Just want to thank you for 2014

I have 23,326 people following my blog. Out of all those people, I usually have maybe 75-100 faithful readers. I want to personally thank you so much for being a part of my blog. I write about whatever I feel God lays on my heart. I’ve penned some very interesting posts this last year. Thank you so much for your comments, likes, and re-blogs. They are all greatly appreciated.

Here’s an excerpt:

Madison Square Garden can seat 20,000 people for a concert. This blog was viewed about 64,000 times in 2014. If it were a concert at Madison Square Garden, it would take about 3 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Power and Love

Wow. What a life changing week.

My wife and I had the amazing opportunity to attend our first ever School of Power and Love. You can check out the site HERE. This one was held in Wilmington NC, about seven hours from where we live. There were several speakers, but the one we wanted to hear was Todd White. We have been watching Todd and also Dan Mohler on YouTube for quite some time now. They speak straight up truth right from the Bible. It’s awesome. Search for them. You won’t be disappointed.

Todd had four sessions, so we attended each of those. The purpose of these schools is to not only teach about love and spiritual gifts, but after every session, we go out into the community and walk it out. Christianity is a lifestyle, not just a prayer to get us into Heaven.

After the morning session on Thursday, my wife and I went out with a group of people, because it was our first time. It didn’t go as we expected, so there isn’t anything to tell from that one. Once the afternoon session was over, my wife and I decided to just go on our own and see what would happen. We chose to visit Walmart. We walked around for quite awhile, feeling timid and somewhat frightened. It’s hard to just walk up to a total stranger and talk to them about Jesus.

We spotted an employee walking around with a brace on her wrist that covered some of her hand. We dialed in and decided to stalk her around the store. She actually moved pretty quick, so we knew there was nothing wrong with her legs. We were still feeling hesitant until we saw a small group of people from the conference talking and praying with a man in a motorized cart. My wife was like, “Alright. Let’s do this.”

We chased the employee down, her name is Jonnie, and said we noticed she had a brace on her hand. We asked what had happened and why she was wearing it. We told Jonnie that God loved her so much, and then asked if we could pray for her wrist. She was so shocked, but very happy to let us pray. It was awesome. She was having a lot of pain from arthritis in her joints. We prayed healing over her and she hugged us both afterwards. She said there just aren’t any nice people around anymore. We believe in faith that Jonnie’s wrist was healed and she has no more pain.

We attended the morning session on Friday, and then went out on our own once again. We drove about fifteen minutes down to Carolina Beach. The idea was to not only walk for a bit, but minister to anyone we came across. It was an absolute ghost town. We walked for about an hour, then decided to visit the closest mall we could find. We walked around a while as we did in Walmart, then finally spotted a woman sitting alone on a bench. We discussed it for a bit, and then decided to go and talk to her.

My wife sat down beside the woman and just said hi, and that we felt God wanted us to talk to her. She smiled politely, but definitely didn’t look very enthusiastic. My wife then asked if we could pray for her, and that’s when she grabbed her purse and pulled it in tight to her body. She told us that she prayed for herself and she was fine. It was pretty funny. We just told her that God loved her, and we moved on.

I noticed a guy standing by a kiosk and knew instantly I was to talk to him. We walked in a circle around some other stands, and then I just walked up and shook his hand. I told him I felt compelled to approach and let him know how much God loved him. His name was Ray. Turns out, Ray is a Christian and his wife and two kids just moved to Wilmington from Charlotte. We talked for a bit, and then asked if he needed prayer. He asked us to pray that he would have more fire for God’s Word, and also for his job situation. We prayed, hugged it out, then went on our way. It was so cool.

We left the mall and headed down to the historic district in Wilmington. Down by the water front. We parked and walked over to where we could get a picture of the battle ship there. I noticed a homeless man and woman eating some pizza as we crossed the street. We were going to take a selfie, but the woman hurried over to us and asked if we wanted her to take the pic. After she took the picture, she asked if we had any spare change. I said we never carry cash or anything, but then I asked if there was anything going on in her life we could pray for. She was so surprised, but instantly smiled and her face lit up. She said her name was Teresa, and she and her husband have been battling some kind of compensation for one of his injuries. We prayed for her right there, and for the whole situation. She hugged us both, and thanked us.

We left downtown, and went in search of an Outback Steakhouse, so we could eat before the main meeting at the school. We got in and seated, already planning on blessing our server in some way or another. They are stuck with us for quite a while, so they would have no choice. Our server was Stacie, and she was very nice. When she came to refill my tea, I simply asked her how her day was going. She didn’t reply at first, and then suddenly she said, “Oh. You’re talking to me?” She told us later that no one ever asks that or even tries to engage in conversation.

She said on her way to work, her husband had called and said he was going to have to get a sonogram on his liver. His foot had been hurting, and when he went to the doctor, it went way differently than anticipated. They said he may have even had a very slight heart attack. They are in their 40’s. She was shaken up by the news and wasn’t doing too well trying to work. She stopped, and then said “I bet you wished you hadn’t asked, huh?” And she laughed. I shook my head (my wife was already crying, and I was tearing up) and said, “No. Quite the opposite. Is it okay if we pray with you?”

She hesitated a couple of seconds, then her bottom lip began to quiver as she started to cry. She said of course, so right there in the booth, we prayed for her. Just that peace would invade their lives and things like that. Prayed blessings over her and her husband. It was awesome. We were all crying. She was blown away that we would care that much to take the time to pray with her. We knew God wasn’t done. He told us to bless her abundantly with the tip. My wife handed Stacie the bill after we had filled in the tip, and told her that God wanted her to know how much He loves her.

We walked outside to our car, and she came running out after us when she realized how much we left for her. She said she felt bad because she told us all that, and we left such a huge tip out of pity. We told her it wasn’t pity, but it was because of God’s amazing love for her. We repeated that God loves her and her husband so much. She hugged us both again, crying, and returned to work.

It was such an amazing week. We have come away from this with a completely changed view on everyone around us. There are hurting, dying people everywhere in search of hope. If we aren’t willing to get over ourselves and walk out the Gospel, who will? This is lifestyle Christianity. You don’t have to wait for God to direct you to someone. Start with the person in front of you.

It’s time to get into the game, Church. Let’s just say “Yes”, and run the race.

Veterans Day

Tomorrow is Veterans Day. It’s a time when we honor the men and women who have served in our armed forces. Great sacrifice is something to honor and preserve throughout the ages. Many of you have probably read this before, but I wrote it last year as a military tribute. I wanted to post it again in honor of the men and women who have served, and who are currently serving. God bless you.

When a Soldier Cries
Copyright 2013 Chris Martin

A tattered picture, nearly faded to white
Faces of the ones for whom a soldier fights
In the empty silence of a world so far away
On the rocky ground, the only place to lay

A father dreams of home, family, and friends
In war, there is no guarantee he will see them again
Thunder roars with fury, lightning burns the darkened skies
The mighty angels shed a tear, when a soldier cries

She walks across the street, a young child stands alone
Memories haunt her dreams of the daughters she left at home
She tries to smile, show happiness through the tears
Although she wants to help, the child retreats in fear

At night she dreams of home, bedtime hugs and kisses
She prays to one day have again, everything she misses
She can still see their faces as they spoke their last goodbyes
Nothing can soothe a heart, when a soldier cries

In the pouring rain he stands guard, rifle in hand
Just two years out of high school, his parents don’t understand
He wanted something greater than just video games and fun
He dedicated his life to become more than just an ordinary son

A young man dreams of home and wishes upon a distant star
The letters are few and far between, only time can heal a wounded heart
In the gathering shadows, just beyond where the unseen lies
Those who have gone before, bow their heads when a soldier cries

The growl of crunching metal, searing heat and flames surround
Voices of the wounded, silent screams that have no sound
She left college early and signed up to answer the call
Now lying in the wreckage, she wonders if it’s time to give it all

The young woman dreams of home, but she doesn’t surrender to the fear
She knows if they’re alive, they will come back and find her here
Chaos and confusion, in a place where hope and fate collide
She fights for every breath, there’s no shame when a soldier cries

They stand in single file, one hand raised to touch their brow
Men and women, young and old, bound together by a sacred vow
Silently they watch as each car drives slowly past
A beautiful flag covers every casket, heroes returning home at last

Mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, bravery at its best
Defined by the unselfish act of sacrifice, courage passed the ultimate test
With a will stronger than iron, nerves of steel and no compromise
There’s nothing to give but respect and honor…when a soldier cries

My love/hate relationship with October

I love Fall. It’s, hands down, my favorite of all the seasons. Football on a lazy Sunday. The crisp air that kisses your face when you step outside. Sweatshirts and jeans. The crunch of colorful leaves underneath your shoes. The steady crackling of a warm fire. S’mores under a darkened sky illuminated with brilliant stars. The intoxicating smell of pumpkin oozing out from every coffee shop within a three mile radius.

It’s the time of year when the windows can remain open almost the entire day. The steady sound of leaf blowers in the distance. The blanket of bright red and dazzling yellow that envelopes the mountains. The plume of breath that escapes your lips on the really cold mornings. Ahhhh…it’s so amazing in the Fall.

October is an incredible month, because I married the love of my life back in 1999. I was the guy who said he would never settle down and get married. Now, nearly 15 years and two kids later, I am blessed more than I could have ever dreamed.

It’s also a month marked by the everlasting stain of loss.

On October 14 2008, I lost my Dad. Hard to believe it’s been that long. I’ve changed allot during those years. I’ve grown spiritually, and many of the views and beliefs I used live by have radically shifted perspectives. For quite a while after Dad’s passing, I questioned God. I blamed God. I wondered how a God who is supposed to be love could rip my father away from us. Now I know the truth.

God didn’t take my Dad.

He received him, yes. But He did not take him.

The Bible is very clear that satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy. The very same scriptures also point out that all GOOD things come from above. People will always go immediately to Job and quote “The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away.” Job honestly believed God was doing all those things to him, when in fact, He wasn’t at all. I don’t believe God is sitting up there playing games with our faith. It would be very hard to trust someone who says they love you, but at the same time makes you suffer. How could you ever trust someone like that?

One of satan’s biggest accomplishments is causing believers to blame God for everything. He wants us to be in a state of confusion when it comes to trusting God. He hopes we step into our secret place not with boldness, but with a divided heart. Part of it loving God, and the other part wondering why God is causing bad things to happen to us. Think about all the horrible things that have happened in your life. The stuff you blamed God for, or at the very least figured God was allowing to happen to teach you something. Wouldn’t your relationship with Him be even more incredible if you just let it go and realized there is an enemy roaming this earth trying to destroy you?

I expect many of you will not agree with my last two paragraphs, and that’s okay. I’m not here to debate and argue about these things. What you believe is entirely between you and God. As Christians, it’s our job to love people, pray for people, and speak truth when we can. We aren’t here to beat people in the head with a Bible and accuse them of having false beliefs. We weren’t created by God to fight with people. Jesus paid much too high a price for that. It’s up to the Holy Spirit to bring about conviction and repentance. We sow seeds. Sometimes we are fortunate enough to have an opportunity to water those seeds. But we may never see them bloom into fruition.

I had the great blessing and opportunity of having an amazing earthly father. He was never shown love from his own father, but that didn’t carry over to me at all. I knew without a doubt that Dad loved me. He was my friend, my golf partner, and the man I went to for advice and guidance when I was growing up. There are memories, good memories, locked away in the vault of my mind that only myself and family will ever know about. Moments that were never documented on Facebook or Twitter. Images that will never see the scrolling pages of Instagram.

Sometimes we just need to create a memory for ourselves, and not ruin it with likes, shares, and hashtags.

First Five Things

An awesome friend of mine had a great idea on his blog. He started a page entitled First Five Things and invited readers to submit the first five things they would tell a new believer.

Excerpt from his page – “I wondered one day. What would be the first five things I would tell to a new believer?  Then it hit me.  Everyone would have a different answer to this question.  So I started collecting them.  What would be your five?  And who else do you think I should ask?”

You can visit his blog HERE.

I encourage you to click on the above link and explore his blog. He has some amazing articles.

Here are my First Five Things:

1) Truly following Christ isn’t the pretty, safe, cushy, organized, perfectly packaged life that so many churches in America today are saying  it’s like. Following Christ is hard. Jesus said we are to die to ourselves daily and follow Him. That is the complete opposite of our human nature. We are born into this world with our own needs foremost in our minds. His wants and desires for our life need to come before our own. We need to be willing to give up our hopes and dreams if He tells us to. Doesn’t mean He will. We just have to be willing. Am I saying churches are bad? Of course not. We just have to be careful not to worship a pastor instead of our true Daddy.

2) Just because we accept Christ as our personal savior, it doesn’t mean our poo stopped stinking. We are, and never will be, better than anyone else. We are human, and we are going to fail miserably over and over. And guess what? That’s okay. Jesus allowed Himself to be barbarically murdered on that Cross, so we wouldn’t have to try and live a perfect life. He knew it was impossible for us to accomplish. He desires to have a relationship with us, dirty laundry and all. Besides, it’s in our moments of uncertainty and weakness where God reveals His amazing power and strength. Satan will constantly try and use the guilt over your sin to drag you down. You have to stand strong and keep punching him in the face.

3) Get out of your comfort zone. When we push ourselves to do things we wouldn’t normally want to do, God shows up. Big time. Don’t like to speak in front of people, and just don’t know what to say? Start talking, God will provide the words. Feel a nudging to give money to someone in need, but you’re afraid you can’t pay the bills? Give the money, God will provide for the bills. Nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, is impossible for our God.

4) Don’t turn your Christian walk into a methodical, robotic set of rituals. Throw away the checklist that says you have to go to church, read your Bible, or pray a certain amount of times each day and during the week. All of those things are awesome, but not when it comes to a point where we feel guilty for not doing one of them. When we start trying to contain the Holy Spirit in a rigid set of habits, we are no better off than the Pharisees. Our relationship should not be with a book, a building, or a mantra we have to repeat on a consistent basis. Our relationship is with the Creator of the universe. Yes, of course read your Bible. But don’t let that knowledge become a replacement for the Holy Spirit. If you can’t memorize a billion verses, it’s all good. You now have the Living Word inside of you. Yes, go to church and fellowship with other believers. Just don’t forget that Jesus came for the sick, poor, lost, broken, dying, lame, prostitutes, drug dealers, murderers, pedophiles, and the homeless. Ones who would never set foot inside the four walls of a church. Get out there and be a light.

5) Finally, be Christ to others. He came to serve, not to be served. He loved the ones in society whom everyone else avoided. We are all learning as we go. No one has all the answers. If we could understand God, that would make Him no bigger than us. Why would we want to serve, and live for someone that small and puny? If someone tells you they have it all figured out, run the opposite direction. Don’t ever put all of your hope in a human. They will always let you down. Put all of your hope, trust, and faith in Christ. And don’t ever forget that you’ll never walk alone. He is always there.

Chris Martin

2013 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog. Thank you all for taking the time to read my posts and comment. It means a lot. Make each moment in your life count. Be intentional and love others more than yourself. Make what you do matter. Happy New Year!

Here’s an excerpt:

The Louvre Museum has 8.5 million visitors per year. This blog was viewed about 70,000 times in 2013. If it were an exhibit at the Louvre Museum, it would take about 3 days for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

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Have a blessed day.