Washington D.C. Here I Come

Yes, a trip to D.C. My wife, Susan, is already near there doing a training week for her job. This is her third trip like this. I will be going tomorrow to meet her at the airport there and then we will go to a hotel near all the national monuments and museums.

I have never been to D.C. Susan has just been through a little, looking through the bus window, for her work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife. So, we are excited to get away for a weekend to see the capital and Smithsonian, and all the other monuments. There is so much history and so much Christian heritage that made this country great. I was watching a show on Abraham Lincoln yesterday and it will be awesome to see his memorial. He stood on Bible Truth during an incredibly difficult time with the Civil War and signing the Emancipation Proclamation to free the slaves. It would have been easy to cave in and just go the easy way, but he stood for Righteousness.

But, I digress. It will be a good break for us to spend time together as our lives have been so hectic. Susan is usually gone to work with travel 11 hours a day. This does not count the hours she puts in for church ministry. So, we are busy, but thankful for God's provision.

It is suppose to snow tomorrow. I believe I will fly out before the snow comes and slows down the airport. It is suppose to be a six-inch snowfall. I am going to have to give my son, Grant, some pointers on snow blowing, today, before I go.

I hope to give you some photos of our trip next time. It is exciting as we have always wanted to see the Capitol of our nation. I understand that there is so much to see that it could take weeks if you tried to see it all.

We all need to remember the great triumphs of our nation and great heroes as they persevered through great trials. This gives us confidence that we will overcome the financial recession that we are experiencing and by putting our trust in God again, He will see us through.

The faith of our founding fathers is important to us as it was to the Apostle Paul when he spoke of Timothy's heritage of faith.

2 Tim 1:55 I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. NIV

We need to be reminded of those that stood in faith believing God and His Word to direct them through the adversity they faced. This will cause a faith to rise up in us to overcome the trials we are facing today.

Preparation Is Essential to Success

Eph 6:15 And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace. AMP

Worry is like a rocking chair. It keeps you busy, but you don’t get anywhere. Worrying about the future is not productive, rather it is destructive. It causes stress that affects your mental acuity and your body can become sick. Thus, worrying will make your future bleak. When the future comes it could be just as you pictured. Most of the time it is never as bad as you thought, but you wasted time worrying about it.

Preparation on the other hand is productive. You are expending energy and resources, but for a better future. When that day comes your preparation will pay off. It is an investment in your future. Once you are prepared you will be able to be at peace knowing that you’ve done what is needed to make your future the best it can be. The rest is up to the Lord and He has that wrapped up for sure.

We all want to succeed. Preparation must be a part of it. You will not just drift into success. Preparation is never wasted.

For instance, we are checking out some colleges for our daughter, Jenessa. She is interested in a field of study and that narrows down the field of colleges. We had gone to a couple that offered it and liked some things about them. But, we ruled them out after we went to another college that is about three hours away. We really liked this one. We thought this is it. There was a lot of preparation, time and energy in this process already.

We were still not sure. So, instead of worrying about it we had to schedule some more trips to colleges. I had not gone with my wife and daughter to one college they had gone to. It had been in the running. So, all of us went back to this one and included a visit with a professor. We all were so impressed with the connection she had with the needs of the students to succeed and that the curriculum would be relevant to the work place that it put this college back at the top. I am so glad we invested another day of our time to pursue this. I am now at peace and confident that my daughter will be given the best possible education for this line of study.

There is more preparation needed with placement testing, scholarship applications, paperwork, etc. But it is a part of investing in the future. Does this preparation always guarantee success? No, at least not always in the way you think it will turn out. But, to not do anything pretty much will doom you to a dismal outcome. So, I encourage you to take the time to prepare. Replace the worry with preparation. The time, energy and resources will not be wasted. Place the rest in God’s hands and live in peace.

Frustrated?

People generally get frustrated when things don't go as planned. No matter how vigorously our plan is pursued it can get derailed and cause us to be frustrated. Part of the Serenity Prayer goes like this:

God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time.

This is very insightful. Sometimes things happen that are beyond our control. I can't control other people - what they think, say, or do. And if I try to control them I will certainly be frustrated. There are situations that occur that I cannot control. This fallen and sinful world can invade our lives even when we've done all we know to do. I need to be accepting of the facts and not wonder why God let them happen. God did not promise that all would go according to our plan. He did promise that though we experience trials and difficulties; they would not destroy us.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego all went into the fiery furnace. God did not save them from going in. But, he did save them from being burned or even smelling like smoke. The trial you may be facing will not destroy you as long as you keep your faith in the Lord to get you through. You will have to endure. You will be tempted to be frustrated, but God has a higher purpose and will enable you to overcome.

There are things that we can change, especially about ourselves. Many of the difficulties we face are of our own doing. We made bad decisions. We planned things without consulting the Lord. We must face up to it and take courage to change.

There is wisdom that God provides to help us know what we can change and what we should put into His hands and leave alone. There is no fun in continuing to beat your head against the wall. Let it go and live in God's peace. 1 Peter 5:7 tells us: "Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully." (AMP) He will take care of it, so be carefree.

Leave the frustration behind. You and I can live one day at a time and enjoy each moment. God is not wanting you to be frustrated. Tomorrow is another day. You can plan it out, but it may not turn out the way you hoped. Plan 'B' is OK. Be certain that whatever happens you enjoy this moment. It will not come again.