As a man, I cannot begin to explain the earth shattering, sobering feeling of finding out you're going to be a dad. Time itself almost seems to stop. It's like God himself is saying, take a minute and just be in this moment because this is one of those moments where nothing will ever be the same.
Your life changes from that second on. Where it was once just my wife and myself living a carefree life, we were thrust into a family. We didn't know what was missing from our lives but we were also completed once we met our little Ellie.
This story is not about us though. You see, for years we've watched as some of our friends who have had to wait for just such an experience. They sought after it fiercely. Some waiting and offered prayers and some had even rationalized that maybe being a parent wasn't in the cards. For these families, we waited and prayed for them.
Once again, this is not about us because, for a few of them, their patience was rewarded. And when they celebrated, we were able to be a part of the joy. However, there has been one family that has continued to wait.
That is what this is about. Our friends, our extended family from Queens has waited the longest it seems. There have been many times, I waited to get the phone call. To hear the excitement and to know that joy. God is faithful however. I know that the longer you are made to wait for something, the better it usually is. His love shows in the details and the timing.
As of now, they are looking to bring home a child. They are waiting for that person that makes them whole. And we want to celebrate with them when that day comes. We are asking that your pray for them, that their prayers are answered. We're also hoping that their links will be shared and that their cause gets promoted.
I'm hoping that their home will grow by "2 feet."
Here are their links:
sooandgageadopt.com
facebook.com/sooandgageadopt
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Step out
Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:25-31 NIV)
This verse stood out to me this morning. When Peter stepped out in faith at the word of God, impossible became possible. Just like Peter we sometimes refocus our attention on the "noise" and slowly slip under the waves. Even still, Jesus was there to catch him and remind him.
You may not be able to walk on water but impossible will always be possible when your focus is on Jesus and his word. You might slip up but that hand will always be there to catch.
Step out in faith.
Giants
Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. (1 Samuel 17:49 NIV)
David was a shepherd. A low glamor-less job. Strangely enough though it was here that God refined his skills and David was able to kill Goliath and turn the tide of a war.
We get caught up in where we are or where we were, never realizing that God has a plan and purpose for our lives. You may have to go through lows and situations but those experiences will be there as you head to battle "giants."
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Promises, Promises...
One of the hardest things for me to grasp as a Christian is the whole, Grace concept.
I would try and hold myself up to this unrealistic standard. I would pray, listen to Christian music, not swear, not drink or have sex and all in hopes that I'd be just a little bit better in God's eyes.
Somehow by doing all these things and living pious, I'd somehow earn salvation on my own merit.
The greatest thing about Grace is the fact that God knows we'll mess up and blow it. Since he's not constricted by time, he can be in the past, present and future all at once. He already knows we messed up before we do.
Which further blows my mind because, he's like, "yeah, you're gonna do this and I've already forgiven you.
...like before you were born."
You're allowed to mess up. Perfection is only a lie the enemy puts in your head to get you to focus off Gods Grace and shift it on to, well, you.
If your thoughts are on you then you can't really line your thinking up with Gods thoughts.
God promises us so many things... and all we have to do is trust and wait. I joke with people all the time, God's not asking you to lead an enslaved people out of Egypt. He's just trying to lead you into the life he's made for you.
God promises us that we don't have to be burdened. He actually says, I'll take your burden and you can have mine! (Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:30)
I would start by standing on that promise. I would wake up and speak those words into my life daily and whenever I have negative thoughts of my situation. Stand on Gods promise.
Or Matthew 6:26 -
26 “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?
27“And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
28“And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,
29yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
30“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!
31“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’
32“For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Jesus speaks to everyone and specifically you. It's basically his way of saying, "I know you're going to worry but...I got this."
and Hebrews 13:5 says: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Or Jeremiah 29:11 - 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
My whole point is that God does speak to you! He's giving you these promises and more blessing than we can fathom. You just need to start to stand on these promises and believe in them. When life is coming at you full force, you can look back and say yeah, this is kind of crappy, but it's not the end of me. It's not going to stop God's promises or plans for my life.
The minute you accepted Christ, you were adopted into royalty! Jesus gave you his Grace. You were forgiven before you were born and given all of these promises.
I'll close on this. If you had an estranged Aunt who left you billions of dollars but all you had to do was claim it and wait for the check to come in the mail or clear the bank, you'd be both excited and patient because of what it would mean to you and how it would change the quality of your life.
God's promises are exponentially worth more than billions. And just like the inheritance... this is yours for the claiming. But you have to decide to claim it!
Stop trying to be the rock and let Jesus be your rock. ...cuz you rock!
I would try and hold myself up to this unrealistic standard. I would pray, listen to Christian music, not swear, not drink or have sex and all in hopes that I'd be just a little bit better in God's eyes.
Somehow by doing all these things and living pious, I'd somehow earn salvation on my own merit.
The greatest thing about Grace is the fact that God knows we'll mess up and blow it. Since he's not constricted by time, he can be in the past, present and future all at once. He already knows we messed up before we do.
Which further blows my mind because, he's like, "yeah, you're gonna do this and I've already forgiven you.
...like before you were born."
You're allowed to mess up. Perfection is only a lie the enemy puts in your head to get you to focus off Gods Grace and shift it on to, well, you.
If your thoughts are on you then you can't really line your thinking up with Gods thoughts.
God promises us so many things... and all we have to do is trust and wait. I joke with people all the time, God's not asking you to lead an enslaved people out of Egypt. He's just trying to lead you into the life he's made for you.
God promises us that we don't have to be burdened. He actually says, I'll take your burden and you can have mine! (Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:30)
I would start by standing on that promise. I would wake up and speak those words into my life daily and whenever I have negative thoughts of my situation. Stand on Gods promise.
Or Matthew 6:26 -
26 “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?
27“And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
28“And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,
29yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
30“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!
31“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’
32“For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Jesus speaks to everyone and specifically you. It's basically his way of saying, "I know you're going to worry but...I got this."
and Hebrews 13:5 says: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Or Jeremiah 29:11 - 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
My whole point is that God does speak to you! He's giving you these promises and more blessing than we can fathom. You just need to start to stand on these promises and believe in them. When life is coming at you full force, you can look back and say yeah, this is kind of crappy, but it's not the end of me. It's not going to stop God's promises or plans for my life.
The minute you accepted Christ, you were adopted into royalty! Jesus gave you his Grace. You were forgiven before you were born and given all of these promises.
I'll close on this. If you had an estranged Aunt who left you billions of dollars but all you had to do was claim it and wait for the check to come in the mail or clear the bank, you'd be both excited and patient because of what it would mean to you and how it would change the quality of your life.
God's promises are exponentially worth more than billions. And just like the inheritance... this is yours for the claiming. But you have to decide to claim it!
Stop trying to be the rock and let Jesus be your rock. ...cuz you rock!
Monday, November 21, 2011
altar of faith
As I meditated in the moment, I thought of how I rationalize this flaw. I accept it as if it were my eye color or even the scar on my leg. I've prayed many times to be free of this one vice which is even more odd considering my faith and how I know that God has both set me free and given me his grace. I even know 2 Corinthians 5:17 by heart, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone , the new has come!"
So... If I'm forgiven by Grace and I'm a new creation in Christ, why is this area the easiest for me to fall apart in? Why do I accept this label of addiction and hold it hand in hand with my Grace? The not so simple truth is, that I put faith into both. I put faith in my eventual failure and run back to Grace under the weight of my conviction.
God then began to show me Abraham. He gave me a glimpse into the mountain of faith this man had to have in him and the almost insane amount of trust he had for God. So much so that it staggers my imagination. His faith in God and God's promises were always met with unfathomable blessings. It was in this moment that I marinated on this one thought:
"Put your faith in me as Abraham did."
When you do, you will get a glimpse into who I am. You say you know how big I am, but do you?
You say you trust in me, but will you?
Greatness starts from faith a small as mustard seed but your faith cannot be divided by both your trust in failure and the trust that I made you into a new creation through Jesus Christ. It's one or the other and never both. Will you stand on the faith of my promises as Abraham did and accept that you will fail no more, that you will be distracted no more and that you will no longer claim this addiction as if it was something I put in your heart?
"Put your faith in me as Abraham did."
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Never Again List...
(By Betty Miller)
Never again will I confess "I can't" for "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).
Never again will I confess lack, for "My God shall supply all of my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).
Never again will I confess fear, for "God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7).
Never again will I confess doubt and lack of faith, for "God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith" (Romans 12:3).
Never again will I confess weakness, for "The Lord is the strength of my life" (Psalm 27:1). "The people that know their God shall be strong and do exploits" (Daniel 11:32).
Never again will I confess supremacy of Satan over my life, for "Greater is He that is within me than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4).
Never again will I confess defeat, for "God always causeth me to triumph in Christ Jesus" (2 Corinthians 2:14).
Never again will I confess lack of wisdom, for "Christ Jesus is made unto me wisdom from God" (1 Corinthians 1:30).
Never again will I confess sickness, for "With His stripes I am healed" (Isaiah 53:5). Jesus "Himself took my infirmities and bare my sickness" (Matthew 8:17).
Never again will I confess worries and frustrations, for I am "Casting all my cares upon Him, who careth for me" (1 Peter 5:7). In Christ I am "care-free."
Never again will I confess bondage, for "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (2 Corinthians 3:17).
Never again will I confess condemnation, for "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). I am in Christ; therefore, I am free from condemnation.
Never again will I confess loneliness, Jesus said, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20). "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5).
Never again will I confess curses or bad luck, for "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us...that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith" (Galatians 3:13-14).
Never again will I confess discontent because "I have learned, in whatsoever state (circumstances) I am, therewith to be content" (Philippians 4:11).
Never again will I confess unworthiness because "He hath made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Never again will I confess "I can't" for "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).
Never again will I confess lack, for "My God shall supply all of my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).
Never again will I confess fear, for "God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7).
Never again will I confess doubt and lack of faith, for "God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith" (Romans 12:3).
Never again will I confess weakness, for "The Lord is the strength of my life" (Psalm 27:1). "The people that know their God shall be strong and do exploits" (Daniel 11:32).
Never again will I confess supremacy of Satan over my life, for "Greater is He that is within me than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4).
Never again will I confess defeat, for "God always causeth me to triumph in Christ Jesus" (2 Corinthians 2:14).
Never again will I confess lack of wisdom, for "Christ Jesus is made unto me wisdom from God" (1 Corinthians 1:30).
Never again will I confess sickness, for "With His stripes I am healed" (Isaiah 53:5). Jesus "Himself took my infirmities and bare my sickness" (Matthew 8:17).
Never again will I confess worries and frustrations, for I am "Casting all my cares upon Him, who careth for me" (1 Peter 5:7). In Christ I am "care-free."
Never again will I confess bondage, for "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (2 Corinthians 3:17).
Never again will I confess condemnation, for "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). I am in Christ; therefore, I am free from condemnation.
Never again will I confess loneliness, Jesus said, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20). "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5).
Never again will I confess curses or bad luck, for "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us...that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith" (Galatians 3:13-14).
Never again will I confess discontent because "I have learned, in whatsoever state (circumstances) I am, therewith to be content" (Philippians 4:11).
Never again will I confess unworthiness because "He hath made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Monday, June 13, 2011
jon the fisherman, a recap!
I know that God answers prayers.
My soul feels so overwhelmed that I cannot fight back my tears of joy. My heart is broken - (in such an amazing way.) I listened to my brother as he talked. For so long, For so very long and so many times I prayed. I listened and as he told me about how he listened to the preacher. I listened until he said, he accepted Christ.
After he said that, I tried so hard to listen to what else he had to say but could only focus on those beautiful words. "I accepted Christ..."
I am now overwhelmed with the amazing gift God has given me today. I'm speechless. I'm awed and I'm trying to fathom God's unending love for us, for the world, for me.
I'd be lying to say that this hasn't given me fresh fire.
THANK YOU GOD
FOREVER
Below is a post from a little while ago. It makes me smile to look back on it!
Jon the fisherman???
by Jon Durnell on Wednesday, February 4, 2009 at 8:50pm
In my head, you are slow to stand. Out of place in the most of accepting of places...Seeing you in church of all places seems almost foreign.
It's a place where no one would think to look to find you. And yet, In my head I see you. I see the look on your face. That slow sinking realization...
You are, the missing piece of this puzzle. You're the one that I can't give up on. You're the one that matters most to me.
I stood up on faith. When asked to step out in faith, to believe for someone... anyone... I thought of you. Only you. The person I promised myself that before I focused on the world...
My heart breaks for you. And rightly so. You're the hardest person to talk to...especially when it comes to faith. This fantastic God and this incredible man named Jesus. How would I explain such a thing?
I remembered standing defiant. Refusing to give up on you. So much so, that I stood up in front of people. Walked in front of a crowded room. No one else moved for such a call. But to believe that by moving you'd be the person to come to know Christ.
My heart breaks for you. And rightly so. You're the hardest person to talk to...especially when it comes to faith. This fantastic God and this incredible man named Jesus. How would I explain such a thing?
I remembered standing defiant. Refusing to give up on you. So much so, that I stood up in front of people. Walked in front of a crowded room. No one else moved for such a call. But to believe that by moving you'd be the person to come to know Christ.
How can I be ashamed of tears? How could I possibly care about myself? Or foolish things like my pride?
What a small price to pay. And yet...
What a small price to pay. And yet...
In my mind I believed what I saw: My brother...My best friend. Standing... Believing in Jesus.
My God... My beautiful God... I will always believe for him. I trust you when you say step out in faith. I believe you when you say, Believe. My little faith to move mountains... to walk on water... For Jesus to mean to him what it means to me.
What could I possibly pay for my gratitude? What measure would ever be enough? My God...My beautiful God.... May he see what I see. May he know you more than I know you. May this heartbreak finally end.
Thank you Lord, for my brother.
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