I Won't Give Up

This is kind of building on my previous post, but I won't give up. I won't give up on you. I won't give up on me. I won't give up on us. That is what God says to us. No matter what happens to us God is always right there with us.

Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,

"I will never fail you. I will never abandon you."

~~~Hebrews 13:5 (NLT)

We endure trials all the time in our Christian walk. But we also endure trials when it comes to our home life of our spouse, kids, job, finances, ect.

One of the hardest things I deal with is seeing a friendship or different kind of relationship with a person end. I am such a fighter when it comes to trying to keep friendships or relationships because I am so loyal. It's a part of my personality. I don't want to let friendships or other relationships die because I am so resistant to change.

But I am slowly learning that maybe some some friendships or relationships ending is all a part of God's master plan. That while certain friendships are great in that they have helped me grow, that season has passed and it's time to let go. I believe that God gives us these friendships and relationships with people to help us grow closer to him and that when it's time for us to move it means having to say goodbye to those friendships or relationships because we're no longer growing closer to God. You're either growing closer to God are backsliding away from him. You're never just staying in one place in your relationship with God.

The song 'I Won't Give Up' by Jason Mraz describes how we should fight for our relationships with our spouses. That no matter what happens that we should always keep the faith. The same applies to our relationship with God. That no matter what happens in our relationship with him we should always stay strong in our faith and not be discouraged.

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your 

way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that 

when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 

So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, 

you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

~~~James 1:2-4 (NLT)

So brothers and sisters in Christ, remember that your trials are a chance to grow your faith in God. Don't be discouraged over them and don't turn away from God during the hard times that will come upon you, but lean on his understanding and boost in his comfort.

To My Future Wife

One of the many desires I have in my heart is to have a wife and children. In fact I even had a dream just a couple of nights ago about being the father to a young boy about 4 or 5 years old named Daniel. It was just a dream but it is one of the best dreams I have ever had because I was so filled with joy beyond belief. Now I don't know if that dream means anything or not but it just reinforces the desires I have to have my own family.

I have tried to do it on my own in my own way and that simply doesn't work. I knew deep down I was doing things the wrong way but still kept doing it because I was satisfied in just having a girlfriend and made her the number one priority of my life. But things don't work that way.

God needs to be the number one priority of my life. If God is the center of my desires everything else will be blessed upon me. Its actually a blessing that I got to experience the failed relationship I just had without God in it. It allowed me to learn so much about myself. It made me realize that I am completely nothing without God. I have given my life to God and turned to him to guide me. He is now my number one.

I am writing this to my future wife, the one I know God has in store for me. I know you are out there somewhere and I am working to make myself the man that God needs me to be in order to be the kind of husband and father that God has called me to be.

I don't know where you are in this world right now but I know that you are out there somewhere. I know God is preparing you to be the kind of wife I need in my life. I truly want to be able to love you like Christ loves us. I want to be able to love our future children like God wants us too.

I am praying for you! I am praying for you and know that you're also praying for me as well.

"This is my command--be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

~~~Joshua 1:9

I'm praying for you to have courage, peace, protection, prosperity and a purpose. I am also praying that over our future children. I know that you're praying for the same things because you're a Godly woman.

I do dream of what you will look like, what your voice sounds like, what your passions are. I wish I had you right now but I know that God's timing is perfect. If you're reading this, until the day that I get to meet you, I leave you with this song that I just absolutely love to the point of wishing I could sing it to you right now.

God bless you right now! God bless you forever!

My New Life

It's been a long time since I wrote but here I am back again. I hope to bring you encouragement by reading this post. If just one person is encouraged then glory be to God.

Everything happens for a reason. My granny lived by that saying. I truly believe that saying is true and that it's more than just a saying. It's the way God works in our lives. God allows things to happen to us that works together with other things for the betterment of our lives and to bring Him glory.

Jeremiah 29:11 is one of the most popular Bible verses around.

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for 

good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

~~~Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

That tells us that God is looking out for us. He wants us to prosper. He has our best interests at heart. I know it's really hard to believe at times because we can only see the pain and hurt of the moment we are in.

That is exactly how I felt on January 4th. My girlfriend Brittany left me after nearly a year. We had gotten together January 31st of 2015. I was completely devastated and did not want to live anymore. She was the first serious relationship of my life and it was a total shock when she broke up with me.

Surprisingly I never told her about this blog and I usually tell everyone about it. I'm kinda glad I didn't now because there's no memories of her associated with this blog.

In hindsight I should have seen it coming. Why? Well because we had a Godless relationship. She was kinda Godly when I met her but I totally turned her away from God because of my selfishness. I stopped doing the things I needed to do to keep her. I quit my job, I stopped loving her the way I needed to.

That all happened because I wasn't doing things God's way. That's the beauty of God. He'll let us go our own way for a while but then he'll shake us up and say no more. It's either my way or the highway. That is what happened to me. Brittany leaving me was the wake up call I needed to realize just how messed up I am. He broke me.

So after a night of crying my eyes out and only getting a few hours of sleep I went to her how to beg and plead with her to give me one more chance. To explain to her that I was a changed person. Yes a truly believe a person can change certain parts of who they are just like that and I had. But she was having none of it so on my back home I ended up at West Point First Baptist Church.

I honestly have no idea how I ended up there other than God was driving my car and I was the passenger. But it was exactly where I needed to be. Pastor Phillip and Student Pastor Todd talked to me and got me to truly understand exactly what it meant to accept God as the Lord of my life. So that morning I did and today I was baptized in front of the church!

It is amazing how I thought one of the worst things that has ever happened to me has been used by God to turn my life upside down for the better. Now that doesn't mean I have it all together. I don't. I don't know where He is leading my life. But I do know that I now have a calm, a peace, about me that I didn't have before. 

That doesn't mean that I don't have a weak moments anymore where I sit or lay in bed and think about Brittany for a few minutes wishing I had the chance to hold her one more time and tell her just how much I love her. But those moments are diminishing because God is slowly healing my heart and building a relationship with him that is everlasting.

So I leave you with this, no matter where you are in your life, God is always working for your good and to bring glory to His kingdom. Even when you don't think He cares He will rock your world. He will bring you to your knees. Because His way is better. His plans are better than our plans. I leave you with another one of my favorite verses.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

~~~Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)