Went Country Line Dancing With a Country Girl Named Toni

Whazup? Hey we just went line dancing and it was fun! They teach you how to country dancing for free. FREE baby!

bitterness and unforgiveness

Would not bitterness and unforgiveness escape from me if I am developing into being Christ-like. "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Th 5:16-18 NIV). My joy is not necessarily from my situation in life rather it a byproduct from my relationship with my Father. It is great to know it is God's will or my Father wants me to live in happiness, and I can because of his love for me.

Outta sight, outta mind

Posted to Billings' Church's and Newspaper's Facebook web sites: The Henley family thanks Josie, the people who donate the items, and Harvest Church for the opportunity last night you provided for us to act as the hands and feet of Jesus in our local community by sharing food, clothing, and prayers with the homeless or the impoverished. It was fun! Did you know Jesus Christ was homeless or lived in extreme poverty when He was the man-God on earth? “Jesus said to him [a scribe thinking he wanted to follow Jesus], ‘Foxes have dens, and the birds in the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.’” (Matthew 8:20 NET). It is noteworthy that when the King of kings took our nature upon Himself that He chose to live in the disgrace and distress of extreme poverty, instead of the comfort of wealth and material prosperity. I believe He did this to intensify His identification with us when we are at our lowest points in life, meaning it was for our sake that He became extremely poor. What do you think?

KTVQ - Billings Montana Tornado

It took the roof off of our entertainment coliseum.

Tornado in Billings Yesterday.

Billings has not had a tornado in 50 years before yesterday.

Run With the Current

Today I read Genesis 32:22-32. The title of this passage is “Jacob Wrestles With God.” What does this mean? I think it means Jacob was struggling with God, as I do. Thus, the biblical principle is simply Jacob, who lived at least before 2,000 B.C., and believers and non-believers continue to wrestle or struggle with God or Jesus Christ, because our Father relentlessly intercedes or draws us to Him (like a current) and we continue to struggle with this intercession or His will.

Yesterday my family and our friend Tralee had a lot of fun white water rafting on the Stillwater River with our guide Tim and his lab dog Chocó. I noticed that every time we came to a rapid Tim would say to paddle through it. At first I did not understand why. The river was especially strong at these rapids so the raft did not need us to paddle to propel it. Then it occurred to me that paddling through the rapids helped the raft go with the current.

Life Group

We meet with our life group yesterday at a picnic in Pioneer Park, grilled and ate, played tennis, horse shoes, passed the softball, and the kids played at the playground. It was very enjoyable coming out of my winter thaw and getting back into to relationships. I am thankful that our church encourages deeper relationships with believers than can be made during a worship service. I really enjoy hearing how Jesus Christ influences and changes ordinary people's lives through our faith and His grace.

What Goes Around, Comes Around

Today's Bible reading is Genesis 27-31. The biblical principle I got from this scripture is “what goes around comes around.” Just as Jesus told Peter, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matthew 26:52 ESV). One meaning is if I live by violence then violence will negatively influence me. In Genesis 27 Jacob deceived his father Isaac into blessing him instead of Esau, then in Genesis 29 Laban (the father of Leah and Rachel) tricked Jacob into marrying Leah instead of Rachel.

The application for me is what practices am I doing (e.g., lying) that I would not want practiced on me. For example, last week my daughter witnessed me lying to avoid listening to a solicitor that wanted me to sign his political petition. (I told the solicitor that I was not a Montana registered voter). After that, my daughter made a commit about my lying, which of course I attempted to justify. But later I thought, she may have made a mental note and may use a similar practice on me in the future, which is very uneasy her being a teenager.