Cutting your own ribeyes and a great breakfast.

Friends,

One of the highlights of my Christmas this year was the delicious breakfast I enjoyed all by myself. Here's a cheaper way to enjoy some great steaks!

1. Buy a full, ribeye roast from your butcher. You'll have to cut everything yourself, but it's worth it!

2. There are many different grades to choose from. Doing this yourself can free up some money to buy a higher-grade meat. This is USDA Prime Beef. Look at that marbling!

3. The first step is to remove the ribs. Take your roast and flip it upside down.

4. Carefully cut and peel the ribs off of the roast.

5. Find the spaces between the bone and cut your ribs. These are perfect for smoking!

6. Now you're ready to start cutting your steaks. This roast was about 7lbs. and yielded (10) 1/2" steaks.

7. Breakfast! Sorry, you can't have the recipe for my famous red potatoes... Seal the steaks in individual bags and freeze them. You'll have steaks ready-to-go for any night of the week. They'll keep just fine for about 3 months.

All I want for Christmas is...

*Sigh.*

Today marks 8 years of employment with my company. It has aged me terribly...

However, God is working behind-the-scenes in my favor!

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Psalm 23:6 (NKJV)

Anyone hiring...? ;)

Randomness 101

I think Oprah has too much power in this world. Coupled with her vanity (she is on the cover of her OWN magazine every month), I’m waiting for the whole empire known as Oprah to take a chapter from the book of Martha Stewart. If a book hasn’t been plugged on her show (or at least a movie made from its contents) it really isn’t worth reading, is it? This happens at my store every week. Some poor sap will approach me and ask if I have a book. That is as specific as the question gets as they can’t even remember the title of it. They’re next remark – “Well, it was on Oprah last week.” I am a single, 27 year-old, heterosexual male who works 60 hours a week. Exactly what part of my persona would suggest that I am Oprah’s core audience? Maybe I should start my quest to be famous and powerful. Once I have everybody’s attention, I’ll direct them to the Bible…

I’ve recently realized that listening to Sparta on my iPod will decrease my 2-mile run time by about 20-30 seconds. I don’t know what it is about their music… It just pumps me up! If I loop “Death in the Family” on their “Porcelain” album, I could probably run a marathon in 20 minutes.

Why is it when your colleagues discover you are single, they want to set you up with everybody they know? Is it sympathy, or is it some sick, twisted attempt to live vicariously through you? Yesterday, a co-worker of mine asked me if I was single. After I reluctantly answered, “yes” he proceeded to tell me that I should ask his niece out because she was, get this – “hot.” I sometimes wonder about people in Texas… Although I am grateful (I guess) that people are “looking out for me,” none of my colleagues have a clue as to what I look for in a woman. I can take out 90% of the guess work for you right now. Answer this simple question: Is she a woman of God? If the answer is yes, I might actually stop what I’m doing, make eye-contact and engage myself in the conversation.

I want to briefly share with you what has become my Monday night. A lot of you will make fun of me, but I don’t mind. I know who I am in Christ and I’m having a pretty good time. After I came home from my run and took a shower, I made two eggs in a basket, had a cup of hot tea and read another chapter of Captivating. I did all of this while being serenaded by Andrea Bocelli’s, “Romanza.” Ladies – you have no idea what you’re missing!

In Christ and humor,

James

Obediently stubborn.

Last week, I decided that I am tired of sleeping alone. Between the empty house and the cooler weather, I have no desire to sleep in my bed. Thursday of last week, I stripped my bed down to the mattress, bought new sheets and made the bed. I have been sleeping on the couch since then.

Why did I do this? Joyce Meyer’s husband, Dave, claims to have been saved while he was on the pot. Apparently, he faced some obstacles with an employer when he was younger. He calmly took a break, went to the restroom and sat on the commode. He told the Lord that he wasn’t getting up until God did something.

I know there is nothing that God has done for others that he won’t do for me. So, I refuse to sleep in my bed until God blesses me with the right person in which to share it.

Obediently stubborn,

James

Expect!

Friends,

I would like to share something with you this evening. There are a lot of things that God has laid on my heart this week, but I wanted to take the time to write this one.

Yesterday was one of the worst days of my life. I experienced hardship on every front of my existence. I struggled at work, with my finances, with my relationships and for the first time, with my faith. I’m not going to say that I lost my faith. In essence, it was my faith that restored me. However, I realized that the enemy has a new weapon and I found out how to overcome it.

My day: Working sixteen hours in one day is not healthy. Sixteen hours is a lot of time for the enemy to use. Satan uses this time to steal our joy, wear us down and make us empty. In the midst of all my struggles yesterday, I went to church. I didn’t feel convicted by the message, but I felt hopeless. As I went back to work, I could feel it. You know, that feeling that we don’t have much left inside us. I finished my work and headed to the house. As I drove home early in the morning, I could feel the tears trying to escape my head. To make things worse, I felt lonely. I had just had an awful day and I was driving home to an empty house.

The weapon: I want to tell you how dangerous life can be when we quit expecting. Usually when I have a hard time with my finances, I try to sow more money into the kingdom of God. When I feel lonely, I thank God for working on a companion for me. When I struggle with work I ask for favor and praise Him for anointing me in His name. But yesterday, for a split-second, I quit expecting. I felt that I didn’t have what it took to thank Him anymore.

Surrendering my life to Christ – again: Sometimes people ask me when I was saved. I usually answer with, “this morning.” We have to continually reaffirm our relationship with God. So, where was I? Oh, yes. I quit expecting. That’s when it happened. When I realized what I had done, I broke down. I lost it – emotionally, physically, spiritually... I got on my knees and in the middle of the room, in the early hours of the morning, surrendered myself to the Lord. I submitted my life, my schedule, my money, my time, my worries and my thoughts. Through the tears I prayed.

My prayer: As I said, the enemy has a weapon. In fact, he has many. However, my walk with God has built a heavy arsenal of His word. Not only can it be used to stop the devil in his tracks, but you can give God’s word back to Him – so He can bless us… So we can expect! I would like to share with you some scripture that means a lot to me.

“I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” Phillipians 4:13 (NIV)

This is probably my favorite scripture. We can do “everything.” I never knew how much strength these words possessed, until they literally brought me from my knees and back to my feet.

“He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.” Proverbs 18:22 (NIV)

A companion means a lot to me. I know I am anointed by God. This anointing gives me favor with the Lord. He’s working on something awesome for me.

“And God said to him, ‘I've listened to and received all your prayers, your ever-so-passionate prayers. I've sanctified this Temple that you have built: My Name is stamped on it forever; my eyes are on it and my heart in it always. As for you, if you live in my presence as your father David lived, pure in heart and action, living the life I've set out for you, attentively obedient to my guidance and judgments, then I'll back your kingly rule over Israel, make it a sure thing on a solid foundation. The same guarantee I gave David your father I'm giving you: 'You can count on always having a descendant on Israel's throne.'” I Kings 9:3 (The Message)

God is a great and merciful God. He hears all of our prayers. There is nothing he has done for someone that he won’t do for us. We just have to stay in faith.

Friends, do NOT quit expecting. Pray. Agree with someone. Build your arsenal and don’t be afraid to use it. Know that I pray for you.

In Christ,

James

A shorty...

Friends,

God has laid something on my heart and I just wanted to share some thoughts. I would also like to solicit for some of your comments...

A couple of weekends ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to attend Joyce Meyer's conference at Lakewood church in Houston, TX. I've read some of her books / articles and try to catch her daily show in the mornings (usually via podcast).

Although her messages are dynamic and inspiring, it occurred to me that she really doesn't offer anything that her audience doesn't already know. I'm sure she knows this as well. My question is this: What is it that keeps us from applying what we know is right to our daily lives?

Excuses: We tend to justify not taking action or changing our behaviors when we really need to. This can involve anything from managing our finances to losing weight. What excuses do we use? I don't have time. I can't afford it. What does it take to break us of this dangerous mentality?

Discipline: This is something crucial that we tend to lack. Again, this can involve a myriad of circumstances. We even ask people to hold ourselves accountable because we are incapable of doing it ourselves. Then we get frustrated at said person for holding us (or not holding us) to the fire.

Laziness: This is the devil's favorite weapon. We simply fail to do anything because we "don't want to." How can we change our behavior when we don't even start?

So, how do we overcome this? God!

"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." Phillipians 4:13 (NKJV)

When we get the "I don't want to's", we need to pray! Don't give Satan a fighting chance. Keep your heart and your mind positive and thankful.

"Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Jesus Christ." 1 Thesallonians 5:16-18 (NLT)

Most of the time, it's the things that make us a better person that we don't want to do. What is it in your life? Focus on the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. There is no law against these things!" Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)

I totally respect and appreciate Paul's writing in the New Testament. However, I'm going to add one more fruit to the list – forgiveness. This is something that I have struggled with in the past. However, through Christ, I can do this.

"the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." Collosians 1:26-27 (NIV).

Wow! This is where the fruit of the spirit can take us! It can make us so powerful that we can become Christ in the lives of other people.

What are you struggling with in your life? If you have financial trouble, bless others. If you need a friend, be a friend to someone else. If you want a new job, bless someone else with one first. We reap what we sow!

In Christ,

James