Sovereignty Over Aimlessness

I think one of the greatest and often overlooked gifts that we have as
Christians is the purpose given to us at our conversion, which serves
as the framework for our lives and gives everything that we do
meaning. It didn't hit me until I recently picked up a novel at the
bookstore written by a secular author. I rarely read fiction and, in
fact, stopped about two-thirds of the way through this one because the
story became so debase. But what struck me before I put it down was
the paradigm of the author as he was trying to extract some meaningful
story of the protagonist's life from a world that the author, as was
evident from his writing, deems to be chaotic.

I forgot what aimlessness feels like. I haven't truly felt it since
before I gave my life to Christ. Since that time I have come to
understand that God is truly sovereign. Therefore everything in the
life of the Christian who has truly surrendered his life to Christ has
a purpose, whether it appears good or bad to us at the moment. The
only time we feel aimless is when we refuse to acknowledge God's
sovereignty in our struggle.

I feel genuinly sad for any individual who is aimlessly absent of this
knowledge and this confidence especially in these troubled times. I
pray that God would further grant me the grace to point others to the
meaning I have discovered in Him.

Sent from my iPhone

Friends and their "Hang Ups"

I had a pretty rotten thing happen to me on Friday. I was talking to someone on the phone over an issue related to my business. When our conversation ended, the person on the other end of the line thought that he had disconnected from the call, but something happened and the call remained connected. I overheard his conversation about me to someone else and it was venomous and negative. He said things that he would never want me to know.

I felt betrayed and angry! Mainly because this person has pretended to be my friend for a really long time....and I felt that we had developed a pretty close relationship over many years. I realized at that moment, however, that it had all been "just business".

I was pretty broken about the whole deal, and it has been good to be away from the office this weekend. Truth be told, I wish I had a couple more days away. Too bad I wasn't just independently wealthy and didn't have to work...That would be great! Nevertheless, tomorrow I am heading back with a two new challenges...(1) to reevaluate my relationships with every person on my list of contacts and ensure that my relationships with those people are "real". Life is too short, and opportunities to really connect are too few and far between, to settle for something less. (2) I want to ensure that I never have a conversation about anyone that I would be ashamed of if I discovered that they were listening over a connected cell phone without my knowledge.

The message at church this weekend was from Psalm 51 and David's sin with Bethsheba. It reminded me also that our life is lived before God and sometimes we forget that He is always listening on an "open line". David came to that realization when God himself revealed that fact to him through the prophet Nathan. Proverbially it was like David thought the phone was hung up when slept with her, plotted her husbands death, and then married her, but God was listening the whole time.

In His presence, during times of worship I have told God that I love Him. I have even sang "I am a Friend of God" But guess what? To my shame, I know that there have been many times that I forgot that I was connected to Him. During moments where I forgot that He was still "on the line" I have blatantly rejected Him through my words or actions. All the while He was observing my betrayal. How many times have I hurt the heart of God? It makes me just sick...and like David I have no defense but can only say..."I have sinned before God."

I will end by gladly telling you that incredibly God has forgiven me....... and for this reason, if none other, I will forgive also.

Our Uncle Has a Problem!!!

On more than a couple of occasions in my life I have been grievously disappointed after trying to help someone battling an addiction...only to see them squander the resources I have given them to fall back into the same trap. People who are desperate to satisfy that need just won't stop asking....begging....stealing. The manipulate in anyway they can if they think it will result in getting what they are after.

If you have ever experienced that frustration....then you know exactly the emotion that I have in regard to this bailout that the President and Senate are trying to push down the throat of the people. The Senate voted out of turn today, in order to pressure the house to pass this, after adding another Billion (yes, with a 'B') to the prior nightmare, which was rejected outright.

I am praying the representatives in the house, both Republicans and Democrats, will stand their ground to reject this piece of legislation again. The message needs to be sent, "What is it about NO that you don't understand!?!" Uncle Sam has a real problem and in need of some real help, but $800 billion is only perpetuating his addiction to uncontrolled spending and the drug of power at the cost of the people.