Why i probably wouldn't date you, no matter how pretty you are...

Interesting choice of a title huh? Well, truth is...it got your attention and your reading this. So let's dive in.

Today's dating relationships are based on these three things. Sex, level of attraction, and somewhat liking the other persons' personality. Relationships have always been very intriguing to me. So let's talk about why I wouldn't probably date you.

First of all, let me say this. This is in no way me trying to put myself on a pedestal. I am in no way trying to offend you. But I have no control of how you react to reading this.

So let's break this down. Starting with the first thing people look for in another person. Level of attractiveness. Everyone's first thought is based on attractiveness. Next time you walk through Walmart observe yourself looking at people. (Think to self, oh he is handsome, or she is so cute). Some people do it more than others but it happens. Nothing wrong with that. Now, when I get to know people better they become more attractive the more that I know them. Everyone has a story. Some more exciting than others, but its awesome to hear what things different people went through to get to this day. Everyone likes different things. And to me, getting to know you more and more everyday is attractive. So here's why I wouldn't just date you because you are attractive. I'm attracted to people who have confidence, that like to have fun, and care about me. If you're the prettiest girl in the world but you're as dull as a rock, I would not date you. No offense!

Moving on. The second thing we base relationships on is sex. I am in no way ashamed in saying this but I have never had sex. I believe in sharing this type of love with a woman that I will love within the gates of marriage. Now listen, I realize things happen. Most teens these days lose their virginity early. And i in no way judge people who have sex outside of marriage. But its not my thing. I didn't have sex because I see the disrespect you have for yourself when you sleep with anyone and their dog...
You got your 12 seconds of pleasure, now don't talk to the other person the rest of the evening and take them home...sounds like my dream evening! (Insert sarcasm)
So with that being said. If you based our relationship off of sex, I would not date you.

Then last but least. My favorite! Liking someone for their personality. Ask anyone that knows me. I love people. I love getting to know people on a deep level. Sometimes I think I can actually see into the soul. Deep deep stuff. The only personality that I don't like is a dull one. If you live like life is this boring box then you will die a very sad, depressed person. Smile once in a while.  There is so much more to live for rather than complaining all the time. Trust me, my little sister has one of the most dull personalities ever...
So I like a girl that likes to have a lot of fun, and respects who I am. I'm a big two way street guy. If you let me be me and I let you be you. We will get along just fine. If you don't, and you try to change me or any thing like that I will not date you.

Now, I want to say this. I'm not a nit picker. Like I said earlier, I absolutely love people. And one of my biggest dreams is to get married to a beautiful, amazing woman. But here's the biggest reason why I probably wouldn't date you. If you don't respect yourself, You're definitely not going to respect me. I date to someday get married, not to break up after a few weeks or months. Although it happens. I'm not jumping in thinking, let's see how it goes.

I want to share this wonderful life we live with someone that loves me just as much as I love her. Someone that will go dance and sing at the top of our lungs, and be silly. I want to spend time together and get to know you so well, so that when you're sick, I'll know exactly what you will want and need to make you feel better. I want to give you all my love until it completely runs out when we pass on and our bodies are laid to rest.

So if this is intriguing to you and you want those things I would date you!

My beautiful princess is out there somewhere. Princess, I love you. Can't wait until we get to live happily ever after. 

Power, love, and a little self control...

2 Timothy 1:6 says, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of POWER, LOVE, AND SELF DISCIPLINE."

That sounds FANTASTIC!  I love watching football, so the first thing I think of when I see the word power is a big hit on the grid iron!  God's hand at work is powerful.  Love is all around us, it's always moving, never ending, and never fails  (1 Cor. 13).  Last but not least, self control/discipline is something that I would boldly claim is basically unheard of in today's world.  Not forgotten, but we live in a greed filled society that strives off of a very fast paced, always needing something-hunger.

Alright, so let's dive in a little deeper here.  How often do we let ourselves fear who we are in Christ? Love? Self discipline?  I'll be completely honest, I'm weary about letting myself go full on Christian in front of some people.  It's so much easier to do it in a church setting.  It's hard to find balance in a world that doesn't always accept beliefs.  A good friend of mine told me this, "we can say that beliefs and opinions are fine, until someone disagrees with your opinion."  -It's all downhill from there.- 

Ah, that word that we all....well....LOVE!  Love is beautiful eh?  It really is.  The picture of the cross really reminds of me of what today's love to the world looks like big picture.  Let me break that down more.  Picture Jesus' death on the cross, bloody and gruesome right?  But he loved us through the ugliness and harshness of all of it.  Fast forward to today.  Loving this world that's exactly that, harsh and ugly is a difficult task.  So when we're loving on this world, I'm reminded of the famous words in God's word (I hope that makes sense.  Basically what I was picturing Is that Jesus love meets us anywhere.)

I have been using this verse lately at work, because in a work place and in life things get tough, and it's easy to be timid and fearful.  When things go wrong, that's usually our first instinct huh.  Sometimes I feel like just giving up.  Every once in a while I'll just want to walk out of the store and be done for the day.  One of the things I'm quickly reminded of is how Jesus didn't give up in his journey to the cross.  He did not just walk out.  Although multiple times in scripture he was given plenty of opportunity to walk out on God's plans. One of my favorites is when Jesus was tempted by satan in Luke 4. 

I'll continue this here after a while, wanted to post this due to it's length! Enjoy!

Jesus found strength from Above...

This entry was written on March 21st of 2013. At like nine pm.

 

  So in church last sunday, we talked about the death of Jesus on the cross, and the things that went on in John chapter nineteen. John doesn't really go into any detail about how Jesus was killed on the cross. So you could assume that Mel Gibson's passion of the Christ was based off of one of the other gospels. One thing that John did focus on multiple times was belief vs. unbelief. I think sometimes we get a little caught up in the cross to think about anything that happened before or after. The cross is magnificent, it's powerful, and it's the focal point and center piece of Jesus' life. But there were things that needed to happen before and after for it to happen. I wouldn't be here typing this tonight if all of those things had not happened. Praise the Lord for that!

 

Anyways. The reading began in chapter 19:16. It says "Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus away." I love that Jesus was tempted so many times during his life to just quit his journey leading to his death...but He always found a way, and said, it's not my time, my time is still to come. It's so amazing that He would go through so much for me, and never give up, when he could have so many times. How many times do we give up when we could fight through? Yeah...pretty sobering huh! Let that soak in and encourage you though.

 

 We shouldn't be so quick to just break down and give up. May we fight through, and remember what He told us in Jeremiah, and in many other places. "Don't fear, but be strong and courageous, for I am with you!" It's great to know that God is always with us whenever we are weak. He holds us through all the storms, not just one or two, but every single collision that we come up against! Awesome stuff! On with the reading! Jesus carries the cross to a place called Golgotha, also known as the place of the skull. It's where Jesus was hung on the cross. He was crucified with a man on each side of Him, and they put a sign above Him for all to read. It read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." It was written in different languages for all to read. Just before He died He fulfilled His promise and took on it all in saying, "IT IS FINISHED." Meaning that you're sin can no longer decide who you are. No matter what you do you are no longer guilty, you are free and innocent with no charge....if you believe in the name of Jesus that died on that very cross for your sins. Be free! Be innocent, because you are more than anything you've ever done, because He became sin for us! So that we could become the righteousness of God.

 

Whoo Wee that is good news my friends! I feel like there are so many things within the last few moments of Jesus' life that I could talk about for hours. I'm going to end this one here due to it's length and pray about what I think will impact you most!

Grace, Peace, and love unto you my friends!

Pooh.

The fruit of the spirit. (Love)

Love.  They say it's one of the most mystical words in any vocabulary of any language on this planet.  It's a word that can mean so much...if you can understand what it means.  But-is love something that we can possibly understand or not?  Let's take a little looksie and talk about it for a moment.

Love can simply be stated as that special feeling you get when you meet the person that you're destined to be  with forever, or as the hearts longing for it's counterpart, along with many other definitions that have been placed on love.  But can one put an exact match on what love really means?  I'm not exactly sure anyone really knows, but let me tell you a story about a man that I'm sure knows all about love.

His name is Jesus.  He was hung on a cross as an innocent man.  He lived a life that was different, but it was nothing that should have brought him to be crucified.  The reason he died was for something much bigger than we could ever imagine.  And my only reasonable understanding is that He loves us so much that he died for us.  (1 John 4:19 "For we love because He first loved us.")  I've been a christian for almost four years now, and the only way that I can love on others is because of the love that my heavenly father has constantly poured into me.  He's the only thing that's good in me.  The only way that I am good is because he's been more than good to me.  And that my friends is no lie.

Now here's the challenge:  what do relationships look like in your lives?  Is love something that you consider to be at the forefront of most of your relationships? Or all?  Or any?  That's the question I will be asking myself tonight before I lay down for bed.  But I think love is something that needs to be right smack dab in the middle of a relationship.  And I'm talking about any relationship, not just a  relationship that is romantic.

 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.  This is a quote directly from scripture. (1 Corinthians 13).  


I love what Gods word states here about love.  Basically without love I can do nothing.  I could understand everything possible to man about God and all the mysteries of heaven and earth and all the universe has to offer, I could move mountains, I could die for the sake of Christ, but If I don't have love, than I have nothing.  Let me reiterate it again...I have nothing.  


If you're married to your wife and you stand up in front of all your friends and family and say I do to your wife, isn't that love?  Not necessarily.  But if you do the things that your heart tells you to do for her because of the love and appreciation you have for her, that's what I would call love.  


God is the only thing that we have that will essentially provide our daily needs.  He is the giver of life.  The one that calms the raging seas in our lives.  And it's all because of that word we've been talking about....LOVE.  


⁴ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud ⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.


Those are probably some of the most powerful words that anyone could ever speak into you.  Within this there is something that this whole world needs.  It's hope, hope of a love to come that will ultimately change each and every heart that's ever lived.  


Love was put to trial a long time ago, and love was put to death to die on a cross for you and I.  So that we could all live a life of freedom from sin and bondage.  They couldn't keep love in the grave, and love broke every chain and removed each one of our infinite stains.  Love is the thing that makes us tick, like our own little energizer bunny.  But love is never going to let you go, he'll always be there for you, and it will always, and I mean always, love you more than you could ever even imagine!

My life in a nutshell.

Journal Entry on April 17th, 2012, at 4:22.

I'm hoping to start a little bit of a new format for my blog here at Pooh Bear and Jesus.  I'd like to open up my life to all of you, and hopefully share something new with you everyday.  And maybe, just maybe, the work of Jesus Christ in my life can impact you in someway.  God is faithful, and He will always give us the passions and desires of our hearts!

So, it's the middle of April and the end of my semester is about done at CCC.  The past few weeks have been pretty frustrating.  I've had a lot of things on my mind lately, and i've been praying for God to reveal exactly what it is that He wants for me in my life.  So It's been hard to focus on school and keeping up on homework and whatnot.  I'm trying hard to keep up or catch up and do what I can to get some decent grades.

I'm about to start a new job at Applebees next month.  They are building a brand new store in my hometown.  I'm super stoked about it opening, because we really haven't had any nice sit down restaurants whatsoever.  So  I think it will be a tremendous blessing for our town, and I think it will be a blessing to my life as well.  Financially speaking, I've always struggled to be able to save anything, or keep up on bills at times because I've worked at Mcdonald's and had some spending problems haha, but don't we all!??

So I really think that Applebee's will be really good for me.  I know that I should make pretty good money, but it will be more of a day to day thing where I'm going to have to focus on saving and not indulging on having money every time I work come out of tips and whatnot.

When it comes to some of the decisions I've been praying about lately are these:  God has recently put going to bible college on my heart, possibly getting my own place in my hometown, and just exactly where he wants me to be.

I'd really appreciate some prayers from you readers.  I just want to seek God for all that He is in my life, and I have complete confidence that He'll put me where He needs me to be!  Thank you for the prayers!

Micah 6:8 says, "No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: you are to seek justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God"

Easter....it's not about the bunny!

As we recognize the sacrifice and life of our Lord Jesus Christ as we head into Easter, I thought I'd say a few words about it.  First of all, I'll freely admit that when I was a child it was all about the bunny.  Every easter all of us kids would help boil the eggs, then paint the eggs and have a great time, then find them after the easter bunny came and hid them in our homes.  Very similar to Christmas we just simply believed it while our parents really did the work.  These days, it means much more to me.  It's about my freedom, my breath, my Jesus, dieing so that I could live.  It's more about a story of a man that came to earth as the Son of God as the son of man.  Jesus was born so that every temptation, sin, and death could be faced by a force that could defeat it.  Thankfully Jesus died for us on the cross, walking 33 miles, bleeding from his side, tempted and tried, so that we could have freedom.  

Easter is the day in the bible that Jesus rose from the dead.  If you want to argue that sunday isn't the actual day, or that easter isn't or whatever, go right ahead.  I'm going to worry more about the fact that He did it, and thank him for saving me.  Don't get lost in time, or date, get lost in Jesus, and Jesus alone.  When Jesus becomes our everything, the things that matter will become more clear to you, your life won't be easy, but you'll have the strength to make it through!

 When going through the reflection of what occurred in the life of Jesus suffering and death this weekend, I would challenge you to ask yourselves these questions.

1.  Does the impact of the cross trully relish on my heart?

2.  Where is my relationship with Christ?  Am I connected or am I like a faulty internet connection?

3. What does it all mean to me?  Can I put all of the pieces together to try and understand why God would send His one and only to die for me?

4.  Simply, How great is the work that Jesus did for us on the cross?

The cross should impact you any time that you hear or think about it.  None of us can truly fathom exactly what Jesus did on the cross.  The whole weight of the world's every sin was on him.  He had to be condemned for us.  He became guilty so that we could be innocent.  We are now perfect in His eyes.  That is such good news!

Our relationship with Christ should go directly through his blood and suffering.  He offers us his cross everyday so that we can walk upon it to God, that's our only route to God almighty.  If we're struggling or extremely broken, we can walk upon the cross and rid of all our stuff.  That's so awesome!

To me, I don't think I can fathom what it all means.  And I don't think anyone really knows other than God himself, and obviously Jesus.  They had the vision the whole time.  The Son of God was completely crushed under the wrath of God and was crucified for you and me so that we could live a life that pleases him.  That's what it's all about!

The work that Jesus did on the cross finished what God had planned for you and me.  He released us from the condemnation of sin by taking it up to mount Calvary.  What a beautiful thing.  He gave you and I life so that we could have the opportunity to be on earth and have relationships with people, to have children, and spouses, and play baseball, and go fishing, or whatever it is you like to do! 

May the power of Easter and it's value and worth for what it truly means pass into each one of our hearts this weekend as we reflect on exactly what Jesus Christ did for each and every one of us!

G.O.S.P.E.L.

Courtesty of Dare to Share and Propoganda, Gospel as some of us know it, and if you don't I'd like to teach you that GOSPEL stands for GOD OUR SINS PAYING EVERYONE LIFE. 

A few thousand years ago, a man hung on a few large pieces of wood shaped in the form of a crucifix (cross).  It has been stated that this man was hit, slapped, beaten, spit on, lenched, punished, and finally crucified by bleeding to death on that cross.  The scriptures state that "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son to die, so that whoever believed in Him would have everlasting life."  Let me ask you this.  What kind of love would it take to do that?  That is the ultimate, most prolific love that anyone has ever displayed throughout history.

So let me walk you through what they have panned out the GOSPEL to be...

1. G    God created us to be with Him. 

2. O   Our sins seperate us from God.

3. S    Sin cannot be removed by good deeds.

4. P    Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again.

5. E    Everyone who trusts in Him, will have eternal life.

6. L    Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever.

 

Jesus lived the perfect life.  He came to earth as a human as the Son of God as a son of man.  He was born into this sinful world, faced temptation, went through it all, and remained unblemished, spotless, and sinless.  No one has done that before Him, and no one since.  Obviously it just cannot be done outside the full will of God.  And He already sent His son! When you think about the character that Jesus had as a man, it is hard to fathom.  A man with so much passion, love, kindness, gentleness, who just wanted to serve His Father in heaven to give us life.

 

Life.  That is what we all long for right.  And you think you have it because of the fact that your heart beats, your lungs take in breaths and your body fights off illnesses.  Well, that life that Jesus died to give us, included breath, lungs, and fighting illnesses, but the only way to receive that life is through having faith in Jesus Christ and accepting Him in full to be your way, your truth, your life.  

 

Everyone.  That is who God loves.  Each and every individual because we are His marvelous creation.  He knows your tendencies, your character, how many hairs are on your head.  And the cool thing is, he can change your tendencies, he places adversity in your life to reveal your character.  Oh, and by the way, he can put things in your life that make you lose the hair on your heard haha.  

 

Paying.  Our sins have been atoned for.  Three nails pierced his arms and feet.  Blood dripping from his brow, blood flowing from his entire body, and love gushing from his whole heart.  I have a shirt that states, "it was not the nails that held him to the cross, but his love for us."  I think you have to be real about it and know that nails really did hold Jesus up on that tree when he bled and died.  He really did die.  But I think at the same time, love was a huge factor if not the greatest factor.  Think about the love for humanity that it takes to die for every single person that will ever live.  Not to mention dieing for every sin ever done.

 

That's the gospel in itself if you ask me though.  Jesus died to take your sins, and my sins, and the next persons' sins away so that we could have a life spent with him in heaven.  A life with Jesus isn't about change, it's not about rules, it's not about religion, and it's not even about going to church.  IT IS ABOUT JESUS BEING EVERYTHING TO YOU. And I mean EVERYTHING.  The main reason why people struggle and cannot stay away from trouble, or pain is because of sin.  Sin is a disease, it's a problem, and we cannot just walk away from it.  We cannot rid of it in under our own power or will.  But here's where it gets good.  Jesus removes it.  At the very moment that Jesus' blood was shed on the cross, his holy spirit came into every soul that will walk the earth.  That is our GPS system, it's where our heart is, and our guide is.

 

When you let the holy spirit come into your life, by faith, all of those things that I talked about above such as: change, rules, religion, church, and all things christianity will come because Jesus is the change.  He will come into your heart and take things away from you that can only make you better.  They will open  your eyes to things that you never thought possible.  And you will start to do things that you never thought you'd see yourself do.  And the amazing thing is, it's not you watching yourself do it like in a movie, your all there and concsious to do it yourself, because you made the decision to trust in Jesus.

 

But to get to that point, Jesus has to be the first person you come to.  Jesus isn't some genie, or counselor you can just pull out of a box.  Christianity in a shoe box just doesn't work.  And what I mean by that, is placing limitations on God, by placing him in that box.  By taking him out of your life whenever you want, yet then coming to him when YOU NEED HIM.  That's not how it works.  The bible says in Romans 12:2 "Do not comform to the customs/ways of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what Gods will is-his good, perfect, and fitting will." There is nothing in this world that can ultimately satisfy any of us.  That's not saying that marriage isn't very awesome, that having children will be very rewarding, or even food isn't like the coolest thing ever haha.  But in the end, we're all just longing for something more.  

 

I am studying psychology and am hoping to go on to be a mental health practitioner so I know a lot about the brain and how people function.  I wish I knew more though lol.  But from what I've learned and from what I've observed in my own life and the people around me, I'm convinced that all of us are bothered and slightly depressed or stressed about something all the time.  Once again, that doesn't mean that we cannot be happy or that I think we are not happy.  It just means that we as humans are the best at masking or hiding it.

 

We are also the best at hiding something else that is in everyday life.  SIN. Sin is the number one killer of all time.  It darkens hearts, destroys minds, and deceives each and every one of us.  Sin is something that God absolutely hates, and he has done nothing but put that on my heart lately.  The problem with all of us is the fact that we don't hate it at all.  It satisfies us.  So to be  honest I'm going to say there is one thing on this world that satisfies us, but it's going to be the same thing that destroys us.

 

The scriptures talk about a place called hell that will be the final resting grounds for those who will be destroyed.  I can promise you that hell will not be a place that you want to call "paradise."  I also hear a lot of people say,  hell is going to be one giant party.  I hate to tell you but whoever thinks that has it all wrong.  First of all, youre going to be completely lifeless.  You will be completely aware of the tramendous torture, pain, agony, and fire that ultimately will torch your soul and guess who will be at the head of the pack......yep you guessed it.  Satan himself.  God has already won the victory over all evil including the devil and hell.  Death has nothing on Christ.  It couldn't even touch him.  He rose to the occasion and gave us life.

 

That's the worst part of the entire gospel.  All who deny Christ in their life with not only what they say but with how they follow up in their behavior, thought process, and actions will be sent to the burning fire.  I have to be completely honest with you and tell you right now that a man who died on the cross for you wants you to join him.  If your soul ends up in hell, don't you think he will be on his knees begging for his father to forgive your sins?  Well he took them away, and all you have to do is have faith in Jesus Christ.  That's the gospel.  

 

GOD OUR SINS PAYING EVERYONE LIFE.

 

My favorite part about it all is, LIFE WITH JESUS STARTS RIGHT NOW AND LASTS FOREVER!

Because I couldn't think of anything better, than spending an eternity with the God who gave me life, and created everything that I love.