Worry

Day 13: Over the weekend, I coached two of my boys' basketball teams. I watched the boys play both as a coach and as a parent. These boys do not have a worry in the world. Their main concern is, "When do I get to play," and "How long do I get to stay in the game?" Those were the only worries they had at the time.

As adults, we worry about so many things: the car we drive, the clothes we wear, mortgage payments, and even paying the water bill. We cannot let these things worry us. God has a plan, and He will provide. He will take care of us. So, the next time you begin to worry, just stop and look at your kids. Think about when you were a kid, and put your trust in your heavenly father, and He will eliminate your worry.

IF...

Day 12: Tonight I drove up on a wreck, but the firefighters and paramedics were already on the scene. Everyone was getting the medical attention they needed. I know that wrecks happen, and we wonder what happened to cause the wrecks as we drive by. The wreck tonight was different. Ten minutes before the wreck occurred, I was at the same location. Then, I got to thinking...what if I had been 10 minutes later. I would have been in this wreck. I stopped and thanked God for keeping me safe and protected. Just remember to count your blessings, friends, and be thankful that we have a God to protect us.

Forgive

Day 11: Have you ever been so mad at someone that you could not forgive them? I realized today after reading Colossians 3:13, "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you," that we must forgive everyone no matter what the circumstances are. We must forgive, because it says the Lord forgives us. Think about it. It doesn't matter how upset we are at someone. We must forgive them, because God forgave us of our sins.

Fear

Day 10: What if God asked you to give up everything and go on a mission trip to a third world country? Would you do it? If we say we are going to follow God, how come sometiems it is so hard to share the gospel with someone? Are we afraid that people will think we are weird? We are weird, and it's because we are believers. When we chose to be Christians, we knew it would not be easy, and we would be challenged. What if God called you to share the gospel with someone you did not know? Would you follow His lead, or would you pretend you didn't hear him? In reading Nehemiah 2, Nehemiah was not afraid to admit his fear. He refused to allow fear to stop him from doing what God had called Him to do. Remember, God is greater than all your fears!

Prayer Power

I am still reading Nehemiah 1, and this chapter is so much more powerful than I expected. After reading in more detail, I started to see how important prayer is; not just praying for everyday things, but praying for future things. We need to put our entire focus on prayer and make it an everyday routine. We should start with our immediate needs and then the needs of people that are close to us,and then we need to consider our future prayers. Lastly, we need to give everything to God and pray. I challenge you, friends, to try prayer and see where it takes you. If you want to talk to someone who will listen, try praying. You will find your answers.

I Wanted it So Bad

Day 8: Sorry guys. I did not have time to write over the weekend. Having two basketball games to coach and watching the Aggies play, the weekend got away from me. I apologize, because I really intended to write every day.

Have you ever been at a point where you wanted something really bad, and all you could do was think about this particular item you would do anything to have? Maybe it was a car, a job, a house, a loan. Well, think, because I know there has to be something that you really wanted only to find out that you cannot have it. Then, when you didn't get it, you asked God, "Why, Lord? Why can't I?" Deep down inside you knew it could help you or could have benefited you in some way, but God has a reason for not letting you have it. He might not show us today, tomorrow, or 6 months from now, but God has put us in a certain place, and He has a timeline for us. He knows what we need, when we need it, and He knows when the time is right.

After reading Nehemiah 1, my situation made more sense to me, and that put me at ease. Next time this happens to you, stop and talk to God and believe that He will show us when the time is right. Have a great week.

Cake Duty

Tonight I had the pleasure of helping my wife build a cake for a birthday party. It was great spending time with her and seeing how hard she works on these cakes. I really enjoyed helping her even though it seems like I did not enjoy it. I love you, Jennifer and hope you finish soon, because I know you will be up till at least 2am.