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!!