Do you ever feel like you’re  a failure? You see all these people on television living their dreams, telling you the meaning of success and you look at your life and just feel stuck, not going anywhere, a loser?  I struggle with that.  I heard one television celebrity say that success is like jumping out of an airplane and soaring. But as he was talking and quoting Bible verses, I could hear the underlying message. Success to him was money. Unfortunately, for a lot of us, we feel so inadequate and like failures because we don’t have the big paycheck coming in at the end of the week. What if we jump out of our planes and take the risk to pursue that dream and it doesn’t work out? They will tell you, to never quit because if you do give up, then you’ll never know what will happen. But even if you follow this advice and don’t give up, there is still no guarantee and you still won’t be satisfied. No, I think that is just simply bad advice, because success is not to be sought after. If success is something we do or something tangible or anything in this world, then we will constantly be jumping out of airplanes and crashing into rocks not ever truly soaring.  I think we have to change what the definition of success and soaring is. Is it making six figures working a job you love? That’s still not a guarantee that this would happen. Is it having meaningful relationships and lots of kids? That’s wonderful but what if you can’t have kids or your spouse suddenly dies or you just can’t find anyone to marry, are you now labeled a failure?  No, my Bible says that all the disciples that walked with Jesus died for Jesus as martyrs. Some were stoned, imprisoned, and even crucified upside down. So, did they not live successful lives? YES! Of course they did. They did soar, simply because they knew who they were. They were able to face death with joy and certainty knowing they were going to be with Jesus because they knew they were loved by God. They were children of God!  Perhaps we need to rethink what success means. We always link it to what we do. In my career I’ve done a lot. I’ve been an actor on stage performing for thousands, I’ve been in commercials with celebrities,  I’ve acted in movies, I’ve been a magician both on stage, and on the street, I’ve also written, produced and starred in my own independent film which was nominated at a local film festival in Florida. I’ve written screenplays for the big screen and I’m currently writing a book and have written close to eighty blogs giving spiritual hope and encouragement to people like myself who need it.  But with all that said, I also work a security job that is boring and monotonous. I have been with TSA for almost eighteen years conducting thousands of pat downs, going through thousands of bags, getting thousands of people complaining about what I am doing to them, a thankless and underpaid job.  So, I ask myself am I a failure? I’m sure when you read the first part you were impressed with my resume, weren’t you? Maybe you thought “how impressive he did commercials with celebrities” but then when you get to the last part of me doing a security job, perhaps you felt sorry for me. Isn’t that funny? We still think of success by what one does. And unfortunately, I still do it too.  Sometimes I ask myself did I do something wrong along the way that God is punishing me?  But again I have to remember that success always comes back to not what I do but who I already am. Who am I? I’m a child of God.  If we put success outside of that, then when circumstances don’t pan out the way we want them to, we will never be truly satisfied. We will always keep jumping out of airplanes hoping the chute will catch us but it never will. Remember, from the moment you put your faith in Christ as your Savior, you immediately became a success. Why? Simply, because of not what you did but by faith you became a child of God and this brings God glory!  The scripture tells us that everything we do, we should do it all for the glory of God.   This is made possible not by our own doing but because of us believing who God says we are. By just being a child of God by faith, you glorify God thus achieving success. Then whatever you do from here on out and accomplish in life, big or small,  is just a cherry on top of an amazing sundae.   In other words, whether I write the greatest novel of this century, live in financial freedoms and travel the world or whether I work a mundane job counting beans in a corner living paycheck to paycheck, it doesn’t matter, because I am a child of God. Whenever we live by faith and operate out of faith, we are living our lives to shine forth His glory not ours and this my friends is the meaning of success!  So, are things in my career where I want them to be? No, but I’m working my mundane job in excellence and I’m still pursuing a writing career. I still believe in something better and there’s nothing wrong with that. However, no matter what happens, whether I achieve my dreams or not whether I’m rich or poor, I’m still a success!  I’m not hoping to be, I always was and always will be and it’s all because I am His child and this brings Him glory!  And that my friends, is truly soaring!!!!!!

1 Corinthians 10:31

³¹ So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

John 1:12

12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—

Ah yes, it was beach weekend. The start of my vacation and I was looking forward to spending it with my kids and doing a little family bonding. Some other family members and friends of mine were also with me for the day. It was going to be a great beach day!  After an exhausting two hour drive just getting there, my body was ready to just unwind and finally have some fun.  I got into the water to just toss the frisbee around. I remember soaking it all in. It felt like a glimpse of paradise, nothing but blue skies, not a cloud in sight, I couldn’t ask for a better day.  I was definitely enjoying the moment but my moment of paradise did not last for long. In fact, if this was a movie, you’d start to hear the ominous music begin to play in the background. There would be a shot of me tossing the frisbee ever so gleefully, then there would be the close up of the water and the camera would suddenly take on the point of view of something lurking in the ocean. The camera would pan back to me again, smiling and laughing like an innocent school boy during recess playing with my friends.  Then the ominous music would resume again and finally the camera would pan underneath the surface of the water to my foot. Closer and closer the camera would appear to approach the harmless and innocent foot just jumping for joy and then another quick shot of me but this time a look of panic on my face. Suddenly everything slows down, we would see the frisbee coming towards me in slow motion, smacking me right in the head and then a real dramatic moment of me screaming like a madman full of excruciating pain. Nothing but sheer fright, and pandemonium on the faces of everyone around me as they all scurry about the water trying to make a mad dash towards the beach. Meanwhile, you’d see me crawling on my belly, just grasping the sand in desperation as I try to slither my way up the sandy slope to the beach tent.  Then the camera reveals my battle wounds as we the audience gets a glimpse of the blood oozing out of my left foot as it barely dangles from my leg.  Oh the horror the horror! Wouldn’t that make for a great movie scene? I know, I know, it’s Jaws 1,2,3 and 4.  Well, it may not have been as dramatic as that but it did really happen to me, well, kind of sorta. It definitely felt like I was in a scene from a Jaws movie that’s for sure. The shark bite or whatever it was got me right on my left ankle.  It felt like teeth clamping down on my left foot and then it quickly released itself. I thought it would probably come back for a second helping but  thankfully whatever it was, Moby Dick didn’t find me too appetizing.  The next thing you know, I’m hobbling my way to the beach tent and all I could see was blood all over my foot. Quickly, my family got chairs for me, propped my foot up and rinsed off the wound giving me a paper towel to stop the bleeding.  What started out like a promising day of beach relaxing fun, ended up becoming one of the most painful beach days I ever experienced in my life. I pretty much sat around for the rest of the day, feeling like Jimmy Stewart in “Rear Window”, confined to a wheel chair living vicariously through the lives of others,  with my foot elevated, eating pretzels, watching everyone else having fun without me.  Well, the pain did finally subside but unfortunately it  wasn’t until it was time to go home that it started to feel better. I know, it could have been worse though.  I like to joke and say it was a shark bite but later I learned there were crab traps nearby and so it was determined the wound was probably caused by a crab. I still like to think it was a shark bite though.  It’s much more heroic to say you’ve lived to tell the tale after being attacked by a great white, than it is getting bit by a teeny weeny Red Lobster appetizer.  However, I  realize that if it was a shark bite,  I probably wouldn’t have had a foot at all. I’d be walking around with a wooden leg looking more like Long John Silver, “aargh”!  I laugh about it now but at the time it happened, it really messed me up. In my mind I just kept thinking to myself, why is this happening to me God? Am I jinxed? I just want to enjoy my family, why is this happening to me? But as I reflect now on it, I realize now the lesson to be learned. Sometimes life just isn’t fair and sometimes life can be cruel and we are going to go through times that are going to be painful. But instead of questioning God and asking Him why, we should be asking God what can I learn from this? And what I learned from this, was even in the painful times, we should still be thanking God regardless. The Scripture tells us to be thankful continually, to give thanks in all circumstances.  It also says to rejoice always. I’m sorry but that’s not always easy to do. No one wants to rejoice or be thankful in the bad times but all circumstances means all circumstances. So, why in the world should we be thanking God in trying circumstances? After giving this much thought, I believe that when we complain and are bitter about our problems, we start to tell ourselves that we lack and are not good enough. We begin to attract negativity into our lives like stress which is never healthy for the body at all. But when we start thanking God, we are in essence saying to ourselves that we truly are blessed and we have everything we need. We begin to alleviate stress and in return this causes us to live healthier lives. God is our Creator, He knows how we best operate. If He says to be thankful continually than we should listen. This does take faith but the opposite of faith is fear.  I’d rather live in faith being hopeful for a better tomorrow than wallowing in my sorrows dwelling on the pain of yesterday and fearing for tomorrow.  Fear stunts our growth but faith pushes us to move forward causing us to grow from our painful circumstances. Now that doesn’t mean I have to enjoy getting bit in the foot by some sea monster but when I find the things to be thankful for, like a foot that is still intact then that will help me to keep things in perspective and I will find that I will be able to move forward and grow from this experience in my life.  There is no gain if we don’t experience the pain. It’s true in working out in the gym and it’s true in life. We don’t need to pray to God for painful experiences or suffering but if we go through it, we know we have a God that can relate with us, help us to endure it and we will ultimately grow from it, becoming better people in the process.  So the next time you find the trials of this life biting you in the foot, just remember don’t complain about it but choose to be thankful instead. You may not see it at the time but there is purpose in the pain and God will always carry you through it all.  Soon, you’ll discover that your paradise on the beach is not really hard to find, it’s closer than you think. It’s right there with you wherever you go, always in your perspective. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

I don’t know about you but I love myself a good breakfast on the beach. Eating pancakes, sausage and eggs with a cold glass of orange juice, or a hot cup of coffee. It’s also even better when you are with a special person or friend to share it with. There’s nothing like watching the sunrise, worshipping God and saying good morning to the sunshine and the blue skies or as my eight year old daughter would say, “Good morning sunny and bluey.” Ah, the summertime is finally here, and if you live in Orlando, Florida like I do, there’s really nothing to do outside but fry eggs on the sidewalk, or melt in the hot sun waiting for five hours to ride your favorite Disney ride.  So, I’d rather go to the beach.  For me, there’s nothing like getting the chance to escape reality, to refresh the soul by listening to the soothing music of the ocean waves, the sights, the sounds, the smell of the air, it just makes me feel closer to God. I feel like a child again enjoying God’s playground in the sand. Not so long ago as I’m writing this, Memorial Day Holiday kicked off the summer. I saw many of my friends on Facebook, post pictures of themselves at the beach.  There was one Facebook post that really caught my eye. It said, “while I’m enjoying my weekend at the beach, I will never forget those who sacrificed their lives on a beach for my freedoms”.  The post was in regards to the D-DAY invasion where our American troops first set foot on European sand to combat Hitler and his evil regime.  If you ever want to get a realistic look at what these men went through for us, watch the opening scene to the movie “Saving Private Ryan”.  It is a very painful but powerful re-enactment of what actually happened. This moment on the beach was such a pivotal point in the war, that it helped turn the tide in the Allie’s favor and eventually led us to winning the war.  It’s so vital we always remember their sacrifice or else we will forget and take our freedoms for granted. As I was thinking about this, I also thought about another pivotal moment in history that also happened on a beach. This major event also has huge implications for us as believers in Christ. It was actually a breakfast on the beach. Not just any breakfast though.  That’s right, in fact it’s found in the New Testament, of the Gospel of John. The famous breakfast on the beach between Jesus in His resurrected body and the now disgraced disciple Peter.  Why is this so important?  To give you a quick background, Peter had just done the unthinkable sin.  On the night that Jesus was crucified, Peter denied knowing Jesus three times. Just as Jesus predicted, the rooster crowed and Peter after remembering what Jesus told him, ran away to hide and wept bitterly.  This same Peter who would do anything for Jesus, even cut off the ear of the guard trying arrest Jesus, was now a coward, hiding away in his shame.  I’m sure Peter thought to himself, there is no way that Jesus would sit down to share a meal with him, especially after he betrayed Christ and claimed he never knew him.  However, Jesus invited Peter to share a meal regardless. There’s a wonderful exchange between Jesus and Peter. If you only read it in the English language, you’ll miss out on the truth of what is really going on. Jesus asks Peter do you love me and Peter tells him he loves him. Jesus then tells Peter to feed his lambs.  But what’s interesting here is that the Greek translation for love that Jesus speaks about is the word “agape” and that means unconditional love.  The greatest love someone could ever have for another. Yet the word that Peter uses to express his love for Jesus is the word “Phileo”. It’s where we get Philadelphia from and it is a lesser love than “agape” but still a deep love, more of a brotherly or friendship love.  Again this important exchange is repeated with Jesus using “agape” for love and Peter using “phileo.”  Finally,  Jesus says to Peter “do you phileo me?” And again Peter says “ I phileo you Lord”.  I believe that the reason Jesus asked Peter these questions is that He was testing his heart. Remember,  Peter was always the one who was the first to say that he’d die for Christ, or the first to jump out of the boat and walk on water. Jesus even had to rebuke him for saying he would never let Christ die. Jesus had to literally say, “get thee back Satan”.  It’s not that Peter didn’t love Jesus but his intentions sometimes were not that pure. It was more about Peter sometimes than it was about Jesus.  It was more about Peter wanting to prove that he’s the greatest disciple who really loved Jesus the most. So, Jesus wanted to test him and see if it was still that same Peter He was dealing with. But I believe that after all that Peter went through, he was eventually humbled and all he could say was “I phileo you”.  We see that his heart truly had changed. In essence, Peter was saying to Jesus, you know I can’t unconditionally love you Lord. I can’t and I never will be able to. That’s huge for Peter to get to that point of humility and to admit this. Peter had finally understood his need for a Savior. Peter had to get out of the way for Jesus to finally be able to really use him.  Sometimes too many of us think we can live for God but the truth is we can’t. We will only end up making it about ourselves instead of Christ. It’s when we finally get to the point of humility, where we realize we need His unconditional love more than He needs us, that we will discover, we will do much more for the kingdom of God than we could ever do in our own strength.  Peter’s relationship and his ministry was reinstated that day and it was not because of anything Peter did, but simply because of Jesus and His “agape” love for him. So, if you find yourself on the beach this summer, take a moment or two, to remember that interaction between Jesus and Peter. If it wasn’t for that breakfast, there wouldn’t have been more than three thousand people in the book of Acts giving their lives to Christ in one day, all because of the boldness of Peter. That same man who denied Christ was now front and center declaring not his love for God but God’s unconditional love for him and for all of mankind.  This man’s heart, his humility and fervor for God, sparked the movement of Christianity and it’s been going strong ever since.  So, the next time you find yourself at the beach, think of this.   As you play in the sand and listen to the ocean waves, listen also to the voice of Jesus declaring His unconditional love for you and remember the sacrifices of the men and women like Peter, who came before us and gave their lives for the gospel, so that you and I can enjoy our freedoms in Christ today.   Who knew that all of this would be made possible for us, all because Jesus took the time to serve Peter a little breakfast on the beach.  And still to this day, Jesus calls out to us sinners to partake in this breakfast. A breakfast served up with unconditional love and grace, a breakfast of champions and all we have to do is sit with Him and eat.

John 21:12 New Living Translation (NLT)

12 “Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said.

YESTERDAY, I watched the movie, “La La land”.  It’s a musical about two people pursuing their dreams in Los Angeles. The female lead is pursuing a career as an actress and the male protagonist is pursuing a music career as a jazz musician. Both meet and fall in love but in the end they have to part ways because their love for their dreams takes them on separate paths.  Fast forward five years later and both have succeeded in achieving their dreams. The female protagonist gets the acting career she always wanted and gets married and has a child, meanwhile the male protagonist achieves his ultimate goal of starting his own jazz club. By a fluke chance meeting, the female character just happens to come upon her former lover’s jazz club. She sits at a table with her husband and sure enough she is taken back when she sees her ex lover come out onstage and play his piano. He also sees her in the audience and so when he plays, he plays with everything he has. As he plays, she begins to dream about what might have been. As he plays, we the audience sees what their lives could’ve been, him giving up his dream for hers, them getting married, having a child, sharing life together. However, as the song ends so does the dream and we are back to reality. She gets up to leave along with her husband but as she is about to walk out, she turns back around and her and the guy at the piano share a moment. Their expressions on their faces speak volumes as if to say, “You will always be in my heart.”  I liked the movie just for the fact that sometimes relationships you want to be in don’t always work out. As I look back in my life, I have had a few relationships where I have dated but we were just on separate paths. At some point, we had to move on. My marriage got to that point too. We almost reconciled but as things became clear, it was best to go our separate ways.  It’s easy to want to stay though in that place of nostalgia. That place of what could’ve been. We then find ourselves trapped in the past while the present moves on without us.  It does no good to hold onto that person, thinking maybe today it’s going to happen and they’ll change their mind. Life is complicated and relationships come and go and it hurts. Sometimes the person you want to be with doesn’t want the same thing. The only wise thing we can do is keep moving forward. God has a plan and a purpose  in all this. The broken relationship may not be restored but your life can. Let Him restore the joy that only a relationship with Him can give. For the two main characters in the movie, their dreams were the motivation for them moving forward. As Christians our focus should be on our relationship with God and the plan of hope He has for us. We are commanded to follow Jesus. God is not stagnant stuck in the past, He is always moving forward. The Bible says, “keep in step with the Spirit”, Galatians 5:25.  Remember you have a friend in Jesus, who will never leave you nor forsake you. His love for you is eternal. There will never be any regrets, or breakups with Him.  Stuck in La La Land, over the hurts of a past relationship? Don’t look back, look forward and take His hand. He will guide you from that place of what might have been to that place where all  things are possible. TODAY, is a new day! 

Isaiah 43:18-20

Do you ever feel like you’re stuck? Perhaps it’s a career rut you just can’t seem to get out of or maybe it’s a past situation that is out of your control and you find it has held you back from moving forward. Maybe it’s an addiction, maybe it’s a disappointment in life that has now taken away all hope that you figure there is nothing else to do but just accept your reality and settle in the place where you’re at. I was recently reading and meditating in Acts chapter three. It’s about a lame man who was crippled from birth and for many years this man was carried to the temple steps where he would ask for money. Then one day, something extraordinary happened to him. God sent Peter and John along his path and when he asked for alms, they healed him instead. The Bible says that immediately he was able to rise and walk. I was thinking about how amazing this really was. You see, this man was dealt a bad hand. He was given a disability by birth. He did nothing to deserve that. But what’s interesting is that this man was carried everyday to the temple to beg. He had allowed himself and those he surrounded himself with to believe that this was his lot in life and therefore this was all he could ever do, beg. The scripture says he was carried. These people were enablers. Have you ever had people in your life that know your situation yet they tell you what you want to hear? They don’t ever give you a different perspective, they don’t push you to better yourself, no they just carry you around and by doing this they encourage you to stay stuck in your rut. The crippled man had gotten to the point where he accepted his situation as being his reality. His being born a crippled had become now what defined him. So to beg was his only option. However, God wanted to show him there was a better way to live. Instead of enablers, God sent Peter and John and they didn’t see a crippled man, no they saw his potential. He asked for money, they questioned why ask for that, when God wanted to bless him with something better. Sometimes our prayers are so limited, we ask for small things, when God wants us to remember who we’re talking to. There is nothing that is too great for our great God to handle. He wants to do much more than we can ever ask or imagine. Think about it, this crippled man for all those years, just asked for money, he never thought to ask for a healing? Maybe it never crossed his mind.  He believed in his past circumstances and that was his reality. Peter and John saw past the physical limitations and saw this man’s true reality.  I love how they tell him that by the name of Jesus of Nazareth he would be healed.  Why did they say that? Remember, in the New Testament where Nathaniel asks,”Nazareth, what good can come from Nazareth “?  It’s not that Nazareth had a bad rep but it was such a small blimp on the map. A rural town that had a population of maybe 600 people. No one would ever expect greatness to come from a small town such as that one. Yet, here was Jesus fulfilling the prophecy that the Messiah would come from there. Jesus could have let his humble origins to impact his destiny but he didn’t. Yes, Nazareth was his past but it wasn’t going to define Him. No, He knew who He really was. He was Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. Peter and John by making this statement were in essence saying to this man, your past circumstances are not your identity anymore, it’s now what you are in Christ Jesus.  For the first time this man finally saw the light and scripture says he was healed immediately. Not in two to five years or in some twelve week step program, no he was healed immediately. Sometimes when we are stuck in the same place for years it’s not that God has forgotten us, He’s waiting for the right moment, that when He delivers us, He is going to show off His glory and it’s impact on our lives and others will be tremendous. God loves to show off and it will always be for our benefit and for His glory. This man after his healing rose and was leaping with great joy , praising God telling others about what Jesus had done. When God delivers you, you will have a testimony and this man now had a powerful one.  In chapter four it goes on to tell us that five thousand people came to put their trust in Christ because of this one man’s testimony. Just think what God can do with you. Where do you find yourself today? Are you stuck in a rut? Perhaps it’s been years and you’re wondering how much longer? Have you begun to accept your circumstances as your reality? Does your past define your identity? It doesn’t have to be. Avoid those friends that just want to carry you through life, look for the Peter and John’s in your life that will see your God given potential and push you to believe that God has something bigger and better. You may not see it yet but stay encouraged, your miracle is coming. Pick up your mat, rise and walk, your Jesus of Nazareth has spoken!

Acts 3:6-10

⁶ Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” ⁷ And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. ⁸ So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. ⁹ And all the people saw him walking and praising God. ¹⁰ Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

John 1:46

Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.

Psalm 139:16

  “…..all the days ordained for me were written in your book”. 

In my life, I have ventured many times into the realm of creative writing.  I have written a few scripts, most of which are really bad and should never see the light of day but I’ve written a couple scripts recently, that are so much better.  I still have a few more drafts to go but I’m way more proud of these than the junk I used to write.  What I’ve learned over the years between my first screenplay to my most recent, is that like building a house, if you don’t lay the foundation first, you’re story will be a complete disaster. You have to learn to appreciate the process of writing. Just because you finish a first draft does not mean you’re done. Most successful scripts take up to five to ten drafts. With my first script, I just wrote it down without taking the time to do the research and character development first. I was lazy and the end result was a lousy unstructured plot with stale dialogue, and flat characters.  But I find when I do the groundwork first, take the time to work on character development, my screenplay just flows so much better and the characters are so much deeper and more authentic. It’s so apparent when you watch a great movie.  You just know it. The structure is strong, the dialogue is rich, and the characters are well thought out and have many layers.  It creates an awarding experience for the audience. However, when a screenplay was just quickly put together, these movies usually find themselves straight to Netflix and forgotten pretty quickly. What I’ve learned is that a screenwriter that really cares about the success of the story, will take the time to care about the details. To a really great writer, the smallest character in the movie is as important as the main character. Every line, and every scene is equally important. You know sometimes I think about how awesome it is that the Bible calls our God an author. God,  the author of our lives cares so much about us, that He took the time to think us up.   God is the God of detail. Just look at all creation. Everything has a purpose in this life, from the largest mountain to the tiniest ant.  He took His time creating the world. Just read about how detailed He gets on instructing the Israelites in building the temple. And of course, He took great thought into creating us.  Scripture tells us,  He even knows the number of hairs on our head.  “He knitted us together in the secret place”.  “We are fearfully and wonderfully made”.  God doesn’t create junk. He doesn’t rush, He processes things and in the end, His work is found to be of excellence. If you ever feel you are insignificant, think again. You’re a character in His book. The Author of the book of life, took the time to create you. You may not think you have a big part to play but you do. Remember, if God cares about a little sparrow, why would He not care about little us? God is in the details, there are no insignificant characters and without you, there can be no story. 

Psalm 139:13-16

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book

Luke 12:7

⁷ Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Have you ever gone to an Arcade?  I know in the age of Xbox and “Candy Crush”, Arcades aren’t as popular as they once were. But they still exist. I used to go when I was a kid growing up. Do you remember the Groundhog game? I don’t know if that’s what it was called but the game consisted of a table with a bunch of holes. You’d  have an anvil or hammer and out of the holes would pop up a groundhog. The goal would be to hit the head before it went back down. If you hit it just in time, you would get a certain amount of points. If you’ve ever played at first it starts out easy with one groundhog popping up its head but then after awhile it gets harder. Multiple groundhogs begin appearing and at a faster rate until eventually you’re not hitting groundhogs, you’re just looking stupid swinging away and achieving nothing but getting yourself frustrated. Kind of in the same way, as Christians we all have that certain sin or sins that like the groundhogs, keep popping up in our lives.  There is always that one sin that no matter how hard you try to bop it on the head, it keeps coming back up again and again.  You then tell God I’ll do better next time and you put more quarters into the machine and you even tighten your grip on the hammer but again the sin just becomes too overwhelming and before you know it, it’s game over leaving you to feel again like you’re  the biggest loser. You feel embarrassed, ashamed of yourself, like you’re the worst Christian ever. Is there something wrong with you? Then we live in this cycle where we criticize ourselves, live in shame, try harder and then fail again.  We then ask for forgiveness from God again and again and we start to wonder if we’ve used up all our free tokens to get another chance to play the game again. The bad news is that for a lot of Christians including myself, we live most of our lives struggling to keep those sinful desires from coming back and controlling us. However, there is  good news. It doesn’t have to be this way. In fact to go back to the groundhog game illustration. Think about this, if you truly want to win and defeat the groundhogs, it’s not going to be found in trying harder. No, there’s an easier way. All you have to do is go over to where the outlet is and unplug the game. I guarantee it, there will never be another groundhog rearing it’s ugly head again. In the same way, Jesus gives us the key to overcoming our groundhogs. The Bible says that we have two natures. There’s the old nature or the flesh and that’s where the sinful habits and desires derive from.  Then after we put our faith to receive Jesus we are now given new birth into a spiritual body, this is the new nature. The Bible tells us that when we put our faith in Christ something miraculous happens to us. The old nature with all its evil desires has also been nailed to the cross and when Jesus rose from the grave we too rose again with Him into our new nature. “That’s nice”, you might be saying, “but I know I’m a Christian, then why am I still struggling with all these sins controlling me?”.  Remember scripture says, “Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation, the Old is gone, the new has come”.  My question to you is do you believe that? You may know that verse but if it’s not happening in your life you don’t believe it. So what do you do? Do you muster up the strength to believe it more? No, you simply remind yourself of this truth and accept it. You go over to the outlet and remind yourself that the old man is already unplugged! The scripture says, “I’ve been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me”. The old man is dead! He is not coming back ever. But when we stop renewing our minds with this truth we forget and it’s as if we go over to the outlet and turn the game back on. We don’t need to. It’s been done on the cross and the victory has been given to us through His resurrection. Struggling with those relentless annoying sins? It’s time to say goodbye to your groundhogs.  Put down the hammer, you can’t win that way, remember the game is already over. He won it at the cross, the old man is dead, the game is unplugged. Plug yourself into the scriptures of God’s truth about you. Collect your tickets and go receive your reward in His gift shop. There are so many spiritual blessings, to choose from like self control, patience, peace to name a few and whatever you do don’t get too cocky. Without Him we are nothing! Praise Him, and don’t forget to tell others about this little secret, that through Jesus Christ, we are all Groundhog Slayers!

2 Corinthians 5:17 New International Version (NIV)

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here!

Galatians 2:20 New International Version (NIV)

20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Romans 6 New International Version (NIV)

Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ
6 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

“THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, I SHALL NOT WANT.”

TODAY, I FIGURE IT’S TIME FOR ME TO PUT WOMEN BACK IN THEIR PLACE. NOW BEFORE YOU THINK I’M SEXIST, LET ME EXPLAIN.
I RAN INTO SOMEONE THE OTHER DAY, WHOM I HAVE HAD FEELINGS FOR AT ONE TIME. THIS WOMAN WAS THE FIRST PERSON I ATTEMPTED TO WANT TO DATE, SINCE MY DIVORCE. SHE DID NOT RECIPROCATE THE FEELINGS BACK. WHEN I SAW HER IN A FLUKE MEETING, IN A PARKING LOT, A STRANGE WAVE OF EMOTIONS SWEPT OVER ME AS THIS PERSON HUGGED ME EVER SO AFFECTIONATELY. I COULD SMELL HER PERFUME AND HER HAIR UPON MY FACE. IT ALL CAME BACK AND AS WE PARTED WAYS, I JUST FELT MISERABLE INSIDE BECAUSE I KNOW THAT A DEEPER RELATIONSHIP  WITH HER WILL NEVER BE. I FELT LIKE LIFE WAS PLAYING A CRUEL JOKE ON ME, SINCE THIS IS SOMEONE I AM DISTANCING MYSELF FROM AS I TRY TO MOVE FORWARD IN MY JOURNEY OF HEALING.  WHY DID I HAVE TO SEE HER AGAIN? IT WAS SO WEIRD. SHE IS A GREAT PERSON BUT I CAN NEVER JUST BE FRIENDS WITH HER.  TODAY,  I FIND MYSELF PONDERING PSALM 23. AS I STOP AND THINK ABOUT THE FIRST VERSE, I AM AGAIN REMINDED OF THIS SIMPLE TRUTH.
I MAY NOT GET WHAT I ALWAYS WANT IN LIFE BUT GOD ALWAYS PROVIDES FOR WHAT I TRULY NEED. WHATEVER HE GIVES ME IS ENOUGH TO FULLY SATISFY. FORGIVE ME LORD, WHEN I LOOK TO OTHERS, ESPECIALLY FEMALE RELATIONSHIPS, TO FULFILL ME. SO, TODAY I HAVE DECIDED TO PUT FEMALES BACK IN THEIR PLACE WHERE THEY BELONG. NO MORE PUTTING THEM ON THE PEDESTAL OF MY HEART. WHEN I DO THAT, MY HEART WILL ONLY GET DISAPPOINTED.  HOWEVER, WHEN JESUS IS RIGHTFULLY ABIDING IN THE CENTER OF MY LIFE, THEN NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS TO ME, MY HEART MAY HURT BUT IT WON’T FULLY BREAK BECAUSE MY HEART IS KEPT SAFE AND SECURE IN HIS LOVING HANDS. THE LORD IS OUR SHEPHERD BUT IF WE LOOK TO THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD TO LEAD US, TO BE OUR COMPASS, THEN OUR LIVES WILL FOLLOW WHATEVER OUR HEART DESIRES. WE MAY BE LED TO WHAT WE THINK IS GREEN PASTURES BUT IF WE WERE NOT LED BY HIM TO GET THERE, IT WILL NEVER TRULY FULFILL.  SO, WHERE ARE YOU? HAVE YOU REPLACED JESUS AS SHEPHERD OF YOUR LIFE FOR SOMEONE ELSE OR SOMETHING IN THIS WORLD THAT WILL NEVER TRULY QUENCH YOUR THIRST? REMEMBER “THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD”.  THE PRONOUN “MY” MEANS HE IS A PERSONAL GOD. HE’S APPROACHABLE, JUST GO TO HIM AND TALK ABOUT IT. SHARE YOUR FEELINGS, YOUR STRUGGLES, YOUR HURTS. HE WANTS TO HEAR ABOUT IT. GIVE UP YOUR WHOLE HEART ONCE AGAIN AND WATCH HIM LEAD YOU TO THAT QUIET PLACE OF REFRESHMENT THAT ONLY HE CAN GIVE YOU. WHEN THE LORD IS OUR SHEPHERD, WE WILL DISCOVER THAT OUR GREEN PASTURES WAS NOT JUST SOME PLACE BUT IT WAS ALWAYS JUST BEING WITH HIM. 

PSALM 103:5

HE SATISFIES YOUR DESIRES WITH GOOD THINGS
SO THAT YOUR YOUTH IS RENEWED LIKE THE EAGLE’S. 

I don’t know about you but I’m a huge sports fan. I love the drama, the rivalries, and  the underdog moments.  What I love the most are the incredible comeback stories. When it seems like all is lost, these amazing individuals or teams, find a way to rise from the ashes of defeat to the mountaintop of victory and glory.  If you get to know me personally, one of the things you will eventually discover, is that I am a huge Buffalo Bills fan.   Yes, the only real New York football team in the National Football League. Sorry, New Jersey Jets and Giant fans but if you want your team to represent New York, maybe they should play in New York. Wow, what a novel idea. Anyway, you don’t have to be much of an NFL fan, to remember the Buffalo Bills because back in the nineties they went to four consecutive Super Bowls.  Unfortunately, they are the only NFL team to consecutively lose all four of those Super Bowl appearances.   I remember it became a running gag with late night comics, that the Bills stand for, “Boy I Love Losing Super Bowls”!    For the most part, they were a fun team to watch but they were also a hard team to watch. There were times, you had to watch with a tissue box, because they were definitely heartbreakers.   They might be in the record books for losing the big game four times in a row but they are also in the record books for the greatest comeback ever in NFL history. I remember watching that historic game as a teenager in my living room. The Bills were a wild card spot and they were playing the Houston Oilers at home in Western New York.  It was the playoffs so the loser went home, and the winner would go on to advance.  Already before the game even started,  things looked bleak. The starting quarterback for the Bills and Hall of famer Jim Kelly, who was the main reason for their success, was injured and was not going to be able to play.  Right away I had a bad feeling about the Bill’s chances and of course my instinct was right. The game after the first half was nothing but a complete blowout. Nothing was going right for Buffalo and before you know it, the Bills were losing by at least three touchdowns.  Being a true fan though, I figured I’d stick around and at least watch the third quarter.  I thought to myself, “Who knows, anything can happen.” In fact, the backup quarterback Frank Reich for Buffalo led the greatest comeback in college history,  so maybe he could do it again in the NFL. Well, the third quarter began and the Bill’s offense came out confidently onto the field. The fans were all cheering them on. Here we go I thought, maybe we got a chance.  Quarterback Frank Reich took the snap, he threw his very first pass and it was actually caught and run in for a touchdown. The stadium became dead quiet, you could hear a pin drop. My heart sank too because the ball was caught alright and points were scored but not by someone in a Bill’s uniform.  No, it was an interception and seven more points for the visiting team. By this time, it looked like the fat lady had started her song. Down by four touchdowns with very little time to go in the second half, spelled doomsday for the Bills. In fact all eighty thousand fans started to leave the stadium and go home. I was just about to change the channel and give up when the unthinkable happened. The Bills scored a touchdown. Okay, I thought to myself at least now it’s not going to be a shut out but then just minutes after that, the Bills surprised me again. Their defense forced a turnover and then the offense got the ball back, marched it down the field and scored another touchdown. What was going on? Then before I knew it, the Bills scored another touchdown.  The stadium which was nearly empty was now filling back up again as fans were now clamoring to get back to their seats. Just when it seemed the Bills were left for dead, now there was a pulse again, now there was a beating heart and everyone including myself started to rise on our feet with a new found hope that victory was possible.  The fat lady was kicked out of the building before she could finish her song and the game went down to the final seconds with the Bills kicking the winning field goal, giving the fans a moment in history, the greatest comeback ever in the history of the National Football League.  I mean it was pandemonium! The fans went crazy, I’m doing cartwheels in my living room and I’m not even a gymnast. However, the best part of all of this and to this day, I still remember, was after the game, when they interviewed backup quarterback Frank Reich. You see, Frank was a Christian, and like Tim Tebow,  whenever Frank got behind a microphone, he would always boast in his God. This time was no different.  He boldly gave all glory and praise that day to the Lord Jesus Christ. He said that while he was on the field, God put the Michael English song in his heart, “In Christ Alone”.  A song about a man who finds his glory in the power of the cross. Frank said he never doubted that they were going to win and all he did was just play football while singing and worshiping God.  I still think back on that moment, from time to time. There’s definitely a life lesson to learn from all of that.  If Jesus can help a quarterback orchestrate an amazing comeback in a trivial football game, what about other areas of our lives that matter more? Think about it, if you have put your faith in Jesus, you believe you will be raised to life again someday but why do we sometimes get discouraged and easily defeated, when life’s circumstances come against us leaving us questioning how we’re going to even survive?  Yes, life can be brutal,  but remember we follow the one who has produced one of the world’s greatest comebacks ever. Jesus was betrayed by a friend, mocked for claiming to be the king of the Jews. He was whipped till his body was shredded and unrecognizable, he was forced to carry his cross up the steep hill before being nailed to it and these nails were not the kind you get from Home Depot either. These were made of iron and probably 7-9 inches long. He was given a crown of thorns and speared so that He was definitely left for dead naked and humiliated for all to see. His body was buried in a tomb and His soul descended to the very depths of Hell. The disciples were all scattered, afraid for their lives, full of grief, full of discouragement, they were all a hopeless wreck.  Things looked bleak.  But just when it seemed that Satan had finally won, and all was lost, Jesus comes back in the second half and delivers up a trick play greater than any “Hail Mary”!  He rolls the stone away and rises from the dead, crushing the serpent’s head once for all, and destroying the grip of death on all humanity.  The tomb was found empty! Jesus was no longer wearing His grave clothes, Jesus had a pulse, The Comeback King was alive! His resurrection sparked a movement as He breathed his breath upon His disciples, their faith was given new life, by the power of the Holy Spirit.  This simple act of Jesus breathing upon them set the stage for the coming of the Spirit permanently on the day of Pentecost, birthing Christianity that would continue on for generations to come. Emperors, Generals, kingdoms, governments and dictators over the years have all tried to put Jesus back in the grave and even to this day there are still those that are trying but Christ’s heart continues to beat on. As Christians today let’s celebrate and rejoice that no matter what we’re going through, this living hope is still living inside of us! Yes, when we look at the scoreboard it looks like we’re outnumbered, and it’s  game over but remember He’s our quarterback and when He’s on the field, He doesn’t know how to lose.  Let Him breathe life into you and your situation.  Let Him breathe life into that dying relationship, your finances, your health, your washed up dreams. He wants to raise you to new life in Him and lead you to everlasting victory. And even if nothing gets resurrected in this life for you, I want to encourage you, there is hope still, you will be raised to a new life again and that life is forever! Death has no hold on you.  God is not a man that He should lie nor will He let us down. So, whatever it is that has you left for dead, sealed up in your tomb, don’t panic and don’t worry, replace your fear with faith and shout out in victory for you’re not dead, Our God is alive! When everything in your life seems hopeless and dying.   Just be still and listen to the beating of God’s heart inside of you. Rise up and leave your grave clothes behind, your stone is rolled away!!!

1 Corinthians 15:55-57 New International Version (NIV)

55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”[a]
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

John 20:21-22 New International Version (NIV)

21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

“O give me a home where the buffaloes roam
Where the deer and the antelope play
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word
And the skies are not cloudy all day”

I still remember that hurtful day, when I was tossed out of my own house by my wife, whom I had lived with for five years. My comfort zone, the place I was accustomed to, the place I called home, was now gone. It was like a rug pulled out from under me and suddenly I found myself in need of a roof over my head. Thankfully, my brother in law was gracious enough for me to live with him. In eight more days at the time I am writing this, it will be two years of me living at my brother in law’s house. I did not expect to be here so long. In fact, I planned on moving out a few weeks ago. A good Christian friend of mine had a tenant move out of his house and he was kind enough to offer me his place. I had been over to his house a couple of times before, and so I agreed to his terms and the plans were all set for my move. I was so excited, I posted to everyone on Facebook, about how I’m moving forward in my life and what a blessing this was going to be for me. The big day for the move arrived. I rented a U-haul van and loaded up the vehicle with what little stuff I had and drove off with an anticipation of my new adventure. Of course when I got there, the first thing I did, was to check out the bedroom where my two children and myself would be sleeping. The moment I walked in, I was caught off guard. The room was filthy, from the carpet to the beat up old mattress I’d be sleeping on. A strange smell even permeated the room. The carpet had black stains all over it and when I checked out the closet, I discovered black and greenish mold growing on the walls. That was when I asked my friend to check out the mold and he apologized, not realizing it was there before. He even told me that the last tenant moved out cause he was always getting sick all the time. “Well, no wonder”, I thought to myself. There was no way I was going to put myself and my kid’s health in jeopardy. He offered to bleach it but something in my heart told me that this wasn’t to be. So, I thanked him anyway, headed back to my brother in laws and unpacked everything out of the van and moved myself back in. So much for the big moving day. I’m kicking myself for not being wise and inspecting the house in the first place. After that, I was so depressed and frustrated, and even embarrassed. I remember questioning God, and wondering why can’t I just get a break in my life? As I’m writing this, my circumstances still haven’t changed and I’m still searching for my “home on the range”. I still feel at times unsettled and stagnant. When I want to move, God closes the door. I’ve put in for job promotions, I’ve looked around for homes, apartments, roommate sites, and still nothing. I want to find that place where the deer and the antelope play, but like the U2 songwriter Bono says, “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for”. But God always comes through for me and He spoke to me this week. He encouraged and reminded me that He still has a purpose and a plan for me in the midst of the very situation where I don’t want to be. In fact, He wants to use me in that very place. He showed me the passage in Jeremiah 29:11. I’m sure you’re familiar with it, it’s on every Christian refrigerator magnet or picture that hangs on our bathroom walls. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” You see in the context of this particular passage, Jeremiah is addressing the Jews, who are in exile. They have been displaced from their homes and are living in Babylonian captivity. What’s interesting here, is that God is telling the Jews to live, to grow, to take wives, be fruitful and multiply. He didn’t tell them, I’m going to deliver you, then when you return home, I’m going to bless you. For he says,earlier in the same chapter, starting in verse 4. “This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease.”

God wanted the Jews to stay where they were and He wanted them to make the most of their lives while they were in exile. Did you know that as Christians we too are living on this earth as exiles while we wait for Jesus to ultimately take us home forever with Him? We are commanded to be “in this world but not of this world”. In other words, live this life but stand out and be different. Yes, it is true, it would be better if at the moment we accepted Jesus in our lives, we were beamed up into heaven like in an episode of Star Trek but that’s not God’s plan. He has us here and He wants us to live to the fullest even if it’s not our real home. So, where do you find yourself? Do you feel like you’re not progressing fast enough? Do you find yourself stuck in a situation that’s just not your home? Maybe it’s a mundane job you can’t seem to get out of, or an unfulfilled dream. Perhaps it’s a toxic relationship you’re wanting to get out of or a relationship you want to be in but you have to wait because it’s not God’s right timing. And so you find yourself in this holding place and it sucks and you want things to change. It’s okay to want to improve, it’s okay to set goals and try and move forward but in the meantime, don’t forget that God wants to use you in your situation where you’re at now. Home is the place where He has you at. If He hasn’t delivered you yet from your present circumstances, don’t get discouraged, change your prayers up. Ask Him how you can be used in your present day circumstances to bless someone now. I find it interesting that God’s purpose for the Jews to be fruitful in their captivity was not just for their own good but to bless those around them. For He says, “Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
Instead of feeling sorry for ourselves and looking inwardly, let’s look outwardly and make the most of what God has given us for the blessings of others. So, as I write to you, my circumstances are still the same. Yet in the midst of what I’m still going through, I thank Him. I thank Him that He has a plan in all of this, to prosper me and not to harm me and to give me hope and a future. And I will continue to do what I do best. I WILL WRITE. I will always write, in the good times and in the times when I feel like I’m in exile. I write because it’s not just for me, but it’s to bless others. I write these blogs because I know that there is someone who needs to hear this, someone like me who is calling out for hope in their exile. I write this for you and I don’t know exactly who you are but I want you to know that I love you and I pray that whomever you are, that you know and remember that God loves you more. So, what are you waiting for? Live your life where you are at. Watch God work in you, watch God fill you with His peace and satisfaction because you’re with Him and He is with you and where He is, that is your true home.

Jeremiah 29:11
1 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.