Marinating Life
Steak is my favorite protein. I like it cooked medium rare smothered in sauteed onions and mushrooms; simply delicious. Put it all next to some mashed potatoes and green beans and you've got a great meal. A great steak starts with great seasoning and marinade. It's interesting how it works but the meat absorbs the flavors of each seasoning you put on it. What you put in comes out and the longer you allow the meat to marinade the more flavor you'll get.

Welcome to the Cosby Cooking Channel! Today we will be cooking New York Strip Steaks. On one of the steaks you place some salt, pepper, steak rub, and a little minced garlic. You place the steak in the bag and pour some marinade sauce of your choosing into the bag. Sound good yet?

It's time to prepare the other steak. We won't use any good seasonings or sauces to marinade this steak in. Instead we will use whatever we can find in the garbage can. Let's dig in and see what we can find; leftover spaghetti, half drunk Starbucks Frap, a dirty disinfectant cloth, a tenth of a bottle of Sprite, some pieces of paper and last weeks chili! Alright so we've got all our garbage to place in the bag with the steak. You'll need to let them sit for a few hours for the flavors to absorb into the meat. Fortunately, I've already done this before the show today so you won't have to wait to see the results.

Ok, our grill is fired up and ready to go. Let's pull our "good" steak out of the marinade bag and place it on the grill (sizzle, smoke). MMmmmm...yea that smells great! We'll just let that cook for a few minutes before we flip it. Ok, steak one is done! Doesn't that look fantastic? Alright, steak two going on the grill (sizzle, smoke) ughh...cough This steak doesn't even smell good. There is no way that it will taste good...Well folks there you have it. If you put garbage in you'll get garbage out! And now this steak is going into the trash. Thanks for tuning into the Cosby Cooking Channel I'll see ya next year "same Cosby time, same Cosby Channel."

We marinade our lives; what seasonings and sauces we us is up to us. Know that whatever you absorb will eventually come out. If you listen to, watch, read, think, and eat garbage you will being to smell like garbage. You will begin talk trash, think trashy thoughts, believe garbage truth, smell like garbage, look like garbage and live like garbage.

The challenge today; marinade yourself in Jesus! Bask in His Holy Presence. Absorb His filling word and believe His wholesome truth.
Are you ready for Dating?
A "Sure Shot" way to get any teenagers attention is to talk about sex, dating, or the end times. Combine the three topics and you'll have an interesting discussion to say the least. My goal is to provide a simple set of questions that anyone can ask themselves before entering into a dating relationship. I'll confess that I am not a relational guru by any means but I've learned a few things the hard way. Feel free to comment and add to list if you'd like.

Am I Ready? Questions to ask yourself.

-Have I prayed about it? (Philippians 4:6)
-Why do I want to be in a relationship? (Jeremiah 17:9)
-What do my parents/pastors have to say about it? (Proverbs 15:22)
-How is my relationship with God? (Mark 12:29-30)
-How is their relationship with God? (2 Corinthians 6:14)
-Do I know the person well enough?

Most would define dating as a "getting to know" type of relationship. In my opinion no one should date a person that they don't know. It saves a lot of heartache and trouble to date people, with whom, you already have a friendship with. I hope this helps!
Answering the Call to Die.
My heart has been ringing off of the hook. God has been attempting to reach me, to call me out of this mediocrity and into His abundance. I didn't want to answer but God always leaves a message...

A few months ago, I got the message. I needed change and I knew it. I needed something to get me out of the state of spiritual limbo that I was experiencing. I knew what God was asking me to do. I just wasn't ready to listen.

I went to a local Christian Bookstore to search for a new devotional. I heard from a friend that a new one had been released. I searched the "personal growth" aisles until I found it, "A Call to Die." I was excited. Maybe this would be what I needed.

I went home and quickly read through the Prologue. That was no problem. It was the introduction that issued the greatest challenge to me. Before I could progress in the book the author challenged me to sign a 40 day commitment. It was a commitment to fast the thing that was most distracting to me spiritually. Disappointed, I closed the book and placed it on my shelf.

My heart never stopped ringing. I could feel God tugging away at me; begging me to give Him everything I have to give. I fought, kicked, got angry, and finally broke down into tears. I decided in that moment to start a new journey and I answered the "Call to Die."

I am on Day 3 now and I can't express to you the joy that has filled my heart. I have a new motivation to love and serve. I have an increasing passion for Jesus. He is breathing His life into me as I slowly die to myself and carry this cross.


Mark 8:34 34Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.