My Mentor, Pastor and Friend

It seems we get caught up in the hussle and bussle of life. Paying bills, going to work, spending time with the family and trying to juggle all these endeavors. I think about the circus and the man that spins the plates on sticks. Our lives become these juggling acts of keepin all the plates spinning.
Then it seems something will occur that sends the neatly placed plates toppling to the ground. Things happen that wake us up and make us realize how fleating life really can be. It is at these moments we become much more introspective and begin to really grapple with our own existence. These times in our lives we begin to see that keeping all five plates spinning is not necessarily the most important thing in the world. The world probably will not end if you leave the dishes in the sink or forget to mow the lawn.
Today is such a day. A day when it really does not matter if all the plates spin, or even are held up for that matter. Today there is a family in a little house gathered literally around a bed side of man that is clinging to life.
This man is and has been so many things to so many different people.He's a son who diutifully looks after his mother. He's a brother who continually and loyally prayed to God for thier souls. He's a loving father who would walk through fire and hell to do anything for his children. He's a grandfather who lights up when his grandchildren enter the room. He's a husband that faithfully loves and dedicated his life to support his loving wife. He's a best friend that is always there for his friends and willing to do anything for his friends. He's a pastor that dearly loves his church family and truly searches for God's will in thier lives. He's a mentor, teacher and friend to me and my life is never gonna be the same without him. None of our lives will be the same.
Our lives truly are changed for the better for having known Gerald Thomas Walls. He is such an inspiration to me. He is the definition of a never quit attitude. Tommy was diagnosed with cancer some years back. They told him then that he had a short time to live. Tommy never quit and said he was done, instead he fought it with tooth and nail. Many times I would say how do you do it? He would reply "What else am I going to do? I'm no hero I'm just trying to live my life."After having conversations like this with Tommy, I walked away thinking about how insignifigant my problems are in comparison.
This is the part that really gets me about him. Though my problems were miniscule in comparison to fighting through cancer my friend, and mentor would sit down with me and listen to those problems and genuinely care deeply about my plight. He would offer advice and tell me it was going to be okay everything will be fine.
You see thats the kind of man my Pastor Tom Walls is, he cares deeply for others. He always told me that the one thing he wanted more than anything was to have the power of God in his life. He would tell me stories of great men from days gone by that prayed intently so much so that there were indentions in the hardwood floor where they prayed daily. He told me about a missionary that witnessed to Natives in the artic regions. He would tell of how there was a trail of blood left where the man had been praying for these people.
Well I truly believe Tom Walls can be put amongst his heroes of days gone by. Tommy would lay in his bed and through the pain and agony he experienced with cancer would do just as those heroes from yesterdays, He would pray intently for his loved ones, friends, and church members. He always talked to about having God's power as almost an epic journey that I never quite understood.
Today I understand that journey. I believe that he has reached the top of that mountain. He led people to the Lord that he has been praying for for decades. The power of God was surley in his life and I believe has always been there. I dont really think it was a mountain but that it was always there for him. This mountain of experience that Tom has been climbing is not the epic journey, but instead proof that God has always been there. This is just the reality of what God knew all along. No matter how tough or rough it got Tommy would indeed cling to his Saviour. The power of prayer that was displayed was just the answer that Tommy had waited on for so long. So today as Tommy continues to fight against the cancer that has cut his life short on this earth we pray for you and your family. I hope our prayers are as earnest as the prayers you for had for us during those most trying times.
May Tommy's life be a reminder of how important and short life is on this earth. How we who are alive should drink every drop out the cup of life. Tommy would want us to live our lives bravely, and boisterious for God. Praying always...
No matter who Gerald Thomas Walls was to them, Tommy will be missed.
This is not to eulogize Tommy as he contiues to fight the battle that rages inside him. This is to celebrate all he has given and done for this world in which he lives. He may not win the battle that rages on but I can tell you he is giving it one heck of a fight. Tom Walls thank you my mentor, pastor and friend. Though he might argue this last point I still say hero as well.

Who Are Your Friends?

Jesus said "Greater love is this that a man is willing to lay down his life for his friends" Jesus believed that a friendship is so important that the friend would be willing to die for them. Jesus is that friend to you and I.
In New York there is a stock exchange that people buy and sell commodities on the market. The market that is doing well I believe is called a bull market and if it isnt doing well its refered to as a bear market. Do not quote me on this as complete facts for I am no investment banker. I do however know what a friendship is supposed to be. I believe when you are friends it is a bond that is both give and take. Sometimes people are hurting and going through hardships in thier lives and a good friend is someone who is there for them no matter what may occur and vice versa.
Friendship is not a commodity that is to be bought and sold according to how much one can gain. It is not something that only benefits one party in the relationship.In New York there is really not much emotion put into the buying and trading of stocks and commodities, it is all about what benefits the trader the most. A selfish friendship is not a friendship at all, it is just a one sided relationship that only benefits one person. Friends are supposed to be people that can count on each other no matter where they are in life. No matter how hard things get these people are to have each others backs. Jesus had our back 2010 yrs ago on the cross at mount Golgatha. Jesus is our greatest example of how we are to conduct our lives, and he was willing to lay it all on the line for us His friends, His followers and His family.

Frustrations of a Teacher

I want to teach so badly. I have attempted to pursue this endeavor for what is going on 2yrs. It feels like every time I try something knocks me back down. Last year it was time spent as a long term sub and realizing just how far I was into the deep end. I have had training this year and thanks to the good folks at Tx Teachers my eyes are so much more open this time around the block. I guess as a Christian I do feel God has a definate plan for my life that through my understanding of his leading includes teaching. I just do not understand why it is taking so long to come to reality. My feeble mind does not see the end result that my Heavenly Father sees. Jeremiah comes to mind where we hear that God knows the plans he has for our lives. I feel like I am getting all my ducks in a row finally and pray someone out there is willing to give me a shot.

I believe..

I believe that there is one way to salvation and that way is only through the life death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that to please God I must be perfect and the only way to obtain such perfection is through Jesus Christ Himself. I believe that if we lived for Him with the same fervency that He died for us there would be no stopping the Kingdom of God upon this earth. I believe that my family is the most precious gift my Heavenly Father could give me this side of salvation. I believe that there is not a single solitary thing that I could ever begin to do to justify myself without Jesus Christ. I believe that I have spent far to long living in the shadows of tradition when I am called to stand in the spotlight of grace. I believe that we can transform this world through Jesus Christ if we are only willing to get out of the way and let God be God. I believe that I stand in the way of His plans more than I move in the direction He is leading. I believe it is time to stop being the guy who waits for things to happen and it is time to be the man who follows His leading and makes things happen. I believe that Satan has convinced us that our sins make us useless in His will, when in reality the battles have made us stronger and Satan's arrows weaker. I believe if we stopped judging people and loved them as Christ loved us that the changes he wants to occur in their lives would happpen naturally by His time. I believe that it is time for God's people to stand up and be the shinning light in our homes, neighborhoods and communities. I believe that there is a movement of God going on and if we would stop and listen to the still small voice that is HIM we would see and hear it. I believe its time I put my beliefs down somewhere so the next time the god of this world tries to say I am unworthy I can say "Yes I am, but He who lives through me is not!!!" I believe its time....

Blogging The Nines

I saw the Kingdom of God expressed today in nine minute videos. I heard and watched many different viewpoints from many different people. The main theme throughout the day while watching "The Nines" was equipping church leaders to lead. Many people were passionate about a range of things from the practical to the personal piety and I quote "Don't get in the hottub!!". The pastor at Mars Hill implored us not to make the good things God things. He was saying dont make the things that are essentially good in your life , ie your sevice, worship even kids, become idolatry. This was a unique and different event to watch entirely online. Twitters tweeted about how cool and uncool their clothes looked, to what truly touched them in the nine minute speeches. If we could all unite for one day online think of the ramifications we could make in the world if all Christians choose to put aside differences and came together more.

Living life with out fear.

Everyone today has reason to fear something, whether it be stock market crash, fear of the unknown, fear of heights, fear of terrorism, or fear of death. We live in a world that feeds on these fears, one needs only to open a paper or watch the news at night to see that this is true. There have been political agendas set forth because of our fears.

Max Lucado tackles this subject head on in Fearless. He takes the reader back 2000 plus years to the days of Jesus and shows the reader some of the most fear inducing times in the Bible. He talks about the disciples and the fear they faced in a raging storm, before the demon possessed man, and after his death. He writes about Jesus and the most fearful agonizing time of His life as he prayed in the Garden before His very death on the cross.

Max expertly relates the fears of today with those from antiquity and shows how we are not that diffrent from those in the 1st century. The reoccuring thought throughout Fearless is the many verses Jesus says "Do not be afraid"

This book is perfect for anyone,( and lets be honest that is all of us) going through or about to go through major storms in your life. Just as the storm raged on the lake the disciples and Jesus were on. So does the storms rage in our lives. We may feel that just like the 1st century disciples that we do not understand why God chooses to sleep while the waves crash around us. We see that Jesus steps out on the water when the storm is at its worst and calms the sea in our lives. Lucado gives us examples of fear inducing times and storms that may rage in our lives and how our Savior the one who made the clouds can calm them in your life.

Max also relates how storms and trouble in our lives serve a purpose. Though we may feel we are forgotten or alone in our storms we see how they are there to work for our good, just as a prenatal infant must struggle in the womb so must the Christian who has not seen the after life.
Max expertly gives examples of people through out history and his own life stories to relate the reader to Jesus Christ

Lucado's book "Grip of Grace" is a book that I go back to many times in my life for advice, instruction and encouragement. This has been a very important book in my library. I will now have to put "Fearless" next to that book as an important book to refer to for situations in my life. I highly reccomend this book to everyone that reads this blog.

umm thats Since October..not in ..they really are an awesome band.