Growin' Up Gregory

So North Korea tested another ballistic missile that can supposedly reach anywhere in the mainland United States.  That means you should probably be paying attention to this if you aren't already.  Now I know that many people on each side of politics have differing views concerning how to handle situations like these via war and diplomacy.  There have been many diplomatic attempts to persuade North Korea to cease its nuclear operations, including current requests from the president to China and Japan to handle this diplomatically.  I am far from an expert on international relations, so allow me to attempt to simplify this situation. My family and I live in our home.  It has property lines, walls, and doors.  If you threaten, or even insinuate, that you may harm someone in my family; and show that you have the equipment, ability, and possible intent to do so; I will not wait for you to break in the door to deal with you.  Yes, we can try to work out o...

I'm going to say something here that my wife will likely be the first to respond with a "Second" or "Amen!"  I feel that I have been successful in a lot of aspects of my life because I'm better than some people.  Now, I know that sounds cocky so let me explain.  I have a good job, a loving family, a reliable car, health, plenty of food, and secure finances.  Being cocky would mean believing that "I" did all of that.  But I am well aware that each of those things listed could be taken away from me in an instant if God so desires.  And that it is because of His will that anything good (or bad) is even in my life.  So yes, I am proud of the success I've had in certain areas, but I know who it's from too (Galations 6:14). And I honestly believe that any of us as Christians should feel just as confident knowing that God's got our back.  Leviticus 26:3 reads, "If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them..." ...

Wow, what a Thanksgiving week it's been for 2017!  Monday morning started with a scheduled C-section for Aubree, followed by numerous visitors, days and nights of sleeping for 2 hours at a time, countless prayers, coming home, and finally Thanksgiving with our families on Thursday.  I can proudly say that I have an amazing family, both immediate and extended.  But I must humbly admit that a large part of the reason I am who I am today is because of all of these people.  It's crazy as we stood around yesterday reflecting in my head on a memory and impact that each person there has had on my life.  Sometimes we tend to take family for granted and allow them to slip from being a high priority to falling behind friends, success, and wealth.  But our family has literally done it all for us over the past few days.  They have watched Thomas, cleaned, cooked, brought food, prayed, called, texted, delivered coffee (that I was without for 2 days), and made adjus...

A lot of people don't like mornings, unless it's a Saturday morning where they can sleep in until lunch when morning is technically over.  Personally, I love mornings.  It's my quiet time, my workout time, and my breakfast time (3 things I enjoy!).  But many mornings by the time I head to work my mood has changed.  I've gone from the peaceful accomplished feeling of quiet devotion with God and a good workout to rushing, hurrying, trying to get out the door without forgetting something and be on time (I prefer early).  I can often tell when I get in my car that morning what kind of day I'm going to have.  But essentially, my morning and my preparation to begin the day, that hour or so from 7-8 sets the tone for the rest of the day. My study over the past couple weeks has been on a similar topic that doesn't always get the glory because we often times don't see what all goes into it, preparation.  In Leviticus 9:1-14, the priest had to make sacrifices ...

One of the hot political topics right now is tax reform.  And, spoiler alert, there are people on both sides that are for and against the new bill.  The biggest issues I've heard from it so far are: 1.  Tax cuts for low to middle income families. 2.  Tax cuts for the wealthy. 3.  Tax cuts for corporations. so let's look at those. I believe that all politicians want to at least say they will, and hopefully do, make tax cuts for what I consider normal working class people like my family, my friends, and myself who work a regular job with enough money to live off of but not so much that we have no financial stresses in our life.  We all want a break on taxes which means more money in our pocket.  Money that we can use to be charitable, give to our loved ones, save, pay off debt, or even sparingly treat ourselves.  This is also money that we still spend in stores, restaurants, and other businesses which guess what...makes more people money....

I watched a few NFL football games on Sunday.  At this point with all the protests and boycotts, I'm not sure if that makes people think that I'm an activist, a patriot, or just a guy who likes football.  Oddly enough, I actually enjoy the pregame talks and analysis more than the game itself sometimes.  And for the past few weeks I have tried to tune in early in order to see all of the pregame "activities." I noticed several weeks ago when kneeling in protest during the National Anthem became the "trendy" or "cool" thing to do that the NFL and major networks seemed to buy into that hype and attempt to use it to boost ratings.  I assume they were going with the old adage; "There is no such thing as bad publicity."  However, as ratings, sponsors, advertisers, and eventually money began to decline, the pregame protests became less of a focal point. And finally, this Sunday, November 12th, I believe the NFL and networks finally got it rig...

What is worship?  We could spend a lot of time discussing this question to come to a consensus definition of what worship is to us.  Most would like say that worship is praying, singing, going to church, or reading the Bible.  But worship is so much more.  It is God's desire for all of His people to worship Him.  "Simply put, worship is engaging with God, treasuring God, and submitting to God."  How do we do that? In Leviticus 9:15-21 (READ), we read about the first duty of the priest as he offers sacrifices and offerings for the sins of the people.  But before the priest could make sacrifices for the people's sins, he had to make sacrifices for his own sins (Lev 9:1-14).  The Israelites were set apart as God's people and were the only nation commanded to build tabernacles and offer sacrifices.  Aaron first offered a goat as a sin offering for the people.  This was a sacrifice for unintentional sin as many of us often sin without even ...

God has recently instructed Moses to lead the people out of Sinai toward the land He has promised them.  But, God has sent them out with an angel and told Moses that He would no longer be with the people.  How would Moses respond when the one who called him to this task at the burning bush and who has led him this entire way was now deserting him?  We will see that Moses' faith and relationship with God had grown so close that he was able to ask the hard questions, the serious questions, about where their relationship stood and if God would continue to lead them or not. Read Exodus 33:12-16. Look at what Moses asked God for in v13: "Show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight."  'Moses had been speaking with God on a more intimate level than anyone in human history save Adam and Eve before the Fall.'  Yet he was still pursuing God's presences, still pursuing getting to know God better.  One day, hopefully you gra...

Last week we looked at the story of The Golden Calf and how the people allowed an inanimate object take God's place of priority and worship in their lives.  Now in Exodus 33, the fallout of idolatry and sin continues for the Israelites. The Lord said to Moses, "Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'To your offspring I will give it.' "  God then promised Moses to send an angel before the people to drive out the current inhabitants of the land (Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites).  The Lord continues, "Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people."  (Exodus 33:1-3) Following the Israelites idolatry, God sent a plague on the people in Exodus 32:35.  This plague (if in the form of a disease) like...

Here we are.  Moses is up on the mountain getting instruction from the Lord.  Meanwhile, the Israelite people have rebelled and turned their back on God asking Aaron to build them an idol to worship.  They have completely tossed Moses and God to the side and bowed down to a golden calf.  God is furious at the people to say the least and has told Moses that He plans to destroy them and start over and "make a great nation of you (Moses)." (Ex 32:10)  If you are one of these Israelites, you just turned your back on God.  He knows.  He's mad.  What do you want to happen next?  Moses begins to plead with the Lord, "O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?  Why should the Egyptians say, 'With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume (destroy) them from the face of the earth?'  Turn from your bur...