God Makes Them Grow

by Jeff on 27. Jul, 2010 in Family

Saturday night as Parker (my oldest) and I returned from our mission trip to Mexico I couldn’t help but be overcome with emotion.  I was tired, I hadn’t seen my wife or other 3 kids in 10 days, and I hadn’t slept in my own bed in some time.

But the thoughts that were flooding my mind and my heart were focused on Parker.  He’s 13, not a little boy any more, he is becoming a man.  We had just spent the last 10 days serving together.  And I couldn’t think of any other way that I would have rather spent those days. Eating foods that we weren’t accustomed to, doing things that were outside of both of our comfort zones but most importantly learning together that what Jesus says is true.

True life is found not in trying to gain it but in giving it away,

not by taking the highest place but by taking the lowest place,

not by getting but by giving.

I’m so excited about the growth that God has brought about in his life and I can’t wait to see what impact God may choose to have him make for His Kingdom.

I’m honored to be his dad!

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table

My Seat At The Table

by Jeff on 16. Jun, 2010 in Growth

There is a battle that rages within me.  I want people to think that I am important and significant.  That what I have done or produced is good, awesome or even amazing.  But I act like I don’t care about any of those things.

In fact there are times when I couldn’t care less what anybody else thinks of me or of what I’ve done.  But then I begin to wonder if I really don’t care or if I just want people to think that I don’t care because that would make me seem pretty cool.

I’ve been thinking about this for a while as I sit here staring at my laptop screen.  I catch my reflection in the monitor and I think I see just another human trying to find a good spot at the table.

Luke 14:7-11 (The Message)
He went on to tell a story to the guests around the table. Noticing how each had tried to elbow into the place of honor, he said, “When someone invites you to dinner, don’t take the place of honor. Somebody more important than you might have been invited by the host. Then he’ll come and call out in front of everybody, ‘You’re in the wrong place. The place of honor belongs to this man.’ Red-faced, you’ll have to make your way to the very last table, the only place left.

“When you’re invited to dinner, go and sit at the last place. Then when the host comes he may very well say, ‘Friend, come up to the front.’ That will give the dinner guests something to talk about! What I’m saying is, If you walk around with your nose in the air, you’re going to end up flat on your face. But if you’re content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself.”

“Jesus, help me be content simply being myself, help my only aspiration to be to serve.  If I’m serving I don’t need a spot at the table.”

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