Breakfast part Deux

So I spent some time thinking about fasting a little bit after I had an interesting conversation with a colleague today. I asked her, "If you could do whatever, what would you be doing?" The cliff note version is that she would travel all over the world and eat at all the best restaurants in the world, not the "touristy" ones, but the real good ones, the treasures hidden away, maybe pay over $100 a plate. It got me thinking why we don't talk about fasting much. Here in America, most of us have access to food, lots and lots of food. Cheap food, healthy food, unhealthy food, food food food. We get hungry, we eat, we are full, we still eat because we can. For some its a hobby. For other's its a crutch. For some it means family for others it means the Devil. We often don't go with out, and once we feel a little rumble in the tummy, we go running around the kitchen or stop at a drive through. So the idea of fasting can be very scary, especially if you are afraid to be a little hungry. I think its interesting how influenced and manipulated we are by food.
Obviously we have to eat and God provides for his people. I am not saying food is bad or evil or that we should all be anorexic. What I want to say is that as Christ followers, we should strive to live more by the Spirit, the food Jesus talks about when the Disciples offer him food when he talks with the woman at the well, than by our natural hungers and cravings. Can I with hold my own satisfaction for the sake of another? Can I live a life where I trust more on living by God's spirit than by hugging my self with a twinkie?
I look around and see people's lives consumed with consumption and honestly its killing them.  On the other hand, I have students that go a whole day with out eating much. They don't eat breakfast and lunch is meager at best. Everyday they deal with hunger and have lived to deal with it. It affects their ability to learn and pay attention. So starving isn't the answer either. But can we learn to deny or delay self satisfaction in order to empty ourselves, so that Christ can flow out of us?
Fasting is mentioned quite a bit in the old testament and some in the new testament. When Christ talks about casting out demons, to pray and fast. I think we should talk about it more and practice it more as Christians, even though it is counter culture.
Christ is our model, who demonstrated complete submission to God, even through beatings and ultimately death. Can we not submit our bodies, hungers, and cravings to our Lord and Savior?
I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject.

Not so Fast!

Sorry it has been almost a month since I last updated. Boy/(Girl) have we been busy with family, traveling, and transitioning with 3 children! I hope you at least got a chuckle out of the "Vlog"...I was trying my best not to look or sound half dead, but some were meant to be in front of the camera and some were not...I don't think I was meant to be in front of the camera, but let me stop trying to get unneeded sympathy...

I want to write about fasting. It has been on my mind and in my heart, and I feel like its time to write about it. I really first started thinking about it after I had a discussion with a family friend on our visit to Chicagoland. He mentioned that during one of the hardest times during his missionary experience, he had fasted and prayed, and that the Lord gave him a clear vision for the direction his family should go. I asked him how often he fasted and he said about once a week to pray for his students and during Ramadan, which I thought was interesting as well. 

It got me thinking, should I fast? And so I have been praying on how I should start implementing fasting in my life. The more closer to Jesus I get, the more filled I get, the more of a spiritual life I live, and the further away I get from living according to my fleshly desires. But my body, my physical body has so many appetites, for example, chocolate, pizza, chocolate, me time, me time, me time, to be thinner, to be stronger,  to be right, to be entertained, etc, etc. Did I mention chocolate? My point being is I am constantly dealing with different things I desire, some things not so bad but at times can lead to selfishness and unhealthiness. Can I do with out? Are there things I really could give up? Can I rely on spiritual food a little more than food food? When Jesus was talking to the woman at the well, and the disciples went to get food, they returned and asked if he was hungry. Jesus replied, I have food that you don't know about. 

I guess what I am seeing is that fasting is a away to distance our selves from our selves and focus on Christ, where by we empty ourselves, God can fill us up. 

But I think we have to be careful not to fast as the Pharisees, because when I am hungry, I tend to get cranky, very cranky. "I want some pieeeee!" Or we might have a tendency to want to talk about it. "Yeah, I am fasting, I am so spiritual..." I see fasting as a way to worship God, to offer ourselves as a sacrifice. I also believe fasting helps us to recognize areas of need and growth. We can fast from more than just food. We can fast from anything that gets in the way of our relationship with God. 

I would encourage you to seek and pray about how God may want you to fast. 

In Christ, 

Kdubbs56

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"I am going to PUMP you up!"

So recently I have noticed some of my t-shirts still smell a little even after its been washed. Bad detergent you say? How about I forget to to put my dirty shirts in the laundry after my work outs and after they have marinated in my sweat. Ewww! For the last 6 months or so I have been working out in some form, swimming, basketball @ 6am, lifting weights or the good ol' elliptical. Over time I have noticed some changes; I am fitting into my old clothes, I am moving from flab to fab, (Yes I just said fab and meant it in the most masculine way!), and I am feeling more confident about myself.  I also notice I am looking at myself more in the mirror and thinking more about what I look like or what I want to look like. In other words I am idolizing myself. I find it easy to focus and celebrate my own strength at times, which means I am not focusing on God's word and I am not keeping my trust in Christ. I continually go to God in prayer, trying to focus on Him and giving thanks for the time to workout and give God the glory for any changes.
God has been showing me that in all aspects of my life I need to trust in Him and find strength in Christ and wait for his perfect timing, not my own, even though at times it doesn't make sense!
Self sufficiency is instilled in us since we are little kids. Even our country was founded on the desire to seek self sufficiency and thanks to Ben Franklin, we have sayings like, "Pull yourself up by your own boot straps!" As humans, we tend to want to do things by ourselves, even from toddlerhood, we want to "Do it by my self!!!" And in addition, we also tend to focus our conscience on our own strength! I am good at this, I am good at that, and we begin to identify ourselves with our skills and talents. In sense we idolize our selves, negating the need for Christ. "Oh I don't need Jesus!" Oh YES we do! For our strengths are really weaknesses! When we are faced with problems in life, if we try to solve them with our own might and intelligence, we might find great frustration and disappointment. But if we put our trust in God and wait for His perfect timing, "He works out all things for good for those he loves!"
Common sense is not always Christ-sense. But it is following Christ-sense that brings joy, peace, and victory. I am sure it made no sense at all to Abraham to bring his son to be sacrificed, considering God's promise and how long it took to be fulfilled, but he trusted in God and waited on God and God provided a ram to be sacrificed. I am sure it made no sense for Peter to walk out on the water, but Peter did take a couple of steps and it wasn't until he took his eyes off Jesus did he begin to sink. Faith is not by sight, but believing that God will keep his promise in spite of the circumstances presented. God doesn't want the world to know how great I am, he wants the world to know how Great He is! It is through our weaknesses that God shines through. Instead of embracing our strengths, start to look your weaknesses in the eye and give them up to God and watch how his power will flow. For we are to be jars that God uses to pour out His love and grace. But he can't fill us up with him if we stuff ourselves in the jar.
Distractions are all around us, but God's word help us to keep focus on Him. "Remain in me and I will remain in you" - Jesus

"Price check on aisle 4!"

Driving home this weekend, in the middle of a 3 hour drive, I noticed all the crazy drivers speeding, cutting off, tailgating, and practicing sign language. Then I remember how I used to drive like that minus the sign language, until the day I got the big one!!! Driving through Virginia, I wouldn't recommend it unless completely necessary, I got pulled over doing 80 in a 70 mph. Now if I was in NY, that wouldn't be that bad, but unbeknownst to me and left unmentioned by my father who happens to be a police officer in VA Beach, 80 mph and over is considered wreck-less driving which means a ticket and a court appearance to some where in Nowhere, VA. Also, considered a misdemeanor, jail time was also a possibility! Talk about freaking out on the side of the road! Thankfully no jail but I ended up paying close to $500 when everything was said and done! Not something I had just laying a round. Ever since, I have been very careful when I am driving and use my cruise control quite a bit. I got a glimpse of the high price for high speed and did not want to pay the piper again.

I write all of this because I think sin works a little like this. When we are tempted with sin and start considering it, we think about the benefits not the costs. I mean thats how Satan sells it, "its all about the now and no one will get hurt, its just between you and me!" We rarely consider the cost. What if we did consider the costs and ignore Satan's lie? His lie is that it won't cost much or anything at all, but we may never know the true costs of our sins. How many of us have realized that the ultimate cost of our sin is our own death and the death of Jesus. My sin put Christ on that cross, I was supposed to be there and He has taken my place, Hallelujah!

But what are the costs of our "cheap sins?"

Lets look at some of the costs:

1. Distance in relationships, wives, parents, children, friends, church family. How often do we think others are creating distance when actually our sins slowly drift us down the coast of all our relationships.
2. Money, how much money do we spend on fueling our lusts in order to find some satisfaction in life.
3. Separation from God, loneliness, paranoia. A constant fear and anxiety that cripples us from daily life.
4. Mental health: how stressed do we get trying to clean up after the messes we leave due to our sins.
5. Lose trust and respect, our reputations may be at stake.
6. Health, sickness, death, etc. I am not saying all sickness or health complications are directly due to sinful acts, but sometimes bad behavior has bad consequences (ex. drunk driving, stealing, promiscuity, etc.)

Please note that this is not a completed list. Let us, let me, consider the true cost of sin when we are faced with temptation. Consider your family, your friends, your relationship with Christ. What have you lost to sin? Was it worth it? No, it never is!

Jesus does not allow us to be tempted more than we can bear, but we must remember to seek strength and help from God when we find ourselves tempted. We can not win on our own, Christ already beat death, it is up to us to allow God's power to work in us!

We must be wary of un checked sin, because that is how our hearts become hard against God and lead us down the road of Death! Thankfully, God takes the dead and raises it again!

Losing Control

At times my spiritual journey feels like I am tramping through a dense jungle, with very low visibility, maybe just past my boots. Every step and every turn taken in faith, not exactly sure where I am going but I know I'll eventually arrive. I feel hot and sweaty, legs are tired but I take one step at a time, trusting in God.
Then out of no where, I am taken away by a wild horse, being swept away and I hold on for dear life but I know I won't fall off because the Hand of God is holding me on!
Sometimes I feel like I live each day at the mercy of God, hanging by a string of grace over the depths of death, but then God clearly reminds me that He is in absolute control and that I can, that I need to place 110% trust in Him for all things!
On Friday, on my way to work, we were in involved in a 3 car accident. The lady who hit us didn't even brake and ended up in the hospital. Thankfully the kids were overall ok. No major injuries. It definitely shook us up! But God kept us safe and this accident might actually help us as we take more steps to getting closer to RVA. God reminded us that He is in control and He wants me to be willing to let go of the control I think I have.
Every day I am humbled and overwhelmed by God's grace and provision. God is faithfull in keeping His promises and I pray for the faith of Abraham so that I can step when I can't see in front of me and the stength to hold on when God sweeps me away!
Worthy is the Lamb! Holy Holy Holy, is the Lord God Almighty!

"He's going the Distance!"

I saw a band play in Boston many years ago called Cake and they played
a song called, "he's going the distance!" If you just hear the lyrics
you think that they are singing about racing around in a car, but if
you see the video, they are talking about the "rat race." Ready, Set,
Go! Everybody loves a race, the feeling of sweet victory, the feeling
that you are better than someone else! Races come in different forms:
the previously mentioned rat race, foot race, who can drink the
fastest, who can eat the most hotdogs, marathons, Ironman, NASCAR, you
name it. The one who wins isn't always the strongest, but they that
perseveres! Winners are not born, they are forged out of sweat and
sacrifice in one way or the other. The whole goal of a race is to win,
win something; a crown, medal, money, bragging rights, whatever, but
the winner takes something home.
In the same way, our Journey with Christ is a race, a race that is
usually long, very long and when we finish, yes we get a crown, but we
also get to go home! How long have we yearned to be home with our real
family and to be with our true father!
Yet Paul alludes to the fact that not all finish the race. In Acts
20:24 Paul says, "however, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if
only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has
given me-the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace."
Like any race people fall, I fall, you fall and depending on the fall
or injury, it can be very easy to give up, to quit running, maybe try
something easier, but don't give up. Our strengh comes from the Lord,
ask and you shall recieve. We are not to run on our own because we
will defintely fail and get hurt.
As we run our spiritual race, we will discover weaknesses that were
once dormant, they appear to be obstacles but if we trust God to help
hurdle them, we become stronger in God's grace. If we fail to hurdle
the object, God picks us up in His grace and gets us back on track and
one day, one hour, or one minute we will come across the same hurdle,
and until we trust in God to help us over it, we will get stuck. But
God's grace is sufficient and doesn't allow us to be attempted more
than we can bear, we need to exercise our faith and trust in Jesus for
strength and victory.
Elite athletes train everyday and are disciplined, we too, me too,
need to live a disciplined life. The fight starts in the heart and
wages in the mind. Paul talks abou taking every thought captive in
obedience in Christ. When you're angry, pray for that person, when you
lust, pray for them for God loves all his sheep and will go to great
lengths to find them. God freely gave to us, so we too should freely
give.
Glory to God who makes the impossible, possible!