Blessed to be a blessing

I wanted to share a revelation from Gen 12:1-3 when God called Abram to follow him. As I looked into this verse I saw three levels of how God draws us in and matures us in our Christian Walk.
I verse two he says that I will make you in a great nation and I will bless you. What I saw here was the "I will bless you" part. Generally that is how most people are drawn to following God: to get God's blessing. We want God to bless us so we live in such a way to get God to bless us.
In the second half of verse two he says: I will make your name great and you will be a blessing." Here the key part is "you will be a blessing." This a sign of maturity when we no longer solely live to have God bless us but we see others around us and we want to be a blessing to them. We are ok losing some rights and privileges of our own to make things better for others around us.
Finally in verse three he says, "I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you". When God said "all peoples on earth will be blessed through you he even meant those that would live on the earth in the future (i.e. me an you). This I believe is the ultimate sign of maturity and dying to self. When you have your eyes set on that which is to come and is not visible yet, and live for it. When you are ok with the fact that the people who will benefit from your sacrifice in this life will never even see or know your name.

I am challenged to go from the second level to the third level in every area of my life. That's not easy. There are so many people who live at the first level that living in second level can make us feel like giants in the faith, which we are because God is growing us, yet it's not where he wants us to stop. We have to keep pressing on because the foundation we are laying is not only for our kids but multiple generations our own kids and others to come.

Let's not grow weary.

Love you all

What to look for.

Ok. First, thank you to all who gave us advise to make it through the first trimester of our pregnancy. We are about to step into the second trimester. I am open to hear from you experienced parents as far as what we need to be looking for and what do we need to be doing now to continue to prepare for our baby coming.


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Thanks

Not Alone

I mentioned this last week at our volunteer's meeting and amazingly it was echoed yesterday at church during the baby dedication; that we as parents can not raise our kids alone.

I am so honored to be around a great group of parents who fight for their family and kids and do not abidicate responsibility, yet at the same time keep tight community due to the realization that training up our children is too impossible a task to do alone. I feel great about this community of parents and confident about Teressa and I soon to give birth of a child into it.

Thank you all for being there. We know that we will not be alone.

SIgnificance, acceptance, security

This week we are talking to the teens about finding significance, acceptance, & security in the Lord as opposed to striving for it in the the world. I believe this is the very heart issue when it comes to identity that our teens struggle with the most. I am convinced that it is the role of parents in the home to lay this foundation in their children, however this is no easy task by any means, even the most God-fearing couples. We choose what we say, BUT THEY CHOOSE WHAT THEY BELIEVE.

My encouragement this week is for us as parents and caring adults to continue to find our security, signficance, and acceptance in the Lord and not by world standards, ie our jobs, career, social group, associations, etc.,

EYE TO EYE & HEART TO HEART- Have eye to eye and heart to heart conversations with your teen this week on the topic of identity. Nothing speaks volume like a testimony. BE A WITNESS and share your story with your growing adult this week.

Love you all


Jean

As Good As Dead!

I was pondering on Sunday morning during Easter service of the sacrifice of His own life that Jesus gave for us, and how through his dying many were made alive. As I entetained this thought, it spoke to me in a way to help make sense of the trials i seem to be going through this season. That I am only as good as I am dead. The Bible says 'husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up as an offering for it'. The picture of Christ loving the church is one of Jesus hanging on the cross, his life layed down completely, doing nothing to defend himself. That is what I hear when I think of the love of Jesus, that I am only as good as I am dead. I can only love right if I am dead, I can only serve right if I am dead, I can only lead right if I am dead. If Jean Jeune lives nothing goes right. Christ has to live in me, and in order for that to happen I must die. I don't want to die sometimes, actually many times, especially knowing when this baby comes I'll have to die somemore.

i know many of you parents are probably asking, 'what happened to my life?' You lost it long time ago, because you couldn't give life and hold on to yours at the same time it was one or the other. Now the verse "unless a seed falls to the ground and dies it remains only a seed," has new meaning for me. My days like I know them are over. It's time to pick up my cross to go nail this life on it, die, and pick a new life God is bringing me into. If any of you dads can remember going through what I'm going through now your prayers and words of encouragement are welcomed.

But as parents we really are only as good as we are dead. We must live for a future generation. But what an honor that God can allow our dying to bring new life. I'm glad I can be in this fight with you all.

Love you.

We're Waiting!!

Teressa & I have decided that we are going to wait until the delivery to find out whether the Lord has given us a boy or a girl. I already know it has to be one of the two. We'll be happy with whatever he gives us. I did however try to look deep into the ultrasound picture to see if I could tell. With this zoomed up image you can see that the baby already has my face and Teressa's hair.

Joy Peace Love!

If you heard Pastor Jim’s message yesterday you probably felt as challenged as I did to remain in the vine and have these fruits bearing in your life and home continually. Standing months away from the birth of our first child I am confronted with the truth and reality that it doesn’t matter how much Bible I preach to my children, the fruit that comes out of my life will preach a louder message.
Why does God bring two imperfect people together and allow their relationship to be the first revelation of His Kingdom to a young child. Has God lost his mind? Yet I’m sure that it is through this that reveals his glory even more. I know his grace is sufficient for all of us and that is what we can rest on. However I must admit that it puts the fear of God in me when I heard that question, “Will my kids want to live for God based on what they experience in the home?”
I encourage us all to remain in the vine. Though it is hard, especially for me, as I tend to abide in the fruit sometimes. Pray for me as I continue to pray for you.

Love you all