This is my son in whom I am well pleased

Posted on March 2, 2013 by admin

 

Matthew 3:17 "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased"

Matthew 3:17 “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased”

This week I had the privilege of celebrating my son Drew.  Drew is growing up to be a very fine young man and I planned to do something with just him.  Drew is a few weeks from his 16th birthday.  I am so proud of him and want to recognize his good choices and introduce him to some other men that I look up to and have shared deep friendship for many years.  So we travelled to  Aspen Colorado for a long weekend.  These men are three of the men that have invested a weekend of retreat, reflection and planning for 16 years together.

At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry immediately following His baptism by John, God the Father announced from heaven “This is My Son in whom I am well pleased”.  God provided His affirmation and blessing on His Son in a public way.  So I also was pleased to present my son to these men.  I shared with Drew the characteristics of these men that I admired and allow each of these men to speak a word of affirmation and encouragement to Drew.  I really had no formal agenda or ceremony, but allowed it to happen naturally over the 3 days we were together.

8" new powder and no lines

8″ new powder and no lines

We stayed with one of my friends with his family and he really went out of his way to roll out the red carpet to maximize our ski time and make us comfortable.  What a privilege to invite us into their home and let Drew experience their family and witness another family committed to following the truth of Jesus in their lives and in their community.  We could not have picked better days to ski.  We knew we had hit it right when all the locals were taking the day off to get the 8” of fresh powder.  We had 3 days of great snow, no lines and even got what the locals call a “bluebird day” of clear blue skies.  What a blessing!  Following our second day of skiing our friends invited us to hike to the top of Buttermilk mountain at sunset and swiss bob down.  If there was a right of passage test this was it.  We hiked for over an hour straight up to the top.  The sunset was beautiful, but the ride down was CRAZY!  Sitting on 12 square inches of plastic like a bob sledder flying down the mountain totally out of control and mostly blind from snow.  What a blast!

When you try to think of all the things you want to share in a time like this it can be intimidating so we let the conversations happen and the circumstances direct our discussions.  I don’t think I could have planned or scripted a richer time together.  Some of our discussions flowed from a book that I received in a Christmas gift exchange that I had not idea how well it work for stimulating meaningful ideas.  The following are a few highlights from The River by Michael Neale that served as great food for thought and good advice for a young man.

  1. We are made for so much more than we often realize.  Don’t settle for what is familiar or safe.  We cannot let our fear of the unknown hold us back.  The only true joy and fulfillment in life comes from living out our purpose and destiny in the greater story of life.
  2. We were not made to walk alone.  We were made to journey together.
  3. When I am weak, I need another to help me go on.  When someone else needs help, I need to get out of myself and do what I can to lift the load.
  4. Connect with things bigger than you.  It’s part of what makes life beautiful.  If you stay connected only to that which is small enough for you to understand and control then you have nothing. – no adventure, no destiny, and no purpose.
  5. The pursuit of “things” can get in the way of what life is all about.
  6. Dare to leave the safety of what you’ve always known for a better place…a place you were destined from the beginning.
  7. Life is not merely to be survived – it is meant to be lived.
  8. You are here for a reason.  Don’t ever think you’re not vitally important to the mission.  Whether you are doing a big job or a very low job do your best.
  9. Yesterday is gone and you cannot change it.  There are no guarantees for tomorrow, so save it.  The best stuff is now, so live today and don’t dare waste it.
  10. True love can and will bring out the very best in us.
  11. Live with adventure! Love with abandon! And to be Loved!

As John baptized Jesus, God the Father blessed His son and proclaimed His pleasure in sharing Him with the world. So are we Fathers to have the great privilege to introduce our sons and give them our blessing.  This is my son in whom I am well pleased.

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Big Tree + Rope = Fun For All Adventurers

Posted on February 17, 2013 by admin
rope swing

Rope +Tree = Fun

Some of the best memories of my childhood are the great swings that we made.  My dad started this journey by hanging a rope on a huge pine tree that grew on a steep hill across the street.  That led to a childhood filled with adventures searching for perfect trees to hang a rope and a series of bigger and better swings that provided many thrills, danger, and great memories.  As a parent, I want my kids to have the share in the same experiences.  The only difference is a healthy respect for safety and the importance of managing the risk of a big swing.

With small children we started with a small swing over a creek that provided a good thrill and a few wet afternoons falling into the creek.  We graduated to bigger swings and have ended up with this great swing on an absolutely gorgeous live oak in the middle of the forest.  It is our secret place that is about a quarter-mile hike into the woods.  We have spent many hours together hanging out and swinging with friends.  If you are up for a little adventure, grab a rope, find a good tree and build some memories that you will share with your family for a lifetime.

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Finding Treasure in Small Windows of Time With Our Children

Posted on February 3, 2013 by admin

Psalms 127:3-5 "Behold, children are a [a]gift of the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them"

Psalms 127:3-5 “Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them”

Today’s blog is another in the series I have named “Camp Applegate” to provide simple ideas to be intentional and to have fun with the limited time we have with our children.  It is Saturday and my wife, Julie and our daughter Summer are at a gymnastics competition in San Antonio.  Our oldest, Drew is at a friend’s house all day and  I am at home with our middle son Ben, who is feeling a little left out.  I have a list of to-do’s calling me to pick up medicine at the pharmacy, installing a fan, vacuuming the pool, and cleaning the terribly dirty windows.  What’s more important?  The errands will always be there, but missing the opportunity to spend a day with Ben will soon be gone.

How do we make this day one we will carve in our memories and communicate to Ben how much I enjoy his company and desire to spend time him?  It’s a beautiful cool morning and looks to be a perfect day to be outside.  For Christmas, we got Ben a metal detector to look for treasure so off we went to explore some of the many closed in wells that are in the reservoir in west Houston.  We live close to the reservoir and have discovered these wells over the years of exploring and spent a couple of hours walking from one to another.  Ben would get the signal and I would begin digging until we found the object.

gift of Lord

Psalms 127:3 “Children are a gift of the Lord,”

We found nails, wire, a pot handle, pieces of broken painted dish, and a few other chunks of metal and relics we could not identify.

We hit Subway for lunch, ran by CVS and came home where I got a couple of hours to vacuum the pool and wash the windows.  Then we loaded our bikes and headed off to the Buffalo Bayou where we rode the trails through the woods along the bayou.  If not for the number of other bikers on the trail you would never know you were in the middle of the 4th largest city in America.  We did not find any gold nuggets, but we did find some time and make memories that we can treasure for a lifetime.  My friend Joe White once told me that kids spell love-T I M E.  It doesn’t take lots of money or planning, just be purposeful with the time we have and grab those windows of opportunity that we find ourselves in and make the most of them.  My hope with “Camp Applegate” is that you will find inspiration and fun ideas to do with your family.  As always I would love to hear what you are doing with your family that we can also try.

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The Importance of Collecting Memories

Posted on January 23, 2013 by admin

creating family memoriesHow important are memories?  Can you imagine life if we did not have the ability to treasure life’s experiences and learn from our memory?  Our life is a collection of memories.  The more that we create the richer our lives.  Memories don’t have to cost much, but the collection of them provides riches of joy, wisdom in learning from our mistakes, and a well of stories to entertain and share with those we love.  As a parent one of our greatest privileges is getting to start our children’s collection of memories.  Simply living life together will provide many memories, but we also must be careful in our busy world or routines that life and the memories that make our lives and the lives of our children rich are not lost.  Much of our time is spent in providing for the basics necessities such as sleep, eating, grooming, errands and driving.  Another big chunk is spent in relatively non-memorable activities at school and work.

Life really happens in the chunks of time between the mundane where we experience memorable events in the mundane or plan and create memories with the our classmates, co-workers, family, and friends.  I am a big believer in being “intentional” about creating memories.  A weekend can flash by with errands and lost time without a trace of a memorable event.  If we would stop for just a moment and think how we can make a memory today.  Make a memory that can be recalled and treasured forever.  I have included many of these intentional events in my blog and grouped them under Camp Applegate.  Picking berries in the field behind the house, going on a blow gun snake hunt, building rope swings, selling lemonade to the neighbors, taking our sugar gliders to the mall, climbing a tree at night and calling coyotes, or spotlighting bull frogs at the ditch are all examples of some of the fun intentional memories we have done over the years.

This weekend was a rainy cold weekend and the kids were restless.  What a great time to think up something out of the norm to create a memory.  So, off we went to Wabash feed store in downtown Houston where we bought two full-grown Rhode Island Red hens.  The kids picked out their hens from a group of 20-30 hens.  We bought some feed and a water bottle and were off.  Upon returning home we set up an old dog cage, built a nesting box and got them settled in.  They are friendly little hens that let the kids hold them.  They coo and seem to have a little personality.  They are surprisingly clean and I hear will even follow you around once they get to know you.  Don’t tell the neighbors.  I would guess farm animals are not welcome in our neighborhood.

We will try them out for a time and if they don’t work out then they may be an expensive chicken dinner.  No matter what happens the $32 spent and a few hours together will create a memory.  When our kids are old and grey they will always remember the boring rainy day that Dad decided to take us out and buy a couple of chickens.  Be intentional.  Use your surroundings.  Do something unexpected and build a memory that your family will treasure forever.

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Living The Dream, Do What You Love and Love What You Do.

Posted on December 23, 2012 by admin
Living the Dream. Do What You Love, Love What You Do.

Living the Dream. Do What You Love, Love What You Do.

If you ever listen to talk radio when callers call in they all seem compelled to politely ask the host, “How are you doing?”  Most hosts ignore or have developed a quick response to keep the conversation moving.  Rush responds with “Ditto”and Hannity has “You’re a great American”.  Personally, I like a Houston talk show host Joe Pags who answers “Living the Dream”.  Leadership author, John Maxwell, defines the dream as an inspiring picture of the future that energizes your mind, will, and emotions, empowering you to do everything you can to achieve it. How great is it to be living the dream?  To be pursuing a vision with all your will and all your emotions and living out the pursuit of your dream every day.  Do you have a dream?  Do you wake up every day looking forward to moving the rock a little further ahead?

God has blessed me with a couple big dreams.  While working at Kanakuk Kamps during college I saw the great need for fathers to be involved in the lives of their kids and lead their families.  After working in the public market for many years and making a bad career move for the wrong motives, I hit the “reset” button.  With the help of a good friend, I retreated to Aspen Colorado and outlined five characteristics to capture another dream.  The dream to architect and build a great regional custom manufacturing company.  Those five characteristics include.

  1. Meaningful Relationships – Employees, customers and suppliers are the ones that I share my dream and hopefully help them achieve theirs.
  2. Entrepreneurial – To be “in the game” and lead a company to evaluate business opportunity and pursue those that provide profitable returns.
  3. Control – To have the responsibility for all decisions and
  4. Adventure to Live – To love what I do and do what I love.  Designing, engineering and building great products for our customers
  5. Challenge to conquer – The satisfaction that comes from seeing your dream become reality.

With the publication of Good to Great Families I have been able to bring the passion of family leadership and business together.  Have you considered your dream?  Are you taking the steps to move you in the direction of your dreams?  Going to school, learning a trade, doing your research, taking the risk, believing in yourself, trusting in God.  What would it look like if we had a world of people who understood their God-given talents, applying their talents to a dream, and were waking up every day to realize their dreams?  I am not there yet and certainly have my share of set backs, but I find a day of living the dream by working and struggling toward seeing the dream come together is far better than living someone else’s dream for me.   “Success is not the key to happiness.  Happiness is the key to success.  If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” – Albert Schweitzer.  Do what you love and love what you do.

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The Heavens are Telling of the Glory of God, Psalm 19

Posted on December 16, 2012 by admin

Psalm 19:1 “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.”

“Our family will first recognize God as our creator and redeemer.  We will put our trust and confidence in Him and obey His word as the instruction and authority as how we are to live our lives.”

 This is one of the Core Values or core beliefs that we have established as a foundation to build our family and stand on as we navigate life.  David writes of the testimony God provides to us, the right instruction and perfect truth that God has provided for us, and his reaction to the encounter with such a God in Psalm 19.  I is likely David wrote this psalm while being pursued by Saul and living in and under God’s wilderness.

Psalm 19

The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
2 Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
4 Their [a]line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
6 Its rising is from [b]one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the [c]other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

The heavens so declare the glory of God, and proclaim his wisdom, power and goodness, that all men are left without excuse.  God forms the light and creates the darkness, Isaiah 45:7, and sets one against the other.  God is the Sun of righteousness and is symbolized as the bridegroom coming in love and bless his bride, the church, which he has espoused to himself.  His plan and His purpose is powerful like the sun, determined to run his course to bring light to all mankind.  We often live between our houses, cars, offices and malls and seldom take the opportunity to witness the testimony of God’s creation that he provides to us every day.  The awakening of the earth in the morning sunrise and the uniqueness and beauty of the setting sun.  The engineering marvels and perfect design in the way the eco system cleanses and purifies itself, the strength of trees to give with the wind and shed their outer most branches to survive in drought, and the power revealed in the skies with lightning, thunder, and expanse of a starry night.  God has placed numerous testimonies of His perfect love demonstrating the necessity for death of a seed in order for life to be born and bear new fruit.  All men are left without excuse to recognize God.

7 The law of the Lord is [d]perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.

The law is perfect, the statutes are right, the commandment is pure, Holy fear of the Lord is clean and the judgments bear Truth.  The promises He gives to us is a restored soul, to make wise even the simplest of minds, to let our hearts rejoice in the discovery of God’s love to sinful men, to enlighten the eyes of our minds, to experience Holy fear and reverence of our creator and redeemer, and recognize His judgments are righteous and true.

11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be [e]blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

David’s reaction to this revelation and so should be ours is to experience Holy fear and live in a way to practice His commands so that we may know and experience the blessings of obedience to our creator.  There are a few times recorded in the Bible when man had a direct encounter with God Himself and all the reactions are the same.  Isaiah 6:5 Then I said, “ Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”  When standing in the presence of a Holy God we will be overwhelmed with our sinfulness and inadequacy and recognize our desperate need.  Woe is me for I am ruined.  Psalm 19 ends with our reaction to ask God to forgive us of our willful known sins as well as those that we are unaware.  David goes on and completes the psalm with His prayer and can be our prayer also as we recognize our God, realize His love and our inadequacy and express our desire to be right with Him.  “Let the words of my mouth and meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

Our family will first recognize God as our creator and redeemer.  We will put our trust and confidence in Him and obey His word as the instruction and authority as how we are to live our lives.

Take a moment today to watch the sunset, contemplate the stars, or simply observe the order and work of bugs, the lowest of his creation, that serve great value in consuming and cleaning our environment.  All of God’s creation testifies to His greatness.  He greatly desires to bless us and express His love to us as the bridegroom loves His bride.  We are without excuse.  If we are obedient to His instruction our souls will be restored, our eyes enlightened, and we will know Holy Fear.  We will recognize our inadequacy, pray for forgiveness and seek to live our life in a way that is acceptable to Him, our rock and Redeemer.

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What Are You Reading? – Highlights From Forgotten God by Francis Chan

Posted on November 18, 2012 by admin

What are you reading?  I am not one who grew up with a love of reading.  Early in my career I travelled most weeks and learned to enjoy reading on long flights.  I tried some fiction books,  but found with the limited time I had to read that I wanted to read books that I could learn from and apply to my life.  For many years I have tried to have two books that I am reading at all times.  Generally I am reading s a business book and  a book on the Christian walk.  I guess this is how I came to write Good to Great Families.

I just finished Forgotten God  by Francis Chan.  Francis delivers so many short, thoughtful, and challenging thoughts in his books.  I shared some of his thoughts from Crazy Love in a previous blog that inspired me.  Forgotten God illustrates the observation and reality that the western church tends to rely on the talent of our church leaders and has forgotten the Holy Spirit that distinguishes us from every religion and person in the world.  In this book, Francis describes the Holy Spirit, challenges us to know Him, and let the Holy Spirit work in our lives.  The following are a few passages that I underlined as I read Forgotten God and thought would give you a taste of the book and possibly inspiration to engage the power of the Holy Spirit that resides in you.

The Holy Spirit is as essential to a believer’s existence as air is to staying alive.

Without Him, people operate in their own strength and only accomplish human-sized results.  The world is not moved by love or actions that are or human creation.  And the church is not empowered to live differently than any other gathering of people without the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit is more obviously active in places where people are desperate for Him, humbled before Him, and not distracted by their pursuit of wealth or comforts.

As we trust in the promises of the Spirit, we will be led away from discouragement and into lives marked by confidence, power in the midst of our weakness, and the fruit of the Spirit. ….”Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished.”  Acts 4:13

He wants an invitation from us to permeate everything and every part of us.

If it’s true that the Spirit of God dwells in us and that our bodies are the Holy Spirit’s temple, then shouldn’t there be a huge difference between the person who has the Spirit of God living inside of him or her and the person who does not?

The Holy Spirit does not seek to hurt us, but He does seek to make us Christlike, and this can be painful.

As citizens of this kingdom, we are called to live in a way that reflects the reality of the kingdom of God.  When we become overly concerned about our appearance, our spiritual reputation, our coolness, and our acceptance, we are living as citizens of this world rather than as ambassadors.

Truths about the Holy Spirit:

  • The Holy Spirit is a Person
  • The Holy Spirit is God
  • The Holy Spirit is eternal and holy
  • The Holy Spirit has His own mind, and He prays for us
  • The Holy Spirit has emotions
  • The Holy Spirit has His own desires and will
  • The Holy Spirit is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient

Let’s pray that God would empower us so radically that we would get no glory:  That people would see our works and glorify God.

The Spirit is meant to lead us toward holiness.  The Spirit is here with us to accomplish God’s purposes, not ours.

The Holy Spirit is the one who fills believers with God’s love and the one who enables us to love one another.

It is a spiritual discipline to be still, to listen, and to cut out the distraction and din of our world.  And as we practice this stillness, this waiting, this being, it is then that we can experience deep intimacy and relationship with the Holy Spirit.

God wants to see His children stake everything on His power and presence in their lives.

Is your life a life in which people know that our accomplishments could not have been attained by our own power?  I don’t want my life to be explainable without the Holy Spirit.  I want people to look at my life and know that I couldn’t be doing this by my own power. …Now I deeply desire that the Spirit of God would do things that I know are not of me and that cannot be faked or accounted for by human reason.

At Christian gatherings, do people leave talking about the people who led rather than the power of God?  This principle carries into the way we live our personal lives as well.  People ought to see the transformation in our lives respond by saying, “The Lord-He is God!”

Have you ever prayed that God would so fill you with the Spirit that people would know the change could be empowered only by the Spirit?  It is when we are filled with true peace and hope that people notice there is something different about us.  The Holy Spirit is the one who give us both peace and hope.

Most churchgoers are content to find a bit of peace rather than a “peace of God”, which surpasses all understanding.”

When you begin living a life characterized by walking with the Spirit, that is when people will begin to look not to you but to our Father in heaven and give Him the praise.

This week I heard the testimonies of 4 people at church.  In each of the four stories all had reached a point of desperation before turning to God and that is when God did His work.  In my own experience I can also say that when I have come to the end of my strength and only have God to turn to then He has been there for me.  We hear of the great work that God is doing in parts of the world where people are desperate.  Is it possible in the comforts and self-reliant capabilities in our western world that we do not feel we need God?  If we recognized our depravity and trusted God in all things would we experience the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives?  My hope is that you have read and contemplated each of these thoughts.  I hope that they have challenged and inspired you as they have me and that you will pursue a relationship and experience the same power that operated in the original disciples and Jesus Himself in your life.  I pray that you will experience this power and be changed by the overflowing of the fruits of the spirit in your life.

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Be Recognizably Differrent

Posted on November 4, 2012 by admin

Today I am writing to those who earnestly seek to worship and follow Christ, but are frustrated with the reality that we and many Christians are not recognizably different.  I am not addressing the large group who claim to be Christians, but demonstrate a lifestyle that is totally void of anything that resembles a disciple of Christ, for that is another greater challenge.

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus”  Acts 4:13  When people encounter you are they “astonished” at the evidence of the Holy Spirit that lives in you because you know Jesus?  I struggle with this thought and would offer that 98% of the time I am not noticeably different and we are not recognizably different from those who find their hope and confidence in what the world has to offer.  We are not recongnizably different because the Holy Spirit is absent or is not active in our lives, but I would contend that 98% of our interactions never get beyond the very surface level of communication.  Having the Holy Spirit living in us does not present a physically recognizable attribute.  We don’t  have a halo shining on our head or have a particular kind of hair, skin color, eye color or language.  When we order a burger, talk with our neighbor or conduct business we rarely get beyond the transactional details of daily life.  I contend THAT is our problem.

We are Christ followers.   We have a savior that provides forgiveness of our sins.  We have the same Holy Spirit in us that raised men from the dead, healed the sick and cast out demons.  We have confidence in our salvation and trust that God is for us and gives us power in the midst of our weakness.  We recognize and we experience the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.  However, we do not get beyond the basic transactional relationship with others.  We need to learn to ask deeper questions penetrating beyond the surface.  We need to ask questions that reflect our genuine interest in their well-being and gives our friends, neighbors and business associates an opportunity to experience the love of God through us.  If we never express a statement that opens the door to a deeper level.  If we never ask how they are “really” doing.  We will never have the opportunity to demonstrate and exercise love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control that would reflect God’s love for us and the Spirit that lives in us.

This week pray that God will give you the opportunity to open doors for Him.  This week Take 5.  Take 5 seconds to stop and open the door to a deeper relationship.  Take 5 seconds to listen to someone who needs to be heard.  Go beyond the trivial and transactional conversations and share why we have an unusual confidence in the midst of trials.  Encourage those who need hope for the future and be extraordinarily blessed by allowing the Holy Spirit to work through you.   When Christ followers let others experience the Truth that lives in us we will experience and be amazed at the work that the Holy Spirit will accomplish through us.  “Astonish” those you encounter this week because you know Jesus.

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Can One Man Save A Nation?

Posted on October 7, 2012 by admin

James 5:16 The effective prayer of a righeteous man can accomplish much

The Bible is full of stories where a single man shaped the course or fate of a nation.  In many cases God chooses people like Gideon in Judges 6 who, when called, says v15 “O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel?  Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”  When God calls a man to accomplish His work and this man is obedient to God’s call wars are won, lives are saved, nations are spared.   The Bible is replete with illustrations a single man saving their families and their nation.  As God destroys a sinful civilization, Noah saves his family and begins again.  As a servant Joseph is able to bless his family.  Moses born at a time when the King of Egypt commanded all males born to a Hebrew to be killed at birth was saved and called by God to deliver His people from bondage.  David, The youngest son of Jesse who tended the sheep was chosen by God to slay the giant and lead God’s, nation.  Jonah who even tried to run from God was swallowed by a fish and delivered His message to Nineveh.  Nineveh was doomed for judgment and destruction, but in Jonah’s obedience God spared the city.

Are you willing to be obedient to God and be used by God to save your family or even save your nation?  As God warns and Solomon prays for forgiveness, God says that if we turn away and forsake His statues and His commandments and go and serve other gods, then He will uproot you from His land which He gave to them and will destroy the house of the Lord.  II Chronicles 7.  We are reminded that God says II Chronicles 7:14 We HIS people, who are called by His name are called to pray for our nation.  Are you willing to do this?   Are you willing to dedicate yourself to pray for our nation.  One vote may change an election, but one prayer, when heard by our Almighty God may save your family, save your city, save our nation or save the world.  God greatly desires to share His infinite love for us.  May we, His people, raise our voices together and pray.

As we approach our national elections you may wish to follow this guideline and pray for our families, churches, government and election as provided by If My People 2012 .  May God spare us, deliver us and bring us to Himself.

Our faith in God’s power is essential in ushering in the works of God.  Recall the miracles reported in the gospels.  Jesus teaches His disciples of faith while sleeping on a boat and a great storm blows in.  His disciples awake Him to tell Jesus of their fate and Jesus responds “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” and He calmed the seas.  In Matthew 9 Jesus heals a woman who had been hemoraging for twelve years and says v22 “your faith has made you well.”  In vs 28 Jesus heals a blind man after he asks v.28 “Do you believe? and in vs 30 “It shall be done to you according to your faith. Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead and claims John 11:25 “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.  Do you believe this?”  Hebrews 11 tells us how faith was the key element to the decisions and resulting actions of Able, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isacc, Jacob, Sarah, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David and Samuel who by faith conquered kingdoms,  performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouth of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreigh armies to flight and Women received back their dead by resurrection.  No doubt that your prayers, empowered by the all powerful Holy Sprit that lives in you can change your situation, your family, your nation, the world and the course of history.

James 5:16 “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”

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Parent Child Driving Contract

Posted on September 29, 2012 by admin

Our son has completed his driver’s education and we have survived the required hours of day and night-time supervised driving.  We still have a few months until his 16th birthday.  We have decided to that we would like him to have a vehicle that is safe, reliable and one that he will like.  It must be safe for obvious reasons.  We want it to last at least 6 years to get him through college and it must be something he appreciates so that he will take care of the vehicle.  We came up with a budget of $10,000 which should allow him to pick a vehicle that meets our three objectives.  We believe he should share in the investment and have provided a payment schedule of $500 down and $125/month.    Over 36 months he will pay for 1/2 of the vehicle.  This plan is within his capabilities and has some boundaries, but is pretty simple.

As we approach the B-Day, I learned of a driving contract that one of my friends used with his kids and we will adopt it.  I thought I would share this driving contract with you with hopes that it will help you communicate the great responsibility of driving and provide boundaries you can agree upon.  May God protect and keep our young drivers safe.

Psalms 121:8 “The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever.”

Parent – Teen Driving Contract 

Full Name hereby referred to as “NAME” and Parent Full Name and Parent Full Name hereby referred to as “PARENTS” are parties subject to the following Driving Contract as described below:

Item: 1. Speeding and Tickets: In 2005, speed-related crashes accounted for 44% of fatalities among 15-20 year olds.

NAME agrees to obey the traffic laws of the state of Texas.

NAME will advise her PARENTS of any violations and will be held responsible for any fines.

Should NAME have more than one (1) violation in any six (6) month period, NAME will lose his/her driving privileges for the next six (6) month period at the discretion of her PARENTS.

Item: 2. Crashes: Sixteen-year-old drivers have crash rates that are three times greater than 17 year-old-drivers and five times greater than 18-year-old drivers.

NAME agrees that should she crash her truck he/she will lose her driving privileges for the next three (3) month period following the crash. NAME will pay for one-half (1/2) of the cost to repair the truck. Driving of any vehicle within the three (3) month period will be at the discretion of her PARENTS.

Item: 3. Drinking and Driving: In 2005, drunk driving caused one of every four fatal teen crashed.

NAME agrees he/she will not Drink and Drive.

If NAME Drinks and Drives he/she will lose her driving privileges for the next (6) month period following the learning of such event.

Item 4. Cell Phones, Music, And Other Distractions: Talking on a cell phone while driving gives you the reaction time of a 70-year-old.

NAME agrees that he/she will not talk on the cell phone or listen to music while driving for the first six (6) month period he/she has his/her permit.

If NAME talks on a cell phone while driving or listens to music while driving during his/her first six (6) month period of driving, NAME will be grounded from driving during the weekend following the violation that occurred. In addition, every violation that occurs will result in two more weeks of having the rule in effect.

More than the sum of three violations of talking on a cell phone or listening to music while driving the first 6 months will result in NAME losing his/her driving privileges for (1) one month at the discretion of his/her PARENTS.

Item 5: Time of Day: Half the teens who died in car crashes in 2005 were killed between 3 pm and Midnight.

NAME will abide by local teen driving curfews. During the first 6 months of driving NAME will not drive past the hour of 11 pm unless agreed upon by her PARENTS.

If NAME violates the teen driving curfews he/she will lose driving privileges for the next seven (7) days following the violation at the discretion of his/her PARENTS.

Item 6: Number of Passengers: According to a recent study, the presence of just one more teen in a car doubles the chance of a fatal crash.

During the first six (6) months of driving, NAME will drive only by him/herself or with family members – (NAME has the option to ask permission to drive someone other than a family member). During the second six (6) months of driving NAME will be allowed to drive with one (1) person outside the family plus any family members.

Should NAME violate the above, it will result in the loss of driving privileges for two (2) weeks at the discretion of her PARENTS.

Item 7: Seatbelts: Using lap / shoulder belts can reduce the risk of dying in a car crash by 45%.

NAME agrees to wear her seat belt while driving.

Should NAME drive while not being buckled up; NAME will lose her driving privileges for one (1) week at the discretion of her PARENTS.

Item 8: Grades: Good grades aren’t just important for a teen’s future, they can also save money. We / You qualify for discounts on insurance premiums with your good grades.

NAME agrees to maintain a “C” average in all her classes.

If NAME has below a “C” average during a nine (9) week period, NAME will lose her driving privileges for three (3) weeks or until the grade average is above a “C” at the discretion of his/her PARENTS.

Item 9: Commitments of NAME and PARENTS:

NAME:

I promise to abide by the contract outlined above. If I break any part of this contract, I will accept the consequences. During any time that I cannot drive, I will be responsible for making other arrangements to get around.

_______________________                                               

Full Name (NAME)                                                       Date

PARENTS:

We promise to do what we can to help NAME succeed in the following contract. We promise to make time to help NAME become a safe and responsible driver. We understand this is an evolving contract and promise to make ourselves available to discuss these rules and their consequences when necessary.

___________________                                                                       

Parent Full Name (PARENT)                                                  Date

___________________                                                                   

Parent Full Name (PARENT)                                              Date

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