The Top Ten Things I Learned this past Decade...so far

Here are the top ten things I learned this decade:

1. Life with God is better than life without Him.... this is my working definition of hope.
2. There is a vast difference between being sober and being sober-minded.
3. Friendship in marriage is great....oneness with your spouse is soooooo much better.
4. God can take my mess...and make a message.
5. The Word of God is a fire....
6. Busyness is the enemy of my spiritual growth in Jesus. Barrenness is the byproduct of busyness...and busyness is often the byproduct of barrenness. The real work God wants me to do is to believe (really hangon) to Jesus and to stay connected to Him everyday...no matter how many "spiritual" activities I may involve myself in.
7. Building relationships with your kids is the key to keeping their heart at home.
8. At the darkest moments of your life, God will meet you.
9. I can live very comfortably (and much happier) without television.
10. Gratefulness is the first step to restoring any lost fellowship and awareness of God's involvement in my life. Ungratefulness is my first step away from God.

This list is a personal glimpse into some of the things I believe the Lord has taught me down the road of this past decade. I will expand on each of these in future blogs. These statements give me hope....I hope they do the same for you.