R U a Roadblock?

I live in an area of South Carolina know as Murrells Inlet, about 14 miles south of Myrtle Beach...we are the Seafood Capital of South Carolina (at least that's what the sign reads).

We are probably the fastest growing area in SC due to the warm climate, affordable housing and laid back lifestyle...oh yeah, we have that beach thing going for us too; however, with all this growth and the influx of vacationers we see between Memorial Day and Labor day, our traffic can be HORRENDOUS...especially since we have fewer than the needed roads and they are smaller in traffic configuration to handle such large numbers of automobiles. So now, at this time in the area in which I live, we have 6 road-widening projects under construction and traffic is worse than ever....especially when they put up the roadblocks to do construction.  Often, you can end up waiting 45 minutes or more before traffic starts moving again.

I am not complaining because I know we need the new roads, but I was struck by the idea of the roadblocks as a hindrance when I was reading Acts 11 today, especially when Peter is telling the Jews back at home how he came to preach the gospel to the unclean Gentiles and how they were baptized by the Holy Spirit...verse 17 says, "If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?"

And that got me thinking; how many times do you and I take it upon ourselves and become a hindrance, a roadblock to the workings of God. He has called us to be His servants, but often , we think we know better and decide that the situation really calls for us to be in control.  We want to do things our way so the outcome will be something we can live with or even better, something we can be proud of! How misguided are we that we should stand in the way of what God is doing...blocking His heavenly plans with one of our own.

How often have you and I failed to step out in faith to do or give or go to a place or person that God has laid on our heart. When we do this, we become the roadblock of God's love and grace that He so longingly wants to bestow on someone or some situation. We throttle back God's love by our lack of obedience and we stand in opposition to the works that He would do and accomplish if only we were willing and available and not stuck in our selfish ways.

So the next time God pulls on your heartstrings to share His love with a friend, a co-worker, an employee or even a total stranger, ask yourself as Peter did, "Who am I to stand in God's way?" Rather instruct yourself to say, "Lord, help me be obedient and not become a roadblock, but rather a conduit of your love for everyone you place in my path today!"

Living in these times a life that directs others to Jesus....

WPQ

Poem for the day:

In our worldly travels as we go from place to place

Let our love for Jesus show by the smile upon our face.

May we always seek to serve Him, doing as He has done;

Serving the Father from morning to setting sun.

Let no one every point a finger at the works that you do

But rather praise our Father for the good they see in you.

Yes living in this fallen world certainly has it's knocks

But that's never been a reason to be a roadblock...

To thwart the will of the Father and do what you think best

Is NEVER a good idea and will never pass the test...

That shows Him how deep your love and your desire to obey;

And that is why He gave to you another precious day...

Use it all for the GLORY of God and

He will give you the desires of your Heart!

WPQ © FEBRUARY 2018

Check out today's blog at

www.thankfulministries.com

Regarding Your Marriage…Done God's Way!

Today, I would like to speak to the husbands out there….regarding your marriage.

Now, speaking from experience let me say that my wife, Terri, and I have a wonderful marriage. In fact, on the 24th of this month we will be celebrating 28 years of devotion and undying love that just continues to grow more and more each day. And why shouldn't it since, after all, she is married to a pretty incredible guy….at least that’s what I keep telling her. But what works best in our marriage is the fact that Terri is an Ephesians wife, based on the scripture from Ephesians 5: 22-24. She has given herself to me in submission as an act of obedience to the Father….and I;  I am committed to her as a husband that is to love his wife as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her. In is no small wonder that so many marriages seem to be facing rocky roads in these difficult and terrifying days. We don’t read the scriptures like we should and when we do; we fail to follow their godly instructions.

In Ephesians, Paul first admonishes the wife to submit herself to her husband, “For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.”  He then goes on in the very next verses to say, “Husbands love your wives as Christ love the church and gave himself for her.”  And in verse 28-29, “In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.”

It is easy to see why Paul put the verses about a submissive wife first….she that is submissive is easier to love….but he never said that if she is not submissive this would in someway relieve the husband from his mandate to love his wife as he loves himself. If she submits, she is following biblical teaching, but if she does not, you’re to do what Christ would do for His church….love her UNCONDITIONALLY.

That’s a word that strikes fear into the heart of most men…unconditionally, without reservations. My love for Terri is not to be based on what she does for me …but rather, who she is….MY WIFE. And I am to love her, cherish her, protect her, empower her, admonish her, extol her, comfort her and be willing to give myself in any manner simply because she is my gift, my blessing from God.

Do you love your wife unconditionally and are you treating her in a way that shows how much you value her as your life-long mate? I hope that you’re not in the same boat as the examples that follow. Enjoy the levity that these provide, but if, by some remote chance, you find your self identifying with one of the husbands in these capulets…..IT’S TIME TO MAKE A CHANGE….love your wife with all your heart, body, mind and soul….YOU’LL BOTH BE GLAD YOU DID!!!

Blessed with the Best,

WPQ

A Marriage Seminar

While attending a marriage seminar dealing with communication, Tom and his wife Grace listened to the instructor regarding how essential it was in a good relationship for each partner to know the others likes and dislikes. The instructor asked Tom, “Can you name your wife’s favorite flower? Tom leaned over, touched his wife’s arm and gently whispered, “It’s Pillsbury, isn’t it?”

Family Ties

A couple drove down a long country road without saying a word. An earlier argument had lead to this deadly silence, neither party willing to concede their pronounced position. As they passed a barnyard filled with mules, goats and pigs, the husband quipped sarcastically, “Relatives of yours?” Came the wife’s quick reply, “Yep, in-laws!”

Remember ….God may have created man before woman, but there’s always a rough draft before the masterpiece.

 SO, husbands..... Treat your wife as the masterpiece God created her to be and you both will be better for it…

Poem for the day:

If God has given you a mate

That loves you more each day;

Then you should ever thank Him for

The love He brought your way.

So give your wife her honors due

And always seek to find....

A life from two, now joined as one;

One heart...one love...one mind!

WPQ © 2017

Check out today's inspirational blog at

www.thankfulpraiseministries.com and

click on the blog icon

Survive or Thrive...You Choose!

In my many years of bachelorhood, before I married my beautiful wife of 28 years, I did what most guys of my generation did to make the "bachelor pad" look "cool"....I had lots and lots of plants. Unfortunately at that time, I was a traveling salesman that usually left home on Monday mornings, and if all went well was back home by late Friday afternoon. So, in order to take care of my many plants,  I more than sufficiently watered them and placed them in or near the windows so they could get their required sun. In most cases, this was a recipe for disaster and dead plants. If a plant stayed alive at my place for more than 2 weeks, it was a real survivor!

When I look back at my survival rate with my plants, there was only one that did well to live. In fact, you might say it was even able to thrive under the extreme conditions I placed on my chlorophyll colored roommates. It was my schefflera tree. It did not need that much water, so usually watering it once a week was sufficient and as for sunlight, medium light that was bright but indirect was the perfect amount...it truly lived in spite of my care.

As I think of that plant, it reminds me of the way some of us go about our Christian walk sometimes.  We don't want to be in the bright spotlight with a lot of attention coming our way because if others are looking at us and our actions, we may wilt and lose our witness. We are much more comfortable being near the bright light and getting the benefits of the indirect light of others who have chosen to serve as a deacon or a Sunday school teacher; or give their time and talents and sing in the choir; or volunteer a few Sundays a year to take care of those little children in the nursery. Yes, the bright light of service scares us, so we seek the dimmer light further from the real battles that are being waged in the name of the Lord.

And as for the watering, ONCE A WEEK IS GOOD FOR US! Yes, we will be there just about every Sunday morning for the church service. We will sit where we always sit; shake hands with the same people each week; give the same $10 or $20 tip to the collection plate and most of all, stay awake through the entire sermon. If we do all this, we will survive and be good to go until the same time next week when we repeat the process.

But God has called us NOT to SURVIVE...BUT TO THRIVE. In Psalm 92:12-13, it reads,

"The righteous thrive like a palm tree and grow like a cedar tree in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord, they thrive in the courts of our God."

And that should be each of us...living our life, walking with our Lord in committed service so that we are not just survivors...but we are OVERCOMERS WHO THRIVE in this world as we prepare for the one to come. We need to spend time DAILY in His word, seeking His truth and pursuing His righteousness so that when the spotlight is aimed in our direction, WE WILL NOT WILT BUT STAND IN GLORIOUS TESTIMONY OF OUR GOD AND HIS FAITHFULNESS.

So the choice is simple, my friend...are you only surviving in your journey through this life or are you one of God's chosen elect who has decided that you will THRIVE.

AS ALWAYS, THE CHOICE IS YOURS!!!

Choosing to Live a Life that Thrives in Him,

WPQ

Poem for the day:

If you decided to follow Jesus

And to live a life that thrives;

You must do the work each day

That tells others you're alive.

So keep your heart from evil

In all you say and do.

For the bright light of this world

Will be shining down on you.

To see if your measure up

And really walk the Walk.

Or are you just giving lip service

When you try to talk the Talk.

For the Father's love will see you thru

Those dark nights and days to come

Until He comes to take you to

YOUR EVERLASTING HOME!

WPQ©February 2018

Homecoming ...Finally at Rest!

It was just three weeks ago today that my wife, her sister and her mother were at the funeral home making final arrangements for the memorial service for her father, Jeter Leroy Lee, Jr. It was a time that was truly bittersweet for Jeter's loved ones.

You see, he had been battling dementia and the onslaught of Alzheimer's disease for the better part of two years and the battle came to an end on Thursday, January 11, 2018. Jeter, a devoted husband for 67 years and a kind and loving father to his two girls for over 65 years had fought the good fight...but he was tired and his worn out body and mind could take no more. So, His loving and Heavenly Father did what needed to be done...He brought Jeter home to be forever with Him.

It is indeed a sad time when we experience the death of someone we have loved and who has loved us in return for a long time; however, if we know that they have a personal relationship with the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, it is a parting of "see you later" and not a "forever good-bye". And it was always evident to see in the life of Jeter Lee that he loved his Lord and lived to let others know that they too could experience such love. You saw that love displayed in the way Jeto (the nickname given to him by his grand kids) always treated and interacted with people; whether a stranger or life-long friend, Jeter Lee treated EVERYONE with the kindness and attention that you deserved if you had entered his sphere of influence...and that sphere was big enough to include anyone who would strike up a conversation with this gentle and loving man.

Over the 28 years of being part of my wife's family, I learned even more about loving your wife from watching this man love and nurture the woman that God had chosen for him...he was a great role model to anyone that took the time to get to know this wonderful, funny and engaging man. I know that there were many people over many years that had their day brightened or their load of cares lifted  just by receiving a kind word; hearing a funny story or joke or just hanging out with Jeter. I know because I was one of those people...and only the good Lord knows how many more he was able to touch in his life, a life well lived by a well-loved man of God.

I have added to this writing  a poem which I wrote many years ago for someone who asked me to write a poem for them in the loss of their mother...My hope is that it will touch your heart and get you to take the time to reach out to those you love while they are still nearby ...before it is time for their homecoming....or quite possible even yours. Don't miss the opportunity to let them know that you will see them on the other side of this world in a place called HEAVEN.

Living my life ...touching others for Him,

WPQ

GOD  ONLY  TAKES  THE  VERY  BEST

God only takes the very best

Whose labors are now done;

And brings them home to quiet rest

At the setting of life’s sun.

He saw your loved one was growing tired

Each step, how it took its toll;

So He brought them to His heavenly place

To make them well and completely whole.

A golden heart no longer beating….

Tireless hands have now found rest

And in this, we find our comfort….

GOD ONLY TAKES THE VERY BEST!

He only takes the ones He loves

And though they had to part;

We know that they have left behind

Special memories in your heart.

For your loved one is not truly gone,

They  have only slipped away;

On a far and different journey….

Alas, you’ll meet again someday.

And on that wondrous, glorious morn

Oh, how you will be blest….

Home at last in your Father’s arms …

God only takes the VERY BEST!

W. Patrick Queen

August 2007

How Much Do You Love?

If you look at your calendar, you will see that we are just a day or two away from the "LOVE" month and that made up holiday called Valentine's Day (it must be made up since the banks will be open).  On that day, we are to express our love for those special people in our life with flowers, candy and mushy, sentimental greeting cards that pledge our undying love.

Now, while I am one who believes that it is good to express our deepest and most affectionate love on Valentine's Day, we need to do that with all of our days. It is not the giving of things that lets those we love know that we care for them; rather it is how we care for them in our prayers that shows our true and deepest affections.

Just look at Scripture and Paul's writings in Colossians 1: 9-14 that says, " For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sin."

It is evident in this Scripture the great love that Paul has for the Colossians believers because he is praying for them in an intercessory mindset...He is doing what God has called each of us to do...Pray for those we love and intercede for them...CONTINUALLY!!!!

We are called by our Heavenly Father to love others and there is no greater way (short of giving up our own life) to show our love than to pray and intercede on the behalf of those we love. Does your spouse know how much you love them? Are your praying DAILY for God to work in their life as He helps them to grow in the knowledge and admonition of the Lord? Do you have a child or children that know how much their Mom or Dad loves them because DAILY and without CEASING, your are praying for God to work and have His way in molding your child into a child of the King....making them like Jesus because of your intercessory prayers. There are many ways, most of them admirable, in expressing our love for our family, our spouse and our friends; but there is none better than the example set by Paul as he prayed for those believers.

Why not show your love in a quiet place.... simply get on your knees and take those you know to the Throne Room of Heaven to intercede for them with your Heavenly Father. It will touch the heart of a loving Father and He will hear and answer your prayers...for He LOVES THEM EVEN MORE THAN YOU!!!! Make today the day that your love breaks through and shows those most special to you how much your really care...for your intercessory prayers will be answered and God will be glorified.

Praying for those I love...Continually on my knees,

WPQ

Poem for the day:

There are those in our lives

We love with all our heart....

And no matter what they do,

It's been that way from the start.

But we are called to share a greater love

One that draws us close and keeps us there

As we lift up the ones we love

And intercede for them in prayer.

We must take them to Jesus

And when we come on bended knee;

The hand of God will protect them

And the devil, he will flee.

For who can stand against Him

And the angels gathered there;

All because we sought His face

Through our intercessory prayer.

WPQ © January 2018

The One Consistency of Life....CHANGE!

It has been said there is only one thing in this world that remains constant…and that is CHANGE!!!!

If that is true, then it behooves one of wisdom to prepare for the inevitable. We have already been inundated (by both political parties) over the last several months to expect change. We only have to read the daily headlines to see that our world is in a constant state of fluctuation….financial disarray, rising unemployment, spiraling food and health costs…. All producing…change…Change….CHANGE.

Now for most of us, change is something of a dirty word, or at least one that makes us very uncomfortable. We strive to live our lives in a calm and peaceful manner; free from the upheavals of change. Yet, try as we might, change happens! In fact, God’s word tells us that change is coming; but praise be, it also tells us who is in charge of that change.

“I am the one who creates the light and makes the darkness. I am the one who sends the good times and the bad times. I, the Lord, am the one who does these things. Isaiah 45: 7 NLT

Our typical response to change is one of fear and trepidation. We all too often begin to look at our circumstances rather than our provision. Unfortunately, change seems to always bring fear before it births faith. Fear seems to focus on the worst rather than hold claim to the best.

When God chooses to interrupt the natural flow of our life with change or something that we have never encountered before….we choose panic over praise. James, the Lord’s brother, wrote in his letter, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds (change, my interpretation), for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4

Yes, when calamity or change occurs that is unsettling or disheartening, we can view the presence of the problem as the absence of God ….and our simplistic response is to try and run away from the mess we find ourselves in. Or… we can do the unexpected; we can praise Him from whom all blessings and problems flow!

We can take comfort in and find joy in the midst of any trial if we will but remember that God is on our side…and that He is in control. He is working all things out for our good… so that we may be perfect and complete in Him. We still have a responsibility to do what we CAN....but when we reach the end of what we can do, it is time to realize that what is left is not what we can't do; rather it is what God can and will do on our behalf. 

So….change is coming and you have two distinct choices….Prepare to Panic … or… Praise His Provision…for no matter the magnitude of the change that comes…our God is sufficient to meet and exceed ALL OUR NEEDS.

Standing firm….Praising His Provision,

WPQ

Poem for the day:

Sufficient for today are the problems we can see

As we wait upon the Lord in surrendered humility.

Never knowing what the future holds 
Nor where life's roads may lead...

We follow in His footsteps...we listen...trust...believe!

We hear His voice telling each of us 

That change will come our way;

For we need not fear life's outcomes

If we trust  Him and obey.

So welcome change with open arms

For no matter life's ups or downs;

When you're trusting in God's Holy Word....
You're planted in SOLID GROUND!

WPQ © October 2018

This is a reprint of a former post...May You Be Richly Blessed in 2018.

GPS for the New Year…

It was Christmas a year ago that my wife gave me a Garmin GPS system. Now, as any red-blooded American male would do, I thanked her profusely for her unselfish gift and thought to myself, “I don’t need some computer gizmo giving me directions…I can find where I need to go and how to get there ON MY OWN!”

Well! Here it is a year later and boy, was I ever wrong….this thing has been great. Over the first three months of 2009, I had a new job calling on businesses in the greater Greenville, SC area …going, or trying to go, to places I had never been before; some, in fact, probably did not even show up on a map. I was intrigued that every time I typed an address into the GPS, it gave me turn by turn directions to that specific location. This was nirvana for a manly man such as me….getting directions without having to ask someone.

You know, a lot of us treat God like that….we want to go where He wants us to go; we just don’t want to ask for His directions. Scripture says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes (directs) his steps.” Proverbs 16:9  We say that we want to be “in the Father’s will,” but then we set out to follow the desires of our hearts and hope that at some junction along our journey, our will and God’s direction will mesh in perfect harmony. Unfortunately, it hardly ever works out that way.

We become lost in life’s journey to serve a risen Lord when we fail to consult His GPS….God’s Placement System…..His Holy Word. God is ready, willing and totally able to direct and establish the roads that He wants us to take if we will only consult Him and read His word. The more we read, the more He directs, the more He establishes the way that is right ….the more we enjoy the journey. Proverbs 3: 5-6, a favorite verse that was given to me as a young man from one of my spiritual mentors says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path (steps).”

So don’t try to make it along life’s highway with just your understanding….tap into God’s GPS and acknowledge that He and He alone knows best. Read, study and ingest His Holy Word … let Him guide you and follow the path that He has set before you. And if, at some point, the directions seem fuzzy or you have gotten off course, do what my GPS does for me each time I make a wrong turn, miss an exit or travel too far down the road past my desired destination…..it screams at me,

RECALCULATING,RECALCULATING!!!!

The start of this New Year is a great time to recalculate where God is directing you in service for Him…or to confirm that you are firmly implanted on the path that He has directed you to travel. Either way, it’s a great time to get into His Word and become a better you. Yes, God’s Holy word is your GPS and it will direct you to where He wants you to go. The question is simple ….Are you too manly (or womanly) to ask the God of Creation for directions?

I pray that 2018 will be the best year of your life thus far as God directs your steps and you follow His heavenly directions…..and if you have a moment; from time to time, drop me a line and let me know how goes the journey…..

Traveling Life’s Highway ….Following His Directions,

WPQ

Poem for the day:

The start of a New Year

Is exciting for most of us;

As long as we're don't become mired

In the hoopla and all the fuss.

So set your sights on progress

As you contemplate your road...

And prepare for the journey

By lightening your load.

Just trust the Father's guiding hand

So that in his hands, you'll rest...

Spend time with Him in His Holy Word

And let it be your G P S!

WPQ  © Jan 2018