Walking in God's Woods

  Very recently, I wrote about how Psalms 46:10 is my favorite verse because of its reminder that we need to be still, then I came across 1 Samuel 12:16 that, again, reminds us to stand still. This verse made me curious about how often those type of phrases show up in the Bible, so I tried to do some research; however, it is nearly impossible for me to pin down an exact number because there are so many variations of this reminder throughout the scriptures. One thing that did begin to stand out to me as I read multiple verses was the similarity of things connected to these reminders to be still: Be still and know that I am God... (Psalms 46:10) Now therefore stand still and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes. (1 Samuel 12:16) The Lord will fight for you; you must be quiet. (Exodus 14:14) Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for Him... (Psalms 37:7) Let all people be silent before the Lord, for He is coming from His holy dwelling. (Zechariah 2:13) B...

  In August 2002, I became a math teacher because I needed a job, I had a math degree, and Freedom High School needed another teacher. I took the job, not necessarily expecting it to be a long-term career, much less realizing that it was a calling from God. I quickly found out that I liked teaching math, but I also found out that I enjoyed connecting with students. In particular, I began to develop some very important relationships with young men who didn't have a positive father figure in their lives. Even today, I am still connected with many of those young men, and it always brings me joy to watch the progress they have made in their lives. In February 2024, I found a completely different career path, and since then, I have a much better perspective of my calling. One night, just after I had started my new career, I was walking with several of my new colleagues, on our way back to our hotel in New York City. We were getting to know one another, and one of my new colleagues compl...

  Our pastor referenced this verse in the last sermon of his "Trust the Process" series. Truthfully, it was not the main verse of the message, but for me, it was one more reminder that God sees me. He knows my deepest pains, He knows my deepest desires, He knows my deepest fears, He knows my deepest anxieties, and He knows my deepest needs. When I really focus on this verse, I am reminded that those pains, desires, fears, anxieties, and needs are really not mine to worry about. God tells me to be still because I know that He is God. For a long time, I have said that this is my favorite verse. Now, it not only reminds me that I need to approach life's challenges calmly, but it also reminds me that I am not God. I am NOT the one to be exalted. For most of my life, I have been a very easy-going person who doesn't let much worry me. I used to think of this verse as my kind of "motto" in life, explaining why I didn't worry about things--I was just being still...

  On November 30, 2023, I lost both my job and my son in a single moment. From that very moment, I began to pray for God to restore both my family's finances and my family's relationship with Abe. Immediately, I prayed for God to guide me and my family through this difficult period, and I continue to pray for His guidance every day, just like I always have.  As things became more difficult, I questioned whether I was being punished or if I was failing some test. At some point when things didn't seem to be changing, I came to the conclusion that I must be doing something wrong. I cannot even begin to count the number of times that I have asked God to tell me exactly what I need to do to "fix things." Basically, I spent a long time feeling like it was my job to take care of things. I want to clarify that I do believe that I am responsible for doing what God tells me to do or face the consequences of not following God's lead, but I have come to realize that some ...

  These verses have meant so much to me over the past several months that I hardly know how to address them in a logical way that makes sense. I am going to try to make several points here that may not seem connected, so I apologize if this post seems a little scattered. Since the beginning of spring, probably since we created our nature path in March, I have thought a lot about the seasons, both physical and spiritual. In a physical sense, I have thought a lot about the spring rains. One thing that I have thought about has been the connection between rain and the change in seasons. For some reason, we went through a physically dry season through the late spring/early summer, from May through mid-July, and the hotter it became, the more I began wishing for rain. As much as I hate mowing grass, I will admit that I really hate the dry, brown dirt even more. I hadn't really thought much about it before, but I have begun to see that the rain is a blessing from God. Without the rai...

As long as I can remember, I have always loved the Olympic Games, both summer and winter. I know that there have been a number of controversies regarding the 2024 opening ceremony, and as usual, I think the truth of the matter lies somewhere between the voices of the two extremes. This post is not about the opening ceremonies. This post is about the individuals competing in the Games. I am always in awe of the remarkable skills on display by the best athletes from all around the world. Every single individual at the Olympic Games has to go through a number of trials and win a series of competitions to even have the opportunity to compete at the Olympics. Of course, some competitors are more naturally capable than others, some have access to better facilities, and some train harder than others. However, they all have one thing in common: they are all trying their very hardest to win the gold medal. So far, I have watched a variety of Olympic events, from gymnastics to swimming to sailin...

  I first encountered today's verse on one of my walks in late May, and I knew immediately that this verse would be the source of today's post. Today is July 25, 2024--Rayne's 18th birthday. There are so many things that I want to say about and to Rayne that I know I won't be able to express them all in these last two weeks before he moves into his college dorm. I am going to try my best to say the important things here, so this post is dedicated to Rayne. First and foremost, I really had no idea how to be a father in 2006. Like I do with just about everything in life, I started out by reading and gathering as much information as possible. Even on the day he was born, it seemed like he didn't play by the book. Angie and I left for the hospital around 5:00 in the morning because her doctor told us that we needed to come to the hospital immediately when Angie's water broke. Angie had tested positive for Group B strep, and the doctor wanted to make sure to start an...