I came in the house on Sunday after church, and my wife who was home sick told me 1 of our children had called and were going to be a grandparents YAHOO. The kids didn’t want anyone to know until they had been to a doctor and had it confirmed. I talked to them last night and it’s been confirmed. We’re still praying that everything goes well and the baby is safe and well and so is Mom. For the last couple of days I’ve held my excitement in check until they knew for sure. Now that we know WOW, I have a thousand thoughts going through my head, dreaming of seeing the baby for the first time. Skiing with them, playing football, everything that can be done will be done. I think about passing on the legacy of our families and the importance of having a relationship with God. I hope I can do as good a job for my grandchildren as my grandparents did for me. Even though I didn’t meet my grandparents until I was in third grade (my dad was in the service and we were overseas and on the opposite end of the nation) my grandparents did a great job of passing on the example of following God.
When Mary Jesus’s mother found out she was pregnant she want to see her cousin Elizabeth who was pregnant also. When Mary walked in the door and Elizabeth heard that Mary was pregnant. Elizabeth’s baby jumped in her womb. You can read about it in Luke chapter 1 verse 39 – 45. The baby in Elizabeth’s womb was John the Baptist. His mission in life went on to be, to prepare the way for Jesus who would come later.
I don’t have a baby in my belly, even though it looks like it. I am stoked and I have a different purpose in my life. I need to do try and Love all my grandchildren with the Love that Christ showed for us. He sent his only begotten son that who ever believes in him shall not perish, but will have everlasting life John 3:16.
1.18.2008
1.16.2008
Are You the 1?
As a child I thought family reunions are something that every family did. Somewhere between adolescence and being an adult I lost that train of thought. So the result is that I didn’t go for a long time, 31 years for my Moms side of my family. To cut to the chase I finally went to my mother’s side family reunion 3 years ago. Man I can’t begin to tell you how much fun I had. I saw cousins and aunts that I hadn’t seen for 35 - 40 years. Some of them weren’t at the last few reunions I did go to, for those of you that are doing the math. I saw my uncles and some of my aunts and my bride said to me, I see where you get your body shape. The other thing I noticed was that we’ve all gotten older and fatter present company included.
The coolest thing though was I saw my family legacy of serving God that had been passed down to me by not only my parents, but my aunts, uncles, and grandparents as well. I sat with my cousin Moe and talked to her for over an hour. Now when I was younger and very full of myself I didn’t particularly like her. I thought she was mean, but as I look back she just wasn’t going to put up with the likes of me. Yes it’s hard to believe, but I haven’t always been the humble, kind, generous man that I am today. Are you ready to vomit yet, truthfully I was a handful and as my friend Pastor Mike Johnson says, my orbit was pretty small. I thought life revolved around me. As I look back she showed me a lot of grace that I didn’t deserve. Anyway back to Moe, she told me about cousins that had been sick, and they were prayed for and they got well. The same was true for friends of hers. I was able to tell about how great God has been in my life, and just a small portion of the things God has done for our family.
I read in my bible a couple of days ago, when Jesus was talking to a group of the in crowd of his time who were very full of themselves. In Luke chapter 15 verses 1-7. He talks about a man who has 100 sheep and he loses one of them. He asks do you leave the 99 and go look for the one. You bet he does he goes out and finds the one. When he finds the one, he picks it up and takes it back to the other 99 sheep. The he goes even farther he calls his friends and neighbors and says to them come and party with me I’ve found my 1 lost sheep. Then Jesus goes on and says “there is more partying in heaven over 1 sinner who repents than over the 99 that didn’t need to repent.
You know God is always looking for the 1 person that is lost and needs help. When he finds them all the 1 lost person needs to do is ask God to forgive them of their sins, and come into their heart and accept the free gift of salvation. Come on you can do it all you do is ask.
Are you the 1?
The coolest thing though was I saw my family legacy of serving God that had been passed down to me by not only my parents, but my aunts, uncles, and grandparents as well. I sat with my cousin Moe and talked to her for over an hour. Now when I was younger and very full of myself I didn’t particularly like her. I thought she was mean, but as I look back she just wasn’t going to put up with the likes of me. Yes it’s hard to believe, but I haven’t always been the humble, kind, generous man that I am today. Are you ready to vomit yet, truthfully I was a handful and as my friend Pastor Mike Johnson says, my orbit was pretty small. I thought life revolved around me. As I look back she showed me a lot of grace that I didn’t deserve. Anyway back to Moe, she told me about cousins that had been sick, and they were prayed for and they got well. The same was true for friends of hers. I was able to tell about how great God has been in my life, and just a small portion of the things God has done for our family.
I read in my bible a couple of days ago, when Jesus was talking to a group of the in crowd of his time who were very full of themselves. In Luke chapter 15 verses 1-7. He talks about a man who has 100 sheep and he loses one of them. He asks do you leave the 99 and go look for the one. You bet he does he goes out and finds the one. When he finds the one, he picks it up and takes it back to the other 99 sheep. The he goes even farther he calls his friends and neighbors and says to them come and party with me I’ve found my 1 lost sheep. Then Jesus goes on and says “there is more partying in heaven over 1 sinner who repents than over the 99 that didn’t need to repent.
You know God is always looking for the 1 person that is lost and needs help. When he finds them all the 1 lost person needs to do is ask God to forgive them of their sins, and come into their heart and accept the free gift of salvation. Come on you can do it all you do is ask.
Are you the 1?
1.13.2008
The Only Thing Stopping You is You
I was on my way to work yesterday and stopped for a power breakfast. Okay I confess it was McDonalds, and I had a sausage biscuit & 2 hash browns. I paid for my power meal and was given an extra dollar back in my change. I’m getting old I counted it 3 times to make sure it was her that made the mistake and not me. I concluded that she had, then quicker than a blink of an eye I thought “keep it no one will ever know”. I very quickly turned around and returned the extra dollar. As I was waiting for my meal I thought to myself “Do I have an amount that I would keep and not return?” Take a minute and ask yourself that question. I once found $2000.00 and returned it. No I ‘m not a saint, I just thought at the time that if I lost that amount I would prayerfully hope that the person that found my money would return it.
There was a guy in the bible named Zacchaeus ( Luke 19)he was little guy, so short he had to climb a tree to see over everyone. Jesus is walking down the road and stops, looks up and says :Zacchaeus come down and we’ll go to your house and eat” and they did. The proper people of the day muttered to themselves and out loud. What is Jesus doing he’s eating with a criminal. Zacchaeus hearing what was being said I give ½ of my possessions to the poor, and if I’ve cheated anyone I will pay them back 4 times the amount. And you can be sure that Zacchaeus had cheated people, he was a tax collector, and tax collectors during this time pretty much had a free hand to collect what they wanted and you couldn’t do anything about it.
If I had kept the dollar only God and I would have known. It could be said of I’ve lived life as a good person I wouldn’t be called a criminal by people that know me. But I have sinned, not to the degree maybe that Zacchaeus did. But I’m eligible for the same gift that Zacchaeus got and it’s called Salvation. The bible tells us in Romans 6:23 “The wages of sin are death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. You might say to yurself I’m a good person I don’t need God. John 1:12 tells us that yet all who received him to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become the children of God. Its simple ask God to come into your life , forgive you of your sins and he will. Some of you reading this are saying to yourself “the dude is crazy” you’re right I am crazy for God. The day I asked God to forgive my sins and come into my life is the single greatest day in my life. It can be for you as well. The only thing stopping you is you.
ASK GOD
There was a guy in the bible named Zacchaeus ( Luke 19)he was little guy, so short he had to climb a tree to see over everyone. Jesus is walking down the road and stops, looks up and says :Zacchaeus come down and we’ll go to your house and eat” and they did. The proper people of the day muttered to themselves and out loud. What is Jesus doing he’s eating with a criminal. Zacchaeus hearing what was being said I give ½ of my possessions to the poor, and if I’ve cheated anyone I will pay them back 4 times the amount. And you can be sure that Zacchaeus had cheated people, he was a tax collector, and tax collectors during this time pretty much had a free hand to collect what they wanted and you couldn’t do anything about it.
If I had kept the dollar only God and I would have known. It could be said of I’ve lived life as a good person I wouldn’t be called a criminal by people that know me. But I have sinned, not to the degree maybe that Zacchaeus did. But I’m eligible for the same gift that Zacchaeus got and it’s called Salvation. The bible tells us in Romans 6:23 “The wages of sin are death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. You might say to yurself I’m a good person I don’t need God. John 1:12 tells us that yet all who received him to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become the children of God. Its simple ask God to come into your life , forgive you of your sins and he will. Some of you reading this are saying to yourself “the dude is crazy” you’re right I am crazy for God. The day I asked God to forgive my sins and come into my life is the single greatest day in my life. It can be for you as well. The only thing stopping you is you.
ASK GOD
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