As I sit here eating a brownie and drinking some chai tea, I'm reflecting on this weekend and all of God's blessings and how he answers prayers.
Yesterday I had lunch with my daddy and I was reminded that he is the greatest man I know and very few people have gotten the honor to know him like I do. He has the kindest, most giving heart and a strong spirit. I've watched him over the last 25 years love my mom and give her the world, and I'm not talking just material things. He has loved her in the most kindest compassionate way. They have one of those loves you see and you think "can it really be like that." Well let me tell you, it can. I've watched my daddy give of himself to others and no request of help from him has ever seemed to big. My daddy has a lot to be proud of but remains one of the most humble men I know. God sent my daddy to be my daddy and I'm forever grateful that God gave him and my mom to me as parents. Growing up I gave daddy a lot of headaches and heartaches, but one thing I look back on and amazes me so much is his incredible patience. He is slow to anger, forgives and forgets quickly, loves my mom with a tenderness, is tough when need be, he has been a teacher and life coach for me and has a kind heart. I could go on and on about him but this gives some small insight into the man I am lucky enough to call daddy. Daddy has set the bar of expectation pretty high when it comes to men. If God blesses me with being able to be married again, I pray for a man that is all the things that my daddy is.
I've been praying all week for today, praying that God would use my preacher to speak to me and it would be words of encouragement for this new journey I am on in life. And that is exactly what happened. The message this morning couldn't have been more perfect for what I'm going through. Just like my daddy sets high expectations for all other men, our Heavenly Father also sets high expectations for us. We started a new series in Church this morning and it started with Galations.
We went through Galatians 5:13-26 where God tells us
So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
This is just one of the many places thought the Bible that outlines what we are supposed to fill of life with: love, joy, peace and kindness to name a few. Hearing this message this morning filled my heart with peace and an assuredness that if I continue to follow Gods will for my life he will continue to pave the way.
I'm so thankful that God has given us a guide of how to live and also thankful he sent me an earthly father that has and will continue to be a strong pillar in my life.
As a disclaimer I have an equally awesome mom and she at some point will get a blog that is all about her.
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