Gifts

Due to my writing and teaching workload lately it has been more difficult to try to keep up on regular blogging, but I'll try my best. What a see-saw month in the Zockoll household. Numerous contracts with many hard-working companies slow to pay me due to the economy. They're trying their best, but it still makes it extremely hard on our finances. Nevertheless, we have been able to see the Lord reach into our home and care for us during these trying times. Jill has been a pillar of strength many times. Last week I grew increasingly frustrated over some long-overdue payments due to me, and she was a caring and patient friend, helping me talk it out and sharing with me.

That's an incredibly wonderful gift from God - to have a loving wife. She has been strong throughout this time, holding me up whenever things look bleak. I thank the Lord for Jill and what she has been able to do.

As for today, we celebrate Peter's birthday today - he's 18 years old! He'll get a special luncheon and some gifts, but Friday night is when we have the "official" party. It'll be paintball and some other crazy games with some of his close friends. Peter's coming up on some big decisions concerning his career and his education.Please pray for him.

Phlpns 1:10 - "so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be blameless until the day of Christ".

'blameless' ('aproskopos' from a = 'not' + proskópto = 'strike at', 'to trip', 'dash against as foot against a stone') literally means without stumbling or tripping. We are to be Christians that don't trip up people with our unholy ways. We leave the path clear so that they may find Christ.

1Thessalonians 4:9 ... "... for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another..."

The word 'love' here (agapao) means to love unconditionally and sacrificially as God Himself loves sinful men (John 3:16), the way He loves the Son (John 3:35, 15:9). It's more than an emotion - it's an act of the will. A powerful lesson for me as I work in the world.

I will be teaching all next week at Grace Christian Academy. I'll be touching on apologetics and talking about some awesome Koine Greek words. The writing assignments have been picking up in number, and that's good. The winter dearth was brutal on our finances. It was day-to-day dependence upon the Lord to give us our daily bread. The dependence is still there - it always will be - but the pressure has eased somewhat. One of my clients is owner on One-Txt, a magnificent texting capability company. Another is the president of a trade system in the region. Yet another is CEO of a web design company in Atlanta. All are good men, and have become good friends as well as trusted customers.

Little Julianne regales us with stories of preschool, treating us to new songs every day. Sometimes words get mixed up, but that just makes it more fun. I've captivated her with YouTube old commercials of my childhood days: the Crackerjack man, Maypo cereal, Crispy Critters, and Good n Plenty candy. She's fascinated.