Christmas Traditions!

When I was a little boy growing up, our family tradtion at Christmas time was to gather at my Grandparents house on Christmas Eve. All my Aunts, Uncles and Cousins would gather for the annual party. We started out in the living room, but as we grew larger, we graduated to the basement of their house. My Grandma would worry so much about everyone getting there safely, that she would not go to the basement until everyone had arrived. This contiuned until 1989, when they both passed away. I think that Christmas was the last one where we gathered on Christmas Eve.

The following year (1990) we (the family) agreed to get together the Saturday before Christmas for our family party. My Mom and Two Aunts have taken turns hosting the festivities. I have to tell you and I'll be honest. It just hasn't been the same. We were meeting at a different location every year. And not on Christmas Eve. Myself and the two other oldest cousins had a really hard time with this. There may have been more, but I was only aware of the other two. As time went by, we adjusted to the new format and realized it was great to be able to get together with family every year at Christmas.

This year (2013) I believe was our 23rd year of this family tradition. I thank and praise God for the longevity of this, being able to get together the Saturday before Christmas as a family! God has been so good to us over the last 23 years. We have had some health issues, but we have not lost a single family memeber in all that time. On my mom's side. People have come and people have gone, but the core group of family is the same! And I thank God for that! For keeping us all together and a part of each others lives! Thank You Jesus!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Paul Walker

Why in the world would I write a blog post about Paul Walker, you may ask yourself. Well, it's not about Paul, but about his untimely, sad and unfortunate death due to a car accident.

It just reminds me of how short life really is. He was only 40 years old. I am 46, so not that far apart. It reminds me of how we should live our lives being close to and in relationship with Jesus. I don't know Paul's spiritual state, but I sure hope that he knew Jesus before he passed. That's just it, life is a blink. Here one second, gone the next. We never know when we are going to take our last breath, so I want to be right with God when that time comes.

Correctionville, Iowa

Let me tell you about Correctionville, Iowa. It is a little town of about 850 people located in the far west part of the state. Almost to Nebraska. Maple Park is bigger than Correctionville. Anyway. Let me tell you the story.

It all began on a Sunday afternoon in early May. My family and I had attended a cousins wedding in Yankton, South Dakota. There is a longer version to this, but I wanted it to be a blog post, not a novel! So after leaving Yankton heading home, we were on route 20 in western Iowa. My wife and daughter were asleep, and I needed to stop for something to drink and use the restroom. So I pull into a Casey's gas station. My wife wakes up enough to ask were we are at. I answer "ummmm, not sure." "Correctionville," is my answer. I go in and do what I need to do and get back on our way. Never thought anymore about that town on the way home.

A couple of days later my wife is looking at open churches in Illinois and Iowa. Guess what comes up as an open church? That's right, Correctionville. Now we have heard of it twice in less than a weeks time. Never heard of it before.

About a month later, a friend of my wife who lives in Sioux City Iowa, which is real close to Correctionville lists a house for sale in, you guessed it. Correctionville. So now this is three times in a month that God has brought this town to our attention. We were wondering, when does it go from a coincedence to a God instance? Was, is God calling us to Correctionville Iowa? Don't know for sure, but I thought I better be obidient and at least contact to district to inquire about this job. So I did.

They asked me to send my resume to them along with a letter of good standing from the Illinois district. Which I have done. I talked with the gentleman on the phone and he wanted me to go to the next step and send a hard copy of my resume to the actuall church. Which I have also done. So anyone who saw my post on facebook about it being in God's hands now, this is what it was about. If he wants to up and move, He will open the door. If not, He will close the door. It's all in His hands now! I'll just be patient and worship while I wait.

Restored Hearing

Just wanted to tell a story of what God has been doing in my life recently. He has just restored the hearing in my right ear.

Around the Memorial Day Holiday, I was taking a shower and washing my face and head. I put my head under the water to rinse off and when I pulled it back, I lost the hearing in my right ear. I thought that maybe some water had gotten into it and I tried to get it out. I hit the side of my head with my hand. I pulled it up, down and every direction. Nothing. I yawned, tried to blow my nose, everything I could think of to get it unclogged. Still nothing. So I just started praying to Jesus to heal me and my ear.

A few days later it started to get better, then once again while in the shower, it happened again. This time it got worse. It has stayed that way for the last few weeks. I could barely hear anything. I knew that I could still hear because I would put the phone up to my ear and hear the person talking. It sound all muffled and screetchy. But it still worked.

I kept on praying for God to heal me. I figured that if he could heal the ear of the man that Peter slashed  off , He could do it for me.

My family kept on pushing me to go to the doctor. They were tired of my saying "Ehh" all the time. I have an appointment with my doctor next weekend (July 13). I figured if it didn't get any better by then, I would bring it up to her when I went for my other appointment.

So my wife, daughter and I went camping over the 4th of July weekend. We came home and I hopped in the shower. When I got out and was drying off, I noticed that my hearing was back to normal. I tested it a couple of different ways. Put things that made noise up to my ear. Crystal clear. Praise the LORD!!  Needless to say, I was a little apprehensive to take my next shower. FYI, the next mornings shower, no ill effects.

He healed my ear and restored  my hearing, like I had been praying for and believing for. I didn't need any doctor, I just needed to have faith in Jesus that He would heal me. And He did! He has gotten all the glory and praise from me for it.

What It Means To Be A Dad

This fathers day (2013) will be my 15th one as a father. I have one daughter who is going to be sophomore this year. I just wanted to say some things of what it means for me to be her dad.

The first thing is love and support. I love her know matter what she does. Just like Jesus loves us when we make mistakes, I continue to love my daughter when she makes mistakes. I support her in whatever she wants to do. She wants to be in the school play, I am there for here. Transporting her to and from. She wants to be in choir or a fine arts festival, I am there in attendance. Spending time with your children is more important than spending money on them.

Second thing is teaching. Helped her learn how to walk, talk, tie her shoes when she was little. Helped her learn how to read. Helped her with words she didn't understand. Taught her how to throw and catch a softball. How to hit a softball, how to play the game. I was proud and honored to be able to help coach her softball team for the past 5 years. We watch baseball games together and teach her about what was going on and answering her questions about it. Sometimes there were many, but I didn't mind.

It has been exciting the last few years teaching her about the LORD. She has been interested in my studies ever since I started my ministry schooling. Now that I am a Pastor, she continues to ask me questions about the LORD, and I love it.

Trying to demonstrate that the marriage that my wife and I have is the way that a man should treat a woman. Don't settle for anything less.

Teaching her that a woman can do anything. Don't let anyone tell you differently. Just because you are a woman, doesn't mean that you can't do something.

I can't wait to start teaching her how to drive. Sure I'll probably pull out my hair (what little I have left), but it is going to be exciting. I just pray that Jesus will give me more paitence and understanding.

I can't wait to see her graduate from high school, and then college. To be there when she gets married, to walk her down the isle and hand her off to the new "man" in her life. That will be a sad day for me.

I love my daughter very much and I have been blessed the last 15 years to be her dad. I wouldn't want anyone else for a daughter. I couldn't imagine my life without her.

Finished (for now).

After two years, sixteen classes, numerous tests and a couple of interviews, I am finally a licensed minister. It has been quite the journey, but worth every cent, worry and doubt. I can't believe where I am at today. If you would have told me that in two years I would be a minister, I would have laughed out loud. God's plan is far greater than our own.

I recieved my license in the mail a couple of weeks ago. So when my wife and I went down to the Illinois District Council session on May 21. I didn't know what to expect. How cool it was to be able to walk across the stage, have a towel drapped over my arm by my senior pastor and to be recgonized by the state of Illinois for all of my efforts in becoming a minister.

So for now, my schooling is finished. There is one more year that I can take when I am ready to take it. When I get into full time ministry, I will pick up where I left off with ISOM. Right now I am just praying that God will show me how and where to use my new license. I am praying for guidance, and a little revelation. Most of all, I want God's will to be done in whatever happens.

Carrying the Cross

Good Friday, 2013. My daughter and I participated in our communities annual Cross walk. For those who don't know what a Cross walk is, let me explain a little. A group of people meet at the church where the good Friday service is going to take place about a half hour before the service. We have prayer and then take an actual wooden Cross and walk around the streets, neighborhood or wherever we can. We start at the church and then end up back at the church. Pretty cool, I think. This year was our third time participating. I wanted my daughter with me to remind her of what the day was all about. Not just another day off of school. That Good Friday actually means something.

This years walk started at FBC in Sycamore. A group of about twenty people or so had gathered on a beautiful Friday morning. The pastor said a prayer and then we got started. A couple of young men in the crowd volunteered to start carrying the Cross. We headed out of the parking lot and headed east towards downtown Sycamore. We went as far as the courthouse. When we got to the courthouse, I felt the strong urge to actually carry the cross for the first time. So I switched with the young man who was in front and the other person switched out also. So we started to go around the courthouse. When we got back to the orginal corner where we switched, we asked again if anyone would like to carry it. No one stepped forward. So on we continued.

Now the Cross isn't that big or heavy. But it is square and my shoulders are not. So after about a little over half way back, my shoulder started bothering me. I started thinking, "wow, this is getting heavy". Then I thought, "you sissy boy, Jesus carried His Cross how far after being almost scouraged  to death, stop complaining and carry on."

The next day, I drove my car the same route to see how far we actually walked. It measured exactly 1.1 miles. So I was complaining about being uncomortable for exactly .6 miles. Wow!! Carrying the cross, feeling the weight and a little uncomfortableness was very humbling and sobering. I kept imagining Jesus and His walk with the Cross. He endured people hitting Him, spitting on Him, beating Him. We just had to make sure we didn't get hit by a car crossing the street. Quite the difference.

I look forward to next years walk already! If you ever get a chance to participate, you should. You will never be the same!

Taking a Stand!

The other night, our daughter was on facebook, checking things out. She came across a page that someone created  entitled God. Not that bad, right? Well this person was posting about equality for gay marriages and also had the gay equal sign as their profile picture. That's not right.

So our daughter took a stand and posted on their wall about how marriage is supposed to be with one man and one woman, just like the Bible says. Someone commented back to her saying that Christians don't have a monopoly on God. Now mind you, the page was titled God. Not Alla, Buddha, Baal, or any of the Greek gods. It was titled God. Only Christians use the name God, and if using the name God, you would think that they would believe in what the Bible says. It is God's word by the way!

The attack on her began instantly. First against her faith and then it began to get personal. They attacked her physical appearance, they attacked her believing in the Bible. She had many, many, many negative posts about this. All she was doing was making a comment on what marriage is supposed to be. Not judging others about their choices of lifestyle. She has lost a few friends along the way over this, but that is a part of counting the cost of following Jesus.

Then my best friend in the whole world (well other than my wife) who is also our daughters youth pastor reminded us of this  verse.

Matthew 5:9-11New Living Translation (NLT)

⁹ God blesses those who work for peace,
    for they will be called the children of God.
¹⁰ God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,
    for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

¹¹ “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you^[a] and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.

I am proud of our daughter for taking a stand for what is true and right. She knows the truth and has heard the truth, both at church and at home.

John 15:18 New Living Translation (NLT)

¹⁸ “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first."

Being Prepared!

A co-worker and I were having a conversation at work the other day about how some of the most evil people to ever live could have the chance to go to heaven.

I have struggled with this since day one of being a Christian. I still can't wrap my head around it completely.

Charles Manson murdered several people, but yet on his death bed, he could accept Christ and be able to enter heaven. Adolf Hitler killed thousands of Jewish people, but all he would have had to do is accept Jesus and go to heaven. The same with John Wayne Gacy and so many others. I still have a hard time believing this. These cold blooded killers could accept Jesus and be able to go to heaven.

As the conversation continued, I stated that if all this were true, then what's the sense of living a good Godly life. If all you have to do is accept Jesus right before you die, then what is the purpose of living a holy life. Then she made the most profound statement about this. She said "what if you never get the chance to get right with Jesus before you die." What if you are living a sinful life and are far apart from God and then die instantly in a automobile accident. You don't have the chance to get right with God. So the way that you live your life matters. How close you live to God matters!

This reminded me of the Ten Bridesmaids from Matthew 25.

Matthew 25

New Living Translation (NLT)

Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids

25 “Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids^[a] who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³ The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, ⁴ but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. ⁵ When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

⁶ “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’
⁷ “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. ⁸ Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’
⁹ “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’
¹⁰ “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. ¹¹ Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’
¹² “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’
¹³ “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.

So all of this tells me to be ready at all times for the return of Jesus. To live a good, clean, holy life. To live close to God and be right with Him! Never stray to far from Him or His commands!

ARE YOU RIGHT WITH GOD??

God's provision, Again!

Feburary 6th, 2012, started a new, full time (temporary) job in Sycamore. It would be working first shift for $10.00/hr. Far less money than I made at my last job and still less than even unemployment. I (we) had prayed for a full time job(check) that was local (check), first shift (check), that paid more than unemployment. Fortunately everything worked out except for the money part. I had to take the job because my umemployment was running out. $10.00/hr is better than 0.00/hr.

Fast forward to May 2012. I was summoned to the office of my supervisor, and was informed that I would be getting a thirty cent raise on my next paycheck. Praise the LORD! Here I thought that I had really been stinking up the place, but my boss saw it differently. I keep quoting this Bible verse to myself,

Colossians 3:23

New Living Translation (NLT)

²³ Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

Fast forward to October 2012. I accepted a full time position with the company. No more temporary in my job title. With the new full time position came a raise, a $2.50 raise. So now I am making $12.50/hr. Hallejuah. Praise the LORD! So a twenty five percent raise in eight months time. Thank You Jesus!

Now, Janurary 2013 rolls around. I just recieved another thirty cent raise and a week of vacation. Wow! Really? Praise the LORD and thank You Jesus. I have recieved a $2.80 raise in less than a year and gained a weeks vacation. This is unheard of. Just goes to show, put Jesus first even at work, and good things will happen. I praise and thank God all day, everyday while I am at work. He is so good to me and my family!

Better Beginning

My wife and I were talking the other night about the start of the new year (2013). She stated that she hoped that this year would be better than last year. Who doesn't hope that the new year is better than the year before.

As we were talking I stated to her that we are off to a better beginning this year than last. She asked how.

 Well first off, I have a full time job, compared to this time last year. Not only did I have a full time job, I recieved a twenty five percent pay raise before the end of the year. Not a bad way to start off a new year, right!

Second, my wife has a new and better paying job herself. She had to travel some distance the first few months of the new work, but at the end of the year, her drive was cut in half.

The start of 2013 also saw me as a certified pastor. In Janurary of 2012 I had just started my second year of ISOM. A full year later, I am certified. Praise the Lord!

Our daughter is a freshman in high school.

We've made some new friends, got in touch with some old ones and continued to build the ones that we already have.

God is so good to us. His provision is amazing. We are only eight days into the new year and we can already see what He is doing in our lives in 2013. I just pray that He continues to reveal to us, what He wants us to do, when and where.