Containing Love

Is love complex or effortless? The Bible holds love as the building blocks to perfection since Christ stated the two most important laws were love your neighbor as yourself and love the LORD with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. It sounds easy, but why is love hard to understand? Love has become complicated by man, for God has given us a handbook on love and yet we find ourselves puzzled, searching, and frustrated. Love is a pure and sincere act of dedication, honor, respect, and care. Instead of looking for love one should be love; acts of love will bring love to oneself. The other weekend I found myself experiencing common love in two instances. It wasn't a dating type love, no it was a love experienced through strangers. I know God uses instances and situations to touch the hearts of others everyday. I was home for the weekend and I had brought some friends with me. We went to the bowling alley and as we were getting everything together this lady started to talk to me, now I immediately realized that she was mentally slow, so I listened wholeheartedly. She asked a few questions and then all of a sudden she sticks her foot to my face and asked for me to time her shoes. I was a little caught off guard, but proceeded to go ahead a tie her shoe. After finishing I just got a big smile on my face and because of her I felt a since of God's love through her. See its the daily interactions with love, through love, and because of love that we are children of God. God is the originator of love, the master of love, and the counselor of love! GOD is LOVE! I have been wrestling with an issue of how to contain a love that you want to share with someone you care for the rest of your life. I have this love and don't know what to do with it, but I have been quickly reminded that love is love and that I need to release the overflow in to the lives of the people I encounter daily through random acts of kindness, and through thoughtful times taken out of the way of the craziness of our society. Love is a great thing for love is felt because of God and no other explanation can deter otherwise.

Life's Unpredictability

It's always intriguing to me to experience the unpredictability life throws at us. One may have plans and goals, but at an instant life throws a 180 at you and your left with a choice. You can sit wondering what happened and thinking about what it could have been like or you can see what is in front of you take a deep breath and press on! I have gone through both of these situations and I personally feel the best way is to take on life facing forward. Learn from the past, but live for the future. I recently have gone through a few of these 180's within the last 4 months. I had been with, at the time, my girlfriend for three years. I had lots of hope and thoughts of great potential, but at an instant it all was gone. For a couple months I wondered what I did wrong, why things weren't working out, and questioning life's direction. This time was not one that I was enjoying. I am so thankful now though because I know now that I was blinded by comfort and selfishness. I learnt form that experience, but no longer look back at it. Currently I am going through another whirlwind by meeting a wonderful women who I enjoy being with. I am wanting to take things slowly because I want the best for her and if things have potential not to ruin them with unnecessary persistence. I went on a date her the other weekend and things were going, in my eyes, great! Then as we were walking a homeless man came and began to ask for money. I could have blown him off as I have shamefully done in the past, but this time I decided to take a new approach, I had a fifteen to twenty minute discussion with him. I had a lot riding on this date and I have no idea what I was doing. After I was done talking I made the transitional focus back on her by making a sly joke. There wasn't much said and the date continued on. I laughed so hard at that situation, because that is one 180 I was not expecting! These things happen and it is all about how we handle these unpredictability's. Look forward expecting them and when they come learn and continue on. DO NOT dwell in the past for that puts you in a circular trap that seems to never end!

Does God Speak?

Have you ever found your self struggling to hear God? Have you ever found yourself in despair feeling all alone and wanting to trust in God and trying to, but its just to hard because you can't hear him? I have found myself in this state many times! I struggle from time to time trying to seek His guidance, but confuse myself with clouded thoughts of what I think is best or needed. It would be so much easier if God would just speak to me like my friends and family speak to me... or would it? God is amazing and He could very easily talk to us verbally, but He chooses to connect with us in a more intimate fashion. When Christ came to the earth he came as God in flesh. God verbally spoke to the people every day, but not everyone listened, trusted, or even cared about what He was saying. When we are forced to use our hearts to hear God, or to use our touch to experience God then it becomes more meaningful and affective than actually hearing God speak to us. If God spoke verbally then eventually it would not be anything special and we would more than likely not connect with Him very well. The experiences that we go through and hour long conversations with freinds and family, those are the special ways we overlook everyday of hearing God speak. God loves us so much; he wants us to work at hearing what He has to say because when God speaks He has something important to say! Listen with your heart, body, and soul to hear God speak!

Time

There are some many distractions in the world that leaves one thinking where do I go, what do i do, who am I? The complexity of life constrains the heart and soul to be entangled with the frustrations of choices that affects every aspect of who we are and where we are going! Looking deep into the challenges one faces everyday there is always one major factor that has torn families apart, been the causes of many jobs lost, and regrets created. That factor is time! There is not enough of it and ironically there is to much, but one cannot deny the fact that it does exist. One's life is engulfed with schedules and agendas in a fast passed society, so how does one avoid the negative outcomes that affect lives daily? One must prioritize, which will open the doors towards happiness, relaxation, and healthy relationships! The priorities in ones life should remain constant; when consistancy falls one begins to stumble. So what should one's priorities be? Biblically we can see examples that show a lot about time and priorities. Based upon such examples a basic line of order should look like this: 1.) God 2.) Family 3.) Friends. Don't think that the line stops there, but inorder to remain healthy you must have a stable core of support and by keeping these top three as focal points then one's basis will be substantional. The easiest way to deal with time is to ignore it! I am not saying that you get rid of all time telling devices and become lacadasical, but control the time that tends to have control over one's self! When one takes the focus of time away from a selfcentered outlook to an others focused service then that is when happiness arrives. The rewards are trimendous! In God's vast array of love, mercy, and understanding time is none existant, so when one ignores time by keeping an others focused outlook more oppurtunities occur. Time which seemed to race by with no hope of productivity suddenly seems to slow down and doors open. When dealing with time remember the three centered core and never deviate from that and always keep an others centered outlook. When these happen happiness is found, love grows, and God rewards! One would wish that nothing bad or tramadic would ever happen again, but life does not exist like that. The key is to stay strong in these times and STAY CONSISTANT! Fighting through the downs of life will strengthen families and strengthen one's self. Where does one go? what does one do? Who am I? These questions exist, because time muffles God's voice to one's ears. To find those awnsers one must be still and know that "I am" God! Through the good TIMES and the bad TIMES always remember that Christ loves you so much that he took the TIME on the cross to give you the oppurtunity for life!

God's Instrument

The crisp sweet sound puts you to sleep as the voice of God reigns. Have you heard it? I’m sure you have. It’s the sound you hear when you’re embraced by the warmth of the sunrays on a peaceful Sunday afternoon. The instrument God loves to play with a delicate touch is that of the wind chimes. The notes held so long with such ease that peace and serenity meet with comfort and grace. As God begins to play every note is unmatched and the sound soothing to ones ear. He always writes masterpieces never to be played again, so you must listen carefully and always be ready because God plays when the timing is right. When God plays, are you listening? Are you really listening? With your heart? When God plays he doesn’t just play for the ear, he plays to change a sinner’s heart with a touch of His loving mercy and grace. With a rush of a cool breeze, God plays his instrument for all to hear!

~By: Ricky Altmiller

Sunrise to Sunset

One of the greatest signs of God’s beauty brings time to a stand still every evening and early morning. Every evening the sunsets and the thoughts of the past day occur. At this moment, one reflects upon where they came from in the early morning of that day. The feelings of the night bring comfort and grace. Life is good! Upon the sunrise of the next morn’ you find yourself in the same state of amazement awed by the masterpiece from God. A new day presents questions and concerns that cannot be answered, but only pondered. This time can be uncomfortable and challenging for what is to come has not been written in the story of the sunset. With a cool breeze, as of a whisper form God, stand in the sunset and remember what God has done and who you have become. With the sunrise of this new stage in your life have confidence in who you are and what God will do through you! For with every beautiful sunrise comes a beautiful sunset designed just for you. This sunset has displayed the beauty of a wonderful time in your life and now a new day has begun. The sky is open write your story in the sunset!

~By: Ricky Altmiller

My Brother's Baptism

I had the great privilege of baptizing my younger brother, Dan on August 19th, 2007.

First Sermon

On August 19th, 2007 I gave my first sermon at First Christian Church of Columbus, Indiana. It was a monumental moment in my life. I sat in the architecturally sound pews of that church my whole life and never thought that I could or would be able to stand behind the pulpit and speak from the word of God! Although this is not the best sermon, I do feel that this was something that had been on my heart for some time. The title is "Actions Speak Louder than Words" and it focuses on acting towards Deuteronomy 6:5 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and with all your strength."

Welcome

I am glad that you have ventured upon my page. I hope that in some way my words will either entertain, enlighten, or develop discussion with you. Although I am inexperienced with life I have been through a lot. I hope to create some posts with my views on topics or thoughts that have occurred throughout my studies and or experiences! A post will be coming soon, so I hope you will venture back to see whats on my mind and going on in my life.