My friend Jason is soon going to be a father, so to help him out, we at Guy Thing Blog have this simple primer of many important things a new father should know. Just click the image for the full size.

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Let’s just say, I’m a runner. Most of these are true for me…

You roll your eyes when people talk about low carb diets.

You say you’re going out for a short run and come back two hours later.

You think high 40s/low 50s and overcast sounds like perfect weather.

You get up earlier on weekends than you do during the work week.

You tell your wife you want a marathon entry as a birthday present.

When someone asks you how far you are planning to run, you say “I’m ONLY doing 10 today.

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Jesus said when speaking to his disciples in Matthew 10:34-36

    ³⁴“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to turn
   ”‘a man against his father,
      a daughter against her mother,
   a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law -
       ³⁶a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.

In February of this year my mother-in-law came to stay with us (and is still with us today).  We had just found out our daughter has a serious illness and she came to help my wife take care of the household while my wife cares for our daughter.  In our Sunday morning bible study we read this scripture.  My mother- in-law said as she read the part about “daughter against mother” she confessed that during her stay with us there had been clashes between my wife and her.  As she choked back the tears in her eyes and her trembling voice it was obvious these were painful times when she and my wife had confrontation.  Then she said the most beautiful thing.  She said during this time she has discovered that she didn’t love her daughter less but she loved Jesus more, for it was during those times she would turn to Him and draw close to Him and He would comfort her.  She gave testimony to exactly what Jesus was saying.   He goes on to say on Matthew 10  ³⁷“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; ³⁸and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. .

Jesus knew what he was talking about.  How many times have we had clashes with loved ones and we get let down.  Fathers let us down, spouses let us down, pastors let us down, friends and family let us down. 

One of the key points in this scripture is the statement saying “For I have come to” do this. He is amazing!  He uses these clashes, these situations even within our families so that the realization of loving the Father more than we love others becomes revelation.  I admit when I read “man against father”, mother against daughter”, I don’t like it.  But it’s all about Him, and loving Him, and understanding that makes it easier.

Jesus says in Matthew 11 ²⁸“Come to me; all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  He wants to give us peace that surpasses all understanding, the incomparable riches of His grace, and pour out His great love over us.  These difficult times Jesus speaks of are all preparation for things to come, drawing us closer, putting more and more focus on Him.  Take up your Cross!

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I am the safety director for a construction company. If you’re not in the construction industry, then the term “Tool Box Talk” means nothing to you. Tool Box Talk is a weekly safety bulletin that a supervisor uses to discuss with his crew a specific safety hazard on the construction sight. The idea behind this is to get the crew to think about the hazards that exist and what they must do to protect themselves.  As I thought about the hazards men face each day – family issues, work issues, spiritual issues, health and financial issues can be huge hazards seemingly impossible to avoid.  Another danger we face, our use of time. Yes, time!

Gosh, we are so cotton pickin’ busy all the time! Goin’ here, runnin’ there, doin’ family stuff, chasing kids, fixin’ things, doing church stuff. And then we have to squeeze in time for the stuff we want to do. You know, the “me” things. Right,guys!

Lately I’ve convicted of my time (or lack of) time with the Lord.  It’s as if I’m hearing, “When are you going to spend time with Me?” When I examine this question, I have to admit, I’m ashamed to realize how much I keep the Lord on the back burner.

 Think about it guys, “How much time are you spending with the Lord?  You see, we must have the Lord in our lives as a priority. If we are not seeking Him on a daily basis, then we face the perils of this world on our own – our own strength, our own wisdom, our own work. Scripture tells us this is the opposite of what the Lord tells us to do. And we wonder why we are so tired all the time! So, what about it, guys? How you doin’ with this? Are there some changes you need to make?

Mark 6:31 has some incredible words from Jesus. The Apostles had just returned from preaching, healing the sick, and driving out demons, doing the work Jesus assigned them to do. When they arrived back thousands of people were there and they were so busy tending to them.  The word says “they did not even have a chance to eat.” (NIV) Then Jesus said, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” This is it, guys!  Jesus is saying, come, spend time with Him and rest. You’ve heard it said that we are the spiritual leaders in our homes. In order to lead properly, we need to hear from God. In order to hear from God, we must spend time with Him. This is where we will get the tools we need to handle the hazards and challenges we face each day. This is where we get the strength, the wisdom, the discernment, and the courage we need. This is where we hear from the Holy Spirit!

Those of us who work in construction around falling objects wear a hardhat. If you saw or drill, you wear safety glasses. If you handle rough, sharp materials, you put on gloves. Why? To protect yourself and others.  Prioritize your time so you can apply Mark 6:31. It’s not all about protection, guys – it’s also about deepening and strengthening your relationship with the Lord. Take time to pray and hear His voice. Take time to read His Word. He provides all we need to face the hazards in our daily lives. If He truly is number one in our lives daily, we will find rest!

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The men’s group is always joking about my Hispanic heritage, and I with them. These are by no means serious, in fact, I could see myself saying some of these to my men’s group.

Mexican Words of the Day:

1. Cheese
The teacher told Pepito to use the word cheese in a sentence. Pepito replies: Maria likes me, pero Cheese fat.

2. Mushroom
“Orale vato, when all my family get in the car, there’s not mushroom

3. ‘Shoulder’ My tia wanted 2 become a citizen but she didn’t know how to read so I shoulder.

4. ‘ TEXAS ‘ My ruca always Texas me when I’m not home wondering where I’m at!

5. ‘Herpes’
Me and my ruca ordered pizza. I got mine piece and she got herpes.

6. July
Ju told me ju were going to tha store and July to me! Julyer!

7. Rectum!
I had 2 cars pero my wife rectum!

8. Juarez
‘One day my abuelita slapped me and I said juarez your problem?’

9. CHICKEN
I was going to go to the store with my wife, pero chicken go herself.

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Lord, I’ve come through your open doors
The ones that have been long open for me
Father, I’ve come to kneel at your altar
The one I’ve hidden from for ages.

Long have I ignored your calls
Long have I run from the truth
But now I come running to Your loving arms
I fall to my knees, raise my hands, and cry out,

Oh God, take me, break me make me.
Oh Lord, take me, break me make me.

Lord, You are the Alpha and the Omega
Lord, You the beginning and the end and all in between.
You created the Earth, the stars, and all the universe.
You chose a few out of all out of love.

With Your strength, I’m invincible
With Your Word, I can move mountains.
You sit me down to dine with my enemies
And through it all, I will not be harmed.
For You are my foundation, my protector, and my redeemer.
And with this, I pray,

Oh Holy One, take me, break me make me
Oh Almighty One, take me, break me make me

Father guide me through the obstacles before me
Fill me with Your wisdom and presence
Bring me my enemies
Lay them before me
Let me touch Your people
With You God, Let me conquer the world
Let every word I speak spread Your Word like fire
Let Your Word sing back louder through their praise, singing

Oh Lord, take me, break me make me
Oh Father, take me, break me make me

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Acts 8:18-20

Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money

How many times have we given an offering in order to get something out of it? I didn’t say give expecting to receive a blessing, I said give in order to receive.

When we give in order to receive, we, in essence, are trying to buy God or buy a gift from God. Every time we give an offering out of guilt, selfish desire, or pride, we are paying off God in hopes that He will give us forgiveness, that which we want, or special recognition for our donation.

God does not work that way. We cannot buy God, nor anything He has. No matter how much we give, no matter how much we sacrifice, we cannot do anything of ourselves to earn anything God has to give. The only way we can “earn” the gift of God is to obey Him, and the Word says obedience is better than sacrifice. We can sacrificially give all we want, but what is your reason?

When you give, give to be blessed by being a blessing. If all you get from giving is the satisfaction that a life will be changed by your gift, then that is all you need. You will feel secure in what you gave, and even though you may not see a return in this life, you will on the other side of Glory. If you give out of guilt or compulsion, then all you will feel is insecurity. You will never think you can give enough. You will fear that you will never buy whatever it is you are giving to get, and that is not the way God works.

So don’t give to buy God or His gift, because God cannot be bought. Give because it is what God wants of you, because God delights in your obedience and will reward it. Give expecting to be a blessing and expecting that God’s promises are true.

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Dr. Cole once said, “champions aren’t those that never fail, but those that never quit.” There is so much truth in that statement. I think we sometimes get discouraged though, because we get our view of champions mixed up. We always attribute the word champion to those who cross the line first or those with the most wins. They get the most glory from the most people. But I think there are those who finish at the back of the pack that deserve to be called champions because they did the impossible, they inspired others, and they got their own personal victory.

A month ago, I ran in my very first marathon. That’s 26.2 grueling miles of running - mostly walking in my case. It took 7 hours for me to complete the course, which is nowhere near a competitive pace, but it was a personal victory. That’s because 6 months before, I was sitting on the couch most evenings. I was overweight and not in the best shape. When I found out that some guys at the church were going to run this marathon, I jumped in just to see how far I’d go. I had no idea that I’d be the only one from that group to reach the goal.

The first day I stepped on that treadmill was embarrassing. I was only able to run for two minutes at the most.  Our first group run wasn’t any better. But though the days and days of training, I improved. My endurance got better, and I was more determined every day to reach my goal.

I never quit. Injury set me back, but I kept pushing on. I was never the fastest, but I didn’t care about that. My goal was finishing the race. And I did just that.

I don’t deserve glory from anyone, but in the course of things, I have inspired others, I’ve made personal achievements that I never thought possible, and I overcame things that could have ended my journey towards my goal. Those will always be personal championship moments.

When you never quit, you may not ever finish first, and the championship moment may only be a personal one, but you overcome the odds you thought were there, and you become a champion over those things that tried to stop you.

You see, a champion isn’t always the big winner, because they didn’t defeat YOUR personal adversaries. You are a champion over those adversaries because you didn’t quit and did defeat them.

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