Okay, so it's been a while.  Sorry.  I have something from the Foreward in my bible that I would like to share with you.  Please note that I am not taking credit for anything after this paragraph.  It was written by a pretty neat guy named Warren Wiersbe.  He references scripture quite a bit, which is a good thing, but while you're keeping in mind that I'm not taking credit for Warren Wiersbe's thought's, keep in mind that I'm not giving Ol' Warren credit for God's word.  He didn't write it.  That's why it's called God's Word, not Warren's Word.  I don't know the guy personally, yet I'm speaking on his behalf in this matter because I feel like that needs to be made clear, HA.  I just felt like some of you Fellowship students could benefit from it so here it is.

Well, it was a good weekend.  As many of you may know.  Sarah and I have been trying relocate to Forney for a while now and it seems we're getting closer to making it happen.  We finalized some details this weekend and now we're just waiting.  We've found a house in an unspecified area of town, haha, that we are in the process of purchasing and we are ready to get there......or here.......whatever. Anyways, It's an exciting thing to move into a home, but the process this time around compared to our first home buying experience has been extremely different and extremely difficult.  There are all sorts of required procedures, inspections and many other things that we've had to deal with that have slowed us down and brought on a little frustration and discouragement at times.  However, that's ok because we've learned a lot, grown a lot, and learned to rely on God more than ever before.  


This is mine and Sarah's first big move.  We've always lived in Arkansas near family, familiar places and familiar people.  It was all new and different when we moved here, but it was a good different because we knew that this is where God wanted us to be.  God has always provided for us and we are thankful for His faithfulness.  A truth from God's word that I was reminded of as I was reading this morning is that "The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it" (1 Thess. 5:24).  A good friend of mine from Arkansas pointed this verse out to me in a time when I was in great need of some encouragement. Now as I look back over the past 6 months I can see so many ways that God has been faithful to us and accomplished what He has called us to do with our lives.  No matter what comes our way, we can be comforted by the fact that God who has the power to save us and make us holy and blameless in His sight has the power to bring us through any situation and accomplish great things in our lives.  


www.fsmforney.com

"But, you lazy bones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up?" (Proverbs 6:9 - NLT).  


Is it mean that I laughed at this dog in it's helpless state?  I hope not because I did, haha.  What a horrible thing to have to live with everyday.  As I was watching this I couldn't help but think about what it would be like if I had the same problem.  How horrible would it be to have no control and just pass out in a deep sleep at random, not to mention all of the injuries a person could get from falling down all the time.  

Obviously, sleep is a good thing.  We need it to function properly as human beings.  That's how God created us.  But too much sleep is not good.  Don't get me wrong. I love sleep.....and lots of it, but there's a difference between getting a needed amount of rest and laziness.  I'll be the first one to say that I have been lazy a few times in my past.  There have been times when I didn't do things I knew I needed to do because I just didn't feel like it.  Now, looking back I realize how much time I've wasted over the years and how much I could have accomplished if I just hadn't been lazy.  


As christians, I think we occasionally suffer from spiritual narcolepsy.  We suddenly become very tired and choose to sleep when we ought to be working, praying and spending time studying God's word.  When I watched the narcoleptic dog video I was reminded of Jesus and the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26).  Jesus told the disciples to "Stay here and keep watch with me" while he went to pray.  When he returned he found the disciples asleep. "He said to Peter, couldn't you watch with me even one hour? Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation.  For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!" (Matt. 26:40-41).  Jesus went and prayed again, only to return to find the disciples asleep a second and a third time, "for they couldn't keep their eyes open."


It's always very easy to have good intentions, but it's not always easy to follow through and put into action what God has commanded us to do because we're fighting a spiritual battle every day.  Every day we face Satan's temptation.  Yes, it's a struggle, but be encouraged because God has provided us with all of the armor we need to fight the battle (Ephesians 6).