One of the impressive sights was the depth of the hole where the foundation was to be laid. In order for the building to have a solid foundation and a basement, the contractor dug about three stories below the surface of the footprint of the building. After he anchored the foundation on hard rock, he began to build that structure up, out of the ground. It was fascinating for me to watch the steel framework grow bigger and taller each week. Eventually, the building was completed and it is still standing after about 28 years.

Builders know that you need a strong foundation if you want to build a structure that will stand the tests of time and weather. Without a good foundation, a building will deteriorate much faster.

The same is true for our lives-we need a strong foundation to give us the stability to stand the test of time and the storms of life. If we have a weak foundation for our lives, we will not fare well.

We need the Rock for our foundation. He is powerful, solid, and He never changes. (Hebrews 13:8 NIV) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Furthermore, we need to build our lives on His truth, His word. (John 17:17) God’s truth has been around since the beginning of time and it has never changed; it stands forever. (Psalm 119:89 NIV) Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. Millions and millions of people have already anchored their lives in God’s truth and it has been a reliable foundation for them.

Though enemies try to deny it and discredit it, they will be unsuccessful in the end, because it will be around long after they are gone. (1 Peter 1:24-25 NIV) “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, ²⁵ but the word of the Lord stands forever.”

So, let’s free ourselves from ignorance and falsehood by learning the truth of God’s word, the Bible. Let’s read it and study it everyday. Let’s store it in our hearts so that we won’t sin against our Lord. (Psalm 119:11) And, let’s stand for the truth against the forces of evil that want to convince the world of lies. God is counting on us to be the “light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14)

May God’s light shine in you and through you this week.

In God we trust.

Phil

Yes … today was that day. It had finally arrived. As I was talking to my son about school and things, I noticed dark, black whiskers on his face, his chin, his cheeks … everywhere. Yes, he looked like an old Manchurian man selling fresh fish at the Shi Chang (local market). Yes, he is growing up; he’s not so little anymore.

So, it was a proud moment. A father teaching his young Padawan how to groom as a man-a lifelong process of dragging a sometimes sharp object painfully across his face, then splashing a sweet scented, alcohol enriched, concoction on his face to top it off. Truly a “Home Alone” moment. It is the beginning of a long, miserable process that usually ends with little pieces of bloody toilet paper on your face.

We love our children and it truly is a blessing to watch them grow up, like flowers blooming-from infancy to adulthood, and everything in between. And, each stage is marked by change. “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.” (1 Corinthians 13:11).

As our children grow, they face new challenges and struggles in life, in much the same way as our own spiritual growth in Christ. Our children need love and nurture, just as God’s spiritual children do. So, Christ loves us and helps us in our daily walk, when we allow Him to. Isn’t it comforting to know that “God is our refuge and strength and ever present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1)? Not only that, but He guides His children toward mature, productive lives, just as a good parent does for his children. “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1:10).

Razors – $10. Shaving Cream – $3. Teaching your son to shave for the first time – Priceless. I guess learning to drive is next …

Paul LePore