Take lessons from the wisest person to ever live...

This morning I"ve been reading in the book of Ecclesiastes. Wow! What a refreshing reminder about purpose and how we should live. This book was written by Solomon who is well known as the "wisest person to ever live." To me, this is someone who deserves some listening to. He had all the money, fame, and fortune you could imagine. (I've heard preachers say it would be 10 times the wealth and success of Warren Buffet and Bill Gates combined!)

In our American culture one would think this is the peak of life and is to be desired. This is really what it's all about, setting high goals and reaching them. Solomon begs to differ. In Ecc 12:13 he says, "Here now is my final conclusion. Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone's duty."

Isn't it comforting in a way to hear the wisest man ever tell us in one short sentence how to live. If we want happiness, purpose and meaning in our life, we are to simply fear God and obey his commands. What a powerful reminder this is!

***Remember, if you "Follow" Jesus, you'll see his ways and start to believe in him. Once you "Believe" you'll begin to understand he has a better plan for you. Since he has a better plan, you'll begin to "Obey" and this is where we ultimately stay.....nestled in the will of God waiting for his next move.

Take time to sit at Jesus' feet today and thank him for who he is and the peace and direction he offers us all.

God bless!

The Disney Trip

My wife and I just got back from Orlando, FL. I can't believe I'm 30 years old and have lived this close to Disney World and this is the first time I have visited there. We went to Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Island of Adventure. We had a lot of fun and the weather was fabulous! High 80's in March!

If you need any tips on the best things to do in my opinion at these parks drop me a line.

Fresh Start...

There's nothing like it! Everyone loves the thought of a fresh start. Ask yourself, what is it today I need to start fresh with? Is it your prayer time? your bible reading? your daily exercise? your healthy eating? your restored friendships? Whatever it is, take today to ask God to help you put the past in the past, and start fresh!

Spring is in the air...the grass is turning greener, the flowers are starting to bloom, the trees are turning colors. Don't wait another day!

Make today the day you start fresh! God's blessings are waiting for us all if we seek him first! He came to give us life and to give it more abundantly!!! (John 10:10)

What if we ignore the Bible???

Here are 4 things you can count on happening if we neglect spending time studying God's word:

-i tend to magnify the weaknesses in others and overlook the weaknesses of my own.
-i tend to evaluate all around me, as if this is all there is.
-i tend to close my hands with my possessions
-i tend to hold onto my anger too long

What if we received a text from God..

I can't stress enough the importance of spending time in God's word. In our busy, fast paced life, it must become a priority. Check out this series from Andy Stanley called, "text"

It's crazy to think that God himself, (the creator of the world) has sent us a text message and we get too busy and too lazy to read it.



***If you are new to the Bible and wondering where to start, Read the Book of John. After you do this and what to get a little more advanced, read the book of Luke and then afterwards read Acts. (these 2 books were written together) This will tell you about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and also how the church got started.

Bible Study Help...

If we are ever going to grow spiritually, Daily Bible study is a must. I made this outline to help myself and others know the big picture of what they are reading. The Bible doesn't have to be as hard to understand as we make it out to be.

This guide is for the New Testament. It tells you the Book, Author, Audience, Time Period written, and Purpose. Once I started to understand these things it really gave new life to the Bible for me and I hope it can do the same for you.

God bless!

The Battle Within...

I heard a story once that said we have a daily battle we face between good and evil that is like having 2 animals living inside us. One animal is loving, caring and has a desire to do what's right. The other is angry, quick tempered and seeks evil. The question is, "Which one wins this battle?"

Answer: The one you feed.

What can we do to feed the good animal. Prayer, Bible Study, keep scripture fresh in our minds, keep a song on our heart, sing praises daily to the Lord. Spend time around positive encouraging people. Exercise. Eat Healthy, think pure thoughts.

These are just a few of the things we should do in order to keep God fresh in our hearts and keep the good animal living inside of us always the victor.

Praise the Lord!