The Voice of Truth

It is a very important question.  For me, the question easily could have been "Am I convinced of the love and goodness of my wife, my father, my friends?"  My wife and I during a recent argument (which I like to refer to as "passionate discussions") discussed this very issue as it related to us.  The honest answer for me was, no I am not 100% convinced of the love anyone says they have for me, not 100% of the time.  The reason I say that is that my actions indicate that I am not convinced.  I think it is just a moment to moment thing.  In a weak moment when I am feeling threatened in some way, or someone sins against me, or inadvertently does something that wrongs me in some way, it is easy to feel unloved.  This happens to me all the time.  It is a learned behavior.  My defenses go up immediately and I try to protect myself by distancing myself from the offender.  I assume they do not love me and don't care so I tell myself this person ...

"For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not" (Romans 7:18, NASB) "Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary" (Galatians 6:9, NASB) My flesh is consistent and persistent.  It wants what it wants, when it wants it.  It wants to be lazy first thing in the morning.  It wants to lust just before I start my quiet time in the morning and sometimes during it.  It is very controlling and manipulating and has no regard for other people.  I believe God when He declares that "...nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh..." The Bible doesn't teach me to strive against the flesh on its terms, but rather to remove the flesh from the equation all together through faith by setting my mind on the Spirit and counting the flesh as dead.  The world tries to convince me that living in the Spirit (thinking about God, meditating o...

"Come now, you who say 'Tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.' Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow, you are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.  Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.'" (James 4:13-15, NASB) "Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.  So then, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." (Ephesians 5:15-17, NASB) The news of my cousin Sheila's death has got me thinking about eternal things.  The things that really matter that I so often take for granted have come to the front of my mind.  I am becoming increasingly aware that there are many sideline activities in my life that rob me of precious time I could be using doing more important things.  It is not so...

I don't really know what to write today.  I just received news from my mother that my cousin who is about the same age as me, passed away today.  I do not know any of the details about how she died, but it certainly reminded me how fragile life is, that I am not guaranteed tomorrow.  A lot of recovery thoughts have flooded my mind: living one day at a time, trusting God for each moment of each day, etc.  But more than anything, the importance of knowing where I stand before the Lord is so important and that being settled, I need to be about the Lord's business--telling others about Him.  I know that I am called to serve Him in the area of recovery and specifically with those struggling with same sex attractions, but I can't help but think that His purpose for my life is even higher than that.  I pray that my zeal for telling the truth about the issue of same sex attraction and lust never gets in the way of loving people and telling them the even greater tru...

"Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NASB) "Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them." (Psalm 139:16, NASB) Over the last five years God has directed me into some things that have become the primary activities of my life; almost without me even noticing.  I believe that my leadership in Celebrate Recovery, my work in Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, my job structure at the college where I teach (part time classroom teaching and part time administrative work), and the list of the many other aspects of routine activities in my life, have been ordained by God.  This is the life He has called me to.  In some ways I feel I am uniquely gifted to perform the duties of each of these responsibilities, but in many other ways I feel inadequate.  Knowing however, th...

"Change isn't the absence of struggle, it's the freedom in the midst of that struggle to make a different decision" Alan Chambers, President, Exodus International Exodus Freedom Conference Opening Night General Session Saint Paul, Minnesota June 28, 2012

As a young man growing up in Georgia, all I could think about was graduating from high school, going to college to study music, and then living out the remainder of my life as a high school band director.  I was absolutely certain that was the way my life was going to play out.  I did graduate high school, and I did go to college, and I did study music.  It wasn't until my tuba professor at college, Dr. David Randolph, encouraged me to pursue performance and college teaching did I ever entertain the idea of doing anything else with my life.  Sure, I did investigate other career paths while I was a high school student (engineering, military science, and others) but nothing captivated my heart and spirit like music.   I knew I was good at it and I sincerely wanted to share that gift with others through teaching.  I had just assumed that high school teaching was the only avenue available to me. Dr. Randolph convinced me otherwise.  He must have seen ...