As most of you know I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a couple of years ago. Since then it has been a battle to watch what I eat, stay away from sugars and get some regular exercise.
Last week I got another A1C test which checks your blood sugar for the past 3 months. This is the test that tells on you if you've been cheating or not doing your exercise.
When I returned home today I got a message from my doctor that my A1C came back at 6.3%, that is excellent! The normal range for A1C is 4-5.9%, which places me just above the norm.
Needless to say I'm very happy and energized to keep at the stuff so my A1C stays low. I recognize that this is just a small victory in the battle but I'm happy anyway!
I Remain,
Pastor Steve
Friday, August 18, 2006
Another One In College
Greetings all!
Just returned from dropping off Amy at FBBC in Ankeny. She seems fairly excited and is really looking forward to the rest of her friends returning to the school today and tomorrow. She was assigned to one of the older dorm but the upside is the amount of room! These dorm rooms are huge compared to the cubbyholes that the new dorms seem to be. Classes start on Monday but their schedule is packed all weekend with orientation meetings.
I know that some may be wondering how Mom & Dad handled their little girl going off to college; well here are the details ... there are none. Once again, taking one of our kids to FAITH seem so natural as the next step in their spiritual growth and development. I'm not going to kid you WE WILL MISS AMY HERE, but we are also convinced she is right where Gods wants her. Would you pray for her as she continues to seek God's will for her life?
Lest we forget Daniel, he is looking forward to another year in ministry preparation. This will be a tough year for him as he will begin the first of 4 semesters of Greek. He is also looking forward to doing his pastoral internship next summer. Dan is well entrenched at Faith now with lots of friends and one special friend (Maggie). Please continue to pray for Daniel as he prepares for future ministry!
I Remain,
Pastor Steve
Just returned from dropping off Amy at FBBC in Ankeny. She seems fairly excited and is really looking forward to the rest of her friends returning to the school today and tomorrow. She was assigned to one of the older dorm but the upside is the amount of room! These dorm rooms are huge compared to the cubbyholes that the new dorms seem to be. Classes start on Monday but their schedule is packed all weekend with orientation meetings.
I know that some may be wondering how Mom & Dad handled their little girl going off to college; well here are the details ... there are none. Once again, taking one of our kids to FAITH seem so natural as the next step in their spiritual growth and development. I'm not going to kid you WE WILL MISS AMY HERE, but we are also convinced she is right where Gods wants her. Would you pray for her as she continues to seek God's will for her life?
Lest we forget Daniel, he is looking forward to another year in ministry preparation. This will be a tough year for him as he will begin the first of 4 semesters of Greek. He is also looking forward to doing his pastoral internship next summer. Dan is well entrenched at Faith now with lots of friends and one special friend (Maggie). Please continue to pray for Daniel as he prepares for future ministry!
I Remain,
Pastor Steve
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Back in the Saddle Again
Wow! The past three months have been a flash! I guess it started back in May if I'm going to be accurate. We had Amy's graduation celebration followed by her graduation and then we hit June!
In June we had Special Camp at the Iowa Regular Baptist Camp where I served as Program Chairman. We served about 85 mentally and physically challenged campers. It was a great week! But no time to rest because the very next week we had our VBS at our church. Again we had a great time of ministry and a very good turn out.
In the midst of all of this, I had the opportunity to begin the process of discipling a new believer. In the process he decided to be baptized and I had the opportunity to eventually baptize 4 and bring a total of 5 into the church membership. What a great blessing and encouragement!
Lynn spent a couple of week at camp as a counselor. Junior Girls Camp and Junior High Camp, as I held down the fort at home. The last thing is June was a flying road trip with some very good friends to the GARBC National Conference held at Lansing, Mi. We departed Ankeny Iowa at 9 PM on Wednesday night and arrived at our overnight destination at 6:30 AM Thursday morning. After a brief sleep we headed out to the GARBC Business Meeting. As soon as the business meeting was over we got a bite to eat at an area Applebee's and then hit the road arriving back in Ankeny at about 3:30 AM Friday morning at which time I drove the hour or so back to Clear Lake arriving home at about 5 AM Friday morning. I learned that I'm not as young as I used to be!
July 4th is always a huge day for us as we attend the parade here in Clear Lake, which is always fun. A cookout at a family in the church and then one of the best fireworks displays in the Midwest! The end of July brings Senior High Camp. This was one of the best weeks of the summer, lots of young people asking Christ to be their Savior, and others surrendering to full time service! God is so good, just to have part in such a week is an honor!
My family and I just wrapped up Family Camp #5. the speakers this week were Missionary John Leonard, Hal Miller & Brian Trainer - Great lineup of speakers, we were truly blessed!
Well in a nutshell that is the short version. I just can't relate to you all that has taken place in the full version, but if you really want more just ask.
Until next time - - - -
I Remain,
Pastor Steve
In June we had Special Camp at the Iowa Regular Baptist Camp where I served as Program Chairman. We served about 85 mentally and physically challenged campers. It was a great week! But no time to rest because the very next week we had our VBS at our church. Again we had a great time of ministry and a very good turn out.
In the midst of all of this, I had the opportunity to begin the process of discipling a new believer. In the process he decided to be baptized and I had the opportunity to eventually baptize 4 and bring a total of 5 into the church membership. What a great blessing and encouragement!
Lynn spent a couple of week at camp as a counselor. Junior Girls Camp and Junior High Camp, as I held down the fort at home. The last thing is June was a flying road trip with some very good friends to the GARBC National Conference held at Lansing, Mi. We departed Ankeny Iowa at 9 PM on Wednesday night and arrived at our overnight destination at 6:30 AM Thursday morning. After a brief sleep we headed out to the GARBC Business Meeting. As soon as the business meeting was over we got a bite to eat at an area Applebee's and then hit the road arriving back in Ankeny at about 3:30 AM Friday morning at which time I drove the hour or so back to Clear Lake arriving home at about 5 AM Friday morning. I learned that I'm not as young as I used to be!
July 4th is always a huge day for us as we attend the parade here in Clear Lake, which is always fun. A cookout at a family in the church and then one of the best fireworks displays in the Midwest! The end of July brings Senior High Camp. This was one of the best weeks of the summer, lots of young people asking Christ to be their Savior, and others surrendering to full time service! God is so good, just to have part in such a week is an honor!
My family and I just wrapped up Family Camp #5. the speakers this week were Missionary John Leonard, Hal Miller & Brian Trainer - Great lineup of speakers, we were truly blessed!
Well in a nutshell that is the short version. I just can't relate to you all that has taken place in the full version, but if you really want more just ask.
Until next time - - - -
I Remain,
Pastor Steve
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Been Awhile!?!?!
This spring has been just insane! There has been so much going on that I really have not made my blog a real priority. However, in the next few days I will try to bring you up to date on thing here and also post a few more of my favorite articles that I have been reading. So stick around and I'll be in touch!
I Remain,
Pastor Steve
I Remain,
Pastor Steve
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Why I Abstain from Alcohol By: John Greening
I have been surprised to hear a few more voices than I would have ever imagined in “conservative” church circles suggesting that drinking alcoholic beverages in moderation is an acceptable practice because of the liberty a believer has in Christ. Many years ago I made a decision not to drink. Here are three reasons I stick by that decision today.
My father told me not to drink. He was a godly man for whom I had great respect. I would have dishonored my father by not heeding his instruction.
An intriguing story in Jeremiah 35 highlights this principle of obedience. The account involves a family named the Rechabites. God used them as an illustration to teach an important lesson to the people of Judah. God had repeatedly admonished His people through His prophets to turn from their evil ways. But they neglected to obey the Heavenly Father’s instruction.
As the story goes, Jeremiah was instructed to bring the Rechabite family into the house of the Lord. There he placed large bowls of wine in front of them and instructed them to drink, but the family declined. Many years earlier their father had placed certain prohibitions on them, including drinking wine. They so respected their father that they abstained from alcohol in obedience to his instruction.
Jeremiah was to relate this account to the people of Judah to drive home an important lesson. The Rechabites obeyed their father even when the temptation of wine was set directly in front of them. In contrast, Judah gave in to temptations, disregarding God’s instructions.
The primary point of this passage is not the specific prohibitions. It is to reinforce the concept that God meant for His people to obey Him by refusing what was not acceptable to God. The people of Judah needed to be admonished because they had carelessly disregarded God’s guidelines.
My dad was a wise man. He knew things about life that I did not yet comprehend when I was younger. So he established rules to protect me from involvement in activities that he believed would be counterproductive to a godly life. My dad is no longer alive. But like the Rechabites’ account to the people of Judah, his words echo in my heart today; therefore, I will not drink. By honoring my father’s instruction, I reinforce the importance of obeying God’s instructions.
My mother wanted me to be a leader some day. She taught me that alcohol is not for leaders. Proverbs 31 tells us that King Lemuel’s mother taught him the same lesson: “It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes intoxicating drink; lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the justice of all the afflicted” (vv. 4, 5).
Alcohol dulls a person’s senses and confuses a person’s ability to make godly, ethical choices. A leader must have all his wits about him to effectively fulfill his responsibilities. Alcohol clouds the mind and therefore should be refused.
My godly mother did her best to raise me to possess leadership characteristics. She would not permit anything to spoil my leadership opportunities. As I grew older, I came to appreciate her conscious effort to develop in my life the wisdom of Proverbs. Whether at home, church, work, or in the community, I must be an alert and engaged leader rather than a man with clouded judgment.
My wife and I are parents, and I am a ministry leader. It is our duty to influence our home and ministry families in a constructive way rather than hinder anyone in his or her spiritual development. I am sobered by the account of Noah’s careless involvement with alcohol and its damaging effect on his family (Genesis 9:20–27). Noah had powerfully influenced his children by earlier living a godly life despite being surrounded by a godless society. The faith he demonstrated as he constructed the ark was a tremendous testimony to his children. Yet his episode with alcohol left tragic scars on his family. Our liberty must be restrained so we will not cause vulnerable and impressionable people to stumble.
There is good reason not to drink alcohol. I suggest you abstain and encourage others in your church or ministry organization to do the same.
Published on Baptist Bulletin Online (http://www.baptistbulletin.org)
My father told me not to drink. He was a godly man for whom I had great respect. I would have dishonored my father by not heeding his instruction.
An intriguing story in Jeremiah 35 highlights this principle of obedience. The account involves a family named the Rechabites. God used them as an illustration to teach an important lesson to the people of Judah. God had repeatedly admonished His people through His prophets to turn from their evil ways. But they neglected to obey the Heavenly Father’s instruction.
As the story goes, Jeremiah was instructed to bring the Rechabite family into the house of the Lord. There he placed large bowls of wine in front of them and instructed them to drink, but the family declined. Many years earlier their father had placed certain prohibitions on them, including drinking wine. They so respected their father that they abstained from alcohol in obedience to his instruction.
Jeremiah was to relate this account to the people of Judah to drive home an important lesson. The Rechabites obeyed their father even when the temptation of wine was set directly in front of them. In contrast, Judah gave in to temptations, disregarding God’s instructions.
The primary point of this passage is not the specific prohibitions. It is to reinforce the concept that God meant for His people to obey Him by refusing what was not acceptable to God. The people of Judah needed to be admonished because they had carelessly disregarded God’s guidelines.
My dad was a wise man. He knew things about life that I did not yet comprehend when I was younger. So he established rules to protect me from involvement in activities that he believed would be counterproductive to a godly life. My dad is no longer alive. But like the Rechabites’ account to the people of Judah, his words echo in my heart today; therefore, I will not drink. By honoring my father’s instruction, I reinforce the importance of obeying God’s instructions.
My mother wanted me to be a leader some day. She taught me that alcohol is not for leaders. Proverbs 31 tells us that King Lemuel’s mother taught him the same lesson: “It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes intoxicating drink; lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the justice of all the afflicted” (vv. 4, 5).
Alcohol dulls a person’s senses and confuses a person’s ability to make godly, ethical choices. A leader must have all his wits about him to effectively fulfill his responsibilities. Alcohol clouds the mind and therefore should be refused.
My godly mother did her best to raise me to possess leadership characteristics. She would not permit anything to spoil my leadership opportunities. As I grew older, I came to appreciate her conscious effort to develop in my life the wisdom of Proverbs. Whether at home, church, work, or in the community, I must be an alert and engaged leader rather than a man with clouded judgment.
My wife and I are parents, and I am a ministry leader. It is our duty to influence our home and ministry families in a constructive way rather than hinder anyone in his or her spiritual development. I am sobered by the account of Noah’s careless involvement with alcohol and its damaging effect on his family (Genesis 9:20–27). Noah had powerfully influenced his children by earlier living a godly life despite being surrounded by a godless society. The faith he demonstrated as he constructed the ark was a tremendous testimony to his children. Yet his episode with alcohol left tragic scars on his family. Our liberty must be restrained so we will not cause vulnerable and impressionable people to stumble.
There is good reason not to drink alcohol. I suggest you abstain and encourage others in your church or ministry organization to do the same.
Published on Baptist Bulletin Online (http://www.baptistbulletin.org)
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