The best days of life seem to be right around your twenties don't they? Newly married, you feel nothing can touch you. Your in love with your beautiful wife and she's in love with you. But, how long do these days last? How long does a person live in this place? It seems that some people live here forever, others it seems, only have a few good months of living there. Just like Adam and Eve, sin creeps in and Eden is spouled for the rest of your life. I am continuely saddened by stories of young kids, who's parents have split up over money, or an afair, the list could go on forever. The parents do seem to suffer, but in the long run it is the kids that do the suffering. Angery at everyone and everything, they stuggle in school, loose their temper, but the number one thing they loose is loving, caring parents, who for a large scale of reasons seperate. Love is about more than feeling good all the time. Love is a choice, a choice that will change your life forever. Love died on a cross to set us free. So the next time you think about seperating from your husband or your wife, remember that Jesus could have walked away from saving the world, but He chose love, over pain.

God, today I am in awe of Your presence in my life. You talk to me like a brother and love like a father. Your mercy and goodness are with me always. Whenever I have a need, You fill it. When I walk through the valleys of life, You walk with me. You are the great I am. So much can be said about You, but only one name rises above the rest, Savior. You saved me from the mud and clay that I was stuck in for so long. You pulled me out with Your strong hands. You reach down into the mud, the filth that I was in and You ripped me out of the grip of the evil one. No longer am I in darkness, but I have chosen the light. No longer will I run back to the pit, as I have done so often before, for Your love has captured me, and I am Yours'.

This morning as I was taking a shower and singing rather off key, I began to think about the past. Like, when I asked my wife to marry me or when I promised I would be hers after just six months of dating. It seems like it was just yesterday that all this stuff happened. It seems like just last year that I jumped off my parents front porch and blow out my knee, playing in a rock band that opened for Rachel Lampa, or giving my life to Christ when I was eleven. There are so many things we just simply forget as time passes. Time seems to just run away with us and we're left standing here with little more than a fading memory of what life used to be like. Why couldn't we stay young forever. I once made that commitment, to stay young forever. I didn't want to grow up, I wanted to stay as I was. I had allot of friends who thought I was pretty cool(boy did I have them fooled) and with it, but really I had nothing. I wasn't cool, I didn't have it all together. At that time in my life I made some of the worst decisions of my life. I dated a girl I didn't even really want to date, I got drunk for the first time, I lost all my friends and I quit my job of ten years. How could I be so dumb to all of these things.

The past is a good reminder isn't it. I look back now and I see that allot of good came from these bad decisions. After I broke up with the girl i never really liked in the first place, I fell in love with my wife, I stopped drinking, and gained some pretty darn good friends. I found a job at a book store where I am now a manager and the music buyer for three stores. God totally turned this life of mine in the right direction with my wrong decisions. He took what I thought was stupid and made something great out of it. My life will never be the same.

I encourage you to take a look at your past and see how far you have come. The God who made something from nothing can certainly make something out of you. It may hurt while He is building who you are, but when He is through, you will be an amazing person.

Thank You God for this morning. Thank You for the light that shows through the widows of my heart. You are the one and only God, mighty in strength. I am amazed at the beauty of You. Never shall I go back to the place from where I came, never back to those days. You are my deliverer and I will ever praise You. You delivered me out of the pit I was stuck in and lifted me to a place of solid ground. You are healing this wounded heart of mine. Your words are not harsh and Your touch as gentle as the wind. Praise to You, oh God of heaven and earth, praise to You for ever and ever.

Long time No see

Hey, sorry I haven't been writing on here lately. My youth Paster duties have been taking up much of my time. I have also been working much more at my day job. I'm the music buyer for three christian book stores and it is allot of work. So, this is a list of excuses of why I haven't been blogging lately.

You Are

You.

You are my rock.

You are my shield.

You are the light that heals.

You are the still small voice in my head.

You are the bliss that comes from seeing new life begin.

You are in me, within me, beside me, and outside me.

You are the Creator, sustainer, and imaginator, of life.

You are the word, the I Am, the Holy of Hollies.

You are my everlasting God, Father, Savior.

You are Love, Joy, Peace, and yet,

You are my every breath.

You are.