Thursday, December 25, 2008
Saturday, December 20, 2008
twas the night before Christmas Eve Eve Eve Eve
is it just me or do we celebrate Christmas earlier and earlier each year?
no doubt i heard Christmas songs this year right after the 4th of July . . . ok, maybe it was Haloween! either way, the season is lengthening.
since i know the true meaning of Christmas, this shouldn't bother me, right? well, i suppose if as a society, we were extending the season in order to focus more attention on the birth of Christ and the the simple fact the the creator of the universe sent His Son - Emmanuel, "God is With Us," i suppose i would be doing cartwheels.
however, it's more likely that the commercialism of the holiday season deserves most of the credit for the extended hours. stores are initiating sales much earlier than Black Friday. we know have, blue Thursday (starts at midnight of Thanksgiving), firetruck red Wednesday, fucia Tuesday, goldenrod Monday . . . and the list seems to go on. we are being "put in the mood" to shop, buy, spend, deplete savings . . . whether we like it or not.
and the mood? not a focus on the real reason, but a colaborative effort to get the American people to spend more $$$? ok, so maybe this is a stretch, and what am i really trying to say?
is this a common case of Grinch"itis" just 5 days before the coveted Christmas Day?
we must fight for extending the hours of the true meaning of this season. God chose to be with us in human form. to suffer, to understand, to face everything we would face, so that He could truly say, "i know what you are going through!"
let's extend the amount of time we celebrate this truth. well beyond New Year's Day and throughout all of 2009. He came to be with us. God is with us! no matter which life issue has you backed into a aorner. today, you may need to step back from life and remember this truth. and possibly, this truth will set you free!
peace
no doubt i heard Christmas songs this year right after the 4th of July . . . ok, maybe it was Haloween! either way, the season is lengthening.
since i know the true meaning of Christmas, this shouldn't bother me, right? well, i suppose if as a society, we were extending the season in order to focus more attention on the birth of Christ and the the simple fact the the creator of the universe sent His Son - Emmanuel, "God is With Us," i suppose i would be doing cartwheels.
however, it's more likely that the commercialism of the holiday season deserves most of the credit for the extended hours. stores are initiating sales much earlier than Black Friday. we know have, blue Thursday (starts at midnight of Thanksgiving), firetruck red Wednesday, fucia Tuesday, goldenrod Monday . . . and the list seems to go on. we are being "put in the mood" to shop, buy, spend, deplete savings . . . whether we like it or not.
and the mood? not a focus on the real reason, but a colaborative effort to get the American people to spend more $$$? ok, so maybe this is a stretch, and what am i really trying to say?
is this a common case of Grinch"itis" just 5 days before the coveted Christmas Day?
we must fight for extending the hours of the true meaning of this season. God chose to be with us in human form. to suffer, to understand, to face everything we would face, so that He could truly say, "i know what you are going through!"
let's extend the amount of time we celebrate this truth. well beyond New Year's Day and throughout all of 2009. He came to be with us. God is with us! no matter which life issue has you backed into a aorner. today, you may need to step back from life and remember this truth. and possibly, this truth will set you free!
peace
Saturday, December 13, 2008
christmas lights
christmas lights don't seem the same still in the package! am i the only one who has not been able to get lights up on their house?
maybe not, but i'm probably the only one who bought some and still has em in the box.
what can we learn from this? ok, so i'm a preacher and we preachers are always looking for illustrations or spiritual implications in life.
(1) boxed lights don't have any power! umm, that'll preach!
(2) boxed lights aren't as pretty
(3) boxed lights don't get the attention of others
(4) boxed lights don't make a house look any different
(5) boxed lights will never reach their potential
ok, so you know i'm about to apply this to our lives, right?
we all have the opportunity to keep our faith boxed up or to share it.
keeping it boxed up or hidden:
(1) limits the power we operate in
(2) causes us to be less attractive to the world
(3) decreases the chance that others will be drawn to Jesus
(4) means we blend in with the world and refuse to be separate
(5) will keep us average and restrict our ultimate potential
makes sense to me
get the lights and your faith out of the box, hang em, plug em in, and let them shine!
peace
maybe not, but i'm probably the only one who bought some and still has em in the box.
what can we learn from this? ok, so i'm a preacher and we preachers are always looking for illustrations or spiritual implications in life.
(1) boxed lights don't have any power! umm, that'll preach!
(2) boxed lights aren't as pretty
(3) boxed lights don't get the attention of others
(4) boxed lights don't make a house look any different
(5) boxed lights will never reach their potential
ok, so you know i'm about to apply this to our lives, right?
we all have the opportunity to keep our faith boxed up or to share it.
keeping it boxed up or hidden:
(1) limits the power we operate in
(2) causes us to be less attractive to the world
(3) decreases the chance that others will be drawn to Jesus
(4) means we blend in with the world and refuse to be separate
(5) will keep us average and restrict our ultimate potential
makes sense to me
get the lights and your faith out of the box, hang em, plug em in, and let them shine!
peace
Thursday, December 11, 2008
valantine famliy update
top 10 items of info about the Valantines:
(1) amanda(0), matt(3) , and annie(4) visited the dentist today. amanda is the winner because the # in ( ) is cavities!
(2) our christmas shopping is done (well, except for what mama and papa bear are getting each other)
(3) tomorrow kicks off Fine Arts season #4 for the Valantines leading this great ministry for Ohio. yep, we decided to stick around at least one more year!
(4) kaitie sleeps in a big girl bed now. actually, it's an adult twin bed. she got annie's bed and annie is now sleeping in the bed i used growing up.
(5) this Sunday will be our 9th week in Delware. you know what they say about the 9th week . . . ah . . .well . . . what do they say?
(6) we hosted Thanksgiving dinner this year. it was great - we capped the night off with Home Alone 2.
(7) we did buy outside Christmas lights that are still in the garage. come on, it's cold and rainy and we have a pretty weak ladder.
(8) my home church, Highway Tabernacle in Youngstown, OH, donated a bus to our church! Praise God and thanks Highway!
(9) the terrible towel has been waving proudly the last several weeks as the Steelers roll on to the playoffs. yes, the Steeler clock is still hanging on the family room wall. it'll prob come down when the season ends
(10) as always, God is the focus of our lives, especially this season. He is our foundation and at the top of our priority lists!
so now you know . . .
(1) amanda(0), matt(3) , and annie(4) visited the dentist today. amanda is the winner because the # in ( ) is cavities!
(2) our christmas shopping is done (well, except for what mama and papa bear are getting each other)
(3) tomorrow kicks off Fine Arts season #4 for the Valantines leading this great ministry for Ohio. yep, we decided to stick around at least one more year!
(4) kaitie sleeps in a big girl bed now. actually, it's an adult twin bed. she got annie's bed and annie is now sleeping in the bed i used growing up.
(5) this Sunday will be our 9th week in Delware. you know what they say about the 9th week . . . ah . . .well . . . what do they say?
(6) we hosted Thanksgiving dinner this year. it was great - we capped the night off with Home Alone 2.
(7) we did buy outside Christmas lights that are still in the garage. come on, it's cold and rainy and we have a pretty weak ladder.
(8) my home church, Highway Tabernacle in Youngstown, OH, donated a bus to our church! Praise God and thanks Highway!
(9) the terrible towel has been waving proudly the last several weeks as the Steelers roll on to the playoffs. yes, the Steeler clock is still hanging on the family room wall. it'll prob come down when the season ends
(10) as always, God is the focus of our lives, especially this season. He is our foundation and at the top of our priority lists!
so now you know . . .
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
friends
are you a friendly person? who are your Friends? what is your definition of a friend?
i have been blessed to have some great friends in my nearly 30 years of life (yes, my b-day is in 23 days!). from childhood friends like my buddy Chad Schenker who visited me Sunday and enjoyed half of the Steelers game with me to friends like David George, music pastor in Arizona, who stood beside Amanda and I when we were at our lowest point in life, i have great friends!
i have lived in Ohio (3 places), Missouri, and Oregon and have been able to develop life lasting friendships in each place. each friends of mine is unique. each one means something different to me, but each one is special!
there have been times in friendships when i have felt like i was the only one contributing. that's when you begin to see how important that friends really is. to me, if the friend is important to you, it's worth the investment.
sometimes, friends hurt you. i am sure each of us has been there. but, if that friend is sorry, we have a Biblical responsibility to forgive them and restore the relationship. this can be hard, but is worth it in the end!
on occasion, a friend can really disappoint you by their actions. they can make some huge mistakes and don't realize how they will affect you. these are the situations that teach you not to keep your eyes on man, but on God!
on other occasions, friends go above and beyond the call of duty. recently, we had some friends help us move from Bowling Green to Delaware. dave and kati thompson worked so hard and sacrificed so much for us and i don't know how we will ever repay them for that. we love them so much!
sometimes, friends just know the right time to send a note, e-mail, make an encouraging phone call, or just offer that much needed hug. there is no price tag for those moments.
each of us deserves friends if we are willing to be friends. never take them for granted. always let them know you appreciate them, and thanks God for bringing them into your life!
thanks, friends!
i have been blessed to have some great friends in my nearly 30 years of life (yes, my b-day is in 23 days!). from childhood friends like my buddy Chad Schenker who visited me Sunday and enjoyed half of the Steelers game with me to friends like David George, music pastor in Arizona, who stood beside Amanda and I when we were at our lowest point in life, i have great friends!
i have lived in Ohio (3 places), Missouri, and Oregon and have been able to develop life lasting friendships in each place. each friends of mine is unique. each one means something different to me, but each one is special!
there have been times in friendships when i have felt like i was the only one contributing. that's when you begin to see how important that friends really is. to me, if the friend is important to you, it's worth the investment.
sometimes, friends hurt you. i am sure each of us has been there. but, if that friend is sorry, we have a Biblical responsibility to forgive them and restore the relationship. this can be hard, but is worth it in the end!
on occasion, a friend can really disappoint you by their actions. they can make some huge mistakes and don't realize how they will affect you. these are the situations that teach you not to keep your eyes on man, but on God!
on other occasions, friends go above and beyond the call of duty. recently, we had some friends help us move from Bowling Green to Delaware. dave and kati thompson worked so hard and sacrificed so much for us and i don't know how we will ever repay them for that. we love them so much!
sometimes, friends just know the right time to send a note, e-mail, make an encouraging phone call, or just offer that much needed hug. there is no price tag for those moments.
each of us deserves friends if we are willing to be friends. never take them for granted. always let them know you appreciate them, and thanks God for bringing them into your life!
thanks, friends!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
results
most of what we do is done for the results:
(1) we go on diets to lose weight
(2) we ask a guy or girl out to get a positive result
(3) we study hard to get a good grade
(4) we root for our favorite team because we think that we can will them to win
(5) we give our kids what they ask for so they are happy
(6) we treat people kindly so they will be blessed be our actions
(7) we decorate the house with tons of Christmas stuff so that . . . we can . . . it will . . . well can't remember why we do that
when it comes to our relationship with Christ, a great deal of it has to do with results. i invest time in prayer and Bible study because i want to grow closer to Jesus. i want to know His heart! i want to be the man of God that my family and church needs. i want to have no regrets at the end of the day.
results
what results are you longing to have in your life? what are you doing to get those results. you reap what you sow.
FYI - i am hoping to get more people to read this blog. i know i have to post more often for that to happen, so i am hoping to get in that habit. please vote on the polls so i know that you are reading my blog
peace
(1) we go on diets to lose weight
(2) we ask a guy or girl out to get a positive result
(3) we study hard to get a good grade
(4) we root for our favorite team because we think that we can will them to win
(5) we give our kids what they ask for so they are happy
(6) we treat people kindly so they will be blessed be our actions
(7) we decorate the house with tons of Christmas stuff so that . . . we can . . . it will . . . well can't remember why we do that
when it comes to our relationship with Christ, a great deal of it has to do with results. i invest time in prayer and Bible study because i want to grow closer to Jesus. i want to know His heart! i want to be the man of God that my family and church needs. i want to have no regrets at the end of the day.
results
what results are you longing to have in your life? what are you doing to get those results. you reap what you sow.
FYI - i am hoping to get more people to read this blog. i know i have to post more often for that to happen, so i am hoping to get in that habit. please vote on the polls so i know that you are reading my blog
peace
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