Character Sketch: A Tribute to My Father

As today being Father's Day, I thought I would throw something down about my Daddy-O, so I dug something out that I wrote while in High School.

CHARACTER SKETCH

"Growing up to be a football star or basketball star is what he wanted. It is what I wanted, too, but academics is always the top priority. Being the first born son carries a difficult burden, but creates a great, comfortable relationship. Is the choice to drink Non-Alcoholic beer a personal barrier or is there love for a family to do what is best? His slicked back, brown hair and long reddish mustache make him look young, but his bad back and worn out knees make him prime candidate for "old man of the year". His aching muscles will make him complain, but get him to work twice as hard at Nor-Lake. Closing on thirty years of lifting and bending metal will get any man worn down. To watch his kids play ball every week is a treat for him and he would not want to miss it. His classic starter jacket and Reebok kicks make him suspect for being an arrogant sports nut, but people see his down-to-earth personality and his respect to others. I wouldn't trade him for anything, even those classic Hormel hot dogs and egg sandwiches that he knows I like best. "

My dad has always inspired me to become a great and kind man, and this is just a reminder that I, along with every man, are called to become a father, a courageous father, either earthly or spiritual.  Let us all be reminded of the courageous fathers out there and be inspired to become like them.

Thanksgiving: Fathers

Give Me a Drink

Here is just a little something from my journal the other day:

"He had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well waw there, Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well. It was about noon. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, Give me a drink..." John 4:4-7

Lord, You asked the Samaritan woman to give you a drink from the well, and I felt as though You were saying, "Give me your life". Part of me is wondering, "What else? I have given You my life as best as I can." But then reading on, I realize that the cistern in the well is very deep just like myself, and there must be hidden things. Have I given You everything? I would like to think so. But reflecting further on, there is a good indication that there are still some parts of my heart I am not willing to give at certain times. Give me a drink, Lord, I need Your wisdom to discern what is Your plan in the situations I am involved in, because humbly I say that I am not the best in a lot of these ways.
Sometimes it is hard to know what is in the deep, but I know that You told the woman that true worship is in the Spirit. I want to thank You for making me feel weightless, letting me have a taste of that living water and resting in Your Spirit that you long everyone to drink. I need it more often.


-Let us continually ask for the living water Christ wants to give us, to sanctify us, and to call us more deeply in love with Him

Thanksgiving: Moments of Grace that lift us up

Remaining at Peace

There have been a lot of things in the past couple weeks that challenged my ability to stay at peace. I credit all of the ability to remain at peace to the grace of God and also the knowledge and wisdom in a book called "Searching For and Maintaing Peace". It has helped me Big time. It outlines why it is so important to maintain peace and how one can go about finding it. I can recall a number of times where I could have been discouraged or frustrated, but by grace I remained calm and confident in God's mercy and Providence, knowing that I am not perfect.  I struggle with a sense of false humility sometimes, but striving to maintain peace has given me such freedom.  Even still right now, there could be a number of things that could make me anxious and worrysome, but I feel more able to abandon myself.
This pertains to my last post, because with some of the habits and addictions that we all face, it is easy to become discouraged. But without going into deep detail on this, I just want to let you all know that we must remain calm, confident, and at peace, knowing that God will come through for us with our help. The help comes with us trying to starve the rough spots in our life, but also knowing that God will not put us through a test that we cannot handle alone.
As the book I referred to above states, we are like a lake- if it is as peace and tranquil, you can see the reflection of the sun, if it disturbed and at torment, you cannot see any reflection. If we are at peace, people can see the sun and feel the warmth. Let us be at peace

Thanksgiving: Books that fill us with life.