Dad where did you go?

I spent the better half of yesterday at the Milton High School, helping deal with the grief of a lost student. I was blow away by the brokenness of not just the situation but of life for many students. I talked with many students throughout the day. Of all these students only 2 had intact families, 2 students where has the sanctity of marriage went? I talked to numerous young women hurting and crying out for attention, love, and help. You know the common denominator in all these girls, dad was gone. He had left for another women or family. They all claimed to hate there father, but yet truly where crying out to be loved and accepted instead of the rejection they had felt and experienced.
So Fathers where are you? Where do you spend your time? When was the last time you actually spent quality time with your children or told them you loved them? I am reminded of the last scene in the movie courageous where the main character challenges the fathers to step up. So men of God if you know God I also encourage you to step up. Let us stop the question of where is daddy and set an example for the world to follow.

leftovers

So yes I have been reading Crazy Love again and yes it rocks my world again. I have read this for various reasons and groups I have lead a total of 5 times. I never get sick of it, it stretches me and hurts ever time, but I walk away each time more in love with my Father and asking over and over, why do we think God deserves our leftovers.
God is God he decides everything and every time we try to justify ourselves and behavior we are minimizing God, and his call for our life. We are trying to make it easy. Scriptures is clear it is not easy, it was not suppose to be easy. God demands our all our very life. We need grace and God saves us from ourselves, because by ourselves we cannot do it. He forgives and love when we fall short, but why do we continue to think giving him our leftovers is okay. I don't serve him to get out of hell or because I think I have to. I serve God because I love him, because he saved me, because he is God, because I am in awe of him, and because frankly he deserves it.
God does not want our leftovers, but yet we are filled with to many excuses and we give him our leftovers all the time. As much as I am not saying fear your salvation, I do agree with two statements in the book. Do not assume your are on good soil and on the narrow road. Check your life. Has your relationship with Christ actually changed your life. Just because you are comfortable and have a good life does not mean your heart does not need a tune up. Laodica assumed they where good, and Christ let them know he wanted to spit them out. Don't fear your salvation and have confidence in his grace, but don't let your pride lead you to assuming because you have the good life that is enough. Our life for Christ will actually be marked with suffering, trials, and persecution. God will sustain us through these, but by his grace and strength not ours.