Never Ending Vacation

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24 

My wife and I love being grandparents. Not long ago we took our grandkids on a vacation with us. We had a great time together. On the last day of our trip our granddaughter said, “I want to stay on vacation forever!” I think all of us agreed with her, but reality would not let us stay on vacation forever.

I imagine most people share my granddaughter's sentiment. Vacations are fun. No work. No responsibilities. Someone else cooking the food and cleaning up the room and making the bed. Enjoying a variety of fun activities to endlessly entertain us. That is what vacations are all about. Who would ever want that to end?

But of course, all vacations do come to an end. Eventually we have to go back to work to save up money for our next vacation! At some point we have to demonstrate responsibility for our homes and families. That is what life is all about.

Sadly, some people have not learned this simple truth. They think they can just float through life without accepting responsibility for anything. They might get away with it for a while, but at some point the party comes to an end. It is better to learn how to accept responsibility early in life, find a job that is meaningful, care for one’s family well, set up a realistic financial structure, and find a church to join and become involved in. These are the ingredients of a happy life. While an endless vacation might sound tempting, it is just not how life works. Don’t wait to learn this lesson after everything has crumbled around you. Learn it now and then live the life God wants you to have.

Lord, thank you for the fun times You give us. Help us to also learn the importance of accepting responsibility for living a good and godly life. Amen.

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Dr. Terry W. Dorsett serves at the Executive Director of the Baptist Convention of New England. He has been a pastor, church planter, denominational leader and author in New England for more than 20 years. He is a happy husband, a proud father and adoring grandfather. He is a cancer survivor and believes that God works powerfully through times of suffering. He writes extensively and you can find all of his books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Dr.-Terry-W.-Dorsett/e/B00405U4NY

The Importance of Fathers

Proverbs 1:8-9 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.

Kody Stanley, a high school Junior and a football player at Berryhill High School, Tulsa, Oklahoma, recently tweeted that in his circle of friends more boys were growing up with a pet than with a father who lives at home with them. While I do not if that is statistically accurate across the nation, I did find one non-footnoted source that said 40% of white boys, 50% of Hispanic boys 60% of African American boys are growing up without a good father figure in their lives. I realize this is a subjective statement because how does one define what a good father figure is. But however one defines it, I think many of us would agree that far too many boys are growing up not really knowing how to become healthy young men. This is often problematic for them academically, socially, economically, emotionally and spiritually.

Thank God for all the single moms out there doing their best to raise good sons. And many of those moms are succeeding greatly and should be congratulated. But I would imagine most of those moms would agree that it would have been a lot easier if there had been a good father figure in their sons’ lives. Boys need good men to show them how to transition from childhood to adulthood in responsible and healthy ways.

For those of us who are fathers and grandfathers, we must do whatever it takes to be that good example for our sons and grandsons. And when necessary, for our nephews, and for our neighbors’ sons, and for the friends of our own sons who might not have a good father figure in their lives. We may not have the answers to all their questions or be able to solve all their problems, but we can set an example for how to be a good man. And that example may rescue a generation of young men from lives that might be far more difficult than they should be.

Lord, help men to be good examples to the next generation. Amen.

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Dr. Terry W. Dorsett serves at the Executive Director of the Baptist Convention of New England. He has been a pastor, church planter, denominational leader and author in New England for more than 20 years. He is a happy husband, a proud father and adoring grandfather. He is a cancer survivor and believes that God works powerfully through times of suffering. He writes extensively and you can find all of his books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Dr.-Terry-W.-Dorsett/e/B00405U4NY

Every Day is a Green Day - Guest Post by Landon Ressor

Back a few years ago when one of our older kids was in kindergarten, the teacher had a system that monitored and tracked the students' behavior. When they were being good, their little sticker stayed on green. When they got a warning, the teacher moved their name to yellow. And if they broke the rules repeatedly, she moved them to red. Nobody wanted to be on red. But inevitably it would happen. 

Yet here was the beautiful thing ... no matter how bad a kid acted one day, no matter how many times they were warned or how many times their teacher had to move them to yellow or red and back again, each morning when they walked into class, their name was always back on green. What happened the previously day didn't matter, and it had no bearing on how they would be treated the next day. They would always get to start over each morning. This system reminded them that every day was a fresh beginning and represented a new opportunity to make good choices.

When I think about that story, I reminded of Lamentations 3.23, "Great is his faithfulness; HIS MERCIES BEGIN AFRESH EACH MORNING."

Think about that ... His mercies begin afresh each morning!

As I consider the grace and compassion of a God that, through Christ, continually offers me new mercy each morning regardless of my failures, sin, or rebellion the previous day, I am deeply moved. The passage promises me that each a.m. represents my opportunity to repent, submit, and surrender my will to His own and see Him work in a powerful and transformational way in/thru me!

So here's my encouragement, as a new year begins, as we seek new opportunities and fresh beginnings, embrace the grace and mercy of God offered to you uniquely through faith in Christ that moves you to green and provides the promise of a continual new start in Him.

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Landon Ressor serves as pastor of Christ Community Church, Darien, CT. He is a happy husband and proud father. He has a passion for reaching the world for Christ, starting in the New York metro area.