2014: BECOME A NEW BEING!!

Table Talk: How Do You Know pt.2 Holy Spirit

THE STORY OF THE THREE TREES!!

Once upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up.

The first little tree looked up at the stars and said: “I want to hold treasure. I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I’ll be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!”

The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on its way to the ocean. “I want to be traveling mighty waters and carrying powerful kings. I’ll be the strongest ship in the world!”

The third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy men and women worked in a busy town. “I don’t want to leave the mountain top at all. I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me, they’ll raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world.”

Years passed. The rain came, the sun shone, and the little trees grew tall. One day three woodcutters climbed the mountain.

The first woodcutter looked at the first tree and said, “This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me.” With a swoop of his shining axe, the first tree fell.

“Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest. I shall hold wonderful treasure!” the first tree said.

The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, “This tree is strong. It is perfect for me.” With a swoop of his shining axe, the second tree fell.

“Now I shall sail mighty waters!” thought the second tree. “I shall be a strong ship for mighty kings!”

The third tree felt her heart sink when the last woodcutter looked her way. She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven.

But the woodcutter never even looked up. “Any kind of tree will do for me,” he muttered. With a swoop of his shining axe, the third tree fell.

The first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter brought her to a carpenter’s shop. But the carpenter fashioned the tree into a feedbox for animals.

The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, nor with treasure. She was coated with sawdust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals.

The second tree smiled when the woodcutter took her to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing ship was made that day. Instead, the once strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail on an ocean, or even a river; instead, she was taken to a little lake.

The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into strong beams and left her in a lumberyard.

“What happened?” the once tall tree wondered. “All I ever wanted was to stay on the mountain top and point to God...”

Many, many days and night passed. The three trees nearly forgot their dreams.

But one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feedbox.

“I wish I could make a cradle for him,” her husband whispered.

The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and the sturdy wood. “This manger is beautiful,” she said.

And suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest treasure in the world.

One evening a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake.

Soon a thundering and thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. She knew she did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through with the wind and the rain.

The tired man awakened. He stood up, stretched out his hand, and said, “Peace.” The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun.

And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the king of heaven and earth.

One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beams were yanked from the forgotten woodpile. She flinched as she was carried through an angry jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man’s hands to her.

She felt ugly and harsh and cruel.

But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth tremble with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God’s love had changed everything.

It had made the third tree strong.

And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God.

That was better than being the tallest tree in the world.

The next time you feel down because you didn’t get what you want, sit tight and be happy because God is thinking of something better to give you.

Jesus is Ancient!!

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.

   - Micah 5:2-4

HOW DO YOU KNOW??

BLIND LEADING THE BLIND!!

BE JESUS!

SLOW DOWN!

You ever realize exactly how in a hurry we are every day? Whether its to work, or to a friends house, or to family get together, or even just plans we had for our weekends? We are always in a rush or hurry. We never just sit back and examine Life itself. We never just STOP and THINK about everything. One of the things that always strikes me as funny is when people make fun of Marijuana smokers. They always do the whole "dude just take life slow, man" routine, but we dont realize that, yes its a big joke but beneath the joke is really something that we dont do as often as we should. We dont sit and just look around outside at what God has given us. We dont just sit outside and think about life itself, meditate on whats next or whats to come, thank God for what hes given us already.

Not alot of people know this but I used to have bad anxiety attacks, yes it was just for a short while, but it taught me that God gives things to us, or makes things happen to us for a reason. While i would have my anxiety attacks I got to the point to where I could almost control it in a way. I would simply take a deep breath and look around me and just think that wow God is letting me live this human experience. When you think about that, that turns into a deep thinking process of, yes we are spirits basically "trapped" in a body. When you actually think about that everything around you, either in your house or outside in nature gets so overwhelming that...... well thats when my anxiety usually kicks in...so i guess i have my thought process to thank for my own issues. But enough about me. I guess all im trying to say is pick a day or 2 out of your week, go outside and just sit, look at the sky, the trees, feel the wind, close your eyes and just know that God is all around you.

Be still and know that I am God.

This means to stop watching the tv, and dont just sit there and say, well God I know youre here. NO, GO OUTSIDE!!!! Sit and close your eyes and just be still. You might be surprised by what happens.

NEW VIDEO ON CHOOSING GOD OVER REALITY!

God vs. Reality

WELCOME TO MY NEW BLOG PAGE!