Family, Fun, & Food for thought...

Stick with your work

Stick with your work.
Do not flinch because the lion roars.
Do not stop to stone the devil’s dogs.
Do not fool away your time chasing the devil’s rabbits.

Do your work.

Let liars lie.
Let sectarians quarrel.
Let critics malign.
Let enemies accuse.
Let the devil do his worst.

See to it nothing hinders you from fulfilling with joy the work God has given you.

He has not commanded you to be admired or esteemed.
He has never bidden you defend your character.
He has not set you at work to contradict falsehood (about yourself) which Satan’s or God’s servants may start to peddle, or to track down every rumor that threatens your reputation.

If you do these things, you will do nothing else.
You will be at work for yourself and not for the Lord.

Keep at your work.
Let your aim be as steady as a star.

You may be assaulted, wronged, insulted,
slandered, wounded and rejected,
misunderstood, or assigned impure motives.
You may be abused by foes, forsaken by friends,
and despised and rejected of men.

But see to it with steadfast determination,
with unfaltering zeal,
that you pursue the great purpose of your life and object of your being
until at last you can say:
“I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do.”

Anonymous

Blessed is the man who fills his quiver…

At 9:36PM, Wednesday, December 5th: Caleb Michael was born!!

Jenny & I are praising the Lord for His great kindness in bestowing such a wonderful blessing upon our family!

“Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.” Psalm 127

“Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways! You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD. The LORD bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! May you see your children’s children! Peace be upon Israel!” Psalm 128

‘Tis the Season

It was a wonderfully snowy Sunday Morning in early December a few years ago when the Sunday school teacher asked her students, “Does anyone know what Season this is?” Several children eagerly raised their hands to answer the question. Our oldest daughter Hannah must have seemed extra enthusiastic as she was called upon to give her answer. Smiling from ear to ear she proclaimed, “It’s deer season!”

It’s true. Like so many Southern Iowa natives our house over the years becomes a hunting lodge between the September’s Youth Season and the January High-Power Season. I must say that I am so blessed to have a wife who does not mind living in a meat locker / butcher shop for a while every year. Fortunately, in more recent hunts, our friends have allowed us to use their “shop” and things haven’t been so messy around our house.

Some of the men I know would argue that the hunting season is the “most wonderful time of the year.” While I would agree that it is indeed wonderful I would argue that every event or evening spent with your family is the “most wonderful.” I have never heard any parents say, “Oh how I wish I would have spent more time at work while the kids were growing up.” Or, “I really wish we would have had fewer meals together as a family.” No one in their right mind would ever say, “While my children were young, we played way to many games together.” Or, “My kids always got in the way of my hunting.”

There are several things that I enjoy about the hunting season. I love being out in the woods with my children. I love teaching them, walking with them, helping them understand safety, the elements, and just being amazed by God’s creation all around us, together. I want them to understand how to properly handle firearms, clean whatever game they get, provide for the family, and just what it means to “have dominion” over the earth, as Genesis 1:26, 28 instruct.

This is a wonderful time of the year – for many reasons. The holidays are a terrific time because they tend to be focused times for the family. I want to encourage you not to wait until Christmas Eve or Christmas Day! Make plans to spend a few evenings at home, together, as a family. If you are a hunter, include your family, teach your children, and take advantage of the limited opportunities you have to influence them for God’s glory and their own good!

Clegguart Mitchell

Elevate Your Christmas Focus

Let the chaos begin. Do you remember the good-ole-days when we used to spend Thanksgiving Day together with our family? Everyone would gather at grandma’s house, we would share in a turkey feast, watch a little football, take a nap, and then completely lose our minds. The sun would go down and normal people would be transformed into shopping monsters to be unleashed at midnight.

For the record, I only did that once. I will never do that again. The so called “black Friday” shopping part that is. As for turkey and football – who am I to mess with tradition?!

The times have changed though. The shopping monsters couldn’t wait until midnight this year. They were loosed, restrained, re-loosed, and re-restrained on Thursday and then re-re-loosed at midnight for Friday’s blackness. Honestly, just thinking about it is making me tired and dizzy.

I want to make a radical suggestion. Take a few moments and stop the Christmas chaos in your life. Breathe. Now elevate your focus and yield your attention in worship and adoration as you consider this:

“He (Jesus Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” (Colossians 1:15-20)

“Though he (Jesus Christ) was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:6-11).

“What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us” (Romans 8:31-34).

Merry Christmas!

“They’re Birds!”

The month of August is a great time to head out into the timber and check your Deer stand, shooting lanes, and game trails. On one particularly warm day my oldest son Nathan, youngest son Josiah, and myself decided we needed to head to grandpa’s farm in order to do just that! On the way there Josiah asked four or five times “Daddy, can we stop by grandpa’s apple tree?” I guess you can’t check your stand without a few apples to munch along the way.

As we made our way across the field I was in teaching mode. I wanted the boys to notice everything; the direction of the wind, the sounds we could hear, any trails, and any wildlife we could spot on the way in. As we made our way down the hill and across a little hay-field Nathan said, “Dad. Look at all those geese!” I looked up at the sky just in time to see what Nathan was now pointing at. I said, “Wow, there sure are a lot of ‘em up there. But I don’t think they’re geese.” Nathan asked, “What are they?” and I responded, “I don’t know.” At this point Josiah who was working his way through his third apple and had not even raised his head to look up at the sky said, “They’re birds.”

Sometimes the simplicity and complexity of children is just the right dose of reality! Thinking about that day still brings a smile to my face. We knew they were not geese and thanks to Josiah we knew for certain that they were absolutely birds. What a joy and great blessing our children really are to us!

In a study conducted several years ago, sociologists Sheldon and Eleanor Glueck of Harvard University tried to identify the crucial factors in Juvenile Delinquency. They developed a test by which they could predict the future delinquency of children five or six-years-old. Their follow-up tests, four years later, proved to be ninety percent accurate. They determined that the four necessary factors to prevent delinquency are:

The Father’s Discipline: Discipline must be firm, fair, and consistent.
The Mother’s Supervision: A mother must know where her children are and what they’re doing at all times, and be with them as much as possible.
The Father and Mother’s Affection: Children need to see love demonstrated between the father and mother, and have it physically demonstrated to them.
The Family’s Cohesiveness: The family must spend time together.

Deuteronomy 6:7-9 “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Notice that this practice is an imperative: YOU SHALL TEACH THEM. Second, the process is simple: TALK. Not preach, scold, cajole, pound it into them, or dump on them. This is to be a natural a part of our daily life, natural and unforced, it is to just flow into every part of life. The key to this is really whether or not you can see God in every part of life. If you do, so will your children. If God stays at church or when you prepare a lecture, they will compartmentalize Him right out of their social life, private life, sports life, dressing life, recreation life and every other part of their lives. As one great old saint said, ‘There’s no difference between the sacred in the secular’. That’s basically what Moses is saying: Just let God flow into all of life.

Are you praying for your children? Are you teaching them the Word of God? Do you pray with your children? Do you model good choices? How much time and attention do you give to your children?

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” 3 John 1:4

Clegguart Mitchell

Not Always Easy

I love my wife and I am not ashamed to say it! She is my best friend and I am her best friend. We will be happily married for nineteen years this August and I can honestly say that we have grown closer to one another with each passing year. She is my sunshine, my delight, and my treasure. My name is Clegguart Mitchell and I approve this message.

God has been so kind to bless us with six children; and a new baby due in December! The children range from almost three up to fourteen years. We love to go golfing, fishing, hunting, and playing all sorts of games together. Yes, each child is different and has his or her own personality, preferences, and problems. But I can honestly say, I love every one of them in their own personal uniqueness and I would not trade any one of them for anything in the world!

As a husband I have no problem loving and honoring my wife. As a dad my chest puffs up with the best of them when thinking and speaking of my children. As a man accountable to God for leading in my home and shepherding my family, well, life is not always easy. I am so thankful that God’s Word spells out so simply and so clearly what God’s design and desire are for me! Now, you may be single, a single parent, childless, or even a grandparent. God has written down His design and desire for you no matter where you are in life!

Parenting is not always easy. A young pastor fresh out of Seminary and newly married preached a sermon that he called “The Ten Commandments of Child Rearing.” A couple years and one child later he changed the title to “Five Biblical Principles for Parenting”. A few years and another child later he re-titled again to “Three Suggestions for Parents”. As you may have guessed after ten years and three children he was no longer in the ministry, he was selling used cars.

Sometimes raising children is just hard. In one bookstore I counted over sixty titles on “Family” and most of them did not agree! Mark Twain had an interesting idea about parenting. When you are faced with one of those hard moments consider what Mr. Twain said. His philosophy was: “When a kid turns thirteen, stick him in a barrel, nail the lid on top and feed him through the knothole. When he turns 16, plug up the hole!”

It is almost Father’s Day. Did you know that God actually spells out the stages of personal growth for us Dad’s? In Psalm 127:1-2 we need a godly foundation; v3-5 we need to trust God for blessed fruitfulness; Ps 128:1-4 we can enjoy a happy family life; and v5-6 we get to reap the joys of a satisfying family when we get older. God really does have a plan, and friend, He wants to help you! Read His Word, the Holy Bible, and you will be amazed by all that you discover!

Clegguart Mitchell

The Owner’s Manual

Spring arrived early this year and so did the strong desire to get out and ride! Like many other people I found myself eager to get my motorcycle out of winter storage and back on to the road. Unfortunately, the battery had gone down and there was no power. I decided to phone the friend whom I had purchased the bike from and ask him about getting it charged up. His advice “Read the owner’s manual!” Smiling, I thought to myself… “Thanks a lot.” Well, with no other options, I did something radical. I read it! I got my tools, charged the battery, got it running, and have been enjoying every sunny day that I can! Mostly, I enjoy taking my sweet wife for a ride, even if it is just a short run out to the grocery store.

Did you know that the Creator of all things has given us an “Owner’s Manual”? God has actually written out everything that we need to know! His book includes an introduction to planet earth, chapters of history, poetry, practical instructions for the family, men, women, children, social and political order, Theology and lots of prophecy. As God, we would expect that He knows history in advance; and He certainly does! Indeed He has written down everything that we need to know (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3-4)! The “Owner’s Manual” even explains why bad things happen (Genesis 3; Romans 3:23; 6:23a; 8:21-22). It also explains what God has done about this insurmountable problem; He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to live a sinless life and die as the perfect sacrifice for sin (John 20:31; Romans 6:23b; 10:9-10).

One of the things I appreciate the most about this “Owner’s Manual” is that God has also included instructions that keep us running in tip-top condition – FOREVER. You see, this “Owner’s Manual” is the exact and errorless guide to maintenance (how to have victory) and to our individual fuel needs (how to know and grow spiritually). There is nothing more vital or practical than for us to consult the Owner’s Manual: God’s Word!

As much as I enjoy my motorcycle, my first passion is my wife and our six children. Obviously, I am not all that mechanically inclined; I had to ask for help charging the battery. What I’ve discovered though is that basic motorcycle maintenance is not nearly has complicated as my job as a husband and dad. I am so thankful that God has spelled out His design and expectations for the Family, especially dads, in easy to understand terms!

Gentlemen: Do you want to be a blessing to the ladies in your life this Mother’s Day? Then resolve to consult the “Owner’s Manual” with the intent of understanding God’s design and desire for you as a husband and father. A great place to start is in Ephesians 5:21-6:4 and Colossians 3:16-25.

Clegguart Mitchell

Life in Leon

Just over two years ago I moved my wife and six children, including a new born baby girl, to Leon. We were excited and nervous and looking forward to settling into our new home and new community. With the help of our church family, and so many new friends in the community, it only took a few short months to feel “right at home.”

Obviously with six children, life is never dull in our house. Our oldest is now 14 and our youngest is now two and half. They love golf with dad, baseball with friends, fishing as a family, hunting with Melvin & Annette, and they really enjoy visiting with the folks out at Westview (especially Mr. Dale Miller). Indeed, for our family, life in Leon is just an absolute joy!

When our twelve year old was three he had to use a stool in order to reach the sink in the bathroom. We always knew when Jordan was going to wash his hands because the little wooden stool doubled as a car which he enjoyed driving. He always made “vvv-rooom” and tire squealing sounds as he “drove” the little stool to the sink and back to the end of the counter.

On several occasions when Jordan would “park” the little stool, he would stand straight up and hit his little head on the corner of the hard counter. He would cry out, rub his head, and the tears would flow. On one such occasion I said, “Jordan, Jordan, Jordan, listen to Daddy.” Now pointing at the hard corner I said, “Buddy. This is always going to be here.” He wrinkled his face, sniffled, and kept rubbing his head.

A few days later I heard the little motor sound coming from the bathroom. I stopped in the hall and listened. Then I heard tire sounds, a little thud, and crying. When I looked into the bathroom Jordan was rubbing his little head again. He pointed to the corner of the counter and said, “Daddy. It’s always gonna be there.”

Friends, do you realize that God tells us in Psalm 119:89 that His Word (the Holy Bible) is forever settled in Heaven? In other words, God’s Word is “always going to be there.” Not only does God describe for us how to know Him personally (John 14:6; Romans 10:9-10) but He also explains life in easy to understand words! The Bible is our Source (2 Timothy 3:16-17), our Comfort (Romans 15:4), our Guide (Joshua 1:8; John 8:31-32), and our Strength (Psalm 119:28; Acts 20:32).

Just like a little boy who needed to accept the fact that the counter top would always be there, you and I need to accept the fact that the Bible is “forever settled in Heaven”. Indeed, God’s Word is “always going to be there”!

Clegguart Mitchell