God's goodness

Wow God is amazing. Anyone who has followed my blog knows that God is teaching me how to manage . Well last week God blessed me in a new way and I want to give him honor and share it with you. Six months ago I was driving around the city with a heavy heart. I was praying and talking to God about my vehicle. I said "God I don't see that it is wrong for me to desire to have a reliable vehicle to drive my family in. Please God show me your heart." Well I left it at that. A few weeks ago I met with a precious friend and he recommended that I go to a car dealership an hour out of town as they are have a reputation of being very integral and the vehicles were a few thousand dollars cheaper than in the city. So last Saturday I piled my clan into the van and we drove out there. We test drove 4 Astro vans and 2 GMC Safari's. We really liked the last van which was a 1998 GMC Safari. We told the dealer that we needed to talk to our bank then drove home. On our way home we prayed and asked "God If this is something that you want for our family, will you please allow the financing to go through?" Then we left it alone. I was away on my trip last week so didnt get to talk to the bank until Thursday. By the end of the day I was pre approved for the amount that I needed. Yesterday we drove back out there and purchased the van.
I was praying last night as I was driving to WAlly world (Walmart) with my baby boy and as I was praying I realized that anyone who does not know me could have the tendancy to say "Well ya, it is easy to give God honor when you get something that you want." But anyone that knows my life story will know that this is very much a God thing. I know this is getting long but bear with me. I want to give honor to God on this one.
Back in the summer I asked for the same amount of money and the bank basically laughed me off the phone.
Oh and the cool thing is that I got the loan over three years so it will be finished in 2008. The cool thing about that is that I am in a housing co-op and I need to be in my co-op for five years in order to get a mortgage on my house. I will be getting my mortgatge in the fall of 2007, then I will be paying off the van in the spring of 2008. So in three years I willl have a mortgage and a ten year old van paid for. God is so good to his kids. I struggled financially, emotionally, spiritually for ten years of my married life . I can see the steps that God had to take in order for me to get where I am at today. One lesson that for sure I have learned is this. If you will be faithful in the little things, I will bless you with more.
My old van was a testimony of that. It was a 1986 Dodge caravan. It was rusted, the drivers door didn't unlock from the ouside, it didn't close all the way, the passenger door was extremely hard to open. My seat adjustment was broken. My steering column was broken due to an attempted break in. My high beams didn't work. etc. Even though I had all these troubles with my van, I was extemely grateful to God for it. My friends couldn't understand why I would like such a wreck, but to me it was God's gift to me. Let me rephrase
Habakkuk 3:17-18

'Even though my doors don't open
and my seat doesn't work,
even though my high beams aren't working
and I can't get into my drivers door, I will still be joyful and glad,
because God is my savior.'

Home sweet home

I'm home. I was away for four days on a business trip. My wife was awsome here at home, she is so amazing when it comes to being my help meet, she hardly ever complains. I love her. My eldest son was a huge help to her also to which I am grateful. I'm off to be with my sweety.....

Raising the sword

I was out for coffee the other night and the gentleman that I was with asked me about the sword on my wall. I have a 53" sword hanging in my living room. I explained the history behind it. About 6 or 7 years ago as I was in prayer God kept holding out a sword in front of me. I could never understand what that meant. I visited Calgary and a very great friend asked me..."Did you take it?"....ummm no. He said ' next time that God holds the sword before you, take it. So a few weeks later I took it.I believed that it represented the sword of armor however I am starting to see that it is more a sword of truth for me. It has been my prayer that I would wield the sword of truth and divide soul from spirit. It seems as though God is doing that in my life in greater measures. I am meeting with people that need a good slicing. (sword of truth that is) I see that as excitement and trepidation as if I am not careful, I will tear someone to pieces. The sword of truth is only effective if it is powered by the leading of the Holy Spirit. With that said, I'm off to raise the sword yet again......

The Riches of Salvation

I am in the process of reading a book called Getting Evengelical's Saved by Paris Reidhead. It is an excellent read and it charges the reader to see that salvation is more that a simple prayer of acceptance. I want to share with you a portion of the book that really spoke to my heart and I hope that it does for you also.

......Lets suppose that you have been justifiesd by faith in Christ, but have gone through this life with complete indifference to the rest of Gods so great salvation. Lets imagine that you arrive in heaven and God greets you with the words:"Come with me my child." He takes you to the warehouse of his grace, throws back the big double doors and reveals to you deep shelves lined with the marvelous things he had purchased for you with the precious blood of his beloved son. As you survey the packages on the shelves, you see he has signed, sealed and addressed them to to you with the promise that they would reach you at various stages in your earthly pilgrimage. With trembling hands, you unwrap one of the packages that has remained on eternity's shelf. In it you discover health you could have had during that time of debilitating illness.

There's another package filled with victory that might have been yours in that time when you were struggling with temptation. Also on the shelf is a large crate loaded with the power of the Holy Spirit that might have been yours when you'd been entrusted with a special task.

As tears flow unchecked down your cheeks, you will hear God the father say:"Why my child, did you not take victory? Why didn't you claim my power for you? I made full provision for you every step of the way.

In a flashback of your life, God will show you how you went along broken and defeated, how you crept when you could have run; how you could have stopped crawling as a worm in the dust and mounted up as an eagle......

Wow what a powerful word. What will it take for us to let go of our fears and allow God to do the things in our lives that please him. I think that it starts by making him Lord over every area of our life, and seeing that we are here to give him honor and glory, we will do great and mighty things for his glory. The point in that message was that God has a huge amount of provisions for his porposes on this earth. We tend to get satisfied with a crumb when he wants us to have the whole loaf. It is my personal desire to be in the place in my life where God can take those promised provisions and give them to me when they are needed to further his Kingdom.

Father God I pray that we would not miss out on anything that you would have for us for the porposes of furthering your kingdom. The riches of your Salvation are precious and need to be treasured, Help us to seek them with all our heart.

I am hungry

One of my favorite songs is 'we are hungry' by Steve Fee (Passion Band)
I love it because it speaks to the core of my heart. This is where I sit today.....HUNGRY.....

We are Hungry Steve Fee

Lord I want more of You
Living water rain down on me
Lord I need more of You
Living breath of life come fill me up

Lord I want more of You
Living water rain down on me
Lord I need more of You
Living breath of life come fill me up

We are hungry
We are hungry
We are hungry for the more of You
We are thirsty, oh Jesus
We are thirsty for the more of You

Lord I want more of you
Holy Spirit rain down on me
Lord I need more of you
Living breath of life come fill me up

We lift our holy hands up
We want to touch You
We lift our voices higher and higher and higher to You

New Kid on the blog

I am pleased to announce another man of hope now blogging you can find him Here

Walking under cover

Ok this is a first....three post's in one day. I am currently dealing with a defiant child. If I say black he will say white, if I say now he says in 5 min, etc. This past weekend he has been in his room more often than being out. As I tucked him in for the night (early as a consequence of an earlier incident) I sat beside his bed and explained to him the importance of being obedient. I explained that when he disobeys his mom and I that he is accually walking the road of the wicked. (sorry rabbit trail...to long to go down....may come back to this road another day) Anyways I told him that it was extremely important for him to obey us as parents as we are teaching him to relate to God when he is older. I used an analagy that I thought was effective. I said "Our cover over you is like an umbrella. as long as you are under the umbrella you are safe. As soon as you walk out from that umbrella you get wet and are out from our protection. Pretend that God comes to you and say's ****** I want to provide an umbrella for you as it is pouring acid rain outside and I want you to stay dry and free from the pain of acid rain. "

As long as our children remain under the umbrella of our authority they are safe. But there are times that they walk out from under it and get pelted by acid rain. They get hurt, burnt and they cry out in pain, then run back under the umbrella where they remembered that they were safe. It is our job as parents to teach our kids to remain under the umbrella and under no circumstance should they walk out from it....except for when it is time for them to walk under God's cover. We have a huge responsibilty to teach this to our kids, for if they don't walk under our cover, they will not walk under God's cover.

The watchman

I love the biblical analogy of being a watchman. It teaches us to be alert and watch for the enemies attacks. Well today I didn't see him coming and got bushwacked. Today is my official anniversary although we celebrated it a few days ago. After church my wife and I got into a heated argument over something that we both felt justified in. We ended up in a fury and it ruined our afternoon. When we came together to talk about it we mended our ways and sought reconciliation with each other. After that though I realized that the enemy was trying to steal the gifts that God had given us a few days earlier. It seems to be a pattern in our marriage where God does some breakthrough in our lives and then we get tested immediately. Well I stand here a little beat up but in love with my God and my wife and I will stand with her and fight on her behalf in the heavenlies as well as for her identity. Satan tried to take us out today but in the end we are still strong and more alert of his cunning ways. To God be the glory for happiness and struggle for we grow closer to him and each other in the end.

A Credo for support

A friend wrote a note at the bottom of her latest blog relating to Tracey Latimer. This post is dedicated to those who are maginalized.


Throughout history, people with physical and mental disabilities have been abandoned at birth, banished from society, used as court jesters, drowned and burned during The Inquisition, gassed in Nazi Germany, and still continue to be segregated, institutionalized, tortured in the name of behaviour management, abused, raped, euthanized, and murdered. Now, for the first time, people with disabilities are taking their rightful place as fully contributing citizens. The danger is that we will respond with remediation and benevolence rather than equity and respect. And so, we offer you....

A CREDO FOR SUPPORT

Do not see my disability as a problem. Recognize that my disability is an attribute.
Do not see my disability as a deficit. It is you who see me as deviant and helpless.
Do not try to fix me because I am not broken. Support me. I can make my contribution to the community in my way.
Do not see me as your client. I am your fellow citizen. See me as your neighbor. Remember, none of us can be self-sufficient.
Do not try to modify my behavior. Be still and listen. What you define as inappropriate may be my attempt to communicate with you in the only way I can.
Do not try to change me, you have no right. Help me learn what I want to know.
Do not hide your uncertainty behind "professional" distance. Be a person who listens and does not take my struggle away from me by trying to make it all better.
Do not use theories and strategies on me. Be with me. And when we struggle with each other, let me give that rise to self-reflection.
Do not try to control me. I have a right to my power as a person. What you call non-compliance or manipulation may actually be the only way I can exert control over my life.
Do not teach me to be obedient, submissive, and polite. I need to feel entitled to say no if I am to protect myself.
Do not be charitable to me. The last thing the world needs is another Jerry Lewis. Be my ally against those who exploit me for their own gratification.
Do not try to be my friend. I deserve more then that. Get to know me. We may become friends.
Do not help me even if it does make you feel good. Ask me if I need your help. Let me show you how to better assist me.
Do not admire me. A desire to live a full life does not warrant adoration. Respect me for respect presumes equity.
Do not tell, correct and lead. Listen, support and follow.
Do not work on me.
Work with me.

Dedicated to the memory of Tracy Latimer

By
Norman Kunc and Emma Van der Klift

Sign of spring

It must be spring soon as my snowflakes are disappearing :( time for a change I guess.

A well executed plan

My wife and I celebrated our 12th annivesary yesterday. It was a blast. She had no idea that I was planning it. I want to share what we did. First off I arranged 24 hour child care. We then went for breakfast, went to see National Treasurer in the afternoon, then checked into our hotel. Went for supper, a walk, and a soak in the hot tub, followed by a relaxing movie in our room (which we got free as the quality was very poor). We ended our time together with breakfast in our room. I am a very blessed man to be married to such a special woman. It amazes me that after 12 years and the junk we have been through together, we are still in love with each other.....Isn't God great, to give such love!!!

Great post

I have to forward this post. It speaks to the desires of my heart, plus I want to honor her as a freind.

Making disciples

Matthew 28:18-20
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefor go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father, and the son and of the Holy spirit. and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

This has been a huge passage in my church. We have been praying and reshaping the way we do things in order to disciple others. This past week I have had a huge desire to make every effort to make disciples of Jesus Christ. He said teach them everything that I have commanded you. This is the mandate to where we teach others. If Jesus taught it we will teach it. The goal in the end is that others will be disciple makers. I have rearranged my life so that I have time to make disciples. It gives so much room for the Spirit of God to penetrate our lives and hearts. I was sharing this with my wife tonight and she said..."well that is where your heart is"...I love the one to one communion with others. It is more personal and you can get to the meat quicker. ( I don't enjoy small talk too much) Anyway I am in the beginning process of discipling two great men with huge hearts and are passionately in pursuit of God and his righteousness. I look forward to seeing God touch thier lives as we grow together and live the word together.

Giving honor where honor is due

I want to dedicate this post to my beautiful wife. It is our 12th anniversary on March 6 and I want to honor her. God has blessed me with her. She knows how I tick, and releases me to be the man that I am learning to be. You read of a woman with a gentle and quiet spirit and I live with one. She is a quiet person by nature. If you met her you may think that she is distant or withdrawn, however she is not that way. She is a very loyal freind, yet is not afraid to speak her mind. Many people underestimate her I believe, however I know that at some point she is going to be a living model of what a Godly mother/woman looks like. Her heart is so beautiful, her heart breaks for injustice, racial matters and children...oh my goodness does she love children. I think that she would resemble Esther's qualities. I love her unique relationship with God. Her most intimate times with God is while washing the dishes or doing laundry. Anyone that comes into her life would be blessed by her heart. I love the way se looks at me across the room. And she has a pet name that she calls me....If she uses my name, I know she means business. :) Anyway all things said and done, I could not ask for a better, more loving, committed, willing, spirit filled, person to share the rest of my life with. Oh one more thing, when she comments on other folks blogs she signs 'CWG's wife...What an honor.
I LOVE YOU "CWG'S WIFE"