Psalm 50:15

I was reading Alex's teachers weekly e-mail when I saw the verse of the week.

Psalm 50:15, "Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory."

I think this pretty much sums up my life... I was in serious trouble and called upon God to help me, he rescued me from certain death, and now it is my job to give him Glory. Not much interpetation needed in this one.

 

Father's Day

I had a wonderful Father's Day this year. My oldest son came to church with us and then my oldest daughter and her boyfriend came and spent the day together with me. It was wonderful to have everyone together and it made me begin to think about how over the years I have changed as a father. 

According to http://www.merriam-webster.com/ : the definition of a father is: a man who has begotten a child. I think it's much more than that

I was thrust into fatherhood at 19 years old. My girlfriend was pregnant and she already had a 2 year old daughter. I did what any respectful man would do. I quit college, married her, and went to work to support my new family. I never had a handbook of how to be a father, so I resorted to doing what I had learned from my fathers. 

1. My dad and my stepdad both worked hard to provide for their families. I never heard either of them complain and they often took on extra responsibilities just to provide a little more for us. 

2. I always knew that my dad and stepdad loved me. They never really said it, but I just knew it. Their actions showed me their love everyday. Affection was implied, not expressed. 

At 19 years old, I found a job in a factory and began bringing home enough money for our new family. I worked long hours and would sign up for any overtime I could so that I could provide additional for my family. I mean, that's one of a fathers duties right? When it was offered that my employer would reimburse for college classes I returned to college. It took several years, many days without sleep, and many missed events with my children, but I finished my degree while working. I was trying to provide more for my family and I felt was my responsibility as a father. 

I don't ever remember telling my children that I loved them, I followed the rule I had learned and felt that it was implied by all that I did for them. 

Fast forward to today. 

I have learned that my role as a father is much different that I originally thought. I am blessed with the chance to learn from my mistakes and I have another shot at this father role. While I still feel that providing for my family is a important role, I know that me spending time with them is just as important. I know that a crucial role that I play is teaching my children how to interact with others by example. As fathers, we are teaching our sons how to treat women and our daughters how they should expect to be treated. I don't believe that it's enough to imply your feelings anymore, I tell all of my children that I love them everyday. It is my responsibility to teach my children about The Lord and give them a solid spiritual base to build upon. 

I believe that my most important role as a father is teaching my sons how to be great fathers.

 

Wheelchairs

Wheelchairs... There not just for mobility anymore. They double as napping spots as well.

Dear Readers,

      My Uncle Dave sent this to me in an e-mail the other day. I found it so moving; I felt I needed to share it with anyone and everyone that reads my blog. It's a great story that reminds you just how lucky we are.

Thanks, Matt


WHAT HAPPENS IN HEAVEN WHEN WE PRAY?

 I  dreamed that I went to Heaven and an angel was showing me around.
We walked side-by-side inside a large workroom filled with angels.  My angel
guide stopped in front of the  first section and said, "This is the
Receiving Section.  Here, all petitions to God said in prayer are received."

I  looked around in this area, and it was terribly busy with so many angels
sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and scraps from
people all over the world.

Then we  moved on down a long corridor until we reached the second
section.

The angel then said to me, "This is the  Packaging and Delivery Section.
Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are processed and
delivered to the living persons who asked for them."

I noticed again how busy it was there.  There were many angels working hard
at that station, since so many blessings had been requested and were being
packaged for delivery to Earth.

Finally  at the farthest end of the long corridor we stopped at the door of
a very small station.  To my great surprise, only one  angel was seated
there, idly doing nothing.  "This is the  Acknowledgment Section," my angel
friend quietly admitted to me.  He seemed embarrassed.

"How is it that there is no work going on here?" I asked.

"So sad," the angel sighed.  "After people receive the blessings that they
asked for, very few send back acknowledgments."

"How does one acknowledge God's blessings?" I asked.

"Simple,"  the angel answered.  Just say, "Thank you, Lord."

"What  blessings should they acknowledge?"  I asked.

"If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead
and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of this  world. If you have
money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among
the top 8% of the world's wealthy."

"And if  you get this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in the
world who has that opportunity."

"If you  woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more
blessed than the many who will not even survive this day."

"If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of
imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are
ahead of 700 million people in the world."

"If you can attend a church/synagogue without the fear of harassment,
arrest, torture, or death, you are envied by and more blessed than three
billion people in the world."

"If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm.  You're
unique to all those in doubt and despair."

"Okay.  What now?  How can I start?'

If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that
someone was thinking of you as very special, and you are more blessed than
over two billion people in the world who  cannot read at all.

Have a  good day.  Count your blessings.  And if you care to, pass this
along to remind everyone else how blessed we all are.

ATTN:  Acknowledge Dept.
"Thank you Lord for giving me the ability to share this message and for
giving me so many wonderful people with whom to share it."

If you  have read this far, and are thankful for all that you have been
blessed with, how can you not send it on?  I thank  God for everything,
especially all my family and  friends.