The Art of Living

Mastering the Art of Living makes no distinction between work and play, mind and body, information and recreation, love and God. There is no diference. Simply pursuing a vision of exellence in whatever you do, leaving society to decide whether you are working or playing. To the one who has Mastered the Art of Living, he/she is always doing both!

Sent Me an Angel

Just when I feel like the world is spinning out of control my angel steps in and keeps me grounded. Yes I have an angel. My angel is compassionate, caring, sincere, tough, selfless, loving, giving, sensible, confident, affectionate, and GORGEOUS! I am busted yes it is my beautiful wife. I know that she has been through a ton with this move, yet she keeps returning to God and His Word for wisdom. She amazes me with how strong and how selfless she is. I just wanted to say to her and the world I AM BLESSED AND LOVE HER SO MUCH!

Jesus Walks

Luke 1:79
to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace."

Fact; Everyone has a shadow. Fact 2; Everyone has a shadow of death, it is part of being live, because without life there is no death. So what is the path of peace. The path of peace is living a life of love that shines on those living the life of death Those living the life of death leads to eternal damnation. Ohhhhh! What did he say, damnation? That's right I used the "D" word. We want to be positive, but again without positivley we have no negativity. I know damnation is negative, but it is reality of having free will. I know none of us want damnation for anyone, including God. Yet he says in His Word that we are to shine on those who are living in darkness.

I remember hanging out with a friend who was convicted of murder and had actually repented, accepted Christ and started living for God in the ministry. He was very bold and called definetly called to ministry, he woud talk to anyone, at anytime about Christ with out thinking twice about it. Well we would go to the bar each night after work and play pool. We would not drink alcohol just play pool and talk about Christ. Well it was a dark hole in the wall and we tryed to keep from drawing attention to ourselves, so we would go to the far side of the bar and play pool. Well it was always busy and there would be people at the table next to us and within a few minutes we would be completely alone at our end. Well my friend would say it was the light that drove them away. I was like the light? What do you mean the light? He would say it was the light of Christ shining through us that would drive them away. So, I finally said ok, I did not agree and that he was being a freaky Christian. So he said ok, tomorrow we will come to the other side of the bar and play pool and everyone will go the the other side of the bar. Well suffice it to say I was wrong. We went to the side closest to the door were all the dart boards where at and within about ten minutes everyone was on the other side of the bar while we played a silent game of pool. I walked to then other side of the bar and looked back and I saw it, at first I thought I was imagining things, but it became very apparent to me that I could see something, LIGHT. It was at that point that I realized the POWER of being a Christian is REAL. That we are really the light of the world I know my experience was a bit weird, yet the truth is that God says we are the light of the World and if we believe it we receive it.

Well knowing we are human, we sin, we intend to sin and we are dark, we sin, and don't intend to and repent so, we become light. In other words if we make a mistake and are sorry, we are the light. We make a mistake and feel no remorse and we are dark. How do we lead, what influences us? Actions, I can say it over and over and over and over, yet it is my actions that speak to others. I look at the Tobacco industry as societys model of repentenance, they were sued for their liability with killing people with the knowledge of the dangers of Tobacco. Ok, so I admit to sinning, let me do my penance and do it again? Sounds like religion to me, we sin and confess and sin again? The Tobacco industry payed MILLIONS of dollars as a penance, yet they still sell their product? This is societies downfall. We sin yet sell it again and again as we payed the penance of our previous sin. If Jesus really walks with us we would not sin the same sin over and over and over again we would be truly repentant and live the life of Light on the Dark and make God happy by increasing the amount of his children who return to him.

God Bless You and Change You for Him!

A Body Dies a Spirit Lives

I lost my sister-in-law a week ago and it has all seemed a bit surreal. I moved here to be closer to both her and my brother. Well I know I was following God's will for my life, but I could not help but feel like I missed something? Then it dawned on me in my prayers for her and my brother. Her body is dead, but her spirit is still alive. The Word says that we don't die we just move from one realm to another. I know it is kind of like duh? I hate to say this, but I feel closer to her now than I did when she was alive. In order to put together some photo books for the visitation I was able to go through all the photos in there home and I found out more about Jaclyn and her family then I had from the past three years of visiting and conversation. Then to make it even better, I had the opportunity to meet many of the people from the photos. It was funny cause the more I prayed for her, the more it became a conversation with her. In the end I was speaking to her like I do God and even better I was hearing her speak back through the people who came. I have to say I have never been so proud of anyone since Richard when Nita died than I had my brother this week. He really has been so strong and such an incredible husband. He has been there through all this and loved so unconditionally I can't begin to tell you! If you would keep Darin, Jaclyn and Jaclyn's family in your prayers. Finally, in memory of Jaclyn we are going to run the next The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training® Nike 26.2 Marathon in Maui. We are going to need to raise money to go and for the society. I am not very good at this stuff so if you would like to send us some greenbacks to help, it would really mean a ton to Darin. Darin ran the marathon in San Francisco in Jaclyn's Honor last year and raised over $27,000 for the Socitey. Go to www.helpjaclyn.com and click on donation to donate.
Bless You!

Abe

Draw near to God and He will draw near to You!

First off, I am blessed to anounce I have been able to attend Joel Osteen's Church and WOW what a church. Second, you may say to yourself as I would, "I could never go to a church with 57,000 people attending." Well after going I will tell you that I could attend this church. Why? Well first of all I was amazed of the number of people who introduced themself to me and who talked to me. I also enjoyed the company of such a diverse and sincere crowd. Suffice it to say I really enjoyed the service and the messages were incredible. It was actually Joel's sister who inspired me for this blog.

You have to move in order for God to move. Bottom line? It is not where you start it is where you finish! I have heard if before and never really understood how to finish in the way God wants me too. So how do we do finish first?
We need to feed our spirit. We can't go more than a couple of days without food, if we don't eat we die! Well, the same is true with our spirit, if we don't feed it, it is like our body. It gets weak and eventually will die. So how do you feed your spirit? Through spending time with God. Through reading the Word, Prayer and helping others.

The beautiful ones

If only we were all what God calls us to be? I don't know why, but we all run from what God calls us to be. I may not know where I am going, I may not know what I need, but one thing is for certain I know what I want. That is GOD. It is easy to warm up to the one we think is beautiful, but try to warm up to an ugly person. That is God. You say how can that be God? You are ugly! Yeah, that's right, is there any sin in your life? If you are a human being then the answer is yes! So, yes you harbor ugliness in you life in a way only God can see. Being transparent can cause you to call yourself for who you really are. A no good rotten low life with nothing, but self providing intentions. If my kids do right I am ok? If I can make it through this week without cheating, all is ok? Wrong! Love is blind, dumb, and fun? Yeah that is right. What if you were told you had one hour to live? What would you do? Would you get drunk? Would you sit and piss and moan about it? Or would you look to what would bring you the most Joy? Your strength is found in Joy? Choose to enjoy it and you will be strong? Most of us think that if joy finds us we will be happy, but truth be told, if we make the choice to find joy we will be strong! So choose joy and help others to find it and God will honor it! So where am I going with all this? Well I have a calling on my life as do all of you. If I deny this calling I can search and search for my joy, but it will always allude me. If I relent to it, repent and give God credence I will find Joy eternal and success beyond my wildest dreams. Do what you fear them most and be relentless in what God has called you to be and you will reap a reward beyond your wildest dreams! God Love You and Keep You where He has chosen you to be! Not where you want to be!

Thankfulness depends on what is in your heart, not what is in your hand.

What keeps us from others? It is interesting cause I have heard many things from many people. Yet one thing rains true that most people don't want to admit. Pride. That's right, pure unadulterated pride! God says pride lands you flat on your face. Pride is why we bless God with the same tongues we cures others with. Who has not been somewhere and looked at another with disgust, disdain, or just outright "I am better than them." What sets us apart from others is nothing more than God's grace. So, how do we show appreciation for the grace God has given to him? We spit in his face by denying others the same love He has shown us. I know I am guilty of it and I have to constantly remind myself that Jesus never saw people as bad, only lost. When we start to see people the same way we honor God's grace for us. Not only that we encourage Him to show us even more grace in our areas of need. Instead of seeing people as society does, being net-worth equaling self-worth start seeing people as God does not for the package, but the contents.

P.S. I am starting to read my posts before I publish them hope it is better!

Life Exists without People?

If you ask me what is wrong with the world today it is that we are able to exist without interacting in a genuine matter with other human beings. Let me explain, I wake up and need to get gas, I go to SAM'S Club and buy gas there is no humans in sight. I need to get some groceries so I go to Wal-Mart and get in line with others who look ahead for the end of the line, because we are trained that waiting in line is bad (just as a side note; I remember a time when I was waiting in line with my three boys and a lady in front of me was complaining about something an using every experlative in the book and what I wanted to say to the lady was "Can you cuss a bit more in front of my kids!" yet I smiled at her and I empathize with her and said good bad and ugly we are all God's kids, suffice it to say she was ugly and I will never forgot her face when I said that, she looked at me and smiled and said "Yeah it is too bad there isn't a law against stupidity." Well not exactly the revelation I was looking for, but she stopped cussing.) So, instead of waiting in line at Wal-Mart I get into the self-check line and check myself out. Again dealing with no people. I continue about my day and have no instances of dealing with people? What is wrong with the interaction removed from society? Is is possible to exist and not interact with others? Yes! Is that wrong? Yes, why did God create you? For relationship! Why did he create others? For relationship! It is the enemies plan to separate us from ourselves so that we can become more accustom to being alone without him or anyone for that matter. I say revolt, resist, reach out to others. If you are lonely and hurting chances are others are too! The great commission? Find them and Love them as you wish to be loved! Show them God through you faith not fear. We are becoming such a closed society with so many avenues to open up which are squelched by the Dark side. We need to stand up for who we are and become who He had called us to be.

Who are we really?

I think we look at society and see a viagra commercial and God looks at society and sees Oysters. We are so desperate to be who we are not and always working to be something more than what should be. We need to stop and be content with who we are. God says you are made in His image. You are made in His image? I am made in HIS image, not my image, but HIS. Hey guess what so are you. Do you want to feel like it? Sure you do as do I. So how do we accomplish this? Botox? Jenny Craig? Plastic Surgery? How about a personal trainer? NO! Why not start treating everyone you meet like they are made in GOD'S image and are His sons and daughters. Try it. I promise it will change your perspective of you.

A day in the life and who I admire!

I think we all suffer from some hypocrisy from time to time, but it is funny how you see some people as more transparent than others. I had the great opportunity to spend the day with Rob at a show in Dallas. I drove in and hung out with Beaugh and Scott and well as you can see someone is compensating for a size issue aye?

Well, I have been to hundreds of concerts in my life time and this was bar far one of the best, Rob and the boys did the most excellent job! But the funny thing is that I have been to plenty of shows with Rob and others in the music industry and I have missed something that I had seen yesterday that has revealed to me why I admire Rob and appreciate his friendship. He has grown so much and this scripture sums it up to me; Proverbs 17:27 A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered. Rob puts everything into what he does and just gives till it hurts and I see him walk off stage emotionally and physically exhuasted and then what? He is bombarded from one person to the next and the funny thing is he does not say much. He just listens to each person say what they have been rehearsing they would say knowing they would get to meet him and he just sits and patiently listens and tries to make them feel as special as he can. It is a very selfless thing to watch once you realize what is going on. Anyway I admire him for what he does and knowing who he is just makes it that more special. Love ya bro!

TIRE?

A covering for a wheel, usually made of rubber reinforced with cords of nylon, fiberglass, or other material and filled with compressed air.
I have been sitting on an idea for quite some time and God has been stirring it up in me. In the mean time the Devil has been trying to unstir it up in me saying, "what a stupid idea," "this is to outrageous," "too big for you to do," "what makes you think you will succeed?"
I know that God has put this in my head, Proverbs 2:2 says 2Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding.
God gives us the ability to tune into His wisdom and give us understanding. So you ask what does the definition of a tire have to do with this?

This was one mans stupid idea for a tire which he has held onto for sometime. Well, this is said to redifine the definition of tire? The air quotient is missing here?

Well if this takes off it will revolutionize the tire industry as we know it. Bottomline if you know who God wants you to be then it is your responsibility to act on it and His to provide the means.

Faith without works is dead; is often in the perspective of Man doing the work as a result of his faith in God, but if you reverse it and look at God having faith in you without you doing the work, it is dead. Meaning that God knows the begining and the end we just have to choose to run the race to get there. Don't be discouraged he has faith in you and your works will create life!

Matthew 11:28 Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

I use to think that I had to be busy to be fruitful as a Christian. Boy was I wrong in fact Scripturally speaking, "Come away...all by yourselves and rest a while" ( Mark 6:31 ). Mark explains that "Many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat." Sound familiar? Constant hurry is the mark of an un-prioritised life. It's a sign that second and third things have become first things. So, what should be first? Well I have found that first is your relationship with God, then family, then fullfilling your commitment to God.

TWO TICKETS TO PARADISE PACK YOUR BAGS AND LEAVE TONIGHT!!!!

So you are probabley asking what does Eddie Money have to do with pictures, nothing! Just thought it was a cool intro to the photos of where we are at so here it is, Enjoy!

The Entrance

YES! Starbucks

Parkway

The Fountain

The Club House

The Pool

The neighborhood




The courtyard

Leaving


As soon as we get the inside done will have them up for ya! Bless!

I HAVE THE BEST FRIENDS IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, I have been heart broken the past week and last night I came to the realization GOD has blessed me with the best friends in the world! Everyone was so awesome and I can't believe how much everyone did to help us move out of town. I am awe struck still, Ronnie, Jeanette, Jeff, Rob, Linda, Lisa, Ronnie Sr., Connie, Stacy, Mark, Jim, Jennifer, Marlita, Craig, Barb, Freddie, Joel and EVERYONE the list goes on and on you all rock my socks off and I love you all so stinkin much I miss you all incredibley already and dd want to fly you all down to visit. My first priority is to buy a huge house so I can put everyone up. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You just don't know! LOVE ABE

WOW!!!

I am so amazed at GOD. I can screw the pooch over and over and he is constantly there to help me out of it. I miss plan A for my life and he put plan B in my way. Well, suffice it to say I have made many mistakes in my life, that said I don't regret my life a bit cause it has made me who I am in Christ! Well I don't do this type of thing ever, but I am going to say I am reading the most incredible book about being a Christian it is by Craig Gross of XXXChurch a ministry I totally support. Knowing him makes the book even better, cause I know everything he has written to be true. Well it is one of those books were you expect one thing yet get another. If ANYONE is wondering about being a Christian I URGE you to buy it. Here is the link


I have to say this book is stinkin awesome!
I as I am sure you have heard the verse in Psalm 23:4 a million times, you know, Yea though I may walk through the valley of death, I fear no evil, You are with me;
Well this book showed me that as my children do to me at night when given the choice of having the light off and me with them or having a light on and me not with them, the always choose to have me be with them in the dark. Just as I would rather be in the dark with GOD than in the light without Him. I believe this is the place we have to strive to be. I the dark He is with us and intends for us to be there, showing others that He is there with us, His rod and staff comforting us!

A Rude Awakening

Some of us like to live with our heads in the sand, I know I woke up from the couch the other day and realized my life was about to change dramatically for the better. I have moved my whole life and no I am not a military brat my Dad was a gypsy. Anyway I have moved over 40 times in my life and am a pro at it for the most part. I have not moved out of state in twelve years so I am a little rusty, but like riding a bike it should not be that bad. I am excited to be moving to what I call my home, Tampa, Florida. It as all cities has its good points and bad, but it has been my experience the good far outweighs the bad. I have been apprehensive cause my employer is assuming cause they say I can't leave that I won't? Anyway that is a whole other issue, but the funny thing is that because of this, it was causing me some anxiety then I realized through the help of my loving wife that there is nothing they can do, so enjoy it while it lasts and move on. So as I put myself on the the book cases and fell from a height, I realized I am the one who put the couch up there. Kind of dumb huh. Everyone needs a preacher and someone to hold them in check. I am glad I have my wonderful wife to do that for me! She Rocks! Peace!

When you have it all?

I was asked this weekend what I wanted for Fathers Day and My Birthday which are close to each other. It is funny, but I don't want anything. I have everything I could ever want from a material standpoint, I am completely content. So, I thought that was weird to feel that way and I was praying to God asking why do I feel this way? He revealed it to me. It is my Wife, Kids, Family and Friends. Yes, that is right, I am so blessed with the BEST Wife in the World who would do anything for me, I have the most awesome boys who I adore and they in return. I have incredible family who would go so far as allowing their life to be disrupted immensely and allow my family to stay with them and not show a hint of complaint. Friends, well if you are reading this and not part of the top three then you know who you are and what I am talking about. It is funny cause now that I am moving away in two weeks I am amazed at the number of people who should be like, "Well he is leaving so what," but they are, "How can I help? Do you need anything?" Why? I ask and God says the one word answer LOVE. That's what it is and I am a believer! Thank all of you for being a part of me!

Could GOD be more real?

Man God has been so real in our lives, we have been so blessed and I am so thankful that he is such an awesome God. He is really allowing us to live the life He has planned us to and He is also allowing us to make a difference in others lives as well. I just ask as we are going through this time of HUGE transition you pray for my incredible wife. I know she is really feeling a great deal of stress and worry right now I know God is going to give her peace and patience I just want you all to pray He brings it now before the move as well as during and after. I know I ask for alot, but you have not cause you ask not. Love you all THANKS!

One Decision Away?

Proverbs 5:23 (The Message)
23Death is the reward of an undisciplined life; your foolish decisions trap you in a dead end.

Everyday we make decisions, some big some small, some with consequence some without. Funny thing is the everyday decisions we make are usually made without a lot of thought, yet the big decisions we fret, cry to God, and often anguish over. Well I read this passage and thought, so I am destined to a dead end if I make a foolish decision? Well no, there are two parts to this verse. The first sets up the second, If death is the reward for an undisciplined life than Life must be the reward for a disciplined life. Therefore if you live a disciplined life and make a foolish decision I believe God opens a detour for you in most cases. Example: Look at Jesus, isn't he just a Great Detour back to God?

I look at all the decisions I have made in my life and the one that had the greatest impact in my life that I really don't think I did a great deal of thinking about was my decision 10 years ago today to get married. The best thing is that I made this decision and the even better thing is that my wife made the same decision. I was on the beach two days ago and I was walking alone thinking to myself how beautiful it was, then it hit me, just as God created us to share His Beauty, God has created my Bride to share her beauty and the beauty of life with her. I can't say enough about my wife, to know her, is to know she is amazing. She is the truest thing to God to me and I could have God work a million miracles in my life, yet none of them would surpass the miracle of My Wife in my Life.

I am including a prayer that may help you, I know it helps me, "Dear
Lord, so far today I haven't gossiped, lost my temper, been greedy,
grumpy, nasty, selfish or self-indulgent. But in a few minutes I'm going
to have to get out of bed, then I'll need all the help I can get."

Fear and Loathing in the Lord?

OK, so I am sitting in an undisclosed location and on wifi. Doubt is a funny thing-doubt vt
1. to feel unconvinced or uncertain about something, or think that something is unlikely
2. to suspect that something is not true, likely, or genuine, or that somebody is not sincere or trustworthy.
You have to experience it from time to time to know for certain. I had someone who had been completly uncontent with being single tell me they were content with being single and I said that was great. What I felt was yeah right you are just trying to convince yourself. Well then I had an instance where I should have felt bummed and had a blow to my Ego, yet I didn't. It was more an affirmation of what I was doing and where I should be. I then had breakfast with someone who validated everything. Funny how the Lord works. After all the experiences I have had both good and bad I am sure of one thing, God is Genuine. I realize it to be like this God = Certain, World = Doubt.