HiHo HiHo it's off to work I go!

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. (Genesis 2:15 NIV)

I really love my job. I can't imagine doing anything else. As a matter of fact, I've enjoyed my lifetime of work. I have never dreaded Monday's or avoided work. Recently, I have thought more about retirement, but it's not because I don't like what I'm doing, it's because I'm excited to jump into another adventure. I'm not looking to sit around doing nothing. I WILL work, I just don't know doing what. That is exciting. 

I know many people that look at work as gruesome toil. They hate what they're doing. My advice: Do something else! God did not mean work to be hated. He assigned Adam work BEFORE the fall. Only after son entered our lives did work get harder. So work was not meant to be punishment. God even called it good. 

I have been appointed, by my Heavenly Father, a school teacher at GHS. I am blessed to serve him through my occupation. Are you blessed to work like I am? Maybe if people would look at work as a blessing, Monday mornings would be a joyful reunion after the weekend instead of a drudgery. If you are not in a job you love, you need to do everything you can to find one that you do.

Lord Jesus, thank you for my life filled with work, thank you for my current job and the wonderful, adventurous career path I have travelled. May I always remember the blessing of serving the students at GHS! You are wondeful, powerful, and majestic. Praise God!

The thief!

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10 NIV)

Why did Jesus come to live with us? This verse says it all: someone has been trying to steal our lives and baby Jesus was born to give us back our lives and to make sure we are able to live them to the full. It's not much simpler than that.

Our communities are filled with people that are victims of the thief. This thief has stolen their joy. He has stolen their life. Orphans, the homeless, widows, the lost are all victims of the thief. But they are not the only victims. I see people every day that trudge through their day oblivious to the joy of the Lord. I see people that can't find the blessings sitting right before them. I know people who say they love their lives but demonstrate extreme negativity and demonstrate real hate for those around them. It's so sad to see people who can't look at life through the blessings of God. Even worse is many of these same people claim to be children of God. How can you live a life of dispair and claim Jesus as your savior?

There is an enemy out there trying to take your life. Christmas is the time to defeat this enemy. When we look at the joy of Jesus coming into our lives to save us, you have to feel victorious. One of the best ways to defeat the enemy is by sharing the joy of Christmas. It's this time of year that we see more people helping others in need. It doesn't take a lot of money to share the gospel message and this time of year more people are open to that message than any other time of the year. The fullness of life begins at Christmas, in a manger, in the little town of Bethlehem, with shepherds and Angels. Take this wonderful time of the year and commit yourself to the babe. Ćommit yourself to sharing this wonderful message of hope, peace, and love. You will be amazed how it defeats the enemy. You will be surprised how sharing the love of Jesus gives you your life back.

Merry Christmas and enjoy th fullness of life that starts with the birth of Jesus!

Your face needs to match your heart!

A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit. (Proverbs 15:13 NIV)

"If your happy and you know it,.........."

I rember this song from my childhood like it was yesterday. It brings a smile to my face. That's the intent of this verse. A happy heart should bring a smile to your face. You have to show the smile from inside your heart if you really want people to believe it. 

If the joy that God fills you with doesn't make it from your heart to your face, what good is it? In education, the rule of thumb was never smile until after thanksgiving. That's crazy! I smile all the time. Well, maybe not all the time, but most of the time! I just love to have a laugh, relax, and have fun with my students. I also love to set the example that life on this earth is too short to frown all the time. It's a waste of time to frown your life away. Laughter in the classroom is a great, but that's not the only place we should be laughing. They say the family that plays together stays together. I would say the family that laughs, lasts! 

Laughing, smiling, and sharing joy are all a big part of our Christian witness to the lost. Your face needs to match the joy that Jesus has placed in your heart! Laugh, Smile, Love!

Exploding Joy!

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness. (Psalm 96:11-13 NIV)

That's a pretty amazing list. I guess you could just say everything and everyone should rejoice because God is good. His creation rejoices and so should we. 

I hope it doesn't sound shallow because of my repitition. I hope I don't sound pompous and arrogant. But, I am the most blessed man in the world and I can't rejoice any more or I would explode. Why is that? I'm no one special. I am a sinner, just like everyone else and probably less worthy than most. But, I rejoice, just the same! I rejoice at the wonderful grace God has granted. I rejoice at the earthly stuff, but more importantly I have been granted a life with love, laughter, purpose, meaning, and excitement. So beyond the things I have, which are also wonderful and undeserving, I have been given a gift which dwarfs the "things" of my life like the ocean dwarfs the puddle from yesterday's  rain shower. I can never explain his grace. It's a mystery and wonderfully free for the asking. Just being in the presence of such amazing grace is enough to make you shout from the mountain tops your love of God!

Praise God for all creation! Praise God for the true gift of life and the forgiveness we receive via his son's sacrifice on the cross! We rejoice in all things, in all ways and we could never begin to express our joy enough for your love! May I share that joy, that peace, that love with all I see! You are wonderful and mighty! Amen!

I'm happy!

Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence. (Psalm 21:6 NIV)

Are you happy with your life?

I am. As a matter of public record, I'm not sure I could be any happier than I am right now. I have so much to be thankful for. Not stuff, more than just things, I have a loving God in my life that has and is watching over my every step. I have no fear of failure. I have no thought of sadness in my life. It's all because of God, my creator, my father, and the rock of my salvation. 

I am amazed at the growing dispair in this world and cynical attitudes that fill our society. People can't look past the moment to look for real joy. The plank in our eyes is abusing us. The splinters prevent us from seeing the world through the loving eyes of God. As Christians we often have the same glib view of our lives. 

I still have bouts of stress, I have moments of anger and pain. But, I find with the loving God I serve, they are brief. I find the more I rely on God, the brighter my outlook, the greater my joy. Praise God for his wonderful love and the life he grants all of us!

See you in 9 days!

And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 13:52 NIV)

It's here! Just a few hours from now GHS will officially be celebrating Spring Break! I can't think of anyone not ready. I also can't think of anyone who doesn't deserve it! 

I am so proud of our community, students, staff, and support staff for enduring such a difficult school year. The weather has such a huge impact on education. If you aren't directly involved in teaching or learning you probably don't understand. Continuity and routine are such important parts of an effective education. The snow days are always fun, but even the students were tired of the endless winter. Our great custodial and maintenance staff can finally get something done besides plowing snow. Now we get that break we need and when we get back, we will have a mad 9 week dash to the end of the year. 

We are provided times like this to remind us of the joy only God can provide. Sure we can simulate pure joy as we enjoy vacation, or a needed break. But the real joy can only come by turning over life's chaos to the God that created us. The peace we need to fill our hearts, minds, and spirit is found through the daily walk with the Holy Spirit. We don't get to experience the ultimate joy until we spend it in eternity. Until then, we will take moments like Spring Break, stretch out, and live in the temporary joy of a quiet 9 days away from the world!

Have a great Spring Break GHS, we'll see you in 9 days! 

I couldn't be better!

For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. (Romans 14:9 KJV)

The ultimate message of our faith. The one truth that must be accepted to receive eternal life. 

This is where the line is drawn in the sand. 

Nearly every day someone asks "How are you?" My response is always "I am great!" or "Fantastic!" or "I couldn't be better!" The reason for this response is not the immediate circumstances. Trust me, I have bad days. My life is certainly not perfect. The reason for my extreme response is the truth that Christ died for me on the cross, rose again, and promises eternal life to those who believe. I believe! Now that I am assured about my future, I can take every day with excitement. My life is great because of my future. There is an end to pain, suffering, stress, and the trials of life. How can you not be excited about life with the great prospect of living with Christ for eternity? 

Praise God for my life and the great future I have here on Earth and in Heaven. Praise God he blesses me every moment with his wondeful love!

Are you happy with your job?

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. (Psalm 51:12 NIV)

I want to serve with a willing spirit in everything I do. I heard a colleague lament the fact they were arriving at school for the start of the week. I just don't understand why people work jobs they hate. To wake up everyday and dread going to teach is beyond me. If you don't like what you're doing, do something else. Don't you think students can tell if a teacher loves their  job? I know they can also tell if you loath what you're doing. The attitude we take in completing our job is directly related to our success. Jesus is the center of our life and the joy we have with life.

 The joy of our initial salvation can only wane if we do not constantly build our relationship with the savior. We need a spirit willing to be used by him and listen to his calling. If our attitude is not good we will lose our joy. Call on God to renew your spirit, to restore the joy that brought you to Jesus. You have to love what you do in life and the center of that love needs to be Jesus. Being satisfied, happy with your job, your family, your circumstances in life is tied to your love of  Jesus. 

It's easy to forget where I'm going. The path that God has set before me gets overgrown with weeds of sin and I lose my way. I'm normal. My constant prayer is to restore the joy of my salvation. In other words, please Lord, clear the path for me. Then give me the willing heart to walk down that path with you and the joy of my salvation.

Enthused about Christ?

2 Corinthians 9

 1 There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the Lord’s people. 2 For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action.

Are you an enthusiastic Christian? I'm ashamed to say I'm not as enthusiastic as I should be. I wonder why that is. Am I eager? I need to show more excitement for Christ. I certainly want to have an infectious enthusiasm for my Lord and savior. I want people To say, they know my eagerness and are stirred to action because of me. I definitely have much to be enthusiastic about. My God has blessed me so abundantly, it should make me explode with joyful exuberance.
I have been saved so may times from the muck and the mire of life. God has pulled me from bad work situations, financial peril, family troubles, and so much more. Yet, I dont always act like it.

Dear Lord, forgive me for no being thrilled about the life you have blessed me with. I deserve nothing, yet you have granted me everything, even up to eternal life. I praise you Lord for who you are. I will ever praise. I will shout your holy name from the mountain tops because you have saved me. Lord grant me your joy. Please lord grant me your grace. Help my actions lead my family, friends, and coworkers to a closer relationship to you. I love you and thank you, precious father. Amen!

I need my joy back!

Psalm 98:7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy;

I'm 3weeks away from my 2011 vacation, not that I am counting down the days! This verse gives me the feel of vacation and traveling through the mountains by a winding stream with beautiful scenery all around. As I approach the end of most school years, I am worn out. I don't feel much like clapping my hands for joy or singing praises for joy. This year has been exceptionally busy and as stressful as I have had in my 18 or so years of education. I have had years like this before, but not to this magnitude. In the month of May alone i have hosted 2 softball torunaments, 2 baseball tournaments, and 2 track invitatiothings if you ad to that the record rainfall and record game rescheduling, I'm worn out.

When things aren't going well for me, I find it important to focus on the future. I need to focus on something I can look forward to and use that to drive me forward. This time of year and particularly this year I am looking forward to getting away on vacation. I want to be able to feel the songs of joy come back into my heart. I want to be able to clap my hands in celebration. Right now I can't do that, but I look forward to the time I can. Thank You Lord for providing a future for me to look forward to

Clap with Reverence, Please!

Psalm 47 (New International Version, ©2011)

    For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. ¹ Clap your hands, all you nations; 
   shout to God with cries of joy.
 ² For the LORD Most High is awesome,
   the great King over all the earth.
³ He subdued nations under us,
   peoples under our feet.
⁴ He chose our inheritance for us,
   the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.^[b]
 5 God has ascended amid shouts of joy,
   the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets.
⁶ Sing praises to God, sing praises;
   sing praises to our King, sing praises.
⁷ For God is the King of all the earth;
   sing to him a psalm of praise.
 ⁸ God reigns over the nations;
   God is seated on his holy throne.
⁹ The nobles of the nations assemble
   as the people of the God of Abraham,
for the kings^[c] of the earth belong to God;
   he is greatly exalted.

I have attended literally hundreds of churches over my lifetime. My father was a Methodist Pastor, my Grandfather was a Church of God pastor. One thing that nearly all churches have in common is "No Clapping". Ok, once in a while, people get out of control and just clap. But, this rarely happens. I'm not sure where or how Churches got to be so "quiet". I know this is a radical thought, but "You can be reverent and clap at the same time!"  Now you can add that according to Psalm 47:1, it is even Biblical.
In my present Church we clap a lot. I would say that it happens nearly every Sunday. No, our pastor does not get applause after his sermons. No, we don't go nuts when we have communion. But, there are many times when the spirit moves somebody so much they just have to give a "Clap Offering". If we can take up a "Money Offering" every week, we can certainly offer or praises to God in the form of a CLAP OFFERING!  God brings such great joy in my life that sometimes I just can't hold it in. The most dignified and reverent way to share that joy is by clapping. I haven't yet crossed the line into a "Shout for joy Offering". I should. Because I have certainly felt like it.

Wether it is clapping, shouting, or dancing in the isles, don't hold back your praise and worship for God. When I start dwelling on everything he has done for me and the overwhelming Blessings he has granted, I really get excited and want everyone to know! It's ok! It's not a sin! as a matter of fact, it should be a sin not to praise God to the fullest! Can i get an AMEN?

Comfort is OK!

Psalm 30 (New International Version, ©2010)

 ⁸ To you, LORD, I called;
   to the Lord I cried for mercy: ⁹ “What is gained if I am silenced,
   if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
   Will it proclaim your faithfulness? ¹⁰ Hear, LORD, and be merciful to me;
   LORD, be my help.”
 ¹¹ You turned my wailing into dancing;
   you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, ¹² that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
   LORD my God, I will praise you forever.

Today was "Shorts Day" at school. We are having spirit days to celebrate our girls basketball team going to Regionals and one of our wrestlers going to the State Finals. I just love wearing shorts to work, even when the February temperatures are below freezing. I am so comfortable wearing shorts. It just affects my whole day. It is not very professional looking so I don't get to wear them very often. When school is out in the summer time and I come in, I get to be comfortable and wear shorts. The next best option is jeans. The faculty and staff have "Jeans Days" on Fridays. That is also a great day of comfort. It just seems like such a relaxing day and school atmosphere when we can dress in comfort.

I have times in my life when I am so relaxed and comfortable. I have times when things are going well and there is no crisis. These times don't happen often but they are very welcome and do happen regularly. I think these times are gifts from God.  It is just like removing your "sackcloth" and being clothed in joy. Sackcloth was not like a burlap sack as I vision. It was really an article of clothing made of coarse goat hair and it was uncomfortable. It usually was worn as a symbol of mourning and/or penitence. David is praising God for taking away his mourning, for taking away his discomfort and replacing it with joy.

We hear so much about how God is present through troubled times and how our faith grows during trials. It's true. But, I also think God can use great times to help us feel his presence and to just relax and enjoy the life he gives.

Dear Lord, Thank you so much for Joy in my life. Thank You for providing times of comfort, relaxation, and peace. You are an awesome God! Amen!

Alive Then! Alive Now!

1 John 1 (The Message)

 ^1-2From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in—we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands. The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we're telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us.^3-4We saw it, we heard it, and now we're telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. Our motive for writing is simply this: We want you to enjoy this, too. Your joy will double our joy!

Can you imagine actually being there? Can you imagine walking on the earth at the same time and place as our Lord? There is no way for us to go back in time to relive this. We won't get the chance to sit with Jesus to hear him spin a tale. We won't get to hear one of his lessons through parable. We won't get to eat supper with him. We won't get to witness his healing touch. We won't get to see him grow up from a simple carpenter's son to our wonderful savior..............Or can we?
The writers of the New Testament, with the guiding hand of God, did a fantastic job writing what they heard, saw, and touched.  You can read the bible as just a set of verses or you can take these eyewitness accounts and absorb the vibrant picture they create. If you really cherish the words in your heart, you can experience the same thing they did.  These people experienced first hand the life of God as one of us. Obviously they were changed forever. They captured that feeling in words. They had this marvelous compulsion to share it with you and me.

Don't just sit down and read the bible like a list of rules and regulations. Don't try to spend all your time reading between the lines. Don't just try to dig the depths of the words. You also need to read it as the true life experience of those who were literally touched by the hand of God. They want you to experience the same joy they did! We can experience the life of Christ through the Bible. We can also experience Christ first hand through our own lives. He is not just the Lord of the New Testament. He is the Lord of here and now. We can speak to him. He can touch us with his healing hand. We can hear his voice. Really nothing has changed. He is the same now and he will always be the same. We can feel the same joy. We can feel the same excitement. When God fills your life, he is just as real and present as if he were walking on this earth right now. When you can wrap yourself around that idea, your life will be filled with real joy. This is a joy you just have to share with others. We might even have to write it down so others can experience the same joy! Read the Bible. Spend time with Jesus in your life. Take him everywhere you go Share him with your family, friends, and neighbors. Experience him as he was, as he is, and who is always going to be!

Dear Lord, Thank you for being involved in our lives. Thank You for filling us with your thoughts, words, and deeds. We long for our Heavenly home, but we know you are right here with us now and forever. You are amazing and we worship your greatness. Praise God! Praise God! Praise God! Amen!