Catalyst

      We are here in Atlanta Georgia for the Catalyst Conference.  The first day is over and we were able to see 4 great speakers from Johnathan Acuff, Gayle Haggard, Chris Hodges and Alan & Deborah Hirsch.  They all brought very relevant topics to the table and really made you think about things.  I love it when a speaker makes you think about something and not just give you the same old thing that once you hear it you cash out and focus on the rest of the things you have to do that day.  Jon Acuff talked about a part of the brain that when it hears something old or something its heard before, it looks at that topic and immediately puts it away in one of the "buckets" in your brain.  He said you need a surprise, something new and fresh to catch your attention and allow you to engage your brain in something it has never heard before.  Gayle Haggard wife of Ted Haggard.  She spoke on Love and Grace.  If you know the story of Ted Haggard you know how hard it would be for someone, a wife in her case, to show Grace and Forgiveness to that situation.  She said that you will have trouble.  That's just the world.  It's how you deal with that trouble or situation that shows the world how you truly live your life.  We show what we believe by what we do.  Real Forgiveness is as though you never have never sinned.  As Christians, when we see someone struggling or facing temptations, we need to press in and show love and compassion, not judge and condemn.  She mentioned that we pray for our leaders for the strength to overcome temptations and struggles but when they fall to those temptations and struggles we think they have failed.  We need to press in at those moments and show love and grace to them in a way they have never seen before.  Grace and Forgiveness go hand in hand.
     Jon Acuff of www.stuffchristianslike.net was a very good presenter and told the 7 steps to tell a story that allows people to get involved with.  He is a very funny guy but brings good satire not mockery.  You should check out his website.  We are getting ready for breakfast and the Comfort Inn and Suites and then going to head out for the day.  Andy Stanley is opening the conference and am looking forward to all the speakers they have lined up.  I will try and check back later!

Grace and Peace

Seasons

1 down, 4 to go. We have made it past Monday. That always feels good because the next Monday doesn’t show up again for another 7 days. I am ready for the wonderful fall weather minus the rain. Add in some sunshine and I am good to go. I love it when the leaves begin to change but I wish they would just fall among the trees and stay out of my yard or whatever I have growing on the ground. Seasons of the year are much like seasons in our spiritual life. We die to our old selves and are reborn in Christ. At times we are on fire for Him and other times we are cold and searching for that warmth of the Son. The pure blanket of snow covers a ground that has ceased to grow new life and shows a future of new growth. If we didn’t have the seasons, would we not appreciate the warmth of the sun or the coolness of a fall breeze? In our walk with Christ, would we truly appreciate the love and compassion of our Lord if we didn’t have to walk through the dark valleys and face the temptations that life throws at us every day? Only when we come out of those valleys and have put aside those temptations and see that God has been beside us the whole time, do we appreciate his love and compassion. He walks with us even when we don’t feel like He is there. If we can only try and walk out the Kingdom every day and show Christ’s love to others will we begin to see how Christ is guiding us in the way of truth. May we live life to the fullest and strive to love as Christ loves.


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Robotic Monday

It’s Monday again and I hope everyone had a great weekend. I am still getting into the routine of having a blog so bear with my when there isn’t a post every day. Mine was very productive with purchasing curtains for some of the house and spending a wonderful weekend with my beautiful wife. We tried to shop for cloths for me but that can be a challenge sometimes. We need a whole store dedicated to Big & Tall. Anyway, overall it was a very productive weekend. I look forward to spending time with my wife and I hope we always enjoy spending time with each other. I schedule things around her so we can have the most time together to learn and grow together in life and love. I think we can feel that way about God sometimes. We get so used to the day to day routine of being a “Christian” that we seem to fall into a robotic like state of praying or reading our bible because it’s what you were taught to do instead of a desire to do so. I am very guilty of that. I want that burning desire to want to read Gods word and learn and question and think. I hope if you are in that place that you will join me in a desire to pursue the Almighty God in a way you never have. Sometimes God becomes something that we fit into our schedule. At the end of the day you say “well I have a few minutes before I go to bed so I guess I’ll read my bible” or “well this is what I’m supposed to do so I better”. I know at first it takes discipline to get into the habit of reading your bible on a regular basis but we must also pray for God to give us the focus and desire to follow after him in all that we do and in our day to day schedule. I am a Christ Follower and I pray that my life will reflect him in all I say and do. Lord, please create in me the desire to consume your word and apply it to my life.


Grace and Peace


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Friday

Well it's Friday everyone.  Congrats on making it through yet another week.  I hope everyone had a week that they are proud of.  If not, there's always next week. It's called learning from your mistakes.  I have always said don't make excuses, make improvements.  God gives us the strength we need to make it through every situation and will never give us more that He knows we can handle.  That's the thing we need to keep in mind.  Even though we are facing a situation and it looks hopeless, we have to trust in Gods word that we can handle it together. Makes me think of superhero movie or the older cartoons like thunder cats.  "WITH OUR POWERS COMBINED" (with deep voice and a lot of echo) and I digress!  He says in 1 Cor 10:13"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful: he will not let you be TEMPTED beyond what you can bear." So not on our own strength because we are weak human beings.  Only by the strength of God can we get through situations. He tells us that we are to lean on him....2 Cor 12:9 "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." You will realize that when you try to keep a constant walk with God that the good times get better and the bad times are bearable. I hope this gives you some hope and a faith that is unstoppable.  We need to be a light in this dark work and one way we can do that is to be a light even when things are not going the way we planned.  "the way we planned" get's us every time.  Everything turns out the way God has planned so trust in the solution.  Have a good rest of the day and have a great weekend!

Grace and Peace

Not Much

Well I don't have much to say this morning but I hope we can all live a life worth imitating. You can never get back what you will do today so try and see with the eyes of God and show compassion and love as Christ would!

Grace and Peace


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The Office

Don't forget The Office starts again tonight.


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Good Morning

Good morning another day. Early for some not so early for others but life is short. You Have to cherish every moment that you have. I wake up in the morning sometimes saying it's just another day another early morning but we have to be thankful that we have another morning and another day to be able to serve a God that loves us and wants the best for us. The Same God that created the universe and breathed out stars is waiting to take that first step with you and walk beside you. Like a child learning to walk they need their father beside them to give guidance and guide them in a path that is worth the effort. The Father is always there to pick you up when you fall, sets you back on your feet and orients you in the proper path. Today may we never grow out of that child like need for guidance and always trust that our heavenly Father will be there and wants to guide your every step in furthering His Kingdom

Grace and Peace


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Post from my iPhone

Just doing a test to see how the iPhone app works!

Me and my beautiful wife!


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A little about me

I am 29 and live in Logan, OH.  I am married to an amazing woman Stacey and love life.  Music is a passion of mine from playing to recording to writing.  I am currently in a christian rock band called The Carried.  www.thecarried.com.  We play when we can but with all of us having full time jobs and one in college, life gets busy.  I work for the City of Lancaster in the Engineering Department as a Technician.  I attend Lancaster Community Church in Lancaster and love getting involved in whatever I can. I hope that you can get some enjoyment out of my day to day life and the things I go though.  You never know, you may be going through the same thing!

Grace and Peace 

First ONe

Well this is the first of hopefully many.  Keep checking back for updates in my life.

Ben