Tyler's Blog

Being Patient While Finding God’s Direction For My Life

Tyler — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 20:17:45 +0000

Patience is something that I really don’t do well. I don’t have much of it when it comes to things that I think my life will turn into. I have been forced to be patient in life. Especially with the career path that God has called me into. Ive told myself for the last few years that the next paying job I get I want it to be in the ministry. I am blessed not to have to need to get into something that I know is not for me. So Im just going to explore every ministry opportunity that comes my way. That being said there aren’t that many people knocking down my door to get me to work with them. But I trying my hardest to be patient to figure out what God wants me to do. To me it looks kind of like this. There are three options for me to take. Behind door number 1 is a great opportunity. It just seems like a long shot from happening considering the circumstances of it being so far away from me. And I would have to fully support myself because of the fact that it is an unpaid internship. Which would be very hard for me to do at this point in my life. But I guess there is never a really great time to move all the way across the country away from everyone and everything that I know is there? If that is what I have to do to get to where God wants me to be in life I’ve gotta do it! Behind door number 2 is another great opportunity a whole lot closer to me which makes it seem like a much better fit for what I think I need to do right now. It is an amazing opportunity with an awesome church that I can really see myself joining and working along side of the great staff they have there. That too is unpaid. But with this church I would be holding on to the fact that sometime in the near future it could turn into a paid position which would be awesome. Behind door number 3 there is the option to just stay where I am and hope something opens up for me around this door. I feel like Ive done all I can do behind door number three so I kind of want to take a step away from that door and move on. But what if that is not the right thing for me to do right now. So thats what Im struggling with at this moment in time. I hope to soon know the plan that God has for me because Id rather not waste time being somewhere that God doesn’t have me to be. I want to be in his will in all my endeavors. If Im not in His will I would be better off not doing anything at all. Its at times like this that I turn to a verse in Galatians 6:9 which says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” So what that verse is saying is that we need to continue doing Gods work and be patient. Whenever its right Gods timing I know that I will receive better opportunities than I could ever dream of. Im am having to remember that very fact in this situation. I will continue in all the ministry opportunities that God puts me in and just keep being patient until I find the right job opportunity that He wants to put me into.

What if God says “GO!”

Tyler — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 05:05:14 +0000

A couple years ago I felt God’s call on my life to enter into the Ministry. I started getting speaking opportunities to youth groups and still speak to youth groups to this day. There is nothing I like more than standing in front of a group of people and telling them about what God has doing in my life. I am very appreciative of the amazing opportunities I have had during this last few years involving youth. I am at the end of a student ministry internship and was wondering what the next step for me in Ministry would be. So for the past few months I have been exploring another ministry opportunity. I have been handling a lot of my churches social media stuff and some of the website editing. I really enjoy doing that type of stuff and definitely think God could’ve given me the ability to do the social media stuff so that I could do what I love for Him. I was given some advice to put my resume on a ministry jobs website. I had a pastor contact me via email only a couple weeks after I put up my resume on this website regarding a job opening his church had in the social media ministry. I really liked everything the email said it sounded like a great chance for me to get myself going. Then I came to the section of the email which said where the church is located. It turns out this church is all the way across the country from where I live right now. So I began to get let down. Thoughts filled my mind about how this opportunity could never happen because its way too far away. What if something happens to me? Id be at least a 4 hour plane ride away from my family. I also was thinking that my parents might not be supportive of my decision if I was to accept the job and go out there because of the distance away from them. So there are all kind of negative points that have run through my head. But I am definitely not giving up on the possibility of this opportunity becoming a reality. Because I don’t think I just so happen to get email with a job opportunity that was in the ministry I wanted to enter into. It couldn’t have been an accident for me to receive it. So I have emailed back and forth with the pastor and have talked on the phone with him a couple times. And you know how sometimes you just get that good vibe from a person from talking to them? Yea I got that from this pastor. He sounded like a person I could definitely work very well with. So thats definitely a positive. I filled out a questionnaire that he sent to me and got a phone call from the pastor about thirty minutes after I sent the completed questionnaire and said they like my answers and they still want me to work there. Which was a great surprise because I was sure I was going to answer something differently than they would’ve liked. But that didn’t happen so now all that seems to be left in the process is for me to schedule a time of about a week to fly out and experience the area and the church that I could be working for. So the thing I thought was the least possible to happen to me is only a few steps from happening. I honestly cant believe it. I cant wait to set up the time to fly out and visit the area I would be living in and meet the people I will be working with. So what if God says go? Would God really tell me I’m supposed to up and leave everything I have here and start new in a place far away? Yes! Sure he would if its within His will he would definitely tell me to GO! When I think about this situation Im in I think about the scripture with Jesus walking on the water and He calls peter to come out onto the water. In Matthew Chapter Seventeen 25-31, Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”. So to break this down to my particular situation The boat here would be my hometown. Where I feel safe and comfortable. I would be Peter being called out into the unknown territory of the water. The “water” God is calling me to come out onto is Oregon. The “wind” in my situation would be all the negative reasons I can come up with not to take that step. I am nervous to step out in faith just as Peter was because the wind might knock me down. But if God says “come on out the waters fine!” I gotta respond to that call and go!

I hate the “D” word!

Tyler — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 19:36:02 +0000

I know a lot of you are not thinking of the same “D” word as I am when you saw this post. Im not talking about any curse words. The “D” words Im going to be talking about are Defect and Disability. I hate those two words. Lets take the word defect and look at a dictionary definition of the word. The definition of the word defect is an imperfection that impairs worth or utility and a lack of something necessary for completeness, adequacy, or perfection. Robert M. Hensel serves as an advocate for the disabled, an on going effort to better the rights of all Americans with disabilities. He is quoted as saying “I choose not to place “DIS”, in my ability.” I am definitely with him on this one. I cannot stand to hear someone call me disabled. I may be different but not disabled or defected. If you are a night owl and watch late night TV as much as I do you cant go a night without hearing these certain commercials that come on saying “If you or your loved one took these certain medications during pregnancy you may have a claim to compensation”.We always look for a place to put our blame when it comes to disability and defects. So these law offices want to put the blame on certain medication. Im no doctor so I will not claim to know if the medication is the cause of the defect or disability mentioned in the commercials. But I do believe that in most cases medication is not to blame for a person being born with a disability. I am positive that when God created me and others that the world would look at as being disabled or having a birth defect He does not see us like that. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14. Do you know that you are fearfully and wonderfully made by God? What does that mean? God made you fearfully in His image. Fearfully made means that God was careful with you when He made you in His image. He was careful with you because He wanted you to be a beautiful representation of Himself. God also made you wonderfully. Wonderfully means that you are a one of a kind and unique . You are a work of art! There is no reason that you should ever feel inadequate because you can rest assured that you have been created exactly the way that God needed you to be made. In God we have purpose no matter how disabled or defected we may seem. If we didn’t have a purpose He wouldn’t have put us here on this earth. God doesn’t see me as disabled and defected but fearfully and wonderfully and thats what I should see in myself but thats hard when the world constantly has reminders of the “D” words.

Through Christ I am enabled not disabled and effective not defected!

Waiting

Tyler — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 03:28:50 +0000

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint Is. 40:31

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:25-26

Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He will strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord. Psalm 27:14

Waiting is definitely not the most fun thing in the world to do. It is very discouraging to wait on things to start taking shape in life. A song by John Waller called “While I’m Waiting” is a song I look to when I get discouraged about having to wait. It seems like I have to wait a lot. I’ve waited years to find my calling.

Now that God has given me that. I’m waiting on God to give me my first job in the ministry that he has for me. Waiting on God doesn’t mean I should sit on the couch and watch tv until He makes His move. While I’m waiting God wants me to serve Him. We can’t just say I will wait until He give me something. We have to be the ones pursuing what God has for us. While Im waiting I still need to do the things that I know God wants me to do. The song says While Im waiting I will serve, worship, will not faint or grow weary.

Every kid hates to wait for Christmas day to get here. As it gets closer and closer you start seeing those presents under the tree we would always beg for our parents to let us open just one gift before Christmas morning. But it never works. My parents would always make us wait till Christmas morning to open everything.

That is kind of like how it works between us and God. We want everything that God has for us right now. I have a list of things I want to see happen soon in my life. And its very frustrating to not see them happening when I think they should.

During the wait we tend to:

Grumble About Our Situation
Lose Focus On What God Is Calling Us Too
Quit Because The Wait Was Too Long
Settle For Less Than God Has For Us

I came across some scripture in Hebrews Chapter 6 Verses 13-15 that deals with the subject of having to wait:

13 When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” 15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.

Abraham had to wait 25 years he finally received what God promised him. The birth of a son named Isaac.

We have to do as Abraham did and in knowing that what God promises to his people He will fufill. The waiting is going to be very tough but how ever long I have to wait it will all be worth it when Im finally doing what God had for me in His timing.

Both the Bible and the testimony of mature Christians such as Abraham encourage us to wait for Gods timing, even when our needs seem to great to wait any longer.

Different in Sports

Tyler — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 04:51:07 +0000

I’m very thankful that I was born into a family that is really into sports. Both of my parents were into tennis as teenagers. My mom is a huge Georgia Bulldogs football fan. Which automatically makes the rest of my family Georgia Bulldogs football fans as well. I have two younger brothers, both of which have played baseball ever since tee ball. My dad coached my brothers and I for many years whether it was for the team that we played or just being in the yard tossing the ball around. My middle brother was a third baseman and a pitcher during his high school playing career. He was the number one pitcher in the rotation as a senior and has a nasty curve balls, and no I’m not just saying that because he’s my brother. I know it had to be a hard decision for him to make but he choose to hang up his glove and cleats after high school and not play college ball, but with his engineering major it would be very hard to play ball and keep up with studies at the same time. So I respect his decision. My younger brother, who will be a senior in high school in the fall, is a third baseman, and has been selected to play on a travel ball team during this summer, His team is playing in tournaments all over the southeast, He is looking to get exposure because he wants to play baseball in college. Which will be a great accomplishment when he makes it. I am very proud of both of my brothers athletic accomplishments. Loving sports just runs in my family and I don’t know what we would do without sports.

Growing up my overall favorite athlete was the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys from 1989 to 2000, Troy Aikman. He made me a Dallas Cowboys fan. Sadly I have lost my interest in the Cowboys nowadays. Sorry Tony Romo, But Troy is one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Troy made me want to be a quarterback so bad. But with Spina Bifida the doctors said I would risk my health too much to play. So that dream was striped away in instant. Which was very disappointing to me. Being the quarterback was my dream. I remember playing “pick-up” games. I would always to be the “all-time” quarterback. I thought I was pretty good. So that was fun. But it just wasn’t the High School quarterback. So the next sport I got into was baseball. It gave me hope that I could still do the sports thing. It made me feel as normal as I could. All my teammates treated me the same as they treated everyone else. Which made me feel good because I don’t like it when people treat me different. I stopped playing baseball when I was about ten years old, because it started getting really hard for me to compete with the other players. But that year my team won the division. I don’t claim to have helped in the winning of the trophy. But it is on my shelf.

After my time “attempting” to play baseball was over. I was introduced to wheelchair sports. This is when the heavens shown down on me. It took me too long to find out that I was eligible to play wheelchair sports with my disability. I had no idea. I started playing wheelchair sports in middle school. Basketball was my favorite. I was able to play in that league for about 6 years. In this particular league you can to play up until high school graduation. But I had a great time in it playing sports such as wheelchair basketball, wheelchair soccer, wheelchair football, and Track. Starting out all of the wheelchair sports are hard, but basketball was probably the hardest, from having the stamina to make it through a game, to learning the different rules in wheelchair basketball to actually getting the ball to the hoop let alone through the hoop. Its a lot harder than it looks. I have traveled to numerous places to play wheelchair sports which include, a wheelchair soccer national championship tournament in San Diego, California. A traveling wheelchair basketball team funded by Evander Holifield(I never got to meet him), on which I played point guard in a national championship tournament at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. I hate that I didn’t learn about this travel wheelchair basketball team sooner because with exposure from that team I could’ve got noticed and maybe played some college wheelchair basketball The closest college wheelchair basketball team is the University of Alabama and I wouldn’t have had any problem yelling “Roll Tide!”. But I will never know because that opportunity is sadly gone now. That would’ve been awesome though. I also played in multiple state championship wheelchair basketball games at Gwinnett Arena. I played a wheelchair basketball game before a Atlanta Hawks game at Phillips Arena. I have attended an Atlanta Falcons training camp day and got to meet and get stuff signed from quite a few former and current Falcons players, including Michael Vick. While I was in the hospital, I got to meet some of the University of Georgia football players, and some former Atlanta Thrashers players. I have had so many amazing opportunities involving sports that more than likely would not have ever happened without me being born with Spina Bifida. I am very thankful for those opportunities.

Since my years of playing sports have now come to an end I have always wanted to get back involved in them but as a coach, preferably basketball. I think I would be good at it as I am very knowledgeable of the game and it definitely would be lots of fun for me. I have gained a huge amount of interest in basketball over the past few years. College basketball in particular, because the players are playing it for the love of the game (for the most part). When I started watching college basketball I gravitated towards one team, The Duke University Blue Devils, they are at the top of the rankings every year. I try to go see them play when they come to Atlanta to play the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. I also saw them play in the NCAA tournament regional semifinals against LSU at the Georgia Dome, But my dream is to go watch them play at their home court, Cameron Indoor Stadium.

The head coach of the Blue Devils, Mike Krzyzewski, also known as Coach K, is one of the greatest basketball coaches of all time at any level. He is currently the second most winning-est college basketball coach of all time with nine-hundred career wins. He is definitely a coach I look up to. He has inspired me to check out the coaching side of sports. I don’t care to be as successful at coaching as he is I would be happy just to get the chance to volunteer with a local high school basketball team or on one of my former wheelchair basketball teams. It would be an amazing opportunity to fulfill a dream that I have had for a couple years now. I’m going to explore the options over the next few months before the next basketball season begins and see where it goes. Hopefully someone will give me the opportunity to fulfill that dream. I really don’t care what I have to do to help out a team anything from giving out waters during the game to handing the players towels as they come off the court to keeping the statistic book during games would be fine with me. Just to be out there on the court and being a part of something like that would make it all worth it for me.

Different

Tyler — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 21:24:49 +0000

I am 1 of approximately 166,000 people in the United States living with Spina Bifida. Spina Bifida is one of the most common severe birth defects. Spina Bifida will always be a part of my life, but I refuse to let it control me, hinder me or define me as a person. I often wonder what some of the thoughts my parents had after they found out that their first born child was going to be different. I know it had to be hard on them. I know they would’ve loved to have this normal kid that was amazing at everything. That wasn’t me. For me looking back on it, it was very hard growing up being different than most everyone else. You learn that at a very early age. I can remember in elementary school getting made fun of a lot for being different. Just because I walk different than most people. I may walk different but I am just glad that I am lucky enough not to have to be wheelchair bound for the rest of my life. I have been through some crazy stuff in my lifetime. The day I was born I had my 1^st surgery. Since then I have had about 20 more. Thats a lot! With that many surgeries you’d think I would get used to them. But I haven’t. Its a crazy thought to know that at any moment I could have to head to a hospital for emergency surgery. And could have to stay in the hospital for a while. That is very humbling. My most recent stay in the hospital was a couple years ago now. It was a very hard time in my life. Not having control of the situation. Just going in and out of surgery and hoping that the surgeries would work and I wouldn’t have to go back “under the knife” for a long time. But If I do have to any time soon. That will be ok as well. Its hard to go through a life like this and not ask God “Why Me, What was the purpose of me even being born if I have to go through this mess?” just as Job did in Job Chapter 3 Verse 11 which reads “Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?”. I have asked the question why me plenty of times, but having to endure the things that I have has changed my life and the perception of it. For one thing, God had been preparing my heart to call me into a life full of Ministry and doing His work. When God called me into ministry I immediately began making excuses because of my disability. I thought I wouldn’t be able to do it. I figured He must’ve had the wrong person. But He didn’t call me to ministry in spite of my disability but because of it. That answered the “Why Me?” question that I have always had for God. His answer was found in the book of John chapter 9 Verses 1-3 which reads, “As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” So every time I ask that question I have to look back at that verse and say to myself oh yeah thats why, through all the mess, and the trials, and being discouraged, God can still do His work in my situation. Some days are going to be hard but I have to remind myself that with God on my side who can be against me? No one! I have often thought what I would do If I had the chance to be changed to normal today and live the rest of my life as a normal person would. But when I really think about it, Im not sure that I would take that chance. Being normal would remove a big chunk of my testimony and I just wouldn’t be me without having Spina Bifida. If you have asked me a couple years ago, I would’ve said yes please take it away, I hate it. But that was before God really showed me that He made me this way for a reason and His purpose is perfect. Through this I have also gained a huge amount of respect for nurses and basically anyone in the medical profession. But nurses especially have it tough. They have to do the stuff that you couldn’t pay anyone else to do. They are a very special group of individuals. Because of what I’ve gone through and what my mom has helped me through it got my mom back to doing what she was called to do years ago. She is in nursing school right now. I am very proud of her! When I look at my mom I see a caring, compassionate, loving woman with a strong will and determination. Those are the traits that have made her a great mom to me and they will carry over to her nursing career. She is going to be a great nurse. I think she has a definite “leg up” on a lot of the other students in her class because of her experience in hospital situations and raising me. Thank you so much mom I will never be able to tell you how much you have helped me become the young man that I am today. I just want to add that I strive to be known as a person who overcame the obstacles of Spina Bifida and fought the good fight as it says in 2nd Timothy chapter four and lived as normal life as I could considering the circumstances. And I want to give all of the glory to God for being there for me every step of the way.

“If only I had________Everything would be perfect”

Tyler — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 05:26:59 +0000

Anonymous writer, about an American tourist’s visit to the 19th century Polish rabbi, Hofetz Chaim: Astonished to see that the rabbi’s home was only a simple room filled with books, plus a table and a bench, the tourist asked, “Rabbi, where is your furniture?”"Where is yours?” replied the rabbi.”Mine?” asked the puzzled American. “But I’m a visitor here. I’m only passing through.” “So am I,” said Hofetz Chaim.

Materialism is wandering from object to object in a quest for happiness, but always ending up frustrated by un-fulfillment and repeated disappointments.

We live in a very materialistic society…

a. As evidenced in our popular culture (music, TV, etc.)

b. As expressed in the desire for an affluent lifestyle

35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?

Mark 8:35-36

Jesus wants us to choose to follow him rather than to lead a life of sin and self-satisfaction. He wants us to stop trying to control our own destiny and to let him direct us. This makes good sense because, as the creator, he knows better than we do what real life is all about.

Many people spend all their energy seeking pleasure Jesus said, however, that the world of pleasure, which is centered on possessions, position, or power, is ultimately worthless. What-ever you have on earth is only temporary. It cannot be exchanged for your soul. If you work hard at getting what you want. You might eventually have a “pleasurable” life, but in the end you will find it hollow and empty. Are you willing to make the pursuit of God more important than the selfish pursuit of pleasure? Follow Jesus, and you will know what it means to live life abundantly now and to have eternal life as well.

17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 1 John 3:17

Ive caught myself over the past few months saying things like, If only I had ___________ everything would be perfect.

Or I wish I could have what he has or what she has.

*New Car

*New Cellphone–And the funny part is Im already wanting a new cellphone. You can never keep up with the cell phone market these days. One day you’ll have the latest greatest, and the next day your phone is a has been.

*New Laptop

*New Clothes

I’ve had the privilege to be blessed with each of these new things over the past few months although I still have to same feeling of wanting more that I had when I didn’t have them.

The void that I felt without these things did not get filled when I acquired them. Although I am excited that I have new things. In the big picture it didnt change anything.

5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5

WHY DO I ALWAYS WANT MORE?

̈ I wrongly believe that having more things will make me happier”
1. Things can bring temporary happiness.
2. Trying to find happiness in things is like drinking saltwater to quench my thirst.

As we think about this, let’s consider three popular myths:
Myth #1: Having more things equals more happiness.
Myth #2: Having more things equals more importance.
Myth #3: Having more things equals more security.

Materialism is an attitude which attaches to money and material goods more importance than they deserve. To go one step further, materialism is primarily a matter of reversed priorities.

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” 1 Timothy 6:6-8

Contentment could be defined as being satisfied with what I have right now. It doesn’t mean never wanting anything else, but it does mean learning to say, “I’m satisfied with what God has allowed me to have today.”

After all, what do we really need? Food, clothing, a place to sleep. As long as we have those, we’re covered. Paul makes the point that death is not the finish line, but it is the place we leave behind all our stuff. Why spend our lives dissatisfied, constantly chasing money and stuff, if we’re only going to dump it all on our way out the door into eternity?

For some of us, these are painful words. Our culture is geared toward the desire to get rich. Rapper 50 Cent got rich following the philosophy of “get rich or die trying.” For lots of people, it’s absolutely the most important thing in life. Even more people would list it among their top 5 priorities.

So what should you do if you’re a Christian and you do have it pretty good financially? Paul made a list:

• Don’t trust your money. It won’t satisfy your soul, and it can vanish quickly.
• Hope only in God. He is the source of everything.
• Remember, God likes to give you things you enjoy. Thank Him for what you’ve got.
• Be rich in what really counts—doing good for others.
• Give away your money; be ready to share when someone has a need.

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2

Matthew 6:32-33 reads, “Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and He will give you all you need from day to day if you live for Him and make the kingdom of God your primary concern.”

Jesus made it clear that living for personal gain will result in much anxiety. Materialism and worry are two enemies of spiritual growth. They work together to lead us away from balanced living. Know that the essence of life is not found in possessions and that worrying about the future is not good. Our heavenly Father will take care of us and provide for our needs. If you trust God, there is no need to worry about anything.

The Bible’s conclusion on materialism is summed up when Jesus said, “Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). What’s the point? The point is simple. Materialism is the act of putting ourselves first.

The Bible points out that God honors those who honor Him. Christ put it another way when He said, “So the last will be first, and the first will be last” (Matthew 20:16). God does indeed want us to be content and lead a fulfilled life. He does not, however, want us to loose sight of the important, which is putting others and Himself first.

More importantly, God expects us to be good stewards of the resources He does give us. The Bible’s conclusion on materialism is stated clearly on the cross. It is a message of love, not greed. It is a message of purpose, not pride. The Bible’s conclusion on materialism is simple, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself” Luke 10:27

9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Timothy 6:9-10

Keep Pressing Towards the mark

Tyler — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:04:08 +0000

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 3:14)

25And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. Mark 5:25-26

The bible tells us that a woman with an issue of blood went to various physicians to help heal her of her issues. She sought their help for twelve years, but they were unsuccessful in their attempts to help her. She could have given up because some of the best and brightest physicians of her region could not help her, but she didn’t

27When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. 30At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” 31″You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ” 32But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” Mark 5:27-34

The bible says that when she saw Jesus in a crowd, she pressed her way through it and made contact with His garment and was healed of her issues. Her willingness to continue to keep pressing made the difference in her life. If you have some issues in your life that you have been unable to overcome, let me encourage you to keep pressing towards God in prayer, and as it was with this woman, He will dry up your issues as well.

Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there. ~Josh Billings

These famous people never gave up

Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken had his chicken recipe rejected 1,009 times before a restaurant accepted it.
Henry Ford went broke five times before succeeding
During its first years Coca-Cola only sold 400 bottles of Coke
NBA hall of famer Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team
Dr. Seuss was rejected by 23 different publishers before the 24^th took on his book

Think about this… If any of these now famous people gave up doing what they were doing they would not be famous today would they.

Personal Testimony

I can remember my first time speaking to the youth group at my church. I felt like I did horrible, In my mind I failed very badly. I was so nervous that I didn’t think anyone got the point I was trying to make that night. But I had to build off that failure and didn’t give up on trying to be the best speaker I can be. And here I am 2 years later still doing what God has called me to do.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

A distance race that requires endurance, persistence, and sustained effort-not a short sprint. The writer compared the Christian life to a long-distance race. The runners-believers-find themselves surrounded by a great “cloud of witnesses,” or the heroes of faithfulness. These witnesses are not heavenly spectators who observe the conduct of Christians, but those who have given testimony by their examples (see Heb. 11). Christians can run the race of life well only by laying aside any impediment that hinders one from putting forward his best effort. “Sin,” especially that of “unbelief,” also forms a crippling hindrance to good running.

Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. – Michael Jordan

Count your blessings not your troubles

Tyler — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:55:11 +0000

Sometimes in life things happen that make it very easy to be negative about your circumstances. Often times, it is much easier to focus on the problems of life than to find something good about life. Sometimes it can get so bad that we want to know why we were even born. It can be easier at times to see the bad because it is so big that it is eclipsing the good from view.

God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience,but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world”– CS Lewis

There is a guy in the bible that had lots and lots of pain and lots of troubles. His name is Job. The bible describes him as perfect; upright and blameless. He was a very wealthy man. God had allowed satan to do everything he wanted to Job except kill him.

If anyone deserves blessings, Job does. Yet one day God puts him to the test. Job’s life falls to pieces; calamity of every kind descends upon him. Raiders sweep his fields; his livestock are captured or destroyed; his servants are put to the sword; a house collapses on his sons and daughters and kills them all. Disease strikes him, and he is covered with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. In all this, he submits patiently to God, only to be mocked by his wife, who tells him to “curse God and die!”(Job 2:9) Friends arrive, and still he is patient. For days they sit with him in silence, seeing how greatly he suffers.

“Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb? Job 3:11

Finally Job can contain himself no longer. In a torrent of grief and protest, he cries, wishing that he had never lived. He doesn’t curse God, but he curses the day he was born.

Growing up with a disability has not been easy at all. I go through things on a day to day basis that people couldn’t even begin to think of having to deal with. I’ve been in and out of the hospital having surgeries and such and it is so easy to be negative about all this “stuff” I have to deal with. I have done as Job did in chp.3 verse.11 plenty of times asking God why I was even born But if I get hung up on the why question for too long I would miss out on the reason God has given this to me. He gave this to me not to complain about it all the time but to be a witness to people and be a testimony to His greatness. If I was to complain to people all the time I would not be a good candidate for God to use because it would seem that I don’t embrace my disability and use it for His glory.

“His disciples asked Him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.’ John 9:2-3

Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they can become your blessings.

Never Give Up… Even In The Fear Of Failure

Tyler — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 07:33:54 +0000

Failure- the state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective.

“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” Henry Ford

So there were these two moose hunters in northern Canada that shot an very huge moose. It was too big for their horse’s to haul out of the woods, so using their cell phone they called in a small plane. They wanted the pilot to pull out this huge Bull Moose. When the pilot took a look at the moose he was hesitant. The hunters did it anyways, The hunters told the pilot, “We’ve done this before. Don’t worry.” So against his own better judgment they talked him into strapping the moose onto the plane. The pilot again was hesitant, “This is too much weight.” But the hunter’s keeps reassuring him, “We’ve done this before. Trust us.” He gunned the engine, took off down the runway of water and crashed into the treetops at the end of the lake. Debris flew everywhere and the moose carcass lodged in the branches of a tall pine tree. Down on the shoreline one dazed hunter called out to the other, “Hey George! How did we do?” His friend replied, “About 50 feet farther than last year.”

These hunters had tried this before but failed, they didn’t give up on trying to get the moose out of the woods.

1.Failure is a universal experience. Everyone experiences it at some point in their life.

Have any of you ever failed at something? You are not alone, Some of the most famous and most successful people have all failed at some point in their lives.

–Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken had his chicken recipe rejected 1,009 times before a restaurant accepted it.

–Henry Ford went broke five times before succeeding

–During its first years Coca-Cola only sold 400 bottles of Coke

–NBA hall of famer Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team

–Dr. Seuss was rejected by 23 different publishers before the 24th took on his book

Personal Testimony
I can remember my first time speaking to the youth group at my church. I felt like I did horrible, In my mind I failed very badly. I was so nervous that I didn’t think anyone got the point I was trying to make that night. But I had to build off that failure and didn’t give up on trying to be the best speaker I can be.

Life’s real failure is when you do not realize how close you were to success when you gave up.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

So today we are going to be looking at a man named Peter. A disciple of Jesus. This man failed Jesus by denying that he even knew Jesus not just once…not twice… but 3 times!!!

[54] Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. [55] But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. [56] A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.” [57] But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said. [58] A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”
“Man, I am not!” Peter replied. [59] About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Gallilean.”[60] Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. [61] The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” [62] And he went outside and wept bitterly. Luke 22:54-62

-Failure doesn’t mean you have blown everything. It means you have some hard lessons to learn.
-It doesn’t mean you should give up. It means you need the Lord to show you the next step.
-It doesn’t mean that God has abandoned you. It means that God a better plan.

When we have failed, especially when we have failed those we love the most, our mind becomes a swirl of emotions–Embarrassment . . . Anger . . . Fear . . . Shame . . . Despair.

When we have hurt someone deeply, we want to know if they still love us or have we blown everything?

2.FAILURE IS NEVER FINAL!!!!

Christ took charge of restoring Peter!

15When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
16Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” 17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. John 21:15-17

Here Jesus didn’t give up on Peter. Jesus gave Peter a shot to redeem himself. God will never give up on us He will give us another chance if we fail him.