I think that my couple of days rest did me a world of good. Besides being so thankful for God's creation and those whom He has given to me to share, I feel better physically than I have in several weeks. I was strong all day yesterday; two Spirit-filled services, lunch with the family, a meaningful gathering of my vision team, and then Diane and I visited some new friends in the GC family. Thank you Lord, for abundant life both now and eternally.
During our visit last evening with this great couple, we discovered that Ben was diagnosed with cancer and had surgery almost five years ago. He is approaching his "cancer free" mark. I have a while to go before I reach that mark, but I am pressing on toward that goal.
I have found that all cancer survivors that I have met share a common thread. Whenever we have a pain anywhere in our body, we "wonder" if there is something going on with cancer. Living with cancer can be a stressful thing. I don't care who you are, it can make you have stinkin' thinkin'. But for me, those thoughts don't last very long. I know who is in charge of whatever happens to me, and I trust Him and His plan for my life. After all, it is all about Him!
What you are going to face today might not be cancer, but it might be something very stressful. You might not be able to stop your stinkin' thinkin' for a while. But can you trust Him? As my four year old Sally Ann says, "Oh yes you can!"
Monday, July 30, 2012
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Friday, Saturday July 27,28
God has really given me a special gift the last couple of days. On Wednesday, Diane and I spent the day enjoying His creation. We rode to the beach, had lunch on the water, walked on the beach and enjoyed the ride there and back. Everywhere we looked we saw beauty. On Friday, Gabe and I, along with two of his coworkers, played golf at a beautiful golf course. (Great job Brad Edens, golf course supt.) We had a fun time. I don't know how many times that I told Gabe how beautiful God's scenery was that day. Yes, it got hot near the end of our round, but it was well worth that little inconvenience. As for how I have physically handled it, I had pretty good stamina. And this morning, I feel great.
God's beauty, my physical ability to enjoy it, and special people to enjoy it with. Life it good because "It's all about Him!" I am one blessed man.
Oh, and you are blessed also. He created His beauty and has put special people in your life. He has given you the ability to enjoy it. Have you done that lately?
God's beauty, my physical ability to enjoy it, and special people to enjoy it with. Life it good because "It's all about Him!" I am one blessed man.
Oh, and you are blessed also. He created His beauty and has put special people in your life. He has given you the ability to enjoy it. Have you done that lately?
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Wednesday, July 25
Forty one years ago God looked down on me and said, "Here is the best blessing you will ever receive." Somehow he put it in Diane Vinson's heart to marry me - for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health. She and I have experienced all of those circumstances, and she has always been there. I think that she might agree with something that Ruth Graham, wife of Billy Graham once said when asked if she had ever consider divorcing Billy. Here reply was, "divorce never; murder maybe."
There is nothing that I can give her today more precious than my time. So we plan to spend the entire day together.
If you have someone you love, there is nothing more precious than time. Give them some.
There is nothing that I can give her today more precious than my time. So we plan to spend the entire day together.
If you have someone you love, there is nothing more precious than time. Give them some.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Monday, July 23
Listening to my body, like listening to my wife, is a good thing. As I shared on my last post, I have had a few days of not feeling so well physically. On Friday I ran a low grade fever and was in some pain. Now, I don't know that Dr. Diane is always right. Okay, so she is always right, but on Friday I backed out of a fishing trip that was planned for Saturday. (That caused more pain) I spent some extra time in prayer. Then I spent all day Saturday simply resting, or at least that's what I called it. Anyway, what I did has certainly made a difference. I had a great day yesterday. We preached two services, went to lunch with my family, and met with my vision team yesterday evening. I felt strong all day. God is good!!!
Yesterday, I used this illustration. Many years ago Mr. Reese took some Hershey chocolate and combined it with his peanut butter and made an awesome new thing called Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. I shared a 1980's Reese's TV commercial about how two people, one who's passion was chocolate and one who's passion was peanut butter, ran into each other and got the chocolate and peanut butter mixed. The result was a Reese's Cup. My question was this. What would happen if we took our chocolate (passion) and combined it with God's passion (peanut butter)? What new thing could God do with that?
For me, my passion is my calling to pastoral ministry. When I mix it with what God wants me to do, I have strength to do it. I think that is what happened yesterday. Some Reese's Cups were made. I don't know how it will all turn out, but God does. Thank you Lord for using my chocolate.
What are you doing with your chocolate today?
Yesterday, I used this illustration. Many years ago Mr. Reese took some Hershey chocolate and combined it with his peanut butter and made an awesome new thing called Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. I shared a 1980's Reese's TV commercial about how two people, one who's passion was chocolate and one who's passion was peanut butter, ran into each other and got the chocolate and peanut butter mixed. The result was a Reese's Cup. My question was this. What would happen if we took our chocolate (passion) and combined it with God's passion (peanut butter)? What new thing could God do with that?
For me, my passion is my calling to pastoral ministry. When I mix it with what God wants me to do, I have strength to do it. I think that is what happened yesterday. Some Reese's Cups were made. I don't know how it will all turn out, but God does. Thank you Lord for using my chocolate.
What are you doing with your chocolate today?
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Friday, Saturday, July 20,21
The last couple of days have not been very good ones for me physically. I am still confident in the Lord's healing, so not to worry. It's all about Him.
Like everyone else on the planet, I am saddened by the shootings at the theater in Arizona. As I was wondering what we can make of this I found this blog through FaceBook. I don't know this lady, but I think that she has put everything into perspective. Here are some excerps from her blog.
(Maybe, just maybe God spared my life because He loves YOU and wants you to hear this..He wants you to believe that He loved you so much He gave His only begotten Son that if you would believe in Him you would have eternal life.)
“So, you still believe in a merciful God?” Some of the comments online are genuinely inquisitive, others are contemptuous in nature. Regardless of the motive behind the question, I will respond the same way.
Yes. Yes, I do indeed. Absolutely, positively, unequivocally. Let’s get something straight: the theater shooting was an evil, horrendous act done by a man controlled by evil. God did not take a gun and pull the trigger in a crowded theater. He didn’t even suggest it. A man did. In His sovereignty, God made man in His image with the ability to choose good and evil. Unfortunately, sometimes man chooses evil.
I was there in theater 9 at midnight, straining to make out the words and trying to figure out the story line as The Dark Night Rises began. I’m not a big movie-goer. The HH and I prefer to watch movies in the comfort of our own home…where I can use subtitles and get a foot rub. I don’t like action movies. And I don’t like midnight showings. But, as I wrote in my last post, parents sometimes make sacrifices for their kiddos and I decided I would take my fourteen year old and sixteen year old daughters who were chomping at the bit to see this eagerly anticipated third movie in the Batman Trilogy. Twice I had the opportunity to back out and twice I was quite tempted. But something in me said just go with your girls. I did. So I was there with them, fidgeting in my seat, some forty or fifty feet away from the man with the gun. It’s still a bit surreal, but I do know that when the seemingly endless shooting started, as my girls were struggling from whatever gas or chemical had been released, and we figured out what was happening, we hit the floor. I threw myself on top of my fourteen year old who was on the end of the row, straight up the aisle from the shooter. In that moment, as the rapid-fire shots continued, I truly thought I was going to die. And I realized that I was ready. I have put my faith and trust in Jesus Christ as the redeemer of my soul, and there wasn’t the slightest doubt that I would be received into heaven, not because of any good thing that I have done but because of His merciful nature and the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Still, as I lay over my daughter, I began praying out loud. I don’t even remember what I prayed, but I don’t imagine it really matters. I’m sure it was for protection and peace. It drew me closer into the presence of God. When there was a pause in the shooting, people began to clamor for the exits. The girls and I jumped up and joined the masses. We had to step over a lifeless body, not knowing where the shooter was. We raced to our car and I dumped my purse, frantically searching for keys, looking all around, prepared to hit the ground. I yelled at Michelle to call Matthew and find out if he had made it out of the theater next door. She did. He did. We booked on out of there.
Why would you think such a tragedy would make me question the goodness of God? If anything, both of my girls said it made Him a much more real presence to them.He is not the cause of evil, but He is the one who can bring comfort and peace in the midst of evil. It’s been amazing to see the outpouring of love from so many people after this unthinkable act. Yes, there was one evil act, but it is being covered by thousands, possibly millions of acts of kindness.
Though we don’t have all the answers, we do indeed listen to the cry of our hearts: When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me? Psalm 56:3-4
God is always good. Man is not. Don’t get the two confused. We will continue to praise and worship our mighty God, anticipating that He will bring beauty from ashes, as only He can do.
Marie
Like everyone else on the planet, I am saddened by the shootings at the theater in Arizona. As I was wondering what we can make of this I found this blog through FaceBook. I don't know this lady, but I think that she has put everything into perspective. Here are some excerps from her blog.
(Maybe, just maybe God spared my life because He loves YOU and wants you to hear this..He wants you to believe that He loved you so much He gave His only begotten Son that if you would believe in Him you would have eternal life.)
“So, you still believe in a merciful God?” Some of the comments online are genuinely inquisitive, others are contemptuous in nature. Regardless of the motive behind the question, I will respond the same way.
Yes. Yes, I do indeed. Absolutely, positively, unequivocally. Let’s get something straight: the theater shooting was an evil, horrendous act done by a man controlled by evil. God did not take a gun and pull the trigger in a crowded theater. He didn’t even suggest it. A man did. In His sovereignty, God made man in His image with the ability to choose good and evil. Unfortunately, sometimes man chooses evil.
I was there in theater 9 at midnight, straining to make out the words and trying to figure out the story line as The Dark Night Rises began. I’m not a big movie-goer. The HH and I prefer to watch movies in the comfort of our own home…where I can use subtitles and get a foot rub. I don’t like action movies. And I don’t like midnight showings. But, as I wrote in my last post, parents sometimes make sacrifices for their kiddos and I decided I would take my fourteen year old and sixteen year old daughters who were chomping at the bit to see this eagerly anticipated third movie in the Batman Trilogy. Twice I had the opportunity to back out and twice I was quite tempted. But something in me said just go with your girls. I did. So I was there with them, fidgeting in my seat, some forty or fifty feet away from the man with the gun. It’s still a bit surreal, but I do know that when the seemingly endless shooting started, as my girls were struggling from whatever gas or chemical had been released, and we figured out what was happening, we hit the floor. I threw myself on top of my fourteen year old who was on the end of the row, straight up the aisle from the shooter. In that moment, as the rapid-fire shots continued, I truly thought I was going to die. And I realized that I was ready. I have put my faith and trust in Jesus Christ as the redeemer of my soul, and there wasn’t the slightest doubt that I would be received into heaven, not because of any good thing that I have done but because of His merciful nature and the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Still, as I lay over my daughter, I began praying out loud. I don’t even remember what I prayed, but I don’t imagine it really matters. I’m sure it was for protection and peace. It drew me closer into the presence of God. When there was a pause in the shooting, people began to clamor for the exits. The girls and I jumped up and joined the masses. We had to step over a lifeless body, not knowing where the shooter was. We raced to our car and I dumped my purse, frantically searching for keys, looking all around, prepared to hit the ground. I yelled at Michelle to call Matthew and find out if he had made it out of the theater next door. She did. He did. We booked on out of there.
Why would you think such a tragedy would make me question the goodness of God? If anything, both of my girls said it made Him a much more real presence to them.He is not the cause of evil, but He is the one who can bring comfort and peace in the midst of evil. It’s been amazing to see the outpouring of love from so many people after this unthinkable act. Yes, there was one evil act, but it is being covered by thousands, possibly millions of acts of kindness.
Though we don’t have all the answers, we do indeed listen to the cry of our hearts: When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me? Psalm 56:3-4
God is always good. Man is not. Don’t get the two confused. We will continue to praise and worship our mighty God, anticipating that He will bring beauty from ashes, as only He can do.
Marie
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