MILEPOSTS OF MY LIfE: EDUCATING THE CHILDREN

For years the children were schooled at home and Dan had been doing quite a bit of the schooling. As the grades passed, the school work was getting more and more difficult to teach. The children’s mother wanted to go to work and Dan was working plenty and then some, so the decision was made to send the kids off to school. The choices were two somewhat local private schools and the public school. The closest private school was about seven miles and was a Christian Reformed school. Overall it seemed to be decent and kids seemed to like it so that was where the children were going to start their school life. Josiah was going to be in 8^th grade, Emily in 6^th and Eli in 4^th. The children would take a bus to school for the first time in their lives.

There was all kind of emotion for the parents sending their kids off to school and also with the unknown for the kids leaving the comfort zone at home. On the first day, Dan was home with the kids and watched as the bus pulled up to their country home and waited for the three to walk down the driveway to the unknown. Dan took a picture and then went into the home and prayed with tears. The school was going to have an introductory assembly of sorts at the beginning of the day so Dan had to compose himself and head off to the school. The assembly was good but it was obvious there were going to be lots of rules at this school. Will the kids be respectful even if they didn’t like or understand the rules? They were good kids so, probably. After the assembly, Dan walked down the hall to see the rooms the kids would be in. He saw Josiah’s, Emily’s and then went to Eli’s. Eli was just entering the room where all the kids knew each other except Eli. He wandered around the room looking for his desk and then hesitantly sat down. Dan left quickly as he was again having another hard time watching the kids and in their new chapter in life.

They got through the first day and every day after that. Dan often brought them to school in the morning and had a great time goofing off, talking to the cows as they drove by the many pastures and laughing with the kids on the way to school. The school only went to 8^th grade so after the first year there Josiah graduated and was faced with what to do next for school. He didn’t want to go to the other private school, so off the public school, he went. Eli and Emily continued in the private school.

Eventually, Emily also graduated and then went to the public school. After a move from Princeton to Coon Rapids, the big city, Emily skipped her junior and senior year and started college. She graduated with her bachelor degree in business when she was 20.

Eli continued in the private school and then entered public school too. When the family moved to Coon Rapids it was decided, partly against Eli’s wishes at the time, to send him to a local Christian school again. He quickly warmed up to it and graduated from that school.

Dan started home schooling the kids when home schooling was still questioned, to say the least. But like many other parents, he wanted them to have some personal attention and also be spared some of the junk in the public school that is objectionable to Christians. Even though all the children spent some time in the public school, it was obvious that the godly foundation laid in those beginning years paved the way for the children to make good decisions and avoid evil. There were, of course, many chances to go astray as the kids were exposed to more things, but they remained faithful and still are to this day.

There are emotional opinions about homeschooling, private schooling and public schooling one’s children. Kids from good Christian homes often choose all three options and end up still walking with the Lord. Each parent must make the decision in accordance with their conscience and not solely based on convenience. Children’s souls are at stake. And as the public school system becomes more and more tolerant of sin, the decision becomes more and more important. Whatever the decision, it is imperative that the parents are vigilant in teaching their children the right and non-negotiable ways of God at home, every day and in all kinds of ways. It is especially important for parents to model their faith very publically and consistently. The old saying that faith is caught as much as it is taught is likely true. In conclusion, the Bible speaks of how to raise faithful children in several places including this one:

You shall teach them (the words of God) to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when your rise up (Deuteronomy 11:19).

 

CANCER AND EVERLASTING LIFE

Often in my battle with cancer, I find great encouragement in the thought of everlasting life. As I spend time with cancer patients who don’t seem to be believers, I see a focus on this life only and no real hope for anything better. I also see it often in those who desire to encourage me or console me; often a focus only on this life in believers too.

To be sure, the scriptures say much about how we are to live this life and that takes some thought and focus to do it right. But our lives are to be an offering to our God and we need to be careful not to focus only on this life. We are told in Colossians 3:2 to set our minds and affections on things above, not on things on the earth. According to Ecclesiastes 3:11, God has set eternity in our hearts. Our heart beats for the eternal, the time that lasts much longer than our brief time here that the Bible calls a mere vapor.

At different times in history, heaven and eternal life have received more focus in the church than other times. Many hymns lament the shortness of this life and long for the future with our God. Many songs of the past count the many benefits of everlasting life and how we look forward to that everlasting life. Today we are in a bit of a down-turn with songs and focus about our heavenly destination. There certainly are great modern songs of praise about the great many attributes of our great God. But the songs also tend to be more focused on being blessed in this life. Preaching is often about being blessed in this life. Even communion in some churches focuses more on being blessed and healed than on the forgiveness of our sins and the exciting promise of life eternal with an eternal God.

So my focus on the eternal has occasionally caused my consolers to be a bit taken back. They are used to thinking about the 80 or so years of this life and think little about the millions of years in our future as believers. It really is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgment (Hebrews 9:27). We are all going to die, sooner or later. And we are going to spend eternity in heaven or hell. The next life is far more real and a whole lot longer than this life. Hence, it deserves far more focus and affection than this life. If we are offered one day to live or decades to live, which is the bigger blessing? The longer time, of course. It is the same with this short life compared to everlasting life. The longer life of eternity is a bigger blessing.

I really do believe in living forever. It is truly real to me. I am convinced of everlasting life. I think of it often. I console myself with the promise of eternal life and am greatly comforted by it. I want to live longer and am pursuing healing and a longer life here and now. But it really is nothing compared to what we have ahead. It is an insult to God to think so little of His promise of life eternal. He paid a great price to offer us eternal life and has put lots of thought and work into our future. He talks about it throughout the scriptures as if we should be excited about it too. We are out of balance when we have such a narrow focus on this life now. There is much to come and better to come.

I look forward to my assignments in the next life. I look forward to seeing Jesus face to face, to worshipping the almighty God more personally. I want to see the throne room where the Seraphim cry holy and bless the Lord unendingly. Questions will be answered. We will rub shoulders with the saints of old. We will work hand in hand with the angels. Before God created man He still had a lot going on and the angels were busy with His bidding. So we too will have lots of rewarding things to do in the next, much longer life. This life is preparing for the next life. It is our opportunity to prepare to meet God. It is an opportunity to lay up treasures in heaven, to send them on ahead.

We are all given whatever time we are given on the earth and have opportunities to do things that matter and last longer than this life. I have said many times that if we live our lives and accomplish one thing, the securing of everlasting life, we got a great thing accomplished. If we live our lives and end up not receiving the forgiveness of our sins and looking forward to life everlasting, we accomplished little of any significance. This life is about the next life. Our affections are to be about the next life. If we come to the point where we truly believe with all our hearts in the next life, this life will be lived significantly different. We will live for the One who bought us with His own blood. The things in this life will pale in comparison to the things in the next life. Like Jesus said when He was only twelve, we will be all “about our Father’s business,” and our mission won’t be about the blessings of this life, but bringing others and treasures to the next life.

When we cross over to the next life, we won’t be faulting God for this or that thing that bothered us in this life. We will only wish we had a better revelation of eternity and wish we lived more for the eternal than the present. Our life on earth will be a faint memory and we will have forever ahead of us with the God who saved us. I am excited about everlasting life.

 

THE SUBSTANCE OF FAITH

Jesus had returned to his hometown and this was said of His return:

So He was not able to do any miracles there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He was amazed at their unbelief (Mark 6:6-7).

I am pretty sure Jesus knew what He was getting into when He was sent to earth. On the other hand, He grew up from an infant and surely discovered things along the way. It is interesting that unbelief amazed Him so much. Jesus was full of faith and found Himself taken back by those who had little or no faith. Repeatedly in the gospels things about Jesus and faith are said like:

• Where is your faith?
• If you have the faith of a mustard seed you can move a mountain
• Your faith has healed you
• Everything is possible to him who believes
• If you do not doubt in your heart but believe what you say
• Jesus marveled at her faith
• Believe that you have received them and you will have them
• You couldn’t drive out the demon because of your little faith

I wonder if Jesus is ever amazed at my unbelief. I am ashamed that sometimes I doubt instead of believe. God has chosen faith to be the substance that is used to receive things like salvation, healing and deliverance. Consider the biblical definition of faith:

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).

Faith seems to be an elusive thing that we reach for but often just can’t quite touch it. But apparently it is possible to have faith that produces results because Jesus made such a big deal of believing and not doubting. Even though we can’t see faith we can see the results of it, or the results of a lack of it. The Bible says it is a substance that produces results.

So much is accomplished because of faith. So little is accomplished because of unbelief. Faith opens the door to great things. Unbelief slams the door shut on great things.

I am convinced that we Christians could do much more for the kingdom of God and in the name of Jesus if we could get the victory and have faith instead of unbelief! The Bible says what it says and I believe it is true: With faith we get things and see results and with doubt we don’t. The reason we often don’t see spectacular answers to prayer like in the Bible is our lack of true faith. We have “little faith”. And it must be pretty little because even the faith of a mustard seed gets things done.

We read repeatedly in the Bible that multitudes were healed because of faith. I think one reason for sure we don’t often see multitudes healed is because we doubt that they will be healed or doubt that God is willing to heal. The number one reason I see in the Bible that I am not yet healed of cancer is because of unbelief. I am not satisfied with unbelief.  Are you? We don’t have the results found in the Bible because we don’t have the faith found in the Bible. Dearly beloved, let us not be content with our tiny amount of faith that so often doesn’t deliver and let’s grow our faith. Let’s “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22).

What if we were to accomplish something in this life few accomplish? What if in all our getting, we got faith? What if we believed and didn’t doubt and got the kind of results we read about in the Bible? That is the will of God repeatedly affirmed but Jesus while He was on the earth.

We try to grow faith by having faith in ourselves, have faith in faith, but Jesus told us to faith in God. He has shown Himself to be a willing God, compassionate and capable God in the Bible. I believe He still is willing, compassionate and capable. Have faith in God. We pursue lots of things in this life that have little substance. Let’s pursue the substance of things hoped for…faith! Let us pursue real, doubt defeating, results producing faith in God.

 

WHATEVER IT TAKES…

Our Pastor had us all declare this on this past Sunday. Quite a declaration. Declare it with me:

THE FELLOWSHIP COMMITTED TO DOING WHATEVER IT TAKES

I am part of the fellowship committed to doing “whatever it takes”.

I have Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I’ve stepped over the line.

I am out of the comfort zone. The decision has been made.

I am a disciple of His. I won’t look back, let up, slow down or back away.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense and my future are secure.

I am finished and done with low-living, sight-walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, chintzy giving and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions or popularity;

I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded;

I now live by presence, learn by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer and labor by power.

My feet are set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear.

I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, diluted or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won’t give up, shut up, let up, burn up till I’ve preached up, prayed up,paid up, stored up and stayed up for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know and work till He stops.

And when He comes to get His own, He’ll have no problem recognizing me because I have dedicated my life to be part of the fellowship committed to doing “whatever it takes”.

Author: Unknown

 

MILEPOSTS OF MY LIFE: DAN, THE REAL ESTATE AGENT

Dan investigated what it would take to become a licensed Real Estate Agent and had a plan. He would go to school 40 hours a week for a month and then take the test to become licensed. Dan was having car problems so his Dad and Mom lent him a car to make the commute from Princeton to St. Paul Minnesota during the month of January 1997. The January weather proved a challenge at times but Dan applied himself and found the classes quite interesting and enjoyable. He soon finished the schooling and passed the license exam.

The next step was to choose a Real Estate company to hold his license. Dan had no question which one to choose and was soon a licensed Realtor with Century 21 in Elk River Minnesota. The continued training was excellent and in one month Dan had his first sale. The sale wasn’t a normal one or an easy one. The listing Dan’s buyer wanted to buy had five offers on it so Dan was going to start his career with a bang. His buyer stepped up to the plate, offered what he needed to and won the bidding war. The closing of Dan’s first sale was the fastest closing of his career. Even with a loan, the deal was closed in nine days!

Dan’s first year of Real Estate continued to go well. He doubled his goal for his first year and was well on his way to quitting all other employment. Dan lived out in the country and soon found himself with transactions on farms and land. A farmer with 1000 acres entrusted the sale of his farm to Dan. Dan split the farm into numerous tracts of land and the farmer made double what he would have if he sold the farm as a whole.

In Dan’s second year he made triple what he made in his first year. An old friend that Dan hadn’t seen for years was starting to build houses. The two got together to discuss business and soon were working together, two rookies making sales of new homes left and right. The longtime friends worked together for many years and had a good ride, building and selling nice homes and enjoying a rewarding career.

Dan has always been thankful for discovering a Real Estate Career but could have handled it better. Two challenges Realtors face is the management of time and money. Dan could have done better on both, and would do things different if he had the chance. Like with any self-employment, the owner of the business makes more money if he works more. Dan got caught in the fast lane and worked too much. Later in his career, he met another agent that said he chose long ago to make as much money as he could in a certain number of hours per week but refused to work more, no matter what reward was offered for more work. He wanted to have a life, and he did. This stirred Dan to do the same and from then on limited his hours of work and he also then had a life. One thing we all have is only so much time, and using too much of it to make money is not time well spent. No one, at the end of their life, wished they worked more. Most, if not all, wished they worked less and spent more time with loved ones and on eternal things. Dan now focuses his time on those two worthy things.

Dan also could have handled money better. As one’s income rises he has choices and challenges. Too often his expenses rise to meet his income and is really no better off than ever; he just has more stuff and more payments. There are two better ways to handle one’s money: Debt reduction and giving it away. If Dan had it to do over he would have focused more on both. In Matthew chapter six Jesus encourages us to lay up treasures in heaven instead of on the earth. Giving money away to worthy causes is how you do that. While Dan did give money away as a Christian should, he could have done a lot better and would if he had the chance to do it over. What a blessing it is to systematically and generously give to those in need and to causes that are near and dear to the heart of God. Dan now encourages others to give more than the minimum and increase one’s giving over time, thus laying up eternal treasures in heaven that will last forever.

 

A LESSON FROM A 1950’S DRIVER’S MANUAL

I recently came across a driver’s education manual from the 1950’s. Much of the manual focused on driving morally and ethically, rather than just on laws and safety. Some of it focused on being unselfish. Here is an excerpt:

Safety devices and clever inventions may help lessen the hazards in unfavorable weather conditions. But, in spite of all such improvements, first-rate driving will always demand that the driver act in accordance with sportsmanlike attitudes.

The mental make-up of a driver is often more important than his skill. It determines what he will do when he has power in his hands.

Bad Risks as Drivers:

The Egotist. All babies are normally self-centered. They have not learned how to be unselfish. They have not learned how to share. They are good examples of the perfect egotist.

As people grow out of babyhood, they learn that self is really not the center of the universe. If they develop normally, they become more social; that is, their interests spread out and away from the self, and they see things more and more in the light of public good. They acquire social attitudes.

With his normal psychological make-up, the baby would make the worst possible driver. He would consider nothing but his own interest and immediate desires.

The babyish adult makes a miserable driver for the same reason. He has never outgrown his babyish egotism. He may have had the kind of childhood training that makes grown-up persons act like babies.

I think there is a lesson here. Many like to include humans in the animal kingdom, and we are seeing what that attitude does to society. With animals, there are no moral absolutes. Ethics and morals are “situational”. We see today an evolution of morals and ethics that change with the times. If we continue that trend, there is no end to the possibilities of what may be permitted in the future. Christian believers reject the current trend of situational ethics and morals and making decisions by what is popular. Christian believers believe what God said, “I am the Lord, and I do not change,” and “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” What was right and wrong yesterday is still right and wrong today and will be tomorrow too.

What about the lesson from the driver’s manual? Self-centeredness in the past was frowned upon. Today we are encouraged to look out for number one, and make sure we get our due. I like the example of babies being selfish. They, like animals, have a survival instinct that makes them selfish beings. But as they grow up they are not supposed to stay that way. Over time we are supposed to become unselfish and care about others. Christians are encouraged and required to let go of the number one mentality and look out for others too. Consider these verses:

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests but also for the interests of others (Philippians 2:3,4)

Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another (Romans 12:10).

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Luke 6:31).

Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant (Matthew 20:26).

According to the last verse, being a servant of others is looking out for ourselves too. The greatest servants are the greatest people. Anyone who has learned to serve and honor others above themselves can testify to finding great satisfaction in this contrary to the world’s ways type of living. It isn’t mastered overnight, but if we want to follow Jesus’ example, we can’t escape becoming servants of others and looking out for them as much or more than we look out for ourselves. To be a servant of God is to be an unselfish servant of others.

 

LIVING A WHOLE LIFE WITH A HALF A HEART: PART 2 A CHECK LIST

In our last blog, we talked loving our God with all our heart and being intentional and devoting our entire being to the cause. Because life it busy and has endless distractions too often the Lord gets the left overs of our time, money, strength and the like. We must guard against this and seek and serve Him first and foremost and reverse the left overs cycle, giving Him our best and the temporary things of this life what is left over after God gets what is due Him. Again, we are reminded of a verse spoken by Jesus:

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind (Luke 10:27).

• We must not gloss over the word “all” lightly. So let’s do a little self-examination to see whether our lives and hearts need some tweaking on this subject:
• How is our attitude and practice with money? When we get paid, do we enthusiastically give first to the causes of Christ and then pay the other bills second? Do we give sacrificially, sometimes more than what our normal habit of giving is?
• Do we take time every day to pray, worshipping and petitioning the Lord for what is near and dear to His heart? Do study the scriptures, hiding the word in our heart with the goal of becoming more Like our God?
• Do we deny ourselves pleasures in this life in favor of obedience and time to live for the Lord first?
• Do we consciously order our lives, redeeming the time? Do we live in such a way that if we happen to be in the later part of our lives we are living godly, productive lives, that we can be sure that we did our best to use every day for eternal purposes and really, honestly expect to hear, “Well done” in the end? Or are we expecting to just barely squeak through at the final judgment?
• Do we consciously feed our spirit with holy things instead of feeding our flesh with carnal things? We are told to make no provision in regarding the flesh, and to live holy lives, seeking first the kingdom of God. How is that going? Do we sin regularly or is it an exception?
• When we wake up, what are our first thoughts, God or worldly things? Same with when we retire for the day? When we have some down time during the day, what do our thoughts and affections gravitate toward? Do we ever take some take some unexpected time (or plan it) to create an oasis in the day with our first love, our Lord Jesus Christ?
• Many of us are good with how we spend and invest our money. Do we intentionally make decisions with the goal in mind to lay up treasures in heaven instead of just on earth?
• Do we feel the love and great affection we have for God?
• Do we meditate on Him and pray without ceasing?
• If we were to be honest, how much of our lives are dedicated to eternal things vs how much of our lives are dedicated to temporary things?
• The Bible says out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. How’s that going?
• Do we speak to others about their eternal souls and spirits?
• God has spoken of some people with these words: “God is not in all their thoughts.” How is our thought life? The Bible says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” Do we think about God throughout the day, with great affection?
• Could we do better? Will we set goals and intentionally reorder our lives to be lovers of God rather than lovers of ourselves and lovers of the world?

Of course becoming a true God lover can be a process but really is quite measurable. With some intentional moves toward drawing near to the Lord, He will intentionally draw near to us. We should easily be able to see a difference in our lives in a few short months and know for certain that we love God more and our lives will look like. Our goal is to love Him with everything, having Him be our first love, and everything else be a distant second. Start today, dear warrior…and God lover. Let’s see you stronger and more tender toward Him a few months from now.

 

MILEPOSTS OF MY LIFE: DAN MOVES BACK TO MINNESOTA

Dan put his home in Kentucky on the market and it sold immediately. The buyers were in a hurry to seal the deal so the closing was actually the next day after the purchase agreement. A termite inspection was required but there was no access to the underside of the home. The old stone foundation on the 100-year-old home was continuous and there was no basement or trap door to the underside. But the buyers insisted on an inspection. With their permission, Dan cut a hole in a corner of the craft room right in the beautiful hard wood floor to access the crawl space. No termites. Possession of the home wouldn’t be for several weeks so Dan and the family had time to go to Minnesota and look for a home to purchase.

With only a $12/hour income at the new job, their budget was limited but they had a decent down payment so there were a few possibilities. Dan still had country living on his brain so to get acreage he had to look a bit of a distance from the metro area to stay on budget. After looking here and there, they found a nice five bedroom home on two acres a few miles north of Princeton, MN, a 40-minute drive from his new job.

Dan and his family would miss lots of things about their life in Kentucky. But their hearts had returned to the northland and they would never regret the move back to Minnesota. In the end of May 1995, they loaded up a large moving truck, pulled a trailer with a car on it, and also drove their van on a two-day drive back “home”. They arrived at Dan’s parent’s home and stayed there until closing on June first. During this time Dan was all bothered that time was passing and he wasn’t getting his summer garden planted. So the sellers of the new home gave him permission to till and plant the large garden plot prior to closing. The closing came and went fine, however, Dan would inherit some basement renters for the first month. The renters were nice enough but the month sure went slow. Finally, they moved out and the Erickson family had their entire home to themselves.

One of the first thing on the to-do list at the new home was to find a decent church. Having had good experiences in an Assembly of God church the local Assembly church was the first choice. On Sunday the Erickson family headed out to the church just a few miles away. The facility was modest but nice, able to seat about 100-150 people. No one said a peep to Dan and family when they arrived, so they just sat down. There were only about 30 or so people scattered throughout the pews. After the perfectly average service, no one said anything to the Ericksons as they left. Clearly, with the nice facility and so few cold people, there was a story there and not a good one. That church wasn’t going to be home for them. Having grown up in the Evangelical Free church, Dan decided to try the local free church. Dan didn’t particularly like all the doctrines and attitudes of the free church, but they usually had kindness and friendliness right. The church was full of good people so the Ericksons settled there for the next few years. The children prospered in their faith in the youth programs and conferences, so it ended up being a good decision. An interesting side story: A few years later Dan drove but that cold Assembly of God church and he couldn’t believe what he saw. They were putting on an addition! A zealous, God loving pastor had come to the church and preached the word that people needed and wanted to hear. The church grew incredibly over the years and is a great light to the community and a great place to grow in one’s faith.

Dan soon began work at the school in Andover, MN and realized that he had gotten himself into harder work than he anticipated. The immediate projects he had were physically challenging and his already bad shoulders screamed in violent protest. Within two weeks it was clear that full-time work at the school wasn’t going to be a possibility. The various bosses were understanding and kindly reduced his hours to half time and took it easy on him with the hard labor. Of course, Dan couldn’t pay all the bills with the reduced income so another source of cash had to be pursued. As it had been so good to them in the past, reviving the craft business was the clear choice. So, for the next few years, the business grew again and did a fine job of meeting the needs, along with the maintenance job. Dan knew that neither the maintenance job nor the craft business was a long-term solution, so he often considered what he might do instead that would be more of a career that would work for the long haul.

For years Dan had wondered about and been a bit intrigued with the idea of selling Real Estate. Dan’s Dad had a successful second career in the Real Estate business while Dan still lived at home so he knew a bit about what the job would entail, the good, bad and the ugly. In late 1996 he heard a commercial on the radio with Century 21 offering careers and training in Real Estate and something just jumped inside and said it was time to give it a try. Next time: The start of a new, rewarding, successful career.