The Week That Changed Heaven and Earth

This is a very important week for many people as we remember the Passion of Jesus Christ. It is a very reflective time for me personally, as I contemplate the intensity of the most significant days of my King.
Historically, the week started with His triumphal entry, His followers hailed Him as King. He cleaned out the Temple, His Father’s House; He had his last meal with the 12 and asked them to remember Him whenever they broke bread; He agonized in prayer before His Father, sweating drops of Blood; He was betrayed with a kiss (what were you thinking Judas?); He was beaten beyond belief, deserted by His followers; He offered up no defense, Pilot washed his hands from responsibility; He endured the cross unto Death, while asking His Father to forgive them, because they did not understand; He was raised form the Dead, ‘Why do you look for the living amongst the dead?’.
Take time to contemplate the importance of the week my friends. It was a week that changed Heaven and Earth.

When the Storm Clears and the Fog Settles in, Yes I am Still with You

Today was one of those amazing mornings on the deck. I looked out into the dark, pre-dawn sky, the view of the heavens was amazingly clear. I could hear the rhythmic throng of the fog horn cut through the calm air, announcing the advent of our coastal fog.
It was then that I heard The Lord gently say to me, “When the storm clears and the fog settles in, yes I am still with you.”
There were so many stories that immediately flooded my mind about Biblical accounts of storms. Especially the stories with Jesus and the twelve. It seemed that Jesus used these experiences to teach the truth that He was with them, with us, in the mists of the storm. But what happens when the storm clears? Is He only the God of the Storm? Or Is He the God of the transition too?
The Bible says that the breadth, and width of God’s love is greater than anything we will face in life, even our own personally generated storms. Jesus said that He would never leave or forsake us.
In life it seems that the most unsure place to be is in transition from a challenging period to the next thing for my life. We are happy to see the storm come to and end, but we can’t ignore the fog of insecurity creeping into our thoughts and emotions. In those moments of trying to gain a sense of perspective, direction, and renewed purpose I share with you this thought from the Deck. He is still with you.
“When the storm clears and the fog settles in, Yes I am with you.”
Have a blessed day.

My First Blog Entry

Thoughts From The Deck

So this is my first blog entry. I hope all of you who asked me to do this find my Thoughts From The Deck to be encouraging, heartfelt, and thought provoking.

Here is my promise for this blog.

On this Blog I will write only what comes to me during my Quiet / Contemplative / Prayer time. I spend a lot of that time on the deck of my home in Half Moon Bay, California. I am a block from the Pacific Ocean. When traveling, I spend it wherever I can find a quiet place. Although I have been known to find a place in a Coffee Shop from time to time.

On this Blog I will stay away from doctrines, dogmas, and other religious things. Sometimes there may be a place to have a doctrinal conversation, but I hope to avoid those conversations for the sake of this blog.

My hope is that this Blog will ultimately encourage you to find your place of daily communion with God.

About me.

I am a father of four wonderful children.

I am the husband of my closest friend.

I am a four sports coach; Basketball, Softball, Baseball, & Football.

I am a life coach, helping people find their purpose and passion.

I am an Entrepreneur.

I am Lead Pastor of Coastlands Church, HMB. We are a house church.

I am a Liberal Fundamentalist Christian.

I hold these four Truths as my Foundation for Life;

God Created the Heavens and the Earth.

Jesus is the Son of God and died for the Sins of the World.

God Raised Jesus from the dead.

Eternal Life is found in the finished work of Jesus Christ’s death and Resurrection.

Those are my Fundamental beliefs, all other conversation pails from there.

I am a lover of all people, and find myself most critical of the Church. That is because I am most critical of myself.

So Welcome to Thoughts From The Deck

Your friend

John Caravalho