The Morning Of Grace

Well how do you begin a morning full of grace?!

That is a good question and often people ask me "why are you such a happy guy all the time?" Is it because i'm ignorant of current circumstances, trials, adversities or dilemmas? No in fact I'm very aware of many circumstances and trials but what makes me smile in the morning, what makes me really happy; it's the simple things in life. Counting your blessings and being actively aware of what God has done and in doing so, I see He always has good things ahead. Sometimes the road is rough, maybe even brutal, laced with blood, sweat and tears but eventually God always works it out for His good and for mine as well.

The joy is knowing God always has everything under control and He's not surprised by what we face or what we must endure. He is always perfect in His love, mercy, grace and His timing. He knows just how to turn the most impossible things from sour to sweet, from ashes and dust to a mountain of victory. That's the God I serve, the God of perfect grace and that makes me smile, makes me overjoyed in every circumstance. I'm not dumbfounded by adversity but rather I'm inspired by God's perfection and His faithfulness despite overwhelming odds.

When you feel discouraged, count your blessings and literally name them one by one. Suddenly things seem much brighter in the end.

Lions Den

When I faced my stroke,

there were many times I couldn't speak,

express my thoughts,

move or understand

but I knew one thing,

I was facing a circumstance for which I could only simply be still and let God do what He does best, turn hungry circumstances of potential great loss into a victory for which only God can be glorified. That is truly what He has done for me :) Just trust Him and keep on praying, keep on living the gospel message and let God do the impossible.

Psalm 18:2
The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
and my place of safety.

What I've Seen

We often struggle in our lives, the crux of our own shame

is when we start to believe that God just can't do

what He claims to do. We become distant and withdrawn or

we begin to believe God must be a cruel judge when in fact He shows us patience, love and above all else righteousness. We can easily be fooled by satan when he tells us "See you are worthless, useless and unworthy" Satan has only one job for any christian and that is to uproot whatever God has or is doing in their lives and he is fantastic at discouragement! Take heart and know that the most amazing thing about God is His desire to uphold you, restore you, help you to walk in love, mercy and in joy through Christ Jesus. We as christians are called to live a life that is abundant, not a life of what the world deems abundant but what God values as abundant and that is the beauty of God's love! He wants us to be humble and yet bold in His word, meek and yet courageous in truth. We are here for but a moment and then we are gone but how precious is that moment that we grow in the light of God's grace. We are all deeply loved in Christ Jesus and yes we are sinners but the power of the cross, the work that Christ has done redeems us and our testimony and life is in Him. So take heart and know you are His and His alone.

The Beauty, The Mercy, The Peace

Laughter Within, Hatred Without

     One thing I know for sure I'm really good with, is laughter! I know that way back when I was a teenager you would almost never find me smiling or laughing. There was a time when I was so sad and heartbroken, I was bullied all the time for my looks and my cloths etc. Strange how things change, when we survive something so unbelievably painful and suddenly we either see things in a whole new light or we fade away in anger. I chose to fly above the hatred, the contempt and learn to love and pray for those who treated me so horribly unkind. Amazingly I found a lot of love for those who I first couldn't imagine ever loving. My laughter is deeper than ever, my freedom is lighter than before and my burdens are quickly cast aside. The bible speaks of loving your enemies and in doing so you become a much more profound person of grace, wisdom and mercy. Remember, love covers a multitude of sin... ;)

In Him

How beautiful it is, to know that we have confidence in Christ Jesus, to speak to God with joy in our hearts. We know that God is a God of depth, love, compassion, understanding, righteousness and so much more. He hears us when we call on Him and He is a God of a personal relationship, not a distant grumpy person who doesn't care for our well-being. Know this, He hears you and is calling you into a life with depth and measure.

Shattered Melody

In The Name Of

Forget what islam says... what I believe is that we should preach the beautiful message of the cross, not as people of arrogance or a betterment of society but rather as a humble people with love in our mouths, kindness in our hands and grace in our actions..

The second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these." Mark 12:31

If we stood for that simple truth would we want to kill others, behead others, stab others, desire the annihilation of others or would we be like a child wanting to share kindness, love, laughter, grace, peace...

                                                    Artwork By Ernie Kasper