Several friends heard about a trip I was trying to put together for my family. We were flying to Germany for my wife's parent's 50th. We hoped to visit Switzerland and show our kids where we hung out when I was stationed in Germany. The money was not coming together and the friends tried to get it together for us. But several things happened and business went bad for each of them. They wanted to pay our way to Switzerland but was limited so they began to pray our way to Switzerland. Things changed.
We rented a diesel van and it got great gas mileage. We were able to secure a chalet on the mountain side for $100 per day. The chalet had a full kitchen so our food bill was lowered. The hotel where we were going to stay at was close to $100 per person per day. We ended up going and spending a couple of days on the mountain side at a low cost. We learned something that is still with us. Pray your way through before you plan or pay your way through.
Tori was short for her upcoming tuition payment. We prayed and then looked at the options. We were turned down and it looked like there were going to be severe issues in getting her into school. And then Concord came through. The art of being still, sensing the peace of God and moving toward Him was powerful. It is not that planning is not important but rather that prayer must always go first. There is a way to pray, listening quietly as you move through life and each day. This is a skill to be encouraged and developed.
We are now facing another issue and we are praying our way through. We are lifting the issue before God quietly and consistently and leaving it there on the altar before Him. It is tempting to touch it and try to deal with before the time. This involves the waiting and trusting on Him.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Have you ever encountered the UGLY in you?
I was helping a young man face the damage he had done to his marriage. I asked him a simple question Why did you do what you knew was wrong?
I asked him to be careful about his answer and realized that I cannot know answer the question for myself. LORD God have mercy.
Wow, the power of sin. There is a NO that still floats in my mind, feelings and thoughts. This NO demands that there be no GOD to worship, to give totally allegiance to any person outside of myself. The grace of GRACE. Sometimes I can't say YES but I know HE is worthy. The best that I can do is still myself before HIM and ask for grace to say YES. Not just OK or go ahead but YES!
It amazes me, grieves me that after all I have seen of God's work and hand in my life and others, I still doubt, I still say NO. I am in as much need of GRACE today as I was thirty years ago. Then I could blame it on being a fooling youth, now? Wretched, miserable, poor, blind, naked. Yes and totally loved.
My weakness does not smell, my sin does but not my weakness but I despise it the same. My weakness reminds me of the birth of my children - they were delightfully wretched and miserably dependent upon their mother and me and we loved it. They were also poor, blind and naked. Is my NO from my weakness or sin? The GRACE of YES is powerful, wonderful and very fulfilling. I recognize that I am not fully saved - will be when He appears. My heart is saved by which I long for the eternal YES breathed into my soul and body.
Why did I sin when I knew it was wrong? Distance between me and my Savior, Jesus Christ.
I asked him to be careful about his answer and realized that I cannot know answer the question for myself. LORD God have mercy.
Wow, the power of sin. There is a NO that still floats in my mind, feelings and thoughts. This NO demands that there be no GOD to worship, to give totally allegiance to any person outside of myself. The grace of GRACE. Sometimes I can't say YES but I know HE is worthy. The best that I can do is still myself before HIM and ask for grace to say YES. Not just OK or go ahead but YES!
It amazes me, grieves me that after all I have seen of God's work and hand in my life and others, I still doubt, I still say NO. I am in as much need of GRACE today as I was thirty years ago. Then I could blame it on being a fooling youth, now? Wretched, miserable, poor, blind, naked. Yes and totally loved.
My weakness does not smell, my sin does but not my weakness but I despise it the same. My weakness reminds me of the birth of my children - they were delightfully wretched and miserably dependent upon their mother and me and we loved it. They were also poor, blind and naked. Is my NO from my weakness or sin? The GRACE of YES is powerful, wonderful and very fulfilling. I recognize that I am not fully saved - will be when He appears. My heart is saved by which I long for the eternal YES breathed into my soul and body.
Why did I sin when I knew it was wrong? Distance between me and my Savior, Jesus Christ.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Hello? Is anyone there?
Please let me know you are enjoying these. If enough people enjoy these I will post more often. If not, I will continue to post when the BLUE MOON WIND BLOWS THROUGH MY DOOR.
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