LIFE IS NOT ABOUT ME.......LIFE IS ABOUT OTHERS!

37O  lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O  lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.” 1 Kings 17:37I have said this prayer so often. I love to see the power of God through answered prayer. But, I love even more when the people who do not know the Lord see the great hand of God. I want the Lord to show his presence in the lives of my family, my students, and my friends. So, I pray for that result continuously. Why doesn't it happen more? Why does God NOT reveal himself more through my prayers?I want, more than anything, for my life to be the path people will see the work of the Lord. It really is my only purpose. The better question is "What are we praying for? God will not reveal himself through selfish and me-centered prayers.  Praying for "things" in my life isn't a great plan either. My prayers, my words, and my actions need to be focused on others. If I want to see the power of God at work, I will pray for others. I will serve others, and I will devote my life to bringing others to the Lord. LIFE IS NOT ABOUT ME.......LIFE IS ABOUT OTHERS!We wonder why we don't see the miracles of God anymore. Maybe, just maybe, it's because we are more worried about seeing those miracles in our lives and NOT the lives of others.  My life can not be consumed with my own problems. When I try to emulate Jesus, I focus specifically on serving others through sacrifice and 100% devotion. 
Dear Lord, Forgive me for my self-centered life. I want nothing more to serve you and i know that service needs to be directed at serving others, especially non-believers. Help redirect my life, every day, so that the focus is away from me. I love you and need you. I praise you for my wonderful life and the joy you have given me. Help me share that same joy with others. Amen!

Vicious Cycle

3He committed the same sins as his father before him, and he was not faithful to the lord his God, as his ancestor David had been. 1 Kings 15:3Sometimes it is hard to break with family tradition. The traditions of my family are positive and I love them. We travel to Spring Break together. We cheer for the same teams. We celebrate holidays with a great sense of tradition. We worship together and share a powerful faith in the Lord. Sometimes family traditions are not positive. I see poverty and lack of education as family traditions also. It's a vicious cycle that is so tough to break. I feel for the students I see that have a difficult time navigating their way through our education system. Many times the parents don't see value in education. They  have survived without an education and they expect their kids will also survive. Even if they wanted to, they don't know how to help their students because they weren't successful either. Sin and lack of faith are often the toughest "family tradition" to break. I know so many people that never group up in the faith. So many have never been to church, read the bible, or prayed. Their parents and their parents parents have survived without faith, they expect they will do the same. They don't know of the value of faith, right here, right now. That saddens me more than I words can express. My job is to share the gospel in a way that people want what I have. My job is to expose people to the Love of Jesus that don't see that love anywhere else in their lives. I need to let people know there is a better way and it is through Faith in a loving and powerful God. We must break the traditions. If we can affect even one person it could impact generations to come.

Liars!

18But the old prophet answered, “I am a prophet, too, just as you are. And an angel gave me this command from the lord: ‘Bring him home with you so he can have something to eat and drink.’” But the old man was lying to him. 1 Kings 13:18
It is so important to be critical and hold our leaders to a high standard. This verse gives us a good reason why. It is so easy to be deceived and to accept lies as the truth. I am an avid amateur political analyst. I do not LOVE politics. I do feel it is my duty to listen and learn directly from the candidates. That doesn't mean that I watch the news and let them influence my opinion. I do my own research, listen directly to the candidates, and form my own opinion. That is not necessarily enough. Even with "vetting" the candidates on my own, I am skeptical of all the promises. Lies are too much a part of life. Lies, unfortunately, are a very real fact in politics. It greatly saddens me that our leaders feel it necessary to lie to us, the people they serve.We are all sinful and fall short of the glory of the Lord. We can not trust our leaders. The are also sinners and the power they seek corrupts. Even the great WISE King Solomon eventually fell to the power that he acquired. He lied to the Lord. He lost his power. But, we can trust the Lord. My true leader, Jesus Christ, never lied and has never abandon me. He is the leader among leaders. His death and resurrection were promised. He followed through. He rescues me every day and provides me with his strength in impossible times. I am 55 years old and I have followed Christ for over 40 years. He is real. His love is real. His promises are real. He is my strength and my savior. Praise God for his love and mercy! 

Tired but filled with Joy!

“and he prayed, “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven above or on the earth below. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion. You have kept your promise to your servant David, my father. You made that promise with your own mouth, and with your own hands you have fulfilled it today.”

1 Kings 8:23-24 NLT. http://bible.com/116/1ki.8.23-24.nlt

I am nothing. God is everything.

This weekend was a culmination of years of prayer. My daughter and her lovely family are back home again in Indiana. Her husband starts his new job today. Praise God. There is no other God like him! I am honored to be a servant of the most high God. With his hands , he has fulfilled his promise and I am joyous, yet tired! 

Stephanie and I are exhausted. Moving a family 400 miles can take a lot out of you. It is worth it. God has answered my prayers and I don't care how tired I am, I am filled with joy. Our little home is temporarily filled with 4 kids, two dogs, and a couple extra adults. It was a little bit chaotic, but this morning it is peaceful and quiet. I will have time to rest beginning Saturday. SPRING BREAK is only 5 days away.

Dear Lord, I am so thankful for the answer to prayer. I am thankful to have my daughter and her family home with us again. I pray their home sells and they find a place here that will be perfect for her family. I pray Brian will have a long successful career at the course in Warsaw and they will settle down and be able to relax in your arms. I can not praise you enough and give YOU all the honor and glory. Amen!

I want to be wise, I think!

10The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom. 11So God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies—12I will give you what you asked for! 1 Kings 3:10-12

We should all search for wisdom. But, what is wisdom? Dictionary.com defines Wisdom as 

"the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment"

Wisdom is significantly different than being smart and Wisdom is not something you can just learn from a book. Life itself is the only way to acquire wisdom. In my opinion, the key to being wise is judgment. I wish we could teach judgment to kids. IF this were a class at school, the world would be a much better place. We spend so much time teaching math, english, social studies, and science, but a class on good judgment, developing wisdom, could be a life changer.

Solomon acquired judgment as a gift from God. It would be a difficult thing to teach. I can't really put this skill in a textbook breaking it down to chapters, tests, and quizzes. It really is a gift from God and often just developed through experience. Real WISDOM is learned by life. A life full of challenges, successes, failures and stress help develop our judgment and ultimately our wisdom. We need to try new things, meet new people, and fail. Yes, failure might be the best way to develop wisdom and judgment. IF we learn from our experiences and, yes, our failures, we will move closer and closer to true wisdom. We can't be afraid to fail. We can't be afraid to try new things and break out of the norms of this life. God knows this. That's one of the reasons there is trouble in this world. That's one of the reasons we are allowed to go through the stresses and pain in our lives. We need to grow from all of those experiences. Many times we fight the struggles. We avoid pain. I am not advocating pursuit of failure. I am saying our attitude through failure is so important. If we treat every experience as a chapter in our lessons to learn wisdom, we will be happier and more successful as we grow old. 

Dear Lord, I love you. I do seek wisdom. I praise you for the life you have brought me through. I praise you for the joys and the sorrow. I have grown through all of them and feel wiser because of them. Continue to help me grow. Give me experiences and failures to continue that growth even as I draw nearer to the end of my life. I love you Lord and honor your infinite wisdom, power and love. Amen!

High Standards

17When David saw the angel, he said to the lord, “I am the one who has sinned and done wrong! But these people are as innocent as sheep—what have they done? Let your anger fall against me and my family.” 2 Samuel 24:17I have recently found out that at least one of my students has been reading this blog. It really surprised me. I REALLY don't write this for other people. I have been writing this blog for nearly 6 years. It started as a way to keep me focused on my daily bible readings. It has helped me think and reflect on the Bible, which I believe is the most powerful part of my faith. It changes my thoughts quite a bit knowing my students and other people read what I am writing. In many ways it puts pressure on me to do this right. So, I am excited and nervous at the same time that my students read what I write. Just like in the rest of my life, this blog is not perfect. There are not any areas of my life where I am perfect. One of my greatest skills is Math. Even with Math, I am not perfect. As I am helping students I hate it when I get something wrong. Students will have me check their work. They count on me to double check to see if they are making any errors. When I let them down it bothers me, a lot. I try to make sure that doesn't happen too often.My life is exactly the same, I am always concerned that I will not meet the standards of my faith. I am far from perfect in life, just like I am not the perfect mathematician. That is one of the reasons for this blog. This blog helps me keep my life straight and heading down the path of faith. I need the pressure of my students and others that are reading this blog to keep me from making TOO many mistakes. My biggest fear is to let my God down because I lead someone down the wrong path. I am careful to show real care for my students and others I meet. I want to be Jesus in their lives. That is a TALL order. I can't do it on my own. I need help.
Dear Lord, Help me with my life. Make it an example for others. Help guide me to make the right choices. Help me to follow your plans and your guidance 24 hours a day. I can't do it within my own power. I need you, your mercy, your strength, and your grace. I love you and thank you for this wonderful life you have set before me. I am humbled by your love. Thank You. Amen!

Loyalty and Dedication

15David remarked longingly to his men, “Oh, how I would love some of that good water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem.” 16So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew some water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out as an offering to the lord. 17“The lord forbid that I should drink this!” he exclaimed. “This water is as precious as the blood of these men who risked their lives to bring it to me.” So David did not drink it. 2 Samuel 23:15-17

          When I read these verses, I instantly thought of the men and women serving in our military. David wanted some fresh water. He did not ask his men to go. They went, on their own, to get their leader some water, apparently, some pretty fantastic water. They never hesitated to serve their leader. They had no other goal than to serve their king, at all costs.
          I am loyal to my school and the students I serve. I am their servant. I want nothing more than to help them succeed. Just like David's soldiers, I will go to great lengths to help them. Much of the time my efforts are to help them successfully complete Math topics. I struggle when they struggle and I rejoice when they succeed. I like to think that MATH is only a small part of what I teach. I want to teach them the same dedication David's soldiers lived. I want them to know how to keep attacking problems even when they hate it, or get frustrated. I want them to NEVER GIVE UP. Sure I don't want them to give up learning math. But, they will face many life situations a lot more important than math. I want them to know they can accomplish anything with persistence and dedication. I want them to learn love and dedication to something greater than themselves. I want them to develop the heart of a servant.
           God has never given up on me. He could have. I won't give up on my students. We all need to have people that will fight for us. We all need to have people that will believe in us. We all need to have someone that would sacrifice their own well being to meet our own wants and needs. David's soldiers were dedicated to him in a very powerful way. God is devoted to us in that same way. I am devoted to my students with no limits. 

          Dear Lord, I praise you for your dedication to me and my family. I am humbled by your sacrifice that I might live in eternity. Help me to be an example for my students and the staff I serve with every day. I love you and honor you with my life. Amen!

Work is not Evil

15The lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. Genesis 2:15I saw a picture on Facebook this morning. There was a picture of screaming baby saying "NOOOOOO, I DON'T WANT TO GO TO WORK!"I didn't realize this. God created work BEFORE man fell to sin. I have always thought of work being created directly as a result of the original sin. I know so many people that just hate what they are doing. I would never work in a job I did not enjoy. But, God placed Adam and Eve in the garden to tend and watch over it. Work was not created to be evil. It was only after the fall that work became a struggle. I believe that the followers of Christ are, more often than not, blessed by the work they do. I know that is certainly true for me. I am fullfilled through the work I do. I love going to work on Monday mornings. But, work is not meant to be our entire life. God built in specific time for rest and relaxation. We are all aware of the Sabbath and yet we do not honor this DAY OF REST. When I look back at my weekend, it was packed with activities. My only moment of rest this weekend was an hour nap yesterday. I really need to rest more often. I need to organize my week to deliberately so I can take a day off on Sunday and just relax. Spring Break is coming and I will do everything I can to relax for AT LEAST one of these weeks. I need to get away and refresh. I think we all need to do this on a regular basis. While the bible does not say anything specific about vacations. The Jewish culture had many festivals and celebrations that suspended work. We need to make sure we take the time to get away and renew our souls. God does not want us to toil our lives away. He wants us to take time for ourselves but more importantly he wants us to take time to re-connect with him. The busyness of our lives separates us from that wonderful connection. God did not design work to keep us from his presence. Yet, that is our excuse. 
Dear Lord, Please forgive me for not taking advantage of the Sabbath. Please forgive me for not taking time to spend with you. I love you Lord and look forward to Spring Break in a couple of weeks. I know you have given me my work as a blessing and not a curse. I am grateful for the work I have. Take my job and make it be your job. Fill me with your love so I may share that with everyone I meet today. Amen!

God delights in ME!

17“He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters. 18He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me. 19They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the lord supported me. 20He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me. 21The lord rewarded me for doing right; he restored me because of my innocence. 2 Samuel 22:17-21


I don't think I am different than most people. I have great days and bad days. Sometimes things are going perfectly and sometimes I am stressed beyond belief.  The past couple of days have been wonderful. Friday I was blessed with a wonderful worship experience at the "Third Day" concert. Yesterday, I had a great day with my CMA family at our monthly meeting and blessing area motorcycle dealerships.  

I find God reaching down and rescuing me quite often. Even when I am not down in the depths, I still feel I am being lifted up. I do NOT need to sink to the bottom to be rescued by my loving Heavenly Father. I hope that comforts each of you. I have seen it. I have felt his presence. I have felt his mighty hand reach down and grab me, setting me in a safe place. I can stress about school stuff, family stuff, or just personal issues, but God brings me through. Many times people don't even know of the stress. It's not big enough to share. It doesn't matter. I am still rescued. 

Why? Why does God feel the need or at least have the desire to rescue me? 

God delights in me! 

It seems a little arrogant to say. It seems a little self centered to say the creator of the universe "delights" in me. I know how imperfect I am and how my life has been anything but worthy. So why does he delight in me? 

I have asked God to take my life and make it his. I have repented of my sin. I have committed to sharing the Gospel. This doesn't make me perfect in real life. It DOES make me perfect in the eyes of God. His grace and mercy doesn't see the same thing you see. He sees only his perfection in me. He can delight in me because he doesn't see the sin and he doesn't see my flaws. I praise him and am humbled by that perfect grace. That alone gives me hope.

Dear Lord, I am thrilled with my life. You see my ups and downs, my good and bad, and my joy and pain. You are my rock. You are my rescuer. You are my love and I am honored that you delight in me. Please Lord, continue to take my life and make it your own. Take everything I am and use it for your glory. Help me in every daily interaction. Help me in every word I speak and thought I have. Make them your thoughts and your words. I love you Lord. I praise you for taking me in out of the muck and mire! Praise God! Amen!

Dear America, Is this the best we can do? My Country and Party is a disaster!

For those of you who frequent this blog, this is not my ordinary post. I'm going to be political. If you don't want to read it, stop now. The view are my opinion and I just have to share or I will explode!


First I am not a Trump supporter.

Right now I have to decide who I will support instead of Trump. If he ends up being the Republican nominee for President, I will also have to weigh my options. I have to admit I have never voted for a Democrat for President, not because of party affiliation, but because I have ALWAYS agreed MORE with the Republican candidates than the Democrats. So, when I vote in the Primary or the General Election I will look closely and see which candidate I agree with more and that is who I will vote for. Many times I have chosen the "lesser of two evils". The choice of evil is getting worse every day.

My party, specifically, and my country generally, is MESSED UP! ( I want to use stronger language, but I have dedicated this site to the cause of Christ!)

We have created a monster called politics or more specifically POLITICIANS!

Our Party System is failing because it is completely dominated by PROFESSIONAL POLITICIANS. Both parties are run by the smug, elitists that give the impression they are working for us. Every four years or two or six, they come "courting" my vote. They promise progress, hope and change, or to fix all that is wrong with this world. NOTHING EVERY HAPPENS except they collect their fat checks and their life long benefits. They pass laws for us and THEY are exempt. They place themselves ABOVE THE LAW. They will prosecute an AMERICAN HERO for revealing secrets through an email, but WON'T prosecute one of their own when THOUSANDS of CRITICAL DOCUMENTS ARE SENT ON AN UNSECURED SERVER.

I AM FED UP WITH IT ALL!

Now, the Republican Party is not happy that an OUTSIDER has jumped into the fray. Just a few short years ago, they were begging Donald Trump to support their campaigns (both party candidates). Now he is corrupt, a con artist, and whatever insult they can hurl. I am NOT a Trump supporter, but the people, for whatever reason are speaking and doing it LOUDLY. Again, for whatever reason, the MAJORITY feel he is the best choice or at least the LESSER OF THE 17 EVILS that started this campaign. The REPUBLICAN ELITE aren't happy. They are selling the farm so they can get someone in the Whitehouse THEY CAN CONTROL. So, like a child wanting to change the rulesof the neighborhood game, they are going to take their ball and go home if this election doesn't go the way they DESIGNED.

 I AM OUTRAGED beyond belief.

Our OLD GUARD, REPUBLICAN, POLITICAL MACHINE is wanting to throw this election. They have committed to personal attacks instead of talking about issues, they are campaigning on the size of Trumps hands and the color of his tan. They are throwing around terms like con artist, flim flam man and all the while they give nothing of a real alternative. THEY ARE STOOPING TO THE LEVEL OF TRUMP.  If they believe they have a better message, they better share it and do it NOW. Instead they are pulling out all the stops. Even our Inept candidate from the last loss is jumping into the fight. His words today were hollow and worthless. He himself is an elitist that has done nothing after the last election. Where was he to fight over the last four years? He was happy to pose with Trump and get his money 4 years ago. Now he spews hate. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?

The tone of this race to be the nominee of MY PARTY, better change and change fast.

IF NOT, I WILL VOTE FOR TRUMP AND DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO HELP HIM DESTROY YOUR INEPT LEADERSHIP! WE NEED A NEW PARTY.

EVERY CANDIDATE I TRULY SUPPORTED has been BLACKBALLED by the ELITE, the money. Carly Fiorina, Dr. Carson, and others. I had thought seriously about supporting Rubio, but his tone over the last week has been childish and RIDICULOUS.  CRUZ is not much better. I AM RUNNING OUT OF VIABLE CHOICES FAST!!!!!!!!!!

YOU BETTER START LISTENING TO YOUR PARTY and not the political insiders. You better listen and become, once again, the party of the PEOPLE of these UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. I have supported you election after election. DO SOMETHING. Fight for the causes we support. Don't be condescending and give us lip service. Find real solutions.

THE WATCHFUL EYE OF THIS COUNTRY IS UPON YOU. Don't make it worse. I don't know if I can handle a socialist or a liar in the Whitehouse. Will I have to vote for a Democrat that acts like one of us, but is CERTAINLY NOT? Will I have to support another elitist that panders to minorities just to get a vote, speaks down on law enforcement, only cares about BLACK LIVES? Do we really have a choice between someone that under values unborn life as less important than terrorists.

Time is running short. The security and success of our nation is on your shoulders.

Forgive - NOW!

As the king was about to cross the river, Shimei fell down before him. 19“My lord the king, please forgive me,” he pleaded. “Forget the terrible thing your servant did when you left Jerusalem. May the king put it out of his mind. 20I know how much I sinned. That is why I have come here today, the very first person in all Israel to greet my lord the king.” 2 Samuel 19:18-20

Forgiveness of others is one of the most difficult , but necessary, tasks for a Christian. Jesus is our example. On the cross, he issued out the most famous act of forgiveness when he forgave his murderers. OUR SINS are also forgiven when we repent to the Lord. Forgiveness is a key part of our faith. So, why do WE have difficulty forgiving others?

I see this every day of my life. I see it in family situations. I see it at school. I see it student to student and teacher to teacher. It seems once someone is wronged, the story is over. The separation is permanent. That is so sad and very much against our Christian faith. As Christians, we need to forgive those that have wronged us. The forgiveness needs to be complete and as much as it is reliant on us, reconciliation is the next step. Of course reconciliation can not be one way. We need to get away from holding a grudge. We need get over the pain and hurt. That is not always easy, but necessary. If forgiveness is not easy, if the hurts are too deep, we need to turn it all over to JESUS. It is ok if we can't do it through our own thoughts and words. Let Jesus move you. Turn it over to him. Ask him for help. He will guide you on the path to forgiveness. He will guide you on the path to reconciliation. 

Can we love without forgiveness?  

Dear Lord, Help me forgive those that harm me. Help me to find a way to reconcile with those that oppose me or that I have opposed. Our world is full of division and hate. We can't fix this without you. Healing starts with forgiveness. That healing needs to start now. Amen!

I'm getting Old

“And now, in my old age, don’t set me aside. Don’t abandon me when my strength is failing.”

Psalms 71:9 NLT.    http://bible.com/116/psa.71.9.nlt

This verse is repeated twice in this Psalms. I'm not quite old enough to worry about being "set aside". I certainly can feel my "old age". I was helping my daughter pack for the big move, carrying boxes up and down steps, lifting,  and loading. At the end of the weekend I was exhausted. I love to help because I feel valued. What happens when I can no longer help? Will I lose my value? Will I be set aside in my failing strength?

I love getting older. I look forward to the new phase of my life when I retire. I love seeing the grandkids growing up. I love seeing life go by , now, at a more peaceful pace than ever before. Life is slowing down. Yet, I feel so valued and loved by many. I appreciate not being cast aside and I'm not worried. At some point that may change, but I don't dwell on it. I choose to think of my great past and the wonderful love and support I have right here and right now. I have heard it said we are not getting older, we are getting better. With the power of Jesus in your life, that will definitely be true. Jesus will never cast me aside. I am so blessed to have been saved by Jesus. I look forward to ALL of my life here on Earth but I am also looking forward to life in Eternity. Praise God for his love and kindness. 

Dear Lord, I am honored and blessed to belong to you. I am humbled that you are with me every day of my life. I know you will not abandon me. Out of all the things I fear, that is not one of them. I praise you for a wonderfully blessed life. I praise you for the peace that I feel every day I walk with you. As I age, Lord, help me to do it gracefully and with dignity. Help me to realize my value and the value of others as they age into the last years of their life here on earth. Amen!

Be UnCommon!

“Common people are as worthless as a puff of wind, and the powerful are not what they appear to be. If you weigh them on the scales, together they are lighter than a breath of air.”

Psalms 62:9 NLT. http://bible.com/116/psa.62.9.nlt

I wore an old track sweatshirt to school last week that had the quote: "Be UnCommon" on the back. I love that thought and it is exactly what this year is about. I don't want to be a common husband, father, grandfather, teacher, friend, Christian. I want to be different. So many people are afraid to say that. They want to go through life in the background, camouflaged into the fabric of this planet. Not me. 

I want to explore new ideas, not be afraid to fail, AND not be afraid to succeed. At school I am a part of a great "experiment". We are rethinking school. We have seen a great amount of success, but have gone through multiple failures, mistakes, along our path. But we have some bold educators willing to take risk and grow from it. None of us are willing to sit idly on the sidelines when we see work to be done. We can't stand to live with the status-quo. We all feel like we must make at least SOME attempt to make life better for our students. As a minister in motorcycle ministry, I have seen great success and abysmal failure. The key, to borrow a cliche, is to learn from my mistakes, get back up every time I am knocked down, persevere through trial and persecution. 

I don't want to be a worthless puff of wind. 

That fear urges me forward, to try new things, to stick my neck out on a limb. I'm not seeking power. I'm seeking victory. Victory, not for me, but for the kingdom of God. I'm seeking new ways to reach the lost, build relationships to promote the gospel message. 

Dear Lord Jesus, help me to be "Uncommon". Help me to be bold, take risks, and challenge the status quo, so that others may know you, your love, your mercy, and grace. I don't seek power outside of your power to overcome darkness. Guide me in my life. Make that life your own. Amen!