Sunday Mornin' Hope : Just getting used to it

Tonight on the news there were murders, banks robbed, drug convictions etc and of course the weather. The weather was given just as much time as many of those catastrophies put together. People are just getting used to high crime and face eating zombies. Have we become numb or overwhelmed. Maybe we're just getting used to it. Someone said the opposite of love is apathy. When you stop loving someone, is it that you just don't care anymore or just got used to being by yourself? What are you getting used to?

I work in a large church and staff turnover is frequent. According to survey's, youth pastors generally stay for around six months. My wife and I have seven wonderful Godly children. So we're very interested in having a stable youth pastor to teach our children. After about six yp's came and left (in a matter of a few years), I asked my oldest son how he felt about so and so leaving the church. I was expecting a very depressed response. He turned to me and said "I'm just getting used to it Dad." He was numb to the choice of so many exciting pastors. Commitment today is nearly non existent.

Maybe I was raised in a strange time when people kept lifetime commitments. My parents bought a blue car about every twenty years. And they worked thru their differences. I often compare our family to the old tv show "The Waltons". We had a simple lifestyle and stayed mostly near home. One night we stayed at our cousins house. My brother and I were pretty small. He got ahold of a Sears minibike and off we went down a dirt road. I don't remember if the bike didn't have brakes or what, but we didn't make a corner. I remember the bike's exhaust pipe burned my leg pretty bad. WOW! What a great ride it was. That was my first experience with bike riding, and I guess that got me hooked.

I hope you and your family have purposed to stay together and work out the differences. Hopefully they have just gotten used to having you home every evening. These days are getting so busy, you have to set times or nights to be at home together. Does your home feel like an airport? Ours does. So we're trying something new with the remaining children at home. We spend monday nights together doing something. It might be a movie or project. They prefer movies. We also have family Bible studies on Monday and Thursday mornings at 7:30 every week. Of course tuesday night is date for my wife and I. We clip coupons often and share something small at a restaurant. What I'm trying to do is encourage you to make great memories and your family gets used to enjoying you ALOT.

Last week our lawn mower 'died'. So my little son Judah and I decided to revive it. He learned what a crescent wrench did and also how to clean a sparkplug. I found out someone filled the oil to the brim and put mixed gas in the mower. So we had a big project together. When we nearly finished fixing the mower, I promised him a ride on the bike to get fresh gas. He ran in and got his good riding pants on and helmet. My wife told me I needed to take my daughter to work right then. When I told Judah I had to go, I promised him I would be right back and we'd go together. On my way to drop off my daughter there were many gas stations, and the gas can was in the saddlebag. I could've saved time and got the gas then. But I promised my son 'we' were going to go. So when I got home, he was waiting by the door with his helmet on. My biker buddy was ready and waiting. I hope he's getting used to me being there. Next week we're learning how to cut grass in straight lines.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfZhReSOP9w



Open the journal of your heart and time. Take the time for what's really important. My priorities are these: God, family, work, hobbies/friends. I love the Lord Jesus Christ first and foremost. Then my wife and family are always second. Then my work followed by everything else. Too many people put their job on top and wonder why their family is gone. Maybe they just got used to it..and left. It's never too late to change. If you messed up, ask forgiveness and try again. Discipline yourself to change. Make a bunch of great memories this year. Remember, you can never afford kids and vacations. You just do 'em. Enjoy life and put Jesus Christ first. He will give you peace and strength and joy. Have a great week and remember I'm praying for you. Get used to giving God thanks for everything. You've got alot.


1Th 5:18 -
in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

2Th 1:3 -
We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater;


2Th 2:13 -
But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.


Heb 13:15 -
Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.


Re 4:9 -
And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever,


Re 11:17 -
saying, "We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.

Thank you Dino! That one hit home. I have been making an effort to spend more time with my sons. Every now and then our internet just seems to go out (wink wink) and it's amazing how much we talk after that. Good times....

good message dino