A couple of days ago a friend of mind posted a video link on his Facebook account that made me think about the topic of forgiveness in a fresh light. This video featured a man singing a song about God’s love (I assume for a music video he was shooting) and a homeless man approached him and began singing with him. While the homeless man did not know the words, he did grasp the topic of God’s love, and demonstrate his understand of the love of God for everyone. As I watched the two men sing praises to their Heavenly Father, I began thinking about the topics of acceptance and forgiveness.
It has been my experience that individuals who are homeless or down on their luck see God in a new perspective, which is different than many other people see Him. These “struggling” individuals see the best in people regardless of gender, age, or race. They are able to look past the superficial barriers that exist in the world today and look to the heart of people just as Jesus did. They are willing to be loving and accepting towards anyone they meet, not for a handout but rather to share the love that they have in their hearts, which in many cases is all they have.
As I started thinking about acceptance, I started contemplating forgiveness as well. I began to see the love in this man’s heart through a brief video and wondered if people would see that type of love in my life. The sad reality is that in the pit of my stomach I knew they would not. Rather than seeing love, they would see bitterness, resentment, or even hatred. In order to attempt to remedy this situation, I did something that I was challenged to do a few weeks ago by a dear pastor friend of mine. I chose to first ask God to give me the power and strength to forgive certain individuals that I felt had “wronged” me in certain ways. As I prayed through these situations, I was reminded of the hurt and pain that accompanied each situation, which led to my bitter attitude. After praying for the strength to forgive these individuals, I decided to take the next step, which was to send them an email explaining the fact that I had forgiven them, and hoped they would do the same. These emails were one of the most challenging things that I have ever done in my life; however, the “freeing” feeling that came after I hit the send button on the email was great. My desire during this upcoming year is to be more open and accepting of others as Jesus Christ is towards me. While I have not yet received any responses and may not, the fact is that I feel that in the eyes of Christ I have extended true forgiveness, which frees me from the bondage of these situations that I have carried for years.
After thinking about this topic and wrestling through it, are there people in your life that you need to forgive? Are there wounds on your heart that seem to cut to the core of who you are as a person, leaving you bitter, angry, or filled with rage? My challenge to you is to seek God’s counsel on extending forgiveness during these situations and to these individuals. Are you up for the challenge?
Friday, January 15, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Anticipation
The third and final component of this sermon asked the congregation to focus upon the anticipation of starting another year and another decade. After examining the events of this past year and this past decade, I firmly believe that the year of 2010 has a great deal in store for me personally and for my family. Listed below are a few of the anticipated events that either will or could transpire in the coming year.
1.) The birth of our third child, Ellie Kate Hart, who will be born sometime in February
2.) The finding of a job (may or may not be ministry related) in order for our family to be cared for financially
3.) The purchase or rental of a home that we can call ours again
4.) The second birthday of our son Corban Boyd Hart
5.) The remembrance of the third birthday of our daughter in heaven, Callie Grace Hart
6.) The completion of my Master’s degree from Indiana Wesleyan University
7.) The celebration of five years of marriage with my wonderful wife, Mindy
While this is, only a sampling of the things that we believe God has in store for our family during the upcoming year we hope and pray that God has wonderful things in store for you as well. While it may be challenging to review your past and look ahead to the future, may you remember what God has brought you through in the past and what wonderful blessings are still in store for you from God, Himself.
1.) The birth of our third child, Ellie Kate Hart, who will be born sometime in February
2.) The finding of a job (may or may not be ministry related) in order for our family to be cared for financially
3.) The purchase or rental of a home that we can call ours again
4.) The second birthday of our son Corban Boyd Hart
5.) The remembrance of the third birthday of our daughter in heaven, Callie Grace Hart
6.) The completion of my Master’s degree from Indiana Wesleyan University
7.) The celebration of five years of marriage with my wonderful wife, Mindy
While this is, only a sampling of the things that we believe God has in store for our family during the upcoming year we hope and pray that God has wonderful things in store for you as well. While it may be challenging to review your past and look ahead to the future, may you remember what God has brought you through in the past and what wonderful blessings are still in store for you from God, Himself.
Friday, January 1, 2010
The Past Year
As mentioned in the previous blog, this series of posts stems from a sermon that was delivered recently by a dear friend of mine. During this sermon, the pastor asked the congregation to review the work of God in their lives during the past decade, which was completed in the first post. Secondly, he asked the congregation to review this past year in their lives, the manner that God had worked, and what implications this holds for the upcoming year. This particular blog will focus solely upon this past year in my life and the life of my family.
As this year started, it was one filled with anticipation, excited, and joy. We were beginning what would be our third year at a church where we were able to minister to an amazing group of students, work with incredible volunteers, and be a part of a loving staff. In January, we implemented a small group ministry in our student ministry for two reasons. First, we desired to focus upon a relational approach to ministry, which was easier to accomplish in a small group setting. Secondly, we volunteered to be guinea pigs for the remainder of the church who desired to start small groups in the fall of 2009. The implementation of this ministry seemed to carry a great deal of potential as we began to witness more students coming through our doors and a series of strong relationships being developed throughout the ministry.
As the year progressed, several wonderful highlights took place in the ministry and well as difficulties. Rather than merely focus upon the positives of the ministry, our volunteer team chose to tackle the difficult issues head-on, which was not always the most peaceful or easy route to take. By traveling down this path however a more beneficial ministry was established for our students. During this time we witnessed amazing growth in our students spiritually, we watched a true servant’s heart develop through a mission’s trip in the local area, saw several students stretched through a challenging week at camp, and witnessed deep spiritual relationships occur through our weekly programming.
While I am painting a wonderful picture of ministry that many youth pastors dream of, there was something unsettling in my stomach through all of this. It was that strange feeling that you get when you know something is not right, but you push through anyway because everything else looks so good. The events that transpired during this past fall drastically altered my personal view of the church and those who guide and direct it. I would like to be perfectly clear here and state that this is not an attempt to ridicule or write negative things about individuals in this church, but merely a statement of my interpretation of the events that transpired. During the past four months, my family has endured a great deal of speculation and hurt from the story not being told truthfully because of “confidential reasons.” Well after a great deal of self-examination, I feel that it is important for others to learn from my mistakes and hopefully glean from the insights that I have gained. In the early fall of 2009, I was made aware of a disagreement that a few people had with a practice we were utilizing in our ministry. While this practice was not contrary to the teachings of Scripture and did not endanger any teenagers, I was told my job was in jeopardy. I was told that my job was in jeopardy but I could not discuss it with anyone. Despite attempting to appear unfazed by this news during the departure of a dear fellow pastor, those close to me knew something was wrong. In just a matter of six days, I went from a youth pastor celebrating a wonderful ministry to an unemployed person seeking to provide for his family. While the decisions that followed my termination and the manner in which it was handled, along with the reasons provided (which are still being shared as “confidential” even to me) have caused a great deal of pain I decided to seek to glean insights from this situation. While I would like to say this has been an easy task it has not, as the unfavorable actions of a few have forever tainted the view of the church in the eyes of several people who once called this church home. Author Charles Spurgeon once said, “Fiery trials make golden Christians,” and if we were to put this into practice many people would be far better off. By examining the difficult situations that life provides us, we are reminded of a God who loves us deeply and cares for us intimately. With this in mind, along with the thoughts of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “When a man is pushed, tormented, defeated he has a chance to learn something,” the following are insights that I have gained from this challenging time in my life.
1.) God is ALWAYS in control even when we do not think so.
2.) Trusting in His peace and grace will enrich our lives far more than doing something we do not love for a paycheck.
3.) My family is and should always be my second highest priority, behind my personal relationship with God. Author George Santayana states, “The family is one of nature’s masterpieces.” May we all remember the importance of family in our lives.
4.) Being at peace with God is far more important than being “liked” by man.
5.) “Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity a greater.” (William Hazlitt)
6.) Seek to repay evil with good, rather than evil for evil because by doing this your character and heart shine through, which hopefully resembles the heart of Christ.
As I reexamine this past year it has been one filled with adversity due to the loss of my job as a youth pastor. With this loss, not only did the sole source of income in my family cease but we also lost our house due to it being owned by the church where I was employed. Despite the heartache and the poor treatment that was issued to my family, we are still continually and daily praying for this church. We desire to see the ministry continue and witness God working in the lives of His children. We are praying for the leadership of this church that it would be a staff guided by God, and not the selfish desires of man. We are praying for healing for the students, families and the members of the congregation who were affected by this termination. While we do not agree with the termination or that manner in which it was handled we will continue to hold our heads high seeking God’s approval and trust in His guidance for our future. While this time has been extremely challenging for our family I am reminded of the words of Henry Ward Beecher who said, “Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith.”
May you cling to the handle of faith during this upcoming year and throughout the rest of your life.
As this year started, it was one filled with anticipation, excited, and joy. We were beginning what would be our third year at a church where we were able to minister to an amazing group of students, work with incredible volunteers, and be a part of a loving staff. In January, we implemented a small group ministry in our student ministry for two reasons. First, we desired to focus upon a relational approach to ministry, which was easier to accomplish in a small group setting. Secondly, we volunteered to be guinea pigs for the remainder of the church who desired to start small groups in the fall of 2009. The implementation of this ministry seemed to carry a great deal of potential as we began to witness more students coming through our doors and a series of strong relationships being developed throughout the ministry.
As the year progressed, several wonderful highlights took place in the ministry and well as difficulties. Rather than merely focus upon the positives of the ministry, our volunteer team chose to tackle the difficult issues head-on, which was not always the most peaceful or easy route to take. By traveling down this path however a more beneficial ministry was established for our students. During this time we witnessed amazing growth in our students spiritually, we watched a true servant’s heart develop through a mission’s trip in the local area, saw several students stretched through a challenging week at camp, and witnessed deep spiritual relationships occur through our weekly programming.
While I am painting a wonderful picture of ministry that many youth pastors dream of, there was something unsettling in my stomach through all of this. It was that strange feeling that you get when you know something is not right, but you push through anyway because everything else looks so good. The events that transpired during this past fall drastically altered my personal view of the church and those who guide and direct it. I would like to be perfectly clear here and state that this is not an attempt to ridicule or write negative things about individuals in this church, but merely a statement of my interpretation of the events that transpired. During the past four months, my family has endured a great deal of speculation and hurt from the story not being told truthfully because of “confidential reasons.” Well after a great deal of self-examination, I feel that it is important for others to learn from my mistakes and hopefully glean from the insights that I have gained. In the early fall of 2009, I was made aware of a disagreement that a few people had with a practice we were utilizing in our ministry. While this practice was not contrary to the teachings of Scripture and did not endanger any teenagers, I was told my job was in jeopardy. I was told that my job was in jeopardy but I could not discuss it with anyone. Despite attempting to appear unfazed by this news during the departure of a dear fellow pastor, those close to me knew something was wrong. In just a matter of six days, I went from a youth pastor celebrating a wonderful ministry to an unemployed person seeking to provide for his family. While the decisions that followed my termination and the manner in which it was handled, along with the reasons provided (which are still being shared as “confidential” even to me) have caused a great deal of pain I decided to seek to glean insights from this situation. While I would like to say this has been an easy task it has not, as the unfavorable actions of a few have forever tainted the view of the church in the eyes of several people who once called this church home. Author Charles Spurgeon once said, “Fiery trials make golden Christians,” and if we were to put this into practice many people would be far better off. By examining the difficult situations that life provides us, we are reminded of a God who loves us deeply and cares for us intimately. With this in mind, along with the thoughts of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “When a man is pushed, tormented, defeated he has a chance to learn something,” the following are insights that I have gained from this challenging time in my life.
1.) God is ALWAYS in control even when we do not think so.
2.) Trusting in His peace and grace will enrich our lives far more than doing something we do not love for a paycheck.
3.) My family is and should always be my second highest priority, behind my personal relationship with God. Author George Santayana states, “The family is one of nature’s masterpieces.” May we all remember the importance of family in our lives.
4.) Being at peace with God is far more important than being “liked” by man.
5.) “Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity a greater.” (William Hazlitt)
6.) Seek to repay evil with good, rather than evil for evil because by doing this your character and heart shine through, which hopefully resembles the heart of Christ.
As I reexamine this past year it has been one filled with adversity due to the loss of my job as a youth pastor. With this loss, not only did the sole source of income in my family cease but we also lost our house due to it being owned by the church where I was employed. Despite the heartache and the poor treatment that was issued to my family, we are still continually and daily praying for this church. We desire to see the ministry continue and witness God working in the lives of His children. We are praying for the leadership of this church that it would be a staff guided by God, and not the selfish desires of man. We are praying for healing for the students, families and the members of the congregation who were affected by this termination. While we do not agree with the termination or that manner in which it was handled we will continue to hold our heads high seeking God’s approval and trust in His guidance for our future. While this time has been extremely challenging for our family I am reminded of the words of Henry Ward Beecher who said, “Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith.”
May you cling to the handle of faith during this upcoming year and throughout the rest of your life.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
The Last Ten Years
Yesterday, I took an opportunity to do something that I love, which is to listen to a sermon from a wonderful pastor and dear friend of mine. During this sermon, I began to think about certain things as he preached a simple sermon that challenged me greatly. As he worked his way through the text and applied it to the world today, he began to examine what the church he was serving at would look like in the next ten years. As he worked through this scenario he applied it to the lives of those in the congregation by asking the question, “Where were you (or what were you doing) ten years ago?”
As I began to think about the various joys, challenges, and obstacles that have come my way in the past ten years, I stood amazed at what God had done in my life. Ten years ago, I was in my first semester of my senior year of high school. I was a typical student concerned with my own little world and my own needs. I focused solely upon what clothes I wore, how to excel in both school and sports, who my friends were, and who the prettiest girl was in our school. I was a selfish high school students consumed by the culture of “me.” However, despite these glaring issues I was focused on finishing high school and moving through college. I knew that God had called me to be a youth pastor. I knew where I would be going to college. I knew what type of friends I wanted to have and what type of girl I wanted to marry. My plan was perfectly laid out and I was poised to follow it to a “T.” In hindsight though, I realized that God’s plan were far greater than anything I had thought or conceived, and thankfully, His plan has taken control of my life. While my journey over the past decade has taken several twists and turns, the results have included a life filled with love, grace, and care from a God who meets our needs daily. During the past decade, the following things have occurred in my life.
1.) I graduated high school in 2001 with an honors diploma and recognition from the National Honor’s Society.
2.) Started my freshman year at Taylor University Fort Wayne in a scholarship program that I was not supposed to qualify for. (While man has his criteria, God has His own).
3.) During my freshman year, I met two men who would forever be instrumental in my faith journey, personal life, and ministry. (Thanks Johnny and Brian!)
4.) I was able to travel three times to the island of Jamaica to work with less-fortunate people who have a special place in my heart.
5.) I was stretched as a leader in various capacities that would benefit future positions that I would hold or need.
6.) I traveled to several youth ministry conferences exposing me the “big stage” that is youth ministry rather than relying upon my limited scope or understanding.
7.) During my junior year of college, I met the love of my life, my beautiful wife Mindy and feel deeply in love with her and we married the following year.
8.) I graduated with a double major in youth and pastoral ministries from Taylor after four years of college.
9.) After graduating college, we traveled to Tennessee where we spent three years in ministry at various settings.
10.) After time away (and seeking to establish independence), we moved back to Indiana to begin ministering at a church near Fort Wayne.
11.) I learned the joy of becoming a parent as well as the heartache of losing a child during 2007.
12.) I experienced a roller coaster of emotions during my son’s month in the NICU during 2008.
13.) I was delighted to discover that another blessing would be entering our lives in 2010, in the form of our daughter Ellie Kate.
14.) I started and have nearly finished a Master’s degree from Indiana Wesleyan University in Ministerial Leadership.
15.) I was terminated from a church that seemed to be for unjust cause but caused me to evaluate the care, love, and concern that my family needs, as well as other areas of my life.
It is truly amazing what God has done in my life during the past decade as I have nearly received three diplomas, got married, and am on the verge of having my third child.
This sermon served as a launching pad for a time of self-discovery in my own life that I will be conducting over the next few days. During this time, I will be posting blogs for people to read, discuss, and hopefully be enlightened by as they examine their own lives. For me, this past decade has been filled with several loops and corkscrews however; I know that these occurrences have shaped me to be the person I am today. In the coming days I will post more thoughts about my life, the manner that God is working, and I will be open to comments and insights as I travel down this path with all of you.
As I began to think about the various joys, challenges, and obstacles that have come my way in the past ten years, I stood amazed at what God had done in my life. Ten years ago, I was in my first semester of my senior year of high school. I was a typical student concerned with my own little world and my own needs. I focused solely upon what clothes I wore, how to excel in both school and sports, who my friends were, and who the prettiest girl was in our school. I was a selfish high school students consumed by the culture of “me.” However, despite these glaring issues I was focused on finishing high school and moving through college. I knew that God had called me to be a youth pastor. I knew where I would be going to college. I knew what type of friends I wanted to have and what type of girl I wanted to marry. My plan was perfectly laid out and I was poised to follow it to a “T.” In hindsight though, I realized that God’s plan were far greater than anything I had thought or conceived, and thankfully, His plan has taken control of my life. While my journey over the past decade has taken several twists and turns, the results have included a life filled with love, grace, and care from a God who meets our needs daily. During the past decade, the following things have occurred in my life.
1.) I graduated high school in 2001 with an honors diploma and recognition from the National Honor’s Society.
2.) Started my freshman year at Taylor University Fort Wayne in a scholarship program that I was not supposed to qualify for. (While man has his criteria, God has His own).
3.) During my freshman year, I met two men who would forever be instrumental in my faith journey, personal life, and ministry. (Thanks Johnny and Brian!)
4.) I was able to travel three times to the island of Jamaica to work with less-fortunate people who have a special place in my heart.
5.) I was stretched as a leader in various capacities that would benefit future positions that I would hold or need.
6.) I traveled to several youth ministry conferences exposing me the “big stage” that is youth ministry rather than relying upon my limited scope or understanding.
7.) During my junior year of college, I met the love of my life, my beautiful wife Mindy and feel deeply in love with her and we married the following year.
8.) I graduated with a double major in youth and pastoral ministries from Taylor after four years of college.
9.) After graduating college, we traveled to Tennessee where we spent three years in ministry at various settings.
10.) After time away (and seeking to establish independence), we moved back to Indiana to begin ministering at a church near Fort Wayne.
11.) I learned the joy of becoming a parent as well as the heartache of losing a child during 2007.
12.) I experienced a roller coaster of emotions during my son’s month in the NICU during 2008.
13.) I was delighted to discover that another blessing would be entering our lives in 2010, in the form of our daughter Ellie Kate.
14.) I started and have nearly finished a Master’s degree from Indiana Wesleyan University in Ministerial Leadership.
15.) I was terminated from a church that seemed to be for unjust cause but caused me to evaluate the care, love, and concern that my family needs, as well as other areas of my life.
It is truly amazing what God has done in my life during the past decade as I have nearly received three diplomas, got married, and am on the verge of having my third child.
This sermon served as a launching pad for a time of self-discovery in my own life that I will be conducting over the next few days. During this time, I will be posting blogs for people to read, discuss, and hopefully be enlightened by as they examine their own lives. For me, this past decade has been filled with several loops and corkscrews however; I know that these occurrences have shaped me to be the person I am today. In the coming days I will post more thoughts about my life, the manner that God is working, and I will be open to comments and insights as I travel down this path with all of you.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
A Look Back and A Look Ahead
Well, summer is officially over and the fun filled fall months have begun. For those of us in youth ministry the summer months are always filled with camps, trips, mission projects and other fun stuff that keeps us very busy.
This past summer was no exception for us and our students. We spent our summer attending our yearly church camp, going on a mission's trip to New York, and of course the typically Cedar Point trip. We also did some things this summer with our students that we fun such as bowling, golfing, going to the movies and other things. One of the most meaningful things that I saw was the heart that our students have for serving. We took three days this summer to do service work for those in our community. We went to the rescue mission, an elderly adult facility, and to a place that provides tutoring for underprivileged children. Our students performed a variety of tasks all of which were worthwhile and wonderfully done. I am so encouraged by their love for serving others and their willingness to get their hands dirty.
As we look back on what was done and where we have been we are eagerly looking ahead to where we are going. This fall should be amazing for our student ministry. We are planning on making some major changing to our programming, which still needs prayer by the way, and moving forward with ministry. While we already have our calendar mapped out we know that there are still a number of things that will come up. We are also aware of the number of issues that our students are facing and will face during this upcoming school year which will mean that we will have our hands covered in the dirt of their lives by the time the end of this school year gets here, which is fine.
Our family has been very busy as well, running to see each other and also spending time with little Corban. He is a wonderful blessing to our lives and we love having him around. He truly does bless our lives and in just seven days he will be four months old! We are truly blessed and love what we are doing.
This past summer was no exception for us and our students. We spent our summer attending our yearly church camp, going on a mission's trip to New York, and of course the typically Cedar Point trip. We also did some things this summer with our students that we fun such as bowling, golfing, going to the movies and other things. One of the most meaningful things that I saw was the heart that our students have for serving. We took three days this summer to do service work for those in our community. We went to the rescue mission, an elderly adult facility, and to a place that provides tutoring for underprivileged children. Our students performed a variety of tasks all of which were worthwhile and wonderfully done. I am so encouraged by their love for serving others and their willingness to get their hands dirty.
As we look back on what was done and where we have been we are eagerly looking ahead to where we are going. This fall should be amazing for our student ministry. We are planning on making some major changing to our programming, which still needs prayer by the way, and moving forward with ministry. While we already have our calendar mapped out we know that there are still a number of things that will come up. We are also aware of the number of issues that our students are facing and will face during this upcoming school year which will mean that we will have our hands covered in the dirt of their lives by the time the end of this school year gets here, which is fine.
Our family has been very busy as well, running to see each other and also spending time with little Corban. He is a wonderful blessing to our lives and we love having him around. He truly does bless our lives and in just seven days he will be four months old! We are truly blessed and love what we are doing.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
The Last Two Months
Well today our little guy, Corban turns two months old. It seems like only yesterday that we were going through all the challenges of getting ready for his arrival. After our challenging month in the NICU I must say that we are stronger people however, it did not come easily. During our little guys two months of life we have faced challenges and difficulties which include our son being in the hospital for nearly a month, feelings of inadequacy as parents (as I'm sure all parents experience), and a variety of other things. During this past two months I also had to undergo one of the most painful things that I have done which was to leave my wife and son for a week while I was at camp with our students from the church. While this was a wonderful experience and I'm glad that I was able to go, it was also very challenging because this was the longest that I have been away from my wife during our three year marriage. The hard part is that we know we are going to do it all over again next week went I am taking our students to New York on a mission's trip. This will be another challenging but wonderful experience, I'm sure. Leaving your wife and son is never easy but especially with everything that we have went through and the hurt that has been recalled. You see also in this past two months we relived the loss of our daughter a year ago (June 29th). This was another piece of the puzzle in our lives but we are continuing to move forward and make progress. We appreciate your prayers as we deal with the variety of issues that we are facing.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Plans
After the chaos that has been our lives for the past month things are starting to get into a "normal" routine again. I have been able to come back to work at the church consistently, which is good because the summer is one of our busiest times. It's hard though to leave my little guy though, much more so than I ever imagined but mom is taking great care of him and loving on him all the time so he's alright.
However, over these past few days Mindy and I have been diving into a conversation that seems to always come back to a similar theme. That theme is plans. Throughout both of our lives we have been planners. We schedule details, plan ahead, and work to have all of our ducks in a row. With the birth of our son, we had our plans laid out that he would be born on Friday morning and be in our arms in a matter of hours. However, someone had other plans. That someone would be our Heavenly Father and Divine Creator, God. As we went through the process of waiting three weeks and six days to get our boy home we were unable to see the big picture that God was teaching us. However, now as we look back on things we are able to see His hand that we knew was there but many times couldn't see. His hand was upon all three of us and in hindsight was teaching us that our plans are not really that important unless they are His plans. After looking back on everything we went through we have come to realize that God's plan is so much better because we not only have a son now, who even the nurses didn't think would make it at first, but he is healthy and active. This process has shown us the importance of God's plan and our need not to be so stuck in our own plans that may lead us off course. Just some food for thought and this will be a sermon I'm sure with a little more work and time. Thank you again to everyone who prayed for is loving on our son. We love you all!
However, over these past few days Mindy and I have been diving into a conversation that seems to always come back to a similar theme. That theme is plans. Throughout both of our lives we have been planners. We schedule details, plan ahead, and work to have all of our ducks in a row. With the birth of our son, we had our plans laid out that he would be born on Friday morning and be in our arms in a matter of hours. However, someone had other plans. That someone would be our Heavenly Father and Divine Creator, God. As we went through the process of waiting three weeks and six days to get our boy home we were unable to see the big picture that God was teaching us. However, now as we look back on things we are able to see His hand that we knew was there but many times couldn't see. His hand was upon all three of us and in hindsight was teaching us that our plans are not really that important unless they are His plans. After looking back on everything we went through we have come to realize that God's plan is so much better because we not only have a son now, who even the nurses didn't think would make it at first, but he is healthy and active. This process has shown us the importance of God's plan and our need not to be so stuck in our own plans that may lead us off course. Just some food for thought and this will be a sermon I'm sure with a little more work and time. Thank you again to everyone who prayed for is loving on our son. We love you all!
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