It's been a while since my last posting here. Things have been rather busy since the arrival of my little baby girl, Julie, on September 17th. What a ride it has been. Little Julie had a rough start to life. Long story short, she spent the first 3 weeks of her life in the hospital. She didn't get to come home until October 8th. Those 3 weeks certainly drew me closer to God in prayer and meditation. When I least expected, God showed up.
This week I learn that my position at Bosch, which I've held for the past 12 years, will be eliminated in 2010. ZOW! I can honestly say that I wasn't surprised. The automotive industry is in a slump. I now have plenty of motivation to find a job elsewhere. My wife and I would love to move up to the Fruitport, MI, area where she grew up. I do have hope that God will show up just at the right time.
All this experience has tested and grown my faith. I like to think of faith as like a tall oak tree. Such a tree takes several years to grow so big and tall. Faith is the same way. Faith just doesn't happen quickly. It take a lifetime to grow, and starts from a small seed.
I don't know what will happen next or how. I do know that God is waiting for me there. So I continue to trust Him...and that's faith.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
countdown to baby
Well it is indeed been quite a while since I have posted anything here. The reason is simple, I'm an expecting father and have been spending most of my free time with completing the nursery and other little home improvement jobs to prepare of the coming baby. Right now I have a little time to breath and think, "Where did the summer go?"
The nursery is for the most part completed. The room has had a complete makeover. New carpet, new paint, new molding, new baseboard, the entry door to the room rehung to swing into the room instead of out, there is a door the leads into a closet with steps leading up to the attic that I've sanded and repainted and now needs to be rehung, the crib is completely assembled and ready for baby to sleep in, the new dresser is assembled and filled with baby clothes, the old armoire closet has been completely sanded and repainted white and is reassembled and filled with baby clothes and other things...WHEW! I'm whipped! I do have to say this room is the best looking room in the house.
The due date for baby has been set at Sept. 8th. Realistically the baby could be born any day now. According to my wife, when you hit 37 weeks you have come full term. Well we are certainly there now. All I can do now is wait.
The anticipation is going to drive me nuts LOL!
The nursery is for the most part completed. The room has had a complete makeover. New carpet, new paint, new molding, new baseboard, the entry door to the room rehung to swing into the room instead of out, there is a door the leads into a closet with steps leading up to the attic that I've sanded and repainted and now needs to be rehung, the crib is completely assembled and ready for baby to sleep in, the new dresser is assembled and filled with baby clothes, the old armoire closet has been completely sanded and repainted white and is reassembled and filled with baby clothes and other things...WHEW! I'm whipped! I do have to say this room is the best looking room in the house.
The due date for baby has been set at Sept. 8th. Realistically the baby could be born any day now. According to my wife, when you hit 37 weeks you have come full term. Well we are certainly there now. All I can do now is wait.
The anticipation is going to drive me nuts LOL!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
this world v. Grace
Yesterday I wrote an e-mail with some thoughts that I felt are rather profound. I wanted to capture those thoughts here.
Yeah I know, it's been a while. I'm gonna be a father you know...excited and scared at the same time. I'm with Eldredge...I'd describe this as both Epic and Intimate. Epic in that I know there will be challenges, or battles to fight. Intimate in that to behold such a tiny human being that I dare say God fusses over all the tiniest details to get everything just right.
I just read your latest blog entry. I've come to conclude that the single-most difficult concept to comprehend of God is His beautiful, wonderful, and amazing Grace. Just breath that in for a moment. Grace.
We grow up in a culture and society that says, basically, you have to earn everything. You don't get anything for free. We live in a world that indeed rewards people, especially young people, for their accomplishments or achievements. So those who don't accomplish __________ or achieve ____________ (fill in the blanks) are basically told they are of little or no value. I remember Dr. Bob pointing out that we're called Human Beings, not Human Doings. This would certainly give answer to why so many people rush around so fast. It's so they can accomplish as much as they can so as not to lose any "value".
However...you look at God and His amazing Grace and we see the complete opposite! When the world says "you don't have much value because you don't accomplish much", Grace says "you have an immeasurable value!" Grace says we don't have to do anything to win His favor because His favor is already ours, and this is so because of Jesus Christ! The world puts so many qualifications that must be met in order to receive this or that. With Grace, there are no qualifications or accomplishments or achievements to be met. Grace is ours...freely. The world may say, "you have to qualify to be allowed in our club." Grace says, "come on in, right now, right where you are at!"
It is my daily prayer that God will continue to wrap His grace around us like a blanket. In the words of Obi-Wan Kenobi, "it surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds us together."
You don't have to prove anything. You don't have to accomplish or achieve anything. You can just simply be.
wrapped in His amazing Grace,
Tom
Yeah I know, it's been a while. I'm gonna be a father you know...excited and scared at the same time. I'm with Eldredge...I'd describe this as both Epic and Intimate. Epic in that I know there will be challenges, or battles to fight. Intimate in that to behold such a tiny human being that I dare say God fusses over all the tiniest details to get everything just right.
I just read your latest blog entry. I've come to conclude that the single-most difficult concept to comprehend of God is His beautiful, wonderful, and amazing Grace. Just breath that in for a moment. Grace.
We grow up in a culture and society that says, basically, you have to earn everything. You don't get anything for free. We live in a world that indeed rewards people, especially young people, for their accomplishments or achievements. So those who don't accomplish __________ or achieve ____________ (fill in the blanks) are basically told they are of little or no value. I remember Dr. Bob pointing out that we're called Human Beings, not Human Doings. This would certainly give answer to why so many people rush around so fast. It's so they can accomplish as much as they can so as not to lose any "value".
However...you look at God and His amazing Grace and we see the complete opposite! When the world says "you don't have much value because you don't accomplish much", Grace says "you have an immeasurable value!" Grace says we don't have to do anything to win His favor because His favor is already ours, and this is so because of Jesus Christ! The world puts so many qualifications that must be met in order to receive this or that. With Grace, there are no qualifications or accomplishments or achievements to be met. Grace is ours...freely. The world may say, "you have to qualify to be allowed in our club." Grace says, "come on in, right now, right where you are at!"
It is my daily prayer that God will continue to wrap His grace around us like a blanket. In the words of Obi-Wan Kenobi, "it surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds us together."
You don't have to prove anything. You don't have to accomplish or achieve anything. You can just simply be.
wrapped in His amazing Grace,
Tom
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Life is a journey
Yesterday I bought a new book, "Way of the Wild Heart", written by John Eldredge. So far is it a real eye opener for me. I'm realizing that as a man, I'm really unfinished. My Father God is still fathering me into the very man He created me to be. So this whole life on this earth right now is an initiation.
My wife is now at the midway point of her pregnancy. September 8th is the due date so far...and we're having a girl! I hope God blesses her with music just as He has with me. I'd love the opportunity to play along side my girl. Only time will tell.
The start of my journey to earn a computer science degree has begun and is going good thus far. I say this is a journy because it won't happen quickly. I can't look at what all I have yet to take, but only look at the very next step. If I focus on the whole thing, it looks a bit overwhelming. So one step at a time.
I have to admit, I was hoping for a boy. After learning that we're having a girl, I'm even more excited. I'm indeed praying that God will help my wife and I be the parents we need to be so this little angel will grow into a truly feminine, beautiful, and captivating woman.
My wife is now at the midway point of her pregnancy. September 8th is the due date so far...and we're having a girl! I hope God blesses her with music just as He has with me. I'd love the opportunity to play along side my girl. Only time will tell.
The start of my journey to earn a computer science degree has begun and is going good thus far. I say this is a journy because it won't happen quickly. I can't look at what all I have yet to take, but only look at the very next step. If I focus on the whole thing, it looks a bit overwhelming. So one step at a time.
I have to admit, I was hoping for a boy. After learning that we're having a girl, I'm even more excited. I'm indeed praying that God will help my wife and I be the parents we need to be so this little angel will grow into a truly feminine, beautiful, and captivating woman.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Faith v. Religion
Ever since I began this journey with the Lord I have heard the words ‘faith’ and ‘religion’ used interchangeably. Faith and religion, religion and faith...all the same. However, on this journey with Christ spending much time in meditation and prayer I’ve come to this fundamental conclusion the faith and religion are NOT the same thing. In fact, they are distinct.
According to Webster’s dictionary, faith is defined as:
1. allegiance to duty or a person: LOYALTY; fidelity to one’s promises; sincerity of intentions.
2. belief and trust in and loyalty to God; belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion; firm belief in something for which there is no proof; complete trust.
Need more be said?
Based on these definitions, faith is indeed what or whom you believe for which there is no tangible evidence. It is a decision we all make in our minds and our hearts. Faith is believing without seeing.
Now then, religion is defined as:
1. the state of a religious; the service and worship of God or the supernatural; commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance
2. a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices
3. scrupulous conformity: CONSCIENTIOUSNESS
4. a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith
As you can see, religion and faith are not the same thing. Religion is simply the stuff we do or don’t do. Taking communion and how we do it is all religion. Baptism is all religion. Whether we sit down, stand up, kneel down, or whatever when we pray is all religion. Expressed mathematically, R=do.
Now, here’s what burns my biscuit. People will actually follow the religion more than really following Christ. Jesus did not come into this world to start some new religion or sub-culture. Jesus calls us to follow Him, not follow His followers. Religion is not the end point. Religion has a purpose, and that is only to help all of us going in the right direction. Religion serves as a sign post that says, go this way, or STOP, or Yield. Now what’s worse, people may actually believe that if you don’t do this or that then you won’t get to go to Heaven. WROOOOOOOOOOONG! Jesus is the One who gets us into Heaven, not us! To say that we must perform all these things with scrupulous conformity or we won’t get to Heaven is to suggest that we can make it on our own. We cannot make it on our own.
Religion without any faith is garbage! Faith without religion is incomplete. We need faith to lead the religion, and we need religion to aid our faith. So faith and religion do go together in a perfect marriage, but they are two different things.
So if you are reading this and may be engaging in religion without really thinking about what you are doing or why, stop! If the religion has become just another task on the list to check off, stop! Get your faith solid first, then put it into practice.
According to Webster’s dictionary, faith is defined as:
1. allegiance to duty or a person: LOYALTY; fidelity to one’s promises; sincerity of intentions.
2. belief and trust in and loyalty to God; belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion; firm belief in something for which there is no proof; complete trust.
Need more be said?
Based on these definitions, faith is indeed what or whom you believe for which there is no tangible evidence. It is a decision we all make in our minds and our hearts. Faith is believing without seeing.
Now then, religion is defined as:
1. the state of a religious; the service and worship of God or the supernatural; commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance
2. a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices
3. scrupulous conformity: CONSCIENTIOUSNESS
4. a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith
As you can see, religion and faith are not the same thing. Religion is simply the stuff we do or don’t do. Taking communion and how we do it is all religion. Baptism is all religion. Whether we sit down, stand up, kneel down, or whatever when we pray is all religion. Expressed mathematically, R=do.
Now, here’s what burns my biscuit. People will actually follow the religion more than really following Christ. Jesus did not come into this world to start some new religion or sub-culture. Jesus calls us to follow Him, not follow His followers. Religion is not the end point. Religion has a purpose, and that is only to help all of us going in the right direction. Religion serves as a sign post that says, go this way, or STOP, or Yield. Now what’s worse, people may actually believe that if you don’t do this or that then you won’t get to go to Heaven. WROOOOOOOOOOONG! Jesus is the One who gets us into Heaven, not us! To say that we must perform all these things with scrupulous conformity or we won’t get to Heaven is to suggest that we can make it on our own. We cannot make it on our own.
Religion without any faith is garbage! Faith without religion is incomplete. We need faith to lead the religion, and we need religion to aid our faith. So faith and religion do go together in a perfect marriage, but they are two different things.
So if you are reading this and may be engaging in religion without really thinking about what you are doing or why, stop! If the religion has become just another task on the list to check off, stop! Get your faith solid first, then put it into practice.
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