daddy4ms

On Saturday, I had the privilege of taking my 4 kids to do a service project with people from our church at the MCC Processing Center in North Newton. It was great to work alongside 20 people from our church of all different ages. We had children as young as 2 and parents with kids & grandparents with grandkids . If you know me, you know my passion for helping our kids develop an attitude of service at a young age. They do not need to wait until Junior or Senior High to start thinking of others and helping those who are in need. This is why I organize these service projects several times throughout the year. Even though today was a crazy day for many due to soccer games and other commitments, we were able to accomplish much for MCC . We worked on school kits, health kits, & relief kits. I was proud of all of the adults who came but especially proud of our children. They worked hard for 1 1/2 hours. The lady who was supervising us even commented on how well behaved and...

Yesterday, I finished the book, Prodigal God, by Timothy Keller. I had been challenged and enjoyed the book from the very beginning as he explains that the Parable of the Prodigal Son is wrongly named. It should instead be the Parable of the Sons. He suggests that we have been taught to focus on the younger, more rebellious son, even though the older son also had issues to deal with too. The focus is not just on a God who forgives the wayward son, but the self-righteous son as well. Too often our churches are full of "older brothers" and miss out on the true meaning of the parable. It is not about "them" but about us and our need for Christ. I am an older brother as I have confessed before. The book continues to explain the parable in insightful and challenging ways. But Keller brings it home, in my opinion, in the last chapter. As I read, I was a "highlighting freak". I kept reading and saying, "wow! that is true, that is good, yes". B...

I had a great experience on Thursday. I was meeting someone at the Perk and after that meeting was over, I felt led by the Holy Spirit to go over to someone and talk with them. When I approached them, I introduced myself and asked how she was doing. When she hesitated, I knew something was not fine. I sat down and talked with her briefly. After talking, I asked her if I could pray for her. Then I got up and went on with my day. The whole experience took maybe 5 minutes, but it was one of the highlights of my day. However, as I reflect back, I realize that times I have had similar promptings by the Holy Spirit and have either ignored them or rationalized them away. What a joy it was to be obedient today and have the privilege of praying for someone. Don't ignore the Holy Spirit's prompting in your life today-you won't be sorry!

This morning, I woke up to a thick fog outside. As I was reflecting on fog, I started to think about fog in our lives. These questions came to mind: What are the things that block your view? What situation is keeping you from seeing your destination? How do you deal with fog? I think the answer to the last question is you move into it. Fog does not last for long and when light appears it usually begins to disappear. This brings to mind the verse that says, "But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." (John 3:21) Jesus says, "I am the light of the world". These verses tell us that when it is hard to see, we need to look to Christ. The John passage tells us that the truth allows us to see plainly. Today, I encourage you no matter what fog is billowing around you that there is Someone who can shine light into that difficult to see situation. Also, know that the Word of G...

Last year, I wrote a post about how much I hated the movie, Valentine's Day. This year, I did not see a movie for this day we celebrate love. However, I would like to suggest something different. Our small group is currently going through a study by Chip Ingram called, "Experiencing God's Dream for Your Marriage." I would suggest that the best gift you could give your spouse this Valentine's Day is a commitment to your marriage. This means working hard daily to do the things that strengthen that bond including communication, conflict resolution, intimacy, and understanding differences. Also, it is a great help to join a small group to encourage and challenge one another in marriage. (I enjoy our times- Burkholder's , Jantz's , Hiebert's & Frary's ) This provides accountability and support. One thing Chip Ingram suggests is doing one thing each day for your spouse from their care list. To learn more, buy the series or put together a s...

This week, I had a meeting in Wichita which is about a 30 minute drive from Hesston . As I pulled out of town, I started praying. I had just read some great books at the Perk and was processing that information. As I drove down the highway, things I had been thinking and praying about for months started to shape into a "God idea". How do I know? First of all, I had this thought before but had always dismissed it because I don't have the skills or time. Second, it was something that I would never decide on my own. Third, as the idea became more clear, I got excited! A few months ago, this would not have brought about the same response. But now, I was energized and now I am looking forward to putting it down on paper. You might be asking: what is it? Well, you will have to wait. I hope as I begin to pray and write that God will do a great thing in this project. Looking forward to this afternoon when I begin. My encouragement for you today: be patient to wait on ...

I started using a new devotion in 2011 called, Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young. Here is a picture of the front cover. I have enjoyed reading it each day. The readings are short and are written as if Jesus is speaking directly to you. Young has done a great job of using Scripture and writing daily devotions to challenge as well as encourage believers. I would recommend you pick it up and start reading today. Thanks for the recommendation Amy!