"As iron sharpens iron so one man does another"

I love it when God takes a vision that we have and takes it to another level as only he can.

Last night we ended the Valiant Man which is a group that deals with issues of moral integrity. These men over the course of the last 12 weeks have come to hear Gods plan on moral integrity.

One of the things that we have tried to do is to bring home the fact that the poor choices you make in dealing with moral integrity not only effects you but so many around you. Consequences....that word that is seldom used. Last night I invited a gentlemen to speak about these issues and how it effected his life. Earlier in the week I heard him speak and talk about his testimony and how he hated pornography and the grip it had on his family and his friends. How it changed his life. So I got with my leaders for the group and mentioned to some of them my idea about this man coming in to speak to the group. We have had a maried couple come in and even an exotic dancer speak to previous groups before. While they seemed more then ok with the idea I could tell it did not really grip them very much. They agreed and the night begin. I spoke to the group and told them thanks for listening to that voice that got them here. Listening to voices was key to this group. Each week they heard the voice from the video explain things in a way they had never heard. Perhaps it was the voice of a group leader, or the voice of someone in their group. I continued to walk towards the door and said: "I think there is another voice you need to hear" and as I said that the gentlemen entered in from the hallway outside and said: "maybe it's my voice you need to hear". You see, what I did not tell the group or leaders was that this gentlemen was only 17 years old. While I cannot share what he said I can tell you that these men were touched. In fact, some lives were changed.



Later in the small groups a man told me with tears in his eye he has never felt God's presence so strong in his life. He continued by saying that he had gotten a lot out the class but still felt he wanted to hang on to some stuff on his computer. Then he explained that when this young men walked in and said he was 17 he knew God was speaking to him through him. What you guys don't know he said is that I have a son who turns 17 this Saturday and his mother and I have been trying to figure out what to get him for his birthday. This young man that spoke tonight gave me that answer. I am going home tonight and getting rid of all my junk ...everything, because what I want to give my son for his birthday is his Dad back.



Deu 13:4
Serve only the LORD your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him.

Humbled once again.....

I looked at my watch and it was 5:30pm. Running late again to the group I could not wait to get to last night. A few of us were meeting for the first time to see what it would be like to just talk about life. One of my goals oddly enough was to sit and listen at first. Not lead, not contribute, but just to listen at first. Driving on the way I just could not wait to see what was going to happen because after all nothing was going to keep me from being distracted from what I believed God was going to do tonight. I called everyone I needed to call prior to getting there and spoke with Mom to make sure she was ok and the plan was to arrive and turn off my phone so I would not be interrupted. Upon arriving I took my phones and placed them on top of a TV stand thinking I had turned them off. Ring, ring went my phone. I did not recognize the number. It was my Dad's nursing home. The nurse began to explain how my Dad had fractured two ribs and bruised his lung. Since Dad is 83 I knew it was painful. Mom had been worried all day since they had called her earlier in the day and told her Dad was coughing up blood and that they were going to run test. Now the news had come and it was not so good.

Time Out for David. Now all of a sudden the group that was about to start seemed so far away. My focus now was on my Mom and Dad. How much more time do I have with them I kept thinking. God answered that quickly..the time you have with them is now. Part of me wanted to run to see my Dad but parted me wanted to stay. Later this morning I found out that he had been given some strong pain medicine and was asleep by 8pm. I stayed and but was not 100% focused on the group. I did listen to everyone and it was awesome. Now I kept thining...now all I have is now. Balance was the next thought. I believe that I am in a season of learning about balance. How can I enjoy now to the fullest today, plan for tomorrow, and enjoy my past? What about work and my faith. I seem to want more of one and less of the other. Why does it seem so complicated sometime?

I know what my Mom would say if I called her with the news. Can we go see your Dad she would ask. Whenever I was sick ..it was Mom who always wanted to take care of me. Truth is she always waited for me but when I was sick she would tell me that she wished she could take the pain away and put it on her. I never understood that to tell you the truth but now I do. God took our sins "pain"and placed them on himself. You see not unlike God..Mom loved me first. My friends in that group last night love me despite of my past. So, all I could think about was Love last night on the way home and how cool it is when you get it right and then prior to me writing this I clicked over to Derek's blog. POW!

http://maderighteous.blogspot.com/

Love you all

Saw Dad this morning and he is doing better...thanks for the prayers.

Part Two-Married

Married June 15th 1983. It seems so long ago. I recall the words so vividly. The preacher a stranger to me said something like this....and I now pronounce you man and wife. I had arrived at the age of 25 a married man. Life was good and I was so happy. Someone did care about me so much they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with me because they had just said those very words. No matter what, I knew who I was going to spend the rest of my life with now. I had visions that much like my mother and father we would be together forever. I am a creature of habit in many ways. I grew up in the same house all of my life. My parents have been married over 50 years and never once did my mother ever think of divorce as an option. I think most sons who adore their mothers want to marry someone like Mom. I know I did and believed I had done just that because for me rejection had always been a deep issue. I was adopted and felt rejected by my biological parents. Later in life I would suffer through many more rejections and not handle them very well. How in the world was I ever going to get through a divorce.

You see a lot of married men I know see me come and go as I please. I get to do what I want to do when I want to do it and for whatever reason I want to do it. No nagging at your house some say. Some even envy the fact I get to watch whatever I want to on TV. Yes, I eat what I want, I go to bed when I want and I even get to take that nap whenever I want. All these things are true and I am quick to point out I even get to do them all alone. Alone, yeah...not so cool sometime. What do I miss:

Noise in the house.
Holidays with family.
How was your day today as I come through the door.
When are you coming home calls.
Being taken care of when I am sick.
Planning for the future.
A ladies view on things.
The smell of dinner on the stove.
A kiss.
The phrase..."let go and..."

I say these things not out of pity for I am so blessed by my friends. God first and my friends fill so many of those voids. The point here is to NEVER take anything for granite and to enjoy life where your at because to be honest that is all you have at that moment.

Single vs Married

Last night I came home and just sat on the couch. I was kind of tired as a bunch of my friends and I had ventured out to watch the football game. One of my friends Sean said he could not make it because of his kids and having to stay home with them due to the fact his wife was away for the weekend serving the Lord. He said something like this: "It must be nice to just be able to pick up and go do what you want to do". We kid a great deal with each other but for some reason it stuck with me this time.


Single vs Married is something that bothers me sometimes. We have all felt it ...you know that I am married and wish I was single deal and the I am single and wish I was married deal. Having been both it poses a good question. Which is better? Here is where I would try to insert some kind of great wisdom but quite frankly I am stuck here. I miss being married a great deal sometimes and at times I like being single. The big thing about being single is that you have to be careful about getting to selfish. Like Sean said I get to do what I want to do when I want to do it. Pow, does that mean I have not been listening to the needs of others? Can it easily become all about me? Confession number one. I think that has occurred recently and I thank my brother Sean for reminding me of the dangers of being single.

Loneliness and doubt can creep in at a moments notice. Anger at myself and or God usually follows along with pity. We all need to have that someone that tells us everything is going to be ok. I recall sitting on my mother's lap as she would wipe away the tears and tell me it was going to be ok and that she loved me more then anything in the world.

Psa 119:76
Now let your unfailing love comfort me, just as you promised me, your servant.

Psa 94:19
In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.

Sometimes when I am down the most I vision my Big God wrapping those arms around me and telling me "it's ok, I am here" and then all things become better. My Big God can fill any void we have but we have to tell him about them and perhaps just perhaps climb up on his knee and tell him where it hurts. Then we climb down and go about our day because my "Daddy" made the hurt go away.

Part 2 Tomorrow.

for all the blessings. CYBESD-Count your blessings every single day. Wow, lately I have lost count but here are just a few in no particular order.

• Tres Dias where God's work seems to have instant and life time results.
  


• My parents who continue to teach me about life and how to live it and treat people.
  


• A group of Valiant men who inspires me to keep pure in thought and life.
  


• Alex for for putting in the last stitch this weekend on a wound that is now finally closed.
  


• Bobby M. for reminding me that Pastors are not just Pastors.
  


• Roy Hooker for being Roy Hooker.
  


• Friends who mean more to me then I could ever begin to write here.
  


• My son to whom I love and miss dearly.
  


• Derek who represents to me a bookmark in my life. No matter what page I am on he is always there. I have no idea what my life would look life if God had not put him in it.
  


• Those I have not met yet that God will put in my life.

Reach out to someone you love today. Let someone know you care about them. Don't always wait for the blessing in your life but be the blessing to someone. God is all over us every minute of the day he allows us to draw a breath. Keep moving (in faith) or your a sitting duck for the enemy. Love you all and God Bless......