Over the last several weeks I have been overwhelmed with a feeling of gratitude.  I am thankful that God allows me to be in full-time ministry.  I think back to the few years that I was bi-vocational.  Working a full-time job and pastoring a full-time church.  Those were weary times but I was blessed to be able to be in ministry and preach the Word of God.

Now, every week, I have the privilege of serving the greatest church on earth.  When I look at what God has done in our church, I stand amazed at His goodness.  This year many have given their hearts to Christ.  In a few weeks we will be baptizing more people in water.  We are seeing growth.  New people equals new opportunities to impact lives.

I love hearing the stories of people, who in one way or another have been touched by RFA.  Either through our kid’s ministries, youth ministries, Sunday School or the church service…people are being ministered too.  There is always a deep satisfaction when one of the kids we pick up on the van on Wednesday night brings their parents to church.  God is good!

Furthermore, I am thankful to be able to preach the gospel, every week, to such a receptive crowd.  I truly look forward to every Wednesday and Sunday to share the Word of God.  What an honor it is to be called by God to RFA.

Sonya and I love you guys with all of our heart.  Thanks for letting us be your pastors!

This cartoon gave me a great idea…

After dinner at Golden Corral, Hannah’s favorite place, we came home for the birthday cake.

Six years ago today, Hannah entered the world and how she has changed our home.  She is a fun loving, sweet and affectionate little girl and she makes me and her mom very proud. 

I love to watch her being shaped into what God desires her to be.  I am fascinated when I walk out into the back yard while she is swinging.  I hear her worshipping the Lord by singing songs about Jesus.  She often sings familiar worship songs and many times she just makes those worship songs as she goes.  What intrigues me the most is when I walk out, she has me and everything else tuned out while she sings.  If she catches me looking at her, she’ll rebuke me and tell me not to bother her while she sings.  There is no doubt that she is going to be a worship leader.  She sings and already has learned to play the air guitar.

As most people know, she also loves horses.  For her birthday she received horse lessons for the next two months.  Her first lesson was yesterday and you would have thought she was in heaven being around all those horses. 

Happy birthday, my little Hannah! 

The weather has been beautiful and Sonya, Hannah and I set out for a short hike at Hobbs State Park.  With all the recent rain, the Van Winkle trail was a little overgrown but the flowers and trees were beautiful.  I’ve also included a few pictures I took while out on Beaver Lake a couple weeks ago.  Including the 15 inch Crappie I caught.  Finally, I picture of a fish I caught myself.

Since Beaver Lake’s water level is down, we took some time to check out Monte Ne and the “ruins” of Coin Harvey’s resort.  Of course we saw the tower and a few other things but with a walk down the slope you could look under one of the concrete slabs of what I was told was the old bank (not sure if that is true).  It makes me curious what the bottom of this slab was used for.  Nonetheless, I am fascinated by Monte Ne’s history. 

I never thought this day would come.  As a parent, you often don’t realize how fast the time goes by. For some reason, I must have put it in the back of my mind.  I must have convinced myself that Josh would be a little boy forever, but now the time has slipped through my fingers.

I know that he is a man, but part of me wants to bring him back to that seven year old boy.  I want more time…I want to do some things over.  I want to relive some more moments.  I want to spend more time with him.  But, it is too late.  His graduation to the next part of his life is upon us.  Today, he turns the page to official adulthood.

Sonya and I are truly blessed to have a son such as him.  While I wasted my teenage years on trivial, frivilous things.  I lived my life for myself, not concerned about the difference I could make in life.  Yet, this son of mine, has impacted a high school.  He became a leader among his peers instead of caving into the peer pressures.

I’m thankful for all that Josh has accomplished:

• Executive Vice President of the Student Council
• Inducted into the National Honor Society
• Graduating with Honors
• Maintained a 3.85 GPA
• Received a couple scholarships
• Founded and led G.O.T. (God ON  Thursdays) – a student led Bible Study group
• Influenced kids in more ways than he will know on this side of heaven.

Josh has not only excelled in school, but also in church life as well.  He gets to the church every Sunday at 6:30am and Wednesdays at 4:30pm and prepares for the services.  He makes coffee, makes sure everything is ready to go when people arrive.  In essence, he serves behind the scenes so that it relieves the pressures from his dad, the pastor.  Often, I have taken for granted his serving me, but today I am overwhelmed with thankfulness.

Josh has been called by God to serve in ministry.  Not because his dad is a pastor but because He believes God has called him to that.  With Josh’s drive and ability to learn, he could be very successful in business.  He could make a lot of money, yet, he has chosen a path that doesn’t always earn great earthly reward.  He has chosen the life that stores up treasures in heaven.

Today is the beginning of a new journey in Josh’s life.  I am proud that he is my son.  I am pleased with the man he has become. 

DISCLAIMER: Its not often that I use this blog as an avenue to brag on the accomplishments of my kids.  I don’t want to be one of “those” parents  However, its his day.  Bragging is in order!

What do you think about yourself? Do you sometimes feel like you aren’t worth much?

Sometimes we are too hard on ourselves. We have a standard that we set for the way we think we ought to be, but most of the time we fail to attain that standard. The problem with this is that we tend to set our standard compared to what we see in someone else. We feel like we have to be as good or somehow like another person. God created everyone of us different. There are different people doing different works in different places. You will never be like the person you set your standard by, nor should you want to be like them. God created you special. He made you like you are to be the person He wants you to be. We have this idea that some people have it all together and that we will never amount to anything. You see, God made you to do things others can’t do. In your area of influence, only you will be effective because God put you there. God’s thoughts toward you are awesome. He thinks of you as a prize, as a jewel, even the apple of His eye.

Psalm 40:5 says, “Your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to you in order; if I would declare and speak of them they are more than can be numbered.”

God thinks of you all the time! When He sees a job that needs to be done, He says, “You know they would be good at that.” I believe that it frustrates God when you constantly declare that you are not good enough. You may not have the same talent as someone else, but God gave you talents that others don’t have. God looks at you with great pleasure. You are His cherished vessel. The thoughts He thinks about you cannot be numbered. My friend, pick your head up and realize that God has chosen you for a purpose that no one else can do. You are important to God!

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Stop wanting to be someone else, be yourself. That is the way God made you, and what a future you have!