Is there ever value in meanness?

I have had several situations over the last few days where I have had to question my motives and manners. I have always been a very direct person and that at times has been confused by others as being rude. But if I am going to be totally honest, I think that sometimes I am mistaking rudeness for being direct. It is so easy to think that others are mistaking what we are doing or saying rather than us misspeaking or just flat out being wrong. I consider myself a pretty intelligent guy and I quite often find myself thinking that I know more than the person I am speaking to. That is a really bad character flaw for me. The bible tells us that humility is one of the most important traits we should strive for. True humility is a lot harder than we think. We can all fake humility and most of the time others will believe us, but if in our hearts we remain arrogant we have not pleased God. So the the question I have been forced to ask myself is as follows: "Is there ever value in meanness?" The easy answer is no. But is that the best answer? I like to watch a T.V. show called "House" and the lead character is just an ASS to everyone he comes into contact with. He belittles others and ignores their feelings on a regular basis. But in doing this he always solves the puzzle in front of them. So in turn, he saves their lives! He is very intelligent and usually is much smarter than those he is dealing with. He and his co-workers excuse his behavior because he is so good at what he does and the results are unbelievably good. I only talk about this character so much because I feel like I am a lot like him. I have had a lot of success in my career and that success has allowed me to be a jackass at times. I am not proud of being that! As I mature I have come to realize that the result is not the most important thing. People are the most important thing! If the results are there at the end and you are standing there by yourself, it isn't worth it. So in my opinion, there is not value in meanness, only pain. And the pain is not only to the one on the receiving end, it is to everybody involved!

Discipline Feels Good

I can't believe I just wrote that title, but it is true! I have never been one to follow much in the way of discipline, but I actually look forward to it more than ever. I think that we all look at discipline as something negative or mean and it is actually something that comes from love. Think about it! We love our children and want them to learn the best ways to do things so we correct them. Of course this idea is not from our own minds but from God. Everyone has heard the verse in Proverbs about "sparing the rod and spoiling the child". So anyways, back to my original thought. As I have made the decision to make some changes in my life over the last year I have discovered that I enjoy the fruits of discipline way more than the fruits of having none. I started to make some things a priority in my life like spending time daily in the word and sharing with others what I learn. I have gained so much encouragement and joy from this. At the end of the year I underwent gastric bypass surgery and all I can say is WOW! I never realized the changes that would take place after. It is not as easy as it sounded. I have not been able to eat what I want and just be lazy as I want. I have had to change not only the amount of food I eat but also the types of food. But now that I have made those changes I actually like them. So I encourage everyone to look past the pain of discipline to the other side of it. That is where "Discipline Feels Good"!

Am I A Minister?

Yesterday I was asked a question that I wasn't quite sure how to answer. As you may know I post daily on facebook and many people have commented on my posts. Yesterday I was asked if I was a minister. My first reaction ofcourse is to say no. I mean I go to work everyday at the dealership and I earn my paycheck for being a sales manager. I have never been to any kind of formal bible school or seminary. But even with that being said, I kind of feel like we should all be ministers. My love for Jesus is absolutely a consuming love. He is truly the lord of my life and in many ways I feel like I am a minister for Him! The word tells us that we should live our life in a way that we may be mistaken for Jesus. If we do this, shouldn't we all be ministers? I am not writing this to say that anyone else should change what they do or that we should all become pastors or preachers, I am just thinking that we should all be mistaken for them! I often think about a question that my Father-in-law asked me one time. He said,"If Pastor Tim was riding with you everyday in the car and sitting next to you all day, would you still do the same things or would you change your behavior?" Ofcourse I answered with "Yes I would change my behavior!". The he said something that I didn't quite grasp until the last year, he said "Well Jesus is there all the time, and I am pretty sure He is more important that Pastor Tim!". At the time I sort of blew the statement off and thought that he was just being a little dramatic. But in the last year more than ever, I have realized that Jesus really is here all the time with me. I am not saying that I live my life perfectly, but I definitely think about what He might say when He sees my actions. So in closing I guess I am saying that I kind of think if someone asks me if I am a minister in the future, I will answer with something like, "Not as a paying job, but I am a representative of Christ!"
God Bless!

The first of many!

Today I have started this page to share some of my thoughts with others in the hopes that through sharing I can serve others and allow the love that fills me for my Lord and saviour Jesus Christ! I am not a minister, pastor, or evangelist; I am a simple man who works hard to be a good husband and father to my family and to share the gift of grace offered to all through Christ. I hope that anyone who reads my story will see that anyone can rise above the bad choices that they may have made and allow God to fill the holes with His love. Many people don't know the whole truth about my life, I have kept somethings private. In my blogs I will share some things that many may have never known and I pray that they will keep an open mind. I am not the same person I was just a short time ago because that person died and I was reborn! Here is little about my background. I grew up in a very normal home as far as I knew and I never wanted for much. I grew up in Forest Park Georgia. My mother worked as a factory worker and my Dad drove a truck for a living. We were an average middle class family. I was taught to do the "right things" and I mostly did. As I grew older I found myself questioning many things that I had been told not to do and before long I was deep into a world of lies, drugs, and stealing. It started as fun and soon grew to anything but fun. I spent close to ten years in the grips of addiction and lies. Somehow in the midst of my foolishness God found a way to bring me into a family that worked to bring me out of that life. My wife loved me through many nights of wondering if I were alive or dead. When I think back to those days I still feel overwhelming sorrow for all I put her through. I am a walking testimony as to the power of Jesus Christ! He worked through many people to lead me to a path that He wanted. I fought it the whole time and at times I was sure I would never be in His will. Then one day I found myself at the lowest of lows. I was alone without the people that meant the most to me and I had to sit there and I felt I was lost forever. It was there that Jesus picked me up and opened my eyes to the grace so many had told me about. He led me to a counselor that could share His word with me and truly help me to deal with the demons in my life. Slowly but surely God put one person after another in my life to show me that He is in control. From the love of my in-laws, the patience of my job, and the introduction of a manager to my life who daily shared his recovery with me from a similar past to mine; I was changed! Now I walk daily with a love like I had never known and I overflow with passion for Him! So join me as I share stories about the miracles He still performs everyday in my life! God Bless!