1/31/08 "Life"

Life comes at you the hardest when you least expect it. When you are married it is even harder when things come at your spouse at the "speed of life" and you cannot do anything to help but listen.

Sometimes we look at our days and hope that something we did was meaningful...worthy of living the past 24 hours. It is easy to look back at our "to-do-list" and think we really didn't accomplish too much.

Steven Curtis Chapman sings a song to this theme called "One Heartbeat at a Time"...here are the lyrics:

"You're up all night with a screaming baby
You run all day at the speed of life
And every day you feel a little bit less
Like the beautiful woman you are
So you fall into bed when you run out of hours
And you wonder if anything worth doing got done
Oh, maybe you just don't know
Or maybe you've forgotten

With every 'I know you can do it'
Every tear that you kiss away
So many little things that seem to go unnoticed
They're just like the drops of rain over time
They become a river"

You, you are changing the world
One little heartbeat at a time
Making history with every touch and every smile
Oh, you, you may not see it now
But I believe that time will tell
How you, you are changing the world
One little heartbeat at a time."

Never underestimate your impact on the people around you...your Christian influence may be the only "Jesus" some people get each time they are around you. If Jesus lives in you, you are His "Walking, Talking, World-Changer." That's quite a title! Wear it proudly.

1/30/08 "Thanks"

The storms passed last night and we are safe...now what? Give thanks. Too many times we ask for God's guidance and when we get it, we forget to say thank you. How rude of us!

Psalm 136
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
4 to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.

"Give thanks with a grateful heart
give thanks to the Holy One
give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son

And now let the weak say 'I am strong'
let the poor say 'I am rich because of what
the Lord has done for us'
Give thanks..."

1/29/08 "Storms"

Last night, we had some strong winds come through Lewisport. The meteorologists say that we should expect storms tonight.

As a kid, I used to be scared of storms...the noises and bright flashes of lightening. The disciples were even scared for their life one time while in a boat during a storm...

Matthew 8:23-27
"Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"

He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"

We should have faith in our storms of life. God already knows the outcome. God will be in control of our life if we let Him be.

"'Til the storm passes over
'til the thunder sounds no more
'til the clouds roll forever from the sky
hold me fast let me stand
in the hollow of Thy hand
keep me safe, 'til the storm passes by."

1/28/08 "Toothpaste"

When I was a youth at Beaver Dam Baptist, I remember the youth minister, Doug King, doing a children's sermon while attempting to brushing his teeth. He started off greeting the kids and then asking them to wait a second while he got a toothbrush and toothpaste out of his blazer pocket. He held the toothbrush and then asked a child to help him put toothpaste on the brush. The kid put some on and then Doug said that was too much and he wanted the child to put the toothpaste back in. The child had a puzzled look on his face, tried to put it back, and then said that he couldn't put it back in. It was too late.

Then, Doug went on to mention that sometimes when we speak, we say things that we can't take back and that we should think about what we say before we say it. In my church years, I have had many people say things I was not quite expecting. Some folks have said many nice things and other made me wonder if they had talked with Christ over the past few centuries...

These devotions are important to me because it focuses my thoughts on Christ each day, instead of my personal needs and desires. So each morning as you brush your teeth, remember the toothpaste whitens your teeth, protects them from germs, and cleans them. Your devotional time each morning also helps to clean your thoughts and protect them from worldly things.

1/27/08 "Verse of the Day" from biblegateway.com

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”- Ephesians 6:12-13

1/26/08 "Plans"

So yesterday I wrote about us looking forward to nothing to do. Turns out today, Sarah was in bed all day with a terrible migraine. Evidently, God had plans for Sarah to endure that while I did my best to entertain the kids.

God must think it humorous when we talk about "our plans" and "our dreams." Our plans should be His plans for us found in His Word.

Jeremiah 29:11 " For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

1/25/08 "Rest"

If you are like me, you can hardly believe it is Friday...again! It seems like just yesterday I was at home with 2 sick kids and as another week has flown by, the kids are up playing and bickering as usual!

Since it is the weekend, I was looking forward to a weekend of rest. Since I typically work on Sundays my weekend is Friday and Saturday. We have nowhere to go today or tomorrow and we are thankful.

Jesus even rested and our Creator showed an example of rest when He created our existence.

Here are some scriptural references of rest in the Bible:
Gen 2:2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.

Psalm 62:1 My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.

Matt 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Maybe you know of some more...but remember as you enjoy this weekend to leave time for rest so that you may never grow weary of serving the Lord.

1/24/08 "As the Twig is Bent"

As the Twig is Bent
By Dennis and Nan Allen

This song is about raising children...as you read it, give thanks to God for the time you had or the time you are currently having while bringing up your children.

"There's a little boy with tousled hair at his father's knee
listening to nursery rhymes and stories of the sea
But the tales are not of Godly men, they're only make believe
they are nothing more than nursery rhymes and stories of the sea

Well the little boy becomes a man searching for the truth
remembering the voices now from days out of his youth
but the words he hears inside his head don't tell him what to be
'cause they're nothing more than nursery rhymes and stories of the sea

Well the little boy with tousled hair at his father's knee
needs much more than nursery rhymes and stories of the sea
He needs someone to share God's love and show him how to pray
for the truth that's planted in his heart will mold the man someday

As the twig is bent is how the tree will grow
As the mind is planted is how the heart will know
If you lead a child to Jesus that's where his feet will go
For as the twig is bent is how the tree will grow"

1/23/08 "The Man in the Mirror"

From Max Lucado "When God Whispers Your Name"

"I stand a few feet from a mirror and see the face of a man who failed...who failed his Maker. Again. I promised I wouldn't, but I did. I was quiet when I should have been bold. I took a seat when I should have taken a stand.

If this were the first time, it would be different. But it isn't. How many times can one fall and expect to be caught?

Your eyes look in the mirror and see a sinner, a failure, a promise-breaker. But by faith you look in the mirror and see a robed prodigal bearing the ring of grace on your finger and the kiss of the Father on your face...

Your eyes see your faults. Your faith sees your Savior.

Your eyes see your guilt. Your faith sees His blood.