Best Laid Plans

Hello,

I have been pondering lately my plans for the future, and in all of my planning, I have hit a snag. For some time (decades), I have hoped to retire at 55 after 30 years with my company, build a nice mountain home in the alpine region of Northern Arizona, and settle into the rewarding life of being a grandpa. Being with family (my wife and girls and their families) has always been what I aspired to in retirement life, but as I grow older and see things aren’t going to be as I romanticized, I am questioning whether I have stopped to consider where God fits in with my post career life.  My dream retirement would be to live in the mountains with my wife in our cabin, a nice large cabin on some land, to own and ride horses, and to have my girls and their families come up to our place on weekends, vacations, and holidays to enjoy relaxing time away from the city with us.  We would ride horses, go fishing, picnic, and enjoy rainy afternoons on the porch in our rockers, relaxing our golden years away, ahhh, doesn’t this sound relaxing? So where is the snag, you ask?

I have spent most of my life trying (but not always succeeding) in being a good husband, father, employee and other various pursuits. When not working, mowing, going to soccer, tennis, or softball games and practice, I was cooking, cleaning, hiking, fishing or hunting. Sometimes raising a family should be considered a sport, as you sure seem to run a lot. I have always looked upon retirement as a time in life when I will stop to smell the roses, the reward at the end of the race. My snag is this, has God, and serving him always been out in front, and sadly, I must say no. So here I am, ten years away from possible retirement, and already looking to the reward in my late life. Should we be hanging things up when we retire, or maybe devoting ourselves full time to God and his service? As long as there are unsaved people in the world, can we justify slowing down, or do we need to kick it up a notch? My minister said something about six months ago that has stuck with me. The most educated, skilled, and financially stable group of people in the world are the retiree’s. They all have 40+ years of experience, they usually have money in the bank, but they have something more valuable than either of those two things, they have time.

We spend our lives devoting our time to everyone and everything under the sun, should we maybe consider trying to make a dent in the ministry. We are commanded to go throughout the world and preach to every living thing. God is not just calling those who have chosen to work full time as paid ministers or missionaries, but everyone who takes His Son as their Savior. We are all ministers, it doesn’t take a degree to tell someone about Christ, or help feed the hungry, or be a friend to someone who is sad or grieving. There is a place in the ministry for anyone, quiet or outgoing, rich or poor, young or old, we can all find a place to work in God’s kingdom.

The last few generations have trained us to think we must have a big chunk of money in the bank for retirement, as this will be our security. We have also been taught to think we should retire between 55-65 and just sit back and relax until we die (on our pile of cash). I have seen many times when people will retire with a large estate, sit on it for 15 years, and then die wealthy. The estate is sold off for pennies on the dollar, the money is given to the children, where it is usually squandered, as money unearned is never appreciated. How much more useful that would have been had it been used to spread God’s word, feed some people, help a single mom. I am trying real hard to change my views on such matters. Raising a family, loving and being loved by them, these things are wonderful, and they will forever dominate my mind as the good times, the memories I cherish the most, but now that my work raising my family is nearly done, I need to focus on what the next part of my life will entail. I have given 45 years of my life to everything under the sun, and God has taken whatever scraps were left, now it is time to serve him. He has waited long enough! I want to be the best sower of God’s seed I can be, and my security will be Him, not a pile of money sitting in the bank. I challenge you to consider breaking out of the traditional mindset also.

God be with you.

JFT

“Being where God wants me”

Hello,

I believe that all Christians are called to serve God in their own special way, using their talents and skills to further God’s kingdom on earth. First off, I want to say that I have spent the majority of my life going to Church, warming a pew, and just trying to be a dad and husband. I have not always even been very good at either of those things, but I have always wanted to be good. I have wasted a lot of good time by not sharing the Gospel when I had an opportunity to do so. What I am saying, is as a Christian, I have spent much of my life in cruise control, content to have a good Prayer relationship with the Lord, and occasionally sharing the word when opportunities fell in my lap. Is this enough, is this serving the Lord? That is something that must be answered personally, and for me it is not.

Recently, I was talking to God, and I told him that I wished I had the Faith to leave the comfort and security of my job and go into the mission field full time. To go to work sowing the seed full time, spreading his word in some Un-Churched part of the world. I have always admired people who have had the Faith and trust to do that. My reason for Praying that prayer, and feeling that way, is that I felt as though I was not doing enough to spread his word, not having an impact for the Lord. (Be careful what you pray for, you just might get it).

Within a week, a neighbor that I have been inviting to Church for 2 years walked into my garage and asked if be could go to Church with me, A dear friend at work allowed me the chance to tell him about Christ and how he will carry our burden if we let him, and thus began many hours of talking about God and his Son Jesus. Another neighbor and I were talking about God, and he expressed interest in coming to Church, as his walk had lost it’s purpose. and I have since had the opportunity to share Christ with three other neighbors. It has truly been amazing!!

I guess my point to this blog is, God places us where he wants us. He wants us to spread the word in our neighborhoods. Many times, we will spread the word to our neighbors about a trustworthy mechanic, or a carpet cleaner, or some sort of business that was a good value, by word of mouth. We can do the same with God’s word. I asked God to put me in a mission field, because I didn’t feel effective where I am, and he gave me what I asked for.

Mark 16:15   ¹⁵He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.

God be with you all!

In Him

JFT

“Live like you were Dying”

Hi All,

I was listening to a song on the radio the other day, a song I like. It was the Tim McGraw song “Live like you were dying”. Anyone who knows me knows I love adventure, I love to Hike, Climb, play paintball, but I really love to be with my family. The words from the song talk about how a man found out he was dying, and Tim asks “man, what did you do”, and he replies, I went skydiving, Rocky mountain climbing, I went  2.7 seconds on a bull named Fu Manchu, and I loved deeper, and I spoke sweeter, and I gave forgiveness I been denying, and he said someday I hope you get the chance to live like you were dying. I love this song, it is catchy, but it does have a very deep meaning, and it is one that I dwell on more lately. There are other verses in the song, about being a better husband, a better son, etc. and so on. When I measure myself, I constantly find myself falling short, and I believe the writer of this song was trying to get us to realize that any day can be our last. Last week, I attended the funeral of a long lost friend. He was a year younger than I. His Poor body just gave out, and he left a lovely young daughter behind.

 I am changing my ideas as I age, I think of different things than I used to as a child, and even as an adult, and now when I think about dying, I see people who are in my life, and the only exposure to Christianity and the Salvation, Hope, and Comfort  that Christ provides could possibly be through me, what I say to them, how I act, am I kind and loving. I have a great comfort in knowing that my children and wife are saved and are going to heaven, But there are many out there who are not, because they do not know Christ. I have people that I work with that I truly love, and want them to join me in the reward that follows this life. I know that we only plant the seed, and that God gives the increase, I just ask that God will allow me to be the best sower of his seed that I may be before I am called home.

Being a Christ follower is also a global thing, not just for Americans, and I believe the world “Will know we are Christians by our love”, just like the song says. That means we as Christians should do all we can to spread love and kindness to every corner of the earth. Young people are Idealistic, and I once told my son in law that as you age, you lose your idealism. I had become calloused to the point that I thought we could only make a difference in our own neighborhood, but I no longer believe that, God bless the freshness of youth. We need to do all we can to feed the people in this planet and do what we can to meet their needs in the name of the Savior, this is the same Savior that fed 5000 people with a couple of fish and some scraps of bread, so don’t even tell me it isn’t possible to feed everyone. It took much deliberation and a son in law named Sam who I love dearly to break me out of my shell on that. (thanks Sam, please forgive!!!). Kindness is the way of my Savior.

So, If I found out I was dying,( which I am, I just don’t know when)  I hope I would devote my last days to planting as many seeds and spreading as much kindness in the name of the Lord as my body would allow. He has blessed me beyond compare, and I just want others to know the Christ I have come to know. I pray God will bless me to be BOLD in spreading his word at work, at home, and everywhere I go, and “Live like I was dying”. God bless you all

JFT

Legacy

Hello,

It has been a while since my last post. As is with everyone, I have been busy, and have not taken the time. This is not due to any shortage of blessings , as I am still a Blessed dad.

I was pondering my role in life, and my role in the Kingdom after I am spent, and came up with that age old question we all ask, “What will my legacy in life be when the race is run”? What will others say when I have passed on. I have spent my fair amount of time trying to accomplish what I have deemed to be important in this life. First, I would love to say that God has always been first and foremost in my life, but he has not always occupied the place of importance that he should. When I was younger, I placed a lot of importance on getting the right job, one that would support my family and give them opportunities that I did not have. When that was accomplished, I worked on climbing the ladder. The ladder is something that seemed important at the time. I climbed the ladder to a good place, and became comfortable. Friends and family complimented me on achieving such a good job and being a good provider, and I just smiled and said thanks. I may have occasionally thanked God, but I was happy to take much of the credit, “foolish”. I believe that many people of today place so much importance on our job that we let it define who we are. Is this wrong? I can’t judge, but I don’t feel right about letting my job define who I am anymore. I defer to the example of Christ. We all know that Jesus worked as a carpenter, and some of his deciples were fishermen. There are not many examples of Jesus and his carpentry in the Word. There are but a few accounts of the desciples fishing in the Word , but being a fisher of men takes front and center. When I think of Christ, I reflect on his kindness, his compassion, his lack of pretentiousness. He ate with crooks, prostitutes, people that many of us would consider seedy. We talk about how cleanliness is next to Godliness, but that statement did not come from the Word  , but rather from man. On the contrary, didn’t Christ say that it was more important to be clean on the inside than on the outside? Yes, Christ was a carpenter, but that is the last thing I remember him for, the savior of the world is what I remember him as.

As we come into this hard time (economy/moral crises) it is going to be important for us to think about the legacy that we leave. Will we be remembered as generous people who strive to plant the seed for God, or as jet setters who have the latest gadgets. W ill we be remembered as people who got a new sports car every other year, or as someone who shared some of what we have to the many who are in need? Will we be remembered as workaholics who are rarely home, or as  parents who were good mentors to our children?

I had a friend many years ago, his name was Norris, and he was diagnosed with cancer in the prime of his life. He beat it, and lived for eight years before it returned. He had a passion for working with teens at church. He always leant an ear if someone needed to talk. He always had a shoulder if you needed one. One evening when he was giving a devotional to teens at an outing, he told them this. He had heard a new country and western song that he liked because of the message in the chorus. It went like this “You’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything”, meaning you have to have a creed in life (Christ Follower) or you’ll fall for anything. What I take that to mean for example, is lets say you do not take a stand on an issue, for instance pre-marital sex. If you do not take a firm stand, then you are likely to think it is okay because hollywood glamourizes it in every way, so you may think a show like “Sex in the City” is okay, because you haven’t taken a stand (you’ve got to stand for something) on the issue. So then when you are with friends and they want to watch the show, you just accept it. (or you’ll fall for anything).

Norris’ legacy was many things, and they all revolved around God, but that saying stayed with me for good. Norris stood for something, spreading Gods word, planting the seed. Norris had a pretty high profile job, but what he did for a living was miniscule when compared with the man.He made mistakes in life like any other person, but they did not define him. These were the things that defined him.  He was a man of God, a man of compassion, a man of sympathy, and a man of love.  These were the things that defined Norris.

I used to be proud of what I do for a living, I still take pride in what I do, but I don’t want it to define me. I want God to define me. I love my Wife & Girls more than life itself, I want to be a good husband and father, but I want my love for God and my desire to do his will to be what defines me in the end. I have made many mistakes in my life, and will make many more, but in the end, I desire to hear “well done, my faithful servant”.

Hard times are here, and harder times are coming. We are followers of Christ, let us be defined by God’s love and kindness. Let us be defined by the Holy Spirit which lives within us. I certainly don’t want to be remembered solely as a good provider, since God did the providing, he just did so through me.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, God bless you and keep you!

BlessedDad

“Christ will return…………………….Eventually”

Hello Friends,

How many of you have heard people whom you know, espouse to know when the Lord will return. I have known over the years people who have given the Lord’s return a date and been perfectly straight faced as they have stated clearly that they know exactly the day when he will return. The first time I heard this was back in the mid 80’s when a man who was my boss scheduled a week of vacation for the Lord’s return, and him, his family, and some of his closest Christian friends rented a cabin in the mountains to await Christs return. I asked why he bothered taking vacation, making his house payments, etc. and he got very annoyed at me, so I let it go. When they returned, he said they must have just miscalculated a bit, and that they would need to go back to the drawing board.

The next prediction that garnered much attention was of course 1999-2000 millenium date. This was truly going to be it, Israel is in disarray, which every Christian knows Israel holds the key to Christs return. Plus, America and the rest of the world have become so carnal at this point that it cant possibly go on. I even heard some people say that “the Bible even says Christ will return in 2000 years”, wow. When it didn’t happen, the local prophets all scratched their heads and said, “Oh, wait, the true millenium is actually 2001, so thats when Christ will come”.

Why have I chosen to write about this? Well, A fellow believer at work informed me that it is all going to be over in 2012. He was very straight faced when he informed me that Christs return and subsequent Judgement will occur in the spring of 2012. I then asked him if he had quit contributing to the 401K, and he looked at me like I had a third ear growing from my forehead. The point to all of this is, the first century Christians felt the second coming would be in their time, every generation since then has felt Christs return would be in their time also. A Pastor I know said back in the late 1800’s someone predicted a second coming and all the people from that town dressed in white robes, had trumpets, and climbed up in trees to await the Lord. They later tried to string up the prophet, but he beat them out of town.

So why, as Christians are we so occupied with predicting his return when the bible is very clear on us not knowing. Does this scripture tell us anything?

Matthew 24:43-44 (NIV) But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.  So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

And there is also this scripture,

2 Peter 3:10 (NIV) But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare

Imagine if you told your children to clean their room , and rather than clean their room, the devoted their day to trying to determine when you would next be upstairs to “check” their room. Wouldn’t you rather they just cleaned their room and were ready for you to check it anytime?

I also think it sends the wrong message to the lost in the world. I personally believe God wants us to focus on the whole race rather than just the finish. The finish is VERY important, but he has made it very clear to us that we will not know the hour or the day of the return of the Lord. I just believe that as Christians, our time could be spent much better, Say, spreading the word about God’s gift of salvation, than by planning his return. Anyway, does anyone care to offer their views on the matter. God bless you all!!!

In him

JFT

“Image Is Everything”

Hello Friends,

As I write about things, take into mind, I am not pointing fingers, or saying that people are wrong. If I were judging, I would have to put myself on trial first, and the outcome would not be pretty I assure you. No, this blog is about ideas, discussions among believers in Christ who want to better serve our Lord and Saviour. That said, I move on to the feature presentation.

Our world has become very image conscious, on everything from clothes, adornmant, of course cars, and even tires. Look at the money that is spent on trying to look good. When I try on a pair of sunglasses, I have Stacia look at it to see if they look cool, when I get a ball cap, I ask to see if it looks good on me, after all, who wants to walk around looking like a goof, right?  And all of these “things” and how they look is also subjective too, what looks cool now would have been laughed at 10 yrs ago. and what looks good now will be out in a couple more years also. But, if we ask someone, hey, do you really care what other people think, most would say no.  As people how much of what we do is done to gain acceptance from others, to be viewed as cool or to be viewed as unique,etc. People have fancy cars with fancy tires and rims, not becuase they have the most comfortable ride, but because they want people to look at them and see the image they are trying to project. ” I have class, I am wealthy, I am comfortable, I am fit, I am sexy, etc.” What if we were to place half “just half” of the emphasis we place on impressing others with our image, into trying to please God, just half of that effort into praising him, or into doing his work. Volunteering at a shelter, feeding the homeless, studying with a friend. People might actually begin to see Christs love in our lives

The last couple of decades have done nothing but reinforce the image mindset on us. I had a wise person in my past that used to say “Do not use people and love things, But love people and use things”. She had it right, it doesn’t matter how glamerous we try to be during this life, the reality is this, none of it matters. God and our family and loved ones are the only things that matter. We will all leave this world with our souls only, and all our bling will just wind up in a yard sale.

God Bless and Keep you all

In Him

JFT

“Please Review Our Policy”.

Hello Friends,

I work at a large utility company in Phoenix, and was talking to Christians i work with recently about their faith, and their feelings toward sharing God with their co-workers. Most of them agreed that religion (their Faith) was best not discussed on company time. “One should not discuss religion or politics at work” was a quote from one of them, we’ll call him Bob. Bob said that discussing ones beliefs or politics has the effect of making people uncomfortable, and that we should keep our beliefs to ourselves, “as they are really a personal thing ‘. Bob also stated that you can be liable for harassment if you preach what you believe to co-workers. After all, people come to work to earn a living, they don’t come to hear your opinions about life and eternity, or who you should bow down to. Keep your beliefs to yourself. So I am curious, is this what we as Christians have come to accept? I am not saying we need to stop working, form a circle, hold hands, and sing hymns, but can we not discuss our faith with others during the day. It is not harassmant if you care enough about your co-worker to tell him the path to salvation, is it?

Imagine if God only answered prayers from monday through friday, 8-4:30. What if he were totally devoted to us, that is, until the whistle blows, is that not what we do to him when we agree to follow stupid policies for fear of persecution, to remain in the favor of a company. Imagine if you will, for a moment, going before judgement and having to answer to why you quit spreading his word when you clocked in. Hmmmm, Jim, there were 17 souls that were not saved because you did not tell people the good news, why?  Errr, well, God, it was against company policy to discuss beliefs or politics, but I went to Church every sunday.

I have a feeling that one isn’t gonna cut muster with God. If we are lucky enough to have good jobs, it is because God has blessed us with them. If I get fired for telling others about God, that is fine. He always takes care of us. Lets stand up as Children of God and stop worrying about a little persecution, there are people around the world who are dying for their belief in God, and we are so blessed to live in a land where we can worship freely. Lets not waste the opportunity to tell others about our Christ and Savior because we are worrying about being politically correct.

God Bless You All

JFT

What Matters Most?

Hello ,

I just read an article about how many of todays super athletes with super salaries are broke. They have 200 million in the bank, yet they burn through it and find themselves in court. Evander Holyfield, the famous boxer finds himself in court for being behind on child suppport $9,000.00 and his home being auctioned off because he is 10 million behind on his mortgage payments. When asked why he felt the need to have a 109 room, 17 bathroom mansion, he said he felt the need to have such a place. Ed McMahon, Johnny Carsons sidekick on the tonight show for decades, ( for the younger crowd, Johnny Carson was Jay Leno’s Predecessor), anyway, his mansion is also in forclosure. The 90’s and early millenium have definantly been the era of excess. If you have enough money, you can do, or have anything your heart desires, that is, ahem, except Salvation. Yes, that is one thing that is still not for sale.

We have become a nation that delights in being a throw away society, where we don’t feel important unless we have a 500 dollar purse on our arm, or an expensive watch to impress others. Fortunately, I think we are beginning to see the error of our ways a bit. None of this stuff is a bit important, it will all rot away with time, but our souls will not, they will endure for all eternity, and how we live this life will determine how we live the next. As Christians, do we not need to stand out from the world, and show them that Christ does make a difference in our lives. To people who are searching for more in their lives, it is a contrast when we tell them about Christ and his sacrifice for our salvation, and then we appear to be wrapped up in materialism just like the world. Please don’t misunderstand me, I am not saying it is bad to have nice things, it is just wrong when they become the major focus of our life. God should always be number one. Anyway, those are my thoughts, Comments?

In Him

JFT

All God’s Children

God’s Children,

Hello friends,

During this presidential campaign (longest in history it seems), I have heard several of my fellow Christians make the statement ” I don’t know if America is ready for a black president”. Friends who have made this statement I have always considered to be non-prejudiced people, and for the most part, I dont believe they even realize what it is that they are saying.

Christians should not differentiate people by the color of their skin. I live in the desert southwest, and dealing with illegal aliens (undocumented workers) is an everyday part of life. I will go to a convenience store in the morning to get coffee on the way to work, and the store will be packed with them, as there is a lot of construction going on in the area, and they mostly work construction.

I have always been against illegal immigration, and so I was always annoyed by the number of illegal immigrants I deal with in a common day. There are times I have probably given them a look, my annoyance clearly showing on my face. But, when I look at them through Gods eyes, they look different. When I realize that God loves them as much as he loves me, My heart softens. When I think that most of them have daughters or sons that they love just as much as I love Brooke, Lauren, Ivy and Kennady, My heart softens. When I think about How most of them have wives or husbands at home that they love as much as I love Stacia, My heart softens. But most of the time I don’t take the time to see them as fellow souls, I am too busy trying to get my coffee w/Hazelnut and get out.

I still believe we need to protect our borders, but an issue such as illegal immigration should not make it okay for us to dehumanize anyone that Christ died trying to save. Back to my original issue, I am conservative, and always will be, but, The fact that Barack Hussein O’Bama is black has nothing to do whatsoever with whether I would vote for him. It is his politics that keep me from choosing him, but I will assure you, if I agreed with his politics, I would vote for him in a second without regard to the color of his skin. What is the point of this post, It is time for us as Christians to stand out among the crowd, and for the world to see that we are different than everyone else, That Christ lives in us. The way we do that is actually simple, show love for everyone. Reject feelings of superiority and show kindness, the second greatest commandment. I am praying that God will help me to see others through his eyes, it really does make a difference.

God Bless you

JFT

Christians Call to Action

Hello, this is my first blog post, ever, so please bear with me. My daughters and son in law are champion bloggers, and I am quite certain I will never reach their level of expertise. I would like to cause you, my fellow brothers and sisters to think on a few items, and if what I write causes you to be convicted in the way I have been, Praise God.

Since the beginning of time, very little growth has happened among Gods people when they were steeped in prosperity. At a time when we are fortunate enough to have many resources, do we put them to work for the Lord, or do we get addicted to the “things” in life. People stand in line for two days to be the first to get a Phone, Ipod, Wii, laptops, etc. All of those items if not controlled can become an obstacle between God and us, but that is not the main point of this writing.

The main point of this writing is this, never in time has the Church grown so much as when its members suffered. When Christians  suffer Christs church grows. We are sitting on many years of prosperity now, and I feel as though many of us in the brotherhood of Christ have gotten lazy on our laurels and forgotten what it is to to do Gods work. I feel as though all of that is about to change, our economy is a very hard one and is showing signs that it will not soon get better. People are losing their houses, their cars, and finding themselves with no place to go. Do we have an obligation to these people? Well, lets discuss a few things, and then you tell me. Here where I live, the housing market slump has been severe. many forclosures. So, if we have been responsible with our finances, is it not easy to judge others. Have you heard phrases like this? “They were in way over their head”, “they were investers” “They really brought the neighborhood down They had no class”, these are all things said by Christians. It really is easy to judge others when you have not yet begun to lose. here is a scripture suited to this subject. Luke 6:37
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven

In order to see the heart of God, let us first look at the Bible’s greatest commandment. ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’, wow, that is powerful, lets see what his second greatest commandment is.’ Love your neighbor as yourself.’

As Christians, we are part of a great community, that community exists between future inhabitants of the kingdom, and is not defined by the congregation you choose to worship at. As such, we need to answer the call of need of those brothers and sisters who are struggling, as did the examples on the first century church. If someone has a need, and you have the opportunity to help, with shelter, or money, do not hesitate. But pour out the blessings on your fellow believer that has been blessed upon you.  When you look at your brother, whether homeless and sad, look at them with love and equality. We are all closer to sleeping under a bridge than we think.

May God Bless and keep you all

Jim