some thoughts on outgoing and incoming year

My apologies to my readers, but i have been really slack with my postings since Thanksgiving, and NO I'm not going to make a new years resolution to blog more, it is what it is, and hopefully i will get back on track after January 1.  Many people ask, so how has your year been?  I can summarize by the first line of A tale of two cities, "Was the worst of times, and was the best of times".  I'm just gonna share some random thoughts of 2011, and some hopes for 2012.

As was the situation with a lot of families 2011 was an extremely tough year financially for the Reese household, but am thankful that we both have full time employment, and made through the year still having a roof over our head (barely, but did), vehicles to drive, and food on the table.

I learned some valuable lessons this year when it comes to people you interact with and try to help.  Some people like you just up to the point that you stop giving them what they want, people will turn on you in a minute, and some don't appreciate anything you have ever done for them and I fear never will.  However, when I look at the life of Jesus, the same thing happened to Him, so i guess I am in good company.

2011 was a year full of SNOW, wow, can never remember getting as much snow as we did, it was so awesome, granite was stuck at home because of 2wd suburban, but was great family fun time.

Summer of 2011 was so busy.  Started it off with a week with my students to Caswell, came back for a week then was off to STudent Impact doing missions with some awesome youth, then had the privilege to be the guest speaker for the week at Grace Baptist's youth retreat to Garden City, topped the summer off with a week of children's camp at Camp Truett in Hayesville, nc.

As this year draws to a close I look back and see some tremendous things God has done, people He has brought into my life, and how He has used me to influence others (in a positive way). 

As 2012 draws near, it gives me a new look on a new year, with alot of changes, and more chances to impact and help my youth grow.  I look forward to such a great year and I hope you do too.

Chris

10 reasons i dislike being sick

ok so bare with me today, here i am sick and thought i would write why I dislike being sick so much here they are:

1. because you feel so downright awful, who wan't to feel this way, head aching, body aching, no energy
2. It is so inconvenient, seems like every time you get sick it's when you have something you really need to do
3. sleep deprivation, come on, it 6 pm and i have been awake since 4 am; not cool
4. you would think this would be a time to catch up on reading, writing, movies, etc. but you just don't feel like it (oops guess that is like reason 1)
5. I get quarantined from my kids (really don't like that, but understand why momma does it)
6. if you don't listen to your body and rest, it gets worse
7. every time you think it's gone, its baaaaccckkkkkk
8. i get bored and cabin fever
9. puts me behind on stuff i need to do
10. there is NOTHING on daytime TV

haha, now that i have gotten that out of the way here is what i try to do when i'm sick:

1. read my bible
2. read for leisure
3. write my blog
4. watch espn
5. play online
6. work on youth lessons, sunday school, etc

so what do you do when you stuck inside trying to get over an illness?

have a great day, Chris, and ready or not i'm back at it tomorrow....

What I am thankful for

Ok i am going to attempt to put into a list all the things I can think of that I am thankful for:

• God, and for changing my life Nov 30, 1997
• my awesome wife since sept 4, 1999
• my parents for all they have put up with over the years
• my college education
• my inlaws (pat and gary cole)
• my 4 beautiful daughters (ginny, rebekah, samantha, olivia)
• my 2 sisters whom i love dearly (jennifer, resides in hendersonville, and alysia, resides in San Diego)
• My grammy whom i miss terribly
• my grandmaw sellers, whom i miss terribly as well
• my auntie lisa
• my pastor and best friend ken sausedo
• the wonderful friends God has placed around me (andy tuttle, brian lee, steve conard, gary roberts, jeanne wilson)
• my job (and yes i LOVE it)
• my home
• my vehicle (and the ability to pay to put gas in it)
• My former Pastor Ken Lewis, He will never know what a tremendous influence he had on me
• My bro and sister in law (Jon and Dena Brown)
• My church (Grassy Branch Baptist)
• My Youth (the absolute best around (Hannah, Sam, Jacob, Malik, Kahlil, Star, Tim, Zach, Stuart, Bethany, Kayla, Cassidy, Celine, Grady, Jessica, Trevin, Cevan, just to name a few, but you all are great)
• Some of my former youth that helped shape me into the yp i am today (Brittany, Ryley, Nick, Matt, Nicole)
• My Myjenta Spivey, i cannot put into words how thankful i am to you
• Tiffany Staton for all the help you give me in GBBC Youth
• Heat and air conditioning
• Running Water
• Food, and lots of it
• My Uncle David, whom i miss terribly too
• My aunt Nancy Reese
• That God enabled me to reside in the mountains of WNC
• My  cousin Sharon, you da bomb cuz
• the first church i ever attended (WABC)
• my health, and my family's health
• my extended family throughout this whole world that i stay in contact with via facebook :)
• Dr. Johnny Tiller, Dr. Kenneth Ridings, Dr. Thad Dowdle, kenny corn, dr. Craig Bailey, Scott Tompson who have all had tremendous influence on the ministry God has placed me in
• Chris Daudert and the talks we had that over the years
• my neighbors kim and susie black, cause they are always there :)
• CASWELL!!!!
• I am quite sure i have missed someone somewhere that i should have listed that i am thankful for, so i beg forgiveness if i haven't told you lately how thankful i am for you

alright, well, this is just a short list of what i could come up with for now.  Might I add that if you are reading this I am thankful to you, for reading it and I hope it has challenged you to sit down and make a list of all you can think of that you are thankful for, it helps.....

my love to my readers, and have a happy Thanksgiving, I will probs not blog again until tuesday of next week, so till then, a fond farewell

Chris

sometimes its not that easy

^15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ^16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. ^17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Col 3:15-17, NIV)

As we fastly approach the Holiday of Thanksgiving, many of us have to sit around and "force" ourselves to find things we are thankful for.  In our current economy it is hard.  People are losing their homes and are scrambling to avoid foreclosure, people are out of work (and have been for awhile), families are struggling to figure out how they are going to put food on the table, let alone wondering how they are going to provide gifts for their children for Christmas.  Some folks will be without running water, electricity, warm clothing, and hot meals.  These were folks that three years ago had decent paying jobs, and now are finding themselves in uncharted territory.  As they/we sit around the table Thursday, how hard will it to be to find things to be thankful for.

I'm so glad that God has addressed these things in scripture.  Let the peace of Christ rule in your/my heart.  Christ knows what you are going through, He was homeless, He had to depend on others to lend a hand.  Peace means to remain calm.  vs. 16 says to sing psalm, hymns, and spiritual songs.  What a difference that can make.  We are challenged over and over in these verses to be thankful or have gratitude.

If we think, if we look around really hard we CAN find alot to be thankful for.  Yes, you may have terrible, awful, depressing circumstances, but we CAN find stuff to be thankful for. 

Tomorrow's blog will be a list of how ever many things i can think of to be thankful for, I am giving myself 24 hours to come up with it.  I challenge you to do the same, and check back tomorrow.

enjoy your day and your blessings in Christ.

Chris

forgive? You can't be serious????

I have really been tested the last seven days with this one.  For anyone who has ever been in this situation or situations, you get it.  Not going into details but in the last seven days, someone has hurt me and my twins (not physically, but emotionally) and made them cry; and a close friend really has crossed a line with me.  As a parent you can really understand my struggle with the first one, its one thing to upset me, but you better not make my little ones cry; and as for the other one, well probably everyone has to deal with a friend who really said some things they shouldn't have.  So what do we do?  Do we carry around this anger, this bitterness, or do we forgive and let it go.

Sure we know the thing we are supposed to do, we are supposed to let it go.  How appropriate my reading was for today:

^12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ^13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ^14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (Col 3:12-14, NIV)

I began to think about this, and realize that as much as i would try not to, i know that it could have very easily been me to have crossed a line or hurt someone.  Would i want them to forgive me, yes i would.  I have determined today to begin the process of healing, and to let it go.

What about you?  Do you have someone you need to forgive?  Take the high road, You are God's chosen person so clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and choose to forgive.

the choice is yours, what will you do?

have a great weekend, go and worship the one who is worthy to worship this Sunday,

love to all, Chris

empty

^8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. (Col 2:8, NIV)

It is always amazing to me how people try to say that the Bible is irrelevent to today's society.  Colossians 2:8 is a wonderful verse to show how it is applicable to today.

So what is the verse saying?  Simply it is telling us how easy it is to fall into society's definition of what is right and wrong.  Now think about this.... even when we know deep down inside that something is wrong, we still try to justify it, see list and in parenthesis you will find direct rebuttal from scripture:

• Abortion - somehow we think we have the right to choose because it's our bodies (^19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ^20 you were bought at a price. (1 Co 6:19-20, NIV)
• Living together outside of marriage - its ok because we love each other (^14 “You shall not commit adultery.Ex. 20:14) & (^2 But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. (1 Co 7:2)
• Sex before or outside of marriage - its ok because we love each other (^2 But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. (1 Co 7:2)
• Substance abuse - its ok because it feels ok and others are doing it so why not (^18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. (Eph 5:18, NIV)
• What is wrong with witchcraft movies, books, its just a book or movie (^9 When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. ^10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, ^11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. ^12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord, and because of these detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you. ^13 You must be blameless before the Lord your God. (Dt 18:9-13, NIV)

Those are just a few, but the list could go on and on.  I know what ur thinking "Chris, your being legalistic" my point is simply this, we can try to justify anything, but scripture warns us not to do that.  There was an old saying, "when in rome do as the romans do", but if we are not careful it can and will lead us astray from God and His purpose for our life.

Have a wonderful day, Chris

Ever felt like this

Bills are late, no money in the bank, nothing seems to be going right, life is falling apart, no one seems to understand, seems like one dark day after another, after another, and after another.  Have you ever felt like this?  How do you deal with it?  How should I/you deal with it.  What stops you/me from absolutely losing it?

Don't you just hate it when people say, "when life gives you lemons make lemonade", I detest that saying, seriously i do.

Is Jesus enough?

^17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Col 1:17, NIV)

Is Jesus enough?
Is Jesus enough to hold it together?
Is Jesus enough to hold you together?
Is Jesus enough to hold your family together?
Is Jesus enough?

Life has a way of sometimes being very good, but also very bad.  In due time we figure that out.  Through this journey we learn over time that In Him (being Jesus) all things (you, your life) are held together.  When life seems to be at its worst we have to have someone bigger than ourselves to help hold things together, or we will go crazy.  I have to know that someone is