Living the Good Life

There’s a New Year coming and its literally just hours away. For many of us this seems to be good news….for we suppose in our minds that as awful as this year has been, SURELY next year will have to be better….however; as much as I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, this may not be true.

At the end of this year, many of you are suffering from lost jobs, lost incomes, lost clients, lost savings and investments and maybe even the loss of a loved one. But your ability to function and find joy in the New Year should not be determined by your circumstances….for God may be using your problems to prepare you for greater things to come … He may be testing your trust, faith and resilience in these difficult days…or He may be correcting, punishing and reshaping your behavior for sins or disobedience in the past….whatever the reason, the Christian walk is not without its problems and difficulties.

There are many well-intentioned orators and preachers of the highly acclaimed “success and prosperity” religion that is so popular with the masses these days; however, these men and women seem to have left out a number of biblical passages that deal with God using our problems to prepare us for greater service. One of my favorites is found in Hebrews that reads, “Let God train you, for he is doing what any loving father does for his children. Whoever heard of a son who was never corrected? Our earthly fathers trained us for a few brief years, doing the best for us that they knew how, but God’s correction is always right and for our best good, that we may share His holiness (my emphasis). Being punished isn’t enjoyable while it is happening-it hurts! But afterwards we can see the results, a quiet growth in grace and character.” Hebrews 12:7, 10-11 (The Living Bible.)

As you look back on the pitfalls, problems and perplexities of this past year, don’t fall into that mindset that says you are doomed and nothing good can come out of the situation in which you now find yourself…rather understand that even our Savior lived in and through the midst of his problems. Even with all of the trials and tribulations of life that lead to his death on a cruel Roman cross, Christ was ultimately victorious in life. Neither the scorn nor prejudice of the Pharisees nor the grumblings of the religious leaders held Him back from seeking and doing the Father’s will. He had temptations, problems, desires, and yet, He was without sin because He knew that each moment spent in self-pity would take Him away from service to his Heavenly Father.

So, as this year comes to a close, why not take a moment to look back at last year’s failures, problems or difficulties and see what it might have been that God was trying to teach you. Was it TRUST….OBEDIENCE…FAITH….ACCEPTANCE; whatever it might have been…. know this; even though each problem or disaster might have been unpleasant, difficult or even gut wrenching, God was building in you character and grace that will be sufficient for all of life’s woes.

It is true for each of us that we may not understand God’s methods and we may be perplexed in our circumstances, but know this….GOD IS WORKING ALL THINGS OUT FOR OUR GOOD!!!! He will not let you fall any further than your knees as you come to Him in complete surrender and acknowledge Him as Lord in your life. Your problems may get worse….Christ’s did, as He was led as a lamb to the slaughter; but, in His obedience, God was glorified and He was lifted up to draw all men unto himself.

Got problems? Then, rejoice that God is at work in your life….either He is punishing you and correcting your ways so that you might be of greater service or He is preparing you and equipping you with greater character for an ever-increasing role in His Kingdom….either way, GOD IS IN CONTROL AND NOTHING HAPPENS TO YOU BY CHANCE…so go on, let go and let God have His way….living the good life for God lies just ahead in the New Year.

Looking Forward to Perfection….Enduring the Pains,
WPQ

ON YOUR MARK...GET SET...

Well, it’s that time of year again…when we put away the Christmas ornaments, tinsel and lights and begin the task of getting ready for a New Year. We stop looking back at our past failures and mistakes and look forward to the prospects of new beginnings….we call them New Year’s Resolutions.

This year let’s try something simple….no resolutions to lose weight, quit smoking, get more exercise, eat better, eat less and on and on the list goes. This year let’s make one simple decision that will forever immeasurably impact our lives and the lives of those around us….let’s resolve, with the Lord’s help, to sin less.

You see, sin is all about us…it’s evident in the very center of the word …the letter “I”! Life becomes all about what I want, what I need, what I deserve, what I should have….I…I…I! It’s no wonder that God’s blessings can’t get through to us …they are held back by the dam of sin that separates us from His love and from our fellowship with a loving and caring Heavenly Father.

If you’re not sure of this, then take a look at Ephesians 2:1-10 and there you will read of God’s mercy toward us while we were yet sinners. But, God did not leave us in our hopeless state for scripture tells us, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not of your own doing: it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

It’s not about what you can do to make yourself better in the coming New Year…it’s about what God has already done through His Son, Jesus Christ. It’s about the mercy and grace of God. It’s about your desire to walk closer with Him on a daily basis and the only way to accomplish this is to sin less…..so we ask; how does one accomplish that?

The first thing to do is to replace the “I” in sin with the “O” and the word, sIn becomes the word, sOn ….and it’s always about the SON!!!! If you want to sin less, you need to be more like the Son of God in all you do. Is it easy? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Is it within our means …not without the help of the Holy Spirit! Can it make a difference in your world and with those God puts in your path….ABSOLUTELY, WITHOUT A DOUBT!

As we prepare for the start of a new year, God is calling each of us to begin 2011 resolved to sin less and to walk more like Jesus in our daily lives. He is waiting to bless each of us in ways we can not even imagine if we will just surrender to Him and allow Him to be the center of our focus. If we focus less on ourselves and more on Jesus, WE WILL SIN LESS AND OUR HEAVENLY FATHER WILL BE EXALTED …..

And that’s the best way to start a New Year….walking with our Lord so that others may see Jesus in us.

Will it be easy to forego the trap of New Year’s resolutions and the fallacy that we can somehow make ourselves better and more acceptable to God? I don’t know…but this I do know; God is calling us to be salt and light to a dark and desperate world. We can not expect to keep doing things the same way and get better results…we must change and that change comes from God and God alone.

So put down your paper and pencil and set aside the anguish that comes from making resolutions that are too easily broken…rather focus your energies on reading God’s word and asking for the power to become the man or woman God has called you to be in 2011.

He’s just waiting to open the floodgates and make 2011 a year like no other ……the choice is up to you!


May Blessings Abound,
WPQ

A BABY CHANGES EVERYTHING....

The following is a reprint from Salt & Light, December 2009...It is the REASON FOR THE SEASON....Please read on and be blessed!

In my last submission to Salt & Light, I wrote about the upcoming birthday of our daughter, Alyson…and as her mother and I took a walk down memory lane, I was reminded of that age-old truth…A BABY CHANGES EVERYTHING!

I remember that during those long months of expectancy, I took a simple note card and in my rudimentary calligraphy wrote the following and placed it in Alyson’s crib….COMING SOON…..ALYSON TAYLOR QUEEN.

As a father, expecting his first (and in my case, only child), I was filled with fear, trepidation and anxious moments as I anticipated this new arrival….would I be a good father? Would I know what to do and how to protect this small child? Would I, could I and should I filled my every thought, for as I have mentioned before….A BABY CHANGES EVERYTHING!

I’m sure that was true on that first Christmas night, two thousand plus years ago, as Mary and her betrothed husband unloaded the donkey and began to make a birthing bed for Mary. They probably waited in silence, huddled together to stave off the cold night air as they awaited the miracle of birth. The cattle stirred and the bleating sound of the sheep interrupted their thoughts of what had happened in days past ….and look where they were now…on the precipice of the moment when.....

A BABY CHANGES EVERYTHING…..ESPECIALLY WHEN HE IS THE SON OF GOD!!!!

And now, tomorrow ( some 2,000 plus years later) the same is true….A BABY CHANGES EVERYTHING….for that was God’s intent all along. Through His prophet Isaiah, God foretold, “For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

God came to us in a form and in a way that we could understand….He came as a baby and through His birth, His life, His death and His glorious resurrection, HE HAS CHANGED EVERYTHING. No longer is God mad at us; no longer is His perfect justice the means to our destruction because of our sin and disobedience….He has shown His great love for each of us because He sent His son…His only Son to take our place; to pay our debt; to forgive our sins; to cleanse us from all unrighteousness; to make us a new creation; to give us eternal life as a free gift from Him….and it all started with a baby.

It is my hope that you know the Christ-child of Christmas not only as the babe in the manger, but as the Christ on the cross. I pray that the babe of Bethlehem lives in your heart and is the Lord and Savior of your life. I trust that for you this baby, God’s son, is the BABY THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING FOR YOU.

BUT IF NOT....THEN, WHY NOT?

Don’t let another day go by without the acknowledgement that you need a savior. Accept today that the baby born to Mary and Joseph so very long ago is the baby that changes everything ….for if you are willing to confess that He is Lord and that His death on the cross paid your sin debt, you will have eternal life… and that forever life, in the presence of the Heavenly Father, starts the moment you invite the Christ- child, JESUS, into your heart. Trust your heart to the babe, God’s Son, EMMANUEL….GOD WITH US!

Be Blessed and Know that He is God,
WPQ

The Man and the Birds

Each year at Christmas, I eagerly search across my radio dial trying to find the story of the Man and the Birds, as told my Paul Harvey. I find that in listening to that story, I am so wonderfully reminded of the love of God for each of us. On many occasions, I have been forced to pull off on the side of the road to listen to the conclusion of the story…it’s so hard to drive when your eyes are water-logged and leaking.

I hope and pray that during this Christmas season, you will have the wonderful opportunity to hear Mr. Harvey’s captivating telling of this timeless story…of Emmanuel, God with us. If not, then please read on and be forever blessed to know that the love of God was expressed…in human form…in a manager in Bethlehem…in a baby named JESUS.

The Man and the Birds by Paul Harvey:

The man to whom I'm going to introduce you was not a scrooge; he was a kind decent, mostly good man. He was generous to his family and always upright in his dealings with other men. But he just didn't believe all that incarnation stuff which the churches proclaim at Christmas Time. It just didn't make sense and he was too honest to pretend otherwise. He just couldn't swallow the Jesus Story, about God coming to Earth as a man.

"I'm truly sorry to distress you," he told his wife, "but I'm not going with you to church this Christmas Eve." He said he'd feel like a hypocrite. That he'd much rather just stay at home, but that he would wait up for them. And so he stayed and they went to the midnight service.

Shortly after the family drove away in the car, snow began to fall. He went to the window to watch the flurries getting heavier and heavier and then went back to his fireside chair and began to read his newspaper. Minutes later he was startled by a thudding sound...Then another, and then another. Sort of a thump or a thud...At first he thought someone must be throwing snowballs against his living room window. But when he went to the front door to investigate, he found a flock of birds huddled miserably in the snow. They'd been caught in the storm and, in a desperate search for shelter, had tried to fly through his large landscape window.

Well, he couldn't let the poor creatures lie there and freeze, so he remembered the barn where his children stabled their pony. That would provide a warm shelter, if he could direct the birds to it. Quickly he put on a coat, galoshes, tramped through the deepening snow to the barn. He opened the doors wide and turned on a light, but the birds did not come in. He figured food would entice them in. So he hurried back to the house, fetched bread crumbs, sprinkled them on the snow, making a trail to the yellow-lighted wide open doorway of the stable. But to his dismay, the birds ignored the bread crumbs, and continued to flap around helplessly in the snow. He tried catching them...He tried shooing them into the barn by walking around them waving his arms...Instead, they scattered in every direction, except into the warm, lighted barn.

And then, he realized that they were afraid of him. To them, he reasoned, I am a strange and terrifying creature. If only I could think of some way to let them know that they can trust me...That I am not trying to hurt them, but to help them… But how?....since any move he made tended to frighten them, confuse them. They just would not follow. They would not be led or shooed because they feared him.

"If only I could be a bird," he thought to himself, "and mingle with them and speak their language. Then I could tell them not to be afraid. Then I could show them the way to the safe, warm barn. But I would have to be one of them so they could see and hear and understand." At that moment the church bells began to ring. The sound reached his ears above the sounds of the wind. As he stood there listening to the bells ….listening to the bells pealing forth the glad tidings of Christmas, he understood …. And he sank to his knees in the snow.

I trust that this Christmas, when you hear those church bells ring or the sounds of carolers lifting their voices in praise to the newborn babe, you too, will understand the message of Christmas….Jesus Christ is born and God is forever with us!

Merry Christmas….Happy Birthday, Jesus!

WPQ

A Time to Shine

I grew up in Charlotte, near a small mill town lovingly known as Christmas Town, USA. It gained its name due to its Christmas tradition of lighting each home and the entire mill village in thousands and tens of thousands of Christmas lights.

Each Christmas season over a million viewers would climb into their cars, vans, SUVs’ and church buses and make the drive south on I85 to the McAdenville Exit to take the 2 mile trek though this quite hamlet. In fact, I have seen times when the cars were backed up in the exit and emergency lanes, bumper to bumper, for over three miles down the interstate…why all this commotion year after year to make a trip to this small town at Christmas?

Everyone was drawn to the LIGHTS….to the sheer magnitude of the beauty of millions of brightly shining lights, adorning each home; the tiny mill and the trees around the small pond and all the other buildings of this small, quaint mill town.

But why did the people of McAdenville go to such trouble each and every Christmas season to do the work, spend the money on decorations and electricity and have the town invaded by millions of outsiders?

I believe they understood the scripture in Matthew 5: 14-16 that reads, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a candle and put it under a basket, but on a stand and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

This is the season for us to shine …to give light and warmth, love and encouragement to all those we encounter …to tell others that the light of the world has come …the Babe of Bethlehem….Jesus.

It is in this season, above all others, that our hearts should be filled with charity for those less fortunate than us. Our pocketbooks and our wallets should naturally fall open as we look for ways to bring “light” to those who are in the midst of “darkness”…the loss of a job; mourning for a dear loved one who has passed away; the onset of unforeseen misfortune or mounting bills; empty tables and empty cupboards…and the list goes on.

You can be that “light” today if you will only open your eyes and then, open your heart and your hand to those who need help. There are many that are hurting in our communities, churches and company cultures that will never say a word or let anyone know the circumstances in which they find themselves…but God knows and He is just waiting for a willing heart and an open hand to meet their needs. Ask God to help you find someone who needs your help and then get ready for action. He will provide …both the need and the means to meet that need.

Today, let your light shine so that He will receive the glory….you can and must be the light of the Savior in the world today…He has no one but you….will you let Him be glorified in you….it’s time to shine for Jesus!

Glorifying the Father ….Shining brightly to light my world,

WPQ

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Lord, make my life a guiding light
So that my neighbors might see
May they be lead to seek your face
Because of what they’ve seen in me.

WPQ Jan 2003

Operation….Christmas Andrew!

The season of Christmas is filled with all the sights and sounds of this special holiday…twinkling lights, candy canes, sleigh bells ringing, children singing …you get the picture….however, the center of this season is and always should be the celebration of the birth of Christ.

For each of us that profess to be a “believer” and call ourselves “little Christ”, we know that the birth of Christ is sacrosanct to our faith for it lays the foundation for us…it shows us that our God loved us enough to make himself one of us and to give his life for us so that we might forever live with Him.

EMMANUEL…GOD WITH US!!!! This is the true message of Christmas. Unfortunately, too many of us, on too many occasions fail to make this holiday a celebration of the birth of Jesus and his arrival among us; rather we toddle along with the world’s view that Christmas is about the money not the manager. We set aside our beliefs to satisfy our desires for pleasure and pride. Our gifts are about us and not about our spirit of giving.

What is the greatest thing you could do to bring about change in the life of someone this Christmas?

You could become a “Christmas Andrew!”

John 1: 35-41 tells us how; “The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon. Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.

Did you catch that? Andrew spent the day with Jesus and then he went to get his brother, Peter….WHY?.....So that he might introduce him to the Savior …The Messiah …God’s fulfilled promise of EMMANUEL.

Today, if you take a look around in your sphere of influence, there is a family member, a close companion at work or a nearby neighbor ….that for Christmas and all its pleasures and pageantry… they have become fixated on the familiar rather than focused on the Forever.

They have become inoculated to the true meaning of Christmas and they need a Christmas Andrew…someone, who in love and gentle encouragement, will remind them that Jesus is the reason that we celebrate this season…or maybe, they don’t know the babe of Bethlehem at all.

Today, you can be the “Andrew” that takes them to meet the Savior. You can share with them the joy that comes from knowing the true and living Messiah….Emmanuel…then; they too can know that Jesus loves them and gave his life to ransom them from their sins….

The true message of each Christmas season is really quite simple….FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE…..WHAT WILL YOU GIVE THIS CHRISTMAS?

Give the greatest gift that anyone can give at Christmas...give YOURSELF totally surrendered to your Heavenly Father.

Be a Christmas Andrew and bring those you love to worship the babe in the manager….

Seeking to Share….Praying to be an Andrew,

WPQ

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Christmas is a wondrous time
There’s always much to do;
But the greatest gift that you can give
Is to be a Christmas Andrew….
WPQ Dec'10

The Season...Revisited!

Today's thoughts are from one of last year's postings ....when I read this the other day, I felt the tug on my heart to share its poignant message again...I trust you will be blessed and these thoughts will help you to prepare to more greatly enjoy this season of giving...God Bless.

The Chore of Giving

Well, it’s that time again as we begin the dash to the malls and we rush to the outlets to buy the latest thingamajig or whatjamucallit. In fact, it all started this past Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, in what has become known as BLACK FRIDAY.

Now, I don’t about you, but that seems to be a rather ominous name with which to begin what is suppose to be the most joyous season of the year…..Black Friday…as if something, terrible and sinister is about to happen….and if you don’t check out the motivation of your heart, well, that could very well be the case.

Let’s take just a moment and examine what this season is all about…. It’s all about GIVING!

We have, as the perfect example, the gift of God’s beloved Son; who laid down His crown and came as a baby, giving himself as a ransom for us all. Jesus taught us all, “that it is more blessed to give than to receive,” but somewhere in our self-centered culture, we have replaced the spirit of giving with the hunger lust for getting.

For many of us today, giving has become just another chore…something that we put on our “to-do” list as just another one of the many activities that fill up our holiday calendar. As for me, I think it is time to get back to giving as a hilarious way of living. What do I mean by such a statement?

In the second letter to the Corinthians, Paul says, “Each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times; you may abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:7-8

In the original manuscript, the word cheerful is from the root word we translate as hilarious….defined as very funny, entertaining, uproarious and riotous. What if each of us, this Christmas season, determined to give from a mind-set that would bless the one who receives our gift in an uproarious fashion….they would be so overcome with emotion that they would not be able to contain themselves because of the love and gratefulness that would fill their hearts. What if we gave with no thought as to what or how big or how much were giving and without wondering or worrying if our loved ones were going to reciprocate in like manner…in short, without expecting anything in return!!!!! How hilarious would that be?

Giving for the sheer thrill of giving….not tuned into counting the cost or expecting a gift of like kind….giving cheerfully, as unto the Lord. Wow, just the thought of such giving is indeed liberating and would promote uproarious living of a great and powerful nature.

For many years, my wife and I have always ask our daughter for her Christmas and birthday list, since the two dates are separated by only five days; but, this year, I’m going to ask her for her “giving” list. It’s time that she, as well as her father, starts thinking of how to give and bless others during this Christmas season ….

This Christmas, rather than making a list of the things that we hope to get, let’s make a list of things we hope to give and know without a doubt…..GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER…..especially at Christmas.

Make it your Christmas mission to find someone that needs to know they are loved this Christmas and give ‘til it makes you hilarious from the excitement of giving….you will be blessed beyond measure.

Giving all…Counting on God to multiply,
WPQ

Taking A Stand

While going through my files the other day, I came across this email that was sent to me. I remembered saving it, but I wasn’t quite sure why until I read it again….it touched my heart and made my blood boil at the same time. I trust that you will see what I mean and will share this with all of your Christian friends. It is up to each of us to stand up and be counted for honor, decency and the moral values that made this country great. If not, our children and grandchildren will be the ones that suffer the most when America is no longer “the home of the brave and the land of the free.” Please read on:

I FIND IT INTERESTING THAT A HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL CAN SEE THE PROBLEM, BUT OUR SOCIETY CANNOT.

IF I OFFEND ANYONE BY THIS, I REALLY DON'T APOLOGIZE!

Subject: Tennessee Football !

This is a statement that was read over the PA system at the football game at Roane County High School, Kingston, Tennessee, by school Principal, Jody McLeod.

"It has always been the custom at Roane County High School football games to say a prayer and play the National Anthem, to honor God and Country;” however, due to a recent ruling by the Supreme Court, I am told that saying a prayer is a violation of Federal Case Law. As I understand the law at this time….

I can use this public facility to approve of sexual perversion and call it "an alternate life style," and if someone is offended, that's OK.

I can use it to condone sexual promiscuity and by dispensing condoms, call it, "safe sex...” If someone is offended, that's OK.

I can even use this public facility to present the merits of killing an unborn baby as a "viable means of birth control"…and if someone is offended, no problem...

I can designate a school day as "Earth Day" and involve students in activities to worship religiously and praise the goddess "Mother Earth" and call it "ecology.."

I can use literature, videos and presentations in the classroom that depicts people with strong, traditional Christian convictions as "simple minded" and "ignorant" and call it "enlightenment.."

However, if anyone uses this facility to honor GOD and to ask HIM to bless this event with safety and good sportsmanship, then Federal Case Law is violated… and I and those that would stand with me could be arrested.

This appears to be inconsistent at best, and at worst, DIABOLICAL. Apparently, we are to be tolerant of everything and anyone….except GOD and HIS Commandments.

Nevertheless, as a school principal, I frequently ask staff and students to abide by rules with which they do not necessarily agree. For me to do otherwise would be inconsistent at best, and at worst, hypocritical... I suffer from that affliction enough unintentionally. I certainly do not need to add an intentional transgression.

For this reason, I shall "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's," and refrain from praying at this time. "However, if you feel inspired to honor, praise and thank GOD and ask HIM, in the name of JESUS, to bless this event, please feel free to do so.

As far as I know, that's not against the law----yet!”

One by one, the people in the stands bowed their heads, held hands with one another and began to pray. They prayed in the stands. They prayed in the team huddles. They prayed at the concession stand and they prayed in the Announcer's Box!

The only place they didn't pray was in the Supreme Court of the United States of America- the Seat of "Justice" in this, “One Nation, Under GOD."

Somehow, Kingston, Tennessee has remembered what so many have forgotten. We are given the Freedom OF Religion, not the Freedom FROM Religion. Praise GOD that HIS remnant remains!

My prayer today is that each of us will take a visible stand for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Today, why not bow your head in the company lunch room and say a prayer of blessing over your noontime meal…Tell others to have a “Blessed day” instead of the old cliché, “Have a nice day.”…Share your faith when others tell you of the problems that seem to be mounting up in their lives….Smile and hum a tune of thanksgiving as you go about your daily chores….but most of all, tell others that you love Jesus and he loves you …so much that he died to set you free.

Remember, as we enter this season of Christmas, that Jesus came to pay a debt He did not owe because we owed a debt we could not pay….Stand Tall for Jesus ….He died for YOU!!!!!


Walking Tall in His Mercy,

WPQ

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

You may attempt to persuade another
To change their point of view;
But nothing speaks more plainly
Than what Christ has done in you.

So if another’s lifestyle
You are hoping to rearrange;
Just testify how the Father’s love
Can make an everlasting change.

WPQ

Building Heaven’s Faith Account

When we closed our computer yesterday, I posed the question and asked “how much faith was in your heavenly account …in the black or in the red? So, today, let’s take a few minutes and examine “how much faith is enough?”

It seems in each of the Gospels, Jesus keeps coming back to the men he has chosen to carry on his heavenly work on earth and asking them, “Where is your faith?”

In the gospel of Luke in the eighth chapter, Jesus sets sail with his disciples to cross to the other side of the lake when they encounter a squall that threatens to capsize the boat. The disciples hurry to awaken Jesus for fear that they will all drown….He speaks to the winds and waves and all is calm…and then he says, “Where is your faith?”

Or let us consider the time that Jesus held up the faith of the centurion in Matthew 8:5-10…. “When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?” The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith."

And the story that always seems to speak to the heart of my faltering and half-hearted faith is found in Luke 12:22-23, 25-28…”Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in his entire splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you— O’ you of little faith!"

Time and time again, Jesus calls us to forget what our eyes see …only to trust Him in blind faith so that we might be amazed at his power and fulfilled in his promises. God’s ability to perform more than we can ask or imagine in our lives is a direct result of the faith by which we encounter the Living God. God’s word says that we have not because we ask not; but I contend, we ask not because we believe not!!!!!

So how much faith do we need to realize the power that is stored within each of us who call Jesus, Lord and Savior? The answer is found in the story of the disciples who failed in their attempt to cast out a demon from a small boy….Matthew 17:19-21 “Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Are you exercising faith in your walk with the Lord today….or are you going down a path that can be seen by the human eye? Are you trusting in the power of the Most High God to remove obstacles and defeat giants …or are you flinging rocks at your enemies, hoping they will retreat?

God is waiting on you to use your faith, no bigger that a mustard seed, to say to the mountain of hopelessness, loneliness or emptiness…BE GONE…AND THEN, BY YOUR FAITH AND THROUGH HIS POWER, HE WILL REMOVE IT.

Today, God is waiting for you to join your faith with His power to accomplish things for Him that you can’t even begin to comprehend…He is waiting for you to take a stand, as did the centurion, and trust the Savior to heal and restore you (or someone you love) to a place of service …so that one day, you can hear the Father say, “Well Done, my good and FAITHFUL servant!”

How much faith do you have….only you and God can answer that question!

Living by faith…growing the mustard seed,
WPQ

The Currency of Heaven

I drove over to the WalMart in our neighborhood the other day to pick up a few things. I parked the car at the far end of the parking lot as is my ritual (helps cut down on the number of dings in the car door) and began the long trek in from what seems like the outskirts of Travelers Rest.

Upon arriving at the front door, I realized that I had left home without my money clip. So, there I stood with shopping list in hand and NO MONEY. Now, being an intelligent man, I was faced with two choices….try and purchase my items with my handsome, rugged good looks or return home and get my money…. So I did the prudent and rational thing; I turned and started the journey back to my car.

You see, I know, as do you that Walmart deals in the currency of our country…the good old U.S. dollar; therefore, if I planned to leave the store with the items on my list, I would have to give them the required amount of currency for my purchases.

Heaven works a lot like this…if we want our loving and gracious Heavenly Father to provide us with our needs; answer the longings and pleadings of our heart; keep us safe and in the center of His will, we must use the currency of heaven to approach the throne of our Savior and Redeemer…the currency of FAITH.

God’s Holy word gives us instruction in this matter in Hebrews as we read, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. For without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:1-2, 6

We may think we know exactly what we need and we may approach God with all sincerity and reverence; but if we come to Him without faith, it’s like showing up at Walmart without your money….and the results will probably be the same….NO FAITH….NO ANSWERED PRAYER.

Faith tells us that what we can not see is about to happen…and through the eyes of faith; we can see the evidence of God at work in his universe. By this, we can know that He is also at work in the life of anyone who believes and puts their faith in Him. Our conviction and assurance is manifested in our belief that God honors those who honor and adore Him. The accompanying scripture in Hebrews 11 tells us that God honored Noah… who though he lived in an arid desert and had probably never seen rain…in holy fear and empowered faith; he built an ark to save his family from the coming flood. By his faith, Noah condemned the world and he became an heir of righteousness that comes by faith.

To please God we need one critical element….FAITH…. it is a two-fold faith that tells us in our heart of hearts that He exists and if we diligently seek Him and His will, He is a God who rewards.

Without such faith, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD….and it is impossible to receive the blessings and loving care that God so graciously seeks to bestow on His children.

How’s the balance of your heavenly checkbook ….is it filled to overflowing in the currency of heaven, FAITH…or is the balance in the red? How much faith do you need to bring your account balance back into “good standing”? Come back tomorrow and we’ll answer that question together as we search God’s Holy word.

Seeking to Please Him…..Faithfully Serving,

WPQ

Living Confidently in a Chaotic World-Conclusion

For the past few days, we have focused on answering the question, “How can we live confidently in a chaotic world?”

The scripture has taught us that we can live confidently if we follow the 5 “C’s”…we must remember that God is in CONTROL and in CHARGE as we surrender to his will….believe that God is COMPASSIONATE and his love sustains us through all of life’s calamities….find solace as we experience that God is CALM and has never been caught unaware….take heart in the knowledge that God is CONSISTENT and is the same for each of us; past, present and future.

But most of all, I believe we can, as the children of God, live confidently because of our Savior’s COMMITMENT…His unfailing promise to love us unconditionally and eternally. As always, Jesus’ own words say it best; “Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, you may be also.” John 14:1-3 ESV

Jesus could not bear the thought of living without you and me…so even though He would have to return to Heaven after his glorious resurrection, He shared with his disciples (and us) on that fateful night that HE WAS COMING BACK!!!!!

Yes, Jesus committed his life to the Father’s will and to his own personal destruction….and in his last act of commitment found in Acts 1:9-11, we read…

“And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold two men stood by them in white robes and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Jesus has promised …has made the commitment …to come back and get those of us who are called by his name…and Jesus never lies!!!

There is, however, even more proof that Jesus is coming back …just as He promised …in the story that follows…the story of THE FOLDED NAPKIN….

At the tomb of Jesus, we see John out race Peter and arrive at the grave site first. He peers in, but does not enter. Then, Simon Peter arrives, enters and sees the grave clothes lying there; but the napkin that covered our Savior’s face was not with the grave clothes; rather, it was neatly folded and resting in a place by itself. The natural question was,

Why did Jesus fold the napkin?

Read on be blessed....

The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes. The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin.

Is that important? Absolutely! Is it really significant? Yes! In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to-do with the Master and Servant…and every Jewish boy knew this tradition.

When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly with everything in exactly the right place so the Master would be pleased; then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating. The servant would dare not touch the table until he was sure that the master was finished. Then, if the master was done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, clean his beard and then, he would wad up the napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded-up or unfolded napkin meant, “I’M DONE!”

But, if the master got up from the table, folded his napkin and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because..........

The folded napkin meant....I’M COMING BACK!!!!!

Praise God in Heaven…..He’s Coming Back to redeem His Own.

I trust that today this little story holds great significance for you because you know Jesus as your personal Savior....for even in His resurrection moment, He confirmed by the folded napkin His promise...

HE IS COMING BACK...and I, for one, can’t wait!

Clinging to the Hope …Living Confidently in a Chaotic World,
WPQ


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

For all who call on Jesus’ name
We believe this simple fact.
He has gone to prepare a place,
But soon, HE’S COMING BACK!

Living Confidently – Day 4

If you have been watching much TV in the last few weeks, your optical and sensory receptors have been constantly bombarded with political ads …ads from would-be, wannabe politicians that will and have promised anything in hopes of securing your vote.

Many have promised lower taxes, reduced spending, end of “pork” projects, etc., etc, and etc. They have collectively promised anything and everything that they believed the majority wanted to hear …but not it is the time where “the rubber meets the road’. How many of our newly elected officials will actually carry out and consistently vote the voice of their constituents … a strong voice so loudly heard in these mid-term elections?

I dare say there will only be a handful that will be consistent in following the will of the people…for unfortunately; men and women alike fail miserably when it comes to being consistent in our words and deeds.

But, praise be to God that He is CONSISTENT…and because He is, we can live with great confidence in these chaotic times….FOR OUR GOD KEEPS HIS WORD IN ALL THINGS.

In Hebrews, the 13th chapter, we read: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me!” For Jesus is the same YESTERDAY and TODAY and FOREVER.” (Verses 5-6, 8)

Our Savior is faithful and consistently all that we need to endure the slings and arrows of our adversaries. In fact, in the entire ministry of Jesus, he preached but one thing and one thing only ..”I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE. No man comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14: 6


You can’t be much more consistent than that!!!!!!!! One message, one cross, one sinless man’s blood shed for the sins of all mankind….and one and only one way to the Father.

Yes, in all of the days that Jesus walked upon and among His creations, He was the perfect model of consistency. In miracle after miracle, we see that Jesus always arrived seldom early …never late …but always RIGHT ON TIME… so that God would receive the glory and the son of Man would be lifted up and held in high esteem.

Our God is CONSISTENT….the same for you and me and all those that call upon his name…and He is the same yesterday, today, tomorrow and forever. You can ALWAYS count on God to be there for you, even if all others have deserted you and run for the hills. God will be at your side to lean upon …in front of you as your guide…and behind you as your rear guard…and if the journey is too great, then He will carry you to a place of rest and completion greater than you can think or imagine.

I could recount story upon story upon story of how God has worked consistently in my life and the life of my family for these many years…and I’m sure, if you took just a moment, many examples of his faithfulness and consistent love would flood your memory too….so why not do that today? Take that moment and think on those times that your Lord and Savior has been consistent in your life.

Then, you will be able to faithfully answer the question that seems to plague us all….Why should I fear, what can man do to me?

Living confidently in my Consistent Savior,

WPQ

Thought for the day:

The Father seeks to give to us
The strength to face each day
And we can live in confidence
As we seek to walk His way.

To live our lives consistently
That should be our prayer;
For Jesus’ love will never change
As with others we seek to share.

10/16/2010

Living Confidently in a Chaotic World-Day 3

As we pick up on our theme of our 5-part narrative of “HOW TO LIVE CONFIDENTLY IN A CHAOTIC WORLD,” I am reminded of the story of the disciples and their trip across the lake.

It seems that Jesus and his disciples had been very busy in the performance of traveling throughout the countryside teaching, preaching and conducting healing in the towns and synagogues of the region. One calm day, Jesus approached his disciples and said, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” Now, this seemed to be a reasonable request, well within the expertise of this band of former fisherman…so they all hopped in the boat and set sail for the far side of the lake. Jesus, who was certainly tired and needed some rest, found a comfortable spot in the boat and went to sleep.

Well, as is the custom of the lake, the winds began to blow and in no short time, these rugged, experienced fishermen found themselves in the midst of a terrific storm…so fierce that they feared for their lives….all the while, Jesus continued to sleep. As the danger seemed to mount and the disciples feared that the boat would be swamped and capsize, they hurried to the Master... Luke 8:24-25 continues the story; “The disciples went and woke him saying, “Master, Master, we are going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided and ALL WAS CALM.”

In today’s world, if we are to live confidently in these chaotic times, we must learn the lesson that Jesus taught his disciples on the tempest tossed waters; in the midst of the raging wind and storm….we can be calm for HE IS CALM.

Yes, the third “C” in our list of the five “C’s” of confident living is we can live confidently for GOD IS CALM!!!!!

In the book of Psalms 107:28-30, we find confidence when we read, “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm and he guided them to their desired haven.” Yes, our God is never anxious or unsettled; in fact, there are five words that do not exist in God’s vocabulary ….

“I DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING!!!!” Our Heavenly Father has never been surprised or caught “off guard”. He has never been mystified or uttered the words “oops” or “uh-oohhh”…He has seldom been early and he has never been late…but he has ALWAYS been right on time to provide us with our every need and to surround us with his unfailing love in times of distress and discomfort.

Yes, if you want to live confidently in this day and age, you need to do one thing….MIMIC GOD AND REMAIN CALM. He alone is ALL we need to make it through every situation that the devil and his minions’ may put in our path. If we will only take our eyes off of our circumstances and re- focus them on Jesus and his calming nature, then we will bring comfort and a blessed assurance to all those that we encounter in the midst of turbulent times.

As a disciple of Christ, we can watch as he rebukes the circumstances that bring about fear and trepidation in our lives ….or if we should succumb to that fear, we will be faced with the same question that Jesus posed to his disciples that night, on that stormy lake, when he asked, “WHERE IS YOUR FAITH?’

If you, as a child of the King, can remain calm when all others about you are in panic mode, then that speaks volumes about you; but more importantly, it speaks volumes about you and your relationship with Jesus.

So start living today as though nothing in this world matters… except your relationship with Jesus and you will be surprised by the calmness that will envelope your life.


Riding out life’s storms….confidently calm in His presence,
WPQ


Thought for the day:

When life’s storm clouds gather
And you see the threat of the coming rain
Just place you hope in Jesus
And He’ll take away your pain.

Just put your trust in Jesus
For He holds you in His palm
And your heart will be at peace
Your life will know His calm.

WPQ@2010

Honoring God's Man-Jack Benninghofen

Today is a very sad day for me. I just received an email that one of my best and dearest friends and mentors from my days as a RAM with Seed America has been called home to glory.

Jack Benninghofen passed away yesterday around 4 PM. He was out running, a pastime in which Jack took immense pride in; an activity that always kept him motivated and energized….two of Jack’s greatest attributes.

But for Jack running was his nature, especially for his Lord. Jack was always running the good race to obtain the prize of the high calling that God had placed on his life. He was the yardstick that God used to measure many a man who dared to make a difference in this world for our Lord and Savior.

Yes, my heart is broken for Jack and his family….his wife, Mary; his son, Todd and daughter, Emily. I know they will miss their husband, father and best friend. Today, this world’s light has been diminished by the passing of Jack…it is indeed a darker and colder universe in which we now live; but in that moment of Jack’s call to come home, Heaven has never seemed brighter….for oh how the face of Jesus must have shone in splendid light when he saw Jack enter the portals of heaven….And the singing and rejoicing of the angels; well, I’m sure the strands of music have never been sweeter.

But what about his family and his friends and the pain that now fills us with incalculable grief and sorrow? What shall we do….How shall we cope….By listening to the voice of our Savior in John 14: 27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

We know today that Jack has seen the fulfillment of God’s promise through his son, Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. BECAUSE I LIVE, YOU WILL ALSO LIVE.” John 14: 19

Jack Benninghofen lives today….because He knew Jesus personally and fervently and had committed all of who he was to affirming that relationship each and every day…and most important of all, Jack helped so many of us commit our lives to that same affirmation by the life he lived among us.

Jack’s physical presence may have been removed from this world and he will be forever missed; but the loving, encouraging spirit that was the essence of this God-honoring man will forever live among us …in the heart and soul of everyone he touched along life’s way.

May God Bless and Keep You, Jack. We loved you and called you friend.

Your Brother in Christ,

WPQ

We Salute You, Veterans

Due to the conditions in our world today and to the deployment of the bravest fighting men and women in our Armed Services, both past and present, please allow me to reprint today's Salt & Light from last year. If you have someone in your immediate family that is a veteran then, before the sun sets this evening, give them a GREAT BIG HUG and thank them for their service and sacrifice to insure our democracy and our legacy....the American way of life. If you do not know a veteran, then I strongly suggest you expand your circle of friends to include these fine and courageous people. YOUR LIFE WILL BE BETTER FOR IT!!!!

Today is a special day that only we in America celebrate…it is a day to honor all the men and women that have served their country in the military…it is VETERAN’S DAY.

Now, I know for a lot of people this day is a day of inconvenience; the banks are closed and there is no mail service….but for anyone who has red, white and blue coursing through their veins, this is a day of grateful celebration.

Throughout the history of this great nation, there have always been men and women that have stepped up to answer the call to arms whenever our country has been threatened or there is tyranny in the world…..but what about the day after day after day activity of protecting our country and the freedoms we hold so dear…

Who answers that call?

The young man who just graduated from high school…the father of three who runs an auto repair shop….the mother who was a filing clerk ….each and every person who swears an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of these great United States is bound by their vow to serve …and TODAY, WE HONOR EACH AND EVERYONE THAT HAS ANSWERED THAT CALL……

VETERANS, WE SALUTE YOU AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO US ALL….

The following poems seek to honor those that have served and given sacrificially for us all….May God Bless You!

A SOLIDER’S PRAYER

I signed a piece of paper,
I took an oath as well.
I promised to protect My Country,
Tis’ a mission I can’t fail.

I’ve banded with my comrades
So together strong we stand;
In defense of this Great Nation,
Of this bright and promised land.

So, I will gladly do my duty
And if I must give my all,
My prayer will be…those left behind
Will continue to stand tall…

To fight for Peace and Freedom
To protect Sweet Liberty
I pray, Dear Father
That you grant this humble
SOLDIER’S PLEA.

WPQ Copyright October 2001

And to the fine men and women returning from service in the war-torn theaters of Iraq and Afganistan...the following is specifically for you! GOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU AND RESTORE YOU TO A LIFE FULFILLED ...THANK YOU FOR YOUR FAITHFUL SERVICE!

WELCOME HOME

Welcome home, soldiers proud
Together, strong we stand
Defending freedom around the world
From this bright and promised land

Called to do your duty
To sacrifice for all
You proudly wear the uniform
For freedom, you stand tall.

You gave upon the battlefield
Your blood, your sweat and tears
And stood against the Evil ones
Who filled our lives with fear.

And now though spent, the battle won
Your respite is close at hand
As you return to freedom’s breast
To this great and glorious land;

We applaud you…we shout with joy
We immortalize this day
Welcome Home… Dear Patriots
To the good old U.S.A.

With Heartfelt Thanks We Salute Those Who Gave Their Best…
May God Bless You Every Day And Grant You His Sweet Rest!!!!!

WPQ February 14, 2005

Living Confidently in a Chaotic World

To live confidently in a chaotic world would be impossible if not for the gracious nature of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It would prove too great a task for each of us to endure the slings and arrows of our adversary, the Devil, if not for the compassion of God.

Yes, we can live confidently in this chaotic world because GOD IS COMPASSIONATE!

In Psalms 116:5 we read, “The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.” Or, we would find the following in Romans 5:8 that reads, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Even in the book of Lamentations (which signifies “to cry out with a loud voice”) in the 3rd chapter we read these words: “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

But what does all that really mean and how does that help us live confidently in this day and age?

Simply put, we can find great comfort and courage for whatever lies ahead of us because of God’s promises to us….

He has promised that he will not allow us to be burdened with more than we can bear.

He has promised that he is with us and that NOTHING can EVER separated us from him and the power of his everlasting love.

He has promised that nothing can ever come against that we can not cast off through his power and his love.

He has promised that he has gone to prepare a place for us and that one day soon he is coming back for us.

He has promised that he that is in us is FAR GREATER than he that is in the world.

He has promised that he is a compassionate heavenly Father who will never leave us or forsake us….

And most of all, He has promised us Himself….through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Yes, our God is a God of Compassion and he will never let the things of this chaotic world overwhelm us if we only trust and obey. But,in order for us to live confidently, we must learn to see the tapestry of our lives as a completed and magnificent picture and not as a mere collection of random brushstrokes. God is the master artist and He alone sees the mural of your life…complete and resplendent with both the good and happy times...as well as those times of turmoil and tribulation….Trust the God of compassion to complete the good and perfect work that He has begun in you and this world will seem to be a lot less chaotic….one day at a time!

Trusting the Artist of Eternity…….A Masterpiece in the Making,
WPQ

Thought for the Day:

When life’s storm clouds gather
And you see the threat of coming rain;
Just place you hope in Jesus
And He’ll take away your pain.

He never will forsake you;
He’s with you each step of the way…
To a bright and glorious morning
For His compassions are new each day.

WPQ@2001
________________________________

Living Confidently in a Chaotic World

As we begin a new week, I pause to ask this question….What does it take to live CONFIDENTLY in a CHAOTIC WORLD.

As I mentioned in my last writing, I am now comfortably re-established at home with my list of “honey-do’s” well within reach of completion; therefore, I would like to embark on a 5-part series that I hope will help us answer the question I posed above.

If you are like so many of the people in this world, it is hard some days to put your feet on the floor to get out of bed…I mean, why bother with the state of world affairs. And unfortunately, this same attitude seems to be held by many of us who call ourselves Christians.

For the next few days, I want us to search the Scriptures and hear from our Heavenly Father as to how we can live confidently in these chaotic days.


First and foremost, we can live confidently for GOD IS IN CONTROL.

In Genesis 1:1-3a, 4a, 6a, we read, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and darkness was over the surface of the deep and Spirit of God was hovering above the waters. AND GOD SAID, Let there be light……AND GOD SAID, let there be an expanse….AND GOD SAID, Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky….”

God was in CONTROL and He spoke EVERYTHING into existence….GOD SAID IT …and IT WAS SO!!!!!!!!

The entirety of God’s Word tells us in no uncertain terms that God is in control. It speaks with great authority concerning God’s omniscience and his omnipresence and it tells us time and time again that nothing in this world happens without the Father’s knowledge….that fact alone should bring us solace in times of distress.

However, though God is in control, He must also be IN CHARGE if He is to produce a calm spirit when we stand on the precipice of being swallowed up in the chaos of a sinful world. Since the beginning of time our great, awesome and all-powerful God has never forced His will on us; rather He has waited for us to invite him into our lives and he has patiently courted us to give him our hearts.

Jesus said it best in Luke 9:23, “Then he said to them all, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Do you want to know that the creator of the universe is in control and that NOTHING that happens in your life is beyond His control…then, YOU MUST SURRENDER YOUR WILL TO HIM….and YOU MUST SEEK TO MAKE HIS WILL, YOURS!!!

It’s really just that simple…..Let God be in control because He is in charge in your life.

Do it today and your will experience a peace you have never known….
FOR WHEN GOD IS FOR US…WHO CAN POSSIBLY STAND AGAINST US?


Surrendering to Him…One Moment at a Time,
WPQ


Thought for the Day:

If the trials of life should weigh you down
And your burdens seem too great to bear.
Just carry them to your Father’s throne
And prayerfully leave them there.

For God is always on your side,
In Him, you will find rest.
When you seek to do the Father’s will…
By Him, you will be blest.

Nov. 2010

What Scares You?

In just a few short days, my seasonal job as the lead assistant golf professional at the Cullasaja Club in Highlands, NC will come to an end and I will be returning home ….and to unemployment.

Now, part of me wants to rejoice since I will get to see my beautiful wife each day and sleep in my own bed each night; however, part of me is remorseful as I leave new friends and a caring membership behind…and did I mention, UNEMPLOYMENT!!!!!

During the entire year of 2009, I was unemployed and I got to spend time taking care of my family, writing my blog and other special pieces and preparing to teach my Sunday School class each week. It was indeed a blessing that I did not take for granted. But, now that I have been gainfully employed for the past seven months and receiving a steady, albeit, small paycheck, I will admit to being a little “frightened” with the possibilities that lie ahead.

Maybe, you find yourself in a similar predicament and might admit to the same feelings that have been aroused in me. So, in the spirit of this Halloween season, I am drawn to ask this simple question…..WHAT SCARES YOU?

Now, I don’t mean ghosts and goblins and ghouls…rather, what is happening in this world and in your world that has you feeling inadequate and possibly frightened with what lies ahead in the days to come?

Is it unemployment….stock market crash…terrorists….war….famine….nuclear weapons that fall into the hands of Islamic extremists……divorce….broken family ties…..death and the life after…..I could go on and on; but, you get my point.

There is much that can upset us and frighten us …..Much that can make us want to lock ourselves behind strong doors and wait for the Lord’s return; but Scripture tells us in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

Next week, upon my return to the ranks of the unemployed, I will be writing a series of devotions based on the best-selling book of Dr. David Jeremiah entitled, “How to Live Confidently in a Chaotic World.” In this 5 part series, we will look at the things in life that might cause us consternation and then see what God’s word has to say regarding our ability to move out and into this world as confident Christians….I hope you will join me as we begin to refute those things that would scare us and replace that fear with power that comes from knowing the God of the Universe….

Looking confidently forward …forgetting the forgiven past,

WPQ

A Call to Action

I had the day off yesterday, so I decided to treat myself to a big breakfast at my favorite morning place in downtown Greenville. After a very filling and satisfying meal, I cranked up my car and made my way into morning traffic to begin my errands. I had driven only a few feet out of the parking lot when my attention was diverted to a small white van, unloading boxes of fruit at the homeless shelter next door to the Ham House.

In front of me, in tattered and worn clothing, was a man of about 40. His was so tiny in stature, so frail and thin that when he turned sideways, he seemed to disappear. I found that in that next moment, my thoughts turned to pity as I wondered what might have led to his unfortunate circumstances ….I quickly uttered a silent prayer of thanksgiving that but for the grace of God that could have been me; then, the light changed and I moved along with the flow of traffic as I began my busy day.

But all morning long, the thought keep coming back…. was my pity enough?

You see in many instances in the Scriptures, the Bible tells us that our Lord felt pity…..He felt pity in Matthew 9:36,“And what pity He felt for the crowds that came because their problems were so great and they didn’t know what to do or where to go for help. They were like sheep without a shepherd.” (The Living Bible)

Jesus felt pity for the people in Mark 8:2, “One day as another great crowd gathered, the people ran out of food again. Jesus called his disciples together and said, “I pity these people for they have been here three days and have nothing left to eat.” (TLB)….or in Luke 7:12-13, “As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother and she was a widow. And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” (English Standard Version)


In each of these situations, our Lord felt pity….But, oh my friend, HE FELT SO MUCH MORE!!!!

If he had only felt pity or sympathy for these people, he would have checked his emotions and just moved on…. like I did yesterday…..but our Lord felt so much more and with His growing feelings of sympathy and empathy, His compassion became action.

Yes, Jesus took pity….but more than that, JESUS TOOK ACTION!!!!!!

To the multitude of the lost and aimless, he led them from despair to eternal hope and became our Shepherd….To the hungry, he fed them and became our Bread of Life….to the broken-hearted and forlorn, he became their comfort and our Resurrection to Life Eternal.

And now, where does that leave you and me and our feelings of pity? Are we to feel pity, sympathy and compassion for those that Christ sets in our path…or are we just to observe that pain and sufferings, thank God that it is not us and pass by on the other side ….OF COURSE NOT!!!!

We are called to serve …called to mirror our Savior and to give our feelings….FEET and HANDS and a VOICE that proclaims the love of Jesus in and through our ACTIONS.

So, resolve with me today that you will not fall victim to Satan’s ploy ….when you encounter those that need a helping hand …don’t just pity their plight and leave them for someone else to show them compassion….simply ask, WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?

JESUS WOULD TAKE ACTION TO ALLEVIATE…..AND SHOW TRUE COMPASSION FOR THOSE WITHOUT A SHEPHERD…..

Striving to Minister for Jesus,
WPQ


Thought for the Day:

We should follow Christ’s example
With everyone we meet…
We should seek to show compassion
For we are His hands and feet.

For Christ would have us working
To care for those distraught;
To give ourselves unselfishly
Is what our Savior taught.

WPQ@ October 2010

Living in Troubled Times?

All of us, at one time or another, have heard the old saying that “Bad things happen to good people” and almost all of us would agree with that statement; however, many of us take issue with the idea that “Bad things happen to God’s people.”

For some reason, too many Christians have been misinformed or have become confused by the “prosperity” preachers of this age. Those “good time” prognosticators tell us that God wants us to prosper and have all the things of this world that our heart desires. They would lead us to believe that if bad things are happening in our lives and we are not prospering, we must be at fault.

And in some regards, this might be true! God does use hardships, trials, tribulations, afflictions and suffering to get our attention….especially when our focus has been on ourselves and our selfish agenda. Sometimes, God uses the pains of this world to punish and discipline us after sin has led us astray. Our pride and our desire to be in control of our lives is a constant source of consternation and concern for our Heavenly Father….when our focus is on us, it can’t be on Him and His will.

Jonah was a perfect example of this….as he turned his back on the people of Ninevah, he disobeyed God’s instruction and he suffered the consequences of his disobedience. God reckoned with Jonah’s sin ….and the whale had a great lunch.

Then, there’s the other reason that suffering seems to afflict so many good and faithful Christians….they are good and faithful! Just like Job of the Old Testament, many Christians are held up to pain and suffering because God has allowed Satan to inflict the best of God’s people with what I like to call “fine-tuning”. Satan thinks that his afflictions will cause us to falter and turn from our faith in our Father; but in reality, God allows these trials to fine tune us for greater service and intimacy with Jesus, the one who suffered for you and me. When we share in the suffering of our Christ, we become more like Him…..we endure the frustrations of the flesh and are drawn closer to Christ….through the comfort that He alone can offer.

And that’s the other reason that we live in such “troubled” times….to offer comfort to others because we have been where they are now. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ, our comfort overflows.”

So, if today you are suffering and facing troubles that might seem insurmountable, you are faced with three choices…is it sin and self-centeredness….is it Satan’s seduction …or is it Christ-like suffering that brings intimacy with the Savior? Only you can know for sure… and that will require some self-diagnosis that might prove to be uncomfortable and disheartening.

The comfort of Christ awaits those that suffer through the trials and troubles of the flesh because the price of discomfort is worth the intimacy that awaits each of us. So, don’t turn away from the troubles that have beset you…don’t be like the captain that steers his ship back to the safety of the harbor when the seas become rough and choppy; rather, turn into the storm and know that the Father is waiting on the distant shore to welcome you with the comfort and compassion that only He can provide….no matter what you are going through at this time, Jesus knows and He cares for you…especially in these troubled times.

Sailing the stormy seas …with Jesus at the helm,
WPQ

It's That Blessed Time of Year

In just a few short days, it will be the time that all children hate and moms eagerly await …the start of another school year. The time to begin or to resume the lifelong journey to acquire knowledge and understanding is once again close at hand …and that got me thinking about children and their place in our lives and the kingdom of God.

You see today, my wife and I will be taking our only child, our lovely daughter, off to college …and we will join that ever-expanding group of “empty-nesters”. I must say that we face this momentous occasion with conflicted emotions; however, we know that the time has come to push her ever so gently from the nest so that she might truly spread her wings and soar…and for that grace that God has given us, we are eternally thankful. We have been truly blessed with an intelligent and loving daughter that is a joy to her mother and I…and a bright and shining star in the firmament of her Heavenly Father. It is for our daughter and her 10 year birthday as a Christian that I am sharing this previous communication from Salt & Light; one that I believe instructs all who will heed its lesson and will diligently seek to know the one true God…..read on and be blessed!


In Matthew 18: 1-4, we read, “At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.”

Are you humble in your drive to be the greatest? Do you know what it means to have child-like faith in the Father and follow Jesus unconditionally? Are you headed for the kingdom of heaven? Can you explain your faith and your relationship with your heavenly Father as this young boy? I pray that you can!!!!!


The following was written by an 8-year-old named Danny Dutton, who lives in Chula Vista, CA. He wrote it for his third grade homework assignment, to "explain God." I wonder if any of us could do as well if we were required to give our EXPLANATION OF GOD:

"One of God's main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die, so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth. He doesn't make grownups, just babies. I think because they are smaller and easier to make. That way he doesn't have to take up his valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that to mothers and fathers."

"God's second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times beside bedtime. God doesn't have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this. Because he hears everything, there must be a terrible lot of noise in his ears, unless he has thought of a way to turn it off."

"God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn't go wasting his time by going over your mom and dad's head asking for something they said you couldn't have."

"Atheists are people who don't believe in God. I don't think there are any in Chula Vista. At least there aren't any who come to our church."

"Jesus is God's Son. He used to do all the hard work, like walking on water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn't want to learn about God. They finally got tired of him preaching to them and they crucified him; but he was good and kind, like his father, and he told his father that they didn't know what they were doing and to forgive them and God said O.K."

"His dad (God) appreciated everything that he had done and all his hard work on earth so he told him he didn't have to go out on the road anymore. He could stay in heaven. So he did. And now he helps his dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of and which ones he can take care of himself without having to bother God. Like a secretary, only more important."

"You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to help you because they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the time."

"You should always go to church on Sunday because it makes God happy, and if there's anybody you want to make happy, it's God!

Don't skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach. This is wrong….and besides, the sun doesn't come out at the beach until noon anyway."

"If you don't believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very lonely, because your parents can't go everywhere with you, like to camp, but God can. It is good to know He's around you when you're scared, in the dark or when you can't swim and you get thrown into real deep water by big kids."

"But...you shouldn't just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and he can take me back anytime he pleases.

And that's why I believe in God."

I trust that today you won’t focus on just what God can do for you, but rather what YOU CAN DO FOR GOD…..AS A CHILD OF THE KING!

Blessed and believing,
WPQ

Are you a 007 Christian?

I don’t know about you, but I am a diehard James Bond fan. In fact, I practically grew up watching and re-watching the James Bond films… and to this day, I will gladly plunk down in front of the old boob tube and catch a Bond thriller or weekend extravaganza of Bond classics.

I guess the mystery and excitement of James dashing around the world as a servant in Her Majesty’s Secret Service was the juice that would quench the thirst of young mind’s wanderlust and allow me to step out of the problems and tribulations of a young adolescent, even if just for a few hours. I seemed to always marvel that James was so adept at hiding his true identity and pretending to be so many different people with such diverse and intriguing backgrounds.

The same can be said for so many Christians in this day and age….they profess to follow Jesus as they pass down dark halls and gather in church vestibules on Sundays; but, on Mondays, they move through the corporate world incognito ….stripped of anything that may give away their secret identity ….a son or daughter of the Most High ….a member of the family of God.

But they are not the first to travel such a path of deception as they conceal their Christian identity; just look in the Scriptures in John 12:42-43: “Nevertheless many, even of the authorities believed in Him, but for fear of the Pharisees, they did not confess it so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.”

Even in the day of Jesus, when many had seen with their own eyes the miracles he performed, they could not be persuaded to believe in Jesus; however, there were many that did believe, but rather than confess Him as Lord and Savior, they kept their faith in Him a secret….they became a silent follower with a secret identity for fear of the cost.

Today, unfortunately, there are too many Christians living as 007…an agent for Jesus with a secret identity. They will profess Him to their close circle of fellow believers but they are not willing to publicly announce their allegiance and loyalty to the King of Kings for fear of the cost….the cost of ridicule, weak-mindedness or sarcasm…the cost of power or prestige or put downs….the cost of glory or praise from others that see Christ as a crutch and not as a conqueror.

How are you living in this world today…are you out in the open as a true believer that values the opinion of God over the fleeting fancies of the “in” crowd….or are you living as a “secret agent’ that is pretending to be what the world values rather than living the values taught to us by the Savior.

As always, THE CHOICE IS YOURS ….AND YOURS ALONE!!!! God will not hold your feet to the fire until you confess Him as Lord and Savior in your life; but, He is watching …and often withholding His abundant blessings until we are stripped of our secret identity and fully functioning as a child of the King.

So go ahead and drop the pretense that you can be an 007 Christian…. Step out in faith to tell others that Jesus is INDEED the one you adore and the one to whom you answer ….and in that matter, YOU WOULDN’T HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY!!

Stepping out of the Shadows….Living in His Glorious Light,

WPQ

To Be Like Christ....Practice!

There’s an old saying that “Practice makes perfect”, but as a former PGA golf professional, I’ve learned that is not exactly true. What my students have taught me through my many years of instruction is that PRACTICE, however, DOES MAKES PERMANENT!

In teaching the great game of golf, I have often used imitation to instill in my students the correct way to swing the club. They watch me …then, they try to imitate what they have seen me do. When their imitation is right, I encourage them to practice, Practice, PRACTICE…to make it PERMANENT!

Paul sought to encourage the Christians at Philipi to practice humility…to model themselves after Christ. He wrote, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interest of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus….Who, being in the very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, BUT MADE HIMSELF NOTHING, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness, and being found in appearance as a man….HE HUMBLED HIMSELF....and became obedient to death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:3-8

Jesus Christ, the Creator of the Universe, became a servant who humbled himself to reach each of us and to teach each of us that we should become like him….empty of ourselves, in order that we might serve. We are to imitate Christ!

We are to become servants of the Most High God and a servant to every one that we encounter. What would happen in our world today if we all began to look out for the welfare of others first; even before our own needs or wants were met? How would the world view those of us that call ourselves Christians if we were not motivated by self ambition or vain conceit…but rather, we truly modeled ourselves after our Savior?

Why not make a promise today to practice humility. First step, humble yourself before the Lord; then, deny yourself and follow Christ’s example to meet the needs of others. Your practice may not be perfect…but it will take you one step closer to making it PERMANENT…..and that’s what moves the heart of God…. HUMILITY!!!

WALKING HUMBLY,
WPQ

Focused on His Own

Have you ever caught yourself looking at something so beautiful…so inspiring... so awesome that in a mater of seconds you knew you were staring, yet you could not contain yourself….like the first moment you saw your bride as she walked down the aisle on your wedding day or the ten fingers, ten toes and the beautiful face of your first child. What about the smile on your son or daughter’s face as they received their diploma or that look on your husband’s handsome face as you both gazed at that spectacular sunset on your 20th anniversary….each and every moment you stared intently at the focus of your affection, hoping to capture that vision in your mind’s eye for all eternity.

Our Heavenly Father looks at each of us, His children, with that same look of love and intense focus. Scripture tells us in I Peter 3:12, “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ear is attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” Yes, God is watching….intently, with purpose and with love.

He is looking not only at us, but after us….He is not waiting to catch us doing something wrong; rather, He is watching to see us doing His will and accomplishing His “good.” God’s vision is NEVER obstructed or obscure nor does He sleep nor slumber. His gaze is focused on His own…those called by His name, set apart to be humble and holy. He is writing your life’s story, moment by moment, keeping track of your good works and your short comings….for all these things will be judged at the Bema seat.

But, thanks be to God that He forgives our mistakes and continually smiles upon us. His loving eyes are intently focused on us and His ear is turned toward us so that He might hear the prayers of His people….and lovingly respond.

Even in the midst of Job’s great journey of faith, he was reminded by his friend, Elihu, in Job 36:7, “He does NOT take his eyes off the righteous, but He enthrones them with kings and exalts them forever.” Job had reason to doubt, to cast aside his faith, to renounce his God…but he knew that God’s eyes were upon him and he would not break the continual gaze of the Most High by forsaking him. He remained a righteous man and God’s favor returned to him twice his losses.

Where are you today in your righteous walk with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ? Have you turned the focus of God’s eyes away …is His face set against you as you seek the foolish riches of a sinful and sick world? Have you abandoned the joy of your first love and lost His loving gaze….then, be restored by seeking His righteousness!

Commit today to seek the Lord and all His righteousness…let His focus be your focus! See others as God sees them…love unconditionally and without repayment….practice random acts of kindness ….give until it hurts, either your pride or your pocketbook.

But most of all, remember…..God loves you with an EVERLASTING LOVE ….and He is focused on you.


In the gaze of my Father,
WPQ

ESSENCE OF MY DAD

Well, it's that time again; the fifth leading card sales day of the year....FATHER'S DAY! A day set aside to honor that guy that takes out the trash, looks under the bed to chase away the monsters and tells the best bedtime stories ever. He works hard to support his family and hardly ever complains....and when no one else will give you a lift, he's always there to pick you up or lend a shoulder to cry on...to hoist you high in the air in victory or take you for a "consolation" ice cream to ease the pain of defeat. He's your DAD....and if you were blessed as I was, this Sunday make sure that you let your Dad know how much you love, honor and respect him.

In high school and my first year in college, I had a morning paper route that involved delivering over 600 daily papers to the door of each of my customers. Every morning for over three years, my dad got up with me and helped me with my route. He never took a penny for it...and we used his car and gas; and during two summers that I was on tour with the Campus Americans, he hired a kid from the neighborhood to help him carry the route in my absence....that was the essence of my DAD. Tireless, selfless, humble....and always willing to do or go or help in any way that made a difference for the good of all. I know that not everyone had or has a Dad like mine, and even though he has been home in heaven for the past 26 years, there is not a day that I don't miss him and thank God for the influence he had on shaping me into the father I am today. I know that I have not been all that I could have been, but I know that my Dad would be proud of the man he raised me to be. I was fortunate that in 1977, I took the time to write a special poem for my Dad that I framed and gave to him for Father's Day that expressed my love and admiration for him. It was only 6 years later that he passed away. I will never forget that night at the funeral home when I tucked a copy of this poem in his breast pocket and sent him home to our Heavenly Father. I know he's been keeping tabs on me since then and I hope and pray that every now and then, he turns to one of the angels and says, "Did ya see that...THAT'S MY BOY ...I'M SO PROUD OF HIM!!!!"

I hope and pray that this weekend you'll take the time to tell your DAD just how much he means to you .....because there are no guarantees for tomorrow. In fact, here's the poem I wrote for my Dad....enjoy; and let it get the "ole grey matter" bubbling with the things that you need to say to your DAD...you'll both be glad you did!

B&B.
WPQ



ESSENCE OF MY DAD

Often, I have stopped
to think of times both good and bad;
And in each fleeting memory,
I reverence my Dad.

He stood both tall and straight, colossal in my mind.
He spoke in tones both harsh and firm,
Yet so gentle and so kind.

An unquenchable desire for life; a zest for its living;
He fought and scraped to provide for me
Through his unselfish giving.

A guiding hand he led my steps down paths I dared not tread,
A steady mind, a sturdy back were the
Essence of my Dad.

A willful man, his beliefs ran deep; he taught me to be good;
Yet, when times got rough or I failed my Dad,
He always understood.

So surely on the day he passes, I truly will be sad,
And never will I forget the man,
I loved and called...
My Dad



W. Patrick Queen @ 1977

What’s in Your Wallet- 2?

In my last writing, I posed the question listed above and asked what it would mean to each of us to have the first picture in our wallet portfolio be a snapshot of Jesus?

Today, I would like to continue that thought and ask the following….How would we spend our money, if every time we opened our wallet, the first thing we saw was the picture of our Savior?????

Think on this scenario….you’re standing at the counter of your favorite store with loads of “goodies” piled high at the checkout register and you open your wallet to take out your cash or another credit card and you see the picture of Jesus…how do you proceed?

Scripture helps us in this situation as we read in Matthew 6:19-21, 24, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. For no one can serve two masters, for he either will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

Now God is not in the business of “ raining on our parade” but He has laid out certain guidelines that contribute to our overall health and well-being …and one of those is to live simply, so we can simply live and fulfill the plans that He has laid before us.

If every tine we reached for our credit cards, we had to go pass the picture of Jesus in our wallets, we might take the moment to ask ourselves, “Is this something I really need …Would Jesus be pleased with my purchase…in the advancement of God’s agenda on earth, will this be beneficial to me, to others and most importantly, will it advance the kingdom of God?”

Of course, this seems like a lot to go through just to purchase a new pair of shoes or a better riding lawn mower…and surely God doesn’t begrudge our fulfillment of our needs and our wants; but, the questions still remains….are we seeking to serve God or worshipping at the alter of WalMart with our buy now, pay later mentality.

Each of us needs to take stock of our relationship with Jesus and our relationship with money and the things it can buy….only an honest assessment of our willingness to be obedient and to follow the commands of our Heavenly Father will allow us to live with less as we seek to serve the Lord of heaven and earth …and to lay up for ourselves, treasures in heaven.

So I offer this challenge for the next several months…take a look at your check register or your credit card statement and see where you are spending the resources that God has freely given you….then, adjust accordingly! You will be surprised as you seek to obey the Father and serve Him in all things how He will open the floodgates of heaven with His supernatural outpouring of blessings.

Then you too will exclaim as I do each and every day…I am

BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE,

WPQ

What’s in Your Wallet?

I don’t know if you’re anything like me when it comes to opening your wallet…if so, then a plastic, cascading waterfall of family snapshots comes falling out… and there for all the world to see are those that you love most in this world…YOUR FAMILY!

Now, I know for all the high techies out there, you proudly display your family album on Facebook or Twitter or whatever else is the “web du’jour”…but for just a moment, I want each of us to stop and take a closer look at that family photo album and see if we have the most important picture in the most important place …a picture of Jesus.

For many of you that might seem a little absurd; I mean, no one really knows what Jesus looks like and so we have no actual picture of our Lord…but what if we could get a picture on a prayer card, or a bookmark, or a small photo-shopped color-rendition…. why should we carry it in our wallet?

Simply put …because we are part of the family of God and Jesus is the first-born.

What a difference it would make if every time we opened our wallet to show a picture of our daughter in her leotard or our son in his football uniform, we saw Jesus. How proud we could be as we opened our wallet to show our favorite picture of our granddaughter or our grandson, if the first picture that fell from that waterfall was our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Scripture says it best in Ephesians 4: 4-6, “There is one body and one Spirit-just as you were called to one hope when you were called- one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

Yes, we are all related family members by the shed blood and resurrection of Jesus, God’s only begotten Son…. for when we accept His free gift, we are grafted into the family tree… and if your like me, I like to show-off the people to whom I am related.

Besides, just to take a moment and look into the face of Jesus can bring sweet relief from the cares of this topsy-turvy world…. Just to meditate on His precepts can bring clarity out of calamity and will calm the troubled soul…Just to know that a picture of our blessed brother is in the first place in our wallet can keep in Him in first place in our hearts and minds.

And then there’s the added bonus of others who see our photos for the first time and ask, “Who in the world is that? And we say, “Why that’s my brother Jesus! He died to set me free so that I might spend eternity with Him. Let me tell you more about my family.”

And it all can start with just that one simple question….What’s in Your Wallet?

Sharing and Caring …Calling Others to Him,
WPQ

A Tribute to Our Daughter

This past Sunday at church was a special day in the life of my family and several other families.... it was the Sunday dedicated to recognizing and honoring our graduating seniors. Our daughter, Alyson, was one of the honorees.

At the ceremony, each student was called up on the platform and the youth pastor shared some of their accomplishments and then some words written by the students directed to either the youth group or their parents. Then as the graduating senior stood there, like a deer frozen in the headlights, the parents stood, facing their child as the youth pastor's wife read a one page summary of all our thoughts, memories, triumphs and failures....and all our hopes and dreams yet to be fulfilled for the child that will soon embark on a new chapter in life.

What follows is our tribute to our daughter, ALYSON TAYLOR QUEEN.


I’m Alyson Taylor Queen
Prettiest girl you’ve ever seen.
Ask me how I know…
Because my Daddy told me so.

Can it be that fifteen years have passed since I wrote that little poem for you to recite to strangers that we would meet at the mall? It seems like only yesterday your Mom and I brought you home from the hospital and marveled that such a tiny creature could be so perfect. Before we knew it, you were walking and talking; in fact, we still remember your first word….WATCH. Now, I thought you were talking about the gold eagle watch I wore all the time, but you meant, WATCH; WATCH ME and all that I will do with my life….and we haven’t been able to take our eyes off of you for even a second.

We watched as cancer took over your little body at age 5 and we watched as you fought it with all your might….we watched as the doctors took you into that operating room and we stood vigilant at your side in the ICU…we watched as the chemo wrecked your small frame and you lost all your hair and yet, we swelled with pride that Sunday you sang in church how much Jesus loves you…

We have watched as you sang before thousands in the Relays for Life and we have marveled at the poise that God has blessed you with; both as a small child and especially now, as a maturing, young woman. We have watched you as we left you at Camp Firefly and told the counselors to call us if the experience of being so far from home became too much…yet the phone never rang! We have watched as you played so many parts in school and church plays and we watched with tear-filled eyes as you walked the aisle at church to ask Jesus to come into your heart and make it His own.

We have watched you be a friend and become a friend to so many that we have surely lost count of all the lives that you have touched with your infectious smile, your quick and clever wit and your true enthusiasm for all things fun. We have also seen your studious and serious side as you have always excelled in your pursuit of knowledge and education with little prodding from us.

Oh yes, our dear Alyson, we have watched with eyes ….and hearts…open wide and we have spent many nights in thanksgiving for the treasure that God bestowed on us when He blessed us with you. We could never have petitioned God for such a child as you…for we were truly undeserving …but God, in His infinite wisdom, knew that we would always watch out for you ….and to that end, even though your new path will lead you away from us….we will be watching as the next chapters of your life unfold in service to the God who made you and redeemed you …for most of all, HE IS WATCHING AND EXPECTING GREAT THINGS FROM YOU AND THE LIFE HE GAVE YOU…WE LOVE YOU …ALYSON TAYLOR QUEEN!

If today, you are in the same boat as my wife and I...you have my deepest admiration and heartfelt sympathy as you say goodbye to that child and push them ever so gently toward the door to a new and exciting time of their life. We must wipe our eyes and let them know how proud we are of how far they have come and yet, remind them that we still hold great expectations for them and what lies ahead in their young lives.

Be that strong encourager of your child today ...hold out the challenge to walk in the admonition of the Lord and to know Him intimately...and in ALL THINGS...TO STAND FIRM IN THE FAITH!

BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE,

WPQ