Category: Guys With God

Blog

How to Keep “IT”

Charity begins at home…

This is one of the best thought tools I have come to rely on over the years. 
The version I learned was phrased like this; 

“You can’t keep it unless you give it away.”

It’s an action thought that has never failed me since I began my walk with Christ and in sobriety. 

Unless I am willing to help another, I am not in a position to spiritually receive the gifts the Lord blesses me with. 

Now this doesn’t mean we should give away everything we have, or start a crusade to end world homelessness,..

but it does mean that each day we should open the eyes of our hearts to see how we can best be of service to someone around us…

Check your experience. … 

“Helping others is the foundation stone” Big Book pg. 97. 

 Lord, please open the eyes of our heart daily to see how we can best serve another, AMEN.  

“that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27 

 Have a blessed day y’all! 

Join us in prayer and with your financial support as we tackle the challenge of helping and mentoring young adults aging out of the Foster Care System.

https://homesfromheaven.org/ 


AZ Charitable TAX CREDIT!!

Heart Light

Turn on your heart lights… 
It’s so much fun for me this time of year to see and enjoy the many creations and imaginative displays. 


Christmas lights everywhere not only give light but also a sense of warmth, happiness, and peacefulness. 


It’s easy to get caught up in the festivities and décor of the season. 

I have a few things I keep in front of me as a reminder of what this Season is truly about. 


Light plays an important role in the Christmas season as well as in our spiritual lives. 


The Holy Spirit that resides in each of our hearts helps to light up our spiritual walk and growth. 


In this season of giving we can help others by turning on our heart lights to show them the grace, love, and comfort we enjoy from our faith in the God of our understanding… 

Check your experience… 


“I must turn in all things to the Father of Light who presides over us all.”  Big Book pg 14 


Lord, let us turn on our heart lights to help share Your life and grace with others, AMEN.  


“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light. “ John  8:12 


Have a blessed day Y’all!





Join us in prayer and with your financial support as we tackle the challenge of helping and mentoring young adults aging out of the Foster Care System.

https://homesfromheaven.org/ 


AZ Charitable TAX CREDIT! 

Take Time to Listen

Take time to listen before waiting to speak… 


Have you ever caught yourself on “auto-pilot” in a conversation? 


For me, it usually happens during a familiar conversation or recurring situation. 


My mind tells me the answer before the other person even asks or finishes! 


Now maybe it’s different for you, but I catch myself going into auto- pilot mode when I start deciding what must be done even before I have really listened and or HEARD what the other person is trying to say. 


OK, so this is part of standard fare for raising kids under 5 when it comes to junk food and unsafe toys, we DO know the answers before they form the question, but this type of listening hurts us in all other aspects of our lives. 


Think about it. 


We like to be listened to, heard, and feel that we have been understood. 


It’s a spiritual principle that we need to treat others in the same way that we wish to be treated. 


So maybe this is the 3rd time Aunt Mabel has told you the story about her trip to the grocery with the wrong coupons. 


Perhaps by actively listening to her and building conversation around her story, she may finally feel heard and stop telling you the same story. 


How do you listen? 


Does the solution noise in your head drown out what the other person is trying to say? … 


Check your own experience and…

Take time to listen instead of waiting to speak. 


“We never gave the spiritual side of life a fair hearing.” Big Book pg 50 


Lord, let us listen with our hearts and hear with You Holy Spirit that resides in us all, AMEN. 


 “To answer before listening– that is folly and shame. Proverbs 18:13 


Have a blessed day Y’all!! 


What if you had a person who coached and mentored you in building a better life?  


Inspired 365 Life Coaching with Mark Farley!! 


https://www.faiththroughworksfellowship.org/inspired-365-life-coaching 


Want a one-on-one coach to get you out of where you are?  

Email today and let’s chat to see if we can make up a plan for you to get you to where you want to be!


[email protected]

Last Is First

Last is first… 


This is a fun time of year to watch people if you are a people watcher! 


It’s so inspiring to see the love folks have for others displayed as they shop and search for the gifts that they want to get for their loved ones. 


They forgo lunch to shop, they multi-task in order to have extra time to pick up the items that they want to give loved ones, and they even cover for one another other tasks to allow the time needed to pick up the treasures to put under the tree. 


What is so inspiring to me about seeing these activities is that it shows me that the Holy Spirit is alive and working in the hearts of others. 


It’s a spiritual principle to put others before ourselves and this is a great time of year to see folks naturally doing this motivated by the love fueled by the Holy Spirit in their hearts. 


It’s hard to see this in ourselves but easy to see in others. 


Do you find yourself putting others before you… 


Check your experience… 


 “Our real purpose is to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God and the people about us.” Big Book pg. 77 


Lord, let us put others first in order to learn Your will for us, AMEN. 


“Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Mark 9:35 


Have a blessed day Y’all! 


Join me in looking at the things we face daily with passages from both the Big Book and Bible! 


https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pastor+mark+farley&ref=nb_sb_noss 


 How about a daily dose of hope and inspired thought? 

Power Sources

Power sources… 


It’s amazing and enjoyable to see the many lighting and lawn displays this time of year as we celebrate the Christmas season. 


What a credit it is to our resourcefulness and technological advancements seeing how all these amazing displays are powered. 


There is even a gadget that electronically coats the entire outside of your home in electronic moving Christmas lights! 


It seems there is power available to support whatever we can imagine. 


That leads me to think about the things inside of us that perhaps either pride, fear, or negativity keep us from trying, doing, or experiencing. 


Perhaps it’s different for you, but “the committee” residing in my mind used to prevent me from trying to improve myself, not to mention growing mentally and spiritually. 


The result was I stayed stuck in my own mental prison void of spiritual growth and freedom from the bondage. 


It all changed when I was able to choose to fight for my freedom. 


As I grew my sobriety and my spiritual life, my fears quieted down, my pride and self-centeredness decreased, and the committee in my mind was voted out of office! 


Just like the virtually unlimited power sources we have in our homes, I was able to tap into the unlimited Power Source of Jesus and sobriety based on the maintenance of my spiritual condition through daily working of the 12 Steps. 


Where are you getting your power from?.. 


Check your experience… 


“Much has already been said about receiving strength, inspiration, and direction from Him who has all knowledge and power.” Big Book pg. 85 


 Lord, let us tap into Your power, grace and love to fuel and support all areas of our lives, AMEN 


“But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth.” 2 Timothy 4:17 


Have a blessed day Y’all! 


What if you had a person who coached and mentored you in building a better life? 


Inspired 365 Life Coaching with Mark Farley!! 


https://www.faiththroughworksfellowship.org/inspired-365-life-coaching 


Want a one-on-one coach to get you out of where you are? 


 Email today and let’s chat to see if we can make up a plan for you to get you to where you want to be! 


[email protected]

Clear Vision

Clearing our vision… 


Those of us who wear eyeglasses know that we must frequently clean them in order to have clear vision. 


Most of us enjoy a clean windshield free of debris as we drive our cars. 


It’s even beneficial to clean our tablet, laptop, and computer screens, in order to see images clearly. 


So why is it we allow our internal vision to be clouded like a pair of dark sunglasses? 


Think about it. Perhaps it’s different for you, but there have been times in my life where I have allowed the influences of people, places, and things to cloud my visions and not see the truth. 


Unfortunately, consequences followed because of my inability to see clearly. 


I have learned over time through the 12 Steps and in having a daily relationship with Jesus in my life that I can keep the eyes of my heart free and clear of external negative influences along with my own selfish self-centered pride filled wishes by constantly seeking and doing God’s will. 


What helps me the best to keep the eyes of my heart clear is to have folks in my life that also seek God’s will over their own


Check your experience… 


“See to it that your relationship with Him is right, and great events will come to pass for you and countless others.” Big Book pg. 164
 
Lord, let us open the eyes of our heart and clean away anything that clouds or blocks our vision and relationship with You, AMEN. 


“First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.” Luke 6:42 


Have a blessed day Y’all! 


Join me in looking at the things we face daily with passages from both the Big Book and Bible! 


https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pastor+mark+farley&ref=nb_sb_noss 


 How about a daily dose of hope and inspired thought? 

Asking Motives

It’s all in how you ask… 


Have you ever asked or prayed for something only to either not get it or get something you were not expecting? 


For years I have been asking and praying for weight loss, six pack abs, and a Tim Berry physique but y’all know that ain’t happening! 


I am sure many folks ask to win the lottery, but we all know how that goes! 


The thing I have learned in my sobriety and in my walk with Jesus is that it is OK to ask for things….BUT…. make sure we are asking with an open mind, willing heart, and correct motives. 


It seems all these years I have asked for weight loss while not being completely willing to do the required work on my part with diet and exercise. 


When I do ask in prayer with the right motives, the right things happen. 


While I don’t have six pack abs and a Tim Berry Physique at the moment, I have lost 127 pounds over the past 4 years. 


So, for me, the lesson is to look at my motives before asking in prayer to make sure they are backed by willingness and effort on my part. 


When I do this, things tend to work out pretty well. 

How’s this working out for you in your asking and prayer life?.. 


Check your experience… 


“Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives.” Big Book pg 86 


 Lord let us ask You for anything with an open mind, willing heart and motives not based on self-will, AMEN. 


“You do not get things because you do not ask for them. Or if you do ask, you do not receive because your reasons for asking are wrong. You want these things only to please yourselves.” James 4: 3-4 


Have a blessed day Y’all! 


Join us in prayer and with your financial support as we tackle the challenge of helping and mentoring young adults aging out of the Foster Care System.

https://homesfromheaven.org/ 


AZ Charitable TAX CREDIT! 

Fear Source

 So where does fear come from?.. 
Fear is one of those 4 letter words that cause discomfort and pain. 


It’s interesting to me to see the power this word has over our lives. 


Now perhaps it’s different for you, but my experience has shown me that when this 4 letter word enters into my thoughts, if left unchecked and unchallenged, it can cause all sorts of troubles for me and those around me. 


Over the years I have learned that the best way for me to deal with fear is to track it to its source. 


More often than not that source is me and my attitudes, perceptions, and insecurities. 


When I am able to see that the fear is not real but based on my own making, then I am able to give the fear to God in exchange for His grace, guidance, and love. 


How are you handling your fears?.. 


Check your experience… 


“We ask Him to remove our fear and direct our attention to what He would have us be.” Big Book pg 68 


Lord, let us give you our fears in exchange for your guidance, grace, and love, AMEN. 


“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7 


Have a blessed day Y’all! 


What if you had a person who coached and mentored you in building a better life? 


Inspired 365 Life Coaching with Mark Farley!! 


https://www.faiththroughworksfellowship.org/inspired-365-life-coaching 


Want in? 


[email protected]

Can’t Keep It Unless…

 We can’t keep it unless we give it away…. 


 It is a wonderful feeling to be able to help another person with no expectation of a gain or a return.


Perhaps you have experienced this spiritual principle enough to know the powerful blessing it brings to you and those you help.


Just being able to help another is humbling for me, 
for there was a season for me over 32 years ago when I had nothing to give and not much hope. 

Thank goodness for the Salvation Army who loved me until I could learn to love myself again.  


Walking with Jesus and and staying  active in 12 Step  has blessed my life far better than I could have ever imagined with Miss Tami, Miss Kai, and all the gifts of friends, family, ministry, and service work I have in my life today. 

I know from experience that we cannot keep it unless we give it away.  


…check your experience…   


“Helping others is the foundation stone” Big Book pg 97  
 
Lord, thank you for the bounty of blessings and the ability to help others not as blessed as we are right now, AMEN. 


“Because you have these blessings, do your best to add these things to your lives: to your faith, add goodness; and to your goodness, add knowledge; and to your knowledge, add self-control; and to your self-control, add patience; and to your patience, add service for God; and to your service for God, add kindness for your brothers and sisters in Christ; and to this kindness, add love.”  2 Peter 1: 5-7  


Have a blessed day Y’all! 

What if you had a person who coached and mentored you in building a better life?  


Inspired 365 Life Coaching with Mark Farley!! 


https://www.faiththroughworksfellowship.org/inspired-365-life-coaching 


Want a one-on-one coach to get you out of where you are?  

Email today and let’s chat to see if we can make up a plan for you to get you to where you want to be!


[email protected]

Spiritual Google

 A different way to “Google”


Google has made life a lot easier for me! 


It seems whatever I need to know; from directions to anywhere to what is the name of the actress that played Lorelai on Gilmore Girls, Google has it for me in a split second! 


How convenient and time saving it is! 


If only I could get answers to my moral and self-will challenges along with my spiritual directions from Google. 


While Google will attempt to answer our life questions and offer spiritual direction, it can’t see our hearts or know our soul like the Holy Spirit does. 


Thank goodness we can find those answers WHEN we become willing to ask, look, and receive. 


How is this working out for you? 


Are you turning to your internal Google in the form of the Holy Spirit when times are confusing or uncomfortable?… 


Check your experience… 


“Here we ask God for inspiration, an intuitive thought or a decision. Big Book pg 86 


Lord, let us ask You for guidance and direction with open minds and hearts, AMEN. 


“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waiver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1: 5-6 


Have a blessed day Y’all!! 


Join me in looking at the things we face daily with passages from both the Big Book and Bible! 


https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pastor+mark+farley&ref=nb_sb_noss 


 How about a daily dose of hope and inspired thought?