Enriched Affections

"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." - Proverbs 16:9 This is one my favorite verses in Proverbs. It reminds me that I can plan and plan, but ultimately it is God's plans which will stand in the end. Take the past few weeks for instance. We planned on selling our house quickly and moving to TN together. God planned for us to not sell quickly and for me to move to TN first, leaving my family back in IL. We planned on sending our kids to public school in TN while we looked for a home. God planned for the kids to stay in IL while we tried to sell our existing home. We planned on sending our kids to public school in IL until we found a permanent place to live in TN. Then the kids would go to school in that district. God planned for us to consider other options that would enable us to be together as a family sooner. We planned on homeschooling our kids beginning the second week in August so we could at least live together in TN until...

As I drove to work this morning, filled with emotions ranging from anxious to expectant, I knew I needed to listen to something in order to focus my mind. I had a good time in Colossians earlier with my girls snuggling all around me. I was thinking about Christ's authority over sin and the presumed "rulers" of this world... surely He loves His children... I opened my worship playlist and hit shuffle, not knowing what would be played out of the list of 150+ songs. As the familiar guitar of Caedmon's Call began to strum, these words came across the speakers: "My faith is like shifting sand, changed by every wave. My faith is like shifting sand, so I'll stand on grace. I stand on grace." That is exactly what I needed to hear. Jesus told this story in a similar way in Matthew 7:24-27 . The wise man builds his house upon the rock of hearing and obeying the words of Christ. I would include having faith as a part of that obedience. The foolish man's h...

"You Are God Alone (Not a God)"  by Philips, Craig, and Dean, released on Let the Worshippers Arise (2004) Why I recommend this song for worship- As we come before the Lord in worship, it is important to remember Who we are worshiping. We aren't coming before a famous singer or venerated politician. We aren't about to see our favorite sports team play. This is God we are addressing. This song reminds us of who God is and why He is worthy of our worship. It takes the focus off us and fixes our eyes on the Father. The melody honors the lyrics and lets us build on different themes emotionally and musically. This song has always been a great reminder to me of God's sovereignty and leaves me standing in awe that He could love someone like me. Changes I've Made- I haven't adjusted too much with this one. They keys posted below are both pretty singable, but I would recommend doing it in A (or G with capo 2 for guitar). Any lower and the verses get ha...

The whole group on our final day, visiting the Zoo Last week I had the opportunity to go on a missions trip to Living Hope Church on the south side of Chicago. This trip was very special for many reasons. It was my last big event with my current church, I had the chance to serve in some unique ways in a vital ministry in Chicago, and I got to serve alongside my brother who is their Minister of Worship and Youth. In preparation for the trip our team read part of the book Toxic Charity , which I highly recommend. We really wanted to go into this time with the correct mindset, understanding that we weren't going to fix things or show anyone how to properly do ministry. Rather, our job was to partner with an already working ministry and help, not hinder, their efforts. In the process I learned a lot about myself and how I see others. Here are a few of my observations: 1. My way isn't the best way Throughout our week there were many chances for me to give input on how things...

July is halfway over. That means, at least for my family and I, there is really one big thing left for the summer. Camp and the Senior Trip are finished. VBS and the Missions Trip are complete ( I'll be posting some observations from all these in the coming days ). Now it's onto the move. As many of you may know, we are moving to a new church and ministry in Hixson, TN. It is a bittersweet parting from our 22 years in IL, but we are excited to start this next chapter. The only problem is that there is still the big unanswered question regarding our house, and all the other questions attached to it. The answer to this question will determine how the next few months of our life looks, and to be honest my wife and I have really been wrestling with it. When will our house sell? Who will buy it? How will we be able to move to TN if is isn't sold? Will we have to live apart for a time? Where will I live in the mean time if we do live apart? All of these questions are reasonab...