The Last Day of 2009

I have been out of high school almost 21 years. It has taken me that long to get my Master's degree (May 2010). What a lot of wasted time. Although I did not surrender to the ministry until April 2005, I was being called a long time before that. The year 2010 may see changes for my family. My wife will complete her PhD and we may be moving. If we are in the Dallas area, or within driving distance, I will begin work on mine. My oldest son Eli will enter High school, and my youngest son Ethan will be in the first grade. Friday nights beginning in September will be spent watching the band and then the football game. (That will be a switch for me) I pray that my family will have more devotional time in 2010, that we will be more committed to God as a family, and that our Christian education is enhanced by the church that we attend. I pray that God will lead me to a church to serve. I pray that my youngest son will begin to realize who Jesus is, and what he has done for him. I pray that my oldest son will be more attentive to his Christian walk and see that God, church and dad are not the enemy. Eli has had a tough year, and I pray that this new year is better for him.

Can't Keep My Dog in the Fence

My son has a 10 month old female boxer. Her name is Izzy. she is the sweetest dog, but I can not get her to stay in the yard. She can jump the fence with no problem. I have built a pen in the yard, tried an electric fence and a tie down. None of them have worked. I have a shock collar on her now and I am watching her out of the window. I hate the shock collar, but we are going to lose her. Isn't it a good thing that we can not be lost to God once we have accepted his free gift of salvation. He has given us the boundary of His word to keep us fenced in, and yet we jump the fence and roam around where we can get into trouble. God does not have a shock collar, but if his ear is inclined to us as Peter writes in the 1st book of Peter, then he knows when his children are tearing up the neighbor's trash, much like Izzy. My prayer today is that I will stay where God wants me to stay and not jump the fence.

Wow

I said I was not going to be lax this time in blogging. But I had to finish the semester (1 more semester and I will have my Master's) and the holidays have been wonderful but hectic. I have been studying a lot of Paul's writings to the churches, and have noticed that Paul did give his opinions on certain subjects. Paul makes statements similar to "I speak for myself on this matter and not the Lord". I found such an instance today in I Corinthians. I was at the hospital with my wife's family as her grandmother was being attended to, and thought this phrase peculiar by Paul while studying the bible in the waitng room. Should we adhere to Paul's opinion on matters? This is something that I will seek more evidence on, and as always, pray on the matter.