Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. 4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. 5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. Psalm 127:3-5
For a warrior to have the best chance of surviving a battle he knew to always have a quiver full of arrows. As he defended himself, his home, or his city he knew that some arrows would hit their intended target but others would get caught in the wind and miss. Others may hit something else and veer off course from their target. As parents, all we can do is point our children in the right direction and let them go. They may miss the intended target, may get caught in a sudden gust of wind and veer off course for a while, and may hit the bulls eye. All God asks us to do is point the arrow, let them go, and let Him control the flight. Sometimes the warrior had to hold his arrow back until the target was in better sight and the shot could be made. It took a lot of strength and patience to hold the arrow in the ready position and wait for the right time to shoot. Parents have to hold their children back sometimes until the wind has calmed down or the target is in full view.
God also uses our children to teach us how to love someone unconditionally, how to sacrifice our comfort sometimes, how to truly have faith, and most of all, to pray continually. In Psalm 3, God tells us that children are a heritage and a reward from Him. Without them we do not learn to have faith, to trust, and to give totally of ourselves. I pray every day and thank God for putting my children in my life. Of all the people on this earth, He chose me to be their dad. I also pray that my wife and I have pointed them in the right direction, carefully chosen the correct time, and let them go when they were ready.
At this time of year many parents, including me and my wife, are preparing to send a child to college. For most of us, this time of life has arrived much faster than we had expected and we probably think of something each day that we have forgotten to teach our child before they leave our house. I prayed today to have faith that God has prepared my child for this new stage of life. I also prayed for God to use this time in the life of my family to draw us closer than ever and for the bond that holds us together to grow even stronger. I pray He will do the same for your family.
Chad
Sunday, July 23, 2017
Monday, July 17, 2017
Give All You Have
41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. 43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” Mark 12:41-44
I read the verses from Mark and I realized that this story is talking about much more than giving part or all of our financial earnings. God directs us to give a percentage of the financial blessings He gives us back to Him, and we all should. However, in these verses I think He is talking about much more than money. In those days a widow was left on her own to care for herself. As a lady, she would not be allowed to work or own land. She had no way to earn money for food, clothing, and shelter. The two coins that she gave as an offering were not only all she had but were also probably all she would get for a long time. It took a lot of faith for her to give away all she had without knowing what her future would hold. The wealthy people in the crowd only gave a small portion of their financial wealth but the widow gave all she owned. She did not hold anything back. I believe God also wants us to give all we have in every area of our lives. He wants us to give all we have to our jobs, our sports, our schools, our teams, our families, and to Him. Don’t hold anything back for another day. Do your best and give all you have today and let Him worry about tomorrow.
I can picture in my mind, the plate where the people were placing their offerings. It was probably filled with large coins worth hundreds of dollars, expensive jewelry that could be sold for a large amount, and the two small coins. The two copper coins were worth only a few cents but I bet they shined brighter than all the others in the plate. If we give all we have, in everything, we will shine brighter than all the others and the lost people will be drawn to us.
Chad
Friday, July 14, 2017
Lost but making good time
Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 1st Corinthians 15:18
When I was a kid my Granddad would call on Saturday mornings and ask me to go on a short trip with him. It would be to visit a fellow retired postman who was sick or, even more exciting, to visit his relative a few hours away. I could never say no because I knew he wanted me to go and we always had a good time on the way to and from our destination. Granddaddy never really knew where he was going, but like me, he just headed in a direction he thought was right and hoped for the best. It usually worked out for us but we would always spend a little time lost. I could always tell when he did not know where he was going because he would stop talking and begin to look around for a familiar sign or location. I would say, “Granddaddy, are we lost”? He would usually answer with, “Yes, but we are making good time”. We always found our way and time never mattered much to my Grandfather.
When I was a kid my Granddad would call on Saturday mornings and ask me to go on a short trip with him. It would be to visit a fellow retired postman who was sick or, even more exciting, to visit his relative a few hours away. I could never say no because I knew he wanted me to go and we always had a good time on the way to and from our destination. Granddaddy never really knew where he was going, but like me, he just headed in a direction he thought was right and hoped for the best. It usually worked out for us but we would always spend a little time lost. I could always tell when he did not know where he was going because he would stop talking and begin to look around for a familiar sign or location. I would say, “Granddaddy, are we lost”? He would usually answer with, “Yes, but we are making good time”. We always found our way and time never mattered much to my Grandfather.
Do you ever feel like you get all caught up in stuff that does not matter and it takes all your time away from what God has for your life? Maybe you feel like you don’t know where you are going, but you are making good time. Sometimes the world even tells you how good of a job you are doing but you know that you are really just moving in circles.
If our lives are committed to doing what God wants He promises to keep us on the correct path. We will not know what we may see along the trip but we will know our destination. I see people who remind me of my Granddaddy’s old saying. They are arguing with a friend over something trivial or they are upset over a meaningless issue. They are making good time through life, but they are lost. They are finding drama or creating drama, tweeting gossip, or facebooking (verb?) about how awesome their empty life may be. They are lost but making good time through life. They don’t know where they are going but they are speeding along the way.
Let’s do our best to not be that way. Pray and ask God to show you the direction He wants you to go and most importantly, who does He want you to take on the trip. Don’t get caught up in hurrying to the next stage of life or we will miss out on what God has for us along the way.
Chad
If our lives are committed to doing what God wants He promises to keep us on the correct path. We will not know what we may see along the trip but we will know our destination. I see people who remind me of my Granddaddy’s old saying. They are arguing with a friend over something trivial or they are upset over a meaningless issue. They are making good time through life, but they are lost. They are finding drama or creating drama, tweeting gossip, or facebooking (verb?) about how awesome their empty life may be. They are lost but making good time through life. They don’t know where they are going but they are speeding along the way.
Let’s do our best to not be that way. Pray and ask God to show you the direction He wants you to go and most importantly, who does He want you to take on the trip. Don’t get caught up in hurrying to the next stage of life or we will miss out on what God has for us along the way.
Chad
Saturday, July 8, 2017
Who brings the rain?
He will be like rain falling on a mowed field, like showers watering the earth. Psalm 72:6
I have always loved the days when the rain comes. I guess it reminds me of when I was little and my best friend and I, if it was not lightning and if our moms said ok, would play outside in the rain. I don’t know what made it so cool. Maybe it was because all the “chickens” were inside and we seemed to have the entire neighborhood to ourselves. If it rained real hard there were some great mud puddles at East Lake Park to ride bikes through. I still love to stand in the garage and watch the rain. About a month ago, my wife and daughter were on a trip for the weekend and I was at home mowing the grass. Just as I was finishing a huge rainstorm passed through. I was glad to have finished the yard work and was also glad the grass was getting some much needed water. I was already hot and dirty from working, so when the rain started, I put away the lawnmower and weed eater and just walked around in the yard in the pouring rain.
It made me think about how the rain has an effect on us. It also has a great effect on a football team when the rain comes during practice. There is an excitement across the field mainly because everyone thinks practice may be cancelled. The linemen love it and the quarterbacks and wide receivers hate the rain. There is also nothing worse than a hot August practice when it rains for a few minutes and then the sun comes out and makes everyone miserable. The rain also serves several good purposes. The rain that falls brings life to all living things and without it everyone would die. It also cleanses the air we breathe and causes everything to grow. However, the rain can also cause severe damage. We hear about the rivers that rise and cause flooding and people lose their homes and sometimes their lives. Worst of all, it causes fumbles on Friday nights.
There is also rain that falls on us every day in the form of the challenges of life. Our lives are full of school, work, and athletics and each brings its own set of challenges and people. Challenges also come in the form of family problems, peer pressure, and worries about the future. These challenges individually or in small amounts serve to strengthen our character and deepen our reliance on our Heavenly Father. They are like the rain that comes in small amounts and nourishes the soil and cleans the air. They fall for a short while, but are soon gone and forgotten. Like the sudden storm that comes and the rain soaks everything, but the sun dries it up and we forget it ever rained. But the downpours of life, when it all hits us at once, come and we feel like we are drowning in the flood and become consumed with our worry. The consuming worries have the same effect as the floods. They ruin relationships, they destroy the foundation of a home, and most importantly, they create a disconnect from God.
Psalm 72:6 refers to the dew or rain that falls at night and serves to restore the pasture that has been eaten and trampled on during the day. Allow God to restore you every day. He will be like the dew that falls on a damaged field and restores it before it is chewed up and scarred from the challenges of the new day.
One question, are you in the middle of a flooding rain in your life? Ask Him to give you strength to survive the flood. Pray about and ask Him how He is trying to change you. The world will tell you to “fix it” yourself. Wait on Him. Also, thank Him for the challenge.
Chad
I have always loved the days when the rain comes. I guess it reminds me of when I was little and my best friend and I, if it was not lightning and if our moms said ok, would play outside in the rain. I don’t know what made it so cool. Maybe it was because all the “chickens” were inside and we seemed to have the entire neighborhood to ourselves. If it rained real hard there were some great mud puddles at East Lake Park to ride bikes through. I still love to stand in the garage and watch the rain. About a month ago, my wife and daughter were on a trip for the weekend and I was at home mowing the grass. Just as I was finishing a huge rainstorm passed through. I was glad to have finished the yard work and was also glad the grass was getting some much needed water. I was already hot and dirty from working, so when the rain started, I put away the lawnmower and weed eater and just walked around in the yard in the pouring rain.
It made me think about how the rain has an effect on us. It also has a great effect on a football team when the rain comes during practice. There is an excitement across the field mainly because everyone thinks practice may be cancelled. The linemen love it and the quarterbacks and wide receivers hate the rain. There is also nothing worse than a hot August practice when it rains for a few minutes and then the sun comes out and makes everyone miserable. The rain also serves several good purposes. The rain that falls brings life to all living things and without it everyone would die. It also cleanses the air we breathe and causes everything to grow. However, the rain can also cause severe damage. We hear about the rivers that rise and cause flooding and people lose their homes and sometimes their lives. Worst of all, it causes fumbles on Friday nights.
There is also rain that falls on us every day in the form of the challenges of life. Our lives are full of school, work, and athletics and each brings its own set of challenges and people. Challenges also come in the form of family problems, peer pressure, and worries about the future. These challenges individually or in small amounts serve to strengthen our character and deepen our reliance on our Heavenly Father. They are like the rain that comes in small amounts and nourishes the soil and cleans the air. They fall for a short while, but are soon gone and forgotten. Like the sudden storm that comes and the rain soaks everything, but the sun dries it up and we forget it ever rained. But the downpours of life, when it all hits us at once, come and we feel like we are drowning in the flood and become consumed with our worry. The consuming worries have the same effect as the floods. They ruin relationships, they destroy the foundation of a home, and most importantly, they create a disconnect from God.
Psalm 72:6 refers to the dew or rain that falls at night and serves to restore the pasture that has been eaten and trampled on during the day. Allow God to restore you every day. He will be like the dew that falls on a damaged field and restores it before it is chewed up and scarred from the challenges of the new day.
One question, are you in the middle of a flooding rain in your life? Ask Him to give you strength to survive the flood. Pray about and ask Him how He is trying to change you. The world will tell you to “fix it” yourself. Wait on Him. Also, thank Him for the challenge.
Chad
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
Jesus Calms the Storm
That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” Mark 4:35-41
Jesus must have been the same type of sleeper as my wife. He could sleep through anything! There have been nights when my wife has fallen asleep on the couch, moved to her bed, listened to one of my stories, a big storm blew against the house, I banged around in the garage making noise, and she never knew any of it happened. Picture in your head the story in verses 35-41. Jesus had been teaching a crowd of people and the disciples were with him. The crowd was so large; Jesus had gotten into a boat and was floating around just off-shore so the crowd would not get too close. When night came they decided to go to the other side. Remember, these were small handmade boats, without a motor, and without any U.S. Coast Guard to save you if you had a problem. The verses say that a furious storm came up and the waves broke over the boat, but Jesus was in the front of the boat sleeping on a cushion. The disciples were in a panic and they woke Jesus and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” Jesus got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet” Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. I wonder if Jesus woke up with the same attitude as my wife when she has to wake up unexpectedly?
I would have been like the disciples if I had been on that boat. I would have thought, I have been with Him for all this time, have watched Him perform hundreds of miracles, but now I am going to die in a storm and He is sleeping through the whole thing. Can you imagine a God that can calm the seas? Anytime I am at the beach I love to get up early and walk down to the ocean and just watch it for a while. I am always amazed at the force of the waves and how uncontrollable they are. We serve a God that can calm the waves of the largest ocean and the winds that cause them. Just like the disciples that were in that boat, we begin to wonder where is He when a storm suddenly appears and we are being blown from side to side. Is He sleeping? Has he forgotten about me? I have faith that He is not asleep and he certainly has not forgotten about me. I sometimes have to be reminded of His promise to never leave me.
I prayed today that all of us would trust God to work a miracle each time we are faced with a storm. When the winds seem to blow us off course, pray that He will not only calm the storm but also set us back on the path that He has charted for us.
Chad
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