Life and Thoughts

So it has been a while since I last updated. A whole lot has happened in my life since my last post. To start with, I went on a Journey to the Heart. It was very good. God has shown me so much since then! When I got there and before we left for the Journey, Mr. Gothard asked me to pray about and consider staying on as staff in the print shop at the IBLP headquarters. I talked it over with my parents, and prayed about it. The Lord directed me to stay. It was a very good time, yet stretching. I was gone from home 2 days shy of 8 weeks. This may not seem long but having never been away from home for more than 12 days, I believe, it was long. The time, however, did seem to pass very quickly. It was a time of slowing down and looking to the Lord to see if I am indeed heading in the direction He has for me. FYI, Chicago is one crazy city! If you enjoy people being rude to you and driving like NASCAR, then I'll recommend Chicago.

I have a litter of yellow labrador puppies right now that I am trying to sell. They'll be 7 weeks tomorrow. I find myself wanting to fret about the sale of these little guys. The Lord keeps reminding me that He is in control and knows that I need to find homes for these fellows.

Another thing that the Lord is really impressing on me as of late, we can make time for Jesus. Time to spend with Him alone. My theory on this is that even if my whole day seems to go bad, and in the midst of that day I spent time with my Savior alone, then that day was a true success!

May the Lord richly bless each and every one of us as we seek His face first and foremost in our life.

Prayer

    If you pay attention, you can learn something from just about anything or any body.  Some good, and some bad.  I really enjoy little kids so I try to learn from them as much as anyone else.  Jesus said, "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven."  If the kingdom of heaven is like little children, we could probably stand to learn a few lesson from them. Now, obviously we can learn good and bad lessons from the little guys.   Pouting, throwing a fit when you don't get your way and the like is what we are not after. 

    Here's a lesson that God showed me not very long ago.  But I must first confess, I don't always remember it.
We were doing some work for a Mexican family in Bryan putting vinyl siding on the outside of their home.  One of their daughters drops her son Alex off there so he can catch the bus for Pre-K (I think.  This little guy is four years old so what ever that would be.)  He was "helping" me with my work.  No really, for being a four year old, and not speaking much English he's really a cool kid.  One thing that I like about this little guy is that he is so happy most of the time.  So he was helping me and his grandpa (abuelo, grandpa in Spanish))came looking for him to get him ready to catch the bus.  He was doing his best to ignore his grandpa, he was not looking at him or anything so his grandpa left him with me.  Well, as you might have guessed, the bus came and Alex was not ready.  He had not heeded his grandpa's instructions.  Abuelo!  Abuelo! as he ran to his grandpa to get him ready.  Soon after he left, it was like God was asking me "do you notice what this boy did?  He ignored his grandpa until he really needed him, until he was in trouble.  His grandpa was trying to help him before Alex knew he needed it, but he did not see the need so he went his own way.  How often do you do this to me?"  Ouch!

    God is always seeking after us.  How often do we ignore Him?  We don't see the trouble coming, so we don't need God for this one right?  I can do this myself...  O, sure we don't actually say this, or even think this.  That's ridiculous!  I need God!  Or do we?  Often our actions speak louder than our words.  Just as Alex's grandpa helped him even after he had rejected his help, so God to a level much higher than any human is able of receives us and and empowers us with His grace even when we reject Him, if we will but come back to God in humility and say "God I need you!"

    This has really encouraged me to think about my need for God even when I can't see it.  The scriptures are very clear.  We need God.  Act 17:28  "For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring."  So the next time you find yourself feeling like God is trying to talk to you, please don't be like little Alex.  Heed God's still small voice and let Him help you.  Most of the time we cannot see the trouble coming.  And the "trouble" is just to conform us to the image of our dear savior Jesus Christ.  Rom 8:28  "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

The blessings of the Lord be upon you.

A little late

“... but the prayer of the upright is his delight.” Prov. 15:8b This is quite the statement. Our prayers are God's delight. Wow!

We went to the six man football tournament in Hutto this past weekend. I believe that it was called the Iron Man Tournament. The team we went to watch was the Brazos Valley Home School Mustangs. They won 3^rd place. We did not get home until around 1:30am so we were a little sleepy at church Sunday morning. Sunday afternoon we went to a Veterans Day parade. They had four plans from
WWII fly over several times. It was really cool!

How's this for God's power?

    “God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth. The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein. Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.” And then the next verse “The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.” This reminds me of Isaiah 66:1-2 “Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” The word look in this verse has the implication to regard with pleasure, favor or care: regard, have respect, see. That is so cool! God will take special notice us when we humble ourselves and tremble at His word which means fearful, reverential. How many times do we read our bible, the living word of God so we can “check off” our bible reading and not really understand what we have just read?

Blessings from God our Father.