If you got it flaunt it!

You know the human body is a wonderful mystery! You can look on the outside and for the most part tell quite a bit about a person. For example if you were to see a person that was one solid muscle you could assume that that person spends quite a bit of time in devotion to their body. Now of course, there are those people with the natural genetic code that makes them naturally muscular or toned. But without a good bit of regular maintenance, that body will eventually fall. You could also look at a person's hair. Take one look at a person's hair, and it is usually obvious if that person cares what their hair looks like. Clothes... the same thing and on and on the list goes. This is were I become bothered. You see for all of the things that we are able to communicate on the outside by just what we look like or the clothes that we wear, we are very incapable of showing the world what we are like on the inside by what we show on the outside without the use of our mouths.

I say all of this to say this, the Lord has been so good to me! I wish that the world could know how good. I wish that I could wear one of those signs that you see people wearing in big cities to advertise a store or play. I would do this just so I could express how good that our God is to us. Because, after all, how do we tell people of the goodness of God. Can they see into our hearts and our lives and see what failures we were and then see in the same moment how good the Lord was to us in our lives, by seeing the circumstances and the events that He has orchestrated? Of course not! So I guess the real question is how do I get the word out? How do I "testify" to the goodness of my God in my life? I think that the answer lays in the small 4 letter word used earlier in this paragraph. TELL! That's right TELL! We must tell the world of His Love and Goodness and Mercy, and His working in our lives. After all, if we don't tell them then they will never know.

I think this is a wonderful way for us to view 1 Samuel 16:7 - But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” - ESV

The Lord tells us Himself that man is looking on the outside, so let's get the word out!

The Amazing Race worked!

WOW! What a wonderful night of fun and excitement during The Amazing Race! 37 teens as race participants and 24 adult volunteers, and the house was packed. I would like to thank all of the adults for their help. It was cold, and some of you just sat out there and did not let it bother you at all. I would like to say awesome job, to the teens, you kept moving and had good, honest, wholesome fun.

I think everyone learned just a little bit about the other people on their teams. Things like, the fact that some of you have iron stomachs, slugging down that McDonalds shake concoction which consisted of a Coke, Double Cheeseburger, and fries. Some of you had no qualms about diving into a pan of pudding after some gummy bears. Some of you wanted nothing to do with putting anything in your mouth. I learned that not as many of you are as smart as I thought you were. Those riddles were too easy! I guess next time I will have to put them on the 5th grade level, like the history questions. We learned that Rudy can take all of you at four square.

The night for me was absolutely fulfilling and God honoring. Thank you to all that had a hand in putting it together. I look forward to seeing you all again next year!

Merry Christmas

It is with all of my heart that I wish everyone one of you a Very Merry Christmas!

What a wonderful morning I had with my family. I woke up at 5.30 this morning trying to beat the kids up, and managed to knock down all of the decorations on the mantle. When my youngest woke up and saw her brand new Wii she looked at her mother and said, "what is it?". She was very unimpressed until she was bowling down the screen. What made the day for watching my oldest daughter opening her very first bible. She loved it and it showed! To send me over the top I walked back into the room later and saw her reading Matt 1. She was truly happy and excited to have very first bible that was all her own, and was quick to show me the differences in Matt 1and Luke 2 that we read earlier in the morning.

What a challenge to me, to treasure the Word of God as much as she did this morning. How we should all enjoy the Word like a little child. I hope that this morning every reader of this blog is able to testify to the love that they have for their bible. As I told my daughter, "where your parents, friends, jobs, monies, and plans will fail you, the Word of God will always be true!"

So to you, Merry Christmas! Enjoy the Word, and thank God for coming to this earth for you and allowing the very breath that you are breathing now.

Thanksgiving!

This morning I woke up to a house full of family and have the anticipation of friends arriving later. I smell food cooking and hear my children playing. I am able to sip coffee and read my bible. I am warm in my house at a perfect 68 degrees. I am able to look out at the cold and don't have to wake up in it. It was all of this that the Lord used to prompt in my heart a desire to read a Psalm of praise and of thanksgiving. I opened up to Psalm 145. WOW! With all that the Lord has given us we ought to truly be thankful and offer our praise. Let this be my public giving of THANKS to my Lord for all that he has done for me. Notice, I say for me. Although I am extremely thankful for what my family has been blessed with and how the Lord our God has provided for them, the only person that I can truly offer my thanksgiving for is me!

My prayer for all of you is that you are able to give thanks for your lives. Though the Lord our God deserves thanks from every mouth with breath, is only in the regenerate heart that we are able to truly offer it up. My prayer is that everyone will realize that who ever has the Son has life and who ever does not have the Son has not life!

Lord, I thank You first for Your Salvation! When I think of what life would be like without Your intervention and grace, and mercy, WOW! Where would I be? Where would I be headed?

Lord, I thank You for Your grace! It is truly Your grace that has given me everything, and it is Your grace that keeps my heart beating and my lunges breathing. Your grace is what provides my needs and sustains my life. If it were not for Your grace I would have nothing. John 1:16

Lord, I thank You for Your mercy in my life! Lord, I know truly that if it were not for Your mercy not only would I be separated from you for eternity, but my life here would have been destroyed a long time ago. It was Your mercy that kept me, and Your mercy that keeps me everyday! How can I say enough to give Your mercy enough credit and glory? Lord, You are truly merciful! Psalms 40:11

Lord, I thank You for my wife! You have given me a wonderful gift in my wife. She meets every need that I have and is a wonderful encouragement to me. My only prayer is that I am able to reciprocate to her the gifts that she gives to me everyday.

Lord, I thank You for my children! How could I be so blessed to have any better children than what You have provided me. You have called one of them to Yourself already and I see Your wooing in the other. Thank You!

Lord, I thank You for my church! What a wonderful gift You have given me in a church that cares for me and wants the best for my life. Thank You for its' leadership and their desire to serve You!

Lord, I thank You for the ministry that You have entrusted to me! How could I ever have imagined that You would have blessed me with souls to care for and sheep to Shepherd! You have enriched my life with these your sheep that You have entrusted to me to care for and to feed. Thank You so much! I am so unworthy! You are awesome!

Lord, last of all, let me thank You for my friends You have most recently brought in my life; godly friends who desire to see me grow! How wonderful you are! I am so thankful for my "Ephesians 4" friends!

This is in no way an all inclusive list. That is not my intent. My intent is to acknowledge the Lord in my life, and give thanks for His gifts.

Lord, I offer my thanksgiving to You! I pray that You will be pleased with my offering. I fully acknowledge that you regard obedience over sacrifice. Lord may I always be obedient to Your Word over my own heart!

Thank You