How was your Day

Before you wake

2011-11-03T21:19:00.003-04:00

Before you wake today I will tell you I love you. I miss you and ill talk to you soon!!! Love daddy

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Before you wake

2011-11-03T21:19:00.001-04:00

Before you wake today I will tell you I love you. I miss you and ill talk to you soon!!! Love daddy

Posted via Blogaway

Devo's

2009-05-04T12:29:00.002-04:00

I've been in the book of Esther the past few days and really had an awesome time today!! thought I would share some insights

Esther 2:1-8, 17

The story of Esther is filled with romance, adventure, and danger. Her ordinary Jewish life suddenly became remarkable when she found herself in the position of Queen of Persia. We clearly see the Lord's sovereign hand at work as He called her to fulfill a very important role in His plan for the Jews. But can you imagine how upset, confused, and uncertain Esther must have felt as the details were unfolding?

We may feel the same perplexity as we live each day without knowing the future. Sometimes it is easier to see God's calling in someone else's life rather than our own. His plans and purposes are working out in perfect progression, but from an earthly perspective, the developments may seem chaotic and bewildering.

Esther's story is an encouragement to trust in God's will and purpose for our lives. Every believer in Christ has a calling from the Lord. He doesn't save us and then leave us to fend for ourselves; instead, He continually guides each of His children in the work He has planned for his or her life.

God's calling includes not only what we do but also who we are. Each experience in life is a tool that the Lord uses to shape and equip us to become the people He wants us to be--with regard to character as well as conduct.

I feel that if we begin looking for the Lord's hand in our lives. We will see He is working out His plan, sometimes silently and softly, sometimes with jarring disruptions. But He is always there, directing and moving. Never imagine yourself to be insignificant in His eyes. We are so highly esteemed that almighty God has designed a unique calling for each and every one of us.

God is Good!!

Wow

2009-05-04T12:17:00.003-04:00

OK so it's been so long since I've even had time to write on here. a lot has happened at home and at work. Well i just what to share some resent events at work last week (the short story) I was assaulted by one of our girls and had to press charges on her. Unfortunately it seems that she has not learned her lesson for she is still being a bully to others. Well this really got me down and ready to give up with all the girls. I had enough of the drama!! then today while in the office I was talking with one of our new girls *Molly*(not her real name) about some choices that she made this morning with some of the other girls shared with her why that was not something we allow to happen and then gave her the consequences that came with the actions. then God took that conversation and lead it into talking about God's grace and the price of that grace and she PRAYED TO RECEIVE CHRIST INTO HER HEART!!!! The Father took the crappiest week ad just made it all worth it! I can be yelled at cursed out threatened and all but when just one gives their life to Christ it's a happy day!!!! and nothing else matters!!!!

I will praise you in the storms of my life Lord it's all for your glory!!

Thanksgiving... and More

2008-11-27T10:04:00.002-05:00

Thanksgiving Day has long been a favorite holiday of mine. For me, life doesn’t get much better than a holiday that includes great food, friends and family, and football. It is appropriate and good that we take focus on this day to give thanks to God for all of His blessings to us – as individuals and as a nation.

For most of us, a thankful thought here and there, reading a poem, article or story about thankfulness, and a prayer before dinner is about the extent of our focus on thanks – which if you’re at all like me, is a significant focus! I find it very interesting, however, that in generations past, a day of thanksgiving also included a focus on confession of sin (both national and personal), and prayers that we might be the kind of people and nation God wants us to be, and that God would heal the wounds of war.

“And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed…”
George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation, 1789.

“And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union.” Abraham Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation, 1863.

Today, while you are enjoying the blessing of home, food, family and friends, even as we give thanks for the blessings we enjoy, let’s also remember that giving thanks is only part of our spiritual duty. We are also called to confession of sin and to ask God to help us (both individually and as a nation) to walk in obedience to all that is right and good, in step with God’s desire for our lives. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done.

Psalm 105:1

Kyle

2008-11-15T22:24:00.003-05:00

This is from the devotion i had with our girls this morning and it went so ell i wanted to share it with you Who we are today is a direct result of our past. We all have scars and wounds from the words and actions of others and from our own failures and mistakes. (This I am reminded of just from the job that we have and the different girls we get in here) But for the Christ-follower this is not the end of the story. As the Spirit of God uses the Word of God to remake us into new creations, these scars from our past become stepping stones to spiritual maturity. Listen to and embrace these top ten principles from God's word and allow Him to rebuild your battered self-esteem:

10 I am created
For we are God's workmanship. Ephesians 2:10

9 I am chosen
For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you...1 Timothy 1:4

8 I am protected
Protect me as you would the pupil of your eye. Psalm 17:8 (NLT)

7 I am complete
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3

6 I am victorious
In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:37

5 I am called
[God] has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace...2 Timothy 1:9

4 I am forgiven
There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1

3 I am free
Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. John 8:32

2 I am loved
I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. Jeremiah 31:3

1 I am accepted!

JEHOVAH-ROHI

2008-11-15T21:56:00.002-05:00

I wanted to do something a little different i love going through the different Hebrew names of God and their meanings so today's name that i have chosen is JEHOVAH-ROHI (The Lord Our Shepherd) one of the most famous places in the word that you can find this name is Psalm 23. I love all the illustrations about God being our Shepard and how the Shepard takes care of his flock and when the one sheep gos astray he will leave the others just to find it and when found he takes it and will break his leg and place him in a sling next to the chest of the Shepard so that he will stay there and get to know the Shepard and know his heart and the sound of his voice so that when the sheep is all better he will not go astray and will stay near the voice of the Shepard it means so much to me to just know that he WILL leave the other 99 to come and find me and take care of me. I will encourage you to pray to God as Jehovah-rohi ( The Lord YOUR Shepard) and thank him for the valleys he has walked threw with you and the times in your life where he has carried you close to his heart to learn his ways.

DUUUUUKKKKE!!

2008-11-10T23:45:00.002-05:00

DUDE!!! The game was awesome!! We won, but the best part was getting to go out with the press and meet Coach K and some of the players! the guys I took had a great time as well but since they are carolina fans they did not have as much fun as i did!!!! anyways i'm trying to come down from ths Duke High right now so i can maybe go to bed!!

Later

Duke Ball game!!!

2008-11-10T12:40:00.002-05:00

I am so excited! since i am the only Duke fan on campus i was asked to suffer at a Duke home game with floor seats in the VIP section. I get to take two youth with me and we leave at 3:45pm!!!

Go DUKE!!!!

2008-11-09T15:10:00.002-05:00

Been a while since i put something up thought i would drop in a few lines before we get started on dinner and then off to church. We had an Awesome Sunday school lesson today it was for the youth but as a youth guy it was cool! The pastor compared the life of Joshua to the lives of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin D Roosevelt. It was very neat I was very proud of our girls in church today how they show interest and wanted to learn more. It's been that way with our devotions in the morning to. Which I think is very important because we are teaching them that God is to have a big part in our lives that he is the one that we take all of our problems to and our praises. We're getting ready to start to go through some of the names of God like, EL-SHADDAI, JEHOVAH-JIREH, JEHOVAH-ROPHE, JEHOVAH-NISSI just some of my favorites and teach them how we serve a God who is all powerful and able to meet our many needs.

Well that's it for now need to jump off here and take care of some things!

Please keep in prayer one of our girls " Sue" no this is not her real name but pray for her as she will being going back home on the 11th of this month pray that God will protect her and guide her through her life and send people her way to help and encourage her!

Thanks,

Kyle

Don't Avoid the Impossible

2008-11-06T15:10:00.001-05:00

"But Jesus said to them, ""They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."

MATTHEW 14:16

Jesus asked His disciples to do something that clearly was impossible. There were five thousand men, along with their families, and they were famished. There were only five loaves of bread and two small fish -- obviously not enough to feed a multitude. The cost of food for even a portion of the crowd would have far exceeded the disciples' small budget. It may have seemed absurd to the disciples that Jesus should ask them to distribute the paltry amount of food to the massive crowd. Yet that is exactly what Jesus asked them to do. Because Jesus had given the command, the disciples obeyed and witnessed an incredible miracle.

Christ will lead you into many situations that will seem impossible, but don't try to avoid them. Stay in the middle of them, for that is where you will experience God. The key difference between what appears to be impossible to us and what is actually possible is a word from our Master! Faith accepts His divine command and steps out in a direction that only God can complete. If you only attempt things that you know are possible with the visible resources you possess, those around you will not see God at work. You will be the one who receives the credit for a job well done, but God will have no part in it.

Take inventory of your life and the decisions you are presently facing. Have you received a word from the Master that awaits your next step of faith? If you will proceed with what He has told you, no matter how incredible it might seem, you will experience the joy of seeing your Lord perform a miracle, and so will those around you.

What Do You Think Four Years of a President Obama Will Bring?

2008-11-05T11:10:00.005-05:00

Focus on the Family recently published it’s “Letter from 2012 in Obama’s America,” a list of dire speculations about how America will quickly become a difficult place for Christians to live if we elect Barack Obama as the next president. From the intro:

This letter is not “predicting” that all of the imaginative future “events” named in this letter will happen. But it is saying that each one of these changes could happen and also that each change would be a the natural outcome of (a) published legal opinions already written by liberal judges, (b) trends already seen in states with liberal-dominated courts such as California and Massachusetts, (c) recent past promises, practices, and legislative initiatives of the current liberal leadership of the Democratic Party and (d) Senator Obama’s previous actions, previous voting record, and previous public promises to the far-left groups that won the nomination for him.

List of possible natural outcomes include:

>Complete “far-left” control of the U.S. Supreme Court.
>A Supreme Court ruling establishing the constitutionality of homosexual marriage.
>Christian professionals (doctors, lawyers, social workers, etc) leaving their practices and professions en masse rather than adhere to new homosexual anti-discrimination laws.
>Hate speech laws prohibiting Christian ministries from having any influence on college campuses.
>An end to any and all restrictions on abortion with the passing of a national Freedom of Choice Act.
>Doctors and nurses losing their jobs for refusing to perform and assist with abortions.
>The outlawing of home schooling.
>Multiple attacks in U.S. cities by terrorists emboldened by our withdrawal from Iraq.
>Limited and rationed heath care for senior citizens and a rise in euthanasia.
>Homosexual activist groups effectively shutting down any Christian publisher who releases anything critical of homosexuality.

OK people, I'm not for Obama, and I know that he will be our new president, which is def. not good. Especially for the Christians! But listen... Who do you all think is in control? When the disciples were in the midst of the storm, they went to Jesus and asked Him if He even cared that they were about to die! Is that what were doing? Jesus said that was because of their unbelief! Then he calmed the storm instantly! Jesus is in control, and He wants us to worship Him. He doesn't want us to fall down in fear! Praise Him in the storm. So instead of coming to Him and saying that He doesn't care, God wants you to say, thank God the Lord of Creation is in the boat with us! Let us rise up and worship the Lord God Jehovah! Jesus Christ the almighty son of the living God! For He is in control! And, And even if this cup of destruction doesn't pass from us, then let God's will be done. Quite being whiny and unsure of the Lord, and get on your knees and repent! Maybe God is testing us to see how we'll react to changes in this country that go against His Word. Maybe He's sick of all our empty TALK and our lack of ACTION in establishing His kingdom in America. Maybe we're in for a thrashing. Maybe God is going to use OBAMA to bring us back to Him as a nation- on our KNEES.

The list goes on, but I’m interested to know what you think. Read the letter. Do you think an Obama presidency will be this bad for our nation? Please comment

Is Your Worship Wandering?

2008-11-04T12:20:00.004-05:00

Our hearts and affections are fickle. Even as Christians we can wander off like dull sheep, following other bypaths, chasing other goals and gods, falling in love with lesser things. When we give our hearts to Christ, our old natures don't die. We're given new natures, but the old ones have not yet been eradicated. The moment we quit walking in dependence on the Holy Spirit, we're in danger of misplaced affections, of wandering after the world.

It Happened...

It happened to Noah. After the Genesis flood, he became a farmer and vineyard keeper, and on one occasion became too attached to his wine. His resulting drunkenness created a family scandal (Genesis 9:20-24).

It happened to Abraham. Despite his faith in God, his love and concern for his beautiful wife Sarah drove him to deceit on two occasions (Genesis 12:10-20; 20:1-18).

It happened to Gideon. The Lord used him to lead Israel, but he took from them their gold, and "Gideon made it into an ephod and set it up in his city, Ophrah. And all Israel played the harlot with it there. It became a snare to Gideon and to his house" (Judges 8:27).

It happened to Samson. Here was a man whose birth was predicted in advance, who was dedicated to the Lord from infancy, and who was gifted by God with supernatural strength through the Spirit. Yet his passions continually led him astray.

It happened to David. The man who wrote, "O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth…," had a wandering eye that led him into adultery, murder, and cover-up.

It happened to Solomon. During an intense moment of worship, the young king beseeches God for wisdom, and the Lord answered abundantly. Yet Solomon wandered off, married foreign women, and when he was old, "his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God" (I Kings 11:4).

It happened to Peter, prompting Jesus to say, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men" (Matthew 16:23).

It happened to Demas, who, having accompanied Paul on his journeys, finally forsook him for this present world (II Timothy 4:10).

It even happened to the church of Ephesus, who had counted among its pastors Paul, Timothy, and John. In Revelation 2:4, Jesus said: "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love."

It can happen to you and me.

What Happens When We Wander?...

The result is that instead of becoming more Christlike, we become increasingly like our new "god." But if we love the Lord our God with all our hearts, minds, and souls, we’ll become increasingly like Christ, for we are "created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness" (Ephesians 4:24, NIV).

How To Avoid Wandering...

How can you avoid wandering from wholehearted worship?

Rededicate yourself to Christ each day. Just months before his death, missionary David Livingstone wrote in his diary: "Birthday. My Jesus, my King, my life, my All; I again dedicate my whole self to Thee." (for a great little Bio on Dr Livingstone go HERE)

Ask God to search you. We're expert self-deceivers, and we often don’t know our own hearts. I tell the girls we work with all the time about what Bible talks about on this topic and point out scripture like this prayer: "Search me, O God, and know my heart." (Psalm 139:23, KJV).

Replace wandering with wondering. a Professor of mine Dr. Adams once said, "I have never lost the wonder." Take time to relish the beauty of God’s majestic creation.

Give your tithes and offerings. Where your treasure is there will your heart be also (Matthew 6:21).

Pray for a blessing in attending church every Sunday, Sunday night, Wednesday night or anytime you go to Church for Corporate worship. Train your mind to concentrate on the words of hymns and songs you sing, on the prayers offered, and on the sermons preached.

Maintain your personal devotions. This is one of the hardest things to do. Yes even for me but it's hard to wander too far away when you’re meeting Him day by day in Bible study and prayer and that has helped me greatly.

Have you replaced your worship of God with a misplaced affection? A relationship? A goal? A hobby that's taken over your life? A house, car, boat, or some other "big ticket" item? Confess this to God, turn back to Christ, realign your priorities, and have no other gods before Him.

Eight Reasons Why I Believe That Jesus Rose from the Dead

2008-11-02T18:51:00.001-05:00

1. Jesus himself testified to his coming resurrection from the dead.

Jesus spoke openly about what would happen to him: crucifixion and then resurrection from the dead. “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again” (Mark 8:31; see alsoMatthew 17:22; Luke 9:22). Those who consider the resurrection of Christ unbelievable will probably say that Jesus was deluded or (more likely) that the early church put these statements in his mouth to make him teach the falsehood that they themselves conceived. But those who read the Gospels and come to the considered conviction that the one who speaks so compellingly through these witnesses is not the figment of foolish imagination will be unsatisfied with this effort to explain away Jesus’ own testimony to his resurrection from the dead.

This is especially true in view of the fact that the words which predict the resurrection are not only the simple straightforward words quoted above, but also the very oblique and indirect words which are far less likely to be the simple invention of deluded disciples. For example, two separate witnesses testify in two very different ways to Jesus’ statement during his lifetime that if his enemies destroyed the temple (of his body), he would build it again in three days (John 2:19;Mark 14:58; cf. Matthew 26:61). He also spoke illusively of the “sign of Jonah” — three days in the heart of the earth (Matthew 12:39; 16:4). And he hinted at it again in Matthew 21:42 — “The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner.” On top of his own witness to the coming resurrection, his accusers said that this was part of Jesus’ claim: “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise’” (Matthew 27:63).

Our first evidence of the resurrection, therefore, is that Jesus himself spoke of it. The breadth and nature of the sayings make it unlikely that a deluded church made these up. And the character of Jesus himself, revealed in these witnesses, has not been judged by most people to be a lunatic or a deceiver.

2. The tomb was empty on Easter.

The earliest documents claim this: “When they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus” (Luke 24:3). And the enemies of Jesus confirmed it by claiming that the disciples had stolen the body (Matthew 28:13). The dead body of Jesus could not be found. There are four possible ways to account for this.

2.1 His foes stole the body. If they did (and they never claimed to have done so), they surely would have produced the body to stop the successful spread of the Christian faith in the very city where the crucifixion occurred. But they could not produce it.
2.2 His friends stole the body. This was an early rumor (Matthew 28:11-15). Is it probable? Could they have overcome the guards at the tomb? More important, would they have begun to preach with such authority that Jesus was raised, knowing that he was not? Would they have risked their lives and accepted beatings for something they knew was a fraud?
2.3 Jesus was not dead, but only unconscious when they laid him in the tomb. He awoke, removed the stone, overcame the soldiers, and vanished from history after a few meetings with his disciples in which he convinced them he was risen from the dead. Even the foes of Jesus did not try this line. He was obviously dead. The Romans saw to that. The stone could not be moved by one man from within who had just been stabbed in the side by a spear and spent six hours nailed to a cross.
2.4 God raised Jesus from the dead. This is what he said would happen. It is what the disciples said did happen. But as long as there is a remote possibility of explaining the resurrection naturalistically, modern people say we should not jump to a supernatural explanation. Is this reasonable? I don’t think so. Of course, we don’t want to be gullible. But neither do we want to reject the truth just because it’s strange. We need to be aware that our commitments at this point are much affected by our preferences — either for the state of affairs that would arise from the truth of the resurrection, or for the state of affairs that would arise from the falsehood of the resurrection. If the message of Jesus has opened you to the reality of God and the need of forgiveness, for example, then anti-supernatural dogma might lose its power over your mind. Could it be that this openness is not prejudice for the resurrection, but freedom from prejudice against it?

3. The disciples were almost immediately transformed from men who were hopeless and fearful after the crucifixion (Luke 24:21, John 20:19) into men who were confident and bold witnesses of the resurrection (Acts 2:24, 3:15, 4:2).

Their explanation of this change was that they had seen the risen Christ and had been authorized to be his witnesses (Acts 2:32). The most popular competing explanation is that their confidence was owing to hallucinations. There are numerous problems with such a notion. The disciples were not gullible, but level-headed skeptics both before and after the resurrection (Mark 9:32,Luke 24:11, John 20:8-9, 25). Moreover, is the deep and noble teaching of those who witnessed the risen Christ the stuff of which hallucinations are made? What about Paul’s great letter to the Romans? I personally find it hard to think of this giant intellect and deeply transparent soul as deluded or deceptive, and he claimed to have seen the risen Christ.

4. Paul claimed that, not only had he seen the risen Christ, but that 500 others had seen him also, and many were still alive when he made this public claim.

“Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:6). What makes this so relevant is that this was written to Greeks who were skeptical of such claims when many of these witnesses were still alive. So it was a risky claim if it could be disproved by a little firsthand research.

5. The sheer existence of a thriving, empire-conquering early Christian church supports the truth of the resurrection claim.

The church spread on the power of the testimony that Jesus was raised from the dead and that God had thus made him both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). The Lordship of Christ over all nations is based on his victory over death. This is the message that spread all over the world. Its power to cross cultures and create one new people of God was a strong testimony of its truth.

6. The Apostle Paul’s conversion supports the truth of the resurrection.

He argues to a partially unsympathetic audience in Galatians 1:11-17 that his gospel comes from the risen Jesus Christ, not from men. His argument is that before his Damascus Road experience when he saw the risen Jesus, he was violently opposed to the Christian faith (Acts 9:1). But now, to everyone’s astonishment, he is risking his life for the gospel (Acts 9:24-25). His explanation: The risen Jesus appeared to him and authorized him to spearhead the Gentile mission (Acts 26:15-18). Can we credit such a testimony? This leads to the next argument.

7. The New Testament witnesses do not bear the stamp of dupes or deceivers.

How do you credit a witness? How do you decide whether to believe a person’s testimony? The decision to give credence to a person’s testimony is not the same as completing a mathematical equation. The certainty is of a different kind, yet can be just as firm (I trust my wife’s testimony that she is faithful). When a witness is dead, we can base our judgment of him only on the content of his writings and the testimonies of others about him. How do Peter and John and Matthew and Paul stack up?

In my judgment (and at this point we can live authentically only by our own judgment—Luke 12:57), these men’s writings do not read like the works of gullible, easily deceived or deceiving men. Their insights into human nature are profound. Their personal commitment is sober and carefully stated. Their teachings are coherent and do not look like the invention of unstable men. The moral and spiritual standard is high. And the lives of these men are totally devoted to the truth and to the honor of God.

8. There is a self-authenticating glory in the gospel of Christ’s death and resurrection as narrated by the biblical witnesses.

The New Testament teaches that God sent the Holy Spirit to glorify Jesus as the Son of God. Jesus said, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.... He will glorify me” (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit does not do this by telling us that Jesus rose from the dead. He does it by opening our eyes to see the self-authenticating glory of Christ in the narrative of his life and death and resurrection. He enables us to see Jesus as he really was, so that he is irresistibly true and beautiful. The apostle stated the problem of our blindness and the solution like this: “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.... For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:4, 6).

A saving knowledge of Christ crucified and risen is not the mere result of right reasoning about historical facts. It is the result of spiritual illumination to see those facts for what they really are: a revelation of the truth and glory of God in the face of Christ — who is the same yesterday today and forever

When In Need

2008-11-02T18:49:00.001-05:00

We all have needs, which range from physical and emotional to spiritual. When you require some essential--whether food, water, acceptance, or understanding--where do you turn?

When something basic is missing in your life, it's very easy to feel alone. But remember, God knows what you need even before you tell Him. Hebrews 4:13 states, "There is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him..."

Some people might find this intimidating, as if a "big brother" is watching. But the Lord is a compassionate and loving heavenly Father who cares for His children. He is our shepherd, guiding us gently through life and redirecting us when we stray (Ps. 23). Furthermore, He desires to meet our needs and always does what is best for us (Rom. 8:28).

Our Father is ready and able to work in our lives. And He tells us to come confidently to His throne, bringing our requests to Him. In other words, because we, as Christians, have access to Him through Jesus, we are able to present our desires and struggles freely and without fear. And we can expect an answer. We might receive exactly what we ask, or perhaps God will tell us to wait. Sometimes the answer will be no. But we can be sure that even then, He is acting in our best interest--in His omniscience, He will withhold what He knows would ultimately harm or hinder His children.

The Lord knows where you are and what you need. Share your hurts and desires honestly with Him.

Evidence of Hope

2008-10-31T00:32:00.007-04:00

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. 2 Corinthians 4:17

Just roll with me for a second here...If you have ever had to practice football twice a day in 100 degree heat, endure nine weeks of military basic training, or live with nausea for six weeks of chemotherapy, you were likely told, "Hang in there. or in my family "Buck UP!" You can do anything for a short period of time." The difference between "temporary" and "permanent" can seem like the difference between life and death.

The apostle Paul knew the difference between the two. There were many occasions in his Christian life where he felt terrible, but he never lost heart (2 Corinthians 4:16). In fact, his favorite phrase was "but not": Hard-pressed, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed (verses 8-9). Paul knew that every difficulty was temporary. Even if it lasted his whole life, he still saw it as temporary compared to the hope of eternity. If he ever lost hope, it was only for the moment. His permanent perspective was eternal hope in the goodness and purpose of God. Have you learned to separate the temporary from the permanent in your life? That distinction is evidence that hope is alive and well. Sometimes the Lord gives us these little pick me ups within His Word that was written century's ago but it applies to us today! No matter what we may face in our lives the Lord makes it very clear that He will not allow us to go through something that we can not handle. With God on your side there IS nothing you can not handle!!! In the words of Larry and Bob " God IS bigger than the boogie man!!!" Just look at the life of Paul!!! With that in mind i'll close with what I call my life verse's

Rejoice always! Pray constantly. Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

2008-10-28T21:29:00.007-04:00

How can you make sure your children head in the right direction in life? By leading them there!

To parents,from a parent, our children are looking to us for an example. All the limits and rules in the world can equal a big zero without leadership. You and I must set an example for our children through our personal habits, our work ethics, our worship life, our church involvement, and much more. Consider the story of Jotham in 2 Chronicles 27 and 28. Jotham was angry because his father, King Uzziah, was chastised and corrected in the temple. So, when Jotham became king, he refused to attend worship services. But Jotham paid a terrible price for it. When his son became king, he became an idol worshipper and even sacrificed his own children, Jotham’s grandchildren! I want my Kids to know what I believe. Don’t you? If you want them to share your faith and follow in your footsteps, you first have to make footprints. You and I have to walk the talk! Your leadership will make an eternal difference in the life of your child. You can give them love and limits. And most importantly, you can give your children the Lord. You do this by talking about your faith with them, by being open about what you believe, and by sharing your love of God in your daily life. Don’t be afraid to admit your mistakes and ask for God’s help in front of your children. Tell them Bible stories. Have family devotional time. Pray with your children. Like the arrows in Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.--Psalm 127:4, you have the power to point your children in the right direction. Start leading your children into an authentic experience with Jesus Christ now.

For those who don't know a lot about me and my wife our ministry is working with teenage girls at a children's home in NC. A lot of the girls who come through our doors do not come from a home where Christ is the example. To many we are the first people to tell them that Christ loves them and will always love them and be there. Our children are the future if we are not showing them how to be a follower then who will. Christ is coming we have to help today's kids know who God is!

Kyle

PS Sorry if this seemed like a sermon just cant help it sometimes!

2008-10-28T21:24:00.002-04:00

success!!! finally after the past 4 days we got the little man to sleep before 8:00 and he has stayed in the bed! oh yeah

Maybe not taking a nap helps.

2008-10-26T20:13:00.002-04:00

So many projects, so little time, but oh what fun!! one great thing about having your own home is getting to work on it and learn how to do so many new things! next on the agenda tiling over the counter top. After 2 hours in the tile section of Lowes we have a winner!! Check it out! after that we are doing the floor in the same tile just bigger. we'll get to finish our walls also and put in a new door!

2008-10-26T17:42:00.002-04:00

random thought: A $40 electric bill is AWESOME!!!!!!

one of those days

2008-10-25T21:37:00.003-04:00

Yep it's been one of those days. Every time I try to work on something I would like to do I'm interrupted by something. oh well that's life i guess. On a cool note I got to see a friend from way back in the store the other day. brought back some good memories. well that's enough for now

Kyle

2008-10-23T12:07:00.003-04:00

Our autumn days grow shorter with each passing sunset, but whatever these days lose in length they take on in added breadth and depth. Delicious autumn hours, although but a momentary pause between steamy haze just past and chilling frost to come, are served up as the savory desert of the seasons.

The ancient Celts of Ireland and Western Europe understood and appreciated the meaning of November's beginning. October's closing marked the harvest's end. Time to celebrate--for yesterday is forever gone, swept away in a dusty cloud of time, and tomorrow is but hope and dreams hovering beyond the horizon.

Each year, about the time the insect choirs fall silent, white-crowned clouds rise stark against heavenly blue, setting off a kaleidoscope of falling leaves. Scarlets and oranges, brilliant greens and pale yellows merge into an an extravaganza, followed by gold and purple sunsets. Then the opening curtains of night reveal wintry stars assuming command.

So take a moment today and stop and thank the Father for the beauty that surrounds us. "Be still and know that I am God"

Here we go!!

2008-10-22T17:41:00.004-04:00

Well this is my first post.... hmmm what to say. Well lets start off with I'm glad to finally be home! it's been a looooooong 4 weeks at work and a crazy one at that. We started in our new Cottage 2 weeks ago. The place is nice and the girls are nice too, most of them need to see how a mother and father are suppose to treat a child. The backgrounds that most of these girls come from are far from loving. Which is a shame and makes me so angry at times that a person who has been given the blessing of a child can just be so hateful and cruel. The one thing that is different with working with these girls is we only have them for at least 30 days and the most is 90 days. We do miss our girls at Kennedy Home. we also miss the staff there too. When we left i sent out an e-mail and in the e-mail God laid on my heart a section of scripture to share with our friends and it is so true that I want to close with it here so that if you to are in the ministry in one way or another we can support each other!!

"I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart, and you are all partners with me in grace..."

Philippians 1:3-7a

Kyle