MIA

Ever feel like you're not in the fight anymore? Like... You've been beaten? Like you don't even know what happened or how you fell, yet the battle rages all around you? And there's this type of cold complacency that takes over; your fate has been accepted, and all that's left is to watch your friends charge past you into the thick of the fight. They'll meet their own fates, whether they become heroes or fall like you have will be decided soon. Is there a medic to save your life, or is it too late? For now, I'll just close my eyes, and block out the noise of the battle....

No Doubt (written by Bob Hartman of Petra)

There are times when you feel like you can't go on
There are times when you feel like giving in
And there are times when you feel like you can't try anymore
There are times of trouble in believing
This test of your faith will last
As long as it takes to pass
Till you have no more doubt you'll endure
And your faith will emerge true and pure

No doubt it'll be alright
With God it'll work together for good
No doubt in the end it will be understood
No doubt it'll all work out
With faith He can move any mountain for us
No doubt in the power of Jesus
And after all is done we find out
All we really need to have is no doubt

There's a time to take a reckless leap of faith
There's a time to be cautious and to wait
And there's a way of learning from the past
That this time of trouble won't last
And sometimes we want to think we know
The ways He will choose to make us grow
But it's never the way of our choosing
And we can't always see what He's using

There will be winters in the seasons of our soul
With a cold and bitter wind that chills our lives
But our faith can be building a fire
That will warm us till springtime arrives

The Best Time of the Year

I haven't been feeling very inspired lately... But I do feel the need to write why I love fall so much. It is, after all, the best time of the year.

-The Smells-

The smell of decaying leaves on the ground. The golden, ruby, emerald, and every-color-in-between leaf carpet has a distinct smell that speaks of fertilizing the ground in a cycle begun by the magnificent Creator.

The smell of woodsmoke in the air. This smell promises the weary traveler warmth and comfort. It is the welcoming smell that warms the heart before warming the body.

The smell of Home. Home never smells as good as it does in the fall. Whether produced by an apple or pumpkin pie in the oven, or a simple candle burning on a livingroom coffee table, Home always smells the best in autumn.

-The Sights-

The leaves. Again, the leaves are the forerunners of fall spirit. No retail store can be entered without seeing decorations, napkins, greeting cards, or any other novelty that has multi-colored leaves on them. However, the true beauty is not in any store. It is found in the rare moments when the setting sun catches a blazing tree and dazzles our eyes, captivating every other sense.

The people. People in the fall usually like to wear sweaters. I like sweaters. I love being able to comfortably wear a sweater on a breezy, cool day. Other peolpe, too, seem to enjoy the same thing.

The trees. After all the leaves are gone, the trees silhouetted against a darkening sky somehow is breathtaking for me. I like it even more when a harvest moon rises behind a branchy tree.

-The Tastes-

Apple pie. Apple pie is one of the best autumn-time treats. With a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and a spoon of whipped cream, it is by far one of the top "fall of famers" when it comes to seasonal foods.

Pumpkin pie. One of my personal favorites, when done right. Accompanied by whipped cream, it tastes like home on a plate.

Turkey. Fall just isn't fall without a good ol' Thanksgiving turkey. I like the white meat, maybe you like the dark. There's a piece of the turkey for everyone!

Cranberry sauce. A simple yet flavorful member of the Thanksgiving table. It has a well-balanced amount of tartness and sweetness. Dinner is made complete with a dish of cranberry sauce.

God is amazing. Through every season, He is creative. Spring, summer, and winter all have their uniquities that make them special. Fall, however, seems to be God's favorite season, too. After all, He made it the most beautiful.

Over my head!!

Ever feel like God led you somewhere but then wondered if it was really His hand guiding you? Suppose He set a task before you (actually I'm sure you don't have to suppose; I'm sure He's set tasks before you as you read this.) I will use an example. This morning, as I drove towards a customer's house on a service call, I was praying a lot. I believe God called me to the coal business, at least for the time being. A few months ago, I probably would have told you this is only a temporary venture. Now, I'm not so sure. He may have me here longer than I expect to be. I prayed He would help me to impact the lives of the people I came into contact with. I got to the house where the service call was, changed a few wires around, and left. Did I impact anyone? I don't know. I hope so. Later today, after lunch, I went with Howard to deliver eight ton of bulk coal to a customer. No one was home when we got there. The bin already had coal in it, and I was doubtful about whether we would fit 16,000 pounds of coal into it. But God seemed to say "No worries Colin. I have led you here. Have faith." With something as small as not worrying about this delivery, God still had something to say. Essentially, there was a parallel drawn for me. Sometimes God calls us to do things that seem impossible. We tend to think or say "There is no way I can do this! Who does God think I am??" And that leaves the door open for God to say "Of course you can't do this alone. Apart from Me, you are nothing." Oh yeah... Sorry I got to thinking I was big enough to handle my own affairs again. Whether it's building a skyscraper or writing a check; flying a plane or walking to the post office; preaching to thousands or saying a simple prayer, we can't do any of it without God. An encouragement to anyone who feels out of their league right now! Lean on God now and always!

Time... This time not in a bottle!!

Remember my blog about time in a bottle and Jim Croce? Well this blog is about another secular artist's view of time. Pink Floyd's song "Time" focuses on time being a valuable thing. The lyrics are sung: "Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day/ you fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way/ kicking around on a piece of ground in your hometown/ waiting for something or someone to show you the way.... And like I said before, if you are interested enough in the rest of the lyrics, there are plenty of places online you can find them.

I don't want to get stuck preaching about time and how valuable it is all the time. But of all the things God has gifted us with, time is one of the most precious. Why? For starters, once used, time can never be reclaimed. It's like soft clay, as soon as we make our mark on time, it's there for eternity. Nothing we do now can change what we have done. Another reason time is valuable is that we never truly know how much we have. I could walk outside tomorrow and be bitten by a rabid squirrel. On my way to the hospital to get a rabies shot, I could get a flat tire. And while fixing that tire, a rattlesnake could bite me. And when the ambulance comes to pick me up off the side of the road, its brakes might fail. And as it swerves to miss me, it may strike a telephone pole. And though the pole may miss me by a couple feet, I will still be electrocuted by the flailing power lines. Hopefully by this point, my heavenly Father will have called me home! I'm not trying to make light of our situation. The chances of those things happening are extremely slim, but the point is there are many things that we do not expect that could cost us our life at any moment. "Redeeming the time for the days are evil." Take the time to read Ecclesiastes. It follows Proverbs and precedes Song of Solomon. The entire book seems to be devoted to making the most of the time we have.

Now, please don't be scared of rabid squirrels or failing brakes. The point of this is not to scare you away from life, but to remind you that life is short, time is precious. One line in one of Petra's songs says "Hurry up and wait upon the Lord." If we are waiting on the Lord and His direction, our time will not be spent on nothing. He will lead us to where we can glorify Him most. So be not afraid, be of good cheer, and redeem the time!!!

Jujitsu and other fun stuffs

Jujitsu!
Did a red flag kinda raise when you read that? I know at one point in time, I was extremely wary about martial arts. Traditionally, martial arts seem to teach two things.

1) How to hurt people

2) Various forms of eastern mysticism

Being wary is not a bad thing. In fact, the Bible teaches that we should constantly guard our heart. This teaching is meant to permeate every aspect of our being. However, the Bible also teaches us to be guardians, protectors, of those who are weaker. God is not willing that any should perish. He is a loving God. Yet, He is not a pacifist. There are numerous examples in His Word that would suggest quite the opposite. As a Christian, I want to be like Christ. I want to be able to show His love to the world. In John chapter 2, Jesus goes to Jerusalem. When He went to the temple, there were merchants doing business there. The scriptures tell us that He made a whip of cords and drove them from the temple. It does not say whether He actually hit anyone with the whip, but He did drive them out of the temple. One of the teachings of Jujitsu as a form of self defense is how to identify a fight and avoid it. Another teaching is how to stop a fight with the smallest amount of people getting hurt. It combines self defense with the defense of others who cannot defend themselves.

I guess I'm just trying to say that tonight was the best night of practicing jujitsu because we talked about our role as Christians in this world and in jujitsu. At the end of our workout and practice, we prayed. It's interesting that with a small change of heart, every aspect of our lives can become a sacrifice. This includes jujitsu! Although many have learned and taught mysticism through martial arts, it doesn't have to be that way. God gives us the ability to reclaim lost ground for His glory. I am thankful for those who are learning jujitsu alongside me while keeping Christ in our foremost thoughts. Thanks to all of you who are there!

Church can be... Fun?

Okay, so maybe an 'edgy' title for a blog entry. But I'm gonna be honest. Church and fun are words I wouldn't normally put in the same sentence. Unless, of course I would say, "Ya know, church needs to be more fun."

Not trying to disrespect the church here. I know church is not meant to be fun, not meant to entertain, not meant to be a leisurely pass-time. However, I am fairly positive God doesn't really want us to sit in our pews falling asleep. I have been in quite a few different churches growing up, and rarely did I think it was enjoyable. Unless, of course, refreshments were shared afterward.

So how exactly did I come to find church to be enjoyable?

They put in a gym! Just kidding. Actually, God changed my heart. He has given me a drive to learn about Him and grow in Him even more. So now, church is fun right? Eh, not exactly. When God gives us the desire to learn more about Him, we need to find a place to be edified in a way that glorifies Him. If there is indeed a change of heart, it may also be a change of direction. So, not every church will necessarily be 'fun,' but God will bring a peace to us when we are in the place we need to be. Sometimes we are in the right location, but are called to make a change. Sometimes we are told to move on. Listen to God. Be where He wants you to be. I am trying to find my place now. Prayers are appreciated!!