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

God's hand reaching out

Whose hands are reaching out to who?

I am thankful for a God who is reaching out to me. Thank you Jesus for holding me and directing my path. Help me to go the path today you desire.

Enjoying The Day

1:18 For with great wisdom comes 80 great frustration;
whoever increases his 81 knowledge merely 82 increases his 83 heartache.


1:14 I reflected on everything that is accomplished by man 55 on earth, 56
and I concluded: Everything 57 he has accomplished 58 is futile 59 – like chasing the wind! 60



2:9 So 121 I was far wealthier 122 than all my predecessors in Jerusalem,
yet I maintained my objectivity: 123
2:10 I did not restrain myself from getting whatever I wanted; 124
I did not deny myself anything that would bring me pleasure. 125
So all my accomplishments gave me joy; 126
this was my reward for all my effort. 127
2:11 Yet when I reflected on everything I had accomplished 128
and on all the effort that I had expended to accomplish it, 129
I concluded: 130 “All these 131 achievements and possessions 132 are ultimately 133 profitless 134 –
like chasing the wind!
There is nothing gained 135 from them 136 on earth.” 137



Enjoy Work and its Benefits
2:24 There is nothing better for 188 people 189 than 190 to eat and drink,
and to find enjoyment 191 in their 192 work.
I also perceived that this ability to find enjoyment 193 comes from God. 194
2:25 For no one 195 can eat and drink 196
or experience joy 197 apart from him. 198
2:26 For to the one who pleases him, 199 God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy,
but to the sinner, he gives the task of amassing 200 wealth 201 –
only to give 202 it 203 to the one who pleases God.
This 204 task of the wicked 205 is futile – like chasing the wind!



Enjoy Life in the Present
3:12 I have concluded 226 that there is nothing better for people 227
than 228 to be happy and to enjoy
themselves 229 as long as they live,
3:13 and also that everyone should eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all his toil,
for these things 230 are a gift from God.



3:22 So I perceived there is nothing better than for people 243 to enjoy their work, 244
because that is their 245 reward;
for who can show them what the future holds? 246





It is obvious today where God is leading me! Ecclesiastes 1:1--3:22 includes those popular verses "A time for...." I really enjoyed reading those verses before and after the popular funeral messages. David reflects on his life as THE man of the area. It was all futile! Then in chapters 2 and 3, he hits the nail hard for me. "ENJOY" These are a gift from God. I recently told my friend Mike that this blogging has been almost an addiction. When I don't read and write, I feel like an important part of my day has been left out.

David had had everything anyone could have wanted and finally surmised that the best thing that is available is to enjoy their work. I believe it relates to the belief that when we totally trust God and am in God's hand, he will provide the richnesses of his blessings.

My prayer today is that I can truly enjoy the presence of God knowing I am in His hand whatever situation may come.

Iron sharpens iron

Today's Proverbs included some of my favorites. There's so much wisdom!

27:1 Do not boast 123 about tomorrow; 124
for you do not know 125 what a day may bring forth.
27:2 Let another 126 praise you, and not your own mouth; 127
someone else, 128 and not your own lips.
27:17 As 160 iron sharpens 161 iron,
so a person 162 sharpens his friend. 163
27:23 Pay careful attention to 180 the condition of your flocks, 181
give careful attention 182 to your herds,

28:26 The one who trusts in his own heart 261 is a fool,
but the one who walks in wisdom 262 will escape. 263

I am reminded of one of my trips to Washington D.C. I had some spare time so I went to the Library of Congress. FASCINATING! Seeing a real Guttenberg Bible...and reading the difference between the monks transcribing and the invention of the printing press. Looking up where the ceiling meets the walls are these famous quotes inlayed in mozaic tile. Very clearly, these were not just words from previous patriarchs...theses were words taken directly from Proverbs. Our country is built on Christian principles. It is sad that there is such a tilting away from the origial intent. For our vacation. I checked out John Adams by McCollough to try to learn more of the original intents of our founding fathers. It is a thick book....but will be a good one!

"As iron sharpens iron"
I am so thankful for men in my life who have made a difference. I immediately think of Larry Reding, Phil Lubbers, Bill Kolbe, Pastor John Hill and Lon Tullar. We were newly married and living 4 hours from our parents. Didn't know a soul in this small town of a couple thousand people. These Christian men demonstrated to me the value of a Christian marriage and relationoship with Jesus. They sharpened me to who I am now. I know I haven't thanked them for those important nurturing 2 years. Now my job is continue that with relationships with friends where God has planted me here. I am so blessed that God has placed so many igreat guys and gals in my daily walk. I know I need to do more to help them...but the harder part is to find guys to help me grow. In addition to my family, I am thankful for Mike and Amy Lundgren for their love and acceptance of who I really am and the challenges that Mike has put on me to be more like God. This blog would not be developed and updated if Mike wouldn't shared with me his story.

"My flocks and herds"
God has entrusted me with numerous flocks and herds. I am especially thankful for our family. It is so humbling to have three great kids and a wonderful wife. I regret the times that we didn't have together because of work/etc. I try not to dwell on those thoughts as I have come to realize that those thoughts of the past are truly not from God but from satan...but too often they slip in. It is such a blessing to work with a conservative organization. I pray that my actions with all of those will show God's influence in my life and I can be the leader He wants me to be.

I pray that today, I can make a difference in someone's life...and that I can accept the love others have for me to be sharpened to serve Him better.

Proverbs 19:27 If you stop listening to instruction, my child,
you will stray from the words of knowledge.

Today I am challenged to contnue to get to my Lord better by continuing to LISTEN to Him.
It's easy to know God is out there waiting for our requests. But so much more difficult to truly put Him in charge...sitting on the throne.

I am reminded of the day during my freshman year at North Iowa Area Community College when a Fellowship of Christian Athletes representative visited the campus and "by chance" met as we walked across the dam to the campus. It was that meeting that provided me the opportunity to realize I was using God as a convenience God. I knew about God but my faith was in myself. That day, in 1976, I recognized the importance of putting Him truly on the throne on my life instead of someone who was on the side waiting for my requests.

It has been a long time since that important visit. I have been blessed with friends who have helped me get to know Him better. God is so patient when I forget about Him. It is such a blessing to know our kids have made similar decisions and are showing it throught their life decisions.

I too often beat up on myself for not being a better dad/husband than who I am. I need to remember God's grace. I need prayer today for:

• peace as we prepare for our family vacation. It seems there's a lot to do to get prepared!
• turning work over to God. He has a plan. I need to have peace to realize His plan is perfect and I need to depend on him
• blessings from renewed friendships in Grundy County
• a working relationship with Him as I travel to experience His joy and beauty of the summer
• a special time with Marilyn as we continue to encourage our kids and the network of young families in the area.

Thanks, God for being with me today. Help me know you are close by

Second Mile Club

This morning, I was reading from Max Lacado's book Every Day Deserves a Chance. I enoy Lacados books since a chapter is about the amount of read time for my 30 minute ride on the stationary bike.

This chapter was on self sacrifice....going beyond the call of duty. In the Living Bible Acts 20:35, "In everything I've done, I have demonstrated to you how necessary it is to work on behalf of the weak and not exploit them. You'll not likely go wrong here if you keep remembering that our Master said, 'You're far happier giving than getting.'"

Saturday was Thelma Johnson's funeral. What a tribute to the demonstration of this verse! She was a master at giving of her time daily. While able, her involvment in the community, state, national, and international activities was highly noticable. When not as active, her letter writing and words of encourgement left each receiver better than before. A grandchild said that Grandma had told her she wanted to make a positive difference in someone's life everyday. Another testamony said "She was simple but not simple; Ordinary but not ordinary". That was pretty profound. Probably a take home quote to try to apply. Marilyn found Psalm 119:130 to be very appropriate:

From the NIV: The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.
From the Living: Break open your words, let the light shine out, let ordinary people see the meaning.

http://net.bible.org/verse.php?book=Psa&chapter=119&verse=130

Thelma had written early on in her life story about attending tent meetings at the church when she was young and her moment of accepting Jesus into her heart. I hope to get a copy of that to publish here. It was really neat!

Thelma was definately a member of the Second Mile Club and will long be remembered for the life she lived!

Lacado challenges the reader to do a deed which cannot be repaid. Thelma did it for a lifetime...Lord, help me to do it today.

Psalms 150:6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!

What a great verse to start blogging with. I need to take time everyday to remember that (and live that)!

Earlier in my reading the focus was on thankfulness. The two go together. Today I am going to elaborate on my top 10:

1. Jesus Christ: He died for me. It's hard to comprehend. I met Jesus through a campus ministry as a student at the community college. HE has been very patient in my growth of knowing and trusting Him.


2. Marilyn: When Marilyn went to Mexico in June, I realized Imissed her not only physically but for memories of the 30 years we've been together and the missed opportunities to know her better. Proverbs 31:11 Her husband can trust her and she will greatly enrich his life.


3. Family: I'm proud of our kids. When the forks have been in the road, they have trusted God and have taken the right path. Jessica: She took the risks and visited Japan as a high school student and now serves God with Campus Crusade for Christ in E. Lansing. She has a special gift of hospitality working with international students at Michigan State University. She trusts God for her livelihood by recruiting supporters who believe in her mission. Alex: God placed Alex in Sudan three summers ago. He and a friend worked in the Nuba Mountains leading natives in constructing three churches which were destroyed by the rebels with Samaratan's Purse. I've started reading his journal but it is rather overwhelming. Such a servant of God in such a place. His mission field now is in Hutchinson Kansas where he is an assistant superintendent assisting with the a new school construction. Amy: Amy left this summer to be a counselor at Yellowstone Alliance Adventures near Bozeman, MT. She took that step of faith not knowing much about the camp...and being afraid of the bears! She's had a great summer and now throws rocks at the bears to scare them away! We look forward to picking her up in August. Then it will be taking her back to Bethel College in Indiana to be sophmore in the nursing program. I pray daily for my kids and their faithfulness in serving Him.


4. Parents: Both sets of our kids' grandparents are well and living within 17 miles of home. That's pretty rare. I probably take it for granted too much. It is such a blessing to have been brought up in a home where family was/is important. They farmed 140 acres, had 30 cows and 30 sows and 500 chickens and a BIG garden. My foundation was absolutely rooted to those acres and responsibilities. (Some day, I would like to write a book on those memories!) On that farm, my brother and two sisters learned the skills of self sustainment with God's provisions and a work ethic. We are able to live in the house on the farm which my great grandparents gave my grandparents for a wedding present. Alex slept in the room that I slept in and that my dad slept in. That is a special heritage but is challenging to think about when heritages may get broken. Only God knows Alex's future. Probably the most inportant thing I learned was the value of serving others. My parents are masters of serving others...and have always been.


5. Health: I probably also take my health for granted too. Although I need to loose weight and have a more active lifestyle, overall things generally have checked out good. In read on line journals of Chloe Downey and Byron Johnson and recognize their faithfulness and spirtiual growth have challenged me to be more like Him. Both are amazing stories of praising God through their difficulties.


6. Friends: I have the opportunity to have a vast network of aquintances around the country and world. More important are the true friends. My family leads the list. Then the list is difficult to put down. I do confess I need to be more transparent and allow myself to be more of a friend to more people. I ask God for help in making that happen.


7. Church: Involvement in church activities has always been a high priority from travelling to West St. Charles United Methodist (the rural chuch 1/2 mile from the homestead) to feeling God's calling to help plant the Evangelical Free Church in Charles City, to our current house of worship being the Bethany Alliance. Godly pastors and friends have challenged me to be more like Him.


8. Careers: God has blessed me with stable employment. First in Sac City as a vo-ag teacher; then at North Iowa Area Community College in the ag division, and now for almost 20 years as a reginal manager for Iowa Farm Bureau. I appreciate the network of friends within the eight county Farm Bureaus I have been a part of in those years and look forward to the change in territory August 1. I claim the prayer of Jabez as a key verse in accepting those changes.


9. International influence: Today our neighbor Thelma Johnson will be buried. She was my Sunday school teacher. Reading at the visitation last night, she had hosted in her home 106 foreign visitors from 37 countries over a span of 30 years. In Sunday school class, we never knew where her next visitor may be coming from. She made our world something more than a planet. I am blessed with a special friend like David from South Africa who I was able to assist in getting his family to move to the USA through some political relationships. My memories of going to Russia for three weeks (with three weeks notice) to assist in starting an organization similar to Farm Bureau showed me how small the world is. Our family trip to visit Jessica in Japan will always be remembered as a trip that showed the vast population and culture of a country so far away. It's cool to know God is responsible...and we have a responsibility to maintain and improve our word to make it better than when we enterred it. I have often used the analogy that life is a giant jig saw puzzle. All of life's experiences are those pieces. That spider web of influences will continue to fit together until that last piece is put in and God calls me home.


10. Servant hood. I am thankful God has intilled in me and I believe gifted me with leadership qualities. It seems throughout life, I have wanted to be an engine and not a caboose. While at other times, I enjoy being one of those cars between the ends providing assistance in getting tasks done. It was a tough decision to decide to run for school board a second term. It was the belief that God has put me in that situation for a reason that I decided to. I pray to be bold, if elected again, and stand up for Him throughout this position.

God is great and I am thankful. I praise Him. Forgive me God when I don't give you enough of my time and adoration.

Amen.