"God"phones

I like to think that I am always in "tune" with hearing a word from God.  However, we all know that each of us gets sidetracked with wordly thoughts.  One thing that I do know is that my God senses are more in tune when I am running or when I am at a chaotic event like a concert. 

Recently I attended WinterJam '13 in Champaign, IL with a sellout crowd of over 14,000 people screaming and singing.  During that time my thoughts strayed away from the noise in the room.  I guess you could consider this a time of "spacing out." During this particular event I could feel God leaving an impression on my heart...so I listened.  This is what God left on my heart this time...

"Keith...you have spent too long worrying about the judgement you think you will receive because who I made you to be.  You are no longer going to hold yourself back because of someone not liking what you offer.  You will accept whatever man will throw at you because you are no longer going to hold yourself back from the pursuit that you have for Me so that you can fulfill the calling on your life."

Wow!  I truly needed that word because I do spend too much time trying to prevent myself from being judged by others.  I then tend to play it safe (or try to not be as "radical") so that my life is free from conflict.  I spend too much time draining myself about circumstance and someone else not accepting me for who I am.

God has made me to be a "Trailblazer."  I accept that role and will continue to wait for God to tell me otherwise.

Friends...do you have a calling on your heart that is too heavy to carry alone?  Make sure that you have your "God"phones on so that He can lead and direct you.

Serve before kings....

I have reached the age in life in which my oldest daughter is reaching her age to drive.  She is continually asking questions about driving.  One thing about my oldest daughter is the fact that she will get her license going into her junior year of high school instead of her sophomore year like 95% of her classmates. So there is a little jealousy in her heart.  She has made me aware what PRNDL means and which is the gas and brakes.  I do agree that those are important aspects of driving a car, but I am not so sure that these questions are the most important ones.    As we continue to have conversations about driving and giving her "What would you do if...?" questions, I asked her how important is it to get a perfect score.

At this stage in the game she is focused on the anxiety that comes along with driving.  I immediately go into "parent" mode.  We continue to talk about the importance of knowing the rules of the road and not just about being able to drive.  If I recall...I remember just wanting to get my license and passing the required amount of questions in order to pass.  I then begin to ask..."what if you miss a question that is important enough to know?  Aren't all of the questions important enough to know in order to be a good driver?" 

At this stage in the game, she agrees that it is important to know everything.  However, I think as she gets closer to earning her license, she will be more focused on just getting by in order to get it.

My major question is this..."Are we all living our lives as people who just know enough to pass, or are we striving to get perfect scores?" God intends for us all to strive to be more like Him.  However, I have met to many people that just want to know enough to pass the test.  Become skilled at what your passion is about.  Because if you strive for mediocrity it will only hold you back from becoming
EVERYTHING God intends for you.  Serve before kings!
Proverbs 22:29

Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank.