Believe It

In a prayer time the other day I was near speechless; the only thing I remember saying was "God, I still believe in you." I went to the church the next day and didn't take my church key with me so I sat in the parking lot waiting of the rest of the team. I flipped the radio on and immediately Jeremy Camp began singing "I Still Believe." I thought that was cool enough. Then, later that morning I felt God speaking to me "Tom, I still believe in you!" I do believe in God, but there was something overwhelmingly awesome about knowing that God wanted to be sure that I heard Him speaking to me saying that He still believes in me. What a great way to start the new year. And for you, there is no doubt in my mind, the maker of heaven and Earth, your maker, your friend, the one who died for you, - Jesus still believes in you no matter what you think He thinks! He loves you, He still believes in you; and He should, He made you and will continue the good work that He started in you.

The Hunt for the Peace of God

So as Levi and I went on a little hike and hunt today we finally stopped and took a rest by a steam. I was at total peace enjoying watching him have so much fun and sense of adventure on the hike. By the stream, as Levi fiddled with sticks and asked me a few times when we'd see a deer it reminded me of our relationship with Christ. Although Levi typically seems to be a patient kid for his age and he was sitting rather quite in-spite of being little anxious, as adults we can be fidgety and unappreciative of our time with God on any given trek we're on with Him. All the while He is just glad to be on the trek with us; and of course all the while God knows exactly where we're going and watching out for our every move. He even guides our steps, so the Bible says. Today - remember that God enjoys watching you walk with Him. Not necessarily watching you work for him. Be at peace today knowing that God loves you, cares for you and will safely guide you onward in your adventure through life.

Shooting Rabbits & Christianity

Very simple: while rabbit hunting its common to see a rabbit, shoot it, get all excited about hunting rabbits and....... within minutes you're walking through the woods with your gun down to your side while you day dream about lunch. When the next rabbit jumps out in front of you; you miss it. In Christianity, we see God, have a great experience and...... then walk about our week with little hope; and when God moves suddenly in our lives again, we are not prepared for Him and we miss it. The cure? Faith, Hope, Love; Repeat.

A God Moment

A God Moment: The other day my 6 yr. old son asked to help me mop @ the church. He was mopping the bathroom floors and cafe area w/ his ipod on singing the words "Not to us, but to your name be the Glory"...mopping floors. What a teachable remind-able moment for my boy to remind me that everything we do on Earth, even the little things, even to the least of these, even mopping floors or sharing a smile to the cashier or telling the waiter he did a good job: everything we do is for God, not for us. Every action, every good work, every act of faith, all hope - and our hope - is for God to be glorified. As Levi mopped away I stood still & knew HE was God. And today @ Velocity I had another God moment; the kind of moment where God fills us beyond explanation. I hope tomorrow I have another few minutes where time stands still and I am aware of God's presence! Furthermore, I hope you do too! Look for God at every turn in your day, He's there to help you see things clearly!

Christmas: A Story of Faith and Hope

The story of Christmas is a story to remind us that our faith and hope are not in vain. Everything we hope for and believe in as Christians will be revealed to us in full at the appointed time. God made it known through the prophets many thousands of years before Christ was born that there would be a savior for Israel and for all people! Throughout the centuries from when Israel and Judah collapsed to when Christ was born; Jews were made slaves and dispersed to other parts of the world, most doubted and lived without hope, but others hoped yet never saw the Savior in this life. However, the Bible talks of Zechariah and Elizabeth in Luke chapter 1 who were faithful and found righteous. Because of their faithfulness, God sent them a son in their old age in which they were to name John - that same angel Gabriel then went to Mary and proclaimed the time had come for the Messiah to be born and she would be the mother of the promised Savior! At this time in history, it had been over 700 years since anyone had seen God move or speak. And now the time had come. In your life, don't lose hope. Even when it seems God has not moved or spoke to you. Even if you feel like God doesn't hear you and does not respond to your prayers: At the Appointed Time God will reward you for your faithfulness! Long after others quit serving God, strive to remain faithful because there will be a day when there is no more shame & no more pain. God promises.

Take a Walk; Have a Talk

Matthew 4. When Jesus was tempted by the devil, there were three ways the devil came at Jesus; Physical, Mental, Emotional. The enemy can’t attack your spiritual – that’s all God’s domain. But you can allow the enemy total access to your spiritual by letting him break through another avenue of your being. Stand strong, and when you’ve done everything you can, Keep Standing! 1 Corinthians 16:13
"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong." Walking, Reading, and talking to a friend can help keep your physical, mental, and emotion tuned up. You will have to stretch yourself in these areas as to not become numb to your initial efforts. Keep the faith - move forward in everything you do! Put your hand to the plow, don't look back. Press on toward the goal - this includes your Earthly goals and most important the goal of staying true to God until you've reached heaven.

God's Voice

I was in prayer today at the church and I know God spoke to me as clear as He ever has. It was during my repetitive walks around the sanctuary that my mind became very still; I knew it was God. Apparently, it was predestined that I “over heard” Krista listening to a podcast of Joyce Meyer and John Eldridge agreeing that hearing the voice of God is not only possible for today, but it’s essential for today. They talked about the potential awkwardness of explaining to others about the whole idea of God speaking to us on a personal level. John 10 states clearly that those who belong to Jesus will hear his voice, still! Later, I went to pick up Molly from pre-school and Andy Stanley was on the radio talking about being confident in knowing the voice of God. It’s a great day when I can settle my heart and mind to let God speak to me. You can do the same by being still and giving God your undivided attention. Being still and doing nothing are two completely different things. Being still is difficult, but with God’s help its attainable. God will speak to you when He has your undivided attention.