Shawnee Christmas Parade

Every year the city of Shawnee hosts a Christmas parade on the first Thursday evening of December. Some years it is bitter cold and other times it is mild, but every year there are several floats, dancers, bands, cars, motorcycles, candy and of course Santa Claus riding on the big fire truck at the end of the parade. Families line up along Main Street in anticipation for the evening's events.

The first several years we lived here we never would go because it always seemed we would forget when it would be held and then about the time we thought about it, we had missed it.
For the last several years we have been attending and it is becoming a tradition we enjoy.
We pack a bag full of blankets and hats and gloves and then fill a thermos full of coffee and hot chocolate with extra cups to enjoy a warm beverage during the festivities and if we remember we take along some goodies as well.

This year our parade was held on December 1st and what an appropriate activity to enjoy on the very first day of the Christmas season. The weather had been pretty nice all week and then a cold front blew through in the early evening and the weather dipped into the low 50s to start and would eventually drop well into the 30s later that night, but for the parade it was 50 degrees with hints of colder weather on the way when the wind would blow.

We loaded up our hot chocolate and blankets and put our hats and coats on and went downtown Shawnee to enjoy the parade. Below is a picture of one of the most unique floats from the parade festivities. This will be the first of many Christmas activities for our family this year. Stay tuned for more.

Do unto others

This afternoon I took my two oldest children to the public library to check out some books and movies. They always enjoy doing this and I definitely want to do something with them that they enjoy doing. I feel it is very important to spend quality time with the blessings I have been entrusted with. Even though I have failed countless times in this area; I am doing my best to make changes for the better.

As we were leaving the library, I noticed a homeless man sitting in the foyer area eating a bag of chips. I have seen him multiple times around town digging through garbage cans looking for food. Today he looked healthier than he had looked in a long time and a lot of that I feel is through a contribution from a local ministry, Shawnee Rescue Mission and the local Salvation Army, that are providing food and shelter for the homeless and needy.

Many of us pass by the homeless and needy every day and do not do anything about it. Why is this? There are many who sit on the corners of America with signs asking for help or stating they are in need of something. The travesty in this whole matter is that many of these panhandlers are taking advantage of the generosity and hospitality of others when they truly do not need help. There are many of these indviduals whom I see regularly and even have their dog with them asking for help. My first thought is that if they are in need or homeless they do not need a dog or pet to care for. I understand the need for companionship, but in all seriousness, why do I want to help someone out that is trying to care for themselves and their dog?

There have been numerous times I have offered to buy gas and food for those who appear to be in need or have approached me in the parking lot of a local store and when they realize I am not going to give them cash they are not interested and refuse my hospitality. It saddens me that there are those who will refuse hospitality; however, I have been called to share the love of Christ and cannot get upset if they refuse what I have to offer. The best thing I can do is to pray for these individuals and ask God to touch their hearts.

When my children and I passed the homeless man on our way back to the car, I let them know that the man was homeless and that we had a bag of food in our car for this exact scenario. My daughter quickly told me that she wanted to give it to him and then my son chimed in and argued with her saying he wanted to give it to him. Both of my children wanted to help the man and give him the food we had to offer. As we approached the man, my daughter handed him the sack of food and he mumbled something to us. At the same time of our donation to him, another individual had just purchased him a soft drink and was dropping it off for him.

As I walked hand in hand with my children back to the car, I praised them and told them how proud I was of them for doing something so kind. I explained to them the importance of doing nice things for people that are in need and to never be ashamed to show God's love in different ways. While driving home I asked them how did it make them feel and they said it felt good. My daughter then proceeded to inform me that as she handed the food to the man that she saw him as God and that we had just fed God. Hearing this made me smile on the inside.

In Romans Chapter 12 and verse 8 it states, "If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly." My daughter is definitely growing up and is showing the calling that God has placed upon her life and I find no accident in the name we chose for her at birth. Alexis means 'Helper of Mankind' and this definitely describes my daughter and the love she shows towards everyone.

Blessings to you!

Family Man

40 days and counting

40 days from tomorrow I will be headed to Dallas, Texas to catch a flight to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to catch an even longer flight to Tel Aviv, Israel. I can't believe that the trip is almost here and I know before I know it months will have flown by. I am doing something that I have never done and that is to go abroad. I am going to be traveling to Jerusalem, Israel with 18 other men and women who are absolutely in love with Jesus and we are going to share the love of Christ in the same areas where Jesus walked and taught. I knows time have definitely changed, but God has not. He is the same yesterday, today and forever more.

I am not going to prove a point or anything crazy like that. I am going because the one who gave me life has placed a calling on my life. That calling is to serve Him and to be a minister of the gospel. That calling includes sharing the gospel everywhere across this great world. While I know that I can share the gospel right here in Oklahoma...I can also share it across the world as well. The Word of God says GO! and preach the gospel unto all the ends of the earth...from one corner to the other. It did not say to just stay in my comfort zone and where I live, if it did, that would be too easy. We are to stretch ourselves and see what God wants to do with us. He wants to use us in so many ways, but many times He cannot because we have allowed distractions and our own pride to get in the way of His will.

I am done satisfying my own flesh and my own desires. I am done trying to make everyone else happy. I am done doing what the world wants me to do. I am done. It is no longer about me. It is about Him. I must give up myself in order for Him to rise up in me. I must take up my cross daily and follow Him. I am ready to lay down my pride, my desires and sacrifice everything. In order to gain something from Christ, we must be willing to give up something that means something to us. That is why fasting is so important. Fasting is a way for us to get quiet before the Lord and listen. It is a way to mute the distractions and to silence the voices around us. It is a time for us to lay down ourselves so that Christ might rise up in us. If we want to hear from Him and to have Him do something for us...we must give up something that means something to us.

So for the next 40 days before my trip to Israel I will be fasting from things that take my time away from the Lord. I will be fasting from Facebook, television, video games, a good percentage of the Internet other than what I have to use for job searches, etc. and some food. This is to get my mind off the world and more on Him. I want to hear what He has to say.

Not only do I want to hear what He has to say about Israel and the trip, I want to hear what He says about my future job and where He is taking me. I know there will be several who consider me crazy or insane for going on this trip without a job in place, etc. I have news for them, I am still going. God has confirmed for me to go and I am not letting some challenges keep me from what God has for me. God has begun to orchestrate a new beginning in my life. Where one door closed, another is opening. I no longer see myself apart of the corporate world, but apart of the ministry. Where He leads, only He knows right now, but I am definitely seeking Him and His face.

As I was reading this evening I came across a prayer in Jeremiah 32:17-21 that speaks volumes. Jeremiah is praying for understanding from the Lord, much as I am praying for understanding as well. In a nutshell the prayer states that nothing is too hard for God. We should never sell God out and think He cannot accomplish something. The creator of the universe can do anything He so desires. He wants to see so many powerful blessings flow through us, but we must ask and we must seek. As I continued to read I came across one of my favorite passages and it is Jeremiah 33:3, "Call unto me and I will answer thee and I will show you great and mighty things you don't yet know." God just wants to hear from His sons and daughters.

Lord, I am calling upon You and seeking You for wisdom and understanding. I don't know it all. Open my eyes so that I may see, open my ears so that I may hear, open my mind so that I may understand the things You have laid before me. I ask that you would show me the things I don't know already and show me a glimpse of your glory. I want more of You and need more of You. I give you all of me and am willing to lay down my life and sacrifice everything for You.

In the name above all other names!

Amen