Tell me what you think!

“Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭6:11‬ ‭NLT‬‬
http://bible.com/116/1co.6.11.nlt

Can you tell I’m a follower of Christ? Do my words, my actions, my moods, my hands, and my feet, match my profession of faith?

Unfortunately I know the answer to that question is inconsistent at best.  I hope people can say I am different from the world since Christ entered my life. I hope a clear distinction is made between me and those who do not know the Lord. The Holy Spirit, living inside me, is the way I am made right. The sin that WANTS to live in me is defeated only when I invite the Spirit of the Lord to fill my life. 

There is a constant battle for our bodies, minds, and spirits while we live on this earth. We aren't left alone to fight this battle. We are given the greatest gift of all time. When the Spirit of the Lord came to dwell inside us, we were guaranteed victory here, right now. When we turn everything over to the Lord, we truly invite him to live in us, we can start to LIVE like we are designed to live. His love will overtake us. His power will help us through all difficulties and we can turn our lives to help and serve others. ASK THE HOLY SPIRIT TO COME INTO YOUR LIFE, RIGHT NOW!

Thank You Lord for your love. Thank you for filling me with your spirit. I am not perfect but I am on a path to take that spirit and serve you everyday of my life. Please continue to work on me. Make me a better person, serving others, and loving them with your unconditional love. I am nothing without you. Praise God your SPIRIT is within me.  AMEN!

Draw me closer to you

Isaiah 49:16 -- 'See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands.
Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s
walls in ruins.'
I have had struggles in my life. But, because I gave my life to Christ as a very young teen. I have

always been rescued from my darkest hour. The Lord knows me. I have had dark times when I

could not see any hope. I have had times of depression, loss, and pain. Fortunately, these times

have been temporary.

God has always been there for me. He knows me. I might wish I would never have to go through

the pain, but God knows what is best for me. I endure the pains of life so that I may grow closer

to the Lord. the Lord knows me. After 58 years of life, I know that if things are always AWESOME

in my life, I will put the Lord to the back of my mind. I will become arrogant and proud. I will serve

only me. I will ignore God's plan for my life. I know I need to be brought back to the Lord on a

regular basis. The LORD knows what I need and sometimes he allows the pain in my life to keep

me as his own. I thank you Lord. I do not enjoy the pain. But, I do enjoy my life with you and I

enjoy that life more every single day.

I love you Lord. Use me. Help me draw closer to you even if that has to come through the pain in

my life. Amen!

Proud?

“In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.””
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:5‬ ‭NLT‬‬
http://bible.com/116/1pe.5.5.nlt

There have been many times in my life I was proud of myself. But the Lord knows when to yank me down a notch. Over my lifetime I have heard great things from my students, parents, and administrators. In my life of serving the Lord, I have gotten praise for speaking or volunteering. Just when I start getting “full of myself” God provides me with a moment that makes me realize I’m not that great. So through many ups and downs in my life I have finally come to realize anything I AM is ONLY because of Christ living in me.

I can look back on my 58 years of life in amazement, not at how great I AM, but how great my God is. I gave my life to Christ as an early teen. I have let my Lord down again and again and again. Yet, the Lord continues to look past those failures and uses me in truly amazing ways. I’ve failed as a teacher, a Dad, a servant and as a husband, but God has blessed me in all areas of my life. His grace and mercy are perfect.

Thank you Lord, thank you for my life! Thank you for overlooking my sins, my failures, and my weaknesses, and using me for your kingdom. Please Lord, use me. I owe you everything and can not ever repay you. I love you Lord, forever. Amen!

Make a List

James 5:16 -- Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
Matthew 18:19 -- “I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you."

I am a list person. I am hyper organized and sometimes I take that to an extreme. But one of the lists I treasure the most is my prayer journal. Yes, I keep a prayer journal. It's easy. When I get a prayer request it goes on one of my note pages on my phone. When it gets "answered" I put the word PRAISE beside it. I never take anything off that list. It's fun each morning and evening to look at that wonderful list of PRAISES. The Lord has answered SO MANY of my prayers.  At the bottom of my prayer list is a "bucket type list" of things I would love to achieve in my life time. I also turn those over to the Lord each day. 

I Love speaking to the Lord and turning over my life to him through prayer. Please do the same thing. Try it. Try keeping a journal and when you tell someone you are praying for them, don't just say a short prayer and move on. CONTINUE to pray for them. If you earnestly approach the Lord with your prayers, he will respond with such wonderful results. His GREAT power is seen through the prayers of you and me. 

Dear Lord, Thank You for the gift of prayer. Thank you for listening to this weak, sinful servant. I love you dearly and praise you for all the wonderful joys in my life. Use me Lord! Amen!

Unexplainable

“That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.””
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭2:9‬ ‭NLT‬‬
http://bible.com/116/1co.2.9.nlt

I don’t know about you, but it’s fun to be surprised by God. I can’t wait to see his perfect plan develop right before my eyes. I could never predict the future and don’t want to. It’s fun to just be along for the ride. But as a fallen person, so many times I try to tell God what needs to happen. It's hard to believe that I think I can tell the Lord what the best plan is for my life. If I just get out of the way, GOD will take me on a wildly exciting ride every day of my life. I can not imagine the wonder God has in store for me. I can give so many great examples. God has provided miracles to my family. A daughter that shouldn't walk but does. We have countless miracles with jobs and finances. There are so many "unexplainable" miracles of protection. Stephanie and I are in the middle of a new adventure that is ALSO developing rights before our eyes. The miracles of this past 18 months are perfect examples of how I could never imagine God's plan for us. We progress through our life and never take time to recognize the Lord's active hand. But, today, I just can't pass it up. I can look back and say WOW, God has TRULY been active in my life. He is amazing. His love for me is amazing. I am humbled by that Love and Grace. 

Dear Lord, I thank you for all the past protections, the past miracles, and the past LOVE you have given me. I praise you for the perfect plan that has happened and will happen before me. Please Lord, use me. Take my life and let it be ONLY for you. Amen!

How could I NOT serve him!

1:26a Or man; Hebrew reads adam.Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth,1:26b As in Syriac version; Hebrew reads all the earth. and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”

     Most of the time I am quiet about the debate about creation vs evolution. I am only quiet because I hate putting up barriers between me and those that do not know Jesus. But, I absolutely don't understand those who trivialize the wonder of life on this planet. Can you fathom the possibility that we were created by CHANCE?  I just can't wrap my head around the idea that life on this planet in all it's beauty and orderliness, is by a cataclysmic roll of the dice. I unapologetically say that my Lord created the Heavens and the Earth and all that is in it and most importantly, he created ME and YOU. He created US in his image. We are a reflection of our creator. He created everything, but he decided to create US as special and I am humbled by that magnificent thought. I listen to my breathing, feel my heart beat, and SEE all that surrounds me as PURE PROOF that You ARE. Life is NOT by chance. Life is by design, YOUR design. 

     Dear Lord, I am amazed that you created ME in your image. I am humbled by your love. Just looking at my fingers typing this blog amazes me. YOU designed everything about me with beautiful love and brilliant design. How could I NOT serve you?  SO, take my life, LORD, use me today for your purposes. Use me every day to bring others to realize your grace, mercy, and strength. I love you Lord. Amen!

Life in soundbites!

Galation 6:7 Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.

Students have a great sensitivity to FAIRNESS. There perceptions of fairness aren't always right. In fact, our society acts much the same way. We see a 2 minute clip on an issue and think we know all we need to know to make a judgment. Our country was based on the fact that DEMOCRACY will only work if the people are educated and stay informed about the issues. Unfortunately we are NOT as informed as we think we are. We are informed by a biased media, we only hear media snip-its and don't take time to really research issues. We are in trouble.

Our propensity to live life in 60 second sound bites bleeds over to our faith as well. We want to get our spirit filled on Sunday and hustle through the next 6 days wihout an ounce of thought about our faith and our savior. Why are we not surprised that our faith is declining. In order for us to see growth in followers, we need to grow in our own faith. We need to bring Jesus into every aspect of our lives. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. It is not good enough to fill a pew on Sundays if God does not fill our hearts the rest of the week. 

Draw closer to the Lord. Pray, Pray, Pray. Study his word, fellowship with your brothers and sisters, and serve in the name of Jesus. Our lives must be completely committed to Jesus. We need to give him everything, our time, our money, our energy. We have nothing except for the grace and mercy through Jesus!

Dear Lord, I Love you. Forgive me for not serving you with more passion. Forgive me for not taking time to really study your word and forgive me for giving you my leftover money, time, and energy. I recommit my life to serving only you. My life is yours. Amen!

A great Weekend

“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6:9-10‬ ‭NLT‬‬
http://bible.com/116/gal.6.9-10.nlt

I had a wonderful weekend. Saturday I got to share the message of Christ to a group of bikers at a bullying/ suicide prevention rally. It was all God. I was there as a member of CMA and to provide a perspective from an educator on the issue of bullying and teen suicide. I sat through several great speakers, but the general theme was bashing educators. First of all, I get it. Some schools do not make this a priority and many of my fellow educators are just not helpful. I had to fight for my profession. I couldn’t just listen to the bashing. I also struggled with the dancing around solutions to bullying and teen suicide. I got to proclaim the only real hope, though the power of Jesus.

I am proud to have shared this with the same people on three different occasions. Is it making a difference? Only God knows. But, I refuse to give up. I refuse to let Satan get the upper hand. I refuse to sidestep the real issues. We need to turn to God! I would have to say, I got a little passionate! I can't help but be passionate about bringing HOPE to our young people, helping them survive this crazy world, through the power of Jesus Christ. I will never tire of the message of Jesus and won't stop until I am called home. 

Dear Lord, We need you now in this world more than ever. Our future generation has lost hope, many have given up. Please Lord, help me make a difference in providing that hope and showing them YOUR unconditional Love. Help me to serve them in every way I can. I Love you Lord and praise you for the harvest of blessings you have already provided to me and my family. I am humbled by your mercy and grace. Amen!

The NEXT Generation is amazing!

“I will bless my people and their homes around my holy hill. And in the proper season I will send the showers they need. There will be showers of blessing.”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭34:26‬ ‭NLT‬‬
http://bible.com/116/ezk.34.26.nlt

You may get tired of hearing it, but I am an amazingly blessed man. I have abundance in my life. I have things and most importantly, I have awesome relationships with people. I wake up every morning ready to head to school. I love my kids. I am excited to work all day with our next gen leaders. We’re in great hands. I know most people are down on this generation. Not me. I love their compassion for people and hearts for good social causes. I love that they are concerned about social injustice. They want it to be perfect. I hope we never try to take that away. They have this innocence that is refreshing.

 As adults, teachers, and leaders, we must make sure not to dampen the spirit of our young people. We need to give them the tools and experience to solve  problems. We need to guide them through the challenges and advise them when asked. Even though they pursue illusive perfection in our society, we can’t deter them from the goal, but, we also need to keep them grounded. Share our experiences to keep them from falling on their face.  We need to love and support them. We need to PRAY for them. We need to pray they draw closer to the Lord and know his presence in their lives. We need to lead them to a life dedicated to the Lord. That is our main hope for the future on this planet. If we can do these things, we WILL be showered with wonderful blessings from above. God will be with us and we can THRIVE until we arrive at our heavenly home.

Rescued!

1 Peter 5:1010In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.

I read a story last night about a guy who was shipwrecked on a deserted island. He went scrounging for food on the other side of the island until he noticed smoke rising. In shear panic he ran back to the other side of the island. His shack burnt to the ground,  he was devastated.  As night fell he lay cold and completely alone. He gave up hope. The next morning a ship found him and rescued him. He asked his rescuers how they found him. They said, it was easy. We saw your smoke signal.

Never give up hope. Even when you are alone and in complete darkness, never give up hope. Your greatest hope is in Jesus. He will bring you through even the darkest hour. I know this form personal experience. God has brought me through so many challenges and obstacles. If you do not have a relationship with Jesus. NOW IS THE TIME. Fall to your knees, confess that you are a sinner and accept the perfect grace of Jesus. Ask him to be the Lord of your life. The challenges and stresses of life will fade away. You will be rescued! You will be restored! You will be supported! You will be strengthened! God will place you on a firm foundation that can not be moved in the evil of this world. 

Dear Lord, I am truly blessed and feel your presence in my life through the ups and downs I face. I love you and praise you for all you have done for me. Use me today to show your wonderful love. Use me today to serve others and be an example of selfless sacrifice for others. Amen!

Buy, Buy, Buy!

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:8-9‬ ‭NLT‬‬
http://bible.com/116/1pe.5.8-9.nlt

“In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:10‬ ‭NLT‬‬
http://bible.com/116/1pe.5.10.nlt

Stephanie and I have committed to our goals of simplification and debt free living. In a year or so, we should be completely debt free. But, Satan is tempting us. Since our debt load is greatly reduced, it’s tempting to buy, buy, buy. I went by a lake lot tonight that Steph and I considered purchasing earlier in the summer, until we found out it’s cost. We quickly backed off. Tonight I saw it was still for sale. It would be amazing, but it would set back our goals for at least a year and the cost is triple we are willing to spend. It would be so easy to abandon our plans.

Right before school began, on our way back home from Minnesota, I told Steph this would be a challenging year. I told her I thought Satan would do everything in his power to keep us from retiring and pursuing our ministry goals. It looks like the battle has begun. Except, he has no idea who he is dealing with. No it’s not me he has to worry about. He is up against the creator of the universe. He’s going down!

Dear Lord, reveal your plan. Fill us with your guiding spirit to pursue that plan. We only want to serve you! But, we need your power and strength to battle the doubts and worries about our future. I trust you. Your plan throughout my life has been perfect and I know that will be true through eternity. I praise your name for the life you have granted Stephanie and I. We love you and want nothing more than to do your will! Amen!

RV life

“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:6-7‬ ‭NLT‬‬
http://bible.com/116/1pe.5.6-7.nlt

We have been living the RV life for three months now. It has been an adjustment but it has been amazing. Life is simpler. The time I spent cutting the grass alone is so freeing. You would think simpler is easier. It’s not. Sure, I no longer have a yard to mow! Praise God! But we hand wash our dishes, we have to dump our sewage tanks once a week, laundry might include some ironing, I dance a lot with my wife as we pass in the kitchen or bathroom, and tv consists of a lot more of the farmer five. (We have discovered some great tv shows we never would have found) Yet, this back to basic life is wonderful and I can not think of a better way to live. I’m not sure why, but I have less worry, the stress is down, I am a little worried about winter, but even with that the planning has already begun. I’m feeling better about it every day.

God is in control. Stephanie and I have turned it all over to him. That, too, has simplified our lives. When we let God be God, it’s amazing how your life becomes less complicated and our freedom brings a great deal of peace.  The peace of Christ is something hard to describe. That peace is a feeling that no matter what comes your way, you will be safe in the arms of Jesus. You stop looking for the other shoe to drop. You accept the ups and downs of life and know both will not last. I praise the Lord for the peace in my life. 

Praise God for the pain!

1 Peter 5:5-7  5And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.6
So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

1:6 Or So you are truly glad.

It is funny how life changes. Last year at this time, I was in a bad place. I was angry at my situation and the attacks I was feeling. Now a year later, I can praise God for that time in my life. That season has brought us to a place where we are looking forward greatly to the future. Retirement is around the corner and I see such promise and hope. Had I not gone through that time, I would NOT be in the place where I am right now. I love how God takes us through trials and when we come out on the other side, we are better for it. I wish I could praise God more DURING the trials. Maybe I will be able to do that the NEXT time. 

Praise God for his love, mercy, and grace. I can not imagine traveling a different road than the one I have traveled for the past 58 years. Thank you Lord for directing my life. 

The ultimate protector!

“And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1:5‬ ‭NLT‬‬
http://bible.com/116/1pe.1.5.nlt

Have you ever thought, as a follower of Christ, what trials you have been protected from? We may never know what God has done to protect us from calamity. I have been a follower for over 45 years. I’ve been through trials, miracles that can only be explained by the power of Jesus. I have endured financial collapse, family members with miraculous healings, jobs and career opportunities that have to be directed by the hand of God, and a peace in the midst of the storms. But, what about avoiding pain. I will never know the full depth of my protection. I can tell you, even so, that my life is as wonderful as it is ONLY through the power of Jesus. The Lord has protected me. He has protected me. I FEEL his presence. I know he is with me. Praise God he loves me enough to protect me from all harm and he is guiding me in this life that leads to eternity! Praise God!

Make me better!

1 Peter 4: 6-7 6 So be truly glad.There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 

1:6 Or So you are truly glad.Life is wonderful. I know there are many out there who can NOT imagine they are living a wonderful life. Your hope is in these verses. Your trial will not last. There is an end to this "season" in your life. There will be joy in the morning. I, too, have gone through trial and yes I survived. I not only survived, I thrived and can say without any hesitation, I have loved my life. I have loved every moment and realize the trials and stresses have been worth it. They have made me who I am. As followers of Christ, we need the trials to purify our faith and help us to realize the power of our wonderful savior. 

Praise God for his wonderful LOVE. Praise God for my life and all that has come together to create me and bring me to this day. I love you Lord and turn my life over to you, everyday. Use me for your purposes. If you desire that I endure trials and pain, I trust you. You know what I need. You know where I need to grow. You know how to purify me until the day I get to praise you forever in eternity. Amen!

A major endorsement!

“The Lord told Joshua, “Today I will begin to make you a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites. They will know that I am with you, just as I was with Moses.”
‭‭Joshua‬ ‭3:7‬ ‭NLT‬‬
http://bible.com/116/jos.3.7.nlt


The Israelites were just about to cross the Jordan River on dry ground. Joshua would now be solidified as their leader. In life you are going to fail. None of us will go through our days without some setbacks or failures.  But, today the Lord wanted the people to know he was behind Joshua. 

There have been times in my life that God has made it clear he is behind me. He has come through with some endorsement or miracle that makes it clear I am following his plan. He also has given me pretty clear signs when I am OFF the path he has laid before me. It is truly amazing that the Lord of the Universe cares deeply about me so much that he is involved in my daily life and gently directs my ways. I want nothing more than to serve the Lord. I do not want my sinful nature to get in the way and I want the Lord to correct me. I want him to show me the ways to go. I want him to receive his love, mercy, and grace right along with his direction of my daily steps.

Praise God he cares for us. Praise God he cares about our future and is deeply involved in our lives. Turn your life to him and you, too, will receive his daily guidance. Talk to him. Plead with him. Dive deep into his word. Worship him with all your heart. As you grow closer to him, you will begin to see his mighty right hand in all you do. I am humbled because of his presence in our lives. 

Two are Better than One

Ecclesiastes 4:9: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?"

40 Years ago today, my lovely wife and I gave our lives to each other and our two became one and our one became two. We always think about marriage as two becoming one and I agree. We are of one mind, one spirit and one heart. But, God also made us individuals. Stephanie and I are different. Most of our friends and family are well aware of our differences. We are two different people that God decided to knit into ONE. Yet, we still remain separate. This verse tells why that is so important.

Stephanie is the great complement to me. I just can't imagine the person I would be without her. It's not just her love of me. Her character, her heart, her compassion, her gentleness, her love of family, her servants heart make me a better person. Those strong traits cover for many of my weaknesses and shortcomings. God brought us together for that specific reason. He looked at us separately and knew he could make both of us better by bringing us together. He thought he could make the world a better place through our kids, our grandkids, and now our GREAT grandkids. The Lord did this and I am blessed abundantly every day because of the wonderful woman he blessed me with these past 40 years. I am so blessed. It is my greatest example of GRACE that God has blessed me with. I deserve nothing as wonderful as my wife, yet God thought differently and I am honored and humbled he did.


Happy Anniversary to the LOVE OF MY LIFE!

Day One!

Romans 12:1Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
Ahh! Getting up at 5:30am, there is nothing like it! Students arrive today at GKB Schools. We are ready for DAY ONE!
Well, I might not REALLY be enthusiastic about getting up at 5:30, but I am ready to start another year of teaching. (Probably my last) I am excited to reconnect with my old students and to start building relationships with my new ones. Yes, I will teach them some math. But, that doesn't really excite me as much as just being with my students. We laugh, we cry, we celebrate, we console, we LIVE LIFE together. That is the best part about being a teacher. I love helping them get ready for their future lives. 
I am a servant of Christ everywhere I go. School is just one of the places I go. I serve my students. I serve my community. I serve my Lord by teaching kids. We all need to look at our professions as an outreach of our lives with Christ. That doesn't mean we have to directly share the gospel, although that may happen. More importantly we live our lives, we work our jobs, as Christ would. We serve others. Jesus was a carpenter before he started his ministry. I am sure every project he took on, he gave it his all and the service he provided to others was nothing but the best. No matter what profession you are in, serve with the joy and love of Christ. Give your best. You are a LIVING SACRIFICE, HOLY AND PLEASING TO GOD!

Fear is a Liar

Nehemiah 4:14    -- 14After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”

After my relationship with the Lord, the relationship with my family is the most important thing in my life. I love my daughters, their husbands, my grandkids and most recently my great granddaughter. I will fight for them with my last breath. But, as I grow older I have realized my greatest defense for them very difficult. I just don't have a lot of options to offer them protection. But, my greatest defense for them comes from MY greatest defender, the Creator of the Universe. Many times my prayers are my ONLY defense. It IS enough. 

There is a song on the radio right now called "Fear is a Liar" by Zach WIlliams. It is certainly true. Fear is a powerful force in our lives. It can dominate our thoughts and paralyze us into inaction. Fear starts as worry. It grows and fueled by Satan and the thoughts of doom that grow inside us. There is only one cure for the fears we face. 

Prayer!

We need to release our fears, our worries, our doubts, to the Lord. This is also true as I face fears about my family. I want so much to protect them from the evils of this world. But, I can not. I am not able to be there to protect them 24 hours a day. I can't hover over them to shield them from the pitfalls of life. I CAN pray for them. I can plead to the Lord for his powerful protection. I can pray for wisdom in their decisions. I can pray for their strength as they face challenges. I can pray, pray, pray that they grow spiritually close to the Lord and that his presence be revealed to them. 

I do not fear the unknowns of today or tomorrow. I know the power of my wonderful savior is enough and I praise him for his love of me and my family. Praise God for his mighty hand.