I apologize for the sabbatical

Well, med(ic) school is so busy, I like to refer to it as med school, it's just easier to explain that way.  Morning formation and physical training from 0645 to about 730-800, then class 0900 to 1700, everyday of the week, followed by constant studying when not it class.  It is what it is, the nature of the beast, so I haven't made the time to update this wonderful blog.  Poor excuse but it's what I got, lol, nm

Now, here's for an interesting devotional thought... I was just thinking of this today when at a friends house I saw a honey comb.  Remember the riddle that Samson posed to his father in law and other philistines at his wedding feast?

Judges 14:14

"Out of the eater came something to eat.  Out of the strong came something sweet."  And in three days they could not solve the riddle.

So Samson was walking around and saw a dead lion carcass that had a swarm of bees in it.  So being a good Israelite (jk, this violated a ritual law), he scraped up some honey from the dead carcass, ate it and gave some to his father and mother.

A phenomenal riddle, but a horrible sinful situation.  One way to look at this is that not matter how enticing the situation, if you haven't properly evaluated it and prayed for guidance or direction, the instant gratification isn't worth it in the long run because you won't be honoring God.  I can relate to this in every day situations all the time.  Do I consult God in my important decisions? or do i just go with whatever I think is fastest, get the job done, and benefit me the most?  Ya, I gotta work on that a lot.

Joshua 1:9

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go!"

Graduations...

Well I was able to head over to Chatt and see Juli's graduation this last weekend!  Pretty much awesome! Such a tease though because it was so quick, got in Friday midnight, left Sunday afternoon : (  Love hanging out with friends and family.  I'm so proud of Juli! All finished up and gradumacated!!! Such a smart younger sis, I'm a lucky brother... no big deal.  : )

Last Wednesday I did a parachuted jump with the mc-6 from about 1200 ft out of the back of a Cassa... it was awesome!!! The landing wasn't hard, feet and knees together, tucked my chin, just another day at work.

I've been so busy with classes, had a test yesterday, have a test monday, wednesday, and friday of next week.  We covered 120 pages in the book today, 7 hours worth of lectures, lol, this course is so intense it's nauseating.  I gotta get better with putting up more devotional thoughts, for tonight I'm gonna write in some of my favorite verses.

Isaiah 40:29-31

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles' they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

John 15:13

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Matthew 22:37-40

Jesus replied: Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
This is the first and greatest commandment.
And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandements.

Matthew 26:41

Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.

Phillipians 4:5-6

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

John 15:5

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

BPM-- music link

Random post here... so when I took leave a month ago and went to see Juli, I rented a nice Chevy Malibu.  Now I don't know about you, but I like electronic dance music (EDM) quite a bit and the rental had Sirius satelite radio : )  So I ended up jamming and dancing my way along the 7.5 / 8 hr drive to and from TN to NC, lol, here's a link to some cool EDM songs, the radio station was called BPM or beats per minute, I think its a heart rate joke, lol, idk   follow the link : )

http://pl.st/p/23228001035

The Greatest Commandment

We've all heard this verse before some time.  I love how simply it breaks down God's desire for us as his children.

Matthew 22:37-40

Jesus replied: "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
This is the first and greatest commandment.
And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.

It's so simple, so beautiful... so freaking hard to do every day! Being a believer isn't easy, especially when you're so busy and caught up in work and life, like me and everyone reading this blog probably is.  I gotta work on committing to this verse's message.  It's simply amazing and straight forward how God desires us, his children, to live : ) 'Give Me your all, give others the respect and love you give Me!'

Fearless

You gotta play along with this one, imagine this, picture it with your eyes closed per say as I try to paint this epic encounter.  I was just thinking about Israel and how much I miss digging at Khirbet Qeiyafa, and well 1 Samuel 17 rushed into my head, so here we go...

Dust was in the air as a gentle breeze blew in from the coast, there in the distance stood the nuisance of so many days past.  The time had come, I told myself, to prove the fearlessness and power of my God!  The armies were camped upon both sides of the hill, ours upon the hill at Shaaraim, the Philistines upon the other.  So many had lost their faith, their tiny hearts had not the courage to face this evil creature.

The sun hung high in the sky, everything was still except for the soft sound of the stream running through the valled of Elah, where I stood across from this giant.  I was afraid, yet I knew God was with me as he always had been, guiding my hands to slay the lions and predators that tormented my father's sheep.  Something had to be done about this abomination to the LORD, and by God I'm was going to die trying to show these Philistines the power and truth of our God, the one God, the LORD of Israel.

A rasping shout emerged from the giant, reverberating against the hills... "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" ... "Come here, and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field."

Guide my hands LORD... I am yours, I whispered to myself... then suddenly I shouted to the beast... "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.
All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands!"

My feet began to move, my sandals feeling light as air, tearing through the gravel and dirt beneath me.  Reaching into my pouch I grabbed one of the smooth stones I had taken from the stream earlier.  My grip was firm, assured, I felt as though God's hands were fused within my own.  Close to a dead sprint and gaining towards the lumbering Giant who was readying to throw his spear, I stuck the stone in my sling and started winding it over my head.  Just as Goliath reared back to through his spear and pin me to the valley floor, now at a complete and utter sprint I released the stone from my sling with a shout... time froze for what seemed like an eternity, Goliath lunged forward about to release the javelin from his grip... but right at that instant the stone struck that demon directly in the forehead...

David was so fearless for God, for proving to the world how much God meant to him, for living that fearless Christian live, fully devoted.  He made mistakes as we all do, as I do so often, but he always came back in forgiveness... a man after God's own heart.  I want to be more fearless in my faith, I apologize for that attempt of a story of the battle scene of David and Goliath... It's just awesome to imagine the fearlessness and faith which David showed and breathed in as he undertook that challenge of life and death for the LORD : )  Epic stuff... we gotta be fearless, we have one life to live here on earth and one great eternity before us!!!!!!!!

Focus...

Hebrews 12:1-3
"Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

"Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

Verse two rocks my world, there it is... the answer to having true focus in life, so simple, yet so many times I've forgotten.  Fix your eyes on Jesus, walk in his ways, talk with him every day... the rest will fall into place : )

Back and back in class

So much for my accountability blog : (  I totally lost two weeks of devotional and life blogging when I took leave to see Juli the week before Easter : ) which was awesome!!! and then I left my computer there, lol... epic fail!!!
Well now it's time to get back on track with this devotional accountability.  Quick update: I took a PT test with about 70 guys last wednesday and did well enough to get in the top 15 or so to get into the Special Forces Combat Medic class early.  Those who didn't make it are gonna have to wait 6 more weeks for the next class.  So that was pretty cool, making the cut : )  But it now means my life for the next 9 months is going to be consumed by being in the classroom eight hours a day, only getting weekends and or federal holidays off, but hey I guess that's just the price of learning trauma medic awesomeness!!! lol, it's gonna be worth it, I can't wait to learn how to treat gunshot wounds, arterial bleeds, sucking chest wounds etc...  : )  I'm so lucky to be learning this stuff, and thank God I've been given this opportunity, who knows maybe after the Army I'll go to Africa and be a missionary medic embedded deep in the Congo, lol.... jk? Actually that would be pretty darn sweet!!! you never know, I hope that happens : ) or a tropical island like Tasmania or Tahiti would be nice, surfing is a must have in mission work I've decided just now!

Well over the next 25 days, I'll finish up and re-certify as an EMT-B.  That's the first part of our training, covering 3-5 chapters every day, it's gonna be like drinking water from a firehouse.

Devotional thought for today:

Recently I jumped back in the Psalms, and found a few amazing verses that have really spoken to me.  Psalm 40 verse 4 is the first verse,
"Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie!"
So often recently, I find myself always trying to solve my problems of the day/issues at work, by myself and finding the world's fastest proven solution for getting things done.  I hate this, when I lose that trust mentality in God, and just try to get things done on my own, instead of getting things done and relying on God to help me get them done.  I don't know if this makes any sense, I guess basically what I'm saying is... this verse reminds me that trusting in God and having faith in Him everyday need not be forgotten or abandoned for the world's way!

Psalm 42:1-2  "As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?"

This beautiful verse is self explanatory, and makes me ask this question to myself... does my soul thirst for God?  Does your soul thirst for God?  Only God can quench our thirst, we've been taught that, know it, and I needed the reminder to get back on track and realize how well God can quench our thirsts, any thirst!

Bed time...

What verses do you like to read most, right before bed?  One of my favorites is the amazingly assuring Psalm 121.  It's actually my mom's favorite Psalm... aka it's just flat out awesome.  I'm sure you've heard of it before, well here it is again.

I lift up my eyes to the hills.
    From where does my help come?
² My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.

³ He will not let your foot be moved;
    he who keeps you will not slumber.
⁴ Behold, he who keeps Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The Lord is your keeper;
    the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
⁶ The sun shall not strike you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

⁷ The Lord will keep you from all evil;
    he will keep your life.
⁸ The Lord will keep
    your going out and your coming in
    from this time forth and forevermore.

This Psalm ties in beautifully with my favorite verse, Joshua 1:9,... "Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go!"

ESV was used for the psalm above, however I really like the NIV for the last verse, "The LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."  What more can we ask for?....  : )

John 15

I'm sure everyone's heard of this chapter, it's the one that talks about 'the vine and the branches.'  One of my favorite verses in the chapter, it's actually the background on my iPhone, is John 15:5....

"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."

'Apart from me you can do nothing', you know how many times every week I try to do things completely on my own, not even thinking about thanking God or asking him to help?  Way too many, I need this verse to remind me that I can't do things on my own, because when I often try it doesn't work out well and when it does work out, God needs to be thanked.

I remember a month ago how much this verse helped me, after about 6 hours or so of walking around and pushing/pulling heavy objects and contraptions with at least 60lbs+ on your back, you get so tired and I realized especially during times like those how much I needed God's help.  That part of the verse, 'Apart from me you can do nothing,' would ring in my mind and I'd think to myself, I can't do this on my own anymore, this isn't just a 6 mile run, this sucks, I feel like my spine is gonna snap, Father God guide my footsteps, give me strength, I can't do this by my own strength.... apart from You I can do nothing, and guide me now!

What does God want from us when we draw close to Him, relying solely on Him and not ourselves.  Verse 8 states, "This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."  Dang, when we draw close to God we bear good fruit, people see that, are blessed by it and we reflect God to them.  This makes me think of an awesome quote that goes something like... "You may be the only Bible some person ever reads!"  That hits me hard, because I know often times I don't reflect the Bible perfectly at all in my actions, and you never know when your actions may draw someone closer or push them away from God.

I gotta start putting more of these up, every other day or so, devotional accountability, no excuses for me getting 'too busy' aka lazy this week, sorry about that.

God bless, Joshua 1:9

"Pressing on Toward the Goal"

The text above is the title of a section in Philippians 3 in my Bible.  Anyways, Paul puts forth some really radical thoughts in this chapter, thoughts that just grounded me!  I really feel they're vastly important to refresh Christians.  I mean I often find myself reading the Bible and often reading verses full of 'rainbows and unicorns', aka ones that make you feel God, reassure you, however these verses test you!  I'm gonna paste in the verses, but if you're wondering what your true purpose as a Christian is and from where you can find meaning every day, read these words, especially the thoughts at the end.

Philippians 3:7-21

⁷ But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— ¹⁰ that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

¹² Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. ¹³ Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.¹⁶ Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

¹⁷ Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. ¹⁸ For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹ Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. ²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

What stuck out?  'Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ'!!!!  Amazing thought, love it, gotta keep that one front and center in the mind.  Another key thought is the idea that everything is a loss, except knowing Christ Jesus as our Lord.  Whenever I prioritize things in my day or life, do I take time to say 'you know what I'm gonna prioritize Christ for a second, and have a prayer or devotion, not just do what my humanly desires is and go do whatever Josh wants to do,' that's a bit of an extreme example, and sadly I suck at prioritizing Christ, I really do it's pathetic.  It's gonna take practice, to just take time during the day to thank God, realign myself and realize whatever I gain apart from Christ, whatever I do out of greed or selfishness just for Josh is totally worthless, I've gotta pray and remember to let God guide me throughout my day and entire life.  We're all future citizens of heaven, and citizens of heaven rely on God and gain everything through Christ!

Tecumseh

Tecumseh was a Native American leader of the Shawnee who allied with the British Canadians and fought against the US as we expanded west over the Ohio river valley area in the early 1800's.  Needless to say, he's kinda a big deal, aka he's a badass : )  Check out this quote, it's rather epic and fitting, it'll ring home with you, trust me.

So live your life so the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their views, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and of service to your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide. Always give a word or sign of salute when meeting or passing a stranger if in a lonely place. Show respect to all people, but grovel to none. When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies in yourself. Touch not the poisonous firewater that makes wise ones turn to fools and robs them of their visions. When your time comes to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home.


Awesome quote.... Now enough with the poetry and quotes, tomorrow we'll get into the Word!

Title Meaning

'Invictus' in Latin means 'unconquerable', 'undefeated', and truly thats what I seek to be with God.  I'm sure you've heard of the famous poem entitled Invictus, now the poem which I'll paste below, is great in the way it urges one to have an 'unconquerable' and 'undefeated' spirit, however it does so in a secular way.  We all know and have tried to conquer tough situations by ourselves without God, and often times, and always in the end, we fail.  Invictus Divine means that one is only unconquerable when allied and fused together with our Divine God, Son, and Holy Spirit.  That's the meaning behind the title if you were confused, keep that thought in mind and use it to change around the secular meaning of the poem and read it as a Christian, 'unconquerable' with God would.


Out of the night that covers me, 
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.


God is the captain of our souls, and with him by our side and a never-quit attitude, we are unconquerable and anything is possible through Him!

The Intent of 'Invictus Divine'

Well I've decided to start a real daily or weekly like devotional blog, because well I need this type of accountability in my life.  Most importantly there will be devotional thoughts on here and other content is likely to make its way here as thoughts and ideas strike me.  I hope you receive a blessing, feel free to comment and fellowship, that's what matters most in life... first of all making that everlasting connection with God and secondly making connections with people in your life that will last into eternity as well : )