The House You're Building

I’m in a whole new phase of life, the empty nester.  Many have debated this term, if it’s the right way to describe what happens when your a parent who no longer have children at home.  I have learned that though the kids aren’t living with you, they need you just as much.  What’s really going on is they are learning to fly, they take off and flap there wings, but in reaching out for advice and money, there presence is still really felt.  In the teen years, they were doing their developmental work of creating their own identity.  As a parent this seems to rip out your heart as you see them experiment with things that you didn’t “raise” them to become.  And, you start to see that this transformation begins when they stop listening to you.  It’s an odd, and deeply rewarding feeling, that even when they don’t live at home, that they still call for advice.  The father away they physically are, the more independent they have to be, the more they real...

        Orient  John 20:1-31 Chapter 20 describes the Resurrection of Christ and His disciples’ reactions to seeing the empty tomb.  Mary Magdalene, Peter, and John are featured characters.  Jesus then makes several appearances, first to Mary, then a group of disciples, then the group again with Thomas present, who had previously doubted His return.  The end of the chapter contains the anchor to the book, where John restates his author’s purpose to believe in Jesus to experience life.     Introduction I can’t believe my eyes  is a well-known idiom meaning something is shocking or incredulous.  This expression is declared when one finds it hard to believe what your senses are telling you is true.  All the followers of Christ had this reaction upon seeing evidence of His resurrection.  Initially, as grave robbery was common, Mary saw the empty grave and ran to get help.  When...

  Tough choices.  There is nothing like being in a situation where you have to really weigh things.  I’m not talking about a pro-con list.  That is usually what people do when the decision they have before them is not emotionally based.  I’m talking about being in a situation where the heart is involved.  Where you feel like you might lose-lose.  There doesn’t seem to be any light at the end of a tunnel of apprehensive feelings.    I’m living in one right now.  I have a big decision to make.  It’s not big from the world’s perspective, like a move or a job change, but it’s big for my heart.  My counselor recommended this week that I approach it from a spirit of curiosity, not make decisions but just notice my feelings and why I was having them.     This advice has been super helpful.  For me noticing the why became determining the origin and it led me down the...

Prepare your heart:   Read Deuteronomy 4:1-8.   Meditate on the verses the Spirit draws your attention to.   Pray in preparation for the study that you will see that there is no “statues and judgments as righteous” as His wisdom and be drawn to learn and walk in them. As I introduced the study to you, I mentioned that Proverbs was mainly written and assembled by King Solomon.   Let us look into how he became wise as an example for us. 1.        Read 1 Kings 3:5-14 and 2 Chronicles 1:7-12.   ·          How does Solomon see himself before God?   ·          What qualities does he acknowledge please God? ·          Why does he ask for wisdom? ·          What is God’s response to his request?   What reasons does He give for responding the way He does? ·...