Last Days of Vacation

Well, our vacation is coming to an end and a return to work is drawing near.  I have been so lazy these last 2 weeks I can't believe I made it without going crazy.  We've had a great time with the kids doing all kinds of interesting things.  They returned to school on Thursday and nicole and I had time together.  yesterday, we saw the movie Freedom Writers and I was so impressed.  I think it was one of he best movies I have ever seen.  I cried at least 6 times during the movie.  I can't believe I'm confessing to that.

The movie also spoke to me about my calling with some conviction.  The lead character was a teacher who went so far above and beyond to make a difference in the lives of her students that it changed a community for the better.  She had so much passion that she took on 2 extra jobs to provide things for her students that the school could not afford or would not provide.  Other staff members thought that she was crazy and were unwilling to help her.  It made me think of William Booth and his passion for the lost and how he was so touched by what he saw that told his son Bramwell and others to "DO SOMETHING" about the downtrodden.

I asked myself am I that passionate about my calling?  Unfortunately the answer is sometimes no.  My prayer last night and today was that I could be that passionate all the time even beyond retirement.  I asked the Lord to help me care enough to do all that I can to improve the lives of others.

Go see the movie and take your Kleenex.  You won't be disappointed and you will be prepared.

God Bless!

Restless in Dallas

I can't sleep tonight and I have been up for hours watching the news and sitcom reruns.  I can't figure out why I am so wired tonight but I have been able to do a lot of reading.  We are nearing the end of our vacation and I am looking forward to returning to work rested and ready to go.

On nights like this I reflect alot on what is going on in my life and usually pray quite a bit.  Some of my best prayer and meditation times come on sleepless nights.  Tonight I am thinking about serving the Lord unselfishly and what it means to live life focused on His agenda and not my own.

I am reminded of the many times I get off track wanting to accomplish goals I have set for myself rather than a mission I am appointed to by my Heavenly Father.  I am also reminded of His patience and forgiveness when I wander off course.  I am so thankful for the opportunity to be used by the Lord even though I am so unworthy.  My prayer tonight is for His forgiveness and the strength to be fully obedient in all areas of my life and ministry.

Sometimes these sleepless nights can help us become more focused as we are able to spend undistracted time with the Lord.  I pray that you are reading this at a more reasonable hour and that God will bless you abundantly.

Good night or good morning whatever the case may be.

After the Storm

Praise be to God! We survived another Christmas season.  Only 31 more to go before retirement.  It went well and really wasn't that bad.  We have been on furlough since Christmas eve and I have enjoyed every minute of the down time.  We started with a trip to Nicole's moms for Christmas and then returned home and have been enjoying  a lot of time with the kids around Dallas.

Today we played tennis.  Well, we actucally didn't play tennis, but something resembling tennis in its most primitive form.  Aaron really enjoyed himself.  So did I.  Tomorrow we plan on spending the day bike riding and watching movies.  Even though we stayed home this has probably been our most enjoyable furlough following Christmas.  We have spent alot of time playing the Nintendo wii which the kids won on a slurpee cup.  It is quite a work out playing games on this system.

We have one more week of furlough to go before returning to work.  This is the first time we have taken 2 weeks together as officers.  It seems strange to have so much time off.  We did the service yesterday and the watch night program last night which went really well.  Everyone in attendance enjoyed themselves.  I hope that everything is fine when we return from our break.

Happy New Year to all who read my ramblings.  My prayer is that God be glorified through our lives this year.  May His peace and joy fill us all.

Update

Random Thoughts

My mind almost never stops wandering.  I have truly become the most unfocused human being the world has ever seen.  I can't focus for extended periods of time.  My thoughts are never bad just random.

Today I kept thinking about my past and how it has shaped me into the person I am today.  Sometimes I am glad about the person I am and others I am disappointed with myself.  I have been the king of excuses for most of my life and sometimes refuse to see what is right in front of me because I always look for the best in everything. 

I was reminded in my devotions this morning that the Lord doesn't judge me based upon my past, but I sometimes do.  He only judges me for the decisions I have made since being justified by His grace.  I think we sometimes forget that we have been delivered from our past but that it sometimes still has a hold on us until we choose to let it go.

I choose to let it go today and not look back.  I choose to live in God's grace rather than man's judgement.

I told you my thoughs are random.