You are currently browsing the category archive for the ‘grace’ category.
I can not believe that it is Thanksgiving already. I feel like Easter was yesterday. I am off this week, doing some things around the house to get it ready to be sold (it is on the market so if you know anyone who wants to buy a great house in Port Orange FL for a great price holla). I had a meeting about my business, (which is also for sale), and then just helped Jack around the house and played with the kids. I love days like this. This has been a rough year. I have gone through some things that I am sure are going to help shape my future, but at the same time, stuff I NEVER EVER want to deal with again or would ever wish on anyone else. I really believe that the crap we walk though in life can help us or kill us depending on how we respond. I hear a lot of people saying that 2007 sucked. While it will not go down as the best year of our lives, we can not hate the process. God uses stuff we go through to form us, to mold us, and to help us become better. I am thankful that God has stripped me this year. I am thankful that financially this has been a rough year, it has taught me so much about money. I am thankful for the fact at times I feel God is not even in the same universe as me, it makes me chase him harder. I am glad jackie and i have gone through some crap, it has brought us closer together. I am also glad that 2007 is almost over and that 2008 provides a lot of great new adventures for our lives. So this week, embrace time with your family. Eat the H out of some turkey. Love hard. Embrace the bad and let it build for your future. In life we are never promised that it will be easy, but we are promised that the season will eventually change. Here is to the lessons we have learned, will learn, and the promise of tomorrow.
Lets be honest, there are 2 types of guys in the world. Those who have been honest about the fact they struggle or have struggled with lust and those who lie about it. Sorry playa’s, Im outing you. It is natural. To live in the fullness of life you have to confront whatever your issues are, face them, and then move forward. It really can be that easy. But in being that easy, understand it is going to be extremely hard. This is one of the best weapons that the devil uses to discount and discredit men in life, relationships, and in our own minds.
Back into full blog swing and just finished Chapter 5 of “Going All The Way“. Here are my notes below.
- At times everyone falls victim to being weak, vulnerable, gullible or just the rebellion of lust.
- Sex without consequence does not exist. What is going to be the consequence of your action? And if you are married, usually the consequence is positive.
- Culture has created a world where the dehumanization of people allows for people to feel the ability to have sex without intimacy.
- To succeed in being faithful one must first learn to be faithful in their relationship with GOD. Faithfulness in this relationship builds the foundation for faithfulness in your marriage or dating relationships.
- God forgives, so if you have made a mistake, pick up and start over.
- If you want to have what few people do have in life, that it is going to require you to do what few people are willing to do to succeed. Your measuring stick is not others….
- It is paramount that you protect your wounds while God heals you. However, you can not conform your mind back to God’s standards, only He can.
I believe that over the course of time I have lost the revelation of the true power of prayer. Prayer is one of the most important facets of our relationship with God. He cares so much about us and wants the best for our lives, but he also desires communication with us on a level that I just am not sure how many people really strive to achieve. I have failed in this area so much, and I am now working to get balance in this area. God is a God of order. He REALLY cares about order. He wants order in our lives. Order is really the premise of why we should protect our relationships pre and post marriage.
Today I feel far away but I am pressing to get VERY close. Drama since my eyes opened with some things, but fighting to keep my perspective right. Proximity to God is difficult. Life gets in the way. The rush of people. The rush of thoughts and emotions. The need to do things, accomplishing tasks, breathing. The focus of the day should be on accomplishing more depth with Him, not more items completed on the task list or great ideas dreamed up to achieve. I understand more today why monks are monks. I am listening to this song by the Parachute band and it has made me slam the breaks on my day and to DIG WAY IN…”Your mercy saved me, mercy made me whole. Your mercy found me, your mercy found me, called me as your own.”
Who do you belong to, yourself or him?
This morning I was looking in the news paper. I was checking out the weather at different places across America. One city had this listed as the weather for today: Abundant Sunshine. How encouraging. Abundant sunshine. How often do we not have abundant sunshine in our life? Sunshine is cool. It makes plants grow, it pushes the storms away. More so, it is always there. You might not see it because the clouds are covering it, but it is there, beaming, waiting for the storm to pass so it can go back to beaming on our lives. It warms us up. Sometimes it is so radiant that it burns us. I was reading last night about the Glory of God. God’s glory is like the sun, it is always with us. Sometimes we might not be sensitive enough to catch it, see it, feel it, but it is there…even when the storms are eclipsing it from our view. Keep walking on sunshine today. I will blog again later cuz i owe you one.
Today was a great day. Woke up, took Zay to school, hung out with some dope peeps all day as I worked and got a TON of stuff done. During the day, we stumbled on a dateline report from May about Carlton Pearson. Now lets get one thing clear on the front end. I do not believe in the theory or theology or whatever it is called of “inclusion”. I believe there is a heaven and a hell. At times I get confused by all the books I can read about what it actually takes to get into either of these places, however, I am sure that God is a God of grace, peace, love, and hope. I strive every day to be closer to THAT God. The God. So before you start freaking out and thinking that I am into what Carlton believes, again, I am not down with his theology.
As I watched this roughly 10 minute report, my heart broke for several reasons. First, the report introduces Carlton and tells his story. That man had/has an anointing on his life that was/is revolutionary and world changing. God plucked him out and set him on a path to help people meet God. Over the course of his “career in ministry” he saw amazing success. My heart broke as he talked of his success and simultaneous “act” of being a preacher. Getting up, sweating, ringing the bell, giving people what HE felt they wanted. What about what God wanted? Furthermore he said that at times he felt that he did not even love God anymore. Ministry had become his life and his job, there was no balance.
Then one night, in the middle of success, he was watching tv and saw kids that would not live because of where they lived in Africa. His heart broke. Out of love he asked God why. This is where he claims God told him that there was no Hell. In the midst of love and compassion, he became confused. This man believes full force in his “new revelation”. Is he right, I dont think so, but he does. Is he going to hell? That is for God to decide not me. But here is where my heart broke for this man…
Carlton Pearson was “the man”. He had it all. over 6k people a weekend. Premier big conference host. Big church, house, cars, salary, everything that we think is important. God stripped it all. My heart broke as the second part of the story started by saying something along the lines of: Pearson, on his way to fame and fortune as a minister. WHAT THE FREAK IS THAT! I am all for ministers earning a fair wage. I am all about people being paid what they are worth but “fame”? What is that about. That is how the world looks at us. Like we are chasing this crap. Beyond that, I was moved by the fact that EVERYONE was jocking Carlton Pearson when he said what they wanted to hear. When he sweated, spit, sang, preached, prayed for people, or whatever it is that turns us on as pentecostals, even when he admits a lot of times he did it in his own power or routine. No doubt God showed up, but a lot of time emotion was a lot stronger than God was.
Where did all the people who thought Carlton was the man go? They disappeared. His “friends” bailed because what he was starting to preach was just a little bit to much for them to stomach. Great friends. All the people who where in love with him rolled fast when he no longer was the pentecostal hero and could not help propel them to their own fame. Now I have to give props to Oral Roberts. He took the time to talk openly and honestly with Carlton. That is what relationship is about, LOYALTY. It means, hey, Im sticking with you no matter what happens. No, I may not agree with you, but your still my FRIEND and because of that I refuse to bail on you even though the masses are running for the hills. Relationship will keep you around when everyone else gets scared. Relationship sticks. Relationship loves, UNCONDITIONALLY. Relationship has the hard conversations. Relationship goes out of its way to make sure you are okay, even if you don’t agree. Relationship means a whole lot more than “fame and fortune”. Relationship is bigger than what I can do for you or you can do for me. Relationship is giving. Relationship is wanting others to achieve all God has for their lives. Relationship is about pushing each other to chase and achieve dreams, not being afraid that those dreams won’t meet my purpose. Relationship is sacrifice.
Tonight, I pray for Carlton Pearson. I pray grace and mercy on his life. He is a broken man. I pray he sees the truth, without losing the passion he has found for the Lord. I pray that people who have hurt him come back and love him again. I pray that he figures it out, because what he STILL has a lot to offer the world as an orator for God. I pray that in his brokenness he is able to find love and relationship again. I have made some mistakes when my friends have made errors in their lives. I apologize for that, and want to be the right kind of friend from here on out. To my friends, heros, and those I love…Im with you. I am all in for the next 50 years…or more.
Today I was reading the story of the events that took place before the crucifixion. I have heard this story a million times so i was praying for something fresh. Then it dawned on me as I finished reading. The “characters” in the bible all where real people who wrote the stories of their lives, letters, and events that they experienced. The craziest thing about it all is that the guys who wrote the bible, especially the new testament, all where just normal guys. They had flaws, they had issues, they struggled with stuff. They did not live a perfect life. They where full of questions. These guys, who really helped to transform history all where real, normal dudes. God uses normal people, just like you and me, to transform history. So what is keeping you from being a history maker? Do you think these guys had a clue the day they got recruited all they would see and experience, and most of all learn? NO WAY! if they did they would have been scared or worse full of pride that they where chosen to be part of Jesus posse. It is normal people who do abnormal things. It is normal people who decide to live a different way, and thus change the course of generations. Now its your turn. What can you do TODAY to leave an impact? what can you do today to change the course of your destiny?
A few months ago I talked about a verse in Matthew where Jesus was talking and he asked us to follow him, live with him, and to learn the unforced rhythms of grace. Tonight I was thinking about this and I think it has two meanings. You can click here to see my previous post, but I think another way to catch the unforced rhythm of grace is to actually POUR out the grace. If you want to catch the rhythm, you have to GIVE. You learn the most about grace when you are put in a position where you are responsible for having grace on someone else. God has grace on our lives, and he is always willing to give his grace, but how often do we withhold grace that we could share on others lives? Today jackie and I saw this guy “running”. He was a big guy, he looked uncomfortable in his size, and could not have been jogging for long. When we saw him, we both said almost at the same time, “awe..he is trying so hard”. Tonight I saw what looked to be the same guy at Target. As he walked by me, I just started to pray for him and I felt God saying GRACE. GRACE. GRACE. Grace is a pleasing or attractive quality, favor, clemency, pardon. God sees us different. He has GRACE on us because of his love for us. God loved that uncomfortable guy. His Grace could be the comfort that man needed. I want to walk in the kind of grace that others feel they can always be real with me, be who they are, bruises and honor. Grace makes you emotional about people you dont even know.
Below find the lyrics that sum up the feelings I am having tonight. (well some of them)
Grace, she takes the blame
She covers the shame
Removes the stain It could be her name
Grace… It’s a name for a girl It’s also a thought that, changed the world
And when she walks on the street You can hear the strings
Grace finds goodness in everything
Grace, she’s got the walk
Not on a ramp or on chalk
She’s got the time to talk
She travels outside of karma, karma She travels outside… of karma
When she goes to work, you can hear the strings
Grace finds beauty in everything
Grace… She carries a world on her hips
No champagne flute for her lips
No twirls or skips between her fingertips
She carries a pearl in perfect condition
What once was hurt
What once was friction
What left a mark No longer stings…
Because Grace makes beauty Out of ugly things
This past March, Irish rocker, humanitarian, and sometimes preacher Paul Hewson, won the Chairmans Award from the NAACP. Below I have posted his acceptance speech. It is sometimes funny to me when we classify who can communicate to what group based on skin color, style, or perception. In his 5 minutes, Bono had the NAACP base ready to move even though he was a white, rocker, from Ireland, who may not on the surface “relate” to this demographic. What is awesome to me is that his mission, his cause, and his passion is what won him over the audience and left them standing and cheering. When God has you to deliver a message it will resonate regardless of you or your audience.Some say I may love Bono a little to much. But I get excited when I see passionate people doing something relevant and communicating their cause. Bono has an anointing and a mission. God is using him. Is he perfect? Far from, but neither am I and your reading this blog, so God can use anyone. So, set aside your preconceived notion and invest 6:22 in learning from someone who may or may not be like you. If you enjoy this clip, go and see this post from earlier of Bono’s speech at the National Prayer Breakfast. ONE.
Something very interesting happened today. We are on a fast so we went to Crispers for lunch so we could get some soup. We had a good group of people,8 to be exact. We sat in a long booth. We got our food and started talking about real things. We discussed fights in marriage. What it is like to get on peoples nerves. Funny things that have happened to us. Some real authenticity on how we react to certain situations. We talked about love, life, God, and other mysteries. We talked about the struggles of faith. How sometimes you don’t “feel” what you are supposed to “feel”…just real life stuff. Well I guess we had such a good time and laughed so much that one of the managers came over and asked us to keep it down. She was sweet, and the truth is, we probably had started to get pretty loud. Not 5 minutes later a lady we had never meant before walked up. Her name was Jaclyn. She said: “I am an actress and I just wanted to tell you guys something. I don’t know where you work or what you do but it is great to see you enjoying each others company and life so much.” Trent jumped on the chance to invite her to church. A few things struck me about this little real life story that happened to us today:
- Someone took the time out of their busy life to recognize that others where having fun and was so moved by this she had to ask a question. We go to lunch at this place at least twice a month and sometimes more than that. In all the times we have been there the only other time I would say we have invited someone to church was when Trent saved the guy from choking. (Maybe Trent is the evangelist). Today we lived our life and had a good time and through that where able to invite someone to church. What a novel concept.
- When we talked today at lunch, we talked about real stuff. We talked about struggles, fights, faith, lack of faith…we talked about God and how he loves even when we don’t totally get Him. And by the way, how can we “get” and infinite God when we have a finite mind?
- Laughter is a better magnet for attention then being a freak.
- It was a joy to see people I love enjoying their lives. I mean Troy was laughing so hard he was pushing me over. Trent fell over in the booth @ least 3 times. KiKi and Jackie held it down for the ladies and laughed at both themselves and the boys. It was awesome to see people enjoying life. Evan, Jon, and Jimmy all said things that I was not sure we would recover from. I am sure it has happened a gazillion times before, but i noticed it today. And that was like seeing it for the first time.
-
Life is better when you live it in relationship.
So tomorrow, when you wake up, make a plan to live life to the extreme. Laugh harder than you ever have before. Love harder than you ever though possible. Cry with more passion that you did as a kid. Breathe deeper. Life is here for the living. God is a God of emotions. He created them for us to feel them.
An amazing thing has happened. In allowing myself to be more real, more transparent, and more vulnerable, I have allowed God to create an atmosphere where people can grow. Understand I take NO credit for this. Vulnerability is a weakness not a strength in my life. Being real is hard for me to do. I am an introvert. I am someone who internalizes everything. In fact, I tend to allow for my issues to be worked out inside usually before I ever even alert someone there is an issue. In the past by the time someone found out I had a problem, it was already fixed. So to say that being vulnerable or authentic or real or whatever you want to call it is comfortable or easy for me would be a big joke. I had a breakthrough in my life about 2 weeks ago, and an experience a week after that that was like taking spiritual human growth hormones. When that happened I realized I had to start being completely real. This revelation has opened up a side of me that was never before accessed. A few things have happened since then:
- I have a new accountability in my life to keep it real. Jackie (who is now blogging) has really started calling me out on being real. Part of this is probably what prevented me from being real in the past. However, I have learned that an uncomfortable real is better than a comfortable plastic.
- Reality has caused me to be uncomfortable and has caused others around me to be uncomfortable. I think this is kind of good though. Growth causes you to be uncomfortable and thus may challenge your “relationships” and the comfort of people around you.
- Reality has caused me to face and confront some things in my life. A few of these things are pride, insecurity, a man pleasing spirit, the desire to be liked at any cost, etc….just to be real.
- Reality has created a buzz in my life. I have had more comments on this blog about the stuff I have written from my heart in the past few weeks than anything that I have ever written before. I get at least 1 email a day where a person is telling me God has used the mess and confusion and broken places of my life to minister to them. I have even had people walk up to me and tell me…man your blog is helping me so much. Is that not what life is about? Life is about helping people get better….right? It is so amazingly funny to me that we continue to all live a life full of masks and mirrors and do not allow for our things to be the medicine that heals a hurting world. I remember years ago talking with my friend, Jason, and he would recite story after story about how brokenness was the doorway to breakthrough in his life. How the best songs he would write would come from a broken place. How the presence of God could show up the strongest in his brokenness because when he was broken he could not be proud. AMAZING.
So here is the deal. I am doing my best to be real and to be the best I can be. I can not promise I am going to always live up to the standard that I am trying to set in my life. I am human not divine. I need grace and mercy. I know God is doing a lot in my life right now. He is moving. It is probably going to help some people, hurt others, confuse some, including me, and ultimately force me into my purpose. As I stated a few days ago, I am addicted to God’s presence. I fall out of it sometimes and fight like heck to say in it as much as possible. I am human. I need grace and mercy. I can’t wait to see what happens next. I have a new rhythm…its an unforced rhythm of Grace.
thebrewster.wordpress.com 
Recent Comments