Frustrated in the Garage? Don't Throw That Wrench!

I remember when I was young there more than I a few times that I got frustrated. Working for my father I always tried to do the best for him. Occasionally though I would come a cross a problem working on something and with my little experience I just couldn't wrap my head around it. My father would enter and say something to the manner of, "Oh you just have to do so and so...", and boop bidy boop he would fix the issue at hand. The was no bragging. There was no ridicule, he just taught me so that I would be more wise and more able. 

Thing is God is much the same. Does he get disappointed when we don't work to be the best we can be, yeah. Does he get angry when we don't do as he wishes, probably, but like a loving father he is there to help us. He is there loving us wether we choose to accept it or not. God has so many wonderful gifts that he wishes to share with you. I have tried many things in my time. I have tried just about every path that there is out there, and I now know one thing for certain. The gifts that I receive from God are the most fruitful, wonderful and fulfilling that I have ever received. I am no great man. I am not rich beyond my wildest dreams. I am no master of industry or any particular man-made universe. With the gifts I have received from God though I have a happiness that I have never experienced before in my life. Does my life get hard? Yes, sometimes it is very daunting and challenging, but I know that as long as I stick with Gods way, Jesus’ teachings and accept the Holy Spirit’s guidance I will be okay. This world can do what it wants. I can come to realize that it will only self-destruct. Myself, I will die. My body will fall and be put back to the earth. Through God and with the saving grace of Jesus Christ I can live forever in Heaven above with all my brothers and sisters in Christ. This physical body is merely a phase. This earth is a  place to learn and grow and with God’s help reach a happiness and beauty like no other. 

So like my father helped me so many times in the garage or out in the field, God waits in this field of life. He has the map and knows the way for each one of us to go. All we have to do is ask and be willing to listen. Are you ready to listen? Are you ready to learn? Are you ready to experience knowledge, wisdom and love like you have never experienced before. Your heavenly father is waiting.

Isaiah 29:17-24

17Is it not yet a very little while until Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be regarded as a forest? 18In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see. 19The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall exult in the Holy One of Israel. 20For the ruthless shall come to nought and the scoffer cease, and all who watch to do evil shall be cut off, 21who by a word make a man out to be an offender, and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, and with an empty plea turn aside him who is in the right. 22Therefore thus says the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: "Jacob shall no more be ashamed, no more shall his face grow pale. 23For when he sees his children, the work of my hands, in his midst, they will sanctify my name; they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and will stand in awe of the God of Israel. 24And those who err in spirit will come to understanding, and those who murmur will accept instruction."

Psalms 27:1, 4, 13-14

1The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 4One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple. 13I believe that I shall see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! 14Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; yea, wait for the LORD!

Matthew 9:27-31

27And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, "Have mercy on us, Son of David." 28When he entered the house, the blind men came to him; and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord." 29Then he touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith be it done to you." 30And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly charged them, "See that no one knows it." 31But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.

Michael

Whisper Behind the Light

obbo_91@yahoo.com

A Thought: “Learning to Learn”

A Thought: “Learning to Learn”

I used to get all upset when I was little cause my father would have me do something, a chore around the house, and I wouldn’t want to do it. Being the typical not-very-sneaky and lazy child I would ask questions and try and get him to do it for me. He realized this and would answer my questions with questions until I got frustrated and figured out how to do it myself. 

That’s kinda how God is. He doesn’t like lazy. He wants you to want it. He wants you to work for it because he knows that if he just gives you whatever you want it life if will mean nothing. You need to earn knowledge and understanding for it to really mean something to you. 

I am now the father of 4 and I find myself doing the same things that my father and mother once did. I have a wonderful son that I have do chores and he will ask me, “How do I do this?” I will tell him and he will redirect with a question trying to get me to “show” him how to do his chores in a ploy to get me to do it for him. Its hard cause I want him to be happy. I want him to have fun, but I know that if I just do everything for him in life that when I am gone he will have no one to take care of him. The thing that makes me the most happy is seeing that my children learn to take care of themselves and live a righteous life. I know that its not easy but when they learn the value their eyes light up with happiness and they feel and abundance of self worth. 

God wants us to learn his ways and to love him and to love others. Yeah there are 10 commandments but basically it all comes down to loving. Love God, cause he loves you and made you. Love yourself because you are something special and have worth, and love everyone else you meet even if they are hard to love. God knows that if we can learn to fill the world with love that we can overcome any obstacle. So just like my father I may get frustrated and not understand things sometimes I know that if I pray and talk to God and read Jesus’s teachings I will find the answers to my problems. And please know that God doesn’t want us to be alone. We are here to love one another and to help one another. Thats part of the reason why we are to goto Church. Yes, Church is the place where we convene to love and worship God, but its also a community of like minded people that can help us in times of need. I highly suggest going to Church. I know that it can be difficult going somewhere you don’t know anyone, but its so worth it. Feel free to even ask one of us “Jesus freaks” you see around from time to time. You might catch us off guard but if you ask us where is a good place to go to church we usually have some ideas. 

But I do encourage you to goto Church somewhere, read the Bible 10 -15 minutes a day and to pray. All these things may seem weird starting out, but once you get started it gets easier and easier. Its kinda like working out. Reading the Bible I would suggest starting in the New Testament. Its the easiest to digest and there is a lot of good stuff to learn there. When you are ready to go deeper you can dive into the Old Testament and learn about where everything came from. Praying, just sit down and talk to God. That’s it, tell him what you are feeling what you are happy about and thankful for and what you are worried about. God will be happy to hear from you. 

Matthew 13:10-17

10Then the disciples came and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" 11And he answered them, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12For to him who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says: `You shall indeed hear but never understand, and you shall indeed see but never perceive. 15For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are heavy of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn for me to heal them.' 16But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

A Thought: Getting Pulled On

I could not believe being surrounded by people all the time. I see famous people getting crowded with people swarming them and taking pictures. I hear reports on the news from time to time about famous people getting grabbed at and pulled on. I could imagine having someone pulling on my clothes as I walked down the street, but I guess that is how things go. People seem to have a hole inside them and try and fill it to feel whole. Unfortunately some fill it with the wrong things. Hate, money, lust, drugs and or alcohol are a few of the things that people fill their life with. I have chosen to fill my life with love. Its not always easy for me to do sometimes my “flesh” my “body” wants to do other things but they are just an empty vessel that never seems to satisfy. Money, never enough, sex and alcohol the same. Insanity is described as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Filling that hole with the wrong thing day in and day out seems like insanity to me because it never gets filled with those things. 

So even though he traveled everywhere by foot with no shield from the weather Jesus took the time to teach the lesson of love because he was love. All God really wants is for us to love him instead of all other “gods” and to love each other and we love ourselves. Some will listen and spread this “love” to others. For others love will be quickly taken away or lost altogether for a lack of faith and/or persuasion. Though we may make mistakes God still loves us and welcomes us to him. 

Matthew 13:1-9

1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat there; and the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3And he told them many things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. 4And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6but when the sun rose they were scorched; and since they had no root they withered away. 7Other seeds fell upon thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9He who has ears, let him hear."