I've Been Waiting

The waiting is the hardest part. Many times in my 46 years I have rushed the process. It seems every time I do it doesn't come off the way I had hoped for. On the other hand I have matured over the years and have learned this lesson on my own. God's timing is much better than mine and has fewer struggles to go with it. His yoke is easy and Hid burden is light. I think the older I get the more i realize if I'm struggling to MAKE something happen it is not God's will. I'm not saying life does not have it's struggles or what God calls us to do isn't hard at times. What I am saying is to wait on God is a gift. That gift always turns out better than if I earned it of my own making !!! Waiting causes me to get out of my head and focus of this day...One day at a time is a spiritual principle that gives Peace. Waiting also teaches me I really have no control over anything except what I say and what I do....The understanding of lack of power is power......Gnaw on that one a while.....
Peace and Love
Jeff

Weirdness

Lately the theme has been if you want what normal people have do what normal people do.....If you want what a few very peaceful, easy going not too connected to this world people have, you gotta be a little weird...Normal people do things to get noticed, even some in a supposedly Christian atmosphere still have their own agenda....and it's really obvious to those who don't......but even having said that God still does what only He can do through many adverse circumstances. You got to be weird to be unselfish because it goes against our human nature....but trusting God and being just a little weird even when it feels well........a little weird.....can result in some uncommon Peace and contentment known only to the few, the not proud, the not "normal" .....Weirdo's         From one weirdo to all those,very few, weirdos who read this blog........Peace and Love !!

Easter Memories

I'm not really sure I have a favorite Easter childhood memory.....but I do have a Easter childhood memory and a photograph to prove it......Early April, Houston Texas a rare photograph of my entire family of origin, even my German Shepard puppy...Shawna. We looked happy, the appearance was late 70's in all it's glory. We had the latest trendy clothes....you can see it the pastel polyester suits my dad and I had on, green and blue, I know you can see it....I'm in the powder blue and dads in the Easter pastel light green. Both my sisters decked out in their Easter dresses....Ahhh yes, from the outside we were the all American family, but inside we all were dying. Dad was an alcoholic, mom had mental health issues  and us. I never remember dad being in church, I seriously think he got in the photo because mom forced him too....My favorite memories of Easter are all recent. driving to church on Easter Sunday thinking.....wow,  I am part of the staff at a church, it's Easter, our Superbowl......Jesus is at the right hand of the Father and all is well in my world and my soul.....Thanks to The Cross of Jesus Christ !!!!!
Peace and Love

Heart Break

The sad truth is less than 5 % of people in Substance Abuse Treatment programs stay clean and sober without quality aftercare.....This is what breaks my heart and that is why I do what I do..........To see someone get it...to see the "lights come on" and then they relapse is tragic and sad..In my years of sobriety I have seen countless people start a relationship with God, on fire for recovery only to go right back to their misery. It does not have to end that way..JesusCrawl Ministries is dedicated to stopping this cycle in Abilene first and then ....who knows, possibly the world. We need to stop judging and looking down on the disease of addiction and start loving people right where they are at, good bad or indifferent..We need to.help them connect their recovery assets with a quality life of sobriety..
Peace and Love
Jeff

Looking Back

When God was present, but only now I can look back and realize it...hmmm. I think because of all the music ministry lately, what comes to mind is when I started playing guitar. I was doing it for all the wrong reasons...to glorify myself, get girls, show off and party hard. God knew then what I would be doing now and I guarantee you I was not thinking of Him when I started. He has used what I started for selfish reasons for His Glory....and I could tell story after story about how He has rescued me over and over from situations stemming from those days....
Peace and Love

Here We Are

O.K. for those of you who really know me...this is probably not your first choice of a song from me, but here's the deal. This song connects me with the Holy Spirit like no other. This was Jack Smith's favorite song that we played together. Sammy and I played it at his celebration service. I'm up early on a Saturday fixing to go to the Emmaus pancake breakfast for Josh Casey....cause I figure his sponsor won't be there......anyway,  after that I am going the studio to record the final tracks for our CD and thinking of Jack. The lyrics to this song are powerful....Here we are in his presence...lifting Holy hands to you...praising Jesus for the things He's brought us through.....Every time we play this song I think of Jack...jammin with Jesus.....and truly in His Presence.....and I can go through ANYTHING.....
Peace and Love

Empty Chair

Last Sunday Chads message was about empty chairs....empty chairs at family gatherings for various reasons. Death, addiction, bad choices, divorce...many reasons can be thought of for that empty chair.
But something really cool happened to me last Wednesday as I was getting ready to go to McKinney for Thanksgiving....A friend called me who was aware of all that is going on in my life...........he was making sure I had somewhere to go for Thanksgiving.....his exact words were " I have an empty chair for you."
This brought on a whole new perspective while at the same time gave me assurance God is in control......
Peace and Love.............sometimes His work is not mysterious at all !!!!!!!!!
Jeff