Biblical promises

There are lots of promises made in the Bible.

A couple of them are sort of troubling to me...

"Train a child in the way he should go,

and when he is old he will not turn from it"

and

"all things work together for good to them that love God,

to them who are the called according to his purpose"

...just to name a couple....

Why are these troubling? Because I know lots of good Christian parents who have apparently 'trained their children', only to see them turn away from 'the way'...

And I have also seen lots of folks (whom I consider to be lovers of God) who have had things happen to them and never seen how those 'things' work together for good...

I have heard people try to explain these by saying things like "God's ways are higher than ours..." or "we cannot understand the mind of God" or "we may not see the conclusion of the matter..." ... and I'm OK with those...

But sometimes I wonder if those explanations are not copouts to make us feel better...

Is it possible that these scriptures (and many like them) are intended to simply be taken at face value? ...that indeed we can believe that those who 'love God and are called according to His purpose' will be blessed with 'things working out for them'? ...and that your children will not 'depart from the way' if you truly 'train them' in that way?

I wonder if cowardice prevents us from believing God's word just as it's written... because I don't want to believe the inverse: that those children who are not in 'the way' were not trained properly in it!

....nor do I want to believe those people for whom things don't 'work together' do not love God or are not 'called according to His purpose'...

people much smarter and better educated than me will say I have misunerstood the scripture... and, on some level, I hope I have...

I know this: it makes me want to prayerfully and humbly make sure I am training my children in His 'way' and not my way.... and it gives me pause as I try to make certain I am 'called according to His purpose', not mine...

just a thought...

God Bless!

A friend of mine sent this to me, and I thought it was worth passing along...

The next time you feel like GOD can't use you, just remember....

Noah was a drunk
Abraham was too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Leah was ugly
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem
Gideon was afraid
Samson had long hair and was a womanizer
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
David had an affair and was a murderer
Elijah was suicidal
Isaiah preached naked
Jonah ran from God
Naomi was a widow
Job went bankrupt
Peter denied Christ
The Disciples fell asleep while praying
Martha worried about everything
The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once
Zaccheus was too small
Paul was too religious
Timothy had an ulcer..AND
Lazarus was dead!

And Don't forget... Jesus Helped them all!!!!

So forget all your excuses... and allow God to use you today!

I think I pulled a fat

When I was (much) younger, I would run 3 miles a day... My daddy still jogs 3 miles every morning... anyhow, in the days when I tried to get/stay in shape, occasionally I would overdo it and strain a muscle... 'I pulled a muscle', I would say to anyone who would listen...

After a week or so using the bowflex and treadmill, I would like to report that I pulled a muscle... but I think it would be more accurate to say I pulled a fat. 'Cause I'm really not sure I have any muscles left to pull!

It has been a good week... trying to eat better and work out early every morning. But the best part is that I get to spend a little more time with God before the day gets started... granted, some of that time is spent asking Him to help me take one more step or do one more rep... but it is still time with Him.

I only report this 'progress' to you because I mentioned it a few days ago and promised to 'let you know how it goes'... well, it goes well! I am committed to getting healthier... it truly is not a vanity thing; it is a health thing.... no, I didn't get any dire news from the doctor... but I decided I didn't want to wait on something like that to shake me into action.

I want to be all God wants me to be. And I feel sure He wants me to be healthier so I can serve Him better and longer...

(And no, I really didn't injure myself...just a lame attempt at humor with the 'pulled a fat' comment... I assure you I am not lifting nearly enough weight to hurt myself!)

P.S. - the new Casting Crowns CD ROCKS!!!

Blessings!

New Casting Crowns CD in stores today!

Just a quick note: the new Casting Crowns CD "Altar and the Door" is on sale today! If the first two pre-release cuts I heard are any indication, this will be as life-changing as the first two...

The title cut is an upbeat guitar-driven song which speaks about what happens to most of us as we leave the "altar" (worship assembly) and head for the "door" (out into the world)... the imagery is so dead on, it will convict you:

I cry like so many times before

but my eyes are dry

before I leave the floor

Oh Lord I try

but this time Jesus how can I be sure

I will not lose my follow through

between the altar and the door...

The first 'single' from the CD is "East to West", a beautiful and haunting ballad discussing the unfathomable forgiveness of God. The chorus begs:

Jesus, can you show me

just how far the east is from the west?

'cause I can't bear to see the man I've been

rising up in me again...

in the arms of your mercy I find rest

'cause you know just how far

the east is from the west -

'one scarred hand to the other'

As with the first two CDs ('Casting Crowns' and 'Lifesong') God is speaking through Mark Hall's pen, as he wrote and arranged every song!

The tour began a couple weeks ago, and stops in Little Rock's Alltel on October 12 and St Charles' (St. Louis area) family arena on October 26... if you have not attended a Casting Crowns event, I highly recommend it! It is, quite simply, the most moving and powerful ministry of music I have ever witnessed.

Gotta go! I'm on the way to the Christian Bookstore to get the new CD!

Blessings!

outflow - like a fountain

yep, I have a new book... Kelly and I were looking for small group curriculum (actually Kelly was looking), and found this little book called 'Outflow', written by a couple guys named Sjogren and Ping...

I am firmly convinced the Spirit is leading me and my family (and my larger Riverside family) toward having a more servant-like heart. This book is absolutely spot on when it comes to defining what Christ-like living really is...

We are going to use this book as the 'curriculum' for our 07-08 small group meetings... I believe it will prove to be a very powerful tool in challenging the Riverside family to greater service to those in our community.

I have read most of it, and I am feeling challenged already! It is not intended to be another good book to help fill up the bookcase... it purports to be a field manual for living abundantly... and a practical guide for allowing God's blessings to flow 'through' you outward to those around you.

For my part, I cannot wait! I am so excited about the outbreak of 'servant-heart-itis' in our faith community! His Spirit is stirring...

I'll keep you posted!

Blessings!

living out of a suitcase

When my family travels for a weekend, we usually pack enough clothes to last 6 weeks... (or at least it seems that way as I carry the bags to and from the van!)

After we check in at the hotel, we typically set the suitcase on the little foldy-out thing that holds the luggage... we rarely unpack the clothes and use the drawers; instead, we use the open suitcase as our 'dresser drawer' for the few days we are there...

We hang the hanging bag up on a peg in the closet... but we rarely take each hangered item out and hang it on the bar in the closet...

Our open overnight bag serves as our 'bathroom drawer'... we don't take out our toothbrushes and razors and deodorant and 'set it up' like it was home...

For most of our hotel visits, it would be kinda ridiculous to take each item out and place it in the hotel dresser drawers... and most of the time it seems kinda silly to take each item out of the hanging bag and hang it in the closet... and our razors and soap and toothbrushes are taken out of the overnight bag, then used, then placed back in the bag...

... because the stay is too short to 'move in' as if it were permanent... right?

So I was thinking...what if we viewed the 'hotel visit' as a microcosm of our 'stay' here on earth?

What if we acted like we really believed that this earth is only a temporary home? Would we care about the things we care about? Would we worry ourselves with the year model of our SUV or the size of our house or the style of our hair or the amount of money in our bank account? Would we fall so deeply in love with the things God blesses us with that we forget the people He places in our path?

Think about it... when you're away from your house in a hotel, you don't act as if you were going to be there forever, do you?

Here's my problem: Even though the Bible is replete with references to the temporary nature of our earthly stay, I have 'moved in' so thoroughly that you would think I believe this is IT! I've thrown the 'luggage' in the trash and stored all my figurative 'stuff' in the drawers! My hanging bag is a memory, and I have even gone and bought nice hangers for my stay! (OK, I've worn that metaphor completely out!)

If I entrench myself so deeply in the trappings of my surroundings and culture, will the casual observer infer that I know this world is all there is!

Sometimes I wonder how I can sing "this world is not my home, I'm just a passing through" with a straight face!

We love to quote Jesus (as Matthew recorded in the 6th chapter of his gospel): say it with me in the KJV: "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal"

I need to start living like I believe that... how about you?

God Bless us as we try to live like His Son... and as we learn to live like this were all temporary.... (pssst! ...'cause it is!)

other worldly

When we hear the term 'other-worldly', images of little green men in flying saucers come to mind... when we use the phrase 'out of this world', we are usually referring to something special....

When Jesus talks in these terms, He is describing Himself and His kingdom.

John records one such exchange in the 8th chapter of his gospel....while talking to followers and critics, Jesus tells them "I am not of this world", in an attempt to emphasize the difference between them and Him. "You are of this world." He is exhorting them to think beyond the trappings and limitations of their physical surroundings...

Later in the same record (in the middle of the 18th chapter), John describes the scene between Jesus and Pilate... The governor is questioning Jesus, trying to decide what to do with Him. As Pilate questions Him about His kingship and His kingdom, he gets more and more uneasy and confused (who IS this guy?), Jesus finally tells him: "My kingdom is not of this world".

As we aspire to imitate Jesus, our thinking should be on a higher plane. As we mature in Him, our attitude will be painted by this 'kingdom' theology. We will start to see things differently, because we will begin to understand that this world is not our home....

And, as we do, things and prestige and stuff and appearance and money will mean less and less.... and the souls of people will become our obsession... and leading those souls to Christ will become our passion.

All because our Example is out of this world!

spending time on important things

As we try to find enough hours in the day to do all we need and want to do, I think of the words of the 46th Psalm... God, through the psalmist, exhorts us all to 'be still and know that I am God'... a very foreign concept in our world (and, I am ashamed to say, in my life) today.

Anytime I ponder the subject, I think of places like Volcan, Panama, where our dear friends the Nelsons now live and minister 6 months each year. I have heard several missionaries discuss how 'close' they feel to God when they are on the mission field... especially when they are in a foreign place with no Blackberry or Cell phone or Internet...

It occurs to me that the reason missionaries find it so easy to feel that close to God is the environment which allows and encourages them to be still...

When I am in the Olancho Province of Honduras ministering to and visiting with the indigenous Pech Indians, there are no cell phones. There are no phones whatsoever! There is no electricity... there are no cars.... there is no Internet.

When we are in the village of Santa Marta, Panama, there is no running water... there is no electric stove... the cars you see are either a taxi or something we drove in...

The same is true for Eton Village on the Island of Efate in Vanuatu....

In these places (and thousands like them across the globe), it seems easier to be still... to gain that closeness we are all created to crave.

So why is it I am so in love with my technologically enhanced life? It seems at once to provide opportunity and hamstring 'near'ness! And, at the end of the day, I wonder (selfishly, for me) if it would not be better to expose myself more regularly to an environment which creates/begs for/develops that closeness to my Creator....

In his book "Tyranny of the Urgent", Charles Hummel explores how we allow the urgent things of life to crowd out the important things... He suggests an exercise in which you list the 5 most important things in your life... (God, Family, Church, Work, Golf, etc)... then, beside that list, write down the top 5 things on which you spent your time today... it is quite eye-opening to honestly record what you did (went to work, ate lunch on the go, worked out at the gym, attended a chamber-of-commerce meeting, etc), then compare it to what you said was important...

Try it. I believe you may reach the same conclusion I have (over and over again): the 'urgency' of life routinely crowds out the truly 'important' things in my life....

let me encourage us all (especially me) to make the attempt to 'sync up' these two lists... and to begin by finding a place and time to 'be still'.... so we can hear His 'still, small voice' as He guides us...

hitting the ground running... a new shool year

Well, for the Martins the school year is off and running at a breakneck pace! Cassie is settling in to her new class... she is really excited to have Mrs. Dewey as her teacher... and so are we!

Cass came home yesterday around 3 and her mouth has not stopped (except to stuff some food in) since.... lots and lots of exciting information to share!

Cara is a big high school student now... and she is enjoying it! Her first Volleyball game is tonight, and we are all very excited about it! I think we will be kept pretty busy with her VBall schedule for the next couple months...

We have a little more room in our house... The girls are spreading out into the new space (formerly occupied by their college-attending sister) quite nicely, thank you... each has her own bedroom now, and are adjusting just fine!

It is an interesting time of transition for sure! The fact that I miss Cait like I do makes me feel a little guilty... like maybe I was way too invested in her activities at the expense of the other two...

Also, in the midst of our collective 'grief' over Caitlin's absence after leaving for York, we learned that a dear friend lost his 34-year-old son to a sudden heart attack yesterday morning... I cannot imagine such a loss. As we prayed for God to comfort him and his family, my selfishness was brought into clear focus... what have I got to be sad about?

Anyhow, God continues to bless us more richly than we could ever deserve... and we are so thankful for that!

Got a Bowflex today! I'll let you know how that goes...

Blessings!

the hardest part

Well, we got back from York last night... after delivering Caitlin and getting her all set in her dorm room and handling all the logistical and financial arrangements, we said our goodbyes in the parking lot of Thomas Hall, her home for the next 9 months...

The saying goodbye was really very hard. I thought I was prepared for it, but I was wrong.

Kelly and I feel very blessed that Caitlin will be surrounded by the York family... at every turn this weekend, we were reminded of how wonderful an opportunity this is, and with every new acquaintance there, our decision was positively reinforced. York truly seems to be a faith community where students are embraced and watched out for and loved and taken care of... we have no regrets at all.

But the inescapable symbolism of delivering our first child to college is palpable... it paints everything with a certain hue... and while we are indescribably excited for her as she enters this transitional chapter, we are selfishly sad for the chapters which are past. When we got home last night, we all went into her room and wept... it was just as she left it, with her pictures and awards and stuff still on the walls... (that changed quickly, however... Cara moved her stuff into the closet and made it her new room pretty fast!)

I guess it's sort of like reading a really well-spun novel... you are so invested in the characters and the plot and the story that you do not want it to end...

...so we must gain perspective and realize that this is not the end... this is but a chapter... we believe God has so much in store for Caitlin... but it is unknown to us (and her) just what lies ahead... and that is what exposes my lack of faith... the fact that I want to see beyond the curve in the road ahead... instead of enjoying the ride... (OK, now this has just become a weird metaphor-mixing rant...)

As I write this, I feel His Spirit giving me peace... I really do!

I am looking forward to each new day for Caitlin. And I am trying to remember who is at the controls... and that He is a much better driver than I am... and I am resolved to enjoy the ride...

Blessings!

A New School Year Begins

Well, today is that annual milestone-rite-of-passage day called the first day of school!

Every year at the Martin home, we get set to deliver the three angels to their respective school buildings as they embark on another year of learning... (our daughters' ages are spaced just right so that they have/will never attend the same building at the same time - arrggh!)

Before we leave the house, we always pose for the obligatory 'first-day-of-school' photo in front of the Nandina bushes by the front door... this morning it was raining! In all the years we have enjoyed/endured this ritual, I can never remember it raining... but it sorta matches our collective mood this morning, because there are only 2 angels in the photo today, as we delivered Caitlin to college in York, Nebraska yesterday...

Cara and Cassie are excited and nervous at the same time, as both gear up to attend a new (for them) building today. Cara is in High School (with 900 of her closest friends) and Cassie is at the Intermediate school (with the other 350 4th graders).

Caitlin is beginning her orientation at York College today. We all miss her very much, but we are so excited for her as she, too, begins a new chapter and attends a new 'building'!

Cara and Cassie seem pretty well-adjusted... both are well-liked by their peers... as I dropped off Cara this morning, all her 'peeps' were waving at her to 'come stand by them', as they waited to go into the auditorium for their orientation... I believe she and Cass will do just fine...

God has blessed our family so richly... and I know He will keep His hand on our girls all day, all year.

It is an exciting time of year!

God Bless!

a year of 'lasts'

A year ago, my wife and I sat on the back porch having our morning coffee, lamenting the fact that the upcoming year would be very exciting and difficult... Our oldest daughter, Caitlin, was entering her senior year of High School...

As we sipped our coffee, Kelly observed that once the school year started, it would be over in a flash, and we would be packing Caitlin up for college... and we jointly realized that what our friends had told us about their daughter's senior year was true: it is a year of 'lasts'...

And throughout this past year, we have noted numerous times: 'this is the last.......'

And as we filled in the last 'hole' in the middle of the picture frame in the hall (you know the one... it has 12 small holes - one for each school picture posed for from kindergarten to 11th grade - and a large hole in the center for the senior photo), it started to really settle in... that this would be a year of lasts.

Last August, it was the last 'first day of school'... Senior Year - woo hoo! Before we could blink, it was the last football game for the class of '07 (played in War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock for the state championship, I might add)...

Then it was a series of basketball-related 'lasts': last season-home-opener... then it was the last time to visit West Memphis' crackerbox gym, thank you! ... the last time to visit the beautiful town of Forrest City - yecch!!! ... the last "senior night"...honoring Cait and her fellow seniors (she played awesome, the Lady Bombers won... and Coach Leonard made sure Caitlin was the very last senior brought out of the game in the waning moments... to a standing ovation!) then it was the last home game - last time to 'slap the lady bomber' (no, its not some obscene reference, it is the tradition of slapping your hand against the lady bomber sign on the wall near the lockerroom on the way out to vanquish yet another foe on the court!) ...then, in a flash, it was her last game as a Lady Bomber... in the final four of the state tournament... and later in the spring, it was her last all-star game...

then a few weeks after that, it was her last prom... she looked beautiful and had a great time! (and stayed safe...)

then it was her last sports banquets... at the winter sports banquet she was awared all-conference and three-year letterman in Basketball... and at the spring banquet, she was given the three-year letterman patch in Discus, then presented with the most prestigiuos of sports awards: Miss Lady Bomber 2007!

then came the last 'last day of school'... then graduation... Hurray!!!!

This summer has been unique... somewhat unsettled, as we prepare to deliver Caitlin to college... a summer filled with more 'lasts'....

Last family vacation... last time on the lake... last day of work at the Steak House...

Last night, it was the last time to meet with the Riverside church...

Tonight, it will be the last night to sleep in the room she grew up in... it's getting very real now.

I know it is an exciting time... I understand it is a rite of passage and that millions of parents have lived through sending their kid off to college.... and I realize how proud I am of my daughter for who she has become.

And we are so grateful to God for the countless blessings He has showered on her throughout her last year in High School... we are speechlessly, awesomely thankful for His lovingkindness toward her and us.

....but as much as we prayed and talked and supported each other during this past year, it has not prepared me for tomorrow... when we will take her 9 hours away and leave her at college...

But, through all my selfishness, I am SO EXCITED for her!!! Because for every 'last' which we experienced during the past year, God has a thousand 'firsts' in store for her (and us) in the coming year...

and I cannot wait for her to begin this new chapter in her life!!!

Please pray that God will bless our family during this exciting new chapter... and that God will give me and Kelly (and Caitlin) strength during this transition... because this is hard... really hard.

attracting people to... what?

It has been said several times (many times by me) that our goal should be the one Jesus spoke about in John 12.... "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."

I have observed that the best way to 'lift Him up' is to serve others... to show them Christ's love. When I ponder the concept, I am naturally drawn to the 'sheep and goats' parable at the end of Matthew 25... "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

(I do this so poorly most of the time that I certainly haven't observed it in myself... but I want to model those who do...) When I have tried to serve others (and watched my brothers and sisters do it), Christ is invariably lifted up!

Many churches seem to 'get it' when it comes to service... as a matter of fact, over the past decade or so there has evolved an accepted 'organized church model' for serving others. It has seeded an entire movement: mega-mall-church-buildings are dotting the landscape, offering everything from AA meetings to daycare to racquetball leagues!

This movement has changed our vernacular... literally, new words and phrases have been coined: "mall church", "seeker-sensitive-worship", "casual service", "mega-church" and "blue-jeans-worship", to name a few...

I truly believe this movement has pure motives... I want to think it seeks to 'attract' the masses by serving them... I fear, however, that we may be simply providing services to them. Still, I truly believe there are pure hearts behind this idea... that there are Godly people who are indeed serving others in an attempt to attract people....

I have two questions: "who are we attracting?" and "what are we attracting them to?"

If you sat outside some of these mega churches for a week, you may find yourself checking the sign out front to make sure you are at a church building rather than a country club... not only are these places obscenely palatial, the clientele (driving up in their $40,000 SUVs to drop off the kids to day camp or catch a game of men's league basketball) would seem to be very upscale indeed! (are we truly serving 'the least of these brothers of mine'?)

And, if we are not careful, we become a 'christian' version of our program-laden federal government... we build buildings and fund our programs and organize teams and develop budgets and.... that sort of model only breeds dependence upon the organization providing the service!

The problem, I think, is a fundamental misunderstanding of what the church is... It would seem (again) that we have mistaken the modern 'organized church' for Christ' model... And (again) we are teaching the next generation that the church is a building... or at best that it is an organization...

and that is so foreign to Jesus' model... I am not anti-organization... (and again, I believe there is a lot of good being done in the name of Jesus) in fact, I am quite anal when it comes to organizing... I know there is value in making a plan and organizing teams and budgeting...

I am just afraid we organize the spirit right out of our service to others! and we lose sight of John 12.... I believe our challenge to 'lift Him up' is a personal one...

Someone smarter than me has said "the Bible NEVER commands that the poor and needy seek out the church and get help.... the Bible commands that the CHURCH (God's people) seek out the poor and needy and help them"

So.... go find someone who needs help.... then help them. In the name of Christ. That's what John 12:32 is all about.

Blessings!

23 years with an angel

In some ways it seems like Kelly and I have been married 23 years... in some ways it seems like only yesterday that we said our vows... and in some ways it seems like it's been forever...(I mean that in a good way...) I know this: I can't remember a time when I was not madly in love with her.

She is an angel. The best wife and mom anyone could ever hope for... My daugthers are seeing lived before them the model of a Christian woman. She is a prayer warrior who loves her family with a ferocity not often seen in today's culture; if my three girls grow into even a shadow of what they have seen lived in front of them growing up, they will be prizes in their own right.

Last Friday night we celebrated the night when, 23 years ago, we promised to love and cherish each other forever no matter what.... and, over the past 23 years, there has been a lot of 'no matter whats', but she and I have kept our promise to God and each other. I'm sure it has not been easy at times (especially for her), but she is a committed and dedicated Christian woman whose faith is tenacious.

For my part, God has blessed me so much in so many ways during my lifetime. No blessing can measure up, however, to the one named Kelly.

I am forever grateful to God for that unbelievable stroke of blessing.

living like Jesus - who are your friends?

I am blessed with many friends... some very close, some more distant, some from my childhood and some who are new. I was thinking of my friends and that made me think of Jesus and His friends...

There was a time in my life when I was very concerned with 'who' my friends were... I wanted friends who had position and power and prestige. I wanted to be invited to the outings and parties of the folks who were in the 'in' crowd.

Jesus was never very concerned with being a part of that crowd... the 'in' crowd in His day were the religious leaders and powerful politicians, and He had less than stellar things to say to and about them... I doubt anyone would have accused Him of aspiring to 'rub elbows' with the rich and powerful.

Maybe we should take an example from Jesus. My observation is that His friends could be divided into two groups (not that He would have 'divided' them this way):

1. those whom He could help, and
2. those who could help Him help others

His followers and friends were made up of broken people who were helped by Him and were helping Him spread His love. As I begin to grasp that, it changes my view of who my friends are. Sometimes (not always) we call people our 'friends' because of what they are able to do for us... or what we are able to do for them... Jesus' friends were fishermen and tax collectors and prostitutes... not the cream of the crop societally...

As I have gotten older and done more 'living' (and gotten more bumps and bruises and made more mistakes), I have learned who my freinds really are... and I have long since stopped caring about titles and parties and the 'in' crowd... as a matter of fact, when I do have occasion to be in the presence of the self-appointed 'pretty and powerful people' of my community, I get a sick feeling in my stomach.

It's not that I feel superior to them... It's not like I want to be them... and I don't envy them. I just look at them and see, well.... a younger version of me. Many of these folks are good people; many are very benevolent and kind... many (not all) are God-fearing folks trying to raise their children right.

But so was I, 15 years ago. But I was so missing the point. I was trying to impress and gain and jockey... Oh, I was taking my family to church every Sunday and trying to provide a 'christian' environment for my kids to grow up in... some would say I was a 'church leader' ...but I was playing at it. I was doing my religion in between living my life and trying to get ahead...

But God intervened. He is molding me and shaping me (definitely still a work in progress) into a useful servant...

I am learning that everyone is broken... and some of us still fight that fact. Some still want to put up the facade that everything is GREAT, and that we've "got it all together"... But until we realize and admit that we are broken and unworthy sinners, God cannot use us.

So if I want to be useful to Him and His cause, I will daily admit my brokenness and let Him work His miracles in me... and that is somehow very liberating!

The notion that God can use me, a very broken man, is at once humbling and unbelievably exciting!

God Bless!

why do I fight His leading?

I have often observed that it is much easier seeing the Spirit's guidance looking backward than it is to see His Hand while you're being 'guided'...

For example, it's hard to see how an illness or job change or the death of someone close to you could be constrewed as Heavenly guidance, especially when you're knee deep in it... we usually think those things 'just happen' or are caused by the devil or are 'spirit neutral'... but when we have time to look back at such events, we are usually able to see how God worked in our lives to challenge us and mold us into more of what He wants us to be...

Sometimes it is really hard to see how His hand guides us... (my mom died 10 years ago, and I still can't see that one...) but most of the time, I have found it relatively easy to discover how God intervened and used some event or someone to help shape me.

I suppose I am able to see those things more clearly when I am looking for them, and less inclined to see them when I am not.

So why do I fight His leading? Why is it I consistently act like I am at the controls? Why is it I jerk the wheel away from Him and try to take over? Especially after 45 years of watching Him at work, navigating my 'ship' so well (maybe it's because I consider the ship 'mine')... you would think I would have enough faith to completely let go, but I still think I know better...

Let me encourage us all to seek the Spirit's guidance, pray for God's Hand to lead us, and submit to His will for our lives...

Blessings!