Well this will be it for the year...and what a year its been! Like everyone else, there have been lots of ups and lots of downs, but its been exciting to see God working through it all! I've been blessed in so many ways: My Savior loves me and pursues a relationship with me daily, My wonderful wife and I have enjoyed 16+ years of marriage and are looking forward to many more, My kids are growing up and learning to love Jesus on their own, My extended family know and love the Lord and dedicate themselves to pursuing His Kingdom. What more could a guy ask for?
Here's what I'm looking forward to in 2008...
1. Growing closer to Jesus by dedicating myself to seriously studying His Word in depth as often as I can. I also want to learn how to fast and pray!
2. Modeling Christ's love for my family by serving them with Jesus' love.
3. Going on a mission trip with my entire family to Nicaragua to serve the poor (But probably more so for what God wants to do in each of us!)
4. My fist book comes out on January 4 and I'm excited to see what God will do with it to change lives.
5. I want to learn to live in community with a few other men who will love me and encourage me and get in my face on stuff and who will allow me to do the same for them.
6. I'm excited about a web project a friend and I are working on in 2008. I believe it has tremendous potential to help people by using cutting edge technology and the Word of God. Stay tuned for more information...
Of course I can't do any of this on my own. I need your help Lord. So I pray for your will to be done on earth - right here where I'm at...just like it is already being done there in Heaven where You're at!
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog this year. I look forward to what God will do through this little tool in 2008.
Happy New Year!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Letting Go
A friend shared the following words with me today from the Henri Nouwen Society. They reminded her of my last post and I loked them so much I had to pass them along...
Giving Permission to Die
One of the greatest gifts we can offer our family and friends is helping them to die well. Sometimes they are ready to go to God but we have a hard time letting them go. But there is a moment in which we need to give those we love the permission to return to God, from whom they came. We have to sit quietly with them and say: "Do not be afraid ... I love you, God loves you ... it's time for you to go in peace. ... I won't cling to you any longer ... I set you free to go home ... go gently, go with my love." Saying this from our heart is a true gift. It is the greatest gift love can give.
When Jesus died he said: "Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit" (Luke 23:46). It is good to repeat these words often with our dying friends. With these words on their lips or in their hearts, they can make the passage as Jesus did.
Henri Nouwen continues to influence my spiritual journey well after his own death. Thank you Lord for the gift of spiritual mentors who breathe into my life.
Giving Permission to Die
One of the greatest gifts we can offer our family and friends is helping them to die well. Sometimes they are ready to go to God but we have a hard time letting them go. But there is a moment in which we need to give those we love the permission to return to God, from whom they came. We have to sit quietly with them and say: "Do not be afraid ... I love you, God loves you ... it's time for you to go in peace. ... I won't cling to you any longer ... I set you free to go home ... go gently, go with my love." Saying this from our heart is a true gift. It is the greatest gift love can give.
When Jesus died he said: "Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit" (Luke 23:46). It is good to repeat these words often with our dying friends. With these words on their lips or in their hearts, they can make the passage as Jesus did.
Henri Nouwen continues to influence my spiritual journey well after his own death. Thank you Lord for the gift of spiritual mentors who breathe into my life.
Monday, December 3, 2007
A Time to Die
There's a time for everything in life...including death. As part of my "offical" duties as a Pastor, I spend time visiting people in the hospitals, nursing homes, officiating at funerals, etc. Well this morning I had the opportunity to visit a man from my congregation who is 80 years old and was sitiing in a nursing home waiting to die. I've got to admit - that's tough stuff! It's hard to find anything to talk about. It's hard for him to even have the energy to carry on a conversation I imagine. But one thing I said brought a twinkle to his eye. I said, You're ready to go home and be with Jesus aren't you?" And he responded by saying, "I sure am."
When my friend arrives in heaven, he will receive a new body for the rest of eternity. His pain will be gone. He will have a new source of energy that will allow him to live the way he was really designed to live form the very beginning. I could see it in his eyes: He couldn't wait for that day! And neither can I! Why do we avoid talking about death and dying? Why does it scare us so much? Why don't we look forwrad to it like we look forward to being with an old friend we haven't seen in such a long time? Maybe it's teh fear of the unknown...Maybe it's something else...But I pray that God gives me the faith to see what He has in store for me in the afterlife! How about you?
When my friend arrives in heaven, he will receive a new body for the rest of eternity. His pain will be gone. He will have a new source of energy that will allow him to live the way he was really designed to live form the very beginning. I could see it in his eyes: He couldn't wait for that day! And neither can I! Why do we avoid talking about death and dying? Why does it scare us so much? Why don't we look forwrad to it like we look forward to being with an old friend we haven't seen in such a long time? Maybe it's teh fear of the unknown...Maybe it's something else...But I pray that God gives me the faith to see what He has in store for me in the afterlife! How about you?
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