Today is the first day of my fiftieth year, and it’s hard to wrap my head around the fact that I’ve been on the planet for half a century. For most of my life I wouldn’t have guessed that I’d make it this far. To say that I struggled in the early years would be an understatement, but I was blessed to be born to parents who persevered with me, and a couple of big brothers who saved my life a time or two. Though there were many days that I thought might be my last, I eventually learned to just keep going, and now I’m glad I did. Along the way there have been many mistakes, and lots of good friends, and great struggles, and moments of incredible beauty. I have been loved, and ridiculed, and ignored, and loved again. There have been times when I’ve glided on top of the waves and times that I got water up my nose. But tonight, as I sit here in the quiet, I know that I am incredibly blessed. Thank you Jesus for your amazing patience and mercy. Thank you for loving me, even when I was ignoring you. Thank you for the wonderful family you brought me from, and thank you for the beautiful family that you’ve given to me. Thank you for using the foolish things to confound the wise, and thank you for allowing me to share the journey with people who’ve truly loved me. I pray that in the days that I have left there will be something about my life that blesses your heart and fulfills your plan. Thank you for 50 years and every year beyond that.
Archive for the ‘Thought for the Day / Quotes’ Category
Thought for the Day – 50 Years
Posted in Personal, Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged Turning 50 on December 12, 2013| 9 Comments »
Thought for the Day – Turning Away Truth
Posted in Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged Gideon, looking to the past, our history, stronghold, who I am on December 5, 2013| 1 Comment »
As human beings we tend to look to our past and say, “this is how I’ve always been,” which effortlessly becomes, “this is who I am.” From there it is easy to conclude that, “this is who God made me to be.” Then, as He did with Gideon, God sends us a messenger to tell us that He made us to be something greater (e.g. a mighty man of valor). But like Gideon, we point to our history, and doubt that this is truly the word of the Lord. For us, the strongholds of our mind (i.e. what we’ve already accepted to be fact) become the barrier to the genuine liberating power of the truth.
Thought for the Day – Better Off Alone
Posted in Heart of "The Father", Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged being alone, emptiness, loneliness, low self-esteem, rejection, undesirable, unwanted on December 3, 2013| 5 Comments »
There is a loneliness that is more profound than simply being alone, and it is experienced when we join ourselves with someone who places no value in who we really are. There is a rejection that is more devastating than the sense that we are simply not attractive, and it is experienced when we discover that we have become nothing more than an apparatus to fulfill our partners needs. There is an emptiness that is more desolate than simply being ignored, and it is experienced when the person we are closest to does not respect nor encourage us. Ultimately, we are better off taking the journey on our own, than to travel in the company of one whose apathy shouts our insignificance.
Thought for the Day – The Accuser
Posted in Commentaries, Parenting / Family, Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged Accuser, Coach, Parent, Preacher, Teacher, Zeal on November 19, 2013| 1 Comment »
The danger for parents, preachers, teachers, and coaches is that when the people we’re trying to reach don’t respond in the way we think they ought to, we can unwittingly take on the voice of “The Accuser” (e.g. your don’t think you have to listen to me, you think you know better than me, you’re awfully quiet out there – I must be stepping on some toes, you don’t really care, you’re just lazy, you have an attitude…) . When our zeal to get our point across provokes us this way we ultimately undermine the value of our message. We cannot lose sight of the fact that our role is to plant and water seeds, and that only God can bring the increase.
Thought for the Day – Distracted
Posted in Thought for the Day / Quotes, Word Pictures on October 15, 2013| 1 Comment »
My kids all have iPhones and often those little screens manage to swallow up all of their attention. Because our house is rarely quiet, it is not uncommon to see them with headphones plugged into their cellphones. The other day, I was trying to get my sons attention as he sat on the couch, watching a video on the tiny monitor, and listening through his ear buds. When he saw me waving, he pulled one of his earphones out and as I spoke I noticed that his eyes would occasionally flick back for a quick check of his screen. I wanted to be irritated with him, but the Lord interrupted my thoughts with this word. “This is often how you listen to Me. You can’t keep your eyes off the little picture, which is filled with the cares of life. And though you will turn an ear towards Me, I am often forced to speak over the other voices in your head. Your son loves you. He cares about what you’re saying to him. But you only have part of his attention and he’s bound to beat himself up when he doesn’t accomplish what you’ve asked of him. That is how it can be with you and Me.”
As I prayed for repentance I thought about how much I love my kids. I just wish they weren’t so much like me.
Thought for the Day – Crushing
Posted in Parenting / Family, Thought for the Day / Quotes on September 30, 2013| 1 Comment »
There are few moments in life that are as crushing as finding out that a person you fervently love doesn’t necessarily share the same feelings for you. It’s even worse when that person is your own child.
Thought for the Day – Our Attitude
Posted in Commentaries, Thought for the Day / Quotes on September 18, 2013| Leave a Comment »
Our attitude is like a bushel basket; it can either be a vessel used to display some inviting fruit or a lid used to conceal the light within.
Thought for the Day – Relationships in Reverse
Posted in Commentaries, Thought for the Day / Quotes on September 17, 2013| Leave a Comment »
Relationships were never designed with a reverse gear. They were crafted to move steadily in one direction, becoming deeper and more profound as they go. Trying to take a relationship from a once intimate level to a now casual level will always be unnatural and damaging. This is one of the many reasons that God hates things like divorce and unforgiveness.
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Thought for the Day – Fruitful Plains & Barren Lands
Posted in Commentaries, Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged decline of America, forefathers, Reaping what you sow, scoffing at the wisdom of the past on December 10, 2013| 3 Comments »
When you grow up in your father’s cornfield, you can convince yourself that you know something about farming. But over time, a lack of good seed, and neglect of the soil, take their toll. With each successive generation expecting more, and less willing to replenish the land, a once fruitful plain slips into barrenness. Such is the story of America, where we’ve scoffed at the wisdom of those who came before us, and find ourselves reaping of the hybrid seed we’ve chosen to sow.
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