Personal Responsibility

I have been constantly remined over the last twelve years, of the importance of personalizing my faith.   It was a lesson that I was forced to learn when the severity of my wife’s health condition was beginning to be made clear to us in 2008.  Over the ensuing years I found myself questioning just about every Biblical truth that I had ever believed.  Now, that may be thought of as a rather blasphemous statement coming from a man that had been in active Christian ministry for the vast majority of his adult life.

In my defense though, I would also say that I did things rather unconventionally in my ministry training… some might even say a bit backwards!  The mainstay of my training was learned in hands-on experience within the various churches we attended and served in.  And although my wife and I did attend countless seminars, conferences and hours of Christian leadership and Bible study classes throughout the years, I didn’t actually attend an accredited Bible College until after some thirty plus years in staff ministry positions at five different churches in northern California.

I entered Bible School thinking that I knew a lot… only to find out how LITTLE I actually did know!  Those classes brought new levels of understanding to me that I didn’t even think was possible.  It made me re-think many of the ministry approaches, decisions, counselling and teaching that I had engaged in since the early 1970’s.  Don’t get me wrong here though… not all of it was of a negative nature, but it definitely gave me a great depth of understanding to the heart and purpose of ministry. 

I guess you could say that it took the “ME!” out of our ministry.  It reminded me of a class that Piper taught a few times in our Children’s Church classes on the subject of PRIDE.  The point that stood out to me was that “I” is the middle letter in the word PRIDE!  And believe me… I could see that there had been a lot of “I” in many of my ministry endeavors… especially in the early years.

When we returned home after Bible School, I was immediately faced with some tough decisions.  With everything I had learned at school, the reality of Piper’s rapidly declining health and a lot of family and friends feeling like it was their responsibility to share all their hopeless, negative, doubt-filled and faith stealing opinions about her with me, I quickly discovered that in many respects… I was on my own when it came to keeping the stand of faith that Piper and I had agreed upon in prayer, while she was still lucid in Oklahoma.

It was at that point that I realized that in order to stay the promise that I had made to her, that I had to really know that I know the Biblical truths I was standing on and exactly WHY!  That it was firmly and unequivocally based on what was in my heart and that I wasn’t just believing it because someone else believed it or because it sounded good to me.  In other words, my faith HAD to be founded on my own deeply entrenched and intimately understood convictions of the truth of God’s Word!  I had to KNOW without any hesitation that God intimately knew and loved Piper and I so much, that He would always be true to His Word for us… to the Word that we were standing on! (See: Ephesians 3:19)

Paul’s writings to the Corinthian Church in 1 Corinthians 2:5 perfectly summarizes the lesson that I learned.  Paul explained that the intentions of his teachings to them was “that your life of faith is a (personal) response to God's power, not to some fancy mental or emotional footwork by me or anyone else.” (The Message Bible)  In other words, their faith life was up to them, not someone else.  It all depended on how they understood it and put it into personal usage in their lives.  In effect, he was saying, that each of us have to take the responsibility for our own faith.

I do not believe that I could have made it through the difficult years of Piper’s final journey… nor that I can face today and tomorrow without her… except that I now know WHO, WHAT and WHY I believe… and come any storm… God and His Word will ALWAYS stand firm for me and with me!

Can you say the same?  Who is responsible for your faith?

WHAT IF?

All I can say is WOW!  Was it ever C-O-L-D yesterday!  When we took our morning and afternoon walks, it was in the low-forties with 35 to 40 mph gusts of winds from the northwest, blowing down across the open spaces between Oklahoma and Canada.  The windchill factor easily took another ten degrees off the stated temperatures.  I had an Optometry appointment at eleven and as I pulled out of my driveway, snow flurries began to fall from the sky.  The flurries never amounted to much and the sun actually came back out in the early afternoon… but it sure didn’t seem to affect the temperature at all!

I hadn’t had my eyes checked for a couple of years and had noticed a change in my eyesight… so, I figured that it was a good time to get some new glasses.  I am glad that I went as everything in my eyes checked out fine and my sight had only degraded a small amount for both distance and close-up.  So, with that, I ordered a new pair of inside glasses and decided to keep the sunglasses as they were… at least for now!

I had received a Benefit Debit Card from my insurance company at the end of last year for $500.00, with the stipulation that it had to be used for medical related proposes and expired at the end of 2020.  So, with the thought that I wanted to get some new spectacles in mind, I called the Optometry office where my youngest daughter used to work, made an appointment for yesterday and had the $500.00 card amount credited to my account.  Needless to say, that helped my out-of-pocket expenses tremendously!

With that appointment completed, I was able to check off another item on my long to-do list, as I continue to settle in to my new life, in my new house, in my new city and state, in this new chapter and season of my life.  It seems like everyday presents new challenges to my state of mind while I forge on through all the changes that I am experiencing with the absence of my wife, my kids Mom, my best friend and long-term partner in just about every dream and imagination that I have ever had since I was seventeen.

I would have to say though, that without ANY HESITATION, my faith, my expectations, my trust and my commitment to God and His Word have continued to grow throughout every step that I’ve taken… whether I took them willingly or not!  As I was praying Paul’s Ephesians prayers* the other day, the thought suddenly popped into my mind, “What if we REALLY took God at His Word?”  As the strength of that statement penetrated my mind, it gave me reason to pause, to push back from my desk and stare out toward the vacant golf course outside my study window.

For lack of a better term… I would say that I have prided myself for years proclaiming that I fully believe the Word of God… without question, with a child-like faith.  But that statement, which seemed to emanate from deep inside of me, kinda shook me up!  For as I looked out the window and REALLY contemplated what my response would be if God personally asked me that question (which was how I tended to take the question anyway!), I could see many times where I immediately began to think of excuses why I couldn’t believe it for that particular set of circumstances!  Be honest here… Have you ever done that?

I like the way that The Message Bible puts the beginning of Ephesians 3:20 when Paul stated in very descriptive words, “God can do anything, you know…”  That introduction to the rest of the verse says it all… doesn’t it?  But, do we… you and I… REALLY believe that?

What if we did?  Think for yourself… How different would your life be if you unequivocally, unreservedly, and without any hesitation or doubt… no matter what the circumstances may be… did REALLY believe and ACT as though God’s Word was true and that He loves us so much that He will ALWAYS do for us what He says that He will DO in His Word?

I know that this question has really stimulated my honest, heartfelt and frank thoughts and communications with the Father concerning where I stand.  Am I a BELIEVER or a PARTIAL – BELIEVER?  Do I only believe Him when things seem possible to me… or at any time, in any place whether I have a fat bank account or not, whether medical science has a cure for it or not or when the mountain seems just too big or unsurmountable… or not?

What do you say?  Simply said, I think that it comes down to one simple question… Do you Believe Him or not?

Have a great weekend, and keep expecting God’s best!

 

*Ephesians 1:17-23 and Ephesians 3:16-21                                                                                                 

Power Off... Power On!

Our power suddenly blinked out this morning just as I was getting started on my Bible Study.  If you haven’t guessed it by now, this is one of my favorite times of the day.  The house and neighborhood are quiet, the heater is beginning to chase away the morning chill and it’s just me, God, a cup of coffee and Fiver lounging on the leather love seat behind me, as he keeps an alert eye on the cul-de-sac out the window!

But the power outage really did nothing to affect my study as my computer, displaying my eSword Bible Study program, automatically switched over to battery power and the light pouring in from the large window to my left, gave me more than adequate light for my note taking.

Over the weekend I felt led to look at a scripture found in the book of Job that really excited me.  The thoughts of “excitement” and the book of Job don’t usually go together in my mind, and in fact… Job is probably one of the least worn sections in any of my Bibles!  But this verse was different.  At the end of the book, the writer makes an amazing statement that I decided to take personally, for it encouraged me in a special way and put a smile on my face that seem to last for the rest of the weekend!

After all the shock, pain and heartbreak that Job had gone through, his perseverance in sticking with the Lord paid off when it was documented that “the LORD blessed the latter years of Job’s life more than the earlier years.” (Job 42:12 God’s Word ©)

Let me explain a little… I had determined to take down the Christmas tree and pack up all the Christmas decorations on Saturday afternoon.  And what began as a simple task turned into an emotional fiasco!  The first thing that hit me as I began to take off the ornaments on the tree was that Piper and I will NEVER set up and enjoy that tree together again.  Then as I probably mentioned in a previous blog post, a good many of the hand-crafted ornaments that we have hung every year since our first few Christmas’ together, were love-gifts given to Piper by her students at the large Christian pre-school where she taught in the early years of our marriage.

So, all the precious memories of those years before we started our family, came flooding back to me… and needless to say… I became very sentimental, to the point of tears.  Then there were all the ornaments that our kids had made, the family stockings and… well… you can figure out the rest!

That’s why that particular scripture was so well received by me.  When I first read it, I was feeling kind of sensitive, feeling a bit sorry for myself and was tending to see myself as the wasted guy sitting in the bar with Job and agreeing with his sad, sob story (although I can honestly say that I have never had a drink in a bar)!

I’ve noticed that one of the primary thoughts that come to haunt me when those times of sorrow hit, is the overwhelming feeling of being lost without any purpose or meaning to life.  But that verse nailed it as I immediately felt as if the Lord, like with Job, was telling me that… SOMEHOW and SOMEWAY… my latter years would turn out to be even better than my earlier ones when Piper was at my side!

And speaking of being overwhelmed, I have to admit that I was more than a little confused with the thought of that seemingly outlandish and impossible statement!  I mean… How could life for me, possibly be any better than it was with Piper?  But that questionable thinking was quickly quenched when I remembered another scripture found in Luke 18:27 in The Passion Translation when “Jesus responded, ‘What appears humanly impossible is more than possible with God. For God can do what man cannot.’”

So… at that point I made the decision to walk in faith, to put my trust completely in His Word, to not rely on my own opinion (See Proverbs 3:5) and let Him do WHATEVER and HOWEVER that He wanted to do in and with my life… and (do my best to) NOT WORRY about it anymore!

And you know what else?  I am also learning that this same advice and course of action can be… and SHOULD BE taken when it comes to the current atmosphere of confusion, fear and deception that seems to be running rampant in our nation’s capital, where people are saying one thing while physically doing the complete opposite… and then blaming the other party for exactly what they are guilty of!

It looks and sounds like everything is falling apart, but as with my personal lesson this weekend, I firmly believe that God is NOT done yet and will always have the final say!  For once again, as Jesus Himself stated: “The things that are impossible for people to do are possible for God to do." (Luke 18:27 God’s Word ©)

That’s what I believe and in Whom I have set the expectation of my faith.  How about you?  And like I found out once again this morning… EVERYTIME the power has gone out in my home… It will always (eventually) come back on!  (What’s that saying about keeping the switch of faith turned on?)

Have a great rest of the week and keep expecting God’s best in your life today!

Blessings and Steaming Dog's...

When I awoke this morning (as has become a habit of mine for many years now), I immediately began to think and audibly confess that “This is the day that the LORD has made and I choose to rejoice and be glad in it!”  (Psalm 118:24 ISV – personalized) 

Two hours later, as the dog and I stepped out the front door into the frigid, 25-degree morning, I couldn’t help but stop, breathe in the clean fresh air and enjoy the beauty of the quiet, still view that just seemed to mesmerize me as it unfolded before my eyes.  The grass still had a layer of frost icing its blades and the golf course was as of yet empty of any early morning players.

While we walked along the perimeter of the course toward the neighborhood park and pond, I couldn’t help but stop and think about how blessed I was to live in this particular neighborhood, in this particular city, within this particular state.  I was tickled pink to read that my new home town of Broken Arrow was recently named as the 11^th safest city in the country by the website “MoneyGeek.com.”

Sure, the weather can get crazy at times as compared to my old home in California… but you know?  I’m kind of learning to enjoy it!  The last week or so has been pretty chilly with strong winds blowing from the north.  As Fiver and I were walking home (into the wind) yesterday afternoon, it literally felt like my face was going to freeze!  But I still had to smile as I found myself pleasantly pleased over it.

I mean things are good!  During our top-of-the-morning jaunt just a little while ago now, I found myself once again, counting my blessings.  After a ten-year battle of the bulge, I am FINALLY back to the weight that I was at when I quit my management position at Home Depot in order to take care of my wife… and it feels good to be able to buy smaller sized clothes that actually fit me right!

Through the technical wizardry of ZOOM, I got to participate last night in a cross country, video Babybook Baby Shower for the newest member of our family, Jeremy and Aubrey’s daughter Harper Quill.  Our older son and his lovely wife planned and organized the event and we had an audience from three different states including Tennessee, California, and two cities in Oklahoma. 

But I do have to admit, that even though I thoroughly enjoyed seeing everybody again and the fun family banter and memory sharing, I am still having a bit of difficulty adjusting to the idea of attending Baby Showers!  I’m sure that most guys would understand what I am saying here.  Baby Showers were always Piper’s department!  She would attend and then fill me in on all the details when she returned home.  This being both Grandpa and Grandma isn’t as easy as it seems… at least to me!

Do you ever take the time to just stop in the midst of your busy day and take account of all the blessings around you?  Ephesians 1:3 tells us that “Through Christ, God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing that heaven has to offer.” (God’s Word ©) 

Sure, there are crazy things happening all around us, but according to this verse, we ALSO have all the blessing that heaven has to offer at our disposal!  And as far as I am concerned, I aim to focus each day on those blessing and not on the worry and fear that the world continuously dishes out!

Psalm 91:15 strengthens this conviction by sharing another promise of the Lord when He said, “I will answer your cry for help every time you pray, and you will find and feel my presence even in your time of pressure and trouble. I will be your glorious hero and give you a feast.” (The Passion Translation)

That’s the meal I choose to fill my dinner plate with… HOW ABOUT YOU?

So, I would encourage you today to stop and smell the roses!  Take a moment or two to think about and then thank the Lord for all the blessings in your life, after all, there is always someone who has it worse (probably much worse) than any difficulties that you and I might be facing in our lives today.

STOP and CHOOSE to REJOICE and BE GLAD similarly as I did first thing this morning, before I even set my feet on the ground, looked out the window or took a peek at the morning news!

The choice to be happy and thankful for the blessings in our lives is up to us!  As a kid growing up, whenever I felt down, my Mom would tell me to go out and get some exercise… and you know, I still follow that advice today.  After this morning’s cold, crisp walk amongst the frozen dew and laughing at the steam that came from the neighborhood dog’s mouth as he barked at Fiver, I can’t help but REJOICE and BE THANKFUL for the BLESSINGS of the Lord upon my life… and then let that Joy and Thankfulness liberally splash unto to others!

How about YOU?

What am I Passionate About?

For some reason, I found myself thinking a lot about PASSION during my Bible Study time earlier this morning.  Maybe it was the verse from Ephesians 3:9 that I was reading in The Passion Translation that triggered my thought pattern.  In this verse the Apostle Paul wrote that, “My passion is to enlighten every person to this divine mystery (the Gospel of Christ). It was hidden for ages past until now, and kept a secret in the heart of God, the Creator of all.” 

My immediate response after absorbing his statement was, as you might imagine, “What am I PASSIONATE about?”  Had this been a little over two years ago, I would have spontaneously replied… without any discussion… Piper!  And in many respects that would still be my first response today.  Although my thought process is slowly but surely shifting the thinking of my PASSION for her to be in terms of the past, recalling the poignant memories that I will always have of our 48 years together and not in respect to future dreams and plans… at least not in this age, on this earth!

So, what else am I PASSIONATE about?  Well, I would have to agree with Paul, that throughout the majority of my adult life, I have also had a growing PASSION for the Word of God.  As I pondered that thought this morning, I realized that I thoroughly enjoy reading the Word, teaching the Word, writing songs and singing about the Word, and then writing about the Word in different formats and for varying purposes.

And all that started while in high school and college as Piper’s and my relationship blossomed.  After our wedding we immediately jumped into Youth ministry and I found that I enjoyed writing Youth Lessons, skits and retreat programs and then moved on to years of writing Children’s Church lessons and curriculum, songs, plays and a whole bunch of Puppet Skits!  And in-between and throughout all of the years, there were the opportunities I had to preach in the adult services on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights, at Convalescent Hospitals, as well as in a public park a time or two!

I think the greatest and most important honor I have ever had though, was to be able to be 24/7 care-giver and full-time Pastor to my wife when we could no longer be involved in a church both in California and North Carolina.  Then for the last ten years, I’ve been writing this blog… and who knows what the future holds… Well, actually I have a few projects in the works… but they are not ready for public knowledge yet!

Dictionary.com defines PASSION as, “a powerful or compelling emotion or feeling; a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm or desire for anything.”  Speaking from personal experience, I would say that a person’s PASSION for something or someone is the almost uncontrollable force or power that causes them to go far and beyond what others might consider to be the norm in the successful accomplishment of their plans, goals and dreams concerning that said PASSION.

I remember that it would always startle and confuse me when people would question all the things I was doing for Piper in her time of need, be happy about being at her side 24/7, and give my best effort to keep our life as normal as possible for her.  For me there was NEVER a question about what I did.  I was PASSIONATE about my wife and had been since the day we started dating.  In my eyes… everything I did was just a normal part of my responsibilities as her husband… I always figured that every husband would do the same… but sadly, came to find out that I was mistaken!

In my way of thinking… when you are PASSIONATE about something, there is no-one nor no-thing that can stop you from doing your best in whatever you need to do!  That is also how it is for me with my trust in, dependence on and study of the Word of God.

It is also interesting to me, that one of the biggest lessons I learned while Piper and I journeyed along her final trail on this earth, was that Jesus is also very PASSIONATE about His Word as well as being PASSIONATE about His love for you and me!  The portion of scripture in Hebrews 4:14 where the writer tells us that “God's word is living and active” (God's Word ©) has taken on a whole new and deeper meaning to me since I began to personally understand and experience the living, active and powerful interactions of God with me whenever I open up my Bible!  It is no longer just a book of good words or positive thoughts to me… but it is HIM in personal dialogue with me! (see: John 1:1)

So, as we move on into this new year with all kinds of crazy things seemingly happening all around us… let me ask of you?  “What are you PASSIONATE about in your life?”  What thing or things are you so deeply entrenched in so that no-thing nor no-body can shake the foundations of your life.  I’ve learned that it sometimes takes a reordering of the things that are important to you in order to get one's priorities right.  But whatever it takes… let me suggest that we do it sooner than later as things seem to be more unreal every time I look at the news!

Have a great ending to your first full week in 2021, keep your eyes and your trust on HIM… and you’ll be sure to make the right choices!

Sleep Well America!

I have to admit that I had gotten pretty tired of the same old stuff that I was hearing on the news for the last few months.  In fact, during most of the month of December, I took a hiatus from the news and commentary programs that I used to enjoy watching.  It was depressing and to me, my beloved country and all the wonderful things that I firmly believe that our forefathers planned for it, seemed to be quickly spiraling down the tubes!

It got to the point where I found myself seriously considering if freedom really is on the way out in our country?  Is socialism making a bold move into a part of how we live our daily lives?  And is the brazen deception, lies and daily doses of misinformation coming from a very vocal segment of our political leadership and mainstream media going to have the final word in my life?

With all those daily concerns bouncing around everywhere I turned, I finally went to the Lord in prayer to bring up my questions… BUT THEN… I remembered:

When Piper and I began our final journey together on this earth, when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, we had a wide array of voices speaking to us… and many of them were not in the positive mode!  There were small but very loud and vocal contingents of individuals who not only gave us a wide assortment of reasons why they thought that everything we were doing was wrong, question our every move and accuse us of all kinds of selfish and unkind motives and behaviors, that were totally based on false narratives of our lives as husband and wife, as parents, as ministers of the Gospel and for our strong stand of faith in our doing only what we felt the Lord was calling us to do.

But you know what?  Our minds were already made up.  Our course of action was already set, and our thoughts, words and corresponding actions of faith were fully focused on the truth and power of God and His Word!  Scriptures like Ephesians 1:19 became our lifeline where we thanked the Lord and confessed as we prayed “that we would continually experience the immeasurable greatness of God’s power made available to us through faith. (And) That our lives would continue to be an advertisement of this immense power as it works through us…” (The Passion Translation – personalized) 

To be rather honest and blunt… we just chose to NOT LISTEN to what these very vocal and loud voices said to us.  We sought to stay friendly and respectful of them… but DID NOT yield to what we firmly believed was incorrect and harmful information for us to follow… mainly because it did not line up with the Word of God, of which we had made to be the captain and foundation of our plan in facing what was ahead of us.

Now, some ten years after the beginning of that battle, we face similarly troubled times.  With an array of very vocal and loud voices yelling at us through printed, online and broadcast media, along with political leadership, we are receiving a constant barrage of incorrect and harmful information about the future of our country.  So, what do we do?

I think we do the same as Piper and I did for the last eight years of her life.  We simply DON’T LISTEN TO THEM… but instead… LISTEN TO GOD and the TRUTH OF HIS WORD!  When we started our journey back then, we saw and yielded to a voice that was BIGGER and MORE POWERFUL than the negativity that at times surrounded us.  Was it easy?  NO WAY!  Did our actions pay off?  YESSIREE! 

Throughout the ensuing years we found favor almost everywhere we went, were able to procure the best of medical care for Piper, came across different kinds of benefits and other programs that helped immeasurably in paying many of the expenses of her care, and was miraculously able to pay thousands of dollars in cash for everything else without incurring any debt whatsoever.  And along the way we moved across the USA, bought our dream home in the country (and car!) and lived her final days, in what I believe to be, the exact fashion of faith, peace and joy… that she would have wanted it to be!

So now… as we enter into another year of unknowns, facing all kinds of potentially destructive changes in the life that we have been blessed to live in this country, I believe that we should choose to NOT listen to the negative voices but instead to the voice that WE KNOW to be BIGGER, MORE POWERFUL and MORE TRUTHFUL than any other voice in the land.  And through it all, with our obedience to God and His Word, to expect that “We will experience the immeasurable greatness of God’s power made available to us through faith. (And) That our lives will continue to be an advertisement of this immense power as it works through us…” and then splashes liberally onto others all around us!

Remember too, that Hebrews 13:8 tells us that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (God’s Word ©) and what I have seen and experienced in the past… I whole heartedly expect to see Him do again… for you and for me as we continually “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and (then see that) all these things shall be added to us.” (Matthew 6:33 EMTV) 

So, CHIN UP! and FAITH UP as we enter into 2021.  Switch your focus from what the world is (literally) screaming at you and focus your eyes, your ears and your heart on the firm foundation and truth of God and His Word! 

And then we’ll be able to, as Mike Lindell on the all familiar “My Pillow” advertisements always says, “Sleep well America!” *

 

* (and believe me I know that commercial… because the dog howls EVERYTIME that it comes on!!! – I think that it has something to do with the notes in the jingle.  I’ve also heard of other dogs that react the same way!)

To the Fullest Extent...

…  a reposting from January 2, 2017

 

Happy New Year one and all!  I pray and hope that all of you had a joyous Christmas celebration and an enjoyable time as you welcomed in the New Year.  Even though I’ve never been too enthused about staying up late and reveling in the New Year, I still get excited with the change of the calendar as I am always expectant of the prospect of the new and exciting things ahead.  For as long as I can remember, I have been one to look ahead, set goals and plan for the future.  I may not always meet those goals, but they give me something to reach for, something to hope for!

I guess that’s one reason I like the message of faith that I believe is clearly outlined in the scriptures.  As you know, one of my favorite verses is found in Hebrews 11:1 as translated in the God’s Word © translation where the writer of this book declares that “Faith assures us of things we expect and convinces us of the existence of things we cannot (yet) see.”  If you and I are not expecting anything (or the wrong things) then we cannot be in faith to believe that God can do anything for us in this life… and as far as I am concerned, that is NO way to live! (see: Mark 10:27)

I believe that the Word of God is THE truth on any matter… in any situation…PERIOD!  Therefore, I choose to keep my thoughts, my expectations and my words focused on His Word.  That way I always see a positive future… right?  Well… that lifestyle was definitely tested during the waning days of 2016 with Piper’s emergency stay in the hospital last week.

Seeing my beautiful, perky, outgoing and always encouraging wife lying there in the ER and later that morning in a room upstairs looking pretty pale, frail and unfocused with tubes in her arms, really gave me, as someone claiming to be in faith, a run for my money!  It was with a heavy heart that I left her side to go home to care for the dog and get some needed sleep after being up for a couple of days with only a 1.5-hour nap. 

It would seem though, that these are the times and experiences that not only test one’s resolve, but can also act as a catalyst for renewed vision and passion in one’s faith.  Suddenly I found myself having to face things in the natural that seemed to be opposite to what I was believing for.  Scenarios presented by the Emergency Room staff did little to comfort or encourage me… but they definitely did make me dig down deep, stand my ground and hold on to my foundation of faith that was beginning the shake like the last big earthquake I’d been through in California!  But you know… just like that quake that happened in the 1980’s, our house shook, and we got bounced around a bit but came out completely unscathed!

As I prayed throughout the experience over the decisions I was being asked to consider for the immediate and long-term care of my wife, I heard the Lord simply say “to just take one step at a time.”  And with that a calming peace flooded my soul for it was the same advice that I have heard from Him in many of the situations we’ve faced over the last six or more years… and in each of those situations, I received the wisdom, the courage and the confidence to do what I needed to do when the circumstances required action on my behalf.

So, I listened to their suggestions, made some decisions and have some appointments later on this week.  We’ll face each situation as it comes with the peace in knowing that we are not alone, that we are not compromising our faith and am doing the right thing for my wife that she needs right now!

Yesterday as I began to study and pray one of the Apostle Paul’s powerful prayers in Ephesians 1:16-23, I opened up my Bible Study program, turned to one of my favorite translations and never got through the first verse!  I got five words into verse sixteen and began to have a flurry of thoughts, directions and teaching by the Spirit of God inside of me and quickly transferred them to the empty page in my note book through the mechanical pencil in my hand.

This verse begins by the Apostle declaring to his readers that “I never stop thanking God…” (Ephesians 1:16 God’s Word ©)  As I read those words, our experience over the last few days immediately began to play in my mind like an endless loop and I saw myself repeatedly thanking God from the beginning of the situation in our home through the time both the doctor and nurse wheeled Piper in the wheelchair downstairs to our car and our return home.  I don’t remember thinking that I HAD to thank Him at the time… it was just like second nature to me!

And I heard the voice of the Lord again yesterday, as He directed me “to just live one day at a time.”  And I instantly understood Him to be encouraging me to not be so focused on the future that I miss the joys of the present!   Then I heard an interesting comment that made me pause for a moment or two as I considered the weight of the words that were spoken.  The Lord simply stated that He wanted us to “enjoy each day to the fullest extent of the Word…”

I had to ask Him to repeat the sentence as I thought I misunderstood Him, thinking that He really meant to say the more familiar statement, “to the fullest extent of the law…”  But no! I heard Him right the first time.  He repeated that He wanted us to enjoy each and every day of this journey “to the fullest extent of the promises in His Word.”  In other words, to the fullest potential and provision of what Jesus has already done for us through His finished work of the cross.  Well, that sure puts a different, more exciting and more positive spin on life doesn’t it!  What do you think about that for your life?

So, what’s my plan as Piper and I move forward from the ending events of 2016 and into the new events ahead?  To do exactly as He said to us!  To live one day at a time.  To expect His wisdom, confidence and courage as I need it, to enjoy each and every day to the fullest extent of His Word and to be thankful for every moment of every day that I still have with her!  After all… if He is the One in which we have put our trust, then each of these steps should be easy… right?

Have a great new beginning to the great New Year ahead.  And as you do, keep asking yourself… “How THANKFUL and EXPECTANT of the fullest extent of His Word working in my life am I expecting through each day in 2017?” 

…or for today as you read this in 2021…