3/11/2011
Following God

Life has been very stressful lately. God has decided to take me through," past stuff "so that I may be able to be closer to him. I didn't know that I had gone anywhere, but I did.

My youngest Son is in Japan as a nuclear meltdown may be eminent following a 9.0 earthquake and Tsunami in Northern Japan. If that wasn't enough there has been looming scuttlebutt about the United States economy failing and the dollar devaluing. 

Along with life's daily struggles this has caused my stress levels to reach the max. Its funny how it takes disaster in our lives for us to finally realize that we have little control over what is really going on.

It brings us to an place where we must once again ask that looming question," Is God real and does he care?"

I'm sure Satan would love us to get caught up in the confusion of the world and the pain in our everyday lives. Nothing good ever comes from our focusing on those things though. I call it, "Smoke screens, lies and illusions" those are his tactics.

I was watching a news caster last night and I liked the way he boiled it all down." when it all falls apart, what choice will you make? 

Which side will you fall on? 

The side of those causing confusion, abdicating violence and condoning taking what others have so they can secure there own safety. 

Or the side of those who will help provide for the needy, the lost, the confused, and even give of what they have even if it costs them everything.

This ultimately is the choice we must make, and it very well may cost us dearly. 

What choice will you make? 

Will you do what Jesus did and give up everything, or will you follow the crowd and choose safety above all else? 

  I hope that our country can react the way the Japanese people did and put the highest priority on taking others in and giving of what we have, but I fear that we have lost our respect for those values and principles that the Japanese people so readily hold on to.

I think that we as a nation better look hard at what this disaster has to teach us, or we may well find out the hard way what we have lost.

As I have been taken through this last month, I have been brought back to that looming question,
 "Is there a God and is he real? Does he care? Will he move his hand and help?

What I have come to is this...

He never left. It was I that walked down a different road. I don't mean church, bible studies, ministry, etc.... those are man's things. I mean relationship with the father. Real relationship, ongoing daily relationship.

It's funny how when God speaks, all those things that seemed so pressing and so urgent just seem to fade away.

The enemy would have me believe that I'm a failure, my past tells me I won't ever achieve, but God always tells me I'm called to be a leader.

The funny thing is its my choice which I will believe?

It is also my choice which side I will choose?

My answer came in an unexpected way. (Isn't that just like God)

My choice is simple I will do what my son is doing in Japan. 

My Son is an American student at Temple University in Tokyo. He was told, by us his parents that his ticket was paid for and all he had to do was to catch a plane and come home. What he decided to do was to stay and help wherever he could.

Forgetting about his own safety and waiting there until he can go north and help.

This is what real men are made of. This is what God intended for us. I for one will follow my sons lead and I will stand on the side of compassion, mercy, and integrity even if it costs me all that I have.

Let the future come and we as men of God will embrace it and do what is right.

That is Living the Adventure, isn't it?