Author: bradglenn79

Thinking through life today, thinking through the smiles, the tears, the good times, and the bad. There have been so many times in this life that I have felt beyond blessed. I have had more than enough to get me through, I have had everything I have needed, and most of what I wanted. I have been loved, I have been taken care of, I have been cheered, and my accomplishments have been celebrated.

Other times in my life have felt very different. I have struggled to provide, I have struggled to understand, I have struggled with hurt, and pain. I have felt alone, unloved, unwanted, unimportant, insignificant, and like it wouldn’t matter to anyone if I fell off the face of the earth. I felt anything but blessed, and why would God waste a blessing on someone like me.

Today I saw something that helped me with a little understanding. “Sometimes God uses the Devil to deliver his mail!” I guess on the surface it makes little sense but once you find the point, the narrative of what the author is trying to say it begins to come clear. Sometimes God leaves weakness in your life to lead you to his strength. I have always been told “if you pray for patience, God will put you in a spot where you will have to learn it quick”.

So if we look at it God allows the Devil to put us in sorrow so we will find comfort in the almighty. The Devil sits back and watches us struggle through despair as God pours joy into our soul. The Devil thinks he’s winning by taking away the things we want, while God is steadily giving us what we need.

So the next time you see the Devil trying to work into your life remember he is working on trying to draw your attention from the blessing that God is placing at your doorstep. Focus on God, great things are coming.

I love you.

Ok I will preface this by saying I love my church. I consider those people family and love each and everyone of them dearly. One of my best friends is our lead pastor. He and I have laughed, cried, made memories, and lived life together for years. As close as he and I are, I don’t go to church there because he is my friend, I go because every Sunday I learn more about the Bible and how to be closer to Christ.

One of the best things he does is makes us think. Today was no different. He got us thinking about perspective. In Philippians 2:1 Paul writes about encouragement found in Jesus, comfort found in his love, and fellowship together in spirit. So he got us thinking about franchise restaurants and how the menu was the same at each one of them, and are we as Christians providing the same menu to the world.

I think to answer that question you need to know a couple things. First off we need to make sure we are thinking of Christian the same way. You’re not a Christian because you go to church. You’re not a Christian because you raised your hand or made the walk during an alter call. You’re not even a Christian because you got baptized in front of family and friends. If you’re not following Christ trying to be more like him everyday, if you’re not truly loving all people like we’re called to do, if you’re not putting others before yourself then you’re not a Christian you’re just trying to get your “Heaven ticket”.

Now I contend that if we are talking about Christians then yes there may be slight variances in service but that menu is the same. When dealing with Christians you will find encouragement, you will find comfort, you will find fellowship, and most of all we as Christians will be known as such by the way we LOVE others. Get out there and let people see the God through you.

I love you.

Ok I’m about to date myself. When I was in middle school the coolest thing you could have was a “Nike Jacket”. All the kids wanted one. What it amounted to was a thin windbreaker, brightly colored, with a Nike swoosh on the left chest. If you had one you were somebody.

I wanted one so bad. I practically begged my mama for one. I would do work around the house to help out. I would do things without being asked just so she would spend the money to get me one. I’ll never forget it, it was pink, black and white. I finally had my jacket, I was finally going to fit in.

I tell you about the jacket to tell you about me. I didn’t want that jacket because I needed it. My mama paid more for that windbreaker than she had nearly any winter coat I had ever owned. In all honesty I wore that jacket about four times, after that I would let other people wear it, and finally gave it to a friend of mine because they wanted it worse than me.

I wanted that jacket so I could fit in. I wanted it because I was concerned about what other people thought. I wanted it because I was concerned about how I was going to be labeled. I was worried about the Who everyone could see and not the Who I am on the inside. One of my best friends says “Reputation is who people think you are, character is who you actually are”. That hit me hard.

How many times have you tried to be someone to impress people? How many of us have changed who we are to fit in with others? How many of us have given up who we are to try to fit into the mold of what someone else wanted?

I sit and ponder that often. I think about the amount of times I have changed myself to fit in. I have countless times given of myself trying to be everything to everyone, worried about my reputation and not my character, worried about what this world thinks not taking into consideration that the creator of the universe thinks I was perfectly made.

As the things of this world fade let us not worry about what people see, let us not worry about what they think, let us not trouble ourselves with the Who. God created us to be individuals, to be strong, to stand out, to be different, with a purpose that was given to us and no one else. Remember if you don’t do what God has created you to do then it won’t get done. You are perfect don’t worry about the Who.

I love you.

I know in my blog I have some great ideas, or at least I think they are great. I have never thought of my blog as a how to. I have never thought of me as someone qualified to tell you how to do anything, positive anyway.

One thing that I struggle with and write a lot about is death and loss. If I could teach you anything it would be how to hold onto the grief way too long. I have lost some of the most influential people in my life and I hurt for them everyday. In a lot of the situations I still tear up when I think about them. People say give it time but in all honesty one of them has been gone 30 years.

In Matthew 5:4 it says “blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. ” Biblical scholars, men much smarter than me say that “mourn” isn’t to mourn for the dead but to be oppressed, I say that the loss of someone you love leads to a feeling that is on its easiest day akin to oppression. So to them I would say we are both correct.

I handle my grief as best as I can, where I find much discomfort is seeing the people I love going through the pain of loss. To watch a friend lose someone they care about hurts my heart as much as if it were my loved one that had gone. I can cope, I can put the pain away for today, I can and will be ok, what if they won’t?

With that being said I am looking for some help. I need someone to lead me down the road to the how to. I have some ideas but would love help to finish. First of all as in all things let’s start with prayer. Telling someone you’re praying for them is great let’s go the step past that and actually pray. Pray for them right then, sometimes the thing they need most is to hear you talk to God so they know you’re standing in the gap. After prayer be there for them, be their strength when they have none left, be the light they are looking for in that dark hole they seem to be sinking in to. Lastly and in my opinion the most important is to LOVE them. Love them unconditionally, they may snap at you they may lash out but they are hurting. We sometimes abandon people when they need us most because the situation becomes too real. Don’t let a season of loss separate you from someone who needs you.

If you’re going through loss and you need me I’m here, if you’re not and you need me I’m still here. Never be afraid to reach out for a life line. If you need me call me, text me, email me.

I am sorry for your struggle, I am sorry for your hurt, I am sorry for your loss. I am here, and I love you.

As I stand on the beach and look across the ocean, as far as I can see and further still, lies what God has created. There is so much majesty in his creations, so much power, so much beauty. Sometimes it’s hard to see the beauty, the power, and the majesty in what he considers his greatest creation.

We see the colors of the flowers we are in awe of the beauty that God creates each spring. We marvel at the crashing of the waves the power of water that can change a whole landscape. We stand agape at the beauty of nature, the flora, the fauna, the things we can’t understand.

Why don’t we look with the same amazement in the mirror? Why do we look at our children as a true gift from God, but look at ourselves as everything but? How many of us look in the mirror and see a perfectly designed, wonderfully made creation?

We are created in his image. We are his greatest creation. You are an amazing thing of beauty. No matter how many times you fail, no matter how many times you fall short, in his eyes we are never unworthy of his love, and he never stops loving us.

So as you go through your day, as you take in the breathtaking creations that our God created remember of all of those creations YOU are the most amazing, the most revered, the most adored, and the most loved.

I love you.

In my life I have been in so many situations where I knew what was expected of me, I knew how I was to act, and I knew right from wrong. I can tell you now, apologetically, I made the wrong decisions more times than I didn’t. When I was supposed to act a certain way I would choose the wrong option and then get angry over the consequences. I would act like a fool and then be offended because I was treated as such.

As I got older I spent less time making the wrong decision and more time avoiding the call at all costs. If I was put in a situation where I felt like I should do something I would just shut down. There have been so many times in my adult life that I knew the situation I was in was not ideal and I knew I needed to make a change for my mental health and the happiness for those around me, and I just refused to make the change.

How many times have you been in a situation where you knew the right decision and made the wrong one anyway? How many toxic situations have you been in because you didn’t want to make a decision at all? How many times have you failed to follow through because it seemed too hard? For me the answer is a lot.

We all have a purpose in this life. We are placed on this earth with a calling if you will. What we miss is the fact that we can’t follow our calling if we refuse to even answer the door. God knows his plan for your life, he has seen your last day before he breathed life into you. God also gives us freewill in hopes that we follow him.

If we try to fill our lives with the things of this world we will be left empty, we will be left wanting, we will have a burning desire that will never be fulfilled. We have to understand that some things, no matter how right they feel at the time, are not leading you where you need to be. They have been put in front of you as everything you ever wanted, but are actually stumbling blocks to keep you from living a life of joy and living out God’s plan.

We need to search deep in our hearts and decide what is standing between you and purpose, joy, happiness, and God’s love. When we remove these distractions, when we focus on our calling, on our purpose we will be able to get closer to God. When we get closer to God we will be able to put feet on his word and show the world the unconditional love that only God can provide.

I love you.

I’ve written and deleted this more times than I can count. I have tried to put the words to paper falling short every time. I try to live a life of faith, a life where I try to follow God’s plan, a life where I love all people no mater what their struggle is. I struggle with feeling good enough, with being the man I am called to be, I even struggle with not being positive that God loves me.

I have heard so many times in this life that “if you’re not in the middle of a storm, then one is on the way”. I know the storm part to be true. There are so many trials in this life. My problem is I rarely am in between storms. I seem to be in constant turmoil. Before I get through a storm, when I can just see the end, the clouds get thicker, darker, more ominous, and here comes another round. I spend more time in the valley not even being able to see the sun than I am comfortable admitting. I struggle to find the light, the drive, the desire to keep pushing forward, sometimes to the point that I’m not sure if I want to continue the fight.

Today I read “the size of the storm is often an indication of the significance of your life”. If this is true then there must be something great coming out of my life. If this is a fact then God has more faith in me than I. I know the Bible says God can use anyone, no matter their past. I often feel that I have been too far away, that I am too far gone, that anyone that would follow me isn’t planning on going the way I am struggling to go. God, have you picked the wrong soul? Have you picked a soul that was too far gone? Have you shown the way to someone unable to lead others to your presence?

Today I have finally been able to get the words out, I have been able to admit my fears, I have been able to say I am a failure. I am struggling, I am trying, I praying, I am loving, and I am hoping. Lord I pray that when I get to the end of this life I have changed someone’s life, that I have lead someone to you, and that my life ended up being significant.

I will continue to move forward and pray you’ll continue to order my steps. I will continue to tell people my story and pray it makes a difference in someone’s life. I will continue to live a life of showing everyone unconditional love so they will feel they are good enough, they have a purpose, and they are loved.

I love you.

I am a super picky eater, I have tried to change it tried to get over it but alas it’s who I am. When I go to a restaurant I always special order my food. I can never order anything right off of the menu. Occasionally they will mess up my order. When they mess up my order I am always nice, I am always respectful, and I send it back to get it fixed.

How many times have you ordered something, or bought something and didn’t get what you expected? How did it make you feel? Out of those times when you absolutely had your heart set on something and expectations sky high, how much worse would it have been coming down from that? That heartbroken feeling. Feeling dejected, disappointed, and disheartened.

I know this guy, who all he wants is what he paid for. For him it isn’t about monetary value or any kind of material thing. This man paid the ultimate price for what he wanted. He placed his self in the way of certain death for one reason. He was crucified and died on a cross to pay for sins that were not his. He paid a price you or I couldn’t afford, for things he did not do.

When you’re going about your life, and a time comes like it will where you don’t get what you expected, think about that. We all want what we paid for. I want my food to be right, you want that used car to be as good as you had hoped, and you want everything you get from Amazon to be what you paid for.

We need to be the people we were created to be. We weren’t created to conform we were created to be special to stand apart to be the light in an ever darkening world. As we’re lighting up our little corner let’s make sure that we do it all in God’s name. God wants our heart, he wants us to Love like he does, he wants us to do for others, he wants us to do it in his name not for our recognition, not for our glory, but for the glory of God who placed us here and breathed life into us.

I love you.

Even though we didn’t have a lot of money growing up I had a full life. I had a huge family who had an abundance of love to give and I had more friends than I could count. No matter how full things seemed there were times that I didn’t feel like I fit in.

There were groups that I just couldn’t be a part of because I didn’t have the things necessary, or I wasn’t smart enough, or not athletic enough. Those are the groups I wanted to be a part of. How many times have you wanted to be a part of a group? Have you ever thought that your desire to be a part of something was a calling from God and not just something you wanted?

God created us in his image, but he didn’t create us to be alone. In Eden God creates Eve from Adams rib because he could see it wasn’t good for man to be alone. In John 17:21 Jesus says “I pray that they will all be one” and in 1 John 4:19-21 he goes over the commandments with the second one being “Love your neighbor as yourself”. In all of these versus we see that humans were created to be in relationships. We find God through family, friends, spouses. We find God through loving the people he has placed in our lives.

When you’re feeling disconnected think about the people who love you, think about those who have poured into your life, think about those who have sowed seeds of love. If you’re in a good place emotionally then sow those seeds into someone else, let them know you love them, let them see God’s love through you.

I know I have talked before about reaching out and being the hands and feet of God in the community. I think we should also be the hands and feet of God in our church. I believe some of the best most fruitful relationships formed are formed in our church’s small groups. In a small group you have people to help you out, prop you up, hold you accountable, and love you regardless. If you get in a group and don’t feel like you fit, find another one. If you don’t find one you feel like you would enjoy then start one. You have a story to tell, you have love to give, and you may be the best friend someone never knew they needed.

I love you.

I saw a picture on Facebook today that talked about the value of a bar is steel. How it cost five dollars but depending on what you made with it, it could be worth three hundred thousand dollars. I saved the picture because it resonated with me.

I have marinated on this picture all day. I have thought about my worth, I have thought about the things I have and how they affect my worth, and I have thought about my intrinsic worth being the person I am.

I don’t know about you but I come from humble beginnings. My family since before me has always been a paycheck to paycheck family. We have never had all that we wanted, although we have had all that we needed. So when I was young and didn’t have the nicest things it made me question my worth. Was I as good as the others even though I didn’t have?

As I got older I had decided I was going to work as many hours as needed, do as many jobs, and never take time off so I could have almost all that I wanted. I have sometimes put needs on the back burner for wants, I have placed material possessions in front of basic necessities, I have placed a higher value on what others thought my worth was.

Now looking back on things, the way life is so fleeting, the way material possessions are here today gone tomorrow, the way your value to others is sometimes based on their need of you. I feel like I was lost. My value is mine, it is not based on what I have, where I came from, or what I can do for someone.

The Bible says that God chose us to be his holy and without fault even before the world was created. I think that should carry more weight in determining your value than anything you can or will ever possess on this planet. To know that the creator of all looked on us with Love and saw great value in us before anything else. It is a breath of fresh air, and it really opened my eyes to how we should determine our value.

Let’s look at ourselves through God’s eyes. Let us not worry with the opinions of the man down the street because our father thinks we are amazing. Let us not trouble our hearts over material things we don’t have because God looks at what you possess in your heart. Love someone the way God loves you.

I love you.