[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpFD-kgQxnI]
Right here waiting....so what can we do in the meantime?
If you are honest, then you can admit things like I can, that is, sometimes if I am really honest, I have to admit that I have a hard time waiting. I am not saying that I am an impatient man (I have 3 kids under 10 - God has given me patience). What I mean is that sometimes we have the outcome that we have in mind and not the outcome that God has in store for us. Sometimes along that path of waiting, we find ourselves in trials and tribulations and for others we find ourselves in sin. In some cases, it can be a combination of both those situations. Isaiah 40:31 (ESV) "But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." 
Do you remember the restaurants that they used to have around the Midwest called "Jack in the box"? Sometimes I feel like those of us called Christians (more so who are Christ-Followers) would like to have a "God in the Box", that is, at our disposal not His. I think a lot of times I find myself trying to take control of situations in my life that God already had (has and will forever handle) if I would just let go and let God. I can personally tell you from some very stressful situations that I have caused more pain and frustration in my life by not waiting on the Lord and as a result of my inability of not waiting on the Lord, I have to face those consequences that I didn't need to face had I waited for God. 
Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV) "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." That Scripture is pretty clear and simple when you think about it. Do we trust God in everything in our lives? Really? Does He have control over our finances? Does he get our first fruits (tithing)? When we sin, are we hard hearted and stiffed necked people or do we repent and ask for His forgiveness? How do we overcome issues at work? At Home? With our children? With our parents? Do we let go and let God?
Wherever we are at in our walks it is never to let to start. The first place that I recommend that we begin in in His Word (read it every day - no excuses) and by prayer and petition and in small groups (true biblical accountability) and preaching and teaching from our leaders and also with community. The two pictures above are pictures that I really like because they are real pictures of God's faithfulness in our lives. One of these two men goes to our church and is in our Men of Faith (Men's Bible Study) and the other gets it - where it all comes from and from whom all blessing flow.
The tattoo work on the left is a great story. I am not going to tell you whether this man has come to know Christ as his personal savior or not (that is between him and God). But what I can tell you is that the more that I get to know this man, the more that I am convinced that God calls us! That God has a plan for each and everyone of us. And that if we are truly to be disciples of Jesus then we have to let go and let God.
Thoughts?Dante
Goodbye Dear Friend - Godspeed
It is with a heavy heart and tearful eye that I report to everyone that our dear friend, saddle-mate and fellow Legacy Dad - Gary Taylor - went home to be with our Lord last night at 6:45 PM. Gary was a remarkable man, father, husband and grand-father. Gary lived his life for the Lord and embodied the true spirit of a Legacy Dad. As Stevenson wrote "Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same" - Gary left a lot of footprints on many hearts. The following email was sent from Gary's son.
"I write this with joy as my best friend, comrade and saddlemate has finally stepped into "full inheritance" Ephesians 1:14. Gary passed into the arms of Jesus this evening at 6:45pm. His final breath was in total peace as he tilted his head up and looked at his wife one last time."
We are envious of you Gary, as you now get to spend your days with God in Heaven basking in all His glory. I'm sure the first words he spoke to you were - Well done good and faithful servant. You have fought the good fight, You have finished the race, You have kept the faith.
R.I.P. Brother - Your Legacy Will Live On Forever - Your Brothers Lance and Dante
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies growIn Flanders fields.
Top 10 Ways To Build Up Your Wife (And Electrify Your Marriage)
Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. 1 Peter 3:7 ESV
I challenge you to think about this verse often. Repeat it. Memorize it. Live it. Love it. Breathe it. And when your forget it, repeat these steps again :)
These are the TOP 10 ways to build your wife up (and electrify your marriage)
1) Pray for your wife daily - ask God to guide your way and your mood and your approaching her. Remember that she is a daughter of the King. He has given you the right to be married to His daughter. It would behoove you to remember that when you meet him at the Judgement Seat of Christ that He will ask you what you did for his kingdom, how you treated His treasures (your time, talent and treasure). He will ask you how you treated your children and the least of these and how you loved and affirmed and cared for your wife (His daughter) - don't blow it!
2) Love your wife - do not withhold love from her. Love her unconditionally. Do not forget #1. Remember to kiss her, to hug her, to love her. Communicate with her and tell her you dreams and struggles, share life together. To serve her better, read 1 Corinthians 13, Ephesians 5.
3) Serve your wife - yes, you work long hours (most men do) yes, you are likely the main bread winner. Yes, the world (we think) revolves us, BUT remember to keep engaged with her. Great Men often have to pull a double shift every day. Fight for her time, attention, affection and love. Serve her, comfort her and attend her - no matter what. Even if she is a hard woman, even if she doesn't want to be loved anymore by you. Even if she doesn't return those attributes to you (be the servant leader, do not discard your duties.)
4) Read God's Word daily - the more you put God's word in your life, the more His ways center your ways, which will help you love your wife more.
5) Die to self, live for her. When you were dating your wife before marriage, you could not do anything more to please her, pursue her, and to love her - so why did you stop now or lessen this intensity. You're a man! You have talent - You can do this - Step it up! Man up! #DateYourWife
6) Sing to her- unless your voice is abysmal, then play music for her or learn the piano/guitar and serenade here just with the music or radio and a smile
7) If you are blessed to have kids with this treasure of a wife - then be a fully engaged dad. Roll up your sleeves. "Get in the game, Maverick!" (reference Top Gun). She will love you more for that - trust me and our kids desire no less.
8) Affirm her - let her know that she is wonderful, BUT together you two can be great(er)!
9) Care for her - don't talk down to her. Do not belittle her. No matter how mad she gets you, don't ever degrade her to your friends, children or family - remember whose daughter she is.
10) If you are already doing number 1 thru 9 - don't celebrate yet. As spiritual leader you have to raise up your family. You have to love, comfort and urge your wife to live a life worthy of God. Pray for her, Pray with her. Get a PhD in your wife. Even if you are not doing 1 thru 9, step 10 is the beginning and the key to igniting a pathway to God's plans for you and your marriage.
What are some of your lists?
Blessings,
Dante
Who said Facebook cannot be useful....two cups of coffee :)
THE MAYONNAISE JARWhen things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day is not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and two cups of coffee.A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and fills it with golf balls.
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “YES”.
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - God, family,children, health, friends, and favorite passions. Things, that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else -- the small stuff.” he said.
“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “There is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that areimportant to you...” he told them.
“So... pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Worship with your family. Play with your children. Take your partner out to dinner. Spend time with good friends. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap. Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.
The professor smiled and said, “I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”
Please share this with other "Golf Balls"
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I saw this on FB this am and it made me smile. So often life can get really busy, but when the music fades and we are called to give an account of what we did with our time, talent and treasure (READ Ecclesiastes) - what will your life say....?
Thoughts?
Dante
Why I'm Dangerous For You
Act Like Men
Wickedly True....
This past Wednesday night after work and after the kids were getting ready for bed, I snuck away to attend a prayer training meeting at our church led by a good friend of mine. He is my ministry head for Men's Ministry and the Pastor of Spiritual Formation. It was a good night and it was a great night. We had a time of worship with an acoustic guitar and one of my favorite worship leaders in our church. When training began we started to read various articles and seasons of prayer (what type of prayers we are). We then began to read Psalms 37, which at face value is a difficult chapter to swallow if you do not completely trust God, but what other choice do we have but to follow God's will for our life?The 37th Psalm reads as follows:
Psalm 37
English Standard Version (ESV)
He Will Not Forsake His Saints
[a] Of David.
37 Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! 2 For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. 3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.[b] 4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. 6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. 7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! 8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. 9 For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land. 10 In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. 11 But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace. 12 The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, 13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming. 14 The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright; 15 their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. 16 Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked. 17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous. 18 The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever; 19 they are not put to shame in evil times; in the days of famine they have abundance. 20 But the wicked will perish; the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish—like smoke they vanish away. 21 The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives; 22 for those blessed by the Lord[c] shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off. 23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; 24 though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand. 25 I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. 26 He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing. 27 Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever. 28 For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. 29 The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever. 30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. 31 The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip. 32 The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death. 33 The Lord will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial. 34 Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off. 35 I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a green laurel tree.[d] 36 But he passed away,[e] and behold, he was no more; though I sought him, he could not be found. 37 Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace. 38 But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the future of the wicked shall be cut off. 39 The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble. 40 The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.
Every once in a while I see things so clearly that I just thank God for His understanding and His wisdom. Because when you read this chapter it can be very difficult for us to swallow for how bad things are going to get for the wicked. However, as we read through this again it became abundantly clear to me a resounding theme, an action call, if you see the words that I highlighted:
1) Do not worry 
2) Do not worry about anything
3) Do not be envious
NOTE: All of this can lead you to a path that is not God's plan. Instead the Psalmist gives us his roadmap for God's truth:
A) Trust in the Lord (fearing the Lord is the beginning of wisdom) 
B) Enjoy the Lord, His word, His awesomeness (Delight yourself in all the ways of the Lord)
C) Commit your ways to Him
D) Trust Him more when you do
E) Be Still - that is, wait on him and not on your own agenda
F) Do not worry (fret)
G) Do not anger run you and or your life
H) Do not worry 
I) Be content - Contentment (in God's plan) is the Secret to Life
J) Give generously (and when you give - don't expect or demand anything in return and whenever possible do it in secret in order that only you & God know what you have done
Let me know what your thoughts are on this,
Dante