Tim's Friend Comments

Keep your goals in sight and rise above your circumstance...no matter what!

Have you read 'Heartstone: A Journey out of the midnight of my soul' yet?

Heartstone is a journey of destiny, a story of a life turned upside-down for the best possible reason. Step into the story and discover what happens when a broken life has a head on collision with a broken world! This book isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s for those who have the courage to face life head on and walk it out with God!

Download it for FREE on Smashwords through March 11!

Pick up a copy here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...

"It's not gonna matter if you have a few scars. It will matter if you didn't live." -Rich Mullins

Culture says, "If you don't accept me the way that I am then you don't love me." But that's simply not true. Love and acceptance are completely different concepts. For example, while God loves us unconditionally, he doesn't accept us unconditionally. The Bible says, “That IF you confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Ultimately, being loved by God isn’t the same as being accepted by God. He has terms for acceptance and so should we. However, today's culture calls any "terms for acceptance" bigotry, intolerance, or judgement. The lesson is this: We must love people the way God loves people. But we must never compromise our boundaries, our principles, or our moral code simply because someone insists that having "terms" is unloving. -Dale Partridge

“To me, being a man means being kind, generous, and a good provider. The most important part of being a man is being strong. Having the self-confidence to handle any situation you face, whether you live in the city and face traffic, congestion, and crowds, or you live in remote areas with wild animals and inclement weather. And it’s a quiet self-confidence. A strong, self-confident man doesn’t announce his strength to the world. He leads by example. He’s the guy who steps up and takes charge when a challenge is faced, and then quietly fades into the background when the issue is resolved.” ― John Sowers

New Design For 2016!

Every so often I like to give a refresh to the Heartstone Journey website. This year I did a complete overhaul of the site to create a better experience for the reader with easier navigation, better imagery and crisper typography across all devices. And I think it’s really made a difference.

Instead of me trying to convince you, I’ll let you decide though as you walk through the new story oriented site.
Let me know what you think.

http://heartstonejourney.com/

"[Our] sin must be absolutely horrendous if it takes the death of God’s only Son to fix it." -Alistair Begg

“Fears are facts. There is a danger in saying that because a thing is wrong, it does not exist. Fear is a genuine thing; without it there is no courage. The courageous man is the one who overcomes fear. There are things in life that make us hold our breath, then in faith we look on to the end.” – Oswald Chambers, from Faith: A Holy Walk

This morning we will gather with family and unwrap our Christmas presents, but over time the novelty will wear off. That present we wanted so bad eventually ends up forgotten in a closet or handed off to someone else. These days, a newer version of the latest gadget will come out and most of us will gladly exchange our older one. In time, your Christmas gifts will mostly be forgotten. But God has given us the ultimate gift — the gift of His Son, Jesus.

Merry Christmas. Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas holiday, be blessed!

"As we grow older in life, years somehow seem to shorten and New Year’s Day approaches with an ever increasing tempo. The more mature we get, the more we realize that time is only relative; how we live means more than how long we live. Haply also we do not live by years, but by days. In His wisdom God does not show us all that lies ahead. So we enter a new year to live it day by day. What is past is past. Today we start anew, and what we do today will make our life for tomorrow. Chin up, shoulders straight, eyes agleam, let us salute the New Year, and each day let us follow more faithfully, more courageously, more daringly the lead of our great Captain who bids us follow Him." -William Thomson Hanzsche

"Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow." -ES Martin

"The church was not created to fulfill God’s wrath but to complete His mercy." -Francis Frangipane

"God knows what we are capable of long before we have the courage to try." -Seth Dahl

"Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer." -Samwise

“God found Gideon in a hole. He found Joseph in a prison. He found Daniel in a lion’s den. He has a curious habit of showing up in the midst of trouble, not the absence. Where the world sees failure, God sees future. Next time you feel unqualified to be used by God remember this, he tends to recruit from the pit, not the pedestal.”― Jon Acuff

“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins. -Isaiah 43:25

Not sure about you, but if it wasn't for His grace I would be in big trouble!

"Two things define you. Your patience when you have nothing, and your attitude when you have everything." -Unknown

"The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion." -Paulo Coelho

[Nothing Grey About That]

"No woman wants to be in submission to a man who isn't in submission to God." -TD Jakes

Men, it’s your responsibility to lead and give 100 percent. Ephesians 5:24 makes it VERY clear that you’re the head of your marriage as Christ is the head of the church. You are responsible to LEAD! You carry the burden when decisions need to be made and God will hold YOU accountable to lead your family!

This does NOT mean you are to be a dominating jerk...you are to be a SERVANT LEADER! Ephesians 5:25 makes it VERY clear that you are to LOVE your wife “as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”

Remember men, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet (John 13). Your leadership as a husband is modeled on the example of Jesus who demonstrated His love as head of the church by laying down His life. It's sacrificial!

What does this mean?

It means your love and your leadership are NOT based on your emotions or how your wife treats you or score keeping - instead, you anchor your love and leadership in Jesus!

Let me say it in another way...you are to lovingly lead by laying down your life for her and your family!

"People all over the nation are starved for honesty and common sense." - Dr. Ben Carson

The Minions are amped up and ready for the Super Bowl on Sunday...are you ready for the big game?

Go New England Patriots!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joRSu...

[Brotherhood]

For me, Lone Survivor is a call to brotherhood and a reminder of the virtues we’re called to “live out” as authentic men of Jesus Christ. Outside of a Christ world view these virtues are not considered noble or practical, but are what’s needed in this world today. Jesus is inviting us to hold on tight to these virtues and to place them above our own self-preservation and Lone Survivor stunningly models out that life is about far more than mere survival. It’s about never letting life knock you down, it’s about not letting the enemy take you out, it’s about staying in the fight with your brothers until the very end.

Despite the changing tide of this messed up worldly culture today, have you noticed that men are curious and are asking what it really takes to follow Jesus Christ?

Continue reading: http://heartstn.co/1yshlFm

"You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life." - Winston Churchill

"Today we are seeing a great rebellion against the Lord. Biblical standards are consistently being replaced, even as perversity pretends to be the new normal; terrorist nations proliferate. Yet, it is while rulers take “their stand against the Lord” that the Father tells His Son: “Ask of Me, and I will surely give [these very] nations as Your inheritance.” Therefore, in spite of hell’s advance, this day we ask God for our nation! Yes, we ask in faith for God Himself has promised to give “the very ends of the earth as [Christ’s] possession” (Ps 2:8)!" -Francis Frangipane

[No Regrets]

Bronnie Ware is an Australian nurse and the author of the best-selling memoir, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying – A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing. She spent her time with people during the last 12 weeks of their lives. She began asking these people about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently and she noticed a common theme.

Here are the five most common ones: http://heartstn.co/1z5DkC8

[Go And Make Disciples]

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. -Matthew 28:19-20

http://heartstonejourney.com/are-you-...

[Seeing Obstacles Through God's Eyes]
By Dr. Charles Stanley

Jericho was the first city that the Israelites needed to conquer in their quest for the land of Canaan. When Joshua sent a pair of spies to check it out, he probably didn't realize that he would receive a glimpse of God's impressive behind-the-scenes activity.

God wants us to look at every obstacle through the lens of His unlimited strength and resources. Anything that appears to block His plans is an opportunity for Him to demonstrate His sovereign power. Just because we don't see anything happening, that doesn't mean He's inactive.

Always remember that God is at work on the other side of our obstacles, arranging the details and bringing His plans to fruition. When the spies returned to Joshua, they reported that the people of Jericho were scared to death. Having heard about the Jews' deliverance from Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea, they were gripped by fear of the Lord.

The stage was set for the conquest, yet by that point, Joshua had done nothing. Sometimes we think we need to be involved in the solution to our problem, but God is not limited with regard to whom or what He can use to accomplish His will. In this case, He worked in the hearts of the enemy by instilling demoralizing fear.

For Christians, great obstacles need not be reasons for discouragement. Although much of the Lord's activity is silent and invisible, we can be sure He is dynamically working out His will for our lives. When the pieces of His plan are in place, He will move us on to victory.

"Never venture near the door where sin dwells, lest you are dragged in." -William Gurnall

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." - Abraham Lincoln

HOPE
by Marcus Luttrell

Hope is an interesting subject for me. When I was a kid I hoped to serve my country. To make my parents proud. In the teams I hoped my teammates came home – but understood we may not. Now being a husband and father – perspective on Hope has changed quite a bit.

My current hope is to spend more time with my wife and kids. My biggest daily struggle is finding balance between work and family time. I absolutely understand the reason I go out and leave my family for days on end – to get the stories of my fallen brothers out to the public, to inspire, to give hope to someone who has completely lost it. I believe God gave me a purpose. Some people think because my experience is a book and a movie, it’s easy to talk about. It’s not and it never will be. The reason I do it is to motivate others and to keep my teammates memories alive. How do I pick a stopping point and close the door on my responsibility to my teammates?

I HOPE that one day, that is an easy choice to make. I HOPE my teammates and their families understand. I HOPE I don’t regret that decision when I make it. I HOPE their memories don’t fade when I do.

My day-to-day hope comes from my family. My kids are old enough to run when they see me and scream daddy when I come home – and I bend down and grab them and throw them around. Coolest damn feeling in the world! Wish I could make time stop and enjoy this a little longer before school and friends take up their time and I’m the embarrassing dad yelling from the audience at the school play or football game. I HOPE they understand and know how much I love them and hope I raise them to be God-fearing, respectful, intelligent, purposeful adults.

Focusing on Hope and Love is new for me. I guess you have to go through hell to find out what true happiness can be and to appreciate it. I thank God for showing me what love and hope is.

(Marcus Luttrell is a retired United States Navy SEAL. He received the Navy Cross for his actions in 2005 facing Taliban fighters during Operation Red Wing. He is the author of the best-selling book ‘Lone Survivor’.)

"It's not gonna matter if you have a few scars. It will matter if you didn't live." -Rich Mullins

[The Minimalist Guide To The Simple Life]

Ever notice that we default to “climbing the ladder” or “looking up the ladder?” Of course I am referring to life, work, wealth, fill in the blank ____. We want that next corporate position, that larger house or that new Jet Ski – don’t we?

Most of us spend our energy “looking up the ladder” and myopically dial into what others have. This becomes our comparative or our unit of measure on what we don’t have.

I was locked in this world dominated unit of measurement in my own life until I hit some rough waters. Yeah going through divorce and loosing almost everything can definitely changes ones perceptive, but do you know what really made me realize that this was a ridiculous unit of measurement?

http://heartstonejourney.com/the-mini...

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." -Abraham Lincoln

What I Want for Christmas

“So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” -Colossians 2 :16-17 NKJV

I have always believed in the promise of Christmas. There has always been something special to me about this time of the year, going back to my earliest days of childhood.

What is it that we love about Christmas, once we get past the initial trappings?

I think it is the sense of wonder, beauty, and anticipation. It is the music, the look of surprise on a child’s face, and the amazing food. It’s the companionship of family and good friends. It is also the absence of strife and meanness (that is, with the exception of the crowds on “Black Friday”).

But how often does Christmas really deliver on its promises?

http://heartstonejourney.com/what-i-w...

"There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up." -John Holmes

[It's Not Over!]

We've all been there—caught in a moment, a struggle, a relationship that seemed utterly hopeless. However, these four stories remind us that nothing is beyond God’s repair. With God, nothing is over even when it seems like it’s over.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flZ1p...

"Happy is that man who possesses a Bible! Happier still is he who reads it! Happiest of all is he who not only reads it, but obeys it, and makes it the rule of his faith and practice!" -JC. Ryle

"If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door." -Milton Berle

[Brotherhood]

For me, Lone Survivor is a call to brotherhood and a reminder of the virtues we’re called to “live out” as authentic men of Jesus Christ. Outside of a Christ world view these virtues are not considered noble or practical, but are what’s needed in this world today. Jesus is inviting us to hold on tight to these virtues and to place them above our own self-preservation and Lone Survivor stunningly models out that life is about far more than mere survival. It’s about never letting life knock you down, it’s about not letting the enemy take you out, it’s about staying in the fight with your brothers until the very end.

Despite the changing tide of this messed up worldly culture today, have you noticed that men are curious and are asking what it really takes to follow Jesus Christ?

Deeper dive: http://heartstn.co/1pi36Zl

"Courage is being scared to death... and saddling up anyway." -John Wayne

Pentatonix, published a cover of “Mary, Did You Know?” on Nov. 11 to rave reviews on the Internet.

Have you heard it yet? ...It's incredible!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifCWN...

Are there things in your life that come between you and God?

"Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act." ―Dietrich Bonhoeffer

[What Contentment Is Not]

"Contentment is essentially a matter of accepting from God’s hand what He sends because we know that He is good and therefore it is good." -J. I. Packer

A long season has passed since I had to leave the comfort of my own home. This journey was humbling as I had to walk through the transient way of life from a basement floor, to the top of a barn, to a single room, to this apartment that the Lord blessed me with. Walking this out, I arrived to a place that represented...

Continue reading: http://heartstn.co/1xP43zb

Nightsong

Sometimes there is no way out of your circumstances than to completely trust God. Sometimes He will not allow things to go your way, because He loves you. Is your night one of discouragement, rejection, or failure? Do you feel that no one understands you?

Continue reading: http://heartstn.co/10gg1oz

“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotion, spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who have never tasted victory or defeat.” -Theodore Roosevelt

"Next time a sunrise steals your breath or a meadow of flowers leaves you speechless, remain that way. Say nothing and listen as heaven whispers, 'Do you like it? I did it just for you.'" -Max Lucado

Have you ever just paused and let God's creation take your breath away?

[Life Is A Beautiful Struggle]

A colleague of mine let me borrow ‘Ragamuffin: the true story of Rich Mullins’ and wow did it wreck me in a very positive way.

Here is a quick synopsis from the DVD box:

Ragamuffin is based on the life of Rich Mullins, a musical prodigy who rose to Christian music fame and fortune only to walk away and live on a Navajo reservation. An artistic genius, raised on a tree farm in Indiana by a callous father, Rich wrestled all of his life with the brokenness and crippling insecurity born of his childhood. A lover of Jesus and a rebel in the church, Rich refused to let his struggles with his own darkness tear him away from a God he was determined to love. As he struggled with success in Nashville and depression in Wichita, Rich desired most of all to live a life of honest and reckless faith amidst a culture of religion and conformity.

As I was being drawn into the story with vivid similarities with my own life, minus the music success, I froze as the movie came to the scene where Brennan Manning was sharing a word with a church congregation. I couldn’t hold back the tears as this message went through me like a plow.

Here is that narrative by Brennan Manning: http://heartstn.co/1mdIO6t

"What if I fall? Oh but darling, what if you fly!" - Erin Hanson

"Leadership is about being a servant first." -Allen West

Deeper dive: http://heartstn.co/13mePi8