Land of the Giants....

I know what you're thinking. So much for keeping a steady diet of uncanny wit and sarcasm with my "every Sunday and Thursday" blog posts. The reality is that I have been posting, religiously, into the world of cyber, yet they all seem to be intercepted by the likes of Fox News and CNBC. After earning a Nobel Peace prize for Literary Accomplishment in Journalism, I am thankfully now back to doing what I love to do most....Blogger. This is my true home, my mantra, my humble abode.

If you can wade through the large pile of poo I just served up to you, then maybe we can move forward, past all the accusations and finger pointing of who's at fault for the downfall of my world renowned blog, and get down to the "nitty gritty". I say this because there is only one person to blame for the lack of commitment to this bi-weekly phenomenon. One person at fault for the failure to produce excellent journalism week in and week out! One soul to be held accountable for the downfall of cyber civilization as we have grown so accustomed to knowing here!!!!!! That ONE person IS.....


The BABY!!!!!

Ok, I know it seems as if I have passed the blame, but hear me out. No? Ok, someone has to be the adult here, and I will be.

It was my wife's fault.


There, now that that is a load off, we can get down to business. Greyson Levi Fary was born October 1st, and has been the highlight of October for our family. The boys are loving having him here after 9 months of anticipation, and are adjusting well to having a new baby in the house. Mom is doing well after having giving birth, and I am doing well too. We are excited to see what God has in store for our new destiny, and we couldn't be happier that God allowed us to be a part of His master plan for Greyson. He is a gift from Heaven, and we love him dearly. I can't wait to see him grow and learn, enjoy the satisfaction of accomplishment, and the perks of success. Sitting here I am reminded of the story of David and his accomplishments, some of which started in childhood. Everyone knows the story of David and Goliath, it has been used in cliche for centuries, pertaining to the triumph of the underdog to achieve greatness. Many Christians today use this analogy to describe our struggles in Christianity in comparison to Satan. As a parent, I see the trials my kids face as they grow up in a world full of uncertainty and unpredictability. As a society, we battle ourselves with moral truth and social acceptance. No one is exempt from the feeling of overwhelming distress when we face huge obstacles to achieve success and fulfill destiny. Truth is we look at ourselves as the little kid with 5 stones, warring with improbable odds against an enemy that seems impossible to defeat." No weapon formed against me shall prosper, and all those who rise up against me shall fall", right? I love this scripture, and the victory David achieved. I can't tell you how any times I have come against giants in my life, and I see the giants my kids face daily.  The satisfaction of knowing I can stand in faith against a giant that everyone seems to think is untouchable and win pushes us to keep moving forward. It give us hope, right?

Here is the crazy thing: David is the greatest example of the way things USED to be.

Yes I said it. Things are not like this anymore. No longer can we look back on this story and relate to David. No longer can we accomplish this feat of vast improbability. Discouraged? Why?!

 You see, when Jesus died on the cross for us, the scriptures say He took back the keys of death, and satan no longer could hold that card over us ever again. At that very moment, we became the giants, and satan is this scared little man who just got his stones taken away from him. Every possible advantage was stripped from him and given to us, and he knows that. God holds every victory for every possible situation we will ever come against, and there is nothing satan can do about it.We are now the giants, we are the intimidating force, and we will be victorious.

As a father, I rest in the evidence that my children are being taught this very concept. We are victorious first, and only fail if we lose faith in the victory. We don't even have to worry about the battle, because His death was the battle! When He rose again, the battle was done, and we are the benefactors. All we have to do is reach up and grab it....this holds true for every person. He is sitting there with a big bowl of victory ready to hand them out, and all we have to do is ask, and follow His strategy to win.

If you are catch yourself feeling like your coming against giants in your life, rest in the fact that the enemy sees  you exactly the same way, with the God of the angel armies standing right in front of you, waiting for your command. Kinda makes you feel all warm inside, doesn't it?

So don't be discouraged, no matter how big your situation feels. You are a giant in the Kingdom, and a general in the army of God. Be Blessed!

Enchanted Encounter

I know, I know...I said that this would be posted on Thursday...I'm sure all of the many fans I have are bellowing under their breathe tonight as they sit in anticipation of the infinite wisdom I portray in my posts....so here goes...

Has God been breaking you this week? I have been more emotional about things, good and not so good, since I found out yesterday a definite D-day for the birth of our fourth son. Maybe it's the fact that I'm excited to see him, and scared all at the same time. Somehow I'm nervous, but not for Katherine or the baby, but more for my other three boys. I can't stop thinking about the days they were born, and how immature I was about the responsibility laying before me. I know that sounds like I didn't care enough, but maybe I didn't? It's been 5 years since the birth of our last child, and the world and the way I perceive it has changed dramatically. My priorities then and now are night and day, and I remember how incredibly selfish I had become then. I don't worry for their safety, or how they might not love the new baby, but I worry for their perception of me, and how they feel I view them. I can't help but create this never-ending list in my mind of all the things I have done to fail them as a father, and now we are about to bring another life into our family. How am I going to fail this one? Am I ready to take on the responsibility needed to care and nurture another human life? Will my older boys think that I love the new baby more than them?

As I ask myself these questions I am reminded of the story of Christ's birth. Was he born into a perfect environment? Or to perfect parents? To all of us who know His story we can confidently answer that question, and yet He was the Messiah. I'm sure Mary and Joseph weren't the perfect parents. We don't really hear much about the carpentry skills of Jesus, but I'm sure He messed up a chair or two in the process of learning...ok, maybe not, but the point is that Christ doesn't expect us to be perfect people, or perfect parents. He does expect us to always love our children, and to act out that love to them daily. He says in 1John 3:18 "Let us not love with word or with tongue, but with deed and truth." I truly believe this is the cardinal rule in parenting. We have to love our children with action, the same as Christ did for us.

Everyday I come home from work, my boys come running and yell "Daddy's Home!!!"  My heart melts every time, and in retrospect I believe that they know they are loved. I may not always be perfect, and I will make mistakes, but they know my lap is always open, and the hugs are always free. My ear is there to listen, and no matter how many more children we have, they will always be special to me, no more and no less. I don't know, one day they may read this and have a different perspective. If they do, then I want them to know that I love you more than the air I breathe, and I am so honored that God allowed me to be a part of your incredible journey. I pray the God's wisdom guides me to teach you and train you, and that you follow Him all the days of your life. You are God's chosen, and His calling on your lives are far greater than we could ever understand at this point. I am SO proud of you. You are "pretty awesome", as Gabe always says! :)

So as for me I think everything is going to be ok. My boys are handling themselves like pros and are especially happy that Greyson will get them out of school for at least a day. Katherine's in good spirits, and were picking up a few last minute necessities tomorrow. Oh,and yes I packed my Xbox...what else am I going to do while my wife is busy giving birth?

First of many...

Have you ever had an epiphany? You know the one that makes you realize what you were called to do? Now don't get me wrong, I have known for a long time what I was "supposed" to do with my life. I have been in church for as long as I can remember, received prophesy after prophesy reminding me of how great my ministry was supposed to be, but I never really knew what that was supposed to mean. I'm reminded of sitting and talking with my Dad just before I graduated high school. He told me that "I should find out something that I loved to do, and learn how to make money doing it." I think that our personal ministries tend to follow that pattern as well, to a degree. I'm not sure that God would create a ministerial foundation around playing Xbox, but He will utilize our desires and spiritual gifts to maximize our potential for the kingdom. Ever since I started working, He was working behind the scenes to position me to learn certain skill sets that would benefit my future ministry. He has placed mentors with personalities that pushed me to better myself, caused me to get up when I fell flat on my face, and realized my potential when I wanted to quit on myself. Does anyone know what I am talking about?

So what does this mean for me? I'm excited to see! I was praying today and I heard God speak plain as day to my spirit man, "I have given you a spirit of birthing." No pun intended for those who know I'm about to have my fourth child. No, this is about birthing spiritual gifts, dreams, and supernatural ministries. This is about seeing the fulfillment of destiny in the lives of people I come in contact with, engaging heavenly strategy to perfect their calling to see kingdom advancement! WOW! Basically I fulfill MY calling by helping people birth theirs! There is no greater fulfillment for me than to see someone else succeed in greatness.

Another thing that God challenged me on today was being ready to minister at all times, even when we don't feel like it. Case in point, I was at church and we had two guest ministers from Redding, CA. These guys were ON FIRE!! If you know me, I really don't like attention drawn to myself. Don't laugh, I really only open up when I'm around friends, and everyone eventually has a silly streak. Deep down, I like to be behind the scenes. Fortunately, I wasn't called to stay behind the scenes, and God was in full force in that today. I was standing in the audio pit, minding my own business when He gave me a prophetic word for one of the ministers. I laughed and I kind of swept it under the rug thinking that there was no way I was going to deliver a Word to a man who holds healing services in Olive Garden!! The point is God will give us opportunities to do simple things, then the Holy Spirit shows up, and it becomes a life changing experience. All we have to do  is to be willing. I am no longer ok with standing behind the scenes, riding the bench, or missing out on God's extracurricular blessings! Oh, and yes I gave him the prophetic word. It wasn't, by my definition, incredibly spiritual, but it was what he and his family needed to hear. The greater accomplishment was that it was delivered.

Today I realized my potential, and I'm gonna run with it.