NCarolinian

I get frustrated with people who interrupt me mid sentence and try to finish my thought. I started my sentence, allow me the courtesy of finishing it unless I yield to your assistance with a non-verbal clue. So, you can imagine how often it is that I trust someone to speak for me in a given situation. Power of Attorney -  legal authority to act for another person in certain specified matters. I have not had a need to give this, but should I it would fall to my wife. She could act on my behalf because she knows me on a whole lot of levels consistently. Believers in Christ have that relationship with God also. I like to imagine God as an ever-evolving diamond. A diamond has many facets or cut-sides to behold that can be counted. But with God as an ever-evolving diamond you would always observe, as the angels do, a new facet of God to behold and praise Him forever. With this deep, never-ending relationship believers have with God through Christ, we have the privilege and resp...

Separation, one from another, is bound to happen every day between everybody - unless of course you are joined physically to your brother or sister. The time of separation might be anywhere from seconds to years depending on the situation. Is it no wonder then that we pray that the Lord watches over the other while we are away from them? Today's jewelry can be found to have this very sentiment on it. Genesis 31:49 says,  " It was also called Mizpah, because he said, “May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other." For those whose trust is in The Lord, He will keep watch over each party who is separated. God is everywhere. We cannot get rid of His Presence. My favorite Psalm and maybe my favorite passage in the Bible says it best - "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I ...

This blog can and will be especially applied to my life. I hope it encourages and strengthens you - my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ - also. Sometimes you just don't know what the songs are about until you go through it. Sometimes you just don't know what the testimonies really mean until you go through it. Sometimes you just don't know how the Scriptures really help out in a situation, until you go through it. Then when you have experienced the challenge and made it to "the other side", you can - sing those songs, testify and quote your favorite helpful verses.  I am in the middle of my challenge and God is telling me - "The race is not over. You are still undefeated." Then the Holy Spirit, quick as lightening, placed two passages of Scripture in my mind, heart and spirit - 2 Corinthians 4:7-9 and Romans 8:38-39 . I am sure there are others that would marry nicely with these, but these two are what the Holy Spirit encouraged me with -  ...

Forgiveness should not be seasonal. Forgiveness should be an at ready mindset, attitude and lifestyle. No one said it was easy. However, the returns on being the first to forgive on a daily basis and not just when the Holidays roll around are life giving. Issues such as bitterness, trust, hate and sickness can all be dealt with by applying forgiveness in the proper situation. The equation is simple - "Forgive, and you will be forgiven." - Luke 6:37 . However, forgiveness is easier to give when you have experienced forgiveness yourself. If you have not tasted forgiveness,  The Holy Spirit, through Paul, said in  Hebrews 8:12 concerning our Salvation or permanent forgiveness through Christ - "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."  However, just like a clear glass of water is muddied when sediment in the bottom of the glass is stirred by a spoon, so it is that our flesh gets stirred up every now and then and need...

I am going to show my age here, but there is a song that the whole world could benefit from right now. It was performed by Burt Bacharach and the song is "What the World Needs Now Is Love".  I am a 1970's kid. I had a wonderful childhood. Teenage years were great. College was so good, I still have dreams about those days. But after I graduated Appalachian State University in 1993, the world seemed to kick into another gear and somebody pulled the "world-plug-on-love". Today, it is no wonder what the world needs now is love.  If we rewind history, just a tad, to the Old Testament days - we can observe a perfect world. All one had to do, to live right in this perfect world was to follow some 600+ laws and regulations flawlessly. Exactly. That feat cannot be done except by God Himself. Funny I should mention that because God sent Himself in the form of His Son, Jesus to execute every letter of The Law. Fast-forward to today. God has given us a better Agreeme...

The Ecclesia or followers of Christ are titled a few things in Scripture. For a while they were known as followers of The Way ( Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22; 25:3 ). We find out  The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch (Acts 11:26). However, there were a few more descriptive names He gave us - c hildren, sheep, friend, soldier/warrior in God's army and bride. Children See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. (1 John 3:1) Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. (Matthew 5:9) Sheep When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. (Mark 6:34) “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life f...

Isaiah 43:1-2 was originally written for Israel. However, when I personalize this passage, when I spiritualize it for me - there is a message for me there right now, just as I am sure it meant much to the Israelites at the moment it was spoken. Isaiah 43:1-2 says, But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and  when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;  the flames will not set you ablaze. Right off the bat it is wonderful to hear a personal being, not some star dust  "created" me. Even better, God took the time and energy to "form" every part of me physically, mentally and spiritually. If I could, I would render this verse - But now, this is what the Lord says to he who created you, Chadwick Evan...

A little glimpse at me in today's post/blog. Maybe I can encourage someone by what I am going through. The image above of a Pressure Cooker is a pretty accurate picture of how I feel life is treating me and Tanya right now - pressure from all sides.  I have a lower right back problem. The spine doctor thinks it is disk related because it involves my foot, ankle and calf. The surgeon thinks it is SI Joint related because the MRI does not give enough proof of a large enough bulge to worry over. Tanya thinks there could be a fragment of a disk on a nerve (on my last nerve), this happened to her. So, we have the one million dollar question of what the smoking gun is while I wait for the effects of the latest injection into my SI Joint to do their thing. I am still feeling pinching when I walk and stand though. Sitting I am alright for a while. Sleeping I toss and turn like a fish in a frying pan. Not to great for the wife either. Speaking of my wife, Tanya. She is and has been...

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. - Psalm 23 "The LORD is my shepherd" Shepherd is a descriptive title. It mentions kind of job and relationship in one word. A managerial role over a group of followers with responsibilities for their care and protection. For Believers in Christ Jesus we are His sheep and He is our shepherd, but not just any shepherd. He is our Great Shepherd.  The LORD is called "great shepherd" i...

I am going through a rough patch of life right now. I have asked for God's direct intervention but that evidently is not part of His Plan. I have nothing but to trust in the sovereignty of my Lord and Savior. Psalm 73 was written for me at this moment in my life. His Word is Amazing. Like David, there was a stage in my pain and grumbling before the Lord where I questioned the Lord about everyone else's health and successes. I have been all the things David mentions in verses 21-22 - grieved, embittered, senseless, ignorant and a brute beast before my God.  Just like David, I am learning His name is Faithful. He hears. He understands. He is with me. "Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (Ps. 73:23-26) ...