Follow Me

The next day He purposed to go into Galilee, and He found Philip. And Jesus said to him, "Follow Me." John 1:43 

Jesus’ call here was very specific. “Follow Me.”  In Matthew 9:9, He calls Matthew with the same phrase, “Follow Me.” Matthew did just that—he got up and followed Jesus. Other disciples didn’t respond the same way. See Matthew 8:22 where a disciple wants to bury his father before following Jesus. Jesus responds with…let the dead bury their own dead. This young man’s father wasn’t dead yet…he just wasn’t ready to leave home. Time waits for no man. There may not be another opportunity for you to respond to Jesus—don’t wait until later. Make your choice.

RSVP: Do you hear…and will you respond to Jesus’ call to follow Him?

Prayer ~ Jesus, I hear You calling me every day…”Follow Me.” Today—I choose to do just that. Help my friends, family, and those we meet to choose to do the same thing. We will have a great Banquet with You one day.

© 2014 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.

Do You Recognize Jesus?

(John said…) “This is He on behalf of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.' I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water." John testified saying, "I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.' I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God. John 1:30-34 

Sometimes we don’t recognize people for who they are. John must have grown up knowing Jesus—they were cousins. But John didn’t see Jesus as the Lamb of God until right before he baptized Him. Then he recognized that this Jesus was the Son of God.

RSVP: Do you recognize Jesus as the Son of God—the one who came to take away the sin of the world—including your sin and my sin? 

Prayer ~ Heavenly Father, open our eyes that we may see Jesus—to know Him more deeply. For those who haven’t been baptized by water or the Holy Spirit—help them to see and understand—to open their heart and lives to receive Jesus—and to recognize Him as Your Son, their Savior.

 © 2014 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.

Snow - White from The Lamb of God

The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29

This time of the year we think of beautiful, white, clean snow—pure and spotless—billowing down from the sky—and in some places fresh powdery snow, blowing across the land, covering anything gray or dirty. That is just how Jesus sees our hearts when we confess our sin. "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool." Isaiah 1:18. 

RSVP: Will you allow Jesus to take away your sin? 

Prayer~ Lord Jesus as the Lamb of God, the great and ultimate sacrifice, please cleanse my heart, mind, and soul this day from all my unconfessed sin—that I have been harboring in the depths of my heart unable to even confess to You. You alone are worthy to take away my sin, and that of everyone in the world. Thank you for coming to save us…and for making our hearts and souls as white as snow.

© 2014 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.

 

Seeing God

No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. John 1:18

 

No one has seen God, since He is a spirit, but there are several instances recorded in the Old Testament when He assumed a visible form. In Exodus 33:12-23 God and Moses have a discussion just before God renews His covenant and then gives Moses the second set of Ten Commandments. During that conversation, in what we read in verse 20, God said…"You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!" Other recorded occurrences of people seeing God are found in the following verses:

      Genesis 32:30 (Jacob after he wrestled with who is presumed to be Christ) So Jacob named the place Peniel, for he said, "I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved."         

Exodus 24:9-10 (A large group of the Israelite leaders at Mt. Sinai.) Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.

      Judges 13:19-22 NLT (Sampson’s parents, when they were told that they would have a son.) Then Manoah took a young goat and a grain offering and offered it on a rock as a sacrifice to the LORD. And as Manoah and his wife watched, the LORD did an amazing thing. As the flames from the altar shot up toward the sky, the angel of the LORD ascended in the fire. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell with their faces to the ground. The angel did not appear again to Manoah and his wife. Manoah finally realized it was the angel of the LORD, and he said to his wife, "We will certainly die, for we have seen God!"

      Isaiah 6:1, 5 (Isaiah in a prophetic dream.)  In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. ... Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."

      Daniel 7:1, 9 (Daniel, in a vision.) In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel saw a dream and visions in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he wrote the dream down and related the following summary of it. ... "I kept looking until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, its wheels were a burning fire."

So we won’t likely see God, face to face, here on earth, but we can grasp an understanding of Him from things that Jesus showed us about our Heavenly Father. As Jesus said…All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Matthew 11:27. 

RSVP: Jesus is offering us information about His Father, our Heavenly Father. Will you respond and accept this revelation about Him? 

Prayer~Dear Jesus, thank you for sharing information about our Heavenly Father. Open our eyes, ears, and hearts to see and understand all that You are explaining to us. Grant us the wisdom to see Him more clearly every day.

© 2014 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.

Respond to His Grace

For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. John 1:16-17  

Rules – Rules – Rules. That was what the law provided. Rules by which to live. Those Ten Commandments were essential…and still are. Worship God for He alone is worthy of our worship. Respect your parents. Don’t kill, steal, lie, covet…or even defame anyone. That is pretty basic. And then there are all the rules that the Hebrew people needed to follow those Ten Commandments. So many rules. Jesus came to fulfill that Law…to free us from legalism with His grace and truth. Ah, grace—unmerited favor. And truth that is pure, untainted, unbent—perfect honesty. That’s what we have in Jesus. 

RSVP: Jesus is pouring His perfect grace on you. Do you want that in your life? As His grace and truth flow through you, how do you respond to Jesus and to others? 

Prayer~ For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly (Psalms 84:11). As You pour out Your grace on me, Jesus, give me wisdom to see You working in my life and help me to respond in positive ways to You and to others.

© 2014 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.

 

The Word Became Flesh

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14  

We recently celebrated Christmas…and this scripture was read during Advent in many churches and homes. The Word became flesh. Jesus is the Word…and He came to earth as a human being. Flesh. He was just an innocent little baby…who grew up to be a carpenter, a rabbi, a teacher, a healer, a savior and a friend. You may have other friends who are full of grace, truth and seem glorious—but they are still human and make mistakes, they sin. But Jesus was perfect. Perfectly glorious. Perfectly grace. Perfectly truth. Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2. Perfect is one of those things that just seems unattainable—but we have a good example in Jesus. 

RSVP: Respond to Jesus today by being willing to have Him transform your mind—renewing it to think the way He does. Perfectly. Perfectly acceptable to our Heavenly Father. 

Prayer – Dear Jesus, as we begin this New Year, take away my regrets and sins of the past year(s). Renew my mind, refresh my heart to see and hear things the way that You do. 

Friday’s Feast at the Lord’s Table

My husband and our son-in-law are originally from Nebraska, home of the Big Red Football team…and runzas. Wonderful little meat pockets. I recently whipped up a batch of runzas and they were such a hit with family. The recipe below appeared in the Food Magazine, October 2013 issue, and I have adapted it for our family. Enjoy.

Nebraska Runzas

For the dough:

1 1/4-ounce packet active dry yeast

3 tablespoons sugar, plus a pinch

4 large eggs

3¾ cups bread flour, plus extra for kneading and rolling

12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) salted butter, softened, plus more for the bowl

2 teaspoons fine sea salt

For the filling:

1 pound 85 to 90 percent lean ground beef

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large sweet onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme (or 1½ teaspoons dried)

1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary (or 1½ teaspoons dried)

8 ounces baby spinach or 2 cups finely chopped cabbage

Make the dough: Combine 3/4 cup warm water (approximately 110 degrees F), the yeast and a pinch of sugar in a large mixing bowl and let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add 3 eggs, butter, 3 tablespoons sugar, and the salt whisk to combine. Add half of the bread flour and beat with a wooden spoon for about 3 minutes. Add the remaining the remaining flour and mix well. The dough will be a little sticky. Let rest 15 minutes. Knead the dough to develop the gluten until it feels tight and smooth, about 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly buttered bowl, cover and let it rise for 1 hour at room temperature. Then chill in the refrigerator, 1 to 2 hours or overnight. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide it into 8 or 16 even portions, depending on the size of runzas you want to make. Roll each one into a ball and leave on the counter, covered loosely, to warm up, about 30 minutes.

Make the filling: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef, season with ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook, breaking up the beef, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer it to a bowl. Heat the olive oil in the skilled and cook the onion over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme and rosemary and cook 3 minutes. Add the mixture to the bowl containing the beef. Without cleaning the skillet, add another 1 tablespoon olive oil. Saute the spinach or cabbage over medium high heat until wilted and the excess liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute. (You may just cook the spinach or cabbage in the microwave briefly.) Chop, or snip the spinach with scissors, then add it to the beef mixture and set aside to cool. (The filling can be done a day ahead of time. Refrigerate until ready to use.)

Roll out the dough: Flatten a dough ball on a heavily floured surface and roll out into a 3-by-5-inch rectangle, or smaller if using 16 portions of dough. Fill the runzas: Spoon ½ cup (1/4 cup for smaller runzas) of the beef filling into the center of the dough rectangle and wrap the flaps over it, pinching to close. Flip the bundle over in your hands, gently forming the runza into a fat football shape. Set the runza seam-side down on a parchment lined baking sheet (or you can oil the sheet). Repeat with the remaining filling and dough balls. Let the runzas rise about an inch, uncovered, about 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Whisk the remaining egg and 2 tablespoons water to make an egg wash and brush it thinly over the tops of the runzas. Bake until golden brown, 25 minutes. Serve hot. 

For a variation on the filling try minced steak, chopped mushrooms and Swiss, cheddar or Monterey jack cheeses.  

 

© 2014 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.

RSVP to the True Light

There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:9-13  

Jesus is that true Light. The light of the world. Those who “receive” Him become children of God. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name…John 1:12 NKJV. They become adopted into God’s family…as brothers and sisters of Jesus Himself. That is pretty simple—and awesome stuff. Some people just can’t wrap their heads around that. Is it the simplicity of it? Do they expect it to be more complicated? Can they just not trust God to be their Father? Can they not let go of their sin and become a child of God? 

RSVP: Can you or have you become a child of God? The choice is yours. 

Prayer: Father God, forgive me for for when I did not see Jesus as Your Son…as the Light of the World. Now I see…and have received Him as my Lord and Savior…as Your Son. I praise You and thank you for your plan of salvation…and for adopting me as you very own child.

© 2014 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.

RSVP – Please Respond to Jesus’ Invitation

he abbreviation RSVP comes from the French expression "répondez s'il vous plaît", meaning "please respond". When an invited guest receives an invitation with an RSVP it means that the guest must tell the host whether or not they plan to attend the event. RSVP means to politely respond if you're coming or not. It does not mean respond only if you're not coming. (The expression "regrets only" is reserved for that instance.) The RSVP means the host needs to know a definite head count for the planned event, and needs it by the date specified on the invitation. Please respond.

This year this blog will focus on a daily RSVP to Jesus. Every scripture, every story, every parable from Jesus and about Him is an invitation to each of us. How will we respond? 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. John 1:1-4  

Jesus was the Light of men…He is the light of men.  

RSVP: Will you let Him be the light of your life? 

 

Prayer - Dear Jesus--Come light up my life. Help this new year to be one filled with spiritual insight, wisdom and understanding--passing from You to me. Light up my life.

© 2014 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.

Jesus Visited Zaccheus – Will He Visit You?

Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way. When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, "Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house." And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly. When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner." Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:3-10

Next year…always looking ahead! Do you ever RSVP to an invitation? Do you take it seriously when someone sends you an invitation that says “RSVP?” Do you know what those letters stand for…and what the proper etiquette it when you receive such an invitation? Stay tuned to this blog in the coming weeks and see if you need to RSVP to an invitation from Jesus. His character traits of obedience, respect, attentiveness, commitment, as well as love ensure that He would certainly respond to an invitation. He is more likely though to initiate an invitation to your home, just as He did with Zaccheus. Would you come down from the tree and receive Jesus into your home? Zaccheus responded—gladly. 

Training Tip – Have you taught your children what it means to RSVP to an invitation? If not, do it today. It is a good habit to form for this coming New Year.

Happy New Year to you and your family. 

Lord Jesus, thank you for the invitation to come to a Banquet With The King—You are the King of my life, my Savior and my Friend. I count it all joy just to know You and to respond to your invitation.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.

© 2013 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

Spiritual Goals?

But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 1 Timothy 1:5 

Only one more day in 2013. What spiritual goals have you reached this past year? What spiritual goals are you considering or making resolution plans for 2014? Here are some things to consider when setting Spiritual Goals for the New Year:

1.      What would you like to accomplish spiritually this year?

2.      What attitude or habit needs to change?

3.      How would you like God to use you?

4.      What ministry could utilize your unique gifts?

5.      What ministry could benefit from your leadership?

6.      What level of intimacy would you like to have with God?

7.      What friend would you like to lead to Christ?

8.      Who do you want to be your mentor…and who do you want to mentor?

As you consider these questions, think about what steps you can take on a monthly, weekly and daily basis to attain these goals. We need goals in lots of areas of our lives to challenge us—at work, at home, with physical fitness and with diet or nutrition (how many pounds do you want to lose this year?). Let me challenge you to seek to set some spiritual goals for 2014. Without a goal we fail to attain anything. As Lawrence J. Peter said…

If you don't know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else.

Where are you going in 2014? 

Training Tip – No matter what the ages of your children, you can help them consider a goal—even a spiritual goal. They can memorize scripture, lead a friend to Christ, help a neighbor or do extra chores to earn money to be used for homeless ministry. They can take water or food to a homeless person (with your help) or sell homemade lemonade to raise money for a missionary. 

Lord, help us to choose attainable goals with Your wisdom and vision. Guide us in the things we do with our family and friends, and others to reach those goals.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.

© 2013 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

Press On – Reach Forward

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it (resurrection) yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14  

Press on—only two more days left in 2013. Are you becoming more like Jesus every day? To be like Jesus, we need to treat others the way that He would. What a challenge this has been! More than thirty years ago I learned a valuable lesson to treat everyone as if they were Jesus. (I shared this last January 15^th when looking at the trait of obedience.) As a young wife I resented having to iron a shirt every morning for my husband—or even just to have to starch and iron five shirts a week. But then one day in a Bible study that I was attending we studied Colossians 3:23, Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. So I was convicted that I should be ironing my husband’s shirts as if I were ironing those shirts for Jesus Himself. That changed my whole attitude…and it went beyond ironing shirts to cleaning the house, fixing meals, and when we had children, even raising our kids. Although sometimes, OK often, I will admit that I lost sight of that vision…and of my obedience to the Lord! I am only human. I still need reminders that I need to treat everyone as if they were Jesus. In fact, I needed that reminder today! How can I possibly reach the goal for the prize of the upward call of God if I have a bad attitude? How about you? 

Training Tip – There is a song written by William D. Longstaff in 1882 that still applies to today. Recommending that we apply this to our lives makes me preach to myself. I need to do this, too. Verse two tells us that by looking to Jesus, we become like Him. That’s been my goal for me and you all this year. Become more like Jesus every day. He was Holy—He is Holy. Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, 'You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. Leviticus 19:2.  

Take Time to Be Holy

1.      Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;
Abide in Him always, and feed on His Word.
Make friends of God’s children, help those who are weak,
Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek.

2.      Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;
Spend much time in secret, with Jesus alone.
By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be;
Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.

3.      Take time to be holy, let Him be thy Guide;
And run not before Him, whatever betide.
In joy or in sorrow, still follow the Lord,
And, looking to Jesus, still trust in His Word.

4.      Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul,
Each thought and each motive beneath His control.
Thus led by His Spirit to fountains of love,
Thou soon shalt be fitted for service above.

Lord Jesus, Holy are You Lord. Worthy of our praise and adoration. Guide us in the way we live—that we would be like You, holy, obedient and loving.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.

© 2013 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

Walk or Live As Jesus Did

We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. 1 John 2:3-6 NIV 

Walk like Jesus…live as Jesus did. He lived a life of obedience to His Father. You wouldn’t say that He was “obedient” to the Pharisees, but perhaps respectful in some ways. He allowed them to engage Him in conversation and yet He would not follow their legalistic habits. The Hebrew people were taught in Leviticus to keep the Sabbath day holy. For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work; it is a sabbath to the LORD in all your dwellings. Leviticus 23:3. But on the Sabbath when our compassionate Jesus healed a woman who had been sick (due to a demon) for eighteen years, He was severely criticized by the Pharisees. But the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, "There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day." Luke 13:14. What would you have done if healing that woman had been within your power? Would you have laid hands on her and prayed for her to be released from the power of that demon? Jesus was compassionate. Do other people know you as “compassionate”? Obedience and compassion are character traits whose basis is deeply rooted in love. Love for the Father. Love for mankind. In your mind, is love symbolized by a heart or a cross?  

Training Tip – With your family talk about Jesus’ life—how He loved people and His Father. Read the scripture about walking like Jesus did (1 John 2:6) and what that means to us today. Have your children draw a symbol of love. Is it a heart or a cross?

Lord Jesus, we praise You for who You are…our creator, healer, savior and friend. Help us to be obedient and compassionate like You and to share you with others today and always.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.

© 2013 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

The Greatest of These is Love

When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:11-13 

Jesus had an infinite number of characteristics for which each of us could strive. On this blog for the past year we’ve looked at about 70 different characteristics that we could attribute to Jesus. Did you take a look at the list in yesterday’s blog and have you identified some that you personally have worked on this year in yourself, your children or your grandchildren? In the Christian Parenting Library book How To Mold Character From the Inside Out Dr. Kay Kuzma gives a suggested character building plan that she and her husband used on a cycle of thirteen weeks, four times a year. The characteristics they covered were faith or faithfulness, orderliness, self-discipline, happiness, perseverance, honesty, thoughtfulness, efficiency, responsibility or obedience, respect or courage, enthusiasm, humility, and peacefulness. The Kuzmas chose Bible verses for the children to memorize, used Bible stories to offer examples from the Old and New Testaments individuals to emulate, and provided activities to emphasize the trait of the week. When I look at that list of character traits I think that each of them depends on love…without love there is no faithfulness, or desire for orderliness, certainly no self-discipline, obedience, respect or happiness. The greatest of all is…love. Love the Lord your God. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Deuteronomy 6:5. Love is the basis for those character traits of Jesus because God is love. We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 1 John 4:16 

Training Tip – Get inspired by 50 sample radio scripts, “Got a Minute for Your Family?” that Dr. Kay Kuzma has posted on her website: http://familymattersministry.com/media/50%20sample_got_a_minute_for_your_family.htm  She has written some outstanding quick suggestions for parents of babies, toddlers, grade-schoolers and teens. Check them out. They literally take less than a minute to read—and even the busiest parents can spare one minute of time. I was particularly interested in #0603, “Parents Can’t Do Everything” in which she encourages parents that their children need to take responsibility for their own lives. Parents can’t do everything for their children, including changing the kids’ behavior. It will build the children’s self-worth for them change their own negative behavior. Great idea. Isn’t that what one of your goals is for your children—for them to be responsible for their own actions?  

Lord Jesus, Your character traits are worthy of our time and effort. Help us to see You in ourselves and others and to grow to be more like You. 

Friday’s Feast at the Lord’s Table

If you are going to a New Year’s Eve gathering consider adding this easy fudge to your last minute holiday baking list. It only takes a few ingredients and is super easy…and tasty! For an optional flavor, add some left-over candy canes, finely chopped. You can easily divide the ingredients in half if you desire a smaller quantity. So before you embark on that new diet--splurge on a tasty treat!

Velveeta Cheese Fudge

1 pound unsalted butter

1 pound Velveeta cheese

4 pounds powdered sugar

1 cup cocoa

1 tablespoon vanilla

½ cup nuts, chopped or ½ cup chopped peppermint candy, optional 

In a saucepan melt butter and Velveeta cheese.

Sift together sugar and cocoa.

Add the cheese and butter mixture, vanilla and nuts (and/or candy) and mix well.

Spread into a buttered 9 x 13 - inch pan.

Cool and cut into bite-sized pieces less than 1” square.

Enjoy!

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.

© 2013 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

Training Character Traits

Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

During 2013 spiritual character was the focus of this Banquet With The King as we feasted on His word. Applying spiritual character traits to our lives isn’t just for little children—it is useful to all of us—to help us grow closer to the Lord. As it is written in Romans…And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:3-5. In addition as we apply those character traits, we walk as Jesus did. We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. 1 John 2:3-6 NIV

Training Tip – Jesus’ spiritual character traits to which we can attain as we have discovered this year are listed below. Review the character traits that you noted in your children and those that you have hoped to develop in each of them. How is that going?

¨  Love

¨  Commitment

¨  Obedience

¨  Joy

¨  Compassion

¨  Kindness

¨  Contentment

¨  Integrity

¨  Honesty

¨  Loyalty

¨  Perseverance

¨  Forgiving

¨  Humility

¨  Prayerful

¨  Servant

¨  Holiness

¨  Suffering

¨  Gratitude

¨  Goodness

¨  Faithfulness

¨  Generous

¨  Gentleness

¨  Self-Control

¨  Courage

¨  Peace

¨  Patience

¨  Discipline

¨  Responsible

¨  Dependable

¨  Respectful

¨  Reliable

¨  Creative

¨  Encouragement

¨  Optimistic

¨  Meekness

¨  Tactful

¨  Tolerance

¨  Vision

¨  Enthusiasm

¨  Endurance

¨  Grace

¨  Discretion

¨  Supportive

¨  Efficient

¨  Wisdom

¨  Attentiveness

¨  Teacher

¨  Listening

¨  Security

¨  Submissive

¨  Diligence

¨  Initiative

¨  Faith

¨  Fearless

¨  Flexibility

¨  Godly Priorities

¨  Hospitality

¨  Discreet

¨  Decisive

¨  Guidance

¨  Persuasiveness

¨  Purpose

¨  Prudence

¨  Avoid Anger

¨  Reverence

¨  Agreeable

¨  Appreciation

¨  Discernment

¨  Devotion

¨  Determination

¨  Virtue

¨  Selfless/Self-Sacrifice

Dear Lord, You are awesome. Your character traits are worth emulating—so train us to persevere through the good times and rough times in our lives that we would become more like You—kind, forgiving, generous and loving.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.

© 2013 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.