Fishing

Earlier this summer I was able to go on a fishing trip with some of the guys from church down in the San Diego Bay and I had a blast. I was really worried that I was going to get sea sick so we didn't go too far out but the Dramamine did it's job and I felt great all day. One of the guys just gave me the pictures he took so I thought I would share a few.

I am ready to fish!

Me and the boys. They thought I wouldn't be able to bait my own hook and I ended up baiting everyone elses!

The bait was trying to get away!!

No, I didn't catch that Halibut, but I wish I had!

Here's my Bonita that I caught!

Therefore

"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:58 I love the word "therefore" when I see it in the Bible. It always means someone is summing everything up. That's what the Apostle Paul was doing here. He was talking about the resurrection of our bodies when Christ returns and explaining that these bodies we now have can't live forever that they will have to be transformed to be like Christ's resurrected body. When that day comes it is going to be amazing and it is going to happen in the blink of an eye. But for now we don't know when it is going to happen. We need to be always looking forward to that time and expecting it to happen but in the mean time, Paul encourages us to be steadfast, immovable and always abounding the work of the Lord. In other words, there is still work to be done here and we need to get to it. These bodies we have are not going to last forever, why not use them up in the work of the Lord. Wouldn't you rather be doing something that will last forever than to just be doing something? I would.

Second Chance

Yesterday at church, Scott, our worship leader, taught us a new song. I love it because it could be my theme song. If there was one thing I could say to the world it would be that God is the God of second chances. Here are the lyrics to the song Second Chance by Hillsong United.

You called my name
Reached out Your hand
Restored my life
And I was redeemed
The moment you entered my life

Amazing grace
Christ gave that day
My life was changed
When from my shoulders
Fell the weight of my sin

So it's with everything I am
I reach out for Your hand
The hope for change
The second chance I've gained

On You I throw my life
Casting all my fears aside
How could greater love than this
Ever possibly exist

Consume my thoughts
As I rest in You
I'm now in love
With a Saviour
Bearing the marks of His love

So I'll wait upon You now
With my hands released to You
Where a little faith's enough
To see mountains lift and move

And I'll wait upon You now
Dedicated to Your will
To this love that will remain
A love that never fails

Here is a link to hear the song on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKIT4KPS-VQ&feature=related

I know all of us at different times are in need of a second chance, it would be nice if like when we were kids we could just say, "Do over" and everything went back to the beginning. Well, I have found God lets us have "Do Overs". Everything doesn't go back like it was before but He does give us second chances. Those second chances aren't conditional. When I used to play volleyball and basketball sometimes I would mess up or not be playing very well and the coach might give me a second chance but it was always conditonal. If I didn't do better I wouldn't get to stay in the game. Sometimes we think when God gives us a second chance He is the same way. That we had better "play" great or we won't get to be in the game any more. God doesn't bring us back to watch from the stands, sit on the bench or to just play once in a while on the second string. He brings us back to "play" in the game. He still has a plan for us. He never gives up on us and He is able to take all those mistakes and use them for good. That just blows my mind sometimes. Do you need a second chance. All you have to do is ask the Lord. He is the best at second chances.

What are you building with?

As I was doing my Bible reading last night these verses jumped out at me. 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 "According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."
I like what these verses say to me. They serve as a reminder that I need to always be aware of how I am building on the gospel that Christ left for us. Are the things that I am doing helping to make the building stronger or weaker? If I am doing the things that God wants me to do, then I am building with gold, silver and precious stones but if I am doing my own things, thinking only of myself then I am building with wood, hay and straw and those things will perish. Now that doesn't mean I will lose our salvation. That's not an option. That was settled the day I invited Jesus into my heart. But from that point on, how have I been living? I hate to admit it but so many times I find myself living for me. Jesus gave everything so I could be saved and live with Him forever, I need to live in such a way that honors Him. When I stand before Him on that Day, the Day He puts all my works to the test of fire, I pray it doesn't look like a forest fire. I don't want to waste my time here on earth. I want to build wisely and the wise thing to build with would be gold, silver and precious stones. So what about you? What are you building with?

Idols

Last night I was reading in Acts 17:16-34. I was really struck by verse 16, "While waiting for them (Silas and Timothy) in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city." The Message Bible actually says it like this, "The longer Paul waited in Athens for Silas and Timothy, the angrier he got--all those idols! The city was a junkyard of idols." Those are strong words but Paul was aware of what all those idols meant in the lives of the people. Those idols were the very things that would keep them from trusting God. They put their trust in things that were created instead of the one who created all things. I started to think about the different idols in our world today. They are everywhere! People are turning to them right and left thinking that they will fill some void or hole in their lives and they only make the hole bigger. It's kind of like that saying, "You can't dig yourself out of a hole." We all have idols in our lives. An idol is anything that takes priority in our lives. If it takes priority in our lives then it has taken the place that belongs to Jesus. I have had to really think about this today and I have been trying to identify the different idols in my life. (I wish I could say that I don't have any but that would be a big fat lie.) Sometimes my job becomes an idol. I love my job and sometimes it takes a lot of my time and energy and I will use that as an excuse to skimp of skip my time with the Lord. It doesn't always seem like an idol because I am serving the Lord. Surely that counts for something. Actually, it doesn't. It is still an idol. I have others, things like being a perfectionist, my down time, time with my friends, the list can go on and on. What about you? What are the idols in your life that you need to surrender to the Lord? It is one thing for someone who isn't a follower of Jesus Christ to have idols in their lives but it isn't good for us, especially if we would like to have an influence on others. When the Lord shows you an idol in your life, it is important that we surrender that idol and get our priorities back in line. That priority list always beings with Jesus. Make sure you have put Him at the top of your list.

Getting Started

I have decided to hop on this band wagon of bloggers and have my own blog. Since I don't have a family and kids to talk about and I don't think anyone really wants to hear about my crazy cats; I thought it would be best to just talk about things that I am learning through my times reading God's word and studying. If you happen to stumble across my blog or you actually sign up to read it, I hope that you can be encouraged by what I am learning and maybe we can do some journeying together! Hope you have a blessed day!