Commitment

Do you remember your wedding day? I bet somewhere in your wedding ceremony you uttered the words, "for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part..." right? Somewhere in your ceremony you agreed to a commitment. A commitment to love, honor, and respect your spouse. You made that commitment to God, to your spouse, and to those who celebrated with you on that special day.

Have you noticed lately in the news, how people just don't seem to keep commitments? Individuals, groups, and companies are always looking out for themselves as they try and change commitments they have entered. This should not be so in marriage. To be committed takes work! It means emptying yourself. It means humbling yourself as you choose to stay committed in your marriage. It's caring more about the other person, than you do for yourself.

I have been greatly encouraged by the attendance of our Wednesday night Journey studies. What a blessing to have 40+ people show up as they are committed to their marriage. I believe that it's going to take God's people not only committed to their marriage, but also committed to Him, to change the direction of our society. Remember the commitment that God gave to us through Jesus. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son..." (John 3:16)- now that is commitment! Don't follow the world's example of commitment. And remember "greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world." (1 John 4:4) Memorize that verse. Meditate on that verse. Be committed to that verse as you love God and your spouse. As you remain committed to God, just see how He will bless the commitment in your marriage.

Great Expectations

O.k., so tomorrow is Saturday and I have a final in my Ministry Leadership class...and why am I blogging? Since I asked myself that questions, I guess I will have to answer that one... PROCRASTINATION! I don't like to admit it, but I do like to push things to the last minute sometimes. You know like Kobe waiting to take the last shot with 0.2 seconds left in the game. Or like "Big Daddy Vladdy" coming up in the bottom of the ninth inning, down by a run, two outs and a full count. Can't you picture it, me with a study guide and a pen the night before the final...maybe not.

Yes, it is true...tomorrow is my final. The class has been a good one and I have learned a lot about leadership and how to apply that in the church setting. I just finished up some writing that I needed to complete for the class, and next is the studying. I am looking forward to completing this class and then it is on to a preaching class in late June.

So now on to the "expectations." Thank you for those who prayed for me while preparing and teaching at the E for E conference last Saturday. It didn't quite work out the way "I" thought it would. I put in a good number of hours reading and preparing and guess what? I had one person attend. The man said it was what he needed for his church, so I will trust God that He will do what He wants with the work I prepared for Him. I wanted to leave you with a verse from Scripture that helps me in times of uncertainty as we base our decisions on God's Word and it doesn't pan out the "we" think it should...such as E for E.

"So My word that comes from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and will prosper in what I send it to do." Isaiah 55:11