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

Together is better

We had a sermon on prayer tonight. Our pastor talked about the first church and how they prayed. That got me to thinking about the people in Belize that we met. First of all, we walked this village to pray with people and they were very poor. But there wasn't any prayer requests for any kind of material things, only for relationships and physical healing for others. Not one kind of material thing at all. No trying to manipulate God for this or that. Here are people so needy, yet they were not; they really knew what mattered most.
The second thing I thought about was the Spanish church service that I visited in Belize; where the first thing everyone did when they came into church was to go up front to the alter and pray. Can you imagine what would happen if all of God's children did that? It was a powerful service. I never thought of it before, but if God loves to hear his Children calling out, how does he feel when we do it unified together? I bet He really enjoys it. I'll bet it is like a concert to Him.
Taking it to the street:
1.) Pray
2.) Pray with others.

Pressing On with Excellence!!
Keith

The little things

I wonder why I struggle so much with the little things? I think it's a pride issue. I will give you an example: Say someone I know has gotten into a car accident. They are seriously injured. I may go to the hospital and visit them and feel sorry for them and even pray with them and for them. I may even feel their pain, but really I can't do much for them. I will pray continuously for them because I ultimately know that their welfare is up to God. But I am powerless to do anything for them. I know that and I am content with leaving them in the hands of the Creator. But, say something small comes up, something simple and I don't go to God in prayer. I say I got this and fail miserably, it usually happens with small, insignificant things. I really think that God wants to be the Lord of our lives and wants to be involved in the small things. He loves us and wants so much to be involved in our lives; every aspect of our lives, especially the small things. This is where we can get an intimate glimpse of God and how much he knows about us and wants to show it. But my pride often blocks me off from this intimate time with God. God won't step in if we don't want him to. He will let us try on our own until we have a Dr.Phil moment and ask ourselves "how's that working for you?" For me it doesn't always. I'm far better if I invite him into helping me with the small things as well.

Belize here we come

Okay, so February 1st was my last blog. It is now the nineteenth and I'm happy to announce that Sunny and I are both fully funded to go to Belize. Is that crazy or what? Two days ago, Sunny was close to half funded and I had nothing. Then, yesterday, a person I know contributed $2000 to our trip. That, plus what Sunny had, put us at 3/4 funded and we needed to have 3/4 by mid-March to get the plane tickets. We were $750 short of being fully funded. Susan had taken this person's check and Sunny's money to the church to turn it in. Before she got home, I was checking my email and found that someone else put $750 towards our trip; making it 100 % funded!
God is so good!! It is hard to put into words how I felt when I received this news. All I can say is that there is no doubt that God wants us to go. I personally want to thank all that contributed and all of the prayers. It is not over yet, so please keep us in your prayers; Sunny and I and the team that we will be going with. Pray for the people we will be ministering to as well. This has been a good lesson for me on the power of prayer. I asked that we would be funded early and we were. What I did not expect is to have it all come in at one time. God still continues to amaze me.
Taking it to the street; 1) Allow God to guide you to try something new.
                                  2) Trust that if he wants you to do whatever it is he will provide.
Pressing on with excellence!!
Keith

Try Something New

I wanted to let people know that Sunny and I have been chosen to go to Belize this summer on a mission trip. We are excited and looking forward to trying something different. I would ask you who read this blog to pray for the team, the leaders, and for the people that we meet; for safety, for wisdom and His provision. Also, pray that He would prepare the way for us all that we would be most effective. This is not a vacation as most people think of when they think of Belize. Where we are going is a unimaginably poor area. This is something that I never dreamed that I would be doing. I'm not exactly sure what I will be doing but I want to see what life is like for others. I think we as Americans take a lot of things for granted. I also know that God has been teaching me to be grateful for all that He has given me. One thing I'm looking forward to is seeing how God is going to work to change me and my daughter's thinking about where we are in life and I know He will! When you put yourself into uncertainty and try something new, God has a way of showing up.

Taking it to the street:
1) Ask God to help you to think of something new that you could do that will stretch your faith in Him.
2) Remember to pray for us!

Pressing on with excellence!!

P.S. If you would like to help in financial support for this trip, contact me at 1handymansmitty@gmail.com    

God Is Good

Well, it's a new year, I hope your last one was as blessed as mine. I've been reflecting and thinking about the many blessings our family has had this past year. We were able to purchase a house and visit with family for a week in Tennessee. My daughter wrote her first book, (proud papa that I am, contact me to find out more.)  My wife and I have become small group leaders in our church. What a true blessing that has been seeing and being a part of others spiritual growth. I know others have not had such a blessed year. I know of three families that have lost loved ones unexpectedly. I have had a personal friend diagnosed with cancer and has been out of work for two months and my prayers go out for all of them. I watched a friend throw his future away for nothing. So life is a mixture of triumph and tragedy. Still, I choose to focus on the good. I will be here to help those who make poor decisions. I will pray for those who are grieving, and I will be here to listen to and walk with him who is suffering. I also will still help others on their spiritual journey. All in all, more good has come this year than bad  and I am grateful to God for all he is doing in and through me. God is Good and I choose to focus on the good!
Taking it to the street 1.) Practice looking for the small, good things in your life every day.
                                 2.) Thank God for those good things every day!
Pressing on with excellence!!
Keith
P.S This is my 100th blog!!

Trust Him

Trust is the key to adventure (Alex Rover, Nims Island), so it is with our relationship with God. When we trust him fully we can have confidence in the unknown. Confidence that all will be alright and that we can do what he wants us to do when we are in His will. Then we are in for an adventure of a lifetime where we need not worry, but trust and see what he does next. If you put your trust in to a 401k or a job or on a credit card or people, you're not living to the fullness of life that God has for you. I'm not saying those things are bad, just where is your trust really? Things and stuff and people come and go. There is only one that won't fail you, only one that deserves your full trust. That one is God may you find him now. So what is your confidence in? See, God wants to help us, he want us to succeed. But it will not happen if we don’t accept his help. If we don’t trust that he will help us why should he bother? Does that make sense? Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". (NKJV) I can do all things through Christ, I can do nothing of any lasting value without Him. It may be a radical thought but it is biblical. So take a spiritual adventure and see what you've been missing. Put your trust in Him and enjoy the ride of a lifetime.
Taking it to the street. 1.) Ask the Lord to help you to trust Him daily maybe even hourly.
                                     2.) Ask yourself if you're putting too much trust in other things beside God.

Pressing on with Excellence!!
Keith

Thanksgiving

'Tis the season and I have been thinking about the different things that I am thankful for. There are so many things that I take for granted. Like my kids wanting to spend time with me. I know that there will be a day when I want to spend time with them and they won't be around. So, for now I will take advantage of that. Another is my wife. I am thankful for all she does. Like the proverbs 31 woman, she takes care of us well. The things that I'm most thankful for are not things but people and relationships. I am thankful for our small group and my friends at church and at work.I'm thankful for old friends and even most of my relatives. But the thing I'm most thankful for is not a thing. It is God's love and mercy and the hope that I have because of Him. Because when it all comes down to it; if you know, I mean really, really know, how much God loves you, it changes everything! When you know that, you change; you can't help but change. It is truly amazing the change that happens, especially in how you treat yourself and others. So that's what I'm most thankful for; just knowing that God is merciful and he loves me.
Taking it to the street 1.) Pray and ask God to help you to realize how great His love is for you personally.
                                 2.) Surrender control of your thinking to Him every morning for one month.
Pressing on with excellence!!
Keith    

Friend

There many names given to Christ. You know the list: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of peace, just to name a few. There is one that I'm especially thankful for. One that if it were not true, I personally would be finished. Many others would be too if it were not so. That name is Jesus, Friend Of Sinners. If He is a friend of sinners then I am in good company. I can trust that he loves me and forgives me and wants me to be his friend no matter what. Some friends write you off if you hurt them. Not Jesus; He would still have gone to the cross even if I was the only person in the world. Talk about hurting someone, my sin sent him to the cross yet he still wants to be my friend. What is a friend? A friend is someone who you can talk to about anything; a friend knows what makes you laugh or cry. A close friend may even be able to finish a sentence for you. A real friend will listen when you're down, help to lift you back up, and encourage you to keep going even when you think you can't take anymore. A friend knows your weakness and your strengths, your good and overlooks the bad. A friend knows your potential. John 15:15 says, "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." Jesus is my friend and he can be yours too! He is a true friend and will never let you down. As the old hymn goes, what a friend we have in Jesus.
Taking it to the street: 1.) Identify some things you can do to become a better friend.
                                 2.) Look for chances to implement those ideas and become a better friend.
Pressing on with excellence!!
Keith

Beliefs

  I have come to realize how important your beliefs are. I used to think that I had to act a certain way based on my emotions. This is not true. What I have found  is that what I believe about a situation controls what I will do. If I believe that someone is hurt bad, I may call 911. If I believe that their injury isn't so bad, I may give them a ride to the urgent care, or take care of it myself with a band-aid. This is true in our spiritual lives as well. If I believe that God is not going to help me with a specific problem, I may try to take care of it myself. Usually it is something small that I think I can fix on my own. The big stuff I tend to give to God because I have learned that I don't have any control over those situations. But the truth is, if I would believe that he would help me in the small things, I could save myself a bunch of trouble. James 1:6-8 says, "But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;  8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does." My problem was not that I did not ask, my problem was I did not really believe that he cared enough for me to help me with the small things. I think it kind of offends God when we do that. He wants to be totally involved in our lives.
Taking it to the street:
1.) Ask God to help you to sort out false beliefs in your thinking.
2.) Invest some time in His word each day this week.
Pressing on with excellence!!
Keith

Time Management

Our pastor brought up a point about Jesus and his day planner. Jesus made a daily habit of spending time with God. I have thought about that before. We have all heard about tithing our money where you give  ten percent to God. What if you were to give ten percent of your time to God? Do you think that would make a difference in your life. That would be 2.4 hours a day or 16.8 hours a week. Time is the great equalizer, what I mean is that rich or poor, skinny or fat, short or tall, smart or stupid, we all get 24 hours a day and it is what we do with that time that will make a difference in your life or others. What would your life look like if you got into the habit of investing some time with God. In prayer, in studying his word, in praising him,and in helping others.
Taking it to the street: 1) Take an inventory of where your time is going and put it down on paper.
                                    2) See where you can make adjustments to invest more of your time with Him
Pressing on with excellence!!
Keith

Everything

So I was sitting in church tonight and we started singing a song that talks about God being everything. How we give everything for him and that nothing else matters but Him. I wondered if we, who were singing, really believed this. What if we really did believe this? What would our life look like if we really did believe this? I would like to think that nothing gets between myself and God. I must be A.D.D. because for myself it seems that there are lot of things that come between me and God. Even though I may not want them to. I get distracted by the little things and seem to lose my focus often. It's a good song, but I found it hard to sing because I know that it isn't true for me all of the time. I know that I'm far better than I used to be but it challenged me. Thank God for his grace while we wander. Over time though, I do realize that God is much more real and closer than He used to be to me. The more I surrender everything to Him the more I see Him at work.

Action step: Try giving every little thing to God and see what happens.

Pressing on with excellence!!
Keith

Selfless

In the last few blogs we have been looking at what blocks us from receiving the Holy Spirit. I want to take a different look at this subject. I want to look at things that we can do to be controlled by the Spirit. My life verse, Romans 8:6, says, "The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace." All of my life I have been longing to have peace even though I did not know what name to give it. I knew what it felt like, but the peace I was receiving was fleeting. But I have found it and it is here most of the time. The only time now that I lose my peace is when I get into self and forget about being controlled by the Spirit. Selfishness and self-centeredness is my biggest block from seeing the Holy Spirit's power in my life. So, if I'm selfless and others focused, then I eliminate my biggest block; ME. So, the next few blogs will be about what we can do to have our minds controlled by The Holy Spirit.
Pressing on with excellence!!
Keith

Wait

Since we have been looking at Acts:8 and how we can have part in the power of the Spirit, I wanted to take a look at Acts 1. Here is, I think, one more key to accessing his power in our lives. The disciples are told to wait for the Holy Spirit's indwelling. During this time they prayed and waited. Why would Jesus tell them to wait? I cannot answer this. I do know time after time in my life God has asked me to wait and it has helped me to grow spiritually. It has taught me patience and how to trust Him, and to seek Him and His will for my life. Waiting teaches me to get me out of myself, and has taught me to not worry or fear. To just be still and know He is God and that He loves me. Waiting is not easy; it can wear you down, but it does seem to produce good results. During the waiting I get to experience the now, which is the only time I can really experience Him. Have you waited on God? What have you learned during this time?
Pressing on with excellence!!
Keith

Pray for Moore, OK

I want to take some time to send up some prayers for the folks in Moore, OK. This tornado was devastating to a lot of people and I think they could use as many prayers as possible. Especially for the families that have lost loved ones, and the relief effort, and the workers that are there helping, and those that will be going out to help them. I can't imagine what it would be like. Nature may have had her fury, but this didn't take God by surprise.  He is more powerful and we can trust that he is. Psalm 46:1 says "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." God Bless you all, Moore, OK. We will be praying for you.
Pressing on with Excellence!!
 Keith

Others

Do you ever wonder if you are having an affect on others? I know that if you want to, that it starts with a relationship. People are more apt to take your advice if you show you really care. I met a lady where I work about four months ago and she is a sweet lady. She had a physical problem and had started to let herself go down hill. They moved her from independent living to assisted living and she developed some resentment. I had been in to do some work for her and had given her a few rides to get her hair done and had developed a friendship with her trying to encourage her through this time. She had been eating alone and not cooperating with the care givers and kind of bitter. Last week I took her to get her hair done and on the way back she asked me if I thought she should go to physical therapy. I told her that she should go every chance that she got. Since then, only because I told her to, she has been going and all of a sudden she is starting to eat meals at the dining room instead of in her own room. She is having better days and is more cheerful. I believe God works through us to affect others. Most of the time we don't even know it, but once in a while he gives us a little glimpse and it
has an affect on us also. What relationships are you investing in?
Pressing on with excellence!!
Keith
   

Passing it on

 I wanted to comment about what we talked about in the last post. One of the things that I learned over the years is that, left to my own devices, I cannot change anything on my own. No matter how much I wished I could change, I could not do it myself; the power wasn't there. I have learned to allow  the Holy Spirit to control my mind. When the Holy Spirit controls my mind, then I act differently, almost without trying. It just happens. So when it comes to my kids I teach them to do this to the best of my ability. I only have them for a little while. I teach them how to make good choices to the best of my ability. What I'm trying to do is to prepare them because I know someday they are going to be put in a position to choose for themselves. I pray they will make the right decision, but, ultimately, it is their decision to make. To do that they will also need to learn to trust Him. If you know that God loves you, and is with you, and cares about you. Then you can have confidence that what is happening to you is for His glory and good. The best I think we can do is to prepare them for that day. If they screw up they will at least know where they can turn. If they learn how to allow the Holy Spirit to control their mind and are guided by the Spirit then they are in good hands and I don't have to worry about their future. Are you passing it on if so how?
Passing it on with excellence !!
Keith 

The Gifts Of The Spirit

I had been a Christian for a good 16 years before I really accepted Christ's forgiveness, When I finally did, I grew more spiritually in the next four years than I did in the sixteen years prior. I found myself asking why or how that happened. I think it is because of the influx of the Holy Spirit and with it the fruits of the spirit. The fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I could not produce these on my own, I tried and tried and failed. It also seemed that the harder I tried, the more I failed. I knew what I needed to do but I couldn't do it on my own. The spirit produces these in me as I turn my will over to him. When this does happen, things change rapidly. You actually give a rip about others, you care. You let others go in front of you. You know instinctively when to shut up. You are quick to forgive and fast to straighten out situations when you were wrong. You are able to say no to yourself. These are how the fruits of the spirit showed up in my life. How about you? Do you have the gifts of the Spirit? Is life different for you? Do you want it to be?
Pressing on with excellence!!
Keith

Forgiven

I don't know why I struggled so long with God's forgiveness for me. I, for some reason, couldn't wrap my head around how he could forgive me for all of the sins I committed. Look at that statement. There are two things that stick out to me in that. One is pride, the other is unbelief. Pride, because God is love and, when you truly love, forgiveness is a given. I don't think God can help himself. He has to forgive us because it's part of his nature. That is why he sent Jesus to die for us. So, when I don't accept his forgiveness, it is prideful. Because if he can forgive me but I cannot forgive me then that is the same as saying that I'm better than God. This is where the unbelief comes in. Unbelief costs us more than we will ever know. I wonder how many blessings I missed out on because I did not believe. Certainly, I have missed out on much peace that comes from knowing that I've been forgiven. God knows every sin I ever committed and those that are yet to come. I'm so glad to be forgiven are you?
Pressing on with excellence!!
Keith 

The In-Between

What do you do when you think something is going to happen and it seems to be taking longer than you think? I’m in that position right now. I’m almost stumped about what to do next. I don’t want to give up, and I won’t, but I guess I will have to wait awhile to see my answer. I may have to wait but I won’t lose heart because I know the one who has the play book. When the timing is right it will happen or God will show me something else he wants me to do. It is easy to become frustrated or impatient but it will not help the situation. It is easy to worry or fret but I will not do that anymore. I am done with that kind of thinking. I have already wasted too much of my life doing that. It is not productive. It will not help the situation. It won’t even make time go any faster. I am going to do what is right in front of me right now. I will not procrastinate I will just do the next right thing.

What do you do in the between?

Pressing on with excellence!

Keith