All The Good Things

All good things come to an end. No matter how much we fight ourselves and wish they didn't. The truth is nothing last forever. There comes a point where everything ceases to exist. Where all that we had is no more. And we arrive at a place new beginnings. A place where we start all over again. Searching for those elusive "good things" all over again. Like a predator hunting its prey, we catch its scent and begin our journey to capture what we seek. And when we finally catch up to those things that we have been searching for for so long, we pounce on them with reckless abandonment. We consume what ever it is with all our passion and desire until before we realize it, just like a beast and its kill, there's nothing left for us to consume. And though we can live on the nourishment of what once was. Although the memory my sustain us for a brief time. It is just that.......a brief time. And we find ourselves once again on the hunt for those things that are good. Those things that feed our happiness. Those things that uplift our spirits. Once again we are on the hunt. Once again. 

You see all good things come to an end. However I would choose to accept that life would be a pretty boring place if not for the constant EB and flow in tides that are our lives. One good thing although it may end, very well may have brought us to a whole new region of life we didn't know before. A whole new area to discover while on the hunt for the next. And when the end comes for US how much more beautiful it is to look back at our lives and see the collage of "good things" that have lead us, taught us, enlightened us and have formed a picture unlike anything else in all of creation and time. So although All Good Things may come to an end. Welcome that end knowing that the morning brings a new hunt and a new hunt brings a new Joy! 

Reach It

The sun shines brightly now I can see clearly the path ahead of me. My feet pound the ground it's a thunderous noise that resounds and carries on. The wind at my back it guides me from place to place whispering encouragements in my ear that light up my face. Failure is not an option, the obstacles ahead of me are merely 

obsta-TOOLS to elevate me to where I need to be. The path is rot with paroles that claim the weak and the weary. However the end is littered with wonders for those who reach its glory. Thus I move on forward, I push I toil. My goal of the end shall not be foiled. My muscles quake they tremble...yes. Yet I am determined to reach it. I shall make my quest! 

I Want More

I constantly find myself yearning for more. Not more things or more money. But for more impact! I not only want to see more meaningful life altering impact but I want to leave more of an impact. I want to leave behind a legacy and not just a memory that will quickly fade as time passes. I hear of so many injustices all around me and I silently cry asking myself "Why were you not there? What could you have done to prevent that? What will you do to prevent that from happening again?" If I merely walk through this life and turn a blind eye to the wrongs I see what is the purpose of my time here on this planet. We were meant for more then just traversing a solitary moment in time and doing nothing to leave a mark on that period we existed. Crimes happen, Loved ones are hurt, physically, mentally and spiritually. What are we doing to satiate the need for justice. Are we stepping into our potential and leaving a lasting impact of Love, Caring, Support and Kindness. Or are we smothering that burning inside of us. That energy that inside that wants to be released so that it can make a difference...a lasting difference.

You see there comes a point when we can either say "enough is enough" and stand up and fight. Or we can say "that's a really horrible thing that happened, but someone else will address it.I'll leave it for them to take care of". Now don't get me wrong I am fully aware that there are two sides to one coin. I can sit here and say I want to do good but I also know that there is evil out there. You cant have a Superman without a Lex Luther or a Batman without a Joker. However I find myself wanting a more meaning full legacy due to the Luthers and Jokers we constantly hear about. Perhaps it is just me. Perhaps I stand alone when it come to the desire for deeper impact. Perhaps I place to much faith on those around me. No. I know its not just me. I know I am not the only one out there that want to stand, that want to fight, that wants to leave behind something to be admired. Not for pride, not for family recognition, not for elevated status. Rather for the betterment of our fellow man. For the betterment our our present. For the betterment of our future and our children's and grandchildren future. I am 100% certain that I could not be a superhero with superhuman qualities. For if I did have them my human nature would take over and many people would be hurt or worse for their atrocities. However although I may not have superhuman powers or abilities. I do possess the ability to tap into that inner potential, to stand for what I believe in and to leave legacy worth remember. As I stated before, I constantly find myself yearning for more. Not more things or more money. But for more impact!



I don't know how many how many of you feel as I do. There is a burning inside you for to leave something behind greater then mere material possessions. I encourage you to seek that you, look inside yourself and find that place that makes you feel "at home" that place where you say "I can really do something here.". And once you've found that, do your best to leave an Impact that future generations will look upon and smile.

Beauty of the Night

When I was a child and growing up I was terrified of the dark. I hated being in the dark. I shuttered thinking about going into the dark.  And I never wanted to be outside alone at night.   I know to most that may have been an irrational fear I had. But I believe we are all born with an inherent fear of darkness, some just more t n others. For some it's the lack of visibility, and unclear direction. For others it's the uncertainty of what may waiting in the darkness, or who. And for others yet it is simply the inherent evil that is associated with the night. For me it was all of the above (isn't that great). But as I recently discovered there are plenty of endearing qualities of darkness. As I jogged/walked home last night at midnight and came face to face with my childhood foe, I was able to see the beauty of the night. I was able to enjoy the star filled sky (even seeing a satellite at one point.). If not for the darkness then these celestial bodies wound be visible. Buildings have a different ambiance about them when lite in the darkness, giving them an almost altered personality. There are points in our lives where we feel like we are in utter darkness. We are uncertain where we are going. We are afraid to move forward because we don't know what dangers may lye ahead. But if we do not move forward in the darkness we may miss out on the beauty created by the light in the night. Whether it be something as small as the stars in the sky or something as profound as a different perspective of something. I believe that we are implanted with a fear of darkness during creation. Some of us more then others. However we must learn to embrace the darkness. Not as much as the inherent "evil" that is attributed to it. Rather in the sense of the other world that can be see, the beauty of the Night.

As the Night Shines: HOPE

As the Night shines,
my eyes whine for they want to see the Light.
It seems that the Darkness is growing... gaining strength,
but my eyes still yearn for the sweet release that the Light brings.
I fight and struggle to find my way,
yet I can find nothing.
Are my efforts in vain, do I struggle and search for a mere figment of my imagination?
My mind begins to war within me with my heart.
My Mind tells me to embrace the Darkness, it says it's always going to be there.
But my Heart tells me to keep pushing forward, don't give up "seek and you shall find".
Truly it is hard to see hope, when physical sight is not a attribute I seem to be able to obtain.
But I keep searching...I keep feeling through the Night... Searching for that hope......

As I search and feel, wondering if this darkness will ever reveal
the key to my freedom. My mind tells me that this HOPE I search for isn't real.
Yet my heart charges me, keep moving forward don't just stand still, lack of motion breads a loss of Will. Loss of Will brings complacency and complacency turns you over to the Darkness.
I can feel it stalking me, following me as I search the Light that I fail to see. 
When suddenly I feel a warmth radiating from inside......could this be the Light? 
The Light that will guide me through the Night. This warmth grows stronger with every passing moment and as it strengthens I begin to question whether this is real or fiction. My nerve rise as I ponder the possibilities of allowing this warmth to overwhelm me. My mind tells me to suppress this happening yet my heart bids me LET GO. I feel as if this internal war will never cease. I drop to my knees with nothing else to loose. I choose to turn over to the warmth. My fear is on a rampage as I feel it clothing every part of me. What was happening? What was coming next? As the warmth consumes my very essence I through my face to the ground in fear and confusion. 

Then in an instant it was gone and I was left laying face in the ground. The seconds that followed only nourished my confusion and fear. What had happened, what was that? I was still in the Darkness left to continue my search. Is this it? Has the Night won?..............Suddenly........my eyes catch something. A glimmer? A shine? I rub my eyes to find that I had found Light! The Light that I so yearned for. The Light that my heart told me to HOPE for. No, I hadn't found the Light, it found me. As my eyes adjusted to this newly obtained sight, I quickly realized why the Light had consumed me. I clearly saw where the Light was guiding me.  I had search through the Darkness, through the Night feeling alone and abandoned for so long. But it was all clear to me know. As the Light radiated around me I could finally see! I was never alone! As far as my vision permitted me I could see others. Others searching through the Darkness. Others fighting with the Night. I understood then what I must do! 

Mishaps and Mistakes

Life never quite goes the way we planned sometimes. Sometimes we think we are smooth sailing yet we do not see what's hidden beneath the boat. As we enjoy the beautiful sights that our journey brings our way, we have no idea of the dangers that lay in obscurity. Worse yet there are times that we can see that which heads our way but for some reason we naively decide that drastic preventative measures should be taken. Either way our ship is in danger. Its in these moments (sadly), when everything is lost and our lives are changed forever, that we find who we truly are. When we find ourselves drowning and fighting to stay alive, it's these moments whether physically, emotionally, spiritually or financially that we are forced to either become a survivor or let life take us over. It pains me to say that my wife and I have been separated for a few months now and are in the process of going through a divorce. It has been a hard, stressful and painful time for the both of us. I do not wish to place blame on either of us, but in reality I shall. You see I believe that any marriage (especially in a Jesus following marriage)if it fails that is is he husbands fault. That is in the sense that is is the mans duty to be everything for his wife. Provider, Protector, Leader, Friend, etc... With that said, I can not move on till I apologize to my Wife for not being all of those things and more. I want to say sorry to Pastor Joe and Jill Harrison for putting all that hard work and counseling into our marriage (I personally feel like I have failed you guys). I thank Centro for making us feel at home when we were so far from our families. I ask that if any of you guys (and anyone else) reads this that you pray and continue praying for Sam that God would comfort her in this process. Sometimes we can get distracted by all the things going by us and the wonder of what we are seeing. Sometimes we get caught up in the operation and maintenance of the boat we are in that we forget to realize that there are others in the boat with us. And if we don't protect them from any danger then we have indeed failed. I pray that God will forgive me for my mishaps and mistakes during this part of my journey. And what ever the future may hold for me, I will strive to release that potential that dwells inside. But I could not go forward until I atoned (however small it may be) for the mishaps and mistakes I've made to this point. I pray that the next chapter of this life holds lots of wonder and whimsy. But above all, I pray that I can learn to see the dangers, recognize the dangers and properly prepare to avoid most and make it through the rest.

Less is More?!?!

"How much money is enough money? Just a little bit more!"

How much technology is enough technology? Just a little bit more.

How much is enough? JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE!!!




What we have is never enough. We always want more. More money, more clothes, more shoes, more games, more fame, more whatever! Yet it seems the more we GET the more we WANT. We increasingly acquire what we want and yet the gratification is momentary. Regardless of how much we have we are never truly satisfied. For some of us we have all these contraptions to occupy our time and mind and still we feel lonely. Some of us have all the latest things (shoes, cars, phones with lightning quick 4G coverage) but we still don't feel truly successful. We get more and more and more and feel less and less and less satisfaction.

Perhaps it is due to the fact that as created beings, we were never intended to gain satisfaction from OUR creations but instead from our CREATOR! There is only one thing that can truly satify that craving for more! Only one thing we should be searching after. Everything we need is found in the Power, the Love and the Grace of our resurrected savior Jesus Christ!

We don't need more money, we need more Jesus.
We don't need more technology, we need more Jesus.
We don't need more of OUR creation, we need more of our CREATOR!

We have all these things that are meant to satisfy us but at the end of.the day all they do is take up room and time. We don't need alot of things, we only need ONE!
JESUS CHRIST the son of God, who came to this world and sacrificed himself on our behalf! JESUS CHRIST who after giving His life for us took it back up and resurrected in Glory and Power! The more CHRIST is in our lives, the things we will need!

I want your BLOOD

The other day I had a pretty sad experience at work (Well at least I thought it was sad). I was in the break-room microwaving my weight watchers popcorn (which I didn't know was weight watchers at the time, but that's irrelevant) when I heard a group of 40+ married women with children arguing about which vampire from Vampire Diaries was sexier, Stephan or Damen, and I don't care if their names are spelled wrong.....THEY ARENT REAL PEOPLE!!! Anyway, I stood there for the 2 minute popping period listening to these women, and it got me thinking about this whole vampire craze that is going on. I mean even when I was little I spent a lot of days wanting to be a vampire. I would quote the famous line "I want to suck your blood!" that I didn't even know where it came from, I just knew it had to do with this creature I wanted to turn into. And even now we see the vampire obsession continueing with shows like Vampire Diaries, True Blood and Movies like Twilight (and I tentatively put that movie in there.......Glittering Vampires......come on.....really!!!). I would think to myself how crazy it is that vampirism is constant part of culture no matter how much culture has changed. I mean there are stories of blood sucking, flesh eating creatures dating all the way back to ancient Greece. Yet no matter how culture changes, no matter how society develops and evolves vampires are always there ready to take to on the popular cultural diversities of the time.
It was amazing to me......that is until I started thinking about the main features/attributes of vampires that intrigue people the most. The IMMORALITY that comes with the vampridic condition and the constant thirst for BLOOD to survive. I began thinking about these attributes and then as if a light bulb turned on in my head, I thought to myself: "Oh, Your are a clever one!" And no I wasn't referring to myself, I was referring to the great twister (not the dance...and not the highly suggestive "party" game either). I'm talking about the one that is constantly taking the Word of God and twisting it to distract us from the Truth.
Wait, what......what do vampires and the Bible have to do with each other? Well I myself found it interesting how the two most glorified aspects of the vampire are the fact that they have eternal life, but only if they have a daily, hourly (whateverly) intake of blood. And as followers of Christ Jesus we believe that it is through the blood shed on the cross of calvary that we obtain eternal life with the Father. Now I'm not saying that vampires are an evil ploy to undermine the cross, but I am writing it. You see from the beginning of time immortality has always been something man kind has sought after. And I believe it is do to the fact that when God created Adam and Eve He intended for them to live forever. He gave them the tree of Life and allowed them free access to it. But once sin entered the world through our ancient parents, God demonstrated his love and kicked them out of the garden and away from said tree. If he hadn't they would have lived in there sin forever. Ever since our parents where exiled man has been earning for and trying to obtain that immortality that was once freely and easily obtainable. But with the introduction of Sin into the world that immortality was a only a fading memory along with the relationship man (by a man I also include woman) had the Creator. Now no longer was it as easy as picking a fruit from a tree and walking with the Creator and talking with him. Now blood had to be shed. Now the only way to life was through the death and offering of a sacrifice.
Fast forward into the future and now Jesus is on the scene. Man is still trying to obtain immortality man is still trying to regain life. Jesus shows up and becomes the ultimate sacrifice, sheds the ultimate blood. And through His sacrifice we can once again gain that eternal life we once had in the garden, through His sacrifice we can once again have the relationship with the Creator we had in the garden. Now it is once again as easy as picking a fruit from a tree and walking and talking with our Father.
But like I said, the great Twister is quit the clever one. You see Satan can not create anything new, so all he can do is take what God has done and twist it to deceive and distract us from what Christ did on the cross. So now instead of putting our focus on Christ, the masses are infatuated with these mythological creature that for some reason or another have acquired the ability to live forever. Now here is the truth in all of it, they need BLOOD to do so. Just as the blood Jesus shed on the cross grants to all who believe redemption and eternal life, regular consumption of blood sustains vampires forever. The truth is Blood, the lie is that you don't need Jesus.
In reality without Jesus there is no redemptive blood shed. Without the redemptive blood shed there is no forgiveness of sins and without the forgiveness of sins there is no eternal life with the Father. Jesus is the bedrock on which we place our faith. And anything the enemy can do to distract us from the fact that without Jesus we have no hope, we have no fulfillment, we have no life he will do. Anything the enemy can do to keep us from realizing we need to be redeemed and look to Christ and say "I want your BLOOD, your cleansing, justifying, redeeming blood. I want you Jesus!" He will do. After all, he is the great twister (again no not the dance and no not the highly suggestive "party" game either).


Two verses to read if you like to read and stuff:

Romans 5:8-10

1 Peter 1:18-20

Got a Light

Its been 12 years since the dreaded Y2K bug epically failed. (side note, I told my teenagers that and only two of them had a clue about what I ment.... Wow! I thought it was kind of a big deal back then...anyway) Its been 10 years after the greatest tragedy struck American soil when the Twin Towers fell. Then there was Katrina and constant Hurricanes that hit the south. We've seen earthquakes and tsunamis demolish countries, cities, homes and lives. And after every event, after every tragedy people are left wonder where they go from there.  Its 2012, and I don't know if you've heard, but the world is supposed to end this year. And after it doesn't, if it does I dint think anyone will care about who was wrong or right, I'm sure there are gonna be some people wonder where to go from there. But what about now? What about today? What about the feeling I have know? Where do I go from here, what do I do NOW?! I mean for those of you that believe the world will end, what do you do with that fear, what do you do with that uncertainty? For those of us that don't believe it and we are thinking about our future lives. Where do we go from here and now! Have any of you ever wondered that? Have you ever been sitting there thinking about your future and wonder, Where do go after I graduate? What do I do for a liveing? Do I go to college or straight to the work force? If you have ever thought of your future and it seems like a black whole of nothingness. If you have ever questioned what to do our how to get where you know you want to go. I have a secret to tell......you ready for this.......99.99% of mankind has felt that way at one point or another in there lives! In Psalms 13 King David is talking to God and asking Him how long God would keep turning his face and not listening to him (my words not the exact word of the Bible). He wonders how long he must live on darkness and alone with no direction (again my words not His). Now this is a man that is given the title "A MAN AFTER GOD's OWN HEART" and even he felt lost at times.
You see we all get those doubts, those feelings that we are lost and will never find our way. Its part of human life. But the beauty of this is that God knows this. God knew we are gonna be lost and confused at some point. GOD knows that there are gonna be times when we are stuck in a black whole of nothingness not being able to find our way out. And the beautiful part of it is that God gives us an answer! And its the good kind if answer.......a simple one!


Psalm 119:105 NIV84

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path.

Check it out....the Word is like our own personal, spiritual, moral.....flashlight. When we use a flashlight we usually shine it on our feet to see where we are at and what we are dealing with. Is the ground rocks, grass, bumpy, am I standing on a pillar out in the water like Daniel-son while trying to dodge a rusty crane swing at me. We shine on our feet so we can see whats up NOW. But we also shine it ahead of where we are going to see what's coming up and what we are going to have to deal with so we can make plans for what's ahead of us.

The WORD does exactly that! It shines on our present situation so we can see what exactly it is that we are dealing with and helps us better dodge those rusty cranes that are currently swing our way trying to knock us off coarse. It also guides us and shows us what our futures will and can hold. And teaches us how to prepare for what's ahead.

Like I said, its 2012 and for some of us this year is full of uncertainty. We don't know where to go from where we are at. We don't know what to do with what we have, or what to do because we don't have. For some of us right now right here we feel like we are in a black hole of nothingness with no clear way out. Meanwhile for other that's not the case. But as I said before, we all go through periods in our lives when we lose track of where we are going. We lose our bearings and end up lost not knowing where to go or what to do. And it in those moments, whether your in them today or you face them 20 years from now, its in those moment we need to remember that HIS WORD is OUR LIGHT!

Now thats not it! God's not done! You don't just get one thing today, if you read on there is a free bonus item just for todays readers. Thats right, two for the price of none!

The book of John say this:

John 1

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

In the old testament the Psalmists and Prophets and Believers looked to the scriptures because that's all they had. The scriptures were their source of life and encouragement!  They did nothing if not by what was written. But in the New Testament that Word became flesh and that flesh is the man Jesus of Nazareth!! Now not only do we have the scriptures to lead us and guide us but WE HAVE JESUS!!!!

"I'm Forever alone" .....is a lie! The Word became flesh and that flesh is Jesus and he is with you!

"I don't know what to do about this problem and I don't understand the Bible completely."....that's fine cuz the word that lights our path became flesh and that flesh is Jesus

The same Jesus that was born of a virgin birth. The same Jesus that lived a perfect life here on earth. The same Jesus that was betrayed by one of his own street team members and lead to be tortured, ridiculed, beaten beyond recognition then crucified. The same Jesus that died and three days later rose, giving us power over sin and death! Yes that Jesus is with us and that Jesus will guide us!


We need to remember that even though we may be in or will be in a place where we don't see a way out, or we just don't know which way to go or what to do, we can always lean on Jesus and trust that he will guide us through.

So in those times when you are lost and feel like your in a dark place not able to find your way. In those times when you are praying for and asking "Is there anyone there and DO YOU HAVE A LIGHT?" Remember Jesus is there with you, if you will stop and listen you will her him say "I AM"!

Not a Porn Star

The Bible states:

Proverbs 18:22
He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.

Blessed is the man who goes out and searches the heavens above, the depths below and all the nooks and crannies of Tera Firma and finds himself a good wife.I want you to notice that the verse doesn't mention what the woman is doing during the Mans adventure/quest for a wife. Perhaps its because as women you should not have to FIND love. You should only have to RECEIVE love. Maybe the man finds favor because in his journey he shows that he is willing to pour his blood, sweat and tears into finding a wife, a companion, a lover and a friend. Maybe its like the old saying goes, that you appreciate something more when you have worked hard to obtain it. I think that is one thing this generation has working against them...We think we are entitled to everything. And as men we think that just because the porno we watched last night depicts a sexy women freely and willingly giving herself up to any and every man in the production that that is how it should be in reality. Then we end up treating women as if they are the characters on the screen on our favorite free website and get ticked off when we don't get what we want. We are not entitled to sleeping with every woman we see. We are not entitled to seduce women into sleeping with us with claims of Love. This is not Pokemon and we shouldn't be trying to "catch them all". Rather we are entitled to journey, to quest, to search high and low in order to find a good women and once we have we are entitled to fight for her Love as we give her ours. We are entitled to show her that she is not just a future Porn Star in our sick, perverted, fantasy, but that she is royalty that needs and should be pursued in Love. Blessed and favored is he who finds a good wife, for in is journey his wife has seen that he is a warrior, a fighter and will do what ever it takes to win and maintain her love.

So dudes, grow some balls and man up! Don't take the easy way out and follow the first girl that throws herself on you. It is such a great feeling to set out on a quest to find something, spending countless hours researching, pour your blood, sweat and tears into the search and to finally find what you were looking for. So put your big boy pants on and do this right. A real man isn't the one that most resembles Barney from How I Met Your Mother....A real man is one that can search, find and maintain that authentic love between him and his wife.....

And ladies if you haven't noticed....Mr. Right is gonna be searching for Miss. Right, not Miss "Show what you've got to who ever will look." So stay strong, don't let scum bag dudes trick you into becoming something less worth what you really are. You are the most precious thing (not calling you ladies an object) on this earth. You should be cherished and fought for. If the dude isn't willing to do that then kick the moron to the curb! And don't worry, your time will come!

Dream On

I don't know how many of you were like me, and had these huge, amazing, fantastical dreams and aspirations of who and what you would be like in the future. I also don't know how many of you are like me, and you haven't quite reached the place you dreamed you would be at by this point of your life. As for me, sometimes I would sit back and think back on the decisions I made in my life and wonder what I have to show for them. I look at people I grew up with that are successful, I look at siblings that I grew up with that are successful. And I wondered, "did I really make wise decisions?"...It seems that the one dream that I dreamed that has come true, is that I've married super hot women (sorry dudes, she's mine, everyone else will have to settle for 2nd best). For me I see this vision of what the future can hold and I wonder if that future is even obtainable. Like I said, I don't know how many of you out there had dreams, and visions of what the future held, but I know I did. And I still do. You see, yes there may be times that I wonder if the decisions I made were wise or not. But if I continue to dwell on the what life could have been if I made different decisions, then I'll miss the opportunity to walk into what the future could be. The past is the past and it has molded us into the people we are today. But the past wont bring us into the tomorrow. The present is the threshold of the future.
God has place skills and talents in each and every person on this earth. He has also given us all a dream a vision and those talents will aid us in our journey to see that dream manifest in reality. Your gifts are your own, your talents are your own, YOUR DREAM IS YOUR OWN. It's not to late to get up and start moving toward that picture that you see when you think about how your future can be. God has given you this dream, trust Him to help you, guide you and watch you see it come to fruition. My wife and I are currently in process. We have this dream, and we have stepped you to see it happen. And there is nothing more exciting then to be taking steps towards that dream, that you thought would never come true. I can see it, I can smell it, I can hear it and my heart is racing cause I know it's just over the next hill.
So what ever dream God has given you, take it today and walk through the threshold of the present into the world of your future.




"ARISE AND BE ALL THAT YOU'VE DREAMED"
-Flyleaf-

THE ROAD

Sometimes we come to a pivotal turning point in our lives and we look back and exam the road (your life) we have just traveled. We begin to remember all the accomplishments, all the failures, all the incomplete tasks and all the things we never thought we would finish yet did. And as we stand there at this “turning point”, this “changing station” if we can call it that, sometimes we are accompanied by individuals that would want to keep us in the very place we stand. Often we are met with words of ill accomplishments. You know those words that stare back down the road with you and ask you, “What did you really accomplish there? I mean, did you even learn anything? Do you have anything to show for your past on that road?” These questions may be accompanied by the feeling of sadness or grief. As we ponder the questions purposed to us, he creeps in, and we suddenly feel like we wasted our lives. We may feel like we have nothing to show for the “Hard Work” we put into the road. At one point the road was bright, exuberant and a joy to be on. Now as we peer back we see nothing but darkness, pain, hurt and confusion. We stand and gaze back on the road, and little by little our station of change gets ever more crowded with those that want you to fail, to give up and to remain motionless. All they want is for you to remain still, remain trapped, and remain as a statue staring back at the road. You see, and object in motion will remain in motion, until acted upon by an outside force. If these individuals, doubt, loneliness, deception, can cause us to come to a stop, they understand the difficulty in restarting from a dead position. They want us to look back on the road and pin point all the negative situation causing us to loose hope, to loose faith to loose the will to continue. But there is always one constant on the road, an immovable variable that we often overlook in the moment and as we re live the road. That constant is the ever present, all sufficient Christ, our Lord our Savior. Take a look back at the road, if you exam carefully (20/20 right?) we can see that in all those times our current companions remind us of, Christ is there. You don’t believe me; I challenge you to exam your road looking for evidence of His presence. The time we needed monetary aid, and it came from what seemed to be nothing. The time we felt all alone yet felt a warm presence we couldn’t explain. The time we received live altering medical news and in the mist of the turmoil had an overwhelming sense that things would be all right. This, the most important moment of all….when we were stuck in sin and damned to eternal grief and torment unless we pay a price that would result in our death and He stepped in, looked us in the eyes with unimaginable Love and stepped up to pay the price for us, thus saving us and freeing us. The roads we travel will be hard, they will be filled with moments of pain, moments of hurt moments of shame. But when we come to our pivotal road changing stations and we look back and examine the road we were just on. We must not allow those negative individuals to keep us motionless. Christ paid to much for us to allow ourselves to come to a complete stop on this journey we call life. Remember: and object in motion will remain in motion until acted upon by an outside force. If we continue moving towards Christ, focusing on Him and what pleases him. Then the pull He has on us will out weigh the forces trying to stop us from doing what he has called us to do. I don’t know what point you’re at in this journey. Perhaps you are like me and you are coming up to a point where you are about to get off the road you have been on and merge onto a new road, one you haven’t been on before. Or perhaps you are still traveling on the road you are on and there’s no sight of a change any where in the near future. Regardless of which one you fall into remember, that there is one constant on the roads we travel. Jesus is always present and always pulling you towards Himself. Focus on the road ahead, and when you get to your changing station, look back and praise the Lord for all He did for you on your journey.

Isaac A Valentin

What weapon do u choose?

Sum call me a handyman/given a task I always say I can/I may not have a master plan/but like master chief I run this land/with my weapon of choice in my hand/and my weapon of choice is the great I AM!!......

To whom it may concern

For to long I've sat around pretending that nothing is wrong and thinking that if something really was going on that I wouldn't be able to do anything about it anyway. For far to long I've sat and watched as countless injustices rampaged my city, my neighborhood, my home. Believing the lies that I was useless and that everything was ok, that everything was fine. I've allowed the opposition to brainwash me into submission. To imprison me in a pseudo reality of false dreams and notions. Every time an inkling of truth would penetrate the shield of this false world, I was put in check by fear and uncertainty. Thus never allowing me to see reality, never seeing Truth, never seeing who I really am, and what i was created for.

I cant explain it, I don't know how Truth got trough to me. But a fire was ignited in me this morning. A warrior's inferno rose up within me, now this pseudo reality is the one who should fear. I know my purpose, I know my calling, I know my strength and I know where to draw it from. For far to long I've sat back, I've stayed out of the fight I've refused to accept what was on going. I believed lies and lived in a prison of ineffectiveness. But now I know my enemy, I know his tactics, I know his games. Now it is I, that shall be on the offensive. It's been to long, to many injustices to atone for. So let it be known, I SHALL NOT QUIT, I SHALL NOT RELENT, I SHALL NOT BACK DOWN! YOU'VE FOOLED ME FOR TOO LONG, NOW IT'S MY TURN, MY MOVE, MY GAME! There is far to much at stack for failure, there is to much on the line to quit, to much is riding on this victory. And believe me when I say, VICTORY SHALL BE OURS!!!................


I hope your ready!!!

THE MIDDLE

They say that you are the beginning and the end. While that’s all good, swell, neat, great and all those nice little pleasant words. I seldom hear anyone speak about the middle. You may be the beginning; you created all, brought all into an existence that was previously not. You may be the end, the finisher, He who holds all of eternity in the palm of His hand. But what do they say about the middle. You know the portion of existence that we struggle through, the part of this thing we call life that no one can seem to get a handle on. Are you the middle as well? Or do you conveniently create, sit back and watch as that which you created struggle, stumbles, fight over non fundamental reason and then step in at the end of your creations life and hold a rod of judgment for their lack of understand, willpower, resolve and wisdom. So we hear that you are the beginning and the end, but are you also the MIDDLE? You know, that point in your creations life where they seem to have nothing left to fight for, that moment when they cry out to a “higher power” but get no reply. Are you the middle as well? You know, those segments in our walks on this planted where everything crashes and we have nothing left to sustain a suitable state of being. Are you the Middle too, or are you solely the beginning and the end. Is this destined to be the way of life we are forced to endure, a life where we cry out with no reply, a life where we struggle to make ourselves acceptable, to make ourselves appear more like you……starting something, then watching as it struggles to find meaning, know that the answers lie within us.

Or is it that just as much as you are the beginning, just as much as you are the end, you ALSO are the MIDDLE……Is this existence more meaning full then we could have, can or ever will comprehend? Is it that not only do you encompass what was, and what will be, but that you also encompass what is! Could it be that we, the creation, are so bogged down by the trials of life, the pressures of being, the tests of existence that we focus on what was and what could be, and neglect to realize what is. Are you also the middle? You know that moment in our journey when we must weigh the outcomes of every variation of every decision possible to calculate which is the better, perhaps lesser of all evils, or greater of all great decisions. Are you also the middle, where it appears we are all alone, yet strangely there is a presence of something we just can’t seem to grasp? Could it be that we merely, in our endeavor to succeed, or journey to understand, our quest to figure out what this all really means, glance over the fact that the middle consists of you just as the beginning and end do? Can there ever be a particular fragmentation in the MIDDLE that we see through the questions, through the uncertainty, through the enigma that is meaningful life, and see YOU. We struggle, we toil, we wrestle all for something that we know, we understand, we realize is finite. Yet we labor still. Could there…….could there be a moment, even if briefly, that our existence is transformed by the revelation that not only are you the beginning, not only are you the end, but you are also the MIDDLE. That time in our journey, when everything is wrong, yet somehow we know that it is alright.



Isaac A Valentin

Our True Master

I sit here and I struggle on how to begin this blog. I have wanted to write this for some time, but something impeded my progress every time. It is now known to me what that debilitating force was……………Cowardess. “Wait did he really just say that? Did he just call himself a COWARD?!” Yes…yes I did, just one of many, “Dirty Little Secrets”. You see I’m writing this because it has hit me close to home as well. As Christians we claim that Jesus is our Lord and our master, but it is quite evident that there is another entity that guides our hands, another force that many don’t want to admit, but a force that masters us more then we allow “our Lord” to. We as Christians in America have become Cowards! We hide behind facades and aliases so that we can’t be held responsible for “our” words or actions. We tolerate those who would demean, slander, and hurt others behind a pseudo personality. All because they are afraid of the consequences of their actions, consequences they have no desire of dealing with.
We rather hide behind a Twitter persona and give them power over us, then handing our “dirty little secrets” over to the ONE we claim is our Master and Lord. American Christianity says it’s ok to be a Coward, as long as you don’t portray that in public. Please share your thoughts about others to the world; just don’t let the world know it is really you. We would rather be comfortable then see God bless us in our discomfort. We want to have blessings upon blessings from God, just without the blood, sweat and tears, put into years and years of doing the Lords work. We trade the anointing power and knowledge of God Almighty, for humanly power, and the knowledge of private issues of those around us.
Since when has Christianity been about self gain and exultance? Is not our mission to do the Lord’s work? Is not our goal to bless the Lord with our actions and speech? Is not this life a life that is to be completely surrendered to Jesus? If so, we can not be completely surrendered to Jesus if we are still mastered by a cowardly spirit. If you have not read into my “dirty little secret” by now, then let ME share it with you. For years I have found it easier to associate and befriend those that don’t claim to have a master in Jesus Christ. I’ve had a hidden fight inside towards people claiming to be “Christians”. Why is that? Simply…..for the reason I am writing today (and I include myself first off in this!!!!!). We as Christians in America rather hide behind pseudo realities and hurl slanderous words towards those we see fit. But those that don’t claim to have what we have (relationship with Jesus); don’t seem to have that problem. They will tell you (in detail) everything they think about you. But I guess since we claim to be followers of Christ then we have to wear those masks and costumes and masquerade as if we have no issues with any human on the planet. I guess that is what Jesus died and rose again for. I guess that is what he really requires and commands us to do.
Ill be it, it may be hurtful to have a face to face “discussion” (blow up) with someone. But let us walk through this. I blow up in someone I know or a friend’s face and tell them all the things I think about them or feel about them. We both get angry at the other person, possible storm off and that ends the confrontation. But what that does is allow room for us to return and settle things, to talk about what happened and move on.
But when I hide behind a pseudo persona on Twitter or Facebook, and begin to catapult every dark and dirty thing I’ve kept inside about everyone, all that does is cast out the net of bitterness and perversion that I’ve been trapped under all this time. We say to ourselves: “it’s better that “I know ya’ll” then for you to really know me.” And it seems that we as American Christians would rather have the latter.

So I must examine myself…. I must ask the hard questions.


Am I a COWARD?


Who REALLY is my MASTER?

A Book and its Cover

As I made my way to work today that popular phrase came to my mind. “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” I can remember times in my life when I was judge simply for the way I looked or dressed. I can also remember times when I in turn have formed judgments about others simply for outward attributes. I thought about this and realized that those covers that individuals choose to place on themselves tell the observer a lot and nothing at the same time.

How many times have I pick up a book, and simply because of the illustration (or lack there of) I decide that that book is not worth investing my time in. I don’t know if any of you have done that, but for me that is the story my history tells. If the outward attributes (the things I can see) don’t intrigue me, then I keep moving on in search of something to place my time and effort into. This can also be applied to our relationships (or lack there of). We meet, or see someone for the first time and it’s like picking up that book. If the outward attributes that person has chosen to clothes them selves with (the way they dress, how they carry themselves, their hair style…etc.) don’t intrigue us or draw us in, then we simply move on and say, “That person is not worth investing my time in”.

So what is the point of “not judging a book by its cover”? You see the cover of a book doth not make the book. A cover may tell you a few thing, perhaps one main event in the book, perhaps the author of the book or perhaps it doesn’t tell you anything at all (blank covers). Only when we jump into a book and read each word on each page can we fully understand what a book is about. Each page gives us a small amount of the intricacies of what that book is trying to convey to us. Only at the end do all those intricacies culminate to paint a picture of what the author wanted us to read, and why a specific cover was chosen (if one exist).

By judging others merely on outward attributes, we neglect and pass over the opportunity to jump into the pages of their story, to read each word on every page of their history. We never get a hold of the intricacies of their life that culminate at the present time and allow us insight on why they have chosen to place on themselves the specific cover they wear and we possibly miss out on an opportunity to make a life long companion in this life. I have a friend now that I thank God I was able to meet, even though our judgments of each other would have never allowed us to create the friendship we have. When I first saw Nick, my judgment of him was nothing less then negative and I received a like judgment from him. I thought he was one of those people I try to stay away from, because they irk me too much (It can also be said that he thought the same of me.) But by chance a few years later we ended up on the same traveling drama team. This gave us the opportunity to get to know one another (whether we wanted to or not. Let’s just say I should have kept driving the van…haha….sorry if you don’t know what I’m talking about). Once we relinquished our past judgments of each other we realized that there were some chapters of our live that had similarities. And now I can say that Nick knows more about me then anyone of my other friends. That type of bond can not be created through passing judgment on glimpses of ones “cover”. The only way to build a close bond, a tight relationship is to get past the cover and dive into the words and pages of someone history, what story do they hold. What does that story tell you about the cover they have chosen to wear?

A book may have its cover, and the cover may be extraordinary, but what really matters is what the pages of that book hold. What story do they tell, what history will unfold as the pages begin to unfold and turn. The answer to these questions can not be found simply by judging the cover; rather one must dive into every word on every page. Only then will everything culminate and you will see the true picture that author is trying to convey.

By Isaac A Valentin

The Giver of Life

At night I try to strain my eyes to see exactly what's going on. The darkness clouds my vision blurs. But I’m still amazed at how God can bless a sinner like me… you see the thing that shrouds my sight, is the sin I commit outwardly and inside. The guilt sets in and blocks my heart it stops and threatens my life as part of just retribution. I breathe, I gasp for air’s not there. My lungs collapse, I think, I track my past for facts. This cold it rushes flushes my every limb. The facts set in; I could’ve fought my sin. Alas the past has passed this fate on my plate, nothing left but to accept and wait ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Warmth invades my chest as I rest and wait, is it not too late? I squint I try to focus my eyes, a hand, a face the blur remains. A scar, a hole, could it be, the warmth enters my veins, the spread relieves the pain. The blur subsides, the darkness hides, and my eyes lay hold of the Giver of Life. I sit and stare as light illuminates as far as I can see. As I rise to my feet, the Giver of Life smiles as he looks at me. But NO…my fate was transferred away from me, I stare, I look, I gasp as the Giver of Life shuts His eyes. His breath ceases to be, the life I received, I know now was not free. The tears they pour, I can't take no more. My feet ache and begin to run. Life I try to understand why the Giver of Life gave his life for me. I run and run as far as I can see! STOP!!! Wait…could it be? The Giver of Life is standing in front of me. But I saw, I heard, I witnessed his end. But truly the Giver of if here with me. I sense, I feel a LOVE unreal. This is it, now I know; the Giver gave His Life so I could see. That He loves and cares and wanted to see me free. His life for mine, my life is His. The Giver of Life, Jesus Christ, my freedom paid, now I to live my LIFE!

WHY

In a time when it seems that the world outside of Christianity has more to offer then the one inside of the walls of a Holy covenant with the Creator. Why do we continue in this strenuous battle to be saved, to save others and to daily but our best foot forward in an attempt to live close to the Word of our father as we can. What is it that makes us wake up day after day and not throw in the towel?
If we were to be honest with ourselves, then we would see that we can be a selfish, greedy, prideful people. We drive in our 2005 Toyota Corollas and covet the Jaguar that just drove by us. We walk around Malls and city streets with our iPhones and Blackberry's and lust after the person’s phone that is walking in front of us, because it is “the newest model”. And we are driven to make the next agenda on our list to quench that burning desire inside of us. Yet we gather together in our churches and small group and say we are willing to give everything up for the name of Christ. So again I ask, why do we really continue in this world of Christianity? What makes us wake up day after day and not throw in the towel?
We see people living without the Creator and it seems that they are prosperous and that they are “living the life”. It would appear that they have no issues, no problems. They have money, family, social status, health. All the things that most humans desire, and to add insult to injury, THEY DID IT ALL WITH OUT THE CREATOR. And still there are those that follow the Creator, that devote their lives to His teaching and His commands, that drive vehicles that are literally falling apart, barely have enough money to buy a burger off the dollar menu at McDonald's, whose family is in turmoil and whose health is deteriorating. Yet if you ask them to give up the life they have in exchange for money, fame, health and an “easier” life, they would look you in the eyes and sincerely and wholeheartedly refuse.
We look in the Bible and we find reports of all those who where beating and murdered for following the Creator and spreading His teaching. We read their stories of how badly and horrendously they were tortured, beat and ridiculed. How some were forced to watch as their family members were murdered one by one in front of them. And how when it came time for them to stand before their murders, after watching the ones they loved brutally killed, they would choose to die over giving up their love for the Creator. What is it that allows Christians to choose their love for the Creator, even when face to face with the people that are about to end the very life that they have lived for Him?
I have been in many conversations that end up with the parties involved asking this very question. WHY? Why do we keep doing what we are doing? Why do we keep believing what we are believing? In those moments when I’ve been in the presence of those questions or even when I have asked myself the same questions in a more solitary environment, I think of one thing. JESUS.
Every time I here the name Jesus, and read of what he did. I ask myself, WHY, why did he come to this planet? Why did he live a life as a mere man? He was there in the beginning, when there was nothing, and there at the end of the seven days when there was everything. He was in a place that we as humans can only begin to imagine, a place where he was worshiped continually. Yet he gave it all up, he left it all behind to come to a place where he would be ridiculed, beaten, his skin ripped from his body, a place where he would be murdered. Why would he leave Heaven and its entire splendor, to come to the dirty, filthy, greedy, selfish, petty, prideful realm of mankind?
Why would Jesus do this……because we NEEDED him to. We were on a road that lead to destruction, the bridge was out and we couldn’t stop the train in time. The Creator knew that we were unable to save ourselves, so he sent his only son to come and save us. Jesus came to mankind, died and resurrected and in doing so created a new bridge for us to pass over. You see we were all heading for hell, for we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. That is why Jesus came and died for us, He loved us to much to sit there and do nothing.
So why do we wake up every day and not throw in the towel? Why have saints since the beginning of the church given their lives to follow and spread the teaching of the Creator? Because those that are still on a train to hell NEED us to. We love them to much to sit back and do NOTHING!

Dead End

"When we must always have control over every aspect of our lives, we are telling God that we know how to get where we are supposed to be better then he does. When in reality we are like mice trapped in a maze attempting to reach a piece of cheese. No matter how many turns we take, there is always a wall there to meet us at the end. All the while God (who is greater then we) is standing there looking down at us saying...."I see and know the way you need to go, let me lead you"....the question is, will we set aside our pride and follow God, or will we let our selfishness lead us on a perpetual journey of dead ends?"