Have you ever had one of those weeks that everything goes wrong and when people look at you they see it.   Well I have been told by several people that I had one of those weeks…  I hate it when it shows that much and I let it seep out to those around me…   Just WRONG—-
          My co-worker (Al) gave me a coffee cup for Christmas and it has in bold letters on two sides – “JOY”.   He pointed at it this week and reminded me of what it meant and why he gave it to me – I am not to let anyone steal my Joy.  He was so right – I was letting the circumstances of life steal my Joy.   There is only one person that can allow Joy to be taken from me and that is ME>>>
           I looked up a couple of references on the topic of Joy and this is what inspired me once again to make sure that those around me see the Joy in me.

 What is Joy?    The goal of every Christian should not be happiness because the Bible never promises happiness to the believer but joy, which is a totally different story.  While happiness is temporary and is based upon happenings, joy is from the Lord and you can still experience joy during trials, suffering, and testing.  Joy is permanent but happiness is fleeting

Nehemiah 8:10 – Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

    After having an extremely bad day this week, I had to sit down with my Boss and talk about what I was experiencing.   I brought my Joy cup to the meeting – can you see where this is going.   I explained to my Boss about the cup and explained that I cannot let people still my joy and that included the people I encounter at work.  It worked – my Joy came back and I finished the week WELL.  The Joy of the Lord is my Strength and I have to remember that whatever I am going through – my focus needs to be on Him.
          I do have to share one thing:   When you tell someone that you are not going to let them steal your Joy, it changes how they treat you.  “AMAZING”   –   I have done that a couple of times now and the Joy from the Lord is passed on to them. 

So how is your week going – have you lost your Joy?

Is your strength coming from “The Joy of the Lord”?

Let those around you that seem to steal your Joy know that they cannot have it!!!

Bobbyg
         

What is “Relentless Pursuit”?   This is a great question and it is going to be answered by our Next GMM Men’s Conference.   This is our theme for 2016 and I have been thinking about what this means to me.  First of all I had to do some research on the meaning of each of these words.  When I did a Google search – these were the meanings that I was looking for:

• Relentless:  persistent, continuing, constant, continual, continuous, nonstop, never-ending, unabating, interminable, incessant, unceasing, endless, unending, unremitting, unrelenting, unrelieved.
• Pursuit:  striving toward, quest after/for, search for.

Then a good Pastor Friend (Pastor Stephen) had explained some meaning behind this phrase also:

• Finishing Well
• Called to be Influencers
• Warriors for Christ
• Character
• Mission from GOD   

**These are great!!
I am retiring in the next few months, so I am really focused on what my next season of life is going to look like.   I like the phrase “Finishing Well” and I want to be able to say that I have.    The other phrases are just as powerful and they will be a major part of my life as I go into that Retirement stage.   Several years ago as I got closer to retirement – my thoughts were that  I would do the same in my ministries.  I was going to be one of those retired Christians who had did his part and needed to let the younger generation take over.
    I was wrong…………..   There is no such thing as a Retired Christian and I am just getting started.   I am looking forward to being able to expand my ministry opportunities and seeing where Christ is going to take me.   So my focus will be:

I will Finish Well – I am called to be an Influencer – I will be a Warrior for Christ – I will build my Character – God has a Mission for me…

So what does “Relentless Pursuit” mean to you?

What does it look like to you?

Make 2016 a new year of being passionate about how Christ is going to utilize you>>>>>

Bobbyg

         What a great question to ask myself – “Do I Believe”?   My wife brought home this movie “Do you BELIEVE?” and she really needs to quit doing that.  I being one of those seasoned guys who grew up with the instructions that real men do not CRY – this movie really ruined it for me….  I lost allot of guy points because of it…
          This question was asked of a Pastor at the start of the Movie and it rocked him to his soul after watching what the guy did who asked the question.  Then it prompted him to do a sermon and challenge his congregation – it impacted several of them.   One of the major parts of the question was putting our beliefs to action and in the end it brought several different people together because of their actions.   But the one that really hit me, was the paramedic that shared his faith to a man who was dying and lost allot because of it.  
          When he went to court – his most impactful comment that I grasped was… If I am going to court because I am a Christian – I HOPE TO BE FOUND GUILTY.    So I really had to think about this one – if I had to go to court to see if I am a Christian, would I be found guilty…  Would my actions be able to convict me????   A WOW question.   At one point the paramedic had to save the Lawyer who ruined his career and she asked him why he saved her…  He stated:  that in the Bible it says to “Love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us”.   (Could I do this?)
Matthew 5:44   But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
 
           Also this week I finished a book from D.I. Telbat – “Called to Gobi” (a fictional book about end times, but a really enjoyable read) – A young man was sent to prison and was saved there.   He studied with a Mentor and decided to go too Mongolia to tell people about Jesus. 
          This was one more of those insights that hit me to the core of my soul:   This man had to trust in God to get him through some really tough times and push his faith to the limit.   He did struggle at times, but in the end he persevered and people came to know Jesus.  It was exciting to read about people who begged to hear more about Jesus.   So once again – are my actions getting people excited about hearing more of Jesus?
 
          As I am just a couple of months from retirement – a new season in life is coming.  I am having these thoughts about what am I going to do….  what will my actions look like in retirement..     I may need some help with this one…
         
One of the songs at the end of the movie is a favorite of mine.
          “We Believe” by the Newsboys…     Enjoy – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjZ01FcK0yk
 So now here is the challenge:

If you were convicted of being a Christian and had to go to Court.  Would you be found Guilty?

Do you BELIEVE?  And do your Actions show it?

What do you BELIEVE in and who are you impacting?

 Bobbyg
 You will have to watch the movie and read the book to get more of an impact as I did…………….

I was getting ready for the 2015 GMM Men’s Conference and I received some great advice from a friend (Choe) – you need to get into Social Media to promote the Event.   You have to understand – I am one of those seasoned guys who DOES NOT Do Social Media, but  given the great advice, I made my best attempt.     I created a Face Book Page for Front Range GMM and got started… (I had to manage it under Bob Diane Gudahl).    I was extremely nervous because of all the rumors that I heard about how bad the experience can be.    Well I found out that if you manage your site well it can be a great tool for passing on information.    “It Worked”..
Since then I have really enjoyed some of the uplifting items that come through from different people that we have befriended…   They can be uplifting and encouraging.     I would like to share a few that came through today….   Enjoy.

 
This one is about encourage:
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
Another one on instructions for Christians.
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
A Promise that God will be with us wherever we go.
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
This one was good….       Do you want to become Strange….
 
 
 
 

This was one of my favorites –  you cannot see the writing on the picture – but below are the words that was on it.

The Devil whispers, “You cannot with stand the Storm.”

The Warrior Replies,  “I AM the Storm.”

 
 As you can see – Face book can be a good media to connect – As in real life it all depends on how you manage it.    I have enjoyed allot of the encouragement that I am receiving from the posts that come through.   I will have to admit that there have been some stuff that I do not like…  especially cursing – at that time I push the button “Un-follow”.   I have control on what filters through – so I make it a great experience when I am looking at what is being posted.
In real life we have the same opportunity on controlling what goes by us, and we can filter out that stuff that in not encouraging.  I know there are times when the is not possible – such as in a work environment,  but even then we can choose how we respond.    I am sure that Jesus encountered the same type of people that we do at work, and our response has to be the same as His….

So what are the filters that you need to put in place in your life?

When filters are not possible – are you responding as Jesus would have?

Remember you have the control button to Manage how you respond and what you want to filter in!

Bobbyg

     I was pondering on this last Christmas Blog on what I wanted to write about…  and it came to me:   “How to we keep Living the Christmas Spirit all the time?”  So I googled it……………    There were several hits – so I am sharing a few excerpts from some of the articles that came up with.
 
        The Christmas Spirit is the character of Christ living out in us all year long. The point of the Christian life is not self-realization, but in knowing Jesus Christ, not allowing anything to take His place in our thinking, our emotions, and the daily experiences of life.  (Dr. Richard J. Krejcir)
  
        The spirit of Christmas is found in remembering the life and gospel of Jesus. Reading the Biblical account of the birth of Jesus helps remind believers of the purpose in life, which is to follow the teachings of Christ and become like him, while enjoying the love of God.  (By Paul Brodie)
  
       How much stock do you actually put in joy, hope, love and acceptance? Or do you invest more in anxious thoughts, your mistakes and blunders? When I think of the phrase “the living Christ,” I try to think of the ways that I’m actively seeking these positive, inspiring qualities of Jesus rather than focusing on my own sense of lack and inadequacy. Sometimes as Christians, we focus so much on the redemptive message of Christianity that we often overlook—right there in the Bible and the life of Jesus—the choice to love, to celebrate, to laugh and to give ourselves completely to the moment.  (By David Morris)
  
            May we as the ones called to be Christ to the world keep both the Christmas spirit and the Spirit of Christ living within us.  Let us not forget to whom we belong and what we are called to do and be – at Christmas time and all through the church calendar.
 So, make a plan:
•To donate to the food bank every week.
•To visit the sick and lonely every month.
•To encourage the faint-hearted, the weak, the suffering as often as you can.
•To pray for peace every day.
•To allow Christ full reign in your life, your heart and your soul every minute.
             May the Peace of Christ dwell in you richly every day this New Year!
 (By Pastor Elaine)
  

So as we get ready to start a New Year – Look at ways that you can keep the Christmas Spirit going every day.

Pray that Christ will be working through you all the time>>>>> and that people will see Christ in You…

Bobbyg

           Pastor Shaun is going through the book of Luke and he started it in time to do the Christmas story this month.   This last Sunday’s sermon was about Mary visiting Elizabeth when they were both going to have Babies (Jesus and John the Baptist).  What really hit me is what happens when they get together and talk about Jesus…

1.  John the Baptist jumps for joy inside his mother and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit by being in the presence of Jesus.
2. Mary sings a song in response to talking about Jesus.  “Magnificat”

                              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_iixWJo-7k
 
      My thoughts were – what has it been like for me this Christmas Season when I encounter Jesus in a conversation…  You have to remember that I work at the Post Office and the Christmas Season has been intense this year. 
          One of my co-workers came up to me and wanted to share a Christmas Song – It was “Mary did you know” and this really made me smile…   I just wrote a blog about this song…  but when I reflect back on my Response – it was a Response of Joy.   This co-worker just made my day…          I need more of these.
          When I looked back at the Birth of Jesus – I can see Angels at work throughout His birth and this reminded me of the conversation that I am having with one of my sons.    He has been experiencing Jesus at work in his life at the present time or maybe I should say he is recognizing Jesus at work.   Then we had a conversation about the Angels that oversee what we are doing…  A great conversation – I do believe we have Angels interacting on our behalf.   My Son’s response was “Do not go faster than your Angels can fly.  If you do not have any – slow down so some else’s can catch up to you.”    This was a WOW moment for Dad.  Jesus is really at work in my son’s life right now.
           So it came back to:  How do I respond when Jesus is present?  I have to tell you that it made my day on both occasions – it was a response of Joy.   We really need to have more of these moments…
 

So is Jesus coming up in your conversations this Christmas Season?

How are do you Respond when Jesus is present?

Bobbyg
 

     My first question:   did it offend you to see Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas?   I have to tell you that in the past it really offended me when I would see an attempt to take Christ out of Christmas.   I would have been one of those Christians that would be leading the assault on the business to Boycott them because of Happy Holidays.
     I am so glad that I am not that person anymore…. my response to Happy Holidays is a joyous one now.   When someone tells me Happy Holidays I get this really big smile and respond with a very pleasant Merry Christmas.   This is one of the best ways to let people know that I am not taking Christ out of Christmas. 
      People are looking at how we respond:   they look at our response and it will make all the difference to how they receive the message of Jesus.   When we want to boycott Starbucks because they have a Red Cup and it does not say Merry Christmas…. what do you think they see?    Do they see Jesus in us?   This is the best time of the year to spread the good news of Jesus in a very positive way.
 

One of my favorite songs about this subject is from the Group “Go Fish” and it is called “Christmas with a Capital “C””.   Now the song can be offensive in some ways – but it is a fun one that I enjoy listening to.  

ENJOY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkIj94yepfU

     I would encourage everyone to remember to pass on the Love of Jesus this Christmas and do not get so offended when you hear a greeting that you do not Like.  In a very pleasant way just respond with a Merry Christmas.  

What will be your response when you hear “Happy Holidays?

Will the people you encounter and respond to see Jesus in You?

Enjoy Christmas and spread the Good News of Jesus:

“Merry Christmas”

  Bobbyg

      My grandkids were here over the weekend for Thanksgiving and we started talking about Christmas.   I asked them what they needed for Christmas and my Grandson (Jonah) paused for a second because he knew it was a loaded question.   He has a list of what he wants, but the question was what you need for Christmas.   So it came out what I was after…………    My Grandkids have been raised in a Great Home – so they knew the answer I was after.   What is Christmas all about?

 “Jesus”

           I like to write about Christmas this time of year to make sure I do not lose the Reason for the Season.  It is so easy to get caught up in all the stuff that Surrounds Christmas and it is easy to leave Jesus out of the equation.   Since I have Grand Kids I am getting better about enjoying some of the pleasures of giving Gifts.   For a period of time – I excluded gift giving during Christmas because of the distraction of trying to buy everyone Gifts.   My Grandkids are my Joy so I have come to a good Balance of giving gifts during this season (only the Grand kids get gifts).
           One of my favorite songs at the present time is “Mary Did you Know?” by Pentatonix.    This is a powerful message about not knowing what Jesus was going to bring – but he came into this world in a unique way.  Enjoy listening to the song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifCWN5pJGIE

      This is the perfect time to share Jesus with our Children – Grand Children – our Friends in a special way.    Take them to where Mary was and the Child that she raised to be our Savior.   What might have that looked like raising Jesus all the way to the end…..?

 This is the time of year to share special stories about Jesus.

What are you sharing with those who are surround your life?

When people see your home/work – do they see Jesus during this Christmas season?

Bobbyg        
**I have made it a goal to keep the Spirit of Jesus flowing within me during this season – even at work when it can be extremely difficult.  I do put up a manger on my window (it may get me in trouble someday – but this is my last Christmas at the USPS).   I also try to bring a little joy in a tough season at the Post Office and keep a bowl of treats available up to Jesus’s Birthday – some joy can do wonders.

I really like the song “They will know we are Christians by our Love” and at Sunday’s church service it was one of the worship songs…  
          Please listen to it:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CobNWUXb1M
           The sermon was about Refugees but some of the Scripture that Shaun shared really fit this topic.    I have been writing allot lately about ministering to the one that is in front of you – it is the only way we are to make an impact in this world.
          The verses from Matthew 25: 35 & 36 are a key to how we show this:

 For I was hungry and you gave Me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave Me water to drink. I was a stranger and you gave Me a room.   I had no clothes and you gave Me clothes to wear. I was sick and you cared for Me. I was in prison and you came to see Me.’

         Followed by this Verse: Hebrews 13: 2

Do not forget to be kind to strangers and let them stay in your home. Some people have had angels in their homes without knowing it.

           How many times have we passed up the opportunity to Bless someone and came up with a really good reason why we did not do it.   I have been in that spot and reasoned it with:

1.  I do not have time.
2. Someone else will help them.
3. I am not qualified.
4. They really do not look like they need help.

As the scripture above stated – we may have just failed to bless an Angel.  Our response should be in Obedience when we come across an opportunity to Bless someone and not to question as to “Why Not”.    I have been getting better at looking for those opportunities to Bless someone…   and if it is an Angel – it would be one of those WOW moments.  It is something that does not come easy for me, but I make an effort and practice being the Christian they will know by my Love.            **The Second most important commandment is:  ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  
 So this week – look for those opportunities to Bless the person in front of you…  Practice and be obedient – it just might be an Angel.

“They will know we are Christians by our Love!”

 Bobbyg

Here is a note from Mike Z on the impact of the GMM Conference “True Identity”   —   Thank You Mike.