Yes, I am...

This morning's radio devotional pointed out the fact that many believers and for that matter unbelievers spend their lives living halfhearted and well below what God intends for their life.  Why?  Many live this way because they never tell themselves the truth, they never encourage themselves with the truth, and they never speak the truth over their lives.  What truth?  The truth of who you are in Christ, who you were created to be, and what you are and are becoming because of Christ?  Guilty?  Yes, me too!  Yes, I was guilty of living my life imprisoned by the poor choice of words I've used in the past.  I was guilty of living less, halfhearted and within the consequences of poor word choice.  Today, I bust that up and I move forward reminding myself of the truth of who I am in Christ.

In Christ (the I AM), I am

• beloved (mark 1:11)
• victorious (1 Cor 15:57)
• bought by the blood of Christ (1 Cor 6:20)
• saved and sanctified (Romans 10:9)
• loved by God (1 Jn 4:19)
• called by name (Is )
• His sheep (Ps 23, 100)
• provided for by his glorious riches (Phil 4:19)
• living in His green pasture (and beside the still waters) (Ps 23)
• not afraid (Ps 27:1)
• His people (Ps 100)
• Fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps 139)
• blessed, exceedingly and abundantly (Eph 3:20-21)
• His Son and I call Him Father (Rm 8:15)
• the reason he came, died & rose (Jn 3:16)
• going to the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revalation 19:6-9))
• Not forsaken (Hebrews 13:5)
• delivered from all my fears (Ps 34:4)
• tasting that the Lord is good (Ps 34:8)
• strong and courageous (Dt 31:6)
• a child of the King (Romans 8:17)
• following the path laid out for me (Ps 119:105)
• trusting in the Lord with all my heart (Prov. 3:5)
• drinking from the living water (Jn 4)
• following the way, the truth and the life (Jn 14)
• going to live (Ps 118:17)
• never going to be lost (Jn 17, 1 Thess 5:24)
• going to heaven (1 Thess 4:17-8)
• rejoicing always (1 Thess 5:16)
• praying continuously (1 Thess 5:17)
• giving thanks (1 Thess 5:18)
• praising God (Ps 29)
• born again (Jn 3:3, 1 Peter 1:3)
• a new creation (2 Cor 5:17)
• being made like Christ
• created in his image (Gen 1:26)
• more than a conqueror (Rm 8:37)
• mounted up on wings like eagles (Is 40:31)
• abiding in Christ (Jn 15:5)
• protected by the whole armor of God (Eph 6)
• cared for & clothed more than the birds of the air (Luke 12)
• justified freely by his grace (Rom 3:24)
• his seed (1 Peter 1:23)
• the head and no the tail (Deut 28:13)
• the one who draws near in faith (Hebrew 10:39)
• on the Kings right hand (Matt 25)
• never alone (Matthew 28:20)
• given power over my enemies (Deut 23:14)
• protected by God's right hand (Is 41:10)
• hidden in the shelter of his wings (Ps 91:4)
• in the strong tower (Pr 18)
• standing on the rock (Ps 46)
• filled with love, joy, peace, patience (Gal 5:22)
• blessed w/ peace that can't betaken (Jn 14)
• strong and courageous (Joshua 1:8-9)
• forgiven and cleansed of my sins (1 Jn 1:9)
• filled with the Spirit (Romans 8:9)
• doer and not a hearer only (James 1:22)

Yes, I am blessed and highly favored.  My present circumstances cannot change, distract or destroy my eternal destiny with Christ Jesus!

Weatherproof

This morning on sports radio two of the hos were interviewing the players and coaches for the Super Bowl.  Much of the questions were routine, as were the answer:  What do you think of this player?  Are there distractions that come with playing in this game?  Did you ever think you'd be playing in the Super Bowl?  Routine and simple questions followed by stock and standard answers.  That is until someone asked the coach of Denver about playing in the cold and potential snow.

When asked about his team's ability to play in the snow, John Fox replied that in order to win, to be a champion, be victorious and achieve your goal - your team has to be weatherproof.  His answer struck a chord with me and seemed to speak directly to my faith.

If I am going to be victorious, win the crown of life, be successful in knowing and loving God then I am going to have to be weatherproof.  My faith must be able to withstand the storms (strong winds, blistering cold, pelting rains, and blanketing snow) that life will throw at me.  I must have a hope that is capable of sustaining in times of drought; when money, health, friends, jobs, success, popularity and the love of others runs dry.  I can only be victorious if the thunder and lightening strikes drive me closer to God and into the shelter of his arms.  My trust and love must be able to deal with long dark nights of cold receptions and callous treatment by others.  Not to mention the fact that my life (faith and hope) will encounter the sweltering heat of scrutiny, double standards, gossip and backbiting.  Only a weatherproof faith, hope and love will be able to see God.

No matter what storms of life may come, if I am going to be victorious I must have a faith, hope and love that is weatherproof.  If I going to press on toward the goal of the high calling in Christ and be victorious, then I need the glory, strength, full armor, power, Spirit, and love of God to make me weatherproof.

Neither cold, nor rain, sleet or snow, dead of night or heat by day shall keep away those who are called and loved y God.

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed but not despairing.  2 Corinthians 4:8

Christmas 2013

I would have never expected this Christmas to be one of my favorite memories.  Why? Historically speaking Christmas seems to become bigger and bigger each year.  One year, I remember thinking that this was slightly insane the amount of money and debt that was being created.  Well, that trend was going upwards for my family as well.  That is until this year.  Due to financial mistakes on my part,our Christmas budget was significantly lower as was our access to credit.  It was perhaps the tightest budget I've ever had since our first year of marriage.  

For weeks I wondered how we might make the budget work.  I thought about a part time job.  I drafted a list and redrafted the list over and over.  I spent hours on daydreams and fears.  As I told Trish I was worried about people's feelings (my children, my parents, my siblings, and my inlaws).  I was worried about "ruining Christmas."

How silly?  It was totally silly to think that I could somehow ruin Christmas.  Christmas - a celebration of Christ's gift to us can't be ruined by anything we fail to purchase.  In fact, Christmas is the celebration of the fact that we could not purchase what was needed in the first place.  Christmas is about Christ coming to earth to purchase salvation, forgiveness and love for us because we were unable to purchase (or get) it on our own.  My gorgeous and gifted wife reminded me of this Christmas truth and reoriented my perspective.

Armed with the reminder that Christmas is about Christ, we attacked this Christmas with a love and peace like no other.  There was a great peace in knowing that I was loved by Christ; that Christmas was about love and Christ's love not Best Buy or Wal-Mart.  So,we bought gifts and made gifts.  We added hand made touches and we made sure what we purchased was wrapped with love.  We ate dinner together on Christmas Eve and played an amazing white elephant gift exchange.  We laughed, we sat by the fireplace and we gave thanks for each other.  We prayed and did devotionals on the Advent.  The girls got into the act and did the same.  I stopped worrying about who I might leave out.  I focused on the blessing of being included in God's love and on what gifts we could give.

On Christmas day we celebrated Christ's birth.  We had breakfast together and we went down to Georgetown.  We spent the day with family and we watched Christ open up his storehouse and pour out blessings on our children through their grandparents.  My sisters and sisters-in-law also gave them great gifts to add to their spiritual blessings for the day.

It was amazing!  Yes, I missed the joy of seeing some of my family members' faces light up when they opened our gift.  Yes, I missed the feeling I get from giving as much as I receive.  I missed these things, but I didn't miss out on love and joy.  In fact, I experienced the most joy I can recall in years.  Even though this year's financials will be better - I hope we remember the joy of this year and do it all over again.

Basics

So, I was thinking today about my original intent with this blog.  When I started this blog I just wanted to post some thoughts about my life.  Really, I wanted a place to list out victories, gratitude, success in the face of difficulty and triumph over the odds and obstacles.  It is a place to chronicle how God has delivered, defended, provided, protected, corrected and given me (us) the victory.

Today, I realized that I've been holding back on my posts.  I've had a number of victories to talk about and I haven't posted a single one.

I have yet to post about Christmas and our wonderful trip to Georgetown.  What about New Year's?  I could post a lot about the New Year's party and the hitches that were and weren't.  I've celebrated 14 years on the job, and yet my blog remains silent.  So, hopefully I get some log time in and blog about:

• Christmas 2013
• New Year's 2014
• Holiday Pounds Found & Lost
• 14 Year Work Anniversary
• No Resolutions, just resolve!
• 2 Hour Delays

I'm looking forward to the best year of my life.  Check back for details, and if you don't see any - ping me!

With love (& in triumph),

Cassius

Let it have a short term lease

For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.  Psalm 30:5

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  2 Corinthians 4:17

I can't quite say what it is in every situation, but for most of the things in life I think it should have a short term lease.  

Some people say I'm not old enough to speak this way, and you yourself may agree.  I'd probably say that they as well as you are right in some sense.  However, I've seen enough in my short lifetime to know what the Psalmist said is true and to agree that joy comes in the morning

No, I've never laid a spouse to rest, but I've shed my tears at the grave side of someone I love so deeply and yet I know that joy comes in the morning.

No, I've never battled cancer, or watch someone I love lose that particular fight, but I've been battling a disease / sickness since I was 18 and I know that joy comes in the morning.  

So, give it a short term lease.

No, I've never had a child or daughter die, but I grieved in a hospital room at the loss of a child that was, and yet was not.  When I look at Ava and Emma I know that joy comes in the morning.

No, I've never lost all my worldly possessions, but I have lost my way enough and lost enough money to know what it feels like to be down and out.  I know that joy comes in the morning.

So, give it a short term lease.

I've had friends turn on me and I've been stabbed in the back.  I've had good friends abandon me and had not so good friends plot my down fall.  I've been talked about and I've been mistreated.  But, God is with me; my rock and my refuge and I know that joy comes in the morning.  

I've watched a child sweat and ache, vomit and cry all night, but I've seen joy come in the morning.

I wasn't at Calvary when they hung my Savior and he died.  I wasn't at the tomb when the laid him inside.  I wasn't there when he bled and died and when all his friends left his side.  I wasn't there when Mary cried and the skies grew dim and dark, but I know that joy - unspeakable joy, resurrection joy, eternal joy, a holy and wholly other joy - comes in the morning.

I say all this as a reminder to myself and to others that all of this is fading away - so don't cling too tightly just let it all have a short term lease.  Let it all rent space, but don't give it a long term lease.  Long enough to be felt and dealt with and then let it move on.

Lamentations 3:22-23 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Revelation 21:4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away

Welcome to Friday

I am setup and setting up for a wonderful day to close out a really good week.

Welcome to Friday!

My day has started with promise, provision, protection, and the beautiful pageantry of sun light kissing away the darkness of the distance sky.  I am in line for a great day, and I believe that you are as well.  I hope you have had an amazing week; maybe not a care free week, but amazing nonetheless.  I hope you have had a week filled with friends, family and even strangers speaking just the right word at the right time or giving you just the right thing for the moment.  

I counted my blessings this morning and put my week in review and I have had just such a week.  The week has been challenging in more ways than one, but in these challenges I have found the joy of good friends, the love of a great family and the tried and true God who has come through on our behalf again and again.  

May the tried and true Rock and Refuge be all that you need to stand on and all that you need for protection.  May the Comforter, Creator and Provider bring you all comfort, create and reveal to you opportunities for your good and provide for your needs through His riches.  Have the most amazing and wonderful day to close out your week and enjoy the weekend.