Tears for fears

   No, not the band. I have heard this artist before, but never really gave much thought to who sang or what the lyrics said. Though I have memorized most of the lyrics just by hearing it on Air One, (in our area it is 89.5). The song is by Jeremy Camp called "there will be a day." but please watch this first:


Then watch this......

Traditions

   Sorry for the long lapse in writing folks. It has been two weeks of driving me crazy. Getting ready for the day we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
So our family started a new tradition this year, which is giving to Christ gifts of selfless acts. We have utilized a white stocking for Christ. Everyday for the month of December we would place in the stocking acts that we had done, acts done for us, or acts we have seen others do without being asked. As Christmas morning came we said a prayer and read each of the little pieces of paper that each of us had wrote on. How amazing it was to hear what we have seen and done for others without reward.
Now you have to understand the ages of our children, here is the breakdown. "A" is 14, "T" is 12, "I" is 10, "B" is 8 and "Z" is 5. It is astonishing what these young hearts and minds wrote with their own hands. I love this tradition, it truly kept Christ in Christmas for us. Oh by the way, it took us right about an hour and a half to get through all the pieces of paper without so much as a "can we open gifts now?" ever being said. Our Children were more interested in reading the things that had been done. Our gift to Christ was more important to them than what lay under the tree.  May God Bless the little Children.
This brings to mind a scripture from the Gospel of Mathew chapter 19 verses 13-15 says: 13 Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” 15 And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.
May we all be as little children and the love that they have.

Breakdown

   Unfortunately there are times in our lives that others try to extol you, give you hope for the future. Then there are times that the compliments and uplifting words just kinda drag you down. Quite the oxymoron but it does happen.
   I am in such a predicament. My family and friends are of one faith, which I have tried to be as open as possible. I am studying to really grasp the teachings and nuances offered. Coming from a background of  "mainstream" Christianity I have been tried and tested on some of my core beliefs. Lets just say that I feel the Refiners Fire burning the fluff or pomp and circumstance from my soul.
   This has been a very trying time not only for the soul, but for the mind. Let me say that the stress throughout my body is AGGRAVATING! It is quite the struggle within myself, so to try and uplift my own spirit so I have a few passages that hope will keep me strong.
2 Timothy 1:6-14 reads:
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
And the entire Chapter of Ecclesiastes 9:

1For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.

2All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

3This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

4For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

5For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

6Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.

7Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.

8Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.

9Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.

10Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

11I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

12For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

13This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:

14There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:

15Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.16Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.17The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.18Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth

Lord keep your soldier strong, help me to keep my eyes focused solely upon your countenance. Amen.

It's a traffic jam when you're already late ......

Main Entry: Irony
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: turn of expression
Synonyms: adumbration, allegory, alliteration, allusion, analogue, analogy, anaphora, anticlimax, antistrophe, antithesis, aposiopesis, apostrophe, asyndeton, bathos, communication that is not meant literally; stylistic device, comparison, conceit, device, echoism, ellipsis, euphemism, euphuism, exaggeration, expression, flourish, flower, hyperbole, image, imagery, irony, litotes, malapropism, manner of speaking, metaphor, metonymy, onomatopoeia, ornament, oxymoron, parable, paradox, parallel, personification, proteron, rhetoric, sarcasm, satire, simile, synecdoche, trope, tropology, turn of phrase, understatement, way of speaking.

Alanis Morissette Put it very well when she sang this song. Ironic.....
Now as some of you know I am a bread man....I sell and deliver a Nationally popular brand of bread and snack cakes, (not as glorious as some might think.) So I thought to myself, "I am a bread man," not thinking in disgust or despair but more as a matter of fact.
Ask me about bread, no, go right ahead. Not to say I know it all but I could probably tell you by taste texture and smell what company baked that loaf of bread. White, wheat, whole grain, multi-grain, etc. I unfortunately know my bread.
So in all this there is one thing I have been searching for for quite some time now, not that it is lost or that I have never knew where to look. We all know where to find Him, but do we truly find find Him.
What I mean to say is that I am a bread man looking for the Bread of Life. Christ told his Disciples at the last supper speak these words from Luke chapter 22 verse 19: "And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”"
Here are a few more to ponder:

John 6:33

For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

John 6:35

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

John 6:48

I am the bread of life.

John 6:51

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

Kinda Ironic huh?!?!
Someday by the Grace of God I may find the Truth of His Word, applying such to my life and living as God has commanded of me. Amen.

Tidbits

Well folks it's very late at the moment and it has been quite the week so far. I find myself gone more than I am at home. Not out of choice but for work. At this point frustration and depression leaks in. So I am writing tonite to lay down a little tidbit of the Word to jump start my spirit, so to speak...

Ezekiel 34:16

“I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment.” N.K.J.V.

This is another that hits home at this moment,

Psalm 42: 1 - 11

   As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God. My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holy day. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar. Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. Yet the LORD will command his loving kindness in the day time, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God? Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. K.J.V.
The wonderful thing about God is he never leaves you hopeless. Thank you Father for Your will and Your love. Amen.

Fine china

   I realize that it has been a few days since my last post, but have been in the land of Nod for the last week. I have been working non-stop since pretty much Monday @ 3A.M.. So apologies all around. I wrote on Jewelz' Facebook page during Thanksgiving about how I hope that all would not take for granted the little things. I also wrote of the importance to never let a chance to say "I love you," pass you by to those you love, it may be the last chance you get. So in celebration of the Love of my life I must throw this tidbit out, Genesis 2: 18-23 states: The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.

But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.”That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. N.I.V.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzkZPI-HKsk&feature=related
Even though this song has no real spiritual meaning, it does sum up how I see and love my wife.It is from Pearl Jam's new album, Backspacer, the song is Just breathe.
I love you baby! I hate the fact that we are away from each other for so long. By God's grace we will someday be able to spend real quality time together.