Love someone

According to the National Day Calendar, it is National Love People Day. My first thought when I read that was, "WOW, what a good reminder!" My second thought was, "WOW, we need to be reminded to love people?" I mean, shouldn't loving others be something that comes rather naturally?

I admit that there are people in this world that are hard to love; they don't love themselves, they are angry at the world, they hate everyone. However, a friend of mine told me years ago, "Don't ever call anyone worthless that JESUS died for, and He died for everyone." Everyone is deserving of love, even if it is hard to give.

Today's word is 1 Corinthians 13:8, NLT, which reads, "Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!"

There are lots of things that people hold onto that are useless and completely worthless. There are people in this world that will do ANYTHING for fame or fortune. But, one day fame will be gone and fortunes don't go into eternity with you. Love, on the other hand, is always eternal; our loved ones that have passed into eternity are just as loved today as they have ever been.

If I haven't told you lately, I love you. I appreciate the privilege of being a small part of your life and you being a part of mine. It is National Love People Day, and while it should go without saying, go out and love someone.

Be Blessed,
Mickey T

Welcome Home

I've been gone most of the week to a trade show/work shop/conference. I am glad to be home. I missed my family very much. I missed church. I missed work. I missed the football team I help coach. When you are apart, there are just a lot of things that you miss.

On the flip side, once you have been away, there is nothing like the homecoming. Trish was glad to see me home. The kids were ecstatic to see me; they even made me "Welcome Home" signs. It seemed that I was missed at work. And, the football team, coaches and players, were glad to see me last night. It is nice to be welcomed home.

Today's word is Matthew 25:21, NKJV, which reads, "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant: you were faithful over a few things,I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'"

As good as the homecoming was yesterday, and it was special, there will be another homecoming for us, Christian, one day. We will stand before our LORD and He will welcome us home. My prayer is that I am found faithful, like the servant in today's passage. I want to hear GOD tell me that I have been faithful, and to come on in.

We will have a homecoming one day. We will all stand before GOD and give an account. We will all hear Him say either, "Enter in," or "Depart from Me, for I never knew you." I am glad I have made the decision to follow JESUS. I pray that, if you haven't, that you will, too. Because, there are few things better than hearing, "Welcome Home"!

Be Blessed,
Mickey T

Only He can

We have had two (2) families in our communities that have suffered the heartbreaking loss of a child in the last few days. There have been countless other families that we are not aware of that have suffered the same tragedy. I cannot imagine the pain that they are experiencing; I pray we never do. I also pray that we can be of assistance and encouragement.

I have said before and will say it again, I don't know why things work the way they do. I don't know why little children get cancer and evil dictators and despots live to make life miserable for thousands, maybe millions, of others. I don't know why bad things happen to good people. I do know, however, that my faith is in the LORD, and He will give us what we need to get through whatever comes our way.

Today's word is Psalm 73:26, NIV, which reads, "My flesh and my heart may fail, but GOD is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

As I said, I don't know how difficult the trials that others are facing must be. I can't imagine the pain and suffering some are having to endure. I can't fathom the challenges and trials some of you are having to go through. My heart goes out to all of you.

What I do know, though, is that GOD is good. He is with us in our good times; He is closer in our dark times. While we may not always understand what we are going through, we can always rest assured of the One that is with us and His love for us. He will give us the strength to make it through, as only He can.

Be Blessed,
Mickey T

If we will only listen

Have you ever received some good advice? Did you heed it? Did you follow it? It is one thing to hear something; it is an entirely different thing to listen. We hear sounds all the time, the refrigerator running, cars passing, noise on the television. But, we listen when we notice the refrigerator is making a different noise, when the car passing is playing a song too loudly, or when the weather warning comes across the airwaves.

There are times when we really need to listen. I know I have been blessed with folks in my life that have truly tried to impart some wisdom into me but, often, I didn't listen. Other times, however, when I listened and applied that wisdom, those lessons, I have found that it has benefited me in ways that I could not imagine.

Today's word is Psalm 85:8, NIV, which reads, "I will listen to what the LORD says: He promises peace to His people, His faithful servants..."

When we listen to what the LORD says, we will find ourselves in perfect peace, no matter what the clamor or noise is around us. It is when we stop listening to GOD and start hearing all the distractions that we find ourselves restless and uneasy. We have to be careful what we hear. We have to be even more careful what we listen to.

The next time you find yourself in the midst of a loud, raucous, rowdy day, take the time to listen to what GOD is trying to say, to the peace He is trying to bestow. We may be really amazed at what we will hear, IF we will only listen.

Be Blessed,
Mickey T

Keep in step

Yesterday was one of those days that will live with me forever! I was blessed with the opportunity to help baptize our two (2) children. What a special and humbling and rewarding experience. They both were saved last year but had not come to the place where they were ready for baptism but they finally made that decision and yesterday was the blessed event.

We have been attending New Believer classes, which have led the baptism candidates through what baptism signifies. Baptism is not required to be saved, you don't need to be baptized in order to get to Heaven, but it allows the world to see an outward expression of an inward change. It was such a blessing to be in the baptistery with our children.

Today's word is a reminder for us all that we are to walk as our SAVIOR. Galatians 5:25, NIV, reads, "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."

As Christians, we now have the Holy Spirit living within us; He abides within us. And, since we live by the Spirit, our actions should indicate that He lives within us. We should allow GOD to direct our paths, to lead us to where He wants us to go and to do what He wants us to do. Then, if we are being led by the Spirit, we should do what He leads us to do; we should try to keep in step with the Spirit.

Just as my children followed salvation with believers' baptism, we want to continue to disciple them and encourage them to put GOD first and to listen and obey His call. A good reminder for us all - if we live in the Spirit, we should keep in step.

Be Blessed,
Mickey T

GOD has it

Sometimes, things are just hard to understand. I have mentioned before that I can be as dumb as a bag of hammers. But, even with that being said, there are other times when things are just too complicated for me to understand. You know what I mean? There just is no human way to explain and/or understand why things happen the way they do.

It is hard to understand why bad things happen to good people. Why innocent little ones have to suffer so much. I can really rack my brain and wear myself out trying to figure out why these things happen. When these things happen it is easy to ask, "Why did GOD allow this to happen?" What we need to understand, though, is that GOD is not at fault for these things.

Today's word is Proverbs 2:6, NASB, which reads, "For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding."

So, why do really bad things happen to really good, innocent people? Because Adam and Eve gave in to the wiles of satan in the Garden of Eden. Since that original sin, since Adam and Eve gave in to sin, we have lived, and continue to live, in a broken and fallen and shattered world. And, in this evil world, bad things happen, even to good people. Why? Because satan/sin controls this world. BUT...

But, we can rest assured that this is not the end. While I don't know why things have to happen the way they do, I do know that GOD is working on my behalf. My prayer is that we can all see GOD working in our lives and the lives of others. I pray that He is gracious and merciful. I pray that I will seek Him and His wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Because, I truly believe that the only way to make sense of some things is to just know that GOD has it.

Be Blessed,
Mickey T

Go out and Tell Someone

Do you root for your team? I mean, really root? I know some folks that go all out; I'm talking face paint, body paint, costumes, etc. I have some favorite teams, and I am a guy that could use something on my face, but I am not that extreme. However, I still like to talk about my team, still like to pull for them, still root for them strongly.

Are you a Christian? Do you root for GOD? Do you tell others about Him as much as you share about your favorite team? Hey, I am asking myself these questions more than anyone else. I know there are times and places that you can't but do we do it when we can? Are we as excited about GOD on Monday as we are our favorite college team on Saturday?

Today's word is Psalm 79:13, NASB, which reads, "So we Your people and the sheep of Your pasture Will give thanks to You forever; to all generations we will tell of Your praise."

Again, there are times and places that we can't, and some are certainly not receptive to JESUS, but, when we can, where we can, we need to try to sing GOD'S praises. He is worthy of our praise, deserving of our praise, and the only One worth praising. As our word today reminds us, "...we are Your people and the sheep or Your pasture..." We belong to GOD; that is worth talking about.

Look, it is okay to root for your favorite teams; I know I certainly do. I also want to tell others about the Greatest life they could ever hope to live, which is by Grace, through Faith in JESUS CHRIST. Let's go out and tell someone!

Be Blessed,
Mickey T

Made known to all

We all have secrets, some good, some not so. We recently gave Trish a surprise birthday party, which was mostly a secret. At least as much as a seven-year-old and a six-year-old can keep a secret. It is fun to do surprising things for folks; it lets them know that they are special.

There are other secrets, though, that eat us alive from the inside out, and we all probably have them. These are the secrets that we regret; things done that we wish we had never done; things said that we wish we had never said. We hope no one ever finds out; we pray that no one ever finds out.

Then, there are the secrets that we keep for the greater good. Maybe they are government secrets that you keep because of your service. Maybe they are secrets that you keep because of the confidence of a friend. Maybe they are secrets you keep to protect peace and harmony. These secrets are vital to keeping things working correctly and efficiently.

Finally, there are the things that we don't know; secret things that we hope to find out someday. JESUS, during His earthly ministry, talked about Heaven but there were not many finite details. We may wonder what we will do for all of eternity. Or, will we have a job in Heaven. Or, what the mansion looks like. There are lots of things we don't know. There is John's description in Revelations and there are others' speculations but no one knows for sure. I do know that I am looking forward to seeing it all. Aren't you?

Today's word is Luke 8:17, NLT, which reads, "For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all."

Be Blessed,
Mickey T

Respecting Authority

We all have bosses, right? I mean, even if you are the CEO or the owner of a company, your customers, your Board of Directors, someone is still your boss. And, if you are a Christian, we all know that ultimately, we answer to GOD, Who appointed it all and is the Supreme Authority.

I am amazed at how easily some folks will bash his/her boss, how quickly they will try to undermine the authority that has been given to authority. Now, while there have been many that have abused his/her authority, most don't. The other part is that people confuse the person and the position. The authority is conveyed upon the position, therefore, the respect and honor is to whomever sits in that position. A position that GOD has appointed.

Today's word is Romans 13:2, NLT, which reads, "So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what GOD has instituted, and they will be punished."

As this verse tells us, when we rebel against authority, we rebel against what GOD has instituted. We can try to explain it away by saying that it is against the person but the fact is GOD has instituted it, not man. If we truly believe that GOD has designed everything, that GOD has instituted everything, that GOD is in control of everything, we can see that He has put everything in place, including those who have authority over us. While we may have a hard time with those over us, we should pray for GOD to help us accept His plan.

We will finish as we begin - we all have bosses. No matter what you do, no matter where you go, no matter how old you are, there will always be those that are in authority. The best thing we can do for all of those in authority is to pray for them that GOD will give them direction and that they will listen. Then, we need to respectfully accept GOD'S will. I think that if we will do that, we will find things much easier.

Be Blessed,
Mickey T

Teach someone else

I have a card in my wallet that will take me anywhere I want to go. Anywhere. If I want to explore the canals of Venice, Italy or the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Grand Canyon or the Space Station, it can get me there. The card I am talking about is my library card; it can take me anywhere I could ever dream of going.

I don't remember at what age I learned to read; I just remember being able to. I can tell you that it was before I started first grade (I did not go to kindergarten; it wasn't mandatory when I came along). I had older siblings and I pestered my Mom to death, so, she worked with me and taught me to read. By the time I started my first day of first grade, I could read a newspaper and count and write to 1,000. That isn't bragging on me; it's bragging on those who invested in me and instilled in me the benefits of learning.

Today's word is Psalm 119:16, NKJV, which reads, "I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word."

With everything we do, we have to learn the rules/laws. If you are playing sports, you have to learn the rules of the game. If you are a cheerleader, you have to learn how to tumble, then, learn the routine of the squad. If you are driving, you have to learn the rules of the road (or, you should). If we want to live the life GOD has for us, we need to study and learn His precepts and statutes. No, He is not a scorekeeper, keeping up with your good and your bad to see how they balance out, but, I want to please Him and keep His commandments. Don't you?

The only way to truly know the rules of the game, the routines, the rules of the road, the statutes of GOD is to read the manual. The manual for living the Christian life is the Holy Bible - read it. Then, when you pray, thank GOD for those who have invested in teaching you. Finally, teach someone else.

Be Blessed,
Mickey T

He is enough

We have all been through things, going through things, or about to go through things. No doubt, we are here to live life, and to live it abundantly. However, we live in a really broken and fallen world. And, there aren't many seasons go by that we are not burdened by worries, or strife, or sickness, or something.

We have discussed before that, oftentimes, it seems that we turn around only to get hit in the face with something else. There are those seasons in our lives that there seems to be no relief; things are piling up high, and quickly. So, what do we do when things are going from bad to worse to worser to worsest?

Today's word is Exodus 3:14, NASB, which reads, "GOD said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM"; And He said, 'Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, "I AM has sent me to you."'"

Whatever we may be facing or going through, we serve the I AM. I AM means, "I was; I AM; I forever will be." GOD is able to meet whatever need may arise in our lives. He is able to answer any question we may be struggling with. He is able to take burdens that are weighing us down and wearing us out, and put them far away. He is able to settle any doubt and calm any fear that may arise. He is I AM.

We are all going to go through some things. We will have questions that there are no answers. We will have struggles that seem insurmountable. We will have sorrows that seem inconsolable. We will fight battles that seem unwinnable. But, for all of our circumstances, we have the GREAT I AM. And, we can rest assured that He is enough!

Be Blessed,
Mickey T

Don't be afraid to listen

As much as I hate to admit it, I do have an ego. Now, as I have gotten older, I don't really have much of anything to be egotistical about but I do have one. In all honesty, though, I have learned that it is not about me - it is all about my SAVIOR. And, when I keep that in mind, it is amazingly easy to see how little I have to brag about personally.

Another truth is that no one likes begin around an arrogant, egotistical, blowhard. NO ONE. You know the type. They will tell you how easy it is for them to bench press a house, make a thousand dollars a day, cypher complex problems, out run, out perform, do better than you in anything, including sweating. It is exhausting. It is unappealing.

Today's word is Proverbs 13:10, NLT, which reads, "Pride leads to conflict; those who take advice are wise."

There is very little more unbecoming than someone full of themselves. And, often, those full of themselves will not listen to wisdom or instruction - after all, they already know everything. We can allow ourselves to be so full of ourselves that we can't get any of the good stuff in. We can get to the point that we think we know everything and miss out on some of the biggest and best life lessons; those things that will prepare us for the future and help us persevere to the end.

Here are the facts. Don't get so full of yourself that you fail to take in what you are going to need later. There are lots of folks in this world that will fill you with worthwhile and necessary things, if you will only listen and take it in. I am talking to me, too. I still have a lot to learn. I remind myself of this fact every day. Don't be afraid to listen.

Be Blessed,
Mickey T

Who I am

If you haven't seen the movie Overcomer yet, I would recommend it. It is about an asthmatic runner, a disappointed coach, a dying father, a decimated town, and finding GOD'S path for each of us in this life. As we all know, life isn't about what happens to us; it is about how we respond to what happens to us.

In the movie, the question is asked, "Who are you?" How would you answer that? I tell people all the time that I don't confuse what I do with who I am. I am blessed to work for the greatest organization, to coach sports, to play a guitar, to have a couple of hobbies. BUT, while those are things that I do, none of them tell you who I am.

Today's word is a quote by Eric Allen, which says, "Don't chase your dreams. Chase the GOD Who has dreams for you."

We all have "our" dreams, and there is nothing wrong with dreaming of what you want. But, when our dreams take us farther and farther from the One Who created us and has the perfect plan for our lives, we will never accomplish the dream nor be what we are created to be. Fulfilling our selfish dreams will only leave us seeking the next thing. Pursuing GOD will lead us to the Best Thing.

Now, who am I? I am a child of GOD. The husband to Trish. The father to Blake and Olivia. A son, a brother, an uncle, a cousin, a friend. I am a humble servant seeking the will of my Father daily. This is who I am.

Be Blessed,
Mickey T