Today was an interesting day.  My wallet was stolen out of my car.  I found a charge on my debit card at Kroger for several hundred dollars levied at 4 a.m. a couple of days ago.  Thankfully, I was able to cancel all of the other cards in there before too much damage had been done.  That was most of my day today, calling companies to have cards/accounts frozen or changed.

After I was so seething mad that I had to spend my day doing this, it occurred to me…”I actually have something to steal”.  I gave thanks for the provision in my life and said a prayer for the perpetrator.

Now, on to enjoying the gift of life!

The entire weekend was wonderful just spending some time with my oldest boy, but there was one thing that I’ll never, ever forget.  I was teaching the crowd a new song entitled Your Great Name.  It’s a song off of our SHINE OUT record here at TPC that God has really been using to touch a lot of people.  The lights in the auditorium were turned down.  People were beginning to sing along and worship.  About half way through the first chorus I looked back and saw a sight that will forever be etched in my heart.  Micah was standing at the back wall all by himself with his hands and face reaching toward the heavens singing to the top of his lungs.  It was one of the purest expressions of worship I’ve ever seen.  

I had many people tell me that Micah led them in worship that night.  For him to be expressing his love to God when he thought no one was looking, impacted those adults profoundly.  Never underestimate how God will use a child.  I was led to the feet of Jesus by my son last Saturday night.  I was wrecked…

 A couple of weeks ago I was staying on Palm Beach with my wife Leah.  I got up at daybreak to lead worship at Christ Fellowship for their morning services.  I walked out to the seawall and was greeted with this amazing sky God had painted.  I just sat there and drank it in.  Then…about 150 yards off shore a dolphin (Flipper style) began to leap several feet out of the water!  I couldn’t believe it.  It just made it’s way down the horizon for as far as a I could see.  I wanted to shout and tell someone.  I was too mesmerized to try to get a picture with my iPhone.  Sometimes I believe God meets us in unexpected ways and reminds us that He’s there, He’s involved, and He’s NOT aloof.  It’s like all that was just for me that Sunday morning.  Has something like this ever happened to you?  Where God met you in an unexpected way?  I’d love to hear about it.

Talk soon…

It’s true isn’t it?

I have so much to be thankful for.  The list is endless.  If there’s anything I’d like to pass along to my kids it’s a grateful heart.  Grateful for Jesus.  Grateful for the cross.  Grateful for creation.  Grateful for the rain.  Grateful for food and shelter.  Grateful for friendships.

“I will enter his presence with thanksgiving…”

I hope you have an amazing week full of joy.

What are you thankful for?

My son Micah came up to me a few days ago out of the clear blue and said, “Dad, I need to talk to ya in private.”  I said “ok” and we walked out the front door to the screened- in porch and shut the door behind us.  I was waiting with baited breath because my son is known for saying hilariously shocking statements to anyone.  He motioned me to come closer and as I bent down, with his chubby little hands he grabbed my neck gently and began to whisper in my ear.  He said, “Um Dad, Um could we um you know um, Dad, um could we hang out just the guys (he has a little sister and brother and a gorgeous mom) and go swimming and maybe go to the movies and um spend the whole day together…just the guys?”  In an instant I felt like a little kid, a humbled and thankful parent, a proud father and a very blessed man all at once.  Without hesitation I said, “you bet”.

It was one of those memories I’ll hold on to forever.  As I have reflected on that conversation I couldn’t help but wonder if God feels the same pure joy when we just want to “hang” with him.  If He is our father and we recognize what we have been given as His children what an amazing thing that he bends His loving ear toward us and gives us His full attention.   I don’t know about you, but I find myself all too often distracted and wondering why that kind of pure joy and relationship doesn’t show up through work, achievement, busyness, whatever…DUH!!  I have to constantly be reminded to come back to that love relationship I have been extended through Jesus.  Access to the divine…to infinite, unconditional love.  Friendship beyond what I’ve ever known on earth.  Maybe we just need to ask Him today “um, could we hang out, um, just us?”  I don’t know…just thinking about that today…

MN

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