Colder Weather

Now that it is getting colder, my family has started getting out the “winter/cold” clothes.

Its nice to know that when the weather turns, I can open a tub of clothes and the sweaters, sweatshirts and long johns are right there.  Throughout the Bible, Jesus reminds us that He is there, and what He offers us is not only eternal, but also something that the World cannot give.  My Warmth in the cold weather of life, is Peace.

A peace that passes all understanding… When life is hard, confusing or painful, I can still have peace in my heart and mind. 

The Verse  John 14:27 
is a something I like to call… a “Dashboard Verse” (a verse that needs to be printed out and taped to my car dash, a daily reminder.)

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” (NLT)

It is comforting to know that by believing, trusting and following in Jesus. We can have a little bit more warmth in these colder times.  Wrap the love of God around you and your family this fall, and share it with those around you.

Peace,

adam

Seasons Change

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2) A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that, which is planted;

 3) A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4) A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

 5) A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6) A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7) A time to rend (tear), and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8) A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace…”

These verses not only made a great song, but they keep me going when I get down, confused or need direction.

This week I focused on verses 4 and 6. ( I could talk about this chapter all day, so I’ll try to keep it short)

Verse 3 always provided me the permission I felt I needed to FEEL.  As the oldest, and now self-proclaimed “man of the house,” I decided that everyone else could show emotion but me.  Especially if something sad, or devastating happened… I wanted to be the strong one.   “A time to Weep and a time to Laugh. A time to Mourn and a time to Dance.”  We don’t have to suppress or ignore our feelings.  When its time to cry, cry… just know that there will also be a time to stop crying and Laugh or Dance instead.

“A time to Get, and time to Lose. A time to Keep and a time to Cast Away.” (verse 6)

Did you ever physically have to let someone or something go?  Or what about letting go of Control? There comes a time when we have to say “I let go…” and lose whatever we are trying to keep.   However, God doesn’t leave us without. There will be a time to Get and a time to Keep. We must always remember that.

It seems like Seasons Change right before our eyes, sometimes leaving us stunned and trying to adjust.  My goal is not to hold on to a season of the past, but embrace the season that I am in today.

“Summer is gone and autumn is here. Winter has drawn ever nearer.” (a. crozier)

With Love,

-adam 

I’m Doing What I Wanted You to Tell Me to Do.

My Life (a short skit)

Act 1   Scene 1

Me: “Do you have a dessert menu?”

Waitress: “We have three options, Ice Cream on a Cookie….”

Me: ”OOOh that sounds good, we’ll have that!”

I get back to the table and my wife asks, “What are their options?”

Me: “I got us the Ice Cream on a cookie.”

Wife: “What did they have to choose from?”

Me: “I can’t remember the other options, I just heard her say Ice Cream on a cookie and it sounded really good.”

Wife: “I asked you to bring the menu over so we could decide…” (End scene)

Epic… Fail.

I knew she wanted dessert and that we saw other patrons eating the ice cream, so that was on my mind instead of hearing all of the options. The waitress gave them to me but I tuned them out.

Going through life, I like to ask God for direction. Sometimes daily, weekly or monthly depending on how content I am with the path he wants me to be on.

But sometimes, I ask the question,” Lord where do you want me to go?” and already have the answer I want in my head.

The story in Mark 4 when Jesus is out in the Sea talking to a crowd on the shore, He starts off with a very important word. (Verses 3-8)

3 Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

What if we just stopped listening after verse 3? “A sower went to sow…” 

We’d be running around throwing seeds everywhere. “God told me to sow, so I am Sowing!!”

Jesus goes on to tell us where to sow, that way we do not sow in vain. 

If you are asking God for directions, help, or for Him to bring someone into your life; let HIM answer. Don’t ask and then run in the direction you want to.

This same advice I am trying to apply to conversations with other people.  This can be applied to everyday living.

 Let's listen, fully!

~adam

Leafless Trees

It’s that time of year again, my favorite time, autumn!  Give me a cup of coffee, some good (melancholy) music and I am good to go.  Autumn in Kentucky, for me, is an extremely beautiful season. It’s the first season I was exposed to (as it contains the month of my birth) and it always seems to be my most inspired time (creatively.) But what makes it so beautiful, everything is dying?

For me, it’s the trees! They provide the coolest visual effects as their leaves change into their reds, oranges and yellows before blowing away into the sky.  Trees also make up my unofficial soundtrack to fall. Hearing the wind blow through the dry leaves or listening to them crackle at our feet as we walk, the sound of raking them up (only to run through them,) there’s something about it.

Once the leaves are gone and the trees are standing bare. It is not hard to mistake some of them as dead.  Thankfully, this is not the case.  We know that when spring comes around these trees will start to sprout new leaves and before we know it the skyline will be full and green.  

One of my favorite verses of all time is 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

In order for us to have a new beginning, become a new person or get a fresh start… Our old self has to go. Like leaves on a tree God takes the dying parts away, to give us a new coat, a new season, a new life.

Happy autumn!

 Love, Adam