Sharing Life

Blessed is the one who...

2010-12-30T11:55:00.000-08:00

Blessed are those who dwell in your house...

Blessed are those whose strength is in you...

Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.

These three parts of Psalm 84 stood out to me today. I love how simple this is! It could of said, "Blessed is the one who is good all the time." Or it could of said, "Blessed is the one who lives a perfect life." No way! God's word is not like that at all. I am so thankful today that all God asks of us is to trust Him...to dwell in Him...to find our strength in Him.

I am convinced more and more that this life with God is less about rules and regulations and more about living in a close relationship with our maker. Jesus has made a way for us to have access to Gods presence through His shed blood. We now can dwell in God and He in us...what a gift! Will you take the time to find your strength in Christ today and simply trust?

Happy New Year.

God's Will???

2010-09-06T06:37:00.000-07:00

We've all heard the term, "God's Will." If you've watched the popular movie, "Kingdom of Heaven," you know this term. As they say in dramatic fashion, "If God's wills it!"

This has been a term that's been close to home for me lately. We recently moved to Southern California and are settling in to our new home. Shortly after we moved a close friend said, "You just gotta make sure you're in God's will." He went on to explain that, we must be in God's will because God had helped us so much in our move. And He did! When we moved here we had a full size Budget Rental truck full of all our stuff with no place to live. The first day we arrived a house opened up, I applied, and we got it! This was pretty amazing considering there were two other applicants that applied before we did.

So does this prove we are in God's will? What is God's will anyway? How do we know if we are in it or not?

These were all questions in my mind after reflecting on the comment my friend had. I guess I questioned the whole "God's will" thing. What I mean is, it seems like there's a thinking out there that conveys the idea that if you make one wrong decision your "Out" of God's will. The big question in this thinking is,"Your either IN or OUT of God's will?"

I'm not sure why, but I have a hard time with this. I think God is bigger than that...

If we can get out of God's will so easily, by one wrong move, then aren't we all IN and OUT of God's will multiple times a day? Or, are you perfect?

I think this is part of the problem. I think we can make wrong decisions and still be in His will. What??? Am I saying we can be imperfect and still be pleasing to God? YES!

I think asking the question, "Am I in God's will," is the wrong question. I think this question produces fear of messing up, fear of missing it, fear of making that one wrong decision that will expel you from God's will...

What if God gave us a heart and mind to make our own decisions, with Him? What if God trusts us to make mistakes so we can learn stuff? What if God enjoys seeing us do what we think is right, while following Him?

Any thoughts?

Joshua 1:9 -Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Us Versus Them

2010-08-14T22:53:00.000-07:00

The phrase "Us Versus Them" has caught my attention lately. I was driving home and saw this phrase on the back of someones SUV. I googled it and it's a local clothing company in So. Cal... interesting.

I was wondering why this phrase intrigued me so much?

I think it sparked something in me because much of my Christian life has felt this way. It seems that somewhere along the line religion taught me that I was supposed to separate myself from the unbelievers... not of this world right?

The problem though was after a while it turned into "Us Versus Them." It gets so bad we have to teach our disciples how to reach the unbelievers through skilled formulas and strategies. The problem is there always seems to be an agenda.

I think there has been a serious flaw with how we have been going about the whole thing. This may be the reason that most 16-29 year olds in America want to have nothing to do with the church or God. We can't just blame them.

Dear fellow Christians: Let's all look at ourselves and realize the problem is with us.

Thousands of people are totally turned off to God and church because we have had strings attached, been high minded, had an agenda, and talked a Christianese language they couldn't understand. No wonder they didn't want to go to church with you... or me.

It hasn't been until recently (the past 4 years) that I have began to realize that there may be a different way. I'm not talking about about a different God or a different Jesus... He's the same. What I'm talking about is a different way of looking at how we relate to our world.

Here is one huge idea that changed everything for me:

We're all the same.

We're all in need of Gods grace. Going to church means nothing! Going to church and calling yourself a Christian does not give you the right to look down on a homosexual, atheist, liberal, or any other person that doesn't measure up to your religious standard. No matter who you are, if you live on planet Earth you have sinned and are in need of Gods love and forgiveness.

He offers it freely to everyone. His name is Jesus.

So, my conclusion is:

we are ALL the same.

We ALL have been created in God's image.

We ALL struggle with sin.

We ALL need God.

Love Covers

2010-08-12T21:00:00.000-07:00

Recently I read something that seemed to awaken my soul. It was a short verse in the Bible that says, "... love covers a multitude of sins."

It didn't hit me immediately but later in the day when I was driving. I began to think about this verse and realized that, above everything, what matters the most to God is love. His love covers a multitude of sins...

Truth be told we ALL have a multitude of sins, whether your a churchgoer or not.

We are all in desperate need of Gods love! Thank God that instead of making us pay for our wrongs He covers and forgives. Thank God that through His Son Jesus we can all experience His love and forgiveness. All we need to do is ask...

1 Peter 4:8-Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

"Know Yourself"-Resources

2010-04-25T11:29:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys,

If you've read my recent blogs we've been talking about "Knowing yourself." I have finally put together the resources that have helped me so much over the years. I hope and pray they will help you on this amazing journey of discovering who you are.

Simply copy & paste the links below in your web browser. There is a cost for these but it's worth every penny.

1. This first book is by Bruce Bugbee and is called, "What you do best in the body of Christ." He talks about spiritual gifts, style, and passion. There are great tools and assessments throughout the whole book to help you discover who you are and how God has wired you.

http://www.amazon.com/What-You-Best-Body-Christ/dp/0310257352/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272220125&sr=1-1

2. This second resource is called "Strengths Finder 2.0." This is widely used by many universities, businesses, and churches. If you want to find out what your strengths are, this is the best tool out there.

http://www.amazon.com/StrengthsFinder-2-0-Upgraded-Discover-Strengths/dp/159562015X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272220631&sr=1-1

3. The third resource is the DISC Classic 2.0. This is an awesome test that helps you find out your personality in the workplace. The website also includes a Myers Briggs test, probably the most popular personality test in the world.

http://www.thediscpersonalitytest.com/

I am confident if you spend the time working through these books and assessments you will know yourself better. You will have a more clear idea of who you are and what you're supposed to do. I know you will be encouraged by what you find.

God has great plans for you!

Sincerely,

Eli Quinnett

Part 4-Reflection

2010-04-08T15:27:00.000-07:00

I've been talking about "Knowing yourself." In my past blogs we've talked about core values, how you are wired, and things that either make you angry, or things that get you really excited...

All this stuff can help you to know yourself better. One thing that goes along with this whole process is the "art of reflection." Reflection can be simply be taking something into consideration. It can also mean meditation, which is just focusing your thoughts on something purposeful. I think that learning how to reflect on our lives can transform who we are. It can make us more holistic individuals. To me, reflection is slowing down and thinking about your life. It also helps tremendously to invite God into this process.

So, can you make some time to reflect to know yourself better? Will you invite God into this process? If so, you are on the amazing journey of discovering who God created you to be... and it's ALL good. It's not always easy, but it's all good! Slowing down and taking time for yourself could be one of the best things you've ever done...

Also, I talked about posting resources of ways to know yourself better. In my next blog I will be posting several resources and assessment tools to assist you in knowing how God "wired" you specifically! Get ready...

Part 3: There's no one like YOU!

2010-03-17T16:50:00.000-07:00

So, we talked about core values and the question, "what makes you angry?"

Hopefully this made you think a bit about how you are wired.

If you haven't heard that term before it just means that you are like no one else on this planet.

This is really cool... I know it sounds cliche' but it's true... there's no one like YOU!

So here's the next question for you to ponder as you continue on the journey of knowing yourself:

What do you get excited about?

In other words, what makes you happy?

I know it sounds really simple but the answer to this question can teach you a lot about yourself. Yeah, certain things make us all happy like friends, sunsets, and good Enchiladas. But what about those things that really fill you up? There are some things in life that will make you excited like no other.

So, think about this for a while... think about your life... what you've done, where you've been... how you've responded.

What have been the things or circumstances that have truly made you happy and fulfilled?

Was it a good deed, a job, a trip somewhere, something you did for a while?

Once you come up with some things then ask yourself this question, "What was it about this that I got so much fulfillment out of?"

Pray about this.

If there isn't anything that's done this, ask this question, "What could it possibly be?" What do you secretly think you would enjoy doing?"

Pray about this.

Part 2: Core Values

2010-03-16T11:41:00.000-07:00

Part 2 on knowing yourself...

So I talked a little bit about this idea of core values. In The book I'm reading, Chazown, he throws out a great question to find out what your core values are:

"What makes you angry?"

This can tell you a lot about yourself. I'm not just talking about getting mad when when someone cuts you off. What I'm talking about is things that effect your being to the core. What are the things that make you rise up and want to fight for what's right?

The answer to this question reveals a lot about how God created you!

My challenge to you is to think about this for a while. Think about the things that make you rise up like this. The things you discover will get you closer to that "Thing" you were created for...

"What makes you angry?"

Know Thyself ???

2010-03-13T08:09:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered about what you are called to do? Well, I have! I think we all have something in us that wants to know why we are here. I've been reading a book recently called Chazown, by Craig Groeschel. In the book he talks about core values, purpose, and vision.

I realize that core values are a big deal. I think core values are the foundation to our decisions. Our core values determine where we work, go to school, church, who we marry, and so on. The crazy thing about core values is that most of us don't even know what they are! Maybe that's why we get so confused about what to do.

I think most of us don't even know ourselves very well. We're not sure what we value let alone want to do with the rest of our lives. The cool thing is that God has a plan. God created us for a specific reason and has gifted us like no other person on the planet...

It hasn't been until recently that I started learning about my gifts, talents, and core values. It has been amazing! Now that I know more about them I am more like an arrow flying to the bullseye than a shotgun going all over the place.

I think many of us feel like those shotgun pellets flying in every direction, not knowing exactly where the target is. We go around and around always wondering if this is the right thing. We were never meant to live this way.

Do you have a desire to learn more about yourself?

If so, I will be posting questions and links to help you know yourself better in the near future... stay posted.

Drop in Dude!

2010-02-12T23:04:00.000-08:00

From the age of 13 to about 22 I surfed a lot! When I was just getting started I was struggling in one area. I would always hesitate before catching the wave! When your surfing, hesitation is the worst thing you can do. What happens is, your sitting out there waiting for the perfect wave... Finally after 10-20 minutes of waiting the swells start rolling in. You have to paddle as hard as you can to catch the wave.

The next part is the most critical... dropping in. This is the defining moment! Will you go for it or will you pull out and wait for another 20 minutes?

This is the area I struggled in the most. I remember, I would pull out at the last moment, right before the wave crashed. I would paddle back out and wait... and pull out... and wait some more. I would only catch a couple of waves the whole time I was out there.

I didn't really enjoy myself very much.

After a while some of my friends encouraged me to stop hesitating. They said I just needed to go for it, no matter the consequence. Even if I wiped out at least I dropped in and gave it my all.

This revolutionized my surfing experience. After I learned this lesson I became more confident and I had a ton more fun. And yeah, I wiped out a lot.

It actually changed the whole way I looked at life. I stopped hesitating in a whole bunch of different areas... I grew as a result.

Many of us are like this in life. We hesitate all the time. We see the thing coming we know we should go for, but right at the very moment we should drop in, we pull back and paddle back out and wait.

We do this with God too...

I believe God is always inviting us into exciting and new adventures. Why not go for it with your whole heart? Why not just drop in and see what happens? Will you wipe out? Oh yeah!

But you will also make it and grow, and learn, and become that person He has created you to be.

Don't hesitate, just go for it... Jesus did.

The Storm

2010-01-11T20:32:00.000-08:00

I read something this morning that reminded me of an experience I had when I was 18 years old. When I was 18 I moved to the state of Oklahoma to live with my Dad. At the time I was trying to sort some things out in my life. When I arrived in Oklahoma I heard a song on the radio. The words sounded like this; "Jesus, be the calm in the center of my storm..."

The song had a nice little jingle and and I'm sure it made some people feel all fuzzy inside. At the time I didn't really care and wanted nothing to do with God. So, as the story goes, I ended up getting a job at Coors Technical Ceramics. Yep, the same company that makes that beer that tastes like water. So over time I worked and hung out with my Dad and the family. Things seemed pretty good.

But not really. For some reason I was horribly lonely and depressed. I remember I made friends with a homeless guy named Benny. Me and Benny would grab a can of Bud and talk behind the Shell gas station. Good times! Well, as time went on I felt worse and worse until one fateful night.

This one night I was laying in my room and I felt like I wanted to give up or something. It's hard to explain but I remember feeling so alone and lost. As I laid there I remembered something...the song.

What???

Why would I remember that song? It had been 6 months since I heard that song. As I laid there I thought about those words, "Jesus, be the calm in the center of my storm..."

I decided to pray.

I simply prayed, "Jesus, be the calm in the center of my storm."

You're not going to believe what happened next. Right after I prayed those words I felt a presence in the room. I knew Jesus was there with His hands wide open above my bed. I knew He was there! I felt Him there. I began to weep uncontrollably...

Quite a bit of time went on. Probably 20 minutes went by as I laid there paralyzed with fear and awe. After I composed myself I reflected on what just happened. Did God really just meet me in my room? As I thought this I decided to turn on my radio next to my bed. I flicked on the power button and guess what happened next?

I heard the words playing, "Jesus, be the calm in the center of my storm."

The same jingle from 6 months ago. Coincidence? I think not.

"He is real," I thought! I knew without a doubt that God had met with me that night. He heard my prayer and came to be the calm in the center of my storm...

Luke 8:22-25

A Christmas Message

2009-12-20T06:25:00.000-08:00

I've been learning about the story of Exodus recently in the Bible. As the story goes the nation of Israel is captive in Egypt. They cried to God in their distress. God heard their cry and sent Moses to deliver them from captivity. Many of us have heard the story. What a story!

God heard their cry and He hears ours today. Wherever we are, whatever we've done, if we seek Him, He hears...

This story was meant to be remembered for all generations. It actually shaped Israel's identity. The nation of Israel, from that point on, would be the people God delivered out of Egypt. God's chosen ones.

This, "Exodus" was meant to be remembered always as a sign of God's goodness and love...

In the same way, we all have an "Exodus" of our own. God has done great things for each of us. He has chosen us and delivered us all by sending His only son Jesus Christ.

In the Bible, Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us."

This amazing act of love Christ accomplished for us is to be remembered for all times, to all generations.

Let's reflect on our "Exodus" in Christ this season. Let's thank God for what He has done for us.

Merry Christmas!

God Hears

2009-10-01T19:37:00.001-07:00

Last night I started my first class at Fuller Theological Seminary. I'm so excited! I have worked, waited, and labored for this day and it is finally here.

I am taking a class on the Pentateuch and a Counseling course.

I am amazed at how much I learned from just one night. The thing that stood out to me the most was a story from Exodus which talks about the children of Israel crying out to God.

As the story goes the Israelites our working under some serious forced labor. After some time they cry out to God in their distress.

God hears...

Of all the things, details, and good theological information I learned last night, the one thing that stands out to me the most is "God hears."

So simple a child could understand it, yet so profound and awesome.

I am so grateful tonight that God hears our cry.

He hears when we are challenged.
He hears when we don't know what to do.
He hears when we can't go on any more.

He hears... and He delivers.

Simple Words Part 2

2009-09-19T09:38:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about this idea of Christians repenting to those that don't believe what we do. Repenting... in our hearts... to God... and to an individual, if need be.

There are many people that have been hurt by Christians, and probably for good reason.

As a Christian myself, I think we need to take the stance that Jesus would of taken, humility.

I think we need to take a hard look at how we as a Church have treated those people out there that think and believe differently than we do.

I believe the first step is to humble ourselves.

See, there is this idea with some Christians that somehow we are above unbelievers or better somehow. Many have felt the effects of this way of thinking. Many don't follow Christ because of this.

Look, we are all human and all in need of God's mercy and grace.

I want to say we're sorry!

I'm sorry for the guy who picketed at the release of Dan Brown's movie Da vinci Code.
I'm sorry for those people who carry around the pictures of dead fetuses.
I'm sorry for those Christians that made you feel less than because you weren't holy enough
I'm sorry for those Christian leaders who cheated, stole, and lied...

I am so sorry.

If you are upset and hurt because of what Christians have said or done, please forgive us.

Know that there are many of us out there that are striving to live like Jesus did.

Know that you are loved...

Simple Words

2009-09-17T18:05:00.000-07:00

I was reading Jesus' famous "Sermon on the Mount" this morning in Matthew 5.

His teachings here are so simple and profound.

In Matthew 5 Jesus teaches:

being a light to those around you
reconciliation with others
being faithful to your spouse
keeping your word
loving
giving
praying
trusting

and believing in others as He believes in us.

Why do we add so many other rules to this faith we have?

I admit I have failed in many of these areas. I think its time we started to repent to those that have looked to us as their example.

Maybe we were too busy in church to notice their problem.
Maybe we judged somebody when we could have loved.
Maybe we pointed the finger when we could have helped.
Maybe we were just too busy...

To all those people Christians have hurt...please forgive us!

Forgive us our sins...

Give us another chance.

New Clothes

2009-08-29T08:58:00.000-07:00

We have all heard of the story of Adam and Eve and the forbidden fruit.

As the story goes, Adam and Eve eat the fruit, and immediately they realize they are naked.

Then God is walking through the Garden and asks, "Who told you you were naked?"

For the first time in their lives they had experienced shame... they knew good and evil.

Unfortunately this was a consequence of their sin... there's always a consequence.

So, God is walking in the garden and meets up with Adam and Eve after they did what they weren't supposed to do.

They really screwed up this time right?

Here's the big question: What does God do?

In the Bible, Genesis 3:21 says, "And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them."

Why is this is a big deal?

Because it says alot about Gods character.

God could have said, "You got your self into this mess, now get your self out."

God could of said, "You're on your own now."

But what does God do?

He makes them clothing and helps them even when they don't deserve it.

It's human nature to think if someone wrongs you to withdraw, leave em be, and move on.

God does the opposite. When we mess up He steps in and clothes us, heals us, and restores us...

This is how He is...

OK

2009-08-06T18:40:00.000-07:00

"It's ok to not be ok!"

I remember hearing this statement for the first time from a good pastor friend of mine.

It was life changing for me!

I think oftentimes in the church we try and have it all together. It seems like because we are Christians we think we should have this perfect life or something. On the contrary, Christians are human, and just like every one else, except for the whole Jesus thing...

Which I think is a pretty big deal. But even though we have experienced Jesus and His amazing love doesn't mean we don't have issues and problems. We do...and that's OK!

So for you Christians out there that feel pressure to put on a show and look holy...be real.

Be real before God, be real before others.

I believe this is how we are called to live. This is true freedom.

Freedom to be yourself...freedom to love, freedom to say no, freedom to say yes...

Freedom to be real.

Orca

2009-07-11T19:08:00.000-07:00

Today me and the family went to the park. It was 85 degrees, ouch! We decided to go to this park that had cool water stuff. We got there and there was 2000 kids. Well maybe closer to 200 but it was crazy. The thing that was so cool about this place was the water features they had for the kids. They had water spouts everywhere! My favorite feature of the whole park was the concrete, real size Orca Whale. This thing stands at least 8-10 feet tall at its highest point and is probably 30 feet long, at least. It even has a blow hole with water shooting up into the air about 20 feet high. We all sat there drinking iced latte's watching all these kids sliding down the Orcas face.

The best part of this entertaining situation was how each child slid down the Orca. They all had a different way of doing it. One little girl slid down so carefully and precisely. One little boy would slide down half way and jump off. One girl followed the lead of another girl, and had a blast cracking up the whole way. One little girl went full steam ahead and would fall flat when she hit the ground. She loved it and did it at least 30 times when we were there. It was beautiful to see children being themselves and living life to the full...

As I sat there I reflected on how we lose some of what those kids had today. It seems at some point in our developement we begin to try and be something we're not. Even in Jr. High or High School we try and be so different but there are 200 other kids in our school that look and talk exactly the same way. I think our culture has alot to do with this, as well as human nature. Even as adults we have so many influences today telling us who and what to be.

As I sat there I wanted to be more like the children sliding down the Orca. They were uninhibited, passionate, and being true to themselves. In the same way I think we should all make a choice to accept ourselves and embrace who God made us to be. Some are called to slide, others are called to jump, and some are called to follow...it's ok! I believe one of the first steps to maturing as a whole person is accepting yourself. Be true to who you are and live life to the full. How would you slide down the Orca? However it is; taking it slow, sliding, jumping, following, leading...it's all good. Be yourself!

To top it all off, as I was sitting there reflecting on how happy these kids were, I look over and I see Ethan, our 1 year old, drinking an iced latte, watching these kids slide. I was totally blown away and it all made me laugh! Yeah, the latte was empty but still, Ethan was living it up...

Only in Seattle right...

I Want...

2009-05-29T13:16:00.000-07:00

Holly and I were talking about "wanting" today. We were talking about some who want to be married so bad. I think we've all been there. But this "wanting" thing is crazy because it gets us sometimes. We want to be married, we want that house, that family, that place, that thing...

That "thing" begins to consume us doesn't it? We want it so much we get to the point where we will almost do whatever it takes to get it...

It's not that the thing, place, or person we wanted was necessarily bad it just began to rule over us. Why do these things rule over us like they do? Why can't we just be content with what we have and where we're at?

I don't really know the answer but what I do know is that as we are "wanting," God long's to do a work in our hearts. I know that it is normal to want love, a family, a good place to live, an amazing job. But all these things need to be kept in there right place, under the Lordship of Christ.

Ultimately we are called to want one thing above all others...Jesus. He is calling all of us back to our first love...Him. I believe as we are "wanting," we are to bring it to Him and "let go," in order that He can take it and do with it what He will. Have you brought your "want" to Jesus today?

Will you trust Him with it and let it go, believing He will bring that thing to you when the time is right? Letting go doesn't mean you can't take steps of preparation. But it means you leave space for God to work in the situation.

If Jesus returned tommorow and asked, "What have you been wanting," how would you respond? Would you say, "A man, a woman, a house, a car, a place, a job, or would you say, "Jesus I longed for you more than anything!"

Let's return to Him and let go of all the stuff and desires that distract us. Let's return to Jesus and live simple, loving lives. Let's ask Him to change our hearts...

Will you give it all to God today? Will you let go, today, tommorow, and every day? Jesus is the only one who can truly satisfy our hearts. Until we realize this we will be left "wanting" day after day...

Remote Control

2009-05-06T20:46:00.000-07:00

Tonight I was upstairs with my 1 year old son Ethan. I gave him a bath and then tried to put a diaper on him. He was having none of it. He just didn't want to me to put that diaper on, no matter what. So I tried giving him the Tylenol bottle to play with...no success. Then I tried to get him occupied with the wipe container...sorry. So, I had only one choice left...the remote control.

The remote control is normally off limits but at this point I was desperate. I needed to find something for him to play with so I could get his diaper on. Finally it worked...yes! I finished getting Ethan dressed for bed and then he decided he wanted to play. He then crawled up and down our hallway with the remote control in his hand. He was loving every minute of it. Ethan has also recently learned how to walk...stagger is a better word though. He kind of looks like a drunken sailor as he staggers and waddles around laughing.

This is what was happening. Ethan was crawling, staggering, and cracking up as he held that remote control while the little red light was flashing on and off. After a few minutes of this we started to see each other across the room. We began to play "the game." The game was when we spotted each other across the hallway we would crawl or stagger towards one another until we would meet, cracking up and kiss. What a blast!!! We had such a wonderful time enjoying one another.

The thing that happened next really shocked me. Ethan and I spotted each other across the hallway. Our eyes locked, we took off on a speed crawl towards one another. As soon as we got close enough to meet Ethan sat up, looked me straight in the eye and slowly...handed me the remote control, his prized possesion. What a gift! Wow! The once coveted remote had beed handed over. I was so touched by this.

As we layed there on our backs I realized this happens with God sometimes. We hang on to something. We hang on really, really tight. We hang on so tight the buttons start flashing and our knuckles get red. The next thing that happens is God begins to pursue us, we lock eyes and begin to crawl or run to each other. We play "the game." We do this and we do this and we begin to experience a loving, passionate God. Eventually we let go...

The next thing that happened with Ethan and I is he got a hold of the nose sucky thing. We played and played again...for a long time. We we're totally worn out and full of joy together. Guess what happened next? He tried to give me the slimy sucky thing...

What a day...God is so good.

Surf's Up

2009-05-01T22:20:00.000-07:00

Tonight I was thinking about surfing. I used to love to surf. I surfed nonstop from the age of 13 to about 22. My friends and I used to travel around looking for the perfect wave. We had a blast traveling all over San Diego and Mexico surfing and enjoying life! I got to thinking about all the different beaches and waves we surfed...

Some of the beaches had soft, peeling waves and others had hard, fast waves. There we're even a couple of times I got tubed...this is one of the most amazing feelings. As I thought of all the different kind of beaches and waves I realized that the waves broke differently because of what was underneath. Some beaches had smooth sand while others had little tiny pebbles. Some beaches had big huge rocks underneath that had bright orange fish called Garibaldi's.

It is so interesting to think that it's what's underneath the wave that causes it to break the way it does. Of course it's also the position of the swells and the winds too. But as I surfed many of the same beaches over and over I realized that the waves there always felt a certain way. One place in La Jolla called Bigrock had waves like pipeline...I didn't surf there though.

As I pondered my surfing past I realized that waves are alot like emotions. We ride emotions like waves don't we? It's exhilarating to feel the joy of love, or something new and exciting in our lives. It's also painful to ride the wave of sorrow or despair. I realize that much of the emotional waves we ride are due to what's underneath. Is it rocky or smooth and sandy? What's underneath determines what kind of waves we'll ride. In the same way our thoughts are what create the waves of joy or sorrow in our lives...

The good news is with Gods help He can help us tame our thoughts to produce good and joyful waves to ride...

Phillipians 4: 6-8-Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.

Stuck in the 80's?

2009-04-09T08:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we were driving and saw a guy driving a 1982 Ford Mustang. The Mustang was brown and in it's original condition. When we drove by we looked in and the guy driving had a huge Tom Selleck mustache and 80's attire. Holly and I looked at each other in amazement. We just witnessed a blast from the past. This guy got stuck in the 80's and never made it out.

Have you ever noticed that people sometimes get stuck in an era? Maybe it's how they dress or wear their hair. I got to thinking about why we do this. Maybe it's not all bad...I really like Polyester. Just kidding, but I guess if you like the style stick with it huh? But when it comes to how we think and view life I believe we should always endeavor to keep learning and growing. We get stuck here sometimes...

Even more so with God. Maybe we always thought God did it a certain way. Or maybe we have a belief that is set in stone. Is it possible that God is not exactly like you thought? Is it possible that you have far more potential than you ever imagined? Is it possible that your belief system isn't perfect? None of us have this thing figured out. Let's open our hearts and minds and allow God to show us something new...something amazing...something beautiful.

True change begins with God...If you seek Him (Jesus) you will find Him...

Lamentations 3: 22-23 The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never ceases, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

Pearl's Garden

2009-03-22T20:02:00.000-07:00

I just watched a show about a man named Pearl. Pearl worked in a factory for over 30 years. He lived in a Southern town and was a pretty average guy. One day Pearl and his wife decided to purchase a home. Some of the people didn't want Pearl in the neighborhood because he and his wife are African American. Pearl and his wife persisted though taking hold of their dream. Over time people got used to Pearl and his wife but they still talked...

One day Pearl learned of a contest. It was a contest to have the best garden. So Pearl decided to tend his garden. Eventually Pearl won...and over the years Pearl gave his life to that 3 acre garden God gave him. Pearl decided to use what he had. He never had landscape training but only a strong work ethic instilled by His father.

Today Pearl's garden is nationally known. People travel from all over the country to visit Pearl's special garden with topiaries, manicured lawns, and unique creations. Pearl even wrote a phrase with flowers in his garden that says, "Love, peace, and goodwill." The awesome thing about Pearl's story is that his garden has brought the town together. The thing I was taken back by the most was the feeling they had when they walked through his garden. People said that they felt God...they felt something special when they were there.

I was so encouraged to hear the story of one man's journey. Pearl decided to use what God had given him. He decided that instead of getting bitter he would serve and work hard and use what he had in front of him...his garden. It got me thinking that we all have something. We all have something in front of us...a garden to tend to. The cool thing about this is when we give ourselves to our garden God can take that and make it beautiful...no matter how small or menial we may think it is. Will you tend to your garden? Will you make the best of what God has given you? If so, may God take your garden and make it a place of beauty and redemption.

To check out Pearl's website go to http://www.fryarstopiaries.com/

May you prosper as you tend your garden...

Eli

Passion

2009-03-03T15:52:00.000-08:00

I was thinking about passion today. I think passion is the thing inside of you that you can barely contain. It's the thing that, when someone asks you about it, you can barely stay together because you're so excited. What if we did a survey of what people where passionate about. Some would say, "Food, " and I might agree. But seriously, there are so many things that people are passionate about such as a lover, a spouse, an idea, a cause...

We were created to be passionate people weren't we? I believe that God created us for a specific purpose and as a result we can live passionate lives. So what are you passionate about? What's that one thing that stirs you up and get's you so excited you can barely contain yourself? As I pondered this question I thought of Jesus...

What was Jesus passionate about? What was the one thing that Jesus was so totally consumed with? If we were to walk along that dusty road with Him over 2000 years ago and walk up to Him and ask, "Jesus, what gets you up in the morning?" What would He say? I believe with all my heart Jesus would say, "YOU!" Jesus is passionate about YOU and me and everyone that He has created throughout the whole earth. That's the good news of the gospel. He brought His kingdom of faith, hope, and love right to our front doorstep.

My prayer today is that Jesus' passion would be yours and mine. That our hearts would beat with His. What does that look like though? For me it means praying for my family, freinds, and neighbors. It means going the extra mile and loving when I don't feel like it. It means sacrificing what I want for someone else like Jesus did...

Would you pray with me today?

Prayer: Lord, I want my heart to beat with yours. I ask that you would give me a heart to love as you did. I ask that my words, thoughts, and actions would be yours and that I could be a light to those around me. I pray that you would give me a heart for those that are lost and in need and show me my part to play in helping them. Lord, I ask you to forgive me of being selfish. In Jesus name, Amen.

A New Day

2009-02-22T09:04:00.000-08:00

This morning as I drank my coffee I looked out the window and beheld, once again, the great Pacific Northwest. The trees immediately captured my attention as they danced joyfully in the wind back and forth. The sun was breaking through the clouds and lighting up the whole sky. It was one of those spectacular mornings where the birds only had to open their wings to soar to there next destination. As the sun radiated through the clouds the rain was illuminated and showered down and washed everything clean.

I was reminded of the verse in Isaiah 55:12-"For you will go out with joy and be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

Isn't it wonderful to see God's creation. Even the earth renews itself on a daily basis. The sun rises and sets, the seasons come and go, and the rains renew and heal the land. In the same way as we turn our hearts towards God He renews, refreshes, and cleanses our souls. He causes the Son to shine upon our hearts and renew us fresh and new. God is good and His mercy endures to all generations forever and ever, amen.

Tires in the Yard

2009-02-12T08:42:00.000-08:00

This morning as I walked my chocolate lab I thought of the well known verse in the Bible, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." Isn't this what we all want? Freedom! Of course we want to be able to function in society as free individuals. But more importantly we all want freedom in our souls. I believe this is what Jesus was talking about when He spoke these words. Freedom in our souls from hurts, habits, and hang ups. Freedom, deep down, from the inside out. Freedom to be ourselves and live in joy and peace.

As I walked by our property this morning I remembered when we first moved in. It was beautiful with the huge trees, wide open spaces, and plump raspberries. Soon thereafter the winter set in, the leaves fell and all the bushes receded. What we discovered next was a shock to us. We found a couple of old VW tires and rims, enough wood to build an extravagent dog house, and a bunch of nuts and bolts. It took me about 2.5 years to clean it all up. This morning I looked upon our property with pride as I remembered the process of work it took to clean up everything.

I think it is the same way with our souls. We have some stuff left over from the years. This stuff could be lies, unhealthy cravings, distractions, hurts, fears, obsessions, and identity issues. Most of the time we never even notice these things. The times we do is when we go through a winter season. Something happens: we lose our job, a sickness comes, a relationship severs, we go through a major change, and so on. We all go through the winter seasons of life. It is in these seasons that many of these things are exposed in our souls.

It is when we are in this place that God wants to do an inner work. Jesus longs to enter in to the deep places of our hearts and make us free. The crazy thing is that we oftentimes focus on how good we can be instead what's going on in our soul. We try so hard to be a good person and do the right things. We do good for a little while and slip up. We feel bad so we overcompensate and do more good stuff. We go around and around this viscous cycle of trying to do good and never feeling like we measure up. The problem is we focus on the wrong thing. We try to be good on the outside when we have all this stuff in our souls. This is crazy...but we all have experienced it.

More importantly we need to let God into our hearts and minds and do the transforming work He most desires. I don't think God is as concerned about our good deeds as He is our souls. If we let Him into our soul He will make sure the good deeds will follow. This is a process. It is a process of experiencing the truth and allowing God into our inner lives. Jesus said, You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." The word know in the original Greek language means to get aquainted with. In other words as you get aquainted with Jesus you will become free from the inside out. Will you let God do an inner clean up of your soul? Will you let Him remove the old tires and junk from the past. If so, you may look back in 2.5 years at the redeeming, healing, and transforming work God has done in your soul and smile...

Enjoy Today

2009-02-07T09:24:00.000-08:00

This morning is so beautiful in the great Pacific Northwest. I am looking out the window at mature Cedars and Hemlocks and the Sun is rising over the mountains with the fog hugging the valley. Today I am grateful for all that God has done. I am reminded of the Word He spoke to me a few years ago, "Enjoy today." From that moment I have been endeavoring to live in the moment. For the most part I have failed miserably. It hasn't been until the last 6-8 months that I feel like I have been able to begin to live like this.

Isn't it so easy to fall into the trap of either living in the past or the future. We can easily begin to ponder past mistakes or hurts. I find it surprising that it is so easy to remember how someone hurt us 5, 10, or even 20+ years ago in so much detail. Or we just rehearse something over and over about how bad we messed up. We all do this to a degree. The next thing that can happen is that we plan and look forward so much that it is difficult to live in the moment. We make big plans for the future in so much detail that we lose out on what God has for us today. We also worry about the future, especially in times like this. I believe the best thing to do about the past and the future is to release it all to God...casting ALL our cares on Him because He cares for us. We need to release, forgive, and move on, in order that we can live in His abundant life today.

This has been something very close to home for me recently. We recently have had our house up for sale so Holly can stay home with our little guy Ethan. We had everything planned out; where we would live, what we would do, how we would meet our neighbors, where we would shop, and so on. We had our plan but God had His. Last Friday we found out that our buyers financing fell through. What a bummer! I was really discouraged and was losing hope fast. As I pressed into God's presence He reminded me, "I have a plan."

I am so grateful that God has a plan. There have been times when God has asked, "What do you want?" This is not one of those times. God is saying to us, "I have a plan." We are so excited about what He has in store for us. I am beginning to learn what it means to live in the moment and, "Enjoy today."

Today is the day, now is the time!

James 4:13-Come now, you who say,"Today or tommorow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit;" whereas you do not know what will happen tommorow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that." But now you boast in your arrogance, all such boasting is evil. Therefore to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

Prayer: Lord, help me to let go of the past, not to worry about the future, and to live in the moment and ENJOY TODAY! In Jesus name, amen.