Leading a Christian Life

So what does this mean? And how do your really do it? What are the rules, or as Johnny Dep says in "Pirates of the Caribbean", "the guidelines."

I feel like it all starts with the Golden rule, "do unto others." I feel like God looks down on us and blesses us for the things we do to and for others.

Why do I feel so strongly about this notion? Because over the past month or so I have been incredibly blessed with a successful new business, and a feeling of comfort that I haven't enjoyed in many years. The only thing that has gone wrong in the past couple of weeks is that I couldn't match the top, to a bottom, of my tupperware. Pretty minor huh? Any other minor hurdle I've been able to overcome fairly easily and quickly.

I also have the feeling that I would like to share a Christian relationship with a women. I haven't had that feeling in many months. In the past I've had a tendency to date when I didn't have everything in my life dialed in, as a result have had more than one relationship turn into a train wreck. Since I feel like I've got my life dialed in the way I want it, found my center, and have the balance and desire to really commit to a relationship maybe God will bless my life with a Godly women.

Here's what I did to I think earn myself bonus points with God.

My new business maintains foreclosed homes. When I started to have more work than I could handle by myself, I reached out to a local faith based mission for a man or two to help me.

God lead me to and introduced Kenneth and Jerome into my life. These two men are from completely different sides of town than me. They are also ethnically and culturally very different than me. Both of these men are are strong believers, and have dedicated their lives to Christ in order to get back on track. Their commitment to living a Christian life is leading them in the right direction. Without the grace of God, these two men and I would have never met.

Over the past couple of weeks Kenneth and I have spent quite a bit of time together working on various projects. Good things have continued to happen for both of us.

In a sermon a while back a Pastor said "If you want to be happy, get a hobby. If you want to be complete, get a relationship." He said this in the context of a man and a women, but I feel like the same thing applies to any relationship where two people support and hold each other accountable.

So if your looking for step one to leading a more Christian life, find someone that is in need, help them out, and stick with it.

What do you think the most critical elements of leading a Christian life are? I've love to learn more about this from everyone.

Peace,

MPK

The Prayerman is not M.I.A.

He's just been super busy with two new projects over the past three days.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the work, the opportunity to earn some money, and the ability you have blessed me with. Hopefully you know I've been working in your shadow. Please bless all of the people that have helped me, TB, KC, my family, and friends. With out them and your help we would not have been able to accomplish what we have. Thank you for the blessing, and for protecting those around me as well as myself.

I pray that everyone will use their heart, hands, eyes, and strength to continue to work in your favor.

In your name we pray, Amen.

Pray for MLK day

Heavenly Father, let us remember the words of Dr. Martin Luther King that one day we will all live in a world where we" will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character". Let us band together "to march ahead" against racial injustices for together "we shall over come." In your name we pray. Amen

From the works of Dr. Martin Luther King:
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."²

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

Daily Prayer for Wednesday January 7, 2009

"Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise."

Opening Prayer:
God, light of all nations, give us the joy of lasting peace, and fill us with your radiance
as you filled the hearts of our fathers.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,one God, for ever and ever.

Today's Readings:
Daily Meditation:
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. ...There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love. 1 John 4

"Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!" He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. They were (completely) astounded. They had not understood the incident of the loaves. On the contrary, their hearts were hardened. Mark 6

How often fear takes away our ability to love! But, love drives out fear. It appears that the key is to "understand the incident of the loaves. "If Jesus has power, then it is foolish for us to fear. If we won't let Jesus have power in our lives, then our hearts are still hardened.

Let us surrender our hearts to the Lord, that we might let him love us and take away all our fears, that we might love more courageously, more completely.

Today's Daily Reflection:
Intercessions:
In the fullness of time, the eternal Word was begotten of the Father. He is the child who is born for us, the son who is given to us. To him we lift our voices in joy: Praise be to you, Lord.

Son of the living God, you existed before the world was made and you came on earth to save all, enable us to be witnesses to your Gospel.

Sun of Justice, whose brightness shone forth from the bosom of the Father and flooded the entire world, be light for all who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

You became a little child and lay in a manger, renew in us the simplicity of little children.

For our sake you became the living bread of eternal life, fill us with joy through the sacrament of your altar.

Closing Prayer:
My love for you is so imperfect, Lord. I know I am filled with fear and yet I long to taste the depths of your love.

Give me the joy of lasting peace and fill my heart with so much love that there is no more room for the worry and dread. Open my eyes to those around me and give me the courage to act in justiceto make their lives better as you would do for me.

May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

PROOF that God Listens

A bit of soul bearing first to put this all in perspective.

I am unemployed. I spent the last of my savings to pay my December rent. My children got nothing for Christmas for which I will be eternally sorry to them. I can't seem to even get a part time job so needless to say things like gas in my car and food lately have been a luxury.

My rent and other expenses are due on January first. Without some sort of Divine intervention, the prayerman would most likely be living on the streets.

The last asset I had to sell were two fairly old, and quite frankly beat up motorcycles that I thoroughly enjoyed riding with my son. I was reluctant to sell them because of the memories, but knew I had to do something. I dreaded the fact that selling them was my only option. I was so depressed and hopeless this morning that I literally couldn't move. But something made me get up, stop feeling sorry for myself, and at least try.

For anyone out there that suffers from clinical depression as I do, you know how difficult it is to get up when your down. When I am depressed I am the most irrational person you will ever meet, I clearly can't see the forest for the trees. Fortunately through a tremendous amount of talk therapy, I have learned to cope and get out of my element. It's called an action plan for intense feelings, and I've carried it in my wallet since 2001.

In an effort of complete and utter desperation, I listed both of the motorcycles, and a refrigerator on craigslist. The fridge was to be given away for free. For someone that is deeply depressed, this is a bona fide "moment of clarity" which I had. It just felt right that if I was trying to sell the motorcycles, that I give something away. No real justification for it, other than that it felt right.

Literally within five minutes, a man from Atascosita called me wanting the fridge and telling me he was on his way. An hour later it was in the back of his truck. This man was an unemployed truck driver that did not have the money to buy a fridge since Hurricane Ike came through and destroyed the one he had. Since September he and his family had lived out of coolers. In addition, his wife just got laid offf from Fed Ex.

He told me his kids hadn't had a cold glass of milk with dinner since September. He was a Christian man because as he was leaving I said "God bless you and your family" and he replied "God bless you and your good deed."

About 6:00pm I got an inquiry about the motorcycles. I was honest with this man about the condition and he said he would come and look at them anyway. Well, long story short, he bought both of them. I also had another gentleman call me wanting to see one of the bikes. He wanted assurance that it would not be sold by the time he got there.

Well, it turned out that the first person that showed up, wanted of the both motorcycles. This put me in a bad situation with the second gentleman as he had driven all the way from Katy on my word.

When he showed up, I told him how sorry I was that he drove all that way and they were sold. In order to make it right with him, I gave him the last $7.00 I had in my pocket. I asked if he knew any kids that rode. He said he did, and I gave him a chest protector, and a couple of old jerseys. During the writing of this, he emailed me the picture of his brother wearing the gear and told me how much he appreciated it and that it would be put to good use. A good deed.

It gets more interesting however. It turns out that the man who purchased the motorcycles(Doug) is my age, grew up in approximately the same neighborhood I did, and our Fathers worked together. In fact I had played golf many times with his Father and mine. I remember his Father as a man that was always kind to me despite my misguided youth.

Turns out that the Doug is also a regular member at a church and believes. As he asked me more about my background, history, and what not, I told him about what I was doing as the prayerman on twitter. We both agree that our meeting was a "God Thing." We were equally as shocked by the fact that our backgrounds were similar and I had such fond memories of his Father who passed away in 1999.

This entire situation is completely surreal. It's surreal because while I always try to do the right thing I've screwed up a lot of really good things in my life. I'm not going to try and begin to chronicle the people I have alienated, the things I've said I wish I hadn't, or the people I have hurt in quest of my own gratification.

From time to time I feel like I am not deserving of God's love. Despite that, I somehow find it in me to pray everyday. I hope, I pray, I hope, I pray. But most of all, I believe. I'm still unemployed, still living hand to mouth, still being betrayed by people, but still trying to do the right thing. WWJD is always in the back of my mind, even though I might not do it the way he would.

Hoping that my prayers get answered is always a leap of faith, but this time it paid off. What's ironic about what happened today is that I never asked God for help. I only asked for direction. Asking God to give me the winning lottery ticket or raining down a couple thousand dollars on me isn't something I would ask for.

Why without some sort of Divine intervention could a guy that has screwed up so many things, be so blessed with an experience like I had today? The answer is actually quite simple. God forgives us, and points us in the right direction. Sometimes when we need it, sometimes when we don't. Today I really needed it, and I think God knew it.

How can you explain something happening so easily, and so perfectly, other than with some sort of Divine intervention? God stepped in today, and helped. That's the only explanation I have, and I believe it.

Just believe, just believe, just believe.

Peace....