My Quest

Two of the cats are exerting great concentration and lightning quick moves in their quest to capture an elusive foe, a single fly. Mr. Whiskers and Boo Kitty have been in pursuit of the single house fly since yesterday. They have tried the aerial attack, leaping and twisting in a crazy contortionist flight, their paws trying to connect with the winged insect. All with no success. They have crouched on the carpet, sneaking like cats do, to the curtains in the living room. The fly, in full knowledge of their pursuit, clings to the lower edge of the curtain. With lightning speed Boo Kitty leaps at the curtain. He misses his adversary but manages to get his claws stuck in the curtain.


Even now, while they rest, the winged nuisance is making his presence known. I have no idea how one fly in a house big enough for ten can find the only person inside. I move from one room to another and within a few minutes I get buzzed and then I get aggravated. I wish the cats would have some success in their hunting expedition.  I'll give them until tomorrow and then I will pull out the big guns, fly swatters and bug killer.


How can such a little thing be such a really big nuisance? One way is, you might not see them coming. The little dirt carrying devils can come out of no-where, buzz your ears and land on your neck. Another way, they have creepy crawly feet and when they walk on you it is nasty feeling. Another way, I know where they have been and what they like to eat, stuff I won't mention here. You know what I am talking about


The cats will continue their quest until that fly is no more. I want them to continue. For one thing it is good entertainment. For another, their quest is good reminder to me, sounds weird hey, There are many little things in my life that are a nuisance. Some are negative thinking, belly aching, poor faith, and lots more. I imagine I am not alone in the world.


But, I am on a quest. I am on quest for royalty. I am on a quest for honor. I am on a quest for honesty, and every aspect of the life of Christ that is lacking or missing altogether. I need to face the little things in my life that detract and distract.


I hope Mr. Whiskers and Boo Kitty keep up the good work. And, I will keep watching them and keep faithful in the good fight of faith.


Tedd Galloway is the author of, A Mother's Heart Moved the Hand of God. The book was released in May through Morgan James Publishing. It is available at most online sites as well as major bookstores. His website is www.teddgalloway.com  At the site you can watch the YouTube video produced to highlight the book and the story of colorblind love.

God- Wants Me Dead

God Wants Me Dead- That statement sounds pretty extreme don't you think? It is a pretty extreme statement to make, and yet it is true. The statement finds its greatest truth and testing in the lives of His Children, Christians. So, God Wants Christians Dead. Even Jesus, yes, Jesus, wants us dead. In the gospels he gives some pretty sobering guidance for individuals who wants to be his disciples and follow him. That means me. I want to be known as a follower of Jesus Christ and a student of His.


In Luke's gospel Jesus is talking with the disciples about the crowds of people and who they thought he was. Some in the crowd thought Jesus was an Old Testament prophet, back from the dead. When Jesus asked Peter, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter quickly proclaimed, "You are the Christ of God."


Just moments after this confession Jesus made some of the hardest demands upon His followers. The demands that point to my statement, God Wants Me Dead. For, Jesus said that whoever wanted to be His disciple must deny himself daily, take up his cross and follow him. The cross leads to death. Jesus and the two criminals died on the cross. Their bodies were taken down, lifeless and limp.


Now what is the truth that Jesus wanted to help the disciples, and us, understand? It is very simple, yet it is probably the most difficult task in being a Christ Follower. God wants me dead to my own selfish nature. The apostle Paul reminds us, "I am crucified with Christ, never the less I live. Yet it is not I, but Christ who lives within me. And the life that I live, I live by the faith of the Son of God."


Each day I must be willing to put my own will aside. If I have to have things done my way. I must stop demanding my way. If I think I am always right. I need to admit that I am not right 100% of the time, no person is. When God calls on me to do some task I need to complete the job. If God has put upon a human heart some great burden than God expects it to get it done, in spite of how one might feel at any given moment.


The early Church turned the world upside down because they believed that Christ gave them life. They knew that the life of Christ must be lived out in an openly hostile world and they were willing to give their life for Christ. It was the blood of the Apostles and countless disciples that fertilized the barren heartlands and transformed them into flowering oasis's.


Sadly, today the western church is prosperous in property, programs and professionals, yet destitute in selfless living. Church's argue and split because of money, immorality, greed, gossip and at times physical attacks. The symptoms of the selfish church abound, in sharp contrast and contrary to the words of our savior.


Jesus made it very clear that the world judges the church and His followers by the way we love each other. And believe me, there are days that the only way I can love some of the people I deal with is to count myself dead.
I Must be Dead to the World and Alive Unto God

Tedd Galloway is the author of, A Mother's Heart Moved the Hand of God and Encounter at River's Edge. Both books are available through local bookstores, Amazon, and directly from the author.  His website is www.teddgalloway.com  At the site you can watch the trailers for both books, access the blog articles, read his bio, and find contact information.

Inspiration

Inspiration- I have spent more than forty years of my life endeavoring to glorify God and bring inspiration to the people around me. My road has taken me to some pretty depressed places and many awesome places. I spent time on skid row in Chicago and came face to face with men and women who experienced the demonic side of drugs and alcohol. I lived in Benton Harbor where men lived in burnt out and abandoned buildings. In temperatures below zero my wife and I walked through the shells of buildings looking for the shells of men.


How can I bring inspiration to people whose soul is filled with pain, emptiness and apathy? How can any person bring inspiration to men and women who care more about the bottle and fix? The answer is quite easy. I can't and you can't.


Inspiration- How do I bring inspiration when I just don't feel very inspired myself? This is a very legitimate question that deserves an answer. I will say a few things at the end of this post. I haven't posted on this blog for a very long time. The reason; I haven't had anything to say.


Now, for a person who wants to be a writer, that is a pretty lame excuse. I read blogs and stories about writers and the good ones all say the same thing, write anyway. Now, I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but, I am not thicker than two planks. I get it. The word is discipline. I need to learn to be a disciplined writer. God is helping me to understand that if my writing is to bring inspiration to others than He will empower me.


Inspiration- The word finds its truest voice in scripture. Genesis tells us that God breathed into Adam and he became a living soul. Inspiration finds its truest source in the breath of God. God's breath gave life to Adam. His breath gave life to holy scripture, the Bible. The author of Timothy tells us that, "All scripture is inspired by God."


On my own I can no more bring inspiration to the souls of men and women than I can direct the clouds and rain. But, in union with God through His Son, Jesus Christ, I have experienced and continue to experience the breath of God. Each day I can be in communion with the life giving breath of God. If I am to be effective in bringing inspiration I must be connected to the source of inspiration.


Some review of the inner man, my own, is helpful in understanding what can happen. I have been pretty stressed these last couple of months. I have had a book released. I am searching for an agent to represent me in the book world. I am working on the sequel to my first novel. I am trying to encourage an older struggling congregation to find their path of ministry.


In other words, I was giving too much and not taking care of my own soul. That is disaster in the making, a coming tornado that will throw everything into the whirlwind of confusion and near blindness.


Just prior to starring at this monitor I closed my eyes for a few minutes and  the prayer of my heart was quite simple, 'Lord help me do what you want me to do."


Take care of your soul. Find and practice the avenues that bring you to the streams of peace, regeneration and inspiration. If you do not take care of your own soul you will be unable to bring inspiration to another.


Tedd Galloway is the author of, A Mother's Heart Moved the Hand of God. The book was released in May through Morgan James Publishing. It is available at most online sites as well as major bookstores. His website is www.teddgalloway.com  At the site you can watch the YouTube video produced to highlight the book and the story of colorblind love.