Helping husbands

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Husbands, I don't want to burst your bubble but, housework is not the wife's job! Now of course if she is a stay-at-home-mom, okay yes, she would be the primary caretaker of the home, just as you are the primary income earner. Though let's be honest here guys ... you couldn't do what you do without her!

RECENT SURVEY SAYS

Are husbands sharing the household chores with their wives? Research shows that married men are not pitching in.

Husbands create extra work for wives. A University of Michigan study reports having a husband creates an extra seven hours a week of housework for a woman. On the other hand, a wife spares her husband from nearly one hour of housework each week. So, the man gets the better deal no matter what.

I am not dogging husbands here; but especially if the wife is working outside the home we husbands should help with the household duties. I am not perfect here, but I mop, clean bathroom, do dishes and YES I PUT MY DIRTY CLOTHES IN THE DIRTY CLOTHES HAMPER! I've got two good arms!

TIPS TO HELP

1) Have a talk about household chores - list ALL the duties, divide them up "his job", "her job", make sure you both agree, then do it! Remember marriage is a TEAM EFFORT!

2) If you see something needs to be done guys, do it! Don't think or act like, "that's her job."

3) No nagging! Guys hate being nagged ... just tell us what you would like us to do ... don't withhold sex to try and teach us a lesson ... communicate!

4)Husbands, show appreciation for all her work around the house - a little Thank You would go a long way! Don't be a ungrateful jerk! I would recommend not only giving verbal "thanks" but also cards, notes, flowers, you call and say babe I've got dinner tonight ... (make sure to call her early enough in the day so she doesn't start it and your phone call actually upsets her cause it's 6pm and she's already pre-pared dinner)

On of the funniest lines from a movie I've ever heard was from the kid's movie Barnyard when some dude asks Otis (the cow) to help him do something and he says, "Sorry dude, I'm a no-helpian ..."

Don't be like Otis guys!

SECRET

I will close with this: When we (guys) do household chores ... it's a huge turn on for our wives (not saying you should do it for selfish reasons...) I am just saying ... nothing says I LOVE YOU more than a guy vacuuming the living room or loading a dish washer. Lol!

Angels & Demons The Truth

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I did a message entitled Angels and Demons The Truth on Sunday, November 8, 2009 that you can view www.mercychurchKC.com/media or look for it on our iTunes account under "Mercy Church KC". I did the message because of the popularity of the low budget movie, Paranormal Activity.

I always talk to my Jana (my wife) after my talks to see what she thought about my delivery, content and what I could improve and she said I should have (or could have) better clarified my statement that "we open ourselves up to the devil by sinning." I agree, so here is my clarification on that statement.

I believe that statement to be true NOT in the sense that if I sin, the devil can or will come in and make my car break down or something like that... what I mean by that statement is that when we open ourselves up to sin we open ourselves up to feel more comfortable with continuing to sin, for example: If I (as a married man) allow myself to think (or dwell on) about other women in an improper way, that could lead me to looking at porn, which then leads me to look at more porn, then this could lead me to improper interactions with women, then ultimately lead me to having an affair. There is no married person on planet earth who has ever had an affair without FIRST thinking about it! You don't trip over a shoe and fall into bed with someone! Hello!

So, all that said... THAT is what I was saying when I said that when we chose to sin when are opening ourselves up to further sin and being comfortable with making bad choices. I believe we become hardened towards God when we RESIST GOD and His leading in our life.

Side Note: Every human (that would be me and you) have a good side and a bad side ... we must FEED THE GOOD side in us and the best way to do that is to follow God's will for your life. Doing good is addictive ... the closer you draw to God, the closer He draws to you.

Day 4 of Prayer Challenge

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Seems strange that a pastor would be taking a prayer challenge ... shouldn't I be praying everyday already? Yes, but the prayer challenge was challenging us to prayer a specific prayer; "God not my will, but your will be done." And that is not a prayer that I pray everyday, and I would assume it's not a prayer you pray everyday either.

In just four days I have learned that my will is not always congruent with God's will, and praying the prayer everyday has made me more aware of how much I need to grow!

"Lord, not my will but yours be done!"

30 Day Prayer Challenge

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Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

I challenge you to pray everyday for 30 days starting today. And when I say "pray", I simple mean talk to God, everyday.

What to pray? Whatever is on your heart and mind, but conclude the prayer with, "God, not my will but yours be done!"

You

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Isaiah 49:1,3 "The Lord called me before my birth. From within the womb he called me by my name...He said to me, `You are my servant'..."

Psalm 139:13 "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb"

Maybe it's just me, but I need to be reminded that I am the only ME there is on this planet. Not that this should create in me an arrogant pride, but an awe inspiring love and adoration for God who created me!

I am now 40 years old, and for far too many years I was trying to be like someone else so I could be loved and accepted. My story is different than yours I am sure being "in the ministry" ... I wanted to be like this preacher, or that preacher ... I tried to preach like this pastor, or use his same body movements, or say the same catch phrases. I stopped this a long time ago (8 years ago), and I am so glad to just be me, the only me there is... and I am okay with not being liked ... at least I am me ... it's the truth ... I feel fully alive.

SIDE NOTE: If you are a pastor or teacher out there reading this; I challenge you to be you man (or woman)! Preach the sermons that God gives you for your church. (nothing wrong with using people's material from time to time, especially if it's good ... but if that's all you do ... I don't think that's good.) In 7 years of being the pastor at Mercy Church I have maybe used other pastor's material a dozen times... and I've delivered over 350 messages! Here's the deal ... sermons by YOU may not be as good as the other guy ... but again, at least its YOU! (Just a thought... MY thought ... love it or leave it!)

Bible Reading Plan - weeks 41 - 52

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Week 41

October 6
Matthew 8-9; Mark 2

October 7
John 5

October 8
Matthew 12:1-21; Mark 3; Luke 6

October 9
Matthew 5-7

October 10
Matthew 8:1-13; Luke 7

October 11
Matthew 11

October 12
Matthew 12:22-50; Luke 11


Week 42

October 13
Matthew 13; Luke 8

October 14
Matthew 8:14-34; Mark 4-5

October 15
Matthew 9-10

October 16
Matthew 14; Mark 6; Luke 9:1-17 John 6

October 17
Matthew 15; Mark 7

October 18
Matthew 16; Mark 8; Luke 9:18-27

October 19
Matthew 17; Mark 9; Luke 9:28-62


Week 43

October 20
Matthew 18

October 21
John 9:1-10:21

October 22
Luke 10-11; John 10:22-42

October 23
Luke 12-13

October 24
Luke 14-15

October 25
Luke 16-17:10

October 26
John 11


Week 44

October 27
Luke 17:11-18:14

October 28
Matthew 19; Mark 10

October 29
Matthew 20-21

October 30
Luke 18:15-19:48

October 31
Mark 11; John 12

November 1
Matthew 22; Mark 12

November 2
Matthew 23; Luke 20-21


Week 45

November 3
Mark 13

November 4
Matthew 24

November 5
Matthew 25

November 6
Matthew 26; Mark 14

November 7
Luke 22; John 13

November 8
John 14-17

November 9
Matthew 27; Mark 15


Week 46

November 10
Luke 23; John 18-19

November 11
Matthew 28; Mark 16

November 12
Luke 24; John 20-21

November 13
Acts 1-3

November 14
Acts 4-6

November 15
Acts 7-8

November 16
Acts 9-10


Week 47

November 17
Acts 11-12

November 18
Acts 13-14

November 19
James

November 20
Acts 15-16

November 21
Galatians 1-3

November 22
Galatians 4-6

November 23
Acts 17-18:18


Week 48

November 24
1 Thessalonians; 2 Thessalonians

November 25
Acts 18:19-19:41

November 26
1 Corinthians 1-4

November 27
1 Corinthians 5-8

November 28
1 Corinthians 9-11

November 29
1 Corinthians 12-14

November 30
1 Corinthians 15-16


Week 49

December 1
2 Corinthians 1-4

December 2
2 Corinthians 5-9

December 3
2 Corinthians 10-13

December 4
Acts 20:1-3; Romans 1-3

December 5
Romans 4-7

December 6
Romans 8-10

December 7
Romans 11-13


Week 50

December 8
Romans 14-16

December 9
Acts 20:4-23:35

December 10
Acts 24-26

December 11
Acts 27-28

December 12
Colossians; Philemon

December 13
Ephesians

December 14
Philippians


Week 51

December 15
1 Timothy

December 16
Titus

December 17
1 Peter

December 18
Hebrews 1-6

December 19
Hebrews 7-10

December 20
Hebrews 11-13

December 21
2 Timothy


Week 52

December 22
2 Peter; Jude

December 23
1 John

December 24
2 John; 3 John

December 25 (Merry Christmas)
Revelation 1-5

December 26
Revelation 6-11

December 27
Revelation 12-18

December 28
Revelation 19-22

In the Kitchen with Martha

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Luke 10:38-42 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Here we have a great story of two women, neither doing anything wrong or sinful, but one choosing the better thing ... or what I would say is "the better portion." I have heard many preachers rail on Martha for being busy (or distracted) in the kitchen with all that needed to be done to feed the group of people gathered in her home. She was just trying to be a great host ... she was trying to hospitable (which was very important in their culture!)

What Martha was missing while in the kitchen is what a lot of us miss in our busy "distracted" lives ... TIME AT JESUS FEET!

I encourage you to STOP sometime today and sit at Jesus feet ... do it while co-workers (or you) go on a smoke break! Be with Jesus!

A Small World

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I woke up this morning and just had the thought; I'm selfish. So many things in my life are about me and mine. I feel guilty.

When life is just about you - it's a small world, a very small world indeed! God help us to enlarge our world by making it more about God and others ... it's service to many that leads to greatness!

Luke 9:23-24 Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it."

One Nation Far From God

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I am so very thankful to live in a nation that allows for Freedom of Religion! I am glad that I do not have to fear for my life, or for the lives of the congregation I serve because of our faith in God. But as I look around I see something in our culture that grieves me deeply. I see a real nonchalant attitude towards God. There's this prevailing attitude that says I will do-whatever-the-hell-I-want and still claim to be a committed Christ follower. And believe me, I am no judge! That is not the point of this blog-entry. And I am not going to "list a bunch of sins" that we must stop doing in order to "get close to God" ... it's really not about that! Because to just "stop sinning" or to give "money" is NOT the way we get closer to God despite what some fundamental TV idiot preacher tells you. What they ought to do is sell their $20,000 Gold Rolex Watch and their $1,500 diamond studded cuff-links and give it to the poor! (sorry, I have a real issue with their false gospel message that is polluting the minds of so many people) back to topic...

I just wonder if we are deceiving ourselves ... and have become One Nation Far From God? Has our freedom to do or not do allowed us to drift from a consecrated life before God? Or have we traded the top spot, reserved for God, with whatever the heck we feel is more important, or whatever gives us more of a feeling of right-now-satisfaction ... which only leaves us feeling empty and purposeless?

These days I feel much like what the prophets of the Old Testament must have felt when they were constantly preaching to God's people to FOLLOW GOD WITH YOUR WHOLE HEART ... to no avail.(obviously, this is not true of everyone ... some people are truly hungry for more of God, and are giving themselves fully to God's plan and purpose ... and for that I am thankful)

Again, I am no judge! Trust me! I just see so many people who are hungry, hurting, broken and lonely in our nation ... and looking for fulfillment in everything other than a meaningful relationship with God. Sports become our God, our kids become our God, our spouse becomes our God, our job becomes our God, fun becomes our God, busyness has become our God ... and the one true God of the universe gets lost in our crowded lives... of course only until our lives hit some turbulence then we turn to God for His help... we are all guilty.

Q: So, Timmy where does a meaningful relationship with God begin?

A: I know that being in church doesn't mean you are any closer to God then shaving your head and walking around wearing an orange toga does... but it's a start (going to church that is, not wearing an orange toga - lol!). Like I have said to many young singles, "your odds for finding a nice Christian boy/girl go up looking in a church rather than a nightclub!" Nothing wrong with going to nightclubs (I go with my wife on occasion, but I go to church more often)... if I was looking for a life-long mate with a moral compass ... I wouldn't be looking in a nightclub ... now once I found one we may go to a nightclub and dance till the cows go home (not sure what that means ... but it sounded good to say), but I would start by looking in a church first!

The purpose of this blog entry is to do nothing else but stir your heart and get you to turn your affections back to God, so that we as a nation can truly be ONE Nation Under God... we the people make up a nation ... let's get ourselves UNDER GOD first!

God help us all to to draw near to you!