Knowing God. Truly!

In the last few days, I have truly struggled with what to write on my blog.  I have felt a very real tension between whether to keep going on or whether to just discontinue this blog and chalk it up to wonderful therapy and a worthwhile ministry for a time.  I have had so much going on in my life with a hectic schedule with work, school, teaching, resting, chores, church,  baby stuff, and so much more.  I feel tired and disconnected when I get home and I honestly don't want to do anything but sit on the couch and get lost in a tv show till it is time to go to bed to face another day.

All of this busyness, has truly drained me spiritually, physically, and emotionally.  The ironic part is that that my sleep quality, or lack there of, is directly tied to me level of exhaustion.  The more exhausted I am the worse I sleep.  This cycle does not exactly bode well for relaxing, healing, or strength for a new day.

I have taken up a new routine recently that involves a long soak in a bath before I go to bed.  The reason I began this routine is because I had hoped the hot bath would calm down my strained muscles and improve my sleep quality.  Since I have began this routine, I have also taken up another routine with it.  Each night I soak, I read something that helps me learn more about who God is.  Right now I am chewing on the amazing words of J I Packer in Knowing God.

Tonight I read about the immutability of God.  God never changes. (Ps 102:26-27)  God has no need for change because He is perfect.  He is exactly the same today as He was at the creation of the universe. (Hebrew 13:8)  Have you ever truly mulled over that truth?  God was not formed.  God did not grow up.  God does not grow old, feeble, or unstable. (Jas 1:17)  God is not dead!

In Knowing God, all of these truths come together to explain the need and validity of reading and understanding the Bible.  Many of us have picked up the Bible, read it for a while, and struggled with the fact that there seems to be no connection between the world of biblical times and today.  Many of us have questioned how a time that seemed so much different can speak to us where we are and in the life we live.  I have struggled with this at times and I have even longed for those simpler times, technologically speaking, in the Bible.

Though there is so much that is different between the Bible time and now, God is exactly the same between the two of them.  The Bible is our way to understand God personally. (Exodus 3:14)  He has shown us Himself through His divine word. (Ps 33:11)  He has shown us what He expects, what He desires, and how very much He loves us.  We can take all of His promises to the bank.  We can trust that the truths that were spoken about Him then are still true for us today. (Ps 119:89, 151-152)  Finally and most importantly, we can know that through what He, Jesus Christ, did for us then we can have complete peace and assurance of what He fulfills in us when we put our full faith and truth in Him today! (John 3:16-17)

Through this new routine, God has given me exactly what I need to find true rest and strength in Him for each day.  He is reviving me, not through the bath, but through His Word and filling the core of my being with Himself.  He is showing me who He is and revealing the truth of the Bible to me in a new, simple, and tangible way.   All I desire is to know God fully and completely.  I want to live and breath Him throughout every facet of my life.  I want to fully die to self and allow Him to live through me daily.

So I will continue to write this blog and be faithful to what the Lord has set on my heart.  I now understand that this blog is both for my healing and the healing of others.  I also understand that, through the example of the Bible, I am to continue where the Lord has me and remain faithful in that task.   Please pray for me as I seek to walk closer with Him and have the strength and courage to continue writing each day.  I pray that you to will discover a new way to connect with God through prayer and I hope you will also develop a new passion and hunger to know God as He is and has always been in His Word.

Blessings,

Greg

Things I Learned From a Trailer

Today, I learned how to load, secure, and drive with a tractor on a trailer.  I use a trailer all the time doing landscaping projects at my job but most of the time I am pulling it around with our tractor.  My trailer adventure today involved me pulling more weight than I ever had before and came with new challenges and lessons.

I had to rent a larger trailer for our tractor because the trailer we have at work is to small.  When I brought the trailer back to my job, I set it up so I could drive the tractor on it.  I decided to put my seatbelt on in this instance because I did not want to take any chance that the tractor would flip or fall off.  Driving the tractor up was simple enough but I was not sure how far forward to drive the tractor to create the proper balance for driving.  I drove the tractor forward until I saw the back of our vehicle even out and load a little and then stopped.

After chaining the tractor up, I got in the vehicle and began my trip to the mechanic.  It did not take me very long to realize that I had not balanced the tractor properly.  As I drove down the road, every little bump made the vehicle sway back and forth and and bounce up and down.  I had only made it a couple miles down the road when I was feeling a slight bit of motion sickness from the swaying and had to pull over to try and remedy the situation.

Luckily, when I pulled into the gas station, I saw a truck that looked like it had pulled quite a bit of heavy equipment.  I quickly parked, got out of the vehicle, and walked over to the truck to ask for help.  I asked the stranger if he had towed a tractor before and he answered that he had.  I asked him if he could help me and show me what I had done wrong in loading our tractor.  I explained to him how the vehicle was bouncing and swaying and he told me that I had not pulled the tractor far enough up on the trailer.

He helped me get the tractor position correctly and I have to say that the rest of my hour long trip was smooth and without motion sickness ;) .  It was still interesting dealing with the added weight, both in acceleration and braking.  I also had to be very careful to keep the trailer wheels in the lines and make sure that I made my turns wide to accommodate the large trailer behind me.  All in all, I am so grateful for the help of a stranger and that I made the trip to the mechanic and back safely.

God spoke to me in a few ways through this trip.  First, He showed me the value of asking for help.  There are many times in life when I have tried to do things on my own without seeking God's help and failed.  Through humbling myself and admitting that I can't do it on my own, I allow myself to be molded and taught by Jesus.  Second, If I had not paid attention to the trailer while I was driving, I would've surely hurt the tractor, myself, and/or others.  Through this, I learned how important it is to pay attention in life.  You never know when the Holy Spirit may be leading you to reach out, talk to someone, or teaching you a biblical truth through the situation you are in.  Lastly, I was acutely aware of how often my life is in God's hands.  Any number of things could've happened on my trip today.  I believe God was at work by steading my hands on the steering wheel, protecting my tires from blowing as I drove, directing the many semis in their lanes, providing a stranger to instruct me on proper trailering, and helping me to find the mechanic and navigate home without issue.

God is constantly moving and working in our lives.  Each day is an opportunity to see Him work in your life.  I leave you tonight with some verses that I hope will give you peace in knowing that God is in control of your life daily.  Ephesians 3:20, "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us."  Matthew 10:29, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father."  Proverbs 16:9, "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."


Blessings,


Greg

Spirals of Life

In the last couple days I have had trouble getting up on time.  I don't know if my body is trying to tell me I need more sleep or if I have just thrown my sleep schedule off kilter from staying up to late.  Have you ever had those times where you were thrown off your rhythm?  It is amazing how we can do the right thing day after day and all it takes is one small stumble to send us spiraling down.  It seems like it is so hard to walk upright in Christ daily and so easy to fall into sin.


James 3:2 says, "For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body."  Oh how I long to be the perfect man who is control of my own body but the Bible is clear that the only perfect man who has lived on this earth is Jesus.  In 2 Corinthians 5:21 Paul says, "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."  Jesus knew that we could not be perfect on our own.


I am so thankful that Jesus came to set us free from the bondage of sin.  I am so thankful that His purity serves to reflect before the court of God as the righteousness that allows me into heaven.  1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  He cleanses us through His action on the cross not because of our own worthiness.  So the next time you stumble, fall on your knees and let Jesus lift you up to Himself.  Feel the gentle grace and love He gives as He helps gently brings you once again to "paths of righteousness."  


Blessings,


Greg

Beautiful Weekend

Man what a weekend!  My wife and I had great fun setting up and rearranging what will be our little boy's room.  We enjoyed shopping and looking at all the cool furniture, clothing, and accessories.  We had a great time brainstorming about what colors to choose, what theme to do, where we want the furniture, and so much more.  The 3d ultrasound has really given us quite a bit of excitement for the coming of our little man.

On Sunday, we went to a new church and truly had a great time!  It was so fun to go to Sunday school and spend time with people our age engaged in deep bible study.  We have missed a connection like this for so long.  We enjoyed Sunday school, the worship, the message, and even getting to go out to eat with new friends.  Though it is difficult not having a church home right now, we are enjoying the blessings of meeting new people and attending new churches.

Sunday night my friend, Mike, was able to come up and celebrate the Super Bowl with us.  We had a great time of fellowship, playing video games, laughing at the commercials, screaming at the teams, and stuffing ourselves with all types of goodies.  What a wonderful game to watch together too.  The game was a nail biter until the very last second and that is exactly the way I like it!  It was so great to spend time with him before he goes back to NC to return to his marine duty. When you have a friend who no longer lives near you, you truly begin to cherish the time you get with them.  Through the past few years, the friendship that I Mike and I share, as brother in Christ, has deepened greatly and I am so thankful for that.

This is what I learned from my weekend.  I learned how much I desperately miss intense bible study.  I learned how important it is to have friends your own age and life stage.  I learned that I can be okay with just hymns if they are done well.  I learned that Call of Duty is much easier with clear communication and one person leading.  I learned that our world thinks way to much of itself and material products through the many Super Bowl commercials (a no brainer there).  I learned that penalties and mistakes really do win or lose a game.  I even learned that how a room is arranged truly does matter to the functionality of the room. The two most important thing I learned this weekend though is how wonderful a mother my wife is going to be to our little boy and how important God's providence, through cherished friends, new and uncertain situations, and His constant movement in my heart, is in my everyday life.

Blessings,

Greg

Walk as a Wise Man Today

One of my greatest struggles, is trusting God when a situation arises that will cost me time and/or money.  In these situations, I struggle greatly with showing grace and speaking love.  I experienced one of those situations today and like usual I spoke out of frustration and worry instead of speaking encouragement and grace.  Have you ever struggled with that?

In the Bible, it is made clear that we are to be very careful what words we speak in reply to trying situations (Matthew 12:37, Proverbs 15:1, Proverbs 17:27, Ecclesiastes 10:12-13).  The Bible is also clear that we are to be gracious and loving to those involved(Matthew 5:43-48, 2 Timothy 2:25, Ephesians 4:1-16).  Knowing how we are supposed to act Biblically, why do you think so many of us struggle to live and walk this way?  It is easy to blame the devil and the world for our folly but the Bible also seems to be big on self discipline and self control (Proverbs 25:28, Galatians 5:22-23, 2 Timothy 1:7).

I do not write this to judge or chastise anyone who struggles in this area.  I am indeed one of them.  I do hope, in writing this blog, you can find the strength to over come your weakness but putting your full faith in Jesus.  I hope you will strive to change your previous behaviors and habits in hopes of demonstrating Christ to the rest of the world through your actions.  An important part of demonstrating Christ to the world around us include being able to apologize, to ask forgiveness, and seek reconciliation when you speak in anger and frustration to someone.

This is exactly what I had to do today.  I find it so hard to humble myself by asking forgiveness at times yet I feel so much closer to Christ each time I do.  He gives me the strength to apologize and He also gives me the tools I need to choose the path of the wise man the next time.  I know this blog is different than others I have written recently but I hope that it is encouraging and helpful to you all the same.  I hope Jesus lifts you up by helping you to walk closer in Him today.

Blessings,

Greg

It's a Boy!

The technology of the medical world, as it relates to pregnancy and birth, is incredible.  Today, we got to see a 3D ultrasound of our beautiful baby boy.  Yes, I said it, "A baby boy!"  How exciting it was as the ultrasound technician went through each anatomical part of our little boy.  It was incredible to see our child's little spine, the lobes of his brain, the chambers of his heart, and the many different appendages including the tell-tale appendage giving the gender determination.

As I looked at the incredible images of my developing child, I couldn't help but think of Jeremiah 1:5 saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart."  Each day God continues the delicate work of preparing my baby boy for life in this world.  He is intricately weaving each system into it's final formation.  He is with my child in the womb bringing him comfort and preparing him for the life our son is about to face.  Ultimately our baby was exactly as he should be and he weighed an ounce more than average for his week.




The ultrasound technician talked to us about one possible chromosomal condition though she thought it would be highly unlikely.  She said she had to tell us about it just in case and told us about a test we could do to confirm whether our baby had anything or not.  I sat there feeling a perfect peace because I have full faith in my God to take care of everything for our baby.  I know that He is in control and I trust Him.  I am so looking forward to the day I get to see my baby boy but until then I am glad that he is in good hands, the hands of Jesus, my savior and lord.  


Blessings,


Greg

Primary Fear

As most of you know this year is election year.  For those who are staunch republicans, I sure many of you have been watching the GOP primaries, debates, and news about the candidates closely.  There seems to be more at stake in our nation than ever before.  We seem to be at such an important cross roads where so many good and bad things could happen by the decisions our leaders make in Washington.  I think most would agree that this is no ordinary election.  Who wins and what they believe matters.

I have tried very hard this year to learn about the GOP candidates and even the president.  I believe it is important to vote and to be informed.  I have to say though I have been greatly discouraged by the candidates I have to choose from.  This GOP race and presidential election have a line from Courageous running through my head saying, "Where are you men of courage?"

What happen to the men of character?  The men who believed in their country and stood solidly in their belief of Jesus.  Where are the men who are connected to all the people of our nation not just the rich or the poor?  Where are the men who have lived the life of the average American and the men who understand the true needs of the people?  Where are the men who are not owned by the many interest groups of the world but live with integrity and are willing to go against the grain for their convictions?

All of these questions are on my heart when I look at the current political landscape of our country but also as I look at the religious landscape.  I believe that the movie, Courageous, is both timely and an essential must see in today's climate.  We live in a world that is reaping the results of cowardly and absent men.  We are living in a world where the devoutly Christian man with integrity, honor, passion, and fervor seems to be an endangered species.  I am afraid until we regain these Courageous men in our areas of leadership that the world will continue this downward spiral.

I pray that courageous and honorable men would stand up and fight for position in the world again.  I pray that they would fill our congress, statehouses, and churches.  I pray there would be a revival and change in this world for Jesus.  I pray that we would learn to live and work in unity again under Jesus Christ's reign.  I pray that the devil's grip on this nation would be destroyed and fall away.

Please take this blog post exactly as it is.  Not as a political argument.  Not as something meant for confrontation or judgment.  Not as something to disparage our country.  This post is simply the cry of my heart for a leader I can depend on and believe in.  A desire for men I can be proud of as leaders of our country.  My prayer is that we would become one nation under the one and only Christian God again.  My prayer is that we would receive the blessing of God again and be a blessing for God to the world.  This is my desire, hearts cry, and prayers.

1 Timothy 3:1-4, "The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive,"

Blessings,

Greg