When I grow up I want to be a sports star

Plans change.

When I was younger, I always wanted to be a pro sports star.

My brothers and I spend days upon days playing, basketball, baseball, hockey, football and whatever else we could play.

Our goal as a young kids was to play pro sports.

We had so much fun playing.

In life you can’t always have everything planned.

What did you want to be as a child?

Sometimes life has a way of changing.

Before getting married, I wanted maybe two kids.

Immediately after having Nevaeh, I wanted no more kids.

Life changes and plans change.

I am excited that thanksgiving will be extra special this year as we should have our fourth child.

We need to be ready for change and how life can change.

Paul and friends were traveling and looking for a place to go and pray soon they found themselves talking with a lady.

If they stuck to their plan they would have focused on prayer, instead this is what happened in Acts 16:14-15…

“One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshipper of God.  The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.  When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home.”

Paul went for prayer and ended up giving salvation to a women and her whole family.

What if Paul didn’t change and adapt?

Would that household go to heaven or not?

It’s not for us to decided, but imagine if he focused on what he intended to do when going there.

Sometimes life can change.

As stable as life can be it can become unstable very quickly.

Learning to role with the punches is key to make it through life.

Where are you at in life?

How have you dealt with change?

Do you adapt and make the best of the situation or do you take the hit and fall to the ground?

Paul adapted and made the best of the situation he went into.

How can you make the situations you go through in life better.

What can you personally do to improve?

It’s up to you.

Have a great day.

A perfect relationship

I see glory.

I see it when I wake up in the morning as I get to wake up next to my smoking hot wife.

I see it when I go to wake my daughter up in the morning.

I see it when my kids run up to me and yell daddy!

Such joy I thank God for everyday.

I can honestly say none of this is possible without Christ being in my life.

Some of you might role your eyes at this, but it is completely true.

Hailee and I said from the moment we got together, said Christ would come first and our relationship would come second.

We are not perfect and at times live for selfish reasons, but our goal is to be more like Christ everyday.

This deals with our relationship with others and our relationship with each other.

Marriage is not easy, it’s a challenge and it’s not always a happily ever after story.

Hailee and I have had to work through some issues we have had in the past, shoot, we even met with a counselor for a session or two.

No relationship is perfect.

Every relationship needs improvement from both partners.

It’s the same with faith.

Listen to what Jesus tells his believers in John 17:20-21…

“My prayer is not for them alone.  I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, father just as you are in me and I am in you.  May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

This is following up scripture in which Jesus prayers for his disciples and ends a chapter in John which is the longest recorded prayer of Jesus.

Jesus was sent so that people might believe in God.

Without Jesus I wouldn’t have a lot.

I was angry, depressed, struggled with being who I was meant to be as a person before Christ.

Without the love given by Jesus I would not have the ability to forgive those people that have hurt me.

I am far from perfect, but Jesus came down and died for me.

He did the same for you.

The reason I am able to see glory everyday is because of Christ.

Without his love and model of forgiveness there is no way Hailee and I would be married or have three amazing kids maybe a fourth someday ;) (Hailee will get a kick out of that).

Jesus wants to show his love and forgiveness to the world, to give us eternal life.

That is the greatest glory we could ever have….

Even greater then a Lions Super Bowl.

Have a great day.

Nevaeh trying to buy jewelry online

Children are amazing.

They can surprise you in ways you never thought possible.

Over a year ago, Hailee’s birthday was approaching.

Nevaeh wanted to get her something nice.

Nevaeh is very thoughtful and puts effort into her gifts.

For my birthday she made me a beautiful card and put $10 (Almost all of her money of savings in it).

It was so sweet.

Last year for Hailee’s birthday, Nevaeh wanted to get something for her mom.

Once every while Nevaeh gets on our computer to PBS kids website.

Nevaeh asked to play and later called me over because she wanted to show me what she wanted to get Hailee for her birthday.

I went over expecting to see a card or pointing at some item.

Instead she had a jewelry store website up and said, “I think Mom would love this.”

“Nevaeh, how did you know how to work the internet and what site to get to?”

She pointed to a jewelry magazine and said, “The website was right here Dad, all you have to do is type www. And the rest of this and it will take you to the site.”

My daughter was teaching me to use the internet.

It was priceless.

She is so thoughtful and wants to make other people happy.

There is something pure about kids at a young age.

People were bringing kids as young as babies to Jesus.

They wanted him to touch them for a blessing.

The disciples thought the people were wasting Jesus time and told Jesus such.

Jesus responded with this in Luke 18:16-17…

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

There is something about kids that is pure.

Kids are also dependent on someone else completely.

The younger the kid, the more dependent they are on other people to survive.

As the Bible Knowledge Commentary says, “Children come with expectation and excitement. They come realizing that they are not sufficient in themselves they depend totally on others.”

Here is the point, if we don’t have the same humbleness as these children (As adults) we will not enter the kingdom of God.

We like to think we have all the answers, but we don’t.

Faith steps in at some point, and we have to choose to have this or not.

We have to be humble and go to God on our own in humility in order to go to heaven.

Nevaeh is such a sweetheart, pure and realizes she doesn’t have all the answers.

She is a child and dependent on us to help her grow into an adult.

Just like she depends on us, we need to depend on God.

What or who do you depend on?

Have a great day.