A Rug to Brush Things Under!

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Marriage and Family

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Dewater 4

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

Carpet goes in today! No more ugly spots! No more walking on plywood floors! No more trying to avoid the tack strips left from the old carpet!

Last evening, after Rebecca and I worked on getting the house ready for the floor covering installers, we sat down to eat and watched a favorite show together.

The parents on the show were always fighting and finally the mom told the son that dad was going to leave them. The boy asked the father why he was going to leave, why they were going to get divorced, to which the father replied, “A lot of little things have added up to make big things.” Apparently, they have been brushing things under the rug for quite some time.

Human beings tend to brush things under the rug. The problem is, if we brush it under the rug it is sure to surface sometime! If we allow little things to go unchecked and not dealt with, they start to seem like big things that are insurmountable.

It’s the everyday little things that will build or destroy your relationship

Can you imagine what your marriage would look and feel like if the fruit of the Spirit above was practiced toward each other?

Instead of little actions that are unloving, be intentional to act loving.

Instead of little comments that steal joy and peace, make comments that give joy and life.

Instead of little attitudes of irritation or annoyance, make yourself have patience toward your spouse.

You get the picture!

These statements are easy to say, not as easily practiced. The only way to have a lasting practice of the fruit of the Spirit toward our spouse is to keep our eyes on the Spirit.

Well, I’ve got some work to do! How about you?

Now that we will have carpet in our new house, we can make sure NOT to brush things under the rug!

Have a Great Week!

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I’m a Dutch Bro!

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Marriage and Family

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Dewater 4
“For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and earth derives its name,” Ephesians 3:14-15

My last name is Dewater. My last name to some degree indicates my ancestry. My last name comes from my Dutch ancestry. I guess that makes me a Dutch Bro!

A name says a lot about a person. When I think of someone’s name, I think of who they are. I think of what their character is like. I think of how they treat me and others.

When people think of my last name, they may think of me, my wife, my boys, my dad, or my grandparents. When people think of my last name, they think of who we are, what our character is like, and how we treat people.

Since my family name originates from my Father in Heaven, my name points back to Him. It’s important that when people think of my name, they get an accurate picture of my Father in Heaven.

I leave you with this question to think on and/or respond to:

Since our family name originates from our Father in Heaven, how then should we live?

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We Moved into an RV!

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Jesus Talk

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“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,” Ephesians 2:19

We moved last Friday! We moved out of our apartment and into an RV. Moving is not my favorite thing to do. In fact, on a scale of 1-10, I would rate moving as a 0.

Citizenship is different than moving, but citizenship has something to do with where you currently live, where you lived in the past, or where you will live in the future.

The verse above tells me that I am no longer a citizen of this temporary world. My faith in Jesus Christ means that I am now a citizen of God’s kingdom, I am counted as part of His household! I have the hope of living in Heaven with Jesus forever along with everyone else who chooses Him!

                                   Putting your faith in Jesus results in entering His family!

Are you in His family? If not, you could start today by confessing your sin to Him and asking Him to save you. If you are already in His family, don’t try to be an only child; go tell someone else how to get in!

Have a Great Week!

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“So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present.” Acts 17:17

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I Hope We’ve Done Enough Work on the House!

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Marriage and Family

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Dewater 4

“Fathers, do not exasperate your children, that they may not lose heart.” Colossians 3:21

Last evening, we were working in our new house when Ryan (my oldest) said, “I hope me and Riley have done enough work so that when the house is all done that we can say we did it.”

Rebecca was pulling up linoleum, Ryan was using the shop vac cleaning up our messes, Riley was pulling up tack strips from the carpet removal, while I was trying to finish some drywall repair…it’s fun to have a family that works together!

What Ryan said last night is a great reminder to me that I have the responsibility to encourage my sons. The verse above speaks of not provoking our children in a negative way that will cause them to shut down. Instead, we need to encourage them in a way that helps them do what is good, right, and pleasing to the Lord!

I need to confess that I was so wrapped up in what I was doing that I didn’t respond to Ryan’s comment last night. That was a perfect opportunity to encourage my son that he has been a huge part of what our family is doing. I need to grow in being an encouragement to my boys.

Let’s be parents who:

Encourage our kids to work!

Encourage our kids to be kind!

Encourage our kids to forgive!

Encourage our kids to seek the Lord!

Encourage our kids to talk to others about Jesus!

Encouraging our kids has everything to do with how we respond to them, others, and God.

Encouraging your kids by allowing them to have ownership in

what your family is doing sets them up for success!

What are some areas where you are doing a really good job in encouraging your kids?

What are some areas you need to grow in this area?  

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Gospel Friend

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Jesus Talk

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“the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them two and two ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come.” Luke 10:1

Ever feel like you can’t do it alone?… Don’t!

Find a friend in Christ who will go with you.

We need others to support us. We need others to encourage us. We need others to do ministry with.

In the passage above, Jesus sent them out in two’s.

Two provides accountability.

Two provides encouragement.

Two provides someone to lean on.

Find a friend who truly wants to follow Jesus, then go start telling people about the Gospel!

Have a Great Week!

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“So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present.” Acts 17:17

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Going to Graduation Without Tickets!

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Marriage and Family

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Dewater 4

“A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.” Ecclesiastes 3:4

We were about to walk out the door to head to Salem for graduation when we remembered we didn’t have the tickets. They weren’t on the table. They weren’t in the bedroom. We couldn’t find them anywhere! We went to graduation without the tickets!

Yesterday, my wife walked for graduation! We had been looking to this day for several years and it had finally arrived!

It’s important to remember Who got us here in the first place. It is also amazing to see how He has orchestrated everything to accomplish His plans and purposes in our life.

As you experience those days or seasons of accomplishment, make sure you take time to recognize Who it was that helped you get there.

Take time to laugh, dance, and celebrate with your family those things in your life that God is doing!

By the way, we still haven’t found the tickets, but Rebecca’s friends came through with more than we needed!

Have a Great Week!

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Welcome to My Money Pit

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Jesus Talk

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“for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:20

“Welcome to my money pit”, I said to the flooring guy as he got out of his car in the driveway. Popcorn ceilings, Dry rot, Nasty carpet…. the realities of buying a home that needs some love. Tonight, I am going to tear into the dry rot in the kitchen! I am anxious to get started, but fearful that I don’t know how to repair it all. Thankfully, my wife has been watching the home renovation shows! 😉

I wonder how much time Jesus followers back in the book of Acts spent working on their home? I wonder how much time they spent playing with their kids? I wonder how much time they spent doing other things compared to talking to people about Jesus?

Owning a home can be a really good thing. Playing with our kids is a necessity. Likewise, talking to people about Jesus is crucial.

Christians naturally talk to others about Jesus because He is the one they follow!

What is your view on Christians talking to others about Jesus?

Have a Great Week and go tell someone about Jesus!

#JesusLover        #CoffeewithRandy

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“So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present.” Acts 17:17

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I Don’t Have to Go to Church…

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Marriage and Family

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Dewater 4

“not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near. For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,” Hebrews 10:25-26

(Someone Downtown Yesterday) I don’t have to go to church to be with God…

(I replied) You’re right! God can be in one place and everywhere at the same time!

My wife and I just bought a house! We are so excited about this house because it has the space inside we were hoping for, it has the size yard we were hoping for, and it is the location we were hoping for! It’s almost as if God answered our prayers! (He did!)

Now, it’s work time! The last two days we have been scraping the ceilings to remove the popcorn texture. We have lots and lots of work to go!

We bought this house knowing that there was much work to do. We bought this house knowing that over time, it would become our home instead of the unkept house it is.

When I became a Christian by saying ‘yes’ to Jesus and accepting the free gift of salvation. I was like an unkept house. Jesus saw all my imperfections. He saw all the work that needed to be done. He saw that it would take time. And He still bought me!

Just as my wife and I started to work on the house the day we got the keys; Jesus started working on me the day He got the keys. We are working on updating our house and making it our home. Jesus is updating the unkept areas in my life and making me into His home.

The church is made up of people that Jesus is making into His home. As Jesus works in people, they come together and encourage each other to keep allowing Him to do that work.

Sometimes people want to give up. Sometimes life is so hard that people want to quit. Sometimes people stop living for Jesus and go back to a life of sin. This is where the church comes in.

The church is supposed to help people keep living for Jesus!  

So…no, you don’t have to go to church unless you really want to live for Jesus!

5 Reasons I Have My Family in Church:

  1. Learn We: We (God’s People) make up the church. The church is not an individual but made up of individuals that follow Jesus.
  2. Learn Bible: We need to grow in knowledge of God.
  3. Learn Pray: We need to talk to God to have relationship with Him.
  4. Learn Love: We need to love God and God’s people. People are not easy to love but God expects us to.
  5. Learn Encouragement: We need encouragement from other believers to live for Jesus and not for ourselves.

What did I miss? Why is your family involved with the church?

Have a great week!

 

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Sin Made Me a Slave

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Jesus Talk

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“Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.” 1 Peter 4:1-2

I heard a young preacher say yesterday, “Your purpose in life is to live out the image of God”.

God made human beings in His image, according to His likeness. Therefore, it follows that their purpose must be to live out that image and likeness. Unfortunately, that image and likeness has been marred because of sin. Sin is so powerful that it makes it impossible to live out that image. Sin is so powerful that it causes separation between me and my Creator. Sin is so powerful that it has made me it’s slave for eternity.

But God sent His Son, Jesus! Jesus broke the power of sin! And, those who receive Jesus are given His power to live out His image!

Part of living out God’s image is proclaiming His message; the message that Jesus came to break the power that sin has over people!

                                              Jesus set me free so that I can live for Him!

Are you living out God’s image? Go tell somebody who this Jesus is!

If you would like to learn more about living out God’s image, I would encourage you to look at the following scriptures: 2 Peter 1:1-11, Galatians 5:16-24, & Romans 6.

What are some passages of scripture that you would point someone to?

Have a Great Week!

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“So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present.” Acts 17:17

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Building On Peanut Butter Cups

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Marriage and Family

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Dewater 4

“you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:5

Peanut Butter Cups…a special note…special delivery…what do these three things have in common? Put all together and they make a great way to apologize and build someone up!

Yesterday, I made a comment to my son that I was not proud of right before he left for school. I regretted saying it. Though it may have not been a BIG deal, I want to make sure that I am building my family up and not tearing them down.

There are lots of ways that the enemy is trying to tear each one of us down. As a dad and husband, I have 100% of the responsibility to build up my family. Yes, my wife and boys have responsibilities in our relationship as a family. Although, God places the highest expectations on the dad/husband.

The verse above speaks of Christians being built up. This can be applied to individual Christians, but it also can be applied to Christian families.

The Christian family is being built into a spiritual house in which the God of the universe dwells!

By the way, I did apologize to my son using the method described above…he loved it!

5 Ways to Build up Your Family:

  1. Pray Regularly Together (Dinner, Before Bed, Road Trips, Everyday!)
  2. Read the Bible Together Out loud
  3. Affirm Each other
  4. Apologize Quickly and Sincerely
  5. Play Together (Go to the park, play board games, etc)

What are some ways that you build up your family? Can you think of any things you need to improve on in order to build up your family into a spiritual home for God to dwell?

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