Inspired by Life

Jesus did not NOT invite Matthew to follow him because Matthew was known as a thief and a person that lies - oh the potential of him joining the group and influencing the other guys for wrong...eeeh, I just don't know... No! Jesus wasn't like that. Jesus didn't stop and say: this is really going to look bad and ruin my reputation if I talk to this adulteress woman at this well. No! Jesus was absolutely not like that. Jesus didn't push the little children away because they were too young to understand the gospel. No! He met people were they were at. He pulled people out of darkness and opened their eyes to see the light. He put aside stereotypes. He ignored false judgments. Youthfulness, inferiority, or intelligence level...didn't matter ...still doesn't. He gently invites and talks to each one of us. His call is simple: Follow Me. Be like Me. Walk in the way I walked. Whether or not the person is going to minister to millions or just be ministered...

What started out as a dreary, rainy morning transformed into a brittle winter as a cold chill blew through my bones. I tucked my hands deep into the front of my hooded jacket as I made my way home after classes. Stopped by the traffic, I shivered within myself as I waited for the cross signal to light up allowing for safe passage. My attention was averted from deep in thought by the sight of an elderly man in construction gear racing across the street. I could sense tenseness in his mannerisms that were accentuated by his frantic movements. My eyes back tracked the path that he had ran from, and I watched as stillness transformed into uproar before me. A couple individuals huddled beside a body lying in the road near a large semi-truck, beside a crane that appeared to be loading onto the truck. Suddenly men in hard hats were running to and fro, pedestrians starting pulling out cell phones, and cars slowed down to snoop. In moments this rather deserted road was filled with flashing...

"....The key to the missionary's devotion is that he is attached to nothing and to no one except our Lord Himself. It does not mean simply being detached from the external things surrounding us. Our Lord was amazingly in touch with the ordinary things of life, but He had an inner detachment except toward God. External detachment is often an actual indication of a secret, growing, inner attachment to the things we stay away from externally. The duty of a faithful missionary is to concentrate on keeping his soul completely and continually open to the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ. The men and women our Lord sends out on His endeavors are ordinary human people, but people who are controlled by their devotion to Him, which has been brought about through the work of the Holy Spirit."

Romans 8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. have you ever been so excited that you said, "I CAN'T...

in response to the documentary we recently watched about human trafficking - to my American friends: a sober spirit fell upon us with tears attempting to balance on the edge of our lashes. a great heart of sorrow, almost pity, was felt for these women who were deprived of any value or worth as a human being. a silent anger burned for the injustice done. my heart was disquieted - disquieted, yes, but perhaps not with shared sentiments. there was no feeling of guilt living in my middle class American home with a loving family and completely whole body and no threats to my life. as perfect as my life is compared to some of these women, all i saw in their life, compared to mine, was no Jesus...the loneliness and isolation of thinking there is a "god" somewhere out there but not feeling Him or knowing Him or understanding why these things are happening, lack of community of believers encouraging and supporting these women through their struggles, the mundane sin night after nig...

to: pickles why a bitter spirit oh my soul what aches louder than broken hope? my tears are dull my speech ran dry words have become an empty cloud teasing rain on a sun-scorched ground love waits to no reply my lover. is. gone. tell me its not over one last glimpse one last flicker of fire a fire that burned once brightly in MY eyes oh God - advert my eyes from looking back over my shoulder lest i turn back and join the ashes a pillar. of. salt. love is not love 'less you lay down your life and no single man of earth has proven love like You... true love is "true" not the figment of some imagination the product of time and togetherness shared feelings and thoughts tears and laughter - hopes and dreams hallmark cards and sayings NO. no matter what lies... ...lies ahead my Love. is. secure. JDog 2012

Dear friends, hope you are doing well! There has been a prayer increasingly pressed on my heart as of late...a prayer for the children of God - a prayer to wage war for the advancement of God's kingdom! We fight with weapons of divine power that have the ability to demolish strongholds! The Lord has blessed us with EVERY spiritual blessing in the heavenly places! He has granted us wisdom and marked us with the promised seal - the Holy Spirit! He has given us the weapons of warfare, the tools we need to fight and succeed, and He has promised to go before us! We have Jesus interceding on our behalf...WOW! This being said - why not obey the call? why not stand in the promises of God? why not forsake EVERYthing else? why not place your hope and confidence COMPLETELY in our God and King? You were called to soooooo.MUCH.MORE. than this pathetic little world has to offer... May the God of all comfort strengthen the inner spirit within you and give you the grace to stand tall for His N...

DUDE! while reading today, i came across this awesome example in the Bible of wholeheartedly following the Lord. this example inspires me to live a life COMPLETELY for my God! Caleb Requests His Land 6 A delegation from the tribe of Judah, led by Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, came to Joshua at Gilgal. Caleb said to Joshua, “Remember what the Lord said to Moses, the man of God, about you and me when we were at Kadesh-barnea. 7 I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of the Lord, sent me from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land of Canaan. I returned and gave an honest report, 8 but my brothers who went with me frightened the people from entering the Promised Land. For my part, I wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God . 9 So that day Moses solemnly promised me, ‘The land of Canaan on which you were just walking will be your grant of land and that of your descendants forever, because you wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God. ’ 10 “Now, as you can see, the Lord has ke...

He has picked up the pen once again and has started writing yet another chapter in my book called "life." i can't help but wonder how long this chapter will be and if the end will be as hard as the beginning...it's weird to have this desire for this chapter be over due to the weary-tiresome of it and yet at the same time, longing for it to last b/c of the nearness i feel of His presence, the reliance on His strength to hold me up during the day, the joy He fills my happy-less heart, and the peace i receive from resting in His arms. sleepless nights torment my mind and body, but in the still of the morning...as i step into vacation from this world, my soul comes back to reality restored and refreshed. i don't doubt His existence, b/c His presence...i feel it. it consumes me. it is the ONLY thing that keeps me alive - that keeps me going - that keeps me coming back for more. i don't doubt that this may in fact be one of my favorite chapters in my book called ...

Plugging my ears to the sounds... The outside world Fighting to get inside my head, To get inside something precious Something already taken. It has been sold; There is no going back. You cannot steal it. Come on - You're making me MAD! This thing has fallen from your hands Now in the arms of grace. There is no going back The deal that's done is DONE - Done for life I no longer belong to you. PERIOD. There is no hint of longing, No tug at my soul, To dive back into the misery before The dread and fear... The horible loneliness and isolation... HA! to think you could even tempt me back Be GONE! Those things that used to call me I can hear no longer. My Master's words are no longer yours! But alas... My weak soul Oh, heavy heart Still hears the fainting cry Of a past life That is now not so forgotten. To erase the memory Not so simple. But looking forward I set my eyes like flint Unmoving on my Master's plan, I plug my ears to the sounds That if i were to listen Would bec...

The Study (dedicated to my precious residents) do you ever wonder what lies behinds those eyes of old? what stories they saw what joy they radiated what tears they cried ...in eyes now emotionless. do you ever wonder how those lines turned to wrinkles? how much they laughed how much they frowned how much expression was once shown ...on a face now stoic. do you ever wonder what came forth from those pursed lips? what jokes were made what kisses were given what words were spoken ...from lips now motionless. do you ever wonder how far the reach of ten crumpled fingers? how delicate their touch how many other hands they shook how hard they worked ...those hands now limp. oh but the one thing i do wonder what are they thinking now? to look into their soul is there fear or is there peace ...as they breath their last. JDog 2012