HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

Today is my 61st birthday.

Happy Birthday to me

Happy Birthday to me

Happy Birthday dear me

Happy Birthday to me.

And many more.

And yes, Norma, I am now older than you, but you will catch up to me again.

Oh, and Happy Birthday to Max, my little brother! He was born on my 11th birthday. 

So tonight at church on my birthday I plan on preaching a sermon entitled, "Happy Birthday to Me!" Now that may sound like a vain topic, but it is my birthday. And it is a happy birthday. God has been so good to me.

Why is it a happy birthday?

Well, I am still here.

I am blessed beyond measure.

I have been born again and have an even greater birthday to celebrate, the date of my second birth when I got saved. My second birth happened when I was around 5-6 years of age. I remember it like yesterday. I don't know the date, but I know it happened. Jesus forgave me of my sins, and I was born again. Since I don't know the date, I celebrate my second birth on the date of my first birth.

I used to think that anyone over 40 was ancient. Now I know that life on earth is just the beginning as we will live forever. That's right. We will live forever. What a thought. Amazing!

So, how will I celebrate my birthday? I plan on preaching and letting people know that to be born again makes every birthday a happy one.

Happy Birthday to me!

INCREDIBLE FAITH

Simple faith, childlike faith is pleasing to God. Children believe what you tell them. They have such incredible faith that trusts, expects and obeys. That is why our Lord admonished us to have faith like a child.

Adults have a way of making things too complex, too difficult, too impossible. That isn't pleasing to the Lord at all. He wants us to trust Him, believe Him, and obey Him.

There is a pureness in childlike faith that touches God's heart. Children come to God accepting Him for who He is and what He has said.

Oh, that God would make me know Him, trust Him, believe Him as a child again. Just to know He is and He will do what He says.

I believe. I know. I accept Him. He is real.

PREPARATION

It seems I spend over half of my time with preparation. It takes hours. I don't mean just getting dressed and ready for the day, but that does take loads of time too. Admittedly, it is easier as a man to dress for the day than it is for a woman, but it still takes time. Shave, bathe, throw on some clothes, and out the door I go.

But I prepare to teach, preach, lead church services, minister at sickness and death situations, mentor and train leaders, perform weddings, dedicate babies, counsel, and lead all kinds of church activities.

And writing, takes preparation.

And motorcycling takes preparation.

And yard work and house maintenance and cleaning takes preparation.

And taking trips takes preparation.

And doing menial tasks requires preparation.

And I prepare to be as good of a husband, father, and citizen as I can be.

You can't even go to Walmart without preparing a list.

Whew!

That is the nature of life. We have to prepare to live.

But, here is the most vital preparation. It is the soul preparation. It is getting ready to meet God face to face. One day, I will see Jesus face to face. I have served Him all of my life and never visibly seen Him. When I do, I want to be prepared.

I am preparing. I am covered by His blood. I am saved by His grace. I am preaching His Gospel and getting as many as I can to go with me. I am preparing. I am getting ready.

Preparing to see Him is a passion.

NO MOBILEME

For over two years I have enjoyed my MacBook and Iphone being connected to transfer vital info over the Internet through what is called MobileMe. It is a system where information is transferred to and from my computers and Iphones and stored in the Internet in what Apple calls a "cloud".

It is really neat to have all of this information (phone numbers, names and addresses, emails, notes, and other stuff) transferred without connecting a wire or doing anything. It just happens. All this information goes to the other computers regardless of which computer or Iphone I enter it. Wow! That is neat, easy, and effortless.

At least, while it works. The good news is that it has always worked until just recently. I am getting that repaired and it will work again. I love it.

But here is the point!

Connections with God never go lacking, that is unless I break the connection. He never fails. He always gets info right. He transfers what I need. It always works.

MobileMe is a great invention.

MobileGod is better!

SIT ROCKY

Wanda and I visited Julie and the boys in Tampa on Friday and celebrated Alex's 11th birthday. It was a fast trip and went too quickly. I cannot believe that Alex is 11. He is such a fine little boy. I love him and all our grands so much.

While visiting Julie, we met her friend, Debra, and also met Debra's dog, Rocky. He is a friendly black lab. You can see his smile radiating as his big tail wags at you. The dog kinda captivated me. He just was a friendly, happy dog.

You know what I liked most about Rocky?

He would sit, lay, shake hands, and do what he was asked to do with a smile.

Now that is my kinda dog.

Don't have a pic, but here is to Rocky! I don't have a dog, and I don't have any plans to get one. But, Rocky is special. He had a warm smile.

DON'T TALK, JUST LISTEN

Last week as Wanda and I spent time to wait on the Lord and prayer, I relearned a valuable lesson. I know that I knew this, but the Lord brought it to my attention again in a very specific way.

Here is the lesson:

Don't talk, just listen.

Most prayer is talking on our part and the Lord does a lot of listening. Thank God that He does listen, but I wonder how often He would just like for us to be quiet, quit talking, finish with rabbit trail praying, and listen.

That is not as easy as it made appear.

When was the last time you prayed, and didn't say a word. Is that really praying, well it is if you truly believe prayer is a two way communication.

So, I quit talking. He knew everything about me anyhow. I just stopped talking and begin to listen. At first, I will admit it was awkward, but my mind got still and I begin to hear His voice.

He spoke. I listened. I am going to do more of that kind of praying. Oh, I will talk to Him and expressed my love and share my needs.

But I plan on listening more.

TWO CHOICES

An airline flight attendant asked a passenger if he would like dinner on his flight.

The flyers responded, "What are my choices?'

The attendant said "Yes or no."

HA! Yes or no. Very simple.

***

It would be nice if every choice in life was just that simple, but that is not the way life works. But, life in its most basic issue boils down to just yes or no.

Yes, I choose to serve the Lord.

Or

No, I don't need the Lord or have time for Him.

Here is my choice. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

The answer is "YES!"

ONE WEEK OF PRAYER

I have prayed to God all of my life. My first prayer that I ever remember praying was when I was around 5 or 6 and I prayed to ask Jesus to come into my heart. He did, and I have been talking with Him ever since then.

Prayer is more than part of a minister's job description. It is more than a plea to get what I want. It is far deeper and far more meaningful than that. Prayer is connection with the Great I AM. It is friendship. It is a walk of love, peace, instruction, guidance, and fulfillment. It is the doorway to heaven.

So this past week was spent with one point of focus: prayer. It was one week of prayer.

It was a week of waiting, listening, sharing, and growing closer to Him.

What happened?

I met God again. He talked with me. He spoke loving truth and revealed clearer purpose and plans. It was beyond my expectations.

There is too much and too sacred for me to write. I can just tell you that I met God again. That is all that matters.

WANDA AND ME

This blog is dedicated to appealing to the higher good in life. I wrote for well over a year on Kristy's blog and then created this blog as a means of sharing from my heart and life. It is a different blog than Kristy's, but it is what I am to share.

I haven't written much recently about Wanda and me. My ramblings have been varied and zoomed through all kinds of topics. Some were personal and informative, but most posts have been more about what I felt inclined to write to appeal to inspire a higher good in others.

Yet, some have expressed a desire for a more personal approach in my writing sharing about my new life and new wife.

Second marriages are unique, especially at this time in our lives. We are older and hopefully know more than we did as we began our first marriages. Children are grown and gone, and now there are grandkids. Careers and calling are established and full. We are not broke and wondering if we can ever have our own home. Goals and dreams are still motivating, and there is much to do.

So, how is the second marriage doing?

Incredibly well and amazingly blessed.

Only God could be two people together as He did Wanda and me. She has stepped to the plate and hit a home run as a wife and partner in ministry.

Wanda and I have so much in common but there are enough differences to make it interesting and to complete each other. After all, men and women are different, and thank God for the differences as my Dad always says.

Yes this marriage is different and we're on a learning curve, but we are having a ball. There are moments of reflection and times of question as it relates to our individual losses of mates. But, we have chosen to remember, give thanks, accept God's providence, and go forward. That is a choice, and with His help that is exactly what we are doing.

God spoke to me not too long after Kristy passed and told me early one morning as I awakened that Wanda is the one that He had for me. He said that she would bless me and bless my children and that I would bless her and bless her children.

God is good and God is right. He is faithful too.

How are Wanda and I doing?

We're blessed.

***

My blog posts this week were written before this week began as I took this week off in a prayer retreat with God. I am determined to know Him more and do His will.

LET'S PRAY

Prayer is the connection between God and man. Prayer is communication. It is listening as well as talking. Prayer is the personal line that each of us has which helps us know God more intimately.

So, this week is a special week of prayer.

I have chosen to set aside special time this week to wait, listen, share, and receive what God has for me. TV is turned off. Phones and computers and emails are limited. No running to and fro doing this and that. It is a week of quiet time waiting before God.

What are my expectations?

When we wait before God, anything can happen. In fact, nothing much happens of consequence until we do wait before Him.

I really do feel that God has something unique to say to me this week. I do have some things I want to say to Him. There are some goals, dreams, and ideas that I plan on sharing with Him, but most of all I want to hear from Him.

Waiting on the Lord takes patience and sometimes great determination to discipline our lives and schedules.

So this week, the calender is shut down. No preaching, no visiting, no office work, no interruptions. I am waiting on the Lord.

Pray for me.

Thanks!

IT'S LABOR DAY

I like holidays. They are acceptable times to take a break and celebrate. Christmas is my favorite. Then comes Easter. I love July 4. And Thanksgiving is great. I love turkey and dressing and pumpkin pie!

Today is another National Holiday when we move past summer vacations, start school, and get into another work year. It is kinda funny that on Labor Day we all take off from work, but that is what a holiday offers--a break!

Work with purpose leaves a feeling of accomplishment. Some of the most boring, burdened people I have ever been around are lazy folks who are sluggards or bums. They don't have purpose and they don't have a plan. Not good.

Work is good. Fulfilling labor adds to life.

But my favorite work is the work of the Lord. It has eternal purpose. I love preaching, teaching, praying, celebrating victories and blessings, comforting the broken, and planning major attacks on the devil, the enemy of our souls.

This coming year will be forty years of working fulltime for our Lord for me. Here is my plan. I plan on working for Him until He comes or I go to be with Him.

Why?

Because working for Him is all that matters. His retirment plan is incredible. The joy is endless. The reward is beyond comprehension.

Today, I celebrate Labor Day. Oh, I will do some work for Him today. He pays double time when we sacrifice for Him and others. Every day is labor day for Him.

FIRST CHOICES

I can't get past this word, choice.

How many choices do we make in a day? Some choices are so subtle and totally unnoticeable that we do even realize a choice was made. I didn't think of about half of what I did this morning to get ready for the day. I just did it, but choices were made nevertheless. Choices were made on what to wear, drive, and do. Some of them I obviously gave attention to and thought about, but so many choices subconsciously just happen.

Subconscious choices are potentially dangerous especially when it comes to eternal consequences. People just pass right over them and make unfortunate decisions.

Here is a great idea.

When choices are made, think God first. What would honor God about this choice. How can I put Him first.

Impossible?

I don't think so because this is exactly what Jesus told us to do. Do you remember His words in Matt 6:33? "Seek first the Kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you."

God is first. He must be first in our choice list.

Believe me. Everything will then fall into right order.

Give Him the first day of the week.

Give Him the first part of your money.

Give Him the first part of each day.

Give Him first consideration in life choices.

Give Him first choice.

You won't regret it.

CHOICES

Our choices determine the quality of our lives. What we chose to think, say, do, go, eat, and repeat are all part of determining our destinies. Every day is a series of choices. Do we chose to begin the day with or without God? Do we chose to have a good attitude or not? Do we chose to get some exercise or not? What will we eat? What will we do? Will we bless or curse others? Will we forgive?

Imagine living in a dark, I mean, totally dark world with no light. Imagine traps and danger points are around with no one to warn or steer in the right direction. Imagine no end to such an existence.

That would not be a very good way to live, but apart from the light of Jesus and His truth that is exactly how people live. Sadly so many are getting beat up and abused as a result.

I cannot tell you the number of people I have counseled through these many years that their choices had brutalized them. Yet, sadly so many continue to make the same type of choices. Amazing!

There is a better way found in Christ. He is The Light of the world. His truth sets us free to live and enjoy life abundantly. I have never found one person who was a true, serious follower of Christ who lived a life of regret, shame, or brokenness. Jesus is The Life Giver.

It is a matter of choice. Choosing Christ is the best choice I have ever made. Oh, He has been so good to me.