Today, I want to talk to you about dreams. How often do you sit and dream? I do it all the time. I day dream about all kinds of situations in my life. I have visions of what a right relationship would look like and see myself there. I think dreaming is something important that we have missed in our lives. I was in church on Sunday and heard this message. Then I went back to a totally different church and heard the same message about vision and dreams on Sunday night. Do you think God was trying to tell me something? In the last couple of weeks I have had two very strong revelations from the bible about dreams. So here we go.
We all have dreams. As I have said before, when I was in high school, I dreamed of going to Annapolis and then on to fly F-14s for the US Navy. Well that one didn't come to pass but that's OK. Top Gun is still one of my favorite movies of all time. I love the end because Tom Cruise overcomes tragedy and saves the day. It's my kind of movie.
I also dreamed about going to law school one day and becoming Perry Mason. I was going to argue cases and be the greatest lawyer ever to walk the planet. Well that partly happened. I did graduate law school and technically I am a lawyer but I don't practice much. If you have ever had me as your lawyer, you know I am no Perry Mason. ;) But I am happy with me and I am glad I went to school. When I told people about my dream some of them said I would never make it. Some said it to my face and some said it behind my back but that's OK. That dream was working inside me and guess what, I made it.
Now here is a dream that I am going to share with you that I have never made public. Only a few people know about this one but I want to share it with you now. For years I dreamed of being the President of the United States. I could see myself in the Oval Office. I could see myself making right decisions and governing wisely. I read scriptures about how when the righteous rule the people rejoice. Many people say they wouldn't want the job but I wanted to be the go to guy. I wanted to see if I had what it took. If you come into my office you will find many books about presidents, the white house and being president. It was definitely one of my long term goals. Today, I don't really want to be President anymore. Why you ask, because it isn't my calling. I am beginning to wake up to what the Lord has called me to do and I know that isn't it.
So what I have been doing the last couple of days is working on my dreams. I am writing them down and beginning to think about them. Many studies show that when we write down our dreams and think about them regularly, this process acts like a magnet drawing us closer and closer to our dreams and goals. That's pretty cool stuff huh.
See, I think it is important to dream big. When I dreamed about losing weight, I would see myself skinny. I would see myself doing all kinds of things. One thing that really embarrassed me about being big was I couldn't water ski which was big with my family. But I would see myself being skinny and attractive. I started confessing everyday that I weighed 205 pounds. I did this for over a year without dropping a single pound but that dream was resonating inside my spirit every day. That dream was working inside me and pointing me the right direction. Then one day, that dream popped in my spirit and the transformation began. But guess what, I didn't stop at 205. I went all the way down to 185. See when we dare to dream and then keep those dreams in front of us, amazing things can happen.
Now let me tie this to a place you may not really understand. God. Guess what, he has dreams. He has dreams about you. The bible says that He has plans for you. Plans for your good. It says in another place that he knew you before the foundation of the world. Since before the world was founded he was dreaming about you. That's pretty far out there stuff huh.
Well I want you to get a picture of this. Think for a minute about that perfect guy or that perfect girl or maybe a car, etc. Picture him/her/it in your mind. Think for a second about whatever your goal is. See yourself in a right relationship (See the Box). See yourself succeeding. How does that feel? Does it touch a nerve in the core of your being? Does it release a warm feeling inside you? This might blow your mind but the Lord sits around dreaming of you the same way. He pictures you in his mind successful. He pictures you in his mind with the right person. He sees you enjoying yourself and it brings great pleasure to His soul. He gets excited about His dreams for your life. He has a good life planned for you. He sees you and He spending time together doing things that you love.
And that's another Opinion of the Minion.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
A Minion's Hope
Today I want to talk to you about hope. I belive the single most devistating thing that can happen in your life is to loose hope. Hope is one of the most important parts of our lives but how often do we hear someone say, "Don't get your hopes up." That is one the of the dumbest things I have ever heard. I want you to get your hope sky high. OK, I can immediately hear people saying, "He has flipped out. I hoped that this would happen or that would happen and it didn't. When I hoped for that situation to work out in my life and it didn't, that hurt me deeply and I would have been better of not to have gotten my hopes up at all."
Let me say, I certainly understand your point. I have done the same thing. I got my hopes up that a certain area of my life would change and it didn't. A few months ago, I got my hopes up about a certain relationship and that didn't work. I used to get my hopes up all the time that I could go on a diet and loose weight. I used to get my hopes up that I would be in a great relationship with a woman and that didn't work. Even recently, I got my hopes up about a situation that didn't work out like I wanted. So I should have just let it go. I should have not hoped at all. Think about it. Wouldn't it have been better if I hadn't hoped. If I had just expected failure. That way I wouldn't have felt the disappointment and in some cases pain of the failure. I can see what you mean by your question above. Maybe you were even right.
Well, not so fast. The critical question about hope is in what or where do I place it? If I place my hope in you that you will do something or you place your hope in me that I will do something, at some point we will both be disappointed. Why? Because we aren't perfect. Also, sometimes we put our hope in a person who isn't capable of doing what we want anyway. Think of it this way, if you put your hope in me that I will be able to dunk a basketball. I can 100% gaurantee you that you will be disappointed. I am 5'7" tall and my verticle jump won't get me there. That's not really important in the grand scheme of life but what if you put your hope in a friend or relationship to make you happy?
What if you looked to a girl or guy as the thing that was going to make you happy in life? That other person is going to make a mistake somewhere and disappoint you. It will probably hurt when they do. See, they weren't made perfect so they are not capable of being perfect. Everyone is going to make mistakes and when the mistake involves you, it is going to hurt. "OK," you say, "if you want me to have hope and hope is so critical to my life, who or what do I put my hope in?"
Some of you who read this are ahead of me and know exactly where I am going. That makes me smile. I will tell you where I put my hope. I put my hope in God. He isn't just a train ticket to Heaven. He is what keeps me going here. I know that he cannot fail. If I put my trust in him, there is no area we cannot conquer. I desire with all my heart to have a godly mate. I want a woman I can cherish, protect, care for, and grow with. I want one that I can talk to. You know my personal feelings from reading the Box. So when I get around someone who I think is a good candidate, do I put my hope in her that she will be what I am seeking? Nope, I put my trust in God. He said He would provide all my needs so I put my hope in Him that He will provide what I need. I don't hope in the woman, I hope in God. When I do this, there is such great peace because no matter what comes up, my hope is in God. If I have a good night or bad, it doesn't matter because my hope stays where it belongs. Guess what, as I have done this, I have seen deliverance and help from God in every area where I put this to work.
Recently on Facebook there was a person who stated that they were Wiccan (sp?). My response was, Why? I certainly respect their right to be Wiccan. That wasn't really what I was asking. Then someone else posted that this person was Wiccan because they chose their religion just like I did. Well I appreciate their response as I do believe they were honestly trying to help me out but what I wanted to know is why did you chose to be Wiccan? I can tell you why I choose to be a Christian. It's because God still helps me everyday. It's because when I call on Him, He answers. It's because when things seem like they are coming apart, I can go to Him and He makes me to be at peace even though it looks like I am in deep trouble. When I place my hope in Him, it centers and grounds me. All of the sudden, my world turns right side up and things look good again.
And that's another Opinion of the Minion
Let me say, I certainly understand your point. I have done the same thing. I got my hopes up that a certain area of my life would change and it didn't. A few months ago, I got my hopes up about a certain relationship and that didn't work. I used to get my hopes up all the time that I could go on a diet and loose weight. I used to get my hopes up that I would be in a great relationship with a woman and that didn't work. Even recently, I got my hopes up about a situation that didn't work out like I wanted. So I should have just let it go. I should have not hoped at all. Think about it. Wouldn't it have been better if I hadn't hoped. If I had just expected failure. That way I wouldn't have felt the disappointment and in some cases pain of the failure. I can see what you mean by your question above. Maybe you were even right.
Well, not so fast. The critical question about hope is in what or where do I place it? If I place my hope in you that you will do something or you place your hope in me that I will do something, at some point we will both be disappointed. Why? Because we aren't perfect. Also, sometimes we put our hope in a person who isn't capable of doing what we want anyway. Think of it this way, if you put your hope in me that I will be able to dunk a basketball. I can 100% gaurantee you that you will be disappointed. I am 5'7" tall and my verticle jump won't get me there. That's not really important in the grand scheme of life but what if you put your hope in a friend or relationship to make you happy?
What if you looked to a girl or guy as the thing that was going to make you happy in life? That other person is going to make a mistake somewhere and disappoint you. It will probably hurt when they do. See, they weren't made perfect so they are not capable of being perfect. Everyone is going to make mistakes and when the mistake involves you, it is going to hurt. "OK," you say, "if you want me to have hope and hope is so critical to my life, who or what do I put my hope in?"
Some of you who read this are ahead of me and know exactly where I am going. That makes me smile. I will tell you where I put my hope. I put my hope in God. He isn't just a train ticket to Heaven. He is what keeps me going here. I know that he cannot fail. If I put my trust in him, there is no area we cannot conquer. I desire with all my heart to have a godly mate. I want a woman I can cherish, protect, care for, and grow with. I want one that I can talk to. You know my personal feelings from reading the Box. So when I get around someone who I think is a good candidate, do I put my hope in her that she will be what I am seeking? Nope, I put my trust in God. He said He would provide all my needs so I put my hope in Him that He will provide what I need. I don't hope in the woman, I hope in God. When I do this, there is such great peace because no matter what comes up, my hope is in God. If I have a good night or bad, it doesn't matter because my hope stays where it belongs. Guess what, as I have done this, I have seen deliverance and help from God in every area where I put this to work.
Recently on Facebook there was a person who stated that they were Wiccan (sp?). My response was, Why? I certainly respect their right to be Wiccan. That wasn't really what I was asking. Then someone else posted that this person was Wiccan because they chose their religion just like I did. Well I appreciate their response as I do believe they were honestly trying to help me out but what I wanted to know is why did you chose to be Wiccan? I can tell you why I choose to be a Christian. It's because God still helps me everyday. It's because when I call on Him, He answers. It's because when things seem like they are coming apart, I can go to Him and He makes me to be at peace even though it looks like I am in deep trouble. When I place my hope in Him, it centers and grounds me. All of the sudden, my world turns right side up and things look good again.
And that's another Opinion of the Minion
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Run Minion Run
Today, I want to talk to you about running. "Well Tommy," you say, "That doesn't sound all that challenging. How are you going to have an opinion at the end of this?" Give me a little space and I will explain. I hope this challenges you.
As most of you know, I used to weigh 350 pounds. I never met a buffet I didn't like though most of the buffet type restaurants didn't like me. :-) See I took a buffet as a personal challenge. The words on the front door said, "All You Can Eat". They didn't say, "All You Want to Eat," or "All You Should Eat," or "Eat Enough to Get Full." They said, "All You Can Eat". I was never one to back down from a challenge so I went at each one with determination. I would eat so much pizza, mexican food and even chinese food that I would have a stomach ache when I left the restaurant. But I ate all I could. My friends and I even had personal records when we were young. They weren't ones to be proud of though. And when I stepped on a scale to weigh myself, it would flash the words, "One person on the scale at a time please." OK I am just kidding about the last sentence but I hope it made someone laugh.
Back then I had trouble climbing up a flight of stairs. When I got to the top of the staircase at our office building, I was winded a little. Back then, the idea of walking a mile was impossible. I just couldn't do it. But life is all about perspective.
Today, I run six miles a day, five days a week. Is that a lot? For some yes; for some no but it doesn't matter, it's good for me. But my perspective is much different today than it was seven and a half years ago. At that time, I would never have even dreamed of being able to run six miles. I wouldn't have dreamed of running six feet. It was just not something I planned to do. Today, things are much different. If you had asked me then, I would have told you that six miles was impossible. And guess what, back then it was.
But I started running. At first, I just walked on the treadmill. Then I decided I would walk for 5 or 6 minutes and trot for a minute. Pretty soon, it progressed to walking 4 minutes and jogging a minute. It just kept progressing until I was running. The next thing I knew I decided to run the Cowtown Marathon (It's In Fort Worth). Imagine that. From 350 pounds to running a marathon in a little less than two years. That's a miracle from God. God is able to do more than we can ask or think because not only did I finish my first marathon but I finished in the top 30% of all the runners. I have ran two marathons and I used the training manual from the Boston marathon to get ready for both. At the end of my training, I was running about 75 miles a week. My long run day was over 20 miles. Am I saying this to brag? Of course not. I am saying this because life is all about perspective. When I was 350 pounds, I could never have seen myself running even 6 miles at one time. Then at the end of my marathon training, six miles was only a good warm up. At that point, I thought only running six miles was like a vacation day.
Now think about your own life for a few minutes. What was the six mile situation in your life? Was it a relationship, money, grades, where to go to college, weight? Are there things that once looked impossible that are not really any big deal today? Remember what it was like when you first faced that impossible situation. Remember how you saw no way out of it and how it looked like it was going to do real damage to your life. Now look back at it after you have come through. It doesn't seem like that big a deal does it? All the worry and fear and for what? You came through! That six mile situation in your life wasn't so big after all?
By now, most of you probably know where I am headed. Let me ask you another question that is equally important. What six mile situation are you facing right now? What looks impossible? What has you laying awake at night worrying about it? OK now that you know what I am talking about, how do you handle it? The answer is one step at a time. Do what you can do and learn to let go of what you can't. I am certainly not perfect at it but I want to get better. Remember this six mile situation that you are facing can turn into just another success in your life and you will come through it!
And that's another Opinion of the Minion
As most of you know, I used to weigh 350 pounds. I never met a buffet I didn't like though most of the buffet type restaurants didn't like me. :-) See I took a buffet as a personal challenge. The words on the front door said, "All You Can Eat". They didn't say, "All You Want to Eat," or "All You Should Eat," or "Eat Enough to Get Full." They said, "All You Can Eat". I was never one to back down from a challenge so I went at each one with determination. I would eat so much pizza, mexican food and even chinese food that I would have a stomach ache when I left the restaurant. But I ate all I could. My friends and I even had personal records when we were young. They weren't ones to be proud of though. And when I stepped on a scale to weigh myself, it would flash the words, "One person on the scale at a time please." OK I am just kidding about the last sentence but I hope it made someone laugh.
Back then I had trouble climbing up a flight of stairs. When I got to the top of the staircase at our office building, I was winded a little. Back then, the idea of walking a mile was impossible. I just couldn't do it. But life is all about perspective.
Today, I run six miles a day, five days a week. Is that a lot? For some yes; for some no but it doesn't matter, it's good for me. But my perspective is much different today than it was seven and a half years ago. At that time, I would never have even dreamed of being able to run six miles. I wouldn't have dreamed of running six feet. It was just not something I planned to do. Today, things are much different. If you had asked me then, I would have told you that six miles was impossible. And guess what, back then it was.
But I started running. At first, I just walked on the treadmill. Then I decided I would walk for 5 or 6 minutes and trot for a minute. Pretty soon, it progressed to walking 4 minutes and jogging a minute. It just kept progressing until I was running. The next thing I knew I decided to run the Cowtown Marathon (It's In Fort Worth). Imagine that. From 350 pounds to running a marathon in a little less than two years. That's a miracle from God. God is able to do more than we can ask or think because not only did I finish my first marathon but I finished in the top 30% of all the runners. I have ran two marathons and I used the training manual from the Boston marathon to get ready for both. At the end of my training, I was running about 75 miles a week. My long run day was over 20 miles. Am I saying this to brag? Of course not. I am saying this because life is all about perspective. When I was 350 pounds, I could never have seen myself running even 6 miles at one time. Then at the end of my marathon training, six miles was only a good warm up. At that point, I thought only running six miles was like a vacation day.
Now think about your own life for a few minutes. What was the six mile situation in your life? Was it a relationship, money, grades, where to go to college, weight? Are there things that once looked impossible that are not really any big deal today? Remember what it was like when you first faced that impossible situation. Remember how you saw no way out of it and how it looked like it was going to do real damage to your life. Now look back at it after you have come through. It doesn't seem like that big a deal does it? All the worry and fear and for what? You came through! That six mile situation in your life wasn't so big after all?
By now, most of you probably know where I am headed. Let me ask you another question that is equally important. What six mile situation are you facing right now? What looks impossible? What has you laying awake at night worrying about it? OK now that you know what I am talking about, how do you handle it? The answer is one step at a time. Do what you can do and learn to let go of what you can't. I am certainly not perfect at it but I want to get better. Remember this six mile situation that you are facing can turn into just another success in your life and you will come through it!
And that's another Opinion of the Minion
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
A Thankful Minion
I really don't know how to start this blog so here goes.
First of all, let me say that I am deeply humbled by all of you who read this blog. I never in my wildest imagination thought that so many people would read it. That in itself is a deeply humbling experience. As I have said before, I am not a writer. I just try to open my heart and pour what comes out onto this blog. I continue to be baffled by increase in the number of people who are fans on Facebook. Every time the number goes up by just one, it represents a person who likes what goes on here and I hope I can live up to your praise.
Normally these blogs come pretty easy to me. I just sit and write. Today I am struggling with words to use to express my sincerest and deepest gratitude to all of you who have said such nice things to me. Several people have told me that I might never know the impact that this blog is having on other people's lives. This blog has been one of the most gratifying things I have ever experienced in my life. I am especially humbled by the opportunity I had to lead a young girl to Christ through this page. I look forward to getting to meet her in Heaven one day. I didn't save her by any stretch. Only Jesus can do that but it was such a sweet experience to be the guide. Lord, thank you for allowing me to do that and I hope I get the opportunity through this blog again.
What many of YOU may never know is the impact you have had on my life. I hope to find words to tell you thank you for all you mean to me. Thank you just doesn't begin to seem strong enough to express my feelings of gratitude. See, I try to pour myself into these blogs in the hope that they will help someone else and I believe they do. And for many years, I believed that I was strong enough to help others without getting help myself. Then I realized that as I pour myself out, my emotional tank gets pretty empty. That is where all your kind words have made such an impact. They have refilled my tank.
After lunch today, I sat down at my desk and was feeling a little drained. I didn't feel bad but I wanted to reread some of the amazing but undeserved things people have said to encourage me. I just needed a little boost in my tank. Over the last few days, several people have taken the time to look into my Box and bless me. Then there was another post that just put me over the top by someone who was so generous. I just sat for a few minutes and cried. I am truly touched by all that everyone has done. When I wrote about the Box, I wanted to be blessing to others and I had no idea that so many others would be such a blessing to me.
When I think of you and all the kindness you have shown me there is such an amazing love and peace that washes over me. There is a song called "Thank You (For Giving to The Lord)". The chorus has these lines in it,
Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am a life that was changed
Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am so glad you gave
Well I want to say these words to you. Thank you for giving to the Lord by taking the time to make such a positive impact on my life. I have definitely been a life that was changed by you. I feel so undeserving of the things you have all said but I am so truly blessed by them.
That's the Opinion of a Deeply Humbled Minion
First of all, let me say that I am deeply humbled by all of you who read this blog. I never in my wildest imagination thought that so many people would read it. That in itself is a deeply humbling experience. As I have said before, I am not a writer. I just try to open my heart and pour what comes out onto this blog. I continue to be baffled by increase in the number of people who are fans on Facebook. Every time the number goes up by just one, it represents a person who likes what goes on here and I hope I can live up to your praise.
Normally these blogs come pretty easy to me. I just sit and write. Today I am struggling with words to use to express my sincerest and deepest gratitude to all of you who have said such nice things to me. Several people have told me that I might never know the impact that this blog is having on other people's lives. This blog has been one of the most gratifying things I have ever experienced in my life. I am especially humbled by the opportunity I had to lead a young girl to Christ through this page. I look forward to getting to meet her in Heaven one day. I didn't save her by any stretch. Only Jesus can do that but it was such a sweet experience to be the guide. Lord, thank you for allowing me to do that and I hope I get the opportunity through this blog again.
What many of YOU may never know is the impact you have had on my life. I hope to find words to tell you thank you for all you mean to me. Thank you just doesn't begin to seem strong enough to express my feelings of gratitude. See, I try to pour myself into these blogs in the hope that they will help someone else and I believe they do. And for many years, I believed that I was strong enough to help others without getting help myself. Then I realized that as I pour myself out, my emotional tank gets pretty empty. That is where all your kind words have made such an impact. They have refilled my tank.
After lunch today, I sat down at my desk and was feeling a little drained. I didn't feel bad but I wanted to reread some of the amazing but undeserved things people have said to encourage me. I just needed a little boost in my tank. Over the last few days, several people have taken the time to look into my Box and bless me. Then there was another post that just put me over the top by someone who was so generous. I just sat for a few minutes and cried. I am truly touched by all that everyone has done. When I wrote about the Box, I wanted to be blessing to others and I had no idea that so many others would be such a blessing to me.
When I think of you and all the kindness you have shown me there is such an amazing love and peace that washes over me. There is a song called "Thank You (For Giving to The Lord)". The chorus has these lines in it,
Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am a life that was changed
Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am so glad you gave
Well I want to say these words to you. Thank you for giving to the Lord by taking the time to make such a positive impact on my life. I have definitely been a life that was changed by you. I feel so undeserving of the things you have all said but I am so truly blessed by them.
That's the Opinion of a Deeply Humbled Minion
Sunday, August 21, 2011
A Message from the Lord of the Minion
Dear Friends,
This will be a different type of post for me but I know it is right. If you are a minister, I ask that you read this with care and make sure I am hearing correctly. I believe today, I have a letter from the Lord that is in my spirit that must be let out onto this blog. Below please find that letter from the Lord.
My Dearest Child,
Long before you were born, I created this world and I gave it to my son Adam. It was completely his and I intended for us to grow it together. But Adam made a bad mistake. He gave the authority over this world to a fallen angel you know as Satan. Let me say, I have never stopped loving Adam. I care about him as deeply today as I did back then. It grieved me that he gave our authority to Satan but I still love him.
I deeply loved Satan before he fell from Heaven. Both Satan and Adam are my creations and I had to let both make decisions that would hurt Me even though I loved them with all that I am. Jesus was there with me when these things happened and I see love so deeply in him. I love him. It grieved us both to see our creation hurt and see where we knew things were headed. But We don't quit. Our love for you would never allow us to. That separation that Adam caused between Us and Our creation was something we desperately wanted to close. Our hearts yearned for Our creation even more than before the fall because of the separation that took place. We couldn't be one with Our creation like we were before that day in the garden.
I had a plan all along to bridge the gap. The problem with the sacrifices that took place before this was that Satan still had authority in the earth. That was what happened when Adam ate of the tree I told him not to. He gave authority I intended for us to share to Satan. I needed something to take the authority back so that I could be close to you and live with you. Before the cross, I could be around you and I could be close but I could not live inside you. It's like Tommy said about the box. I could admire and put things in you but I want to live in your box. I want to get as close as possible to the inner part of your box. I want to get so close that what's inside your box and I become one. If someone looks inside your box, I do not want them to be able to distinguish between what is you and what is Me.
I want to give you everything I have. I am constantly looking for ways to bless you. Sometimes you reject my offers but I never stop offering. You are still my most prized possession. If you look in awe at the majesty of the mountains or the depths of the oceans or the stars of the heaven, they are nothing compared to the way I look at you. You are all that I long for.
Before I could become one with you again, I needed to get the authority back to do so. If I had tried to change things without doing this, it would have destroyed the world and I would have lost you forever. The three of us (Jesus, the Holy Spirit and I) could not bear the thought of loosing you. You are too precious to Me. You are all that I want. The only way to put that bridge in place so that I could live with you and love you the way that I really wanted was for there to be a perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. They included the ones that I knew you would commit after the cross and all the ones before. For this to happen, We knew that We would have to send Jesus to as final payment for all the sin of our creation. He decided He would go through great pain because of His love for you.
When We sent him to the earth, immediately some of his creation sought out to kill Him. Imagine what it would be like for your son or daughter to be so misguided that they tried to take your life. That's what was happening then. Our creation didn't know Us. I protected him because We all knew what He had to do. I sent him into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. I had to make sure he faced every opportunity to sin that the rest of Our creation has faced. And he did. But he held fast to me and blocked every temptation. After that, he got to do what he loves more than anything. Even though they didn't know they were his creation, We blessed Our creation through him. We got to give out little glimpses of our love. And we enjoyed it. We got to heal the sick, proclaim liberty to the captives, provide food for people that needed, we got to give dead people back to their loved ones. We got to give money to people that needed it. We got to spend three years walking the earth in human form and blessing it. It was such a joyous time for us. Jesus loved his time on the earth with his creation. We waited until the time was right and then set about redeeming Our creation and putting the bridge in place that would allow Us to come live in your box and be one with you.
Many will say that I am an angry God looking for ways to hurt my creation but I am not. I love my creation too deeply to do anything that would harm it. It is all I love. Many of my sons and daughters are anxiously awaiting my son Jesus' second coming. That will be a sad day for me because many of those that I love more than anything will have made a choice not to live with me and be with me. I love them enough to let them decide but it hurts Me when they don't want Me. I want you to know that I love you today. I have always loved you and I always will love you. I am God but I want to be your Father. I want to spend time with you. I want us to enjoy your life together. I want you to be successful and fulfilled all the days of your life. I want nothing but the best for you. Bad things happen in this life to people but I don't do bad things to my loved ones. Little children, you are all I care about and desire. I have gold and beauty you haven't seen yet but I seek after you.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is with great fear and trembling that I submit this letter from the Lord.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have eternal life.
Tommy Oswald (The Minion that God so passionately, deeply and committedly loves)
This will be a different type of post for me but I know it is right. If you are a minister, I ask that you read this with care and make sure I am hearing correctly. I believe today, I have a letter from the Lord that is in my spirit that must be let out onto this blog. Below please find that letter from the Lord.
My Dearest Child,
Long before you were born, I created this world and I gave it to my son Adam. It was completely his and I intended for us to grow it together. But Adam made a bad mistake. He gave the authority over this world to a fallen angel you know as Satan. Let me say, I have never stopped loving Adam. I care about him as deeply today as I did back then. It grieved me that he gave our authority to Satan but I still love him.
I deeply loved Satan before he fell from Heaven. Both Satan and Adam are my creations and I had to let both make decisions that would hurt Me even though I loved them with all that I am. Jesus was there with me when these things happened and I see love so deeply in him. I love him. It grieved us both to see our creation hurt and see where we knew things were headed. But We don't quit. Our love for you would never allow us to. That separation that Adam caused between Us and Our creation was something we desperately wanted to close. Our hearts yearned for Our creation even more than before the fall because of the separation that took place. We couldn't be one with Our creation like we were before that day in the garden.
I had a plan all along to bridge the gap. The problem with the sacrifices that took place before this was that Satan still had authority in the earth. That was what happened when Adam ate of the tree I told him not to. He gave authority I intended for us to share to Satan. I needed something to take the authority back so that I could be close to you and live with you. Before the cross, I could be around you and I could be close but I could not live inside you. It's like Tommy said about the box. I could admire and put things in you but I want to live in your box. I want to get as close as possible to the inner part of your box. I want to get so close that what's inside your box and I become one. If someone looks inside your box, I do not want them to be able to distinguish between what is you and what is Me.
I want to give you everything I have. I am constantly looking for ways to bless you. Sometimes you reject my offers but I never stop offering. You are still my most prized possession. If you look in awe at the majesty of the mountains or the depths of the oceans or the stars of the heaven, they are nothing compared to the way I look at you. You are all that I long for.
Before I could become one with you again, I needed to get the authority back to do so. If I had tried to change things without doing this, it would have destroyed the world and I would have lost you forever. The three of us (Jesus, the Holy Spirit and I) could not bear the thought of loosing you. You are too precious to Me. You are all that I want. The only way to put that bridge in place so that I could live with you and love you the way that I really wanted was for there to be a perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. They included the ones that I knew you would commit after the cross and all the ones before. For this to happen, We knew that We would have to send Jesus to as final payment for all the sin of our creation. He decided He would go through great pain because of His love for you.
When We sent him to the earth, immediately some of his creation sought out to kill Him. Imagine what it would be like for your son or daughter to be so misguided that they tried to take your life. That's what was happening then. Our creation didn't know Us. I protected him because We all knew what He had to do. I sent him into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. I had to make sure he faced every opportunity to sin that the rest of Our creation has faced. And he did. But he held fast to me and blocked every temptation. After that, he got to do what he loves more than anything. Even though they didn't know they were his creation, We blessed Our creation through him. We got to give out little glimpses of our love. And we enjoyed it. We got to heal the sick, proclaim liberty to the captives, provide food for people that needed, we got to give dead people back to their loved ones. We got to give money to people that needed it. We got to spend three years walking the earth in human form and blessing it. It was such a joyous time for us. Jesus loved his time on the earth with his creation. We waited until the time was right and then set about redeeming Our creation and putting the bridge in place that would allow Us to come live in your box and be one with you.
Many will say that I am an angry God looking for ways to hurt my creation but I am not. I love my creation too deeply to do anything that would harm it. It is all I love. Many of my sons and daughters are anxiously awaiting my son Jesus' second coming. That will be a sad day for me because many of those that I love more than anything will have made a choice not to live with me and be with me. I love them enough to let them decide but it hurts Me when they don't want Me. I want you to know that I love you today. I have always loved you and I always will love you. I am God but I want to be your Father. I want to spend time with you. I want us to enjoy your life together. I want you to be successful and fulfilled all the days of your life. I want nothing but the best for you. Bad things happen in this life to people but I don't do bad things to my loved ones. Little children, you are all I care about and desire. I have gold and beauty you haven't seen yet but I seek after you.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is with great fear and trembling that I submit this letter from the Lord.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have eternal life.
Tommy Oswald (The Minion that God so passionately, deeply and committedly loves)
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
A 350 Pound Minion
One thing I believe in doing is being honest with yourself. In one of my blogs, I talked about my greatest failure. Today, I want to share something that I hope will inspire someone who needs it. While, I guess I would have to say that this is a success in my life, I respectfully submit this not as bragging but in the hope that someone else will be inspired to make themselves better. I have a very dear friend who told me that this story inspired her and I cannot tell you how much that touched my heart.
It's funny because it seems easier to talk about the things that I have done wrong and I am almost ashamed to talk about the things I have done right. Why is that? I think it is because I have been taught that pride is a bad thing. There are some forms of pride that are very bad but I think it is OK to talk about things that go right in your life. That's part of being honest with you. See we all know all of our faults. I can catalog mine and cross reference them. And when we are feeling down, then we want to spend a lot of time working our self over about them which isn't good. But what about the other side of the coin? What about our strenghts?
Well, as you may have guessed the picture above is of my dad, my son and me. Doesn't look much like the picture to the right of the blog does it. Well it's really me. At my heaviest, I was 350 pounds. I am 67" tall and I was 58" around. I used to tell people that I was in shape because round is a shape! Nobody bought. I wore a 5X shirt. I made jokes about my weight all the time but the reality of it was that it hurt to be this big. It hurt physically but it also hurt emotionally. If you are big, I understand completely where you are because I was there myself.
Have you ever ridden on an airplane? Well you know when you sit down the flight attendant does a demonstration showing you how to work the seat belt? That thing she holds up can be used as a seat extension for people who cannot fit the seat belt around their waist. I was one of those people and always had to ask for it. It was embarrassing and I was ashamed of myself. I tried to play it off with jokes but it always hurt.
Finally, the Lord instructed me to get a personal trainer. Now at the time, I didn't want one because I didn't want to spend the money but I believed I had heard the voice of the Lord so I decided to hire him. After several months, I kept telling him I was going on a diet and I would (for at least a day or two at a time). But then life would happen and I would quit. One day, I told my trainer that I was starting another diet and he called me a liar. He told me not to insult him by saying that. He said that when I was tired of being the way I was, I would change. Until then, I wouldn't. Well, I am not used to people who I pay money talking to me like that but he was absolutely right. It's funny because today he is definitely a friend of mine and not just my personal trainer.
So I started journaling everything I wrote. I did this for about six months. Then one day, I had to face what I was doing. See, I wrote down everything on paper that I was eating but mentally, I didn't write it all down. After I admitted the problem I had, I asked the Lord to deliver me from my addiction to carbohydrates. Guess what happened. He did. I got sick for a couple of days but I came out of it a changed man. All the sudden, eating the right things and exercising was easy. I didn't tell people I was going on a diet but I didn't have to. They could see it. There is a life lesson in that point - Don't go around telling people what your are going to do. Just let your actions speak for themselves. They do anyway.
Then my trainer told me that I was going to be a runner. I knew that it was from the Lord but I told my trainer it would never happen. Long story short, within two years of being 350 pounds I had ran my first marathon. I have ran two. So here are the stats. I lost two feet (24 inches) in my waist. I went from a 58 to a 34. I lost 160 pounds in 14 months and it was one of the easiest things I have ever done because the Lord was helping me do it. I went from a 5X shirt to a medium/large depending on the shirt. Pretty cool huh.
Well, you might say, that was easy for you but I can't do that. Wrong. I am nothing special. If God can do that through me, He can certainly do that in your life. What areas are you weighing 350 pounds? Is it in relationships, your actual weight, friendships, finances, or school? Well dare to believe that you can change any area of your life. Because with God's help you can. It's never too late. He always has a plan.
And that's another Opinion of the Minion
Thursday, August 11, 2011
The Minion Lawyer
Today, I hope to challenge you. What do you dream about? What have you always wanted to try but have always invented reasons not to do? What would you like to accomplish? Well, you say, I gave up on my goals a long time ago. I can't, couldn't, shouldn't, wouldn't, am not talented enough, not smart enough, not good enough.... I guess you get my point. We all have things like that. When I was in high school, I saw the movie Top Gun with Tom Cruise and I was convinced I wanted to be an F14 pilot. I wanted to go to the US Naval Academy and fly jets for the Navy. Well guess what, it never happened. Why not? Because I didn't want it bad enough. If I had really wanted it, I would have tried harder. So I went to TCU to study business I wanted a college degree but I was more concerned about chasing girls than studying. Which resulted in terrible results. See I wasn't good with girls and my grades suffered to boot. I was just plain lazy.
Now, I am really a fairly intelligent guy (please no comments from my friends or family!). If I put my mind to something, I am capable of learning just about anything. So why didn't I graduate Magna Cum Laude from TCU? Well there were some pretty smart people at TCU and I just plain didn't want it bad enough. Oh sure, if it came super easy I would have made straight As but since it required reading and studying, I didn't. Plain and simple right? Well are there areas of your life where you could have done better and didn't? Sure there are. Does that make you a bad person or a failure? Of course not. Don't be ridiculous. All it means is you didn't want it bad enough.
Now let's get back to the mental list you made from our first paragraph. What things are on that list that you want to do but don't? Why? Are you going to go through the whole could have, should have, and would have list again like we just did? I know there are areas in my life now where I need to work on this.
Let me tell you one area of my life where I decided to try something no one really thought I could do. Remember there will always be people telling you that you can't. They will aways have something negative to say to talk you out of trying. If you aren't careful, you might actually believe those people. But one of my favorite sayings is, "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog." Now I don't believe in dog fighting or cruelty to animals in any shape. It's absolutely wrong but I like the saying. What it means is that the person who looks the best on paper with the most talent and ability isn't always the person who succeeds. It's the person who tries his hardest and believes he can that normally does. You can do anything that you put your mind to.
OK, so let's get back to my little story. I graduated in the top 10% of the bottom 1/3 of my class at TCU. Like I said, my grades were terrible. I think I had a 2.25. Now another of my life dreams was to go to law school. So one day, I decided to try. I decided to apply and just see if I got in. Well I did pretty good on the LSAT and was accepted to a law school here in Fort Worth. Then I did something remarkable that set the tone for my whole law school experience.
I went out to dinner with my then wife, my cousin and his wife. I remember we went to a comedy club downtown and then we went back to my cousin's wife's house. As we were all sitting around talking and having a good time the subject of me going back to school came up and this is what came out of my mouth. I said, "I'm going to go to law school and give it my best shot. I am going to do my very best and see what happens. I don't want to look back 20 years from now and say I could have, would have or should have. If I flunk out after the first semester, I will do it knowing I tried my very hardest." See I had the right attitude now. I was going to try with everything I had. Notice where my focus was. It wasn't on doing this well or doing that well. It wasn't on being the best student or making the best grades. My focus was on being the best I could be. I didn't look at anyone else but me. If I gave it my all and failed I could live content knowing I gave it may all.
Where do you face challenges like that in life? I still face many of those same things today. There are times when I don't want to work that hard or I want to quit trying something. I believe if you give life your very best and the key is to make sure you know you are doing all you can, then you can hold your head up high no matter what the outcome. Because you know that no matter what, you did your best.
And I guess, that's another Opinion .... Oh wait a minute. Would you like to know what happened to me when I made the decision to try my hardest? Well, God was able to bless all that I did in school. Not only did I finish law school, but I graduated Cum Laude
And that's another Opinion of the Minion
Now, I am really a fairly intelligent guy (please no comments from my friends or family!). If I put my mind to something, I am capable of learning just about anything. So why didn't I graduate Magna Cum Laude from TCU? Well there were some pretty smart people at TCU and I just plain didn't want it bad enough. Oh sure, if it came super easy I would have made straight As but since it required reading and studying, I didn't. Plain and simple right? Well are there areas of your life where you could have done better and didn't? Sure there are. Does that make you a bad person or a failure? Of course not. Don't be ridiculous. All it means is you didn't want it bad enough.
Now let's get back to the mental list you made from our first paragraph. What things are on that list that you want to do but don't? Why? Are you going to go through the whole could have, should have, and would have list again like we just did? I know there are areas in my life now where I need to work on this.
Let me tell you one area of my life where I decided to try something no one really thought I could do. Remember there will always be people telling you that you can't. They will aways have something negative to say to talk you out of trying. If you aren't careful, you might actually believe those people. But one of my favorite sayings is, "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog." Now I don't believe in dog fighting or cruelty to animals in any shape. It's absolutely wrong but I like the saying. What it means is that the person who looks the best on paper with the most talent and ability isn't always the person who succeeds. It's the person who tries his hardest and believes he can that normally does. You can do anything that you put your mind to.
OK, so let's get back to my little story. I graduated in the top 10% of the bottom 1/3 of my class at TCU. Like I said, my grades were terrible. I think I had a 2.25. Now another of my life dreams was to go to law school. So one day, I decided to try. I decided to apply and just see if I got in. Well I did pretty good on the LSAT and was accepted to a law school here in Fort Worth. Then I did something remarkable that set the tone for my whole law school experience.
I went out to dinner with my then wife, my cousin and his wife. I remember we went to a comedy club downtown and then we went back to my cousin's wife's house. As we were all sitting around talking and having a good time the subject of me going back to school came up and this is what came out of my mouth. I said, "I'm going to go to law school and give it my best shot. I am going to do my very best and see what happens. I don't want to look back 20 years from now and say I could have, would have or should have. If I flunk out after the first semester, I will do it knowing I tried my very hardest." See I had the right attitude now. I was going to try with everything I had. Notice where my focus was. It wasn't on doing this well or doing that well. It wasn't on being the best student or making the best grades. My focus was on being the best I could be. I didn't look at anyone else but me. If I gave it my all and failed I could live content knowing I gave it may all.
Where do you face challenges like that in life? I still face many of those same things today. There are times when I don't want to work that hard or I want to quit trying something. I believe if you give life your very best and the key is to make sure you know you are doing all you can, then you can hold your head up high no matter what the outcome. Because you know that no matter what, you did your best.
And I guess, that's another Opinion .... Oh wait a minute. Would you like to know what happened to me when I made the decision to try my hardest? Well, God was able to bless all that I did in school. Not only did I finish law school, but I graduated Cum Laude
And that's another Opinion of the Minion
Monday, August 8, 2011
Game On, Mr. Minion
Today I want to talk to you about being ready. Being ready for what, you ask? Well you will have to answer that question, I can't. But let me explain what I am thinking. Are you ready for the opportunities that cross your path. If you met that special someone, are you ready? If someone gave you the dream job of a lifetime, are you ready? If someone was going to send you to the college of your dreams, are you ready? Lastly, and most importantly, if you died tonight, are you ready?
See I think we spend way too much of our time complaining about our circumstances or pushing too hard to make things happen the way we want. We are so focused on us that we aren't ready for the great opportunities that God places in our life. Now let me say, that I don't believe that we should just sit around and wait for everything to fall in our laps. That's not smart. That's being lazy. I'm talking about being ready when something comes along.
Let me illustrate this with a story of mine. Sometimes God has divine appointments that you don't expect. If we aren't ready when they do, we can miss the whole opportunity. I go to Starbuck's at least once a day (please no comments about the actual number from my friends). For several month's there was a certain lady that I wanted to talk to but never did. This was primarily because I am a pretty shy guy most of the time. I like being around people and most who know me are very comfortable around me but talking to a total stranger is not something I normally do. Well, I always liked this girl's face because it looked so kind. (To the girl who I am talking about - I know you will read this and yes you have a very kind face. Turns out the personality matches the face. Don't even think about arguing with me on this point!) I saw her at Starbuck's for several weeks and never talked to her.
One day, I realized that I was never going to say anything to her because it really isn't in my nature to do this so I just forgot about it. Well, two days later, I walked into a restaurant by my apartment and saw a guy I knew. Guess who was sitting at the table with him? Did you figure it out? Yup, it was the girl from Starbucks. Over the last few months, we have become good friends. She is someone who's opinion I really value and she has really helped me through a tough time. I think I have been able to do the same for her. Just think, none of this would have happened if I hadn't walked into that restaurant that day. That connection was the Lord's way of saying to me, "I've got a million ways to bring people into your life," and it really blessed me to hear that from Him.
When I would see her, I thought about trying to break the ice and say hello but I never did. Then when I finally decided to let it go, things worked out on their own. Now this is about a friendship but it applies in all areas of our life. Where are you pushing hard to accomplish something. Where are you getting so worked up and stressed out? Is it possible that while you are trying to figure out how to make something happen in your life that you can't see God setting you up to bless you? Where are you so focused on someone who is a negative influence in your life that you can't see that amazing person who wants to be part of your life? Stop and look around.
While I try very much not to preach in these Opinions, I must ask this one thing. If you were do die tonight, are you ready? Well, you might say, "I go to church." That's not what I asked. You might say, "I'm a good person." Again, that's not what I asked. What I am asking you is have you ever met Jesus and made him Lord of your life. He is a very close personal friend of mine. He is a real person that you can touch. Guess what - No matter what you have done in this life, He deeply passionately loves you. As I write this, I am thinking about His love and it brings tears to my eyes. He's out to get you but not in a bad way. He wants to love on you. He wants to help you. He will never give up on you and never quit you. He knows your secrects and His love sees right past that to the inside of the Box He created. I am not asking you to join a church or become part of a denomination, I am asking you if you have met my Jesus. If the answer is no, would you please consider praying this simple prayer.
Just say, "Jesus, I ask you to come into my life. I ask you to be my friend and show me your love for me. I ask you to be my Lord and Savior."
If you prayed that prayer with your heart, you just became my brother or sister. Welcome to the family! Please let me hear from you. Knowing you made that decision will be the best thing I hear today.
If you didn't pray that prayer, know this that God loves you very much and because He first loved me, I can honestly say that I care about you too.
That's the Opinion of His Minion
See I think we spend way too much of our time complaining about our circumstances or pushing too hard to make things happen the way we want. We are so focused on us that we aren't ready for the great opportunities that God places in our life. Now let me say, that I don't believe that we should just sit around and wait for everything to fall in our laps. That's not smart. That's being lazy. I'm talking about being ready when something comes along.
Let me illustrate this with a story of mine. Sometimes God has divine appointments that you don't expect. If we aren't ready when they do, we can miss the whole opportunity. I go to Starbuck's at least once a day (please no comments about the actual number from my friends). For several month's there was a certain lady that I wanted to talk to but never did. This was primarily because I am a pretty shy guy most of the time. I like being around people and most who know me are very comfortable around me but talking to a total stranger is not something I normally do. Well, I always liked this girl's face because it looked so kind. (To the girl who I am talking about - I know you will read this and yes you have a very kind face. Turns out the personality matches the face. Don't even think about arguing with me on this point!) I saw her at Starbuck's for several weeks and never talked to her.
One day, I realized that I was never going to say anything to her because it really isn't in my nature to do this so I just forgot about it. Well, two days later, I walked into a restaurant by my apartment and saw a guy I knew. Guess who was sitting at the table with him? Did you figure it out? Yup, it was the girl from Starbucks. Over the last few months, we have become good friends. She is someone who's opinion I really value and she has really helped me through a tough time. I think I have been able to do the same for her. Just think, none of this would have happened if I hadn't walked into that restaurant that day. That connection was the Lord's way of saying to me, "I've got a million ways to bring people into your life," and it really blessed me to hear that from Him.
When I would see her, I thought about trying to break the ice and say hello but I never did. Then when I finally decided to let it go, things worked out on their own. Now this is about a friendship but it applies in all areas of our life. Where are you pushing hard to accomplish something. Where are you getting so worked up and stressed out? Is it possible that while you are trying to figure out how to make something happen in your life that you can't see God setting you up to bless you? Where are you so focused on someone who is a negative influence in your life that you can't see that amazing person who wants to be part of your life? Stop and look around.
While I try very much not to preach in these Opinions, I must ask this one thing. If you were do die tonight, are you ready? Well, you might say, "I go to church." That's not what I asked. You might say, "I'm a good person." Again, that's not what I asked. What I am asking you is have you ever met Jesus and made him Lord of your life. He is a very close personal friend of mine. He is a real person that you can touch. Guess what - No matter what you have done in this life, He deeply passionately loves you. As I write this, I am thinking about His love and it brings tears to my eyes. He's out to get you but not in a bad way. He wants to love on you. He wants to help you. He will never give up on you and never quit you. He knows your secrects and His love sees right past that to the inside of the Box He created. I am not asking you to join a church or become part of a denomination, I am asking you if you have met my Jesus. If the answer is no, would you please consider praying this simple prayer.
Just say, "Jesus, I ask you to come into my life. I ask you to be my friend and show me your love for me. I ask you to be my Lord and Savior."
If you prayed that prayer with your heart, you just became my brother or sister. Welcome to the family! Please let me hear from you. Knowing you made that decision will be the best thing I hear today.
If you didn't pray that prayer, know this that God loves you very much and because He first loved me, I can honestly say that I care about you too.
That's the Opinion of His Minion
Saturday, August 6, 2011
The Minion Who Wasn't Good Enough
Today, I want to deal with something we all feel from time to time. What to do when I don't feel good enough. Have you ever felt that way? I normally don't. If you have read many of my blogs, I don't want you to get the wrong impression. I am a very confident guy. I really like myself and in a good way, I am proud of who I am. I am a good guy. I help my friends and family when I can and I have accomplished some pretty cool stuff. I went law school and graduated high in my class, passed the bar, lost 160 pounds one time, etc. Now I am not saying that to brag but I want you to know that I think well of me.
That said, there are times when I just don't feel like I am good enough. Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever felt like no matter what you did, it just wasn't enough. Have you ever wondered why people only notice the bad stuff you do and not the good stuff? I mean we all know those people. You know the ones. When you tell them you made a 95 on a test, they want to know why you didn't make a 100. Or how about the ones who always tell you what you should do to better yourself and never tell you the good things that you already do? If we aren't careful, this can cause us to feel inadequate. I know. I have felt that many times and even here recently. Now the good thing for me is that these feelings don't stay long. I know what I am worth because the Bible tells me so. I know that God thinks I am good enough. He sees the good things I do and he tells me how proud he is of me. Don't misunderstand this. I don't think God loves me because of what I do or don't do. He loves me because He is love. I can never earn God's love. That's why there is grace. He loves me just because.
In a similar way, I can never earn any one's love. If you are trying to earn some one's love or affection, quit. It won't work. They either love you for you or they don't. And if they don't, then stop wasting time trying to make them. See today, more and more, people are becoming lovers of themselves. That's a shame but it was bound to happen. What do I mean by that? More and more people are only concerned about themselves and what they want. When you find someone who actually cares about others, treasure them. They are becoming more and more rare. I have a friend like that. She is always doing nice things for me. Do you know what that makes me want to do? It makes me want to do nice things back. It's not because I want to "even the score." It's because her kindness makes me want to be kind.
So the question is am I good enough? Before I can answer that, let me ask another question - Good enough for what?
Am I good enough for people to respect, love and treat me right. The answer to that is absolutely, positively, unequivocally, without a doubt, YES. You are good enough just because you are. You deserve love and respect just because you are you. There is nothing that can increase or diminish that.
Are there times when I am not good enough to accomplish all that I want to? Sure. Remember I told you I wasn't a good football player. I wasn't good enough to start on the football team. What should you do if you try something and fail? Try again and again and again. Remember, if you get knocked down, get back up. Keep going. Sooner or later, you will accomplish your goals if you keep trying. I have always believed that I can do anything. Well, except maybe dunk a basketball. ;)
And that's the Opinion of the Minion
That said, there are times when I just don't feel like I am good enough. Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever felt like no matter what you did, it just wasn't enough. Have you ever wondered why people only notice the bad stuff you do and not the good stuff? I mean we all know those people. You know the ones. When you tell them you made a 95 on a test, they want to know why you didn't make a 100. Or how about the ones who always tell you what you should do to better yourself and never tell you the good things that you already do? If we aren't careful, this can cause us to feel inadequate. I know. I have felt that many times and even here recently. Now the good thing for me is that these feelings don't stay long. I know what I am worth because the Bible tells me so. I know that God thinks I am good enough. He sees the good things I do and he tells me how proud he is of me. Don't misunderstand this. I don't think God loves me because of what I do or don't do. He loves me because He is love. I can never earn God's love. That's why there is grace. He loves me just because.
In a similar way, I can never earn any one's love. If you are trying to earn some one's love or affection, quit. It won't work. They either love you for you or they don't. And if they don't, then stop wasting time trying to make them. See today, more and more, people are becoming lovers of themselves. That's a shame but it was bound to happen. What do I mean by that? More and more people are only concerned about themselves and what they want. When you find someone who actually cares about others, treasure them. They are becoming more and more rare. I have a friend like that. She is always doing nice things for me. Do you know what that makes me want to do? It makes me want to do nice things back. It's not because I want to "even the score." It's because her kindness makes me want to be kind.
So the question is am I good enough? Before I can answer that, let me ask another question - Good enough for what?
Am I good enough for people to respect, love and treat me right. The answer to that is absolutely, positively, unequivocally, without a doubt, YES. You are good enough just because you are. You deserve love and respect just because you are you. There is nothing that can increase or diminish that.
Are there times when I am not good enough to accomplish all that I want to? Sure. Remember I told you I wasn't a good football player. I wasn't good enough to start on the football team. What should you do if you try something and fail? Try again and again and again. Remember, if you get knocked down, get back up. Keep going. Sooner or later, you will accomplish your goals if you keep trying. I have always believed that I can do anything. Well, except maybe dunk a basketball. ;)
And that's the Opinion of the Minion
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
My Greatest Failure
Today, I want to talk about failure. Now, most of the time I try to write positive and upbeat blogs. When I read what I write, it challenges me to be a better person. I have always said that if what you see from me is the best you ever see then that is a tragedy because I should get better every day. But failure is inevitable in life. We all go through it at some point. So how do we deal with it? Does it hurt? Absolutely. Do I wish I hadn't failed? Sure. Did I fail? Yes. Let me use one of my favorite lines from the movie Dirty Dancing, "When I'm wrong, I say I'm wrong." You have to own your failures and successes.
See, I am recently divorced. I made a commitment before God to stay married to a woman for the rest of my life. It was a covenant that I couldn't keep. Now I won't go into all the reasons behind the divorce itself because they aren't important. Some of my readers know me personally and thus will know my now, ex-wife. Let me say something about her before I go forward. I wish her only the best and most happy days in life. I have done my best to walk through this divorce with integrity and honor. Have I always been successful? No. But this lady, deserves to be happy. She is a wonderful mother to our three kids and I am very sorry things didn't work out between us. I want to publicly forgive her for any wrong doing toward me and I ask the same from her. This is my greatest failure in life.
Do you want to hear all the juicy details of what happened? Would you like me to blame my wife for our marriage falling apart? Well, I won't tell you because those things are personal. Let me just use an old saying, "It takes two to Tango." We both made mistakes and here we are.
So now let's deal with how it made me feel. Last Friday was one of the hardest and most rewarding days of my life. Although we have been separated for over a year and I knew the final divorce decree was coming, I still didn't really believe it. So when the pressure of the week was over, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I realized that I gave my word to my God and to that lady and I didn't keep it. I hope you cannot imagine the deep pain I felt. For a little while, I felt like a complete failure. What things in your life have caused you to feel this way? Was it a relationship that ended badly? Was it a failure at your job or at school? Regardless of where it comes from, it still really hurts.
When you get that sinking feeling in your gut because of something like this, doesn't it make you just want to run away and hide from everyone? I mean who would want to be around someone that was a total failure like me? I told myself that I was the biggest loser ever. That I had wrecked my life, the life of my kids and my ex-wife. I was well on my way to beating myself senseless because of my failure. I threw a world class guilt party. I was the guest of honor, the entire guest list, the guy who trashes the guest of honor and the guy who throws him in the dumpster at the end of the party. I invited a very special guest to this party and He wouldn't come. Can you imagine the audacity of being invited to the Destroy the Minion party and not coming? That was certainly rude don't you think? Do you know who the only guest that I actually invited was? It was God. I wanted him to condemn me just like I was doing to myself. I wanted him to tell me that I was worthless and no good just like I was telling myself.
Now, I asked him to forgive me and I knew that he would at some point maybe a few months from now after I really got a thrashing.
When I finally listened to his still small voice, all I could feel was his love for me. It is a love that I will never, ever deserve but it's there. I can't escape it. Do you know when he actually forgave me for my greatest failure? When did He finally forgive me for breaking a covenant that I made in front of Him? The instant I asked for it. I didn't have to wait three weeks. It was instantaneous. He knew before the foundation of the world that I would make mistakes and he forgave me as soon as I asked. That is the reason Jesus shed his blood on the cross. It was to erase my sin. If I asked God to forgive me now, he wouldn't know what I was talking about because He is a forgive and forget God. He doesn't hold these things against me. Guess what, when you ask Him for forgiveness, He does the same thing toward you. He loves you unconditionally, no matter what, all the time, forever and ever with every fibre of His being. He only wants good things for your life and He can take our bad mistakes and turn them into something good. He doesn't want the bad mistakes because He hates to see us in the pain that they cause but He has a million ways to make things OK.
Back to the Guilt Party - It's fine that God forgave me but I am still at this party. After all, if he won't have the decency to show up, I will do his job for him. I will beat myself silly. I can call myself all kinds of ugly names. I mean I know all my deepest, darkest secrets and who better than me to dredge them all up and use them against me now. Here is my major problem with this. If God won't condemn me and trash me out, what right do I have to do it. If he is willing to extend forgiveness to me what right do I have to keep holding the grudge against myself? So here's what I did. At 4:24 on Friday, July 29, 2011, I forgave myself. When it happened, it was like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders. I felt so light and good. I felt like it was OK for me to be happy again. All of the sudden the world turned right side up. God totally wrecked my party and I am so glad He did.
Have you ever felt this way? I have watched many people do this to themselves so I know that I am not alone. I think most of us have. What are you refusing to forgive yourself for? If someone who did you wrong came to you with an honest and sincere repentance on their face and asked you to forgive them for something they did wrong, would you do it? I think probably you would. So why can't you forgive yourself? If you ask God for forgiveness he gives it to you instantly. All I am asking is for you to extend the same grace to yourself that he did. I know this is a process and I want to encourage you to keep at it.
Well friends, I intended this blog to talk about my greatest failure which it did but I can honestly say that I have blogged myself happy again.
And that's another Opinion of His Minion
See, I am recently divorced. I made a commitment before God to stay married to a woman for the rest of my life. It was a covenant that I couldn't keep. Now I won't go into all the reasons behind the divorce itself because they aren't important. Some of my readers know me personally and thus will know my now, ex-wife. Let me say something about her before I go forward. I wish her only the best and most happy days in life. I have done my best to walk through this divorce with integrity and honor. Have I always been successful? No. But this lady, deserves to be happy. She is a wonderful mother to our three kids and I am very sorry things didn't work out between us. I want to publicly forgive her for any wrong doing toward me and I ask the same from her. This is my greatest failure in life.
Do you want to hear all the juicy details of what happened? Would you like me to blame my wife for our marriage falling apart? Well, I won't tell you because those things are personal. Let me just use an old saying, "It takes two to Tango." We both made mistakes and here we are.
So now let's deal with how it made me feel. Last Friday was one of the hardest and most rewarding days of my life. Although we have been separated for over a year and I knew the final divorce decree was coming, I still didn't really believe it. So when the pressure of the week was over, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I realized that I gave my word to my God and to that lady and I didn't keep it. I hope you cannot imagine the deep pain I felt. For a little while, I felt like a complete failure. What things in your life have caused you to feel this way? Was it a relationship that ended badly? Was it a failure at your job or at school? Regardless of where it comes from, it still really hurts.
When you get that sinking feeling in your gut because of something like this, doesn't it make you just want to run away and hide from everyone? I mean who would want to be around someone that was a total failure like me? I told myself that I was the biggest loser ever. That I had wrecked my life, the life of my kids and my ex-wife. I was well on my way to beating myself senseless because of my failure. I threw a world class guilt party. I was the guest of honor, the entire guest list, the guy who trashes the guest of honor and the guy who throws him in the dumpster at the end of the party. I invited a very special guest to this party and He wouldn't come. Can you imagine the audacity of being invited to the Destroy the Minion party and not coming? That was certainly rude don't you think? Do you know who the only guest that I actually invited was? It was God. I wanted him to condemn me just like I was doing to myself. I wanted him to tell me that I was worthless and no good just like I was telling myself.
Now, I asked him to forgive me and I knew that he would at some point maybe a few months from now after I really got a thrashing.
When I finally listened to his still small voice, all I could feel was his love for me. It is a love that I will never, ever deserve but it's there. I can't escape it. Do you know when he actually forgave me for my greatest failure? When did He finally forgive me for breaking a covenant that I made in front of Him? The instant I asked for it. I didn't have to wait three weeks. It was instantaneous. He knew before the foundation of the world that I would make mistakes and he forgave me as soon as I asked. That is the reason Jesus shed his blood on the cross. It was to erase my sin. If I asked God to forgive me now, he wouldn't know what I was talking about because He is a forgive and forget God. He doesn't hold these things against me. Guess what, when you ask Him for forgiveness, He does the same thing toward you. He loves you unconditionally, no matter what, all the time, forever and ever with every fibre of His being. He only wants good things for your life and He can take our bad mistakes and turn them into something good. He doesn't want the bad mistakes because He hates to see us in the pain that they cause but He has a million ways to make things OK.
Back to the Guilt Party - It's fine that God forgave me but I am still at this party. After all, if he won't have the decency to show up, I will do his job for him. I will beat myself silly. I can call myself all kinds of ugly names. I mean I know all my deepest, darkest secrets and who better than me to dredge them all up and use them against me now. Here is my major problem with this. If God won't condemn me and trash me out, what right do I have to do it. If he is willing to extend forgiveness to me what right do I have to keep holding the grudge against myself? So here's what I did. At 4:24 on Friday, July 29, 2011, I forgave myself. When it happened, it was like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders. I felt so light and good. I felt like it was OK for me to be happy again. All of the sudden the world turned right side up. God totally wrecked my party and I am so glad He did.
Have you ever felt this way? I have watched many people do this to themselves so I know that I am not alone. I think most of us have. What are you refusing to forgive yourself for? If someone who did you wrong came to you with an honest and sincere repentance on their face and asked you to forgive them for something they did wrong, would you do it? I think probably you would. So why can't you forgive yourself? If you ask God for forgiveness he gives it to you instantly. All I am asking is for you to extend the same grace to yourself that he did. I know this is a process and I want to encourage you to keep at it.
Well friends, I intended this blog to talk about my greatest failure which it did but I can honestly say that I have blogged myself happy again.
And that's another Opinion of His Minion
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