It has been 6 years since the last post.

A lot has happened. Although my wife and I were not able to conceive, we did adopt two wonderful little boys Zack and Connor. Our life turned upside down! The way it happened was only possible with Christ. No other explanation would be worthy. We went through the classes once again in 2019 ( we also tried to adopt in 2012 and it was a true mess). We got a call on December 18th and the boys were in our home on January 13th of 2020 and the adoption was finalized in June of 2020. We were told we would not going to be able to adopt babies at all but God had other plans. I believe that we were not able to adopt in 2012 because we were living for ourselves and not for Christ. When we fully committed to Him he showed up in amazing ways. We had our family and church family give so much for the boys. We did not have to buy diapers for almost a year! God is good. Covid happened but I thank God for that. We were able to stay home for most of the week and bond with them and my company still paid us like we were working full time. We were able to move next to my mother and grandmother which I am so thankful for. Zack and Connor are now 6. They are so full of love. Don’t get me wrong they are crazy! Twin boys are tough to deal with and with some learning disabilities it makes it even tougher BUT I would not change a thing. I thank God for all He has done for us with them and throughout our lives. We have had deep valleys in our lives but the joy and peace He provides is so powerful and it’s a peace you just can’t explain or understand. I know God had provided a way for Zack and Connor to grow up in a home that loves God first and that will raise them in the way of our Lord. We went to a 65th anniversary for their school. They sang Look at what God has done. I broke down like a baby thinking about all that God has done. I say all this because if you know Jesus you know peace but there is no peace without Jesus. Christ was beaten, spat on, stabbed, and stoned. His last words were “It is FINISHED”. Every sin was laid upon Him. The skies went dark and the veil was torn. For us. For you, if you put your faith in Christ and give your life to Him, repent for your sins. Don’t miss the repent. It means turn and run from your sins. Thank God for his grace and his mercy. He is so good! God will move mountains in your life when you put your faith in Him. 

John 19:28-37

I’m “Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they spat on Him and took the reed and struck Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified. Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross. And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not

I say all of that to say Christ has done so much for me and my family! But most importantly He gave His life for all that would call on His name. YOU can receive the free gift of salvation and you will finally have the peace that He provides. Even when you are down and out! I love y’all and God bless! 

 

Who is Perfect?

I for one am not perfect. I struggle with all kinds of sin’s daily like anger, language, thought’s I have, and probably an assortment of all others. As Christian’s we are constantly bombarded with “I thought you were a Christian” and “I can’t believe a Christian would do that”. Others think we are hypocrite’s if we sin. Well I am here to tell YOU that IM NOT PERFECT!!!

We all fall short. We all Sin. The Bible says in Romans  3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.   Again in Romans  5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. He Died for us!

I struggle with this more than anything. I say to myself  “why are they so dumb “ or “they know better than that so why are they doing it”. Why cant I just let it go? With all the dumb stuff I do, why is it so hard when I look at someone that is doing something I think they should not be doing I look down on them for it. I think something’s should be addressed and made known but it does not need to be done with anger or a deeming tone. It needs to be done in Love. It is the hardest thing for me to do. I just cant seem to deal with somethings and I need to work on it for sure. I can guarantee that it will not be done over night or most importantly without GOD.

I am saying all of this because I don’t want anyone to think that the church is full of people that are perfect. All of us have sins we struggle with. We must turn from those sins and move on (accept the forgiveness from God). That does not mean I will not sin in that manner again but I will think about it and know that I should not be doing it and seek forgiveness right then and there. I fly off the handle all the time. I know that when that happens I cant control what I say but I try to make a mends with whoever I am dealing with and seek GOD. I absolutely hate the fact I cant control it. I haft to have GOD control it for me.

Don’t let anyone keep you from GOD. Don’t believe the lie that if you go to Church you are perfect.  Go to Church because so you can do life together with other Christians and do what GOD calls us to do. Our Job is to Love each other and lead others to Him. Let God sort out their sins.

We are not to judge. He even lets us know in John 81:12″But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. 7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.”And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” 12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

I am thankful God gives us his grace and mercy!

So lets get back to the question “Who is perfect?”. Answer is JESUS.

Why is it that every time you look around you only look for the bad in people?

I had a conversation today with a customer of mine (Neal) that I have been dealing with a very long time. He came in to get his car worked on as I was about to leave he asked me a question. He asked “When are you going to grow up?” I looked at him with a crazy look (because I had a toy on my desk) and told him why I had it. He Said I am not talking about the toy. He said you are getting older and you  need to start think more about having kids. He also knows that my wife and I have been trying for A LONG TIME to have children . We have tried everything you can try without spending a ton of money. It is on my mind almost all the time and it is even worse on my wife. Neal and I have had many conversation’s about our personal lives and I think of him as a friend more than a customer.

Neal is from India. He does not have to care about anything I have going on. He is also Hindu and all of you know I am a Christian. He has had lots of cruel things done to him just because he is from India. People spray painted he car saying all kinds of racist things, people come up to him out of nowhere and say some of the most stupid things you can think of and yet Neal never mentions it and still offered to pay for all our fertility treatments and if we want to have them done in India he would pay not only for the treatment but our bills while we are there and pay for all of our food, lodging, and anything else while we are there.

Why would he do this? Neal pushes to get what he wants and for the price he wants to pay for on almost everything but when it comes to Life he freely gives. You see, this world has evil in it for sure, but why is it that is all we focus on?  There are so many awesome and wonderful people in this world that I have had the pleasure to know. I have been blessed with friends that the only WANT they have is the want to help.

I have another friend that I meet when I got in to the car business. He (Zack) is one of the smartest and best people  I know.  Since what we do is commission based it was hard to make a paycheck if no one came in to have their car serviced. He knew I was having a hard time because of the way it was structured and his service writer would write more tickets than mine would, so he would  give me some of those tickets to work on, He did not have to do that. It literally took money out of his wallet, so why? The answer is JESUS. Matthew 22:36-40

³⁶ “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

³⁷ Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

You see, God uses ALL things for his glory. God uses hardships, death, financial problems, dumb decision’s, health problems, and all other kinds of things for His will. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

God can even use anything or anyone for His will. We are called to love.  Zack had a stroke recently. He is 35. He doesn’t  drink, smoke, or do any drugs. He loves the lord and he has some of the best and supportive family and friends around. I tell you this because although God did not cause this to happen  to him, He will use it! God has already used it. Whole community’s have come together. Prayers are being prayed all over the U.S. People that do not go to God for anything are  seeking Him. He uses ALL things.

To Neal, Thank you! What you have offered to my wife and I. It is beautiful and even though we are miles apart on our belief’s you still offered. All you kept saying is” don’t worry about it I will take care of it”. Thank you.

To Zack, Thank you for always helping and believing in me. Thank you for your kind, generous heart, and thank you for your powerful faith! you have no idea the impact you are having on the people around you. The courage and determination you have amazes all of us.

There are lots of other people and stories I could tell you but this would turn into a novel. I think God for each and everyone of you. I pray that you love instead of hate. I pray that if you see nothing good that YOU will be the good for someone else. I pray that all of us keep in mind that “It is not about you”.

Feel free to share this post. I hope someone gets something out of it. I believe that there are a lot of good people and we are always looking for the bad. It is time too look to Christ!

HOW TO DEAL WITH TROUBLE WITHIN YOUR MARRIAGE

I have been married to love of my life for 13 years. We have had our ups and downs for sure. One thing that I have learned over the years is that making her happy is how I make myself happy. I have learned that it is not about me, it is about making sure she has what she needs and also making sure she feels loved not just once a week or even once a day, but every time I talk to her on the phone or see her. I do little stuff like answer the phone and say “hello love” or “hi best friend”. I don’t say these things just to say them but because I feel them. I want her to fell like she is respected and feel like she is taken care of by making sure she has the things she needs as well as some of what she wants so I work hard to make it possible for her. Acts 20:35 I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”.

This verse is powerful and just proves my point that it is not about me.

We have been thru and are still dealing with not having children and it is one thing in our lives that makes both of us depressed and sad but because of our faith in God we both know that if it is in His will we will conceive. If not we will be able to help people going thru the same things we have and still are going thru. We have fought about other things but to be honest I don’t really remember what it was about. Just goes to show that it was not important enough to even of had an argument over it.

Not being able to have children (at this point) has put a strain on our marriage. I fell like it is my fault and get down in the dumps but seeing her upset about it CRUSHES ME. I don’t have any of the answers and none of you that think you have them don’t either. We have made peace with it and know that we can handle any thing that comes our way because we have made it thru this battle and because of the love, grace , and mercy our lord and savior Jesus Christ. We still get upset and have bad days over it but ultimately know that we are blessed no matter what because of what Jesus has done for us.

Ephesians 5:28-33

So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

We are to be one flesh. We are to respect each other and we are to love each other. We are to pour into our wives and wives are to pour into your husbands. We must be vigilant about what is going on in our marriage. We have to swallow our pride and be a man that our wives want to submit to.

Marriage is not easy! I try to be mindful of not just what I say but how and when I say it. If I was to get short with my wife in our home alone that is one thing but doing it in front of people is something that is not only hurts but it shows a lack of respect for her. If I want my wife to respect me I have to respect her. The biggest problem I see in marriages today is that there is no respect and that they are not thinking about each other, only about themselves

So how do you deal with trouble in your marriage?

1. Put God First! Your marriage will be blessed!

2. Pray together about what is going on in you marriage and talk about a way to resolve the issue.

3. Put away your pride and take responsibility for your actions. We ALL do and say things that we regret. Don’t be so full of yourself you can’t even say your sorry and mean it.

4. Remember that no one is perfect. Show some grace.

5. When you say you forgive your spouse mean it. You have to forget about it and move on.

6. Pour into each other. Be positive. Be motivating. Ease up on the nagging ( both sides )

7. Do little things to show your affection. It dose not have to cost anything. Leave a note or just say how much you love and appreciate them for what they do.

8. Don’t stop dating each other. A date does not always mean you have to spend a lot or even any money. Just make time to spend with each other.

9. Never speak ill of your spouse to anyone. If you have a problem speak to them about it not your co workers.

10. Be silly, have fun, and love each other. Try to make each other laugh.

I love you Amber more than I did yesterday and I will love you even more tomorrow. Thank you for bing the strong, kind , wonderful woman you are. Thank you for always believing in me and lifting me up when I don’t think I’m worth it. You are amazing and I thank God for you everyday.

Is there righteous anger? Yes.

Ephesians 4:26 says, “Be angry and do not sin.”

Righteous anger is being angry at what makes God angry.

The anger I want to focus on is not of the righteous sort. We are a sinful people and what we do in our anger can be a sin. Anger makes us do some crazy stuff. It can make us violent, not only physically, but verbally as well. I speak from experience, as I have failed to overcome my anger too many times to count. I am, personally, not violent with my hands, but boy do I say some dumb stuff when I’m mad. This is a sin. I am a sinner.

I thank God that He forgives these transgressions.

Ephesians 4:29-32 explains this clearly, saying, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

Anger is such a destructive emotion. If you let it take over in your life, you no longer have room for grace and mercy. There is not one perfect person on this planet, so why are we surprised when someone messes up or does something that makes us angry? I bring this up because it is a daily struggle for me. I pray about these issues numerous times a day.

I will finish by talking about grace.

What an awesome God we serve. We, as Christians, mess up every day, whether it is with the language that we use, acting in our anger, or the thoughts that we have toward others that we may not get along with.  Mercifully, Jesus took care of all of those sins long ago on the cross. “IT IS FINISHED!”

Even though we sin every day and make God angry at the sins we commit, He lovingly sent His Son to die for us, and to take away the burden our sins. Thank you Jesus!!!

With all things considered, why be angry?