Camping?

Been pretty busy over the past week or so, fall ball is now over for all three of my kids and only one team party which is tonight. Looking forward to a little slower pace, although I'm going to try and get some overtime at work so we can get some bills paid off.


I would also like to take the kids fishing and try to take them camping a few times before it gets too cold. I've only been camping a few times, so I've got some things to learn but I think the boys would enjoy it. Any camping advice you have would be appreciated.

Aleph

Do you make it a habit to memorize scripture? Sadly, I haven't. As a child and young adult I did but that may be attributed to me being in a class or study that required it.

Psalm 119:11 says "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." Had that one memorized :-)

I haven't given the study of God's word the preeminence it deserves, to my shame. It's time to start. I've toyed with the idea of memorizing the entire 119th Psalm (the longest chapter in the Bible, 176 verses, but nicely broken into manageable chunks). Psalm 119 is one of the acrostic psalms, written with 8 verses for each of the Hebrew consonants in order, so verses 1-8 each have a first word beginning with 'aleph and verses 9-16 each have a first word beginning with beth, and so on. Commentary on Psalm 119.

Psalm 119:1-8

א ALEPH

¹ Blessed are the undefiled in the way,
who walk in the law of the LORD.
² Blessed are they that keep his testimonies,
and that seek him with the whole heart.
³ They also do no iniquity:
they walk in his ways.
⁴ Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.
⁵ O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!
⁶ Then shall I not be ashamed,
when I have respect unto all thy commandments.
⁷ I will praise thee with uprightness of heart,
when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.
⁸ I will keep thy statutes:
O forsake me not utterly.

Time to stop playing and get serious about the things of God, conversely it's time to stop being so serious with my kids and start playing more.

Soul Journey

Blog Recommendation:

I stumbled across this blog today and I think Barry Clarke has some very insideful, encouraging, as well as personally challenging posts, check him out.

What are you doing here?

Well, fall ball is winding down, thankfully. All 3 of my boys are playing and it gets kind of busy around our household. My oldest son's team won both their games over the weekend, he pitched the entire game Friday night and only gave up one run to the best team(previously undefeated) in the league, they won 8-1. Yea!!

My youngest is playing tball and ended up in a 3 inning marathon last night. They won 19-15 in a 3 inning game that lasted close to 2 hours. I had to leave in the bottom of the third to go help coach my middle sons team, they jumped out to a 9-0 lead and hung on to win 11-7.

Seems like we are too busy, but the kids enjoy playing sports. What do you think? We have been trying to take a break following each season, except for this year with our oldest moving to kid pitch baseball, we felt it would be beneficial for him to play fall ball to prepare for the spring. But how do you work in fishing or camping or vacation or picnic or [insert another activity] ?


1 Kings 19:11-13
¹¹ Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; ¹² and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. ¹³ So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

I might have my family too busy, need to ask myself "What are you doing here, Jason". Are you investing your time wisely? Is the Lord pleased? Are my children being benefited? Hmm....

I need you righteous - Update

My friend, Chris, found out that the cancer he has is the more "treatable" of the two types of cancer, Esthesioneuroblastoma. The method of treatment for this disease is no walk in the park, please continue to pray for his healing and for the peace of God to be upon him and his family.

Thanks much.


Pslam 103:1-5
¹ Bless the LORD, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
² Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
³ Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
⁴ Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
⁵ Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Look up

Life has a way of entangling you, sometimes ever so slowly, like a vine wrapping it's way around a tree until it has totally engulfed the tree. It's good to take a step back and refocus on the Lord.


Habakkuk 3:18
¹⁸ yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Let's think about all the Lord has blessed us with and thank Him for His goodness. Lord truly I thank You for Your mercy, kindness, and love. Thank You, I praise You for You are worthy!

What is faith?

What is faith?

Hebrews 11:1
¹ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.


Romans 4:3, 19-24
³ For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
....
¹⁹ And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. ²⁰ He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, ²¹ and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. ²² And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” ²³ Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, ²⁴ but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead,

Acts 8:35-37
³⁵ Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. ³⁶ Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” ³⁷ Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

Romans 10:8-13
⁸ But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”(that is, the word of faith which we preach): ⁹ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ¹¹ For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” ¹² For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. ¹³ For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”

It seems to me (based on the above scripture), faith is believing God. I agree with Peter, that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God yet doubt of my salvation creeps into my heart. Did I do everything the right way, I don't feel like I'm living a Spirit filled, Spirit controlled life. God seems distant, I seem to struggle with the same problems with little victory. I know I would be a better husband and especially father to my children if I only loved God more but how, how do I increase my faith in and love for God?



Mark 9:22-24
²² ... But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” ²³ Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” ²⁴ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

Dear Lord, I believe, please help my unbelief!