Irresistible?

"What is irresistible about you to the world that we live in?  Are people attracted to the Christ in you? Are people attracted to the irresistible Jesus Christ, Son of God, in you?  Do they know he lives in  you; do they know that he exists in you?  How are loving people; how are you accepting them?  How are you displaying Christ in your life?  Because if we're going to be effective at sharing the gospel with the world we live in, we've got to be intentional with our relationship with Christ in a way that we can display Him to the world that we live in, in a way that people can come to know who Jesus is by the way that we live our lives.  What is it about you that people are attracted to you?  That they're wondering, "Why does she live that way?"  "Why does he live that way?"  "Why does he do the things he does?"  "What's different about him?"......"

                                   -Brad Horton

Wow!  What does my life look like?  Am I irresistible?  I know that Jesus is; I know that He was.  People were attracted to Jesus; they followed Him.  He was different, not in an attempt to be cool, but because He was holy, set apart for God's glory.      

How precious are your thoughts to me, O God!

God is doing a lot in my life...much of it through unwanted circumstances.  Sometimes I don't understand why He does the things that He does.  I know he wants the best...I know he has a plan for me....I know all these things and I have unshakable faith in that.  I will NOT be shaken.  

Before I get to the point I think I need to define who people think that I am...

I'm that guy that has it all together.  The one that everything works out for.  The one who knows who he is and is content in the things in his life.  

At least that's who I think people see me as....

So...here's my point....I don't have it all together.  

I don't really know what God is doing.  He is doing something; I just can't quite figure out what He's up to, where He's going with all this, or who He wants me to come out the other side as.  Regardless of how confused I am, I praise.  Regardless of how lost I may feel, I worship.  I push and I wrestle and I fight.  Christ fights with me, for me, and on my behalf.  The only thing to do when you are in the desert is fight your way out.  (I don't really feel like I'm in the desert, but I do feel something great happening in me and I want to see it come to fruition.)  I feel very saturated with God's presence.  God has been speaking to me very clearly.  I love the sound of His voice, the way hearing it makes me feel important.  I don't know why He would choose to communicate with me, but He does.  There is something special about affirmation from the creator.  It fills holes that no other voice can.  I'll leave you with this....

"How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!  How vast is the sum of them!  Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand."     -----Psalms 139:17-18

Amazing!  Why God?

-Randy

fun fact:  this blog was written listening to Bush...old school...kinda funny huh?

I don't know why it's been so long....

I'm not sure why its been so long since I've written on this thing....I guess I've gotten busy with life. That happens easy with me. I'll get caught up with important things and forget about other important things. I would say that my life is really busy now a days. My days off pass by in record speed and my days consumed with work and other obligations are spent eagerly awaiting my off days. It is surely a neverending cycle.

So I guess the question is, "Why start back now?" My answer to that is....because someone asked. I didn't know anyone read. So, now my prayer is that my words would carry weight...a weight that only God's words could carry. I pray that His words will be in my mouth and that I will not let my pride try to yell louder.

This is a second introduction. There will be more.

-Randy

More than conquerors?

And the Lord said to Moses, "This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name." Moses said, "Please show me your glory." And he said, "I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name 'The LORD.' And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live." And the LORD said, "Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen."
-Exodus 33:17-23

These verses are pretty scary to me. They show just how glorious God is. A glory so great that if I were to look upon his face I would die. I am so glad that my God is powerful. I am so glad that I can't understand him. It's amazing to me how I can read a verse over and over and I read it again just at the right time in my life and I find something that I've never found, something I had always looked over. It's alive, God's word. Alive, deep, relevent, penetrating.....

Sometimes I feel like a baby when it comes to the things of God. And I know that in a lot of ways I surely am, but God has such a way with words that even the oldest, wisest, most knowledgeable Christ-follower has to stop and ponder on a verse or sentence or word while reading the bible.


If God is for us, who can be against us?...Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died--more than that, who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
-Romans 8:31-39

-Randy

I know you're coming in the night like a thief.
I've had some time alone to hone my lying technique.
I know you think I'm someone you can trust.
I'm scared...I'll get scared and I swear I'll try to nail you back up.

Do you think that we can work out a sign?
So I know it's you and it's over so I won't even try.
I know you're coming for people like me.
We all got wood and nails........

-Brand New ("Jesus Christ")

It's Not Always About The Benjamins!

"It's not about all the money."
-Josh Wilson/Riverdale

With that being said, I have a story to tell. This is true to the best of my recollection. Nothing has been changed or added to this story. The identities of people and places have been changed for their own protection.

I am currently employed at a local coffee shop called "El Laments." I have worked there for about 2 months. Anyone who has ever had a job would expect some sort of payment for their services. I am no exception. I get paid weekly and the amount is dependent on the number of hours I contribute to the business that week. Well this particular week I had quite a revenue of funds. So, as any person would, I proceeded to extract the portion which was granted to me by the gracious "El Laments Coffee Company." Now my weeks payment came to the amount of $200.90. To keep from pocket-ing excess change, upon arrival at the bank, I handed the cashier a dime along with my check. This would make my total cash to be $201. Well, as I sat in The Man Van and counted my week's wages, I stumbled across a discrepancy at which point I pulled forward to further investigate my money situation. Instead of giving me $200 plus $1, the cashier gave me $200 plus $100. After counting the amount multiple times, I begin to be engaged in an inner battle. Do I keep the money or do I go inside to explain the situation and return the "Benjamin" to it's rightful owner? As the battle ensues, my confusion escalates and I turn to an outside, second opinion. So I phone a friend, Blake the Rake. With his wisdom and guidance, I found my way through the maze of emotion, dishonesty, and lies. We spoke of integrity and the Truth was brought to the surface. I traded my "Benjamin" for a crisp green "Washington."

integrity- adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.


-Randall Wayne

blog?

blog- to author an online diary or chronology of thoughts


So, I was sitting here thinking about what I have gotten myself into and wondering what a blog really is and what it means. I got this definition from dictionary.com and it implies 3 things:
1) I am an author!
I really like this idea. As of late, I have seriously considered trying to write a book, though it seems a little out of my reach. I've always been one to say what i mean without adding a lot of fluff. Isn't that what makes a book so long?

2) These posts will be chronological.
Like a walking, breathing update of what is going on in my life. (hopefully)

3) It is a diary (of sorts) of my thoughts.
I think a lot and I will not post on here near as much as i think (obviously).

This is my last blog explaining what a blog is and describing what I plan to blog about.

-Randall Wayne