tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127536672024-03-14T09:15:40.680-05:00thecoblogThe aim of thecoblog is to provide spiritually uplifting and convicting messages that help readers strengthen their walk with Christ. This "log of devotionals", written by Collin Brooks, provides insight that will allow you to reenergize your commitment to God and His word. It is Collin's hope that the words God has given him are used in a way that will help others to be Continuously Overwhelmed with Blessings (CoB).Collinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11790641873470503646noreply@blogger.comBlogger133125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753667.post-13161470974217045932016-10-10T18:28:00.001-05:002016-10-10T18:28:33.347-05:00Two Factor Authentication - Use it!Taking a break from my normal Bible-based blogs to provide information about the importance of two-factor authentication for any account you login to online. If you aren't using two-factor authentication, you need to start right now!
What is Two-Factor Authentication?
Two-factor authentication is a process by which you utilize two different sources for authenticating with an online Collinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11790641873470503646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753667.post-38630719534343877892016-01-16T20:16:00.001-06:002016-01-16T20:16:09.655-06:00The "Why" Is Still TherePlanning. Organizing. Knowing what is to come. I rely on all of these to remain sane. As someone who grew up with an abnormal amount of anxiety, I can attest to the fear and frustration that can come from feeling lost in chaos. I'm also a realist and I know these three things are not always possible. Deadlines change, limited time prohibits organization and very rarely can I know one hundred Collinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11790641873470503646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753667.post-6723117245868819132015-06-18T07:09:00.002-05:002015-06-18T07:09:21.395-05:00A Walk With ChristI'm sure you've heard the phrase "a walk with Christ". Truth is, many Christians don't have a walk with Christ, they have a "sit and stare at their belly buttons singing Kumbaya soaking in more and more knowledge about Christ without doing anything with the knowledge" type relationship with Christ. Okay, hear me out before you assume I'm judging you. I struggle with this too!
I love learning as Collinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11790641873470503646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753667.post-48429701903344440662014-03-30T22:18:00.001-05:002014-03-30T22:18:53.354-05:00Pain's PotentialAn unfortunate consequence of our fallen nature is our susceptibility to pain. Pain is inevitable. We all encounter pain both physically and emotionally. No matter how hard we try, no matter how fast we run, pain has the potential to overpower and run us over. The question is, must pain always end in despair and defeat? Is there a reason why God allows us to experience such sorrow?
As a survivorCollinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11790641873470503646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753667.post-54353051796267473612013-08-09T23:37:00.000-05:002013-08-09T23:37:59.243-05:00Wise CounselLife does not happen without bumps and bruises. Thanks to our fallen nature, we often find ourselves in situations where we're faced with drastic decisions that can make or break business deals, scholastic or career paths, relationships and more. At these uncertain times where we may feel confused, lost or just down-right stumped, how can we maximize the potential for making the best decision? Collinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11790641873470503646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753667.post-17142912079347182832011-11-19T14:59:00.001-06:002011-11-19T15:07:37.346-06:00It's been a while...I used to blog a lot. In fact, when I first started thecoblog, I would almost post every other day. At the time, I wrote posts that were meant to be devotionals for friends and family that needed guidance as well as to remind me of the way the Lord wanted me to live. Unfortunately, life got busy and I moved on to other things to fill my time and the blog slowly began to become less and less Collinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11790641873470503646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753667.post-17259824077406832042009-05-29T15:22:00.003-05:002009-05-29T15:27:30.005-05:00Don't Hurt The BodyAs Christ-followers, we are all one body. When any part of the body suffers, the whole body suffers. Knowing this, why do we bicker about silly things? Isn't it obvious that such jabber portrays an attitude of divisiveness?Yes, there are hills that we need to die on (the pillars of faith), but when we argue about things that are "gray", more times than not, the world interprets our bickering as Collinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11790641873470503646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753667.post-68760096024177118922008-08-30T20:17:00.002-05:002008-08-30T20:20:03.605-05:00From Sponges To MirrorsGathering together at church with fellow believers to worship the Lord is an amazing thing. To be able to feel the comfort of God in a group setting produces an atmosphere of hope, belonging and support that are essential to every Christ-follower's walk. Going to church and meeting together with fellow believers is indeed what we are called to do (Hebrews 10:25), but, what happens when the only Collinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11790641873470503646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753667.post-32087742818653523272008-06-28T15:19:00.001-05:002008-06-28T15:20:42.090-05:00Time Keeps On TickingWhen I was younger and in school, I was amazed at how slowly the school year would go and how fast the summer would pass. Even though I perceived time differently in each instance, time remained constant and I could not recover the time that had ticked by. Although at the end of each summer I had wished that I could recover the time that had flown by, looking back I am glad I was given the Collinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11790641873470503646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753667.post-91229967045552803832008-02-10T15:18:00.000-06:002008-02-10T15:25:00.945-06:00Transformed By An Open HeartI recently sat down at a local coffee shop to read my Bible but instead ended up in conversation with two married folks about Christianity. The conversation began lightly with the admiration and awe that we felt in regard to Christ because of God’s answer to a prayer that we had all been praying about. We then moved on to multiple topics about religion, God’s place in the world, the belief that Collinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11790641873470503646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753667.post-65338267015835352062007-09-24T19:22:00.000-05:002007-09-24T20:09:58.598-05:00From Point A To BWhat I am about to reveal is going to blow your mind. In fact, not only should you take notes, you should probably sit down as well. Are you ready? Here goes: It is much easier to get from point A to point B when you are able to see where you are going. Ok, so you’re probably not as enlightened as you thought you were going to be but what if we applied this obvious fact to our spiritual lives?In Collinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11790641873470503646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753667.post-33985075941698725742007-08-02T21:47:00.000-05:002007-09-13T19:56:41.923-05:00In Courage: Experience Enhances EncouragementImagine a kid named Billy. Billy, being a young kid, doesn't understand that humans and electricity don't mix and therefore isn't aware that, when he sticks something metal into an electrical socket, he will experience a jolt he'll never forget. Like most kids, all it will take is one shock for Billy to lose all curiosity about the effects of electricity on the human body. In fact, Billy, having Collinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11790641873470503646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753667.post-57007854905036846702007-04-09T22:34:00.000-05:002007-04-09T22:41:35.314-05:00In Courage: Bipolar EncouragementHopefully by now you see the enormous power encouragement can have if it is actually put into practice. Unfortunately, encouragement is not bias towards being used only for good. When we encourage someone, we have the opportunity to either encourage them to do what is right or to do what is wrong. Encouragement's bipolarity, or its potential to be used by two extremes (good or evil in this Collinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11790641873470503646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753667.post-5234318941604766012007-03-28T22:22:00.000-05:002007-03-28T22:27:25.387-05:00In Courage: Here's Your CueNow that we have a comfortable understanding of encouragement, it's important that we take steps to actually put encouragement into practice. Encouragement can be likened to a cue ball from a pool table. The cue ball itself has a lot of potential (i.e. it is the means by which all the other balls are to make it in the pool table's pockets). But, without the force of the pool stick moving and Collinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11790641873470503646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753667.post-36184073465044706892007-02-23T14:36:00.000-06:002007-02-23T14:38:27.715-06:00In Courage: Encouragement DefinedBecause we live in a fallen world, there will be times when we will want to quit trying to be the people God has called us to be. We'll go through times of uncertainty about where God wants us to go or what He wants us to do. We'll be faced with trials that cause us to believe God has left us and that we must continue alone. We may even begin to believe that living life for Christ is not worth itCollinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11790641873470503646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753667.post-47385495283328110712007-01-17T15:32:00.000-06:002007-01-17T15:34:42.927-06:00A Winning WitnessImagine a witness on a witness' stand in a courtroom. This witness is being asked a series of questions about a certain event because he or she had a first hand account of what occurred. As this witness is being questioned, a jury of people (who were not present at the event the witness was) are listening intently and soaking in all the information they can in order to paint a picture of the Collinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11790641873470503646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753667.post-72919361701827537212007-01-01T16:31:00.000-06:002007-01-01T16:32:59.133-06:00The Wisest CounselorAs humans, we are characterized by the inability to make a decision that takes every single piece of information into account. Decisions like where to live, what car to buy, who to marry, who to hang out with and how to live our lives are very important decisions that can have major consequences if the right decisions are not made. Because we are finite (or limited) in the amount of knowledge Collinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11790641873470503646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753667.post-31504773300192183402006-12-03T17:46:00.000-06:002006-12-03T17:47:45.372-06:00Evanescent StormsAnyone who has ever been to Texas knows that the weather fluctuates quite a bit. As a native of Texas, I have become accustomed to the drastic changes of temperature that are produced by the weather and I have learned to adjust on the fly. A perfect example of such a radical change of temperature happened this past week when the temperature went from mid 80's to below freezing overnight. I had Collinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11790641873470503646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753667.post-1163974544642065192006-11-19T16:15:00.000-06:002007-08-30T01:35:40.971-05:00Not By MightThroughout my life I have been given certain responsibilities that require a lot of work and determination in order to complete. Many times, before undertaking the work required to finish these responsibilities, I'd think to myself, "This is too hard! How am I going to do this? I'm never going to finish!" Like me, I am sure you have been given certain tasks that require you to do a lot of work asCollinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11790641873470503646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753667.post-1162788587249495252006-11-05T22:49:00.000-06:002006-11-05T22:53:55.316-06:00Forever HopePierce, my eight year old brother, is going through the stage of his life where he becomes anxious during the times when our parents aren't around. This past week my parents went on a vacation and were gone for four days. The day they left, Pierce came to me and asked, "Collin, when you were younger and mom and dad went on vacation. How did you make it through?" After thinking a bit, I looked himCollinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11790641873470503646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753667.post-1161543232025281672006-10-22T13:53:00.000-05:002006-10-22T13:54:12.876-05:00You Snooze, You LoseSleeping has to be one of my favorite things. There's just something about cuddling up in a big comforter that makes me feel relaxed and safe. Sadly, because I love sleeping so much, I've found that, as I've gotten older, I have begun to sleep later and later. What used to be a wake-up time of 6:00AM for school has turned into a 10:00AM rush to get ready for the day. This may come as a shock to Collinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11790641873470503646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753667.post-1160854835336238882006-10-14T14:40:00.000-05:002006-10-14T14:44:41.520-05:00Get RootedTo me, one of the most beautiful things to see is a mountain side covered with trees. It's as if the mountain comes alive as the squilions of trees sway back and forth synchronized with the movement of the wind. Even more amazing is the way God has designed trees to stand as tall as they do without falling over. A tree's roots attach to the soil beneath and give the tree nutrients and stability. Collinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11790641873470503646noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753667.post-1158524159492855102006-09-17T15:12:00.000-05:002006-09-17T15:15:59.510-05:00Operation UsefulIn my opinion, one of the most magnificent tools the U.S. uses is the aircraft carrier. At a length around 1,071 ft and a width of 271 ft, this “boat” is not your dad’s leisure craft. Just as impressive is the crew’s ability to keep this carrier afloat. With upwards of 5,000 people aboard, the crew must stay organized and remain at the top of their game in order to efficiently keep this bad boy Collinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11790641873470503646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753667.post-1156718347715787222006-08-27T17:36:00.000-05:002006-08-27T17:39:07.736-05:00Friendly FireLet’s say you know someone that is constantly engulfed by sin and you make an effort to gently and humbly mention to this person that, if they would just change their ways and turn to God, they would get better. However, no matter how much you try to convince this person that you want what is best for them, they still continue to do what they know is wrong and, after a while, they begin listeningCollinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11790641873470503646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12753667.post-1154806181086825542006-08-05T14:26:00.000-05:002006-08-05T14:29:41.106-05:00Loyalty Through LifestyleIt is said that, during the first century, the symbol of the fish was used as a secret code by early Christians who were being persecuted in order to identify fellow believers. These Christians would draw half of a fish on the ground when they encountered a stranger and, if the stranger completed the rest of the fish symbol, then they both knew that they were in the company of a fellow Collinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11790641873470503646noreply@blogger.com2