Author Archives: Matthew, Karen, and God

One night I was sitting in an alcoholics anonymous meeting, a man had walked into the room and had the look of a hoodlum. At first and second glance this man looked like trouble and he really needed to be there. he had gone around the room talking with people and shaking hands and we all took a seat after that was done to start the meeting. They had announced that they were going to have a speaker that night and they introduced the hoodlum! The man had gone up to the podium and spoke very eloquently about his life and all the turmoil that his addiction had placed him in. This man had been through so much in his life I couldn’t understand how he was even still alive. He had changed his life around when he started walking with God and started helping others the way that God had helped him. This man had over 15 years of sobriety. I’m not sure how many times I have passed judgment on someone just by their outward appearance but I’m sure it’s too much to possibly count and it’s something that I’m currently working on. When we are judgemental about anyone we miss out on an opportunity for a miracle. That person that we are judging at that point in time maybe an angel sent From heaven to encourage and inspire us. There has been many times where my judgments were spot-on about certain people but the times that I have been wrong I have felt miserable. People tend to judge me as well they think that I am just some beefed-up guy that is not involved at church at all. I give a little laugh when I start telling them about all the ways God has been using me over these last couple of years. The look on their faces completely change and they stick around a little bit longer than normal to listen do everything God has for me to say. I go out of my way now to introduce myself to people who might normally judge. I Don’t want to Miss a miracle ever even if it’s a small one. That small miracle could change the course of my day or my thought process for that matter. Dear heavenly father thank you for giving us your eyes today. Allowing us to look at others as a potential to be a future relationship. Lord please help us to open up to anyone and everyone today who may or may not even need our help. Thank you for being with us, in us, and around us in Jesus precious name amen.

I love to crack jokes with my friends the witty banter that we have with one another can be a lot of fun. However if we’re not careful we may end up hurting someone’s feelings and even have them back slide on the start of a good day. All of us have some kind of sore spot whether it be the fact that we are overweight or not too bright, maybe we work too slow, and in some cases don’t feel very attractive. When Jesus spoke to anyone it was always with words that encouraged and inspired. He never belittled or had any wisecracks, always stated facts and was honest, but never to the point where he hurt someone’s feelings. If you are one of these jokesters just remember to keep Jesus in mind before you say something that might make someone depressed or anxious or even backslide in their walk with God.

Today a good friend of mine asked me to pray for him and I didn’t hesitate to do so. I ended the prayer and he turns to me saying that people don’t tend to pray for him unless he requests it. He is a pastor and people just assume that because he leads a congregation that he isn’t in need of it. For all you readers out there that are church goer’s, take a minute with your pastor and pray for him. Pastors have a lot on their plates and pray for multiple people and families. They also listen to problems from everyone and need a reprieve to keep up this strength. EVERYONE NEEDS PRAYER, no matter how high up we think they are. Dear heavenly father thank you so much for placing pastors in her life that guide us and teach us about your words. We know that they go through a lot and need constant prayers to keep them strong. please be with them and give them the strength and knowledge to best inform us in Jesus name amen.

It’s time to clean house, getting our temples in order, a great place to stay for our only supporter. Illness goes down and so does our weight, it’s time to start letting our bodies feel great. Our mind ends up sharper, and feeling relieved, giving a nice home for the Holy Spirit we’ve received. Let us start now, not a moment to waste, let’s clean up this temple as a nice working space.

Do you know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. 1 Corinthians 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Timothy 4:8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. I will pop things into my mouth without even thinking of how bad this could be for my body. Pizza is one of those things, even if it is fully loaded with veggies it is still way too much bread and cheese. Candy, donuts, sodas and hamburgers, the list can go on and on. Like pulling up to a gas pump and having three different choices of fuel, each one having more vitamins than the next to help your car run better. I personally choose to use the least expensive one just to get me from point A to B. In the long run however the insides of my car get dirty and clogged from the lack of conditioners and cleaners that it lacks. Our Holy Spirit needs a nice dwelling spot and that could be your body today. Would you like to have a clean temple for your Heavenly Host today? If so please join me in prayer. ….Heavenly Father thank you for blessing us with another beautiful day. We have a chance to be better Christians than we were the day before. We ask you, Lord, to help us today to be more conscious about what we put into your temple. To put the soda down and pick up a glass of water, and to eat clean so that you have a great place to work through us. Thank you for this life that you have given us today, please help us to make the best of it. In Jesus precious name AMEN!!!!!!!

How many times have we placed our needs before God’s? Being hooked to social media, telling the world what we are doing every second of the day. Watching TV for a couple hours instead of spending time with our Heavenly Father. Playing video games or keeping yourself entertained by anything and everything that WE want. Then when we have a second we wonder why it doesn’t feel like God is with us. So little time in prayer, church once a week, and never asking Him what He has planned or looking to Him for advice. Having God in your life isn’t a one sided street. It’s not “God give me this” and don’t do anything in return, it’s “God, what would you have me do today”! Placing God first in all we do, before all of the distractions in our life betters our walk and contact with Him. He never leaves us….. it’s that we leave Him. If we are putting other things in our life before God, then we are idolizing. Heavenly Father, thank you for another beautiful day. We have a chance to go out and be better Christians today than we were the day before. Please give us the strength and knowledge to go out and do all that you have set out for us to do.please help to quiet our minds to be able to hear your still small voice. I want to take the time today all throughout my day to give You praises Lord for all you have done for us, and for every place that you have taken us. Thank you for being the beacon of light in our life and always being there to listen and guide. In Jesus precious name amen!!!!!

Being stuck in the hospital for a bit can be the pits, expecially if you are an outdoor and talkative person. The last couple of days my wife and I have made our way to a couple of hospital beds visiting friends that are sick. Both friends have been there for about a week without any signs of fast recovery and they seem rather defeated. It is a sad feeling to see these people who would be hitting the pavement to spread God’s word and are now stuck in bed with double pneumonia, and the other with two strokes. This is a time when we can either buckle under the pressures of defeat, or keep extreme focus on all of the good in our life. The fact that we woke up and are still alive, we can witness to others around us, or this could even be a quiet couple of weeks with our noses buried in God’s word and reflecting. There is always going to be trials in our life and it’s all about making lemonade from a handful of lemons. God has us at that spot in time for a reason and we need to listen to what He wants us to do. Just we can’t walk around does not mean that our mouths and hearts stop working. The person lying next to you in your room could be the lost soul that God sent you to help. give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Faith is the substance hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

At the Oakdale Rescue Mission we do a lot of planning for different fundraisers and events. It’s truly awesome to hear all the different ideas from all the different board members. There are so many different plans, some of them don’t work out, but for the most part everyone on our board is talented and gifted in different ways, making the suggestions come true. the really cool thing about our organization, is that we come up with a plan and run it by God. The cool thing about giving our plans to God is that he will organize all of it for us. I don’t know how many times we started out with a plan, gave it to God and things, items, and people started popping up left and right giving us exactly what we needed. I praise God quite often for all the opportunities he presents us with. Will you give that a shot today? Proverbs 16:3 commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.