A Series Of Thanks, Part 3

Last night I got to do something I haven't got to do in some time now. I got the privilege of going to church with my mom as just her son - not her pastor son. I got to sit through church with her at her new church and just be me. It reminded me so much of my childhood. It reminded me how thankful I am for the parents God gave me.
I start with my mom - the lady who always worried too much in my eyes, but who can never be accused of not being concerned enough. I never understood it as I was growing up, all I saw was worry and fear, but I now know that this was just her way of caring for me - of wanting to keep me safe, and keep me on the right path. She was involved in every aspect of my life - I could always count on her to be there at everything I did. Every time I got hurt, she was the first on the scene. As I got older there were times when I just needed someone to be patient with me, and mom was always that. Her and dad always made me go to church - the always held me to standards of right - they always expected me to act like I had been raised to act. She was, and is, a constant in my life - something or someone I never question - because her faithfulness has been I expect it to always be. Where would I be without my mom? Where would our family have ended up without her - often the voice of reason whether we wanted to listen or not. She was not perfect, but she was and is the perfect mother for me.
And then there is my dad - the hero of my life. Regrettably it was not until his homegoing that I realized how deep his influence was on me. Dad was a hard man, but without question a good man. All of him was in all that he did. Nothing could keep him from doing what he thought to be right - not illness, not social security, not anything. He was the hardest worker I have ever seen. He was faithful to lead his family, faithful to discipline his children, faithful to do whatever it took to be the man God had called him to be. He, like my mother, was by no means perfect - he was just the perfect father for me. Often they tease me for being like him in many ways - what they do not know is that I take it as a compliment. To be half the man that he was would be, in my eyes, quite an achievement. I miss him deeply, but I am forever grateful that he was the man that he was to us. Today I am thankful for the incredible gift of my parents - God could have placed me in any home He wanted - I am thankful He chose this one. I am thankful that even though we never had much we always had what we needed. We had parents who never failed to love us, never failed to invest in us, never failed to hold us to standards. I am thankful that my mom worried. I am thankful that my dad was hard - because this is who they were - and I wouldn't change it for the world. Father, I thank you that you placed me in such a home - I am thankful that you crafted these two human beings to be the perfect people to raise my sister and I. Father I thank you that I knew the blessing of a home that stayed together - I thank you that I knew the blessing of a home that pursued godliness. Father, I thank you for my incredible mother, I thank you for such an awesome father.
(Thanksgiving Day 09)

A Series Of Thanks, Part 2

If Nicole is the greatest blessing of my life, then they are a very close second. If you do not know who 'they' are, then you do not know me well at all. "They" are my boys, Isaiah and Micah. Isaiah is now 10, in intermediate school with 1,000 other 5th and 6th graders, and Micah is now 6, in the first grade. Because of Isaiah and Micah I now know a side of life that I had never known before -that of a father. It is the part of my life I am most proud of. These two little guys - with their momma's eyes - are my pride and joy. How did these two boys, entrusted to my care, end up so incredible? How did they grow to be so intelligent and sharp? Where did this love for life, for others, for having a great time come from? Where did they learn to evoke some of the deepest emotions inside of me? Some would attribute it to them being kids - and kids in general have a way of doing these things. But only to you are these two fellas kids in general - to me they are joy. To me they are hope. To me they are laughter. To me they are peace. To me they are purpose. To me they are mission. To me they incredible. They own my heart. They are my life - and because they are I love life. God has blessed me infinitely by placing these two little men in my arms - from the day that I carried them through the hospitals as newborns even to this very moment - these guys continually speak of God's love to me - of God's desires of me - for such is the Kingdom of God. Today, Father, I thank you for these bundles of joy and hope. I thank you for the boys that you have chosen to place within my trust - for their smiles, for their thoughts, for their skills, for their personalities, for their lives - only help me to never let up on my call to raise them to know, love, and serve you. Thank you for Isaiah. Thank you for Micah. Thank you for the gift of my family!

A Series Of Thanks, Part 1

"IN everything give thanks" is the call of Scripture. Thanksgiving is not limited to a certain time of the year, or even to certain moments in our lives - but in everything we are to give thanks, because Christ is worthy of praise and thanksgiving every step of the journey - both the good and the bad - the pleasant and unpleasant. It is an attitude of the spirit that we are called to - a perpetual spirit of thankfulness. And if we would only but take the time to consider all of the ways in which we can trace His hands in our lives our spirits would burst forth with honor and praise. When is the last time we stopped to count our blessings? To name them one by one? This is my attempt to do so.
I start with the greatest blessing of my life - this blessing has a name, her name is Nicole. Never in a million years did I think that this beautiful 7th grade girl would eventually become my wife - and never could I have known the amazing woman she would become right before my very eyes. In her I have seen the truest expressions of God's grace - for she, like no one else, has seen both the best of me and the absolute worst of me - and yet from her continually comes grace, faithfulness, forgiveness, love, compassion, - in her I have seen what it means to love like He loves, for she has done so with me. I have also seen the greatest expressions of His favor - the Bible reminds us that the man who finds a wife finds a good thing, obtaining the favor of the Lord - and after 11 years it is easy to see what He meant. How in the world did I end up with someone so amazing? Someone so intelligent? Someone so incredibly beautiful? Someone so passionate about right? Someone so selfless? Someone who gives herself to those whom she loves without restraint? She is so much more than any man deserves - and yet she is mine. Her beauty still takes my breath away. Her laughter still makes me happier than anything. Her involvement with our children is incredible to watch. All of the funny things she does, all of the kind things she does, the spiritual, the honorable, the sacrificial - all of these and more make up this wonderful woman. In her I have learned so much, witnessed so much, received so much. She deserves the best of me, because she is the best of me. Today I am most thankful for the love of my life - the woman that God has given to me to spend my life with - the one who captivates me like no one else - my wife. Father, thank you for giving me the greatest blessing in the most common of places - thank you for crafting her especially for me and me for her - thank you for uniting our hearts - thank you for this most wonderful gift - thank you for Nicole!

Something Worth Remembering...

Not every great investment yields great fruit. But there are times when even great investments yield fruit that you never could have dreamed or imagined in the first place. For this I praise God today - for always working, and for allowing me to join Him.

Stop Counting

It seems like forever since I have updated this. My 'plate' seems to be fuller than ever, and as a result things like these have fallen by the wayside.
What refreshes me, though, is that even when my plate is full God's voice can still be heard. If I listen closely enough I can hear His voice over all the other noise of life. This week He has reminded me that I should utterly loose myself in serving Him and others. Christ taught the 'second mile' as a way of life. For His listeners this would have meant to stop being so concerned with all that you had done, stop keeping track - just serve others without limits or restraints. What would it be like if I could love and serve others without consciousness - without even 'keeping track' - to utterly loose myself to the point that how much I do is not an issue, the primary issue is to love another human being towards Christ? I can tell you what my life would look like if I stopped counting - it would look like Christ's!

Worry

"Worry occurs when we've overvalued something that is corruptible."
- Chris Tiegreen

Thankful

Tonight I am very grateful for being surrounded by great people. We often take the role that others play in our lives for granted because we are just so used to it being that way. But tonight, as my plate is ever so full, and seeming only to get fuller, God has reminded me of how incredible He is, and how much He works and reveals Himself to me through other people in my life. I am glad to be connected to people, I am glad to be blessed beyond measure through my wonderful family, I am glad that God continues to refresh me through those around me. If you are a part of my life, today I just want you to know how grateful I am that you are in my life! Thanks.