So I don't know about everyone else out there, but for me, it's been a
rough start to the new year so far. Ever been stretched way too thin?
Feel like it's a battle to find time for everyday things, much less the
surprises life loves to through your way? I know that my schedule stays
pretty booked, and leaves little time for relaxing and recharging for
the next go around. And it can lead to short nerves, frustration, and
more - areas in my life that get neglected, most notably my social and
spiritual lives.
If I'm not careful, I end up feeling
like every step forward I take is followed by two backwards, if not
more. When it happens for a prolonged period of time, I want to vent
frustration, and too often it's aimed at places or people it shouldn't
be. And sometimes I want to throw my hands up and walk away from it all.
It can lead to bitterness and brokenness. If you don't have a good
support system in place, it can lead to a viscous cycle of self-pity
that feeds upon itself. But even the best support system - friends,
church group, family - can let you down without meaning to do so. This
is why it can be dangerous to have them as your only source of strength
and comfort.
So when you hit that point, what do you do? Where do you turn then?
I look to Jesus. No matter how I feel - no matter what's going on in my
life, I can always think back to a lesson that God taught me in one of
the lowest times in my life. And that one reminder is enough to set my feet on solid ground again. It puts a smile back on my face, and allows me to keep going, no matter how many times I get knocked down.
Draw your strength from God, and you can survive anything this world
throws at you. I'm not saying it will be easy. Far from it in fact. But
you'll have a joy in your heart this world cannot crush, no matter how
hard it tries.
So keep fighting - keep getting back
up and throwing more punches. Finish the race - even if it is one
agonizing step at a time. And keep your faith - even when it seems that
everything is going against you. God uses those times to draw you close,
and for His glory to be evident to those who are watching.
Love in Christ,
Chip
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Life isn't easy, but God conquers all
So recently my Facebook and twitter feeds have been bombarded by people posting what they are thankful for this month. I applaud the idea, even if it is growing a little stale. But this post is going to be for those who aren't sure what they have to be thankful for - for those struggling to come up with enough ideas to fill a week, much less a month. If not for Jesus, I know I could struggle with this. So bear with me for a minute. It'll be worth it, I promise :)
Next week it'll be 10 years since my mother passed away. Blink and a decade has gone by without her. I wonder what she'd think of me and the decisions I've made that put me where I am in my life now. And then there's my father, who, to put it mildly, doesn't have much to do with the family anymore. Not assigning blame here, just telling it how it is, and it's hard to argue with that. My once close-knit family has fractured to where I am basically on my own.
There's the fact that I'll be 28 next week, and recently I've watched friend after friend get married. Obviously I am happy for them, and more than a little envious. I don't have that companion to stand by my side, to encourage me, to laugh with me, and to share the secret joys and troubled times with. Each year, those friends will drift a little further apart, and it scares me I'll be left alone here as well.
I'm voicing the thoughts a lot of people don't have the courage or the will to say. Not everything is great and wonderful and life doesn't always go your way. The guy doesn't always get the girl, and the girl doesn't always get swept off her feet. That raise or bonus you were looking for may not come. Injuries happen. Your car may get totaled. It may be a struggle day to day for you just to simply live life. But that doesn't mean that there isn't a lot for which to be thankful; you just have to know where, and to whom, to look.
There is a God who loves you more than I can ever explain in one simple blog post. But he's real, and he's there for you if you'll let him be. And this is something I struggle with every day - reminding myself of the Gospel of Christ, and just letting go of the desire to have control of my life. Although I don't really know why. You'd think I'd let the one being in the universe who is all knowing and all powerful be in charge, but somehow, in my limited intellect, I think I can do better than he can. I think that I can know what is best for me, and how to best have a situation resolve.
I'm not saying it's easy. Obviously it's not. But God can and will ease the sorrows and comfort the broken hearted. He wants to wipe away the shame and the guilt. For me, that is enough to be thankful for this month. To some, It may not seem like much. But for me, it'll do. There is pain and hurt in this world, but there is joy in abundance just waiting for you if you know where to look - Jesus Christ. To quote DC Talk, 'There is love in the red letters. There is truth in the red letters. There is hope for the hopeless. There is peace and forgiveness. There is life in the red letters.' When you don't know where to turn, when all you know is pain, when you feel alone - remember that the God of this universe sent his son to die for our sins - he took our place so we can be with Him forever! Ladies and gentlemen, that is powerful love right there.
Share it with your friends, family, neighbors, and even strangers this holiday season. You never know what they're going through or dealing with. You may get ignored, or get dirty looks, or even cussed out. But who knows? Maybe that one person who needed to hear it will. And it will make all the difference in the world to them.
Love in Christ,
Chip
Next week it'll be 10 years since my mother passed away. Blink and a decade has gone by without her. I wonder what she'd think of me and the decisions I've made that put me where I am in my life now. And then there's my father, who, to put it mildly, doesn't have much to do with the family anymore. Not assigning blame here, just telling it how it is, and it's hard to argue with that. My once close-knit family has fractured to where I am basically on my own.
There's the fact that I'll be 28 next week, and recently I've watched friend after friend get married. Obviously I am happy for them, and more than a little envious. I don't have that companion to stand by my side, to encourage me, to laugh with me, and to share the secret joys and troubled times with. Each year, those friends will drift a little further apart, and it scares me I'll be left alone here as well.
I'm voicing the thoughts a lot of people don't have the courage or the will to say. Not everything is great and wonderful and life doesn't always go your way. The guy doesn't always get the girl, and the girl doesn't always get swept off her feet. That raise or bonus you were looking for may not come. Injuries happen. Your car may get totaled. It may be a struggle day to day for you just to simply live life. But that doesn't mean that there isn't a lot for which to be thankful; you just have to know where, and to whom, to look.
There is a God who loves you more than I can ever explain in one simple blog post. But he's real, and he's there for you if you'll let him be. And this is something I struggle with every day - reminding myself of the Gospel of Christ, and just letting go of the desire to have control of my life. Although I don't really know why. You'd think I'd let the one being in the universe who is all knowing and all powerful be in charge, but somehow, in my limited intellect, I think I can do better than he can. I think that I can know what is best for me, and how to best have a situation resolve.
I'm not saying it's easy. Obviously it's not. But God can and will ease the sorrows and comfort the broken hearted. He wants to wipe away the shame and the guilt. For me, that is enough to be thankful for this month. To some, It may not seem like much. But for me, it'll do. There is pain and hurt in this world, but there is joy in abundance just waiting for you if you know where to look - Jesus Christ. To quote DC Talk, 'There is love in the red letters. There is truth in the red letters. There is hope for the hopeless. There is peace and forgiveness. There is life in the red letters.' When you don't know where to turn, when all you know is pain, when you feel alone - remember that the God of this universe sent his son to die for our sins - he took our place so we can be with Him forever! Ladies and gentlemen, that is powerful love right there.
Share it with your friends, family, neighbors, and even strangers this holiday season. You never know what they're going through or dealing with. You may get ignored, or get dirty looks, or even cussed out. But who knows? Maybe that one person who needed to hear it will. And it will make all the difference in the world to them.
Love in Christ,
Chip
Thursday, September 20, 2012
No Place For A Hero...
So... been a while since I've posted. Been busy - broken hand, yard work for myself and my aunt, work, karate (brown belt - missed my last test due to the broken hand. Kinda set me back. Still around 1/2 way to black belt though), small group, programming project on the side, etc. Needless to say, my plate is full. Anyways, I'm back, and I'll try to post on a more consistent basis in the future.
Now... On with the show! To explain the topic of this thread... So I was listening to a song last night by The Heavy called 'Short Change Hero'. The lyrics in the chorus are "This ain't no place for no hero... this ain't no place for no better man. This ain't no place for no hero to call home."
It got me thinking about something our small group covered recently. The topic of 'Resident-Strangers' - For Christians, this isn't our home. We are aliens in a foreign land. Our home is in Heaven with our glorious savior, Jesus. We should be ecstatic that he has prepared a place for us as he promised. This world - this isn't a place to call home. But some of us, myself included sometimes, strive so desperately to call this our home. We try our best to fit in when we should be standing apart from the world so that they can see their is a difference in our lives. Imagine the impact we would have if this was the case!
This world may not be our home, but we are here for a purpose. We don't have to be 'heroes' or 'better men' - we only need to live so that our actions glorify Christ. Show others that there is hope, and explain to them what gives us that hope. But this doesn't mean that they should be looking to us - we are sinners too, and will ultimately let people down, no matter how hard we may try. While nothing we have done makes us the 'better man', we have been redeemed. That is the difference. Nothing but Christ seperates us from Hell. Christians themselves are not the 'better man' - we only try our best to point towards the ultimate hero.
I hope everyone has a great week. Let me know if there is anything I can pray for you about.
Love in Christ,
Chip
Now... On with the show! To explain the topic of this thread... So I was listening to a song last night by The Heavy called 'Short Change Hero'. The lyrics in the chorus are "This ain't no place for no hero... this ain't no place for no better man. This ain't no place for no hero to call home."
It got me thinking about something our small group covered recently. The topic of 'Resident-Strangers' - For Christians, this isn't our home. We are aliens in a foreign land. Our home is in Heaven with our glorious savior, Jesus. We should be ecstatic that he has prepared a place for us as he promised. This world - this isn't a place to call home. But some of us, myself included sometimes, strive so desperately to call this our home. We try our best to fit in when we should be standing apart from the world so that they can see their is a difference in our lives. Imagine the impact we would have if this was the case!
This world may not be our home, but we are here for a purpose. We don't have to be 'heroes' or 'better men' - we only need to live so that our actions glorify Christ. Show others that there is hope, and explain to them what gives us that hope. But this doesn't mean that they should be looking to us - we are sinners too, and will ultimately let people down, no matter how hard we may try. While nothing we have done makes us the 'better man', we have been redeemed. That is the difference. Nothing but Christ seperates us from Hell. Christians themselves are not the 'better man' - we only try our best to point towards the ultimate hero.
I hope everyone has a great week. Let me know if there is anything I can pray for you about.
Love in Christ,
Chip
Friday, June 22, 2012
Every Little Thing
So while stumbling around on Youtube the other night, killing time, I came across a song called 'Every Little Thing' by Dishwalla. Great song, and I think it can describe a lot of people I know, including myself.
In the song, there's a line that says "I wish I could be every little thing you wanted, all the time". I think this can take several different forms: Trying to be perfect at work. Conforming yourself to what you think your boyfriend or girlfriend wants, or even changing things about yourself to try and get in a relationship. Striving for approval from your parents. Trying to act cool in front of your friends. Or even trying to earn favor from God by being a good person and checking off every box you can think of - you try to be every little thing to those people. Even worse if you try to do it for everyone, and not just one group. It leaves you feeling exhausted.
But God has given us freedom to be ourselves. He chose to save us when we were at our worst. There was nothing that was desirable in us - he certainly doesn't need our devotion, but he chose to bring us to Him anyways. I can't even describe what a joy that is, but I'll try anyways. The Creator of the universe, the one who knew us before we were born, created us as unique beings, all with our own quirks and faults and traits. Even more than that, he sent his son to die as an atonement for our sins so that we can spend eternity in Heaven with Him. He loves and cares for us enough to do that, but yet we have such a desire to try to please others by changing ourselves and what makes us who we are!
Galatians 1:10 says "Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ." - It's a challenge to myself. Stop worrying about what others think about me. If God loves me enough to send his son for me, then I don't need to worry about trying to please everyone else. Don't stress about "being every little thing" to everyone. Serve God, and serve others when I am able. Show Christ's love to those that I come across. Continue growing closer to God, and enjoy the ride.
Have a great week everyone. Let me know if there's anything I can pray for.
Love in Christ,
Chip
In the song, there's a line that says "I wish I could be every little thing you wanted, all the time". I think this can take several different forms: Trying to be perfect at work. Conforming yourself to what you think your boyfriend or girlfriend wants, or even changing things about yourself to try and get in a relationship. Striving for approval from your parents. Trying to act cool in front of your friends. Or even trying to earn favor from God by being a good person and checking off every box you can think of - you try to be every little thing to those people. Even worse if you try to do it for everyone, and not just one group. It leaves you feeling exhausted.
But God has given us freedom to be ourselves. He chose to save us when we were at our worst. There was nothing that was desirable in us - he certainly doesn't need our devotion, but he chose to bring us to Him anyways. I can't even describe what a joy that is, but I'll try anyways. The Creator of the universe, the one who knew us before we were born, created us as unique beings, all with our own quirks and faults and traits. Even more than that, he sent his son to die as an atonement for our sins so that we can spend eternity in Heaven with Him. He loves and cares for us enough to do that, but yet we have such a desire to try to please others by changing ourselves and what makes us who we are!
Galatians 1:10 says "Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ." - It's a challenge to myself. Stop worrying about what others think about me. If God loves me enough to send his son for me, then I don't need to worry about trying to please everyone else. Don't stress about "being every little thing" to everyone. Serve God, and serve others when I am able. Show Christ's love to those that I come across. Continue growing closer to God, and enjoy the ride.
Have a great week everyone. Let me know if there's anything I can pray for.
Love in Christ,
Chip
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
The Times... They Are A Changin'
So it's been awhile since the last post. Figured I should give everyone an update on the happenings in my life lately.
Lots of good news!
- I'm now a Green Senior Belt in my martial arts class (Tang Soo Doo), which means I'm roughly 1/2 way to Black Belt. It's definitely getting more intense.
- One of my best friends, Stephen, is getting married this weekend in Mobile. Excited for him and the new life he is about to embark upon with his soon-to-be wife, Clara.
- New Job! I accepted a position at Warren Averett in Feb and have been enjoying it. Still getting my feet under me, but it's been good so far and I think I'm going to like it.
- Taking a class at Brook Hills to be a disciple-maker/able to lead a mission trip. It's been good so far, and definitely making me step out of my comfort zone.
Staying busy between martials arts, the bible study I'm co-leading, studying for that class at Brook Hills, and trying to fit in time to hang with friends and visit family. It's hard to find time for myself sometimes, and I need to unwind and have nights to myself just to have a breather, but all-in-all, life's not too bad. Maybe it's a good thing I don't have a girlfriend right now - don't know how I'd fit her in right now :) - but who knows... maybe that'll be one of the changes that I talk about next time I post... lol.
Hope everyone is having a good week. Let me know if I can pray about anything for you - I promise I'll fit it into my schedule :)
Love in Christ,
Chip
Lots of good news!
- I'm now a Green Senior Belt in my martial arts class (Tang Soo Doo), which means I'm roughly 1/2 way to Black Belt. It's definitely getting more intense.
- One of my best friends, Stephen, is getting married this weekend in Mobile. Excited for him and the new life he is about to embark upon with his soon-to-be wife, Clara.
- New Job! I accepted a position at Warren Averett in Feb and have been enjoying it. Still getting my feet under me, but it's been good so far and I think I'm going to like it.
- Taking a class at Brook Hills to be a disciple-maker/able to lead a mission trip. It's been good so far, and definitely making me step out of my comfort zone.
Staying busy between martials arts, the bible study I'm co-leading, studying for that class at Brook Hills, and trying to fit in time to hang with friends and visit family. It's hard to find time for myself sometimes, and I need to unwind and have nights to myself just to have a breather, but all-in-all, life's not too bad. Maybe it's a good thing I don't have a girlfriend right now - don't know how I'd fit her in right now :) - but who knows... maybe that'll be one of the changes that I talk about next time I post... lol.
Hope everyone is having a good week. Let me know if I can pray about anything for you - I promise I'll fit it into my schedule :)
Love in Christ,
Chip
Thursday, November 24, 2011
He is with us always, even to the end of the age
Sorry for the lack of posts - been a little busy the past few weeks and even months. It has, for the most part, been a good time though.
Work is stressful, but there appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully it is not an oncoming train :)
My martial arts class, Tang Soo Doo, is still going well. I just got my new belt, green belt, which means that I am, assuming I pass all of my classes between now and then, one-third of the way to black belt. I am out of the beginner belts and on to the intermediate level and there is already a big difference. I'm still enjoying it though and looking forward to the challenge.
Our bible study has been going well and I can definitely see God's hand over it. We have about 10 guys meeting regularly. We are definitely getting closer to eachother and bonding and it's great to know that our brothers in Christ have our back in prayer. It's also good to see some of them stepping up and teaching as it alleviates some of the burden put on us. I'm looking forward to seeing how God will use us to further his name in the coming months.
Other than that, not much going on. I turned 27 yesterday, and no, I don't feel any older or different. My friends took me to Dreamland BBQ and to a UAB basketball game. It was a great time. I don't get to spend as much time with them as I used to, which does leave me a little sad. A lot of them have moved away, or have their own changes they are going through such as marriage. I don't begrudge them any - they are my friends and I am happy for them - but it does leave me sad to see the end of an era coming faster and faster. But maybe God is using that to bring new people into my life, which is itself a very exciting thought.
As I start wrapping this post up, I guess I should bring it back around to the title and explain why I chose it. At church, we have been intentional with what our goal is when we close our service - to spread his name to the end of the Earth. We end with reciting the verse which says the Great Commission. I find it interesting that God gives us a command to go out and then tags that line on the end as a way to reassure us that he will always be with us. Even with all of the changes going on in my life, be it family, friends, job, whatever - I have a God who loves me and has promised to be with me always. He never changes. How we respond to him might, but he is constant. And that is very reassuring. He will be with us whatever comes our way. On this Thanksgiving Day, I am thankful that even if everything radically changes between this Thanksgiving and the next, or even between today and tomorrow, that I can rest secure in the arms of my loving Father.
Love in Christ,
Chip
Work is stressful, but there appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully it is not an oncoming train :)
My martial arts class, Tang Soo Doo, is still going well. I just got my new belt, green belt, which means that I am, assuming I pass all of my classes between now and then, one-third of the way to black belt. I am out of the beginner belts and on to the intermediate level and there is already a big difference. I'm still enjoying it though and looking forward to the challenge.
Our bible study has been going well and I can definitely see God's hand over it. We have about 10 guys meeting regularly. We are definitely getting closer to eachother and bonding and it's great to know that our brothers in Christ have our back in prayer. It's also good to see some of them stepping up and teaching as it alleviates some of the burden put on us. I'm looking forward to seeing how God will use us to further his name in the coming months.
Other than that, not much going on. I turned 27 yesterday, and no, I don't feel any older or different. My friends took me to Dreamland BBQ and to a UAB basketball game. It was a great time. I don't get to spend as much time with them as I used to, which does leave me a little sad. A lot of them have moved away, or have their own changes they are going through such as marriage. I don't begrudge them any - they are my friends and I am happy for them - but it does leave me sad to see the end of an era coming faster and faster. But maybe God is using that to bring new people into my life, which is itself a very exciting thought.
As I start wrapping this post up, I guess I should bring it back around to the title and explain why I chose it. At church, we have been intentional with what our goal is when we close our service - to spread his name to the end of the Earth. We end with reciting the verse which says the Great Commission. I find it interesting that God gives us a command to go out and then tags that line on the end as a way to reassure us that he will always be with us. Even with all of the changes going on in my life, be it family, friends, job, whatever - I have a God who loves me and has promised to be with me always. He never changes. How we respond to him might, but he is constant. And that is very reassuring. He will be with us whatever comes our way. On this Thanksgiving Day, I am thankful that even if everything radically changes between this Thanksgiving and the next, or even between today and tomorrow, that I can rest secure in the arms of my loving Father.
Love in Christ,
Chip
Sunday, October 23, 2011
The beauty of who He is...
So I'm sitting here listening to Marc Broussard's "The beauty of who you are" and with lots of different thoughts running through my head. I try to keep God first and foremost in my thoughts and actions, but that's not always easy - as I'm sure you all know. I'll get into the hows and why below.
Our bible study that we started has been going really well. We dove into Galatians at first - going over how we no longer need the Law to try and work out our salvation, which is lucky for us because we cannot measure up to the Law's demand. Thankfully we have a Savior who has given us a way out of this and we don't need to try and follow both - Christ is everything we need. The Gospel does not need any addition on our part. We've dived into James now, and have started going through how trials are a way we can either grow closer to God and use them as a way to show his glory to those around us, or use it as an excuse to pull away from and fall into sin. Considering I led the study of James 1, you'd think I would really know this stuff, but of course it takes longer to sink into my thick head. I was driving to church tonight when it hit me.
James 1:2-3 says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." - It hit me that all of the things I had been saying were really applicable with the things going on in my life right now. Whether it's family problems, work stress, uncertainty about the Lord's desires for my future and my willingness to obey - whatever the issues going on with my life, Christ is my joy and the center of my heart's desires. If I look to him, I can get through everything that Satan throws my way (which seems to be more and more nowadays). God is using these times to draw me closer to him, and for me to show his love to others. As I was driving, that hit me and put a really big smile on my face - I knew that no matter the outcome, me and my God were going to be closer due to all of the things I am struggling with now, which is an awesome statement to make.
So as this song finishes playing, it reminds me that as I learn more and more about Him - as I grow closer to Him - I will never really even get close to all that there is to know about Him. His beauty is astounding. His power is undeniable. His love is matchless. His righteousness is unquestionable. And that's the beauty of who He is...
Our bible study that we started has been going really well. We dove into Galatians at first - going over how we no longer need the Law to try and work out our salvation, which is lucky for us because we cannot measure up to the Law's demand. Thankfully we have a Savior who has given us a way out of this and we don't need to try and follow both - Christ is everything we need. The Gospel does not need any addition on our part. We've dived into James now, and have started going through how trials are a way we can either grow closer to God and use them as a way to show his glory to those around us, or use it as an excuse to pull away from and fall into sin. Considering I led the study of James 1, you'd think I would really know this stuff, but of course it takes longer to sink into my thick head. I was driving to church tonight when it hit me.
James 1:2-3 says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." - It hit me that all of the things I had been saying were really applicable with the things going on in my life right now. Whether it's family problems, work stress, uncertainty about the Lord's desires for my future and my willingness to obey - whatever the issues going on with my life, Christ is my joy and the center of my heart's desires. If I look to him, I can get through everything that Satan throws my way (which seems to be more and more nowadays). God is using these times to draw me closer to him, and for me to show his love to others. As I was driving, that hit me and put a really big smile on my face - I knew that no matter the outcome, me and my God were going to be closer due to all of the things I am struggling with now, which is an awesome statement to make.
So as this song finishes playing, it reminds me that as I learn more and more about Him - as I grow closer to Him - I will never really even get close to all that there is to know about Him. His beauty is astounding. His power is undeniable. His love is matchless. His righteousness is unquestionable. And that's the beauty of who He is...
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