devotion on those days is really hard. Well, I want to share a bit about a phone call I received. A friend of mine who happens to be the chief of police in the city I live in called me. He was telling me of a house in the city that some neighbors were complaining about. They were upset over the state of the lawn. The grass was waist high and they wanted something done. Well, the chief proceeded to tell me that the owner of the house was an elderly woman that didn't have much money. She was unable to mow it herself and unable to pay someone to do it. This humble man asked me if we could help. What do ya think the answer was????? Let's dig into some of the good stuff and see what it shows us........

Bible Verse: Matthew 25:40 ........Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.

There was a time in my life when all I thought about was what I wanted. What made me happy. What I needed. I....I.....I.....I! I really think this is what society as a whole teaches. Get yours first and then if there's any left over. I am sure glad Jesus didn't say that. I am sure glad he didn't say "I am here on earth for myself!" "If I have any leftover or any extra time." What is happening to us? What has happened to the compassion of the world. Are we teaching it to our kids? Was it taught to us? Hey, I didn't grow up involved in church. I never did anything for my community. Besides be a volunteer fireman. And that was for the glory and the adrenaline rush. How many other kids are that way? How many youth would rather sit at home and play Xbox or hang with their friends instead of helping someone in their neighborhood. Where is compassion?

 

It is time we start leading from the front. Setting examples, showing others how to serve. If our children and friends don't see us doing it. Why should they? We had a saying in the military. Let's be the tip of the spear! I would almost guarantee that if you look around your neighborhood or maybe when at the store. Maybe, the homeless guy or gal at the exit really does need a couple dollars for food. I know you are thinking right now. Oh, that's a scam. They probably have a BMW parked behind the gas station. So what! Let's change the way our hearts feel and minds think. My wife asked me one day after I said "Those people are just pulling a scam, I saw it on dateline." She said "What if that was an angel and God was testing you?" Man, did that hurt. We should do for others because He first did for us. It is our responsibility. It is our duty. Let's get to work. Have a great day and God bless.