Tomorrow is a day of new birth and transformation for our family. We are adding another girl to the mix and it isn't by natural birth but through adoption. Adoption means, "To take up and make ones own." After tomorrow we will officially have taken up and made our own another girl; her name Katelyn. It is a day we have been waiting for since last November. It's a day when she will use her full name with "Berg" at the end. It will be a day when she is truly one of us.
As Christ-followers we all have a day like this as well. It was the day we decided to allow ourselves to be adopted into God's family through a relationship with God's Son, Jesus. We were on that day "taken up and made God's own." Tomorrow Katelyn will receive all the privileges of being a "Berg." On the day we were adopted by God we received as well all the privileges of God's family. Each of these adoptions brings transformation to individuals and families, whether our physical family or spiritual family. What a day and what a great adventure!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
The Difference Two Minutes Makes
We all know how our work days can become so hectic and full. Not only do we have the planned routine meetings but we end up juggling the unexpected situations that need troubleshooting. I have plenty of days like this and the other day was one of them. My schedule was tight all day and my goal was to leave the office in plenty of time to drive an hour away to see my daughter swim in St. Michael-Albertville. Well, I had more hiccups in my day than I planned or imagined and I was already late leaving town. The swim meet was at 6 p.m. and I was leaving town at rush hour which meant even the country side roads would be busier with traffic. To be late to a swim meet could mean missing one of my daughters events. This particular meet was all relays and she was swimming two events. Each event is no longer than a few minutes.
I raced (literally, I'll admit it) out of the office, through the never ending Main Street construction and toward St. Michael-Albertville when I realized I had the wrong directions. I had mapquested directions to the high school and remembered (of course while driving) my wife telling me it was at the middle school. I called home, had them mapquest it and pulled over twice while writing down the new directions. I felt like a good citizen because I actually pulled over to write down the new directions but it did nothing in saving me time. I got of town late, rush hour, construction, bad directions and completely frustrated.
Everything in me wanted to bag the swim meet and turn around and just go home. I was driving one hour to the meet, one hour back for what, to watch my daughter swim for two minutes! Two minutes! All the stress of getting out the office, construction, rush hour and directions almost made me miss an important part of my daughter's life. I pushed through the temptation to meet my own whiny needs and kept driving. To my surprise I arrived on time; (let me remind you again that I was racing).
I settled in my seat, took a big breath and tried to calm down. When my daughter climbed the swim block, scanned the audience and found me she waved with a huge smile. I waved and smiled back. Right then and there all the stress of the day spilled out of my body as I realized how important it was for a daughter to see her Dad in the stands, even for only two minutes of participation in a meet. She got the message that she was valued, that I loved her and am a big fan of hers, that I would drive a total of two hours for two minutes. After the meet there was great satisfaction for both of us as we embraced to celebrate her accomplishments.
As children of God, aren't we fortunate that we have a Father in the stands always cheering for us, available and our biggest fan? No matter what is happening in His world (a lot) He is always mindful of our world for he states in Joshua 1:9, "I will be with you wherever you go." When it comes to living this great adventure called 'life" it is valuable to realize the investment we make in our children and a reminder of the investment our Father in Heaven makes in us.
I raced (literally, I'll admit it) out of the office, through the never ending Main Street construction and toward St. Michael-Albertville when I realized I had the wrong directions. I had mapquested directions to the high school and remembered (of course while driving) my wife telling me it was at the middle school. I called home, had them mapquest it and pulled over twice while writing down the new directions. I felt like a good citizen because I actually pulled over to write down the new directions but it did nothing in saving me time. I got of town late, rush hour, construction, bad directions and completely frustrated.
Everything in me wanted to bag the swim meet and turn around and just go home. I was driving one hour to the meet, one hour back for what, to watch my daughter swim for two minutes! Two minutes! All the stress of getting out the office, construction, rush hour and directions almost made me miss an important part of my daughter's life. I pushed through the temptation to meet my own whiny needs and kept driving. To my surprise I arrived on time; (let me remind you again that I was racing).
I settled in my seat, took a big breath and tried to calm down. When my daughter climbed the swim block, scanned the audience and found me she waved with a huge smile. I waved and smiled back. Right then and there all the stress of the day spilled out of my body as I realized how important it was for a daughter to see her Dad in the stands, even for only two minutes of participation in a meet. She got the message that she was valued, that I loved her and am a big fan of hers, that I would drive a total of two hours for two minutes. After the meet there was great satisfaction for both of us as we embraced to celebrate her accomplishments.
As children of God, aren't we fortunate that we have a Father in the stands always cheering for us, available and our biggest fan? No matter what is happening in His world (a lot) He is always mindful of our world for he states in Joshua 1:9, "I will be with you wherever you go." When it comes to living this great adventure called 'life" it is valuable to realize the investment we make in our children and a reminder of the investment our Father in Heaven makes in us.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
"A Good Cup of Grace"
How often do we get together with a friend for a "good cup of coffee?" Today in America quite often. We take our coffee seriously and daily! Try to change the coffee intake of a person who's car doesn't need a Tom, Tom or Garman to get to the local coffee shop. It's tires are worn in that direction and it naturally goes there. Wouldn't it be great if our non-apologetic, natural enjoyment for coffee paralleled our non-apologetic, natural enjoyment for God's grace? God loves us so much that he gave his greatest, top shelf gift to us. He wanted us to know without a doubt that his love is to the greatest extreme, it can't go any greater or get any less.
I remember when I was in Junior High and was "sorta dating" because that's what you did at that age. I was at the county fair with my "sorta date" and she wanted me to win a prize for her at one of the games. This was my opportunity to prove I was a man at age 13 but what I realized was it would only prove how much I cared for her! I was on the spot! Was I going to pay big bucks (were talking JH here) to win her a stuffed animal off the top shelf or would I go with the middle shelf or low end? I was stuck and of course to prove my manhood and feelings for her I had to go top shelf. I didn't come through, I burned my cash flow and we spent the rest of the day drinking water and just watching others have fun on the rides. Point is, God went top shelf for us not because he had to but because he wanted to reveal to us how extreme his love is. By sending Jesus to pay for our sins he not only went top shelf, he had the means to provide us the prize. It cost him dearly and this is all the more reason why he desires us to enjoy the grace he provides.
In 2 Corinthians 12:9 it says, "His grace is sufficient for us." This means that in every circumstance of life from sin to situations God's grace is going to do the job. It always delivers like a good cup of coffee or winning the stuffed animal on the top shelf.
Lamentations 3:22-23 states a beautiful truth, "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is his faithfulness." I am learning this truth in a fresh way these days and realizing regardless of life stuff God is a big fan of Bill Berg. He always looks forward to coffee with me and going top shelf.
I remember when I was in Junior High and was "sorta dating" because that's what you did at that age. I was at the county fair with my "sorta date" and she wanted me to win a prize for her at one of the games. This was my opportunity to prove I was a man at age 13 but what I realized was it would only prove how much I cared for her! I was on the spot! Was I going to pay big bucks (were talking JH here) to win her a stuffed animal off the top shelf or would I go with the middle shelf or low end? I was stuck and of course to prove my manhood and feelings for her I had to go top shelf. I didn't come through, I burned my cash flow and we spent the rest of the day drinking water and just watching others have fun on the rides. Point is, God went top shelf for us not because he had to but because he wanted to reveal to us how extreme his love is. By sending Jesus to pay for our sins he not only went top shelf, he had the means to provide us the prize. It cost him dearly and this is all the more reason why he desires us to enjoy the grace he provides.
In 2 Corinthians 12:9 it says, "His grace is sufficient for us." This means that in every circumstance of life from sin to situations God's grace is going to do the job. It always delivers like a good cup of coffee or winning the stuffed animal on the top shelf.
Lamentations 3:22-23 states a beautiful truth, "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is his faithfulness." I am learning this truth in a fresh way these days and realizing regardless of life stuff God is a big fan of Bill Berg. He always looks forward to coffee with me and going top shelf.
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