"A Proud Daddy!" or "Learning the Hard Way"

O.k. I have to admit I have been a bit excited over the past couple weeks. My daughter Mykaela (Mysha) is now on the Cross Country Team at Henderson County High School. I am so proud because she is continuing a tradition of running on the Shouse family. My Dad ran for Daviess County High School. I ran for Apollo High School. And now here she is, taking the baton of legacy and running as well. It has sparked a unexpected feeling of pride and elation in my heart. She has taken something of mine and Dad's and now is making it her own. The other day we went out and ran more than 2 miles. When we got finished, (more accurately when I was finished) she went out and ran another one.
This is quite different than her initial reaction to the sport just a week ago. It was hard, difficult and tiring. She wanted to quit. I didn't understand why because I had warned her how tough it was. In fact, my exact words was that it was going to be torture for 2 weeks, then it gets easier. I told her it would never be easy but it would get easier. I also told her if it ever got really easy, she probably wasn't doing it right. (Runners know what I am talking about.) I told her of the amazing team she would apart of. There is just something about being apart of a group of people who share blood, sweat, and tears together. I told her that when she got to the meets, she would be so excited and they were thrilling. I told her about the sense of accomplishment of finished a feat of endurance. I told her of the energy she would have with other things. I told her the good and the bad of running, and in spite of all my instruction, encouragement, and truth telling, she still wanted to quit.
I was upset, mad, and a little perturbed that she did not want to finish the 2 weeks I warned her about. But she did finish them and now she loves it!!! She's hooked on it. We now have a bond which others can never understand until they go through the rights of torture we have experienced.
This experience is not an unusual one in life. I read about Isaac not long ago. In the beginning of Isaac's journey in life, he would always talk about the God of Abraham or the God of my Father. Then somewhere along the way it became "my God". Eventually it became the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But it did not start that way. Isaac had to find and discover God on his own. I know Abraham encouraged, instructed, and told the truth about God to his son but until Isaac found God himself, he never quite got it.
After he got it, though, he and Abraham had something no one could understand until they, too, found the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob for themselves.
What about you? Have you found Him? Let me tell, it isn't easy. At times it will feel like torture. But as your faith grows it will get easier, but never easy. In fact, if it is ever easy, you probably not doing it right. But you have to commit yourself to doing it.
Why do those words seem so familiar????

"How Quick We Forget" or "Spiritual Amnesia"

This has been a tough week. It has been a week where there have been spiritual attacks from all fronts. And in these times, it is so easy to forget about who God is and the promises He makes to those who love and follow Him. It's easy to forget all the times He has proved Himself over and over again. It's easy to overlook the impact God has had through you. It is during these times we tend to experience Spiritual Amnesia.
The truth still remains that God is still the same God who did all those amazing things yesterday. He is still the same God who used Joseph's imprisonment for His glory. He is the same God who Moses even though He was over 80 years old. He is the same God who took Daniel and used him for the glory of God and His people in a foreign land. He is still the same God who used roughnecks like Peter and John and changed the world even tough they were arrested over and over. He is the same God who who took a man completely stuck in the tradition of his day and changed his name from Saul to Paul to create an innovative and impactful mission of spreading the Word to the nations. He is the same God who has used you and me to reach a world that is lost and dying in their sin. Let the complainers revel in their misery and disgust. Let us be about the mission God has in store for us. Do not be distracted by these petty issues that have no eternal significance and reach out to the hurting and lost among us.

Putting Up With Him

One of my favorite TV shows is Monk. It is a show about a former police detective who is now a consultant and helps the San Fransisco Police solve the strangest cases. However, everybody is completely uncomfortable around Monk, including Monk himself. He has so many phobias and issues that it is hard to keep straight. (He is afraid of milk because it is a bodily fluid! You're welcome for that one!) He doesn't have anyone who just hangs out with him. He always cleaning up when ever there is a mess even if it's not His. But He always solves the case, always. He is always right, so people put up with him.
Often times, we treat God the same way. We know we need Him. We know He is right. We know He can solve any problem we face. But He makes us uncomfortable, so we only call when we need Him. Or, We just "put up" with Him. Being in God's presence is the most uncomfortable place we can be. In light of His presence, we see our sin, shortcomings, and failures. We might cut ourselves some slack but God never does, He loves us too much for that. He wants to change us and clean us up so that we may be more like Him. He wants to show us a better way. A way of joy.
In the book of Jeremiah, God says, "Because you have trusted in Me, you will keep your life like the spoils (of war)." (39:18b) You don't tolerate or put up with spoils but you celebrate them. God wants your life to be like that as well! Revel in presence. Enjoy your time with Him. There will be messes to clean up, clutter to be sorted out, and problem to be solved, but He's really good at that!

Give Me! Give Me! Give Me!

For past 2 weeks, God has been doing some things quite extraordinary in my life and one of them has to do with my prayer life. I do a morning quiet time and usually my prayer time goes something like this...
Lord,
Thank-You for this day and all you do for me. Please bless us in all we do today. Help me to follow You in all things. Help me to say the words You want me to say. Please take care of this and this and this and this and this and this, etc.... AMEN!
Now, there is nothing wrong with asking the Lord for provisions and guidance. (In fact, He tells us to.) The problem I found was I never spent any time in worship! Remember worship is about giving thanks for who He is! So, for the last 2 weeks I have been on a "requests ban"! What I mean is, I do not ask Him for anything during my quiet time. When people ask me to pray for them, I pray for them right then and there. When I have an issue or a problem, I pray for it when it happens. But in my quiet time in the morning, it's all about Him. I've been just lathering Him with love and devotion! Imagine that, showing Him devotion in my devotional time.
The results have been unreal. I can not believe how my outlook on life has changed. I live at peace no matter the circumstance. My trust and faith have grown immeasurably because every morning I am reminded of how GREAT He is. I am shown every morning that He is in charge of all things. He is never taken off guard or surprised by what might happen. He already has a plan in place for the situations we face. Therefore, worry is a great enemy in our lives because worry says we do not trust that God either knows about it or cares about it or both.
Take the next week and spend time with just you and God and in that time do not ask for a single thing. Instead give to Him what He wants most of all, us.