Revelation

Many of you know that yesterday, Sunday, we had a grass fire on Cowboy Junction property. We arrived home from lunch to find sirens, lights and fire trucks surrounding our property. The flames had been contained but the smoke was still bellowing. One shift in the wind and it would have headed straight for our house and the church. "Thank you Jesus!" I must also say thank you to our wonderful friends and complete strangers. People that didn't even know us were trying to pen our cows and horses. It is amazing how people are so willing to help in a time of need. As soon as we arrived home, we joined the crew that were working with the cows. It was pretty amusing to see so many people running around waving their hands in the air trying to push a group of cows into a pen. it unfortunately did not work. The harder they tried, the more the cows tried to get away. About 30 minutes after we gave up and came inside, I went looking for Ty. He was outside visiting with the incredible Knowles Volunteer Fire Department. He walked over to me and said,"the cows are in their pen." How in the world did he do it all by himself? Here was the revelation. He said cows are like people, the harder you try to push them to go one way the more they resist. But if you will just open the gate and feed them, they will make their way in on their own. Who are you trying to force to do what you want? Are you getting anywhere with it? My guess would be No! Sometimes we just have to stop trying so hard. Take a breath. Give instead of take. Pause instead of push. Zip it instead of talking. Seven people couldn't get 16 cows in a pen. But done the right way, one man did. All your tactics won't get you the results you desire. But let God deal with it in His way and your situation will change. Or could it be that you will change? You may think that you know what's best but have you let God in on your decision making? Let this be revelation to you like it was to me.

Weed-Be-Gone

I was turning South off of Kansas headed into Hobbs. As I drove past an overgrown spot of land on my right, I thought back to the days of colored golf balls and hole-in-ones. I'm speaking of the miniature golf course that use to be a Friday night family hang out. I don't know why my mind always goes deep but I guess that's just who I am. I got to wondering about how a once manicured piece of land could now look so bad. And then it hit me. It started with one weed. One weed that nobody bothered to pull turned into 10 weeds. Before long the ground was carpeted with a variety of weeds. Now the job seems too big. It looks too hard and not worth the effort. What if someone had taken the time to just pick a few weeds here and there? We have probably all dealt with weeds like this in our own yard. Or how about your laundry? One day the laundry is done and the next time you turn around the hamper is overflowing. How many times have you said,"I'm going to do one load a day so I can keep up."?
Well, I got to thinking about marriage. There are too many people who see a field full of weeds and they feel hopeless. They think it can't be fixed. IT CAN! It just won't be easy. The majority of couples get stuck going through the motions. They get comfortable, they turn their focus to work and kids and they take no time for one another. A year of neglect led to frustration and loneliness. Just like those weeds, we have to take a little time here and there. Speak a kind word when you think it. Give a hug or hold a hand. Write a note and leave it for her to find. Tell him that you can't imagine life without him. You may not even feel it but you wish you did. That's called FAITH. That is having VISION. If you will take a little time today, you will benefit from it tomorrow. Don't wait until it looks to be too late. But if you have waited and you feel like giving up, please don't. Just start pulling weeds. Your marriage is worth it.

The View From My Seat!

I have to say that this weekends message spoke personally to me. It was perfectly clear to me that a lack of vision will lead to a loss of freedom which eventually leads you to feeling stuck in the grind. Ty ended his series on Samson this weekend. Samson was called to a great purpose and God had given him supernatural ability. But near the end of his life, he allowed attractions of this world to pull him into disobedience. He knew God's voice. He knew his purpose in this life. But somewhere along the way he was pulled by things that tickled his fancy. Have you ever felt pulled? It happens to all of us. The enemy is no respector of persons. If he can blind a teacher, a mechanic or a pastor, he will. It doesn't matter your race, your profession or your gender. The enemy wants to take your purpose that God has put in you and destroy it. He wants to blind you, take away your freedom and put you in a place of hopelessness. WOW! I knew all this but it just hit me differently because of this message. Take your marriage for instance. If you don't have a vision, a hope, a plan for your marriage, you will eventually feel trapped and without hope. You have to see your marriage not where it is but where you want it to be. See your marriage where you know God has called it to be. Proverbs 29:18 says,"where there is no vision, the people perish." I don't know about you but I want to LIVE! Samson was defeated by the very people he was called to conquer. God had given him a supernatural strength to defeat the philistines. But he gave into his weakness and his enemy defeated him. They plucked out his eyes, they bound his hands and he was left to grind wheat for the rest of his life. My favorite part of this story is the ending. Samson prayed a simple prayer. In Judges 16:28, he said "Oh God, remember me. Strengthen me just once more." And God did just that. He returned his gift of supernatural strength to Samson once again and he defeated more Philistines on that day than he had his entire life. Our God is faithful. Our God restores. God has placed a purpose in each of us. It was there before you were ever born. It doesn't matter how far away you have walked from God's perfect plan. It is never too late to come back. God will restore the sight of the blind. He will set the captives free. He will give purpose back to those who have lost it. Don't be like Samson and pray your prayer at the end of your life. Get real with God today!

Here's another question

Sorry guys that it has been over a week since I last blogged. With Ty being out of town and me preaching, I've been focusing on my message. So I have another question for you. How do you feel the church, the local body of believers, has been deceived? I gave three ways in my sermon this weekend. 1- A church service once a week is enough for my spiritual growth. 2-The church is a building where God lives. 3- We say, "I'm just ordinary. What difference can I make?" I strongly believe that God wants more from the body of believers. The enemy has distracted us from our purpose. What do you think?

If it doesn't hurt...

Okay, So I must blog about what is going on in my life at this very moment. The pain that I am in keeps me from thinking of anything else. I have just begun to work out with my friends, George and Misty. Today was only day 2 and every muscle in my body is screaming at me. Just moments earlier, I couldn't get off the couch. I had to fall to my knees and then use the coffee table to push myself up. Oh my goodness! I am in bad shape. I have never been much for exercise but I decided that I needed to change. I am 34 years old, done having kids and missing the body I once had. I know that with each year that passes it only gets harder to lose weight and tone those muscles. So here we go. I'm excited, scared, intimidated, tired and in PAIN!!!! But at the very same time I am hopeful. I am hopeful that in a couple of weeks I will have stretched these muscles enough that I feel good. My energy level will be higher and I will look forward to seeing new results every day. Because of all this I got to thinking about spiritual pain. How is it that doing what's right doesn't always "feel good". Making certain decisions often causes a temporary pain. I have many friends who are afraid of doing what they "know" God has told them to do because it's going to make life uncomfortable for awhile. Giving up something that God has told you to let go of is many times difficult. Doing something that He has asked of you can be a huge step of faith. It can be scary and challenging. But just like working out for the first time in a long time you will hurt for only a short time. I could very easily quit today and not go back to the gym tomorrow. But 10 years down the road when I look in the mirror and see my grandmothers thighs or the Dr. tells me I need Blood Pressure meds I will have to endure this season of pain again. If I will just do it now, I can reach my goals sooner. What has God asked of you? If you don't answer Him right NOW do you think you will come to this same fork in the road next year? It's gonna hurt but do you want it to hurt now or later? If you answer "Now," then God's best is closer than you think. You have a choice. Just like my trainer George might say,"If it doesn't hurt you are not doing it right." No one ever said living for God was easy but I will tell you that I would live my life for no other.