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Get Outside and Get Some Fresh Air!

Saturday, April 25th, 2009 By 2 Comments

Good Saturday Friends,

I can’t wait till church at Destiny Family Center tomorrow! I’m feeling like it’s going to be AMAZING… more than usual! So make the trip my dear out-of-towner pals… treat yourselves to a DAY OF REST in the Shennadoah Valley! Come to church… hit the mountain, a park, or a lake afterwards… make it a day you won’t soon forget! 

I’m gonna give you the good weather advice my Mom gave me when I was a kid… ready? Here it is, “It’s a BEAUTIFUL DAY… so get outside and get some FRESH AIR! I dont want to see you in this house another second… so scram… GET OUT… NOW!” Of course she was smiling the whole time… and how thankful I am for a mom that showed me how to love the FRESH AIR! 

So today… I’m gonna give you guys a video of my friend Jason Upton in Germany. It’s not high quality… but it is POWERFUL… and a great way to dedicate your weekend to God. So, watch the video… spend some time praying… write something in your journal… read a few psalms… and then GET OUTSIDE! 

I pray to see you all tomorrow morning… either in person or on the LIVE webcast! All the FUN begins at 10am! 

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The Secret Power of a Super Smile! =)

Friday, April 24th, 2009 By 4 Comments

Happy Friday Everyone!

Hmmmm let’s see… how do I top yesterdays INSPIRATIONAL message? We set some records with that one… most unique visitors in a single day! And already today… record numbers of new visitors are standing in lines to see what all this hoopla is all about! Who would have thought that we would be able to take out MINISTRY to ANOTHER LEVEL by opening our bathroom door to the world! 

Ok so what’s going on with you guys? I write all these SUPER spiritual blogs every single day and we have moderate levels of interest… and then YESTERDAY, I blog about three brown demons wrapped in paper turbans blowing up our innocent little potty and the WHOLE WORLD PUSHES IN FOR A WHIFF! It must be the compassionate side of you guys… or the fact that YESTERDAYS BLOG WAS WAY TOO CLOSE TO HOME for EVERYONE! I mean, one can only imagine the UNTOLD potty rescues SOME OF US have experienced in our lives! LOL

Thanks for LOOSENING up and allowing yourselves to LAUGH OUT LOUD YESTERDAY! It was HEALTHY for all of us… don’t you think? I was a little nervous that some CONSTIPATED Christian would try to get all grown up on us and spank me for being so childish. So I had my trusty PLUNGER in hand all day long just in case I needed to UNCLOG a few clogged souls along the journey. But I must say how IMPRESSED I am with your levels of HUMOR these days!  

One of the very best ways to defeat stress is to SMILE and LAUGH on purpose! The only problem with this strategy is that we never FEEL LIKE laughing when our lives are falling apart do we? In fact, we get mad at people for trying to CHEER US UP don’t we? That’s right… we just want to be left alone to feel defeated and be angry. And in doing so, WE TURN OFF THE STRENGTH that breaks the chains of our oppression!  

Nehemiah 8:10 And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”

Many times when I scold my daughter Heaven… she looks at me and says, “Daddy you’re so handsome when your mad” and she smiles at me REAL BIG! Yes, I realize this is probably some form of manipulation… but its very effective and I believe there is a spiritual principle locked up in her actions. It’s very difficult to defeat her as long as she keeps on smiling! If she gets nasty and starts falling apart and defending herself… things get real bad for her. But EVERY TIME she turns up her smile and says things like, “Daddy, I think you’re so handsome when you’re mad… and Daddy I know I was wrong and I should get in trouble here… but I’m not going to let this steal my joy…” I am drawn into her PEACE and JOY and things go SO MUCH BETTER for Heaven!   

Even though JOY is a spiritual fruit of the Spirit of God… it flourishes only in a HEART THAT REALLY TRUSTS GOD. My daughter can keep on smiling because she tells herself a few very powerful things when she is in these kinds of circumstances. She has JOY because she knows that Daddy LOVES her! She has JOY because she knows that Daddy is just! She has JOY knowing that the pain is only going to last a short time! And she has JOY trusting that this whole thing is only going to make her a better person!

In all our circumstances of life, whether disciplinary, or hardship, or sickness, or personal attacks… we cannot change things that have already happened… but we CAN change our attitude and that WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING! As long as we keep our SMILES SHINING, problems cannot TAKE US DOWN! So much of our victory is WON right here in this attitude realm. As long as we keep trusting and smiling… we WIN! Look everyone, I’m still smiling… I’m still happy… I’m still trusting God in this… I’m not going to get grouchy and mean spirited… I have the JOY OF THE LORD because I trust that he is working all things out for my good and the good of his divine purposes! 

I hope this blog helps you through your next painful circumstance… try this out you guys! You’ll be AMAZED at how well it really works! 

Oh… Don’t forget – Destiny Family Center 10am Sunday morning… come LIVE or tune in to the LIVE webcast!

Filed Under: Journal & Message

The Day Our Toilet Almost Ended My Life!

Thursday, April 23rd, 2009 By 19 Comments

Happy Thursday Friends!

No this is not a picture of our toilet… but a beautiful image for todays topic! Yesterday, I had one of the most petrifying experiences of my entire life! Well, that may be a slight exaggeration… but still a PETRIFYING experience to say the least!

Ok, so I’m getting ready to head for my office, smiling and loving life… and Emily walks by with the following ORDERS: “Um, Charlie… you might want to go check out the kids toilet, it MAY be CLOGGED!” I responded, “COME ON EMILY… am I the ONLY ONE IN THIS HOUSE THAT KNOWS HOW TO UNCLOG A TOILET?”

So like a good loving Father who is always there to make life better for his beautiful family, I hopped up with a super smile and ran for the plunger with great passion in every step! Not really you guys, I must admit how Emily ruined my perfect morning with her devious little SMIRK and the giggle that followed my initial reaction! Yet, I am always there for my FAMILY when they NEED me the most… and this was a moment they could not seem to move beyond without my assistance!

I turned into the kids bathroom… slowing to a cautious halt as I came upon the crime scene! Living on the last big breath I had taken from the hallway… my time was limited… so I got myself together and bent down to LIFT THE LID! Even in all my mental preparedness, I was not ready for what I was about to witness!

As the lid was raised… there they were! Three brown demons wrapped in paper turbans… so intimidating they were! I gasped and groaned as Emily strutted past the bathroom door LAUGHING HER CRUEL AND HEARTLESS self into an oblivion!

The water was lowered so much that I could not successfully navigate my plunger underneath of these three evil turds! So with the plunger in one hand I reached for the flusher with the other. My instinctive Master Jedi skills had kicked in at this point and all fear left the house! It was Charlie to the rescue now… I was about to rescue our trusty potty from this hostile take over!

As I flushed, Emily kicked into “telling me how to do it mode” and in this smirky little tone, she says to me, “Um, I wouldn’t flush that again until after you unclog it… Charlie!” And being the amazing coach that I am becoming these days I used this experience as a real time coaching opportunity!

I said, “Emily, hurry come all the way in here and watch how I do this!” But she starts to walk away now that I’m the one handing out the instructions. I begged, “Wait, please Emily… I may not be around forever honey… and I need for you to LEARN how to do this! There really is a trick to this and I want to TEACH YOU. Come on… look, I flushed so that the water would rise enough for me to get the plunger UNDERNEATH those nasty little party POOP-ER’S… then I can plunge in the  CLEAR water and be able to walk away from the scene with the least amount of clean up!”

I think she was impressed at my plunging SKILLS for only being 38 years old! And sure enough… I did save the day once again!

Maybe you guys can benefit from my transparency today! My only other advice is to flush after every three wipes and eat plenty of FIBER so that none of you EVER have to FACE a stand off like this in your peaceful homes! Please pray that I don’t have NIGHTMARES over the incident… It really was a traumatizing experience!

Oh and one more thing while were talking about personal hygiene… brush your teeth a few times a day and use soap when you shower. What kind of soap you ask? Dove- Go Fresh Burst!

Sorry this wasn’t a spiritual blog… I just felt like passing on a bit of humor today! After all LAUGHTER HAS MEDICINAL PROPERTIES!

Proverbs 17:22 “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”

Emily and I prayed for you guys and galls today… love you all! Have a HAPPY DAY!

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I Think I’m Being Watched!

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009 By 6 Comments

Good Wednesday Everyone!

Over the past few days, I’ve been hearing from a bunch of amazing people about how much you’re enjoying the blog site. I mean the stats are pretty impressive and I can tell that lots and lots of people are reading away… but it’s VERY encouraging to find out specifically WHO is out there in this growing circle!

DAILY blogging has been a VERY big challenge for me. This is because of the JOURNAL factor and the fact that most of us have a very hard time separating our FEELINGS from the thoughts, words, and actions we need to pass on to the people we are influencing.

I remember when this challenge was on a much smaller level. Way back in 1991 right after Emily and I had given our lives to the Lord and we were going to a tiny store front church. Since there were only a few of us… guess who got asked to teach Sunday School to the toddlers? Yes, ME!

These kids had been growing up in “Christian” homes and their moms and dads were all about “family devotions”… and all of them KNEW the BIBLE like a pack of snot nosed theologians! LOL And since I was NEW AT THIS… they chewed me up and spit me out. Every time I mispronounced a bible character, one of them would start giggling and a few hands would go up to correct me… in front of a bunch of 8 year olds!!! It was very humbling and very educational. So, there you have it everyone… I learned the Bible from a group of lovely tots!

The real challenge at that time wasn’t the lesson or the correct pronunciation of Biblical terms. It was being able to teach on an early Sunday morning after SCRAPPING with Emily the night before! I mean, we had some pretty bad fights in those early days… it was REAL BAD at times… ok, I admit it… I was a horrible person back then… and Emily was a beautiful little angel! LOL

I remember calling my Pastor at like 1:00AM to tell him I wouldn’t be able to teach the next morning because I was an evil person. And he would always explain to me that I was a working progress… he would pray with me… and explain that teaching when my heart is broken or right after I have eaten a great big piece of humble pie was a healthy thing for me to do! He told me that nobody is perfect… and that God wanted to use MY WEAKNESS to showcase HIS STRENGTH! 

Little did I know that THIS would be the story of my entire future! That someday, I would be teaching and inspiring people EVERY SINGLE DAY OF MY LIFE… and that my imperfect life would put GODS STRENGTH on display OVER AND OVER AGAIN! 

Transparency is not about putting our weaknesses on display… it is all about showcasing GODS OMNIPOTENT STRENGTH! To live DAILY in front of a world thats desperate for a message, we must be able to SHOWCASE Gods strength over our weakness… Gods love over our hatred… Gods mercy over our judgment… Gods ability over our inability… and the million and one ways GOD ALWAYS BRINGS US THROUGH everything we face! 

Even though we are not all DAILY bloggers… we are all LIVING DAILY in front of an audience. Our lives are OPEN to our friends, families, co-workers, neighbors, and all the other people we have to LIVE in FRONT OF EVERY SINGLE DAY OF OUR LIVES. And we cannot quit life… so we have to figure out how to showcase Gods attributes as DAILY MESSAGES to all who READ OUR OPEN JOURNALS! 

2 Corinthians 3:2-3 “You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.”

So then, we are ALL LIVING BLOGGERS adding tremendous value to everyone else’s amazing life! I pray you have a super duper day… please leave a comment, let us know where you are from and what you’re all about… tootaloo!

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Restoring Lost Fortunes :)

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 By 7 Comments

Good Morning Everyone! 

Psalms 126:4 “Restore our fortunes, Lord, as streams renew the desert.”

As I read that verse, I though about all you guys out there hoping for RESTORATION these days. Undoubtedly, the financial situation of these past two years has taken its toll on most Americans. And as funds tighten, attitudes flair… causing far too many problems in the home.

Relationships are under fire… husbands and wives, parents and children, employers and employees… even close friends. 

People have lost their jobs, their houses, their families, and in many cases… their sanity, their hope, their faith, and their love. 

While I believe that some of this pain is good… and after the tribulation is over, most of us will be far better for it… there is a point at which most of the lessons have been learned and we must start standing for restoration.

Psalms 126:4 ”Restore our fortunes, Lord, as streams renew the desert.”

This is an amazing prayer, don’t you think? Most people go through a long time of complaining about their misfortunes before actually going to GOD with FAITH that HE can RESTORE their fortunes!

Why do we wait so long before asking for Gods help? Because we don’t really believe that he LOVES us all that much and therefore we are not sure if HE WANTS TO HELP US. Other people have a way of making us feel like we can never be good enough to merit Gods help… and that is just NOT TRUE my friends.

The beginning of faith is found in Hebrews 11:6, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

Everyone pretty much believes that God IS… and that God IS ABLE to do some pretty amazing things if he feels like it. But do we BELIEVE that GOD wants to do those amazing things for us? This is the million dollar question!

In order to get our fortunes restored… we have to start BELIEVING that God is a REWARDING GOD… that God is a GOOD AND LOVING FATHER… that God is GOOD AND LOVING TO US… and that God is able and WILLING TO RESTORE OUR FORTUNES!

Psalms 126:4 “Restore our fortunes, Lord, as streams renew the desert.”

The writer of this psalm believed and prayed for restoration… “As streams RENEW the DESERT!” Do you have the faith to ASK FOR THIS KIND OF BLESSING! What are you waiting for??? Refuse to keep on moping around with the rest of the mopers in this desert! PRAY FOR RESTORATION! Pray for STREAMS IN THIS DESERT… PRAY FOR GOD TO RESTORE ALL YOUR FORTUNES… and watch how fast EVERYTHING STARTS TO CHANGE FOR YOU!

Love you guys and praying for your restoration… hoping that todays blog STARTS SOMETHING in you… a new attitude of FAITH that turns your dry ground into a lush green pasture! Have a most triumphant day…

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