Big Dreams Demand Big Achievements

Thank God for everything that He has done in my life and all of the lessons that I've been shown. I am starting on a new adventure as of late and I am learning how to adjust to life outside of the oil field. It took me a long time to realize that there was such a thing.

I went to go eat with a friend earlier and it was such a great time as always. I am so very thankful for his friendship. Its great to actually have someone ask me "tough" questions. Its great to have someone encourage you when things get tough. I hope that a lot of people view me as that type of friend to them. But back to the whole idea of this thing of learning about myself. I have been on this whole self-help kick for about a week now and it is so awesome. Im not like reading these "dont kill yourself" books or anything but just somethings that encourages me to be a better me. I am a firm believer that God has a very specific plan for each of our lives but when did being broke down and heartbroken ever get into that equation. Jesus said that he came so that we may have life and may have it more abundantly. Through Jesus we do have an abundance of life but we also have to work for that abundant life. I don't think that we can sit lazily and let God do all this work while we reap all the blessing. It is also said that he who sows sparingly will reap sparingly but he that sows bountifully will reap bountifully. To me that means that we have got to get off of our butts and work for God. We are called servants but when did the servitude get taken out. All we want to do is reap reap reap. In my opinion its time to step up to the plate and live for God and accept the challenges that He gives to us. Its not like He is asking us to build an ark and get 2 of every living thing on it. He may just be asking us to talk to a neighbor about His love. He may be just asking us to build a community of believers to lift one another up. Am I saying that there wont be obsticles in our path? No, I am asking what are you going to do when you get to that point. Are you going to look and say well I can't get over it and then give up on God's purpose for your life or are you going to say "God I need you now more than ever, you are going to have to get me over this because, on my own I have no chance." Kinda weird tothink of this but the movie "Employee of the Month" w/ Dane Cook just came to my mind. Obviously that is not the most religious movie but I think that it does have a great principal that we all need to learn in it if you pay attention to it. He tells the story of why he is merely a box boy after all this time rather than advancing. He tells how he used his grandmothers retirement to start up a business and that business flopped so he just gave up on everything. He never wanted to take a chance like that, that could end in failure. Well none of us want our lives to end up in failure but its not always the victory or loss that God is trying to give us. A lot of times its the underlying lesson that has much more effect. Dont take failure personally. Don't take rejection personally. Take a step back and look at the entire situation and learn the lesson that God was teaching us. Look at things through God's sight not our own.

Now I am the guiltiest of this if anybody is guilty. I have always lived my life and just hoped that God would take care of everything. Through my new job I have realized that the old saying of thats just life is a bunch of CRAP! As a kid we all have huge dreams of being the president, playing pro football or baseball, or being a doctor, or singing. What happened to those dreams? I personally wanted to play pro-football. I remember my dad asking me as a kid what it was that I wanted to be when I grew up and I very specifically remember telling him that I wanted to play football or be a country music singer. Now I believe that we all will appreciate that I didn't chase after the singing career. I promise your ears are greatful. But I remember my dad coming back with a very tough comment of "Ha very few people will ever get to do those things. You should think about something else." I personally believe that it is comments like that, that take away our childlike dreams and even more our childlike faith. Now I know that my dad wasn't trying to extinguish me from ever dreaming, he just knew the reality of the chances of me doing either and voiced it to me. Those are the comments that provoke the saying of "well thats just life." I very muchly disagree with that statement.

There is a sign in our office that I believe says "If you can dream it, You can achieve it." Now on that note, the achieving might not be easy. It may seem unobtainable. But I promise there are ways to get you where you want to be. I am learning to change my attitude from one of looking for God to give me everything to one of giving God everything and letting Him put the puzzle pieces in place to get me where I want to be. My goals right now are to have my truck paid off by next March. Have $10,000 in my saving account. And reach Regional Vise President at Primerica by April 2010. Now none of those goals are gonna be easy at all. None of them will just happen over night and none of them will make themself happen. Now a broader goal of mine is to work as if I was working for the Lord and let Him put all those things into place whenever He see fit.

I am still His son

John Waller
"Still Calls Me Son"

I drug his name through godless places
And I’ve known shame that no child of his should know
I’ve seen pain on broken faces
Beyond all thought of hope
I was just too far from home
Still I always wondered when I closed my eyes

After all I’ve done
Could he run to me?
Would he kiss my face?
Could he even look at me?
After where I’ve been should he take me back?
I would understand I’ve disgraced him
But it would be amazing
If he still calls me son

With nothing left for me to bring him
I left my pride and turned my heart toward home
I saw my home on the horizon
And from a distance I saw my Father
Watching for his own with forgiving eyes

After all I’d done
He just ran to me
Then he kissed my face
He would not let go of me
After where I’d been
He just welcomed me I didn’t understand
But he put his robe on me
It was so amazing
That he still called me son

One day as I breathe my last
And I know my days on earth have ended
When every hour is spent
I will close my eyes in amazement
And I’ll hear angels
They’ll be singing

Amazing Grace
Cause he will run to me
And he will kiss my face
He will not let go of me
After where I’ve been
He will welcome me
I won’t understand
How he’ll put his robe on me
It will be amazing
That he’ll still call me son

Amazing grace how sweet the sound
When he calls me son
I once was lost but now I’m found
Cause he calls me Son.


What an amazing and humbling song. I have heard this song a few times but it really hit home today that God...God of the universe, God of creation, God of heaven and earth stands each moment with arms stretched out waiting for me to return to Him.

I know that so many times in my life I think that I have done some unforgivable things. I seem to think that the God who raised the dead can't forgive me for some sin. I am just so thankful that the God of everything cries out for me. Who am I that someone so soveriegn desires my company. What mercy for all of us that no matter what we do we are welcomed home with arms open wide and tears down the face of our savior. WOW! Just sit for a moment today and just think about that and try to get a mental picture of all the emotion that is present when we turn back to our Heavenly Father. I can just picture God running out to us, like the song says, with tears rolling down His face and us hanging our head in shame when he pulls His robe off to wrap us up and love on us.

I am just so thankful for coming across this song. I am so excited that He sees worth in me. I am also very excited that He has a plan for me and is using me and using some people in my life in great and amazing ways in this city.

"God you are the great and awesome God. I am humbled by your grace on my life and the fact that reguardless of how bad I feel like I have screwed up you still call me son and you still love me as if I was a new born babe. Thank you for your mercy. Thank you for your son Jesus and the blood that was shed so that I may have a personal relationship with you. I stand in awe of your love for me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen."

Who was I?

It was just brought to my attention that my life has not always led people in the right direction. ha duh!!! I just reciece a message from an old friend that I knew in high school and she had seen me at a church here in Angelo a couple of weeks ago and she was congradulating me for my new found salvation. At first I was kind of offended, but then I realized that my testimony to her in high school was obviously not one that showed her that I was a christian. WOW! That is deffinately a 1, 2 punch for someones pride. It really struck me and again I started thinking about how many other people either have no idea who God is or have a bad impression of who God is because of my behavior in certain times of my life. Its tough to take something like that when you have been a Christian since you were 6, but, it again sure humbles you and gets your focus back on track. That is one of those things that people that know you well would never tell you but it takes someone who has just a basic knowledge of who you are to really give you the truest and clearest image of everything about you and they do it in a way that is not offensive at all, but makes you think. Again I see how my life and the grace and mercy that I have been shown has impacted people that I never even thought of it impacting. It is amazing to me how God uses every little bitty thing about us for His glory. I am soo humbled by all that has happened and the grace that I have been shown.

I look around at my life and I am so excited in most things but I really wish that some things were different. I guess things just aren't the way that I had imagined them being. I am struggling right now with getting started with the new job and struggling with some other situations that have come up over the course of the last couple of months. Why do we let the unkown have such an impact on the here and now? I have always just let certain situations and certain things get to me in a way that I absolutely hate. Why, especially with my past and new found faith, do I let things that I have no control over control me? I think that we all do this to a degree. We try and manipulate ourselves into thinking that we are in control and in all reality we don't have control over anything. For instance I dont care how well your dog is trained, if it wants to turn on you, it will. We do not have control over this thing that we call our life so why do we let it control us? That question may never have an answer that makes us all say, "WOW". I know that I have said that God is in control and I have heard that all my life but rather than saying it lets start living it.

I have also felt that I have to be the strong arm in any situation. I grew up with 3 sisters and that alone will make you tough. probably tougher than having 3 brothers. But I have always felt as though I have to be strong and I can't let anyone see my pain, struggles, or heartache. I feel like I have to be this man made of steel and never let anyone know what is going on with the real Cody Keel. It is so frustrating to be this person. It is so frustrating to have such a huge burden put on your shoulders. Now I know that people dont expect all this from me but rather I have put this weight on my own shoulders. I want to let go of this. I want to be the one that gets help from time to time not the one that feels I have to help everyone around me. I have to let people live their lives and let them make the decisions they feel are right and let them follow what they know God is calling them to do. I have to quit letting me get in the way of God and myself. Sadly I feel like I have to quit giving my all and going "all in" in a lot that I do. That is pretty tough for me because I have always been told that if your going to do something then do it with everything that is inside you. Do everything with as much passion as you have and if you can't do that then don't get involved with it. That is probably one of the biggest reasons that I have been hurt by relationship after relationship. I put my all into someone and either they are automatically freaked by that a lil or they use that against me. Each and everyday I think back to the old saying of nice guys always come in last and now looking back as much as Ihate to come in last, I would rather come in last and have something with meaning and substance than come first and end up in a relationship like what I have been in before. I guess that I am just throwing myself a pitty party and need to grow up but I dont care. I sit and look at both of my roommates that are engaged or fixing to be engaged and I say to myself, "When is it gonna be my turn to have a relationship like that." I just begin to wonder whats wrong with me. But hey, as much as it sucks I honestly would rather come in last as a nice guy that has done things right, than the guy that came in first and has been shady about things. I guess I gave myself all the answers that I was looking for today a few days ago when I wrote the blog about why I quit the last job with Aquafuzion. I won't put my morals and standards in jeopardy because of anything. And anyone that ask you to do that is not a friend and not a anything that I want to be involved in.

That is why I love blogging. I always find that God can use so many different things to shine a little light on what your going through right now and give you some peace about things through looking at something that has no connection other than the moral of the entire story.

By the way I just did something that I never thought that I would do. I just thanked someone for turning me down again. Talk about a wierd day.

Where is the rewind button for life?

Tonight i had a very weird emotion overcome me. In talking with a friend I found myself feeling guilty for what she and her sister have been and are going through. I look back and just wonder how many people that I could have impacted in a positive way over the last 4yrs of my life and instead I wondered around chasing things that were if anything were impacting them negatively. Every new story that I hear from this friend, brings on this emotion of guilt that runs thick through my soul. I wasn't there for her during all these very tough and challenging times that she has been through. I wasn't there for her as she was beaten by her ex. I wasn't there for her or anyone else in the last 4yrs. I wish that I could get those years of my life back with the knowledge that I have now and make much wiser decisions and take care of all those great and true friends all around me. I just look around all the time and see everyone that I used to run around with back when I was doing things right and it almost seems like everyone is stuggling and I am the hypocrit because at one time I was doing just the same things as they are doing now. I just hate the fact that I have lost 4yrs of my life to the things that I was involved in. I hate the fact that I can never make up for that. And mostly I hate the fact that I couldnt help those that needed me then and are struggling now to sort through all the pieces of brokeness and heart ache to see where they fit in this complicated thing of life. Like the title of this says "Where is the rewind button for life?" But seriously I am really struggling right now with my past coming back to haunt me. How long does it take before we see that all things work out for good in the end. When am I supposed to get this feeling of all is forgotten? Or does that feeling ever even come?

Now I am not saying that living the way that I am now that I don't see that nothing is better. I see the many blessing that God gives me each and every day. All I am saying is when can I look back and see that those 4yrs are 4yrs of time that will and has impacted someone so greatly that everything isn't done in vain? Because right now all I can see is that I wasn't there for friends or family that needed me. I wasn't there when they needed me the most! When does that guilt go away? When does the pain of watching and listening to stories and watching life begin to heal?

Its so hard to see that God will and can use everything for His glory given that we allow Him to. I know that things take time to play out. Whats the old saying...The greatest things in life are worth waiting for. I know they are but its this regret that brings us down to the dark gloomy valley in life where it almost seems that there is no end in sight. I hope that I will soon rise above the fog and see the positive impact that I will have on many people through God. But please keep me in your prayers and please please please don't live your life in a way that you will ever have this burden of regret! I love ya'll.

Hopefully the last day with Aquafuzion

So my day started this morning around 8:30am. I woke up and got ready for work and then got to work at 11am which is the time that my boss had instructed us to show up. So anyway I got to the office and I was the only one there. Well come to find out the group from Abilene was running late and said that they were going to be there at noon. So I leave and run a couple of errands and then return to the off at noon to find out they were still 30mins out. Now keep in mind that the boss that informed us to be there at 11 was apart of this group that showed up at 12:30 and not 11 as she instructed. But anyways we finally got gathered together and then went out in teams and started knocking on doors which is something that everyone loves to do, but then it is all the sudden 7pm and now the want to start doing demos for people. Just a lil piece of knowledge for you a demo takes about 2hrs. So at this point I am hungry and mad that I am working oil field hrs and not getting paid near oil field wages. So we gather up out at good ol Lake Nasworthy and wait for our boss to get an appointment cleared and then we take on this appointment at about 8pm. Initially the demo went great. I couldn't have asked to be trained and showed how to do something by someone any better. BUT, then it came down to pricing and things started rolling down hill from there. Now me out of all people understand finances and financial situations. Remember I was an alcoholic for 2yrs and then I just got laid off from my job 2weeks ago. So anyway the monthly payment was a lil high for this couple and so we worked it down quite a bit but it was still too high for the husband to accept the terms. Fair enough. Right? WRONG!!! The guy that just did a great demo for this couple started this determined car salesman language that deters me from buying anything from him. Reguardless of how good the product is. Well after speaking and dealing with this couple it seemed as though the pricing was still too high and I thought that we were packing up and leaving, at now 11:45pm. Well little did I know that while I was outside talking with the husband my trainer was inside coaxing his wife to get his credit info so that they can meet tomorrow and make the deal final. Will this product save them money? Yes. Is this product a good investment? Yes. But did the husband agree to the terms? NO! Now I don't know how you feel about this situation, but I do not think that that was the ethical thing to do. This was a very good couple with a very young little girl and to me it was like my trainer just came in and got in between the couple and talked a good game and made a decision for this couple that should be made by the couple. That, to me, is just wrong. And furthermore, if that is what they are expecting of me....I just can't do that.

Why does money drive people to do things like come in between a couple like this one. Now the guy that was traing me is going to get a $750 commission off of the sale, but to me $750 in my pocket is not worth coming between these fine people with this little girl. I would have rather left the house on good standing with both the husband and wife and not have made the sale than get than get the money and cause the wife to do something like steal this man's identity so that their credit will be approved for something like this.

Now on a positive note....the husband kinda got the gist that I am not real sure about this company and gave me a card for a friend of his to call and try to get a different job. Now I am in a crossfire. This man trusted me enough to offer me something that could very possibly be a better job and my co-workers are sneaking around him to make a sale to his wife through his credit. Its just wrong and everyone one there tonight will agree to that but the dollar sign was just too tempting for my co-worker. Hopefully it does not effect my opportunity to get the other job because I will not be associated with anything like that again. I stand by my honesty and integrity and I am not willing to trade that for any dollar amount.

Now tell me... Am I right in this or am I just over reacting?

What's It Gonna Take?

I am going through a test right now and I look back at my own life and I ask myself what is it gonna take or what did it take to change something in me.

Why do we just go through life with the same expectations? Why is it that we just say "thats just the way it is." Well my question to you is this...Why does it "just have to be that way" Life does not choose the path that we take. Life does not choose what we do. We do! Hello!?!? Is anyone listening? I make every decision about my life for myself. I, may decide to do something and that something is just my idea. It was just my want. Or I add something to my decision making that will make me look for the best way or the best thing to do. But even still that is my decision. Life does not choose for you to go to work at the same boring job and struggle every month with your bills. You choose to do that. Even in todays time there are still other jobs out there. Now this one here hits me pretty hard. Life does not choose those christians to have a close relationship with God and those who don't. We do. I choose whether or not I am going to grow in every aspect of my walk with Christ.

When are we going to stop looking around at everyone else and say man I wure wish that I was like that and make a stand for ourselves and go do it.

Life does not choose you. You choose life.

Its not what you can do for God, but rather what are you allowing God to do through you. Mercy Me sings a lyric "If the idea is mine...Its nothing but a waste of time."

I get so tired of looking at my life and see me go down the same roads over and over again and then look around when I get to the end and I am in the same situation that I was before and say I have no idea how I let it go this far. It gets on my nerves when a close friend or family member says the same hting to me. We make our own choices in this life. Are we going to make a mistake and say " Oh well, now I know what to look for." Or are we gonna say woah I will stay completely away from that road because that is where it all started and I wound up broken and hurt." Well if your not sure, the second response is the correct one. I used to be an alcoholic and I know that if I go to bars everynight that I will be right back into the exact same lifestyle that I was involved in before. I have to say to myself that I will stay away from bars and alcohol so that I may stay sober and remain sober.

I now know how so many people felt as they watched me go from someone with goals and dreams to someone that drank myself into a world of pain and aguish. You seriously just want to punch them in the face and say "WAKE UP RETARD" but we all know what kind of reaction that would trigger.

I love everyone that reads this and those that choose to turn away from it. I just want to give you a "pep talk" on life. I hope that I can encourage you to just better yourself and get out of the same rut that you have been stuck in for how ever long. God is strength. Call on Him and call on other people that are in your life that will lift you up.

Humbled Life

Pretty much all my life I have been a "Christian" but just for a short while have I been a Christ follower. I never really new that there was a difference until I had a direct experience with God's mercy and grace.

For a long time now I have been struggling with my job. Should I stay or should I move on? Is my job glorifying His name or is it hindering my service to Him? I had so many questions about God's will for me and what direction my life needed to be going.

Well with prayers answered I found a job yesterday. I was so super excited but soo nervous at the same time. I have been with Patterson for about 4yrs now and the men above me which just so happened to include my dad have spent countless hrs training and working with me to get me to be the leader that I had become with that company. I did not want to leave with them feeling like it was a slap in the face or like I had just given out on them. I needed them to understand my circumstances and understand that I cannot go without a job. I had to prepare myself for the inevitable. I had to have something lined up. And they did and they even offered me a job when things pick back up. They were almost proud of me for making such a tough decision and even said that it was wise. It actually positioned me to hear something that I never thought that I would hear from my father. He looked at me and said "I would do the same thing if I was you. You are making a good decision." Now if you don't know my dad that statement means nothing to you. But if you know and understand my dad that statement will almost bring you to tears just as it did me. My dad is not someone to say to me that I made a good and wise decision. He would and always has found error in my actions. It just really touched my heart that through all my nervousness and anxiety God shown through once again. The calmness of this mornings discussion with 3 of my bosses was anwser to prayer enough and then God even showed up to have them congratulate me and offer me good luck as a departing farewell.

I have found that after I gave my life to Christ and actually became a Christ follower that seeks wise and Godly advise life has had a much sweeter taste. Life will never be "easy" but "easier" is always a plus. I don't have the worry and the guilt that I used to have when making a decision like this. I lifted this entire situation up to God and I let Him take the reins and now I stand amazed that the God of the universe cares and desires to be apart of every aspect of my life. Whether it be my job or my relationships or just my spare time, God wants to be apart of it.

I just love waking up every single day to just see with anticipation what God is going to do. Through me. Through a friend. Or through someone that I have never met. I personally believe that when we stop looking for ways to "serve" God and start letting God use us, you will be so amazed at how quickly your life and passions will be changed. Its not what can I do for God but its am I being open for God to do with me what He wants. I sometime envy Pauls heart and willingness to go through anything and still praise God. My desire is to have that kind of heart and love for my Savior.

Who do I think that I am?

I have a serious confession to make.

Today I got home from a school for work and changed clothes so that I could go running. I went in the garage and got a water and then put the water on the cabinet where I had bought a basket full of goodies. That was when I noticed that the basket was no longer there. The goodies where there but the basket is gone. I went running, wondering where the basket could have disapeared to and then when one of my roommates got home I asked him if he knew what happened to it. He just replied oh yeah my girlfriend used it for this thing and she said that she will replace it. Well with all that has gone on in this house and between me and him over the last couple of years that $3.99 basket almost got the best of me. I was almost ready to flip. I have looked past the scuffs on the coffee table that I bought and he has torn up becasue he puts his boots on it. I have just cleaned and recleaned as he and his girlfriend act like tornadoes in this house. But this basket almost sent me to the point of no return. This piece of cheap plastic almost sent me over the edge to a point where I explode.

What do you do in a situation like this? How do you be "Christ" to someone who has continuiosly disrespected me?

It sure makes me think about when Peter asked Jesus how many times he lets someone do wrong to him and Jesus told him to let them do it 70 times not just 7. And then after reading that I set and think about how many times I disrespected Jesus in the ways that I was living life and thankfully Jesus never turned His eyes from me. He never just left me. THATS THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE. Who am I to say that what I have done and the forgiveness that Jesus has showed me doesn't extend to this friend of mine who has disrespected me. If there is anything that I should be good at and remember first hand is to understand the forgiveness that God has for each of us.

Who am I and how great am I that I cannot forgive this guy for disrespecting me in many ways when I turned my back on God and yet God still forgave me. God doesn't need me. He doesn't have to have me. He wants me and He wants to have a relationship with me. How humbling is that! How amazing is that! I can't believe that I let my anger get so far before i sought after what Jesus said about forgiveness.

"Thank you God for your mercy in my life. Thank you for helping me to see that I was wrapped in anger to where it was beggining to consume me. Lord, the forgivness that you have shown me should be extended to those around me and then to so many more. Help me, oh God, to remember this lesson about forgiveness and help me to remember that conversation that you had with Peter so that I may walk closer to you and I may know you more. Lord, thank you for everything. In Jesus' name. Amen.

How big is your ripple?

Just a little over a week ago I was talking with a friend on my facebook messenger and she has known me for quite some time and so I feel comfortable asking her some questions that I would with others. But anyway we were talking about all that God is doing in our lives and I came out and asked her... "How has my life and all that I have been through impacted you?" I won't give you the entire answer but I will say it was a positive one.

How amazing is it that me and that particular friend live over 250miles away from one another and yet we still impact each others lives.

Today I was talking with a friend and he gave me an insight that I have never thought of before. "Life is a bunch of small groups" Christian, Budhist, Hindu, American, Chinese. It doesn't matter. You have a small group. And you, like everyone else, have more than one small group. So now my question is this.... "How does my life impact those people in those different small groups?" How do I encourage them? How do I discourage them? Do I put a smile on their face or do I bring anger and discontent to their heart? HOW DO I IMPACT THEM? Do I bring them joy? Do I bring them hope? But them most important question is this...Do I bring them the love and mercy that Jesus has for me? How big and what kind of ripple effect do you have on people.

Downhere sings a song entitled "Here I Am". I have posted some lyrics on my facebook and myspace statuses and the lyric that hit me the hardest is when they sing out "Here I am. Lord send me. I live my life as an offering." How powerful! To live my life as an offering. WOW!!! What a testimony that would be. What a "ripple effect" that would have if all of us "christians" had that kind of heart. I'm not saying that some don't but what about those that seek Christ's face but is that their prayer? Is that my prayer? Am I willing to give up all that I am to TRUELY live my life as an offering? I would like to hope that, that is my heart. And I would like to hope that I would give up all that I have in an instant to praise The God Almighty.

I would just like to challenge myself and if anyone else would like to do the same I encourage it. I want to challenge myself to try to live my life as an offering. Live my life for God and only God. I know that we are all human and we all screw up. I hve screwed up many times in the past and I will surely do so again in the future but I hope and pray that I have people out there that have been impacted by my life or by the life of another christian to pick me back up on my feet so that I may press on toward a life that is an offering.

Philippians 3:12-14
Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also lay hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Here I am, Lord use me.

Ok so as most of everyone knows I am back to drilling again and so far it has been a pretty good experience. I had to do this last year and it was much less enjoyable. But anyway I have these guys working for me that are some of the greatest guys in the world. But I got to know a little bit more about one of them today on our way home from the rig. I had my I-pod on my radio in my truck and it was louder than normal because I thought that everyone was asleep(haha) and I was starting to get kinda tired since I get up at 2am everyday and don't even get off of work until 2pm but, anyway there we all were, I-pod playing my Christian Music playlist and one of the guys asks "Cody, what religion are you?" I said well I am a christian but am nondenominational. He just said, oh ok cool. And then we went on into a great discussion about what God has and is doing in our lives. What an amazing way to end a long week at work. I found out some very great things about this man's story just as he did about me as I opened my heart to him. Today's conversation was different than what you might think. This man was also a believer in the saving grace of God. I had heard that he believed in God and what not but little did I know that he shared my desire to know God intimately. I had no idea that there was another man that worked with me that had a heart like that. Today's discussion was so awesome. God grace and presence was so thick in that truck today that I can't wait for the next moment to share my story with another person.

I never thought that I would compare God with alcohol or tabacco but I am addicted to being so close to God that it feels as though He is carrying me as though I was the man in the poem "Footprints".

The Start of a Revolution

As I set here and look at my life and the lives all around me, I see that so many people all have this burning desire. They all feel God doing something in their lives. If they are like me they have trouble distiguishing whether it is something that God is guiding them or their own selfishness.

Although we may struggle in realizing God's will, it is so amazing that we are feeling God call on us. Just yesterday I was talking with my mother, which is one of the most amazing women in the world, but she was talking to me about some changes that she is making in her life and she was telling me that she was feeling God to call her out of her comfort zone and to learn more how to serve Him rather than a opportunity to serve becomes a obligation.

Not putting my mother down at all but lifting the name of God, I never thought that I would here those words from my mom. Not because she doesn't look for God in all things because I know that with having 4 kids and knowing how some of us stressed her out more than others, I know that her prayer life has, is, and will always be strong and I know that she has always looked for God to shake us kids up in a nice way so that she didn't have to kill us and then come up with an reason why we were missing. ha But it none of that at all. It just goes to show that God will and can challenge everyone, reguardless of age, sex, religion, or anything else.

God is doing an amazing thing in San Angelo. God is working in peoples lives in a band new way. He is revealing Himself in a new light and this time people will not be able to turn away. God is starting a revolution and I am so excited to be a part of it and to see it all unfold.

I am also so very excited that I can start each day saying something to my Heavenly Father that I will probably one day have to say to my earthly wife every day as well, and that is "I am sorry for all that I have done, I beg for you forgiveness and mercy on my life. Please use me God. I want to live my life as an offering."