Inspiration

Sometimes I hear a song and it speaks something that I am feeling... this is one such song.







Seventh Day Slumber - Always

I’ll never find the words to say
How beautiful you are, Ellison**
And everyday that this life brings
You have to know how much you’re loved

Even when I’m far away
I will dream of you tonight
I will pray to God to bless your life
Always, always
As you grow and start to change
I will love you just the same
Always, always

And when you feel like giving up
I will walk you through the pain
And when you feel like life’s too much
Remember Jesus is your strength

Always

There will come a day when I’ll explain
All the mistakes your dad has made
I hope you see that it was Christ
And only Him that rescued me

Even when I fell away


** Changed to reflect my feelings, originally it was "son"

I love you so much Elli. I pray that I will always be the Daddy you deserve.

Changes

When I was very young I had crazy ideas of what was possible. When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up I would say, "Either a doctor, or a Muppet." I think this points to two specific ideals. In one the idea that becoming a doctor would be attainable. A profession that takes a great amount of intelligence, but also an incredible amount of time. Then there is the other option, Muppet. I wanted to learn and help people, and I had a vast imagination where the boundaries between reality and the world of make-believe were blurry.

As the years passed I went through all the normal things a young boy does. One day I wanted to be the center fielder for the Detroit Tigers, or win a national championship with the Detroit Lions. This evolved into being a Rock Star, the girls swooning as I belt out a ballad with screaming guitar solos and crashing cymbals. A race car driver who sails past all the other cars like they're standing still and ends each day in victory lane, car gleaming not a scratch on it.

This brings me to the present day. Gone are the days of wanting to be a doctor. No Muppet aspirations lingering. The realization that of the very small percentage of people on this earth who are good enough to play professional sports, I am not one of them. Present day desires are much different. These days I take a look at my life and want much different things for myself. I want to be a good husband, to do the things that will show the love and care I have for my wife. I want to be a good father, to have the knowledge, patience, and love to raise my children to be respectful, loving, patient, and humble. I want to be a good Christian. To know God and be able to share his word and love with my family, and the world around me.

My goals these days at face value might seem more low key. Maybe they don't seem as glamorous or so unattainable. The thing is though that doing these things, are sometimes the hardest of all. My selfishness, laziness and greed get in the way and make being this man that I strive to be a very difficult task. I am so blessed in my life to have the people that support me, and care for me even when I falter. God shows me, through them, forgiveness, and patience.

So I'll never be a superstar, but what I am working to be these days is far more rewarding.

Boy or Girl?

Ever since we found out my wife was going to have this baby people have asked, and I've sometimes thought about, if I want it to be a boy or a girl? Honestly I have definitely thought about it and go back and forth, never really settling on one gender specifically. I can see the benefits of having a boy or a girl.

With a boy I can think of all the things I could show him, teach him, about how to be a good man. The right way to treat others, and more importantly the right way to treat women. Play catch in the yard, do "man" stuff like work on the cars and lawn mowers and things like that. But at the same time I realize two things. One is that it's a bit sexist of me to think that our child would have to be a boy for me to do these things with them. If we have a girl or a boy they might enjoy playing sports and getting dirty working in the garage. They may enjoy art and music and love the out doors and want to go for walks in the park. We live pretty close to the beach so they will have ample opportunity to swim and play in the sun and sand.

There is a world of opportunity out there. As I grew up my parents never pushed me in any specific direction. I did many things through school, choir, band, sports, along with my academic pursuits. I have now become a young man who enjoys many different activities. I love playing sports. I love music and singing. I love taking walks and camping. I love to go into the city and explore. I feel that I am very well rounded when it comes to things of culture and what activities I enjoy. I hope to be able to pass that on to my child. I want them to be just as excited for a musical on a Saturday night, as they might be to go to, or play in a football/Softball/Baseball/Basketball game the night before.

So I guess to answer the question of which I would rather, boy or girl, I'd have to say that it truly doesn't matter to me. There will be many joys and sorrows, smiles and tears, no matter if the baby is a boy or girl. The adventure of raising a child will be filled with bumps, but it will be so amazing.

Here is to a healthy, happy baby. God give us the strength and guidance to raise the child to know you, to follow you, and to love you the way you already love them.

Hope and Faith

I've said it, you've said it. "I hope...". I hope I won't be late. I hope I'll get a raise. I hope we'll have a baby soon. I think sometimes we look at the word "Hope" and don't automatically connect it with the word, "Faith". But when you look at what hope is, really think about the meaning of the word beyond the dictionary definition. Where does hope come from?

If you've ever looked into the eyes of your friends and family you have seen hope, or the lack thereof. Hope is an outlook, a state of being. When you have hope in your heart you tend to be optimistic and happier. But again, where does hope come from? In a word... Faith.

It is my belief that you cannot have true hope without faith. You can go through your life and say "I hope" this and "I hope" that, but true hope is something more than this wish-like sentiment. True hope is something that is almost tangible. When your hope is based on faith it fills you, it becomes you. Hope displaces all the debilitating feelings like fear, despair, and sadness.

I have faith in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. My hope is in him, that he will guide my heart and my life, that I may be a beacon of hope for others. For I know that if he is with me, who can be against me?

Fear...

Main Entry: fear

Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English fer, from Old English fǣr sudden danger; akin to Old High German fāra ambush and perhaps to Latin periculum attempt, peril, Greek peiran to attempt
Date: 12th century
1 a : an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger b (1) : an instance of this emotion (2) : a state marked by this emotion
2 : anxious concern : solicitude
3 : profound reverence and awe especially toward God
4 : reason for alarm : danger

I figured a definition would be a good way to start this post. Fear. We know that it exists in our day to day life. I think most people would admit to being scared of something. There are the childhood fears, Monsters, Ghosts, the dark, thunderstorms. There are adult fears too. As adults we fear more realistic things. Things like losing a job.

In life there are many things to fear. But what is fear. Obviously you can read the definition in the dictionary. You know how it feels to be afraid. But what is fear realy? I think fear is satan getting his hands on your heart. Filling you with doubt and insecurity. Here are some verses that talk of fear.

Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 27:1
The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?

Whenever you are afraid. Whenever Satan has gotten a hold of your heart remember these verses and call out to Jesus. He will be your comfort and your strength.  Even when you think there is nowhere to turn and nothing will help. In Matthew Jesus says "with God all things are possible.".

Any fear can be overcome. FDR told us in the 30's that the only thing to fear, was fear itself. But with God, we have nothing to fear.

What's it going to take?

Have you ever had one of those dreams where you have a task you want to finish, or a destination you need to get too? Or a person you desprately want to say something too? Yet no matter how hard you try you never get done what you need to get done. Something or someone always gets in the way. Those dreams are frustrating aren't they? Thats sorta how I feel about my current walk with Christ. It seems like no matter how hard I'm trying to stay in the word, to continue to burn with the passion for God, I fall off every time. If you believe in Freudian slips you'd probably find it interesting that in proofreading my previous sentence I had slipped an L into the word Word. That seems to sum up what I'm trying to say. I want to be part of Christ, not of the world. But it seems I keep getting dragged into the same old pitfalls and traps. I am so thankful for God's grace, for without it I would surely burn eternaly.

Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman

John 4:4-15

"  Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

Jesus answered "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater thean our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"

Jesus answered "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."  "

     Who is the Samaritan woman in your life? Obviously this story isn't just about a man talking with a woman but more to the point of Jesus, a Jew, speaking to a Samaritan woman. A woman, AND a Samaritan at that. Jesus speaks with her and offers her "living water". Even though (if you read further you will see) she is an adulterer, a sinner, he tells her the news that he is the Messiah, the Christ that has come to explain everything and save them all.

     I know people who won't talk to someone because of their skin color. Or the fact that they may have tattoos or piercings, or the person does things they don't like or agree with. This story shows us that this exclusionary way of thinking and living is wrong. Jesus Christ himself broke these social rules and shows us that the good news of the Gospel is for everyone. Not just for the persons who look and act like we do. How often have we passed up an oprotunity to help someone in need, to be a light unto the world simply because they were different?

Father God be in my heart today as I go into the world. Open my eyes to the needs around me and close them to the hatred and fear that would otherwise hold me back. Help me to be more like your son Christ Jesus, for it is in his Holy name I pray. Amen