Make Ripples...

The story was told about Elzeard Bouffier, a 55 year old widower who lived in a French village in 1910, surrounded by poverty and despair. HE DID SOMETHING: he collected thousands of acorns and planted them throughout the area. When they took root, he cultivated beeches. When they became saplings, he planted birches. One day amidst the devastation of WWI, a mysterious grey mist appeared on the horizon. It was the oaks of 1910, below them the small beeches, and below them the tiny birch seedlings.

Bouffier kept planting and at the end of WWI, French environmentalists announced that a natural forest had sprung up mysteriously, flourishing amidst its barren suuroundings. But the story doesn't end there; his forest started a chain reaction. Water flowed in the brooks that had dried up. The wind scattered seeds, and willows, rushes, meadows and gardens sprang up. New people came to live there, bringing hope and prosperity. Bouffier found acorns, planted them and God did the rest.

1Corinthians 1:27 speaks of how "God chose the weak things". God can do mush with little. EX: David and his sling, Feed 5,000 with a boys lunch box. He'll do the same for us! Our lives are like pebbles. It may not look like much now, but drop it into apond and watch the ripples in every direction. Everyday we live we have 3 options:

1. Think only of yourself and your own interests.
2. Take no risks and go no further.
3. Ask God to show you what you've got, then use it to make ripples...

The difference between ordinary and extraordinary? That litte 'extra'. I've had a lot of people who have made ripples in my life: family, friends, mentors. Thank you, each of you, you know who you are. Lord, I am SO BLESSED!

BLESSINGS!

MT

Brian & Kim...

WOW what a great day we had on Sunday at Harvestime. I was SO blessed! My brother Brian and his wife Kim - www.taborministries.org - were with us as special guest on Sunday morning. Keep your eye on this ministry because God is doing something great in and through them. It is powerful to see the growth in people and also in scope of ministry. We had a great crowd and the people were literally caught up in God's presence from the opening song. The DVD of testimonies that they shared from was so powerful that I found myself grabbing for something to wipe my eyes with. God used you mightily to speak into the hearts of the people. It was truly a great day of ministry!

Keep them in your prayers as they continue to seek the open doors that God has for their ministry. Brian and Kim; WOW and it even says the same thing backwards - WOW! It was a great time together and we look forward to doing this again sometime in the future. Thanks for being REAL and allowing the Lord to have the service. He truly used both of you in a powerful way. Ephesians 1:16, "...do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers..."

I had the opportunity to be a part of their wedding 13 years ago and it is truly a blessing to me to see people growing in Jesus and each other. Thanks guys for coming to Mt. Vernon and blessings our church with your ministry! You'll always have a home here...

WE LOVE YOU GUYS! Oops we love little Sophie too!

BLESSINGS!

MT

God's Sovereignty...

Sovereignty: supreme and independent authority, above all others, chief and supreme in power

When we get to the point of acknowledging God's sovereign control in all things, we realize that we are not made to become helpless pawns without responsibilty. But there are a few things we come to know:

1) It takes away our anxiety! When we have found that resting place in the loving character of God, we can say as David did; "Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life" Psalm 23:6. That's a "surely" we can't get from a banker, broker, insurance man or anyone else.

2) It frees us from explanation! We are freed from having to have the answers to everything under the sun. We can say, "I don't know, but I know who does". Even Paul said, "How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out" Romans 11:33. Face it, we cannot explain why God closes some doors and opens others, or how He can use evil for good. BUT HE DOES, and he usually doesn't explain the details to us.

3) It keeps us from pride! Paul said, "from Him and through Him and to Him are all things" Romans 11:36. If you want to make God's sovereignty temporary or limited, then you have to get rid of the words "all things". Just as you must do to Romans 8:28: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him". If God says, "all things", He means it! It comes down to a simple choice: either we trust God, or we play God. And when you think about it... it's an easy choice to make!

BLESSINGS!
MT

Don't Give Place To The devil

In Ephesians 4:27, the apostle Paul writes, "Neither give place to the devil." He is so territorial that he wants it all. But to start his campaign to conquer all those areas of our lives, he must first find an entry point from which he can begin his campaign of unleashing his devilish destruction in our lives.

We often throw open the door to the devil when we:

• Refuse to let go of old hurts and wounds.
• Refuse to acknowledge what we did wrong.
• Refuse to forgive others for what they did.
• Refuse to stop judging others for their grievances.
• Refuse to admit we were wrong too.
• Refuse to say, "I'm sorry" when we're wrong.
• Refuse to lay down our "rights" for others.

If you and I do any of these things, we leave a "marked-off place" through which the devil can enter to accuse others in our minds. But we don't have to fall victim to the enemy's tactics. What about you? Have you ever given place to the devil by allowing anger, resentment, bitterness, or unforgiveness to have a "place" in you?

Rather than allow this to happen, stop and tell yourself, Okay, this isn't as big of a deal as I'm making it out to be. The devil is trying to find a place in my mind to get me to start mentally accusing that person, and I'm not going to let him do it.

Offense, Jesus said would come to us all. It's knowing how to be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves" that is the hard part. Watch out for those snares that the enemy has laid for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to take the criticism out of your heart and to cause the love of God in you to flow toward that other person or group of people. Pray for an opportunity to strengthen that relationship so all the entry places to your life and to that relationship remain sealed. Stop the devil from worming his way into the middle of your relationships with people you need and love! "Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world" (1John 4:4).

BLESSINGS!
MT

I am SO blessed!

Do you ever just take into account the good things that God has given to you? I am so there. I must start today with my wife of 29+ years and we even dated for 5 year prior to that. 2008 holds a milestone for both of us and yes it's one of 'those' milestones that make you think about the impact of your life. Well, my wife has been truly a gift from the Lord in my life. She is so strong it is amazing. What she accomplishes for others is truly a great testimony to the love of God.

I am a person that likes to run with his feet on the ground (boring right?), anyway Tonya is never afraid to try new things or attempt to try something that others (namely me) might never try. I am truly in love with her. She has given me 2 great kids and out of that I have a great daughter-in-law and 2 awesome grand-daughters. By the way, I wasn't ready for the Papaw label when the news came, but wow it's the greatest!

Tonya had a lot of things against her when she was going up, but she determined that through Christ, generational things were not going to determine her future. And they haven't! She is always reaching for something higher and knows that her true strength comes from the Lord. Ministry is never easy for the family of a minister, but she has embraced it and without her I couldn't do what I do today.

She is the funniest too! One of my favorite things to do is to watch her watching America's Funniest Home Videos or Wipeout. Man she can have a hoot while watching others make fools of themselves. A word of warning: don't ever fall while she is around! I fell at the office on Monday and just telling her about it made her laugh until it hurt.

Tonya, I say you're the best and I mean it. I AM SO BLESSED - I thank my God that He has placed us to walk together throughout life. There's no one I'd rather be walking with than you!

BLESSED!

MT

Are We Preparing Ourselves?

Luke 5:6 says, "...And their net brake..." It's wise to have safety nets such as; savings, insurance and investments. Rainy days come unexpectedly. But - what we are we doing to prepare for success? God says He can open the windows of heaven and pour out His blessings so great, will you be able to handle them? Are we preparing ourselves for greater things, or just settling for the status quo?

After fishing all night without success, Jesus said to Peter, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets". Explaining that the fish wern't biting, Peter says, "Nevertheless at Thy Word I will let down the net". Notice that Jesus used nets (plural) and Peter used net (singular). Jesus was thinking bigger than Peter was! That night they caught so many fish that, "...their net brake..." They then had to ask for the other boat to come and help them bring in the catch. Then both boats were so full that they began to sink. When Simon saw it, he fell at the feet of Jesus. Peter needed more than one net and one boat to handle what God had in mind.

If we are praying for success, are we then taking the necessary steps to prepare ourselves for it? Are we furthering our education? Are we sharpening our skills, talents & gifts? Are we developing new ways of doing things? Are we open to working with others? Are we willing to fall at the feet of Jesus, acknowledging Him as the our source of all blessing, and Lord of our life?


GET READY!
MT

2 Things...

Happy Anniversary to my Mom and Dad today! 57 years of marriage, 5 kids and 9 grandkids and 6 great grandkids with 1 more on the way. Mom and Dad are awesome, I'm so blessed, thankful and grateful to havethem as my parents! This pic is from one of our family's favorite Evansville resturants - Hacienda. It was taken at one of Dad's birthday dinners. Dad has that sense of humor that keeps you listening in and Mom, well she is the best - she is MOM! Mom and Dad - HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY ANNIVERSARY and may the Lord bless you guys abundantly. Wow - 57 years - we are so blessed!

WOW, what an amazing night in the pool in Beijing last night. When team USA came from behind to capture the gold medal in the 4 x 100 relay. As they entered into the last 50 meters, nobody thought they could win swimming against the world record holder from France. But with nothing but heart, Jason Lezak reached into the tank and pulled out a great win. That's why I love the Olympics! It was a great night of competition. In this day when all the buzz is about performance enhancing drugs (which I sure hope no one tests positive for anything), it's great to see people win the old fashion way - gutting it out!

Not to mention all the other athletes that are doing an outstanding job in their sport. Basketball, swimming, fencing (swept the medals), gymnastics, volleyball, etc...

While the Olympics has had some bad days, I believe this could be one of the greatest Olympics we've seen in decades. GO TEAM USA!

BLESSINGS!

MT

Olympics!

The Olympics are here! Tonya and I love athletic competition. After watching a bit of the opening ceremonies on Friday Night, which was amazing, we have found it hard to turn the TV off on Saturday while enjoying a much needed day off. I know that there are a lot of problems in China, but we must pray for God's presence to cover that country while the world's athletes are there.

We love it all. To watch the real stories of where many of the athletes have come from to where they are in world competition is amazing. Isn't it awesome to see people rise to an occasion on the world's stage? To see people peak at the right time to compete against the best in the world. It brings a real sense of patriotism in your heart. We need a little more patriotism today! I found myself swelling with pride to hear the stories of people overcoming the odds. Pushing themselves to the limit so that there are no regrets.

Over the next 2 weeks Tonya and I will be watching with anticipation as our fellow Americans work hard to 'do their best' and let the results speak for themselves. I've heard several times, it's not all about the winning, but doing your best.

God never did ask us to make ourself ready to meet him - we can't do it anyway! But He says that anyone who comes before Him, he will not push away! We may not be in China today fighting for a gold medal, but we can run the race we are in, keeping our eyes upon the goal.

YES WE CAN!

BLESSINGS!

MT

The Power of Joy!

As Christians, we are one with Christ! We are in Him and He is in us. 2Peter 1:4 says, “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” But, there is more to being a partaker of His divine nature than just having knowledge of the fact that you are one with Christ. The word “partake” in that scripture comes from the Greek word koinonos, which means to have in common and to share in something.

To be in His nature means we are to act like we are in His nature. One way we are to live like Him is in the area of joy. The Bible says we are able to have joy in any situation. In John 16:33, Jesus said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: BUT BE OF GOOD CHEER; I have overcome the world.”

Te devil wants us to continually focus on how bad everything is, rather than on the Lord who has an answer for every circumstance. Psalm 34:19 says, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them ALL” God does not pick and choose what He wants to deliver you from and not deliver you from. All means ALL!

Hebrews 12:2 says, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” The joy that Jesus kept on the inside of Him, empowered Him to endure the cross, it also led Him to the victory of His resurrection and it set Him down to rule at God’s right hand! Jesus looked beyond the cross to the joy of the resurrection.

Joy is a powerful force! In fact, it is a powerful force in you. It gives you spiritual muscles. Nehemiah 8:10, says, “The joy of the Lord is your strength”. Strength for what? The strength or withstand and forbid the power of the devil to operate in your life! Jesus has overcome the devil. Don’t get angry, depressed and fearful! Shout, laugh, rejoice! The greater one is on the inside of you. You are a partaker in the divine nature of God. If Jesus could overcome the devil so can you, because you are one with Him. “And nothing shall harm or injure you.” Luke 10:19

REJOICE TODAY!
MT