You’re gonna miss this…

A few days ago, Steph did something that hit me like a snow shovel to the face…

In our house, we have championships. We have a Halo championship, Madden championship and a Forza championship. At one time, I was champ in all three video games. Little by little, I played the dad card and let each one of them win one, sometimes even 2 at a time.

Joseph is good at Halo. I mean so good, he is hard to beat even when Jason and I team up against him. Jason is good at Forza racing but right now, dad can still take him.

So we are sitting in the living room during our period of quarantine for the COVID-19 virus, battling it out for the Halo championship (which I won btw) and Steph comes in. Her eyes were very glossy so I knew she was at the point of tears but smiling regardless.

“Alexa, play you’re gonna miss this.”

Our Alexa device begins playing the song by Trace Adkins about how things that drive us crazy will one day, not be there and we will miss them. It was so wrong, and yet so right in so many ways.

For the past month, we have all been together through the “shelter in place” order to ease the spread of this virus. Our worlds have collided and we have made the best of a not so good situation. We have played cards, done projects, worked on home school, watched movies and yes, played a lot of video games.

Right now I go into my office one day a week. The other 6 days of the week I get to have breakfast, lunch and dinner with my family. I get to spend time at night with just me and Steph. On Sunday mornings, we all sit together and watch our pastor bring the message online.

We have done family more during this “crisis” than ever before.

I have not seen my mom in almost 2 months except through facetime. We talk every day as always but not being able to go to see her has been the one negative side of this. I truly miss that and I long for the 2 hour ride to see her and my family.

I don’t know what will happen when the world returns to the new normal. I hope that I will continue to appreciate sitting at our new kitchen table with the boys at breakfast, while our Lily bays and begs for food. I hope I will continue to be able to do everything that I can do to lose to Joseph in Madden. I hope that the cars I chose racing Jason will always be slower than his.

I hope Steph will always have projects needing me to help her with

And now, when the world does reopen…

Yes, I am going to miss this.

Keith

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBDN8yWyNYU%5B/embedyt%5D

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Comfort from the unexpected….

So tonight, Stephanie White and I had to have the difficult conversation with the boys about the schools closing for 2 weeks and how this might impact their trip to universal IF spring break is canceled. We told them that it is serious and we are going to be careful but we are not scared. We know God will protect us. We shared Psalms 91:10

“No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;”

My son Jason was in tears. Not because he might not get to go to Florida, but he was so scared of this virus. As I put my arms around him to console him, comfort came from the unexpected. Our 80 lb. lapdog Lily, who is normally off the charts wild and crazy, came up to him as he was crying, and began to lick his hands, CALMLY, and just love all over him. It was truly a moment of where God used a family pet, a member of our family, to comfort Jason in his time of fear.

As I watched this amazing sight, it was hard to be the dad and hold back the tears, and pray with my family.

Thank You God for bringing this amazing wild and crazy animal into our lives.

Keith

 

23 Day Challenge – A look back

As I sit here looking back on the past 23 days, I realize that I gained a lot of insight into not only the 23rd Psalm, but into myself as well.  I don’t remember a time where I was able to be disciplined enough to read the bible 23 days straight. I’ve read through the bible several times but I would have to do catch up to stay on schedule.

When I started this study, verse 4, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil”  really gave me chills just thinking about it. Steph had just been in Israel last year and actually went to this valley but until I saw the images of the hundreds of graves located in the cemeteries in this valley, you just can’t grasp the reality of what this place represents…death.

Little did I know that during this study, 3 very close friends would say goodbye to one of their parents as God called their parent home.

I also did not know the power of the end of that same verse. “Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” The staff was used to reach down and pull the lamb out of a pit but the rod stood out to me more. It was a bar that all of the sheep would go under to be counted so that no one was left behind. The sheep mattered to the shepherd. We matter to God. He doesn’t want anyone left behind when He steps out to call us home.

I also debated about putting the sinner’s prayer in on the last day, Forever. The more I thought about it, the more it needed to be there. How can I do a study on God’s Word and not tell someone how to be saved? I have no idea who may ever read this but if it reaches just one person, then what God gave me to put down will be worth it.

To say this study affected me would be an understatement. During these past 23 days, I have been able to discern the voice of God more clearly. He has put me in opportunities to share what He is doing in my life. He has given me the chance to be His hands and His feet helping others.

Now I just need to take what I’ve gained and move on to the next chapter.

Keith

Day 23 – Forever

As I am writing this devotional, I am also back in school taking what I hope to be the last math class of my life. I am taking statistics and probability. My professor repeatedly says this is  “not a math class”  but it sure feels like one. This class takes statistical data and helps form a hypothesis about the probability that certain events in the hypothesis will be true.

I lost you right there didn’t I? Stay with me.

Even through all of these calculations to predict certain events or values, there is no certainty. Sure there may be a very narrow margin that they could go against your prediction but there is still a possibility regardless of how complex your calculations are, or how certain you are of the end result, that you will not have your expected result.

In life, there is only one thing that is 100% certain. One day you will stand before God…

You will live your life, to what ever degree of fullness that God has planned for you, you will breath your last breath and take the next one in front of Him, or Christ will return and we will join Him.

100% certain that one of those events will happen. No calculations needed.

Hebrews 9:28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

I Thessalonians 4:16-17 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Christ will return. God’s word promises that. Either we will be called up first as the dead in Christ or we will meet Him in the clouds. Either way, if we have Christ as our Savior, we will be with him forever.

Those without Christ will also have an end result of their choice. Again no calculations needed but it is 100% certain that they will miss heaven and life with Christ by about 11″. That is the distance from their head to their heart. Everyone will know OF Christ, but not all will KNOW Him.

Matthew 7:22-23 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me.

Revelation 14:10-11 He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night

Revelation 20:15  And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

You will either spend eternity with Christ or eternity in hell. This is 100% certain. There will be no end of worship in Heaven and there will be no end to the torment and destruction in hell.

Eternity is forever. There is no end. If you don’t have Christ in your life, then you have a choice to make, right here, right now at the end of this study. The choice is yours. Where will you spend your forever?

If you haven’t accepted Christ and want to right now, you can right where you are. Pray this prayer with me…

“Lord Jesus, I am a sinner and need You in my life. Forgive me of my sins. I believe that You died for me and rose again. I turn away from my sins and I want You to come into my life and save me. I want you to take control of my life. I give it all to You, my Lord and my Savior”

Now, comes the hard part, making changes in your own life. Walk away (repent) from  anything or anyone that causes you to sin. Find a local church. Connect with the pastor there. Get plugged in but most importantly, spend time daily reading God’s word. Start with the book of John if you don’t know where to start. There are numerous resources online. For this study, I used the website bible.com. Start with that but be encouraged. You have just made the greatest decision that you will make.

If you haven’t accepted Christ, and think you can do it later, know this. We are not guaranteed our next breath. You can think that you have all the time in the world, but just in the past few weeks, I am connected to at least 4 people who stood before God.

Matthew 24:36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 

Only God knows when Christ will return. Don’t wait until it’s too late or the choice will be made for you.

Keith