December 6, 2010

Today, I switched from writing in my spiral notebook to making my thoughts/prayers more public. I'll see how that goes. I have been using the
I'm humbled by the people who have made a difference in my life. My parents, thankfully still living at age 91 and 84 brought me up in a church that set the habit of the importance of going to church. As an college freshman, I recoginized the need to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Thankfully He has been patient with me in the past 35 years as I seek to be more like him.
Today, I read from Eziekiel 18:1-24. I used to think that the invisible barrier between the old and new testaments blocked my ability to understand what is going in the old....I've been enjoying the One Year Devotional for Men by Suart Briscoe. While not a "read through the Bible in a year" tool, he has effectively (for me) taken important scriptures throughout the Bible and applied them to a man's situation. It's been good.
He showed me today the importance of not blaming our current situations on genetics, environment, etc. We are puckering because of our parents' eating sour grapes! We are responsible for our relationship with Jesus Christ and our life situation.
That reminds me of our Sunday School lesson yesterday. It was a good one. One of the older guys in the class reminded us about how they had to memorize the poem "If". I had never heard of it. As I looked it up, I recognized the situation .

Rudyard Kipling
If

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

If only more students would have to memorize such literature!

May 3, 2010

This morning, I'm being challenged to pray more. James 5 reminded me to remember how Elijah prayed and was heard and God chose to shut off the rain until Elijah prayed againg 3.5 years later.

Jeremiah 29:11 speaks of God knowing the plans for me. Although that's been a popular verse, why are we challenged to not live it and not trust Him?

"For I know the plans I have for you", says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster to give you a future and a hope. In those days, when you will pray, I will listen. If you look for me whole heartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you", says the Lord.

Lord, today, I need you. Thanks for being there. Help me to be trusting by putting You in the center of my day so I can experience the peace of following your will with our family, at work, our time, and with our money,

Amen

Catch up time

Alot has happened since the last post last August. Regretfully, it seems that time has gone by way too fast.

In the next weeks, I want to catch you up on some of the things that have happened that I deem significant:

• Relationships with God.


• Jessica meeting Stu with their wedding date being July 31.


• Alex's work in Hutchinson, KS for Naboltz Construction on a very large school project...but more important is his recognition that God has placed him in Hutch. It's fun to hear of all of his relationships with these new set of friends.


• Amy is a junior now at Bethel College (Indiana) in the nursing program. She had a challenging year learning the important things of nursing...and is still excited about the opportunities even though the nursing job market has dried up seriously.


• Nina being adopted by our "adopted kids" in Charles City, Andy and Ellen. That means we have 3 adopted grandkids: Ellie, Nichole, and Nina!


• Finally pulling the trigger on significant home improvements. Included in the projects are: changing the little bathroom, bedroom, and a part of the old living room into master bedroom, bath, and walk in closets. Even though the house was wonderfully built for my grandparents in 1931, it needed updating for the current owners. We're adding a new entry/mudroom, new roof, and unexpected necessities, a new well pump and a new septic system. (We're covered from start to finish!)

I think my day will start better if my blog includes some journal thoughts on what's happening with me spiritually. That will be a goal to hold me more accountable.

God's in Charge!

Isaiah 64-66 clearly writes that God will separate the Godly from those who are not. It was a difficult read for me the first time through. With some guidance from other sources, I appreciated the knowledge that I am with the Godly. He clearly is in charged of our end times and can make things happen in a hurry…or slowly.

I have been challenge internally about my non-work hours. Family, friends, church, personal time, etc. This passage has helped me to discern that it is all tied together. We are on the earth such a short time...and have the responsibility to tell others of the options for their life after death. It's one thing to be a "nice" guy...but I think it is more important to be taking that "nice guy" attitude to the next level.

I am praying about the Alpha program that the church is sponsoring this fall. By participating, it will help me get to know more of why I believe what I do beleive.

It should be good!

We are Christ's Ambassadors

Last night Marilyn and I attended the Campus Crusade for Christ US Staff Conference in Ft. Collins, CO with Jessica What at treat! 5000 staffers and guests praising God. Since we know the process and commitment of the staffers in raising their support, it was meaningful for me to know that there are thousands of folks not present who are responsible for the staffers being there.

A pastor spoke and challenged us on 2 Corinthians 5:11-21. We are ambassadors. Jessica introduced us to two guys from the Bridges program (in Texas and Sacramento). One in particular from Tiawan spoke with such conviction of his desires in going where God wants him. His family thinks he is "nuts" but he is so blessed on the growth of his family spiritually since he joined staff. His mother in Tiawan was saved recently!

Whether supporters of staff or within the Campus Crusade staff, we need to be ambassadors. Showing Christ to whoever we meet.

That's the challenge for me today!

Work for God

4:9 Two people are better than one,
because they can reap 36 more benefit 37 from their labor.





Enjoy the Fruit of Your Labor
5:18 I have seen personally what is the only beneficial and appropriate course of action for people: 92
to eat and drink, 93 and find enjoyment in all their 94 hard work 95 on earth 96
during the few days of their life which God has given them,
for this is their reward. 97
5:19 To every man whom God has given wealth, and possessions,
he has also given him the ability 98
to eat from them, to receive his reward and to find enjoyment in his toil;
these things 99 are the gift of God.
5:20 For he does not think 100 much about the fleeting 101 days of his life
because God keeps him preoccupied 102 with the joy he derives from his activity. 103



6:2 God gives a man riches, property, and wealth
so that he lacks nothing that his heart 109 desires, 110
yet God does not enable 111 him to enjoy 112 the fruit of his labor 113 –
instead, someone else 114 enjoys 115 it! 116



6:9 It is better to be content with 136 what the eyes can see 137
than for one’s heart always to crave more. 138
This continual longing 139 is futile – like 140 chasing the wind.

6:10 Whatever has happened was foreordained, 141
and what happens to a person 142 was also foreknown.
It is useless for him to argue with God about his fate
because God is more powerful than he is. 143
6:11 The more one argues with words, the less he accomplishes. 144
How does that benefit him? 145
6:12 For no one knows what is best for a person during his life 146 –
during the few days of his fleeting life –
for 147 they pass away 148 like a shadow.
Nor can anyone tell him what the future will hold for him on earth. 149

His hands