My friend, Tom, has often said one of the greatest revelations he has received in his life from God is that He cares. GOD cares.
He cares about where we are at, what we are going through, and what our struggles are. He knows our thoughts and emotions; He knows those moments when we are thrilled with excitement, and those moments when we feel like a basket case. He is there when we rise, and there when we fall. He knows us all too well - and I am so thankful for that, because He cares.
The Bible says in Psalm 139,
O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
...
I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
So, regardless of what you and I are going through, the difficult battles you might be facing (even the crazy yet o so real battles we face in our own mind)... God cares. He knows us, and He cares.
Thank God and find peace in Him today.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
One Love
One Love. One Passion. Jesus...
God has not called us to lukewarm living. We are to burn for Him. And we cannot do it when we have other loves that rise above our love for Christ. He must be our all consuming love and desire. And when you meet Him, it is only natural that He would be our one and only undying love.
I've referenced lyrics from a song written by Jason Upton on my blog before. The song is "Dying Star" from the album of bearing that name. Jason says in the song that we "better trash our idols if we're gonna be, in the army of the Lord."
No idols. Nothing more important. No other lovers. But Jesus.
If you haven't ever heard the song, I've posted it below. Listen to the lyrics and to the voice of the Holy Spirit, and then let's trash our idols and make Jesus the exclusive love of our life once again.
God has not called us to lukewarm living. We are to burn for Him. And we cannot do it when we have other loves that rise above our love for Christ. He must be our all consuming love and desire. And when you meet Him, it is only natural that He would be our one and only undying love.
I've referenced lyrics from a song written by Jason Upton on my blog before. The song is "Dying Star" from the album of bearing that name. Jason says in the song that we "better trash our idols if we're gonna be, in the army of the Lord."
No idols. Nothing more important. No other lovers. But Jesus.
If you haven't ever heard the song, I've posted it below. Listen to the lyrics and to the voice of the Holy Spirit, and then let's trash our idols and make Jesus the exclusive love of our life once again.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Game Time
For you football fans out there, this isn't for you. Sorry. Not really. ;0) Even though for much of the country it is football mania right now, it's the basketball season that has me excited. The lockout is over and the NBA season is set to begin December 25th, Christmas day.
Though I wouldn't claim to be the most hard core basketball fan out there (the only games I usually try to watch in their entirety are the Finals), I do follow the league and I'm glad it's game time again. I'm not too concerned about the reason for the lockout and the loss of games at this point, I'm just excited that there will be a season after all.
So, in preparation for the upcoming year, here's a highlight video of the heavily-hyped finals of last year...
Let's ball!
For a great video about the whole NBA season last year, click here.
Though I wouldn't claim to be the most hard core basketball fan out there (the only games I usually try to watch in their entirety are the Finals), I do follow the league and I'm glad it's game time again. I'm not too concerned about the reason for the lockout and the loss of games at this point, I'm just excited that there will be a season after all.
So, in preparation for the upcoming year, here's a highlight video of the heavily-hyped finals of last year...
Let's ball!
For a great video about the whole NBA season last year, click here.
Friday, December 2, 2011
State of the Union
I read an article in Charisma News this morning regarding sexual indoctrination in the public schools of California. Though I am aware in many ways of the morally declining state of US, this still surprised me.
This is where we are at as a nation (though there is a deeper root problem - learn more). What is sin to God is being promoted as good to the next generation, no to mention with no supposed concern to whether or not a parent would want their child being taught such things. I am reminded of Paul's letter to the Romans where he mentioned that though they know God’s decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
I have many thoughts swirling through my mind regarding this topic, our necessary response as Christians, etc. I would encourage you to take the time to read the article (link below). I have heard of similar things happening in a public school of upstate New York where I grew up, and I am sure they are not the only school experiencing the pressure to "educate" the next generation on these sinful lifestyles.
I will not be silent, I will speak.
To read the article, click here.
This is where we are at as a nation (though there is a deeper root problem - learn more). What is sin to God is being promoted as good to the next generation, no to mention with no supposed concern to whether or not a parent would want their child being taught such things. I am reminded of Paul's letter to the Romans where he mentioned that though they know God’s decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
I have many thoughts swirling through my mind regarding this topic, our necessary response as Christians, etc. I would encourage you to take the time to read the article (link below). I have heard of similar things happening in a public school of upstate New York where I grew up, and I am sure they are not the only school experiencing the pressure to "educate" the next generation on these sinful lifestyles.
I will not be silent, I will speak.
To read the article, click here.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Pennies
It's December 1st, and the Follman family 2011 annual budget is coming to an end.
Yes, you read me right. I said budget. And I'm writing about it. AND I'm excited about it!
Budget is not a word that many get excited about, and we are not unlike that. But it's been over a year now since we started tracking just about every penny that goes in and out of our pocketbook. After we started tracking our income and expenses last year, we rolled out the Follman Family Annual Budget 2011 (sounds pretty official!).
Where sometimes budget can seem like prison, it has meant liberation for us. If you are anything like our family, over the years I have looked at our finances like is was a mystery... an enigma! There was no making sense of it. Money came in and out of our possession and it seemed as if I could never really get a hold of where it all was going. It's all simple math, yet I am dumbfounded and can only shake my confused noggin when I try to determine what we have done with our finances over the years.
Then we began writing it down. ALL down. I'm not even sure why except that we were trying to figure out how we were going to make it! I was starting a new job and we needed to determine how we were going to do this (financially), and the habit of writing it down stuck.
After several months, the enigma turned into enlightenment as we were able to see where everything was going and what our true income and expenses were. Sounds so simple, yet it was so profound. The single most influential factor for us getting a hold of our finances and tasting freedom has been writing it all down. From that, we could make our spending plan (budget), and determine if we were sticking to it, blowing it, and how we needed to adjust.
A wise man once told me, if you take care of your pennies, the dollars will take care of themselves. I didn't understand what he meant at first. I also didn't have good control of our finances at that point. What he said has a couple of meanings to me now.
First, every penny matters. Where and how I spend my (which is really God's) money adds up. Be thoughtful and purposeful about everything your spend. Every penny matters.
And, the other way this speaks to me is similar - tracking our pennies. Tracking every penny has helped us to get a better hold of our dollars.
We have a long way to go as a family. We have debt like many Americans, but we are working hard to release ourselves from that bondage as well. We have much to learn when it comes to our personal finances. And... we have made progress.
If there is one thing I could encourage anyone struggling getting a grip of their finances, it would be to write it all down. To the penny. Every penny matters. And from their you will be able to see what needs to be done in your finances and make the appropriate changes, like we did and are still doing. Until you write it down, it stays a mystery, and your money floats into la la land and control of your spending slips through your fingers like sand from the seashore.
May I also suggest two excellent resources on getting a hold of your finances, and secondly yet more importantly, getting God's vision of them? (Sure you say!) Try Crown Financial Ministries or Dave Ramsey.
As you gear up for the new year, try something new with your finances. Count your pennies, and write them all down. See if the dollars begin taking care of themselves...
Yes, you read me right. I said budget. And I'm writing about it. AND I'm excited about it!
Budget is not a word that many get excited about, and we are not unlike that. But it's been over a year now since we started tracking just about every penny that goes in and out of our pocketbook. After we started tracking our income and expenses last year, we rolled out the Follman Family Annual Budget 2011 (sounds pretty official!).
Where sometimes budget can seem like prison, it has meant liberation for us. If you are anything like our family, over the years I have looked at our finances like is was a mystery... an enigma! There was no making sense of it. Money came in and out of our possession and it seemed as if I could never really get a hold of where it all was going. It's all simple math, yet I am dumbfounded and can only shake my confused noggin when I try to determine what we have done with our finances over the years.
Then we began writing it down. ALL down. I'm not even sure why except that we were trying to figure out how we were going to make it! I was starting a new job and we needed to determine how we were going to do this (financially), and the habit of writing it down stuck.
After several months, the enigma turned into enlightenment as we were able to see where everything was going and what our true income and expenses were. Sounds so simple, yet it was so profound. The single most influential factor for us getting a hold of our finances and tasting freedom has been writing it all down. From that, we could make our spending plan (budget), and determine if we were sticking to it, blowing it, and how we needed to adjust.
A wise man once told me, if you take care of your pennies, the dollars will take care of themselves. I didn't understand what he meant at first. I also didn't have good control of our finances at that point. What he said has a couple of meanings to me now.
First, every penny matters. Where and how I spend my (which is really God's) money adds up. Be thoughtful and purposeful about everything your spend. Every penny matters.
And, the other way this speaks to me is similar - tracking our pennies. Tracking every penny has helped us to get a better hold of our dollars.
We have a long way to go as a family. We have debt like many Americans, but we are working hard to release ourselves from that bondage as well. We have much to learn when it comes to our personal finances. And... we have made progress.
If there is one thing I could encourage anyone struggling getting a grip of their finances, it would be to write it all down. To the penny. Every penny matters. And from their you will be able to see what needs to be done in your finances and make the appropriate changes, like we did and are still doing. Until you write it down, it stays a mystery, and your money floats into la la land and control of your spending slips through your fingers like sand from the seashore.
May I also suggest two excellent resources on getting a hold of your finances, and secondly yet more importantly, getting God's vision of them? (Sure you say!) Try Crown Financial Ministries or Dave Ramsey.
As you gear up for the new year, try something new with your finances. Count your pennies, and write them all down. See if the dollars begin taking care of themselves...
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Lead Me
One of the most tall and challenging tasks I face as a man is leading my family. The Bible says to love your wife as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her. We are also to teach our children His ways, when we lie down, when we walk, when we are about doing life together. I am the example of the Father heart of God to my kids.
This task is too tall for me. To grand for me to accomplish... on my own.
I woke up this morning with the song "Lead Me" by Sanctus Real in my head. It's another reminder of the great task that lies before us as men, and the fact that we need God's help to accomplish it.
If you haven't heard the song, or even if you have, give it a listen today and be reminded and encouraged as I was.
This task is too tall for me. To grand for me to accomplish... on my own.
I woke up this morning with the song "Lead Me" by Sanctus Real in my head. It's another reminder of the great task that lies before us as men, and the fact that we need God's help to accomplish it.
If you haven't heard the song, or even if you have, give it a listen today and be reminded and encouraged as I was.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Weather
One of my secret fetishes is maps. I blogged about it a while back. Closely related to that is my interest in weather, including of course weather maps.
I almost forgot what a chilly, rainy November evening felt like until tonight when I was abruptly reminded. I guess is about time to get out the winter jacket.
To celebrate the shivering occasion, here is a current radar image of our region, complete with snow flurries (though we are still waiting for our first snow here).
So a toast: to radar maps, white flurries, cold winter nights and a cup of hot chocolate (or icecream, like I just finished). Or maybe a toast to completely random blog posts :)
Keep warm!
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