Welcome to Friday - 7.25.14

Welcome to Friday

I have one of the best commutes in the world.  I get to drive across Lake Murray early in the morning with the sun climbing up over the city skyline, kissed against a soft cloud back splash of generously distributed and perfectly matched hues and colors.  On the opposite side I can look out of my window at even more clouds forming and rolling over the lake.  On days like today, I have the extra added bonus of watching various boats of different shapes, sizes, colors, and fashion styles gliding across the water in search of the perfect fishing or relaxing spot.  The water rolls and splashes against the shoreline, the floating boats and the rocks at the base of the dam.  Runners, walkers, and site seers dot the curving walking trail alongside the dam and occasionally, they wave.  

Today is a beautiful and amazing day, overflowing with joy, hope, and new possibilities, Welcome to Friday!  

 I woke up this morning and realized that the week has flown by much faster than I anticipated.  Did it do the same for you this week?  Was this a week that went by quickly, or did it casually run its course?  Whether it went by quickly and you need to catch your breath, or it was soooo slow you nearly fell asleep I hope it went well.  I hope you accomplished all that you needed to and if not, you will get it next week.

My week featured several things to give thanks for, a few of which are:

• The girls are back at home
• Lots of welcome home hugs
• Lots of questions, stories, jokes and smiles
• The return of pancakes at midnight with Cassarra and Gabbi
• Good news from the doctor's office 
• No tonsil removal needed for Ava
• A new Rx for Gabbi is clearing up her eczema
• New glasses for Cassarra and Sydney
• No surgery needed for Trish's shoulder
• Finishing the details of travel
• Planning completed for new project at work
• Gardening is producing some good fruit and veggies
• Great dinners and dessert from the budding cooks (Gabbi and Cassarra)
• Pizza and Ice cream last night
• Celebrating birthdays of some amazing family members Emily and Daddy. 

I had a very good week.  This week was our team planning week at work and things went very well.  We completed our planning in record time, with fewer arguments, and with a greater level of understanding and clarity than previously accomplished in our team's initial planning sessions.  There were some noticeable differences in our planning to start this week and hopefully we can make the necessary changes to our plan going forward with this new knowledge.  

The rest of the work week has been focused on preparing to go out of town for a work related conference.  I haven't traveled for work in such a long time that I completely forgot all the necessary details that have to be addressed for travel.  I have a hotel and a flight confirmation, so that part is good.  Thankfully the conference provides a checklist and Trish is making sure I don't forget everything or skip a step. 

The girls are all doing well.  They really enjoyed their time at "Grandma camp" and came home with all these fun stories about working with Granddaddy to build the new porch.  Their stories may have started out complaining about having to "work," but pretty soon they were filled with laughs, jokes and numerous smiles.  Gabbi seemed to have the most stories from the week and weekend.  She is a natural storyteller and has a really amazing knack for noticing and exploring little details to give the story more life.  Of course, Cassarra had her fair share of footnotes and corrections for Gabbi's version.  It made for a lot of fun to listen to them and hear some of our old stories retold.  They all really enjoyed hearing stories from their Uncle Vincent, who can be quite the storyteller when he wants to.  

Needless to say, the house is a lot louder and livelier this week.  The older girls have spent the week getting back in to a routine, working on summer reading logs, finishing up course work, and getting ready for back to school shopping.  I don't ever recall getting ready to go back to school shopping, but I'm sure we did.  Cassarra and Gabbi spent time cleaning out their drawers and closets, taking inventory, selling clothes to a consignment shop, and they made a list and plan of what to buy and why.  Sydney and Paige are getting used to their newly cleaned and arranged room.  Trish and I took some time to fix a few things in their room and reorganize it to be functional and easier to clean.  Hopefully it stays that way.

Trish is doing well.  She finally got her MRI on her aching shoulder and got the good news that she does not need surgery.  She is so amazing and has worked through a lot of pain with this shoulder and I'm glad that she doesn't need surgery.  I'm very thankful that the whole insurance coverage nonsense was resolved so she could actually get the MRI that she needed.  Now that the girls are back home she has started preparing for the upcoming school year and continuing with the slow and steady work of potty training Ava.

Emma and Ava are at their usual pace this week.  Emma is finally starting to go to bed without roaming around for hours.  Although, she does seem to prefer sleeping on something other than her own mattress.  A couple of times this week I have gotten up to check on her and I've found Emma on the floor, in Ava's bed, in the rocking chair, under the crib, or hanging off Ava's bed.  In fact one night I found her folder over on Ava's bed as if she had been saying her prayers on her knees and simply fell asleep before saying "Amen."  It was so cute.  Ava of course has a fit whenever Emma gets out of the bed and especially if Emma gets in her bed.  It is so ironic that Ava has such a conniption about anyone being out of their beds after her history of getting up and getting into everything once the bedroom door was closed.   

Last night was ice cream and pizza.  The pizza was great and girls all enjoyed their ice cream.  The had to recite Psalm 100 in order to take part in the ice cream treat.  There was a tense moment or two with Gabbi and Paige as they tried to get from verse 3 to 4, but they both made it.  Ava was treated to ice cream without saying a verse, although I'm sure she probably could do at least one verse or two.

I hope you had a great week.  I hope that you have felt the blessing and the presence of God's favor and love.  Have a great day and a wonderful weekend!

Welcome to Friday! 

May the steadfast love of the Lord bless you and give you peace.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

With love (& in triumph ), 

Cassius

Car built for 2?

Sometimes you just want to go for a drive by yourself and sometimes your big sister jumps in any way!

Welcome to Friday - 07.18.14

O LORD our Lord, how excellent is your name in all the earth!  Psalm 8:9

Welcome to Friday!

I started this letter earlier and as you can probably tell by the lateness of my deliver this has been quite an interesting and busy day.  Today is a summary for most of this week.  Which is one of the reasons why I am so excited that today is Friday! 

How are you doing?  How has your week gone for you?  Have you been busy with barely a moment to breathe or have you had a chance to catch your breath and look at some of the amazing things that God has done and is doing.  I hope that you had a great week and that you have had and are having a very good day.  I have kept you in my thoughts and prayers this week.

We have had a few challenges this week and a number of moments for joy and excitement.  The older girls are in Georgetown for the week.  Cassarra, Gabbi, Sydney and Paige are "enjoying" time away from their home routine.  I'm sure they will have some amazing stories to tell us when we get back.  We missed them a lot and I'm sure the girls are probably tired of me calling every day to check in and say hi.

The house was a lot quieter without them, but it also lacked a lot of those really funny and memorable moments.  Especially since Ava and Emma were not really active for the first three days of the week.  Shortly after getting back from dropping the girls off in Georgetown we noticed that Ava felt hot and sure enough she had a fever.  So, for the first three days of the week we were treated to restless nights, as Ava battled this fever that popped up out of no where.  She was a real trooper during the day, but each night she would be tuckered out and running a fever.  Trish and I kept vigil over her each night with thermometers, cool cloths on her forehead and at times giving up precious and valuable mattress real estate for a big girl and her doll.  Emma seemed a little less active when I got home since she did not have her normal running mate. 

Thankfully the fever broke on Wednesday and we were treated on Thursday to a reminder of what the full extent of Ava can be.  She was clearly back to herself on Thursday before and after dinner.  Moments before dinner she was leading Emma around the house in some strange and loud game of copy cat.  One of the two would scream out a sound and the other would repeat it at a higher pitch.  They marched and marched around the house in a parade of cat calls, unintelligible words and ear piercing screams.  After dinner Ava tried to push Emma and her high chair around the table and at bed time the parade of activity was back to normal; lots of getting out of bed, grabbing books, talking, calling for mom and dad and at long last snoring.

This morning Ava, Emma and I went out for breakfast at the local "Chickie-Donalds."  That is Ava's mash up of Chic-fil-A and McDonald's.  We have both in walking distance to the house and they are also across the parking lot from each other.  It was nice to hang out with those two and give Trish a little break.  Surprisingly Ava ate most of her breakfast before begging to play on the play ground equipment.  Normally Ava will beg and beg and beg... and beg to go on the play ground without ever really eating her food.  Our time at breakfast, just the three of us, was a great start to Friday and a great way to kick off the end of a week that featured good, better and the best moments.

The good:

• Ava's fever leading to some really intense (no pretentiousness) moments of prayer
• Completing my employee performance reviews and handling objections with a measure of grace
• Getting prepared for our upcoming product releases
• Getting approved to attend an upcoming professional conference
• Pictures from the girls' time in Georgetown

Better:

• Ava's fever breaking on Wednesday
• Getting a better understanding of employee disconnects and culture issues
• Our team's demonstration was successful and delivered on our commitment
• Getting my conference agenda and travel budget approved
• Knowing that the girls are getting great time with their grandparents

Best

• Breakfast with the Ava and Emma this morning
• Laughing, joking and reminiscing about college days with Trish
• Getting my flight booked for the conference with a reasonable price
• Spending time with friends and family
• Good food, fellowship, and a great lunchtime Bible study on Tuesday
• Coldstone Mint Ice Cream for dessert 
• Upcoming date night this weekend

Well, I hope you had a great week!  As you can probably tell, my week started off very tough due to fevers, fatigue, tight hamstrings, employee reviews, meetings and misunderstandings.  I am so thankful that day by day it got better and better.  It has not been a week without trials, challenges or tense and intense moments, but it has still been a great week.  Someone once said, "Outward circumstances cannot alter the inner conviction that God is good, the Eternal is true and His wisdom is beyond our understanding and imagination."  I second that statement.  This has been a great week because God is good, the Eternal is true and His love and wisdom exceeded my understanding and imagination.  

I hope you have a great night and a wonderful weekend.  May you have the favor and blessing of God to face and triumph over any trial and to enjoy those who love you.  Blessings to you and your family.

Welcome to Friday!

May God Almighty show His enduring love to you and to your family forever.

I pray that you will be strengthened and empowered by His love to

always live strong and above the fray.  May God grant you his favor, love and

and above all the deep and abiding joy of knowing Him.

Blessings to you for the rest of the day, and weekend to come.

 

With love (& in triumph),
Cassius



Jesus and the storm - Thoughts on Max Lucado's devotional.

What kind of man, indeed. Turning typhoon time into nap time. Silencing waves with one word.  Max Lucado

What kind of man?

When I thought about the devotional from Max Lucado I realized with a deeper sense of understand that we all start out just like the disciples.  We begin a journey with Christ by following Him and all the while wondering what kind of man is this Jesus.  We follow him and with each amazing miracle and enormous crowd that gathers we ask ourselves, "What kind of man is this?"

Then, without warning, in the very midst of goodness or on the heals of a fruitful event we are locked and loaded, desperately struggling and in deep fear for our very lives, as we go through a trial.  We bail water, panic, cry, yell, scream, turn into the brightest shade of red and fly into rage as the rain continues to drench and pour down on us.  We exhaust ourselves in the unending, and utterly unfruitful works of worry and fighting the storm in our own power.  In the midst of this desperate battle where out wits are stretched and our resources prove limited and ineffective we glance with wearied eyes to the man in the boat.  When we look over to the bow, the stern, or even perhaps as we step over and around Him in our panic, we see Jesus.  He is asleep in our darkest, deepest, most threatening moment and now we wonder, what kind of man is this. 

Who sleeps in a storm?  Who can rest at a time like this?  We wonder what man doesn't care about the fact that we are perishing?  Indeed, we wonder what kind of man.

We shake, cry and scream - don't you care.  When he wakes, he doesn't rush, doesn't panic, and flail like we do.  No, instead, he stands with His mighty frame fixed and unafraid in the spray and the gusts.  We are amazed at the overwhelming contrast between our shivering and quivering and His fixed, steadfast and calm demeanor.  As the gusts threaten to blow us off course and the waves continue to pound and hammer the boat, Jesus says three words.  "Peace be still!"

That is all it takes and the storm stills, the waves relax and the angry and violent sea rolls flat and still like pure glass.  The thick fog that weighed down your hope lifts and the spray and wind that spewed, howled and roared suddenly ends.  In that moment - that moment when true peace transcends the moment we wonder again - what kind of man.

What kind of man?  He is the perfect man.  He is the Son of Man and the Son of God.  He is the Savior of man and the man of many sorrows who was slain for our sins.  In our pinch He is our man.  In God's arsenal He is THE MAN.  John says it best when he calls him the Alpha and Omega, the Lamb of God, the one who is, who was, and who is to come.  He is the word made flesh.  The one who dwelt among us.  He is not only man, but He is God.  To take one of Max Lucado's phrases, "No wonder we call him savior."

Amazing God, help us to reflect on the power and majesty of who you are and give you unending praise, worship and thanksgiving.  We are eternally grateful that you are beyond and in our midst - and the sacred Son of Man.

Mark 4:39

Then He arose and rebuked the wind,

and said to the sea, "Peace be still!" 

And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 

Philippians 2:6-8 

Who, although He existed in the form of God,

did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,

but emptied Himself taking the form of a bond-servant,

and being made in the likeness of men. 

Being found in appearance as a man,

He humbled Himself by becoming obedient

to the point of death, even on a cross. 

 

 

With love (& in triumph),

Cassius



 

Welcome to Friday - 07.11.14

Just Today   Help us, O Lord, to live for this day, this hour, this moment. Amen

Welcome to Friday!

 

"It's going to be a fantastic Friday."  

 

The sky was draped in a beautiful tapestry of colors, the lake was dotted with boats of all shapes and sizes, and without hesitation I declared that today will be a fantastic Friday!

How are you doing?  How has your week gone for you this week?  I hope that you have had an excellent week filled with success, joy, and loads upon loads of love.  What was the best part of your week and how did you get through your tough spots?  It gave me great joy to pray for you this week.  I hope you will have an awesome weekend filled with all of the things that matter to you most and will help you recharge.  

I had a really good week.  In addition to a short week last week, I had a great weekend just hanging around the house with the girls and Trish.  Trish was a little under the weather on Friday - Saturday.  Instead of traveling or a big 4th of July get together, we played it low key and chilled out.  We had hamburgers and hotdogs, some sides and watched a lot of episodes of our favorite shows and played games indoors.  I lost every game of Domino that we all played together, even the one game where I was in the lead until the very last few tiles.  With a blitz that I've never seen before, coupled with some poor play by a few "anonymous" players, Cassarra won that game.  After that I went back to my tried and true game of "Monopoly Deal."  Paige and I played so many hands that I lost count of how many times I won.  Eventually I let her win one, but only one.  Once she "won" that first game she started talking so much trash it was amazing.  I wonder where she gets that from.  Anyway, it was such a blessing to have to slow down over the weekend.  Sometimes having to slow down can be one of the best blessings we ever receive.  

The kids and I took "shopping" trips over and around Irmo.  We didn't buy much of anything, it was mostly window shopping, killing time, and avoiding the stir crazy feeling that seems to occur when we are all inside for too long.  It was also the only way to keep the girls from waking Trish up from a much needed time of rest.  Please don't underestimate how off track our house can get when Trish isn't feeling well and the kids are overly excited.  Thankful Trish began to feel better before anarchy took over in the house.  

I had Monday off from work which made the work week seem so much easier to manage.  On Monday I did get to spend some quality time with Trish before I had to go back to work.  We had a lunch date together and then a nice little dinner date after we got the girls off to bed.  Both dates were at home, but Gabbi and Cassarra helped keep the rest of the crew quiet and occupied.  I'll admit it was hard to get back into the flow at work after being off for these three extra days.  The slew of emails, stagnant progress of the team, and onslaught of meetings makes any transition back to work a little tougher.  The short week and long to do list helped the time fly by really quickly.  It felt like no time before I was finally caught up and Friday was here.

The girls are all doing well.  Sydney and I grabbed a quick breakfast this morning at Chick-fil-A.  It was "Cow Appreciation" day  and she dressed up to receive a free breakfast meal.  There was a nice family of six that came in right after us and they were all dressed up, including the baby who was wearing nearly a full outfit.  Gabbi and I shared a ton of laughs last night as we sat across from each other at Denny's.  We went out just so we could have some time out and do something that will hopefully be memorable.  She was a riot all night and never really stopped talking - it was great.  She had so much to say and it felt like she must have been saving it up.  It was really a wonderful midnight daddy/daughter date.  The food was good as well.  Paige is planning to go to Chick-fil-A at lunch and has been planning this out all week.  She has finally decided to get started on her summer reading log.  Sydney on the other hand is 45 minutes away from completing all of her summer assignments.  

The dynamic duo were at it again this week with a new twist in the latest chapter.  Emma has learned to escape the crib.  She finally got her leg up over the rail with enough upper body strength to get over the top and slide down the bottom.  Trust me when I tell you that this is a game changer for us.  With no crib bedtime is taking on a new era.  Last night her and Ava just walked around and babbled through the night.  We could hear them talking, playing, and apparently from the clutter, having a grand ole time.  This is also the last time the crib will be used at home.  A bit bitter sweet for me. 

Cassarra got her unrestricted license this past week (may have been last).  She made her first few full car trips and nightfall trips to the store and back.  I pray every time she leaves and am so thankful each time she returns.  Now if we can get her to put the keys back where we can find them and occasionally add some gas that would be great!  She is unusually behind on her summer reading and summer work.  She is normally finished right along with Sydney.  This year she seams to be playing it closer to Paige and Gabbi's camps.

I hope you have had a wonderful week.  I am wishing you an amazing day filled with great thoughts, love and joy.  I pray that you will have the best day possible and a weekend filled with all the best.  

Have a great day and an amazing weekend!

Welcome to Friday!

 

May the gracious, merciful and majestic Lord hold you tenderly in his hands, 

open your eyes and hearts to the full potential of who you are, 

and give you the gladness and tender joy of knowing you are loved.

May God satisfy your hearts and minds with the power of His love for you!

With love (& in triumph),
Cassius

 

 

A prayer to know, and be known; to love and be loved.

I am praying to the Creator of all things to create for us a lifetime full of days that will bless us with spiritual growth,  healing, and blessings upon blessings.  May you have the courage to boldly believe in your sacred worth, and receive with joy the unimaginable love and blessings God has for you.  Be assured that each of us are of inestimable worth to our creator and that He buoys us up with His steadfast and everlasting love.

To God be the glory for the awesome work that He has done and will do for you.  I pray that you will know that the Everlasting is your ever present help, and He will be strong on your behalf this week and always.  Trust in the truth that God is a source of indescribable power and strength and God cares for us, knows our names, and surrounds us with love.

In all times, God of light, help us to feel Your love carrying us through the dark places in our lives until light shines forever more. Amen

Prayers to live by [The week ahead]

Monday
My prayer for you is that your week will be blessed with even more joy, grace and love than you or I can imagine or have ever hoped for.  I pray that your day is great, and that each tomorrow will be even better. May God bless and love on you always.

Tuesday
Real love is what God's love has done.  I have asked God to throw open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings and joy in abundance to you and your family.  May your life be filled with the cool and refreshing touch of Christ and His everlasting love.  Make it a glorious day!

Wednesday
Real love is what God's love has done,  May God bless you from on high with a week that is beyond compare. May His power break through every obstacle and trial to bring you prosperity, success, satisfying joy and boundless love.   Have a great rest of the week!

Thursday
The Everlasting is great, vast in power,  infinite in understanding, and full of grace and steadfast love towards you. May you be drawn closer to Him and enjoy the joy of His faithfulness and the comfort of His compassion.  Blessings for a great start to your day and a fabulous finish to the week.

Friday
Wake up to a day full of joy and excitement.  I pray that this week has been anointed and blessed by the love of God. Enjoy the wonderful things that are available for you from the hands of the Almighty.

Saturday
May the Sovereign be your help, joy and hope today and always.   May you be blessed by the faithful love of the Eternal so that you will have a great weekend!

Sunday
May the awesomeness of God and His great power go to work in your heart, mind and soul so that you will have a great day and many more to come.

As James Dobson once said, "we can barely comprehend the splendors that the true and awesome God has created for our enjoyment. We have been given incredible blessings and the ability to appreciate them."  Take a moment to remember past joys, and prepare to enjoy a great week of new wonders.

With love (& in triumph),
Cassius

Your greatest - a message to my children

Your greatest priority in life is to put Christ first in all things.  Seek Him first in all your decisions and ways, at all times and all circumstances.  If you will make Him your first priority, all things will be added to you according to His will.  

No matter what fad comes or goes, Your greatest effort should be given to the joy of knowing God and placing Him first in all things.  

Your greatest joy, hope and happiness will all be satisfied by having a real and vibrant relationship with Christ.  Not lip service or pretend, but a real relationship! 

Your greatest challenge in life will be rising above the fray, even above well meaning friends and family, to maintain your relationship with God.  Friends must be chosen wisely so that you stay the course that leads to true life.  Even if family members don't follow you, follow Christ.

Your greatest reward will come from believing in Christ for your salvation.  Even if the reward and blessing of faith tarry, wait for it in faith.  Jesus has promised that he will give you eternal life if you patiently and faithfully wait.  This is your greatest reward in life and life to come.

Your greatest strength is in God, the One who is a strong tower and refuge.  You will have trials and trouble in this life, but God is with you always and He is strong and mighty to save.  You will find your greatest strength when you are weak, humble and fall on your knees.

Your greatest comfort at all times will come from the One who wept with Martha and Mary and sent comfort to Paul.  Your greatest comfort will come from the Comforter and lover of your soul.  When you need comfort for grief, or loss, or hurt, or pain, or some unexpected betrayal your heavenly Father will be your comfort.  God is an ever present help!

Your greatest love has always loved you and proved His love for you by surrendering to suffering death on the cross for you.  He proved His love for you in that while you were a rebel (a sinner) Christ died for you.  God has always loved you and always will.  He is your greatest love!  When you seek love, you will find it in Him.  When you want to love someone, love them like Jesus. 

Your greatest hurt will be healed by God.  In the end He will wipe away all the tears from your eyes.  There will be no more death, sickness, crying or pain.  Your greatest hurts will be healed in the twinkling of an eye, when the final trumpet sounds and those who were found by God enjoy the greatest day.

Your greatest, if you put your hope, faith and love in Him, will come when God welcomes you into eternal life and says to you, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"

Your greatest purpose in life is to serve, worship, and praise God.  If you devote your life to this purpose God will be greatly pleased and many others will be blessed by you.

Your greatest freedom comes by being set free by the Holy Spirit and the word of truth.  God will set you free and in Him you find the freedom from the burden of sin, suffering and shame.  You will only have freedom in life when the Son sets you free,

Your greatest legacy will be determined by your love and worship of Christ.  Bosses will say your legacy is defined by your work, teachers will say your legacy will be defined by your learning, and others will render their own opinion.  But know that a true and lasting legacy is defined by God as honoring Him and passing on His word to future generations.  The greatest legacy you can have is that of working to know Christ and make him known; to learn of Him and teach others.  These are the legacies that matter.

Your greatest hope, love, happiness, joy, security, blessing, strength, protection, and life are found in Christ Jesus.  Your greatest task is to stay in deep, loving and trusting relationship with Him and trust in His promises of life.  Your greatest is bound up in God, who is the GREATEST!

"The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower." (Psalm 18:2) 

Long ago the LORD said to Israel: "I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. (Jer. 31:3)

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. (2 Cor. 1:3)

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:17)

"I am the Alpha and the Omega--the beginning and the end," says the Lord God. "I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come--the Almighty One." (Rev. 1:8)

Jesus is God and more about the Good News!

One morning devotional shared this thought that I'm re-posting and praying over:

The Gospel is good news because of the resurrection. The gospel isn't just that Jesus died for our sins. That's the first half. The second half is that Jesus rose again, proving once and for all that sin and death were conquered and we can have eternal life.

 Amen to that.  The Good News is that God sent his Only Son to earth to live and to die for our sins.  The perfect Savior sent to save us from our sins by living the perfect and sinless life.  Then, after living the perfect life, he laid down his life willingly to die for our sins.  Willingly he spoke the words, "Not my will, but Your will be done!"  Willingly he spoke the words that led Him to the cross and to the grave.  The Good News doesn't stop there.  It goes all the way from the grave to final victory.  The second half of that Good News is that Jesus rose from the grave and proved His great love for us and God's great power over sin and death.  The Good News is the full package of Christ's life, death, victory over the grave, resurrection and His second coming.

I don't mean to criticize sincere people, but a lot of good people go to great lengths to avoid the conclusion that Jesus is God. They can accept that He was a good man - even a great man.

Amen to that too.  There are too many people, sometimes even well meaning people, who avoid the real conclusion about Christ.  By our attitudes and actions- do we agree that Jesus is God.  By our words and our thoughts - do we accept and trust that Jesus is God.  Some folks have lived their lifetime avoiding the reality that Christ is God.

Yes, Christ was a very good man.  In fact, John says he was perfect and without sin.  Yes, Christ was an amazing teacher.  Even the scribes and Pharisees said that he taught as one having authority - unlike any of the other teachers of the law.  Yes, Christ was a great healer.  The crowds came with demons, with ailments, paralysis and great hurts and he healed them all.  He cast out demons, made the blind to see, healed lepers, and made the crowds say, "he has done all things well."  He even did more than had ever been done before - opening the eyes of the blind and healing the lame.  Yes, he was compassion.  On multiple occasions he was moved with compassion.  He had compassion on 4000 and 5000 at one time.  Yes, he was a great leader.  His followers would become pillars of the faith and turn the world upside down.  Yes, he was a great provider.  He fed 4000 and 5000.  He provided for the needs of great crowds with only a few loaves and fish.  Yes, he was a great friend.  He loved Mary, Martha and Lazarus.  He even raised Lazarus from the dead.  Yes, he was very humble.  He gave up eternity to take on human flesh and suffer for sinful humanity.  He even took off his robe and washed His disciples feet.

I could go on and on about how great a __________ he was.  Yes, he was a great lover.  He loved us so much that even while we were sinners he gave His life.  Even when we were hurling insults and criticisms he forgave us.  Yes, he is a great everything.  He is the great "I AM!"  He is most of all - God!

He is God!  He is God!

Jesus is God!  Don't lose this in all of the good that he did, all of the things he taught, all of the miracles he performed, all of the leadership he displayed, all of the compassion he gave - Jesus is God!  He is our Savior.  He is the one who lived, served, suffered, died, and was raised for us.  This is the full picture of the Good News.  Don't avoid it or delay your decision about it any longer.

I believe that Jesus is the Only Son of God.  

I believe that Jesus is God and that He died for my sins.

I believe that Jesus rose from the dead and He has set me free.

God, help me to live the Gospel - the servant life that Christ lived.

God, help me to live the Gospel - the death to my will and surrender to yours.

God, help me to live the Gospel - the resurrection to new life - my true life.

God, help me to live the love that refused to let go, 

the power that overcame the grave,

and the abundant life that You have promised!

Welcome to Friday - 7.4.14

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, 

and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.  Galations 5:1 (ESV)

Welcome to Friday!

Happy Independence Day and welcome to Friday!  How do you plan to spend your 4th of July?  Will you be putting something on the grill, spending time with friends and family, or getting some much needed rest?  How will you celebrate the nation's history and the legacy of courage that once defined our nation?  I hope you will enjoy your day and have time to spend with family and friends.

I had a really great week.  My work week was really short!  We were given Thursday and Friday off to celebrate the holiday.  I also had 1/2 day off on Wednesday - even though I had to spend a couple of hours on the phone related to a customer issue.  Monday was meeting day at work.  This time meetings went really well.  I had two people on vacation and of the remaining team members, only one tried to derail things.  Fortunately, no one entertained his efforts or took the bait.  I'd like to think this meeting went well and that we might actually be making forward progress again.  Tuesday and Wednesday morning at work were a blur.  We have six customers hitting the same critical issue and it has been a challenge getting enough information from them to make heads or tales of the cause.  So, most of Tuesday and Wednesday were spent trying to figure out these issues and manage the accounts.

At home the week was really fun as well.  We spent Monday retelling our stories from our trip to Alabama.  We laughed about the van ride and all the stories and episodes that made it fun.  We laughed about traveling through the back roads towards Clemson, the sites on the highway in Georgia and Alabama.  We even laughed about all the times we used to go to Alabama with mom and dad.  It was a lot of fun to see granddaddy and spend time with him at his birthday party.  Over the ride back and on Monday night we talked about how blessed we were to see him in good spirits.  

When we looked at all the pictures I took there were several that evoked laughs due to the funny faces.  Nearly all the pictures had someone with a funny face in it.  There was Paige making fish lips in several photos and once she stopped she was followed by Joshua pretending to be asleep.  If those two had a decent smile I noticed that my nephew little Vince making fish faces or Cassarra was frowning.  In the next set of shots someone was looking away, had their eyes closed, or in some other way distracted.  

The rest of Monday was spent recovering from the quick trip and getting some rest.  We left for Alabama on Saturday morning before the rooster crowed and got back Sunday night.  I drove the whole way, mainly so my brother Vincent could rest.  

On Tuesday and Wednesday we took it easy and hung out.  We caught up on the rest of the weekend activities and on the girls' trip to Salkehatchie.  We talked about their experiences, good, bad and in between.  I think it was a good trip overall for both of them.  Even the not so good moments taught life long lessons that I am thankful for.  Sydney and Paige also got a chance to fill the older girls on their side of things while they were gone.  Truthfully, I think it took until Wednesday before I caught up on the lost sleep from traveling.  Since I had 1/2 day off on Wednesday I was able to enjoy a long afternoon hanging out with Trish.  We did a little bit of shopping, ran some errands and did some catching up over coffee.  The best moment of my week was catching up over coffee.  The coffee was good, but the company was fantastic.

Thursday we had dinner together.  We had pizza and bread sticks.  During dinner we chatted and laughed at Ava and Emma's latest escapades.  Emma has started using her size to her advantage.  Just before dinner she took Ava's cup and then held her at arm's length while she drank most of it.  Earlier in the day she boxed Ava out of the way so she could be first in the line to get animal crackers.  After dinner we had dessert, laughed about Gabbi and Cassarra trying to watch a movie while Trish and I changed the channel back and forth using the iPad as a remote.  We also spent part of the night playing Domino with the older four.  Thanks to a bad strategy by Paige and Sydney, Gabbi won in a landslide.  

Today has started out with great joy and fun.  We had breakfast together and we are getting ready to rest, relax and throw a few things on the grill.  It is going to be a great day!  I hope that you had a great week and that you will enjoy your day.  Have a great weekend!

Welcome to Friday!

God bless you and your family! 

May you find blessing and joy in your day.

I pray that you will be strengthened today and always!

May you have from on high, all that you need for the days ahead.

In all things and in all ways, God bless and keep you.

With love (& in triumph),
Cassius