The Return

The Return

Growing up on occasion I got to watch a cartoon called Transformers and when coming back from a commercial break it always said “We now return to Transformers.” Part of what I do at my job is fixing problems.  We have a term in the call center business called First Call Resolution.  We try to fix the problem on your first call so you don’t call back or even have the need to.  It trains the representative to in a sense be a control freak.  I get the mindset I have to fix every problem and I can’t.  Saturday I had a long horrible day at work I couldn’t fix all the customers, problems and often I feel like I clean up others' messes in the process.  By the end of my night I had to stop and pray because I was still trying to handle everything and I can’t and I had to turn it over to God. Like the cartoon said we now return to Transformers.  God is the one who transforms us.  Sunday morning I heard Micah preaching and he quoted this passage and it was Jonah’s discovery in the big fish and we need the same thing when our adventures in life go awry.  

Jonah 2:7-9

“While I was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple.  Those who forsake vain idols forsake their faithfulness, but I will sacrifice to you with the voice of thanksgiving.  That which I have vowed I will pay.  Salvation is from the Lord.”

Jonah said all this while inside a fish big enough to swallow a full grown man.  When your problems are overwhelming you need to remember and return to God because you’re not alone.  

Psalm 139:7-12

“Where can I go from your Spirit?  Or where can I flee from your presence?  If I ascend to heaven, you are there;  if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there.  If I take the wings of the Dawn , if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there your hand will lead me, and your right hand will lay hold of me.  If I say ‘Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night.’  Even the darkness is not dark to you, and the night is as bright as the day.  Darkness and light are alike to You.”  

There’s nowhere you and I can go where God is not there.

I want to conclude with this from the song Nothing is beyond you by the late Rich Mullins.

“Nothing is beyond you 

You stand beyond the reach

Of our vain imaginations

Our misguided piety

The heavens stretch to hold you

And deep cries out to deep

Singing that nothing is beyond you 

Nothing is beyond you 

Time cannot contain you 

You fill eternity 

Sin can never stain you

And death has lost its sting

And I cannot explain the way you came to love me

Except to say that nothing is beyond you “

You are God by Twila Paris 

Nothing is beyond you by Amy Grant

The Stand by Hillsong United 

Great is our God by Plumb 

Great is the Lord by Michael W Smith

Indescribable by Laura Story

Good over Worthless

Good over worthless 

Been going through this Bible study plan Life Principles to live by, and it’s by Charles Stanley in my Youversion app and Thursday I came across this verse. Jeremiah 15:19.  We live in a world of lots of words and lately some of them have intensified to bad even downright worthless proportions.  We have protests going on that well aren’t that great at all.  I love the way the New Living Translation puts this verse.

Jeremiah 15:19

“This is how the Lord responds: ‘If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me.  If you speak good words rather than worthless ones, you will be my spokesman.  You must influence them; do not let them influence you!’”

As a representative at a call center on a daily basis I have to use good words or customers go ballistic.  Doing a blog and being a writer I have to carefully evaluate what to say.  God calls the Christian to return to him and weigh carefully the words they use because we represent Him. We need our words to be few and correct.  Most of us share things on social media of some sort but are you saying what God wants or is it worthless words.  There are people these days who say their mouth has no filter and that’s a lie because all of us make moment by moment choices about what we will and won’t say and that’s why God calls Jeremiah and us to “return to Him.  So he can restore us.  

Let me give you two examples from real life of how I know you can filter what you say.  Monday I had a call at work and this lady calls an hour into her time frame for her tow and says we’re towing her vehicle to the wrong place.  I verified where it was going a place she had told us to take it.  I call the service provider and they’ve already left the car and won’t go back so I had to set up a second tow.  At any point I could’ve told her it was actually her fault but no I had to reassure her we would get her car to the right place.  

Second example say I’m arguing with my wife at any point in that argument I could say mean harmful things that would hurt and harm her but no I filter what I’m saying because I love her.  You can control the words you use.  

 Psalm 19:14

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight , O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”  

The Westminster shorter catechism says this

 “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him Forever.”

I want to conclude with these lyrics from 

 God of All of me by Sandi Patty 

“Father take my heart

Hold it in your hand 

Be the God of all of me

Father take my life

Everything I am

Keeper of my soul 

God of all of me.”

God of all of me by Sandi Patty 

Let my words be few by Rebecca St James

Make us one by Twila Paris 

May the words of my mouth by Christy Nockels

For all the World by Sandi Patty

Increased Stress Level

Increased stress level

This week had a rough start for me.  Monday I had to resume taking roadside assistance dispatch calls and like I told a friend at work I was not ready for that level of stress again. For those not understanding why I got stressed out let me explain.  When the pandemic stuff started I was for at least a month or more taking calls for home food delivery and the callers were nice friendly and knew what they wanted.  Taking roadside assistance dispatch calls is a monster of another variety we deal with people who are frustrated with their situation.  They lash out at the people trying to help them.  I am part of a call back team that deals with customers who have called more than 3-5 times.  The people are irate.  Men cuss you out and women start crying.  It’s an emotional roller coaster each call.  Some people I’ve worked with claim once their shift is over they don’t think about it anymore I personally can’t shut it off that easy. I drive home in silence because I’ve had voices of customers and coworkers in my ears for 8 hours and hearing aids have amplified that noise level.  I’ve had nightmares that Marion has had to wake me and talk me down from.  

 I can honestly admit by the end of my shift Monday I came home and snapped at my wife.  I shouldn’t have and I apologized.   I worked out no relief from that stress.  I took a shower and broke down crying and praying in the shower.  See Sunday I almost started looking for a new job.  But the more I considered the riots and protests I didn’t feel safe being a security guard again.  I find myself praying and pouring my heart out more to God asking Him to help me trust Him more with things stressing me out.  Tuesday was a little better that’s when I heard the song Jesus, what a Savior by Sheila Walsh   And then in my Youversion reading plan I came across these verses.  To those also stressed out you need these too.  

Isaiah 40:29-31

“He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power.  Though youths grow weary and tired and vigorous men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.  

Psalm 23:1-3

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.  He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.  

By Wednesday I was somewhat back in the rhythm of work and had regained my title of “Weird call magnet.”  Any weird call I seem to attract while my coworkers get ones that nearly make sense.  For those reading and watching this blog.  It is not really about Zac but about a person turning to God during stress.  Where are you turning?   

This was from the song I mentioned.

“You are my strength when all my strength has ended. You are my hope when all my hope is gone. You are my joy when my world is filled with sorrow.  You’re the peace in my tomorrow for I know that you’ll be there.  You’re my song when my melody has ended.  A light in the storm when I can’t find my way.  You are the one who gives my life a reason.  Someone to believe in you help me carry on.  Jesus, what a Savior you are.”  

Jesus, What a Savior by Sheila Walsh 

Cares chorus by Maranatha

Great are you Lord/ Lord I need you by Caleb and Kelsey 

God is faithful by Sheila Walsh 

When I remember

When I remember 

So if you watch enough pro wrestling you learn that a wrestler will often use what is called a promo to remind the viewer of what took place before.     In the words of Hulk Hogan “When I slammed Andre the Giant the slam heard round the world....”  Comic books use transitional phrases.  The Fresh Prince of Bel Air would say “What had happened was.” The Highlander movies and series rely heavily on flashbacks.   The Bible brings up history of things God has done that he wants his people to remember.  Now before I get too far into remembering things I want to give you something you can hang onto because they were passed onto me by my dad.  Three life principles.  

1. There is a God
2. You are not him
3. There is no vacancy 

Now the Psalmist is about to enforce these truths.  

Psalm 77:11-15

“I shall remember the deeds of the Lord; Surely I will remember your wonders of old.

I will meditate on all your work and muse on your deeds.  

Your way, O God, is holy;

What god is great like our God?

You are the God who works wonders; You have made known your strength among the people’s.  

You have by your power redeemed your people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph.”  

The reason we need to remember who God is and what he has done is because it causes us to seek and praise him.  

I want to conclude with this song I discovered this week that functions also as the title of the blog. 

“And I will bless your name, I will give you all my praise for the finest hour of history, it will always be the cross. You know the finest hour of my history it will always be the cross.  When I remember what you’ve done when I remember the shedding of your blood I can’t help but worship you.”  

When I remember by Kim Hill

Reminders of you by Geoff Moore and the Distance 

God of Wonders/ Agnus Dei by Third Day and more

Beautiful Name

Beautiful Name

I’ve mentioned before that often a blog starts with a song.  There has been a song I keep listening to a lot lately.  Before we get too far into this. My question is this are you proclaiming God’s truth and his beautiful Name every chance you get.  I want to show you the passion of the women of the group ZoeGirl and then part of Psalm 71.  I keep finding so much amazing stuff in this one Psalm.  

Beautiful Name by Zoegirl

“Your heart I seek to find
With Your hands You fashioned mine
Let me be used by You
To carry out the truth

To the ends of the earth
'Til everyone's heard
My mended heart will share Your words
I will tell the world that You are God

I will run, I will fly
I will live to be a sacrifice
Through it all I'll rise above
Unafraid I will face what comes

I will run, I will fly
And for my faith I'll live and die
I'll be strong, I will press on
For the sake of Your beautiful name
Your beautiful name

Should all life cease to grow
Should chaos take control
The only hope we know is
You will save us

It's worth the cost
To take up my cross
As You take back what's been lost
Until all who don't know You are God

I will run, I will fly
I will live to be a sacrifice
Through it all I'll rise above
Unafraid I will face what comes

I will run, I will fly
And for my faith I'll live and die
I'll be strong, I will press on
For the sake of Your beautiful name
Your beautiful name, Your beautiful name

I'm not a captive anymore
I'm gonna soar to a new place
Take on a new pace
I know what my life is for

I will run, I will fly
I will live to be a sacrifice
Through it all I'll rise above
Unafraid I will face what comes

I will run, I will fly
And for my faith I'll live and die
I'll be strong, I will press on
For the sake of Your beautiful name
Your beautiful name, Your beautiful name

I will run, I will fly
I'll be strong, I will press on
For the sake of Your beautiful name
(Your beautiful name)
Your beautiful name”

Psalm 71:7-24

”    7I have become a marvel to many,
            For You are my strong refuge.

      8My mouth is filled with Your praise
            And with Your glory all day long.

      9Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
            Do not forsake me when my strength fails.

      10For my enemies have spoken against me;
            And those who watch for my life have consulted together,

      11Saying, “God has forsaken him;
            Pursue and seize him, for there is no one to deliver.”

      12O God, do not be far from me;
            O my God, hasten to my help!

      13Let those who are adversaries of my soul be ashamed and consumed;
            Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor, who seek to injure me.

      14But as for me, I will hope continually,
            And will praise You yet more and more.

      15My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
            And of Your salvation all day long;
            For I do not know the sum of them.

      16I will come with the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD;
            I will make mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone.

      17O God, You have taught me from my youth,
            And I still declare Your wondrous deeds.

      18And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me,
            Until I declare Your strength to this generation,
            Your power to all who are to come.

      19For Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens,
            You who have done great things;
            O God, who is like You?

      20You who have shown me many troubles and distresses
            Will revive me again,
            And will bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

      21May You increase my greatness
            And turn to comfort me.

      22I will also praise You with a harp,
            Even Your truth, O my God;
            To You I will sing praises with the lyre,
            O Holy One of Israel.

      23My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You;
            And my soul, which You have redeemed.

      24My tongue also will utter Your righteousness all day long;
            For they are ashamed, for they are humiliated who seek my hurt.”

Beautiful Name by ZoeGirl

Let There be praise by Sandi Patty

Already all I need by Christy Nockels

Only You by Adie

Judgement choice

This blog will be very personal.  I have been both the victim and the guilty party.  

Ephesians 4:29

“Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.  

James chapter 2:1-6

“My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.  For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ and you say to the poor man.  ‘You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool.”  Have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil motives?  Listen my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to those who love him?  But you have dishonored the poor man.  Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?

1 Samuel 16:7

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature because I have rejected him; for God sees not as a man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’”

I spent 13 years at a call center and was judged often for what I wore and the things I liked.  Because I am a wrestling, comic book, cartoon character fan I was treated like I had some sort of mental illness.  I grew up with growth hormone deficiency and as a result one leg grew longer than the other I walk with a limp due to it.  I’m only five foot three.  At one point I was told by another kid “Why don’t you go stand in the corner and talk to yourself.”  I began to realize it was not really me that was the problem but other people’s preconceived notions of who and what I was supposed to be..

God looks at the heart not the apparel or shade of melanin(Skin pigmentation's saved  you from googling).  How do you judge the people you meet and choose who you interact with because everyone you meet is a person Christ Jesus died for and they need him whether they will admit it or not.  We are to reach them with God’s love. Be careful how you judge people and what you say to them.  We need to change the way we do things.  It’s been said “God doesn’t waste a hurt.  If I can use mine to help someone else I will.  

If someone has ever spoken Ill of you and hurt you and you need to know your worth look at the cross of Christ and know that he died for you. If you want further homework read Psalm 18 and Psalm 139

Colossians 4:5

“Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of every opportunity.”

You are more by Tenth Avenue North

Through his eyes by 4Him

Love one another by Michael W Smith

Colored people by Dc Talk

Love me for me by Zoe Girl

Love by Petra 

My World View by Audio Adrenaline 

God help Me

God help me

A wise cartoon once said “Life is like a hurricane here in Duckburg, race cars, lasers, aero planes it’s a duck blur.”  I don’t live in Duckburg myself but life lately has been nuts.  I’ve experienced a lot of changes this week and the last and they haven’t really been that great but that’s not my point.  As I drove home from work Wednesday night my MP3 player started playing God help me by Plumb and I want you to consider these lyrics because we don’t always understand what’s going on but we can still have hope and trust God.  

“There is a wrestling in my heart and mind

A disturbance and a tension I cannot seem to drive

And if I’m honest, there’s quite a bit of fear

To sit here in this silence and really hear you

What will you ask of me

Will I listen to your voice when you speak 

Help me to move

Help me to see 

Help me to do whatever you would ask of me

Help me to go

God help me to stay

I’m feeling so alone here

And I know that you’re faithful but I can barely breathe 

God help me 

Sometimes things, they are black and white 

Sometimes they are not and it leaves us torn inside 

And in the middle we are left to wonder 

Who we are and what you want and where we’re going 

I don’t always understand 

But I believe.

 

I don’t know the future 

It’s one day at a time 

But I know I’ll be okay with your hand holding mine

So take all my resistance 

Oh God I need your grace 

One step and then the other show me the way 

Show me the way”

There’s a line at the end of First Blood part two where Colonel Trautman asks Rambo “How will you live John?” And his response was.   “Day by day.”

Like Tiffany Arbuckle Lee said in her song things will not always make sense.  But God is faithful and can be trusted.  And we need to turn to him.  

Psalm 71:1-6

“In you, O Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be ashamed.  In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; Incline your ear and save me.  Be to me a rock of habitation to which I may continually come; you have given a commandment to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.  Rescue me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the grasp of the wrongdoer and ruthless man, for you are my hope; O Lord God, you are my confidence from my youth.  By you I have been sustained from my birth; you are He who took me from my mother’s womb; my praise is continually of You.”

 God knows who you are and what you struggle with and longs for you to turn to Him and cast your cares on Him.

To those who read the blog or watch the videos I want you to know I appreciate you all.  I pray that God will draw you closer to himself and that you will find hope in Him.  He is always faithful.  I play a game where I lead an alliance and it has caused me to be more appreciative of people on that alliance.  Some of you have been part of this blog a short and a long time but you invested time in it and maybe a kind word or prayer and I want to say Thank you to all of you.  

Numbers 6:24-26

“The Lord bless you ,and keep you; The Lord make his face shine on you, and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance on you and give you peace.”

Keep breathing by Kerrie Roberts 

God Help me by Plumb

God of all of me by Sandi Patty 

One thing remains/ How He loves by Caleb and Kelsey

 

Your love never fails by Newsboys 

Light of your face by Misty Edwards