Celebrating Marriage

 

It is a sad fact that almost one half of all marriages in the United States will end in divorce.  I am proud that my parents were married almost 50 years until my dad passed away.  Caroline and I have now been married for 40 years, and this week we are celebrating with a well-deserved vacation.  We have booked a Mediterranean cruise stopping in Barcelona, France and three stops in Italy.  I can't wait to spend extended time with Caroline and am also thankful that Michael and Janet are fully qualified to keep Spot On The Lake thriving while we are away.  I feel very blessed that God gifted us our marriage.  I want to continue to do everything I can to honor the union that He is a part of.

Control Freaks

Last night, our ConnectGroup from church finished up our study of The Cost of Control by Sharon Hodde Miller.   One of the main points Sharon left us with is that the only things we can really control are ourselves, and there are plenty of times when I do a lousy job of that.  She differentiated control from influence.   Control is about forcing our agenda on others.  Influence is attempting to understand another person's position and then offering counsel when that person is open to it.   I face this decision on which approach to take a lot in my business and with my personal relationships.  I believe I have gotten better at choosing influence over the years, but I still have a long way to go.  While our group didn't always understand Sharon's recommended approach, her writing did a good job of stimulating conversation with the group, and as the group leader, I appreciated that.  And there is one other thing we know for sure.   Our gathering, our study and our desire to know God more are pleasing to Him.  I hope you have, or can find, a group of believers to share your journey with.

Masters of what?

 

Even people who have never swung a golf club love to watch what will be unfolding in Augusta for the next four days.  The Masters Golf Tournament is steeped in tradition and that tradition is strengthened by the fact that it is the only major golf tournament played in the same location every year.  Tiger Woods is playing again this year, and there are literally millions of fans that want to see him do well.  Scottie Scheffler won the tournament 2 years ago and is currently ranked number one in the world.  His golf skills have been honed to the highest level.   But an interview I saw with him yesterday made an even bigger impression on me.  The question from the reporter went like this: "How does golf fit in defining you  as a person right now?"  Scottie responds: "Hopefully it doesn't define me too much...I am a faithful guy. I believe in Jesus.  Ultimately, that is what defines me the most."  Celebrities and athletes have a tremendous platform to push their agenda.  Regrettably, most of the time, I am not on board.  I am so grateful for people like Scottie who are not ashamed to share what Jesus has done for them.   Click here for the full interview (the comments on his faith starting around minute 11).  I also found this interview from 2 years ago after he won the Masters.  I love to watch Tiger, but you probably know who I will be cheering for.

Seeking Sabbat

 

Easter Sunday ended my lent participation for 2024.  I had 40 days with no sweets, no alcohol and no television (with a couple of exceptions mentioned in an earlier post).  While it wasn't always easy, I am glad I made the choices I made.  Jesus never told us life would be easy.  One of the things I was convicted about during Lent was not ever taking a day off.  Being in real estate is great in that I get to set my own schedule - kind of.  I definitely don't work 8 hours on Saturday and Sunday, but I do feel like I am "on call" all the time.  This doesn't leave much of an opportunity for sustained rest and worship.  God modeled for us how we should work and rest.  He created the world and everything in it in six days and then rested on the seventh.   For the last two weeks, I have taken a day off on Wednesday.  I am turning off the computer and the phone and letting people know someone else on our team can assist them, or I can help them on Thursday.  I try to spend the day resting, reading, praying and worshiping.  After a lifetime of not doing that, it is not easy.  But like I said earlier, Jesus didn't promise easy.  I am told that taking a day off will make the other six days more productive.  In all honesty, I can't say for sure that has happened, but I can say my time alone with God on Wednesdays is one of the most important things I can do.  If it's been a while since you have really had a day off, I would encourage you to give it a shot.

Miracle in the Pain

 

Katy has loved music all her life.  She was born with a rare disease called congenital scoliosis.   The disease resulted in severe back pain, and her doctor recommended surgery which involved inserting metal rods into her back.  Regrettably, the surgery did not heal the pain; it seemed to intensify it.  Just before turning 17, the pain was so bad that Katy considered killing herself.  God intervened and revealed that He had something more for her.  She was given the choice to keep the rods in her back or have them removed, and she elected to remove them.   While all of the pain was not totally removed, the cloud of despair hanging over her was, and she gave the credit for that to God.  God also revealed His purpose for her.  Katy decided to use her love for music for the glory of God, and she began leading worship at her church.  She also began writing songs with a mentor.  One of those songs, "In Jesus Name" won the worship song of the year in 2022, and Katy Nichole was named best new Christian artist at the Dove Awards in 2023.   Praise God for the gift that He has given her and for her obedience to use that gift for  His glory.  Click here for her performance of that song and click here to see an interview with her telling her story in her own words.

Church Hunters

 

I post a lot about the small group from church that meets at our house on Wednesday nights.  This is one of my favorite times of the week because we get to have a meal and discuss things that are important with like-minded people.  It's kind of like a church within a church.  But our big church, The Vine, is also important to us.  The Bible encourages us to join together with fellow believers to worship and learn.  The Vine gives us this opportunity, and we try to be there every Sunday.  If you don't have a church home, I would encourage you to seek out a church that offers both corporate worship with the whole body and smaller groups that allow for deeper relationships to be formed.   But if you are looking for a strategy to find a new church, DO NOT follow the lead of this young couple.  One of my goals for this year is to have more fun.  I hope you have fun with this one.  I know I did. 

Faith Proclaimed

 

John Crawford is one of my closest friends, my financial representative and my wife's boss.  He has four sons which are each amazing in their own way.  One of his sons, Josh, works at Passion Church.   Three years ago he was leading the students there and his message was recorded and posted at YouTube.   Last year, I was blessed to hear Josh speak at his nephew, Nathaniel's funeral.  Nathaniel was able to meet his family, but only lived a few hours after birth due to a developmental condition.  Josh showed an unbelievable amount of empathy and love for his nephew and his family.   But he also expressed complete confidence in God's plan for him and the impact that he had on the world in the short time he was here.  I know Josh is having a huge impact on the students in his church, and I can't wait to see his impact on the world.  Join me in praying for Josh and his ministry.