Sunday, May 9, 2010
May (Mother's Day) 2010 #2
May (Mother's Day) 2010
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Can’t tell ya if it was my mother’s patience with me, her strong and continuous love of the Lord, or her ability to love others even when deeply oppressed which was my mom’s greatest gift. The obvious thing is that I was greatly blessed to have my mom for over 50 years. My parents helped me to understand that there are three pillars in everyone’s life- the physical, the mental, and the spiritual. I may have mentioned this before, but my mom would make sure that I attended church with her every Sunday (attached is a picture of me in my normal Sunday garb). Mom was the one who realized just how important my college graduation was and was there at that time to support me. It was my mother who was my greatest fan, it didn’t matter which sport I was participating in she seemed to always be there to support me; my number one fan.
Anyone who is even thinking about becoming a parent needs to realize that once you are a parent it is vital that you no longer place yourself anywhere near the top of your priority list. So many times today, I see young men and women leaving their spouse and unfortunately their children for greener pastures. Friends the grass always looks greener on the other side; even if you think it smells better, don’t be fooled. Satin is the great deceiver. First, remember the vow you took on your wedding day; before God and man. Second, if you have your priorities right, your children should come way before your own desires; think about, what is going to be in their best interests. Third, if you are being plagued with doubts, talk to your pastor or another Christian friend, before approaching your spouse again. Here is where Christian counseling is often useful in opening the chain of communication within a relationship.
Talking to me between classes one of my students asked me (last week), how long I had been married. My response seemed to shock many of the students standing around; “I have been married to the same women for 35 years, and we dated for 5 years before that”. The student’s responses were remarkable. One student commented “see it is possible”. Another chimed in with, “you must have been high school sweethearts”. The first comment made me feel good as a role model, and the second has me feelin good for my age. This also reminds me of just how blessed I have been to have had Debbie to help me raise three wonderful daughters (attached is a picture of my family).
Now at the end of spring, we celebrate Mother’s Day. Let me encourage each of you to show the mother’s in you life just how special they are to you. For without the mom’s in my life neither I nor any of my family would have the strength of mind , body, or spirit that we have been gifted with today. Happy Mother’s Day 2010.
Anyone who is even thinking about becoming a parent needs to realize that once you are a parent it is vital that you no longer place yourself anywhere near the top of your priority list. So many times today, I see young men and women leaving their spouse and unfortunately their children for greener pastures. Friends the grass always looks greener on the other side; even if you think it smells better, don’t be fooled. Satin is the great deceiver. First, remember the vow you took on your wedding day; before God and man. Second, if you have your priorities right, your children should come way before your own desires; think about, what is going to be in their best interests. Third, if you are being plagued with doubts, talk to your pastor or another Christian friend, before approaching your spouse again. Here is where Christian counseling is often useful in opening the chain of communication within a relationship.
Talking to me between classes one of my students asked me (last week), how long I had been married. My response seemed to shock many of the students standing around; “I have been married to the same women for 35 years, and we dated for 5 years before that”. The student’s responses were remarkable. One student commented “see it is possible”. Another chimed in with, “you must have been high school sweethearts”. The first comment made me feel good as a role model, and the second has me feelin good for my age. This also reminds me of just how blessed I have been to have had Debbie to help me raise three wonderful daughters (attached is a picture of my family).
Now at the end of spring, we celebrate Mother’s Day. Let me encourage each of you to show the mother’s in you life just how special they are to you. For without the mom’s in my life neither I nor any of my family would have the strength of mind , body, or spirit that we have been gifted with today. Happy Mother’s Day 2010.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
December 2009 BPFJ
Funny, how the things of the world can stress you out. It is hard to live in America today and not have times when you really feel completely stressed out. All kinds of things can get to you; the economy (jobs, the lack there of, investments, or the lack there of, where and how to spend what resources you have), relationships, politics, skewed morays and values of a growing number of people in our society who think very differently from you, or corruption and degradation spewing from the many types of media each of us is exposed to every day. It is no wonder Christmas time has been, in recent years, one of the most tragic times of the year, with increases in domestic violence and suicide.
Recently I was asked to host a major event, to raise money for scriptures for the world. When I started planning for the event I set a goal of $3000, with the expectation of around 50 people in attendance; the pressure was on. Caterer, speakers, music, and more all had to be planned and arranged. While others scoffed at my plan, with comments like- “you can only expect maybe 20 people to attend”, and “$3000, you’ll be lucky if you don’t owe that much when you’re finished”, I continued to move forward. I was constantly reminded that in the book of Hebrews God’s words are- “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you”, and that “The Lord is my helper: I will not be afraid.” Knowing that the Lord was with me, I pressed on. After many E-mail messages, mailed letters, phone calls, personal contacts, and rehearsals, the day of the event was quickly arriving. The day before, I had 37 prepaid reservations and 20 verbal commitments. A Christian brother had told me that I should “plan enough meals for all who plan to attend and a few extra”. When I contacted the caterer to give him the final numbers, I said we’ll have 62 meals; you talk about stress. Many things were running through my mind; how am I going to pay for all those meals if only 37 people show up; even if enough people show up, is it even possible to reach the lofty monetary goal that was set out; not to mention one of my musicians was down on his back with a bad case of the flu the previous day. Yet, this thought echoed in my head and drew me back into prayer- God will never leave you, nor forsake you. I must admit I spent many hours in prayer, during the preparation for this event.
The day of the event finally arrived. All of the participants arrived, including all of the musicians. The 62 meal arrived. Gradually, so did all of the invited guests, as well as many unexpected ones. In fact, when the final count was taken 62 people had come to Birthday Party For Jesus event. When a final count was taken for the money raised for scriptures, it totaled over $4800; to God be the glory.
Jesus quote- “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” – Luke 11:25-26
Recently I was asked to host a major event, to raise money for scriptures for the world. When I started planning for the event I set a goal of $3000, with the expectation of around 50 people in attendance; the pressure was on. Caterer, speakers, music, and more all had to be planned and arranged. While others scoffed at my plan, with comments like- “you can only expect maybe 20 people to attend”, and “$3000, you’ll be lucky if you don’t owe that much when you’re finished”, I continued to move forward. I was constantly reminded that in the book of Hebrews God’s words are- “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you”, and that “The Lord is my helper: I will not be afraid.” Knowing that the Lord was with me, I pressed on. After many E-mail messages, mailed letters, phone calls, personal contacts, and rehearsals, the day of the event was quickly arriving. The day before, I had 37 prepaid reservations and 20 verbal commitments. A Christian brother had told me that I should “plan enough meals for all who plan to attend and a few extra”. When I contacted the caterer to give him the final numbers, I said we’ll have 62 meals; you talk about stress. Many things were running through my mind; how am I going to pay for all those meals if only 37 people show up; even if enough people show up, is it even possible to reach the lofty monetary goal that was set out; not to mention one of my musicians was down on his back with a bad case of the flu the previous day. Yet, this thought echoed in my head and drew me back into prayer- God will never leave you, nor forsake you. I must admit I spent many hours in prayer, during the preparation for this event.
The day of the event finally arrived. All of the participants arrived, including all of the musicians. The 62 meal arrived. Gradually, so did all of the invited guests, as well as many unexpected ones. In fact, when the final count was taken 62 people had come to Birthday Party For Jesus event. When a final count was taken for the money raised for scriptures, it totaled over $4800; to God be the glory.
Jesus quote- “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” – Luke 11:25-26
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Let’s start over! Yesterday I had a former student write that she wished it was still her birthday. I couldn’t help myself but write back that “I wished it was mine too, 35 years ago”. The interesting thing here is that I think at one point or another (in each of our lives) we have wished we were able to start over. Undo what was done and start a new.
We’ve all had a longing for a new start, New Life, Fresh Beginnings. We worry about the things we have done, the things we didn’t do, jobs, friends, money, all kinds of things, driving us to grasp for new life. Jesus once told his disciples, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”[book of Luke 12:25] Jesus goes on to say “For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and all these things will be given to you as well.” [Luke 12:30-31]
Speaking of new life, I was in the delivery room when all of my children were born; I had never before experienced such joy, as watching my daughters take their first breath as they entered this world. I have recently been reminded of these moments in my life, when my eldest daughter (Allison) gave birth to my first grandbaby (Keegan)(see the attached picture). There is nothing more precious than new birth.
I have always found new life to be the greatest gift God has ever given me. Not physical, but spiritual life; Life through Christ Jesus. “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves His child as well. This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” [book of 1 John 5:1 & 4] It’s interesting that a faith in Jesus can allow us to start over with God and overcome the world.
We’ve all had a longing for a new start, New Life, Fresh Beginnings. We worry about the things we have done, the things we didn’t do, jobs, friends, money, all kinds of things, driving us to grasp for new life. Jesus once told his disciples, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”[book of Luke 12:25] Jesus goes on to say “For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and all these things will be given to you as well.” [Luke 12:30-31]
Speaking of new life, I was in the delivery room when all of my children were born; I had never before experienced such joy, as watching my daughters take their first breath as they entered this world. I have recently been reminded of these moments in my life, when my eldest daughter (Allison) gave birth to my first grandbaby (Keegan)(see the attached picture). There is nothing more precious than new birth.
I have always found new life to be the greatest gift God has ever given me. Not physical, but spiritual life; Life through Christ Jesus. “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves His child as well. This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” [book of 1 John 5:1 & 4] It’s interesting that a faith in Jesus can allow us to start over with God and overcome the world.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Faith and Life
The dictionary defines it as complete trust or confidence. In the book of Hebrews it says, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see”. The world would tell us that the only things you can be certain of are death and taxes. The only thing you can truly trust is money. To the world you can only be confident if you look great and are sexually marvelous. So faith is not the same, for someone who follows The Way, as it is for someone who lives as those who follow the ways of the world.
In Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesis he writes, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient”. Therefore we can have faith that the ways of the world will lead to our death and destruction.
What about faith and life? Again in Hebrews, chapter 11, it says, “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward”. Have faith in Christ and take comfort in His words, “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”.
The picture was taken on a long outdoor mall in the middle of Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic. The man received his blue testament from me and had followed us along the mall, praising God, and telling everyone he met how blessed he was to have received God’s Word, and that I was the man with the bibles. In the picture he is thanking Chazy our young interpreter, while asking her to tell us how thankful he was. Oh, that we could have the faith of a child, and accept the Word of God with such open and thankful hearts.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Summer Heroes
Tonight I received a Facebook posting from a young friend that went like this, “We need a hero to save us from ourselves. We need a hero to save us from our fear”. My response was that “JFK once said, we have nothing to fear but fear itself, as for a hero to save us from ourselves, He died and rose again for just that reason about 2000 years ago.” I was then notified that what was written were song lyrics by Jars of Clay, from a song titled Hero. This started me thinking, (dangerous) who are our heroes?
In the world today there are sports heroes. We have all seen war heroes. There are heroes of all kinds out there, based on what someone has done, their accomplishments. As I go back to my trusty dictionary I find the word hero defined as “a person noted or admired for notability, courage, outstanding achievements, a great warrior, a man of superhuman qualities, favored by the gods.”
What are great accomplishments? Accomplishments inspired by the Word of God. In the book of the prophet Isaiah it says, “so is My Word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it”. Now we have a hero whose extraordinary accomplishments are inspired by God.
In my life time I have had the opportunity to experience many heroes, but one who you may not be aware of is Edwin Moses. It was this great warriors, courage, outstanding achievements, notability, superhuman qualities, and favor with the one true God, which cause me to clearly see him as a hero. Reverend Moses was the pastor of the United Methodist church in Biloxi, Mississippi, during and after the disaster known as hurricane Katrina. Not only did he help provide for the needs of his flock, but he also brought in hundreds of volunteers, from all over America to assist in the reconstruction of his community. With every group of volunteers that arrived in Biloxi, Rev. Moses would share the history of his community, the love it contained, his heart, and the Word of God. I believe Rev. Moses knew (that in the long run) what he was doing for the young men and women who came to Biloxi, would far exceed anything they could do for him or the community. The picture I have included is of one of two mission groups which I worked with, and Rev. Moses. In the gospel of Matthew it says, “store up for yourself treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. Edwin Moses was a hero who stored up treasure.
In the world today there are sports heroes. We have all seen war heroes. There are heroes of all kinds out there, based on what someone has done, their accomplishments. As I go back to my trusty dictionary I find the word hero defined as “a person noted or admired for notability, courage, outstanding achievements, a great warrior, a man of superhuman qualities, favored by the gods.”
What are great accomplishments? Accomplishments inspired by the Word of God. In the book of the prophet Isaiah it says, “so is My Word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it”. Now we have a hero whose extraordinary accomplishments are inspired by God.
In my life time I have had the opportunity to experience many heroes, but one who you may not be aware of is Edwin Moses. It was this great warriors, courage, outstanding achievements, notability, superhuman qualities, and favor with the one true God, which cause me to clearly see him as a hero. Reverend Moses was the pastor of the United Methodist church in Biloxi, Mississippi, during and after the disaster known as hurricane Katrina. Not only did he help provide for the needs of his flock, but he also brought in hundreds of volunteers, from all over America to assist in the reconstruction of his community. With every group of volunteers that arrived in Biloxi, Rev. Moses would share the history of his community, the love it contained, his heart, and the Word of God. I believe Rev. Moses knew (that in the long run) what he was doing for the young men and women who came to Biloxi, would far exceed anything they could do for him or the community. The picture I have included is of one of two mission groups which I worked with, and Rev. Moses. In the gospel of Matthew it says, “store up for yourself treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. Edwin Moses was a hero who stored up treasure.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Summer Growth 2009
Here it is just another lazy summer day, in July. This is usually the time for me to regenerate, to sit back and reflect on my place in the world; not to stop building. Even at times like these, when we are not facing a strong headwind, we need to maintain our stride because the race is not over for us yet. At this point I almost feel as though I am just gliding downhill, without the usual push to succeed or to produce some final product.
As I look ahead I realize that other mountains are awaiting me and the challenges of tomorrow may be even greater than those I have faced in the past. I look forward with faith that I am not alone. The struggles that are in front of me will not overwhelm me, if I rely on the one who has promised to always be there; Jesus. He never promised that life would be easy, just that he would never leave me. Hebrews 13:5b- “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you”.
Summer is a wonderful time of year. Days filled with sunshine, green plants, and life all around us. This is one of my favorite times during the year. Now that I am expecting a new grandson to be born next month, it has become even a more exciting time for me. [The attached picture is of my three daughters; Allison is expecting a boy in August.] God has blessed my life, and filled it with great joy. I am extremely thankful.
As I look ahead I realize that other mountains are awaiting me and the challenges of tomorrow may be even greater than those I have faced in the past. I look forward with faith that I am not alone. The struggles that are in front of me will not overwhelm me, if I rely on the one who has promised to always be there; Jesus. He never promised that life would be easy, just that he would never leave me. Hebrews 13:5b- “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you”.
Summer is a wonderful time of year. Days filled with sunshine, green plants, and life all around us. This is one of my favorite times during the year. Now that I am expecting a new grandson to be born next month, it has become even a more exciting time for me. [The attached picture is of my three daughters; Allison is expecting a boy in August.] God has blessed my life, and filled it with great joy. I am extremely thankful.
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