SecondIron's Blog

Sharpening Iron to Live Second

Simple Guidance For You In Hurricane Irma

With Hurricane Irma bearing down on Florida as I write this. I debated whether or not to continue writing, but here we go. It is with great confidence and belief that Hurricane Irma will pass by, do her dirty deeds on Florida, and we will be resilient and recover. We are a state that has seen our share of hurricanes over the years, and we get by. I know some of you are thinking well you’ve tucked away in northeast Florida, they never get hit with much. You are right I am tucked away in Jacksonville at the moment, yet like many of you in the Southeast, I am watching Irma with trepidation. A little while ago a friend of mine posted on Facebook in one of our private groups his concern as to whether he was prepared enough for what Irma was going to bring. We are called to provide and protect our family, our loved ones, our friends and when it comes down to it complete strangers as needed. Are we ever prepared fully? I don’t think so; God even says in Mathew 25:13 “Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.” Did you get that? We don’t know, all we can do is prepare our lives the best we can and put our trust in him. Please do not misunderstand me; I am not saying just sit in Irma’s path and wait and see. A dose of common sense to bug out if you need to […]

Finding Christ-like Humility

I was raised in a family in which appearances mattered. Not the tummy-tuck, plastic-face type, but the status and what “people might think” kind. More vanity and less humility.   Granted this was not how I was born, but it was how I was raised. Unknowingly I became blindly judgemental, arrogant, and condescending. I spent much of my young adult life trying to not be like I was raised. Yet turned out just as was planned. Over last few years I have been searching for my true north. Was it my identity I sought? Did I even know who I really was? A couple of years ago, my crown came crashing down. I met Jesus face to face in a hospital in Port au Prince, Haiti. It was there that I felt His pain, a pain I caused him, by the life I had been living. I had been angry for so long because of what others had done to me. Never taking the time or caring enough to see what I did to others in return. It was not until I came to grips with who I am in Christ, that I began to recognize my true calling. Humbled onto my knees the weight of my past crumbled off my shoulders. Jesus was there with me wiping away the pieces, comforting my tears. A sinner undeserving of His love or forgiveness, He ignored my transgressions as only He could. My past became a message, my journey was not in vain, as one day He would […]

Jesus did not have a Plan B, We are all called

Imagine spending years of your life getting to know someone only for them to leave you with no plan b. Not only did they leave, but they were crucified on a cross before your very eyes. Hung on a tree for all humanity. Overwhelmed with sorrow and guilt you try to pick your life back up. One day your friend returns to you with a request. “Go out and make disciples” Confused you begin to struggle with the “truth.” How are you to tell others what you have seen without them thinking you are crazy? Your friend implores you, tells you have been chosen. What if the disciples had said “no?” Jesus had no plan B. We each are commissioned to spread the gospel: All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age. ~ Matthew 28:16-20 You see Jesus had no other plan, no other options but for us to spread his word. It was not only up to the disciples that lived over two-thousand years ago. It is up to each one of us today to share his message as well. Every Christian is asked to carry on Jesus’ message to the world. It can be as simple as a conversation with a neighbor over the dinner table, […]