The Beginning or The End - Day 30

Day 30


You are done with your family action plan.  You are done and today I just want you to reflect on the past 30 days.  I want you to remember the feelings you had as you held your children, you saw your spouse walking down the aisle, any commitments you have made in life, and any brutally honest feelings you have in your heart when it comes to serving God.

I remember the first time I held each of my children.  Each one them looked at me and their mother as we held them in our arms and they knew.  You could see the peace that would come over them as we picked them up.  As they have gotten older, that hasn't changed.  They still come to us for comfort.  They still need us to pick them up and hold them for a broken arm.  They may need to tell us a story for 30 minutes at a time.  They may need us to sign their homework or change their diaper.  They may need to come over and eat because they don't have enough money to get by until payday.  They may need to ask us about our mortgage rate or how to fix a pilot light on the hot water heater that keeps going out.  (Yes, I am speaking from experience.)

I remember watching Heather and Faith walk down the aisle as Parker and I were waiting to join them in marriage.  I was scared and happy all at the same time.  Our lives would forever be different.  Going into our relationship, it was evident we would have some obstacles to overcome.  We were blending 2 families together.  We had our different ways of doing things as single parents and our ways were right.  Our kids were accustomed to a specific way of life.  It was amazing how God brought us together and when we thought it was too much at times, God held us together.  Even when we thought it was all our doing, it was really His.

I remember telling our families Heather and I were having a baby.  That would be 3 kids total.  Everyone was just as happy as they could be.  Ethan would be the final chapter in our relationship before raising our family.  Then when the Emma bomb fell, once again, God had different plans.  I was scared.  I didn't know how.  I didn't know why.  I didn't know what we would do.  God was doing what he does.  His choices for us were already made.  4 kids are what He felt we needed.  Whether we thought so or not.

Well, God thought 5 kids would be better.  In the past few months, God has laid it on our hearts to be parents for someone else when we can.  Due to circumstances beyond our control, God has saw us fit to add another child to the mix.  If only for a few days a week, we have a responsibility to do what we can to provide stability in this child's life.

I remember 33 days ago when I made the commitment to start a blog over Faith and Family.  I didn't know how.   I didn't know when.  I really didn't even know why.  The only thing I did know, God wanted me too.  I will be the first to tell you I was scared every time I sat down at my computer.  I was also scared when I saw several of you face to face.  I didn't know how the blog would be taken or if it would be beneficial to anyone.  I felt a sense of accountability from the blog.  Things that would be a normal occurrence in my life, have became less important.  I understand people are watching me and the way I live my life.  Most importantly, I am aware of my kids watching me.  They are making their future plans on how we raise them right now.  You may think they aren't but they are.  I also understand my wife needs me to be the husband and father God has called me to be.

I want to be completely honest with you.  I had to make a choice to be a Christian Husband/Father.  It wasn't easy.  It sucks working to make the right decisions all the time.  It is devastating when you fail.  It's uncomfortable leading your family the way Jesus would have you to.  In no way am I an expert on raising a family or a theologian, I am just doing what I feel God has called me to do.  I honestly just want the opportunity to speak about what God is doing in our family and hopefully it will help someone else do what God has called them to do.  I want the chance to start a ministry for the family to get information and ideas to put God 1st in their lives and home.

What is the cost of your family?  How much would they be worth?  Is your family worth seeing when you get to heaven?

Let me tell you what the cost is....It has been paid...Jesus died for you and your family.  He paid the price and all we have to do is choose to follow Him....

It's your choice.  You are either IN or OUT...  It's your choice.

Joshua 24:15

"But if serving the Lord is undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.  But for me and my house we will serve the Lord."

Last Challenge:

I need your feedback.  I need to honestly know what you have thought about this blog and the material and challenges in each day.  I don't care if you read one day or all days.  I need your feedback.

Please email me @ justinpresley1977@gmail.com and tell me your thoughts or just comment on the blog....


justin presley

Finishing Touches - Day 29

Day 29


After our family fun day, I am wore out.  Somehow we ended up at the Byng Track playing kickball in the grass.  I think the kids had some serious fun.  Of course, Parker and I just slaughtered the girls.  It is funny how God works.  It seems like more and more everyday I am learning how to enjoy my family.  We laughed and had so much fun today.  It didn't cost anything.  It was just making the decision to go and do.

Several times I have gotten to this point working with groups and organizations.  This is the point where the rubber meets the road.  You have worked so hard to get your family action plan set up.  Hopefully, you have had input from your family and you are seeing changes start to happen.  I am not just talking about changes in your family, but a greater awareness in you.

The changes and awareness you may be experiencing are how we can measure the success of your plan.  You see every objective needs to be measured.  Some of them can be measured in days.  Some of them may be measured indefinitely.  Some of them may be measured just by being an ongoing activity your family will continue to do.

To many times, and I have experienced this first hand, we get a plan and work out all the details only to have everything fall through the cracks because we don't have any way of measuring how successful we were as we start working.

So far we have:

1. Set the objectives
2. Identified the initiatives needed in order to complete the task.
3. Combined initiatives that were overlapping.

Now we are moving on to the final steps.  Measures and Time Frame.  Everything needs to have some type of time frame for a start and an end.  If you have objectives that will be started immediately, use the date you start.  Some of your objectives may be ongoing or only for a few months and thats fine, just make sure you give yourself enough time to complete your tasks.  I will show you what this looks like with my examples.

As you identify the time frame, you can also set the measurement.  Measurement are easy for the most part.  The only reason for them is to make sure what we are doing has a positive affect on what we are trying to accomplish.  Do not get hung up on the measurements if they throw you for a loop.  I will show you what this looks like in my examples.

Section 3: Step 1

Take your papers out again.  This is for the last time for anything I am guiding you through.  Once you are ready you will begin to go through your objectives and initiatives putting a time frame and measurement on them if possible.  The time frame could be days, months, and even TBD (to be determined).  The measurements could be completion of the task or even it could be ongoing growth.

Here are some examples:

Objective 1: Church member at Trinity Baptist

• Always make time to attend as a family
• Begin 10-28-12 End Indefinitely(Timeframe)
• Attending anytime we are together(Measurement)

1. Making sure we are always together on Sunday morning - Sacrifice
2. Commit as a family to attending together and teach our children the importance of this. - Commitment
3. Mom and Dad - Responsibility

• Continue to help out with the kids activities at church
• Started 8-21-12 Ending 5-29-13(Timeframe)
• Attending church and teaching(measurement)

1. Being available with our schedules and possible baby sitting arrangements. - Sacrifice
2. Commit to the Youth Minister we are available to help and explain to our kids why we want to be there. - Commitment
3. Mom and Dad - Responsibility

What We Need To Do Better:

Objective 1: Family Devotions

• Decide how many days a week we want to do them.
• Begin 10-29-12 End 4-29-13(Timeframe)
• Completing one per week for 6 months(Measurement)

1. Identify which day is best for us and the devotion we will use. - Sacrifice

• Find by 11-12(Timeframe)
• Start devotions(Measurement)

1. Commit to 1 day a week. - Commitment
2. Mom and Dad - Responsibility

I hope this is easy enough to understand.  It is just going the extra mile to assure success on the objectives you have set.

Once you get all the timeframes and Measurements in place, take the time to go through and make sure it all is going to work.  Some of your timeframes may be a little extreme or they may be too lax.  You just have to decide how committed you are to the process.

You may be asking yourself why this step is even important.  If you really study the word, there are several timeframes and measurements that were made in order for everything to work properly.  Ultimately, Christ's measurement of the grave was He would be raised again in 3 days.  If this would not have happened, it would not be worth the time we have invested in this program.  However, he did do what he said he was going to do.  He is alive.  He is wanting to be number 1 in your life and your families life.

I hope you choose to do what he has called us to do.......


justinpresley1977@gmail.com

Family Fun Day - Day 28

Day 28

My family made a decision last year to go to a specific restaurant every Wednesday after church.  My family made Polo's the destination spot for the 6 of us.  It is funny how much they look forward to going there every week.  When we are making our weekly dinner menu, our kids will be the first ones to say on Wednesday, we don't need to eat at home.  I haven't figure out whether they like Polo's that much or do they just like knowing the family will all be together at the same place, at the same time, every week.  

Although it happens every week and they are excited, sometimes Heather and I are there, but we are not really there.  We may have an overwhelming need to check Facebook or text messages.  We have emails still needing to be checked.  I know several times my wife has had to remind me to pay attention and listen to the story my kids may have been telling me.  

Our kids deserve us to get on their level.  I know my youngest daughter loves to crawl all over me when I lay in the floor.  I know when I look at life from her level, things are way bigger and totally different than my level.  Maybe that's why she loves me to pick her up so she can see what's up here.  Then and only then, she can see me face to face.  When she's in my arms or I am on my knees, is the only time she sees her daddy face to face.  The problem for her is I have to make that choice.  She can't.  I either have to get down on her level or bring her up to mine.  

Challenge:

Today get to their level.  Do whatever it takes to make sure you see life from there perspective..... 

Challenge 2:

Somehow and in someway, bring them to your level.  Teach them something you do or take them somewhere only you go....

Challenge 3:

Tell us about it.  There are about 75 - 100 people who are reading this blog daily.  We would all like to know what you did today and how your kids responded...

justinpresley1977@gmail.com

the NITTY GRITTY!!! - Day 27

Day 27


I hope everything is going well for you in this process.  We are going to take one more step towards completion.  After this, we will take our normal Sunday off.  You may even need to take the 2 days to get ready to move forward.

In the career I am in, I speak to people and groups several times a year.  We always try and get them to tell us what it physically looks like to accomplish their tasks?  What is it going to take?  What is the sacrifice?  We have to ask the hard questions in order to get the right answers.

Before you move on, you need to ask yourself if you are willing to do this?  My hope is you will stay with it and see God move in your home.  You never know what will happen when you ask the right questions and get the right answers.   I will be the first one to tell you this is hard and sometimes very difficult.  If it changes your family, is it worth it?  I think we would all say yes!

Next move:

Get your papers out.  You should now have Objectives with Initiatives under them.  We are now going to ask the questions and put the meat on the bone.  Our job now is to really flesh out our goals and make sure they are going to be feasible.  We want to make sure we can accomplish our task at hand.

Section 3: Step 1

You now have objectives with their initiatives under them.  We are now going to make sure of 3 things for each initiative.

1.  What will it take? - Sacrifice
2.  How will we make sure it happens? - Commitment
3.  Who will own this? - Responsibility

Before you go any further, understand, some of your initiatives may or may not be able to answer these questions.  If they can't, chances are they could be combined or maybe it is not really an initiative.

I have given you examples of what it should look like.  This is the part where most people have several questions. I want you to know, I am available to help at any time and for anything you need.

Remember, if you have written down your answers from the challenges in the previous blogs, you have everything you need to continue to move forward.

Who We Are:

Objective 1: Church member at Trinity Baptist

• Always make time to attend as a family

1. Making sure we are always together on Sunday morning - Sacrifice
2. Commit as a family to attending together and teach our children the importance of this. - Commitment
3. Mom and Dad - Responsibility

• Continue to help out with the kids activities at church

1. Being available with our schedules and possible baby sitting arrangements. - Sacrifice
2. Commit to the Youth Minister we are available to help and explain to our kids why we want to be there. - Commitment
3. Mom and Dad - Responsibility

• Make sure our children know we are always going to church

     *this is one of the initiatives that can be combined with the first one above...

What We Need To Do Better:

Objective 1: Family Devotions

• Decide how many days a week we want to do them.

1. Identify which day is best for us and the devotion we will use. - Sacrifice
2. Commit to 1 day a week. - Commitment
3. Mom and Dad - Responsibility

• When will we start?
• Where do we find a devotion that will speak to all our children?

     *these can be combined with the one above because they are both covered above.

These are just examples to help you figure out how you should start putting action to your plan...

Remember everything we do should always tie back to the following....

whats the mission of Christians?

Jesus left us here so we can bring others to a saving knowledge of Christ...Glorifying God in all things...fulfilling the Great Commission...Worship him daily...the list goes on and on...

2 Corinthians 5: 20

"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.  We implore you on Christ's behalf: be reconciled to God."


anything we come up with for our action plan needs to tie back into Christ's overall objective...us spending an eternity with him...

Please take your time with this and make sure you understand what you are doing.  If you would like to contact me, please feel free to respond to the blog or email me at justinpresley1977@gmail.com

Time for Action... - Day 26

Day 26


Most families haven't written down any type of plan for their family.  More than likely, you haven't thought about it.  If you are like we were, you are just making it day to day without a plan.  I know in our family, my wife wants a plan for everything.  She likes to know exacts about times and dates.  I, on the other hand, would rather fly by the seat of my pants and just have fun and play the whole time.  There has to be a middle ground.  We are all programmed differently.  We all have a plan and it is just that.  It's "Our" plan.  This process you are going through will help you understand in a family, there is more than just your ideas and plans to take into consideration.    

I know some of you who are staying with me to the end and completing this process had a very engaging and challenging conversation as you sat down and answered the topics I gave you to brainstorm over.  You should have identified the top 3 -5 answers in each of the 3 categories.  These answers will now be your Objectives.  Objectives are the core of your family action plan.  Today, we will set the Objectives for your Family Action Plan.  Remember everything we put in our action plan must tie back to the mission for us as Christians.

whats the mission of Christians?

Jesus left us here so we can bring others to a saving knowledge of Christ...Glorifying God in all things...fulfilling the Great Commission...Worship him daily...the list goes on and on...

2 Corinthians 5: 20

"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.  We implore you on Christ's behalf: be reconciled to God."


anything we come up with for our action plan needs to tie back into Christ's overall objective...us spending an eternity with him...

Section 1:  Step 1 - Brain Storm ideas (no wrong answers)

1.  Things we do good naturally - Who we are...

2.  Things we need to work on - What we need to do better...

3.  Things we want to do & already are doing - Where we are headed...

Section 2:  Step 1

On a piece of paper make 3 category headings.  Use the new headings in Section 1.  Leave enough room to write underneath each heading.  Once you have the headings changed, these will become your 3 areas of focus.

Once you have the headings on the paper, take the top 3-5 top answers you and your family agreed upon and put them under their new headings.  Leave room to write under each objective.  This will be the next step.

Heading 1:  "Who we are":

These objectives should define what you do naturally as a family.  These objectives should be a constant in your family at all times.  How you act towards one another or maybe a characteristic each of you exhibit in your own special way.  

Write your  3- 5 top answers placed under the heading.  Give yourself enough room to write your initiatives under each objective.

Heading 2:  "What we need to do better":

These objectives should be areas of improvement for us to work on as a family.  These objective should make an improvement in getting God in the center of your home.  What can you do to make sure God is at the center of your home.

Write your  3- 5 top answers placed under the heading.  Give yourself enough room to write your initiatives under each objective.

Heading 3: "Where we are headed":

These objectives should be anything you would like to see in the future for you family.  These objectives should be wishes and dreams for our families.  Where does your family want to be in the near future and 5 years down the road.

Write your 3-5 top answers place under the heading.  Give yourself enough room to write your initiatives under each objective.

Section 2: Step 2

Now you should have 3-5 objectives in 3 different categories.  Now the fun begins.  You are about %25 of the way done.  We will now start to put feet to the legs of our hopes and dreams.  We will now start the process of adding initiatives or action items to our objectives.

Remember, as we go through this process, everything must tie back to the overall mission of Christians.

Under each objective, start writing how you will accomplish these objectives.  You may want to ask yourself, "how can we do this"..."what is it going to take"..."what will we need in order to do this"...

Heres what it looks like...

Who We Are:

Objective 1:

Church member at Trinity Baptist

• Always make time to attend as a family
• Continue to help out with the kids activities at church
• Make sure our children know we are always going to church

What We Need To Do Better:

Objective 1:

Family Devotions

• Decide how many days a week we want to do them
• When will we start?
• Where do we find a devotion that will speak to all our children?

These are just examples to help you figure out how you should start putting action to your plan...

Continue this for all your objectives.  As you move forward, the process will begin to go easier and easier.  This is so gratifying when you know how this will change you family's lives forever....

Make sure you always look at what you want to do and make sure it ties back into the mission for us as Christians...

Please take you time on this and make sure you have enough information to work.  

The only way you plan will work is if you work your plan.....

if you have any problems or questions, i am here to help...

justinpresley1977@gmail.com

What's the Plan? - Day 25

Day 25

companies spend millions of dollars for consultants or individuals to come into their organization and help them get a plan...i have spent some time doing this and wondered why i needed to be learning these tools and techniques...when i started putting God in the center of my family and getting a plan on how we can continually work towards the plan God has for us, i soon realized why i was learning all this information...i can also tell you, companies and organizations that have a solid plan, generally are more likely to be successful...i don't know why we haven't thought of this before...getting a plan for our family...

i have worked with several groups of people at different businesses to set up a strategic plan...it seems, in most cases, we make the process harder than it has to be...we over think things, we come up with crazy ideas, and we think we are right in all things...it doesn't work too well that way...

i worked with one group not too long ago with my buddy Matt and the group continued to try and come up with this very wordy and very deep mission statement...then all of a sudden, it came to them...3 words...very simple...very easy...and very direct...

as we go through this process, please make this as easy as possible...if you have been working these challenges, you will have the information you need...if not, you can come up with information as you need it...

when you are setting up an action plan for any group, you must first know what the MISSION is for the organization...everything you do in your action plan, must tie back into the MISSION of the organization you are working for...

in our case, we are working for the Lord...whats the mission of Christians?

Jesus left us here so we can bring others to a saving knowledge of Christ...Glorifying God in all things...fulfilling the Great Commission...Worship him daily...the list goes on and on...

2 Corinthians 5: 20

"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.  We implore you on Christ's behalf: be reconciled to God."


anything we come up with for our action plan needs to tie back into Christ's overall objective...us spending an eternity with him...


time to get started...this portion of the plan needs to be completed with both husband and wife...i challenge you to work together through this and make sure you are open and honest with one another as you move through the first step of the action plan...


in Day 1, you were asked to look and find what key principles God calls us to do...
in Day 2, you were asked to find out the expectations of everyone in our family and talk about it
in Day 3, you committed to the ideas and goals you were going to commit to do from that day forward
in Day 4, you were asked to look at your specific role in the family unit

taking that information you will complete the first section of your family plan...some of this information should be found in Day 8...

Section 1:

Have 3 different pieces of paper.  You need to put titles at the top of each paper...

1.  Things we do good naturally

examples:

• we laugh and have fun
• we like to get together with family
• we enjoy time together
• we love to go to church
• we are good at talking to our kids about church

2.  Things we need to work on

examples:

• we need to work on being more open with our kids about God
• we need to spend more time in the Word
• we need to build relationships with our family members i.e....kids, parents,each other, etc...
• we need to set some rules in our home
• we need to define what everyones roles are

3.  Things we want to do & already are doing

examples:

• we want to spend one night in a bible study
• we want to work as a family on a mission for our home
• we want to start a weekly family night
• we want to pray with our children daily
• we want to involve our kids in a project to teach them to love people

Make sure all the answers you think about are written down.  There are no right or wrong answers to this part of the action plan.  Once you write down all the answers you can think of, start rating them in order of importance.  There are a couple of things you can do to accomplish this.  You can give each member of the family, if they are old enough, so many votes to put next to the ideas they think are most important.  If there are not enough of you participating, just look at each answer you have written down and pick the top 3 to 5 in each category.  Once you identify the top 3 to 5 in all 3 categories, you are finished until we move on...

these will become your family action items.  as we work through this, we will make sure everything comes back to these core ideas you have came up with.  

Over the next few days, we will finish out the rest of the plan...



as you work through this, any problems you have, feel free to email me and i will be happy to help you out...

justinpresley1977@gmail.com

Commit or not... - Day 24

Day 24


i heard a story of a teenager who was considered by most to be a good christian kid...one day he and his friend were introduced to some weed...he didn't think much of it other than, as long as no one found out, he would be fine...before too long, the party scene had taken him by storm...he would walk into school on a daily basis and continue to put on the mask of a christian...he would make sure the right people in the right places saw him doing the right things...he was able to fool everyone into thinking he was such a great leader and christian, they even asked him if he would be the president of fca...every wednesday night he would lead the group and sing worship songs...all the time planning what he would do on the weekend and where the party would be...in private with his closest friends, he would smoke weed and talk terribly about people and use words that would be offensive in any public setting...it wasn't long, just like all good things, it came to an abrupt halt...the school found out about the drugs and parties that had been going on...since most of the group was in sports, the school held a meeting with parents of the students...before the meeting, the head coach told the guys they could tell their parents if they were guilty before the meeting happened to get out of some of the trouble that could happen...so the young man sat his parents down, who to this point, were absolutely oblivious to any of the news they were going to hear...he explained how he had just tried it a couple of times...he did feel the guilt and shame of disappointing his parents and other people who knew...then he felt it...that guilt and shame the devil will use to throw it in your face...his younger brother put the final nail in the coffin when he came into his room and told him everyone was asking if his brother was a drug addict...the big brother who could do no wrong was now the disappointment in little brothers eyes too...

he felt so far away from God...he knew to pray, but he also knew what it would take to get right with God...there was sin in his life and it was keeping him from doing what God had called him to do...

the cycle continued for this young man as he continued on through life...he would know what God's word said and he could feel his heart telling him the choices he made with his life were wrong...he continued playing the game with God and everyone else...you know, where you act a certain way with certain people and then all christian around those people...

after he got married, things stayed the same...always knowing what God said to do and choosing to do what he wanted to do...it became a cycle of playing chicken with life and God...

after moving back after college and marriage to his hometown, he began to attend church regularly and felt that little small voice return to his life...it was the Holy Spirit speaking and telling him to do what God had called him to do...one sunday while singing in church, he just broke down and told the congregation he felt like he was called into the ministry...he started helping with youth...before too long the youth pastor left and he was able to assume the role...however, because of the past decisions he had made, people in the church made it hard for any ministry to get started...even though his heart was right, the past choices cause heart ache and strife...the devil did it again...he felt so far away from God...

then the phone rang...it was an opportunity to go and serve at another church and get paid for it...the opportunity came at the right time...God blessed and the experience was great for 3 years and then God called again an wanted him to become ordained...it was the next step in the ministry...then the devil did it again...his wife wanted a divorce...the church turned away...5 months later, he stood in the courthouse with a little boy, a mountain of debt, and a broken heart because the people he was ministering too turned their back on him...the devil did it again...he felt so far away from God...

the cycle began again...knowing what he should do, but too hurt to care and a numbness came over his heart....for a long time he didn't even want to be a part of church...he would take his son during the time he had him, but God was not a factor in any decision in his life...then, as he looked at his son, he realized there is nothing more important in life than being a great father...which meant being a Godly father...he made a choice to change and become what God called him to be again...

then the phone call came...another church wanted him to come and work with the youth...God began to bless in a crazy way...it was hard, it was crazy, it was fun, and God had a plan...at the church he was working, God prepared him for the next step...

after 5 years, it was time to go on and find a church for his family...it was time to figure out the next step...it wasn't easy and it was scary for the whole family...you see in the process he got married and his family went from 2 to a family of 4...then it quickly became a family of 6 just a few years later...there were times, he fell short and disappointed God...then, it happened again...God called him to do something radical...

you are reading it first hand...you see, i wasn't always a good father and husband...i wasn't always a good kid or friend...i wasn't always a good christian...

i was always in Gods care...He knew everything would come to this day as i set here now typing this...i don't know if any of you who are reading have been where i have been, but i know how you can get back on your feet...God..

Proverbs 19:21

"many are the plans of a man's heart, but God's purpose always prevails.."

it has taken me sitting through church service after church service to give in and do what God has called me to do...we can sing in all the choirs, teach all the classes, and talk to all the people we want to...if we don't choose to put God first in our lives and lead our family in how to put Him first in theirs, we are missing the mark...it's scary and fun all at the same time...


Mark 9:23

"whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.."

Challenge:

Ask yourself if you are really willing to take up your cross and follow Jesus daily...

Ask yourself if you are willing to do what it takes to lead your family

Ask yourself if you are willing to answer the call to lead you family


you may be wondering why i wrote this...i just feel like we allow the devil to get into our lives and tell us we cant do what God needs us too because we have made bad choices in the past...

God's word tells us if we are willing to confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of them...

over the next 5 days as we end the 30 days...we are going to start putting together a family action plan and take all the information you have been writing down to fill in the blanks...

we have to be committed to God and His call in order to start and finish His plan for us and our families...





justinpresley1977@gmail.com

Pray day - Day 23

Day 23

i never thought this blog would be received by so many people...as of today, there are 1751 views of the blog last week...this blog has been viewed in 4 different countries other than the U.S...Russia, India, Germany, France....please continue to share the link with your friends and family...

i would like to take today and go back and just review the decisions and commitments you have made to God...

on Sunday in church, our pastor spoke about prayer...God created us to have intimacy with him...becoming a Godly husband/father or wife/mother doesn't just happen because we want it...it happens because we continually seek God's guidance as we move forward...

prayer is when we turn the focus off of us and focus on God...it's funny how we think about God when bad things happen or someone dies...we seem to forget about prayer for the good things...i know as i committed to  write this blog for 30 days, i could not do it if i wasn't constantly talking to God and paying attention to His plan as i move forward every day...and just so you know, praying is very uncomfortable at first, but it does get easier...

please take the time to do this...

Challenge:

Look back over all the choices, decisions, and commitments you have made over the past 3 weeks and pray about them...

Pray for every family member in your home...make it specific and open up your heart to express your feeling about each one of them...

Pray for God to lead you in the direction He needs you and your family to go...

Pray for people in your life that need God...


thank you for being a part of this process to see what God can do in our families...please forward this to whomever you feel would need it...


justinpresley1977@gmail.com

what being a Man really means... - Day 22

Day 22

well it is time to get to business as we get serious about Faith and Family...

as we sat waiting for ethan to go into surgery a few days ago, i was thinking about what i could do to make everything better...i couldn't take the broken arm away...i couldn't make his pain transfer to my arm so i could bear the burden for him...i couldn't take the worry out of his momma's head...i am not trained in reconstructing bones or i would have did it myself...i stood there watching him and wishing there was something i could do...i tried to think about what the bible said was my duty in these types of situations...all i could remember was, i was supposed to love my wife as Christ loved the church and i was supposed to lead my family somehow, someway...how could i make this better...

i looked at ethan and heather and with all the courage i could muster up, i said, let's say a prayer...to my surprise, both of them looked at me and just bowed their heads without saying a word...i prayed that the doctors would be led by God hands and i prayed heather and i would just trust God to take care of ethan during surgery...i prayed for peace of mind for heather as she worried about her baby boy and i prayed for ethan to stay calm...when we said Amen, you could feel God with us in the waiting area...Ethan even felt good enough to get down and play withs some of the toys as we waited a few more minutes...

as they called him back and i carried him into the operating room, i told him God would take care of him and he would be fine...i looked at the anesthesiologist and told them to take care of him...i also told them we prayed for them and the surgeon to make this all better...as i watched my son close his eyes and sleep from the happy gas, i knew i had done everything i could and now he was in Gods hands...funny how God works in our lives to teach us lessons...


Fathers and husbands, this is for you today...i do not have all the answers and do not profess too...i will, however, let you know what the bible says is our responsibility...our mission...our job...the next verses in Ephesians are just a few of the examples, God gives us to follow as husbands....


Ephesians 5:25

"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,"

Ephesians 5:28

"Husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies.  He who loves his wife loves himself."

Ephesians 5:31

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and two will become one flesh."


Challenge:

Men: ask yourself if we are doing these things and write down any others you can think of...

Women: ask yourself if, as men, we would do these things how it would change our homes and what can you do to help in the process...

Challenge 2:

if you need to, ask forgiveness and go over these with your spouse...if you are like me, you may think you are doing these things, but i wasn't...

1. How did Christ love the church?

• Jesus came to serve, not be served - what do we do to serve our wives/families?
• Jesus came to give us life - what do we give our wives/families on a daily basis?
• Jesus came to build up His people - how do we build up our families?
• Jesus came to lead us by his example - what example do they see in us?

2. How do we love our own bodies?

• we feed it nourishment - how well are we feeding our families spiritually not physically?
• we exercise to make sure we are in shape - what are we actually doing to make a difference in our families?
• we dress ourselves in a way that is pleasing - how focussed are we on the outward appearance?
• we take medicine to feel better - are we seeking daily to make sure everyone gets their dose of God?

2. How do we become one flesh?

• committing to be together in marriage - when you said "I DO" did you realize you became 1?
• praying together - are you uniting in prayer with your spouse on a regular basis?
• by understanding God's plan for our homes and following it - do you know what God needs your family to do?
• sexual intercourse - are you having a healthy sex life? (this is important, but not the most important....)

you could go on and on about all the things husbands should do...i know for me, it meant being a servant of God's call...it meant being more about God and my family and less about me...it took me 35 years this week to realize if i will do what God says to in His word, my wife and children will follow the leadership in the home...if i serve my wife and kids, they see God at work in my life and want him to be part of theirs...

as i study the word, i am constantly finding out Jesus didn't come to earth to make us feel bad...he didn't come to tell us what we could and couldn't do...he didn't even come to earth to show us how to buy the right house or get the perfect job....

he came to earth to serve as the sacrificial lamb...he came to give us an example of true love...he came to show us we should love and serve him...he showed us we should love and serve others more than ourselves and everything else will take care of itself...

just so you all know, i am working on all these things too...we are never done working on what God's need us to do until we are in a casket in front of the church...




justinprelsey1977@gmail.com

Sunday FUNDAY - Day 21

Day 21


i don't know if you have been following from the beginning or just joining us on our journey...it is my hope and prayer you and your family are benefitting from this blog...just so you know, i really appreciate all of you helping me develop something that hopefully turns into something bigger than any of us...i hope today you are leading your family in worship in some form whether at home or at church...

let's get to today's blog...including your family in what you love to do is so much fun...last year i had the opportunity to take both of my kids hunting with me and it was a great time for all of us...unlike i thought, they were both very eager to wake up at the crack of dawn and get all dressed up for the woods..they really liked painting their faces with camo paint...i don't think they enjoyed setting still and quiet for a few hours, but i knew going into it, we would be leaving early...i don't even like sitting still and quiet for too long...they both got to see me and my brother take a deer...they both got to see the process of preparing the meat and checking the deer in at the check station...they were introduced to something that i love to do and if they fall in love with it too, we can do it together...

(just fyi, parker took his first deer shortly after this pic and we are looking forward to faith getting her's this year...)

Challenge:

Include your family in something you love to do...i don't know what that is, but i am sure you can use this as an excuse to do something you love...

Challenge 2:

Explain to them the reason you love to do this...the time you spend with them will be worth more than anything we could ever buy them...all they want is our attention....





justinpresley1977@gmail.com

what is real Love? - Day 20

Day 20

i never knew real love until i was there for the birth of my first born son...i remember walking out of the delivery room and telling my dad i understood why he did what he did for me...i never had the feeling of unconditional love until i held him for the first time...as parker grows up, it seems the more i love him and i love him in many different ways...when faith came into my life, i began to love in a whole different way...she was brought to me by God to love as a father should...it is amazing the love i feel when she looks at me...i love watching her grow into an awesome young lady and the love i feel for her is undeniably true...that little girl is one of the greatest gifts God has ever given me to love...when ethan was born, i thought i had it all figured out about the dad thing...when i saw him for the first time, a whole new feeling of love came over me...i had been there and done this before...this time, i was able to really love him without fear of what i would do wrong...as a father, i have learned to love beyond words...i will tell you, when we found out we were pregnant with emma, my love tank was full or so i thought...i wasn't too excited about another kiddo in the house...you see, i felt my heart was already full of love for my family...how would another child affect our home...how would we afford another child....how would we fit everyone into our house...

i am not proud of this time in my life...i learned a real good lesson from God...it was not pretty either...it seemed i could have enough love for what God had given me, just not enough for one more...then on August 14th, i saw the gift God had given me...Emma was born and i once again was able to open up my heart and love her with everything i have...God taught me real love is not what we just do, but we have the opportunity given by Him to do...

i felt like one of the disciples that rebuked the little children the people brought to see Jesus in Matthew 19...Jesus said to them...

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

in 1 Corinthians, the bible tells us "and now these three remain: faith, hope, and love.  But the greatest of these is love."


how selfish could i have been...every morning when i wake up, i go and wake up emma...she, most every morning, meets me with a smile and a heart full of love for her daddy...i pick her up and she lays her head on my shoulder...i carry her into our room and lay down with her before we get ready...i am reminded what true love is every day i see her face...

when i am reminded of her face light up as i walk into her room, i wonder if God feels the same way when i walk into His presence...i wonder if God can see the love on my face...i wonder if we will ever know what real love is like...

our heavenly Father taught us what real love was all about on a hill called mt. calvary...he suffered and died for our sins...he loved us so much he was willing to give it all...he did what he was called to do...come to earth and die on a cross for you and for me...

Challenge:

Write down what you love about each of the people in your home and why...

Challenge:

Tell them about it...let them know what you love about them...

justinpresley1977@gmail.com

the Boat we are in.... Day 19

Day 19

there was a storm on the sea and all the disciples were scared...it wasn't just any storm, it was a big one...massive waves crashing their boat...rain seemed like it was just being poured from the heavens...the men closest to Jesus were out in the sea all by themselves as Jesus was praying on the mountain...they were scared...i mean really scared...during the fourth watch, which is like 4:00 a.m., they were hanging on for dear life and someone starts rubbing their eyes and thinking there is something on the water...they are all wondering what it is...they think it is a ghost or their imagination...no one can walk on water...then out of the darkness, they hear the voice of someone they know..."it is I, do not be afraid..."then from the boat, peter hollers at whoever is on the water, "Lord, if it is you, then let me come to you..." the voice reply's with one word,"come."

peter steps out of the boat and as his feet met the water it felt like solid ground...he was standing on water...i am sure the other disciples were amazed at this incredible miracle unfolding before them...no one had ever walked on water before...as he walked to Jesus though, something happened...he took his eyes off of Jesus...we all know what happened next, he sank...as he cried out to Jesus to save him, the bible tell us that Jesus was right there to lift him up and he said to him, "ye of little faith, why did you doubt?"

now, most people look at the fact that peter sank and the reason for this story...i however, do not...i look at this story completely different...i feel this story applies to us as parents who are trying to do something we may or may not have done before...putting Christ in the center of our homes....Faith in Family...

let me explain my thoughts....

number 1:

peter got out of the boat...i don't care that he sank...he got out of the boat...he was the only one that chose to go to Jesus...he stepped out of the boat and he was different from everyone else...he was willing to go where no one had ever gone before...he was willing to test God's power...he was the only one that got of the boat...

number 2:

peter walked on water...to my knowledge, other than Jesus himself, no human has ever done this before or after peter...he got to do something because he believed...he got to do something none of us will ever get to do...he stepped on a surface that the rest of us would go right through and his feet were able to stand and hold him on the surface of the sea...

number 3:

Jesus saved him...no one else did...the bible doesn't tell us that the other disciples tried to save him...it says peter called out for his Lord to save him...he was saved by the Son of God...when he was down and out, sinking to the bottom of the sea in the middle of a storm, and scared to death, Jesus reached down and picked him up and placed him where he needed to be...hand in hand with his Lord...

number 4:

peter and Jesus walked back to the boat...they had to get back there somehow...it tells us in the bible, "when they got back to the boat"...so i just assume the walked...think about how cool it would be to walk hand in hand with Jesus on the water...peter didn't have to worry about sinking or failing, all he had to do was walk...and he walked on the water all the way back to the boat...


i have no idea why God led me to write this tonight...i had 3 other blogs that i was working on for everyone to see...how does this work into Faith in Family...let me show you...

number 1:

over the past few weeks, if you have been like me, you have been challenged, afraid, dedicated, or maybe even disciplined to change your life and your families...if we are going to do it whole heartedly, we have to get out of the boat...

number 2:

over the past few weeks, if you have completed some of the challenges, you may have felt and seen some changes in you and your family...it may be a new feeling just like that of what it would be like to walk on water...its somewhere we may have never been before...

number 3:

over the past few weeks, if you have completed any of the challenges, you are completely dependent on God...you have had to ask Jesus to save you...you have had to ask Jesus to save your family...you have had to really depend on His hand and not our own...sometimes i think God puts us in a place where we have to depend on Him to help us get where we are going...

number 4:

you got it...you are headed in the right direction hand in hand with God and your family is right there with you....



Challenge:

just think about it...i am...



justinpresley1977@gmail.com