Struggles in Faith

The Lord has me on a journey. I believe that I have a calling on my life and I'm not sure what that means or where I'm going, but I know He's leading the way. And since He's in charge, I'm going to follow.

The problem comes when I start trying to figure out what He's up to and where He has me going. And unfortunately, this happens all too often, so I struggle: Is this real? Is it from God? Why haven't I heard from Him in a while? It gets kind of ridiculous.

The really frustrating part is that I've given things up to the Lord in the past and He's always come through. Why not this time? Why do I seem to spend so much time thinking about where He's taking me? I feel called to the Ministry but I don't know what that looks like, so what's going on Lord?

Due to all of these questions, I struggle with my faith: Do I really have faith that God will provide, that He will reveal the calling to me, that I have the patience for His timing, am I worthy, etc...? It goes on and on.

Haven't we all been there before?? You want so badly to be moving in God's will for your life but you're just not sure what that is.

I know why these struggles come and I know how to alleviate them, and I even struggle in that. The answer is Him. It's always Him and yet I still avoid the answer. Not completely - never completely - just enough that I have trouble resting in His grace and peace. My problem is that I let busy-ness get in the way of spending time with Him - in His Word and in praying. I've got to get the kids to school, I have a meeting for work, I want another hour of sleep (that's my biggest problem), etc.... I let "stuff" get in the way of the most important thing that I can do each day, which is spending time with my God.

I read a scripture last week that really brought this into focus for me: "6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4: 6-7 NLT)

I highlite the word "then" for a reason. You have do what verse 6 says in order to receive the promise in verse 7. Who would have ever thought the word "then" would have such a profound affect on my thinking. That's the key word in those two verses: if I pray about anything and everything - give it to God, then I will receive the promise of His peace and that peace will guard my heart and my mind. And my mind can be my biggest problem because the heart is usually in the right place.

The next 2 verses really add to this and drive it home, but I'll let you read those yourself.

Enjoy the ride!!!

I hope you're paying attention

I just can't stand it any longer. I certainly hope that you're paying attention to what is going on in the media regarding the presidential candidates. I've already made up my mind and I'm not going to try to convince you one way or the other, but I'm going with McCain/Palin. He wasn't my first choice during the primaries but,f or me, it's a no-brainer at this point.

Now that I've said that I want to add this for you: If you haven't made up your mind but you do intend to vote then I urge you to make sure that you get informed about the candidates. That said, I also want to urge you to seek your knowledge through more than one outlet. Don't just watch or listen to mainstream media (CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, National Public Radio) you need to seek out the opposing point of view (Fox News, conservative talk radio). If you only listen to one side then eventually everything they say will sound like the truth when in actuality, it's far from the truth. In my opinion, the mainstream media seems to live in some alternate universe with a very distorted sense of reality. I promise, if you pay attention, you'll begin to feel the same way.

Well, I just had to get that one off of my chest. This election is a very important one for our country. They all are. Please take it seriously. If you're not informed, DON'T VOTE. Voting is a privilege not a right.

Scott

A True Friend

I mentioned in my post on July 7 that we had been in Wichita Falls and said that I would tell you why we were there in a few days. Well, it's been more than a few days but here we go....

My buddy, Kevin, is a Lt. Colonel in the Air Force and we went to Wichita Falls to attend his Change of Command ceremony. He took over the command of one of the training squadrons at Sheppard Air Force Base. It's his first command and he was within driving distance, and our budget (gas was $3.95/gal. at the time), so we decided to go.

We had a great weekend. I've seen Kevin infrequently since college - once or twice a year, and the kids have been around his family even less. But, kids being kids, they started playing right away as if they were old friends.

To keep this from turning into a novel, I'll get right to the crux of this post. Kevin and I have been friends since high school and we were roommates in college. Kevin's wife has said on a few occassions that she is amazed at the connection between Kevin and myself. Even though we see each other infrequently and talk seldom we always seem to pick up as if we'd seen each other yesterday. I think that connection goes back to a time in high school when I wasn't a good friend.

Kevin and I had know each other for about a year when I started hanging around with another guy (let's call him Brent) that convinced me the Kevin and some of my other friends were bad influences on me and that I should hang around them. For whatever reason, I believed this Brent and blew Kevin off for about a year.

Well a year later, after Brent blew a gasket and revealed his true colors, I found myself in class with Kevin and my old friends. We had to talk to one another and everyone basically treated me the same as they always had and we found ourselves making plans to go camping. I was happy to have my friends around again so I accepted their invitation to the trip. While on the trip, one of the guys, not Kevin, asked me what was going on over the previous year. I told them that I had basically lost my mind, but that I was better. That was the end of the discussion - no one ever asked another question about it - Kevin never asked (I think he might have years later - but I'm not sure.)

I say all of that for this point. Kevin and my other friends showed me the love of Christ. You know, undeserved and unconditional love. Sure they asked what happened, but I had already been accepted back into the fold. They didn't ask and then allow me to hang around with them. They probably didn't realize what they didn't I surely didn't at the time, but I can see it now.

We've long since gone our separate ways and Kevin is the only one that I keep in touch with. I've run into some of the other guys on rare occasions, but Kevin and I really do have a special connection and I believe it goes all the way back to that time in high school. He was a true friend then and he is still the same today. I'm blessed to have him in my life.

Enjoy the ride...

Scott

Something or nothing

We all go through "stuff" in our lives. The good times and the bad times. In the good times everything is great, life's good, no worries, we're on top of the world and everything is coming up roses. In the bad times we're wondering, "What did I do to deserve this? Why me?"

It seems to me that the good times create memories and the "bad" times create character and wisdom. James 1:2-4 states that we should rejoice in times of trial because the testing of your faith develops perseverence and that perseverence will cause you to be mature and complete, lacking nothing. My prayer has always been, during my times of trial, that God make clear the lessons to be learned.

My point here is: Everything that we go through in life can be worth something or it can be worth nothing. You can learn and grow from your experiences or you can wallow in pity wondering; "Why me?" It's your decision. That's the great part - you get to choose.

So how do you deal with trials in your life? Are they worth something or nothing? If you learn and grow then I urge you to share wisdom with others. If you lean to the other side of the equation, I pray that you will stop spinning your wheels and move forward with your life. We all get thrown curveballs from time to time - mine was divorce. The world keeps spinning regardless of what's going on in our lives so we might as well hang on and...

...enjoy the ride!

Scott

Lift up your Pastor

I read a blog a couple of days ago by Mac Richard from June 29th & 30th. They are titled "Go to Church Somewhere Else." The premise of his blogs is that if your out of town some weekend you should visit a local church. Read them to get the whole story.

I only reference Mac's blog because this is something that my family practices. We do our very best to attend church every weekend regardless of where we are. A few weeks ago while we were in Wichita Falls we visited the First Baptist Church. It was the last weekend that their interim Pastor was preaching and it was a great message. I'm going to list the points of the message below but if you'd like to hear the message go here.

The title of the message is "How to Minister to Your Minister" and I think this is something that we don't think enough about. Many of us probably put our Pastor 2 steps below God and think that they have everything figured out and don't need us praying for them when nothing could be further from the truth. They are under the highest level of spiritual attack because they work so hard to fulfill God's commission.

Here are the points from the message:

1. Pray him up.
2. Pay him up.
3. Expand his minstry. (Acts 20:28)
4. Do not make him drive you to serve.
5. Take away the burden of him being a fund raiser.
6. Protect his reputation with your life. (Matthew 18:15)
7. Encourage him in the work.
8. Bless his family.
9. Do not place him on probation. (You'll need to listen to get this one.)

I hope that you will take the time to listen to the message. If not, take some time to mull over the points listed above. If you don't already pray for your pastor then I encourage you to start today. They are probably under greater attack than anyone you know and they need all of the prayer and encouragement they can get.

I look forward to any thoughts you might have on this topic. In a few days I'll post about what took us to Wichita Falls.

Enjoy the ride...

Scott

Something's missing

Is there something missing from your life? If not, you can probably remember a time when you felt that way. John Mayer wrote a song on this subject. Check out the words here.

He pretty much covers it all in that song. I know that I felt all of those things. I felt alone even when I wasn't, I'd buy myself stuff and that didn't fill the emptiness, drinking didn't help (usually made it worse) and the company of the opposite sex did nothing for me. Nothing in this world would fill the void that I felt inside.

I should clarify that the empty feeling started about 2 years before my ex-wife and I separated. I thought it was all about her and the deterioration of our marriage. I was wrong and I found that out just before the divorce was final. I realized that what was missing was a relationship with Christ. When I accepted Him into my life He filled that empty space that had been nagging me for several years.

Now, I don't know whether John Mayer is a Christian or not. What is obvious is that he knows or has, at least, known that feeling of something being missing. I'd tell him what I learned, He needs Jesus.

How about you? Do you feel like something is missing that you just can't put a finger on? Then call out to Jesus and ask Him to enter your life. He'll fill that emptiness and make you whole. Once you've done that then you can...

...enjoy the ride.

God bless,

Scott

How God works...

He works through His people.

I've changed a part of my prayers lately. I used to always ask God to reveal to me His will for my life. I've revised that prayer to: "God, please use me to fulfill Your will."

I had an opportunity this past week to visit with a former co-worker. She seemed a little down in the dumps. And frankly I was surprised to see her because the last time I spoke with her she was going to be starting a new job. Well, she didn't take that job so we had a "divine appointment." I say that because I don't believe in coincidence and I do believe that God needed me to talk with her that day.

Anyway, she talked about how much of a worrier she is. I pointed out the uselessness of worry and pointed her to Matthew 6:25-34. Thank God for the Gideon's because there was a New Testament handy for her to read. I had to leave very shortly after she read the passage, and as we were saying good-bye, she seemed to choke up as she told me "thank you" for showing her the scripture.

I left hoping she would finally come to church. I have to be honest and say that I didn't think it would happen. She's always had plenty of excuses. I was pleasantly surprised to see her when we got to church today. As the service went on and Pastor Bil talked about listening and being obedient when God puts something on your heart, I felt led to give her my Bible. I tried to talk myself out of it but fortunately I didn't. I gave it to her with many copies of sermons notes tucked in the pages.

The neat part is that she said that she had been thinking during the service that she needed to get a Bible. I'm so happy that I listened and was obedient today because that is exactly the situation that I think I usually talk myself out of. Anyway, God revealed Himself in that otherwise simple moment. She also told me that it was because of our conversation a few days ago that she even showed up today.

God does His work. All we need to do is listen and obey. How many things needed to line up for all of this to happen today? We don't commonly attend the 11:30 service, she has never been to BAF before, in a room of 1000 people I saw her and I had my Bible with me (I don't usually carry it to church).

We serve an awesome God. I'm so glad that I get to enjoy the ride.

Scott

You can't get away with it...

I picked up a Forbes Magazine while I was waiting to visit with a doctor a few days ago. It was a fairly recent issue and it had an article about Eliot Spitzer. If you don't know who that is you he recently resigned from his position as Governor of New York amid a sex scandal.

The reason this article caught my eye, and I don't recall the title, is because it described how Spitzer was caught and what he should have done differently to avoid being caught. I thought, "this is great," we have a well respected magazine that is telling you the best way to avoid getting caught cheating on your wife.

This is the world we live in folks. We have magazine, not discussing how a man might avoid this type of situation (counseling and accountability might have helped), but how to avoid getting caught. (I won't even touch what has been going on in the tabloid world.) Great information for men to have. Maybe it's their attempt at curbing the divorce rate; "Teach the men not to get caught we'll have fewer divorces."

By the way, don't bother trying to find the article. Spitzer would have been caught sooner or later. Someone would have said something, he would have forgotten to throw away a receipt, he would have been seen somewhere that he shouldn't have been... and even if none of that ever happened he still had to live with himself and he is still accountable to God. You can't get away with it!!!

How about this for an option; if you don't want to get caught cheating, don't cheat! I know it's a novel idea but I challenge you to try it.


Enjoy the ride,

Scott

Moving to blogger

Well, I decided to make the move to blogger. I was happy with the other site but this one is more cost effective considering I write pretty infrequently.

I'll be posting something soon. I saw and interesting article about Eliot Spitzer in Forbes Magazine. I let you know my thoughts, soon.

Scott