Awake At 30

Master of Disguise You're going to face satan today (and every day hereafter), are you ready ( 1Cor.10:12-13 )? Beware that he disguises himself and takes on many forms, a master of lies and disguise he is ( 2Cor.11:14 ). Let's look at a few and take note of his tactics and intentions. There's a serpent awaiting you, anxious to deceive, waiting to slither into your life, awaiting the proper time to strike and sink his venomous fangs into your body. He wants to take you down, fill you with his poison that is sin, and watch you die. He'll not be satisfied with one strike, he'll repeatedly sink his fangs into you, striking over and over and over, always seeking to keep you paralyzed and in his grasp. Are you aware of him, are you ready to face him, are you watching out for his cunning ways? Notice that he hasn't changed from the beginning ( Gen.3; Matt.4 ). There's a lion lurking about, ready and willing to pounce and devour you; are your eyes open, are ...

The Road "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I  do,  forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12-14 NKJV Sometimes people are privy to knowledge of things in our past, things which we have worked hard to overcome and moved beyond. Yet, for whatever reason, those privy to this information like to bring it up and discuss it. They aren't aware of the pain rehashing those times brings us, the darkness that looms by remembering such events, the dreaded terror of reliving things that seem like another lifetime ago. They aren't aware of how far we've come since those things, since that nightmare we lived so long ago, since that time which...

Figuring Things Out Throughout our lives there are fixed points in time where we realize something for the first time, or for the first time something we've always known or have been told finally clicks for us. Becoming a father has been a transformative time in my life, I've discovered things about myself I don't like, things which I have  determined to change so that our son has the best example possible when he looks at me as his father. I'm sure many parents have gone through this time and many still are going through it. Life is a constantly changing event. Change is just part of life, and when we have the honesty and clarity of mind to realize when we need to make changes, and then act on that knowledge, then that's when I believe we are at our best in many respects. The following are some of those thoughts: I think about Emerson every day, something I know will never change, and I take a look at myself and consider my ways. For my son, I want good role mode...

Where do low moods originate? It seems as though they come upon us suddenly and often without much warning. In my experience, the low moods seem to begin with an event that is the impetus for what follows; that event starts slowly and then builds to the point where one day the low mood comes, falls over us, and often seems to blindside us. That event that begins the process most likely is something we didn't expect or it's a misstep we took somewhere leading up to that day of despair/low moods. The initial event could be something sinful we did, or was done to us, or it could just be a part of life for which we were unprepared. We then move from that one event, often unaware of the valley it will inevitably lead us to, and compound it with daily life; those daily issues and otherwise normally occurring moments of life that, for whatever reason, we now take more to heart as it piles on that event. All this until, one day, life seemingly all comes crashing down upon us, throwing...

Hedonistic "Christianity" "For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,   unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,  traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,   having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! " ~2 Timothy 3:2-5 (NKJV) Hedonism:  the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the sole or chief good in life [ Merriam-Webster ] A while back, the famous false-teaching power couple, Joel and Victoria Osteen were in the headlines and many were (rightly) outraged over Mrs. Osteen's comments in a "sermon". Mrs. Osteen made this observation (quoting her whole comment so as not to misrepresent): " I just want to encourage every one of us to realize when we obey God, we're not doing it for God-I mean, that's one way to look at it-we're d...

Temptation "Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren."  James 1:12-16 NKJV Temptation. Here is one thing we all have in common, and no one is exempt. So how do we control and combat temptation? Well, I believe it begins by what we allow to be a desire of ours and how we control those desires. Desires that are good and natural have a place where they are allowed to be carried out. Jesus Himself was tempted by satan in Matthew 4 . Reading over how He handled the temptation shows us how we must also combat...