Soakin' Up Life . . . at a 100 MPH!

After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.” - Nehemiah 4:14 Today, my eye was drawn to this verse.  It could have been that it's already underlined in my Bible.  It could have been because it's an incredible "locker room speech."  Then, it could also be because of Nehemiah's reminder to the people, and to me, that the LORD is great and awesome.  To tell you the truth, It's probably all the above. Regardless of why I was drawn back to this verse, the more I read it and pondered its parts, the more it just sounded like great advice for men, especially dads. As we get closer to holding Joshua, our son, in our own hands, I am becoming very much aware of my responsibilities as a father and a husband.  For some of you, this has been a reality f

How do you respond to people who oppose your ideas or plans?   You know what I mean.  How do you respond when the children don't cooperate and you've got a thousand things to get done. . .TODAY!?  What do you do when you've made plans and your spouse throws a monkey wrench in the middle of them. . .whether they're right or not?  What's your natural instinct when you have an idea and your co-workers shoot it down, even though in your heart, you know it's the right idea? How do you respond to people who oppose your ideas or plans? I was thinking about that very question when I read Nehemiah 4 this morning.  As the curtains draw back and we enter the scene we find Nehemiah on a God-Sized, God-Blessed Mission (GSGBM).  He's leading the Israelites in the strategic process of rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem.  In verse one we discover the already established opposition working overtime.  Then, in verse seven we see the opposition began to expand. I thin