time for an update

Hey all my blog fans...it is April 15th and the end of another tax season. It doesn't affect me so much, but my brother is a CPA and has been very busy. I always feel badly for him, but he is good at it and does my taxes for me...thank God!
The semester is down to the last 2.5 weeks now. I am trying to figure out everything I need to wrap up. I will be missing my students. Some of them have been in my classes for a while now.
After school I am heading to Europe. It will be a nice break from things. This year my new country to visit is the Ukraine. I can't wait.
God bless you all.

new semester

The spring semester has started and we are one week into it.
I have enjoyed meeting all my new students, but as usual it is hard to get their
names down.
It is freezing cold here, but so amazingly beautiful with all the snow. I love the
snow piles and the snow on the mountains around us.
Right now I am caught up, but that never lasts long.
I am thinking about where to go in May and when. There are many I know who are
graduating so I am thinking of delaying my trip. I might go to another eastern
European country just to see new places. There are so many beautiful possibilities.
We shall see.
Other than that, I play with my nephew, JR, at least 1-2 times a week and he is growing up
so fast now. He turned 2 in Dec and talks a lot now. He is also learning Bible verses and
doing fun things. He loves the snow as much as I do.

Christmas time

The Birth of Jesus Christ

Matthew 1: 18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,^[c] because he will save his people from their sins."

22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us."

24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Yes, He is with us even this day, our Immanuel,

His Grace

In His grace we reflect His goodness and walk in the light of His love (see 1 John 1:7)
When our hearts are pure we will walk in His peace. There will not be striving, but our hearts will be fully released into this peace that passes all understanding. When our lives are found in Him there is no limit to the grace that He gives us.

He has provided His grace. We are saved by His grace and we live by His grace through faith as well. The grace of God is the ability of God placed within us by His Spirit. Every day we have the choice to access His grace.

questioning God

Over the past few days, I have had conversations with about 4 different people who have been very confused about what they believe. They have had some very serious situations in their lives that really caused them to reconsider what they are all about and who God is. It is so difficult to listen and hear the hurts and pain that they have gone through and also the ways that the trust they had in God has been shaken.
It would be so great to just be able to see these situations through God's eyes, but then again it is hard to even imagine that He was actually watching. Why didn't He do something to change the situations or speak to them? Or did He and they just didn't hear? Wow, what a good question to search out. It is important for us to know our God despite what goes on around us. Our God doesn't change...He is always faithful and trust worthy. But, these life shaking issues will certainly get you thinking that maybe He wasn't even nearby.
The main thing I can do is pray for these souls. My words don't convince or bring understanding just more thoughts. But, prayer, does take our needs before the throne for God to do the work and that will bring resolution. On the other hand, I know how nice it is to know that someone cares and listens so I do lend my ear and my heart.
God please help them and help me to know more about you!

summer is over

I just finished a night in my office doing grading. I had to wrap up grading of my two course and 3 internships that I supervised. I also had to write a letter of recommendation for a former student. Now, I just have a few little things to wrap up and then get ready for the fall. It is nice to think I might have a few days that I can actually relax or not be so busy.
The town is getting quiet, but it is going to be very short-lived with the students returning soon. It is like the feeling just before you leave the ocean and try to capture the smell and the sounds before returning home. I am trying to capture the quiet and the peaceful feeling before the storm of students and work. It is something that is exciting for the most part.
I am watching the olympics and all the events on tonight. It is so cool to watch such dedication and strength in the athletes. They train so hard and give it all...what a great way to live.

summer 2008

This summer has been so very full of weddings, showers, and travel. Also it is full of teaching and preparing for presentations.
I just got back from a few days in Atlantic City, NJ. I was there for a conference on the Web. It was good to learn some things and to give my presentation. They actually asked me to do it again since there wasn't enough room the first time I gave it. It was fun to meet many folks there from all over.
Being there made me appreciate where I live so much more. I don't like gambling and all the glitz of the city. I don't understand the lure of sitting in front of a machine and pushing a button for hours and spending money on such things especially all the older people there. It irritated me to think that people are wasting their money and time like that. I know it is a slice of life for some people but not in my heart at all.
Now, I have a few weeks left of my summer class then I need to start preparing for the fall. It will be fun to have the students back.

back from sardinia

Fun times each day were found in my journey to Sardinia. It was a very refreshing place and lots of amazing sights and people. I had a cute little lancia car and we became close friends as I didn't have any person to talk to. But, I did have God to talk to and we did talk a lot.
It was fun to explore the mountains and the sea coast. I did spend more time in the mountains this time. They are so vast and so huge and gave me many moments to pause and stand in awe of God's creation.
The coasts were filled with lovely white sand and blue/green water as well as large empty spaces. Most of all it was really fun to get to know some of the people there this time. Even though I don't speak a lot of Italian we were able to talk and communicate. I love trying to figure out words and meaning that we both attempt to make with our non-verbal signs.
It was a nice break after a long semester and a wonderful time to just immerse myself in the Word and in prayer. Ahhh....

Almost done

It is nearing the end of the semester now. It has been time to catch up on grades and work and finally saying my goodbyes to students. I hate seeing students leave, but that is best for them because that is why we train them...to go out and get jobs.
It has also been time to work in my yard. I have cut my grass twice now and it is very green and enjoying the season. My tulips are in bloom now and my trees are mostly full of leaves.
Soon, I will take off to Sardinia for a nice break in my life. I love going there because of the incredible scenery and the great climate. So, if I don't keep up on this for a couple of weeks, that is why.

spring 2008

It is spring time here and my daffodils are all showing their lovely yellow colors. I think I have about 100 of them in my yard...really.
It is also the last few weeks of classes here so my life is rather busy lately. I am trying to prepare as much as possible for the last week and keep caught up. It sure makes it hard to work when the weather is so sunny and perfect. That is why I always say I like the weather here because it helps me to stay on task.
In May I am venturing back to my island for a bit to explore some new parts. I just love it there because it is truly like paradise. It will just be fun to go away and have some new experiences.
So...that is the latest from happy valley!!

angels, gates and secret places

Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it or some have extended hospitality to angels without ever knowing it! (Hebrews 13:2-NIV and the Message)

Is it possible that we just walked past an angel. Yes. We often overlook direct interaction with angels without knowing it. We never really know how they're going to look. We have to be ready, because angelic encounters may bring a test to us. Angels are good at surprising us. Jacob did not expect what was coming when the heavens opened and angels began ascending and descending in Bethel (Gen. 28:10-15). Returning to the place of divine intimacy is the first step toward positioning yourself for encountering the supernatural. God is after our heart, and hungry hearts will constantly search for Him. When we fail to find God because our lives are too busy, we will miss the things that are often right before us. We need to go to the place where we can see Him.

God is calling us back to the place of visitation, back to the place of promise and back to the Secret Place where we last encountered Him. It is a very special place that He has carved out for us. We can’t wait for some sort of a lightning bolt. Each of us can learn to position ourselves for an angelic encounter or a visit from the Lord Himself, by returning to the special place where He moved in your life before. As we learn to go back to the place of visitation, we can learn to have an extended habitation with the Lord. We will encounter dreams, visions and very powerful new places.

"The secret of the Lord is with those who fear him; and he will show them his covenant." Psalm 25:14 What do we understand by the expression "secret!" It something not revealed, nor made known to everybody; something locked up and concealed from the majority, and discovered only to a favored few. Do you want to be one of those favorites? You are if you are staying close to His heart. He has open heavens full of Divine encounters for us.

Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it. How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven. (Gen 28:16-17)

persistence

C.S. Lewis speaks to the difficulty of persistence: “The Enemy has guarded him from you through the first great wave of temptations. But, if only he can be kept alive, you have time itself for you ally. The long, dull monotonous years of middle-aged prosperity or middle-aged adversity are excellent campaigning weather. You see, it is so hard for these creatures to persevere. The routine of adversity, the gradual decay of youthful loves and youthful hopes, the quiet despair (hardly felt as pain) of ever overcoming the chronic temptations with which we have again and again defeated them, the drabness which we create in their lives and inarticulate resentment with which we teach them to respond to it -- all this provides admirable opportunities of wearing out a soul by attrition. If, on the other hand, the middle years from prosperous, our position is even stronger. Prosperity knits a man to the World. He fells that he is ‘finding his place in it’ while really it is finding its place in him. . . . That is why we must often wish long life to our patients; seventy years is not a day too much for the difficult task of unraveling their souls from Heaven and building up a firm attachment to the earth.” (The Screwtape Letters)

Yes, it is the 7th birthday today of Judah. He is one of my buddies.It is always fun to spend time with him and to watch him grow in his understanding of life.
So, it is very cold and windy and snowy here, but I love it. Nothing else to report other than I just read through 30 paper proposals.

Near to us

Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You ? Show us Your mercy, Lord, and grant us Your salvation. I will hear what the Lord will speak, for He will speak peace to His people and to His saints; but let them not turn back to folly. Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed. Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yes, the Lord will give what is good; and our land will yield its increase. –Psalms 85:6-12

2008 rolling along

When I think about this year, I think about the possibilities. It is fun to start new things because they are new(that is deep!). But, the year does seem to start with great ideas and hopes and dreams. It is like a race that you start running and before you know it you are at the finish line and you are asking yourself if there is anything left to finish with. You give it all you have knowing you can stop soon. Then, you recover and do it again. Each year brings certain challenges and opportunities.

Time seems to provide us with many open doors. It is always a question of what door we will open and select to walk through on this journey. I want my life to count and be a blessing to others. I want my time to be released in moments of needs and used with diligence to make it count.

I know my personality is that of a giver so it isn't always easy for me to be selfish with my time, but there are moments when we need to accomplish things that will open doors for others. I think that is part of what God has shown me so far this year that I am to clear paths and make open spaces for others so that they can walk into their destiny.

Well, I can't close my time here without a picture of one that I have been investing in. My nephew. He is 13 months now and walking and imitating much. How fun he is!! So, here is a new picture of him. I was thinking today that he literally changes before my eyes...wow, how fun to watch him grow. And, it made me think...how am I changing? What is God doing in me that is significant and noticeable?

new year

Wow, it is a new year and it is already Jan 13. I spent the last 3 days coaching with a leadership training conference at a local baptist church. It was a lot of fun and also a ton of work. The time was spent in discovering strengths and gifts that each person has and how to use them to advance the Kingdom and to improve communication skills. I worked with a team of college students. They were a blast and full of life.
The semester starts officially on Monday and I start teaching on Tuesday. I am mostly ready at least for the week ahead, but it sure has been nice to have some time off to catch up with things.
So, that is what is new with me in case you are one of the fortunate ones to be reading this.
Go Green Bay...no more Steelers this year.

tuning in

It is time to turn on our tuners and get rid of the static. There are many times that we live in a realm where we only hear in part, but God wants to reveal the fullness of His sounds to us. We need to walk out of the desolate places to the places that we can bring our thank offerings.
God is in the process of restoring new sounds:
"the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD, saying,
"Give thanks to the LORD Almighty,
for the LORD is good;
his love endures forever."
For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,' says the LORD."
Jeremiah 33:11
Tune us into these sounds Lord.

His Mercy

A song that I was just listening to says, "wrapped in His mercy, I want to live and never leave." I was stuck on this thinking about the mercy of God that surrounds us and keeps us. Mercy is described as not getting what we deserve. We are wrapped in a place that He has made to keep us safe and secure.
Hebrews 4: 14-16(The Message):
Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let's not let it slip through our fingers. We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.
I do know that I do need the help for sure!

reflections of the day

Well, the day is just getting started although it started a few hours ago. It seems I need time to really wake up and be able to function. I guess if I drank coffee that might happen faster. It is fall here and the snow has taken some time to fall on the ground, but the leaves are still mostly on the trees. So, I am reflecting on the changes that are taking place. It is fun when you are in between seasons and noticing one merging into the next. There are still traces of the one season and evidence of the next coming.
It is like that in our lives. Sometimes we are smack in the middle of a new season and we can remember the past and look forward to the next, but the season really captures our attention. I wasn't intending to get philosophical here, but it is important to enjoy the season of life that you are in and not be too anxious for it to change. In time, things do change and so do we. We are molded and shaped by the things going on around us and in time, those things will only be memories. Hmm...what is it that we are to learn this day? And, what is the next season going to be like? I do know that with God on my side, things only seem to get better.

Our heart

In I Samuel 16:7, it says that God looks into the heart. That is so cool that He doesn't look at who we are on the outside with things such as what we do, what we look like, how we work, but our insides.
Our heart...what is that all about? The very depth of our being. But, do we even know what is in there or how to ponder that without getting too inward?
He is looking for those "to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him." (2 Chronicles 16:9) How can our hearts become perfect?
God has the ability to change our heart and even give us a new heart that is perfect toward Him. We can keep our hearts perfect toward God by asking God to reveal and remove any thing in our heart that would keep us from loving Him with our whole heart.