Pastor Dan’s Blog

Legacy Of Blessing

My parents have taken great care of me and my sister over the years. They have constantly place our needs above our own, even sacrificing their own comfort to ensure a better life for us. By no means am I suggesting that they are perfect but they were perfectly selected to raise my sister and I by the Lord.

Over the years they have provided more than a roof over my head, they provided a head start in life. I make not qualms about it, all I have and all I am is a direct reflection of their influence and sacrifice. My first home was made possible by my parents (come to think of it all my homes were!), my first car was a gift from my dad, my education was their sacrifice, my morals and standards were a by product of the God they tirelessly served. They took my family on countless trips to Hawaii & Cabo San Lucas. It has always been my dream to some how give back to them a small token of what they have given to me over the years.

On January 10^th, 2010 my parents celebrated 50 years of marriage. They didn’t want a fancy ceremony or big deal made out of their accomplishment. So we made a decision to take my parents on a first class trip to the Bahamas to celebrate their wedding anniversary. I was especially blessed to officiate their renewal of vows on the beautiful Bahamian beach.

As the tropical sun began to set my mother & father’s eyes filled with tears as they expressed their love to one another. They renewed their vow and gave credit to the Lord for their longevity. They kept kissing throughout the ceremony even when it wasn’t time for them to do so. It was then I realized just how blessed I am to have them in my life. Their example is one I strive for daily.

I am one blessed man to have been blessed with my parents.

Tags: 50 year, dan & norma vera, example, sacrifice

Recharge

I have spoken recently on the subject of Recharge, I realize that the number of people who are experiencing burnout has increased dramatically during this financial recession and global economic unrest. Our overall work load has not increased per se but the stress of what we were sacrificing for has.

 

Why?

 

1.      People will sacrifice time, resources & energy to hold on to what is valuable therefore when the value decreases so does our willingness to sacrifice.

When housing values were rising, wages were elevated & the stock market was at all time high, people had no trouble making the sacrifices necessary to pay for their lifestyles. The time commuting, extra hours on the phone to close a deal, getting up early & stay up later seemed like a small price to pay when the material things in life were increasing in value.

 

When the value of our homes began to go down, the willingness of people to sacrifice to keep it also followed. Without equity or value the time & effort outweighed the value on its return, thus pressure. This principle is true in marriage, relationships, careers and in business. If the value of our marriage goes down so does one’s willingness to fight for it. The level of value determines the level of sacrifice. No value, no sacrifice.

 

2.      People equated their personal value based on their valuables.

My daughter years ago was having problems with simple math due to a faulty conclusion. This miscalculation affected the succeeding problems which resulted in her getting not only that one problem wrong but the ones to follow. You see, if you start with a wrong concept, your resulting conclusions will be wrong as well.

 

People who wrongly estimated their personal value based on the possession of valuables by definition had to lower their own personal self-worth when the value of what they possessed diminished. As the housing bubble burst and equity in homes began to dissipate so did the esteem of many people. Wrong start equals wrong finish.

 

3.      People valued possessions over relationships.

The first thing to suffer when we get busy in life is relationship. We don’t have the time or the energy to develop meaningful connects. We leave the house earlier to beat traffic and work later. Family dinner times have been replaced by a drive through or a solitary plate in the microwave. All this to buy a house that will never become a home. The value of a house is not the land it sits on rather it is the occupants inside. What good is a house without the family to make it a home?

 

In our quest for the holy grail of economic bliss we have mortgaged our relationships & support structure. The collapse is inevitable. Just like the Twin Towers on September 11^th, the heat melted the support beam which caused the greatest tragedy since Pearl Harbor. That tragedy is being repeated everyday throughout our cities as families are collapsing under the emotional duress of stress. When the heat of bills, time, resources & energy has been applied to our core, if we have no support, we too collapse.

 

We are not made up of rebar and concrete. Our core is made up of faith, friendships, relationships & fellowship. Our faith, family, friends and spouses are the support system we rely on in times of trouble. When that is damaged due to neglect, collapse will ensue.

Tags: Recharge, relationships, sacrifice, value