Posterous theme by Cory Watilo

Scott's Blog


Daily thoughts and resonable imitations of thoughts.

Substitute Joy 7/2/11

I sometimes wonder whether all pleasures are not substitutes for joy.   C. S. Lewis 

What am I pursuing in my life?  What appetites am I obeying because I am craving joy?  Relationships? Friendships?  Career?  Ministry? Recognition?  

What if JOY were the defining characteristic of my life?   Would I want those other things?   Would they occupy me the way that they do?

Is being in love with a woman a substitute for joy in my life?  I can see how that could happen.  What seems more accurate is that, unless Godly joy is the center of my being, I cannot really love another at all.

Is success in a career and recognition a substitute for joy?  I have seen it tried many times.  How successful can one be if joy is not part of him?

Jeremiah 2:13

 “ For My people have committed two evils:
      They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters,
      And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water. 

I have experienced the brokenness of human love, the emptiness of career and pursuit of glory and recognition.   They do not hold water.  It is time to spend my time where real joy comes from, from where life comes.

John 7:38 

He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

A Family for Healing 7/1/11

Today God reminded me that I belong. I am part of a community: people of faith. I get to worship with others, share with others, experience God with others. I am not in this alone; I have an entire family of believers out there. Today is a good day to seek some of them out.

God has blessed me so much in the last four years.  He has taught me to become part of the family of God.  For my whole life, it had been very difficult for me to be close to friends or fellow believers.  I was around people and I would get lonely but I was never able to be real close to anyone.

I recognized that I needed to be in close fellowship, it was just extremely difficult to be real and genuine.

God shook me up and completely changed my walk with Him in November of 2008.  As I submitted to the changes He was starting to do in me, I was able to be honest and forthcoming with brothers in Christ.

God gifted me with a few men (Godly men) to be my friends.

God's providence is so poetically beautiful.  A year later, trials began that have continued until now.  I needed the family of God so bad and I was able to have them.

A friend has stated "You go to God for forgiveness and to family for healing."  

So much ministry has been done for me, to me in these last few years.  So many brothers and sisters in Christ have sowed in to my life and come alongside me.

God has healed me so much and He has used my spiritual family to do it.

He gives me what I need before I need it.

What a great Daddy.

New Tattoo 6/30/11

Tattoo

Zechariah 9:12  Return to the stronghold,  You prisoners of hope.  Even today I declare That I will restore double to you.

God has given me many precious promises over the last couple of years.  This verse represents one of the most encouraging.   In many ways, during the most difficult trials I have ever experienced, I have felt like a prisoner.  I was at the mercy of other people and the consequences of their actions.   Even though I was in no way an innocent victim, I often believed I would never escape from all of the drama.

God has shown me over the last couple of years and helped me to learn how much He loves me.  I have learned that He can be trusted in any circumstance.  He has protected me and cared for me.  He has allowed me to go through a desert period.  He has given me hope.

Joel 2:25-26
“ So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,  The crawling locust,  The consuming locust,  And the chewing locust,  My great army which I sent among you.   You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,  And praise the name of the LORD your God,  Who has dealt wondrously with you;   And My people shall never be put to shame.  

I look forward to the future with a confident expectation of good.

BTW --- The tattoo is just a Henna tat.  Even though the tattoo will fade in about 10 days, the promise is permanent.

Happy Anniversary! 6/29/11

Family_square

 

On June 29, 1963  Ronald Richard Brady and  Bonnie Jean Willett were married.  

By the end of 1970, they would have four children and have started a new life in California, away from everything and everyone they had grown up with.  Life gives us multiple challenges and I witnessed them handle them all together.   

Having been a parent for a while now, I have a pretty good idea about what makes a good one. You look at their children.   

My sisters are wonderful,  beautiful, caring and compassionate women.  They are such "moms" that they cannot restrict their mothering to just their own children.  They mother each other's kids, extra kids, each other and, occasionally, their older brother.  

They are just like our mom.

I love you Mom and Dad.   I respect that you were together till death parted you.  47 plus years is quite an achievement.  

I am so proud of you mom.  You have been an incredible example of faithfulness to me.  
You are so strong an tender at the same time.  

You amaze me.   

I am thinking about you and Dad today.  I am missing him today quite a bit.  

48 years ago today, he became the luckiest man in the world.

Attitude for love 6/29/11

To love God I must have an attitude of love. 

An attitude of receptivity and warmth and readiness to receive God's grace. 

An attitude of giving and generosity and not-holding-back to let God's grace flow through me and on into the world. 

I know I love God when I feel love flowing through me.


What stands in my way?  

Unforgiveness?  

Self focus?  

Prejudice?

John 13:34-35

"Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other."

John 15:12
This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

Attitude of gratitude 6/28/11

As I sit and type this message, I am awaiting some big news that will have a major impact on my life financially.  

I trust that God loves me and will meet my needs.  This is not blind faith.  I have my whole life to look back on.  I've seen His faithfulness. I know it's there and that it is real.   

Even so,  I am scared and wondering what will happen to me.    

So many painful and stressful things have happened the last two years, I find it very easy to let my mind go to the negative.  

So  ..... a choice needs to be made.   

I am choosing to be thankful.  

God has done so much for me and to me.  

He has never left me and always cared for me.  There have been so many places he has taken me that I did not want to go but, in the end, His will has been best.  

Thank You Lord for your goodness, for your loving care for me.   

Thank You that, no matter what transpires today, you are there and I am in the palm of your hand.  No one and no thing can change that.   

Thank You for loving me.  

Thank You for being such a good Daddy.  Thank You for giving me what I need and not always what I want.  

Thank You that your thoughts towards me are good and for having a perfect plan for my life.  A plan filled with hope.  

Thank You that I can know that nothing comes in to my life without first coming through the filter of your love for me.   

Thank You for that love.  I choose that today instead of fear.  

I choose you.

Letting God do His thing 6/26/11

On this day, God wants you to know
... that love won't run out. In moments when you feel like you have given and given until there is no more of yourself to give, remember that love won't run out. God has an infinite amount of love for you and for you to pass on to others. Even at times when the well seems dry, God can send a flood. Let the flood of love wash over you and then drench everyone around you.

God is love.  That is not only what He does but who He is.  If I want to effect a change in this world then I need to facilitate the world being exposed to the love of God.

I have only one source for that love: me.

As i surrender myself to the transforming love of Christ, as I am changed by that, I am free to share that love with others. 

Choosing joy 6/25/11

In his wisdom and sovereignty, God allows pain in our lives.  
Sometimes we are blessed with pain so that we will learn.  Touching the stove burns and we learn not to touch it any more.   
Sometimes pain is allowed so that we will learn to rely on God and God alone.   
Some times pain is allowed because we are living in a fallen, sinful world where God has allowed free will. 
God has provided joy to burn out the pain.
When I am in pain, I can choose to pursue joy.  Joy is not happiness.  I am in trouble when I confuse the two.
Life has pain for us all.  God has never promised that we would be free of it, He has promised me that He will be with me though it.
He has given me people, places, situations that I can experience Him through.  That is where I can find joy.
God created joy as a balm for my pain. 
What are some places, who are some people filled with joy that you I can rely on to experience God's love?   
Those situations, people, places are things I can choose.  
I can choose to read God's word or not.  I can choose to talk to my savior or not.  
I can choose to serve others and focus on their needs or not.  
I can choose to isolate myself and hide away from life or not.  
J - Jesus   
  O - Others   
     Y - Yourself
When my priorities are in line, I experience joy.
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