Resolutions

Resolutions

Yesterday, I called for a family meeting. The topic of discussion was "resolutions."

Not sure where the conversation would go, nor the outcome, what I did know is that God is GOOD.

And, He has blessed us plentiful by our obedience to Him as a family.

This said, I prayed and asked Him to show me the way.

Leaning on my bible, I referred to a verse which I have relied heavily on this past year...

"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."

Philippians 4:13

Ironically, this same verse was used in a Christian-based movie entitled Soul Surfer which we watched just a couple of weeks ago. Great movie, by the way!

This year, I want to introduce my family to traditions. As such, resolutions are now added to the bucket.

This year, we will SUPPORT one another in striving to attain our goals.

This year will be a year of strengthening, of bonding, of memory-making for God's glory.

We decided that this year, we would each choose three goals with three areas of focus.

Spiritual

Physical

Personal

The secret in attaining our goals will be to lean on one another and to remind one another that God is the One who gives us strength through the power of his Grace.

We spoke in detail about materialistic, earthly possessions which hinder us in becoming closer to God.

We discussed the meaning of happiness versus joy.

In Philippians, Paul expressed the importance of being content with our blessings; how it is within our nature to want more and never be completely satisfied until we realize that we can never win the rat race.

That in order for us to find true peace within our lives, we must admit to this human ideal and…

let. it. GO.

If you always want more, and if you ask God to remove that desire and teach you contentment, you will be a step closer to reaching inner peace.

As the spiritual leader of MY home, I will trust in the Lord and pray daily for His guidance.

2013 will be a year to remember.

Praying.

Are YOU Being Selfish?

Let's Talk

I am going to vote; however, here is what I find VERY disturbing…

I. The exorbitant number of people who do NOT vote because they:

1. Could care less. (<--- how about caring for the future of this nation? for our children?)

2. Feel that things “happen for a reason” (<--- there is such a thing as “free will”… things are not “caused” to happen but happen by our free will and things are “allowed” to happen)

3. Do not believe their vote counts (<--- no vote IS a vote)

4. Think that neither candidate is worth voting for (<--- again… no vote IS a vote)

II. People who DO vote but base their OWN PERSONAL decision(s) on their candidate’s stance on one or more of the debatable issues (e.g., health care reform, economic recovery plan, social security, abortion, etc.).

------------------------

Where do YOU fall?

Have you ever stopped to ponder just how many people are being selfish?

How many people are making a decision based off their own, personal desires or ambitions?

How many people vote for a candidate because off their candidate's own stance on issues that affects, NOT the nation as a whole, but THEM directly (e.g., right to bear arms, abortion, medical coverage, military cutbacks, etc.)?

I implore you to put all selfish ambitions, desires, wants or methodology aside and base your decision on the principles that this country was founded on… biblical, God-fearing, principles for the future generations we will be leaving behind. The only way this will happen will be by creating dialogue with your friends, neighbors, co-workers, family and anyone else who will listen and engage (intelligently) and not shying away from the issues that face us today. One thing I have learned in life, as many of you have, is that if you see a problem, do not be the one to criticize. Take the problem for action by offering recommended solutions and leave it up to the people we place in charge to make the best, possible well-informed decision. That is what truly makes this country great.

Your VOTE is documented.

Your voice IS heard.

Make it count.

(photo credit:  www.americansforprosperity.org)

Like a Fine Wine

Jose and Melissa Garcia

Established August 20th, 1994

The Bridge

Yesterday was very special.

We finally found a church home.

“The Bridge” is ideally located near the Deception Pass Bridge here in Oak Harbor, Washington. It is nestled in the woods at the end of a gravel road laden with colorful maple trees and faces a beautiful, pristine pond. The congregation meets in a large, red barn and plans for a larger structure are in works.

To be a part of this growing body of Christ is something quite special.

To recognize that God has placed me in a position to lead my family as the spiritual leader of my household is even MORE special (talk about the biggest responsibility in life!).

This day, and every day, I thank God for my family and for giving me the strength to stay strong in faith.

The Road to the Cross

The Road to the Cross

(Excerpts derived from Pastor Jeff Kristensen’s sermon from April 1st, 2012)

Have you ever noticed the radical difference between the way society views a cross today than how it was viewed yesterday?

Today, we present them to loved ones as a sign of love.

We adorn our churches with them.

Even wear them proudly.

Yesterday, they were a sign of crucifixion.

A sign of public execution.

A sign of death.

Had it not been for Jesus Christ, we probably would have never known about crosses; yet,

He went to the cross.

Do you not think He could have escaped?

Of course He could have.

God had a different plan for His son, though.

God loved us SO much that he gave up His one and only Son. Jesus was vividly aware of this. He understood that this was His destiny and today, we can all find peace in knowing that we can find eternal salvation by having Faith in Him.

This said, the sign of the cross is a powerful reminder of this ultimate sacrifice.

A sign of our eternal salvation and God’s love for us all.

A sign that we will be reunited with loved ones.

A sign of Mercy…

Forgiveness..

Grace.

This past weekend, I decided to tour the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range on my road bike.  Although my intent that day was to get an above-average workout in (‘figured I might as well since I drove an hour and a half out of town to get to those hills in the first place, right?), my ride was side-tracked by this cross on the side of the road.

I pondered what may have happened.

Was Jack riding his bike one day on this windy, hillside road with barely any shoulder and did a car veer off the road?

Could he have been just walking along with a friend, kicking rocks along the way, playing with a stick?

What about his friend or friends who may have been with him?

My mind wandered… and wondered.

No more than a couple of miles up the road, I came upon THIS cross.

Same thing.

I tried to wrap my brain around the sequence of events.

Gerry seemed to have a more “grown up” sign and grown up name.

It was simple; yet, dirty.

His cross did not have the pretty, what appeared to be, imported grass (perhaps from loving parents) like Jack’s did.

His had wild grass all around.

No clearing of weeds.

No artificial lights.

Just a sign.

And it was greasy.

This, too, made me wonder if the grease stains were intentionally placed there.

Was Gerry a construction worker who perhaps had no family other than his co-workers?

As a gesture of saying goodbye, could they have each placed a smudge of grease onto the cross?

Who knows.

I continued on my way before finally stopping for a drink a few miles further down the road and in front of me, I saw THIS cross.

I felt as though God was telling me to not be sad.

That He had them in His arms and was taking good care of them.

I left that day feeling good again.

Went on to enjoy the remainder of my descent from the mountain and it… was… FUN!

Life… has a way of teaching us things if we open up our hearts and clear our minds.

Live with an open heart.

Live Free.

Bible Study (Series: Courageous Living)

Many of you in the local Lemoore area have inquired about a bible study on base. As such, I have decided to lead one commencing next week.

Details are as follows:

1. Dates & Times (1830-2030):

Wednesday, 9 May: Movie Night (Courageous DVD)
Monday, 14 May: Session 1 (Courageous Call: fighting for your family)
Thursday, 17 May: Session 2 (Courageous Priorities: valuing what matters most)
Wednesday, 23 May: Session 3 (Courageous Legacy: impacting future generations)
Wednesday, 30 May: Session 4 (Courageous Faith: standing for Christ)

2. Location: inside NAS Lemoore Base Chapel

3. This study is for the:

- father who is always working and feels somewhat disconnected at home
- service member who has been deployed for months and can’t wait to engage with his wife and kids
- dad who is home on weekends but flies out every Monday morning to work out of town
- young guy whose relationship went too far too quickly and who became a dad too young
- divorced dad who becomes a full-time dad every other weekend and one month during the summer
- stepdad who lives full time with step kids
- single mom raising three children while wearing both parent hats every day
- young man with a new wife waiting for the arrival of their first child
- mature father who looks back on his life with regrets and wants to now impact his grandkids
- dad who never knew his father and longs to discover how to lead his family well
- ANYONE is welcome!

4. Notes:

- dates and times are subject to change with short notice so please be flexible
- food and drinks are not allowed inside the church; however, these times should allow for everyone to enjoy dinner with their family prior to arriving
- childcare is not provided (adults only please)

If you would like to attend, please forward me the following information:

1. Name of person(s) attending
2. E-mail address
3. Telephone number

I look forward to seeing you there.

Kind regards,
J. Garcia
E-mail: courageouslegacy@gmail.com

A Call to Serve

South Valley Community Church

~ C O N N E C T I N G ~

~ G R O W I N G ~

~ S E R V I N G ~

~ S H A R I N G ~

These four core values are what my church believes in.

As a member of South Valley Community Church located in Lemoore, California, Pastor Jeff Kristenson and his team have been blessed by the Holy Spirit year after year and have brought thousands of people to know Jesus Christ.

For me personally, I have learned what it means to be a Christian and I do my best to follow Him but like everyone else on this earth, I stumble daily. And, knowing this… realizing that I must not stay down, I pick myself right back up each and every day and thank the Lord for having patience with me.

"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)

During my tenure as a Youth Ministries volunteer with Student Pastor Ron Tuman and his team, I learned a great deal about not only the sacrifices it takes to serve, but that the return on the investment is well worth the effort. Ironically though, probably the single, most important lesson I learned was from the youth… about myself. The SPIRITUAL maturity these kids exuded was incredible. I looked up to many of them… as an example of who I wanted to be.

I reflected on…

the man I had been in the past;

the man I was that day;

the man God wanted me to be.

Since then, the path has not always been smooth; yet, I am here.

Still standing.

With God continuing to light my path.

. . .

Still seeking answers on my own walk along this path, I am ready to move on to the next chapter in my life - to teach others the story that I know in hopes that their stresses in life are more tolerable. Praying that, they too, may find peace in their heart by allowing God to do His work in them, through me as His servant, so one day we can all be where we were meant to be.

C O U R A G E O U S

"God is calling us to fight for our Faith and for our Families.

He is calling us to follow Christ and live a life that is Courageous."

It's Time To Answer The Call

{ Photo taken in March 2012. Just a few months after I almost lost my family to Divorce. }




2012
Deep into a new year.


April 22nd, 2012.
Deep into a new day.


And so it begins...




Many of you know I have been leading a men's bible study off the Christian-based movie Courageous from the creators of Fireproof (watch movie trailer here:  Courageous).


If you haven't seen the movie, PLEASE stop and take the time to watch the trailer. It is POWERful.


Lately, I have been feeling the Lord tugging at my heart.


To Follow Him and stop being selfish, stubborn and ignorant.


To Listen to Him by softening my heart and allowing His will to be done; not mine.


And to Lead.


Although I have led thousands of men and women in my earthly career, the calling to lead on a spiritual level is what I am most looking forward to. Along those lines, I am humbled, scared, confused and doubtful. Yet, I know that this is not about me. It is all for His glory. And…


It is for those who are waiting for God to reach out to them.


I encourage you to take a walk with me. Follow my story as it unfolds and with the Lord's blessing, I am confident that the seeds will be planted and we can all watch as His will allows them to blossom into many other miraculous stories; maybe even one of your own.

Credits:  Courageous Living Bible Study