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Spiritual thoughts

Men’s Monthly Meeting Talk

Me

I was asked to talk at a men’s group today, and I was honored to share some things about spiritual habits that can really help us. They would help me a lot more if I did not get so distracted at times. It takes less than 30 minutes to listen to, and a lifetime to implement.

Listen

Hope it helps you too. It helps to look in the mirror sometimes.

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crying family My Kids News politics Spiritual thoughts wife

A Moving Poem

I want to move to a place where there are no tears and there is no sorrow, but that may have to wait until beyond tomorrow.

There is suffering here until death from our birth , we must strive to bring healing while we’re still here on earth.

If we don’t do this- I ask you, who will? We can’t leave our poor earth to those who would kill.

I will pray for the healers to not leave prematurely, while those who love evil can go fast and early.

Unless they would change, and join in the fight- to defeat selfish suffering and uphold what’s right.

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family News Spiritual wife

2013 Men’s Advance

(formerly referred to as a Retreat)

Save this date, men, sons, dads, grandfathers, uncles and brothers! There is a brochure you can check out, but no registration form to fill out, Just notify Ezra Engle and get him your $120 check payable to Edgewater Covenant Church to make it a done deal.

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Spiritual thoughts

Online Debates

Video Game Time It seems that a lot of my posts here are an overflow of what seems too long to just share on a single Facebook comment stream. I was engaging with a friend who seems to be subscribing to a lot of atheist news feeds that pump out lots of quotes and zingers about how God can’t exist, those who believe in God are stupid, or if God did exist, he could not be worth worshipping, because he does not turn us into a utopian society incapable of harming each other. I normally try to avoid getting into arguments just for the sake of arguing, but this friend has been willing to discuss beliefs in a civil manner in the past, so I feel pretty free to discuss these things with him.

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Spiritual

20130428 Growth Group Homework

Which of the following characteristics from James 1:19-20 best describes you and/or least describes you? If you excel at one or more of these, please don’t be bashful. Share with your group how you have become better at that or share what you feel you could work on:

A) Being quick to listen.

Not great at this when I am distracted.

B) Being slow to speak.

I am comfortable with speaking plenty, but speak slowly at times.

C) Being slow to become angry.

I am pretty good with this.

“My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.”

-James 1:19-20 NIV

DIGGING DEEPER

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The Sponsored Move

FaceTime call with Karyn, Zion, Eden and me
I read Genesis 45 today, and was thinking about how nice it would be to have such a generous offer as this:

“You are also directed to tell them, `Do this: Take some carts from Egypt for your children and your wives, and get your father and come. Never mind about your belongings, because the best of all Egypt will be yours.’ ”
-Genesis 45:19-20 (NIV)

Because my family can’t be replaced, but all of my possessions can be.

Once I have a possession that replaces another, the unused possession becomes relatively useless to me, and simply becomes a burden to manage.

My first thought as I imagined this offer from Pharaoh was to think of it as a generous company sponsored distant move. Any distant move at this point would not be very appealing to me. I really like living in California.

After further consideration, I thought: God did make this offer to me. He is preparing a place for me and I am encouraged to invite my family to come, but not to worry about bringing my possessions, because He has more than I could ever earn to provide for me and my family in this new place. I may have to wait a lifetime before I leave, but it will seem like only a moment in history.

My take-aways:

  • Family Matters
  • Possessions Are not worth worrying about
  • Pay attention to the king
  • There is at least one better place than California