bradglenn79

This question can stir so many thoughts and emotions in us as people. It gets your mind whirring around bringing up emotions, feelings, more questions even. Your one, what? Who’s your one favorite team? Who’s your one friend you always hangout with? Who’s your one person you can’t get off of your mind no matter how hard you try?

As we ponder on these questions as to who your one is, let me introduce another thought. As i think all of you know, I’m a Christian, I struggle, I fight, I fall short everyday, but I try to be better everyday. I try to lead my family the way the Bible calls me to, and I try to Love everyone just like Jesus did. Today I heard a message that hit me hard about deciding who would I pray for daily, who I would invite to church, about who I would spend the next however long it takes to lead that person to Jesus.

As Christians we are called to make disciples. We are called to share the word of Jesus with others so they will find salvation in the blood of Jesus the same way we have. We are to tell them so they can tell others. So I ask you today who is your one? Who is the person you know and love that you want to find the salvation we have been freely given? What are you gonna do moving forward to introduce that one to their savior?

Imagine if every Christian brought someone to Christ, imagine the joy that would bring to heaven. Jesus says in Luke 15:7 “I tell you in the same way that there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over 99 righteous people that do not need to”.

So I ask again; Who is Your One?

I love you.

Lord, I hate buttermilk. Lord, I hate lard. Lord, I ain’t too fond of plain white flour either, but after you mix them all up and bake it in a hot oven I sure do love biscuits. I read that earlier and from the beginning I couldn’t see where they were going with it but it all started to make sense. Twenty minutes later it made even more sense and the more I think about it the more sense it really does make.

I don’t know where you’re at in your life, I don’t know where you’re at in your relationship, job, kids, I have no clue where you’re at in your salvation. What I do know is not all of these things are always pleasant, you’re not going to always be happy with all of the steps, you’re going to want to skip some of the discomfort, but if we skip steps our end product changes.

In Romans 8:28 the Bible says “And we know that God works ALL things together for the good of his people”. That means the happiness, the joy, the excitement. It also means the pain, the discomfort, the hurt, and the struggle. The sun shines on the mountain tops but the crops grow in the valley. It feels really good to be up, to be happy, to be on top of the mountain, but you do all of your growing, changing, and getting better when you’re in the valley.

As we go through the valleys know that God doesn’t leave you there alone, he is still working to put you where you are supposed to be, where he wants you to be, where you need to be. Also know that God doesn’t want you to grow through this alone. Most importantly find you joy in God and you’ll never be without, even in the valley.

Once God gets done working all things for your good I’ll bet it’ll be even better than biscuits.

I love you.

Anyone that knows me, knows my love of music. I am a firm believer in the fact that music can capture a moment, a feeling, an emotion, and can bring that memory up days, weeks, months, in some cases even years later. There are songs that if I heard it today it would take me back in time to the moment that song took meaning.

One of these songs takes me back to the 80’s and probably always will. “That’s my job” by Conway Twitty. It takes me back to sitting on Poppy’s lap, driving his old truck down the dirt road and him singing that song to me. For years I had an almost impossible time listening to that song, it always brought back the pain I felt from losing him when I was only eight. Now I listen to that song and smile.

I do have a problem with music though. This is a problem that I have so much trouble dealing with. My problem with music is that I have zero musical ability. I have rhythm, and can’t play the drums. I know the chords and finger placement, but I can’t play guitar. I know all of the lyrics, but lack the voice needed to make a joyful noise. My uncle was an amazing guitar player so people have always asked if I could play, to which I have to respond “the only thing I can play is the radio”.

One thing my Mama has always told me was that I was good enough. Jeff has told me that no matter how broken I am, no matter how useless I feel God can still use me. With these things in mind I am coming to terms with my musical inability. I don’t have to be talented musically to use my voice to shout God’s praise.

Psalm 95:1 Come let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. I have read that scripture so many times. It tells us to sing to the Lord, to shout joyfully, it doesn’t say anything about pitch or key, or even whether you stay on beat.

God gave each of us gifts, some of us are great talkers, some people are amazing writers, some people are given strength of spirit and body that I could only wish for, and some people are given the gift of music. What I’m telling you today is your voice doesn’t have to be perfect for God to love it. When you’re singing the Lord’s praises…….Just. Sing.

I love y’all.

I don’t know about anyone else, but when I was a kid I always wanted to go. No matter what was going on at home I didn’t wanna stay. I wanted to get out and do all of the things. It’s amazing how much things change when we get older.

Now I thoroughly enjoy sitting around the house. I feel a huge relief when I don’t have to get up and do something. I absolutely adore being able to be lazy. One of the most exciting things I’ve experienced as an adult is canceled plans. Now if you’re like me and you make plans to do something because you feel like you have to, you think you should, or “it’s the right thing to do”. Then you know the excitement when you get that text saying there’s been a change.

Today I’m not thinking about those plans. Today I’m thinking about the plans you make because you want to. When you plan on doing something you really enjoy, or when you plan on getting that new job, maybe it’s when you planning on buying that new car, for some maybe it’s planning on being able to be happy.

I read a quote that said “Everyone who died last night, had plans for today”. So what do you do when the thing you had planned on doesn’t work out? How do you move forward when the thing you thought would never change doesn’t resemble what you fell in love with? Where do you go when the thing you fought tooth and nail for isn’t what you started fighting for at all? Help me to understand how to continue moving forward after your most perfectly laid plans are canceled.

We find in Proverbs 16:9 “in their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” This doesn’t mean that your plan is wrong or bad, in some cases I believe it means that the plan isn’t for you, that isn’t your path to walk, or maybe it isn’t your door to open. As humans this doesn’t make it any easier to accept that our lives are not going to go as “we” planned. As followers of Jesus, believers in the Holy Spirit, and children of God we are told ” We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called for his purpose.” Romans 8:28

So if we believe he has our forever in his hands, he has seen our last day before we breathe our first breath, and he is for us, then when our plans change should we not trust him? When our forever doesn’t go like we thought it would, shouldn’t we know that what is coming is far greater than what has gone? Shouldn’t we trust that God will carry us through this storm as he always has?

Today before it’s too late plan your forever, follow your dreams, start to move, but always pray for the Lord to order your steps. Start every journey with prayer and every day with Love.

I love you all.

Leave what’s done in the past in the past. If you’re living in the past you can’t prepare for your future. If you don’t remember the past you will repeat it. Don’t let your past cripple your present. I have heard all of these in some form, maybe not word for word but the sentiment was there.

What about if you enjoyed the past? What if your were happy in the past? What if you felt loved in the past? What if you wish you were in the past? I struggle with this more than I should, more than I would like to admit, and honestly more than is healthy.

I miss the past. I miss things the way they used to be, when life was easier. Don’t misunderstand I am not trying to convince you that I have a terrible life. I live a life much like a lot of you. I struggle to wake up on time, I go to bed too late, I eat way too much junk food, and I live paycheck to paycheck. “There is always month left over at the end of my money” as CW Mendenhall would say.

What I think I miss most is the person I was before life got in the way. I miss that guy with the can do attitude, the sparkle in his eye, and the drive to get things done at all cost. I miss the energy, the emotion, the fulfillment that came with living with less stress. I miss Brad, before life changed me, before I let the world consume my soul.

Thankfully I have been given a 66 book roadmap for this life. I have an in-depth instruction manual for just how I should live. I was blessed with a love letter from my creator who loves me like only he can.

The Bible in Isaiah 41:10 says “do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous hand”. Proverbs 3:5 says “trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” From the sermon on the mount Jesus says in Matthew 6:34 “therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

My life is not perfect, I still miss Brad, but I need to move forward. I need to let the Lord order my steps and not be overtaken by the stress this world lays at our feet. Stress will be there, worry will creep in, and doubt will try to take hold. Remember the promises made from the one who created you.

I love you.

Sometimes I get tickled by the dumbest things, a couple weeks ago it was a story about a key. It’s not a particularly funny story, more of a “you had to be there” kinda thing. It did however get me thinking about keys and what they mean.

Most of the time I have a pocket full of keys. These are keys to various things, cars, houses, motorcycles, even a couple that I’m not sure what they go to. I would be willing to bet most of you are in the same situation. About ninety percent of the keys I know what they go to, and I own whatever it is. My keys get me in where I need to be.

Thinking about those keys got me thinking about our paths as people. How do you know if you’re on the right path? Are there guideposts we are looking for to insure we are heading in the right direction? Do we know we went the right way because we make it to our destination? How many times in this life have you come up against a locked door that you wanted to go through but you just didn’t have the key?

I’m a firm believer in the fact that if we are letting God order our steps we will run into locked doors, we will have hard times, there will be struggles in your life. I am also a believer in the idea that if God leads you somewhere to do something he will give you all that you need to do it. This brings me back to keys, if you are left outside of a locked door that God hasn’t opened for you then it’s not your door to enter.

I believe that God wants to open our doors he wants to give us all of blessings he has provided for us just like his word says. In Matthew 16:18-19 Jesus says “Now I say to you, you are Peter, which means rock and upon this rock I will build my church and all of the powers of hell will not destroy it, and I will give you the keys to the kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in Heaven.”

No man holds your key. As people you could give someone the key to your car, the key to your house, a key to a padlock and maybe even the key to your heart, but the key to Heaven is one we don’t have to give. Thankfully for us Jesus died on the cross for our sins so that we may possess the keys to the greatest treasures you could ever imagine.

If you know someone who needs one more key on their key ring, introduce them to Jesus. He has just enough copies of the Master’s Key.

I love y’all.

Watching the news is heart wrenching now. I don’t know if it’s worse today than it was or if it’s just more access to things happening. When something happens though they say well this person is broken or that is broken. In this society we throw away the broken things. We don’t fix, repair, rehab, or reuse. We do the same with people.

I have often felt broken, unloved, unimportant, undesirable, and undeserving. The honest truth is I was and I still am. The beautiful part about being broken is still being useful. I am broken but I can still do things. I am broken but I can still fix things. I am broken but I can still be kind. I am broken but I can still Love.

The difference in this society and God is that he doesn’t throw away the broken. He sees the broken pieces and sees the priceless creation not the worthless being. He sees you for your heart and not for your failures. He knows your purpose in this life and the gifts he has given you.

God has created you for a purpose, that job is yours alone. If you aren’t fulfilling that calling then the job will not get done. But as with everything else if God has called you to do something he has qualified you to do it as well. Because you are broken in the eye of man has no bearing on your place in the eye of our God.

So how do we move forward? In Matthew 22:37-38 Jesus says “Love the Lord you God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, this is the first and greatest commandment “. Let God into your heart, he can’t bless what you won’t let him touch. Find time daily to read from his word. Pray daily, earnestly, and the Bible says without ceasing. Lastly find time to worship the greatness that is God and the fact that he can take all of the broken pieces of each of us and form a masterpiece that can change the world.

Now if you are like me you’re wondering how on earth you could change the world. I think the answer to that is found in the very next verse when Jesus said “and the second is like it. Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Get out there today and love someone until they ask why.

I love you.

If you’re anything like me you put so much thought into everything, sometimes (more than I like to admit) overthinking things a bit. The overthinking will drive you almost into a pure panic attack. It really can turn a mountain into a mole hill.

This morning I am thinking about that last call. No not at 2am right before all the lights come on. I’m talking about when the end is near, times up, when you game is over. Who will be receiving that last call? Now most people will be surrounded by people you love when the time comes, I hope, but if you’re not who’s gonna be on the other end of that call?

For some people it will be their parents. Their mom or dad or maybe even both. Do you take that opportunity to tell them thank you for loving me, thank you for providing, thank you for being the single most important person in my life, and loving me when I didn’t deserve it? For others do you take time to say I forgive you? I forgive you for not being there, for choosing other things besides me, for choosing me last and sometimes not at all. I forgive you for hurting me physically or emotionally or for letting me down every time I looked to you for support.

Some people will call their spouse to say thank you. You were there for me through thick and thin. We made it through all the things that were supposed to destroy us. Thank you for loving me through blank, or thank you for loving me regardless of blank. Do you call them to let them know how they let you down? Do you call to tell them all of the things you’ve been holding in, the things you’ve wanted to say for years, but just couldn’t?

A lot of people will call their kids. Call and say you are the light of my life. You are the reason I tried so hard, I worked so hard, I fought so hard to provide to be the parent you deserved to lead you in the way you should live. Maybe it’s more akin to why did you have to give me such a hard time in your teens? Why did you not live up to your potential? Why did you make this decision or that decision that left you in such an unsafe, unstable, or undesirable place? Didn’t I raise you better than that?

There are others that will call their family or friends. Thank you for some of the most amazing times I can remember. We had so much fun at the beach, we laughed so much. We had so much fun just cruising with no where to go and music turned up loud. I loved spending the holidays with you, you made all of those get togethers worth going to. For others it may be to let them know how they disappointed you. You were never there when I needed you. You were never a good friend. You used me when you needed me. You were only here when it was convenient for you.

For me given the opportunity I have a long list of people to call. I know I have told you before that I have so many people that have poured into my life. So many that have showed me patience and temperance when I should’ve been shown the door. There have been so many that have showed me love when I deserved the exact opposite. I will spend my time on the phone with each and everyone of them giving thanks for the way they touched my life, speaking life into the rest of theirs, and being sure that when I take my last breath here on earth they will all know how much I love them.

But today I beg of you, go tell them today. For most of us when that day comes when we are at the end we won’t have time to make those phone calls. Call someone today, tell them thank you, tell them how God worked in your life through them, and most importantly let them know you love them.

I love you.

I start my post with a number One thousand, four hundred forty. We are given 1,440 minutes each day. So no matter how poor, how rich, how evil, or how righteous that number is the same for every one of us. What makes you who you are is how you spend those moments that you are given.

Let’s break those moments down a little if we can. In an ideal day the doctors say you need eight hours of sleep (I type this out at two in the morning wide awake after just a couple hours). So sleep occupies 480 minutes from our day. Those minutes are filled with dreams, rest, and relaxation. Unless you’re like me the. Those moments are filled with stress, overthinking, tossing, and turning.

Moving on from sleep an average work day is between 480 and 600 minutes. So it’s basically another third of the time God gives you every day devoted to work, being on that grind, making that money. This time allows you to pay your bills, buy what you need, and dream about what you want. If you are wise you have found a way to spend this time doing something that makes you smile.

So far we have accounted for two thirds of the time you are given every day. We have accounted for rest, and we have accounted for work. What we haven’t taken stock in is life change. We haven’t counted the time spent with loved ones, seeing the smile on your child’s face because you’re doing something they have been wanting to do, we haven’t accounted for holding the one you love in your arms so they know you’re not just around but are really “there”. We haven’t accounted the time we should be spending each and every day reading the word of God, praising him in all his Glory, and thanking him for another 1,440 minutes.

What I’m trying to say is that life is measured in minutes, understand that the time you are given is the most precious currency you have. When your time has passed you can’t get it back and you can’t earn anymore. Make your 1,440 count.

Life begins in a minute, it ends in a minute, and lives can change in a minute. Give me a minute and let’s change the world.

I love you.

I get a daily devotional email every morning. It comes in at 7:30 and always poses a question that makes you think. The question yesterday was “If failing is part of God’s plan, is it really failing?”. The answer is yes. You can think differently, and I will fervently explain to you where you’re wrong.

Failing may be part of the plan, it may lead to a great triumph, it may even lead to changing the world, but it’s still failure. Failure stings, burns, and aches right down to your very soul. It brings up feelings of regret, feelings of hurt, and stirs up this voice that constantly calls into question your worth as a person.

Failure we are told is good for you. “It’s not about how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get back up” while this may be true does getting knocked down stop hurting? Does failing ever stop making you feel like less of a person? Does failure ever become something that no longer has a mental affect on you? “You haven’t failed until you quit trying” ok fair enough but what about when you’re done trying? Because I’m done trying does that make me less of a person?

I know your plans are greater, I know your plans are for my good, I know your plans are not to harm me, but why must your plan require failing, why must it require so much hurt, why must it make me feel like giving up is the only option that makes sense? Failure comes in so many forms. Failed marriages, failed relationships, failing to get your job done, failing to be the person you are called to be, failing to fulfill your purpose here on this planet. Some failures are avoidable, and some are out of your control.

Lord I come to you today a broken man, a humble man, the shell of who you put me here to become. I long for your grace, for your mercy, and for your healing. Lord I want to feel your peace even through all my failures and I need to feel your strength as I struggle to be be the man I am called by you to be. Let me lead those who look to me down a righteous path and let me not stumble as there are other following my footsteps. Thank you for all that you’ve blessed me with and allow me guidance to be a good steward with my gifts. Thank you for Loving me when I don’t deserve it.

To anyone struggling, I feel your pain, I know your hurt, and I am here for you.

I love you.