Real Thanksgiving!

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. (Psalm 143:8 NIV)

Yes, it's the absolute best holiday of the year TODAY - It's Thanksgiving Day!

Thanksgiving is the ugly stepsister to Christmas. I don't have anything against Christmas. I love celebrating the birth of my savior. But, secularists have taken over Christmas and it is hard to see the real meaning through the presents, the lights, the glitter, and the economic impact. Thanksgiving is the purest holiday. 

Thanksgiving is centered around the important things in life. This holiday has its roots in God and family. There is nothing better than sitting down with the family and celebrating the joys of the blessings God has provided. When you have a wonderful relationship with God it is amazing how you become aware of his many gifts. This year is no exception. Our latest blessing is the addition of a new grandson. My oldest daughter is adopting a young 10 year old boy. We are so excited about him joining our family. When you add him to all the other grandkids, you can't help but shout for joy. God has blessed all my daughters in wonderful ways. We all have our health and our lives are filled with love. 

My prayer for today is that we, as a family, will continue to serve God. I pray we will honor all the many blessings we have received by sharing the love of Christ within our own little worlds. I praise God for his grace and the joy of his salvation. I praise him for the answers to prayer and the amazing love he shares everyday. I love my life and love to get up every day to serve him. Thank you Lord and Happy Thansgiving to everyone!

Holding hands

Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. (Psalm 73:23-24 NIV)

One of the great joys in life is the simple act of holding the hand of my young grandchildren. It happens when we are going in to a store and I want to make sure they stay with me. It happens when they want me to come with them to see something and on occasion it happens when we go for walks. It's a brief moment in time when life seems perfect. The act of clasping a hand is the ultimate symbol of oneness. It happens when I hold the hand of my wife, it happens when a group holds hands in prayer. It amazes me how such a small act can bring such peace.

I can just imagine God feels the same way. When I am with God, when I am praying continuously, when I am serving him, when I am worshipping, it is the same as taking a walk with God, hand-in-hand. The peace in my life is directly related to my relationship with my savior. He often grasps my hand for my safety. He gently grasps my hand to lead me through life and he joins me to let me know he loves me. He is my counsel and I look forward to the eternal glory  he will take me to. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

I see people being crushed!

The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in the darkness like those long dead. So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed. (Psalm 143:3-4 NIV)

As you know, I am thrilled with my life. God has blessed me in great abundance. When I sit down for Thanksgiving dinner this week, I will not be able to contain my thankfulness. But, this is not to say, there is no evil in the world. As a matter of fact, I see evil everywhere. The enemy is at the door, he pursues us and his plans are to crush us.

I have seen the hedge of protection around me and my family, yet I am affected about the evils of this life. I see a young lady battling with cancer as she tries to raise her two young daughters. At the same time she fights a serious divorce. When I hear this I want to shout to God, "Leave her alone!! Protect her because she is being crushed and the enemy pursues her.

I see students at school that battle with bullies, confidence, and being socially outcast. My heart aches for their pain. I see the same students abandoned by their parents, fighting broken relationships, and struggling with poverty. I scream, God protect them from the evil of this world. Stop anyone bringing harm to them and punish the evildoers severely.

I see bikers hiding behind sin,convincing themselves their is no God that could love them. I see them lose the battle of destructive decision making. I see satan taking hold of their weaknesses, stealing hope, and providing temporary joy.

Yes, there is much evil in this world. It shames me to see it. But, the Lord saves me. He saves me for his purpose that I might serve the lost and those fighting a losing battle with evil. I praise God and pledge my life to spreading true joy through him!

Get out of their way!

Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. (Psalm 8:2 NIV)

“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “ ‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?” (Matthew 21:16 NIV)

I really value the thoughts and opinions of teenagers. I'm not sure that's popular. The news always targets young people and their poor decision making. Many think they do not have enough life experiences to make those goo choices. I can see that viewpoint. But, I also think those life experiences can get in the way of making good decisions. If you are scarred by some event, it may prevent you from making a clear choice in the future. Sometimes it is better to view an issue through the eye of a child.

 A we approach the best holiday of the year, I can say I am so thankful to get to spend my days with kids that are passionate about lifes issues. They don't just accept things the way they are. They have plans for changing society. We should listen to them. We should hear their thoughts and help them achieve their goals. We throw so many road blocks at them. We fill their lives with trivial things. We attempt to make them carbon copies of ourselves. Why are we surprised when the world stays the same? 

Let's get out of the way of today's youth. Let's give them the tools to really make a difference. Praise God for the teenagers in our lives. Thank you Lord!

A good nights sleep!

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:26 NIV)

Eventually everyone needs a old night sleep. I know many people that have a difficult time getting rest. I have not had major problems doing that, but I have times where I wake up in the middle of the night an can't get back to sleep. At those times I just can't get my mind to stop thinking long enough to fall back to sleep. When that happens several nights in a row it "my flesh and my heart fail". I can feel my lack of sleep affecting my day and thus the people around me.

Or those of you that have advanced sleep disorders, I apologize for the simplicity of my solution. I have found my best defense to an overactive brain in the middle of the night is to pray. Speaking to my creator, sharing my concerns, expressing my joy, and listening to the spirit, are so soothing it sends me to sleep. I believe in the power of God. He can cure all things and heal us from anything. Sleeplessness is not any different. God is the strength of my heart. He is my portion forever. Praise God for his healing power and the ability to get a good nights sleep. 

Truth!

He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. (Psalm 147:4-5 NIV)

Sometimes I just don't understand. In today's crazy society it is so hard to know the truth. I believe Truth is truth. Our current president and his party have just presented an executive action for illegal immigrants. The opposite side of the aisle presents facts that are completely different than his. It leads you to believe one side or the other. They both can't be right. There is only one truth. But, honestly they have the issue so muddled with "spin" that we can't discern the truth. This is just an example of one issue. There are so many other issues where the truth is not easy to see.

I am so thankful I have a God that knows the truth. He sends the spirit upon his people in order to help us see the truth. We need to rely more on Jesus to help us through the issues of the day. We don't need to know it all, he does. We need to pray through these issues. We need to ask for discernment. We need to ask for guidance. God will provide clarity. The truth will set us free!

I write late!

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. (Psalm 94:19 NIV)

I write most of my blog posts late at night. I reread them in the morning and then post them before I read the newspaper. I do this, partly, because it takes me some time to wind down from the day. My time with the Lord is the very best way to relieve my anxiety. My mind is in constant motion. There is always one more lesson to prepare, one more grade to enter, one more email to reply, or one more post to make. Focusing on the Lord removes the stress. It removes the anxiety, and it provides the peace to gently rock me to sleep.

I find prayer an bible study are my greatest comfort and instruments of peace. My time with Jesus gives me the mental strength to relax my mind. I think we all need time to unwind after out hectic days. Many people use destructive means to relax, drugs, alcohol, an inappropriate websites don't provide the peace from building a relationship with Christ. Real peace and joy comes Christ. I know this first hand. Praise God for his wonderful peace and the joy in my heart! Good Night!

"People Blessings", my life is filled with them!

Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” (Psalm 126:2 NIV)

Do you ever get tired of hearing how blessed I am? If I need to I'll apologize. But, my God is a God filled with blessings in many different forms. One of my many blessings are my friends, my students, and my colleagues. 

This verse brought all those many "people blessings" to my mind. I have such a great time at school with my co teachers and my wonderful students. It's not all fun and games, but we laugh, we share our joys, and we share the challenges in a remarkable way. I just can't say enough about the colleagues I have at GHS. It's a special place where we can challenge, provoke, support, joke, plan, tease, collaborate, praise, console, learn, grow, and love each other every single day. I hear such nightmares in schools across our nation. That just doesn't exist at GHS. With a great faculty comes great students. I love my kids. It's my weekday family and there is nothing more valuable on this earth than a family. I see them growing in amazing ways. We are planning a special trip to our local nursing home, not because a teacher came up with an idea, but because one of our caring students had an idea.

The same could be said for my CMA family. They also hold a special place in my heart. They are another example of "people blessings". I can't even find the words to express the joy from this group of dedicated christians. There love for Christ shines through in the fun we have and the ministry we share. 

All of these people plus my REAL family give me reason to shout for joy. Let the nations say, "The Lord has done great things for us!" Praise God for the blessings I have in life, especially the blessings that walk with me everyday! Thank you Lord!

Kids!

He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the Lord. (Psalm 113:9 NIV)

Having kids in your home is a great joy. I am so blessed to have three amazing daughters and 7 grandkids. Our latest addition to the family is in a young boy my oldest daughter is adopting, Jordan. Life is never dull and boring when you have kids in the house. That is the way God planned it. Why you want to live a life without kids is beyond me. Yes, they can try your patience, but the rewards go way beyond any possible setbacks. 

I deal with families on a regular basis that don't understand the precious gift they have. These kids may not be abused, but at least on some level they are neglected. Parents get busy, they get tired, they get selfish, they focus on anything but loving their kids. I am greatly saddened by our societies lack of focus on raising our kids. We need to spend time with the kids in our lives. We need to share our faith, our love of Christ, our passion for the kingdom of God, or the next generation will not serve Jesus. We need to set the example for our neighborhood kids, grandkids, and our own. We need to give these precious lives all of our love and attention. 

Praise God for the kids in our lives. Thank You Lord for their innocence and their undying love. Protect our children. Give them hearts for you and your kingdom. Help us to focus on raising kids who love you. We are honored with the challenge and blessed with the opportunity to serve you through our kids!

What?

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry; (Psalm 34:15 NIV)

I am getting older and my eye sight and hearing is on the decline. My eye sight while driving at night is not good and my family chuckles at the volume level I need to watch television. I have more aches and pains than I used to have and I need more rest and recovery time. Yes, I am getting older!

The best part of getting older is my relationship with Jesus. I am closer to the Lord than I have ever been. That doesn't mean I'm some righteous super Christian. I'm a sinner like everyone else. But, I can tell you I enjoy spending more time with God. Part of that, I know he is listening. His hearing never fails and he is watching with a keen eye, every day, with no failure. I don't ever have to worry about a savior whose eyes are elsewhere and misses even the smallest event in my life. I never have to worry about a prayer that is not heard, even if it's a whisper for help.

Praise God for his love and our wonderful relationship. I know I have dissappointed you at times, but you continue to watch over me and hear my prayers. Thank you Lord for your great love. You are amazing! Amen!

Boycott to Honor Thanksgiving Day!

My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content. (Psalm 131:1-2 NIV)

I just watched a report on the news about all the stores opening on Thanksgiving day this year. A young lady is protesting a major retailer because her mom isn't going to be able to be at home for Thanksgiving with the family. I am so saddened by our inability to slow down. Everyone always complains about the busyness of our society. We never do anything about it. This young girl is taking a stand.  I am proud of her and I am joining her.

My wife mentioned there are many others that have to work in hospitals, military and law enforcement. I also honor them and thank them for their service. They are necessary. A retail store opening on Thanksgiving is NOT necessary.

We, or should I say, I need to slow down, calm and quiet myself. That is what Thanksgiving is about. That day is about shutting out the outside world an spending time with the ones you love. It's about stopping all the craziness and focusing on the blessings of God. We just don't do that enough. Even when we do spend time together on Thanksgiving we throw in football games and other things that get in the way of the true meaning. Thanksgiving is a celebration of the gifts of God.

Please, I plead with all of you, HONOR THANKSGIVING, honor the day for what it is meant. Get up early on on Friday morning and attack the BLACK FRIDAY madness if you must. But, honor the day of Thanksgiving first, don't go shopping. Let the retailers know the day is sacred for thanking God!

Not me!

Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. (Psalm 115:1 NIV)

I am almost embarrassed to admit how great my life is. When I say I am a blessed man that is a significant understatement. I have the best wife in the world. She loves me and treats me like a. King even with all my faults and eccentricities. I have a great family that loves the lord and I see him active in their lives every day. They are going way beyond anything I have ever done for the Lord and raising families of great God  loving kids. 

I have the best job in the world educating young people. I am excited to head to GHS every single day. Building relationships with young people is the most rewarding occupation you could ever choose. Contrary to popular views, this is the best time in history to be a teacher. Sure there are challenges, but the resources we have and the flexibility we have to teach is at a level ever seen before.

My life as a member of CMA makes my weekends and free time fun, exciting, and filled with purpose.  It is so rewarding to work with my motorcycling family to spread the gospel of Jesus. When you pair that with the wonderful church I attend, I couldn't ask for a better spiritual life.

So, why am I so blessed? That is a great question with a simple answer. The grace of God. It's not me. It's not anything I've done. It's not my greatness. It's the greatness of God. I am far less than great. If you read through the archives of this blog, you will see many of my faults and poor decisions. But, my loving God, overlooks those weaknesses. He has given me this life because of his great love.

Praise God for his wonderful love.

I'm not a great fan!

Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers; do not let me eat their delicacies. (Psalm 141:3-4 NIV)

I love my sports teams. I love watching the Hoosiers, Dolphins, Yankees, Dale Jr. and of course the Railroaders. But, when I am at home watching my favorite team on TV, it's not always pretty. I don't hurt anyone. I don't damage furniture or people! However, I do get a "little" vicuous wIth poor performing team members and officials. I can feel my blood pressure grow and the tension build. If they lose, it takes a few hours to get over it.

Why does it really matter? Besides my patient and very tolerant wife, my over zealous sports fanaticism doesn't hurt anyone, does it? 

In fact the person it hurts most is me and it is not good for me. God want me to honor him at all times. When I don't honor him, it affects my heart and it affects my body. Even after I "cool" down from a game, I realize I have acted pretty foolish. I realize I have not honored my gracious Heavenly Father. I need to change that. I need to work on how I honor God at all times. 

Please Lord, continue your work in me. Continue to change me into the person you want me to be. I love you and don't want to dishonor you in any way. Forgive me! I love you and worship your great and holy name. amen! 

Jet Lag proves God is amazing!

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:11-12 NIV)

I am finally getting over my jet lag from my trip to California last week. It is amazing how far it is from the Midwest to the West coast. My aging body was thrown into a frenzy with just the simple three hour difference. It seems like it takes longer to recover now that I'm over half a century old. While I was out there I would wake up at 3am, 4am, 5am, and so on. I couldn't stay up past 7 at night. Now that I'm home, I can't get to sleep. But traveling by jet is fun and I love the beauty of traveling 30,000 feet above our amazing planet. 

So after that exhausting week of travel, I am reintroduced to this wonderful verse. God really loves me and jet lag helps me realize just how much.  I traveled a relatively small distance that had a major impact on my body. God goes to infinitely greater distances to forgive us of our sins. He removes them and forgets them at the same time. He loves me so much and I am humbled by that love. It endures even when I am far from God and his wonderful plan. Praise God!

Veterans Day message: You are alive for a reason!

Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. (Psalm 119:36-37 NIV)

It is so easy to build a busy schedule full of frivolous activities. We can focus on ourselves too much. We can focus on things that do not glorify God. I am not any different. What did you spend your time on yesterday? What about last week? This past year?

Yesterday, was Veterans Day. I heard a Vet speak at our school. He shared the great message about his life in Vietnam. He told of spectacular ways he was protected in battle, even waking through the enemy without being touched. He grew angry at God for all the useless death. He cussed and yelled at Godfor killing people that were great people and saving him instead. God spoke to him. He said that he was not done with him and that's why he was saved. He was rescued from this terrible war so he could serve God. This vet has spent much of his life spreading this message to kids and adults. God had saved him for important purposes. This vet gets that. Do we? You might not have gone through a major military battle, but God has a purpose for your life as well. God does not want you to spend your life on worthless things. He wants you to spend your life focusing on things from him. He has saved your life for his glory. Will you serve that purpose or will you continue to ignore the creator of the universe?

Praise God!

Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him! (Psalm 147:1 NIV)

This world is turning more and more hostile to Christians. I saw a story the other day that said religion would be eliminated in the next generation. It saddens me to hear such hate for my God. But, through all the hate, through all the anti-Christian sentiment, I praise my God for his love, mercy, and grace. I don't care what others say, I have seen his greatness, I have seen the real God of the universe active in the lives of the people I know.

It is great to give praise. It is great to openly celebrate the wondeful love of Jesus with all we see. Thank you Lord! I praise you and am honored by your love even when I don't deserve it, even when the world turns against you! I love you and worship your holy name!

Message in a bottle!

Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God. (Psalm 69:1-3 NIV)

I find it fascinating how the Holy Spirit works in our lives. So often I come upon verses in 

Gods word that fit so perfectly in my life, not this time. It makes me wonder if it is a prelude to trouble. Yet, I can not see it and don't sense it anywhere. Maybe this message isn't meant for me. Maybe I am the bottle that God is placed a special message. He has tossed me into the ocean of life to be found by just the right person. Just maybe ithe message of Psalm 69:1-3 is meant for me to share. Maybe it will come through me at the right time in someone else's life. 

It really is presumptuous and self centered of me to think God sends messages to me exclusively for my own purpose. In fact I have asked him to use me and right now I restate that desire. Lord use me. I know this verse was sent to me by your love and grace. It was sent for me to share. Open my eyes to the person that needs this verse right now in their special circumstances. I know you love who ever it is and am honored that you trust me to be with them. 

Praise God for your perfect love and the grand plan of our lives!

Oh to be patient!

I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. (Psalm 40:1 NIV)

One of my worst qualities is the lack of patience. It comes in many forms. I am impatient with people. I am impatient with time and events. I am impatient with the Lord. It's painful to admit that last one. I can justify my impatience with others, even wrongly. But, how can I justify being impatient with the most high God. I must be a fool. None the less, I admit God's time table is usually not my own. You would think with 54 years experience with the perfect timing of my savior, I would develop patience. 

Why can I trust God with everything in my life, but not trust his timing? Has he ever failed to come through? Certainly not! Have I suffered greatly on this Earth because God has not met my schedule? Vehemently No, I have never suffered in this world. Do I have example after example of his perfect timing? Yes, yes, yes. He never ceases to amaze me. I worry, I fret, I stumble, doubt, and cry out, but his timing has always been abundantly better than my own. 

Lord forgive me. I know of all your wonderful love and grace, yet doubt. Please Lord continue to teach me patience. Teach me your ways. It's ironic, but I ask you to be patient with me. Instill in me a peace and contentment waiting on you.

Help!

You make your saving help my shield, and your right hand sustains me; your help has made me great. (Psalm 18:35 NIV)

We, I can't go through this life alone. I need help. I have the wonderful help of my wife and my friends and colleagues. My real help comes from the Lord. 

How do I know when the Lord is helping me?

My first indication is my prayers. I have noticed God really does answer my prayers. I use need to look for those answers. Most of my prayers are personal and not spoken outside my private prayer time. No one else knows my prayers. It has to be the Lord. The "World" would say it is coincidence or chance or that my own desires direct the answers. That is just ludicrous. God is in control, he is real, and he is my help when I need him.

I have also seen help come even when I have not asked. I have seen "supernatural" interventions that can only be explained by my loving savior. Again, the world tries to explain this away. Your thoughts are your own. I have seen the wonderful help from my God. He has intervened for me. He has answered my prayers on multiple occasions. He knows what's best for me and he alone determines when that help comes and in what form. Even when I don't put it into words, he sends help. He is my help in all times. I love him and praise his name!