Life offers many choices

What is it that keeps us from fulfilling our destinies? Are we being handicapped by some unforeseen enemy that launches a diabolical plot to render us speechless and helpless in even the simplest of settings? Yes, that's basically it. The enemy of our souls 'goes about as a raging lion' trying to bring us down to his level. He's a failure; always has been, and we should recognize that as early as we possibly can so that we can combat the villain and overcome.

Our wisdom is from the Lord. We derive our being from Him. We survive only because He grants us our next breath. Anyone that doesn't recognize that fact is in real danger. Not just in this world, but in the world to come. Denying doesn't undo what God has done, nor will it ever be possible to be the master of your own fate. God decides who lives and dies every day. unless you believe in the one true God, Jehovah, you have basically signed your life away to a fate and a future of eternal torment that wasn't ever meant for you. God designed Hell for the demons and their so called 'boss'. You weren't in that original plan. The ones that go there choose Hell by denying the existence of God and His saving grace.

Your life depends on your choices. Search deep into your heart and cast away everything else, for just a moment, except your question about the reality of God. He will answer that question if you truly listen and look for it. If you are really looking for the truth, you will find it by 'listening' for God's voice. Your answer may come in a song or in a sentence someone is saying that you overhear in a coffee shop or by reading an article in a magazine. God can speak to us in many ways. We just have to concentrate on Him and He will reveal Himself to you. That is a promise from the Bible. Actually, reading the Bible is a very good way to get the answers you are seeking about life and the reality of God. The Bible is a living organism. It comes alive as we read and leads us in the ways of righteousness and truth. It guides us and teaches how to overcome the enemies of this world in ways no other entity can. Not even the smartest person you know can out think or perform like God.

Blessed be the name of the Lord. His ways are not our ways. His ways are so much higher, deeper and knowledgeable than our ways. We are creations. He is the Creator. It is very wise on your part to find out if what I'm telling you is true or not; wouldn't you think?

I'm not trying to convince you, I'm trying to save you. The chances that you are going through something very important in your life right now, while reading this blog, that may well change to entire outcome of your life as you know it, is very likely. God often 'takes us places' so we can find solutions to our troubles when we least expect it. You may have been checking out blogs for no particular reason and here I am. Someone may have told you about this post and you took the time to look it up. A famous comedian uses the line, "Here's yer sign", as a punch line. Well, 'here's yer sign'.

I pray that you get the answers you seek. There's nothing worse than having an unanswered question plaguing your mind. It can keep you awake, it can distract you all day, it can depress you and discourage you to the point of giving up or giving in to some addiction. Don't let that happen! Seek the voice of God and you will find rest for your soul. I did and I am at peace now. I was tormented and defeated by what life had thrown at me , over and over again. I saw no way out and even considered taking my life to get past the torment. God intervened and here I am today, encouraging you to not give up, but to give God a chance to change your life for the better.

There are many choices in ones life, especially in today's world. The enemy of our souls lays out choice after choice that only takes us deeper and deeper into sin and failure. But God has a plan for your life. A plan that only has good things in store; if you trust Him and try His way. 

It takes time. Things don't get 'rosy' overnight. You will fight many battles but you will have the one true God on your side, showing you how to be a winner and not a loser. I encourage you today. I pray for your soul; that it finds rest in seeking the Lord. He is merciful and always forgives those with a sincere heart. 

Be a winner. Choose God. 

 The Summer progresses.

I woke up early in the morning; sometime after midnight. The calm and peace are ever present in the house now. I stayed up for a while and finally went back to bed some time later. The yard light illuminates the whole back yard and draws me to the window in the back door to peer out and look for 'critters'. Haven't seen any as yet, but I think the Fall will bring them out a bit more.  

We keep worship music playing throughout the day and that sets the tone for our work. Speaking of work, I just finished a funeral video for a man in Missouri. I felt as though it was a project that I needed to do for whatever reason, but it was confirmed to me as soon as I saw his Korean War veteran hat in one of the pictures. I like it when I get confirmations.

The hot summer is winding down now. We have had a couple of decent days where the heat index is down. I'm so ready for Fall. 

We still have the huge task of emptying boxes from the two trailers ahead of us. The heat has kept us away from them except in short spells I have yet to locate the record computer and some other studio pieces, but I think the Lord is delaying that for some reason. My spirit is not rushed to search for it, so I feel the reason will come when the box is found.

Di has installed a hummingbird feeder just outside her office window. She enjoys the occasional 'fly by' of a single bird. He or she, whatever that might be, floats in the window and looks in at her and then fly's off in search of more nectar elsewhere. Di gets great joy feeding the neighborhood animals unless they are destructive. I named the local squirrel, 'Bandit', because he is destructive. He chewed a hole in one of our coolers trying to get into the bird seed supply and then figured out how to open the top and just crawled right in and began munching away. We stood watching at the very moment he crawled into the box and sprang into action, driving him away. He swishes his tail violently when  we admonish him as if to say, "Who do you think you are? Don't you know this is my neighborhood!"

I like the neighborhood so far. It is quiet and not much traffic to disturb the peace even though we are at a four way stop. I will be interested to see how quiet it is on the 4th of July.

All in all, things are settling down here and rightfully so. We have been a little disheveled since the move, but I expect everything to settle nicely into place very soon.

 I really get a kick outta life when someone asks me a favor.

I looked at my phone this afternoon and saw that a friend had reached out for a favor. She had a request for a letter of reference as to whether or not she is a good person. I was flattered that she would ask me to write something of this nature and I immediately began to think of how I would portray her; in the kindest of terms, of course.

Often times we see people in our lives as a 'type'. Their character traits are visible to a certain extent and we form an opinion about the person based on our observations. Some people 'act' a certain way to get people to think of them as 'this kind of person' or 'that kind of person', when they really aren't that way at all. They just want to be seen as a certain kind of person to improve their standing.

This friend isn't like that at all. Her heart is as big as Texas and she always considers others over what she wants or needs. A real and giving soul with a deep love for others. I have learned a lot from the way she treats the people around her. It would be a much better world if everyone was as kind as my friend.

Right now, I see her going through a huge trial that is affecting her deeply. The eyes are a dead give away. Publicly, she acts as though she's fine, but the truth is, she is hurting and I don't know how to 'fix it' for her. I do know that only God can intervene in matters like these and I ask Him to do so when I pray. 

We never really know what others go through unless they share their problem, and even then we can't really 'feel' what the other person feels unless we've 'been there', right?

Look at the ones around you that seem to be succeeding in life. What are they like? How do they handle issues, really difficult issues that can tear apart a family or bring it together. Now look at your own life. Are you succeeding? I pray that it is so. But if you're not succeeding, do you know why? Have you taken inventory and discovered the one thing, or the many things that are holding you back? Believe me, that is not an easy task. Taking stock of your own life takes courage and persistence to be sure. Many among us look in the mirror and quickly look away. Their conscience 'can't take the heat'.

However, when someone is truly seeking the truth for their lives, the door to understanding can be flung wide with only a few simple steps. Mindset has to be 'righted' like a wavering boat on the water. You have to get control of your thinking and establish a baseline of what's real and what isn't.

There are a lot of 'systems' out there that don't really work. Most of them are only designed to take you further down the rabbit holes of confusion so the 'salesman' can sell you a bill of goods. When the plan fails, you look at yourself in the mirror, again, and still turn away in disappointment. What a vicious circle.

Consider this. Get your Bible out and sit down in a quiet place and rest a minute or two until everything is still. Now you are ready to begin a simple but wildly effective approach to finding out and knowing truth.

Since the Bible is a living organism, a spiritual being if you will, you can talk to it as though it is a close friend that only wants the best for you. Ask God to 'speak' to you through His Word and begin reading. Where, you say?

A good place to begin is the Gospel of John. However, if you read the Bible on a more regular basis, ask God where He would like you to begin and wait until He answers. It won't be long.

Answers come by 'hearing' someone tell you the answer. Sometimes it 'comes to mind' and other times an actual person tells you or a song tells you or you read the answer somewhere. Make no mistake, God will answer your requests. That is why He made us. To have a relationship with us and fellowship with us and help us and.....

This approach often takes more than one try. "If at first you don't succeed..." There is no issue where God does not have the answer. He is the Creator, the designer if you will, of how we are put together. Who knows a product better than the designer and manufacturer?

Don't rely on man for the answers to your deepest questions. Man is just like you. We are all fallible and most are selfish and self serving, so take that into consideration when you really 'need to know' something.

 Well, it finally happened! I got the main computer up and running a few moments ago and I am delighted! It's been 3 months since I signed off to tear down the old studio and begin the dreaded moving experience. Every time we move, we swear we'll never do it again. I think this may be the last one 'fer sure'. 

Dianna has been up and running for two weeks or more and she still has yet to catch up. I honestly hope it won't take that long for me. Of course, I have a lot less on my plate than she does and certainly wouldn't want any of the daily headaches she puts up with...

I marvel at her resiliency. I watch her day by day, going about her busy routine and can't, for the life of me, understand how that girl does what she does. (I think she's a robot sometimes...!) Never misses a beat.... never misses a day's work and never seems to stop coming up with solutions to all but impossible situations. I think Marvel modeled their "Wonder Woman" after my wife.(Except for the bracelets)

Our new house is surely an answer to a prayer; or more like a hundred prayers. We are less that 5 minutes away from the church and that in and of itself is a major blessing. I think our monthly fuel costs were somewhere over $200 per month when we were going back and forth from Piedmont. Praise God!

The only thing at this point that bothers me is having to go through all of these boxes! Do boxes multiply when you put them near each other? I could have sworn that there was only half this many when we left Piedmont. They must be ma de out of rabbit skins.

I have so many ideas buzzing around in my brain on what to record first. Should I do the short children stories or the devotionals Dianna has stored up in her pretty little head? It's a quandary. I'll need to find the recorder pretty soon before I bust! It's exciting none the less.

There is a new website on the horizon. My friend Samuel Davis has commissioned me to build a site fore his ministry. He travels quite a bit and speaks across America and other countries about what he is accomplishing for Christ in Uganda. The results are stunning. He has seen 800 salvations from his last conference alone and plans for further expansion in the coming months . The programs are cleverly designed to bring success to formerly destitute people in his area. They have been plagued by poverty for years on end and Samuel , with the leading hand of God is showing real promise and hope to a large contingent of his countrymen and women.

The sun rises and sets and there is no change in the weather. We are in the peak of summer. 100 degree days are the norm until sometime next week when we are supposed to get some relief. I pray that it is so. Each time I go out into the heat it's as though I'm walking into a blast furnace. I do not know how people can survive without air conditioning. I suppose they get used to not having it and their bodies tolerate the temperatures . 

Those of you that pray, please lift up my friend "J". She is suffering from depression anxiety. I can so relate to that. I had a terrible experience when I was much younger that produced a deep depression. Feeling as though there is no hope, no way out; the worst thoughts travel through our minds in that state. Only God can save. Only God can heal these wounds, prayer warriors, thank God for you. Your devotion to lifting others up to our great Master is truly a wonderful gift and calling. May God richly bless your work and bring about the revival of hope in the ones in trouble in their mind.

I was up early this morning. Not a norm for me by any means. I woke and had the urgency to pray. I didn't know what to pray for, but I knew I had the need. After a few moments, I realized that I was to go to the Word and read. It feels good when the 'leading' comes. I should be more aware of those moments.

I opened up in Romans, where I have been reading for over a week now. The words sunk deep into my heart and I realized that our great gift has certainly come at a great cost for our Jewish brothers and sisters. Since God blinded their eyes for a time, we have been able to be 'grafted in' and made a part of the family of God by our faith and belief. Paul rambles a bit here and there, but I truly believe it's for a purpose. He's trying to get through our 'thick heads' and into the spiritman side so we can 'operate' as we were designed by the Creator. I so love understanding. The Word gets clearer and clearer the more I stay with it. The hunger grows and the knowledge presents itself in a way that even an unlearned person like myself can grasp these deep truths and precepts laid out by the Father for His children. 

I am a poor reader. I sometimes have to go back over the same passages time and time again to fully grasp the real meaning. It's easy to 'skim over' and get the general meanings, but when you delve deeper the results are deeper, the meanings are made simple and understandable and the end result is a satisfaction that God has 'spoken' to you in a way that you can relate to as a child does that accepts the father's guidance and love. How easy it is to love Him. A few moments with Him is everything.

Our day was good. The Spirit of the Lord was evident today as we worshiped and listened to the message. Brother Robert gave an exceptional message on being saved and staying saved; with many scriptures included that certified and verified the point. Too many use the Baptist doctrine of 'once saved always saved' to their advantage and don't actually refer to the Word for what is really the truth about it. 

God is very specific about 'enduring to the end' when it comes to salvation, but man has distorted that belief and I'm sure there are those in jeopardy because of it.

 I pray that our minds are clear on this because it means life and death to us when we misinterpret the Word and 'bend it' to our own selfish wills. God is not mocked. His truth is truth and there is no exceptions to the rule.

How we treat the Word has everything to do with obedience and peace in our lives. We must be in line with the Word or we separate ourselves from God and bring about a whole new set of circumstances that are detrimental to our whole existence. 

I listened intently to the message, knowing Robert had done his homework on the subject. His 'take' on things has a very insightful touch. It's easy to see why God has blessed him with this gift. I'm sure he will reach many souls for Christ in his ministry. I will continue to pray for him to mature in the Word and in his relationship with the Master.

Dianna has cooked for the first time in the new house. I could feel her delight and I could feel her slight frustration in not having things 'in order' as she was preparing this first meal.

We are both excited to see what God will do with this ministry here in our new location. We have longed to get back to full time ministry but we believe that will take a bit longer to accomplish unless God does things faster than we expect; and that's always possible.

Our friends have been a huge asset to us in this move; sacrificing time and resources to help us 'move the world' once more. I can't believe how much 'stuff' we have. It's like it multiples overnight and grows more as each day progresses.

I can't wait to assemble the studio furniture. We have a new desk and two new shelves to put things on. the look is totally modern and slimmed down to a much sleeker look. I don't know where everything is right now but I will tackle both trailers with a vengeance and unpack as swiftly as I can in order to get back up and 'running' again. I can't believe it's been 3 months since I 'signed off' and began breaking down the equipment in order to transport it here to the new house. So much work to get it packed and loaded and so much to go before it's reassembled and working again.

The day is closing out now and the sun is retreating in the western sky. Di is resting on the couch after a day long effort to prepare and serve and clean up. Bless her heart. I see the zeal in her eyes as she watches the people go through the line, getting plates full of her delicious food. So many others are bringing in their favorite dishes as well, to share amongst the church members as our lives are enriched with love and fun and with learning things about each other. It's easy to see the blessings God is pouring out here. We have been through a great deal these past few years and to see how far we have come; it's amazing. A lot of churches have crumbled and no longer exist, but this one is thriving because two people heard the call and answered. God has truly blessed us.

 I am looking into the future. It looks bright and sunny and flowering with new blooms each day. 

Of course, I am being frivolous. Only crazy people can see into the future, right? Not necessarily. I can think of several that have successfully seen into what is coming and recorded it for posterity. 

The Book of Revelation comes to mind instantly. God gave John insight into the future and instructed him to record what he 'saw'. Our interpretations of his writings have certainly changed over the years; many of whom declared the end of the world coming at one point or another. 

For one thing, I don't think we 'listen' very well when God is speaking to us. I think I would be so afraid, that I dare say, I don't know if I could even stay conscious. I would most likely just faint on the spot!

The future is pretty much a constant topic in one way or another. People plan their schedules around the future when they watch the weather each day. 

"It's going to be rainy and storms will come in a 'this  time' and end at 'this time'." People 'bet' on what will happen in the future all the time. The stock market pretty much lives in the future. Supposition is common.

I have determined to not bank on the future. Too many variables. Too many circumstances changing without notice. I'm just gonna sit back and take things as they come. Now that doesn't mean that I'm being lazy. No, I just don't trust what man says anymore. There are too many of them out there that are only out for selfish gains and have ulterior motives. I think I'm better off trusting in 'a higher power' than man. God's a lot smarter.

We are sitting in a local coffee spot enjoying some 'down time'. I like these places. No one bothers us. We can visit or work online and pass the time away as we see fit. I like it. I know the days ahead are going to be filled to the brim with activity. As we begin the moving in process, our schedules will fill up with 'have tos' and 'honey dos', so these quiet times are at a premium for now. And, I get to spend them with Dianna; that's the best part.

Once we actually do make the move our lives will change significantly. We had been driving an hour one way to church when we were out in Piedmont. The distance has shortened to a 25 to 30 minute trip, but once we get into the new place, our distance drops to a few short blocks. That was definitely an answer to a prayer. the savings in fuel alone will be a big plus. I think it was near or over $200 per month to make the trips from Piedmont and back.

Our time is precious. The way we spend it is crucial to our spiritman. If we waste time on frivolous things, we lose time we could be spending with the Lord. We could be learning 'how' to do things His way and be quite a bit more successful.

I'm reminded of a story I tell about our son, Michael. He was about 11 or 12 and had an issue with his bicycle chain coming off.

"Dad, can you help me get the chain back on my bike?"

"Sure son, bring it up onto the porch and get the plyers out and I'll be right there." I arrived a minute or two later to find the bike turned upside down, wheels in the air and him feverishly twisting and turning the nut on the wheel, not getting anywhere.

I said, "Son, if you give me the plyers and step back, I'll have you back on the road in no time..."

He said, "I think I've almost got it Dad", and kept right on twisting without success. I just stood there and watched until he finally stopped and looked up and handed me the tool; stepping aside so I could fix it. I grabbed the wheel and pulled back, tightening the chain in the sprocket and gave the nut a few quick turns and flipped the bike back onto it's wheels and said, "There ya go, Son." 

He was ready to ride once again.

Isn't that how we do things with God? We twist and turn to no avail when we could have given Him control all along and been 'back on the road' in no time. If only we let Him do His thing from the beginning, everything will work out better and faster.

 Almost 40 years ago God answered my prayer and saved my life from a trip to hell. 

Yes, I was headed down a road that would surely have ended up in my total destruction. I was doing Cocaine, smoking weed everyday and contemplating various and sundry ways to self destruct. It was a pitiful life filled with defeats and depression and super low self esteem. No one was there for me; I thought.

However, the Lord was there. His hand was on my life even then; through all the depravity and self hatred. I hated myself so much that I transferred it all onto everyone around me to lighten the load. I did whatever I could to hurt and harm those around me; even to the extent of plotting ways to do things that would bring about as much pain and suffering possible. The depths that people like me, at that time, will go through cover a wide range of mental illnesses. We have no boundaries or stop gaps to keep us in check. That makes 'the ill' even more dangerous. To make things worse, modern medicine only 'covers up' the symptoms. I know now, how and why people turn to crime when they are in such a state. The desperation is huge. It pressurizes everything around you and squeezes the world you live in to the extent that anything and everything around you is a negative, bearing down on you with tremendous weight. My heart goes out to the hurting. I don't think others that exist outside of that lifestyle have any idea how dangerous it is to be in this condition and be in public. No wonder so many people are freaking out and shooting others for no other apparent reason than they are 'there'. 

The Bible speaks to this in more than one place. God has more than adequately provided for our healing and wellness but how do others find it without someone showing them the way? A cloud doesn't just open up and rain down healing. There has to be a messenger. There has to be an avenue that people can walk that brings them to 'safety' and peace.

But God has provided that in more ways than one. "His mercy is new every morning".

I prayed a prayer one day as I drove along the interstate on my home to an empty apartment.

"God, I just want someone to love me for 'me'; not for what I can do for them or what they can do for me. I just want a real love".

I ended the prayer with a little 'kicker' for good measure. "...and I want a son..."

Now I don't know about you but there are times when God has done extraordinary things in my life; some of which I knew about at the time, and other things that happened unbeknownst to me and then later became evident. I call them "God things".

The miraculous events all worked their way into a healing weave that began the changes. Less than 10 days after 'the prayer', a beautiful young woman came into my life and began the transformation. And she had a 4 year old boy with her.

She was so invested in her faith that I began to have hope for the first time since I was a young boy.

As you may suspect, I was suspicious at first. Everyone around me had betrayed my love and confidence, including family . I was more than 'gun shy'. But her love was real and simple and healing. I began to open up and I could feel the healing taking root, growing inside.

We moved from Dallas to Oklahoma City and took jobs at a local mission and started helping others. It was refreshing and gave us a spontaneity of sorts. The people responded to our actions and we formed a heavy bond of trust with the homeless and hurting of the city. We knew hundreds by their first names and knew their families and ages and issues. It was incredible. God took a hateful, dangerous man and began to transform him, a little at a time, into a caring, helpful person that didn't have 'an agenda' or 'an angle'.

Here we are almost 40 years later and the flame still burns brightly. Our love has grown into a security for me. I no longer want to harm others. I see the pain and trials they go through and instead, I want to help them in some way.

The beautiful young woman has been at my side through it all. Her deep abiding faith reaches and has reached hundreds. There is no alternative for real. She 'is' real. I love her with a love that far surpasses all of my weak efforts to show her. It's like her love for the Lord that she taught me. I love my God and want to serve Him like never before. She was His messenger. I prayed a simple prayer and God sent me a life saving solution. Happy Anniversary My beautiful bride. Here's to 40 more.