Steve's Devotions

The fog

2010-09-28T11:30:00.003-05:00

The day is foggy. I can't see very far in the distance ahead of me. I'm not talking about a literal fog that the weather creates, I'm talking about a fog that life creates. It's a fog in our mind that clouds our judgement and our ability to think clearly. It's a strange and risky place to be, this fog. But today I'm in it. I have been for the last few days really. I've never had the fog so thick and last so long as it has these last few days. The fog, as heavy as it is, has caused me to rethink my life. To re look at areas of my life that have changed.

Work... huge changes there. Much more demands and expectations than ever before. Doing more with less is still the Motto. Wonder if I can hang in there? Do I have the capability to stay the course. I want to... but can I? I done this for years so I know I can, yet I'm struggling. It's my work, it's what I love to do, yet I'm struggling.

Home... Not so much relationship issues as it is that I'm concerned about the future of my kids and their families. Seems that everyone I know is barely surviving, making it pay check to pay check and struggling to survive. Family and friends have it so rough lately and this weighs heavily on my heart when I realize that my family depends so much on me for financial help and strength. Dad's the Rock in this family and right now Dad's concerned about his career and his state of mind.

Spiritual Walk... I'm weak right now. Still seeking a church to call home since I've moved. Prayer time is less and less. Devotion and bible study has fallen away to other things. I'm so blessed in so many ways but this fog blinds me from seeing that sometimes. Like I said... not a good place to be, this fog.

The good news... This fog is what it is... a temporary thing. Fog doesn't last forever and when the sun finally shines the fog burns away. This afternoon I can finally see the fog burning away. Thanks to the help and council of my Pastor this weekend to help me get back to where I need to be in my relationship with Christ. Thanks to the help and support of my Boss as I shared with him what I was going through while at work. And thanks to my Doctor as we went through many tests and such to see what might be going on in my body. Can I say the fog has lifted? Not yet. But I see glimpses of the sun ahead.

It's a scary place to be trapped in the fog of our life and not be able to see what to do next. But this I've learned, When you run away from the SUN, or should I say Son (Jesus), I can tell you this, you're headed for the fog in your life. I'm a firm believer that if your Spiritual life is not right, then the rest of your life isn't either. I think that sometimes we get confused and think that if our Spiritual life is right then our life is always right too. That's not always true either. But this I know. If your Spiritual life is right, then when you face trials, through Christ you will be able to work through it and come out of it stronger in your faith and relationship than you were when you went into the trial. If your Spiritual life is not right, then as you go through the trials and set backs, you begin to blame God for your circumstances and wonder where He is now? These feelings push you farther and farther away from God, because now I'm focused on me and my circumstances, instead of loving and living my life for Jesus. Now here comes the fog.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. My work, my family and friends, all depend on my relationship with my Lord. I'm just so thankful that I see this so clearly today, I'm thankful that I can see the fog lifting even as the day passes. I'm thankful for a restored relationship with Christ this weekend. How much better I feel today. Thank you Lord Jesus.

Are you in a fog today. Is it sunny outdoors yet in your head things are foggy and unclear. Then seek Jesus. Do nothing else until you first seek to mend this part of your life. God's waiting for your return with open arms. Don't let your guilt, your shame, or your self pride, stop you from returning back home to your Heavenly Father. May God bless you in your journey out of the fog.

Read the Parable of the Lost Son, Luke, 15:11-24 Know that when we finally come to our senses, God is waiting and watching for our return. When we come back He runs to meet us.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

Persist in Prayer

2010-01-10T17:35:00.004-06:00

Have you ever pestered someone long enough that they finally gave you what you wanted just to shut you up? My grand daughter does it to me all the time. She'll have her mind made up about something and she won't let up until I finally give in and give her what she wants. It drives me nuts... but hey, it's works. Sometimes the battle's just not worth the fight and unless it's worth standing my ground on... I'll usually give in (Yes, I'm a Grandpa!)

In Luke 18:1-8, There's an example of a woman that constantly went to an unjust judge asking for protection from her opponent. She bothered this judge so much with repeated pressure that he finally said to himself, "I better give her what she wants or she'll wear me out!" Again, reminds me of my grand daughter.

This passage of scripture gives all of us great hope. If an unjust judge gave into this woman's pressure because of her constant efforts, well how much more would a just God react to the requests and prayers from those he loves? Much more of course! So it's not that we should pester God with our prayer requests over and over thinking we'll wear him out and he'll finally give in to us. But instead know that God loves you and will answer you when it's right for you. Maybe He's teaching you about faith or patience or hope. But know this... God hears you and loves you and will answer you in His time for His purpose and for your benefit.

Stay the course... pray continually while trusting in God to answer. We should always pray and never lose heart.

Focus on your goal, not your obstacle

2009-10-31T10:48:00.008-05:00

Have you ever received a phone call in the middle of the night? If you are like me your first thought is not a good one. I immediately think something must be wrong. I even hate to answer for fear of what I might hear. The news has to be bad.

Or Someone says to you, "There something very important I need to talk to you about." I immediately think, "this can't be good." But often it wasn't at all what I thought it was and most often not near as bad as I had figured it would be.

Why is this? Why are we so negative in our thinking? Well, it's not just you and I that do this. It seems that everyone does this as we can clearly see from several passages in the bible. Must be the way God wired us. It must be because we simply can't see what God knows. He knows already what the call is about. He knows already what's so important on the mind of our friend that needs to talk. When we face difficulties that overwhelm us... we can't see our way out, but God simply speaks and the problem is solved or goes away. So saying all this and understanding that we are weak and He is strong. The only way we can overcome those obstacles that are in the way of our goals would be to depend on God to remove the obstacles in the way of our goals.

Trust in God's provision and power is the answer. I'll give two examples in the bible, one being a lack of trust or understanding of God's power and the inability to see how the goal or objective can be obtained while the other being one of faith and trust that everything will be worked out even though we may not know how.

Doubt... This illustration comes from the book of Mark 8:1-4 The disciples were concerned about the well being of the large crowds that we're following Jesus.

(1) About this time another large crowd had gathered, and the people ran out of food again. Jesus called his disciples and told them,
(2) I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for days and they have nothing left to eat.
(3) If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. or some of them have come a long distance.
(4) His disciples replied, "How are we supposed to find enough food to feed them out here in the wilderness?

The disciples did what we do. They couldn't see past their own intellect of what was before them. Jesus is saying we need to feed them, but they say, we can't. We don't have food out here... it's not possible. But Jesus did it and he did it with only seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. By contrast look at this next passage of scripture...

Mark 16:2-4 These women had their minds set to anoint the body of their crucified Lord.

(2) Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb.
(3) On the way they were asking each other, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?"
(4) But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside.

Not knowing how they were going to roll that huge stone away from the entrance of the tomb, they went anyway. It could have been very easy to see the impossibility of the task and just stay home and say it's not possible. But they did it, they went! When they arrived the stone was already moved away so they could enter. God took care of it for them. The obstacle was not their focus but rather the objective or goal was. That's how they were able to stay the course and press on even as they wondered among themselves how it was going to be possible.

It's too bad that so many times we go forth, only when we clearly see how it's possible. We need to keep our eye on the goal and less so on the obstacles in our way. We need to see past the obstacle. We need to peak over or look around whatever it is that blocking our view and even then we still may not be able to see or understand how. The good news is... God sees it. He can get you to your goal. There is nothing that stands in the way of God, and when we have God's power with us, that means we have nothing that can not be overcome that prevents us from accomplishing our goals or objectives. Lean not on our own understanding, but instead trust in the Lord.

Witness without saying a word

2009-10-25T17:08:00.003-05:00

Today as I was driving to work I heard someone on the radio say something that hit me like a ton a bricks. Being Sunday morning the program I was tuned to was a message about spreading the "Good News" of Jesus Christ to others. Whoever was speaking this morning Quoted a person that said...

"Go ye therefore and spread the Gospel to all the ends of the Earth, and if necessary use words."

Our actions do speak louder than words don't they? How we live for Jesus says a lot about our commitment to our Lord doesn't it? It's important to know how to tell others about Jesus using our speech but to live for Jesus gives credibility to our words. Often we don't have to speak at all for others to see Jesus. Our loved ones and friends pick up real quick that we're different and although they may not fully understand they see it and they are curious about it.

As I said earlier, this message hit me like a ton of bricks this morning. Yes, a reminder that I'm not living my life for Christ as I should. I think it's important to understand that there's not a magic list of do's and don'ts that define me as a Christian. What defines me a s a follower of Christ is my realization that Jesus loves me and He wants to save me. It's my knowledge that without out Christ's forgiveness of my sin I'm a lost sinner destined for the fiery pit of Hell. Sure it's good to tell people about Jesus, but I believe it's better to show them Jesus. One things for sure, it's really confusing if we say one thing but live another. If our life doesn't match up to our beliefs , then how effective are we really? What kind of witness are we?

Look at the skies, they display the craftsmanship of God almighty. Without even a word spoken God is made known just by looking around at all that He created. Do we, through our lives, make Him known?

PSALM 19:1-4
(19) The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftmanship.
(20) Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known.
(21) They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard.
(22) Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, forgive me for living my life without putting you first. May your Spirit fill me today and overflow to others through my actions and love. My I spread the Gospel to everyone I come in touch with without even saying a word. Thank you Lord Jesus, Amen.

4 man scramble

2009-09-26T10:08:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I played in a golf tournament to help raise money for the local Lions club of Smyrna TN. The idea was to have several 4 man teams to go out and play their best ball for each stroke of the game. Usually this is a lot of fun because surely one out of the four people on your team is going to hit a good shot and this allows the others to pick up their ball and shoot from the spot where the good shot landed.

I'm not a very good golfer. On my best day I might shoot an 85, but usually I shoot bogey golf and end up around a 90 most days. I just don't play often and as with any sport you have to play and practice to get better and more consistent. When I signed up to play in this tournament I wasn't too worried however about my score or my inability to really score high, because I knew this was a team effort and although I may not be consistent... occasionally I do make some great shots, so I'm sure I could help the team once in a while.

Well, when I got to the tournament, all the teams showed up except for the other three individuals on my team! Ouch! I waited till the last minute hoping that maybe someone else's team would be short a player then I could play with them. No such luck. Everyone showed except for my team. This left me with a unique opportunity. I was my own team.

It was decided that I would be allowed to hit the ball twice and take the best of the two shots to play. Ok, I'm thinking, hey this might be a lot of fun. I mean how often do you wish you could play that swing over again. If I only could hit that ball again there's no telling how much better my score would be! This was going to be great!

One of the Lions club members felt sorry for me riding around the golf course by myself so he decided he would ride around with me to keep me company and be my driver. I got to know Leon very well and I was thankful I had someone to visit with for the next 18 holes of golf.

After about 3 or 4 holes, I realized one very important fact. I don't like myself as a partner! You'd think my partner would have helped me out a little better than he was, but you know what... He shot about as inconsistent as I did. I'd hit it poorly, then he'd step up and do the same thing. I hit a shot to the left side of the fairway instead of the right side of the fairway, and he'd step up there and hit it the very same direction... no help at all to our game. I'd take a stroke to sink that putt and just barely miss the hole, the next stroke he'd leave it short. Yes, I realized that I made a very poor partner for myself. It was funny really. While other teams were achieving scores under par, my partner and I kept getting bogeys! I finally ended the game close to the score that I normally shoot when I'm playing by myself.

The good news was this... I went into this tournament without any false hopes of winning it big anyway and I also had a lot of fun playing golf and getting to know Leon, my new best friend.

As I think about this experience, I realized how important it is to have other people than just yourself on your team. I've always heard that the team is only as good as it's best performer. The team usually can not rise above the level of the best talent among the group. In my case my team was me. To prove that a team is only as good as it's best player... I did that! It's amazing that my score reflected what I was and how I normally played. Shocker? No, not really, but how often do we forget that we need other people to help make us better? I think sometimes we think we can do things on our own. But the truth is, if we want to improve our game, we need others on our team that are better than we are, or it just doesn't work. So what did I learn from this little golf outing today?

If you want to become better, then surround yourself with better players. Maybe I want to be a nicer person, then I should hang out with nice people. Maybe I want to develop a better work ethic, then I should surround myself with ethical people. You get the point, figure out what you want to become, and get people that represent that on your team. When you play with them, you become better. Not only in your own skill level, but in your social group as well.

To apply this to my Christian walk... How can I become a better Christian, if I'm playing all alone on my team? How can I become more like Christ, if I don't walk with him daily, if I don't surround myself with other Christians? The sad truth is... I won't change. There's very little I can do by myself. To be more like Christ, He's got to be on my team. I must watch Him and learn from him, and the best part is... even though I still have a long ways to go with my own skill level and abilities, I win because of who's on my team. Once in a while I get in a good shot or two, but at the end of the tournament of life, I'm going to be better, and a winner, because of my association with Christ.

So I ask you this question? Who's on your team? I certainly hope you aren't playing by yourself. It's not very pretty and the outcome is not good. God bless you in your life adventure and don't forget to surround yourself with other great players.

God's way is the HIGH way

2009-08-05T22:37:00.003-05:00

If you're like me you find yourself confused and uncertain sometimes of what God's direction and will is for your life. We all try to understand and piece together what God's word is saying to us, how we should apply His word to our lives, and how we should live or what we should do. So many people interpret scripture in so many different ways. Just look at all the commentary on particular verses by bible scholars and you'll see even they can't agree on what scripture is saying to us. But this should not be at all surprising. God's ways are not our ways. His ways and His thoughts are so much higher than ours. God says there are somethings we just won't understand or know.

Have you ever heard anyone say, "It's my way or the highway!" Usually that person means to say that it doesn't matter what you think or want, we're doing it my way. If you don't like it, hit the road! Well God doesn't say it quite like that, but basically the same is true. God's way is the high way. His way is far above and beyond what we can even imagine. So no wonder we argue over the meaning of scripture and see things differently than the next guy. God's thoughts are way beyond us.

Isaiah 55:8-9
"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the Lord. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."

God's word always produces fruit. God's word always does what God wants it to. God's word always prospers. In spite of our differences and our misunderstandings, God's word cuts through all that and accomplishes what God wants it to accomplish. (Isaiah 55:10-11) God promises that we will live in joy and peace. His word is so powerful that mountains and hills will burst into song, and trees of the field will clap their hands. (Isaiah 55:12) Kinda weird isn't it to hear God say that mountains and hills will sing and trees will clap their hands? Might not make a lot of sense to you and I. We might all have different opinions as to what this scripture means, but one things for sure. The world of God is nothing like anything we can imagine. We are so limited to our own understanding and we often limit our understanding to our own personal experiences. But God says... our ways are nothing like His ways, our thoughts are nothing like his thoughts. The good news is, we can take comfort in knowing that God knows our weaknesses. He knows of our very limited ability to comprehend and understand his ways, and yet... His word accomplishes all that He wants it to in us.

Back in the day, the people of Israel were foolish and they acted as if they knew what God was thinking and planning. Today we have to be careful not to do the same thing. God's word tells us that we don't know His ways or thoughts because they are so far above and beyond us. We have to be careful not to fit God into our mold or our limited box of understanding but instead, be willing to fit ourselves into God's plan.

I thank the Lord that God's provision and plan for me is not dependent upon my ability to do anything or understand His ways or thoughts. God's word accomplishes all He wants it to and that's all I need. I will live in joy and peace as will you, simply because we've put our faith and trust in Him. So lets' live life with joy in knowing that we don't have to know what tomorrow holds for us. God knows! We don't have to understand how everything works out, because God already knows. All we have to know is... God.

Do Not Fear

2009-07-31T21:32:00.004-05:00

Because you belong to the Lord, you don't have to fear anything. Sure we may be concerned, or even uncertain of our future, but fear should not have it's grip on us because we are the Lord's child.

Isa 43:1-3
Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; and you are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you; when you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

My children (my sons) have both grown up and are now adults. They both still live at home and even though they hope to move out soon and be on their own, in today's economy, well it's tough. Now as their father there's no way I'm going to let them fall on their own. I'll always be there for them and as long as it takes until they are on their own, I'll help them out and provide a safe haven for them. Even when they leave, if they need help, I be there. They are my children and I will always be there for them.

Isaiah 43:1-3 helps us to see that the Lord is our Savior and Protector. No matter what we go through, He's always there with us. We won't be swept away by the rough waters. We won't be carried down the stream of the raging rivers we face. Even fire won't be able to burn us. Why? Because we belong to the Lord, our God, our Savior. We've been redeemed and He knows us by name, we are His.

Just like I will always watch out for my children, imagine how much more our Lord watches out for us. So the next time you face difficulties in life... remember who you belong to. Remember that Jesus gave his life for you and God would not give His life to save you only to let you slip away and perish. Don't fear! You are the Lord's Child! You are protected. Go in faith and live life without fear of tomorrow. Even though you never know what tomorrow brings, one thing you do know is that you are God's child and He will be with you always, leading, guiding and protecting you. What love He has for us that we can live without fear of tomorrow, what love He has for us that we don't have to fear what happens after death. What love He has for us!

Everything changes... but God, Hebrews 13:8

2009-07-20T19:08:00.001-05:00

The truth be known, everything changes but God. God is always the same. He's never changing. We can trust in Him and his faithfulness. We can believe in His promises in scripture. He's trustworthy, all knowing and Holy. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). So in this constantly changing world we live in, we can rest assured that God is unchanging. He's our anchor in the storm, our rock on which we build our lives. Although the world changes moment by moment, God doesn't and that's comforting.

I think the danger many churches fall into is assuming that since God doesn't change, we as a church shouldn't change either. Sometimes it seems that to change the way we do church would be, well, sinful in some way. Is our church here for (the body of Christ, Christians?) or for the lost (unchurched, living in sin without Jesus as their Savior?) You answer the question. If we as a church are here to reach the lost, then should we not structure ourselves to be able to actually reach the lost. The ways of the past won't work today. Some of yesterdays traditions might still work today, while others will not. Differences in generations make these changes a challenge. Most people resit change and if we resit changing when change is happening all around us, we run the risk of living in the past where no one is anymore. I know the older I get the more of a challenge it is for me to accept change, but I know it's necessary and vital that I always be prepared for change and even strive to see ahead of it if at all possible. Think about the differences in society today verses just a few years ago.

Families are not just husband and wife and children anymore, they're broken up! Divorce is common place and single parent homes are very common. Today we might stop and pick up something to eat on the way home from work rather than cook supper at home. We as a society have become very tolerant of diverse backgrounds, sexuality, cultures, and even religion. Years past only one person worked to bring in the household income where as now, everyone in the household works and the hours are not Monday through Friday with weekends off and businesses closed on Sundays so everyone can go to church or have family gatherings. Instead we're working evenings and weekends. With technology today we live inside more than outside as in the past. People are displaced and living all over the US and the world. Living in the same town your whole life is a rarity anymore. Loyalty to one Company or vocation is a thing of the past. Everything is fast paced these days compared to the slow and steady pace of yesterday. Communication is instant through the media and Internet. I could go on and on. Change, whether we like it or not or whether we agree with it or not has happened and I think it's safe to say, will always happen.

Why would we not change things as we see things change? Probably because we like things the ways they are or even better said... the way they were. Problem is... those days are gone and the reality is this... how effective are we today with yesterdays programs? Is the church growing by people giving their lives to Christ? Are people being baptized? Are we meeting the needs of not only church members, but of the community as well? Are we a light in a dark world? Do we have a mission statement that aligns with God's word and relevant for today's society in our community? If not, how long do we expect to carry on? If we live in the past, eventually we die and so do all our old programs and procedures. There's nothing wrong with traditions that work and are effective for today's issues, but hanging onto them because they worked in the past is not a good reason to keep it. If it's not working today, it needs to be challenged, and re-evaluated.

Think about these things...

Too many programs that the church can't support... we try to do it all rather than focus on the programs that we have enough volunteers for and supports our goals and mission statement as a church.

Visitation... it doesn't work like it did then. Going door to door and visiting is not as effective as it used to be. People don't want you coming around to their homes. Many will not even let you in and in today's society, who blames them. Maybe we need to think about this differently.

What do we offer for the divorced person, the recovering addict, the single parent, the unemployed, the depressed, children or youth... etc. These are the people that need the body of Christ in their lives.

Do we hang onto the King James version for our benefit, when we know that many folks today don't understand it? We say we don't want to destroy the true meaning of scripture by changing the translation, but we all know that King James was not the original translation of scripture back in Jesus day. So even our Kings James version is a translation of scripture and the reason it was translated to King James was so that more people might be able to understand what they were reading. Yet we won't accept a new translation of scripture now, so that people today can understand what they're reading? Where's our focus?

What about dress... do we dress up in suits and ties for church when our neighbors or those in our community don't even own a suit? Are we like the Amish who would rather make people conform to us rather than us conform to them so we can be accessible to say to them... Hey do you know Jesus? Or are we trying to protect our way of life, rather than give others new life in Christ? The latter is scary, because when we we bring in people that are different than us into our church, guess what, the church changes and are we ready for that?

Worship agenda and style, music style or theme, times of worship or discipleship training or teaching methods, evening worship effectiveness, all these things and many more are subject to change. Who says we need to have worship from 11-12 noon. Maybe if worship was at 10am instead of 11am we could get people home to watch the ball game they want to see on TV at noon? You see we don't thing about what people are doing or thinking, we just automatically think they should come to church when we have traditionally had church services. Maybe we should ask this question. What time is best for our targeted audience, those we are trying to reach? Why are we still having church in the evenings when we only have 20 people come and they are already Christians? maybe we could meet another need in the community during this time. Is it a sin to not have evening services and just spend time with our families instead? Maybe we need to ask why don't people come on Sunday evenings like they used to? Are we still doing an old program rather than identifying why we should change, what we should change, or how we should change?

I guess what I'm trying to say is that when it comes to the church, we should never compromise the word of God. We must build on Christ our solid unchanging rock, while at the same time changing constantly to meet the demands of today's society if you really want to reach the lost. Thinking this way will not only help us to look at new ways and new structure, but also understand that the things we do today won't be the right things in even four or five years from today. We must be ready to change again as society changes. We can not miss this. We need to take God's unchanging word into an ever changing society. We can still reach the lost, but we need to go where they are if we really want to tell them about Jesus.

Would it not be a shame if our unwillingness to change, prevented people from coming into a new relationship with our Lord and Savior. How can we answer to Jesus for that? "Well Jesus... I knew you would expect me to hold fast to your word and protect the church at all costs so we were very careful not to change anything this way upon your return your church would be just as you left it. I think Jesus might say... you wicked lazy servant, you knew that I would come back looking for my church to be effective and growing. You buried what I gave you under a rock yet look at these other churches. They took what I gave them and reached out and multiplied reaching those that needed help and bringing them into my family. I'll take what I've given you and give it to the churches that are effective.

Let's be the church of today with an eye on being the church of tomorrow. We can not be the church of yesterday... it's gone and over.

To mow, or not to mow?

2009-07-09T20:08:00.004-05:00

I wrote this about 2 months ago when we had lots of rain... it's quite different now! When I wrote this devotion, it spoke to me as most of my devotions do and I've been going faithfully to church every Sunday since then. Kind of sad when I have to write myself a devotion to get me motivated isn't it? Anyway...maybe these words are just the words to motivate you as well.

To Mow, or not to Mow

The grass gets higher and higher with each passing day. Everyday that passes I think to myself, "I need to mow this evening after work, or it's really going to be a tough job." Then I get home and begin to relax and visit and the next thing I know, it's too late in the day to begin mowing because it will get dark halfway through. I'm not really that disappointed though, almost relieved in a way that I didn't get to it. So I convince myself I'll get to it tomorrow!

The next day it rains, so I can't mow anyway... again relived really because I didn't really want to mow anyway. Again rain the next day... I'm beginning to realize that all those other days that I should have mowed are catching up with me, I now regret not mowing when I had the chance... I should have never procrastinated. I make a commitment to myself that tomorrow I will mow after work, I've checked the weather forecast and it's not going to rain... I even tell my wife my plans (maybe this will help hold me accountable you know). I don't get off work on time and work late, when I get home it's time to eat. My son Ryan shows up with his girlfriend and we all begin visiting... You guessed it! Too late! Can't mow now, it's getting dark. I WILL MOW TOMORROW!

It's Sunday morning and I'm sleeping in rather than going to church. I wanted to go and even told myself I was going to go, but then I slept in instead. Last week the same thing. It's kind of like my lawn. It's needs attention but I'm not doing anything about it. It's easy to find excuses isn't it?

Luke 14:16-20
(16) Jesus replied with this story: "A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations.
(17) When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guest, "Come, the banquet is ready."
(18) But they all began making excuses. One said, "I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me."
(19) Another said, "I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me."
(20) Another said, "I now have a wife so I can't come."

As in the case with this story found in Luke 14:15-24 our excuses can really hurt us. This parable of the great feast shows us how our excuses can keep us from joining in the feast that Jesus has prepared for us. Eternal life is ours if we'll simply accept the invitation and go. But too often we give excuses as to why we can't go.

If you don't know Christ... it's not to late! The invitation still stands today. All you have to do is say yes... I'll come. If you do know Christ as your Lord, then your place at the table is secure, the feast awaits you. However... if you make excuses like I do, then you'll miss out on the blessings that God had in store for you. What did I miss by not going to church today? Did God have a word for me today from the Pastor? Who may God have had me interact with today? Could I have helped someone, could they have helped me? I'll never know because I made an excuse not to go.

Dear Lord Jesus, forgive me when I fail you, forgive my disobedience. May we all realize and know that time is short and may we make the most of every opportunity and not procrastinate. Amen.

God speaks... do you hear?

2009-07-05T12:22:00.002-05:00

For the last couple of months my wife and I have been visiting several different churches. Every week we go to another one. Some are huge and others are not. Some are lead completely with contemporary music while others are more traditional hymns or a blended mix of traditional and contemporary music. The order of worship, although similar, is still different in every church. The Pastors vary in age, style and experience of preaching. It becomes very easy to begin comparing one church to the other, It becomes too easy to begin creating a list of what I like or don't like and make many comparisons. All this can distract my attention away from what is really important.... Do I hear God speak?

Worship is a time for not only our praise and adoration to our heavenly Father, but also a time to listen and hear what it is that God wants us to hear. In each church I visit I hear from God. I have not been to one yet that I haven't heard God, and if I did attend one where I didn't hear from God it could quite possibly be a problem on the receiving end (me) rather than on the delivery of the message or the worship service. I guess what I'm trying to share is that I need to focus less on the differences and more on what I'm hearing God say to me. Am I connecting and is the Spirit of God moving within me to allow me to become more like Him through the message. Am I more concerned about the songs, or the Preachers ability to preach, or the order of service... etc. Or am I going with an attitude of Worship and praise and an expectancy of hearing from almighty God?

I've almost come to the conclusion that it's not the church as mush as it is what's being said and am I listening? God's word has a way of penetrating our heart and soul even in spite of a preacher or music getting in the way of it all. Man can stumble but God's word is greater than all that. What is being preached and am I listening, that's what's important.

As I visit churches lately I see God at work in all of them. I sense the Holy Spirit in all of them. Yet they are all different! The decision on where it is that God would have me serve is still undecided. Until then, pray for me and my family and may I always be sensitive and open my heart and mind to listen carefully for God to speak.

You may not be searching for a new church like I am, yet you may have days where your worship experience was lacking in your own church. Something was missing or maybe you were distracted by other things that really are not that important yet intrude on your ability to focus on Christ during the worship service. May we all be focused on Christ and go prepared to listen, expectantly waiting to hear from God. God is there, we just have a difficult time seeing or hearing him sometimes. How can we live for God if we don't listen? If we don't hear? God wants to speak to you and I. Are we listening, or are we talking? Are we experiencing God, or are we making a list of things we like or don't like? Where's our focus during the worship service? Jesus Christ must be the focus and may we be ready to hear from Him today.

God bless you in your service and the next time you attend your church, go with a different attitude of why you are there. Go expecting to hear from your heavenly Father and you'll experience true worship. Focus not on the things of man, and completely on the things of God. You may leave seeing your church in a different way. One things for sure... you will be different and after all, isn't that what church is all about.... a body of believers lead by Jesus? All focused on Him and his direction?

The wrath of man

2009-06-27T10:27:00.002-05:00

What is the wrath of man? It's easy to understand the wrath of God. If we're disobedient and go against God's will and direction we can experience his wrath. But what about the wrath of man? Basically it can be the same way... if we go against what another man directs us to do and we disobey we might experience the wrath of that man. There's a problem however with the wrath of man. That is that man does not reproduce God's righteousness when he dishes out his wrath. God is all powerful and creator of all things. The world and everything in it are His to do with as he pleases. As for man, it's on loan to us. Whatever has been given to us is temporary. I know of no one that took all of his possessions with him when he died and if by chance they buried it all with him, you could go dig it up and it would still be there today. Nothing goes with us after we die. Yet we work so hard to gain possessions while we're here.

Relationships instead of possessions are what's important to God. To build relationships we must be sensitive and good listeners. The bible says to be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath. (James1:19) It's hard to listen if we're doing the talking. Be slow to speak and instead be quick to listen. This way we'll keep our anger in check and we'll think twice before we unleash our frustration, angered speech, or actions onto someone else... or as the bible calls it... our wrath.

In James 1:20 it says... the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
It's pretty clear isn't it? When we unleash our wrath on another person, the righteousness of God is not produced. Our anger never represents a loving God, instead it shows our true thoughts and feelings. Just remember, when we do lose our temper and unleash our wrath, be quick to know that's it's wrong and be quick to apologize for the error of our ways. Usually people are quick to forgive if they know we truly regret our actions and ask for forgiveness. We're all going to get upset with other people, it's our natural tendency within us, but through God's power and strength within us we won't unleash our wrath but instead calmly listen and redirect. Only God's people can endure trials and still remain calm during the storm. It's not from us, but from God. When someone wrongs us in some way our reaction is to retaliate, that is unless the Spirit of God is at work in you. With God it may be to forgive and restore the relationship instead of fighting.

Remember, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to wrath.

Growing Good Corn

2009-06-17T18:50:00.003-05:00

Author unknown for this story:
A co-worker gave me this story today at work and I thought I'd share it with you.

The story goes...
There once was a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon.

One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his best seed with his neighbors.

"How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked.

"Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know?" The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to filed. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn."

This farmer was very much aware of the connectedness of life. He can't improve his corn unless he also helps to improve the quality of his neighbors corn.

Proverbs 11:24-25
(24) Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything.
(25) The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

Just as this farmer shared his good corn with his neighbors, we too need to share with our neighbors. When I read this proverb and think about this story we can apply this lesson in many areas of our lives. To live in peace, maybe we need to help our neighbors to live in peace. To live well, maybe we need to help others to live well. It is possible to give things away and become richer and it's also possible to hold onto to tightly and lose everything. As the proverb says... those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. In other words, if we want to grow good corn, we must help our neighbors grow good corn.

Think about what you can do to help your neighbors and don't be surprised if you receive refreshing blessings in return. By watering others, we water ourselves. So today... start watering!

Scattered Showers

2009-05-25T17:52:00.005-05:00

The weather forecast for today was partly cloudy with scattered showers throughout our area. The scattered showers must have been somewhere else most of the day because we hadn't seen any rain so far. So about 1PM I decide to take a motorcycle ride through the country side. The weather was perfect... partly sunny and in the mid 70's. My ride was fantastic, no wind, mostly sunny, just perfect until... the scattered showers hit me. I was about 45 minutes from home when I felt the first drop of rain. The sun was still shining but in the distance I could see the darker clouds coming. I decided to take a detour on my ride and I thought I might be able to avoid this scattered shower. I did really well, I got into a very light rain that quickly went away after only 2 minutes. I wasn't wet at all. As I was making my way back home I saw another dark cloud in the distance. I could see that it was raining by the way the clouds streaked towards the ground. This one looked a lot worse than the last shower so I made another detour and tried to avoid this shower. Again I did well. It rained on me for about 5 minutes and very lightly. Not bad at all! By now I'm only 15 miles from home. Looks like I'm going to make it home without getting wet. 5 miles from the house I encounter a down pour like none other. One moment I'm in the sun, the very next I'm soaked! I drive the 5 miles in a downpour and arrive at home just as the rain stopped and the sun come out again. Of course when I walked in the house my family thought it funny to ask me if I had an enjoyable ride as I stood there dripping wet. (actually it was a great ride, it was just the last 5 minutes that was bad)

What makes me think is this... Today's ride was fun, it was a great time of relaxation and the country side was beautiful to look at as I rode the back roads of Tennessee. Taking the detours took me on roads I'd never been on before and it was wonderful to explore new roads in this way. I thought, "Wouldn't it be a shame to allow the last five minutes of my ride to ruin the whole experience?"

Have you ever let the negative things that happen to you take your focus off of the good or positive things that happen? Have you ever had a great day at work, or a great day off work, or a wonderful Sunday afternoon, but then a single phone call can change the whole outlook on the day?

I saw a sign today outside of a small country church on one of my detours to avoid the rain showers. The sign read, " Weather Forecast... The Son is always shining!" As I read that sign it made me smile as here I was trying to avoid the rain, but even when the rain got me, I was still able to smile because I was reminded that even when the weather is bad, "The Son is always shining."

Lord, help me to always see past the current rain clouds and bad circumstances in each day. May I never forget that you are always shining upon me. Also thanks for the quiet reminder that life contains both dark clouds and clear sky's and even so; thank you that everyday contains... "Son Shine."

Memorial Day

2009-05-25T00:25:00.003-05:00

One of my greatest achievements in life was my service to my country while serving in the US Army. I joined when I was 17 years old. My parents had to sign a release form for me to be allowed in because I was not yet of age. I had my 18th birthday while in Boot Camp at Fort Gordon GA.

Why did I join? Well it wasn't to fight wars or become a hero or anything like that. I joined because I really didn't know where else to turn. I knew I wasn't going to college, couldn't afford it. So when I heard that I could attend college while serving in the service, I thought this would be my ticket. Maybe I could still go to college after all. So my reasons for joining the Service was not due to growing up as a child with aspirations of serving in the Armed Forces. In fact I knew very little about the military at that time. Like I said, this was my opportunity to go to college.

On the 2nd day of Boot Camp, the Drill Sargent selected squad leaders from the men in the platoons. Four were chosen and I was one of the four. How he determined that I was a leader within only the first two days of Boot camp I'll never know but never the less I was chosen and given the task and responsibility of leading my own squad of about a dozen men. Pretty scary for me when you consider I knew no more than the other guys but now I'm in charge! I found this new role very difficult because not only was I learning a whole new way of life but I was responsible for other men learning as well. After a few weeks I began to feel more comfortable in my new role as Squad leader and had even earn the respect of the men in my squad. After 12 weeks of Boot camp, we graduated, and I was given a commendation and certificate tiltled... the "most distinguished gentleman's award." I'd come along way since day one of Boot Camp but more importantly I grew up and matured a lot during those days. I learned about honor, respect, discipline, and sacrifice. I learned more about commitment and hard work than I ever dreamed I could. I began to see myself as a leader, and not just a leader, but a leader that was recognized as someone that was a gentleman during the process (Didn't see much gentleman leadership in those days, it was more along the lines of a dictatorship) so I was very proud of this award.

Later I did go to college during some of my tours of duty but in the end I never finished. After four years of service and making it to the rank of Sargent, I finally decided to get out of the military and go back to civilian life. I'll never forget when I announced to my commander that I would be getting out after making the decision not to re-enlist. He couldn't believe it and many thought I was kidding. You see, to everyone else that I served with, I was know as a "Lifer." In other words, I was in the military for life! I was very Gung Ho, and committed in my service and I truly did enjoy and loved serving my country. What had began as a way to get to college, actually turned into a love for my country, my flag, and what I stood for as an American Soldier. I may have started this journey in the military with other motives, but in the end, it was about service to my Country.

Why did I get out? Unfortunately for my wife, the service was not her love and joy. I spent many days away from her on training missions and honestly my career in the Army was rough on our marriage. I felt that if I stayed in I might lose her, so I chose my wife and our commitment to each other over my life in the Army. I've never regretted getting out, it was the right thing to do at the time. I've also never regretted my time of service in the US Army. I would not trade those four years of active duty service for anything. The values and discipline I had learned while in the Army, I have used everyday of my life as a leader. To this day I can't hear the National Anthem without getting teary eyed. When I see the Amercian Flag flying high on a flag pole I get a feeling of pride within me. When I see soldiers in uniform, I'm so thankful for their service.

Memorial Day for me is a special day. It's a reminder to me and all of us, that our freedom comes at a cost. The freedom we take for granted... was paid for with the blood of soldiers. On Memorial Day we stop and reflect on that for a minute, and I hope it moves you as it does me. But I suspect for many people, this day could be difficult to understand. Maybe even have very little meaning to you unless you have been touched by it in some way... either knowing someone that has served, knowing someone that has died in their service, or maybe like me, you have served. Hopefully you realize the price for freedom and appreciate and can show your respects to the fallen soldiers that paid that price. Men and women that have given the ultimate sacrifice so that others may live free.

Seems freedom always comes at the spilling of blood. Jesus Christ gave the ultimate sacrifice. He gave his life and shed his blood so that we could have eternal life (freedom from sin). To live free, cost so much doesn't it? Maybe this Memorial Day we'll not only remember the fallen soldiers, but also the One that fought the ultimate battle for each and every one of us. The One that died and shed His blood so we all could live as free people. His name is Jesus Christ. May every day be a Memorial Day for Christ.

God bless the men and Women that serve in the our Armed Forces, and may we remember with gratitude and respect, those that gave their lives for our Country. Amen.

Not everything is as it appears

2009-05-16T21:20:00.001-05:00

I found this draft that I had written on 1/9/2009.

As I sit here and write, I'm looking out the window and the sky is gray, the trees are without leaves, there's a slight breeze that makes the limbs on the trees and bushes move slightly. From all appearances while sitting here in my house it looks like it could snow at any minute. But when I walk outdoors onto my porch, it's a warm beautiful day. It's 65 degrees outside right now... but from the inside of the house it looks like it's freezing outside and ready to snow.

This reminds me that not everyone is as they appear either. From where we stand it may appear that someone has everything going their way. From our vantage point... it seems their world is great. But in reality, their world may be falling apart. Most of us are very good at disguising what's really going on in our lives. We do this because when you think about it... the last thing you want to do when your life is a mess is talk about it with others. Sometimes were embarrassed or too hurt or ashamed to discuss it with anyone. So to avoid this pain... we hide. Just like the weather outside that had me fooled today, so it is with the people in our lives that are going through tough times. Not everything is at it appears.

Everyone is going through something. A death and loss of a loved one, a serious illness or injury or other health issues, a time without income from a loss of a job, maybe they're going through a divorce or break up, an addiction of some kind and the consequences of that, dealing with legal issues, the point is we don't know what's happening in the lives of those around us. But the chances are... from where we stand, things appear better than they are because people are good at covering up their problems. So what's all this mean to us?

Be ready to listen, to try and understand things from their perspective. Assume that everything is not as it seems and be a support rather than a judge for their problems. Keep in mind that they already feel bad about their situation and our role needs to be one of support and encouragement. We can pray for them and just be there for them, without putting our shallow two cents worth in the mix of things. Every time someone asks me for my advice I wonder... who am I to give advice... Have you taken a look at my life lately? Or maybe I've done a good job of covering up my problems so that things appear different than they really are. The truth is... we all are suffering in some way, and we all need help. I praise God that he loves me no matter what I do, no matter the circumstances I've gotten myself into... God always loves me! God's love is the only love that is unconditional. How can we help others? How can we be an encouragement to others? Share the love of God with them. God is the only one that truly knows what they are going through. He is the only one that you can not hide from. He is the only way to find peace when your life is a mess. Sometimes people can't see God's love, unless they see it through you.

May you be filled with the Holy Spirit and ready to share the love of God with others when the time is needed. Don't assume that just because things appear to be good, that they are. God may be using you to reach out to someone He wants to help.

Romans 13:10-13
(10) Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.
(11) Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.
(12) Rejoice in confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.
(13) When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

The weather report

2009-05-16T16:30:00.004-05:00

I don't know about your neck of the woods, but if you live in mine, you're wet! It's been raining a lot lately. The weather has taken it's toll on our area in many different ways. Over the last few weeks we've experienced tornados that have destroyed many homes in our community. We've expereinced a lot of rain and flooding. Gardens are usually put in by now, but many folks have yet to be able to get their gardens in the ground because it's been so wet. Today we had another storm come through our area and as I was watching the radar screen on my computor I was saw warning idicaters showing me that we were in a severe Thunderstorm warning for our area. I decided to put a loop action on this map so I could observe the behavior of this storm and see where it had been and watch it move accross the screen to where it was now. This loop shows me about an hours worth of storm movement in just a few seconds time. What I noticed was as the storm moved through the state, the yellow boxes that indicate severe thunderstorm warnings would pop up as the storm moved. I also noticed that about 100 hundred miles after the storm had passed there were green boxes popping up on the screen indictaing flash flood warnings for those areas that had just experienced the severe weather. Watching this map and seeing these storms build up and then hit us followed quickly by flash floods, well it reminded me of how similar the weather is to our own lives.

We face storms all the time don't we? They suddnely come into our lives, often without any warning, and they hit us hard. Some storms can be destructive, like tornados, while other storms just make us uncomfortable, like Thunderstorms or rain, but as with any storm that brings a lot of rain, there's usually flash flooding to follow. It's like a double whammy.

I don't know what storms you are going through, I don't know what flash floods you have experienced from the storms you've endured either. All I know is that God does. His word promises comfort during the storms of our lives.

Psalm 107:26-29
(26) Their souls melt because of trouble.
(27) They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits' end.
(28) Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses.
(29) He calms the storm, so that it's waves are still.

If the weather has any similarity to the personal storms we experience in our own lives then there's good news. Storms always pass through! Some storms are worse than others but they don't last forever and the sun will shine again. We just need to learn to protect ourselves during these storms. God is our protection, He is our shelter, and with him we can and will endure the storms we encounter and flash floods that follow. May we all remember to cry out to the Lord in our distress and allow Him to calm the storm.

"Recalculating"

2009-05-16T16:18:00.000-05:00

Have you ever been faced with a decision and you weren't quite sure of what to do? Should I do this? Should I do that? Should I move or not? What about taking that next promotion or job? Everyday were faced with decisions that can change our circumstances and as Christians we want to be in God's will when we take those steps that move us in a new direction.

Sometimes our fear of making the wrong decision prevents us from moving at all and we never really know if we should have pursued or not? We make the decision not to go, not to move, not to take the next challenge because we are not sure of what to do, so we do nothing.

Read Acts 16:6-16:10 (The Holy Spirit prevents Paul from going into Asia to preach the Gospel)

Sometimes to see if you are making the right decision... you need to begin the process. Take the first step of faith and allow God to direct you from there. Look at Paul for example. He sought God's will and direction for his life. He knew he was to take the Gospel to everyone he could so that others had the opportunity to have eternal life. So he planned out a course and went about spreading the good news. It wasn't until he got ready to go into Asia that Holy Spirit prevented him from doing so. So Paul didn't go there. A vision then appeared to Paul during the night and this is when he experienced the call to go to Macedonia. You see Paul could have thought it strange that the Holy Spirit wouldn't let him go preach in Asia, after all they needed to hear the Gospel too didn't they? I'm sure Paul thought it would have been in God's will for him to go there and that's why he thought about going there. But God prevented him from going there and then redirected him.

We'll never have peace about the entire plan or course, rather the peace comes from knowing that if we do go the wrong direction, as long as we are seeking God's will, and listening to His Spirit, then we will be lead through the course and have opportunities to change course as we're lead. Just as Paul did, we need to pray about it, seek direction for the first step, then step out in faith leaving the road Map to God.

Have you ever used a GPS for directions. It gives you precise directions, telling you to turn left or right at the exact moment. And when you don't listen or make a wrong turn, what do you hear? "Recalculating." Don't you think that God can recalculate your every wrong move to get you back on track. Of course he can. So begin the journey and step out in faith instead of fretting over what to do. Seek a closer relationship with God. Pray and seek God's wisdom and guidance and then go in peace as you take that first step. It's when we step out in faith, that we get the directions for the next few steps. God will guide you and redirect you if you're going where He doesn't want you to go. Just be sensitive to those words, "recalculating."

Missing Words

2009-04-08T20:22:00.004-05:00

There is an email going around that really catches your attention. "The US government has omitted the words "In God we Trust" off the new Presidential $1 coins. The email suggest we boycott the coins and refused to accept them as change when we get them handed to us.

I did a little research on this and the link at the end of this post will help you understand what happened. I am relieved to understand that these words are not omitted from our US coins. As you can read there were some coins that were printed without those words on them but it was minting error and was not intended to be printed that way. The original design had these words printed on the outer edge of the coin rather than on the front side of the coin as usual but now it appears that the coins made this year have gone back to having the words back on the front side of the coin. It appears, at least for now, that we will still be seeing the words "In God we Trust" on these coins.

It's good to see that so many Americans are bothered by the possibility that our government would mint coins without the words "In God we trust" on them. If that were the case, I'd boycott them as well.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/dollarcoin.asp

Looking to the future

2009-04-04T18:27:00.004-05:00

Sometimes, when things seem hopeless, it's good to focus on the future. Looking forward to a better time, and better day. I know when I was in the Army I spent 2 years overseas in Europe. I was stationed in Stuttgart Germany, and even though it was wonderful living there and experiencing life in Europe, I also missed home and America. I remember on those days that I was homesick, I would think to myself, this is only temporary and it's not going to last forever, it won't be long before I'm back home and this would always make me feel better and even help me be able to endure whatever I was going through or feeling at the time.

The day before my oldest son Eric was to go into jail for the next 2 and half years of his life, I was riding my motorcycle and thinking about how difficult this was going to be for him. How difficult this was going to be for his Mom, his brother, and myself. I was pained at the thought of this separation for so long. Remembering how it helped me to look forward to the future when I was stationed in Europe I thought to myself, "I need to give Eric something to look forward to in the future when he finally gets out. A carrot "so to speak" that will await him when he gets out in a few years. Eric had always wanted to learn to ride my bike so I went home and had Eric join me on the bike and I spend some time with him his last free day teaching him how to ride. He absolutely loved riding the bike and he did very well. After our short time together I made Eric a promise. I told him to remember how good it felt to ride and never forget it while he's in jail, because when he gets out... the bike is his. I told him I wanted him to have my bike and look forward to once again feeling the freedom you feel when your riding a bike down the road. Of course he was excited about this and as I had hoped, over the next few years while I'd visit him in jail we talk about one day getting to ride again. I believe this helped him more than I ever dreamed. It's in times like these we need something to look forward to, helping to take our mind off of what we're going through at the moment.

Yesterday, Eric got his bike! It's taken a few months since he got out but he practiced riding and took his test to get his motorcycle licence and after getting insurance yesterday he finally got his bike. It's his! I wish that I had planned better, because right now I'm without a bike, but Eric doesn't seem to mind me riding whenever I want until I get another one of my own.

You know, I find it very helpful to look to the future when times get tough. Looking forward can pull you through because you always know there is a better day ahead. Don't let today's problems ruin your hopes for tomorrow. You know when you have Jesus as your Lord and Savior, there's always a better day ahead. This has always helped me through the tough times in my life. I hope you too have Jesus in your life. Because I promise you... when you go through trials, when you go through set backs or struggles, you won't be alone and it doesn't last forever. What you are going through is only temporary and it helps to look to the future and take your mind off of the present. Yes... there is a better day ahead.

John 14:1-3
The Way, the Truth, and the Life

1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

Prayer: Dear God, no matter what we go through, we can have the assurance that it's only temporary. You have promised us eternal life in a special place that you have prepared for us! Just as I looked to the day I'd return home and Eric looked to the day he'd ride free again, we can look to the day when we'll live forever with You in paradise! Knowing this can get us through anything we face today. Thank you Lord for your loving kindness and for reminding us that this is not all there is. It's in Jesus name I pray. Amen

Where's your Spark?

2009-04-03T18:21:00.003-05:00

It's hard to stay upbeat and energetic when you just don't feel like it. Today I was asked by an associate if I was ok? She says that I'm tired looking and I just don't have that spark the last couple of weeks. She says I'm still professional and friendly and all that, but I just look, well, stressed and tired!

News flash... I am stressed! My job is stressful in nature. Budgets to achieve, along with operational expectations and demands, can take a toll on you. No one really cares that it's stressful either... those above you just want results and after all you are in a position to figure those things out. I accept full responsibility for my career and I hold myself to a very high standard. Basically, I can stress myself out by holding myself accountable, rarely do I need someone else to do it for me. I know if I'm meeting expectations or not, and when I'm not... I'm stressed!

Saying that however I realize that if I appear stressed I can affect the people that I supervise into feeling stressed just because I'm stressed. My stress, my anxiousness, unsettles others around me and I understand the affect this has on others. I appreciate her saying something to me so I can be aware of this. I know she's concerned about me and that means a lot to me. The problem is however, even after she said something to me, I was still stressed!!!! Sure I was more aware of it, but the stress is still there to be contended with and my only hope today was to try and cover it in someway, which honestly I'm lousy at doing. My face always has reflected how I feel. I can't really hide it. So what course should I take now? How do I eliminate my stress so that I once again have that "spark" in my eyes that my co worker misses seeing in me? And quite frankly... needs to see in me as her leader.

I believe most of my stress comes from worry and the bible has a lot to say about worry. There are many verses that help us on the subject of worry and I know in my life, when I miss budget, when I miss sales projections, when I miss the mark on expectations or goals, I worry about the consequences of it. Worry comes from fear and God says we should not be afraid but rather but our faith and trust in him. those of you that know me know I struggle in this area and you know what? I'm not alone. You know how I know I'm not alone in this issue? The bible speaks too much about it for it not to be something all of us are going to struggle with from time to time. The good news is, that this worry, this fear can be overcome and it's something that should not take the spark out of our life. My focus is in the wrong place for me to have lost my spark.

My first plan of action needs to be... "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness."

Jesus teaches about worry... Matthew 6:25-34
25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

My job has always had a lot of stress in it, but lately I've been really worried and concerned about my results. I've always believed and know that I must strive to do my best and use my God given mind to think my way into improving my results. But sometimes everything you try just doesn't deliver the results you had planned. What do you do in this situation? I don't know about you but my tendency is to work harder and harder and before I know it, I've left God out of the equation. Not completely of course, but to the point I'm focused more on what I can do rather than what God can do. The points is this, God promises comfort, peace, and security in all situations and circumstances. My problem is to be mindful of that and seek God's kingdom and His righteousness, and God will then meet my needs. he will guide my steps and encourage me on my journey of ups and downs.

Prayer: Dear God, forgive me for forgetting to seek You first. I ask that You give me strength, energy, and the desire to seek Your will in my life and then through my obedience, You will provide. Whether I ever accomplish all the goals and expectations I set for myself at work, one thing I do know, I don't need to worry about my life. Worrying only makes me sick and unhealthy. My hope and prayer is that as I seek You and follow You I will perform as I live for You. May others see a spark in me, and that spark reflect the light of Jesus. It's in Jesus name I pray. Amen

Vegas

2009-04-01T07:28:00.006-05:00

Recently I took a vacation trip to Vegas. Yes I know of all places to go, Vegas (sin city) would not have been on the top of your list for vacations but this trip had been planned for a long time. You can see from the picture at Hoover Dam, my son Ryan went with me. This trip was special in that this was a Father/Son trip.

Years ago when Ryan was around 10 or 11 years old, I'd take him to a convenience store and buy him a 20oz. coke. He'd always go for the bottles that had the "You can win" lid's on them. When we'd get in the car he'd take off the cap of the coke bottle and look at the inside of the cap and sure enough! Most times he'd win a free bottle of coke. I can't tell you how many times this happened. Over and over again he'd win those free cokes. One day I told him, "As lucky as you are when you turn 21 I'm going to take you to Vegas." Well Ryan, even at this young age had an Idea of what Vegas was like, because he'd watched the Griswalds (Chevy Chase and family) go to Vegas on their vacation. He loved that movie and of course we joked with each other about only having to buy one way tickets to Vegas because we'd drive back the cars we won (just like they did in the movie.) We'll we had fun for several years joking about this, then as Ryan got a little older he mentioned, "Dad, we really ought to go to Vegas as a Father son trip when I turn 21." I think he may have been 16 maybe when we decided to really do this. So I made a commitment that we'd do the trip when he turned 21. So for many years after that we would occasionally speak of the trip joking again about winning it big. For me the excitement about the trip was different than I suppose Ryan's was. I was excited about spending time with my son.

Well Ryan turned 21 in November of last year and with his school and my work we couldn't arrange to go on vacation until March of this year. Well as you can imagine... were not gamblers, but we did plan all kinds of other fun things to do while we were there for four days. We stayed at the Paris Hotel (pictured above), which I would recommend to anyone wanting to go to Vegas. It's centrally located on the strip and close to many other shows and hotels. We wanted to play golf, but decided against it when we realized just how expensive the courses were there. We went to see Lance Burton the magician. This was a great show and we enjoyed going to his show and then out to eat our first evening. The next day we went to see Terry Fader the ventriloquist. You may have seen him win on the TV show, "America's got Talent." Now this was a great show, lots of fun and he;s so talented, and again we went out to eat. The next day we went on a tour bus out to Hoover Dam and enjoyed our day there. Of course our Dam tour guide enjoyed telling us telling us several Dam jokes as we went on the Dam tour. You can imagine.

The good news is we didn't lose a lot of money, because you have to bet to lose it. Every hotel has a casino and you see many people betting money, and losing it. I didn't see anyone win big, and if they did win and collect a stack of chips, it wouldn't be long before that stack disappeared as they continued to play. Ryan and I played a few slot machines, yes we ventured out with our 10 to 20 dollars here and there, but it was short lived and I was thinking to myself it sure is good that we bought round trip plane tickets, because we certainly were not driving back in new cars that we won playing the slots in Vegas. Save that stuff for the movies!

The reason I even mention this trip however is because I will never forget this trip as long as I live. What began as a joke when he was 10 years old turned into a wonderful Father/Son trip that gave Ryan and myself a chance to spend some quality time together. I was telling someone at work about this trip my son and I took together and he said... "It's great that you have a son at the age that would want to spend time like that with his Dad." I really never thought about it much, but I am so blessed that my boys (both of them) love being with their Mom and Dad. they show great respect for us as their parents and both love spending time with us.

Another thing that I believe is so important is that I made a promise to my son and I kept it. This trip was so important to him and he thought about it constantly throughout the years and now that we've gone and come back we talk about the fun time we had together. It's also kind of fun to watch the expression on my Christian brothers and sisters faces when I tell then I went to Vegas for my vacation. I guess most see the worst in Vegas, the drinking, gambling, and exotic shows, but that's not all there is to do there. There's so much more to see and do. Wonderful restaurants, great shows, and fantastic tours around the area. You don't have to go there with the slogan in your head... "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" you can go and come back and tell everyone what you did. Sin doesn't just abide in a city called Vegas, you can stay at home and find it as well.

I thank the Lord for the time Ryan and I had together.

Rescue, our only hope!

2009-02-22T12:25:00.006-06:00

Recently we watched the Television in amazement as the news of "The Miracle on Hudson" played out. We see this plane full of people making a quick detour to make an emergency landing in the Hudson River after hitting a flock of Geese. This plane suddenly lost all engine power and basically became a huge glider that had no where to go but down. The pilot, capt. "Sully" as we've come to know him, stays calm and glides that plane into the Hudson River and the end result is all the passengers and crew survive the crash landing. He's a hero in the eyes of all of us who watch this take place and especially to those that were on board that airplane. Sully", in his humbleness gives the credit to his crew as well. When we hear him speak of the event, he says he doesn't feel like a hero, he was just doing what he's trained to do, and he never forgets to remind us that he could not have done this without his crew. Getting the plane down safely was his responsibility, but after they landed in the river... what next? Fortunately for those on board, a Rescue was on the way. Recent pictures show people standing calmly on the wings of the plane with their feet in the ice cold water, awaiting rescue. Rescue now being their only hope!

You see, just as those folks survived the crash, they still were not out of the water. If they had not been rescued, they would have perished even though they made it through the crash landing. Let me ask you this question... Have you been rescued? You may be asking, "Rescued from what?" The truth is you can live your whole life and survive all the crashes and wrecks you go through, and still perish in the end. God rescues people everyday by offering them the gift of eternal life. God is your Hope. God is your rescuer. To live life without Jesus Christ as your Savior, is to like surviving the crash landing in the River and thinking, whew, that was close, I made it! I'm alive! But even during this time of celebration, the life threatening dangers are still there. The plane is slowly sinking and unless you get rescued you will die in that icy cold water.

Don't live your life surviving events only to drown in the end because you didn't see the danger and refused to call out for help. God will answer your call for help. Once your realize that you need to be rescued, then it's easy to call out for help and accept being rescued. Those refusing to be rescued do not realize the danger around them.

Again, have you been rescued? I have. No matter what happens in my life, I've been rescued from a place called Hell. I will not go there. God gave me eternal life the day I gave my life to him. The day I surrendered to Him and asked Jesus to become Lord of my life. I was saved! I was rescued. I didn't change my lifestyle first, I didn't clean up my act, I didn't try to become someone I wasn't, I simply realized that I was in trouble and that Jesus was the only one that could save me.

Joel 2:32
Acts 2:21
Romans 10:13
Psalm 68:20

Rescue, our only hope!

What will tomorrow bring?

2009-02-16T21:52:00.003-06:00

What will tomorrow bring?
I don't know, but God does!

For every question in life that we have... God knows the answer!
For every fear that we face... God is always with us!
For every challenge we endure... God knew we'd make it!
For every friend or loved one we've lost... God helped us through it!
For every time we didn't understand... God did!
For every time we didn't know which way to turn... God showed us the way!
For every time we were in the dark... God gave us light!
For every time we felt hopeless... God gave us hope!
For every sickness we have... God is the cure!
For every sin we commit... God forgives!

For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord... God gives eternal life!

What will tomorrow bring?
Put your trust in the One who knows... God.

Stay focused

2009-02-08T20:01:00.006-06:00

There is only so much you can do. There is only so much that you can control. If you want to be frustrated beyond belief then try and do everything and control everything. Seems the hardest thing to learn is realizing that you can't fix it all. The next thing that you must learn is that it's not always up to you to fix. You see as a leader that's hard to swallow. Leaders are fixers. We see the problem and then develop a plan to get it fixed. We're used to dealing with action plans, achieving budget goals, and taking the steps necessary to get the results we need. But I think it's important to always remember, some things are under your control or supervision, while others are not. Realizing what is and what isn't can help determine the level of our involvement and focus. Once we know what it is we can fix or control, then stay focused on it and don't get distracted by the things you can't do anything about. Doing this will help you to stay focused to achieve better results and leave behind what's not yours to deal with.

In the movie "Apollo 13" the crew in outer space has very little battery power left to power up the space module. They must determine the exact amount of amperage needed to power it back up and then by flipping switches in a specific order they begin to turn on the equipment. We watch as each piece of equipment powers up and the amperage usage creeps up and up until they come dangerously close to overloading the amount of power supply available to them and risk not being able to start the space module back up. If they go over the amount of amperage they have available to them, nothing will work. Kinda like us isn't it. Sometimes we extend ourselves too thin, we drain ourselves of our energy worrying, concerned about, and even stressing over things we have no control over. Then nothing works! We don't have the energy or stamina to deal with the responsibilities we are accountable for. So we don't perform, we don't achieve, we don't accomplish our goals, and we wonder why life is so hard. We can worry about the news and what we hear on it, yet most of it we have no control over.

Many people today are worried about many things. The news will scare you to death. The economy is in rough shape. We're probably all in for a rougher ride before it gets better. Focus on your life and what you can do to impact your situation. God is with you and believe it or not, He's aware of all that is happening... let Him take care of all the stuff you can't or shouldn't. Focus on what He'd have you do for your family, in your job or career, in your church, with your friends in your community. Be ready to serve wherever God leads you, but remember this... Don't spread yourself so thin that the great gifts that God has given you today become lost because of your lack of focus on what's important to you now. Love your kids, love your spouse, work hard and ethically for your employer and seek God's relationship and direction in your life. God promises not to give us more than we can handle... so if you feel overwhelmed, maybe, just maybe it's not God that piled the plate so full. Think about it.

"Father, forgive them"

2009-02-01T13:43:00.006-06:00

The following words were spoken by Jesus at the time of his death on the cross. Luke 23:34 "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." Jesus knew the weight of this moment in time. The whole world needed forgiveness of sin even if we didn't realize it at the time. Even though we were crucifying Jesus, even though we were hurling insults at him during his death, even though we turned our back on him, he knew and understood that we had not a clue as to what was going on. We did not know or understand the significance of this event in history. Jesus knowing this... called out to his Father God to forgive us for what we were doing and God in his graciousness forgave us and gave us new life through his son Jesus. God forgave the Jewish leaders, the Roman politicians and soldiers, all the bystanders, and everyone that participated in the murder of his Son because Jesus asked for us to be forgiven. God answered Jesus prayer and opened up the way of salvation through the sacrificial death and resurrection of his Son Jesus Christ.

I've always been amazed at God's love for us. The fact that he would sacrifice his son as an atonement or payment for our sin. Even more amazing is even though Jesus was being killed and suffering so greatly during this painful death, he sees past the moment and the pain and asks God to forgive us. I must think that the suffering was so great for both Jesus and God, that a reminder from Jesus to his Father was needed. Seeing the hate from the people, seeing the satisfaction that these people must have had on their faces, would be enough to think... forget it! They don't deserve eternal life, look at them, ungrateful, unappreciative, terrible, evil people! God could have easily poured his wrath out on the world at that moment and said forget it all! But Jesus said... Father forgive them, they don't know what they're doing. A reminder of our ignorance. So God allowed it to happen and raised his son up from the dead three days later and provided a way for us to have eternal life. To live in the presence of almighty God forever forgiven and free of sin.

God does forgive! But we must ask just as Jesus asked for our forgiveness during his crucifixion. You see if we ask for His forgiveness it means that we trust that He can forgive us. You wouldn't ask God for forgiveness unless you truly believed that He had the ability and authority to forgive you. God has proved his unfailing love for us because even in his misery of seeing his Son dying on the cross He forgave us as Jesus prayed for us. We can see another example of God's love and forgiveness during Jesus death on the cross. Luke 23:39-43 shows us again the love and forgiveness of God. As this man, this criminal was dying, he turned to Jesus Christ for forgiveness and Christ accepted him. You see, even in his misery, Jesus had mercy on this criminal who decided to believe in him. It's never too late to turn to God for forgiveness. This also shows us that it's not our works that save us but rather our faith in Christ. It's in our belief that God can forgive us of our sin and it's when we come to Him asking for forgiveness that we see the love of God poured out on us. Instead of getting what we deserve (death and separation from a Holy God) we get eternal life. It's not earned, it's not deserved, it's simply a gift of love because of our faith and belief that God can forgive us if we ask.

So the next time you realize you've sinned against God, take it to Jesus and ask for forgiveness. When we ask for forgiveness we are actually saying, I've wronged you in some way and I know you don't have to forgive me but I'm asking for your forgiveness. Please forgive me. The result is one or the other. Forgiveness or not. When you deal with people... sometimes they choose not to forgive you when you ask. They can't get past the fact that you've hurt them and they refuse forgiveness. But when you ask God for forgiveness remember that he will always forgive you because the ultimate test was during his Sons death on the cross. Even though we drove the nails through Jesus hands and feet, even though we drove the spear through his side, even though we hung him on the cross, and even though we whipped and beat him, God forgave us.

Don't you think that God will forgive you of the sins you committed today? You see there is nothing that you can do that God can't forgive you for? The worst thing we could have ever done, we did already, and He forgave us for it. So don't carry around guilt for your sins of today. Acknowledge those sins and take them to Jesus for forgiveness. Just as Jesus saw the ignorance of the people that were putting him to death... He also sees our weaknesses, our foolishness, and our sinful ways. Just as he did then, he does today... he stands ready to pray on our behalf before almighty God. Again he will pray... "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."

What do you need forgiveness for? Take it to Jesus and be forgiven.

Are we going to be ok?

2009-01-17T18:57:00.002-06:00

I talk to a lot of people that are very concerned about, well, everything. More and more people are unemployed, and if they are working they can't afford the bills. The price of everything keeps going up and up and up. We see many businesses closing and going under because they can't make the profits they need, to stay in business. We're talking about government bailouts for the banks and automakers. Can we as a nation afford all that? Can we afford not to? These are the concerns and issues we face today. We saw gasoline at $4 a gallon just a few months ago and now that it's gone down, it's beginning to climb back up and who knows how far? Everyone's electric bill here in TN went up 30-40% this last month and it's expected to go up even more in the future. many people need loans but can't get them anymore. Instead of the kids moving out and living on their own, they just can't afford to anymore. I'll have a conversation with someone and they'll tell me, "My daughter moved back home this week, she just can't afford to live on her own anymore." I had a customer in my store this week looking for work. He's run his own Company in the past and he has several degrees but what he needs more than anything right now... is a job. Can I hire him? he asks. This is not uncommon... people are getting desperate, they are looking for help, you can see the fear in their eyes. It's like time is running out and they simply do not know what to do next. It's scary for a lot of people right now.

I ask the question again... are we going to be ok?

I can't begin to anticipate how all this will turn out, but I can assure you of one thing. God is with us. In the times when it may not seem so, He's still there. We often base our feelings about God's presence in our lives as we go through experiences. "Thank you God for all the blessings" we'll say, but when things go crazy and things happen like they have been we can fall into the trap of wondering where is God in all of this. Especially if you are one of the affected ones. One of the people facing no more income and a family looking at you with fear wondering... "What do we do now, Mom?" "What do we do now, Dad." It's hard to see God then. The feelings of abandonment can consume us as we feel alone in the world. But know this... God is still there. It's difficult not to want to blame God for our circumstances. But we must be careful not to assume God is great when things are great, and God is cold when things are bad. God is the same for us in the good time and the bad times. God is always there for us and He's aware of what we're going through. It's during these times of trials and uncertainty that we need to come closer to God and ask for his help. Plead for guidance and direction in our lives. Ask God as to where to step next. It's times like these where we must trust in God to provide for our needs. Many of us will learn to live off less, many of us will learn to live without. Many of us will learn to lean on God for strength during our trials. But this time, these difficult times, will be survived. Just as all the other times in history, God has always been there and He's still here today to carry us through.
Meditate on these promises from God's word:

1 Peter 5:7
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

Hebrew 13:5
Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you."

May God's blessings be upon you and your family. Cast all your worries and cares upon Him and allow the warmth of his grace to heal you and comfort you as only he can in these trying times. God is still there... reach out and see if he won't lift you up.

Having fun with pictures

2009-01-13T23:08:00.003-06:00

I had some fun with a few pictures of my grand daughter.

Music in the Church

2009-01-11T12:16:00.007-06:00

I've been reading a book titled the "The Kingdom focused church" by Gene Mims. The point of this book is that we often spend time focused on programs and procedures rather than being focused on the Kingdom of God. Instead we should think about how this program or that procedure impacts the Kingdom of God. Too many times it seems that we try to copy or imitate what another church is doing, because it's working for them. But we must remember that each church is different and unique due to the uniqueness of their market, their people and culture, and circumstances. Each church is different and what works in one may not work in another. In any case... if we stay focused on God's Kingdom, then our church, in our own unique way, will be about God's work in whatever way that may be. I feel too often we try to keep up with the Jone's. The church down the street does this and that's why they have greater numbers of worshippers attending, The church in Nashville (or anywhere for that matter) does this or that and that's why they are so successful. You get the point... If they're doing it and it's working for them, well then, it should work for us too. The truth is it, it may work, it may not. There's nothing wrong with considering and seeing what other churches are doing... but to think it's the answer to our problems, is not a good approach.

My experience in church programs and church worship have been good and bad. But in all cases, we never feel were doing enough as a church. We can always do more it seems. Our focus usually is... how do we reach more people, what can we do to be more for our community, how can we effectively reach the lost? How can we get better discipleship training? We need to do more for our youth. All great questions and concerns and certainly what the Church is about... but have we asked what it is that God wants from us as a church? The danger with watching everyone else and their results, is that we risk missing the plan for our own church.

Music is a topic of much debate in the church. Do we sing contemporary music, do we sing only hymns, do we not use music at all but rather only sing and let our voices be the music. All churches and all people have a difference of opinion about this. I think most everyone wants to do the "right thing" and we seek to honor God in what we do as far as music is concerned but again... who's' right and who's wrong? When I think about it... I believe that's the problem. Too many people trying to figure out what style or kinds of music is right or wrong instead of simply using music (whatever it is) as a means of worship. Don't get me wrong here... I love music and I believe it can move people into a closer more intimate time with our Lord God during a time of worship. But I also believe it can be any music... soft music played by an instrument without vocals can be very moving. Songs of praise and adoration can move us to a closeness to our Lord God during a worship service. Singing several verses of a great old hymn can move us during the worship. No music at all but a vocalist singing can be very touching and moving during a worship service. I've mentioned several way to use or not use music during worship but all of it is meaningless if we can't get past the style, the instruments, the vocals, the organ, the piano, the guitar , the harp ... etc. etc. You see when our focus is on style rather than God, then the music's not right. When we focus on instruments rather than God, then the musics not right. When we focus on the songs rather than God, then the music will never be right... because we're not focused on the right thing, and that's God. Have we come to worship or criticize? The answer to that question should help answer the motive of our heart, and also explain some of why we can't seem to have a meaningful worship experience.

I've posted some history of "Music in the Church" that I found while digging up information of the subject. I do not have the authors name, it was not available, but I've copied it to this post so you can see one thing only. Music has always been integrated into worship and church services... but even more importantly... it's always been changing throughout the years. The changes come from people trying to figure out a better way of using music within the worship service. Was it the right thing to do? Who knows? What I do what you to see though is that music has always changed as people and cultures change. There isn't just one style, one way, a better way than another. The only thing that matters is ... have you come to worship and is God the center of your focus?

"A history of Music in the Church"
Early music in the church was shaped by Greek, Syrian, and Hebrew influences. Only a dozen or so examples of Greek music from the ancient world exist; but from these, music historians can ascertain that music was a part of early Greek religious ceremonies. It was primarily monophonic unison melody, void of any sort of harmony or contrasting counterpoint. This early music did allow for embellishment with instruments. History reveals that Greek music was based on theories concerning the nature of music and certain accepted systems and patterns for musical compositions.

Syrian monasteries and churches were scenes of early musical elements in worship as well. Antiphonal psalmody and hymns were first present in Syria and then spread to Milan and further west. Antiphonal psalmody was also evident in the Jewish temples. Antiphonal singing means that two choruses sing "back and forth" to each other, much as an echo, though not always identical music.

In the case of Jewish psalmody, the text was based on verses from the Hebrew "Book of Praises," the Biblical Psalms. The Psalms were sung every day in ancient Hebrew temples. Another method for their musical presentation was the responsorial chant where the Levite leaders chanted Psalms accompanied by various instruments, singing one line and then waiting for the congregation to sing the next. The chant that was sung as a solo from the altar was called the "verse" and the congregational choral response was known simply as the "respond."

Hymns followed the psalms, adapting melodies from the early chants. Catholicism developed the Canticle, lyrical portions of the Bible that were sung at specified times of worship. Canticles are a part of today's liturgy in the Roman Catholic Church. The first written chants were associated with Pope Gregory and therefore are remembered in history as "Gregorian Chants."

As early as the Middle Ages, the Mass was deemed the worship service most important in the Catholic Church. It was organized into two types: the Proper Mass and the Ordinary Mass. Historically, the Proper Mass was seasonal and the music depended upon the particular feast that was to be celebrated. Its movements included the Introit, Collect, Epistle, Gradual, Alleluia, Evangelium, Offertory, Secret, Preface, Canon, Communion, and Post-Communion. The Ordinary Mass was used for services from week to week, unaffected by holy days or season. The Ordinary Mass remained the same each service with five musical sections: the Kyria Eleison, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei.

Because the Gregorian Chants were considered sacred, they were utilized in every early Mass. The basic chant was always found in the lower part, the bass line, and was called the Cantus Firmus. Musicians and composers altered the chants by changing rhythms, voice, harmony, countermelody, descant, and imitation, but the chants were always present. History records Machaut as changing the rhythms. Leonin added a harmonic second part. This technique was built upon by Dufay, who arranged a mass for three and four parts all singing different melodies against one another but in chord harmonies. Perotin added countermelody and descant.
Ockegheim was a master of the technique of imitation, writing Mass arrangements that focused on one voice but allowed for the echo of another voice in a lower or higher register. Ockegheim also added harmonies, primarily in thirds. Desprez introduced counterpoint to the Mass, where two distinct melodies played independently against each other, often a few beats apart.

As more and more composers added and altered the basic Gregorian melody, the music for Mass became more complex. It was hard to pick out the text or understand the meaning of the words. In some instances, the music itself was so difficult that singers balked at performance. The organist then played the music or improvised on the theme, thus introducing liturgical organ music.

At the Council of Trent, church leaders met to address the problem of the difficult and extremely varied music before them. The first official catechism was formulated. It was decided that the music for worship must be within reasonable bounds as far as its difficulty so that members of the congregation could participate.

Pope Marcellus asked Palestrina to simplify the church's music. Palestrina tackled the job with dignity and style, simplifying presentation but retaining the beauty of the melody. He limited counterpoint. He also sought to magnify the text so that the words became the most important part of the music and it ministered in its presentation rather than mystifying those listening by its complexity.

In the 1600's and 1700's, some of the world's greatest composers contributed to the Mass. Bach composed a Mass in all twenty-four keys! His most famous was the "B-minor Mass." Monteverdi used dissonance and word painting to express the emotion of the words in the Mass. A. Scarlatti introduced the cantata, a religious musical with five to eight movements, soloists, ensembles, and choruses. Handel created the oratorio, a sacred opera with a narrator. Handel's most famous religious work was "The Messiah." Schutz composed "The Seven Last Words," a work that centered on the theme of Christ's last days (or passions). Mozart wrote eighteen masses. Mozart's masses were so lengthy, however, that only portions of them can be used within the time constraints of a church service. Haydn penned fourteen Masses, all positive and happy, focusing on faith in God. His most famous religious contribution was his oratorio, "The Creation."

In the 18th century, religious music expanded beyond all bounds that had ever been set for it. Composers "borrowed" common melodies and even secular/popular songs, rewriting religious words to them. During this period were birthed hymns, anthems, and choruses for both Catholic and Protestant churches. It was often the case that the same melody was used as a hymn and a cantata or mass. For example, Bach's Cantata #80 is based on the hymn "A Mighty Fortress is our God." Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee" share a melody line.

The 19th and 20th centuries introduced freedom of style in what history calls the "Liturgical Movement." Religious music underwent a transformation to suit a changing and evolving congregation. Liturgies were simplified and often translated into the country's own language. The Liturgical Movement sought to preserve the history of the traditional music in the church, yet design a style of music that would meet the needs of a more modern parishioner. Music was not only simplified but integrated, with pastors and composers setting religious texts to folk melodies to encourage congregations to join in the singing. Examples of famous hymns set to popular tunes are "Amazing Grace" and "There is a Fountain."

In the latter part of the 20th century, a new musical idea once again transformed the music of the church - contemporary Christian music. From the folk rock of the 70's with its guitars and drums to the Christian rap groups of the 21st century, Christian music continues to evolve with artists like Carmen and DC Talk who aspire to preserve the message of the church while meeting the needs of an ever-changing world.

How's Eric doing?

2009-01-04T17:38:00.007-06:00

Many friends have asked how Eric is doing? He's doing good. Here's a picture of Eric, Marcie and Halle. I wanted to throw in a picture of Ryan (my youngest son), but he's either in Vo tech school or traveling down to Manchester to visit his girlfriend. If I can get him home long enough... I'll snap a picture of him for you.

God bless you all, and happy new year!

Thanks for your prayers!

Starting Over

2009-01-01T15:57:00.008-06:00

It was weird... I awoke this morning excited that last year was over and a new one awaits. I thought to myself, today begins a new experience, I can do things differently than I did last year. I think I'll exercise more this year, maybe even lose a little weight. I'll see if I can't get grounded back in church again, I miss being at home in church. I heard today on CNN that this last year in the stock market was the worst performance of stocks since the depression! We saw over $4.00 a gallon for gasoline this year! This last year Eric, my son, got out of jail and he's doing well now and we can put all that behind us for good. I relocated with my career and we're finally settling in with all that. When I think about this last year... I'm kind of overwhelmed with all that has changed within the life of my family, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. This year I hope will bring with it some stability. I'm not so sure that life has periods of stability anymore. Times have changed... we live in a very fast paced world. Changes in technology alone keep things in turmoil. Last years computer becomes obsolete this year. Just look at cell phones, everyone has to have the latest and greatest. We even have to laws in place to keep us from texting while driving, because we're not smart enough to realize texting while driving can kill us when we crash! We also demand urgency from everything we do... to sit and relax makes us feel guilty for some reason? We always feel that we should be doing something, or we're just not keeping up.

It was weird... because after all these thoughts I realized that there's no magic in New Years day. It's just another day. But for some reason we use it as an ending and a new beginning point. It's certainly become a time for reflection and a time to look at results from the previous year. But even so, I think it's important to always remember. To change or to look ahead can begin with any new day, not just the New Years day. My hope is that I don't return to the ruts I've established over time, but keep moving forward and improving with each day. But if I don't, and I fall back into the rut of a bogged down life. Tomorrow is always a new day, and with that brings new life, new hopes, and new dreams.

I'm so thankful for what God has given me, but even more so, I'm thankful for what God has promised me for the future. With God anything can happen. Each new day should be looked upon with excitement and thanksgiving as we partake in whatever God has planned for us. The good news... God is always with us, he will never leave us or forsake us. With each challenge we face, we're not alone. As a matter of fact we really never know how bad things could have been if it hadn't been for God's hand upon us. So when we think we've had a tough year, we need to always remember, it could be so much worse. I hope this year is better, but even so, There is a lot to be thankful for this last year when we overlook the negative.

I hope you all have a very Happy New years day celebration, but more importantly I hope this next year will be one that we can all reflect on with great joy. I know many fell upon tough time this last year. Let's start over. Let's all just make one commitment rather than a whole list of resolutions and then let's see how it goes from there. Begin every new day with a focus on God and let's see where the rest of the day takes us from there. It could change our whole perspective on how we see things and the outcome or results. This verse says it all...

Matthew 6:33
(33) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

God is watching

2008-12-29T10:52:00.003-06:00

You know even when you think no one is watching, always remember that God is. Those little secrets that only you know about... not really... God knows. Those things we say or do when we think no one else can see or hear... God knows, he sees all, and he hears everything. Does this give you comfort or does it scare you to death? I think if we were honest, it's probably pretty scary to think that God sees everything we do.

Proverbs 15:3 says...
(3) The Lord is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.

Hebrews 4:13 says...
(13) Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

Think about the things we try to hide from other people. We'll try so hard to portray ourselves in a different light or image to others hoping they don't see how we really are, yet we won't even give thought to the one that really matters and that's God. No matter how hard we try to cover up, God sees it all and he alone (not our friends or other people) he alone is whom we are accountable to. We've got it backwards. We shouldn't worry what our friends or others think, we should be more concerned about what God thinks about our actions and our thoughts. Are our motives pure or selfish? Do we act one way alone at home but completely different on Sunday mornings in church? One things for sure, God knows.

Finding Rest

2008-12-29T09:45:00.004-06:00

In my line of work the Holidays are my busiest time of year. Time seems to fly by and it seems I have very little time in every day to do all that I need to get done. I think most people feel the same way during the Christmas Holiday season. A lot to do in a very short amount of time. Finding rest is something that escapes me and after the Holidays are over... I'm beat and exhausted and desperately in need of some rest. It's like I've been running on battery power and I have about 5% power left and if I don't get plugged in real quick to recharge, I'll shut down.

Today I came across this verse that really helped me.
Psalm 91:1 says...
(1) Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

Another reminder that if we'll simply seek shelter from the hectic and chaotic world we live in under the shadow of our Almighty God, He will give us rest. I think the rest comes from surrender, I think the rest comes from knowing that God is in control, I think the rest comes from the peace of the Holy Spirit. To be under the shadow of the Most High, means that we are under His protection. There's great comfort in this and there is peace that restores our body.

Simply put, by dwelling and abiding in Him... no matter how intense and crazy it gets, by entrusting ourselves to his protection and pledging our daily devotion to him, we will be kept safe and get the rest we need.
Are you plugged into the power source or are you running off battery power? I've never seen a battery sustain power on it's own. Eventually it must be recharged. You and I are the same way. Today... find time to spend with the Most High and rest, recharge.

That's not possible

2008-12-21T15:42:00.007-06:00

Can you imagine an angel of the Lord telling you that you are going to give birth to the son of God? "But I'm a virgin," Mary says! No big deal... the angel says, "the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the son of God"... Mary faints and eventually wakes and reflects on the craziest dream she's ever had. Well, not exactly the way it happened, but the only part of my little story that makes sense at all is the part where Mary faints and thinks it's a dream. You see, the part that is true, is like...wow... unbelievable. The part that is not true, makes sense.
Luke 1:26-35 (the birth of Jesus foretold)

The bible is full of stories and events that happened, but in our own wisdom, there's just no way they can happen. They just don't make sense. A virgin birth! Impossible! Well nothings impossible with God. Those of us that have faith, know this to be true. It's not what we see, or what we can understand... it's what we know God can do. We don't have to see to believe, we don't have to understand to be assured that all things are possible with God.

Luke 1:36-38
And the angel continues to say... Oh yes, I almost forgot to tell you... You remember your relative Elizabeth? Yes she's very old and everyone says she's barren and can't have children, but guess what? She is pregnant too! She's right now in her sixth month. You see... nothing is impossible with God!

I can only imagine Mary's excitement and extreme confusion at all that was happening. How can this be? It's impossible! But Mary had faith in God. If God said it would happen, then it would. When Mary and Elizabeth reunited there was great joy and excitement between them as they both acknowledged what God was doing.
Luke 1:39-45

Nothing is impossible with God... all you have to do is believe that God will do what he says he will do. That's why we know that our prayers will be heard. That's why we know we have eternal life! The next time you think, "That's not possible." Remember with God, it's possible. The bible is filled with promises of what God says he will or can do for each of us. The only requirement is that we believe He can.

May God bless you this Christmas! Many folks are going through some trying times. Loss of loved ones, facing surgery or other health issues, so many people out of work or just not able to make ends meet anymore. Just remember, with God, anything is possible. You don't have to understand how it can work out, just trust that God can do what he says and hold fast to his promises. Keep the faith.

God bless you all, and have a Merry Christmas.

Steve

What's Abraham's faith got to do with me?

2008-12-16T22:15:00.009-06:00

The answer to this question is... because God has promised us eternal life through a right relationship with Him through our faith in Jesus Christ. Because of ABRAHAM'S faith in God, Abraham was counted as righteous and Abraham's right standing with God is what gives him eternal life. God also made a promise to Abraham because of his faithfulness. God promised to make Abraham the father of many nations. Abraham is the father of all who believe and when God counted Abraham as righteous, it wasn't just for Abraham's benefit, it was for our benefit as well assuring us to be counted righteous if we too believe in God, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

Romans 4:17-25
(17) That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, "I have made you the father of many nations." This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.
(18) Even when there is no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping - believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, "That's how many descendants you will have!"
(19) And Abraham's faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead - and so was Sarah's womb.
(20) Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God.
(21) He was convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.
(22) And because of Abraham's faith, God counted him as righteous.
(23) And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn't just for Abraham's benefit. It was recorded
(24) for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
(25) He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.

Amazing... Because of the faith of Abraham, God made a promise to him that allows us to have eternal life as well. So it's because of Abraham's faith in God that we have been given the opportunity to believe, but it's important to know that Abraham's faith saves only himself. It's only by our own faith in God that we can have eternal life.

Romans 4:24
(24) for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
Romans 5:1
(1) Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
Romans 5:8-11
(8) But God God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
(9) And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's condemnation.
(10) For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his son.
(11) So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Adam's sin in the beginning brought condemnation to everyone. His one act made us all sinners, but Christ one act of righteousness brings us eternal life if we have faith and believe. God's wonderful grace and his free gift of eternal life are for all who receive it by faith in what Christ did to make us in a right standing with God. His blood washed away our sins.

Romans 5:18-21
(18) Yes, Adams one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ's one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.
(19) Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.
(20) God's law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God's wonderful grace became more abundant.
(21) So just as sin ruled over all people and brought to them death, now God's wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

I thank God for father Abraham! I thank God that Abraham had the faith he did. It wasn't because of Abraham's good deeds that God counted him righteous but because of his faith.

Romans 4:3-5
(3) For the Scriptures tell us, "Abraham believed God, and God counted him righteous because of his faith.
(4) When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned.
(5) But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.

Romans 4:13,16
(13) Clearly, God's promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God's law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith.
(16) So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham's. For Abraham is the father of all who believe.

As a son, I always wanted to grow up to be just like Dad. My Dad set some great examples for me to imitate. To be like my Dad was something I always wanted to be. Even today at my age (48), I think of what my Dad would do in certain situations and circumstances. Well what if we looked at Abraham in this same way. We can look at Abraham's faith and see that there is hope in any situation. No matter how hopeless it looks, faith in God can overcome our hopelessness. What an example Abraham is for each of us. He was tested, he was told he would be the father of many nations yet he was an old man and Sarah was barren, but the bible says that Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger. You see, Abraham's faith set the way for us. For us to be made righteous with God, we must have the kind of faith that Abraham had. We must have the same faith that Abraham had in believing that he would be the father of many nations just because God said it would be. So it is with our own faith in believing that God sent his Son to die on the Cross so that we can have eternal life. Christ's act of righteousness allows God's wonderful grace to be received by all who believe.

So what's Abraham's faith got to do with me? .... everything!

Thank God for work

2008-12-06T13:31:00.002-06:00

The alarm clock sounds... it's 5:00 AM. You slowly crawl out of bed and make your way to the shower. Got to wake up! Yes, it's another day of heading off to work. How nice it would be just to sleep in. Instead we have to get up and go to work yet another day.

Have you ever felt this way? Ok, I mean have you ever not felt this way? It's tough going to work when we dread it, isn't it? Your job may not be all that you had hoped it would be. It may not be the best hours of the day to work, your place of employment may not even have the friendliest people to work with, but you know what? You have a job. I'm not being sarcastic here, I'm wanting you to see that no matter how bad you think it is... it can be a lot worse. You know, we complain about so many things. At every opportunity when things get tough, we wonder what it would be like to work somewhere else. When your boss is a jerk, we think it's time to move on. When your co workers aren't friendly to each other, we want to move on. When we don't get the hours we wanted to work, we want out.

Let me help you appreciate your job, because if you don't appreciate your job... you really need to. Take a look around. What do you see? Are you blinded by your hurt feelings and disappointments that you don't see that the job you have is helping to put food on the table? It's helping to pay the bills. It is providing some degree of income for your family. What's the alternative? No job? I'm always amazed at how miserable we'll make ourselves with the job we have when we could simply be thankful for it instead. maybe if we realized how fortunate we are we'll appreciate what we've got. It's happens to all of us. The excitement of our employment last a few weeks or months and then we're no longer satisfied. What happened? What changed? We're no longer thankful. We begin to feel like were owed something else. We begin to think the work is too hard. We begin to think our boss is too mean or unfair with his or her expectations. We begin to feel were not appreciated. We begin to fall into the trap of thinking it's always better somewhere else. You know what I've found out over the years? Your job is what you make it! I've never worked for a place that didn't have tough people to work with... my experience... be friendly right back and things usually work out fine. Don't get your feeling hurt and throw away your job because of somebody you can't stand working with. Do all you can to improve the situation, quit expecting them to change, and try that ol change thing yourself. Your the only one that can change things, you have no control over the other person. And remember this... if you quit and move on to another job, my bet bet is his brother works there, or someone just like him anyway. People like that are everywhere. reminds me of when my son was younger and in school. He had a teacher that he could not stand. He felt this teacher always picked on him and would tease him and embarrass him and he became very angry about the way he was being treated. Everyday he would come home from school and complain about this teacher. "What did he want me to do?" Run in there and yell at the teacher? Seems to be what most parents do now days isn't it? But instead I figured this was a good time to teach him a true life lesson. One that I'm sure he'll never forget. I told him that his teacher was the boss, the authority, and you may not like it, but that's the way it is. That's life, and unless she does something illegal or inappropriate you better figure out what makes her happy and quit fighting her. Wait till you get out there in the workplace and you encounter that boss you can't stand. Are you going to quit all the time and run from job to job? No... you figure out what you need to do to please your supervisor. Young people today have the wrong mindset. They think it's "sucking up" to please the supervisor. I call it it performing at work and being appreciated for what I do. Until I become the boss, I work for one. I must understand this or I will fail in my job. I'll always be upset, I'll always have my feelings hurt and I won't go anywhere. I'm surprised at how many people fail to realize that their supervisor is the very person that can perpetuate their career. I guess what I'm trying to say today is that we need to find the good in our job, rather than the bad. Appreciate what we have. We'll be a lot happier and work won't be such a burden.

Not that your boss, teacher, or co workers are your enemy, but what does the bible say about those you have problems with. Love them Jesus says....

Luke 6:27-31
"But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise."

The warmth of Son-shine

2008-11-27T11:30:00.004-06:00

As the song goes, so should we... "Give thanks, with a grateful heart. Give thanks, to the Holy One, Give thanks, because He's given Jesus Christ His Son." God has given us so much to be thankful for. The blessings are endless if we'll look closely. Sometimes the blessings are overwhelming and quite obvious while at other times they can be hard to see due to all the misery, problems, and difficulties we face. But the blessings from God are always there... even in times of trouble. Every storm blocks out the sunshine, but if you fly up above the storm clouds... the sun is still shining. Sometimes we can't see the blessings from the storms we're going through at the time but that doesn't mean we're not blessed.

Today, my challenge to you is to see past the storm your going through and feel the warmth of the Son-shine on your face. The Son of God, can push through any storm. The Son of God can calm any storm, The Son of God can help you weather every storm. There is nothing like the warmth we get from the Son. Continue to pray and as God answers your prayers don't forget to thank God for answered prayers. Sometimes we wonder why God hasn't answered our prayers. I think, we fail to see the answered prayers sometimes because we didn't get the answer exactly as we had hoped, but that doesn't mean God hasn't intervened in some way to your prayer request. God works out his plans for our lives and he brings us through all storms and difficulties we face. Thanksgiving should be an integral part of our praise to God. Today is Thanksgiving, a time to reflect on the blessings of life and give thanks to the One who provides it all. Count your blessings and Thank God for them.

A Psalm of David, Psalm 138:1-3
(1) I will praise You with my whole heart; Before the gods I will sing praises to You.
(2) I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For you have magnified Your word above all Your name.
(3) In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul.

May you all have a blessed Thanksgiving Day.

Steve

Right here, Right now.

2008-11-15T12:20:00.003-06:00

What happened yesterday is over... don't dwell on it. Do we learn from it?... yes, but don't dwell on it. Put it behind you and start again. Tomorrow isn't here yet so don't consume all your thoughts for a day that may or may not come. You can focus all your attention on tomorrow and miss today. Today is right here, right now. Today is what matters, this moment in time, right here, right now, yet we worry about the future or focus on the past and miss out on today.

Imagine if we poured ourselves into the here and now. What if we allowed the future to be defined by our actions today? Imagine if we allowed today's application to come from our experiences and learning's from yesterday, how much better would we be?

Whether it's the future or the past that concerns you, today is all you have to do something about it. Whether it's a relationship that you hope will improve, or maybe it's your work, or church, or school, that you hope will become more, today, right here, right now, is the time that God has given you to use wisely. Maybe that time is spent praying or studying? Maybe that time is spent just enjoying God's presence and love, alone time with him? Maybe that time is to say I'm sorry for what I've done to someone I've hurt? Maybe that time is to make a commitment to my career, church, or family.? Maybe that time is to rest and recoup? You get the point... Today is all you have. The truth be known... you might not even have the remainder of today... all you really have is "right here, right now!"

I hope that everyone understands that the differences we make today for our lives and the Lord's Kingdom is in the here and now. If you belong to Christ.... even when your days are done here on earth... you will live on in the presence of God and his love. So there is always a tomorrow for those that belong to Christ, but you only have "right here, right now" to mend relationships, to help someone in need, to love like you know you should, to share what you can to others... the list goes on and on. Simply put... enjoy today! Live as God would have you live, be all that you can be and focus less on the things that have passed and the things yet to come. Live today, right here, right now!

May God's blessing be upon you.

Steve

Great Leaders set the example for others

2008-11-06T22:04:00.009-06:00

Do you have the ability to admit when it's over, when it's done, it's finished? Guess what folks? The election is over! Either your candidate lost or won, either way, the election is over and we will have a new President this coming January.

When I was in the service (US Army) we all understood that whoever won the election, that person was now our new Boss. You see, our Commander in Chief, our senior ranking official, is and always has been the President of the United States of America for all military servicemen and women. I was always amazed that upon the day the new President took office, everyone looked upon our new Commander in Chief as just that. He was now in charge. The interesting thing about being in the military is that we all have respect for the system and the different levels of rank and authority. It was just taught and understood that when you were given orders by your commanding officer, you didn't ask why, you didn't complain, you simply said.... "Sir, Yes Sir."

Maybe it's because of my past experience in the military that I can say with all honesty and sincerity... It's time to move on past the election and prepare ourselves to support our new President of these great United States. Although I've never seen anything quite like these elections and the emotional connections to both of these candidates, when it's all said and done, the people have spoken and have elected a new President. I can relate to John McCain as a fellow veteran, even though his service and mine were not at all the same. My sacrifice for this country was nothing compared to his. When I think about what he went through for his country, when I see how hard he fought to try and win this election, when I listened to his concession speech, I was reminded of how thankful and proud that I am to be an American. I was reminded of how important it is we support our new President and unite as a country and as Americans. John McCain, the great leader that he is, knows that we must transition from the race to win, to the race to join together and unite. Great leaders always set the example for others to follow and John McCain did that for everyone who supported his candidacy. He said that he called Senator Barrack Obama and congratulated him on his victory and then he did something that shows the whole world his true love for our country. He pledged to do all he can to help his new President in his quest to help our country move forward. In other words... I'm here for you! You can count on me.

Where do you stand? What's your pledge?

May God bless the United States of America.

I can't do any more

2008-11-03T21:55:00.004-06:00

I realize that through my efforts to motivate and encourage others, sometimes a list of do's and don'ts is not what someone needs to hear, yet most of my posts are about doing something different, trying something new to jump start ourselves into action and be about our Father's business. But in my efforts to challenge you to do something, I realize that sometimes we can reach a place where we've already tried that. We've tried being better, we've tried setting time aside for the Lord and devotion or quiet time, we've tried reading our bible more, we've tried praying more often than before, we done the list that everyone throws our way and yet, we still see no results from our efforts and we're exhausted and tired from giving it our best and still getting no where.

If you find yourself in this place or if you've been there before (we've all been there)... this post is for you.

Sometimes we simply come to the place where we say... "I can't do any more." I'm exhausted, I'm weak, I'm so tired. Everything I've tried hasn't worked, I can't do any more... I'm done.

It's in moments like these that we must know that even though we can't go on, we've had enough... we must remember that the Lord never grows faint or weary. He understands everything that is going on within you and if you call upon him he will give you strength, he'll give you power over your weakness. You see, we desperately want to fix things. We think we can fix this and fix that, try harder here and this will improve and that will get better, but it doesn't always work out that way and we get so discouraged and tired of our fruitless efforts. Then you read a post like I've written in the past that says study more, pray more, read more, do more and everything will get better and you know, sometimes it will. Sometimes that's what God expects us to do, is do those things that we haven't been doing and through them we'll grow closer and be more obedient to following His direction for our lives... but sometimes we do those things and nothing happens, nothing works and we wonder... what am I doing wrong? Where is God in all of this?

The good news is that God never tires, he never gets weary, he never loses strength, He is everlasting and when we wait upon Him, call upon him, and put our full faith and trust in him, he will renew our strength in time. We will be able to run again and not grow weary, we will be able to walk and not faint, he will give us power over our weakness, and one day again, through his power, not ours, we will be able to once again do whatever it is that God leads us to do. It's like we need a time of rest, we need to know that God understands what we're going through, we need to know that He can carry us through the trials and set backs we go through, and finally we need to understand that He knows when we can't do any more. He knows when we've had enough, he knows when we have no more strength, he sees when we're about to faint in our weakness. These following verses were written to comfort Gods people then and they still comfort us today.

Isaiah 40:28-31
(28) Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.
(29) He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.
(30) Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,
(31) But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

You see, even the strongest people get tired at times, but God's power and strength never diminish. He always hears us, listens to us, and he's never too busy or to tired to help us. His strength is our source of strength and when you feel like life is crushing you and you cannot go one more step, remember that you can call upon God to renew your strength. My prayer for you is that you will know the difference between doing the things that God wants you to do, and knowing when you can't do any more because you have nothing more to give. May you wait upon the Lord for renewed strength and hopefully begin running the race again with the strength and energy that only God can sustain.

God bless you.

Steve

Vote

2008-11-02T10:35:00.005-06:00

One person makes a difference. It's the collective of all the votes that determines the outcome. The worst thing people can do is think this way... "Well I'm only one person, it really doesn't matter if I vote or not."

Just a few weeks ago I participated in a fund raising event for CMN (Children's Miracle Network) I was locked inside a makeshift jail cell at work and I had to raise $1,000 to get out. As the customers passed by I would let them know that I was raising money for Children's Miracle Network and I'd ask if they could donate to help the kids at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville TN. Most would dig in their purse or reach into their pockets and look for any change they might have on them. Some gave dollar bills but truthfully most gave pocket change. Every single time a customer gave me their pocket change they apologized and said I know it's not much, I'm sorry. I'd quickly thank them and remind them that it all adds up and I appreciate their donation so much. We raised $1056 in about a 7 hour time frame and when we added up the money, $228 of the total came from pennies, nickles, dimes, and quarters! Over 20% of the total came from the people that thought their donation didn't matter. My point... Vote this Tuesday. Your vote does matter, it does count, and you have a responsibility to be an engaged citizen.

Read the following verses:
1 Corinthians 12:12-31

Just as you are a member of the body of Christ and you do matter, you are important and you do have a function and responsibility within the body of Christ. So it is that you matter to others within your family, your community, your city, state, and country. Vote... this Tuesday. You do make a difference!

Note... I in no way mention who to vote for... that decision must be made by you and the Lord as your guide. Pray about it. Seek the Lords council... then VOTE. Either way the election turns out, know this... at least you cast your vote, you played your part in the decision process instead of leaving it up to everyone else to decide your future government. You know, there are many Christians that are Democrats, many that are Republicans, and many that are Independents. My hope and prayer is that Christians will vote. People that are lead by God will vote. Then either way it goes, at the very least, Christians had a voice in the political process, at most... Godly people elected the President of the United states of America.

See you at the polls,

Steve

Good Morning God

2008-10-29T14:41:00.003-05:00

Some people wake up and say... Good morning God, others wake up and say... Good God, It's morning. So which one are you? Do you dread mornings? Dread the beginning of yet another day at the office? Are you struggling to get the energy to fight through another day? Sometimes it's hard to stay motivated isn't it?

Something that can help with our outlook on the new day is to make a choice on which phrase were going to say when we wake up each morning. "Good Morning God," or "Good God, It's Morning." One of these phrases reflect a positive attitude that thanks God for a new day, the other is our negative perspective on what we think the day's going to be like. We're doomed from the very start of the day if we don't choose to say... "Good Morning God!" That single choice of welcoming in the new day with a greeting to God can set the pace for great things to come during the rest of the day. We can choose to have a good day, or we can choose to have a bad day. It really is our choice. The only time you don't have a choice to be positive is if you give up, then you become a victim to circumstances. Every circumstance that comes your way, you must face. You can tackle it head on or you can say, here we go again and throw up your hands in defeat. The choice is yours to make on how you are going to react. It really is. So what can we do to stay positive even though were bombarded with negative thoughts or issues.

1. Begin your day with the Lord. Good Morning God. Thank you for another day of life. Today is going to be great because your my Father and I'm your child. You can deliver me through all trials today if I'll just look to you for guidance and direction. There's great comfort in knowing your not facing the day alone and no matter what happens today, it was no surprise the God. It may have caught me off guard, but the God knew it was coming, so I can trust he's already got a plan for me to get through it.

2. Begin your day with alone time with God. Read a devotion, read the bible, meditate on his word. Make this a daily routine (a habit). Beginning the day with alone time with God helps clear your head. It's important to give the very first part of your day to the Lord, and it sets the precedence for the rest of the day. No matter whats happens today, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Allow God to show you his will and direction for you in your bible study. Allow God to speak to you through the scriptures. Sometimes it's amazing how a situation that you'll face today, you'll recall God's word speaking to you through the situation because of this alone time first thing in the morning. Some situations simply require that we love rather than fight, and without God's love flowing through us, well we could make the situation worse. God gives us the proper mindset for the day if we'll seek him first in the day.

3. Begin your day with prayer. Take everything to the Lord in prayer first thing in the morning. Talk to him, listen to him, share with him, and allow him to comfort your soul.

4. Go live out the rest of the day for the Lord. Pray throughout the day...stay connected to the source of power that can overcome all obstacles and issues that are thrown your way. God is in control of this day and all it brings... you are not alone. Will it be hassle free? Most likely not. Can you remain positive thorough it? Yes you can.

You know the happiest people on earth should be Christians. We have eternal life. We have Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We have a relationship with God the Father through his Son Jesus and he never leaves us or forsakes us. We're blessed everyday simply out of his love for us. We have power within us to overcome any obstacle thrown our way so we should be able to rejoice. But often, we do not reflect the joy we have to others. We're angry because of what's happening, we're sour because we've been treated wrong. Something unfair happened to me so I'm sad and disappointed and blame God for my problems. And sadly, we run out the door first thing in the morning already defeated because we didn't begin our day with... "Good morning God." Our attitude towards our Lord determines if we'll depend on him today, or go it alone on our own. Begin your day tomorrow differently... Focus on God first then let the day happen. You'll be better prepared to handle what comes and you won't feel alone as your handling it. Let God handle it through you. Your day will be more positive and you feel so much better at the end of it. May God bless you on your daily walk. Just don't walk alone. It's not safe out there.

Are you productive?

2008-10-28T20:33:00.003-05:00

What are you doing with what God has given you? God gives us resources according to our abilities and he expects us to invest those resources and gifts he's given us until he returns. We are responsible to use well what God has given. There is a parable in the bible that speaks directly to this. It's found in Matthew 25:14-30

Matthew 25:15 "And to one he gave five talents, to another he gave two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.

God gives us everything we need to accomplish all that he expects for us to do. He sees what our own abilities are, and then with our abilities and his resources, his power, his strength, and his Spirit, we should build what we've been given so that upon his return, we can show him the result of what we've done. God expects us to think, to act, and to produce. God knows what he can trust us with and he does expect results. There were three men in this passage of scripture in Matthew 25:14-30 that the master gave his money (talents) to. Each man according to his own ability was given just enough money that the master knew he could handle. Then the master went on a journey. It was while this master was on the journey that the men were to be productive what they had been given. According to the scriptures there is no indication as to how this was to be done, it appears that it's entirely up to the men to decide what they are going to do. Two of the men through their efforts had gained twice as much money to give the master upon his return. One did nothing with what he had been given. He simply returned the money that he was given. He had buried it and did nothing to make it grow. Upon the masters return he was very pleased with the two that had been productive, but with the one that did nothing, he was very upset.

We see a little insight to this third man's reasoning for doing nothing. He was afraid. He knew that the master would come back expecting more and he was afraid that he might lose what he had been given and upon the masters return he would have less money or even worse, nothing to give back... so his fear kept him from doing anything at all. So he hid it so that he would be able to give it back to the master when he returned. What happened when the master returned? The master became very upset with the servant because he wasn't productive and he took what he had trusted him with and gave the money to the man that was most productive with what he'd been given.

Matthew 25:24-28 (24) "Then he who had received the one talent came and said, "Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. (25) "And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours." (26) "But his lord answered and said, "You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. (27) So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest." (28) "Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents."

So why was the master so upset with this servant? Why was he so hard on him? The answer lies in Matthew 25:15. He gave the talents to each... according to his own ability. You see this master knew that this servant could be productive, he knew that he could have done better. The master gave him only one talent because he knew that it was within his ability to handle. But the servant did nothing with it and instead returned it back with no gain.

So what does this mean for us?
It simply means that we are to use our talents, gifts, and abilities diligently in order to serve God completely in whatever we do. It simply means doing our daily work out of love for the Lord. The last man was playing it safe. If God is calling us to do something , we need to do it. If God is truly our Master, we must willingly obey. This is an example of how God rewards faithfulness. Those who bear no fruit for God's kingdom cannot be expected to be treated the same as those who are faithful. The person who diligently prepares for Christ return by investing his or her time and talent to serve God will be rewarded. Just remember this... God knows your ability. He will give you the resources to be able to do what he already knows you can do. Serve the Lord with all your heart and enter into the "Joy of your Lord."

What's your plan?

2008-10-26T15:01:00.009-05:00

Do you have goals for your life? Do you have long range goals that you hope to achieve within say, ten years or so? Do you have short range goals that you hope to achieve within this next week, or maybe over the next month or two? So what are your plans? Do you have a plan? Do you have dreams that you'd like to see come about in the future? What are you doing to make those dreams a reality?

When you think about those questions, your answers may be like mine... You realize that some dreams have come true and others have not. Priorities have changed due to circumstances of life and now you have new hopes and dreams. Maybe you still have a deep yearning to achieve the dreams or dream you've had for years, but you are frustrated that it hasn't come to pass and you feel like giving up. God promises to help us. He will direct our steps as we seek to accomplish our goals. There's one very important thing we must do first however, and that is... "Make a plan and then act on it."

Proverbs 16:9 says this.. A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.

Have you ever found yourself praying for God to help you achieve this goal or that goal only to sense that it's just not ever going to happen. You wonder why your prayers are failing. You never see any evidence that your making progress towards your dream. Sure, you believe that God can do all things through Christ who strengthens you, but there you sit, no dreams coming true. It's discouraging and at times can even test our faith. My question to you is this... "What are your plans to make it come true?" "What are you doing about it?"

In my line of work nothing ever just happens. If I want to achieve sales, I have to have a plan on what to do to achieve sales. If I want to have a wonderful relationship with my wife, I have to have a plan on what I'm going to do to ensure that I make progress on my relationship with my wife. If I want to be promoted within 5 years, then I have to have a plan that I'm working to make progress towards reaching my goal of getting promoted within 5 years. I've heard it said many times over the years... "If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time." What about your spiritual walk? What plans do you have there. If I want to have a better relationship with the Lord I must develop a plan that I can work to start making progress in improving my relationship with the Lord. I've actually said a prayer something like this (see if it sounds familiar)... "Dear Lord, help me to be a better Christian, a better witness, a better husband, a better"... you fill in the blank." "If the Lord would speak to me he'd probably say... sure, make a plan and start doing something and I'll direct you on what to do next."

Proverbs 16:9 gives us some insight to how this works. Make a plan and get to work on your plan, as you proceed with your plan, God will direct your steps. So often we want to reach a goal yet we sit and wait (while praying and believing) for God to drop it into our lap. It doesn't work that way. God expects for us to use the brain he's given us and make a plan to move towards our goals and dreams. If we want to see the supernatural "Big dreams that we just can't see happening" come true, then we need to plan and act upon that plan with our natural ability and then let God direct us and help us achieve our goals with His supernatural ability. That's why it's important to have long range goals. Goals that you can dream of achieving one day, but deep down you know it's going to take God's involvement for it to happen. As you plan and work your plan, you will make progress towards your goal. The goal you set is the end result. There are lots of little goals along the way that we can celebrate as we achieve them, but as we achieve each short range goal, we get closer and closer to our long range goal.

How do you eat an elephant? One piece at a time, that's how! Imagine how difficult of a task this would be. It would appear impossible, but with each bite we get closer and closer to our goal. Finally through a series of achieving smaller goals by being persistent we reach our ultimate goal of eating the whole elephant.
So... if you want to be successful at whatever it is that you feel God is leading you to do. Draw up a plan of how you think you can get there. Then step out in faith and work your plan. Remember, God can not direct your steps, if you haven't even moved. Step out and work your plan and see how God directs your steps. He may allow you to intersect with the right people that can help you in your career. He may open the door to a particular job or event that can help you accomplish your goals. One things for certain. A man's heart plans his way, then the Lord directs his steps. Let's get moving!

Where did you go?

2008-10-24T20:43:00.002-05:00

My apologies for not writing. As I begin to write, my grand daughter just realized I wasn't around and came looking for me! So right now I have my Grand daughter hanging on my leg saying, "Pa Pa, Pa Pa." Kind of hard to ignore you know. So I'll stop here and go play for a while until she gets tucked into bed, then it's almost time for me to get tucked into bed, and so it goes about every single evening after work. So my writing suffers I know. But I have joy in these wonderful times spent with her and my family. Got to go... I promise I'll sit down to write soon...

God Bless

Steve

Bath Time

2008-10-12T20:18:00.007-05:00

My little granddaughter loves "bath time." I don't think she really enjoys getting clean as much as she does playing with those wonderful bath toys. Occasionally I'll have the opportunity as her Grandpa to give her a bath, and usually she splashes around so much that I'm usually soaking wet, but we sure have fun! After her bath she always smells very clean and she seems to feel better as well. Basically she's ready for another day...clean, fresh, and ready to go!

Can you imagine how we would look or smell if we never washed? Over time we would look pretty rough. We'd begin to smell bad, look bad, and feel dirty and filthy. If we didn't wash, we know we wouldn't get cleaner... but only filthier with each passing day until finally we jumped in the shower and cleaned up. I think it's safe to say that everyone understands the importance of taking a bath regularly. It's pretty easy to see what happens when we don't. Well the same is true with sin in our lives. Just as we would wash up with soap and water to clean our bodies, we also need spiritual cleansing as well to remove the filth of our sin.

Proverbs 20:9 Who can say, "I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?"

None of us is without sin. We have our old nature and our new nature at war with each other every moment of every day until we have gone to be with the Lord in that place (heaven) where there is no sin that can tempt us. Until then, we will fall into sin. The very moment we confess and repent of our sin, sinful thoughts and actions begin to creep right back into our lives. We all need ongoing cleansing, moment by moment. Thank God that through His mercy we are forgiven when we ask for it. Just as this verse says... Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?" None of us that's for sure... the heart can only be cleansed by God, not us. The sad reality is that even when we've been forgiven we still sin again. This reminds me of Paul when he wrote...

Romans 7:19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.

Paul understood how sin invaded his life everyday. He knew some of his thoughts or actions were not of God, and even though this really bothered him he admitted that he still keeps doing the things he knows he shouldn't. Now I'm not saying we should just sit back and say "Oh well, why try then?" The difference is in knowing that we're wrong and we know better. This was on Paul's conscious just like it is yours and mine. So since we can not clean our own heart, we must seek cleansing at all times from the only One that can cleanse. We know that we do not do the good we always want to do, rather we do the evil that we don't want to do. We seem to keep on doing it.

There's good news for you and I. God loves us and he understands us. We need to make confession and repentance a regular part of our talks with God and rely on him moment by moment for the cleansing we need. So, the next time you get that distant feeling or you feel like you've lost your focus on Christ... maybe it's "bath time."

Encouragement, we all need it

2008-10-11T02:55:00.008-05:00

I don't know about you, but nothing picks me up like a word of encouragement from someone else. I can be feeling overwhelmed at work, at home, in church, then suddenly a friend will write a wonderful note or say a kind word of encouragement that just simply washes away all those negative feelings I was having. It's amazing what kind words can do.

You probably know that the command to encourage others is found throughout the Bible and when we look at 1 Thessalonians 5:11-23 we see where Paul gives many examples of how we can encourage others. As I read these verses I'm reminded of the impact we have on others when we build them up, when we hold them up when they're weak, or when we simply lend a helping hand or a word of encouragement to help restore their faith and give them the confidence to press on. Let's look at a few of the ways that we can practice this wonderful word of encouragement.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 "Therefore comfort each other and edify one another..."
I think back just a few weeks ago to the Olympics. As I watched the marathon race, I saw the pain and agony in the runners faces as they approached the finish line. They were a mile out from the finish line and many were limping along barely able to continue running but when they finally got inside the stadium and heard the cheers of the crowd that were watching the race, I was amazed at the renewed strength and energy they had during this last moment in the race. As Christians were to encourage one another. A word of encouragement can give someone just the strength they need to continue on to the finish line. It can be the difference between finishing well or collapsing along the way. We all need encouragement every day, and we need to offer support to others every day through kind words or actions. As Paul says... "Therefore comfort each other and edify one another..."

1 Thessalonians 5:12,13 "...Recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake..."
This verse probably refers to leaders in the church such as elders, deacons, and Pastors. One of the greatest ways we can help the church, is to support our leaders, To encourage them and lift them up in high regard for their work's sake. Imagine the toil of serving through the church and how frustrating that could be. These leaders are called to serve yet time and time again they feel like the runner in the marathon race and they 're not anywhere near the end of the race yet, but feel like quitting, the pains too great, they're weak, they begin to wonder if they should even be in this race? Where do they get their strength? From God of course, but He can use us to encourage them. When we say... thank you, when we tell them we appreciate them for what they do, then they have reason to be encouraged. Tell them how you have been helped by their leadership and teaching. Let them know their ministry in your life has made a difference. Remember our leaders need our love and support.

1 Thessalonians 5:13 "... Be at Peace among yourselves."
Especially in the church but also at home, at work, and everywhere we go, we need to look for ways to get along with others. The spirit within us seeks peace and harmony with others. One of the best ways to encourage someone is to get along and not fight or argue. We can agree to disagree without resorting to being disrespectful towards one another.

1 Thessalonians 5:14 "... Comfort the fainthearted..." "Uphold the weak..." "Be patient with all."
Many of us grow weary in our service. Sometimes we even think we just can't keep up the work, were tired and weak. We can fall into the trap of believing that we're not able to go anymore. Maybe we feel overwhelmed. We might feel like a failure in our weakness. It's times like these when we need to experience comfort from a friend. As Christians we can remind others about the promises that God has for them in scripture. We need to lift them up and give them some support and one way we can do this is to be patient with them. We don't know what they're going through, only God does. They just need a friend, someone to remind them that they can do this and I'm here with you.

1 Thessalonians 5:15 "See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone."
Revenge can be a very destructive thing. Have you ever seen what happens when someone takes revenge on another person. usually the revenge comes after evil or wrong doing has been done. Were just not going to take it are we? So what do we do? We pay them back with the same evil or wrong doing to get even. "Turn the other cheek" not this time baby... you've gone to far. Paul says that we should never repay evil with evil but rather we should pursue what is good both for ourselves and for all. Revenge just tears us apart. We can't rebuild relationships and begin again if were planning our next act of vengeance. If your feeling this way, seek the Lords council. Talk to a friend about your feelings, but know that Jesus wants you to do good to those that hurt you. It's a way for them to see the love of Christ and this type of behavior goes against the way of the world. It's one of the best forms of encouragement because it's unexpected and undeserved. So the next time you're thinking about getting even, do good instead and allow God to touch their heart... and yours.

1 Thessalonians 5:16 "Rejoice always"
Sounds simple enough doesn't it, but oh so hard to practice sometimes. Especially during difficult trials and circumstances. I can't tell you how encouraged I've become by watching another brother or sister in Christ experience joy and have peace during the turmoils of their life. We can be such a wonderful encouragement to others when they see in us the joy that only the Lord can provide when we go through tough times. We send the message that we know that God is always with us and He's in control. That's why we can rejoice always.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray without ceasing"
God is always with us, we need to talk to him. We need to pray for others as well. There is nothing more encouraging for another Christian than to know that they are being prayed for by others. We understand that God hears and answers our prayers. Sometimes the only comfort we can offer to another is prayer. We don't know what to say to help them, we don't really understand their hurt or pain, but we trust that God does and we can always offer up prayers of support. I remember the day I had my four wheeler accident in the mountains of Pennsylvania. I didn't return home and my wife knew that something was terribly wrong. She ran to the neighbors house and asked the boys to start searching for me on their motorcycles because the last time she had seen me was earlier that morning as I rode my four wheeler up the side of the mountain. She feared the worst. The next thing she did was call a few of her friends and asked them to start prayer chains. Churches were called and members all over were praying for me. We had only been visiting churches, we hadn't become members yet, but churches all over were praying for us because our friends belonged to several different churches and they made those calls and asked everyone to pray for me. Because of my injuries I was unable to move so I lay there all day in the cold wet snow. I was found right about dusk suffering from hypothermia. I had my accident around 11:00AM and it was around 30 degrees and was snowing. I know I would not have made it through the night, and I know that those prayers offered up for me saved my life and I definitely know it was the only Hope my wife felt she had in a situation where she felt so out of control. Thank God for those prayers. Let's never cease praying. We must talk to God about everything and through those prayers we'll see God work.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 "Give Thanks"
We need to make a list of all the things we're thankful for, then give thanks to God for each one. It's too easy to only see the bad, and miss out on the good. There's a song... "Count your blessings name them one by one, count your blessings see what God has done." When we count our blessings I'm sure we'll see those people that God has put in our path that have encouraged and blessed us along life's journey. Let them know how you feel about them, this can encourage them and motivate them to keep on being the wonderful person they already are. Most importantly... thank God for them as well. It's amazing how people with the love of Christ inside of them are able to show acts of God's love through their kindness and actions. Thank God for those people. Let's give thanks.

1 Thessalonians 5:19 "Do not quench the Spirit."
If you want to be an encourager you need to realize that our actions can and do quench the Spirit of God in ourselves and in others. Any time we do not cooperate with the Spirit we quench it. Disobedience will quench the Spirit and can harm our daily walk with he Lord. The next time the Spirit prompts you to say a kind word, share the gospel, or to simply go to church when you thought about staying home, follow through and fuel the fire of the Spirit within you. No warmth comes from a fire that has had water doused on it. It's the same with us as Christians. For us to be a light in a dark world or the warm of comfort to others during those cold storms of life, we must not quench the Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 5:22 "Abstain from every kind of evil"
We must always be on the lookout for situations that draw us into temptation and when we recognize those situations, we should run the other way. We can not encourage others as God would want us to, when we're falling deeper and deeper in sin because we did not abstain from evil. It's difficult to allow the fruit of the Spirit to shine through us to others when we've played with sin. Evil can harm our testimony and our witness. Let's seek God's help to overcome and avoid those situations where evil reigns.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
We realize that the Christian life is to be lived not in our own strength but through God's power. We know we can't be encouraging to others except through God's love and power. In our own weakness we're selfish, but through God's love we offer up sacrifice for others, we encourage one another in God's love and we allow the Spirit of God to shine through us and give hope to others that are lost, or struggling in their walk of faith.

The Thessalonian church was young and they needed help and encouragement. Both the persecution they faced and the temptations of their sinful culture were problems for these new Christians (just as it is for us today). Paul wrote to strengthen their faith and build up their resistance to this persecution and temptation. We too have a responsibility to help new believers and encourage those already walking in faith with the Lord. These verses simply help us to be better equipped to help our brothers and sisters in Christ. We can use these verses as a "encouragement checklist" so to speak. So ask yourself, "How are you doing?" My prayer is that you will experience the fullness of God's love upon you and you'll be the encourager that God wants you to be. Encouragement... we all need it!

God bless you in your service.
Steve

All is well

2008-10-09T21:12:00.004-05:00

Things are going well for Eric, Marcie, Halle, Ryan, Brenda and I. We're all one big happy family here. It's been good having Eric home. Good news! Eric begins working Monday next week! Prayers are being answered and we truly are doing well. Halle has really enjoyed getting to know her daddy. This picture was taken his first few days home.

My family situation reminds me of when I lived in Germany in 1979. The Germans always had many in their family living in the same house. Often they would have two story homes with a basement apartment as well. The grand parents lived on the top floor apartment. The children lived on the main floor of the house and another sibling would take up residence in the basement... if they didn't have another child living in the basement then they might rent it out to someone else outside the family to help pay the bills. That's where Brenda and I came in. We lived in the basement of a very nice families home that we got to know and love. We had a wonderful landlord, Ms. Weis, and she lived upstairs while her son and his family lived on the main floor. Anyway... our house now reminds me of those days. Sometimes Brenda and I think about the days when we'll be able to call this home our own. But we both know we'll miss our family, the meal times and being able to be together. We instead, plan to enjoy it while it lasts, because we do know things will change one day.

Thanks for your prayers, and I'm sorry I haven't written in a while. I'll try and do better.

Steve

Slow Down

2008-09-23T20:38:00.004-05:00

In my line of work, I have to take time out of my busy day to tour my store. I must stop everything I'm doing, and slowly walk the store 4 foot by 4 foot in different areas of the store looking at things from a customers perspective. I also need to look at things as my supervisor would see them. I have to ask myself, "If I was a customer shopping this section of the store... what would my shopping experience be like?" I also ask myself as I'm walking, "How do things look from a Corporate standpoint?" "Am I following and executing corporate direction in my store?" Touring allows me to see things I normally wouldn't if all I did was stay busy dealing with the critical issues of the day. I must have a routine that I follow and there must be time scheduled during my routine for focused tours or I won't really see what's going on.

Today during my tour I asked a department mgr if she knew why she had the wrong sign on a display of merchandise she had on sale? It was an old sign that we don't use anymore... our signing has changed to a new look, yet here this one was. All of her other signing was correct but for this one display. She said, "Well I just didn't see it. I missed it." I asked her again to think why that happened? She still didn't understand what I was asking her. I said... "I know why you didn't see it. It's because you're so busy... you have this to do and that to do and you're trying so hard to get all you have to get done in a day done, that you run right past it everyday because you're focused on doing your job well and trying to get it all done." She smiled and said, "You're right." I explained that's why it's so important for me to come along once in a while and slow you down and have you tour with me so that we can see things differently, from a different perspective if you will. When we slow down, and walk through just looking at things and observing things we see more clearly, we know where we stand, and we can make a list of things to do and get done. If we don't slow down and take a look, we'll run right past it over and over again.

The point is this... I wasn't upset that I found the sign, it's not really about the sign at all. The point is that we'll walk past stuff all day long until we stop what were doing then slowly move forward looking at things from a different perspective. There's a verse that reminds me of how important this is. Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God."

You know the same thing happens with our spiritual walk every day if we're not careful. We can get so busy with all that we have to get done each day that we forget about what's really important... the things of God. We have to be still (slow down and stop everything for a minute) and know that He is God. There have been times that I've missed out on an intimate relationship with my Lord because I'm just too busy. Well just as my store begins to look messy if I don't stop everything and refocus on things... so does my life, it gets messy. I'm thankful that even while I'm at work God is teaching me things along the way. Today it was... "Just like you take time to stop and tour each day in your store... Don't forget to do the same thing with Me." The results are the same. If I neglect my Lord, things get messy. I won't see the things that hinder my witness, I won't see the trap of sin coming my way, I won't see the Lord at all... I'll just be running around trying to do a good job and that just doesn't work well. It's hard to do the Lord's work if you're not connected to the source. Just like it's hard to run a store like it should be if you don't stop once in a while and refocus and really look at it.

My lesson today... Read the bible, study His word. Seek what it is the Lord wants to reveal to you today and act upon it. SLOW DOWN, be sure quiet time is in your daily routine, or you'll miss stuff that you should have seen. Do you want your life to reflect the Lord? Then slow down and refocus on Him. As the Lord says... "Be still, and know that I am God."

Northside, a special place in my heart.

2008-09-17T16:23:00.004-05:00

For the last 13 years I've been attending Northside Baptist Church in McMinnville TN and when I think about this church and the people I've gotten to know over the years, it's with great sorrow that the time has come for me to say goodbye. My last Sunday at Northside will be September 28th, 2008. I'm not leaving on bad terms, but good ones! I'm not leaving because I want to but since I'm living an hour away, it's best I find a local church within the community I now live in. It's difficult to meet and make new friends outside of a loving church sometimes, so we welcome the opportunity to visit other churches within the area we now live. Saying all that... I will miss Northside.

My Pastor is a wonderful loving and caring man. Three years ago we were blessed at Northside Baptist Church as Tim Miles became our Pastor and I must say I've never worked with anyone that was easier to work with than Tim. As the worship leader each Sunday it was a joy to work with Tim in the planning of our service and music. In the beginning we would meet weekly and plan the service, but as our time together became more and more difficult to schedule, we eventually just called each other and planned over the phone or he'd let me chose the music and lay out the order of worship each Sunday morning as I felt lead. When I moved to Murfreesboro TN then it became almost impossible to meet anymore so he simply trusted my judgement and allowed me to plan the order of worship and the songs each week and he only called me with special instructions for the Lord's Supper or other special services like this. I have seen other worship leaders have issues with their Pastors and this wall between them could always be seen and felt by the other members of the Church. Tim and I have never been at odds with each other and I've always known I had his full support and he's always had mine. He is the kind of Pastor that made my life of service in music a joy, and that's one of the reasons why I hung on so long before finally making the decision that it was time to move on.

There were other reasons I stayed on after moving away in February of this year... I love the people of this church. I had made a commitment to Northside Baptist and I didn't want to leave them shorthanded in the area of worship leader or music minister. I care about what happens at Northside, so I kept up the work even though I knew one day I'd have to quit. There's another reason... I love singing and I love music. I'll miss being the worship leader for Northside and I'll miss singing with them as well. We have a small Choir that has always supported me and I'll miss each of them. Peggy McMurray, and Karen Wood (pianist and organist) both have encouraged me and motivated me to be my best. You see I don't read music. Most of what I do is from ear, so I have to learn the songs by hearing them. They have always worked with me and I can not tell you how much help they have been to me over the years. I could not have done this without these two great people and their awesome talent and ability to help get me through each week. I'll miss Mike McMurray... he operates our sound system for the church and he has encouraged me and helped me with music tracks and great sound. Most of all he's always been there to help me any time I needed it. I will miss Gina Maxwell so much. She and I have been singing together and leading worship together for several years now and even before I became the worship leader, we would sing together doing special music during the morning worship services whenever we were asked. We have sung together now for so many years that I know that I will miss singing with her most of all. I thank God for Gina and her willingness to serve through music in our church. I will miss her greatly. I have to thank Jeremy for all of his help. He is so smart and he knows everything I needed to know about the technical side of worship. He's taught me so much with the computer and how to use the media for the best worship experience possible. I will miss working with Jeremy. He's such a great Youth Pastor for our church and he has a heart for serving God with his talent and abilities. All the people of the church, is what I'll miss. I have grown so much through this church. God had helped me to grow spiritually through Northside baptist Church. The many friends I've made have influenced me and encouraged me. God's allowed me to serve as a Deacon, as a Sunday School Teacher, as a choir member, as a worship team member in a band, as a Men's Ministry leader, as an AWANA leader. God's allowed me to go on mission trips to Brazil, to serve as a new Christians class teacher, and finally to serve as Worship Leader/Music Minister for our church. Northside has been such a blessing to me! Probably the single greatest thing the church has done for me however is to always support me and my family through prayer as we've gone through this most difficult time with our son's addiction and legal issues. This church has always stood by my family and supported us even in our darkest days. I have been blessed and Northside will always hold a special place in my heart. Thank you all so much!

One more thought about music in church...
Our service is very blended as far as music is concerned. This did not come easy. I remember the pains of changing music in our church over the years. I'm not saying what we do now is the best, but because of circumstances and God's timing we as a church have learned that music is only a part of worship. True worship comes from our own attitudes towards God the Father, not the songs we sing. We sing the great old hymns from the hymnal and we also sing the great new contemporary praise songs that you hear on the radio today. By blending the music and using both CD tracks or live music and songs with the piano and the organ in each service, we provide music for all ages to worship with. That's what the church is about anyway, all of us, all ages, worshiping together and serving the Lord. A blended style of music in the service is a great way to always be mindful of each other in the body of Christ. Sure we may have favorite songs or styles, but that's not what's important. What's important is that we're all together... unified and focused on Jesus Christ and realizing that music is not what it's about... it's about our relationship with Jesus and our willingness to serve and obey His will in our lives. It's about our willingness to be concerned for the lost of our community and always be reaching out to them so they too can have eternal life through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Think about this... The church building can be beautiful, the songs wonderful, the preaching magnificent, the programs all the best and latest thing... but if we're not telling the lost about Jesus... then all we've done is create a country club for ourselves to enjoy. Everything we do as a church has to be done with one purpose in mind... Will what we do help someone who is lost become a follower of Christ? That's the question we need to answer isn't it?

Northside Baptist church has a rich and long history made up of some wonderful people whom have come and gone through the years. For those who remain and for those yet to join this wonderful church... Northside is a place to grow spiritually if you'll allow yourself to be used by God. I challenge you, wherever you attend church. To be willing to go where God needs you. It will not be where you think most times. It will most always be outside of your comfort zone (this way you'll stay humble) but you can do anything, anything at all, that God calls you to do. It's through His strength that we can do all things! God bless you in your service, and God bless Northside Baptist!

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Your brother in Christ... Steve

Home, Sweet Home

2008-09-14T16:35:00.003-05:00

It's been a wonderful week. Eric is finally home and we are together once again as a family. I was able to get Eric out of jail at 6AM Monday morning (8th of Sept) and bring him home before I left for Dallas TX on a business trip. I was able to spend a few hours with Eric and this made me feel so much better about leaving town on the day he got out. I praise the Lord for this opportunity. It turns out that I was the very last person to arrive in Dallas for our Company meetings that day. Isn't it amazing how God worked all this out. I didn't have to leave for the airport till 12 noon and Eric got out at 6AM to give me time to be with him. When I arrived at Dallas a representative from our Company was there to greet me and five others who were on the same flight. He said you are the last ones in for the day. The last six out of several thousand flying in for this meeting!... This was the first time that I didn't fly out early morning, I've been attending these meetings twice each year for over 15 years now and I've never before been scheduled to leave after noon, until now... God just worked it out!

As far as Eric goes, he's doing well. Several of you have asked how he's doing and I apologize for not updating my blog sooner. It's been a very busy week with me being out of town and of course spending my free time with our son Eric has left me very little time to write. Like I mentioned in my last post... we still need your prayers! We've closed one chapter only to begin another. Life as you know, is simply one chapter after the other. One chapter has it's pain and joys, while another has more of the same I suppose. It's how we react to these different chapters in our lives that will determine how we feel and how much joy we can have. Can a person have joy during suffering without Christ? I can't imagine how, it's hard enough to have joy during suffering with Christ in your life... imagine without? This new chapter in our lives has both, joy and pain. The joy comes from being free from the confinements of jail and being able to enjoy the pleasures of our home and his family. The joy is being with his daughter and seeing them spend time together (she loves her Daddy so much), the pain is in the fact that he is still on house arrest for quite a while and then of course some more probation time after that. Rules, rules, rules... they really never end do they. Rules of the house, rules at work, rules of government and in our society, rules at school, and of course even more rules when you've broken the law in some way and trying to work your way back into society. Rules are very important and if there is one thing we need to do a better job of teaching our youth... that would be following the rules. One things for sure... we will follow them one way or the other. We can obey them voluntarily or be forced to obey them. Rest assured... life is harder if you can not accept that you have rules to follow. A lesson Eric's learned the hard way!

Even with all these rules, I can't tell you how happy we all are. It's great to have Eric home and he's accepted his lot in life and he's going to overcome. He's wanting to go to church but we understand that too will be a privilege later in the upcoming weeks. It's hard to think that I can say life is good under these circumstances, but it is! It's wonderful to have our son back. It's wonderful to see the joy on my wife's face again. It's good to see my youngest son Ryan spending time with his older brother again. We've longed for this day and it came. Thank you Lord Jesus.

Thanks again for all your prayers, I've listed a few prayer requests that we have need of if you would like to pray for some specifics for us.

Eric needs to find work... required for probation.
Eric will not lose heart working on all the rules and restrictions applied to him.
Eric, Marcie, and Halle find a local Church they feel they can grow and be ministered in.
That Brenda and I be the examples that God would want us to be for our family.

God bless you all,
Steve

One more Day

2008-09-07T00:00:00.004-05:00

It's like Christmas for me right now. I wish I could go to bed right now and wake up and the day is over. It's Sunday morning... just a little after midnight Saturday. 30 more hours and I can hold my son Eric once again for the first time in years. I can not wait. My flight for Dallas leaves at 1pm Monday but fortunately for me Eric gets out at 6:00 AM. So of course I'll make the trip to McMinnville one more time to visit the jail, but this time it's to pick up my son and say my goodbyes to that place (refering to the jail).

I ask this of everyone who reads my blog... pray for us. One chapter ends and another begins. The prayers that got us through this chapter can't stop now, it's on to the next chapter of our lives and we need your prayers. If it wouldn't be too much to ask... I'd ask that you never stop praying for us, never! We need you, we love you and we're so thankful for you.

I Thank God for your prayers. I know he hears every prayer.

Psalm 4:3
"But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The Lord will hear when I call."
With much hope and anticipation I call upon the Lord to be with us and guide us in the next few weeks and months. May others that love the Lord pray for us as well because this I do know. The Lord hears us.

Thanks so much,
Steve

Judge Not!

2008-09-06T14:18:00.002-05:00

Jesus teaches us about criticizing others. Basically, we shouldn't do it. We are to read God's word searching for guidance and direction for ourselves, not others. As we read it we're to evaluate ourselves while the Holy Spirit speaks to us through what we've read. So I ask you... What do you hear the Holy Spirit saying when you read the bible?

Read Matthew 7:1-5
"Judge Not"... Jesus says! We are not to judge others but rather, look at ourselves instead. We shouldn't be looking at the life of someone else and criticizing them when if we really looked deep into our own deficiencies and issues we'd realize we have no place to talk. I love the way Jesus teaches us that while we're consumed with the speck (or the little issue) in someones eye that we don't even see or realize that we've got a plank (some major issues) in our own eye to deal with. This kind of judgemental attitude is what Jesus calls hypocritical. It's the attitude that tears others down in order to build oneself up.

It's important that we realize this verse doesn't mean we shouldn't have critical thinking or thoughts, but we are to be discerning rather than negative towards others, that's why Jesus says "First remove the blank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." If we look at ourselves first and realize that we too have issue of sin and disobedience then we won't be so quick to judge others and point out their issues, when we have issues of our own. Who are we after all? The answer to that is of course... "Sinners, saved by grace," just like the one we may be judging. We need to put our trust in the fact that God is the one and only judge in a persons life. If we can overlook another person faults and forgive them just as God has forgiven them and us for our faults, then we now have the opportunity to lovingly help that person.

Remember, we all have bad habits and poor behavior problems. Some are more evident than others and often the one's we see in others may be different than the one's they see in us. But one things' for sure... we all got em. My strengths may be another weakness, while my weaknesses may be anothers area of strength. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could all not judge each other but rather build each other up to be all we can be in Christ? To help each other through. Jesus tells us... What goes around comes around so we need to be careful. "Judge not, that you not be judged. For with what measure you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

The next time you read God's word, ask Him to point out your issues, your sin that needs to be overcome. Then as you experience God's Love, Mercy, Grace and forgiveness for your issues and sins, you'll be less likely to be so critical of others going through their issues and sins.

One More Week

2008-09-01T09:18:00.007-05:00

Two and a half years later... I'm able to say, "One more week." That's how long it's been since Eric, my son, has been locked up in jail. This Friday will be our last trip to visit Eric in the jail house, our last trip to visit by phone while looking through a TV monitor that separates us from each other. This will be the last week that I won't be able hold or hug my son. This is the last week that Eric will go without holding his daughter. He's watched her grow from an infant to a 19 month toddler all through a TV monitor for an hour or so once each week, no more days of not being able to hold or hug her. His last week without holding his sweetheart, Marcie, and being able to tell her he loves her in person rather than over the phone. Yes, only one more week.

Eric gets out on Monday the 8th of September and of all days... I have to fly to Dallas TX that morning on a business trip so I will not get to see him till I get back Wednesday the 10th. I was sitting here feeling sorry for myself because I was thinking about all the things I was going to miss on the day he gets out. I won't get to hug him or kiss him like his mom and the others will. I won't get to watch him unite with his daughter that he hasn't held since her birth. I won't get to see the relationship build as Halle (his daughter) begins to warm up to her Dad as they get acquainted with each other. I'll miss the expressions on his face when he sits on a soft couch for a change or gets to sleep with a pillow under his head. I'll miss watching as he enjoys eating real food again. I'll miss seiing the joy on his face as he enjoys the things that we all take for granted each day. I think it will be the simple things that he'll enjoy most... like hot coffee, or ice in his water glass. Wearing something other than strips, a hair cut, being able to turn off the lights at night when he goes to sleep, peace and quite for a change, freedom to move around, being able to use the toilet without everyone in the room watching, laying his head on a pillow, listening to music again and watching TV which he hasn't been able to do since being locked up, reading a news paper and hearing the news (time's passed him by the last few years) he's got a lot of catching up to do. Yes all these thing I'll miss the first few days he's out, but as I think about it... I'm so blessed, because I think of all the "first things" that Eric has missed and my first "missed things" pale in comparison to what Eric has missed over the last two and half years. It's pretty selfish of me to be feeling this way isn't it? If he can do it... I can do it! and I wrote all this to make this point...

We can endure anything with the Lord's help. I'm so thankful that everything we experience... even death, is temporary and it all get better one day if we know Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Two and half years ago I could not imagine this day coming. It was too far off in the future. To me it seemed as if it were an eternity away. But God new this day was coming and He saw that we would make it and that it would be good. He saw the lessons we would learn over the years and He saw this day and this week and He knew we would be here. It gives me great comfort to know that He sees us even two and half more years from now. I wonder where we'll be then? I have no idea, but this I do know. God will be there with us and whatever we experience God will be comforting us in that moment. Imagine 20 years from now, what will I be facing? What will I have been through? What great wonderful experiences will I have been blessed with and what tragic, sad and sorrowful experiences will I have gone through? Will I even be alive in 20 years? You know... I think many of us worry about what the future holds and God simply wants us to know that whatever we go through... it's only temporary and He will always be there with us. It may not have happened like we had hoped or dreamed it would, but in the end, all is good because we're with God. Romans 8:28

Another Birthday

2008-08-30T23:08:00.006-05:00

Today I turned 48 years old. I didn't even realize it was my birthday till I got to work this morning and opened my email and noticed a Company generated message that said "Happy Birthday." I think this may be the first time that I have forgotten my birthday (is this a sign of old age???) Now I knew that my birthday was coming up because my Mom and Dad had sent me a card a few days ago (Mom never forgets my birthday), but I'd forgotten all about it today. My wife called me today at work and wished me a happy birthday as well since I had left before she'd gotten out of bed this morning. Seems like everyone remembered but me. It seems strange to me to celebrate my birthday anyway. It's like, "Hey look at me I'm still here so you can give me a gift." Why do we give presents for our birthdays after a certain age? I understand when we're young we're counting the years and growing up, but at 48 years? Give me a break. I usually can't even remember how old I am except that I was born in 1960 so that makes it pretty easy to add up the years otherwise I'd never bother to figure it. What do you give a guy for his 48th birthday besides reading glasses? Well my wife figured it out... she got me one simple gift and I love it. She bought me a "Life is Good" T-shirt with a guy happily riding his motorcycle with a big smile on his face. Now that's livin right there!

You know what? Life is good and my T-shirt reminded me of this today. Just the words say it all. I'm so blessed in many ways. I have a loving wife, two wonderful sons, a beautiful grand daughter, Great parents and in laws, loving friends and family. A very good career and a loving church and Pastor. My health is good and I have sound mind (depends on who you talk to) but aside from all that, "Life is especially Good" when it's eternal. The best birthday present I've ever gotten was the gift of eternal life on the day that I was "Born Again." Now that's a birthday worth celebrating is it not? I hope that you too have received the greatest of all birthday gifts... Eternal life through Jesus Christ, God's Son.

John 1:12-13
(12) But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: (13) who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Happy Birthday!

What if I blow it?

2008-08-27T22:06:00.004-05:00

Witnessing is a scary thing. When we think about going up to a stranger or even a friend and witnessing to them and telling them about God's gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ His Son, well, we know along with that carries much responsibility. After all, we're taking God's message of salvation to someone that desperately needs it. What if they say no? What if I offend them? What if I blow it because I don't know all the answers to their questions? All of these concerns are what prevent us from following through on our call to witness to others. Fear paralyzes us and prevents us from moving forward and from telling the lost about the love of Jesus and spreading the Gospel, the good news that everyone needs to hear. I believe Satan's greatest tactic to try and prevent the delivery of the Gospel is to put FEAR in our hearts and minds.

Our fear however is not from the Lord, it's from Satan. If we have fear it's because we are not confident in our own ability to deliver God's message of hope and that I believe is the real problem. It's not about our ability to answer all the questions. It's not about our ability to speak well. It's not about our ability at all! It's about our willingness to deliver the message. WE CAN'T BLOW IT! It's God's words. It's His message. Our only responsibility is to deliver the message and let God do the rest. When we think it's up to us, we have fear, but when we believe God's in control, we have peace.

When I have those emotions of fear creep up inside of me as I'm about to witness, and I'm afraid I might blow it, I'm always reminded of Jonah. You've got to read the book of Jonah and when you do you will see a man that reluctantly preaches a message of repentance to the Assyrian people in the capital city of Nineveh. Jonah hated these people and God had told him to deliver a message of repentance to the people of this city or He would destroy them. Jonah refused and actually ran away from what God had told him to do. But after spending three days inside the belly of a huge fish, Jonah is again told by God to deliver His message of repentance to the people of Nineveh. Jonah reluctantly goes to the city and when he arrives he preaches a half hearted message of repentance to the people, then turns and leave the city. What happens next is amazing. His message was heard and spread throughout the whole city. The people of Nineveh realized their sin and repented and God showed His mercy on the people. They were spared God's wrath. You see... Jonah tried to blow it and couldn't! That's the amazing thing about God's message. It's not about how it's delivered. All that matters is that the message was delivered. I'm so thankful that whether people receive Christ or not is not dependant on my expertise and knowledge of the bible. I'm so thankful that whether people receive Christ or not is not dependent on my ability to speak well or answer all their questions they might have. All I have to do is be willing to tell someone about the love of Jesus, and that's not so hard to do when I think about sharing what He's done for me in my life. I have peace, I have joy, and I have comfort in all situations and events in my life because I have Jesus with me through it all. And this peace comes from knowing that I have eternal life because of what Jesus did for me on the cross. When you realize that you have eternal life, then all the stuff that happens to you, is easier to stomach because you know it doesn't go on forever. It's all temporary and when you know that... you can endure because better days are ahead. This is the message that people need to hear. They need to hear the message of hope when they are desperate and don't know where to turn. So don't be afraid to share... you can't blow it. If Jonah tried so little to convince the people to repent and God's word permeated their hearts anyway, imagine what God can do when you simply give it your best. Don't trust in your ability, rather... rely on His, and bodly tell your friend what you know they need to hear. You may help in saving their life.

I'll Always be There

2008-08-26T09:57:00.004-05:00

Sometimes were afraid to start the day because we fear what it brings. Have you ever felt anxiety about what might happen in the day. Maybe it's a court hearing you have to appear at, maybe it's a doctors visit that you're concerned about, maybe it's a new job or new school and today is your first day, maybe today is the first day after the loss of a loved one and you just don't know how your going to do it. These days of uncertainty are the days that we need to have courage and strength to go on and face it.

The good news is that there is nothing that God can't handle so we need to cast our burdens on Him. Go to Him for comfort and peace and seek His council when you're afraid or worried. Just remember... You're not alone! The situation may appear overwhelming, but it isn't. You may wonder how you are going to get through this alone, but you're not alone. God wants to encourage you today. He wants you to know that whatever you are going through, He will be there with you. So as you face your trial today remember this verse of scripture and be encouraged. You're going to make it through!

Isaiah 43:2
"When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you."

It's Me Again

2008-08-25T21:45:00.003-05:00

You know God never tires of hearing from us. Have you ever prayed something like this... "Dear Lord, It's me again..." It like... Here I go again. But the great news is that God always hears us. He even knows what we're going to ask before we ask. He knows how he's going to answer before we ask. He knows the outcome before we ask. He knows everything about us, yes, everything.

Isaiah 65:24
"Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear."

It doesn't matter how lonley you are, how afraid you are, or even how much you are suffering or hurting, God hears you and even answers you before you call out to Him. This is how in tune He is to our lives. What comfort we have in knowing that our God hears and answers us no matter what the struggle. As I read this verse I see the Lord's out reached hand that says... "I'm here, Let Me help!" There is nothing you are going through that is a surprise to God. So the next time you are praying and you begin your prayer with... "It's me again, God. Take comfort in knowing He was waiting for you to call and he's already got the answer you need.

We need each other

2008-08-24T21:23:00.003-05:00

You know, God never intended for us to go the road alone. In His great wisdom and plan for us, he made it so we would need each other. When we feel that we can't go on God is pushing us forward and coaching us to keep going on, to keep pressing onward. He requires that our lives be disciplined. He expects us to live holy lives, set apart from the world and it's ways. But God knowing that we are feeble and weak wants us to draw on His strength and then as we grow in our strength we are to help those around us who are weak and struggling.

We must walk right, we must set good examples for others. People are looking at us and watching to see what it looks like to live for Christ. I have to ask myself... "What kind of an example am I for others?" It's important for us to live holy lives because we could be responsible for the lame among us to become dislocated or fall away from holy living. What we do could cause confusion and cause others to be mislead. We must always remember we are a part of the "Body of Christ" and with that comes responsibility to others within the body.

Hebrews 12:12,13
(12) Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, (13) and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

I'm thankful that God gives us strength to live holy lives, I'm thankful that he expects us to live disciplined lives for Him. I'm thankful that we can depend on each other for help when we struggle. I'm thankful for His church, the body of Christ. May our tired hands and arms be lifted and our feeble weak knees strengthened so that we can make straight paths for our feet. May our Spirit be revived among us.

We need each other.

The Alarm Clock

2008-08-23T21:30:00.004-05:00

Have you ever woke up in the middle of the night and looked at the alarm clock to see how much time you get to sleep before you have to get up? Isn't it a killer when you wake up only 10 or 15 minutes before the alarm is scheduled to go off? You feel so tired and as you gaze through the darkness at the alarm clock your hoping that you have at least another hour or two to sleep, but No! It's going off in 15 minutes! Ouch that hurts. Now what do you do? Get up or try and catch some sleep real quick? Fifteen minutes goes by real quick when your trying to catch a few more zzzz's. If your still tired I guess you can hit the snooze button a few times to avoid getting out of bed but then your running around like crazy trying to get ready for work so your not late.

The alarm clock... I hate that thing. On the other hand.......

Have you ever been so excited about going on vacation or on a trip that you couldn't wait for the alarm to go off? You would go to bed and set the alarm but you couldn't wait for it to go off so you could get up and get started.

Don't you wish more days were like this? You just can't wait for the alarm to go off so you can go out and begin a new day. Sadly though, many days are like the first example. We're lying there dreading for the alarm to go off because with it comes more hassles, more work, and more issues and we're too exhausted to tackle it all. Are there some things we can do to help transition to more better days than worse days? YES... we can have more days of looking forward to getting up than not. Well, there are some things we can do and for most of us this is where all the problems begin..... WE DON'T GET ENOUGH SLEEP!

Wow, thanks Steve for clearing that all up. "Well, you are welcome." "Hey someone needs to tell you what you already know but you won't do and that is... Get more rest!" You need more sleep. I'll give you three things that you can do that will help you overcome dreading the alarm clock in the morning. It's all about discipline.

I remember my most consistent days were when I was in boot camp in the Army. Lights out at 9 PM. and I was asleep by 9:01 PM because I was exhausted! Lights came back on at 4:45 AM and we heading out to exercise and run by 5:00 AM. We'd exercise and run till about 7:00 AM then it was chow time. We had 15 minutes to eat breakfast and then it was back to work. We'd work till Noon and then we had 15 minutes to eat lunch. We'd go back to work and work till 5:00 PM and then we'd have 15 minute to eat supper. back to work until 8:15 PM then it was showers and prepare or uniforms and boots for the next day. Lights out at 9 PM and that's how every day went. There were no snacks to eat between meals. We only drank milk or juice during our meals... no soda's at all. We worked hard all day so that when we did go to sleep, you wouldn't wake up till the lights came back on at 4:45 AM.

Now think about your routine now.
What do you eat all day long... I don't even want to answer that question. I snack and snack, I drink soda's and rarely drink milk anymore. It's awful.
What do you do all day long... I rarely work out now, but I used to all the time. I stay busy while at work but when I'm home it's off to the couch with a snack in my hand and TV to occupy my time.
When do you go to bed at night? It varies for me each and every night. I might even stay up late watching a movie on TV that I've seen several times in the past, but I just don't want to go to bed yet. It's like I want to enjoy relaxing for just one more hour or something. Then I end up going to bed late and shortening my sleep time.

Eat right, Exercise (work hard), and get your sleep. Those three things are the key to whether you will dread the alarm clock or not. Don't believe me... try it! You'll see. When we develop the discipline to do these three things then we can discipline other areas of our life as well. We can develop a quite time with the Lord and stick with it for a change. Until we get disciplined enough to eat right, exercise, and get our sleep, your days will be rough, tiring, and you'll have no energy to tackle the day or anything in it. Your self esteem is shot and your body begins to fall apart. Now you know where to begin. Sounds easy, and it really is if you'll just do it. The hard part is self discipline. We don't always obey the Lord and He's our Savior, good luck obeying your own set of rules! Instill discipline in your life, and reap the rewards!

You can only do so much

2008-08-19T22:28:00.003-05:00

Over the years I've realized one very important truth and that is... I can only do so much! Everyone wants a piece of my time. Work requires a lot of my time, and so does my family. Friends require some and my ministry as well. But when all is said and done... "You can only do so much." You have to set priorities for yourself or you'll go nuts trying to keep up with this demanding schedule that can suddenly overcome you. The next thing you know, there's no time in the day for you. Everyone else has it all. Now I'm not saying you shouldn't be concerned about others, of course we should, but to neglect yourself can make you a frustrated and very tired individual. We all need some time to ourselves, we need down time to think and reflect. We need time to relax and rest some. God gave us the perfect example in the very beginning when he created this world we live in. Genesis Chapter 1 describes all the work that God did each day creating the world as we know it. The light and the heavens and the birds and the trees, everything that we see and know about our world today, God created within 6 days and we pick up in Genesis Chapter 2:1

Gen 2:1-3
(1) Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. (2) And the seventh day God ended His work which He had done. (3) Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

God rests and reflects on what He has done, and you know what... He saw that it was good! Can you say that about your life? Can you sit back and rest and say... "My life is good." If not then re-evaluate your priorities. You have to put God first. The rest and peace comes from Him. You've probably had a difficult time saying "No" to everyone around you and you've distributed all your time to others and other things. Sit back and look at your routines and commitments and scale back if you find you have no time left in the day. People will understand, and so will the Lord. My experience has been, when I'm that busy, that time restrained, God gets squeezed out as well. That's never good for us.

Remember... "You can only do so much."

"Stay on Track"

2008-08-17T21:41:00.002-05:00

When I look at this picture I'm reminded that the train that rides this rail goes only where the track leads it. The train can not turn or deviate in any way. The destination for the train is always the same and unless something horrible happens that would cause the train to derail, otherwise the train will arrive at the tracks predetermined destination sooner or later.

Well it's kind of the same with us as Christians isn't it? There's only one difference between the track the train follows and the track that we follow. We can jump the track if we want to and go anywhere we want. As a follower of Christ we are lead by the Holy Spirit within us, but if we choose not to follow His leading, then we go our own way. We have the ability to obey or not. To make decisions to do what's right or what's wrong.

When I think about a train jumping off the track, well it's usually disasterous. The results are not good. Well if we jump off the track that the Holy Spirit has us on, I'd say the results also are not good. We run the risk of missing out on what God has planned for us. The good news is that we can always get back on track, but usually after a few bumps and bruises. Our goal is to 'Stay on Track." That's the challenge before us. In today's world we're constantly pulled away from this track yet we have the ability within us to stay on track. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin as we jump off track and through this conviction we realize we're not going the right direction anymore. Let me ask you... Are you on track?

Lamentations 3:40
(40) Instead, let us test and examine our ways, Let us turn back to the Lord.

Mulvane Kansas, My Home Town

2008-07-26T21:11:00.016-05:00

I've just returned from visiting my home town of Mulvane Kansas. Mulvane is the place where I grew up. I lived there from the time I was 4 or 5 years old until I graduated from High School. After I graduated from High School I joined the U.S. Army and left town in July of 1978. I haven't lived there since, but with family and friends still there I enjoy visiting. Every time I go back home, I'm reminded of a different time in my life. One of fun, joy, and lot's of mischief. There's nothing like taking a stroll down memory lane, especially when you do it with family and friends. This time my sister and I spent a few hours going back and visiting the ol' stomping grounds and I took a few pictures, I hope you enjoy this small little town. Every time I go there I'm reminded of a simpler time. One where we left the doors unlocked at night. One where the children road their bikes all over town and really all over the country side without fear. A time where the greatest thing to do all summer long was go to the local swimming pool or a nearby creek and take a dip. Then at night we'd enjoy a baseball game or softball game at the ball fields under the lights. Then one weekend of each year in August, "Old Settlers Days" would come to town as it still does today. We'd have a parade, enjoy the amusement rides down town on main street, listen to music on stage in "Main Street Park" right downtown. In the evenings we'd go to the rodeo, enjoy local bands, square dance, ride some more rides, or simply take in the arts and crafts. It's a time to reunite with friends and family. Yes, Mulvane is a special place, and of course it will always hold a special place in my heart. Join me now as I take you on a tour of my home town. Note: Click on the pictures if you want to see full size photo's.

This is my sister Karen and her daughter Katie. I have one other sister, Vicki. I can't tell you how many countless hours we would spend at the railroad tracks. I know it sounds strange to be playing at the tracks and I suppose I was more inclined to play there than my sisters, but the tracks were only a half mile from our house down a dirt road and we would place pennies on the tracks and let the train flatten them. It was lot's of fun. In those days the trains all had a caboose on the end of the train. I can remember anxiously awaiting for the last car of the train so we could wave to the brakeman that rode in the caboose. He never failed to waive back. As a young boy I would dream of someday growing up to be a brakeman so I to could ride in the caboose. To give you an idea of how determined I was to make this happen I remember how disappointed I was during my junior year in High School. The school was holding a career planning day for the Juniors. This day we all took turns seeing the counselors to discuss our possibilities of going to college or attending a vocational school. When my turn arrived to speak to the counselor, I told him I wanted to be a brakeman on the railroad. He was a liitle suprised but he promised to look into that line of work for me. A few days later he called me back into his office and broke the news that he found out that next year they were going to be phasing out the cabooses on the end of trains and eliminating the brakeman's job. I was crushed! Sure enough, even throughout that same year I started seeing trains without a caboose. An era had ended before I ever got started. So much for childhood dreams... looks like I'm joining the Army!

Mulvane is known for it's trains. It was a railroad town in the old days and you can still visit the train station today at the end of the main street down town. It's a museum now, but I can remember going in there when they sold tickets to get on the train and travel off to the neighboring cities. Today there are still many trains that run through and all around Mulvane. Most of the trains are freight trains carrying everything you can imagine across the mid west. Trains are very active and used daily to deliver goods in this part of the country. You can see the wear on the tracks. Look at the picture of the penny on the track and you can see the wear and tear those tracks take. Here in Tennessee I rarely see trains, but in Kansas and throughout the mid west it's very common place. As a matter of fact since we grew up around trains, it was mandatory as young children in our schools be taught about the dangers of trains. In middle school we would all assemble together and watch a film. I'll never forget those films, they were graphic and they
showed what happened to people that would try and jump on a train while it was moving, or what would happen if you played around trains. People were killed or seriously injured and those films stayed with me forever. Even though I still spent time around the tracks, I was always mindful of what those trains could do.

You can see this Grain elevator for miles as you approach Mulvane. Lots' of wheat farming in these parts of the country and the COOP is a very active place during the wheat harvest time of the year in July. My dad used to haul wheat to these grain elevators during the harvest. If he wasn't hauling wheat he was on a combine in the field cutting it. We didn't own a farm but dad worked to make some extra money and during the harvest he would take vacation weeks from his regular job and work long hard hours cutting wheat. Those weeks I remember him leaving before the sun would rise and not coming back home till after the sun set. The combines had lights on them and they could keep cutting even into the night if they wanted to. The harvest was fast and furious. No time to waste. The wheat was ripe and the weather hopefully would cooperate so the combines and trucks could get into the fields. We didn't want rain during the harvest. Farming is a big part of Mulvane and the surrounding counties.

Growing up we lived in a Mobile Home park outside of town. Munholland's as it was called was a nice little trailer park outside of town. It was like a community of it's own. Lot's of kids to play with and the country life was great. we spend many days at the creek fishing or swimming. Mr. Munholland owned and operated a very nice Mobile Home park. He always took good care of the park and had very strict rules that kept the park neat and clean. Mr. Munholland realizing the dangers of tornado's and the frequency that our area had tornado's he build a couple of Storm Shelters for us to go to in case of a tornado warning. I spent many a night in those shelters waiting for the tornado to pass. As a kid, I remember it was an exciting time. I'm sure my folks felt different, but for us kids, we'd all be huddled up together safely inside the
shelter while the adults of the park would listen to the radio in hopes of hearing some news about the weather. Every family in the park would be in these large shelters and usually we were all in our pajamas because the storms seemed to always hit in the evenings or at night when the weather was cooling off after a very hot day.

There are two churches in town that have special significance to me. The first one is this little Brethren Church. This small little
white church had a bus ministry that would come out to our trailer park on Sundays and pick up the kids. I rode that bus for about two years and it's because of this bus ministry that I became saved. I had a Sunday School teacher that witnessed to me and taught me all about Jesus. He gave me a bible and I would read that bible by flashlight under the covers when I should have been sleeping. One night in my bedroom I prayed and gave my life to Christ. I praise the Lord for this church. You can read more about this church in my previous posting titled "The Church Bus." The other church pictured here is the church that I got married in. The Methodist Church was the church the my wifes dad went to. After we got married, one week later we were both living in Germany. I was serving in the U.S. Army and I came back home on leave to marry my High School Sweetheart. 29 years later we're still happily married. I love her with all my heart. Her maden name was Brenda Francisco.

Just to highlight a few other pictures... Dirt roads are very
common throughout Kansas. Here in Tennessee the roads follow the terrain so you rarely have straight roads. But in Kansas, well it's pretty flat and level ground so the roads are sectioned off by the mile. Most country roads are a mile square. Where my dad lives in the country you can go out of his drive way and go down the road to the left. As long as you keep making left turns you will come back full circle and be back home four miles later. This picture gives you an idea of what these dirt/sand roads look like. Go straight, or turn left, the next road is exactly a mile away.

This picture of the "Arkansas River" reminds me of some great times. I've fished, camped at, canoed, and swam in this river. This river is located just outside of town and the reason I took this picture is because here in Tennessee the rivers usually don't have sand bars like the rivers in Kansas do. The rivers here in TN are usually lined with heavy trees and steep terrain. But the rivers in Kansas are wide and always sandy bottomed. They are also usually shallow due to lack of rain during the hot summer months. Sand bars are common and I can remember camping out on those sand bars while fishing most of the night. The final picture is of down town Mulvane. Mulvane's main street is unique because you can park right in the middle of the street. Main street has changed quite a bit over the years, but it still resembles the look of it's original design even when the only means of transportation was horse and buggy. I hope you've enjoyed the pictures of my home town, maybe in some way they remind you of when you were young.

Steve

The Church Bus

2008-07-08T21:54:00.007-05:00

It was almost time. My sisters and I waited with great anticipation as we peered out the front window of our house. We had just finished our breakfast and we were waiting for the Church bus to come. Suddenly we could hear the faint sound of music off in the distance. It kind of reminded me of the distant sound we would hear when the ice cream truck was in the neighborhood. Even though that truck was on the next street over we knew it was coming our way. So it was with the Church Bus. You see the church bus that came to our Trailer Park to pick us up and take us to Church played songs through a loud speaker mounted to the top of the Bus. This Bus was an old school bus that had been painted White and had the Church name on the side of it. It simply read "Brethren Church of Mulvane Kansas." As the Bus got closer, my sisters and I would run out of the house saying our goodbyes to Mom and Dad. The sound of music filled the air. Great old songs like, "Yes, Jesus Loves Me," or "He's got the whole world in His hands," would be playing as we climbed on board the old bus.

The Pastor was the driver of the bus and he always seemed so happy to see us. I never saw that man without a happy smile on his face. He called to us by name and welcomed us aboard as the old bus went on down the road to pick up more of the kids that lived in the Mobile Home Park. Munhollands Mobile Home Park was located a couple of miles outside of Mulvane in the country and even though it wasn't a long ways from town, it was too far to walk. We rode the school bus to school throughout the week and we rode the Church bus on Sundays to Church. Yes we rode the bus often, but on Sundays it was different. Everyone was happy, everyone was excited to be going to church, and the music just added to the fun festive atmosphere that we were experiencing. It was like saying... "Come on everybody, let's go worship the Lord."

I have very fond memories of that church bus and the rides to and from Church. I attended the small little Brethren Church for almost two years and the entire time I went to church, I went by riding the church bus. I was about 10 or 11 years old when I started going to church. My folks didn't go to church, but they always encouraged my sisters and I to go as often as we wanted to. I made many friends while at church and I learned a lot about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. I learned about many of the great bible stories like Daniel and the Lions Den, Moses and the Ten Commandments, and one of my favorite stories was about Shadrach Meshach and Abednego. Now that's a cool story. But I suppose the story that touched my heart the most was the one where I realized that Jesus died for me. To think he was crucified for me, to save me from a place called Hell. He loved me that much. Now that's amazing.

I remember the night I gave my life to Christ. I believe I was 12 years old, maybe 13 I'm not sure. I was reading my bible by flashlight under my covers while in bed. I was supposed to be asleep, but I just could not quit reading. I was reading a "Good News" bible that my Sunday School teacher had given me. Until he gave me that Bible, the only bible I had was the little "new testament" bible that we got one day in school. To me, reading that King James New testament bible was like reading Greek or something. It made little sense to me and I just couldn't seem to follow it or understand it. Many of the words I'd never seen before or knew what they meant. It was very confusing and I lost interest very quickly. But this "Good News" bible made sense to me. I could read it forever! I hated to put it down it was so good. This bible helped me to understand what Jesus did for me as a sinner. I suddenly became convicted of my sin, I knew that I was lost and when I died I would go to Hell because I hadn't given my life to Jesus yet. I feared going to sleep because I knew that if I died I would go to hell. The thought of this scared me. I wasn't sure what to do, but I knew enough to know that I needed to pray to Jesus and ask Him to save me. And that's what I did. I got out of bed and I knelt down beside my bed and I folded my hands together and bowed and prayed like I never have before. I confessed that I was a sinner and I pleaded with God to save me from Hell. I told Jesus that I believed he died for my sins and that he rose from the dead and that he now lives. I confessed that I do believe this and that I wanted the eternal life that Jesus promised. Please save me Jesus, please!

I cried and was overwhelmed with joy and happiness. I was freed from all fear of death. Hell no longer was something for me to fear. Eternal life with Christ Jesus in Heaven was mine. There were many tears of joy and happiness that night alone in my bedroom. From that day on I was never afraid to go to sleep again. If death came in the night while I slept, I knew where I would go. There's nothing like the comfort of Salvation... nothing like it.

There's much more to this story and the steps that I took, some good and many bad, in my life as a Christian from that day forward. But the main reason for this story is to share the impact that that old church bus had on my life.

You see... I was one of those kids that you see in church today. You know the one's. The one's that ride the bus and come to church without any supervision. Their parents are not there and someone else in the church always has to keep us quiet or make us sit with them because we just haven't learned to listen or be still like we should in church. We're the ones that get up and walk to the restroom in the middle of the service or we like to sit in the back with our friends and draw or giggle or talk when the preacher is preaching. We're the one's that you wish would just stay home because we act like we'd rather be some place else anyway. We're just so disruptive sometimes and it seems that were learning nothing. But what you must understand is this... "The word of God permeates the soul and convicts the heart through the work of the Holy Spirit." When it's time (God's time) everything that those kids heard and learned will come to mind and the weight of it will overwhelm them to the point they know they need a Savior or die lost and condemned to spend life after death in a place called hell. If you didn't plant those seeds by allowing those kids to come hear the Gospel and learn by watching other Christians live their faith, well they wouldn't stand a chance would they? You see... rarely will you get to see the fruits of your labor with the Church Bus kids because when we get in high school, get our first car, get our first girlfriend, or hang out with buddies that don't go to church (Keep in mind most of our parents don't go to church either and that's confusing enough for us) most likely as in my case and many others, we quit coming. We fall away from the church and we live like we know we shouldn't. But what you need to know is this... the Holy Spirit will convict us every time we sin and the longer we live this way the more miserable we become. The best thing you can do for us is... help us, teach us, mentor us, show us, pray for us, tolerate us, and love us as God loves us. Give us the bibles we need and don't have. Share what scripture means when it doesn't make any sense to us. One day, maybe one day, we'll be your Sunday School Teacher, we'll be the Church Bus Driver or Bus captain, we'll be the worship leader or maybe even the Preacher! Only God knows what awaits us and what he has planned for us. All I know is this... If I wasn't able to come to church by bus when I was a kid living in that old trailer park outside Mulvane Kansas, I might still be lost! Thank God for that Bus! Thank God for that Church and those wonderful people that taught me and reached out to me. Those folks have no idea of the impact they made on me and that was 35 years ago. Wouldn't it be tragic if today they didn't have a church bus ministry there anymore and the reason why was because they just didn't feel they were effective in their ministry. They never saw the fruit of their labor so they gave it up. Maybe all they saw was the hassle, maybe all they experienced were the headaches and the costs. But what they don't know is that this kid, yes this one, has been saved and will be spending the rest of his life in eternity with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and it was through their ministry that this came to pass.

Thank you Jesus!

Steve

Obedience leads to Peace

2008-06-30T21:22:00.003-05:00

2 Chronicles 14:1-6
1 When Abijah died, he was buried in the City of David. Then his son Asa became the next king. There was peace in the land for ten years. 2 Asa did what was pleasing and good in the sight of the Lord his God. 3 He removed the foreign altars and the pagan shrines. He smashed the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah poles. 4 He commanded the people of Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and to obey his law and his commands. 5 Asa also removed the pagan shrines, as well as the incense altars from every one of Judah’s towns. So Asa’s kingdom enjoyed a period of peace. 6 During those peaceful years, he was able to build up the fortified towns throughout Judah. No one tried to make war against him at this time, for the Lord was giving him rest from his enemies.

What I see here, is that obedience can lead us to peace... a time of rest in the Lord from our enemies. In today's world... who or what is our enemy? I guess it could be whatever or whoever you think, but for me, the enemy is anything that takes away my focus from "walking in the spirit." Today at work I was talking to another co-worker, I shared that it seems to me that more and more people I know are not happy at what they do or what they have. Everyone has issues! It doesn't matter what jobs we have or what positions we hold... we're not happy! It doesn't matter where we live or what we have... we're not happy! The grass always look greener on the other side of the fence and it seems we want to go there so badly, yet when we get there, if we get there, there's nothing but more of the same issues and often it's even worse than where we were in the first place. Wouldn't you like to just be content and satisfied with your life. Able to slow down a bit and enjoy a peaceful lifestyle for a change. I know I would.

Now I'm not saying that if only we do what is pleasing and good in the sight of the Lord, that we'll have the same kind of peace that King Asa did. But look at what he did to have this kind of peace!

He removed foreign alters and pagan shrines. (What kind of alters have we created in our life that take our focus off of our Lord God) You tell me. I thought about listing all the false idols and foreign alters we hold dear, but I think it's best that you think for yourself on this one.

He removed the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah poles. (Like Asa, we must be actively removing anything that is offensive to God. If we want God's peace then we must eliminate sinful practices from our lives. We should continually ask God to help us remove any source of temptation from our lives.)

He commanded everyone in Judah to seek the Lord and obey his laws and commands. (How do we do as individuals in this area, do we obey His laws and commands? What about our family. Do we expect them to seek the Lord and be obedient as well?)

Verse 5... So Asa's kingdom enjoyed a period of peace. Verse 6... The Lord was giving him rest. Maybe the peace we seek is simply found in these verses. What if we did remove things that take our focus off of God? What is we did ask God to help us walk away from sinful temptation and not fall victim to it? What if we did read His word and follow his laws and commands as He wants us to? I imagine we would experience a time of peace unlike any other. Maybe instead of running from place to place, job to job, or trying to find peace in other places than where we are at right now. Maybe we simply need to practice what Asa did. I've always believed that we're usually right where God wants us anyway. We just might not like it. I think we may be able to adapt better if only we had the peace that only God can give us. I know it worked for King Asa.

The Game of Life

2008-06-22T22:50:00.005-05:00

Today I had a good friend of mine tell me that her brother, who was a preacher, had given up on his church, he's no longer preaching because he's burnt out. He felt that his ministry was going no where. He hasn't given up on God, he's just frustrated with the church and his ministry just hasn't been what he had dreamed it would be. I know very little about him, yet I feel for him. It seems that this burnt out feeling is happening to more and more people that I know. I know from my own experience that burn out is something that can come upon any of us quickly and without notice. It seems that one day, we suddenly realize that nothings going the way we had hoped or planned, and because of this... we begin to experience burn out. I don't believe any of us would be burnt out if things were going great! But burn out, or at least the burn out I've experienced and seen in others has come from a dissatisfaction in our life in some way. Whether it comes from our unsatisfied health, work, family, marriage, ministry, church, friends, co-workers, etc. We get depressed and begin feeling down because of what we are experiencing. Our life just isn't what we thought it would be.

Usually we call mid life crisis a mid life crisis because we reached the middle part of our lives. We're halfway through our life! When we're young we have dreams, goals and visions. When were middle aged we hope to have accomplished some of those goals, dreams and visions, but what we've realized is that many of those dreams goals and visions have been shattered by the obstacles of life. Our priorities have changed, our dreams and goals have been compromised to adapt to where we are now and what we've achieved thus far in our "middle of our life" experiences.

I think of my life kind of like a foot ball game. When I started this game (when I was young) I had a play book, plans and dreams and goals. I had a vision of the outcome of this game, and I always believed that if I went out there and played my game the way I planned, then I'd win, I'd be successful, and have all that I ever dreamed I'd have. I could accomplish anything I set my mind to and I believed this. It's what drove me. Well for me and many others I know, it's a little past half time in our game of life. Yes, were middle of the way through... that is if we live to a ripe old age, and we're taking a look at where we are in this game and we're all making adjustments to our game plan. You see, the game must be played, and the desire is still the same, we still want to win the game and achieve our dreams and goals, but these dreams and visions are changed now, they're different. What used to be most important at the beginning is less important now and other priorities have emerged. In the beginning it was about me and my life, my goals and my dreams. Today it's about our dreams and goals (my wife and I), it's also about our children's dreams and their goals and visions and hopes for the future. My dreams have changed and my hopes have changed. This leaves me and others in a place of uncertainty for what lies ahead. We worry about our future, we're consumed about what's around the bend of our lives. Will we have a job? Will we have a family, or a home? Will we have a ministry? Will we have good health? These are just a few of the concerns we have for our future. I think the reason we think about these things so much is because we know that each of these things can be gone in the blink of an eye, a moments notice, and when they are, our life takes on a whole new direction and focus.

I don't know what the future holds for any of us, I don't have any idea how the last quarter of the game is played. But this I do know... most likely it won't be exactly like you planned. Oh I'm sure some of it will, but a lot of it won't. If I had just one thing to say to my friends and others my age going through all these changes and uncertainty of tomorrow, I'd say this...

There's only one thing that's certain. There's only one thing that will always go according to plan. There's only one thing that any of us can ever count and depend on, and that's Jesus Christ. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever! He's our rock of certainty in our ever changing lives. He's our anchor that keeps us secure and in place during all those storms we face. He's our light in a dark world. He's everything we are not! I think the greatest thing I've learned so far in my game of life, is that I will win in the end... no matter how I play, no matter what I'm faced with, no matter how badly I fail to execute the plays, I will still win in the end. I've learned that this game of life is not won by my achievements and success, it's won already by my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I say... play hard, go for the dreams and the visions that you hope to achieve, but understand that those things are not what's important. What's important is that you've enjoyed playing the game and celebrate the small victories along the way. We need to quit determining where we should be on the score board, and play hard and never give up and see the game through to the end. Because no matter how bad the score looks, I promise you this... You win in the end! YOU WIN in the END! When we realize this, we can start to enjoy playing the game a little more than we are right now... don't you think?

PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, may we always remember that you are in control. May we never forget that you will always be there with us through whatever we go through in our lives. May we quit measuring our success as compared to our dreams and goals and plans but rather, may we know that we'll win because we know You, the creator of our life. May we always seek Your will and driection and may we play the game of life with energy and enthisiasm and with a winners hearts, no matter how bad the score looks. Lord thank you for seeing us through to the end, and thank you for the celebration and eternal life that comes at the end of this game. It's good to be on the winning team! May we enjoy our time with you more as we already know the outcome of our lives. We win! It's in Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Can we afford new technology?

2008-05-28T17:27:00.004-05:00

Are you as concerned about the future as I am? Think about it... $4.00 for a gallon of gasoline? If that's not enough look at the cost of food and housing these days. I remember when I graduated from high school, I was paying around $1.32 for a gallon of gasoline for my car. To rent an apartment we'd spend no more than about $350-$400 a month at the most. My wife and I rented in our early days and finally we saved enough to buy our first house for $12,000. We were the proud owners of a used mobile home and we were very happy to be owning something rather than renting all the time. After living in the mobile home for a few years we sold it and bought a small but very nice 3 bedroom home for our growing family for $52,000. Scraping enough savings to pay down 10% was tough but we did it. Brenda and I both we're making about $10.00 per hour at the time. We were on a tight budget but we could make it if we both worked as many hours each week that we could. Those days were over 20 years ago!

About the only thing to remain the same these days for most of our children moving away from home is the pay. Although minimum wage has gone up some over the years. The take home pay for most couples starting out today is almost like it was in my younger years. They have about the same income, yet their expenses today compared to what ours were then are staggering. Let's look at some comparisons.

Income then... Between my wife and I was right around $38,400 annual income.
Here's a list of some of our expenses then.

House payment or rent was $450 monthly = $5,400 annually.

Gasoline was $1.32 per gallon.

Food was half the price that we pay for it now. I remember Libby's canned vegetables on sale for 5/$1.00. Mac and Cheese for 10/$1.00. The sales were great and the food was really very inexpensive then. Back then we didn't pay for bottled water (who ever heard of such a thing, tap water was free!)

Television, was free. (no cable or satellite) Sure you didn't have but three stations to pick from, but even with the hundreds I have to choose from now, I still can't find anything worth watching most times. (Cable wasn't around yet)

The phone bill was minimal cost. (no cell phones were invented yet.)

Internet, not around yet.

So just looking at house payment, Gasoline for our cars, Food, TV, Phone, and Internet, the differences are staggering in the cost associates with today's young people just starting out on their own.

Monthly house today... $650-$850 minimum rent or house payments in many cases, usually more. Payments at a minimum are way up.

Gasoline $4.00 per gallon. Gas has tripled!

Food has tripled!

The phone bill is double what we paid, but now let's add on our cell phones.

Internet use is additional, something we never had in the past.

TV is no longer free, add on lots more for this as well.

Let's see, everything has gone up except for our wages??? How can we make it today?

I believe there is an answer, but we're not going to like it. Unless our young people can afford the cell phone, they shouldn't have it. If they can't afford the gasoline they certainly can't afford a car payment, they need something that they can afford to buy and chances are it won't be cool, whatever it is. The Internet should be a privilege that you should have only if you can afford it. The TV is an easy fix, buy a DVD player and watch movies once in a while, or get just the basic cable if you can afford it. The problem with today's young people are that they want to live the same lifestyle as if they are making the same income their parents make. I don't quite understand this logic. In my day I knew that the only thing I'd ever have, I would have to pay for and buy myself. I think having parents that are struggling to make ends meet week after week does that to you. The reality is that we must live within our means, and so many of us don't. When this happens we become slaves to the things we own, or at least to the things we think we own. In many cases the bank owns them because we're using their money to get these things. Proverbs 22:6 The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender. It's dangerous ground to live on. Especially in today's environment we should be very frugal, very expense conscious. Even if our young people are very tight and very expense conscious, the road ahead of them today is much more difficult than it was in my younger days. The technology is wonderful, but it comes at a very high cost. A cost that many can't afford today. I'm afraid it's going to get worse before it ever gets better. Hopefully we'll come to our senses soon.

Have we fallen asleep?

2008-05-22T21:38:00.002-05:00

I don't know what it's like to suffer for the gospel, to be persecuted for my faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord. As I think back over my life, honestly, no persecution or any that I would call persecution has come to me because of my faith. I've had a few doors shut in my face as I tried to witness and maybe I've gotten the evil eye or they appeared uninterested as I shared, but no real persecution. As a matter of fact the only persecution I've really experienced living my life for Jesus has been from other Christians that criticize my faith or my motives for what I do. There are many Christians that would rather tell their brothers and sisters in Christ where they're failing and messing up, than tell a complete stranger about the love of Christ and the pending doom that awaits them if they don't repent of their sins and be saved. Yes, we can discourage others in Christ and think we're helping in some way, but who have we told about Jesus this week? I mean really, where are our priorities? I really can't ever recall being persecuted for my faith in Christ, and that's sad.

Why do I not have persecution in my life? I'll tell you why. I'm not out there in the trenches trying to reach the lost and engaging myself in the fight, that's why. Oh sure, I write great little words of encouragement so that we can feel good about ourselves in our daily walk with the Lord, but the reality is this... I should be suffering for the gospel. A country, like ours, that has been blessed with so much, can fall asleep and become lazy. We become content or complacent in our work and zeal for the Lord. Persecution is opposition. It's about a fight! You walk away from being persecuted sore, weak, and exhausted. Yet deep inside you are revived and alive, because you have delivered the gospel message in spite of the cost, in spite of the opposition, and you know that it's not about you anyway, it's about the gospel and your ability to spread it to those that need to hear it whether they like it or not, whether they think they need to hear it or not. We need persecution to drive us and motivate us to action. It's seems strange to want persecution, and I'm sure there are some reading saying, Steve be careful what you ask for, you may just get it. And that right there is the problem isn't it? Be careful! The Lord might just use you. He might make you suffer for the Kingdom... be careful what you pray for. Your life of material things could be lost, and everything you've worked hard for could be gone. You better watch out. Yes that's the advice we get now days from our Christian brothers and sisters... play it safe, don't be too hard on yourself, God loves you man, it's ok.

No it's not. People are dying and going to hell everyday because we're playing it safe.

..............I'm sorry to vent like this. I'm just wondering if my time that I write could or should be better spent doing the Lord's work in other ways. When I think about this blog, I realize that I average around 350 hits a week. Now I know that's not a lot compared to other blogs of interest, but it used to be around 25-30 hits a week this time last year. So I'm surprised at how many folks are reading what I've published here. How many people have I lead to Christ this year so far? None, that I know of. I know they could read my blog and give their life to Christ after being convicted of the Holy Spirit to do so, but I venture to say that most people that read this are already saved and belong to Christ. If that's the case... then how effective is what I writing? I've said it before in a previous post. It would better for you to stop reading what I'm writing and read your bible instead. How much more effective would that be? The time you take to read what I've written may have prevented you from digging into God's word, it may have taken the place of reading His word, kind of like it does with me and the time I spend writing. How much more could I have read in God's word, could I have prayed, could I have witnessed, if I wasn't writing? I suppose a lot more could be done. But the real question is this... Would I have read my bible more? Would I have studied more? Would I have prayed more? Would I have witnessed more? I don't know? I just don't know.

The only reason that I can think of to keep writing is this... I think it's important that we as Christians share between us, the struggles and the weaknesses we have in our faith. I'm not saying it's right to be weak, we should be strong and victorious in our faith and our walk, after all look at the power we have within us to overcome. But often we're not strong. I have to be careful not to say, it's ok (I do that a lot), maybe it's better to say that I know how you feel because I struggle too. You are not alone, there are many like us out there if we would just admit it. Stay the course, read your bible, and let's get back in the fight! The battle awaits us! There are people waiting for you and I to tell them about the good news of Christ. As we sit comfortably in our churches this Sunday, may we be reminded that the church is not a building of comfort with air conditioning and great music etc. The church is God's people. As God's people are we reaching out to the lost and inviting people into the family of God? Or, are we simply a social club of Christians? Are you being persecuted for your faith? If not, then we have to ask why? Don't we?

Why do bad things happen to good people?

2008-05-18T22:29:00.002-05:00

Have you ever asked this question? I think we've all asked it or wondered it from time to time. Especially when we see good Christian people suffering an illness or injury that is tragic in nature. We think to ourselves... "Why would God allow this to happen to them?" I mean, "He God! He could have protected them from this terrible thing, right?" Well the answer of course is Yes he could, He's God, He can do anything he wants. So our next question might be... "Why doesn't he protect us then from bad things like Cancer or illness, or terrible auto accidents that injure or even kill our loved ones, or what about the terrible storms, earthquakes and other natural disasters that hurt or kill people, or any other bad thing that you can think of? Why are we not protected from all that stuff?

Well I'd like to take a look at this a different way if you will. Let me ask you this question. Do you believe the bible teaches you that you can earn your way into heaven? You've probably answered... NO WAY! God's gift of salvation does not come from works lest any man should boast. It's a free gift to all who repent of their sin and give their heart and life to Jesus, making him Lord of your life. Good answer! So you would say that no one is good enough to get into heaven without the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior? YES! OK, but what about Billy Graham, if any body's earned their way, I mean he's it isn't he? Of course the answer is still no. He may live a more Godly life than most of us, but he's still is a sinner saved by God's amazing grace, and even though he may strive to live a life of obedience, he still has an old nature that battles within him with his new nature (Holy Spirit.) Has he been made righteous in the site of God? Yes he has, but it's not because of what he did, it's because of what Jesus did on the cross for him and the rest of us that believe. Another way to say this would be to say that we are not good people, we're sinners in need of saving! The bible tells us that we are as filthy rages in the sight of the Lord. Because of our sin we all fall short of God's glory and none of us measure up. We're not good people, we're sinners. So when we say things like... Why do bad things happen to good people, were saying their good in comparison to other people, which of course they may be. Lets face it, some people are just down right mean and hateful, while others are friendly and polite to just about everyone they meet. Some are giving and loving while others are rude and selfish. It's easy to see the difference and when we see people that live their life as a sacrifice to the Lord and they practice in their actions how the word of God says we should live. It's easy to see why we would be confused and ask... Why Lord? These people are living their life for you yet they're suffering so much. It seems terrible bad things are happening to them and here sits these bad people and they seem to be wealthy, have great health, and living the good life, while at the same time speaking out against you Lord. Why? Why do you not protect those that belong to you???

The answer is... He does protect those that belong to him. It's called eternal life! We must never forget that this world we live in is a bad world. Satan and his demons rebelled against God and they were cast out and they have fallen to earth. Earth is their world now, their home. This world we live in is not our home if you belong to Christ. We've been protected and secured in our faith. We belong to Jesus Christ and one day we'll be removed from this world and we'll be in the presence of Almighty God in heaven. The promise is that one day we'll stand before God and even though we don't deserve eternal life, Jesus will speak on our behave. He'll say to the Father, this one belongs to me and he's been made righteous by my blood that I shed on the cross for him. This one put his faith and trust in me. He repented of his sin and made me Lord of his life. I know him! We have a relationship.

It's from this day on that we'll be good, we'll be pure, and we'll be holy. But today, we're not good. Even the best Christian is still a sinner saved by grace. Yes it hurts us to see good people suffer, we don't think it's right. It just doesn't seem fair. But we must never forget that this world is full of evil. Bad terrible things will happen to anyone at any time as we journey through it. It's random at best. As we live in a world that has the influence of Satan, well, even Innocent bystanders are going to get hit by the flying debris every so often. There's no one safe from it. A person under the influence of Satan can walk up to you and blow your brains out with a gun, and it doesn't matter that you were thought of as a good person. This world is a mess. The good news in all this is... this is not our final destination. With the Holy Spirits leading and guiding us we have the strength and the courage to get through everything that comes our way. Good or bad, we'll make it through, because we know this isn't all there is in life. God does protect us from bad things, we have eternal life in God's love. Some don't!

Hang on for the ride!

2008-05-15T21:25:00.004-05:00

Matt said... GREAT BOOK!!!! be careful reading it, you might do something radical! It's amazing to see that things still can happen just like they did in the book of Acts. May we be willing and ready just as Yun.

Matt, thanks for the reply to my last post. The book, "The Heavenly Man" truly is a modern day example of Paul's journey through the book of Acts. The word you used... Radical, is what God's awesome power is all about isn't it? Nothing we do in and of itself amounts to anything, but with God's power, amazing things happen. Another comment out of that book that really stuck with me was when Brother Yun said, "The best we can ever hope to do when God is moving is to try and hang on for the ride." When God moves... look out! What a blessing to experience that kind of awesome power. Usually however to experience something of that magnitude comes at a huge sacrificial price. We must be willing to go wherever, whenever, to whomever. When we get to that place of obedience... God can use us. Now we just have to hang on for the ride! One of the best examples of this is found in Matthew Chapter 4.

Matt 4:18-22
(18) One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers-Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew-throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living.
(19) Jesus called out to them, "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!"
(20) And they left their nets at once and followed him.
(21) A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called to them to come, too.
(22) They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.

THE REST IS HISTORY, and those four were a huge part of it! As I think about that day, I'm sure none of them awoke that morning thinking, "Hey, today I bet we'll be leaving everything behind and going on a mission trip with Jesus." Nope, it was probably more like, "I wonder how many fish we'll catch today?" Their idea of fishing and Jesus idea of fishing were completely different. The point is this... Talk about hanging on for the ride. A willing obedient heart, is what God desires from us, just as he did with the first Disciples he called to follow him that day on the shore.

Matt, you and your family are standing on that shore today. You've been called to leave everything behind and go fishing for men. Of course it's not the first time you've been called and I imagine it won't be the last. God has this amazing way of constantly directing our lives when we're obedient and truly his followers. Your willingness to follow and obey is a light for us all. I'm so thankful that when God calls Disciples today, that we have those that are still willing to drop their nets and leave everything they own behind trusting in the Lord to provide when He says, come! May God bless you and your family on this next journey in your life.

May your fishing nets break from the abundance of your catch!

God bless you,

Steve

God's will... WILL BE DONE

2008-05-14T23:43:00.006-05:00

I've been reading a book titled, "The Heavenly Man." It's true story about Chinese Christian Brother Yun. It's about how God took a young, half starved boy from a poor village and allowed him mightily to preach the Gospel despite horrific opposition. He suffered prolonged torture and imprisonment for his faith. This book will test your own faith. As I read and saw how much Brother Yun suffered in his faith, I would often ask myself this question... WHY? Why did brother Yun suffer so greatly? This man of God would almost die several times in his life as he was severely beaten and starved. The beatings and the torture were unreal! All he wanted to do in his life was serve the Lord and preach the Gospel, which he did, even while being persecuted the way he was. There's a time in the book where he describes a beating so severe, that his legs were beaten and broken so severely that for the next few years he had to be carried everywhere in prison because his legs were no longer useful. They were too badly damaged and the severe pain he had in his legs everyday was unimaginable. He couldn't walk anymore, and that was the point of the beating... He would never escape again. The guards made it impossible for him to ever to walk again.

One day he knew the Lord was telling him to escape from prison. In an instant he knew. He sensed it and another inmate told him he was to escape as well. It was time to go, as he struggled to stand to his feet, he walked to a gate, not knowing how he was going to escape or what to do next he simply walked towards the next gate. The gate opened just as he got to it and another prisoner and a guard come through the gate as he walks right past them and goes through the gate as it was open at that perfect moment. The prisoner notices Brother Yun but the guard never sees him, even though he walks right past him. The guard is blinded to Yun's presence there. As Brother Yun walks across the prison yard he walks towards the final gate to the prison. It's heavily guarded and always locked. But this time Yun walks past all the guards in the yard, and they do not see him, he walks to the gate and it's not locked and he pushes it open and walks out to a cab waiting by the gate. He gets in and rides away in the cab. Not one guard saw him. The prisoners saw him walk right through the yard past all the guards and right out of the prison gate without any guard ever seeing him or ever acknowledging that he was even there. Brother Yun had the cab driver take him to a church leaders home and when he arrived they were expecting him because they too had a vision from the Lord that Brother Yun would be at their door. They already had food, supplies and clothes for him as they knew he would be there. From there they took him to a safe place while the whole city searched for his whereabouts. The Chinese government and prison officials were frantically searching for Brother Yun but of course he would not be found. Why? Because it was the Lord's will that's why.

Why is this story so important? Because it reminds us that with God, anything is possible. You can walk on crippled legs with God's power. Incidentally brother Yun's legs were healed that day, he was able to walk fine from that day on. Not before that day.... he was in too much pain and agony, as I said before he was carried everywhere, but God healed him so he could walk out according to His plan that day. All obstacles like gates and guards and locks will be opened and a pathway will be made for you if it's God's will. Another lesson is that we don't have to know the plan for God's plan to work, we just simply need to obey God when he tells us to go. He works out all the details. Another very important lesson is that God's plan can happen today, this very moment. When all seems lost, when all seems hopeless, God can change everything. In an instant your condition and your life can change. No matter what the odds, broken legs, guards with guns, prison gates and fences, transportation, food, clothes, shelter???? Whatever the need is not your worry. Our faith must always be that with God... anything is possible! Anything.

The next time you are facing a trial, when all seems hopeless and there just seems to be no way out. Never forget that with God, nothing is as we see it. God can heal, God can open doors that man can't. God can provide food and shelter when we can't see how. If it's God's will... then it WILL BE DONE.

I challenge you to read this book, "The Heavenly Man." Especially if you are facing a trial that seems impossible. This book will help you to remember what you already know in your heart. With God, anything is possible. Never lose faith.

The Uncertainty of Tomorrow

2008-05-14T20:21:00.001-05:00

When I was young and naive, I thought that I could control my destiny. I really did! I believed that good things happened to good people. I believed that hard work and effort would always lead to prosperity and happiness. I always felt comfortable that I could control my life. I believed that if you raised your children to be polite and honest and taught them right from wrong that they would grow up that way. I always believed that my influence as a parent would far out weigh the influence of their peers but as I get older and more experienced in life I've come to learn a very important lesson that I guess we all learn eventually. No matter how hard you work, or how hard you try to impact tomorrow, tomorrow is a mystery known only to God.

Now I'm not saying we shouldn't work hard or try to plan for tomorrow and impact the rest of our lives. Of course we should because as we all know, we do make a difference in our lives as we influence others. The Bible teaches that we should raise a child up in the way of the Lord and he will return to it. This verse alone ought to give us as parents a clue to what's ahead. The reality is this... Raise them right, and they will return. It was never said they would go out and be perfect and holy in every thing they do because of this great work you did as a parent. The promise is however that one day, they will remember what they were taught them and they will come back. We need to rest assured that all the work and effort and teaching will someday return to them and they will realize what it all means. As parents our obligation and responsibility is to raise them up in the way of the Lord. To be a good example of faith for them. A role model of Christian behavior and when we mess up, as we will, then they need to see how we return to the Lord. This impression will be burned into their minds and one day they too will be returning to the Lord after they too realize what they've done.

During these days of uncertainty... know this. They're adults and they're going to live their own lives. They're going to make mistakes and it's in those moments that we love them, pick them up, help them and most importantly keep living our life as a Godly example for them. The best thing we can ever do for our children, yes even when they're adults, is live our lives for our Lord. Remember, when they're not asking, "What would Jesus do?" They might be asking, "What would Dad do?" Hopefully, they'll see the same thing.

Quacks like a duck

2008-05-12T19:10:00.006-05:00

You've heard it said that if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, walks like a duck, then it's probably a duck!

Matthew 7:15 says... "Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.

Wow stern warnings for us isn't it? BEWARE.. be cautious, pay attention, be careful or you'll be deceived. What appears to be genuine can be false or fake. The good news for us though is that we can tell the false prophets from those that speak the truth. Matthew 7:16 tell us how... You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? (17) A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit, a bad tree can not produce good fruit. In other words, if it looks like a duck.... it probably is.

What is the fruit of the spirit? You can look in Galatians 5:22. If a person doesn't have these characteristics in their life, then they might not be a Christian at all. Beware, the bible says of false Prophets. The bible tells us that a person that belongs to Christ has a marked changed in his or her life. They're different now. Their life will produce fruit because they belong to Christ. How do we know we belong to Christ? By the way we act. Our actions give it away!

(22) But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives; Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. There is no law against these things!

(19) When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear; sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, (20) idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, (22) envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these...

Galatians 5:24 says that... (24) Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. (25) Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives.

A personal salvation experience changes us. There will be a difference in our life, we are a new creation! If we're not bearing fruits of the Spirit.... then Watch Out! There's a problem. Somethings just not adding up. One of two things could be happening here.

1. We don't really belong to Christ at all... a bad tree can not produce good fruit. or

2. We haven't nailed the passions and desires of our sinful nature to the cross, we're not obedient to the Spirit's leading. The question we need to ask our self is this... Have I completely sold out to Christ. Which Nature am I following and committed to?

Beware of those that say they belong to Christ but their actions don't measure up. But not only should we watch out for others... what about ourselves? How do we measure up? Take the test for yourself, let no one else be the judge... you look in your own mirror and ask yourself this question. Do I act and look like a Christian? Do I talk like a Christian? Do I walk like a Christian? Do the fruits of the Spirit describe who I am, or do the desires of the sinful nature describe who I am?

Be careful here... I'm sure you'll see yourself in both areas to some degree. Another way to help you here is to ask yourself this question. Am I more like Christ today than I was the day I gave my life to Him as my Savior? If you can answer yes to that question but can still see evidence of the desires of the sinful nature within you... there's hope! Most likely you do belong to Christ, you're simply struggling in obedience. The battle of the natures within you is causing you to struggle. The thing to remember though is this... The Spirit within you is more powerful than the sinful desires within you. There is no law against the Spirit... nothing can overpower the Spirit. So work on crucifying those passions and desires on the cross. Drive the nails by repenting of your sins and giving in to the Holy Spirit's leading in your life. If you can't answer yes to the question... Am I more like Christ now than I was the day I gave my life to Him as my Savior? Then repent and be saved!

God bless you.

Mom's Day

2008-05-11T07:04:00.002-05:00

Happy Mothers Day!
Today is one of those Holidays when we celebrate someone we love. I know we're supposed to let our Mom's know how much we love them everyday, but too often we don't. As we get older, as in my case 47 years old, our lives are filled with issues that take our focus off our own mothers. Especially if you live many miles apart, as in my case. I'm in Tennessee and Mom's in Kansas. Maybe once each year I get to see Mom and other than an occasional phone, my interaction with my Mom is very little now days.

But even though we don't see each other much, that doesn't lessen the impact she has on me everyday. I think about her often. I love her and appreciate the Mom and the friend that she has always been to me. As I watch my wife show her love and commitment towards our two son's, I'm reminded everyday of the love my Mom has for me and my sisters. It's a love that never ends. I'm 47 years old and live far away from my Mom, yet I feel her love every time we speak and see each other. My Mom's the best! She's a wonderful example of what a Mom should be to her children as they grow up, and she's a wonderful Mom to her son now that I'm supposed to be all grown up. I love her so much, and I write this knowing she doesn't own a computer and won't be able to view my comments about her... so I'll call her today and say it in person. I write this morning as I prepare to go to church, to remind each of you... It's Mothers Day.

For those of you that have lost your Mother over the years. Today is a day of loss. Today is a special day of reflection of the gifts she gave you while she was here. The best gift my Mom ever gave me was her love. It's unconditional, always has been. She reminds me of the love of Jesus. Never ending. never failing, and always present. I know you miss her. The love she shared with you can never be taken away and even better, we can share it with others. Honor her by sharing her love on someone else. That's what Mom's do best!

I love you Mom.

Steven

RESPECT, the key to success

2008-05-08T23:02:00.004-05:00

Respect for others.... What is it? What's it look like? These are just a few words I've listed to remind us of what respect is all about.

R ... Stands for RECEIVE. We receive / accept people for who they are.

E ... Stands for EDIFY. We strengthen our brothers and sisters, we lift them up.

S ... Stands for SUPPORT. We show our support when they need it most.

P ... Stands for PATIENT. We're patient and enduring of others.

E ... Stands for ENCOURAGE. We encourage others to be their best.

C ... Stands for CARING. We care about them. They matter to us.

T ... Stands for THANKFUL. We're thankful for what they do for us.

As a business leader I've learned that when working with two groups of people... associates and customers, respect for each other is critical to the success of the business or organization. As the leader of the business I must have respect for and show respect for those I supervise and lead. As the leader of the business I must have respect for and show respect for the customers that frequent my establishment. If I ever fail to have RESPECT for either group of people... the business slides towards failure. Oh sure there are many other factors that can contribute to the ruin of a business, but without respect for people, you have no hope of success, even if you do everything else perfect.

You see we must realize and understand that we can not have an effective business without our associates. We also can not have a successful business without our customer base.

Mistreat either one, and you've shot yourself in the foot. Your wounded, you're not healthy anymore and even though your not dead... a time of healing must take place. That's just the way it is.

So how do we shoot our self in the foot? Well for one, we forget that we're only as successful as those we lead! The more we teach, the more we appreciate, the more we develop and encourage others to be their best, the better they perform and satisfy the needs of our customers. The worst thing that can happen to a leader is to shoot all of his help. I know it sounds silly... but leaders do it all the time. We shoot our help when we become disrespectful and fail to treat those we lead with respect. We talk down to them, we yell at them, we mistreat them, and we soon forget we needed them. When our associates feel that we don't value them anymore... you've shot yourself in the foot. You think your shooting them but your not... your shooting yourself. Your inflicting yourself with a wound that can be fatal.

Another way we shoot our self in the foot is to forget how important the customer is to our business. I'm amazed at how quickly we can become offended or upset with a customer, and without thinking we shoot our self right in the foot by forgetting that the customer is our Boss. I think this happens when we think it's our business and I'm the one that calls the shots around here, but that kind of thinking can get you killed! Everything we do in business we do to gain another customer. When we mistreat the customer, they leave and take their business somewhere else. No one in their right mind, would walk up to customers walking in their door and say, "Hey stop right there, you know I think you'd rather go down the street to the next business and let them take care of you there." Sounds silly doesn't it? Well we do this everyday when we fight or argue with customers. When we ignore customers, or when the customer senses that they are of no value to you. We don't smile, we're not helpful and we send that silent message that we wish you weren't here. It's like we feel the customer is interrupting our day or something... When we find our self feeling this way, we've lost our perspective on things and we've shot our self in the foot. Yes were wounded again.

You really want to inflict a fatal wound to your business? Then fail to show respect for both the associates and the customers at the same time. Now that's a recipe for disaster.

Look around at any business you go to and you'll see the signs of either respect or disrespect.

Are there happy faces on employees? Or are they disgruntled?

Do customers feel welcome there? Or would they rather get out as quickly as possible?

Do Managers appreciate their employees? Or are they reprimanding them in front of others?

Do you sense teamwork among the employees? Or a family feud?

Do you hear employees talking about others favorably or negatively?

Are the employees focused on you as the customer, or themselves?

Are the leaders setting a good example for the employees? Or are they taking advantage of their position?

You get the point! RESPECT is the key to success. Without it you've taken that key and locked the door.

My belief... My opinion... my experience... Respect begins at the top. If there is a lack of respect in the organization, then there's a lack of respect within the leadership of that organization. Everything rises and falls with the leadership. Is it no wonder when an organization fails the CEO is the first to go? Why do they always fire the head coach of a losing team? Think about it... the organization always reflects the leadership. You know the sad thing is this... none of us wake up in the morning planning to fail. We all want to achieve and perform. Sometimes however, we forget how important respect for the individual can be to our business? There's no room for lone rangers in the business world. We need each other to make it.

I write this as I see opportunities within my own organization. The challenge of course is to get everyone on board. Everyone understanding the importance of being respectful, especially as leaders. I think I'll share this posting with my management team in my next staff meeting as a reminder of how important respect is to the success of our business. I don't think we can be reminded enough, do you?

The weight of sin

2008-05-07T17:14:00.004-05:00

Think about the weight of sin. Sin is a heavy load that's for sure. Our sinful nature can lead to consequences and penalties that have the potential to cause much suffering if we allow ourselves to be disobedient and not submit to the Holy Spirits guidance. Even though we've been born again as Christians, we still struggle in the area of obedience. Don't be surprised at this, the bible tells us this happens, and that's why we long for the day when we'll be absent from the body and with Christ in Heaven. The body, the flesh, is a sinful thing, but the soul that belongs to Jesus is promised eternal life and one day will be separated from the sinful body and the temptation to be disobedient will be gone forever.

What we need is to be refreshed! We need to be relieved from this weight of sin upon us. When we repent (turn away from our sin) God promises not only to wipe out our sins, but to bring spiritual refreshment! The message of salvation includes the call of repentance- acknowledging our personal sin and turning away from it. Repentance may seem hard at first, because it's difficult to give up certain sins. After all our body is comfortable in sin, just as a pig is happy rolling around in the mud. But God cleanses us. He blots out our sins, he removes them from us and makes us clean. We no longer feel good in the mud of sin.

Acts 3:19
(19) Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.

Sin is heavy, it's a weight that keeps us from being alive and refreshed. Refreshment come to us only through the Lord Jesus Christ. His presence within us is the key. When we repent, were converted, born again. We now have the Holy Spirit within us, and the Spirit (the presence of the Lord) is where we receive our joy, peace and most of all, times of refreshment. It's refreshing to know that we'll have eternal life isn't it? Now that we've been converted (we're no longer slaves to the sin that separates us from our loving God), we need to drink in daily the refreshing living water. As Hosea promised, "Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth" (Hosea 6:3). Do you feel a need to be refreshed?

Do you believe everything you read?

2008-05-04T21:05:00.002-05:00

Go to the Christian book store and what do you see? Shelves filled with books about how to improve your marriage, how to cope with fear, how to be a better spouse, parent, or friend. Books of every possible topic known to mankind. I'm not saying these books aren't great books... they are. They're great because those books are filled with guidance that can help us when we're struggling with a particular issue in our lives. Folks that have been through what we're going through can give us their perspective and even their advise on what worked for them or maybe what didn't work for them. We can read about the choices the author made and the consequences of those choices. Lessons can be learned. Maybe if we heed their advise we can avoid going through the same pain and suffering. Several books are written by experts in their field. They're masters on the subject. They've taken the time and energy to find out the details and the specifics of the issue. They've studied and have written it down so that we can be better educated and able to make better decisions on the subject. I for one understand the importance of sharing life experiences as well. I do it through my blog all the time. I'm not an expert by any means... anyone that knows me can tell you that. I'm simply a layman, a sinner saved by Grace that feels the need to write and encourage others in what little way I can. The question I ask is... Do you believe everything you read?

Of all the books written I know of only one that we should believe everything we read in it. It's the bible. It's the only book in the bookstore that is completely accurate, completely truth, and completely God's word. Our problem however is our inability to comprehend it fully. It's more than our logic or intellect can understand or comprehend on our own. What we do understand is only because it was revealed to us by the Holy Spirit within us. The danger of all the books written, or blogs posted (including mine) is they are mans word's and man's understanding of God's word. When we share our thoughts and understanding of God's word with others, we run the risk of misleading someone. The danger is that they will only hear the words of man rather than the voice of the Spirit. So we must understand that the Holy Spirit must be our guide. He alone is the true and correct way. He alone is Holy and pure.

Be cautious, be alert, be diligent and most of all, be sensitive to the leading of the Spirit within you. I thank the Lord for the opportunity that I have to share the love of Christ with others through my blog. Just understand and know this... I only post to give you a vision, a glimpse of a man of weakness and many opportunities and struggles. Yet through it all, as with most people, our life experiences shape us into who we are. Through the Holy Spirits guidance and our own personal stubbornness mixed together, whatever I say must be taken with the understanding that I am only a man. Everything you read, other than the Holy Bible, must be measured up to the word of God. If it doesn't line up with God's word, then don't do it.

Final note: Isn't it sad that if we as Christians truly believe that the Holy Bible is the only book that we can believe every word of.... why don't we read it more? My book shelf is full of books about spiritual leadership, books about christian living, commentary about the life of Jesus, and many other subjects about spiritual things. I'm currently reading a book titled, "The Heavenly Man" it's about a man, brother Yun, and his life of persecution in China as he lead so many others to believe in Christ. What an incredible read.

The point is... if the bible is the only book we can fully believe every word of, why do we not know it better. If it truly is our source of strength and power, why do we read it so little? We'll go to church and listen to the Pastor, but we won't open up our bible and read it and meditate on it. We'll read blogs and books about spiritual things but not once open our bible during the day. I would even venture to say this... Many Christians haven't even read their bible all the way through completely, yet we claim that it's our Lord's letter to us as Christians. It's his words of love for us. He tells us how to live. Everything we need to know is in this book. Maybe the next time you log on to read my blog... stop before going any further, turn off the computer and pick up your bible and read it instead. Now that's the best advise I can give anyone.

God bless you. May God comfort you and give you peace. May your heart be filled with a hunger to study God's word. May each of us seek to be revived, to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and willing to go and do God's will. May our actions and thoughts bring glory to our heavenly Father. Thank you Lord Jesus for loving us, even as weak as we are. We love you Lord. Amen.

Tough Love

2008-05-02T20:44:00.006-05:00

I share this only because I believe that too often when we're vulnerable, insecure, or fearful of what to do next, we quit thinking for ourselves and we begin listening to everyone else's opinion on what to do next. Now there's nothing wrong with getting the opinions of experts or good friends, but we must realize one important truth. They are not you and they are not living your life! They are giving you advise from the outside. They don't feel the pain that you feel. They don't have the fear that you have. They don't know all the circumstances and for them it's easy to give advise and suggestions. Their hearts are in the right place and they genuinely care for you, but they are not you. They do not fully understand what you are going through and for this reason you must think for yourself.

As my son was going through his drug addiction, Brenda and I as his parents were torn on what to do. We knew he was lying to us about his drug use, we knew he was buying drugs and using but we could never get through to him when we talked to him. He'd always lie and he was good at it. He was an expert at making us as parents feel like we were horrible when we would question him about it and he would act so shocked and hurt that we didn't trust him anymore. Drug addicts are very good at playing on your feelings and emotions to get what they want. The experts all said, you're enabling him if you keep baling him out of jail, if you keep allowing him to come back into your home after he's used. You need to set ground rules and if he breaks them, kick him out on the street, and let him suffer the consequences of the lifestyle he has chosen.

We could never do it, and from all accounts, according to the experts we were enablers, helping to fuel his addiction because we didn't practice what they called... "tough love." You know what I think tough love is. It's the love you show your child even when you see they are destroying their life. Its' the love you give your child even when they refuse to obey you and listen to you and still go down that road you know leads to death. It's the love you show to them by never, ever, giving up on them and no matter what... you go through it with them and help them. It wasn't till I said to myself... "I don't care what anyone says, I can't kick my son out of the house and you know what... it's ok." I don't have to feel bad or be labeled an enabler by doing what I feel is right for my son."

Don't get me wrong... the advise is good advise that I was getting, and I'm getting it from people that have been through it and know what's best. They understand that as a parent, were blinded as to what to do, because we do love them so much and I do understand that we may be enabling them. So the advise is good advise. But that's all it is. Advise. If you decide that it's not right for your situation or your circumstances, then don't do it just because someone says you should. Listen to them, soak in what they're saying, realize they know because they've been there... then, THINK FOR YOURSELF.

The hardest thing for me as a Father was hearing all the advise from so many people on what we should do, what we could have done differently or should have done differently. Advise on how we should react or behave and what we should do next. Most of the time the advise was good but often I felt was too harsh and unnecessary. Finally, I said enough. The Lord and my wife and I will work through this together. That's when I had peace. Did everything go well? No. Did we make all the right decisions? No. But they were our decisions and I could live with that. My son is doing well now, the road for him as been long and hard and it will be for many years to come. The road for my wife and I has been long and hard, and it will be for years to come. But it's ok.

The good thing about all of this is that I've learned that my life is not about what I can accomplish in it. It's not about what we gain and collect along the way. It's not about our kids going off to college and having great careers. It's not about living the high life or making millions. It's about our love for each other and when it's been tested and it still shines through with kindness and genuine forgiveness... it's beautiful.

Doesn't God show us tough love? How many times do we disappoint Him in a day? How many times do we disobey or even run in the opposite direction of his advise? Yet he always takes us back and he loves us no less than he did before. It must be tough to love like that? NO... it's not really. What's tough is making up your own mind to do so even when the world says... "let him go." "You have to live your own life, his poor choices are not your problem." "You have you're own health to be concerned about." "It's costing you too much emotionally and financially." "He did this, not you, he needs to suffer this on his own." "Kick him out of the house when he breaks your rules." Do this, do that, say this, say that.....

I'm sorry, but I can't. My love for my son is so tough... that I will endure with him till the end. My strength in this comes from the Lord. I'm not saying it's easy, I just believe this is how it should be. So judge me as you will. I've learned a long time ago that the only important judge in my life is the one that holds my soul. God almighty will be pleased that my wife and I have suffered for my son's sake and I know my son appreciates it as well. I know that one day... if not already, my son will be overwhelmed with the kind of tough love we have shown for him through these years. My hope and prayer is that God's love will flow through him to his children when they don't live as they should, or to his friends when they do the things that disappoint him. My hope is that he will never leave them or forsake them, that no matter how tough it gets, he'll stick it out and stay the course because that's what Jesus did for him on the Cross.

I don't know what you're going through. But I do know you're going through something, we all are! Seek council, seek the Lord's guidance and allow him to guide you, then think this thing through for yourself. Make up your own mind what to do and then DO IT. The Lord will be with you as you go on this journey. You won't be alone... I promise you! Yes, even if you mess up. Yes, even if you make the wrong decision. You won't be alone and knowing that fact is what gets you through it.

Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

God bless you.

Steve

Hope for Restoration

2008-04-30T22:51:00.003-05:00

I want to thank Carla for her words of encouragement. Her comments are mentioned on my last posting, "Stop Everything." Carla you reminded me of this verse found in Jeremiah chapter 31:3-4 It reads... Long ago the Lord said to Israel: "I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel. You will again be happy and dance merrily with your tambourines."

This promise isn't only for the tribes of Israel, but for all people who put their trust in God. Restoration is our hope during times when we feel distant or disobedient. God reaches out to us with kindness motivated by His deep and everlasting love for us. As Carla mentions in her comments to encourage me through my trials and weakness, one day, I'll see how God's love carried me through this time. One things for sure, God loves us all with an everlasting love. A love that never quits. The great thing about these verses is that we can see that God loves us so much that he will draw us back to himself. The joy we felt before, the hunger we once had, all will one day be experienced again. We will once again sing and dance and be happy.

Isn't it wonderful to know that the valleys we go through, the ups and downs in our lives, God's main concern is for us to know that He loves us as we are. There's nothing we can do that will ever make him loves us less than He always has and always will. He never leaves us. When we stray He draws us back to himself and restores us to a right relationship with him. It's a promise. With unfailing love God draws us to himself.

Such encouraging words. Thank you Carla. May God keep you happy and dancing with music in your heart.

Your brother in Christ.

Steve

Stop Everything!

2008-04-27T14:05:00.007-05:00

I find myself frustrated with my inability to make the time I know I need, spending time alone with the Lord. As I'm sure you are as well, I'm just so busy. I know this is an excuse and that frustrates me even more. I want to live a more Godly life, yet I don't spend the time I need in bible study or prayer? How can I ever expect to grow and become more fruitful if I'm not attached to the vine? Well I can't.

So then I say things to myself like, "It's my desire to study more and pray more." But the truth be known... if it truly was my desire I would find a way to make this a priority. Again I'm frustrated with myself.

Have you ever looked at yourself and wondered what happened? I remember when I was on fire for the Lord, now it seems that it's all I can do to find the joy in my service that I once had. Do I blame it on my recent move to a new city. Let's see what excuses I can conjure up for that one. Should I blame it on my new job and all the new things that come with that. I suppose I could list several disruptions to my normal routine there as well. Maybe I can blame it on my circumstances, my son's in jail, things aren't going as I had planned in my life or the life of my children... maybe all this has taken my focus off my spiritual walk?

No, it's none of those things. All those things are what happens in life and what I'm describing is how we react to what happens in life. The real problem is as simple as this... I need to STOP EVERYTHING! I need to re-prioritize. Rather than focus on my works, I need to focus on God's word. Rather than focus on what I'm putting out, I need to focus on what I'm putting in! The shift for me lately has been real. I realize that less time alone with God, makes for less time... PERIOD. In my life I just can't get it all done without the Lord guiding and directing me. I make too many wrong turns throughout the day that cost me precious time. I don't see the way clearly like I used to when my focus was on God's word and allowing him to do the seeing and me to do the following. I used to handle things better as life's unexpected opportunities would pop up every day.

The bible for the Christian is our FOOD. Without food we become weak and disoriented making poor judgement decisions as we become weaker and weaker. How can any Christian not see this? We all know it, yet when our lives become faster paced and more hectic... what do we do? We cut back on out time alone with our Lord and Savior. We should be doing the opposite! As I think about it I realize I haven't eaten for days... No wonder I'm so weak. It's time to STOP EVERYTHING, and make my main priority that of eating, being spiritually fed so that I can know what to do, when to do it, and be able to live the life that God wants me to live in today's world.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, forgive me for losing sight of You. Thank you that you never leave or forsake me, even when I lose focus. I love you Lord and I do want to be revived again and I know that through the reading and meditation of your word you will give me strength and peace and the courage to tackle the days ahead. Thanks you for your love. It's in Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Tommorw morning... I'll begin my day with time alone with my Lord and Savior. I already feel better about tomorrow.

Your brother in Christ.
Steve