I got This?

Would your life change if you completely surrendered your life to Christ? I dare say it would. I have seen people changed drastically when they do. I've also seen people that change a little over time. I believe it's about how willing we are to have God change us. If I want to hang on to a certain area of my life God will let me do that and He will use that area to draw me to him. The problem is that I like to compartmentalize my life. God wants all of me not just certain areas. So, any area of our lives that we don't allow God to have, blocks us off from Him. My own self-centeredness or pride in that area creates a stumbling block for my relationship with Him. So when I choose to not allow Him into a portion of my life I'm choosing to separate myself from Him. Essentially I'm saying, "I got this. I don't need your help here God." Usually when I here someone say that their headed for trouble.

Taking it to the street:
1.) Whats one area that you need to surrender to God?
2.)Think of an area that you have surrendered and thank God for it.


 Pressing on with excellence!! Keith


   

Denial

When I first got sober my denial was thick. I can remember thinking, yes I have a problem with alcohol, but I don't have a problem with pot. Or, I know I can't stop smoking pot but I'm able to stop drinking. Truth be told I was completely controlled by both. But the back and forth in my head on whether there was actually a problem with either was the thick part. I probably spent more time thinking about whether or not I had a problem than I did focusing on the solution. That is where my brain was at the time. However, that was 25 years ago, and what I called denial then and what I call it now are almost two different things. Now, I still have a denial problem but it looks a little different. I deny the power of the Holy Spirit in my life, which in my mind is worse. When I became a Christ follower, the instant I asked Jesus to come into my life the power of the Holy Spirit was there. What wasn't there was my willingness to surrender certain things to Him. I thought I could control these things, but really I discovered I had virtually no control over people, places, and things. Over the past 25 years I have learned to surrender my thoughts to Christ. In 2 Corinthians 10:5 it reads, "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." [NIV] When we apply this to our life and surrender our thoughts to Christ we receive His power in our lives and can overcome things that we once thought impossible. It is when I quit denying God's power in any area of my life that change comes.

Taking it to the street;
1.) Ask God to control your thoughts.
2.) Make a list of areas in your life where you need God's power.

Pressing on with excellence!!  Keith

Surrender To Win

Wow! The past few weeks have been a whirlwind. Throughout it I have been thinking about how powerless I am in certain situations. When someone passes away you are completely powerless in that, no matter what, you can't bring that person back. It has been a reminder of just how precious and fragile life is. But the powerlessness of it reminds me of other struggles in life. When I realize that in some situations I have no control, I also have to remember that there is One that has all power; that one is God. I don't need to take on added stress. I need to turn it over to God  and allow Him to have control. If I give Him control and I trust and believe that His will is perfect for Me, even though it may hurt, I can have His peace in my life. Peace that passes all understanding even in the rough times. I can't, He can, I think I will let Him.

Taking it to the street: 1) Surrender your powerlessness to God.
                                    2) Bask in His peace when you do.

Pressing on with excellence!! Keith

Kevin

I don't know if I can even write this one. My brother Kevin died Aug 31, 2015. He will be greatly missed! We had a lot in common like NASCAR and outdoor activities. I found out over the weekend one thing that I did not know about my brother. He was a generous person. He helped people in their need. It was good for me to find that out. The big take away from last week was to make your time with the ones you love special. You never know when they will be gone. I was able to spend some time with my brother about a month before he died. We went up to MI for a week at the lake. We had one weekend together and I sure am glad Kevin decided to make some time for me. We all got together at my Mom's house and spent the day there. That was the last time I saw him alive. I thank my wife for thinking to get this picture. After that he called me from Michigan International Speedway when he was at a  NASCAR race. He held his phone out so I could hear the cars go by. That was the last time I talked to him. He made his last time with me special, whether he realized it or not. We don't have any guarantees in life, so make the moments you have count.

Taking it to the street:

1) Call and talk to someone you Love.
2) Better yet go and visit them and spend some time with them.

I miss you Brother
Pressing on with excellence!!
 Keith
  

Un-ending Grace

Have you heard the song Drops In The Ocean by Hawk Nelson?     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZH13wFGffg This song is exactly what I have been needing. For some reason I forget how great is my need for forgiveness. How many times has God forgiven you? I think of how many drops are in a glass of water or a 5 gallon bucket. I suppose you could spend some time and figure that out, but you would never be able to count how many drops there are in the ocean! That is just like we would never be able to figure out how many times we need forgiveness. So many inadvertent sins. I cry when I hear this song because it reminds me of how great my need is for His forgiveness and How great His love is for me and not just me, you too!

Taking it to the street:
    1) Take some time to think about how much God really loves you!
    2) Reflect on how great God's Grace is for you!

Pressing on with excellence!!
Keith

Unlimited

We have been studying in 2 Corinthians at church lately and how, with God, we can be unlimited. This is true. We really don't need anything. Believe it or not, God can and will provide everything we need to accomplish His will. There are two things, I think, that block us from seeing ourselves as limitless. One has to do with where your heart is; if you are all in with Him.  This is all about him and, when we try to impose our will, we may not think He is providing like we think He should. The other is faith. If our faith is lacking and we don't believe that he will do something, then there is a good chance that He won't. Why should He? To me, it seems audacious to think that he can do something, but that He wouldn't do it for me. God knows exactly what and when we need something. His timing may be different, but when our heart is right, and we believe, He knows it and loves to intercede in our lives. When you find yourself so far out on a limb that only he can help you, not  knowing how or when He's going to show up, that is one of the things that is so exciting about being a Christian.

Taking it to the street:
1.) Start your day with Bible reading and Prayer.
2.) Be careful it is easy to say something negative that blocks your belief.

Pressing on with excellence!!
Keith

Backwards World

Do you ever feel like you are an alien or something? I do. Sometimes I feel like I live in a backwards world. I think if you feel this way, then you're probably right on track. The world has their earthly way of thinking. Which runs contrary to how God thinks as well as to how we are supposed to think as a Christ follower. It may take a while, but if you are growing in Christ you will find that you live in a backwards world, too. It is interesting to see how people react to life when they have no God. Running around screaming to be tolerant or open minded. It's because I am open minded that I was able to start a relationship with God.  It wasn't that I had a huge amount of faith. It was because I became willing to believe that there might just be a God out there. That is where it started; not much faith at all. As I have grown in my faith and my walk with Him  I have changed, so much so that it sometimes feels like I'm in a backwards world. Jesus said in John 17:14, "I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world." Now you can see why it seems like a backwards world. But, while the world is out of control, I can have peace in Christ.

Taking it to the street:

1.) If you don't know God, try being open minded and seek Him.You will find Him
2.) Daily read the Bible and pray.

Pressing on with Excellence!!
Keith