Every now and then you have to take a break from stuff. Well, I’m taking a break from blogging. I’ll be back soon. Take care. Trace

On most nights while tucking my 9 y/o daughter in, we take a few minutes and dive into God’s word. This is usually followed by a short impromtu discussion on the verse(s) we’ve just read. She loves God’s word and so enjoys reading it. It is truly a joy to see & hear!

Recently we read most of Philippians 4. As we finished, I went back to verses 11-13:

“Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:11-13″

I read it again v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y , hoping she would soak up the richness of this verse. Hoping she would glean the fullness of contentment.

Discussion started with a simple question for her, “what is contentment?”

Daughter: Being full?

Daddy: Being full can be part of it…I guess. What else?

Daughter: Being satisifed?

Daddy: Yes. Paul wants us to learn how to be satisfied in every situation, whether we are in good times or bad times, we need to understand that we can and should be content or satisfied.

Daddy: Last question, are you content?

Daughter: YES…when I am sleeping!

We talked for a while longer about and hopefully she will start working on contentment during the daylight hours as well!

As I write this and think about contentment, I know God had something for me in there too. He always does.

You see, I’m not very good at being content in every situation.

Often I want to “take control” and try to improve the situation a little bit here & there.

More times than not, I feel like I deserve better or more or whatever…

But I am learning that I can live without most of the “stuff” I think I deserve. I’m also learning that most of the “stuff” doesn’t actually make things better. Sometimes it can make things worse.

Lord, thank you for Your rich and powerful words. I can do all things THROUGH Christ who strengthens me. Not of my own accord, but according to Your will. In Jesus name, Amen.

Love is everything I am not.

I am impatient & unkind. I am jealous and boastful and proud and rude. I demand my own way, rejoice about injustice and do not rejoice when truth wins. I give up, lose faith and am never hopeful. I know nothing of endurance.

I’m a broken, wrecked guy who, on my own, can do nothing remotely close to love.

Thankfully, God knew this when he formed me. He had a plan for my life. He ultimately sent his son Jesus to pay for the penalty of my sin (John 3:16). And it is only through my relationship with Jesus that I am able to love. The very nature of love comes from God. (1 John 4:16).

May God pour his love on my life. I need it desperately. May He become so much more in my life and me so much less. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

I started blogging on my personal life in 2006 at tracekuhn.com. I was using a simple blog platform and hosting it on my personal server (an old laptop set up in a spare bedroom). My adventure didn’t last long and I eventually lost all of my posts when the old laptop finally quit working.

So in early 2008 I purchased mark135.com and started over. But my plan was different. I was hoping to get a group of guys to read a chapter of the Bible and then all post their thoughts. My idea was that through comments and feedback, we would keep each other accountable and it would be a great learning tool/accountability group.

As it turned out, God had a different plan and I ended up as the sole blogger. Several guys were interested, but not one actually posted anything. (BTW, I haven’t given up on that idea as I felt like God was calling me to mark135.com. So I will just let is sit for now and then see what happens).

So today is moving day. Since I ended up posting personal stuff at mark135.com, I thought I should shut that down and bring the personal blog back home.

So from this day forward, you can read my random thoughts as I pursue Christ and live on the fine line.

P.S. Don’t forget to click on the RSS feed button & update your blog reader. Thanks!

The honest answer is weak, but true. I’ve been working too much and haven’t had time to write anything. Although the economy is a horrible mess, the mortgage refinance market is smoking hot. Mortgage rates are extremely low and lots of people want to refinance their home. So I’ve been busy helping those people and too busy to blog.

But I need to blog. It has become part of who I am. It is part of my story. I need the release, I need the interaction. Most of all, this is part of the mission God has called me to. I’m not a natural writer, so I do this because of God’s prompting. This is truly not about me…but about Him!

So once again, like the kid who walks forward once a month to “rededicate himself to the Lord,” I am refocusing and rededicating myself to writing and blogging. But I can’t think that my rededication alone will allow me to write five posts or seven posts per week.

Setting unrealistic goals is part of my story. I tend to set the bar high and when I realize my goal is impossible, I give up and quit. So I’d like to make my goal attainable. I plan to post 3 times a week. That gives me some outs and some free passes, but still gives me something to focus on. Look at my history over the last 12 days and you’ll see this isn’t a slam dunk! Lord, help me!

See, that wasn’t so hard. One down and two more to do this week. May God receive the glory!

As I stumbled out of bed this morning, I didn’t want to get up. Oh it would have been easy to tuck the pillow against my face to keep the light out and roll over. Boy that would have been nice! But I didn’t. My New Years Resolution still fully in tact, I got up and prepared for my morning run.

My attire was laid out the night before so I could fumble, struggle and cry, but still manage to get dressed. There they were… Nike shorts, Nike shirt, Nike socks and of course… Nike shoes. Everything was ready to go. So I got dressed and headed for the door.

After normal stretching, walking & warming up I was off. Running like the wind! Or more like slowly trotting like an injured donkey! After a short distance I was tired, my legs ached and I wanted to stop. It was at this moment that I had a revelation…

Running is the ultimate NO POSERS sport!

You can’t fake it running. There is no hiding your lack of endurance or lack of muscle, lack of oxygen, lack of stamina. It is all out there and it can’t be kept in. In your exhaustion, in your wheezing, in your puking, the truth will be found out!

Running isn’t like other sports. Golf comes to mind. To me, golf was made for posers! I’m one of them. I always LOOK good with my perfectly coordinating hat/shirt/shorts/socks/shoes. (Fashion Tip: Coordinating includes the brand. You can’t wear a Nike shirt with Adidas shorts). As I stroll through the clubhouse or walk on the putting green I FEEL like a golfer. That’s where the majority of people see you so they THINK you are a golfer too. Most of those people will never actually see me hit a club, so I can keep the poser game up for a long time. And the ones that actually see the truth, there are plenty of stall tactics for them; the clubs, the weather, my wrist, my back, and the course itself (ah, this place is a goat track!).

How about other places in our lives? Are you a poser? When? Where?

Sure, everything looks great on the outside, but what is REALLY going on under the surface? In Matthew 10:26, it says, “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.”

My lack of golf skills, by the way, is widely known among my friends. Posers only last so long, even in golf.

Father, remove the false fronts in my life caused by my pride and selfishness. Strip away everything that does not reflect Your true character. May You become so much more in my life today. Amen.

“Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world…” John 18:36

How do we live in this world without being consumed by it?

My best answer today is “I don’t know.”

What I can tell you emphatically is that God did not call us to stay away from the world. He didn’t call us to only be with our Christian friends and to keep our family and children far from anyone other than Christians.

We need to look through Jesus at the world. It is through the lens of Christ we see a hurting world that needs to hear the message of redemption and the message of hope.

God calls us to be in the world. We have opportunities to share our story and our experiences for the betterment of those we meet.

How many non-christians do you see daily? How many of them do you know?

Stay grounded in God’s word and pray. Now go!

This is an incredibly fine line and one we should consider consciously. Passivity in this decision leads to destruction. How will you choose? Consider scripture:

“…the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” 1 John 5:19

“…do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God…. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.” Romans 12:2, 9

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:15-17

“Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” John 18:36

“If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” John 15:19-20

“Friendship with the world is enmity to God.” James 4:4

“…the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.” John 3:19-20
“…the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 1:5
“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness…. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!” Isaiah 5:20-21

“He [Jesus] turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.’” Matthew 16:23

“Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust, and does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.” Psalm 40:4

“Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits.’ Awake to righteousness, and do not sin….” 1 Corinthians 15:33-34

“My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.” Proverbs 1:10

“Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn away from it and pass on.” Proverbs 4:14

“…all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:21

So how can we live IN this world but not live OF this world? We’ll discuss it in more detail tomorrow.

But sometimes, I get it right. It usually starts with a song. What is it about music that escorts a person into worshipping our God? It is as though the right song has transformational power. Is it the melody, the lyrics? How…why? I love to listen to Christian music. I have listed to the JoyFM for a long time. But now my drives are usually spent enjoying music from my ipod. God knows how to bring the right song across the speakers so my time of worship will make my drive easy and unabated by the traffic, the day, the night.

David knew about this power. In Psalm 7:17 he says, "I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High. Do you think David had struggles with balance? I imagine it isn't a new problem, so most likely he did. But in the midst of everything he went through, he continued to sing praises to the Lord Most High. Inspiring and motivating! I realize to many of you, this isn’t a new revelation or an inspiring thought. But to me, it is awesome and offers hope and encouragement.

Lord, thank you for the privilege and ability to worship you. May it be a sweet song to you and may I make it a priority today. Amen.