That's right. I'm not thankful it's the weekend. I know I should be, but I'm stressed out and grumpy. While working late at work tonight, I got a text from my wife informing me that the rear driver side window of our truck had come out of its track and was no longer working. To make matters worse, the window is DOWN and I can't force it up without fear of making it worse. Our cottonwood tree is blooming, spreading it's fluff everywhere and we're busy tomorrow and it's supposed to rain within a couple of days. Of course it's working out like this. Why not?!?
One thing after another, it seems. I'm completely frustrated. I know that this is NOT God's best for us, but we keep getting slammed with things like this, so that we can't climb forward. We keep spinning our wheels and resources just trying to survive. In some ways, we're sliding backwards.
Please pray for us, would you? Please pray that God reveal the areas in life where I've obviously wandered way off course and stepped out of His protection. If it's laziness, anger, lack of passion, whatever, I need to know. Please pray that we'll begin to gain ground in this life, instead of treading water.
Thanks,
Good Night
Friday, May 14, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
The Whole Point
John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Amen to that.
Good Night
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Amen to that.
Good Night
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Have A Day
There was going to be a discussion of how our choices matter and I was going to cite examples of this fact in scripture for tonight's blog. While I do feel that's important and will likely share that vein of thought before the year is through, I just didn't feel it tonight. I really intended to go for it this morning, but now that I'm at the keyboard this evening... Meh. The last thing I want to do is regurgitate concepts I've heard from other people, biblical podcasts or even myself from previous posts when I'm running on fumes.
I finished some technical illustrations (which I do enjoy creating) and a procedure for work, which will help guide the installation of a new mainframe computer system. It felt good, knowing I "pushed the boulder a little further along" today, but my heart wasn't invested in it. Sometimes I wonder if what I do actually matters. How ironic, when contrasting that thought against what I was originally going to speak about tonight. Of course our choices and actions matter!
After a family dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, it was time to clean up and get into the nightly routine of preparing for sleep. The kids are in bed and my wife is finally home from picking up our eldest son from church. As she strolled through the door, she shared a scripture with me which seemed rather timely tonight. It was given to her by a dear friend and was intended for our son, as a word of encouragement to ignite a passion for working hard and succeeding in his assignments.
I'm apparently not above this lesson, either.
Colossians 3:23
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men
Good Night
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Fishers of Men
Tonight, the fellowship of the men's group was wonderful. We spoke about what it means to be a disciple of the Lord. We shared stories and ideas of when we came to know the Lord, or how we've felt the Lord has used us as "conduits" to reach others in our world. A common theme vocalized among the men was that God will use events, experiences and people to knock on the doors of our hearts. It makes a lot of sense; a loving God reaching out to us in any way He can, so that we may hear the good news and accept Him.
Sadly, we aren't always open to Him when he calls on us.
This got me thinking. If we are honest and upright in our daily lives and in our walk with the Lord, we'll bear the nature of Jesus, right? This nature is the unexplainable quality that the world sees in us and naturally draws them in for a closer look. If we're not authentic, non-believers will see right through it. This could be a missed connection.
It's not that we're out prospecting or hunting for souls. No, we're to be living examples- and the nature of Jesus will draw people into our lives, so that we too can minister to them and share the Gospel. We'll literally become fishers of men, without having to worry about the bait. It's not only about preaching. Sure, that's an element of ministry, but it could be as simple as smiling at someone who's having a rough day. It's a ride to work when someones car is in the shop. It's being honest when it counts. It's a cup of coffee for a homeless person. It's an ear that's absolutely willing to listen. It's all of these things and more.
Let's evaluate where we're at in our relationship with the Lord. Are we living genuine lives, or are we faking it? Are we open conduits for the Holy Spirit, or are we old, clogged pipes? Remember, if we aren't living for Christ, we're not only hurting ourselves, but we're also not making the divine connections God has designed for us. That hurts other people; maybe a stranger, a co-worker or dear friend. Maybe even a family member.
Matthew 4:19 (New International Version)
"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."
Good Night
Sadly, we aren't always open to Him when he calls on us.
This got me thinking. If we are honest and upright in our daily lives and in our walk with the Lord, we'll bear the nature of Jesus, right? This nature is the unexplainable quality that the world sees in us and naturally draws them in for a closer look. If we're not authentic, non-believers will see right through it. This could be a missed connection.
It's not that we're out prospecting or hunting for souls. No, we're to be living examples- and the nature of Jesus will draw people into our lives, so that we too can minister to them and share the Gospel. We'll literally become fishers of men, without having to worry about the bait. It's not only about preaching. Sure, that's an element of ministry, but it could be as simple as smiling at someone who's having a rough day. It's a ride to work when someones car is in the shop. It's being honest when it counts. It's a cup of coffee for a homeless person. It's an ear that's absolutely willing to listen. It's all of these things and more.
Let's evaluate where we're at in our relationship with the Lord. Are we living genuine lives, or are we faking it? Are we open conduits for the Holy Spirit, or are we old, clogged pipes? Remember, if we aren't living for Christ, we're not only hurting ourselves, but we're also not making the divine connections God has designed for us. That hurts other people; maybe a stranger, a co-worker or dear friend. Maybe even a family member.
Matthew 4:19 (New International Version)
"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."
Good Night
Monday, May 10, 2010
Bad Monday
Today was not a pleasant day. I've certainly experienced worse, but today wasn't a barrel of fun.
It all actually started yesterday; I gave the dog some bacon grease from the Mother's Day breakfast I'd prepared. I knew better, but didn't think my decision through clearly at the time. In the end, my poor puppy dog was terribly sick. He proceeded to vomit all over the stairs in the evening. The little bissel barely made a dent in the abhorrent bacon scented stain. I had a raging headache at the time and the 100 plus decibel whine of the motor didn't help matters.
Fast forward to this morning. I awoke at 6:00 AM, as I do each day during the week. I was perhaps 5 minutes into my morning routine, when my daughter came in and informed me that the dog had vomited again in the hallway and once more near our back door. Instead of getting ready for work, having breakfast, etc. I spent the next hour cleaning up more bacon-tainted grossness before heading off to work. I wasn't well put together; no coffee, no breakfast, no sack lunch and no access badge for work. Not exactly a strong start to a new week.
The work day was actually a bright spot, as the agenda of the day consisted of writing a technical procedure (of which I actually find enjoyable) and a few other items. A quick trip down to the local cafe for lunch and I was ready to finish out the day much better off than how it started.
Once home from my commute, I proceeded to prepare dinner for our kids while they played outside for a few minutes. After dinner, it was a stressful time trying to get them to settle down for bed. I also gave the newly acquired carpet stains another shot of 409 carpet degreaser and tossed in a load of laundry. I'm not certain how it happened, but it all came together shortly after 8:00 PM. The kids were headed off to dreamland and my wife and I finally got to sit down to our own dinner and watch a few sitcoms which were queued up on the DVR. Monday had finally turned around.
Although I'd classify today as a 'bad day', it was nothing in the scheme of things- not even a blip on the radar. It's nothing in comparison to the struggles I'm sure some of your are facing, or have faced in the past. Today was a training exercise to see where my heart and attitude were focused. Sadly, I was all over the map. I hope to learn from this, to trust in God even when things are stressful. He loves me and in the end, I know everything will be alright. He's promised!
2 Samuel 7:28 (New International Version)
O Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant.
Good Night
It all actually started yesterday; I gave the dog some bacon grease from the Mother's Day breakfast I'd prepared. I knew better, but didn't think my decision through clearly at the time. In the end, my poor puppy dog was terribly sick. He proceeded to vomit all over the stairs in the evening. The little bissel barely made a dent in the abhorrent bacon scented stain. I had a raging headache at the time and the 100 plus decibel whine of the motor didn't help matters.
Fast forward to this morning. I awoke at 6:00 AM, as I do each day during the week. I was perhaps 5 minutes into my morning routine, when my daughter came in and informed me that the dog had vomited again in the hallway and once more near our back door. Instead of getting ready for work, having breakfast, etc. I spent the next hour cleaning up more bacon-tainted grossness before heading off to work. I wasn't well put together; no coffee, no breakfast, no sack lunch and no access badge for work. Not exactly a strong start to a new week.
The work day was actually a bright spot, as the agenda of the day consisted of writing a technical procedure (of which I actually find enjoyable) and a few other items. A quick trip down to the local cafe for lunch and I was ready to finish out the day much better off than how it started.
Once home from my commute, I proceeded to prepare dinner for our kids while they played outside for a few minutes. After dinner, it was a stressful time trying to get them to settle down for bed. I also gave the newly acquired carpet stains another shot of 409 carpet degreaser and tossed in a load of laundry. I'm not certain how it happened, but it all came together shortly after 8:00 PM. The kids were headed off to dreamland and my wife and I finally got to sit down to our own dinner and watch a few sitcoms which were queued up on the DVR. Monday had finally turned around.
Although I'd classify today as a 'bad day', it was nothing in the scheme of things- not even a blip on the radar. It's nothing in comparison to the struggles I'm sure some of your are facing, or have faced in the past. Today was a training exercise to see where my heart and attitude were focused. Sadly, I was all over the map. I hope to learn from this, to trust in God even when things are stressful. He loves me and in the end, I know everything will be alright. He's promised!
2 Samuel 7:28 (New International Version)
O Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant.
Good Night
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Happy Mother's Day!
I hope all you moms out there had a very Happy Mother's Day! Even when these holidays are stressful at times and often don't go as planned, if you were surrounded by family, you are loved.
Good Night
Good Night
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Productive Saturday
I'm really tired tonight. I've got a couple of Advil PM in my system, so I'm ready to drop like a rock in a minute. But first, I'll share the day: Got up and was cooking pancakes for the kids at 8:00. Out in the back yard by 8:30 where my neighbor and I put up the whole shared side of a new wooden fence.
After lunch, it was mowing (with a self-propelled mower that is broken), so its about an hour of hard cutting on inclines. After that, my family went to the movie "How To Train Your Dragon" and then it was home for dinner. Finally, it was time to fix dinner for the kids and then date night. Whew.
God is good! Thank you for the freedom and ability to accomplish much today! I'm so very thankful to be alive and have the family I have. Now it's time for bed, as we need to be up early tomorrow, preparing my wife's breakfast for Mother's Day. After that, it's off to Stayton for a BBQ and more family fun. I hope you're enjoying your weekend as well.
Good Night
After lunch, it was mowing (with a self-propelled mower that is broken), so its about an hour of hard cutting on inclines. After that, my family went to the movie "How To Train Your Dragon" and then it was home for dinner. Finally, it was time to fix dinner for the kids and then date night. Whew.
God is good! Thank you for the freedom and ability to accomplish much today! I'm so very thankful to be alive and have the family I have. Now it's time for bed, as we need to be up early tomorrow, preparing my wife's breakfast for Mother's Day. After that, it's off to Stayton for a BBQ and more family fun. I hope you're enjoying your weekend as well.
Good Night
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