Facing who you are not

I went to a revival at our church tonight and the Pastor that was preaching was awesome. But I want to share the main point of the message that I walked away with.

As human beings we walk around and try to be someone we are not, people try to be someone else, for me trying to start a church. I know that if that is Gods will it will happen. Diana and I know that Gods will for us has a family. I am a evangelist for God. Diana and I know the focus that God has for us is the Married couples, couples that are engaged. We take our ministry to those in need.

My point is Pastor Greg’s point we need to be who God called us to be not who we want to be. As a people we are missing Gods blessings for us because we do not surrender our will or our hearts. So id you want gods blessings in your life surrender your will and heart to him

Fellowship

Tonight we went to a good friends house, they just moved in so we had to see their new “DIGGS” that’s what Kimberly called it, I am not sure that she is using that in the right context, she has challenged us to defy her on this word. It is funny and I challenge I will take. What a great night we spent just a little over an hour there jsut talking about the bible, life and how God has changed us it was the best time. So I challenge you all go to a friends house and just fellowship no agenda nothing really to be specific just go visit you will be glad you did.

Never

I tell you that I am heart broken by my own desire not to blog. I love to blog and share. but I am so caught up and busy in LIFE. I just plain old forget. For those of you that don’t know me let me tell you that I am very busy, I am the Lead Pastor for Working For Christ Ministries, a marriage and family enrichment ministry, I am a fulltime Multi-unit resturant manager for Johnny Rockets, i am bringing into the Insurance Sales business, which I do on my days off and at night. Oh did I forget to mention that I am a full time dad and husband of 16 years… WHEW I got tired just writing all that down.

Please Pray for me that I get this bloggin think down. Well to update Diana and I are putting the final touches on our speaking parts of our testimonies. Also please pray that God would just open doors that his love for Diana and I will just flourish out of us and on to those couples in trouble. We are so excited to see what God has done in our lives and the lives of our close friends. He keeps his promises and they do not return void. But the promises man makes can and will return to us void. Will drive you nuts, but isn’t good to know that it is in God we put our trust and faith and not into men.

Thats all for know will do my best not to wait 6 years to return….

Remembering

Tonight was kinda of a rough night. But not in a bad way, but tonight Diana and I are putting some finishing touches on some ministry items. We are working on our testimony and fine tuning it. Well we talked about all the things that have gone wrong in the past 16 years. As we were revisiting the past it brought up a lot of bad memories for both of us. We are better equipped to handle it the pain now and we have VICTORY over the enemy, but it is still difficult to revisit.

I praise God that we have weathered all these storms and can take our journey to others to gain strength, encouragement, and hope. I love the my wife more now that I have ever loved her. With out her in my life I am nothing. i am something with out because I have Christ but with with out  her I do not know how I would have made to this far without her. She is the balance that God has for me, I praise him everyday that he kept us together.

So if your married go to your spouse and give them a big hug and tell them that you thank God for them.

Going Home!!!!!

Yeah I am all packed and ready to go home. What is really funny is that the girls have no idea that I am coming home they think I will not be home until Sunday. I am so excited to see my family. It is such a great feeling that I need to go to bed but can’t , like a little kid on Christmas. There is nothing to say other than pray for my family we have some exciting news that we can not share yet but be in prayer for us and we will make announcements soon.

Sorry nothing here today…Gotta force my self to bed early morning tomorrow.

Above What ?

Above What? the sky, the moon, the stars…..Above What? The word is very specific about being above reproach as a Pastor. Now first and foremost I want to say I am not perfect, have never been perfect and do think that anytime before my death that I will attain perfection.

I know that as a pastor we can get angry, sad, tired, bewildered, etc,etc. But what it troubles me when I just see a blantant attack on someone and to disavow all knowledge about something, then start casting stones. In todays world as Pastors we need to remember a few things:

1. It is all about Jesus Christ

2. We are and never will be perfect.

3.When the Pharisees approached Jesus about the prostitute, he told them that “let ye with no sin cast the first stone” I believe that we are to let people know of the sin that is separating them from God, but we are not to use their past as a rock to throw at them.  If I remember correctly the Pharisees dropped their stones and walked away.

4. We are to forgive 70×7. Pastors above all are to have compassion and love among other things for everyone. That is the love of Jesus Christ flowing thru us.

So if we as Pastors are confronted about something and can not give an answer without flipping out in anger we need to stop, pray about it, and ask for help or guidance in this matter.

OK I am done thanks for listening to me ramble something on my heart and I needed to write about it.

Please pray for me I am out of town on business and we had a long day today and if things work out for Saturday we will be working 12 hours +

Blessings,

Pastor Rick

What a Day!

Lately my wife and I have been troubled in some decisions that we need to make.There is a lot of stress in what we have been going thru. We have been praying for God to answer us and we feel that he has, so we are working on a new plan for the direction of our lives it will be an exciting chapter in our lives. When it is tie I will write about it.

Today I was praying that a Pastor friend of mine be in our local coffee shop because I needed some good biblical counsel. Praise God he was there he gave me what God had for me and it was like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. Has that ever happened to you that God just reaches down and takes your pressure away and you just breath a side of relief, what an awesome feeling.

I have a very good friend that always tells me the only reason I have stress is because I do not control my reaction to the situation……..He is so right…I think that we all freak out in the beginning and then finally calm down and realize it really wasn’t that bad.

God bless you all!!!!

Patience and Shopping

Today was a day that I know that God was working on my patience. One of my weak points as a parent and husband is I hate back to school shopping. Today we went to Walmart, Ross and Target we left the house about 5:30pm. Being assured by my wife that this would not be a long task we ventured out me in reluctant tow. Long story short we did not get home until 10:30pm AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!

Shopping is one of my unless it is for me and a toy I don’t wanna go especially with my wife and girls for clothes shopping. It was OK up until the point we were leaving WALMART, there were only 7 registers open and at least 20 people in every line. Slow is a understatement. We finally pick a line and it was slow and then when we get up to the front cart unloaded half of our purchase rung up the register stops working, meanwhile patience has left my brain, then she finally gets all of our stuff rang up and then her CC machine won’t work the Customer Service manager comes over suspended our sale and we have to follow her to another register. Meanwhile, I must say I am usually a non complainer and patient, now I am about to explode. so we finally get our bill paid start heading out to the entrance we came in get there it is blocked off and closed.

God forgive me I had a fit albeit polite and now employees, customers or families were injured in the event. But I know that for some reason God thought he would work on my patience and I failed this test tonight. Luckily my wife and kids love me no matter what.

Walmarts motto from me 7 lines open 300 people in line please be patient….lol

Why did God Choose Me?

Do you ever have a period of time where you turn from a Pastor and become frail in your humaninty , Forgetting all the advice that you have ever given. Forgot every positive bible verse that you have given as positive reinforcement to other people. Have you ever just looked in a mirror and doubt and ask God, WHY ME ?. I am sure that the disciples went thru it, watching Jesus the son of GOD performing miracles and rebuking the pharisees. Wow they must have said Why did Jesus pick us? But back to us, have you ever really sat back in a moment of hesitation and try to figure out Gods plan for you? Have you ever just sat back and cried because what you thought God had for you turns out to be not what God has for you?

How does it make you feel? Sometimes I feel deserted, abandoned. I wonder if I have done something wrong, that God is either letting me wonder around the desert or is he bringing me around to my Nineveh. I walk around in a cloud trying to figure out what God is doing in my life and whatever happens in mine undoubtedly affects my wife and kids more stress of not knowing what is to happen. I wonder why me God? Why have you chosen me to do ministry?

Because the past 2-3 weeks my mind, heart, soul and spirit are in turmoil. I have decisions to make in my ministry and life, critical decisions. I know that God is in it and is guiding them, but as I look around and see other people/pastors somewhat stable or very stable in there ministries. I wonder what I am supposed to be learning or what am I doing wrong.

But I find comfort when I get that phone call that was unexpected that bears good news, the kind word of encouragement from my wife or friend. My kids loving on me not knowing my stress but telling me how much they love me. It is those subtle hints of Gods love for me that shine thru to me, knowing that God is there and loves me, reminding me that he is guiding everything that is happening to me. No matter what bad decisions I make he can turn them around so he will be glorified. No matter what happens, no matter how frustrated I become, no matter how sad I get, I will turn it all back to God as praise and worship.

Blessings Of Others

I am Tampa today and it is ugly and wet and rainy. nothing new. Pastor Henry is going to start a new sermon series on Jonah. So I reread that book today. Jonah is an amazing book, it is so amazing that he gets so mad at God, (yes I am no angel and I have been there before) but he gets mad at God for being who he is forgiving, loving and compassionate. Ain’t it funny he gets mad, now think back how many times have we/I gotten mad because someone else is getting a blessing and I am not. Getting mad because they are getting what I am supposed to. i believe that we all need to get it together, thank God that he blesses people. Because just maybe, our blessing is just around the corner waiting for us to praise him for what he is doing for them, not being bitter but happy for the blessing.