At a Spot

Ever find yourself at a spot - a spot where everything seems difficult? You think well this or that ought to be difficult, but this and that ought to be easy, but IT'S NOT! Nothing, nothing seems to be easy. You see great things, desire great things, know they are wonderful things but there is frustration at every turn. Roadblock after roadblock seem to appear. You feel like you could just pull your hair out. Ever been at this spot? What do you do? I wish I knew! I wish I had the grand answer. In the scheme of things, what do I know? I know this, you have to keep at it. Even in the frustration, you have keep pushing. You do what you can do. You venture around the roadblocks in other directions. You do something! You chip away. You accomplish what you can. You believe breakthrough is just around the corner. You never give up. Most importantly, you check you attitude. You find a way to stay positive. How? You remember what's important. You remember why you are doing what you are doing in the first place. See each little step a success. Break it all down. Look for victory in the little things realizing the victory in the big things may come later. AND, give it a rest! Leave it for a while. Do something else. Most of all take it all to God. Pray, put the spot and all it contains at His feet. Remember Jesus. Remember family. Remember blessings. Let it all fall into the right perspective. Before you know it you will look around to find "the spot" is now behind you.

Gazing

A look into the face of a baby seems cause the world to stop just for a moment. To gaze into a little face is consuming. The awesome miracle of life captivates the moment and all fades away except that little face. Praise God for the miracle of birth. Praise God His continual blessings. Praise God for life.

Routine got you down?

At times, probably each of us has hope our life will in some way count for something bigger than the mundane routines of our life. I think, however, it is often in the very routines that we consider mundane emerge opportunities to truly count. Unless we are sluggards, our routines are often productive and beneficial. They are often the very catalyst of growth in our life. They are often the very thing that makes us an "expert" in some way.
It is funny; although we consider our routines mundane, we often get so upset and thrown out of kilter when interruptions occur. How stupid is that? One would think we would welcome some interruptions. Interestingly, interruptions are probably the moments that offer us the greatest potential to do what we hope for—to count for something bigger. The challenge I am giving to myself and to you is to rethink interruptions. Welcome them and actively look for the opportunity to count for something potentially bigger. Let the ordinary lead you to the extraordinary. God may very well send you an interruption so you can count for something bigger. Don’t miss it!

Marriage Takes Three Podcast

Marriage Takes ThreeGod established the institution of marriage at the beginning of time. In the creation account found in Genesis, we not only read about the relationship the man and the woman had with each other, but also about the relationship they had with God. As the man and the woman focused [not only] on each other but also on God, all was well. However, when they lost their focus on God, things began to unravel. In order for a marriage to be all that it can be, it must include God. There needs to be more than a two-way relationship between a man and a woman. There must be a three-way relationship between a man, a woman, and God. Marriage takes three. Join Rev. Joe McDowell in weekly "Marriage Takes Three" podcast lessons on marriage. In the podcasts, we will study the theology of marriage, we will see the biblical principles of marriage, and we will discuss practical applications to help you make your marriage the best that it can be.

For insight and inspiration for your marriage:

iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=184996966

RSS:
http://www.marriagetakesthree.libsyn.com/rss

Together

This Christmas season found our family together. We celebrated Christ together and we celebrated our family. This photo was taken last night. We celebrated Michael‘s and Naomi’s second birthdays. As the wonderful evening came to a close, the realization that we will not all be together again for a year began to set in. I praise God for love that can and does span the distances that separate us. I praise Him that just as “neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” nor can these things separate our family! I pray our family and yours will be a testimony to this verse from Romans. I pray our family’s love for each other and yours for your family will witness to God’s love for us. By God’s grace we WILL stand against all that this world throws at us! My Sons, by the power of God in the Holy Spirit – FIGHT—fight the good fight.

Expression of Joy

Can there be any doubt that Naomi is enjoying her Carousel ride? You know, Naomi isn’t really going anywhere—she is just going around in a circle, but she’s enjoying the journey tremendously. Where are you going? Do you have great plans that you believe will bring you great joy? How specific are they? Can you really cause them to happen? And, what if they don’t happen? Will you be crushed if they don’t come to fruition? That’s an awful big weight to carry, because no matter how hard and how well we plan, most outcomes are just not in our hands. Oh, we occasionally reach goals and make wonderful accomplishments, but we must be careful for if we really think we are in control, we are foolish. We cannot control life. We can only take the journey. The question becomes are we enjoying the journey? As a Christian, I do know my destination. It is in Heaven. However, I don’t know all the stops along the way. There have been some stops that I have planned, but there have been many that I didn’t. I have found no matter how the journey goes, there can and should be joy. For life is truly amazing. Why? Because God is at work and He does have a plan and His plan will be accomplished. So, as best I can, I’m going to journey with Him and stop where He plans. Most of His stops are quite grand. While I know I fall way short, I hope that overall, there will be no doubt that I am enjoying my Carousel ride—my life’s journey.

Miracles. Are there miracles today?

Miracles. Are there miracles today? This is a picture of one. This is Haley. Haley is Brenda’s great-niece. She wasn’t supposed to live past one year. Haley turned three years old on November 28 and there was a party. Birthday parties take on new meaning when a child has Pompe Disease. Each day is a victory and each year is incredible. Haley has come a long, long way. She is able to do so much more than doctors ever expected. She is precious beyond description. She has blessed all who know her and who have watched her life. She has a remarkable mom, dad, and older sister who love her and care for her. Those who know Haley truly have richer lives. One cannot know her and not see the work of God. We praise God for her—she is a miracle. If you would like to know more about Haley, visit: http://www.helpinghaley.com/ Be sure to read her story and a little about Pompe Disease and I promise, you will be amazed and truly blessed by this remarkable little girl.