Journal 1-16-14

     Today is Thursday 1-16-14 and it's quiet in prison. All the little children are still sleeping. The sun is just coming up over the horizon, as I look through the bars of my window, about the size of a chess board, through the fence that separates freedom from a place where guards with a chip on their shoulder tell grown men how to live and they've gotten us all trained like cattle. When we hear our cell doors pop its like the farmer who pulls into the pasture, the cattle all come running and the inmates all pack up at the corral waiting for some grub.
     So I'm sitting here reading in my Bible, talking with the Lord and today's lesson is "Danger of Disobedience" Numbers 13:26-14:45 and Revelation 14:1-15:8. How convenient right! lol I know all too well what the dangers of disobedience are! It lands you in a fine establishment just like this! They "will always leave the light on for ya!" I hope you guys learn from your daddy's mistakes, listen to the "voice" of the scriptures we read together and apply them to your life so you don't end up living your life like a bunch of cattle. I'm sure God wants more for all of us than that but we must be obedient to that and in order to do that we have got to apply the word of God to our lives. So Zarria tell Nick he can't go play basketball. You all read with me. Savanah get off facebook, get Hunter off the video games, and snap your fingers so Faith quits daydreaming. Ya'll go to the kitchen table and read these scriptures. Angela you do the same with Mia and tell her I love her.
     Ok. That took just about 10 minutes to read. Now I'm going to tell you in this email that Zarria has sent to all of you, Right Zarria, what I think, how I apply some of the things to my life and you guys talk about them among yourselves. If you have questions write me a letter and ask, I'll respond as quickly as possible!       I've never read much in the Old Testament, but I see that there are a lot of cool stories there that we can apply to our lives today.Sometimes I forget that the people back then were just like us, trying to figure out life, how to do right, how to get away with doing wrong, and just normal people like us only without facebook. Hard to believe, right Savanah? I can so hear you saying, "I'd rather be dead."
     Reading in Numbers, we see that a group of God's people were trying to take some land from people who didn't favor God. It appears that the unfavored group of bullies were big and tough and that the favored group of God's people were small and weak, as is always the case for some reason! Why are the bullies always big, right Hunter? God wanted these guys to take some land, told them that and basically they were scared. They did not trust in the Lord that God had their backs! First lesson, if God tells you to do something, do it! Now, not later! We can see that in this reading a few of the "chosen" had a change of heart after Moses did a little coaxing, but looks like to me they were too late and missed out on a blessing in their life. I am guilty of that. Are you? Second lesson, if we don't listen to God's direction we may not get some cool stuff that God really wants us to have! Looks like because the chosen were not obedient to the Lord at the time of his calling the Big unchosen bullies came down off the mountain and kicked Moses' people's butt! That is not what we want is it? So what are we going to do? I'm going to figure out what God wants and do it so I don't get my butt kicked! Again!!!
     Now in Revelation 14:1-15:8 I'm sure that it says much more than I really pick up on or understand all the way, but I'm sure that every time I read it God will reveal something new to me. (Hint!! Hint!!) Zarria, that means read it more than once! :) I know this, it says plainly in Revelation 14:7 give God glory, fear Him, the hour is coming when He will come and all of us need to be ready for that day so we can be pleasing to the Lord and not cast out into the "Sea of Fire" (Rev. 15:2). I don't want to get a "spankin" from the Lord and that's just what I have coming unless I continue to live for His cause, glory, and purpose. Amen.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that my family, friends, and all the people of your choosing will hear what it is that you want for their lives. That they will be obedient to that no matter where, no matter what! I hope, Father God, that my children are able to see how wonderful you are and follow your call on their lives before they get halfway through their lives so that they don't miss out on all the wonderful things that you want for them in this life on Earth. I hope that through their obedience to you they will shine like a light in the darkness for you and help many disobedient people in this world see that it really is cool to serve you and give it "their all" for your glory. In Jesus name, Amen. 

- Love you. Dad -