Details to the small things, not the big picture

Pay attention to the details, the little things. I know it may not always be the funnest thing but it will be rewarding. Looking at the whole picture allows you to see the beauty in its entirety but you miss out on a lot of the smaller aspects.

I lately have been focussed on the big picture, Trips that I want to take, Graduation in a year and a half, my career choice, Im looking to much on the future and big picture.

My fault is I should be paying attention to the finer points, the steps needed to get there. I need to put a focus the Present. I have no control over the what is coming, As Andy Stanley pastor of North Point Community Church said in a leadership podcast "There are thousands of variables we have no control over" "and for the man or women who thinks its because of me that's just blind ignorance" More than that my focus needs to be on the one who has the big picture in his hand. Because He is in control of it all including the thousands of variables. Examples of these variable below.

The last few days have been rough 2 speeding tickets and a fine for my dog getting out of the yard and getting caught by Animal Control. Lesson learned and no Im not talking about watching my speed when Im in the drivers seat(although that needs to be addressed as well) Im talking my focus needs to be shifted from me to his plan. Jeremiah 29:11-13 says

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

If I would just seek Him and His will everything else will fall into place as it should. His plan for me is better than anything I could imagine or want for myself.

Now that I know the lesson its time to put the plan in action to live it out. I love that my God is a merciful God and gives me opportunities to learn from my mistakes and he takes the broken pieces and puts them back together and makes something even prettier than it was before. I am not perfect nor will I ever be on this earth but He is going to mold me the way he wants I just pray that Im soft enough to know its him doing it and allow him to work instead of trying to stiffen up and stand my ground.

View from the stage

DSC_0066, originally uploaded by ramchenry11.

5th and 6th graders submitting in full worship to the Lord on High. Laying on the ground putting nothing above He who is the King of kings. Complete surrender. I pray that these kids don't lose this as they grow up and that they would be an example to the Generations that God is real and very much present.

I can't wait for Christmas.

Im excited for Christmas to get here, but not to receive presents but to give one. The day after Christmas I head down to Juarez to join a team from Kansas to be able to give a family a home Im sure whoever reads this is probably getting sick and tired of hearing this but for me its Exciting. I read facebook updates and twitter posts about how its the Holiday season and everyone is going Christmas shopping and baking holiday treats. Which is awesome good for them but I think people forget the real reason for the season. Christmas is not all about presents and spending time with family, don't get me wrong its a great thing spending time with those you love, But there is something much greater happening. We need to remember that Christmas is the day we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior the little boy born of a Virgin that was laid manger because there was no other place for them to lay his head. He became a man who didn't sin yet died a brutal and agonizing death to pay for our sin. To often people don't think of that when they think of Christmas, I have done it myself Im not perfect but Im trying to not forget the main reason for the season. When I join this team in Mexico we are giving a family a free gift, a home, with walls a door windows celling fan. They don't have to pay a dime for it. We tell them we give them this free gift because we ourselves were giving a free gift the Gift of eternal life. We give them a bible, and the opportunity to accept Jesus into their hearts. A gift of eternal life with the Father and the Son. The opportunity to live in a perfect heaven with a perfect God for all of eternity. That is why I am excited about Christmas. The opportunity to be a light in a dark city. The opportunity to remember The real Reason for the season.

Free Gift

This upcoming Christmas break I will have the honor of getting to go to Juarez Mx. once again and build a home for a family. Eustaquio and Maria will be receiving an home here on earth but they have the opportunity to receive so much more, the opportunity to have eternal life and get to live in a perfect Heaven after they leave this imperfect world. When I go down there I will be joining friends of mine from Kansas and Casas por Cristo. I ask that you would join us and

1) Pray that Eustaquio and Maria would receive not only this home as a free gift from God but also that they would receive Jesus into their heart that they would believe He died for their sins so that they do not have to pay the price themselves,

2) Pray for the team that the funds would come in to complete this home, and that their hearts would be open to the Holy Spirit and they would be blessed as much as they are a blessing.

3) Pray for our Casas Representative Alexis that she would be prepared, healthy and blessed leading up to as well as during and after our trip.

4) Pray for the group leader she is sacrificing her time to put this together because her Love for the people of Mexico and her love of Jesus

5) Pray for the City of Juarez labeled one of the worlds most dangerous cities. Ravaged by drug cartels trying to take control of smuggling routes into the United States.

6) Pray that this group will be a shinning light to a city that is dark and in need of hope.

7) Pray for the Churches of Juarez, that they would be able to use what we do to harvest more souls to the Kingdom of God.

If you took the time to read this Thank you please join me and many others in prayer for these things.

Iraqi memorial

You mean to tell me NBC didn’t highlight this story; nor the “New York Times;” nor the “ Washington Post.” It just can’t be true!

?? DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS? OR WHERE THIS IS? This statue currently stands outside the Iraqi palace, Now home to the 4th Infantry division It will eventually be shipped home and put in the memorial museum in Fort Hood , Texas The statue was created by an Iraqi artist named Kalat, who for years was forced by Saddam Hussein to make the many hundreds of bronze busts of Saddam that dotted Baghdad. Kalat was so grateful for the Americans liberation of his count y, he melted 3 of the heads of the fallen Saddam and made the statue as a memorial to the American soldiers and their fallen warriors. Kalat worked on this memorial night and day for several months. To the left of the kneeling soldier is a small Iraqi girl giving the soldier comfortas he mourns the loss of his comrade in arms. Do you know why we don't hear about this in the news? Because it is heart warming and praise worthy.. The media avoids it because it does not have the shock effect. But we can do something about it. We can pass this along to as many people as we can in honor of all our brave military who are making a difference.

Casas Christmas Trip 2010

If you know me then you have probably heard of a ministry called "Casas por Cristo" or "Houses because of Christ" If you haven't you're about to. I took my first trip to Juarez Mexico with them in August of 2007. I went with my College Ministry and had an amazing time serving along side friends while helping out complete strangers. We built a family a home in just 3 days, It was a 3 room house that was 15 foot wide by 30 foot long, Now im sure you are probably thinking thats not very big but if you go to the Casas por Cristo (CpC) http://www.casasporcristo.org/#/home website and look through the pictures you can see some of the conditions many of these people are living in. Many don't have solid walls around their Shacks. Many are made of pallets and other scrap materials that they can pick up off the side of the road.

The two pictures above are what people are living in the one below is a picture of a home that one of the teams I worked with built.

I have been a part of over 20 house either as a Volunteer or as a CpC intern or Rep. I spent 12 weeks in the summer of 2008 learning how to lead teams to build one of these homes for a family in just the short span of a week It was hands down the best summer of my life, It was also the hardest, I learned how to truly rely on God and understand that I wasn't making it through this world alone He was with me every step of the way and looking back now I can see where he had over his shoulder and was carrying me. Since that summer I have taken Every opportunity to go back and help either by leading groups joining groups of people I dont even know or by going back with my College Ministry. The opportunity has risen once again for me to go. This time with a group of friends from Kansas. I met a few of the people making this trip happen over spring break when I help lead their group in Acuna Mexico. One of them, Aubrie was going to be an Intern in summer of 2010 like I had been back in 2008 so because of our similar interest we became friends. We talked a lot that week and kept in touch. I got to hear a lot of her stories of her summer and it was just being able to talk to someone who was kinda going through the same things I had gone through 2 years previous. Well she is back at KState now and has decided to get a group together to go down over christmas break I have been invited to go along and have gotten the days off that are neccesary. The thing is we dont have a Church funding us so we have to come up with all $4100 to build the house plus food, travel and any gifts we would like to purchase for the families.

Here is where you come in I am humbly asking for any donation you feel that you can give. Let me promise you that you will be rewarded by Our Heavenly Father in return They have started the fundraising and I want to do my part and help so I'm going to start out by asking for help this is not something I have ever done be for because I am a prideful person and I like to do things on my own but I am slowly realizing that its not what I am called to do. I have thought about this a few times and its slowly sinking in but by me not asking for help I am robbing someone from the opportunity to help there are many people out there who want to help but don't know how or can't physically help. This is an opportunity right here. Aubrie posted this on her facebook and just the thought of this blew her mind if all of her facebook friends gave just 5 dollars that would be enough to pay for the house. Im a realist not all of her friends are going to give 5 dollars but im sure many will give 5 and some will give more but im going to ask the same thing if your reading this will you give 5 dollars? Is it on your heart to give more? My plan is while we are building im going to take lots of pictures of the family the team and of course the house. If you give and would like any or all of the pictures i will burn them on a disc and mail them to you.

Anything given will pay for anything from the cement that we lay as the foundation to the tar that we put on the roofing nails to prevent the roof from leaking. The screws for the Drywall, windows, doors. I can't express how thankful in advance I am for your generosity. If you aren't able to help financially will you join us in Prayer that all the funds would come in that travel would be smooth and safe and that we will be able to bless the family with a home a few days after Christmas? Thank you again. If you have any questions about any of this dont hesitate to call me (806) 2067291 Email me ramchenry.rm@gmail.com Subject Casas Christmas 2010 hit me up on Twitter ramchenry11 or Facebook Raphael McHenry Share this with your friends if you want I don't mind at all.

Again Thank you in advance

Raphael McHenry

P.S. I am in the process of setting up a PayPal account that you can donate money online but if you are interested in doing so let me know and i will get the information to you.

This is me

So Im reading a few blogs, No not anyone famous or any sports blogs, just some down to earth real people like I want to be. Friends of mine, but what these friends talk about their life or experiences, a thought or an epiphany (thats a big word for me and I spelled it right the first time) But no matter what they blog about I am blessed just by reading it. Because no matter what they type about it comes from the heart and its honest. Something that I have issues with. Just putting it out there take it or leave it. I hate rejection I hate being rejected or not fitting in to the crowd so I do whatever it takes to fit in and be a part. But its killing me I can't do it anymore I can put on a happy face but then when I'm at home I'm rude, hateful, and just not happy i look at myself as being a loser because i have to pretend to be something I'm not just to keep or make friends. Im tired of it i wanna be me, But not just me but I want to be the me that God wants me to be. I want to be Raphael McHenry that God has plans for to prosper to have a future and a hope. I have caught myself just sitting in my room wondering if i really go through with this how is everything gonna change. How many people are going to want to remove themselves from me but what i have decided is those people don't matter I want to know the people who are going to stick by me. I think I know who those people are but I guess now is as good of time as any to find out. I figure those who actually read this blog will take me for who I am no matter what because your actually taking the time to read this. I ask you to call me out if you think Im being fake or a people pleaser. To those that I read your blog I want to say Thank you. Your posts gave me courage to write this one and actually opened my eyes to what I have become.

So this is me I wanna be real which may mean that I'm raw if you get offended I'm not sorry cause thats just me. Im a gun carrying, God fearing, Southern boy, I have been reborn by the Grace of God and the BLOOD of Jesus. I hope you take me for who I truly am if not then its your loss not mine.