Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Regrets, Resolutions and Realizations

Looking back on this past year, I found myself going through my thoughts and making mental lists of things I encountered. Thought I would write them down.

I have some regrets from 2006, some of which are:
Not spending more time with my kids. They grow up so fast and I wonder where I've been and what I've missed.
Not reading more of God's word, and getting closer to Him.
Not keeping in touch with old friends.

Some
resolutions for 2007:
To continue to learn to play the guitar more efficiently and to start playing the keyboard again.
To laugh more and to not be such a stick in the mud.
To love my wife and kids more and spend more valuable time with them.
To strengthen my relationship with God.
And of course to loose about 20 pounds

Some
realizations from 2006:
Time flies when your having fun.
Great vocals is way better than great music.
I have a desire to go back to school and get a degree in music.
I'm not perfect (kinda already knew that one).
I love my wife more today than the day we got married (and that was a lot back then)
My wife gets more beautiful every day.
My kids will one day be smarter than me.
Life is short and fragile.
Good friends make life better.
Stepping out in faith is scary, but necessary to grow in Christ.


I'm sure there is a lot more but in a nut shell.......

I hope your 2006 was fantastic, and if for some reason it wasn't, remember God knows what 2007 holds for you. And if your following Him, and seeking His will, then it will turn out to be a great year.

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Gaining a brother

Sunday I gained a brother and a sister in Christ. Keith and I used to hang out together several years ago. We did everything together, farmed, goofed off, hunted, fished, got it trouble, you name it. After Lisa and I were married and life got busy with kids and jobs, Keith and I drifted and only saw each other in passing. Well through a variety of circumstances, Sunday I had the privilege of watching Keith and his wife get baptized. As I watched the service, I was excited and thrilled to think that we would be spending eternity together. I was so proud of Keith and his wife for taking this step of faith, and grateful that I was able to witness this event and time in their lives. God is good!!!

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Psalm 104

A few days ago I was reading in Psalms and came across this passage in chapter 104. It gave me a picture of God that brought a smile to my face, and I wanted to share it with you. I would urge you to read past what I have below, the whole chapter is a wonderful vision of how great and mighty and awe inspiring God is. Enjoy!!

1-14 O my soul, bless God! God, my God, how great you are! Beautifully, gloriously robed. Dressed up in sunshine,and all heaven stretched out for your tent. You built your palace on the ocean deeps,made a chariot out of clouds and took off on wind-wings. You commandeered winds as messengers,appointed fire and flame as ambassadors. You set earth on a firm foundation so that nothing can shake it, ever. You blanketed earth with ocean,covered the mountains with deep waters; Then you roared and the water ran awayƂ— your thunder crash put it to flight. Mountains pushed up, valleys spread out in the places you assigned them. You set boundaries between earth and sea; never again will earth be flooded. You started the springs and rivers, sent them flowing among the hills. All the wild animals now drink their fill, wild donkeys quench their thirst.

It still amazes me that the God who created this magnificent universe, created and cares for me!!

Sunday, December 03, 2006

Confused by my own language

Today during the service we sang "It Is Well With My Soul", a great song with lots of visual words. During practice one of the team members made a comment that the wording didn't make sense. This is the line she was refering to:

O, Lord haste the day
When my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back
As a scroll;
The trump shall resound
And the Lord shall descend,
"Even so" it is well
With my soul.

She said that with all that verse says, Christ coming back, the trumpets sounding, our faith becoming a physical reality to our eyes, "Even So" it is well with my soul?
What does the "Even So" mean here?


Horatio G. Spafford wrote these words back in 1873, and it almost sounds like he is stating that in spite of all that is happening with Christ returning and the sky's parting, it is still well with his soul. Obviously that isn't what it is saying, but I struggled to understand it. And to sing it means nothing unless I understand what it is saying. The story behind this hymn goes like this.

This hymn was writ­ten af­ter two ma­jor trau­mas in Spaf­ford's life. The first was the great Chi­ca­go Fire of Oc­to­ber 1871, which ru­ined him fi­nan­cial­ly (he had been a weal­thy bus­i­ness­man). Short­ly af­ter, while cross­ing the At­lan­tic, all four of Spaf­ford's daugh­ters died in a col­li­sion with an­o­ther ship. Spaf­ford's wife Anna sur­vived and sent him the now fa­mous tel­e­gram, "Saved alone." Sev­er­al weeks lat­er, as Spaf­ford's own ship passed near the spot where his daugh­ters died, the Ho­ly Spir­it in­spired these words. They speak to the eter­nal hope that all be­liev­ers have, no mat­ter what pain and grief be­fall them on earth.

it is well with my soul: "Ho­ra­tio G. Spaf­ford"

I have to say, that with the way the english language is spoken today, the "Even so" still does not make any sense, however, now we know the story. And knowing the story allows me to sing the song with some knowledge as to what the author intended it to say.
Life isn't easy, and sometimes it can be just down right unbearable, however as Christians we know that it isn't the end. We may have it rough now, but there will come a day when every knee will bow and every tounge confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. And when that day comes, all our worries, all our grief, all our pain and suffering will fade away and we will live for eternity with the great and might King. So, Even though life is hard, even though I may not have it easy, Even though I may be ill, Even though I may be poor or rich, even though I may be dying, it is well with my soul, because I live in Christ.