Unparalleled & Unprecedented

It's not because I didn't ask!

Well, it's been quite some time, but I'm coming back, and with no less than some deep thoughts that have been going on in my head today.

I've been struggling a little with why God chooses not to give certain things that we ask for.  Or in certain cases, why He gives things that He knows will be to our detriment.  The scriptures say to ask and it shall be given right?  Well, what if what we are asking for is not in linie with the Father's heart for our lives?  Israel really wanted a king, which seemed like a good thing right?  Well, God gave them Saul which turned out to be nothing short of a disaster on many levels.

Here's the thing...HE KNOWS!  God knows exactly what we need AND exactly what we can handle, way better than we do.  sometimes, I think He knows that we can handle more than we think we can or deserve more than we think we do.  I heard a pastor say once that when we ask God for things, sometimes He doesn't give them because our expectations are so small that it's like we are asking for a nickel, and if He gave us what we asked for, we would think that was all he had to give.  Wow.

My thing is that the things I want, aren't necessarily bad things.  A house, a dog, a nice car, a little extra money to take care of my extended family, time and money to travel and see things, and even some extra to help fund various ministries and things within my local Church.  My wants aren't even entirely selfish, but they are a little.  Is that why many of these requests have gone unanswered?  I am healthy, with an amazing wife, healthy children, a great job, a loving spiritual family and community, I live in an amazing area, and my cars are decent enough.  That's about a million times more than many people have so why do I even want more?  Well, that's the question.  Selfishness?  Maybe.  But again, in my heart, I would really want to do more for others with much of these things, so that's good right?

Well, once again, HE KNOWS.  God knows me better than I know myself.  The good, the bad and the worse.  He knows that no matter how pure my motives may be, I still give in to my selfish desires.  Maybe the way He makes me useful is by keeping me in that place of seeking.  It's in that place of seeking that I feel I can truly understand what God requires and expects and what he wants to do with me.  He gives me things here and there, and believe me, I feel blessed beyond measure in almost every way.  But, I don't have everything, and maybe I won't.  Maybe I won't own a house, and maybe my cars will always be used and on the verge of needing repair.  Maybe I"ll always be working 9-5 and selling stuff to people who have more money than I do.  But maybe that's OK.  If that's where God needs me, can I be OK with that?

Well, that's the question and these days, I answer it one day at a time.

Something to shoot for!

I love the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy.  My favorite is the Return of the King.  I love this movie.  Throughout the series and the book, Aragorn, a descendant of Kings and heir to the throne, goes from a self imposed exile, to stepping up and being who he was born to be.  This resonates with me.  I think we all have something buried deep inside that we know we are destined for.  I believe God writes this in our DNA before we are born.  We are heirs to something greater.  So what's the problem?


Fear.  Fear that we won't be able to handle the pressure.  Fear of the unknown.  Fear that we will fail and let everyone down.  


The reason I love Aragorn is that you get to watch him go through this battle, and you see all of his friends and comrades encourage him to step into his destiny.  We need this too.  We need people around us to help us, encourage us, and remind us of who we really are.  


There is one scene in the final movie where you finally get to see Aragorn step into his destiny.  He finds confidence and leaves fear behind.  He takes the Dimholt Road into the mountain of the dead to summon an army.  The King of the dead upon meeting Aragorn, says to him "the dead to not suffer the living" and then the pivotal moment happens.  Aragorn holds up the sword of Elendil and proclaims "you will suffer me."  This is the moment where Aragorn steps into his destiny.  This moment always gives me chills.  


I think we all need something to shoot for.  A destiny we can step into as we leave fear behind.  We need people around to help us, walk with us, encourage us, and remind us of who we really are.  This movie gives me hope and inspires me.  What inspires you?

Lifting the fog!

I like the fog. Fog gives me hope.  Hope is good.

I wake up early in the mornings.  My routine has pretty much been the same for the last 9 months or so.  I wake up between 5 and 5:30.  I usually make some coffee and open up the blinds in our living room, even though I know it will still be dark for another 45 minutes.  As I open the blinds, I will normally see nothing but thick dense fog in my backyard, and in most of the surrounding area.  I live in Los Osos, so fog-less mornings are rare.  I love the fog.  I know for some it's depressing, but for me it's renewing.  Why?  Because fog is never permanent.  The fog is always lifted, or burned off by the sun and you are usually left with beauty that can only be revealed by having the fog there first.  After I stare out the window for a few minutes, and my coffee is ready, I sit in my chair that faces our window which looks out over our neighborhood, through some trees, and onto a very small glimpse of the bay and ocean.  I generally read, pray some, think about my family, and what my day will bring, and watch the fog disappear as the light begins to take over the darkness.

Sometimes the fog doesn't burn off right away.  Some people refer to those days as depressing.  It refreshes me.  It gives me something to look forward to, knowing that the fog never lasts forever.  Fog is always temporary and always brings some good even though we may not see it.  Grass and flowers that need gentle care are watered by the misty fog.  Certain small ground animals are protected by the fog as they surface without the risk of being snatched up by a bird.  The fog isn't always immediately pleasant, but always beneficial and it always gives me hope.

Hope is good.  What gives you hope?


For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. Romans 8:24-25

Funny Stuff!

Well, if you know me, you know I like to laugh.  The videos below made me laugh hysterically.  You must watch in order since the first preceded the second.  Hope you enjoy as much as I do.




And now...