The Christmas Tree

Well, now most of the hoopla of Christmas is over. The presents have been opened, and the family has hopefully been visited. The wonderful foods have been made and the leftovers are minimal. Some people have even began to take down the decorations at their houses, and if you drive around enough you'll even see a tree or two already on the curb.

Let's focus on that tree on the curb right now. The Christmas tree symbolizes the holiday for many people. They put it up and enjoy it for a few weeks, and as soon as they can they get it out of the house as they don't want that constant reminder around too long. You see, some of those people don't believe in God. What they are celebrating is presents, family, etc. Their celebrations are not as full and they want to sweep it all under the rug as quickly as possible. They celebrate the holiday because the world says they should.

Don't be like those people. I don't care if you take down the decorations the day after Christmas, but I do care if you let God leave your heart as soon as the holiday is over. Christmas is a celebration of Jesus' birth, but it doesn't stop there. He is a part of your life and the lives of the people around you. Don't stop celebrating His life just because the world says you should. Let Christmas live in your heart all year long. Encourage others to do the same. Don't be like the person who dumps the tree at the curb the day after Christmas, keep it up in your heart all year.

The Little Drummer Boy

Have I ever mentioned how much I enjoy this time of year? I really love to hear all the Christmas songs all over the place. I also love to sing along to the many hymns that are used this time of year, one of my favorites being "The Little Drummer Boy."

The reason I mention this one in particular is because I think there is a piece of that boy in all of us. He's obedient as he's told to come and see the newborn King, and he does. He doesn't feel like he has anything that could measure up to what this King could ever want. Yet, he feels the call and decides to give the one thing that he does have to give, his playing.

Don't we all feel that way when it comes to being in His presence? We feel like what we have to offer isn't worthy at times? Yet, we go as we're called to do because we know that is what we need to be doing. We give to Him what we can, but never feel like it's enough. That is what that little drummer boy feels during this song.

Read the words to the song below, and tell me that this isn't you. I think you'll easily find that this song is all about you and your relationship with God at one time or another. Enjoy:

Come they told me, pa rum pum pum pum
A new born King to see, pa rum pum pum pum
Our finest gifts we bring, pa rum pum pum pum
To lay before the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

So to honor Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
When we come.

Little Baby, pa rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum
That's fit to give the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum,
On my drum?

Mary nodded, pa rum pum pum pum
The ox and lamb kept time, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my drum for Him, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my best for Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

Then He smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum
Me and my drum.

I hope you and yours have a wonderful Christmas. God bless and stay safe. Feliz Navidad (my favorite Christmas tune)

Top Lists of This Year

So, we're coming up on the end of yet another year. It's at this time of year that we are given list after list of top things for the previous year. You know what I'm talking about, top 10 web sites (note that this isn't in that list, sadly), top 10 foods purchased at kosher delis, top 10 online purchases, etc. I tell you, you never get more great info than you do this time of year because without this I know my life wouldn't be complete!

Let me ask you, what were your top 5 activities that you did with your family members this past year? How high up is watching TV (I'm guilty here)? How about outdoor activities? Where is spending time teaching them about God?

Ok, enough beating our selves up on that one, let's try another list: Top 5 ways you spent time with God yourself this past year? Did you read the Bible? Did you pray daily, almost daily, how about weekly?

Yes, I know I've been mean....but when you reflect on the previous year over the next few weeks I'd like to encourage you to take a hard look at what you'd like to be doing, and what you actually accomplished. I think we all can find ways to get better. Maybe your resolutions for the coming year should focus on God instead of yourself? Maybe if we resolve to do more for Him, then we'd be able to accomplish the other things we want to do next year. Why you ask? Because He will be there along with us all, helping us along the way.

Focus

The week before Thanksgiving something strange happened to me. I was walking down the hallway at work when all of a sudden my glasses slipped off my face. Now, I went to catch them when I felt them slipping and noticed that they were falling apart. I was later told that the spring in the glasses was broken and that they needed to be totally replaced. Of course none of the frames they carried would fit the lenses that I had, so I would have to get new lenses as well. Then, since it had been 3 years since I had an exam I needed to do all of that as well. Not exactly where I wanted to be spending all of my money before the holidays, but we do what we have to do.

This whole experience got me thinking about my focus. You see, there are so many things that can take our focus away from God during the holidays. There are presents to purchase and wrap, there are family gatherings and the kids' school events to attend, decorations to put up, etc. And it seems that every year we have more and more to do. How do you get all of that stuff done and still focus on God, the reason for the season?

The answer is to stay in focus. Start your days just as you always do, spending time with Him. Then, throughout the day make sure you reconnect whenever you feel yourself slipping away. Spend those times in prayer, or reading a verse, listening to music, etc. Also, try not to stress about all the things you have to do. If they are supposed to be completed, God will find a way for you to get them all done. If you continue to focus on God all the tasks you have will be easier to do, as you aren’t doing all the heavy lifting yourself.

Priorities

Recently I had a very random thought come to my head, which is far from uncommon for me to tell you the truth. I was sitting in first service a few weeks ago and watched a few kids go past me and then come back a few minutes later. Yes, the fact that someone ran to the bathroom isn't strange during service, but what was strange was it triggered in my head: Why is it that when nature calls people are quick to respond, but when God calls us we are not?

I know there are times when we all feel that God is calling us to do something that either doesn't fit into our personal agenda, or we are even known to put it off because we don't know for sure if it was God calling us in the first place. I've been there and I'm sure most everyone else has as well. What would the world look like if we all stopped what we were doing and answer His call as quickly as we did nature's?

I know that it's not always easy to do what we're called to do right away, but it's not always easy to get ourselves to a restroom either, right? Remember if you have kids the number of times the kids have needed to go and it wasn't a great time? Like when you were next in line at Wal-Mart or going on a trip and being 15 minutes south of Fitchville on 250 going south?

His call isn't always going to be convenient and it's not always going to be easy to achieve. Still, the next time He calls you to do something, think how quickly you'd act if it was nature calling....and maybe you'll get to His priorities a little faster.

Thank You

As I was trying to think of something to write about going into the Thanksgiving weekend, I kept going back in my head to a song that I've known for years. I couldn't think of a better way of celebrating Thanksgiving in this blog than to put the words to that great song in front of you today. Now the song doesn't give direct thanks to God, but it does to someone who was doing His work, and that alone should be motivation to us all. I hope you enjoy.

Thank You for Giving To The Lord
Music & Lyrics by Ray Boltz

I dreamed I went to Heaven, you were there with me.
We walked upon the streets of gold beside the Crystal Sea.
We heard the angels singing, then someone called your name.
You turned and saw this young man, and he was smiling as he came.
He said, "Friend you may not know me now," and then he said, "But wait -
You used to teach my Sunday School, when I was only eight.
And every week you would say a prayer before the class would start.
And one day when you said that prayer,
I asked Jesus in my heart."

Thank you for giving to the Lord,
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord,
I am so glad you gave.
Then another man stood before you, he said "Remember the time,
A missionary came to your church, His pictures made you cry.
You didn't have much money but you gave it anyway.
Jesus took that gift you gave
And that's why I'm in Heaven today"

Thank you for giving to the Lord,
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord,
I am so glad you gave.
One by one they came, far as your eyes could see.
Each life somehow touched by your generosity.
Little things that you had done, sacrifices that you made,
They were unnoticed on this earth
In Heaven now proclaimed.

Thank you for giving to the Lord,
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord,
I am so glad you gave.
And I know up in Heaven you're not supposed to cry
But I am almost sure there were tears in your eyes
As Jesus took your hand and you stood before the Lord
He said "My child look around you,
Great is your reward."

Thank you for giving to the Lord,
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord,
I am so glad you gave,
I am so glad you gave.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Accomplished

I have a friend who has their youngest child finishing off their high school career this year. Recently this child was awarded a number of awards for sports which really hasn’t been uncommon for the kids in this family. They have truly been blessed with a healthy family that is good both academically and athletically.

When I heard about the recent accomplishments of this child I started to think to my own family. I started to think on the fact that we’re beginning that journey with our kids and the accomplishments they are striving towards, etc. I started to think about how Noah’s team won their division in baseball this year and how I felt that day as he got his trophy. I was so proud of all that he accomplished and how he really stepped up to lead the other kids on that team and teach them to be better players. I began to think of what may be to come for all 3 kids both athletically and academically in the future and how much fun this journey is going to be.

That thought process then took me another step further. I started to think what it’s like as a parent to have those accomplishments displayed in a house. The pride one must feel when they walk by that area dedicated to showcasing all that has been done by one’s children.

Of course, I didn’t stop there….my thought process went towards our Heavenly Father. Can you imagine what His “wall/mantle” looks like with all the accomplishments of His children? The person who lead 20 people to Christ in the past year? How about that trophy for the person who talked about God for 15 years to their neighbor and were able to lead that person to Christ last week? How about that one for the Pastor who faithfully lead his flock for 5 years then went on to another church? Oh, and that great looking certificate for the missionary who has worked for 35 years in another country spreading the gospel – man, that thing is impressive!

What have you done lately for your place on His wall/mantle? He wants to have your accomplishments on display for all to see! He is already a proud Father and loves to have you as one of His children and is so proud of you. Yet, I’m pretty sure that every time He sees that accomplishment that you have done in promoting His kingdom He has a great feeling of pride for being your Father. He knows every time you pray for someone else, every time you read the Bible or do a devotional. He knows when you talk with others about Him. He loves to show all the angels in Heaven what you have accomplished. It’s not hard to be up there with everyone else….all you have to do is accept Christ into your life and promote this same thing to others.

Stuff

I tell you what, we’re coming up on one of my favorite times of the year. I just love Thanksgiving and Christmas time as most people really start to focus on family. There are tons of events to go to and time spent with others. Most people seem to be in a better mood, even here in Ohio where it’s freezing cold most of the time.

With that said, I’m sure you’re starting to wonder why I titled the blog the way I did. Well, with this time of year comes Christmas shopping. It’s the time when we all fight through the crowds and get stuff to show others how much we care about them. Now, I cherish these events so don’t take what I’m about to say the wrong way. I love to give gifts to others. I love the look on someone’s face as they get that very thoughtful or desired gift. I also love to get gifts and gain new things. But, let me stop right there for a minute…

You see, I want to remind everyone today that in the long run those gifts are mostly just stuff that fills our lives in one way or another. These are items that we didn’t have before and are probably not really needs but more or less wants. Yes, some gifts do fill a need that you had, or you wouldn’t have asked for it. But, most items are more like the add-ons that you purchase with a vehicle. I mean, do you need power windows and doors? Probably not, but they are nice to have. Same thing with the A/C and cruise control, right? The same thing goes for the stuff that we get at the holidays. Do you need a new set of Japanese steak knives, or did you want them? Do they somehow improve your quality of life (other than when eating steak?)?

As we head into the holidays this year I wanted to put everyone to the test this year. I want to challenge you to look at the stuff in your life that the world says you should need. Look at those things and see if they are helping you get to God, or keeping you apart from Him. Do they eat up the time you could spend with Him or for His Kingdom? If you really wanted to give someone a gift, maybe the best thing you could give them is your time. Maybe that time allows you to get Jesus into their lives or helps them get a better relationship with Him.

I’m not saying that this year you shouldn’t give the fun little gifts that you have a knack for giving. What I want to stress is that this year, if you haven’t already, start to look for gifts that can keep on giving. Give a friend a coupon to baby-sit their kids for a night so they can spend time with their spouse, getting them closer to each other and God at the same time. Give your children your time and attention, playing that game you give them this Christmas. Give your parents the love that your Heavenly Father shows you daily. All of these gifts can multiply themselves and also be paired with that item you find on Black Friday. (I’ll be out there with you other nut cases as I have been for the past 16 years.) Gift the gift of Jesus into the lives of everyone you contact, and this year your gift won’t just be on the shelf with the other stuff you’ve given before.

What a Waste...

Have you ever not given something to someone because you know all they are going to do is ruin what you are giving them? How about a little kid? You know that they aren’t old enough to handle the responsibility of having a Nintendo DS for example. When they ask for it over and over again you tell them that you will give it to them when they get older and are mature. You are afraid that they might waste the opportunity and eventually break the item.

Now, let’s take that another step….Have you ever done that with the Gospel in regard to people around you? Have you ever not gone up to someone because you just know they aren’t going to get it or it’ll just be a waste of your time? What if God did that with you? If he waited until we were all “ready” to be exposed to Christianity how many of us wouldn’t be a part of his Kingdom now?

Just like with the child you aren’t sure of giving the item to, if He wanted us to wait until others were “ready” then many would never be saved. Sometimes the person you approach will waste what you are giving, but I’m guessing that it’s never really a waste of your time and effort. God is just preparing their hearts and the exposure to Him is always good for them. Just like the food that you prepare, sometimes it’s ready the first time when you check on it, but often you have to put it back in after checking because it’s just not ready yet.

One of Those Parents....

Well, I've recently been learning a little about myself. Of course, God is teaching me this lesson through my oldest son Noah. A few weeks ago we were being stupid in the long run and running around the outside of the house in the dark after AWANA. For some reason Noah got a cramp, stumbled a bit, and his foot caught the edge of the driveway and went down, bracing himself with his left hand. Of course, he complained a bit about his arm hurting but we thought it was just the fall that got him. Well, after going to school the next day Traci got a call from the school and he was having problems with pain.

Thankfully, I work for 4 Orthopaedic Surgeons and Dr. Shine was willing to see Noah here in the office that afternoon. After an x-ray it was found that his wrist was broken, which I would have never guessed based on looking at his arm. (Dr. Shine says that is why we have the expensive equipment - which I understand!) So, Noah was casted and sent on his way.

The next week Noah was here for a checkup on the wrist and it was found that the cast alone wasn't enough and he needed surgery the next day. So, we rearranged our schedules and worked it out for family obligations to be taken care of while Noah had the surgery. Thankfully so far things are looking good and we'll find out tomorrow if a second surgery will be needed for pinning, or if it's healing on it's own.

Now, you may be asking what I have learned, other than the expensive x-ray equipment is much better than just looking at someone's arm. Well, I learned what it's like to be a parent of a child who plays sports and is injured. I've been here at Access Ortho 3 1/2 years and I've seen time and time again parents almost forcing the doctors to allow their kids to play their sport for this reason or that. I never understood what it was like to be the parent, always thinking that the long term health of the kid was worth more than that individual game.

Well, now I get the mindset of "those parents". You see, Noah has had a great year when it comes to sports. His team won the championship in baseball for their division, and at the time of the injury his team was tied for first in his soccer division as well. They were tied with the other top team and Noah was scoring a good number of goals and really striving to better himself at every game. He was a leader on his team often positioning other players while on the field and setting up others for goals when he couldn't get there himself. It was so much fun to watch. Then, with one fall all of that stopped for us.

You see, I was watching my oldest son take on a lot of responsibility and want to drive his team to first place. That is addictive, and his desire and enthusiasm was contagious for us as parents. So, when I heard that all of a sudden he can't play any sports for 6-8 weeks I think I was as hurt by that as Noah was/is. It's been hard as now we can't play catch with the football outside or baseball, soccer, etc. He still had the desire to go and root on his team and try to make his teammates better. He wanted to be there because he was a part of the team. Yet, it was hard for me to watch the games knowing that he had to sit on the sidelines. And now I wonder when/if he'll be able to play basketball this year.

So, in conclusion to what I learned, I've learned not to judge others as you don't know their motivations. I was never overly critical of "those parents" but wondered what drove them to the decision they were making. God has taught me through this what it's like to be in that same type of situation and now have the same feelings as those parents. I can't imagine what it would be like if my kids were being scouted by colleges when they were in High School, etc. I've learned that if you are not in someone else's shoes it's really going to be hard to totally relate to what is going on with their lives. I'm sure this lesson will help me to relate in other areas of my life as well.

What is a relationship?

I recently heard a stat that 70% of today’s American youth don’t know how to define what a relationship is! Another staggering stat is that 80% of American church attendees don’t know what it means to have a relationship with Christ. No wonder we can’t spread the importance of this to the masses when some of our own people have no idea what it means to have the relationship that we all should be seeking.

More that ever it is going to be important for us who do have the relationship with Christ to now become examples to the world. We need to show them that there is more to this “thing” we all have than just showing up to church or reading our Bibles every day. They need to not only be shown by our day-to-day walk, but also taught why it’s important and how they can get their piece of the pie. We have to be outgoing and willing to explain ourselves. This has to be more than you and I “playing church” on Sundays. This has to be more than us doing what we do in our homes behind closed doors. We have to be willing to go and make disciples – which really is what we’re called to do!

My question to you is this: Are you ready? It’s not going to be easy and there are going to be lots of hurdles to get past along the way. Do you trust God enough to take the leap of faith and be that example to others about Him? We know you can live for Him and have that relationship, now show others what a relationship with Him can do in their lives

What If?

What if two and a half years ago you decided to stop doing your daily devotions or going to church, knowing that some day you’d come back to it again.

What if two years ago you started a relationship with someone of the opposite sex even though you were married.

What if three months into that relationship your spouse found out, and three months after that the divorce was finalized.

What if six months after that the “other person” decided to leave you.

What if three months after that your kids decided they didn’t want to talk to you any more.

What if today you were working on a project involving power tools and had an accident.

What if you died there all alone in your workshop as there was no one there to hear your cries for help.

Now, what if instead, two and a half years ago you decided to fight back against the Devil and increase your time in His Word.

What if you strengthened your marriage by suggesting to pray with your spouse instead of spending time apart.

What if you spent time with your children playing and teaching them about God.

What happens if you have that accident now….

Every day we are attacked by the Devil one way or another. He tells us that skipping a day of our devotions isn’t a big deal. He tells us that we don’t need to build relationships with our spouse, our children, or our extended families. He tells us that this one day won’t be a big deal and that we can pick it up another time.

What do you think now, is it a big deal? What if you spent more time with God the next time you were attacked? What if you spent more time praying and worshiping Him who deserves our adoration? What would your life be like now?

Sure this may not happen to most of you reading this, but what if something like this did happen? What if you stopped spending time with God on a daily basis? What if.....

Worship

So, what is worship exactly? We talk about it a lot in the music we listen to, the songs that we sing, the studies that we do, and the messages that we hear. Yet, do you really know what worship is?

Let’s look it up in Webster’s dictionary, shall we?

Main Entry: 1wor·ship
Pronunciation: \ˈwər-shəp also ˈwȯr-\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English worshipe worthiness, respect, reverence paid to a divine being, from Old English weorthscipe worthiness, respect, from weorth worthy, worth + -scipe -ship
Date: before 12th century
1 chiefly British : a person of importance —used as a title for various officials (as magistrates and some mayors)2 : reverence offered a divine being or supernatural power; also : an act of expressing such reverence3 : a form of religious practice with its creed and ritual4 : extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem <worship of the dollar>

Well, I’m sure that helped clear things up for everyone, right? Ok, maybe not, so lets look it up in a thesaurus as well:

Function: noun
Meaning: excessive admiration of or devotion to a person
Synonyms adulation, deification, idolatry, idolization, worshipping (also worshiping)
Related Words adoration, deference, glorification, reverence, veneration; idealization, romanticization; affection, fancy, favor, fondness, like, liking, love; appreciation, esteem, regard, respect; approval
Near Antonyms condemnation, disapproval, disfavor, dislike, dismissal, disregard, hatred, loathing, scorn

Now I’m sure we all have it, right? What do you mean that those responses aren’t exactly how you feel about it? Well, I think that can easily be explained, read on:

Worship for me is something deeply personal. It’s probably different for everyone, and how you get to that point is also probably very different. For me I can get into deep worship with the right music in no time. I listen to the words of the songs I am hearing and can very easily feel God’s presence. To me that is what worship is all about, finding God and showing Him my appreciation for all that he’s done for me. I’m not one who will be outwardly showing that, but deep inside I’m screaming for Him. I know other people are quick to throw up their hands, sing loudly, clap, pray in tongues, etc. All of the above is approved by God as He just wants to have that relationship with Him.

How do you get into worship? How do you connect with God on a daily basis? Not only should we pray daily, but also spend time in worship and connecting with Him in every level that we can. The more we connect with Him, the less chance the world has to get in the way. Have you worshipped Him lately?

Prayer

One of the things that we value at Norwalk Alliance Church (and most churches for that matter) is prayer. This is something I don’t feel I’ve touched on enough so I thought I’d give you a different view of what prayer is….I hope you enjoy:

Prayer to me is like the Bluetooth device for your cell phone. It is something that allows you to talk to God no matter what you are doing, hands free even! Think about that for a minute….could it be that Jesus was the original Verizon Wireless guy walking on the earth looking up at our Heavenly Father and asking him: Can you hear me now? Seriously, with Holy Spirit Wireless (which you get for free when you sign your own personal I want a personal relationship with Jesus contract) there are no dead zones, right? You can be in the shower, on the road during your daily commute, leaving a deposit at the bank or the toilet, or even at church….can you say that about your worldly wireless plan?

All kidding aside, prayer is a fundamental building block for your faith. How many legit reasons can you make for not praying today? No, that first one that came to your head doesn’t count, that is just a lame excuse. No, that one doesn’t count either, we can all say we don’t have time! Oh, and what kind of things should you be praying about daily? Would you like your kids to do better in school? Have you not only asked God for that to happen, but expected him to fix the situation? Yes, He might give you more to do in order to fix it, but He IS answering your prayer, people! Stop hoping that God will take care of what you ask and instead expect Him to fix it.

Now I know, I haven’t always been the same way when it comes to prayer. Let’s take a look at where I’ve been in my prayer life.

Stage 0: No prayer
Stage 1: Praying only when something is needed for myself or someone else, and at church. Always hoping he’d help.
Stage 2: Praying when something was needed, for others, at church, and when I had time for it (barely ever). Still hoping
Stage 3: Praying when stuff was needed, at church, and because I felt it made the day better. Still hoping
Stage 4: Praying more often since it seemed to work for everyone else, and it made me feel better. Still hoping
Stage 5: Praying because I knew I should be praying, starting to hear others pray differently…more expecting than hoping, and trying to figure that out.
Stage 6: Praying with purpose, knowing He’ll answer….but not always expecting yet
Stage 7: Prayer on fire, knowing that God already has it answered, and I just need to open my eyes as I KNOW He wants to take care of all that I expect.

Now, you may have noticed one thing, I never say that I’m a super prayer. In fact I know how people feel about others who just have it flow off their tongues….while the rest of us can’t do that. Let me tell you something bub….it doesn’t matter! So what if your prayer won’t be taped and sold worldwide as THE example for the world. He doesn’t care about that, He wants all of to be ourselves and talk to Him. That is all that prayer is…a conversation between you and God. Take full advantage of it, as your time here on Earth is limited, and you just may want to get to know Him better…and prayer is just the way to do that.

Bud....Wise.....Errrrrrr

I think most people who are over the age of 18 remember those ads, right? You know, the ones with these guys:



Now most people at this point are wondering why I'd put up the Budweiser frogs onto a blog focused on Christian values, etc. Well, let me tell you: those frogs had one thing on their mind didn't they? Sure they might have said their part of the word at variable times depending on the commercial and the circumstances they were in, but they always got their point across!


So, if a frog can become famous for shouting out what is on their mind, why can't you and I? Why is it that we all don't have just one thing on our minds - JESUS! Those dumb frogs spent all their time shouting out their one love and in the long run we should want to be just like them. We should be talking about God and showing Him in everything we do. Go spread the message from the mountain and roof tops people! You should want to share Him with everyone you come in contact with, just like those frogs did all day long!

It's not our timing but His instead

Did you know that statistics show that 1 out of every 1 people die at some point in their lives? I know that is a staggering stat, but I don’t think we look at things that way very often. Did you know that the variable in that stat is not if someone dies, but instead when!? You and I cannot predict when that will be with any degree of certainty.

I bring this up as last week a guy I played basketball with died in an accident. It kind of shook me I have to be honest. He was 19 when he died. Todd had started coming to play basketball with us at the church on Sundays last fall/winter. He was a pretty good player and with some work many of us thought he’d be very good. But, the other night that promise was taken in a car accident.

Now I’m not writing all of this to bum people out. Instead, I want to make a point and use Todd and myself as an example. Todd came to church off and on although this summer he was working all the time trying to get a better car. Before he’d made that decision he was scheduled to play softball with the church team. I had thought how great of an opportunity that was going to be as that way we’d all have more opportunities to witness and mentor him. When he decided to work instead of play I just figured that I’d have more opportunities in the future to do those same things.

Isn’t it funny how we have those same plans with people all the time? We just figure that we’ll have more time to be a witness into other people’s lives, or that someone else will do it for us instead? We deny ourselves the opportunities given by God because we figure there will be more. Well, with Todd there was not.

How many people have you put off witnessing to because you didn’t want to spend the time that day or were too busy doing something else, etc.? Don’t expect those opportunities to keep coming, as God has other plans than ours at times. Spend time witnessing and mentoring others whenever you are given the opportunity….you never know when those opportunities will end.

Who Do You Rely On?

Don’t Rely on Washington…

Now, I don’t normally get all political on things, and I haven’t yet before today in this blog. Yet, I have to get this off my chest as it’s been sitting there for awhile now: Don’t rely on the government to solve your problems. They have no idea what is best for you, and frankly they don’t care about you that much (unless you haven’t paid your taxes recently!)

Do you want an example? Let’s look at the math on this brilliant Cash for Clunkers Program they just had to shut down because so many Americans thought it was so wonderful:

-Your car must be a 1984 or later model and get less than 19 miles to the gallon
-You have to go to a dealership who gives you the discount, and then the government repays them and we all win, right?

Let’s look at the math for a moment:

Car Price: 25,000
CARS discount 4,500
---------------------------------------
Total Cost = 20,500

That brand new car you just bought in 4 years time will depreciate to roughly a value of 8,000. More than likely during that time you’ll be making payments of 450 a month. So, not including taxes / interest and all you’ll have that car paid for in around 46-50 months. Or you could say 3.8 – 4.2 years.

Now, let’s say that instead you paid yourself that 450 car payment for 20 months. Guess what, you could have the cash in hand to buy a car worth 9000 much faster! In fact, you could do that twice in the time it took you to pay for that brand new car you just bought!

So, if this program wasn’t great for you and I, then who was it good for you may ask? The credit companies were the biggest benefactors. Some would say the dealerships because they got product off their lots, but the program also took away a number of people who would have bought cars and kept them going for a longer period of time. The companies that gave everyone the credit are the ones making that difference between what you could have bought and did buy if you took part in the program.

The reason I mention this is two fold. First is to help you start thinking like a millionaire. I hate to tell you this, but most millionaires drive used cars. Many will tell you that over and over again. Sure, they have nice cars, but they also aren’t brand new. Secondly, I say this to tell you not to rely on the government to make your life better. There is only one person looking out for your well being. That person isn’t even on the Earth but instead is your Heavenly Father. He cares for us and has the best plans and programs for our lives. When we get inpatient and try these programs because we can’t wait for His timing we get ourselves into things that benefit others instead of ourselves. God wants all of us to prosper and knows how you’re going to do that in the future. When we start relying on Him to help us instead of the government we will become more prosperous than we can ever imagine.

-CARS example was mostly gathered from the Dave Ramsey newsletter. As always, I put my own little spin on it all.

Going Through The Motions

Have you ever felt like you were going through the motions in your life or relationship? You know, the day to day routine has become ordinary, or that your marriage or friendships have become stale? I know it's very easy to get into a funk like that right now with school starting up for the kids, summer ending, etc. What does it feel like to be in this type of status in life?

How can you prevent this from happening? How about trying prayer on for size! Pray that God will protect you from these feelings of boredom or blandness. Pray that He keep your relationships fresh and exciting so that you don't feel your heart straying. Pray that He protect you and all that you love from all of this as He is more than capable of doing just that for you.

Yet, let me direct you on one thing....don't go and ask for Him to help, go expecting Him to help! When you pray for this, or anything else for that matter, don't go doubting or questioning if He'd want to help you out. God has told us time and time again that He wants to help, and all we have to do is ask. So, go and pray confidently that He will take care of your needs and does not want any harm to come to you. He WILL take care of His children and keep you from feeling like you are just going through the motions.

Lions, and Tigers, and Monsters?

Today I wanted to talk about something that I really enjoy, christian rock music. Specifically I want to discuss the latest offering from the band Skillet which you can see beside here is called Awake. The reason I mention it today is the fact that it was released to the general public today.

I purchased this CD presale and have only had it for a few days, however I've been listening to the first two songs that were released for weeks now. those are Hero and Monster, which just happen to be the first two songs on this CD.

Now, I realize that many of you reading this won't listen to Skillet or their music, and I respect that as we have different tastes. That is why I'm going to post some lyrics here for you to read and have you think about for a minute:

The secret side of me

I never let you see

I keep it caged

But I can't control it

So stay away from me

The beast is ugly

I feel the rage

And I just can't hold it

It's scratching on the walls

In the closet, in the halls

It comes awake

And I can't control it

Hiding under the bed

In my body, in my head

Why won't somebody come and save me from this?

Make it end!

The above lyrics are from the song Monster. I think in this song they point out a great point: a lot of the reasons a person doesn't come to a relationship with Christ isn't because they don't want to have it, but instead the reason may be hidden deep inside them. It could very easily be something that you and I will never see on the outside looking in at their lives. Yet, that very reason can be very consuming for that person.

Do you see at the end of the lyrics how they are crying for help, yet throughout they haven't allowed anyone in due to it's all consuming nature? Do you now see why it's so important to get close to other people, especially those that need Him? They might not seem like they have problems, but WE ALL DO! We all have had reasons in our lives that have kept us from Him and many of those same reasons no one else around us would have ever known.

You have to get involved with other people. It's not enough to just know of someone, you have to KNOW someone. This is why we have to focus on things like mentoring and interpersonal relationships. We have to help people get past the monsters that are in the closet and under the bed, and know that the only way we can do that is by spending time with them. It's not enough to just do the work on the surface, instead you might have to get deeper. It's those deep relationships with others that will lead to them, as well as you, having a closer relationship with Jesus!

MoMentum....car style

Hello everyone. Today I’m going to tell you about something that just came up last night. This all stems from a discussion on an e-mail sent out by the head elder at Norwalk Alliance Church every week in regards to the elder of the day. Every week Larry Lepard sends out the information to all the elders and board members on any meetings we have on Sunday as well as who the EOD is, and that last part is written in some funny way that might be obvious to some, and to others maybe not. Here is this week’s clue:

“The elder who is still driving his first used car from his teen-age days is elder of the day.”

If you haven’t guessed yet, that elder would be yours truly. Now, that clue brought about some ribbing I definitely deserved (due to how much of a pain in the rear I normally am with the group) in regards to if a rolling piece of duct tape (my words not theirs) actually qualifies as a car, etc. It was all in good fun, and as I said earlier I’m sure it’s very deserved! However, it did remind me that I haven’t shared the story about my car with many people. That realization led me to this writing:

“You know I’m darn proud of my moving tin can. First off, no duct tape on it, thought there should be. I know Lep knows this and knows I’m not taking offense to anything when I point this out: The Grand Am is a great example of our faith in God and trusting in Him, along with the resilience that He’s given my family. We’ve had numerous times when we could have, maybe even should have, bought something else but our faith in Him has kept that car going. I know that His desire is for my family to get out of debt and that car allows us to not put money into something else - while continuing to focus on Him and not ourselves. The good news is that we’ll be out of debt by the end of 09 in every way minus our house and student loans, and in ’10 we can put some money aside to get something else! Woo Hoo!

So, every day I drive that car is another day that we get closer to Him, and I tell you what, it’s a beautiful thing! I’ve told Lep that our goal in this is to be able to actually have money in the monthly budget to give to people for no reason other than them have a need and feeling lead by God to do that at the time. I can’t wait to leave the $50 tip for the waiter/waitress who looks down on their luck and provided great service. I can’t wait to see a guy who I think needs fellowship with other men and pay for them to go to Men’s retreat or to play softball, etc. This is what God has laid on our hearts. That is why Traci and I both work 2 jobs, why we don’t buy much for ourselves, etc. It’s His kingdom that will be the better because of my driving that thing until the day it croaks! (Ok, I also can’t wait for the day to have heat and AC in the primary car I drive again – but overall I drive it such short distances, who cares….I’m willing to sacrifice!)

BTW – I’m taking donations of duct tape any time. I’d prefer it in red if you have it!”

Here is a picture of the car I’m driving:

My Grandma Reta gave me that car when I turned 16, and it’s been mostly a blessing ever since (It is still a car you know). In other words I’ve had it half of my life now! Traci drove it for awhile after college, but it became my primary car again after we bought the van as the family kept expanding! BTW - This is a picture of the good side of the car!

As you can see above, I'm not just writing this stuff for you guys and not living it, but instead we're fighting the good fight along side each and every one of you. We sacrifice in many ways. Traci and I hadn't been on a vacation without the kids in 10 years before last week, and even then we didn't go too far away. We didn't buy the bigger house that would have stretched us pretty far budget wise and instead bought one that was enough to meet our needs. I don't tell you this to make you feel that we're better than you, or deserve praise or pitty, etc. I do this to show you that it can be done. You have to take the leap of faith that HE WILL PROVIDE and that what he gives you is good enough. Come, walk along side of us getting close to Him each and every day.

Clearing The Way: It’s Not The End

So, for the last few blogs (about 3 more than I’d originally began with I should note) I’ve thrown a lot of stuff at you, yet that isn’t even close to the end to the barriers that are keeping us all from God. My goal has been to make you more aware of the things that have become common place in our world. I didn’t touch on everything that is out there to get in your way however. I mean, you do realize that the enemy will continue to attack you and attack you looking for anything that will reveal a weakness.

How do you keep your defenses ready at all times? There are many ways – most I have mentioned before in this blog but it does bear another reminder.

1) Prayer – Spend time with God. Ask Him to help you fight off the daily attacks that we all face in our lives. You are not alone in this fight.
2) Mentoring – Everyone should have people that mentor them as well as they should be mentoring others. People can benefit from what you have gone through and you never know what experiences you’ve had can help others. Talk to a few close friends and work in each others lives. Remember, you are stronger in those areas where two or more are gathered….
3) Reading – There is so much value (this said by a guy who hates to do this) in reading devotions and the Bible.

I wish you all good luck in clearing the way to your heart for God. I know that it has been much easier to write all of this than it is to do it. Take heart though readers, all of the above I am doing myself and know it’s not an easy road. As always I am here to discuss these or other topics at any time. Next week we just might start to delve into some marriage/relationship stuff....unless I'm led another way between then and now.

Clearing The Way: Stop Hiding Out

I’m pretty sure that almost everyone recognizes what it is above that I’m showing, right? Where’s Waldo?! Can you normally find him when you look at these (I realize this isn't the best looking image, but good enough for what I'm looking to do here)? What does Waldo have to do with the Christian life…it is what you are thinking, right?

Well, the past few weeks I’ve pointed out a few things to everyone…that you shouldn’t want everything, debt isn’t a great thing, sex is all around us, that we are taught to put ourselves in the middle and not God, and that you have to find yourself. So, now that you are all aware of that I also want you to do this: STOP HIDING.

Isn’t that what Waldo does in these pictures, he hides right? He tries to fit in with the rest of the crowd so that you can’t find him. Is that what a lot of us do in the world, hide out? Isn’t it easier if you are a Christian to hide and not let anyone know? Yet, we’re told to go and make disciples (or as Andrew Berry taught at NAC and Beulah during the Mission’s Conference – as you go, make disciples). How can we make disciples if we’re hiding in the world.

Let’s look at this in a way that many people hopefully can relate with: children’s sports. I’m pretty sure that if you have a brother or sister, kids of your own, or even yourself, you realize that there are a ton of different sports kids can play and different levels they can play. How many of you have been the head coach or assistant to a team any of the above kids have played on? If you haven’t, why not? Could it be because you weren’t an expert at the sport? How about the excuse of someone else will do it? Oh, and the whole I don’t have time excuse fits well too, right? Yet through it all didn’t the league or team call and ask because they didn’t have enough coaches – and you still said no….or were you willing to do it when they begged?

This is just a simplified example of our unwillingness to break away from the crowd. It’s so easy to just barely get your kid there in time, criticize the coaching during the game, and then leave afterwards, isn’t it? Do we do the same thing with our Christianity, we aren’t experts at the Bible (I’m not even close personally – at least with word for word references, etc.), or that we know that someone else will reach that person so we won’t even try, oh and the whole we don’t have time to be a Christian right now….right?

It’s time to stop giving ourselves excuses for not doing God’s work and instead step out from the crowd. Going back to the sports you don’t have to be the head coach, but you could help assist, couldn’t you? That is all God wants us to do. He’s the CEO of His corporation and he wants all of us to strive to move up in the company. We all start out in the lowest entry level positions but he wants all of us to strive to be more. He doesn’t “hire” us to always be at the entry level! It’s time to work our way up from that job to a supervisor or manager’s spot, people! Stop doing just enough to get by and take a step out and try to advance His Kingdom!

Clearing The Way: Finding Yourself

You know, after figuring out that you are not the center of the universe, I’m sure that it's easy to ask yourself what else there is to do. You've started to move yourself from the center and God into that space. Perhaps you have decided to look at other aspects of your life and are making some changes there as well. Yet, when you look at the road you are now on, it can be hard to figure out where you are going, as looking forward all you see is the horizon.

Today I'm going to tell you a little about my trip thus far, to give you an example of where I've been and how I got to where I am today. So here we go with the abbreviated version:

Let's start at the beginning. In elementary school I was the fat kid. I was picked on all of the time, which is pretty much where my sense of humor started. I got to the point where I started making jokes before anyone else so that I didn't get picked on, moving the attention elsewhere. In 6th grade I really began to lose the weight with the help of playing a number of sports. Yes, the sense of humor stayed.

In High School I played basketball through my Junior year and I was the first 4 year starter for PCHS soccer and captain for my Jr. and Sr. years. Senior year I put my focus into Port Clinton DECA (Business Program). This is where I gained a lot of public speaking and community service experience. DECA, along with my soccer skills, led me to being recruited to Defiance College (a D3 school - as the D1 & D2 wanted to red shirt me, and I didn't want to go to school longer than I had to!) for soccer and a new program called Service Leaders.

Long story short, I started to party a lot as I entered college. I spent most weekends enjoying the freedom of being at college and was very social trying to spend as much time at the girls’ dorm as I could. This went on for the most of my freshman and sophomore years. I was drinking a lot and wasn't even making a number of classes, almost causing me to lose my Service Leader Scholarship and lead to me not playing soccer after my freshman year.

Midway through my sophomore year I started to realize I needed to clean myself up. The very next week after I made this decision, a buddy of mine introduced me to a girl he wanted to ask out. She was on the women's soccer team and yet I'd never seen her before. If you hadn't guessed, that was Traci. I liked her from the first time I met her, but I didn't try too much since I didn't want to make my friend mad. Instead, I became good friends with her over time. Then, after some time my buddy decided he liked his new crush, which allowed me to ask Traci out. We actually went out on a date and had our first kiss that night. She actually told me at the end of the date that she wanted to be just friends as she didn't feel a spark, and I didn't want to ruin our friendship so I lied and agreed to that.but it didn't stop me.

Around 2 months later we were dating full time. A year later I took her to Europe on a trip my dad needed chaperons for (he's a French teacher at PCHS and needed adults to go along with the students). I proposed to the love of my life on top of the Eiffel Tower on June 11, 1998. Lucky for me, she said yes! Not only was she the woman for me, but she was a Christian and was opening my eyes up to things that I didn't get/understand from my Catholic upbringing. She kept teaching me while learning things herself. We were married a year and a day after getting engaged, on June 12, 1999. We were living down in Sidney, Ohio and going to church. This is when I really started to get what I used to call "The God Thing". Through Bible studies and my beautiful wife I was becoming a Christian, though at that point I hadn't made a full commitment.

After Traci had taught second grade for two years and after we had Noah, we decided that we wanted to be closer to the grandparents. So, we moved in with my parents in Port Clinton while I looked for a job closer to both of our parents. (I had taken a job at a distribution center as a manager after college.) I took some part time work at a local hotel and eventually was hired by Boy Scouts of America as an executive for Erie and Huron Counties. We had to be centrally located in the counties, so we moved to Norwalk.

After moving we began looking for a church that was like the one we went to in Sidney. The second church we made it to was NAC, a church we’d driven past many times on our trips to visit Traci’s family in New London. We felt so at home on just our first visit that we decided it was the place for us. A couple of weeks later (Oct 20, 2001) a British guy comes to the house and talks to us, and changed my life for ever. He taught me how to invite Jesus into my heart for good. He then invited us to a small group he was starting with couples just like us, and since we'd been in a small group before we jumped right in.

Since that day my life has been different. We've made it through some times that would have probably destroyed me in the past. From losing a job to a miscarriage, God has worked in my life for the good. He's been faithful and really working in my life every day. I have calmness in my life because I KNOW that God is there and that He IS working in my life. I firmly believe that He put Traci in my life at just the right time as I, even though looking to change, could have easily headed further down the slope I was on. He provided me another person to care for, to support me, and lead me back to Him! It was according to His plan that we met when we did, that we didn't connect right away, etc. I thank Him every day as I am the luckiest man in the world because I have such a caring wife / best friend and a Heavenly Father who cared enough for me to send her my way!

Now I'm an elder at NAC and attempting to be a light in the world for him each and every day. I have a mentor and am mentoring others myself. I focus myself at the start of every day by reading (and believe me this is hard as I hate reading) something that will focus me on God instead of the world or myself.

I'm not going to lie and tell you that this is easy or that it all happened right away. It took time to get here and it wasn't my timing, but God's timing that it all fell into place. I feel I was to go through everything I did to be where I am today - and that there is a reason for all of it.
So, what do you think? Do you think that being a Christian and changing your life is too hard and not worth it? Is there a reason why God has you in this place in time doing what you are right now? Maybe you work at a place that has many co-workers who are searching for something else in their life and God wants to use YOU to bring them to Him. Maybe you have gone through a foreclosure in the past and could be there to walk along side someone else going through that same thing right now. Maybe you’ve gone through a job loss before and could do the same with someone who lost theirs over the past few months.

God knows where you are in your life and why you are there right now. He has a plan for each one of us, something I think that I’ve shown above. When I left the Catholic church as a disgruntled teenager I never expected to be an elder at a church like I am today. I got really into rap and hard rock music when I was a teen, and now advocate the same types of music today to my children – just now the lyrics are focused on God and not on how horrible our lives are, sex, name calling, etc.

In conclusion I ask you this question: how has your life changed? You are never going to be perfect as you were not created to be perfect. We are here to bring others to Him. Our lives need to be an example of that in every way we can make them. It’s not going to be a fast transition for most. It’s not going to be easy for a lot of people either. What I can leave you with is that the change is worth it! If you haven’t yet take that first step towards a relationship with Jesus. I would love to discuss that with you and to some day read your testimony. If you already have started along the road be encouraged as you are not alone on your journey – He is walking right along side you as He is with me, even when I didn’t know He was there.

Clearing The Way: Get Out Of The Middle

As I’ve been writing and rereading my recent posts a point that I hadn’t made keeps coming to mind: we often put ourselves as the center of everything going on. Much like the sun is the to earth we place ourselves as the center of the universe and don’t leave much room for God. What if even half of the time we put God at the center of what we have going on in our lives?

I’m sure that some of you are wondering what I mean on this, so let me explain. As a Christian we are to going out into the world and making disciples. A lot of times we’re so busy doing the things that we have to do to make it through the day that we miss a ton of opportunities to be a light in the world for HIM! Let’s think about something that almost everyone in the world has done, let’s walk in the front door of Wal-Mart for a minute. As you walk in what do you see? More than likely if your Wal-Mart is like ours in Norwalk you’ll probably have 2-3 people leaving, more people coming in along side of you, people in the aisles in front of you, a greeter, and some people checking out. Count those people in your mind and take a guess on how many of them know God in a personal way. Now, walk in a little further and start your way towards the toy section. How many more people have you seen? How often have we all been on such a mission of our own that as we walked through the store we almost ran over someone or just ignored everyone else around. Here is my challenge to you: next time smile at half of the people you see. That is right, I said just smile.

What did that smile do you may ask, right? Well, it’s just possible that you might have brightened someone’s day just by smiling at them. Maybe you showed one of them that not everyone in the world is hateful like they’d thought…maybe you gave them a glimmer of hope in a horrible day…and maybe, just maybe, God’s love for them shown through your eyes. Did you realize that just a smile could have that much power? How did this happen, because you were willing to move out of the center of your own world and allow God to be there instead. Now try something different the next time you go: hold a door for someone, help someone reach something they are too short to reach or can’t bend over to get, or just let them get in front of you in line because they only have 2-3 items while you have a cart load. No, it may not work for everyone, but even if you reach just one person in your 1-2-3 trips this week to Wal-Mart, was it worth it?

You see, it’s just that simple. I didn’t ask you to pay for their groceries, discipline their rowdy kids, or anything like that – I just asked you to start with a smile. In just that simple gesture you just might give someone hope that doesn’t have it. You may give them a glimmer of the love that God has for them. I know it’s not easy to do all the time as we all have so many things to do and places to be…but will getting out of the middle be worth it if we were able to touch someone’s life for Him with something as simple as a smile? To me, it’s worth the effort!

Clearing The Way: The Culture Of Sex

Sex Sells, right? I guess the proof has to be in the pudding as if it didn’t sell, they’d stop shoving it down our throats all the time, right? We’re told every day by the world that if we buy this product then we’ll attract the opposite sex, or if we use this product then our spouse/boy or girlfriend will be all over us, right? Do you believe the world, is what they are saying true?

I point the above out because I think that it’s become such a large part of our culture that it’s not even recognized at times. It’s become second nature for the people around us to be half naked showing off everything that in the past you had to “round the bases” to see. P.D.A. has become the norm, not the exception. Do we not realize that all of this is just causing problems in the world?

Why do more marriages fail now than ever before? Why are more and more kids having kids? Why is it so strange to see the mother and father of all 2-3 kids in the family actually being married and still together? Do we not realize what is going on here in the world? I think not.

I’m not one to normally say this or that is “from the devil” usually, however is there any other explanation for what is going on around us? Yes, God made both man and woman to be beautiful, but I don’t think he told us to make sure we flaunt what ya got all over the world! We are under attack, and in my mind this is one area that we are losing ground every day. The night before I wrote today’s blog I went and watched the new Transformers movie. Now I was a big fan of the animated series, yet I don’t remember there ever being a time when a robot could transform into a mostly naked female. Why did they add that to the movie, along with the already overly sexual female lead from the first movie? It is because they want to draw in many more young male viewers. (I personally will not be seeing another Transformers movie because of that and the language they threw around like no one would care, but that is another story) It does sell.

To conclude this section of the my clearing the way series, I pray that you are now even more aware of what is being thrown in front of you on a daily basis. This is just another way that you are being kept from God, and I didn’t even mention the porn industry until now. You need to be aware of what is there, and clear as much of it from your life as you can! If you want to fulfill your calling and promote God’s kingdom, then you need to be aware of these items, and clear as many of them from your life as you can.

Clearing The Way: Wanting It All

This is the 2nd part of an ongoing series, started last week with the intro.

People, we live in a society that tells you every day in every way that you should want more out of life. You should want a bigger house, a bigger TV (ok, I fall victim there, just ask Traci), the newest movies, etc. They tell you in commercials, on billboards, in stores, and even in movies. Is it ok to want “stuff” in your life? I’m pretty sure that is just fine…but it’s what you do to get it, or how badly you want it that can be the problem.

Are you willing to beg, borrow, or steal for the things that you want? I mean, when you use credit to buy the stuff, you are doing one of those, right? (We’ll get into that more in the future.) Have you ever begged your spouse or parents for something until you got it? If you have kids, have they done that to you? What happened right after they got the item they craved? Yes – we all find something else that we want.

Why is that we want something else right away you may ask. I would say that it’s partly the thrill of the chase. It’s fun to work towards getting something and have something you are shooting towards. The rest may be because we’re not happy with what we already have. I mean, I already have a 27” TV in my house, but it doesn’t have HDTV, and it’s not a flat screen. If you have the same, then you know that all sports are now broadcast for the people that have that stuff, not people like me. If it was for everyone, would I lose half of the graphics, or not be able to read the scores scrolling by on the bottom line? So, of course I want the full experience, and the only way to get it is to get a new TV, right? What an example, here I can live with what I have, but I want something else just to see the rest of the stuff, right? (Ok, I have to mention that our TV also has been dropped twice by the kids and now the DVD connectors don’t work, another annoyance….)

Ok, back on track here (enough of my complaining about my TV) and to the root of the matter: God will provide for you all that you need, and more, for your life. You have to trust in Him and, although maybe not in your time, He will get you what you NEED. I’m sure that when my TV dies, God will provide us with something else. You need to realize that you don’t need the brand new this or that just because it’s out. You don’t need to replace everything you have every year or two. Instead, clear your life of all of the extra “stuff” and allow Him to provide for you. When you and your wants get out of the way you just may find that your needs are being filled in ways you never imagined.

As our good friend Lep said when he proofread this for me: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto you."

Time to Clear The Way

I'm guessing that a lot of the people that read this blog are not huge Hawk Nelson fans. They are a Christian rock band that I had heard a bunch of times on the radio, but really enjoyed live at both Winter Jam and The Rock and Worship Roadshow. But, although I enjoyed them, my boys fell in love with their style and because of that the music has been played a lot at my house, much to my enjoyment. I mention that because today I want to start examining some of the lyrics that are to be found in their song Let's Dance. Here is the chorus:

And I don't wanna look inside myself cause
Then I'll have to change somethin' else and
I don't want to live, like someone else
I'm happy in my skin, bein' myself
Let's dance

Now, if you've really let those lyrics sink in, you know exactly what they are saying, right? This could be the anthem for the majority of America today people! Instead of looking at ourselves we'd much rather point out the faults in everyone else. If we were to really look at our lives, wouldn't we find a lot of the same things that we point out as wrong in other people's lives?

Well people, over the next few blogs I'm going to try and make us start looking at these things that God wants us to change in our lives. We're going to look at the items that are in the way between us and God and keeping us from being all that he wants us to be! I hope you are ready to clear the way with me and to examine your life, because we have a fun trip coming!

Learnings At The Grill

I, like many males this time of year, love to grill out meals for my family. I enjoy the time spent in the back yard cooking up these manly meat concoctions for the families enjoyment. The reason I bring that up isn't to brag about the fact that I bought a new grill the other day (notice I did mention it though!) but for the fact that I learned two things the other day when I used it the first few times.

#1 - If you are unsure of how something is going to work, don't walk away from it! Yep - the first time we used it I was getting phone calls about softball, etc. and I ended up leaving the brats for a little too long. Par for the course, 5 of the 10 were burnt to a crisp in the process. I had a good flame going and the brats were cooking up well. Yet, I walked away from it and what happened? I now had crispy brats! I should have stayed there and watched them cook, and made sure they were cooked evenly, etc.

This should be done with your spiritual life as well. I've seen a number of people get almost too turned on for God at times. (Ok, not really possible, but follow me here) These people jump right in with both feet and really seem to have the fire burning to a full blaze. They are eating up every book they can find and learning so much, so fast. (almost like a baby when they are learning to walk who takes one step, and think they can run.) What happens next, they fall flat on their face, at least spiritually. Make sure you "cook" your spiritual life on all sides. You're probably not going to be able to stop everything from your previous life right away and be happy. It has to be gradual, and watched....don't let it burn to a crisp!

#2 - You have to try again and again. It's true, I didn't let the burnt brats get the best of me. The next day not only did I grill again, but I grilled something different, trying a new technique. Much like changing your life, you may have to change a lot of things in your life. You may have to even adjust the process in order to get the changes to work. It may take many times before you get it right. My point here is that you have to keep trying as it's worth it in the end. Not only were the pork chops I made good, but the Dr. Pepper mixture that I basted on it made for some good eats. I'd gone back and tried it again, and it was well worth it.

Anyway, I'll let you know if I have any more adventures to learn from this weekend as we host the family for a cookout on Saturday. Happy 4th of July, and thanks to all that are and have served in defending our country! God Bless The USA.

Quiz Time

Ok, I'm a big fan of Facebook and I spend a lot of time on there playing games when I want to unwind. One thing that I keep seeing is people making and taking quizzes about other people. This led me to today's blog: It's time to take a quiz about YOURSELF!

1) When was the last time you opened the Bible when you weren't at church?

2) When was the last time you actually prayed that person you told that you'd pray for them?

3) When was the last time you prayed with and/or for your spouse (or future spouse as the case may be.)

4) When was the last time you helped someone with anything when it wasn't convenient for you?

5) When was the last time you did something because it advanced His kingdom, and not just your own?

6) When was the last time you read a devotion or a book and actually worked that new knowledge into your day to day life?

7) When was the last time you really gave everything you had into your family? (Be it playing with the kids, teaching the family a moral lesson, etc.)

8) When was the last time you put yourself aside and devoted yourself to mentoring someone that needed to be mentored?

Now, I'm not going to tell you that if you answered this way or that way that you scored so many points, and that certain totals say this or that about you. In fact, I'll be the first to admit (easy since I'm writing this before anyone else can read it) that I can't even answer some of the questions that I've put up there. You may ask what that means...and all I can tell you is that we all have work to do in our spiritual lives.

The goal should be to have the lines that divide our lives into quadrants to be blurred all together. Your life is not your work life, your spiritual life, your home life, etc. Instead it should be just one life: HIS LIFE. If you want to be more like Jesus and know WWJD then work towards having those lines that divide your life blurred and start having answers for the questions above. YOU can make a difference in the kingdom for HIM, and getting there takes one step at a time.

10 Years Down!

So, today marks the 10 year anniversary of my coo in getting Traci to be my wife. So many things have happened during our time together that I'd have to write a novel the size of War & Peace to get it all down on paper. But, instead I'd like to share with you some of the things that I've learned while being married so long. (These are in no order as I'm not really big on ranking things, etc.)

#1 - If you keep Christ the center of your marriage then you're gonna be held together. Sure today we mark a great milestone that is worthy of the happiness that I have in my heart, but it's not like we haven't had hard times during this time. Yet, here we still stand together hand in hand thanks to God's grace. He has been the glue in our marriage through the easy and the tough times.

#2 - Kinda goes along with #1 there - I'm not all that important in the long run. What I mean by that is that the world doesn't revolve around me. The same can be said for Traci as a matter of fact. Instead, the world revolved around God and HIS plan for our lives. Once we figured that out I think we became even stronger as a unit. It was hard at first as we both had our own goals and desires, and with every kid it's been harder and harder to fit in time for our own stuff. Now, if one or both of us still focused on ourselves all the time the other person would feel slighted or worse not loved at all. By keeping him at the forefront we've learned how to work together towards HIS goals, which many times end up going along with ours anyway! So, keep that focus on him and he'll reward both you, your spouse, and the marriage as a whole!

#3 - Each kid you have will drain some of your energy. My goodness, I think about what I use to be able to do before we had kids and I wonder how I was every able to do any of it! We use to have no problem staying up all night and still working on no sleep. We use to work out together, do puzzles, watch movies, etc. and still get the house clean etc. Now days we're lucky to have clean clothes, dishes, or stay up past 10 PM! I've figured out that the kids took the energy, as they always have more than I ever want them to have. Yes, this and the changing of the date are God's little pokes of fun at us! I tell you, every time I figure out what today's date is it changes to the next day! How rude!

#4 - Back to seriousness (as serious as I ever get on here): It's NOT going to be easy. Yes, we've been married 10 years now, but I tell you that we both work at this marriage thing all the time. I don't have all the answers on how to make our marriage better just yet. In fact I never will! We continue to evolve as people, and so does our marriage. The minute we stop working at it, that is when we stop caring if you ask me. You have to talk with one another and keep getting to know what makes each other tick. Don't just assume that your wife likes French Vanilla creamer in her coffee, as she may have discovered that some new flavor is now her favorite. Some times she doesn't want the radio on during the car ride but instead wants to spend time with you without the distractions! Pay attention, and if you don't know ask! I don't think there has been a time that I've asked Traci a question about her that she just laughed at me for asking when I asked in a serious manner. She appreciates that I care ,and I'm sure if you are reading this and are married, your spouse will feel the same way!

#5 - Praying together works! In the past Traci and I have done devotionals together, read the same books separately and talked about it, etc. But, I think the thing that we've done that helps us the most is praying together. Sure, this goes back to #1 again and where we are focused. Every Sunday we review the upcoming week and what is happening each night. We talk about things that have happened or will be happening, etc. Then after that we pray together, giving it all to God to do with as He will. We know that He's in control of our schedule, and of all the tasks that we have to do. By turning this all over to Him we aren't burdened with trying to do it all on our own. We've found that our weeks go by much easier with Him leading us through them. Who controls your week?

So, that is us in a nutshell. Marriage, money, and parenting are some of my favorite subjects to discuss, so if you are reading this and want any advice in those kind of areas please let me know. I thank you for reading and I look forward to what else God gives me to write to you about in the near future. I hope you've enjoyed just a few things I've learned about being married. Put God in control of your marriage people, you'll be a stronger unit because of it!

There is no "I" in team

I'm sure you've heard the saying many times before, especially if you've played any team sports in your lifetime. The saying is used very often to bring about team unity and get everyone on the same page. But, how does this go along with what I normally discuss in this blog? Keep reading my friends:

Saturday evening the Cleveland area suffered another loss for a team thought to win a championship that season. The Cavaliers were defeated for the 4th (of 6 games) and final time by the Orlando Magic. Now, being a fan of many Cleveland teams this didn't surprise me too much as it's happened to all of our teams at one time or another. What bugged me about the whole thing is how Lebron "King" James acted throughout the series. It felt to myself and many that I've talked to during the series as though Lebron was trying to do it all himself. This was a huge contrast from the way the season went and even the first 2 rounds of the playoffs. Another thing that annoyed me was how the face of the franchise (Mr. James himself) acted after the team was defeated in the deciding game. He ran off the court without congratulating the Magic players, one of whom was a good friend of his. Then, he didn't even talk to the media after the game, something mandated by the NBA. So, what two concepts (ok, probably a lot more, but I’m limited in time here, give a guy a break) can you get from this series:

1) You can’t go at it alone and expect to prosper. Lebron tried at times to do it all himself in those games and went almost 1 on 5 on the court. Sure, there were times when he passed the ball to the other guys and times when maybe he needed to take over. However he needed to really trust in his teammates, especially when the going got tough. Instead he did his own thing and failed both himself and the team he plays on. What in your life are you trying to do alone? What in your life could get easier if you talked to someone else (a mentor perhaps) or prayed and trusted God to take care of the problem? Trust the people around you, and if you don’t then get different people around you. Surround yourself with strong influences that will help build you up instead of take you down with them. Oh, and if they are good enough to be with you in the good times then they just might be good enough to be with you in the bad times – but you never know unless you trust them in those situations. God will put the right people there with you if you ask, have you asked him lately?

2) You must have respect. Lebron on Saturday lost the respect of many people for his actions after the game. When you are not victorious you need to keep your head held high and act like an adult no matter the circumstances. Have there been times in your life where you weren’t respectful of those around you? Are you doing things that you shouldn’t be doing that would really lose the respect of family, friends, co workers, etc. if they found out such as gambling or pornography, etc.? If you truly respect those around you and want to earn their respect then you will find a way to get help for the problems. I’ll suggest that you start with prayer and finding someone close to you to talk with. A mentor relationship can be invaluable.

I’m sorry if you are a Cavs fan and don’t agree with my thoughts on what Lebron did over the weekend. I agree that he is a greatly talented basketball player, but other than that he needs to grow up….and all the money in the world will not help that happen. I will say this to everyone, feel free to comment and leave your thoughts and feelings on the subject. Or, talk to me in person, in an e-mail, or phone call. I love to talk about these and the many other things I’ve written about and will write about here in the future. I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks to everyone for reading. It’s through our giving each other our thoughts and feelings on items such as these that allow us to keep building Momentum and keeping the I out of T-E-A-M.

It's Never Over

So tonight I was watching and listening to the Indians game. I turned on the game at the point where we were down 8-0, which quickly went up to 10-0. I gotta say that I wasn't overly thrilled with the team's prospects for the evening. In fact, most of this season hasn't been all that promising....which is hard for me to say as I'm a die hard Tribe fan.

Well, what happens you may be asking? Yep, the Tribe bullpen finally has been pulling themselves together and get us into the 9th inning with us down 10-4. They've gone 5 scoreless innings to get us to that point. So, the Indians get a few players on base and I'm still ho-hum about it. Then they score a few runs, and I'm starting to try not to get my hopes up. Then, all of a sudden it's 10-9 and we've got the bases loaded! But, then I realize that Victor Martinez is up, who's in the middle of a 0-18 slump. So, what happens, YES the improbable! He gets a base hit which scores two runs, and the Indians win!

So, why do I bring that up in a blog that is supposed to be uplifting for Christians on their journey? I use this as a great example of why you shouldn't hang your head down low no matter what is going on in your life. You could be getting attacked by the enemy in 20 different ways. You could be the subject of most country music songs where your Truck just broke down on your way to bury your dog who died of a broken heart after your girlfriend left you! Yet, there is the promise of Our Father that he'll be there taking care of each one of us. He's there in it all with you, and although you feel the entire weight of the world if you give it over to Him, he'll help you through it all.

My family has recently gone through something similar. Last week I didn't write here because I was focusing on my wife's lost purse. Had to check credit reports and put alerts on our accounts. We had to stop all her debit cards, checks, and file a police report. That had me all freaked out, and I didn't handle it well right away. I tried to take care of it all myself and was extremely frustrated. Once I gave it up to God and allowed him to work in the situation everything went smoother. So far nothing has happened to us through all of this. I praise Him every day for that, and will continue to do that. It wasn't just luck that the deposit of money we were going to do wasn't in that purse. It was His grace that allowed it to be this way.

So, in conclusion if I try to do this all myself then not much good comes of it. Just like with the Indians tonight. If every player tries to hit a home run, then no one is on base for the rest of the players to hit in. They were down 10-0 people, and they won the game! What kind of odds do you have against you, and would it be easier to get through what you are with His help?

Changing Some Focus

Do you have anyone in your life that just makes you want to do this:

Traci and I were looking at the week we had coming up and discussing things, then praying together as we do every Sunday night when in the discussion we were talking about someone that was going to lead me to go crazy all week. So, I asked for prayer in dealing with them. When she heard the request she looked at me and asked if I ever prayed for the person as well as myself in dealing with them. Man, talk about getting hit with something big eh?

So, here I've been thinking about this since she said that. Sometimes we're way too focused on ourselves aren't we? No matter how much we as Christians try not to be a part of what the world is doing, it still gets us one way or another. Here I was asking for prayer in dealing with someone when I should have also been praying for that same person! It was all about me wasn't it? Well, I'm going to resolve to be better at that from now on. Sure, I still need prayer for dealing with some things that will come up, but they also need prayer in order to some day become a Christian themselves. All it took was my wife to nail me for all of it to sink in. I'm sure that no one else has had the same thing to happen to them right? Next time you have someone who you need prayer in dealing with, remember to pray for them as well....it'll help bridge that gap. All in God's timing that is.