When Jesus… said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. (John 19:30)
When Jesus said "It is finished" on the cross, He was only talking about His part. As Christians we somehow have gotten to the point where we think that the saving part done a long time ago is all there is to it. Jesus took care of that completely at Calvary. We have forgotten that after Salvation comes the real work.....for us. Although we don't work our way to Heaven (Eph 2:8-9), we are commanded to work (Matt 28:18-20). When was the last time we actually worked, with effort, for God? Oh sure, we go to church at the appointed times. We may even go for special services every once in awhile. We might even visit someone in the hospital. But when was the last time we really worked for God? It might surprise you to find out that the word "work" is not just a place we go (noun), but an action we do (verb). God's business was never meant to be taken care of by a paid staff. It was meant to be tended to by His people out of love for Him. It IS our "reasonable service". Be of good cheer; "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Rom 10:13). But be prepared to exercise the love He places in our heart and do a little work.....for Him.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Who's Your Daddy?
Romans 8:15 - For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
After accepting a job in Alpharetta, GA I packed up my family and moved from Carpentersville, IL. This was a bittersweet move. I was leaving my family behind, but moving closer to my wife’s family. My “hero” here on Earth has, and still is, my brother-in-law, Johnny. I have sought his counsel on many occasions, especially for spiritual matters. I watched his relationship with his daughter and tried to model my relationship with Jenni after it. Without putting him on a pedestal, he is a wonderful role model.
You would have to ask Jenni if I succeeded in being the type of father to be looked up to. But I do think there is evidence of a good relationship. At almost 21 Jenni doesn’t have any trouble talking to me about almost anything. She still says, “I love you”, in public and in front of her friends. She will still hug me and give me a kiss right on the lips. And one of the most precious things to me is that she still calls me Daddy.
Several years ago I heard a message about the above passage. I won’t try to re-preach the message, but I would like to point out one word that has stood out to me: Abba. This word has become very important to me. It is so personal and extremely heart felt. As a matter of fact, it is a word that has changed the way I view God. I believe God should be respected and held in high esteem. But we often forget just how much He loves us.
I grew up in a home where everyone was addressed with a title. It was always “Mister”, “Misses”, “Aunt”, “Uncle”, and so on. I was given a formal name: Phillip. And I insisted my daughter be named in the same fashion: Jennifer. Don’t get me wrong, I feel respect is important and formality has a place. But sometimes we need to get a little closer and more intimate with our family.
This is where the word “Abba” comes in. It denotes a very close, personal, intimate relationship with the Title Holder. It means “Daddy”. Every time I see the word “Daddy” I get an image of Jenni climbing into my lap, curling up, placing her head on my chest, and saying, “I love you Daddy”. It is hard to get much more intimate than that! And when I think of “Abba”, I get the picture of myself climbing into God’s lap, curling up, placing my head on His chest, and saying, “I love you Daddy”. And His response is the same as mine is to Jenni, He wraps His loving arms around me and says, “and I love you my child, more than you can imagine”.
After accepting a job in Alpharetta, GA I packed up my family and moved from Carpentersville, IL. This was a bittersweet move. I was leaving my family behind, but moving closer to my wife’s family. My “hero” here on Earth has, and still is, my brother-in-law, Johnny. I have sought his counsel on many occasions, especially for spiritual matters. I watched his relationship with his daughter and tried to model my relationship with Jenni after it. Without putting him on a pedestal, he is a wonderful role model.
You would have to ask Jenni if I succeeded in being the type of father to be looked up to. But I do think there is evidence of a good relationship. At almost 21 Jenni doesn’t have any trouble talking to me about almost anything. She still says, “I love you”, in public and in front of her friends. She will still hug me and give me a kiss right on the lips. And one of the most precious things to me is that she still calls me Daddy.
Several years ago I heard a message about the above passage. I won’t try to re-preach the message, but I would like to point out one word that has stood out to me: Abba. This word has become very important to me. It is so personal and extremely heart felt. As a matter of fact, it is a word that has changed the way I view God. I believe God should be respected and held in high esteem. But we often forget just how much He loves us.
I grew up in a home where everyone was addressed with a title. It was always “Mister”, “Misses”, “Aunt”, “Uncle”, and so on. I was given a formal name: Phillip. And I insisted my daughter be named in the same fashion: Jennifer. Don’t get me wrong, I feel respect is important and formality has a place. But sometimes we need to get a little closer and more intimate with our family.
This is where the word “Abba” comes in. It denotes a very close, personal, intimate relationship with the Title Holder. It means “Daddy”. Every time I see the word “Daddy” I get an image of Jenni climbing into my lap, curling up, placing her head on my chest, and saying, “I love you Daddy”. It is hard to get much more intimate than that! And when I think of “Abba”, I get the picture of myself climbing into God’s lap, curling up, placing my head on His chest, and saying, “I love you Daddy”. And His response is the same as mine is to Jenni, He wraps His loving arms around me and says, “and I love you my child, more than you can imagine”.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Crossing Over
Immigration is a very hot and controversial topic today. And I am not going to use this forum to discuss the merits or problems with America’s policies in this area. But I do want to use the US-Mexico border as an example.
Last night we picked up a load in Calexico, CA. The shipper was literally on the US-Mexico border. After picking up the load we traveled East on I-8 and I-10. Both of these Interstates pretty much follow the border. So, I have had plenty of time to see Mexico as we traveled today. And I have an observation I would like to share.
As I looked at places like Juarez, Mexico, I began to understand why someone would want to leave their country of birth, leave everything they know and probably love behind, and attempt to get into the United States, at ALL costs. I began to have a better appreciation for the plight of the Mexican people. I still don’t agree with making the move illegally, but I do understand the move.
You see, I was once in a place where I could see a much better place and really wanted to get there. The more I saw it the more questions I would ask about how I could get there. I was told that, although the pathway was narrow, it was open to anyone that was willing to take the proper steps to get there. As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t even have to pay any fees to get there. I simply had to accept the invitation and take a step of faith toward my desired destination.
Getting into the United States legally is not really that hard. A person simply has to be willing to take the necessary steps to make it happen. And anything worth having is worth waiting for.
Just like the Mexican people’s desired destination, my desired destination is within reach to anyone that wants it. Simply accept the invitation and wait for the day that you are called in. I was once asked if I believed that there was a pilot in a plane that had flown overhead. I, of course, answered with a very quick “yes”. The follow-up question was pretty simple too. How could I believe so easily that the pilot existed if I could not see him? And once again I answered very quickly “I will just wait for the plane to land, or come down, and I would be able to see the pilot”. These were two simple questions with unintentionally profound answers.
There is really only one way to get into the United States legally and that is to submit the proper paperwork and wait for acceptance. God teaches us that the way to Heaven is for everyone. However, the way is a very narrow one. As a matter of fact, there is only one way, and that is through Jesus Christ. There is no other way. And once you accept that way you simply have to wait to enter. The entrance into Heaven is guaranteed by that simple act of faith. By accepting Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross of Calvary as a complete payment for your sin you are guaranteed entrance into Heaven.
Just like the Mexican people looking across the border into the United States, desiring a better place, I looked into God’s Word at a description of Heaven and my desire grew. It grew to a point of wanting Heaven so much that I was willing to pay any price to get there. Thankfully that price has already been paid in full. Will you accept the free pardon of sin and join me in a much better place than the United States?
Last night we picked up a load in Calexico, CA. The shipper was literally on the US-Mexico border. After picking up the load we traveled East on I-8 and I-10. Both of these Interstates pretty much follow the border. So, I have had plenty of time to see Mexico as we traveled today. And I have an observation I would like to share.
As I looked at places like Juarez, Mexico, I began to understand why someone would want to leave their country of birth, leave everything they know and probably love behind, and attempt to get into the United States, at ALL costs. I began to have a better appreciation for the plight of the Mexican people. I still don’t agree with making the move illegally, but I do understand the move.
You see, I was once in a place where I could see a much better place and really wanted to get there. The more I saw it the more questions I would ask about how I could get there. I was told that, although the pathway was narrow, it was open to anyone that was willing to take the proper steps to get there. As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t even have to pay any fees to get there. I simply had to accept the invitation and take a step of faith toward my desired destination.
Getting into the United States legally is not really that hard. A person simply has to be willing to take the necessary steps to make it happen. And anything worth having is worth waiting for.
Just like the Mexican people’s desired destination, my desired destination is within reach to anyone that wants it. Simply accept the invitation and wait for the day that you are called in. I was once asked if I believed that there was a pilot in a plane that had flown overhead. I, of course, answered with a very quick “yes”. The follow-up question was pretty simple too. How could I believe so easily that the pilot existed if I could not see him? And once again I answered very quickly “I will just wait for the plane to land, or come down, and I would be able to see the pilot”. These were two simple questions with unintentionally profound answers.
There is really only one way to get into the United States legally and that is to submit the proper paperwork and wait for acceptance. God teaches us that the way to Heaven is for everyone. However, the way is a very narrow one. As a matter of fact, there is only one way, and that is through Jesus Christ. There is no other way. And once you accept that way you simply have to wait to enter. The entrance into Heaven is guaranteed by that simple act of faith. By accepting Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross of Calvary as a complete payment for your sin you are guaranteed entrance into Heaven.
Just like the Mexican people looking across the border into the United States, desiring a better place, I looked into God’s Word at a description of Heaven and my desire grew. It grew to a point of wanting Heaven so much that I was willing to pay any price to get there. Thankfully that price has already been paid in full. Will you accept the free pardon of sin and join me in a much better place than the United States?
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
A Moses Experience
Yesterday brought a new adventure. We got the truck back from the dealership much earlier than expected. Very shortly after checking out of the hotel and getting back in the truck we had a load notification. We were heading to Valdosta, GA! We were getting closer to home and getting some great miles. This was great news for both Nate and I. Maybe, just maybe, we would get close enough to our homes with a little extra time for much needed visits. BUT……everything would have to work out just perfectly in order for this to happen. We still had to get an empty trailer, receive our actual dispatch, drive to California to pick the load up, and drive to the final destination. Unfortunately, things never seem to work out perfectly, and yesterday was no exception.
The beginning of the end started with a very slow response from the planners. It is their job to route us to a place where we can pick up an empty trailer. Unfortunately they took their sweet time. By the time they located an empty trailer time was running short. After connecting to a trailer we then had to wait for the official dispatch of the trailer. We waited for about a half hour before deciding to decline the load, since there was no way to be on time for the pick-up. This meant waiting again for another load.
After being up most of the day we received a load notification with acceptable miles. This one required us to get rid of the empty trailer we had searched for before heading to Calexico, CA, which was about 350 miles away. Fortunately this load was pre-loaded on a trailer and already waiting for us.
US Routes were the only way to “get there from here”. And, since the majority of Nevada seems to be desert, the drive was less than enjoyable. Nate hopped into the bunk for a nap in order to be ready to drive, leaving me to endure the “exciting” scenery all alone. This gave my mind plenty of time to ponder this vast wilderness. I began to think of how Moses must have felt, wandering for 40 years, not sure when the end of the journey would finally arrive. I kept thinking about a child in the back seat repeating that well-known chant of “are we there yet” every 5 minutes. At least I had an idea of how many miles I was supposed to go as well as an odometer to keep track of how far we had already been.
As I continued down these never-ending, winding roads I began to think about my life. How much time had I spent worrying about the destination and completely missed the journey? How many milestones in my children’s lives had I missed, just because I was busy trying to drive the car of life? How many more accomplishments will I fail to recognize because I am too busy doing ________________?
A dear Brother in Christ once spoke of how we live our “dash”. He was referring to the dash between the dates of birth and death on a headstone. Our life’s accomplishments will basically amount to that tiny punctuation when the journey is over. Some of us will have a short dash and others will have a very long one. Some dashes will be in bold type and impossible to miss or forget. Others will be barely noticeable and will very quickly fade with time.
It is not a very profound observation to say that life is short. Nor is it eye opening to say we only have one life to live (physically speaking). But when was the last time you actually took notice of the mark you are leaving as you live yours? One of my favorite quotes is “I teach, I touch eternity”. But you don’t have to be a teacher to touch eternity. Make contact with another life and you will have touched eternity. Don’t waste your dash; completely missing out on all the wonderful things life has to offer just because the scenery doesn’t exactly excite you.
The beginning of the end started with a very slow response from the planners. It is their job to route us to a place where we can pick up an empty trailer. Unfortunately they took their sweet time. By the time they located an empty trailer time was running short. After connecting to a trailer we then had to wait for the official dispatch of the trailer. We waited for about a half hour before deciding to decline the load, since there was no way to be on time for the pick-up. This meant waiting again for another load.
After being up most of the day we received a load notification with acceptable miles. This one required us to get rid of the empty trailer we had searched for before heading to Calexico, CA, which was about 350 miles away. Fortunately this load was pre-loaded on a trailer and already waiting for us.
US Routes were the only way to “get there from here”. And, since the majority of Nevada seems to be desert, the drive was less than enjoyable. Nate hopped into the bunk for a nap in order to be ready to drive, leaving me to endure the “exciting” scenery all alone. This gave my mind plenty of time to ponder this vast wilderness. I began to think of how Moses must have felt, wandering for 40 years, not sure when the end of the journey would finally arrive. I kept thinking about a child in the back seat repeating that well-known chant of “are we there yet” every 5 minutes. At least I had an idea of how many miles I was supposed to go as well as an odometer to keep track of how far we had already been.
As I continued down these never-ending, winding roads I began to think about my life. How much time had I spent worrying about the destination and completely missed the journey? How many milestones in my children’s lives had I missed, just because I was busy trying to drive the car of life? How many more accomplishments will I fail to recognize because I am too busy doing ________________?
A dear Brother in Christ once spoke of how we live our “dash”. He was referring to the dash between the dates of birth and death on a headstone. Our life’s accomplishments will basically amount to that tiny punctuation when the journey is over. Some of us will have a short dash and others will have a very long one. Some dashes will be in bold type and impossible to miss or forget. Others will be barely noticeable and will very quickly fade with time.
It is not a very profound observation to say that life is short. Nor is it eye opening to say we only have one life to live (physically speaking). But when was the last time you actually took notice of the mark you are leaving as you live yours? One of my favorite quotes is “I teach, I touch eternity”. But you don’t have to be a teacher to touch eternity. Make contact with another life and you will have touched eternity. Don’t waste your dash; completely missing out on all the wonderful things life has to offer just because the scenery doesn’t exactly excite you.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Hot-Headed or Cold-Hearted?
Yesterday brought another adventure with my truck’s A/C. As we were traveling across the desert it began blowing warm air again. This time the volume of air was reduced as well. I thought to myself “this is familiar, the filter must be clogged again”. So I pulled over and checked the filter. It was somewhat clogged, but not enough to cause the major problem. I was forced to contact our roadside assistance line to request repairs. The return message said my wait time would be 29 minutes. Well, 2 hours later I still had not received a call so I sent in another request. This time the return message said my wait time would be 73 minutes. Guess I lost my place in line? Anyway, I made a phone call and received an immediate response; we were heading to the dealership in Las Vegas again. Cannery Hotel and Casino here we come!
With all of the unemployment in America, why is it so hard to get good, hard-working employees that appreciate the job they currently have? Has the unemployment situation gotten like 9-11? Have we so quickly forgotten to be thankful for what we have? Am I expecting too much? Should I just shut my mouth and be thankful to have a job, no matter how poorly others around me do theirs? Have I lost all my compassion for people while in the heat of the moment? Am I so “hot-headed” that I’ve become “cold-hearted”? I’m sure most of you are tired of me using the word “incompetence”, but it just seems to fit so often these days. So many questions and so few answers.
Today’s blog does not bring any special words of wisdom. You probably won’t get much entertainment out of it either. But this is a better way to vent than to scream and holler at people that can’t do anything about it. Hope you have a great day! Maybe tomorrow will bring some great realization of the lesson I am missing in today’s trials.
PS: The truck is fixed and we are waiting on another load. Turns out the compressor had to be replaced. I would think they would have checked that last time we were here (only a week and a half ago).
With all of the unemployment in America, why is it so hard to get good, hard-working employees that appreciate the job they currently have? Has the unemployment situation gotten like 9-11? Have we so quickly forgotten to be thankful for what we have? Am I expecting too much? Should I just shut my mouth and be thankful to have a job, no matter how poorly others around me do theirs? Have I lost all my compassion for people while in the heat of the moment? Am I so “hot-headed” that I’ve become “cold-hearted”? I’m sure most of you are tired of me using the word “incompetence”, but it just seems to fit so often these days. So many questions and so few answers.
Today’s blog does not bring any special words of wisdom. You probably won’t get much entertainment out of it either. But this is a better way to vent than to scream and holler at people that can’t do anything about it. Hope you have a great day! Maybe tomorrow will bring some great realization of the lesson I am missing in today’s trials.
PS: The truck is fixed and we are waiting on another load. Turns out the compressor had to be replaced. I would think they would have checked that last time we were here (only a week and a half ago).
Monday, July 12, 2010
Look Kids: Big Ben ...... Parliament
Have you ever seen European Vacation? Where Chevy Chase gets caught in the inside lane of the Centrum in London? And he goes around and around the Centrum multiple times, each time pointing out to his kids where Big Ben and Parliament are? And each time he points them out he gets more and more frustrated? Well, the past few days have felt like that. We have been traveling back and forth on I-70 & I-15 between LA and Denver for the past 3 loads. Don’t get me wrong, the miles are appreciated and the scenery is absolutely breath taking. But, sometimes it seems so repetitive. We know exactly where we are going to stop (since there are limited places along the route) and pretty much what we are going to eat.
Sometimes we begin to treat our relationships like Chevy Chase viewed the Centrum. As he went around he should have looked for something new that he might have missed the previous trip. And we should try to find something new and fresh within our relationships, even if today seems the same as yesterday. Have you looked for something to be in awe about? Have you tried a new greeting? What about sending someone a simple, one line note just to tell them you are thinking about them and praying for them, or that you love them?
So many people say that their marriages begin to get stale at or around the 7-year point. Is it because we have become bored with it? Or is it because we are so busy looking at Big Ben and Parliament that we fail to see Buckingham Palace? My wife is the greatest treasure I have here on Earth. My children are next in line. All of my family and friends are right there too. And I am so thankful to have each and every one of them. But if I fail to see something new and exciting in each of them then it is because I am focusing too much on Big Ben and Parliament.
Try not to spend your day going in circles. Try not to waste your relationships focusing on the same old things. Make an effort to look for fresh and new ways to enjoy the gifts and treasures God has blessed you with.
Thank you for your encouragement through the tough economy. Thank you for keeping in contact with me as I travel, especially when I am away from Sherri. Thank you for being my friends! I love and appreciate each and every one of you!
Sometimes we begin to treat our relationships like Chevy Chase viewed the Centrum. As he went around he should have looked for something new that he might have missed the previous trip. And we should try to find something new and fresh within our relationships, even if today seems the same as yesterday. Have you looked for something to be in awe about? Have you tried a new greeting? What about sending someone a simple, one line note just to tell them you are thinking about them and praying for them, or that you love them?
So many people say that their marriages begin to get stale at or around the 7-year point. Is it because we have become bored with it? Or is it because we are so busy looking at Big Ben and Parliament that we fail to see Buckingham Palace? My wife is the greatest treasure I have here on Earth. My children are next in line. All of my family and friends are right there too. And I am so thankful to have each and every one of them. But if I fail to see something new and exciting in each of them then it is because I am focusing too much on Big Ben and Parliament.
Try not to spend your day going in circles. Try not to waste your relationships focusing on the same old things. Make an effort to look for fresh and new ways to enjoy the gifts and treasures God has blessed you with.
Thank you for your encouragement through the tough economy. Thank you for keeping in contact with me as I travel, especially when I am away from Sherri. Thank you for being my friends! I love and appreciate each and every one of you!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Common Sense Is Not So Common
These past couples of weeks have been a real challenge. Since Nate has started training, I have had my truck in a shop at least 5 times. Now, to most people this might not seem like a big deal. But to a trucker it is a loss of income. Besides, Nate is married too and wants to complete his training in a minimal amount of time and get home to his family.
Now, the challenge has not been in the shop time. Nor has it been in the training, since Nate has been a great student. The challenge has been in dealing with the “customer service” personnel of the company I work for. Anyone that knows me knows that I don’t have a lot of patience for incompetence. And these experiences have been no exception. I believe strongly in rules and policies. Without them there is complete chaos and inefficiency. But with rules and policies must come some level of common sense. And common sense was lacking in the nth degree.
The first time I took my truck to the shop was in Edwardsville, KS. When we arrived at the terminal I tried to turn my truck in for needed repairs but was told the shop was extremely backed up and would not be able to get to my truck for a couple days. This was good news. (You should sense a great level of sarcasm here.) Since time is money any extra down time can be very detrimental to a trucker’s income. The shop ended up taking 2½ days to complete the repairs on my truck. Then the waiting began for a load to haul. When I did receive a load I met with the 2nd instance of incompetence at this terminal. I was handed paperwork for the load, only to find out that it was over weight by over 3000 pounds. When the load arrives at a terminal company policy states that it will not be accepted if it is not legal to be hauled. Somehow the person at the counter overlooked this policy and they expected me to overlook it as well. NOT gonna happen!
The equipment failure was pretty catastrophic. My A/C went out while we were crossing the mountains and desert of Western Utah. This would not be a big deal except the temperature inside the truck quickly rose to over 107 degrees. This also would not have been a big deal if the person I spoke to about getting it fixed had been wearing their thinking cap and realized that an exception to a company policy should probably be made. He insisted I wait until I drove through a company terminal to have the A/C fixed. The problem was that the nearest terminal was over 800 miles away. And, considering the weather conditions, I wasn’t about to take his answer as a “final answer”. So I proceeded to become the squeakiest wheel he had ever heard. Fortunately cooler heads prevailed and the truck was fixed at a dealership, which was only 8 hours away.
I could probably write a book on the misadventures of our company policies, but I will stop at just two stories for now. What I learned through all of this is that there are people within the company that actually do care about the welfare of the drivers. And I was put in contact with at least two of them. I have had a little faith restored in the common sense of people, but I am not holding my breath just yet.
Now, the challenge has not been in the shop time. Nor has it been in the training, since Nate has been a great student. The challenge has been in dealing with the “customer service” personnel of the company I work for. Anyone that knows me knows that I don’t have a lot of patience for incompetence. And these experiences have been no exception. I believe strongly in rules and policies. Without them there is complete chaos and inefficiency. But with rules and policies must come some level of common sense. And common sense was lacking in the nth degree.
The first time I took my truck to the shop was in Edwardsville, KS. When we arrived at the terminal I tried to turn my truck in for needed repairs but was told the shop was extremely backed up and would not be able to get to my truck for a couple days. This was good news. (You should sense a great level of sarcasm here.) Since time is money any extra down time can be very detrimental to a trucker’s income. The shop ended up taking 2½ days to complete the repairs on my truck. Then the waiting began for a load to haul. When I did receive a load I met with the 2nd instance of incompetence at this terminal. I was handed paperwork for the load, only to find out that it was over weight by over 3000 pounds. When the load arrives at a terminal company policy states that it will not be accepted if it is not legal to be hauled. Somehow the person at the counter overlooked this policy and they expected me to overlook it as well. NOT gonna happen!
The equipment failure was pretty catastrophic. My A/C went out while we were crossing the mountains and desert of Western Utah. This would not be a big deal except the temperature inside the truck quickly rose to over 107 degrees. This also would not have been a big deal if the person I spoke to about getting it fixed had been wearing their thinking cap and realized that an exception to a company policy should probably be made. He insisted I wait until I drove through a company terminal to have the A/C fixed. The problem was that the nearest terminal was over 800 miles away. And, considering the weather conditions, I wasn’t about to take his answer as a “final answer”. So I proceeded to become the squeakiest wheel he had ever heard. Fortunately cooler heads prevailed and the truck was fixed at a dealership, which was only 8 hours away.
I could probably write a book on the misadventures of our company policies, but I will stop at just two stories for now. What I learned through all of this is that there are people within the company that actually do care about the welfare of the drivers. And I was put in contact with at least two of them. I have had a little faith restored in the common sense of people, but I am not holding my breath just yet.
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