I was like wow! I should have wrote this;

"Believing the dream till it stole mine

What about a dream where the people cry

For the healing of a land both soul and mind

What about a dream where the dream was changed

Not for change sake, but for the highest gain?"

Dominic Balli - American Dream (Official Music Video) (HD) [feat. Sonny Sandoval of P.O.D.)

www.youtube.com

Thanks Wendy...

‎‎"We all need food, shelter, and love.
We all crave attention, recognition, and affection, and above all, HAPPINESS. Reflect on these commonalities you have with others, and ignore the differences...this is compassion.

Compassion is the key to true happiness in yourself and others. ♥"

I actually feel lighter;

"Did the Lord not say whatever is right I'll pay?

Did the Lord not say work while it is day?

Did the Lord not say He would take us away?

If I labor (oh yes) God is gonna give me a crown!

So I believe I'll work (work) in the vineyard

(for)The Sun is goin down…"

(Pop & Marvin Winans ad lib out)

Yes, I did resign, but I still Love you all!

Just to clear the air, I still work for Jesus, and He still directs my energy and efforts within the Ministry. But just as His word states, we(the body of believers) are His Church, and no building, or particular grouping of chairs, does a House of the Lord make!

Me, everything I built, and all the processes I’m directing, I will continue to work diligently within, and, if the day comes when another seeks to take up the many responsibilities, I will be more than happy to relinquish them.

In the between though, me, I was fashioned for service. Not the conversation about service, nor the endless discussions surrounding how best to serve, but, actual service! And in that regard, that’s where I will always be.

My numbers won’t change, and with all due respect, neither will my friendships. But the time has come for the Men who Serve the Living God to do something other than attempt to not upset each other, and me, I refuse to watch the snails race any longer….

Worship Team this Morning

Some mornings, even knowing the blessing(s), it seems I get a little apprehensive nonetheless.

Which is the 2nd. reason why I always seek to live within Love. For without it, this, and many other morning would be a greater challenge indeed...

I don't fear it;

Ever had a friend that keeps a smile welling up inside of you? Well, I do, and sometimes, I need that smile more often than not.

"Thursday reminds me that it isn't the day,

as much as it is the purpose(s) placed within it!"

Tuesday

The reality of knowing yourself is understanding what truly makes you unique. 

For being different than everyone else is not always easy, especially if those within and around you do not recognize, or appreciate the things that make you, completely you!

"People often say that this or that one has not yet found himself. But the self is not something that one finds, it's something that one creates.
- Thomas Szasz"

VBS on my mind;

Sunday, though it roared in like a lion, unleashing the rains, and stirring the leaves again, there was more than just a little bit of peace surrounding the services this morning. With the prayer ladies undergirding each service with their supplications, even the most difficult, was handled accordingly.

And then God, being Himself, showed me Jonathan @ last. And in that, I was refreshed...

Such an emotional Month;

Saturday finds me on my way to church for the 6:00pm Service, and as weird as the rain(s) last night, I was thinking about Wisconsin. The quad on the Isthmus, the Big Lake in winter, & then, I remembered this song:

“The years brought the railroad, It ran by my door. Now there's boards on the windows, And dust on the floor. And she passes the time at another man's side, And I pass the time with my pride”

2 Corinthians 10:13  “We will not boast about things done outside our area of authority. We will boast only about what has happened within the boundaries of the work God has given us, which includes our working with you.”

What is(unconditional) Love?

"Unconditional love is a term that means to love someone regardless of the loved one's qualities or actions. The paragon of unconditional love is a mother's love for her newborn. Unconditional love is often used to describe the love in an idealized romantic relationship. It may sometimes also be used to describe love between family members, comrades in arms and between others in highly committed relationships.

Unconditional love in committed relationships (of any kind; business, personal, etc.) should never be interpreted to mean that an individual is required to (or should) remain in an abusive and dysfunctional relationship. One can still love someone unconditionally, but that should never be interpreted to mean that the 'victim' is required or should stay in the dysfunctional relationship."

And yes, our God can Love us with an unconditional Love, but, He is God after all. The rest of us, well, we have to admit that with friends, lovers, husbands, family members, our love is conditional.

Even you asked, hey, can't two people enjoy one another, like the other, and not try to change the other? And my answer is; yes, but, you'd have had worked that out as it began.

Me, I won't die daily underneath the absence of Love. Jesus did that, and that's not me...   

Comforting words

1 Cor 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

And so it begins

Wednesday finds me wondering, how much do we over love our children? And yes, for those overly permissive parents, I get that I'm too concerned, too fearful of what I know the world is, and yet, having a child turn to the world, and away from the life that calls him repeatedly, well, it makes me worry.

Someone saw him though, so, at least I know he's near enough still...

Contained within: The Power of His Name

”Surely children weren't made for the streets

And fathers were not made to leave

Surely this isn't how it should be

Let Your Kingdom come

Surely nations were not made for war

Or the broken meant to be ignored

Surely this just can't be what You saw

Let Your Kingdom come

Here in my heart

And I will live

To carry Your compassion

To love a world that's broken

To be Your hands and feet

And I will give

With the life that I've been given

And go beyond religion

To see the world be changed

By the power of Your name

The power of Your name

Surely life wasn't made to regret

And the lost were not made to forget

Surely faith without action is dead

Let Your Kingdom come

Lord break this heart

Jesus Your name

Is a shelter for the hurting

and Your name

Is a refuge for the weak

Only Your name

Can redeem the undeserving

Jesus Your name

Holds everything I need

And I will live

To carry Your compassion

To love a world that's broken

To be Your hands and feet

And I will give

With the life that I've been given

And go beyond religion

To see the world be changed

By the power of Your name

The power of Your name"

Who writes like that?

Of course, Sunday was more for of the same, and now, days in, I’m still tired,
and yet, refreshed by all the effort(s)!

Can I say thank you though?

Would my words ever convey what I feel when I’m around you, listening to you, watching your talents blend with others? I mean yes, there’s this concept of (b)romance, and even that isn’t a word that does justice to how blessed I feel to have you in my life.

A new weekend approaches;

Tuesday, and it all went so well this weekend, as we(those that did) came together to lift up His name, and proclaim the Joy that exist only when friends, serve Him 1st.

In the distance though, between all those that had other commitments, and/or scheduling conflicts, my Love endures! Not just because we've come this far, but more for the miles we've yet to walk along together.

And I like that as well...

My son adds his voice;

 "Why not sing songs of love unwritten?

Unsung?

With every soft breath in your lungs

Let the words dance from the tip of your tongue

Onto mine

When its just you and me

And the rhythm of the rain on the sand beneath your feet

On the man you see in me, saw in me

Can you let it be?"