Thankfulness on Thanksgiving

I am so thankful for

• A God whose patience defies all human logic.
• For a Savior who gently leads me out of my comfort zone into places where I can gladly drop my fears by the wayside and experience excitement beyond my abilities.
• TR: this one is for you because this is how I choose to act and love, even if others can't understand - For a God who sees his child far away down his long driveway and runs to his son, not willing to hear the apology, and restoring him to sonship and honor.
• For a extended family who loves me despite me not being a good communicator and involving them more in my life.
• For a wife whom I can't believe that I can love more than I do and yet seemingly every week loving her and adoring her more. I still look at you and get that giddy schoolboy feeling. I can't think what you saw in me to even date me, never mind love me as you do!
• For children who exceed my expectations of Godliness.
• For a friend who has invited me to be part of a wild ride that God and forordained for him. I am absolutely jacked to see his glory manifested in you and for you so anxious to show his glory to others. Yes, I tear up thinking about it.
• For a Dad and Mom who have lived out grace despite a somewhat oppressive religious atmosphere and have transcended religion to be free to serve in ways you didn't imagine.
• That God has seen fit to hold my job in place yet again. I am so glad to trust Him even if He didn't. I bless you Father for it.
• For His power being perfected in my weakness, even while I still struggle to want to do things I know I can and should be doing.
• For my close brother Joe whom I can tell anything.
• For friends in our church who love, serve and cherish Val and me.
  

Amen.

Moody One clarified

Had an extended discussion with Paul about him not believing that I'm an intravert. I guess I should clarify that by human nature, I'm wired as one. I have learned both through normal human experience and by the power of God to overcome that intraverted nature. So whatever extravert I have working, and there is quite a bit, is to the glory of God.

2 Corinthians 10:17 (Amplified)

¹⁷However, let him who boasts and glories boast and glory in the Lord

Highly Emotional Sharing Day; Friend's attempt to take his life

My friend Bill asked me to attend a service celebrating a 2 day lock-in with others to help each other open up before God and start the healing process for old wounds. It was certainly a wonderful time listening to the testimonies of how God touched each of them. I cried many times over the 2 hours listening to them and others who encouraged them after each individual testimony. I really was greatly honored to be asked to come as a special guest. I honestly believe tht all Christian individuals would benefit from the experience. I'm considering it myself prayerfully.

During Dinner before the celebration I got a call that one of my (not local) good friends had made an attempt on his life. At the time I didn't know if he would make it. He is an agnostic and has expierienced a tremendous amount of emotional pain in his upbringing. The 'Christian' influence in his life is riddled with hypocrisy and integrity lapses. It's not wonder he slipped into the agnostic mode.

My hope and prayer has been for him to get to the place where he can look up for help... maybe this is the place. I'm willing to do almost anything within reason to help him because I do love him and want so much for him to experience the peace and joy that I have in Christ. We have a (annoying to others) such an easy time making each other laugh, even to the point of tears.

I would appreciate prayers on his behalf and on his wife's too. I can't give names or even where they live out of respect for their privacy. I plan on calling Him tomorrow since I have been granted phone access to him (1 of 4 people.)

Pray for me to show just how real God is and how much He desires to give my good friend peace!

True Religion

I've been thinking a lot about what true religion really is. I was raised in a church where helping the poor was considered a Social Gospel and that we should concentrate on making ourselves ready. If an opportunity to help someone in need was there, by all means grab it and run with it BUT do go looking to far.

Recently both the Spirit and circumstance is impressing this greatly upon my heart. Where once I'd had comfortably ignored promptings of the spirit in this regard, I now am feeling the importance of following through. All this is totally against what Andy would want to do. He'd rather stay cooped up in his Hobbit hole and not get involved with strangers. But this isn't about Andy; it's about Jesus and what He did and what He would have me to do.

I began to realize over time as I read my Bible with unfiltered eyes that much more is made of serving others; caring for the poor; caring for Widows and orphans; is given a much much higher emphasis than anything else when it comes to what we are judged upon, including our intellectual appreciation of God's plans and purposes.

So, for the first time in quite a while, I'll be undertaking a very prayerful study (yea I know, that's somewhat intellectual) to understand the mind of Christ in this regard.

The Moody One

Starting Friday and slowly seaping through Saturday and culminating into Sunday I began to feel utterly crabby which in turn causes me to withdraw. It's tough on Val when that happens. I 'think' it is due to the seemingly lack of days off on the weekends. Val and I are so different though I consider her social skills essential to halping me break out of my loner personality. Sometimes though it catches up to me eventually and I just need to be alone with no interaction what-so-ever.

I really don't know anyone who has that social personality who seems to understand that need to be isolated. Comments are welcome of course.

Abby was baptized

Last Sunday (November 4) was Abby's baptismal. All in all it was a lovely service although much different than the typical one we were used to. We had many visitors from our old church which made both Val and I apprehensive on various levels. The church we used to go to is very stoic in their worship; very consistent in their services; and what I really wish was not true, a vocabulary all to their own. We knew there would be some eyebrow raising.

All in all everything was lovely. 4 Others were baptised along with Abby. We'll be getting a DVD of the whole thing and can perhaps share segments of that on the internet with our friends.

Abby is such a good teen and I wonder why at times God has blessed us so with our less than perfect parenting skills. I am REALLY thankful that we waited to have children. It gave us a chance to mature as Christians and as a couple.

I have great non-specific hopes for her walk in Christ.

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe

I ordered a read aloud version of the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe to read to Timmy since he asked to have it read to him... after a year of suggesting it. I really like reading aloud and try to put as much feeling and emotion into it as C.S. Lewis does.

Lately, Timmy and I have been spending more time together, baseball in the backyard; reading; walking and picking leaves. I sure hope he's logging memories with this stuff. I think I am, and want to keep up the good work.