Season of Blessings

I want to first of all admit that I am a terrible blogger. I am inconsistent as can be.  But this is something I committed to so I am going to limp through this. (:

Right now in my life I feel like I am going through a season of incredible blessings.  Before I go too far though please let me define blessing.  It is NOT getting nice clothes, making more money, a better job, a new vehicle, or anything like that.  That is a very superficial way of seeing "blessings" in life. Blessings are not material or earthly possessions that will grow old and rust out.  A blessing is seeing the hand of God at work in the lives of people around you.  That is what a blessing is.  A blessing is eternal, always built around relationships that lift up others, always showing off Jesus.

So now that I have defined what a blessing is let me share some of the blessings I have in life right now (or ways that I am seeing God work in the lives of people all around).  First of all, I have seen the incredible woman that chose to marry me transformed in two major areas of her life... service and discipline.  Amber is an AMAZING woman and has always had great discipline and a desire to help others but she has always shared with me that these are areas of struggle for her.  God has changed that.  This woman is reading her Bible every day, working out 3 times a week, monitoring her diet, and praying for people.  She is showing discipline! She has also been serving others and especially me by taking care of things at home, with finances, and so much more.  It is a blessing to see God work in her life.

With others also it has been one blessing after another.  My sister Jo Lynn is going to be a missionary to NYC this year! 6 of our graduated seniors from CBC are going to Ghana in three weeks to share the love of Jesus! The students in the ministry at CBC are going crazy for Jesus.  In fact, God is using them to push my limits of serving Him.  We had 17 people who just went and served the ETBE staff without any push from me at all and they worked hard.  We have 30 people going to the Mission Centers of Houston Sunday with almost HALF of them being BOYS!  I saw one of our senior guys last week at junior high camp teaching 5 junior high boys late at night in his bunk with his Bible open what it means to be a follower of Jesus.  I saw an incoming 9th grade girl willingly step away from her closest friends for a week to be Jesus to some girls in our group she didn't know that well.  I saw my brother-in-law stand before 300 people praying over them before they entered a worship service.  I don't even know this guy anymore.  I saw a good friend last night at a worship service with hands raised high like he didn't care if anyone else was in the building worshipping God.  I don't think I have even scratched the surface of some of the blessings in my life but this at least gets the point across.  GOD IS ALIVE! GOD IS WORKING!

So here I stand in the midst of ALL of these blessings.  I am completely underserving of God showing himself to me.  I am unworthy of being around so many incredible people (especially my Amber).  Yet because God is a good God he sees fit to show himself to me.  God has lavished his grace and love on me (Ephesians 1:7-8).

Why don't more people see what this life is all about?  Why is it that so many people can only see themselves in the midst of all of these needs and opportunities to show people Jesus?  Why is it that so many "Christians" do not live for Jesus? Maybe they don't know the Word or even worse, maybe they don't care?  Maybe they are afraid to trust Him?  Maybe they have never seen a clear picture of who Jesus really is?  I am fully convinced that this life is not about me.  I am willing to lay down my life, pick up the life Jesus has for me and follow Him. (Luke 9:23)

"In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not say good-bye to all his possessions cannot be My disciple." Luke 14:33

Don't serve American Jesus.  Serve the Jesus of the Bible!