My Jesus: Faith Like A Child

Jesus Said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ¹⁵ Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” ~ Mark 10:14-15


I was looking through my Notes App on my iPhone, and found a note that I had written about my youngest son, Drew.  It was written on Oct. 6, 2009,

MY JESUS: Faith Like A Child.

Drew (2 1/2 years old) is now referring to the people he loves as "My Josie (sister), My Benji (brother), My Momma, My Dadda, etc. 

His expressed love is personal and significant to him!  What a great reminder that our Love should be expressed like a child for our Savior  - Personal and Significant.  "My Jesus! I Love You!"

When was the last time you intentionally came to Jesus to feel His embrace of love, safety and security, and tell Him specifically, "I Love You, My Jesus!"?  Tap into your inner child and express your personal and significant love to Him today.

Heart & Soul Service

Joshua 22:5

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁵ Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul." (emphasis mine)

I am struck with what Joshua did not say about how he wanted the tribes of Gad, Reuben and half of Manasseh (and us today) to serve.

Typically we think of service today in terms of someone like a Restaurant Server, or a Customer Service Rep, or a person we employ to perform an agreed service, or even a project in ministry in which we plan and implement service.  In these cases, we cannot help but use our Hands, Feet, Voices or even our Strength to serve. 

But Joshua doesn't say "Serve with your both your hands and both your feet or all your voice or all your strength."  He specifically says that we are to serve with ALL your Heart and ALL your Soul.

I am certain that our service to God must be motivated by our Love and Passion and not by our guilt, obligation and duty.

So what is driving your Service?  Your Heart (love) and Soul (passion)?  Or your Guilt, (hands) Obligation, (feet) or Duty (strength)?

G.O.S.P.E.L.

It's just that simple!

Peanut Butter Pancakes

A couple of weeks ago, I felt that it was time to shake things up a bit for breakfast.  I wanted to make some pancakes, but not just any pancakes.  I needed to make something new!  I looked in the pantry and my eyes stopped at the Peanut Butter.  YES, Peanut Butter Pancakes!

So, I took out the box of Aunt Jemima Original Dry mix (the Wheat would work as well) and followed the instructions on the box.  Then added in:

• 1/3 cup Natural Jif Peanut Butter (or your favorite peanut butter)
• 2 Tbs. Brown Sugar
  ** you may need to add more liquid (I had to splash some milk in)

Here are some variations and add-ins that we came up with:

• Peanut Butter chips - Double Peanut Butter explosion
• Chocolate chips - Reese's
• Banana w/ bacon - Elvis. 
• Top with your favorite Jelly/Jam - PB&J

Give them a shot! Be Creative!  My Kids LOVED them, and they loved creating their own version with the Add-Ins!  Having fun in the kitchen as a family is a great way to spend a Saturday morning!

If you come up with a new variation, let me know!

What's your Philosophy of Parenting?

I was recently asked this question: "What is your philosophy of Parenting?" Honestly, I had to take a minute to review how my wife and I actually parent our children to discover the purpose behind our practice. Parenting intentionally has been our goal from the beginning, but being able to articulate a philosophy behind our practice was something that required some thought.

First let me start with the ideal. I believe that parenting works best when both dad and mom work together in unity, and when the marriage is vital, intact and growing. As parents truly step into their God given roles based on Deut. 6:5-7, they model a Biblical relationship with each other with oneness in their influence, teaching and discipline of the children in the home. Parents are to grow their children to maturity in every area of life – physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual. Unfortunately, we live in a broken world and broken marriages and families are an increasing reality. The first step to being a better parent is to work on your marriage.

That being said, I have had many opportunities to interact with single parents. Most are well aware and often remark that single parenting is hard and they often feel they are at a disadvantage. If you are a single parent, remember that you are loved deeply by God. He cares about you and He extends His grace to you and your children when you commit your role as a parent to Him.

Whether parenting with a spouse or alone, all of us need God’s grace to cover our inadequacies. Parenting is never about perfection. It is a balancing act between discipline and grace. It is about trial and error and developing real, meaningful relationships with our kids. It is about modeling for our kids a real relationship with our Heavenly Father – forgiving and being forgiven, being human and real, yet pursuing holiness. All of us need to tap in daily to God’s perfect wisdom and strength as we navigate this path to raising whole, healthy, well-balanced Christ-loving disciples. But there are also a few ideals or strategies that will help us achieve this goal. Here are some that define our parenting philosophy:

• Children are a gift from the Lord, but they are ultimately His – not ours. We have been entrusted with them for a time, and we are to invest ourselves in their development with intention and purpose. 
• Our personal relationship with our Heavenly Father is critical – and comes first in our lives. This pursuit of holiness and deeper relationship continually feeds our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and to each other as we seek to make the best decisions and lead our family well. 
• Our marriage is the center of our family, with the children as supporting characters. Our children do not run or control the family (i.e. they eat what the family is served; they do what is best for the family according to the standards that we as parents have set, they attend the church where we serve God and His people, etc.) We make a strong effort to not allow them to dictate to us or manipulate us to get their own way. 
• We have high expectations of behavior for our children (developmentally appropriate) while at the same time; we encourage and create opportunities for them to just be creative, expressive kids who love life in a big way.   
• We intentionally address heart issues with our kids as opposed to simply reacting to behaviors. We are students of each of our kids as individuals and realize that staying “in tune” with their emotional, physical, spiritual and mental development takes work and focus. 

One of our favorite things as parents is seeing our kids reveal the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Both Josie and Benji have received the gift of Salvation God has offered to them through Jesus Christ. And it gives my wife and me much joy to see evidence of their growth as believers. Look for the spiritual fruit in your kids’ lives and then celebrate it as a family.

I feel like it is important for parents to be connected with strong Biblical parenting authorities. Below is a short list for your benefit:

• Tim Kimmel’s book Raising Kids for True Greatness: Redefine Success for You and Your Child. 
• Dr. Gary Chapman’s 5 Love languages for Teenagers and Children
• Stephen James & David S. Thomas - Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys
• Dr. James Dobson – Focus on the Family
• John Trent - Strong Families
• Gary Smalley - Guard your Children's Hearts
• Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller – National Center for Biblical Parenting
• Rob Rienow – Visionary Parenting

So what is your Parenting Philosophy?


Guarding Your Child's Heart by Gary Smalley from Michael Smalley on Vimeo.

Never Give Up! Never Surrender!

Have you ever been in a situation when your kids have used your own words against you?

Recently, my wife and I were engaged in a fairly serious conversation over coffee during one of my days off.  My youngest son emerged from the basement and sat by me at the kitchen table.  He began to play his DS (Lego Star Wars, I believe) while we were talking.  At some point in our conversation, I said, “… I just don’t think I can do it anymore … I think I’m done…”  My son, without looking up, spoke right on cue: “Never Give Up!  Never Surrender!”  His words halted our conversation.  I’m pretty sure he had no idea the context of what we were discussing, but we heard him loud and clear: “Never Give Up!  Never Surrender!”

I’m not sure when it started.  Probably while we were wrestling, pillow fighting or maybe when we were playing Star Wars where Darth Vader and/or Darth Maul (my boys) wanted me (a Jedi Master, of course) to surrender to the Dark Side, but I began to impress those very words into my children’s lives: “Never Give Up!  Never Surrender!”   As a Father, I want my children to be bold yet full of grace, strong yet teachable, confident yet humble, and to always fight for what is right and for those who cannot fight for themselves.   When life gets tough (and it does), I want them to remember that giving up or giving in is not an option.  We work hard through the struggle and the pain because rightly focused determination will only make us strong, well balanced individuals that reflect the likeness of Christ.  After all, He never gave up! He never surrendered! —He fully accomplished His purpose of obedience to the death so that we may have life—He finished well. 

As a parent, I have the awesome privilege of speaking virtue into our kid’s lives.  On that rare occasion when they voice those virtues back at me, I want to listen intently and take truth to heart.  I honestly didn’t expect to listen to my own words from the voice of my four-year-old son, but I’m glad I did. 

Perhaps you need to do as I did.  I opened my Bible to read:

• Psalm 139:1-24.  God reminds me that He created me, He sees me, and He leads me along the path of everlasting when I allow Him to do so. 
• Philippians 3:13-15.  Paul reminds me that I must strain forward and press on to accomplish God’s call on my life.
• Galatians 6:8-10.  I will reap what I sow!  Lord, help me to be a parent that sows the good seeds of the Spirit into the hearts of my children.   It is in that truth, I have the strength to “Never Give Up and Never Surrender!”

Take a few moments to pray through these Scripture passages, and find strength and encouragement in the reality that even when the going gets tough, you can rise up to “Never Give Up!  Never Surrender!”

Ripple Effect

One of my all time favorite things to do in life is get away deep in the northern woods of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and take a walk along the dirt road that leads to a small foot bridge that over looks Piatt Lake to the west and the Lagoon to the east.  On a calm, sunny day when the water is like a sheet of glass, it is easy to catch a glimpse of a water bug skimming along the top of the water, a turtle popping out for a sun bath or a fish jumping to crest the surface.  This is creation in all of its beauty!  These actions will produce a ripple, a disturbance, in the calm of the water spanning in all directions.  This last summer my kids and I spent hours in this spot watching the water for these things, and before long we were doing what comes natural.  We picked up stones and sticks, and threw them in to make our own ripples.  It was effortless to cast a stone and then hypnotically watch the ripples move across the water.

Recently in Japan, we have been reminded just how devastating ripples can actually be when the force causing the ripple and the size of the wave out-scale its surroundings.  The whole world can be affected.

Have you considered the Ripple Effect?

In Joshua 7, Joshua and the Israelites experienced a pretty dramatic ripple effect.  One of the instruction that God had given them as they pursued victory over Jericho was to set a side all the spoils to Him.  No keeping any gold, silver, jewels, or clothing for themselves!  All of it was to go to God.

Can you picture the setting?  Israel was enjoying the moment.  They once again witnessed the amazing power of God and the continued fulfillment of His promises in the victory.  But one man throw a stone of trouble.  Achan looked at the spoils,wanted what he saw and stole from God!

Next, Israel was headed into another battle with a lesser power in the city of Ai.  Israel sized them up and confidently attacked only to be soundly defeated because the Lord was very angry with the Israelites because of Sin in the camp! (Joshua 7:11)

The small decisions of one man rippled out to affect the condition of an entire nation.  Men died in battle that day resulting in wives without husbands, children without fathers and mothers without sons.  More importantly a nation now had a holy God who's anger was set against them.  Achan, his family and a nation would now have to suffer the consequences in the Valley of Achor (Trouble).

Now consider the Ripples that your life may be creating.  Are you throwing stones of trouble?  (Joshua 7:26)

I am concerned that we all too often steal from God when we look at life selfishly, believe and repeat the lies of temptation and hide sin deep in our hearts much like Achan.  These ripples of trouble are devastating!   The choices we make in our lives affect more people than just ourselves.  Beware of the temptation to rationalized your sins by saying they are too small or too personal to hurt anyone but you.

Get Up!  Purify yourself! (Joshua 7:13) Today you can experience the peace of God that comes through the cleansing power of confession and repentance so that your life will produce ripples of peace and love.

Being God's Servant

John 12:26, “Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am,

my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”  NIV

Here Jesus lays out the reality that if you want to be about Serving Him then you must Follow Him.  They go hand in hand.  If anyone should know, it would be Jesus.  He is the consummate example of Service, Humility and Obedience as seen in Philippians 2:5-8.  Jesus humbled himself, took on the form of a servant and became obedient to God in all things till death on a cross.

We are to be as Jesus is a Servant, Humble and Obedient.  Matthew 20:27-28 describes Jesus’ intentions for coming to earth by coming to serve and give His life as a payment for humanity's debt to sin and death.

What does Being God’s Servant look like?  It may look a little different than you think initially.  Consider the picture below. 

In Henry Blackaby’s book Experiencing God, he describes his understanding of being a servant God is more like the Potter and Clay imagery found in Jeremiah 18:1-6.  Clay is to be useful by being moldable and once it is formed into a vessel then it must remain in the Potter’s hand for His use.

As Servants of God, we must allow God to mold us into whatever He desires and then remain available for the Master’s use.  Servants can do nothing on their own or in their own strength. Even Jesus knew this.  In John 5:19, He said that He could do nothing on His own and in John 15:5 He transfers that ability to do nothing on to us by stating that we can do nothing without Him. These words should mean something to you if you have been guilty of trying to do something in your strength. 

As Servants of God, we are the vessels that He creates to accomplish His desires and plans.  He molds us and we get to be available to be used by God to do great and mighty things for God.  Servants of God allow God to work and God to get all the glory.

I love the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 18:16-39.  Take some time to read how God’s People had turned from God to the worship of Baal and it took a Servant of God to challenge the false prophets to a public showdown of faith and worship.  Elijah was out numbered 850 to 1, but Elijah was created (molded) for this moment.  He was willing to let God work through him to do something amazing for His Glory.   Elijah obeyed God and God rained fire from heaven and God consumed the gallons of water and the sacrificed offering.  In the end, God did a mighty work through his Obedient Servant and there was no doubt where the power came from – GOD!

Consider how you lived out your life this week.  Were the words you spoke, the places you went, the actions you took, and the attitudes you expressed characterized as a Servant of God in Humility and Obedience?  How have you specifically Obeyed God (available to let God work through you) this week?

If you are having difficulty in finding specific ways in which you obeyed God this week, then perhaps the outflow of your life has been a result of devout service to Self, Sin or Something or Someone other than God.  If this is true, I suggest you confess and allow God to restore you to your rightful place of service to the one True Master and embrace His Honor according to John 12:26.

May the Master Potter be allowed to shape your life and use you abundantly this week for His Glory!

The IDEAL Family or REAL Family?

I Love this Family!



BUT, TV, Media, U-verse is a poor (sad) alternative for strong Biblical Parenting for our families.  This video is funny because it is such a distorted picture of what actually happens in the home and around the dinner table with our families.  As a Parent, I realize that I am the major Spiritual Influencer for my Family. It is my responsibility (really my pleasure) to raise, guide and influence my family to be real, in a real world.

Remember the Ideal Family is NOT Fake like the one in the Video, but Real with Real issues.  A Real Family is influenced for Christ by the Parents first and then the Church to deal with conflicts, embrace sadness and hurt, seek forgiveness, forebear much, respect appropriate boundaries, obey authorities, follow instructions, serve others first,  and intentionally love each other above all things so that Grace, Peace,  Hope and Joy prevail.

Be that Intentional Parents!
Deuteronomy 6:5-9

Experiencing God’s Will

John 4:34, “My food is to do the Will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His Work.”  NIV

For Jesus doing the Will of God was more important than anything else!  Seriously Anything!  Even the very things that is necessary for life such as Food, Water and even Sleep.  I have to ask, “Are you that committed to do the Will and Work of God?”

Ok, so this is a toughie!  Have you ever felt like you have absolutely no clue what God is doing let alone what He wants you to do in order to follow and do His Will?  I have been there recently.  One thing I found was that I was not asking God the right questions.  My questions were selfish and in a way demanding that God in His Divine power bend His Will to meet my need/want/desire/purpose.  But that is not how God operates.  I must submit or bend my will to join God where He is working.

Once you know God’s Plan and Will then you can adjust your life to Him and His purposes for it.  He has a plan and purpose for your life and it is based on what He is doing in you.  “What is God’s Will?”  So ask God to reveal his will to you in a very personal loving way. 

Henry Blackaby says, “Don’t just do something” just to be doing something.  I have this running joke (saying) with my wife and kids, “There is no benefit in flailing!” The old NIKE mission statement of “Just Do It” has penetrated all of us and often we think that if we just start doing something for God then we’ll feel closer to him and we will obviously be doing His will.  But if we are just doing something without a purpose, we flail - having no or little benefit to God’s Work and His people and using up all our strength and resources in vain.

Jesus says in John 15:5, “I am the Vine, you are the branches.  He who abides in me and I in him, bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing!”  You see, we sometimes miss the first and most important step in doing God’s Will – Being with God, and Growing a Love Relationship with God.  God wants all of us to experience a greater knowledge of Him in every area of our lives.  When we allow Him to guide us and work through us then He will do great things through us.

God is absolutely trustworthy!   If you are concerned about knowing and doing God’s Will like I am, then remember that God is more interested in your Love Relationship with Him than He is about what your work ethic for Him. As God then fills you with His Loving presence, He will guide you to do the great things He has planned for your life.  Jesus is the Way and when you follow His leadership one day at a time, then your life will produce much fruit because you will be doing God’s Will.

Philippians 2:13 says, “It is God who works in you, both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”  All we have to do is:

·         Follow God’s leading one day at a time

·         Keep Following when He doesn’t give out all the details

·         Follow  Jesus’ lead as the “Way” through this world.