Things that I have learned

This month will mark my 42nd birthday and also my youngest daughter's birthday who was born 47 minutes before my birthday.  Yes, that is correct my friends, she wants her day all to herself.  That being said, I was reading another blog and I saw on old post about things that have been learned through the years.  After reading Lance's last entry (welcome home my friend) I realized that God can fill a lot of places in your life and if you allow Him, He can fill everything in your life with Joy!  Here are some of the things that I have learned over the past several years:

Age 31 - Never say that you are never getting married, especially when God has other plans for your life

Age 32 - God is truly the greatest Architect that we have ever met (have you seen New Zealand and the Mountains within?)

Age 33 - When you give God the power over you finances and commit to him (at least) 10% he will meet you where you need to be met and will guide you to where you need to go. Malachi 3:10

Age 34 - When you make Stewardship a priority in your life the rest of the themes in your life come more into focus (see Lances previous blog and read the lists)

Age 35 - If you are fortunate enough to be blessed with the gift of parenting, it is at this point that you can truly grasp just how much God loves us, as we love our children (the birth of my oldest, my son)

Age 37 - When you trust God and give Him all that He asks, things in your life and priorities in your life change drastically - they move to a Kingdom perspective.  Also, when God blesses you with a little girl you quickly understand how important purity is...Colossians 3

Age 39 - Biblical Stewardship and trusting God with your finances allows you to bless others because scripture is fulfilled - God says, when it comes to tithing, to test Him and he will bless you more than you can believe (He Does, He is faithful and Almighty).  The birth of my third child forces me to realize how important a father's love needs to be in little girls lives.

Age 40 - Through trials, tribulations and pain, God teaches us to lean more on His understanding and less on ours.  Prayer, daily reading of Scripture and complete trust in "His will be done" changes anxiety and stress levels James 5:16

Age 41 - You can never read enough Scripture because there is always something new to learn and to be revealed through daily study.  I like what Pastor Adrian Rogers once used to say, "When you read, you read other books, BUT when you read the Bible, it reads you"

I am also learning that you can never learn to trust Him more nor can you expect to reach a level in your daily walk that doesn't continue to require more from you.  Love your brother as yourself and first and foremost love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind.  On these two commands hang all the others.  The older I get, the more that I learn to ask God for the Wisdom.  Less of me and more of Him.

Dante

A Life Worth Living

Every man longs for adventure, from the time when we are boys.  Building forts, playing wargames and envisioning ourselves as lone crusaders or frontiersmen.  I really don't think this longing ever dies once we become men.  Some men never grow up and take on life's responsibilities, some men grow up too much and leave family and fun behind.  Some men try to suppress their longing and eventually feel lost and embittered.  I also believe every man longs for an epic challenge. Some task, goal or life changing event that allows a man to put his wits and skills to the test, in order to prove himself worthy and to let the man know that he has what it takes should the situation arise.  

I have trekked through the jungles of Central and South America, snow camped in the Arctic in -50
Degree temperatures, evaded wild elephants in the forests of Asia and had many cups of tea in the deserts of the Middle East.  My family has crossed the Smoky Mountains, the Italian Alps, basked in the beauty of Bavaria, survived the heat of the canoyonlands in the Southwest and discovered secret waterfalls in the Pacific Northwest.  Yet something still seems missing?

The Bible as well as many other religions and beliefs speak of the Law of the Harvest.  Karma, The Secret, the Law of Attraction or whatever else people want to market it as basically follow the same premise as the teachings of Jesus.  See here for more in depth:      

For men, the Law of the Harvest can be broken down into seven categories that we place our time and energy in.

Family  - Our marriage and children

Firm - Our Career, Job or vocation

Friends - Our friends

Faith - Our Faith and Spirituality

Fitness - Our health, eating habits and fitness

Finance - Our stewardship of money

Fun - Hobbies, activities, leisure

How we allocate our time and priorities, dictates what type of harvest we will sow.  If we place all of our time and energy into Family.  We will have a strong family but possible less firm or finances.  If we place all our time and energy into Firm, we may have less family, fun and friends. 

I think herein lies the dilemma.  

As men, we are still searching for the epic challenge.  We listen to society, friends and the media for cues of where to find the epic challenge then follow the rabbit hole down one of the Seven areas looking for the adventure. 

I think there is know right or wrong answer to this question as everyman is different and has to follow his inner calling yet a delicate balance of multiple areas allow the man to reap the greatest harvest.  I also believe that the areas can change over time and throughout a mans life.      

The true question is what areas reap the greatest harvest? 

For me it goes like this:  Faith, Family, Firm and then the rest in random order.  I try to sprinkle Fun over the top of everything just to keep it light and humorous.   

Again we have to begin at the end and reverse plan what we focus on.  What do we want our life to look like in the end?  What will our final eulogy speak of?  What will our legacy be?

Only we can decide this.  

- Lance

Obedience

Tonight at our Wednesday Night Fusion Service we had a time for the congregation to move around the Auditorium and to visit 6 to 8 prayer stations.  I was sitting at one of the six and had a lady walk up to me and ask for prayer on how to be obedient to God.

Obedience is a very tough word for anyone, let alone Christians.  Seriously, when the Word of God tells us to obey His word what do you really think that means? (Please send us comments - we want your thoughts). I asked her this relevant question:  "Are you reading the Bible daily and are you praying continually throughout the day (not every second of every minute of every hour of every day), but are you praying daily?

Scripture says the following:  Romans 8:28 - And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

John 15:10 - If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.

James 1:25 - But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will blessed in what he does.

The Word of God is very clear in this.  Obey the Lord and his precepts.  Allow the Holy Spirit to dwell in your temple (that is your body- if you are Saved) and not to be tormented by your sin.  Allow the Holy Spirit free reign in your life.  Renew your mind and set your heart on things above.  

Seriously, please tell us what Biblical Obedience means to you.  What does that look like in your daily walk?  I want to know?  (Comments please)

WORTHY IS THE LAMB

Worthy Is The Lamb

 

 

Hebrews12  1Therefore, since we aresurrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easilyentangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus,the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him enduredthe cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne ofGod. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that youwill not grow weary and lose heart. 4In your struggle against sin, you have notyet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And you have forgotten thatword of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord'sdiscipline, and do notlose heart when he rebukes you, 6because the Lord disciplines those heloves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."[a]  7Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. Forwhat son is not disciplined by his father? 8If you are not disciplined (andeveryone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not truesons. 9Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and werespected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10Ourfathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but Goddisciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11No disciplineseems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces aharvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.   12Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms andweak knees. 13"Make level paths for your feet,"[b] so that the lamemay not be disabled, but rather healed. 14Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to beholy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15See to it that no onemisses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble anddefile many. 16See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau,who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.17Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he wasrejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessingwith tears.  18You have not come to amountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloomand storm; 19to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that thosewho heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20because theycould not bear what was commanded: "If even an animal touches themountain, it must be stoned."[c] 21The sight was so terrifying that Mosessaid, "I am trembling with fear."[d]  22But you have come to Mount Zion, to theheavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands uponthousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23to the church of the firstborn, whosenames are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to thespirits of righteous men made perfect, 24to Jesus the mediator of a newcovenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the bloodof Abel. 25See to it that youdo not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refusedhim who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from himwho warns us from heaven? 26At that time his voice shook the earth, but now hehas promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also theheavens."[e] 27The words "once more" indicate the removing ofwhat can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken mayremain.  28Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom thatcannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably withreverence and awe, 29for our "God is a consuming fire."[f]

The Secret to Life

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k1uOqRb0HU&hl=en_US&fs=1&&w=480&h=385]

As a lay leader in Ministry I often here this question, "What do you think God's will is for my life."  I always find that question really interesting because we are all created differently and uniquely each in our own special way.  Here, in the United States, we are bombarded by multi media applications ranging from television to radio to social networks and even twitter and text messaging.  The bottom line is usually more to indulge the "me" and not the "we".  This culture usually is about what I can get next or how can I best please myself.  It is this sense of Entitlement that we really don't deserve.

Above is the video from the move, City Slickers, which stars Billy Crystal.  He is on this cattle drive with Curly Joe (I believe) and his wife sent him on this trip during his mid-life crisis (or should we say identity crisis) of who he should be.   In Christian terms, he is searching for that one thing, the Secret to Life.

In biblical terms, we can find the answer in Philippians 4:12b, which states, "12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want..."  The one word definition is called Contentment.  Here is the thing, if we are serious about finding God's will in our life, then we have to be serious about God.  We cannot be lukewarm, nor can we pretend that the God of this Universe, a Holy God, will simply be content with us serving two masters:  God and Sin.  We cannot do that because He is a Holy God.  We can start by eating his Word daily (reading scripture) and praying daily.  I would, once again, start with Colossians Chapter 3 and also Romans Chapter 12.  Here are two chapters that will put you in the right path to find God's will.  Once you find Contentment you will hear His will.  That one thing:  Philippians 4:13 says that, "I can do all things, through Christ Jesus, who gives me Strength."  

Legacy Ready to Roll (Rite of Passage)

Came across this very legacy-ish dialog below while updating the Year of Passage outline with soninlaw Matt for Taylor to be 12 in two weeks.  It’s an outline that may prod you.  Glad to answer questions and give references on the Passage issue.  If the year 12 to 13 is to have a meaningful memorializing at “graduation,”  it should be intentional, deliberative, and taken seriously enough to pray over all the prep as well as launching the event. 

Ours launching event is coming up in a week.  Family joining us from Utah.  First event is a glider flight for Taylor.  Then he writes about it, 500 words or more.  (Homeschooled, so Mom gives credit).  Next is Scripps Oceanographic museum then whale-watching trip.  Another essay.

Here’s my dialog with Todd on John Eldredge's Ransomed Heart Net (you should all visit, join..Powerful: www.ransomedheart.net )

Todd, what a cherished photo. What a great drill it would be to re-post it and ask guys for a one or two-sentence caption. Mine might be, "Dad, that looks so beautiful out there...so big, so, well…scary. I'm not sure I'm ready. Would you lead me?"    [Photo of great expanse from edge of cliff during a father-son “Passage” camp out]

Swiss Army knife. A Blessing. It's authority comes from On High. Through you. Maybe through your dad even grand dad. Legacy. Particularly because it was intentional, the keystone of true love.

My 11 and 9 and their dad and I just returned from a cattle drive; a big one. They have their Leatherman's, boots, hats, and ropes. I wanted my love, framed in intentional (grand) fathering, to be distinct. I'm pretty much a "tell it" didactic guy. So, I began a monthly letter to each. Short and age-readable. Same topic for them and their 6 year-old princess sister (hey, let’s be sure to remember our fathering include the girls, a hard one to get right--impossible if mom is not on the "fathering team"). I mail each one real mail separately.

When "Popi" comes to visit, it's date time. This round it was both of the boys at McDonalds, Happy Meals and all. We discuss the letter which they read in their home schooling. Letter Three was Walking with God. They got it. Last week's #4 was "Goals" (this year, this life). The ten-year-old got it: "I want to lead someone to God". I withheld testosterone tears but still shouted, "Wow!"  The 8, as is his ADHD wont, went all over the place but ended with, "Be really good." Their dad, for whom I am " Adjunct Fathering Team Dad," follows this up in dad talks. I think I am going to staple these in my journal form with their responses for posterity.

Gary Taylor (Popi).  www.GenerationalFathering.com

(talk to me about journeys of “passage” at gary@newseason.us)

The Sky before Katrina

Psalm 148:8 (New International Version)

 ⁸ lightning and hail, snow and clouds, 
       stormy winds that do his bidding,