Life and God lessons Learned from Candy

I thought I would post this very private message that I delivered to my graduating 6th graders. They are entering 7th grade this year and that means they are entering the youth group. They are extremely special to me as most of them have been with me since I began CM. The ones that are newer have fit right in and feel like they have been here all along. Congrats to Meredith, Alyssa, Cailey, Whitney, Tye, Jonathan, and Eli. You are all very special to me and I believe you will do everything God wants you to do and have a great impact for the kingdom.

These are life lessons--(mixed with some silliness--it wouldn't be me without it) that can be learned from candy. Enjoy!

“For I know the plans that I have for you, says God. Plans to prosper you not plans of disaster. My plans will bring you to an expected end of which I am fully aware.” PJT (PAstor Jamie Translation)
“I will bless you with a future filled with hope--a future of success, not of suffering.” CEV
Jeremiah 29:11

Stay with the Zone philosophy…Love God and Love People. This puts you in the center or the bulls-eye of God’s will for your life. YEs, I've had this for years...I think Israel Houghton stole it from me as a CD title. LOL!

I want to share with you a few life lessons that we can learn from candy. These are some items that hopefully will remind you of the good things God has done for you already and the promises of the good things to come. It should also serve as a reminder of the things you should do along the way and what your responsibility is in the plan of God.

Be bold as lions, wise as snakes, and gentle as doves. Let these candies remind you your time in the Zone and the great things that God has planned for your life.

Big Red Gum-Reminds us of the the target on your back as the newbies. (I’m half kidding—you won’t have a target here at church but people will be watching you and seeing where you fit in. Make good choices.) Also, remember it is extremely important to always keep fresh breath. Nobody wants dragon breath in their face.
You have a big target on your back as a child of God. There are tests and temptations in life that will present themselves to you more and more as you get older. It may be through friends it may be through random people you meet or it may be from total strangers. Follow God and Follow peace. Listen to what God tells you on the inside and find the peace in the situation. If there is no peace don’t go there.

Ice Breakers-Be careful what you get involved with. Sometimes icebreaker games are fun and entertaining—most of the time they are. Some of them are messy and disgusting too. Watch out in life that you do not get involved where you don’t belong and with people you don't belong with. Stay clear of the messy situations that will lead you away from God. Always choose the things that lead you to God, godly friends and godly situations. As I have always said and prayed for each of you…Be in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing…ALWAYS! You can do it.

Whatchamacallit—They will not know your name right away so if you hear someone say hey whatchamacallit, or Hey you with the hair…just look and see if they’re talking to you. In life don't just be a whatchamacallit—stand out for the right reasons. Stand out for being set apart by God which you are. Own it! And, don’t let God become whatchamacallit to you. Always remember the name of Jesus and the great power it provides your life. Let one of your life goals be to spread the fame of His name.

Skittles-Colorful-A rainbow of colors-BE YOU! Be who God made you to be. Don’t try to be someone else. God made each of us different and uniquely gifted to accomplish what He wants us to do. Be willing to do what God tells you to do. Use your personality to do great things in life and great things for God. Live large for God!

Airheads- Don’t forget to use your brain—the old joke says that when God made us and was handing out brains some people misunderstood and thought He said trains and decided to get in another line because they they didn’t want one.
Trust God in life for everything but remember God didn't create us to be mindless robots who don’t think. Do what the bible says and renew your mind with the word of God so that you will think God thoughts. The more you think in line with God the more you should talk like it and act like it.

Twizzlers-The road of life may twist and turn but stay with God, stay with the Word and always follow the voice of God on the inside. If you do, it will be alright. God has great plans for you to bring you to an expected end free of calamity and destruction. God knows the end and the path He laid out for you. Stay on the road through all the twists and turns and all will be well. He is with you every step of the way. So be confident that all of life’s twists and turns will work out for your good if you continue to stay in the Zone.

Jolly Ranchers-Laugh a lot it’ll make you healthy and happy—with God things are good. We are not meant to live a boring, sad, and serious life. We are to lead a life full of the good things of God. The bible tells us that laughter does good like a medicine. Make sure to take large daily doses of this medicine. It doesn’t taste bad and only makes you feel better. Laugh Loud! Laugh hard! Laugh Long! Laugh often!

Starburst-You are all stars. Remember to let your light shine so that other people will wonder what makes you different. When they ask about your awesomeness, tell them that God in you is what makes the difference. The bible says to let your light shine before men so they will see you good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. It also says that we should not take a light and hide it. Remember that you are light and anywhere that go…darkness goes away. Shine bright you stars of light.

Pay Day-If you will stick with God there will be a payday. There is a reward for those who are doers of the Word. There is a reward for believers. There is a reward for those who endure to the end. The good news is that we do it all in God’s grace and God’s ability that fills us up from top to bottom and side to side. We are full of God. Stand strong and know that your payday is coming. God provides for us during our earth life and He will have rewards of obedience and faithfulness for us when we live in heaven. Oh yeah, don’t forget that mansion He has waiting for you too.

Hershey Kisses-We both love you very much. Always know that you will be special to me and Mrs. Leasa. You are in our hearts. If there is anything we can ever do for you—your whole lifelong—please ask. Just because you are leaving this room doesn’t mean you are leaving our lives. Hugs and kisses from Mrs. Leasa.

Nerds-Last…remember that you will always be gigantic NERDS to me. Be fun and creative and never be a dud. I know dudness (that’s a PJ word) is not in any of your futures.
We love you and bless you as you go into the next phase of your life with God.

Time Robbers....dun, dun, dunnnnn!

Welcome to this week's episode of Time Robbers brought to you by Procrastinators Tools-you need 'em, we'll eventually get around to getting them to you.

I was thinking about things that rob our time. 24 hours in every day. I would say that it is one of the most common complaints I hear. I hear it everywhere. I use it myself. "I'm too busy." "I don't have time." I need more hours in the day."
But what amount of time are we wasting? Not even wasting--just using for something less productive. There are reports out all the time about the amount of time business people spend on Facebook, online gaming and other social media. Maybe it's the sports page, maybe it's the stocks, or maybe it's something even seedier. It may be a nice day out and you just want to get away. Bottom line is that there are tons of things that can distract us from our appointed tasks.

There is a plan and purpose for each hour or every day. Does that mean we are a slave to a clock? NO! But what it does mean is that we should make the most of every minute and be diligent in pursuit of fulfilling our purpose.

Take a look at your day and see where you can repurpose time. See where you can trim the fat. Chart your day in a notebook if need be--and see where you lose (interpret as waste and otherwise throwaway) your majority of time. Take those areas and make the push to regain control of that time. Repurpose--I'm not sure if that's a word or not but it is my word of the day now. If not already a word I will take credit for it. Feel free to use it.

Figure out what really matters and do that. Find the joy and purpose in every day. Live life to the fullest. Don't miss opportunities to love, laugh, forgive and make friends.

Take back your time.

Keep the first thing first.

The Importance...

...of the Word. I have been thinking about 2 scriptures that have been stuck in my head for several weeks now. I am sometimes slow to catch things but I go this one. If it is staying with me there must be something to it. Let me share these verse and then share a few thoughts.
John 1
In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.
The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
Proverbs 4
My child, pay attention to what I say.
Listen carefully to my words.
Don’t lose sight of them.
Let them penetrate deep into your heart,
for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body.

I am convinced more than ever that the Word of God is to be forefront in our lives. I believe that apart from it we cannot have the kind of deep intimate relationship that the Father is calling us into.
Think of it...the Word has always been. The Word created and brought life and light to everyone and everything. The Word took on human form and lived with us. That's Jesus folks! Apart from Jesus there is no relationship with the Father.

Think of the benefits...life and health. Now I don't believe that many of us have a deep seeded desire to be sick and weak and suffering through life. Personally, I believe that is not the plan of God for our lives. I believe that included in the redemptive work of Jesus health and healing has been provided. Any way you slice it, Proverbs tells us that the Word is health to our entire body and life for us. As Jesus is the Word, He is life and health and strength to us. I think that is hard to argue.

Notice that there are precursors to these benefits. You must listen to the Word, you must pay attention to the Word (Attend for you King Jamesers--wait on, serve and give it your full attention), you must hide it in your heart (for out of the heart are the rivers of life), and you must not lose sight of it--keep it continually in front of you.

Thank God for grace which means that Jesus has powerfully supplied to us everything we need and our flailing cannot mess it up. These benefits are already provided. This Word training is not for Him it's for US! You can only have what you know about. You can only get what you believe for. You can only love the One that you know. Knowing Him comes from His word.

I am throttling ahead with a renewed focus on the Word and truly learning more about the grace of God, the life of God on the inside of me, and walking in the righteousness that Jesus gave me. I encourage you as a believer to get in step with this Word study so that it will be a great benefit to you and your family.

If you are a kidmin, I encourage you to reach your kids with the Word this year. Impact them with the truth. Share the One who gave it all. Share the One who loves us. Be fun, be relevant and be true.

Remember, you are loved perfectly and completely by God.

In the Zone,

PJ

Unrelenting

The unrelenting love of God. WOW! What a thought.
The God of all creation is unrelenting in His pursuit of and dedication to us.
The one who framed the world with His Words and holds galaxies on the tip of His finger never tires and never pulls back from His pursuit of us.
His mercies are new everyday. Stop and think about that. No matter the challenge. No matter the difficulty we face His mercies are new to us everyday to process these things and give us the key to unlock victory--EVERYDAY!
His Grace is sufficient. He is strength in our weakness. He is joy in the midst of sadness. He is life in the face of death.
He is eternal. From before time..wrap your mind around that. Our spirit gets it but our brain cannot comprehend it.
This Great God-Master of all creation-chose to take His infinite massiveness and permeate our whole being with Himself.
What a concept! In all of His might and power He could not force His way in. He would have blown us up trying to fit all of Him into tiny us. He came up with the way and that was for us to ask. That seems to simple. Ask-that's all we have to do? Yep, ask!
Are you kidding me? All I have to do is ask and the Lord of all things will somehow enfold Himself and His life into my being?
That's it. Simple as that.

Remember the God of your youth. Return to your first love.
Living life wide open in pursuit of a Holy God is all the better when you realize He is pursuing you.
Get Caught!
It's worth it all. Living the life God intended for you is the greatest joy attained by man on this spinning ball we inhabit.

Take time to know Him more today.
Take time to be in wonder of the amazing things He has done.
Take time to be thankful for the unrelenting Love He uses to pursue you.
Jesus loves you this I know--simple as that.

Keep the first thing first.
PJ

Amazed?

Aloha! I am back with a different topic this time. I am giving worship a break for this edition and focusing on the theme of lessons I am currently doing in CC. Amazed!
What amazes you? or ______________ is the most amazing thing I have ever heard or seen or experienced. Either way--are you amazed by something?
I am. I am amazed by lots of different things. Structures amaze me. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, the Petronas Towers, the Sydney Opera House, the Biltmore House, the Storebaelt Bridge in Denmark, Christ the Redeemer Statue in Brazil, the Great Wall of China. Creation amazes me--the rich, vibrant colors in tulips and daisies. Cheetahs and sailfish and pergrine falcons--the fastest animals on the planet. I am astonished that something can run 70 mph, swim 68 mph, and fly up to 200 mph. The height of Mount Everest and the depth of the Mariana Trench are astounding. Sunsets, and giant waves, thunderclouds, and lightning all leave me thunderstruck. Machines and the things men can make are awe inspiring. Giant trenchers that can dig scoops of earth big enough to swallow a little over 960 football fields a day. Airplanes-especially fighter jets and show planes like the Blue Angels, Snowbirds, and Thunderbirds. I am also amazed by people: the kindness they show because they want to not because they have to. The speed of runners-every 4 years the Olympic 100 meter race comes around and in reality a 10 second race took 4 years to prepare. The love of a child and the simple way that they see the world. They are more thoughtful and insightful than most adults--just because they don't know as much stuff or have as many misconceptions and learned fears-does not mean that they don't know more. I am dumbfounded by the way families can at once love and build each other up and the very next second bring strife and turmoil, hurt and division.
Needless to say, I am sure you all have your own things that Amaze you. Things you love and treausre. Things that interest you and entertain you. I would be curious what those are. Every person different than the next.
The thing that flabbergasts, blows me away, bewilders, stupefies, shocks, astounds, stuns, floors, and leaves me speechless more than aall of these is the love of God. The grace of the master--the power of His Word and His Name. The strength of His blood the healing and provision in His life. All in me--- and every other Christian who takes the risk to believe. It all comes down to this though--He loves us. He loves you. Better yet He loves me. I am His favorite child in all the world-and so are you. Mary and Joe were amazed at the things Simeon said about the baby Jesus. The disciples were amazed over and over at the words and actions of Jesus. How did the fig tree die so quickly? How do the wind and waves obey Him? How does He heal and break bondages so easily? This is importatn because they were His friends and they were amazed. Amzing your friends that really know you is sometimes the hardest thing to do. All of the huge crowds that followed Jesus or showed up wherever He went were amazed by Him. They were amazed how He healed everyone, how He taught with such authority on the subject of knowing and loving God and how to treat other people, how He showed kindness and compassion, how He was never too busy to help anyone who needed it, and how He never was worried or anxious or afraid. It was all becase of the love He had in His heart for people and the desire He had to do His best in the job that the Father sent Him to do. He didn't quit in the middle--He started strong and finished stronger. Amazingly--the King was also amazed both for good and bad. He was amazed at the strength of faith that people had in Him and His words. "Speak the Word only and I know my servant will be healed"--Jesus referred to this and several others as having Great Faith. Sadly--He was also amazed at a lack of faith-He even questioned His friends "how is it that you don't have any faith--or why don't you use the faith that is inside you, why do you choose to let it sit and do nothing?"
Jesus also said that the ones to come that had not seen Him and that would believe would be ones of great faith. That's me. It seems we are at a point of making a decision--the subject--JESUS
the question....
ARE YOU AMAZED?

He gave His life for yours and took all of your sins and obliterated them so that they were unrecognizable and unremembered. He destroyed any shortcomings and failures. He fixed every problem--healed every disease--and made a way for you to have everything you need--here and now and in heaven.
If you are AMAZED open your mouth and say it. The power and love of God are always ready to do something good when you talk about Jesus. You are just like Him. He fills every part of you when you believe and you can do everythig He could do if you believe.

So now... What Amazes You?

Keep the first thing first.
PJ