Final 08 Post-A look back

Well there are several posts that I wanted to accomplish before now. One being a full write-up on the India trip, my submission on music and the other two categories from the last series. I have had some time to do them but wasn't in the frame of mind to write.

This year has been a year of wonderful blessings and great tragedy. The last part of the year from september to december, has been at best a blur. Monica, my best friend's wife lost her battle with cancer, so did my Moms best friend. A constant in our church, Larry, went to heaven months after falling from a roof. I attended several viewings and visitations for other friends who lost loved ones. It got to be a bit much.

At the beginning of the year we put our rental house up for sale that we had moved into for a year. After getting a contract on it we moved to a new house only to have the contract fall through just 3 days before the closing. So we have had two houses to tend to for close to ten months now. The market is not helping and for some reason neither is God. He must have other plans.

On the positive end of the stick we truly have been blessed. Our health has been good this year. Food has been on the table. We have grown spiritually and have watched Connor grow quite a bit physically. We (Raina really) also have completed 8 of 9 months of our third pregnancy. We are excited to end this year expecting a new baby boy as apposed to ending last year with the loss off a baby after a short term.

I have also been blessed with work and have enjoyed working so closely with ESPN for a second year. While they are not the only client they are the main one. They have treated us well and as I write this I am enjoying the Chick-fil-a Bowl on my 42 inch plasma provided by them.

Above all we have strived this past year to be obedient and faithful to the Lord and He has been more than that in return. He has provided for us in so many ways allowing Raina to stay home with Connor.

This year will start with the birth of our second but who knows what else is in store for us. We live in troubled times and we have no idea what 2009 may hold. Many will make resolutions that will never be kept past the first month, the economy will most likely continue to decline, the new president will begin his reality check, and many other things will unfold that only God knows. Praise Him for that! We will fall, fail, and forget but He is always forgiving, faithful and never changing.

We are looking forward to what God has for us this year. May we look back in 12 months and be able to testify of changed lives, battles won, lessons learned and continue to worship our God.

The Selfless Life

This has to be the hardest struggle for every person. Dying to self as Paul puts it in Galatians. I don't want to be selfish. I want to give more and be concerned for others before myself. I do know it is a daily thing. Actually doing it is the hard part.

Our mind is so focused on benefiting ourselves and our agenda that it is like a train that is bound to it's tracks. This is a very hard thing. It is not a switch that can be turned on or off at will. It has to be a course correction that takes time.

I don't have much else to say about this other than God is dealing with me about it and I want to be more Christ like. A better servant to Him and a helper to those around me. Maybe by the time my life is over I will have more wisdom on this and can look back and see the green grass of a life lived for others because I sprayed the spiritual roundup on the weeds of selfishness.

The uncluttered life-How important are things?

God has really been working on me about this. I grew up having my needs provided. We never had everything we wanted but we always had enough. Often times if I wanted a certain item I would have to pay for it myself, either with money I got for a birthday, working a side job, or any way I could get a little coin. I always struggled with flaming money. It burned a hole in my pocket before it hit the bottom. There were so many cool things I "needed".

I have a quote on my wall in my office that says, " The secret of happiness is not the enlargement of our means, but the limitation of our desires."

While a great saying, it is very hard to live out. We have so many things. Junk really. And we live in a society that tells us we need more. I find myself thinking, "If I just had that flat panel TV I would be fine. I wouldn't need anything else. That's all I really want." The wiser more experienced side of me knows that the TV would not be the end all. There will always be something else.

The problem most people deal with is getting the TV even though they can't afford it. That's not my problem anymore since we no longer use credit cards and only finance our house and car. My issue is, how important is that TV and does God want me to have it to enjoy?

I am working through coming to a position on this. God does satisfy our mouths with good things the Bible says. I believe though that there are two questions to ask before purchasing and item. 1. Will it pull me away from my walk with Christ and 2. can the money I would use be used better somewhere else. The hardest part for me is that last one. Why? Selfishness. Which leads me to the next post.

Addendum

I wanted to add this since it is Christmas time and to save another post.

Raina and I have been discussing whether or not to teach our boys about Santa Claus. I have a lot of wonderful memories about the anticipation of getting up Christmas morning (getting up really means getting out of bed since I really didn't sleep) and going to the living room to see what Santa had left. Raina on the other hand did not grow up with "Santa".

I never felt angry, upset or hurt when I found out Santa was just a story. Other kids may have but I did not. My memories were good memories and though I did not realize it at the time my parents always gave me gifts that were better than "Santa" and never over emphasized his role. In addition we always spent a great deal of time focused on the Birth of Christ. So my following statements do not come from anything but a positive experience.

I have for some time thought about Santa and whether or not I would lead my children to believe in a man who knows everything I do, sees me when I'm sleeping and when I am awake and knows if I have been bad or good so I should please him... hey wait a minute that guy has a lot of attributes that I have been taught that God has. I find out that this Santa guy was just a made up story based on a guy how did good things for people many generations ago. That also sounds like another person I was told about. Jesus. He was a good guy right? Well if Santa isn't real shouldn't I wonder about those other two that seem to have similar Characteristics?

Whether that thought would ever occur to a child, I can't say. It did not come to my mind, but the devil can use anything and am I willing to take that chance?

Many would say Santa is harmless. Others would say he is the spawn of Satan (hey that spelling is close to santa) but I feel Santa is a great story that has become a replacement for the truth. In that way he IS being used by Satan. Many times if Satan can distract us he is just as satisfied as if he wrecked our lives.

Here is the tie in with the "simple life". I believe that in some ways Santa and Christmas has not been the only factor, but has most definitely contributed to my desire for "things". I'm sure this could be said for many people. Christmas to me meant getting and receiving. I know full well that selfishness is part of the sinful flesh and nature we already have, I am submitting though that Christmas, the one time a year more than any other when we should be focused on the gift of our Saviour, the opposite is the case; we promote the already inner struggle against materialism.

So will Connor and his brother be taught about Santa? Absolutely! Just not that he is real. They will also learn that it truly is better to give than to receive. I think that this year is a good time to start!!!