My Baby is 1

Know Your Role

Day 24
John 13:5-29
Jesus washed His disciples' feet

Jesus, by washing the feet of the ones He was master over showed that we are to be servants to everyone. He is telling us that we are not to become too big for our britches. We should be humble. And an easy way to show someone that you care and are interested in their well being is to serve them. We should serve others whatever their situation and whatever ours. We are to reach out and get involved in the lives of people around us. These men that Jesus washed where the ones that served Him, and He totally flipped their thinking around.

Last Supper

Day 23
Matthew 26:17-35

What can you say about this event that hasn't already been said. I'm sure that when we all hear the words "Last Supper" we all think of the same painting, DaVinci. It is iconic. It is majestic. It is beautiful and sad at the same time. All 12 disciples and Jesus at the same table. What a meal. And we all know what happens next, Judas will betray Jesus. So in it's beauty we all know what will follow will be filled with sadness.

Verse 24 says:

The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him.

But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man!

It would be better for him if he had not been born.

Now that will make you not ever betray Jesus. That will make you think twice about every decision. Imagine how bad you are about to have it if you are told it would be better if you weren't born. That death would be a better alternative to what you are about to encounter. That will make me focus on never being a betrayer but instead always an uplifter.

Hosanna

Day 22
Mark 11:1-11
-The Triumphal Entry

Hosanna - A powerful word in a powerful context. I have heard the term many times and know that it is one of many names for the Lord. I did not know where it came from or how it was used for the first time. In this section Jesus is returning to Jerusalem for the last time. On the way He was riding on a colt and the people of the town where all around Him shouting "Hosanna!" Like I said, powerful.

- I read these verses on Friday afternoon, and with all the hoopla of the weekend I decided to let the scripture marinate in my brain before I blogged about it. And in that time I found out again how moving music really is. I have the song Hosanna by Hillsong United (amazing worship band) playing on my blog, so I know the song and love the song. And yet when they sang this song live at church on Saturday night I was moved. Absolutely made me realize the majesty of that term. So now when I hear the name Hosanna I will have an image of the Jesus riding through town with people laying their coats on the ground so that even his horse doesn't have to touch the Earth.

PS - Yes even a boy with absolutely no rhythm or musical ability can be moved by music. I can't carry a tune, don't even know what pitch is, can't clap to the beat, never know the rhythm of anything, and have even done an awkward fist pump at church at the absolute wrong moment. Yeah, that's all me, and still I can't help but sing this song at the top of my lungs.

Lazarus

Day 21
John 11

-This chapter talks about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. He performs an amazing miracle where He makes a man that has been dead for 4 days walk out of his tomb. But I don't think that is the main focus of this selection. It is a wonderful miracle, one that can not be ignored. But I think what the focus should be on is that Jesus had the opportunity to save him from death but instead found it more important in His time frame to make him alive again. Jesus was told of his sickness and chose to come to him after he had passed away and buried. He wept with his sisters and then went with them to perform His miracle. Only He knows when and how things should unfold.

The Great I AM

Day 20
John 15
-Vines and Branches

Jesus says in this chapter "I am the vine." He tells us that he is the vine and we are to be the branches that bear fruit. He says that branches that don't bear fruit are cut of and thrown in the fire and the branches that do bear fruit are pruned so that they can bear even more fruit. All I can think about after I wrote my last post is the movement of this picture. There is always something being done to advance the production of the vine. I am glad to be a part that is attached and look forward to bearing more and more fruit.

I really like verse 16, it says:

You did not choose me,

but I chose you and appointed you

to go and bear fruit-

fruit that will last.

Then the Father will give you

whatever you ask in my name.

I think this is an eye opener for me. He already knows what fruit I will bear and He is pruning me so that it will be amazing. I have gotten a glimpse of what God has in store for me and I look forward to the day when there is a huge bundle of grapes hanging from this branch.

Quiet time should be Quiet

Today I thought it might be a good idea for Landon to see me reading my bible. Good thought maybe. She has been asking us a lot lately for us to read her the bible we bought her last Christmas. So we have, and that is why I thought it would be a good idea for her to see me doing the same thing. The only thing I didn't account for was The Little Einsteins where on television at that time. That girl really loves Annie and she is not shy about telling you that. And that is just what she did. It didn't help that in the episode something was taken from Annie and she had to get it back, Landon was extra fired up. So what I learned today was to stay quiet in your quiet time. It is really hard to focus on understanding your reading when there is a play by play of rocket chasing big jet while you are studying.

Day 19

John 10

Good Shepard

- In this chapter Jesus compares believers to a flock of sheep and Himself to the good Shepard. What a great analogies and a great visual representation of believers following their Savior. Jesus tells the story perfectly. He tells of the flock only listening to its Shepard. He tells of the Shepard being the leader and protector. I have heard these words many times along the way but reading them all at once was powerful today. There are many verses that can stand alone and that are extremely powerful, but reading them all together and in context has been good for me today.

Forward Motion

I have a feeling that our family is moving in the right direction. I say that not to say that we don't have obstacles or stresses or setbacks. I say that because I can see that we are all making efforts to move forward and to take positive steps in our lives. This is my blog and I can brag on my family!

I don't think that we are on the verge of changing the planet or curing hunger in 3rd world countries. But I do think that we are doing a lot of things right and that is worth recognizing. We are all taking small steps to improve our lives and the lives of others around us and we should remain focused on that opposed to focusing on the small things that occur daily that can frustrate us or keep us from realize the real momentum that we are building together.

We do have our daily grind that keeps us grounded and we wouldn't change it for anything. But we should step back and look at the big picture. We are doing things right. And even though sometimes small things seem to stack up we should remain optimistic about our future. Our future is bright, and we should be eager to get there and enjoy the sunshine.

So when Landon throws a bowl behind the recliner instead of into the sink when she is done, I will remind myself that she is exploring boundaries that we have set up. I will enforce our rules and look forward to the young lady she will become because of the foundation that we are preparing for her now. And when Lillian sticks every small piece of anything she finds on the ground in her mouth, instead of getting frustrated I will remind myself that she is exploring the world around her so that she can understand it and conquer it someday. (Also I will be reminded to vacuum more often) And when Mandi jo reminds me of something for the 100th time I will not get frustrated, I will remind myself that it is so we stay on the same page and always convey to our children that we are unified, and remind myself that I have a bad memory, if I can remember to do that.

So, NO, I do not think that we are about to make some super huge contribution to the world, or that we are about to have some big life changing moment. But I do know that we are making positive step in life. Lillian is about to turn 1. Landon is almost 3, not yet though lets not get moving to fast. And Mandi jo and I are strengthening our marriage. Those are all things I think are worthy of a guy to stand up and say, "I'm proud of my family."

The Holy Spirit

Day 18
John 14:16-31
John 16:5-15

-This explains a lot. The Holy Spirit is sent by Jesus to be a direct line of communication from Him to us while He is spending time with The Father. It is a constant reminder that He is always with us even when He is away. The Holy Spirit is also to be listened to just as you would listen to Jesus if He where right in front of you talking. I can only imagine the intensity in which I would listen if Jesus where standing face to face with me. I would be hanging on every word and would be eager to do as I was told. As soon as the words came out of His mouth I would start to put movement behind them.
I look forward to putting movement behind what the Holy Spirit lays on my heart. This has been something that I do not always do, it is easy to ignore a call to action that is not spoken aloud. But after reading these words I now know that when the Holy Spirit talks we better listen. It is a direct message from Jesus whom is with The Father right now.

Gonna Be A Good One

New Birth

Day 17
John3:1-21
- This is all about salvation and having a new birth through that salvation. As for me I am already a believer and this is just something that is part of life. I had an old life, and now I have a new one through Him. The part of this that is important for me to focus on is verse 17, "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." This is something that we as Christians should be aware of. If someone is a non-believer then we should not condemn them but yet we should allow Jesus to save them. We should not be vessels that condemn the wrong, we should be vessels that Jesus will flow through to touch the world.

FYI - This is the first post that I have written that when I hit spell check it said No Misspellings Found. That is something to celebrate!

Im a Slacker, I know

I really did read day 16 on Sunday before work. And I am just getting around to writing out what I thought about it, give me a break Im new at this stuff. (Wonder how long that excuse will work, for now I will keep using it.) It hasnt been a particularly busy few days, just not a lot of time alone to write. I seriously wouldnt change anything about my life right now though. So here goes:

Day 16
Luke 16:1-18
- This section explains that we are to be trustworthy with what we have. We are to manage what we have on Earth because we will someday have to account for what we had and what we did with it. Even in times that we have very little we are to be wise with it and make good decisions.
- Then in verse 18 it addresses adultery. Wow. Not that I have to worry about this topic but it is something that we are discussing at church right now. It doesnt seem to quite fit the context of the other scriptures, it is included under another heading of Additional Teachings. Just think that it is crazy how I read this right when our church is addressing the topic.

Lost Parables

Day 15
Luke 15:1-32

- Todays section of Luke is the parables that Jesus tells about things that are lost. He tells 3 stories about a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. All of which are paralleled to people who are far from God and the grace that God can show them when they are found. All of these parables should be exciting for those who are far from God and are desiring a relationship with Him, He will except anyone, anytime, any place. Just ask. But for those who are believers we sometimes end up like the "other son" in the parable of the lost son. When the son who was lost and decided to come home is welcomed with a party and a feast the hardworking son who is in the field is a little upset that he doesnt get the same treatment. He fails to realize since he is in the constant good graces of his father that is his party and the feast that he attends is the daily meals that he is fed at his fathers house.
- Today I will thank God that I am constantly close to Him.

My Wife is a ROCKSTAR Photographer

And I have cute kids too.

This one is of me doing some housework with my helper:

Back to the Grind

Day 14
Luke 11:1-13

- Truth be told I read these verses on Sunday morning before going to church. I havent gotten around to writing this entry until now because life has been a little hectic around the Day house. But I did read it, I did apply it, and I do have a story to tell about it.

- Today's section was about prayer and how to pray. In it is the Lords Prayer (which my wife and I proudly recited at a wedding Saturday night.) Jesus tells us how to pray and what prayer can do for us. It is an easy read because He says what you would expect Him say about prayer. But at the end of the last verse Jesus says that as a father when your son asks for something you know to give him your best, so imagine how much more your Father in heaven can give of the Holy Spirit to those who ask.

- This is just what I did. After reading and before I woke Landon up to get ready for church I bowed my head and prayed for the Holy Spirit to guide my words while I worked that morning. I asked Him to speak through me to the parents that would come to the nursery so that they could enjoy a worry free worship experience. And that He did. I had a few conversations Sunday that I normally dont feel 100% comfortable with, and He guided my words perfectly. I could see on others faces the impact that I was making, and it was all the Holy Spirit that I had just prayed for a few hours earlier. God answers prayers. And He does at the right time in the right place.

And that concludes page 1:

Love

Day 13
Luke 10:25-37
- This story is one that we have all heard from the time we were little kids. Be a good Samaritan. I have heard about 1000 times. But when I learned most about it was when I taught part of the elevate curriculum to a group a elementary kids. On the DVD I learned that the man that stopped was a Samaritan, one from Samaria. Samaritans where looked down upon at this time in history and no-one would expect them to be the ones that lend a helping hand. That to me is one of the most impact full parts of the story, help from an unexpected place.

Also, this text doesnt start with the parable from Jesus, it starts with a man questioning Jesus. He asks Him how to have eternal life. The answer that Jesus got from the man, which was correct was:

"Love the Lord your God

with all you heart

and with all your soul

and with all your strength

and with all your mind

AND

love your neighbor as yourself"

What a powerful message. Included with loving our Lord we are to love our neighbors. I have always just thought of being a good Samaritan as something that is nice. But NO, it is essential to having everlasting life. And we better help everyone that we come in contact with, not only the ones that it is easy to help. We should love everyone as ourselves.

Storyteller

Day 12
Mark 4:1-34

Confession. I saw that todays reading was 34 verses and I put it off. But I did it. And it was easy peasy. In this section of Mark is where he writes about the parables that Jesus told. Mark is more of a facts and miracles kinda writer so he only wrote about a few of the parable teachings that Jesus told, that is why this section looks a little long, it is multiple parables. But in reality it is a small sampling of the big picture.

- Today I saw a repeating theme in these parables. When Jesus started to talk and tell a story He would often say "those who have ears to hear, let him hear." It is a command. When Jesus talks you better listen. Also, when He is done teaching in parable form He explains himself and gives the audience some practical applications for what He has just taught them. Jesus is making his teachings so easy for us to understand; He is telling stories that everyone can relate to, He is explaining how to apply the teachings, and He is letting us apply them to our own situations. So there it is, listen when He speaks and He will make it as easy as He can. Just listen.