I just received a letter from a friend and it was rather uplifting! With just a pinch of his wisdom coupled with a handful of discipline would surely produce an abundant harvest in a Kingdom Man. Prayerfully I can become more of the man God has intended for me to be in the not so distant future. Laura and I have been busy working on curriculum for our new teaching series "Man School" while getting Kingdom Roof and Fence off of the ground. Our relationship with each other and the equal lateral triangle between the Lord and us both has been well balanced. We've learned during the holiday season that there's more pleasure in being a blessing rather than receiving a blessing.
Christmas was a blast as we were able to complete almost 400 homes in addition to a few commercial projects. That has really catapulted us into another orbit financially and concerning our market presence and brand recognition. Humbly we note that "Kingdom" is now listed on the first page of Google in our area. Our protege however was only able to fly with us for a few weeks before he lost altitude and descended off of our radar. I personally take responsibility since he did inform me that he wasn't sure if he was ready to assume a normal work schedule. Our profession is very demanding and can push anyone over the edge so it isn't exactly the best stepping stone towards workplace reentry. We pray that he receives peace and prosperity through the knowledge he gained during his time with us as we think of him often.
We went to visit my buddy Craig and Mallory Wallace over the holidays that works in the wood business and they're still doing well. We ate brisket, chose our white elephant gifts and shared a laugh or two about our unforgettable life experiences around a campfire. It's always a real pleasure for me to unplug from my everyday life for a moment to surround myself with people that are truly my friends without an ulterior motive. Craig lives on 1,500 acres of land in the Tyler Texas area so being out in the country around the livestock and praying with the "Mighty Men" has served to be a vacation for my soul. It's times like those Laura and I find strength and vision for our future.
As far as my personal walk with Christ right now, I have been thinking about the Commander of the LORD's army that Joshua met on the way to Jericho. He asked him, "Are you a friend or foe?" and he responded, "Neither one." This is very similar to the "burning bush" moment Moses had with God before finding the courage to return to Egypt. Many people think Moses had a stuttering problem but Stephen remembered Moses as powerful in both speech and actions. This moment has captured my thoughts recently as I shared this that Sunday morning on the ranch. I understand the dynamic between being a situational leader (Moses) and being a natural born leader. (Joshua). Better said, the character difference of needing to be told "when to lead" (Moses) or having to learn "when not to lead" in a situation. (Joshua). I can also appreciate the encouragement of the natural born leader being told to be "strong and courageous" as there were 31 kings that were needing to be defeated before Gods people would receive their choice portion of the promise land. Lastly I've been illuminated with Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh as they already had received their rest but came out of their rest and assisted the other tribes in getting their rest before they could return back to their rest.
I could talk for hours there but the Commander of the LORD's army has me thinking. Joshua who had just circumcised an entire nation with a flint knife under the Lords still, silent voice of guidance was a miracle. Any reasonable man would have requested a few more signs before going forward with that one in my opinion. :) Leading the Ark of the Covenant across the Jordan towards the promise land as the water was parted once again was unthinkable! (like Moses) The part that escaped my understanding was how after Joshua had followed God's commands past "normal thinking" he was still considered to be "neither" a friend or a foe to the Commander of the LORD's army. Obviously our good deeds are but "filthy rags" and are "counted as dung" in the eyes of the Lord. Joshua fell to the ground in reverence and asked, "What do you want your servant to do." Like Exodus 3:5, he was instructed to take off his sandals because he was standing on holy ground.
Taking off your sandals and shaking the dust from a town from your sandals represented the past, what you've done, where you've been or where you came from. It's a correlation simply put as "not bringing your past into your future." The Lord creates all things new again and again. A new day, a new way of thinking, a new life to live, a new opportunity to take advantage of, a new message from God with a new fire that's burning inside of us right now. What it must be like to be a real soldier in the LORD's army! We must not reflect on whether we're friends or foes but rather find the holy ground between us and God and seek to follow his commandment which is to love.
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