Poor

Living for the world;

Leaves one poor.

Positioning,

Aligning,

Focusing,

Our time,

our efforts,

our resources...

For the world;

Leaves one poor.

 

 

Beautiful home & yard,

High Mortgage and nice Cars.

Development all around.

Nothing but good promised about this town.

 

But yet, all you can see is displeased customers.

Bitter.

Frustrated.

Our happily misled to a long bank filled death

 

The money is there, so is the trust.

All protected because its here.

In this life.

Not in the after.

 

We chalk it up to "Im tired"

 

 

But doubtful we ever gleam into the true promises of our God.

Promises that are utterly more

Utterly different than

The world.

Its here we are called, but to live as if

Its not here

 

"Oh no its only the first of the month"

 

We need that 2nd home

1 isn't enough

We need that extra raise

For what we have now is just "scraping by"

 

I don't see any scratchs

I don't see any burns

What do we middle class people know

 

God is good. We can sing.

KLOVE on repeat.

Just a bunch of endless words

We need classes to tell us "were okay"

 

Hey how do I do this or that?

 

Can I have a book on that?

 

Hey did you download the latest sermon?

 

Hit replay .

Replay.

 

Replay.

 

Okay done. Solved that one.

 

 

Promises are many.

But we live for the temporary

Throw up.

Vomit

Going back to the beginning

Only to arrive once again

At that initial sin.

 

 

So whats the answer?

 

I will tell you.

 

Its Death.

Death to this world.

Death to my desires.

Death to all this game and running

Death to myself

And death to all ive learned

 

 

Its losing.

Losing this world

Losing my desires

Losing the game

Losing myself

And everything I learned

 

 

Its loving.

Poorly no more.

 

Poor is rich in God's kingdom.

 

 

"Its difficult for the rich to enter the Kingdom of Heaven"

 

And yet, we say no way ...

 

I want to shop at Whole Foods someday.

 

 

The End.

Paul Tripp James 1: 9-11

Is what is important, important to you?

You live in a materialistic, no eternity culture.

You cant live in this type of culture, without somehow being affected by it

You will understand grace, when you have nothing, and can say "I'm rich, I'm rich"

The temporary begins to replace the eternal, the physical begins to replace the spiritual, and we who have been give this Grace, lose our sense of what is important...

We all stand with nothing, before our Redeemer...

Is what is important, important to you? Do you live with a keen sense of this...?

How can I turn>?

It feels as if I have been living for my own life

Its like I forgot how good You are

I forgot how loving my First Love is

 

 

How can I turn>?

 

And live for His Kingdom>?

With work/?

With family/?

With money?

With everything/?

 

 

God, I lack wisdom...

Please give me so I know how to honor You

Give so I know how to praise You

Give so I know how to let steadfastness have its full effect

Amen.

 



Paul Tripp James 1 5-8

Trial is meant to release you from self-reliance

We have a delusion of strength.

We have pockets of foolishness because of sin

Wisdom is looking at life from God's perspective

As believers we don't believe wisdom is first an outline, a theology, set of answers...we believe wisdom is a Person, and His Name is Jesus.

Wisdom is known by relationship

God loves to give wisdom, He loves to rescue you from foolishness...he finds pleasure in generously giving us the wisdom we need.

He does not mock you with your lack of wisdom. He doesn't play favorites

You need, you come. You need, you come.... I love to give wisdom.

Your hope is the character of a generous God. This God delights in meeting your needs.

Trial is meant to bring you to the end of yourself, a pleasant place to be.

Relying on You
Letting Go
All these hopes
Because the Truth of my life
Is found only in You
My life is found only in You

Double minded. Double souls. Double hearted. There is in all of us two conflicting desires.

God's wisdom is Kingdom wisdom. And its for those who are loyal for His Kingdom.

Am I trying to advance my purpose or His? We have a conflict, His Kingdom or our kingdom.

The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

This disloyalty is in me.

Therefore...Ask in His Name. For His Name's sake. For His Kingdom, that His will be done.

God hasn't given us grace for our little kingdom to work, He has given us His grace to invite us to His Kingdom.

Wisdom runs on the rails of Submission and Obedience.

A double minded man's life is ... Unstable.

It truly is the result of our disloyalty of our Heart.

Therefore one can only pray...

Help me live for Your Kingdom God. Amen.

Help Me to Trust You

You have given us provisions

Without stipulations

Your making all things new

For we brought nothing with us

And we shall leave the same

 

Help me to Trust You

That Your in Control

And Your Good

 

Make me beat my chest

Proclaiming I am a sinner

Let me be blessed

Though I don't see

Richly embedded in You

 

Help me to Trust You

That Your in Control

And Your Good

 

Let not your shade be taken for granted

Slowly speaking while quickly hearing

Up in the tree looking

Hopeful Your coming

 

Help me to Trust You

That Your in Control

Forever Good

 

Forever Good

Always True

Always True

 

Help me to Trust You

 



Drained

Awful things to think

When one knows he might make more than he does now

more than he does now

 

awful feelings disregarding grace

disregarding grace

 

its sad when one isn't happy

wishing God would do something

and yet its an awful sight

to look at ones life

 

and not see much

not see much at all

what good was their life

after all?

 

what did they bring

other than some kids

other than some trips

 

 

awful things aren't so awful

its just a game

it seems like its just a game

 

Who cares who wins?

Who cares if you lose

that's an awful though

 

awful things to think

when one is down depressed

 

and drained

KOMBUCHA CHA CHA

It may be a fad. Call it a Chinese exilir. Its Kombucha people.

Learn it , remember it, because this stuff is going to be around for awhile.

Not only is it raw food inside a tea that already is fermenting and growing more alcoholic by the day, but supposedly Ronald Reagan drank it during his cancer spell and he lived quite long thereafter sipping this stuff everyday...

Anyways last night I had some Kombucha and coupled with some Watermelon Juiced, I guess I was kinda on a high.

So Ashley and I are sitting outside talking and I just start rattling off all these passages in the gospel because I have been listening to them on the way to work. Audio Bible.

I don't think I made much sense, but it did bring me back to this conclusion after I finally had finished my last slirp of kombucha...

"Hear O Israel , The Lord your God is One." You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your mind, all your body, and all your soul. AND you shall love your neighbor as yourself..."

I just think this is the whole message of the Bible.

Its not rocket science. Its not some crazy long seminar or some thick study on theology.

Its Love. Genuine love for God and people.

I would like to revert back to a poem I wrote back called "Crippled Feet" Please read and enjoy...

KOMBUCHA on the HOUSE

Eternal Life

"proclaim to you the eternal life"

How to we get to eternal life? That's a strange thing to say or think about...

Not many people have a problem with the idea of eternity. I think this is all something we want to agree on, that in the next life it will be better, we will be happier, and we will live forever.

But when I look at these two words 'eternal life' they for some reason don't make much sense...

This was apart of the teaching of Jesus and also the apostles...this is the end result of our journey here on earth...but as I live the Christian life or attempt to at least, do I realize this eternal life is our hearts desire, purpose, promise by which we live?

Its simple to say we were created for eternity, but to realize that this is our road, our compass, and our map to live this life is forgetful.

Maybe this is something Christians just know and we all don't say much about it because its a fact were just supposed to know.

Should we not 'proclaim it'?

Should this not be the gospel's promised aim?

How do we live in eternal life?

How do we live with eternal life?

Are we scared to really dig deeper into this reality>?

Why is this promised to us Christians, and yet the outside world also can mostly agree "they're in a better place"?

Solomon wrote God has placed eternity in the hearts of man. So I guess that answers that question.

I am going to keep dwelling on this eternal life.

This is what the Christian life is about.

The Adventures of Millie Ruth: The Land of the Lights: Chapter 4

IChapter 4

Sometimes in life we must fall in order to be caught. Generally this is the rule of grace, and Millie soon found herself riding on Blue's back. 

"My pardon my dear , I'm not used to carrying such delicate weight. I usually stick with nuts or things like that."

Oh , it's , um, it's okay , I'm just glad you ...

"My dear my dear , this a matter of the courts . You see, I knew a girl would be entering our world by order of the King. And well here we are dear," 

"I don't think I feel good"

Dearest , me either . The King seemed concerned about your safety . He is awfully sorrowful these days ... You know these are the last days.

Millie couldn't help but start to worry, "what is going on ?" This wasn't supposed to happen , life was not going as it was just yesterday . 

What do you mean by the last days? Asked Millie .

Oh dear where have you been !? We've been preparing for ages and now you ask what do I mean ?! Oh can you even live with such a thought. Where I'm taking you has all the answers you seek. Where your going the King will address , your adventure has only begun ... Hold on tight we are way behind schedule !

At that , Ez , flew faster and Millie clung tighter . Both were silent for the rest of the flight as the river winded down towards a large mountain where stood the Kingdom. None who enter its gates leave unchanged ... 

Two Paths

There are two paths.

None more, none less.

There are only two types of people.

None more, none less.

There are only two eternal destinations.

None more, none less.

One leads to Life.

One leads to Death.

One leads to Freedom.

One leads to Slavery.

One leads to Peace.

One leads to Torment.

One leads to Love.

One leads to Hate.

One leads to Joy.

One leads to Weeping.

One leads to Praise.

One leads to Gnashing.

One leads to Rest.

One leads to Chaos.

There are only two paths

None more, none less.

Beware lest you walk on one and not the other.

Beware if you think you are on one and actually the other.

There will come a Day.

When we will all be Judged

Every good deed and bad

It is coming...

It will not delay...

Tonight you make your bed where you will remain...

For Eternity.

There are two paths

None more, none less.

So lost not knowing what to do.
Always coming back to this
Whats my life's purpose?
Wrestling back and forth
Back and forth
Up and down
Whats keeping me back?


If we could live eternally minded...

What would this look like?

If live like authentic Christians, what does this look like?

I know what the world wants us to look like:

Nice house, nice cars, nice bank account, nice retirement, nice shopping, nice eating out, nice careers, nice yards, nice beach homes, nice mountain homes, nice condo homes, nice lake house , nice boat...

What does it mean to live like a Christian? What choices do we make?

Who am I serving>?

The Adventures of Millie Ruth: The Land of the Lights: Chapter 3

Chapter 3

In the blink of an eye, something had caught Millie's shoulders and started to fling her into the open sky. It felt sharp and cold, yet soft and warm. It sunk deep into her arms, gripping tighter and tighter. There was a small breeze that her entire body could sense, it was coupled with a sound she had faintly recognized from back home. A mere flapping noise, as if a dove were taking a bath.

Too afraid to look up or down, Millie closed her eyes and prayed. As she continued to excel into the unknown air, the ground below was starting to come into full perspective.

The scenery much strange to you and I, was actually quite understandable now. For down below, the white floor was now completely covered in golden water and filling up like a bath tub. It was a huge crater. From the East there flowed a Giant River that was dispensing its beauty into the crater in the form of grand waterfalls. The lights were much more warmer now, and winter was passing as ice from the Great Mountain was now in full melt. The air being more thick now had cast a misty rain down into the crater, and one as small as a child would've thought it to be rain. Sweeping to the left of the Giant River were trees. Green canopies of leaves and brown bark to support their sway. Grass was actually starting to form around the River as the gold rushed past. Spring had arrived in full force and the lights above still yielded their bright display with the white sky as their canvas.

The talons of the bird had finally made their way into a resting place for Millie's shoulders. His wings were now much quieter as he and Millie glided down the River's path. He was carrying a small bottle loosely in his silver beak and wore a tiny red hat on the crest of his head. His bright blue body could be easily seen for miles and his wings were striped black like prison bars. Millie was being carried by his enormous feet that were uncommonly baby blue and uncommonly bare, for he typically wore red boots to match his hat.

What seemingly happened next was due to his concern for Millie's arms and his lack of patience in carrying her. He simply let go, and Millie, still with her eyes closed, was in free fall.

Adventures of Millie Ruth: The Land of the Lights: Chapter 2

Chapter 2

There was a light mist falling from the white ceiling above. Millie's eyes became starry as the mist started to settle on her brows, gently reminding her she was still in a foreign world. The mist slowly turned into rain drops, but these were no ordinary rain drops. Golden drops of rain started to descend from the lights above.

"Could it be the lights' reflection?" Millie wondered out loud.

But no, the rain drops themselves were pure gold. They fell as normal as rain itself, but if one were to sit out a bucket, they would have golden water within minutes. The white floor started to form little puddles all around. They were dancing and swaying with an unknown wind from the East. Ripples from the puddles began to take shape as Millie noticed the land was starting to become like a small pond. One would want to go play and jump around if no teachers were looking, but Millie could not help but stare at the spectacle in front of her.

Golden waterfalls not more than twenty feet away started gushing down from the ceiling above. It was as if someone has opened a hatch and let summer in. The lights were now more yellow than white as one would suspect and the waters' glory was starting to roar. Like every great waterfall, the sound was toxically beautiful amongst the dead silent lights. The smooth glossy floor was no longer white and bare, but golden and full.

"But where will all this water go?" thought Millie.

Looking around Millie could see no living creature in sight. Her tattered blue jeans and her brown moccasins were starting to become a nuisance as the puddles of gold started to rise up to her ankles. She was beginning to realize this place may be dangerous and she began to feel uneasy. The box like nature of the new world started to close in on her slowly as the golden rain began to reach her knees and the waterfalls ahead didn't seem like quitting anytime soon.

"Help! Someone!" Millie shouted.

The Adventures of Millie Ruth: The Land of the Lights: Chapter 1

The Land of the Lights

Chapter 1

Now before I begin, I want you to know this a story about adventure. I fear though, you have misplaced your desire for adventure and therefore I urge you, to put away your grownup thinking. Instead, think like a child; a restless and joyful child. If you cannot do this, I would assure you by the end of the book that you should've stopped reading at this instance. The only reason you continued reading was to prove me wrong, and I daresay that is very childish of you...

The light was whiter than snow, yet yellow. I know this is hard to imagine. It is much like a white light bulb, and then at the same, like a yellow light bulb. And there was no sound. None at all, only bright yellow white lights, perfect and not blinding.

"This place is quite queer" thought Millie.

And she was right. For many strange and wonderful things take place in lands far away; in lands where Owls can talk and Kings rule with honesty and justice. In lands where beauty is not forgotten, and curious languages echo in the canyons. Ah yes, this place was much like the dreams you once had when you were little.

The ground was blizzard white and hard as stone, yet it was smooth and glossy. Millie expected green grass, but it was nowhere in sight, only endless miles of white flooring. You cant blame her for thinking like this, after all, just a couple minutes ago she was standing in her backyard playing with her best friend Phineas. Whom everyone called Phin.

It was hard to recall at first how she got her. She couldn't remember much other than small glimpses of her afternoon. She saw Phin with a baseball glove in his right hand and the ball just about to leave his left. There was the blue sky with white clouds full of puffs. And there was Bogart the dog running after the ball Phin had just thrown to her.

"Why cant I remember how I got here"? Millie pondered this after some more failed attempts to get past Phin, the blue sky, and Bogart.

As Millie stood pondering, time itself was growing older and the lights still twinkled up above. One would suspect something dramatic would happen next, but it did not. The same timeless trance of lights, white flooring, and Millie herself were all that was in The Land of the Lights.

Stuck

Stuck in a rut

Nowhere to go

Sounds familiar

From someone I know

 

 



Exactly

"You are exactly what we need, only You can satisfy" - Rend Collective Experiment

Can I trust

 

You ?

 

That You are my deepest Need

 

That You will satisfy

That in You my life will have purpose

That my life will have meaning

Significance

 

 

For its not about mere survival with You

 

Will You be there to catch me>?

Will You be there and take care of me>?

Will You give us our heart's desire?

Will You lead me to where I shall go>?

 

 

Can I believe that You are exactly what I need?

That only you can satisfy>?

 

FREEDOM DOESNT EXIST INSIDE WEALTH
ITS SEPARATE
FOUND ONLY IN CHRIST

 

 

Quit looking...

Take It

Take it

 

Cause I cant bear it;

 

My lack of trust is appalling.

 

I go from thought to thought

 

Disregarding, disregarding;

 

 

That Your near

 

That in You there is no fear

 

That I am safe,

 

Because I have You;

 

 

like Thomas I must touch

 

To see

 

My mind is an endless game

 

Of Safety to merely Be

 

 

Always thinking money

could be the answer

knowing deep down

its empty promises

 

 

Mere fleeting

Thoughts of power and pride

 

Foolish and simply Beating

My self up

 

 

God take this heart

Of mine

Take this mind

Of mine

Take this soul

of mine

 

Take it cause I cannot bear it

 

Take it ,

 

Cause I cannot bear it

All Things New

Peace be still, you are near...
There is nowhere You cant go...
You will shine
Redemptions hour

We come alive
And Your making all things new
You are making all things new
And we are free

- Elevation Worship

Eternal & Real

My Mimi passed away last night.

My Poppy before her.

I know my mom is hurting, she now has lost both her mom & dad.

This is a short life.

The Bible says our life is but a vapor, a mere mist.

We only have 1 shot at this life.

It may be painful and awfully frustrating at times to let people in.

But the joy and love are worth more than the pain

If we don't love our friends and family with genuine Godly love.

We will have regrets.

We must let people in and be vulnerable

If we don't , we will never experience true love and what God intended for our lives.

I am talking to souls who know and love the Lord only.

Unfortunately this call does not apply to the ungodly...

Again this life is short.

Make the most of it with the ones God has put in your life for a reason.

This life has purpose.

Its Eternal

And

Its Real.

OUR

Listen to this language:

" Borne our griefs"
"Carried our sorrows"
"Pierced for our transgressions"
"Crushed for our inquities"


Having a hard time putting this in words...so I wont try to. I cannot comprehend this text. I really cannot. I can rejoice. But I cannot comprehend. So thankful God never requires us to fully understand this Way.

Dear Holy Spirit, show me more in depth the Love you have for me and everyone else around me....

Amen.

Love at 500 Degrees

Good to be back home. Blessed and thankful I get to spend this life with my two girlies...I love watching our grass, flowers, and trees grow, but nothing in comparison to the love that grows within our little family.

Love at 500 degrees

BE STILL

Love to reflect on life. Today has been good to rest and be still.

There is a battle that wages for our attentions, desires, and worries.

By attentions I mean our focus.

By desires I mean our interests.

By worries I mean our fears.

By our focus I mean our purpose.

By our interests I mean our endeavors.

By our fears I mean our insecurities.



What I mean is this: What are we searching for?> What are we trying to obtain>?

Resting in God is essential to survival and renewal.

Survival in the sense that are attentions, desires, and worries are put back in correct perspective

Renewal in the sense our focus, interests, and fears are being made new.

Which leads to His purpose, His endeavors, and the washing away of our insecurities.



I may be trying to get cute with all this language and just trying to make this all connect.

But somehow I feel it is. And to make it more simple I will give you a hint...


His name is Jesus and He alone can give your life purpose and meaning. Peace and joy. Love and glory.

We need to be reminded each day. Or we will wander away. Its just our natural sinful nature to wander. So rather than walk around aimlessly, lets run and rest in the arms of our Savior. Jesus Christ.

I will leave myself with this: "Be still and know that I am God."

Exactly What I Needed to Hear...

Every season in our lives has a purpose.

05/04/2014

I told the guys in our Church group that I have a blog I write in, and that nobody probably reads it...

They asked if I publish it online and stuff, and my answer was "nope, just like to write and read it back to myself"

So I am glad and hopeful one day I can keep reading previous posts and see what was going on in my life at the time...

But unfortunately we are faced with The Present. The problem with us humans is our tendency to live either more in the past or more in the future.

So Presently , today is Sunday Morning 05/04/2014...

I love Sunday Mornings here at our house, its so hard to go to actual church on Sundays, Millie naps around the 11:15 service and the earlier service we couldn't bring ourselves to attend , since we are always wiped out from the morning, but its peaceful here.

I wrestle at times when we cant actually physically attend church, but I sometimes what we really need is rest and time alone with God. For some reason this is easier at home? Atleast with an infant.

Cant wait though to be back in normal churchgoing attendance. Its important. Its a reminder you are not alone and can worship with believers and soak in the Holy Spirit and hear His Word.

I would like to think recently I have been more joyful. I want to choose joy. I want to pursue it. God is my joy. He is my peace.

Joy never goes without peace. Peace never goes without joy.

Rarely am I truly joyful if I don't have peace. Rarely am I peaceful if I am not joyful.

Calm and still are the gifts of God's peace. Thankful that He loves me.

Mike Mason wrote this "He loves me , he doesn't not love me for who I am not"

That is truth. God loves me. He doesn't have a BOX. He doesn't put me in a category and then goes off what I am doing wrong vs. what I am doing right.

He doesn't look at me and with frowning eyes cant believe I am not "THAT".

So therefore I will only again concern myself with His love and His worth.

For He sees me...

And with Faith I can truly repeat the words of God Himself...

"Well done my true and faithful son, with whom I am pleased"

He is pleased with you. Not what you aren't.

Peace without joy. Is not peace.

Joy without peace. Is not joy.

God loves you...

Have a good Sunday.

05/04/2104

Starting Now

"A life of joy rests upon the discovery of what I, and I alone, am meant to do, and then doing this with all my heart." Mike Mason, Champagne for the Soul: A book on Joy

Not sure how to start this blog. Over the past couple months,  I have been looking inwardly at my life and its relation to joy. Well my life's physical expression of my inward state or condition.

What I really mean is this:

I yearn to do what God would have me do.

I want to serve Him.

I want to please Him.

I want my life to be full of joy and peace.

I want to be myself and nothing less , nothing more.

I want people to see Jesus

When we moved to Austin, I knew this is where God wanted us to be. Always it has been "to be a light in a dark place"... I think it is time to reassess this desire. How have we been doing>?

I am finding out , you need fellow Christians in your life. I am finding out , God will lead you to them.

I am finding out, God is with you and your life is right in front of you at all times. Its funny cause we always desire things, yet most of the time they're occurring RIGHT NOW. Instead of always looking ahead, lets be thankful for the day.

I am thankful for Jesus. I don't tell Him this enough, I am thankful. My life was miserable before He came into it. I was lost, trying to feel the void with almost anything.

I am thankful for Ashley. She is the first person who has loved me more than I have loved anything.. I love her so much. But she loves me more. That is hard to say, but she loves me more. I don't know why she loves me so much. She sees me for what I really am everyday and still chooses to love me , and love me unconditionally.

I am thankful for Millie. I haven't been able to comprehend my love for her. I love her so much. I can look at her and all my problems usually just go away. Thank you God for trusting myself with her. I will do my best.

I am thankful for Family. We have 2 loving families. Sinful? Yes. But loving. That is all we could ask for. All we need.

I am thankful for being in Austin. So thankful to live where we do and start community with believers around us.

Thankful for a job. Thankful that I can provide each month.

We have never gone without 1 meal. We have never had 1 night homeless. We have never gone unclothed.

We have Jesus. We really do. He is enough. Our hearts are sinful and can be led so easily astray. We play with our toys and dabble with earthly things, but we truly only need Jesus. May He wash away all else.

I really am believing more that we don't have to be rich to be happy. That is so hard to stop and truly believe.

Think about. And then yeah that's kinda what everyone is after...

Which leads me back to joy and the first sentence up at the top...

May God bring me to this conclusion at the end of my life, that I may find what would bring my soul utmost Joy and utmost purpose . I know God will show me this. Please do Lord, may I start to get ready for this....

Declaration from this Heart

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You are my saving grace;

 

 

 

If I lose everything;

 

I have Everything!

 

 

For You are my saving grace

 

 



Does this make sense?

I guess when you have money, its easier to say 'money wont buy you happiness' probably for 2 reasons:

a) you have the money now
b) it hasn't made you any happier

It would be harder to say this though I think if you were poor. But as I write this, I have not lived in those shoes before. For 2 reasons though

a) you have no money now
b) you think it will make you happier


And all the smart and wise individuals poor and rich alike can I think say :

a) no amount of money will make you happier
b) because the rich people say so and the poor people are usually happier anyways

Does this make sense?

I am trying to dissect this further from a Christian perspective:

A) You grow up in America, and throughout your entire life Success and Money are 'preached' by the world as your purpose and 'pursuit of happiness'

B) You become a Christian and find true happiness

C) Yet you still have everyone and their dog , commercials, media, celebrities, businessmen, etc 'preaching' to you how in order to be Successful you need to have a lot of Money and A Great Wonderful Promising Fulfilling Career

D) So as a Christian you realize the words of Jesus "it is more difficult for the rich man to enter into the kingdom of Heaven"

E) And your like what do I do with all this?

F) And then you freely give monthly out of the goodness of your heart, "For the Lord loves a cheerful giver"

G) Only to start looking at your 401K retirement account because it came up at work or you saw the latest ad on TV and it got you 'thinking'

H) Then you start that whole fun enterprise and then you remember a couple days later that you should be "setting your minds on things above"

I) Does this make sense?

J) So say you have a kid: Now what ? College. 529 Plan

K) Oh that's right your newly married and have a kid and your wife is a stay home mom and now you don't even have enough money to put away for College

L) But then you remember "God will never leave you nor forsake" and you learn that somehow, someway God is going to take care of this expense for you and maybe start to save in 5-10 years when your supposedly by American standards making more money and climbing up the 'ladder'

M) Do you see what I am trying to get at here?

N) Does this make sense?

O) I think truly as I write this "vent of a blog" it is growing more and more clear as I write

P) "You cannot serve two masters"

Q) 2 opposing views are addressed here on Earth for Christians to quite clearly see once they really start to fight against materialism and the American Dream

R) And the main question really is this: How am I going to live my life?

S) For America's economy.

T) Or for God's Economy

U) They are quite different indeed

V) So it always will come back to this: "You cannot serve 2 masters"

W) Cannot

X) Serve

Y) 2 Masters

Z) Does this make sense?

"What good are all our blessings, if we can't enjoy them?"

"What good are all our blessings if we can't enjoy them?" - Mike Mason

This is partly the cry of Solomon in Ecclesiastes. It is solely related to our Joy , or lack thereof, in Christ.

"The thief comes only to steal kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." - Jesus (John 10:10)

The devil does want to steal kill and destroy our lives. This is directly aimed at our joy in Christ. If we give the enemy rights to take what is rightly ours, we will indeed be, I dare say almost miserable Christians.

 Ineffective may be the correct term, but a weight of concern is addressed here: Stealing, Killing, & Destroying. A Thief through and through.

With the weight of evil on one side, the weight of good and glory on the other: "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."

And herein lies the crux of the matter: A Daily Battle between good and evil, a Daily Battle between accepting lies and/or truth, A Daily Battle between ones' lack of joy and ones' abundance of joy.

We forget we are in a battle. This probably should be addressed more. We are in a spiritual battle. This must be the foundation in our attempt; rather FIGHT , for our lives' joy in Christ.

When we understand the devil is constantly finding ways to steal, kill, and destroy our Joy. We can in turn be constantly looking to Christ for his Life and His Life Abundantly.

I am not claiming I have won, nor have understood fully what our lives should look like in the context of Jesus' words: "have life and have it abundantly"

But I know there was Joy and Joy abundantly when I first accepted Christ into my heart. There was much Joy when I was baptized, there was much Joy when I saw others come to Christ. It was apart of the beginning with Christ, and it should be a recurring theme in our lives.

So we must not go forward, but rather backward. Back to heart of when we first understood what it meant when "our sins are forgiven". What it meant when "Jesus loves you". What it meant when "He died for you". Because there we will find the root of our joy in Christ. We must not let this grow old, slowly letting the devil steal , kill, and destroy the true meaning of our everyday walk with Christ.

We are free men. No free man walks around in Chains.

Bouncy Bouncy

IF I could not getting any more weird, I bought I a palates ball for work, the chair was just way too plain. I mean if I can bounce up and down for a good 6 hours maybe I can work out some of this anxiety and stress that associates itself quite rapidly with the insurance business. Its a crazy business, like who would ever do this is just nuts. So I guess that's why I am doing it.

You start talking in kid language when your a Daddy. Right now I just blew up my ball and it took longer than I had liked, seriously want a good workout just inflate this thing and then deflate later and do it all over again and your forearms will be burning.

That's free. I'm a cheapo. I have been going to McDonalds and JUST getting the free small coffee they are giving away (march 31st to april 13th). Something like that. If I show up and its over I probably wont even buy the $1.08 coffee. That's cheap.

Seriously who does this kinda stuff. I am really into plants right now. We planted a 65 gallon Monterrey Oak in the front yard. Bought a Treegator on Amazon to help water it. Now I need some root stimulator supposedly (had a nice long conversation with one of our insureds who planted like 250 of these tress on UT campus).

But now that the tree is in and doing good. We took Millie to nursery and explored some. Brought home a Mexican Feather Grass plant and Barbeque Rosemary (which I ate some yesterday one the front porch. Its smokier than regular Rosemary).

Anyways I like plants now. Trying to figure out something I can plant on our fence and grow a cool vine. Crossing Vine is beautiful, Ashley is worried our fence will get hurt. I mean seriously fences are worth almost nothing after install. Not sure why we spent so much on ours. Ah well its cool, that's why.

Oh ya back to the Daddy language. Bouncy bouncy. I mean that was my initial thought when I started to bounce on this thing. Seriously turning back into a kid. Which I am totally okay with. Just hope other people don't get freaked out by it.

Its nice to write again. I hope Millie doesn't inherit my mind. I mean its written that we have the mind of Christ. But man mine just wont slow down.

Probably should be on some type of medicine. Unfortunately I vowed I would never take any of that stuff.

Anyways gotta get back to work. Or what I like to call "work".

Bouncy Bouncy. Cant wait to be home...

Timothy Paul Kriegel

Testing 1 2 , Testing 1 2 , eh hello blog world, in spite of my wife's outrageous request to write again via this blog, I wanted to first say 'Thank You' , 'Thank You' for believing in the words I write and the words I say through my writing, because all in all they're a direct reflection of who I really am...(that was meant to be a joke)

So with that point made. Its been an exhausting, but very joyful last 2-3 years...

I got a job. Like a career.

Had a baby.

Bought a house....um with a lot of HELP

Much more probably went on just cant really get past those 3...

Hope to get back to more fun in 2014. Too much seriousness . Not that past 2-3 years weren't fun.

But I think I spent way too much time worrying about finances and worldly temporal feelings rather than just enjoying life...

I realized past 2 weeks while reading a book about Joy, how UN-joyful I was becoming...

Its nice to look back and see where God has led us, but I know He is leading us back to the core of who we are ... His Children.

So with a child like faith and a hopeful heart, I would like to make a toast to anyone who come into contact with me the rest of the year...

I pray I can be a joy and a light for your day, not a hindrance full of negativity.

There is too much of that already in this world.

I pray I can truly live eternally minded rather than focused so much on this world: retirement, business, property investment, etc...these aren't entirely bad things in themselves, but I get wrapped up too much in them.

Here is Family. Here is to Millie Ruth and being the best Daddy I can possibly be.

Here is to Ashley Kay and being the best husband I can possibly be,

Y'all are my biggest fans and the only ones who truly understand how I function.

So hopefully I can get back to writing some and making you smile, I will try and keep it light, however you know I will get into some theology and poetry and you may get bored with some of that, but you know can always look for some humor.

And ultimately.

Timothy Paul Kriegel