End of year, end of life.

I was presented something the other day, and I have yet to shake it.

It was one of those challenges that feels like your insides are being ripped out of you. Try as you might to stop it, you're defenseless.

Because it has yet to leave my mind, and because I feel the Spirit's leading, I am going to share it with you people.

I pray it does the same for you.

Ears to hear. Eyes to see.

The "challenge" as it may was this:

As we draw near the end of this year, 2011, what if this year, all by itself, was the life you had lived to and for Christ? What if 2011 was your sacrifice you had to give God? Romans 12:1-2.

Think about it.

Go back to January 1st.

Retrace your steps.

Remember the good.

Remember the bad.

Look at your secret life.

Look at what you did in front of people.

Did you give cheerfully?

Did you read faithfully?

Did you worship passionately?

Did you pray fervently?

I know that for myself, I am not pleased, especially with the earlier part of the year.

And if I am not satisfied with what I've done, I know God isn't.

NOW LISTEN.

I am not discrediting the work of Christ. I know that He has completed the work and that our faith is made perfect by faith in Him.

This post is not about that at all.

The Bible, specifically the NT makes it very clear that our faith must produce works. As James 2:14 says, "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?"

Humbling words to say the least.

I don't post this in hopes that you'll look at this year and throw a pity party and think you're a huge failure and then be too down in the dumps to do anything.

I post this in hopes that you will see the brevity of time and you will make the most of your time by making the most of Christ.

Life is short.

Make it count.

I love you.

Bucket List.

Yes, this is a Bucket List. If you find that silly or cheesy, oh well.

I feel it's important to have goals and to express them.

I've felt like I needed to do this for a few weeks, so now I will. :)

The silly things:

Be Darth Vader for a day.

Stage dive.

Write a book, even if it's never published.

Be chased by ducks when I run out of food for them.

See things in the clouds that aren't really there.

Go skiing and fall down more than ten times.

Go to Disneyland and Disney World.

Bench press twice my weight.

Catch all the original Pokemon.

Win a food eating competition.

Try out for the Olympics.

Be in a play.

Ride in a hot-air balloon.

Learn how to Dougie.

Tour the White House.

The slightly serious things:

Hold at least two college degrees.

Be fluent in at least three languages.

Go to a college football National Championship game.

Own a star, name it after someone I dearly love.

Complete an Ironman Triathlon.

Run a mile in faster than 4 minutes 40 seconds.

Learn how to play the piano.

Give a thousand dollars away in one day.

Build a well in Africa. Financially and physically.

See the ancient wonders of the world.

Provide someone with a home.

Run the width of the United States.

Scale as many mountains as possible.

Compete in a Tour De France.

Jump out of a perfectly good airplane.

Serious business:

Make disciples of all nations.

Spend a year in Africa.

Financially support a missionary for an extended time.

Have a business to employ people in need of a second chance.

Read the Bible completely at least once with my wife before we are married.

Adopt at least three children.

Serve my family as Christ serves the church.

Teach all my children to love God, respect people and live excellently.

Be a godly father to my children.

Be a godly husband to my wife.

Make my wife cry for joy more times than of sadness.

Tell my wife and children how much I love them everyday. Especially the days they don't seem to deserve it.

Obviously I could go on for a long time, diving deep into specifics. That statement could not be truer than with the family portion.

Even more obvious is the fact that if some of these never happen I will be okay and life will still be a success as long as I live wholly submissive to God and His specific desires for my life.

I love you.

I hope you're a great part of my future.

Whirlwind.

This blog isn't really like most of mine. It honestly doesn't even matter if people read it. When I am studying scripture or something like that and blogging I love people to read, but this blog is really just so I can unpack my mind. But, if you care and are bored, read ahead anyway.

So, last Saturday at noon is when it all began. I had my going away party (thank you if you came). It was a great time. I felt like a kid again, something I haven't been able to say for a long time. With all the fun were also many bittersweet moments. I said, what I thought would be final goodbyes that day with several people. The week progressed and I went to, what I thought would be my last Bible study at New Journey. Then this past weekend came. I went to Tupelo for the Oh, Sleeper show and to see Kojo and Kayla one last time. Those goodbyes were really hard. Then, once we came home, Sunday rolled around and I saw my pastor, for what I thought was the last time. That afternoon I got to see Amanda and Blanco, same thoughts apply. Blanco and I went to sonic to hang and as much as I didn't want it to, the time for him to leave came and we said goodbyes. I walked back to the mall (that's where my bike was) to waste time and enjoy the weather. I was heartbroken and didn't have much left in me. I was still confident in God though. He always has everything under control.

Little did I know within an hour my life would come within inches of ending.

Getting hit by a vehicle is scary. Getting hit by one when you're not in another one is terrifying.

But, God obvious was with me.

My small injury is certainly a testament of that.

And then finding out I can't go to basic next week.

I was angry.

Because there are people I can easily blame for being in the situation I was when I got hit, but God is still sovereign. Always is.

Now, I'm here with lots of unanswered questions.

What-ifs.

But that's the beauty of faith.

Walking when I can't see.

I love it.

My life, she has been changed, for the far better.

I feel like I was in a valley and God put a jetpack on me and set me at the top of a mountain.

I am absolutely joyful.

I am absolutely founded.

I am absolutely confident.

God is good.

Not because of anything I can say or anything He did or didn't do.

He just is.

But, because He loves us He chooses to be good to us.

Amen.

I love you.

If you're reading this and don't feel the joy and relief I do, get up with me.

I'd love to talk to you.

I'd love to pray with you.

Slavery. Marriage. The Gospel.

Reading the book of Romans is always an interesting activity. It seems as though every time I read it God reveals more truth to me, tis why it's my favorite book I suppose. :)

When reading Romans 6 specifically one thing is certain. Paul is concerned with slavery. Not a normal type of slavery, but slavery to sin. It didn't start here certainly. From the first chapter until now he has dealt greatly with this matter (Romans 1:17-32; 3:10-20). In verse 14 of chapter six he really begins what I want to hit on.

Romans 6:14-16

For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

I believe my point that, before and apart from Christ we are slaves to sin.

Paul, and I, are about to change the way we explain this.

According to God's Word, the wife is the servant or helper of her husband (I AM NOT CALLING WOMEN SLAVES). In this time though, women were much indeed like slaves. They were physically bound to their husbands by law. They didn't have a choice, really.

But.

I love but, it means the story is shifting. In this case, from bad to good.

Paul opens chapter 7 with theses words:

"Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? For the woman which hath a husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; BUT if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband." verses 1-2

So, though it is no excuse, without Christ, we really don't have control. We are slaves to sin. We might grumble, complain and not like certain things, much like a physical slave would, but we lack real power to change anything.

UNTIL.

Back in chapter 6 verse 6: "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Hallelujah.

Christ came and died, and with Him the sins of mankind. Because of that we are free from the law and sin and death and allowed to marry another (verse 3 of ch 7).

And as verse 4 says:

"Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ: that ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God."

We are not bound to sin anymore.

If you're old man has died, don't remain married to him. Be faithful to Christ, by Grace through faith.

I pray for ears to hear.

I love you.

Nehemiah 5 & Matthew 23

Here's the scenario:

Nehemiah learns of the destruction in Jerusalem, the country has been basically destroyed physically and spiritually, specifically the wall around Jerusalem had been burnt and torn down. Upon hearing this news Nehemiah is heartbroken. The destruction of his people drives him to weep and fast, confessing the sins of his nation and declaring the power of God (1:4-11).

Nehemiah's future success can be attributed to him seeking the counsel of God before acting on his own will (see examples of people who did not).

Nehemiah then goes and counts the cost of the job God has called him to do in repairing the wall. *importance of Luke 14:25-35*

After praying and receiving the command from God and observing the task ahead Nehemiah organizes the people and assigns them to sections of the wall and they begin working to accomplish the will of God. They face various trials along the way (I"ll spare the specifics but will touch on them later).

After some time the people begin running out of food. Because of the demands of the task of rebuilding this wall the men have been absent from the farms and the crops have suffered greatly as a result. Instead of joining in the work and helping accomplish God's will, the leaders and nobles weigh the people down with burdens further. Rather than having mercy they force the people to mortgage future crops in order to get food. For some, this isn't enough and many have to put their own children into slavery as a worker in order to have food. These nobles had been blessed with their position of authority by God, but rather than help they were so consumed by greed that they burdened these people with slavery and debt.

As chapter five begins the people complain to Nehemiah about what the leaders have done and he is furious. He goes to confront these people and tells them how they are not only not helping but they are actually pushing against the work of God. After showing them their faults he makes them promise to remove this bondage they have placed on their own nation (5:6-13).

Before I talk about what happens in Matthew 23, I want to set the stage for what's been going on. In chapter 21 Jesus makes what is known as His triumphal entry. He came in and "went ham." In fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah 62:11 and Zech. 9:9 Jesus is, for the first time, offering Himself as the awaited Messiah and establishing His Kingdom (though it won't be done the way His followers hope). He cleanses the temple and curses the fig tree for not producing fruit (I would write a book about this act) and establishes His authority to the religious leaders by saying He doesn't need anyone's approval. He is asked a number of questions by people trying to make Him say something that they could use to arrest Him. He tells parables of the importance of a soul (21:28-32) and again states what judgement is going to look like (21:33-46). He then states the great commandment. He tells us to love God with everything and to love people. It's that simple. He isn't concerned with checklists, tithing, organizations, programs, whatever. Those things are all great, and all have a purpose, but God is ultimately concerned with one thing. Our soul. He wants our souls to be satisfied in Him.

Here comes the smackdown. The Pharisees had been entrusted with the Word and work of God. They were there to study and teach the Word of God to men. They were to be anchors in the world. They were to exhort and encourage people. They had been blessed with a wonderful opportunity, but rather than build walls around people to protect them, they weighed them down and forced them into the slavery of self-righteousness. Christ sees the spiritual poverty of His people and is broken for them (23:37-29).

Holiness is so very important.

We should be concerned with sin.

We should be on guard against it.

But rather than weigh others or ourselves down with impossible obstacles and rules,

lets join forces and rebuild the wall around us and provide the protection we all need.

It won't be easy.

It wasn't for Nehemiah.

They were hungry because of it, but on top of that Nehemiah was mocked (2:19; 4:1-3), attacked (4:7-12) and more trickery and blackmail (6:1-9).

So yes, it will be hard and trying, but just as for Nehemiah, it is crucial for us as a body that we build.

Under Armour

Stop.

Before you read this get your Bible.

I'm waiting.....

Okay. Read Ephesians 6:10-20, slowly.

I love this passage so much and I believe that a large part of Christian's problems come from avoiding this topic, OR intention or not, taking passages like this (ones talking about being a solider) too seriously and becoming a fundamentalist. "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood..." verse 12

The foundation of this text has to begin with verse 10.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of HIS might."

My humanity does not like these kind of verses. I like to pretend that I am strong enough, wise enough, experienced enough to handle the world by myself.

I am so silly sometimes.

In our life, every single day, we (The Body of Christ) need to be strong IN the Lord.

Trying to do this on our own will only give us hard and bitter hearts. We will either try to destroy sin our our own and become proud or we will become discouraged and give up (I have done both).

The next thing I want to emphasize is verse 13.

"Therefore take up the whole armor of God"

This speaks a lot to how we need to have a better understanding and experience of God. Having a swallow and narrow-minded idea relationship with God is not putting on the whole armor and isn't going to do you or anyone else any amount of good.

Now, to the meat.

Why is it so important that we put on this armor, so to speak?

The rest of verse 13 gives us the answer, "that you may be able to withstand the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm."

I absolutely love the picture being painted here.

God, even though we chose for ourselves to bring evil into this world by rebelling against His Word, gives us the armor to be able to resist this very same evil.

One last point I would like to make is the bold portion of verse 13.

I love that it says having done all.

God knows that we will never defeat sin (thankfully Christ already has) so He doesn't expect us to! But, He also doesn't expect us to lay down. He wants us to stand, and stand firm!

So just as the company Under Armour boasts "We must protect this house" I pray that we Christians would put on the armor of God, stand shoulder to shoulder, and protect this house.

Your brother in the fight,

Fred

Lord of Glory.

And through all of this, there is nothing, absolutely nothing, no fear, no insecurity, no doubt, no hesitation that will ever, ever stop us. Because we are the sons of the living God, because we are the children of the Almighty, because we are the residents of the Kingdom of Heaven, and we are soldiers in an army of the immortal. And when we speak life, life happens, and when we speak healing, healing happens, and when we speak truth, truth happens. And when we go take what we found to a dead world, we’ll see it come to life again, and when we take what we found to a hopeless world, we’ll see hope come back. We’ll see the heart of our world start beating again, and we’ll see the color come back into people’s faces. Absolutely nothing will ever stop that. Mountains will move before us, and oceans will part before us, and the dead will raise before us. And the world will know that our God is the God that heals, and our God is a God that lives, and our God is a God that loves, and like anything that anyone has ever felt before, because we are fearless, and because we are His hands, and because we are His feet. Forever, and ever. Amen.

Denominations.

When I was younger and less mature I had fallen into the idea of being against denominations, rather I had been lead to believe they were evil, but nonetheless I accepted. I do understand where people come from when they make such statement, just like those who are against "religion" but neither are evil. We are evil. This argument actually sounds a lot like the one Paul addressed when talking about the law, not the topic of today though.

I have now come to realize that denominations are not bad.

In fact, when done right, they are great.

I am proud to be a part of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Why?

Because we are founded.

Founded completely on God's Word.

The SBC wasn't formed to say we are better than anyone else (nor am I claiming such).

I want pause know to make sure you understand I do not care which denomination you belong to. That's your business and as long as we agree on the Gospel, that Jesus is the ONLY means on Salvation and you want to further the Kingdom, then be whatever you please and I'll be right beside you.

Nonetheless, the SBC exists to make sure that the church stays how the church should stay.

They make sure that pastors are preaching the true Word of God.

Sadly, other denominations (some of them) don't have this and therefore churches are falling apart because they are being taught opinions and man's opinion cannot bring life to anything.

I also realize some southern baptist churches are and have fallen through. I don't need sarcasm. I didn't claim it was perfect, because it is ran by imperfect people. We are trying though.

If they existed for no reason other than this, it would be enough, and so it is enough for me.

(They do more than just this, but this is the core and the only point I choose to make).

I am proud to be a part of a body that cares more about the true Word of God than comfort.

Life. It's just a vapor.

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." James 4:13-15

Lately I've been thinking more about this.

The fact that I leave for basic in November has caused this increase, I do believe. I've been thinking about relationships (I am not talking about dating. Shesh). Sure, I wish while I'm gone I could pause time and then return and everything be the same, but that foolish. As bad as I hate to admit it, I know things won't be the same. You can't leave somewhere for 7 or more months and return to the same.

I realize that the closeness I have with many people will be lost or strained.

I hate thinking about this.

But, it has prompted me to move.

Think about it. The Bible tells us our entire life is but a vapor. We're talking 80-100 years. That's a vapor. Then what is a year or even a month.

Those things we convince ourselves we have time to do. Do we really?

Sure, it wouldn't hurt to apply this to schoolwork and such, but my real concern is the Gospel.

Time is scarce.

More than half the world is without the Gospel.

That's more than four billion people.

At least half of those have never even heard the Gospel we adore.

We do NOT have all the time in the world.

Time is not the only thing we have.

We must stop wasting time.

We must move.

We must act.

Radical abandonment.

with all the love I can muster,

Fred

Heart games.

It has come to my attention, especially recently, that some of my tweets/statuses/whatever else have sometimes come across wrong and therefore caused concern for some around me (others could care less and that's fine, too).

I feel I need to clarify a few things.

I am happy.

In fact, I'm ecstatic about life, as I have been since my birth in 2006.

The issue is not happiness, joy rather (different topic, different day), but humanity. Even though I smile almost all the time, especially when around people, I still have feelings.

Though joy contains my heart (I'm still not going to discuss the difference in that and happiness, yet) I still have these nasty feelings. Feelings are not always bad, as it seems I am stating, but they can often be just that. Occasionally I allow my feelings to have more power than they should and thus it leads me to feeling bitter, angry, etc.

I do trust people, not in the ways and depths I used to, but I still do. I promise.

I still love people. Always will.

I still believe forgiveness should run freely in our hearts.

I just have to be transparent sometimes. If I don't my heart gets hard, quickly; so for those times I must let the nasty out, though I promise to try my best to never aim it at any person, ever, be patient with me.

For those who do, you have no need in ceasing to check on me when I do either. It helps more than you know.

I really love you.

Sincerely,

Son of King Jesus

Life and Light.

In Him was life, and that life was the Light of men. And the Light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. John 1:4-5

"In Him there is life..." Colossians 3:3-4

*Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live."

Death, when death to sin, for Christ, equals life because, as verse 4 of John 1 states, "In Him is life."

Light reveals what darkness has hidden and gives life to what darkness has killed (or prevented from growing).

Light escorts life.

The very first thing God spoke into existence, after creating the universe, was light. He again, as stated in the previous post, was laying the foundation in Christ (because light equals life, life equals logos, {The Word} *Psalm 119:105* the Word equals Jesus, and Jesus equals God.

In the beginning God created everything and then gave light and thus life.

We chose sin and rebellion and darkness.

Then, God again gave us the light, and though we still rebelled and even killed the light, He still offers us life in Him.

This post may seem like lots of nonsense and random thoughts. I promise it isn't.

Read both posts, and more importantly read the first five verses of John.

Meditate on it.

I'm trying to point that Christ is everything.

God used Him for His foundation.

Let's do the same.

The Word of God.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. - John 1:1

The first statement in the Gospel of John is in the beginning... He was declaring the absolute power of the Word of God, and that the Word (Greek logos), which we know is Jesus, and God the Father are eternal, because they were both "in the beginning." (verse 1)

This single verse is so packed with information and power.

He states: 1) Jesus is eternal and did not, as some believe, begin when He has His physical birth on earth. 2) The distinct deity of Jesus Christ and God the Father. 3) Both are eternal. 4) That both are in perfect unity together. 5) That God uses The Word to create everything (verse 3 & Colossians 1:16-17)

God chose to establish everything, the earth, the heavens and His Kingdom on the Word (Jesus).

"The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." Psalm 118:22

Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: "'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?"

Because this is the cornerstone of the foundation God laid it's the first thing John tries to make us understand, and it's the first thing satan himself attacks.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'" But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her,and he ate. Genesis 3:1-6

He not only asks in a deceiving form, but then lies and attacks God's word by saying the truth He declared is a lie. Then, in Matthew 4 He does the same thing!

And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." But he answered, "It is written,'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

'He will command his angels concerning you,

and

'On their hands they will bear you up,

lest you strike your foot against a stone.'

Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.' Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me."Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

'You shall worship the Lord your God

and him only shall you serve."

Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him. Matthew 4:3-11

The Word of God (Jesus Himself and the spoken Word of God we have in our Bible) is the most powerful thing there is. Period.

God used it to created everything.

He used to show us His story of redemption.

Satan even used it to deceive man and attempted the same on Jesus.

If even satan, the one against God used it, then it obviously is powerful.

I share this with you all because I want you to see the power the Word has and I want you all to fall in love with it more everyday.

It is far more than just a book.

Pray for eyes to see and ears to hear.

With love,

the guy trying to figure this out

Impending Death

I don't usually blog this frequently, but as I was staring at the ceiling I was thinking about Africa, as I often do, for those of you who really know me. :)

I thought about being there and serving people. How I long for that day more than words could begin to express.

Then, I thought of something catastrophic.

AIDS.

Or, for the rest of the world, cancer.

I thought about the thousands of stories I've heard of people getting a fatal disease and it radically changing the way they live their life.

They become more generous. They become more compassionate. They love harder and deeper.

Even many people not of the faith follow suit when they see their expiration date creeping closer.

Then, I thought about life.

It really is like that.

Even at 20 years of age, and in relatively good health, my life is short.

I do have a fatal disease that will kill me and even if I had 80 more years to live, that isn't very much time at all.

James 4:14 says,

Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.

We must look at our lives as they are, short, like a vapor even.

I realize time is of the essence and that eternity stands on the other side.

I must not waste time.

I must preach the Gospel.

I must live the Gospel.

I love you all.

Prayer.and.Faith

Yesterday morning, as I was doing my usual morning read I read Mark chapter 11. It begins with Jesus' Triumphant Entry (One of my favorite events to imagine) and goes on to talk about a fig tree. Jesus curses it and then the very next day it's dead as a doorknob. The disciples are just amazed by this (even though they've seen Him feed thousands of people, heal blind people, and even His transfiguration. Silly disciples) But, this is not the point. After this Jesus tells them, "Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins too. Mark 11:22-26

So, yesterday evening I had a mountain in front of me. Someone I dearly care for had one, actually. They explained the situation to me and I instantly begin praying as I walked laps around the mall. Five minutes later they text me back to let me know it had been resolved. I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea. This wasn't a "the boy I like doesn't like me" problem. That is NO mountain. This was a "I have no money for gas or my kids lunch" problem.

Obviously I was overjoyed by God being so faithful, as He always is. But afterwards it really made me think about what I read this morning. What about the times I pray and it isn't granted?

Is it because I didn't have faith and doubted? Is it because I had refused to forgive someone?

Or was it just because God didn't want it to happen?

I realize that all three a possible individually and collectively.

But after yesterday I have made a decision that, to the best of my ability, I will never let the first two be the reason I'm denied a request.

I vow the minute I begin praying to look into my heart and forgive anything I have in my heart and to silence all doubt with the faithfulness and promises of God.

Imagine with me, if you will, the effectiveness of a prayer-life free of doubt and hatred of the heart. The entire Bible speaks of the power of righteous prayers. I want that.

I start today.

I love you all. :)

Mrs. Watkins, if there is such a thing.

Before I really get into this blog I would like to make things perfectly clear. This is not an attempt to woo some lady, or to have people commend me on my values or whatever else they may try. In fact, this blog isn't for any of the readers, if there are any. This blog, is actually for myself. You see, I have standards, and I have made the mistake of compromising on some of those before and it was a lesson I learned the hard way, so if you enjoy this blog, great. But I am writing this for myself to protect my future.

The things a woman must possess in order to have any future with me:

First and foremost, she must, beyond any doubt, be a believer in Jesus Christ. The Greek word for believe in the NT actually implies believe that causes action. My definition is no different. I do not make this rule or live by it to be hypocritical or to place myself above anyone. I do so because it will not work any other way. She must also show fruits that she loves Jesus more than she loves me and must, and as much as one can, show that it will always be that way. If there be any reason to believe she loves or adores me more, or ever will, it will not work. Idolatry is real.

I honestly could stop this post now because when fulfilled the previous statement will cover everything else, but because I feel like it, I shall continue.

She must love to read God's Word. Both as an individual, because she must have her own walk and to read it together.

She must love to pray and know it's true power.

She must love to laugh. I state this because honestly if she doesn't she won't like me and I'll have a hard time liking her. No need for further explanation.

She must not idolize materialistic things. There is nothing wrong with having things that are nice, and I will always provide my family with the things they need, but compulsive shopping and hoarding are major turnoffs.

She need not smoke, not because I believe smokers are hellish people but because: 1) it destroys the body, her's, mine (and possibly the children in the future) 2) It is absolutely in every way a waste of money and God made it very clear that wasting resources isn't good and it's something I will not do. Drugs are completely out of the question. End of story.

She must never feel that she has to work. If she would like to she is more than welcome but her employment will never be required.

She must be willing to relocate, not that I want to be nomadic my entire life but because God may at some point tell us to go somewhere else.

She must sing to me. I don't care what her voice sounds like.

She must expect me to always be chivalrous.

She must be willing to correct me when I need it and willing to be patient when I fail.

She must be the woman described in Proverbs 31.

Mere Christianity- C.S Lewis

But I wonder whether the people who ask God to interfere openly and directly in our world quite realise what it will be like when He does.
When it happens, it is the end of the world.
When the author walks on to the stage the play is over. God is going to invade, all right: but what is the good of saying you are on His side then, when you see the wold natural universe melting away like a dream and something else- something it never entered your head to conceive-comes crashing in; something so beautiful to some and so terrible to others that none of us will have any choice left? For this time God will be without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature.
It will be too late to choose your side.
There is no use saying you chose to lie down when it has become impossible to stand up. That will not be the time for choosing: it will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realised it or not.
Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side.
God is holding back to give us that chance.
It will not last for ever.
We must take it or leave it.

Life is a highway.

This morning as I was on my way to work traveling down 45 God hit me with some of the strongest conviction of my life.

Early in the morning most people are coming down 45 headed south, while I and a few others are headed north. Then God compared that to how life is and it blew me away.

There are a small number of us who haven't done better or became smarter or figured life out, but have found a Risen Saviour and have accepted His forgiveness and salvation and are headed in the right direction.

But sadly, for the most part, everyone is headed in the wrong direction.

Here is what breaks my heart: as we go our own way we often don't even notice that there are others heading the opposite direction and even worse, lots of times even the ones we notice, at most we give them a smile or wave.

How can this be?

We see all these faces, even some we know, we are absolutely certain that only One direction is right and we know they aren't going that way and we ignore it.

I pray that you can catch this visual.

If not, try imagining it next time you're riding down the road.

I pray for conviction among Christians for the lost world.

Jesus told us the time is running out.

Matthew 7:13-14

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.