Eternal Mindset – Entry #1 November 26, 2008

As a young child, when I would hear talk of Heaven or eternity, living forever and ever worshiping God, my mind would always drift off imagining a giant “church service” -forever.  Singing hymns, listening to a sermon, standing, sitting, and so on.  I have to be honest with you, didn’t sound too appealing then, and it still doesn’t appeal to me today.    I realize now that my problem was that I tend to take God’s word and contextualize it to fit into my life.  Even at a young age, I had a hard time looking outside of the box of my experiences and really envisioning what it will be like when we are finally “with God” one day, for eternity!  I took “worshiping God for all eternity and compared it to my weekly worship experience”.  Today I’m seeing that God speaks of a totally different experience that what I pictured and it has excited me beyond my imagination.  Here are a few of my recent ponderings on this subject – I would love to hear your insights as well so take a minute and email your thoughts to deepstreampa@gmail.com

 

Thought #1 – I was reflecting one day on creation.  By creation I mean nature and the beauty that we are privileged to enjoy.  Whether it be a mountain hike with my wife in the Delaware Water Gap, here in PA where we live, or a snowboarding trip to Jackson Hole with my brothers for a week, staring down from the top of the snow capped Grand Tetons of Wyoming, I always stand amazed.  Growing up, my parents had pictures of nature hanging on our wall, photographs taken by Ansel Adams.  We would take frequent day trips to Yosemite National Park in California, the place where many of Adams photos were taken.  My eyes have gazed into the Grand Canyon and I stood so close to Niagara Falls a couple years ago with my wife and kids that we could feel the ground shake from its force!  These are just a few of God’s amazing masterpieces.  As I was reflecting that day, it hit me!  These incredible sights were formed by the hand of words of God…  then it really hit me!!!  These were actually formed by the judgment of God, handed down through the Genesis flood.  As God flooded the earth these great mountain ranges were pushed up from the earth, and canyons were etched out by the mighty waters which were released.  The earth as God had originally created it had been changed!  So if this astounding scenery was the end result of Him judging mankind, can you even begin to fathom what His original painting might have looked like? 

 

Thought #2 – Read Romans 8:19-23 – “… the whole creation groans and travails together…”   This portion of scripture talks of the entire creation, not just people, awaiting a glorious redemption, a restoration that will take place when Jesus comes again and makes all things new.  Nature, animals, and all mankind awaiting a time when He will indeed make ALL THINGS new, and restore all back to His original design and plan.  In the garden, when sin entered the scene of humanity, the curse was given to man, to woman, to the serpent and even to the ground.  What we find in the story of Jesus Gospel is that God made a way for the curse to be lifted off of man and woman.  As we read Revelation about the story that is yet to unfold we see that the curse that was handed down upon the earth will one day be removed.  The only curse that would remain is the one handed down to the serpent (Satan) and anyone who chooses to follow him.  It is awesome to see that the story didn’t end with God creating and man screwing it all up, but that God made a plan for an amazing restoration that will take place, and it is a plan that can include each of us.  He created us for Him, and the world for Himself and us.  It was given to us to rule and watch over, and one day many will be given that chance again.  Just imagine what it will be like for those who believe, when our eyes behold Heaven and Earth the way God designed it!  Seriously… let your mind drift for a couple minutes…  there is no limit to your dreaming!  Imagine being able to see it the way God saw it when He uttered the words, “It is good”.  Will we be able to do anything but worship God?  Will we want to do anything else?  Now that’s what I call worshiping for all eternity!  That is my kind of gathering!  Imagine all creation busting out singing… “Shout to the Lord all the earth let us sing… power and majesty praise to the King… mountains bow down and the seas will roar at the sound of your name… I sing for joy at the work of your hand, forever I’ll love you, forever I’ll stand, nothing compares to the promise I have in You!” 

Stand By Your Man November 26, 2008

If you watch CMT at all, which I just happened to catch one night, the song, Stand By Your Man was voted the #1 County Music Song of all time. Tammy Wynette was quoted “I spent 20 minutes writing this song and 20 years defending it.” It spurned controversy then and still does today. Standing by your man is not the most popular venue for us women to shout, but maybe it should be.

In “Love & Respect”, by Emerson Eggerichs, he writes in detail of men’s need to be respected above all else. Tammy Wynette had the right idea and she was also quoted, while defending her songs message as saying, “That is how I was raised.” Were you raised to stand by your man? I wasn’t- well not completely- there was a mixture of ideas portrayed. Words were spoken sometimes to teach lessons, but mostly what was witnessed was most engraved.

Any of these formed in your memory bank?
* Silently punish him when he makes a decision you don’t agree with.
* Act like nothing ever bothers you so he will want to always be with you.
* Speak your mind so you get what you want- he can’t read your mind you know!
* Have an attitude of disgust so he will know you are not pleased.
* Suffer through any poor treatment. At least he is still with you!- stop complaining.
* Nag and remind until you get him motivated.

Your impression of becoming a woman relating to men was formulated from a number of influences. Is there really one way to please all men? Is it really possible to stand by my man in a way that he feels that I am there for him, I love him and I need him without feeling so childlike and vulnerable? Why don’t we ask the person who started this whole idea of loyalty and respect.

God tells husbands to love their wives as they love themselves. Men have no problem loving themselves. They love their smells, their choices, their abilities, their muscles, they love… themselves! But they are instructed to turn that love towards their wives too. Easier said than done especially today when the “me, me society” calls for each of us to think of what pleases ME rather than what pleases someone else. Now in the same spot of Ephesians 5:33 it instructs the wives to respect their husbands and that is also easy to say, but hard, very hard to do. It goes against our nature to respect someone who sometimes does not deserve an ounce of it! It is difficult to trust his decisions and gladly follow when we see the track record of decision or lack of decision making. And for sure it is very tiresome to constantly appreciate someone for doing his job as he would to support himself. He has to work to feed himself too, ya know!

Respecting your man is the best way to stand by him. With your respect you are communicating that your love for him is deep enough to look past his flaws, poor choices or difference of opinions. You are seeing his potential rather than his past. By respecting your man you are boosting his confidence, helping him love himself even more so he can love you more. Want love from him? Want to feel treasured and adored? Start with respecting him with your attitude, words and actions when he is with you and when you’re with others. Stand by him when others tear down, look for the good when a poor path was chosen, respect his desire to work hard, provide and protect. Accept his need to feel good about being a strong, independent man. Respect him as you belt out, STAND BY YOUR MAN, just like Tammy did years ago.

The Reactive Wife November 26, 2008

Every action calls for a reaction. To be instructed not to react is mute, impossible. There is an inevitable cycle of ups and downs in life and therefore in marriage. Just the very nature of the ebb and flow of time predicts change, adjustments and flexibility. Two people joining in marriage supplies a gamut for active and reactive measures. If prepared reactions can be calm, smart, then what when not prepared?
Your husband should be the primary focus of your relationships. Yes, yes the children are near and dear and demand so much of your time and energy that is a given, but your main purpose is to help meet your husbands needs. Children come second. If that is hard to swallow think of it in this way, maybe. If a marriage falls a part, gets ugly, causes shame does it affect the children in a positive way? If a marriage bond stays strong, grows more beautiful and brings God and others pleasure do these affect the children in a positive way? Put aside all the, “yeah…but’s”, and understand that God intends the marriage relationship to be the most important, influential relationship in this world. What is your intention for your marriage?
Happiness, friendship, closeness, understanding, commitment, trust, love, and mutual respect are great intentions for any marriage, but they are vain and unobtainable without following the order of the “inventor” of marriage. God has a purpose for marriage in general and a plan for marriages specifically. Your reaction to your husband will actually determine how successful you are in achieving the honorable goals listed above, and fulfilling God’s plan and purpose for your marriage and being that special helper to your husband. When your husband’s actions call for a reaction, how do you choose to react?
Honor and respect are two expressions a wife can exude whenever she wants and just as easily retract them. Men need respect, they want to be honored. God intends that as well. Determining a head of time that regardless of what your husband does or says, or doesn’t do or doesn’t say, you will respond to him with respect and honor is a positive, smart reaction. When choosing to react in such a controlled, loving and honoring way you allow God room to work. If you choose to react with disrespect or dishonor are you helping your husband? If your intention is to have a man who is respected, honored and admired by others then doesn’t he deserve the same from his helper? Be prepared to react with an honorable approach to keep you in right standing with God, to help your husband deal with the issues at hand and not be distracted with feelings of contempt from his wife.
You will have to react daily so choose now that you will react God’s way. Mutual respect and closeness will come when a man feels he can trust his wife to do him good. Even when he chooses to be unloving, or disrespectful you can still choose to treat him with honor and still show respect for his position as your husband. Is this easy? How about popular? Answer a big fat NO to both of them, but it is RIGHT! It is the reaction which God asks you to have and will bless your efforts as you serve Him with a pure heart. Ask Jesus to transplant your natural, fleshly reactions with God, honoring ones. Rely on Jesus to lead your husband and rely on Him to govern your reactions.

(For understanding and clarity read Proverbs 31, I Corinthians 11, Ephesians 5 & Titus 2)

Simplify Your Home November 26, 2008

As you read through the site of DeepStream or speak to any of us who are involved, you will find that the home is a hot topic of discussion. Our hearts beat faster when we envision what “could be” for the families of our community, for the friends that we are living in connection with. On the other side of the coin though, we also have deep emotion when we sit and talk with families and see the realities of what our culture is doing to the modern family. The stories that we hear leave us wondering what life must be like in many of these homes on a day-to-day basis. Based on many of these conversations and many of our own experiences we’ve come up with a simple, one word slogan to live by. It’s a word that we feel all families and homes need to embrace. We actually have a plaque that hangs on the wall of our home, which says this – SIMPLIFY – basic, full of meaning, and a word that will revolutionize your home life.

If we take a distant look back into God’s original design, we see His people being challenged in the area of priorities. I believe that if we would take a moment as Dad or Mom, Husband or Wife, or as a family and really look at and refocus some priorities, we will begin to see and live the Simpler Life that God has in store for each of us. Read the passage below and let’s unpack God’s design together.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9
“Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words, which I command you today, shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (NKJV)

Simplify Priority #1 – Refocus your belief in God.

The challenge in Deuteronomy starts by clarifying that there is only one God and that we must be totally committed to Him with our whole being. We each must personally embrace a proper view of who God is, and then that should drive each of us in our individual pursuits of a relationship with Him. It then goes on to state that these words must be rooted deep in our hearts. Proverbs tells us that we are to “keep our hearts with all diligence, for out of them spring all the issues of life”. Later in the New Testament, Christ reiterates that the greatest commandment is to love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. Simply put, we must put God and our relationship with Him through His Son Jesus at the top of our priorities. Out of this relationship will come the strength, clarity, and focus to do the other things which we’ve been put here to do.

Simplify Priority #2 – Take the time to teach your family.

Further into this passage, after the challenge and reminder of who God is, the reminder turned into a command to teach. You can note that this was not an “academic” teaching on your view of God, but a way of communicating to your family through the everyday happenings of life. We are encouraged to talk of God as we walk, sit, lie down, or when we rise up. Basically, throughout the day, we should be actively living out our belief and faith in God. This isn’t a private matter either. We are commanded to talk about it. A key ingredient to making this happen in our everyday is to make time. We don’t avoid doing this b/c we don’t have the desire, but normally it ends up taking the back seat to the already jam packed schedule that our family might have. Even if you currently find yourself in a routine that can’t be changed immediately, begin by using some of the time you do have, and making that time more God focused. You can talk to your family about God while you are sitting at dinner, while you are driving, and so on. Simply put, we have to make the time to do this.

Simplify Priority #3 – Make your home different than the rest.

At the end of the passage in Deuteronomy, we are all encouraged to take these commands and not only write them on our hearts, teach them to our families, but to write them on the doorposts and gates to our houses. I believe that in these verses we are being encouraged to be different. Our homes should be places that make people question “What is it about this place. It feels different!” As Christian homes, there should be a Spirit that is different abiding within our walls. This Spirit should be part of our witness which points others towards God. Is your home a place that is peaceful? Welcoming? Real? Do your neighbors feel that you have time for them? Do you have time for them? Take some time and talk with your spouse and family and really think about the message you send to those around you.

Well, as you’ve read, this wasn’t a list of to do’s or ways to change your families schedule and re-focus your priorities. The point is for all of us to realize that God comes first. If we put Him in that position, most of the other priorities are going to fall into place. We will have a desire to teach our families and we will have a desire to impact our friends and neighbors.

Simplify!!!

But I Still Don’t Feel It! November 26, 2008

We are dealing with one of our children heavily on the subject of “feeling loved.” Trying to communicate through countless words and conversation ’We DOOOOOOO love you,’ is only getting as far as our lips and then it is falling like a weight to the floor never penetrating this child’s heart or being entertained for a few seconds by his/her thoughts. We went through all the physical examples of how we show love, we have dedicated more time doing things with this child that they enjoy, we have given a few minor freedoms to help aid the point “we doooo love you!’ Other methods like writing notes, buying small gifts, being extra gentle with correction, praise in private and public, cuddling and tickling all have not helped our cause. We have prayed with them, showed them the Bible verses. When we talked about this again with this child after all our best efforts the reply was still,

“I don’t feel like you love me, I know it in my head, but I want to feel it too”

Prayer of course was instituted from the start and after trying (and we still are) and making a grandiose effort we’ve been “enlightened” to think- is it our main concern to make sure this child always feels loved? I mean we have done the requested things thrown out to us by him/her that they thought would make them feel loved and it helped only some of the time. Are we failing as parents because one of our children can not feel an unhindered flow of love spewing from his/her parents? Or is this child a bit selfish right now? Where is the balance?

In a conversation with our child, a clearer view of what love really is in their mind was revealed, “I pretty much want to do what I want to do, experiment with all kinds of character paths, be up and down and I want to know, you got my back and are not going to correct me too harshly when I mess up even if I mess up on the same issue over and over again.” (This has been happening, by the way!) This child is struggling with love being equated with acceptance. They want to feel liked and admired by us even when they do not like themselves, or display no admirable quality.

It is humbling to realize that as parents somehow we have communicated that love and acceptance are the same. It is scary to know that we must now ask God to supernaturally reverse the mistakes which we have made in this area and show us how to communicate unconditional love which we thought we were so freely giving. At the same time we must not get so caught up in how this child always FEELS that we slack in discipline, pointing out areas of improvement needed, correcting, and teaching right from wrong. We have completely taken on the task of raising another human being, well 4 for that matter, who should be mature enough to trust the mind when the heart feels differently and to listen to the heart when the mind is trying to feed it garbage. How in the heck do we do that? We can’t. We are not giving up, oh no! We have not lost the vision of 4 balanced, God loving and serving people who are dedicated to His purpose for their lives. We are just resolved that until God makes all of the human race perfect we will all struggle with not feeling what we want to feel- all of the time.

We each will need to decide at one point…
* To believe what we know even though we can’t see it or prove it
* To trust that authority placed over us is one way God teaches us
* To understand that life can not solely be run by how we feel
* To accept that our actions are not always acceptable
* To love ourselves through God’s eyes even when no one else can
* To KNOW God always loves, is always present and we are never alone

So what are we doing now to help show this child how much we love them? The only thing we can do! We are doing our best to listen to our hearts, up lift the situation and person in prayer, humble ourselves and continually ask for help from Jesus and the child and love the purest way we know how.

What would you do?

Family Vitamins November 26, 2008

The Bible says “a wise man builds his house upon the rock” and goes on to say “a foolish man builds his house upon the sand.” There’s a catchy children’s song that sings along to that verse as well. But what in the world does that really mean? How can we actually do it? What does it look like and what are some tangible ways to put it into practice?

In our home, we believe there’s more to it than the simple explanation it sometimes gets. Yes, the “rock” symbolizes Jesus, and we are to build our home – our foundation – upon God and His word. The “sand” can symbolize the luxuries the world has to offer, which can be washed away and have no eternal significance whatsoever.

We have found that the easiest way to build our house upon the rock of Jesus is by trying our best to emulate his character in our daily home life. Following a religious or moral to-do list cannot get it done. There’s no correct “gameplan” or “blueprint” that promises an end-result home that glorifies God. A rigid set of rules is actually the worst way to aim for such a goal. I know for a fact that generic house rules and behavior mandates don’t go very far with my kids. It may look good to others on the surface, but it rarely penetrates their hearts.

When we take a close look at who Jesus was and what he taught we don’t see an overdose of rules or structure. What we see are character traits that, if mirrored at home, can overflow and rub off on your family. After all, studies show that our children typically don’t grow up to become who we told them to be, they grow up to become who they saw us to be.

We have implemented a necessary dose of spoken “family vitamins” in our home. This concept was learned in Robert Wolgemuth’s book called “The Most Important Place on Earth,” appropriately referring to the home. The family vitamins reflect the character of Jesus, and help us to do our best to try to be more like him.

FAMILY VITAMIN #1: “I LOVE YOU”

If the phrase “I love you” is not regularly spoken in the home, there is a big problem. Without these spoken words, the action of love almost becomes impossible. This heartfelt expression should be a mandatory exchange between husband and wife, parents to kids, brothers to sisters, etc. Every family member should be saying “I love you” to every other family member on a regular basis. A house built on the rock is a house built on love.

“Love ya” as you walk out the door does not cut it. These powerful words must be spoken in full, preferably with the persons name at the end, and looking the person square in the eyes. “I love you Brooke” as I tuck my daughter in for bed assures her that I mean what I’m saying. The words connect the “speaker” and the “receiver” in a special and unique way. The words must be spoken in full, and not in a hurry – or else it doesn’t qualify as a family vitamin. And lastly, often times the words “I love you” need to be said at the most difficult times…after an argument, punishment, or competitive environment.

FAMILY VITAMIN #2: “I NEED YOUR LOVE”

This vitamin is critical in helping members of your family know when someone else needs to be loved. Each member of the family should be totally comfortable telling another family member “I need _____”. And the blank doesn’t always have to be “love.” It might be attention, encouragement, or help. The point is that this essential vitamin is about putting our unmet expectations into words. “I need your love” shouldn’t require explanation or even logic. It’s a practical measure that allows anyone in the home’s feelings to be brought to the table – without hesitation.

When my daughter Maddie says “dad, I need your help” or “dad, I need your attention” it helps me remember that helping her with her homework is more important than Sunday night football. When my wife says “honey, I need you to lighten up a little” it quickly lets me know that maybe I am looking at things the wrong way. Be careful with this vitamin…not to use it selfishly, or get offended if someone uses it towards you. Remember the purpose of this family vitamin is to open up communication and fight against the silence or resentment that can do damage in your home.

FAMILY VITAMIN #3: “I’M SORRY, I WAS WRONG, WILL YOU FORGIVE ME?

“I’m sorry” often sounds like a cliché’ and does very little to actually solicit a response or clear the air. “I’m sorry” only says “if I had this to do again, I wouldn’t.” “I’m sorry” only gets things started. Sometimes the phrase “I’m sorry” doesn’t really mean anything at all. For example, if I do or say something that hurts my wife, and I say “I’m sorry” what do I really mean? Do I mean “I’m sorry your feelings got hurt,” or do I mean “I’m sorry you took it that way”…or God forbid I might mean “I’m sorry you heard me, I should have said that more quietly.” The point is this: “I’m sorry” is a lame, open-ended comment unless it is combined with a follow up statement.

“I was wrong” eliminates the need for any argument. It immediately supports your apology and makes it genuine. And once you have shared how you feel about what you’ve done it’s time to end the matter permanently. “Will you forgive me?” is your request for that release. Once the words “yes” are spoken in response, this issue is over. A healthy home cannot leave wrongful actions or words open-ended. If so, there is a lingering effect that lurks about, waiting to be re-opened again. If not nipped in the bud, these old lingering exchanges will recreate themselves and eventually damage relationships. A house built on the rock encourages admission to mistakes, and forgives those who ask forgiveness.

FAMILY VITAMIN #4: “MAY I HELP?”

This family vitamin has done wonders in our home. Even before I learned or put into practice the “family vitamins” I knew of the power of the words “may I help.” The problem was that I rarely used them. But since making a more conscious effort towards it, I’ve seen the value even more clearly.

Like most guys, I don’t seem to have a lot of energy when it comes time to do the dishes, pick up around the house, or even help bathe the kids and get them ready for bed. For some reason, my meter seems to stop ticking the moment the last bite of dinner reaches my gut. Vitamin #4 reminds me that building my house on the rock is tough work. I have to be unselfish, and I have to make sure I am not only “teaching” but also “living.” “May I help” works like magic in a home. And the beauty of it is its contagiousness. When the kids hear mom & dad say it, it becomes natural for them. When my wife says it to me, it becomes a desire to say it more frequently to her. Amazing how that works.

FAMILY VITAMIN #5: “Thank You”

These two words must be used frequently in a loving home. No task under the roof of your home should be thankless. Laundry, washing a car, cooking dinner, a weekly paycheck, chores, etc. These daily, routine activities should be recognized. Otherwise, they can easily become mundane and feel meaningless. But it’s the simple chores or to-do list that is so critical in making the home a success. Be an example of Jesus, and learn to genuinely appreciate the work, no matter how simple, that helps the home operate smoothly.

This powerful vitamin can be effective in writing as well. It shows the recipient that you took the time to appreciate them. There may be no better feeling in the world than to feel appreciated. And there may be no better enrichment to your heart than to live with gratitude…which makes this last essential vitamin a win-win.

Every Man’s Challenge November 26, 2008

Are any of you men out there struggling with sexual sin or temptation?

If your answer is “no” please send us an email…We’d love to congratulate you on being the only man on the planet able to avoid this struggle all together!

C’mon guys…you know what I’m talking about. I’m talking about the sexual images that come at you every where you turn. What about every time you turn on the television, flip open a magazine, drive by a billboard, or surf the web? Do you pretend these images don’t grab your attention? The hard part is mustering up the humility to admit that you’re struggling. I am here to tell you that it shouldn’t be so hard to do that. Because the reality is that we are all struggling. In a lot of cases, if you’re not struggling, you’re not trying to win this battle.

There is a battle going on for the condition of your heart right now, this very moment. God wants your heart honest and pure, while Satan and all of his evil forces want it corrupted. Does that sound far fetched to you? If it does, snap out of it because it’s straight from the bible.

The battle for your heart is going on every day, all day long. And the most lethal weapon used by the enemy against us men is that little three-letter word…sex. It’s the sin that has taken out so many good men. God-fearing, God-loving men. Millions of good husbands and dads have been destroyed by it. There lives and their family’s lives ripped apart. Paul wrote in I Corinthians to “flee from sexual immorality.” Webster defines flee as “to run away quickly, as from danger or trouble.” Men, there is no other one specific sin mentioned in scripture (that I know of) calling for such extreme measures to avoid.

Notice Paul didn’t say “focus your mind” or “refrain” or even “guard your heart.” He basically said “turn your butt around and run as fast as you can the other direction.” Why do you think he said that? My guess is because he was a guy, just like us, and he knew exactly how powerful the pull can be. He knew that the lure of sex, the fantasies, the images – can provide a temporary satisfaction that feels good. So good that we fall prisoner to it. And once it captures our hearts, everything around us – our walk with Christ, our marriages, our children, our careers, our character – is at grave risk.

For the last several months, I have been meeting with a few close friends every Wednesday morning at 6am for breakfast. We have been walking chapter by chapter through a book called “Every Man’s Challenge” (by Stephen Arterburn and Fred Stoeker) which deals head on with this issue of sexual temptation. I can tell you that having a select group of guys to share with – openly and honestly – has been instrumental in allowing God to change our hearts. We are watching our marriages get better and our hearts gain some purity. Just being able to share stories with one another (both successes and failures) helps encourage and offers accountability.

There are countless spiritual and practical tools in the book to help you fight this battle and we want to encourage every guy out there to read it. But first, you must be able to simply admit that the battle is real. Come clean with your wife, close friend, relative or pastor that you are struggling in this area. Tell them that you don’t want to be another statistic – another guy that lost it all because he didn’t have the character to rise above the pop culture trends of the day. It doesn’t matter how minor the interest may seem to be – it will grow and eventually become an uncontrollable force that consumes your thoughts and takes over your life. That’s why Paul said “flee.”

Men, I challenge you to have the courage to stand with us and fight for the condition of your heart. Pray about it and seek the wisdom of Christ. Talk to your wife about it. Start a men’s group. Open up about it with someone you trust. The more of a “secret indulgence” it is, the greater the foothold you are allowing the enemy to have on you. If you don’t have anyone to reach out to, email one of us at brockadamjohnson@gmail.com or deepstreampa@gmail.com

 

Recommended reading – “The Purity Principle” – Randy Alcorn

Great Quotes – #1 November 26, 2008

“Hard things are put in our way not to stop us, but to call out our courage and strength.”

“He who has no fire in himself cannot warm others.”

“You give of little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of your heart that you truly give.” -

Kahlil Gilbran

“I never knew a child of God being bankrupted by his benevolence.”

“What we keep we may lose, but what we give to Christ we are sure to keep.” -

Theodore Y. Cuyler

“This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it”. -

Psalm 118:8

“Seeds of discouragement will not grow in the thankful heart.”

“Take time to be holy, Speak often with God, Find rest in Him always and feed on His Word, Make friends of God’s children, Help those who are weak, Forgetting in nothing His blessings to seek.” – William Longstaff

“God will only mend a broken heart if He is given all the pieces.”

“We pardon to the extent that we love.” -

La Rochefoucauld

“Don’t be sad about the things you want and don’t get. Think how many things you don’t want that you don’t get.”

“He puts into my hands gifts to relay to others.”

“There is no creature, regardless of its apparent insignificance that fails to show us something of God’ s goodness.” - Thomas a Kempis

“It is easy to praise when things go right. It is more precious to praise when things go wrong.”

“I’ve learned to seek my happiness by limiting my desires, rather than in attempting to satisfy them.” -

John Stuart Mill

“I am an optimist. It doesn’t seem too much use being anything else.” -

Winston Churchill

“Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden.” –

Corrie ten Boom

“Blessed are they who have to gift of making friends, for it is one of God’s best gifts. It involves many of going out of one’s self and appreciating whatever is noble and loving in another.” –

“Our Lord does not care so much for the importance of our works as for the heart with which they are done” – Teresa of Avila

“Peace is seeing a sunrise of sunset and knowing whom to thank.”

“The highest knowledge is the knowledge of God.”

Thomas Hughes

Perception November 26, 2008

Perception is Reality

Making the connection between who you think you are and who you really are is a struggle. You have the capability of living in your own reality even when those closest to us remind us- “That is not how it is!” Your desire to feel good about yourself or your fight to not feel bad spins you on the same cycle of doing healthy, good, self-less acts and then when we become shall we say lazy, our true self- centered selves take over- we do what pleases us, what satisfies us, what helps improve our perception of ourselves.. Thinking-

“I am always doing something that is not good. I just can’t get it right. I wish I could be successful in this area. I wish I could be like ______.”

Or

“I am doing really good. Life is sweet. I am feeling really great! And if someone should see something I need work on that’s their problem- I like the way things are right now”

Some could argue it is the half full half empty banter, or personality optimism vs pessimism. That is the point worth discussing- YOUR view of YOURSELF is not always an accurate picture of who you really are to those who intimately know you. Perception is reality and your perception of yourself must be balanced, truthful and accurate so your reality is as well. What’s accurate? Where do you find the balance and what is truth when it comes to looking at yourself and seeing the way you really are.

Life is a bumpy road of suppressing the strong and unstoppable flesh called ME even though life is so not about YOU! You are not a good person trying to ward off the evil and the hurtful things of this world, no you are born with selfishness, you are inherently looking to please the only person who you have to truly be happy with- yourself. Do you believe that? Is it easier to look at yourself as a selfish, malevolent person rather than a kind, loving and thoughtful soul? No, but it is more accurate. Looking at who you really are- being honest with what you really struggle with and battle against only helps you deal with it more effectively. Ignoring, believing and forming your perspective that you are such a good person encourages failure because it is not the truth. You are only able to be good when you realize the miserable person you can purely be, deal with it by cleaning it out, and replace it with a new, wholesome energy. By not being willing to see yourself as who you really are you could be making your life more difficult as you cloud your thinking with “positive, self- esteem” thoughts or depressing “I’m not good enough” stinkin’ thinkin’. Truth, accuracy and a balanced view of yourself comes only from seeing yourself as you really are. If you know God as a friend your change is not far off. (If you are struggling with peace towards God than that is your first move- move closer to Him and He will move closer to you.)

“…Christ’s love controls us. We are sure that one person died for everyone. And so everyone died. Christ died for everyone. He died so that those who live should not live for themselves anymore, they should live for Christ. He died for them and was raised again. So from now on we don’t look at anyone the way the world does. At one time we looked at Christ in that way, but we don’t anymore. Anyone who believes in Christ is a new creation. The old is gone! The new has come! It is all from God. He brought is back to himself through Christ’s death on the cross and he has given us the task of bringing others back to him through Christ…”
2 Corinthians 5

If you have not called on God to implant you with this view of yourself you might not ever be able to achieve the balance, accuracy and truth about who you really are. If God is too abstract for you right now to ask Him to reveal who you really are, than ask the people closest to you to be honest in sharing the positive and negatives of your “personality.” They know it- even when you try to act like you don’t. Perception is reality. Take time to see what you are really like- your reality can only become clearer.

Hard Work but Great Pay November 26, 2008

As life goes by it is amazing to look back on all of the friendships that we have made as a couples. Our marriage live’s have been enriched, challenged, strengthened, and renewed by the countless numbers of friends that we have crossed paths with. As our homes have grown, new jobs, friends, relocations, and all sorts of change have occurred. We’ve both been through our share of moves, job changes, etc… Each time we have moved as couples we have been blessed with great new connections. Throughout these years, we’ve had the opportunity to stay connected with many of these couples and we’ve also heard the news of some who have gone through marriage struggles and many who actually decided to end their marriage, calling it quits. Talk about a wake up call! When someone close to you goes through any kind of struggle, it really seems to refocus your vision on what really matters and you realize that none are exempt from the struggles in marriage and difficulties in life.

News of a broken marriage is always troubling and our minds begin to race with all sorts of questions on why so many couples today don’t make it! What has happened to the ideals and values in our culture that has brought us to the point of saying “when the going gets tough, the tough quit”? There is no easy answer to that question, but one thing that we do believe is that too many couples enter into marriage thinking that it will always be like the first date, like the honeymoon. The truth for all of us though, and it isn’t news to many of you, is that once you finish that first year or two, the HONEYMOON phase is over and the labor pains begin. The growth of two individuals who are becoming one is painful, not to mention the growth of a family. When you bring children into the mix, not only is it painful for the women who are giving birth, but there are pains of another sort that the couple begins to face, new struggles which if not dealt with can be lethal to your marriage. The longer you are married, the busier you get, you begin to get pulled in all sorts of directions and sometimes we don’t realize it but it means we have to work harder at preserving the importance of our marriage relationship. Too often though, the area that we forget to focus on, or take for granted, is the relationship that is most vital to the stability within your home and family. The more packed our schedules get, it is even more important that we work hard to plan adequate time for developing the love of our life!

Think about your own marriage! Any arguments lately? Disagreements? If we are all honest with each other the answer is YES!!!

Do we all agree? MARRIAGE IS HARD WORK! You know what though? There isn’t another form of work in life that brings greater rewards. When two people labor to make the other person happy, something beautiful is created – a desirable marriage.

We are convinced that our culture is coming up with so many “alternatives” to marriage, due to the large numbers of marriages that aren’t working. Is there anything to convince our world that God’s plan for a man and woman is the right way? In order for our culture to be convinced that marriage works, they will have to see couples who are willing to Work hard, in spite of the many struggles that we all face. Start working hard to make yours something special. Do you want a marriage that will impact others that you interact with? Work at it! Do you want to be happy? Well, work at it! Don’t give up just because things get tough!

** If you have questions or concerns regarding your marriage relationship, we would love to be a help in any way we can. We don’t have all the answers, but we can definitely try to steer you in the right direction. Contact us at deepstreampa@gmail.com or call us at 570-856-5630.