March

So March is right around the corner already. It is hard to believe.

I was driving home from picking up my wife's purse because she left it at a friends house tonight and I realized that March is kind of a significant month for me.

There are two event in the month of March that have altered the coarse of my life forever.

5 years ago I told my wife that I interested in her. I was not going to do it, however circumstances developed that kind of led/cornered me into expressing my interest.

Those that know me, know that I cry at just about anything that involves emotions to any degree.

haha.

It kind of makes me feel ridiculous.

Anyways, I was practically sobbing as I tried to spit out to Kirstin how I felt about her. I look back and I just laugh at my self with a sort of regret in my stupidity of emotions.



March 7 years ago is when I became a Christian. By far the greatest and most life changing event of my life.

My life was in just one instant changed from my old self to a new self. Which for many was an answer to prayer.

I am thankful for those prayers.

A friend used to say, "Joe is the only person I've know who led himself salvation!" A joke of coarse, stemming from how I became a Christian. I showed up to this bible study and not one person knew who I was until the person who invited me showed up late.

Very uncomfortable by the way.

For some reason at the end of bible study during our prayer time God saw fit to change my life. It was emotional and authentic and I could say that I really was a new man.

What a great event in my life.

In the 7 years I have been a Christian I have been through a lot. There were a couple of years of unhindered growth. Those days were a real amazing time in my life. There have been many more years of struggle.

The struggles have varied and they have come in different intensities.

In my darkest hours I have experienced deep depression with a gnawing relentless hopelessness. There has been some deep moments of ruthless temptation and often I buckled under its weight.

I have been plagued with sin

Yet, there has been moments of victory. Some small and fewer big, none the less they were victories.

Through some of it I had friends that helped me along and many times I was alone left to fend for my self.

I have also had moments of deep hurt from the church, and yet also moments of deep love for her as well.

There has been moments of great doubt and belief that God cares or will have any thing to do with me. But, there has also been moments where revelation/illumination of the scriptures have given great hope.

I have seen some come to faith in Christ, I have seen others fall deeper in love with Jesus. Sadly I have also experienced and seen friends believe in a christianity that is not taught in Scripture. Burned by the church, so they say. So they let go of truth for social justice and cultural relevance

Even more devastating, some of those friends deny Christ his Kingship and Deity. They have lost all faith in Him.

One of those friends was quoted(paraphrased) above.

Reflecting back on 7 years of Christendom I see many struggles and I continue in the same battles. I am certain I will continue to know these struggles, but one thing I can say more confidently than ever before, Christ is King! There is but one God and He exist as three distinct persons with different roles, but all three are equally one God. I stand confident of this, that the work that has been started in me will be completed when Christ returns. I know that there will be many who deny Christ and they will know His wrath and judgement someday, for that I am met with sorrow. And so I urge those who can not claim Christ as their one and only Savior to take heed to Scriptures warning; Christ is Coming Back!

Please be ready for His return! If you are unsure, you better make sure. Please ask me about if you are unsure.

----March----