Hot & Cold. That is probably the best way to describe the majority of my life right now, including how I am keeping up with this blog. In nearly every area of my daily routine, I am either really hot or really cold. When a new idea comes to mind, a new solution to an existing problem presents itself, or a new door of opportunity opens, I am burning with passion and intensity. But I must have adult A.D.D. It never takes long before something else catches my interests or steals my attention, and that which I abandoned is left to simmer until I decide to pick it back up again. That usually takes quite some time, and by then, whatever I was previously doing has grown cold. This is true with my spiritual walk as well. It doesn't take long before the daily "routine" sets in, and douses the flames of passion and intensity. Satan does a devilish job (no pun intended) of stealing away what God gives us. So what is the answer to keeping the fires burning? Prayer. Then again, how do I remember to take the time to pray without it become just another "routine" thus losing all meaning? Accountability. By surrounding oneself with Christian friends who care about not just your physical life, but your eternal life, it is easy to stay focused on our targeted goals. Our salvation depends on these friends for support and accountability, and I thank those of you who hold this position in my life. Please, more than anything I could ever wish for, do not forget me in my day-to-day. Without you, I may fall victim to yet another scheme that douses the fires which have been ignited by God. Don't forget, however, that I am here serving the same purpose for you. Lean on me, as I lean on you. Together, we will never fall.
Quote of the Day:
"Much confusion in the Christian life comes from ignoring the simple truth that God is far more interested in building your character than he is anything else...God is far more interested in who you are than in what you do." --Rick Warren
7.28.2008
7.09.2008
The Final Quest
As I mentioned in my earlier post, I have been reading this book called "The Final Quest" by Rick Joyner. He is a pastor in South Carolina, and is was a noteworthy author before penning his vision into this series. The book is part one of a series that documents Rick's visions which were given to him by God, and he explains in the introduction that these visions were much more powerful than just dreams. He mentions several times that during these visions, the experience was so powerful, and so real that he would have to force himself out of them, and return to his daily routine in order to rest and recover. Most of them occurred during the day while he was awake, and came more as a trance-like state rather than what most would think of as day-dreaming.
The book is an account of the final battle between the "hordes of hell" and God's army. It is a battle for salvation, and each part of the armies are different areas of life that are affected by or can have an affect on our salvation. There are many moments throughout the book which he explains are merely his impressions, or interpretations rather, of what he saw, since often the dreams were so vivid and real that it became all-encompassing, and the details were lost in the grand design of his overall vision.
While I would love to write an entire post on nothing more than this book, I encourage everyone to go and purchase it and read it for yourself. However, if you would like to sample it before buying it, please visit the link below. It contains the entire book on a webpage, and even offers the script in a downloadable PDF, and a streaming MP3 format. But please, don't read the entire book online. First, staring at a computer screen is not good for your eyes. Second, you miss a special and intimate aspect that makes this book so special, which is the ability to separate yourself for a moment and enter Rick's vision first-hand. This is much harder to do if you are siting in front of a computer screen. But here it is...if there is any violation of copyright laws, I am not aware, so again I encourage you to go and purchase the book for yourself. Enjoy it, and may God touch your heart and inspire you to climb the mountain!
http://74.208.102.153/FQ-Protestant/TFQ-en.html
The book is an account of the final battle between the "hordes of hell" and God's army. It is a battle for salvation, and each part of the armies are different areas of life that are affected by or can have an affect on our salvation. There are many moments throughout the book which he explains are merely his impressions, or interpretations rather, of what he saw, since often the dreams were so vivid and real that it became all-encompassing, and the details were lost in the grand design of his overall vision.
While I would love to write an entire post on nothing more than this book, I encourage everyone to go and purchase it and read it for yourself. However, if you would like to sample it before buying it, please visit the link below. It contains the entire book on a webpage, and even offers the script in a downloadable PDF, and a streaming MP3 format. But please, don't read the entire book online. First, staring at a computer screen is not good for your eyes. Second, you miss a special and intimate aspect that makes this book so special, which is the ability to separate yourself for a moment and enter Rick's vision first-hand. This is much harder to do if you are siting in front of a computer screen. But here it is...if there is any violation of copyright laws, I am not aware, so again I encourage you to go and purchase the book for yourself. Enjoy it, and may God touch your heart and inspire you to climb the mountain!
http://74.208.102.153/FQ-Protestant/TFQ-en.html
7.08.2008
Looking Back...The Proposal
For those of you who never heard the full story, here it is:
2005 was a very rough year for me. I had started a new career in real estate and was learning to adjust to the demands of a busy schedule, and trying to establish a plan and a set of goals for myself since I was my own boss. Things had gotten off to a slow start, but I was making it. Jessica and I had been dating for several months, and had known each other for a little more than a year when summer finally arrived. We were already talking about our plans for the future, and we wanted nothing more than to get married and begin our lives together. The last thing I needed, was a car wreck.
It happened on June 3rd, and it was a complete crush to everything that had been going on with me at the time. My car was in the shop, money was tightening up quickly, and worst of all, my insurance had lapsed. The next several weeks were really hard, and seeing how stressed I was at trying to do everything, Jessica decided to use some of her extra money to plan us a trip to the beach. What she didn't know was that I had already purchased her engagement ring, and that I had been trying to plan the perfect proposal. With no money, and now a wreck to douse any fickle flame of an idea that sprang to mind, the beach was the perfect opportunity to take her completely by surprise, and to make something really special.
We went to Panama City Beach and stayed in a nice hotel overlooking the water. I was a total mess the entire first night, which she easily picked up and questioned me about. With my incredible diversion skills :) I passed it off as nothing more than being overwhelmed since it was the first vacation I had ever had where I was the one making all the decisions and overseeing that everything got done. The second night we were there, July 1st, I wanted to take her to a wonderfully romantic dinner at the Pirate Ship, and then back to the hotel for a photo shoot on the beach with us being all dressed in our Sunday best. We had a great time, and on several occasions as we were dancing under the moonlight on the beach, she nearly discovered the ring box in my pocket. My heart was pounding, and I knew that I couldn't get away with the secrecy any longer. Stepping back and looking into her eyes, I dropped to one knee in the surf and ask her to marry me. She was so surprised that when she saw the ring, she actually grabbed it and started to run away towards the hotel so she could better see it in the light...leaving me waiting on one knee for her response. It was great though, and we couldn't stop laughing about how funny it was. She of course said yes, and we proceeded to dance the night away under the beautiful moonlit night. To make things even more perfect, some kids down the beach began shooting fireworks in honor of the 4th of July, just seconds after the proposal. It was a moment we will never forget :)
2005 was a very rough year for me. I had started a new career in real estate and was learning to adjust to the demands of a busy schedule, and trying to establish a plan and a set of goals for myself since I was my own boss. Things had gotten off to a slow start, but I was making it. Jessica and I had been dating for several months, and had known each other for a little more than a year when summer finally arrived. We were already talking about our plans for the future, and we wanted nothing more than to get married and begin our lives together. The last thing I needed, was a car wreck.
It happened on June 3rd, and it was a complete crush to everything that had been going on with me at the time. My car was in the shop, money was tightening up quickly, and worst of all, my insurance had lapsed. The next several weeks were really hard, and seeing how stressed I was at trying to do everything, Jessica decided to use some of her extra money to plan us a trip to the beach. What she didn't know was that I had already purchased her engagement ring, and that I had been trying to plan the perfect proposal. With no money, and now a wreck to douse any fickle flame of an idea that sprang to mind, the beach was the perfect opportunity to take her completely by surprise, and to make something really special.
We went to Panama City Beach and stayed in a nice hotel overlooking the water. I was a total mess the entire first night, which she easily picked up and questioned me about. With my incredible diversion skills :) I passed it off as nothing more than being overwhelmed since it was the first vacation I had ever had where I was the one making all the decisions and overseeing that everything got done. The second night we were there, July 1st, I wanted to take her to a wonderfully romantic dinner at the Pirate Ship, and then back to the hotel for a photo shoot on the beach with us being all dressed in our Sunday best. We had a great time, and on several occasions as we were dancing under the moonlight on the beach, she nearly discovered the ring box in my pocket. My heart was pounding, and I knew that I couldn't get away with the secrecy any longer. Stepping back and looking into her eyes, I dropped to one knee in the surf and ask her to marry me. She was so surprised that when she saw the ring, she actually grabbed it and started to run away towards the hotel so she could better see it in the light...leaving me waiting on one knee for her response. It was great though, and we couldn't stop laughing about how funny it was. She of course said yes, and we proceeded to dance the night away under the beautiful moonlit night. To make things even more perfect, some kids down the beach began shooting fireworks in honor of the 4th of July, just seconds after the proposal. It was a moment we will never forget :)
A Week in Review
The past 10 days have been quite active, and I have been keeping very busy juggling the demands of Student Life, working several leads in Real Estate, and enjoying time with friends and family for special events and occasions. A week ago today was the 3 year anniversary of the day that I proposed to Jessica. The setting was perfect, and for those of you who do not know the story, I promise I will re-post it again later today. For now, however, my time is short. It's amazing to think how far we have come, and through how much we have come in just 3 years. In a way, it seems as if those 3 years have been nothing more than a day, while at the same time seeming as if it has lasted a lifetime. I truly love and adore Jessica, and I can see now how couples enjoy each other as they celebrate their 25th, 50th, and even the very rare 75th wedding anniversaries. God-willing that we make it that long, I look forward to those special dates as well.
The July 4th weekend was a blast, and we enjoyed having some time to simply relax on the water and enjoy the company of friends. Jessica battled a sinus infection and the medicine that is supposed to be helping nearly all weekend, which really rained on her fun. Luckily the over-the-counter medicine we bought on the way home Sunday is doing more than the doctor prescribed stuff, and she is feeling better each day. Over the weekend I began a new book that has already had major changes in my attitudes and personality. The book is called, The Final Quest by Rick Joyner, which I borrowed from Brock, who was given the book from Matt. So to both of you, as you read this, thank you for introducing me to this incredible novel. I look forward to the next two books in the series already. I will write an entire post on my readings of this book in another post.
It's time for me to get to work, seeing that it is now 9:00 am. I will be updating more, but Jessica and I do have a busy week as we prepare for some of her family to come and visit this weekend. Grass needs to be cut, house needs to be cleaned, and groceries need to be purchased. Ah, the joys of it all :)
The July 4th weekend was a blast, and we enjoyed having some time to simply relax on the water and enjoy the company of friends. Jessica battled a sinus infection and the medicine that is supposed to be helping nearly all weekend, which really rained on her fun. Luckily the over-the-counter medicine we bought on the way home Sunday is doing more than the doctor prescribed stuff, and she is feeling better each day. Over the weekend I began a new book that has already had major changes in my attitudes and personality. The book is called, The Final Quest by Rick Joyner, which I borrowed from Brock, who was given the book from Matt. So to both of you, as you read this, thank you for introducing me to this incredible novel. I look forward to the next two books in the series already. I will write an entire post on my readings of this book in another post.
It's time for me to get to work, seeing that it is now 9:00 am. I will be updating more, but Jessica and I do have a busy week as we prepare for some of her family to come and visit this weekend. Grass needs to be cut, house needs to be cleaned, and groceries need to be purchased. Ah, the joys of it all :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
