Gregory T. Jacobs
 
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The Ocoee River in Tennessee was the site of the 1996 Olympics whitewater course.  I have had the priviledge of taking a group of guys down this river four years in a row.  For those of you that know rivers, there are several Class IV rapids that can get pretty intense.  On this one particular trip, we had a senior guide on our boat that knew the river inside and out.  He spent half of his year surfing in California, and the other half guiding trips on the Ocoee River.  Halfway through a six hour river trip, he tells our boat that coming up is a “Hole” that we can jump into if we desire.  Of course the six of us guys on our boat had our antennas up.  We were after all adrenaline junkies looking for a rush.  We all said YEAHHHH…point us in the direction. 

As we paddled up to this rock, the guide was telling us that just below this rock was a fifteen foot cliff that the water spilled over.  There was no way that we could see the cliff, as the water was flat as it poured over the hidden hole.  What this enabled the willing subject to do was to jump off the rock straight down into the water and into this fifteen foot void.  Because all of this was under water and couldn’t be seen by the naked eye, we had no way of understanding the power of that water at the bottom of that hole.  Technically if you hit it just right and went all the way to the bottom, then you would be shot out at lightning speeds straight ahead down river, mind you while you are still under the water.  Fear started gripping us a little as he explained the details to us while we were standing on that rock.  We were not sure what to expect and if we would die down there.  The guide told us it was our decision and waited to see what we would do.

One by one the six guys in our boat jumped into that hole of the unknown.  I sat back in shear fear contemplating if I was prepared to leave Amy as a widow.  After all, the hydraulic immediately before this hole, was called the “Widow Maker.”  I watched as the five guys before me jumped in and surfaced about ten feet away.  I was next… I mustered all of the nerve that I had in me, and jumped in with both feet.  Being 6’6” and 300+ pounds, I sank directly to the bottom of that hole.  What I experienced next I will never forget till the day I die.  As I was standing upright, I shot straight down the river in what felt like 30+mph.  Everything was pitch black, but I was moving.  Oh was I moving.  I didn’t know what to do.  Did I need to swim, kick my feet, give up and die?  I had no idea what to do.  In what seemed like an eternity, but in actuality was only ten seconds, I started to rise very gracefully to the surface.  When I broke the surface, I realized that I was about a hundred feet from where I had jumped in.  The other guys were screaming in confusion and getting scared, because I had not come up where they had.  They had not seen me surface downstream.  The guide was looking all around and calling for other boats to come to my rescue.  They had thought that I had drowned.  Little did I know, I had broken a record for the furthest they had ever seen a person go down that river in the hole.  I started shouting and they saw me.  Overwhelmed, they paddled to where I was.  They said that look on my face was priceless.  If I could have done it again, I would have jumped back in with both feet.

When we expect the unexpected, it is not just for the dangerous trials, tribulations, and testing’s in life.  God wants us to know that with His protection and guidance, life can be fun.  Don’t be so cautious and reserved that you are not willing to grab the bull by the horns and ride.  I have known so many people that lead their lives out of a negative alertness that they forget to have fun.  We need to be proactive, alert, and aware of our situation, but we can’t be petrified by life.  

I have learned that in certain things of  life I am risk adverse.  For example I had a stint as a small business owner, and it didn’t work out for me.  I learned that in that particular stage of  life, it was not for me.  That does not mean that down the road it might not be.  It is hard not to be scarred by circumstances in life that have left us wounded.  However, don’t allow it to dominate your life.  We should not live our lives by fear, but with assertion.  People that are optimistic and assertive in life will tend to attract the same type of people.  None of the guys on that river trip were afraid to experience life.  That is not to say that some of them didn’t have to overcome fears along the way that they learned they could tackle and put in perspective.  Misery loves company, which is why it is absolutely crucial that we not succumb to the doldrums of this world.  

What does it take to jump in with both feet?  1) You previously have had to overcome obstacles, which enabled you to overcome fear.  It is easy to say that you are going to do something, but still be bound by the fear of “What If’'s.”  So many people live their lives wondering what could possibly happen.  It is like a choose your own adventure novel.  There could be ten different endings, but you will never know until you jump in.  2) It is essential that you bathe it in wisdom, but don’t ponder the situation to death.  Your mind will try to rationalize why you shouldn’t take risks, when your heart is telling you to go for it.  We are built as humans to have an adventure to live.  Don’t deprive God’s intent and design for your life by trying to use rationale in a situation that just requires a leap of Faith.  3) You must be willing to accept whatever circumstances are below the surface.  When you jump in the water, you are not going to know what lies beneath it.  You have to be willing to roll with the flow, and sometimes hold your breath.  If it is not what you expected, I caution you on throwing a fit or sinking into a chronic depression.  Instead, overcome the disappointment and be proud of yourself for trying.  Sometimes the joy is not in the outcome, but rather the attempt.

When we expect the unexpected, it does not mean that it is going to be spelled out and defined for us.  It just means that we should go through life with eyes wide open.  We should understand that life is an obstacle course.  Careers don’t always turn out the way that we envisioned they would.  Marriages don’t always turn out quite like we had hoped.  Relationships with family and friends sometimes can be strained.  One thing is for sure.  All of these life altering situations will appear as minuet when we are keeping our eyes on the prize of Jesus Christ.  No matter what the circumstance or the situation, expect that God is in control of the unexpected.  Jump In!!!
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I would like to dedicate today's Blog in respect to all of our Veterans out there that served this country.  It is so easy to forget about all of the men and women that are serving in our Armed Services both domestically and abroad.  

About a week ago I was in a Christian Business Men's meeting, and the speaker shared a really touching story.  He was sharing how he was up in Bangor, Maine for a business meeting.  While he was at the hotel he was talking with some troop greeters.  I am a little fuzzy on the details, but these greeters were either going over to the airport or military base to send troops off  prior to going to Afghanistan.  Upon talking with them, he discovered that the only slot that wasn't filled was from 2:00--4:00a.m.  It was smack dab in the middle of the night, but he went.  He figured that he could catch up on sleep some other time.  He thought that when he got over there, he might see a hand full of soldiers waiting to board a plane.  However, when he arrived, there were literally hundreds of young men and women leaving the United States with no assurance of what the future held.

I got tears in my eyes when I heard that.  I thought of all of the men and women that have laid down their lives for my freedom.  One of the most emotional movies I have ever seen is "Private Ryan."  I will never forget that moment in the movie when Private Ryan many years later went to visit the Normandy American National Cemetery, to see the grave of Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) who had given his life to find him.  Captain Miller's  dying words in the movie were, "Earn this!"  I am fairly certain that we can say that the lives of those that were given in order that I might have freedom, have Earned it.   

Freedom isn't free, Somebody paid the price.  My Jesus paid a Great price when He gave His life on the cross at Calvary more than 2000 years ago.  Do you realize that not only did He take upon Himself just your sins, but all of mankinds, whether they reject Him or not?  The amazing thing to this is that all we have to do is BELIEVE in Him.  It is a free gift to all.  He tells us that because He died for us, his Grace enables us to EARN IT.  Not on any of our own merit, but purely on His.   We deserved to die as sinners, but because of the sacrifice and price that Jesus paid, we are a new creation. 

I would like to request two things of you today.  One, call a Veteran and tell them thank you.  Tell them that you want to let them know how much you appreciate the freedom in which you rest under every night.  Make sure that they feel treasured on this special day with honor and respect that is due to them.  Then I want you to turn right around and Thank Jesus for what He did for YOU.  Whether or not you are a Christian is beyond the point.  He died for YOU irregardless of whether you have surrendered your life to Him.  However, HE wants you to BELIEVE and accept the free gift of LIFE that He gives to you Free of Charge. 

Mine and your Freedom came at a Price.  Let's not take it for granted, but instead give thanks for what has been surrendered...
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I grew up on 40 acres in Shelby County, Kentucky.  One of the highlights to my day was to go out and jump on my Allis Chalmers tractor.  One thing that my brother and I used to do was to put that tractor in 4th gear, and take off full speed down the field.  About the only thing that I didn't like was when I would be cutting hay with that tractor, and I would run over a large fire ant hill with the bush hog.  The ants would just go flying and get all over you.  Man, could those things bite.  They were no joke.  So to remedy the situation my brother and I would take off at full speed ahead and take the front tires of that orange tractor and spin the ant hill all over the field.  That way it was level when we cut the grass. 

One winter day, Michael and I were bored out of our minds.  So we decided to bundle up and jump on the tractor.  We ground through all 4 gears as we barrelled down the field, when all of a sudden I spotted a huge ant hill.  I was driving and Michael was sitting on the side rail of the tractor.  I thought we could kill two birds with one stone, and wipe out that ant hill.  Little did I know that those mounds froze as solid as Mr. McCurdy's farm pond in the winter time.  I hit that thing head on... The tractor launched several feet in the air as if I was Evil Knievel attempting to jump the Grand Canyon.  Mike fell off the tractor, and I was doing everything I could to hold on for dear life.  I was so shocked by the unexpected that I grabbed hold of the wheel and just held on for the ride.  Thankfully, both my brother and I were okay.

This story is so indicative of real life.  We can be going along doing things the same way we always have, but one slight alteration can change and affect our circumstances.  When the temperature changed, the entire ant hill was altered.  Many of us have seen marriages go along at a steady pace doing the same things they always have, but then all of a sudden they can change.  Naivety is not an excuse for not being watchful and vigilant.  We have to be fully alert and aware of our surroundings at all times.  I Peter 5:8(NIV) says, "Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."  What type of things in your life can alter your existence and reality from what it is today?

I have always said that it is better to be proactive, rather than reactive.  If you are proactive, then you are alert and aware of what could possibly trip you up.  If you are reactive, then it has already happened.  In my Financial Planning business, I am constantly counseling against just buying budgetary software and inputting yur expenses after you spend the money.  That is great if you want to look back on the year and see where your money went, but it does nothing for planning and telling your money where to go before you spend it.  Life is the same way.  I encourage people to have safeguards in their marriage in order to avoid the parasitic pit falls in life that so easily entrap us.  Being married and flirting with a co-worker is like taking a step into a roach motel.  It looks appealing at the time and appears harmless, but it will alter your situation in a demoralizing fashion.  Once you call something harmless, then you are barrelling towards that frozen ant hill at full speed.  Once you get trapped, then that roach motel is unforgiving and will ensnare you.

God wants us to be proactive with our lives.  We are not to allow parasites to creep into our lives, but should always expect the unexpected.  When I talk about safeguards with people, half the time they do not know what I am talking about.  I have implemented so many of them in my life that I don't realize that others haven't.  One such safeguard in my marriage is that I don't partake in "Harmless Flirting."  Inevitably this will lead you down a path of destruction.  Another is that I don't allow myself in any compromising situations with somebody of the opposite sex.  You might think this is a given, but it is not.  I can't tell you how many good Christian guys I talk to, tell me about how they go on calls all day with their sales manager, and then stop off for dinner with them at the end of the day.  There is a reason that fifty percent of our marriages end in divorce, and the majority of them have to do with infidelity.  It is absolutely imperative that we watch out for Life Altering circumstances, and that we think through what leads to them.  It is time to be proactive and take responsibility for our lives, and not react to the crisis at hand that could have been prevented... 

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Do you know what it means to work for food?  Most of us do not know what it means to hold a sign on the street corner out of desperation.  However, don't we all work for food?  It does not just magically appear on our plates piping hot.  A fairy does not just instantly provide a pantry full of food in any given day.  We work not only to provide food, but also clothes and shelter to provide for our daily sustenance.  What we don't realize is how many people around us are struggling in this area.  Last week the US Government announced that unemployment officially has risen to above 10% nationwide.  In other areas of the country, life Elkhart, IN where my brother-in-law and his family live, it is upwards of 15%.  That means that at least 1 in every 8-10 families is struggling to find a means to put food on the table and clothes on their childrens backs.

As a Financial Advisor, I am fully aware that many people are bridging this gap with credit cards and Home Equity Loans.  I also know that the State pays Unemployment Benefits for a season, as small as that might be.   With all of that however, fear is running rampant in many peoples lives.  Fathers are feeling inept losing their jobs, and mothers are feeling insufficient.  I have talked with several people who are going through divorces due to the strain that losing their jobs has put on their marriage. 

The question that arises is quite simple.  What are WE doing to help offset this?  Many people have grown quiet during this time.  We retreat inside our homes and don't wish to reach out to those that are experiencing financial hardships.  The mentality is to hoard our possessions in case something terrible happens to us.  We want to safeguard our lives and family from the "Worst Case Scenario."  Let's say that you are a saver and still have your job, but your neighbor doesn't, and didn't have the foresight to save.  Is it our responsibilty to place blame or reject helping others?

 A dear friend of mine e-mailed me this week that he has been praying about helping a friend of his that is going through a hard time due to a job loss.  He was sharing this scripture verse with me, "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" James 2:15-16 (NIV)
This really opened my eyes.  How many of us are verbally wishing people well, and sending them on their way, without stretching out a hand of help?  Years ago, we would have said, "Come on, we are Americans.  We will reach a helping hand out to our neighbors."  That is right we are!  Even more than being Americans though, we should be Christians reaching out as Christ would have.  I am speaking this from convictions that the Lord has also layed on my heart.  I need to learn to sacrifice more, and let the Lord's compassion flow through me.

In this season of Thanksgiving, what are you and your family GOING to do in order to let Jesus shine through you to others.  I have heard of people taking their family to soup kitchens, and fasting food that day so that they can empathize with the people they are serving.  Still others are cooking turkeys and taking them to families that can't afford one this year.  Others are making contributions to foreign mission funds.  All of these are great and I will more than likely partake in them as well.  The challenge for all of us is simple: Do not just do this in November, because it is the Thanksgiving season.  We have to have a change of life and heart style where we are participating in these activities year round, because it is what the Lord requires of us...
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When I was sixteen years old, I was sitting out on my front porch late one night.  We lived in a log cabin on 40 acres of land out in the country.   It was a beautiful crisp fall evening.  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flicker.  I was intrigued enough to come up out of the rocking chair and run to the front field.  All of a sudden I saw this light in the sky.  What else could it be but a UFO?  I ran back to the house to alert mom that there was a UFO getting ready to beam us up to the mothership.  I grabbed my 35mm camera, and just started snapping one picture after another.  I soon was out of film. 

I ran back to the house, picked up the phone, and called the Kentucky State Police dispatch.  I told them that a UFO was circling eastern Shelby County, and that they needed to alert The National Guard.  What I heard next, I am embarrassed to say crushed my pride.  The dispatcher talked in a calm smooth voice, "Mr. Jacobs, thank you for the call.  We have had several calls this evening about the light in the sky.  We would like to inform you that Kroger is celebrating their grand opening in Frankfort of their new grocery store.  What you see in the sky is the spot light."

Still to this day I say there was no "Tail" on that light.  There is no way that I could have known.  I never developed that roll of film.  How many times do we get distracted and dazzled by the light?  We can tend to be enamored by lights along the way that distract us from the path of life.  If you haven't  read Pilgrims Progress by John Bunyan, I highly recommend it.  In the book there is a character called "Pilgrim."  He traveles along the path of life.  However, along the way he gets distracted and veers off of that path into "Vanity Fair."  He soon learns that this is a trap set to ensnare him.  He quickly learns not to be dazzled by the light, and makes a choice to get back on the straight and narrow path.  Matthew 7:13-14 says, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

Are you going to be dazzled by the lights, or will you keep your eyes on the path?  Life is full of distractions, don't let it suck you into its demise...
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Bucking Broncos 11/07/2009
 
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When I was thirteen years old, I took riding lessons on this horse called Picadilly.  She was the oldest, fattest horse I had ever seen.  Evidently whatever she ate on a daily basis never agreed with her.  She would come out of her stall and just started passing gas the whole way around the ring.  After I learned to master riding her, I was awarded my very own Appaloosa stallion, Bay Moon Go.   Talk about a dream come true.  What I didn't realize at the time was that unlike Picadilly that had one hoof in the grave, Bay was full of Life.

One day my brother and I decided to take Bay out for a ride.  If you have ever ridden a horse, you know that they like to puff up their stomachs in order to allow a little more room under their girth strap.  First I had my short ride, then it was my brother Michael's turn.  Little did he know that the strap was too loose.  One minute he was galloping down the field, the next he completely disappeared.  For a fleeting moment I thought the rapture had occured, then I realized that I was still standing there.  I looked down and directly underneath Bay's belly, my brother was holding on for dear life.  The saddle had slipped underneath the horse and had done a complete 180.

Have you ever felt like this in life?  One minute you are trotting along without a care in the world.  The wind is blowing in your face and you feel like it can't get any better.  Then all of a sudden that bottom falls out from underneath you, and your world is turned upside down.  I am here to tell you that you can have peace in the storms of life.  Jesus Christ does not abandon or turn His back on us.  Hebrews 13:5 tells us that "He will never leave us nor forsake us."  I don't know about you, but that imparts incredible peace and comfort in my life.  In a world that is wrought with heartache, I want to have a saviour that cares enough not to abandon me.

What kind of Bucking Broncos do you have in your life?  Has your life been turned upside down in a jiffy?  Marriages are sitting at a 50/50 chance of making it.  Unwed mothers are having children out of wedlock at a record pace.  More abortions are being performed everyday.  Chronic depression is at an all time high.  Addictions to pornography is parasitic.  Vices are running rampant with people attempting to fill voids in their lives.  

I have only one question: When the bucking bronco comes and turns your world upside down, will you hold fast to Jesus... 
 

 
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The Voice of God 11/06/2009
 
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It never ceases to amaze me the looks and stairs that I get when I talk about hearing the voice of God.  What thoughts does it evoke when I mention the voice of God?  Do you think of a burly Moses played by Charlton Heston, when God's booming voice echos from the burning bush?  Maybe you don't believe that God speaks to people in today's era.  All I know is that there are many people missing out on LISTENING to the voice of God.

When I was working at Bank One many years ago, we had high ceilings in the bank which caused everything to echo.  They decided to higher a firm to come in and place "White Noise" speakers to drown out the other noise.  Even though it drowned out the echo of the bank lobby, it still was Noise.  It was just a different type and style of noise.  We have to be cautious and careful that we are not replacing one noise with another.

The other day I was typing a chapter to a new book I am toying with.  While I was sitting there typing, I realized I was having trouble focusing with my wife doing the dishes, the three kids running around, the television on, and the dog chasing the cat.  I found it a little challenging focusing on what I was trying to write.  I put the laptop down, went into the basement and grabbed my shooting ear muffs.  I figured if it can muffle a shotgun sound, surely it would drown out the chaos around me.  It did its job! 

This brings me to my point: Why do most people not hear the Voice of God?   Is it because God does not speak to us anymore?  NO...  Is it because we think it has to be in one fashion or another?  PERHAPS...   I think more than anything it is because we do not have ears to hear and eyes to see.  Do you remember the Batman movie with Val Kilmer as Batman, and Nicole Kidman as his love interest?  When they were at the circus, Bruce Wayne stands up and shouts at Harvey-Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones) "I AM BATMAN!"  Nobody heard a word that came out of his mouth.  Do you know why, because there was so much noise and clatter all around them.  

I believe the #1 reason that people do not hear the Voice of God, is that there is too much clanging and loud noise going on in their lives.  God is speaking, but they do not have ears to hear.  I believe that God speaks to us in several different ways:

     1) Primarily through the reading of His Word.  The Bible never ceases to amaze me.  Anybody that says they can't read the Bible because it is boring, just hasn't picked it up.  Every time that I read it, the Lord speaks something to me.
 
     2) It is through the Holy Spirits impression on your heart.  I have never experienced a big booming voice out of heaven, but I do experience quite frequently an impression in my soul.  Don't discount this as just thoughts or indigestions.  Listen to what He is telling you.

     3) Another common way that the Lord wants to speak to us is both through Visions and Dreams.  I have had many people tell me that they have had dreams they felt were from the Lord.  Don't discount a dream, that is anything other that REM (Rapid Eye Movement), as being attributable to having too much pizza the night before.  

The point I wish to make is that we have to silence all of the loud clanging noise in our lives, in order to hear the voice of God.  Are you willing to de-clutter, less complicate, add serenity, and speak peace to the storms of your life?  If so, I can 100% with assurance guarantee that you will hear the Voice of God...

 
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Technology 11/05/2009
 
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I was reading the latest edition of National Geographic this morning.  Towards the back of the magazine was a black and white picture of this man standing on top of this Arch/Bridge that probably stretched 50 feet into the air.  Not very impressive in today's standards.  Right?  Wrong!  This picture was taken in the 1920's by a man that worked for National Geographic, but it was never published until now.  They found this picture and the article in the man's deceased possessions.  Is this what makes it impressive?  Not quite!  What makes it unbelievably phenomenal, is that this arch/bridge was built by the Romans, in Iraq, with Stone, over this little marshy river, estimated hundreds of years before the time of Christ.  To me that is mind blowing!!!

The question that first popped into my head when I read this was simple.  Would we be able to make something like this today with the technology that they had back then?  I believe that answer to that is NO.  We have a  hard time brushing our teeth without using a battery powered toothbrush.  We have a hard time heating up a burrito without our microwave.  Don't get me started on transportation. 

I say all of this not to say that we haven't advanced through the years, as we have.  However, we have become a race soley dependent on technology.  I am afraid that boy scouts know way more than you and I will ever know about how to create fire or filter water.   Heaven forbid that we ever have a natural disaster where we might actually have to learn to fend for ourselves.  Oh wait, we have.  I faintly remember the US being in turmoil over 911, Katrina, Floods in the Mid-West, Fires in California, etc... 

Our own spiritual lives are much the same way.  Have we dumbed down the Gospel of Christ to the point of being entertained.  If church buildings were all of a sudden off limits and you were not able to get your "Fix" what would you do.  This is not to be interpreted as being critical of churches, but rather to encourage you to become Self-Feeders!  It is absolutely essential that we learn to feed ourselves through the Bible as the divinely inspired Word of God.  It is critical that we learn to go to our knees in prayer, instead of dismissing this as something that "others" do.  If it was all taken away, would you be able to build that bridge to God?  

Psalm 119:11 says  "I have hidden your Word in my heart that I might not sin against you."  Are you willing to set technology aside, in order to not be entertained?  It is time that we all learn to look to Christ as the author and finisher of our faith...
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About three weeks ago, my wife decided to do some rearranging of the furniture.  I had no problem with that whatsoever, but never realized how much of a creature of habit we can be.  She did an about face with our whole bedroom.  The bed was put on a different wall, and two dressers were moved around.  When I came home and saw what she had done, I was pleasantly surprised.  I made the comment that since she wakes up earlier than I do (It doesn't take me quite as long to get ready in the mornings) why don't we just put the alarm clock on her side of the bed.  I never saw what was coming, or how it would change my life.

I am a restless sleeper to begin with.  Sometimes we can be so wrapped up in our ways, that we don't even realize we are doing something.  I used to wake up periodically through the night and look at the alarm clock sitting 12 inches from my face.  Sometimes I would even be spiteful towards that old clock for not being further along than it was.  At other times I would just glance at it and go back to sleep.  Once that alarm clock was removed from my side of the bed, I didn't know what to do with myself.  I would wake-up and stair at where the clock used to be.  Every once and a while I would just have to know, so I would prop myself up and look across Amy to where the clock rested on her end table.

Last night was different.  I woke up at 2:47a.m.  (I know this because I glanced at it when I was on my way to the restroom).  However, I couldn't go back to sleep.  I thought to myself, what has changed?  The alarm clock is still in the room.  It is still on "a" side of the bed, even though it is on the other side.   Time has not changed, and I am still sleeping in the same room.  The difference was I wasn't so obsessed with what time it was if I woke up in the night.  I knew that it was still dark, and eventually I would fall back asleep. 

We can parallel this in our own spiritual lives.  We should never be so hung up over watching for Christ's return that we miss it.  IT WILL HAPPEN!  However we can't allow ourselves to be so obsessed with looking for it that we lose sight of what He has for us in the here and now.   Don't allow yourself to be angry or frustrated that things haven't transpired in your life up to this point.  Instead, rest in His grace and mercy.  This is not to be mistaken with being Watchful and Vigilant, as I talk about this in my book.  We should absolutely be those things.  However, we can't live in fret or hyperness as to what will happen next in this world...
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Have you ever heard that term “Thief in the Night?”  To some it might evoke thoughts of fear.  Others it might have the connotation of something slipping by us unaware.  Still to others it might bring to mind the I Thessalonians 5:2 passage of, “For you know verry well that the day of the Lord will ccome like a thief in the night."  Whatever thoughts might arise, it still begs the question of what does it mean to you. 

Last night my wife brought up a topic that I was a little sore over.  I have to admit that I got a little peaked around the collar and defensive under my skin.  It is never fun when somebody challenges you to be a better person, when it entails stretching and growth.  The challenge to me was to incorporate my ministry that I have for the Lord, by not ignoring my kids and keeping them in the dark.  It also was to be proactively involved with them when I get home from work, rather than just picking up my laptop and turning the television set on.  You see, I have been pondering this very thing for quite some time, but it is never easy when the Lord chooses somebody close to you to convict you of these very things. 

The question that I have for you is what is your “Thief in the Night?”  Is it a lack of parenting involvement when you get home in the evenings or on the weekends?  Is it an absence from spending intimate time with your spouse?  Could it be that you are not growing closer with the Lord, because of hindrances in your life that prohibit you from a deeper walk with Him?  Whatever it might be, it is essential that we evaluate our lives and establish a pulse on our relationships. 

I refuse to live in regret or in the past.  I want to be proactive in investing in my relationships going forward.  Just as I take the time to spend one-on-one time with Amy, I need to do that with my children as well.  More importantly is that we need to spend time with our Maker.  This however should never come between our family lives.  They should all be molded together with a happy balance of time. 

Will you evaluate if there is a “Thief in the Night” in one of your relationships, trying to steal your joy and depth that God would have you take a hold of?  As for me, I am committing to a happy balance between all my relationships, and molding them together. In order for me to have a Christ-Centered family, I have to take steps to assure that happens…

 
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