Walking on Air

Yesterday was absolutely incredible. Here are the pictures that show some of the work done -- https://picasaweb.google.com/109656897877397331311/HouseOnCambridge02?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCM_04tizk4DcxwE&feat=directlink . We got so much done around the new house. Many thanks to those who gave of their time and energy to aid us in the renovation. God has been so wonderful to us and has given us such wonderful friends and family. I must sit in amazement at His wonderful grace and blessing to me and to my family.


Today is New Year's Eve. As I think of the new year that is now upon us, I think of goals for the coming year. One that keeps coming to mind is from Philippians 3 where Paul declares, "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death...." That first clause, "That I may know him," reaches off the page and grabs me every time I read or think of the passage. One of my great desires for the coming year is to really get to know my God. That knowledge comes from reading about Him and through fellowship with Him. Too often I try to fit God into my mold or box, seeking to make Him fit my notions and ideas. As I read in the scriptures, I need to be willing to get beyond the black words on a white page and dig into the meaning and application of the truths found within the pages of the Bible. As I enter 2012, my great desire is to get to know my God and to properly reflect Him to those around me.


And now I get ready to head back over to the new home site and continue the renovation work. It shall be another busy, exhausting, yet very profitable day. Adios.

Walking through the Door

Well, this is a big day; today we closed on a house. We were looking, yet taking our time and God dropped a nice house right in front of us. Now we have a lot of work to do to get ready to move in. Over the next couple of weeks we will be removing carpet, fixing the hardwood floors, painting, and whatever else comes along. Yippee! It is amazing how good God has been through the process. The house is only about 3 miles from the school, so it does not take long to get to work. It is only about 4, maybe 5 miles from Bec's workplace.

I must give all thanks to God for His continuing goodness, care, and provision. His plan is perfect and the means that He uses to accomplish that means is always for our good and His glory. May we now glorify Him as we transition to a new home. Even now we sense that central PA is becoming more like home. The task is to make home feel like home.

Merry Christmas

Buenos días, aloha, good morning, and howdy to all. Merry Christmas on this fine and beautiful day. It is absolutely remarkable how good God has been to me and to my family. Have a blessed day; I trust that God will richly display His love and care to you throughout this Christmas day. Take time today to reflect on the God of heaven and on His Son that loved us and gave His life for us.

Walking as Forgiven

In baseball, a batter can get a hit three out of ten times and be considered successful. A football quarterback can complete six of ten passes and be considered accomplished. It was cause for rejoicing when Shaq made five of ten free throws. Yet at times, we beat ourselves up because we failed when we fall short of perfection. One of the verses that I love to meditate upon is I John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I often think of the beginning of the verse, “If we confess our sins….” God did not say that “if we sin…” The implication is that we will sin; the conditional thought is whether or not we will confess it. That does not give us excuse to sin (see Paul’s comments in Romans 6). God knows us well and He knows that we will not be perfect; what He wants is a heart that realizes sin and its effect and is willing to acknowledge the result of sin and ask Him for forgiveness. We should strive for perfect obedience; sin should cause us to humbly go to God and ask forgiveness.

Another thought that comes to mind when thinking of I John 1:9 is this: How do I think of others when they sin? If I want God to accept me even in my imperfection, then I should be willing to accept others even with their shortcomings. Ephesians 4:32 says that I be forgiving, even as God is forgiving to me. As God has been kind, gracious, and forgiving to me, so should I be toward others. If I am to rightly reflect my God to those around me, I must do so at all times, in all places, toward all people. God’s love is given without discrimination, showing a pattern for my life. I should be indiscriminate in my love to those around me, even when they fail my expectations. If Christ could offer forgiveness to others even as He was hanging on the cross, there should be no reason that I cannot forgive someone else.

As I go through the coming days, months, and years, may I rightly reflect Jesus Christ by accepting others even with their faults and offering unconditional forgiveness. After all, what good is love without forgiveness; on one would be worthy of the love. Nothing anyone would do to me will measure up to what I have done to God through my sin. If I am to be involved in intercessory prayer, I must love and forgive others as my God has loved and forgiven me.

Enjoy, and have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Walking --- While Sitting

Here I sit, eating cinnamon rolls and drinking coffee. Life sure is tough. Actually, Justin now works at 8:00, so I enjoy the time at the bakery sampling the wares. Justin is driving now; only in the learner permit stage, but driving none the less. Learning in the city is sure different than learning in Michigan's UP. There are a few more people and cars to avoid here.

The EBCA Christmas concert was last night and the kids were fantastic. There were some fun songs and some serious songs; some secular and some sacred. The choirs sang and the handbells and bands played. It was an absolutely fantastic concert. Perhaps I may post a piece of video or some pictures sometime.

The weather has been quite crazy recently. It is mid-December and it feels like Oct/Nov. It has been mostly in the mid to upper 40's recently. Cool, but very pleasant. Not quite Rio Grande Valley weather, but I can live with this.

The biggest news in our lives recently is the purchase of a house -- at least I think we are buying a house. If there are no complications, we expect to close by the end of the month and then move around Feb 1. There is still a chance for complication, but God has been working out detail after detail accomplishing what we would be unable to so on our own. Those who refuse to acknowledge God and/or His sovereignty must get headaches trying to understand all of the "coincidences." He continues to demonstrate the wonderful truths of Jeremiah 33:3.

Basketball season is underway, doing a wonderful job of adding to already busy schedules. Actually, it doesn't bother me since it has been such a big part of my life over the years. It is odd to sit and watch, but that is what I do these days. Justin and Bri enjoy it and that thrills me.

I was reading the other day about intercessory prayer and was struck again at how a God that knows everything and can do anything wants us to tell Him what He already knows and ask Him to do what He may already desire to do. It isn't about getting Him to perform a task; it is all about getting us involved to the task. We need to see others and their needs and be constantly in a spirit of prayer, going to God who can meet needs. Intercessory prayer is not about sympathy; it is all about the work of redemption and a God who loves us far beyond what we can understand. A quick study of the scriptures looking at the topic of intercession reveals the very heart of God, who Himself interceded on our behalf in sending His Son to die in our place. My desire this coming year is to be more involved in the work of intercessory prayer. As God cares for me, so I want to care for others.

Well, time to go. Have a great day.