2016!

2016. Wow, what a year. As I sit here on this New Years Eve and look back, I know a lot of people are ready for it to be over. To much negativity and issues. So many people being offended by everything and everyone. Yes, this has been a strange year. Take the election for example. A lot of people are upset over who won. All I know is that no matter what, God is still in control. Jesus is still the Lord of Lord's and King of King's, no matter who is in office. There have been a slew of celebrity deaths this year. Yes it is sad that people that we have watched on t.v. or in movies, or listened to their music have passed, but what about all the police officers, firefighters and soldiers that have died as well. They have died doing their job. Protecting us and trying to keep us safe. All everyone wants to focus on is the negative. Well, I want to focus on the positive side of 2016. God blessed me with another trip around the sun to celebrate my 49th birthday. My wife and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary. Our daughter graduated high school and started her freshman year of college. She has been able to drive home three times with a car that has well over 230,000 miles on it, with no issues. Each trip is 500 miles one way and 8 hours long. We thank God that she has such a reliable car. Both my wife and I were able to stay gainfully employed. We were able to pay all of our bills and on time. We were able to take a family vacation this summer to the west coast, where I was able to preach at my father in laws church. My credentials were renewed for 2017. I give God all the thanks for that. I give God all the thanks for everything. We have had some health issues in the family this year. Some hospital stays, broken bones and surgeries, but with God's mighty healing hand and the power of prayer, He brought everyone through. We were able to volunteer and give back to our community more than ever this year. Help some people out. God has really blessed us this year, and I am going to focus on that. If you look for the negative, you'll find it. I am looking for the positive's and blessings and focusing on what God has done this year. Looking forward to seeing what He has in store for us in 2017. I am expecting great and mighty things. All praise and glory to my God! AMEN!!

Christmas Present.

I ordered a Christmas gift online the other day that I needed for our family Christmas party on Saturday. I thought that I ordered it in plenty of time to get it before the party. Then I got the email, stating that the estimated time of delivery would be between 12/16 - 12/19. I'm like "what?" I need it at least by the 17th. So if it came on the 16th or 17th, I would be good. I started tracking the package the very next day. The website updated, now saying it would deliver on the 19th. No good. Not cool Robert Frost! It would say things like, in route from here to there. In transit, blah, blah, blah. Still saying the 19th. Then on Friday it says that it is in route to the Sycamore post office. I'm like "sweet, I'll just go pick it up before they deliver it." I go over to the post office and inquire about picking up said package. The clerk proceeds to tell me that they have received in four pallets of packages that they have not gone through yet. If I wanted too, I could call them before 9:00 the next morning and if it was there, they would hold it for me. I woke up around 8:30ish and debated whether or not I should call. I decided not to as I remembered what the clerk said the day before, about how busy they were. I didn't want to bother them, so I didn't. I decided to put into Gods hands. I would trust that if He wanted it to be delivered on Saturday, it would be. I went back to the tracking website and to my surprise it said that it was out for delivery. Delivery on the 16th. Praise God! He came through once again, like always. I went out to our mailbox a little while later that day and viola, it was there. Hallelujah. Brought it in the house, wrapped it, and took it to the party and gave it to the person whom it was supposed to go to. All the time I am thinking, that if I can trust God for something as small as this, waiting for a package to deliver on a specific day, how much more can I trust Him with everything else! God is into details, big or small, and I thank Him for that!

BLESSED ASSURANCE.

Blessed Assurance, the song. I've heard it hundreds of times. The Third Day version is my favorite. Although our church worship group does a fairly decent job as well. This past weekend I happened to hear it twice. Once on the radio and then at a funeral my wife and I attended. When I heard it the second time, I knew that God wanted me to learn something,to tell me something. That's how He operates with me. When He brings the same thing repeatedly two or more times He's trying to get my attention. Doesn't matter if it's a Bible verse. A song. A message I heard on the radio or t.v. If I hear or see the same thing multiple times, that's my que. from God. So the song 'Blessed Assurance', what is He trying to tell me? That I am blessed? I am assured of my salvation and that I am going to heaven? I don't have to doubt any of that. Not that I do. Does He want me to share my story, and my song? To continually praise Him all day long? What? What could it be? I dreamt about this song on Sunday night, while waking up Monday morning singing it out loud. What are You trying to say LORD. What do You want me to get out of this? Give me Your eyes and ears to see and hear with. I want Your blessed assurance. I will continue to praise Him, till I get an answer! And answer He will!

OPINIONS!

Opinions. Opinions are like 'bungholes', everybody has one. I think that the Cardinals are better than the Cubs. The Packers are better than the Bears. The Blackhawks are better than the Redwings. These are just a few of my opinions, and I'm sure some of you may have different ones. You know what? I don't care if your opinion differs from mine. If we all had the same opinions on everything,how boring would that be? Just because you believe different than me doesn't mean I hate you. I am not going to go and start a fight with you. Not going to burn down your house, or vandalize your car. I respect your opinion, and we can agree to disagree. I don't what happened to make everybody get all offended if you had a differing view from theirs. If I don't like a certain thing, all of a sudden I am a racist. Or a hypocrite. Why can't we just all understand that not everyone is going to agree with you, and I'm alright with that. And that's just my opinion.

Feeling Thankful.

As we prepare to enter Thanksgiving week, I am remembering everything that I am and have been thankful for. First of all I want to thank God for the gift of life. To be able to live and breathe everyday,to be able to open my eyes and get out of bed every morning is something that I don't take for granted. I am thankful for the family that I was born into. I love them all to death. I couldn't imagine having a better Mom. My childhood was awesome to say the least. You'll never see me go on one of those talk shows trashing my parents or my upbringing. I wish more kids could have had a childhood like I had. I am thankful that I was spanked when I did something wrong. To show me that there are consequences for my actions. Helped make me a more responsible adult. Thanks Mom! Thankful that we never went hungry. Always had food on the table. Thankful that we ate together every night as a family. It might have been 8:00 or later, but Mom made sure that we all ate together. That is something that I still maintain to this day. Thankful that I had clothes to wear everyday. Thankful that we were finally able to find a size 13 shoe long before they were common place. For the cars that I drove and were provided to me. To be able to go to school and get an education. To get a strong work ethic. Again, thanks Mom! For a job that I go to everyday to help support my family. Thankful for a roof over our heads. The house that The Lord provides for us to live in. I am so thankful for my wife and daughter who faithfully serve The Lord! (Joshua 24:15) Thankful for my ever loving wife, who loves my despite my flaws. Who supports me and my ministry unconditionally. Who makes this house a home. A daughter who never got into trouble. Always received excellent grades in school, and is now in college. Thankful that I married into an amazing family who accepts me the way that I am. This post could go on forever and ever with everything that I have ever been thankful for. I think that you get the idea. To sum it up, I am thankful for my faith, family and friends, and everything that goes along with all of that. Most of all, I want to thank God for loving me unconditionally. For my salvation. For pulling me up out of the muck and mire that I was sinking in. Thank You Jesus!

Iron Sharpens Iron

Iron sharpens iron. Proverbs 27:17(NLT)17 As iron sharpens iron,so a friend sharpens a friend. I have heard this a hundred times. I have experienced it many times as well. But nothing like I have the last few months at work. I work with a woman who is a fellow Christian. She and I share what God has been doing to us and through us, almost daily. Our stories are incredible and almost identical. It's like God is confirming we are right were we should be. Well this morning it dawned on me. Like it never has before. I realized that we talk all day at work about our faith in Jesus and how we are supposed to spread the Gospel around to other people. To show the love of Jesus outside our workplace. This morning I realized that we both had stories that had happened over the weekend and then over the last two days we have been sharing them with each other. Bam, Iron sharpening iron! We are building each other up, to go out into our little world and share the Gospel of Jesus. He fills us up, so we can go out and empty ourselves to someone else. Then come back and fill up again, and repeat. I love how God is using us, both at work and outside of work. I thank God everyday for having this friend at work to talk with and to sharpen each other.

Stretched Again

A little while ago, I posted about how God was stretching me out of my comfort zone by having me talk with people that I normally wouldn't talk too. Well today He did it again. I went to get the oil changed in one of our cars. I left the house wearing a University of Evangel hoodie. I got to the shop and pulled my car in and then proceeded to the waiting area. There was another woman sitting in there already waiting for her car as well. After a couple of minutes went by, she asked me if I attended Evangel. I told her that I did not, but that our daughter did, she had just started going there in the fall. The woman then told me that a friend of hers had graduated from there and absolutely loved it. The atmosphere, the professors, everything. I told her that our daughter was feeling the same thing. She loves being down there. After we had talked about Evangel, she told me some stuff that is going on with her family. Her husband had been laid off and finally found a job. In Indiana. She only see's him on holiday's, for right now. She then told me that she is a school teacher, and that she commutes to work from Sycamore. She also has some health issues and she probably would not be able to finish the school year. She is trying to sell the house so she can go and be with her husband and then facing illness at the same time. This all took place in the span of about ten minutes. Then the time came for her to pay, so she got up and went to the counter. Right at that moment I heard it. The voice of the Holy Spirit saying "Pray for her." I heard it over and over until I finally got out of my chair and asked her if she would mind if I prayed for her. She said that would be great. So we walked outside and stood next to her car, and we prayed. Prayed for healing, selling of the house and reconnecting with her husband. After we finished praying, she told me that she had prayed that morning asking for God to send someone across her path today. I told her, here I am! Then I told her that she was an answer to my prayer that I pray everyday. I pray that God would use me in a mighty way, and that He would give me a divine encounter. So He stretched me again out of my comfort zone. I have never, ever prayed for a complete stranger, in a public place, just after meeting them. And on top of that, it was a woman. I have no problem with that, but I know that some people have a difficult time accepting man/woman praying together alone. The Lord knew that, so He made it so we would be outside, in complete view of everyone. When I came back in to pay for my oil change, another woman sitting there asked me if we were praying. I told her that we were, and she thanked me for being there. I told her it was Gods timing, not mine. It was all Him.

Reminiscing about God's Protection.

After attending my first Stryper concert last Friday night, and listening to their music this past week, I began to think back on an event that happened almost 30 years ago. In 1986 or '87 my friend and I were involved in a horrific car accident. We were at a stop sign waiting to turn left onto Route 30 in Big Rock. I was driving. I looked both ways before proceeding out into the intersection. The large construction truck that I thought was far enough away, wasn't. I pulled out and he hit us broadside, on the drivers side. He tore the whole front end of the car off. If I would have been a little earlier in taking off, he would have hit me directly on my door, and I probably wouldn't be here writing this post. I looked over at my friend and he had a little blood coming from his forehead. I was freaking out. I looked at him to see if there was anything else wrong, when I saw the review mirror laying in his lap. He had head butted the mirror and broke it off, that is how come he was bleeding. He seemed to be okay everywhere else. We both were able to get out of the car, much to the drivers surprise. He thought that he had killed us. I can imagine why. He was driving a construction semi and we were in a little Chevy Chevette. An ambulance was called to check us out. We were fine, but the people who had witnessed the accident actually had to sit in the ambulance. How ironic, right!! All I remember doing is thanking God, whom I didn't really know at the time, for keeping us from being killed. I 100% attribute this to two things. 1. God wasn't finished with me or my friend just yet. He still had great things planned for us, (Jeremiah 29:11). 2. I also attribute our protection that night to us listening to Stryper's 'To Hell With The Devil' cassette. That's right, I said cassette. Remember it was in '86 or '87. So this iconic band and this cassette, cd, album, whatever you want to call it, has a very special place in my heart. There are many times that I can look back and see God's protection before I was a believer, but this one of the most serious ones. God is so GOOD!!

Hands and Feet of Christ.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to volunteer at a radio station sponsored event. It was named 'Single Mom Saturday.' It's an event where single moms can schedule an appointment at a local car dealer to get their car vacuumed, washed and oil changed, for no charge. We had a team of about 20 volunteers along with the dealership owner and his employees. From 8 till about 12:30 we washed, dried, vacuumed and changed oil in 19 cars. The owner donated all of the labor and supplies for the oil changes. The radio station provided everything for the cleaning of the cars. I was on the washing and drying team. I had never met the other guys before, but the way that we worked together, you would have thought that we worked together for years. Yesterday was another example to me of why I don't understand how people can bash Christianity as not being caring or loving towards others. Every single mom that checked in was met with a smile and a hug. Their children were greeted warmly and like family. Every car that came through the line was covered with prayer by everyone working on that vehicle. If a mechanic discovered something else wrong with a car, the owner or the station would provide the necessary materials to repair it without additional cost to the mom. A bald tire was found, a new tire was purchased. Light bulb burnt out, it was replaced, etc, etc. If anything major was wrong, another appointment was set up to come in and get it fixed at a cheaper rate than usual. With every car that I helped wash and dry I couldn't help but think about these verses in the Bible. Matthew 25:35-45. We were being the hands and feet of Christ that morning/afternoon. I am so thankful that I serve a God who is full of love and compassion. I am thankful that He has given me a servants heart. So thankful for this radio station for all of their community outreaches that they do throughout the year. Thankful that there are still business owners out there like the one that owned this dealership. May God bless him and his business. So blessed to be a part of this day. May these opportunities continue to come up and God use me in a mighty way!

God Spoke To Me......Once again!

A few weeks ago my mom, step-dad and cousin all flew out to see my brother and his family in the D.C. area for a visit. I was asked to pick up my step-dad from Midway on Monday as my mom and cousin were going to fly home a couple of days later. I said sure no problem. As I was getting ready to leave, I received a text message saying that his flight had been delayed about 25 minutes or so. I thought no big deal. I had to stop in Aurora to attend a visitation for a cousin that had passed away. So I am in the funeral home talking with some family members and I decide that I had better get going. I get outside and receive another text saying that his plane would land about 7:05. I thought "great, now I really have to hurry." After having plenty of time and now I have to hurry to get there. As I start to get onto the toll way, it starts pouring down rain. All the way into Midway, it rained. I didn't feel like driving around the airport till he came out, so I went and parked in the cell phone lot. I entered the lot, went down a little way, and backed my van into a spot. And sat and waited, and waited, and waited. Then I felt it. The first pangs. What could it be you ask? That's right, I had to go to the bathroom. So I kept looking down the same way that I had come in and saw nothing. I'm like "great, nowhere to go." I knew that I couldn't hold it until I picked him up and started for home. Then The Lord spoke to me. He said "Keven, do you remember the story in the Bible about the fisherman?" "The one where they were having trouble catching fish, and I told them to cast their nets on the other side?"(John 21:4-6) I said "yes Lord, I remember." He said "then look out the other side of your van." So I turned and looked out the right side of the van and what did I see? A bank of about five or six port-a-potty's. They were about 100' away. I almost started crying. "Thank You Lord!" I repeated that over and over again. I was so very thankful and grateful that He spoke to me and told me where to look. The cool thing about this is this. Yes I need to hear His still small voice but, this is the second time He has spoken to me over my VERY loud music in my van. See He can speak to you anywhere at anytime. Over loud music, sitting all alone in quietness. All you need are the ears to hear. I'm so thankful that He has provided those ears, and everything else. All praise and glory to Him!

Stretching My Comfort Zone

For the past month or so, God has been stretching me. Pulling me out of my comfort zone. Not going to lie. Didn't and still don't really like it, but I want to be obedient to what God wants me to do. The first instance was few weeks ago when I met an army veteran. He was a truck driver that came into where I work to deliver a load. The Holy Spirit nudged me and said talk to him about his service and then thank him for his sacrifice for his country and time away from his family. We had quite the conversation. He told me that his whole family has served in the military. When it was time for him to leave, I told him that I would pray for him and his family. He was very appreciative of someone that was willing to do that. Especially someone they don't know. This is one of the main reasons I believe that I am working where I work. I keep asking God "why am I here?" He reveals it to me, a little at a time, why I am where I am at. The second instance was this morning at Jewel grocery store. We were checking out, when a biker couple were getting their things together at a register over from us. They had on their leather, bandanas, all the typical gear and tattoos all over. Now I am not afraid to talk to them, but the Holy Spirit again nudged me to talk with this couple. So I approached the dude, and told him that I pray that they ride safe this weekend. He said thanks then asked why I came up to them. I told him that almost a month ago, a motorcycle accident hit really close to home for me. A co-worker of mine, his daughter was riding on the back of a motorcycle when a pickup truck turned it front of them. Her fiancé was killed instantly, and she had been in ICU for about 2 1/2 weeks. So when I saw them in the store and with it being Labor Day weekend, that means more traffic on the roads, the Holy Spirit just said talk with them and tell them that you'll pray for them. They were very appreciative as well for the prayers. We told each other to have a good weekend and we went our separate ways. I'll probably never see the truck driver or the biker couple again, but that will not stop me from praying for them, and all the drivers and bikers on the road. The best thing about approaching these people and talking with them. They didn't say no to prayer! They were actually very open to it, and thanked me for offering it for them. I give thanks to The Lord above for leading me, guiding me and directing me to these people. I pray that He has my path cross with many more and that God will use me in a mighty way!

Something Amazing!!

Four weeks ago, the owner of the company that I work for instituted a prayer gathering for employees to gather before work and pray. We meet every Wednesday morning at 6:30 and pray until about 6:45. There were only a couple of rules to this. 1st. It is a Christian prayer group. 2nd. He didn't want to lead it. It had to be employee lead. 3. You could pray for whatever was on your heart. Not just work things. The first morning we had seven people show up. We were kind of overwhelmed at that number. We praised God for the number of people who got up early and arrived at work early to pray with their co-workers. The next week guess what happened? That's right, we doubled our size. We went from seven to fourteen. Praise The LORD!! That was totally God. Third week we were hit or miss with some people, but still a lot showed up. The fourth week another amazing thing happened. God tripled our group. That's right. In four weeks, we went from seven people to twenty one people. Hallelujah!! Most of the prayers are in Spanish, but you know what? It doesn't matter to God. It doesn't matter if I can understand them or not. It's not about me. Jesus doesn't speak only Spanish or English. He speaks every language. Remember the story about the tower of Babel? He created every language. I am excited and can't wait to see what happens this week. God is on the move in our workplace. Touching peoples lives and He is using us to do it! Praise The LORD!!

Feeling Like Jonah.

I am a board member at the pregnancy clinic here in our community. A few months ago, the director asked me if I would lead a prayer evening at our facility. I said "sure, I would be happy to do it." Then reality hit. I am not that type of person. To organize any kind of anything. Even a prayer night. So I started running. Not physically, but mentally and spiritually. I started to feel like Jonah, when God called him to speak to the city of Nineveh. Jonah tried every which way to get out of doing it, but God kept turning him around. Like Jonah, I kept running the other direction. I kept saying to myself. I can't do this, I'm not able, blah, blah, blah. Then at one of our recent board meetings, the director told us that the prayer evening had basically died. No interest shown, no action taken. That really struck me that I let her down. And God. So when I got home from the meeting, I surrendered it to God. Finally! Just like Jonah, I finally gave up and listened to what God wanted me to do. Enough running. Time to man up and do this. So that night in a dream, God gave me the exact details of how He wants me to lead the prayer evening. Down to the most little detail. Then like He has done in the past with me, He kept tweaking it the next day and the next day and so on. I was so excited that I finally let go and let God. I could hardly wait to get to the next board meeting. When I told the director and the rest of the board, they were as excited as well. In fact, it is now on the calendar for a night in August. It is amazing what will happen when you stop listening to yourself and start hearing the voice of God.

Lake Michigan and The Bible.

What do Lake Michigan and The Bible have in common you may ask? Well let me share with you what I heard the other night. I attended our Illinois District Assembly of God's ordination service on Tuesday night. The speaker for the night was a pastor from Chicago, "Choco" Dejesus. He said something I found to be very interesting. He said that in the city of Chicago, streets will change. Alley's will change. People will change. Next year, five years, ten years, one hundred years, even five hundred years. But the one thing that will not change during that time will be Lake Michigan. It will always be on the east side of the city. It will always be where it is now. It's not going anywhere. Then he said it's just like The Bible. The Bible is the same as it has always been. It has never changed, no matter how much people try to change it. I sat there and thought "wow", what a great word. People today take the Bible out of context. They pick and choose scriptures and try to make them fit into what they want them to say. Not what God intended them to say or mean. As a Christian pastor I believe that The Bible is 100% infallible (no mistakes) and 100% accurate. I believe that it is the living, breathing word of God. It is still as relevant today as it was when it was first written. We are not supposed to add to scripture or take anything out. Unfortunately that is exactly what the world is doing. Seems like some people are adding their own wording to scripture or changing it to fit their message instead of letting their message be inspired by scripture. They are preaching their own version of the Gospel to either (A)entertain their audience, or (B)not to offend anyone in their audience. Either way, both are wrong. We need to preach the Gospel the way God intended it to be. Honest and truthful. We need to take a stand for the Bible, and take a stand for it's Author! It's His love letter to us, but people are getting in the way and causing confusion. Thank God I have a relationship with Him, and His word makes it clear on what He expects from me, from all of us.

Headache!

My wife and I support a pregnancy clinic here in our community. Every year they have a fund raiser in the spring called 'Walk For Life.' It's about a two mile walk from start too finish. So yesterday was walk day. The director of the clinic asked me to do the opening prayer and I agreed. So the morning of the walk, I started getting a headache. It started out very dull, but increased as the morning wore on. So we went in to register and get our t-shirts, the headache kept increasing in power. We headed outside, and the director started the opening ceremonies. She finished with the directions about the walk and then invited me up to do the prayer. My head was killing me. I had wanted to say so much more, but just couldn't. I prayed a quick little short prayer and we were on our way. In hindsight, that was probably a good thing. Because while I was praying, it started to drizzle. So being quick about it was probably appreciated. So the enemy knew that I was going to do the opening prayer and he tried to stop me by causing a sever headache. Well you know what Mr. Devil? My GOD is bigger than my headache and your plans to stop me from praying. I had been praying on the way to the walk for God to take away the headache. He did not take it away, but He did give me the strength to power through. He knew what I was facing, and He strengthened me. Philippians 4:13 New Living Translation (NLT)13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Press into God and He will provide what you need!

IDOLS!!

I was talking to a pastor friend of mine over the weekend about the upcoming Blackhawks game six of the playoffs. He was telling me that I have to watch because it was going to be epic. I didn't disagree with him, I just really didn't care that much about it. Don't get me wrong. I still care if they do well or not. It's just not a priority for me anymore. You see, God revealed to me several years ago, that watching sports on tv. had become an idol in my life. Of course I didn't realize it at first because I didn't understand what an idol was. What is an idol you ask? Something that you put first in your life over everything else. That was before becoming a Christian. Once I became a Christian, I learned that an idol was something that you put before God. That described me perfectly. I was 100% sports all the time. I would schedule any event around watching my favorite baseball, football, or hockey team play on tv. I would put family on hold. Not go to anything until the game was over. I even put my first marriage ceremony on hold until after a NFL playoff game was finished. We got married on a Sunday in January. The game was at noon, I made us wait until 7:30, just to make sure. I was a fanatic. Then things started to fall apart. I felt like I was distancing myself from my family, especially my daughter. God was knocking on the door of my heart, and I didn't even realize it at the time. So after I was divorced, I started realizing that I was spending to much time in front of the television and not enough time with my family. So I started cutting back (very little). I was still glued to the important games. Then one summer I accepted Jesus, and the rest just didn't matter as much anymore. I found myself not planning on watching game seven of a crucial series with my favorite team. Instead, going out to a movie and dinner with my wife and daughter. Wow, what a change. This kept happening more and more frequently year after year. My wife kept asking me if was sure that I didn't want to stay home and watch the game, I told her no, I was right where I wanted to be. With her and our daughter. As this was happening, I kept hearing the voice of God saying "I'm tearing down that idol that used to rule your life." "You will still care and keep track of teams and games, but that will be secondary to spending time with Me." So over the weekend was a very crucial game for the Blackhawks. They were facing elimination from the playoffs, and I was content sitting together with my wife watching a movie and eating popcorn. So I thank You Lord, for tearing down and removing that idol from my life.

Not Very Compassionate.

I have been mulling over posting this for almost two weeks now. I wasn't sure I should write it or even share it. But it seemed like God kept telling me to do so. So here it is. It might get a little wordy and for that I am sorry. I am going to try and give you the Readers Digest version as best as I can. There is person at our church who needs a ride to and from church every Sunday and Wednesday evenings. I have been among the few people that have picked her up and dropped her off. A little back story for you. My daughter and I volunteer in kids church once a month. So that means that we have to be there a little earlier than usual to get the lesson ready and get prepared for the kids. Two weeks ago was our Sunday in kids church. While reading my Bible and praying first thing in the morning, I get a text from a friend, requesting that this woman be picked up because the ride that she has on Sunday mornings were not going to be there due to being sick. To be open and transparent with you, I about lost it. I told my friend that we had to be at church earlier than usual, so I didn't think that we could do it. My friend just asked that we try. I told her that we would at least do that. So for the next hour or so, I stewed and stewed over the request to pick her up. The enemy kept poking me and getting me angrier and angrier. I told me daughter what was asked of us and she asked me what I planned on doing. I told her that this was our Sunday to be in kids church and I was committed to doing that. I didn't really care if this lady got picked up or not. Then my daughter started making sense about it all. "You know dad, Jesus doesn't tell us to worry about programs and stuff. He tells us to take care of each other. So if that means picking up this woman for church, then that's what we should do." I begrudgingly got in our van and started headed to her apartment, still steaming and fuming about this. About halfway there God spoke to me. He said "remember Matthew 25." Matthew 25:35-40New Living Translation (NLT)35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ 37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters,[a] you were doing it to me!' I was like "ok Lord, I get it." So between my daughter chirping in my right ear and God speaking to me in my left ear, I was put at ease. That we were doing the right thing. So to pick this woman up, we have to pass by the church. So my daughter and I turn at the corner and go down about a quarter of a mile, when we pass a car heading towards the church. I paid no attention to it at all, but my daughter did. She said "dad, I believe that woman that we are supposed to pick up was in that car." I didn't believe her at first, but she insisted it was her. So we turned around and went back to church. Sure enough there she was, getting out of the car and going through the door. Then God said to me "I was testing to see if you were going to be obedient or not. You were so I did not make you go all the way to her apartment to get her." "You only had to start down the road before I had you turn around." I started praising Him and thanking Him. Needless to say, I was humbled that morning.

Bright Glow

My daughter and I were returning home from getting dinner the other night, when I noticed something, something that I never noticed before. We were heading south on route 23 from Genoa, when we could see a very bright glow in the south west. I asked my daughter what that might be. She told me it was probably NIU's football stadium lights. I kind of agreed at first, but then thought. Why would they have the stadium lights lit up this time of year, this time of night. We hit a flat spot on the road where you can see for miles and miles. As we looked, it turned out that the bright glow that we were seeing was actually the city of DeKalb. I have driven this way home many, many times and have never seen it glow like that before. I don't know if it was the cold crisp night, or what, but it was glowing pretty good. Now I know that DeKalb doesn't sit on a hill, but from that spot on route 23 it sure looked like it did. So of course where does my brain go? To comparing it to Jerusalem. I'm not comparing the cities to each other, not at all. Just thinking about how Jerusalem is a city on hill it's light can be seen for miles and miles around. A city on a hill that can be easily seen. Then I started thinking about myself. I don't want to hide the light of Jesus. I want to let it shine brightly. I don't want to cover it with a bushel or basket or anything else. I want to put it on a stand for everyone to see. Just like that old song "This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine". So when people look at my house or even at me and my family and they see a bright glow, I want them to ask "what is that bright light, and where is it coming from?" The answer is Jesus. He is the light within us. He is the light of the world, He lights our paths and He lights up our lives. Praise The Lord!!

Seriously!!

This may be a long post, so bear with me. Our daughter is set to attend a Christian university in Springfield, MO. this coming fall. Our family went down for our first initial visit last April (2015). She decided that weekend that she would love to attend there. So she applied and has been accepted. The second visit down there was for a Fine Arts weekend. She was to read something that she had written to possibly get a fine arts scholarship. Before my wife and daughter could get to the school, they had an electrical problem with the car. Wouldn't start, alarm going off, doors wouldn't unlock, etc, etc. Attack number one. This past weekend my daughter and I drove down for her third visit. She had been invited for an interview to possibly receive a Founders scholarship. This is a very prestigious scholarship, that not everyone is invited to receive. We left on Thursday night and made it down there no problem. We went to have dinner at Lamberts (YUM). On our way to the hotel while on the interstate, we got a flat tire. I exited on the ramp and stopped in a parking lot, got out and looked. Sure enough, we had a flat. I was like "Seriously"? Attack number two. The enemy is sure trying to keep her from doing her thing at the college. John 10:10. First electrical problems and now a flat tire. Guess what Satan? Our God is bigger than our problems. John 16:33. You tried to stop us from attending the interview, but alas we got a cab in the morning to get her to the university. I was able to secure a tow truck to get my van to a place where I could get the tire replaced. I was able to meet back up with my daughter at lunch and everything continued on as normal. So Satan, you may have knocked me down, but you did not knock me out. If my God is for me, who can be against me? We as a family have a saying that goes like this. "The closer we get to God, or are in His perfect will, the more the enemy will attack". So God must be going to use her, the university or even us, in a mighty way. He has great things planned for her/us. Jeremiah 29:11. We just can't wait to see what it is. I should mention, that all of this started after she applied to and was accepted at this college. To God be the Glory!! Forever and ever. Amen!!

Black Out!

This could be a cool post about my favorite Scorpions album, but it's not. It's a post about losing power at work last week, and being in total darkness except for the occasional emergency lighting. It's amazing how much we rely on electricity. When it goes out we're like "what do we do?" So anyway. This power outage got me to thinking about life without Jesus. Jesus is the Light of the world, and without Him, we would be in total darkness. Not knowing which way to go or turn. Getting lost and flustered. Tripping over things, running into things. Just plain dangerous. Well that's what it is like to live without Jesus. Just plain dangerous. He is the light for my path. He directs my steps and holds my hand along the way. So I never get lost or turned around. I have the light of Christ in me at all times. Not just an occasional emergency light shining here and there, temporarily. Watching my co-workers stumble around in the dark, trying to find the stair case to get to the lunchroom, or even trying to find their way out of the building was difficult. It reminded me of people who are stumbling through life without Jesus. No light to guide them, not knowing where or when to turn. Obstacles in their paths. Jesus' light does all that for us! For that I am thankful. Thank You Jesus, for never having to live in the dark ever again. You are the light in my and my family's life!

Odd Comparison.

So my family and I went to see the musical 'The Sound of Music' the other night. If you are not familiar with it, it takes place during WWII. During the second half, it depicts the Nazis trying to take over Austria. Forcing everyone to do things the Nazi way and making people display the flag with the swastika on it. The main character Capt. Von Trapp will not have any of this. He will not fly the flag or be heil'd to. He and his family are Austrian and are going to stay that way no matter the consequences. During this time of the play, I started making comparison's in my head to present day Christianity. It seems like the world is trying to take God and Jesus out of everything and make being a Christian a crime. Trying to make us bow down to someone or something that is not our God. This I will not tolerate. I will speak only the name of Jesus and I will not be ashamed of it or Him. Go ahead world and throw me into the fiery furnace for not bowing down to someone else. My family and I will survive just like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego survived with Jesus' help. If there were ever a time that we needed Jesus, it's now! I mean they have taken God and prayer out of our schools. They are trying to take God out of the court room and off of our money. Trying to make pastors turn in their sermons. There are churches I have read about that are hosting two different kinds of services that are being told to take their cross off of, or out of the building. I mean "REALLY!!" We need to take a stand for Jesus. I am wearing a wrist band right now that states "I stand with Christ." It says in the Bible in Matthew 10:33New Living Translation (NLT)33 But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.I pray that our church never has to face that kind of situation. If it does, I hope that it makes it's stand for Christ. We pastors need to stand strong. Keep preaching the gospel, without watering it down. Start telling people what they need to hear instead of what they want to hear. This world is fallen and it's getting worse. Isaiah 5:20New Living Translation (NLT)20 What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil,that dark is light and light is dark that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter. Tell me this isn't happening right now! Wow, the things I think about when I attend what was a fun family night out at a musical.