Today's Texts: Proverbs 10, Deut. 16:18-17:20, Amos 1:1-2:5, Philemon vv. 23-25
I want to begin by going back to yesterday's post and acknowledge that for some, the storm has not yet passed. I want to first assure you that if I'm aware of your particular storm, I am praying for you as you endure. Second, I want to also assure you that, somehow, some way, your storm will pass. Finally, I want to assure you that regardless of the length or severity of your storm, God is with you. I'll say it again: God is with you. He IS your refuge.
Now to today's texts.
Once again, I am drawn to the text in Deut. In this passage, God is making sure that His people know and understand how bad evil is (This idea is confirmed in Amos. Wow!). God, through Moses, is warning the Israelites not to accept evil in their society. It must be exterminated.
Once again, I am convicted by God's Word. I have become entirely too accepting and approving of evil's influence in my life, primarily through the trash that I willingly watch on TV. Just because it's funny or entertaining, doesn't mean it's okay. I could be doing so much with the time that I expose myself to "downlifting" (the opposite of "uplifting") stuff.
The bottom line is confirmed in 17:1. God requires and deserves our very best. Is allowing ourselves to take in the shows, movies, music, relationships, etc. that downlift instead of uplift giving our very best?
God, give me the strength and motivation to exterminate the evil that I've allowed into my life. Continue to make me wise through your Word, moving me further and farther away from Folly. Amen.
Seeking to give my very best,
Josh
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
A PP'sPs About God's Provision
Today's Texts: Proverbs 9, Deuteronomy 15:19-16:17, Hosea 14, & Philemon vv. 8-22
As I was reading the passage from Deuteronomy, I couldn't help but be reminded of God's grace and provision through my Egypt Experience: Christy's passing. The only reason I am where I am today is because of the gracious rescuing hand of God; there's no question. According to today's passage, I should be regularly and intentionally offering up my gratitude to Him for rescuing me from despair. Guess what? I don't! Not regularly enough and not intentionally enough. This passage has reminded me to offer my gratitude as an act of worship; He is to be praised!
Further, according to Romans 12:1-2, that act of worship out of gratitude is accomplished through the transformation of my mind from one of Folly to one of Wisdom (Proverbs 9).
Oh, Lord, give me your Wisdom and keep me far from Folly!
Seeking to worship in incalculable gratitude,
Josh
As I was reading the passage from Deuteronomy, I couldn't help but be reminded of God's grace and provision through my Egypt Experience: Christy's passing. The only reason I am where I am today is because of the gracious rescuing hand of God; there's no question. According to today's passage, I should be regularly and intentionally offering up my gratitude to Him for rescuing me from despair. Guess what? I don't! Not regularly enough and not intentionally enough. This passage has reminded me to offer my gratitude as an act of worship; He is to be praised!
Further, according to Romans 12:1-2, that act of worship out of gratitude is accomplished through the transformation of my mind from one of Folly to one of Wisdom (Proverbs 9).
Oh, Lord, give me your Wisdom and keep me far from Folly!
Seeking to worship in incalculable gratitude,
Josh
Sunday, June 13, 2010
A PP'sPs About Refocusing
It's time to refocus.
In the past, this blog has been an attempt to inform and reflect regarding my personal life and the issues that I've endured. It has allowed me to mourn, vent, dream, and praise. Now on the other side of the storm, I've decided to refocus my thoughts and expressions.
One of my personal struggles as a Christian and especially as a pastor has been faithful reading of God's Word. I'm not a big reader in the first place, so it has always been a fight to keep myself in a consistent habit of reading my Bible. Lately, God has been convicting me of this. I've been praying for motivation and have been blessed over the past several weeks as the habit of daily Scripture reading has been reestablished in my life. (I know, I should be ashamed of myself as a pastor for not reading the Word every single day. Trust me, I am!)
So impressed by the importance of reading God's Word regularly, God led me to preach on the subject on Sunday. To further motivate me and the church and to encourage unity within the church, I have decided to commit to posting daily on this blog my thoughts and feelings regarding the assigned passage for the day (We are using the reading schedule in the back of the ESV Study Bible).
So, the focus of this blog will shift from my personal issues to pastoral reflections on God's Word for public discussion and potential edification for all involved. I invite anyone who stumbles across this blog to comment and interact with us and God's Word. My ultimate goal is the glorification of Almighty God and the edification of His people.
Thank you to all who read and commented over the past few years. More importantly, I want to thank you for your prayers. God has been faithful and has blessed abundantly.
To God be the Glory,
Josh
In the past, this blog has been an attempt to inform and reflect regarding my personal life and the issues that I've endured. It has allowed me to mourn, vent, dream, and praise. Now on the other side of the storm, I've decided to refocus my thoughts and expressions.
One of my personal struggles as a Christian and especially as a pastor has been faithful reading of God's Word. I'm not a big reader in the first place, so it has always been a fight to keep myself in a consistent habit of reading my Bible. Lately, God has been convicting me of this. I've been praying for motivation and have been blessed over the past several weeks as the habit of daily Scripture reading has been reestablished in my life. (I know, I should be ashamed of myself as a pastor for not reading the Word every single day. Trust me, I am!)
So impressed by the importance of reading God's Word regularly, God led me to preach on the subject on Sunday. To further motivate me and the church and to encourage unity within the church, I have decided to commit to posting daily on this blog my thoughts and feelings regarding the assigned passage for the day (We are using the reading schedule in the back of the ESV Study Bible).
So, the focus of this blog will shift from my personal issues to pastoral reflections on God's Word for public discussion and potential edification for all involved. I invite anyone who stumbles across this blog to comment and interact with us and God's Word. My ultimate goal is the glorification of Almighty God and the edification of His people.
Thank you to all who read and commented over the past few years. More importantly, I want to thank you for your prayers. God has been faithful and has blessed abundantly.
To God be the Glory,
Josh
Thursday, August 27, 2009
A PP'sPs about Life
Wow!
What a crazy few months!
I must apologize for failing to post anything recently. I know that all two of you have been eagerly anticipating my next post. Sorry for the delay.
I'm at a loss as to where I should start! First off, wedding plans are going well. Many people in multiple states have been instrumental in getting us where we are...16 days from the wedding!!! Whoa! It's getting very real! Kristen and I went and applied for our marriage license last week. That really made it real! But, I couldn't be more excited about spending the rest of my life with my HHH! (Half-Hispanic Hottie!)
On a more somber note, the joy of our day will be tempered by the fact that Kristen's mom, Lannie, will not be with us physically. If you had not heard, Lannie was freed from her pain and suffering on July 22 as her Lord and Savior called her home. We have every confidence that her spirit will be with us and we anticipate her presence on that day.
As can be expected, the last 5 weeks have been very difficult for Kristen. She was very close to her mother and had a special relationship with her. She was by her mother's bedside from the beginning of her diagnosis to the final moments. Because her love was so strong, so her grief has been equally potent. To make matters worse, just a few weeks after the funeral, Kristen had to get back into "teacher" mode; a task that has proven quite challenging. Not only has she had to put her energies into a wedding that seems less joyful, but she has had to gear up for a semester with 7 special-needs children on top of her regular students, a surprise she had not anticipated. Needless to say, she could use your prayers as she treads through the next weeks and months.
As for me, facing death again after a relatively short time has been more difficult than I anticipated. Adding to my emotional strain is the task of packing up a home that I built and shared with Christy. Having to pack, give away, or sell stuff that I had forgotten about has been quite emotional. A roller coaster analogy doesn't even begin to capture the emotional journey I've been on over the last several months. However, through it all, I have experienced a peace that truly does pass all human understanding. What a faithful God!
Well, that pretty much catches you up on where we are at this point. I want to continue to express my appreciation for all of you who have kept Kristen and myself in your prayers. They are felt and effective!
Ready to see the Bride,
Josh
What a crazy few months!
I must apologize for failing to post anything recently. I know that all two of you have been eagerly anticipating my next post. Sorry for the delay.
I'm at a loss as to where I should start! First off, wedding plans are going well. Many people in multiple states have been instrumental in getting us where we are...16 days from the wedding!!! Whoa! It's getting very real! Kristen and I went and applied for our marriage license last week. That really made it real! But, I couldn't be more excited about spending the rest of my life with my HHH! (Half-Hispanic Hottie!)
On a more somber note, the joy of our day will be tempered by the fact that Kristen's mom, Lannie, will not be with us physically. If you had not heard, Lannie was freed from her pain and suffering on July 22 as her Lord and Savior called her home. We have every confidence that her spirit will be with us and we anticipate her presence on that day.
As can be expected, the last 5 weeks have been very difficult for Kristen. She was very close to her mother and had a special relationship with her. She was by her mother's bedside from the beginning of her diagnosis to the final moments. Because her love was so strong, so her grief has been equally potent. To make matters worse, just a few weeks after the funeral, Kristen had to get back into "teacher" mode; a task that has proven quite challenging. Not only has she had to put her energies into a wedding that seems less joyful, but she has had to gear up for a semester with 7 special-needs children on top of her regular students, a surprise she had not anticipated. Needless to say, she could use your prayers as she treads through the next weeks and months.
As for me, facing death again after a relatively short time has been more difficult than I anticipated. Adding to my emotional strain is the task of packing up a home that I built and shared with Christy. Having to pack, give away, or sell stuff that I had forgotten about has been quite emotional. A roller coaster analogy doesn't even begin to capture the emotional journey I've been on over the last several months. However, through it all, I have experienced a peace that truly does pass all human understanding. What a faithful God!
Well, that pretty much catches you up on where we are at this point. I want to continue to express my appreciation for all of you who have kept Kristen and myself in your prayers. They are felt and effective!
Ready to see the Bride,
Josh
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
A PP'sPs about Weddings
What?
Huh?
Who's doing what?
I'm sure these are but a few of the questions that have been running through some of your minds if you have been keeping up with my facebook status lately.
Yes, I'm getting married! It sounds crazy to me, too! I can't imagine how it might sound to some of you who don't know what's been going on over the last couple of weeks. Let me attempt to explain.
If you've read this blog at all lately, you know that I've been dating Kristen and that it is quite serious. We are deeply in love with each other and confident that our love is a God-given love that is destined to lead us into marriage. But, our original timeline was much different. We had originally planned on getting engaged after October and then getting married sometime next summer after Kristen's school year was over.
What you may not know is that, for the past year or so, Kristen's mom, Lannie, has been fighting cancer; fighting with great strength and courage, I might add. On Friday, June 5th, Lannie went in for surgery to repair an obstructed bowel. What the doctor found was a substantial amount of cancer in her abdomen as well as cancer on her lungs and liver. He was reluctant to give any kind of time frame because of the severity of the surgery itself. He had no idea how she was going to recover from the surgery, much less how the cancer was going to effect her future. Well, given the somber tone in the doctor's voice, we knew that time was not on our side.
After many discussions with many people, Kristen and I decided to accelerate our plans because, as one wise woman said, "Every girl needs her momma at her wedding, and every momma needs to see her daughter walk down the aisle."
I am confident that Lannie will not only be at our wedding, but that she will be happy and healthy as she sees her radiant daughter illuminate the sanctuary on September 5, 2009.
I'm sure that you have other questions that are bouncing around in your heads. Please feel free to pose those questions in the comment section of this post. I don't pretend to have full comprehension of what God is doing in our lives right now...I only know that He is working in our lives. He has facilitated the blossoming of our love in a way that is beyond comprehension. Maybe because He knew well before us the time frame we would be working with. Whatever the reason, I know He has placed this woman in my life for such a time as this. May He be praised!
Frantically planning the perfect wedding,
Josh
Huh?
Who's doing what?
I'm sure these are but a few of the questions that have been running through some of your minds if you have been keeping up with my facebook status lately.
Yes, I'm getting married! It sounds crazy to me, too! I can't imagine how it might sound to some of you who don't know what's been going on over the last couple of weeks. Let me attempt to explain.
If you've read this blog at all lately, you know that I've been dating Kristen and that it is quite serious. We are deeply in love with each other and confident that our love is a God-given love that is destined to lead us into marriage. But, our original timeline was much different. We had originally planned on getting engaged after October and then getting married sometime next summer after Kristen's school year was over.
What you may not know is that, for the past year or so, Kristen's mom, Lannie, has been fighting cancer; fighting with great strength and courage, I might add. On Friday, June 5th, Lannie went in for surgery to repair an obstructed bowel. What the doctor found was a substantial amount of cancer in her abdomen as well as cancer on her lungs and liver. He was reluctant to give any kind of time frame because of the severity of the surgery itself. He had no idea how she was going to recover from the surgery, much less how the cancer was going to effect her future. Well, given the somber tone in the doctor's voice, we knew that time was not on our side.
After many discussions with many people, Kristen and I decided to accelerate our plans because, as one wise woman said, "Every girl needs her momma at her wedding, and every momma needs to see her daughter walk down the aisle."
I am confident that Lannie will not only be at our wedding, but that she will be happy and healthy as she sees her radiant daughter illuminate the sanctuary on September 5, 2009.
I'm sure that you have other questions that are bouncing around in your heads. Please feel free to pose those questions in the comment section of this post. I don't pretend to have full comprehension of what God is doing in our lives right now...I only know that He is working in our lives. He has facilitated the blossoming of our love in a way that is beyond comprehension. Maybe because He knew well before us the time frame we would be working with. Whatever the reason, I know He has placed this woman in my life for such a time as this. May He be praised!
Frantically planning the perfect wedding,
Josh
Thursday, June 4, 2009
A PP'sPs about Complications
I thought I would elaborate on my new relationship with Kristen.
More specifically, I thought I would share how we ended up together, complete with the many complications we have and continue to muddle through.
The first and least influential complication is the age difference between us. I will be 35 in July (Dang, that sounds old!) while Kristen just turned 28 last week. Not a huge gap, especially when you consider that my maturity level is far lower than my 35 years would indicate! It was a factor for her early, but she seems to have realized that I'm still less mature than she is.
A second complication is the fact that Kristen is the little sister of one of my closest friends, Brian Lucas, or as many know him, Chico. For her especially, dating her brother's close friend was incredibly weird. For me, I was just worried about how it would affect my relationship with Brian. Would he really trust me with his baby sister? Would things be weird between us? So far, so good.
As you would guess, if Kristen is Brian's sister, then it would follow that I have known Kristen for awhile. In fact, Kristen and I have known each other for over ten years. I even taught her Sunday School class while she was in college at Asbury. In fact, she sat next to Christy for much of that class. The two were close friends. Kristen is close with Christy's family. Very weird! But, also very special because I haven't had to introduce an entire stranger into my family relationship with Chris, Julie, and Kyle. They already know and love Kristen and have fully embraced our new relationship, as difficult as it will be at times. For that I am eternally grateful.
The complication that worried me most going into the relationship was the most embarrassing for me. You see, before Christy and I began dating, I had a fairly substantial crush on Chico's baby sister. I liked Kristen eight years ago! And now, here I am again falling for the same girl. My biggest fear was that someone who knew my previous feelings for Kristen would assume that, because I had feelings for her now, I had never stopped liking her. Nothing could be further from the truth. But the thought that someone might think it for even a minute was almost enough to keep me from ever pursuing a relationship with Kristen. Thankfully, no one has voiced that concern and have immediately dismissed it when I have mentioned it. Again, I am grateful.
Knowing all of these complications and weighing them against my feelings, I finally got up the nerve on April 5th to call Kristen and share my thoughts and feelings. Her response was priceless: "I don't know! I don't know! I don't know! (long pause) Josh, this is complicated!" To which I responded, "You have no idea!" We talked for a few hours that first night about the afore mentioned complications as well as our individual feelings for each other and where we should go from there. She agreed to let me take her to a baseball game for our first date, and as they say, the rest is history!
We've had MANY long conversations about the complications and issues that our relationship inherently has. I haven't even mentioned the issues that Kristen has had to deal with in dating a widower AND a pastor! I told her she should have run away that first night! However, she has been amazing as she has considered these and other issues with wisdom and humility. Much to my amazement, shock, and joy, she has come through the other side of all this with a strong, genuine love for me that I feared she would never have. Our relationship couldn't be going any better! I am blessed beyond measure!
Once again, I must thank everyone for your prayers and support over the past 8 months. I am eternally in your debt.
Content inspite of the Complications,
Josh
More specifically, I thought I would share how we ended up together, complete with the many complications we have and continue to muddle through.
The first and least influential complication is the age difference between us. I will be 35 in July (Dang, that sounds old!) while Kristen just turned 28 last week. Not a huge gap, especially when you consider that my maturity level is far lower than my 35 years would indicate! It was a factor for her early, but she seems to have realized that I'm still less mature than she is.
A second complication is the fact that Kristen is the little sister of one of my closest friends, Brian Lucas, or as many know him, Chico. For her especially, dating her brother's close friend was incredibly weird. For me, I was just worried about how it would affect my relationship with Brian. Would he really trust me with his baby sister? Would things be weird between us? So far, so good.
As you would guess, if Kristen is Brian's sister, then it would follow that I have known Kristen for awhile. In fact, Kristen and I have known each other for over ten years. I even taught her Sunday School class while she was in college at Asbury. In fact, she sat next to Christy for much of that class. The two were close friends. Kristen is close with Christy's family. Very weird! But, also very special because I haven't had to introduce an entire stranger into my family relationship with Chris, Julie, and Kyle. They already know and love Kristen and have fully embraced our new relationship, as difficult as it will be at times. For that I am eternally grateful.
The complication that worried me most going into the relationship was the most embarrassing for me. You see, before Christy and I began dating, I had a fairly substantial crush on Chico's baby sister. I liked Kristen eight years ago! And now, here I am again falling for the same girl. My biggest fear was that someone who knew my previous feelings for Kristen would assume that, because I had feelings for her now, I had never stopped liking her. Nothing could be further from the truth. But the thought that someone might think it for even a minute was almost enough to keep me from ever pursuing a relationship with Kristen. Thankfully, no one has voiced that concern and have immediately dismissed it when I have mentioned it. Again, I am grateful.
Knowing all of these complications and weighing them against my feelings, I finally got up the nerve on April 5th to call Kristen and share my thoughts and feelings. Her response was priceless: "I don't know! I don't know! I don't know! (long pause) Josh, this is complicated!" To which I responded, "You have no idea!" We talked for a few hours that first night about the afore mentioned complications as well as our individual feelings for each other and where we should go from there. She agreed to let me take her to a baseball game for our first date, and as they say, the rest is history!
We've had MANY long conversations about the complications and issues that our relationship inherently has. I haven't even mentioned the issues that Kristen has had to deal with in dating a widower AND a pastor! I told her she should have run away that first night! However, she has been amazing as she has considered these and other issues with wisdom and humility. Much to my amazement, shock, and joy, she has come through the other side of all this with a strong, genuine love for me that I feared she would never have. Our relationship couldn't be going any better! I am blessed beyond measure!
Once again, I must thank everyone for your prayers and support over the past 8 months. I am eternally in your debt.
Content inspite of the Complications,
Josh
Thursday, May 7, 2009
A PP'sPs about Happiness Revisited
I'm happy again.
And not just kinda happy; genuinely, supremely happy; unable to stop smiling happy.
And I'm not sure if my readers (all 3 of you) are ready for why, but here goes.
The source of my happiness is a woman; a truly amazing woman. What did I do to deserve the opportunity to find another amazing woman? I'm truly in awe of God's grace and provision!
Her name is Kristen. She is stunningly beautiful, both on the outside, and, even more so on the inside. I love being around her. When I'm around her, I feel comfortable, like I don't have to put up a facade, like I can just be myself. That's very important for me right now. She gets that and makes it so easy. The funny thing is that she feels the same way around me. And, in a situation that could be quite complicated and awkward, we find being together surprisingly easy and comfortable.
We've come to only one conclusion that can explain this: God must be in this. More than a few people have commented that there is no way that Kristen or I could have imagined or orchestrated the chain of events that have transpired over the last several weeks. It must be God! In fact, both Kristen and I, in our separate struggles with this have tried to find reasons why this should NOT work. And yet, we keep coming back to the realization that, despite the craziness of the situation, God has brought us together.
Regarding the craziness of the situation, I hope that all of my friends and family understand and support my efforts to move on with my life. This is not how I thought my life would play out. I never knew that one could experience the devastating loss and loneliness that I have been smothered by for the past 7 months. My heart was completely obliterated. And yet, God has seen fit to begin the process of restoring my heart and alleviating my loneliness. I believe with all my heart that He has chosen to use Kristen to do both. She has made me believe that I can love again and find true companionship once more. I hope and pray that each of you understand this.
Believe it or not, like it or not, Kristen is a dream come true. I'm happy again. Truly happy.
Unable to stop smiling,
Josh
And not just kinda happy; genuinely, supremely happy; unable to stop smiling happy.
And I'm not sure if my readers (all 3 of you) are ready for why, but here goes.
The source of my happiness is a woman; a truly amazing woman. What did I do to deserve the opportunity to find another amazing woman? I'm truly in awe of God's grace and provision!
Her name is Kristen. She is stunningly beautiful, both on the outside, and, even more so on the inside. I love being around her. When I'm around her, I feel comfortable, like I don't have to put up a facade, like I can just be myself. That's very important for me right now. She gets that and makes it so easy. The funny thing is that she feels the same way around me. And, in a situation that could be quite complicated and awkward, we find being together surprisingly easy and comfortable.
We've come to only one conclusion that can explain this: God must be in this. More than a few people have commented that there is no way that Kristen or I could have imagined or orchestrated the chain of events that have transpired over the last several weeks. It must be God! In fact, both Kristen and I, in our separate struggles with this have tried to find reasons why this should NOT work. And yet, we keep coming back to the realization that, despite the craziness of the situation, God has brought us together.
Regarding the craziness of the situation, I hope that all of my friends and family understand and support my efforts to move on with my life. This is not how I thought my life would play out. I never knew that one could experience the devastating loss and loneliness that I have been smothered by for the past 7 months. My heart was completely obliterated. And yet, God has seen fit to begin the process of restoring my heart and alleviating my loneliness. I believe with all my heart that He has chosen to use Kristen to do both. She has made me believe that I can love again and find true companionship once more. I hope and pray that each of you understand this.
Believe it or not, like it or not, Kristen is a dream come true. I'm happy again. Truly happy.
Unable to stop smiling,
Josh
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