Nice cool day...almost as if autumn has already arrived, although that's not until Sept. 22, I believe.  Today's run will be enjoyable.

Getting Help

God is there to help us.  Today I realized that I am having some internal problems and issues that have plagued me for years.  In the past I would let them get the best of me and displace my personal issues on others through anger and blame.

Today, through my close relationship with God, I was able to see that my issues are just that: my issues.  Blaming someone else is an easy way to avoid admitting that I'm not always strong and that I may be "faulty".  I need some help.  I may need to see  a counselor to work through some of this stuff.  Doesn't mean I'm not a good believer, a good husband, a good dad, a good lawyer.  It just means I have some stuff to work through.

In many ways, going to see a counselor is like getting the help we need from God.  We need to be able to unashamedly pray to God and ask for help.  So I do that now: 

     "God, please help me deal with my emotional issues.  Whatever it is in my body that causes me to get depressed or feel inadequate, please help me deal with that in the way that only You can.  I pray that instead of taking my issues out on others, I can admit my faults to others, before You, and receive your blessings. I pray that my emotional issues do not cause me to exacerbate problems such as financial woes, normal sources of stress, and work issues.  I pray that I can turn to my wife and my children and my friends as sources of support, and not see them as sources of more pain.  I know that as long as I have You, I have nothing to fear.  I pray these things in the name of Jesus, Amen."

I would also like to share these words, which I have posted on the main page as the weekly Bible verse:

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."

2 Peter 1:3-4.

God is great.  If this believer had to attest to only one thing, it is that today is the first time in my life I could honestly admit that I suffer from chronic depression.  God has helped me to see that.  God has helped me to see that my depression issues are not my fault, and that I can still function as a healthy member of society. 

As I always say in my blogs, being a believer doesn't mean life won't be hard.  But as in this case today, I can affirm that being a believer sure does make the hard things in life easier to deal with.  Because as the passage from 2 Peter above states, through God's divine power, of which I have knowledge, I can escape the corruption in the world, such as the lingering thoughts inside my head telling me to get angry with others for my own faults. 

Thank you, God.  I love you, I trust you, I believe in you, and I know you exist with all of my heart and soul. 

Until tomorrow...

Come Believe.

Raining again today, but I love it!  All the bar ditches and stock tanks are overfilling.  Yesterday there was actually a road closure.  The reason this is so awesome is because we have not had any real rain around here for over a year.  Keep it coming, Lord!

Do You Truly Believe?

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

Hebrews 11:6

I think that verse is so incredibly important to understand.  You cannot please God, in any way, without faith in Him.  God will not let you come to Him, for anything, if you don't truly believe that He exists and that He will reward you for earnestly seeking Him. 

I ask myself that question:  Do I truly believe?  Or do I try to convince myself daily that there is a God and that if I behave myself some good things may happen for me?  I am a lowly sinner of a human being.  I have nothing to offer God.  All I can do is live by His commandments, the teachings of Jesus, and share that with others.  And in my opinion, the reason I believe that is because I know that I truly believe in God and that it is only by His grace and love for me that I have anything.

I believe not only that God exists, but that He is my creator.  Think about that.  I truly believe that He created me, the earth, and you.  If I believe that, how could I not believe that he is there, existing?

What about the faith part?  Faith is believing in the unseen.  All we have to show that God exists that is tangible is the Bible.  Everything else is based on faith.  But for a believer who is wrapped up in the faith completely, as I am, the next thing that solidifies the belief is the answering of prayers.

What about you?  If you consider yourself in the faith, living the Word, do you truly believe?

Until tomorrow...

Come Believe.

Raining and cool this morning.  Work has me on the road today.  Just thanking God that it has finally rained A LOT and continues to rain at home.  I hope it rains wherever you're at!

Revelation

Read it.  It's the last book in the Bible.  It will scare the hell out of you.  If it confuses you, read the Left Behind series or do some research on the Book of Revelation.  In it, John talks about his vision of how Jesus will return.  What is scary are the events leading up to the return of Christ. 

There are many different schools of thought on how Jesus will return, and whether there will be a Rapture seven years beforehand.  There are even names for the separate belief systems.  For my part, I just say that Revelation gives us a good idea of what is going to happen to Believers and non-believers. 

There is a Book of Life.  The living and the dead will be judged.  Their name will be searched for in the Book of Life.  If you are a true believer, you will be in it.  If not, you will not be in it.  Those in the Book of Life will enjoy an eternity with the Lord.  Those not in the book of life will suffer an eternity in a lake of fire. 

So how do you get into the Book of Life?  Simple...you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, believe in the Word of God (the Bible), Glorify God first, love and serve others second, and think about yourself last. 

Ha!  Not so simple for someone who hasn't ever heard of Jesus or God or is self-absorbed or believes in another God figure or etc., etc., etc.  The simple truth is this:  There is only one God, the Father and the Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth, of all things seen and unseen.  He gave us Jesus, who brought the gifts of forgiveness from sin and eternal life.  To me, you either believe that or you don't.  I hope for the sake of your soul you do.

So that's how you get into the Book of Life.  See you tomorrow.

BUT WAIT!  I'm kidding...I know it's not that easy to absorb.  Becoming a Christ follower and a Believer takes time and effort.  What I have written above is absolutely true, but it has taken me almost four years of getting back into a relationship with God to completely accept His love for me and reap the benefits of a day-by-day walk with Christ. And I will learn and re-learn the dynamics of that relationship as long as I walk and breathe on this earth.  Much like I practice law, I practice my faith in God.  It's constantly evolving and growing.  There are setbacks.  I will make mistakes.  But I will be in the light of God's love for me.

If you do the same thing, at some point you will look at what I wrote above and say, "Yeah, that just about sums it up."  But it's the DETAILS that make all the difference, and unfortunately, the details take TIME and FAITH and EFFORT to learn, absorb, understand, and finally, to live.  But it can be done.  It starts with one simple step....

Pick up your Bible (or buy one) and start reading the New Testament.  Don't start with Genesis at the beginning of the Old Testament!  It will confuse you.  Start with the New Testament, maybe Matthew or John, and then move forward.  Read it over and over again.  Research what you read.  Plug into a church and study with others.  Don't worry, they are just as confused as you are!  Form a small group or bible study group and immerse yourself in God.

With time, you will find out that you are feeding the Spirit inside you.  And after a time, you will be ready for rebirth through Christ Jesus.  I dare you to try it. 

So if you're past that point already, read Revelation.  If you're not to that point yet, get there and then read Revelation.  It's a vision, and it's very symbolic.  For example, Jesus comes with a sharp sword out of his mouth.  Well...that sharp sword coming out of his mouth, cutting down the evil army is the Word of God.  Get the picture?

Do you want to be behind that sword or in front of it?

Until tomorrow...

Come Believe.