kingdom thoughts

ATTN: See the post below…pictures from Curtis.

The following has been on my mind…

I saw what mom said about them doing a thing called "Understanding the Kingdom." I am interested in hearing more about that, as I have been thinking along these lines this week...

Our pastor has started a new series going through the “Beatitudes.” Seeking first God’s KINGDOM, is our goal. This song is one that we will be singing in church over the next few weeks. I am learning more and more everyday to be praying, as Jesus taught his disciples, for God’s kingdom to come. As kingdom people, we must constantly be seeking for opportunities to enlarge God’s reign in our own hearts and preach His good news so He might reign in the hearts of those around us. HIS CAUSE must become our cause. Let me know your thoughts on the song.


Your glorious cause, O God, engages our hearts.
May Jesus Christ be known wherever we are.
We ask not for ourselves but for Your renown.
The cross has saved us so we pray, Your kingdom come.

Let your kingdom come, let your will be done,
So that everyone might know Your name.
Let your song be heard everywhere on earth,
‘Til Your sovereign work on earth is done.
Let Your kingdom come.

Give us Your strength, O God, and courage to speak.
Perform Your wondrous deeds through those who are weak.
Lord use us as You want, whatever the test.
By grace we’ll preach Your Gospel ‘til our dying breath.

Let your kingdom come, let your will be done,
So that everyone might know Your name.
Let your song be heard everywhere on earth,
‘Til Your sovereign work on earth is done.
Let Your kingdom come.

Pictures of Curtis at 29 Palms

Family Planning

Tonight, Sal and I were leaving our care group and I told a group of folks around the table that Sally and I were going home to do a little "family planning." One person commented, "ohhh, that's what they call it now!" (of course insinuating that I was saying that we were going home to make love.) Well...while that may happen, what I was trying to say, is that Sal and I were coming home to sit down and scope out our week. Make a few goals, look at the calendar, and balance the checkbook. Anyway, maybe i gave you too many details, but i thought that was a humorous story and I wanted to update all of you on our life here in VA. You may know that we just moved. We moved from Manassas to Gainesville, into a retirement community. It's pretty sweet. We live in a bsmt apartment. Pretty quiet i might add. (these retired folks dont have too many wild parties.) I should share with you the reason that we moved. Sal and I have been praying that the Lord would give us wisdom to handle the money that He has given us, and that we would be able to get our debt paid off very soon. Our rent went from $1130 to $620 when we moved. And we moved into a much newer and larger place. We were also able to lose the electric bill and the internet bill. What a giant chunk of cash to deal with. We will now, Lord willing, be able knock out our debt in less than a year. All we will have remaining is about $4000-5000 in school loans. We also recieved another financial blessing when we found out that the SBC here in VA awarded us a scholarship for my seminary. It should pay for two classes this semester. We are very grateful for the Lord's provision. We surely don't deserve this, and we are all the time mindful that He has told us "to whom much is give, much shall be required." I am consistantly having to go back to the ant to "consider her ways." Anyway...I must go. I know this is a bit rushed, but i think it communicates the highlights. We will be in Chattanooga on the 18-20 of August, if anyone is around and would like to say hello. Caleb, shoot me an email this week man, its been a while. Love all of you.

Peace and Chicken Grease.
clif

FREEDOM!!!!

Happy Independence Day!!!!!
Just thought I'd write a few thoughts down early July 4th morning before the chores and the chow begins.
Our God intends for His creatures to be free! He is not a tyrant nor does He want His creatures ruled by tyrants.
Our creator gave us a will just like His that is free to operate and decide based on it's own counsel. He gave us a mind to think and a will to decide. This is Freedom !
This freedom then trickles down to the daily operation of our lives where we consider each other in relationships and realize, because of sin, that we need rules to reign in our freedom.
Then we decide whose rules those will be, the ones we conjure up on our own that are accordng to our best interest or the ones our Creator has commanded for the best interest of all His creation.
The true freedom we have is to choose under whose authority we will be. We'll choose the tyranny of selfishness or the soverignty of a loving God.
On this Independence Day may we use our freedom to decide to be mastered by our Creator, who has complete rights to us, but offers us freedom to choose.
May we praise His soverign grace in placing us in the USA where liberty under God's law has been our fundamental and foundational principle and one which we must defend and protect for the sake of our gracious Creator and for our children.
How sad to accept the gift of freedom from His benevolent hand and then become indifferent and uninvolved in it's maintainance .
May our family be a patriotic party of people who promote and protect freedom. Let's wave the Flag, sing the songs,be at the polls, be on our knees in prayer and when necessary on the street exercising the gift our Creator has given us in particular as Americans.
FREEDOM!!!!!!

Curtis Promoted to Corporal

I got a chance to talk to Curtis today. He seems to be doing well. After returning from an 8 day stint out in the field he was promoted to Corporal. Well done, Curtis. He said that basically the promotion means that some of the stinky responsibilities that he has now will be replaced with a different set of stinky responsiblities. And he will get a pay raise. Curtis did say that there are some guys out there in CA that he knew from Chattanooga and one guy he remembered from playing soccer in high school. Lauren is going to be visiting him in a few weeks and will be staying with this dude's girlfriend. The four of them are going to do a little traveling. He said Disneyland and the beach. Sounds fun. Just wanted to let everyone in on his good news. I know he is pretty good about calling us...but I am sure it would be encourageing to give him a call. Love to you all from VA. Have a good Lord's Day...
-Clif