Storm Chasing

We got our first pre-spring thunderstorm last night. I love it when it rains at night. Well, except for when it scares my kids into coming in our room and getting in our bed. There was a lot of lightning with last night's storm. Every time one strike flashes and fills the room with a nano second of light, I think to myself, "Do it again God, do it again".
I love to sit in the garage during a storm. The rain dances across the driveway and makes the sound of white noise as a trillion rain drops splash into the earth. I like to sit as close to the garage opening as possible so that I can feel the mist from the wind shredding the water as it lands. Sometimes I sit to close and the wind shifts and then I get drenched.
I am addicted to The Weather Channel in the spring. I love watching the Doppler radar displaying all of huge colorful storms that develop. I get excited when one is heading straight for us and then I get a little nervous if it looks like it is going to be a violent one. I like to experience the full force of a storm. I don't like to experience the cost of fixing things that it broke.
Sometimes I wish I would have studied weather when I was younger. One of my dream jobs is being a storm chaser. Just think of the adrenaline rush you would get staring a tornado right in the eyes. I saw a report on a vehicle that they can actually drive right into the center of a tornado. I want to be pilot of that thing.

I wonder if there are storms in Heaven or if God just created them as a byproduct to cleanse a fallen Earth.

Obedience

Obedience is defined as the state of being obedient; compliance with that which is required by authority (GOD), subjection to rightful restraint or control; or, dutiful or submissive behavior with respect to another person (JESUS). What does that definition mean? This is something I am struggling through right now so extra grace is required. Also, I am asking for forgiveness if I offend, but then again, I am being called to offend for Christ.
Yesterday I had a conversation with a family member about our concern for a loved one. This person is going through a particularly rough time in his life and I am concerned for his well being. I am trying not to make any judgements, but that is hard for me when it comes to family. We started talking about this persons faith and his salvation. This was a rough one because I am a Jesus freak and most of my family are non-practicing traditionalist catholics. We both believe in the same God, but how we act out in faith are totally different concepts. I told my family member how I was concerned about this persons soul, and I was basically told that he will be alright because he knows there is a God and his friend is taking him to Sunday mass. How is there any obedience in that? The person we are referring to isn't even baptized catholic. So many times in life we do something because we think it is a good thing to do without even putting some thought into it. I am a firm believer in owning my own faith and the only way to own it is to get out the shovel and dig into it. I believe that it is essential to be in the word, go to church, surround myself with friends who are believers and to have a prayer life with Jesus. All of these are components of owning my own faith. Just going to church to check in is not an outlet. I may sound upset because I am, like I said, this is a family member we're dealing with here.
In my obedience, I am called to offend for Christ. This simply means that I will verbally state where I am with Him. The book of Acts 28:30-31 says "For two whole years Paul stayed in his house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ". Uh-oh, there's that "preach" word. Why is it friends and family don't want to be preached to? It is just a form of stating scripture. Is it our own inadequate faith that we are being made aware of that makes us throw up the "please don't preach to me" defense? In my obedience to Christ, I will preach when I need to and teach how God has shown his love for me when I am asked to.
My dutiful and submissive behavior is required by Christ and if that means that I have to offend a family member for Him, then I will. I only do it because I love Him and I love them. My challenge to you is to own your own faith. Don't just go with the flow or tradition. Be obedient to Him. Dig into it. Own it!

Quick Thought

What is the role of a father during a time of family crisis? If one of my children were to rebel against us, what would I do? What would be my role as the father? I am referring to the type of rebellion that typically occurs when the child is in his/her teen years. Would I reject my son or daughter. If they were old enough to fend for themselves, would I kick them out? Isn't that what society tells us to do? The book I am reading "The Man God Uses", refers to a couple faced with this exact crisis. After being told by friends to kick their son out, the family prayed and received a different answer. God told them: "I had rules in my house too. How many times did you break my rules and sin against me? I never kicked (or rejected) you out of my home. Every time you sinned, I forgave you when you asked me." Do we love our children the way God loves us? Or, do we just love them on the surface with certain levels of conditions? If families today are going to stay intact, healthy, and God centered, the man God uses MUST demonstrate integrity of character as a father and a husband. Most importantly, fathers who earnestly seek to be men of character will make an honest attempt to pass on their faith, not their flaws. Just a quick thought.

In Love

Today is Valentines Day, the day designated for love. I did not buy a Valentines Day card for my bride because I wanted my thoughts and feelings to be authentic, not someone Else's words on a piece of paper. I know at some point today, you (Ann) will be on Facebook and you will find this. I am in love with you. I love everything about you. I love it when you smile (You should do it more often). I love the way you affirm, empower and strengthen me. I love that God made us for each other and ABSOLUTELY no one else. I love it that you are in love with God. I love it when you laugh. I love the fact that you're the first person I see in the morning when I wake and the last person I see when I go to sleep at night. I love that you are my partner and best friend in life. I love all of my memories, good or bad, that I have of us. And, I love all of our dreams of what the future may bring, good or bad. I love you and I want the whole world to know that, YOU ARE MY VALENTINE!

What Is Your Nineveh?

I was recently asked to go on a mission trip to Honduras by a friend at my church. Without hesitating, I said yes. I really don't know why I said yes, I just said it. I don't have much knowledge as to what is involved on a mission trip, other than that you get to travel to another country and help in a poverty stricken environment. Last year, a bunch of guys went to Honduras and assisted in the resurrection of a church building. This years mission is in the same area, but this time we will be building adobes.
So what's the big deal you might ask. As I mentioned in one of my prior blogs, I was in the Air Force and traveled to a lot of places. I was in every air plane imaginable (except fighter jets). I served and defended my Country, lived in a tent for six months straight, and have been exposed to poverty that is hard to imagine. I LOVED IT! But....now I am a family man, I haven't traveled outside of America and I have not been on a plane in years. In fact, I have developed a slight fear of flying. I control everything in my life...what I eat, what I do, how I travel (by car, the way GOD intended) and I am even in control of my family. Going to Honduras would mean the loss of control of everything. It would be putting all control in God's hands. I have to admit that this scares me.
So now upon further evaluation, I have decided to tell myself that I do not want to go to Honduras. But what I want and what God has planned for me are two completely different things. I have tried to make excuses why this isn't right for me, "My business is really starting to grow and right now is just not the right time." Or, "I am a stay at home dad, I just can't leave and drop everything into Ann's hands." Or, "How are we going to afford this, it just doesn't fit into our budget right now." I've even made alternate plans to do some traveling on my own during the date of the Honduras trip so I won't be available to go. A good friend's mother once told me, "God laughs when we make plans."
I am sure you're all familiar with the story of Jonah. Jonah was a faithful servant of the Lord, a messenger of sorts. One day, God asked Jonah to go to Nineveh to deliver a message. God's message was that He was going to destroy their city if they did not cease all wickedness. This terrified Jonah, and he chose to ignore the Lord and go the opposite way of Nineveh. While traveling by boat, Jonah was cast into the ocean by the ships crew to spare their own lives against God's wrathful storm. There, Jonah was swallowed by a fish (it really happened) and kept in the fish's belly until he agreed to go to Nineveh.
Honduras is my Nineveh. I have done everything I could to get out of this trip because of my own fears and lack of trust of the Lord. In the past few days, I have been presented with scripture that tells me I am to go. Friends have confirmed me and spoken into my participation of this trip. I am reading a book called "The Man God Uses" by authors Henry and Tom Blackaby. Coincidentally (by Divine appointment only) the chapter I just read was labeled, "Men Who Put Limits On God" and it reads:
Other men try to put conditions on how God can use them. I've heard some say, "I know God wouldn't send me to a cold country. I just can't stand the cold." Or, I couldn't leave my family to follow God in missions. It would break their hearts." Or, "My business is going so well right now. I couldn't give it up yet to follow God."
I read this right after I made those same excuses. Truth is, my wife desires for me to go. God is clearly putting this in front of me. I have never felt, nor seen, nor heard Him so audibly than this moment in my life.
So, I guess I am going to Honduras. What is your Nineveh? Have you felt something so heavy on your heart and put it aside because of your own fears? Do you know He is calling you to something but lack the trust in Him? I encourage you to pray about it. Also, share your story with me, I would love to hear it.

Found A Cure

So I woke up at 2:30 the other morning, groggy and talking to myself, and thanking God for my wife like I usually do when I first wake up. I immediately thought of a friend from my youth that I just reconnected with on Facebook.com. I had lost contact with her several years ago and was able to locate her through her sister. We caught up with each other with all of the favorite questions..."where are you living, what are you doing these days, how are the kids" and so on. She had told me that her oldest daughter was just diagnosed with diabetes. She remembered that Ann (my wife) has diabetes and asked a few questions about her experience with it. After I answered her questions, we realized that Ann was the same age as her daughter when she was diagnosed and has the same type. At the time, I thought that it was pretty ironic. Our conversation moved on and I really haven't put any more thought into it since then.
A few months ago, my wife attended a worship and healing service called "Encounter" at our church. She was on fire (not literally) when she came home about how God told her that He was going to cure her diabetes. I was excited for her but have to admit that divine healing is one of my biggest struggles in my faith. I have heard countless stories and have even witnessed a couple of small miracles but nothing this big and personal. I'm not going to go into great detail about diabetes, but a diabetic has to constantly monitor their insulin levels and take shots (of insulin) when the levels are high. Ann has always managed hers pretty well but since her Encounter, things have started to get out of control. Just last week, she had another prayer and healing experience at a service called "SOZO" (which you can read more about on her blog page called "Thoughts on a Journey"). She told me that God is still holding to His promise and that He is going to cure her. Ann has had a lot of unusual dreams and visions since this last prayer service. One dream she shared with me was about some angels, that were in the form of humming birds, and they were blowing black smoke off of her internal organs. One of these areas happened to be the pancreas which is the organ that produces (or in a diabetics case, doesn't produce) the body's insulin. I know what you're thinking...it's just a dream! God doesn't heal in today's era! If He is so great, why did He let her get diabetes in the first place? I believe that He is healing her and that He will do it in His time. I also believe that God doesn't allow bad things happen to good people. That has something to do with sin and the fall of man, which is another topic in itself. God loves us and He finds opportunities to do His divine work in our lives during our less than fortunate circumstances. All we have to do is have little faith and accept Him.
It is not 100% clear to me why God woke me up at 2:30 the other morning, but I think he wants me to share this experience with my friend. He wants me to let her know that I have found a cure for diabetes (and all diseases for that matter). The cure is Him. The important thing to remember here is patience. Our timing is completely different from His. What seems like an eternity to us is a second to Him. I am humbling myself and trying to be patient with this whole process. What an awesome privilege it is to get to witness a divine miracle healing in my lifetime. Thank You Jesus for loving us so.