June 2005
Monthly Archive
Ducks and Geese, Oh My!!
Posted by Paul on 26 Jun 2005 | Tagged as: General
One of the awesome things about my daughter Elise’s wedding was the sense of the presence of the Lord.
It never ceased to amaze me to watch the hand of the Lord in the whole wedding.
I know, I know, your thinking, “What does ducks and geese have to do with a wedding?”
I am glad you asked!
The wedding itself was held outside in Boerne, Texas, in one of the most beautiful spots by the Cibalo River, in an amphitheater. With the natural beauty, the flowers, trees, it was breath taking. A testimony to God’s creation.
We were surrounded by a gaggle of geese and ducks, who joined in to the spirit of the wedding, mixing in with the guest as if they were personally invited.
What was the amazing part, was when Pastor Scott Bradford pronouced Hunter and Elise as Husband and wife, the geese and the ducks began to voice their approval and at that point the Pastor said “let us join in with the ducks and geese in welcoming Mr and Mrs. Hunter Martin” and we all joined them in celebration.
It was one of those moments that you could have not planned. You knew it was a God thing. It was God’s way of saying,”I have joined these two together and provided a whole host of witnesses and my creation.
Is not our Father awesome. A God of joy and peace, of rest and a Father with a sense of humor and perfect timing!
Till later,
Paul
Everyday!!
Posted by Paul on 25 Jun 2005 | Tagged as: General
If there is one thing that I have learned over the years is that everyday is a new day, a fresh start, a new beginning.
No two days are alike, each day is different, each with opportunities to walk with the Lord. There are choices to be made and the choices we make effects all those around us.
What we choose is very important. Do we choose to walk in the ways of the Lord, to yield our life afresh each day to be led of the Lord, to reach out and minister to others, to encourage, exhort, lift up others or do we choose to wallow in ourselves and bring others down, rather than lifting them up in the Lord?
We are given opportunities each day to be vessels of life. To be poured out, to share the hope that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are given opportunities to encourage others. To lift them up, exhort them. To build them up in the faith.
We are given the opportunity to be a servant, to walk as the Lord walked, as a servant of all. We are giving the privilege of being a servant, which is so contrary to what the world says. In serving, we are set free, our focus is returned to the Father, as we learn to be one with Him.
We are all a work in progress. We are constantly being changed. Being molded and conformed to the Lord, brought to the place that we begin to reflect the reality of who He is, so that when others see us, they see the Christ within. They see a reflection of hope!
We are given the opportunity each day to draw strength from the Lord, from the Word.
Each day we have an opportunity to walk with our Father, giving out of what He has given us, sharing the new life that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ with others.
Everyday is indeed a new day!!
Till later,
Paul
Some Wedding Pictures
Posted by Paul on 24 Jun 2005 | Tagged as: General
Our daughter Gloria, son Joshua, Elise and Hunter and his sister, Cari. 
Escorting The Bride
Hunter and Elise Martin
Jodie and new son-in-law
Jodie and our son Joshua
Elise and the Mother of the Bride
The Father and The Bride
Hunter and Elise MartinPaul – Jodie – Elise – Hunter – Rhonda – Lonny
P.S. If you click on the pictures you will get a full view!
Looking Back To The Future!!
Posted by Paul on 23 Jun 2005 | Tagged as: General
Sometimes, it is good to look back to remember!
As I sit here this morning at Isaacks, drinking my coffee. I began to remember all that the Lord has done in my life over the last few years.
Though the path was a hard path, a path of pain, of suffering, of hurt, yet it was a path that brought me to the place that I am now in my walk with the Lord.
The Lord knew what it would take to wake me up, to get me back into alinement with Him. He allowed things to happen but at the same time He gave me strength to walk through the fire. Through the refining fire that began to remove the dross in my life so that which would come forth, would reflect Him.
That has become the theme, the focus of my life. That I would be a reflection of Christ in all that I do, in what I write and hopefully in the life that I live.
Over the last few weeks I have seen the Lord do things in my life that I thought would be impossible in this life but I learned that nothing is impossible with the Lord.
The time with my children, with my former wife and family members has been a blessing. I have been blessed to have them in my life. Gloria, Joshua, and Elise are a testimony of God’s love to Jodie and I.
I have made a lot of mistakes in my life but marrying Jodie was not one of them. Our children and grand-children, again, are a testimony to that.
As I prepare to head back to Kennesaw, Georgia next week, I have no ideal what the final chapter will be, but the one thing that I do know is that God’s plans, for my children, my grand-children and my former wife are good plans and though we are a fractured family, we are not without hope.
Take time my friends today to give thanks for those whom the Lord has given you. Lift them before the Lord. Allow His light and life to shine forth and serve them with a heart of love and see your wife, your husband, your children and even yourself through the eyes of a loving, heavenly Father who wants to love others through you!
Our God is a loving Father who cares for us more than we could ever know. He loves us so much that He will allow us to go through the fires to bring forth in us what He intended all along, a reflection of the Christ within, that will draw others to Him.
Reflect that life to others. Let them see in you a hope that is born of the Spirit, a hope that reaches out and touches those around you. That where ever you go and what ever you do, the presence of the Lord will be with you and it will touch others!!
Till later,
Paul
Fear Factor!!
Posted by Paul on 21 Jun 2005 | Tagged as: General
If there is one thing that the enemy tries to do in our life is to introduce fear. Fear that will paralyze our very being because of the events that are taken place in our lives.
After a super week last week I received a call from the VA Medical Center in Kerrville, Texas this morning, with the results of my blood work done last Thursday. My blood sugar was normal but the CEA test, that is used as marker in reference to cancer was elevated.
For nearly the last three years my results were a .7, but at this time it is 1.1 which is elevated but still in the normal range. I immediately felt a fear begin to arise within me. A fear of a return of cancer and all that it entails. I began to focus on this, rather than the Lord.
I began to realize right away that tactic of the enemy and began to focus on the Lord, on His word and to remember that which He has and is doing in my life. The peace that He has given me.
As I focused on the Lord, that peace, that rest returned and replaced the fear.
It is only as we focus on the Lord, set our affections upon Him that we can deal with the fear factors in our lives.
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.” II Timothy 1:7 Amplified Bible.
We draw strength from the word, from the presence of the Lord in all aspects of our lives. We need to act daily. To realize that our Father has not given us the spirit of fear, of cowardice, but He has given us a spirit of power, of love and a calmness that can only come from Him. That we can discipline our mind, our thoughts, to stay focused on the Lord, upon the life changing word of God.
I am learning what it means to walk with the Lord on a daily basis. A day by day walk. I cannot do anything about yesterday and tomorrow is not here. Today is the day that I need the strength, the assurance, the rest and the peace that passes all understanding.
The Lord wants to take us from the realm of theory to the realm of reality, to see that we can walk daily in the life giving power of the word, of the spirit and presence of the Lord.
He is not afar off. The Lord is ever present and in the midst of our life as we yield to Him. He wants to reveal Himself to us now.
Is there a fear factor in your life? Is there something the enemy tries to use to paralyze you, to keep you from moving forward in your walk with the Lord?
Give it to the Lord! Allow Him to replace it with His presence. Acknowledge that He is Lord of your life and that you desire to walk in the fullness of His purpose in your life.
It is amazing to have that peace, which brings rest to the heart, peace to the soul and an assurance that the Lord is in control, even when we cannot see it with our eyes.
Then, it becomes an act of Faith!!
Till later,
Paul
The Peace That Passes All Understanding!
Posted by Paul on 20 Jun 2005 | Tagged as: General
“And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7 The Amplified Bible
What an awesome verse and promise from God and how real the Lord has made this verse to me all last week and continues to do so now.
As many of you know, after being away from Junction, Texas since last December and coming back during a week of a lot of memories and emotions, I did not know how or if I would be able to handle it!
But last Monday, June 13th, I came to the Lord with my heart open and shared with the Lord all that was going on within and how I wanted it to be a special week. That the focused would be on our youngest daughter, Elise’s wedding on Saturday June 18th. I shared my fears, my doubts and my failures with the Lord.
At that very moment, at that very time, for the first time in my life, a peace that was beyond anything that I have ever known literally flooded my soul, my entire being and I slept a full night of rest.
I awoke to the presence of the Lord Tuesday morning and from that time forward, each day, each moment, the presence of the Lord became more real.
That in my helplessness, in my cries, the Lord heard and answered my prayers and enabled me to walk in the reality of that peace. That my focus was taken off me and was focused on the Lord and my family and in turn that peace radiated to others around me.
As the wedding rehearsal and dinner approached, again the presence of the Lord was there. I was able to take some time to pray with Hunter and Elise. To lay hands on them and to pray the blessings of the Lord on them. To impart to them what the Lord had put upon my heart.
And on the day of the wedding, I knew that this was more than a wedding, that it was a celebration. The Lord was truly in the midst of them and it pleased the Lord to be part of this celebration. It was an honor for Elise’s mother and I to give our daughter in marriage to Hunter.
That they were not just two becoming one, but they were becoming one with the Lord!
The Lord in His awesome power helped me to focus on Him and in focusing on Him, it brought that peace, that rest, that transcends the natural and it set a guard upon my heart, my mind and gave me His mind and His heart so that I could impart that peace and rest to my children, to my family and to my new son-in-law.
Let us learn to walk in that peace. Let it become a reality in your life, as it became a reality in mine. It is a gift of God that we can have even now, in our lives, in our homes, in our relationships with others and in the things that He has set before us to do.
The gifts of the Lord, the peace of the Lord are for now, for this day and it is in this day and time that we can walk in that peace which passes all understanding.
Till later,
Paul
