Gift's from Eric

A friend of mine suggested that I ought to post a few pictures of the gifts that Eric had made us for Christmas this year. In a previous posting titled... Well done Son, well Done! I had mentioned some gifts that really touched my heart that Eric had made for us for Christmas. The story tells of Eric's jail time and how he had made these gifts from some really creative thinking and of course, time. I was impressed with the fact that he had to prepare months in advance to get these gifts made with limited supplies and tools and then get them mailed to us in time for Christmas. If you haven't had a chance to read the post titled... "Well done son, well done" I encourage you to read it for better insight to what I'm talking about in this posting.

http://stevesdevotions.blogspot.com/2007/12/well-done-son-well-done.html

This doll was made out of a sock, the stuffing is from frayed out pieces of fabric. It's very soft and not at all lumpy like you might think. Eric used a tooth of a comb for a needle to thread with. The thread he used came from ripped pieces of fabric like a bed sheet. He would strip the fabric down to pieces of thread and then use the tooth of the comb to sew with. The dress was made from a piece of a sheet. He actually hemmed the dress so there are no edges that could fray or rip apart. As you can see from the picture... this doll has become a part of Halle. She goes everywhere with it. This doll was the best Christmas gift she got this year. Sure she got more expensive gifts, she got lot's of great toys, clothes and even a store bought doll. But nothing makes her feel secure like hugging on this doll made with love from her Daddy. It's like she knows it's filled with love, which of course... it is.

This picture was one of the gifts that Eric gave to Marcie for Christmas. I had mentioned that he sent a letter and a gift for seven days in a row prior to Christmas. It was exciting for Marcie to open a new gift each day and she especially enjoyed the thoughtful personal letters he had wrote just for her. This picture of the rose was drawn by another inmate in the same cell he's in. I have no idea what he had to trade for it? Probably commissary snacks or drinks he might save from meals or from his commissary he gets once a week. Each inmate gets an opportunity to order commissary items each week on toiletry supplies or envelopes, paper or pencils etc. They can also purchase some drinks or snacks. The families are allowed to bring a money order in each week (with a limit of course) so that they can have supplies they need as they live there. Like I said, I have no idea what this cost Eric, but he sacrificed so that Marcie could have this nice drawing as a gift for Christmas.

This gift is a key chain. I only show you one here, but he made 4 of these key chains. One for his brother Ryan, his Mom, his Dad, and of course Marcie. As you can see he had each of our names written in the key chain. There is a loop at one end to put a key ring on and the key chain itself is made out of very fine strips of plastic trash bags. You can see the ends sticking out on the opposite end of where the loop is. The words and the shiny coloring in the key chain is made from pieces of candy bar wrappers. Each of our key chains were a different color. One was blue and he used the foil wrapper from a Rice Krispie treat, I believe mine was from the foil wrapper of a Hershey bar. I'm amazed at how well these are made and how strong they are. These gifts were really neat and we each enjoy showing them off.

These little shoes are a little hard to see in the picture, but they really look adorable when you see them in person. They are made to hang from Marcie's rear view mirror. That's why there is a string tied in a loop on them. These little baby shoes or boots are made out of a deck of playing cards. each card is folded just right to give the shoe the shape it needs and the cards are also folded in such a way to tie all the pieces together. This is a very unique gift and the detail and time it must have taken him to make these little boots is amazing. What a wonderful gift and how creative!

This gift is called a dream catcher. I'm not sure of the story behind dream catchers, but it's made like a net to catch the dreams of the person in the room that it's hanging. I believe these dream catchers originated with the Indians. Notice on the bottom of the smaller ring, you can see where Eric had used a wrapper to put Marcie's name on this gift. The feathers are of course not real feathers, they are pieces of bed sheet and the pieces have been frayed out so they appear to look like a feather. The picture really doesn't do the gift justice, but it is a very detailed gift that I know took Eric a long time to make.

This is another gift that Eric had made. It's similar to the dream catcher above. This one has much more color in it. The color coming from a rice krispie wrapper (blue) The threading in both dream catchers is from pieces of frayed out fabric. He twisted the pieces of thread together to made more like a string rather than thread. It's amazing to see the detail in these gifts. He died the thread or fabric in either coffee or a colored drink like juice. This give the name Halle a different color than the rest of the dream catcher. This one was made to be able to be worn as a necklace. It's very strong and won't break.

This wraps up the pictures of the great gifts that Eric got us for Christmas this year. He made them all but one (the drawing) and these gifts were the best gifts I've ever received for Christmas. Why? They touched our hearts... they were filled with love in the making... they were unique and specifically made with each of us in mind... they were made with creativity and literally no tools or supplies. But I think the reason they had such meaning for me personally is this...... It was Eric's way of being a part of our Christmas this year. It was his way of saying, "Yes I may be in jail, but I'm not defeated, I can still be a part of my families Christmas this year, and he was! You can imagine how hard it must be to have a loved one locked away, especially on Christmas day when were all gathered around the dinner table getting ready to eat a feast, and we think about the bologna sandwich that Eric will eat today. Not only are the holidays tough on Eric, we suffer as well. But this year was better. It was better because of what Eric did. It just reminds me that in spite of our circumstances, we can make a difference, we can overcome. I praise God for my son Eric, and I thank God this is the last Christmas that Eric will have to make these gifts. He'll be home with us next year!

Lessons from a Child

Having my grand daughter around all the time has given me all kinds of glimpses back to my past when my own children were as young as Halle is now. The thing that makes me feel the greatest is the way she runs to me after I get home from work. She can hear the car door slam shut as I make my way to the front door. Wherever she is in the house she hears the door knob turn and she knows instantly it's Grandpa coming through that door. She's been walking for about a month now and it's all she can do to walk as fast as she can through the house to greet me at the door. She'll stumble and fall two or three times walking to the door because she's so excited to see me, she's practically running and she's just not coordinated enough to run yet.

She always has this wonderful smile on her face as she sees me walk through the door and of course she knows the first thing I'm going to do is shout out her name then pick her up and give her a great big hug and kiss. It's the same routine every day! It's wonderful.

Think about these things for a moment...

• She's not able to talk yet, so she can't tell me she loves me... but I know she loves me because she shows me every day in the way she behaves, in the way she acts towards me, in the way she runs to me with her eyes all excited, in the way she laughs and smiles at me when I pick her up. Her love for me is shown, it's felt, and it's appreciated so much.


• She forgets easily, she doesn't hold grudges like we as adults do. If she was told "No," and she gets in trouble and her feelings get hurt or she throws a fit, as soon as it's over and we smile at each other again or hug each other again, all is forgotten. We begin again.


• She runs to me because she's that excited to see me! Do we treat our children the same way, do we treat our wives or husbands the same way. It's nice to be loved so much that when you walk in the door, someones extremely happy to see you. That's a wonderful kind of love isn't it?


• Hugs are great. I found out that I miss those hugs. My own children have grown and we hug less often now. With my granddaughter in the house and since I'm hugging her all the time I've noticed I hug my wife more lately, even my son more lately. I just realized I wasn't hugging much anymore until my grand daughter reminded me of how important this is. It's the best way to show love and appreciation for those you really care about.

The lessons are endless when I think about the love of a child. One very important truth is their love is unconditional. They simply love you, they're simply happy just being with you, you are the joy of their life.

I imagine that how God's love is for us, unconditional, happy being with us, and we are the joy of His life. But do we respond to our heavenly Father like my grand daughter or even my children did towards me when they were little? Do we run to him? Do we get excited about being with him? Do we smile and laugh with joy when we sense or feel his presence? Or have we become like most children that have grown older?... Have we lost our interest, have we become more focused on ourselves rather than God? As children grow they become independent, they begin to seek less and less advice or at least they begin to listen to less and less advice it' seems. You know, I believe the secret to a loving relationship is "DEPENDENCE." You see when we remain dependent on one another we value and love one another. But in our Independence, we risk going our own way, making our own decisions, and eventually we quit thinking to ask for advice anymore. We stop seeking council, and we've lost our childlike innocence.

As I watch my grand daughter, I realize again how important a smile, a hug, a kiss, and laughter is to knowing that you have love in your life. I've always known it, I just simply showed it less often lately.

Thank you Lord Jesus for the gift of my Grand Daughter. What a reminder of Your love she is.

Steve

Well Done Son, well done!

This Christmas will be the second Christmas that we've had to spend it away from our Son Eric. The good news is that He gets out of jail later this next year. No more Thanksgivings or Christmas's or Birthdays away from his family. No more being separated from his fiancee and their daughter Halle. She will be 1 and a 1/2 years old when he gets out and he hasn't been able to hold her yet except for the day she was born! (he was allowed a 12 hour leave from jail for her birth) No more missing out on the hugs and kisses, no more missing out on the wonderful times of playing together and watching her learn and grow. This time of confinement has been the worst and the hardest time anyone could have. Where as most would spend time in a prison, Eric's time, at his own request to avoid prison time, has been in a jail cell, a cell without visits to family except through a monitor screen in separate rooms by a phone line once each week for an hour. No music, no TV, not even allowed to go out doors except for maybe five or six times a year for a brief moment. He's paid his price and he's done it well.

I'm constantly amazed at his ability to keep it together inside like he has. His spirit is tested often, daily and even minute by minute, but his heart is still so kind and gentle that even the other inmates tell him he's like a fish out of water in jail. He just doesn't belong there, his life is not one that should have lead him to three years in Jail, but with drugs... none of that matters. With drugs controlling you, it doesn't matter if you went to church every Sunday, it doesn't matter if you are a Christian, it doesn't matter that you even went on a mission trip to Brazil, never mind that you played in the youth praise band. Sure you look like you don't fit in, but with drugs in your life, prison or dead is where you will end up every time. Satan's best tool of destruction I believe is substance abuse and dependency. He's destroyed many lives with drugs, but thank God, through the power of Christ as our Lord, His spirit can and does overcome any and all obstacles that Satan throws our way. We have POWER! We have VICTORY! Because... We have JESUS! So set backs like this one my son is going through are only temporary and even this time alone, locked up away from loved ones and friends, can still be meaningful if kept in perspective.

I just wanted say to my son Eric, "Well Done Son, well done."

You may wonder what it is that leads me to say... "Well Done." It's not just that Eric has managed to stay friendly and kind even in a jail cell with 12 other inmates together in a room the size of your living room. Room enough for 6 bunk beds to fit and with 12 men in there bumping around into each other, well you can imagine what it must be like. Keep in mind as well, that the guys your spending time with have a history in most cases of a criminal background. Men that in most cases have a history of breaking the rules and of disobedience. It not a good mix!

I believe that this time in jail has been good for one thing, it's helped Eric to realize what's important in his life. It's easy... to easy to take what we have for granted. Time with family, hugs, kisses, music, walking outdoors, good food, think about anything you like and then think about it being gone... you almost can't remember what it was like after a long enough period of time. Eric says you just become numb and you eventually become consumed with what little routine you can develop inside. You begin to forget about what it must be like to sleep on a soft bed. What it must be like to be able to lay your head on a pillow again. To sit on a soft couch, or to listen to music again. You forget what real food taste like or even smells like. To be able to touch someone, to hug someone. It's very easy to become bitter and lose hope. But my son hasn't given up, he's stayed strong, and he's always lifting my spirits when we visit by phone once in a while.

Eric has topped all of the gifts this year. As I look at our Christmas tree with all the gifts under it, I realize that none of the presents are worth near as much as the gift's Eric got us this year. You see in jail, you have no tools or supplies to make gifts, you don't have access to buy gifts, usually a nice letter is about all you would expect from a loved one in jail at Christmas time. But not this year. Eric has been planning Christmas for his family for many months. He created a 7 days of Christmas theme for his future wife Marcie. He has sent her a series of letters that she can only open as she counts down each of the 7 days prior to Christmas. Each letter has special things that he's written her that have special meaning to him and her together. Each letter contains a gift as well. These gifts have taken months to create with limited supplies. Baby shoes that you can hang from your review mirror, all made out of playing cards (you have to see to believe) A Dream Catcher that you can hang in you bedroom all made out of bags and wrappers and thread torn from a shirt, (again you would have to see to believe) He's traded food for a special gift, a drawing, that he wanted to give Marcie of a beautiful Rose with her name on it. (he can't draw so he had to pay someone else to make it for him) But he sacrificed so he could give it to her for Christmas. He made a doll for Halle that is absolutely magnificent! It's made out of a white sock and it's been stuffed with t-shirt and her dress was sewn out of a bed sheet. He made the thread from ripping apart a sheet and pulling the fabric apart to get thread to sew with. He used a tooth of a comb as a needle to sew with. The doll is wonderful. On our last day of visitation before Christmas (this last Friday) Eric gave the doll he had made to one of the guards and he brought it out and gave it to me to give to Marcie. As they sat there in the monitor room talking over the phone, Marcie gave the doll to Halle, and her eyes lit up and she hugged on that doll like I've never seen her hug before. She layed the doll up against her cheek and gave that doll all the lovin she could. She loved it! Eric broke down, as did we all. It was special moment for Eric, Marcie and Halle. It was the Christmas presents of all Christmas presents!

Today I'm sitting here looking at our Christmas tree with the gifts and I think about all the money we've spent on gifts this year... and none of those gifts under the tree compare to ones he's given Marcie and his daughter Halle.

Now you see why I say... Well Done Son, well done!

I love you so much, you make me so proud. Thank you for reminding me of what true love is all about. What a gift you've given us this year. Thank you!

Dad

Have you opened this Gift?

The Christmas season is a special time for all of us. It's special for the children as they dream of Santa and his sleigh traveling from house to house delivering gifts and eating our cookies and milk we leave out for him. As they fall asleep they think about whether they've been naughty or nice and this year by golly, "I'm going to stay awake long enough to see Santa." But it seems we never make it. The next thing you know it's time to wake up and go see what Santa brought us. Can you remember the excitement of running into the living room with the anticipation of seeing if Santa brought you what you had asked for? What a time of year this is for the children!

For the adults, Christmas is many things! It's a time to be together as a family, it's a time to give gifts and presents to your friends and loved ones. It's a wonderful time of great food, snacks, treats, and candy! For those of us that know Jesus, it's especially meaningful. It's a time to reflect on the ultimate gift of all at Christmas time. The birth of Jesus Christ! God's gift to us was his Son Jesus. The bible says he is a gift for all people. The gift is... he's a Savior!

Luke 2:10-11
(10)Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.
(11)"For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

Wow! What a gift for all mankind. We as a people are born into sin, but Jesus was born to save us from this sin. A Savior named Jesus Christ! God gave us a wonderful gift... the gift of eternal life. Now who can top that? Of course the answer is... No one.

As I was listing the things that Christmas is to the adults, I failed to mention that it's also a time of hectic schedules, busy busy work loads. Church activities and shopping until we drop. We become more aware of the folks that are hurting, homeless, and living without. We grieve more this time of year as we miss those that have passed on and maybe this is the first holiday season without them in our midst. We get ourselves into financial trouble if we're not careful because of all the gifts we feel we have to buy for each other. We decorate, we cook, we shop, we hurry, and hurry, and hurry... until we finally get to the day of Christmas and we simply collapse from exhaustion! You know this is the way it is for many of us. The good news however is that through all of this business and all those gifts and presents, the Gift of God's Son is the only thing that matters. All the other is nothing without Christ. Christmas without Christ is just another holiday, but for those of us that believe in the truth of Christ, well, it's everything to us. Where we spend the rest of our life depends on whether we've opened the greatest gift of all on Christmas. The gift of God's Son... Jesus!

My prayer for you this Christmas, is that you open the only gift that matters, the only gift that lasts forever, the only gift of eternal value. Give your heart and Life to Jesus and accept this free gift of Salvation today. You don't even have to wait till Christmas to receive this gift. It's Christmas all year round!

May God bless you this Christmas. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Steve

Prayers of the brokenhearted

Sometimes I have to remember that the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous. Not that I'm righteous in all my actions but that I've been made righteous through Christ. Christ died and his blood has cleansed me, made me right with God. Because of this righteousness, I can trust in the scriptures that tell me that God is with me, He hears my prayers and He's attentive to my cry.

Why is this important to me? Because I, like you, tend to get weighed down with burdens and troubles that come my way. When I'm worn out, when I'm feeling the heavy weight of burdens that crush my spirit, God knows what I need. He hears my cry's and He will deliver me from my troubles. Isn't that good news?

Psalm 34:15-18 says...
The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry; the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

So take comfort in your times of trouble. Have the peace that can only come from knowing that God is with you always. He hears your crying. He knows the pain you are going through and he promises to deliver you from this affliction. It's tough to stay the course and keep step in our faith, but as those times of weakness overcome us, we can know that a crushed spirit or a broken heart can be restored by the Lord.

I think it's important to remember this one important note... This verse says "the righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them." I reminded of when Peter was told to walk out on the water to Jesus... Peter took off and started walking on the water, but as he walked he became afraid. The violent storm around him, the waves and the wind, all had an affect on him. He became afraid and this took his eyes off of the Lord and he began to sink. He suddenly cried out... Jesus, save me! Then Jesus reaches out with his hand and grabs hold of him and lifts him up so he is no longer sinking.
You see it's important to always realize that we must cry out! Forget your pride, forget about the mess you got yourself into, just know that when you cry out for help, that's when you get it! I often wonder if Jesus would have just let Peter sink and swim if he hadn't cried out to Jesus to save him? Sometimes I wonder if that's why I struggle so often? Maybe, just maybe, I'm not crying out for the Lord to help me. Sure, I'm broken hearted, sure I know Jesus can deliver me from my troubles, but have I really cried out. After reading these verses I know the Lord is close, he's waiting for me to cry out, so he can deliver me.

Whens the last time you cried out to the Lord? I believe when we get to the point of crying out, well, we've finally given up on our own abilities and our own strengths and finally surrender ourselves over to his will. When we submit our selves and cry out, this is when the Lord grabs hold of us and lifts us out of the storm we are in. What an awesome God we serve! May we always be mindful of his help in our time of trouble and then remember to cry out to the Lord to deliver us.

Psalm 50:15
Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.

Hurry up and wait!

This phrase, "Hurry up and wait" comes form my days in the military. When I was serving in the Army it seemed that everywhere we would go, we would be in this tremendous hurry. It was like, hurry, hurry, hurry, and we have to get to the motor pool and load up our equipment because we're headed to the field for an exercise. So we'd all be on high alert and run to the motor pool with all of our gear and in record time we would load up our equipment and be ready to roll out as soon as we got the order. Then we'd wait. We'd wait some more. We talk to the Captain to see if he's received the order to dispatch, but nothing yet. We'd wait and wait and wait. After hours of waiting we'd finally get the order to move out, then off we'd go to our destination. We'd be in a hurry as we convoyed there. Seems we just couldn't get there soon enough. Then when we got to our destination in the field (the woods), we'd wait and wait some more for the order to be given to set up camp. I tell this little story because we had this saying, "Hurry up and wait," because that's what we did all the time.

Have you ever been in a hurry up and wait situation? It can be frustrating. You have momentum, everything is moving along quickly and then the next thing you know, nothings happening.

This little story reminds me of times when we have to wait on God. Not that we're in such a hurry, but sometimes we are wishing that something we have prayed for would happen and it seems that God has forgotten about us. We begin to doubt if our prayer will ever be answered. Or sometimes our life is moving right along then wham... things go on hold for what seems like forever! There probably isn't anything harder to do than to wait, whether we are expecting something good, something bad, or an unknown. We can begin to get frustrated and impatient, but I think we have to think about this possibility.... this may just be a part of God's plan for us! Think about Sarah the next time your life is on hold.

One way we will often try to cope with waiting is to begin helping God out with his plan and start getting it into action. Sarah tried this approach. Sarah's story is told beginning in Genesis 11:29 and for the next several chapters thereafter. You see, Sarah was too old to expect to have children of her own, so she thought God must have something else in mind. From Sarah's limited understanding this could only mean to give Abraham a son through another woman... a common practice in her day. The plan seemed harmless enough, Abraham would sleep with Sarah's maidservant, who would then give birth to a child. Sarah would then take the child as her own. The plan worked great... at first. But as you read the events that followed, you will see how often Sarah must have regretted the day she made the decision to push God's timetable ahead.

Another way we might cope with waiting is to gradually conclude that what we are waiting for is not ever going to happen. We begin to think, we've been forgotten, we begin to doubt God's plan for us, we begin to lose faith and we give up on the dream we once had. Think about Sarah again here! She had to wait 90 years for a baby! When God told her she would finally have one of her own, she laughed! She wasn't laughing so much as a lack of faith in what God could do, but from doubt of what He could do through her! When confronted about her laughter, she lied... as she had seen her husband do from time to time. She probably didn't want her true feelings to be known.

Sarah's example of having to wait and her ways of coping can be lessons for us as well. We have to trust God. Trust that he will provide and do what He says he will do. When we lean on His promises that we read about in His word... we must be patient and wait on the Lord to fulfill his promises. When we sense the leading of the holy spirit in our service, but we see no fruit from our labor... we must remain faithful as we wait. When we seem to Hurry up and then suddenly find ourselves waiting once again, and not knowing which way to turn or which way to go. Just wait, simply wait, and the Lord will eventually let you know what to do. It may just be a test of your patience and of your faithfulness.

Hebrews 11:11
"By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised."

Prayer; Dear Lord Jesus, please give me the strength, give me the faith I need to wait and know that in Your time your will be done. May I always be busy digging into your word as I'm waiting on a particular part of my life to move ahead. May I always be mindful that you'll never leave me or forsake me... ever! Thank you Lord Jesus! Amen.

picture provided by... http://www.christianphotos.net/

The greatest gift

1 Corinthians 13:2-4

2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

Of all the spiritual gifts that God's offers or supplies, they produce very little if they are not acted out with love. God's love is an outward expression to others not inwardly directed to ourselves. God gives us the greatest gift of all, His love. This love when used with His spiritual gifts can accomplish much. Like the verses above tell us, we can have faith that can move mountains but what good is it without love. We can have the gift of prophesy and can understand the meaning of all mysteries, but we're really nothing without God's love pouring through us.
This love God speaks of is for everyone of His children. It's a gift to all, and the greatest gift of all. It's what make the spiritual gifts He gives us useful. Although we all have different gifts, love is available to everyone!

Our greatest challenge is to give love while expecting none in return. I guess the more we become like Christ the more we will show love to others. God's love is patient, it's kind, but it also doesn't envy or boast, it is not proud.

I know in my own life... when I'm wronged or hurt by others, my natural tendency is to hate, to be angry, to become impatient with that person. That's a natural desire that we have. I call it self preservation. But God's love is one of sacrifice, forgiveness, and humility. I know that if I am to be used of God for His will I must allow His love to be expressed through me to others. Not only when it's easy, but especially when it's hard, difficult and seemingly wrong to do so.
The next time I ask myself why should I be nice, why should I forgive, why should I not be upset or angry with this person? I hope that I'm reminded that God loved me enough to sacrifice his Son for me, a sinner, a selfish sinner! That's the power of His love for us, that's the kind of love we have within us as well. If only we'd show it. If only we'd live it!

1 Corinthians 13:13
13And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Merry Christmas from Halle

Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas from Halle!

This Christmas is soooo special for us, because this Christmas we have a new granddaughter to share it with. When the tree went up, I was taken back to a time when my own kids were little and how they looked at wonder at all the light's, sounds, and the decorations of Christmas. The first day we put up the tree and decorations she just sat in the room awaking from a nap and she was in awe as she turned her head and discovered a new decoration or light that caught her attention. She would say, ahhhhh, and ooooohh as she would see something new. It was as if she was in a brand new wonderful world where everything was pretty and new and really really cool. After she took in all the sights, it was time to go see what all this neat stuff feels like, she had to explore, she had to touch it and yes, even taste it. She was like a kid in a candy store and couldn't wait to explore it all.
Imagine we'll be like that when we get to heaven? I'm sure we will. I imagine I'll probably sit down right there in the middle of heaven and I'll probably say, aaaahhhh, and ooohhh, as I look around in amazement at what the Lord has done for me. What an awesome God we serve that He would prepare such a place for us! We'll most likely be like a child at Christmas time, in Awe!

Thank you God for sending us your Son Jesus, may we all show our thanks and our praise to our Lord and Savior this Christmas season. The birth of Jesus, the way that it was, was one of a kind. Birth from a virgin. His death was also one of a kind, a sacrifice for all so that God can spend eternity with us. May we each recognize our need for a Savior, may we realize that this wonderful place called Heaven is only prepared for those that have Jesus Christ as their Lord. This Christmas, celebrate the birth of Jesus, and have a wonderful time with the little loved ones like your children and grandchildren. They see the world as it is, wonderful and really really cool, may we too see the world through a child's eyes. With Jesus as our Lord we can!

Merry Christmas!
Steve

The path of least resistence

When I think of the word integrity, I think of the title statement of this post. "The Path of the Least Resistance." Now why would I think of this phrase? Doesn't this phrase describe the opposite of Integrity? Well yes it does. But that's what I think of when I think of Integrity because so often people choose the path of the least resistance rather than maintaining high integrity. Integrity is always challenged. Integrity is always at risk. Usually our integrity is challenged when we face choices. Do we go this way or that? Do we do what's right, or do we compromise? A persons integrity defines his or her character. A person with high integrity is trustworthy, they are always honest, they can be depended upon to do what they say and follow through. A person with integrity doesn't seek gain at others expense. They merit themselves on their own weight, their own effort.

I wanted to study this word integrity and see what high integrity looks like at work, because so many of us are engaged in the work place and we can relate to these issues. Often even when we think we have high integrity, we can be surprised to see that maintaining integrity is not easy, and even more so when pressure comes. Whatever pressure is being applied will almost always takes the path of least resistance. Integrity however, goes against this. When pressure is applied, people with integrity do what's right even though it's going to be tough to do so. When the pressure comes to cheat, people with integrity take a stand and pass, taking the path of hard work and study to accomplish their desired result. Many times people with integrity stand out because they are going a way that others don't. They don't take the path of least resistance if it doesn't marry up with their core values and beliefs.

I guess that's the key isn't it? Values and beliefs! How we act is determined from our value system and our beliefs. Respect for others, honesty, self control, humility, compassion all are values that are taught and learned. Let's look at how our integrity can be challenged at work.

• Calling in sick... are you really? Could you have gone in today, or did you just not feel like it?


• Did you pay for that pen, that note pad, that supply, or did you take it from work and now your using it at home.


• Are you working the hours that you say you are?


• Are you taking longer breaks than allowed?


• Are you cheating with your time in some way to pad your paycheck?


• Do you take your own test?


• Do you do you own work?


• Do you take credit for what others do to get the recognition?


• Do you admit your mistakes even when the Boss is going to be mad when they find out?


• What about your meal and travel expenses, are they accurate?


• Do you give it your best while at work, or do you look for ways to sluff off?


• Are you committed?


• Do you talk about people behind their back?


• Do you participate in gossip around the water cooler or in the break room?


• Do you take shortcuts in policies or procedures to save time?


• Do you say you did something when you really didn't just to get off the report?

These of course are not an all inclusive list of things that challenge us to go against our integrity. You can probably think of many more. But you get the point. Even when I think my integrity is good, I'm reminded that it's can always be better. Our integrity is something that we must constantly be working on. It's a lifestyle, it's a way of life. It should be something we honor and uphold even when no one else is looking or sees what we do. It's a behavior that defines who we are.

I'll leave you with a few verses that define integrity and what God says about this issue of integrity. For our integrity to be all that God expects it to be, we need to be aware of and living according to His word. We need to ask God to give us the strength to always remain high in integrity. God's promise is a life of blessings if we keep our integrity pure.

Proverbs 12:22 The Lord detests lying lips, but delights in men who are truthful.

1 Timothy 5:14 Give the enemy no opportunity for slander.

Genesis 18:19 Keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just.

Romans 14:22 Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves.

Proverbs 11:1 The Lord abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight.

Proverbs 21:3 To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

Acts 24:16 I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.

Philippians 4:8 Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.

The biblical example of integrity points to consistency between our belief and our behavior. Consistency between our words and our actions. Consistency between our values and our practice. We need to let our integrity show in what we do every day. We need to seek God's ability to have integrity in all situations that we face.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the example of integrity you gave us through your Son Jesus. Thank you for the direction and commandments that you give us in your word. We are without excuse to have high integrity if we have made you our Lord. Help us to be obedient and allow Your Holy Spirit to choose for us the right way, the right path when faced with choices that can hurt our integrity. We ask this all in the precious name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen

photo provided by http://www.christianphotos.net/

Making decisions... it's tough sometimes

Making a decision is often very hard. Some decisions it seems are very easy to make, while others, we lose sleep over trying to figure out what it is we're supposed to do. The decisions that are the most difficult are the ones that change the course of our lives in one way or another. Things like house moves, or career changes or family changes like marriage or divorce can consume our every thought. What do I do? We play out the consequences of each decision and run them through our minds in anticipation of what obstacles we'll face if we make this decision or that decision. Sleep escapes us, we become tired and exhausted with it all, and if we're not careful we'll fall in our weakness and fail to act at all. We'll fail to make any decision, avoiding the point where we get started, and begin moving forward with what has to be done. I don't know what decision you are facing, but I know that God does. The worst decision we can make is the decision that we fail to allow God to direct. Especially when were talking about the kind of decisions that change our lives in such a big way. God must be in the center of that decision, or he will be in the center of it later when your calling on him to help you out of the poor decision you've made. So no matter what decision it is you face... Seek God's direction and guidance before you decide! The best solution, when we don't know what to do next, is to pray and dig into God's word and be sensitive to His leading. He'll choose a path for you, but will you recognize it?

Here are some verses of scripture that you can meditate over when faced with making decisions. I hope they help.

1 John 5:14
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything to his will, he hears us.

Proverbs 18:15
The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out.

James 1:5-6
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

Proverbs 15:14
The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.

Proverbs 18:13
He who answers before listening - that is his folly and his shame.

Just remember it's crucial to make wise decisions, but no decision is wise if it's made independently of God. All wisdom comes from God. Using His wisdom is developed and as we use His wisdom with even the small, seemingly insignificant decisions in our lives, when the big decisions to be made come, we'll be sensitive and aware of God's leading and His wisdom. We may be better prepared to see the right path before us, when we have several to choose from.

Prayer... "Dear heavenly Father, as I seek to make decisions in my own life, may I go the way you want me to, may I always seek your will first before my own. Please lord make my path straight and clear so I'll know the way, and then trust you when I go that way. Thank you Lord for never leaving me or forsaking me as I journey through life, making decisions along the way. It's in Jesus name I pray, Amen."

photo provided by http://www.christianphotos.net/