journal entry 6/30/2010

This is what I put in my devotional journal today--some from God and some from myself--based on reading 2 John:

Walk in love. Love one another. This is primary--foundational--without it, the rest is meaningless. If you don't have love, you don't have God. God _is_ love.

Walk in love--love is the key to the Kingdom of God. Live according to its tenets--see others as God sees them. This is not pie-in-the-sky but favorable.

Relax and be in Me. I will guide you in your way. Fear not--fear stops the blessing--in this, Kenneth has accurately represented Me, what I'm saying to you.

Fear stops the blessing. Do not fear. This is my command to you--love each other--love has no fear, for perfected (mature) love casts out fear.

Budgeting your time with Me is okay, but don't cut Me off. Stick to your end of the budget. How does it feel when Jeff cuts you off? I am God--I don't want leftovers. Listen to me fully. Get all of what I'm saying to you. Today, I say, "I love you".

-love, God

savings

I thank God that I was able to put some money back into savings that I'd taken out just in case. Didn't need it.

I also thank God, again, for this "On this day, God wants you to know..." app on Facebook. He gave somebody a pretty good idea, I think.

Thanks, Father.

decision

I thank God for this light He's just given me: The most important, most valuable skill a person can learn is to listen and the most important decision (aside from salvation) is to love. Thanks, Father.

man

Listening to a podcast of one of my church's sermons--about being a man--came to the decision that I am a man--not a dude, a guy, a bro, a dog, a boy, not just a human with the assignment of male--but a Christian man. There's a lot, Biblically-speaking, that that means, and it's hard to swallow, but God calls us to it; it's a matter of obedience to God, so here we go. I can already tell I'm gonna need help.

Also, I thank God for my dad. Imperfect as he was, he did help set the template in my mind of being a man. Thanks, Father, for my dad.

His son

God knew everything I would do. He knows everything I will do. He chose me, and says for me to be His son (small "s") That's kind of overwhelming...Thanks, Father.

resist

Resist the devil and he will flee. Resist, resist, resist. Take your authority in Christ and case him out. Remember who you are. Get MAD. You don't have to be a slave to your own desires. Bridle your mind, resist the devil, stay busy, call for help, do what you know.

pounds and stuff

I'm also SO grateful to God for the 10lbs I'm not carrying around anymore. About 40 to go. And this God's grace and ability, some dietary modification and some cardio and the Holy Spirit's leading to take stairs. Thanks, Father.

blessed

Truly, I am blessed, and I thank God for that, too. Without Him, I wouldn't be, in any sense of the word. Thanks, Father. Again.

running water

Today, I thank God for hot AND cold running water and indoor plumbing. They may seem like small things, but they're important. Thanks, Father. :)

today's thanks

Today, I thank God for a great shoot, my buddy Heather, a great church service, umbrellas!!!, God's grace, good sausages (even if they're not jalapeño), motivation, time to learn lines, other time, resources, food and water and shelter and this past week. Thanks, Father. Again. :-)

on this day...

On this day, God wants you to know... ... that God is crazy about you. God sends you fresh flowers every spring, a breathtaking sunrise every morning. If God had a wallet, your picture would be in it. If God has a refrigerator, your childhood scribbles would be on it.

One of the best ones of these yet. Thanks, Father, for that application and to the extent that You speak through it.

salvation prayer

Getting saved was the greatest decision of my life. I never, and will never, regret it.

If you feel like you should pray this, then do so aloud: "Jesus, I make You my Lord and my Savior. Take my life and do something with it." If you prayed that and meant it, congratulations! You're saved. Tell somebody about it. :) And find a church where the Word of God is preached and get into it. Find a Bible and start getting into that, too. I'd start in the book Matthew. Welcome!

I thank God for the means to spread His Word and His invitation. Thanks, Father. Again.

thanks for today

Today, I thank God for sleep, reminders and answered prayer. :)

salvation prayer

For those who feel led to, I encourage you to pray this prayer aloud: "Jesus, I make You my Lord and my Savior. Take my life and do something with it." If you prayed that and meant it, you're saved. Now get into a good, Bible-preaching and believing church. Get a Bible and start getting into it (I'd start with Mark). Welcome, new child of God. :)

cool site

Cool site for those who are interested.

affirmation

I thank God for the amazing affirmation I got, unsolicited, after making a key decision last Sunday. :)

thanks for today

Today, I thank God for some interesting stuff to do, that I didn't sleep so long that I haven't got a lot of the day left, for resources, for Best Buy and Guitar Center, good libraries, independent bookstores, Barnes & Noble and Borders, and the upcoming shoulder workout I'm going to do; also, a really good, supple, sturdy NIV Bible that has served me very well (Zondervan DuoTone Thinline NIV Bible--very cool--like this but not exactly. Thanks, Father. Again. ;)

budget

Today, I thank God for financial self-control and a budget--especially for bills one, er, overlooks. :-P Thanks, Father. Again.

On this day

I like this:

On this day, God wants you to know... ... that your love is a gift to the world. Let your love radiate out to all you meet. Let your love touch the hearts of people you don't even know. Let your love reach to the far corners of the earth. Love is what is saving the world.

from the Facebook App "God Wants You to Know"

Today, I thank God for that app.

thanks

Today, I thank God for every good thing that's happened today-- a challenging message, some good input from my associate pastor, some good sleep, some other cool stuff, what looks like to be a good day at work, the people with whom I've connected over Facebook, Facebook itself, more truth and understanding and a mind more open to the things of God than it was yesterday. Thanks, Father. :)

challenging message

Today, pastor had a very challenging message. I thank God that I accept it.

blessed

Today, I thank God for Kenneth Copeland and Kenneth Copeland Ministries, and Keith Moore and Moore Life Ministries, Kenneth Hagin and Oral Roberts and for God speaking through them. These are not the only ways God gets messages, what He wants to say, to me, certainly (nothing replaces the Bible and listening to the Holy Spirit), but they are some of my favorite channels. Thanks, Father, for them and their obedience and example for me to follow. I am blessed. :)

One other thing (at least one)--I thank God for the influence of Godly men in my life (inspired by Jeremy Pearsons on "The Believer's Voice of Victory"-- http://www.kcm.org/ )and for resources for today.

final cut express

I thank God for the "paste attributes" feature in Final Cut Express--lets you edit one clip of a scene with video filters and apply that to other clips of the same scene, meaning you don't have to edit each clip individually as far as color goes. Thank You, Father! whew! Amazing what you learn reading the manual.

today

I'm thankful for people who do good, for a student loan bill being lower than expected, that I can tithe on the rest and put the remainder in savings, for an early wake-up, for my leading lady in "Commitment"--great sense of humor--, for the fact that I have a leading lady, for the film people around me, for Pastor Mark, and for more resources than I figured on and a budget to help manage them, for puppies, kittens and a great church that produced my senior pastor, Pastor Mike and thanks, Father, for my not putting V8 in my coffee as I almost did, not being fully awake yet and for the potential overtime. Thank You, Father God. :-D

great messages

Listened to a couple of great messages last night--one was from Keith Moore ("Walking in the Light, part 9: Stay and See" and the other from Andy Stanley, "How to be Rich: Dollar Cost Living." You can podcast these from iTunes.

Thanks, Father.

shows

Today, I'm so grateful for KCRW's "The Business" and "Martini Shot", for resources, my upcoming rest, the workout I had not long ago, good food, the ability to not eat an entire half-gallon of ice cream in one sitting and the several episodes of "Bones" I'll probably watch today. Between naps.

Martini Shot:

http://www.kcrw.com/etc/programs/ma

The Business:

http://www.kcrw.com/etc/programs/tb

Thanks, Father.

remote

I'm grateful that God is never too busy to help me out--like, um, finding stuff. Like remotes. And keys. And don't tell me I'm the only one who's asked, "Father, where's my...?" Thanks, Father.

good shoot

Tonight--I thank God for a good shoot, some good results, good fellow actors and crew. I'm blessed to work with these people. Thanks, Father.

thanks for today

Sean Johnston Today, I thank God for correction, for challenge, for help, for study, for great reference material, for a good shoot (past scene and the upcoming one) and the people with whom I'm working, for resources, Starbuck's and free wi-fi and plug-ins. And for my very cute Blue Snowflake microphone. Again. I'm also soooo thankful for my computer, which lets me do what I want--to a point. Thanks, Father.

today

This morning, I'm thankful for my nap, time to sleep before church, Netflix and the ability to re-watch stuff, for Hulu and the same, for Mr. Ashmore and Mrs. Priddy, my phone and pretty good reception, my cameras again, my stereo system thingy, credit at Guitar Center and the Snowflake microphone to sub for the internal mike on my computer (my fault--gravity and all). Thank You, Father, for resourcing me so well in this life in every way.

thanks

Today, I'm grateful for the way things work out, particularly with the film shoot, seeing my opposite in the film act and being impressed, for the weather holding out as long as it did, for Facebook, candles, good gifts from good friends, my cameras (a plethora of them, almost), gas, Gold's Gym and the ability to work out there today and for seeing Randy Orton when he was there. Thanks, Father. :)

cool

Very cool.

Thanks, Father, for such a talented actor as Patrick Stewart.

more thanks

Today, I thank God for the damage to my computer not being THAT serious, for my upcoming meeting with one of my pastors, for filming tomorrow, good weather, rest today, work, coffee shops, my phone, my iPod, my thermal coffee mug thingy, provision and the coming provision for L.A.

I'm also thankful for the location of the shoot this weekend turning out better than I'd hoped. Also for a great talk with one of my pastors--challenging, illuminating, interesting, um...challenging. ;)

Thanks again, Father. You always go above and beyond what I could ever hope or think. :-)
------------------------

If you feel you should pray this, then do. Aloud. "Jesus, I receive You as my Lord and my Savior. Take my life and do something with it." If you prayed that and meant it, congratulations and welcome! You're saved! You're going to Heaven! In the meantime, get into a good, Bible-preaching and believing church & get yourself a good Bible and get into it, too. Again, welcome! Angels are rejoicing over you!

salvation prayer. again. :)

If you feel you should pray this, then do. Aloud. "Jesus, I receive You as my Lord and my Savior. Take my life and do something with it." If you prayed that and meant it, congratulations and welcome! You're saved! You're going to Heaven! In the meantime, get into a good, Bible-preaching and believing church & get yourself a good Bible and get into it, too. Again, welcome! Angels are rejoicing over you!

thanks

I thank God today for a certain challenge, for my church, Kermit the Frog, Jim Henson and his creativity, my buddy Jami, who makes me look a lot better on my profile pic, my pastor's sense of humor, the gadgets I have, cool electronics, movies and the ability to turn over my cares to God and then follow what He says to do, which I do now in the area of provision/resources.

Also, I thank God for a robust computer that seems to sort of withstand my trying to "fix" it. More or less.

Thanks, Father.

agreement in prayer for healing

This might sound weird, but those who pray, please agree with me in prayer for the healing of Mark Calaway, aka the Undertaker--he suffered a broken nose, broken orbital bone and a concussion in a recent match and is on the WWE's injured list. Amazing what these guys go through for our entertainment...
I also pray for his salvation IF he isn't saved already (I think he might be).

salvation prayer

If you feel you should pray this, then do. Aloud. "Jesus, I receive You as my Lord and my Savior. Take my life and do something with it." If you prayed that and meant it, congratulations and welcome! You're saved! You're going to Heaven! In the meantime, get into a good, Bible-preaching and believing church & get yourself a good Bible and get into it, too. Again, welcome! Angels are rejoicing over you!

eternity

It's interesting--we see in movies vampires and so on, people who are immortal comparing themselves with mortals, or us comparing ourselves with them. Interesting because, though our physical bodies will die, we are all immortal on a spiritual level. And interesting because one wants to consider where one will spend the rest of time once physical death occurs.

thanks

I thank God for Steve Jobs' apparent better health, for good food, Dr. Pepper (in moderation), good resources (clothing, shelter, transport, etc.), a very good job, good weather, my upcoming workout (seriously), my own good health, speedy internet, Fred Rogers and his comforting influence on me and the ability through Facebook to connect with folks with whom I'd lost touch long ago. Thanks, God.

Kenneth Copeland message

I was listening to a Kenneth Copeland message about covetousness. Very eye-opening, and it pointed out some stuff of which I needed to repent, so I did. I thank God for that message.

Here's a link to that message: Where is your treasure?

awesome

Today, I thank God for His forgiveness, grace, mercy, love and patience, for my job, time, the admonition to tithe and give my time and the assurance that it'll be multiplied and returned, for my favorite shirt, a reliable, great car, my buddy Jami and her advice and for a glimmer of understanding of how awesome, marvelous and majestic God is. It truly is more than I can take in in this body, and it is humbling. :) Thanks, Father.

thanks

Today, I thank God for a day off, Vimeo, Metallica, Midnight Oil and a few other bands, the laundry being done, non-banal stuff, Gold's Gym, good food, weight loss, time, discernment(!) and, again, certainty. Thanks, Father.

straight

I thank God for answering the question I asked/problem I posed. When we get specific with God, that enables Him to give us peace in the exact problem area. Sort of like getting scratched right where it itches, it feels SOOOO good. Thanks, God.

sure

Last night I got prayer to be sure about L.A. and pursuing the film acting career. Today, just as I'm winding up listening to a Morgan Freeman interview, I'm sure. I have a peace about this that I've never had before. Thanks, Father.

psalm 34:1

Today, God guided me to Psalm 34:1. If you're gonna just read one verse, that's a good one to read. Thanks, Father.

contentment...

Today, I thank God for contentment and satisfaction.