Endurance
Somewhere in the middle of my seven mile run today God spoke to me. As a society we place much attention to those who are strong (physically). We hold weight lifters, football players, and ultimate fighters in high esteem. Those sports that place an emphasis on strength generally get the most attention. But the sports that are based on endurance i.e: running, swimming, and biking barely make the back cover. People would rather see a few moments of incredible strength than a lifetime of endurance. We have seen the what happens to the lives of those who cannot endure, whether it be a sports star or a religious leader. After all doesn't the Bible say that those who endure to the end shall be saved"

I really think God finds our prayers humorous sometimes. I have thought about one of my most common prayers, which is also probably one of yours too. You know it's the one where we ask God to protect us from everything that could even remotely harm us or make us uncomfortable. I have realized how counterproductive those prayers are. It's my belief that God doesn't want to protect us from everything and He would rather us not be comfortable. I know that may not sound like the God we sing about on Sunday. The bottom line is that nothing grows out of comfort or 24/7 protection. God allows things to take place throughout the course of our lives to cause growth and spawn intimacy with Him. People like Job, Paul, Peter, David, and Moses know this principle first hand.
Take a moment to go to 2 Samuel 22 or 1 Chronicles 11 and read about David's mighty men. These were brave, unstoppable warriors who laughed in the face of comfort.
Now, I wonder how life would change for us if we prayed stuff like:
"God, place me wherever you want today. Put me in the best position to glorify you. I want growth and all that comes with it. Thank you".

Ok, so I know it has been quite a while since I have posted a blog. I am in a season of intense learning from the Lord, and I hope it lasts. I have also just entered a time of fasting which I do every year at this time. I am going to use the next few weeks to fill you in and share with you what God is showing me.
I am learning, through God's help, how to pay attention. I am learning to pay attention to my wife, my family, my ministry, and myself. I am learning to pay attention, especially, to the little details. I read in Genesis this morning about how Jacob and Rebecca decieved Isaac by disguising Jacob to look, smell, and act like Esau. I couldn't help but wonder that if Isaac had paid more attention to his sons that this never would have happened. Yes, I know that Isaac was going blind at his old age and he probably had a hard time hearing, but that's when we are decieved the most. The enemy strikes us the hardest in the areas we are blind in. If I think that my marriage is ok and I don't have to work on it and I stop paying attention, the enemy will come and place a trap and decieve me. When we stop paying attention to the different parts of our lives it leaves us wide open for deception. I encourage you to make it difficult for the enemy to decieve you. Pay attention to your walk with Christ, your family, marriage, and job.