Each and every night you go to sleep. The thoughts and struggles of the day are passing through your mind, at 100MPH. "Did I make the right decision?" "What would I do differently?" "Will tomorrow be any different?" "If I only had more time..." "If I only could..."

Since God blesses us each and every day with a blessing, what if you woke up and everything was just how you had left it? The sun was set, the outside was dark...the birds were still fast asleep and the grass was dry. The clock says "7:16am" but there were no signs of the day coming. There were only signs of night. People were getting in their cars to go to work, traffic was awful as always but no sun...or no freshness of it being another day.

We all have those days when we question ourselves, but if we step back and evaluate our lives or our situations from the outside looking in, you will notice something. At the end of each day, we go to rest and are awake with a brand new day with the hopes of it being different. When you go outside, you see the glorious sun shining low, just peaking through the trees and the birds chirping their melody to their own song. The grass is pristine with a slight dew affixed on top of them. Each and every day is a miracle from God our Father. Thank goodness for a new day everyday.

This is why God is amazing. God does not live in the past, nor should we. We should not let frustrations or situations we face daily in our lives effect those days and decisions before us. We serve a mighty God...one that is, and was and will be to come. "Cast your cares upon him and He will make your paths straight." He is asking that we give everything to him. That closeted sin, that struggle, that anger . . . that problem that we are too selfish to give over. God is there for you. He wants nothing more than your everything.

To HIM be all glory and praise!

-Ken

Labels: amazing, cares, forgiveness, morning, new, pristine, start, struggles

I posted to Twitter the other day...Why are we as Americans still dealing with racial issues? Everywhere you go, you can see people smirking towards people of other races, other races appearing to be dominant over another, people being chosen over another because of their race...people disagreeing with one another because a conflict of race...and even the dreaded race card being pulled. Ex: "He said I was (insert race here.) I'm offended!" All of these and many others can commonly be found through websites, Twitter, blogs, media and any other form of communication that we as humans interact on.

I ask why?

In my opinion...generally speaking, think that we as humans are raised or programmed somehow to have out race or a specific race dominant over others. Why can we not just get over ourselves and realize that we are different, have one GOD and love others as Jesus would? Why do we have to place racial discrepancies on everything? Why are we still fighting something that should have been settled years ago? Let's forgive each other and move on. It is what God would desire us to do.

-Ken

Labels: arguments, error, forgiveness, growth, human, Jesus, love, maturity, politics, race, racism, relationships

Labels: 2009, change, Change in my Life, disciplined, forgiveness, maturity, word of the year

Forgiveness

Matthew 18:21-22
²¹ "Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” ²² Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven."

For those that that follow me on Twitter, may have seen this Scripture surface on one of my #worshipwednesday posts this last week. Forgiveness is something that I am dealing with...hardcore in my life. I think that if we are all honest, we all deal with it constantly in one form or another.

At best we are all human. When someone wrongs us, be can't help but get upset. Some deal with it better than others; and to be honest I am doing much better in this area than I was a few years back, but still I still struggle. I've noticed this year specifically, that I brush things off with much more ease. I am not sure as to why, maybe it is God's work in my life and him developing me to be more like him each and every day.

Thanks for reading and your support. Feel free to add to the discussion by adding comments below. You guys rock!

-Ken

Labels: 2009, change, Change in my Life, disciplined, forgiveness, maturity, word of the year

This blog is difficult for me to write. I've been burned with this very thing. Needless to say, I have learned a very painful lesson, and honestly...glad that I did. So let's jump right in.

During tonight's message at First Baptist Orlando, Pastor David Uth touched on a topic that I have struggled with in the past, and still do. This is not word-for-word what he said, but paraphrased... "Instead of talking "about" someone when you have a problem with them, try talking "with" them."

I am not going into details, on my experience, but I am going to give some observations. Still to this day, I dislike severely confrontations. I remember when I managed a Chick-fil-A. I had to do a large amount of confrontation. It is not fun for me, and I am taking a wild assumption here that there are not many people that would find it fun.

(**Disclaimer: I am using the word "people" in this paragraph not calling anyone out. I am talking to myself as well.**) I see it time and time again. Person A has a problem with person B, and they do whatever means they see fit in order to "call out" that person, but tend to forget the appropriate way of dealing with the problem. Going to that person in private and discussing the matter in which is an issue. How does this help share God's love? How does God look at this? Can the action cause more harm than good?

So, let us keep in mind, we do not have all of the information. I spoke with Scott tonight, and he gave me an example of a situation he was it where a lady wrote a letter to a group of people because he was misquoted by the news media. Scott explained himself to her and told her the situation, and she understood. But did she go and do the correct action to make it right? No.

In my own life, I find that I am a person that will deal with major confrontation issues, but a majority of the time I just let them go. That is something I need to work on. It is the fact that I am completely uncomfortable in those situations. Trust me in saying that I had a situation that happened YEARS ago in which I handled incorrectly and that still comes up to bite me. Did I do what I needed to at the time? Yes. But the person has refused to forgive the wrong doing I inflicted toward him, therefore hindering the friendship from going any further.

If you have never listened or took to heart anything that I have ever said, please take this snippet and apply it to your life. "Instead of talking "about" someone when you have a problem with them, try talking "with" them."

Thank you for reading.

-Ken

Labels: careers, Change in my Life, christ, church, David Uth, experiences, FIrst Orlando, forgiveness, friendships, ministry, Scott Link, stubborn

A teacher I had for a Bible class in high school always taught me "You must learn to agree to disagree agreeably." If we could make an amendment to the golden rule, I think this would be great to add on along side of the existing rule of "do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Labels: abortion, agree, America, beliefs, conservative, controversial, different, disagree, experiences, firearms, forgiveness, relationships

I have always struggled with them. The go great...then for no reason, always seem to come to a screeching halt. Why? Is it that I give up to soon? Have "tunnel vision" and only want thing to go my way...then they don't and I give up?

I believe the correct answer lies as a combination of the two above. I have a set way that I want things to be...and if someone does not agree with that, I take it personal. I have come to the realization that not everyone is going to be marching at the beat of my own drum and that differences is what makes us all unique.

In the fall of 2008, I had a friend that I was getting close to. A young lad that is an amazing guy. One night, we were chatting on the phone and although it was not the best of conversation topics, (meaning something dear to me) he mistakenly said something that did not settle right with me. Did I at that point ask for clarification? Oh no. I got defensive and offended. Was that the right reaction? No.

Days after that had happened, I felt terrible. But I figured that he had given up on the friendship that we had. He too struggles with Friendships just as I struggle. People come and go...no one is one hundred percent committed, besides him. For that I felt terrible for my reaction to the situation. I battled with this for months.

But I worked through some things, forgiveness was given. Tonight, I had the pleasure of having dinner with him at a very nice restaurant, Copeland's in Buckhead. We had a joyful time of fellowship and then the bitter-sweet moment of confrontation of the events last fall.

During that time, we talked through things, and we are on the road to recovery. God works in mysterious ways, but they always turn out for the best. There are still hurt feelings, but I think that time, trust and love will bring healing.

-Ken

Labels: committment, Copeland's Atlanta, forgiveness, friendships, love, mistakes, relationships, struggle