Where is God when the Storm waters surge
When the people are desperate and hurt

Where is God when we are overwhelmed by the flood
He is there, for He shed His blood

Where is God when the young and old cling to life
Even when there are people who create strife

Where is God when people are confused and lost
He is there for He died upon the cross

Even when all hope is gone with no where to go
God is with them Him, mercy and love He will show

Don’t give up on Him, He is waiting with open arms
He is always your calm in the midst of your storms

I love the faith of a child!  Tonight, Sonya is at the church finishing up the painting of the office.  Therefore, it was my duty to cook dinner.  Let me rephrase that, Hannah wanted me to cook her dinner.  Sonya was going to cook Hannah some macaroni before she left, but Hannah said, “No, I want my daddy to cook it!”  Sonya looks at me with that mischievous grin and said, “okay.”  She said it in the tone of voice that expressed, “Are you sure you know what you are getting into?” 

I can grill anything.  If it cooks on a grill I can cook it.  But macaroni and cheese?  I have a hard time boiling water, but something gourmet like mac and cheese is like cooking a casserole.  The last time I cooked mac and cheese was about 7 years ago for Josh and his friend, Travis.  Travis looked at me and in the nicest way said, “This is gross!”

So tonight, with that in mind, I cooked!  When I was done, I handed the runny mac and cheese to Hannah and waited for the verdict.  She said, “This is good.”  Josh, on the other hand said, “It’s alright.”

Though, I am not a chef, Hannah had faith that I could come through for her.  Such is the faith of a child.  It is this kind of faith that God says we should have.  The faith of a little child.  Jesus said that we enter into the kingdom when we have faith like a child. 

That kind of faith believes that God can do exactly what His Word says.  It is knowing that God is able and even though I haven’t seen the miracle yet, He can still come through.  It is trusting the God who turned water into wine and believing He can also make our paycheck stretch for another week.  It is resting on God’s promise that He will heal, even if we are still suffering in pain.

Child-like faith is trusting in the Father who desires to give good gifts to His children.

Yesterday, our tile job was complete.  It looks incredible!  We are moving along with our project.  The back platform wall is finished and ready for paint.  We are just about ready for the sanctuary to be painted next week.  Excited to see how the sanctuary looks when it is finished.

We stole away to our favorite spot in the Ozarks.  Roaring River State Park in Missouri is the most serene place I have found.  The sound of water, the quiet of the country and no cell phone service; what a marvelous combination.  I took Hannah into the river for a little walk in the water.  I did not bring a change of clothes or a swimming suit because I did not plan on swimming.  I kept preaching to Hannah to be careful and not step on the slippery rocks.  I stepped on a slippery rock and splish splash I was taking a bath.  I got my only set of clothes drenched.  But we had a great time.  It is always nice to get away with Sonya and the kids.

Our foyer tile is being laid today.  It is looking great! 

Yesterday, I spoke on the mistakes and successes of parenting.  Our model as a Father is our Heavenly Father and the most fortunate thing about Him is His grace in the midst of our mistakes.  I am thankful that God is forgiving as well as our kids.

Parenting is not easy, many mistakes to make
Things we do wrong, often make the heart ache

A cross word, an impatient growl
Hurt feelings, an angry scowl

I do not teach them enough, nor do I pray
Yet they look for guidance, what do I say?

At times I seem such a miserable fool
To do this right, I really need a tool

God’s Word, instructions for the making of a treasure
Guides us to success a child for our pleasure

When we look back we often fret over our failures
But with forgiveness and love, those children are still yours

Greater success you had than you will ever say
You cannot go wrong when you train them God’s Way

Bury the hurts and the mistakes of the past
It is your successes, that forever will last.

I need some help for my sermon Sunday.  Please rate how you feel as a parent.  I need honest answers.  Don’t worry, it is completely anonymous.  If your kids are already raised, rate yourself on how you felt raising your kids.

I read this article on Justin Taylor’s blog today.  Brings back boyhood memories and it brings home a great truth.  Enjoy!

Here is the article:

“Here is a summer science project. Do this one at your own risk.

Choose an afternoon when the summer sun is burning down, get a magnifying glass and a pile of some dry combustible material. Dried leaves will work just fine. Gun powder will be more exciting.

Put the burning material down on the sidewalk and then use the magnifying glass to focus a beam of sunlight onto the material. You will be amazed at how quickly smoke begins to curl away. My boys and I do this and we think it great. Jamie rolls her eyes.

You know: the magnifying glass does not provide any power of its own. It serves only to direct the power of the sun. But, when it does, it brings light to a burning focus and things ignite.

That is what the local church is supposed to do. By itself, the church, God’s people, do not offer any power. But, a church is like a magnifying glass that God uses to focus and direct His power. Paul says in Ephesians 3:10 that God is pleased to make declaration of Himself both to people and the Heavenly realms by means of the church.

Maybe in your life, the presence of Christ does not seem powerful. You keep waiting for change and power to ignite in your life but it’s just not happening. If that is the case, then try another experiment this summer. Look for a church that centers on the Lord Jesus and His Word. Put yourself right underneath the magnifying glass on a warm Sunday and wait for Spirit and Truth to ignite in your heart.”