Put Me In Coach, I'm Ready to Play!

"Slow down", its what I keep trying to tell myself lately. The world does a pretty good job of winding a person up, and if you feel like you are alone it can be rather overwhelming, so I try to slow down. Anything in life is so much easier when you have help but in a world full of technology that isolates us we can often forget that we are surrounded. When I do pause and realize where I am I feel immensely lucky. The amount of passion, knowledge and talent that I am surrounded by on any given day is immense. Is, there a lot to do, yes. Should we worry, no. Is there evil in the world, yes. Should we worry, no. For me God puts love and peace into my heart. It wasn't always like that. For a long time I didn't even let him in. I didn't to burden with my daily woes. Big things, I would beg for his help, but beyond that I just trotted along through life and did the best I could. God has given you so much. He has given you talents and abilities that you probably haven't even tapped into that much. You are capable of so much and he is waiting on the sidelines of your life waiting for you to put him into the game so he can help you become all that you can be. Guess what, you're not alone. God has surrounded you with many others with unique talents and abilities. You have a play where you need to go long, God has someone to help you succeed with that. They might be right next to you right now. As Christians we have done so much for this world. We have fed the hungry. We have clothed the naked. We have loved those who felt unwanted. We have consoled those who have made mistakes and helped their lives get back on track. We have housed the homeless, and taught the uneducated. As Christians we do this out of love, because that is what Jesus Christ asks us to do. However there are many of us that act as if we are on the couch watching this game of life at home, we don't even realize that we are in the game. Everyone in this world is in the game. We all can get involved. We all can make a difference because God gave us awesome talents and abilities to help this broken world. First step though is to go to God and ask, "What do you want me to do." We need to take time to read the Gospels and learn from Jesus. We need to learn how to love the way he wants. We need to learn to love and hold nothing back. You don't win the game holding half back. You don't have an awesome relationship by holding half back. You don't get great grades by holding half back. You have to be all in. God is waiting with anticipation to love you all in. You just have to let God in. God loves you so much that he has given you freewill. God let's you choose, so as God loves "All In", he wants you to love "All In". Together as Christians following Jesus Christ's way we can radically change this world for the better with love, the way God loves. Now all you have to do is decide. Do I want to get into the game?

If you like the quote shown above in the picture you should check out this book.

Michael
Nerdy God Thoughts
obbo_91@yahoo.com

Duh, I Don't Know George?

Sometimes you wish you had a magic wand or a genie or an ATM on standby that made money out of thin air. The reason why? Its that I get so carried way in our million-things-a-second that I forget to actually, think. Then when I finally do get a moment to breathe I find myself thinking, "Oh I want this and that and I wish I had a million dollars..." For too long I lived in a hectic world and escaped to fantasies that I never really spent anytime on where I was going, what I wanted and how I was going to get there. God changed that for me. He does things like, throwing a foggy morning my way so I have to SLOW DOWN. I know now what I want. I want to goto heaven and I want all my friends and family there. I want to have unending peace on earth so no matter what kind of a tsunami I am surrounded by I can have the serenity to find my way through safely. God does that for me. I want to experience love on this earth, real love and passion. I read the teachings of Jesus Christ and I am on my way. God does that for me. I want to share this peace and love I have through the thoughts I have in my head, music that bounces around in my mind and poems that frame my days. God helps me with that. I've had money, and while I had choices, I did not have happiness. I have had my life focused on music, but with no one to share it with and singing for the wrong reasons I felt empty. With God I am F-U-L-L. Not the kind of overstuffed full that I will feel 5 minutes after eating Thanksgiving dinner full, but a full that is on even keel. A full that is warm, loving and satisfying. What seems like a million years ago I gave God a shot cause nothing I was doing was working. Now I feel so stupid for not just trying his way sooner, but the cool thing is that I am really still in the beginning. I still have eternity to look forward to. It's never to late. You are never too young and you are never too old. God loves you and he is waiting for you right now. He knows how to help you with all that stuff you want and help you achieve things that are better and that you didn't even consider. So what do you want? What are you waiting for?

Michael Smith
obbo_91@yahoo.com

Do I Really Gotta Brush My Teeth?

There are many a day I feel tested. My gut is telling me that I should do something, but I don’t want to. I try and rationalize that, “Hey if I don’t do this the world will not end.” I continue through my day and my heart nags at me, and then I lower my head and smile and I think of my 6yr old. Right now he is loosing his teeth, and from his 6yr old rational point of view, brushing his teeth seems pointless. As his father I know that no matter how well he takes care of his teeth they will all fall out and he will get new ones. My point of view know though, that if I teach him to take care of his teeth well his 2nd set won’t fall out either. God is much the same. Sometimes the things he asks seem silly, but for the health of our soul its important that we do them. This life is temporary, but afterwards we have eternity to look forward to and God wants to share that with us. 

Wisdom 3:1-9

1But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. 2In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be an affliction, 3and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace. 4For though in the sight of men they were punished, their hope is full of immortality. 5Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of himself; 6like gold in the furnace he tried them, and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them. 7In the time of their visitation they will shine forth, and will run like sparks through the stubble. 8They will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will reign over them for ever. 9Those who trust in him will understand truth, and the faithful will abide with him in love, because grace and mercy are upon his elect, and he watches over his holy ones.

Sometimes I am in awe of God over the simplest of things, like, I don’t really have to be here. The world would not end without me. However I am a unique puzzle piece in God’s grand tapestry. I fit, I belong, I do indeed have a place. the cool thing is I get to choose. Sure I could “reform” my shape and change my life and go against God’s plan for me. I could trim off some edges or let my head get big and fat of myself but then I wouldn’t fit. God would be sad and he would have to throw me aside cause I chose not to be apart of his beautiful piece of art. I wouldn’t fit in heaven. Satan is always waiting to pick up these “distorted” pieces and take them to hell with him. However if I do follow God’s bidding and let him help me shape my life I become perfect and fit into his heaven. I may get tossed around in this life. At times it may seem like I don’t belong at all, especially when I get mocked for having faith in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. This life is temporary and momentary. I have eternity to look forward to. When I put my faith in God and follow his ways I find peace and happiness no matter what temporary turmoil maybe going on around me. God loves me and when I follow him he gives me the grace to make it through anything and so that I can go to heaven after this is all over.

Psalms 23:1-6

1The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want; 2he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; 3he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. 5Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows. 6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

So, how do I make it through this crazy world? Well God did this amazing thing. He sent his son, his only son Jesus to teach me and you and everyone that will ever have been or be. Jesus came and taught love. Jesus taught who and how to love. Jesus healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, had mercy and consoled those in pain, he fed the hungry and he even raised the dead! Jesus is the son of God. He brought a special message that God love you. No matter what mistakes have made or will make in the future God loves you. God is waiting for you. God wants to to share so much with you and is waiting for your call and arrival into heaven. All you have to do is choose. Choose God, follow Jesus and he will lead you to him. 

John 6:37-40

37All that the Father gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out. 38For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me; 39and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day. 40For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day."

Those tough days where world and Satan tries to tempt you, call God. Ask for God’s help. He will send the Holy Spirit to give you the strength you need. God can see what is in your heart. He knows how hard you are trying, and like an awesome parent he waits patiently for you to learn and grown and become stronger, smarter and more loving. 

You can sit there are think, “This is stupid. I am fine. My life is okay. I don’t need to do all this stupid Jesus stuff”, but just like our baby teeth one day this body will fall from us. Will your soul rise and join God in heaven in eternity or fall aside where Satan is waiting for you?