To new beginnings

To new beginnings......

Have you ever started something, liked where it was going, then have it take a bad turn so you decide to put it in the past?  Well that was this blog at one point in my life and now I'm attempting to start fresh again.

I enjoy writing because it gives me a chance to express feelings, emotions, thoughts, and even prayers in a way that is safe for me.  I really struggle with communicating those things verbally a lot of times because it take me a while to formulate the words that correctly correlate to the feelings or emotions that I am feeling.  And, in most cases, by the time that process takes its course the moment is past and I feel like I have to just hold on to those feelings which doesn't feel very healthy to me.

So, I have been pondering a way to start writing, or blogging, again and what would be my starting point.  I thought a lot about titles and for the longest time nothing stood out.  I knew this wasn't something I wanted to rush into but when I heard the Holy Spirit speak, I knew where to begin.  It had to begin where it left off..........disciplinedfatherhood.blogspot.com.

One thing that I have learned as I continue to grow spiritually is that God doesn't deliver us FROM our struggles or circumstances but delivers us THROUGH our struggles or circumstances.  God didn't  deliver Jesus from death, He delivered Him through death when He walked out of the tomb three days after being nailed to a cross.

I left off on this blog asking God to forgive me for I had sinned because I had asked my wife for a divorce.  Essentially, I was asking God to deliver me from my struggles.  I had taken my eyes off Jesus and started fixing my eyes on worldly things and feelings.  And when we start fixing our eyes on worldly things or our own emotions and not on Jesus then we start asking for the wrong things.  It came to a point where I had to purposely decide to refocus my eyes from the world and fix them again on the one person that understands every struggle I've ever had and will ever have and has the love, compassion, and strength to walk with me through those struggles.

So, because focus was taken off the struggles of the world and put back on Jesus, a marriage was saved, we were delivered THROUGH those struggles, and God blessed us with our third child who turned two just last month.  Sometimes, I find myself just staring at each of the boys and wondering about all the great things God has in store for them and curious what that road will look like.  And it fills my heart with joy!!

I think about the future and the conversations that I might have with my boys about marriage and the struggles that are contained in this life on earth and I will share the advise that Jesus shared with all of us in John 16:33 when He said,  "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I  have overcome the world." 

Imagine the power of Jesus's testimony if God had delivered him from death instead of through it??  I believe that God is preparing my testimony with every struggle that I allow Him to deliver me through.  And as I found out with the delivering of my marriage through its struggles came a new beginning, our third son Clayton.  So take comfort while in the midst of your struggles because God wants to deliver you THROUGH them and bless you with a new beginning.

So here's to new beginnings..........