Maverick2's Blog

A helpful reading this morning. Realization that almost all of my suffering and the suffering I’ve caused had its beginnings with things said by my unruly tongue. Our words are powerful. Be careful what is said about yourself and others. I’ve spoken blessings and cursings from the same mouth. My tongue is unruly and cannot be tamed but I can work on it. That’s the thing with God. Unlike many have taught me, God is full of pity, mercy, and understanding. God will help me with my, oft times, unruly tongue because God says He will help me if I ask help. I ask help to be more positive. I will work on limiting my speech to yes, no, and edification. Why speak cursings or be negative over situations? I’m here for only a little while and then my spirit leaves this place of uncertainty and goes back to a place of eternal certainty. I shall enjoy the adventure of uncertainty while I’m here. I shall redeem the time, starting now. No vows. I cannot make anything happen or not happen. I’m just a man. God knoweth my entire heart concerning these things.
A testimony and obedience ~ confess your faults one to another and pray for one another.
Thursday, August 19, 2021

A helpful reading this morning. Realization that almost all of my suffering and the suffering I’ve caused had its beginnings with things said by my unruly tongue. Our words are powerful. Be careful what is said about yourself and others. I’ve spoken blessings and cursings from the same mouth. My tongue is unruly and cannot be tamed but I can work on it. That’s the thing with God. Unlike many have taught me, God is full of pity, mercy, and understanding. God will help me with my, oft times, unruly tongue because God says He will help me if I ask help. I ask help to be more positive. I will work on limiting my speech to yes, no, and edification. Why speak cursings or be negative over situations? I’m here for only a little while and then my spirit leaves this place of uncertainty and goes back to a place of eternal certainty. I shall enjoy the adventure of uncertainty while I’m here. I shall redeem the time, starting now. No vows. I cannot make anything happen or not happen. I’m just a man. God knoweth my entire heart concerning these things.
A testimony and obedience ~ confess your faults one to another and pray for one another.

Thursday, August 19, 2021

Well done is better than well said.

A testimony Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Looking for Jesus? Look for Him in the holiest of places, not made with hands. He’s in the heart. I don’t need a multi million dollar church building to find him either. I need a messy closet where there’s no choir and no beautiful altar. I just need that closet, a broken heart, a contrite spirit or even just a thankful heart. He walks with me and He talks with me and He tells me I’m His own.

A testimony Sunday, August 15, 2021

I posted this earlier but it got deleted.
This morning I found markings from April, 2019. This was a challenging time for me. I had hilighted the word SUM.

It’s amazing to see how far God has brought me.
God isn’t the author of confusion. The entire Bible can be SUM totaled to this fact: For God so loved the world.

The first covenant could not give me peace. My conscience would not allow it as I know my guiltiness and iniquity. I’m under a new and fresh promise and not an old worn out one. I have a promise that I can count on in that Christ loves and died for me while I was still a sinner. Christ paid the sum total of my debt once and for all time. My account has been cleared because of my faith in Christ. It’s up to me to do my best knowing I’m worth the effort. God doesn’t give his only Son up as a ransom for losers. I must be a winner.

Just as my disobedience removed peace from my heart, Christ’s obedience and my faith in Christ’s work has delivered me!
Feeling blessed.

A testimony Friday, August 13, 2021

I can listen to preaching all day everyday and say “amen” but it won’t profit me a cent unless the word I’ve received is mingled with faith. This morning, in faith, I do not approach the throne of presidents, kings, or magistrates but rather I approach HIS Throne of Grace boldly knowing that my Father gives out grace, mercy and healings without respect of person. I have a high priest who is the creator of all things who is touched by my feelings of ineptness and weakness. Imagine having a leader who is without sin, died for sin, got up from the grave, and sits at the right hand of God who also forgives sin.

That’s my leader. I’m thankful I’m allowed to follow as I’m not worthy to tie His shoe laces and yet He still allows me to bask in His eternal light, a little here, and eternally there.

A testimony Wednesday August 11, 2021

Day 16 ~

Row, row, row your boat.....
I am changing. I have always been changing. The people in my life have changed. The world has changed. Some change for the better and some not so much.

I only know of one that doesn't change and there is no variableness with.........

James 1:17 ~ Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Hebrews 13:8 ~ 8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.

Don't worry about what you see going on around you but know that God's promises endure.

He foreknew us. We may be going through a painful correction but we will conform to the very image of Christ. Whether losing weight, setting right priorities, being a better example of love and acceptance to those around us.......whatever the change you are going through to find more peace and joy, no matter how painful the pursuit, know that all roads lead home.

Romans 8:29 ~ For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Keep rowing brothers and sisters. Keep rowing

Do you need help with weight loss, wellness, or conquering food addiction? First-class is always free. Go to www.travismartin.tv to learn more

Day 15~
I feel like this pup a lot. I get into stuff and make a mess. I mean well, lol.

Proverbs 12:1 ~ Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.

Reproof ~ To criticize a fault.
Brutish ~ Lacking sensibility

It has taken time but I am learning not to take criticism from others to heart. People that criticize you only have a few different motives for doing so.....

1) They love you and are willing to wound you to better and help you.
2) They are trying to cover their own faults by pointing out your faults.
3) They are uncaring, narcissistic, and judgemental.

1) If you are wounding me truthfully because you spot a fault in me then that's a good thing unless I take myself so seriously that I cannot do self-analysis. After careful self-analysis, I can either change the behavior or not change the behavior. Either way, the person will still love me. I don't want to be brutish or insensitive to criticism.

2) If you are just trying to push me down in order to lift yourself up then why should I care about your criticism? Shouldn't you be working on you before working on me?

3) If you are uncaring and mean spirited then why should I care about your criticism? It is just a means to manipulate me to get me to do what you want me to do whether it is good for me or not.

So, today I am open-minded to those who love me and want to see me do better. The others are just toxic.

Generally, it is best to only listen to those doing better in an area of life than you are doing.

I am open-minded and willing to learn today because I do not know everything and have been wrong many times. At 49, I know only that there is a God and I am not God

Day 14 ~

James 4:17 ~ So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

Sin ~ When self is estranged from God.

A lot of people like to point at the perceived sin of someone else. Perhaps it makes the accuser feel better about their own sin?

I can accuse you and you can accuse me of sin. It doesn't really help either of us. In fact, the harsher we judge others, the harsher the judgment levied upon our own selves.

I sin daily. So, let's get that out of the way now. Don't be surprised if I let a wordy durd fly. Don't be surprised if you see me get angry and my lid flip. Don't be surprised if I have one serving too many of Pinot Grigio while watching the sunset or if a song I shouldn't be listening to pops up on pandora and I don't change the channel. Many a preacher and better men and women than me may disagree with this next statement but it is my truth. These things don't make me feel estranged from God as long as I know in my heart that I am doing my best to move closer to God. But, I digress.........

One time I was so bad, a sin I committed required me, being my own accuser, to stand before the household of faith, make acknowledgments for my sin, and disqualify myself before all.

So, please don't think more highly of me than you ought to think. I am just a man. I sin daily. I know to do better and sometimes, in the moment, just don't do better.

With that said, the keywords for me are "me being my own accuser". No one has the right to judge you or me. You aren't really even qualified to judge yourself.

I may be a wretched man but I have found peace at the mercy seat of Christ. Spiritually speaking, my life is hidden in the life of Christ and His righteousness has been imputed to me for righteousness.

While here at home in this temple of flesh I will err but I live permanently in peace knowing in whom I have believed.

I find peace by simply doing my best each day.

I am doing my best to curse less.
I am doing my best to drink less.
I am doing my best to filter what goes into my mind.
I am doing my best to show forth love and kindness when internally I am angry.
I work hard to be a better man today than I was yesterday.

Me being my own accuser, I am doing my best and that feels good.
You being your own accuser, are you doing your best?

Regardless of your answer, I will take your word for it.

Oh, now I need to bring this post around to weight loss and wellness? LOL. You knew that was coming, didn't you?

As is relates to doing your best with weight loss and wellness? How are things going for you? Will you do your best this week to get things on track? Reach out to me and let's hold each other accountable.

I got goals this week. I will just do my best and let go of the rest.

I hope today you will forgive yourself for any past wrongs, big or small. Just do your best today. As long as you do your best you will never feel estranged from God.

Do you need help with weight loss, wellness, or conquering food addiction? First-class is always free. Go to www.travismartin.tv to learn more.

Day 13 ~

Ecclesiastes 12:7 ~ And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

The mortality tables say that, statistically, I will live to be about 78 years old. We know that we are not a statistic but are known of God. My number could be up today. I could also live to be 120 years old.

If I live until August 31, I will be 50 years old. That means that I will have lived in this body 18,250 days. Statistically, I may have 28 more years or 10,220 days remaining. That all depends on God's grace.

I spent a lot of time not living my best life, worrying, living in fear, being slothful, quitting, and the like. I have also had a good life. It could have been an even better life if I had have walked in faith and courage more though.

Today, I am admonishing myself again. I won't spend time worrying, living in fear, arguing, judging, etc. I don't have time for that anymore.

A great man, Gerald Sloman, once said "I know that I am old. I remember when it happened. I can remember when I looked out into the crowd and everyone looked older than me and then, suddenly, one day I woke up and I was old. I knew this because on that day, I looked into a crowd of people and everyone looked younger than me."

I will never forget him saying that because it happened to me.

I remember when my lawyer, my doctor, my teachers, my bankers, the police all looked much older than me. Now, almost everyone I do business with, care for me, etc look so much younger than me. I know I am old.

I don't know how many days I have remaining but I pledge to be more mindful each and every day moving forward that I may have fewer days in front of me than lay behind me.

If you are younger than me let me admonish you. Do what you can today. Time goes by fast, so much faster than you think.

Most of the things that paralyzed me and that I worried over never happened and even if they did happen, I got through it.

There is an old saying. The coward dies a thousand deaths but the courageous only has to die one death.

Live in this world of uncertainty with courage and love. Don't live in it in fear and dread.

We all have so much more to do. I am increasing my capacity to do more today and every day moving forward.

The angel of death can scare you and paralyze you or the angel of death can remind you just how precious each second really is so that you always do your best.

1 Corinthians 15:55 ~ O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

Do you need help with weight loss, wellness, or conquering food addiction? First-class is always free. Go to www.travismartin.tv to learn more.