Anything but Lazy Sunday Afternoon Fun

I have been enjoying a time of peaceful waiting through Bible, worship, and looking with eyes open to be of service as called upon day to day by the Holy Spirit's calling... I have been pleasantly surprised that during a time in my life I felt I was going to be without, I have never felt more WITH...  I have cried tears of joy with several friends witnessing God's amazing relational power to pour through my once dysfunctional selfish attitude with a renewing grace only a loving God can instill in my "new man" This post is going to include some youtube videos that promote a worship attitude for an immersion of your soul to the place of Spirit Minded focus as you come close to your God.. Here are a few of my favorites as you might find them your favorites as well.. 

I urge you to take the time and get "lost" in God for he longs for you to come to Him .... 

This next video is the one i desire to think about constantly for i long to be with my KING...  I want you Father... I want to be beside you in the BEST way ever ....  I CAN ONLY IMAGINE....  

I pray that you are moved to be "MOVED" by the SPIRIT of God...  play these songs over and over ... load them in your music player and walk at night look up to the GREAT BIG STARLIT SKY...   Think about HIM ...  Ponder Jesus all the time it will focus your life in tune to be used in the most amazing of ways, becoming sensitive to the will of your first Love Jesus Christ... 

  I would love to express just how amazing each of you are.. You are so beautifully beautiful to my God and that means you are beautifully beautiful to me as well...  I LOVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU and I consistently thank my father above for the amazing redemptive grace he has blessed me with to be a part of any of your lives, to pray for you, with you, and request the same of you... I am excited to live each day upon the promise of my God who has helped me understand as of late that Being Still in God doesn't mean BORING.. but has been anything but...  I must say that I desire to do anything, anywhere, for anyone, that God leads me to and through prayer and worship He can use me EVEN when I am not DOING....  for when I am not DOING and being still God IS DOING without me getting in the way ... He has taught me that He will speak volumes, just listen, patiently willing to move when called ....  Have I told you that I love Jesus....  Let the love fest of our God begin and carry on until the day fast approaching when we all worship our mighty God together..  

Servant Timothy

A Woman's Godly Discernment Goes Down Easy With Food :)

A Woman's Godly Discernment Goes Down Easy With Food :)

     This Blog post today is going straight into the post as I have felt this to be a timely and very important post for me as i hope is the case for you as well... First of all i want to say Chuck Swindoll and his insight for living program is one of my favorite podcasts I listen to usually mornings on my walk into work.. I have been amazed at the God given abilities Mr Chuck Swindoll has... This unique and relatively obscure story he presents is taken from 1 Samuel Chapter 25 but I request that you listen to the podcast first then supplement it by the reading straight from the Bible..  I am posting the links for the second and third parts of the broadcast because I believe the second is an adequate summary of the first part of the series..  So I ask that you really listen to this podcast by Chuck Swindoll...  

Listen to this link first:

http://www.insightforliving.com/3/ArchiveplayerDonate.asp?id=1012439&date=9/18/2012

ok now if you have listened to the link above please listen to the following link:

http://www.insightforliving.com/3/ArchiveplayerDonate.asp?id=1012439&date=9/19/2012

    I have so much to say about this podcast that "hit home" with me but i will just say 

     I LOVE THE WAY GOD PROVIDED ABIGAIL WITH GODLY DISCERNMENT

     I LOVE THE WAY GOD SPOKE TO DAVID THROUGH ABIGAIL AND HE RETREATED

     I LOVE THE WAY GOD GAVE BEAUTIFUL ABIGAIL A NEW BETROTHED HUSBAND 

     I absolutely Love this story and I have always felt extremely similar to David as i often refer to myself as being "Davidesque" 

   Allowing Chuck Swindolls podcast to speak for itself I won't add much to this blog post but I felt a sense of leading to share this story as it may touch your life in a very real way..

  Please listen to this podcast and "mull" it over in your "melon"  If you are anything like me it will speak volumes to you and give you a full range of emotions/lessons you can take from this one piece of scripture...     

HAVE I EVER TOLD YOU JUST HOW MUCH I LOVE MY JESUS :)

PEACE BE WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU ..   YOU ARE VERY DEAR TO ME

servant timothy

Lovey, Happy, Smiley,Poemy, Sunshiny, Feel Good Time

   Keeping with tradition i am first placing a video... As I hope not to offend i am straying away from the "normal" post to share some videos that may be somewhat secular in nature but with my favorite theme of happy, joy, feel good,smiley fun...

    

Now before I share more videos that have a special place in my heart with the common theme of love, smiles, friendship, and relational happiness i wrote a special poem for and about my Father in Heaven,

                           My God

                           Closer to my heart than

                          Any will ever be,

                           If I ask Him

                           To be nearest to me.

                           HIS LOVE

                           Steadfast, True, 

                            Beautifully Sweet,

                            Ever present Comforter,

                            His Spirit,

                             Guides my feet.

                              The Call

                              A planned service of "choice"

                              He desires of me,

                              open my eyes,

                              For your ways,

                              I wish to see.         

          

   And last but definitely not least,

This is one of my all time favorites and it sums up the beautiful Happy relationship of my God for his mercy is so amazing and love unlike anyone could ever duplicate

   Love you all, 

Servant Timothy

                                    

Less is More, More or Less

   First a video for you to enjoy...

     Less is more, More or Less     

    As I continue to ask God to create in me the man he wants me to be I find this Bible verse to be very comforting..  

    Philippians 1:6

  I am sure of this , that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

    Thus after The Bible and prayer I have been convicted in an area of my life that needed more attention.. My own personal exhibitional efforts of self promotion in desire of accolades or acceptance based on my appearance..  It is time to make my life less about me and more about my God inside of me....  When i am faced with the realization by God given discernment through the Word and others of the faith I then have the choice to follow through and this is what i fully intend to do..  I am going to be removing all of my pictures that promote my physical appearance...  I can't begin to tell you how a very beautiful young lady has displayed to me her love for God WITHOUT feeling the need to impress men or women, myself included with her physical beauty ( and I don't think I understood why because she IS ABSOLUTELY  beautiful...)  

        UNTIL NOW....

When you are mature enough in the faith and your walk is so very personal with your Saviour that is what life becomes about... all encompassing and beautifully uplifting showing the love of God through the Holy Spirit filled life you are displaying...  I am seeing Less Her more God and trust me that has an attraction or magneticism unlike any photo of her "adorable feminine features" ever could...  This brings me to the second change...  I am not going to request any pictures as a prerequisite of affirmation to "get to know"  any woman as it is about the Character of God she portrays in conversation, void of physical demands or requests..  Spirit filled, Prudent, Moral, Love is much more easily found when the decision is made to be truly patient seeking the Will of the Father to Divinely match you with anyone you may cross paths with...   I must remove self to see God that much clearer in all aspects of my life... 

   Proverbs 31    fits so well right here.....    most of you reading know it or have the ability to look it up so I will not place it here ....  Read it in your Bible if you are not familiar with it ...

    I thank God for His discernment in my life and i hope through my transparency you might find it a help to find areas that God desires you to "PARENTAL CONTROL"  in your own life... 

I realize this blog post may be somewhat shorter than most, not full of the usual ramblings but I felt this was a more important revelation in my life just recently so I thought the point was worth sharing...   Love to all...

Timothy

Bye Bye Birdie..... My Bucket List

        This is the worship song I played over and over and i suggest to you to play this song on repeat, shut your door of your room turn off the lights and worship....  or put it into your ipod or phone and go outside at night look up into the heavens and imagine taking flight up past the moon to meet the Heavenly father...  zone out everything and just immerse yourself in this amazing worship song giving God your praise..

Bye Bye Birdie

    

  My bucket list...........

1) Live my life making the appropriate decisions as i move where the Spirit leads me

2)Make such an impact on people I interact with that they see Jesus inside of me.

3)Encourage and spur on believers through prayer, comforting words, and honest friendship that it becomes contagious in the lives of many.

4)Listen, and learn about each persons unique desires, wishes, dreams, hobbies, and talents so that i might give something of value to each of you that will be ultimately used for God's glory.

5) Give to the givers(my fellow believers) I ask that you will humbly accept without misunderstanding my gifts that I am led to give to you for it is what i believe i have been called to do... so number 5 would be to give without being mistaken for ill intent or personal gain..

6)Learn how to apply the fruit of the Spirit daily.

7)Lose the will and desire to have personal items that are of no Spiritual value.

8)Sponsor children

9)Know that my daughter will be with God in eternity.

10)Make the most incredible cheesecake(original, or gluten free) for a future wife

11)Have the opportunity  to give everything I learn from God for a family that exemplifies God's love in the home everyday.

12)Memorize whole chapters of the Bible

13)Always Honor my mother and father

14)Completely get LOST in God EVERYTIME I worship not once feeling inhibited because of someone watching.

15)Live on less

16)The ability to speak in tongues in private without spooking myself and letting it just happen

17)Bridle my tongue so it is only used in the building up of others.

18)Truly forget my sins of the past and move on because God forgave me

19)Ride a real live BULL....  or do something I am fearful to accomplish in order to fully rely on God while i am performing the task.

20)Embrace struggles while I am in the middle of them

21)Smile MORE :)  Frown less 

22)Lose my desire to be accepted by everyone in every decision i make.

23)Make the best gluten free main dish and dessert recipes for my mother and  others who may be gluten intolerant.. you never know it may be practice for someone God has for me.

24)Make every single bit of my time here on earth count....  Lord knows I have wasted much of it.. 

25)accept any blessing God chooses to place in my hands, feeling worthy because he said I was

26)get a passport and go on a mission trip..

27)look for daily opportunities for service.

28)Genuinely feel the pain of others and know when to grieve with them.

29)Budget so well that every penny I save will directly or indirectly go to the work of God

30)Live worry free

31)Be all things to all people so that I might be used to direct anyone to God

32)open my home more to others 

33)Lose all fear of embarrassment to speak in any public venue about my God

34)Lose my timidity

35)learn how to appropriately use my unique quirks and silliness for God

36)Be there for you or anyone that needs me and calls upon my help.

37)Fast a day longer than i think i can while being absolutely discreet and unnoticed

38)Commit to God EVERY area of my life......   EVERY AREA

39)get good use out of the handpuppets i am saving for my family

40)The chance to meet as many of you as i can in person, praying and fellowshipping with you.

41)Live KNOWING I am dead to sin through God free from the slavery of it even in this fallen world.

42)succeed at cleansing the hard water stain that leaves a hideous ring inside my toilet bowl.

43)laugh more

44)disperse money wisely into as many missionaries pockets as i can

45)Be able to Kiss a woman again following marriage...

46)Do inductive Bible studies with a future wife

47)Take a family vacation to someplace "kidlike" Disneyland, or Hawaii, or anywhere my family chose to go..

48)Show pure faith in God through peaceful resolve when it is time to go to be with the Lord

49)Have a christmas celebration where no gifts were bought from a store.. Fellowship and Food sounds amazing to me.

50) Last but not least.......   The chance to formally propose to a Proverbs 31 woman.

                                                 The Disclaimer

   My bucket list is just that... a wish list...  I anticipate most just to be in the presence of God worshipping with everyone..

                          NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING is worth more to me than the promise of being in the presence of God and seeing the tree of life..

                            Until then I will ask God for help on my list before my time is up here..  

Comfort in Your Loving Arms... Home is With You...

                              My God Holds my Heart..

           My God is my safe haven, and I love Him for He loved me first....  

              My temporal feelings and emotions shall never ever overshadow such a love for my Father in heaven..

               The people I admire most are the people that you have brought into my life that love you with that similar crazy passion I do no matter what the age difference.. 

                I interrupted my part 2 of the previous blog because at this time I feel like it is not the direction i am supposed to write due to the nature of this post...  

                I am trying to fully seek my God's direction in every aspect of my life and I take that very very seriously so this is a personal letter to each of you as I have felt very very close to those of you who long for our true Home "with God" just as myself.. 

                The truth is.... I haven't been as transparent as I should have been so to Man up right now is something long overdue ...   

                The facts ....    my full name Timothy Lane Taft

                                                           Age:44  

                                                          Marital Status: Divorced Twice

                                                          Children: one daughter 15yrs who I specifically try to avoid mentioning for fear of being viewed as a father that couldn't raise my own daughter to come to know God...  I don't think I could ever convey properly just how much I hurt because I can't will her into a crazy love for God.. So pray with me as I have settled to be a "prodigal father" as i wait..

                                                            I Fight feelings of loneliness even though i am around many people, and i have an insanely crazy desire to have a relationship with a like minded Christian Woman and have the God centered daily family I have never known. 

                                                             I dream of a dinner table with prayer and fellowship, devotions and Bible studies (personal, husband and wife, and family) 

                                                            My reality is that i am to wait upon my Jesus seeking His will not that of my own...  

                                                            I am writing this post today to inform my friends that I am going to step away from my blog and Instagram for time to breathe my God into every part of my being...  For my life is to be about him and unselfish as to my wishes.. So I am going to make sure that I am completely focused on that area before I continue my blog.. Putting my electronics aside for my Bible, prayer, and Listening to His plan... 

                                                           Trust me this HURTS...  everything about my post tonight kinda hurts because I feel it is my responsibility to inform you of my most transparent human feelings and emotions so that I can be prayed for and completely open ..  I feel so very close to all of you.. I feel I am to step away for a period of time... (it is unclear as to how long but I feel I will be back at the time God reveals)  I seek my Father, His will, and direction.... that is what I am seeking...  Any or all comments I will view and respond to before I step aside.. Please stay with me in this time with your support in prayer and I would hope to remain with you but i am aware that God chooses who stays in my life..  Hands Open Facing Upward ..

                I LOVE YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH 

               you may write me anything to my email address lanetaft@gmail.com and I will respond when my God guides me that the time is right..   

Recognizing the Stench and Breaking Free

       Last summer I was in Houston Texas installing dental chairs for the company I work for.   For 10 days we were to install hundreds of dental devices in a medical school. I guess the way it works is that when the building is still in the hands of the contractors even though the facility had working bathrooms they were off limits...  So for the next week and a half while on the job site  we were only to use outhouse alley...

         Ok, so you are reading the blog and betting you have muttered ewww and turned your head to the side with your nose in the air???  Well you probably said it prematurely because....  I didn't paint this picture with a smaller defining brush...  by mentioning that the weather in Houston Texas was 100 plus degrees almost every day..  Now you can say it 

            EWWWWWW OH MY GROSSNESS...  

    But here is the great part of the whole experience ....  Enduring the experience and from the moment i pushed that door open   Air never smelled more FRESH!!!!

      My point ....  I have sooo many examples for this but some are personal to others and i wish to keep it away from a dilemma that happened recently...  

      Satan knows when God or the Holy Spirit is moving us to carry out a task to promote the Glory of the God we serve.. And he is fully prepared to sling a stink bomb... 

       Ephesians 6:12  (HCSB)  For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers , against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.

         1 peter 5:8,9  (HCSB)  Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.  Resist him and be firm in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world. 

       I think some of my blogger friends or maybe you specifically can relate to the feeling of "pushing through"  an exhausted, tired feeling, of fatigue, or a mental barrage of insecurities and questions right before posting that blog that points others to God's glory..   Let me clarify as this has happened to me on almost every blog post i have completed thus far..  

         I have the idea for my blog as the Spirit has placed it on my heart to write.. I become "drained" "exhausted" so tired it is like a "deep in my bones" condition...  Then the mental fight as the "deceiver" will make me question the Spirits leading..  Questions like---- How are you going to write any type of blog on that? Aren't you going to confuse someone if you type that? Would anyone even miss your post ? so why do you even write one?

         This is what I term as "SITTING IN THE STENCH"  right where Satan wants us.. 

     A complacent, anxiety filled person that is idle and stagnate becoming ineffective for Gods will...    

       I have personally witnessed God's best movement occurring during or right after the "beat down" feeling of trials after i was at the end of myself.. 

         This is the time we push forward leaning into our God, through prayer, the Bible, and the Church..  

    Here is a video I think is very fitting from the movie "Facing the Giants"

             Please as this common struggle ensues take notice of your resources...  While getting maliciously attacked by obstacles that seem sometimes hugely insurmountable PUSH FORWARD...  Use God first, Pray... (stop and drop right then and there) Then call out to your brothers and sisters in Christ-the church body. 

       Ephesians 6:11-18 (HCSB) ¹⁰ Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength. ¹¹ Put on the full armorof God so that you can stand against the tactics^[g] of the Devil. ¹² For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. ¹³ This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. ¹⁴ Stand, therefore,

with truth like a belt around your waist,
righteousness like armor on your chest,
¹⁵ and your feet sandaled with readiness
for the gospel of peace.^[h]
16 In every situation take the shield of faith,
and with it you will be able to extinguish
all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the Spirit,

which is God’s word.

¹⁸ Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.

           So I encourage you as a fellow believer to 1)recognize why and when these stupid dilemmas come up and call out to God for what they are .... 2)Pray for God's help to conquer any of these situations no matter how insignificant they appear to be at the time because some unseemingly simple setback handled our way not God's can alter the effectiveness for you to do the will of the Spirit.. 3) ACT ON THE WILL OF THE SPIRIT

         This men and women is where it can get ugly for acting on the Will of the Spirit through a Spirit led conviction may often be second guessed by anyone from Non believers to closest friends or church members or anyone watching...   I will include more of this in "Recognizing the Stench PT2"

    But please Pray, Ponder, Read, Fellowship, Listen to the Spirit, and ACT...

     God will rejuvenate you for listening to the Spirit ....  

  

     I leave you with one more video as it is one of my favorite songs i enjoy as I worship 

Love to all,   

servant timothy

     

Now Hiring Clean Cut Gluten Free Cooks Unafraid of Sharks

   First a video as usual...  A movie trailer from the movie "Walking on Water"

           I am writing to each one of you as i share once again a "growing point" in my life....  There have been several times in my life when I have prayed for much wisdom..  God has supplied the knowledge for application with the Holy Spirit to guide me but it seems to have been a difficult process for me to truly "die to myself" as I truly desire God's will and mission for my life..  

Photo of Chuck liddell

          Case in point----   Here is the scene... picture me in a thrift store browsing,  I am looking rather "undercover"  or a mini "chuck liddell" mma fighter ....  My sunglasses are on, mohawk is gelled straight back in a line with 3/4 of my head shaved, a white tanktop, and headphones in my ear..  I was tough looking, exuding a coolness "Timothy" style...  Feeling completely comfortable in MY ELEMENT as I was made a unique individual, my God loves me and I was PROUD of it..   That is about the time a 5 yr old boy comes running out from underneath the clothes rack and looks at me scared like a deer staring into the headlights of an oncoming vehicle.. He quickly ran to the safety of a single parent mom.. as she also feared his anxieties might be for a real reason because she saw me for my image I projected...  By this time I would hope that you my reader knows i am "extremely sensitive" in the area of children..  I love children.. I didn't even have enough time to get down on his level to lose my sunglasses and show him my gentle nature and i was also ineligible to easily converse in any manner to his mother...   

       

me....  before....

    Immediately This set of verses God brought to my attention:

      

1 Corinthians 9:19-23

New International Version (NIV)

Paul’s Use of His Freedom

19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law),so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

      Ok so you are wondering wait.... how did this one seemingly minor event in my life translate to my Title of this blog??  stay with me I am getting there...

       On my way home I decided I needed to "neutralize" my appearance in the form of a "common" man to others ..  NOTE:  I said "appearance" not my Biblical Standards and beliefs God has given in his Word.. 

        From this day forward until I am moved otherwise by the Spirit I am making a truly conscious decision to "lose MY" so called feelings to be noticed individually and offer myself to the old and young alike being used by my God promoting Him to all people. To sit with the elderly, talk and play games with the children, Shuffle/ballroom/swing dance with the hipsters, dress formally to worship with the more formal Church body in a typical sanctuary, or in a wetsuit by a fire on the beach with a "hitchhiker" as we partake in food and send them on their way "equipped" with a Bible, some extra cash, and food or clothing they might need for a tough grueling journey through the night.

       I was blown away... I never realized I had been praying to Jesus to be used for Him but I quickly realized I needed to FULLY RELY on God to transform me daily into a person  I may have thought I could never be... In this process I have to be absolutely unselfishly willing to "lose" the person I think I am ....    Let God Bend me and Blow my mind with HIS plan for me..  

      Here it is.....  yep speaking to you...   

The meat and potatoes:  If the situation arises are WE truly ready??  ready to serve up a Gluten free main course after swimming with sharks in 45 degree water in a wetsuit???

       Really ....  in more sensical wordage lol....  If the situation arose are we truly ready to perform by "rubbing shoulders" w/All Others..  Think about this for a minute...

What would your life look like if you spent time learning multiple languages so that anytime we overheard a person speaking in a foreign language crying out, we could comfort them.. Or learned how to bless the Bible study fellowships of our local church or community by baking treats for the weekly Bible study groups. Go snowboarding/skateboarding/wakeboarding/rafting/fishing with the youth and yet ballroom dance/play bingo/chess/ or scrapbook with an older individual.. 

Wouldn't that Just Rock Worlds....  

      If we could be exactly who GOD wants us to be not what we think we can do...  

   As I am typing this blogpost I am so convicted that I have had plenty of time that i wasted NOT learning any or all of these things.. So are we fired up?????  are we ready to move with the Spirit any direction on any occasion and service He chooses ....  When I was born I seriously wouldn't have ever guessed I would EVER EVER get used to the idea of putting on a skin tight wetsuit looking like a Seal in shark infested 45 degree water getting absolutely ROLLED by God's mighty SEA as I suck saltwater into my body like it was air....  you KIDDING... I was the only one of four boys that literally cried and screamed for my brothers to "get out of the water because they were going to drown" .... Did I ever imagine myself learning to snowboard at the end of this year or get totally excited when God provided a vintage Sunbeam mixer so I can learn to cook "Gluten Free" desert recipes and main dishes for loved ones,  or apply to visit jails, get "approved" to even go in wearing the right color clothes and being checked in through security as if I was a criminal to absolutely enjoy the company of people I had just met for the first time in person that day and play  card games and vending machine candy laughing together.. 

       I just had an amazing time with coworkers last night watching a college football game and it was the first time I said yes to their invite..  I have been passing up opportunities to socialize w/coworkers because "I" was uncomfortably out of "MY CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT"  

      That my friends is a very lame excuse.. I am once again asking my God for help to "lose myself" trusting him and "neutralizing" MY PERSONALITY to be a common servant for the greater good 

                                 Saved Lives

   My mission personally is to relationally connect with as many and all people God places in my path. Clean shaven, common haircut, healthy hygiene, and becoming equipped by using my time wisely as to be disciplined, Fit, and willing to run the race to win... 

     Remember God may wish to use us for possibilities "unthinkable" in our small minds, yet planned out in God's perfect plan.. which brings me to my next blog post coming......

 It will be ......   I follow God's will ... really I do.... As long as it goes "with my traditional views and values set by society"

        My plan? .... my friend's or families plan?  or could the plan you think impossible that you have been mulling over in your head be possible with GOD by following the Spirit...  

Love to all

Timothy

The common me I choose to be ....     :)

I leave you with a funny way of showing how God could use even a person willing to learn american sign language in a secular song for good... This guy was a collegiate grad from a major university, he made me aware by his ability that sign language could be an amazing tool to speak with people just based even on the happiness exhibited in your expression of the art...  

enjoy...