An Invitation

Enjoy the encouragement from Isaiah 55 today.

"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.

Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.

Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live."

I trust you know Him today.

Grateful

Last night we had the privilege to host a special evening with Sr. PGA Chaplain Tom Randall and Sr. PGA Professionals Bernhard Langer and Dana Quigley. As we debrief and reflect today, I am reminded of a verse Bernhard Langer made reference to as he described God's work in his life. He quoted Paul's writings in Ephesians 3, "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. Amen." (3:20.21)

Today, I am grateful for God's power and how true it is that He can do more than we can even imagine. For those that were here last night, I hope you were blessed. For those who missed it, be encouraged that God was honored and was working in hearts of men and women through a golf event and men who care deeply about our Savior. I am excited that lives were changed last night for eternity.

As you walk this day, would you take a minute and thank God for who He is and for the work He is doing in your life and mine today. I sit today extremely thankful and blessed to be a small part of the ministry God is doing in our church and community. Be encouraged! I hope you know Him today!

Tired and Weary

..."in sickness and in health." Those were part of the vows and I made to Meg and she made to me. Over the last number of weeks, Meg definitely lived those out as I recovered from the foot surgery and the flu. She was remarkable and I was so thankful for a wife who served so well in my time of sickness.

Well, now it is my turn. As I came home from church on Sunday, Meg was camped out on the couch. I realized that she was not feeling well, tired, weary and ready for a break. Being almost 9 months pregnant and then having to battle sickness on top of it... right, not much fun. So, over the last twenty-four hours it has been my turn to fulfill ..." in sickness and in health" for my lovely bride.

Watching someone battling an illness is not much fun. They simply long to be better and manage the daily walk of life. But as I watch my wife battle being tired, weary, and flat our miserable, I am reminded of the truth of God's word. Jesus said in Matthew 11, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

What has you feeling tired and weary today? Is is your job, family, or friends? Are you disconnected from our Savior? Whatever has you feeling discouraged today please know that our Savior longs for us to come to Him. He desires to give us rest!

As I work to play doctor, dad, and husband, I am hoping I serve half as well as my wife did for me. (I am hoping she gets rest for her body....) But as I walk through this day, I am praying that each of us finds rest in our gentle and humble Savior. Rest in Him today!

Pursuit

As the NBA playoffs continue to move forward to the finals, I am always reminded of the "pursuit" of the remaining teams. It is true in most sports circles that "the prize" is a high priority and nothing seems to be more important the desire to reach that goal. Well, my NBA days fell a bit short, so my pursuit of an NBA Championship seems a bit far fetched, however, I do believe we are all in pursuit of something.

I suppose for many it may be success in our careers, wealth and pleasures of the world, material possessions or selfish pride. The earthly nature can often fall trap to the pursuits the world has to offer. Be careful. Not all pursuits are bad. However, they must be held within the right framework. After all, Jesus himself has challenged us to love God, love our neighbors and care for our families. Those are God honoring pursuits that please our Maker.

I suppose the question is simple. What are you pursuing today? As I continue to heal from my foot surgery, I am reminded of my pursuit to get healthy, to be able to wear a normal shoe and to someday run again, however, I am constantly reminding myself that there is so much more to pursue. These petty issues are temporal and my mind wants to long for things eternal.

1 Timothy 6:11 says, "But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness."

I am grateful for the truth and simple reminder from scripture. Stop trying to pursue the pleasures of self, pursue Godliness. Pursue the character and nature of God. Listen to the words in the OT book of Micah. "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

We all have pursuits in life, however, if you want to succeed in the Kingdom of God, take a minute and reevaluate your goals and ambitions in life. We are not fighting for an NBA championship, we are longing for something greater! To love and serve the Giver of Life with our very breath and our very being. Scripture is abundantly clear that our pursuits should have less to do with us and more to do with the character of our Savior. I hope you know Him today! Pursue Him!