How do you picture Jesus…seriously…what does He look like to you, who is He to you…How do you represent Him to others, do you actually represent Him or counterfeit Him.  I am realizing who He is to me, and pray that this blog may encourage you today, that during this “Holy Week”  He is soooo different to sooooo many, but yet the same to all of us as well!  Please feel free to comment!

Before you read on….as I normally do…please watch and listen to this music video (it is not an official video but is the real song)

So yesterday I went to church with the wife….and honestly on the way there I asked God one thing….PLEASE KICK MY BUTT TODAY?  It seems that of late I am wanting to be so effective in my faith, but yet am not knowing which way I need to step it up! I am busy, but that is it!  I am being used by God, and have alot of things in the works, but yet really wanting to desire God soooo much, that I am really refocusing who I am , and not wanting to be labeled for what I do at all and really do not care what anyone thinks of what I do.  I am really wanting what God does through what He gives me to succeed but do not want any of the credit so to say!  Anyways….I walk into church and the message that was given by Pastor Daniel yesterday was what God wanted me to hear!

the title was- Who do you say I am? (taken from Mark 8:29)

in Mark 8:29 Jesus says  “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.”

This was great and all but when it really started to hit home is when Pastor Daniel started telling us who Jesus was to him…I really could feel the Holy Spirit’s presence and in that moment I knew that God was say….hey Tug…who do you say that I am!  I looked at my life….and said I need to write this out…I need to think on this and really choose who JESUS is to me!  Who He is when no one is around, and just flat out decide if I want to be known by being a fun loving laid back guy, or known because of the God that I serve!  So here is who Jesus is to me!  I will do my best to make this known every day by my actions and love for you!  Yes even you, who really do not agree with me!

So here we go… MY JESUS

• is my Savior (who came down from His place on high, stepped into the gates of hell and bore my sin…that is a crap load by itself and he had to carry the rest of the worlds too!)
• is my Father- disciplines when needed, loves when needed, cares when needed, and always calls me his son- no matter how i have wronged him!
• is so giving- I have the best wife and children and family in the world…He has soooooooo blessed me, and it has taken me 10 years to figure this out!
• is my Acceptance (for so many times I battled with living for you(people), that only because of Him I am accepted and do not need your acceptance…but I do value it)
• Loves the “Hell” right out of people- is not afraid to walk into a bar, a different church no matter what denomination, and love on people and that right there is what draws them to Him! His love and pursuit of people…in which I believe is what draws me to Him as well!
• is THERE- wherever I go, no matter when or if you are not there….HE IS!
• is SOOOOOO FORGIVING-  He chooses me, in spite of me, and yet I screw up so many times that I wonder why He continues to forgive, then I look at the cross and see why!
• is Jealous-  I focus on so many things that he is constantly reminding me to live for Him….HE wants my time, my love, my family, and wants me to enjoy life, but give Him the glory…that He is sooooo deserving!
• is my Hope- When I get down, or even when I am up….HE IS MY HOPE….or at least is supposed to be..alot of times I get wrapped into thinking that the Hope is in this world…when in all honesty as Daniel put it yesterday…the world guarantees you one thing…problems!
• is Patient-I look at my life and He knows my heart, He has too…cause deep down I want to love Him sooooo much, but alot of times outwardly it is not apparent, and needs to be!
• Loves Rock Music and CCM music and maybe even U2…lol- in the past 7 years whether you like it or not, has started the ministry called WillRock4Food and has done things through it that only He can do
• Is my peace- my life has been a wreck, in the last year, I have been laid off, lost students, still dealing with the loss of my Grandma, personal struggles and ministry struggles, fighting with God, and others and finally realize…HE IS MY PEACE! in the midst of problems, I do not worry because He is in control!
• is My ambition- Alot of people look at what I do as being prideful sometimes, and if you would get to know me, you would know at the core of me, is to do whatever it takes to get the tasks done that Jesus has given me!  I come acrossed pushy sometimes, but I believe that God has entrusted me to exalt Him with my responsibilities and if I am not busting my rear to do these responsibilities well, than who am I doing them for…Jesus did not go to the cross HALF WAY!
• is always moving- I do not think that He sits in one place and just waits on things to happen…I believe He is always on the move in and around us and wants us to constantly be moving to learn more and love more for Him!
• is my Provider- I can honestly say, that I do not know how it happens and that is the way He loves it…Got laid off, and did not miss a check, but more than that, I never questioned that but yet was wondering where I was going to be…
• is moving from being lord of my life to LORD OF MY LIFE- I have not been great at Him being everything to me, and am moving to allowing Him to be LORD over all!
• is suprising-  if you asked me last year where I would be at this time…I would not have told you…where I am at today…I would have said…a youth pastor of this church (do not know which one)  but now this is where He has me…National Sales Director for Radius Gateway ( http://www.radiusgateway.com ), Exec. Director of Will Rock 4 Food ( http://www.willrock4food.com ), and newly hired coordinator of THE STICKS ( http://www.thesticks.tv ) I am sooooooo stoked about the last thing (the Sticks) in which it is not something that I even saw coming and God spoke to the team and they called….GOD JUST FLOORS ME!
• Humbling-  I so am just happy to be His…
• is my teacher
• is my friend
• is my butt kicker
• shows me how to be a better dad and husband and son and friend
• has taught me that I love you….no matter what you have ever done to me…seriously!
• needs me to LOVE HIM MORE!
• looks past the Shell to see the inside!

I am not putting this out there for you to read…but merely for me to hold myself accountable!  I realize of late that what you speak, comes from your heart, and if others hear your heart, than you know that is what was needed to be shared!  I am a work in progress…a mess at the least, but yet God finds in me something and wants me to know His Son…and to know that I am His!!

If you need to discuss anything….feel free to call me at 419-236-3107 , I am not the most theologically deep person in the world….BUT I BELIEVE I LOVE AND CARE WITH THE BEST OF THEM!!

-Unworthy But His!
Tug