Love you all, praying for you,
 
I just love God’s Word.  It gives secrets and sequence.  It reveals mysteries and mindsets.  It tells you what to avoid and what to pursue.  Proverbs 11:2 – When pride comes then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.   Have you ever noticed that most people try to avoid things, instead of pursue things.  They don’t understand that often the best way to avoid something, is to pursue a better thing.  If you pursue humility, you don’t have to worry about pride, it cannot come – it is drowned out, locked out, by humility.  Pursue humility and then wisdom comes, it’s unavoidable.  Humility – accepting God’s Word as true, pre-determining to obey instantly and completely with joy whatever He commands – no matter what changes are required.  Humility – means you accept correction from whatever means God chooses, the mouth of babes, a donkey, a person you know or don’t know.  Humility comes under – it recognizes the Source of truth is God, no matter what delivery method or messenger He chooses.  Humility brings wisdom.  If you walk in humility pride cannot get a foothold.  If you walk in wisdom, you will never experience disgrace.  Do you want to walk in wisdom?  Do you want a life built on wisdom? then humility must become your DNA.  Submit to God, prefer others over yourself.  Want to change.  Don’t defend yourself, examine yourself.  Even something you’ve always done or believed…  If people examined themselves as much as they defended themselves – their life would be an example of wisdom and the fruit of it.  Do you examine yourself?  Or do you defend yourself?  Everyone has their own way of doing things, we easily see defensiveness in other people, but do we see it in ourselves?  Humility isn’t defensive, its inquisitive, it desires to learn more - to see if there is any way in them, that is not the best way… so they can change.  So they can become more like Christ, in the humility He showed, so the will of the Father is unhindered in their life.  God is leading you, are you hearing Him?  Are you willing to follow?  Are you willing to change this thing that he brought to your attention?  If you humble yourself, wisdom will come as much as disgrace comes with pride.  Humble yourself, or exalt yourself… Wisdom or disgrace?  God gives choices.  Praying that you will pursue the habit of humility, that you will become like Christ in this hallmark way that distinguished Him above anything else.  So wisdom can come, so you will walk in the complete will of your Father in Heaven – and become what you couldn’t dream, and see things and walk in things you could never imagine!
 
Love you all,
dad  

Love you all, praying for you,
 
I just love God’s Word, it’s simple.  Proverbs 10:1 – A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.  Have you ever thought about you today?  Will you bring joy to your Heavenly Father today? What brings Him joy?  A child who walks in wisdom.  What is wisdom?  Choices.  How would you bring joy to your Heavenly Father today?  PiVAT - Know His plans for you today, and do them completely with joy! Just ask Him, He’ll tell you! PRISM - Soak in His Word – don’t fill your mind with other things, fill it with His Word to transform your mind, so you think like He does.  Continually offer the sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confess His Name.  Do good to others, and share with those in need.  Speak faith and Life, turn from evil – and fear God.  Pray for those in authority, for Jerusalem, and for the Kingdom of God to advance in the earth.  Love one another, teach people to obey everything God commands – right where you are.  A wise son and daughter bring joy to their father and mother.  Praying that you will bring joy to your Heavenly Father today – so His joy can remain in you – and overflow!
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you.
 
I just love God’s Word.  It is so practical.  It’s success in the face of reality.  Hebrews 13:5 – Keep yourselves free from the love of money, and be content with what you have.  For God has said, never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.  God is saying – I’m better!  If I’m with you, you don’t have to love anything else.  The greatest competitor with God in your life?  Money.  The things you desire that money can buy.  Love God or Love Money.  God said you can’t do both.  He warns us of the trap of money.  And it’s not passive, it’s active.  Have you ever known someone who got free of something, only to be bound by it again?  Like a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.  Someone said, the only thing harder than getting out of debt, is staying out of debt. Whatever the trap, some people were once free, but have let themselves become bound again, entangled.  God says keep yourself free from the love of money – because it’s trying to take over you again.  Stay free!  Keep yourself free.  Money is always trying to trap you.  The love of money that you overcame is always trying to overcome you.  To take back the ground you took from it.  How do you keep yourself free from the love of money?  Contentment.  Be content w/ what you have.  Not complacent, content.  Just because you’re content, doesn’t mean you’re complacent.  If you know that you work for God, not money, it’s not the motivator, obedience is, serving others is.  How do you be content with what you have?  By being thankful for what you have.  Paul said, “I have learned to be content.”  How do you learn?  Thanksgiving leads you to contentment, which keeps you free from the love of money.  Choose thanksgiving, and you’ll choose contentment, and you’ll keep yourself free from the love of money.  God thank you for this day, thank you for this job, this car, this house, this meal, this family, this promise  - you will never leave me nor forsake me.  Praying that you will stay free.  That your thanksgiving and praise, and your run to obey will keep you free from the love of money, or anything else that tries to trap you again.  He will never leave you nor forsake you – that’s all you need!  His way for you – is way better!
 
Love you all,
dad

​Love you all, praying for you,
 
I just love God’s Word.  It gives secrets.  Psalms 119:5 – You are my portion, O LORD; I have promised to obey your words.  What is a portion?  That which is allotted to you.  By God. So it’s good!  Are you content with your portion?  Not complacent but content with your portion?  Loving what you have, not longing for what you don’t…  Is He enough? Is His presence enough, is His Word enough, are His promises enough or are you looking for another portion? A different portion, a worldly portion?  If you aren’t partaking of your portion, it’s not enough, you’re longing for something else.  What is partake of your portion?  Like a meal, eat it.  If you leave the bowl sitting there, not touching it, it won’t be enough.  But if you eat your fill, it will be enough, it will satisfy you, you will be full.  If you partake of your portion, come back to it again and again, He is more than enough.  His presence changes you, His praise changes you, thanksgiving changes you, His Word of love and encouragement and wisdom changes you - obedience changes you.  Have you promised to obey His word?  David did.  He reminded himself of it all the time, and He did it.  He obeyed God’s Word, over and over – until he loved it, until He loved God’s Word, and obeying it – more than anything else.  For some people – He is my portion is never enough, because they never take a bite, or just take a little one every once in a while, so they’re always still hungry, for other things.  Natural comes naturally, but spiritual is an acquired taste.  Make Him your portion, what you consume without stop. Partake in your portion, He promised it is good! and it will be enough.  Your portion is your thought life, then your word life, then it manifests in the natural.  Start with PRISM – get your portion, stay in it, and everything He promised will come to pass in your life.  You will have enough. 
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you. 
 
I just love God’s Word.  It separates between the real and the fake.  What is an idol?   Something not God, that takes the place of God in your life.  Sometimes idols are not obvious.  Not many have a golden calf… that looks like one.  Anything that replaces God in importance, pre-eminence, or priority.  “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”  Sometimes sin can be a god.  Sometimes fear, or fear of man can be a god, sometimes money or greed or wealth can be a god.  Whatever captures your attention and affection or that you put your trust in… instead of calling on the Name of The LORD your God.    Sometimes a relationship can be a god.  Sometimes a career can be a god.  Sometimes your own way of doing things can be a god.  Sometimes your dependence on yourself can be a god, your strategies to survive and advance in life, your knowledge, strength or ingenuity.  Some may trust in horses, some may trust in chariots…  People trust in many things to save them.  As God says about the rich,  Proverbs 18:11 – The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it a wall too high to scale.  Anything that replaces God in your life, or the position He should hold.  Position #1 – of your attention, affection, or trust – that’s an idol.    Are there any idols in your life that God wants you to remove?  If you ask Him, He’ll tell you.  Because He wants what is best for you, and idols always keep you from God’s best, and could end up in your ruin and destruction.  Idols are just fake, not real.  They seem to be worth the time and effort and attention, but they are not, they are powerless.  They are false, useless.  God has better.  He is better, His ways are better, His presence is better, His Word is better.  These will establish you, not enslave you, like idols do.  Psalms 16:4 – Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.  God warned of false pursuits, trusting in other things.  Psalms 115:3 – Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.  Their idols are merely silver and gold, made by human hands.  They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see.  They have ears, but cannot hear, noses but cannot smell.  They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound with their throats.  Those who make them will be like them, (deaf and dumb), and so will all who trust in them.  As unreliable and worthless in the day of trouble as any idol is, so will they be that trust in them (deaf and dumb, unreliable and worthless.  God’s ways and His plans for you are what will bring you to the fruitful life that you long for.  All those who chase idols are after something, something only God can give, that idols cannot.  Safety, Protection, Significance, Contentment, Peace, Joy, Favor, Enduring prosperity of mind, body, soul, and spirit.  Joy beyond happiness…  Eternal Reward, and everything you need down here – added.  Seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness, and you won’t fall prey to idols.  They are worthless.  God has so much better.  Start with His Plans for your day.  PiVAT before dinner – a conversation that He’s just waiting to have with you every day!  He delights in the smallest details of your life, and His plans for you are Masterful!  Start next with PRISM – those five things you can do in His Word every day.  It will teach you His Ways, and will remind you of His great love for you, and his unlimited power to help you and sustain you, and fulfill the purpose He has for you.  Start next with your Daily Call – God said it’s how you overcome the enemy.  The pull of idols in your life, the shiny but worthless…  Be faithful with 4C’s.  Know where God’s money is, and ask Him what He wants you to do with it.  He’ll tell you, and you’ll learn to love God, not money.  He will establish you in wisdom, and excellence, in hope and harvest – a life full of fruit.  He’ll be with you in trials, and bring you through every storm.  His ways are above your ways, if you let Him lead you – you will get to places you never even dreamed.  He has good in store for you – for those who fear Him. 
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you. 
 
I just love God’s Word – It gives secrets.  You are what you give priority to.  Have you thought about a getaway before the summer ends?  Maybe The Dells if you live in Wisconsin, Cowan Lake if you live in Southwest Ohio, or Lake Cumberland if you live in Kentucky?  Maybe Labor Day Weekend – before the new school year starts?  Praying that you will create trip traditions in your family, every time you travel somewhere.  If you do, it will have lifelong impact on generations to come.   #1  Ask God to protect the car – to put his angels of protection around it – to give you safety on this trip #2 Pray that you’ll be better friends by the time you get there.   Better friends with Him, better friends with your spouse, and better friends with your family members.  In thirty years of praying this prayer, God has never – not answered our request.    And #3 Give Him the First Fruits of the car ride.  Praying that this will become a family tradition for you.   Are you willing to give the firstfruits of your trip – to God?  Just do PRISM together.  PRISM: Praise the Word.  Mom or Dad whoever’s not driving… just read a verse in Psalms, and take turns, parents first, “praising God using the words of that verse.”  When your kids see you do it, they’ll do it too.  The couple verses of Psalms that you read, one at a time, they could be praise words, or they’ll remind you of Praise.  Even “Why have you forsaken me?” reminds you of Jesus’ promise.  “I will never leave you nor forsake you!”  That’s worth praising Him for!  As your kids see your example, they will join in.  From the time they are little children, God has ordained praise.  Teaching your children how to Praise the Word, how to give God the firstfruits of your trip, of your drive-time, is powerful.  It will change the atmosphere.  The Holy Spirit will come into that car!  Before the kids get lost in their iphones and movies… from a new Disney trying to corrupt the heart of your child.  Why not Give God the First fruits of every trip.  Every car ride.  PRISM by yourself is awesome, God speaks!  But PRISM together with others!!  It starts a fire!  God will inhabit that car or mini-van.  Because He inhabits the praise of His people.  Then read one chapter of R: Read the Word of PRISM -  Maybe a great story of the Old Testament where God split the red sea, or used a young boy to kill a giant.  Maybe I Corinthians or I John that teaches us what love looks like, and how to love each other as a family.  Then the Proverbs Chapter for today… whatever today’s date is.  Do you want wisdom to take root in your children’s heart?.  Give God the firstfruits of your trip, and you will see God increase their understanding, and open their minds to true wisdom, and God’s discernment.   Your kids will become wise beyond their years.  Praying that your Summer Trip – starts with the firstfruits given to God.  It will change your trip, your car, your relationships, it will set an atmosphere where the Holy Spirit moves, and the peace of God can remain.  Praying that Every Car Ride – you’ll give the first fruits to God. 
 
Love you all,
dad

​Love you all, praying for you,
 
I just love God’s Word.  It tells you what’s impressive and what’s not.  The disciples made it a point to mention to Jesus how impressive the temple was.  Jesus informed them that not one stone will be left on another.  That’s why there is no temple in Jerusalem today.  But there will be.  Have you ever noticed how we tend to be impressed by things, that shouldn’t impress us?  God’s Word always gives you the plumb line for life - what’s valuable, and what’s not, what’s impressive, and ‘not so much.’  I saw an interview recently – and just realized the greatest coach of all time.  And I can’t believe I’m saying this, because they are our bitter rivals – He’s the coach of ‘the team up north.’  His record isn’t stellar, he’s lost to his major rival (us) multiple years in a row – enough to fire most coaches.  But last year He did really well and the team was highly successful, surpassing their foe in perhaps the greatest rivalry in sports for the first time in many years.  I’ve never hated him, but I’ve never been a fan, until yesterday – when God showed me – the greatest coach of all time.   How does God rank coaches?  By wins?  Conference Titles? National Championships?   I think God rates them by character and influence.  Like He rates queens, like Esther, whom Mordecai admonished –  “If you say nothing, you and your family will perish, and God will bring deliverance from another place… and who knows that you have not been raised up for such a time as this.”  These are those times.   How many winning coaches run around on their wives, commit recruiting violations, verbally abuse players and staff…  That’s not a winning coach – that’s a disgrace.   How many times have you heard one of these famous coaches say…  God, Family, and Football.  Those three priorities in that order.  It sounds good, but are they telling the truth?  This coach did.  In an interview ripe with social pressure, the cancel crowd just salivating waiting for a coach or politician, actor, musician, company owner or influencer to slip up – to say one thing that is not endorsed by the godless left – the purveyors of perversion, the shills for socialism.  The topic:  Life - and the sanctity of it.  Better not go there… This coach did.  In an interview when asked that question, he didn’t blink.  He said we’re about God, Family, and Football.  And I think He’s the first coach that really means it.  He said when it comes to life and the issue of abortion.  We should have a conversation about it – he recognizes people have passionate opinions on both sides.  But he said “It is too important an issue not to talk about.”  And then He did what no coach I’ve ever seen has done.  Unlike companies today – like Kroger who pay their employees four thousand dollars to kill their baby, why not help them have the baby.  (That’s why after a thousand dollar a month habit at Kroger for years, we refuse to shop there any longer.  We’ll go to Aldi, or Walmart.  But unlike Kroger and these Corporations who have lost any moral compass, this coach of a major University Football program said out loud, not just what He believes, but how he backs it up.  He said what He tells every one of his players.  Don’t have an abortion.  (I’m sure he encourages faithfulness to your wife and family) but if you made a mistake, don’t kill the child.  Let the child live, just have the baby, and if you don’t want it, or no-one in your family wants the child, my wife and I will take it.  We have a big house!  (Ironically the name of their football stadium) but the coach was talking about his house.  He said, we’ll just raise that child as a part of our family.  Wow!  He's got a hundred players on His team.  Perhaps the most polarizing topic in America today – the cowardice of the Supreme Court to refuse to fix what they broke in 1973 – allowing murder of innocent children.  Their evil decision has been taught to children and young adults as ‘settled law’ making them actually believe murdering someone is a Constitutional Right?  It is not.  The Supreme Court doesn’t make laws – the legislature does – 6th Grade Government Class – that college graduates cannot seem to understand.  After another failure of the Supreme Court - now left to the states, this abomination has created a divide in America not seen since the days of slavery.  Life and Death states, just like Slave and Free States.  God is watching.  The blood is crying out from the ground.  If you think God will do nothing, you have no understanding of the Holiness of God.  Yet this coach did more than have a silent opinion.  This coach spoke the truth boldly, something that if he had a losing record, could have lost him his job.  Praise God for Michigan’s success last year.  Did I just say that as an Ohio State Buckeye fan for life!  Yes I did.  Praise God, because it gave a man of great courage a platform to stand on – and more than just say something, he put his money, his own home, and his own family – where his mouth is.  Just let the baby live.  If no one wants it - we’ll take that baby.  Choose Life!   Yesterday, I just discovered the greatest coach of all time.  Not limited to his profession, but speaking truth to a nation.  What if every coach that quotes "God, Family, and Football" – ad nauseum, would join with Jim Harbaugh and give the same offer to their players?  Be faithful to your wife… before and after you are married, but if you’ve made a mistake, let the baby live!  If no one wants it, we will raise that child as a part of our family…  We have a big house.  Every single coach has a big house.  What if coaches around the country joined Jim Harbaugh in this offer to their players.  And if they can’t, just connecting a network of families who would willingly adopt an abortion risk child.  It could change the mindset of a country.  It could turn away judgment from a nation for the blood of the innocents.   I’ve just realized the greatest coach of all time.  I didn’t know it ‘til yesterday.  I pray that God starts a tidal wave of truth and repentance in this nation – so that we return to our roots – the recognition of Divine Providence for these United States of America.  And that we would return to our original pursuit of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  Of liberty and justice for all.   We just need a few people like the greatest coach ever… to live their motto.  God, Family, and Football.  I will no longer say, “Michigan Sucks, Go Bucs” – there are many things so much bigger than football.    
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you.
 
I just love God’s Word, it’s the book of success.  It tells you what it is and how to get it, and how to keep it.  One of the most important skillsets of success.  Repetition, God calls it steady plodding.  It brings prosperity.   Do you love repetition? Or do you easily tire of it?  Do you love repetition, do you love the beautiful grind of it?  If you don’t love repetition, you aren’t very good at anything…  You haven’t become an expert at anything.  Repetition – it’s what makes people great at something.  The Gino Auriemma principle.  We’re not going to do it til we get it right, we’re going to do it until we can’t get it wrong.  What’s the best grind there is?  His Word in your mouth! That’s what meditate on the Word is.  Repetition.  PRISM those five things you can do in God’s Word every day…  PRISM – Read the Word –.  Deuteronomy 17:19 - “It is to be with Him, and He is to read it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees.  PRISM Meditate on the Word.  Joshua 1:8 - Keep this book of the law always on your lips.  Meditate on it day and night, so you will learn to do everything that is written in it.  For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.  Your success depends on your life’s proximity to His truth.  Walk in it, and you will be successful, neglect it, and you will suffer loss.  Praying that you learn to embrace repetition, that you learn to love it.  Steph Curry’s pre-game workout is famous.  Repetition.  Repetition leads to skill, without repetition you cannot become expert at anything.  Praying that you will love the beautiful grind.  That steady plodding that brings prosperity.  The Most important repetition in life?  PiVAT before dinner…  It’s how you get His plans for you!  Praying that you will ask God, what repetitions He wants in your life.  That you will establish them, and never look back.    
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you,
 
I just love God’s Word.  It tells you of tests that will come, and the purpose of them – to grow you in victory.  The thing with tests, they rarely come announced, more of a pop quiz, they sneak up on you, you don’t really get a chance to prepare, your life is your preparation.  Your habits prepare you.   Humble, Obedient, and Diligent.  The best test preparation.  The other day I had just finished cutting the grass, edging all the sidewalks, trimming bushes, pulling weeds, I’d been going since 6:30 am and it was 1:00.  I finally pushed the big mower into the garage, put all the tools away, gloves etc…  And I walked out to check the mail, and do a ‘final glance.’  Remember, Your final glance, is their first impression.  – and you don’t get a second chance at a first impression.  That one paper, or leaf in your yard – after all the work you’ve done.  No way.  Finish.  As I went out to the mailbox, I immediately looked twice, and I had missed a strip of grass.  You’ve gotta be kidding me, I’ve gotta pull the mower all the way back out, get it started, cut the strip, then put it away – again, then I have to get the blower, and blow of the sidewalk – again.  Maybe I’ll just catch it next time.  Will anyone really notice?  Yes, but that’s not the point, you will notice, and God will notice.  God said whatever you do, work at it with all your heart.  That’s not doing anything, that’s talking about what God told you to do.  Like Jesus, only did what His Heavenly Father told them.  And He finished.  If God told you, do it with all your heart… finish.  It doesn’t matter if you’re tired or exhausted…  Finish.  With all your heart… If you have any heart left, finish.  That’s what Jesus did.  His last words…  It is finished.  God has called you to finish.   But we’re talking about a strip of grass, not bringing Salvation to the world.  “Faithful in little, and you’ll be faithful in much.”  If you left everything for tomorrow that could be done tomorrow, tomorrow would be so full of today’s assignments, that you would never know the wonderful things God had planned for you – for tomorrow.  Finish.  This is a test, this is only a test.  What other tests might come up today?  First make sure it’s what God told you to do.  If He didn’t, it doesn’t matter, you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place!  He didn’t tell you.  All you accomplish in Tarsus is meaningless, God told you Nineveh.  But if it’s what God told you, do it with all your heart, finish.  It’s the excellence of Christ.  It’s what He did, only what His Father told Him, and He did it completely, with excellence.  It’s the Spirit of Christ, it’s what you’re called to!  And Jesus goes with you!  Praying that you’ll finish today.  Every thing that He set before you. 
 
Love you all,
dad

Love you all, praying for you,
 
I just love God’s Word.  It tells you how to experience delight.    When was the last time you were delighted?  Not just a chuckle at a joke, or a cute picture of the kids or grandkids, but a permanent state of delight with life and hope and future!  God gives secrets.  Ps 119:35 – Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.   One of the biggest lies the devil tricks people with, is the hesitancy to give their life fully to God, as if He would make your life miserable trying to obey all his commands.  He clearly says – these commands are for your good!  He’s the God of good, He has good for you!  But you can only walk in it if you walk in his commands.  God translated this secret for me some time ago.  Obedience is a path – not a list.  God’s commands from His Word, and His Plans for your day (also His commands) are the path that leads to blessing, and joy, and delight.  Obedience will give you a life of permanent delight.  As you hear His voice, He confirms it, and blesses your obedience.  Praying that PiVAT has you following His commands today – His plans for you!  Way better than yours!  Praying that PRISM is what you soak in today.  Those five things you can do in His Word.  That you’ll come back to it often, because you’ve acquired a taste for it, and now you long for it!  Wisdom, Success, Peace, the prosperity that He has that’s beyond money and stuff…  Praying that you will do 4C’s faithfully every day.  Only takes five to seven minutes to know where God’s money is, so you can ask Him what He wants you to do with it.  Finances become a delight, not a dread!  You’re just hearing and obeying, & He’s leading.  Praying that you are overcoming daily with your Daily PiVAT Call praying for each other, and running in the plans He has for you!  Praying that you will love obedience and not avoid it.  That you see through the devil’s lie.  Obedience is a path, not a list.  Not do’s and don’t’s but places to get to!  And they are so very good!  You can trust Him.
 
Love you all,
dad