Most Valuable Accessory

I woke up this morning a little early before work. I had some time to just sit back and reflect, and God put a thought in my head. What's the best accessory to a man? Now, I'm not talking an accessory to fashion, but an accessory to life. As I contemplated this, my first thought was "You,  God." He softly spoke and said I was right but other than that. So as I thought, I ate my breakfast. I thought about my wife. And He kept placing thoughts of her in my brain. She has been right beside me through so much. She has walked a fire that she doesn't deserve. Often, she is misunderstood and misinterpreted by others. She is very precious and worth more than her weight in gold. There's a description of what I wife should be in the Good Book and she does her very best to uphold that daily. I am blessed, well beyond measure. I have done nothing in this life to deserve such a wonderful wife.
So, my answer to the question. What's the best accessory for a man's life? A GOOD, GODLY WIFE. I thank Him daily for her.

Exude

Exude-(of a person) display (an emotion or quality) strongly and openly.
"Mr. Thomas exuded friendship and goodwill"

Today, this thought ran through my head. Well, not just today, it has in the past, but I felt like putting something to paper today. There are so many people in this world that claim the title of Christian. Many days, they will talk about Bible study or church sermons. That's awesome. What's not awesome is when they do not do these things. It's not awesome when these same ones have unpure conversations with others. It is the complete opposite of what they claim when they can speak of going to church and partying in the same breath. I could go on and on with examples, but I will simply stop there.

Another issue with this is the huge BROKEN stepping stone this poor display of character can be to those who are trying to better their walk with God. Whether it is a new faith Christian or maybe a lost sinner, this weak display hinders growth and may even prevent others from coming to Jesus. This poor decision to display the world, yet claim Christ, puts it into other's minds that it's OK to be unpure, be of the world, and not walk closely to Jesus. Do not be the broken stepping stone that stops one from coming to Jesus.

Exude the character that you strive to be!
Not the character to match your surroundings!

#exude

Mistakes

  We go through life, and the old saying applies, we win some and lose some. Sometimes we win because of the effort we put in, the drive to accomplish the task at hand. Others, it's sheer luck. The same goes when we do not win. Maybe it's not lack of effort, but trial and error. Just not your time. Then again, it may be because of a detrimental mistake on your part. Win or lose, there are always prices to pay.
  Let's talk about those losses, and the prices.
See, there is always something at stake. Those stakes may be small, or they may be very large. All too many times we bask in the glory of winning and all that comes with it that we let our guards down and lose focus of a) why we are winning and, b) what we need to do to keep winning. We are all human. We will all make mistakes in our lives. I know I have. Big ones that reap consequences. We have all lost something due to a loss and not a win. Whether it's a competition or debate, it's tough. But it's even tougher when we lose at life. Mistakes in life can cost far greater things than simply losing a game or debate. We can lose our best friends, our jobs, even our spouses.
  I look back, I conquer debates. I do the best I can in games, if I lose, I practice for the next game. I prepare. I focus. Now I look at my current flub. Had I only had relentless focus and drive the way I do if it was a debate or a basketball game, I wouldn't be weighing the stress I'm in. I wouldn't be so worried about what I may be losing.
  I have refocused. I have faced my mistake and I see what's needed to fix it. I will be restlessly attacking the routes needed to redeem myself and my character to show that this was a situation where the devil had the best of me due to my lacks. I will not allow myself to fall victim again and hurt the loved ones I hold so dear to my heart. My only fear at the moment is whether or not I'm too late. Is the damage too much to overcome?
  See, there is a huge difference in life and a debate or a game. If I lose a debate, I can go back and study and get my facts right. Reword things the correct way. If I lose a game, I can simply study my opponent from the previous game, analyze my moves, and work harder. It's different in life. The repercussions are tougher and go farther. While we can refocus and conquer whatever it is that caused the fall in the first place, there are more involved. The process is longer and harder. But not impossible.

Silence

Silence. Sometimes silence is good. It's an awesome time to reflect, pray, and try to gain an understanding. An understanding of what? Well, that all depends on the current thought process and state of mind. Today, I've done the usual, scrolling social media, mindlessly, and played a couple of thoughtless games. I've also read some devotionals and prayed. The thought, just now while I simply looked around my silent house, was "borrowed time." We all have a life expectancy and expect to live a life to meet that expectancy. And many times the term "borrowed time" is used for those who are sick or have aged beyond that life expectancy. The truth is, we ALL are living on borrowed time. With each breath we take, it's another moment that has came and went, borrowed from our Creator. How was that moment spent? Did we think about the things we want in life? Did we think about the things that people have done that have hurts us? Or did we use that moment to think about why we borrowed another moment? Or better yet, why God has allowed us another breath? I know we all spend many, many moments idle, thinking about things that really do not matter in the end. We are human. We all have interests or hobbies that we enjoy. We need to dedicate more moments to think, reflect, pray, and ask God what we can do to be better. Better followers of Christ, better moms or dads, husbands and wives, better members of humanity. I've spent a lot of moments today that meant nothing really, but that one moment that meant something....yeah. In that very quick moment, so many things crossed my mind. Where am I failing? Where am I succeeding? What can I do better? I've been cruising at my own speed, not being as proactive as I need to be. In anything, really. And the final thing that flew across my mind, moments can be used to play games, scroll social media, think, reflect, and pray to God, and these moments can also be used to define us as individuals. So the lesson I've learned, keep moments in perspective. Balance them accordingly, or moments and definition will be lost. 

Love Her

In today's society, it's hard to find people who claim to be Christians and actually stick to the Bible, MUCH less Christians who stick to the model for marriage. Financially, it's a struggle in today's money hungry world. But the benefits are well worth it. That being said, I am so thankful for a woman that I can call wife, that follows God and has such a submissive, serving heart. She understands direction, not dictatorship. She wants substance, not money. Far more precious than rubies? She is!!! In comparison, rubies are like pebbles beneath my feet. She is my priceless and invaluable queen. Serving our Lord and being the biblical wife, soft spoken in her voice, but slaying dragons daily and standing firm against the grain of the world. I don't know how I ended up with such a woman, but I am blessed to call her wife. 

Seasons

    This is a harder season of life than I expected. Since I was 15, I've not been unemployed for more than three days between jobs. It's been around three weeks now, and it has definitely been a test of my patience. While my faith hasn't wavered, I have to admit I have questioned His will. We pray for finances, and I lose my job. I'm waiting for that blessing in disguise. It'll come. That's what everybody keeps reminding me. 

     It's not just hard on me, but my wife as well. While tensions are high, we know we are in this together. And as we look back, we know this is just another hard bump Jesus has allowed us to face. It's funny, while I was thinking the other night that things were falling apart, the song lyrics reminded me things are falling into place. Someone brought to my wife's attention the story of Job, fitting with the story of mishaps in our marriage. While he faced things that made him question his very existence, he kept a strong faith. We have faced many accidents and incidents that would make one question, too, and faced them with faith. Sometimes not easily, though. But in faith, God has guided us through it all. From people sending messages that God laid on their heart, being led to help pay for surgeries, bills, and groceries, to encouraging words and songs on social media, the hands of Jesus have reached out to comfort us. Faith, love, family, these things have far greater meaning than one could ever imagine, and it's times like these when you realize maybe half of the meaning and those who live by it and understand. I am thankful for what God has provided, and for the people He has placed in our lives. 

Falling Apart

    So, this year didn't start out as planned. Well, the way I had planned, anyway. I still have in focus many things that I have set out to do this year. I still feel like I have room to work on the things to better myself as an individual. 

    As I write this, Casting Crowns is streaming and the song "Just Be Held" is playing. Funny, at the very moment I wrote the second sentence, I heard the lyrics, "you're life isn't falling apart, it's falling into place." It wasn't my plan to lose my job. Obviously, it was God's plan. As hard as it is to swallow at times, His plans are better than ours. Keeping faith in the hard times in life may be hard, it may look very gloomy at times. But, when I think of what God has brought me through to this day, I know my best option is to lay it all at His feet, let Him take these problems from my hands. I'll continue to do my part in the search, but I'll leave it up to Him to open the door, rather than me not following His lead and busting down the door to what I feel is best. Thank you, Jesus, for having the faith in me to walk the path you have chosen for me.