Love...

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good...be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves..."Romans 12:9
Love is one of the most misused words I know. Someone might say, "I love my car." Then turn around and say, "I love my wife." and then still turn around and say, "I love to fish..." Three times we used the same word to describe a vehicle, someone we care for, and something we enjoy doing. Valentine's Day is a very special day to me because it is also my anniversary. My wife and I celebrated 13 great years together on Valentine's Day. I never knew I could love someone more than myself. I don't say that to be conceited, but I think pretty highly of myself. Then I met my wife and I found out that the more someone gives you love, the more you love that person. Just when I thought I was all out of love to give to anyone else, my daughters waltzed into my life. When I only had one daughter it wasn't hard to comprehend giving this love to her, but then there were two! Where am I gonna find all this love? I found it. The more love I share, the more love I find. I have found it to be very easy to honor "my girls" above me. Loving my mom was easy...I watched my dad. Loving my wife was even easier...loving my daughters has been amazing! I don't have to think about how to do it, it just comes naturally! During this season of love, let us remember to love one another...not an easy task. Some people have left deep wounds and are difficult to love, but we must love them! 1 John 4:8, says, "God is love." What else needs to be said? This week, let us remember to love one another. If someone falls, lift them up with your love. If a spouse is struggling with something, support them and love them, don't kick them when they're down. Remember, "God is Love..." What are you made of?

words of wisdom...

This is a picture of me and my Youth Minister when I was growing up...He has offered much wisdom to me over the years...

"Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise..." Proverbs 19:20...
When I was a teenager, I had all the answers! I knew so much more than my parents. They ask me about certain things and I had four or five answers for them; at least. The older I got, the smarter my parents got. I guess chemo fried my brain more than I thought, because at 38 I am not nearly as smart as I thought I was. Growing up I worked with my dad quite a bit. He was a very wise man. The counsel he had for me for was way beyond what I could comprehend at the time. Now I look back at some of the things he would tell me and I realize, he was genius!
How you ever read a verse in your Bible and wondered what in the world God was trying to say when He said that...some time will go by and then it hits us...that's what He meant! There are some things in the scriptures that we read and can only ponder...and then there are those things we read and instantly know why God gave us that verse. I love to sit and people watch. The thing I love more than people watching is actually getting to sit and talk to people. I especially like talking with older people. I have received some great advice from people. Sometimes I take it to heart, and other times I take it for what it is...Our challenge for this week is to listen to what others have to offer us. When someone is telling us something, it's usually for our own good. Consider the source and you will know if it's "constructive criticism" or if they're trying to get you in trouble. With snow on the ground and being trapped indoors, I have had plenty of time lately to sit and ponder words of wisdom...God Bless!

Tony

I love you, O Lord, my strength...Psalm 18:1

Sometimes when reading the scriptures we encounter a verse that will really challenge us. Then there are those verses that just make us scratch our heads and wonder what God was trying to tell us. The verse today is one that even someone as goofy as myself can't mess up. What a way to wirte what reminds me of a Valentine's love letter. Every now and then my wife will still write me a letter and I love to hear her saying that she loves me, but add that someone is our strength, WOW! If I was to write God a letter, this is probably how I would start the letter and end the letter! What are we without God? Who are we without God? Do we exist without God? I believe it was Solomon in the Bible that attempted to live without God in his life. He basically gives up, saying it's not worth it...there is nothing to live for. Life without God is hopeless. This week I would like to challenge all of us to make God more evident in our lives. When people see you, do they see Jesus, or do they just see another person who spent $20 on cool looking T-shirt with some wise saying. A good motto for the week is this: Walk the Walk, and Talk the Talk...God Bless

Tony

"And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the intergrity and seriousness of your teaching..."
Titus 2:7

There are times in life when it's hard to "keep" my Christianity in tact. When someone cuts me off in traffic, when I'm in a hurry and there's only one checker, or when I thought someone was a friend, but it turns out I was being used...there are so many times in life when it's hard to be a good example for others. When I was younger I tried to be an example to those around me, not really sure of who that was...but now days I have two little people in my life that constantly watch my every move, even when I don't know they're watching. Being a husband is a great feeling, being a dad is a greater feeling, but being their example is terrifying! I can't be a good example all by myself. I have to look to Christ and His perfect example in order to be a good example to my family. Allow me to ask today, who's watching you? Who's following your lead? What kind of role model are you being for that person today? This gives new meaning to being a Christian 24/7/365! Role models never get a day off...God bless you this week and may you be a good example to someone!

Rejoice Always...

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Rejoice always, Pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus..."
What great words are offered to us in this passage. I can handle the rejoicing, and I don't mind the praying part of this verse, but the last part gets me. It says to give thanks in all circumstances...I'm pretty good about being thankful when I'm reeling in fish after fish. I'm pretty good about giving thanks when I bring in a fish over 5lbs. I'm great at giving God the glory when I've won a tournament. I'm not so good about giving thanks when things aren't necessarily going my way. When I want to go one direction and God says no, I usually do like a small child and throw a tantrum or get aggravated and quit trying. Let me encourage you to be thankful in all situations this week. I know it's tough to be thankful when you're not feeling well, or when you don't make the grade you thought you should've made. It's not easy to be thankful when doing housework or having truck problems. We can be thankful that we have a home, transportation, food, and clothes. It may not be the best food or the nicest clothes, but thank God we have something to complain about...God bless and thank you for allowing me to share with you this week!

Don't worry, be happy...

1 Timothy 6:8, is very plain and simple. It simply says, "So, if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content..."
There are very few verses in the Bible that are that simple to understand for me anyway. As we try to unwind from the holidays and get over in laws that overstayed their welcome, or all the travelling we did, all the credit card debt we racked up, and all those extra pounds that came to visit, I love the simplicity of this verse. As I look back on 2010, I think of all the hardships we endured, but guess what...we're still here. We are here because of the grace of God and His willingness to allow us to serve Him in so many different capacities. Not one day in 2010 did I not have something to eat or something to wear. In fact I feel bad because every now and then I have to go through my T-shirt drawer and get rid of some. Pass them on to someone else. As far as food is concerned in our home, we make sure all left overs are gone before getting new stuff. I'm not so good with left-overs, but I feel bad for my wife and kids eating the same thing over and over! I want to make this my verse for this year. I love that it says we should be content with that. Let's pause for a minute and allow me to ask you a question...What makes you happy? Many of you answered that question before you were done reading it, but for many of you it took some time. As 2011 rolls out new opportunities for us let us jump on them...and be content! May your closets stay full and your pantries never run dry! God Bless...

Tony

Immanuel...

Matthew 1:23- "and they will call Him Immanuel- which means, God with us..."
The other day while reading the "Christmas" story I noticed something I had never noticed before. His name shall be Immanuel which means God with us. I have even sang the song that has this same line in it, but for some reason it hit me different this time. God with us...I had never really stopped to ponder on what that means. This means that no matter where we are, how far we've fallen, how sick we are, how bad we feel, how bad life has beat us...God is still with us! What a relief to read those words. I had to put my Bible down and praise God for a few moments when I read that. Even thouh we can't see the solution to our problems, God knows what lies ahead. With all the health issues I've had recently this was really nice to read. I have let that stay with me for a few days now and it has really made a difference at how I approach everyday situations. As we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ let us also remember...He is with us...God Bless until our next meeting.

Tony