Testimony

My pastor asked me to share my testimony with the church at our Thanksgiving feast.  I typed it out and read it to them because I get REALLY nervous speaking in front of large groups of people.  What did Jesus do for me that day?  He calmed my nerves enough to stand up and share.

So I thought I would share it with you. It went something like this:

I'll be honest, when the Pastor first asked me to give my testimony I was a bit hesitant.  Took a couple of days of prayer to get me up here.  I thought, man, I really have a tough time talking in front of people.  Especially about my life and testimony.  Then I thought, it's really not about me.  It's about what God has done in my life.  And this whole thing is really about Jesus.

So, what is a testimony?  I found the definition to be, in this circumstance, - a public profession of a religious experience.  And I thought, well that's pretty cool, because becoming a christian is most definitely a religious experience.  It's probably the first REAL religious experience anyone has in their life.  But anyone can be fooled.  I had a religious experience as a young kid at age 8.  Shortly after that, I was baptized, but my life didn't really change.  I'm pretty sure I knew what I was doing, I just wasn't ready to change.  You see our enemy is a master of deception.  The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:8 - Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  And me being selfish at heart not wanting to give up the ways of the world, I was like a wounded gizelle.  So from age 8 to 28, I still lived according to my rules.  

Even through all my rebellion, the Lord continued to tug at my heart and draw me close to Him.  At age 29, I cried out to him and finally accepted Christ.  The Bible says in Romans 10:13 - For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.  And that's exactly what I did.  More than once actually.  I really wanted to be sure this time.  Since then, the Lord has worked through me and has done amazing things in my life.  He's cleaned me up, He's helping me use my gifts and talents to glorify Him, and He's given me a beautiful, supportive wife and a wonderful baby daughter.  It's only when we surrender to Him and give up self, that the Lord can truly be glorified.

So.  I want to issue everyone in here tonight a challenge.  Step back and take a look at your walk with God.  First off, is there a walk to look at.  See, maybe some of you are like me and you got baptized at an early age and thought you were saved, but you haven't been living like it and every step you take is a step without the Lord and not in his will.  If this is the case, I urge you to deal with that tonight.  Don't go another day without being secure in you salvation.  Grab a deacon or the pastor and just say, hey, we need to talk.  They'd be happy to talk with you.  Second, if you know you are saved, take a look at what else the Lord has been calling you to do and answer His call.

~ T

It's Been Awhile

It's been a few months since my last post.  But that certainly doesn't mean the Lord hasn't been at work in my life.  Everyday He still watches over me and guides my path.

Here lately, the Lord has been closing doors for us.  And I realize now that He is having us (my wife and I) grow more dependent on each other and most importantly in Him.  So, don't get discouraged when things are seeming to not go your way.  Trust in Him and remember God sees the big picture, and it is good.

Trust in the Lord always and again I say REJOICE!

~ T

Sleeping Beauty

Well last night we put Maggie down at 10:00pm.  We had just gotten home from our long road trip from San Antonio.  We were all tired.  My wife was feeling a little under the weather.  Something about her and hotel rooms just don't mix.  She caught a little bug we think.  So, we climbed in the bed around 11:00 or so.  I then proceeded to get up and down out of bed to help my wife with things she needed.  Advil, heating pad, water, more blankets...  She was fighting a fever.  Finally in the early morning, not sure what time, she broke the fever!  YAY!  Through all this, Maggie didn't make a peep.  It was truly the Lord at work.  He knew Hannah needed to fight this thing without having to do a feeding in the middle of it.  He also knew I needed to help and Maggie needed some sleep.

What did Jesus do for us last night?

He healed Hannah, gave me energy to help, and put a tired baby into a long, much needed sleep.
Thanks Jesus.  You rock!

The Trip

So we just got back from a little work/vaca from San Antonio.  It was fun!  Maggie's first real trip out of Shreveport.  She did great.  The Lord has truly blessed us with a good baby.  She loves to ride in that car!

What did Jesus do for me today?

What didn't he do for us the past couple of days.  He kept us safe in travels.  Kept Maggie happy on the road.  Kept my work easy.  Helped me be patient in times I needed a lot of it.  And many little things.  For instance, I was going to have to go to the hallway in search of the maid at the hotel to get some extra towels.  And literally, when I was at the door to go out, she knocked.  Thank you Lord for handling every little detail in our lives.  We love you!

~ T

Sweet Dreams

So last night I had a dream that I was being persecuted the way Jesus was when he was arrested.  Punched in the face.  Beaten.  Spit upon.  Rejected.  In my dream, the persecutors where people I knew and some of which I had close relationships with in the past.  And that made it all the more hurtful.

I awoke to my wife touching my arm.  I don't know, but maybe I was tossing and turning and she needed to wake me.  So what does this mean.  I'm not a dream interpreter but I am getting a reaction from this one for sure.  I believe we should never be ashamed of the gospel.  Of the good news of Jesus Christ.  As  christians we should be ready to share at a moments notice and never avoid a conversation that God could use to bring someone to know Him.  You see, in my dream I was bold.  Radical.  Not one of those that stands on the street corner with a megaphone, but one that would speak of Jesus in everyday conversation. I was so on fire for the Lord in such a soft, outspoken way that it got people interested in the Lord.  It also had folks angry.

So, what did Jesus do for me today?
Through my dream last night, He showed me I need not be afraid of the consequences for standing up for Him.  And that I should never be afraid to share my faith or have a conversation with someone about Him. Especially when prompted by the Holy Spirit.  Jesus help me to not be timid.

For God did not give you a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7.

Are you holding back today?

Strings of Mercy

Lately I haven't found the time at home to practice playing my guitar.  What, with the baby and all.  And yesterday at church, I found myself getting a little nervous over the songs we were playing.  There were a couple of licks I wasn't too comfortable playing live.  But when it came time to play them, the Lord was there to guide my fingers to the right notes.  In doing this, He helped me take my mind off playing and put it towards worship.  Talk about multitasking...

What did Jesus do for me today?

He helped me add electric guitar to the worship experience at church.

Praise be to God.

Victory!

The Saints win their opener against the Vikings last night!  What a glorious day!  I don't think God helped the Saints win though.  I don't even believe God has a favorite football team.  I think God is interested in our victories on the spiritual battlefield in our daily lives. And there is victory in Jesus!  Amen?


I heard an old, old story
How a saviour came from glory
How he gave his life on calvary
To save a wretch like me

I heard about his groaning,
Of his precious blood's atoning
Then I repented of my sin
And won the victory

Oh, victory in Jesus,
My savior forever
He sought me and he bought me
With his redeeming blood

He loved me ere i knew him
And all my love is due him
He plunged me to victory
Beneath the cleansing flood

I heard about his healing,
Of his cleansing pow'r revealing
How he made the lame to walk again
And caused the blind to see

And then i cried "dear Jesus,
Come and heal my broken spirit"
And somehow Jesus came and brought
To me the victory!


What did Jesus do for me today?
He forgave me of my sins because the blood of His Son covers me.
Thank you Jesus.


~ T

Hungry?

God is good, is He not? Over the past three weeks, my wife and I have been a little low on funds.  Money was a bit scarce.  But the Lord provided.  We have been fed nearly every night by friends and family donating their time and effort into cooking us something spectacular.  Or they would just pick up something awesome and bring it on over!  Through this experience, the Lord reminded me how important it is to fellowship with others in the body of Christ and He reminded me to be thankful for the people He puts in our life.  Thank you all!  We love you!

And the Lord keeps providing.  Our good friend Farmer is bringing salmon tomorrow night!  Bring it on. Amen!

What did Jesus do for me today?
He provided us wonderful food when we could barely afford to eat.

~ T

The Counts 0-2

You ever have those days where you think you're just not gonna make it.  You want to just drop everything, get back in bed and sleep until the next morning.  Satan is throwing every curveball he has at you and you can't hit a one.  Today, I had one of these days.
But, just as that old prayer you said at the dinner table when you were five says, God is great, God is good.  Our God is bigger and stronger than any of our problems.  And Jesus endured all of our hardships and struggles.  And those curveballs?  Well, lets just say God never strikes out.

What did Jesus do for me today?
He gave me peace by reminding me He's there for me and all I have to do is turn to Him for comfort. That's a home run.

Hiccups

Oh, the joy of being a father!  I never thought that I wouldn't care if someone peed and pooped on me.  I am so in love with our little girl.  But, that doesn't mean I'm never frustrated at situations that occur in our lives together.  Especially when they involve sleep.
The other night after a feeding, my daughter had a mean case of the hiccups.  She was going on and on.  I felt so helpless!  I didn't know what to do.  We were both so tired.  I prayed right then for God to cure her of her episode of hiccups so we could all sleep.  It was amazing.  She instantly stopped.  And very soon after that, we were all asleep again!

What did Jesus do for me today?
He cured my baby's hiccups so we could all get some much needed sleep.

~ T

Where Do I Begin?

One week ago today, the Lord gave us Marguerite Ruth Trussell.  What a blessing she has been already!
Throughout this week, we have seen the Lord answer many prayers and do things for us unimaginable.  He truly is Lord of all creation!  Before the birth, we all were praying against a c-section.  But the Lord had other plans.  See, Maggie was dropping like she was supposed too, but when Hannah would have a contraction, Maggie's little heart rate was having a hard time catching back up.  So it was go time!  Sometimes our prayers are not answered the way we want them to be.  God's plans are always better than ours.  I believe God allows these things to happen to make us trust in Him even more.  In 13 minutes, little Maggie was born to us by c-section.  And it was amazing!  Not really the way we wanted it, but we trust that the Lord was in total control the whole time and His purpose is greater than our wishes.

The Lord did so many things for us this week and answered so many prayers.  He is an amazing God and worthy of our praise!  Begin examining your life.  What is He doing for you today?  It could be a little thing or it could be GINORMOUS!  He is at work.

What did Jesus do for me this week?
He gave us a precious baby girl.
He delivered her with no complications.
He made her a healthy baby.
He's helping mom recover wonderfully.
He's letting Maggie sleep.
He's letting Monkey (our dog) get used to the new addition better than we expected.
He gave us a supporting family.
He allowed my sister to come in town and hold little Maggie.
He gave us friends to feed us.
He let mommy's milk come in when it seemed all was lost.
He guided Maggie to latch on to Mom.
He's giving us rain to cool us off.
He's helping Maggie gain weight!
And He is still doing...
He is in control of it all.  Lord, we give you ALL the glory!

Mommy holds Maggie for the first time.

Gran holding Maggie.

Grandparents getting a gaze.

First cake from Uncle Ricky and Aunt Roxanne!

Sweet baby!

Glad to be home!

Aunt Ashley in town?  Yay!!!

Marguerite Ruth

What did Jesus do for me today?

He gave us a beautiful baby girl!  Thank you Jesus for a healthy, sweet, precious, little miracle.

(more to come...)

Timing

The room is ready and all is in place, as of yesterday.  And wouldn't you know it, the doc wants to deliver baby Maggie tomorrow.  Coincidence? I think not ladies and gents!

Through prayer and situations, God is showing me that His timing is perfect.  In these situations, we must rely on Him through our prayer with Him.  When life is coasting and when life is brutal, He is with us.  Pray without ceasing.

What is Jesus doing for me today?

He is showing me that His timing is ALWAYS perfect.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18

Today in Sunday School, our bible study ended with a word from a friend of mine. She stated that the scriptures we studied really helped her realize how much the Lord does for her and her husband.  And she listed a few of these things.  The Lord is truly at work in all of our lives.  And He wants us to recognize it and give praise back to Him.

What did Jesus do for me today?

He guided our study in Sunday School, He spoke to us through His word, and He let us rest.  Thank you Lord for air conditioning and our couches!

And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.  Genesis 2:3

~ T

Keep Your Cool

Well it's that time a month again to fork over the ole mortgage check.  And to my surprise, the payment has gone down ninety bucks!  For the next 12 months!!!  Also, today I had to mow my yard.  Yep, in the extreme heat.  But, every time I felt like I was getting a little too hot, a nice little breeze would come my way.  Coincidence?  I think not my friend.  And, I got through the weed eating with minimal frustration.  Although the weed eater ended up in the trash can.  Here I come Home Depot!

What did Jesus do for me today?

He helped me keep my cool in more ways than one and He continues to bless us financially.

A Virtue?

For 24 hours, my wife and I sat in a hospital room for tests.  She's 37 weeks preggers.  The test results would tell us that we could A: go home for bed rest - or B: get induced to have a baby.  The staff at the hospital was awesome!  We enjoyed they're company.  When the 24 hours was up, waiting for the test results was brutal. I could feel an uneasiness in my soul.  Anxiety was brewing.  My patience was ceasing.  Two and a half hours later, the test results were in and we could go home.  Yay!

Someone once said, "Patience is a virtue."  The internet doesn't seem to know if it's a Chinese or an Irish proverb.  In Colossians 3, Paul tells us to clothe ourselves in patience along with compassion, kindness, humility and gentleness.  He goes on to say that over all these 'virtues,' put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

I'll be honest, today I found it hard to stay patient.  I'm sure it came across a bit in my mood. But even through these times we have, Jesus is still with us all the way.

So, what did Jesus do for me today?

He showed me patience.  And, He reminded me how much I need a Savior.  Forgive me Lord.  Renew my soul.

Do you need forgiveness today?  He's a prayer away.

~ T

In Control

What did Jesus do for me today?

He reminded me that He is in control and that I don't have to worry about anything.  All I have to do is offer it all up to Him and it's taken care of.  Whatever the outcome, remember He is in control.  Thanks again Jesus for letting me lay my burdens at your feet.

~ T

Zero Balance

In getting ready for the new baby on her way, the past few weeks have been a little tight in the pocket book.  This morning I had a doctor's appointment (routine checkup).  As I was there, it dawned on me that I would have a co-pay to pay.  Whoops!  Of course I had the money to pay it, but it wasn't in the budget!!!


What did Jesus do for me today?


He paid my co-pay at the doctor's office!  Thank you Jesus!


Turns out that my insurance had a 'credit' on it.  So that made my visit a wash!  Amen.  Let's thank Him for ALL miracles in our lives, big and small.


~ T

Just Breathe

What did Jesus do for me today?

He let me breathe.  So many times we get caught up in the day to day that we don't even acknowledge the things God allows us to do.  Like breathe or walk.  And how many times a day do we thank Him for the things we have?  So many of our luxuries are taken for granted every day.  Things like our air conditioning, health, roof, transportation, a job, income, etc, etc.  The list goes on.

Thank you Jesus for giving me life, today.

~ T

Words to Speak

What did Jesus do for me today?


Today Jesus woke me up with the sunlight pouring through the living room window.  Yep, I was on the couch.  Not for being in the dog house as one might think.  Ever since the pregnancy has entered the third trimester, my darling wife has contracted a vicious snore.  Bless her heart.

And, most importantly, Jesus gave me the correct words to say to two very special people in my life.


What did he do for you today?


~ T

Why I've Created a Blog

I became a christian February, 2008, and since then have begun to see the Lord do mighty things in my life.  God truly blessed me by giving me my wife last year. AND, we are expecting a new addition to the family in the form of a new human, any day now.  So, from the big to the small, God shows us His love everyday.  I think we just have to be in tune with Him to recognize it.  Colossians 3:1 says 'Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.'  I believe Paul is telling christians to look toward Jesus in EVERYTHING.  Not just when we're having a bad day or a tragedy in life, but in everything we do.  3:2 reiterates saying 'Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.' As we fix our eyes on Jesus and share it in this blog, we pray it is an encouragement to others to give glory where glory is due. So, throw coincidence out the window and praise Jesus for the things He's doing in your life!

What did Jesus do for me today?

He allowed me to congregate freely with fellow believers and lift up praises to Him for all the wonderful things He does for me.  He is worthy of our praise.

~ T