What's the plan?

Do you sometimes sit and wonder what God's plan is or what he has next for you? Nothing wrong with contemplation at times, but do we take too much time thinking about possibilities, rather than attacking possibilities.

God directed Jeremiah to ask him what was next and he would reveal it to him. Don't you think he is desiring the same from us? He wants to reveal to us possibilities and promises for our lives. Maybe he is just waiting for us to ask.

He has something remarkable for us. So, ask God today what's next. Then attack the possibilities he lays before you.

"Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come." (Jeremiah 33:3 NLT)

Fan or Follower?

In our Life Group we have been going through the series, "Not a Fan." We just finished week three and it definitely has spurred on good conversation with in our group. I had a good conversation tonight with a group member that had been thinking about the scripture we explored last night in Matthew Chapter 19. I was glad to hear he had been chewing on the ideas we explored the night before, because I too had been doing the same.

You see last night we explored the account of the "Rich Young Ruler." In this account a rich asked Jesus, "What good deed must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus first reply basically told him follow my commandments and love your neighbor has yourself. The rich man said he had done those things, but he insisted to know what more must he do. This man obviously not realizing eternal life was standing right in front of him in the person of Jesus. He was under the impression that some good work could get him into heaven, Jesus set him straight about eternal life. Good works are not going to do it, that's not what it's about. Jesus says, "Sell your stuff, leave it behind, and Follow Me." The rich man walked away head hanging in sadness because the cost of following Jesus was too much for him. 

What about me? What about you? What's our cost of following Jesus? I know that in our American culture the cost is seemingly low for following Jesus. We live in a free country right? No threat of death for following Jesus. True, and we also live in a country that the poorest person isn't even close to as poor as those in 3rd world nations. A few verses down in Matthew 19:23-24 Jesus brings it strong saying, "I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. I'll say it again, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven." Wow. "I mean Jesus, seriously. I go to church on Sunday. I even sacrifice 30 to 45 minutes of my time as a door greeter for the church every other month. I'm doing my part Jesus. What do you want from me?" Jesus answer is, "Follow me. Surrender everything. Even your money." You see, Jesus doesn't want us to be a spectator like we are of our favorite team. Jesus never wanted fans. Fans watch the game and can be fickle. Followers are in the game and are all in on the vision and direction Jesus has for their lives, their families and the church. Jesus wants us to surrender our finances. As Christians we need to be giving our tithes and offerings at church. If you are truly tithing it is a sacrifice at times, but that is exactly what makes it so powerful. Test God and tithe. I am not saying he is going to bless you with a million dollars or money of any type, but I am saying he will bless you in ways you couldn't imagine. He will show you his power when money is tight and you don't know how you are going to pay that bill. He will honor his word and show his provision in your life in more ways than just financially. I challenge you to tithe and see what God does. It's biblical right? If I asked you if you thought the bible was the infallible Word of God, I have a hunch you would say "Of course it is!" Then why don't we trust God when it comes to our money and tithing?

Talking about money gets people on edge. It is probably one of the most tangible examples of what we are talking about here. However, following Jesus isn't all about money. The cost to following Jesus is deeper than that. Holding tight onto your money may be the physical manifestation of something much deeper. Following Jesus means you quit putting yourself before God. Has your pride made you a worshiper of self? You might be reading this now and saying, "What are we even talking about here? This dude is getting crazy." Think about it though the bible warns against idols. Anything that we place before God is an idol. Are you placing your trust in God or in yourself? It is easy to do this in our culture because we do lead comfortable lives and we look at our houses, cars and jobs and say, "Look what I've accomplished." We live in an I and me society. Our pride swells and we don't give credit where credit is due. We live like we don't need God.

So, even in this comfortable American Culture following Jesus does have a cost. The cost of following Jesus is giving him your whole life. Not just portions of it or compartmentalizing him into the areas you choose. Jesus wants ALL of you. When Jesus said "Pick up your cross and follow me," that is exactly what he wants. He wants you to follow him at all costs. In the good times or in the bad times he wants you to be obedient to his word and trust him with the details of your life. The cost of following Jesus is your life. It isn't always easy, but it is worth it. It is the only hope you can count on. Jesus loves us so much and has our best interests in mind. He desperately wants us to have a deeper surrender to him, in order to help us live greater lives for him.

The Rich Young Ruler couldn't count the cost. He had pride in his possessions and wealth. He couldn't let go and count the cost. We have to now ask ourselves, "Can I count the cost? Am I a fan or am I a follower?"

"My Take on Tebow"

I hate the Denver Broncos. I have been bred to hate them since I was a small child. I have been a Kansas City Chiefs fan my whole life, so I have had no choice. I bleed Chiefs red and yellow. I am passionate about football and my team. I know the Chiefs haven't had the greatest success as of late, but that doesn't matter. They are my team. I am 30 years old and I haven't ever had any other team. I remember when the Chiefs would lose when I was a kid it would ruin my day. I can't pin point it exactly, but I love them. I always have hope for success. I have been over joyous in big wins and almost brought to tears in big losses (AFC Championship game against the Bills inpaticular). I love the Kansas City Chiefs. Always have, always will. I hate the Broncos, I am bred to do so.

I remember when I was a kid watching John Elway do things that I didn't think were possible. When the Chiefs would play the Broncos we would have him in our clutches, so close to a sack you would rise out of your seat, but alas more times than not he would escape. I don't know the percentage of times that the Broncos won and the Chiefs won in that era, but I know when the Chiefs would win I felt like I could take on the world. More times than not though it seems like Elway would provide some sort of magic and end up winning more than not.

Even at the end of Elways career when he had accomplished everything, but a Super Bowl win I didn't have sympathy for him. I didn't want the Broncos to win and I relished at the possibility that Elway would be thought of as, "A great QB that NEVER won a Super Bowl." I thought at least that, the Broncos and Elway would not achieve. At least I could relish in THAT. Then right there at the end of his career Elway lead the Broncos to 2 Super Bowl wins. I wanted to puke. I hate the Denver Broncos.

Elway retired and the Broncos declined. Their decline was glorious. It was a good run. Then before I knew what hit me this year, Tim Tebow got the start. I was not worried at first. The beginning of the Tebow era didn't start well, but that was just one game. They have only lost 1 game since Tebow started taking the snaps. I hate the Denver Broncos, but this time something is different.

I am an avid Chiefs fan through thick and thin, but more than that I am an avid Christian. I try and live my life as an example to others. I try and share my faith and show people Jesus. So does Tim Tebow. Ugh, what dilema. I tried at first at first to say, "Well he is a great guy and I am glad he is using is platform to share Christ while he has it, because he won't be starting soon. His skill set does not translate to the NFL. This ride will be over soon." You can only say that for so many weeks before you don't even believe it yourself, because Tebow keeps winning. I wittnessed one of the wins live against my beloved Chiefs. I have found myself captivated Tebow and have watched Broncos games that I normally wouldn't have. He looks horrible for the first 3 quarters which makes me think my previous statement about him is still right, but before you know it he pulls it out some how in the end.

Tebow has had everyone telling him the same thing I was several weeks ago. "Your skills don't translate to the NFL. You aren't good enough." Through it all he keeps winning and more inspiring through it all he points to Christ. He won't stop talking about Jesus. I can't help it. I'm sorry, but I have started rooting for him. I want him to win. I want to see him succeed. I want him to beat the odds.

Does this mean I am trading my Chiefs red and yellow for Broncos blue and orange? NO. I am a Chiefs fan and will not waiver on that. Never will. But I am inspired by Tim Tebow. I am a fan of Tebow. I hope he gets traded to another team. I hate the Denver Broncos.

My Lovely

Hopefully we all take time out from our busy schedules to reflect from time to time. I have been doing that a lot lately. I look at my life and think, "Wow." I am not a financially rich man. I am not poor either I suppose, but many would laugh at my salary. What they wouldn't laugh at though is my true wealth. God has blessed me with many things (which includes my dashing good looks). Obviously my salvation through his grace is the most amazing wealth I own. Through his mercy and grace though he has also blessed me with the most amazing wife.

I was very cautious with relationships before Arlie. I saw all these people with unhappy marriages and lives. I didn't want to settle for second best. There were girls that came my way, but I would lose interest quickly because something didn't seem right to me. I refused to settle. Some people thought I was crazy and would never get married because I could always find something wrong with a girl. I was too "picky." I admit I am picky. I wanted the best. I wanted the person that God had carved out just for me. I wouldn't settle for anything less than the best.

When I met Arlie at the Cornerstone Music Fest in Bushnell, IL I knew she was the one very early on. We met just by "chance" at a music festival with 30,000 people there. The problem though is that she lived 1200 miles away in Lebanon, PA. We would talk on the phone and as she spoke, I would listen to the things she said and stand amazed. She was what I was looking for. She is what I wanted. I knew she felt the same way, but she was still in college and I was just going back to college after taking a short sabbatical. How could we make this work? The distance was so difficult. We had some ups and downs as we tried to figure our relationship out. One thing that never changed though is that even though our family and friends thought we were crazy is that we both knew we were meant for each other, but the obstacle of distance, money and finishing our educations were in the way. I would go visit her in PA and she would visit me here in Mo. This went on for over 3 years.

We talked every night on the phone. Sometimes all I had was her voice. We learned how to communicate very well before we were even married. I honestly think that this gave us an advantage to some young couples because we were not with each other physically for most of our "dating" relationship. We knew each other very well because communication is all we had. After Arlie graduated from college we finally got to have more than just the phone. She moved to MO to be with me since I still had some college to finish. We got married, I finished college and now we have a family. Amazing right?

There is more to this story than I could really type right now, but as you can see we met under unique circumstances and also dated in a unique way. That is all amazing that it actually worked. What is more amazing to me still though is how God knew that Arlie was my perfect match. She is my best friend. I never get tired of being around her. Her laugh lights up the room and her smile melts my heart. She is more than I could have ever asked for. She is one of the strongest people I know. She is an incredible mother and wife.

I look at our life together and I continually realize I am rich. Because of her in my life I am wealthy. She is truly My Lovely.

Steady. Focus.

I just turned 30. I am totally fine with being 30, age doesn't really get me down. It has caused me to reflect a lot on my life though. I have made a lot of recent changes. I started eating right and have lost over 20lbs. I have been a lot more active and have worked out more than I have in years. I still need to be a little more consistent, but all in all I've done okay. These changes have been good. I feel good and losing 20lbs has been great. These physical changes were needed. Honestly though the physical changes haven't been that challenging, it's the spiritual changes that are really leaving me sore and beat up.

I feel as if God has been laying a lot on my heart lately. In examining what I feel is on my heart and the desire of my heart, I have learned a lot about myself. Some of the things I have learned about myself I really like and of course there are a lot of other areas in my life that I don't like. This is the same for everyone I expect. The Bible is clear though that we should examine ourselves. 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, "Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith." Examining ourselves is a crucial part of our walk. How else can we see our faults and push forward to be better?

In Hebrews 12:1 the author says, "...let us run with endurance the race God has set before us." Run with endurance, what does this mean? To endure means to last or withstand through wear and tear. As we know through life there is a lot of wear and tear. Life is a journey and we never know what is around the next turn. I see life and our spiritual walks like running a marathon. A marathon is long and hard. The runner must stay mental and physically focused. The runner must endure and stay steady. A marathon runner doesn't sprint out of the gate recklessly they stay steady and focused. I have found that many Christians, myself included, don't preform in our spiritual walks like a marathon runner, but we like a sprinter. We run spiritual wind sprints. We run as hard as we can and hit a finish line. We stop. Who knows how long we stop for. Then we at some point get geared up again and want to run with God and we shoot out of the gate as fast as we can. We do a 40 yard dash and we stop. Again.

Our spiritual walk is a marathon. I am learning how to be more patient, stay focused and steady myself. The marathon could feel long and it isn't easy. However, if I steady myself and keep my eyes on the prize, come what may I will win. We will win. We win.

Kiddos

It's hard when you have kids not to compare the two. Olive was my first. She is probably the most easy going kids I've ever known. She goes with the flow and is always game for whatever we are doing. Olive is also very petite. When she was an infant she was not an aggressive eater. We felt victorious just to get an ounce down her. She ate about every 3 to 4 hours, and even then we had to make her eat. She still doesn't eat that much. She has good eating days and bad. She also has pretty much slept through the night from the moment she was born. We would wake her up at night for nighttime feedings, but other than that she didn't wake up. Even when she graduated from the crib to a toddler bed it was an easy transition for her. She just went with the flow. Olive has never slept in our bed. She sleeps in her room and doesn't even require a night light. She is small, but she is tough, surprisingly rough and independent. Always has been.

I know Titus is only a few days old, but he doesn't exhibit any of Olive's traits. Well, he may be tough he definitely has shown some toughness. For the most part though they are polar opposites. First of all Titus eats like a horse. In his very first feeding in the hospital he ate 30ml. Since then he constantly drinks 2 to 2 1/2 ounces a feeding. Instead of eating every 3 to 4 hours he wants to eat every 2 hours! This means the night time feedings are double what we were use to with Olive. Also we don't have to wake him up to eat, he wakes us up. At first I wasn't sure if hunger was the reason for him waking up, but alas it is. He weighs more than Olive did, is taller than Olive was and requires more than Olive ever did. So far he doesn't seem very go with the flow. He seems to have his own idea of what he wants. The one thing, as stated before, that he and Olive both seem to have is toughness. Olive never cries when she gets a shot and so far Titus hasn't either. He didn't even cry when the nurse was beating his back trying to make him cry to clear his lungs. He just looked at her like, "Is that all you got?"

With all that said I am not complaining. He is perfect. Olive is perfect too. I am probably the luckiest Dad in the world. Thankful.

Titus Roman Templeton

Dear Titus,
We are greatly anticipating your arrival. I haven't even met you yet and I love you deeply. You are my son. I can't believe you are arriving in 5 days. There has been so much preparation for months. Your Mom, sister Olive and I have been talking about you so much. Olive is ready to be a good big sister to you. Mommy and I are ready to see your face.

There is so much I want to teach you. So much I want to share with you that I'm busting. I need to be patient. I don't want to push you into my interests, but of course I will encourage it a bit. I promise not to push you too hard. Whether you play football, basketball or baseball is up to you. You can be into music, art or whatever. I will support you.

The most important thing I want share with you is Jesus Christ. I've been praying since I knew your Mom was pregnant with you that you would know Christ at a young age, follow him all the days of your life, and that he would use you in a mighty way. No matter what occupation you choose to be Christ can use you. The sky is the limit. I believe in you and you can be anything you want to be. It takes hard work and effort, but I will teach you that as well. It won't always be easy, but it's worth it.

I will always be there for you. Even when you mess up, I will love you. Sure, I will get angry at you and you will at me, but what I want to establish is love and respect through discipline. Discipline isn't a bad thing. The Bible is clear that God disciplines his children because he loves them. He wants to ensure they make the right choices that lead them to his will. That's all I want, I want to help you make the right choices. I don't want you to obey me because of fear, but because you love me. So just know even though I will disipline it is because I love you deeply and want the best for you.

Oh Titus, I just am so ready to hold you. I want to pour myself into you and hope that you only get the good things. I pray that you grow to be a better man than me. I can show you so much, but I hope you go further than me. Be a better man than me. I have a lot of flaws, and you will get to know those soon. I will fail you, I will mess up, but I will do my best to correct those failures and mess ups. We are in this together. We are family. I am honored to call you my son.

I love you and I will always be there for you.

Love,
Dad