Thanks for using me, God!

Change

2010-04-21T18:51:00.000-07:00

Hi, I'm writing this to let you know that I have moved my blog to a different site. It is now located at http://bigdogbo.wordpress.com/

I have another post there, so go and check it out. If you are signed up here, then you can cancel this subscription and go check it out at my new site. If you have been receiving this by e-mail, please sign up to receive it on my new site, as it will automatically notify you when I make a new entry.

Honestly, it makes it easier on me if you sign up to receive e-mail alerts, because I continually forget to send it out to people and it makes me feel bad when I do finally remember. And feel free to pass this along to your friends or people you think may benefit. I'm not so proud that I can't allow someone else to learn that they're not going this walk alone.

I'll keep this open for a bit longer (probably no more than a month) to ensure that everyone gets the message. Thanks again for going on this walk with me. I appreciate your company!

Be blessed in the Lord today.

So, ummm....yeah....

2010-03-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

I don't like this. I've already slipped up. I will be honest with you today, of all days. Well, this blog is a testament to that fact; I try to be honest in here. It helps those who come here and read it to know that they aren't alone in what they deal with in their lives.

I am brute forcing this out of me. I got nothing. I am so fed up with stuff right now. And it's not even stuff that matters in life, it's just me. It's just stuff that I want to yell and scream and rant about and I can't.

Most of you have no idea how hard it is to put your words and thoughts out here for anyone who cares to look to see. Sometimes it hurts, not because of what people say, but because of what it shows about your character. You want everyone to think you have it together, when in fact, that is the furthest thing from the truth.

People will say, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!" I have been blessed beyond measure, but somedays, I don't want to make lemonade. Somedays, I just want to take those lemons and throw them at a wall :)

Forgive me for this, if it's not what you expected. Into every life a little rain must fall. It's what we DO when it rains that defines us. I have tried and tried and tried to keep dancing. However, sometimes, you just want to know that you're not dancing alone right?

There is a verse that keeps popping up in my head, but it doesn't seem to fit how I feel right now. Galatians 6:9 (NKJV)-"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap IF WE DO NOT LOSE HEART." [Emphasis mine]

I don't want to lose heart, and I guess I really haven't. I'm just too embarrassed to put this out there for you to read. I don't want you to know the real me; the one who doesn't have it all together. I don't want you to know that deep inside I sometimes yearn for something a little different.

But I also know that inside of me is Someone stronger than me, who loves me for being....me. And while I may not understand it right now, I can be okay with it.

Where are you today? Are you walking on the high road or in the valley? It's okay-there's plenty of company in both. And God is big enough that He can be in both of those places and all the little ones in between at the same time. I'm glad.

Let's make our way to the house of the Lord together. Be blessed today.

Yay! I need help!

2010-02-12T11:01:00.000-08:00

Dear Lord, so far today, I’ve done all right. I haven’t gossiped, haven’t lost my temper, haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or over indulgent. I’m very thankful for that. But, in a few minutes, God, I’m going to get out of bed. And from then on, I’m probably going to need a lot more help.

Thank You.

Amen.

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We laugh when we see stuff like this on the internet or a calendar or wherever. We think it's pretty funny or it gives us a small giggle with a smile.

When do most of us think of that quip, if at all? For me, it's the 30 minute drive home after work. You know, when the radio isn't on and your mind starts wandering and you just start drifting. Then, when you least expect it, everything you said and/or did that day comes back to you in all its glory and full riveting color.

Every time you tore down a co-worker....or gossiped about someone.....or made an inappropriate remark or comment.....every...little...thing....right down to the finest detail. It comes back to you in gleaming precision.

And I....I mean, you, realize, that I am not at all where we want to be in our Christian walk. (Just joking about that whole "you" thing!)

As I've said before, and I'll say again; sometimes, we as Christians are our own worst enemy. That old saying, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions" can also read "...paved by so-called Christians."

Okay, so I had a day where I didn't do what I know was correct and right. I didn't exactly exemplify the virtues that my God would expect from me. Does that mean I crawl in a corner and give up? Go back and live my old lifestyle? Get baptized again because it obviously didn't take the first time?

Stop laughing at the last one. You know what I do? I get up, dust myself off, and start walking again. I remember that I belong to God, no matter what my brain tells me, and I am His child. I read another quip once about failure. The essence of it-success is getting up one more time than you fail.

Think about it. You KNOW you are going to fall. The best of us do it. Success is getting up and letting God wash you off. Success is not defining yourself by the number of times you fall, but by the number of times you continue to try.

1 Peter 2:9-10 (NKJV)-"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy."

I like to ask people a question when they come to me asking me about why they continue to do things in the flesh after their salvation experience. It tears us up inside knowing how we "failed" to be a Christian. I ask, "Was there EVER a time when you DIDN'T care that you had stumbled? Was there EVER a time when you DIDN'T care about what you said or what you did?"

Most of the time, the answer is, "Yes, right before I got saved." To me, and I may be wrong, but isn't that a victory? NOW, you care. NOW, it makes you mad or upset when you laugh inappropriately or say something coarse. NOW you care about how you walk. Before, you didn't care. Not everything is immediate in the kingdom. We are on a JOURNEY toward sanctification. We are pilgrims, strangers in a strange land.

How many times have you seen a wet paint sign, and the kid in you just WANTED so bad to go up and touch the surface just to see? You know what will happen, but the yearning is still there!

You are fighting an old nature that, for some of us, ruled our bodies with an iron fist for many years of our life. Now, thanks to the Holy Spirit, we are aware and alerted to that fact. I consider it an honor to even realize that I need to watch how I let the world affect me now. Things I used to take for granted and do without batting an eye make me sit up and take pause now.

Imagine where you'll be tomorrow, with God's help. Imagine what you'll know about yourself in a month, if you read God's word. Imagine how you'll feel about your co-workers, friends, and peers in a year, if you spend time praying for them, loving them, and trying to live the true life God has given you right before their eyes.

Don't hide your inadequacies; and don't let them define you. I remember what I used to say, if I did something that someone considered "hypocritical". I would tell them, "I'm not perfect, God is still working on me. And it reminds me every day, every hour, every minute, why I needed a Savior."

I'm not ashamed to admit that I need directions from God. And I'm also not ashamed to say that I sometimes do things that make Him shake His head at me, and maybe even do a *facepalm* (the Twitter people know that one). But I know He loves me, and He has the patience to pick me up, dust me off, and set me back on the path.

And the best part of all? I'm not alone. I'm never alone anymore. Even when I feel like it, I'm not. You can have that feeling as well. I'm not perfect, I'm just like you.

I have hope. And hope never disappoints. Let me know if you want me to introduce you to my hope. He's a great Man and He can change your world in the blink of an eye.

Be blessed in the Lord today.

Follow, following, followers.....

2010-01-30T09:42:00.000-08:00

As I've said before, this is a place where I can put my own dealings and interactions with the Creator, the God of the Universe. I write this because I have found that people have the same questions I do sometime.

"Am I the only one going through_________right now?"

"Why do I keep having questions about _________?"

"Why can't I just get this and be done with it? What's wrong with me that it's taking so long?"

I tell you that I follow Christ; at least I try. I try and follow His example and His teachings. Do I always succeed? Nope, not even. Sometimes, I even feel like I'm doing more harm for Christianity than good. I feel like I'm a caution sign of what can be wrong about us rather than what can be right about God.

But yet and still I try.

Okay, let's back up some. As I've told you before (I think) I have a Facebook account and now a Twitter account. The FB was opened up when I was a small group leader in the High School ministry of our previous church in Tennessee. I used it because it was an easy way to keep in contact with my guys outside of the church walls.

The twitter is something I've come into recently. I resisted and resisted and resisted. And now.....I'm hooked. It's a techno-geek thing and most of you probably wouldn't understand. That's okay, not everything is for everyone.

With twitter, you have people who follow your account. Basically, you are "tweeting" 140 character snippets throughout your day (or however often you do) and people sign on to "follow" or "read" your tweets. And you can sign up to "follow" other people's tweets as well.

Without delving too much into the medium, this is like any other social medium. The people you meet and sometimes talk to are from all walks of life and all different races, colors, creeds, etc. They bring to the table their own experiences and their own past and their own issues.

It's a great place to me. But some of the people I follow or who follow me are not exactly those you would expect to meet you in the church or to be the kind of person you would most likely talk to out in public. They have friended me and we tweet back and forth, just like a lot of my friends on Facebook. And sometimes, SOMETIMES, they even come and ask questions that they couldn't ask anywhere else for fear of being laughed at or made fun.

Jesus hung out with these type of people. He loved on them, and brought them close to Him, in order to teach them about the kingdom of Heaven; and about God and how much He wanted to reconcile them to Him. He didn't judge them for who they were on Earth, only for what they meant to God. Jesus may not have approved of their way of life; but when they got to know Him, they came to that realization on their own. They didn't need a bunch of Pharisees hitting them over the head with their phylacteries and their regulations. They were loved into the kingdom.

Now this isn't a lecture on being able to go into a bar and preach to the people there or into a strip club or wherever else you think. I'm not saying that we should use spreading the gospel as a reason for that kind of behavior.

But, if someone I happen to come into contact with is of a different lifestyle than you and they befriend me to ask me questions, you shouldn't turn your nose up at either of us. If you see me slipping into some behaviors that I shouldn't, then I fully expect you to take me aside and remind me of the great "I AM" I represent.

But don't tell me that just because she curses, or he drinks a little or they are living together that I shouldn't be friends with them. Don't tell me that I shouldn't talk to that person because God doesn't like their behavior. Don't tell me that people are talking about it because of what that person does for a living.

Don't.....do....it.

You can counsel me on how to interact with them properly and not to put myself in an embarrassing situation. You can help me to figure out how to reach a person in a lifestyle or with questions that I may not readily be able to answer. But don't you condemn someone just because they are different.

Romans 10:14-15, 17 (NKJV)-"How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!'...So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

We are called to live a life of love and compassion. We are called to be a light in the earth, and salt to the world. Why would He call us to do that with those who already know Him? We are to be an example to those who DON'T know Him, in order to bring them saving knowledge. There are people that I will never get to interact with in my sphere of influence, that you will see most every day and vice versa.

We need to be about our Father's business. Don't put yourself somewhere that will cause you to stumble. But by the same token, don't run from the world and insulate yourself and be happy that you are saved and going to Heaven. Don't you want to take some of those others around you with you? Or do you think they aren't worthy of knowing God?

Let's remember, at one time, someone thought we were worthy of investing time and energy in to be brought into the kingdom. Why do we always seem to forget that fact?

And if I'm way off on this, please feel free to let me know. I'm not saying I have this Christian walk down by any means. Let's help each other and not hinder the gospel.

Be blessed in the Lord today.

Let it go......

2010-01-22T10:27:00.000-08:00

*Matthew 6:12 (NKJV)-"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."

What does this mean to you? Is that as hard a concept for you to grasp as it is for me? I think God means something completely different about forgiveness than we comprehend. And that is NOT an excuse for us not to forgive those we come into contact with daily.

To me, forgiveness means to give up.

It means to give up my right to hold on to this angry little ball of fire and hate and discontent because of something you said/did/do that makes me so dad-blamed mad! It means that I have no right to take revenge on you. None, nada, zip.

It means that I have to have compassion on you and love you. I may not LIKE you as a person, but I have to love you as God loves you. That's what forgiveness means to me. It means giving up my rights for the sake of the One who gave up His rights for me.

It means getting off my high horse.

Think about that person who, when they walk in the room, you immediately start scoping out the exits and planning out your strategy should you have to face them. Imagine all the fear and dread that comes into mind when you see them. Imagine that person (and for some of you, I acknowledge, it could be me. I'm okay with that; I love you anyway!) and all the accompanying feelings that come attached to his/her presence.

Now, ask yourself: Who died and made you God?

Don't lie....you thought about it. Some may try and be indignant and say, "But you don't understand, Bo! This person did the most mean, low-down, dirty...."

Did that person take a tool and a spike and nail up God in human flesh on a cross? Did that person stand by and heckle Him as He bled to death so that the gap between God and us could be bridged? Did that person do something so heinous to you that you want them to be apart from God forever?

Really?

God sent His Son, Jesus Christ to be sin for us on the cross. Through His death, burial, and resurrection, we have been granted the favor of being able to boldly stand at the throne of God and find His mercy.

"Well, I don't want them to be separated from God, Bo. I just want them to feel a little of how I felt when they hurt me."

Oh, I see. What about you? How about the people YOU step on to get your way? How about the people YOU hurt in everyday life? Would YOU want your co-workers to pray that prayer about you? Would you want that boss you disrespect to feel that way? How about your children or even your spouse?

What if we didn't place ourselves at the center of the Universe, and left that spot to the One who already occupies it? What if we placed ourselves on the other side of the coin, so to speak? What if we remembered that we are not the only ones who get hurt or angry?

What if we just decided to forgive and let it go?

I admit freely that I messed up this past week with a co-worker. I'm openly and freely acknowledging that I lost my cool and kinda blamed God and asked why she had to intrude on my life. And He reminded me that I needed to learn compassion for all His children, not just the ones I like to hang around. He reminded me that Jesus came to the ones no one else wanted. He came to heal the hurting and the bruised. And He did it for me. And now, my responsibility is to pay it forward.

I need to apologize. I need to allow God to forgive me, and then I need to forgive that person. And I need to have compassion and love.

In the end, that's all that separates those who claim to know and love God, from those who don't.

Be blessed in the Lord today.

Driving in the fog

2010-01-16T09:02:00.000-08:00

My wife and I just recently moved back here to the Pacific Northwest from Knoxville, TN. (Go Vols!!) The longer we were there, the more we realized that, while it was the place we called "home", it wasn't the place that felt like it.

I worked with the youth there, a very scarring experience which I hope never to repeat....NOT. I loved my young men, and they taught me something every time we got together. I started sensing a great movement in the youth here in the NW. In articles I read, or during my prayer time, I felt that there was a great undercurrent of movement of the Holy Spirit in the youth of this area.

And I felt I was being groomed to be a part of it.Yeah, surprise to you; imagine MY surprise!

Not to make this longer than necessary, that's most of the reason I'm here. So, now I'm just waiting and wondering when God is going to open this magical door and everything that I put my wife and daughters through to move us out here comes to fruition. My wife has already found a service niche right here in the city we live. She is absolutely loving it and growing daily. She has been blessed by this move more than any of us.

My daughters are learning and growing faster than before. They resented being brought out here at first; and it lasted until school started (about a week). Now, they are so immersed in being here it's intolerable!

And I'm still waiting on my door to open.

So, I go to work, and I come home, and I go to work, and I come home. We are also searching for a church to join with; one that makes the right connection with our family. We have friends and friends who are so close out here they are family, and God is truly blessing us.

And I'm still waiting on my door to open.

So last night, I was very excited to get the opportunity to go out with one of the young men I've been blessed to have as a friend. We've known his family since we lived here before, and he has grown into a fine young man. He has been very busy with school and work, and realized that he had let his social life slide past, so he reached out to me to begin reconnecting.

He is studying to become a meteorologist....I think. I don't know if there is a more technical term or whatever. I'm sure if there is, he will correct me post haste. Anyway, he is taking a lot of weather and atmospheric related courses, sciences, and mathematics. (My kind of subjects....minus the weather and atmospheric stuff!) And when we get together he loves to regale me with facts about weather phenomena that I honestly don't know about, but if it's important to him, it's important to me.

The weather last night was rainy, and he offered to drive us to our meal. On our way back home, we were remarking about the rain, and the weather and he said something which really struck me and I thought about it all night. He said he wished it was really foggy right now. I asked him why, and he said,

"I love driving in the fog. You never know what's coming up."

Now, the modest, educated, grown-up adult in most of us immediately begins thinking this way about that statement. We start imagining all of the animals that wander into the road when the fog is really pea-soup thick. Or we get upset because we can't speed to the job we continually moan about hating. Or how people ride your bumper because they just naturally daisy chain like that in inclement weather.

He was genuinely excited about it.

Psalm 119:105 (NKJV)-"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

He was right. Driving in the fog is cool. We've just forgotten, in our wise old ways, how much fun it is. We've forgotten that we are supposed to be in a sort of fog.

Why? you may say. Well, for one, we aren't God, and we're not privy to everything in the Universe like Him. He knows all, from start to finish. He puts you places and introduces you to people for His glory, not your own.

Oh, we can get wisdom from God if we ask. But we don't need to see that WHOLE thing. Like the shepherd of old, who only had a lamp on his feet. The light would only illuminate one step ahead of him at a time. And that's all he needed.

For another, if God revealed the entire plan to you, you would see all the twists and turns it would take. And, as we are all wont to do, we would try and circumvent all the valleys and low points. We'd just plot a course straight from A to Z and bypass as much of the bad stuff as possible. But it's in the storms and bad weather that we seem to learn the most.

All of a sudden, I'm not waiting on a door to open. I'm driving in the fog. My lights work, and my vehicle is tuned up. As long as I stay in His Word, and commune with Him, I don't have to worry about the fog. I can't overdrive my lights. I need to drive as safely and as comfortably as possible, to see where to steer next.

The curves are there, as are the low points. I don't have to be scared of going through them, because I know that I know that I know that I'm protected. And when I come out the other side, I'll be able to see what kind of valley God guided me through, and I'll smile.

Don't be afraid of the fog; revel in it. It's a reminder to us that God is our guide; we're not responsible for lighting our own path. Take your time in it and get there safely.

I'm not standing in front a shut door waiting anymore. I'm driving in the fog to the next destination in my Christian walk. And I'm okay with that now.

Wanna ride?

Be blessed in the Lord today.

Am I a good search engine?

2010-01-08T11:20:00.000-08:00

Alright, here we go. I've had breakfast; and pressed me some coffee. The girls are gone, and the wife is still in bed. I'm gonna have my quiet time.

*shuffling papers* Got my notes......*arranging laptop and Crackberry*....Cool.

Pray before I start transcribing notes.......

Now then...*sounds of typing*........what the heck is wrong with this laptop bottom? Why won't it sit flat? What is the deal here?

Oh well, I'm doing my Bible study.....it's not really that noticeable. I'll just continue on.

*typing*......man, this is really irking me. You know, it's liike there is something caught on the bottom of one of the feet.....

Okay, this is stupid. It's not that big of a deal. Stop worrying about the bottom of my laptop and get back to the sermon notes. Okay.....*typing slowly dying off*.....okay, is there something on the bottom of this in one of the feet or a wire or something.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That looks pretty dumb, huh? Some of you are sitting there thinking, "Okay, Bo has gone off the deep end. He has truly lost it." Some of my techno-geek-perfectionist friends, however, understand EXACTLY how hard it is sometime to focus on pressing in toward God. We want everything to be....just....so....

I would like to ask you this-have you ever read God's Word? Do you realize some of the kinds of people God choose to be His mouthpieces? Have you read the exploits of some of the people God used in the Bible?

Wow.

We say we want to grow closer to God, and yet.....sometimes we just don't quite get it. Once again, I can't tell you what that looks like in your life; but I can tell you how it looks in mine. This morning, the introductory paragraph, that was my #epicfail moment. (Yeah, I used a hash tag on that. I #twitter...a lot. Too much it seems!) That was how my morning started when I began my God-time.

How do I get my quiet time? What do I do to keep from being distracted? In my life, I press in. I keep going. I don't stop. I do whatever I can to control the external disturbances, and then I just keep going.

Jeremiah 29:13 (NKJV)-" And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."

That is how I get my quiet time. I keep going. I seek Him, just like I seek on the 'net when I'm looking for a new blackberry application or searching for something to fix what's going wrong on one of my computers. I seek Him just like I do anything else that means something to me. And I don't let the distractions stop me.

It used to be that, if I got distracted enough, I would just quit. I would think that was for the best, because I wasn't really into it. If I was distracted, then I wasn't giving God my all. And since He wanted my all, I needed to wait until I was properly motivated to commune with Him.

Yeah, it sounded a lot better than it looked written down.

So now, what do I do? I understand my personality more. I also understand that I am married, with 3 daughters still under my roof and all the trappings that come with it. So I am not always going to be COMPLETELY without distractions. But I can minimize them enough. I have earplugs for when I'm not the only one in the house. I have a way of setting up my desk that alerts my family that I am about to begin my Bible study so I will be unavailable for a bit. But most of all; I persevere.

If someone asks me a question-I answer it. Then, I go back to my studies.

If I remember something I'm supposed to write in my calendar, I write it on a scrap piece of paper I have at my desk so I don't have to dwell on remembering it until I'm done. And then, I go back to my studies.

If I need a drink, or a break, I take one. And then, I go back to my studies.

I let my time with God go until I know that I know that I know that He has shown me something that He wants me to carry with me throughout my day. That time may vary from day to day, and I'm okay with it. The important thing is to keep pressing in until I reach that point of knowing.

Everyone knows about the internet search engine Google. It's become so common in our language. We normally call looking something up "Googling it" even if we're using another search engine. There is even a search page named "lmgtfy.com" which stands for "let me Google that for you". It's for those times when someone asks you a question they could have Googled themselves, but they're just too lazy. So you can Google it for them, and send them the results. Neat huh?

As Christians, we should also be a search engine. We should be the one that points people we come into contact with toward Jesus Christ. All input into our search box should direct an answer toward the Godhead.

Oh, and it shouldn't matter about the initial query's language (Missionaries!!). We should be able to handle all kinds of questions. And if we don't know the answer, we can meta-link to others in our sphere of influence to help us, because it's not about us, it's about Jesus.

And the best of all? There will never be a server overload or a network error or other troubles because our computer system is backed up and He saves continually. So what are you waiting for?

Join me. There is a big world out there looking for answers.

Here, let me show God to you........

Be blessed in the Lord today.

A New Start

2010-01-01T11:52:00.000-08:00

January 1st, 2010.

Doesn’t it look kinda ominous there? A new year, a new decade. 10 years ago, we were on the edges of our collective seats, wondering if the world was going to come to an end because of the Y2K bug.

Yeah, it never materialized.

Today is the day of renewal for a lot of people. They start the New Year with a fresh set of legs and a sprinting pace. Then, for whatever reason, they figure out that this pace is just way too fast. So, instead of slowing down to a more manageable one, they just figure they can’t reach the goal anyway.

So they stop.

How do I know this? Come on, I’ve been there. I know because I live it. I didn’t want this entry to be another in a long line of how you should start the New Year running messages. There are plenty of those out there.

I’m not knocking anyone else, so please don’t start that either. Each person who does a blog, or a journal, or preaches a sermon, should utter what God has placed on their heart. But it is still wrapped in the framework of their circumstances and surroundings. I’m not here to add to the ones who tell you to read this, and do that, and all. At least, I’m not trying to be.

I’m going this route. Slow, steady, and for the long run. For your consideration, I ask you to grow with God this year.

“Now wait Bo! You just said you weren’t gonna add on to us!”

I know, I know. I want you to know and learn who you are in God this year. It will make everything else fall right in line. These are what I’m gonna concentrate on for right now, and I hope you can get something from them too.

John 3:16-17 (NKJV)-“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

1 John 4:18-19 (NKJV)-“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.”

First, God loves you. I know, I know-we SAY we know that. Look back on last year. Did you know it then? Did you live it? I know I didn’t always. It was a process. And I had to approach each situation with the same faith and intensity.

God loves YOU. How would it change your life if you TRULY grasped that concept? How many of us would sacrifice our child to save someone? God and Jesus knowingly corroborated to reconcile us back into alignment with them. How? They concocted this boondoggle of a plan. Jesus would step out of His deity and live as a Man. And God would heap all our sins and transgressions upon His innocent Son.

Our belief in His sinless sacrifice would pave the way for our relationship renewal back with God. Simple, elegant, and beyond anything we could ever imagine or conceive. How many of us would do the same? I wouldn’t even sacrifice my most rebellious daughter for the world. Oh, I’d hem and haw around about it and heighten the intensity and anticipation during the commercial breaks. But in the end, I’d sooner step into her place than see her in any kind of pain or anguish.
So can you imagine how that HAD to affect God? And He did it all for US. Everything He did was to bring us back to Him, because we couldn’t do it on our own; WOULDN’T do it on our own given the opportunity.

So when you grasp that concept, then you understand the depths of what has been done for you. Then the second reference comes in; He loved us FIRST. Oh, I love God now, after what I have seen that He was willing to do for me to bring me back to Him. But the truth of the matter is that He loved me first, in my unregenerate, sinful state.

He adored ME enough to do this. He appreciated me enough to break the bonds of fear and anxiety from my life. He has given me hope in a world where it sometimes seems hope is non-existent. He perfected me with His love, and He didn’t do it with a hammer or a mallet, or a thunder stick. He did it with love and affection and gentleness.

He did it with undeserved, unmerited love because He IS the definition of love.

That’s where I want to start you out this year. I’m not even going to ask you to read a bunch of stuff and all. I want you to start there. Learn that God loves you right now. Learn that God loved you before, and He will love you after. WE make the choice to turn our backs on Him. But even then, He still loves us.

I truly believe when we grasp the concept of His love for us, everything else will achieve crystal clarity. I want to do more, read more, grow more in Him, because nothing else (not even my Blackberry, or Crackberry as it is more aptly named) matters. The only thing that matters is Him.

Everything I have, I have because God loved me enough to allow me to have it. Every skill I have is because I have been given that talent by God Himself. Every person in my circle of friends is there because they are someone God specifically put into my life to either grow me or for me to plant a seed of growth.

Set goals this year, but make them manageable. Make your first priority getting to know the One who allowed you to see a new decade start. Be blessed by Him through getting to know His love and affection for you.

This year, I am starting off with a fast, January 4th-24th. I had tossed around not putting it in here, because I don’t know how long it’s going to go. A church I attended in Tennessee started every New Year off with a 21 day fast. Yes, I have done it, and yes, it has helped me tremendously.

I haven’t kept my spiritual (or physical) trim, so I hope to start over again. I’m not going to look back on past failures; I’m looking forward to future triumphs. I say that to tell you, please, please, please if there is something you feel you need prayer for, let me know.

Don’t be scared, and don’t let the voices tell you it’s insignificant or that God doesn’t care. He cares about you, remember? He loves you and wants the best for you.

You can e-mail me at bonocchio(at)gmail(dot)com. [I do that so the spambots trolling around don’t get my address.] And that goes straight to my Blackberry, so I’ll know whenever someone sends me something :) (hey, I’m using it for God!)

Don’t let another day go by without experiencing God’s love and affection for you. Let Him pour out on you and yours the same as He has done for me and my family. I also want to thank those of you who keep in touch with me and keep reading this blog. It means a lot to me; more than you know. Let’s go on to do great things in 2010.

Be blessed in the Lord today.

What are you driving now?

2009-12-20T21:31:00.000-08:00

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NKJV)-“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Okay, this is one of those things that you’re just gonna have to walk through at sometime in your life to really be able to see….trust me on this. Most people see something like that verse, and they wonder how that is humanly possible. In my opinion, it’s not. God has to help you understand and walk through this one.

Let me give you my take on how I lived it this past week.

On Wednesday, 12-16-09, we had a 3 hour weather delay for reporting to work. So, I didn’t have to be there until 0900. It was great! The weather was kind of crappy from an ice storm, and so it was good to not have to drive in the worst of it. I took my time. I left almost an hour before I had to report just to give me plenty of time. My usual drive is about 25 minutes, so I figured with the weather it would get me there safely. I was almost to my work site (~1-1.5 miles away). I had made it all the way through people sliding and pulling out in front of me thinking they were driving on safe roads (you know how people do….they see you giving the car in front plenty of distance, and so they think wrongly that they can just dart out in front of you…)

Anyway, as I am coming up to the last stop light I have before turning to my road, my truck begins to fishtail. And the more I tried to compensate, the more it hooked. I ended up going BACKWARDS down the road. I slid off the road, hit the ground and the truck FLIPPED UP ONTO THE DRIVERS SIDE and began sliding through a field.

Yes, I had used the bathroom before I left for work. Thank you Lord.

It came to a stop, and I don’t know how far it traveled. I had to climb out of the passenger side door, with the help of two good Samaritans, and then I ended up getting checked out at the local emergency room.

Okay Bo, where’s the “everything” you’re giving thanks for in this?

1. I didn’t get hurt. My airbag didn’t deploy; the driver’s side window on my truck didn’t break, and neither did the windshield.

2. No one else was on that particular stretch of road when I spun and flipped. Later on, as I reflected on it, I realized that I noticed it and thought it was odd that no one was on it, as traffic should have been going both ways at that time of day with the late work start. Not a soul.

3. This is relevant because of #2. See, the only thing I took out was a RR crossing sign. I didn’t hit anyone else. This is good, because, after the accident, we found out that our auto insurance company had dropped us from coverage in SEPTEMBER! Yes, that’s right, read it again, it read September. It’s amazing how many months you can go with automatic debit withdrawals with no problems and then all of a sudden, the company can’t get money out. So they said they sent us a letter; which we never received. We asked them to verify our address that they sent it to, which they……couldn’t. Uh huh……so I didn’t hit anyone, but now what?

4. Talked to a friend at work the next day, which had the same thing happen to him with the same company. He hooked me up with his agent. Becky called Thursday, an hour passed, and we were covered. This is relevant because my wife spent the rest of that day Wednesday trying to get us insurance, but couldn’t because all the carriers said we had been uninsured. We said that we didn’t KNOW because we had it automatically debited and our accounts balanced each month. (No, I’m not going to tell which company. I thought and thought and thought some more about it and I decided against it. It wouldn’t serve any purpose other than some ghoulish revenge for me, and so it’s not worth it.)

5. Picked up my truck Wednesday evening. Again, for the sake of rehashing it, let’s go through this: airbag did NOT deploy; windows did NOT crack. I was not in pain or hurting at all, even my neck. My front driver’s side tire was flat. As we jacked the truck up to put the spare on it, the tow place owner said it looked to him like the tire was just off the bead. So he directed us to a tire place around the corner from him to see if they would put it back on the rim and air it up. We went, they did, it held. No problems.

6. Drove Becky’s van to work the next day. I didn’t want to, but she wanted to have the truck checked out at our local Les Schwab. They looked at the truck and were amazed that I not only went to work, but escaped unscathed. The only thing wrong was the alignment, which was a quick fix. And, as an aside, we got to witness in a small way that way. See, Becky took my truck in and didn’t have any music playing, because she wanted to be able to hear the sounds it made. When she picked it back up and cranked the key, Christian rap began blaring out of the speakers. At that point, it came to her why the truck wasn’t ready when they told her it would be. She had noticed that they truck was out in front of the business, seeming to be done, but the doors were open. It seems they were jamming to my Grits CD that was in the player, and so God got glorified that way!

7. Oh yeah, since I drove Becky’s van to work, instead of my truck, I had the exit paperwork from the hospital that she had left in their when she drove me home. See, I needed that when I returned to work to get evaluated at the occupational clinic to verify I was indeed able to return to work with no restrictions. If I had driven my vehicle, I would have had to have her fax it to me at 7 in the morning, or go home (25 minute drive remember?), pick it up, and drive back.

8. Then of course, there is the fact that I had a truck tool box in the cargo area when I wrecked. I had taken my camper top off and was going to sell it, but NO ONE had made me an offer for the month I had it advertised. Of course, if it had sold, then I wouldn’t have had it to cover the 2 bales of straw one of my friend’s got me to put in the back of the truck to give me some weight in the back. Did I mention that he did that on his own….found the hay for me, bought it, hauled it to my place, helped me put it in and then helped me re-mount the camper top? And all because he was bored and didn’t have anything else to do? Hrmmmmm……..

I could go on and on with this. Becky and I had made a choice at the start that God was going to take care of us. He had never left us nor forsaken us. Right after the accident, it was really hard to keep focused on that with everything going on. But we stayed to our word and praised God even though it was HARD to do. And He multiplied what we did and then some. I admit the insurance thing scared us the most, until God reminded me that I didn’t have a chance to hit anyone. He is awesome.

Someone would say, He could have prevented the accident altogether. I say, yeah, but then we still wouldn’t know what our previous insurance company had done to us. Or worse yet, I could have been involved in an accident with another vehicle and been notified that way. Monte, I’ll take door #1 thank you!

So, here I am. I hope you can see through my ramblings to understand the point. Has everything gone the way I’d wanted it to the week before Christmas? Nope, not at all. Did it go the way it needed to glorify God and get Him some props? Absolutely!!! We have had so many opportunities to substitute other people’s use of the word “lucky” with the proper term, “blessed.”

I have had so many opportunities to let people know how God delivered us and kept me from harm. My truck has some cosmetic damage, and she lost the driver’s side mirror, but she’s alive. No fluids lost, axles not bent, tires okay, rims not bent at all.

God was in it and through it.

Where is God in your life? What has this helped you to see that God has performed for you? What are you driving right now that says you are glorifying God? My beat up truck is more of a testament of praise to my God than any brand new vehicle I could have. He placed His hands around me and protected me from harm and brought us into a land of milk and honey.

Praise Him….in all things. It doesn’t say BECAUSE of all things, it says IN all things. Because the more you praise Him IN all things, the more you will see how much He’s doing for you BECAUSE of all the things you are going through.

I hope this makes sense; it did for me.

Be blessed in the Lord today.

Do they know Him when they see you?

2009-12-11T17:01:00.000-08:00

Last night I attended a company sponsored “holiday celebration” and supper. I was actually urged to go by two co-workers of mine. The food was good and I had a LOAD of fun with my co-workers off the clock.

At one point in the evening, the Human Resources manager came up to the podium. She began reading from a list of people who had been recently hired and/or promoted. There were a lot of new people in the room, including myself. Now, I have worked for this company before, from 1999-2001, but then I left to go back to Tennessee. So technically I was a NEW hire, but neither my current co-workers nor the people I had known from before treated me as such.

Anyway, there was polite applause as each new worker was introduced as most of them were fresh off the street or from school or wherever. Some groups even gave a more rousing sound when one of their newly hired co-workers who were present was announced.

When she announced my name, the room erupted. It was shocking to me, as I didn’t see it coming. I was completely taken aback and embarrassed. And those of you, who really know me, know it takes a LOT to embarrass me. One other gentleman received a greater applause than me, and we were both there at the same time, only he stayed longer than I did at the first. It was truly amazing. I was proud of how I was received and what that meant to be remembered that way.

Then I began to think….what were they applauding? What did I show people? How do I exemplify Christ to a dying world? Why couldn’t I just bask in the glow?

Oh yeah, because it wasn’t my glow in the first place. I am nothing that God hasn’t poured into me already. I’m nothing without Him. The minute it becomes about me, it ceases to glorify Him.

Colossians 1:24-27(NKJV)-“I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

I’ve floundered a lot lately it seems. It’s been hard to get motivated to do my quiet times, Bible study, and even to diligently search for a house of worship to learn and serve in here. It’s not that I haven’t done it AT ALL, it’s just that it’s been more hit or miss; no consistency.

I’m slowly (cause I’m a rock!) coming back to heart of it all. I’m remembering the reason I came back out here in the first place and how I feel that God wants to use me. I’m starting to remind myself more often that it’s not about me, it’s about Him.

This blog is a testament to that. Sometimes, you aren’t going to have all the answers. Sometimes, you are going to do more of what you consider, stumbling through the darkness, than shining light for those around you. Consider that the Bible says that the weak shall confound the strong, and the slow shall lead the wise. It’s not about me, and it never has been. It’s been about Him all along.

I got the message confused; but He never once lost sight of the goal. It’s hard telling you this; it’s embarrassing again. But sometimes, it needs to be, in order to realize how far along I really have been brought in my walk with Christ.

And also, to realize it’s NEVER, EVER too late to make a u-turn in your life. God IS a God of second chances. He isn’t disgusted by how you come to Him, but He doesn’t want to leave you the same way you came. When you come and let Him change you, it allows Him to interact through you, and affect even more people.

Start today. Start NOW. It’s not easy; but it’s easier than the alternative of living without Him.

Be blessed in the Lord today.

Wandering hearts.....

2009-12-04T06:32:00.000-08:00

Jeremiah 17:9-10(NKJV)-"The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it?"

I have tossed and turned most of the night with this burning in my mind. I don't know how to approach it other than head on. Here we have yet another celebrity, sensationalized in the media, who has allegedly committed infidelity and cheated on their spouse.

I had a friend ask me yesterday what it is about this that has struck me so; he wondered if I had admired this person or idolized him. I told him this truth: it bothered me because marriage is a sacred bond. Period. And it showed me, yet again, how a person can have seemingly everything, and STILL not be satisfied. It showed me how a person can have the "perfect" life and anything they want, and still look longingly at the grass in the next field, thinking of how much greener it is.

Some people will polarize this along gender lines. To me, it doesn't matter. It happens too much and too often. And the sad part about it is, this is a celebrity couple. How about those of us who aren't in front of the camera or on the news all the time? How about the people we go to work with? How many of them are wrestling with the thoughts and desires of their heart? How many of them know why we have the convictions that we do?

What happened here? You can say what you want; you can offer up any type of excuse that seems to fit. But to me, it's summed up in this question: Where did they place God? Is God at the first, ahead of everything else? Or is He relegated to a back seat? Or worse yet, do you not even know Him?

There will be jokes and tell-all's and quips and quotes and all kinds of media-bashing. But is anyone reaching out and telling them, or other couples, that there is a way out of this? Is anyone telling people that God can redeem their marriage, if only they will turn it over to Him? Or is everyone salivating over the next juicy details of what happens and what comes out? Do you try and help your co-workers or friends who are having problems, or do you simply use it as water-cooler gossip?

Where is the answer? Let's go back a bit from the verse I gave you above.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NKJV)-"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit."

God CAN and WILL bless the person who trusts in Him. It does NOT mean that you won't go through things; but you can have a hope. The Holy Spirit resides to let us know about the hole in our heart that is God-shaped. Jesus came to fill that hole and redeem us back to the Father, to be in right relationship with Him. And God just loves us too much to leave us where we are right now.

So, where do you we go from here? The choice is still up to you. The celebrity couple is not in my circle of influence, but you are. How can I help you to know that God is desperately seeking to bring you back to Him? How can I help you to realize that He has NOT left you alone in this, your deepest hour of need?

Be blessed in the Lord today.

Who are you "chained" to?

2009-11-29T19:48:00.000-08:00

Acts 28:16, 30-31-"Now when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard; but Paul was permitted to dwell by himself with the soldier who guarded him...Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him."

Paul is on his way to Caesar to appeal to him for the harsh treatment he had received as a Roman citizen. Along the way, he has several (well, more than that!) opportunities to spread the Gospel he has been commissioned by God to champion.

It is his time in Rome that this particular passage covers. I was struck by what it meant. You see, Paul was allowed visitors into his home. He had people who would and could come and hear him preach the Word of God to them. But he also had a Roman guard who was with him at all times.

Think about that for a second. It struck me when I read it; and I KNOW I've read this account many times before. But this time, it really hit me. Paul had a captive audience. Now, I don't know if it was the same guard all the time, or if the guards had shifts or what. But think about that...Paul had people who HAD to be around while he was preaching to other seekers. Scripture never really states what these guards thought while listening to him preach, but you can't believe that God's Word was spread over them so thickly that it didn't affect them somehow.

Paul was in "chains", but had more freedom than most of us exercise right now.

What about you and I? If you work or do any kind of service, you have people who are contact with you all the time. It might be people in your office; your school; your home. We joke about it at my work area, but we spend more time with our co-workers than we do our families on an average week. What do they hear from you? Me? What do we portray in our walk?

Do we give them something quietly to listen to; hoping to catch a glimpse of where we get the hope for the future we have? Or do they hear someone who is always down; always muttering; always ruing the day and just making it look like their salvation is just another speedbump on the road of life?

Are people around you because they sense a hope in you that they want; or is it because they don't know how to cut through the shackles to get away from you yet? I want to be free in my bondage to Christ. And I want others to share that freedom as well.

Look around you...open your eyes to the world beyond your walls.

Be blessed in the Lord today.

Sigh.....it was easier when.....

2009-11-20T11:47:00.002-08:00

So, there I was, just minding my own business. I wasn't hurting anyone; I wasn't messing with anyone.....well, I was conversing with some friends on Facebook and Blackberry Messenger....

But anyway, it pops out again, like it has at random times in the last year...."So, did you remove me from your blog list?"

I feel the anxiety again, and wonder why. I don't have anything to be ashamed about. I haven't done anything wrong. I've been busy. Plus, there are plenty of people out there writing about their experiences with God and how He walks with them through good times and bad.

Heck, 3 of the men I count as spiritual mentors in my life have a blog now. I mean, they are PASTORS, for Heaven's sake! What could I possibly add to their already enormous mountain of knowledge and wisdom.

I've got better things to do, than....than.....share my God with people.

Boy, it sounded better in my head than it looks out here in black and white on the digital page. I didn't expect it to be so stark and ugly.

Let's face it...this hasn't been a ministry to me for a while. It turned into a way to be out there among the people and have them look at me. It was a way for me to be in front of the audience, instead of in the back, serving and helping. It's the ugly truth, but it is just that....the truth.

I hope you will forgive me. I couldn't think of a reason to put myself out there, because I didn't think I said anything. Even when you encouraged me that I was speaking straight into your heart, I had a hard time believing that I said anything to anyone.

You've been here, right? Don't leave me alone in this. It was easier before. I made it into a job instead of an opportunity. I made it into something I DID instead of something I LOVED. I took something God created in me, and turned it to my own selfish whims.

Okay, enough of that. Let's move on, shall we?

Where are you today? Where have you awakened to find yourself and your relationship with God? I am not going to dwell on my past failures and hurts and pains. If I did that, I wouldn't even be here writing this. They are still there; but God has provided a way to get rid of them for me. He'll take the pain, if I would only ask Him. I'm His son; I'm His favorite child...and He loves me deeply and unconditionally.

He loves you too. He wants more than anything for you to be with Him and to be a part of your life. He desires you to find Him MORE than you desire to find Him. We try and pretty up and clean up our act and gussy up for Him. He wants us just like we are. He will do the clean-up if we will just let Him.

I'm going to try and keep from going down the path of self-indulgence again. So, there may not be as many different fonts and styles and formatting of my posts as before. It may just be words on a screen. But I want to know that they are my words; the words from my heart. The words of a man grateful for what His God has done for Him and continues to do for him on a daily basis.

I also want to know your thoughts. If you have a question, ask it. I don't want to be put in the position of ALWAYS just talking at you. A conversation needs at least TWO people. I'm going to go out again, and hope that it gives you courage to attempt whatever it is that God has placed onto your heart. If you want to sit and just take it all in though, that's perfectly fine too. I have lots of Blackberry sites where I'm just a lurker in the background; learning from those who have blazed the trail before me.

I've sat on the sidelines for far too long. The time has come. A year, a whole year. It would be easy to say it was wasted, but I know it wasn't. No time; absolutely NONE is wasted in my God's timeline. He uses each and EVERY moment to achieve His aim of bringing as many back into fellowship with Him as possible.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (NKJV)-"For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak, I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel's sake, that I may be a partaker of it with you."

Thanks for using me, God.

Be blessed in the Lord, today.

Matthew 23:11-12 (NKJV)

2008-11-21T07:51:00.004-08:00

Matthew 23:11-12 (NKJV)-“But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Jesus was speaking this to the scribes and the Pharisees of His day. He was teaching the multitudes and His disciples that the religious leaders of their day were not all that and a bag of chips.

We like getting attention don’t we? We like it when someone notices something we’ve done, or acknowledges that we went out of our way, don’t we?

Even if we tell ourselves that we shouldn’t seek the accolades of other people, we do it anyway. On some level, we WANT those around us to notice us and tell us, “Thanks for doing that! You did a great job!”

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: we want mercy for ourselves and justice for everyone else.

We want others to pat us on the back. However, how often do we remember to turn the favor around and do that for someone else? How often do we tell those around us that we appreciate something they did for us?

How about someone in your family?

I don’t think this is more apparent anywhere than in our social groupings of family, whether they are close or extended. We expect everyone in our family to cater to us at times, but far be it from me to serve someone.

At work, you run around and do things and perform to the best of your abilities. Why? Ever hear of a little thing called a MERIT raise or a PERFORMANCE bonus? See, the world has conditioned us to raise the bar for our own standards, so that we can get more money out of it.

The more I work, the better I work, the more my raise will be; the bigger my end of the year bonus. You want that job? You’ve got to show your boss that you want it more than the other people in your department/division/group. You’ve got to perform! And the more people who see how well you perform, the better off you are in your workplace.

Jesus was radical. He suggested a different way. He says that if we want to get exaltation, we should submit ourselves not only to those perceived to be “above” us, but those who are on the same level as we are, and those “below” us.

Jesus wants us to follow a different standard; one that puts the needs of others out in front of our own. It’s a different way of doing life, and sometimes it stinks.

Come on; don’t look at this like I just wrote out the mother of all curse words there. You know in your heart of hearts that I’m telling the truth. We all do it. You are not gonna leave me alone to dangle in the wind on this one!

When we do stuff, we want to be acknowledged. Even if it’s just a pat on the back in affirmation, it helps. I want to know that my sacrifice has been noticed and accepted.

The only problem, in my opinion, is that the ultimate sacrifice has already been made. Nothing I do can even come close to that!

I realize, as usual, there are some of you that don’t wrassle with the same issues that I do, and I accept you in your perfection. Please don’t waste your time with correcting me and reminding me of how far I need to go in my Christian walk. I only hope that you can continue to be patient as God works out his righteousness through my life.

I need to remember that I am not the only person who feels the way I do. So, when I feel slighted when no one notices something I did, I need to step back and assess the situation. Am I upset because no one patted me on the head and gave me a treat because I performed a trick? Or am I hurt that my actions were noticed and obtained a rebuke or harsh word because I didn’t do it the way someone thought I should have?

If it’s the first part, I need to step back and ask myself, “Am I good at encouraging others? When was the last time I gave someone an uplifting word for something they did for me?”

If it’s the second, I also need to take a gander at my life as well. Only this time, I need to see how scathing a beat down I gave someone because they did something I didn’t ask them to in order to help me, and they did it in a completely different way than I would have.

Did I thank them for their effort, or did I chastise them because they obviously didn’t pay attention to what they were doing? Did I exalt their servant’s heart, or berate their lack of attention to detail?

It’s interesting how things look when compared in the lens of our own experiences. I want to believe that I do everything that I complain about everyone else not doing. I want to believe that everyone is just not as perfected as I am now. I want to believe….

Oh, hi Jesus. You want to talk to me? Umm, how did I get myself up on this pedestal like this? Uh oh, this could be bad…..

Be blessed in the Lord today.

Bo J.

1 Timothy 6:6-7 (NKJV)

2008-11-14T13:57:00.001-08:00

1 Timothy 6:6-7 (NKJV)-“Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.”

Paul, the apostle, wrote this letter to his young disciple Timothy. Timothy was trying to steer the newly founded church at Ephesus, fighting against false teachings and devious ministers.

He also wrote this to me. I’ve been on a downer lately; so let’s see if we can spice things up a bit, shall we?

I have Jesus. I am saved, filled with the Holy Spirit, and blessed beyond measure. Am I happy? I think that is a resounding NO. Am I content? Ah….now that is the question we should be asking.

You see, we tend to get this confused at times. Happiness and contentment are two completely different animals. They are at opposite ends of the spectrum as far as our Christian walk is concerned.

Happiness is derived from our EMOTIONS. It comes from how we feel; and that can change day in and day out. If I am looking for happiness every day from my Christian walk, chances are that I’m not gonna find it.

Now hold on…don’t stone me yet! Let me finish. First of all, remember something; this is my OPINION. If you are receiving it, you asked for it. I’m not pushing this as gospel. I’m telling you the interpretation in my spirit from my walk with God.

Now, I can be happy without ever being content. Happiness, as I said before, is based on your emotions. It requires an external stimulus to evoke that response in your body. The only problem, as I see it, is that what makes you happy one day may be entirely different than what makes you happy the next day.

You may have some completely different experiences that bring you happiness from one hour to the next. You can be happy if you win the lottery, and then sad when you realize how much money your Uncle Sam is going to remove from your winnings. The same object (money) has brought about both feelings of happiness and sorrow.

You can be happy about having sexual relations with a good looking woman (or guy if you’re a girl). But that happiness, because it’s based on external motivations, will only last for so long. If you’re just looking for the “next, best thing”, there will always be one out there. You’ll always be comparing the one you’re with to the next one.

Contentment is completely different. It approaches from the aspect that life is fleeting. As the Scripture states, I didn’t bring anything with me, and I can’t take anything with me. I’ll leave the world exactly as I came in. The only question now is: will my life make a difference in the world?

God provides for my basic needs. Yes, I have a job and make a wage. However, it is God who gave me the talent to perform my job and allowed me to obtain the wage that I make. It is NOT me; it is Him working through me.

Beyond my basic needs, what do I have that is a requirement? My relationship with God, that’s what. God created me ultimately to bring Him glory. You can argue that all you want, but that’s how I feel. God doesn’t need me to keep Him company; He doesn’t need me to help Him run the universe.

He created me because it pleased Him to do so, and I bring glory to His name by the way I live my life. By the same token, so do you. We are all here to glorify God’s name in the universe.

Godliness is described as the characteristics of God as shown in our lives. Contentment is my acceptance of God’s will in my life. No matter what happens in my life, I should be content in God because He is my all in all. If all I am looking for God to do in my life is give me the next greatest thing, my faith is on shaky ground indeed.

Now, once again, I ask you to be patient with me.

This doesn’t mean that God doesn’t bless me with stuff. On the contrary, He flits about the world, looking specifically for things that He knows will set Willie Bo Jr. on fire. He knows I especially like techno gadgets and electronics and stuff….man!

He gets me things I never dreamed I could have. And he gives me understanding of their workings and designs. If you don’t believe me, ask my family. If I suddenly die or become incapacitated, every technological gadget in this house, from computers to iPods would fall into disuse and disrepair.

God blesses you and me with stuff; He just doesn’t want our stuff to be the basis of our relationship with Him. He wants us to be content with Him, and realize the stuff is just a blessing from Him to us. If the stuff becomes an idol that we worship instead of Him, He’ll repo it in a heartbeat, reminding you where you should be focused.

Oh, this is not something we are innately born to do; it’s something we have to learn. We immediately seek gratification for our every urge, instead of being content where we are in life. It’s something we all have, and it’s something we all have to learn to deal with.

I thank God for the help of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit in this fight. I know I can’t, and most likely wouldn’t, do it on my own. Being content means putting my life in proper perspective with relation to my God. It doesn’t depend on whether it’s sunny or cloudy; wet or dry; hot or cold.

It doesn’t depend on whether I have the latest and greatest or fastest or biggest or most ornate or loudest or any of that junk. It depends on how I view my God and His blessings.

So, let’s make a deal that we’ll start out trying to be content. Use verse 6, its short enough. If you find that you are slipping into selfishness or happiness or sadness or whatever EMOTIONAL responses remind yourself of this verse with promise. Tell yourself that your current situation doesn’t depend on what you have, but Who you know.

Remind the greed and self-centeredness (that we all have to deal with) that you serve a bigger God than stuff. And remind them that God can give and God can take away, but His name will always be blessed in your life.

Go ahead, try it. Circumstances come and go, but God is always right there and right on time.

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

Lamentations 3:25-26 (NKJV)

2008-11-07T07:26:00.003-08:00

Lamentations 3:25-26 (NKJV)-“The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.”

Those are some hard verses to swallow sometimes, aren’t they? Come on; don’t be all heroic on me, we both know that this can be really tested in our lives.

And it’s not even the fact that I disbelieve that the Lord is good. I do believe that nugget. Yesterday, a friend of mine was having a really bad day and had received some horrible news relating to their job. I talked with this person and prayed with this person.

I said some things that really surprised me. One of the most poignant was that we really need to grasp that God really does love us. We are cupped in His hands at all times. And I said that to this person and then said that God just wants to know if we believe Him.

God has you cupped in His hands right now. Do you believe Him? I’m not asking you to believe me; I’m asking you to believe Him.

It’s hard to fathom, what with our lives the way they are right now, huh? I mean, we can spout off platitudes all day. At the end of the day, however, do you still hope and wait quietly for the Lord?

Who is your God? What is He capable of doing in your life? In my head knowledge, I know that God is sovereign. He is the Supreme Creator, and my Lord. He made a way for me to be reconciled back to Him because I’m flawed; imperfect. He took someone who was a sinner, and made him a saint.

He validated my life with His own Son.

In my head, I know this. In my heart, sometimes, life intrudes. The storm comes. I’m the man on the cork with a cross stuck in the middle of it, in the middle of a hurricane. And I hear the maddeningly still, small voice of God saying to me, “I have you cupped in my hands even now. Do you believe Me?”

Part of me wants to scream yes, just like part of you does right now. But another part, a part more like the scared animal, wants to scream NO! Not till you get me out of this.

The storms come to test the foundations. God could dismiss the storms with a thought. He could dissipate the hurricane with but a breath from His lips. But would you learn to trust in Him? Would you know that He has you cupped in His hands right now? Would you believe Him?

Those of you who have children know that sometimes the best teacher is experience. You can warn your child and warn them and warn them. But sometimes, as hard as it is to fathom, you have to let them stick the fork in there and realize that you’re not just whistling Dixie at them. It doesn’t mean you love them any less, does it?

Why then, when stuff comes and God says, “Trust Me,” do we feel the need to rush around and fix it? What happened to waiting quietly on the Lord?

We can’t even wait at a traffic light. How many times do you creep up on a red light in anticipation of it turning green so you can get through the intersection first? Don’t lie!

Our society has helped us to turn our faith in God into a microwave meal. We will be patient until our internal timer goes off. Then you’re done! If God hasn’t acted in 90 seconds, we have the assumption that He’s not gonna act at all.

Oh, don’t worry. This is only for a select group of people, including me. I’m sure the bulk of you have this patience thing under control, right? You can just whistle through anything. I see you at church just breezing through, telling everyone how joyous and great life is and all.

Does that penetrate from the outside to the inside?

I admit that I’m number one in need of this lesson; ask my wife. So I’m not asking you to do something that I have already mastered. We’re in this walk together. You see how it affects me-I can barely keep up with our e-mails anymore!

I figure I have one thing going for me, though. I can still hear that voice talking to me. “Bo, I have you cupped in My hands right now. Do you believe Me?”

There was a time when I didn’t hear the voice, and didn’t care. So, as long as I have something to strive toward, I’m doing well. I’m learning to wait quietly and patiently (yeah, I know, I REALLY need to work on the QUIETLY part) on the Lord.

Shhh….can you hear the mountains tremble? Can you hear the voice that sounds like thunder?

“I know what you’re going through. I have you cupped in My hands right now. Do you believe Me?”

Well?

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV)

2008-10-25T08:36:00.002-07:00

Isaiah 26:3-“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”

I’m still trying to tread water.

I believed what Jesus said, that I could walk on water just like Him. So, I got out of the boat. That was a big mistake.

I can’t.

I can’t even begin to tell you how embarrassing this is for me. I can’t believe that I even have to write this down, but here it is for everyone to see. I can’t do it. I lost my focus.

Please understand, I still have faith; I still believe and know that Jesus is Lord and He can do whatever He wants. I’m just slipping away.

I’m losing hope. I’m losing my lifeline. I’m hanging by that proverbial thread, and it’s unraveling quickly. I can sit here watching it, fiber by fiber.

See, I feel like I’m some great huge puppet being jerked around by the great puppet master. He’s not being mean or hateful; he’s just trying to entertain himself and his friends. In the end, the show will be over and I’ll just go back into the trunk.

That’s how I feel, but it’s not what I believe.

See, I believe that what I consider perfect peace, and what God considers perfect peace are two COMPLETELY different things. And one of us needs to change our focus.

I believe that fear is a killer, but it doesn’t come at you all at once, like the boogeyman or a serial killer with a gleaming blade or a gun.

No, fear gnaws away at you. It eats away a little at a time. Then one day, you wake up, and you realize how much fear has actually taken away from you. It’s like the story about how you boil a frog. You don’t immediately throw it in the hot water; you put it in cool water and heat it up slowly so it doesn’t know what’s happening.

Only thing is, I’m not a frog; and I know what’s happening. Why am I still here? I know one reason, and I’m scared to say it as well.

Maybe I don’t believe as much as I think I do. Maybe I’m still walking in sight and not by faith. Maybe my entire life in Christ is built on what He’s done for me, instead of what He means to me.

Maybe I’m just not what I think I am. Maybe I should just give up; I mean, if I don’t have hope, what’s left?

Shhh….did you hear that? It’s a smooth, silky voice. I can’t quite make out what he’s saying though. He’s elusive, like a breeze. I heard him loudly earlier, but then I started telling God honestly how I felt.

Wait, where’d he go?

My heart still has a burden, but it’s not near as heavy as it was earlier. The voice is not nearly as strong.

You know, I’m starting to realize that the voice I heard wasn’t comforting me. It was reminding me that next week is coming and it’s going to be miserable. I’m going to have such a bad week, and I might as well just quit.

Where’d that other voice go? Okay; I started this out by just talking to God. I told Him where I was at and what I thought. I’m weak and frail and I wanted Him to know that so He could kinda……understand……

I remember now. I remember when He first met me a long time ago. I talked to Him in my kitchen in a house we had over 10 years ago. I had reached the end and had nowhere else to go. I wasn’t looking for Him, but He had been waiting for me my whole life.

He told me that if I wanted to, He would take over my life for me. He said it wouldn’t be easy, but it would be worth it. He said He’d never leave me, even when it seemed like He had done just that in my life.

And then He showed me my life behind me. The beach, the sandy beach…and the single solitary set of footprints; Him carrying me because I couldn’t go any further.

I’m on the beach again, and I look down. I see one lone set of feet carrying me, and I feel strong arms holding me close. I look up and see that face, the face of my Lord, and there is no awkwardness or discontent. There is only love.

I’m ashamed, so ashamed. I’m hurt that I can’t even go for a little bit without falling to my knees in weakness and insecurity. I can’t stop thinking about myself and what the world will do to me. I can’t stop crying.

He doesn’t care. He just smiles at me. We’ve stopped.

I look around at the desolate beach, and see how close we are to the water. I look out, and I see a storm brewing. I see a tiny boat out there, with some other friends I know. They are at the end; they want Jesus, but they can’t get to him. They’re trapped in the boat.

Jesus sets me down, and looks lovingly at me. Then He asks me, “Can I get you to go with me out there and rescue them? They need to see Me in someone else’s life so they know they’re not alone.”

But….how would I get out there?

He grabs my hand, and starts to take a step off the beach, into the water.

I’m hesitant. What if I fall again and someone sees me?

"Keep your eyes on Me; you’ll be okay. I promise. Focus on Me, and you can even walk on the water.”

I’m still scared.

He looks at me with a knowing twinkle in His eyes. He’s God, He knows how I feel. He wants me to stop feeling, and start trusting.

I’m taking the step.

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

Zechariah 4:6 (NKJV)

2008-10-10T09:38:00.001-07:00

Zechariah 4:6b (NKJV)-“’Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.’”

This verse has been running around in my head for a couple of weeks now. I don’t know why it has affected me so much. I guess it’s just that so much has gone on lately in my life and in the world around me, that it’s just easy to lose sight of what’s important.

I thought once that if I’m a child of the Most High God, He should answer my prayers; all of them. I mean, I’m deserving of it, right? I’m His kid, and He loves me and wants what is best for me, right?

I also thought that it would make trials a lot easier to go through if I had a defined start and end time to them. No matter how long it went, if I knew that it would end on THIS date I could make it okay.

Don’t laugh at me; don’t you dare. If you were honest enough with yourself, you know that you’d admit it too.

I mean, wouldn’t it be great if God would just come to you and tell you…

“Hey, Bo, I’m glad you’re here. I need to talk to you.”

Oh, hi God. Umm….I’m right in the middle of my verse posting for the week. I guess its okay though; You are the God of the Universe!

“Yeah….anyway. You’ve got some stuff coming up next week at work, and you know that the women in the house are due in the next couple of days…”

Wow. Umm….that’s kind of like not really a lot of time to prepare God.

“What do you mean?”

I mean, couldn’t you have given me some warning in advance?

“I thought I was just now.”

No, I meant like a couple of weeks ago. See, if You had told me then, I could have put it in my calendar on my handheld and in my phone. It would have given me some time to get extra Bible study in and really bulk up for this stuff.

“Really?”

Yeah, and see now, you’ve hit me with this here, and I’m trying to get the memory verse out, and I’ve got to iron Sammy’s pants…oh my gosh! We’ve got to take her to downtown Knoxville tonight for a school concert! I can’t enjoy it if I know that I’m going to be having troubles next week!

“But you’ve got Me.”

Well, yeah. But you could’ve let me know that this was going to happen, so I could have gotten a little closer. You know, study up some.

“But you’ve still got Me. You can’t do this on your own; that’s why I’m here.”

Right, I understand that. But now, I just can’t focus. I can’t even think straight knowing that You’re gonna put this on me. Hey, I got it! Why don’t you give me an extra week to prepare? I’m sure that there is another family that’s more than ready to get some trials thrown at them.

“I’m gonna pretend I didn’t even hear that.”

But God….

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Does it look stupid written down? It does, right? But we do it all the time. We treat God not like the Creator of the Universe who bridged the gap between us and Him. We forget that we were separated from Him because of our sins, and so He voluntarily bridged the gap that we couldn’t.

Nope, we treat Him like a servant. We treat Him like an ATM. We got our PIN number from the Bible, and we only want Him around when something is happening or when we need something. We just want to come up to the machine, stick in our card, get out what we need, and then just walk away.

We don’t seem to realize that our account is in the red. We are way, way, overdrawn.

I can’t do anything on my own. My might and my power can’t accomplish diddly-squat. Why do I continue to rely on them to get me through? Why do I continue to believe that I can dictate to God how He interacts with me?

We all know that if God told us we were going to go through something, the first thing we’d do is try to negotiate our way out of it. Next, we’d talk about this person, or that person; how THEY don’t go through near as much as we do in our life. Next, we might succumb, but we’d want to know how long it was going to go on. Why?

If you knew a trial was going to last 3 weeks, you’d whine at 2 weeks 5 days because you’d think this had gone on long enough and you didn’t need to prove yourself any longer.

It comes down to pride. We want to be able to say we did it ourselves; we pulled ourselves up by our own bootstraps. We want to be able to talk about what we accomplished instead of what God accomplished through us.

We want the power and glory to be ours; we just want God to be the battery.

I hope this makes sense to you, because it does and it doesn’t to me. Does because when you see this stupid theory written down in plain words, you understand how ignorant it is. And doesn’t because no matter how dumb it looks, I know that I think this way a lot.

The way and the truth and the light and the might and the power and everything else are not mine. They are God’s. He is just using me as His symbol on Earth. I am just His expressed glory and love on this ball of dirt.

I don’t know what’ll happen today, tomorrow, or next week. But I know Someone who does. And He’ll take care of it, the same as He did yesterday, today, and forever.

He has never left me nor forsaken me; and He has never forced me to beg for His love or protection. Instead of demanding He do this, we should be thankful He has already done that.

We need to remember that it’s not us, but Him.

Thanks to all of you who talk to me and are honest about what’s going on in your lives. It helps me to be more open and honest with you. We are all going through things. It may not be the same as everyone else’s, but the answer to it all is.

He said it’s “by My Spirit.” The tests may be different, but the answer key is all the same. You don’t have to guess. You just have to believe that He is who He says and that He loves you with an unsurpassed love.

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

1 Sam 3:18 (NKJV)

2008-09-29T15:59:00.001-07:00

1 Samuel 3: 18 (NKJV)-“…And he (Eli) said, ‘It is the LORD. Let Him do what seems good to Him.’”

Okay, I’m back.

I resisted this long enough. It seems fitting that this starts back on a Monday, because I have had the mother of all Mondays. I think this is by far the worst Monday I have ever had in my entire 42 years of existence.

But God is still God.

I have run; I have walked; I have hidden, and I have cowered. No matter where I went, however, God was there. No matter what I did, God was right there beside me.

He is here even today, on the worst Monday of my life.

I emphasize this day because no matter how bad it seems to me, God will bring me through this, as He has every trial and tribulation before this one. He will escort me through this Monday, and I will barely remember it a couple of days from now.

I look back on these devotionals, and I remember that, no matter how bad I thought they were, if I put it out, someone read it and it touched them. I forgot that for a while. We get so much inbox junk, and I just didn’t think I should add to it.

I see so many other devotionals out there that seem head and shoulders above this little bit of drivel that I try to write, and it feels so…inadequate. But God kept being persistent, “Let Me be the Judge of that.”

Jesus used a parable in the Bible talking about a man who planted wheat in his field, and an enemy of his came and planted tares. The tare is a form of rye-grass that is indistinguishable from wheat until it fully ripens. It is also poisonous.

Today, on Monday, I want to admit to you all that I have been planting tares in my life. God has been using me to sow His fields with wheat, to feed His people in my own way. But lately, each time He planted a wheat seed, I planted a tare. And today, Monday, I look back at my field, and I am ashamed.

I want to cry, again. I just want God to give up on me and leave me to rot, because I don’t deserve all that He does for me. I just want to give up.

Jesus is here now. He is trying to wipe my tears away, but I don’t want Him too. I don’t feel that I am worthy of His love anymore. I’ve let Him down completely; again.

Wait; He’s speaking to me. What do you mean? I planted poisonous seeds where you planted good ones. I’ve ruined this field.

Oh my…who is that?

It’s my wife, and my daughters. They are bundling up the tares and setting them aside to burn. Teresa is out there, and so are Treva, and Mike, and Jennifer, and Randy, Dan, and a host of others. They are in MY field burning MY tares.

I want to yell at them; tell them to stop. It’s my fault the field is ruined. You don’t need to be in my field, go to someone else’s; someone who is more deserving. Jesus is talking to me again. He reminds me to let Him do what seems good to Him.

They want my wheat; who am I to deprive them of it.

I thank you for being there for me, my friends. And I ask those of you are reading this, to look out on your field. What are you planting? Are you planting good seed, or tares? No matter what goes on in our lives; no matter how many Mondays we have, God is still God.

Tomorrow, this day will not even exist again, forever. Don’t dwell on it. Let it go, as my family likes to say. God is still sovereign and He still reigns. No matter how I feel, it doesn’t affect my salvation. It doesn’t affect my standing with Him…and more importantly, it doesn’t affect yours either.

Let it go.

Well, I’ve got stuff to do now. See, when I stopped looking at the bad and started looking at God, He reminded me that ultimately I work for Him. Oh, and He’s given me another bag…this one is full of wheat seeds.

I’ve got some work to do. You wanna help? There’s plenty to go round. And the harvest is coming sooner than we think.

Let’s plant some life together.

Be blessed in the Lord today, and always,

Bo J.

Hebrews 6:17-18 (NIRV)

2008-05-30T10:46:00.003-07:00

Hebrews 6:17-18 (NIRV)-“So God took an oath when he made his promise. He wanted to make it very clear that his purpose does not change. He wanted those who would receive what was promised to know that. God took an oath so we would have good reason not to give up. We have run away from everything else to take hold of the hope offered to us in God's promise. So God gave his promise and his oath. Those two things can't change. He couldn't lie about them. “

Yesterday was my birthday, again. I turned 42 and it was a great day. My family went out of their way to make sure that I didn’t have to do anything and that NOTHING interfered with my birthday.

The world conspired to work against them, but they persevered through to the end. They promised themselves that, no matter what, they were going to the best they could to help me enjoy my birthday.

My wife had a doctor’s appointment yesterday as well. Her multiple sclerosis (MS) is advancing. She is becoming very forgetful, because of all the lesions spreading across her brain. She is, to put it bluntly, not encouraged by all this news. But she made sure that I had a good day.

My 20 year old daughter decided that yesterday, my birthday, was the day she finally desired to move out of the apartment she has had the entire month of May to vacate. Her boyfriend, that she had my grandson by, is not lifting a finger to help her.

We begged her not to align her life with his in that way, but what can be done? She is considered an adult and can make her own decisions. The rest of the family (my wife and 3 daughters still at home) were very upset. Not just because she decided to do this ON MY BIRTHDAY, but because she also refused to even tell me happy birthday.

They chose to run interference for me, and did not allow her to monopolize any of my day. My wife even went so far as to rent her a storage shed for six months so that she would have a place to store her things that she could get to whenever she wanted, as opposed to storing them in our home. But she didn’t let me move a finger of the items still left in her apartment.

My Bible study yesterday was about the fact that God doesn’t change. It referenced the two verses above, and related the fact that God can’t change. He can’t change because to change means a fundamental shift in the way something is to something it is not.

There is nothing that God is not, except evil. He is good, just; righteous, holy, pure, loving, attentive, compassionate, kind….the list goes on and on. God cannot change, because there is nothing about Him that needs to change. He is God. If He were to change, it would mean either that something in Him was incomplete, or something in Him was flawed.

He has neither of those problems.

I’m still not were I want to be spiritually, physically, financially or emotionally. You know what though? I have hope. My situation can change, because my God has sent me His promise (oath) and His word. I can see that God has never left me and has not forsaken me, and His word confirms it. He tells me that I am His child, no matter what happens, as long as I follow and believe on Him.

My body may be falling apart, but He is my rock solid standard. My life may be coming down around my ears, but He is unchanging. Though the world is on fire around me, I am not consumed.

The word the Bible uses for this character of God is IMMUTABLE. Webster’s dictionary defines this as “Not mutable; not capable or susceptible of change; unchangeable; unalterable.” It even goes so far as to cite as an example verse 18 above.

I can be changed or altered depending on my circumstances. I can be affected, if I choose to allow it, by the things that go on around me. Or I can stake my claim in the One who sent His Son to die for me, that through Him I might obtain a better promise; a better life.

God made a promise to me, and He won’t back out on His promise. Then, just to make sure that I understood where He was coming from; He took His promises and spoke them through His Word (Jesus Christ).

What promise has God made to you today? What threads are unraveling from your life that you need to look back to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith? (Heb 12:2-NKJV)

I realize this may not mean anything to you right now, but it might one day. That day may be sooner than you think. Grab hold of God’s word and study it. Get His promises in your life and into your spirit. Grow closer to Him, so that as things around you change and rearrange, you have an anchor. As the storms of life rage, you have a lighthouse beacon shining to you in the darkness.

Grab hold of a promise to change your life, from the One whose life has never changed because it doesn’t have to. Don’t give up, because you don’t have to-ever.

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

Matthew 7:13-14 (NKJV)

2008-05-23T11:50:00.003-07:00

Matthew 7:13-14 (NKJV)-“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

What do you think of when you see the word narrow? Does it conjure up images of tight, constrictive places with no room to get by? Does it make you feel claustrophobic just thinking about it? I think it’s very significant that Jesus uses this term when He is discussing the way to eternal life.

See, a lot of us are spiritually obese. We are fat in spiritual realm. We don’t do enough holy exercising by walking with God, and so we have become a lot of biblical couch potatoes.

Don’t look around at everyone else, because I’m not. I’m looking straight into the mirror at my big fat self!

If you have a personal doctor, you probably get somewhat regular check-ups and at least a yearly physical. You cringe when he asks you about your exercising, don’t you? You know you just never get around to it. You have good intentions, but somehow, it always seems to slip to the back; out of sight, out of mind.

God, the great physician, gives you check-ups also. He allows you to go through trials and tribulations. He even promised that you would in His word….oh yeah, you don’t know that do you? You haven’t really been IN His word enough to find that out.

God knows that, given the choice, we are going to become spiritually fat and lazy. He knows that we don’t exercise enough. He’s smarter than your primary care physician, so don’t think you’re getting over on either of them. God knows you’re not walking with Him, just like your PCP knows you’re not exercising 4-5 times a week as you told him.

That’s why it’s easier for us to take the broad gate, isn’t it? The broad gate doesn’t require much out of our lives. We can do that easily and just waddle along, going our merry way. Occasionally, there are food stands along the way too. They are the snares and traps of the world. These stands fill the void, but only temporarily.

See, as you get further down the broad path, the food stands become more numerous and start giving bigger portions of the things you want to partake. They have to; as you go further on the broad path, it takes more to satisfy your inner lusts and desires, and so the enemy will gladly expand his offerings to you.

Oh, you know that you’re on the wrong path alright. You know that you need to stop and drop right where you’re at and give God a spiritual 20 push-ups. But you’re kind of winded and out of shape. You’re frustrated that you can’t even give Him one push-up, so you say, “I’ll try again tomorrow morning when I’m fresh” or “Well, I give up. I can’t do this, it’s too hard.”

This path that you’re on, it only leads to one place. You can make excuses and try and fool yourself all you want, but it’s the truth. There is only one place this path leads. A deep, dark well from which there is no escape.

But, you know the wonderful thing about God? He knows this about you. And, just like the Bible says, He has made a way of escape. As a matter of fact, He has given you a personal training staff. Jesus is the head of the gym; and the Holy Spirit is your own personal trainer.

See, if you let Them, They will craft a training regimen specifically tailored to your spiritual body profile. It will push you to your limits, but it won’t be anything you can’t accomplish. And, just like any good gym personnel, They will always be available to answer your questions about any of the exercises you are performing.

They can cure the “Why should I tithe?” gut. They can help tone and define you through “small group therapy”. They can get rid of the flabby arms from “I don’t really want to serve”. They can give you the six-pack of spiritual abs you’ve been looking for in life.

You just have to walk through the doors of the gym. I’m gonna warn you though, the entryway is pretty narrow. You’ll look at it, and then down at your body, and think, “There is NO way I’m gonna fit through those doors!”

Don’t worry, you’ll fit. And, while you’re in there exercising, you’ll find that those food stands on the outside are only selling stinky garbage; not healthy, wholesome stuff. And you know what else? You can give some of your friends a guest card to come visit. When they see how fit and fabulous looking you are becoming, they are surely going to want to exercise at your gym as well.

Don’t be shy, it’s okay. We all had to start somewhere. Put down the tub of ice cream; there’s a treadmill here right next to mine. Once you get on and get started, you won’t want to get off.

Come on, step inside. Don’t worry about paying your membership fees, either. Someone else has already done it for you. He paid your dues. You’ll be current with the owner, God, forever. You just have to grab a copy of the contract and sign it (Romans 10:9-10). The wonderful thing about it is that you can sign it right where you’re at, right now. Then, all you need to go and find a gym to work-out in.

Come on, join in. It’ll be worth it.

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

1 Peter 3:15 (NKJV)

2008-03-21T07:40:00.002-07:00

1 Peter 3:15 (NKJV)-“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear…”

First of all, I’m sorry I didn’t write anything last week. My wife and I have both been sick, and it’s been miserable. I didn’t feel like doing anything last weekend. I only say this because I get questions about it, some erroneously thinking that their e-mail ate my verse or something like that. I appreciate the fact that you care.

So, we’re here to another Easter weekend. I don’t mean to make light of the sanctity and holiness of this particular weekend, but for a Christian, EVERY day should be Easter. Every day should be a celebration of our Savior and what He did for us on Calvary.

I’ve been thinking about this all week while I was at work (both days-heehee!) I got an urge yesterday to just start questioning the guy I was partnered with about what he was doing this weekend. I was going to see if he was going to be in town and tell him that he needed to come to the church for the Easter play and everything.

I really felt the need to get at him. The voice was adamant that I take him to task, and not give him any relief until I had made my point. Then I heard another, less shrill voice. It talked to me about the fact that, yes, my partner did need to go to church. But, I needed to be careful because I had already been in trouble on the job for proselytizing (talking about my faith) before.

See, there doesn’t seem to be room in the workplace anymore to talk with people openly about Jesus. If they ask, I consider it fair game, but you can’t just bring it up because you are being perceived as forcing your views on your co-workers. So, as I said, I already have a letter in my file for answering questions I was asked, which I am going to do.

Anyway, as I sat there with my co-worker, I wrestled with what I was going to do. I was embarrassed about even having had this discussion inside myself. What would be the worst he could do? Get me written up again quite possibly, with some additional unpaid time off.

So, I didn’t say anything to him about the Easter play.

Then, I remembered that I had already taken in some of the tickets into work with the show-times for the play on them. One of my other co-workers had already asked about it, and wanted to see about getting his family back into church. He thought this would be a good time, and he knew about my faith, so he talked to me.

I also remembered that they all considered me a Bible thumper. I didn’t have to advertise my faith, they all knew about it from the way I talked when they asked me questions. I didn’t preach to anyone, they knew what they wanted to of the gospel story. I just tried to live my life and they drew conclusions based on that.

Okay, I know, I know. You’re wondering where all this is going. As I said, I’ve been sick, so I’m not sure my thought processes are back up to snuff yet.

What it means to me is that we, as Christians, need to just be there for people. In this day and age, it’s hard for me to fathom someone in the

United States of America

not knowing something about the gospel story. I know that might seem like a cop-out, but hold on. I think we need to concentrate more on having our defense ready for the hope that is in us, than our club ready to beat the living heck out of people who don’t know Jesus.

Our pastor has been doing a series in church called “Just walk across the room.” It means, ultimately, to just try and be a friend to unsaved people; to be someone that reaches out to them. Get to know someone and show them you care; be a friend to someone who needs one. Then, let the Spirit guide you. If you are to broach the subject of salvation to them, you will know.

How many times has something happened in your life that you were really glad you had Jesus on your side? Now, imagine that person you took the time talking to, even once, seeing that time in your life and seeing the hope that you have.

Then, imagine the bottom falling out of their life. My God being who He is, I don’t think He’s gonna waste a hurt. It may be you that they come to, asking a simple question that blossoms into the gospel story. It may be the next person they meet.

I think we get too enamored with being the person who has to plant the seed in everyone. The Bible says that some plant, some water, some tend, but Jesus gets the crop. We are too worried about notching our belts with salvations to care about PEOPLE.

I want to care about the people I meet; everyone I meet, including the guy who is obnoxious to me and pretends to be a know-it-all. I want to be care about the guy who doesn’t seem to be able to put a coherent sentence together without cementing it with profanity at the beginning, middle, and end.

I want to care about the people I meet who have wronged me for no reason, other than we just don’t seem to get along, even though they have no idea why we don’t just get along. I’m not talking about tossing aside my beliefs; I’m talking about living them in life so visibly that no one has a question that I am a child of God.

So when they come to me, at that crucial moment in their life when they are really open to God, that I will be ready to talk to them and give them a reason for my hope. I’ve got my testimony down and my reasoning ready. I can proudly tell them how my new relationship with Jesus has given me faith and courage and strength in this world of uncertainty, pain, and death.

We’re all Jesus farmers. Some of us till the soil, helping to break up the huge clods of dirt. Some of us dig the small hole for the seed; some of us plant the seed. Some of us water and tend the crop as it grows. Sometimes we are different things at different times. We need to be ready at whatever stage of planting we find ourselves in with a particular situation.

We can’t make the crop grow, however. We can only help it along. Be there for someone next week. Remember in your life, God met you just where you were at and brought you home. He may have used someone else physically, or you may have just been prayed for by someone else you will never meet.

Don’t stutter; have your reason ready in your heart and secure in your mind. So when the question comes up about the faith of your life, you can be passionate about it. It’s not about you changing everyone you meet; it’s about everyone you meet seeing the change that has been made in you and wanting it for themselves.

Don’t put so much pressure on your shoulders. God doesn’t; He trusts you to speak for Him in due time and due season. Be ready.

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

Numbers 24:12-13 (NKJV)

2008-03-07T07:54:00.002-08:00

Numbers 24:12-13 (NKJV)-“So Balaam said to Balak, ‘Did I not also speak to your messengers whom you sent to me saying, “If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the LORD, to do good or bad of my own will. What the LORD says, that I must speak”?’”

Be patient with me this morning. This is one of those ones were I kind of tell on myself. If it runs a little long, I’m sorry. I really didn’t know what I was going to write about today. I was floundering. That is until I took my youngest daughter down to the bus stop this morning….

My wife had made mention that there were some new kids at the stop this week, and they were very quiet children. She said that she, and another mother who walk down during the week spoke to them, but all they got in return were nodding heads. No words, nothing.

So, I walked Sammy down today. I gave her the option of getting a ride with me in the truck, since it was pouring down rain. I didn’t really want to walk her down, and I thought if I offered her a ride she’d take it. At the last minute, she decided to catch the bus instead.

So, we saddled up and walked down to the stop. We got there and were being silly, when the two new kids were dropped off. Now, remember, I’ve been told all morning how these kids didn’t respond when my wife talked to them, and she is a small white woman. I had no intention, being a large black guy, of pushing them or trying to engage them at all. I didn’t think they’d take to me.

Yes, some of you can already see where this is going.

It’s raining, remember? The new kids get out of the car, and run across the street to the bus stop. They come up on the curb and don’t say anything to either me or Sammy. Then I hear, “Say good morning.”

Oh, hi God. Were you not listening to Becky this morning telling me about her experiences with these kids? They didn’t speak to her. I’m liable to just scare them.

“I didn’t ask you all that. I just asked you to say good morning.”

I’ve been hit over the head with the spiritual 2x4 enough times in my life to realize, sometimes, it’s better just to do it and not argue. So, I looked at the new kids, took a deep breath, and gave my best “Good morning!” to them.

The floodgates opened.

I learned more in that 5 minutes with those kids than my wife had all week. I even coaxed them under the umbrella with Sammy, so they wouldn’t be standing there getting wet. I learned that the little girl has another brother besides the one at the bus stop, and both of them are autistic. And it’s a form of autism that my wife, in her job as a teaching assistant, deals with each and every day. She found that VERY interesting.

I learned that the person who invented the Pokémon card game was autistic as well; and he had the same form as her brother at the bus stop, and as the kids that my wife deals with.

But most of all, I learned that God can use you in any capacity He likes, as long as you speak what He says. I learned that I can be what God wants me to be, not what I see in the mirror. This morning, I was a friend to two kids, who I figured would be too scared to even stand with me at a bus stop.

I got back to the house, and told the story of what happened at the bus stop. My wife and my two other daughters were amazed. My wife was shocked, especially when I told her about the brothers. She’s already refining how she can deal with them come Monday; I could tell by the way she was looking. Then Kaitlyn, my 11 year old, said something that really jolted me. She said, “Gee, I bet that was a smack in the back of the head, wasn’t it Dad?”

Time stopped for me. I’m starting to cry again. I’m sorry. She had no idea why she said that; but I did.

See, I’m supposed to be performing in our church’s kid’s program this weekend. I got the script on Thursday. The director wants me to do a different part than I normally do, and it has a lot longer script. I didn’t think I could memorize it all by Saturday.

Then, I started thinking about how this was just getting tougher to do. And that, come summer time, I was probably going to back out for a while to get my bearings and do something else. I was really trying to do too much, and that script wasn’t helping. It was too long; and what if she wanted me to do something else? It was getting to be real time consuming.

Once again, God showed me that He has me in His hands, right where He wants me. It’s not the most glamorous or most sought out position in the church; but it’s where He wants ME right now. I can’t go beyond where God has me right now.

I feel like I’ve met those kids somewhere before. I don’t know where, and I don’t know when, I just feel it inside me. And from what Kaitlyn said, it could have been church. It could have been Kid K’nex. It could have been one time.

And I could have missed it all.

God stretches us. Sometimes, He uses you, and sometimes He uses someone around you because you’re too wrapped up in yourself at that time. Then, He reminds you through that other person He had to grab that you can hear His voice as well. You’re just choosing to ignore it.

So, here, in no particular order, is the other part of the spiritual clearing I’ve been instructed to do today.

J-Lo (aka Jen Loveday)-I’ll do the Storyteller part, if that’s what you want. If God tells you, then you tell me. Don’t worry about the rest, just do what God puts on your heart, and leave the rest to Him. He’ll hit whoever He needs to, including me, to get His kids.

Becky-I’m sorry if I seemed like I was making a big deal out of this today. I didn’t mean to come across like that. I was shocked and stunned because of the differences in the reactions we received. I will need your help in dealing with the brother, especially if he still doesn’t respond to you. I’m glad God gave you the experience.

Kaitlyn-I know you don’t know why you said it. It’s okay. God made you. Don’t try and say something else smart though, and blame it on Him. We’ll know the difference. But you spoke truth today, even though you don’t know it.

Sammy-I thank you for not wanting to take the easy way out. If I had driven you to school, we would have missed this morning entirely. I was annoyed at first, but the “whoosh” of the 2x4 at the bus stop made that go away completely.

Mom-you’re nowhere mentioned in this. However, you asked Becky and me to do some stuff at your mission house this summer. I’ll do what I can, when I can. I haven’t talked to you yet, but I’m scared if I think about it too much, I’ll just try and back out. I don’t want to know how painful that lesson will be for me. Just keep the plans going and we’ll see how God works it out.

To the rest of you, what are you doing right now? Is church the place you occasionally go to on the weekend to salve your conscience? Are you doing anything to help in the local fellowship you belong, or are you just there to take, take, and take some more?

Oh, and let me tell you something else-not everyone can do something glorious and wonderful that puts them in front of the congregation for everyone to see. Sometimes, it’s the stuff in the background that makes all the difference.

How are you putting your talents and abilities toward God? Are you speaking what the Lord says, or just talking out the side of your own mouth? God has placed something on your heart; so just go and do it. Don’t be too scared because you don’t think you’ll like kids or too proud because it’s not a big fancy “church” job. Just do it.

It may be someone’s season to sit underneath the pastor’s tutelage and learn so they can grow in their walk. But they may not be able to, because they can’t get out of the position they’re serving in, since you won’t get off your duff and go out and serve.

Sometimes, God uses a whisper. I read one that said sometimes He also has to use a brick; but in my case, He has to use a 2x4. I’d hate for Him to have to move up to a 2x6.

Wouldn’t you?

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

Mark 6:4-6 (NKJV)

2008-02-29T07:09:00.000-08:00

Mark 6:4-6 (NKJV)-"But Jesus said to them, 'A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.' Now He could do no mighty work there (Nazareth), except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief…"

This takes place after Mark's rendition of Jesus' healing of a demon-possessed man, the woman with the flow of blood that would not stop, and raising the synagogue leader's daughter from the dead. Jesus has made His way back to His home. He is coming to preach and teach to His own people. It is described in two other Gospels (Matthew and Luke).

Jesus, as was His custom, began teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath. He taught with power and authority, unlike the rabbis and other teachers in His day. The people marveled at His oratory, because He taught as someone much older.

This day, however, He was treated differently. He was treated with disdain, and disrespect. The people were bothered by this upstart carpenter preaching to them in their synagogue. They were bothered by the way He taught, because He was so young, they thought He couldn't know WHAT He was talking about in His messages.

But mostly, they were offended because they knew His lineage, His family, and His line of work. They dismissed Him as a crack-pot and an uppity Man who didn't know His place in the world. But that's not what struck me the most about this passage, however.

Please re-read the last sentence in that group of verses above. "And He marveled because of their unbelief…" It goes on to say that He went on around to surrounding villages and taught. But here, in His hometown, He WAS MARVELING AT THEIR UNBELIEF.

Jesus Christ, God on earth, was taken aback at their unbelief.

Don't take that as meaning that Jesus was caught unaware or blind-sided. I don't believe that for a second. He was God in the flesh, walking here on earth. He's omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. But I find it amazing the WAY that was written.

Those people made God scratch His head.

You know what I mean, don't you? Haven't you ever seen a friend/co-worker/child do something so completely off the wall, so resoundingly STUPID, that all you could do was scratch your head at what could POSSIBLY possess them to do so?

You see it happen in front of you; and you just know that the capability is there, but even watching it transpire in front of you just gives you pause. You wonder why they didn't see what you did.

So, let me ask you something-have you made God scratch His head today?

You see, our first response is always going to be a resounding NO! We aren't like THOSE other people who do stupid, inane things, are we? We have our wits about us, and we know exactly how to follow, don't we?

Then, that subtle, still, small voice pops into your head.

"Hey Bo, I've been talking to you about ______________. Remember? I've been trying to get you to change that, but you kind of keep ignoring Me. You say that I just don't understand THIS particular situation. I don't get that." (Sounds of Divine head-scratching)

It's okay; you can laugh. You know it's funny. You know what's just as funny? You can substitute YOUR name in for mine, and get the same response. We all fit in there somewhere, sometime.

See, when He's doing miracles in other people's lives, and changing things in other people, we see that. We applaud that, because they NEEDED to be changed. They had no idea where they were at in their life, and Jesus needed to move on them in a big way.

But as for us, well, we're okay. Don't come preaching to me, God, because I KNOW what I'm doing. Don't think You can speak to this in my life; I got it completely under control. I'm gonna have to ask You to keep Your mitts off this part of my life, because I don't think I need You there.

I'm offended at You, for thinking that I need to change…this…whoops.

See, if you and God are on the same page, then you know that He's not preaching to you to humiliate you. Oh no, He's preaching and teaching you to raise you up. He wants us to live the fullest possible life for His glory, in order to lead more people to Him so they can live the fullest possible life, etc., etc., etc….

But if He can't teach you or me, then we're just part of the Nazarene city.

Have you lost your focus on Who Jesus is in your life? What do you see Him as? Is He a wet behind the ears carpenter, who doesn't know how to tie His own sandals? Or is He the Savior of the world, come to preach repentance and acceptance of the Kingdom of God?

Is He working in your life, or is He walking away, scratching His head in amazement at your disbelief?

Think about it.

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NKJV)

2008-02-22T10:06:00.001-08:00

Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NKJV)-“Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the might man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the LORD.”

To the Triune God, I wanted to just write a letter to say thank you Lord.

Thank you for waking me up this morning in my own bed. You could have called me home to You last night, and that would be so much better than being here on earth. But it means that You’re not done with me here yet; so You are still using me.

Thank You for my family. I know that they have no idea sometimes what is going on in my head. They don’t understand what I go through day in and day out. I know that I sometimes don’t make life easy on them and that sometimes they annoy the heck out of me. Sometimes I get so frustrated that I just want to scream. But then I’m reminded of the person who wakes up alone and has no one to even argue with about something silly.

Thank You for a way to make a living that provides for my family and me. If you didn’t give me this job, then I would be scraping along. I realize that sometimes it’s not the idea I had in mind. I realize that I don’t want to go there today or maybe even tomorrow. But it’s what You’ve given me; it’s the sphere of influence You have place me in at this time.

Thank You for sickness. I know You don’t put sickness on me; that would be against Your nature. But I’m glad to know that when I get sick, I have Someone I can pray to in order to receive healing. I don’t have to wallow in my ailments, hoping for the suffering to cease.

I need to remind myself, Lord that You are still on the throne. I get so caught up in the world and what goes on around me. I get caught up in the fact that it seems like every time I turn around, I’m doing just one more thing that I didn’t sign up for. I realize that I don’t want to do it; except for You.

I need to remind myself that, just because You visited the earth a couple of thousand years ago, doesn’t mean that You can’t identify with the problems and struggles I’m having right now.

I’m living in a different time, but not in a different set of circumstances.

I need to thank You more often. Not when I get something, or learn some great proverb, or have a great revelation of one of Your truths. I need to thank You just for being You. I need to realize that it’s just because of whom You are that You do what You do for me. You have no obligation to me whatsoever, but You ensure that I have what I need to survive and thrive in You.

I’m sorry that I can’t stay focused on the blessings I already have; but instead always look to the horizon, trying to see what else I can get. I’m sorry that my contentment is only as long as my attention span. I’m sorry that I stay in a continual attitude of “What have You done for me lately?"

I’m sorry that I get upset with you about the ministry You have placed me into within my fellowship of believers. I want to be the center of attention and get all the glory, but if something goes wrong I want to blame You. I’m sorry that I think it can’t be my fault. I’m sorry that I seek my own glory instead of Yours. I’m sorry I forgot that You said that the person highest placed in Your kingdom is the one who seeks to serve others, not themselves.

I’m sorry that I don’t even know how much I need to apologize to You for in my life. I’m sorry that I can’t write volumes telling You the things in my life I acknowledge that I don’t give to You; that I don’t allow to be placed under Your control. I’m sorry that my vision is blinded and colored by my own perspective of myself and my wrong views of my own holiness.

I’m sorry.

I don’t even know if I can write all this down and mean it in my life. But I’m gonna do it anyway. I’m gonna give this to You and try and believe it. I’m telling you that I may not feel like I’m sorry; that I may just be writing this to try and appease You or score some points. If I’m writing it for that, I’m sorry.

But I want the enemy to know something as he sits here telling me that I don’t mean this and that it’s just a waste of space. I want to say something to the smooth talking voice in my head, telling me that God doesn’t love me, and Jesus is disappointed in me, and the Holy Spirit is no longer leading my life.

I’m still writing it.

And now, I’m going to give it God, and let Him deal with it, and with me. But most importantly Satan….

I’m gonna let Him deal with you.

Sincerely,

________________________________________

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

Deuteronomy 28:9-10 (NKJV)

2008-02-08T07:27:00.000-08:00

Deuteronomy 28:9-10 (NKJV)-"The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways. Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you."

So, Alisha (the oldest still at home), was driving herself, a friend, and our two youngest daughters to church Wednesday night. Since I would have to pass the church on my way home from work and then come back, I usually just stop off at the church without going home. It makes for a long day sometimes, but it's okay…it won't kill me.

My phone rings, and it's my wife, telling me that Alisha has just been in an accident. Immediately, she tells me not to panic, that everyone is okay. The accident occurred less than a mile from the house, but my wife has no way there. So, I come on home.

Now, Alisha was not worried about anything dealing with the accident. She made sure her sisters and her friend were okay, and made sure that the police had been contacted. She made sure that she called her mother and told her everything was okay, and the van was fine.

She was terrified of how I was going to react. It scared her just thinking about it. I did not KNOW any of this; but being the kind of father I am, I anticipated this reaction.

I decided on my way home that I would go and pick up my wife, and then go to the accident. I figured that way, Mom would be there, and I could just make sure everyone was okay; survey the damage (if any) on the van, and be there in case Alisha was too shaky to drive. Plus, Mom would be a calming figure.

I passed the scene on the way home. It was REALLY close to the house, and the girls all saw me pass by; I saw it in the look on their faces. I knew at that point I was making the right choice going home and picking up Becky. We got back there, and got out, and I purposefully asked them if they were all okay in a low voice. I did not want anything in my voice to make anyone think they were in trouble.

Alisha burst into tears as I asked her. Kaitlyn and Sammy, who were in the back seats of the van, said that Alisha did great; she was more terrified of me than of the accident. I told them all it was okay, and I was not mad. I was just worried for them; wanting to make sure they were okay.

I walked around the van at that point, looking at the bumper where she impacted, and thinking about that reaction. On the one hand, as a father, you want that fear to be in them; the fear of making a bad choice or errant decision and having to face the consequences.

On the other hand, as a dad, you want to be able to truly let them know that you love them deeply, and only care about their well-being. You want them to be the best they can be in life, and want to be the strongest influence in their life, outside of God Himself. You want it so that they will know that they can come to you when a mistake has happened and you will not stop loving them; instead, you will love them more.

Then, I found that verse.

Too many times, we want to hit people over the head with our doctrines and Bibles. We want to beat salvation in them, and talk them into church. We turn off the very people we need to be reaching; turning them against the very Person who can bring them the peace they are so desperately searching for.

God says that if we follow His commandments, He will establish us as His people. And HE will put fear in the peoples of your world, to make them afraid of you and the God you serve. He doesn't say go out and scare them; He says you do what I say, and I will make you My people. I will establish you and put fear into your enemy's hearts on your behalf.

If I fear Him and keep His commandments, He will cause everyone else to respect me and want to know Him. I can't do it by beating them over the head; but I can do it by fearing Him.

Alisha and the girls are okay; things are back to normal. They have a healthy fear of their Daddy, but I think inside they know he loves them too. I'm hard on them; I'll be the first to admit it. I am stricter on them than a lot of their friends' parents are, and they know it. They know to expect consequences.

Sometimes, we expect bad to come from God as well; especially if we do something we perceive as wrong. We know about the law of sowing and reaping, but like a child, we don't really think we should have to face it.

Sometimes, it smacks us square in the face. And sometimes, it's our own imagination that makes us worry. And when we hear the still, small voice of God, asking us if we're okay, instead of feeling delighted, we feel terrified.

God loves you. He wants what is best for you. He's not chastising you every time He speaks to you; He wants you to know He loves you. He wants to make sure you know that He is there if you need Him, to wipe the tears away.

Remember that, the next time you have a little fender-bender on this road of life. It could be worse; it could be that you don't know at all how much He cares for you. Imagine how that life is for someone around you.

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

Phillipians 3:13-14 (NKJV)

2008-01-25T08:20:00.000-08:00

Philippians 3:13-14 (NKJV)-“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

“There are things that we never want to let go of, people we never want to leave behind. But keep in mind that letting go isn’t the end of the world; it’s the beginning of a new life.”-Unattributed¹“We must learn to let go, to give up, to make room for the things we have prayed for and desired.”-Charles Fillmore ²“One can never change the past, only the hold it has on you.”-Merle Shain ³“Forgiveness is letting go of the hope that the past can changed.”-Oprah Winfrey ⁴“We find by losing. We hold fast by letting go. We become something new by ceasing to be something old. This seems to be close to the heart of that mystery. I know no more now than I ever did about the far side of death as the last letting-go of all, but now I know that I do not need to know, and that I do not need to be afraid of not knowing. God knows. That is all that matters.”-Frederick Buechner ⁵Letting go of stuff is hard to do, isn’t it? We are human and our base instinct is to hold on to things. We will latch on with an intense grip any sensation or experience that comes within our grasp-love, pain, anguish, joy, passion, sorrow….whatever.

I told you that this year, my goal is to become more intimate with God. In order to become more intimate with Him, I have to make room in my heart. In order to make room for Him (cause He’s a BIG God), I need to let go of some other things that I’m holding on to. And sometimes, it’s hard to let go.

We want to hold on to the pain we feel when someone hurts us. We base everything that happens with that person afterwards on that one experience, and seemingly never give God a chance to heal the rift. We want everyone to know that we got hurt, and for them to feel the victimization and pain that we feel.

We can’t make room for intimacy and hold on to the past at the same time. Something has to go-something has to be moved out. We need to forget those things which have passed beyond our horizon; remembering that something new is coming up if we would only look FORWARD.

I had a friend ask me a question in a recent e-mail. She sent some things that she desires to do this New Year; of how she’s trying to take care of herself and those around her. She’s trying to let go.

I’ve been thinking about this all week. As I said before, I get the idea for these in my head, and then I just pray about it and see if it’s from God, or if it’s just my inner pride and self-centeredness. This has been with me, and re-affirmed through others.

I’m gonna try and let go. Yesterday, I was myself; I didn’t hide behind a mask of false bravado. I was me. If I’m who God wants me to be, and I treat others the way He wants me to, I have nothing to fear. God proved that to me yesterday.

You can get by without being a victim. You can get by without holding on to everything. When you try not to let anything slip from your grasp, eventually, your hands get tired. You can’t hold a fist that long; you just can’t.

You can’t be everything to everyone. Notice that I didn’t say you can’t CARE for everyone around you; you can’t just take everyone’s pain and suffering away. You can’t show everyone how to live. You just get in God’s way. Eventually, you’ll tire of trying to do His job. He never gets tired of doing His thing; He has unlimited reserves. You only have that daily bread He gives you; just enough to get by to teach you to rely on Him.

The hardest thing about letting go, is watching someone you’ve been trying to protect be exposed to their own choices. The law of sowing and reaping had never changed while you were running interference; you just kept plowing under things that needed to grow in that person’s life to bring them to intimacy with God.

Letting go doesn’t mean you don’t love. Letting go is a sign that you love someone too much to allow them to stay as they are right now. Letting go means that you allow God to work in them and grow them into what He wants them to be, not what YOU want for them.

The past is gone, let it go. Don’t dwell on the pain and hurt, even if it just happened. The world is full of it, and always will be until Jesus returns and redeems it.

I can’t tell you how to let go. You have to come to that on your own. It’s different for every person. But I will tell you that ignoring your pain, or trying to soldier through it is not going to help. Ignoring pain doesn’t make it go away. It only makes it stronger.

Letting go means you acknowledge that you have pain, and that you can’t do anything about it. For me, it’s telling God that I’m here, and I know what you want me to do. But right now, I’m in the midst of this place, and it’s hard for me. I can’t do it, so please, please, do it through me. Help me to let go and allow You to work in my life.

If you let it go, I can guarantee that God will pick it up. I can also guarantee that if you take it from His hands, He will let you. Let it go; let Him pick it up. It’s amazing to me. I lay this huge burden of mine down at the altar and tell God. I let Him know that I’m tired of trying to carry this and I want to give Him the opportunity to take care of it.

Then He picks it up, and my huge burden looks so small and tiny in His hands. Oh, and one more thing. When He picks it up, you can see He’s still holding it. Don’t get anxious about it, thinking that because you can still see it, it’s still there. It’s in His hands now; He’s letting you know that it’s His now. He’ll keep it from you as long as you let Him.

Don’t go and grab it from His hand, thinking that He’s not doing anything with it.

Let it go. Let it go. Let it go.

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

P.S. Hey, M. J., does this answer your question?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
^{1, 5} http://www.livinglifefully.com/lettinggo.htm² http://koti.mbnet.fi/amoira/letgo1.htm

³ http://www.hobogirl.com/quotes/HGQ-LettingGo.htm

⁴ http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/35000.html

Genesis 39:21 (NKJV)

2008-01-18T07:06:00.000-08:00

Genesis 39:21(NKJV)-“But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.”

I have heard it said that character is what you are in the dark. It’s that part of you that comes out when no one is watching. If that’s the case, then I would like to add to it. If character is what you are in the dark, then I believe that sacrifice is what you are doing in the dark. It’s what you’re doing when you can’t get mass accolades or applause for doing it.

The bad thing about writing stuff like this, and trying to speak what God is putting on your heart, is what it does to you. I don’t have all this down yet. My wife and kids will tell you that. I’m still learning how to walk with God and grow in intimacy with Him. It’s very hard to do this, and not mess it up.

I’m out on a limb here, and I’m hoping that someone doesn’t cut me loose from the tree.

I’m trying to keep my focus this year on growing in intimacy with God. I want to know Him so bad that I can taste it. I want to feel His presence in me because it’s all that I want. But everything else keeps getting in the way.

You know what I mean, right? Someone else needs something; you need to go here and do this. If you have a family, you know it all too well. It seems like, when you most want to crawl up in His lap, that the most stuff hits the fan. Sometimes you feel so stifled you can’t take a breath.

You feel like you just keep giving and giving and giving. And you want just once, just once to feel like someone is doing for you.

Wow, doesn’t that sound selfish and self-centered? But, you know what; it’s the truth isn’t it? We all feel like that at one time or another. We want recognition for the suffering that we do. I want everyone to just, you know, take a day and just let me know how much they appreciate…..

Whoa; wait a minute. Read that verse above again, slowly.

Okay, let’s break it down. God was with Joseph. Okay, I got it. Joseph has just been thrown into prison, because the lady of the house where he was working (under Potiphar, Pharaoh’s captain of the guard) falsely accused him of attempted rape. Joseph’s now in prison, but just like in Potiphar’s house originally, he had God’s favor on him. Potiphar let him run with it, because he saw that his house was blessed because of the blessing God placed on Joseph.

Got it. God….with….Joseph. Check.

Did God throw Joseph a big parade? No. Did God send 10,000 angels, with trumpets a-blowing, rendering thanks to Joe for being in prison and doing what he was doing? Nope. God gave Joseph favor with those he was with, and blessed him in the midst of his life breaking apart.

This is one of the watershed moments in life. The one where I look and see where the road is taking me, and I am trying to steer away from it. I see the path clearly lying out in front of me, and I don’t like where it leads.

I’m here, realizing that God has blessed me, in the midst of everything else, and given me favor. And somehow, I’ve convinced myself that it’s just not enough. I have convinced myself that the favor and blessing of God is not enough in my life. Ouch; that hurts! It’s reality poking me in the eye!

When I start composing these, it comes from a place in my head that just tells me where to start. I usually pay attention to the idea when I’m doing my devotional. That way I can be somewhat sure that I’m listening to God and not my flesh trying to exalt itself. I’ve caught the gist of this now, and it hurts.

I didn’t even have the verse, until God started asking me about sacrifice, and I remembered what I had read about Joe and his brothers (starts in Genesis 37). Sometimes, as another saying goes, you can’t see the forest for the trees. As I said earlier, I just hope that the branch I’m on is safe.

Where are you? Are you like me; wandering around, wanting to be like Christ and become intimate with God, but in your own way and time? I’m kind of happy I’m here, because it reminds me that I’m a work in progress. But it also reminds me of how far I’ve come.

I realize that I do sacrifice myself; I just need to be less aware of the fact that I sacrifice myself. I need to just be aware that God is with me; that He’s never left me nor forsaken me. I need to remember that, in the midst of my prison, God is with me and He has and will continue to bless me.

We need to be gladder that God has given us the abilities we have during times of turmoil and pain. We need to remember that any sacrifice we give on our part pales in comparison with the One who gave up ALL HE IS to come down here with us. He came down over 2000 years ago, to walk with us in our sins and transgressions and show us a way through them.

He came down and was rejected and hung on a tree; but He was blessed by God. The house we’re in is blessed because of His sacrifice. I need to remember that, no matter what I walk through, it’s not about me; it’s about Him shining through me.

And He shines all the brighter when it’s dark outside. Sacrifice….God turning out the lights to show you how much like Christ you really are.

Be blessed in the Lord today.

Bo J.

Click; lights out.

2 Timothy 4:7 (NKJV)

2008-01-11T07:55:00.000-08:00

2 Timothy 4:7 (NKJV)-“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

Endurance-the ability or strength to continue or last, especially despite fatigue, stress, or other adverse conditions; stamina.

Today starts the day the rubber hits the road for us. It’s past Christmas and now almost halfway into the first month of a new year. A lot of us have set a new goal or resolved to change something in ourselves with the New Year. We came out the gate at a fast gallop; making bold strides.

Now is when it gets tough. See, you are just starting to realize that what was a joyful resolution almost 2 weeks ago is something that you may actually have to WORK toward attaining. You may have to expend more energy than you initially considered when you started. Instead of building up gradually, and watching the development come over time, you wanted to make an instant change.

Now, you’re getting tired. You didn’t realize how fast you were sprinting, did you?

We each have a race to run. We each have something we need to endure. It’s said that the race is not to the swift, but to the strong; the one who can keep up a pace over the entire course.

I’ve been married for 18 years now. Each day is a new day. Has this marriage lasted because I’m a great husband? Nope, not even. Has it lasted because my wife Becky is a great wife? Wrong again. We’re both humans, and we both have weaknesses. It’s lasted because we have made a choice to endure.

We are still running. We may not look like we run every day, but we do. I love it when we get the, “You’ve been married how long? To the same person?” question. It’s a sign of the world we live in.

Now, I don’t poke fun at those of you who have married and divorced or aren’t married at all. I give you an example IN MY LIFE of running the race. You have something in your life that you need to keep at the forefront; some race you are running with God to finish.

Make no mistake; it’s not going to be easy. The exciting, fresh days during the start make way later on for the common. You get to the point that the newness may have worn down some, and the business of living life intrudes sharply on your focus.

It’s at that time it is important for us to settle in for the long haul. We need to determine that God will finish what He started in our lives, and nothing will stop Him if we keep faith in Him.

Notice what I said, if we keep faith in Him. We can stop the Creator of all that is, dead in His tracks by our own stubborn refusal to heed Him and allow Him to lead us. He wants you to know that the humdrum is where you are most likely to see His glory. At least, that’s the way it is in my life.

Where are you now? Has the awe and size of the task before you stopped you in your tracks? Are you standing in front of the landscape that is your future, wondering how you are going to get through it all? Does the race course seem too long to finish?

Keep the faith, brothers and sisters, keep the faith. Get up each morning and realize that you have been given another day in this adventure called life. I can’t in good conscience tell you that everything will change and your life will be brand new. But I can tell you that if you ask God to show you His glory, He will do it.

But you have to prepare yourself to see it. Remember, sin cannot live in the presence of God. He is Righteousness, Truth, and Holiness. He is the Creator of the heavens and earth. He is the Almighty, Everlasting, and Wonderful God of the Universe.

And He loves you and me tremendously.

This is a path to greatness that not everyone walks on; they can’t because it’s too hard. It’s a narrow path that does not allow for you to veer off on your own. It’s designed that way on purpose. It keeps you close to Him and keeps you focused.

It’s not an easy road to walk; but God wouldn’t be God if He didn’t call us to walk this path. You know the saying, “If it was easy, everybody would be doing it.” Everybody is NOT doing it. And some who started the path turned back because they let the size of the task before them scare them away.

They lost sight of the size of their God, and concentrated on the size of their surroundings. I’ve done it; and recently too! We all have at some point. But it’s not something you have to dwell in. You don’t have to stay in it forever.

The race has started; the course is set. God’s not expecting you to sprint to the finish. He will set the pace if you let Him. You may think it’s too slow at first, but trust Him, He knows what He’s doing. He’s done this A LOT LONGER than you and I have.

Before you know it, you may look back just long enough to wonder how you got this far. And then, you’ll look around and realize that you never ran a race at this pace before. And you’ll feel a smile start to creep up on your face, as you realize that the obstacles you faced did nothing but increase your stamina.

Careful, you may actually begin to like running. Who knows what can happen then?

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

Exodus 33:13 (NKJV)

2008-01-04T06:52:00.000-08:00

Exodus 33:13 (NKJV)-“’Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.’”

Lord, I want to get to know You this year. I want to get to know You, so that I can get closer to You. I want to know Your grace, so that I can know more of Your grace. I want to get more intimate with You, so that with the intimacy, I can get more intimate with You.

See, I have been kinda going about this thing all wrong. I’ve been studying my Bible, and reading so I can learn for myself. But since I started reading all this stuff, I have learned that I want to get closer to God. And the closer I get to God, the closer I want to get to Him.

I’m learning that my former reasons for getting to know Him were my own reasons. I’m learning that I wanted to get to know His Word, so that when someone asked me about it, I could answer their question. While that is a noble pursuit, it’s not the RIGHT pursuit.

I want to know Him, specifically so that in the knowing, I will know Him better.

The passage above was spoken by Moses, as He met with God after the Israelite children had been taken out of Egypt. They had escaped at the Red Sea. They had seen the LORD deal with Pharaoh’s armies. And then, they promptly built a golden calf and proclaimed it as their god.

Moses wanted God to promise Him that He would not leave him; that He would show Moses the way He wanted Him to go. Moses wanted God to lead him, and show him His grace. Moses wanted God to remember that getting these people out of Egypt meant nothing if He wasn’t going to lead them and guide them.

I’ve been released from my bondage in Egypt. I went to church for most of my life, but I was in bondage. In January of 1997, I was released from my bondage. God showed me His grace, so that I could know Him and find grace in His sight.

And ever since then, at different times, I have managed to find a way to put myself back in bondage, much like the Israelite children. We love to point fingers at the Old Testament people, and say, “If I had what they had, I would never have crossed God like that!”

We have God in a closer, more intimate way. We have a free pass to the inner sanctum, the place of holiness, the dwelling place of God. We can boldly come to the throne of grace and declare our needs to God and pray to Him. Do you remember that Old Testament priests had to have ropes tied to them and bells on the hems of their garments? Do you remember why?

They did it because they had specific ways and ceremonial rites to complete to enter into the holiness of God; to enter into His presence. And if they messed up the teeniest bit, their error killed them in the presence of God’s holiness and righteousness.

And we take for granted, each and every day, the privilege we have of meeting God. Moses was asking for something, in the above passage, that we have been given because of the sacrifice of the Lamb without spot or blemish. We have it, without reservation; we just have to reach out and take it.

We have a God who wants us to get to know Him, so we can know Him better. He wants us to become more intimate with Him, so we can want more intimacy with Him. He wants us to get closer to Him, so we will want to get even closer to Him.

He doesn’t want us to learn about Him so that we can beat others over the head with our knowledge. He wants us to know Him, so that His grace will be apparent to those who DON’T know Him. He wants us to get know Him, so that we can point those who DON’T know Him in the right direction. He wants us to get to know Him, so that in the knowing, we realize we want to know Him even more.

He wants us to get so close to Him, that we don’t realize until it’s already happened that nothing else mattered except to get close to Him, and to help others get close to Him.

I told you last year that I wanted to get to know God better. I did, but not for the right reasons. I wanted to get to know God better, so that I could be a better example of Him in the world. I shouldn’t say that’s not the right reason; I should say it’s not the reasoning I should have used.

This year, I want to get to know God better, so that I will know Him more intimately and fully than I have ever known Him in my life. And in the knowing, I will change and become more like Christ, and align my life more with what God wants me to be. I want to become more intimate with God, so that I will want to become even more intimate with God; everything else will work itself out through that intimacy.

How do I know, you may ask?

If you look a little further past that passage I gave you above, you will see that Moses met with God on Mount Sinai. When he came down, he was carrying the two new Tablets of Testimony with him. Moses had been so intimate with God that his face glowed. He had a veil to cover his face when he talked to the people, because of how much his face glowed.

Close contact and intimacy with God had done that. He didn’t have to tell the people how close he had been to God; it was readily apparent. If we can just get more intimate with God, everyone else will just KNOW. You won’t have to advertise it, or shout it to the heavens. You will shine with the light of God through the intimacy.

I’ve got a veil ready. Let’s get close to God this year.

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

Hebrews 12:1 (NKJV)

2007-12-28T15:22:00.000-08:00

Hebrews 12:1 (NKJV)-“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…”

So, I’m having one of those weeks again. You know the one just like you have; when you just want one thing to go your way. You’re actually not looking at everything going on, to see the blessings you have; you’re upset because they-re not the blessings YOU want.

I’m working at my computer. It’s what I do when I get kinda down. I don’t aimlessly surf, I do organizational things; I do things that make me feel better about how it runs, or how fast it can access this or that. In other words, I’m just piddling around (for your Northerners, piddling is a Southern term. Find a hillbilly friend and ask him/her what it means.).

Anyway, I may have mentioned this before, but I am supposedly the resident IT guy in my home (that is the information technology or computer geek). If something goes wrong with the computer, I’m called from whatever I’m doing. If I’m asleep (a rare occasion-usually, if my daughters are up, I’m up) I have scrap paper at the desk for the little notes I get. I’ve at least trained them that when the error message comes up, they need to transcribe it EXACTLY as it appears on the screen. It’s hard for me to re-create something from, “I was typing, and I pushed this button, and I got a blue screen of death.” “Well, what did it read?” “I don’t know, Dad/honey/Bo. I’m just telling you the computer is broken.”

Great.

Anyway, the point is, my family has faith in me. They have seen time and time again, that when the box of circuitry has an error, Dad will come in and do some stuff, type in something, re-boot, and everything is okay.

So yesterday, I’m updating some software that we have installed on this behemoth. I’m already irritated, because the update manager for the software locks up EVERY TIME I use it. It’s annoying, because I have to babysit it to nurse it through. I’m tired of the garbage-so I go straight to the vendor’s website. A couple of judicious clicks and I find the update I’m trying to get installed.

All 332 MB of it. Now, ordinarily, this wouldn’t rile me, because I have a cable modem. It shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes. So, imagine my face when the site connects and I get a box telling me that it is going to take 2 ½ HOURS to download this file.

I’m really starting to reevaluate the value of this software. So, I figure I’ve got time to kill. Fast forward to later…much later. I’ve got it installed, and it gives me an error; I have to kill the installation, and power button off the computer, since it’s locked up and won’t re-boot.

Now I’m getting really perturbed. I finally get it installed, re-boot the thing, and I get an error message stating that I have a keyboard error. I check my cabling, and I’m getting error lights on the back of the CPU. Now, I’m REALLY hot. I unplug one thing at a time, and I find what I think is the problem.

Oh, boy, this is NOT funny. It’s my 500 GB external hard drive. The one I purchased to have reliable storage outside my CPU, since I’ve had a tower hard drive go bad on me before and lost everything on the drive.

I am completely at a loss. I have no idea. If you knew what I had on this thing, there is only one question you’d want an answer to. “What was the look on your face, Bo?”

So, during all this, I’m close to sheer terror. I have no idea why, I just am. I can’t lose this thing. The pictures, all the music, the databases, everything….

“Is everything okay, Dad?” one of my daughters ask me. “Just having a bit of an issue with the computer.” “Oh, okay.”

Now, I know you don’t understand, but this is one of those moments of clarity straight from God. All my daughter said, was “Oh, okay.” But it was the WAY she said it that struck me. She said it in the matter-of-fact way they say things when they have broken it and bring it to me saying, “Can you fix this?” As Dad, you are obligated to say, “Yes; yes I can darling.”

She knew it was a computer problem, and I was on it. It wouldn’t be a problem for long. She had no doubt that she’d be able to get on later and update music on her iPod and e-mail her friends and all that stuff; none whatsoever.

I thought about all the stuff that has been going on this week. I thought about how many times I wondered who was going to fix this or that; who was going to help me; when was someone going to put themselves out for me. None of that mattered at that point; all that mattered was the simple faith my family puts in me, because they know God has gifted me.

They trust in what God does through me; but I don’t trust enough that God is looking out for me. I don’t trust enough that He has my best interests at heart during all the things I go through, good or bad. I’m thinking that I’m running this thing called life with God during the good; and by myself during the not so good. Where do we come up with this stuff?

God isn’t arbitrary in our life. He isn’t there one minute, and gone the next. In his book, “So You Want to Be Like Christ?” Chuck Swindoll talks about how God has not only laid out the course of our life, but He ran it before us through Jesus. And because of that, we have an example of how we should run. Jesus is not just our finish line; He’s not just a completion goal. He’s also an example. He’s the edge we need to win this race called life.

I’m feeling kind of winded this week. The race course seems so long; as well as being all uphill. But, if I give it to Him, and tell Him what needs fixing, He can and will do it. I only have to be prepared to LET Him fix it. And occasionally, His fixing will reveal another error that I didn’t see; it comes with the territory. I have to allow Him to work ALL the kinks out; not just the ones I’m comfortable with at this time.

When I let Him, He is the greatest IT guy around.

Today, right now, He may be trying to work something out in you. He may be trying to straighten out some scrambled code in your life. Or, He may just be preparing you for a new program He’s going to install later on. He has to remove some previous installations in order to ensure there are no conflicts with what He wants to do in your life.

I’ll be honest; it’s not something I like going through either. But man, when the clouds part for just an instant and I see through the glass clearly instead of darkly; well, I know that I know that I know that it will all work out in the end.

I just have to have faith that He is going to fix it. He’s not failed yet. Here, you want a piece of scrap paper to jot an error message down? I’ve got plenty.

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

P.S. For those still wondering; yes, my external hard drive is working. I had a conflict and un-installed, then re-installed the hardware. Amazing huh?

2 Corinthians 11:3 (NKJV)

2007-12-21T06:05:00.000-08:00

2 Corinthians 11:3-“But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

I’m sorry I didn’t write to you last week. I ended up visiting a friend in the hospital, and then one thing lead to another, and you know….chaos happened. I do like it, however, when you ask me if my e-mail was working or if something happened to my computer as you feel that must be the only reason God didn’t have me do something embarrassing for you.

It makes me smile. Something I don’t know that I do a lot of lately.

Part of me wants this to be something in the spirit of the season. I want to write something pointing to Christmas and its importance. I want to write about the Savior and the manger, and the star and all that jazz.

But it wouldn’t be me; it wouldn’t be honest.

Let’s face it; this time of year is no longer simple. We fill it to the brim with so much of what we think this is all about. And I’m not talking about the gifts and the shopping and the commercialism and the continual “Christmas vs. Holiday” wording.

I’m talking about us, as Christians, and our attitudes. We lose sight of this season as well. We lose focus. We make out these grand schemes to touch everyone and do for everyone and feed and clothe and put on plays and have suppers and do service and….everything. We make it hard.

Christ was simple.

Some of you cringed when I put Christ and simple in the same sentence. You think of simple as being slow, or backwards. A simple person to you is one who is, for lack of a better term, stupid. But years ago, to be called simple was a compliment. It meant that you didn’t get caught up in all the crap that the world threw at you. You maintained your integrity and manner in all situations. You were steadfast and immovable.

I’m not simple anymore. I’m complex. And in complex things, you have many factors, like a complex mathematical formula. But just like in a formula, things can go wrong. The more complex the formula, the more that’s available to go wrong. And one small error can magnify itself, like a nuclear chain reaction to enormous proportions.

If you look at our Biblical examples, however, they were simple men and women. They didn’t set out to take over the world; they were just walking and talking with God. A couple of my favorites are Elijah and Isaiah. They are an example, to me, of simple, determined children of God.

Chuck Swindoll, in “So You Want to Be Like Christ?” says it best. He is talking about the example of Paul the apostle and how that should be to us. Our depth should be patterned after him, as his was patterned after Christ. He said, “I want what they had, so that my walk is such that I walk in step whether I feel good or not. Whether I get a yes or no to my prayers, I walk consistently, even when I don’t get my own way.”[1]

How’s that make you feel? Me, it made me realize how complex I have become. You have to take an honest look at your life, as I did mine. Some of you may refuse to acknowledge that you have become a very complex person. I feel sorry for you, because that’s your loss.

The change from simple to complex didn’t happen immediately, either. It was a gradual one; kind of like the old time story of boiling a frog. You don’t put him in boiling water, because he realizes it’s hot and jumps out. Instead, you put him in cold water, and then slowly heat it up around him and he never knows.

Until it’s too late, that is.

Once again, I’m putting myself out there for you. We have made this season into everything it’s not meant to be. We marshal all our resources for this one shot at unsaved people, and in some ways that’s good. But what happens on December 26th?

The story is the same before and after Christmas day. It’s simple because God made it that way. He did that, because He knows the kind of person I am. He knows that if I get a chance, I’ll louse it up by adding my own little twist here and there to just kind of “improve” it and make it better.

It’s simple for a reason.

Now, I need to get back to that reason. So, I have to find the factors in my formula that I don’t need. I need to erase some of the things that don’t add up to a hill of beans in this life. I need to get back to being simple. I need to remember my first love.

When I was simple, I did everything so much better.

I love the little stories we get and stuff that people send to remind them of this season. I won’t be sending them out, because there are enough of you doing that to cover the world. I’m going to keep it simple. If I abide in Him, He’ll abide in me. If I get close to Him, He’ll get close to me.

“But Bo,” some will ask, “what about everyone else? What about all the other people who need to know Him? We’ve got to do this and send this and all that stuff! Don’t you care?”

Jesus Christ encased Himself in our flesh and walked among us for 33 years. He partnered with 12 guys, one of whom was a traitor. And they changed the world. They didn’t have mass mailings, or plays, or anything like that. They simply walked and showed the love of God to everyone they came in contact with on a daily basis.

Look at what they did, from that simple beginning. I’m tired of trying to improve on it; I’m gonna try and get back to walking in the simplicity that He initially showed me.
How about you? Is your life simple or complex? Take an objective step back and see if you are all about filling your life with things and doing, instead of just being.

Jesus has an extra eraser for you, too. He’s got plenty for all of us.

Simplify.

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

[1] Swindoll, Charles R. So, You Want to Be like Christ?, p.16. Nashville: W Publishing Group, 2005.

2 Corinthians 3:5 (NKJV)

2007-12-06T19:46:00.000-08:00

2 Corinthians 3:5 (NKJV)-“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God…”

I want to declare spiritual bankruptcy.

I want to scream it to the heavens, and on the earth. I want to take my life, throw it down, and tell God that I can’t do this anymore. I’m tired of trying on my own, and I want Him to just take it now. I can’t make this work and I’m tired of trying to go on without Him.

I just can’t. You know what else? I’ve watched you, and you can’t do it either. You’re holding on just as tightly as I am to what you used to be. You’re holding on just like me to the patterns and habits of before.

See, I’m circling around the place where I just THINK that I’ve given it over to God. I thought I had given Him my life, and placed myself in proper relationship to Him. I was wrong. See, what I thought I was doing was giving over control, when in actuality I was just giving God a test drive of my life. I was really just allowing Him to get behind the wheel for just a bit. Then, when I got tired of Him driving, I pulled over and took the wheel again. Oh, it’s okay for Him to drive when I feel good about it; but that’s as far as it goes. I keep taking back over for Him, thinking that I’m ready to go this on my own.

I’m not really there yet. I’m not really at the place where I have given Him everything. In my mind, I’ve said, “God, please be Lord over my life.” But in my heart I’ve said, “God, please be Lord over these portions of my life. You can bless me here, here, and here; but the rest of these places are off limits to You.”

We all do it.

I’m really a jerk sometimes. I say things without thinking, with no regard whatsoever for what it does to the person I’m talking to. I read my Bible and study, but on some level that I either can’t find or refuse to see, I still think that it makes me smarter than you and thus able to look down my nose at you.

I’m impatient, uncaring, and coarse; so much so that sometimes I even disgust myself. But it doesn’t stop me from doing it. And then I have the nerve to pretend to God like I’m really sorry I said/did/thought the things I did.

This is the truth. I’m not worthy. I’m writing this because you need to know the truth about me. You need to know the kind of man you’re dealing with here. And you need to know that it’s time for you to be honest with yourself as well.

C. S. Lewis, in his book “Mere Christianity,” says it in a way I like: “It is the change from being confident about our own efforts to the state in which we despair of doing anything for ourselves and leave it to God.”

I have drifted away from my first, true love. I have allowed Pride and Arrogance to replace Humility and Charity (Love). I have forgotten that which brought me to Him in the first place. I have forgotten the feeling when I first realized that I had a hole in my heart that was shaped like God. I cried out to Him and allowed Him to fill it. Then, I turned into a Pharisee. I turned into someone who thought He was better than he really was in life. I forgot my upbringing.

So, here I am now, telling you this. Why? Because it happened to me, so I know it is or can happen to you. We are responsible to each other, as well as to God. He expects each of us to undergird and uplift each other through good times and bad.

Don’t look down on me in shame. Don’t stare at my fall from your high horse. You will find yourself in court one day as well, seeking protection from your own debt load. You’ll come in, looking for understanding and help. You’ll be like me, looking for a judge to hear your bankruptcy case.

When we get to this point though, the fight has really just begun. Now, you have to admit that you can’t do it on your own. You have to say, “My pride debt is too high, God. I can’t afford the payments anymore. I need help.”

You’ll throw yourself on the mercy of the court. And in the midst of it, you’ll see where you did actually do it; that is, declare your spiritual mismanagement to the world. You’ll admit that you’ve been trying to follow God only so far as to be able to still have your way, so you haven’t really been following Him at all.

You’ll see where you have changed and rearranged your priorities, because you have realized they are not priorities at all. You’ll see that nothing matters except what matters to Him; and what matters to Him is you becoming.

This hurts, because it shows weakness. It shows inability to do those things that I am expecting everyone else around me to do. It shows that I too am ready to scream for mercy for myself and justice for everyone else.

But it also means that I’m advancing. I’m progressing beyond what I was before, into what I am now with God’s help. It means that I’m learning what it means to walk with Him and be in Him. It means that I’m learning that it’s okay to be spiritually bankrupt. When I reach the point of least worth of myself, I’m beginning to be of the most worth to God.

I can be the weak one who is used by God; and its okay. Once I admit to Him how truly spent I am, He will open up the treasury of Heaven into my life and pour into me such blessings that I will not have room enough to receive it.

I’m really trying to give it to Him. And sometimes, it’s not the success or failure, but the CONTINUAL TRYING that means I have succeeded. And the best part of it all is that God doesn’t keep it on my record.

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

Psalm 84:10-11 (NKJV)

2007-11-23T08:12:00.000-08:00

Psalm 84:10-11 (NKJV)-“For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the LORD God is a sun and a shield; the LORD will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. “

I told you last week that I’m reading that book by A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy. It’s really amazing to me how such a small book can hold so great an impact on my life. And right now, Randy Riggins is smiling and most likely laughing his head off. If you see him, he’ll probably tell you he owns me, and he’s right.

I have learned so much just using that small book in my daily devotionals. I’m learning that I don’t give God near as much credit in my life as I try and pretend like I do. And I don’t give Him near the PRE-EMINENCE He deserves. Oh, for you who don’t know, that means that we SAY God is supreme with our mouths, but we don’t follow it up with our hearts.

If I could truly grasp for one day, one hour, even one minute how glorious and how gracious God is, it would change my life forever. If I could have the vision that Isaiah had (Isa 6) or Daniel (Dan 10:6-9), I would just KNOW how insignificant I am next to God the Almighty.

Everything flows from God, EVERYTHING. He is my source and my wellspring of life and totality. And each day that I wallow in the pit of despair and sin, I am reminded of how much I need Him and His power in my life.

Why are we content with just going to church on the weekend, and then leaving Him at the door? Why is it that I treat Him like I’m doing Him a favor visiting Him on the weekend and then going out for the rest of the week satisfying my own natural (read: WORDLY) lusts and urges?

The verse above says that a day in His courts is better than a thousand days elsewhere. He will withhold NOTHING from me, if I walk uprightly in Him. If I do what He has asked me to do, and serve Him with gladness of heart, He will keep nothing from me.

But yet and still I find myself walking in my old sins and my old ways. I find the nature side, the old man, rising to the occasion; reminding me of all the good things that I’m missing. He whispers in my ear about all the fun that’s passing me by.

What about you? Did you find yourself full of thankfulness yesterday, on Thanksgiving Day, and then fighting and cursing your fellow man today, Black Friday, the worst shopping day of the year? Are you the same person today that you were yesterday, or even last weekend while you were at church?

Has your vision of God tarnished and faded? Let me tell you something, it’s your vision that has gone dark, not our God. He has not left you, nor forsaken you. But we, through justification of our own thoughts and desires, have turned aside the truth of God for a lie.

God is still the vision of brightness and glory that He was in the Old Testament. He is still the awesome white cloud of glory that leads you by day, and the humbling pillar of fire that leads you by night. He is still the God of heaven and earth.

He is so far above me, that I cannot even fathom it. I can’t even comprehend how above me His glory extends. I should be on my knees, if not physically then mentally, each and every second of every day because I have seen His glory in His word and His world and know that He is the Maker of all things!

I should be glad to be no more than a doorkeeper to the courts of His house, because I am not worthy to stand in His presence because it would cause me to fall on my knees. To be in His presence is to be in the presence of all that I am not and cannot attain to be; I am not holy except that He has extended His Son’s precious blood to me to make me holy.

In light of Him, all else should fade away.

Tozer wrote his commentary on the church’s continued degradation of who God is more than 30 years ago. It still rings true today; now more than ever. We need to get back to the basics of whom we are, and to Whom we belong. I think this book is a burning bush reminder of who our God is, and our proper relationship to Him.

God is speaking to us, reminding us that He is holy, and He calls us to be holy. We should treat God as such, and remember that He is above all things, and we exist only because of Him.

We need to stop asking Him, “What have You done for me lately?”

Let’s be glad when someone says to us let’s go the house of the Lord. Be the best doorkeeper that you can be; the alternative can be far, far worse.

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

Malachi 3:6

2007-11-16T15:31:00.000-08:00

Malachi 3:6-“For I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.”

I’m reading a book by A.W. Tozer right now named, “The Knowledge of the Holy-The Attributes of God: Their Meaning in the Christian Life”. It’s an awesome book, written to correct some wrong thinking of God about Who He is, and how we relate to Him. (Stop laughing at me Randy Riggins; I apologized to you already!)

Each chapter of the book addresses a different characteristic of God. Then, through Scripture, he shows how we think in relation to what that attribute really expresses about God. One of the most recent characteristics of God I just read about deals with His immutability; that is, His characteristic of never, ever changing.

Have you ever thought about what it means to NEVER change? We have no idea what the term NEVER really encompasses. We have absolutely no idea that never really means never, ever, ever, ever; it won’t happen, there is NOTHING that can force this to happen.

God never changes. Heck, I can get up in the morning, have someone speak to me in a way I consider wrong, and my whole attitude is shot for the day. My feelings and desires can change in a heartbeat. But God, He doesn’t change. He doesn’t wake up and not like the way I dress or talk. He doesn’t go to bed mad at me.

He never changes how He looks at me. He loves me. Sometimes, I hurt Him when I tend to do bone-headed things that I know I shouldn’t just because I’m stiff-necked. But through all that, God still loves me.

Why should I be different? Why can’t I look at the people around me and feel the same way? God never changes, but God changed me. He gave me a new leash on life. He washed my filthy rags in the blood of His precious Son, who was without spot or blemish, so that I could enter into His gates. And what do I give Him in return? How do I treat the precious gift of eternal life that has been bestowed upon me?

I put Him into a box. I keep Him there, and I pull Him out when I need/want Him. I pull Him out when I feel like I need to pray, and then shove Him back in when I’m done. I treat Him like a genie in a lamp; rubbing the side when I need a wish. I pull Him out to punish or smack someone around who I feel has hurt me.

I limit Him in my life. Notice, I didn’t say that I limit Him; I said I limit Him in my life. God doesn’t need me. He didn’t create me because He had a Bo shaped hole in His heart that He needed to fill. Scripture doesn’t say that God is complete with me; it says that I am complete in God.

God doesn’t need me; I need Him. God desires that I should grow in Him. He desires me to change and become the new creation that Scripture says I am because of the Holy Spirit in me. However, God’s existence and being is not dependent on me or my fickle feelings.

We need to understand and comply. In his book, Tozer states, “God never changes moods or cools off in His affections or loses enthusiasm.” 1 We’ve already discussed my ability, OUR ability, to change at the drop of a hat.

So, if God doesn’t change, where does that leave me? If one of us has to change, and God doesn’t have to, it seems pretty obvious right? I need to bow my knee to Him, and realize that He is Lord and learn what that REALLY means in my life.

But then, I bow, and I tend to look around and see if anyone else is bowing with me. And when I see that someone isn’t, I feel cheated, especially if they are seemingly getting by with what they are doing. It’s our nature to look around and compare our life to those around us. Heaven forbid if someone else is ahead of us in the game!

God doesn’t care what I see around me, He cares what I see IN ME. He cares that I look inside myself and see the change that needs to come there and allow it to happen. When I get caught up in the stuff on the outside, it muffles and suffocates the changes that need to occur in me.

Does it stop change? I really don’t believe it does, if I am a blood-bought, born-again, sanctified believer. What I do think, is that it makes it the change that is inevitably going to occur that much harder on me to take. Change happens, whether I embrace it openly or have to be dragged through it kicking and screaming like my grandson.

Change happens. God effects change, but change does NOT affect God. He is changeless, so I have a base, a solid foundation to start from in my new life. God wants to make us anew and fresh.

So, I’ll start by trying to turn loose some things in my life that deal with looking at those around me. I’ll try and remember that my circumstances and my surroundings don’t dictate to me my God.

I’m gonna try and change. Who knows, I might like it.

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

P.S. Sorry about this being late. Last week, I went on a field trip to the zoo with one of my daughters. We had a ball! And this week, I had 2 doctor’s appointments, one of which was to the eye doc to get dilated. Oh joy!

1. A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy. HarperCollins, New York, 1961. P. 53.

Matthew 5:43-45

2007-11-02T09:02:00.000-07:00

Matthew 5:43-45-“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

I realize that one is kinda long to memorize, but I think we’d do well to remember it.

Last time I wrote about feeling your pain, and understanding where you are at this point in your life. This week is a continuation of that. See, I’m really feeling it now. It’s hard trying to be someone for God when the world instantly makes you out to be something else entirely.

You want to stand out in a crowd? Be a Christ follower and walk out into the world. You will have an immediate bulls-eye on your back, front, side; wherever the enemy can put one.

We can get labeled and tagged immediately, without even trying. We can do or say one wrong thing and immediately the whole church is on trial and people say that we are the reason they don’t go to church. We can be labeled as the fault and reason for every problem in the world today without even breaking a sweat.

I had a different verse today. I wanted one in which someone asked God to smite their oppressors, and defend them from harm; but that one didn’t feel right. I don’t think those are the kind of feelings God wanted me to harbor today.

See, I know it’s hard to believe, but I’m still being perfected. So, I still make mistakes. Sometimes, people see things they want to see, not because they actually see them, but because it’s easier for them. It happens in your life as well, doesn’t it? We each have our own deal with the world and how it sees us.

Sometimes it keeps me up at night wondering why people can think the things they do about us as Christians. And when you get blindsided by your circumstances, and labeled for your imperfections, it makes it worse.

You begin to wonder why you should even try to reach out to those around you. You begin to stop seeing the merit in being the hands and feet of Christ in your circle of influence. Or worse yet, it causes your circle to decrease in size dramatically.

You don’t want to reach out anymore; you just want to withdraw and leave it to someone else. You want to just disconnect from the rest of the world, take your Christianity, and just go to the house. “It’s not worth it anymore, God,” you state. “I’m tired of trying. I’m not the right person; you need to send someone else to do this, because I just give up.”

We begin to dictate to God how He reaches the world.

So, instead of dictating to God in the loud voice I initially heard to smite the oppressors, I turned my spiritual hearing aid up. I listened to the still, small voice that told me that I am a son of God. I heard the plan from the lips of my Father in heaven that said I have placed you here for such a time as this.

And instead of asking God how much longer this time will be, so I can see the wicked struck down, I asked Him to give me strength to do it one more day.

And tomorrow, I’ll ask Him again; and the next day, and the next, and the next. I’ll just have to keep looking up to Him for my daily strength (bread), and to forgive me, as I forgive those around me.

I have to take it as a learning lesson for something bigger that God has in store for my life. I have to give God a chance to work through bad in my life and bring good out of it, instead of immediately throwing in the towel and looking for the sideline.

It’s football season. Sometimes, you’re having a bang-up year, and beating everyone in your conference. Sometimes, you lose a game here or there. And sometimes, you barely eke out a season to break even. You try not to lose more than you win.

The game is just now coming into the 4^th quarter. Jesus is closer to coming back today than He was yesterday. I’m tired, and I’m beat up. Now the time is at hand for the greatest victory of all. Now is the time to make the greatest effort of all.

Now is the time for our biggest push. If you’ve been knocked down, don’t stay down. There is no shame in being knocked down; only in staying down. There is no shame in falling; only in not getting back on your feet.

The greatest game of your life is still being played. Don’t give up on the Coach now; believe in Him. He already knows the final score.

He’s already told you that you are His most valuable player. He loves you, and would never let the opposing team run up the score on you.

Continue to do good for those around you, even when it seems absolutely insane. Continue to pray for those around you, even when you don’t like them.

Here comes the play; let’s get back out on the field.

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

http://bigdogbo.blogspot.com

1 Corinthians 9:22b-23

2007-10-26T11:26:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 9:22(b)-23-“I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.”

Hey, I just wanted to talk to you for a bit. I wanted to get in writing that I feel your pain, and I understand you’re hurt.

See, I’ve been where you are right now, even if you don’t believe it. In 1996, my wife and I were having issues. Our marriage was close to finished. I was a bad father, and a worse husband. I was mad at the world, and didn’t even understand why.

My wife stuck by me through those times, and I didn’t even realize how much I made her cry until afterwards. She would call her Mom and tell her about our problems, and her Mom taught her to stay in and fight. She helped us and I didn’t even know it.

I was so far away from God, and I couldn’t fathom how I got there. I used to go to work and just wish that something would happen-a wreck, a sickness, anything-to make the pain go away. I wanted to be done with life. I was tired of fighting to be happy; fighting to just stay sane.

One evening, it was particularly bad. My wife and I had argued, and I sent her to bed crying, and my two oldest kids (at the time, they were 8 and 6) as well. I was inflamed at the world and just wanted to be left alone.

I met Jesus that night. He came to me, right where I was at, and told me that He had been watching over me. He told me that He loved me, but He couldn’t rescue me from myself until I surrendered control of my life to Him. He told me that I wasn’t really alone.

He cared.

The next day started a roller coaster ride that has become my life. Some days it’s a suffocating drop from a wild altitude; some, a series of hairpin curves. But always, ALWAYS, my car stays on the rails. I always stay safe.

You feel alone now. You’re hurt, you’re angry; you’re a lot of things that you’re trying not to show right now. You’ve got to be strong, because everyone is looking to you for strength. But you don’t have any, do you?

I want you to know, that I care.

Even if we don’t talk that much, I care. I may not see you every day, but I care. You may not think that anyone knows what you’re going through, but I do, and I care. It hurts to get up some days, I know. I care.

You need to understand that you are not weak alone. You need to understand that you are not scared alone. You need to understand that you are not going through the valley alone. Have you seen the phone commercials on television, with all the network people walking behind the person with the phone?

I’m right there. And not just me, there’s a whole herd of us there following along, behind you and beside you, being your network. You may not know we’re there, but we are.

See, I didn’t know how many people were praying for me, until I came out from under the shadow Satan had cast over my life. I didn’t realize that the lights I saw were not the oncoming trains, but the candles of the believers who surrounded me in my weakness and took it upon themselves to petition God for me.

I’m not telling you this to say that you’re doing something wrong, or that God is punishing you for something. I’m telling you this to let you know that things happen to people just like you and me. I’m telling you this to let you know that love covers a lot, and right now you have a down blanket of love over you.

I’m telling you this, to let you know that I’m here if you need me. I’m sure that you are proud and don’t want to tell people that you are having problems, or you don’t want to seem like a whiner.

I’m here. We’re here. We are whatever you need us to be, in order to help you get through this time in your life. I can be a sounding board, a punching bag, a fireside chat, or a shoulder just to lean on and cry.

I will be whatever you need in order to help you see Jesus.

I don’t need to know anything, other than that you need a friend. We’re here for you when you need us.

I know that you know Jesus loves you. But it’s awful nice sometimes to have a good ole flesh and blood hug every now and then.

Be blessed in the Lord today and always,

Bo J.

Jeremiah 17:7-8

2007-10-19T06:48:00.000-07:00

Jeremiah 17:7-8-“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is in the LORD. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.”

You know what? Sometimes it’s really hard to be me. Sometimes, SOMETIMES, a VERY, VERY, VERY small part of me wishes I didn’t start doing this. I SOMETIMES wish I didn’t have whatever it is that asks me to put myself out like this-baring myself for everyone to see.

It’s been one of those weeks. Not a bad week, just one that you wonder about and ponder the sense of it all.

I work around a lot of people who seem to have it all together. They have all the stuff that I want-the electronics gadgets, the radio controlled this, the HD that…all the stuff. They have their 401(k) and their IRA and their bank account that has more money in it in savings than I make in a month.

They’re getting the deals around town and making the most of their life. They seem to be enjoying everything while I just seem to get by. Then, I really listen to them. I listen to them talk about God. Oh, they believe in God, they just don’t listen to Him.

They believe in God, but they think they’re just being good enough and that is enough. They don’t like RELIGION (neither do I for that matter-I love God), and they definitely don’t want to be reminded about God’s if/then statements in the Bible.

They tell you that their life is going great now, so why should they change? If their life needs to come under God’s protection, how come they got that great deal on furniture/their vehicle/money windfall/whatever?

If you listen, you realize that their belief in God, if they have one, is based on their stuff. And if I take what they say into my heart, and don’t compare it to the Word, I will start leaning toward that as well. I’ll start wondering why I don’t have this or that, these or those. I’ll start wondering and dreaming and thinking that I’m missing something.

But am I? Are we missing something? You know the answer to that as well as I do, yet here we are again.

One of the greatest statements I can hear people say is, “Well, I’m just going to live my life the way I want. You only live once.”

What if you’re wrong? What if our God really is the only way to true happiness and peace? What if God really has a plan for you that doesn’t involve you chasing the next big thing you want in your life?

If I’m wrong, and Christianity is just a crutch, and Jesus really didn’t do all that stuff He said He did, and we’re just living a lie-how am I worse for it? If it makes me try and be better for Him and those around me; to love and think outside of my four walls, am I that bad?

But if those others are wrong, then all they got is stuff now and Hell in the future. And you try and tell them that, but they’re blinded by the noise and shiny things of the world.

So when the heat does come, as it will, and the drought and famine comes, as it will, who is more prepared?

If I know that God is already taking care of me, and I have stood back and seen that, time after time, He lavishes His love on me, the deserts will come and go and I’ll still be blessed.

Those who don’t believe, who don’t have their life centered on God, well, I’m betting they’ll be blaming Him and calling Him a liar and a cheat. “You didn’t give me what I want, so I refuse to believe that You even love me,” they’ll say, even as they can’t show when they appreciated Him before.

Don’t worry, this isn’t for you. It’s for me. I know you don’t have these questions. I know that you don’t look around and sometimes, SOMETIMES, wonder if it’s worth it. You have your salvation firmly in mind, and a good grip on the Lord’ tassels.

Me, I’m still learning. And you know what? I’m not afraid to tell you that. So, if in the dark one night, when you think you’re all alone and no one knows how you feel, maybe you’ll remember this letter. You can understand that one person can sympathize with you. I’m still growing in this walk, and God will finish the work He started. If He’ll do it for me, He’ll do it for you, too.

I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday. On the way home, I was listening to a CD. A song came on that brought tears to my eyes and made me realize that I’m okay. It was the gospel group MaryMary, singing “Dance, Dance, Dance”. I started singing in my truck, because it told me what I needed to know about God. I worshiped on my way home through traffic and had a great time with God.

“Maybe you don’t understand why I gotta dance, there was something had me down but it’s over now. I’m a throw my hands up wave ‘em all the in air, cause all I wanna do is dance, dance, dance!” (Okay, don’t imagine ME singing it. Look ‘em up or I can let you hear the song.)

Anyway, it helped me. You hear all this stuff from the world, and you have to decide Who you believe. I came to the realization that, sooner than I think, I get what I need when I need it. I don’t have to look around, just up. And I’ll know that it’s not about me being right. It’s about Him not being wrong.

Come on; throw your hands in the air with me and dance, dance, dance.

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

1 John 4:19

2007-10-12T06:26:00.000-07:00

1 John 4:19-“We love Him because He first loved us.”

I’m really struggling with writing this today. I had something else I wanted to use, but I got my day started, and this struck me right between the eyes. I wrestle with it, not because I’m scared I’ll offend someone; it’s so vivid to me that I’m wondering if anyone else will get it.

Fridays are my day off now on my schedule. I work 10 hour days, Monday through Thursday. On Fridays, I walk my youngest daughter down to the bus stop and take my wife to work and other things that I’m assigned.

Today, as my youngest and I started down the street toward the bus stop, we had a surprise waiting for us. It kind of startled my daughter, as she almost walked right up on it.

It was a small grey kitten. It was right in the middle of the road, and it looked like it had been struck partially by a car. (Please understand I know that this will tear some people up. It affected me. I’m not telling you this for the shock value.) The kitten looked in bad shape. It was bleeding from the mouth, and it was dazed and confused.

I didn’t want to risk picking it up and hurting it even more. When the light from my flashlight hit it, it immediately started hissing and crawling around the street. We used the light to guide it onto the curb and into the yard. Right now, as I write this, it’s in my next door neighbor’s yard, beneath one of her trees.

I want to try and catch it and get it help. But it’s so tiny and I don’t know how to do it without hurting it more. She called animal control this morning, and they said they would come pick it up, but it’s been a while, and we haven’t heard from anyone yet.

It bothers me; it really does. The little kitten is a miniature version of my cat. It has the same coloration and markings, everything. I hate sitting here knowing that it’s out there and cold and alone.

Some of you are probably envisioning that kitten right now. Some of you are probably wondering why I’m in here writing this instead of taking care of it. You think I’m cruel and heartless for using this kitten for God knows what of my own purposes.

Let me ask you this then, and answer honestly. How many of you have people that you go to school with, or go to work with every day? How many of us see that person in the halls that everyone else has abandoned to the world, because they just got to be too much trouble? How many of us see that person that we work with that may shy away from someone because he or she has been hurt so many times before by people?

How many of you can love a poor little kitten that you walk up on, and you have people around you who are in the same broken, bleeding, and dying condition and you turn your back on them because you don’t feel like doing something? You can feel for that kitten that I saw this morning, but you can be dead inside to the people around you dying and going to Hell?

I’m crying now, it’s getting hard to type this. See, we all do it. We all forget that once we were unloved, broken, and cast off. The world used a lot of us up and spit us out like yesterday’s news. We were out in the street, waiting for the end to come and just make the pain go away.

But Someone came along, and shined a light on you. He saw you and had compassion on you in your circumstances. He knew that you needed a Doctor, a Lawyer, a Friend, a Husband, a Wife, whatever you needed. He came down from His house, and took it upon Himself to stand watch over you. He kept you warm and dry, and He cried whenever your pain was so great that it caused you to shy away from His loving touch.

He loved us, not because we did anything to deserve it; but just because it’s His nature to love. And in return, we learn to love Him back. But it doesn’t and shouldn’t just stop there. We should learn to love outside of ourselves. We should want those who don’t know the love and care that we feel now to feel it themselves.

We should love the broken, bleeding, cast off refuse of the world; that’s what Jesus did when He died for us all. He loved everyone, and He didn’t make a snap judgment that not everyone was worthy. I’ve heard it said, and have said it myself, and it bears repeating. I believe that even if it was ONE SINGLE SOLITARY PERSON who was going to die and go to Hell, Jesus would have laid down His life for that person.

One man, one life-given for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Please understand I don’t have this down myself. I’m STILL learning this walk. I’m still under construction. And I’ll be honest, I’ve written all this, and I don’t know quite where to go from here. But I’m going to trust in my God and His work in me. I’m going to believe that He who has started a good work in me will complete it.

I’m going to try and love, because He loves me. I’m going to try and be more compassionate to the kittens (people) who have been struck by life and left in the middle of the street for traffic.

I’m gonna go now, and see if I can somehow coax that kitten I found this morning into a cat carrier and take it to my vet. I want to see if I can get it some help. My wife and daughters may come home today, and we have yet another pet cat. And we’re not even cat people; we love and want a dog!

But it would sure be a good reminder of God’s love for me and my household. It would remind me that no one is too broken or beyond God.

You were worth it to Him. Who is worth it to you?

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

James 2:13

2007-10-05T17:53:00.000-07:00

James 2:13-“For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment."

I have been going around today, trying to figure out how to put into words how I felt today. I think what is going on in my heart is something centering around the term entitlements.

Now, I know some of the students are scratching their heads right now, thinking to themselves, “What the heck are entitlements?” Instead of instructing you to look it up in a dictionary, and getting a blank stare, I’ll help you out.

Entitlement-a right to a benefit that is granted by a law or a contract.

That verse above speaks to me about entitlement-my right to have my way, my desires, and my wants, regardless of what it does to others. I feel like I am OWED something because I’m so smart, or so intelligent, or a good provider for my kids or whatever else my warped, twisted mind can come up with to justify my feeling.

In other words, God OWES me something, and when things don’t go my way, it’s obvious that He doesn’t understand our relationship. He doesn’t understand that inside I’m a good person, and I mean well. Everyone else needs help, but I’m okay. I’m as good as I need to be to pass.

In my job, we sometimes have to take tests on various subjects. The minimum score you need to pass is 80 out of 100. There is a saying there that “80=100”. That means you only have to try hard enough to get the minimum. Anything else is overkill.

How many times has our walk with God echoed that sentiment? How many times have you shorted God on quiet times, or tithing, or anything else? How many times have you looked at the Almighty and told Him, “You know what God, 80 percent is passing. That’s good enough; You should be happy with that.”

When you see it written down here, you realize how absurd it looks. But, how many of you can look back on your life recently and realize that you’re giving God the bare minimum? You’re giving Him just enough to make YOU feel good; and to put God in YOUR debt.

That’s not the way it works. God is not indebted to me for anything. That statement is so important, that I’m going to give it to you again.

GOD IS NOT INDEBTED TO ME, OR YOU, FOR ANYTHING.

We don’t hold anything over God’s head. We aren’t entitled to anything just because we did something around the spiritual house today, and want God to reward us for it. Salvation doesn’t work like that at all.

Remember, God could have left us right where we were in our lives. Jesus could have come down from that Cross, or worse yet, never even allowed Himself to be placed there in the first place. We could have to try and get into Heaven on our own merits.

Yeah, let me know how that’s working out for ya.

God had mercy on us. He could have tossed us in the ole judgment box, but Jesus had compassion on us and God showered us with His grace and mercy. It’s a shame that we forget that and want mercy for us, and justice for everyone else.

We want what we want, because we feel like we’re entitled to it. We don’t want to be told that we are learning a lesson, or being made more like Christ every day. We want our due NOW and we’ll throw a tantrum to get it.

The funny thing about it though, is that sometimes, when you throw a tantrum, the adult of the relationship has no choice but to show you the error of your ways. Sometimes, you get disciplined.

Did you notice how close the word discipline is to the word disciple? As a disciple of Jesus, sometimes I forget that I need to be disciplined. And it’s not always a bad thing to be disciplined. It just gets that way when I choose to exercise my entitlement gear and forget that I’m not owed anything.

Then, God cracks His knuckles and gears up. He loves me too much to allow me to keep this attitude. He loves you too much, as well.

So let me ask you this-do you hear the still, small voice in your quiet times disciplining you for your good, or do you hear the familiar “swoosh” of a wood switch branch in your ear ready to teach you how much you don’t want to know about entitlement?

As for me, I hope one day to get tired of not being able to sit down. Help me God, to learn to be more like You, and less like me.

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

Isaiah 57:21

2007-09-28T08:09:00.000-07:00

You know, we sometimes don’t give young people enough credit for the things they say and do. We hear what they say, but we don’t LISTEN to what they are telling us.

I have been really impressed with the senior guys we deal with on Wednesday nights at church, as well as the guys I’m mentoring on Monday nights. They have some really startling views on life that really voice what goes on in my heart.

One thing we’ve all been wrestling with lately is the seeming fact that, as Christians, we always seem to be behind the eight ball. By that I mean it seems like there is always something going on in our lives that keeps us knocked around and off balance. Just when it seems like things are starting to go well, WHAM! And we’re bouncing off the walls again from a ricochet shot.

The problem lies in what goes on around us. In my life, I work with many people who talk of going to church, but don’t lead the life or the walk that God has for us. And you can always tell them, because they justify their lifestyle by saying that they go to church and they don’t steal/kill/etc. from other people.

Or you have the adults/youth that you are around who don’t even acknowledge the role that Jesus played in giving them salvation. They ignore God’s greatest gift to them, because they just don’t see a reason to follow Christ. They don’t see what they’ll get out of it, or they simply don’t care. Christians, to them, are just hypocritical bigots who are only after one thing-their money.

It’s hard sometimes when you are going through your life and it seems to be the unending roar of one thing after another rolling over you. And you look up to see those who aren’t allowing Jesus into their lives just having the time of their lives; joking, laughing, having everything they need in life. It’s hard as an adult and as a teen.

It’s harder when someone tells you that you need to have a mindset on things above and not things down here; especially since you are LIVING down HERE right now. You know in your heart of hearts that God is in control and that you shouldn’t worry about those who seem to get by, but it hurts nonetheless.

How do you get by? Spending time in God’s word and seeing Him manifest it in your life.

I ran across a verse in Isaiah recently during one of my quiet times. It’s a short verse, but it spoke volumes to me. It’s powerful to me, because of its simplicity.

Isaiah 57:21-“’There is no peace,’ says my God, ‘for the wicked.’”

Don’t worry, Bo, their time is coming. One day they will stand before God, just like I will. If they have accepted His offer of grace (God’s unmerited, undeserved favor-Him doing for me what I couldn’t do on my own) and salvation, then they will be saved.
However, if they have not, it’s the beginning of a completely different life for them; one of pain, heartache, torture, and ultimate loss. See, it’s up to us to remember that we have lost the world, but gained our soul. The finite time we have here on this ball of dirt will not compare to the infinity we will have with the Father and Son and Holy Spirit in Heaven.

We have so much to look forward to, and yet we keep looking back. It’s our nature, and we have to die to it daily. Sometimes, you have to die to it by the hour, minute, or even second. But it’s a process that, as you go through it, gets easier to accomplish.

See, as you die to this world daily, the space in your heart that was filled with those things of the world gets to be filled with those things from above. That’s what is so important about having quiet times with God. Their not so you can mark it off on some heavenly to-do list. It’s so you can get closer and closer to the Savior and allow more and more of Him to shine through your life.

Then, when your friends or co-workers or the person you meet by God’s design comes along and sees all this stuff happening to you, they get to wondering why you have this silly grin on your face.

“Why are you smiling?” they may ask you. “Don’t you see what’s happening in your life?”

And you can reply, “Yep, I sure do. Ain’t God great? He’s the Lord of my life now, so all this stuff that I’m going through is His responsibility now. I don’t have to worry about a thing.”

I didn’t say it would be easy. But one day, when we see through the smoke and fog and deceptions that the enemy has placed in our lives, we’ll realize that it was all a plot to make us better than what we were originally.

Ain’t God great? He’s the Lord of my life now, so I don’t have to worry about anything.

Wanna meet Him? I can show you the way.

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

Lamentations 3:22-23

2007-09-14T06:59:00.000-07:00

Lamentations 3:22-23-“Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”

I’m glad His faithfulness is great. I’m also glad His compassions don’t fail….unlike mine. I’m glad that God’s compassion and caring isn’t as fleeting as the wind like mine. I’m glad that God cares about me doesn’t just snap His fingers on my existence.

He’s faithful. He’s compassionate. You’ll notice how short those sentences are compared to what we could write about ourselves. I’m faithful---as long as all is going my way. I’m compassionate---as long as you’re doing what I want you to do.

I care about you as long as it fits in with my plans and desires. Otherwise, you’re just a speedbump on the road of life to me.

Oh, don’t worry. I know that you all are way better than me at this. I wish I was as spiritually grounded as you. I wish that I could scrape some of you off onto me and get it to grow. I wish I knew how to be as close to God as you.

I mean, I don’t see you having any problems or anything in your life. Everything is going swimmingly with you. You’re children are perfect; you have friends and they all look up to you. You have all that God desires you to have, and more. You are the person I look up to and model.

What? What do you mean, “You don’t have it altogether”? But, I mean, look at my life compared to yours. You can do what you want whenever you want. You don’t have a care in the world, just staying in there close to God.

You don’t say the wrong thing to those around you. You don’t hurt anyone close to you. You make everyone around you feel so warm and worthwhile. It’s a great example.

I mean, I just don’t feel like I’m on top of the world today. I don’t FEEL like a Christian today. I just feel like I’m wandering around in a daze trying to make it. I can’t feel anything; I’m just numb.

Wait, you feel that way too? No way; I didn’t think anything affected you. I thought you were a rock. I love the example that you set……

You thought that way about me? I helped you to realize that God loves you and His compassions are always around you. I helped you to realize that sometimes we all go through things and don’t feel or look or act like we have God in our lives.

I did? But when? I don’t remember doing that. Okay, if you say so, but I don’t know. I’m not always a great person. I’ll be honest, sometimes, I don’t know what else to do but curl up in God’s lap and cry. Not all the time, mind you.

I want to shut out the world and everything that happens to me, and just get away from it all. Then, I feel the rain.

Then I realize it’s not rain. They’re tears being shed for me. It’s Someone whose compassion for me never fails. He never leaves me nor forsakes me. And when I’m curled up in His lap, fast asleep, He’s whispering in my ear how much He loves me.

And He’s crying tears of compassion for me in my hurt and pain. He loves me and you and you and you. He loves us all and wants us to know that joy comes anew each day. No matter what happens to you this day, it will still have the same number of seconds, minutes, and hours in it.

And it will end, and a new one will begin. When the new one begins, He’ll be right there, to help you up and get you started.

So don’t worry about what is trying to eat you alive today; God’s mercies are new and they protect you. There is nothing that can get through His hands to you.

Let’s do this together. Let’s try and let Him mold us into what He’d like us to be today. No matter how He wants to use us. Let’s be the hands and feet of God today; even if we don’t feel like it.

It couldn’t hurt.

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

Deuteronomy 28:1

2007-09-07T08:42:00.000-07:00

Deuteronomy 28:1-“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.”

Ding! Ding! Ding! School’s in session. Let’s turn in our books to our math lesson for the day. I love mathematics. The ability to use numbers and logic to explain concepts just floors me. I use math every day and I love it.

I know there are some of you out there who think I’m nuts, and that’s okay. This will be an easy lesson, I promise. I think this is a great way to put in simple terms what MY revelation has been lately about God.

Now, I know that numbers and mathematical expressions are finite and our God is an infinite being. Bear with me for just a bit while I explain. See, numbers, for all their differences, and size and the way they are represented are still numbers.

2+2=4. That’s a true statement, right? No matter where I am in the world, that statement holds true. It doesn’t matter whether or not I’m in North America, or Europe, or Africa, or anywhere else….the mathematical statement 2+2 always equals 4.

It also doesn’t matter what I believe about God, does it? No matter how I believe or what I believe about God, 2+2 still is equal to 4. It’s an absolute value. Now, man in his wisdom and mathematical prowess has invented imaginary numbers, but look at the name…IMAGINARY. They are NOT real. They are representations of an idea that we can’t quite grasp. So it’s shown as an imaginary value.

2+2=4.

God is like that, as well. God is an ABSOLUTE value. No matter what anyone thinks of Him, or how they try and prove or disprove Him, it doesn’t matter. He’s still an absolute value. He’s a standard that we cannot move.

I think that people base their beliefs in God on three different mathematical principles. Now, there are LOADS of math statements out there, but I only want to concentrate on three easy ones.

The first is addition. See, some like to believe that God’s whole purpose is to keep adding into their life. They don’t ever feel like they have to give or do, they just take and take and take some more. They feel like they are entitled to this lifestyle and demand that God continue to add to their total. Nothing is too good for them, and God wants them to have everything, regardless of their walk with Him.

The next is subtraction. There are those who feel that once they give their life to God, they have made it into Heaven. Nevertheless, God wants them to suffer and grovel and generally just subjugate themselves daily. They are never going to get anything because they are not good enough. And if they do get anything, it’s only a matter of time before God takes it away, because that’s just what He does.

The last one is a kind of neat statement that we have been talking about a lot lately in church and in my life. It’s called an if/then statement.

See, an if/then statement uses the inherent facts that numbers are absolute values. It shows that, no matter how convoluted a formula becomes, it still has to follow some basic rules. An if/ then statement tells me that IF I add the numbers 2 and 2, THEN I will get 4. Always, forever, until the end of time.

Now, mathematics and all the other laws derived from it are based on standards that God put in place when He created the Universe. So, the only one who can change the rules is Him. But if He changed the rules, then would He still be absolute? Would He still be an immovable standard that you could measure your life by? Would He still be the Rock?

I believe my God is an if/then kind of God. See, He tells me in Deuteronomy 28 that IF I follow His commandments and do what is right in His sight, THEN He will set me high above the nations of the earth. He will give me blessing upon blessing upon blessing.

I get blessed because I do what God asks me to do. I fulfill the part on the left side of the equation, and the right side of the equation gets fulfilled in my life. I am not blessed because I deserve it. I ‘m blessed because if I do my part, then God, Who is absolute, has to do His part in order to balance out the equation.

And no, I am NOT saying that He owes me. I’m saying that He is truthful and keeps His promises in Scripture. Don’t get the two confused. We are NOT entitled to anything God doesn’t promise us in Scripture. Don’t start naming and claiming everything under the sun just because it’s what YOU want for you life. Line it up with the Word of God!

One more thing; the first half of that chapter tells us the blessings that we will walk in if we follow God’s commandments. The second half details the other part of if/then statements that we don’t like.

See, with addition and subtraction, we don’t have to think about anything outside of that statement. With if/then, there are two sides to the coin. It covers what happens if you conform to the “if” conditions, AND what can happen if you DON’T conform to those conditions. The second half of Deut 28 pretty much reads like a horror novel. I don’t even want to go there.

So, which statement conforms to your life right now? We can all be any statement at any point in our life. That’s why God gave us the Book to take home and study, so we can be ready for the ultimate test. It’s just one question; pass or fail.

Do you have Him, or not? Is He Lord of your life, or just a way to get stuff?

Class is dismissed. Be blessed in the Lord today.

Bo J.

Psalm 116

2007-08-31T06:58:00.000-07:00

Psalm 116

Yep, that’s it for today. That’s what I’m giving to you, the whole Psalm.

I tried to find the perfect verse to tell you how I feel today, but I couldn’t. I could not pick out one verse to give you. So, I’ll give you a little homework for this week: find your own in that beautiful poem to God.

I want you to know something. I love God. I want so much to just follow Him and do what He asks of me. I want so much to just BE in Him. Do you understand where I’m coming from?

I think I’ve told you before that initially I started this after a request from my adult small group. Now, it’s just taken on a life of its own. God has used my shortcomings, twists and turns in life to help you on your way. And I have had to learn a little humility in return.

And you know what? I don’t care.

I pour out my feelings here, not because I want your pity, or your sympathy. I pour out from my own life, so that YOU will know that you are not alone. YOU are not the only one who has things happening in their life. YOU are not walking along with no one to empathize for your pain.

Oh, we all have different pains, to be sure. But each of us has an ultimate goal of reaching for the prize of the upward calling in Christ Jesus. I can’t help but think of Paul the Apostle. He wrote all those letters, and he exposed his own troubles and perils in life. He wrote about what happened; who made him mad, and who made him joyful.

He wrote about his life, so we could imitate him as he imitated Christ.

But I’m not Paul. I’m Bo.

And Bo wants you to know that he loves you. Bo wants you to realize that in this Christian walk, you are going to do some things you regret. You are going to say some things you wish you could take back again. You are going to fall occasionally.

He wants you to know, however, that this life you live is not your own. We were bought at a very high price. We literally cost Someone’s life to redeem us from what we were, to what we can be.

My wife and I have been thanking God a lot these past couple of weeks in our corporate (together) prayer. We have been telling Him thanks for things we haven’t seen yet, because of what we HAVE seen.

And we figured out, once again, that everything outside of God is just noise. We are together and strong. We are fighting a culture that demands immediate satisfaction. We are fighting a world that screams to get yours, and if you don’t go somewhere else until you do get it. We are fighting an environment that tells you how easy it is to just move on if others disappoint you or hurt you. You don’t have to put up with it, or pray through it; life is about you and what you get out of it.

But it’s really not. Your life is all about God and glorifying Him through what you say, think, and do. Your life; my life; our lives are about showing the way.

If I told you that once you got saved, everything would go okay in your life, I wouldn’t be honest. That’s why there are books all over the place about how bad things happen to good people.

The Bible is full of stories like those. So why should my life be any different? Why should I try and sugarcoat my life, and make you believe everything is a bed of roses, when it may not always be true? Why not be truthful about what I’m going through and how I’m feeling?

It helps you when you are going through it. It lets you know that there are some things in your life that are just noise as well. It lets you know that no matter what the world says or throws at you, you have a hope and a future that is not here.

This life is not the end of your commentary. God is continually writing the story of your life and my life. Sometimes things go swimmingly, and you are having a ball. And sometimes, it’s a mystery, or a horror story with sickening twists and turns.

However it is right now, you can be sure that it won’t last forever. And I’ll remind you that God has already written the end of our book. He’s already chaptered the story of our lives.

In the end, we win. Not on our own; but in the power of the Holy Spirit working in our lives because of the sacrifice of God’s Son Jesus.

I’ll continue to tell you my heart because you deserve to know that God is in control and He always redeems my life back to Him. And He will do the same in your life if you will let Him.

Be blessed in the Lord today.

Bo J.

Psalm 23:4-5

2007-08-24T08:01:00.000-07:00

Psalm 23:4-5-“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me, Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil, my cup runs over.”

I have somehow found myself in a restaurant. I’m seated at a table, and I look around. There are people, things, entities all around me, and they do not have my best interests at heart. They are making it plain that they are there for one purpose and one purpose alone-to make me hurt. They are there to make me pay.

I’m terrified. First, I don’t know how I got to this place, much less where this place is. Second, all these things want to do is tear me limb from limb. And I’m trapped. I’ve got no place to go. I’m frantically thinking of ways of escape….

“Sir, have you decided what you would like to order yet?” The Waiter’s question snaps me out of my panic. I look at Him dumbfounded. Does He not see the people around? Doesn’t He realize what is going to happen? These things don’t care who’s around; they are going to do EXACTLY what they want to me, regardless of where I’m at.

“There are some very delicious items on the menu today,” He goes on. I’m barely listening. It’s kind of out there in left field. I’m sitting in a restaurant, with killers all around, and a Man wants me to EAT?

“Uh, I’m not really hungry right now,” I stutter out. I’m thinking, if You really wanted to help me, You’d go and call the authorities. “Oh, but you look like you’ve been running for quite a while. You must be starving,” He tells me. “Look,” I say, “I appreciate it, but I really don’t think that sitting down for a meal right now is in my best interests, if you know what I mean!” I look around at the assorted characters and the weapons being shown to me with the intention of causing me great pain and sorrow.

“But sir, you really must eat. Allow Me the liberty of serving you,” And with that, a stream of food begins arriving at my table. A variety of dishes and the smells….oh, my mouth begins to water. Every good food that I love is being set before me on the table. My Waiter begins to urge me to eat. Each time I start to pick at the food, however, one of the demons makes a noise or hisses at me, drawing my attention back to them.

And I begin thinking again of how unreal this situation is to me. I can’t just sit here and eat, I have to try and get away; I need to get out of here. “Sir, you really must try this,” my Server tells me. He shoves a forkful of something in my mouth that just simply explodes my taste buds.

I can’t do this. It’s too hard. “Bo, it’s alright. Don’t worry about it. Everything is under control; you just enjoy your meal.” The Server is trying to calm me down. It’s then that I look at Him and realize what He just said. “How do you know my name?”

“I’ve always known you. You and I go way back. I care about you more than you know. I put this entire meal together just for you. I hope you are enjoying it.” Now, I’m really going off the deep end. I look at Him, and I ask, “Do you not see all the things around here? Do you know what they are going to do to me?”

He looks around at them, and says, “They aren’t as tough as you think they are. Trust Me.” He must be crazy; I must be crazy. This whole thing is nuts.

I get ready to get up, to make a run for it. He looks at me with this gaze; it feels like it pierces me to my soul. “You could tell them to go away, you know.” I look at Him, eyes wide open. “Tell them to go away? What am I supposed to do, go over and just demand that they leave? They’ll cut me to ribbons!”

“No, they won’t. I promise you they won’t. You’re under My protection. They are here to make you think you’re alone in this. But you’re not. I’ve got your back.” I look at Him, and then I notice how the thugs act whenever He gets near to one of them. “Look, maybe You can do that. This is Your place, but me, I’m just passing through. They’ll wait on me to leave, and then its lights out!”

The Server only smiles. He tells me, “Watch this.” And with that, He goes over to a table with a huge character seated at it, sharpening a wicked looking knife. As He approaches, the thug’s face changes. My Server leans onto the table, looks him straight in the eyes, and calmly says, “This is My place. You have no right to be here. You need to leave now.”

He almost broke his neck trying to get out of that booth and out of the restaurant. It was kind of funny. The Server came back over to me and said, “See, it’s easy. Now, you try it.”

Huh? You want me to what? “What do I do?” I ask. He looks at me and says, “I’ve given you an example. Just do what I did. Believe in Me, and the authority I’m giving you and you can do it.”

I think to myself, “Well, I might as well get this over with.” I approach a table where a rather small looking demon thug is seated. “Ahem,” I hear. It’s the Server. He looks at me, “Not that table, that one.” The one with the huge, hulking mountain of a thing seated at it. He’s enormous. I can’t do this.

“Trust Me,” I hear. So I walk over, and I see the others getting ready; they are seeing a bloodbath-mine. I stand in front of him, and in a meek voice, I say, “Could you please go now?” From behind me, I hear, “Don’t ask him, tell him. I have given you all authority to do this.”

The demon laughs in my face. “What did you say, little man?” I take a deep breath, and stand up straight. I look him square in the eye, and say, “I told you that this is not your place, you can’t touch me here. You need to get out because He told me that I don’t need to put up with you. So get out NOW!”

He trampled over several of his buddies getting out of there. I’m standing there with my mouth wide open. As I watch, more of his other friends are slinking out. They realize something has changed in me. Then, I start chasing them out.

It’s quiet.

And then, I begin laughing. I can’t believe what happened here today. I look at my Server, and I begin to cry. I don’t know what else to do. He holds me close and hugs me. His staff is crying as well. I look and everyone is looking at me proudly.

Then, He turns my head back to look at me. He tells me, “I didn’t come to be served, but to serve. I gave My life for you.” “What can I do to repay you?” I ask. He says, “Can you help Me here? We have lots of people who come here needing to be served, but we don’t have enough workers. Can you work for Me? The benefits are out of this world.”

I smile, and I think of what this could be like. “Okay,” I tell Him, “I’ll do it.” All of a sudden, I’m clothed in a fresh, white uniform. I’m scared again. “What if I stain it?” “It’s okay,” He says, “I’ll take care of that too. You’ll make a mistake or two, but I’ll always be here. Just let me know when you fall and get a stain on it, and I’ll clean it right up for you.”

Wow, that’s just…cool. Guess I better get to work.

Can I take your order? This place has the BEST food. And let me tell you about the Man I work for….

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

Mark 9:23

2007-08-18T19:04:00.000-07:00

Mark 9:23-“Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.’”

This passage is in the context of a larger story about a healing. A father has brought his son to Jesus’ disciples for healing, as he is possessed by a demonic spirit. The spirit throws the boy into peril and harm at every opportunity. It tortures the poor boy, and in turn, throws turmoil into the family’s life.

The disciples tried unsuccessfully to cast the spirit out of the child. Jesus tells the father that if he can believe, all things are possible. Therefore, if the man believes that Jesus can do this, Jesus will do it. He wants to heal the man’s son, but the healing results from an act of faith in the father that Jesus can do it.

He gives Jesus a far more appropriate, and honest, response than I think that I would have given Him in the same circumstances.

That’s been the prayer of our heart lately. We have had our world pretty much turned upside down the last 3 weeks or so. It seems like whenever we get our footing, the ground shakes or the next wave comes and crashes down upon us. But this verse, in the context of this story, has spoken to me all this time.

I mean, look at it. It seems like there is something wrong in it. The man is telling Jesus that he believes, but he wants Him to help his disbelief. He agrees that Jesus can heal his son, and knows He wants to do it, but a part of him still has a problem.

Where are you at in your life? Are you like Paul the apostle? Are you looking at every opportunity, good or bad, as one to demonstrate God’s love and Jesus’ power in your life? Or are you like the father who believes and refuses to live with his disbelief?

Or are you like me, and wondering where the next stop is on this train, because you’re tired of this ride and you want to get off?

See, it seems that I’ve forgotten life is a dress rehearsal for glory. God is perfecting me here and now, growing my character into Him more and more. He’s telling me, “I know you believe in Me, but I’m going to remove every last bit of unbelief.”

I’ll admit I get caught up in life a lot. I fall and miss the mark. Sometimes, I want to be able to worry about the finances and the kids and the vehicles and how am I going to get this and pay this and do this and make this work and…and…and….I have no idea why.

I don’t know why I want to obsess over those things, but I know I do. Sometimes, I don’t want to pray for someone else’s needs, because the things I’m going through seem so insurmountable. God wants me to focus on my brothers and sisters in Christ, but I’m having a hard time focusing past the hammer coming down on me NOW!

I admit it; sometimes I want to be selfish. I want to put my needs and my problems on the altar and not worry about anyone else. I want everyone else to go on hold and God just concentrate on this for me.

Then, I hear the voice of the father. And he is on his knees, begging the Healer to free his son from bondage to this evil spirit. And I begin to wonder about the other people who were around and had their own problems. I see those who looked down on the man, as if to tell him that his problems are because of some sin in his life.

I see a man who believes and wants his son healed. And I see that my life isn’t really about me, it’s about being an arrow to the One. I’m supposed to point the way; be a light in the darkness. I’m supposed to take up my cross and follow Him daily, because it’s the right thing to do. I’m supposed to grow in fear of the Lord, and in His knowledge.

Lord, I believe. Please, please help my unbelief. Help me to see Your hands moving behind the scenes; taking care of me in ways I can’t possibly fathom. Help me to see that you are creating in me a character and a heart like Your Son. I am growing and prospering in You. Help me to see that You have my life in hand, so that I can go and give it to others.

Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.

Be blessed in the Lord,

Bo J.

Psalm 19:14

2007-08-10T13:03:00.000-07:00

Psalm 19:14-“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.”

Do you understand what the word REDEEMED means? Do you understand what is included when we use that term? I wonder if any of us REALLY think about what redemption truly means.

Do you realize that forgiveness is not just some passing fad that God is REQUIRED to do? He is God; the Creator of the ENTIRE Universe. All of it, every iota, quark, muon, gluon, and subatomic particle came into being because He willed it.

Redemption and forgiveness are MORE than just words or concepts. It’s realizing that the same person who created the Universe so it would operate just so, made a provision for us in our humanity. Redemption is not a way for the church to keep us feeling guilty and ashamed and wringing money from our pockets.

Redemption means that someone who DIDN’T have to do so cleaned you up and accepted you as His own. It means that you and I have been accepted into a royal family.

I realized today (actually this week) that I have spent so much time telling God what I don’t have, that I forgot to tell Him what I do have and thank Him for what He has already given me.

And, unlike me, He still loves me for me and does everything He can to bless me. You know what I mean, right? For us, if someone doesn’t acknowledge what you do for them, we can hold a grudge. If someone continually came to me like I come to God, I would get tired of it and not do anything else for them.

I’d stop answering my phone, and I wouldn’t respond to their e-mails. I would avoid them at all costs and duck down the other aisle if I saw them in the store. If I saw them in church, I’d make excuses about who I had to go talk to, or act like I was really busy and had to leave.

But God doesn’t do any of that stuff. He just holds me. He takes my petty wants and desires and changes me so that they don’t much matter. And He doesn’t do it in some heavy-handed way. He just lets me turn off my selfishness on my own, by gently pointing it out to me.

Wow, I wish I could be more like that. I wish that the words that I spoke reflected more love for what He has done for me, instead of reminding Him of what He hasn’t given me yet. I wish that I could be more devoted to Him in my heart no matter what, instead of just when things are going well in my life.

Hey, you know what? It’s happening. Gee, I guess if I just let Him change me, and stop trying to do it on my own, maybe it’ll go smoother.

You tell me.

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

Habakkuk 3:17-19

2007-08-04T19:04:00.000-07:00

Habakkuk 3:17-19- “Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls-yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills.”

Boy, isn’t that some strong language? How many of you while you were reading that were thinking to yourself, “You know God, that’s all well and good. But You just don’t understand what I’M going through right now.”? Come on, be honest with yourself.

Things like this hit us right where it hurts. I know it’s hit me and my wife. This has been that kind of week. And I know my Pastor talked about it as well. We all have them as Christians. It’s the kind of week where you just want to look up at God and go, “Why me? Why is it always me?”

But you know what, it’s not always us. My week got placed into perspective for me-again. We’ve had a problem with our bank, and now we’re fighting to get some money that was removed in the blink of an eye, back in a timely manner.

And then my 75 year old grandmother fell at her home this past Sunday. She’s in the hospital; but she’s okay.

And then, I had a scare with cancer this week. I’ll not go into it, but I’m okay. I’m sure I’ll get yelled at from my boys about that one.

“So Bo,” you ask, “What did God do to place your week in perspective?” Well, I’ll tell you.

I didn’t bury one of my children this past week.

Ouch. That hurts, doesn’t it?

A guy who came to our small group passed away on Monday as a result of a car accident. I went to the visitation on Thursday with Matt Grimes. There is nothing like that to put your life in sharp focus. As a gentleman told me tonight (thanks Parker), all that stuff I’ve been going through is just noise.

We all have things; lots of things. But does anything negate the goodness of God? Does any of the stuff that I am going through right now mean that God is not on the throne of Heaven? Does it mean that God has left me to my own devices when I am going through tribulations?

Nope, not at all. And it’s the same in your life, as well. I am saved and being sanctified. I am a blood bought, born-again, saint of the Most High God Almighty. I am a child of God. I am an heir to the Kingdom. My daddy is now God, and He can beat up any daddy around.

Look around at your life. Better yet, look at someone else’s. It’s always a good bet that when you are getting wrapped up and worried about this bill, or that car, or that account-if your circumstances are starting to worry you, then you’ve forgotten about those around you.

You’ve become selfish and self-centered. You’ve forgotten about the wonderful gift of salvation that was bestowed upon you. You’ve forgotten that the Bible says that you are a pilgrim and a stranger in this world. You’ve forgotten that once you get saved, your home is no longer here on this ball of dirt. When you go home, it’s a mansion in Heaven. If all this stuff down here kills you, you get to go immediately into the presence of the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

I forgot for a time this week; so did my wife. But we came together, and we prayed, and we reminded ourselves that no matter what kind of mess we got ourselves into, God has always managed to get us out of it.

He’s NEVER left us, nor forsaken us.

How about you? Can you tell me HONESTLY one time that God has truly left you hanging out in the breeze? I doubt it; stop trying to find one.

Look up again at what Habakkuk said in that verse. Though my WHOLE world turns upside down, yet I will still praise Him. Even if the carpet of my life is pulled out from under me, I will still exalt Him.

God’s still on the throne. Don’t give up on Him yet. He didn’t give up on you.

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

2 Chronicles 7:14

2007-07-27T07:05:00.000-07:00

2 Chronicles 7:14-“…if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

I’ve forgotten how to pray.

I know that it’s just talking to God like you would the person sitting next to you. I know that it’s not a big theatrical production. I know that it’s the simplest thing in the world to do.

Yet, I’ve forgotten how. Somewhere, along the way, I missed something.

You see, when I mean that I’ve forgotten how to pray, I mean that I don’t remember that prayer is not meant to be selfish. I’m not supposed to just pray for me and mine. I’m not just supposed to toss up a prayer for everyone else around me in a general way and hope that God miraculously blesses them.

I’m to pray for those around me, without ceasing. There are plenty of examples in the Bible of people whose prayer life existed outside of their own four walls. I’m to imitate them, as they imitate Christ.

I mean, God even had Jesus give us a model prayer to use when we seek Him in prayer. Many people know the Lord’s Prayer, but they take it to mean LITERALLY that is what they should pray.

But the Bible states that Jesus said, “In this manner, therefore, pray…” He didn’t give us a rote set of verses to recite in the throne room. He gave us a MODEL to guide our prayer life.

I don’t know exactly when I drifted away. I know I did, I just can’t pinpoint when. Of course, that’s the design of the enemy, isn’t it? Don’t come out in the open and do something like that; instead, slowly lead them one step at a time, not even realizing how far from the boat they are drifting.

Have you forgotten how to pray? Have your prayers become enamored with your problems and your desires and the things you want in life? Have you missed God’s greater calling in prayer by wrapping it in a cloak of self-centeredness and getting what you alone need?

I realize that some of the greatest times of success in my life have been when I stopped focusing on the things I’m going through, and expand my horizons. When I begin to pray and seek and minister to those around me that I am in contact with every day, I find I am more victorious in my own life.

And by the way, the phrase “those around me” doesn’t JUST mean my family. It means my co-workers, my neighbors, my friends, my church, my pastor, my small group, my country, my President…everyone.

It doesn’t mean stopping up the Holy Spirit and confining Him to just my small corner of the world. I’ve got news for me and you as well; the Universe DOES NOT revolve around us. God loves us all. And He wants us to care for everyone around us.

I love science fiction novels. I just finished reading a Star Wars series. In the books, there was a creature that was given the name, ysalamiri. It was a non-aggressive creature. It had all kinds of predators, but no real defenses. It did, however, have a peculiar ability.

You see, the planet it inhabited, the predators searched out prey by using the Force. (EVERYONE knows what the Force is, right?) The ysalamiri had the innate ability to PUSH back the Force, to create a void in which they could NOT be sensed. So, the predators that hunted them, couldn’t find them.

Better yet, the ability multiplied as they congregated together. Meaning, the more of them were located in an area, the bigger the shield of protection could grow.

Imagine if God’s people would use their innate ability to pray for each other and put up a protective shield around each other. Think about if every Christian started praying for each other, of how large the bubble of protection would become over our nation.

Think about how much of the world we could cover, if we prayed correctly. And think of all the enemy’s servants, searching around for us, not being able to get to anyone. And if they searched out the weak, the prayer covering would protect them because they would be in the blind spot.

As the song goes, “What if His people prayed?”

Be blessed in the Lord today.

Bo J.

2 Corinthians 2:14

2007-07-22T08:17:00.000-07:00

2 Corinthians 2:14-“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.”

Well, how do you smell this morning? What is the odor that everyone around you smells? Are you someone that everyone wants to get a good whiff of, or are you someone that clears a room whenever you walk in?

We don’t really take our Christian walk very seriously sometimes, do we? I mean, we go to church, and come home. We go to work, or to school, or to meetings, or on errands, or one of the million things that we do in our daily lives.

But have you ever thought about why you’re doing it? Better yet, as I asked above, have you ever thought about how you SMELL when you’re doing it?

Are we walking in victory and triumph, or are we simply walking around in a daze? Are we God’s hands and feet in this world?

I hate to tell you this, but a lot of times I’m not. I would like to think that I am, but I miss the mark plenty of times.

“Well, if it’s so hard, why even try? Why not just live your life the way you want, and get what you can now? Why not just be happy?”

That’s easy to answer. My life is not my own; I’ve been bought and paid for at a steep price. I’ve been redeemed. I’ve been set free.

I’ve been freed from the power of sin in my life. That doesn’t mean that I DON’T sin. It means that I have been freed from the cruel taskmaster who directed my thoughts and actions before I met Christ.

It means that I can make a realistic choice now, as to what I do. I can see what is in front of me, and chose wisely, instead of choosing to fulfill my own lusts and pleasures.

I can believe in something, and Someone, and place perfect trust and faith in His abilities. He told me that once I give my life over to Him, He’ll bless me and protect me. He’ll place a hedge of protection around me.

Then, I look in His word, and I see that He hasn’t broken a promise yet. And it’s been a LONG time for Him to go without doing that. Heck, I can barely make it a day without breaking some promise that I made to someoneJ.

When I read this verse, I realized that God did more than just wash me clean and give me a new set of clothes. He did more than set a crown of victory on my head. He gave me a new smell; His smell.

When the Holy Spirit took up residence in my heart, I got the greatest cologne ever made applied to my body. I smell better than I ever have before.

Each of us who is now marked and labeled as a child of God has been given a new fragrance. We are to use that gift to bring others to saving knowledge as well, in EVERYTHING that we do.

So, the next time you’re driving and someone cuts you off, smile in love. Be patient in the grocery line, or the line at the bank. Stop trying to win every discussion; don’t try and be the one who is right all the time.

Be the fragrance of God, and let everyone around you inhale deeply of the scent. Don’t clear a room whenever you walk into it.

Be blessed in the Lord today.

Bo J.

Isaiah 59:1-2

2007-07-01T09:46:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 59:1-2-“Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”

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Each time I think of the things in my life which have brought me to where I am, I want to cry. I want to shrink from my wickedness and pretend like it’s not there.

But then, I realize, it’s why Christ died, and rose again; because of my wickedness, my imperfections, and manifest unrighteousness; because I am imperfect, self-serving, and lowly of heart.

Lord, help me to be more like You. I realize I need a Savior because I am not there yet. And if I had a choice, I would choose the easiest path, the smallest bumps, and the shortest roads. I can do nothing on my own but what You do through me. I can try all I want, but I cannot, CANNOT do it on my own.

I thank You Lord that You can and will. No matter how obstinately I try, You will do all You can to lead me back to the path I need to be on. I ask that You make me receptive to Your leading; and give me wisdom to follow Your lead. I love You so much God, and I am sorry that I continually miss the mark.
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I wrote that almost 9 years ago, on 7-24-98. I was working at Dresden Nuclear Power Station in Morris, IL at the time. I don’t know what I was going through at the time, but it appeared to be a period of self-reflection.

I kept a personal log of my daily activities, so that I knew what surveys I had to document, and to keep track of the jobs I had covered that day. I came upon this log, and was looking over it, when I saw that entry.

The verse came to mind almost immediately.

How often do we wonder why it seems as if God has hidden His face from us? How many times are we like the ancient Israelite people; going our own way and then wondering why God isn’t backing us up? How many times do we want to do our best for God, in our own time and in our own way?

God says that our iniquities have separated us from His love and protection. He hasn’t moved; instead, we have. We have defiled ourselves, and then have the nerve to approach God with a self-satisfied smug look on our face, thinking of what we got away with under His nose.

I have a little surprise for you-God is not stupid. And He’s not blind, nor deaf. He is intolerant of darkness and sin, however. It’s His nature; darkness can’t co-exist with the Light. So, why do we continually think that we can walk the line of both and make Him bow to us?

We need to stop making excuses and start making a difference. There is a world of people around us going to Hell because we are too busy skirting the line, seeing how close we can get to actual sin.

It’s time to make a stand. Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. God will hold us accountable for our actions, just as He will the unsaved. It’s His nature; the trademark of a righteous Judge. He can’t just hold the wicked accountable for their actions and allow us free reign.

We need to remember that in our daily walk.

Be blessed in the Lord today.

Bo J.

Psalm 107:1

2007-06-22T07:29:00.000-07:00

Psalm 107:1-“Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”

Okay, it’s been a while. It’s been a month since I last talked with you. I hadn’t realized how much people enjoyed me baring myself like this, until I got caught up in the moment.

I’ll be honest; it’s been a long month. Since I last met with you I have: celebrated a birthday for one of my daughters; celebrated my 18th wedding anniversary; celebrated the birth of a new grandson (easy, easy…); celebrated my 41st birthday; been given the most wonderful Father’s day ever; changed jobs; and celebrated my wife’s birthday.

As far as everything goes, I think I’m doing pretty well. For those who don’t know, the grandson is the one that hit me the hardest. You simply hate to see your children make mistakes in their life. You want the absolute best for them.

No, I am NOT saying that my grandson is a mistake. I know he is a gift from God, and God doesn’t make mistakes. As someone told me, God obviously wanted to bless this particular child with grandparents like my wife and I (thanks Trina).

I have received all kinds of hope and help from those around me. It’s kind of nice when people don’t talk down to you from their high horse, because they have been where you are standing now. We (especially me), should remember that in our daily walk.

Oh, and it is okay to be angry sometimes; just don’t let it interfere with your walk. I’m not at all happy with my daughter, the new mother. I don’t think her or her boyfriend she is living with were truly ready to be parents. They are both immature children who took it upon themselves to bring a life into the world.

Sometimes, I feel as I have had a large chunk of my life just snatched away. I think about the pain they may go through and it makes me sick. I literally cry thinking of the times they have coming. It is hard for me to be uplifting when I know she deliberately disobeyed God’s commandments and then expects me to just live with it because she believes that this is God’s choice for her life.

To the youth reading this, I want you to know, on behalf of all parents, we do have feelings for you. We hurt when you seemingly throw your life down for something we know you aren’t ready to handle. It pains us to no end to see you hurt.

And most of all, for those who can, it hurts to have to stand back and watch you take your lumps. It hurts to have to stand back and allow God to work in your life, to bring you to the place He needs you to be in so He can turn your heart back to Him.

We ache for the pain you go through, because we share your pain. Your sin, your life doesn’t affect just you, it affects everyone around you. We are burdened with it, and wonder where we went wrong.

Then, we have to resolve ourselves that you are an adult and you have to learn your own lessons. You can’t get to Heaven on someone else’s coattails. You have to come to the knowledge of salvation on your own. You have to decide for yourself that you are tired of doing it your way, and turn your life over to God.

Trust me, I know. I had to 10 years ago.

Parents, the Bible is also full of promises for us to cling. We can trust that God’s plan for our children will be fulfilled. We can let God use us to help it along, or turn our backs on it. As with your life, the only person in your child’s life who can stop God is your child.

If you have raised that child up as best you can in the fear and admonition of the Lord, and you have done your best to be an example, then you have done what has been asked. I believe that you have fulfilled your obligation. Don’t beat yourself up over their mistakes.

God is great. He is merciful. He knows your pain, and your heartache. He knows you, better than you know yourself. He desires, more than anything, for you to come into His presence and dwell with Him. He wants to be a blessing to you in your time of need.

He wants to show you His mercy. Bask in it, and allow Him to work in your life.

Be blessed in the Lord today.

Bo J.

Proverbs 18:20

2007-05-21T09:36:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 18:10-“The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”

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They’re right behind me. If I slow down or stop, I don’t want to think about what they’ll do to me. I can hear them, screaming at me at the top of their lungs.

I fell into their trap-again.

Their voices pierce me like arrows. I can hear the claws scrabbling against the ground. I’m running for my life.

How did I get here? Where did I go wrong? The past few days are flashing through my mind as I seek an escape route; a hiding place; anything to provide me some cover.

I think about what happened; about what brought me to this place. I’m fleeing for my life in the face of a demon horde bent on my destruction. I’m fleeing because of my own decisions and choices. I’m running because I couldn’t bear to let the “good life” pass me by without partaking in it.

And now, I’m here. And I’m tired. I’m ready to give up and just let them do with me what they will; maybe it won’t be so bad. After all, don’t I deserve it?

I need to stop. Wait; what’s that up ahead in the fog? What is that, some kind of structure? I’ve been running so long, I didn’t see it in the distance. But how did I get here? I feel like it has been here the whole time-like I’ve just been running around it.

The voices bring me back to reality. They have redoubled their screams as the building ahead comes into sharp focus. I see spires and towers, gleaming in the light. I run straight at it.

A door opens, and shuts behind me. Just in time….

I fall to the ground; a lump of flesh, shaking, just trying to catch my breath. I hear them beating on the other side of the fragile door. Screaming at me, wanting to rend me to pieces…

I stand up and look around. And I see them for the first time, my rescuers. They look so fragile. They smile at me. One comes up to me and offers me something to eat; another something to drink. “Slowly,” they say. “You’ve been running around out there for quite a while.”

But you don’t understand; the monsters are after me. That door is not going to hold against them. My companions just smile. One comes up to me; he wears leadership like a visible coat. I can tell he is the one leading this group.

“Things are NOT always as they seem,” he says. With that, they begin to dress themselves. I realize that they are strapping on armor. They are going to go out there and fight.

“What are you doing?” I say. “You can’t go out there. Those…things are out there. They’ll tear you apart!” And then I realize they’re going out there for me.

No, I don’t deserve this. I don’t deserve these people going out to die for me. I am so unworthy. I’ve done so much wrong. I try to get up; but I’m so tired.

I feel strong hands, sure hands; lift me up onto my feet. I watch as gates open, and the people who rescued me go out in the plain around the fortress. I watch them stream out, and I wonder why I didn’t realize that there were so many.

Then I look at them, and they look….different. They stand taller and more magnificent than I remember. And the weapons they have, swords, spears, all kinds of armament. Each one gleams in the sun. As if they were on fire.

The gates shut and I hear terrible sounds; awful sounds. I hear screams and shrieks of horror and fear. “No! They’re dying out there! It’s my fault! I brought those foul things here! I’m sorry!”

The hands take me up and lift me. I feel strong arms carry me up a flight of stairs. I find myself in front of a window, peering down on the battlefield. I expect to see carnage. I do; but not like I thought.

The demons are the ones shrieking. They are being vanquished. They are being dispatched by the hundreds; by the thousands. And the attacking forces, my rescuers, are methodically cutting down the demon horde.

I watch in awe. And as quickly as it started, it’s over. Not one of the marauding hordes is left to face me. They have been beaten.

I turn to look into the face of the Person holding me up. He has a crown on; and piercing eyes. He looks upon me, and I feel like I can’t hide anything from Him. This is even more fearful than the demonic group. I fall on my knees at His feet, begging Him not to look at me; sobbing that I’m not worthy of what He has done for me.

And I feel Him pick me up, and hold me close. And then, I hear, “My child, my child. You are worth my entire Kingdom. I love you more than you could know. I have always been here, with My army, waiting on you to call on Me.”

He is carrying me, right into His throne room. He carries me, and I am like a helpless baby in His arms. He seats Himself on His throne, and the returning army comes in and arranges itself around the room. Then they bow at His feet and praise Him. I hear them, as He holds me close, keeping me safe.

Run for the tower. Don’t give up, it’s there. The enemy is trying to hide it from you. He knows if you find it, you’ll be safe.

Run for the tower. You’ll be welcomed and safe inside.

Be blessed in the Lord,

Bo J.

Psalm 86:17

2007-05-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

Psalm 86:17-“Show me a sign for good, that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed, because You, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.”

I know your hurt and pain. I’ve been there. I’m walking through it myself. I know how you feel, even though you hear that you’re all alone. You’re in a long, dark tunnel with no seeming end. Your lamp is dimming; it’s not out, but it’s very faint.

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I’m tired, God. I just want my needs to be met, just once. I want everyone who counts on me, to know what it’s doing to me. I want everyone who thinks I am a great person, to just feel what its like to be me one day.

Believe it or not, I’m tired of everyone counting on me and knowing that I’ll be there to back them up. Oh, I know that’s You in me, but it’s just so tiring. I’m just fed up with it, and I don’t know why.

I’m tired of feeling like I have to rush to everyone’s aid; to do the things you have equipped me to do. I’m just tired of being there for anyone and everyone who seems to come along.

I’m a little worried God, that in Your big plan for the world and everyone, I’ve somehow been forgotten. I feel sometimes like You’ve misplaced my file, and now You don’t remember me.

I sometimes feel like You have taken my life and placed it on auto-direct. “It’s okay,” You tell everyone. “He’ll be alright, He can handle this. I’ve got some other matters to take care of at this time.”

I know You’re with me, but I feel sometimes as if You’re just standing off to the side, watching me with a sideways glance, as we do our children. Not really paying attention to everything I’m doing, but just leading some generalities in my life.

I feel Your presence, but like it’s in a fog, or through a thick barrier. I miss You, and just for a fleeting instant, I wonder if I’m really the one who moved.

Please understand me, God. I don’t intend on giving up. No, this is a far cry from that. But if I can’t cry out to you in my pain and anguish, where can I go? Who’s going to listen to me if You won’t?

Where will I be if You abandon me; or worse yet, if I turn my back on You, how will I make it then? If I feel alone now, think of how I’d feel if I turned my back to You.

Sometimes, I just wish you didn’t trust my faith so much.

But thanks that You do, because I know that this too shall pass. It won’t last forever; it never does. And when the end comes, it’ll just happen. And I’ll just be going along and realizing, “Hey, this isn’t happening anymore.”

And then I’ll be able to look back on this and marvel at what I thought was so tough. I’ll laugh at how little this means in the big scheme of things. And then I’ll thank You for the person who is helped because of what You allowed me to go through in my life.

So that the person I touch because of You will not feel like I am down playing their fears. They will know that I can truly empathize with them and what they are going through.

Thanks for walking me through this, Lord. I couldn’t do it without You.

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Oh, if you’re looking for a better ending, forget it. Write your own. We all go through trials. How your story ends depends entirely on YOU and YOUR faith. No one walks with Jesus in anyone’s shoes other than their own.

Cry out to the Lord, because He will never leave you, and He will ALWAYS comfort you.

Endure; be faithful, but not because I’m telling you to do so. You should do it because the alternative is worse than you could possibly imagine.

Have faith; patience is genius. No matter what the world tells you.

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

James 1:5-6

2007-05-07T11:19:00.000-07:00

James 1:5-6-“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.”

This verse has been drilling into my head a LOT the past couple of weeks. I’m sorry that I haven’t been in touch with you lately, giving you interesting tidbits of embarrassment in my life. I’ve been having issues with my computer and e-mail. I did send out one verse, but I just put it straight online on my blogs.

It seems like it’s been forever. I think of you and I miss you. But you know this kind of shows how we should be in our walk. You shouldn’t count on me, or on ANYONE for that matter. And I mean anyone.

Now please understand me here, I said you shouldn’t count on me, NOT that you shouldn’t trust me. I am just like you, I’m human and faulty. I fit the description on the Post Office wall of the person who needs Jesus most.

Anyway, what I mean to say is that we are all faulty. I hate to tell you this about yourself, but it’s true. And you know who else is faulty? Your pastor, that’s who. He or she is faulty as well. Your best friend; and the person you consider your spiritual confidante, they’re faulty as well. Deep inside, we’re all human, and all faulty.

Oh, it’s not something that we like to admit. It’s not something that we just come out and bare to the world. But that doesn’t make it any less true. We’re all faulty. That’s why Jesus came to Earth. He came to show us that just because we’re faulty, doesn’t mean we’re unlovable.

And it doesn’t mean that when you need Him the most, in your moments of indecision, that He will leave you to your own devices. That would be kind of meaningless in the whole big scheme of things, right?

A friend of mine at work taught me that it’s always, always, ALWAYS, okay to ask God for direction. Don’t take a road for granted, just because it seems to be the right road for you, and one you have taken with God before. Don’t ever forget Who brought you this far in your walk. If you could pull yourself up by your own bootstraps, you wouldn’t need a Savior after all.

Don’t be afraid to ask God the question most on your mind. See we like to ask the people here on the ball of dirt with us, ignoring the fact that they are subject to the same limitations and preconceived notions that we have in our lives.

But when you ask, don’t pre-determine the answer you want. Don’t limit God to one side of the equation. See, that’s not asking for direction. That is telling God to fix the world to work the way YOU want it to work. That’s telling Him that any wisdom He imparts to you will be followed to the letter, provided that it goes along with the choice you have already made.

That’s when we make a mistake, when we follow God only as long as it’s in our PERCEIVED best interests. We follow him when it appeals to us.

On the other hand, sometimes we don’t want to hitch our camel up and go to the country that God has set forth before us. Sometimes, we get comfortable where we are in life.

“But God,” we say, “don’t you see how good I have it here? Don’t you know what all I’d have to go through if I went there for you?” And God says, “Yes, I do. But don’t worry, because I’ll be with you. I’ll walk this dusty road with you side by side. You’ll never be alone.”

Fear is a great motivator in our lives. Sometimes it’s positive; sometimes it’s negative. But God has said that He won’t motivate us by fear. He says that His motivation for us is love for our souls. Our motivation for Him should be love for what He has done in our lives.

We should just do it. I know that it’s hard for you to sit there and believe that. You’ll tell me that I just don’t understand what you’re going through, and all the things that are weighing on you. I know all of your excuses, because they are my own as well.

Ask Him for guidance, wisdom, a light on the path; whatever it is that you need at the time. Ask Him, “What next?” The only thing you need to remember is that once He gives you the answer, you need to pursue it and stick with it. If it’s from God, He will not leave it. He will move whatever mountains He needs, to make it work in your life.

Don’t be afraid; you have not, simply because you ask not. Ask in faith, with no doubting that you will receive your answer in due time. And never be afraid to back up what you hear with Scripture. If it’s from God, He will never, ever contradict what He says to us in life, with what He wrote to us in His love letter, the Bible.

Be blessed in the Lord,

Bo J.

Proverbs 27:17

2007-04-23T08:19:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 27:17- “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”

We have issues, don’t we? We have problems and things and feelings that get in the way. We sometimes don’t get along.

Sometimes, we feel like we are on a desert isle, devoid of any other life save our own. We feel alone, trapped. And sometimes, we make prisons of our own, by holding on to hurts and feelings that we should have given up.

And sometimes, we just want someone to hurt as bad as we perceive that we hurt.

But God has a different way, doesn’t He? He tells me that my friends are the people who sharpen me; who keep me from losing my edge in this world. They keep me keen and sharp so that I can continue to do what God has placed me here to do in life.

A friend can be anyone-a spouse, a parent, a person unrelated to you except by the circumstances that bring you together. Whoever your friend is, and whoever you are a friend to, there is an obligation implied in that relationship. It’s one to be a sharpening stone, and not a dulling edge.

We get hurt quite easily, and it causes us to backpedal on our walk and those around us. It causes us to want to withdraw into ourselves. Or worse yet, to lash out at those who hurt us to make them feel pain.

As a friend, I have an obligation to tell you that’s not the way we’re supposed to be. The biggest problem the Christian church faces, in my opinion, is Christians.

We can be the kings and queens of “Do as I say, not as I do” thinking. We are our own worst enemies. It can keep us divided and hindered in our walks and our effectiveness.

Sometimes, when we need to talk, we can’t or won’t. It would be seen as a sign of weakness, or we don’t want to burden others with our problems. But if you look at that verse, God doesn’t say that.

It works, because God said so. A woman in our small group last night said that, and it struck me. (Thanks Angela!)

God said so, that’s why.

I don’t know why, I just know Who. He said it; that should be enough.

So, who do you need to sharpen yourself against today? Who needs to be sharpened? Let’s start trying to learn to be there, one for another, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Be blessed in the Lord.

Bo J.

2 Timothy 4:18

2007-04-09T08:32:00.000-07:00

2 Timothy 4:18-“And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!”

Another Easter Sunday has come and gone. If you look around and listen, you will kind of find that this is another New Year’s Day for Christians. It shouldn’t be, but for some it is.

See, Easter is a chance for us to reflect on what it means to be a Christian. It’s about the Person we identify with, and are SUPPOSED to be growing closer to being. It’s about reviewing the ultimate symbol of love and sacrifice for us.

Did we learn anything from it? Do we ever? Is it just another Day in the ritual that our Christian walk has become?

Easter Sunday is closely followed by back to work Monday. The grind begins anew. And all the spiritual and holy thoughts from yesterday are somehow forgotten, in the hustle and bustle of today’s world.

Look at the verse above. Read it and dwell on it.

To me, it means that Easter Sunday is more than just another day. It’s the day the Lord delivered me and bridged the gap for me to be one with the Father. And I should praise and exalt Him forever. The facts from yesterday should change my life today and forever.

But I get bogged down. I get surrounded. The world washes over me, and it’s easy to forget about celebrating the fact I am going to Heaven, when I’m still in the world.

In Acts 20:22-25, Paul is recounting his life at the end of his ministry. He is seeing the end. But in approaching the end, he imparts this word of wisdom to me. He tells me that he NEVER regretted the things he went through in his service of Christ. He NEVER counted his own life dear to him when looked at and compared to the eyepiece of eternity with Christ.

God delivered him, and preserved him for His Kingdom.

What God did for Paul, He can, will, and HAS done for me. And He has also done it for you.

I have learned that if I serve Christ, my life is to be poured out for Him as a drink offering. When I gave my life to Him, I gave my life to Him. That statement may look strange, but if you read it carefully, you can get the meaning.

It’s NOT mine anymore. The things I go through are not MY trials. They are His trials; they are the world’s reaction to His presence in my heart.

We have been promised deliverance. We have been promised a place in Heaven. We have been promised eternal life with Christ our Lord.

Jesus, help me to walk in this today. Use my brothers and sisters in Christ to remind me and help me to be a reminder to them of Who we serve. It’s a race, and we’re in it to finish.

Be blessed in the Lord today.

Bo J.

Matthew 7:11

2007-04-02T10:33:00.000-07:00

Matthew 7:11-“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”

I’ll be the first to admit that I am NOT the greatest Dad in the world, or the poster boy for husbands. I muddle along like most, doing what I can to keep from messing up my children’s lives TOO much.

Sometimes, though, I mess up and actually do something good for once. This past weekend, I think, was one of those times. I got to take my ten year old daughter on her first trip into Neyland Stadium.

Now, some of you don’t get what a big deal this is for me. If you don’t like football, or any sports, you may not understand. But this was an EXPERIENCE for her. She has never been inside a big time college stadium.

See, the Orange & White game was this past weekend. It was a chance for U.T. (that’s Tennessee, Randy, not Texas) fans to get autographs from their favorite players. It’s also a chance to watch the squad scrimmage and get a look at the players for the upcoming season.

My daughter REALLY wanted to go. I know some of the dads out there are tearing up, thinking about how she is going to make some guy a fine wife one day. She understands the importance of sports in a balanced diet!

Anyway, I work the games (when I can), as a Red Cross volunteer. We man the first aid stations, and render medical assistance to the fans in the stadium. We get to go to the games for free, get wonderful seats (if you have enough time to sit in them), and all the stadium hot dogs you can eat!

Well, I surprised Kaitlyn on Saturday. God gave me a wonderful idea, and then He made it happen for her and for me. She is going to be working with me, as a runner for the different command posts during the games. She gets to work with Dad, and I get to help her carve out some great memories.

The thing that really made this special, however, was Saturday. We got there before the field opened up for the general public, and had our Red Cross first aid station team picture taken. She also got to be in that. Then, I just sat back and watched my daughter take in the entire view.

It was amazing, just watching her face; seeing all the emotions playing across it. She was dazzled. It reminded me of the first time I was there, and the first time I took my wife there as well. She got to do so much that day, and I was proud to be a part of it.

That’s kind of how God is with us, isn’t it? He knows and sees everything, but I like to think that He gets a little giddy the first time we get really get a handle on how much he loves us. When we take our first spiritual steps, to maturing into a Christ-centered adult, He is there for it all.

He smiles, and takes pictures, and just generally feels really proud. I wonder if the angels get tired of hearing about how proud He is of all that we accomplished today. I marvel at how many times He picks me up after I have scraped my knee or had an accident; how He kisses it and makes it all better.

He watches over me, as if I am His very own child.

We forget that, sometimes, don’t we? Just like our kids don’t always know that we love them, even when we scold them, God loves me. He sometimes has to let me go through things when I am being bull headed, in order to let me know that He DOES have my best interests at heart. I may not know it at the time, but if I pay attention, I will see it and understand.

Just like with my daughter.

And if you walk with Him long enough, and follow and do what He asks you to do, I think he lets you see the WHOLE stadium. I think he walks you to the 50-yard line, and lets you stand on the Power T. Then, like I did my daughter, He lets you tell others where you are, and that you wish they could see the view you do.

And He stands back like a proud Father, and gets a tear in His eye, as He realizes that His child is growing up. And He is so very, very proud of you at that moment in your life.

Don’t forget your first view of the stadium.

Be blessed in the Lord today.

Bo J.

(See photos that go along with this story here: http://good-times.webshots.com/album/558477352CTEQJz)

Joshua 1:9

2007-03-26T11:10:00.000-07:00

It seems like every time I turn around, I'm missing a week. I hope you will not hold it against me. Think of it this way, the week I DON'T write, God is probably doing something REMARKABLE in my life that is going to completely embarrass me and expose how real I am. Then, in His infinite wisdom, He's going to make me tell you, so you can laugh about it and me; but then, hopefully, learn from it and grow.
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Joshua 1:9-“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

So, last week, I’m on my way to work on Tuesday. I am trying to do things to allow God to move more in my life, in order for Him to shine through me. You know, the old, “More of You, less of me” in my life thing.

Well, on my way, my car acts up. It starts stuttering, and surging. Now those who know me and my car know that it is NOT the youngest thing on the block. It’s an old 1991 Ford Taurus wagon and it has over 200K miles on it. I have publicly stated that I am going to do my best to drive that thing until it stops.

Anyway, so some of you may not be surprised at this, but I am. In fact, to be completely honest, I am TERRIFIED! Now, please understand me in this. I am not tossing this around like a small thing. I mean I am completely and utterly overcome with fear about this. I don’t know if it’s the fact that the car is acting up, or that I don’t want to deal with it getting stuck on the road. Or worse yet, getting it stuck in the parking lot at work. (If you only KNEW the hassle it would be to get a tow truck to my car in the Y-12 NATIONAL SECURITY FACILITY parking lot.)

So, I have no idea what, or more importantly, WHY, I am so terrified. I get to work, and I just KNOW that I need some quiet time with God. I can’t focus, and I can’t function. The fear that is on me is absolutely, 100 percent, real. I can FEEL it like it’s a presence in the room with me.

God, during my quiet time, gave me that verse above. Then, He told me that I needed to get some agreement. So, I called my wife, and told her and my mother that I needed some prayer. I explained the situation, and gave them the verse that I was standing on.

What I didn’t know, was how God was going to use that verse in my life last week.

My mother is doing a study from a book a gentleman gave her at the public library. It’s called, “Joshua: Mighty Warrior and Man of Faith”, by W. Phillip Keller. The fact that I was using that verse from Joshua just astonished her.

Then, later in the week, my daughter, who had gone on a mission trip for Spring break, got that SAME verse given to her. My mother and wife told her that she needed to show me the note the verse came attached in, to see what I would do.

You know, when you really KNOW that God gives you something, you stop being surprised at how many places He reinforces it. You get to the point that you start going, “Okay! Okay God! I get it! This is what You’re trying to tell me. I get it! I’m listening!” I saw that verse EVERYWHERE last week. It was so freakin' cool!

The enemy even tried to dissuade me from doing this verse. He told me that I had already done it in another posting, and that I should think of something else to write about. But God had other plans. He used the fact that I didn’t do one last week, and reinforced what He wanted me to tell you this week.

Fear comes to us all. Someday; sometime; something is going to come along that will absolutely drive you to your knees in fear. You will feel terror like you have never have felt before. It’s at that point that you have to decide to remember Who you serve, and WHAT He has told you about Himself.

So, now that you know that you’re not alone, what do you do with this knowledge to turn it into wisdom?

Remember it, and let it bear fruit in your life. God is speaking to us plainly in this passage. He is telling us everything we need to know about Him and His purposes in our lives.

You need it plainer than this? Okay, here is the translation that I used. It helped me, maybe it will help you.

“Bo, haven’t I told you and shown you before? What are you freaking out about? Stand up and be My child! It’s okay to be scared, but don’t let it rule you, because I got your back!”

Remember, if you run from the devil once, you’re liable to run from him forever. Standing up to him doesn’t always mean throwing out your chest and being all bad. Sometimes it means acknowledging the fear is there, but reminding God that He told you not to let it run your life.

Give it to Him, and let Him smack it around for a bit. Trust me, He likes it. By the end of the day, I didn’t even remember when I stopped thinking about the fear. It just went away. God did His part, and I glorified Him for it (which, incidentally, is my part).

Be blessed in the Lord today.

Bo J.

1 Corinthians 16:13

2007-03-12T11:05:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 16:13-“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.”

I wish the devil would play by the rules, like he is supposed to do.

I mean, I wish he would appear in front of me, just like he does in the movies. With his pointy tail, red skin, horns popping out of his head and all. I wish he would show up breathing smoke and fire; cursing God and His creation.

I wish he would just come to me, and tell me that he is asking me to forget the principles that God has instilled in me. I wish he would just tell me that he wants me to stop doing quiet time with God. I wish he would just come out and say, “Oh, by the way, what I am about to tell you is a lie, just so you know.”

I wish a lot of things, but none of them will happen. The enemy is a liar; pure and simple. He is out to get you separated from God. He wants to get your focus off God, and on him.

And sometime, he succeeds. Oh, don’t be so surprised. If you’re not focused and concentrating on God, then what ARE you concentrating on? If your circumstances dictate how you feel toward God, what does that say about your heart?

I mean, if each disobedient decision was presented to us by someone who LOOKED like the devil, we wouldn’t do it, would we?

So, what do we do? We gird ourselves, like the Bible states. Last night, at Bible study, one of the ladies spoke a profound word. She stated that if we are prayed up, and in tune with God, when He speaks, we’ll just jump. There would be no hesitation. There would be INSTANT OBEDIENCE.

We hate instant obedience. We want to be able to think about it, and analyze it from all angles. We want to find a way to make it a decision that came, not from God, but from US. We can get all the credit that way. However, if it gets messed up because we tried to finagle the recipe, then we can blame God.

I wonder if He laughs, just a little, as He loves us when we try and get one over on Him. I wonder why we all KNOW the things that keep us in tune with Him, and refuse to do them, because they are out of our comfort zone.

God amazes me, because He devotes His entire existence, from the time I was a baby until now, until my physical body dies, to encouraging me to be more like Him (Jesus). We think we are good parents, but we have absolutely, positively, one hundred percent NOTHING when compared to God.

How do we do it? How do we start/continue on the road to looking like Jesus?

Watch-the act of being vigilant. Not looking to get into trouble, but keeping your eyes open for trouble that might come looking for you.

Stand fast in the faith-being grounded and rooted in God’s word and His promises. Be like the tree planted by the rivers of water.

Be brave-don’t shrink from the enemy. If he wants to pick a fight with you, let him know that you’ve got a Big Brother who wants to whomp him a good one.

Be strong-don’t wilt in the sun of trials and tribulation. Stay in the race to the finish; don’t give up.

Remember, the enemy is going to disguise himself. He’s going to try and sneak up on you unawares. But our God, He has clothed us in Jesus, and given us His beauty. You are a child of God, if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior. You don’t have to sneak around anyone or be afraid.

Be blessed in the Lord.

Bo J.

1 Corinthians 15:58

2007-02-26T08:32:00.000-08:00

1 Corinthians 15:58-“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

How long do we spend remembering what we DON’T have in life? How long have you spent in the last week remembering what you haven’t received? How many times have your looked back and remembered what someone hasn’t done for you lately?

I would say that some of you aren’t ashamed to answer that question. But many of you are probably like me, and you have been dwelling in the land of “have not” quite a bit.

You feel like you just can’t give anymore, because YOU aren’t getting anything in return. You feel like all you do is give, and give, and give more. And in return, what do you get? More, right?

You get more responsibility; more is trusted with you because you are already doing tremendously with the pressure that is being applied to you. In response to someone being able to trust you to get stuff done, you get more put on you.

So then, you look at those who aren’t trusted with more. You look at those who seemingly get a free ride simply because if they don’t do it, it will come back on you; since you can get it done.

It’s a vicious, scheming circle.

It’s at this point that we have to realize where we are in our life, and where we are going to be. Quiet time and study of the word work wonders in our lives, especially when our lives get seemingly overwhelming.

I have to remember one thing, and one thing alone. I serve a glorious, risen, wonderful, perfect Savior. I serve someone Who knows everything I am feeling and going through. I serve someone who knows that I am hurting inside, so it’s no good to hide it from Him.

I serve Someone who knows my weaknesses and turns them into strengths. I serve a Lord who listens to me rant and rave at Him about what I can’t do or what’s not fair in life, and He smiles and takes it all. Then He tells me that I work for Him, live for Him, and love for Him. And He will make it all worthwhile.

I serve Someone who loves me, not because I’m not perfect; but in spite of me not being perfect. I serve Someone who puts me first in His life, as an example of what I should do for others in my life.

Is it easy? Not always; but it’s not always hard, either. I guess it’s what we make of it. At least, it is in my case.

Be faithful. Be steadfast. Be a rock for those around you. It takes a LOT for a rock to be marred by its environment. I understand your pain more than you realize. But we can AND will get through this phase, if we remember Who we serve.

Be blessed in the Lord today.

Bo J.

Deuteronomy 30:19

2007-02-19T16:56:00.000-08:00

Deuteronomy 30:19- “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live…”

Each and every day we make choices. We choose to get out of bed and go to school/work/duty. We choose to do things with our family and/or friends. We choose when we lay down, and when we get up.

We choose to love.

I’m sure you’ve all heard about the people who have “fallen” out of love. People who have decided that, for one reason or another, the person they pledged to love in front of God and man is no longer good for them. They just can’t be with that person anymore. Not because of infidelity (cheating) or anything like that; they just don’t think they love them anymore.

Love is a CHOICE. A choice is defined as an act of selection. It means that you have more than one option, and you choose the one that, in most instances, benefits you.

But when is a choice more than just a choice? When does your choice really matter? I think it is when the choice involves taking the easy road on something, or sticking to the road less traveled. I believe that it is when you decide that, no matter how rotten the situation seems to you, you will stick with the God of your fathers and believe in Him and His grace.

It is really easy for us to choose to do things that make it easy on ourselves. We choose to get married. Then, when the marriage gets hard, or someone gets sick or something life changing happens, we decide this is too hard for us and we want OUT!

We choose to befriend people who we think will improve our status, and then we choose to belittle others simply because our “friends” would think less of us if we reached out to help or talk to that weird person.

We choose to accept God in our life; and then, when the enemy sets his sights on us, we decide that it’s not really in our best interest to keep going with Jesus. We begin to think about how easy our life was before Jesus came along and ruined everything for us. We believe that if we just choose to go back and do things they way we used to, everything would be okay.

Don’t shake your head in disbelief. We have all, at one time or another most likely, thought this way. The difference is that we made a CHOICE to continue following Jesus.

In John 6, many of Jesus’ disciples had deserted Him. He asked the twelve if they wanted to leave Him as well. Simon Peter asked Jesus where they would go; He had the words of life.

If you look around in the world today, you will see that the love of many has grown cold toward Jesus. I believe that Jesus is looking around at those of us who are left, some of whom may be in the fight of our life. He’s asking us, “Do you want to leave Me as well?”

Lord, I remember my life before You. I remember how painful and empty my life was before You had come along to save me. I remember that I was just a shell of the person I am now. I remember it all. And I compare it to what I am going through now.

Lord, where would I go? Your words are life to me.

Make a choice. Take a stand.

Be blessed in the Lord today.

Bo J.

Psalm 107:20

2007-02-11T18:46:00.000-08:00

Psalm 107:20- “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.”

I know it’s amazing, especially after I didn’t send anything out last week. However, it needs to be said.

And sadly, I can’t say it. I haven’t a clue as to what to say. I am absolutely speechless.

Thanks be to God, though. Because when we can’t think of anything to say, we can trust in Him. If we will open our hearts and minds to Him, we can and will be used by Him.

Those of you who have been around me know that I haven’t been in much of a “being useful” mood. I’ve been kind of going around and around with myself and my walk. Among other things, that is.

It’s been a long road this year. I don’t’ know quite what is going on.

So, in walks God, to deliver me from this place I find myself in at this time. Oh, I don’t mean literally this time, either. I mean you, and you, and you, and especially you.

Okay, I see the look in your eyes. You don’t get the math. Let me illustrate it for you. This is what it means to me.

The first part of that verse above states that God sent His word. Hmm, that would be Jesus, correct? Jesus came to heal us and deliver us from death and Hell. When you accept Jesus into your heart, you allow Him to be your Lord and Savior.

Then, when God looks at you, He doesn’t see just you, He sees you through the blood of Jesus. You take on the likeness of Jesus. As you walk through your Christianity, you become more and more like Him.

The Bible says that we are the hands and feet of Jesus. Jesus Himself said that the things He did, we will do, and greater things than those because He goes to be with His Father.

So if you are like Jesus, and you help someone; like me for instance, when I am down, then you helped deliver me from myself. Trust me, it works in my head.

Anyway, thanks for being there for me. And for helping me, even when you don’t know what you’re doing. I really feel like I’m in one of those desert places of my life, and you are a fresh drink of water. I’m parched, and you make sure I have plenty of liquid.

I know, I know. I’m spending a lot of time thanking everyone. Remember my New Year’s resolutions? I just think we all need to remember to thank those who help us through life.

Thank you.

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

Galatians 6:10

2007-01-28T08:08:00.000-08:00

Galatians 6:10-“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

About six months ago, I did a devotional thanking you for sticking with me throughout this exercise of obedience. I told you that I appreciated you being with me and helping me. I appreciated your words of encouragement. Most of all, I like it when you identify with the events happening in my life, and relate them to your own.

I really have felt that it’s time for thanks, again. However, I think you should look at each other, and say thank you. I think it’s time we look at those around us; those whose deeds and sacrifices go somewhat unnoticed and unappreciated. I think it’s time we say thank you to everyone who contributes into our life.

As Christians, we sometimes get into the mentality of being a “receiver” and getting, getting, getting all the time. We never take time to be a “giver”. Now, don’t turn me off, I’m not talking about money or anything at all like that.

When is the last time that you told someone “Thank you” just for doing something they probably took for granted? When was the last time you thanked someone for being there for you or for supporting you? When was the last time you put someone above yourself and said, “I appreciate your sacrifice”?

I know I don’t do it NEAR enough. So that is another thing that I have set out to do this year. I want to increase my thank you quotient. I want people to know they are appreciated and welcomed.

Then there is the other side of that coin. The one where we wonder what motive there is when someone tells us thank you. We complain that no one acknowledges us. Then, when they do, we wonder what they want from us. We think they are getting ready to ask us to do something else in our already overloaded schedule.

So, let’s make a deal. Take your thank you with grace and mercy. Take it for how it’s meant, as a true token of appreciation. If you do that, then I’ll do it for you when you tell me thank you for doing something as well. Let’s show the world our love for one another as an example of Christ’s love.

Oh, and one more thing. I don’t want any of these off-handed thank you statements, either. You know what I mean. I’m talking about the grunt that you offer up as a pathetic attempt at acknowledging someone’s effort. The half-hearted “thank you” said under your breath or just above the hearing threshold. The one you hope that someone catches on the fly as you run out of the house.

NO! I want a thank you where you look someone in the eye, and really let them know you are paying attention to them. I want one where you speak clearly, and audibly. I want a thank you that engages someone to their core. I’m not asking for speeches or anything like that. I want you to use two little words a bit more in the future than you have in the past.

Thank you all for your time. Thank you all for your effort. Thank you all for keeping me in your heart and carving out a place for me in your life. Thank you.

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

Proverbs 30:7-8

2007-01-22T14:47:00.000-08:00

Why can’t I do what I want? Why does it seem like my life is always determined and bound by what I CAN’T do? At what point is my happiness not dependent on things around me?

We’ve been over what Paul the Apostle said about being content where we’re at in life. Why is that so hard? Why can’t I just be FREE in where I am at this point?

Why am I bound in this prison?

I know in my heart of hearts that I have everything I need, but I always want more. I’m never happy with just being content. Someone else always has it better than I do.

Did you ever think about that?

Think about what?

You look and see that someone else has it better than you. Did you ever really think about that?

I don’t understand; think about what?

If you can look at someone else and think that their life is so much better….who is looking at yours and thinking the same thing?

But, I mean, I don’t….

I know how you feel about everything in your life. You know that, don’t you?

Yes.

Do you, inside in the part of you that you keep from everyone else, REALLY think that I have left you hanging in life?

No; not really.

It’s a human thing. Something that you need to understand is its part of your basic makeup. I use you wanting to get better stuff to get you to keep on studying My Word, and getting closer to Me.

Sometimes it really hurts. Especially when I’m just going through the motions with certain stuff…I’m just tired of it. But, You know, I just keep trying for You. You’re worth it.

You are worth it to me, as well. Here, let me help you out. This is something that I want you to use as one of YOUR resolutions this year. Okay?

Alright; what is it?

Proverbs 30:7-8-“Two things I request of You (Deprive me not before I die): Remove falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches-feed me with the food allotted to me; lest I be full and deny You, and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God.”

Wow. I don’t ever remember reading that before, in all the times I’ve read Proverbs.

It’s amazing how this stuff just kind of jumps out at you when you need it.

God?

Yeah, Bo?

I don’t know that I’m….alright….yet. But, as I said before, I’ll keep working on it because of what You did for me.

Hey, don’t worry. I already knew that. How about you be blessed in the Lord today?

Thanks.

Bo J.

Proverbs 3:33

2007-01-15T13:52:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 3:33- “The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the just.”

This verse means a lot to me in the context of my life recently. See, during my quiet times, I’ve been reading and learning about Job. You know the guy who had all sorts of trials and tribulations happen to him, seemingly for no reason?

People have debated this for many, many, MANY years. They wonder why God did this to him; they wonder why he was tested if he was righteous before the Lord.

Let’s get this straight; God didn’t test Job-He allowed Job to be tested by the enemy. It’s stated in the Bible in black and white. God DIDN’T do the tormenting, the enemy did. God set BOUNDARIES on what the enemy could do in his persecution of Job.

I think God did this for two reasons. One, so that the enemy could see how much Job loved God. The other, so Job could see how prideful and arrogant he behaved towards God.

But wait, whoa, back the truck up Bo! God did what?

I said God showed Job his pride and arrogance. He showed Job that he thought his righteousness and his standing came from his own behavior. Job acted like God OWED it to him to be kind to him.

We’ve discussed this before, but I’m hard-headed, so it bears repeating. God DOES NOT OWE US DIDDLY! (And yes, diddly is the descriptive term.)

Sometimes, things happen in our lives. Things don’t go the way we think they ought. We get caught up in the moment; in our circumstances; in what is going on around us. We get bogged down in the quicksand of life.

God tells us to “look to the hills from whence cometh our help.” He tells us not to forget Who He is, and what He has already done for us. However, we get to the point in our walk where we take for granted our relationship with the Creator; not to mention the fact that we begin to expect certain things from God.

We expect that if we make a commitment to do something, and God is in it, that nothing will go wrong. And if/when something does happen to us, we look at God like He has lost His ever loving mind!

Job demanded from his “friends” that he wished he could approach God and show him why he did not deserve what was going on in his life. He wished that he could tell God how wrong He was for coming against him. After all, he was righteous; everyone around him knew it!

Then, something happened to him that happens to all of us at one time or another. God bowed up on Job. He came to face to face with him and told him to be a man and show God where He was wrong!

How small do you think Job felt at that moment? When the rush of adrenaline and anger is all gone, and all you feel is the utter insignificance of your being compared to that of the Almighty?

But in the end, Job redeemed himself, by repenting. And God blessed him TWICE as much as before. He was richer, more powerful, better known, more everything than ever. And I bet that he ascribed ALL his status to God; and rightfully so.

Let’s not forget that, if we are believers, our house is blessed. Sometimes, it may not seem like it. Sometimes, you are going through lots. Sometimes LOADS of garbage seem to be piling on top of you.

Don’t forget that we are blessed. This is my second New Year’s resolution-to TRY and remember that I am too blessed to be stressed. Sometimes, you may see me bowing under. But the greatest quality of a Christian, to me, is not that we bend under the strain. It’s that we REFUSE to BREAK under it.

Be blessed in the Lord today.

Bo J.

1 Peter 5:6-7

2007-01-08T09:11:00.000-08:00

Hi! Wow, it’s been a long time, hasn’t it?

Sorry, I just wanted to give you a break during the Christmas season, and then the New Year came around and well, you know…

So how are those resolutions coming? Come on, you know you probably made some. You know what they are; promises you make about the coming year to make your life better. The only thing is that you probably didn’t have a PLAN on how you were going to implement these sweeping changes into your life.

Here, let me add some more to your list. I have 3 resolutions for this year. I may share them all with you, so you can help me keep them. Here is my first one:

1 Peter 5:6-7- “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

I resolve to TRY and allow myself to be used more of God, and block him less and less. I resolve to TRY and let God remove this useless pride and desires for my own way from my life. I resolve to TRY and step back more and allow God to take care of my worries and cares, so I can focus more on learning and growing in Him.

Will it be easy? No; nothing worthwhile is ever easy. Will it be worth it? Oh, you betcha! How much more fulfilling will my life be if I allow the Almighty to have free rein in it?

If I humble myself under God’s hand, He will exalt me. That way, I don’t have to spend my time trying to puff myself up and make myself look all wonderful and purty in everyone else’s eyes. I just let God do all the work, and give Him the credit. But I get to reap the benefit. Doesn’t that just sound cool?

And when something comes up that tries to take my focus off of God, I immediately give it over to Him. I just take it to Daddy God and say, “This thing is trying to get me to look at my circumstances and not at Your goodness.” Then I step back and watch the fur fly. Heehee! That poor ole problem didn’t have a chance against God!

So, there you have it. It’s good to back in touch with each and every one of you again. It’ll be a year at the end of this month that we have been together. I thank God for all of you; and for your patience as I muddle through and stumble in this thing called life.

Be blessed in the Lord today, and this year.

Bo J.

Psalm 51:10-12

2006-12-18T15:04:00.000-08:00

Okay, so you won’t believe how this week has gone for me. Let me tell you….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hello. It’s Me, God.

I wanted to take some time and talk to you personally. Bo is doing okay with this memory verse thing, but sometimes you need to just know some stuff straight from Me.

Trust me, he doesn’t even know I’ve done this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, here I am, and I’m thinking of how God would want me to handle this situation….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
See? He doesn’t even know that I have taken this over. Okay, here is what I want you to know this week…

Psalm 51:10-12-“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.”

Sometimes, people are going to do things to you; wrong things. They are going to take advantage of you and use you. And worse yet, sometimes, you’re going to do it yourself.

Don’t look at me like you are all innocent. I created you. I know EXACTLY what you are capable of doing. I’ve already seen it. Bo had something happen to him and he made a choice.

He prayed to Me. At first, he started praying for everything around him to change. He wanted his wife to change; and some of the people he came into contact with in his life.

Then, I talked to him. And I brought this verse up to him. I told him that sometimes, YOU are the change that’s needed in a situation. You see, you all get so wrapped up in your own little world. You want everything to fit into your plan.

You forget about Me, and My plan. Remember; it’s not about you, it’s about Me. You gave your life over to Me; and I told you that I would take care of everything.

You don’t do it on your own. I do it through you. And you need to realize that, before you ask someone else to change, you need to see if you need some changing.

I love you. And I would NEVER, EVER tell you something just to hurt your feelings. That’s not how I work. I am here to uplift you, and help you to look more and more like my son, Jesus.

When I look at you, I see Him. And as you grow spiritually, I see more and more of Him in you. Sometimes, it seems frustrating to you. Trust Me; I can see a LOT further than you can.

Give Me a chance to help you. And most of all, don’t take what Jesus did, and just throw it aside. Help Me to get the Word out to everyone, that I love them all.

Let me change your heart; and touch you with My Spirit.

Anyway, I’m going to go now. Bo will be easing into his finale soon. I’m working on him about not being so long winded. Just remember, it’s a process.

I love you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So anyway, I just wanted you to know what God showed me in my life, so you can maybe learn from it and grow.

God loves us; and this season is the perfect example. I hope you can touch someone else for Him this Christmas.

I don’t know if I’ll have anything next week, with it being Christmas and all. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Be blessed in the Lord,

Bo J.

http://bigdogbo.blogspot.com

http://blog.myspace.com/dabigdogbo

Nahum 1:7

2006-12-11T07:46:00.000-08:00

Nahum 1:7-“The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.”

It’s Christmas time again in the world. Peace on Earth, goodwill toward men and all that. Do you remember when Christmas was that one time of year when the world was like what we all wanted it to be?

Do you remember? I do.

Now it has become so commercialized. Christmas comes earlier each year. And now it’s a war. It’s a war between stores; between shoppers; between people who are normally decent, sane citizens. All of a sudden, they become violent, crazed animals; seeking what they can get at the expense of those around them.

And don’t forget about the ever expanding use of the words “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas”. Don’t even get me started on that. Wherever you stand on that issue, it’s sure to be on the wrong side of someone else.

Who is this season dedicated to glorify? Do we remember? No matter what the world says, or what the current, politically correct greeting is, God’s Son is the center of this time.

Is God still on the throne? Well, is He? If not, then let rampant consumerism run amok and let everyone just do whatever feels good and right. Don’t try and say that there is black and white in God’s laws; just let everything be a nice shade of gray.

But if, if God is still on the throne; at what point did He give a rip about what the world thought of Him? Is He less powerful because someone got offended at a word or group of words? Am I less His child?

No, not at all.

He knows me; he knows my trust in Him and His ways for my life. Does that mean that I am doormat for the world? By all means, NO! But there is also a verse that speaks to us, prohibiting us from getting caught up in foolishness of disputing stupid, vain things. (Nope, you have to personally ask me what it is, if you don’t know it already.)

Trust in God to make His will known. He has governed and existed WAY before we came along, and He doesn’t need us to validate His laws and statutes. He made them plain, and said they would not pass away. Heaven and Earth will go to the wayside, before His Word passes away.

God came to Earth as man. He came without sin, and lived among us. He listened to us, ate with us, slept with us. He cried with us, and for us. He watched us live and die by our own deeds. He died for us, and our sin, that we might live with Him forever.

He knows you, and He knows me. Nothing, NOTHING, in the world can take that away from us. Each day the world travels down a path of destruction. It does so of its own decision.

Our job is to take as many off the paved road leading to destruction, and get them to walk the dusty road with us to the streets of gold in Heaven.

Be God’s hands and feet this season. Be secure in the knowledge that no matter what anyone calls it, He knows your heart, and knows that you trust in Him.

Be blessed in the Lord today,

Bo J.

Thanks for using me, God!

Change

So, ummm....yeah....

Yay! I need help!

Follow, following, followers.....

Let it go......

Driving in the fog

Am I a good search engine?

A New Start

What are you driving now?

Do they know Him when they see you?

Wandering hearts.....

Who are you "chained" to?

*Sigh*.....it was easier when.....

Matthew 23:11-12 (NKJV)

1 Timothy 6:6-7 (NKJV)

Lamentations 3:25-26 (NKJV)

Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV)

Zechariah 4:6 (NKJV)

1 Sam 3:18 (NKJV)

Hebrews 6:17-18 (NIRV)

Matthew 7:13-14 (NKJV)

1 Peter 3:15 (NKJV)

Numbers 24:12-13 (NKJV)

Mark 6:4-6 (NKJV)

Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NKJV)

Deuteronomy 28:9-10 (NKJV)

Phillipians 3:13-14 (NKJV)

Genesis 39:21 (NKJV)

2 Timothy 4:7 (NKJV)

Exodus 33:13 (NKJV)

Hebrews 12:1 (NKJV)

2 Corinthians 11:3 (NKJV)

2 Corinthians 3:5 (NKJV)

Psalm 84:10-11 (NKJV)

Malachi 3:6

Matthew 5:43-45

1 Corinthians 9:22b-23

Jeremiah 17:7-8

1 John 4:19

James 2:13

Isaiah 57:21

Lamentations 3:22-23

Deuteronomy 28:1

Psalm 116

Psalm 23:4-5

Mark 9:23

Psalm 19:14

Habakkuk 3:17-19

2 Chronicles 7:14

2 Corinthians 2:14

Isaiah 59:1-2

Psalm 107:1

Proverbs 18:20

Psalm 86:17

James 1:5-6

Proverbs 27:17

2 Timothy 4:18

Matthew 7:11

Joshua 1:9

1 Corinthians 16:13

1 Corinthians 15:58

Deuteronomy 30:19

Psalm 107:20

Galatians 6:10

Proverbs 30:7-8

Proverbs 3:33

1 Peter 5:6-7

Psalm 51:10-12

Nahum 1:7

Sigh.....it was easier when.....