Happy Friday Friends!
I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day! Additionally, I sincerely hope that you all have been enjoying a very safe, happy and blessed Christmas season.
I am not really sure what, if anything, you will glean from this Happy Friday. I have tried to argue with God about it - you see, the Happy Friday's I write each week are truly just the overflow of my heart, what I feel my spirit is leading me to write about - however like every other time my spirit convicts me to do something, as much as I want to argue or do something else, the conviction is so strong I have to follow it...I have to follow the One leading my spirit.
What is on my heart this week is that I truly love being a Dad. I understand the awesome responsibility I have, the accountability I have and the fact that the consequences of my action, or inaction, as a Dad will reverberate for generations and into eternity. When I first came to realize this it scared the heck out of me, I instantly saw my inadequacy. I, in my own knowledge, wisdom, strength & courage, am painfully inadequate. I have found however that I am completely adequate in God's adequacy when I choose to make Him the Lord of my life and I allow Him to lead my life and my family through me. This point is made beautifully in the song "Lead Me" by Sanctus Real.
What I have really been thinking about, and noticing, however is how much these three blessings - the one's I am to lead, guide & protect - are teaching me. I am telling you, they challenge me...and I mean that in the most humble, God honoring way.
- Is it o.k. that a 45-year old aspires to have the obedience of a 6-year old? That I truly stand amazed at how he will do something I ask him to do even though everything in his precious little body wants to do something completely different. Crocodile tears filling his eyes, he faithfully does what I ask him to do because I asked him to do it. My spirit convicts me. I catch this visual of God telling me what to do and me - everything in my body wanting to do something completely different - doing what I want to do.
- Is it o.k. that a 45-year old aspires to have the kind, gentle spirit of a 13-year old? If someone is hurting, needing help, etc. he never misses it. How? How does he see these things? Why don't I see them all the time? He will point them out to me and then ask me if we can help them. AND, he never forgets. When he was about 6-years old he had talked to one of my colleagues about a problem one of her family members was having. About 2 months passed and he saw my colleague again. He asked her about her family member. He was 6-years old!!! I catch a glimpse of how we are supposed to think of others above ourselves and again, my spirit convicts me.
- Is it o.k. that a 45-year old aspires to have the calm spirit of a 16-year old? I have always been one whose highs are really high and whose lows are really low. God blessed me with a son whose is calm & steady in his spirit, regardless of the situation. Again my spirit convicts me, reminding me to not be changed by my circumstances but to remain strong, steady & confident in the One in whom I have chosen to place my life, my hopes, my dreams and my responsibilities.
Yes, I believe all of these things are o.k. In fact, I believe that this is not an accident or a coincidence. I believe that God is using these precious blessings to help teach me, to help me grow to become the man he has designed, called & created me to become. And I KNOW that my life is blessed because each one of them is in it!
I also feel compelled to share a couple of scriptures with you:
Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court. - Psalm 127: 3 - 5 (NIV)
But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. - Luke 18:16 (NIV)
Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your families. I will always be willing to help you any way I can.
Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, a safe, happy & prosperous New Year and please cherish your precious families.
Kev
Happy Friday Friends!
I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day! Only 4 more days until Christmas Day! The excitement in the air is palpable.
This week I just want to share a few thoughts/insights from the week:
- I still can't get my mind around what happened in Newtown, CT last Friday...how can you? How do you explain or understand the loss of sweet, precious, innocent lives - young & old? I feel a searing sorrow to the depths of my soul. My heart literally aches. Initially I have a lot of questions for God. How? Why? Where were You?! My Pastor talks last Sunday about how he felt the same things. He said doubt is o.k. and, if there were no doubt, there would be no faith. This makes sense to me. I still don't understand. I still hurt. I still believe that God is in control and He will use all things for good...sometimes saying and believing these things strictly by faith. I think of and pray for the families, for the loss, heck, for the whole town, numerous times during the week.
- I was on Facebook earlier this week putting my daily quote on there and I see a post from one of my former players. He says that he is dumb because he failed a test. He is one of the smartest, hardest working people I have ever met in my life. I am reminded that we all fail the tests that we don't prepare for. Whether in life, in the classroom, on whatever field you play, if you don't prepare you will fail. This does not make us failures, these are simply failing moments. Question to self; are you preparing for the test that certainly lie ahead?
- I am walking through the streets of downtown Seattle - down 6th Avenue to be specific - on the way to a dinner. It is raining. It is cool. People are bustling around everywhere. I look up and see big trees with beautiful white lights, in the distance the Space Needle. I am struck by the beauty. The rain hitting my face feels good. The cool air feels refreshing. I wonder how come I don't always notice these things. I see little kids in the window at Nordstroms sitting in Santa's lap. I think of the kids in Newtown...I pray.
- I have a friend, who for two weeks has known that on the 20th he will find out whether or not he will keep his job or be laid off. I pray for my friend, his bride and their daughters. I pray more than anything that God's peace will be upon them, that they will truly trust and believe that God is good, that He has a plan for their lives, that He will take care of them. I pray this for my family and I. On Wednesday night the 19th I am climbing into bed. My heart feels heavy for my friend and my spirit convicts me to get up and reach out to him. I email him, I tell him I love him, I share some scriptures with him that I feel might be meaningful to him and I pray for him, typing it as I pray. On Thursday morning I pray for my friend several times. I look at my watch several times between 10 - 11 in Seattle. His meeting started at 10 Seattle time. Each time I look at it I think, "he should know by now." I don't try to guess what might or might not be happening...I pray. A little after 11 I receive a text from him...he still has his job. I smile, I thank God.
- During the week I receive an email from a friend. She had taken a great leap of faith in her career because she felt it was the right thing to do. She waited patiently, faithfully for the job she felt was right. She was emailing me to let me know that she had in fact found a great job and that she would be starting the next day. Her walk, her testimony of faith, speaks to my heart. My heart is genuinely happy for her. I thank God that she had the strength, the courage to walk it out faithfully.
- Still reading Joyce Meyer's book about the words we speak, being mindful of breathing life or death with each one. As I workout and pray, asking God to lead me, guide me, give me the right words, my spirit convicts me. I don't want to just say the right things or not say the wrong things. No, I want to think the right things. I claim the truth of God's word when He says He will renew our minds. Yes, this is what I ask Him for. I want to see what He sees. I don't want to just say nice things I really want to see the good in people, in situations. I pray more.
- I love Seattle...it is so beautiful. You want to talk about the rain? Why do you think it is so green? I had the privilege of talking to so many neat, unique people this week. What a privilege! I fly home. As much as I really do love Seattle, Phoenix is home and my heart genuinely feels happy as my plane slowly descends. I hustle to baggage, to the shuttle, drive home as quickly as I can. I see my Beautiful Bride and 3 Tender Warriors...yes, this is where I belong. This is my calling. I truly am blessed.
Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you or your families. I will always be willing to help you any way I can.
Have a great night, a wonderful weekend & a very Merry Christmas. And, if you are a praying person, I respectfully ask that you pray for peace, strength & courage for those in Newton, CT. Cherish those precious families and friends!
Kev
Happy Friday Friends!
I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day! Technically this is a Happy Thursday Night however I figure it is Friday somewhere and besides, I have written a couple of Happy Friday's on Saturday so I am good going a few hours early!
Earlier this week I was getting in my car after an appointment and the timing was perfect. The radio announcer was talking about Christmas. She talked about how since we were little kids we have been asked, "Have you been naughty or nice?" You go sit in Santa's lap and he says, "Have you been a good boy this year" or "Have you been a good girl this year" and then, and only then, after making sure we have been good, he wants to know what we want for Christmas. It is the beginning of establishing the misguided belief that I have to be "good" - a very subjective term by the way - if I am to get what I want. She then went on to talk about how many - possibly most - of us believe the same thing in our relationship with God. Wow! A powerful thought. The announcer went on to speak the truth of God's word - if we confess our sin it is not only forgive, it is also forgotten. It is washed away...completely. We are healed, renewed and restored.
Dang that spoke to my heart! I don't know about you however I have had times - still do - where I have prayed for forgiveness for something I have done wrong over & over & over & over (you get the point) again. However, if I stand on the truth of God's word, it was forgiven & forgotten, I was completely healed, renewed and restored the first time I asked for forgiveness if I truly did it with a repentant heart. Can't you almost see God sitting there with a quizzical look on His face (I am not being sacrilegious, just hang with me for a second...I realize that God knows everything!) the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc. times I bring it up as He goes, "What the heck is Kev talking about? That was forgiven & forgotten, I healed, renewed & restored him a long time ago."
So here are the two things I want to share with you this week:
1. Are you still carrying around baggage of some mistake, mis-spoken word, hurt, etc. that you have placed before God? Friends, if you have truly asked for God's forgiveness, with a pure, repentant heart, it is no longer yours to carry. Claim the truth of God's word Friends, please. You are forgiven, God has wiped the slate clean, you are healed, renewed & restored. If you are a bible believing person, this is Truth. That being said, where do you think the reminders of past failures & mistakes, the feelings of inadequacy, the shame, the guilt, the sorrow come from. Let's see, God says He will forgive, wipe the slate clean, heal, renew & restore you. Guess it's not coming from that Guy. So it must be coming from the other guy, the one who is known as the Deceiver...think about it. Oh how I pray we will all (me included...doubly so) receive this truth in our hearts. That we will believe, live and continually walk out the glorious life that our Heavenly Father desires for us to live. You have made mistakes, you have failures, you have shameful moments, moments you regret? Of course you do, we ALL do. God knows this. He also knows that we can't be "good enough", that we can't make the "nice" list...that is why He sent his Son to die for our sins Friends. Once (read the word, re-read the word - once, singular, uno...don't know how else to say it!) we ask for forgiveness with a truly repentant heart it is forgiven, forgotten, we are healed, renewed & restored. WOW!
2. This next one has really been challenging me as a husband (my highest calling), as a Dad (my second highest calling), as a friend. God forgives, forgets, wipes the slate clean, heals, renews and restores. He sent His Son to die for our sins. I surrender my life to God, I accept Jesus Christ into my life as my Lord and personal savior and the Lord lives through me - leading, guiding & directing my life. So how am I on the forgive, forget, slate wiped clean, heal, renew, restore? (Deep breath, swallow hard - repeat). How many times have I brought up a past offense...the one I said I forgave? How much do I hold my Beautiful Bride or one of my Tender Warriors in the past - the past that includes forgives, forgotten, healed, renewed & restored if they sought God's forgiveness? Me, the one who asks God daily to lead them through me, how much am I actually fighting against God because of my own pride, resentment, wanting my way, etc.? Oh boy, I really don't like this mirror! I once read that the image a lot of us have of God is our own Dad's. God is our Heavenly Father, our Dad's are our earthly fathers. The way my Dad acts, treats me, handles my failures, faults and shortcomings...this must be the earthly image of God, right? My heart hurts!!! How many people are leading broken lives because of the failings & shortcomings of their Dad's? A lot of grace here Friends...they are humans just like us. Still the pain, the image, the brokenness is very, very real. I don't have the answers, I simply have a challenged Spirit. I respectfully ask you to think about it. How will you treat your husband, wife, children, friends, co-workers, the stranger on the street? We know how God handles OUR sins, failures, shortcomings, etc. How will we treat theirs? Do our thoughts, actions, words & attitudes line up with His?
Please let me know if there is ever anything I can do for you or your families. I will always be willing to help you any way I can.
Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish those precious families.
Kev
Happy Friday Friends!
I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day!
Gonna try to keep this short. I have a date with my Beautiful Bride and I am so excited! I cherish my time with her and, sadly, there has not been enough of it lately. I am literally giddy to go out with her tonight!
I wanna share one thought with you and one excerpt from a book (yes, I have been traveling again!). Before sharing the thought, I have to tell you that I don't have all the answers...heck, I don't have any answers. I do want to testify to you what has been placed on my heart and you can then choose how you will live your life, what you will believe.
Last week I shared with you a struggle I have had - praying for myself. As I thought about that message afterwards, and talked to several people who I am blessed to do life with this week, I kept coming back to one thing. In my mind I have thought of it as "the problem" or "the challenge." Over and over again it came back to the same thing - am I going to walk out the faith I profess to have or not? Do I really believe that God has a plan for my life or not? Do you? You see, most of us are fine with how things turn out so long as they go how we want them to go. But what if God's plan is different? What if what I want, what if my hopes, goals & dreams are not what God has ordered and ordained for my life? Uh-oh, right?!?! I am thoroughly convinced this is where a lot of Christians get in trouble, a lot of trouble.
Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Do I really believe what the word of the Lord says? Do you? Most importantly, are we willing to walk that out, each and every day of our lives, until the day we meet God face to face? In seasons of prosperity most of us give out an enthusiastic, "Absolutely!" How about when things aren't perfect or even good, according to us? What then? This therefore is not our challenge or our problem, it is our decision. Will I, will you, make the decision to believe & walk out the word of the Lord or won't we? We are going to go through our problem, struggle, issue, etc. regardless of what we choose. How we go through the problem, struggle, issue, etc. will be determined completely by what we choose. Think about it Friends. Please, think about it.
By the way, here is a little gift for you on this beautiful Friday. Please fill in the blanks with your name:
"For I know the plans I have for _________________," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper _____________ and not to harm _________________, plans to give __________________ hope and a future."
Let it speak to your heart Friend. After all, it was written for you.
I am gonna share a quick excerpt from Joyce Meyer's book, "Change Your Words Change Your Life: Understanding the Power of Every Word You Speak." Again, I am just gonna share the message, you decide how it speaks to you and what you will do with it.
"Never underestimate the power of your words and deeds. With a few kind words, you can change a person's life. For better or for worse. God puts us all in each other's lives to impact one another in some way."
Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your families. I will always be willing to help you any way I can.
I am off on a date...WooHoo!!!
Have a great night, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families.
Kev
