Is God Here, There or Anywhere?

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Have you ever felt like God was gone on vacation? Or just not alive; like He may have tripped over a cloud and fell and hit His head on a mountain and perished?

If you are human (and honest) you probably have. If not then you might want to stop reading my blog and find the blog called “little Christian perfect people” … it’s in the same section of blogs where you’ll find stories of sightings of unicorns. I digress!

Before you think it’s blasphemy to think any negative thought of God you might want to read the Psalms … David is often spewing things that are a bitter complaint of God’s seeming absence from life. Saying things like, “my God my God why have you forsaken me?” (Ps. 22:1) which is a shockingly honest confession of the experience of godlessness and godforsakenness in a suffering world.

Yet even in David’s songs (Psalms) you read (after he has given full vent to his frustrations, anger and pain of the seeming silence, absence and hiddenness of God in his experience) he remember what God had done in his own past. Like when he says, “I will call to mind the deeds of the Lord; I will remember your wonders of old.” (Ps.77:5,11)

David remembering the times God was a very present help in a time of trouble, and when He did answer prayers, and He did act to help and save.

Remembering the past victories gives us a hope for the future.

Let’s face it - this world is still broken, we are still broken and full of all kinds of evil … we are motivated by fear, guilt and shame… we need Jesus to give us hope (something to strive for… something to pursue and imitate … to save us from ourselves)…

To answer the question in the title – YES HE IS!

Twilight

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The Twilight book series by Stephenie Meyer is crazy popular right now. I have not read the books, nor have I seen the movie ... but I am okay with that since I am a 40 year guy and the book seems to be reaching a female audience ages 13 and up .

Trust me, this is no book review … but I find it intriguing because what I have heard from readers (most every female I know) about Twilight makes total sense WHY it’s so popular; it has within its pages what every human desires down deep; Love (true love that is … love that doesn’t just got for what it desires or hungers for, in Edwards case – human blood … but a love that thinks of the other person … a self-less love … a love that is so completely opposite from what we see in our current culture. Love with restraint. Crazy passionate deep heart-pounding love … the kind of love that gives you goose bumps all over! It’s lacking in the world today!)

From what little I know the book Twilight is basically the story of Edward and Bella’s romance. Edward is a Vampire, but has chosen to only feed on the blood of animals. Of course Bella is a human … anyway if you like a good romance novel this is a must-read series from what I have heard. Check it out!

1 Cor. 13

Bible Reading Plan - Week One

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Happy New Year! I am hopeful that this year is already going better than last year … or at least “our perspective” is better!

I am confident that the practice of “goal setting” is an important part of a successful living. And typically Christians will have on their “list” of New Years Resolutions to read through the Bible … but often get bogged down when they hit the book of Leviticus which is full of Laws and stuff that isn’t so interesting to many of us. So I thought we could do a "read through the Bible" a little different this year … interested? Read on!

I would like to take a trip with you through the most famous and well-read book of all time - The Bible. I have picked a plan that reads in chronological order, which is worked out in date order, as the books were written. Though this list isn't guaranteed to be exact, many theologians have agreed on this order. I think it will be fun to read the events of the Bible as they occurred chronologically. For example, the Book of Job is integrated with Genesis because Job lived before Abraham.

God bless!

January 1
Genesis 1-3


January 2
Genesis 4-7


January 3
Genesis 8-11


January 4
Job 1-5


January 5
Job 6-9


January 6
Job 10-13


January 7
Job 14-16

New Year Plan

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I know, I know, everyone this time of year says, "Set your goals for 2009 - ya da ya da" well I am here to say, "set some goals for 2009!" ha!


Seriously though, I am a firm believer in making a plan and then working the plan. So here is my two cents:


1) Take a few hours between now and January 1st to THINK about what you would like to see happen in 2009 in regards to the main areas of your life; Marriage, Children, Health, Career, Friends, School, Family, Destiny, and the most important GOD.


2) WRITE out what you want in each area.


3) Make a simple PLAN to accomplish the "wants" - with easy steps.


4) SHARE with friend for help and accountability.


5) LOOK at it regulary to stay on course.


6) Work it baby!


Example: Let's say your Goal/Desire is to have a closer relationship with Christ. WRITE that down, then add what that may look like for you ... then the PLAN would be to attend Mercy Church every Sunday that you are in town, join a life group or volunteer on a Sunday service team, read the Bible every day, pray every day, pick up a good devotional, or Bible study book to read. Tell a friend about this (obviously someone with the same goal so they will encourage you not discourage you. Make sure to LOOK at the goal to keep it fresh in your heart!


I am firmly convinced that to have a healthy balanced Christian life you MUST be a part of a local church community!


Happy New Year! May it be your best one ever!

Depression pt 2

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Many times (most the time) we live our life according to our feelings; if we “feel” mad, we act mad, if we feel “hated” we act hated, if we feel “loved” we act loved, if we feel “successful” we act successful, if we feel like a failure” we act like a failure, if we feel “happy” we act happy … etc. You get the point. So we typically just go with our feelings … “feelings” dictate how we feel (of course) and how we act … in other words - we are what we feel.

I have learned an interesting thing not only from personal experience, but from many other resources through the years … and that is this; “Feelings follow action”.

The one Guru on this teaching that I am familiar with is Tony Robbins. Now, before you roll your eyes and think, “here goes some mumbo jumbo self-help stuff” he is just one of many people who teach this principle, but I like him because he is a Christian and not some New Age-ish weirdo spiritualist type dude who says to “draw from deep within your spirit self and ignite the inner you to connect to the spirit of the love god who floats around playing the harp… ya day a da”.

I’ve read and listened to most all Tony’s stuff and frankly it’s been a real blessing to me and my emotional life. Now I of course filter this through the lens of scripture for balance.

So here is my recommendation if you or someone you know is facing Depression:

1) Attend Church every Sunday!
2) Connect with others!
3) Read the Bible every single day!
4) Pray everyday!
5) *Get and go through some Tony Robbins books and CD’s.

*No I was not paid by Tony Robbins to say any of this … though he should throw something my way for as many people I have turned on to his books!

And finally can I just say, obviously I believe that GOD is the answer … but can we just be honest here? It’s takes more than just being a Christian to be healthy emotionally and spiritually and physically! I know and have known MANY Depressed Christians!

Depression pt 1

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I am not sure if I have ever blogged on the subject of depression, but it is a very real emotional state that many people face. I am not sure if you’ve ever heard it said that “suicide increases over the holidays” but that is actually not true! The opposite is actually true … “Suicide rates DECREASE over the holidays”. Why?

  • People gathering together with friends and family.
  • Christmas celebrations evoke a sense of hopefulness and a renewed outlook on life.
  • Community awareness of reaching out and loving and caring for hurting people.


I’ve personally never been “depressed”, but I have been tempted to allow feelings of depression to creep in and take over my life… I think most everyone has faced “opportunities” to be depressed.

I have not read anything recently on depression so what I am going to say next is just from my gut … so I hope it can help you (if you are facing feelings of depression) or equip you to help someone you may know facing depression.

I realize there is medical and chemical side to depression that I am not knowledgeable of … though can I say that “food” is a chemical, so I would encourage anyone facing depression to eat healthy. (Like cut out all sugar, junk food and fast food … drink water only and eat lots of veggies!)

I do want to address depression from a spiritual perspective; depression is a feeling, or various feelings of (i.e. loneliness, failure, sadness, pessimism, hopelessness, worthlessness, loss, pain, etc.) and when we give into those feelings (allow them to dictate to us what we will and will not do) we further perpetuate the “feelings” of depression.

This is why I’ve encouraged those who are depressed to get out and do the things they WANT to do but the depression won’t let them do. Many times when someone is depressed they engage in activities that only feed their emotional state of depression, when what they should do is what would feed a positive mental state.

For example when someone is depressed they remove themselves from friends and family, they sleep a lot, watch TV a lot (that in itself is depressing to me!) they don’t get out, and sometimes they don’t clean themselves up … wearing sloppy clothes, and not wearing makeup, etc. Again, these are all things that further FEED the mental state that they want to beat.


*please understand that my heart goes out to those who are facing depression ... I have family members who are facing depression issues ... so I pray you, or those you know facing depression find the answers to make them alive again! I of course believe the answer is found in Christ ... a long with practical (and sometimes medical) things as well.

Feelings follow action … more on that in Depression pt 2