Exercising the Faith Muscle

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Faith is a such a hard thing in our culture to grasp. We do not have many things in our lives that require us to have faith. We are blessed beyond our understanding with what we have at our finger tips. When we are hungry we go to a restaurant or the grocery store and by food, we stop at a gas station, insert our credit card and fill up our gas tanks, we go to the mall and have a thousand options of clothing we can wear and most of us already have more than we need. We have enough money to buy fertilizer to keep our grass green so that we are aesthetically pleased with our lawn, we care for our pets as though they were our own children. Simply said we are BLESSED beyond our comprehension.

By no means am I saying all this blessing is wrong. I am not trying to establish shame or guilt, all I am saying is that we are so comfortable in our blessing that we have forgotten it is a blessing. The danger of forgetting the blessing and the one that blesses us is that our faith muscles become weak. Faith is a muscle? Joseph of the Old Testament lived a long but challenging life. When he was young, when his faith may have lacked humility and his brothers took offense, throwing him in a well and leaving him for dead, only to be sold to slave traders and taken to Egypt. In Egypt he is thrown in jail for false crimes and accusations, only to come out of prison to lead the entire country through a famine, saving an entire people with the wisdom God entrusted to him. It was by faith that at the end of his life Joseph said these words, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” (Gen 50:24). Joseph walked in this confidence ONLY by walking a life of faith and practicing the faith muscle often and seeing God show up. Do you think that he sat in the bottom of the well and was afraid, or was questioning what God was doing when thrown in a prison because he rejected the advances of a woman that was not his wife? My guess is Joseph felt a host of emotions running through his veins many times throughout his life, but one thing is for certain, “Faith inspired Joseph and opened his eyes to see into the future, for as he was dying he prophesied about the exodus of Israel out of Egypt” (Heb 11:22). The muscle had been exercised for a lifetime and it brought hope to his people.

Faith brings a roller coaster of emotions within me. When Danielle and I felt the call of the Lord to take a few significant steps in our life and our family, there was a level of excitement and anticipation of seeing God show up and do His thing. In the spirit of transparency those feelings come and go and are often replaced by doubt and fear. When the doubt and fear arise, then I have to pick up the “weights” and begin to pray, read the acts of faith and God’s response in the Bible. I have to serve someone else. I have to go out and run and spend some time with my Father to gain His perspective. Lately I have felt as though I have stepped off the mountain and am suspended in mid-air right now, simply waiting for the Father to move the mountain and plant my feet on solid ground again. That is the thing about faith, it REQUIRES us to put ourselves out there and in complete reliance of our Father in Heaven, because if it did not would it be faith? Is faith really faith, if there is not some level of discomfort? Is it really faith if the flesh does not revolt and have a fear of falling? As I ponder faith this morning I have been drawn to my wife’s favorite chapter in the Bible, Hebrews 11.

  • vs 7 – “By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen in holy fear built an ark to save his family.” Noah practiced his faith in a crazy way!!! Who wouldn’t have thought Noah was a few sandwiches short of a picnic…or just flat out loony.
  • vs 8 – “By faith Abraham, when called to to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” Hold on a second…Abraham moved his entire family and had no idea where he was going? Could you imagine doing that today? Sell your house, quit your job, and have no idea where you were going?
  • vs 10 – “For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder was God.” This is flat out one of my favorite verses in the Bible! It is the cry of and the desire of my heart to pursue the things of the Lord. I know there is more and I will never settle as I know our journey of faith is progressive and as we are capable of receiving our Father will give abundantly. Abraham had a spark in his heart and soul that told him that God was worth the pursuit no matter the cost!
  • vs 17 – “By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice.” Abraham knew God would provide in the end, but do we not think that inside Abraham was in agony? By faith he walked the path regardless of his feelings.
  • vs 22 – By faith, because he had practiced all his life, Joseph prophesied to his people regarding God’s faithfulness to bring them out of captivity.
  • vs 23 – “By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born” and then they put him in a basket and let him float in a massive river with crocodiles and pirahnas to be found and raised in Pharaoh’s home. I am sure Moses’ mother grieved and missed her son, but walked in faith regardless.
  • vs 32-34 – “How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions,  quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight.”

Every one of these people put their faith in a God they had never seen before, in full confidence they walked, knowing He was and will be faithful. Was it easy for them? I highly doubt it as they fought the same flesh and worldly reasoning that we do every single day. They understood that when you practice and work out your faith muscle, the muscle tears a little bit and requires healing, you fall down sometimes, but the Father is there to pick us up…the journey of faith is not easy, it is not painless, but it is required if we want to understand and grasp the complete goodness of our Father.

I struggle in this walk of faith daily, it is a battle of flesh and spirit; my spirit longing to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the flesh revolting and trying to instill doubt and fear. I was reminded in our men’s group on Wednesday evening that it is only through the fire that we are refined. It is only by submitting ourselves to the Father and being laid out on the proverbial anvil to be shaped and molded into the person He created us to be. The fire burns a little bit, the shaping is painful, but the results are worth every little doubt, burn, or scrape along the way. I know without a shadow of doubt that the Bible is true…I know that faith the size of a little mustard seed will move a mountain, and I know God will move mountains on our behalf when we step out in faith.

Get out there and exercise that faith muscle!!! Accept the pain and discomfort and KNOW THAT HE IS FAITHFUL TO YOU!

Scott

Making Time for Memories…

Scott Bos1 Comment

Since we live in the frozen tundra known as Texas…I know for all my family and friends in Michigan you laugh at me for making that statement, but literally we have nothing to move the snow or melt the ice. So it simply compacts on the road and makes for a nice layer of, smooth as glass, ice.

This morning we ventured out on the ice rink (aka the road) and tried to find a restaurant that refused to close so we could get coffee and some breakfast. After driving past our favorite spot we found a business that has graciously given us a free coffee subscription for the past 4 months. We slowly parked the truck, carefully got out, and proceeded to shuffle across the second ice rink (aka the parking lot) into the restaurant. We ordered our food and sat down in some nice comfortable chairs for a morning of coffee, bagels, and Mad Libs…let the fun begin.

As Riley (female person in the room) and Sidney (female person in the room) enjoyed their beverages and crunchy (adjective) cinnamon (noun) bagels (plural noun), Danielle (female person in the room) and Scott (male person in the room) enjoyed their yummy (adjective) avocado (noun), tomato (noun), spinach (noun), and egg white (noun) breakfasty (silly adjective) sandwiches (noun), oh and hot (adjective) coffee (noun) too. While we enjoyed our breakfast, we decided to rewrite the History of the World, as is so popular to do today…enjoy the highlights of this ridiculously (adverb) enjoyable (adjective) morning (time of day) with my crazy (adjective) family (noun).

At one time man walked on four feet (Part of the body, plural), spoke in violent (adjective) grunts, and did not know how to make a nice fire. Here is the story of the day that changed mankind forever (translated from the fat (adjective) cave-speak).

Caveman #1: It’s colder than Rome (a place) in this cave. Even my warmest platypus (animal) fur won’t keep my finger nail (part of the body) from shivering.

Caveman #2: If only there was a way to make the cold toilet (noun) warmer. (shockingly true! if only the Bos Proverbs had been written yet…”blessed is the second person to use the toilet in the winter months” – Scott Bos)

…a few boring lines later

Caveman #1: We shall call this magical flaming poop (noun) fire!”

The end

-The Bos Family

More Historical Facts…

Benjamin Franklin was not only a founding pickle (noun) of the United States…

Johannes Gutenberg was a German booger (noun) who invented the printing press…

Thomas Edison was a cranky (adjective) inventor…

-The Bos Family

And a few more facts…

“That’s right: Earth is shaped like a stubborn (adjective) ball! For as long as any turd (noun) can remember, it has been widely believed that the Earth is as flat as a Bagel (noun).”

-The Bos Family

This is evidence of two things. #1, If you make time as a family, there is joy to be found even when it is tough to get around and you may be stuck at home or in our case, within a mile of home. And #2, even in a family full of girls and 1 boy, it is evident that the mind of a boy will influence the minds of the more polished and proper girls. I promise all the adjectives related to…you know, poop and boogers, was not all me! haha.

Seriously, stop being so busy and take the time to spend with your family. You will NEVER regret spending quality time with your spouse and your kids…Danielle, Riley, and Sidney are my favorite people in the world, I love them with a my mushy (adjective) heart, and I do not take these times for granted because we simply do not know what tomorrow brings.

Have a little fun, laugh often, smile, and give each other hugs.

Blessings!

Scott

Note: since we (Danielle 99.9%) homeschool our girls, this 100% counts as an English refresher.

Making Room For Faith

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I am currently winding down my training plan for the Cowtown Marathon at the end of February. Yesterday was my second to longest run in the plan at 18 miles. I felt compelled, as I have for the past two long runs, to run by myself. If you have ever trained for a marathon or really anything that requires long and uninterrupted workouts, you understand it is nice to have a partner or a team come along for the ride. These two runs, I felt as though I needed to battle through them alone to fight the mental battle but also to process through some thoughts and ideas I have had lately.

Yesterday was all about faith. I woke up and really did not want to, nor felt like I could go out and run 18 miles. But, I had to put faith in the training plan that is in place and know my body will respond appropriately. As I was running I was thinking through something our pastor said a few weeks back on a Sunday morning. It was along the lines of “Our faith provokes God to action on our behalf.” As I was processing that thought a verse popped into my head.

“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”

Matthew 17:20 NLT

Starting last November and up to the present time the Lord has asked Danielle and I to step out in faith and test His goodness in our life. We have made some pretty significant and drastic changes in our life; changes that for some reason the Lord does not want me to publicly disclose right now. These changes were somewhat out of the blue for us, but aligned with desires we believe the Lord was calling us too. They all had one common attribute; they were incredibly uncomfortable and not wise from a worldly perspective. As I was running and processing though these changes and this call to have greater faith, the thought crossed my mind…we were making room for faith in our life. Before some of these changes, faith was not a requirement in our lives which limited God’s access points to our family to do His thing. I want our Father to have access to all of our family: our finances, our relationships, our jobs, our EVERYTHING!

This is not a long post, but culminates with a couple of questions…

Are you giving God access to your life and your family through faith?

Are you making room for faith in your life or are you living the American dream of being independently successful?

The Lord has blessed Danielle and I so much in our 22+ years of marriage. The greatest blessings (and I mean not just physical things, but when our relationship is the closest with the Father and growing) is when we have made room for faith and stepped out into the unknown. I can easily look back over the last few decades and give Him praise for the mile markers that only He is able to create and build upon.

I can only speak for myself here, but when the Lord calls me to move a mountain, I want to be prepared to not only shift the mountain, but to pick it up and throw it off its foundation…for that is what my Father asked me to do!

Are you making room for faith in your life?

I love you brothers and sisters!

Scott

Chain Reactions

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I read a post this morning on Linked in about the the quality of air that we breath and the effects of on your brain activity (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rexmiller_airquality-building-quality-activity-6891377025228042240-lCPI). Basically, the better the air quality the higher your brain function and the reverse. After I read that post I went out for a run, which is where my brain turns on, my creativity flows and I have the opportunity to spend time with the Lord; it is one of my favorite parts of my day. Getting outside to run and breathing the fresh air, starts a chain reaction in my life.

As I was running this morning, I had the desire to write, but nothing was coming to mind and I refuse to write for the sake of writing. I will not force content or ideas unless the Holy Spirit is prompting me with a topic. At the very end of my run this morning the thought popped into my mind, “chain reactions.” So many paths in our lives are a chain reaction that resulted from a small decision. Although they can, the big decisions do not typically alter our long term course. Think about it for a second…choosing the apple over the bowl of ice cream will lead to better health, choosing to read and absorb your Bible over spending time on social media with lead to a stronger relationship with the Father, choosing to go for a walk outside in the fresh air over watching one more show on Netflix will lead to more creativity, health, etc. It is the little decisions that we do and do not make which have a lasting impact on our life. They are the chain reactions that cause the good and the bad.

I was reading Roman’s this morning and this principle is so very clear.

“But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them.”

Romans 1:18-19

“Yes, they know God, but they wouldn’t worship his as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead because utter fools.”

Romans 1:21-23

“Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things they should never be done.”

Romans 1:28

The first chapter of Romans is one big chain reaction. We push away what we know in favor of what feels good to the flesh, one small decision at a time, and before we know it we are knee deep in a situation that we have no idea how to get out of due to the self deception of our own mind. We are lonely and feel abandoned due to our own decisions. For some men It is a simple decision to look at that sexy Instagram post that turns into a path of searching and seeking out pornography online for hours at a time, which ultimately leads to a brain that does not function correctly and does not know what true intimacy is. For some women It is fictional love story story that turns into questioning why their husband does not measure up to the picture perfect man in her head. It is all a chain reaction that starts at a small little insignificant decision. A decision that leads to the death of joy, happiness, and relationships…and ultimately your self esteem and true identity as a son and daughter of the King.

The little decisions matter as they are what sets off the chain reactions in our life.

Oftentimes when we get too far down the road of bad decisions, it is can seem almost impossible to turn around and move in right direction. What it really requires is a quick reflection of what got me here today? It was the culmination of many little decisions that brings you to the place you are. It was one second spent staring at that sexy image, It was one calorie at a time that led to being overweight, it was one chapter read in that romance novel that you continued to read while the voice in your heart was saying put it down, it is but one small decision that compounds over time and leads to the poor result. If that logic works and gets us to the poor results, then all we need to do is reverse the process. We make one small decision to go in the other direction. We ask our spouse for forgiveness for our behavior, we seek out a counselor to help us slowly put things back to together, we put down the food that controls us, we get outside and walk an extra 100 yards every day, etc.

life is full of small insignificant decisions that cause chain reactions leading to life or death. What do you want to choose today? What change do you want to see in yourself and the world around you today?

Paul opens up Romans chapter 2 with this warning…”You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse!” As believers we are forgiven and our sin is washed away, but that does not mean we are perfect and we can sit here in this place of forgiveness and judge those around us. We should view the world through the broken heart of the Father and with every thing we have, reach out and serve each other…helping each other make better decisions, offering encouragement to those who need it, loving the ones that feel unlovable because of their decisions.

What are you doing today to make better decisions for yourself and that will inspire others to do the same. It only takes one small insignificant decision to chance the course of our lives and those around us.

So, be aware today and encourage someone who needs encouragement…and when and if that thought of “they got was they deserved” comes to mind…ask yourself “did you get what you deserved?”

Let’s start a chain reaction today of love, mercy, grace, kindness and see what happens in our areas of influence.

I love you brothers and sisters…be encouraged today and make a good decision!

Scott

Walking By the Spirit

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I find it so interesting the older I get and the more I read the Bible, the more hungry I become to learn and grow in the ways that Jesus taught. My standard M.O. is I will read a passage, a chapter, a story, etc. and it will get stuck in my head. I will mull it over in my brain throughout the day and into what becomes days of processing. Usually the Holy Spirit will use other circumstances and people to speak a very similar message in a slightly different way causing me to look at all angles of the idea or thought. Such a thought entered my mind last week when I was reading Acts (specific passage to come later).

When Jesus died and His Father raised Him from the dead, he made this statement to His disciples…

7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the [a]Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him (the Holy Spirit) to you [to be in close fellowship with you].

John 16:7 AMP

Jesus left so the Holy Spirit could come and journey with us through this life. Ensuring we had the help and guidance along the way to meet His purpose and accomplish the works the Father created for us before we were even born…IF we choose to be obedient and open ourselves up to host the presence of the Spirit of God. Every Christian denomination believes in the Holy Spirit in some capacity; it is one of those absolutes of our faith. There are many interpretations and doctrines throughout the denominations that attempt to capture the Holy Spirit and His purpose. I am not confident any of them or any of us as individuals capture His essence and purpose well enough, because honestly, how to describe and capture the Spirit of God in words completely. I do not think you can and I believe that is part of the mystery of God. We can only know the Holy Spirit if we invite Him to journey with us in every area of our life and even then, it is a journey of mystery where you discover more of Him every single day.

There is a specific section of Acts that the Lord used to once again demonstrate to me the significance of His Spirit and challenge me to continue to let go of my perceived control and open myself up in a deeper manner to His guidance. Acts chapter 10 tells the story of Cornelius and the Apostle Peter; for the sake of space, I will include the link here to read the chapter. Ask for the Lord to guide you and then read the full chapter if you have time. Acts Chapter 10

Everything that takes place in this chapter is due to obedience and faith in the Holy Spirit; it is pretty incredible when you sit down and put yourself in the shoes of the people in the story. I want to walk you through a few observations.

  • Cornelius – He was Roman Centurion or as I understand it the commander of about a 100 men. Caesar was god in the Roman Empire, but Cornelius was different and worshiped the True God. He feared God and gave charitably to the Jewish people.
  • Cornelius had a vision where the Lord told him to find Peter who was staying with a man named Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea. Invite him to your house.
  • Cornelius sent 2 of his servants or Roman Soldiers to find Peter.
  • Peter (missionary to Jews only at this point) all of sudden got hungry and as he was waiting for food he fell into a trance and had a vision.
  • The Lord told Peter to kill and eat all sorts of animals. To which Peter said no, I have followed Jewish law all my life.
  • The Lord told Peter what I have made clean is good for you to eat. The Lord showed Peter this vision 3 times, because we all know Peter is stubborn and needs to hear things 3 times…I think my name may be Peter too, haha.
  • Peter was trying to figure this out when the Lord told him to go down stairs because there are people waiting for him there.
  • Peter left with the men and they went to the house of Cornelius where Peter offered the Gospel message.
  • As Peter was speaking the Holy Spirit fell and all of Cornelius’ household was baptized in the Holy Spirit, thus confirming to Peter and eventually the whole church that God wanted the Gospel to go to every person including all gentiles.

This story is one of the coolest stories and examples in the Bible of who the Holy Spirit is and what He can accomplish with individuals who are devoted to following the path of the Lord. Throughout this story, the Holy Spirit speaks through visions, guides the footsteps, directs multiple individuals in different areas to converge on one house whom the Father loves and wants to pour out His Spirit on. There is no research on which is the best road to take, what restaurant we should stop by, it is simply 2 individuals seeking God and being available to the Spirit of God. There is no way for me to put into words the desire that arrises in my heart when I read this passage. I can only say I want to make myself available to be a host for the Holy Spirit in such a significant way that he directs every action I take so His will and purpose can be demonstrated and achieved in my life. I don’t want to strive, I don’t want to guess, I don’t want to follow the desires of the flesh, I only want to do what the Father does and say what the Father tells me to …

How can we as the Body of Christ begin to host the Holy Spirit in our lives in a greater capacity? How can we let go of our plans and allow the Holy Spirit to achieve His plans through us? How can we stop saying the words of the flesh in favor of only saying what the Father asks of us…to speak words of grace, mercy, love, encouragement, etc? How can we break down the box we have built around the person of the Holy Spirit, you know the one that say He can’t do that or He doesn’t do that any more? How do we, most of all, let go of our pride and our concern for what people might think if we fully surrender to the Holy Spirit?

I don’t know about you and your family, but for me and my family I want to experience what Peter and Cornelius experienced; the active guidance of the Holy Spirit that led to God’s Spirit being poured out on Cornelius’ entire family and more.

What will you change today to begin the process of hosting the Holy Spirit in your life?

I love you…may you be blessed today in the name of Jesus!

Scott

Encouraging Communities

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I read this somewhere and I have been pondering it ever sense. I cannot remember the author, but know this thought sparked from someone else willing to share their journey. It went something like this but definitely adapted to my own journey; my 20’s I spent seeking mentors and people who could help me be the best and most successful person I could, in my 30’s I spent a lot of time wanting to be like those people and this went even in my 40’s a bit. I spent way too much time trying to be something that someone else wanted me to be, to my own and my family’s detriment. For the last 3 years, I have had a single focus in this area…working hard at being who I was created to be and surrounding myself with healthy and whole people who want the same for me.

What do those people and communities look like? Every 2nd Wednesday I get on a video call with 4 other people who love each other for who they are and simply want the best for one another. We have coined this group “The Jesus People Team”. Today we added a 5th and she was a wonderful addition to our morning video group.

During this morning’s meeting one of our amazing friends brought up the Litany of Humility, which I have never heard before. It is a prayer of humility that is designed to be stated and responded to by the congregation. It struck me in a powerful way this morning, which I will explain in a minute and why it is so important to our community.

Lord Jesus. Meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

Did you know we were made for community, we were made for deep relationships, we were made to walk the paths of life with family, friends, and brothers and sisters who share our faith in Jesus.

— Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val (1865-1930)

Humility is a hard thing, because we all have an inner need to be encouraged, to be loved, to be validated, to be included, etc. This brings me to why I love this community…

  • We encourage one another – There no need to seek it, because we love each other and encourage one another.
  • We love one another – There is no need to seek it, because you know you are loved by each another.
  • We approve of one another – We are diverse and unique but each person knows the other person approves of them.
  • We honor one another – There is no need to seek it, because we choose to focus on each others strengths and gifts…honoring those things instead of the shortcomings and weaknesses.
  • We choose one another – There is no need to seek attention, because we have all chosen to spend this hours with one another every single month.
  • There is no fear of ridicule because we love one another and provide support and encouragement.
  • There is freedom to be open and honest with our weaknesses because their is only love, support, and prayer for one another.
  • There is no fear of rebuke, because it is done in love.
  • There is no fear of what others are thinking, because we all have the best intentions for one another and there is no manipulation.

We are a diverse group of Jesus Followers; Catholic, Reformed, Pentecostal, etc…we have chosen to find unity and friendship in the absolutes of our faith and not be concerned with all the little differences. We truly do have unity in our diversity because we are all on the same journey…seeking out the heart of Jesus for each other, our families, our work lives, and every area of our life!

The Litany of Humility struck me this morning, because although we all may struggle with some of the things, the Lord has surrounded me with people that help me not struggle with those things very much, because I am surrounded by people who love me and want the best for me.

Do you have that family, do you have a community of people who help you be the best you can possibly be? Stop seeking out people you inspire to be like and seek out healthy people who inspire you to be the person you were created to be!

I love you, blessings.

Scott

Recognizing His Path…

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Yesterday morning I was sitting in Church reading and praying. I was reading in John and when I read 12:37, something struck me. “But despite all the miraculous signs Jesus had done, most of the people still did not believe in Him.” People witnessed amazing miracles; eyes opened, the deaf hearing again, forgiveness of sin, and the dead rising…how could you not believe when you witness so many miracles. One of the answers is the Jewish leaders had fabricated a picture of what the messiah would look like, the kind of actions he would take when he arrived, and plainly Jesus did not meet their expectations so they chose not to believe. The Messiah had come, He wasn’t what they wanted, so they decided to kill him and wait for the real one. There are a host of other reasons they did not recognize the messiah; pride, sin, self created law, hearts hardened, etc. but this one struck me personally.

How do I protect myself from fabricating a picture in my head about the way things should go and then completely miss God’s blessing because it did not look like what I thought it would?

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.

– John 16:33 NLT

Danielle and I made a pretty significant decision in our lives recently, one that many probably do not understand. It was a decision that came from literally 6-7 months of prayer and seeking wisdom. It was a decision that we had to come to agreement apart from one another as to ensure we were both seeking the Lord independently. On the morning of December 15th, the Lord made it plain to Danielle and I independently of one another, that it was the day. So we took action.

Fast forward 3 weeks and we begin a new season, we start a 21 day fast with our church family, and Danielle and I are at the church each morning from 6-8 to pray. rather than try to write this in paragraph form I am just going to give you a quick bullet pointed list.

  • Danielle catches a cold, virus or something.
  • I bend over and hurt my lower back – I do not have back problems and I do not deal with pain very well.
  • Danielle and I are sitting in church praying the next day and I ask the Lord to please heal my back. Literally the feeling of electricity shoots through my lower back and I stand up from my seat with no pain. HOLY CRAP, Praise Jesus!
  • Sidney catches a virus – She is never sick and doesn’t do sick well.
  • Sidney’s ear is plugged and she is experiencing sharp pain – Danielle prays for her and the pain goes away and hasn’t returned…again, Praise Jesus!
  • Danielle flies to Denver for a conference…excited for her, but man I love her and hate being apart.
  • I catch the virus and am not feeling well…Yes, I am your typical “man-cold” kind of guy.
  • Sidney is still not feeling well and both eyes turn pink…ugh.
  • Sidney is completely sick of being sick – how do I know it is bad, because she now doesn’t mind me giving her hugs and praying over her…even though inside she secretly loves these things.
  • Riley is healthy, but like me, she struggles when we are not around people. Being homebound is kind of like torture for us.

Thankfully today is now Saturday and Danielle is coming home! Why do I walk you through all of this? This is exactly how I protect myself from missing my Father’s good and perfect plans. I know, because His Word tells me, this walk of faith will always come with trials, it is not a clear and perfect path. Our walk will have many ups and downs and for the very reason I know the trials and frustrations are like lamp posts on the path the Lord is calling us to follow. He is good and faithful and longs for us to rely on Him through this journey. The journey will at times throw more at us than what we can handle, it will seem overwhelming, and as if we made the wrong decisions at times. But, we hold fast to what the Lord has spoken and what He has written, and we take one step at a time. We praise Him in the good and we praise Him in the bad, because we are confident in every situation He will show up!

And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.

– Romans 8:28 Amp

So my question to you is…How do you ensure you do not miss what the Lord has for you based on a false perception you have created?

Blessings,

Scott

Learning to Listen Better

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When Danielle and I started our life together on July 10th 1999, we committed to follow the Lord wherever He took us. As many of you know that not so little commitment has meant a few moves and a little uncertainty. It has resulted in many people misunderstanding us and at the same time me struggling because I care a little too much what others think. Although that will most likely be a challenge I deal with the remaining years of my life, the Lord has brought me to a place where I know the only opinion that really matters, is His. He is my Rock and my Salvation and the majority of our listening energy needs to be turned towards Him.

Listening is a funny thing for me…I love to listen to people; allowing them the opportunity to be heard and valued. We all need more of that. But when it comes to listening to my Heavenly Father, I listen with the anticipation of a little boy opening up His first big present on Christmas…He opens it up and then forgets there is more! When I hear the Lord, I stop listening and get to work. In doing so I may miss anything else He has for me until a later date.

I was praying at church this morning for a few hours. His challenge to me was to shut up and simply listen. Read his word, sit in silence, and just listen for His voice. Do you know how hard it is for me to sit still for 10 minutes, let alone 2 hours to LISTEN??? As soon as I heard a word, or read something significant my mind immediately went to what can I do with this little piece of wisdom? Then I remembered, stop, continue to read, and keep listening.

This season of the journey starts with listening; listening to what the Father says through His Word, listening to what the Holy Spirit is speaking and listening to what the world needs…a Savior who can remove all fear of death and uncertainty.

The challenge….

What is the Bible saying to you? Are you reading it?

What is the Holy Spirit speaking to you? If you put your faith in Jesus, then the Holy Spirit dwells in you and longs to commune with you…just listen.

What is the world saying to you? Remember we typically act out when we are scared, hurt, lonely, and desperate for help. Our world is experiencing the symptoms of an orphan spirit…it needs the Love of the Father that is in you.

In John 7:24 Jesus said this…”Look below the surface so you can judge accordingly”. Just like judging, listening goes far deeper than the surface. We can only listen when we go below the surface, and look at the heart of the matter. That is why the Father hears and listens perfectly…because He knows our heart.

Father, open the ears of your people, take the scales off our eyes, help us to see the ripe fields ready for harvest and most of all…help us to fully listen and boldly take the step you call us to take today!

Blessings,

Scott

WELCOME…

Scott BosLeave a comment

Welcome to our journey. Danielle has often said that she believes our family is called to live life differently. It is true, we have lived a rather unconventional life where we have done everything we can to pursue the call our Heavenly Father has for us. As we walk into this next season, we believe we are being called to take that principle to the next level. What does that mean? Plainly, we do not know or even vaguely understand what it looks like. What we do know is life will look different and we will have many opportunities to grow in faith and service. We are going to learn how to nurture our desire and dreams to start our own businesses, support and serve one another in our dreams and aspirations in a greater capacity, and most importantly be able to serve and love the people around us in a more significant way. It is our hope that we will meet some awesome people along the way, inspire the dreams and passions in others, and selfishly… it is our prayer that we will grow in our own personal faith, stretching ourselves and relying on our Heavenly Father for our provision.

“Come, follow me”

– Jesus

There is a deep desire within us, one that is woven into the very fabric of my DNA, that longs to live as the first Apostles did. The one that prompted the disciples to drop everything when Jesus looked them in the eye, put His hand out and said, “Come, follow me.” That is our calling, to follow Him, wherever He wants to take us…

– Scott and Danielle