The Voice of Destiny

The Power of "I do!"

I want to share a letter that I wrote to my parents to celebrate their 61st wedding anniversary on December 26st of this year.  With so many failing marriages that have such a profound impact on the lives around them, I thought it would be nice to hear a success story for a change.  Curtis and Margaret Taylor are not perfect, nor are their offspring, but the power of two simple words "I do" changes the lives of more people than any of us can believe.  I pray that their story will touch your life.  I know it has touched mine!

Dear Mom and Dad,

It seems so easy to overlook your anniversary because it follows Christmas Day, but that doesn’t take away from the significance of the day you said, “I do!”  “I do” seems to be two very simple words, but placed together and followed through on, they make a lifetime of memories. 

Because you both said, “I do” and meant it, I will refer to it as “We do,” because it takes two people working together to make a marriage.  This scripture came to me this morning:

Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. ¹⁰For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. ¹¹Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? ¹²And if one can overpower him who is alone, two canresist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.  Ecc. 4:9-12 NASV

You both are a testimony of this Word.  We all know how faithful God is to His Word and how He brings incredible strength to the covenant of marriage that mystically creates a unity that is unexplainable by human means.  But it still requires the surrender of the two who have said “I do” to make it work.  You both have made it work for sixty-one years and we are so thankful that you have.  Why?  Because we are the ones who have benefitted from your “We do!”

This weekend you have been able to look first hand at the result of “We do!”  Two sons, two daughter-in-laws, and 9 grandchildren and I can’t forget the one grandson-in-law and many more to come.  Each person possesses a powerful story and they are touching people everyday with something that originated from your “We do!”  Amazing isn’t it. 

Who would have thought that you would be touching nations, practicing law, helping sick people, teaching children, writing, coaching, enforcing the law, making people beautiful and much much more to come.  The story is never ending and will continue until Jesus comes.

Thank you for staying faithful to two simple, but profound words “I do.”  If it were not for you there would be no us!  Your words of commitment have set in motion things that have been prepared from the foundation of the world, but needed two people to come into agreement to bring about actions that will continue to produce blessings for the ages. 

There is no stopping it now!

Happy Anniversary!

We love you,

Paul and Karen

Maybe you haven't been married 61 years, but your "I do" is just as powerful as Mom and Dad's.  You are touching people and making a difference in the lives of many people who you will never meet.  Stay faithful to God and the one you love!  The powerful force of covenant will change you and the rest will be history!

 

God Answers Prayer

As many of you may or may not know my mother was diagnosed with a tumor in her pancreas in September and was very sick.  We really didn't know how long she was going to live.  My brother and his family had planned on coming for Christmas even before she became sick, but at the time of her diagnosis it didn't look good for her to even make it to Christmas.

So many of you prayed for my mother and I can't thank you enough.  People were praying for her all over the world and God has answered our prayers.  Though she still has the cancerous tumor she has recovered remarkably well.  My prayer was for her to be healthy to enjoy her family one last time together at Christmas and God heard and gave me the desires of my heart.  Thank you Lord for your faithfulness to hear our prayers and give us the desires of our heart.

We have enjoyed a wonderful time together as a family.  Five wonderful days together with everyone being able to spend quality time with Mom and Dad. 

Again, I want to thank you for your prayers and the Lord for hearing our prayers.  

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. ¹⁵And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.  1 John 5:14,15

Have a blessed New Year!

 

Never say Never!

It has been over two years now since I began signing all my correspondence, "Believing for the Impossible." It might seem insignificant to some, but I truly believe in the power of our declarations.  Job 22:28 says, "You will also declare a thing and it will be established for you; so light will shine on your ways."

The things that have happened over the past two years are in the impossible catergory.  None quite like what happened yesterday.  I have been building relationships in my public school for years, often sharing some of the things I am involved with internationally.  I even said, "I believe the work that I am doing in Burundi is going to help me breakthrough here in the states."  Well it has happened!  I wrote a character education curriculum to help establish a foundation of ethics and character in Burundi. I needed a teaching point to communicate my message, so I used soccer.  Each of the character principles that I developed I connected to a position on the soccer field and an African soccer player.

Innocently I shared this with some of the leaders in the school system and they loved it!  I replaced the African soccer players with American players and yesterday it was officially launched in the school system. This is nothing short of a miracle.  I call the program "Champions with Destiny - Principles of Life."  I don't know where God is going to take all of this, but I am believing for the impossible and it is coming to pass.

Never say never in life.  God has amazing things planned for our lives and in the lives of others.  If we don't believe for the impossible we will never see the glory of God revealed in our world.  Jesus said to Mary, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"  John 11:40.  My friend it is time to believe again.  Nothing is impossible with God!