Honesty

This last week I herd a person stand up and say that the one thing that was bugging them about their bible study is honesty. People sit in a group of there peers and act like nothing is wrong and they have it all together when that's not true. This event was of course at a bible study which is where the rest of this blog comes from. This person got me thinking because they were completely truthful.

When we look at the church today it is bad to show brokenness or reveal what you are dealing with while being there. Pastors cannot reveal things they struggle with because then some church members may get upset and not want them to be their minister. So they have to sugarcoat it like sin never happens to them. And then when we hear that one screws up you call for them to resign. I believe this can be a problem for a non-believer. Because they look in the church and it looks like a bunch of perfect people who do not struggle with anything and they do not think they can live up to that standard.

What if the people in the church were completely 100 percent honest with each other. What if i walked into church walked in front of people and said I struggle with Adultery or that I struggle with love of self or at times even question God. Would the church look down on me for that or would they embrace me in my problem and open up and say that they indeed struggle with that also. Because honestly no one is perfect and we are all broken in someway or another. It is brokenness that leads us to the Cross of Christ, and brokenness is a state that I want to be in everyday of my life because it is when I am broken that I truly rely on God and not rely on myself.

So I want to be honest here and let everyone know I am not perfect and never will. I am going to be a minister someday and I pray my honesty will help show Gods grace. Because honestly I do not deserve grace. I have screwed up in so many ways in my life that there is no reason that I should be forgiven for it. I hope that all of you can be honest also because there are people out there who just want someone who is dealing with what they are dealing with or someone who can admit that they use to struggle with that but have been healed or are past that struggle.

Remember brokenness is the state it takes to truly have to rely on Christ, so honestly pray to be broken to the point you cannot be broken anymore. Trust me it is a prayer that will change your life if you mean it. You will Love God 1,000,000 times more after it.

I love you all
Grace and Peace

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.
(Psalm 51:17)

Tough Times

Life is tough!!! I use that with three exclamation points because as everyone knows one just does not explain how tough it can be at times. I look back over the last year and I see the toughs times I have gone through and maybe at the time did not think I would ever see the end of that tunnel. I watched a dear love one unresponsive in the hospital after a unsuccessful attempt at suicide, then watched that love one come back around and regret the decision they had made. I watched as my parents had to deal with my Dad waiting to be accepted for disability and not being able to bring home any type of income while waiting, and then me having to deal with attempting to pay some of the much needed bills of theirs. These times were tough and still continue to be tough. My Dad was given a court date for his disability but it was postponed so now almost 2 years later he still doesn't have an income and its still tough on my family.

These events are TOUGH and a lot of time it seems like there is no end to the madness but there is. I am in good health and unless there is a freak accident(which could happen)I should survive many more years and look back and laugh about all these so called tough times. And it could also be that in the future I look at something I am going through and wish I was going through something easy like I am right now. Who knows only the future can tell.

But I want everyone who reads this to be encouraged because honestly what ever hardships today brings there is always tomorrow. And tomorrow is so much brighter than today. And the one thing that can make that day brighter is Christ. So rest in him because his path is so much better then the one we choose. And the path he leads us on is perfect but we always want to stray away from that and try to do it our own way. Be encourages because he wants to lead you through the tough times.

I love you all
In Christ

We are missing the POINT!!!

So today I was walking through Wal-Mart and saw people frantically buying things for Christmas. I saw one family arguing about what they should get one of their loved ones for Christmas and it brought the thought to mind that we are all missing the point. Ever since I can remember Christmas has been more about what you will be receiving, tree's decorated, houses with lights on them then the true point of Christmas. So often we try to point back to the reason for the season but yet in our mind we are still focused on all the other. Honestly I am tired of it! If we are going to have a day to celebrate our Lord and Savior lets not wrap it up in our selves but make it all about Christ.

How are you bringing Glory to God through a decorated tree or a house with lights on it? We say Merry Christmas and the reason for the season is Christ but we won't step up and say Jesus Loves You or share our faith with someone. When we have a holiday like this then it is like God is giving us a reason to talk about him but we don't. Yes I know some do, but most of us don't. And yes I use the word us because I am guilty. It seems like Satan has manipulated Christmas into a holiday to bring him more Glory then the one who it is really about.

So my final point goes with this verese:

Matthew 2:11 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

What are you giving to Christ this Christmas season. Because as i read scripture there is nothing there about you getting all these things on this certain day but yet not giving anything back to Christ. I am not talking about thanking God for what you have received. What have you honestly given to god? Very few people in this world if any can honestly say that they have given Christ all they have to give. SO my prayer this Christmas for myself and everyone is that we step out of our little selfish attitudes and care more about giving Christ what is his, which is everything. Seriously if we are not going to make this day all about Christ, then there is no reason to celebrate it at all.

Where is the Pursuit?

What ever happened to the days when guys were supposed to pursue a girl to win her heart? Now a days it seems like it is more of hi, your cute lets date. Seriously what ever happened to the slow get to know you and actually find out if you like them. The reason why I have been thinking about this is because I was at work last night and I am talking to this guy and he walks off randomly during our conversation because he sees this girl. He talks to her for about a minute and walks back to where I was and says and I quote “She has a boyfriend”. I stood there thinking how much of an idiot this guy was. First because he apparently asked her if she had a boyfriend and two because he clearly doesn't care for anything more then trying to get with her. The sad thing about this event is that because that girl saw me with him she thinks I am in his little crew of people who just want to get girls.

Also as I looked around work yesterday and tonight I noticed that almost every girl had this fear in their eyes that every guy that walks by them is going to hit on them. One of the girls I have got to know since working there told me she was hit on by 6 different guys before lunch today. Seriously what happened? I know this has always happened but it seems like it is getting a lot worse and girls are scared to look at guys out of fear that they may try to hit on them and get there number. I don't know it just seems like this fast paced world is taking relationships in a fast paced way also. They don't want to wait around and get to know a person because that may take to long they would rather jump into a relationship and if it doesn't work find another girl a fews days or weeks later. They do not want to pursue a girl, they want the girl now and if they do not get it they say screw it and find another girl.

Maybe I am just old fashioned but seriously, it bugs me to see that most guys use girls to get what they want. And some use them just because they feel like they should have one and then they use that girl like a crutch that they can't walk around without. But for real I want to pursue after a girl that I know could be the type of girl I could end up marrying instead of some random girl that I just met. The point of dating is to marry, there is not other reason for it but that! Also I don't want a girl to pursue after me, I don't want her to ask me on a date, I am old fashioned that is something that me as a guy should grow up and do.

Also this can be opposite also, I know some girls attack guys and thats just weird.

First of many

Today I have officially started my blogging days. I feel like i have a lot to say and sometimes it seems that there is no one to listen to it. So i have decided to start blogging it, so that I can at least think that someone is reading what i have to say.

For those people who do not know me I feel that you should understand that I am a very straight forward person, I do not hold things back or hold them inside because I feel like that it is just dumb. But to say this does not mean that I do not know when to stop talking or when at times it is bad to say things. I do not seek to start arguments because to do that only causes a quarrel which in the end nether side wins because they are still dead set in there views.

So here is a little bit more about me, I am a 21 year old college student who is going into christian ministry. If you read this blog you will notice that I will be completely real and most likely tell you some of my struggles in life because i feel that one of the main problems with Christians(including myself) is that we are not very transparent. We are quick to judge someone else for their sin before ever taking a deep look into our own sin, that for some reason we do not give up to God. Sometimes we tend to take advantage of Gods Grace and continue in some sins even though God has called us out of them.

So my hope through this blog is that you can see me as a real person who struggles the same ways you do and that i am person who is no better than you. So i hope that if you read this that you will be encouraged through some of my words and maybe understand that there is other people in the world going through some of the same things that you do.

Grace and Peace
Brent

"You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light"
Psalm 18:28