I returned home to Colorado today! The trip went well and while it was hard to say goodbye to Stephanie, Nathan, Mason, Carter and McKenzie it was good to see them and experience a little “winter weather” in Georgia. Debbie and I look forward to a return visit when they are in their new home.

The connections in Atlanta and Denver went great for me. My brother and sister-in-law meet me at the airport and we returned to our home in Fort Collins by 5 p.m. with a flight that was scheduled to land in Denver at 315 p.m.

I mentioned meeting the owner of Stephanie’s property management company Dick Ruthven. I enjoyed my conversation with Dick and expressed my appreciation for the way they have supported Stephanie in her child raising years. Stephanie has been with the company for 11 years. Dick was a major league baseball player for 14 years playing for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves. He also enjoys spending time in Colorado and can’t believe a Colorado girl like Stephanie would be living in Georgia. (Before we left our meeting he joined Stephanie and me for a picture.)

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “…he [John] saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Mark 1:10,11

Mark’s gospel provides the fast moving overview of Jesus’ ministry. Unlike the other gospels no mention is made of Jesus birth or eternal existence. Some of the details of events like Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness are not recorded. The first two chapters of Mark place us at a point in Jesus ministry that other gospels take several more chapters to cover.

But one of the details of Mark, that is included in Matthew and Luke is Jesus’ baptism and the God’s voice on that occasion. These words from God the Father, to God the Son as He was beginning His ministry, I believe, are instructive and challenging to us today; especially for parents.

“You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” It seems with these words the Father commissions His Son to the life and ministry that is laid out for Him in the next three years. What is of interest is that there is no specific charge like, “listen to me…obey me…seek me…don’t disappointment…” It was enough for the Jesus to know His connection to the Father, the fact that the Father loved Him and was pleased with Him. Since this was the beginning of Jesus ministry, the Father’s pleasure wasn’t based on the miracles He had performed or His teaching or the selection of His disciples. Perhaps it was His life up to this point, perhaps it was in reference to what He would do, perhaps is was neither of these. Perhaps the Father’s pleasure in the Son was not based on His performance or merit, but simply flowed out of relationship.

As a Father to his son (or daughter) there is no greater “blessing” that you can bestow than to say, “you are my child” [I will never disown you], “I love you” [I believe in you and always desire that which is best for you in life], “I am pleased with you.” [not because of what you have or have not done, but because of who you are]

Sometimes children as they grow, as they make their own decisions and don’t always make good choices. There is a  difference between loving and being pleased with someone’s actions and expressing value in them as a person. Sometimes, your declaration of love and pleasure, may be a statement of faith, that declares who they can be and will be in Christ. As I boarded my plan for my trip from Atlanta to Denver their was a young man with his father who was in line to early board. The young man had some obvious development disabilities that required some special assistance. But as the father tried to say “goodbye” to his son, the son rejected him. I’m not sure of the issues for the young man or the family, but my heart went out to the father. I realize that many father’s may face that type of rejection and don’t have the comfort of the excuse that “my son has a severe mental issue.” This is where love, true love, is challenged. But with God’s help is still possible.

At the same time there are sons (daughters) who have only heard words of criticism, put downs and rejection from a father. For those it is important for them to know that there is a heavenly Father, who claims you, who loves you and is pleased with you.  I like the reassurance of  Psalm 27:10 “Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close.”

I believe the words spoken at Jesus’ baptism were not for His sake alone, but for ours as well. God the Father was setting an example for earthly father’s to follow and to remind us that we all have a heavenly Father to whom we belong, who loves us and is pleased with us.

Today was an active and busy day. Stephanie and Nathan had some showings of their current house they are trying to rent. Stephanie and I went to her office where I had the opportunity to meet and visit with the owner of her property management company. We then meet our good friends Billy and Carol Roberts for lunch. The Roberts attended our church in Lakewood before moving to Georgia many years ago. We have maintained our friendship over the years and always look forward to connecting with them when we come to Atlanta. They have been a great support during my illness and recovery. (see picture)

This afternoon we took the grand kids to Chick-fil-A for ice cream and then after dinner went to Mason’s basketball practice.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep….How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.”  Psalm 36:5-8

The character of God is summarized the best in this Psalm of David. We see single word expressions that describe God in His essence such as, “God is Holy”; “God is love.” But in these verses we find an anthem or praise that exalts who the Lord is for His people and the confidence that brings to those who place their faith in Him.

When we stop and consider these verses, we realize that no other god or deity of other religions is described in the words that are used to describe the Lord God. Consider each of these attributes. Love, faithfulness, righteousness and justice. These words communicate that the Lord will respond to His people with patience, long-suffering, consistency, kindness, and fairness. What He does will be right and even if His actions are not understood, we can be confident that it is for our good. As Paul would declare in his letter to the Romans, “God is for us!”

David follows these verses with the natural response to a God like this. “People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.” Who God is and how He responds to us out of His character compels those who have placed their faith in Him to draw near to Him. Once again the gods and deities of the world are viewed with fear and intimidation and distrust. But because who God is, we see His divine plan in leaving His home (heaven), to come to our home (earth), to make His home in us (our hearts) that we may one day be home with Him (heaven).

You can trust the character of the Lord and find a place of peace and refuge in His presence.

It was an overcast but nice day in Atlanta. We attended Restoration Church, where son-in-law Nathan’s father (Don Munn) serves as the Lead Pastor. Before his message on “hope” he shared my testimony video and provided an opportunity for me to share some remarks. We enjoyed seeing many who we have met in past years and that have been praying for me over the past year and a half.

After enjoying a nice lunch out we returned home to get some rest and get ready to watch the Bronco game. Before we left church after the morning service I had Stephanie take a picture of the two grandfather and their grandchildren.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…  “Good people suffer many troubles, but the Lord saves them from them all;the Lord preserves them completely…”  Psalm 34:19,20 (GNB)

This familiar verse caught me attention once again during my Bible time this morning. Then as I connected with people at Restoration Church today, I felt that I was one of several “miracles” in the room. There were those young and  old that had faced cancer, survived life threatening accidents, are dealing with disabilities and other issue that are a part of the many challenges of life.

The age-old question seems to be, “why do bad things happen to good people?”  The reality is the “rain falls on the just and the unjust”. The crisis of life come to all people in varying degrees, varying ways and at various times. I recall when a pastor friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer and died within a few weeks at the prime of life and the height of his impact on the city. His simple perspective in the midst of all the attempts to answer the “why” question was, “sometimes people get sick.”

The reality of scripture is that “good people suffer many troubles…” The issue is not the problems that are faced, but the resources and confidence that you have that enables you to confront those “troubles.” For the righteous the confidence in confronting troubles and difficulties is that troubles and difficulties don’t have the final say.

They don’t have the final say in how we confront the challenges of life. I recall my pastor’s wife in my teen years responding to people when they would say, “I am doing fine under the circumstances” with the retort, “what you are doing there?” Hers words were to communicate the point that our faith and confidence in the Lord allows us to “live above” the circumstances of life and not have our life and attitude dictated by feelings. Consider the following verses…

“Be strong, be courageous, all you that hope in the Lord.”  (Psa. 31:24) “Trust in the Lord, have faith, do not despair. Trust in the Lord.” (Psa. 27:14) “We put our hope in the Lord, He is our protector and our help….” (Psa. 33:20)

Troubles and difficulties don’t determine the final outcome. David’s statement of confidence in the face of troubles is, “…the Lord saves them from them all…”  Peter would write to Christians suffering for their faith and encourage them with the words, “….the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.”   (2 Peter 2:9)

Paul writes to the Romans and makes reference to “trouble…hardship…persecution..hunger…poverty…danger…death” He then concludes by saying, “…in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us!” (Romans 8:35-37) When we place our lives in the Lord’s hands we can be confident that He is the One who will be with us, work in us, give us the strength to endure and provide for us an eternal home in His presence. So with Paul we can be confident and say,  “…thanks be unto God, who always causes us to triumph in Christ…” (2 Corinthians 2:14)

I think with my schedule this week, I had lost track of which day of the week it was. On this  Saturday morning Nathan had a couple of roofing jobs that he needed to attend to so, Stephanie and the kids and I went to an indoor miniature golf course. On the way we stopped by a local fast food restaurant specializing in biscuits. Being in Georgia you need a biscuit at least once while you are here. My granddaughter McKenzie, seemed to be content with her biscuit, drink and kicking her shoes and socks off. She acts like a true “Georgia Gal.”

Bible Verse for Today…  “Hear me, Lord, and be merciful! Help me, Lord!” Psalm 30:10

Sometimes the shortest, most simple of prayers can be the most powerful. When are hearts are heavy and the situations we face seem to be beyond our ability to handle a simple plea of, “help me, Lord!” can be the most effective prayer that we can offer. I recall times when I needed wisdom or the needs of others weighed heavy on my heart as a pastor. I would often find myself reflecting on the situations that concerned me as I drove down the road and would be uttering the simple words, “help me, Lord.!”

At other times people have just uttered the name of “Jesus!” when the urgency of the need didn’t allow time for a thought out prayer and the Lord has responded to the need. My father who is now with the Lord was a quite man and not known for public praying. But my mother recalled times when she had a physical need that she asked my father to pray for her and he would gently lay a hand on her and simply say, and repeat “Jesus!” My mother shared how she experienced relief and was able to get a good night of sleep as a result of that simple one-word prayer.

Often people feel intimidated by prayer because they “don’t know how to pray.” But it is important to remember that prayer is not eloquence, it is conversation, it is expressing what is on our mind and on our hearts to the Lord, like we would talk to a friend. When you need help, ask the Lord to help. When you need wisdom, ask the Lord for wisdom, when you need healing, ask the Lord for healing, when you need forgiveness, ask the Lord to forgive.

We have the assurance from God’s Word that He hears our prayers and that the Lord responds to the prayers that are prayed in faith. The simple encouragement from the Lord Himself is, “ask and it shall be given….” (Matthew 7:7) The Psalmist’s plea for the Lord to hear by virtue of the Lord’s mercy, reveals that we need a God who responds to us in spite of who we are or what we have done or what we deserve. Remember the following verse…

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” (1 John 5:14,15)

Rest assured that the shortest of prayers, the most simple of prayers, can be the most powerful. Make your conversation with the Lord a part of your daily life and part of your life throughout the day.

I made it safely to Atlanta and had help all the way from the ramp of the plane to the parking lot where Stephanie’s car was located. Thanks to James, who has just been working at Harstfield-Jackson International Airport for two months, for his service. The day ended up being fairly exhausting and my water intake was lower than normal which can cause some problems, but I have been feeling good today.

Stephanie and McKenzie and I stopped by a local “Chipolte” for lunch and then she took me by the house they are in the process of purchasing. Their plan is to move within the next month. So this will be my final visit to their present home. I look forward to returning some time in the spring or summer to see their new home.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “Remember how the Lord your God has blessed you in everything that you have done. He has taken care of you as you wandered through this vast desert. He has been with you these forty years, and you have had everything you needed.  Deuteronomy 2:7

Today, I was listening to the speeches from the opening day for the Colorado Legislature. I enjoyed all of them and am proud of my colleagues that I served with while in the Colorado House that are now leading their respective chambers in the House and Senate.

Senate President Bill Cadman caught my attention by using as an outline for his speech, what was shared by the commencement speaker at his high school graduation. (I recall while serving with Senator Cadman in the House that I learned he was a student in high school at the same time that I was teacher in high school!) The Assistant Principal who delivered what is usually a speech more quickly forgotten than a Sunday sermon share something Senator Cadman remembered to this day. “Learn from the past, live in the present, plan for the future.”

I thought this was an easy to remember challenge for high school graduates and an important motto for life. I began to think about how important the first part of the challenge is and how what the Bible speaks to this and gives meaning to the present and inspires our future.

“Learn from the past…” I would quickly note that too many “live in the past” instead of “learning from the past.” When we live in the past we become stuck in the past and keeps us from living in the present and planning for the future.

To learn from the past we must remember the past and the lessons it has taught us. We find in the Old Testament (GNB) the word “remember” 201 times almost half of those in the books of Deuteronomy and Psalms. If you know those books of the Bible, that not be a surprise. In Deuteronomy Moses is recounting the law and the events of the past in order to  help God’s people live in the present and plan for the future. In the verse above Moses wanted God’s people to learn that the Lord can be trust and that He is faithful to provide what is needed, when it is needed.

What else did Moses want people to learn? “…remember today and never forget: the Lord is God in heaven and on earth. There is no other god.” (Deu. 4:39) God alone is to be trust and worshiped. He is our plumb line and north star. “…as long as you live you will remember the day you came out of Egypt, that place of suffering.” (Deu. 16:3) Don’t forget and your past and don’t return there. Learn how to live as free people, not slaves. Learn how it was to be treated as slaves, so you will treat others with honesty, dignity and respect.

When we looked at some key verses in Psalms we read,  “Remember that the Lord has chosen the righteous for his own…” (Psalm 4:3) Learn to live your life as those who are to honor God and reflect His character in the world. Plan your future knowing that the Lord is the One who determines your destiny and is working on your behalf. “Remember what the Holy One has done, and give him thanks!” (Psalm 30:4) Learning to be grateful in life will guide your life in the present and give confidence for the future.         “I will remember your great deeds, Lord; I will recall the wonders you did in the past.” (Psa 77:11) This is what often tempts people to live in the past. But the “deeds” of the Lord are not intended to be a matter of historic record but ongoing events in the lives of those who place their trust in Him. There is no greater incentive to live fully in the present and plan, “God-size” plans, for the future than to know the “great deeds and wonders” of the Lord are a present reality and a future promise.

How do we learn from the past so we can live in the present and plan for the future? We remember who the Lord is and what He has done in His faithful provision for those who place their trust in Him. If you need encouragement for today and fuel for your dreams for the future, learn from the past and remember and review the character and greatest of our God.