The days are getting shorter. The evenings are getting longer. Some evenings I have the opportunity to sit in my “easy chair” staring at the Christmas tree that my family put up on Thanksgiving day. The calm and quiet is a stark contrast from the busyness that goes on this time of year. I usually zone out and reflect on the events of the day.  This time of reflection often includes my family and, in some way, touches on the question, “What does Christmas mean to me?”

Most people will answer that question with something about family, togetherness, love, kindness, and generosity. Moreover it is a celebration of Christ’s birth. Jesus had an amazing family! His father is God Himself; He was born of a virgin, as predicted by the prophets centuries before (see Isaiah 7:14); and His earthly father was a humble carpenter.  I am amazed that God Almighty would humble himself to the point of being born and placed in the feeding trough of sheep.

After Joseph died, Jesus became the head of His earthly family, taking up the family trade as builder to provide for His mother and siblings. He again humbled Himself enough to die on a cross, that all who believe in Him might have eternal life (John 3:16).  From these humble beginnings He became the spiritual head of the family of believers, a family that I have been adopted into.

I believe it is my job as head of my family to be the spiritual leader and teach my children spiritual truths. It is said that one of the sins of the Old Testament was the failure of the fathers to love their sons and daughters enough to teach them the ways and commandments of God. The prophet Malachi predicted that Elijah would come “before that great and dreadful day of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.” (Malachi 4:5-6)

This Christmas I intend to turn my heart to my children, lovingly teaching them the will of God. I pray that all families be lifted up to God, the One who established the family. And may your family reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.

God bless you and thanks for visiting.

On April 18, 2008 at about 5:30 AM I was awakened by a violent shaking of the earth. I had been at Camp Atterbury for about 44 days training for my latest military deployment when my bunk shook so rapidly back and forth I thought someone came into my room was trying to get my attention. When I realized nobody was in the room with me I jumped out of bed and flipped on the light. I was amazed to find the window shades were still rocking back and forth.

What just happened? I have never been in an earthquake before and surely there wouldn’t be one in Indiana! Thinking I must be going crazy from the long days and sleepless nights I had put in recently I dismissed the thought that I had actually been awakened by an earthquake. However when others came out of their rooms talking about it, I realized it was not my imagination at all.

In the 16th chapter of Acts, the apostle Paul experienced an earthquake as well. He was in a Philippian prison when “suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.” (Acts 16:26) Paul and Silas were freed from the chains of bondage by an act of God.

Sometimes in our lives it takes an earthquake to break us free from our bondage. You see, we are living lives so deeply embedded in a sin-filled culture that God occasionally must act with great power, shaking the earth under our feet, to call His children away from their sin. The Lord can open their eyes with a form of discipline that is unmatched by any human.

More often, however, it simply requires opening a door. In Revelation 3:19-20, Jesus says, “¹⁹Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. ²⁰Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”

The rest of the above story is even more amazing! Paul and Silas did not flee from the prison. They actually stuck around and used the eathquake to witness to the guards. Rather than saving themselves, Paul and Silas used the occasion to preach the way of salvation to those that were keeping them in chains.

I pray that we not wait for (or require) the violent shaking of an earthquake to free us from the chains of sin. Instead, let us simply open the door of our heart and accept the gift of freedom that Christ our Savior offers us.

“²¹To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. ²²He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 3, 21-22)

God bless you and thanks for visiting.

^“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”  (Philippians 3:20)

 
We are happy to announce that our long wait to move into our new home is finally over. On July 15th, yes that was over a month ago, we took possession of our fabulous new house. The Lord has certainly blessed us with all the wonderful amenities that came with this new house. Frances and I would have never dreamed of living in a place like this, but God has a way of providing for our needs beyond our wildest dreams. This structure is truly a testimony to how wonderful The Lord can be. His guiding hands were in charge of the situation from the beginning and we simply followed His lead, from the choosing of a contractor, to finding temporary housing, to financing the new house. Every step of the process was initiated with prayer for His guidance. The pattern continues as we pray that this home will be a testimony to His glory and can be used to further His kingdom.

The circumstances surrounding our placement here were certainly difficult, at best. However “we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28). This passage does not mean that God “causes all things” for we are pretty good at messing things up on our own, not to mention when the enemy gets involved. But God has a way of ”taking care of His own” and turning a bad situation into a blessing.

Interestingly, The Lord placed us into a temporary house while our new home was being built. We were grateful for a place to stay and our landlady graciously allowed us into her rental house for seven months. But we knew it wasn’t home. We treated the house as if it were ours, but longed for our permanent residence to be completed. As time went on and our new house was nearing completion, that longing gave way to impatience. The temporary residence just wasn’t “cutting it” any more and we wanted our new house.

Just as the Lord placed us in a temporary house while He prepared a new and fantastic place for us, He has also placed us on this planet in this mortal body as a temporary residence. We know that our future is in eternity. “For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven,” (2 Corinthians 5:1-2) ^“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”  (Philippians 3:20)

We are now in our house! Just as one day we will be in our heavenly home which the Savior has prepared for us. He told us that “In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I come again, and will receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:2-3)

Oh, how I look forward to the day when I can finally see my Father’s mansions. To Him be all the praise and glory.

God bless you and thanks for visiting.

I have never been a fan of Micheal Jackson. I simply didn’t like his music or his style, but his sudden death on June 25th illustrates a point that must be made. God can take us home at any moment and we must remain ready for the event. The Latin words in the title mean “Always Faithful, Always Ready.”  Are you ready to meet God?

We know the Lord is coming soon. We do not know when. Therefore our responsibility lies in remaining faithful to the Lord and always ready to meet Him. We should maintain a level of preparedness that a bride has for her wedding or a soldier has for battle. A bride spends most of her engagement preparing for the “big day” sending out invitations, picking out her dress and the dresses for the bridesmaids, and growing in excitement with each passing day. A soldier spends his peacetime moments training for battle in order to ensure success on the battlefield. Just as in during peacetime, the soldier does not know when he may be called into service, but he is always prepared to do so. Paul wrote to the Thesolonians in Chapter 5, ”¹Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, ²for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. ³While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.  ⁴But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.”

The faithful have been given the light of the Living Word of God that we may see clearly when that glorious day comes. 1Corinthians 4 tells us what is required of the faithful, “You should think of us as Christ’s servants who have been put in charge of God’s secret truths. The one thing required of such servants is that they be faithful to their master.” Are we then to guard God’s secrets like a security guard and not allow anyone near? Absolutely not. We are to pass the truth along to as many as will listen. We are to invite as many people as we can to the marriage supper of the Lamb for it is their own wedding to the Master we are inviting them to. Just as we are to remain faithful to our spouses we are to remain faithful to Christ Jesus.

We do not know the day or hour when we will meet the Lord. It may come suddenly as with Michael Jackson, or at the end of a long struggle as with Farrah Fawcett, who died yesterday as well. But our responsibility is to remain Semper Fidelis, Semper Paratus.

Revelation 21:2, “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”

God bless you and thanks for visiting.

My lovely wife recently wrote a poem I would like to share with you all. It speaks of her life from childhood to salvation. I think many of us can relate to the words.

What Christ did for me

He was there when no one was there.
He showed me love when no one would love.
He gave me joy when nothing else could.
He gave me hope in a world that had none.
He listened to me when no one else would.
He comforted me, encouraged me, relieved all my burdens.

He tells me to seek Him with all my heart.
He gives me strength in a way that cannot be explained with my own understanding.
He replenishes my soul; with His words I will not thirst.
He is magnificent, awesome, and glorious.
He is God, the One that is, was, and is to come.
He is my rock, my deliverer, my fortress, my God in whom I trust.

I will lift Him up; praise Him all the people of the earth.
What Jesus did for me He will do for you.

Frances Bledsoe

This hope is like a firm and steady anchor for our souls. In fact, hope reaches behind the curtain and into the most holy place.  Jesus has gone there ahead of us, and he is our high priest forever, just like Melchizedek.  Hebrews 6:19-20 (CEV)

 God bless you and thanks for visiting.

On December 22, 2008, I received notification that my house had just burnt. I was 5000 miles away from home and felt completely helpless in Kosovo. Unless you have experienced something similar, you have no idea the emotions that I was experiencing; they were emotions that ranged from sadness, to anger, to fear.

What the Fire Department saw on December 22, 2008

I went to my room to pack my belongings for I knew I was on my way home and opened my bible. It fell open to a page I had bookmarked about a week earlier because Frances asked me to read a particular passage. My bible fell open to Isaiah 43 and I began to read. A couple of verses really jumped off the page at me. Verses 2 and 3 read:

     2 When you pass through the waters, 
       I will be with you; 
       and when you pass through the rivers,
       they will not sweep over you.
       When you walk through the fire, 
       you will not be burned;
       the flames will not set you ablaze.

   3 For I am the LORD, your God, 
       the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

That passage comforted me and kept me in the right frame of mind until I got home with the knowledge that the Lord was in control.

At the same time, Frances was dealing with the fire, trying to find a place to stay, taking care of the children, and dealing with insurance and fire department personnel. She had a LOT on her plate. Being the wonderful woman she is, she only said, “God has a plan, God has a plan.” I believe that the Lord’s plan includes something much greater than what we had. She too, was experiencing the full range of emotions. We were unsure what was going to happen next, but we kept moving forward trusting the Lord to take care of us and direct our path.

Even though we felt afraid, we knew we did not need to live in fear of the unknown. The Lord will provide a Fearless Heart that we may follow Him. 1 Peter 5:7 says “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

We experienced God’s love that day and over the next several weeks through all the support we received from our family and friends, the church, the National Guard, the Water Patrol, and the community in general. The outpouring of support was absolutely astounding and my family has been in want of nothing. The Lord has truly provided for all our needs. Praise Him!

Additionally, the foundation was still solid, and the rebuilding process is in full swing!

God bless you all and thank you for visiting.

^“Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.” (2 Corinthians 5:1)

While traveling the roads in the mid-west during summer, we can look out the window and observe row after row of cornstalks. If the field is well tended, the stalks are usually tall, strong, and bright green. They produce many large ears of corn and are considered a good crop at harvest. However, if the field remains untended the crop is much less desirable, with stalks that are weak and bent, producing only a few small ears of corn throughout the growing season. Sometimes these two contrasting cornfields can be right next to one another. Why would one field be so different from another?

One possible explanation is the condition of the soil. Sometimes, it is the fertilizer that makes the crop healthy.

Fertilizer is not pretty, does not smell good, and only flies are attracted to it. However, fertilizer makes the ground suitable for growth. Fertilizer strengthens the cornstalks and as Erma Bombeck once wrote, “The grass is always greener over the septic tank.”

Often the events in our lives can appear to be a big pile of fertilizer. The enemy wants us to focus on the fertilizer and recognize it only as a big pile of poo. But God uses these events to strengthen us and develop us according to His purpose. Just as He can use a big pile of poo to strengthen cornstalks and make the ground suitable for growth, so He strengthens us by the difficulties we face.

The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “⁸We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed…¹⁶Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4)

Paul understood that our temporary afflictions are working to accomplish God’s purpose for our lives. I pray that we never focus on the fertilizer, with our heads down in defeat, but rather focusing on the Lord’s plan for our lives, walking by faith not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7), and with the understanding that, “all things work together for good to those who love God, who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28 )

Let the fertilizer do it’s work in us and may God use us for His glory.

^“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18 )

God bless you and thanks for visiting.

Mount Ljuboten, the Flag, and Me

After several months of training and hard work, the stress level in my office was nearly unbearable. I needed a break, and fortunately, I recently got one. I was looking forward to going home, seeing my family and reconnecting with some friends I had not seen since February. I praise God that I got the chance. His timing was perfect and I was able to accomplish a lot of things I really wanted to do around the house.

I also presented a flag to my home church that was flown over Camp Bondsteel while First Baptist was celebrating their Centennial. The presentation was a significant emotional event for me and I almost didn’t get through it during the second service. The standing ovation I received really choked me up. I still don’t feel I deserved it. I rather think my wife is the real hero in my family. She has done a terrific job keeping things together in my absence.

The Lord certainly had a hand in my return to Kosovo as the flight was one to remember. To begin, my itinerary was routed through DFW and Chicago O’Hare, then on to Frankfurt, where I would stay the night before hitching a ride on a C-130 to Kosovo. The flight was delayed on take-off from Dallas, where we sat on the tarmac for approximately one hour before being allowed to proceed. The delay meant we would be landing in Chicago as our ride to Frankfurt was lifting off.

I prayed. 

I know pilots often take pride in their ability to predict flight times and landing times, but apparently this one made a mistake amounting to about 30 minutes. The pilot stated, “Either the airline built some added cushion into the flight time or we picked up an unexpected tail wind that allowed us to make up some time.”

I believe God was blowing on the airplane to get us to Chicago on time.

But wait! That’s not all! When we arrived in Chicago, we sat on the Tarmac again waiting for our gate to open up. The wait caused us to pull up to the gate with about 15 minutes to get onto our overseas flight. I thought, “There is NO WAY our bags will get from this plane to the other one in 15 minutes.” We would certainly have to file a lost luggage claim in Frankfurt.

I prayed. And I felt at ease.

About 11 hours later, we landed at our destination, passed through Customs, and lo and behold, my bag was one of the first to come off the aircraft. Praise the Lord, He is a God of Wonders.

Matthew 21:22:   ^“And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”

I love you all and look forward to seeing you when I return home.

   
God bless you and thanks for visiting.

As many of you know, I will soon be deploying overseas to Kosovo. This is a small region of Serbia in the Balkans, in what was formerly called Yugoslavia. NATO has a peacekeeping contingent there composed of many nations to prevent a civil war from erupting between the different ethnic groups. I will be there for about a year.

As my deployment date draws closer, my thoughts have focused almost exclusively on three subjects: God, family, and country. Pastor Bob introduced me to a song including these elements, and I made a video to accompany the music. I want to share this video with you.

Beware, this is very powerful and may evoke a significant emotional reaction.

 God bless you and thanks for visiting

As Christmas approaches the memories from my childhood fill my mind. I remember waiting anxiously for the last day of school before the Christmas break, the parties, the visits to my grandparents, and of course, the presents that collected under the tree. I remember gathering around the tree on Christmas Day, watching as all the gifts were handed out, wondering what was in the brightly wrapped packages with my name on it. I remember the joy and laughter that each Christmas Day brought to our house. It seems that every year I sought to receive the “ultimate gift.”

Today I get to witness the same joy and excitement on my own children’s faces, to watch the suspense build as they, too, have seen the packages pile up beneath the Christmas tree. I can almost read the looks on their faces as they search for gifts destined for them, “Is it what I want? Is it what I need? Is it the ultimate gift?”

I ask what is the “ultimate gift?” While growing up, Cabbage Patch Dolls were flying off the shelves. Then came the Playstations. Today a “Wii” system cannot be found. It seems every year something new becomes the “hot item.” But each one of these popular gifts will eventually break, interest will fade, and the gifts will collect dust on a shelf or in a toy box. Then something new will take its place. None of these things is the “ultimate gift.”

I propose to you that the Ultimate Gift has been around since time began and will still be here forever more. The Ultimate Gift is not a “thing.” It cannot be purchased. It cannot be given to us by our parents or grandparents, but is freely given by our Father in heaven. There can be no jealousy because the Ultimate Gift is available to anyone who will accept it. The Ultimate Gift is Christ Jesus whose birth we celebrate every year at Christmas.

The Ultimate Gift brings with it so much more than the few moments of pleasure as with a toy, then stuffed into a toy box.  This gift is love. Deuteronomy 7:9 says “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God. He is the faithful God keeping His covenant of love for a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands.” This gift is life, “that anyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.” (John 3:15) This gift is grace, “for it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8 ) This gift is wisdom, for “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” (Proverbs 1:7)

As we gather around our Christmas trees this December 25th, giving and receiving gifts as family and friends, let us remember the Ultimate Gift given to us by our Father God. Let us remember the sacrifice that was made to present us with the Ultimate Gift. And let us accept the gift freely and unconditionally as a token of His love for us. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:9-11)

God bless you and Merry Christmas to all!