Music Fills the Air Again

Since our son JB has been away at college our house had become a little quiet. When he was home JB would practice his guitar for hours on end and fill the house with beautiful music. When he went off to school there was a void around here.

No more!

Micah, our soon to be 14 year old, has been playing the cello and the house is once again filled with music. He is really doing well too. He practices two or three times a day for an hour each time.

Its amazing how music can affect the mood in a house. Its hard to be upset when you are singing or humming along with a song. Try it and see. It just seems to lift the spirits. The Bible speaks of this when it says to speak to yourself in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, making melody in your heart to the Lord (Eph 5:19).

When we lived in Ghana Kim and I built our own house. The entire place was built with hand tools because there was no electricity. The cement blocks were even made by hand. The concrete was mixed by hand and poured one pan full at a time. It was extremely hard and labor intensive. There was a young man we hired who was a carpenter. His name was Vince. He claimed to be a Christian and he loved to talk about his Lord. Vince worked very hard and long hours. Even when he was working hard and drenched in sweat Vince would constantly be singing or whistling as he worked. He was the epitome of a joyful soul. In fact, most of our work crew would sing as they worked. It was really quite a thing to hear and see. I learned a valuable lesson from these men.

Next time you are tempted to be discouraged or upset, sing, or whistle. See if it does not change your attitude a bit. If it works I want you to think of Vince!

Choose Well My Friend

There is a cute commercial airing these days by a cable tv company. It shows a person that makes a bad choice to switch away from the cable company that sets off a chain reaction of events that ends up with a catastrophic result. The commercial is cute, yet poignant.

Has there been a time in your life when you kind of woke up to the realization that things are not going too well? Maybe you are having financial or health problems. Maybe relationships have fallen apart. Have you ever wondered, "How did I get here?" I want to tell you that it probably just didn't happen suddenly. We are a product of the choices we make.

Seldom do things come crashing down around us for no reason. I am aware that sometimes it happens that way. A car accident can change a life. A company can go out of business. There is nothing premeditated or planned about that. Most of our trouble  in life, however, stems from bad decision making. Our health falls apart because we choose to eat poorly or engage in other activities that foster health problems. Our finances crumble because we have never learned the discipline to make good financial decisions. We choose to not humble ourselves and walk away from arguments and strife. When we layer bad decision upon bad decision the result can often be catastrophic.

Maybe right now your life is ok. Maybe you are not in crisis mode. What can we do to prevent future crises? Well, you can't make decisions that have not been presented to you. In other words, you can't do anything about the decisions you will make tomorrow or the next day or the next day. You can only make good decisions at the present moment.

So here is my solution. Make a good decision with the next opportunity. Start now making decisions that will foster better circumstances. Decide right now that you will make a healthy choice in your eating habits. Make a choice that will build a relationship rather than bring strife and division. Choose to be financially responsible. If you start making good choices now you will reap the benefits down the road.

By God's Grace - NO!

There was a man named Paul. He was a mighty man who experienced miracle working power. He was a chosen vessel to be a specially called man to do some very important work for God. He raised the dead, healed the sick, was miraculously swept away and saved from certain danger. There were many things about his life that we would perceive as favored of God.

This man was struck with a malady that he termed a "thorn in the flesh." It troubled him deeply. So deeply in fact he prayed specifically three times for God to remove this thorn from him. God's answer to him was a very blunt - NO. God said that His grace would have to be sufficient for Paul. This very important man who at times selflessly and sacrificially served humanity was told that God would not heal him of this thorn.

As we look at this story with a Biblical viewpoint we learn somethings about the grace of God.

By God’s grace he gives us what we need.
Perhaps Paul heard those words - NO - he remembered the Psalmist when he said, "No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." (Psa 84:11) God is a good God that wants us to live abundantly in this world. God blesses his children with all they need live that abundant life.

By God’s grace he withholds what we do not need.
Most of us in America have far more than we need. Most of us in America are trying to get even more than we got! Most of us in America have so much that it weighs us down and keeps us from being used of the Lord they way He would like us to be used. I am reminded of that verse in 2 Tim 2:4 -  "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier." Too much stuff tangles us up to the point that we are not ready soldiers.


By God’s grace he withholds that which is not good for us.
We often see things that we really would love to have. Often these things are not necessarily "immoral" or "bad" things. These things can be good things in and of themselves but not be good for us. You see, God has a purpose and a plan for each of us. He sees the big picture while our perspective is limited by time and vantage point. We are here on the earth while God is high above the earth. We are finite (limited in time) while God is infinite. A college professor of mine once made this statement that has stuck with ever since. He said, "To God history is an eternal present." God sees all of eternity at the same time. He knows what we need. He know what we do not need. He knows that if he gave us something (even a good thing) it would adversely affect us and thereby denies that thing to us.

You see, God answers our prayers with a NO because of His grace. God wants the very best for us and by denying our requests he lines things up so that we can receive that very best. So the next time we receive an answer of NO from God - be thankful for His grace in your life.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things...

The Christmas decorations have been taken down and packed away. There is nary a trace that a holiday even happened around here. I suppose there is a bit of sullenness that accompanies the period of time right after Christmas. After all, Christmas can be such an emotionally stimulating celebration. I mean there is family, and meals (lots of meals!), and gifts, and old Hallmark movies and commercials...well you get the picture.

Emma (L) - Dani (R)

This year was special for our family. We had all five kids including our three married children and their spouses with us. I feel having them all here was the best gift Kim and I could have received. We likely will not enjoy this situation very often since there are those other guys (in-laws) that will require the presence of the kids for the holidays. This year, however, was made even more special because we got to celebrate with two very new granddaughters, Emeilia Grace (Emma born in August) and Christina Ana-Danielle (Dani born in November).

Yes the house was packed. But it was fun. I love the fact that our kids love to be home for the holidays. I love the fact that they laugh and carry on and eat. Then they laugh some more and eat some more. Man can they eat!

There are so many of us that the gift opening becomes a rather chaotic exercise in which we kind of get lost in a sea of wrapping paper. We have a blast enjoying the mess.

I am so thankful God has blessed our family with such a loving spirit.