Today we took Judah and Ava to the Kennesaw museum to see the General and all the civil war stuff. We also got to see a short movie on "The Great Locomotive Chase". As I watched the movie, I remembered all about the race to the border, along with the story of Andrew's Raiders and their I'll advised attempt to destroy the railroad lines from Atlanta to Chattanooga. It was a familiar story, but as I listened to it again I begin to see some new insights.
The story is primarily about two men: James Andrews, a union spy, and William Fuller, the conductor of the General. These men, though enemies because of the war, were very much alike. Both were dedicated to their cause. Andrews wound up being hung for his dedication. Fuller, on the other hand was praised and celebrated as a hero of the Confederacy. It was only Fuller's determination that kept Andrews and his men from succeeding in their mission.
Passion and determination, two qualities that we all need if we are to succeed in life. I know i have passion, but determination? Yes, I think I have it most of the time, but certainly not all of the time. In the Bible, When in the of a person with passion and determination, I think most of Paul. He was probably one of the most determined men I have ever read about, but so full of passion about everything in life.
Taking a line from Paul, we need to keep our eyes on the prize if we are to maintain passion and determination. The prize is always the kingdom, it is always Jesus. If we keep our focus on Him, then passion and determination will flow out of us easily. Yes, it was the passion and determination of William Fuller that stopped Andrews raiders from being successful. But James Andrews had just as much passion and determination himself. So much in fact, that his men were the first to ever receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.
As I reflect on these men's lives, along with that of the apostle Paul, I desire more passion and more determination in my life.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Back Among the Living
Wow, for the first time in almost a week I am beginning to feel “normal” again. Last night I was able to almost sleep through. I woke up about 4, but was able to go back to sleep. I believe that I will be able to sleep all night tonight. But enough of that; tonight I really want to focus on passion and hunger that comes with going after the Kingdom of God. It never ceases to amaze me when I realize how much people are really willing to sacrifice to be a part of His Kingdom and what is going on in the earth today.
I see this constantly. Especially, since I am interviewing prospective students for next year’s class at BASSM. I interviewed a man tonight who is moving his family of four up form FL, just to pursue God with us in school next year. Then, there is the family of eight that is moving to Atlanta from California just to attend school. These are just a few of the stories that I have the opportunity of hearing. It is an honor to be able to interview these people and even more of an honor to serve them next year in the school.
Passion and hunger; these are two of the necessary attributes of anyone seeking more of God’s presence. A lot of people are passionate. Passionate people are passionate about many things. But, when you couple the passion with hunger to do the will of God, well that is when you begin to get breakthrough. As I interview these people and others like them I find myself looking inward. How is my hunger? I know that I have passion. I am passionate about everything I do. But, passion alone is not enough to change your world. No, it takes hunger as well. In fact, hunger is probably more important than passion. Hunger can create passion, but I don’t think passion can create hunger.
No, hunger is more important, and it can change daily. I really need to be hungry all the time, but I’m not. Many days I find myself just existing, not hungry for all that God has given. I think that I have been more like that for the past few days. We came back on such a Spiritual high that it was very hard to maintain, especially with all the physical effects of jet lag. So, tonight I find myself as I write, asking Holy Sprit to help me search my heart and stir up hunger. I live in hunger and passion. When they are not evident and strong in my life, then I am less than I should be, and I can feel it. So, tonight I take the advice of my life’s verse. I choose to “fan into flame” all the giftings and anointings that are in my life. The good news is, it’s easy to do. I’ve done it before. Anything that you have done before, you can access easily. So, I choose to stir up all the gifts and callings, all the anointing and impartations that I know that I have. It’s a great time to be alive and in the Kingdom!
I see this constantly. Especially, since I am interviewing prospective students for next year’s class at BASSM. I interviewed a man tonight who is moving his family of four up form FL, just to pursue God with us in school next year. Then, there is the family of eight that is moving to Atlanta from California just to attend school. These are just a few of the stories that I have the opportunity of hearing. It is an honor to be able to interview these people and even more of an honor to serve them next year in the school.
Passion and hunger; these are two of the necessary attributes of anyone seeking more of God’s presence. A lot of people are passionate. Passionate people are passionate about many things. But, when you couple the passion with hunger to do the will of God, well that is when you begin to get breakthrough. As I interview these people and others like them I find myself looking inward. How is my hunger? I know that I have passion. I am passionate about everything I do. But, passion alone is not enough to change your world. No, it takes hunger as well. In fact, hunger is probably more important than passion. Hunger can create passion, but I don’t think passion can create hunger.
No, hunger is more important, and it can change daily. I really need to be hungry all the time, but I’m not. Many days I find myself just existing, not hungry for all that God has given. I think that I have been more like that for the past few days. We came back on such a Spiritual high that it was very hard to maintain, especially with all the physical effects of jet lag. So, tonight I find myself as I write, asking Holy Sprit to help me search my heart and stir up hunger. I live in hunger and passion. When they are not evident and strong in my life, then I am less than I should be, and I can feel it. So, tonight I take the advice of my life’s verse. I choose to “fan into flame” all the giftings and anointings that are in my life. The good news is, it’s easy to do. I’ve done it before. Anything that you have done before, you can access easily. So, I choose to stir up all the gifts and callings, all the anointing and impartations that I know that I have. It’s a great time to be alive and in the Kingdom!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Blank Pages
I’m sitting here tonight, staring at the blank screen on my Macbook, wondering what I am going to write about tonight. I’m still very tired and haven’t really come through the jet lag yet. Instead I find myself walking around in a daze and sitting here nodding off. So I think I am going to bed. I’ll try again tomorrow. Sleep Well
Monday, July 11, 2011
Jet Lag
I’ve always prided myself on being able to fly all over the world and not really suffer any lingering problems with “Jet Lag”. For the most part of my life and career with Delta, that has certainly been the case. But the flight to Australia and back seems to be taking its toll on me, especially this week. It seems like I have been overly tired. I find myself wanting to take a nap in the afternoon, and then wanting to get up at 3AM. I find myself tonight being extremely tired tonight and am looking forward to a great night’s sleep.
I did get back to work today. It seemed strange going into the simulator today. But once the period got started I was able to focus like normal. ZZZZZZ. It seems like it’s taking a lot longer to recover than normal. I guess it’s just the 17 hour time differential. Well, I know it will be better in another couple of days. I’m not alone, Sheryl is having the same problems and so is everyone else on the team.
Life is interesting and fun right now. It’s interesting as we try to begin to sort out what the new normal looks like. Shoot, I’ve been talking about the “new normal” for over a year and a half now. I’m not sure there will ever be a normal in my life. But that’s what makes it interesting and fun. But part of the fun is trying to live in two places. Tonight I am writing this from Sheryl’s place in Newnan. We came down here Sunday afternoon after church and I went to work from here this morning. Tomorrow after work, I will go back to my place up north. Sheryl will drive up with the Scott and Lacey’s kids. We are keeping them while Scott and Lacey go to Texas for a conference. They will be back on Saturday. We will keep them at my place for a couple of days, and then take them back down to their house over the weekend. So life will continue to be complicated.
The good news is that I still feel the goodness and pleasure of my Papa and I know that He loves me. He is the source of my strength and all of my love. I choose to rest and dwell in His presence every day for the rest of my life. In Him there really is no jet lag, so I guess it is up to me to just press through the veil and enter His rest. I think I will do that now as I lay down to sleep. Maybe I’ll be able to focus better tomorrow night.
I did get back to work today. It seemed strange going into the simulator today. But once the period got started I was able to focus like normal. ZZZZZZ. It seems like it’s taking a lot longer to recover than normal. I guess it’s just the 17 hour time differential. Well, I know it will be better in another couple of days. I’m not alone, Sheryl is having the same problems and so is everyone else on the team.
Life is interesting and fun right now. It’s interesting as we try to begin to sort out what the new normal looks like. Shoot, I’ve been talking about the “new normal” for over a year and a half now. I’m not sure there will ever be a normal in my life. But that’s what makes it interesting and fun. But part of the fun is trying to live in two places. Tonight I am writing this from Sheryl’s place in Newnan. We came down here Sunday afternoon after church and I went to work from here this morning. Tomorrow after work, I will go back to my place up north. Sheryl will drive up with the Scott and Lacey’s kids. We are keeping them while Scott and Lacey go to Texas for a conference. They will be back on Saturday. We will keep them at my place for a couple of days, and then take them back down to their house over the weekend. So life will continue to be complicated.
The good news is that I still feel the goodness and pleasure of my Papa and I know that He loves me. He is the source of my strength and all of my love. I choose to rest and dwell in His presence every day for the rest of my life. In Him there really is no jet lag, so I guess it is up to me to just press through the veil and enter His rest. I think I will do that now as I lay down to sleep. Maybe I’ll be able to focus better tomorrow night.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Dreams Realized
We all have dreams, or at least we should. There are places in this world where the Spiritual Poverty is so great that dreams have been long forgotten. Instead of dreams, these people just deal with survival. I am sure that there are places like that in the USA but really there is no excuse to keep from going after your dreams. So, if we all dream, how many times to we actually see big dreams come true? Tonight we saw a friends dream fulfilled. It is just as much of a miracle as watching a blind eye start seeing.
It is sad how chronic illness many times saps life and dreams form your heart. Bob said it best tonight when he said that He we have only two choices when the ravages of sickness pound on your mind and body. You can either blame God and put greater and greater distance between your self and His heart, or you can choose in your weakness to make Him your strength. By doing this, your weakness becomes the greatest weapon to fight change hour condition.
Bob chose to draw closer to Papa even as his condition got weaker. Thus, his songs got more and more intimate as his worship got more and more intimate. That is what Papa wants from us. Just to draw close and let Him direct us. In many ways, that is what I have been doing this past year and a half since Julia’s death. I choose to draw closer, and not to blame Him for everything that happened. I chose to press into His love in the midst of great sorrow. But by doing this, I prepared myself to love again.
I am in the midst of a miracle as great or greater than the one I saw tonight. To be able to live and love again is a witness that is far greater than anything I cold have ever imagined. We all have choices to make. But the basic choice is this: Will I draw near to Papa no matter how bad things seem, and no matter how it looks like He might be responsible? Will I choose to believe in His Goodness, and not in what others say about Him? Choose wisely, and everything else will fall into place. It has for me, and that really is a miracle.
It is sad how chronic illness many times saps life and dreams form your heart. Bob said it best tonight when he said that He we have only two choices when the ravages of sickness pound on your mind and body. You can either blame God and put greater and greater distance between your self and His heart, or you can choose in your weakness to make Him your strength. By doing this, your weakness becomes the greatest weapon to fight change hour condition.
Bob chose to draw closer to Papa even as his condition got weaker. Thus, his songs got more and more intimate as his worship got more and more intimate. That is what Papa wants from us. Just to draw close and let Him direct us. In many ways, that is what I have been doing this past year and a half since Julia’s death. I choose to draw closer, and not to blame Him for everything that happened. I chose to press into His love in the midst of great sorrow. But by doing this, I prepared myself to love again.
I am in the midst of a miracle as great or greater than the one I saw tonight. To be able to live and love again is a witness that is far greater than anything I cold have ever imagined. We all have choices to make. But the basic choice is this: Will I draw near to Papa no matter how bad things seem, and no matter how it looks like He might be responsible? Will I choose to believe in His Goodness, and not in what others say about Him? Choose wisely, and everything else will fall into place. It has for me, and that really is a miracle.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Kingdom Living
I learned a great deal last week about Kingdom Finances. Right now, I am trying to begin to integrate everything that I learned into my life. But really, the most important thing I learned was something that I really already knew, but had never applied to my finances. God is really the source of all things. Of course I know that! I’ve preached it for years. I know that in order for healing or salvation or anything to take place, it has to be from Him. I know in my mind that the same thing applies to finances, but in my heart, where it really counts. It might not have been so clear.
Many of us, especially in America, are like the “rich young ruler”. We have everything we need, and many things we want. We love God and obey His commandments. But He wants more. Oh, He wants our money. That’s what I thought the parable was about. I have always thought that the parable was about how being rich would make it hard to be saved. It does in many ways, but that is not what the parable is really about. The problem with the rich young ruler was not his wealth, but what he thought the source of his wealth was.
God is the source of our wealth. God is the source of everything good in our lives and we need to understand that. Sure He uses things like our job and other events, but as long as we realize that He is in control, then we can hold everything loosely. If the rich young ruler had realized that God was the source, then he would have gladly given up everything, knowing that God could restore all things. Abraham in many ways is like the rich young ruler. But Abraham realized that God was the source of His blessing. He knew that if God took Isaac, He could also restore him.
We need to realize that no matter how rich we are, how many blessings we have, God is the source. He uses many things, but ultimately He is the source and once that really sinks into our spirits, then it doesn’t matter what He calls us to do. He will provide and make a way where there is no way. It has taken me many years to understand this. The parable was there all the time, and I never really understood it. The source of all our anointing is from Him. We need to be praying for anointing in finances just like we pray for anointing in healing. They are from the same source. We get each the same way. I have changed how I look at money and finance. This past week has done that. I am praying for Him to release an anointing to restore what has been taken over the years. I suggest that you begin to look at everything you do as ministry, because it all is. He will give you the anointing if you ask. He is so good and He loves to give gifts to His kids
Many of us, especially in America, are like the “rich young ruler”. We have everything we need, and many things we want. We love God and obey His commandments. But He wants more. Oh, He wants our money. That’s what I thought the parable was about. I have always thought that the parable was about how being rich would make it hard to be saved. It does in many ways, but that is not what the parable is really about. The problem with the rich young ruler was not his wealth, but what he thought the source of his wealth was.
God is the source of our wealth. God is the source of everything good in our lives and we need to understand that. Sure He uses things like our job and other events, but as long as we realize that He is in control, then we can hold everything loosely. If the rich young ruler had realized that God was the source, then he would have gladly given up everything, knowing that God could restore all things. Abraham in many ways is like the rich young ruler. But Abraham realized that God was the source of His blessing. He knew that if God took Isaac, He could also restore him.
We need to realize that no matter how rich we are, how many blessings we have, God is the source. He uses many things, but ultimately He is the source and once that really sinks into our spirits, then it doesn’t matter what He calls us to do. He will provide and make a way where there is no way. It has taken me many years to understand this. The parable was there all the time, and I never really understood it. The source of all our anointing is from Him. We need to be praying for anointing in finances just like we pray for anointing in healing. They are from the same source. We get each the same way. I have changed how I look at money and finance. This past week has done that. I am praying for Him to release an anointing to restore what has been taken over the years. I suggest that you begin to look at everything you do as ministry, because it all is. He will give you the anointing if you ask. He is so good and He loves to give gifts to His kids
Changes
Wow, it's been almost two weeks since my last post. A lot has happened since then and I will do my best to update everyone. Right now I am at 35000 ft over the south pacific coming back from Australia. Sheryl and I got married on the gold coast, and we have been on our honeymoon. So that is the main reason for my not posting for them past two weeks. My first priority was to spend time and get to know my new bride. Our honeymoon was great, but not very orthodox. More on that later. I don't really know where to start, But I'll try to fill in all, or at least some of the blanks.
We arrived in Australia a day late. We were scheduled to get married on the beach, but since we were late, we actually got married in Revolution Church. It was after their evening service and the presence of God was so strong. It was real an awesome ceremony. We said our vows, the same ones we said with the family before we left, and we were prayed over and prophesied over as well. We were staying for the first few days on the 67th floor of the Q1 building and the view was unbelievable.
I said the honeymoon was totally unorthodox and it was. We spent Monday thru Friday in a seminar on Kingdom finances. Each day started off with about an hour worship, followed by some great teaching from T. Then we had lunch and every afternoon a different ministry group came in to minister to us. We were prayed over, prophesied over and loved on. It was an unbelievable time of receiving. The evenings were normally spent going out to dinner with T and his family. We were a group of over 20 when we all got together, so nothing happened fast.
But at the same time, Sheryl and I did find time for each other. Being together just showed me how much love instill had to give, and even more, how much more love I needed to receive. But this week has also set the course of our life and ministry. We will have to see how it plays out, but we received numerous words about international traveled. We also received words that have to make choices. Our lives together are like a blank canvass, and Papa is giving us choices that will fill it in. These were interesting words, and rang true to things that He has been telling us. So here we are, coming home.
Yesterday we spent together in Sydney just sightseeing. There is so much to do and many decisions to make when we get home. In some ways, I wish we could just stay in Australia, but our life is not there, although I know we will be back many times. So it is time to come home. If I get a chance, I'll post this in LA. But more than likely it will be in Atlanta before I post it. I do plan on continuing the blog. But we needed this time to begin to form our lives together. I know everyone will understand. See you all back in Atlanta.
We arrived in Australia a day late. We were scheduled to get married on the beach, but since we were late, we actually got married in Revolution Church. It was after their evening service and the presence of God was so strong. It was real an awesome ceremony. We said our vows, the same ones we said with the family before we left, and we were prayed over and prophesied over as well. We were staying for the first few days on the 67th floor of the Q1 building and the view was unbelievable.
I said the honeymoon was totally unorthodox and it was. We spent Monday thru Friday in a seminar on Kingdom finances. Each day started off with about an hour worship, followed by some great teaching from T. Then we had lunch and every afternoon a different ministry group came in to minister to us. We were prayed over, prophesied over and loved on. It was an unbelievable time of receiving. The evenings were normally spent going out to dinner with T and his family. We were a group of over 20 when we all got together, so nothing happened fast.
But at the same time, Sheryl and I did find time for each other. Being together just showed me how much love instill had to give, and even more, how much more love I needed to receive. But this week has also set the course of our life and ministry. We will have to see how it plays out, but we received numerous words about international traveled. We also received words that have to make choices. Our lives together are like a blank canvass, and Papa is giving us choices that will fill it in. These were interesting words, and rang true to things that He has been telling us. So here we are, coming home.
Yesterday we spent together in Sydney just sightseeing. There is so much to do and many decisions to make when we get home. In some ways, I wish we could just stay in Australia, but our life is not there, although I know we will be back many times. So it is time to come home. If I get a chance, I'll post this in LA. But more than likely it will be in Atlanta before I post it. I do plan on continuing the blog. But we needed this time to begin to form our lives together. I know everyone will understand. See you all back in Atlanta.
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