thankful for such a loving wifey...

I was so tremendously blessed and encouraged by my wifey yesterday.  For my birthday, she hid a wonderful card that reflected on the joys of our first year of marriage.  Praise the Lord for His grace working in us!

Then, before I got home, I get a call from my wifey to make sure to let her know when I get off the bus station.  When I got home, there was a note attached to the front door.  It was another card that was so beautiful.  The card and what she wrote perfectly summarized how we see each other, how we feel about each other...my heart was just overflowing

Then, I opened the door, and the house was decorated with balloons, signs, mini candles in the shape of a heart, and a path of roses.  She left a glass of apple cider for me to refresh myself.  The roses led upstairs, so I followed...it led to our room, so I knocked.  And when I entered, she was standing in a pattern of roses that were placed to the shape of a heart and she greeted me with a joyful "Happy Birthday!" 

After opening very thoughtful and useful gifts (she got me some additional tools for grilling...woohoot!), we proceeded downstairs for a delicious meal of meat loaf (made from turkey meat), orzo (sp?), pasta, and a veritable mixture of mediterranean greens and olives and feta cheese and onions and tomatoes...topping that off with some super tasty desserts from Whole Foods (mini eclair, mini oatmeal raisin sandwich, mini chocolate fudge thingy with a strawberry, and a mini lime tart - our new favorite dessert).

After that, I figured things were done, but wait, there's more!  While I was studying, I hear the doorbell ring, which was weird because it was getting late and we weren't expecting anyone...or at least I wasn't.  Well, I always check the eye hole, so I saw several people with a candle-lit cake!  I opened up and it was several peeps from our home group!  I was so blessed by their thoughtfulness, encouragement, and their love for me.

After a crazy day, I got to reflect a bit on how blessed I truly am.  And not because of all the things that happened...those are like cherries on the top of the world best dessert...because in Christ, I truly have the greatest blessing ever...and I praise God for His mercy and grace poured out everyday.  And I'm so thankful for friends that remind me of that truth.  And even more so, I am thankful for my dearest, most closest, bestest friend...my wonderful wifey...I praise the Lord for providing such an undeserved gift that she is.  I love you wifey!  And I love you Lord.













Thankful.

Thankful for Tedd Tripp

As I've shared before, the wifey and I are listening to "Shepherding a Child's Heart" by Tedd Tripp to help us prepare for raising a child biblically.  And although it's specifically tailored towards parenthood, more often than not, the things he teaches are applicable to every day life.  One thing he shared in a recent sermon that really hit me good was an example of understanding the heart.  I will paraphrase what he said:

"A person came up to me and told me how some person really wronged him and he said to me "Man, if I wasn't a Christian, the things I would've done..."  And I thought to myself, "Is that really all that distinguishes Christians from the rest of the world?  That we refrain from doing what is evil?"

I think a lot of times I pat myself on the back when I refrain from lashing out, even though my heart really wants to.  Umm, didn't Jesus say that it was from the heart that all wickedness flows?   So yea, no brownie points for you, Rich.

Christ regenerates our hearts...so it's not just that we refrain from reacting sinfully, but instead, our hearts ought to respond in a manner that honors the Lord.  And this is why our hearts and minds need to be filled, trained and controlled by the Word of God..."in His Law he meditates DAY and NIGHT."

Thankful for fellow believers...

What a blessing it is to sit around with fellow, like-minded believers. I'm seriously so thankful to be able to learn from older believers, especially in the area of parenting. I'm looking forward to the school of sanctification ad PJ likes to call it.

Thankful that our God is the wonderful Maker...

Today the wifey and I went to a 6 hour birthing class.  I gotta say, I learned a whole bunch of good stuff.  But the one thing that kept coming into my mind was simply worship unto our great and awesome and powerful and wonderful and good Maker.  It is so amazing to see how God created the woman's body to take care of and deliver the body.  Seriously.  Fearfully and wonderfully we are made.

"Fearfully and wonderfully I was made
Placed here by God's sovereign grace.

I was made to praise You.
I was made to worship and adore You."

Thankful for the ability to remember...

Well, that seems like an odd thing to be thankful for, but I really am thankful that God created us with this ability. But being able to remember things is such a wonderful gift from the Lord. I mean think of all the great things we can do with remembering:

1. Memories - those are usually fond to recall
2. Recalling God's faithfulness
3. Memorizing Scripture

I mean, even just those three things you can never exhaust or run out of things to think about. The problem for me is that I too often fail to use my mind for these things. And that's a shame, isn't it?

I've said this before, but it applies well here. O to be like the psalmist who meditates on God's Word day and night. How blessed is he?

Thankful for being a nobody...

What a wonderful reminder from PJ this past Sunday!  Christ was constantly preaching that those who think they are healthy, those who think they have no needs, those who are satisfied with the things of this world, those who think they are righteous in themselves...such people will never see a need for Christ.

I hope I never become so foolish as to think that I don't need Christ for even one millisecond of my life.  I need Him always.

That song, "I Need Thee Every Hour" should've been called "I Need Thee Every Possible Moment", though those lyrics probably wouldn't have worked out as well

Thankful for wedding sermons...

We just got to witness our dear brother and sister, James and Ellice, tie the knot this past Sunday.  Weddings are always a joy, but it's so encouraging to hear the wedding message as well.  These are usually very practical, very personal words of wisdom coming from the Word of God.  This past Sunday was no different.  I was gently reminded of the absolute necessity of encountering God every day.  No, not in some sort of mystical, new-agey kind of thing.  But in the sense that you contemplate on the wonders of the gospel, and you deepen your relationship with the Savior. 

Too often I rush off to work without giving God a second thought until I pray for breakfast.  That must change.  How can I live with the proper perspective on life without going to the source of life to nourish and strengthen me?  He is the true vine.  I am the branch that needs to abide in Him continually. 

Praise God for using faithful men like our dear PJ to remind us of such important things.

Thankful for God's Word...

I was reminded and challenged by Pastor John this past Sunday in regards to offering up thoughtless worship unto God. Pastor John is preaching on the book of Luke and he just finished Mary's Magnificat. What was so apparent was that Mary was such a deeply relfective person. She didn't just say religious-sounding words and do religious-type things. She really thought about God's character, His promises, His mighty deeds and then responded in worship. Nothing flippant or cliched. Simply genuine worship.

I love it when God's Word just whips my butt. But it doesn't stop there. It equips me with the ability to obey. Praise the Lord!

Thankful for prayer...

Prayer is one of those things that you can never have too much of. There is always something that needs prayer. So much could be said about prayer. In fact, many books have been written on that topic. I am no expert on prayer, so I won't be doing that. I simply wanted to share one of the really cool things about prayer that I really love. This isn't anything amazing, so don't get your expectations up.

I noticed that when I pray for someone or something, the Lord uses that to grow my interest in that person or that thing. So that leads me to talk to them more and see how they are doing. And I think that helps develop closer relationships.

Anyways. I just thought that was pretty cool how the Lord works through prayer to do many different things.

Thankful for 9 Marks Ministry

Mad props to 9 Marks Ministry.  I just started reading Thabiti Anyabwile's (I totally had to look at how to spell his name...) book, "What Is a Healthy Church Member?" and I was so encouraged by it!  I'm super excited for our church to go through this book.  I'm praying that we really see a deepening of our love for each other and for the Lord.

What's really cool is that they are going to take the 9 marks and write a book on each one.  I think that's going to be sweet.

Anyways, looking forward to how the Lord will use this book in our lives

Thankful for little walks with the wifey....

Last night the wifey (and perhaps the little one) were craving donuts. So we went out on a mini-date to the local donutry (is that a word?) and each chose two donuts. She chose an apple fritter and a maple glazed ugly. I don't know what to call that maple one. It's circular but is bumpy and you can break off the edges. Not sure if you know what I'm talking about. Anyways, I got a chocolate version of that and a cinnamon bun. MmmmMmmM. So good! My favorite from now on is the apple fritter. Crunchy and cinnamony on the outside soft and appley on the inside. Perfect. Thankful for tastebuds. Thankful to have the ability to walk somewhere and pick that up. Thankful that God has provided funds to enjoy those little things.

What are you thankful for?

One of the aims of this blog is to encourage my fellow brethren to be a thankful people.  So often we look at what other people have and get jealous (the whole grass-is-greener-on-Kobe's-football-field-sized-lawn thing).  This exposes three things (and maybe more):

1) A discontent heart
2) An unthankful heart
3) A prideful heart

A Discontent Heart
I have to represent my man, Job.  He has lost all of his livestock, most of his servants, and he just found out that his children were all killed.  It can't get much worse than that.  If ever there was a time to complain (and really, we complain for SOOOOO much less), this was it.  But look at Job's response:

He said,

"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
And naked I shall return there
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away.
Blessed be the name of the LORD."

Wow.  That is a heart that understands that everything he has is a gift from God.  This is a man whose joy and satisfaction was not in the things of this world, not in his riches and wealth, and not even in his own family.  His joy was in the Lord.  We should echo the Psalmist who says in the 73rd Psalm:

Whom have I in heaven but You?

And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

This is the heart of someone who is content in God.

An Ungrateful Heart
I've talked about this before so I won't belabor it.  Just quickly want to say: HOW IN THE WORLD CAN WE, AS CHRISTIANS, AS PREVIOUSLY CONDEMNED PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN BOUGHT BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST AND NOW HAVE ETERNAL LIFE SECURED IN HIM, EVER BE UNGRATEFUL?  Just a thought.

A Prideful Heart
Now this last one may strike some of you as odd.  Just because I'm jealous/not thankful, how does that make me prideful?  Geez, you're just kicking me while I'm down, aren't you? 

Well, the reason I think this last point is pertinent is because what are we saying when we're jealous?  Yes, we're saying we like what that other person has.  And yes, we're saying we want that too.  But really, what we're saying is this: I like what that other person has, and I don't have it.  Why don't I have it?  I should have it?  In fact, I DESERVE IT because I'm such a great person.

Sounds prideful to me.

Conclusion
Please don't think that I'm this perfect guy who has this all figured out.  Trust me, I'm not.  I am most definitely an imperfect person.  I sometimes day dream about being a professional basketball player.  And while some may say it's fine to day dream a bit, really those dreams are fueled by a longing for having a comfortable life, a jealousy of the Kobes and Lebrons of this world.  A discontentment with all the riches that I have in Christ.  Really, when I look at what I have in Christ vs. what unbelievers have, there's no comparison.

Unbelievers, at best, have:
1. A "long" life - which goes by super quickly and will inevitably end in old age, broken down physical and mental capacities, and unavoidable death
2. Many riches, fame, popularity - which will all fade away into dust, forgotten, destroyed, all in VAIN
3. Pleasures and satisfaction - which are temporary, fake, leave you empty

Believers, regardless of how life is, have:
1. Eternal life in Christ
2. Eternal riches in Christ
3. Eternal joy, bliss and satisfaction in Christ

Why would I want the things of this world more than Christ? 

Every breathe that I take...

No, not the famous Police song. Last night I lay in bed listening to myself breath in and out and feeling my heart beat. And I was just blow. Away at how awesome and powerful my God is. He is the Creator of life and my Sustainer. Each breathe, each heartbeat is literally a gift from God. It reminded me of a song we sang in youth group. I think the lyrics go:

Every breathe that I take says I love You
Every beat of my heart says I'm Yours

Actually, I forget the rest but you get the idea. I was humbled and reminded that every moment belongs to the Lord and should be lived in joyful, thankful worship.

Thankful to see...(John 9)

There was a time in my life where I thought I knew best.  I looked to myself as the final authority.  If it felt good to me, do it.  If it seemed good to me, do it. 

During that time, I never really considered myself to be a bad person.  Sure I did things, said things, thought things that were probably bad, but man, compared to the rapist, the serial killer, the thief, I was a saint!  If someone were to tell me that I was a sinner, I would laugh at them, and then in my pride, show them how good of a person I really was.  I would point to how well-liked and well-respected I was by my peers.  I would point to my clean criminal/driving record.  I would tell them how I went to church all the time, even volunteered at different youth organizations and homeless outreaches. Essentially, I would point to myself.

Of course, I was not saved at that time.  I was like the Pharisees who saw themselves as these good, righteous people who loved and served God, when really they were legalists who loved themselves.  That was me.  I was so caught up with myself that I was blinded to my own sinfulness, blinded to how ugly and unacceptable I was before the holy God.  But by God's grace, He removed the dirt and grime that was covering my eyes, and He allowed me to see and taste that the Lord is good.  He allowed me to understand my wickedness and my need for Christ as Savior and Lord.

Now, if someone were to come up to me and say that I was a sinner, I would still laugh at them.  And I would tell them that they were absolutely correct in their assessment.  And instead of pointing to myself to try to defend my saintliness, I would point to Christ.

Shout out to Chimes Ginger Chews

My buddy Ben works for this company.  No, he did not ask me to do this.  And plus, I don't think too many people read this blog anyways.  haha.  (crying inside)

But these little bad boys are GOOD.  Like, really good.  They are flavorful, refreshing, help me with digestion, and I think (Ben would have to confirm or deny this) that they are good for you.

And there's like 10 different flavors or something.  Original is my favorite.

I don't think they're sold in big grocery markets yet, but you can definitely get them on Amazon.  Hope you decide to be adventurous and give it a go!

And since this is a blog dedicated to giving thanks to the Lord, why not give Him thanks for creating us with taste buds and the mental ability to experience the food we're eating?  It really blows my mind when I start to think about all the intricacies of food, and how God is the Master Designer of it all.  Amazing!

Thankful for life...

As many of you know, the wifey and I have a little reeechino on the way, Lord willing, due in December.  Up to this point the wifey has felt the baby move inside of her ("little flutters" she calls them).   Well, today, I felt the baby kick for the first time!!!  WOW!  that was so amazing and yet so weird at the same time.  We were both filled with a sense of awe and wonder for how awesome our God is.  He is the Creator of life. 

All creatures of our God and King

Lift up your voice and with us sing,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam!

Let all things their Creator bless,

And worship Him in humbleness,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One!

- Francis of Assisi circa 1225 AD - "All Creatures of Our God and King"

Thankful for the joy of salvation, but...

I was reminded by PJ's sermon yesterday of one of the glaring differences between believers and unbelievers: joy.  I think there are two reasons I tend to forget about this.

1. Because of my own sinfulness, I focus on circumstances or feelings, not on the absolute word of God.  This incorrect placement of focus not only dishonors God, but makes my "happiness" dependent on situations and whether or not things are going well.  When my heart is engrossed in God's truth, circumstances may not be great, but my God is.  Circumstances may not be good, but my God is.

2. Unbelievers tend to put up a front that everything is all right.  But again, this is an issue that I need to recognize.  First of all, God's word tells us that unbelievers have no peace of mind, have no joy, have no lasting hope.  I get fooled into thinking that unbelievers are happy and thus have no need for the gospel, but that is such wrong thinking.  Even if circumstantially they are happy and things are going well, they still need the gospel, not just for their sakes, but for God's glory.  The other issue is that I lack the love to reach out to them and really get to know them and minister the gospel to them.  Because I lack that love, I don't bother in spending time with them, so how can I know what they are going through?  Regardless though, even if I knew nothing about someone other than they were an unbeliever, I should at least know that they need the gospel.  But I should also be motivated to get to know them as a means of promoting the gospel.

As PJ always shares, joy is not complete unless it is shared.  If something is so good, you want others to know about it too, right?  For me, the example that hits home is food.  I really like food.  And anytime I taste something that is really good, I have to tell someone about it.  I get excited to tell others.  Well geez, if I'm that excited to proclaim the gospel of food, uhh, shouldn't the life-altering amazing news of the gospel be infinitely more exciting and important to share?

Wow...I am seeing how much I lack love, not just for other people, but more importantly, my love for the Lord.  Praise God for His sanctifying grace!