Being blessed by having the opportunity to work with my wonderful wife to teach God's Word to 7th and 8th graders is awesome!!
However, it can come with a price. Not just the price of having to be prepared with candy bribes and dollar store trinkets, but with a heavy price on your own mote in the eye.
As I have been led by God to teach these kids about a fulfilling RELATIONSHIP with Jesus, I have found that God has been speaking to me during my time in study to prepare for these lessons. I am realizing that God is letting me know that I need to be right with Him first. And when I mean right, I have to ensure that I am walking the walk before I talk the talk.
I can't lead the kids to a real relationship with Jesus, if my relationship with the Father is suffering in any way. Or if I have not dealt with sin in my life properly.
That being said, I have realized I am not being the man of God that I am supposed to be at work. And this really makes me sad. There are others around me that so desperately need Jesus in their lives and I am not being the example that I need to be.
However, I am left to realize that God is the God of many miracles and not all miracles are huge and slap you in the face. Some are small and allow you to realize them when the time is right.
It is continuing to be an awesome journey I am on and I am blessed to be able to share it with my wife and my family.
God Bless!
Dave
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Friday, October 5, 2012
What's in your will?
And sometimes God's Plans are not your plans!
Why? Easy, unless we are walking in His Will, our plans will NEVER be His plans.
And how do I know this do you ask? I have been trapped in Shreveport, Louisiana under work related circumstances.
Please don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Shreveport, in fact everyone is very nice and personable here, they go out of their way to say "Hi" to you. And I am even included in everything they do! I must be because they are always saying Y'All.
Anyway, with everything that has been happening with my walk with God, I figured I would head out to Shreveport, be there for two days and WHAM! problem solved!
Well, I am writing this post from Shreveport...and having a very candid conversation with God on why I am still here. We have had a great run back at home, the 7th and 8th grade class is going awesome, kids are really getting it, home life is great, we have drawn closer as a family, there should be no reason why He would need me to stay in Louisiana, right?
Sure He would, do I know what that reason is right now? Maybe, but I would be guessing. Do I need to know why? Nope, if I truly trust in Him, I don't need to know, will this stop me from asking? Probably not. (I am human after all).
As I continue to work with the skilled folks around me to find out why the equipment is not working as it is intended, I need to keep in mind something DCTalk said in a song - "If it's my will - I'm not moving, if it's Your Will - nothing can shake me..."
Remember when you feel like you got the short end of the stick and NOTHING is going your way - if you are in His Will, take comfort in the fact that it is going the RIGHT way.
Why? Easy, unless we are walking in His Will, our plans will NEVER be His plans.
And how do I know this do you ask? I have been trapped in Shreveport, Louisiana under work related circumstances.
Please don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Shreveport, in fact everyone is very nice and personable here, they go out of their way to say "Hi" to you. And I am even included in everything they do! I must be because they are always saying Y'All.
Anyway, with everything that has been happening with my walk with God, I figured I would head out to Shreveport, be there for two days and WHAM! problem solved!
Well, I am writing this post from Shreveport...and having a very candid conversation with God on why I am still here. We have had a great run back at home, the 7th and 8th grade class is going awesome, kids are really getting it, home life is great, we have drawn closer as a family, there should be no reason why He would need me to stay in Louisiana, right?
Sure He would, do I know what that reason is right now? Maybe, but I would be guessing. Do I need to know why? Nope, if I truly trust in Him, I don't need to know, will this stop me from asking? Probably not. (I am human after all).
As I continue to work with the skilled folks around me to find out why the equipment is not working as it is intended, I need to keep in mind something DCTalk said in a song - "If it's my will - I'm not moving, if it's Your Will - nothing can shake me..."
Remember when you feel like you got the short end of the stick and NOTHING is going your way - if you are in His Will, take comfort in the fact that it is going the RIGHT way.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Worship - He is in this place
Recently my wife and I were asked to lead our Junior High Ministry at our church. As all of our kids have moved up to the student ministry, we decided that it would be nice change and of course a challenge.
Our Student Ministry Pastor has been great in giving us a pretty good amount of rope to allow us to run the class as God leads us. We have had great help in our class as well, many parent volunteers who are willing to jump in and help us out.
Every Wednesday night we look to have a lesson that gets the kids closer to a personal relationship with Jesus.
My wife picked last night's lesson, she was concerned that our current students lack a true understanding of what true Worship is. That Worship is a lot more than just singing songs to God. She saw that the kids weren't engaging.
I had to agree with her. When the student band starts to sing praise and worship songs, a lot of the kids are distracted. They are mingling with each other, they are texting, or they decide now is the time to wander the halls of the church.
So, this last Wednesday night we decided to have a night that spoke of Worship.
We started off in explaining that true Worship is anything that brings pleasure to God. So, this night our class consisted of different stations that the kids would visit, do a Worship related activity, Confession, Forgiveness, Meditation, Where they were at in their journey of faith, etc...and get an understanding of what Worship truly is.
I was not prepared for what happened last night. GOD SHOWED UP!!! Don't get me wrong, I firmly believe God shows up every time one or more are gathered in His name, but last night, because there was true Worship occurring and it was pleasing to God, He allowed me and quite a few others there that night to really experience His presence.
In looking back at last night, I realized I may not have truly been Worshiping God as HE intended.
So, for those of you out there, remember to Worship God in all things - Singing, writing, talking, walking, riding bikes, bowling, playing your favorite sport - well you get the idea, because HE will show up, after all we were MADE to Worship the One True and Living God!
Our Student Ministry Pastor has been great in giving us a pretty good amount of rope to allow us to run the class as God leads us. We have had great help in our class as well, many parent volunteers who are willing to jump in and help us out.
Every Wednesday night we look to have a lesson that gets the kids closer to a personal relationship with Jesus.
My wife picked last night's lesson, she was concerned that our current students lack a true understanding of what true Worship is. That Worship is a lot more than just singing songs to God. She saw that the kids weren't engaging.
I had to agree with her. When the student band starts to sing praise and worship songs, a lot of the kids are distracted. They are mingling with each other, they are texting, or they decide now is the time to wander the halls of the church.
So, this last Wednesday night we decided to have a night that spoke of Worship.
We started off in explaining that true Worship is anything that brings pleasure to God. So, this night our class consisted of different stations that the kids would visit, do a Worship related activity, Confession, Forgiveness, Meditation, Where they were at in their journey of faith, etc...and get an understanding of what Worship truly is.
I was not prepared for what happened last night. GOD SHOWED UP!!! Don't get me wrong, I firmly believe God shows up every time one or more are gathered in His name, but last night, because there was true Worship occurring and it was pleasing to God, He allowed me and quite a few others there that night to really experience His presence.
In looking back at last night, I realized I may not have truly been Worshiping God as HE intended.
So, for those of you out there, remember to Worship God in all things - Singing, writing, talking, walking, riding bikes, bowling, playing your favorite sport - well you get the idea, because HE will show up, after all we were MADE to Worship the One True and Living God!
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
When did THAT happen?
...this just in, I am getting old.
I realized this while watching my three children wash our two cars this weekend. They are 16, 14, and 13. And when I looked on them spraying each other with the hose, it dawned on me that I am older than I feel.
Feeling that way, one would guess that is a good thing. I on the other hand look at my two boys and wonder if I have been raising them correctly. My daughter does not worry me that much, my wife has been doing a fantastic job in raising her to be a confident young woman. However, the task of raising Godly young men falls directly on me. Sure I have a great example that I can follow, but I know I do not do what I am supposed to do all the time.
Let's face facts, I am an extremely flawed person. How do I know this? I see myself in the mirror every morning and see a face of that person with baggage staring right back at me. I tend to repeat the same mistakes over and over, and only by Grace does the cycle eventually end.
And what's worse is, I find myself questioning if I am using the right kind of (for the lack of a better term) tactics to raise my boys to be the Godly men that they should be. Not what I think they should be, or what the world thinks they should be, but God's standard on what they should be.
My boys are a short time away from becoming men, this kind of stuff makes me lay awake at night and stare at the ceiling.
And while I am laying there, I take a hard look at my life and what I have done in my past and what was done to me and I pray that I am trusting in God to not repeat the mistakes I have made.
Trust me, the list of my mistakes is long and I realize I am not supposed to dwell on them. For once I asked for forgiveness and repented, God forgives and forgets my past sins and transgressions. But that old and dead man rises up and reminds me that I am doing a lousy job in raising my kids, and that gives me pause.
These last years with my children growing into teenagers has been a wonderful, eye opening experience and I would not trade it in for anything.
And at the same time, I feel anxiety in the fact that my time with these blessings is drawing closer and closer. And it seems that I have not taught them everything, I believe that I should...
I realized this while watching my three children wash our two cars this weekend. They are 16, 14, and 13. And when I looked on them spraying each other with the hose, it dawned on me that I am older than I feel.
Feeling that way, one would guess that is a good thing. I on the other hand look at my two boys and wonder if I have been raising them correctly. My daughter does not worry me that much, my wife has been doing a fantastic job in raising her to be a confident young woman. However, the task of raising Godly young men falls directly on me. Sure I have a great example that I can follow, but I know I do not do what I am supposed to do all the time.
Let's face facts, I am an extremely flawed person. How do I know this? I see myself in the mirror every morning and see a face of that person with baggage staring right back at me. I tend to repeat the same mistakes over and over, and only by Grace does the cycle eventually end.
And what's worse is, I find myself questioning if I am using the right kind of (for the lack of a better term) tactics to raise my boys to be the Godly men that they should be. Not what I think they should be, or what the world thinks they should be, but God's standard on what they should be.
My boys are a short time away from becoming men, this kind of stuff makes me lay awake at night and stare at the ceiling.
And while I am laying there, I take a hard look at my life and what I have done in my past and what was done to me and I pray that I am trusting in God to not repeat the mistakes I have made.
Trust me, the list of my mistakes is long and I realize I am not supposed to dwell on them. For once I asked for forgiveness and repented, God forgives and forgets my past sins and transgressions. But that old and dead man rises up and reminds me that I am doing a lousy job in raising my kids, and that gives me pause.
These last years with my children growing into teenagers has been a wonderful, eye opening experience and I would not trade it in for anything.
And at the same time, I feel anxiety in the fact that my time with these blessings is drawing closer and closer. And it seems that I have not taught them everything, I believe that I should...
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Ya - I published my second BOOK!!
Okay, it is more a collection of skits, sketches and shorts that I have written in the past. Most of them have to do with church and what the Pastor/Leader was wanting to make a point about.
I have 12 offerings in the first book and 12 more in the second book (soon to be published) and it looks like I will have enough to even do a third book!
Like I said before, Amazon is really easy to allow you to do this, so if any of you out there have ever thought about wanting to make it happen, do it!!
In Christ,
Dave
Okay, it is more a collection of skits, sketches and shorts that I have written in the past. Most of them have to do with church and what the Pastor/Leader was wanting to make a point about.
I have 12 offerings in the first book and 12 more in the second book (soon to be published) and it looks like I will have enough to even do a third book!
Like I said before, Amazon is really easy to allow you to do this, so if any of you out there have ever thought about wanting to make it happen, do it!!
In Christ,
Dave
Sunday, September 2, 2012
I Published my first BOOK!!!
Hello all, this is my first post to my new blog site. I hope you all enjoy yourselves here!!!
First off, let me start by saying the reason I started this blog is I just finished my first book and uploaded it to amazon.com! (Link at the bottom of the post to take a look at it on Amazon's site).
Now, let me first start off by saying if you are an aspiring writer, really take a look at what Amazon has to offer for self publishing. It was very easy and there are quite a few sites that walk you through how to make sure your book is properly formatted to be uploaded to the Amazon site. (At the end of this post I will make links available to these sites as well as Amazon's site for publishing).
Anyway, back to the book. It has taken me a little while to write a book. It has been about 6-7 years in the making. It has run me through a gamut of emotions, from joy, excitement, frustration and even anger some times. Writing a book is a crazy process and once you finish it, it can be heart wrenching to publish it. Not in the sense that it is a hard and arduous process, but once it's complete it is almost like a part of you that you are letting go. The main thing is the waiting for someone to pick it up, read it and tell you what they think of it. Sure, you can have friends and family read it, but unless you have a heartless family, they will tell you that they think it is great. (Let's face it, there are a ton of folks trying out for American Idol, that someone in their family should have given them honest criticism long before the judges have to...)
Regardless, my book is out there now, so if you have an ereader and 2.99 to spend, please give it a go and let me know what you think. By the way, I take James Patterson to heart when he said that not enough young men have books geared toward them. My book was written for my both my boys (13 and 14) and my daughter as she enjoys Fantasy as well.
Anyway that is what I have for now, check back often as I will be adding more blogs in the future about writing skits, plays and books. I am also an avid Improv player, so those of you who are into that, I will be talking about that as well.
But before I go, I promised you all some links -
My Book! - Wizardize
How to Publish your book on Kindle
The steps to Publish at Amazon!
God Bless!!
First off, let me start by saying the reason I started this blog is I just finished my first book and uploaded it to amazon.com! (Link at the bottom of the post to take a look at it on Amazon's site).
Now, let me first start off by saying if you are an aspiring writer, really take a look at what Amazon has to offer for self publishing. It was very easy and there are quite a few sites that walk you through how to make sure your book is properly formatted to be uploaded to the Amazon site. (At the end of this post I will make links available to these sites as well as Amazon's site for publishing).
Anyway, back to the book. It has taken me a little while to write a book. It has been about 6-7 years in the making. It has run me through a gamut of emotions, from joy, excitement, frustration and even anger some times. Writing a book is a crazy process and once you finish it, it can be heart wrenching to publish it. Not in the sense that it is a hard and arduous process, but once it's complete it is almost like a part of you that you are letting go. The main thing is the waiting for someone to pick it up, read it and tell you what they think of it. Sure, you can have friends and family read it, but unless you have a heartless family, they will tell you that they think it is great. (Let's face it, there are a ton of folks trying out for American Idol, that someone in their family should have given them honest criticism long before the judges have to...)
Regardless, my book is out there now, so if you have an ereader and 2.99 to spend, please give it a go and let me know what you think. By the way, I take James Patterson to heart when he said that not enough young men have books geared toward them. My book was written for my both my boys (13 and 14) and my daughter as she enjoys Fantasy as well.
Anyway that is what I have for now, check back often as I will be adding more blogs in the future about writing skits, plays and books. I am also an avid Improv player, so those of you who are into that, I will be talking about that as well.
But before I go, I promised you all some links -
My Book! - Wizardize
How to Publish your book on Kindle
The steps to Publish at Amazon!
God Bless!!
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