Journey of a Thousand Miles

It's been awhile. I've been busy writing new music for the album, getting into a regular exercise regime, staying focused at work, and working through spiritual issues. I recently borrowed a book from a friend called "Rejection," and it talks about the spiritual side of rejection and why we feel it. Interesting stuff. It says that an evil spirit can enter a baby in the womb and manifest itself throughout that person's life. The spirit of rejection can move through several generations, and it's passed down to you through your family line. I know. Intense stuff! So I've been praying for God to remove this spirit from my life so I can get on with living, and it's a lot harder than you would think. Rejection can attach to you deep into your soul, and it takes some digging to get it out. But I don't want to live with it anymore, so I am grabbing my spiritual shovel and getting that sucker out. I want to live a good life without this fear hangi...

Today I wrote down every single goal I have in life, then I made a list of every step required to achieve them. I am excited for all my goals. Now that I see a step-by-step map, I know what I need to do daily, weekly, monthly to achieve them. Little by little, I will see progress. Little by little, I will get to where I need to go. It may take longer; it may take shorter. And there may be new obstacles in the way, but at least I can move forward. And I will keep God at the center. If He decides not to take me down the same route I want to go, that's ok. I can take a detour. If anyone deters me from my path, I may have to remove them from my life. I can still love them as a Christian, and I can still serve the people God wants me to serve. But if someone is pulling me away from God and the path I need to be on, I need to let them go. I went on a detour this past year in the wrong relationship, but I am excited to get back on track. No more fighting. No more tugging and pulling. No m...

Stop being ashamed of your past. We are more than the mistakes that we make. The cross was enough. If you refuse to accept God's forgiveness, then you are saying that the cross was not enough. Use your past to help someone else, but don't beat yourself up about it. Only use it for God's glory. Embrace what you learned from your mistakes and move on. Guard your heart and mind from Satan's lies regarding your past sin. Don't waste Jesus' death by not letting go of past guilt and shame. "It is finished." God is ready to celebrate your return. He is not holding anything over your head.

Never marry for mercy. Don't marry for fear of hurting someone. It is NOT SELFISH to want to make a wise marital choice. Why should your children suffer from you not choosing the right father? It's not your life to give away. You need to think of the best stewardship of what God has given you. Why would you give it up for a pity marriage? Being tired of being single is NOT a good reason to get married. It's better to wait and make a wise choice. Sometimes the best way to find a good marital match is to end a bad dating match. Marrying well is a good witness to the world.

Going outside of God's will is a disaster. It is God's will to be sanctified, to avoid sexual immorality. Sexual ability is not what brings a marriage down. Your first priority is to marry a godly spouse. The same God who tells a girlfriend to say no to having sex with her boyfriend is the same God who tells a wife to say yes to having sex with her spouse. Guys, you want a girlfriend who will displease you to please God. If they don't obey God BEFORE marriage, they won't obey God AFTER marriage. If they can't sacrifice for a couple years of dating, they're not worth a lifetime of marriage. You're not obligated to carry someone else's sexual baggage. But once you marry them, you have to forgive their past and let it go. When you marry a godly person, there's forgiveness and grace. A person who's a giver and not a taker will figure out how to please you. You don't need to "try it out" before you buy it.

Marriage is a difficult pursuit. You might have to put in some effort or change something. Let it be a passionate pursuit. We can actively pursue a spouse; we don't have to sit back and wait passively for a spouse to come along. Search intentionally for a spouse. Seeking a spouse is not idolization. You may have to show interest in a guy for him to step up and ask you out. He needs to show SOME ability to pursue. Don't marry a passive man. Make yourself more marriageable. Where do I need to grow as a person? Spend what it takes, whether that's counseling or other resources.

Nowhere in the Bible does it say we have a "soulmate" or have to find "the One." Marriage isn't to be an idol to complete ourselves. Marriage shouldn't compete with God. Beauty is fleeting. Find someone who is set on pleasing the Lord. We are free to marry anyone we wish, only in the Lord. The choice to get married and who we marry is up to us. Rather than seeking a soulmate, seek a sole mate. A man who doesn't love God is limited in his ability to love you. You need a man who is controlled by the Holy Spirit. We need to marry someone who knows how to forgive. Don't try to 2nd guess God's design.

Know what tempts you and why.  Marriage is the sole outlet for sex.  Sexual sin is always destructive in one way or another. (physically, emotionally, spiritually) Sexual sin comes from hearts that reject God. People who refuse to repent grow increasingly perverse and leads to spiritual insanity. It blocks the process of our sanctification.  People who engage in sexual sin disregard God.  Sex outside of marriage is not ok just bc we love someone enough. This is not biblical.  Scripture never validates, "how far can I go before it's sinful?" To ask this question shows a divided heart. An undivided heart asks, "how holy can I be?" We compromise bc the desire for physical intimacy is the most powerful drive we have.  Sexual temptation hits us right in the ego.  What happens if we give in: loss of honor loss of strength and character ongoing physical consequences regret death divine judgment The root of discont...

Bonds can form around sin. Real change doesn't begin with trying harder to not do something sinful. Change starts when we're honest with God that we don't want to try at all. Don't hang with people who indulge in earthly pleasures. Insecurity- if God is not our anchor, we'll find security in people (the wrong people). Friendships like this can't work. Don't make friends with angry people. We are conformed to whatever we focus on. Bad company ruins good morals. Surround yourself with people who bring you closer to God. Spiritually edifying. Not afraid to talk about our sin struggles. Be honest about sin. We need friends who will hold us accountable, not someone who will say our sins are no big deal. Our choices in friendship are a reflection of where we are in God. Taking over someone else's responsibility is more harmful than good. Get unentangled by codependent relationships. Co-dependency = fear of man Unhealthy dependence o...