Happy Mother's Day

Mother’s Day is here upon us again. Today, I wanted to stop, if only for a minute, to reflect on just exactly what my mother has meant to me, and how much of an impact her calming, loving words and patient attitude has had on my life this past year.

Just as this past year has been really tough for many people out there, it has been exceptionally tough for me too. One of the things I most admired and treasured greatly as a young boy, and later as a young man, were the endless talks that my mom would have with me. I know many of you are thinking, “Oh, NO, not mom talking my ear off!” No, that’s not what I’m talking about. Most of the time it was me that needed to talk, and it was mom that had the insurmountable patience to just sit and listen.

I am a father now, and have two children of my own. My son is a new teenager at 13 and is really smart, as indicated by the constant utterance of “I know” after everything I tell him. My daughter is nearing 25 in her mind, at the wonderful age of 10. Often times, my kids sit down with me to talk about things that are happening in their lives or at school, or to tell me of the drama-du-jour that they are going through. I find myself smiling inside and remembering the conversations I had with my mom. How the subjects seem so similar……and totally ridiculous at times, to me now. But they were so real back then. Mom had to have been thinking the same thing back then. But she always just offered kind words in response, and endless listening time to me.

I think that we can better appreciate mom, when we have children of our own, and we find ourselves saying the same things to them that mom told us in the past. As adults, we can decipher if our mother’s advice was good advice, or not so good. I consider myself extremely fortunate and blessed to have a mom that has been wonderful to me over the years. Now, at 48 years old, the realization of the mortality of life is seen more clearly. When I look at my mom, I no longer see the young woman I used to see. But her endless love is still there for me; her kind words are ever present. I still look to my mom for countless advice. I have realized that the knowledge she has and so freely gives, is so valuable in my life, and the unpretentious love and genuine kindness is so welcome and warming to the very depths of my being.

My mom has been a wonderful godly example to me my whole life. She has always loved me, cared for me, guided me, set high expectations for me, loved me whether I succeeded or failed, and has always kept her footsteps close to Jesus’ so that the example she sets for me was the example that God wished.

So on this very special Mother’s Day, I want my mom to know just how very much I love her. I want her to know how much I appreciate the warm loving efforts she made to always be there for me. I want her to know how much I am grateful that she chooses to be close with God, so that the example she set for me is a Godly example. But most importantly, I want to thank God for giving me a mother that expresses her love to me everyday. I am so blessed to have a mother like my mom, and I thank her for being there for me always, and for loving me endlessly.

I love you Mom! Happy Mother’s Day!

Scott

SEEK HIM FIRST

With all the new social media out there these days, staying connected with people is getting easier and easier. What this also means is that reaching more and more people is also just as easy. That's what really excites me.

I am relatively new to one of those social networking medias call Twitter. I find it to be alot of fun. One of the people that I "following" (a term that Twitter uses for seeing the tweets that an individual writes) is a professional football player named Larry Fitzgerald. I have watched him many times on the TV sports channel, and was amazed at his athletic ability, but I never knew what kind of person he was. One would assume that a tough football player able to play in the NFL would be mean, rough around the edges, spitting out expletives and ready to rip your face off at any given moment. After all, it is a dog eat dog world in the NFL.

But I have been completely amazed at who the real Larry Fitzgerald is. Kind, compassionate, thoughtful of his fans......Christian! His motto? FFF Faith, Focus, Finish. Kids, did you notice it wasn't Football, Focus, Finish....or Focus, Football, Faith. It was Faith first, then the rest. This is the way that God commands us to be: Seek Him first.

Matthew 6:33 (New International Version, ©2011)

³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

With the economy the way that has been for some time, life has been really tough for many of us. Work has been slow, if not dissolved, and things just aren't the way they used to be. Many of us find ourselves worrying about today, or tomorrow. When you feel yourself feeling this way, I want you to remember something very important:

Faith, Focus, Finish

God told us to seek Him first and have faith that He would handle all things for us. Then focus on what you need to do. God gave us all talents. Use them to their fullest. And lastly, Finish! Don't quit. You only lose when you quit.

WOW, WHAT A GIFT

Something I discovered the other day really amazed me. When I was studying The Truth Project DVDs, one of the subjects that was being discussed was the "nature of God" and what he wanted for us as his children. This is what I learned and what got me so excited.

The tribunal nature of God is God in 3 persons: That is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Father and the Son are one, as shown in John 14 which says:

John 14:10 (New International Version)

10Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.

However, the relationship between the Father and the Son, even though they are one, is one of submittal from the Son to the Father. The Holy Spirit is also part of God and can be sent by the Father as well as the Son.

Now, what is the relationship we have with God? There is God, and the severed relationship that happened at the Fall in the Garden of Eden. But God has given us his son, so that whoever believes in him, shall have eternal life. (John 3:16) But what is this gift that God is offering? Let's take a look at it.

In this relationship, there are also 3 parts. There is God the Father, man, and the gift of Jesus. If we accept Jesus as our personal savior, the once severed relationship between God and man is restored. When it is restored, Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to live in us.

John 14:15-17 (New International Version)

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

15"If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[a] in you.

What does that resemble? God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit in us. Yes, that is the tribunal makeup of God Himself!! God is offering us eternal life IN HIM!! That is the most awesome gift for those that believe in Christ as their savior.

If you do not know Christ as your savior, think of the gift from God that you are giving up. A chance to be like Christ, in God. Don't miss this opportunity. Accept Jesus as your personal savior and receive the Holy Spirit from God. It will change your life here on earth, AND, when we go to heaven we will become a part of God!

I have a Hero

Hey kids!

I have a Hero. He doesn't bat 400. He isn't a Golden Glove recipient. He doesn't run a 4.2 second 40 yard dash, and he doesn't hold the touchdown record either. He isn't 6'-8" and he can't slam dunk. As a matter of fact, he hasn't been inducted into the Hall of Fame in any sport. No, he is much more of a Hero than that.

Yes, in fact, he is a Super Hero. But, he can't leap tall buildings in a single bound. He doesn't outrun a speeding locomotive. He doesn't have lots of gadgets in a bat belt that can stop evil villains. He doesn't have a green ring, or wear a cape, or fly an invisible plane.

No kids, his heroics extend much greater than all of these put together. My Hero walked the earth a long time ago, was a carpenter by trade, gave all that he had, gave up all is God given powers, stretched out his arms, and allowed himself to be nailed to a cross. Then, in His final moment of heroism, He died for Me.

My Hero is Jesus Christ. He doesn't hold any records, but what he does hold is eternal life.

Kids, who is your Hero? Who do you idolize? Is he worthy? Has he done anything for you? Has he paid for you with his life?

Jesus has. And all he wants from you is to be your Hero. All he wants is to talk to you, live with you, and have a relationship with you. A friendship, that's all! Can you say that about any of your other heroes?

The next time you are asked who your hero is, remember what Jesus did for you.

Life Is A Test

Hey Kids!

Times are really tough these days. Some of your Parents are without jobs, you might be losing your home, you might be seeing your parent's marriage being tested. All kinds of really bad bad things are happening all around us. The logical question that may be popping into your heads is, "If God is so Good, why is he allowing all this stuff to happen?"

Hmmm, that is a really good question. One that I have heard so many times before. But I want to ask it a different way, and see if you come up with the answer yourself. If you wanted someone to rely on you and love you unconditionally, would you give them everything they could ever want? Or would you make it tough at times so that they would realize that all the "other" ways that they were trying to find happiness, did not work. That you are the only way for them to find happiness.

As a teenager, I rebelled against my parents and wanted to do things my own way. My parents allowed me to do so sometimes, keeping close watch on me, and allowed me to fail, even sometimes painfully watching, all the time knowing that I was going to fail. But that is how I learned.

The same is with God. He is always watching, sometimes painfully, as we stray away from him and fail, and realize that we need to be in His protection, in His ways. Then, and only then, will we truly love God.

I am attaching a letter that came from a really good friend of mine. He passed it on to me because he wanted to give some words of encouragement to me. After reading the letter, it sheds a new meaning to all the things that are happening around us. I want to share the letter with all of you in hopes that if you or someone you know are struggling with life, you can decide to look at these struggles differently, and know that there is a reason for everything, even if we don't know what it is, and that God is ultimately in control. If you take the time, as I did as well, to examine yourself, and find where you are straying away from God and repent, and RUN back to God, you will realize that is what God wants from us. That is what any Good parent would want.

Please enjoy this letter as I did.

All of Life Is A Test
(07Jul09 3:00 am KCSJr)

In the movie The Recruit Michael Douglas is training new recruits for the CIA. At one point, one of the trainees has fallen for a girl in the program who gets booted out. He is then confronted with a choice between his loyalties to the CIA and the girl, and he chooses the girl. Turns out that is the wrong choice, because it was a test, which he has just failed. When he complains to Michael Douglas, “But I didn’t know it was a test,” Douglas retorts, “All of life is a test.”

There is an eternal spiritual truth here. Pilate sneered at truth, and failed his test. Judas misunderstood the nature of the calling of the Messiah, and failed his test. Peter kept alternately passing and failing, even, we are told in stories of his death, right up to the end, when he was attempting to run away from Rome and Jesus confronted him and asked him where he was going. (He went back, of course)We all have our Peter moments of both kinds, and it’s always a test. Will we stand? Will we be loyal?

Just yesterday, I called a friend, and he told me he was having a hard time, going through a struggle with God, and so I offered some advice. “Listen, Bruce I said, ”…

There’s more at stake than what we think. We are being presented with the Original Question: ‘Is God REALLY good?’ That was our first test in the Garden, and Eve listened to the serpent question God’s goodness, and mankind fell. God stood by and let Lucifer lure a third of the angels away. He had to have been watching; he had to have known what was going on. Yet he allowed it. Why? Because he desires loyalty about all. He doesn’t want puppets. And he is about getting a great glory by having a creature lower than the angels—at least for now—believe without seeing and trust in the goodness of God when everything around screams that he is not, and cause the angels to be astonished. We are that creature, and maybe that’s part of why Lucifer was miffed at God—maybe he knew that we were destined to rule over him, and that smarted. Maybe God asked him to make some sacrifice like Jesus was later willing to, and he refused. Who knows? But somehow, it was a test, and he failed big time…We are facing the same test, but somehow, we have to see the Bigger Picture, and realize that there is more at stake than our comfort.

God is more concerned with our character than he is our comfort, and with our ultimate glory than with our short-term happiness.

We really are facing the same Question over and over. “Is God REALLY good?” Not, “Is he theoretically good?” but “Is he REALLY good in this situation of mine that feels so much like he is not?” And with every choice we face that test. Will we tell all the universe, “Yes, I BELIEVE God is REALLY good!” and affirm his faith in us? Will he find a people “willing in the day of [his] power” (Ps.110:3)? Somehow he has to succeed at that…his reputation, his Word, his very glory is at stake before all the universe: He has said it—can he REALLY make it happen? And the Cross and Resurrection provided as the Answer a resounding “YES!” that echoes down through eternity and back, all the way back to that time before time, when “the Lamb…was slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev.13:8).

Will we pass The Test? Will we believe that God is really, really, REALLY GOOD? As I ended my conversation with my friend Bruce, I laughed and said, “The funny thing is, tomorrow morning, when I’m in the throes of discouragement, I’ll need you to remind me of this.” We all need help passing The Test!

A Winning Game Plan Produces a Winning Game!

Something has been on my mind for a few weeks, so I thought that I would write about it and share my thoughts to everyone. I am specifically writing to kids. So kids, listen to me, and understand what I am saying.

One of the things that I have noticed among kids these days is the not-so-good attitude that they display towards there parents. I know, I know... "But my parents just don't understand me, or my situation".... or ...."my parents embarrass me in front of my friends".

But I say this to all you kids that think that you can roll your eyes at your parents, or think that you can turn your head away from them when they are giving you instruction, or talk back to them when they ask you to do something or to stop doing something by saying: "But, I'm NOT", showing great disrespect for your parents:

Exodus 20:12 (New International Version)

¹² "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

Now, this is one of the Ten Commandments that the Lord God has handed down to all mankind. This is not a suggestion, or else it would have been described as the "Ten Suggestions". This is a Commandment given my God to all of us. Now why do you think that it is a Commandment and not just a suggestion? The answer is because it is so very important.

I don't think that anyone of you wants to follow in the footsteps of Satan. But what you don't understand is this: The devil doesn't go up to you and say, "Hey Johnny, today I want you to do this really bad, aweful thing that you will certainly end up going to hell for when you die." No, Satan does not go about things that way. This is the way that he goes about pulling you away from God:

1st - He will make you think that you know more about things than your parents do. He will make you think that you know what's better for you than your parents think.

2nd - After years of bucking your parents and disobeying their wishes, Satan will make you think that you know more that your boss does, or more than your teachers do, or more than your school gym teachers do.

3rd - Then Satan will make you think that the laws that are set up by society are really ridiculous, so you will start to disobey them as well. He will make you think that it is a game to disobey the law and not get caught.

The next thing you know, years down the line of your life, you have failed out of school, disobeyed the law, gotten arrested, involved in drugs, and have made a real mess of the perfect life that God had planned for you. And it all started with the rolling of your eyes, the little bit of disrespect that you show your parents.

Now maybe your life won't go this way, and I hope for all of you that it does not. But I have seen many, many, many lives of kids that have. Even kids that were from very strong Christian families went this way when the kids were allowed to display disrespect towards their parents without sufficient repercussion.

To the kids that are reading this: God has a plan for you, and it is awesome! I think that it would be foolish to feel that we know more about our life than God does. So, listen to me. Follow God!! When you find yourself rolling your eyes, or talking back to your parents....STOP!! Realize that it is Satan pulling you away from God! Ever so slowly. So STOP! Turn from Satan. Look to your parents and listen to what they have to say.... RESPECT them! HONOR them, for God COMMANDS you to do this. HONOR God by Honoring your parents! And get ready for the wonderful life that God has planned for you!

To the parents that are reading this: God has COMMANDED that your children respect and honor you. You are God's Child, and God has given you instruction for your kids. You need to Honor God by making sure that your kids honor you! By allowing your kids to run all over you, YOU are dishonoring God! God says to you:

Proverbs 13:24 (New International Version)

²⁴ He who spares the rod hates his son,
but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.

So, discipline your child if he / she shows you disrespect. This does not mean to beat your child senseless. This means that you should determine a course of discipline that will deter the action not desired. If your discipline is not deterring the problem behavior, then the discipline is not severe enough. Make it more severe! But do not dishonor God by allowing this type of behavior to continue.

I have heard so many parents say that it makes them feel bad when they discipline their children. Well, of course it does! Just like it hurts God when you do something that requires him to discipline you. If it did not make you feel badly, then you do not love your child. But because it makes you feel badly to administer a punishment, it shows that you love your child. Children need to have direction and boundaries in life, just like you and I. God realizes this as well and that is why God has given us the bible as the guidelines for us to follow. When we do not follow the guidelines that He has set up, there are consequences. You have seen them just like I have. Our God is a loving God, He disciplines us when we stray from Him.

Therefore, discipline your children as God disciplines you. Raise your children in a way that Honors God. Don't let Satan pull your children away from you, not even one step. Love your children as God loves you. And you will be happy years later when your child has grown up to be a positive, God loving adult, raising children the way that he/she was raised in God.

A friend of mine once said that he was listening to his son talk to his friends one day. The kids were talking about one of their friends. They were explaining how lucky that friend was because his parents would always let him do anything he wanted to do. Then my friends son spoke up saying, "No, I don't think that it is that way at all. I think that his parents must not love him very much." Can you believe this? This is a statement from a 17 year old. In my opinion, that boy understands the love of his parents. He understands that in order to love a child, boundaries have to be set, and consequences must be enforced if the boundaries are not obeyed.

Parents, love your children. Read the loving guidelines for our lives with your children. Read the bible together as a family. Discuss what you have read and why God is saying these things to you. Listen to what your children have to say about what they have read. Discuss with them in a loving manner, as God always has a loving heart for you.

Kids, Love your parents. Honor your parents. Listen to me, there have been many times in my adult life that I have not agreed with my parents. But I honor them by listening to them. The answer to your parents is not, "But, I'm NOT." The answer should always be, "Yes Ma'am" or "Yes Sir". I think that you will find that more times than not, the things that your parents are telling you to do, are for your own good, or your own safety. I would be willing to bet that if you listened to your parents, then went into your room and dove into your bible, you would find that what your parents are asking you to do is biblical as well! God is asking you to do the same thing! Try it, I bet you will find that I am correct at least 90% of the time.

If you want to be great on the ball field, you read the playbook and execute the plays as closely as you can to the way that they were designed. If you want to be a great cheerleader, you practice the cheers the way that they were designed until you have perfected them. A winning game plan produces a winning game. God has a winning game plan for your life. If you want to be successful in life, go to the playbook that God has provided for you, read it, and execute life the way that it was designed by God. The bible is God's playbook. Read it, understand it, and obey it. Don't ever let Satan get ahold of your life and pull you away from the wonderful life that God has planned for you!

Happy Father's Day - A Tribute To My Dad

Father's Day is fast approaching. I understand the significants of Father's Day and have come to realize that being a father is one of the most awesome privileges bestowed upon me by God.

This past year has given me plenty of food for thought to reflect about my father. When I was a young boy, my dad travelled extensively. Most Mondays through Thursdays he would be away from home working hard as a traveling service manager. He was the best at what he did and took great pride in doing the work that God had given him the best he could. But more times than not, I would miss the father / son times that we were missing. In retrospect, I look back now and remember that even though he was not home monday through thursday, he was ALWAYS at my games on friday afternoon or evening, no matter where they were being played. It did not matter how difficult it was for him to attend, he was always there. As a child, it was great to see him there. As an adult, it is great to know the love that he had for his children, and the great lengths he would go to just to show that love.

Later in my college years, when I strayed from God's will for me, my dad was always there to help me readjust my course through life. When I was young, his guidance was in the form of a loving strong hand, changing to loving and encouraging words backed by his living example when I was older. But I think the fact that he was always there made the most significant impact.

Now, I am much older, with children of my own. I spend countless hours reading the bible and praying and talking with God. And in doing this, one of the things I like the most about our God is that He is always there too. Sometimes he corrects us with a strong hand, and sometimes with loving encouraging words. But He is always there.

It is in this that I have realized that my father is very much a Godly man. He has always raised me in Godly ways, the best he knew how. For that I am extremely grateful and thankful that God has given me a dad that has chosen to love and honor God by trying to raise his children the way that God wanted and by using God as an example to follow.

More times than not, actions speak much louder than words. Economic times have impacted my family extremely hard. I have lost my job during the worst time possible. Stress levels at my house have been the highest I have ever seen. But during all this my dad sat me down and said, "Son, stay in constant prayer, ask for guidance". Wise words from a very wise man, repeating the words from the wisest. Psalms 25:5 - "guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior, and my hope is in you all the day long."

My dad has been a wonderful godly example to me my whole life. He has always loved me, cared for me, guided me, been an example for me to follow, and has kept his footsteps close to Jesus so that the example that he set for me was the example that God wished.

So this Father's Day, I want my dad to know how much I love him. I want him to know how much I appreciate the efforts he made to always be there for me. I want him to know how much I am grateful that he chose to be close with God, so that the example he set for me was a Godly example. But most importantly, I want to thank God for giving me a father that expresses his love to me everyday. I am so blessed to have a father like my father, and I thank him for being there for me always, and for loving me endlessly.

I love you Dad! Happy Father's Day!

Scott