Having grown up in the church, I remember a favorite that we always sang and requested...Hymn number 474, Count Your Many Blessing. Well, this past few days we have had as many of you know a huge bazaar as we downsize our home and earthly goods. As we are doing the sale, we have been able to count so many blessing.
1. God's provision for our lives
2. God's care for our future
3. God's direction in our lives for all of our life
4. God's leading as we follow Him as He is righting new chapters for our life
5. Great memories here in our home
6. The blessing of friends and family that came through this weekend and through the years
7. His knitting our lives with so many people and watching the tapestry come together in a beautiful way
8. The blessing of trials that have produce character, faith, diligence and perseverance
9. Brothers and sisters in Christ that have walked the road ahead of us that share and love on us
10. A wife that is creative and is a modern Proverbs 31 woman of God!!!
11. The memories of all the things that we have and have shared to make our home a home
12. The opportunity to minister to people as they have come in our home this weekend
13. Share the ministry God is leading us to with several that had no idea of our new ministry
14. The opportunity to share the gospel with a few that have come through our house this weekend
15. The ability to see the Lord sell and bring in people to buy our earthly treasures and then to say, "When I see this item, I will remember to pray for you and your ministry!" What a blessing!!
When you start to count the blessing that the Lord has and is doing, I literally stand in amazement!!! He is so faithful. He is so constant. He is so caring. He is so loving.
As we look ahead, we see the Lord writing so many new pages in our book about our life!
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Courageous ~ The Movie
Last night my wife of 29 years and one of our children, Melanie, went to the opening of the new release of Courageous. Wanting to see it, support the producing of good clean family movies we went! The third showing completely packed so that the theater had to open an additional theater and packed it as well, so we went to the 10pm show.
As we were there, I listened to numerous friends that passed by leaving the show and their comments and reactions to it. I was then even more anxious to watch it. As we sat through the preview, I began to rehearse the last 25 years of being a father, 29 years as a husband and definitely had moments of disappointment and yet, some incredible highlights.
Dancing with my daughters at weddings of friends or even in our living room when they were younger. Taking my son to a men's retreat several times. Talks over coffee at the house or their favorite coffee shop. Working on their cars, mowing the lawn together of numerous other activities and events. Even making it not only to games and events in school, but to their football, volleyball and basketball practices.
Making and creating memories for them and myself. Being the best father I knew and know how to be.
You see, the world, Hollywood and the likes, have made the father out to be a stupid, self absorbed and lazy man. Unfortunately, many men follow that role. Many in our churches take that role too. Because of that, the men that do this lose out on the very privilege and honor to impact lives now and eternally for good.
They trade selfish wants and desires to replace the position that God planned for them to have....shaping the next generations. They have taken the easy way out when times got rough and jobs were lost. When the marriage became tough, they quit. When doing right was traded for compromise. This has such an impact that the movie really captured that.
In the midst of the messes of life, and boy have I made some and had some, God intervenes when we are willing to "let go of the wheel" and allow Him to take the controls of our life. When we do this, it isn't always easy, no, it just makes sense and gives a purpose and direction to where to go, what to do and how to do it.
In fact, God never promised that following Him completely would be easy, nice and fun. He promised that He would be with us! He in fact tells us that it will be difficult and we might be persecuted. But, He would stay with us! Never to leave us or forget about us!
Men, we need to make a decision. It is either His way or the highway. If we choose the highway, we then leave a massive ripple in the water of life that impacts and affects so many in it path. If we choose His way, He will guide us, He will lead us, He will heal us, He will love us and the way He does, rebuilds, repairs and renews what He wants in our lives.
Go out and see the movie. Take a friend, another family and make an eternal difference. Don't quit and don't give up, Give over to God what is rightfully His...your life and and He will make you Courageous.
As we were there, I listened to numerous friends that passed by leaving the show and their comments and reactions to it. I was then even more anxious to watch it. As we sat through the preview, I began to rehearse the last 25 years of being a father, 29 years as a husband and definitely had moments of disappointment and yet, some incredible highlights.
Dancing with my daughters at weddings of friends or even in our living room when they were younger. Taking my son to a men's retreat several times. Talks over coffee at the house or their favorite coffee shop. Working on their cars, mowing the lawn together of numerous other activities and events. Even making it not only to games and events in school, but to their football, volleyball and basketball practices.
Making and creating memories for them and myself. Being the best father I knew and know how to be.
You see, the world, Hollywood and the likes, have made the father out to be a stupid, self absorbed and lazy man. Unfortunately, many men follow that role. Many in our churches take that role too. Because of that, the men that do this lose out on the very privilege and honor to impact lives now and eternally for good.
They trade selfish wants and desires to replace the position that God planned for them to have....shaping the next generations. They have taken the easy way out when times got rough and jobs were lost. When the marriage became tough, they quit. When doing right was traded for compromise. This has such an impact that the movie really captured that.
In the midst of the messes of life, and boy have I made some and had some, God intervenes when we are willing to "let go of the wheel" and allow Him to take the controls of our life. When we do this, it isn't always easy, no, it just makes sense and gives a purpose and direction to where to go, what to do and how to do it.
In fact, God never promised that following Him completely would be easy, nice and fun. He promised that He would be with us! He in fact tells us that it will be difficult and we might be persecuted. But, He would stay with us! Never to leave us or forget about us!
Men, we need to make a decision. It is either His way or the highway. If we choose the highway, we then leave a massive ripple in the water of life that impacts and affects so many in it path. If we choose His way, He will guide us, He will lead us, He will heal us, He will love us and the way He does, rebuilds, repairs and renews what He wants in our lives.
Go out and see the movie. Take a friend, another family and make an eternal difference. Don't quit and don't give up, Give over to God what is rightfully His...your life and and He will make you Courageous.
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