Michael W. Smith - I'll Wait For You - Official Music Video

this is what this man of God stands for... God is using him in a mighty way to minister to the hearts of His people... He definitely used him in my life tremendously!!!!

Just love the guy!!!!

ENJOY!!!

... 50 and not any wiser???????

... today is my brother's 50th Birthday.... where we come from, the Southwest of Germany, there is a saying that you finally become smart / wise when turning 40... he now turned 50.... hmmmmm...
one of the devotions I receive every day talked about the Name of Jesus,  and how our search for significance and identity will never be satisfied until His name is written on our hearts... so, my brother, if asked I am sure would have a lot to say about how he is so much wiser today....
the truth is, that he, like everyone else has been searching for his significance in all kind of places, success, wealth, relationships, family.... just to be disappointed again and again....
makes me think of the Donut man..... he was a Christian entertainer for little  kids, we even saw him live one day many, many years ago, when my girls were little... his message was that our hearts are like donuts... they have a hole in the middle... a hole that is in the shape of God, that until we find Him, our heart will always be empty, because no matter what we put there, it will never really fit and fill the hole..
so... wise? just because you turn 40 or 50 for that matter? Significance because of what we accomplished, what is in our bank account, or even how good a father, mother, wife or husband or friend we are, position.... all that can not fill the hole in our hearts... only Jesus can...
so today, we will be celebrating my brother's 50th Birthday... I baked him his favorite cake, made some salad and my girls will be busy preparing more food for the party we are going to throw him, on one of his "see how significant I am" purchases, his boat...
I hope all this will communicate to him that he is loved.... by us... and, I pray, that as we live a life of significance in Him alone he will see something, that  will tuck on his heart and he will finally stop resisting...

Let's consider this:
As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”
“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” ( Mark 10:17-25)

I don't think Jesus said we all have to live a life of poverty in order to follow Him, I think what He is saying is we have to stop defining ourselves by what we own, who we are, let go of our pride and admit that all we have and all we are are undeserved gifts from Him, our abilities, skills, opportunities, even the fact we can love well and let others love us, which my brother definitely knows how, it all is from Him...

my prayer for my brother and all those I love who do not know Him is that He would allow them to have a glimpse of who they really are without Him and that he would break through their pride and they would be saved.....
like my pastor keeps saying,  you never see a u-haul behind a hearse....