I sat listening to the soft hum of the fan at the feet of our bed last night. All else was quiet. The cat was by my feet curled up with his nose tucked under his front paw; due to the fact the fan was pushing cool air at him. The dog was stretched out right along my left side fast asleep as well. My lovely wife was fast asleep and had been for a few hours prior to my coming into the bedroom.
I couldn't help but lay there, staring up at the ceiling of our bedroom thinking. Thinking of what our lives had in store for us in the coming years.
Is the new job venture of mine going to pan out?
How about the brand new business I helped form and am a partner of?
Will Lisa get her dream teaching job at the local school system of her choice?
How about children, is God's plan for us to have 1...2.....3 (aaaah!) little blonde haired rug rats running around?
Will my parents still be living in our part of state or down in the southern part by my brother and sister-in-law (plus their three grandkids of the present)?
Depending on the last question; will my father and I still get to share the woods in the fall hunting, or the rest of the year preparing for it?
I had all these things and many more swirling through my head. All at once I noticed my heart was picking up it's pace a touch for all the unknowns I was forcing myself to think about.
I'll admit all the unknowns can definitely cause one to worry, stress or freak out at times. However, this rush of nervousness didn't last long because as I glanced over at my sleeping wife I was reminded of a promise. A promise my parents have told me. A promise my grandparents have told me. A promise that my pastor has told me countless times.
A promise which my Savior Jesus Christ told me.
Deuteronomy 31:6, Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
Deuteronomy 31:8, The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
Joshua 1:5, No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
1Kings 8:57, May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers; may he never leave us nor forsake us.
1Chronicles 28:20, David also said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished.
Psalms 37:28, For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;
Psalms 94:14 (For the LORD will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance.)
Isaiah 41:17 "The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
Isaiah 42:16 I
will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I
will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and
make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.
Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
While it may be too early to tell how all those questions I asked last night may be answered; I do know the answer to the most important question; "God will you be by my side as I proceed with my life?"
He obviously promised to never leave me.
May I never forget that, and may all of you who read this never forget the promise is for all of those who strive to live for Him.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
His will or "Our" will...
It has been something so entrenched in my head lately I simply had to put it down into words. It is the misuse or abuse of the term "His will be done" or "Lord willing..."
Now I understand I am treading in a territory which has potential of stepping on toes or perhaps disagreeing with some which is understandable, but for a moment allow me to explain why I feel we, as believers, misuse the idea of God's will.
First, let me begin by stating God's will is not impacted by our thoughts or our desires, otherwise it would be stated as "our" will; encompassing our human will and God's will into one collective will. That however is not how it works. God's will is just that, God's. Not yours. Not mine. Not a church's. Not a denomination's.
Yet so often we attach something of our own after requesting His will be done: "Lord willing...when we complete this project...or when the money is raised...or when everything on our list is accomplished"
Now I don't feel we do this intentionally or with the thought of basically telling God what His will-will be...I feel it's our human nature, our sinful human nature shining through. It's our inability to accept the fact sometimes God's will may not coincide with ours and quite possibly be the exact opposite of ours!
I use this next example as merely that, an example. My church just accepted the proposal to go forward with our HUGE project of building a new church. Many times throughout the years leading up to the ultimate vote I heard a lot of people say something similar to, "Well, Lord willing, when the vote passes and we proceed with the building of our future church..."
When we say such things it is as if our human "insight" already knows what God wants...something I feel is an extremely dangerous and not to mention prideful thing to flirt with. I 100% believe God's will is for our church to construct a new church...however by stating it as being God's will does not allow His will to be done freely amongst the congregation voting. Yes, I realize God is all powerful and in the end He could squelch any idea or concept humans put forth...however when people hear things presented as being God's will; how can they even consider voting against it? No amount of prayer or devotion will usurp the concept of it being God's will...if they perceive that as true.
I present that grand example because it is fresh in my mind, but we all do it in a our day to day lives. I can remember using the phrase "Lord willing a miracle will be done" as I learned how far along my aunt's cancer was. I stated it in an innocent way, and a way we all do at times of strife or the possibility of losing a loved one. However, mature Christians need to begin to realize and be honest with ourselves in that God's will isn't always the prettiest option or the one our sinful hearts desire. God's will was done in my aunt's death, which sadly did occur, no matter how hard it was to accept that at the time.
God's will was in the break up of high school sweet hearts whom got engaged their first year of college....God's will was in the loss of a brother I will never meet but has forever impacted how I live my life....God's will was in the pain I caused my wife through my addictions....God's will was in the pain and hurt my family experienced in some of our past churches....
God's will can and is in everything that happens. Because of my family's terrible experiences at past churches has led us to be where we are today, a growing church family with Christ at its center above all else.
God's will was in the painful experience of losing who I thought would become my wife one day...for I now can say I'm married to my best friend, my greatest strength outside of God and the love of my earthly life!
God's will was in the loss of my brother, who sadly lived a mere 6 hours on this earth. Through the pain of his death my parents grew closer in their marriage and they were thenblessed given another child in the future which neither planned on. (me haha!)
What I'm trying to say is we as Christians far to often assume we individually or collectively know the will of God and make statements or prayers focusing on the one outcome we see as being "his" (when it is truly ours).
That is not how it should be.
Our prayers, our pleas and our discussions with Him, should always ask for His strength, His guidance and His love no matter which way His will pours out onto us.
That's extremely hard though.
By doing so we must accept the fact things may not always be good, things may not always work out, pain will exist and hurt will be felt...but we can be assured of one thing because He promises it to us. He will be there with us. He will be there as we heal, as we grow and as we learn from our mistakes. He'll be there no matter how many times we fall. No matter how many times we try it our way. No matter how stubborn our will is.
Because if there is one thing I can claim I know about God's will, it is that His will desires us to not reject His love, His strength and His guidance. His will is to have a relationship with us...and His hand to be with ours through everything.
That is His will...that my friends is the only will that matters. So when you ask His will be done, embrace that and know that no matter which path that takes you down He will be right there...
Now I understand I am treading in a territory which has potential of stepping on toes or perhaps disagreeing with some which is understandable, but for a moment allow me to explain why I feel we, as believers, misuse the idea of God's will.
First, let me begin by stating God's will is not impacted by our thoughts or our desires, otherwise it would be stated as "our" will; encompassing our human will and God's will into one collective will. That however is not how it works. God's will is just that, God's. Not yours. Not mine. Not a church's. Not a denomination's.
Yet so often we attach something of our own after requesting His will be done: "Lord willing...when we complete this project...or when the money is raised...or when everything on our list is accomplished"
Now I don't feel we do this intentionally or with the thought of basically telling God what His will-will be...I feel it's our human nature, our sinful human nature shining through. It's our inability to accept the fact sometimes God's will may not coincide with ours and quite possibly be the exact opposite of ours!
I use this next example as merely that, an example. My church just accepted the proposal to go forward with our HUGE project of building a new church. Many times throughout the years leading up to the ultimate vote I heard a lot of people say something similar to, "Well, Lord willing, when the vote passes and we proceed with the building of our future church..."
When we say such things it is as if our human "insight" already knows what God wants...something I feel is an extremely dangerous and not to mention prideful thing to flirt with. I 100% believe God's will is for our church to construct a new church...however by stating it as being God's will does not allow His will to be done freely amongst the congregation voting. Yes, I realize God is all powerful and in the end He could squelch any idea or concept humans put forth...however when people hear things presented as being God's will; how can they even consider voting against it? No amount of prayer or devotion will usurp the concept of it being God's will...if they perceive that as true.
I present that grand example because it is fresh in my mind, but we all do it in a our day to day lives. I can remember using the phrase "Lord willing a miracle will be done" as I learned how far along my aunt's cancer was. I stated it in an innocent way, and a way we all do at times of strife or the possibility of losing a loved one. However, mature Christians need to begin to realize and be honest with ourselves in that God's will isn't always the prettiest option or the one our sinful hearts desire. God's will was done in my aunt's death, which sadly did occur, no matter how hard it was to accept that at the time.
God's will was in the break up of high school sweet hearts whom got engaged their first year of college....God's will was in the loss of a brother I will never meet but has forever impacted how I live my life....God's will was in the pain I caused my wife through my addictions....God's will was in the pain and hurt my family experienced in some of our past churches....
God's will can and is in everything that happens. Because of my family's terrible experiences at past churches has led us to be where we are today, a growing church family with Christ at its center above all else.
God's will was in the painful experience of losing who I thought would become my wife one day...for I now can say I'm married to my best friend, my greatest strength outside of God and the love of my earthly life!
God's will was in the loss of my brother, who sadly lived a mere 6 hours on this earth. Through the pain of his death my parents grew closer in their marriage and they were then
What I'm trying to say is we as Christians far to often assume we individually or collectively know the will of God and make statements or prayers focusing on the one outcome we see as being "his" (when it is truly ours).
That is not how it should be.
Our prayers, our pleas and our discussions with Him, should always ask for His strength, His guidance and His love no matter which way His will pours out onto us.
That's extremely hard though.
By doing so we must accept the fact things may not always be good, things may not always work out, pain will exist and hurt will be felt...but we can be assured of one thing because He promises it to us. He will be there with us. He will be there as we heal, as we grow and as we learn from our mistakes. He'll be there no matter how many times we fall. No matter how many times we try it our way. No matter how stubborn our will is.
Because if there is one thing I can claim I know about God's will, it is that His will desires us to not reject His love, His strength and His guidance. His will is to have a relationship with us...and His hand to be with ours through everything.
That is His will...that my friends is the only will that matters. So when you ask His will be done, embrace that and know that no matter which path that takes you down He will be right there...
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.
Psalm 139: 8-10
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41158500@N08/3971995547/
Thursday, September 5, 2013
The Main Ingredient
The soybeans are beginning to change from their dark green shades to their pale yellowness. The acorns are beginning to fall to the forest floor and the velvet is shedding from the antlers of the bucks I'll be chasing come this fall.
This passion which is more commonly known as deer hunting, is something which consumes my thoughts on a daily basis. Yeah I'm that guy driving down the street and will think passing a small woodlot, "Man that would make a perfect spot for mature buck to spend his daytime hours undisturbed." Yes, I've been known to turn around to get another glimpse of a buck I saw creeping through the woods, despite the fact we're on our way to a family get together (believe it was Thanksgiving last time).
As I wait with anticipation for October 1st, opening day of deer season, I can't help but realize that amongst everything I utilize in my hunting one thing rises above the else which I have to give credit to for blessing me hopefully with a successful harvest(s).
It's not the new stands I bought. It's not the upgraded bow sights, rest and quiver. It's not the new hunting clothes which allow me to stay on stand for more all day hunts. It's not a single thing I can buy, but I would give up my life savings and then some if it meant not losing it.
This pivotal ingredient to my hunting success is, my wife.
Yeah, you read that right. My biggest weapon and ingredient to being able to harvest the deer I do each year is the wife that God has blessed me with. Honestly, behind every married man's successful hunt lies an understanding wife. A wife that doesn't discourage this passion and obsession despite the fact she'll never understand why the need to use unscented detergent is crucial. Or how for months her husband will be showering in the wee hours of the morning, in scentless shampoo/soap of course, waking her no doubt with his claimed "quiet preparations." Also how one should simply know why the frozen deer urine has to be melted slowly in warm water in the sink. Or how he can go on and on and on after every hunt about how awesome it was that he saw a squirrel, one turkey and a possum which slept for 4 hours by his stand.
I know youhate don't understand any aspect of why I love hunting like I do hun, but know that I appreciate that you love it put up with it despite that. Know that no matter how much you don't want to hear about my hunting tales you truly are the one person I want to share them with the most at the end of each hunt, and I really do appreciate the fact you at minimum act like you're listening. The blessing of your love and willingness to allow me the time to devout to this love is something I do not take lightly, and is yet another reason why I brag about you to my friends and am perfectly happy ecstatic being able to call you my wife!
Love you babe!
fyi---In one of the coming weekends we will be taking a quick weekend trip just to show you how much I love that you love me andembrace allow hunting to be a huge part of my life.
This passion which is more commonly known as deer hunting, is something which consumes my thoughts on a daily basis. Yeah I'm that guy driving down the street and will think passing a small woodlot, "Man that would make a perfect spot for mature buck to spend his daytime hours undisturbed." Yes, I've been known to turn around to get another glimpse of a buck I saw creeping through the woods, despite the fact we're on our way to a family get together (believe it was Thanksgiving last time).
As I wait with anticipation for October 1st, opening day of deer season, I can't help but realize that amongst everything I utilize in my hunting one thing rises above the else which I have to give credit to for blessing me hopefully with a successful harvest(s).
It's not the new stands I bought. It's not the upgraded bow sights, rest and quiver. It's not the new hunting clothes which allow me to stay on stand for more all day hunts. It's not a single thing I can buy, but I would give up my life savings and then some if it meant not losing it.
This pivotal ingredient to my hunting success is, my wife.
Yeah, you read that right. My biggest weapon and ingredient to being able to harvest the deer I do each year is the wife that God has blessed me with. Honestly, behind every married man's successful hunt lies an understanding wife. A wife that doesn't discourage this passion and obsession despite the fact she'll never understand why the need to use unscented detergent is crucial. Or how for months her husband will be showering in the wee hours of the morning, in scentless shampoo/soap of course, waking her no doubt with his claimed "quiet preparations." Also how one should simply know why the frozen deer urine has to be melted slowly in warm water in the sink. Or how he can go on and on and on after every hunt about how awesome it was that he saw a squirrel, one turkey and a possum which slept for 4 hours by his stand.
I know you
Love you babe!
fyi---In one of the coming weekends we will be taking a quick weekend trip just to show you how much I love that you love me and
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