Acknowledgement

While growing up God blessed me with two great parents.  I remember being quite the difficult child, and sometimes I wonder how I didn't end up at the local landfill, or at a pawn shop with a price tag.  I was such a little heathen in elementary school.  At first my teachers would draw a circle in the sand that I had to stay inside of for the entire recess period.  However, it wasn't too long before my Mom had to come to school and take me home for lunch.  I was a big question mark and a handful.  I can appreciate the war I put my parents through back then!  I especially consider myself lucky because a lot of my friends back then had split homes, neglectful parents, and /or parents who abused them.  The time I spent inside the teacher's sand circle must have seemed like small stuff to them.

It took me a long time to truly appreciate the time and effort my parents put into my life.  I am not saying that neither one of them ever made a mistake or did not follow the so called "Proper Parenting Manual."  Everyone makes mistakes, however, my parents brought me up in an environment and placed me in situations where I could learn from them.  I left for the military for many reasons, but I also just wanted to get away from home and start life with no questions.  The popular parable, "The prodigal son," explains how we feel sometimes in life.  The thing to remember is that good parents, bad parents, or something in between, we all have a Father up above willing to welcome us with open arms regardless of what we've been through or what we have done.  Read below and enjoy............

Luke 15:11-32

The Parable of the Lost Son

 ¹¹ Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.    ¹³ “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. ¹⁴ After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
   ¹⁷ “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ¹⁸ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father.
   “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
   ²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
   ²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
   ²⁵ “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ²⁷ ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
   ²⁸ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. ²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
   ³¹ “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³² But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

Attention.......

THE BACKGROUND

I can remember going to church when I was a little Cifu.  In Riverside, California my family and I attended the Assembly of God church.  It was a small church that boasted a decent size congregation and a pastor who seemed larger than life itself whenever I would sit through the services.  Even though I would pull the typical "kid stuff", such as crawling on the floor and finding any reason I could to talk during the sermon, I was always drawn to his presence.  If you asked me today about any of the words that came out of the pastor's mouth, I could not tell you one.  I would put money on it though that he talked about God somewhere in the mix.  It's a wonder I am not rich and famous with those kind of deductive skills!  Anyway, when was the last time you were simply mesmerized by someone solely based upon their presence?  Maybe it was their looks, their position, or maybe even how they moved around the crowd in a room? 

TODAY......

I never let God have my full attention for a quite a while.  I always found someone else to fill that role.  Maybe it was whatever girlfriend I had at the time, or even my Mom getting ready to have a "Come to Jesus" meeting with me.  Unfortunately, I always paid attention to someone else first.  There are endless amounts of individuals out there who would never believe there is a God.  Why should they, what with all the bad stuff going on in the world.  It is easier in the short term to tough it out and commit their attention to the next big thing.  How wonderful would it be to finally find that permanent patch, the fix to end all of your break downs in life?  It's even harder for the man or woman that has had a good life to believe God would ever need to find a place within them.  Sure they might have had a few set backs, but everything worked out for the best, right?! 

I read that poem, "Footprints," from time to time.  Even though I never quite gave God the focus He so much deserved in my life, He was always there carrying me.  God is to me what that Pastor was back in the day, a person who gets my attention without needing word.  I have never found myself as fortunate as most televangelists out there that have heard God speak to them.  I find myself following a graceful figure whom I have never seen or heard so much as one word from.  In most cultures that would get you a trip to the institution for "special people."  I follow Him because at the end of the day, whether things went outstanding or poorly, He will be there when I drop to my knees and lift up my praise and worries.  God you have my attention!  This little boy is no longer stuck crawling on the floor of life thanks to you.

Jesus Walks on the Water

²² Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. ²³ After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, ²⁴ and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
²⁵ Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
²⁹ “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
³² And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. ³³ Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Nature

Nature's beauty is only surpassed by God's glory.  There are places in this world that inspire thoughts of awe and wonder.  I remember the first time I saw Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah) on a high school missions trip.  I slowly walked toward the ridge overlooking the canyon which has become so famous for it's free standing spires and rock formations.  I stared across the expanse and watched the sun rise over the red, yellow and white washed sand that covered the terrain.  Isn't it incredible to see something that is incomparable with everyday sights.  Maybe it's that tall skyscraper, green valley, or beach just outside your door that embraces your senses.  Nature is what God intended it to be; it is what he intended you and I to be as well, great.

Genesis 1

 ¹ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ² Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
 ³ And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

God brings us this same glory day in and day out, yet not everyone sees the beauty and glory of this world as His creation.  Some scientists and skeptics would say that this world "just happened", or maybe it was created by some cosmic explosion and formation over millions of years.  I would say to each his own, however, there is no other explanation than our Earth and everything in it was created by God. 

John 1: verse 3

  ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

I used to find it so hard to embrace the idea that God created everything that I saw, everyone I met, and everything around me.  There was no way one guy did all this?!  Well therein lies the answer, God is not just a guy.  There are things in my life that have happened and things that I have seen that could not have possibly happened by chance, or by any other means.  Trusting that God has your back day in and day out is a part of this faith/trust factor that goes hand in hand with the landscapes that surround us day in and day out.  If God is great enough to create all of what you see, feel, hear, touch and smell, then why question His ability to carry you in your darkest hour?  My wife can attest to the fact that I used to be a huge worrisome mess when it came to life.  Trusting god was the hardest thing I ever did, but I have no regrets.  God isn't a crumbling piece of rock that breaks a part in bad weather, and he sure isn't the drug or alcohol using abusive parent that just really wasn't there in life.  God is what you let Him be in your own life.  If you place Him at the forefront of your priorities and issues then you have the brightest light in this entire world to guide you.  Next time as you gaze upon the splendor of nature think of the one who created it for you to enjoy.

Proverbs 3: verses 5-6

⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart
   and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways submit to him,
   and he will make your paths straight.

Stuff

We had a pretty intense prayer session at the Youth Ministry meeting I attended tonight.  Sometimes prayer amazes me because everyone has there own reason for doing it, and every prayer is somehow distinct in its own regard.  Although I didn't add to the circle tonight, there were many that did.  Sometimes when people are praying they only lift up the bad stuff in life.  You know what I am talking about: disease, family problems, financial issues, divorce, car problems, a crappy job situation, no job at all........the list goes on and on! 

Tonight I received a much needed reminder that throwing a little thank you back upstairs is owed more often than not.  I remember the Cifu teenage era when I would send up a prayer to stay with a particular girlfriend, or some other adolescent desire that I had at the time.  Wow, I was lost in the sauce!  Everyone knows the basic concept of a prayer even if you are not Christian.  Next time you are sitting there thinking how happy you are in your life, or maybe a hardship revealed itself as a lesson in perseverance and challenge; let God know what's going on with a short prayer.  Remember what your Mom said when you were growing up too, a little thank you goes a long way.

Luke 18:1-10
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' " And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

Words......

What do wars, speeches, fights, proposals, and prayers all have in common?  All of them were conceptualized and created in a large part by someone, somewhere, letting words escape their mouth.  Early in my marriage to my beautiful wife I thought it would be a great idea to embrace her with my idea of what was involved with babysitting or watching children.  I told her that watching children was easy because you just sit there and let them play.  Let's just say I still have not lived that one down!

It's amazing what words from our tongues have the ability to do.  Words have started wars, and words have also saved thousands.  Even now I get caught up letting my tongue loose and taking my chances at work and at home.  Let's just say that I have struck out more than a few times.  I have talked my way to the couch at night, and I have also talked my way into awards and promotions.  We are our own worst enemies.  God gives us that free will to say what we will.  Though most of us choose poorly more times than not.  This is why it is so important to lean on God for our inspiration and not the ways of the world.  Imagine all the times you have ever spoken out of anger or let emotions dictate the words that roll off your tongue.  How many people have we hurt to fulfill our own selfish ambitions and feelings?  The book of James gives us a good idea how our words can determine who we are.
James 3: versus 3-6
³ When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. ⁴ Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. ⁵ Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. ⁶ The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

James 4

Submit Yourselves to God

 ¹ What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? ² You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. ³ When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

Slow

James 1:19-21
¹⁹ My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰ because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. ²¹ Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

I read this verse on facebook this morning.  It was pretty incredible to hear those words because there are times I let stress and frustration take over my thoughts and responses to certain situations.  Notice the only thing that is "quick" in these verses is the listening part.  All I need is to open an ear and take in every word.  I totally fit the stigma of the guy that wants to be the "problem solver" when all that is really needed is to just be there.

I can remember a time in high school when I had all the answers and I ran at the mouth way too much.  One night after a church Christmas performance I was being my typical self and I thought I would open my mouth and fire back at another guy after he hurt my pride.  Well, I just happen to mention his Mom in a vulgar manner and I found myself with a face full of fist.  Did I deserve it, YES!  I am thankful for experiences like this, no matter how painful.  As humans we are designed to display outward displays of emotion, but it's not a golden ticket to take the filter from our mouths or show some sort of patience and due diligence.  "Slow" is the word of the day.......embrace it. 

Success

I can dream of many things in this world that I would love to be successful at, however, my selfish ambitions would only serve my desires first.  Lately I find myself wandering to places in my mind where material things mark my wins and losses in life.  Maybe if I could just score the next big toy, or possession then I could be happy? 

It's not unfortunate that life truly doesn't work that way.  My success is based upon my relationship with God.  Where will I go when "that" day comes, heaven, or downstairs.  I want so much to follow God, yet my decisions are not speaking toward that choice.  I see all of these televangelists speaking toward success and positive attitudes.  They preach how we have to be happy in our lives in order to truly enjoy what God wants for us all.  I will never know everything in life, and frankly I do not want to.  If at the end of the day I can truly say that I am a child of God then my success has been earned by Him, not me.

The Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 5
³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.