I’ve been meditating on the verse found in John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” These days our lives can become so busy just keeping up with our daily activities that we forget to stop and listen to the voice of God. God is there every moment of every day waiting to give us guidance and encouragement if we are patient and listen. Think about those things that matter most to you in life. With me it begins with my relationship with God. As important as that relationship is, some days I still wrestle with myself to be in tune with God. We all have daily pressures that challenge our time of just listening. On those days that I am challenged, I need to learn to shut out the busyness of life and get into a mode of worship, prayer, and listening. As one of His sheep, I want to know His voice and follow.
The second most important thing in my life is my family. I want my family to see that I’m a person who is sensitive to the voice of God. I want to be the person who sets the standard that my children, my new granddaughter, and other family members will want to follow. I want to set that example through my Sunday worship, my daily prayer life, and the choices I make on a daily basis. Without knowing the voice of God, I will fail in every one of these areas. Yes, I will put on a good front and at times live the way God would want me to live, but eventually my will... will surpass God’s will. We all will fall into this trap if we don’t practice listening to God’s voice.
My encouragement for you this week is to start by spending some quality time with God. Find a place where no one can distract you from this time with your Maker. Then, after some time in the Word and prayer, just be still and listen for God to speak to your heart. Remember, the Bible teaches in 1 Kings 19:11-12 that God is found in a whisper. I can’t hear someone who is whispering to me unless I am still and listening.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Thankful for the Miracle of a New Life...Our Granddaughter
When I first became a father, it never crossed my mind that I would one day become a grandfather - but just a few days ago it happened and I am a very proud, happy and blessed man. On Monday at 6:26 p.m., Tami and I became first-time grandparents (MiMi and PaPa) to Brynley Leann who weighed 8.14 lbs and was 20 1/2 inches long. We are so proud of Krystal and Justin as we watched them over the last nine months preparing for this miracle. And then, watching them at the hospital this week making decisions and parenting our grandchild - it's the most surreal moment I've had in my life.
I've watched our two children, Krystal and Caleb, grow and mature into adults and no matter what happens in life, I will always love them more than they could ever know. Until, now - Krystal and Justin love Brynley more than she could ever know... and the legacy goes on and on. This Thanksgiving, our family has so much to be thankful for - we are blessed. Thank you God for my family!!
Hebrews 13:15 – "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name."
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and that means Christmas is closely following. I like that fact that thanksgiving is not about buying presents or decorating trees and homes, etc., but it's about getting together with family and friends and doing what we all love—eating! And more importantly, it's about giving thanks.
Psalm 106:1 – "Praise the LORD! Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."Hebrews 13:15 – "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name."
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
There Are No Shortcuts....
In late September, Tami and I were looking at our home and discussing the need to do a little remodeling. We moved into our home several years ago, and except for painting a few rooms, we’ve really done nothing to update our décor. We decided we would remove the wallpaper located in our kitchen and breakfast area, texture the walls, and paint. Both of us agreed to the project but we also agreed that I’d do the work by myself. The only disclaimer I added was that it would be done by early December. Later that week we had family members who couldn’t believe Tami would agree to this timeline. In fact, there are probably some wives reading this and thinking, “Why would Tami agree to such a long period of time?”
As I think about my home project I find myself drawing comparisons to the spiritual journey that we’re all on. Wouldn’t it be nice to come to church, accept Jesus as our Savior, and then be a fully mature believer at the same time? Unfortunately, that’s not the way it works. We accept Christ into our hearts and then begin a journey that will last the rest of our lives. It’s a journey where some understand we’re not perfect but God is working on us daily, while others act amazed if we don’t display the characteristics of someone who has been saved for years.
The reason I needed so much time for the house is because there are many weekends when I’m obligated to other things and do not have time to work on the home project. In October, I started removing the wallpaper, and it took several days to steam it off one piece at a time. I can proudly say that last week I finished removing the last of the wallpaper, applied primer to avoid issues with glue residue left behind, and then textured the walls. This week I applied a second coat of primer over the texture and now we are ready to paint. My final goal, which was to be reached in early December, will most likely be done by the end of this week or early the next. Please don’t tell Tami so I can brag how quick I am! So now that you’ve heard the process, hopefully you can appreciate the disclaimer. It’s not that I didn’t want it done in the first week, but I understood all the steps involved in the simple task of painting a room. Those steps could not be done in a matter of minutes, and if I tried to shortcut or skip any steps, then the final result would have been a mess.
My spiritual growth is the same way. There are many steps to this journey that need to take time to develop. There are no shortcuts, and if I try to create them I can jeopardize what God has planned for me. Remember in the Old Testament when King Saul was preparing to go to battle against the Philistines in I Samuel 13? He was required to wait for Samuel, the prophet who was appointed by God to offer burnt offerings, to come and offer a burnt offering before Israel could go into battle. Samuel was delayed, so King Saul decided he would do it himself, skipping a step established by God. It was because of this disobedience and skipping the step that God had established that King Saul’s heirs would never rule Israel. Decide today to do it God’s way. The process may take longer to complete, but you’ll be stronger and blessed by God for your obedience.
As I think about my home project I find myself drawing comparisons to the spiritual journey that we’re all on. Wouldn’t it be nice to come to church, accept Jesus as our Savior, and then be a fully mature believer at the same time? Unfortunately, that’s not the way it works. We accept Christ into our hearts and then begin a journey that will last the rest of our lives. It’s a journey where some understand we’re not perfect but God is working on us daily, while others act amazed if we don’t display the characteristics of someone who has been saved for years.
The reason I needed so much time for the house is because there are many weekends when I’m obligated to other things and do not have time to work on the home project. In October, I started removing the wallpaper, and it took several days to steam it off one piece at a time. I can proudly say that last week I finished removing the last of the wallpaper, applied primer to avoid issues with glue residue left behind, and then textured the walls. This week I applied a second coat of primer over the texture and now we are ready to paint. My final goal, which was to be reached in early December, will most likely be done by the end of this week or early the next. Please don’t tell Tami so I can brag how quick I am! So now that you’ve heard the process, hopefully you can appreciate the disclaimer. It’s not that I didn’t want it done in the first week, but I understood all the steps involved in the simple task of painting a room. Those steps could not be done in a matter of minutes, and if I tried to shortcut or skip any steps, then the final result would have been a mess.
My spiritual growth is the same way. There are many steps to this journey that need to take time to develop. There are no shortcuts, and if I try to create them I can jeopardize what God has planned for me. Remember in the Old Testament when King Saul was preparing to go to battle against the Philistines in I Samuel 13? He was required to wait for Samuel, the prophet who was appointed by God to offer burnt offerings, to come and offer a burnt offering before Israel could go into battle. Samuel was delayed, so King Saul decided he would do it himself, skipping a step established by God. It was because of this disobedience and skipping the step that God had established that King Saul’s heirs would never rule Israel. Decide today to do it God’s way. The process may take longer to complete, but you’ll be stronger and blessed by God for your obedience.
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