Good morning and happy Monday. Well the wave of Christmas is over. Now what? I was reading some stuff the other day about surfing. I don't know why but I was. Any way, a guy named Tom Blake invented the hollow board used today. Rabbit trail that lead to me seeing a picture of about 10-12 people riding a small wave together into the shore. As many of you know, I like to talk and visit with people all the time. Over the last week or so I've heard some stories of life and how it's been rough for one, decent for another, and just amazing for yet another. Well, as God often does when He and I visit, He shows me the waves of life these folks and myself ride. A friend with cancer will have a tougher part of the wave to ride than say someone who just had a baby. We ride these waves of life to the shore and then, get this, we paddle back out and catch another one. As we paddle out we will pass by friends riding their next one in. And when we reach that point out in the deep, we will wait for what looks like the perfect wave to ride in on. We'll pass on some and wait. And wait. Wait, that one looks good. Here we go. We stand up and start the ride. But this is not what we wanted. It's turned into a terrible ride and we may not make it in. What usually happens here? What do we usually do now ? Before, I would have no idea, but now I simply hit me knees and pray. I pray to God who made this wave and all the things of this earth. He is where I find my strength and my resolve. Through Him and Him alone I can make it to the shore. And then, I'll paddle back out again to see what life has and who, if not just me alone, I can have an impact on by showing how God and God alone gives us this strength. So no matter where you are, good wave, bad wave, in between wave, ride it all the way and see the glory of God in it all. And most importantly, paddle back out. In love always. <><

Good morning and happy Tuesday. Have you ever been pulled over in your car on a bright sunny beautiful day ? Then just as you thought the whole day was ruined you got a warning ticket. The officer showed you mercy. The beautiful day is grace from God. Neither one was deserved. Grace and mercy are very similar and not always understood in their proper definition. Mercy is more like judgement withheld that is deserved. Grace is unmerited love no matter the circumstance. People who are married and have issues in that marriage can see it this way. Not getting a divorce and splitting up the belongings and the money and all that goes with that would be in the light of mercy. Continuing to love the person for what ever the reason and wanting to love them with full forgiveness is grace. Which one do you find easier to give to others ? I've never in my life felt what real grace from a human is like. We learn in church about the grace of God. It's too big for me to wrap my head around really until now. I am the receiver of grace from another person and I am in total amazement of what this feels like. Because of human nature I find myself waiting for the other shoe to drop and the real and true feelings to arrive and give me a good swift kick in the head. It would be deserved too. But then that's not grace and that's not what I've been given. Now that I've received this, huge on a people scale, small amount of grace, compared to God's, I'm seeing the grace of God in a whole new light. I can really feel it now. The splendor of the whole world as a whole. The favor, for lack of a better word, that He has for us. The unwavering love of God is so immeasurable. This love is grace. We have to find this within ourselves to be able to fully understand it and be able to express it to one another. Imagine that world for a second. Even if we just put forth the effort without ever expecting anything from it, our own little slice of the world can change. Sometimes God is too big to get, and it takes a small little ole us to pass it along in a small little ole dose to someone so that it can be seen.

Mercy ends because judgement comes in time. Grace is what saves us from the punishment we deserve. I can never express my gratitude for what grace means to me now. I can thank God for exactly what it is and how much I'm unworthy of it but so thankful for it being poured out to me. Always try and show mercy in the same way you yourself receive it, but look for ways to extend grace to people. God's love can be seen in the sunrise; the stars in the sky; the smile on a newborns face. How good does that feel ? Pass this along to others. Tana, thank you. I love you so much. In love always. <><

Good morning and happy Friday. Do you know what you're supposed to do ? How many times in your life, especially when you were younger, did you have someone say "If you'd do what you're supposed to do, that........" ? So when you heard it means you probably didn't do what you were supposed to do.
How far do you think Peter walked out on the water to Jesus? Two or three steps ? Ten yards ? Or just out of the boat ? Matthew is the only gospel that tells this story. Jesus gave him a simple command in reply to Peter's question. Come. That was all he was supposed to do. Go to Jesus, that's it. The verse says he walked on the water toward Jesus then he saw the wind and was afraid. He began to sink and cried out to the Lord "Save me".
How relevant this is to me today. All I have to do is what I'm supposed to. But as I've walked toward Jesus I've seen the wind, and I failed Him. Not just Him but others as well. That's usually what happens when we don't do what we're supposed to. Our ripple effects others and causes winds to blow at them while they themselves are walking toward Jesus. Or, in some cases, Jesus uses those very messes and winds we've stirred to turn someone's boat around so they can see Him walking toward them. Then they can get out and begin walking toward Him too. But we have to do what He's asked us to do. "Come, come to Me". "Follow Me". And when we don't and we begin to sink, all we have to do is just cry out , Lord , save me. By His grace, mercy, and love we are already saved. We just have to receive it. He will never let you go. In love always. <><

Good morning and happy Monday. Man what a week last week. And it's continuing this week as well. Your prayers have been felt and it's overwhelming. Thank you. I was sitting in a hospice room the other night with a very precious 84 year young lady, watching her as the others had gone to get a bite and take some much needed relief to breathe. As I watched her laying there taking labored breaths, I got to thinking about it being her last ones. She has spent 84 years on this earth taking breaths and having her breath taken away by moments in life. And here we are to last ones. And yet these are the ones taking my breath away. Leaving me pondering life and death and God and heaven. How important these last few of her life are for me. Passing on life in the same way God breathed life into us. The saying is, life is too short, and that's true. But a life well lived will last forever. It's passed on through memories. Our loved ones breathe live into us. We breathe live into others. Our network of relationships is so broad and tangled into others that we leave the memory of ourselves on others we make contact with. What kind of life are we breathing into others ? How much life are we taking from them ? What moments took their breath away ? Her last breaths here were not her last ones. I will carry them with me and pass on that love of family and friends to mine. And I pray that they see God in me and pass on my breaths of Him to others. Let your breath of life speak of God and the salvation His son Jesus has brought to us. Pass on the breath of life to every one you meet and know. It is the most precious and valuable gift in all the world. Let your last breath be singing His praises. In love always <><

Good morning and happy Wednesday. Late Monday night a crew got a call to go to work to go home. A few hours later in their home another crew is called. They got up and packed a lunch and left with the first crew already heading to them. A few hours later many lives where changed forever. The out pouring of care and concern is and was over whelming. You see these lives are gone or changed and their families will feel the effect forever. And by knowing someone who worked with them, you too have been effected in some way small or even big. Our lives are like pebbles dropped in a pool. We leave a ripple of effect that goes on through our entire life. Some close to us feel the fullest effect. Those a little distant might only just hear of something. None the less, we are created by God for a purpose. Some times we may never know what that purpose is or wether or not we completed it. But make no mistake you have a purpose and an effect on people's lives. It could all end tomorrow so please make sure you are living it to the best and fullest extent possible. Make sure the effect and mark you leave on this world is one God has led you too. That your family can find peace and solace in when you're gone. The biggest key in succeeding in that idea is to love. Love people, love life and love God. Please keep these families in your prayers and lift up your neighbor at the same time. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind. Don't dwell on His mystery, trust in His plan. In love always. <><

Good morning and happy Wednesday. I've been busy working in my back yard trying to repair all the damage done to it by a not intentional dog who had a thing about digging. Over the course of time I just got to a point I had to let it go and contend with the fact I'd have to fix the whole thing one day. Well this week is the day. So it's rip up,dig up, shred up, and level up and repair and restore it to what it should be. It will probably be better than it was when it was first put in, only because it's cared about by the person redoing it. What dogs have dug up your life ? How bad is the grass in need of repair and tending to in your life ? Most of the damage has been caused by ourselves but there other things and people who can effect it as well. If we allow God to do the work in us the way we should, He will restore us to much better than we could've ever imagined. But the process isn't easy either. That's why many will start down the road but won't finish. It's too hard to have our lives ripped up, tore up, shredded up and dug up. But the Father, oh the Father can repair us and mend us if we just allow it to happen. Casting Crowns sings an awesome song called "Just Be Held". There's a line that says, yours life's not falling apart, it's falling into place. For that to happen we have to be willing to submit to His ways and not our own. To give up the control we so desperately seek and just be held. It's a difficult road to walk but you're never walking alone. The God of the universe; creator of all things, stands beside you and when needed to, in front of you. And when necessary, will hold you the entire way. So please allow yourself to be held by the Father. Allow the grass of your life to repaired and fixed and mowed by the One who made it in the first place. In love always. <><

Good morning and happy Friday. Well, it's been a while. I'm sorry for that, but here we go. Have you thought of something and how it would turn out? Like a vacation and the things you plan on seeing. A small thing like a little league game and the way it would go, just anything. And then when it's happening and you're there it's like nothing you thought it would be. Sometimes terrible and sometimes amazing. Just not what you thought it would be. I think we expect it to be worse most of the time and end up getting a pleasant surprise. Case in point, I got my wife some tickets to a show for Christmas. I was slick too. I saw she had liked this event on her Facebook page. Oh yeah, gonna score some good job points on this one. When I looked at the event I thought it was a Christian comedian lady we both like. I'm thinking I'm getting some points and a good show of laughs. Well, it wasn't a comedian at all, although she made some funny jokes. What I thought was going to be a pretty cool evening of laughter and comedy turned into one of the most amazing nights of music I've had in a while. Now, you that know me know I love music of all kinds and I like to laugh as much as I can, but this was amazing. What I had gotten my wife and I were tickets to the Sandi Patty concert with special guest Veritas. Oh my goodness. I did not expect that and was completely blown away.
What do you expect from God ? Let that sink in and think real hard about it. If you read this and things like it chances are you've already bought your ticket to the show. What are you expecting ? There are times as Christians, contrary to a mega church ideology, that we are not going to be happy and will feel pain and sadness. Times will be tough and we WILL struggle through some valleys. Not what you expected from God ? Why ? Jesus told you it would be this way. But you see this is not the show you bought a ticket for. The really big show , use your Ed Sullivan voice, is still to come. And while we expect it to be great and wonderful, John, the writer of Revelation, could not even describe it to its fullest. So while life hands out some disappointments from time to time, I'm certain we will not be disappointed for living a life following the King of Kings, Lord of Lords; Jesus Christ. Live your life to the fullest for Him and His glory and wait for the glorious and amazing show to come. In love always. <><