4 years ago...

A friend texted me today and told me that I have not updated my blog in a while and that's true. I have allowed busyness to take over my musings and ramblings. But today is a very special time for me and the one I love. Today was actually the first date we had four years ago. I must admit, I was reminded this morning by her and I would have went the whole day without any reflection of my life then. But a lot has changed in 4 years. I guess you can say I am in a time of transition. I am getting married, training for ministry in New Orleans, and don't know how to process it all. Four years ago today started off with a date and my life has never been the same since. God has assured, blessed, broken, directed, guided, and redirected me so that where I am today is by his grace and his mercy. The years have been full of mistakes, but also I have seen him so clear. My bride to be is the very image of Christ and his forgiveness inspite of ourselves. She loves me and all of my hangups and she makes it so easy to love her. Life is filled with ups and downs, and twists and turns. Before my date four years ago I was running away from God's call on my life, and today although I still struggle with complacency and laziness, I can say I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be. Truly the safest place in the whole wide world is in the will of God. I'd be lying if I said it was easy....(layoffs, financial worries, attacks from Satan), but I know I'm in his will. Because around every corner is his peace, and his assurance. It's taken three years for me to get enough courage to know I'm ready for God's best in a bride, and if I knew how much of an impact she would have on my life it would have been sooner. Her relationship with Christ has challenged me to be a better man. God truly is great. And these have been the best four years of my life.

JTeverything

God is Good

Sometimes in life it is very apparent to see how fortunate you have been and that your life isn't really as bad as you think. I didn't grow up in a traditional Christian home and there are things in my past that I wish I could change. But as I look back over my life, I can clearly see God's provision and protection. God is good. God was good. And God continues to be all the more good to me.
I am blessed with a loving mother who sacrificed everything for me and my brother. She never placed a man before us and never allowed us to feel inadequate because we didn't have a father figure in our lives. Both my brother and I had dead beat dads, and even though there is a part of me that longed for a relationship with him I don't allow that to define the man that I am today.
God also continues to be good to me in allowing me to have amazing friendships. I don't know what I would have been without some of the relationships that I have formed. They have truly shaped me into a strong Christian man. And I don't feel judged by them, but loved. And none of my truly close friends have a problem with correcting me and allowing me to think right thoughts about myself and ministry.
And last but certainly not least God has blessed me with the most beautiful, intelligent, Godly woman I know as my future wife. She is the epitome of charm, grace, and virtue. I truly don't deserve such a gift and her love reminds me of the love that God has for the church. She is simply the best thing that has ever happened to me.
God is truly good and worthy to be praised. Thank you God for you hand in my life.

JTeverything

If I could live this...

John 15:16
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and a bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

Chosen

I'm yours...not because I made a conscious intelligible effort to be your friend or your follower. But your love overcame me and I was filled and taken captive by your mercy and grace. You Chose me.
Chosen to be your workers, and your likeness as we walk in your truth. You chose us.
No longer strangers, enemies, or orphans; but your children. We once exercised rebellion, but you sent love and love conquered our souls. We are confident in your love, it is more than life itself. Because of love we now know love. You have chosen rebels.
Oh the power of love to change an enemy into a loyal heir. We have been pursued, wooed, and so we stand under your constraints. Use us your chosen.
We lay down our roots of rebellion to be planted in your love, so that we may bear your fruit. Haven been freely loved, cared for, excepted, and forgiven we are free. We are now free to go for you.
All the power of our Father is at our disposal, because of Christ. He chose us, appointed us, and commissioned us.
We shall chose to love because we are loved by LOVE. We chose to give because nothing has been withheld in your love. We ask for your kingdom, because you have commanded it of us.
May we forever abide, stay, bask, sit, grow, be pruned and truly live only because of the choice Christ made. Amen



JTeverything

Bitter-Sweet

I just recently read a poem by George Hebert and it is true about the life of a Christian. It is true if we would be honest with him. Here it is:
Bitter-sweet
Ah, my dear angry Lord,
Since thou dost love, yet strike;
Cast down, yet help afford;
Sure I will do the like.
I will complain, yet praise;
I will bewail, approve;
And all my sour-sweet days
I will lament and love.

Piper quoted this poem in a book he wrote. I think this is fitting for the Christian that sees himself broken, forgiven, and loved.

JTeverything

When Sun the comes out

The problem with tragedy in the life of the believer is that we are never really ready for what God is going to allow to come our way. Its easy to serve God when everything is going good, but when the storm comes and you can’t explain what you can’t explain that’s when you are developed in your faith. I now have an overwhelming understanding of the power of God in healing and a new perspective of his blessings in my life and to the bystander my faith should be restored and transfixed on the savior. But there is always the "why" question. And there are no easy answers. As a matter of fact the reality that is true is somewhat harsh. And that truth is that apart from Christ we are subject to all kinds of dangers and we are so dead in our trespasses and sin that God is simple trying to separate that which is killing us. Sometimes God calls individuals to himself in such a way that no one can deny that it was him. But when it’s raining your sight is blurred and the vision that you once thought led you towards right and wrong is hindered through the drops of rain we call tragedy. But if there is anything that I’ve learned in life is that rain must fall and it needs to but after the storm has passed the sun will also come out. Darkness, no matter how thick it seems must hide when the light comes. God’s light always exposes the darkness of tragedy that he has allowed for the furtherance of his fame and his glory. It’s not about us, we are merely the instruments used to adorn the glory of God in this world. This world is very dark. But in this dark, cruel, dismal, decaying world there are deposits of light reflecting their Savior, and they break forth in displaying the glory of the Creator and soon all God’s elect will be gathered and light will prevail forever over darkness. I yearn for that day. Come Jesus Come, bring on the Son.

JTeverything

Breathe

Living a christian life is one of unexplainable joy and an unmistakeable awareness of one's sin. The crazy thing about living for Jesus is that the moment you fall into old ways and old habits its very apparent to you. It's funny because it is almost like an out of body experience. The little lie you tell, leads to the covering up of that lie until other more subtle sins lead up to compromising your faith and walk with things or pleasures that you gave up knowing that they don't satisfy. I really think that the stagnant impotence of the church today is from unrepentent and unmistakeble sin that has left us barely breathing as Christians. The power of the Holy Spirit to sustain our life is in overdrive because of our lack to use that same power to abstain and not just be sustained. We are committing suicide, by suffocating ourselves and all Christ asks when we except him is to breathe in him. This world has nothing for me, yet it is pretty distracting nothingness. My career, my status, my life, and my stuff always distract me from the life that Christ would have me recieve in Him. And unfortunately some of those distractions are good things. But they are misplaced trophies, and not the end all of all. There are many Christian brothers and sisters barely alive, because they continue to run after a life that was crucified. We are trying to revive a dead carcass and all the while choking the life out of our current life. I just want to love my Jesus, a fraction of how much he loves me,and just breathe.

May I truly Be In Christ Alone,
JTeverything

Long Time

It's been a long time since I've posted a blog. I guess my life has been so up and down that I'm not sure what to share. I had a previous post called "Newness" and I can assure you we must be careful what we pray, because God is faithful and he will give us the desires of our hearts. This of course follows a grueling transformation process, sometimes or most times we are unawares of the idols in our lives that we mistake for desires. So our God, strips away the idols leaving us naked and truly seeing what we need and thus beginning to desire that which is satisfying for our soul. There are so many things that God hasn't unleased in my life. Probably the same is true for any readers, if I have any readers. But hold tight to your faith, because we serve a God that knows us better than we know ourselves and understands what we can take, and boy oh boy gives us a test of faith that is designed specifically for us. I said I've been through a lot this season of my life and I've been faced with many obstacles. I have a fear of not knowing my future, but God is teaching me that if I hold on to him (because he knows the future) then I have no need to worry. Afterall, he knows what lies ahead. Our life is our witness, and we must speak up and speak out. Seasons of life come and go. But faith gives us the grit to keep going.

Yours in Christ,
JT everything