As I was saying yesterday, I was a little jealous of the Sunday morning song leader because we had such a large crowd. I do wish I could have lead singing Sunday. I did get asked to lead a couple of songs after we had lunch as part of our new education wing dedication service. Since I don’t get to lead very often I picked two of my all time favorite songs, Faith Love, and Is It Well with Your Soul? 

I love these two songs so much, for some reason they touch me. In my humble opinion Faithful Love is the best song Ken Young has written. The closing words of the song really get me, for I’ve seen faith-ful love face to face, and Jesus is His name. Wow! A few years back I was asked to speak at the Keenage Christian Conference in Denver City, Texas. The theme of the day was Faithful Love, with the song serving as the influence of the topics talked about on that day. I had already sat and listened to two speakers, and we had sung Faithful Love a couple of times when it came my time to speak. I had been moved up in the schedule that day because I needed to get to Brownfield in time to watch my daughter Miranda play volleyball. 

What happened when I stood to speak that day is still amazing to me even after all these years. (Twelve years, I think.) The experience of that day convinced me without a doubt that the Spirit does indeed use God’s servants as his spokes-persons. I really don’t know what happened that day other than to believe that God was working through me as He never had before, or maybe since. I poured out my heart, and as is my…I don’t know how to say it…custom, habit, downfall…I cried my way through a talk that Skip Rodgers told me later, “left everyone speechless.” I had walked straight out the back door as soon as my talk was over, and didn’t see the impact of the message God had given through me that morning. I’m really glad I had to go, for me it was the best thing that could have happened. That message wasn’t about me, and I didn’t need or want “atta-boys.” 

Skip called me later that day and asked me if I could deliver the same message the next morning at our Sunday morning worship service. He and the elders had found the message so powerful, and inspiring that they wanted the congregation to hear it. Here is at least a close quote of the conversation I had with Skip. 

“Kent, great job this morning.” Then after he told me about the audience reaction to the message he said. “The elders asked me to call and see if you would be willing to preach that same lesson in the morning at church?” 

“Skip, I don’t know if I can.” 

“Why not?” 

“Because I don’t know for sure, what I said.” Now folks I was being honest, yes I could remember the general direction I had taken, I remembered the stories I had told, but what I had said had not been written down. When I preach I generally have a few bullet points and scriptures and then I just preach. 

Skip kinda chuckled and said, “Kent I know you, and I believe you can do this.”

To be honest I know it didn’t have the same impact it had had the day before. What I said on Sunday still touched folks, but it wasn’t the same. I have given that lesson a couple of more time since then, and it has never been the same.  

The point of the message that day was this. You are the face of Jesus. I gave illustrations of true service that I had seen people give. I told them stories of love that I had seen people share. I encouraged them to understand that they may be the only Jesus somebody else sees. I have to remind myself of that message from time to time. I have to ask myself if I’m showing Jesus through my life. 

Do I portray Jesus? Do you?    

Faithful Love 

Faith-ful love flowing down from the thorn-covered-crown,

Makes me whole saves my soul, washes whiter than snow.

Faith-ful love calms each fear, reaches down, dries each tear;

Holds my hand when I can’t stand on my own.

Faith-ful love from above came to earth to show a Father’s love

And I’ll never be the same

For I’ve seen faith-ful love face to face

 and Jesus is His name 

Faith-ful love is a friend just when hope seems to end,

Welcome face sweet embrace, tender touch filled with grace.

Faith-ful love, endless pow’r, living flame, Spirit’s fire;

Burning bright in the night, guiding my way.

Fairh-ful love from above came to earth to show a Father’s love

And I’ll never be the same

For I’ve seen Faith-ful love face to face

And Jesus is His name.

(words and music by, Ken Young)

Till next time,

Grump  

I’m a little jealous right now, but not really in a bad way. Let me explain. A few years back I was a little too vocal with my feelings about the way the song leading was going at church. I am a firm believer that the song service sets the tone for the rest of the service, and if the worship in song is bad, it can be a real downer for me personally. I think most pulpit preachers will agree with me on this because it is much easier to preach after a well sang, uplifting song service than after a song service that has been more like a death march. 

Anyway, I voiced my opinion that we should only use our very best song leaders during our worship service, knowing all the while that I might not be one of the very best song leaders. I have always said that I want to know when my time is up in terms of being a good worship leader, and I mean it. I don’t want to be a drag on anyone’s worship. Having said that I was also guilty of thinking more highly of my ability than I should have. (Don’t ya hate it when that happens?) I know you can see where this is headed. I was one of the…not very best song leaders, and was cut from the regular song leading rotation. I was told that I would be the fill-in guy when one of the four very best song leaders was unavailable. 

A lot of folks didn’t understand my reaction when I was told I would be a fill-in. You see, I told them that I didn’t want to lead singing if I wasn’t one of the best we had to offer. It seems to me that out of four men someone should always be available. I don’t think we should use our best on Sunday morning, and then just anyone who can sing on Sunday evening and Wednesday night. I think a lot of folks thought I just had my feeling hurt so I was taking my toys and going home. I promise that is not the case, as I said before, I have always wanted to know when my time was up. 

Here’s the deal friends, and even though it hurts, I agree with the decision that was made about our song leaders. We are using more and more new songs in our worship these days, and I can’t read music. Well, I know the do-ra-me, and I can keep time, most of the time. What I can’t do is make a note translate to the proper pitch in my head. In other words, I have to sit and listen to a song several times before I get it, and even then I am not comfortable leading it. I just don’t want to stumble through an effort to “lead.” There were a couple of other things that were pointed out about my song leading that I had a little harder time agreeing with, but I knew, for me, at the time, the decision was right. 

So, why am I a little jealous? Well, Sunday morning we had a combined worship service. We normally have two services on a Sunday morning because our auditorium will only hold around five hundred people, and we generally have around nine hundred attend worship on Sunday morning. This past Sunday, we rearranged the seating and added some chairs, and ended up with around seven hundred people in the main auditorium. We then had another four hundred, give or take a few, in three other locations in the building. They had video monitors set up so they could worship with the main auditorium group. I would have given my thirty-five year old false teeth to lead singing Sunday morning. If you have never had the privilege to lead singing you can’t really understand how good it sounds to be standing facing the assembly. Believe me when I say, it is awesome! 

So yes, I am a little jealous, but I am happy that we had one of our very best leading singing Sunday morning. I intended for this note to take a different direction than it ended up taking, because I did lead two songs after we had lunch, and that’s what I intended to talk about, so I promise I’ll do that in tomorrow’s blog. 

Till next time,

Grump

A while back I discovered http://www.tangle.com/ the site is also known as GodTube. I found it after I became FaceBook friends with David Eric Jones author of, My Struggle, Your Struggle. The book is a must read if you are struggling with any kind of addiction, or habitual sin. http://www.amazon.com/Struggle-Your-David-Erik-Jones 

OK back to the story. I discovered tangle.com and then forgot about until this morning. After going back there this morning I decided to join this web site. It is a site set up for Christian videos, blogs, networking etc. I am in the process of uploading my introductory video to the site as I write this blog. I will also be adding my videos on Depression later today. If you know anything about uploading videos, you know it will take all day to get this done. Anyway, I will be posting the same blogs, and videos there that I post at www.grumpysmith.com and on Youtube at www.youtube.com/thegrumpysmith 

I am also planning a new series of videos that I will run on each of these sites five days a week. This will be a BIG commitment for me, so I am weighing the pros and cons in my mind right now. If I do the series it will be two to three minute devotional thoughts designed to help us praise God, think positive thoughts, and keep a good mind set throughout our work day. Feel free to weigh in with your thoughts on this idea. 

Till next time,

Grump

Mary Horner has died, and in doing so she continues to live. Mary is alive forever; she has been welcomed to paradise by her husband Otis, and all of the folks who have died their physical death while living in the Lord. In my earthy way of looking at things, I’m not sure what her job will be in Heaven. Here she was an encourager. She gave others strength with her little nod of her head, or the way she closed her eyes while displaying that look that only those who were privileged to have had her in their audience would recognize. 

In every auditorium class I ever taught at Denver City Mary sat in the same place. During every sermon I ever gave in Denver City, Mary sat in the same seat. It made no difference whether class or worship, I could count on seeing Mary’s beautiful face radiate the love of Jesus, and portray the strength of encouragement that helped me proclaim what God had put on my heart. Mary was very special in that way. 

Since I no longer live where Mary lived, I won’t miss her like her family, and those who worshiped with her for the past ten years, will miss her. I’ve grown accustom to not seeing her smile physically. I no longer look four rows back, dead center of the auditorium, expecting to see her nodding her head in approval, or absorbing the words of God with her eyes closed in love and appreciation for the gift of life He freely gave her. I won’t miss that because for the last ten years I have rarely taught a class, or preached a sermon when I didn’t see her face in my minds eye even thou she wasn’t there, and I will continue to do that until I join her in paradise. 

Congratulations Mary, you have fought the good fight, you have completed the course, and you have use the gift of encouragement that God gave you so you could bless those you came in contact with. Thank you for sharing that gift with me. 

Till next time,

Grump

IT’S TOO STINK’N COMPLICATED! Oh, sorry for yelling, please forgive me. I just got home from the Dr.’s office. I was there for the first part of my annual physical, i.e., giving blood and filling a little plastic cup. I’ll go back in a few days for the pok’n and prod’n part of the process. Everything went fine until checkout, read, payout time. 

Now, Paula and I don’t have the Cadillac of health insurance plans. Matter of fact we have the lowest cost/highest deductible plan the Frisco ISD offers. So, I know when I check out the ole dollar signs will be spin’n like a slot machine. The thing about today, that made me glad I gave myself a haircut yesterday, and therefore couldn’t get a handful of it this morning, is that when they figured the cost for me to pay today, and I asked them to check their numbers again, they came up with a different figure every time they checked their numbers. Finally, after spending more time trying to check out than I had spent seeing the Dr. and giving body fluid, I chose to pay the middle figure and was free to leave. 

I kinda get the idea from listening to the news that our health care system is in trouble. It’s hard to know what to believe. I know I really like my Dr. and his staff is the absolute best in the business. I know I receive quality care when I visit there, and I am happy with the level of service they offer. 

I also understand from watching the news that many believe that the Insurance companies are to blame for many of our problems. After all they are blood-sucking vampires driven by greed, and the bottom line. Then of course there are the Attorneys who will sue anyone for any reason, it makes no difference whether they have a case or not, all they need is Judge who will accept the suit, and a bunch of gullible jurors who don’t understand that when they stick it to the big bad Insurance company, and the filthy rich Doctors, they are actually sticking it to themselves in the long run. 

The powers that be are now doing their dead level best to force feed us what we don’t want in a effort to “fix” the system. Friends, therein lies the problem. I absolutely believe that we have a health care crisis, and I believe something needs to be done about it. However, having the Government take control of it is the very last thing that should be done. It took me roughly twenty minutes to come to some sort of agreement as to how much I owed the Doctor this morning. The reason I questioned the charge in the first place is because the charge was over two times more than I had ever paid for the same services before. Then as they looked into the numbers they kept coming up with a different figure every time. Now answer me honestly, can you imagine how much more complicated the process will be once the Government adds their rules, regulations, and bureaucracy to the mix? 

Well, I feel better now that I’ve gotten that off my chest. My rant served a purpose I hadn’t seen coming. It just occurred to me that I should get on board with the Government and get this thing passed. Then I’ll apply for a Government job administering the new plan, where I could  “be sittin’ in an air conditioned office in a swivel chair
Talkin’ some trash to the secretary
Sayin’, “Here, now mama, come on over here.” Oh, I’m sorry, I think I may have found myself in a Jim Croce song there. But wait! Now that Jim Croce has taken my mind away for a minute, I can see things more clearly. Why would I want to work for the Government, when I can sit at home, do nothing at all, and get my Health coverage for free? 

Till next time,

Grump

Way back in the days when Josh rode between us, and Miranda rode in the basket behind the seat, Paula played golf. She liked the game and was pretty good at it. We would load up the kids and head to the Gaines County golf course. We could play unlimited golf for twenty-five bucks a month plus the cart fee. There were many times the club pro would tell me to “Just leave the cart out back” when we were done because he knew we would stop playing when it got too dark to see. It was on the golf course that I came to realize Paula really paid no mind to what I had to say. 

Here’s the story. When Paula picked up the game, I bought her a driver, and two fairway woods, and then gave her the set of irons mom and dad had given me when I was in school. It was an easy sacrifice for me to make cause I never could hit those dumb irons anyway. I don’t remember how much time we spent at the driving range before she played her first round of golf, but I’d guess it to be about twelve and a half minutes. The way I see it a body only has so many strokes in it and they should not be wasted at the range. At any rate I thought my golf instruction was very good, in fact after she birdied the second hole she ever played I was thinking of becoming a golf instructor. It was soon after that however when I realized it had been her raw talent and not my expert golf instruction that had resulted in the birdie. 

Here’s the story. Paula had this funny way of rocking on her feet during her swing. I don’t know if I can describe it or not, but as she progressed through her back swing she would roll her ankles over to the right so that she was standing on the outside edge of her right foot and the inside edge of her left foot. I began telling her to change that movement, but for some reason it just wasn’t getting through to her. We had played a number of rounds of golf with me telling her the same thing over and over, and her not “getting” it, when Wayne Legan, a man who could coach anything, watched her swing one time. He then asked if he could offer a pointer that might give her more power. She said yes, and he proceeded to tell her EXACTLY the same thing I had been telling her for months. This time it clicked! 

That’s when I knew I was being an ineffective communicator to my spouse. Here’s the thing friends, everyone has their ear for hearing. What I mean is, two people can say the same thing and the intended effect can be very impactful, or completely dismissed just because of the way it is said. The congregation where we worship is currently looking for a preacher. I hope we find a preacher who tells personal stories, and makes practical application of scripture as it relates to everyday living. On the other hand I know and greatly respect a man in our congregation who wants book, chapter, and verse without the personal stories. He prefers black and white facts, while I prefer the emotional touch of personal application. Neither way is right or wrong, it just boils down to personal preference. 

One of the best story telling preachers and writers I know just sent me a short assessment of my book Everyday Christianity. Here is a quote:  …I suppose that the thing I liked most about it was the transparency that is in it. I found your honesty with your struggles and victories most refreshing. It is an “extraordinary” book from an “extraordinary” man from that standpoint. Other than that, it offers nothing “new” or original in the way of how to deal with our struggles and heartaches. But, maybe there isn’t anything “new” – only new or original ways of saying it… 

You know what? I couldn’t agree more. I taught the lessons in the book almost five years ago, some people were brought to tears by the personal stories and application, while others thought it too abstract. Some encouraged me to write a book so more people could be reached, while others thought it was touching only because the audience knew me personally. They questioned whether or not the book, or my speaking style, would mean much to folks who didn’t know me. Guess what? Both sides were, and are, correct in their assessment. Let me tell you something that many of you won’t understand. I have tried to read Rick Warrens, The Purpose Driven Life on two different occasions, and I haven’t done it yet. I am thankful that Rick’s book has touched millions of lives, but for some reason it just hasn’t grabbed me. 

Friends, my meager effort at teaching and writing may never touch millions. I’ve been told that my style works well for country folks and small congregations, but it will not work in the more sophisticated urban areas and large congregations.  That may be true, and I’m OK with that. After all, I’m just an ordinary man trying my best to help the folks who have an ear for my way of thinking to live their Christianity everyday.  

Till next time,

Grump

Paula and I had a great Labor Day weekend. Josh and his family came over Friday night and left Saturday evening. Miranda and Ranger came over Saturday to spend time with all of us. Chad couldn’t make it, but at least we got to have almost everyone for the day Saturday. It is so amazing to see the change in the little ones from week to week. Milla is eight months old, and Ranger is seven months old, and the development at that age is astounding. They literally change by the day. 

Major has been in school now for a couple of weeks and has decided he likes it. His favorite subjects are History and Science. That really comes as no surprise to me, since he has always been interested in learning how things work and why. Major is a very observant kid, and is extremely aware of what is going on around him. He takes note of details, and mechanics. He is all about baseball and the Texas Rangers, and checks the net every morning to see if they won the night before. Saturday he told me that he thinks Josh Hamilton will probably be to old to play when he is grown up so he will wear Josh’s number 32 and take his place in the outfield for the Rangers. 

Mary Alice is maturing, and is a great help to Amber in Major’s schooling. She is active in teaching Major how to read. She is a good helper, and always wants to help cook and even clean up. A few months ago Mary Alice, who is eight, was making a cake and somehow didn’t see the amount of flour she needed to use listed in the recipe, so she said she just added flour by the hand full until the batter looked about right. The cake turned out perfect. Watch out Cake Boss!

As for Sunday, we made a small change from the norm and attended the late service instead of the early service. I don’t know if it’s right or wrong but we went to the late service because we like the song leader who was assigned to the late service. I know it’s not about entertainment or anything like that, and I know the songs are to God, but I also know we are to edify one another and for me, the better the song service the more edified I am. 

Monday was a day of golf for me. I started the day with a round of golf, and finished the day by watching Steve Stricker take the Deutche Bank Championship. I have always been a Stricker fan so I was very happy with the win. You know, Steve isn’t a flashy type guy, he is humble and emotional, and he wears his heart on his sleeve. I guess my three favorite pro golfers are Kenny Perry, Steve Stricker, and Jim Furyk, they just seem like ordinary guys, and I like that. 

I hope you all had a great weekend too, and I hope you got to share it with the folks you love the most. 

Till next time,

Grump

Barring a baseball miracle of some sort the Frisco Roughriders will play their final home game of the season tonight at the Dr. Pepper Ballpark. It has been a good season even though it looks like the Riders are going to miss the playoffs. As I think back on the season it’s amazing how little baseball I actually watch considering I have an awesome vantage point, but working at the ballpark doesn’t translate to watching baseball. Before the Texas Rangers season started this year a friend of mine was a little upset about Elvis Andrus moving Michael Young from short to third. He asked me, “Kent is this guy Andrus good enough to warrant moving the face of the Rangers from his position?” To be honest, I couldn’t tell him. Sure Elvis had played most of last year in Frisco, but I didn’t watch him enough to know if he was worth his salt or not. In hindsight, I think it’s worked out pretty well for the Rangers. 

What I do get to watch at the ballpark are the fans. From the time I arrive at the park until I get in my car each evening after the game, I watch people. What I see is totally amazing. I see folks who have come to the ballpark to have a good time, and most of them do. I see girls who come to see and be seen. I see guys who’s soul intent is get drunk enough that they don’t remember the experience the next morning. I see young kids who are being taught to say thank you, and yes sir, and I see a few who think the world belongs to them, and owes them everything they want. 

I’ve watched an eighteen year old, who was celebrating his birthday with his friends on the pool deck where I was grilling burgers and dogs, tell his friends to behave themselves or leave. On the other end of the spectrum I’ve seen a five year old tell his mother, “No, we can’t leave now, I’m here to watch the F-bomb ballgame.” I’ve witnessed tear inducing memorial services for our troops and veterans, and I have burned burgers while some yokel made a mess of the national anthem. And, I’ve seen children bawling in fear as their parents tried to get a picture of them with Duce, the six foot-seven inch prairie dog mascot of the Roughriders. 

All in all the last three years I’ve spent grilling burgers and dogs at the pool patio have been a lot of fun. The people have been great. The kids have been well mannered, and courteous, and everyone has had fun. I’ve had guest get in the pool in April with the temperature at game time in the low fifties. There is no telling how many folks have been thrown into the pool, and I know of at least six cell phones that have been rendered useless because of that happening. It is amazing how many really, really huge beer bellies there are in this area of the world, and it’s astounding how many three hundred pound women are willing to wear a bathing suit with five or six thousand people around. 

After tonight, I have six months to wait for the next home game. It will most likely be cold that night, but I will probably have guest at the pool deck. Once the season kicks in I can look forward to seeing the folks who have been to the pool every year. Some as many a ten times a year for the last three years. I can expect to hear, “Hey Grump, I was hoping you were still here, I been looking forward to this burger for a year!” I expect to help celebrate Lexi’s eighteenth birthday next season, she has had her birthday party at my place for the last four years, I know she won’t go anywhere else for number eighteen. I’m even sure I’ll see two of my regular business groups again next year even though on their last visits this year I had to cut a couple of their folks off of the suds. 

We’re expecting a packed house for tonight’s season ending game. I will be hosting Lexi and her entourage for the second time this season. Her first birthday celebration of the season was back in June, and her guests were mainly school friends. Tonight’s birthday party will be held for her family members. I’m looking forward to see them again, and I know how most of them like their burger. If I were smarter than I am, I would take along some body armor tonight because Lexi’s mom likes here burger so rare I might catch a hoof or horn when I pull it off the grill. 

Till next time,

Grump

Wouldn’t it be nice if there were no such thing as “too much” trust? Know what I mean? Wouldn’t it be great if everyone told you they would do something, and then actually did it, or if everyone told the truth, or if everyone could be trusted in business dealings? Yup, that’d be nice. 

I can remember two times in my teenage years when I told men I would do something and then didn’t do it. Both times I honestly forgot, but for some reason those two times have stuck in my mind. On the first occasion I had a man at the Gaines County Stock Show ask me to help his young son clip his pigs and get them ready to show. I told him I would and then got busy and didn’t show up. He came over later and asked my again if I could be kind enough to come help, and I told him I would. Once again I completely forgot about my commitment. It was a week after the show before I remembered that I had forgotten.

The second time I remember, I was asked to feed and water some livestock for two days while a family went out of town. Once again I forgot. This really was unlike me, I was dependable, I was trustworthy. These two men had seen me demonstrate integrity, and skill in working with animals, but for some reason I let them down. I was distracted by something else that must have seemed more important to me at the time. I’m sorry that happened. And, I know I have done worse than to forget to do something I said I would do. 

I have always tried to be trustworthy. I was raised by mom and dad to honor my word, to be honest in business dealings, and I have tried to live that kind of life.  I haven’t always done it, but it has been my practice, my walk, even though I have slipped up a few times. As a result of my up bringing, I have always put my full trust in the people I have done business with, and I have been very loyal. I like doing business with the same people. I like it when I know I will be taken care of by a person who knows what I want, and how I want it. Once I found a good supplier with a trustworthy sales rep in the cotton ginning industry I was their client. Did I always get the best price? Maybe not, but I did get the best value in terms of service to me.  

There have been times when this practice hasn’t served me so well. I had an employee at Fourway Gin who worked for me for nineteen years. We had a wonderful working relationship. I trusted David to do what I told him to do, and over the years he was given more and more responsibility. I knew, he knew how to do his job. I knew, he did what was best for me. There was only one problem with that experience. I came to trust “too much.” My next venture took me into a business I was not familiar with, and I needed to trust my new right hand man as never before. I even told him that he could take advantage of me if he wanted. Guess what, he wanted. I was so accustomed to trusting that I placed “too much” trust in his hands. 

Hey, what can I say? I learned another lesson taught to me by life. You know, I still trust, I still believe in a handshake sealing a deal. How bout we all strive to be more trustworthy, and more trusting? One way to become more trustworthy is to live as Paul lived, and say what Paul said. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21 NIV) 

Seems to me, if everyone tried, just tried, to live a life that would allow him or her to say, “For to me, to live is Christ.” There would be no such thing as “too much” trust.  

Till next time,

Grump

John Denver sang a song that said, “Some days are diamonds some days are stone.” And those were the brightest words in the song. Those words came to me just now as I sat thinking about where I am and where I’m headed. Two years ago, I asked God to show me where He wanted me. I asked Him to open the door so wide I couldn’t miss it. Soon after I read a couple of books, and had a few people seemingly come out of the woodwork with encouraging words. The books encouraged me to find what I do best and pursue it, while the people all of a sudden told me I should put my message in a book, and start teaching whenever and wherever I could. They told me what I do best is preach and teach.  

If you have been a part of my life you know that I have been following that path ever since. And, most days have been diamonds, but a few have been stone. I’m not sitting here thinking today is stone, and this note isn’t a woe is me. What I mean is there have been some very encouraging days when I have taught, or written something that I soon found out had touched someone’s life, and caused him or her to change or even seek professional help. The message that God has allowed to run through me is having a positive impact on lives. Amen! 

I will tell you the few days that have been stone are most likely brought on by my own vision of God’s timing, and His idea of success. I have been encouraged time and again to “Trust in God’s timing.” I even share that instruction in my book, but man it’s hard to do. I have in my mind a vision of a successful ministry through teaching and speaking somewhere every weekend and writing another book. While it seems God’s plan may be for me to be content to stay where I am, and show Him to the folks I come in contact with at Chick-fil-A, and at the Dr. Pepper Ballpark, as He uses the book and my teaching at McDermott Road as He sees fit.  

So, I hope you can see why I might see some days as stone, as I wait for another invitation to speak somewhere, or seek unobstructed time so I could sit and work on my manuscript. What I have written here today brings to mind something Paul wrote in his letter to the Philipians. 

Philipians 4:11-13  I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹²I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³I can do everything through him who gives me strength. 

Lord, my prayer to you today is that you help me to be content in Your timing. Don’t allow me to become satisfied, with where I am or what You have used me to do. Encourage me daily as I strive to minister, speak, teach and write. Send me to the people you know I can help, just as you sent Philip to the eunuch, and Ananias to Saul. Use Everyday Christianity, as only You can, use Your power to make it available to everyone You know it will touch. Open the doors of opportunity for me to teach, and preach wherever I am needed. And then Lord give me the strength to do everything You have in mind for me to do. Amen 

Till next time,

Grump