How God Changes a Person

How God Changes a Person

12/8/11

Someone very close to me once said I will never go to that place.  Someone also told me that God has a sense of humor.  In both cases it has been revealed to me, and to this other person, that you don’t tell God what He can do or cannot do, because if you do then the above second statement will come true, guaranteed.  Writing has always been a thorn in my side and my handwriting skills went right along with it. 
 
Handwriting was never my strong subject during my early years in school.  I would follow all of the exercises and do all the work necessary but when it came time to actually write a paragraph without any guiding lines, my handwriting would just go to pot.  Plus my mind would immediately close itself off and the words would not even come forth for me to write.  Very short and simple sentences would appear on the worksheet and that would be the extent of my exercise.  I would receive a passing grade on this assignment along with a note from the teacher saying that I could do better and to work on my handwriting.
 
When it came time for me to graduate to cursive writing, the fun really began.  You can imagine what my handwriting skills became when it was time to write in cursive.  The majority of kids plunge forward before it is time because it is a new process and it looks more fun to complete.  For me it was a nightmare and I actually wanted to print my words!!  As before I could correctly perform the cursive writing exercises but when it came time to perform this task on my own, it was not pretty.  Many, many times I had to redo my work because the teacher did not approve of the quality of the handwriting.  My composition had improved but it did not help any since the teacher could not read it.
 
Not much improved over the coming years with my handwriting skills, I would continue to practice but not much would come about; however, my printing capabilities continued to improve and I did my best to write as much as I could in this style.  For the majority of my junior high school years was spent in Christian schools and the curriculum was a little bit more lenient with the handwriting issues so I continued “my printing practice” as much as possible.
 
Junior High came to an end and my High School years began a new challenge was set before me.  No printing was allowed and once again I became nervous but determined to buck the system when and if I had the opportunity.  Boy was I mistaken; high school teachers were not willing for me to budge on the handwriting issue so I was forced to improve my penmanship toot sweet.  Well, as you can imagine my attitude did not change so my handwriting skills did not change either.  My grades were ok in school and I was never in any category of failing but my teachers would all say that my handwriting needed improvement.  So, I believed that they had no clue about the subject and onward I went.
 
As high school progressed I realized that I was writing more and more papers as time went along.  In my junior year I was in Nederland, Texas and I absolutely hated my English teacher, in another way of putting it she was an excellent teacher.  She was tough and her policies built my vocabulary skills to the maximum but my handwriting did not impress her one bit.  I cannot tell you how many papers I had to re-write because of the same problem I had in my earlier school days.
 
My senior year came calling in which traditionally is a time for us American students to goof off and take it easy before entering into college.  Not this boy, I had goals and I needed to do everything I could to prepare for my future.  My senior English teacher had the audacity to tell me that I had the potential of being a good writer I laughed at her and said I hated to write.  This statement was proven correct when my senior research paper came due.  Of course the paper was due on a Monday morning so dad and I spent all afternoon on Sunday typing that thing at the church.  Thank you dad for doing it for me J
 
This pattern continued even in personal correspondences of mine.  I had a few pen pals that wrote to me but following in my previous footsteps I did not return their letters and so they eventually stopped writing.  They were nice about it and didn’t write ugly ending notes but just let it drop.  I liked receiving the letters but just hated to write back.  Sad to say but this pattern continued throughout my college years and my USAF years as well.  Not many more things I can say about this pattern so I will continue on to the next step in my writing life.
 
For years I have joked and made fun of my handwriting skills to other people.  I was open about how my handwriting stunk and how I always received an “N” in handwriting when I was in elementary school.  Well, now you will understand why the second statement in the opening paragraph has come true.  I had no idea that God was going to use me in a way that I thought was impossible.  This area of my life was not developed and technically to this day is not developed enough to be classified as a writer.  But my parents taught me to be a good little boy and do as I am told so all I can say is that God is in control of this process so I guess in this instance my opinion is not in the forefront.
 
Then for whatever reason I believed the savior of my handwriting issues appeared and it was called email.  However, I continued to fall in the category of not writing to people but at least when I was forced to write they could at least be able to read the message.  Today my handwriting still is a mess and my preferred style is printing.  Yes, I am thankful that God has allowed man to create such an instrument as the computer but somewhere in the back of my mind I still have the fear that He will want to physically write a message in pen or pencil.  When this occurs all of you will be the first to know lol.
 
God continues to surprise me with my topics since often He gives me multiple ones at the same time.  That is not an issue to me since the profession I work in has trained me to multitask on a continual basis.  What amazes me and scares me at the same time are the topics that He has chosen for me.  I know that some are to be completed now but the majority of them I place in my computer file folder and He tells me to wait for a while.  I cannot even attempt to explain that process but God has His ways and means and I am not going to question them.
 
Always keep in mind that God has a plan for your life, He may reveal this plan in your younger years or He can wait until you are in mid-life.  But always know that the plan that He has for you will fit to you like a glove on your hand when He does reveal it to you.  It may not even be something that you had ever dreamed it would be but I have found out that God knows you even better than you know yourself.  So don’t be like Moses and bring up excuses as to why you cannot do something, because God is and always be God.
 
My messages as I call them are not written in the conventional fashion, but are designed for the reader to believe that I am right in front of them and speaking to them.  Those of you who know me will almost immediately recognize this and will make comments accordingly.  For those of you who do not know how I speak, then please understand for right now this is how God wants me to write or at least up until now this has been the style.  I have no idea what God has planned for my writings, and I do not know what He wants me to write about, I am totally at His mercy in this process.  I do not know if my writing in this manner will continue all I know is I am begin a good little boy and doing what I am told.
 
How has this changed my life?  I enjoy writing now and I feel a release in my spirit when the message is completed.  I know exactly what has to be said and I know exactly when my words are complete.  I am not afraid of writing and I am not afraid of what God is showing me to write.  I do know that everything that He says to me lines up with His word and for some reason out there in the world, my message is meant for someone.  I know that some time down the writing road God will place a topic into my spirit that I will not be comfortable with and might be timid to complete but always know that God is speaking through me and is leading me to write these words.

Pearl

Pearl Harbor Day 2011

12/7/11

History has provided us with many examples of wars in which portions of the world have been at odds with one another.  Examples of people killing others to provide some type of gain even appear as far back as in the Bible times.  Seventy years ago today an event took place that changed the way we as Americans lived.  The empire of Japan secretly attacked the U S Fleet at Pearl Harbor.  This act propelled our nation into a bloody conflict that would have long lasting effects on the people of this nation.  This concept of sneak attack is not new to past societies nor should it be forgotten in today’s society as well.

 

On a sleepy Sunday morning in December 1941 an attack came upon the US Fleet in Hawaii while the dawn was breaking across the region.  No one ever suspected that a so coordinated and massive attack could be launched and executed on our country shores as the one that occurred on this date.  No matter what you think about the attack, it was planned and carried out to perfection so much so that the entire attack plan was not even completed.  The commanders of the Japanese Navy understood that the element of surprise was over and that another attack could prove just as costly to them as the first attack was for us.  It has been recorded that one of the high Japanese Navy officials stated that he believed that all they did was to awaken a sleeping giant.

 

This attack launched a series of events in this country that changed the entire focus of the country.  Not only did this act provide a sound way to end the lingering effects of the depression but it brought us together as a nation to fight together, as one, towards the defeat of a common enemy.  We realized that we had been sucker punched by an enemy who knew our current conditions and had taken advantage of the situation, one that had been watching us closely to gain that extra needed bit of information so that the attack would be successful.

 

We placed aside our differences with each other and began to pick ourselves up off the ground as it were.  We shook ourselves free from the muck and the mire that had just been placed upon us and vowed to do everything possible to have revenge on the people that embarrassed us on that day and to defeat the beliefs that began the tyranny of the ongoing war.  Yes there were some that did not agree with the war and the position that our government took, but they had enough respect for their country to contribute in some way to the war effort and to help win against this aggression.

 

For the men that lost their lives at Pearl Harbor that day I hold no one else in higher regard than you.  You never had a chance to fight fairly amongst your fellow comrades in arms.  Your positions were taken from you even before you had an opportunity to defend yourselves and your ships and planes.

 

For those soldiers and sailors who survived that day, I continually salute you for a job well done.  Even though you were brutally attacked without any warning the fight you gave after the attack began was amazing.  Many stories have come out over the past few decades of the bravery that each of you displayed during that ordeal.  It must have been so disheartening to not understand how to effectively fight back that day.  But somehow each of you found enough courage to stay alive and live to fight another day.

 

To the ones who lost their lives on this day seventy years ago, I thank you for making the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our way of life.  I thank you for serving your country proudly and heeding the call to defend her so valiantly.  I also thank the families of those who lost loved ones that day, thank you for allowing them to serve in this great country of ours. 

 

I know that some of the survivors of Pearl Harbor 1941 lost their lives in coming battles of the war.  I hope that you know that each one of you did not die in vain and that your actions provided strength to others in this country that has not been demonstrated since.  For most of us it is difficult to understand how soldiers and sailors survive some battles and then lose their lives in other battles.  That is war and the consequences of them.  None of us like war and none of us want wars to be fought, especially for this reason.  But we all must realize that sometimes war is a necessary step in order to make the world a safer place to live.  This does not mean that every war is just, but when serious threats in our world occur, it is our responsibility, as humans and not countries, to provide all means of security to each other.

 

To the survivors of Pearl Harbor 1941, thank you for everything that you did on that day and also for the courage you had in the coming battles of that war.  This day was only the beginning of a series of events that would shape your lives for many years to come.  The dedication you showed to your country defined the ways that this country built itself upon from that time on to the present day.  There are no words that can be adequately expressed to you for the things that you accomplished on that day.  Even though I was not born of your generation, not even close, the knowledge of your actions fuel my ambitions today and it is my foundation to defend this country in times of need.

 

In recent times we have seen men glorify their warlike efforts in the news or have experienced these acts firsthand.  No rational mind wants war or the effects of war but we must be made aware that there are people out there who do consider war as the only option in life to spread their means of thinking.  These are the ones that need to be stopped before they are allowed to gain access to the necessities of warlike actions.

 

As all of the memorial services conclude today and we continue on with our lives, let us never forget the sacrifices these men made on this day.  Let us always keep in the forefront of our minds that they never gave up when the attacks came, they continued to fight until the job was done.  Not for their own personal gain or glory but to rid what was wrong in the world so that everyone would know peace.  World War I was labeled the war to end all wars, but in reality it was the birthing place of a new era in total warfare.  Let us pray that this new era of wars waits for a long time to re-surface again.  Once again, thank you Pearl Harbor Veterans and to all of the World War II Veterans for everything you did for us….You shall not be forgotten in my family.

Read The Fine Print First

Read the Fine Print First

9/13/11

12/3/11                Completed

When humans build things it usually follows an idea that has come to them by some means of formal communication.  This communication has somehow touched the heart of the human so that the object that is being constructed is not based upon a whim but will have a purpose for its completion.  No matter what the object is its purpose will be defined by its creation and its creator to serve the person or persons that it was designed for.  This too, is true for the human and their creation and design for their life.  In order for us to understand the meaning and purpose of our lives we must include the reading of the fine print even though we may not believe that this step is important.

My dad’s teenage and early college years were spent dreaming about becoming an engineer. His mind was well suited for all the mathematical and analytical courses that he was going to encounter and was looking forward to having a wonderful profession after his completion; then God took over.  An engineering mind has to be one of great details with no stone unturned or corners cut, precise measurements need to be conducted in order for everything to be in order when the project is completed and then after all is said and done more tightening will be executed to make the project a finished product.

As I reflect back on some of the years of my life, I can remember dad trying his best to teach me these fine print concepts.  Whether it was over a math lesson or just about everyday life situations, he would try to explain to me that everything that I did had a purpose and for that purpose to be fulfilled that I should make sure all areas of my plan were thoroughly looked over before a decision was made.  He also stated that God was the source of this fine print and that for me to know the purpose of my life was to know God.  Good advice from an excellent source, right?!  Well, of course during my wise teenage and early college years I thought he was nuts and did not know anything about my life.  Wrong!!!

We as individuals tend to forget that our parents or people that we know and even do not know that are older than us has had some type of relationship to create a finished…something.  In this case we are talking about our lives.  How often we ignore them when they tell us to watch out and to listen to all details before we make a decision, or read the fine print of a contract before we sign it.  The same goes with God, how many times have we ignored God when He has provided us a fine print for our lives.  It is shameful to say that all of us have been included God as a part of this ignorance in our lives.

Human relationships are the foundations of world societies.  Each level of relationship is characterized by all the parties involved and the outcome of these relationships with others will automatically be instilled into their drive for satisfaction.  It is no one’s goal to fail in a relationship no matter at what level of a relationship has been forged.  This relationship can only survive if all parties involved are dedicated and committed to achieving the desired goals.  This can only be obtained if all information about that relationship is laid out for everyone to see or read before the project begins.  A person that is flippant about the relationship or in a hurry to fulfill its desired goals will not understand the complete picture of the relationship and will head into the contract handicapped. 

The goals of these relationships are for the most part known to the public and are usually not well understood in the beginning.  The shining gleam around the platform is for show and will mesmerize its audience into believing that what is begin portrayed is a necessity.  This is all part of a new relationship and it is normal but very soon after this step is completed, details of the relationship need to be read, sorted out and understood before any further steps are taken.  Under NO circumstances should you agree to any relationship until the fine print is read in its entirety.

In every company or government, the “little people” are always the last ones to find out things; and sometimes these plans have already been put into place by the time the common folk find out exactly what they have agreed to abide by.  How many times have we heard someone say or some politician state “they have a plan”.  Plans are always great to have and it will catch the attention of the person who is there and willing to listen to this plan.  At the same time have you ever noticed how many details are given about this plan?  Not many huh, well there is a reason for this and it is because it is just that, a plan and no details have been worked out.  This situation also occurs in our lives when we make quick decisions about our immediate surroundings.  If we have not read the fine print of our lives or heeded this fine print we subject ourselves to certain unfriendly consequences that we might not be able to undo.

The relationships that you develop over the years will have an effect on you and your family possibly for generations.  A verse comes to mind that states “Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers” but we work with them every day and we associate with them on an hourly basis.  This is the reason we must be very careful in the decisions we make with these people, in the long run they could come back to haunt us.  If you stop and think about it, if we do not read the fine print of this relationship then we automatically place ourselves in situation of being unequally yoked, or have a great possibility of this coming about.

Only a fool believes that a complete, honest and true relationship can be obtained between the included parties when the details and expectations of the relationship are not known.  The concept of wolves in sheep’s clothing comes to mind in this situation as well, watch out for the tricks and sneaky ways humans like to convince others in order to obtain agreements.  If for any reason doubts are raised or flags are waving, do not enter into any agreement until all questions have been answered.

Once a relationship is established between the participating parties, it proves difficult to opt out of the arrangement.  In many business contracts there is a clause, usually in fine print, that states certain punishments or stipulations will be applied if the contract is not fully complied with until its expiration.  This is also true in our agreements in relationships.  When one party leaves the relationship the other parties are sent scrambling for their replacements or compensation for the damages occurred on the remaining parties.

When emergency situations like this arise, then the person that has read the fine print will not panic and completely fall apart and then in turn make rash decisions.  Yes, the situation will cause some anguish and the change in plans will delay the project but the goal will still be seen as achievable.  It is these damages and compensations that are the sticklers in relationships.  No matter what level of relationship we are involved, when the situation is ended compensation has to be made.  In our lives this usually means pain and / or separation.  Nothing hurts the human more is the pain from a broken relationship.  This reason alone is why it is very, very important to make sure all participating parties involved understand the potential consequences are known before any final decisions are made and the pen is placed to the paper so to speak.

Be vigilant in your decisions and listen to your heart when these major decisions and choices have to be made.  Whether you know it or not many people are watching you and counting on you to make the right decisions.  If you are the little person in the decision, speak up!!!  It is not wrong to ask questions about things.  When dealing with others be sure to listen to the fine print about the project that you are being told about.  If someone is telling you or involving you in something, it is your duty to fine out all details before you agree to it.  A certain member of our current congress said about a bill; we need to pass this bill first so that we can actually read what is in it.  This is a ridiculous belief and it should not even be considered, especially when it directly affects our life.  As one of Ray Stevens songs says “that is a good example of a bad idea”.

As all of us are aware our lives are constantly being pushed against from all sides.  Our activities are rushed and it is beginning to seem like time is flying by and we are missing out on many things.  While our lives have been changed by the speed of the world our minds still operate in a way that will allow us to continue to read the fine print of our lives, we just simply need to do it.  Reading the fine print is not an option in the business world and it holds true in our personal lives.  Do not let others or the world tell you that you need to do something in a hurry.  We do have time to understand the details that come our way and we do have time to look at our surroundings.

Always remember that this concept applies to our daily and most intimate portions of our personal lives.  We must and without delay read the fine print of these situations.  God has provided a very detailed instruction book that covers all areas and situations of life.  His word will guide us through the happy times of our lives and will also provide us with a fine printed and detailed source of pertinent information about our lives when we are going through tough times.  This information is freely given to us and is available at anytime of the day or night but we must be committed to read this information and being just as committed to understanding it and follow it.  This fine print for our lives will continually be explained to you as your life unfolds, do not rush it just absorb the information as it comes to you.  If you know the fine print of your life then it will be easier to understand the fine print of the things you will encounter.

Oh, and by the way, there is nothing wrong with being a little person J

The Night I Did Not Pray and How It Changed My Life Forever

11/4/11

I look at life as a journey in which each person has a specific purpose that they fulfill in this world.  This purpose is driven by God and it comes forth in ways that you may miss.  In February 2003 a process unknowingly began in my life.  A process that I would not recognize until after the process had claimed its initial trends.  At the time of this beginning I did not realize to what extent my life would change and to what extent this change would bring upon my life.  A scenario that only God will be able to explain to me when He believes it is time for me to understand the necessary details of this process. 

This process comes only from God and it brings out emotions within me that is hard to contemplate, even though they are inside me.  How do you explain a situation that you know will happen but you have no clue what it is or when it will take place, but because my inner man is stirred.  The process is a burden to pray for something, some place, some situation, somebody, but no details are given, you do not know when, what, or who will be involved; you just know.

It really is not fair for me to be writing about this subject now since I know more about the process than at the time it all began.   But it is a part of my life that I need to write about and place in the open for others to read and know a little more details about my life.

The evening in early February was a typical cold night.  For some reason I could not sleep well.  I kept tossing and turning and really, in general, could not get into a comfortable position.  The bed was fine, nothing unusual going on between Bonnie and I and the hospital was in good shape.  We had plenty of wood for the remaining cold nights and a good vehicle to transport our kids around and we had begun to think about the garden and what we were going to plant.  All seemed normal.

I was lost that evening in wondering why this night was different.  Of course I have had nights where I could not sleep, all of us have experienced this sometime in our lives.  But this night was different in the fact that I felt different inside and yet I really cannot define it.  The reason I could not define it was because I really did not understand what was going on and the change that was occurring.  To be honest, God was keeping me awake and I did not recognize His voice and urging.

After a few hours of getting up and down, going back and forth to my office and waking Bear up, I finally was able to get some relief and doze off to sleep.  I woke up another time to go to the bathroom but went right back to sleep without any problems.  I woke up the next morning and it seemed like all was ok and that I just could not sleep.  I did not feel any different nor was I worried about my lack of sleep.  I tossed it off as a bad sleep night and continued on my normal ways.

I had to go to town for an errand that next morning, I cannot remember exactly what it was for but it since it was cold I had to warm up the van’s engine.  I started the van and came back inside to wait a few minutes, all seemed normal.  After the short wait I hopped into the van and drove away.  I ran my errand and was on the way back to the house when the radio announced the tragedy of the space shuttle Columbia.  I was stunned by this message and since 9/11 was not too far in the distant past I immediately believed that it had been blown up by another attack. 

As the news continued I quickly realized that this incident was not a terrorist attack but a terrible accident that had happened when Columbia was re-entering the earth’s atmosphere.  Details of where it had broken up were coming out and it was now obvious to me that no one would have survived this accident.  At this time a sudden chill went down my back as for some reason a thought was placed into my mind.

This thought was now I understand why I could not sleep last night.  I was being warned about this incident and I had totally missed it.  It was God who was not allowing me to sleep and it was Him wanting me to pray.  I had no clue what was going on at the time and I had no reason to believe that God was trying to get something through my head.  I was totally off when it came to what God wanted from me and this was an eye-opening experience that had just transpired.

If you know me, it takes an illness or very cold temperatures for me to be cold.  I absolutely love the cold weather and my body actually feels better when it is cold.  But the cold chill that went down my spine when I had realized what I had missed is almost indescribable.  It struck me to the core and I became numb for a moment.  I actually said “I just missed God” while I was driving.

I pulled up in the driveway and sat there for a few seconds catching up on the last words of the news bulletin.  I turned off the van and opened the door.  I got out and started to close the door when I heard the back door of the house open.  I closed the van door and walked around to the front of the van.  Bonnie had come out the door and was standing at the screen.  I opened the gate of the yard and while I was closing it told her this “the next time I cannot sleep, please tell me to pray”.

I will never forget the look on Bonnie’s face when I made that statement to her.  She had no idea of what had happened and here I am making a statement like that, in her eyes, for no reason.  I briefly explained to her what had occurred and then began to tell her what God had showed me on the way home.  It was hard to explain to her how this experience happened, but I did my best.

Now the fun began…while I was explain things, or trying to explain things to Bonnie, I realized how dumb I was for not recognizing God’s tugging.  I had been taught for so many years that God wanted a personal relationship with me, how much He loves me, how that He has a plan for my life.  I also knew that when God spoke to people it was in the normal ways that you think or it was in a way that would not be in the way that you expected.  God had spoken to me in His own way and I missed it.  At this time I felt so dumb.  How could I have missed this, I actually thought I knew how to listen for God’s voice.

Then my mind took over.  Why didn’t God come to me in another way or continue to press me to get up.  Questions began to flood my thoughts and I had no answers for them.  The question was raised in my head, the ever popular what if question.  What if I had prayed, would anything have been different, even so that the astronauts might have survived somehow.  What if…what if… these questions pounded my brains for a few moments and I began to feel terrible once again.

I then realized that what God was allowing to happen actually had nothing to do with me.  The event was going to happen no matter what I did and He had everything under His control.  I do not know why this process involved me praying and what it would do if did or didn’t pray.  I do know that for whatever reason Kingdom principals are in play here and God has asked me to provide a service that allows Kingdom to be advanced.

It is still difficult for my finite mind to understand the Kingdom process and activities but I am learning more and more as days go by.  I do know that Kingdom warfare, or spiritual warfare, is a very high stakes war that is begin constantly played out in a realm that we cannot see but involves the human in some manner.  And ironically God chooses other people to help this war along so that His Kingdom is advanced.  THAT is the part I do not understand or comprehend about this entire process.  It was said long ago about me by a man named Loren Fox, that I would be greatly used in God’s Kingdom, I guess now God is beginning to reveal His plan for His Kingdom through me.

So, I continue to do my best to hear what God is saying to me and to continue to pray when I am needed.  I still do not understand why God picks me to pray for certain things and not on a continual basis, I guess has to be that I am human and I do need my rest or peace of mind as well.  All I want is to know God and His ways and means; to serve Him diligently and with an open heart and mind so that I do not miss hearing Him again.  Will I repeat the missing Him process, probably so in some way but I only can attribute that to my humanness.

God changed my heart that night in a unique way all by missing His voice to pray.  When He wakes me, I shall pray.  Why and what for are not my concerns at that moment but I know sometime down my road it will be revealed to me.  In all things God has a purpose and in all things God’s Kingdom demands to be pushed forward and all I desire is to do my part.  I know that God has chosen me for this path because He knows me like no other.  I know that God is in control of my life and in control of all things that I can see and cannot see.  I now know that as these events come to pass it is my responsibility to learn from them and to write about them so that others may also know.

P.S.  God decided to change my heart a bit more 8 months later..

Follow The Farmer

Follow the Farmer

10/26/11

When I was a young kid I remember travelling to Colorado to my grand-parents house.  They lived in the four corners area of the state, in which the majority of the area is comprised of old Indian ruins and farm land.  We did not get to go out very often due to the distance between our households, but it was always a fun time when the opportunity came along.  I would often sit and listen to my mother tell stories of life on the farm when she was young and how much work that everyone did each day just to survive.  These stories along with the ones I made up in my head gave me a desire to participate in the harvest.  Being able to go out on the tractor with Yanyad was always a highlight for me, and little did I know that even while I was just a boy that God would use this experience in my life for a future purpose.

Even though I did not express this desire much and the fact that I lived in the city, my heart and mind would often think about how it would be to be a farmer.  On some of our trips I would go out with Yanyad for a while and ride along in the tractor or combine and get a first-hand look at the harvesting process.  I never got the opportunity to go out with him while bean harvest was occurring but the wheat harvest was a sight to see.  Each time I would go out I would look over the vast fields and ask him over and over, how much are we going to get done today?  Yanyad would always look at me and answer "as much as we can" and then return to the driving of the combine.  At the time it really did not matter to me how the process worked or of the technicalities of the machines all I cared to see was the end product; to see the wheat coming out of the storage bin in the back of the combine to the waiting truck.  I also knew that it would be a long day before we left the field and return for supper.

Looking back now at that process, I realize that Yanyad knew exactly how much territory was going to be covered in that day.  All of the preparations had been taken care of and every little detail, even the weather had been thought out.  He knew exactly where to park that truck so that it would be in the most convenient place to empty the wheat and then start back up once again with minimal time lost.  He even carried certain tools just in case something went wrong with the truck or the combine, the farmer knew his land, he knew his objectives, and he executed them perfectly.

I also remember that on some visits it was not harvest season but Yanyad would always check the fields on a daily basis.  I remember that I would walk in the midst of the wheat, which was about as tall as I was, and just looking at the yellow and brown colors that changed as the wind moved through the field.  I also remember walking through the bean fields that were filled with green plants.  It was funny, that in both of these fields while I was playing and running around, Yanyad was actually taking a survey and calculating in his head for the prime opportunity to begin the harvest.

At the time I did not realize how beautiful the variations of the fields were, with the different colors that each field had and that when you looked at them from a different angle, the entire field colors changed.  Even the different colors told him something about the progress of each type of plant which allowed him to further gain knowledge of the plants.  The rolling of the hills would produce a vivid color that he would understand how the growth process was coming along, it also told him if there were problems with the crops.  His eyes could watch over acres of land at a time and all current knowledge of the crops was gathered in an instant.

The farmer knows what he has planted and he knows just how much cultivation is needed to yield the full potential of the plant.  He also understands that even though the soil or foundation that the plant is sowed into may not be the best, an expected result from that seed is expected.  He does all he can to provide for the crop so that it will thrive even in times of distress.  He will do everything in his power to protect the crop when danger approaches.  The farmer has so much at stake in the soil, seeds, and plants that he has no option but to protect all aspects with his life. 

The unexpected situations that may appear the farmer must be ready as well.  Storms or destructive predators might appear and the farmer must act with authority to protect his crops.

The farmer has all bases covered before planting, during planting and while the plant is growing and even right up until the decision is made for harvest to begin.  The farmer is in complete control of his crops at all times.  It is not because he has to protect the plants it is because he wants to protect his investment and so that the plants may mature to their fullest and produce the best rewards to others.  Decisions that a farmer has to make sometimes, might not be popular and not understood, but he knows what is best for his land and he must do what is necessary.

Each farmer has a certain pride of his finished product when it is harvested.  The few times that I had the privilege of riding in that truck to take the wheat to the grain silo, Yanyad was proud of his harvest.  Yes, he always thought it could be better but he always accepted the finished product as his own.

Kingdom you say?  Well, the farmer always knows and understands the condition of his crops at all times, even when it is two o’clock in the morning and he is not physically surveying the land.  He understands that both the light and the darkness are needed for the plants to grow properly and that both growing conditions produce strong and viable plants that will bring forth ripe fruit.  God is the farmer and he knows each stage of the plant from the seed till the harvested crop.  It is our ears that are supposed to be listening to His voice so that we know when to harvest the plants. 

Remember that God has planted us in a certain field for a specific reason.  We do represent His craftsmanship even though we look similar when we stand in crowds or places where many people are located, but each one of us is an individual as they come; even down to the hairs on our heads.  Only God knows when to give us protection, give us instruction or to leave us alone to learn a lesson.  In all of these conditions God is in control of our lives and He never leaves us.  Just as Yanyad had to sleep for a bit or left the field for a chore, he never once forgot about his crop; and neither will God.  God continually thinks about us and even though it may seem that He is not near you can be certain that He is right there with us watching us grow.

Even though there are a vast number of us in the world, know that God has a specific plan for each one of us.  Our growth process may be long and sometimes painful but this process enables us to endure future trials and situations that will occur in our lives.  God loves us and wants us to listen to His instructions and then to follow Him.  When we do follow Him our lives will be fulfilled beyond belief and we can actually be a part of pushing the Kingdom of God forward.

A Mother's Promise

A Mother’s Promise

11/09/11

Humans have a peculiar fact about themselves that other humans find fascinating to learn about; and that is the varying types of promises that they make to themselves.  It does not matter what kind of promise is made, the promise just serves the human heart as a hope for something in the future.  Promises are usually made when some event, pleasant or unpleasant graces our lives in a time when things may not be going our way and provides us the proverbial rock to stand upon.

When humans listen to God and understand His ways it separates us from the world in a way that is sometimes difficult to explain.  These ways contact our lives in such a manner that give us direction that often goes against normal or typical knowledge.  We have said many times in our lives that we believed that we have heard God’s voice and heard His directions for our lives.  Some of us have heard His promises to us.  All of these events are true and they have special meanings in our lives.  But as time rolls along our faith and hope in these promises from God wane and our beliefs in these promises are placed into the back of our minds.

How many times have we believed that God has said that his blessings would be upon us just to have circumstances occur that would make us believe that there would be no way that God could keep these promises.  We have read many passages of scripture, watched hundreds of movies, listened to thousands of personal stories which all told of miracles that have graced people’s lives, but while participating in these events we wonder when our promises would come true.

It is human nature to be patient for a short time and then become restless when our needs have not been met.  It is human nature to get angry when our timing is not met with things that we believe should happen.  It is human nature to question our foundations when that very foundation is being shaken by means that we do not understand.

Know that God has heard your prayers and knows the desires of your heart.  He has an answer for you and is willing to share it with you.  As a spirit, God communicates through spirit, He also communicates through the most unlikely people as well.  There are many ways that God can do to give you your answer and your promises.

My mother had a desire, and believed that God had spoken to her and promised her two sons.  What a great blessing from God to know that He has given such a great and confident statement to a person.  What a wonderful feeling that she must have had about this confirmation.  How her mind must have dreamt about what they would be like, how tall, how bold yet meek, what kind of leaders they would make, what kind of sports would they play, who they would marry, how to discipline them with love or what they would do for God’s kingdom, and many more ideas and hopes for them. 

Hopes came to life when she learned that she was pregnant and how exciting and nervous she was to tell her husband the news.  The plans that were going to be made, the new additions to the house or apartment would come in time and it seemed that everything was lining up as promised.

Calls were made to close friends and family and letters written to others of the blessed event.  Anticipation of the baby’s first kick in the belly, dad’s hand feeling the movements and talking to the baby through mom’s tummy were all being dreamed about.

Very soon tragedy struck and my parents lost their first child.  Follow this by a series of miscarriages and hope must have been dimmed quite a bit.  But along came another pregnancy and this one was different.  Hew hope began to persist and it was looking more and more like a child would soon grace my parents lives.  A short time later a baby boy!!!  A bouncing HUGE baby boy was born, and boy did he ever make an entrance.  Being in the medical field we have some sayings that just sum things up and one of these sayings is attributed to the OB side of things.  This saying and it applies to this case, is that my brother ripped mom a new one…literally.  It was a tough birth and many life saving techniques were done to ensure that mom was going to be around to see her son grow up; as if he wasn’t big enough when he came into the world J

With the birth of my brother came the reality of the birth.  It was said that with all of the complications at birth that it would not be advisable for mom to have another child.  The risks would be too great and it would not be guaranteed that if she became pregnant again that she would be able to carry the baby to term much less give birth again.  What a down-turn this must have been for my parents to hear.  And what faith they must have had in God to keep His promises.

So, as Sarah did in the Bible mom and dad tried to do it their way, which resulted in more disappointments and heartbreaks.  I know that doubts had to have risen into their hearts since God had clearly spoken this promise.  Adoption must have been talked about, but nothing ever came of the process.  Wonderings and wanderings in my mother’s mind must have been present as she saw new babies being brought into the church and local community; still asking God…where?

Then came the stork, at night even and out of the blue.  A gracious woman who had made a choice nine months ago decided to make the ultimate sacrifice and give up her child so that God’s promise could be fulfilled.  The woman had no idea of what was actually transpiring in my parents’ lives and what the events actually proved.  An event around the week of Holy Week 1967 was enacted that would fulfill God’s promise to my mother, an event that my mother had no idea that was happening but reaped the benefit during the end of harvest season.  Don’t get me wrong…dad and bud were there too…just at the grocery store buying baby necessities.

See, God has plans working in people’s lives that we do not have a clue about.  If you believe that God has given you a word, or a promise then believe on it and always hold on to what He has said. It may not always work out like this story has but it will in God’s way and timing.  Even the things that you consider to be mistakes can prove to be a blessing to others in some form or fashion.  Your life has purpose and has a meaning and it is our responsibility to show this to others in our world.

It is written that God will provide for us the desires of our heart.  He did not say that He would give us our wants but our needs.  The needs in our lives are things that we will use for our families for a cause or a specific purpose.  Needs are things that will call out to others that are in need of rescue or help mankind.  Needs are things from the heart and not entirely based upon emotions or whimsical ideas.  A need serves as a function for something or someone…in need.

I love you mom and thank you for listening J

Latin Class

The first of my messages

Latin Class

8/13/11

This portion began in 1985 while I was in Nederland, Texas about to end my junior year at Nederland High School.  It was time to select my classes for my senior year and register as a senior.  This process was completed at home and at the counselor’s office.  All parties involved had to be in agreement with the classes before any else could advance. 

While at home, my parents and I sat down and discussed what I would be taking next year.  Since Nederland High School was considered an academic school, most of the seniors would be taking academic classes instead of the underwater basket weaving courses typically chosen by seniors.  This would prove to be for me as well.  All three of us agreed on my schedule with the exception of one class.

This one class was a battle, for both sides.  I wanted to take German as an elective.  Nederland was one of the few high schools in the area that offered this course and I wanted to be a part of it.  Mrs. Nau was an excellent teacher and musician; she was the school’s choir teacher up to about three years ago.  Mom wanted me to take Latin, stating that it would help my English grade and better my understanding of the English language.  Mrs. Anderson was an older teacher but was just as good as any other teacher at Nederland. 

I could not understand why mom would want me to take Latin. Latin is a considered to be a dead language and really did not have any place in my future.  Mom continued to insist that I take Latin but stuck to the one reason as to why I should take it.  I continued my argument about taking German stating how it would be different than the normal French and Spanish courses. The “argument” continued for another few days and then it was time to make a decision.

When decision time came, I chose the Latin course over the German course and such began my trek in Latin.  To be short…I absolutely hated the course.  Mrs. Anderson did a wonderful job teaching the class, she explained everything wonderfully to our class, treated us fairly in grading, etc.  Darin was still not happy but I was in there for an entire year and accepted the fact that there was no escaping the course.

My Latin grades were fair and my English grades…well, it dropped.  Mom was so sure that it would rise.  True, I did learn many things about root words and their origins. True, I understood some historical culture, not only the civilization portions but also how words and phrases were created and used.  This did not matter to me at the time, I continued to be not happy, but stayed the course.

Present Day:

For the past few years God has been re-arranging my life in a slow but steady manner.  Some of the things that He has been showing me have blown me out of the water.  These life changing thoughts include many things that include Church, Church history and even personal relationships, including restoration.  Church history has been one of the more central study topics that I have been engaged in during this time period.  Restoration has been the main theme for me lately but this came as a complete surprise and actually shock to me, it even caused me to make an apology to my mother.  Up until now I had no reason to tie the two subjects together, but with the further realization of my process…these are intertwined more than I knew.

When God shows me things, it is never glamorous, loud, elaborate or flashing.  It is always short, clear and simple.  This time was no exception.  Remember…God has a sense of humor in things, it is very important that humans keep this in mind.  God likes to show us things when we are least expectant of things.

I was in the bathroom when this occurred.  I was reading an article on the Kingdom of Galicia, which is an ancient kingdom located in the upper coastal region of Spain.  It was saying how the Catholic roots of the country began in the 400s and how the kings and lords all fought to contain the outside invaders from taking over the land and destroying the churches.  I read a certain sentence and it had a reference at its end.  I turned to the reference and it was in Latin, followed by the English translation.  It was here that things once again changed for me.  I cannot explain why the thought came to me at this time all I know is that it did.

I could have read this and understood it if I had paid more attention in Latin class!!!!

All of a sudden, the clear and simple thought of Church History came to my mind.  ALL of the ancient, medieval, early modern and most of the modern historical church documents were written in Latin.  I knew that this type of writing concerning the church had been present and had not thought about it on this level before now.  I have talked about the fact that Latin was the official language of the Church even watched miniseries and movies about the church and its past; never once thought about things in this manner.  I realized now, almost 26 yrs later, that if I would have put my heart into the Latin class my senior year, and kept up with the study of the Latin language, I could be further down the road.

I know it took me a long time to realize the calling God has placed on my life and that restoration is the main focus of this calling.  I also realize that God is still teaching me the concept of restoration, and that it is not time for me to share all of what He has shown me.  To me, this means that not everything that is going to happen…has not happened yet.  There is some more falling that has to take place in the world.  I guess I now have to find out why Church History is a part of my restoration process; it also confirms that I am on the right path in my studies.

This event has further taught me that God knows our lives even down to the last detail, even the details that we do not have a clue about at the present time.  No matter if the “present time” is 20 years in the past or 20 years in the future.  His plan for our lives is revealed in His own way, no matter what you are doing or where you are in the world.  The important thing to remember is, always be listening for His voice.  Accept His words and learn from what is being said or shown to you.  In my experience, it has always been a little bit more of the puzzle explained about my life and the plan that God has for me.  Write them down!! And keep them in an easy place for recalling or usage in the future.

Lastly, I had to apologize to my mother for arguing with her those years ago.  Yeah I know, and she knows, that it was my schedule and I could have continued the argument and eventually would have won.  But even though she did not know the specific future plans for my life, for some reason she wanted me to take that class.  My apology to her was sincere, just and deserved.  My apology to God is just as honest, just, and deserved.  Mom and I laughed about the incident and she even told me about a “God” situation concerning my brother.

This is the gist of the story, there are so many more specific ideas and thoughts that I can place into the message, but I stuck to the one topic.