Archive - True Stories RSS Feed

iForgot

January 2, 2012 in God, True Stories with 0 Comments

Stupid receipt!  I’m usually pretty good about keeping receipts for the purchases I make, especially when there is a warranty involved; however, I must have forgotten where I put this one.  Since I’m rarely guilty of losing things (this is connected to my OCD tendencies!), I feel like I need to search high and low until the item is located.  When I first start looking, I accept the search as a “fun challenge” but the longer I search, the more the “fun challenge” turns into “anger management.”  After an hour of hide and seek, I gave up.  I have no clue where I put that stupid receipt.  Every possible location has been turned upside down.  I absolutely hate losing track of something valuable, but I’m human.  I lose stuff.

God never loses stuff.  Ever.  God has never lost track of you even though you may have lost track of Him.  I was reminded of this truth while recently reading through the words written by the psalmist in Psalm 139:7-10 (NKJV),

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.  If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.”

God has not forgotten your location. He lovingly cares about every one of His children and because He is a perfect Father, He has never lost track of His family.

Consider This For Your New Year…

January 1, 2012 in Determination, Life, Perspective, True Stories with 0 Comments

At first glance, I didn’t think it was weird to see someone in the gym on crutches because the gym is a perfect place for those who are attempting to rehabilitate from an accident or injury; however, my second glance revealed that this was not a normal injury.  The man only had one leg.  I’ve seen some unique things at the gym over the past year, but this situation really made me think.  Was it an accident?  Was it a war-related injury?  Was it caused by sickness or disease?  I know it is not polite to stare, but I did.  I was curious.  What can a guy with only one leg do in a gym?  I watched as he moved from one weight machine to another, developing the other muscles in his body.  It was pretty amazing.

This guy possessed something all of us need to practice this coming year.  Instead of focusing on what I don’t have or what has been taken away, I will use what God has given me.  In a world that is always in pursuit of what they don’t have, maybe it is time to finally forget what cannot be changed and determine to do my best with I have.  You may be entering this year with less faith and more scars…fewer accomplishments and more regrets.  You have two choices: live another year mourning what is missing or live this year developing those things which are certain.

Tired of Living in a Van Down by the River?

December 28, 2011 in Determination, Motivation, Thoughts with 2 Comments

Only a few more days until this year expires and a new one begins.  If you are like me, you’ve probably outlined or are outlining some resolutions for the new year .  It is exciting to solidify these resolutions, but the real challenge is to keep these resolutions.  Will you be able to sustain your resolutions beyond a week or a month?  The answer is firmly rooted in one word, perseverance.  Perseverance is the ability to stay on course no matter the circumstance.  When times are good, I won’t get comfortable.  When times are bad, I refuse to quit.  This simple attitude determines whether your resolutions will last beyond day one.  Here are a few guidelines for staying on track in the new year.

Everyone needs a motivational speaker. I’m not talking about “Matt Foley,” but someone who can genuinely motivate you when you want to give up.  This person should be able to sympathize without compromising your goals.

If you quit, start again the next day. Everyone quits.  Everyone is not a quitter.  A quitter is someone who never starts again.

Give yourself time. No goal worth accomplishing is automatic.  Remind yourself about the end result when you choose to make good daily choices.

If you don’t want things to be like they have been, there is no turning back.  Your future awaits you.  Here’s to perseverance.

Is losing weight one of your new year’s resolutions?  If so, check out what I believe to be the secret to weight loss and read my own story of how I lost 20 pounds in the first 90 days of 2010.

photo courtesy of dezignia.com

Someone Stole My Debit Card!

November 2, 2011 in Funny Stories, Relationship with God, True Stories with 2 Comments

I decided to stop in at McDonalds yesterday morning to pick up a Frappe before work; however, my day suddenly took a turn for the worst as the lady at window 1 informed me that my debit card had been declined.  That seemed odd to me, especially since I had balanced my checkbook the night before and was certain that I had at least three dollars to cover the Caramel Frappe.  After paying for my order with another card (it pays to Discover), I quickly parked in the McDonalds parking lot to check my bank transactions on my phone and I soon discovered that some redneck from North Carolina (I can say that since I grew up in NC) attempted to use my card number to make several hundred dollars worth of purchases.  At first I tried to call my bank but their system was down ( yay for that), so I stopped in at the local branch as soon as they opened.  The bank teller made a phone call to the fraud department and confirmed my fears – some redneck in North Carolina tried to use my debit card number!  Thankfully, the transactions had been declined even though my number was used and I only have to go through the minor inconvenience of getting a new card.  I guess it could have been a lot worse.

After this situation had been resolved, I began to think about what would motivate someone to take something that is not their own.

…but then I remembered I do this everyday.  My life has been purchased through the blood of Christ and I no longer own it; therefore, when I take it back, I’m taking something that doesn’t belong to me.  Paul wrote these words to the church at Corinth, “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?  You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body (1 Corinthians 6:17-18, NLT).

Have you taken possession of a life that is not rightfully yours?   Maybe it’s time that you return it to the Owner.

Do You Think This Can Wait Until Tomorrow?

September 13, 2011 in Determination, Motivation, True Stories with 0 Comments

Anytime I see a spare tire (donut) on a car, I laugh.  I don’t laugh out of scorn but because I know the feeling of having my tire blowout and temporarily replacing it with one of those awkward looking things.  Those of you with full-sized spares should thank your lucky stars.  Now I’m certainly not an expert when it comes to cars, but I’ve been told that you are not supposed to drive on a spare tire for an extended period of time.  A spare tire is only a temporary fix until you can get your regular tire repaired or replaced.  Continuing to drive on a spare can actually put the driver as well as the passengers at risk.  Okay.  Confession time.  How many of you have ever driven a little longer than you should have on a spare tire?  My hand is raised.  Several years ago my tire went flat and I (actually someone else) put on a spare and I had to drive around on it.  Every time I looked at my car I thought, “I should get that tire replaced.”  This went on for weeks.  Sure, I noticed a difference in the handling of my car but I kept putting it off.  I was even a little ashamed because I knew it made my car look funny, but the feelings of embarrassment weren’t enough motivation to make me get the tire changed.  People even started to say things to me about it (i.e. my wife), but her voice of complaint did not cause me to respond.

We have become too comfortable with temporary solutions.  Instead of handling the problem, we scramble to find a temporary patch to stop the immediate consequences, but the problem is that over time we begin to believe that a temporary fix is an eternal solution.

Eventually I got that tire fixed, but it happened when I finally made up my mind to do it.  No more procrastination.  No more delay.  No more laziness.  It’s time to have that conversation.  It’s time to try church again.  It’s time to start being a parent.  It’s time to get alone with God.  It’s time to start practicing better habits.  The time is now.

How soon not now, becomes never. – Martin Luther

What Happened After Dark?

September 8, 2011 in God, Relationship with God, True Stories, Truth with 0 Comments

Since the beginning of the school year, it seems like we have been busy every single night, which means that some other things in our schedule had to be put on hold…like mowing the yard.  I finally realized that the yard could no longer be ignored unless we wanted to compete with the Amazon jungle, so I decided to cram it in right before the sun went down.  I knocked out the front yard without any visibility issues, but when I arrived in the back yard the light was quickly fading.  Rather than leaving the yard half done, I determined to quicken my pace and try to complete the job even though there was limited light.  Miraculously, I was able to finish the entire yard in just 30 minutes, which is approximately 15-20 minutes less than it normally takes.  I was proud of myself, that is, until I woke up the next morning and noticed that some sections of grass had been missed the night before.

The darkness limits what I see, but light exposes the truth.

If you are walking in darkness, you may not think you are missing something; however, when you are walking in the light, you will know if you are missing something.  Since the apostle John identifies God as light (1 John 1:5), He becomes the ultimate determiner of truth, which means that the truth cannot be known without exposure to God and His word.  The more a person is exposed to the Light, the more he or she will become aware of the darkness in his life.  This is one of the major reasons I believe that those who walk closest to God often feel the most unworthy to be in His presence.

If you constantly feel the weight of your sin as a result of being exposed to the Light, be grateful to a God who reveals the darkness in your life and leads you into the light.

This is Messed Up

September 7, 2011 in Thoughts, Tragedy, Trials with 0 Comments

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28, NKJV).  I believe this verse in my head, but I struggle believing it with all of my my heart.  When Paul wrote these words almost 2,000 years ago, I am convinced that he believed them with all of his heart.  He knew that the Lord was capable of taking all things – injustice, suffering, sin, disappointment –  and causing good to grow.  Before you begin to claim God’s beauty in your mess, remember that God’s converting of bad to good is conditional.  Only those who love Him are promised a good outcome for their pain and suffering.  Humanly speaking, I am not sure how God can bring good from that which seems bad; however, He has made it very clear that He is capable of accomplishing those things that man views as impossible.  Your perspective on circumstances in extremely limited, but God sees the beginning from the end.  You only see death.  You only see brokenness.  You only see disability.  You only see a mess.   God sees the big picture.

God specializes in turning that which is undesirable into that which is beautiful.

A Tough Moment in My Life

September 6, 2011 in Life, True Stories with 2 Comments

Two weeks ago, I drove away from the middle school where I had just dropped off my son for his very first day in the sixth grade.  I had to fight back the tears as it seemed like yesterday that I was scooting him off to his first day of kindergarten.  Leah and I had spent the last several weeks preparing him for the upcoming change of schools and even rehearsed potential situations he may encounter.  Ty listened attentively and seemed to absorb our instructions, but I was still uncertain if we had covered everything…girls, bullies, girl bullies, etc.  The night before his first day, the entire family sat down together to discuss morning routines and last minute issues concerning the new school year.  We then prayed and asked God to help both of our kids have a great start to their year.  God answered our prayers and school is off to a wonderful start!

Even though school has begun and my kids are settled into a routine, I still feel like they are growing up so fast.  A part of me is excited to watch them grow up, but another part of me wants them to remain young.  Through all of these feelings of uncertainty, God has been teaching me that time is short and there is no time like the present.  The past is history.  The future is yet to be lived.  But the present is within my grasp.  I pray that I would make the most of my time.  My son will never be in the sixth grade again (I hope).  I can never get back moments I have already lived, so I need to make the most of the time I do have…and that is now.

Don’t live in the past.  Don’t depend on the future.  Make the most of this moment.

“For what is your life?  It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14).

A Step I’d Rather Not Take

August 31, 2011 in Failure, True Stories with 0 Comments

I have had the distinct opportunity to witness some very funny things at my gym.  Before I begin my story, I want to tell you that I have lived a sheltered life because until July 2010 I had never stepped foot in a gym, unless you count the one time in college when one of my “friends” attempted to get me on a weight lifting program before I got married.  It obviously didn’t work.  I was pretty comfortable allowing Leah to see my concaved chest.  Ha!  Since I have never been exposed to gym life, I feel like it is a visit to the zoo where lots of surprises await me.  The other day a young couple entered the gym and very happily stepped onto the treadmills…beside each other.  How sweet.  They kept looking at each other and smiling.  I wanted to throw up.  I guess that’s one way to get rid of some calories.  After about 15 minutes of walking/googling over each other, the guy finished and began to step off the treadmill but he must have pressed the wrong button because it shot him right off the backside.  Luckily he caught himself before the treadmill belt ripped his face off.

Here’s the deal.  I am in danger every single day of doing the same thing.  Each time I step onto the treadmill, I risk falling.  I’m no different than that guy.  You are no different than that guy.

All of us are one step away from falling.  Walk carefully today.

Who is To Blame For This?

August 30, 2011 in Perspective, True Stories with 0 Comments

During my senior year of high school I noticed that I was having some problems seeing so my parents scheduled an appointment with the eye doctor.  It was a miserable test because he made me read off of a chart (that I couldn’t read) and then conducted a test where I was to keep my eye open while a machine blew a powerful burst of air into my eye.  The first puff of air was not too bad because I didn’t know what to expect, but keeping my eye open a second time was dreadful.  After completing the testing, the doctor informed me that I needed to wear glasses and so from that day forward I have always worn glasses or contacts.  Since I am near-sighted, wearing some sort of corrective lens is imperative, especially when I drive…ESPECIALLY when I drive.  Hold that thought.

A couple weeks ago our electricity went out very early in the morning so I had to get ready to go to the gym in the dark; actually, I used a flashlight app on my phone to provide some light in the bathroom, but it was still difficult to see.  I felt like I was back in the days of Little House on the Prairie, although I was disappointed not to see Laura Ingalls.  When I finished getting ready, I headed out to my car and began driving down the street.  It was very difficult to see and I even remember saying to myself, “Man, it is dark out here!”  Yes, I talk to myself.  In a matter of seconds, I thought of three potential things that made it difficult to see.  First, I figured the power outage had caused the streets to become dark, which made it difficult to see.  Second, I also thought my difficulty in seeing may have been due to what appeared to be a thick fog settling on our neighborhood.  Third, I believed the headlights to my car were not turned on.  I soon discovered that none of these “outside factors” was causing my inability to see.  The problem was me.  In the morning rush, I forgot to put my contacts into my eyes.

Isn’t it amazing how often we blame “outside factors” for our adversity when we may be the one to blame?  Since the beginning of human history, individuals are accustomed to blaming something or someone else instead of examining their own heart to see if the blame lies within.  Rather than blaming your marriage, your church, your upbringing, your financial circumstances, or your bad luck, you may need to take an honest look into your own heart to see if you are really the one to blame.

Page 1 of 2812345»1020...Last »