THINK+++

I don’t have much to bring but I long to be with my King and Saviour, Jesus. I can bring Him my selfishness, my pride, my stubbornness. I can also bring Him my love, repentance, and my heart that longs to serve Him. Here I am Lord; thank you for accepting me as Your child.

This last week I have been extremely tempted to treat a friend the way he treated me. To mock him and laugh at him and make fun of him. However, I have decided that I want to be the type of man that returns good for evil. I want him to receive the good I would want to have. It is not easy but through grace I have been victorious so far over revengeful thoughts.

My wife, children and I we live mostly in harmony. We are happy together. We love each other. Many times I hear the children playing contentedly. I am rich beyond measure of kings to have a household full of love.

Yesterday I went down the stairs in a hurry, when I got to the bottom I noticed my 1-year-old daughter following me. The thought came to me wait for her. When she reached the bottom we walked hand in hand together to my destination. I am thankful for those thoughts when they come. Take life slow enough that my children can keep up.

 

God wants the best for you and me. Sometimes when we come to a curve in the road and we need to adjust or change our plans; we become stressed about it and fearful. However, when God changes our plans it is to allow for something better. Thank you for being in control, Lord.

The other day our little girl was getting into the pantry and being tempted by the candy. I was in the other room but could hear her and I told her no sternly. She then came to me and pouted a bit but soon found other things to occupy herself with. I want to accept when life closes doors and I am told no. It is hard to accept but happiness can be found when we don’t look to longingly at closed doors but find something else to occupy us.

Today I just have one simple thought. Sometimes my Lord calms the storm and sometimes He calms me. When I feel the storm I will cry to Him and ask Him to calm the storm or calm me. Thank You Lord for being more powerful then the storms.

We all love to be on the mountaintop emotionally. We like to be popular, we like to be needed. However, someone recently told me that fruit is not grown on the mountaintop but in the valley. Is it in the emotional valleys that we get the strength and wisdom with which to help others? I want to grow enough fruit to share with others.

My heart is like a home. What do I allow in there? I want to make room for my children, my wife, family members, others. I want selfishness to leave. I want worries to leave and joy to come in. I want fear to leave and peace to dwell instead. I want the dark thoughts to leave and thankfulness to be present.

Can a marriage last ten years? Can man create something as beautiful as the sunrise? Can we do a good deed for others without being rewarded with joy? I see the voice of God in little things like these. Thank you Lord that I can recognize Your voice.

I heard a story the other day about Fact, Faith, and Feelings. Fact, Faith, and Feelings were sitting on a fence, Feelings got hurt and jumped off the fence. Since Feelings was off the fence then Faith was tempted to jump off too, and since Feelings refused to get back on the fence Faith eventually jumped off too. Now Fact was left sitting there all alone and didn’t want to get off but eventually Faith worked on him so hard and confused him enough that he jumped off too. I want to keep my Feelings in check so that Faith and Fact can remain strong.

I like to dwell on the happy times in life. Today I was thinking of when our eldest daughter was about 1-year-old. She would ride in her car seat with me in the tractor for hours. Sometimes I would hold her on my lap, sometimes I would read her stories. I just remember the sense of things being right in the world when we could spend happy times together.

While the crying of a child can fray even the toughest nerves the cooing of a contented child can sooth. Children go very quickly between emotions. I am so thankful for the times I hear the cooing of a child; the happy sounds of contentment.

I am a stranger passing through this life. I seek a home that I have heard of but have never seen. I journey but these things around me are not mine. I seek a home called Heaven.

The other day a friend of mine saw the load I was struggling under. He knelt in prayer and he asked the Lord how he could help. Then he came to me, touched me on the shoulder, and told me he was praying for me. I am unworthy to have such friends. Help my hands and heart be useful for my Lord.