Time is moving by as it is the start of the 4th week of my sabbatical. It has been a great time. We returned from Hawaii the middle of last week, and now Julie is with her family in Georgia. I will be focusing on growing, resting and learning. It has been a great time.
Yesterday was Father’s Day. I am blessed to the father of three awesome children. Furthermore, my earthly father, Richard Harrison is an awesome man. He has made my life stronger as I learn from him and follow his example.
I continue reading Don Wilton’s Saturday’s With Billy and Dean Inserra’s The Unsaved Christian. Should finish both this week and begin two more including Joe Sangl’s 50/50 Money. More observations from what I am reading in the weeks ahead.
Hawaii was amazing. The best parts included time with Rebecca and Colman, but the island of Oahu was simply beautiful. Hope you follow me on Facebook and Instagram so you can see the photos I shared. We visited Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, the beaches of the North Shore, Waikiki and so much more. The water was blue, the waves were amazing and the sights, all of them, were breath taking.
Over my time in Hawaii I got up early to read and pray as well as run. I am trying to do the same since returning, but I am struggling with that routine and a bit of jet lag. I am reading and soaking up Scripture. Also, I am listening to lots of sermons.
The last 10 days or so I have been listening to Jonathan Evans, Tony Evans’ youngest son, share a series on the week day podcast and a series titled “Forever Starts Now”. Jonathan is the chaplain of the Dallas Cowboy football team which draws my attention a little more. His preaching has been incredible and insightful!
Now, for some overflow of the last week…
There’s nothing more fulfilling than serving God together.
The more I spend time with Julie the more I realized how blessed we are or I am. It is big that we share life and ministry as well as a desire to make our future even greater.
Fear the Lord. See Proverbs 14
Instructions from God leave us stronger, better and ready to see God move.
“There is a difference between faith as a verbal affirmation and faith is conviction. The former dresses up for Easter, the latter is clothed in Christ.” Dean Inserra
The book Unsaved Christian is eye opening, and that quote gives you a little thought in to the divide between surface faith and true heart and life change.
As we visited Pearl Harbor I was touched by the strafing at Ford island, the island in the middle of Pearl Harbor. This “strafing” is the machine gun fire across the island from Japanese Zeros from the attach on December 7, 1941. I was touched by seeing the line that goes on and on. So much of Pearl Harbor’s was touching.
Pursue purpose. Don’t let every day be mundane. See Ecclesiastes
Love to learn. Proverbs 16:20
“Stay with God. There’s way more blessings with him than when we chase our own thing.” Jonathan Evans
Acts 13:35 NLT
“Another psalm explains it more fully: ‘You will not allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.’”
Don’t stay in the grave.
What would have happened if Lazarus had not have come out of the grave when Jesus called him? We have the opportunity to live a strong life, transformed by God’s grace. If we don’t allow Jesus to resurrect us, we continue to be dead. More to come on this.
It looks ridiculous till it begins to look miraculous.
What God does is amazing, but it will first look strange, weird or even ridiculous. We ought to go after what is not comfortable and what seems ridiculous because God will begin to do His work of miracles as we follow His instruction. See the story of David and Goliath.
“If you are having a hard time forgiving someone, you most likely have a hard time accepting forgivingness.” Robert Morris
That is where I will close. I truly am excited about all God is doing. But I am choosing to lean in, rest a good bit and follow the paths God opens.
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