I woke up this morning to talk with God as I do every day. I got in my car and turned on some preparation music. This morning I listened to "Show Me Your Face," by Fred Hammond. I was trying to get to a place where I could talk to God and through faith and hope He would speak back to me. As I was praying I felt a praise develop on my heart and on my mind.
I thanked God for waking me up this morning in my right mind.

I thanked Him for the activity of my limbs.

I thanked Him that all five of my senses were working.

I thanked Him for my future wife. I love her.

I thanked Him for my son. I love him too.

I thanked Him for my friends.

I thanked Him for my parents.

I thanked Him for being God all by himself.

In the midst of all this thanking I thought about the very two principles and commandments that help me keep my faith in the faith and in my walk with Christ: "And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself," (Luke 10:27).

A very powerful tool that we Christians have is the ability to LOVE. And everything and I mean everything is brought together when we LOVE GOD with everything we have and when we LOVE OUR FELLOW MAN as we love ourselves.

So Lord today I tell you publicly that I love you with everything I have. I want to develop a deep and close relationship with You that goes beyond the surface. Teach me how to LOVE you God and show me what I must do to gain Your trust, Your favor, and Your affection towards me.

I love You God so much and I will also work hard to love my enemies, my family, my friends, and all the people around me.

I Love You Lord

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

 Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments," Matthew 22:36-40

This is just a quick comment I posted on my last post in response to a reader who stated that I should read the God Delusion. I know most people don't go back and read comments so I wanted to share and get your thoughts.

"I would have to say that I don't look at faith the way you do and that is OK. I love to pray and I enjoy having a conversation with God. Although you say there is no God, I believe there is and I believe that He loves us all; whether we believe in Him or we believe He is a delusion. I believe that we all have our moments of doubts because of the unknown or that it is so hard to believe or have faith in someone we can't see or feel, but that is just a defense mechanism and fear. If people never ventured out into the unknown we wouldn't have reached the moon, or discovered how to operate on a damaged heart or brain, discovered technology, etc. So I challenge you to try the unknown, try something that doesn't make sense, and see the results. Believing in Jesus for me has been AMAZING!!!!"

So Journal...

Things have been pretty crazy these last couple of weeks. Issues with family, relationship ups and relationship downs, a huge issue with my place of employment which has had me stressed, feelings of helplessness concerning being unable to help my friends in need, wedding planning stress, and the list just goes on and on. I have been trying to hold it all together but I have not been as successful in doing so.

I really just want things to be perfect. I know that it is totally impossible for things to be perfect, but that is what I have been dreaming of. Journal, I don't want to fail and lately I have been feeling like a failure. I think apart of it has been the overwhelming stress that life seems to be throwing at me, but I also believe that it has been because I have lost focus on WHO is important. I have lost focus on God.

So Journal here I am after 6 months of being in isolation, God revealed to me clearly that I had to put Him first and love Him with everything I have. I come out of that experience and back into the world as I know it with a new lease on life; like I always do however I become comfortable in my own pig pin, and I get wrapped up in the endless void of worry and frustration. God is just waiting for me to give Him my full and undivided attention; waiting for me to cast my cares up Him, and stop waiting for things to just be better. He is waiting for me to truly trust Him to see me through and not just falsely hoping for a change with my fingers crossed.

There is hope though! And today I feel so much better. I had some good old fashion conversation, I did some forgiving, I asked for lots of forgiveness, and I just stopped worrying. I prayed and I let God have all my cares. And I feel much better.

I can't worry about everything and I can't let life beat me up. Jesus came that I might have life and have it more abundantly. We have to choose how to live abundantly and not just think the abundant life is given.

So...

Lord Jesus please forgive me of my sins. I continue to go down the same road and play the fence between living for Christ and living for my own fleshly and selfish needs.

God I'm sorry that I keep turning back to the wicked ways of my youth and only seeking to satisfy my earthly lusts and pleasures. God I'm sorry.

Lord Jesus I don't want to be out of fellowship with you, but the fear and lack of faith I experience; wait they are no longer an excuse. I just wish I could convince myself f this and begin to live for You and You alone.

God please forgive me of all my sins.

Amen.

I know that I have a lot to answer for when I meet Jesus and the Heavenly Father in Heaven. I so hope that their GRACE and MERCY will extend in that moment, because the truth is I'm guilty. (Jesus intercedes on our behalf and although we are guilty, He has paid the price, penalty, and punishment for sin). Besides the most important reason for having a relationship with Christ, I often wonder what Jesus thinks when we do the things God created us for.

Like my earthly father loves when I'm having fun or when I'm helping someone through a crisis. My dad says it makes him proud or happy when I'm enjoying myself or knowing that the values he instilled in me I put into action; so I wonder what Jesus is thinking when we sing, or praise God, or feed the hungry, visit the sick, clothe the naked, visit the prisoners, etc.

I wonder if he laughs at our jokes or applauds us when we do a good job. Is he cheering us on when we are trying to overcome an obstacle or is he learning the latest dance step right along with us.

On this new journey I'm on I'm making it my purpose to not put Jesus in a box, but I'm also no longer going to try and make Him this untouchable mythological creature either. I want Jesus to be exactly who he is (God, once a man, Lord, Savior, God's Son) and who I want him to be in my life (friend, present help, counselor, and someone who understands). I want to believe that he does all those things I named and more. I want to believe that he is pleased with my trying to live this life the right way.

What I really imagine is what it is like to hear Jesus sing and what our response would be.

Lord what do you think about this???

I woke up this morning in Kentucky surrounded by my friends and just feeling a peace that I haven't felt in such a long time. I also woke up to this television program that was talking about the peace that Jesus brings and the Love of God; for a moment I felt this wave of peace that just made me want to get close to God. This feeling made me want to call out to Him and ask Him to allow me to walk in His presence, to see His face, and allow His grace to take control of my life.

There was this song that the choir and praise team sang on the program:

Your Love Jesus Is Forever

Your grace never runs out, your mercy is never to far.

Well the song went something like that I can't remember it all because I was so caught up. I do know this, I was thankful, yes I was so very thankful at that moment in time that God just used that moment to speak to me and let me know that when I'm ready He is waiting with open arms. I love God so much and I've never stopped loving Him.

Fred Hammond has these lyrics that spoke to me:

Lord Your Love For Me Is Forever

Your Love For Me Is Forever

To Me There Is None Greater

To Me There is None Greater

Lord I thank you Lord for everything and I thank you for giving your Son to me and giving me Hope.

That Hope I've Found Again.