June 6, 1944. Even failing history students usually understand the significance of the date. 65 years ago many brave men made the ultimate sacrifice to make the impossible, possible. The rest of us can read about it, watch movies about it, but we'll never fully understand the hell that those men went through at places like Normandy to preserve our liberty. We lose more and more veterans from that generation each day; the youngest among those on D-Day are now in their 80's. We would do well not only to honor their memory, but to follow the example they set for us. Lest we forget, God bless them.
Yesterday Hope got to stay with daddy while mommy went to the store. Going shopping out here is not as simple as driving a couple blocks, getting a basket, and coming home. When we go to town it's never a short trip. Mommy was gone about 4 1/2 hours, a trip to town can easily be a 6 or 7 hour ordeal.
What did we do while mommy was gone. Hope took a very long nap on my chest. Hope has developed a very strong willed personality, and she usually seeks out mom to get what she wants. She had become seemingly inconsolable for anyone but mom if she inn't getting her way. I got Hope to sit on my lap, and relax while mom snuck out the back. Hope was a little upset when she realized mom was gone. It only lasted for a fleeting minute before she came back to sit with me again. With a little distraction, and some help form Elmo Hope fell asleep in my arms . . . for three hours. She needed the rest. Later when mom got home Hope didn't immediatley run to her in tantrum, like she has done in the past. She even came over to see me several times after mom had returned. I realized that not only did mom need a break from Hope, Hope needed a break from mom. Hope and I also needed our time to bond.
I'm heading back to work today. I'm not fully healed but I can walk, albeit slowly, with just the knee brace and no crutches. I'm supposed to have a high school student starting work today, so I guess I can finally use the "supervisor" part of my job title. I'll have to see how little I can do. Hopefully by the end of next week I'll have full mobility.
We know that all things work for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28 (NAB)
Monday, June 8, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
Starting June off Right
Last night Suise Luchsinger came to perform in our small town. I know many of you are wondering "Who is Susie Luchsinger?" She is a country gospel singer with an incredible amount of talent. She was born Susie McEntire, and has a sister named Reba who allegedly has some musical talent as well. During the show she shared her faith and testimony, and asked others in the crowd to do the same. We enjoyed the show and our daughters did their best to dance while the music was playing. It was a great chance for members of the community to get out and visit with one another, for kids to run and play, and just to enjoy the music. www.susieluchsinger.com
Since I'm slowed down by my current injury it has allowed me more time with my kids. I wasn't able to work yesterday, but I did figure out how to get into my truck and drive. With that figured out I took Grace and Isaac to the playground at the school. I sat down on the playground, and watched them play. They had a good time, and got along well (which they don't always do at home). I was supposed to help with a neighbors' branding today, but with my leg in a brace I figured it would be hard to flank calves. Faith, Isaac, and I went over for the dinner, so they could play with their friends. After dinner Faith wanted to go to the corrals to see the newly branded calves before they got sorted off to different pastures. They got their first view of a rattlesnake at the corrals. They climbed on fences, and played at the corrals until their friends left for nap time. Once their friends left, Isaac decided it was time for us to go too.
Grace, Faith, and Isacc have been excellent assitants the last couple days. They do everything from bringing food and drink to helping me put on my boots. Sometimes they aren't quite sure how to do things, but they try very hard and are very thoughtful. As parents we are blessed to have such wonderful children.
Our daughter Hope continues to grow and thrive. She has developed a very strong personality, which probably goes with having to overcome such adverse circumstances at the beginning of her life. She has discovered Elmo on Sesame Street, and is enthralled whenever Elmo is on TV. We pray constantly that she will continue to do well, and we give praise constantly that she has done so well thus far.
They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles' wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.
Isaiah 40:31 (NAB)
Since I'm slowed down by my current injury it has allowed me more time with my kids. I wasn't able to work yesterday, but I did figure out how to get into my truck and drive. With that figured out I took Grace and Isaac to the playground at the school. I sat down on the playground, and watched them play. They had a good time, and got along well (which they don't always do at home). I was supposed to help with a neighbors' branding today, but with my leg in a brace I figured it would be hard to flank calves. Faith, Isaac, and I went over for the dinner, so they could play with their friends. After dinner Faith wanted to go to the corrals to see the newly branded calves before they got sorted off to different pastures. They got their first view of a rattlesnake at the corrals. They climbed on fences, and played at the corrals until their friends left for nap time. Once their friends left, Isaac decided it was time for us to go too.
Grace, Faith, and Isacc have been excellent assitants the last couple days. They do everything from bringing food and drink to helping me put on my boots. Sometimes they aren't quite sure how to do things, but they try very hard and are very thoughtful. As parents we are blessed to have such wonderful children.
Our daughter Hope continues to grow and thrive. She has developed a very strong personality, which probably goes with having to overcome such adverse circumstances at the beginning of her life. She has discovered Elmo on Sesame Street, and is enthralled whenever Elmo is on TV. We pray constantly that she will continue to do well, and we give praise constantly that she has done so well thus far.
They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar as with eagles' wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.
Isaiah 40:31 (NAB)
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Life Comes At You Fast
So goes the advertising slogan for an insurance company. Well there is some truth in that statement. It has been over a month since I have written. Yesterday morning I was lamenting the fact the I haven't had time to write. Life came at me fast, and I have plenty of time now.
I was doing some work on a roof here in Branson yesterday, which required the use of an extension ladder. I'm no stranger to extension ladders having used them without incident since my teenage years. I got the ladder from my truck, extended it to adequate height to access the roof I needed to work on, placed it against the eave, made sure that it was on level ground, and started climbing. I made it halfway up to the roof before the most bizzare thing happend to me. The fly section of the ladder, the portion which you extend, started going back down with me on it.
Not wanting to get caught in the rungs I pushed myself backwards away from the ladder hoping to land on my feet. I landed on my feet, at which point I discovered a major failing point in my plan of action. The human knee is desinged to bend in one direction, which is not backwards. As my feet hit the ground I thought I was going to be okay, but the velocity of the impact coupled with my body weight changed my initial impresion in about 1/100th of a second. I felt something in the back of my knee "pop", and I fell to the ground rather forcefully.
After hitting the ground the adrenaline was still going, and despite being sprawled out on the ground I thought I would just get up. Plan B failed more spectacullarly than my inital plan of jumping backwards off the ladder. I tried to stand on my injured leg only to have my knee give out from under me causing me to land face down in the dirt. As the adrenaline was wearing off I relaized two things. I was hurt to the point where I was not going to walk away, and I needed help.
Some days God looks out for us. I have a cell phone, but I only get service in a couple parts of town. Needless to say I didn't have service where I was. I had put my EMS radio in my truck instead of leaving it on my desk when I. I crawled over to the passenger side of my truck, where I had left the window down, and pulled myself up. I was able to grab my radio off the dash before falling down for the thrid time. Having some pride, and not wanting to alert the entire county to my predicament, I simply asked my fellow EMT if she could come over to where I was.
Not knowing that I was injured my fellow EMT showed up without her trauma kit, but my trauma kit had made it into the truck along with the radio. She quickly acsertained that my knee was apporximately the size of a canteloupe, and that I probably needed to go to the hospital. Once she had my knee immobilized, and had put a cold pack on it I was albe to pull my self up into the passenger seat of my truck. After being driven home my wife took over the driver's seat for the trip to the hospital in Trinidad.
Several hours later it was determined that I had injured my lateral collater ligament (LCL) and my patellar tendon, but that I had not fractured anything. Barring any meniscal damage I was told that I would be back on my feet in 3-5 days. In the interem I'm stuck with a rigid brace to immobilize my knee, and reduced to getting around on crutches. Despite my injuries God was still looking out for me.
Now as I sit here typing I have to think about how God will work through me in this experience.
I was doing some work on a roof here in Branson yesterday, which required the use of an extension ladder. I'm no stranger to extension ladders having used them without incident since my teenage years. I got the ladder from my truck, extended it to adequate height to access the roof I needed to work on, placed it against the eave, made sure that it was on level ground, and started climbing. I made it halfway up to the roof before the most bizzare thing happend to me. The fly section of the ladder, the portion which you extend, started going back down with me on it.
Not wanting to get caught in the rungs I pushed myself backwards away from the ladder hoping to land on my feet. I landed on my feet, at which point I discovered a major failing point in my plan of action. The human knee is desinged to bend in one direction, which is not backwards. As my feet hit the ground I thought I was going to be okay, but the velocity of the impact coupled with my body weight changed my initial impresion in about 1/100th of a second. I felt something in the back of my knee "pop", and I fell to the ground rather forcefully.
After hitting the ground the adrenaline was still going, and despite being sprawled out on the ground I thought I would just get up. Plan B failed more spectacullarly than my inital plan of jumping backwards off the ladder. I tried to stand on my injured leg only to have my knee give out from under me causing me to land face down in the dirt. As the adrenaline was wearing off I relaized two things. I was hurt to the point where I was not going to walk away, and I needed help.
Some days God looks out for us. I have a cell phone, but I only get service in a couple parts of town. Needless to say I didn't have service where I was. I had put my EMS radio in my truck instead of leaving it on my desk when I. I crawled over to the passenger side of my truck, where I had left the window down, and pulled myself up. I was able to grab my radio off the dash before falling down for the thrid time. Having some pride, and not wanting to alert the entire county to my predicament, I simply asked my fellow EMT if she could come over to where I was.
Not knowing that I was injured my fellow EMT showed up without her trauma kit, but my trauma kit had made it into the truck along with the radio. She quickly acsertained that my knee was apporximately the size of a canteloupe, and that I probably needed to go to the hospital. Once she had my knee immobilized, and had put a cold pack on it I was albe to pull my self up into the passenger seat of my truck. After being driven home my wife took over the driver's seat for the trip to the hospital in Trinidad.
Several hours later it was determined that I had injured my lateral collater ligament (LCL) and my patellar tendon, but that I had not fractured anything. Barring any meniscal damage I was told that I would be back on my feet in 3-5 days. In the interem I'm stuck with a rigid brace to immobilize my knee, and reduced to getting around on crutches. Despite my injuries God was still looking out for me.
Now as I sit here typing I have to think about how God will work through me in this experience.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
A Bright Spot in Our World Today
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16.
If you follow the news in this day in age you will find that the subject matter seems rather dark. Global Recession, Swine Flu, Drug in Mexico, Homicides, Robberies, etc. . . There are also things in our own lives that get us down. Perhaps the loss of a job, the loss of a home, or the loss of a loved one. There are also the trials and tribulations of dealing with others, be they family or friends. None of us are perfect, only God is, and I know that my light does not always shine before others. However, I hope that I can shine some light into your lives.
When we start focusing soley on the things of the world we lose sight of the good things, gifts / blessings, that God gives us. There seems to be an overwhemling attitude of entitlement in our society today. It seems that so many want the government to take what others have earned on their own, and dole it out on behalf of those who have not earned. Yes there are truly needy people out there, and God wants us to help them. Churches and civic organizations can only do this if people like you, yes you, take the responsibility to step up and help. Instead of being upset because you may not have the latest "toys" look around and you will see that there are those less fortunate than you. If you have food, water, and a roof over your head give thanks to God. Then, when you are done giving thanks, pray about how you can help those less fortunate.
There also seem to be a sense of doom and gloom fed by the mass media. Guess what . . . "If it bleeds, it leads." is the mantra of the news media. Sensational stories sell advertising. Like a bunch of zombies people stare at their television set, and blindly buy the hype. I once had the opportunity to meet a retired Police Physcologist who shared an interesting insight with me. He said "If you job is to pick up garbage, pretty soon all you will see is garbage." When we sit and watch the television day after day that's what we see. We forget that those sensational news stories are about 1% of the population and that the other 99% wouldn't even contemplate the activities reported. Learn to look beyond the garbage.
I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that if you spend you life focused on worldy things, you are bound to be miserable here on earth. The good news is that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, so if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior then your reward in heaven will be the same no matter what you have here on earth. Instead of focusing on the things of this world, focus on God and what he as done for you. Give thanks for what you have, and go out to be a light for others. It is not really our light that shines before men, it is God's light passed on through us.
We have a roof over our head, food on the table, and water to drink. I am not always able to help others with money, but I can still help through good works. I also get to spend time with my children. I firmly believe that children are a blessing from God, and you can't put a price on time you spend with them. I hope that God's light will shine through me, so that I may pass it on to others that they too may let it shine before all men.
If you follow the news in this day in age you will find that the subject matter seems rather dark. Global Recession, Swine Flu, Drug in Mexico, Homicides, Robberies, etc. . . There are also things in our own lives that get us down. Perhaps the loss of a job, the loss of a home, or the loss of a loved one. There are also the trials and tribulations of dealing with others, be they family or friends. None of us are perfect, only God is, and I know that my light does not always shine before others. However, I hope that I can shine some light into your lives.
When we start focusing soley on the things of the world we lose sight of the good things, gifts / blessings, that God gives us. There seems to be an overwhemling attitude of entitlement in our society today. It seems that so many want the government to take what others have earned on their own, and dole it out on behalf of those who have not earned. Yes there are truly needy people out there, and God wants us to help them. Churches and civic organizations can only do this if people like you, yes you, take the responsibility to step up and help. Instead of being upset because you may not have the latest "toys" look around and you will see that there are those less fortunate than you. If you have food, water, and a roof over your head give thanks to God. Then, when you are done giving thanks, pray about how you can help those less fortunate.
There also seem to be a sense of doom and gloom fed by the mass media. Guess what . . . "If it bleeds, it leads." is the mantra of the news media. Sensational stories sell advertising. Like a bunch of zombies people stare at their television set, and blindly buy the hype. I once had the opportunity to meet a retired Police Physcologist who shared an interesting insight with me. He said "If you job is to pick up garbage, pretty soon all you will see is garbage." When we sit and watch the television day after day that's what we see. We forget that those sensational news stories are about 1% of the population and that the other 99% wouldn't even contemplate the activities reported. Learn to look beyond the garbage.
I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that if you spend you life focused on worldy things, you are bound to be miserable here on earth. The good news is that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, so if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior then your reward in heaven will be the same no matter what you have here on earth. Instead of focusing on the things of this world, focus on God and what he as done for you. Give thanks for what you have, and go out to be a light for others. It is not really our light that shines before men, it is God's light passed on through us.
We have a roof over our head, food on the table, and water to drink. I am not always able to help others with money, but I can still help through good works. I also get to spend time with my children. I firmly believe that children are a blessing from God, and you can't put a price on time you spend with them. I hope that God's light will shine through me, so that I may pass it on to others that they too may let it shine before all men.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Risen
Happy Easter to everyone. I am writing this after attending a brief sunrise service at a our local church. While the Easter bunny and the egg hunt are fun for the kids, Easter is really about the resurrection of Jesus. In the spirit of this moring's service I will try to keep it simple.
Our youngest daughter, Hope, was born with a condition that caused her to lose 90% of her small intestine at birth. We were told by all of her doctors that if we did not opt for extraordinary medical intervention, specifically organ transplants, that Hope would die within a couple weeks of leaving the hospital from malnutrition. Even if we decided to try for a transplant the mortality rate was over 80%. We decided not to subject Hope to numerous painful surgeries just to try keep her here on earth for our sake. It was a difficult decision, but we trusted God's plan for Hope.
Hope is now 18 months old, and she is a very happy little girl. While Hope's survival and growth are a miracle from God, we have to remember that this is a small compared to what God accomplished through his son Jesus Christ. Jesus has conquered death for all of us, by dying on the cross for our sins, so that we may have eternal life. Even if Hope had left her earthly body, as predicted by her doctors, she would still have had the gift of eternal life. He is Risen. Happy Easter.
Our youngest daughter, Hope, was born with a condition that caused her to lose 90% of her small intestine at birth. We were told by all of her doctors that if we did not opt for extraordinary medical intervention, specifically organ transplants, that Hope would die within a couple weeks of leaving the hospital from malnutrition. Even if we decided to try for a transplant the mortality rate was over 80%. We decided not to subject Hope to numerous painful surgeries just to try keep her here on earth for our sake. It was a difficult decision, but we trusted God's plan for Hope.
Hope is now 18 months old, and she is a very happy little girl. While Hope's survival and growth are a miracle from God, we have to remember that this is a small compared to what God accomplished through his son Jesus Christ. Jesus has conquered death for all of us, by dying on the cross for our sins, so that we may have eternal life. Even if Hope had left her earthly body, as predicted by her doctors, she would still have had the gift of eternal life. He is Risen. Happy Easter.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
The Joy's of Parenting
Recently our children had the opportunity to attend their first school carnival. They had a great time, and all was well. Right until the end that is. As I was helping with the clean up one of the ladies from the school yelled at me that my three year old daughter, Faith, had hurt herself, and that I was needed right away. As a trained Emergency Medical Technician I was expecting the worst. Fighting my paternal instinic to go right to my daughter I stopped to grab my kit out of my vehicle first. When I arrived in the school cafeteria Faith was with mom, who was holding a piece of gauze over her palm. I noted the drops of blood on Faith's white stockings, as she sat there crying. As I took the gauze away I could see that Faith had a very deep laceration on the palm of her hand.
I asked what had happened and learned that Faith had been running to our vehicle with a glass jar in her hands, and had tripped. The jar, which was filled with rocks, had been a prize from the carnival. As I pondered the wisdom of giving glass jars to three year olds, one thing was certain I had to take Faith to the Emergency Room to have her hand examined. Branson is 50 miles from the nearest hospital, so this was going to be a long night. With the help of the only other EMT in town we bandaged Faith's hand, and headed for the house.
Once we were at home Mom put Faith in her pajamas, as she was rather tired from a full day, and loaded her into the truck. Faith was terrified of the prospect of a visit to the hospital. In her 3 year old mind the doctor was going to have to cut her hand off! Mom finally convinced Faith that she would only have to see a nurse, and not the doctor. On the trip to town I did my best to ally Faith's concerns. However, in her fatigued state she quickly fell asleep.
Once we were at the hospital, and I woke Faith her tension was palpable. I carried her in, got her admitted, and held her hand the whole time. Both the nurse and the doctor were great. Thankfully the hospital is rather small, and we weren't forced to wait. We went straight to X-ray so that the doctor could check for glass that might be stuck in the hand. Once that was done the nurse numbed the would so that it could be irrigated to remove any small fragments of glass that might have been missed by X-ray. That was the most traumatic part for Faith as even with the numbing medication she still experienced quite a bit of pain from the water running through the wound. Once finished with irrigating the wound the nurse came and bandaged Faith's hand and we were done. As I carried Faith out of the hospital you could feel the tension drain away, and see relief set in. After all she still had her hand!
On the way home Faith had to talk to grandma on the phone, and tell her in very excited tones all about the experience. Then Faith chatted with me for most of the trip, sharing the insights that only those who have had a three year old can appriciate. She made me smile, and she was very happy. By the time we got back to Branson Faith was asleep again, and daddy was tired. However, I learned one thing on our trip to the hospital. Sometimes God blesses you with an unexpected opportunity to spend time with your children. I was tired, but there was nowhere else that I would have rather been than by my daughter's side in her time of need.
I asked what had happened and learned that Faith had been running to our vehicle with a glass jar in her hands, and had tripped. The jar, which was filled with rocks, had been a prize from the carnival. As I pondered the wisdom of giving glass jars to three year olds, one thing was certain I had to take Faith to the Emergency Room to have her hand examined. Branson is 50 miles from the nearest hospital, so this was going to be a long night. With the help of the only other EMT in town we bandaged Faith's hand, and headed for the house.
Once we were at home Mom put Faith in her pajamas, as she was rather tired from a full day, and loaded her into the truck. Faith was terrified of the prospect of a visit to the hospital. In her 3 year old mind the doctor was going to have to cut her hand off! Mom finally convinced Faith that she would only have to see a nurse, and not the doctor. On the trip to town I did my best to ally Faith's concerns. However, in her fatigued state she quickly fell asleep.
Once we were at the hospital, and I woke Faith her tension was palpable. I carried her in, got her admitted, and held her hand the whole time. Both the nurse and the doctor were great. Thankfully the hospital is rather small, and we weren't forced to wait. We went straight to X-ray so that the doctor could check for glass that might be stuck in the hand. Once that was done the nurse numbed the would so that it could be irrigated to remove any small fragments of glass that might have been missed by X-ray. That was the most traumatic part for Faith as even with the numbing medication she still experienced quite a bit of pain from the water running through the wound. Once finished with irrigating the wound the nurse came and bandaged Faith's hand and we were done. As I carried Faith out of the hospital you could feel the tension drain away, and see relief set in. After all she still had her hand!
On the way home Faith had to talk to grandma on the phone, and tell her in very excited tones all about the experience. Then Faith chatted with me for most of the trip, sharing the insights that only those who have had a three year old can appriciate. She made me smile, and she was very happy. By the time we got back to Branson Faith was asleep again, and daddy was tired. However, I learned one thing on our trip to the hospital. Sometimes God blesses you with an unexpected opportunity to spend time with your children. I was tired, but there was nowhere else that I would have rather been than by my daughter's side in her time of need.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Staying on Target
Over St. Patrick's day weekend we went to visit some friends of ours in Greeley, CO. While we were there I got to go out to ghe range, and shoot. When I'm out shooting I have to practice all the fundamentals of marksmanship to accurately hit the target, or I consider the trip to be wasted. However, there are times when I miss. Even if I miss I am usually pretty close to the mark. If my target is too distant the my bullet will fall short. If I don't have a target then what?
Even in the simplest of activities we can find lesson to apply to our own lives. What are the targets in your life? Are they in range? Are you taking care of the fundamentals to hit your targets. Are your targets meaningful? Take some time to reflect on what the things you need to do in your life, and the things you want to do. Some targets may be out of range at the moment, and some might not be as important. Make sure you are not missing the important things in life (God, Family, Friends). Those things that seem out of range at now may come into range when the time is right, or it may be that they really aren't all that important in your own life. Simply put we have to trust God's plan for us.
Even in the simplest of activities we can find lesson to apply to our own lives. What are the targets in your life? Are they in range? Are you taking care of the fundamentals to hit your targets. Are your targets meaningful? Take some time to reflect on what the things you need to do in your life, and the things you want to do. Some targets may be out of range at the moment, and some might not be as important. Make sure you are not missing the important things in life (God, Family, Friends). Those things that seem out of range at now may come into range when the time is right, or it may be that they really aren't all that important in your own life. Simply put we have to trust God's plan for us.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Speaking of Our Town
Within an hour of finishing my post yesterday I learned that the U.S. Army had reached a deal to purchase 70,000 acres of land to add to the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site which is very close to our town. The Army has been attempting to expand the site since 2004 despite opposition from local residents. The Army decided to make the purchase in spite of a Congressional moratorium on funding for the expansion. Instead of re-inventing the wheel, when it comes to explaining why the expansion is bad for our town (and every other town out here), I have posted a link to the website maintained by the Pinon Canyon Expansion Opposition Coalition. Please take the time to read the information on their website, and then participate in my poll.
Added 3/16/2009:
I wrote this post after reading a March 10th article in the Pueblo Cheiftan. However, follow up articles in others publication have given information that the landowner states he is not selling to the Army. Then there were articles that the Army plans to lease the land rather than purchase it. With all the information and mis-information coming from the mainstream media it is hard to know who to believe. The articles have caused fear, anger, and further distrust of the Army. We must maintain our faith that God will provide for us, and that we must cast our cares upon him.
Added 3/16/2009:
I wrote this post after reading a March 10th article in the Pueblo Cheiftan. However, follow up articles in others publication have given information that the landowner states he is not selling to the Army. Then there were articles that the Army plans to lease the land rather than purchase it. With all the information and mis-information coming from the mainstream media it is hard to know who to believe. The articles have caused fear, anger, and further distrust of the Army. We must maintain our faith that God will provide for us, and that we must cast our cares upon him.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Our Town
What opinion do you have of small towns? Your answer will probably be based on the experiences you have had in your own life. There aren't many options to stop and talk to someone when you visit our community as it is now. As Christians I believe that we have fallen short in making people feel welcome in our town. The local chapter of the FFA put up a sign on the highway into town. It reads "Small, but friendly". I find the words "but friendly" to be telling when it comes to how welcome strangers must feel in a small town. It would be more appropriate if the sign read "Small, and friendly" perhaps.
We would love to have more families here in Branson. However, three families have moved away since our arrival last July. It is hard for anyone to learn about our town and tell others if there is nowhere for them to visit. Fortunately we have a member of the community who has spent his own money to buy a building with plans to renovate it into a museum / coffee shop. Many of us hope that this will give travelers a place to stop and visit. A place where they can see a friendly face, and learn about our town. When it is finished I will be sure to post about it. In the meantime if you feel like visiting Branson, CO let us know. Just like in the Montgomery Gentry song, several of us would be happy to show you around our town.
We would love to have more families here in Branson. However, three families have moved away since our arrival last July. It is hard for anyone to learn about our town and tell others if there is nowhere for them to visit. Fortunately we have a member of the community who has spent his own money to buy a building with plans to renovate it into a museum / coffee shop. Many of us hope that this will give travelers a place to stop and visit. A place where they can see a friendly face, and learn about our town. When it is finished I will be sure to post about it. In the meantime if you feel like visiting Branson, CO let us know. Just like in the Montgomery Gentry song, several of us would be happy to show you around our town.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Hearing and Listening
Today seems like a good day to start. My wife maintains a blog chroniciling the growth of our youngest dauther Hope, and our other children. She started the blog after our youngest was born with a condition that caused her to lose 90% of her small intestine. The combined medical wisdom several doctors told us that she would not survive more than a month after her birth. However, with no further medical intervention Hope is now 16 months old. If you don't believe in miracles then you need to meet our daughter. If you would like to read about her you can do so at http://hopesjourneywithashortgut.blogspot.com/.
In spite of our daughter's miracle sometimes I am subject to the human failing of knowing that God is there, but not listening. This hit home today while listening to our Pastor, Brad, deliver the message. As the message hit home I realized to on more than one occasion I have sat in church and heard God's message, but have failed to listen. This is akin to what occurs when I am engrossed in something, and my wife starts talking. I am aware that my wife is talking to me, but instead of listening to her I remained focused on something else. Instead of casting all of my cares upon the Lord as I should I find myself worrying over them while sitting in church on Sunday morning. By doing this I am esentially limiting my ability to listen and learn from God's message.
Fortunately we have a good God, and he is patient and understanding. As I sat this morning with my worries weighing on me they played right into God's message. It is said that we believe through faith in Jesus, because we can't see or hear him. The truth is that God can speak right to your heart if you are willing to listen. The message for today was from Matthew 7 about discipleship. Brad compared discipleship with apprenticeship. After all the disciples were apprentices of Jesus. All of us who follow the word of God, and accept are salvation through Jesus are apprentices. That is while here on this earth we must continue to learn from Jesus through his teachings. Brad said that in earthly things we eventually move from apprentice to master. That is true only in that we reach a point where we can teach others what we have learned thus far. Only God posseses infinite knowlege and wisdom, there is always something to learn no matter how much we think we know. It is much more so with our journey toward's God's Kingdom, we must listen and continue to learn until we too "enter through the narrow gate."
The outcome may not always be to our liking, but if we follow God in our journey and learn from him then we will know that the outcome is part of God's plan for us.
In spite of our daughter's miracle sometimes I am subject to the human failing of knowing that God is there, but not listening. This hit home today while listening to our Pastor, Brad, deliver the message. As the message hit home I realized to on more than one occasion I have sat in church and heard God's message, but have failed to listen. This is akin to what occurs when I am engrossed in something, and my wife starts talking. I am aware that my wife is talking to me, but instead of listening to her I remained focused on something else. Instead of casting all of my cares upon the Lord as I should I find myself worrying over them while sitting in church on Sunday morning. By doing this I am esentially limiting my ability to listen and learn from God's message.
Fortunately we have a good God, and he is patient and understanding. As I sat this morning with my worries weighing on me they played right into God's message. It is said that we believe through faith in Jesus, because we can't see or hear him. The truth is that God can speak right to your heart if you are willing to listen. The message for today was from Matthew 7 about discipleship. Brad compared discipleship with apprenticeship. After all the disciples were apprentices of Jesus. All of us who follow the word of God, and accept are salvation through Jesus are apprentices. That is while here on this earth we must continue to learn from Jesus through his teachings. Brad said that in earthly things we eventually move from apprentice to master. That is true only in that we reach a point where we can teach others what we have learned thus far. Only God posseses infinite knowlege and wisdom, there is always something to learn no matter how much we think we know. It is much more so with our journey toward's God's Kingdom, we must listen and continue to learn until we too "enter through the narrow gate."
The outcome may not always be to our liking, but if we follow God in our journey and learn from him then we will know that the outcome is part of God's plan for us.
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