Elijah the Card

So I was getting a cup of coffee this morning at church. There are always a lot of people in our Welcome Center who are drinking coffee and eating donuts and just having a good time of fellowship. As I was getting my cup of coffee ready to drink, I asked Elijah (my six-year-old) if he wanted to taste my coffee. His response:

No, that would just be a waste of caffeine.

Sunday Review, December 23, 2012

This morning we read and preached on two different births that are mentioned in Luke 1 and 2. They are the births of John and Jesus. John was from a priestly line and he was chosen by God prior to his birth to be the forerunner of his Messiah, Jesus. For the life of John, God was preparing him to come on the scene and introduce to all of mankind the Anointed One of God. Also, Mary, the virgin mother of Jesus, was approached by the angel Gabriel. He told Mary that she had found favor with God and that He was going to bless her with being the mother of the Savior. She was not sure how this was going to be, but the angel reassured her, “For nothing is impossible with God!” This is not just a story of two births. It is a story that begs the question of all of us: Do we believe that nothing is impossible with God? If so, then we can believe that Jesus Christ truly is the Messiah, the Anointed One of God, who came to this world in order that He might seek and save that which is lost. This includes all of mankind: men, women, boys and girls. And the great news? Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ SHALL be saved!

Do you believe? I do.

These Boys

The boys are here. One is in bed after I read the Bible story of Creation to him. The younger is with his mom in her rocking chair getting sleepy. She is a great Mom. The boys are six and two years old. They are the best kids that a man can receive as a gift from the Lord. Psalm 127:3-5 says:

Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate. (NASB)

(My wife just walked by with the little one taking him to his crib; awesome sight!)

These boys truly are gifts. They are given to us by the Lord Himself. They came to us after their mother passed away from leukemia. Their father decided to relinquish his rights realizing that he could not adequately take care of them. All the while, these two gifts were waiting. They were waiting to be loved, these boys.

Our six year old asked me today, “Dad, have I told you that I loved you today?” I answered, “No, Son, not that I can remember.” He quickly said, “Dad, I love you!” These boys, these two precious boys, these two gifts, these two sons of mine have come home. This is their home. This is where God planted them. These boys.