Merry Christmas....
We are heading to Tulsa to celebrate Christmas with my parents this year....
I hope everybody has a Good Christmas...
Be Blessed and Encouraged...
Randy & Michelle... and the Boys!!!
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
Moving Soon...Into Our New Home!!!
Sorry for the late updates... We have been frozen in Time lately or so it seems...
Freezing rain....soon the snow is coming and we are closing on the house on the 27th of this month...
Here are some pictures...
Michelle's Truck...
Our Grass...
So you can see it's been cold around here...but we are doing fine!
Stay Encouraged!!
Randy...
Freezing rain....soon the snow is coming and we are closing on the house on the 27th of this month...
Here are some pictures...
Michelle's Truck...
Our Grass...
So you can see it's been cold around here...but we are doing fine!
Stay Encouraged!!
Randy...
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
On the Death of a Preacher...
The word came the old man had died.
The young pastor called everybody who was connected with the church and planned the funeral for the Elder who had pioneered the work. The town wasn't large but everybody knew the Man of God who had been there for them even when they weren't in his church. He had shouldered the church when it cried and danced when they rejoiced. He had worked to support his family and the church family when the funds weren't there. He had picked up kids for Sunday School and went to funerals for family members that weren't coming to church. He had loaned money to those who suffered tragedy and never asked for a penny in return. He had cried with mothers and with fathers who had lost their kids both physically and spiritually. He had rejoiced with the young as they would fill the altars after receiving what he was given by God to preach. He had watched as the church grew from infancy to adulthood but soon he realized he couldn't keep the pace he had once kept. Time began to catch up to him and soon his mind and body told him he had to let it go and give it another. He had searched diligently and finally found the young man who could keep his burden alive.
Sixteen years later he died alone in a rest home for the elderly. After his fifth year there his beautiful wife of forty years of marriage had gone on to be with the Lord. When he had first got there the visitors seem to never end but then as time waned they slowly trickled down to one or two. Time was still unkind to him as he battled different sickness's and illness during his time there and he passed away into the night and was received into glory.
When he woke up he looked down at his gnarled twisted hands and saw that wrinkles that were once there were now smooth and supple as young man's hands. He saw the great light and entered in. He looked at the Kingdom of Heaven and was overwhelmed by what he was seeing. He felt ashamed because he felt like he didn't belong there. He knew he wasn't worthy to see such a place because he had always been a humble man. There was an angel standing nearby and the Man of God went over to him and told him,
"I don't belong here".
The Angel looked at the man and asked him, "Why"?
The Man of God said, "I didn't do enough and got old to soon. Some of my visions for God were never realized and some of the goals and dreams I had of doing for God what I could weren't met and the Church never really grew the way I had planned for it to"
The angel smiled a knowing smile and said, "Come here and let me show you something".
The Angel walked over to the door of heaven and opened it and said, "Look down there".
The Man of God walked over and looked out the door as the angel opened it.
He saw the Earth and it was beautiful, he saw the clouds and the oceans and the lands as it was spinning slowly.
The Angel said, "Just keep watching"
And as the Man of God watched a little point of light would flicker and shine bright like a star and then another would do the same and another. One, two, ten, one hundred, two thousand and they keep flickering until there were to just many to count.
The Man of God looked quizzically at the Angel and said, "They are flickering in every state and all over the globe why am I seeing this"?
The Angel looked back at the Man of God and said, "Do you remember Johnny Webb and Pete Thompson and Susan Willoughby"?
The Man of God answered,"Yes, they were Sunday School kids I picked up and brought to church and they received the Holy Ghost"
The Angel said, "Every light you see across the Earth is a person who was filled with the Holy Ghost birthed from your Ministry"
The Angel Continued, "Johnny, Pete and Susan went on to become ministers and teachers and are still winning souls for the Kingdom of God and they are just three of the lives among the hundreds you touched by your ministry and there are thousands of lights flickering because of your work for the Kingdom of God".
The Man of God fell to his knees there on the banks of Heaven and was overwhelmed for a moment. He looked up and told the Angel, "I had no idea, I was just working for the kingdom".
So many times we only see what we see and never realize that the lives we touch can affect the world. The work that we do for God while feeling may never rise to the level we would like for it to may reach farther than our life may ever know. So many times we feel like we not doing enough or we can't see those goals met and yet God uses what we do to reach farther than time will ever allow us to see. And while this story is just using some imagination I do believe that our ministry is greater than who we are and farther reaching than we could ever imagine.
Stay Humble before God do what you can for the Kingdom and let God do what He does best.
Just some thoughts....
Randy
The young pastor called everybody who was connected with the church and planned the funeral for the Elder who had pioneered the work. The town wasn't large but everybody knew the Man of God who had been there for them even when they weren't in his church. He had shouldered the church when it cried and danced when they rejoiced. He had worked to support his family and the church family when the funds weren't there. He had picked up kids for Sunday School and went to funerals for family members that weren't coming to church. He had loaned money to those who suffered tragedy and never asked for a penny in return. He had cried with mothers and with fathers who had lost their kids both physically and spiritually. He had rejoiced with the young as they would fill the altars after receiving what he was given by God to preach. He had watched as the church grew from infancy to adulthood but soon he realized he couldn't keep the pace he had once kept. Time began to catch up to him and soon his mind and body told him he had to let it go and give it another. He had searched diligently and finally found the young man who could keep his burden alive.
Sixteen years later he died alone in a rest home for the elderly. After his fifth year there his beautiful wife of forty years of marriage had gone on to be with the Lord. When he had first got there the visitors seem to never end but then as time waned they slowly trickled down to one or two. Time was still unkind to him as he battled different sickness's and illness during his time there and he passed away into the night and was received into glory.
When he woke up he looked down at his gnarled twisted hands and saw that wrinkles that were once there were now smooth and supple as young man's hands. He saw the great light and entered in. He looked at the Kingdom of Heaven and was overwhelmed by what he was seeing. He felt ashamed because he felt like he didn't belong there. He knew he wasn't worthy to see such a place because he had always been a humble man. There was an angel standing nearby and the Man of God went over to him and told him,
"I don't belong here".
The Angel looked at the man and asked him, "Why"?
The Man of God said, "I didn't do enough and got old to soon. Some of my visions for God were never realized and some of the goals and dreams I had of doing for God what I could weren't met and the Church never really grew the way I had planned for it to"
The angel smiled a knowing smile and said, "Come here and let me show you something".
The Angel walked over to the door of heaven and opened it and said, "Look down there".
The Man of God walked over and looked out the door as the angel opened it.
He saw the Earth and it was beautiful, he saw the clouds and the oceans and the lands as it was spinning slowly.
The Angel said, "Just keep watching"
And as the Man of God watched a little point of light would flicker and shine bright like a star and then another would do the same and another. One, two, ten, one hundred, two thousand and they keep flickering until there were to just many to count.
The Man of God looked quizzically at the Angel and said, "They are flickering in every state and all over the globe why am I seeing this"?
The Angel looked back at the Man of God and said, "Do you remember Johnny Webb and Pete Thompson and Susan Willoughby"?
The Man of God answered,"Yes, they were Sunday School kids I picked up and brought to church and they received the Holy Ghost"
The Angel said, "Every light you see across the Earth is a person who was filled with the Holy Ghost birthed from your Ministry"
The Angel Continued, "Johnny, Pete and Susan went on to become ministers and teachers and are still winning souls for the Kingdom of God and they are just three of the lives among the hundreds you touched by your ministry and there are thousands of lights flickering because of your work for the Kingdom of God".
The Man of God fell to his knees there on the banks of Heaven and was overwhelmed for a moment. He looked up and told the Angel, "I had no idea, I was just working for the kingdom".
So many times we only see what we see and never realize that the lives we touch can affect the world. The work that we do for God while feeling may never rise to the level we would like for it to may reach farther than our life may ever know. So many times we feel like we not doing enough or we can't see those goals met and yet God uses what we do to reach farther than time will ever allow us to see. And while this story is just using some imagination I do believe that our ministry is greater than who we are and farther reaching than we could ever imagine.
Stay Humble before God do what you can for the Kingdom and let God do what He does best.
Just some thoughts....
Randy
Monday, December 3, 2007
The Transition of Manhood....
Accepting responsibility is a big thing. Accepting responsibility when you are wrong is a greater thing. Responsibility is a heavy word we use when we are building people up and encouraging them to do better.
When a boy becomes a man at whatever age he begins to act responsible and accept responsibility. Sometimes it's not an easy thing to do, being responsible also means being accountable. So many times when trouble comes the easy way out is to blame others. Not accepting the responsibility that so often still falls on us. Many have capitalized blaming others so much until they are eaten up with bitterness and worry and have driven everybody else away.
It is human to make mistakes. Adam and Eve were born into a perfect world where there was peace and God communed with them daily. Walking together in the cool of the day with the Creator of the Universe and yet they were tempted and cast out because they made a mistake. Mistakes often times come with a heavy price tag. I've often wondered what God may have done if Adam instead of blaming Eve would have just accepted the responsibility of eating the forbidden fruit and apologized to God. But he didn't, he just blamed her and here we are.
I will tell you that God restored men through His great love for us. Complete forgiveness comes by repentance for the sins we have committed just by asking Him to forgive us. Accepting responsibility for our lives many times is the first step to overcoming whatever problems we may have.
Finding forgiveness in others often times is hard because our mistakes are farther reaching then we may think at the time. But if we do our part to accept responsibility and prove ourselves accountable to them then many times the relationship while not returning to what it may have been, can still be repaired enough to make it work.
The transition to Manhood often times is replete with mistakes and problems but complete when the boy understands he is responsible and the Man accepts that he is accountable. The transition is supposed to have mistakes and problems because without them we could not grow into what God wants us to be. Adversity while problematic and hard on us many times will shape us into who we are whether good or bad. That is what Life says. But there is a greater power than life at work in our lives and that is the Spirit of God. God will form us and shape us according to His will when we allow Him to work in our lives. He will not force himself on us but when we accept Him by receiving His Spirit into our heart and mind He goes to work and many times what life will try to destroy God will build a giant testimony of His Greatness through us so that our light shines before men in the darkness where they live.
Many have been made an overcomer or winner by allowing God to work through them by accepting the responsibility and growing into manhood versus retreating from it.
If today you are in the heat of a battle and you feel that you may not be winning it try accepting the responsibility for your life before God and repent of your sins and you will find yourself in transition from boyhood to manhood and let God do what God does best... Work in your Life today...
Just some thoughts... Be Encouraged....
Randy...
When a boy becomes a man at whatever age he begins to act responsible and accept responsibility. Sometimes it's not an easy thing to do, being responsible also means being accountable. So many times when trouble comes the easy way out is to blame others. Not accepting the responsibility that so often still falls on us. Many have capitalized blaming others so much until they are eaten up with bitterness and worry and have driven everybody else away.
It is human to make mistakes. Adam and Eve were born into a perfect world where there was peace and God communed with them daily. Walking together in the cool of the day with the Creator of the Universe and yet they were tempted and cast out because they made a mistake. Mistakes often times come with a heavy price tag. I've often wondered what God may have done if Adam instead of blaming Eve would have just accepted the responsibility of eating the forbidden fruit and apologized to God. But he didn't, he just blamed her and here we are.
I will tell you that God restored men through His great love for us. Complete forgiveness comes by repentance for the sins we have committed just by asking Him to forgive us. Accepting responsibility for our lives many times is the first step to overcoming whatever problems we may have.
Finding forgiveness in others often times is hard because our mistakes are farther reaching then we may think at the time. But if we do our part to accept responsibility and prove ourselves accountable to them then many times the relationship while not returning to what it may have been, can still be repaired enough to make it work.
The transition to Manhood often times is replete with mistakes and problems but complete when the boy understands he is responsible and the Man accepts that he is accountable. The transition is supposed to have mistakes and problems because without them we could not grow into what God wants us to be. Adversity while problematic and hard on us many times will shape us into who we are whether good or bad. That is what Life says. But there is a greater power than life at work in our lives and that is the Spirit of God. God will form us and shape us according to His will when we allow Him to work in our lives. He will not force himself on us but when we accept Him by receiving His Spirit into our heart and mind He goes to work and many times what life will try to destroy God will build a giant testimony of His Greatness through us so that our light shines before men in the darkness where they live.
Many have been made an overcomer or winner by allowing God to work through them by accepting the responsibility and growing into manhood versus retreating from it.
If today you are in the heat of a battle and you feel that you may not be winning it try accepting the responsibility for your life before God and repent of your sins and you will find yourself in transition from boyhood to manhood and let God do what God does best... Work in your Life today...
Just some thoughts... Be Encouraged....
Randy...
Friday, November 30, 2007
The Pen is Still Mightier than the Sword.....
The princes sat in stunned silence as the letter containing God's Word to his people was read. Baruch had delivered it to them and they had questioned him but he said that he had written it just the way Jeremiah had said to. It was a message from God to the people offering to deliver them if they would only repent and turn from their ways.
They had told Baruch they needed to read it to the King. He would be the one who needed to act and lead his people. It was a cold night and snow outside had become whitened by the moonlight. The King sat in front of the crackling fire as his servant Jehudi read the letter. The princes watched for him to show signs of shock or at least fear but he showed neither. As Jehudi read thru three or four pages the King took the scroll with God's Word and cut it with his knife and he would throw God's Word into the fire. The Princes shocked by his movements protested and and pleaded with the King to heed the Word of God but watched as the tender curls of green and blue heat flames rose from the parchment as it burned by the hearth where the King was warming himself.
The King and his servants showed no signs of respect, repentance or even fear at God's Words. They didn't rend their garments or show any emotion. They had been removed so long from God's presence the Word written had none effect on them thereby sealing their fate and their destiny in judgment and not mercy.
The sum of our lives will be defined by the choice we make to either heed the the Word of God or throw it into the flames of judgment sealing our destiny.
The simplicity of love defined is a forgiving God who will write into our lives mercy and hope if we will but heed His Word or a vengeful God who doesn't lie and will judge men according to same Word we could have found our salvation in.
Jesus stood on the roadside overlooking Jerusalem and tears ran down his cheeks caking on his face from the dust of travel and fatigue and he said these words, " Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Who kills the Prophets and stones them who is sent to you how often would I have gathered your children together as as a Hen gathers her chicks under her wings but you wouldn't listen" I wonder that as God if he didn't remember the burnt embers of His Word that were thrown in the fire burning mercy's only offer to those who only lived only for today and didn't care about their tomorrows.
Find sometime today to call on God and remember his Word, "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
God will respond to us when we pray and humble ourselves before Him.
Hebrews 12
"Indeed, the Word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart."
Be Encouraged...
Randy
"The pen is mightier than the sword" is an adage coined by Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839 for his play Richelieu; Or the Conspiracy.
Jeremiah 36
Chronicles 7:14
Luke 13
They had told Baruch they needed to read it to the King. He would be the one who needed to act and lead his people. It was a cold night and snow outside had become whitened by the moonlight. The King sat in front of the crackling fire as his servant Jehudi read the letter. The princes watched for him to show signs of shock or at least fear but he showed neither. As Jehudi read thru three or four pages the King took the scroll with God's Word and cut it with his knife and he would throw God's Word into the fire. The Princes shocked by his movements protested and and pleaded with the King to heed the Word of God but watched as the tender curls of green and blue heat flames rose from the parchment as it burned by the hearth where the King was warming himself.
The King and his servants showed no signs of respect, repentance or even fear at God's Words. They didn't rend their garments or show any emotion. They had been removed so long from God's presence the Word written had none effect on them thereby sealing their fate and their destiny in judgment and not mercy.
The sum of our lives will be defined by the choice we make to either heed the the Word of God or throw it into the flames of judgment sealing our destiny.
The simplicity of love defined is a forgiving God who will write into our lives mercy and hope if we will but heed His Word or a vengeful God who doesn't lie and will judge men according to same Word we could have found our salvation in.
Jesus stood on the roadside overlooking Jerusalem and tears ran down his cheeks caking on his face from the dust of travel and fatigue and he said these words, " Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Who kills the Prophets and stones them who is sent to you how often would I have gathered your children together as as a Hen gathers her chicks under her wings but you wouldn't listen" I wonder that as God if he didn't remember the burnt embers of His Word that were thrown in the fire burning mercy's only offer to those who only lived only for today and didn't care about their tomorrows.
Find sometime today to call on God and remember his Word, "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
God will respond to us when we pray and humble ourselves before Him.
Hebrews 12
"Indeed, the Word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart."
Be Encouraged...
Randy
"The pen is mightier than the sword" is an adage coined by Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839 for his play Richelieu; Or the Conspiracy.
Jeremiah 36
Chronicles 7:14
Luke 13
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Getting on with Life.....Slowly.....and Christmas Lights...
Time seems to pass by much slower here in Oklahoma than it did in California,or so it seems....
We got everything we needed to get done last night, even having time for a nap...only to wake up and head to the drug store because our youngest son has been sick...of course we had stop by the "bucks"...looking down at the clock in the truck it read...
8:30!!!!.... I made the remark to my wife....time is cool here in the OKC...:)
The town we are living in takes an entire city park and completely bathes it is Christmas Decorations... It is very beautiful...We took the boys there a couple nights ago and will probably make the trip again.
We put a bid on a home here and are waiting to hear the counter offer....
Michelle started back to work yesterday for our local school district and her "vacation" is over...:) She is enjoying it tho...
Well just some notes about where we're at...
Be Encouraged...
Randy...
We got everything we needed to get done last night, even having time for a nap...only to wake up and head to the drug store because our youngest son has been sick...of course we had stop by the "bucks"...looking down at the clock in the truck it read...
8:30!!!!.... I made the remark to my wife....time is cool here in the OKC...:)
The town we are living in takes an entire city park and completely bathes it is Christmas Decorations... It is very beautiful...We took the boys there a couple nights ago and will probably make the trip again.
We put a bid on a home here and are waiting to hear the counter offer....
Michelle started back to work yesterday for our local school district and her "vacation" is over...:) She is enjoying it tho...
Well just some notes about where we're at...
Be Encouraged...
Randy...
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving... Everybody!!!
I hope that you have a great, or better Thanksgiving...
Eat some Turkey and think about the Good things in your past...
Be Encouraged...
Randy
Eat some Turkey and think about the Good things in your past...
Be Encouraged...
Randy
Monday, November 19, 2007
Finding Hope in the Faces of the Damned...
This weekend my wife and I visited the Science Museum here in OKC. They were featuring an exhibit on the human body. Various people had donated their body to be displayed and a process was used to preserve the muscle tissue and various body parts somewhat freezing them in time. Simply put, it was amazing to see. They had different bodies posed; some standing, others sitting and some were simply cut into slices allowing you to glimpse into them and realize what is in your own body. We found the prenatal exhibit to be especially touching and telling.
As we walked into the exhibit we were met by the skeleton of a man greeting us. Soft music playing and the walls surrounding the exhibit were respectfully black. The skeleton was standing and there were little plaques beside them with information. There were clear glass boxes around with the different preserved body parts of the skeletal structure; elbows, knees, tissue and so on.
Entering the prenatal area was extremely telling. There were vials there that contained the baby from one month to seven months. It made us to realize that the term "fetus" may be scientific but with the little hands and feet we saw at just two months the little baby is anything but just a blob. It's a baby.
As we turned a corner were met by a human standing with muscle tissue completely exposed. You must know that these are donated by the person that once lived in them. The soul long gone and the body is preserved. They were long dead but somewhat alive in that their body had been preserved. Something you don't see everyday. As we continued we went into the vascular system. The process used was amazing to see the arteries and the blood vessels exposed like a mass of red strings throughout the body. To see our internal organs put together like a puzzle it really made the words of David in Psalms come alive when he said, "We are fearfully and wonderfully made".
Towards the end there was a body standing with all the muscle tissue exposed and arms extended with the hands holding a clothes hanger and on the hanger was the complete skin that once was draped over the body.
Finally as we exited our thoughts were somewhat interesting because after seeing the exhibit you’re not quite sure how to respond. On the one hand your not really repulsed because of what you have seen and on the other hand your somewhat taken back because you just got a glimpse into the eyes of what was at one time a living, breathing human being that now was a empty shell no longer containing the life or spirit that made this person who he or she was.
Truly we are all born with a curse upon our lives and the curse of death that will one day come upon all of us. How we choose to die is up to us really. I'm not talking about the cause of death but the condition of our soul. As I looked into the bodies of those displayed I could see something they never got to see. I saw the many different parts of their body and while it was interesting and contemplating I could not see their soul. I could see where science had brought them through chemicals and preservation but I could not their soul and did not know the condition of their soul when they died.
Where were they spending eternity? How did they live their life? Was it fulfilling to them? Did they have regrets? Were they abusive or giving? Were they happy or sad? Did they suffer? Did they have great success? There is one thing to note that while there were many bodies displayed none of them were smiling.
So many questions to ask but we will never know because all we see now is the damned and yet I saw hope surrounding the damned. It was a glimmer in a child's eye and the parent who was walking through the exhibit. I heard laughter outside as the kids were enjoying other aspects of the museum. I heard a baby cry as the mother tried to console. I saw an older couple holding hands as they were looking at the train exhibit. So many signs of life and even though I didn't know their stories I knew that there was still time to make a difference.
Paul wrote in Corinthians that we are looking thru a glass darkly now but one day all will be revealed. I hope that when that day comes and my body is lying in a grave waiting for the call that my soul will be in a place of peace and fulfillment because I choose that while I lived I would do my best to live for God and make a difference here on this temporal place called life.
The Bible says it is appointed unto man once to die and then the judgment. When it comes my time I want to know I did everything possible to live, love and finish what God has called me to do. Regardless of where your at in your life today find some time to pray and ask God to find you,encourage you, help you...
Be Encouraged...
Randy...
As we walked into the exhibit we were met by the skeleton of a man greeting us. Soft music playing and the walls surrounding the exhibit were respectfully black. The skeleton was standing and there were little plaques beside them with information. There were clear glass boxes around with the different preserved body parts of the skeletal structure; elbows, knees, tissue and so on.
Entering the prenatal area was extremely telling. There were vials there that contained the baby from one month to seven months. It made us to realize that the term "fetus" may be scientific but with the little hands and feet we saw at just two months the little baby is anything but just a blob. It's a baby.
As we turned a corner were met by a human standing with muscle tissue completely exposed. You must know that these are donated by the person that once lived in them. The soul long gone and the body is preserved. They were long dead but somewhat alive in that their body had been preserved. Something you don't see everyday. As we continued we went into the vascular system. The process used was amazing to see the arteries and the blood vessels exposed like a mass of red strings throughout the body. To see our internal organs put together like a puzzle it really made the words of David in Psalms come alive when he said, "We are fearfully and wonderfully made".
Towards the end there was a body standing with all the muscle tissue exposed and arms extended with the hands holding a clothes hanger and on the hanger was the complete skin that once was draped over the body.
Finally as we exited our thoughts were somewhat interesting because after seeing the exhibit you’re not quite sure how to respond. On the one hand your not really repulsed because of what you have seen and on the other hand your somewhat taken back because you just got a glimpse into the eyes of what was at one time a living, breathing human being that now was a empty shell no longer containing the life or spirit that made this person who he or she was.
Truly we are all born with a curse upon our lives and the curse of death that will one day come upon all of us. How we choose to die is up to us really. I'm not talking about the cause of death but the condition of our soul. As I looked into the bodies of those displayed I could see something they never got to see. I saw the many different parts of their body and while it was interesting and contemplating I could not see their soul. I could see where science had brought them through chemicals and preservation but I could not their soul and did not know the condition of their soul when they died.
Where were they spending eternity? How did they live their life? Was it fulfilling to them? Did they have regrets? Were they abusive or giving? Were they happy or sad? Did they suffer? Did they have great success? There is one thing to note that while there were many bodies displayed none of them were smiling.
So many questions to ask but we will never know because all we see now is the damned and yet I saw hope surrounding the damned. It was a glimmer in a child's eye and the parent who was walking through the exhibit. I heard laughter outside as the kids were enjoying other aspects of the museum. I heard a baby cry as the mother tried to console. I saw an older couple holding hands as they were looking at the train exhibit. So many signs of life and even though I didn't know their stories I knew that there was still time to make a difference.
Paul wrote in Corinthians that we are looking thru a glass darkly now but one day all will be revealed. I hope that when that day comes and my body is lying in a grave waiting for the call that my soul will be in a place of peace and fulfillment because I choose that while I lived I would do my best to live for God and make a difference here on this temporal place called life.
The Bible says it is appointed unto man once to die and then the judgment. When it comes my time I want to know I did everything possible to live, love and finish what God has called me to do. Regardless of where your at in your life today find some time to pray and ask God to find you,encourage you, help you...
Be Encouraged...
Randy...
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
A Sad State of Affairs...
I know how to worship..
I know how to Praise God...
I know what to say and how to say it just right so it pulls the cart the way I need it to go..
I know how to sing the songs and dance the dance...
I know how to laugh and cry at the right time...
I know how to clap and say Amen....
but in all I Know the one thing I've lost
I treasured the most
was how to weep before God in His Presence...
Just a thought...
Randy
________________
I know how to Praise God...
I know what to say and how to say it just right so it pulls the cart the way I need it to go..
I know how to sing the songs and dance the dance...
I know how to laugh and cry at the right time...
I know how to clap and say Amen....
but in all I Know the one thing I've lost
I treasured the most
was how to weep before God in His Presence...
Just a thought...
Randy
________________
Saturday, November 10, 2007
We are Getting Settled In... And Thank You...
We met with the Pastor of the Church we have been visiting here and told him we would like to become members...
It is a good growing Church and the Boys are happy going...
We are still looking for a Home here and there are plenty to choose from...but just finding that "perfect" one is fun.
Michelle is sending out resumes and has had some interviews but she won't take the first thing to come along... She wants something she can get in to and enjoy....
I appreciate all the Visits here and the comments... it is encouraging...
Please when you visit take the time to send me an email or comment... I appreciate you stopping by...
Remember to Be Encouraged...
Randy...
It is a good growing Church and the Boys are happy going...
We are still looking for a Home here and there are plenty to choose from...but just finding that "perfect" one is fun.
Michelle is sending out resumes and has had some interviews but she won't take the first thing to come along... She wants something she can get in to and enjoy....
I appreciate all the Visits here and the comments... it is encouraging...
Please when you visit take the time to send me an email or comment... I appreciate you stopping by...
Remember to Be Encouraged...
Randy...
Monday, November 5, 2007
Negatives are Things you never Show your Friends....
Everybody say Cheese!!
When the picture is right there is a desire to share your captured moment in time with everybody. You get the pose and the camera just right with the focus sharp and angle correct. You get the great moment frozen in time by the speed of the shutter and the tell-tale click of its opening and closing and your picture is captured.
You take it to your local pharmacy or camera shop to get the pictures developed and the expected minute comes when you excitedly open the envelope to experience the moments you shot with your camera. The pictures came out beautiful and you can't wait to share them with your friends and family. But in the back of the envelope there are some strips of film called negatives. They are the captured moment that produced the beautiful pictures you now see. They are the imprint of the photo that birthed the beautiful colors and landscapes in your picture but you never share the negatives with your friends. The negatives are never displayed in your photo albums or on your walls. They usually lie dormant for years either being lost in the shuffle of life or in a box somewhere in the attic only to be forgotten in time while the beauty of what they produced still hangs on a wall or studio or in a photo album to be enjoyed by all for the ages.
Why can't we allow the negatives in our lives just to be lost or forgotten to?
Why is it we constantly pull the negatives out to show our friends? Why do we take a frozen moment of time in our life and pull out the fuzzy, small and not easily seen moment instead of realizing the bigger picture? I don't want to be constantly displaying the negatives in my life when there are far greater pictures to be seen. The blessings of God though mixed and can be misunderstood at times are often our greatest achievements in life. Overcoming the obstacle of the negative and turning it into the beauty of life that can be shared with friends over and over again. The small things we take for granted everyday may be giants to others with disabilities to overcome. Don't take the negatives for granted because many times out of the negatives are born the beautiful pictures we share with others. And when the time comes put the negatives away and forget them because they are never things we should show our friends.
Be Positive today and dwell on Good Things...
Philippians 4:8 (The Message)
8-9Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
Be Encouraged...
Randy
When the picture is right there is a desire to share your captured moment in time with everybody. You get the pose and the camera just right with the focus sharp and angle correct. You get the great moment frozen in time by the speed of the shutter and the tell-tale click of its opening and closing and your picture is captured.
You take it to your local pharmacy or camera shop to get the pictures developed and the expected minute comes when you excitedly open the envelope to experience the moments you shot with your camera. The pictures came out beautiful and you can't wait to share them with your friends and family. But in the back of the envelope there are some strips of film called negatives. They are the captured moment that produced the beautiful pictures you now see. They are the imprint of the photo that birthed the beautiful colors and landscapes in your picture but you never share the negatives with your friends. The negatives are never displayed in your photo albums or on your walls. They usually lie dormant for years either being lost in the shuffle of life or in a box somewhere in the attic only to be forgotten in time while the beauty of what they produced still hangs on a wall or studio or in a photo album to be enjoyed by all for the ages.
Why can't we allow the negatives in our lives just to be lost or forgotten to?
Why is it we constantly pull the negatives out to show our friends? Why do we take a frozen moment of time in our life and pull out the fuzzy, small and not easily seen moment instead of realizing the bigger picture? I don't want to be constantly displaying the negatives in my life when there are far greater pictures to be seen. The blessings of God though mixed and can be misunderstood at times are often our greatest achievements in life. Overcoming the obstacle of the negative and turning it into the beauty of life that can be shared with friends over and over again. The small things we take for granted everyday may be giants to others with disabilities to overcome. Don't take the negatives for granted because many times out of the negatives are born the beautiful pictures we share with others. And when the time comes put the negatives away and forget them because they are never things we should show our friends.
Be Positive today and dwell on Good Things...
Philippians 4:8 (The Message)
8-9Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
Be Encouraged...
Randy
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Blood...Death...and Perfume.....
The Blood ran into the dirt until it was saturated and caked but the blood kept coming and wouldn't stop until it was a river that flowed through the camp. The constant flow coming from the tabernacle of animal skins and altars as the heat of the day soaked the carcasses of burned animals with its waves that kept coming.
The stench of death permeated the air as people came in and out of the Tabernacle's entrance. The blood came from animals that were sacrificed for the sinful condition of the people in the camps. There had to be a constant flow of blood for the sins of those who were the people of the Lord.
In the mist of the morning fog as they would bring their sin offerings with the stench of the cattle, doves, goats out of the swirling dust there was the Tabernacle. It stood there in the middle of the camps, a beacon of hope for the souls of the Israelites. The exterior was animal skins, dried and dyed and when someone walked around the tabernacle there was the stench of sweat, animals and death but when one stepped inside the doors they were met with a perfume that caressed the senses and calmed the soul. It was myrrh, cinnamon and cassia with oil that when applied would bleed into what ever it touched until it blocked out the stench that was without the walls. It was the Holy Oil made with explicit direction from God that was used to anoint the insides of the tabernacle. The walls, the ceiling and all the stations including the Ark of the Covenant were to be anointed with this sweet and savory perfume. Even the priests were anointed with it. It completely blocked out the smell of the death and the stench of the dead outside the walls of the Tabernacle. It was a type then of what we call the Holy Spirit today.
When the Holy Spirit of God comes into our lives it completely bathes us and washes our souls and it scents our spirit with the sweet smelling perfume of God. It completely blocks out the sinful stench of death and sin that’s in this World. I also love walking into the Tabernacle of God which now we call the Church and smell the sweet perfumes of anointing that reside there as people come together and worship God lifting holy hands anointed with same anointed oil that ushered man into the Glory of God.
Today the final sacrifice of the blood that was shed flowed down the cross into the earth soaking the ground with crimson and in its place today we are filled with the Anointing of God's Spirit: The Holy Ghost...
I want you to be encouraged today and take refuge that there is a place of anointing and position of anointing that I encourage you today to find and it will be sweet and precious in your life blocking out the stench of sin and death... and if you are filled with His Spirit rejoice that the precious oil of anointing flows in you this moment and YOU SMELL BEAUTIFUL to God from it!!!
Just a Thought...
Randy
The stench of death permeated the air as people came in and out of the Tabernacle's entrance. The blood came from animals that were sacrificed for the sinful condition of the people in the camps. There had to be a constant flow of blood for the sins of those who were the people of the Lord.
In the mist of the morning fog as they would bring their sin offerings with the stench of the cattle, doves, goats out of the swirling dust there was the Tabernacle. It stood there in the middle of the camps, a beacon of hope for the souls of the Israelites. The exterior was animal skins, dried and dyed and when someone walked around the tabernacle there was the stench of sweat, animals and death but when one stepped inside the doors they were met with a perfume that caressed the senses and calmed the soul. It was myrrh, cinnamon and cassia with oil that when applied would bleed into what ever it touched until it blocked out the stench that was without the walls. It was the Holy Oil made with explicit direction from God that was used to anoint the insides of the tabernacle. The walls, the ceiling and all the stations including the Ark of the Covenant were to be anointed with this sweet and savory perfume. Even the priests were anointed with it. It completely blocked out the smell of the death and the stench of the dead outside the walls of the Tabernacle. It was a type then of what we call the Holy Spirit today.
When the Holy Spirit of God comes into our lives it completely bathes us and washes our souls and it scents our spirit with the sweet smelling perfume of God. It completely blocks out the sinful stench of death and sin that’s in this World. I also love walking into the Tabernacle of God which now we call the Church and smell the sweet perfumes of anointing that reside there as people come together and worship God lifting holy hands anointed with same anointed oil that ushered man into the Glory of God.
Today the final sacrifice of the blood that was shed flowed down the cross into the earth soaking the ground with crimson and in its place today we are filled with the Anointing of God's Spirit: The Holy Ghost...
I want you to be encouraged today and take refuge that there is a place of anointing and position of anointing that I encourage you today to find and it will be sweet and precious in your life blocking out the stench of sin and death... and if you are filled with His Spirit rejoice that the precious oil of anointing flows in you this moment and YOU SMELL BEAUTIFUL to God from it!!!
Just a Thought...
Randy
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Forgiveness is The Golden Rule....
Some Things are Worth Redeeming and Restoring…
The car had set in the back lot behind the weather worn barn for the last 40 years. It had begun its life brand new and it was extremely beautiful and people admired it both near and far. But its life was cut short when things started to go wrong. It had some problems like engine failure and something was wrong in the wiring and its beautiful life was cut short. And then it was towed out to the back lot and it just sat there collecting dirt and rust.
Then one day a visitor stopped by and said he happened to notice the old car underneath the junk that had been piled on top of it. He asked the man,” How much for the car?” The man said, "That old piece of junk?"
He said, "I bought that car brand new and I couldn't tell you about the problems it's given me?"
The man who was interested said to him, "Did you ever fix the problems?"
He said, "Naw... I never had the time to really look into it".
The man said, "I'll give you two hundred dollars for the car."
The owner said, "I'll give you Fifty dollars to take it!" and laughed. He said, "If you want that car I'll give it to you for free if you'll just haul it away".
The man who came smiled and said, "It's a deal"
He backed his trailer in and began to clear everything off the car time had put there. Over the years things had begin to pile up on top of it and anything that was discarded was put on top of that "old" car. Over time the weight of what was on top had pushed it to the ground. The man who bought the car took great care as he began to move everything on top. He didn't want the car damaged more than it was. He worked diligently and quietly somewhat angry that the man who owned before never realized what he had. To that man this was just a used up old car that had caused him problems in the past and wasn't any good for anything in the future.
It took the man over ten hours to remove everything from on top of the car and when he was thru he sat back and just looked at the car. It sat there windows rolled up tightly and had very little rust actually. Apart from some dings and scratches from the junk on top of it, it actually still had much of its previous splendor. The sun just happened to be going down and the front fender caught the gleam and reflected its beautiful rich light blue color into the new owner’s eyes. His heart skipped a beat because he knew he had found a treasure. He got back to his place later that day and unloaded that "old" car and rolled up his sleeves and went to work.
A year later the Barn Owner was walking down the street and saw a beautiful gleaming car setting in the town square parking lot. There were a number of folks walking around it and admiring it. He was shocked at the condition and even more shocked when he realized that he had one just like that car. He walked up and stood admiring its beauty.
"Had one like that myself", he said to no one in particular. A voice behind him said, "Really".
"Yep, but my car went out of business years ago and I told some sucker to haul it away and it wasn't good for anything"
He then turned to the man behind him and was shocked. It was the same man he had given the car to.
"Yes" said the man, "It's the same car"
"But how?" said the shocked man.
"You see, when I pulled all the junk you had piled on top of it over the years I begin to understand what had happened. The car had just shut itself up and the windows had been left up and protected what was inside but you had put so much junk on it on the outside you begin to lost sight of what it truly was worth and when you looked at it all you saw was the junk on it and forgot what was underneath".
"I took the car back to my shop and it took me a good year to restore it back to it's original condition but that year really paid off because of the way it looks now"
"But, but", the man sputtered,” the engine and the wiring were so bad"
"Your problem", said the new owner,” was that you never took the time to look and see what the problem was. You see the year you put it behind the barn we had an extremely rainy season and somehow water had got into the engine and caused some of the parts to rust thereby causing the car not to run. I took the engine completely apart and cleaned the parts and put some new parts on and put it back together, installed it in the car and it started right up and here it sits completely restored and useful once again".
I will let you draw your own conclusions to the story I have written..
But sometimes Life is like this car...
We use people until they have problems and then we send them out
behind the barn to sit. And we began to pile "junk" in the form of words until they get so "weighed down" they can't or won't move. And every time we look at them we see the "junk" and not their value..
Maybe we need to look at some folks who we have considered not useful... and SPEND THE TIME to redeem them and restore them pulling all the "junk" off we put on them and take time. Many of these folks would come out shining like Gold... and Very useful in the Kingdom of God once again.
The car had set in the back lot behind the weather worn barn for the last 40 years. It had begun its life brand new and it was extremely beautiful and people admired it both near and far. But its life was cut short when things started to go wrong. It had some problems like engine failure and something was wrong in the wiring and its beautiful life was cut short. And then it was towed out to the back lot and it just sat there collecting dirt and rust.
Then one day a visitor stopped by and said he happened to notice the old car underneath the junk that had been piled on top of it. He asked the man,” How much for the car?” The man said, "That old piece of junk?"
He said, "I bought that car brand new and I couldn't tell you about the problems it's given me?"
The man who was interested said to him, "Did you ever fix the problems?"
He said, "Naw... I never had the time to really look into it".
The man said, "I'll give you two hundred dollars for the car."
The owner said, "I'll give you Fifty dollars to take it!" and laughed. He said, "If you want that car I'll give it to you for free if you'll just haul it away".
The man who came smiled and said, "It's a deal"
He backed his trailer in and began to clear everything off the car time had put there. Over the years things had begin to pile up on top of it and anything that was discarded was put on top of that "old" car. Over time the weight of what was on top had pushed it to the ground. The man who bought the car took great care as he began to move everything on top. He didn't want the car damaged more than it was. He worked diligently and quietly somewhat angry that the man who owned before never realized what he had. To that man this was just a used up old car that had caused him problems in the past and wasn't any good for anything in the future.
It took the man over ten hours to remove everything from on top of the car and when he was thru he sat back and just looked at the car. It sat there windows rolled up tightly and had very little rust actually. Apart from some dings and scratches from the junk on top of it, it actually still had much of its previous splendor. The sun just happened to be going down and the front fender caught the gleam and reflected its beautiful rich light blue color into the new owner’s eyes. His heart skipped a beat because he knew he had found a treasure. He got back to his place later that day and unloaded that "old" car and rolled up his sleeves and went to work.
A year later the Barn Owner was walking down the street and saw a beautiful gleaming car setting in the town square parking lot. There were a number of folks walking around it and admiring it. He was shocked at the condition and even more shocked when he realized that he had one just like that car. He walked up and stood admiring its beauty.
"Had one like that myself", he said to no one in particular. A voice behind him said, "Really".
"Yep, but my car went out of business years ago and I told some sucker to haul it away and it wasn't good for anything"
He then turned to the man behind him and was shocked. It was the same man he had given the car to.
"Yes" said the man, "It's the same car"
"But how?" said the shocked man.
"You see, when I pulled all the junk you had piled on top of it over the years I begin to understand what had happened. The car had just shut itself up and the windows had been left up and protected what was inside but you had put so much junk on it on the outside you begin to lost sight of what it truly was worth and when you looked at it all you saw was the junk on it and forgot what was underneath".
"I took the car back to my shop and it took me a good year to restore it back to it's original condition but that year really paid off because of the way it looks now"
"But, but", the man sputtered,” the engine and the wiring were so bad"
"Your problem", said the new owner,” was that you never took the time to look and see what the problem was. You see the year you put it behind the barn we had an extremely rainy season and somehow water had got into the engine and caused some of the parts to rust thereby causing the car not to run. I took the engine completely apart and cleaned the parts and put some new parts on and put it back together, installed it in the car and it started right up and here it sits completely restored and useful once again".
I will let you draw your own conclusions to the story I have written..
But sometimes Life is like this car...
We use people until they have problems and then we send them out
behind the barn to sit. And we began to pile "junk" in the form of words until they get so "weighed down" they can't or won't move. And every time we look at them we see the "junk" and not their value..
Maybe we need to look at some folks who we have considered not useful... and SPEND THE TIME to redeem them and restore them pulling all the "junk" off we put on them and take time. Many of these folks would come out shining like Gold... and Very useful in the Kingdom of God once again.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
How do you see Scars?
What purpose do scars have?
Wounds are caused by a myriad of factors whether physical or emotional and for a while will constantly be an irritant in our life until they are healed...
Then after healing there is still evidence of the wound called a scar whether on the body or in the mind...
The Scar will be either a teacher or a reminder of what happened to us...what or how we look at the scar will be up to us...
We can look at scar and see healing or we can look at the scar and see the one who wounded us...
I choose to see the healing... for often wounds that don't heal become infected and cause much more damage...but at times the reason wounds won't heal is because of the lack of proper care by ourselves...we allow them to get out of control because we didn't take the time to care for them and allow the blood to heal them...
Has the blood of Jesus healed your wounds or have they become infected?
If you carry scars you are fortunate because at one time they were open wounds that have now healed...
The blood is what fights infection or disease and brings healing... I say much more as our own Savior was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquity and yet as a Sheep before his shearer was dumb he opened not his mouth...
I pray that God would help me to keep my mouth shut in the midst of my wounding and allow me to praise him for the scars I now carry...
Be Encouraged...
Randy
Wounds are caused by a myriad of factors whether physical or emotional and for a while will constantly be an irritant in our life until they are healed...
Then after healing there is still evidence of the wound called a scar whether on the body or in the mind...
The Scar will be either a teacher or a reminder of what happened to us...what or how we look at the scar will be up to us...
We can look at scar and see healing or we can look at the scar and see the one who wounded us...
I choose to see the healing... for often wounds that don't heal become infected and cause much more damage...but at times the reason wounds won't heal is because of the lack of proper care by ourselves...we allow them to get out of control because we didn't take the time to care for them and allow the blood to heal them...
Has the blood of Jesus healed your wounds or have they become infected?
If you carry scars you are fortunate because at one time they were open wounds that have now healed...
The blood is what fights infection or disease and brings healing... I say much more as our own Savior was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquity and yet as a Sheep before his shearer was dumb he opened not his mouth...
I pray that God would help me to keep my mouth shut in the midst of my wounding and allow me to praise him for the scars I now carry...
Be Encouraged...
Randy
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Made it to the OKC...
We made it...finally...
We left California last Saturday but got a later start than we wanted....We had to put some new tires on the trailer... Thank God we did...the old ones were starting to crack...
We got to Barstow Ca later that evening and spent the night...
The next morning we got an early start and headed the Oklahoma way...
We drove 20 hours straight and got to Amarillo Texas @ about 2:30 in the morning...WOW~~~
We arrived in Oklahoma City on Monday in the afternoon...
More to come....
Randy....
We left California last Saturday but got a later start than we wanted....We had to put some new tires on the trailer... Thank God we did...the old ones were starting to crack...
We got to Barstow Ca later that evening and spent the night...
The next morning we got an early start and headed the Oklahoma way...
We drove 20 hours straight and got to Amarillo Texas @ about 2:30 in the morning...WOW~~~
We arrived in Oklahoma City on Monday in the afternoon...
More to come....
Randy....
Monday, September 24, 2007
Happy Monday!!! Sorry the Lateness...and lack of Posting..More to Come..
We are in the Process... of moving...
Said our Goodbyes to some wonderful people...
and looking towards the OKC....
I will post some more later...
Randy...
Said our Goodbyes to some wonderful people...
and looking towards the OKC....
I will post some more later...
Randy...
Monday, September 17, 2007
Crazy Monday.....Unexpected Suprises..and decisions to be made...
Immediate...Wow...
Recieved Word this Weekend I was going to a position in my
company in the OKC!!!..Completely unexpected turn in our lives...
Going to Oklahoma in about Three Weeks to live.....
More to come...
Randy...
Recieved Word this Weekend I was going to a position in my
company in the OKC!!!..Completely unexpected turn in our lives...
Going to Oklahoma in about Three Weeks to live.....
More to come...
Randy...
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Happy Friday....Business Meetings...and Weddings...
Here I sit typing without Michelle and the Boys with me...
I am at a National Sales Meeting while Michelle and the Boys are
at a Wedding... I would rather be with them...
Isn't life like that sometimes?
It separates us from those we love even if for fleeting moments and we still
miss them because they are a part of our life. It seems that sometimes circumstance and situations separate folks for much longer than they expected; Soldiers at war, Husbands and Wives doing their duty for God and Country. Sickness sometimes separates people from one another or the final separation being death.
And yet everyday we meet folks that either add or take away from our lives. I love to be with Michelle and the Boys because they are my life. I know that everyday the inevitable happens and maturity and growth take their course but for now I cherish the moments we have together.
I want YOU to make everyday a memory. Tell your Spouse you love them...Tell your Kids they are important to you... Don't wait until your seperated by something to let those people you know that you love them...
Just some Words....
Be Encouraged...
Randy
I am at a National Sales Meeting while Michelle and the Boys are
at a Wedding... I would rather be with them...
Isn't life like that sometimes?
It separates us from those we love even if for fleeting moments and we still
miss them because they are a part of our life. It seems that sometimes circumstance and situations separate folks for much longer than they expected; Soldiers at war, Husbands and Wives doing their duty for God and Country. Sickness sometimes separates people from one another or the final separation being death.
And yet everyday we meet folks that either add or take away from our lives. I love to be with Michelle and the Boys because they are my life. I know that everyday the inevitable happens and maturity and growth take their course but for now I cherish the moments we have together.
I want YOU to make everyday a memory. Tell your Spouse you love them...Tell your Kids they are important to you... Don't wait until your seperated by something to let those people you know that you love them...
Just some Words....
Be Encouraged...
Randy
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Wild Wednesdays...A Cracked Pot...It just Feels Right...
I recieved this and thought I would share it...
A Cracked Pot...
An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck.
One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.
At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.
Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.
But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream.
"I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in m y side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house."
The old woman smiled, "Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?"
"That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them."
"For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table.
Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house."
Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.
You've just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.
Find the good in folks and be encouraged...
Randy
A Cracked Pot...
An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck.
One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.
At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.
Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.
But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream.
"I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in m y side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house."
The old woman smiled, "Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?"
"That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them."
"For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table.
Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house."
Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.
You've just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.
Find the good in folks and be encouraged...
Randy
Monday, September 10, 2007
Monday...Birthdays...BBQ's and The Time Warp...
Where does time go? This weekend just flew by without even saying hello.
We had a family BBQ on Friday night with a number of family members in attendance and had a surprise birthday party for the Mother-in-Law Saturday to prepare for...and Sunday had a five hour roundtrip drive to celebrate a Brother-in-Laws birthday party too... It almost feels like we didn't even get a day off...This coming weekend said Brother-in-Law is getting married and I have a national sales meeting to attend. Michelle and Boys are heading down south and I am heading north...another weekend of work...work...work...I need a break...
I think that to take time we have to make time. Time is not our friend in all circumstances. Time can become our nemesis if we let it. Making time is something we all need to do. A weekend here or there, stealing away for a few private moments with family is important. The job, church and others will always be there but our family won't. The kids grow up and move out and what memories will they cherish if we never stop long enough to make memories for them?
Take some time this week or weekend to make sure your family knows they are important in your life. Take your wife out on date, take the kids to a park or do something they enjoy doing. Make the Time Warp work for you and not against you. The time spent will be worth the cost when you add up the values of what your family is worth to you against what time takes from you.
Just some thought... Be Encouraged!!
Randy...
We had a family BBQ on Friday night with a number of family members in attendance and had a surprise birthday party for the Mother-in-Law Saturday to prepare for...and Sunday had a five hour roundtrip drive to celebrate a Brother-in-Laws birthday party too... It almost feels like we didn't even get a day off...This coming weekend said Brother-in-Law is getting married and I have a national sales meeting to attend. Michelle and Boys are heading down south and I am heading north...another weekend of work...work...work...I need a break...
I think that to take time we have to make time. Time is not our friend in all circumstances. Time can become our nemesis if we let it. Making time is something we all need to do. A weekend here or there, stealing away for a few private moments with family is important. The job, church and others will always be there but our family won't. The kids grow up and move out and what memories will they cherish if we never stop long enough to make memories for them?
Take some time this week or weekend to make sure your family knows they are important in your life. Take your wife out on date, take the kids to a park or do something they enjoy doing. Make the Time Warp work for you and not against you. The time spent will be worth the cost when you add up the values of what your family is worth to you against what time takes from you.
Just some thought... Be Encouraged!!
Randy...
Friday, September 7, 2007
Happy Friday...It's been a Busy Week... Wow...
Where does time go?
How did Friday get here soooooo Fast...
and where are the pics from Lake Tahoe??? HMMmmmm.. :)
Well this week was a blur... Between Work...School...Bible Study....
and every thing else along the way this week just flew by...
Here are just some of the pictures from the Lake..
How did Friday get here soooooo Fast...
and where are the pics from Lake Tahoe??? HMMmmmm.. :)
Well this week was a blur... Between Work...School...Bible Study....
and every thing else along the way this week just flew by...
Here are just some of the pictures from the Lake..
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Happy Monday... Tahoe Blue...and Fireworks Too...
What is it about fireworks that ignite our life?
We sat on the truck at Lake Tahoe Sunday Evening and watched the Fireworks show...
Absolutely Beautiful... Watching the colors against the night sky...reflecting off the lake...
I will post some pictures this evening from our trip...
Randy...
We sat on the truck at Lake Tahoe Sunday Evening and watched the Fireworks show...
Absolutely Beautiful... Watching the colors against the night sky...reflecting off the lake...
I will post some pictures this evening from our trip...
Randy...
Friday, August 31, 2007
The Breeze tells all...
I stood at the ocean’s side below the Golden Gate Bridge recently and felt the wind blowing against me as it came in from the sea. It was a chilled wind that brought coolness with it and was somewhat forceful as it rolled over the tops of the waves for miles and miles of ocean just to find me standing there on its bank, waiting to feel it. We had come to visit that morning from the hot valley where we live, driving over the hills that separate us from the Bay area just to be cooled by the breeze that blows in from the sea.
I am reminded today as I think about that cool breeze, of the words of Jesus as He told a man the wind blows where it wants and you can hear the sounds of it but can't tell where it comes from.
The winds that blow can announce many things into our lives. The same breeze that picks up in wind speed can announce to us a great storm is coming and we both heed the warnings and prepare or we are caught unaware and we suffer thru it. And then the breeze is also what moves the storm out of our life by either pushing it past us or causing it to dissipate. Many, like I at the Oceans edge, will bless the wind or curse it but of a truth the wind does not stop blowing.
This earth needs the wind. Whether its a calm peaceful wind or a giant fearsome storm to spread across the plains and mountains bringing life to its dry and thirsty places just as we Christians also need the "Wind of Spirit of God" to blow across our souls bringing changes to our lives in faith and hope that the storms of life that come our way would soon also blow away from us. .
I want you to be encouraged today for those of you who are experiencing a storm right now in your life... You, who are going thru the trial of the storm with all its atmospheric pressures and the darkness of clouds surrounding you, the lightening with thunder that seems to be frightening and wanting to overcome you. I want you to know the wind will soon blow again and the storm you are in this moment will pass and you will be at peace once again. Just hold on and Trust God by letting the “Wind of His Spirit” blow again in your life, and the sun that was blotted out by the dark clouds will shine again and the cool, calm and peaceful “Wind of the Spirit” that your soul needs will speak peace and encouragement into your life again.
Be encouraged this day... For we know the Master of the wind...
Randy...
I am reminded today as I think about that cool breeze, of the words of Jesus as He told a man the wind blows where it wants and you can hear the sounds of it but can't tell where it comes from.
The winds that blow can announce many things into our lives. The same breeze that picks up in wind speed can announce to us a great storm is coming and we both heed the warnings and prepare or we are caught unaware and we suffer thru it. And then the breeze is also what moves the storm out of our life by either pushing it past us or causing it to dissipate. Many, like I at the Oceans edge, will bless the wind or curse it but of a truth the wind does not stop blowing.
This earth needs the wind. Whether its a calm peaceful wind or a giant fearsome storm to spread across the plains and mountains bringing life to its dry and thirsty places just as we Christians also need the "Wind of Spirit of God" to blow across our souls bringing changes to our lives in faith and hope that the storms of life that come our way would soon also blow away from us. .
I want you to be encouraged today for those of you who are experiencing a storm right now in your life... You, who are going thru the trial of the storm with all its atmospheric pressures and the darkness of clouds surrounding you, the lightening with thunder that seems to be frightening and wanting to overcome you. I want you to know the wind will soon blow again and the storm you are in this moment will pass and you will be at peace once again. Just hold on and Trust God by letting the “Wind of His Spirit” blow again in your life, and the sun that was blotted out by the dark clouds will shine again and the cool, calm and peaceful “Wind of the Spirit” that your soul needs will speak peace and encouragement into your life again.
Be encouraged this day... For we know the Master of the wind...
Randy...
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Relative Truth....A Truer Truth.....and Me....
My mind has been thinking about relative truth lately. There are relative or related truths in life. If you walk into a room with no windows and no lights on and you shut the door behind it will be dark. The circumstances of the room set the condition of the truth. Sometimes the circumstances in life also set conditions for us to recognize truth.
If you feel like you have lost your way and feel like there is hope for you to succeed there is a related truth to these feelings. Something has happened in your life to bring you to this period of time right now as you read these words. Someone once penned in a play, "Truth? What is Truth?" and though to us truth is only as elusive as to what we will accept, the Truth is not hidden, buried or lost, it is staring us in the face. It is related or relative to us because it is our life.
If a person does not know God in a relative (related) sense then there is no fulfillment in their life. We have read the headlines of people who life in the beginning seemed to smile on with favor and yet the reality of truth still is evident by the headlines we read. The words of a relative truth to us are cesspool words: divorce,abuse,estrangment,suicide,unfaithful,addic tion,hate,anger, are all ugly words in use but words that are relative to the pain that at times is our life. These are words are truth but there are true truths that were written for our encouragement coming from ancient texts that were written so that we might have life more abundantly. That there were truer truths to be recognized above the pain and sorrows we may have. That of a truth there is fulfillment to be found and sorrow can be replaced if we would just recognize the Truest of Truths.
Circumstances can be changed if the conditions are met. The Dark room we walked into can be lit if we add a lamp: if we carried a Flashlight or a candle to light breaking the dark truth of the room. Just like life if the conditions are met the circumstances can be changed if we accept the truth from the Creator of Truth: God.
He is the "Truer Truth" and the one who can change our circumstances if we will meet his conditions. He accepts us as we are with one condition: that we follow Him. We must allow Him to come into our life to change the condition of our life. By meeting his conditions he is able to change what is just relative truth to us to something more deep and powerful in us.
A "Truer Truth" in every sense of the word becomes true to us when He works in us.
and other truths in life will come and go but His Truth will be what keeps us...
Be Encouraged...
Randy
If you feel like you have lost your way and feel like there is hope for you to succeed there is a related truth to these feelings. Something has happened in your life to bring you to this period of time right now as you read these words. Someone once penned in a play, "Truth? What is Truth?" and though to us truth is only as elusive as to what we will accept, the Truth is not hidden, buried or lost, it is staring us in the face. It is related or relative to us because it is our life.
If a person does not know God in a relative (related) sense then there is no fulfillment in their life. We have read the headlines of people who life in the beginning seemed to smile on with favor and yet the reality of truth still is evident by the headlines we read. The words of a relative truth to us are cesspool words: divorce,abuse,estrangment,suicide,unfaithful,addic tion,hate,anger, are all ugly words in use but words that are relative to the pain that at times is our life. These are words are truth but there are true truths that were written for our encouragement coming from ancient texts that were written so that we might have life more abundantly. That there were truer truths to be recognized above the pain and sorrows we may have. That of a truth there is fulfillment to be found and sorrow can be replaced if we would just recognize the Truest of Truths.
Circumstances can be changed if the conditions are met. The Dark room we walked into can be lit if we add a lamp: if we carried a Flashlight or a candle to light breaking the dark truth of the room. Just like life if the conditions are met the circumstances can be changed if we accept the truth from the Creator of Truth: God.
He is the "Truer Truth" and the one who can change our circumstances if we will meet his conditions. He accepts us as we are with one condition: that we follow Him. We must allow Him to come into our life to change the condition of our life. By meeting his conditions he is able to change what is just relative truth to us to something more deep and powerful in us.
A "Truer Truth" in every sense of the word becomes true to us when He works in us.
and other truths in life will come and go but His Truth will be what keeps us...
Be Encouraged...
Randy
Monday, August 27, 2007
Happy Monday...The Composer, the Orchestra and the Blues...
Great music does not begin with the orchestra, the conductor or the player of the instrument. It begins in the mind of the composer. The creator of the music hears what he wants then he begins to write the music that flows from his mind. The highs, the lows, the loudness and the quiet are put on paper that is graphed and the notes that are written is an art form flowing across the lines like a fast moving river filled with slow turns, rapids and quiet waters. The composer at times is unappreciated because the Conductor and the Orchestra with all the talent, ability and performance brings the music to life. And we are moved by what we hear as our emotions are attacked and attracted. We cry, clap and applaud as we respond to what we feel thru the music because it fits together. Often times the composer slips something in unexpected and the orchestra follows because that's the way it's written. And the music dips and dives on an eventful journey, pulling us into to the mind of the composer and we realize our lives are reflected by what we hear and feel by what the composer has written.
Life doesn’t' just happen when your following God, sometimes that’s the way it's written. We don't understand at times what our Great Composer has written for us and there are times when it's a mystery but we play the notes because it’s the way the music is written. The Composer knows what he wants to happen and makes it happen when we follow Him. He writes, so that many times others may see and know what they see and hear is not of fate or happenstance but written from the view and the mind of the Divine Creator with the music fitting together as the rhythm that is our life plays out.
The music will lead us as we travel along many times not knowing the next note or the next page but rest assured, it will be just what we need. And we follow having complete faith in the Composer. He writes beautifully at times and mysteriously as well but when the final note is done and the last of the instruments wind down, the pieces will come together and the work that is our life becomes a masterpiece all because we choose to follow the Great Composer.
The Composer writes, the music fits and we follow…
And the blues???
Well there ain't nothin' wrong with the blues... Just keep playing and don't stop....
Be Encouraged...
Randy
Life doesn’t' just happen when your following God, sometimes that’s the way it's written. We don't understand at times what our Great Composer has written for us and there are times when it's a mystery but we play the notes because it’s the way the music is written. The Composer knows what he wants to happen and makes it happen when we follow Him. He writes, so that many times others may see and know what they see and hear is not of fate or happenstance but written from the view and the mind of the Divine Creator with the music fitting together as the rhythm that is our life plays out.
The music will lead us as we travel along many times not knowing the next note or the next page but rest assured, it will be just what we need. And we follow having complete faith in the Composer. He writes beautifully at times and mysteriously as well but when the final note is done and the last of the instruments wind down, the pieces will come together and the work that is our life becomes a masterpiece all because we choose to follow the Great Composer.
The Composer writes, the music fits and we follow…
And the blues???
Well there ain't nothin' wrong with the blues... Just keep playing and don't stop....
Be Encouraged...
Randy
Friday, August 24, 2007
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Comtemplating Simple Blessings in Secret Coded Messages....
Sometimes Blessings come in Secret Coded Messages from God.
Matthew (our 10 yr Old) signed up for Band this year at school and needed a Snare drum. Michelle and I had discussed our youngest noise-maker’s predicament. How could he carry his Backpack and now full size snare drum together being a smaller guy? Now Matthew is a "Giant" in heart but small in body but he is growing daily.
I found a Snare drum for sale on craigslist. It was a Pearl Piccolo Snare with stand and a quiet pad (Hallelujah!!) and I was able to purchase it quite reasonably, a blessing in itself. We didn't tell Matthew we had bought it and he was quite surprised when I set it up and he got to play on it. THANK GOD for the quiet pad :)
As we were eating Dinner I looked over at the little piccolo snare set up on its stand and felt the gentle voice of God speak to me. He told me that he even cared about the "small" things in our life and I felt a stirring in my heart. I realized the snare we had bought being a "piccolo" was smaller and much lighter than a regular snare drum. It was something Matthew could carry and be more comfortable doing so. Wow!! God cared so much for us he even directs small blessings our way. He seems to build our faith many times blessing by blessing.
There are so many ways to look for God working on our behalf that sometimes we miss thanking Him for the smallest of blessings. Sometimes it’s the little things that somehow show up or work out, all because we serve a great big God. Sure, there are great blessings that sometimes take our breath away and we stand awestruck at the handiwork of God and then there are smaller blessings that we may overlook many times.
Sometimes the Blessing comes in the form of kind or direct word from a friend or associate. Sometimes the Blessing comes from our family, our Parents or our kids. Sometimes Blessings come in ways that are above our comprehension and we don't understand them, but they are there. Many times a Blessing come disguised as a trial or trouble and we don't see the how or the why, but when we come out of the trial or the storm we can realize that the situation was actually a blessing from the Lord.
Blessings from God can come in many sizes or shapes. Just recognizing them can be all it takes for us to know that God is watching over us and is working in our lives.
I spoke with a Friend yesterday who had a precious person in her life who was dying. She had received the call and was told by her friend that she had been diagnosed with stage four cancer. With nobody to turn to and being separated by hundreds of miles, this woman, in the last stages of her life, reached out to a friend who in the past had been a great blessing to her and would be a great blessing now just by hearing her voice bringing comfort to her soul.
I don't understand at times why we go thru the things in life we do, but I do know that many times I have come out of a storm only to realize that God had brought a great blessing to my life by allowing me to go through it. And when I do come to the final stage of my life, I want to recognize not only the greatest blessings God has bestowed on me but the small ones to.
And before I put my ear-muffs on, every time I hear the little pat-a-tat on that snare drum I will thank God for blessing me just one more time.
Be Encouraged....
Randy
Matthew (our 10 yr Old) signed up for Band this year at school and needed a Snare drum. Michelle and I had discussed our youngest noise-maker’s predicament. How could he carry his Backpack and now full size snare drum together being a smaller guy? Now Matthew is a "Giant" in heart but small in body but he is growing daily.
I found a Snare drum for sale on craigslist. It was a Pearl Piccolo Snare with stand and a quiet pad (Hallelujah!!) and I was able to purchase it quite reasonably, a blessing in itself. We didn't tell Matthew we had bought it and he was quite surprised when I set it up and he got to play on it. THANK GOD for the quiet pad :)
As we were eating Dinner I looked over at the little piccolo snare set up on its stand and felt the gentle voice of God speak to me. He told me that he even cared about the "small" things in our life and I felt a stirring in my heart. I realized the snare we had bought being a "piccolo" was smaller and much lighter than a regular snare drum. It was something Matthew could carry and be more comfortable doing so. Wow!! God cared so much for us he even directs small blessings our way. He seems to build our faith many times blessing by blessing.
There are so many ways to look for God working on our behalf that sometimes we miss thanking Him for the smallest of blessings. Sometimes it’s the little things that somehow show up or work out, all because we serve a great big God. Sure, there are great blessings that sometimes take our breath away and we stand awestruck at the handiwork of God and then there are smaller blessings that we may overlook many times.
Sometimes the Blessing comes in the form of kind or direct word from a friend or associate. Sometimes the Blessing comes from our family, our Parents or our kids. Sometimes Blessings come in ways that are above our comprehension and we don't understand them, but they are there. Many times a Blessing come disguised as a trial or trouble and we don't see the how or the why, but when we come out of the trial or the storm we can realize that the situation was actually a blessing from the Lord.
Blessings from God can come in many sizes or shapes. Just recognizing them can be all it takes for us to know that God is watching over us and is working in our lives.
I spoke with a Friend yesterday who had a precious person in her life who was dying. She had received the call and was told by her friend that she had been diagnosed with stage four cancer. With nobody to turn to and being separated by hundreds of miles, this woman, in the last stages of her life, reached out to a friend who in the past had been a great blessing to her and would be a great blessing now just by hearing her voice bringing comfort to her soul.
I don't understand at times why we go thru the things in life we do, but I do know that many times I have come out of a storm only to realize that God had brought a great blessing to my life by allowing me to go through it. And when I do come to the final stage of my life, I want to recognize not only the greatest blessings God has bestowed on me but the small ones to.
And before I put my ear-muffs on, every time I hear the little pat-a-tat on that snare drum I will thank God for blessing me just one more time.
Be Encouraged....
Randy
Monday, August 20, 2007
An Identity Crisis...Finding "Me" in the Middle of Thousands..
Have you ever really felt like you didn't know "who" you were and asked yourself this question;
"Who am I"?
This weekend it was my recurring thought as I sat in the mall watching hundreds go by. The Mall is a good place to relax and just watch people if you like to do that. All shapes, sizes and styles can all be seen at the mall. As I watched people go by it was somewhat interesting to watch their interaction with each other or others. I watched the young people try to fit in with one another by dress. I watched as women walked by trying to keep their own taste and style young. I watched as men walked by, some oblivious to style or taste. It is interesting to note that "birds of a feather still flock together" when it comes to style of dress. The younger girls seemingly mirrored one another as did the young men. The congregated youth to the Mothers with infants, the styles of dress as different as they were the same seem to bond like an adhesive and yet some, if not most seemed extremely uncomfortable with their choices.
Relevance is an important word in humanities' struggle to belong. Fitting in or being a part or playing a part seems to be something that people do to be relevant. They want to feel good about themselves and want others to accept them and feel good about them too. Many times it seems they will sacrifice much just fit in or be accepted. The advertisements of billboards and magazines all seem to scream from the front cover to the ads in the pages that relevance is no longer individualistic struggle but it is a sacrificial one. Do what it takes to be accepted and as one add put it; "Thirst is everything, Obey Your Thirst" and some do so by giving in to the addictiveness of style. Grunge, Success, Rockers, Emo's, Skaters, Bratz, Lerners, Business, Beach, and Seductive all seem to describe what people (whether young or older) will do to fit in concerning style and relevance and yet individualism is celebrated? hmmmm....
The facts are people will always do what it takes to fit in somewhere. People have been created with a need to be accepted and want attention. Some go to extremes and we hear about them in the news or on shows and sooner rather than later life catches up and tragedy ensues.
We are created in the image of God.
This need for attention wasn't just something that happened. In the Garden of Eden where man was created the Bible says that God would come down in the cool of the Day and communicate with His creation; Man. It was King David in the Old Testament who penned "We are fearfully and Wonderfully Made. God created man to communicate His will and His ways and to show love and to be loved. The day you "Find Yourself" will be when you realize that what others think about you doesn't matter but what God thinks of you does. Try to realize today that in whatever situation your in, no matter what troubles you are having, present or past, or how you really feel about yourself recognize that there is One greater who placed the Sun, Moon and the stars in just the right places to accommodate you. He cares deeply for you and wants you to know that in the midst of thousands who may not know Him or Who He is that YOU are truly a special person to Him because He created you.
For example I may not be able to distinguish you from a crowd because you may look like everybody else but there is something that does. Your fingerprint is different from every person around you and it establishes an identity but just establishing who you are won't tell me how you feel or what you may be needing. But regardless of how I could be able to tell you a part from others God looks at your heart and the condition of your mind and He knows you from the inside out and knows exactly what you need while I don't.
I found myself in the middle of thousands at the Mall talking to God and thanking him that true individualism and self worth comes from above. It’s not directed by style or the taste of others and it's not mandated by fashion from someone who doesn’t know me or care for me but self worth and esteem is free just by asking and communicating with God and finding out "who" or "Whose" I really am.
Find some time today to be an true Individual to talk with God and be Encouraged!
Randy
"Who am I"?
This weekend it was my recurring thought as I sat in the mall watching hundreds go by. The Mall is a good place to relax and just watch people if you like to do that. All shapes, sizes and styles can all be seen at the mall. As I watched people go by it was somewhat interesting to watch their interaction with each other or others. I watched the young people try to fit in with one another by dress. I watched as women walked by trying to keep their own taste and style young. I watched as men walked by, some oblivious to style or taste. It is interesting to note that "birds of a feather still flock together" when it comes to style of dress. The younger girls seemingly mirrored one another as did the young men. The congregated youth to the Mothers with infants, the styles of dress as different as they were the same seem to bond like an adhesive and yet some, if not most seemed extremely uncomfortable with their choices.
Relevance is an important word in humanities' struggle to belong. Fitting in or being a part or playing a part seems to be something that people do to be relevant. They want to feel good about themselves and want others to accept them and feel good about them too. Many times it seems they will sacrifice much just fit in or be accepted. The advertisements of billboards and magazines all seem to scream from the front cover to the ads in the pages that relevance is no longer individualistic struggle but it is a sacrificial one. Do what it takes to be accepted and as one add put it; "Thirst is everything, Obey Your Thirst" and some do so by giving in to the addictiveness of style. Grunge, Success, Rockers, Emo's, Skaters, Bratz, Lerners, Business, Beach, and Seductive all seem to describe what people (whether young or older) will do to fit in concerning style and relevance and yet individualism is celebrated? hmmmm....
The facts are people will always do what it takes to fit in somewhere. People have been created with a need to be accepted and want attention. Some go to extremes and we hear about them in the news or on shows and sooner rather than later life catches up and tragedy ensues.
We are created in the image of God.
This need for attention wasn't just something that happened. In the Garden of Eden where man was created the Bible says that God would come down in the cool of the Day and communicate with His creation; Man. It was King David in the Old Testament who penned "We are fearfully and Wonderfully Made. God created man to communicate His will and His ways and to show love and to be loved. The day you "Find Yourself" will be when you realize that what others think about you doesn't matter but what God thinks of you does. Try to realize today that in whatever situation your in, no matter what troubles you are having, present or past, or how you really feel about yourself recognize that there is One greater who placed the Sun, Moon and the stars in just the right places to accommodate you. He cares deeply for you and wants you to know that in the midst of thousands who may not know Him or Who He is that YOU are truly a special person to Him because He created you.
For example I may not be able to distinguish you from a crowd because you may look like everybody else but there is something that does. Your fingerprint is different from every person around you and it establishes an identity but just establishing who you are won't tell me how you feel or what you may be needing. But regardless of how I could be able to tell you a part from others God looks at your heart and the condition of your mind and He knows you from the inside out and knows exactly what you need while I don't.
I found myself in the middle of thousands at the Mall talking to God and thanking him that true individualism and self worth comes from above. It’s not directed by style or the taste of others and it's not mandated by fashion from someone who doesn’t know me or care for me but self worth and esteem is free just by asking and communicating with God and finding out "who" or "Whose" I really am.
Find some time today to be an true Individual to talk with God and be Encouraged!
Randy
Friday, August 17, 2007
Happy Friday... News... Trailer Fun... and Toes...
Well....We have been in our Trailer Now for almost 3 Weeks... and we Love IT!!
We were sitting outside last night looking at the stars and my beautiful Bride (of 16 years today) looked at me and said.."This is Awesome and soooooo relaxing"....
In the Past three weeks we have learned much about the Trailer... Plumbing... Water... Internet... and so much more...
I will have to post some more pics... but my LapTop is in the Shop getting fixed... and I can't get the DeskTop to log on.... (working on it)...
It is sad to see the Property Situation around us and realize that so many are in trouble concerning interest rates and House payments.... The thoughts made us appreciate last night how fortunate and blessed we were...
We were sooooo relaxed I was rubbing my wife's feet as she sat across from me and I realized without thinking about it...I was rubbing her feet!!! A no-no in the past 16 years as she couldn't stand to have her feet rubbed without extreme discomfort and squirming... I asked her, "HOW could this be happening?" She simply smiled and said..."She was relaxed".... Oh what a feeling...
It made me realize that God at times brings you to places of rest... and relaxation...
Have a Great Friday and Be Encouraged...
If your not at a place of rest.... God will bring you to one Soon!!
Randy...
Btw... our first Wednesday Night Life Group Meeting in the New Building will be the last week of the month... We are looking forward to it...
We were sitting outside last night looking at the stars and my beautiful Bride (of 16 years today) looked at me and said.."This is Awesome and soooooo relaxing"....
In the Past three weeks we have learned much about the Trailer... Plumbing... Water... Internet... and so much more...
I will have to post some more pics... but my LapTop is in the Shop getting fixed... and I can't get the DeskTop to log on.... (working on it)...
It is sad to see the Property Situation around us and realize that so many are in trouble concerning interest rates and House payments.... The thoughts made us appreciate last night how fortunate and blessed we were...
We were sooooo relaxed I was rubbing my wife's feet as she sat across from me and I realized without thinking about it...I was rubbing her feet!!! A no-no in the past 16 years as she couldn't stand to have her feet rubbed without extreme discomfort and squirming... I asked her, "HOW could this be happening?" She simply smiled and said..."She was relaxed".... Oh what a feeling...
It made me realize that God at times brings you to places of rest... and relaxation...
Have a Great Friday and Be Encouraged...
If your not at a place of rest.... God will bring you to one Soon!!
Randy...
Btw... our first Wednesday Night Life Group Meeting in the New Building will be the last week of the month... We are looking forward to it...
Thursday, August 16, 2007
A Mind is too Beautiful to Waste...
There is much to be said of positive thinking. Tony Robbins, Dr. Phil and Oprah Winfrey are folks who like to find positives out of negatives. They find people who have been thru battles and have overcome them to others who are going thru things currently. A recent book promoted on Oprah is called "The Secret” I haven’t read it but have discussed it with some folks who have whom I work with. According to my discussions with them it seems to mirror a book written years ago by Norman Vincent Peale called "The Power of Positive Thinking". The two books while good for thinking and feeling positive seem arrive at their zenith from a completely humanistic view of the world and much less from a Biblical view and I will explain the difference.
Faith...
In my life I have found that positive thinking works,
When I exercise my Faith in God by Praying Positive!
When I go before the Throne of the Creator and pray in Faith believing that God can do anything it seems to fortify my thought process knowing that God has heard my prayers. I can get up from prayer and no matter what I encounter during the day or life there is a structure of Faith that supports me. There is a scripture that says, "I Can DO ALL things through Christ, who strengthens me". Another scripture says that when I pray I must believe that God exists and he will reward me when I seek him diligently. When I go to God in prayer it should be with a positive attitude or expectant attitude because I want God to know, I believe in Him. I often find that when I pray believing and walk in Faith, there is a spring in my step and a confidence in my soul that God will and can take care of me no matter what will come against me.
No building can be built from the outside in. There must be a network of beams welded and bonded together built on the inside that supports what is seen on the outside. The network of inner strength is tested and tried when the outside is applied and if it’s built correctly and designed correctly, the building will be stand and be completed.
That building is like our lives. We are designed by our Creator to have an inner support structure within us that will be our strength and help us to stand. Faith is the Support Structure within us. It is the beams bonded together that build our lives and help us to stand when the winds and storms come and nothing can destroy us.
Praying Positive will produce Positive Thinking in You.
It will be the attitude of my Day. It will be the Strength in my Soul. It will carry me thru my storms, and it will carry you to. Find somewhere to pray today and Let God know you believe in Him…
Be Encouraged...
Randy
Faith...
In my life I have found that positive thinking works,
When I exercise my Faith in God by Praying Positive!
When I go before the Throne of the Creator and pray in Faith believing that God can do anything it seems to fortify my thought process knowing that God has heard my prayers. I can get up from prayer and no matter what I encounter during the day or life there is a structure of Faith that supports me. There is a scripture that says, "I Can DO ALL things through Christ, who strengthens me". Another scripture says that when I pray I must believe that God exists and he will reward me when I seek him diligently. When I go to God in prayer it should be with a positive attitude or expectant attitude because I want God to know, I believe in Him. I often find that when I pray believing and walk in Faith, there is a spring in my step and a confidence in my soul that God will and can take care of me no matter what will come against me.
No building can be built from the outside in. There must be a network of beams welded and bonded together built on the inside that supports what is seen on the outside. The network of inner strength is tested and tried when the outside is applied and if it’s built correctly and designed correctly, the building will be stand and be completed.
That building is like our lives. We are designed by our Creator to have an inner support structure within us that will be our strength and help us to stand. Faith is the Support Structure within us. It is the beams bonded together that build our lives and help us to stand when the winds and storms come and nothing can destroy us.
Praying Positive will produce Positive Thinking in You.
Humanism...
What is missing in the Humanistic View of Positive Thinking?
A Support Structure of a basic necessity that all men and women were created with. From the Humanistic View there is nothing to fall back on or find strength in when positive thinking doesn't bring you thru your problems. There is nothing to hope for when all is gone or the walls have tumbled down. Even if you are rich and wealthy beyond your wildest expectations there is still a missing link in your life. You won't find happiness or achieve satisfaction and there is no inner support that will bring you fulfillment when all you have is positive thinking. Why, because Positive Thinking alone can't save you or bring you fulfillment. As humans we can only go as far as our minds will let us and once we've arrived unless we have Faith in God there we will find no satisfaction for the soul.
We can only look at those who have crowded the headlines of late and have seen the sadness of their lives to understand that money and power can't buy happiness or fulfillment. There must be something beyond those things that can provide fulfillment in your life because those that have reached those goals certainly seem unhappy. Hmmmm??.... You say.....
Need a Support Structure? Pray you’re Faith in God
Pray Positive believing that God will bring you through. Pray Positive Believing that in the Midst of your Trial, God will be that Structure you can rely on and rest upon. Pray Positive believing that in the Middle of your storm there will be a Peace that your soul will possess that Passes All understanding and the wisdom of men will never equal the wisdom of God's Word and the Faith by which we stand. Praying Positive that thru health, family and finance that God will be there when all else fails. A noted Author Joy Haney had a radio program called “Diamonds for Dusty Roads” that simply began with “Faith Looks Up, Worry looks around and Doubt looks down”. That Faith that was delivered to the Saints in God’s Word is now delivered to us to deliver us and bring us thru.
Humanism will NEVER Trump Faith
We were created by God and for God and He is the satisfaction that will fulfill our lives. People will let you down but God will never let you down. He may not deliver your from the trial but He will carry you thru it. There have been times in my life where my Faith in God was all I had left (I had it all wrong). I should have realized my Faith in God is what I had MOST. I had tried to carry everything, every weight and every trial but I realized that many times even though I believed I was praying negatively. I was praying for Deliverance and not praying for Victory, I was praying a "Why God" Prayer and not praying an” I Believe God Can" prayer. I was praying an "acceptance of problem prayer" and not praying an "Overcoming Prayer"... the Bible says we have not at times because we ask amiss. Maybe a part of the problem is our perception of our situation and WHO God is and WHO we are in HIM. We are over-comers In Him and Victorious.
The Real Power Behind Positive Thinking in my Life Is Positive Praying!!
It will be the attitude of my Day. It will be the Strength in my Soul. It will carry me thru my storms, and it will carry you to. Find somewhere to pray today and Let God know you believe in Him…
Be Encouraged...
Randy
Monday, August 13, 2007
Broken Flowers, Monday Mornings, Bright Beginnings..
We had a wonderful time in the Mountains this weekend and were blessed to fellowship with Central Valley Christian Center with Pastor Keith McCann. It was a time of Fellowship, Games, Fishing and BBQ.
I spoke Sunday Morning on The Curse and Blessing of a Kiss. After the Service a Visiting camper came to us and asked for prayer for her daughter. The story broke my heart hearing about a beautiful flower who was broken very young and her heart was hardened against God. This precious mother's tears touched my heart and we prayed for her broken flower to be healed and restored as she wept.
My heart is pricked somewhat today as I write as I think of how many broken flowers there are. We see and read in the press daily of beautiful young flowers that have somehow lost their way. Young men and women who have been hurt by life, seemingly planted and stable only to be pulled up by their roots by things that destroy flowers and eventually kill them.
Last night my wife had to let go of some plants & flowers she had grown for a number of years. There was no room in our new living space for them and we had no one to give them to so we had to dispose of them. It was a chore that made Michelle a little sad. She had spent so much time and care in growing them only to see them hurt and dying. We were going about emptying the pots and our youngest son reached out a plucked a leaf stating that he would grow a new plant out of the old. He got a small cup of water and placed the plant in it stating that it would soon grow again. He had hope for the small leaf he was placing in the water and we put the cup in the trailer.
It seems that life is like those plants at times. We do what we can, but circumstances of life change and the plants suffer. But if we can somehow remember the faith of a child and how simple it is to pluck a leaf from the dying flower and place it in some water and hope that it will grow again someday, it is enough for us as adults to understand that as long as we have hope and faith in God there is a glimmer of light that the flower we thought was dead will soon rise again and be as beautiful as it once was.
God is in the restoration business and He is restoring broken flowers daily. I admonished the Mother to be positive and never give up hope that someday her beautiful flower would once again raise her head to the Son and receive the Life and Love she desperately needed.
Maybe today you are suffering and feel as if you’re broken. Please know that above all that may have happened to you there is a Loving Gardener who is tenderly planting and re-planting his beautiful creations every day and if you'll let him, He will restore your broken flower today and Give you a NEW BRIGHT BEGINNING with the Son Shining down on you once again.
Be Encouraged,
Randy...
I spoke Sunday Morning on The Curse and Blessing of a Kiss. After the Service a Visiting camper came to us and asked for prayer for her daughter. The story broke my heart hearing about a beautiful flower who was broken very young and her heart was hardened against God. This precious mother's tears touched my heart and we prayed for her broken flower to be healed and restored as she wept.
My heart is pricked somewhat today as I write as I think of how many broken flowers there are. We see and read in the press daily of beautiful young flowers that have somehow lost their way. Young men and women who have been hurt by life, seemingly planted and stable only to be pulled up by their roots by things that destroy flowers and eventually kill them.
Last night my wife had to let go of some plants & flowers she had grown for a number of years. There was no room in our new living space for them and we had no one to give them to so we had to dispose of them. It was a chore that made Michelle a little sad. She had spent so much time and care in growing them only to see them hurt and dying. We were going about emptying the pots and our youngest son reached out a plucked a leaf stating that he would grow a new plant out of the old. He got a small cup of water and placed the plant in it stating that it would soon grow again. He had hope for the small leaf he was placing in the water and we put the cup in the trailer.
It seems that life is like those plants at times. We do what we can, but circumstances of life change and the plants suffer. But if we can somehow remember the faith of a child and how simple it is to pluck a leaf from the dying flower and place it in some water and hope that it will grow again someday, it is enough for us as adults to understand that as long as we have hope and faith in God there is a glimmer of light that the flower we thought was dead will soon rise again and be as beautiful as it once was.
God is in the restoration business and He is restoring broken flowers daily. I admonished the Mother to be positive and never give up hope that someday her beautiful flower would once again raise her head to the Son and receive the Life and Love she desperately needed.
Maybe today you are suffering and feel as if you’re broken. Please know that above all that may have happened to you there is a Loving Gardener who is tenderly planting and re-planting his beautiful creations every day and if you'll let him, He will restore your broken flower today and Give you a NEW BRIGHT BEGINNING with the Son Shining down on you once again.
Be Encouraged,
Randy...
Friday, August 10, 2007
Happy Friday.. and Have a Great Weekend..
We are off to the Mountains this weekend for a Church Retreat!!
I have been asked to speak this Weekend at a church Retreat up in the Hills of California..
I will post some Pics from the Trip...
Until then Remember God answers Prayer...
Stay Encouraged...
Randy..
I have been asked to speak this Weekend at a church Retreat up in the Hills of California..
I will post some Pics from the Trip...
Until then Remember God answers Prayer...
Stay Encouraged...
Randy..
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Here are some New Pictures from our New Residence...
Here is a picture from our New Home..
It is a beginning of a Great Adventure for us.
And I can't begin to tell you How God has worked some great miracles for us but I will share them soon. For now we are watching the sun set at night and the stars shine bright. The boys have started school and Michelle & I are busy at work.
Truthfully, God's Timing is perfect while His ways are sometimes clouded. The "Stuff" we go thru to get where God wants us to be is at best described as confusing at times. Things like unscheduled detours, unexpected road blocks, finding the bridges are out after you've went thru the warning signals but in all of these circumstances, regardless of the situations that arise WE must TRUST that God will bring us to the place where he wants us to be. When we reach that Pivotal Point (why Pivot? because we can look back and see where He brought us from) in Life there will be much rejoicing.
HIS WAYS are NOT Our ways for sure. If they were, we would choose the well lighted paths and the easiest routes of getting there (I know I would!!!). But would we be what He wanted us when we get there. I think NOT. We go thru this “Stuff” for a purpose. God is molding us and shaping us according to His purpose and plan for our lives. Is it hard at times? Yes. Is it unbearable at times? Sure. Does it seem impossible? You Bet!! But Be Encouraged thru this process of change and decision God is working on your behalf even if you can't see it now...
And the “Stuff” will soon be over but not forgotten and God’s Work of getting you to where He wanted you to be will be complete and you can finish the Work of God knowing that you are in His perfect Will, simply because you chose to follow Him.
This Life is without Doubt our Greatest Adventure!!
Be Encouraged…
Randy
It is a beginning of a Great Adventure for us.
And I can't begin to tell you How God has worked some great miracles for us but I will share them soon. For now we are watching the sun set at night and the stars shine bright. The boys have started school and Michelle & I are busy at work.
Truthfully, God's Timing is perfect while His ways are sometimes clouded. The "Stuff" we go thru to get where God wants us to be is at best described as confusing at times. Things like unscheduled detours, unexpected road blocks, finding the bridges are out after you've went thru the warning signals but in all of these circumstances, regardless of the situations that arise WE must TRUST that God will bring us to the place where he wants us to be. When we reach that Pivotal Point (why Pivot? because we can look back and see where He brought us from) in Life there will be much rejoicing.
HIS WAYS are NOT Our ways for sure. If they were, we would choose the well lighted paths and the easiest routes of getting there (I know I would!!!). But would we be what He wanted us when we get there. I think NOT. We go thru this “Stuff” for a purpose. God is molding us and shaping us according to His purpose and plan for our lives. Is it hard at times? Yes. Is it unbearable at times? Sure. Does it seem impossible? You Bet!! But Be Encouraged thru this process of change and decision God is working on your behalf even if you can't see it now...
And the “Stuff” will soon be over but not forgotten and God’s Work of getting you to where He wanted you to be will be complete and you can finish the Work of God knowing that you are in His perfect Will, simply because you chose to follow Him.
This Life is without Doubt our Greatest Adventure!!
Be Encouraged…
Randy
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
How Important are Sunsets in Your Life?
Last night after coming home from work and doing some things around the trailer I realized that life can slow down a bit, even here in California.
The sun was setting a landscape of color against the backdrop of a mountain near us and we watched as God's handiwork set the canvas for us to just ooh and awe over the beauty of his artistic majesty as the colors were splashed against the fading evening light. It made me think of how many sunsets I had probably missed of late because I was to busy to realize the importance of sunsets.
Have you ever got caught up doing so much that you miss the sunsets and the days begin to blur. I was talking with a person yesterday and their life was so jam packed with business that they didn't even know what day it was.
Spouse, Kids, Church, Work, Breakfasts, Lunches, Work, Dinners, Sports, Work, Grocery Store, Work, Lawn Care, Automotive care, if something doesn't go wrong just wait: It will...
There is so much “stuff” in our lives that our vision becomes clouded. Our future seems light years away and it’s dimmed by the dust of life so much so we can't see past our problems and they become a cycle of disappointment that rule our lives until we implode and wind up losing everything. All of this resulting from lost time and missing the sunsets in our lives.
There were two sisters, Martha and Mary, who had a very important person coming to dinner. The older sister, Martha, knew they would do well and worked hard to make sure their guest would be taken care of so he could be comfortable while in their home. Martha was a nervous wreck, because this person was extremely well known and there would be probably be other guests coming as well and she wanted everything to be perfect. She knew that if she didn’t work there would folks who would talk and say, “Don’t go to Martha’s house”. She probably worked her fingers to the bone and made sure all those around her were working too.
If you have guests coming over to your house you know what I mean. Every nook and cranny must be cleaned because you want your guests to be comfortable and know that your place is clean and well kept. So Martha worked very hard and made those around her work hard too. When the guest arrived Martha kept right on working. When the guest sat down and was served dinner Martha kept right on working. When the guest was talking during dinner Martha kept right on working. When the guest was served dessert and really begin to relax, Martha kept right on working. Then the guest probably stretched his legs and sat back in his chair satisfied ready to talk some more and yes, Martha kept right on working only this time she began to realize that she was doing everything and nobody was actually helping her. She was cooking, serving, cleaning and moving doing everything alone but where was her Sister?
She went to look for her younger sister and found her sitting with the guest while Martha had kept working. She began to get angry and upset. Here she was doing everything while her sister sat and relaxed with the guest. She begins to bristle and call her sister but her calls were ignored until finally she imploded with anger and lashed out at her guest. "I am doing everything and receiving nothing! Don’t' you even care that my sister is not helping me?"
Jesus looked at her and simply said with love, "Martha, dear Martha, you're fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it's the main course, and won't be taken from her"
I like to call this the Martha Principle. We work so much that we become overworked and we miss the "Main Courses" that would bring fulfillment our Lives. We get angry because those around us aren't as motivated as we are. We get upset that we are working so much. We don't get to enjoy the benefits like the others are and instead of leading and making decisions in our Life we begin allow our “work” to dictate and make those for us.
We get burned out because we never realized the sunset was so beautiful. We never made time to watch the colors of the sky as God paints the canvas to remind us that there are more "important things" in this life than our “work”. Our fulfillment becomes misplaced because we missed the real “Main Course” of what God wanted to give us and we are so busy working we ignore the Guest in our home.
I encourage you tonight take some time to watch the sun set and appreciate colors of the sky. Recognize tonight that God is important and time with him is well spent. Recognize tonight that your children are miniature sunsets in your life and spend some time with them before they go down for the evening. Recognize tonight that your spouse is a sunset in your life laying down together and communicating life with one another and get the rest your soul desires.
Remember the "Martha Principle" and realize that work will always be there but time well spent watching your sunsets will be remembered the rest of your life.
Be Encouraged...
Randy
The sun was setting a landscape of color against the backdrop of a mountain near us and we watched as God's handiwork set the canvas for us to just ooh and awe over the beauty of his artistic majesty as the colors were splashed against the fading evening light. It made me think of how many sunsets I had probably missed of late because I was to busy to realize the importance of sunsets.
Have you ever got caught up doing so much that you miss the sunsets and the days begin to blur. I was talking with a person yesterday and their life was so jam packed with business that they didn't even know what day it was.
Spouse, Kids, Church, Work, Breakfasts, Lunches, Work, Dinners, Sports, Work, Grocery Store, Work, Lawn Care, Automotive care, if something doesn't go wrong just wait: It will...
There is so much “stuff” in our lives that our vision becomes clouded. Our future seems light years away and it’s dimmed by the dust of life so much so we can't see past our problems and they become a cycle of disappointment that rule our lives until we implode and wind up losing everything. All of this resulting from lost time and missing the sunsets in our lives.
There were two sisters, Martha and Mary, who had a very important person coming to dinner. The older sister, Martha, knew they would do well and worked hard to make sure their guest would be taken care of so he could be comfortable while in their home. Martha was a nervous wreck, because this person was extremely well known and there would be probably be other guests coming as well and she wanted everything to be perfect. She knew that if she didn’t work there would folks who would talk and say, “Don’t go to Martha’s house”. She probably worked her fingers to the bone and made sure all those around her were working too.
If you have guests coming over to your house you know what I mean. Every nook and cranny must be cleaned because you want your guests to be comfortable and know that your place is clean and well kept. So Martha worked very hard and made those around her work hard too. When the guest arrived Martha kept right on working. When the guest sat down and was served dinner Martha kept right on working. When the guest was talking during dinner Martha kept right on working. When the guest was served dessert and really begin to relax, Martha kept right on working. Then the guest probably stretched his legs and sat back in his chair satisfied ready to talk some more and yes, Martha kept right on working only this time she began to realize that she was doing everything and nobody was actually helping her. She was cooking, serving, cleaning and moving doing everything alone but where was her Sister?
She went to look for her younger sister and found her sitting with the guest while Martha had kept working. She began to get angry and upset. Here she was doing everything while her sister sat and relaxed with the guest. She begins to bristle and call her sister but her calls were ignored until finally she imploded with anger and lashed out at her guest. "I am doing everything and receiving nothing! Don’t' you even care that my sister is not helping me?"
Jesus looked at her and simply said with love, "Martha, dear Martha, you're fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it's the main course, and won't be taken from her"
I like to call this the Martha Principle. We work so much that we become overworked and we miss the "Main Courses" that would bring fulfillment our Lives. We get angry because those around us aren't as motivated as we are. We get upset that we are working so much. We don't get to enjoy the benefits like the others are and instead of leading and making decisions in our Life we begin allow our “work” to dictate and make those for us.
We get burned out because we never realized the sunset was so beautiful. We never made time to watch the colors of the sky as God paints the canvas to remind us that there are more "important things" in this life than our “work”. Our fulfillment becomes misplaced because we missed the real “Main Course” of what God wanted to give us and we are so busy working we ignore the Guest in our home.
I encourage you tonight take some time to watch the sun set and appreciate colors of the sky. Recognize tonight that God is important and time with him is well spent. Recognize tonight that your children are miniature sunsets in your life and spend some time with them before they go down for the evening. Recognize tonight that your spouse is a sunset in your life laying down together and communicating life with one another and get the rest your soul desires.
Remember the "Martha Principle" and realize that work will always be there but time well spent watching your sunsets will be remembered the rest of your life.
Be Encouraged...
Randy
Monday, August 6, 2007
Your Day or the Highway...
So Sorry for missing a day of posting.. We have finally made the move and transitioned into our new place... Michelle and I along with Austin are worn out and tired... *whew* but it's over and we're ready to take on this new adventure....
That said we are still somewhat in the moving phase as we had to lease storage besides the one we already had... Wow... Too Much Stuff!!!!
We are really looking forward to this New Day in our lives....
Sometimes You have Realize that everyday can be a New Day! A brand NEW BEGINNING for you and way to CHANGE THE DIRECTION you've been going or CHANGE THE ATTITUDE you've had...
Many Look for New Days but some never seem to find them...
I CHALLENGE You Today... Look at this Day as a NEW BEGINNING for you... As a Turning Point for your Life
Some may say... That sounds a little to "Cliché"...
And it may, but Cliché in some cases can be reality; The Sun does rise every Day and Truth is not subjective or perceived it is concrete in its qualities and how we face it will determine how
We will deal with LIFE daily...
I want to realize that THIS IS THE DAY the LORD HATH MADE... and I WILL REJOICE and BE GLAD in it... and face the Sunshine and KNOW that I can believe in Him...
You Can Realize It Too!!
Be Encouraged!!!
Randy...
That said we are still somewhat in the moving phase as we had to lease storage besides the one we already had... Wow... Too Much Stuff!!!!
We are really looking forward to this New Day in our lives....
Sometimes You have Realize that everyday can be a New Day! A brand NEW BEGINNING for you and way to CHANGE THE DIRECTION you've been going or CHANGE THE ATTITUDE you've had...
Many Look for New Days but some never seem to find them...
I CHALLENGE You Today... Look at this Day as a NEW BEGINNING for you... As a Turning Point for your Life
Some may say... That sounds a little to "Cliché"...
And it may, but Cliché in some cases can be reality; The Sun does rise every Day and Truth is not subjective or perceived it is concrete in its qualities and how we face it will determine how
We will deal with LIFE daily...
I want to realize that THIS IS THE DAY the LORD HATH MADE... and I WILL REJOICE and BE GLAD in it... and face the Sunshine and KNOW that I can believe in Him...
You Can Realize It Too!!
Be Encouraged!!!
Randy...
Friday, August 3, 2007
Making Time to Dance...
What is about Dance that makes us do the crazy things we do?
They were bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to the Isrealite Camp and King David took off his vestsment and begin to dance before the Ark because of the great Joy he felt at bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to God's People.
Dance... Find some time today to shake yourself!!!!
Get out of your normal routine... Tap Your Toes...Shake it up!!
Dance a little.... Life is hard sometimes but there are just times we have to forget about it
and Dance....
Some Bee-bop..Some Robot... Some do the Charleston...Some do the Boogaloo...
But while your dancing think on the Blessings of God and make Him the reason for your Dance!!
Have fun!!
Randy....
They were bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to the Isrealite Camp and King David took off his vestsment and begin to dance before the Ark because of the great Joy he felt at bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to God's People.
Dance... Find some time today to shake yourself!!!!
Get out of your normal routine... Tap Your Toes...Shake it up!!
Dance a little.... Life is hard sometimes but there are just times we have to forget about it
and Dance....
Some Bee-bop..Some Robot... Some do the Charleston...Some do the Boogaloo...
But while your dancing think on the Blessings of God and make Him the reason for your Dance!!
Have fun!!
Randy....
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Breaking into the Bank of Faith...
Why do we equate faith with money?
I am not speaking about the realm of wealth just way we view faith. When we have money in the Bank we feel secure and satisfied. We know that if an emergency arises we can just use the funds we have stored up in the Bank to pay for what is needed and the emergency becomes a non-event and we sleep and rest peacefully. But what happens when the funds are to low to cover the emergency? What happens when the emergency completely drains our funds? What happens to us when funds run out and the bill is due and we don't have enough in the bank to cover the amount? We go into panic mode and we cry, scream and shout in anger because our life and our securitys rest on the Bank. Some become so desperate they know there is a safe in the Bank with money in it. In desperation they decided to break into the Bank thinking that if they can just get into the safe and take the money their needs would be met and life would return back to normal and security and peace would come to them again. We know that it doesn't work that way.
This is why we view Faith like money in the Bank.
It seems at times we think the more faith we have, the more secure we'll become and if we can just deposit faith in the Bank of Faith now and again we can relax and rest peacefully and there maybe some truth to this thinking. But when the emergency or trial or test comes and we become panicked. The Doctor says it's cancer, the spouse tells the partner I'm leaving you, the Pink slip on your desk announces your dismissal, so many things can happen that shake us to our core and it seems that after awhile we use up our faith that we had stored and we get so discouraged we feel our Faith account is empty and there is no faith left for us to withdraw. We become desperate so we turn from faith to doubt and that really breaks our spirits and we become lost and we beat ourselves up because of our lack of faith that somehow we didn't have enough. All because we view faith like we view money and once the money is gone it's over, likewise, then once our storehouse of faith is gone it's over and the battle for us is lost. We give up believing that our spirit is bankrupt. Then the guilt sets in and our faults and our past becomes a display case before us that we view daily and instead of growing in Faith we give up.
Do we misunderstanding Faith sometimes?
In the book of Luke Jesus said to his disciples, "Hard trials and temptations are bound to come, but too bad for whoever brings them on! Better to wear a millstone necklace and take a swim in the deep blue sea than give even one of these dear little ones a hard time! "Be alert. If you see your friend going wrong, correct him. If he responds, forgive him. Even if it's personal against you and repeated seven times through the day, and seven times he says, 'I'm sorry, I won't do it again,' forgive him." The apostles came up and said to the Master, "Give us more faith."
They were thinking that when these hard trials and temptations come they would want to have enough Faith in the Bank to take them on and if they didn't have enough they would probably succumb and fail..
But the Master said, "You don't need more faith. There is no 'more' or 'less' in faith. If you have a bare kernel of faith, say the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this sycamore tree, 'Go jump in the lake,' and it would do it.
Faith is not measured by how much or little you have it is measured by how you will trust God to believe during these times of trials and troubles. It will be there when you reach out to pray for someone who has a need. It will be there when you believe God for healing either for yourself or others. There is no Bank of Faith to break into because the amount of Faith you have will be dependant on you because God has given a measure of Faith to every man. It's up to us as to how we will use it.
Money and Faith are not equals because you don't have to have a great amount of Faith for God to move on your behalf. God will honor a mustard seed faith. There is no measurement in Faith just that you will put your trust in God. A little Faith in God can go a long ways in Life and what we go thru. Faith in God can bring healing to yourself and others if you will just use what He has given you. Stop beating yourself up and Trust Him today and He will make a way for you.
BE ENCOURAGED TODAY and HAVE FAITH IN GOD...
Randy
I am not speaking about the realm of wealth just way we view faith. When we have money in the Bank we feel secure and satisfied. We know that if an emergency arises we can just use the funds we have stored up in the Bank to pay for what is needed and the emergency becomes a non-event and we sleep and rest peacefully. But what happens when the funds are to low to cover the emergency? What happens when the emergency completely drains our funds? What happens to us when funds run out and the bill is due and we don't have enough in the bank to cover the amount? We go into panic mode and we cry, scream and shout in anger because our life and our securitys rest on the Bank. Some become so desperate they know there is a safe in the Bank with money in it. In desperation they decided to break into the Bank thinking that if they can just get into the safe and take the money their needs would be met and life would return back to normal and security and peace would come to them again. We know that it doesn't work that way.
This is why we view Faith like money in the Bank.
It seems at times we think the more faith we have, the more secure we'll become and if we can just deposit faith in the Bank of Faith now and again we can relax and rest peacefully and there maybe some truth to this thinking. But when the emergency or trial or test comes and we become panicked. The Doctor says it's cancer, the spouse tells the partner I'm leaving you, the Pink slip on your desk announces your dismissal, so many things can happen that shake us to our core and it seems that after awhile we use up our faith that we had stored and we get so discouraged we feel our Faith account is empty and there is no faith left for us to withdraw. We become desperate so we turn from faith to doubt and that really breaks our spirits and we become lost and we beat ourselves up because of our lack of faith that somehow we didn't have enough. All because we view faith like we view money and once the money is gone it's over, likewise, then once our storehouse of faith is gone it's over and the battle for us is lost. We give up believing that our spirit is bankrupt. Then the guilt sets in and our faults and our past becomes a display case before us that we view daily and instead of growing in Faith we give up.
Do we misunderstanding Faith sometimes?
In the book of Luke Jesus said to his disciples, "Hard trials and temptations are bound to come, but too bad for whoever brings them on! Better to wear a millstone necklace and take a swim in the deep blue sea than give even one of these dear little ones a hard time! "Be alert. If you see your friend going wrong, correct him. If he responds, forgive him. Even if it's personal against you and repeated seven times through the day, and seven times he says, 'I'm sorry, I won't do it again,' forgive him." The apostles came up and said to the Master, "Give us more faith."
They were thinking that when these hard trials and temptations come they would want to have enough Faith in the Bank to take them on and if they didn't have enough they would probably succumb and fail..
But the Master said, "You don't need more faith. There is no 'more' or 'less' in faith. If you have a bare kernel of faith, say the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this sycamore tree, 'Go jump in the lake,' and it would do it.
Faith is not measured by how much or little you have it is measured by how you will trust God to believe during these times of trials and troubles. It will be there when you reach out to pray for someone who has a need. It will be there when you believe God for healing either for yourself or others. There is no Bank of Faith to break into because the amount of Faith you have will be dependant on you because God has given a measure of Faith to every man. It's up to us as to how we will use it.
Money and Faith are not equals because you don't have to have a great amount of Faith for God to move on your behalf. God will honor a mustard seed faith. There is no measurement in Faith just that you will put your trust in God. A little Faith in God can go a long ways in Life and what we go thru. Faith in God can bring healing to yourself and others if you will just use what He has given you. Stop beating yourself up and Trust Him today and He will make a way for you.
BE ENCOURAGED TODAY and HAVE FAITH IN GOD...
Randy
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Is There a Light at the end of My Tunnel Because I sure can't See It...
Have you ever asked yourself that question and said those very words?
Sometimes it seems that we can't see the light for the darkness in the tunnels we have to go thru at times in Life. While we are focused on making it thru we just don't know what's waiting for us when we come out. Some give up and just live in the darkness always wondering what could have been or would have been if they hadn't given up while others work, shove, push and pull themselves thru hoping that they soon will see the light.
The reality is there are so many twists and turns in the tunnel of Life that the light is often not there when the next bend comes. Some say, "Why even try?" and give up. They sentence themselves to a continual process of darkness and discouragement. Many times they never realize there is a light that would guide them thru their darkest of hours within their reach and that Light is the Bible, God's Word.
David wrote in Psalms that God's Word was like a lamp to light his way helping him navigate the darkness he was walking thru. So many times we forget there is a Light to help us and the Light is generally closer than we think. Many times its sitting on our fireplace mantle or in the drawer of our nightstand or in a bookshelf in the living room shuffled among our self help books. We will wring our hands and worry about losing sight of the light until it becomes so dim because the unknown twists and turns of Life have blocked it out.
Don't worry your not alone. We all go thru tunnels in Life but coming out them is the Best part because you realize that with God's help and His Word He was able to keep you and guide you thru those dark paths by lighting your way and keeping you safe.
Sometimes it seems that we can't see the light for the darkness in the tunnels we have to go thru at times in Life. While we are focused on making it thru we just don't know what's waiting for us when we come out. Some give up and just live in the darkness always wondering what could have been or would have been if they hadn't given up while others work, shove, push and pull themselves thru hoping that they soon will see the light.
The reality is there are so many twists and turns in the tunnel of Life that the light is often not there when the next bend comes. Some say, "Why even try?" and give up. They sentence themselves to a continual process of darkness and discouragement. Many times they never realize there is a light that would guide them thru their darkest of hours within their reach and that Light is the Bible, God's Word.
David wrote in Psalms that God's Word was like a lamp to light his way helping him navigate the darkness he was walking thru. So many times we forget there is a Light to help us and the Light is generally closer than we think. Many times its sitting on our fireplace mantle or in the drawer of our nightstand or in a bookshelf in the living room shuffled among our self help books. We will wring our hands and worry about losing sight of the light until it becomes so dim because the unknown twists and turns of Life have blocked it out.
Don't worry your not alone. We all go thru tunnels in Life but coming out them is the Best part because you realize that with God's help and His Word He was able to keep you and guide you thru those dark paths by lighting your way and keeping you safe.
Hey... Be Encouraged!!
Take some time today to read God's Word, the Bible... It is the perfect flashlight that never needs batteries or a lightbulb and It will never Let You Down!!
Just a thought..
Randy
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Change is the Spice of Life...
...and we are experiencing one of those changes in our life.
We sold our home two years ago and have been leasing a home since. We decided this year that as property here in California is still dropping in price we were going to make the best of it and purchase a large RV to live in for the next year instead of making someone else's house payment.
WOW!!... That's a Change...
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We sold our home two years ago and have been leasing a home since. We decided this year that as property here in California is still dropping in price we were going to make the best of it and purchase a large RV to live in for the next year instead of making someone else's house payment.
WOW!!... That's a Change...
"> It is still amazing to me how God blesses and leads when you least expect Him to. When we began looking for a trailer there were so many to choose from. But we knew there would be some things we needed to make it livable for the next year. We wanted something roomy with lots of natural light. We found exactly what we were looking for in a local ad but before making that choice we had previously made another. We had already purchased one verbally the night before but both of us were uncomfortable with choice we had made. Michelle told me she had tossed and turned all night and I had the same feeling of uncomfortable that the decision we made wasn't right for us either. It was really God directing us because the very next day I looked at an ad and felt we owed it to ourselves to go look.
The trailer was above our price (at the time) and I can't tell you why but just by looking at the ad the next day I felt this is the trailer we needed. You know God was right (as usual). We found exactly what we needed and the wonderful people came down on the price to where we wanted to be and both of us slept very well that night assured we had made the right choice.
Change isn't easy at times and can come unexpected or can be planned but either way it comes it is something we all have to deal with in LIFE. It just seems to spice (if you will) life up and implants things in our memory that can't be taken away. I am not saying all change is good but when it comes it forces us to adjust to it and deal with it and sometimes thats not so bad depending on what we make of it.
Most people don't like change because it breaks up their normal routine and interupts their life. But if they could learn to appreciate LIFE, Change can be accepted and embraced and you will grow from your experiences more so than what has been status quo.
LIFE is an great Adventure with every joy or pain. But it will be what you make of it. Your future will depend on how you handle the changes that come. Sometimes its not easy but learn from it, accept it and you will grow from it.
Until then...
More Adventure to come..
Randy
Change isn't easy at times and can come unexpected or can be planned but either way it comes it is something we all have to deal with in LIFE. It just seems to spice (if you will) life up and implants things in our memory that can't be taken away. I am not saying all change is good but when it comes it forces us to adjust to it and deal with it and sometimes thats not so bad depending on what we make of it.
Most people don't like change because it breaks up their normal routine and interupts their life. But if they could learn to appreciate LIFE, Change can be accepted and embraced and you will grow from your experiences more so than what has been status quo.
LIFE is an great Adventure with every joy or pain. But it will be what you make of it. Your future will depend on how you handle the changes that come. Sometimes its not easy but learn from it, accept it and you will grow from it.
Until then...
More Adventure to come..
Randy
Monday, July 30, 2007
Welcome to a Mind full of Life...
LIFE....
With all its facets, faces and facts is truly an amazing process. Happiness, sadness, wealth, poverty, favor, hardness, brevity, fears, triumphs, faith, longevity, and whatever other words to describe what life is will all come down to one. YOU....
Life is a universal word to describe billions and yet is singular in that each one living is a Life.
Life is a period of time and yet timeless in application.
Life is something that was created and is born.
Life is deep and meaningful because each Life is important and neccessary.
What does Life mean to you?
To some life is just a mere existence on the table of Space and Time. To some it is nothing more than a nuisance of necessary evil. To some Life is worshipped and celebrated. To some it is a stepping stone. To Some it is a Gift. To some it is a Calling. To some it has depth and meaning.
But in all it will come down to these four questions:
What does Life mean to You?
How do you live it?
Do you Live it for yourself or others?
Is it fulfilling and meaningful?
A place of purpose is important for those that are alive for without purpose we are just existing and lost.
I want YOU to KNOW today, this minute, this second YOU are IMPORTANT, YOU are being Thought about, YOU have MEANING, and YOU CAN FIND YOUR PURPOSE...
Thanks for Reading...
more to come...
Randy...
With all its facets, faces and facts is truly an amazing process. Happiness, sadness, wealth, poverty, favor, hardness, brevity, fears, triumphs, faith, longevity, and whatever other words to describe what life is will all come down to one. YOU....
Life is a universal word to describe billions and yet is singular in that each one living is a Life.
Life is a period of time and yet timeless in application.
Life is something that was created and is born.
Life is deep and meaningful because each Life is important and neccessary.
What does Life mean to you?
To some life is just a mere existence on the table of Space and Time. To some it is nothing more than a nuisance of necessary evil. To some Life is worshipped and celebrated. To some it is a stepping stone. To Some it is a Gift. To some it is a Calling. To some it has depth and meaning.
But in all it will come down to these four questions:
What does Life mean to You?
How do you live it?
Do you Live it for yourself or others?
Is it fulfilling and meaningful?
A place of purpose is important for those that are alive for without purpose we are just existing and lost.
I want YOU to KNOW today, this minute, this second YOU are IMPORTANT, YOU are being Thought about, YOU have MEANING, and YOU CAN FIND YOUR PURPOSE...
Thanks for Reading...
more to come...
Randy...
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