Parable of the Lost...

Righting Wrongs

Jan 202013

“I’m sorry.” “Actions speak louder than words.” “Talk is cheap.” “Everyone makes mistakes.” I imagine we have all heard these sayings are something similar. Why do we do things then have to say we are sorry. I recently read a story of a set of rings that were returned years later after they were stolen . Why were they stolen then returned years later? Well that I guess only the thief can answer. The history was that a young teenager was throwing a party when here parents were away. During the party several things were stolen. The rings were one of them. Fifteen years later the rings were returned the the mother of the teenager with a hand written note of explanation and apology. The explanation was basically he was a “stupid kid”. In the end he tried to right a wrong. The rings had sentimental value to the owners. When they received them back years of heartache was eased.

Apologies can only do so much they can not heal the past. They can not erase the consequences of the action. All they can really do is bandage and hopefully heal things going forward. Sometimes an “I’m sorry is all that is required. Other times we need to take actions. As a christian we should understand that it is not okay to wrong people and when we do we need to make amends (or attempt to). The amends could be a simple apology or could require other actions on our part.

Matthew 5:23-24
23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

So we need to keep in mind that time passes, but the wounds of our actions may still remain

Are you a leader?

Running Thoughts No Responses »

Jan 142013

So what does it mean to be a leader? A leader is basically someone who guides, has influence, and/or power. Now I am not speaking of just in the since of business. In that arena you can have a manger who is not a leader. I am speaking in reference to life in general. In school we have teachers whose job it is to lead the students in their path to education. In the work place we can have a department leader, whose role it is to be the guide for those within that department. In both of these situations you will rarely if ever find someone who is not experienced or knowledgeable in that role. Teachers gain knowledge in school and in the class room as a student teacher. Workplace leaders gain experience by doing the work first.

Ultimately though a leader must look at those he is responsible for and determine what is the right path and way to lead them. I will use the role of a father as an example. He is responsible for showing his children what a man should be. He teaches his son how to be one and he teaches his daughter what to look for in one. A dad who teaches his son to ignore his family will raise a son that most likely will ignore his family. A dad who abuses his wife will most likely raise a daughter that sees it is acceptable to be abused. Yes there are exceptions and yes life can teach otherwise, but the point is in these cases learning begins on a negative side instead of a positive one.

There are leaders in churches as well. Some times there are positive leaders and other times not. I have heard of congregations where a preacher has almost absolute control of the people, building and finances. While this can allow the members to shirk their duties it is not what God intended. As such it shows negative leadership from a biblical stand point. I have heard of congregations that had a group of men who made all the decisions in a business meeting. The decisions may have been good, but that type of leadership was not what God intended and as such was negative. God intended that qualified elders lead a congregation and have oversight of the preacher and the deacons. As we can see elders are leaders. In the church there are song leaders, Bible class teachers and just general Godly people who lead by example of how they live their life. It is the role of each Christian to lead others to Christ. To do this they must first learn about Christ and become a Christian. During this process they can learn about being a leader in the church as well.

So in business, church or family there are leaders. Leadership should not be taken lightly. Parents you have a vital role to play in your children’s life. To do that you must set forth Godly examples. Remember that we all have faults. We have to strive to overcome them and we must acknowledge them. Our reward for doing so will be well rounded children, who are Godly and know the role of a leader and how to fulfill their part in that role.

Hopefully this has go you to thinking about your role in life and what your reward should be. A leave you with this. Are you a leader? If so are you a positive or negative one?

RFID and the Mark

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Jan 092013

Is it the “Mark of the Beast” as spoken of in the Bible or is it the “Mark of the Beast” Or also known as an over bloated over reaching government? That is the basic premise of the question put forth to the courts when 15 year-old Andrea Hernandez her high school for trying to force her to wear a RFID tagged student ID. Hernandez claims it is an infringement on her religious freedoms and describes the ID as the Biblical prophesy, mark of the beast. The school claims it is trying to get more taxpayer money by showing attendance rates.

Well the school in its power decided that it was either going to force compliance or remove the troublemaker and so it suspended Hernandez. Hernandez in turned sued and at this point has lost (or maybe). To be fair the school offered her a chip-free ID. It looks like everyone else, but is just chip-free. She says that i snot good enough. She wants to be treated like everyone else, such as being able to vote on the prom figures, but have her ID that is visibly different from the others. Her statement that accepting chip free version would give others the implied belief that she has accepted schools authority to “mark”.

The judge, Orlando Garcia made the ruling against Hernandez and said that her argument are not based on religious beliefs but on secular, including her feeling that she was being marked as written in the Bible. Her lawyer and the group representing her, The Rutherford Institute are going to appeal arguing that Garcia does not have grounds to decide what Hernandez’s religious beliefs are.

So my thought on this is simple. I do not believe it is a type of biblical mark. I do however believe it is a government organization striving to reach its cold uncaring hands out th clutch the throat of society. They want to by hook, crook, deceit or intolerance collect as much tax payer money they can to feed their bloated budget. Just like any government agency when they are pushed into a corner and shown they are a problem they lash out like cornered rats the school has done just that. Let us be realistic this is all about money and pride on the school’s part. As far as the argument about the “Mark of the Beast”, well I say not so, but it is not my place to judge her religious feelings.

I ask a question of you. what are your thoughts on this case?

7 Tips for Success

Personal Ponderings No Responses »

Jan 032013

It is a new year. Some people make resolutions to change things they are not happy about in their lives. Some want to make them self a better person or to achieve certain goals. Is it wrong to make these resolutions? No, it is not. What is wrong is making them without a plan. In sports the teams study plays and practice and work to find ways to make the team better and to achieve certain goals. There is no professional sport team that as a whole wants to go out and have a losing season. Why? Because success pays off. If they perform badly someone will most likely lose their job or be traded. If they play well… then it becomes bonus time. In life it is very much like that.

Think about some things you want in your life. A new job? More pay? Pay off debt? spend more time with the family? Stop smoking? lose weight? Each of these has merit as do many other ideas. The thing is just because it has merit does not mean you will be successful. What must you do in order to be successful at your resolution? The first step is to really want to succeed at it. I could resolve to quit drinking Coca-Cola. I know I should or at the very least cut back. the thing is I do not want to. I enjoy the taste. It is much more refreshing than juice and almost always more refreshing than water. Part of this is in my head and part of it is in my taste buds. Either way If I don’t want to change how much coca-cola I drink, I will not change it. as with sports if you want to succeed you must have a plan.

Here are 7 points to try and get you started to making your New Years goals more successful. I will share one of mine with you as the example. My New Year resolution is to make my new endeavor of website blogging successful in my own opinion. To do that, first www.parableofthelost.com must achieve 1,000 unique visitors before June 1, 2013. The second part is to get my upcoming blog going as well and achieve 1,000 visitors a month by December 31, 2013. Notice the differences in the two parts.

Now for the seven points:

1. Make it realistic – Both of my points above are attainable. Especially considering how many people are on the internet and that social media has a large user base. For your goal be realistic. If you want to lose 25 pounds then make sure 1) you are physically able to do the work required and your body will let you lose the weight. 2) give a reasonable time table 25 pounds in a month is doable, but it is likely to come back. Try scaling it down or spreading out the time. The resolution should be both logical and emotional.

2. Make it personal – My sites are a part of me. An extension of who I am. It is about subjects I care about. When you make a resolution it should be the same. If you want to stop drinking alcohol then you need to know why you want to . You need to make sure that the reasons you choose will allow for you to focus on the goals. If you want to stop drinking because you want to save money, then you need to know why you want to save money. What is in it for you to achieve your goal, what ever it is?

3. Enlist aid – Help! We all need it from time to time. I will need help from friends and family to get the word out about my sites. You will need help to achieve your goals. If you want to lose weight and you go out with a friend to eat let them help you. Maybe they can either split the meal or ask for to go boxes when the meal is brought out. When dessert is offered they can help you have the strength resist temptation.

4. Track Progress – We need to know how well we are doing to see if our work is paying off or needs adjusted. Analytics will help me track website viewers. Your goal will help you decide how to track your progress. Maybe it is watching your debt shrink or savings grow. Maybe a spreadsheet tracking body inches and/or weight. Be creative or ask for ideas on how to track progress on your goal.

5. Reward milestones - We need to reward success. Even small steps can bring great psychological rewards. Having an incentive can make it better. For me a reward could be access to new sources of information and material. You may want clothes or some other material thing. The reward does not need to be expensive, but does need to be personally worthwhile.

6. Prepare for setbacks – Things happen. Maybe I get to busy with work and family and do not get to post much as such traffic drops. If this happens I need to work to bring traffic back up. Maybe you have physical setbacks that prevent you from working on your goal for awhile. If that happens. Then try to adjust your life, your schedule, or if need be reevaluate the goal. Scale back, but do not eliminate it.

7. Keep the faith – Life, stresses, distractions, and may other things can get in the way of our success. Understanding these and devising workarounds when they appear can be a daunting task. If you start to back peddle or realize that you are failing in your goal. Stop. Adjust. Start over. If all goes well you will achaive your goal. if not then look to see what went wrong. If you were successful look to see what went right. Make notes of both good and bad so you can remember them in the future.

Hopefully this list will help you. If you feel it will or if you think it will help someone else please share it. Any comments are welcome as well. thank you and happy New Year.

Are you a chicken?

Running Thoughts No Responses »

Dec 222012

Are you a chicken? Well are you? As some know I have a few backyard hens. They serve one purpose for me. They are to lay eggs. They lay eggs. I retrieve eggs. In return I provide them a safe home, with food and water. For months now they have not done their part. I have been doing mine though. Why should I take care of them, if they are not going to do their part for me? Well I think I can answer that by saying I care for them. They stink, are messy and well down right annoying, but I still take care of them. They depend on me for safety. I could release them from the safety of their cage and they would be able to find food and water. They would most likely be able to survive on their own for awhile. They would even lay eggs, but if I could not get them they are useless to me. The problem is that they eventually would be attacked killed and consumed. I can open the door to their pen and there are a few that wants to run out. When they do they are own their own. I do keep the door open and call and so far they have come back home.

Sometimes I feel like the chickens. God blesses me with food and water. He provides me with shelter. The shelter is both physical and spiritual. Okay granted the food I eat is usually bought from a store or restaurant, but still God granted me the ability to earn the money to buy the food. He also blesses the earth so that the food can be plentiful. As for my physical shelter again I pay for it, but God grants me the ability to earn the money to do so. The spiritual shelter though and spiritual food is supplied completely by God. God’s word grants me strength to grow spiritually. He love, mercy and grace shelters me from life’s storms. It does this to others as well.

We are like those chickens. God wants each of us to do the task he has set forth. He wants us to complete that task to the best of our ability. As we complete the task we need to do so in the confines he wants us to so it does not go to waste. I am not saying this blog is God’s task for me. I will say that this blog regardless of how many reads it is part of God’s shelter for me. It allows me to put forth words that I feel he wants me to say. Some will read and accept others will ignore them. Either way I get to grow with each post spiritually and with that growth comes an inner peace. God calls each of us for a specific task. He knows that sometimes we are going to run out of his shelter and in turn he calls us to come back and leaves the door open. The question I will leave with you is are you a chicken?

Who do you answer to?

Running Thoughts No Responses »

Dec 162012

This week has been one of sorrow. There was the massacre of 26 people , with 20 of them being young children at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT. Then there was the attack at an elementary school in Chenping, China where 22 students and an adult were hurt when a man ran in and started slashing them with a knife. Then there are the personal losses we have faced of family and friends. Sometimes we want to scream out ENOUGH!

One question that some may ask is why does these types of thing have to happen? Why would God allow it? Without trying to get too in dept on it know that man brought sin and evil into the world through disobedience and they brought death. God wants us to love him and to worship him, but he will not force it on us. It is our choice. Still the question is why would someone do this to children and society? As I see it the young man was troubled. He had issues mentally and spiritually. As such evil grew inside him and eventually burst into the ugly flower it is. There are others out there like this man and we need to be ever vigilant as to where they are so as to try and prevent future attacks on the children and society.

As we try to make sense of attacks on the children of society we start to grow angry and want to lash out. Question for you. How many of you stated or thought “just put me in a room with him for X minutes?” Then we have others screaming that the government needs to come in and do something. The loudest voices are again screaming for gun control. The voices that are the loudest for gun control will not tell you it is not guns they want to control but people. It is a slow process for them, but they are winning. First it is rewriting history little by little in the school textbooks, then it is slowing making people comfortable with entitlement supports from the government. Then it is taking biblical teachings from the schools and then the slow process of gun control. After all of this is done they will control the public for the most part. The rewriting of history covers up atrocities that the government has done, hiding the truth from the young. Entitlement programs make people dependent and eventually to the point where they feel no desire to grow themselves. Taking biblical teachings from schools takes God’s teachings away from many young who would not hear it at home and attempts to hide that we need to turn to God, ultimately teaching the children that government is a god. Finally gun control takes power from the resistors making resistance futile.

Now to remind you the idea behind this blog is to guide us all when we get lost in life. I feel that society is getting really lost with the words that are coming out in the public. Tim Tebow has been ridiculed repeatedly for his public display of faith. There are many other public figures that have been attacked verbally and physically because of their faith or at least in part. I ask you to open your eyes at the comments from government officials and make notes of what they say. Politicians with stronger feelings to God are going to be more inclined to personal freedoms as a whole, where as politicians with stronger ties to government are going to be more inclined to citizen control for anything that could jeopardize the growing power of government. In your life you can worship God in heaven or a false god. You have to choose though.

False gods can offer you security through loss of personal freedoms. Gun control is an example of this. As we can see from the first paragraph gun control will not offer security. A person wielding a knife or a gun can kill you. Another example is airport security. Wheel chair bound elderly, little children, cancer sufferers and several other groups are routinely selected for strip downs and physical fondling, but other select “protected”groups are allowed to pass unmolested. The government knows which voice has the most power and it will find ways to suppress it either through direct control (gun control) or covert control (protected groups).

We according to the Bible are required to submit to the authority of the government as long as it does not conflict with God’s law. Government has a role and that role is assigned by God in that the government is to treat the subjects fair and just. We have as Americans have a role to elect rulers who will treat us fair and just according to God’s law. The Bible tells us we are allowed to have a means of protecting our self and family from physical harm. Does that necessarily mean having fully automatic weapons or a cannon? Well that part is up for interpretation as to how much is enough to protect oneself, I see it as this, had the school in Connecticut allowed teachers to carry weapons or had security with weapons this may not have been as horrendous as it was. The school in China did have security because there has been several of these incidents in the last few years. One took place in 2010 where a man with a knife killed 20 students and all total 50 were injured. Make sure you let the government do its job and make sure it is doing it. At the same time use your public voice and vote to let your politicians know that the government can not protect you without first suppressing you.

I as you finish reading this I want to ask several things of you.
1. Pray for the victims and their family of both of these attacks.
2. Pray for the leaders of both countries to have the wisdom to lead as God would have them to.
3. Read up on and understand what it means to be free and make your own responsible choices
4. If you like this blog/post please share it with others. I am still trying to grow it and would like your help
5. Leave a comment. Good or bad (just watch the language). As long as it is not vulgar or spam I am interested in what you have to say.

When you have God you are not alone

Running Thoughts No Responses »

Dec 082012

It has been about longer than I like since I last posted. There has been a lot going on and time has been limited. As I thought about what was to be put here I started looking at the things in my life and those around me for inspiration. There are so many choices so many things that could be said, but I need to keep this somewhat brief so you do not fall asleep on me. The topic is something I think we all have felt at some point and if you have not don’t worry you will.

The though of being alone, can bring about many emotions, joy, hopelessness, fear, grief, and uncertainty are just a few of the feelings that can come from feeling alone. Some times we take joy in being able to be by our self this usually comes in moments of stress when we need to gather our thoughts and maybe relax some. When joy is experienced from being alone it also comes with the knowledge that it is only temporary. That is why it is the only positive one on the list. The other emotions are negative. This is due to the lack of knowledge as to what is to come.

Uncertain of how life is going to be and what is going to be required of us going forward alone can be a heavy burden. The concept of being alone can come by choice or fate. We may leave our family and friends because of work or school and in doing so we can make new friends and keep in touch with family and old friends through visits, email and even social media outlets. How many use Facebook? The thing is when fate steps in we can lose family or friends though different ways, but the most painful I would argue is death. This is a loss that can never be regained in this world. Nothing we can do or say will change what has happened. So how can we deal with this problems. The first step is to reach out to God. It may not always seem like he is listening or cares, but he is and does. I hear your argument that “talking to God is not the same as talking to our loved ones, They talk back.” Then there is your comment, “I can hear them say “I love you”, I feel it when they give me a hug. I can’t do any of the things with God.” Well when you say these things I say you are not listening close enough. God tells us every day he loves us. Look at what he gives us. Our family is a special gift from God. It is not a gift that is ours alone. It still belongs to him as well, but his love allows for us to share that gift for awhile. He wants our family to help make us stronger. So looking at our family when can hear God says “I love you”. Let me tell you of a story about how God says he love you through family.

Jim was married and his wife(Mary) had a son (Paul) from a previous marriage. Jim loved Paul just as if he was his own son. They played catch and went to ball games together. When Paul was in little league Jim was always there cheering him one. Now Jim worked for the electric company has a lineman and after a major storm in a nearby state he was part of the cleanup crew sent to help. It was 2 weeks before Christmas and Jim hoped to be home in time to spend it with his family. He and his team worked tirelessly trying to get done so they could finish their work and get home. Well their work paid and and on Christmas eve Jim made it home. Jim came in and Gave Mary a big welcome home hug and kiss then asked where Paul was. Mary told him he was busy. So Jim being the “kid” he ws started looking under the tree for his Christmas gift only to be disappointed that nothing was to be found. Mary laughed and told him he had a gift but it was too big to wrap. Later on Jim and Mary decided to do their tradition of opening a gift on Christmas eve, but Paul was still not to be found. Jim was getting worried, but Mary reassured him everything was fine and they should open their gifts. Jim agreed, but asked what gift he would open. Mary said Paul had it and called Paul to come out. Paul came out in colorful clothes and a bow on his head. He had a scroll tied to his chest. Jim started laughing thing this was a great joke until Mary told him to read the scroll. As Jim read the scroll tears came to his eyes as he started to cry. The scroll contained paperwork for adoption. Mary had gone to a lawyers office and had all the paperwork done.Jim just needed to appear in court to finalize the adoption. The point here as that God gives us gifts from our family when we least expect it.

We can feel God’s hug when we open our self to prayer. When we pray with a sincere heart he will answer. It may not be what we want but it is what is best. Many times people are in desperate need of money and they pray to win the lottery. The problem is that they may be sincere in the prayer, but they are prayer out of greed. When you are already struggling with unhealthy issues God will not give you something that is going to make them worse. At the same time even if you are praying for something that is good he will not always answer that prayer with what you want, but he will answer it with what is best for all involved as according to his plan. We need to understand though that God is in charge and we are his children. Just because we are grown in this world does not make us grown in God’s. How many reading this would have dared question the authority of your parents when you were a child? Most likely not many.

As you are looking at the loneliness in your life remember God is there to comfort you. You just need to open your heart, open your eyes. Open your ears. Close your mouth except in prayer.

As you finish reading this post I would like to ask a two things from you. First What is something amazing a member of your Email has done for you? Please let us know by commenting below. Second I ask that contact a member of your family and let them know you love them and that you are thankful for having spend a portion of your life with them. Life is fleeting and if we waste it bickering with family what can we expect the rest of our family to say about us when we have left this world.

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Who is your Lord and Savior?

Running Thoughts No Responses »

Nov 282012

It has been a busy week, but I finally got a chance to post. I am trying to keep politics out of this blog (as much as possible), but I ran across some news that is just a bit too much. The other day it was released that at a Soul Train Awards taping. Jamie Foxx made the comment “It’s like church over here. It’s like church in here. First of all, give an honor to God and our lord and savior Barak Obama. Barak Obama.” Now with that outrageous statement the crowd cheered him on.

If this was not enough a New York so called artist, Michael D’Atuono made a second attempt to display his painting titled “The Truth” this painting portrays Barack Obama being crucified on the seal of the POTUS. He has a crown of thorns on his head and all stretched out. Of course the “artist” claims that it is a misconception to see his painting as blasphemy and that he is not comparing Obama to Jesus. Now to be fair he states that it was done to show that conservatives crucified Obama and liberal hoisted him up as a savior. Either way is not for me to judge. He will have to answer for that to a much higher power.

These news stories make me wonder why we put so much emphasis on those who are popular in our society. We idolize sports stars, musicians, actors and politicians. If we like them they are held to such a high pedestal as to make it almost worship (and in some cases it is). Unfortunately our society weakens each generation as this becomes common practice. We have taken school lead prayer out and made it difficult for student who wants to openly show they are a Christian. In increasing numbers our sources of entertainment are ridiculing those who are a Christian. A while back USA network had a “Characters” commercial where it was stated that there was more than one road to God. Let me make this perfectly clear there is but ONE way to God.

John 14:6 (NASB)
6 Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Jesus stated he was The Truth. He made it clear that he was the way to God. The painting is not The Truth. It is some poor delusional souls attempt to gain notoriety by taking on Christianity. There are many other religions he could have parodied. Every wondered why he did not chose to try that with Islam? Maybe because the guy did not want to fear for his life.

Now to make a comment on Jamie Foxx ,I find it hard to understand how people would cheer for a man who makes statements so outlandish regarding any one in our age. Barak Obama is a man with a huge ego a throng of deranged followers. I know many who claim to support Obama. I have no problem with them supporting him for President. I may disagree with them but that is fine. I do have a problem with people laughing and cheering people like Jamie Foxx on when he makes such outrageous comments. Tell me where in The Bible, which is God’s word that it mentions Barak Obama in any light much less as a lord and savior. It does not. It does however mention Jesus Christ. Here are just a few examples.

Romans 10::9
9 [that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

Luke 2:11
11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is [Christ the Lord.

2 Peter 1:1
Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:

Now folks when you look into your world where you see entertainment, Know who is providing you with the pleasure you seek. It is okay for them the have different political views as you. It is okay for them to have different lifestyle view. It is okay for them to have different religious views. They will have to justify themselves before God. What is not okay is for them to try to pervert, corrupt and blasphemy your views and your faith. You need to stand strong and open for God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. No man, no deed, no earthly thing can save you, but Christ’s precious blood can. When you look to the world for entertainment do not do so at the peril of your soul.
One other thing that greatly bothers me about these stories is that Obama has yet to come out and condemn or distance himself from them. These types of stories have been going on since before his first election and it just feeds his ego. He can use the excuse that all these people have freedom of speech and it is just words, but it is not just words. It is actions, theirs and his. If Obama truly had respect for Christians he would say that he may be POTUS, but he is just a man not a Messiah, not a Lord and not a Savior. Of course we will all answer for our beliefs and actions. I am not sure how those who make these statements about Obama will justify theirs,. I am not sure how Obama will justify his. I do know that if asked why I did not agree with these people about Obama, I can simply state because he was a man of human parent. He was not the son of God.

Be Thankful for the Important Things

Personal Ponderings No Responses »

Nov 222012

Today in the United States is a national Holiday. It is called Thanksgiving. It is a time for use to join with family and/or friends and reflect on the blessing we have. There are several other counties that celebrate a day of thanksgiving they just take place on different days (and months sometimes).Some the other countries are Canada, Germany, Grenada, Korea, Japan, Liberia, The Netherlands, and Norfolk Island. While each has a historical difference there is one thing that all have in common and that is life may not always be easy or we may not always have an abundance of material possessions, but we are blessed by what we have.

Over this past year some of you may have found a new job, bought a new house, welcomed a new family member into this world. Others may have lost a job, lost a house or lost a loved one. Each of these can be something to be thankful for. Obviously a new house, new job or new family member is positive. How can losing a job be positive? It opens up new doors or new opportunities that may have been closed to us by our unintentional choice. How can losing a house be a positive? Again it can open up new doors or relieve stress. Losing a loved one may be hard on us, but if they are in pain and suffering it can be a blessing to them ( if they were saved) and as such we should be thankful that they are no longer suffering .
Now thinking about the blessings we have is usually easy yet, we sometimes take them for granted. For example My Mom is a blessing to me. I do not have to pay for day care. I do not have to worry about someone mistreating my kids, I do not have to worry if they are safe. My Mom does a great job of watching them when I am work. Sure I tell her thank you some time , but that does not always seem to be enough. I am thankful for my church family who has helped me grow as a Christian and do things I only dreamed of before. I am thankful for Jesus, my Lord and Savior. That is one reason I do this blog is to try and serve him. I am thankful for my Dad (whom I miss very much) he taught what a real man should be and what one should not be. I am thankful for my kids. They are probably the best form of entertainment and source of personal growth a person can have. Children can make run through the gamut of emotions faster than any movie. I am thankful for my wife. She pushes me to be the best me I can be. She does not push me in directions I do not want or need to go, but in the directions that are important in life. I am thankful for my earthly family and friends. Their support and encouragement is a amazing thing. I would not be able to do many of the things I do if not for them. I would not be able to really get this blog spread if it were not for their help.

I have many other blessings that I could name the above are just a few. There are a few others that I am thankful for some of them do not even know that they helped me to be me. God has blessed me very much in life. I do not have everything that this world finds appealing, but I have everything that a servant of God needs (or should desire).

Psalm 136:1-3 (NASB)
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

I hope this thanksgiving finds you each happy, healthy and full of thanks (and turkey). As you review your life I would ask that each you to share with those you love what you are thankful for. If you would like to comment here then feel free as I would love to hear it.

What gift will you leave?

Personal Ponderings No Responses »

Nov 192012

I have spent most of the day at the hospital. My wife was having surgery and I am along for well… I guess it is either support are a ride home. The day has not been the most pleasant experience for Jen or myself. Over last several days I had several people ask if I was going to be at the hospital with her. In some ways that was offensive (even though they did not mean for it to be). Of course I am going to be here with her. I love my wife. Sure she can be annoying and sometimes try my patience, but that is beside the point. I still love her no matter what.

To give an example of how irritating my day has been I could have easily had myself kicked out or worse at the hospital today. After Jen had gone back to the operating room I decided to go get something to eat. The hospital cafeteria was the closest place so I proceeded to head that way. As I walk through the doors of the hospital some ditzy busybody help desk girl jumps past a group of people she was suppose to be helping to question me as to why I was there and where I was going. Now if the place is secure like the maternity area I understand, but when it is an open area I get a little agitated. Good thing I wore my comfy shoes or I may have been in a bad mood. When I was leaving I gave consideration to letting the help desk attendant know I was now headed back to the surgery center since she seemed to need to know where I was going in the first place. I decided against that though. As I went back to the waiting area, I started asking why am I here? I started thinking about what it means to love.

Love is an emotion that goes beyond a physical feeling. It is my belief that the reason why there are so many troubled relationships in our society is because we have become distracted by what love really is. We say we love our country and would die for it and even when those who lead it make a mess of things we continue to love the country and stay. On the other hand we say we love our spouse and when they mess up we are ready to leave them. Those in our lives are only human they make mistake. We make mistakes. I want to leave you with one thought. We come into this world for only a short time . When we leave it we leave it with a gift. When Christ came into this world and left he gave us the gift of salvation and gave us a true measure of how we should love. We raise our children and show them how to love. We build relationships with others and show them how to love. We show those we never really know how to love by how we interact with those around us. What give of love will you give this world? Will you give the gift of love of self so you only want what you want when it is best for you? Will you give the gift of love of others? Where you show compassion, forgiveness, patience, and sacrifice.

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