a simple request.

i have a simple request. please pray for me. i don’t ask often, but right now i really need it. if you don’t read any further than this please just pray that God give me peace with my emotions. also pray for my job/career situation.

i do have a full time job right now, but i’ve been feeling really out of place there. i need a job, actually more of a career, that fits me better and where i know i am in God’s will fulfilling my purpose…and i need it to pay better than my current job. i have a lot of debt and financial struggles right now that i need to take care of.

some of you know that i really struggle with depression, some of you didnt know until now. but it’s become progressively harder and harder to hide my depression. it’s been pretty intense lately. please pray that God heal me of this, and that my attitude toward life and others just gets better.

i really haven’t been myself lately…i guess i just need to refocus…i don’t know…i’ve written something here just to erase it completely and start new a few times now but at some point i just need to post what i’ve written and hope it makes sense and doesnt come off sounding selfish or self centered even tho i’m sure no matter what i write it will feel that way to me….

anyway, thank you for taking time to read this and even more thanks for your prayers. i really do appreciate those of you who pour your lives into others through prayer and just living life with each other. life is a lot about community and a lot about communication with God and with others.

prayer does make a difference. it does change things. whether it’s a change in me or my surroundings. thank you again, you are loved.

c

some random McManus quotes

Whenever we take on a God-sized challenge, self-sufficiency is no longer an option.

Many times when we claim we are waiting on God, He is waiting on us.

Do what you know you should do, and you will know what to do. God clarifies in the midst of obedience, not beforehand.

You know where to begin: take initiative. You know who God is, so embrace life’s uncertainty.

When God is involved, the epilogue is not mysterious. God wins.

-erwin mcmanus

if you knew that you couldn’t fail, what would you do differently?

Deuteronomy 31.1-8, NLT 

One of the hallmarks of American culture in the 20th century was its fascination with the superhero. From comic-book sales to blockbuster movies to the graphic novel genre, entire industries have played into the attraction we have to individuals who are somehow possessed of powers not enjoyed by mere mortals. Superman, Spiderman, Batman, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers and other fictional characters capture our collective imagination as they battle super-villians their creators dream up to fight them. The urge of a boy to wear his underpants on the outside of his pajamas and tear around the house fighting phantom bad guys is an inherited character trait passed down proudly from father to son.

So what is it about a superhero that’s so appealing? Bravery. Power. Strength. Ingenuity. The ability to fly. The fact that they usually get the girl. The fact that they can seemingly get out of any jam they find themselves in. Who wouldn’t want that kind of existence?

Thinking of that context, reread today’s passage. Joshua is, in effect, getting his superhero’s license from Moses. Now, it’s unlikely that this involved a cape and a mask, but Moses here tells Joshua that, with God’s power behind him, he will be able to deal with adversity and conquer his foes.

Moses tells the people that their new leader, Joshua, will take them forward into Canaan. Their old leader, Moses, encourages Joshua in front of the people, “Be strong and courageous…The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you…Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” With that reinforcement as a backdrop, Joshua moved forward. Fear couldn’t hold him back. He believed God.

If you knew that you couldn’t fail, what would you do differently? Pursue a promotion at work? Further your education? Ask someone to marry you? Risk repairing a broken relationship?

The fact is that, when God goes before you, you can’t fail. If you’re living within God’s will you don’t need to be afraid. You may endure a few shots along the way, but with the world’s only real Superpower behind you, you can’t ultimately fail. Take the risk. Live with passion. Listen to his assurance: “Be strong and courageous…Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

go back and read Deuteronomy 30.11-14. what does this passage
say about your ability to obey God and the benefits of doing so?

how has fear kept you from reaching your dreams?

in what areas of your life do you need more courage?

“Trust God, and be not afraid, or else you will plague yourself.”
–Charles Haddon Spurgeon

why do we call it radical when, to Jesus, it is simply the way it is?

okay…so i cannot wait for this book to come out…i know i already have a million books that i’m trying to read and i’m reading EXTREMELY slow…but this one grabbed me and i’m really looking forward to it’s release in late April…anyway…here’s what it’s about…

Book Description
“Sometimes I feel like when I make decisions that are remotely biblical, people who call themselves Christians are the first to criticize and say I’m crazy, that I’m taking the Bible too literally, or that I’m not thinking about my family’s well-being. . . When people gladly sacrifice their time or comfort or home, it is obvious that they trust in the promises of God. Why is it that the story of someone who has actually done what Jesus commands resonates deeply with us, but we then assume we could never do anything so radical or intense? Or why do we call it radical when, to Jesus, it is simply the way it is? The way it should be?”

About the Author
Francis Chan is pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, California. He is also the president of Eternity Bible College and sits on the Board of Directors of Children’s Hunger Fund and World Impact. Francis spends much of his time speaking to students around the country, committed to teaching directly from the Bible. His passion is to see the Church display a much deeper love for Jesus. Francis, his wife, Lisa, and their four children live in California.

…I will fight for you, would you fight for me, it’s worth fighting for…

My wife is my best friend, who I love dearly, and she loves me. But isn’t it fascinating that two people who love each other so much can cut one another so deeply? When you let issues build up in a marriage, the smallest thing can trigger a war, and pretty soon you can lose sight of your love and commitment to one another. We had a night where something as trivial as spilled pretzels forced into the open things we had left unsaid. Once everything had calmed down, I wrote this song. In that moment, I fully realized my duty, as my wife’s husband, was to wrap my arms around her. To love her more than my pride, more than my desire to be ‘right,’ and to find a way to move through life’s good and bad times together. That will be a struggle at times, but love is worth the fight.

I wrote “Love is Not a Fight” about my marriage and my commitment to my wife. I’ve been performing it at my shows now for about six months, and after every show I am overwhelmed by the many different ways the song is affecting other people. I heard a story the other day about a man who has an adopted daughter. He said at times the challenges seem impossible to struggle through, but my song reminded him that Love is Worth the fight. The song has proven to be more than just a tune I wrote in my living room about my story, it is song about all of our relationships.

It’s easy to just skim by on the surface of life. The challenge is to go beyond the shallows into deeper relationships with the ones we love. At times this can be uncomfortable. It means we have to take the time to invest in their lives. It means we will have to be vulnerable and honest about who we really are. This will likely result in some pain. But it’s the kind of pain that carves out space in our souls for more joy than we could have ever experienced before.

More “things” will not bring you the full life that we all crave. It is time we make the important things important again and seek deeper relationships with our Maker and the people we share this space with. Love is not a fight, but it is something worth fighting for.

–Warren Barfield

“Love is Not a Fight” is the first single off of Warren Barfield’s third studio recording WORTH FIGHTING FOR scheduled to release MAY 20th 2008.

Love is not a place / to come and go as we please / It’s a house we enter in / then commit to never leave

So lock the door behind you / Throw away the key / Work it out together / Let it bring us to our knees

Love is a shelter / in a raging storm / Love is peace / in the middle of a war / If we try to leave / May God send angels to guard the door / No, Love is not a fight / but its something worth fighting for

Some love is a word / that they can fall into / But when they’re falling out / keeping that word is hard to do

Love is a shelter / in a raging storm / Love is peace / in the middle of a war / If we try to leave / May God send angels to guard the door / No, Love is not a fight / but its something worth fighting for

Love will come to save us / If we’ll only call / He will ask nothing from us / but demand we give our all

Love is a shelter / in a raging storm / Love is peace / in the middle of a war / If we try to leave / May God send angels to guard the door / No, Love is not a fight / but its something worth fighting for

Cause I will fight for you / Would you fight for me / It’s worth fighting for

[Warren Barfield, Love is Not a Fight]