Seeking What?

I have a question for everyone. In your desire to grow closer to God what is it you are pursuing? Are you seeking knowledge and therefore spending your time studying Gods word? Are you seeking after Wisdom or Understanding? Maybe it's "Right Relationship"? Or if you "Live Right" you'll grow closer to God? What if I seek "Love" if I can find love I'll understand God cause God is Love? I had a friend ask me the other day what the bible says about "Health" he wanted to understand more clearly what God says about that topic. He was frustrated because it's so Grey no black and white answers not just on health but many, many, many other issues as well. Clearly many scholars feel this way they are seeking closeness with God through "Understanding" The Pharisees sought it through the "Law" Others seek it through Prayer and Meditation.

You may say "All of these are correct. It's a personal thing between God and I." You may say "It's the disciplines. You don't find God through one of these but through a combination of them all."

I read something this week that made me begin to think that while all of these are wonderful pursuits we may be missing one CRUCIAL step. After all the Pharisees were great with the law but missed the point entirely. We have biblical scholars that can't agree on what half the bible is saying "Agree to disagree" is a very common phrase in studying the bible. We have others desperately seeking a right relationship with God but can"t seem to keep their family together. How many of us are trying to earn Gods love by working or going to church every time the doors are open?

In the beginning of Proverbs we have Solomon telling us the purpose of the book. Verses 1-6 he's rambling off his desire for us to grow in "Wisdom, Understanding" Then in Verse 7 he begins to say how "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction" Did you catch it? Lets move on Proverbs 2 verses 1 - 4 says "IF YOU" (If you receive, If you Treasure, Incline your ear, etc...) But verse 5 finally moves to "THEN YOU" Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, After that he spends the next half of the chapter talking about all that God gives you once you understand the FEAR OF THE LORD. Then in verse 12 it switches to what he will protect us from once we understand the fear of the Lord. Proverbs 3:7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil Verse 8 It will be health to you flesh and strength to your bones. I haven't read all the way through Proverbs since picking this up but I believe I'll find that Proverbs rather than being random words of wisdom is an instruction book for how to seek, find, and understand "THE FEAR OF THE LORD" Even in Job Chap 28 verse 28 it says "Behold the fear of the Lord, That is wisdom, and to depart from evil is Understanding.

Long story short. All those things listed at the beginning of this note are great things to pursue. But I think the best way to find them is to seek to understand and develop a strong/healthy "Fear of the Lord" Do this and the rest will automatically follow. My personal mission with the Upside Down Group is to help others view this Upside Down world with eyes turned rightside up. I'm beginning to think the best way to do that is buy developing a Fear of the Lord. I admittedly have a ways to go. How about you?

Very Cool

Ya wanna know what's become one of my favorite things to watch? Too bad you're gonna read it anyway. I love it when I see someone that has been given a vision ACT ON IT! There is nothing more exciting than to watch someone take that step of faith and follow through with what's been placed on their heart. When that plan is to help provide for others I have a hard time sitting still. Now lets take that one step further and see how that very plan will help motivate others to do the same and I could begin dancing (This isn't pretty but hey I never claimed to be... Very often). This is what I watched happen just this past Sunday. We have someone in our church that through observing friends, discussions with others, sermons, Bible Study, etc... has had a passion planted with-in. It is her desire to see her brothers and sisters in Christ taken care of. She has watched friends silently struggle afraid to ask for help. She knows of others with resources to help but unaware of a need. She decided to develop a plan to put the two together. This is so awesome on many many levels. Connecting the two worlds together will help take of needs, it will develop a tighter community, it will set some free from worry, and set everyone free to help others in need. Some who have been too stressed to look outside of their own lives will themselves now be free to assist others. My friend Rhonda's vision is for those in her church to be set free but in reality it is so much larger because once they are free they will be equipped to set others free. The other thing I watched on this particular Sunday was a church open to vision, church leaders encouraging others to jump and follow their God given talents, dreams, and visions.

Now, you want to know my fear? That even though Rhonda took that step of faith. She will still find those in need unwilling to ask for help, she will find those with the skills to help waiting to be asked instead of stepping up to the plate. She will be met with "Great Plan" but noone willing to take advantage of her leg work. Because of this she will leave feeling defeated, tired and asking "Why Bother" I've watched it happen. Shoot I've experienced it. That's because Satan does not want these plans to succeed. He fights them. He uses things such as "PRIDE, COMPLACENCY, LAZINESS, Etc..." He tells us we have nothing to give so don't offer. These are all lies. For those of you out there struggling, needing assistance I give you three magical words. "HELP ME PLEASE" For those of you with eye's to see I give you four magical words "HOW CAN I HELP". For all of us I give you this advice "BE WILLING TO USE EITHER PHRASE"

For my friend Rhonda I say this "DON'T GROW DISCOURAGED" "GOD WANTS YOU TO SUCCEED" "YOU WILL SUCCEED"

For everyone I have just a couple more questions for you to ask yourselves. By asking and answering these questions you'll have the power to turn the world "Upside Down"

WHAT HAS GOD PLACED ON MY HEART?
WHAT'S STOPPING ME FROM MOVING FORWARD?

Now I have one more question.

HOW CAN I HELP?

Seriously

HOW CAN I HELP?

I mean it

HOW CAN I HELP?

Please

HOW CAN I HELP?

I'm Baaack!

Hello Friends long time no see sorry about the long break. My computer decided it wanted to die and I had no way to replace it. I now have this state of art ok no state of anything a cheapy designed to help me get bye till I'm settled again. With the return of thiz blog I sit here and promise you ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! I will write when I can and I will write what God has laid on my heart. I do have thoughts about the future of the Upside Down Group what it will look like and how you will be invited to participate but those are still formulating and God has not given me a definate go on any of it. For now I just write and expect you as always to forgive my grammer.

What do I have to say today? Well lets talk about the month or so that I've been silent. It's been overall a great time. God has blessed me with a great job that allows me the flexibility I've always desired and looks as if it will pay better than any job I've ever had. (In this economy any job is a blessing so I praise God for the fit of this one.) With the new job I've dove into it trying to learn the ropes working extra hours to find that extra sale (Yep I'm sales pure commission at that). I've kept my schedule open for friends yet always manage to find a way to keep busy. I've never enjoyed just sitting around so I quickly find ways to stop that from happening. You can say after my 13 months of unemployment and 6 months of travel I have once again settled into the typical life in America today. Complete with forgetting to FOCUS ON GOD DAILY! After over a year of making God my focus I find a job and slip right out of the habit. How does that happen? For me it was like two completely different lives. God gave me the clear to search out and find a job and I told myself "Time to get back to life" How stupid is that? I EXOERIENCED LIFE for over a year then truthfully I stepped out of life. God is life, He is what gave me life, He is why I was living a dream then I turn and take my focus off of him. INSANITY! Nothing has changed with God. He is still my provider (He's just using ADT security as the vehicle.) As much as I would love to jump back into unemployment and on my bike to get alone with God again that is not what he's calling me to. He is trying to teach me how to live the day to day and still keep him as the ultimate center. He's teaching me to focus on him in and through all things. The past year showed me things that work for me. This blog is huge whether you enjoy it or not I've learned that writing it helps me to focus on what God has been showing me over the week. Spending time to read his word and veg on it is critical. I need to say "I will spend X amount of time daily" this will stop me from reading his word then instantly closing it without asking God "What are you saying" And I need "alone time" A few hours one day a week where I can be alone with God and just hang.

These are things I've learned that I must do. Not only must do but really want to do Cause I wants to be stay in relationship with my Daddy, Father God! Over the last couple weeks I have felt more stress over life then I did in my 13 months of umemployment. I had a day last week where I had to text my closest friends and say "PRAY FOR ME" Cause I was under some serious attack spiritually. I let my guard down and Satan said GET HIM! My goal is to not let that happen again and these are the things I need to do to keep that from happenig. But forget the attack I was just plain missing hanging with my God, Creator, and Friend.

That list of things I mentioned that I do. Those are things that I NEED TO DO. What about you? What do you do on a daily basis to stay close too and get to know God better? Don't have a list? Get one! The way our society is built we will lose focus if we don't have a plan. How's that old saying Go? "Those who fail to plan, plan to fail" So fill us in. Let us know! What do you do? What do you plan to do? Help us out. In telling us what you do you may help someone else find what they can do. Ok everyone hope you had a great day lets move into this week and live it "Upside Down"