Good Morning.....

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. We got to enjoy a few days at the cabin and fully enjoy the company and morning java on the front porch. We got home on Saturday but wishing we could stay another day. Sunday morning brought setup for church at an early alarm clock. Raining cold and not much help but just enough to get things done. Even with some problems along the way we were able to put everything together. Its a lot of work and a lot of time and a lot of sacrifice - especially on my family. There are not many days that I get to wake up on Sunday mornings with my family. Enjoy a warm breakfast and reading the Sunday paper is a long forgotten thing. I was reminded yesterday why I do what I do. Why I move forward and do the hard things. The message yesterday was right on for me. Travis did a great job in giving us a clear message. A message that reminds us that we all have to have action behind our faith. We have to move forward when God is asking us to do something. Hiding from God is not an option. There is no place to hide. Life goes on and sometimes life is hard and often times it is that way because we are not doing what God has called us to do. I took a step of faith and started serving in the kids ministry a few years ago. Scared, not knowing what I was doing, having no idea that I would have any value with directing these kids.... I just didn't see it - YET. By serving the Lord this way - He has opened my eyes and my heart to many things. There is a family that we have been helping the last month or so with meals, lunches at school and really investing in them. Sure there are issues, there is fear of many things, feelings of - are we doing the right thing? I got a note yesterday from the mom. Its a note that made me cry - I even had a teacher come over and ask me what was wrong yesterday. I gave her the note and she smiled and gave me a big hug.
You see - I want people to see Jesus through how and what I do. I have received the most important thing in life - Salvation through Jesus Christ. It changes a person when we cross that line. I see people differently now ... I especially see children differently now. I know I can't do it all but I know I can make a difference with what I have today. It is that note that gives me hope. It is that note that I know my family and I are doing the right things. We are being the church - Gods hands, His feet and His words. If we can't put action behind our faith - then our faith is dead. It is meaningless and we are living a blind selfish lie by going to church on Sundays and pretending. The rest of the week are living like - We have no faith at all.

Lord I pray this morning that You keep my motives and actions - Your motives and actions. I pray You continue to move my family and I closer together and on the same page with what we are doing for You. May Your spirit fill our hearts so that we have greater compassion and love for those around us. Thank You for loving us and placing us in the positions that we need to be in so that we can be Your hands, Your feet and Your words. May our hearts be all about the things of Your heart. I am so underserving of this, so small compared to Your mighty love that extends to all aspects of what You have called us to do. Lord I continue to ask that folks see You through my family and I. May they know that what we do is more about You than anything else. The note yesterday shows me that You are indeed in the center of it. I thank You..... Thank You for Your son Jesus. Thank You for calling my family and I to a greater calling in this life. May You continue to lead us and show us the way. Hard things or not.... May You continue to provide the paths...Paths that lead to You. Our actions put meaning in our faith. Thank You for walking with us Lord. I pray all these things in Your sons name in Jesus,
Amen


Is the face that I see in the mirror
the one I want others to see
Do I show in the way that I walk in my life
The love that You've given to me
My heart's desire is to be like You
In all that I do, all I am
Do they see Jesus In Me
Do they recognize Your face
Do I communicate Your love, and Your grace
Do I reflect who You areIn the way I choose to be
Do they see Jesus In Me
It's amazing that you'd ever use me
But use me the way You will
Help me to hold out a heart of compassionate grace
A heart that You're spirit fills
May I show forgiveness and mercy
The same way You've shown it to me
Now I want to show all the world who You are
The reason I live and breathe
So You'll be the One that they see
When they see me

Author Unknown