I love living in Virgina because it is a beautiful state. The geography of Virginia is very diverse. Virginians can enjoy the mountains, the beach and everything in between. Another aspect that intrigues me about this great state is that we get to enjoy all four seasons. During each season God decorates nature with beauty and majesty. His fingerprints are quite evident!

While the seasons and weather may change in my beloved Virginia, the Holy Scriptures are never changing. Its teachings are just as relevant today as they were when they were first penned thousands of years ago. Philosophies, world views, values and ideas may change from one generation to the next but the Word of God stands true for the ages.

Our sovereign Lord made the heavens and the earth by speaking them into existence. He orchestrated every event in history that His Son might be born in the fullness of time. It is because of these truths that I know that our omnipotent God is and was able to preserve His Word forever! I do not have to second guess myself as I stand behind the pulpit declaring "thus saith the Lord"! His Word is Truth from age to age. Read it, study it, live it, and share it that it might be a spring of life for you and for others!

Several years ago I knew a teenage boy who had just gotten his drivers license. One day this lad and his sister were on their way somewhere when he hit a patch of black ice. His car began to fishtail and being an inexperienced driver he over-corrected, went off the road and flipped his car into the side ditch. Fortunately he and his sister were not seriously injured but the vehicle was totaled.

Often new and old believers "over correct" in their spiritual walk and become legalistic in areas of their life. Legalism is a cancer that slowly dissolves the joy of being a follower of Christ and can suck the life out of a church. When our spirituality hinges on do's and dont's we have crossed the line of legalism. No one is spiritual by what they do or don't do. We are only spiritual because of Christ's redemption. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Galatians 3:3 reads, "Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" (ESV) Our spiritual maturity begins and continues only by the Spirit of God! Nothing I do adds to it. The claims of legalism, whether spoken or unspoken, are "I do such and such or I refrain from this and that therefore I am more spiritual than so and so." This thinking is full of pride and is godless.

There are some locations on earth that get little to no rain and it is nearly impossible to sustain life. I have traveled overseas to areas where one can see miles upon miles of dusty earth. I have returned to these same areas during the rain season and discovered them to be jungles and completely unrecognizable.

Water sustains life. Believers who drink of the bountiful spring of God's Word will attest to the fact that they can return over and over again to satisfy their spiritual thirst. God's Word is rich and satisfying. Its reservoirs are deep with eternal water that can quench the driest soul. O how many followers of Christ needlessly walk in a spiritual drought! Open the floodgates of God's Word. Meditate and call on the Spirit of God to teach you. Fill your mind and heart with the Scriptures that its waters might satisfy your every longing!

I was on the road this past weekend for a meeting about two hours from where I live. On my return trip I decided to play some worship music and put in a Chris Tomlin CD. As I drove home and listened to the lyrics of each song, my heart was filled with awe and much appreciation for the Lord and all that He has done for me.

As I pulled into my driveway, I looked at the home that the Lord has blessed me with and reflected on my loved ones who live inside of it. When I parked my car and walked into the house, I could hear my children laughing and playing. I smelled dinner cooking and heard my wife sewing on her sewing machine. I was home with my family. I praise the Lord for the family He has given me.

My children love our Family Devotion time. It is a time when I teach a Bible lesson, a new song, or a missionary story in the evenings before the go to bed. I believe that this teaching is critical for children to grow up in the nurture and admonition to the Lord. Parents must take the primary responsibility of discipling their children. The church's only role is to come along side parents and reinforce what their discipleship efforts.

If you are not having Family Devotions I would encourage you to begin to do so. You will be following the Lord's command and you and your children will reap eternal blessings from it.

In September of 2008 my son Ethan was diagnosed with Autism. Ethan is currently enrolled in the special education program through our local school system and is getting the help he needs. One of the challenges that parents with children who have Autism face is just when you begin to see momentum and progress made in the child's life, something can trigger a relapse and you must begin from square one. This cyclical pattern can be quite draining and daunting. It is critical for families with those who have special needs to get support and encouragement from others.

If you know a family with a child with Autism or some other special need, one of the greatest gifts you can give them is a listening ear and a heart that cares. Autism is an extremely complex neurological disorder and those who live with it deserve dignity, respect and compassion from all.

Keys to getting help:

Early diagnosis, appropriate services, parents must work with educators to provide a well rounded education for the child at home and at school, educate yourself on the subject of Autism, and find a support group.

This past weekend I posted an entry about praying for my seed and I would like to continue my thoughts on the subject. As a parent I have become keenly aware of how things can influence my children. It could be a person, something they saw on television, or something they heard.

My wife and I have been reading Night Light for Parents by Dr. James Dobson before we go to bed for some time now. Dobson points how crucial it is for parents to demonstrate appropriate attitudes and responses because there are little ones observing our lives. As I've pondered his words, it has made me more determined to live a life that would not impact my children's lives in a negative way. I want to be clear that I am not perfect and I have made a number of mistakes as a parent. Regrettable mistakes. As I have made the necessary adjustments in my life, the Lord has increased my burden to not only pray for my children to become godly people but my descendants as well.

Because I did not grow up in a Christian home, I want to do every thing possible to reset the course from the past to a direction that points to Christ. My prayer for my seed is that God would raise up godly people who fear Him, who walk with Him and who will impact the world for Jesus Christ. I am looking long term. Not just my grandchildren or great grand children but my bloodline for generations to come. I believe that God will honor my prayer. I challenge you to pray for your descendants as well.

As I type this entry I just put my kids down for the night. God has blessed me with great kids. Of my five children I have two boys. The Lord has been weighing in on my heart in the last year or two about the awesome responsibility I have as a father to raise those two boys to become men. And not just ordinary men, but men who fear nothing but the Lord. Men who love God and stand for biblical truth. Men who will be champions for Jesus Christ and men who will lead their households to serve the Lord. My wife does a lovely job with our girls. She is so godly and a true example of a Proverbs 31 woman. Our three daughters are blessed with such a meek and wonderful example. While my wife and I work as a team in parenting our children, we both play very different roles in raising our children.

I have been praying differently. I have always prayed for my children, but I believe that this can be short sighted. I have begun to pray for the lineage of my seed too. My prayers have been that the Lord would raise up godly people through my seed. I still pray for my children but I also feel so compelled to pray for the generations to come.

Some of you who are reading this may think that this is a bit too much but I have prayed with and counseled grandparents who mourn over their godless grown grandchildren. In their own words, "Pastor Ed I have failed. I thought that raising children in church was all that was necessary for them to grow up and love the Lord. I was wrong. They needed to be trained and discipled at home day in and day out.".

The responsibility of discipling, training, teaching and rearing children for Christ is serious business and should not to be taken lightly. I am far from perfect and I am still learning to parent. But I am teachable and long with all my heart to invest in my children's spiritual lives.

God has given these five children to me and my wife. By God's grace and with His help, we will do our very best to raise, train, teach and disciple our children for the glory of God.