Sabbath Lesson for Me #9

Today I went to my church West End SDA Church

Pastor Calvin Preston spoke. Worship started off a little loud. The praise and worship team I believe was a little disoriented as to what Praise and Worship is for. It ended up being more of a concert in my opinion. However Pastor Preston was awesome. His sermons' key text was Genesis 13: 10 -12. It speak about Abraham and Lot going into different directions and how Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom. As you continue reading thru Genesis Lot begins to dwell in Sodom (Gene 14:12) and then Lot is at the Gate of Sodom (Gen, 19:1) signifying his prominence in the land and by the end of Genesis the angel of the Lord tells Lot to leave for God is going to destroy the city. The title of the sermon was pitching your tent toward Sodom.

It really spoke to me. The devil strokes us into sin. He does not just out right tempt us. He strokes us nd before us we are further from God then we ever thought we would be. Father help me not be stroked by the devil. I saw the devil do that to me this week however I claim victory over devils attempt to make me lost and stray away from God.

When you pitch your tent toward Sodom you loose. At the end Lot was not happy, his children loved Sodom and even his wifes' heart was there and she was lost, his spiritual life was gone and he was much poorer than when he first pitched his tent. Satan will not leave us until he breaks us or we break his hold by the word of God that strengthen us.

Father my greatest desire is to be saved. I want to experience true peace, companionship and love that I know only comes from a relationship with you. Please make me whole. Amen

Joseph and Richard

This is my best friend Joseph and his partner Richard. The video includes pictures of their recent trip to Brazil and their ski trip to Lake Tahoe.

Sabbath Lesson for Me #8

Well yesterday day (Sabbath) I went to West End the church in which as of last week I am now a member. Pastor Preston spoke. It was a great sermon.

The Title: Why does God not answer our prayers (key text Psalms 80:4-7)

He also gave the powerful accounts when God answered the prayer of his people as found in Joshua 10: tells the story of when Joshua asked God to allow the sun to stay up so they could finish fighting the Amorites and God did and II Kings 20: tells the story of Hezekiah pleaing that God would spare his life and God did and added 15 years to his life. When men and women pray to God hears and longs to answer for our good. I serve an awesome GOD.

He listed 5 reasons why God does not always answer our prayer:

1. We have the wrong Spirit (Luke 18:9- 13)
2. We fail to forgive others (Matthew 6: 14,15)
3. We regard sin in our heart, our pet sin, we defend our pet sin (Psalms 66:18)
4. We fail to submit to Biblical teachings (Proverbs 28:9)
5. Our prayers are inconsistent with God's will (Luke 22:42)

Father my prayer is that it is not important what I desire but you know what is best for me. I submit my life to Your will!!!

if you want to hear the sermon rebroadcast click on the link below and click on October 28th sermon.

http://churchpond.com/cp05/ptv_westend_rebroadcast.htm

Question

what does being in love look like?

Sabbath Lesson for me #7

I went to Berean SDA Church today. Pastor Carlton (Buddy) Byrd who is now the senior pastor spoke. It was good. I took away from the sermon how I may have failed some people who have entered and left my life. As a Christian I am to be a light in darkness. Not a flicker but a strong lasting light continually in communion with God. I feel sometimes I have become dim and in a sense compromised on what I believe. I must ask for forgiveness from those that I have done this with. They suspected that I was different and I was nothing but. Father forgive me for not reflecting your glory to led others to You.

I closed on my first home day. It was an interesting day. I started it by going for a short run and then I walked by the house to sit and look at it to make sure I wanted to buy. I could still back out and only loose $1000 compared to what I am going to pay for the house. I felt good about it and then left for the closing at 11:30 this morning. My mom came with me and she was a means of support and questions. I was thankful to have her. A few glitches came up but they were smoothed out thankfully. So by 1:30 I was the proud owner of this beautiful Victorian style house in the historic West End. I am thankful to God. This is what I wanted a house in the west end that did not require a tremendous amount of work, was affordable and a place I would be proud to call my own. I am excited about the many friends that I will get to share my home with and being apart of such a great community!

Quote.....................

Some things are just better passing thru

per Jackie per Elton John

thoughts by Leonard Nimoy

I have learned to want what I have.....


I value love because I have been lonely

Because I have tasted frustration I value fulfilment............

Sabbath Lesson for me #6

Well I went to West End today and it was good but I got lessons all day and not all of them happened in church. However the pastor did bring out one in a list of pointers to make one more intentionally focused;

pointer: Take the time to figure out what you really want

I ask this question on two levels of my life that are currently in a state of ughhhhhhhhh my personal life and my career.

For my personal life I know what I want I just have to come to terms in my mind that I do not have to fast forward the situation to get it. If it is attained to fast I will not appreciate the value of what it took to get there. Father allow me to have peace in being still.


For my career. I have invested tens of thousand of dollars in an education that I am not allowing to make a return. The whole Michigan/Tanzania situation did throw me but I need to get back in. Father return to me the passion and motivation that seems to be buried in me under a lot of hurt. I feel you giving it to please allow me to see the sunrise.

Summer Reading Update

Well I did finish reading Angels and Demons however I have not touched Gilead and I am only still half way thru The Miseducation of the Negro. I give myself till the end of July. Well shall see. Angels and Demons was really good. It is actually more controversial to me than the DaVinci Code. I think if that was made into a movie the Catholic Church would really pulls its strings at the highest levels to put a stop to. Maybe it has.........

He's Just Not That Into You

This is the title of a book writtejn by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tucillo. I finished reading it in one day is was that good. It is written in a Dear Greg format where he addresses the issue in the letter. The following are some of the many pointers that I got from the book that I have trully grown from a resort of reading. I actually checked the book out of the library however I feel I will definitely have to go buy it to have in my personal library to reflect on again and again.

1. Deal with men as they are not how you'd like them to be.

2. Don't you want the guy who'll forget about all the other things in his life before he forgets about you? page 26

3. Calling when you say you're going to is the very first brick in the house you are building of love and trust. page 27 You should be dating a man who's at least as good as his word. page 28

4. Men are never to busy to get what they want. page 30

5. Meeting someone you like and dating him is supposed to make you feel better no worse. page 32

6. Why should you feel honored for getting scraps of his time. page 40

7. The reason it's so painful when someone disappears its you have to face the fact that the person you loved had probably left you a long time before he grabbed his coat and scrammed. (key to me) page 113

8. But I guess the hope is that when a guy no longer wants to communicate with me and doesn't have the manners or courage to tell me that to my face, he's given me all the information I need. (this spoke to my heard deeply based on a current situation I an trying to see myself thru)page 115


One keep point the writers make in the opening pages (page 8) is that the reason we allow our shelves to go thru such drama is because every relationship we admise burst with a greatness that we hope to have in our own life. and the more you value yourself, the more change you'll have of getting it.

THe Fourth of July

A friend of mine referred me to a speech given by Frederick Douglas about his feeling about celebrating the United States Independence - commonly called the 4th of July. I must give this speech context. When the United States started celebrating the 4th in 1776, African Americans were slaves and thus were not at liberty to enjoy the so called independence of fellow whites.

The following is an excert from a speech Frederick Douglas gave on July 5, 1852 titled 'The Meaning of the 4th of July for the Negro.'

What, to the American slave, is your Fourth of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciation of tyrants, brass-fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are, to Him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy-a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation of savages. There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of the United States at this very hour.

Go where you may, search where you will, roam through all the monarchies and despotisms- of the Old World, travel through South America, search out every abuse, and when you have found the last, lay your facts by the side of the everyday practices of this nation, and you will say with me that, for revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy, America reigns without a rival.

For the complete text of the speech please visit the following website:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2927t.html

Love Lesson #9

Maybe he's just not that into you

a relationship book title by Greg Behrendt, Liz Tuccillo and I thought it was pretty interesting concept and I was wondering when do you know that someone is really no longer interested in you.

Movie Quote: Paradise Now

Sometimes the most courageous act is the one you do not do!

Love and Life Lesson

I have no regrets I made the best decision I know based on the information I had at the time!

A book that continues to give

I read many books and decided today due to a friends ambitions for the summer to set some goals of my own and that is to read two books a month. So I started today by reading a book that has gotten me thru many ups and downs in my life it is Oh the Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss. I will read more thought provoking books however I had a moment of reflection today that required me to be reminded of the places I have gone and the places I will go. My mountain is waiting and I plan to uproot it, move it and replant it on my own terms.

Books for the month of June are

This Miseducation of the Negro by Carter G. Woodson, Gilead by Marilynne Robinson and Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

Life Lesson #13

You may think you are ready to be hurt again but I realized today more than ever that one can never be prepared to be hurt or disappointed. When someone hurts or disappoints you it hits to the core of your sole but then the question lingers would you enter into it again if you knew the end result. Essentially was it worth it?

Sabbath Lesson for me #5

Well I receivedthe message meant for me at church today before the pastor even got up. This week I have had the opportunity to interact with someone whom I think is pretty awesome and has the potential to be in my life into the near future. I guess I must provide background of sorts. I have felt that once everything was completely over with what happened in Tanzania the Lord would open up opportunities for me to meet someone. I felt I kind of have. I know that is a lot of pressure to put on someone but I think he can handle it. Smile Joseph!!!. The thing is at church today before the pastor got up the choir sang a sung with the following line:

'The wait is over, it is my time to walk into my SEASON. '

It is my season and I am so excited about walking thru it and having someone with me!!!

Devotional Thought for me- Waiting on God

We must understand that there is a peace and a rest when we are at the point in our lives where from our standpoint we are not going forward. Sometimes when we are stopped God is giving us the opportunity to see our character. Another point to remember is that the path God desires from us to go in does not include sinning against HIM!!!

Love Lesson

It is not about finding the right person but being the right person

overheard on a Pod cast by Joseph