Author: Scott

Years ago, when I was playing basketball, I remember the excitement that I felt before each game. The anticipation was fantastic. Yes there was some anxiousness. Some nervousness. But they were paired with excitement. That feeling continued on later when I was coaching. I could feel it in my stomach. Realizing that all the hard work was getting ready to be rewarded. Hopefully with a win as well. Although I don’t play or coach anymore, I still get feelings of excitement from other activities. Hunting for instance. It’s exciting to go out the opening morning of the season. Deer season. Or turkey season. The anticipation hoping to be successful after the preparation that I have gone through. Very exciting.

Now let’s talk about you. What is it that gets you excited? Is it an event? Maybe a wedding. Is it something else? Being with family for instance. Or going someplace new. What is it? Think about that. What is exciting to you to the point that you expect to feel joy when you get to do it? Now think about your attitude during those moments. Are you a joy be around? Do you have a good attitude? Most likely, I’m guessing you can say yes to those questions. I hope you can anyway.

There is something that I read about this topic I find very interesting. Our attitude of expectancy begins with Jesus. And that should be joyful. If we focus on him, that should bring us joy. Because he’s never let us down. He never will. Even when he left earth, he told us the Holy Spirit was coming. That definitely does not let us down. We can look at what God promises us and then expect it to happen. Because he keeps his promises. And that’s incredible. We’ve all been let down by people. We’ve all been let down by broken promises. But we will never be let down by our Lord and Savior. And if we believe that, then we should be feeling excitement about what lies ahead. Expecting what lies ahead. Knowing what lies ahead.

There’s an intersection not too far from where we live that is ran by stoplights. Those of you who live in Webb City know which one I’m talking about. By the McDonald’s. Anyways, if you get there at the point where your light is turning red, you might as well put your vehicle in park. Because it’s going to take a little while for yours to turn green again. Especially if you’re getting there with the traffic being heavy. I think that each light will stay green for two minutes during rush hour. I’ve been there before where I have made a complete phone call with my van in the park waiting for my turn to come. And waiting is not something that I particularly like. Actually…it’s just the opposite. 

I don’t think any of us enjoy waiting. When we’re trying to get some place by a certain time, and we have to wait, it’s frustrating. When we’re waiting for someone to return a phone call, about an important topic, it’s frustrating. Or how about waiting for the all the previews to finish before your movie starts at the theater. Talk about frustrating. I kid you not, Barbara and I watched over 20 minutes of previews at a recent movie. I actually timed it. Because I was curious how long they were. And finally, what about waiting on God? Ever find yourself doing that? I know I have. 

Waiting on God can make us anxious. Think about yourself for a moment. I’m sure there have been prayers that you prayed over and over, waiting for God to answer. I bet you found yourself frustrated or anxious. That’s easy for us to do. Because we’re human. But sometimes God makes us wait for a reason. And I know this, getting anxious or frustrated it’s not going to make him answer us any quicker. As a matter of fact, I bet sometimes he makes us wait longer whenever we do get anxious or frustrated. We must remember, God‘s timing is always perfect. Even when he makes us wait. He will act when he knows it’s best for us. I think if we sit and wait patiently, that shows God that we trust him. That we have hope in him. And waiting also shows God that we expect him to do what’s best for us. I know that this is easier to say than it is to do. But today, let’s start practicing waiting on God. Letting him know that we fully trust him to act whenever he sees fits. Let’s also practice waiting letting him know that we trust him even if he chooses not to act. Let’s do this, because we know that he loves us. And his plan for us is the “best” plan for us. Because he loves us. He always has. He always will.

Bruno Sammartino was the most famous WWF wrestler in the world at one time. He was from Italy. Lived in a small town called Pizzoferrato. Before coming to America, his family had to endure the invasion by the Nazis during World War II. His father was already in the United States working in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He had immigrated there before the war not knowing it was coming. So it was basically Bruno‘s mother and four children when the invasion happened. Truly an amazing tale of survival. You should look it up and watch it.

His mother took the four children and escaped to the mountains above the town. Living without shelter or food. Every now and then, she would sneak back into the town to find food. And then return to the top with the provisions for the family to live on until they ran out. Then she would make the trek again. Over, and over, and over. One time, she was actually captured but was able to escape. Another time, as she was leaving the town she was shot. But was still able to make it back to the top of the mountain with the children. And then there was a moment where they had been located by two Nazis. They were lined up in front of the two soldiers who had a machine gun ready to fire upon them. And literally in the last few seconds before it happened, two of the townsmen were able save Bruno‘s family. All in all, Bruno‘s family lived for 14 months at the top of the mountain.

One thing that stuck out to me about the story was his mother comforting the children in what they believed were the last few moments of their lives. She told them to not be scared. To not be worried. Because it’s only going to last a few moments and they are going to be in paradise with Jesus. No suffering. No pain. Could you imagine? Staring down the barrel of a machine gun pointed out to you and your children. Knowing what’s getting ready to happen. That is the power of our God. That is the power of our Lord and Savior. He can give you a piece and a calm like no other. He provides a hope like no other. And his mother knew that. She had done all that she could do for 14 months. To keep the family alive. And now she knew she had to turn it over to Jesus. She knew that he had them covered. We should all know this. Jesus has us all covered. We just need to put our faith in him.

July 5 is a very important date to me. It’s not simply the day after July 4. And it’s not simply the day before Barbara and I celebrate our marriage anniversary. Today symbolizes the beginning of figuring out what was happening in my body. Figuring out what it was that we were going to face. What I was dealing with. Seven years ago I had a CT-Scan done to get some results to take to my first meeting with a neurologist on July 12. I never met that neurologist. The scan showed other things.

On July 6 of every year, Barbara and I celebrate our marriage in 2002. She’s been putting up with me for 22 years now. God bless her. In 2017, we put our trip on hold because of the scan. We decided to just do some day trips throughout that week. Thank goodness we stayed home. I might not have made it back from vacation according to what we found out. Without going in the great detail, it revealed a mass infection that was killing me. Chances are it would’ve taken over my body on vacation. After being admitted to the hospital that day, we spent five days trying to figure out a plan of attack. But we had to fight the infection off first. And that was an eight week ordeal alone. Which  included IV anabiotic‘s twice a day at home. With the infection being gone, on September 5 we had surgery where my right kidney and my gallbladder were both removed. But the main concern was the aorta and vena cava. Both of them were calcifying. It took robotics under the control of a brilliant surgeon to remove the calcification. Penetrating to deep would have led to me bleeding out within seconds. Barbara was informed of this in the middle of the surgery. Can you imagine hearing that. Just imagine what went through her mind. I learned about this after I woke up in recovery. Talk about shocking.

Although the whole time it was very serious, I never felt anxious. God gave me a calm and peace. But I cannot imagine what Barbara must’ve been going through. I would never want to face what she was facing. Her attitude was incredible. She really is amazing. God had us in his hands. And we expected nothing less than to be blessed. Whether that meant me being here with her, or being there with him, we were blessed. We knew we were facing difficulties. We knew we were facing a tough situation and hard circumstances. But negativity never entered our minds. We tried to stay focused on what his plan was for us. We didn’t know where we’re going, but we tried to see him in everything. And that’s the point of this devotion. Let’s keep our attitudes positive. No matter what it is we are facing. Let’s let God use us through the hardships to show others who he is. To show others his glory. Let’s be his tool. Because his plan is much bigger than we could ever imagine. And if you let him take control, his plan will be revealed.

July 4. Independence Day. Such a blessing living in a country that celebrates because of what our forefathers did for us over 200 years ago. Just think about that for a moment. They knew signing the Declaration of Independence was going to lead to war with the most powerful country in the world at that time. They knew King George was going to send all he had to put down the rebellion. Yet they still signed it. For that we need to be thankful.

One of the reasons the Declaration of Independence even became a document was for religious freedom. For those of you that don’t know, the Church of England was law at one point. And the leader of that church was the king. So not only was the declaration declaring that we were going to be a separate country, we were pulling away from religious law. And that is something that we can now cling to. Religious freedom. I’m not sure the forefathers saw just how far religious freedom has gone. But, we have that right. And it is a constitutional right. One that we should not take lightly. Now let’s talk a little bit about our responsibilities. 

A few years ago, our preacher made a comment in his message that has always stuck with me. Basically, he told us that as Christians, we have become comfortable over the last 30, 40, 50 years. Almost taking our belief for granted. Not really standing up to anything because it didn’t affect us personally. And oh how right he was. How right he is now. We have become comfortable. And that can lead to laziness. And in certain situations, laziness can lead to our fall. Because laziness is dangerous. So today, I challenge you to not only celebrate July 4. I challenge you to seek for ways to show others your belief. Show others who Jesus Christ is. Today I challenge you to honor what was signed for us 200+ years ago. Remember those who have served. Who have died. And who are still serving to  protect that document. Let’s be strong as Christians. Let others see the Love and Hope that only comes from Jesus Christ. Let others see the peace that he gives you. I can think of no greater way to honor our Lord and Savior then by being bold.

Here’s a question for you to think about. I hope it challenges you to really analyze your heart. I know it challenges me. So here’s the question: “Do you really trust God?” I mean “really” trust God. There are so many ways to look at this. And it’s hard for us to fully put our trust in something that is unseen. But that’s where our faith comes into play. Think about it for a moment. We are called to fully trust God. 100%. And that means we need to relinquish some control over what we are doing. When we are doing things. And why we are doing things. I know it’s hard. But that’s where the trust comes into play.

Let’s go to the Bible for a moment here. Let’s recall Noah. I know you know the story. God told Noah that it was going to rain and cover the earth with water. And he told Noah to be prepared. Noah trusted God. He fully believed that God was going to do what he said he was going to do. Noah expected it to happen. And that is because of his faith. He knew that God was going to keep his promise about what was to come. Wow! Let that sink in. He fully expected it to rain and for the earth to be covered. Would you have?

When we have faith in our Lord and Savior, we expect God to act. It may not be the way we want to it be, but we expect him to act. Now for the fun part. If we are expecting God to act, we must prepare for it. We must prepare for the promise to take place. So today, look at yourself and your expectations of God. Actually, let’s all do that. Let’s expect our Lord and Savior to do what he says he’s going to do. But we better be ready. We better be prepared. Let’s trust him like no other. Let’s be prepared to receive the word and to know that the promise is going to happen.

If any of you follow me on social media, you see that I make regular jokes about my bride and myself. It’s all in fun. She knows it. I know it. We know it. And I think most of you know it too. Although it doesn’t happen very often, sometimes someone out there takes offense. And then just attacks me. Like I’m some type of male chauvinist pig. Recently, I had a woman call me Tarzan. And that she tamed me. Even when I tried to explain it, she couldn’t get over it. Then there are times that I watch others argue back-and-forth over different things. Sometimes it turns pretty ugly. We live in a day and age where people get very comfortable behind a keyboard. And say things that they wouldn’t say face-to-face. When looking at a screen, attitudes can turn pretty sour pretty quickly. 

You’re probably wondering what does arguing on social media have to do with my devotion. In this life, I believe there is one thing that we can 100% control 100% of the time. I could be wrong. But that’s what I believe. We can control our attitudes. No matter the situation. We can choose. For example, I can choose to retaliate with a bad attitude to those who don’t see humor my jokes. And I admit, there’s times in the past that I have done that. But I like to think that’s my distant past. And I know this as well, we always have an attitude. Sometimes we have a positive attitude. Sometimes we have a negative attitude. The choice is ours. One thing we always tell our kiddos, feeling bad doesn’t give you the greenlight to have a bad attitude. You can still be nice.

This is all important stuff because our attitudes can really dictate our days. I think bad attitudes are selfish attitudes because you are focused on only you. And I think it’s just opposite can be said about a good attitudes. Think about it. I bet often times when you have a good attitude you are concerned more about others more than your self. Attitudes definitely can shift our focus. And they play an important role in how we view our lives. And that can lead us in different directions. I think that our ability to have an attitude is a great gift that God has given us. Here’s something that I read earlier: “Speaking life over death will change your perspective, which changes your attitude.” If we do that, the optimism that we will live life with can be amazing. Now…I know sometimes it can be really difficult in tough situations. Sometimes it can be difficult if we are miserably sick. And sometimes it can be difficult when we lose someone we love. If this is something that you struggle with, you might consider turning towards God. Ask him to help you control your attitude. Pray for the ability to control it. If you do these things, then you become more aware of your attitude. And being more aware of it, can help you have more control over it. We get one shot at life on earth. One! Try to choose to have a attitude of optimism. That will help bring more joy into your life. And then you can better serve others.

Barbara and I have five grandchildren. Such joy having them. Our youngest granddaughter just turned six years old on Saturday. How did that happen? Where did time go? Next week, our youngest daughter is getting married. What? Once again, how did that happen? Where did time go? You blink, and your children are adults. Hard to comprehend. What I know is this…Seems like time is going faster, faster, and faster. As we get older, time goes by faster. I wish I could slow it down. Do you feel that way?

This time last year, we were talking about our daughter-in-law taking a new position as an instructor for one of the local nursing schools. We mentioned how our son’s family took a new job, bought a new house, and enrolled the kids in new schools. How that was a lot to take on in a short time. This year, our oldest daughter’s family is getting ready to move back from Mississippi. Hopefully that takes place within the next month or so. So we will have our three children, and our five grandchildren, all within a short drive of us. Talk about a blessing.

As I mentioned earlier, I wish there was a way to slow time down. To bring back the time when our kids were just young children. Bring back a time when their biggest concern was choosing between cereal or cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Those days are gone. And time continues moving forward. And as time moves forward, we know this truth: God’s timing is always perfect. Sometimes you don’t know why things happen, until they happen. And even then, sometimes we don’t know why. Even though we may not know why, we must trust that God‘s plan is perfect. It might be a moment where we should be still and listen for God. Let him work on our hearts. Let him give us wisdom. Let him give us a discernment. Let him build humility in us. All part of his plan for us if we let him take hold. So today, let’s work on listening to God. Let’s work on focusing attention on him. What he wants for us may not be obvious at times. But his plan will be revealed at one point. And oh boy, it will be glorious and good.

Today is the last day of the sixth month of the year. Basically, we are halfway through the year. How did that happen? We’ve all heard how time flies as you get older. Hard to argue with that. Every year seems to come quicker and go by faster. One day or youngest child is just an infant. The next, you look around and she’s turning 20. And then she’s getting married next week. We’ve also heard how time flies when you’re having fun. I think that partially means that the things that we enjoy doing never seem to last long enough. I could be wrong. But that’s how I view it.

Looking back at where the last six months have taken us, we’ve talked about several things. Dealing with obstacles. Overcoming challenges. Celebrating victories. Enjoying successes. And more. But the reoccurring theme that always pops up with what we’re reading and writing about is God‘s grace. How God‘s grace is involved in everything. Because it’s through his grace that we are able to rejoice no matter what it is that we’re facing. Because it’s through his grace that we have the strength to overcome whatever comes our way. And also, because it’s through his grace that we feel the love and hope the only comes from Jesus. When we look at our lives like this, it’s easy to see that his grace is truly involved in everything. And everything means quite literally everything.

How do we know this? We know this because we read this. It’s in God‘s word. The Bible tells us that God‘s grace is sufficient. And I know sometimes it’s very hard to believe this. Especially, whenever things seem insurmountable. But even in times like that, times that seem insurmountable, we still turn towards God for his grace. I believe that is because often we do not know what else to do. Where else to turn. Sometimes even those that do not believe will ask for prayer. Seeking God‘s grace. That’s how powerful it is. I often pray for God to put a hedge of protection around my family. To cover us with his cloak. That’s my way of asking for his grace. Have you ever asked for his protection? Maybe today would be a great day to ask for God to cover you. To ask him into all aspects of your life. Let his grace go to work on you. And then others will see his hope and his love through you. Just think about where that could go. So glorious.

If you have ever received some not so great news, raise your hand. If I were to take inventory at this point with all of you reading this, I would expect to see every one of you with your hand up. I can’t imagine going through this life and not ever hearing something that wasn’t necessarily good. I guess there’s a slim chance someone out there has always received good news. And if there is, I’m happy for you. But chances are, at some point or another in our life time, we are going to receive news that really isn’t what we want to hear at all. And sometimes it comes at the most inopportune time.

Some of us find out about illnesses that are not curable. Some of us find out about accidents that are horrific. Some of us may be called into the office to find out that we have been let go from our jobs. Some of us may learn about the death of a loved one. I think you get my point. Not so good news can sometimes become a regular occurrence. I know our family has had our share of it. And I also know this about our family, through it all we have been able to get through it because of the grace of God. God has provided us hope and comfort through difficult times. God has provided us peace. He has even provided us wisdom on how to get through tough times. And I’m certain that he will continue to do so.

Jesus came to earth and died on the cross for us all. He did so because his love for us is that deep. He has paved the path for us to join him. And that is what gets us through the difficulties that we’re going to face. Knowing that he is there for us. He is waiting for us. When I say us, I’m talking about you as well. I’m talking about everyone. Unfortunately, some of us are going to give it a shot on our own. We’re going to go through this lifetime trying to figure it all out without God in our lives. I couldn’t imagine trying that. Knowing where that takes us in the end. I couldn’t imagine it. But some of us do. So today, if you don’t know Jesus, make today the day that you come to know him. Make today the day that you welcome Him into your heart. Receive the peace and hope that ONLY comes from him. And if you know Jesus, maybe today is the day that you reignite your fire to serve him. Either way, if we have Jesus in our lives, he will get us through those times that are not so good. Know that. Believe that. Trust that. Because it’s true.