What if One......

What if One could make a difference?

What if One could touch a heart?

What if One could shine a light, to help another make a start?

What if One would show their love?

What if one would truly care?

What if one would live their love, by lifting one in prayer?

What if one could be the one to show someone the way?

Would you be the one?

Jimmy Eldridge

Wow

It has been a busy time since my last post.

Hmmmm...what to write? I don't know...maybe more later.

Have a great day!

I Am Consumed by.......

I am consumed by.......Greed

I am consumed by.......Lust

I am consumed by.......Hatred

I am consumed by.......Addiction

I am consumed by.......Failure

I am consumed by.......Fear

As a man I am inclined to be consumed by any and all of the above.....but what I most long for is.....

To feel the warmth of His Forgiveness

To be covered in His Grace

To be wrapped in His Mercy

To be consumed by His Love

Doers, Achievers, Survivors, Strugglers and Victims!

I have become increasingly convinced that there are 5 main categories of people in this life.

Doers do...they are always doing something...have to be moving, going, pushing.

Achievers are those that always have to be achieving their goals. They are akin to doers but achievers seem to have the uncanny knack of accomplishing whatever they set out to do, and they are successful in the doing.

Survivors are those that seem to always survive no matter what circumstance may come their way. No matter what calamity may befall them they always survive...although sometimes just barely.

Strugglers are those that are always struggling. No matter what they do...it's a huge struggle. Life is a struggle. Their job is a struggle...everything is a struggle. Struggle, struggle, struggle. It seems a vicious cycle.

Victims are the ones that when anything is happening, it's happening to them, albeit maybe in their own minds. Nevertheless they are the victim in every circumstance. Even worse still, for most, it is never their fault. (or so they think)

We all know someone in at least 4 of these categories, and some actually coexist in more than one.

The question is, can we successfully translate ourselves from one category to the next? I would like to think so.

I believe that most of it comes down to what our state of mind is. If you have the mindset of a victim, you will always be a victim. If you have the mindset of an achiever, you can be an achiever.

More importantly, if we correctly put our lives in the hands of God and rely on the plans He has for our lives, I believe that we can translate over to being a Doer, and an Achiever. But only when we put on the mind of Christ and depend on His strength, His direction, and bend to His purpose. After all, only when we are in the will of God can we truly be successful.

My Prayer Today...."Lord, I Give it To You!"

I couldn't go to sleep until late last night. Nevertheless, I was awakened this morning at 3:30 am with the desire and need to pray.

Sleepy Jimmy almost won over and went back to sleep, but I did finally get out of bed around 3:45 and went to the living room and paid a little visit to the couch, so as not to wake my beautiful bride while talking to my Father.

I found myself praying in the spirit after a while, feeling a huge weight lifting from my mind, and shortly after that...falling fast asleep. I woke at 5:10 am rested and relaxed with my mind very much at ease.

My prayer today has been, "Lord I give it to you", everything. You are in control. I can only do what I can do, but You however....can do anything.

Now...I can say....thank you Father for a good day. Well....much better than yesterday anyway. :)

My Prayer Today..."Lord, Please Help!"

Today was probably one of the most difficult days I have ever had.

I found myself sitting at my desk in my office at work, my head reeling from the feeling of being bombarded from all sides, praying for God to please help me.

Sound a bit melodramatic? Yeah...maybe so....but that was how my day felt to me.

Admittedly some of my problems were of my own making....isn't that the way it always is? But as for the way that everything was happening at once, felt very overwhelming.

Isn't that just like our enemy? Hitting you repeatedly when you are down, always looking for the knockout blow?

But I refuse to let him get the best of me. I refuse to let him make me question myself or the calling God has placed in me. So, I will keep praying for God to help me, having faith that He will see me through this current trial. I will continue to move toward the calling placed in my heart. I will continue to allow God to show himself great through this all.

Quotable Thought

"The world needs Christians who don't tolerate the complacency of their own lives." Francis Chan

Something to think about!

Come and Listen to What He's Done!

Do you ever have a song that seems to speak directly to your heart, so much so that you can't stop listening to it? I have....and do right now. "Come and Listen" by David Crowder is running over and over in my mind on an seemingly never ending repeat.

"Come and listen, come to the waters edge, all you who know and fear the Lord. Come and listen, come to the waters edge, all you who are thirsty, come.  Let me tell you what He has done for me."

I could talk for hours and hours and still could barely scratch the surface of all He has done for me.

"Come and listen to what He's done"

He has been my healer.
He has been my friend.
He has been my savior.
He has been my hope.
He has been my light in blinding darkness.
He has been my still small voice in deafening noise.
He has been my peace in turmoil.
He has been my refuge in trouble.
He has been my loving Father.
He has been my provider.
He has been my answered prayer.   
And He still is.....

Sometimes I get so wound up in life that I forget just how good He has been to me. I loose sight of the miraculous  wonders he has worked, I no longer remember how many times He has literally saved my life. I neglect to stop, be still, and feel His grace around me and recollect how His mercy is enduring, and His love is everlasting.

"Praise our God, for He is good!"

His!

We are His prize.

We are His children.

His righteousness.

We are His Body.

All thanks to His goodness. His forgiveness. His design. His plan. His mercy. His grace. His unending love for us.

Life Lesson: Never let anyone make you question what God has called you to do!

I remember as a young Christian, still learning the ways of my faith, I was excited about how God was moving in me. Everything felt new. I was eager, listening for God's still small voice, looking for His movement in everything.

I remember the moment I felt God was calling me to minister to His people. I was so excited. I had to share it with my pastor. I just knew that he was going to be as excited about my calling as I was. When I told him, he chuckled and said, "don't worry Jimmy, you'll grow out of it". I was devastated!

Since that time, I have been a Youth Pastor, an Assistant Pastor and a Worship Pastor. I have served as a volunteer staff member and a full time staff member.

And then....it happened again. I was told that I was not anointed to do what I had been doing for years.

I allowed that statement to suck the life out of me spiritually and suffered because of it for years.

Now understand this, I do not blame this person for saying what they said, as I don't hold anything against my first pastor for what he said. After all, they both are men, and as men are entitled to their opinions though they may be flawed in their opinions.

It took me a long time to realize that what God has called me to do is not subject to the opinions of men. God is the one that called me...not man.

So I would ask you this, What has God called you to do? What is it that burns in you? What keeps you up at night? What is always on your mind?

My suggestion, GO DO IT!

Don't allow man to tell you that it can't be done, or worse...that it can't be done by you.

According to scripture, some are to be teachers, some pastors, but all of us are called to be His disciples.

If God has called you to it, He will show the way, He will provide, you just have to trust in Him.

Be faithful to the calling He has placed in your life!

Mistaking the Move of God?

Every Tuesday evening I meet with a good friend and we talk about God, ministry, family, and anything else that comes to mind, but mostly we talk about God.

We got on the subject of feeling or witnessing a move of God and a thought came to me.

I am of the opinion that many Christians today mistake emotion and spectacle for the move of God.

I also believe that an alarming number of people have no idea what a true move of God looks, or feels like.

What do you think?

Church....Who Needs It?

Is regular attendance to an organized church really important?

This is the question I have been asking for a long time now. And so far...the arguments for have not been very convincing to me.

Now before we go any further, and before you send me that scathing comment that is already churning in your head....understand I am not knocking attending church, nor am I bashing people who attend regularly, but simply asking a question that I have asked and that numerous others have been asking me.

I ran across a few posts on this blog that I found interesting.

"It should be a place where we receive encouragement and give encouragement.  We should ‘give’ as much as we ‘get’ in the Church.  If it’s only one sided then there isn’t something wrong with the Church but with me. We the church, the body of Christ, are His hands and feet, which means we should be living active members in the work of Christ on the earth today."


1)  Relationship -  In Romans 12:15, Paul tells us to “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.”  We need to be a part of each other’s lives in order to share in our blessings and our struggles.  At a former church, 2 of our values included, “to know and be known, to celebrate and be celebrated”. And I could add, “weep, and be wept for”.  As we come together, not just at the church building, but also throughout our days and lives, we can grow in relationship and have this type of support and joy.

2)  Encouragement & accountability – Hebrews 10:24-25  “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”  It is so encouraging to observe others’ growing in their walk with the Lord.  We can encourage each other to love and serve others, and we can do it together!  As we come together weekly, we are reminded that we have a purpose and we have people to help us and work together toward that purpose.  It’s a team!!
Which brings me to..

3) We need each other’s gifts! – Romans 12:4-6  “For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.  Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them..”  (See also 1 Corinthians 12)  Just as we need our eyes as much as we need our hands or our feet, we need each one in the body of Christ!  You and I each have a part and when one of us is missing, the body doesn’t work as well.  This doesn’t mean we can’t miss a Sunday.  But we need to be a vital part of each other’s lives.  And what better time to begin than our weekly time to worship & learn together!

So...I am interested to know...what are your thoughts? Church...Who Needs It?

A Post About Nothing!

So....I am sitting here trying to think of something to write about and........nothing!

Sure...you can make a sitcom about nothing...Seinfeld did it. (One of my favorite shows of all time) But it is difficult to do that with a blog post.

I could write about what I've been doing this week....hmmm.....work.

Or i guess I could write about some movies that baby and I watched this weekend...or should I say tried to watch. Note to anyone who will listen: Don't rent "Hot Tub Time Machine". We made it into about the first 15 minutes. Too much nekked people and it is really stoopid! (yes, I know those two words are spelled wrong....deal with it people!)
The one movie that we did kind of like was "Death at a Funeral". Pretty funny. We also watched a 'girl movie' called "Letters to Juliet"....baby liked it and that's all that matters. :)

I was so relieved to hear that the recession officially ended in June 2009. Wow...what a relief. I feel so much better now. I like what one talk radio host said, "Good, we can stop blaming Bush now for what's happening in today's economy then right?" Yeah...like the Dem's are gonna let that happen.

Let's hear it for my Houston Texans...2 and 0! First took it to Indy and then came from behind on the road to win in overtime against the Skins.

The Astros are almost playing .500 ball and are no longer in last place. :)

Ok....I quit. My mind is a blank right now. Let me apologize for those of you who were expecting some deep meaningful post about something that really mattered. To those who have come to expect this kind of drivel from me...you aren't surprised which means I didn't disappoint. So that's a win, win! :)

Peace!

5 Things I Hate ABout My Wifes PC

1. It runs on a Windows program.
 (Don't you wish a PC would work like it should. If it did though it would be a Mac.)

2. Virus scan
(Virus scan? Really?)

3. It's not a Mac.
(My Mac is old...2003 vintage...and it still works better than the PC I bought my wife last year)

4. Crash.
(This thing is constantly crashing and we are having to restart it. Did I mention i just bought it last year?)


5. It's not a Mac!
(Did I already mention that?)

I have been working on my wife's PC for 2 hours now and it is still creeping along. OMG!

The Great Dog Debate!

So...our family is a dog family. We have 2...errr.....7 now! Let me explain.

We at first had one, Harley...which is momma's baby. That dog follows her every where she goes. He sleeps right next to her on the bed. He will not eat until she gets home. He usually just lays around all day looking out the window waiting for momma to get home. As soon  as he see's her car pull in the driveway he goes crazy trying to get out the door to greet her. He by the way, is a Westie and wire haired Dachshund mix.

We also have a mini Dachshund named Lilly, which was supposed to be for Jordan....that's another story in itself. She is a little higher maintenance than Harley. Did I mention she is a mini that ways 15 pounds? Yeah! (note: never buy your "MINI" Dachshunds from a breeder in Cut n Shoot Texas. :) )

Anyway...on with the story.

A few months ago, I had an employee that was having to move back to California very suddenly and could not take their dog with them....a Chihuahua....she was going to have to take him to the pound. In my stupidity, I told her to let me take him and I would find him a home...NO PROBLEM! Yeah....right.
So anyway I bring this dog home and he instantly thinks he runs the place. So Chango....which is what we called him....is NOT fixed....neither is our "MINI". After months and months of searching for a home for Chango...we finally find a Chihuahua lover that needs another one. (like anyone needs 2 Chihuahuas) Goodbye Chango!

Now...Lilly eats like a horse. She will eat so much that her little belly will drag the ground and then she will lay around and moan. It's pretty funny. So I notice that she is really putting on the weight and thinking we are going to have to put her on a diet. Ok....now stop getting ahead of me  and let me tell my story! It's not till I pick her up to pet her one day do I notice that her...uhm....well...uh...chi chi's are bigger than normal. And I believe my exact words were..."ah..holy crap...Lilly's pregnant!" That's right....you guessed it sports fans...that dang Chihuahua impregnated my mini Dachshund.

Lilly had 5 puppies, called Chiweenies....stop laughing...we looked it up....we call them Mexican Hot Dogs...and they are the cutest little puppies you have ever seen, One in particular has stolen mine and momma's heart. He is the runt, but so dang cute, that we are finding it hard to promise him to anyone. Mind you we have people literally waiting on a list for one of these puppies hoping that someone else will back out. The one that has stolen our hearts ins called Blue. Don't know why he is called Blue, Jordan named them all.

So here is the great debate.

Do we keep blue or not? We have tried the 3 dog thing before with little success. it's hard enough taking care of 2 dogs...3 is a whole other story. But did I mention how cute he is?

I don't know what to do...so...I am going to post some pics and put up a poll and get you to help us decide whether we should keep one or not.

Prepare to have your heart stolen!

See....I told you. Now go to the poll question and vote please!

Remembering 9/11 My Story

The events of 9/11 will be forever etched into my memory because if not for the grace of God and His divine intervention, I possibly would not be here today.

If the plans I had laid out would have come to fruition, I would have been at the World Trade Center the morning of 9/11. Instead, the night before as I was driving to New York, I got tired and decided to stop and get a couple of hours rest. I overslept and did not get back on the road as soon as I had hoped, therefore causing me to run behind.

I had no idea what was going on when I reached the New Jersey Turnpike on the outskirts of Newark, New Jersey. All I knew was that the traffic was slowing, and then....dead stopped. Then I saw it. People getting out of their cars. Shouting, tears, fear. We were looking directly at downtown Manhattan and in plain view were the smoking massive Twin Towers of the World Trade Center.

I could not believe what I was seeing. Not just the upper portions of the towers engulfed in smoke, but the absolute panic in peoples eyes standing there in astonishment on the highway viewing something of such a tragic magnitude that we had yet to comprehend.

My plans had been changed drastically. I never made it to New York, instead remained in Newark, New Jersey for the next few days.

Possibly the eeriest sound I have ever heard was the deafening silence in downtown Newark that first night, broken only every so often by the thunderous sounds of the F18's flying overhead, bringing a small measure of comfort. It was without a doubt the most restless night I have ever experienced.

Just a few days later, while walking through a quaint little section of shops in Newark, you could see people trying to get on with their lives, just the same as I.

This is where the story really gets good.

As I'm standing on a corner just looking around, while waiting on a friend, I heard someone ask, "What are you doing here?". I turned to see who in the world was there that I could possibly know so far from home. Nobody was there. "What are you doing here?" I heard it again...and again turned to find no one there. It was then that I realized just "Who" was asking the question.

I responded, "I don't really know", and I heard the Voice say, "I have something much better for you at home!"

So I immediately began trying to find my way home.

48 hours later, I was back home in my beautiful Texas. I almost kissed the ground when I arrived.

The next night, I talked to the one who would become the love of my life. We sat together at church that weekend. Had our first official date on September 24th and were married February the following year.

As you can imaging, the anniversary of 9/11 is met with mixed emotions for me. First of sadness for those who lost their lives on that tragic day. Second of thankfulness for God's divine hand of protection over me. And third of extreme joy, because it was at this point in time when God chose to speak to me like I had never heard Him before, and make and fulfill a promise He made to me.

Even at this moment, some nine years later, as I type this I am overwhelmed with emotion to the point of tears.

Thank you my Father for your faithfulness.

My Great Shampoo Dilemma

Taking a shower at my house can be interesting, especially for me because it reinforces the realization that I am out numbered! This realization comes fully evident when looking for the right shampoo bottle.

First let me explain.

I have to read the shampoo bottles to see which one I want to use. I have to do this before getting in the shower because I am blind as a bat and cannot see without my glasses.

So...I am reading the fore mentioned and herein lies my dilemma. The shampoo bottles (notice the plurality of that word, plural, as in many) reads as follows; Volumizing Shampoo, Deep Cleansing Shampoo, Color Enhancing Shampoo, and last but certainly not least, Strengthening Shampoo.

Now you see my dilemma. It could be catastrophic if I get in the shower and grab the wrong shampoo. I might end up with hair like a poodle if I use the wrong one. I mean lets face it, my hair doesn't need any more volumizing or strengthening. I have the kind of hair that if grown long, people in the 70's would have killed for. I can have an afro in no time!

Why so many shampoo's? (Ladies, do NOT answer that question, it would take too long and I'm A.D.D.)

Oh how I long for the days when there was just one kind of shampoo. It was called....shampoo! I just want a shampooing shampoo. That's all.

I have come to the conclusion that I need a bigger house with my own shower and my own MAN TYPE SHAMPOO! :)

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

And No...I don't mean Christmas. It's Football Season people!

I know...I know...all the women are thinking that you have lost your husbands till at least the last part of December. It's even worse right now if your hubby is a college football fan too.

Ah...but take courage ladies, 'tis only for a season (pun intended) and it will pass (again, I crack myself up) so quickly....for the men anyway.

So here's to all you Football Fanatics and fellow Fantasy Football Geeks, celebrate while you can, because February rolls around oh so quickly!

Oh yeah....GO TEXANS! :)

The NYC Islamic Center Controversy

I have been following the supposed controversy involving the proposed building of an Islamic Center in New York City near Ground Zero.

When I first heard about this I did not like it one bit, I was against it wholeheartedly. But, now that I have had a few days to contemplate on it and read a little more about it, I am indifferent.

I guess the thing that really bothered me about this whole mess was the thought of building an Islamic Center on the site of where the Towers once stood proudly. However, after reading more about it, the site is actually 2 blocks from where the 9/11 tragedy took place, not on the former World Trade Center site.

The last I checked we still live in a country that provides freedom of religion. That means ALL religions! It is one of the bedrock premises this great country was founded on.

Why all the uproar and debate over such an institution being built at this location? Because of the particular faith or religion involved, and the close proximity to the location of one of our countries most devastating tragedies.

Here is the real problem in this current situation.

On one side you have the Imam of the New York City Mosque who preaches his “conservative” Islam, touting his wish for peace and coexistence between all religions, and on the other side you have people like this pastor Terry Jones in Florida planning a Quran/Koran burning on the anniversary of 9/11. Which one do you think will get the most support?

Here are my thoughts;

First of all….truth is truth! Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father but by me.” 

Second….Why is it the ones that represent Christianity in these situations are always the backwoods, hillbilly extremists (it's my opinion and I'm sticking to it), spewing their hate mongering venom, instead of someone who can quote scripture and speak in intelligible full sentences with the same love and strength that Christ would have shown?

Third….if we have such a big problem with their Interfaith Islamic Center, then maybe we should take up a collection (which we are really good at), and build a Jesus Christ the Way Faith Center next door.

I say to all you Quran burners, how would you like it if the Islamic community had a Bible burning ceremony?

Don’t you realize that it’s the goodness of God that leads men to repentance? Can we not speak with boldness, with Grace and love, to show the absolute love of Jesus Christ?

Let's stop letting the Fred Phelps, and Terry Jones' of the world be the spokes-people for Christianity!

That’s how I look at it!

via: www.howilookatit.com

Great Day

I had a great day today. Busy at work...but a good day.

I spent some time yesterday in the pool talking to God....ok...stop laughing now....it's probably the only place where I can turn my mind off enough to really talk to him without the distractions of daily life.

I don't have all the answers yet....heck I probably never will....but I felt a calm assurance today. Coincidence....I think not.

Lord, I'm still listening. I'm still seeking your face. I'm still seeking your will for my life.

Thank you for your peace and understanding.

Where Is It?

I have to admit that lately...for about 6 months now....I have felt.....well......out of sorts spiritually. I can't quite put my finger on it.

I'm frustrated....I'm confused....I'm almost joy-less!

I know God loves me....and I love Him. I know Jesus gave all for me and I know he wants me to live a life full....I know all of that....I am aware of all of that....and still.....extreme frustration!

I know some will say that an ordained minister shouldn't feel this way....but I do nonetheless....and I have to deal with it. But how?

Where is the joy?

Where is the peace?

I want that again!

Lord I know you hear my hearts cry....I know you feel my pain and you know my confusion. I need you Jesus to heal this weary heart, to right this warped thinking brain and restore to me the joy of Your salvation!
I will cling to you tighter than I have ever before full knowing and expecting that you, in your boundless mercy and unending grace, will touch me and restore me. I love you!