Dream

^{Matthew 12:36} 
 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.

^{Psalm 103:12}  

as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

I had a dream a few weeks back where I was bowing before the record keeper in God's kingdom in complete shame. He was reading out my whole life for all to hear. And as he was reading he came to a spot where I had sinned and just as he was about to read that part, it appeared that all of heaven shouted out "covered by the blood of Jesus". He then skipped over this part and continued on. This happened many times. I started to wonder foolishly why none of the good things I had done meant anything. I quickly realized I was being self-righteous and that only Jesus can save us, and no one else.

W. Edwards Deming

I think business in North America has not fully understood the words of W. Edwards Deming. Here are some comments that strike me.

“Management‘s overall aim should be to create a system in which everybody may take joy in his work.” Dr. W. Edwards Deming
or in other words "Pride in workmanship"

"Eliminate management by objective. Eliminate management by number and numerical goals. Instead substitute with leadership"
Because all numerical and objective goals can be hacked to help the individuals but not the whole company. How much of a managers day is spent on artificial numbers?

"Break down barriers between departments. People in research, design, sales, and production must work as a team, in order to foresee problems of production and usage that may be encountered with the product or service."
I believe not only foresee problems but also become innovative, fast reacting etc. as a team

Lamentations 3:22-23

Lamentations 3:22-23

²² The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
²³ they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.

One thing that I find amazing about the Bible is the stories. These verses which has so much hope and so much optimism comes out of a very dark time for God's people. Their city had been conquered. The temple had been violated and destroyed and the people sold as slaves. Yet out of this we receive a truth about God. 

God's mercies never come to an end. 
His mercies are new every morning.

God help us to understand your love
God help us to trust you
God help us to through out the lies
God help us to listen to you!

Trust God

James1:5-8 NIV
⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. ⁶ But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

This I find to be one of the hardest things. Not to doubt. God makes it clear we should not doubt him. God is not a liar.  

We had a speaker yesterday who emphasized the point that we need to believe by faith what God says. Satan tries every day to make us believe lies and sometimes he makes us believe/feel they are true. He emphasized that God loves us and has a plan for us, and we truly need to believe this. If we don't we find ourselves lacking strength, power ... because we try to do things ourselves.

We need to trust God and his word that he is not a liar, and trust him that he has a plan for us. Otherwise we will doubt and be like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. And maybe by being tossed by the wind we lose part of God's plan for us (so let us try to trust more and more each day). But let us remember God always takes us back if we ask for forgivness and will reinstate a new plan for us.

Lamentations3:22-23

²² The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
²³ they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.

God help us have faith,
God help us trust you,
God help us trust your promises to us
God help us to understand your truth
God lead us
God speak to us

Mag's the Singer

Please take a look at this upcoming artist. She has an amazing story of God's providing.

http://www.catholicregister.org/youth/ysn-news/item/16948-singer-turns-escape-from-dark-days-into-song

Radio

Something I heard on the radio this morning.

http://www.chvnradio.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4396&Itemid=248
http://demoss.com/newsrooms/aclj/background/backgrounder-pastor-saeed-abedini

God I pray for you helping hand, and your miracles
God I pray for your power to be known
God I pray for your peace
God lead us and guide us!

Titus 1:7

The Pastor at my church is retiring and so the elders were reading a church what the bible says about picking a new Pastor and one of the verses struck me.

Titus 1:7
Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.

Some versions translate the overbearing as "self willed" or "pushy"

Also It seems to me that God has been teaching me about his care and love for me. I used to pray that I would not forget how God has been there in my life ... thinking that at some future point God would not provide or that I would no longer need God's help. But I find as I should have that God is always providing, always helping even though I forget when and how.

Thank you God for your help
Thank you God for your provision
Thank you God for your amazing love
Help me to remember your amazingness
Help me to trust you
Help us to hear you
Help us to see you
Help us to follow you! 

God First

God help us trust you first, listen to you first, follow you first.
God help us remember you when we forget
God help us to leave everything at your feet

God give us wisdom when we are willingly selfish
God show us the areas where we are selfish
God teach us to surrender when we don't know how
God lead us in your ways even when we are lacking

God help us
God lead us
God speak to us

Purpose Driven Life???

There are many books that try to help us find our purpose and they are valuable.

 But I have to remeber that there is also a book in the bible that does the same thing. And the conclusion found is

Ecclesiastes 12

¹³ Now all has been heard;
    here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
    for this is the duty of all mankind.
¹⁴ For God will bring every deed into judgment,
    including every hidden thing,
    whether it is good or evil.

"I am"

John 1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome^[a] it.

1. John 1:5 Or understood

In my interpretation of C.S. Lewis he states that either good or evil has to win in the end. No parcel of evil can survive at the end because it would enslave everything that is good.

John 3:36
³⁶ Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

And so we find in the bible Jesus the restorer.  Jesus the helper. Jesus the helper who calls to us to change or we face the inevitable.

Jesus's love for us is not in acceptance of sin (is this a gross misunderstanding of love that our culture has accepted?), but for his efforts trying to right the wrongs we have done. He can't make us accept his efforts, we can only accept his efforts and let him lead our lives other wise we face the inevitable.

God help us truly understand,
God lead us to your truth,
God bless us,
God speak to us,

Thoughts of Recent

Three thoughts are going through my mind lately.

The book "A grief Observed" by C.S. Lewis. C.S. Lewis keep records of his thoughts after his wife passed away.

When we are desperate/and frantic does that inhibit our ability to hear God? Allot like a drowning person who is most likely to drown him and the rescuer because of his panicked state.

I have been reading the book "Out of the Crisis" by W. Edwards Deming

In his book to American companies he is stating that companies (and individuals as well?) should look for suppliers who focus on quality (and not on the lowest price).  I am not convinced yet but I am changing the way I think.

The third thought is on the power of prayer. It's blown me away lately and I have realized that I really need to pray more.

God bless us,
God lead us,
God teach us to pray and teach us to pray more often
God speak to us.

God burn in us!

I am again struck by how we are always in God's hands no matter where we are. I'm struck by the power of God. I'm stuck by his love in hard situations.

God burn in us
God pull us out of the desert and into your life
God help us throw away the power of darkeness
God help us to see you light
God help us to trust you
God speak to us
God lead us

God of the past present and future

Freedom how can we have freedom yet how can God be unchanging and listen to us?

Maybe God looking at the fabric of time and saw us ask. In some ways it is like fate and other ways it is like freedom.

I believe that we are free to choose the future and yet God sees us now and sees the future, sees the past on one sheet and answers our questions and our requests.

What will the fabric of time look at the end of time?

God is the one weaving us together, He is the one creating.

"Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother." Mark 3:34-35

God help us draw our swords, draw our bows
and conquer this world for you!
God help us break this day for you!
God refresh us, help us drink from your fount and never be thirsty again!

God lead us to you!
God bless us
God shatter the powers of darkness over us
God speak to our souls!
God give us wisdom and strength
God give us your vicious fire!

Morning From Pittsburgh

It just one of those days. I'm in Pittsburgh on work and well its just on of those days where nothing comes easy and I can't wait to make it home

Thank God for providing flights home
Thank God for providing taxis
Thanks God for is great blessings

Cool video check it out!

John Friesen

Take up your cross and follow me

2 Corinthaians 12: 9  " ... My grace is sufficient for you ... "

I am really starting to like this verse. It removes all worry and stress. God's grace is sufficient!

God asks us over and over again to trust him. It's funny how often I try to trust myself, those around me ... when really we can only trust the creator of all and his purposes.

God lead us in your ways
God shatter the power of darkness in our lives
God lead your angels in our ways
and show us your grace and power
God help us to trust you
God help us to listen to you!

Shackels

So lately I've been reading Narnia the Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Not sure but I think it is my favorite, or maybe I like it because I am a fan of Reepicheep.

Seems to me that through the story God has been telling me that life is an adventure. Like the adventure of the Dawn Treader we are rich at times we may be poor at others and we can't see or predict the future. But that doesn't mean worry about the future, but rather do the best we can with what we have at the present.

2 Corinthaians 12: 9  " ... My grace is sufficient for you ... "

I struggle with wanting to do many things. I can easily make myself feel that I am behind, I am missing out, I should be, ...

But God shatters the shackels by telling us "My grace is sufficient for you"

God teach us about your grace,
teach us about you
touch our spirits and lift us up
help us remember the Easter season and all You have done for us
Speak to us
Lead us

John Friesen

We War

We war against
elements,
rules of nature,
ememies,
ourselves

Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.


God help us in our daily battles,
God help us trust you
God help us ask you for help
God help us!

Control

I heard on the radio this week a Lady Police officer talk about one of her experiences. She pull someone over for a seat belt infraction and was going to give him a warning and let him go, but when she came to his Widow he responded. " You can't pull me over your only a women"

She said she ended up giving him a few tickets ....

But she said in retrospect the driver had controlled the situation. She was not in control but had let the comments control her.

How many times do we do the same thing? How many times do we let the situation control us?

God you are the life flowing stream
God you are the one that renews me day by day
God I am so weak with out you
God help me to remain focused on you
God help me to find my joy, and peace in you
God help me to remain in control of my actions
God help me to trust your timing on all areas of my life
God destroy our dreams/nightmares even the ones we embrace that are not from you
God help us to destroy the division among us
God help us to trust you

And also God help the Catholic church pick a good pope to lead the church in your ways.

Friends

Here is some promotion for my friend Mitch. Check out a book from a collection of his dad's articles.

http://www.farmphilosophy.com/

Some friends you have for a long time and Mitch is one of those friends. Transition have continued through life and there was a time when we didn't see each other much. Propabaly because of me.

But then you realize how much you miss good friends from you home town, and life brings you closer again.

So go check out the book and buy a copy!

God lead us
God Bless us
God reign in our lives

Sacrifice

What is God calling us to do?

Once things are not all about me and all about God ... What is God calling me to do?

The calling of the martyrs shows the power of God in there lives. The restoration of our broken and shadow lives show's the God's power to change lives.

God what are you wanting me to say with my life?
God what are you calling me to do?
God where are you calling me?

God lead us
God bless us
God speak to us

Here is a song I put together awaile ago and maybe one day I will post a copy of me singing it here

D/G
Yeh Hoo
A
Come on Lord
E
Let's go

X2

D/G
Day is rising
A
I am rising
E
For you

Yeh Hoo
Come on Lord
Let's go
X2

Waiting here
on my knees
for you

Yeh Hoo
Come on Lord
Let's go
X2

Break this day
Change this place
for you

Yeh Hoo
Come on Lord
Let's go
X2

Isaiah 55-2

http://www.goshen.edu/devotions/seek-god-through-gratitude/?utm_source=Devotions&utm_campaign=ea5b4a3668-DEVOTIONS_RSS&utm_medium=email

Isaiah 55-2
"Why spend money on what is not bread,
    and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
    and you will delight in the richest of fare."

This verse struck me. How often do I go after things that do not satisfy? 

God help us to eat was is good
God help us to see what we are wasting our time and money on
God work in our lives
God lead us
God speak to us

Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening - Thursday, February 21, 2013

"He hath said."
Hebrews 13:5
If we can only grasp these words by faith, we have an all-conquering weapon in our hand. What doubt will not be slain by this two-edged sword? What fear is there which shall not fall smitten with a deadly wound before this arrow from the bow of God's covenant? Will not the distresses of life and the pangs of death; will not the corruptions within, and the snares without; will not the trials from above, and the temptations from beneath, all seem but light afflictions, when we can hide ourselves beneath the bulwark of "He hath said"? Yes; whether for delight in our quietude, or for strength in our conflict, "He hath said" must be our daily resort. And this may teach us the extreme value of searching the Scriptures. There may be a promise in the Word which would exactly fit your case, but you may not know of it, and therefore you miss its comfort. You are like prisoners in a dungeon, and there may be one key in the bunch which would unlock the door, and you might be free; but if you will not look for it, you may remain a prisoner still, though liberty is so near at hand. There may be a potent medicine in the great pharmacopoeia of Scripture, and you may yet continue sick unless you will examine and search the Scriptures to discover what "He hath said." Should you not, besides reading the Bible, store your memories richly with the promises of God? You can recollect the sayings of great men; you treasure up the verses of renowned poets; ought you not to be profound in your knowledge of the words of God, so that you may be able to quote them readily when you would solve a difficulty, or overthrow a doubt? Since "He hath said" is the source of all wisdom, and the fountain of all comfort, let it dwell in you richly, as "A well of water, springing up unto everlasting life." So shall you grow healthy, strong, and happy in the divine life.

http://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/morning-and-evening/2013/02/21

Breaking boundaries

Me: I don't know if I can trust you God
God: Well life is hard, but you may stop believing it. You will enter a circle of lies without me. You will tell yourself lies and believe it. Soon no one will be able to help you. You will rap yourself up so tight you can't listen anymore. Please stop you circles. Please stop your lies and let go. Let go of all you can't control.

Trust me!

Me: I trust you God
God: Great! Now things are going to be hard, but I am here. I am in control and I don't want you to forget that. I am leading your life and you are to follow me. Please listen to me Please spend time with me. This is my plan, you to reach from your impossible circumstances and trust me. I won't always move in miraculous ways but I always am with you. Remember this world is not the end so don't think it is all about the now. Remember that it is all about me, and not you. Trust me and I will change your life. Trust me and I will speak to you. Learn to listen to me. I created you and I have a plan for you! Please accept it

God show us how to open doors of silence
Teach us to trust you
God be on our lives
Teach us to listen

300th post

It is amazing how God provides. It is amazing how God works through us. It is amazing how God works in a two way conversation with us. At church this Sunday it was described as ridiculous how God works through us. Not in a bad way but in a crazy way. No human could contrive how God has worked in my life. 

God states in his word
Matthew 6:26 NIV
"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? "

God bless us
God speak to us
God lead us
God teach us to have honest hearts
God teach us to be left vulnerable to you God.

Listening vs speaking

I've noticed that we tend to talk more than they listen. Now I'm not talking about hearing the words. I'm talking trying to feel what there are feeling, hear what they are hearing.

You know I think it goes back to our self centered nature. Everything circles around us. You know I find this in the business world as well. Everyone is talking about expectations but no one is listening.

I've noticed in my own heart that sometimes I like to blame other for my own choices.

You know nothing beats a divine thought given my God. Recently I was getting frustrated by my inability to see or even to get back to friends and family. I was trying to figure out what was wrong. Then God showed me that it was because I was making a choice to spend my time with my wife instead. This completely removed my fustration and it was replaced by thankfulness.

Praise God for his blessings
Praise God for his provisions
Praise God for his grace
Praise God oh my soul!

Good thing God Doesn't Care about Grammer

Good thing God Doesn't Care about Grammar, or any of the other finer details about life.

He is more interested in us!

Let us try to remember it is about people! That's what God cares about.

Let's remember to care about people.

God help us!
God heal us!
God lead us!
God change us!