A Spiritual Gem

I wanted to post the passage that "Cowboys 4 Christ" is derived from...2 Corinthians 6:3-13. These verses are just really amazing! Verses 3-5 highlight the basis of our ministry...to live in such a way that we do not hinder other people's spiritual development and we patiently endure struggles and hardships of every kind. Verses 6-9 document the struggles that Paul endured. Verse 10 is one of my favorites in this passages and I love how it reads: "Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything." This verse really induces humility and really helps me to put things into perspective. I still struggle to be a Cowboy4Christ and don't think that I have everything figured out, but I am making it a conscious effort. As long as I strive to be the best I can be for Christ, I feel like I can be a leader and a gem in a world that may not always be so bright. Challenge me to be the best I can!

Cowboys 4 Christ

For the past 2 months, I have seen a couple of my friends, Brian and Andrew, make a committment to themselves to hold a high standard of their actions. They gave this committment a name, Black Panther. I was never a fan of the name which kinda made me not so fond of the idea but I made the committment anyway (because I knew this would help me grow spiritually). Andrew agreed to make the committment with me but we would call it Cowboys for Christ because I wasn't fond of the Black Panther name (we are both Cowboys fans and we know that Jason Witten, Tony Romo, and Sam Hurd are leaders on the football field, lol). Months later, I found myself not adhering to my committment. I also found that my Spiritual life was struggling. What I was doing was making the committment but not making it a daily conscious effort. I wasn't so sure I could make every single thought, idea, comment, action, etc. acceptable to God. I have always wanted to show others I was a Christian by my actions and leadership, but I realized that I couldn't cut corners. If it is worth doing, it is worth doing completely and wholeheartedly! I AM making Cowboys for Christ real in my life...starting NOW! Cowboys for Christ will make me a complete man of God which is what I strive to do. I am excited to see how much I will grow now that I have all my ducks in a row, so to speak, LOL.

Lamentations 3

Ok, I have to admit that being in the OT is a bit odd for me. Over the past year or so, I realized that I was a New Testament freak, which is ok, but there is more of the Bible than just the NT. I have always looked at the OT as the OOOLLDDDDD Testament and I just figured that the NT was just the most important testament of the Bible. Basically, I should read the OT because it is in the Bible and it IS important.

OK, here goes...Lamentations tres.

This chapter is entitled "Hope in the Lord's Faithfulness." The first 20 verses or so describe many many things in which the Lord has just crushed someone. I mean, just read them and you would think also think that the word crushed is certainly appropriate. While reading the first 20 verses the first time through, I kept thinking, "Is this person really gonna have hope in the Lord after all this crap?" Answer: Yes (I couldn't believe it). Read verses 22-24. This person immediately forgets about what has just happened. I dont think and I know that I can't do that so easily. Verse 31-33 says "For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love. For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow." Really?!?!?!?!...He does not enjoy hurting people?? I just read 20 verses that say otherwise! Im not saying that God enjoys hurting people, I just don't see the connection, at all. I realize this is a super hard subject and it may be something that everyone has often pondered about. It is a sensitive subject because no one really has any good answers for this...I certainly don't. I just try to remember that God loves me and I move on, but just moving on without an answer doesn't settle with me. Why does God seem to punish those who are working soo hard to pursue God? Is it because He wants to stretch us a little bit to make us stronger? Then, why does it seem like we are stretched beyond breaking. Sometimes I don't feel like it is worth it to undergo all sorts of trials and tribulations when I feel like they hurting me way more than helping me. I know it is so easy to look at other people's lives and examine how much better their Spiritual lives are like because we probably never see their failures and shortcomings. I feel like I am working so hard to have an awesome spiritual life but I feel like I may never get it because I just keep getting crushed. I am NOT giving the "Oh why me, God" pity party. Honestly, people who throw pity parties just anger me to no end and I will in no way stoop that low. My goal is to talk things out so they dont get jumbled in my head in hopes of attaining a better understanding of what, how and why I think what I think. Oh yeah, I would like some input because I do value what my friends think. I know that God's timing is everything instead of my own and that's all that really matters. But, when His timing seems like it's never coming, I lose the vision of my purpose. I can't be growing spiritually if I have to keep rebuilding my purpose.

Micah 7

This chapter is just unbelievable! Even the heading attracts me...Misery Turned to Hope. I feel like this theme is one that I couldn't hear enough of. So many times in my life I feel like things are going great and then I hit rock-bottom all of a sudden. I know that valleys are going to happen like bumps in the road so I sort of expect them to happen every now and then. When things are going good, I always tell myself that my faith is strong enough to trust God and to get through the climb of the valley. But, I guess I don't expect the climb to be quite as hard as it turns out to be. I tell myself that things will get better and then they don't (at least as fast as I want them to). Then, I kinda throw everything overboard and throw up the white flag like I've had enough. That isn't gonna work and I know it, but it I let myself get discouraged! As I read this chapter, I realized that I had pretty much become complacent with the huge valley that I have been in for a couple months, and I needed to get out of it because I am just sick of feeling so angry about certain things. I want to show others that I am a strong Christian and be an example for them to live by...and I wasn't doing it. Here are the verses that really spoke to me: Micah 7:7-9, 18-20. 18-20 shows God's compassion, grace, faithfulness and finally God's unfailing love because it was promised to us. I really encourage everyone to read this entire chapter and I hope you may be touched like I was.

Reason for Blog

It wasn't until recent that I could even come to grips with the idea of a blog. I used to think of it as a way for insecure people to express their emotions because that was the only way for them to do so. Because of this "stereotype," I thought I would never have one. BUT, like in many other aspects of my life, God moved me. The title of this blog kind of reveals the purpose of this blog. I am not doing this entirely for me, but almost entirely for God. The only benefit for me is to be able to express my perceptions of certain things and help me to reflect on what God has taught or is teaching me. So many times I fail to put together what God is doing in my life. So if you happen to be following this blog, just realize that the purpose is for God, don't judge me, and embrace all this for what it's worth. Enjoy!