Posts

Posted on

What’s in a name?

Wow, wow, wow…blending families are no joke! My wife figured it was time for my stepdaughters to stop calling me Mr. Steven and to come up with a different name. So she asked one of her daughters to come up with another name to call me. Her response was…yes you guest it “I don’t know?!”  That response kind of woke me up.  To me the response “I don’t know” either means you truly don’t know or you don’t really care enough to give it any further thought.  In either case, on a deeper level it means I haven’t put a strong enough impression on her life to incite her to call me anything other than Mr. Steven.

Contrast that with Jesus. Listen to this song on youtube: Bread of Heaven

Bread of Life
Sent down from Glory
Many things you were on earth
A holy King, a carpenter
Cause you are the Living Word

Awesome ruler
Gentle redeemer
God with us, the Living Truth
And what a friend I have in You
you are the Living Word

And when I put it all together I call you JESUS!

You see it’s what Jesus did for me that causes me to call him Bread of Heaven, Gentle Redeemer, the Living Word! It’s not because I am told to but because He is those things to me!  I should be the minister of my house, the shepherd of my little sheep, a sweet and loving father…not “I don’t know”.  I’ve got some work to do!

 

 

 

 

Posted on

I don’t know!?

My wife and I had the rare opportunity to spend some focused time with one of our four daughters a few weekends ago. When It came time for dinner I asked her where she wanted to eat.  I told her to pick anywhere.  Her response was “I don’t know”.  After several iterations of me asking and her responding “I don’t know” I all but gave up.  I gave her one more chance and asked in the calmest voice I could possibly muster and her response was “Um, I don’t know…Sonic”  REALLY?!  I gave her the opportunity to eat ANYWHERE and she picks Sonic!  I just got paid so I was thinking Ruth Chris and she’s stuck on Sonic!

Ephesians 3:20 “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” Reading this verse I am reminded of my daughter wanting Sonic and how in my life so many times I limit God by my pea brained prayers and shallow faith.  I lose sight of the fact that He has taken the engine out of my Yugo of a life and put a Hemi in it! My desires and prayers are like me asking for Sonic yet He wants to throw me a feast. I trust that He has saved my soul from eternal damnation yet I struggle with trusting Him fully in my daily life. Things that make you go hhmmm…

Posted on

Tripping over dollars to get to pennies…

I need money!  Who doesn’t???  I own an online coffee business and I have been itching to expand.  As part of my business model I donate a portion of all proceeds to charities and I really want to donate more.  I’ve been praying that God would provide me some riches to do so.  I was driving the other day and passed by a coffee shop with it’s parking lot full of cars and I just shook my head and prayed “God, give me some Benjamins, please!?” Right about then my fuel light came on. So I found the nearest gas station and stopped to fill up.  While standing by the pump a young lady came up to me and politely asked if I had some change I could spare her.  I didn’t have any money on me and told her so.  She moved on and asked the next person and the next until someone reached into their glovebox and gave her some money and she went on her way.  As I drove away I had a weird feeling and didn’t really know why.

The next day in my quiet time I came across Eph 2:6-7 which reads “6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus”  Then it hit me…I’ve been praying for money and I’ve already been given immense riches.  God doesn’t deal in US dollars or Euros. His monetary system is based on grace, love, and kindness. I’ve been asking God to give me money so that I can give more. So, He gave me an opportunity to give through showing kindness to that girl at the gas station.  He showed me grace so that I can be gracious towards others.  He showed me kindness so that I can be kind towards others.  I missed it!!! I’ve been tripping over dollars to get to pennies…

Posted on

My name isn’t Rockafeller…

I had a boss that carried a leather wallet that had so many holes that he could take money out without unfolding it! I would always hassle him about buying a new wallet and he would always respond “My name isn’t Rockafeller! I can’t afford to!”

Having the responsibility of shepherding a family of six is no small task. Throw on top of it that they are all females and it is enough to make your head spin! Just mastering the female language makes me long for the days of first period Mandarin Chinese! For example if your son came home from school and said “I started today” I would give him a hive five and congratulate him on finally making the first string in soccer. That is NOT the proper response to your daughter coming home and telling you that!

Females see, think, and respond differently than males. They watch my actions from a different perspective and those actions shape them in ways much deeper than most care to imagine.

I often struggle with feeling Ill-equipped to handle this post. Ephesians 1:11 says ” Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God,* for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. ” As a Christian I have been inherited into God’s family. Just as being in the Rockafeller family gives one financial resources and economic strength, my inheritance into God’s family give me access to all the tools or resources I could possibly need to live up to my position as shepherd of my family. I can do this!!!

Posted on

Burning Chaff

I have a problem! I have four daughters and no shotgun!!! In light of this dilemma I’ve turned to the Bible and P90X since I guess I will be engaging in hand to hand combat for the foreseeable future! To document this journey I’ve created Burning Chaff. This blog is intended to inspire, encourage, and incite reflection as I share God’s perfecting impressions on my daily doings…