Many passages of Scripture (Jeremiah 18, Isaiah 45:9, Romans 9:21) liken God’s working in our lives to a potter working with clay. Ever since the day that you were saved, God’s Holy Spirit has been working to form you into something that you are not and cannot become on your own. This is Biblically referred to as sanctification. Sanctification is the process of God removing sin from your life and replacing it with righteousness (Ephesians 2:8-10). It is the process by which God “sets us apart” from the world and separates us unto Jesus Christ. And as a skilled Potter, God collects us from the broken heap and begins reforming us piece by piece.

So then, what is the intended design? What are we being shaped into? What will be the resulting form? What is the pattern that the Master follows? Galatians 4:19 and Romans 8:29 make it clear that God is changing us into the very image of Jesus Christ. He is the pattern and when our life’s journey is all said and done, the result should be a life that is more like Christ.

How does God accomplish this? With every turn of the Potter’s wheel we become more like Jesus and less like our old, carnal nature. Here is a practical understanding of how this is accomplished daily in our lives.

1. The first turn is conviction. God begins the process of change by pricking our conscience of sin. This is the Holy Spirit’s work. I have had many new Christians ask me, “Why do I feel so bad about doing certain things that never bothered me before now?” When I hear this I always smile inside knowing that these new brothers and sisters in Christ are being introduced to the very real, personal interaction of the Holy Spirit inside their own heart. The Bible says that He will reprove us of our sin (John 16:8). This is why it is important to maintain a tender conscience.

2. Conviction is followed by the second turn of the wheel, repentance. It is not enough to know that you have done wrong, but we must stop doing the wrong. Repentance is simply changing our mind about what we have done or how we have lived. It is changing our belief about sin and agreeing with God about it. Usually it is taking God’s side against me! This involves forsaking the attitude, motive, temptation, or belief system that led you to disobey God. Repentance is a gift from God (Romans 2:4).

3. Once you repent, the next turn is obedience. Repentance is putting off, obedience is putting on. We must be careful not to simply put off bad behaviors, attitudes, decisions, or motivations – but we must be sure to put on the right ones! Obedience means doing what is right instead of just knowing what is right (James 4:17).

4. The final step for a potter is always the kiln where the project is heated and hardened to permanently reflect the potter’s design. Faithfulness. As God changes and molds our lives, He desires for the changes that He has made to be permanent. He wants you and I to faithfully, day in and day out, obey what He has convicted us about and what we have repented of.

Can you see the progression in your mind? The Potter places the clay on the wheel in a big, clumsy clump. He begins pushing the peddles with his foot and the table begins to spin. As the wheel gets up to speed, the potter dips his hands into water and then gently places his hands onto the clay. The first touch brings conviction to the heart of the clay about a sin. The next turn leads to a forsaking of and old, ugly pattern and a reshaping of obedience to His every touch. Continued and done over and over again, each turn of the wheel leads to a faithful life of beautiful spiritual formation. The ultimate result – the very likeness of Jesus Christ!

Colossians 2:6-7 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
7  Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

God created each of us to be unique. We each bear the responsibility of discovering our unique purpose and following the guidance of the Spirit and God’s Word in order to fulfill that purpose. Sadly, there are Christians today that lack the spiritual “guts” to take responsibility for their own choices, grab hold of the truth that lies directly before them, and enact real life disciplines necessary to live peaceably and righteously as they fulfill the purpose God created them for. I’ve watched too many believers stop being faithful to the Lord and excuse it away as someone else’s fault. Some blame the pastor for not noticing them, others the deacon who seemed a bit rude, or a parent who didn’t give them everything that they thougth they needed. The truth is, if you are looking for an excuse to stop being obedient to God, I assure you, they abound!

The spiritual life is simply living out daily spiritual disciplines that have been developed through conviction, repentance, submission, obedience, and faithfulness. Someone who is in the habit of blaming others for their failure to respond to the Lord at any one of these steps will not grow, except in bitterness over unmet and unrealistic expectations. Faith always leads us forward. And faith is obeying God despite any circumstance or consequence. Bottom line, no matter what life has dealt to you, victory is still possible by faith. Stop looking at every obstacle as the problem and develop the spiritual muscels necessary to overcome the problem and press on.

Will you be the type of Christian that blames someone else for the choices that you make? Or will you take personal responsibility for your spiritual life and stand firm and grow in God’s Word? How does one take responsibility for their own spiritual life? Here are a few thoughts on growing in personal spiritual responsibility.

1. It is my responsibility to receive Christ as my Saviour. This is referred to as individual soul liberty. No one can make me get saved, it is my choice. Conversely, even though it is our responsibility to share the gospel, no one can truly prevent me from being saved. I choose for me – bottom line! Hebrews 9:27, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”

2. It is my responsibility to continue in Christ. I am thankful for those in our lives that are called of God to help propel us to spiritual commitment. But in all reality, it is not someone else’s responsibility to make me be baptized, read my Bible, finish discipleship, go soulwinning, or begin serving God. Conversely, there’s no one standing in the way of me fulfilling these obedient steps. I am the only one that can prevent me from obeying God. The only thing that keeps me from reading my Bible is my lack of discipline to do so. Take responsibility for these areas and step forward!

3. It is my responsibility to be grounded and to grow in Christ. You cannot grow in Christ or truly develop any measure of relationship with Him without three indispensable tools: The Bible, Prayer, and Church Attendance! No argument. It doesn’t matter if it is easy or not, if it is exciting, if the preacher is boring, long winded, or monotone, or if you are always understood. I cannot neglect my growth tools and I cannot blame someone else for my lack of grounding in them. Our belief system must be grounded in our own personal Bible study not be a reflection of another person’s life.

4. It is my responsibility to learn from seasoned men and women of God. We are responsible for the truth that we have been taught; for the light that we have been given. To whom much is given much is required. We must learn from the counsel we receive. Thank God we live in American and thank God we have men and women of God seasoned in their relationship with the Lord to help and guide us through.

Friend, your spiritual life is your responsibility. No one has the power to ruin it or built it but you! While it is easy to blame someone else for a disappointment or failure, the truth is, God has enough grace and power to overcome any obstacle in the path of fulfilling your God given purpose. Seek His help and press forward.

It’s that time of the year again. That time when we all make and break those pesky New Year’s resolutions. You’ve probably noticed by now that decisions are much easier made than kept. It’s easy to decide to loose 50 pounds but it’s so much more difficult to actually accomplish.

The same thing happens to us spiritually. It isn’t difficult at all to go to an altar after the service and decide not to have bitterness any more or to be more of a witness at work. But many of us fall flat on our faces the next day! Why does that happen? How do I break free of this frustrating cycle of failed decisions for the Lord? The truth is, momentum is important and it effects us both positively and negatively. If my “normal” course is more failed decisions than kept one’s, my momentum is leading me to quite making spiritual decisions all together. Here are a few practical suggestions for not only making but KEEPING spiritual decisions. That is – actually winning the battle spiritually rather than loosing it.

1. Spiritual decisions always involve what you believe. God will often challenge you on your wrong beliefs rather than simply your wrong behavior because it is your beliefs that dictate the way you behave. For instance, it is fare better to change what you believe about music, forgiveness, entertainment, relationships, or any number areas of life than to simply compile an extensive list of do’s and don’ts. This is the first step to actually adjusting what God has convicted you about.

2. Spiritual decisions are always specific and rarely general. God is a personal God and speaks to our hearts in a personal, specific fashion. As God speaks to our hearts, He will do so specifically. For example, many people decide to be more forgiving, a better dad, a better husband, or a more faithful Christian. These are good decisions, but I think God may want to deal more specifically. Better yet are decisions such as, “I will forgive my dad for lying to me,” or, “I’m going to stop yelling at my children and speak more tenderly,” or, “I’m not going to compare my wife to my mother anymore,” or, “I will commit to be at every church service this year.” It is much easier to remember and keep decisions that are specific.

It’s a lot like trying to remove a mole out of your front yard with a stick of dynamite. You may take care of the problem, but then again, you may not. The only way to know for sure is to set a trap, use poison, or sit on top of your house with a .22 rifle with a scope and pop that stinker in the head! Now you know its taken care of and you can rest at ease. God is aiming at specific areas of our life and He is seeking to remove them. Deal specifically with your heart.

3. Spiritual decision require God’s help to correct. Do you know why we often fail to keep the decision we make? Because we feel that we secure grace through our performance. We feel that God is not helping us until we have it all put together. This is not the case! We cannot change without God’s help. Philippians 2:13 reminds us that God not only convicts us of sin and gives us the motivation to change, but also the power to do it, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

4. Spiritual decisions are continual decisions. Once you have made a good, specific decision for the Lord spiritually, please understand, you will have to make the decision again tomorrow. If you decide to read your Bible today, you will have to make it again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day after that! Most decisions that are kept for 30 days or more integrate into our habitual lives, but it will usually be a battle for the first portion of the process. Do not abandon your decisions, nor forget to remake them daily before God.

We are more than conquerors through Christ and thankfully, we can win the battle for our spiritual lives by making and keeping spiritual decisions.

1 John 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Ephesians 4:31  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

Last night after church, Tina and I decided to stop by Target for some ice cream and various odds and ends. We parked and made our way for the front door. As we approached the entrance we both noticed something strange. There was a dog sitting by the entrance staring inside. He just sat there. As we approached, he looked our way for a moment then stared back inside. He had a collar and tags on, but no leash. He just sat staring inside the store.

Others walked by as well and we all had the same reaction – we all gave the dog without a leash a wide berth, but everyone also called and motioned at him. This dog would look over only long enough to take notice but every time he would go right back to sentry duty waiting for his owner. We were fascinated.

On the way out sure enough there he was – still waiting! He didn’t leave, he didn’t go home with someone else, he didn’t chase cars or cats, he had no obvious intention of moving from his post – he acted like nothing else in the world existed. Now, I have a dog and I promise you if I left her sitting outside Target she would follow me into the store or go home with the first person that showed her attention on the way out if she hadn’t already lost interest in waiting and began investigating the parking lot and get hit by a car. This dog amazed me.

We are supposed to be like this dog. Our Lord has left us for a short time, but He has promised to return. In the meantime, He has given us a post to stand, “Occupy till I come.” Are we standing that post loyally? Rest assured, the devil is doing all he can to distract us and pull us away from our post. Will our curiosity for the things of the world pull us away? Will we faithfully wait? Or do we require a “leash” to keep us in our place? As appealing as the things that the devil offers us are, he also has plenty of “cars in the parking lot” that we may never see until its too late. Will we remain safely by our post this year?

Let’s make 2012 a year that sees us growing in our loyalty and faithfulness to the Lord.

John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also.

Acts 20:24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

Everyone has areas of their life that they would love to increase. For instance, we work hard to increase our income. We plan and strategize to increase our productivity. We solicit “friend requests” online to increase our popularity. We want more money, more entertainment, more “me” time, more cell phone reception, more retweets, more band width – you name it, if it makes us happy then we want it to increase.

Yet I wonder, with all of the increasing “stuff” in our life, if the really important things are increasing. At the top of the list is Jesus. Is He on the increase in our lives? Do we desire more of Him? Are we seeking to learn more, love more, serve more, give more, tell more, surrender more, or sacrifice more? Churches today are essentially doing less and many of their leaders are trying to teach us to do the same. We are told to have fewer distinctives, hold fewer services, preach less, give less, sacrifice less, be sanctified less, and have less of a difference than the world. This, thankfully, is not the spirit of the Scriptures! Hebrews 10:25 does not speak to a decreasing devotion, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” We ought to be on the increase for Christ as the ages march on. So much the MORE!

In John chapter 3 the disciples of John the Baptist are concerned. They are concerned with the increase in Jesus’ popularity over John’s. They are bewildered why everyone is running to Jesus and why this isn’t a concern to their teacher. Of course John isn’t concerned; this was the plan the entire time. John is just a servant, Jesus is the Saviour. John is a faithful voice, but Jesus is the True Vine. John was a good leader, but there can be only one Lord! John was delighted that the Lord Jesus was gaining greater popularity. As a matter of fact, John sums up his thoughts on the matter in verse 30 with a very clear and pointed statement. John says, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

We need to have the same attitude as John. It is strikingly obvious from verse 30 that in order for Jesus to increase, we must decrease. There cannot be two masters and there cannot be two kings. There is room for only one Lord – so who will it be, Jesus or me?

How can He increase in your life this year? Here are a few suggestions.

1. Commit to read the Bible everyday. Spending time with the Lord will naturally result in knowing more, loving more, and serving more.

2. Attend every church service. God uses the preached Word of God to build our commitment level for Him.

3. Submit to the leadership of the Spirit daily. Commit to respond as God leads us through the daily direction of His Spirit.

4. Practice deferment. Paul said, “I die daily.” He wasn’t being literal, as in he died everyday, but he was being spiritual. He deferred his will, liberty, thoughts, and desires for those of the Lord’s. He died to himself and lived for the Lord.

5. Tell others about Him. Share Christ with your family, friends, and neighbors.

I pray 2012 will be an great year for you! May the Lord increase in all of our lives.

He must increase, but I must decrease.

Yet after His resurrection, Jesus sought Peter out. In fact, Jesus prepared a supper of fish for all of His disicples who followed Peter’s abandonment and beckoned them to come in from their backslidding and eat with Him. As Jesus welcomed His disciples, He no doubt motioned for them to be seated by the fire and eat with Him. Suprisingly, Jesus decided to sit by Peter. I would not have made that choice – but Jesus did.

Jesus asked Peter if he loved him three times. As Peter responded his devotion thickened and his will subsided. Jesus had excersised grace in Peter’s life and he was no match for its power. It is so amazing – even when we do not choose Jesus, he chooses us. It is this amazing grace that not only saves us but empowers us. Peter went from this table of grace to grow into a useful, faithful servant who eventually died for the One he once denied. Peter grew in grace.

Who better then Peter to challenge us to grow in grace. In 2 Peter 3:18 Peter challenges every believer to grow in this grace as well. Something profound happend in his life between his  denial at Calvary and his declaration at Pentecost. What was it?

Peter was his willing to face his failure and grow through his mistakes in the graces that God would so willingly bestow upon his submissive heart. God never desired to set Peter aside and His grace, like a powerful magnet, drew Peter in once again. It was in this safe harbor of grace that Peter’s spiritual life finally began to flourish.

God’s grace is sufficient to grow you spiritually this year as well - no matter where you come from, what you have done, or how you have messed up. God chooses to grant us the space of grace (Ezra 9:8) necessary for solid, lasting spirtual growth in our life. But we must be faithful to take advantage of His grace and not waste it (1 Corinthians 15:10) or consume it in our lusts (Galatians 5:13). We must be willing to ask God to give us grace to grow in three important areas of our life.

First, we need His grace to focus. We must focus on what matters in our life. It is easy to become distracted by success, ambition, desires, possessions, employment, trials, and whatever other “temporal” distraction the devil wants to send our way. Peter told the believers of his day that everything we consider important will one day melt and fade away (3:10-14) so why focus on what is temporary. Focus on the eternal. Focus on holiness and godliness. Focus on using God’s grace to grow.

Secondly, we need His grace to be faithful. Some people wrestle with the truth of God’s Word (3:16) because they are unlearned and unstable. The Word of God is our guide for life and growing in grace means growing in faithfulness to God’s truth.

Finally, we need His grace to be formed. This is asking God to take us as we are and mold us into something that we cannot become on our own. God desires to form you into the image of His Son! And it will take the grace of God growing in your life to allow you to have the surrender necessary for spiritual formation.

Peter was used by God becuase he learned not to ignore or take for granted the grace by which God works in our lives. He learned to rest in God’s grace and grow in it’s fertile soil! Determine to use this year as a time of graceful growth in your relationship with God.

Don’t sit there so smug; you struggle too! Pride and self promotion are some of our greatest, most formidable, and most frequently visited enemies. For several weeks now I have been placed in God’s University of Self Effacement and I have been engaged, by the Lord, to finally pass Humility 101. I promise you, I will not be the valedictorian. I will not be salutatorian for that matter. I will not receive the President’s award for outstanding conduct and I am confident that I will not be place on the Dean’s list. If I pass the class this time through, it will only be through God’s grace with a lot of mercy. (No extra credit allowed; I already asked!)

This session all began when I picked up the book Humility, True Greatness by CJ Mahaney. I had been given the book a year early but had never had the time to read it. Tina and I were going away for a few days so as I collected a few pieces of reading material I decided to include it. I read the book and I was challenged to my core and convicted of my pride and arrogance. I sought to put a few simple principles into place to correct my error, but I really didn’t expect God to test me based upon my recent study. Stupid me!!!

Over two weeks of trial and testing God has affirmed several self abasing truths that I must live by. You may not struggle as bad as I do but at some level, we all bear the horrid, destructive marks of pride.

Life is not about ME.  I place the word “me” in all caps on purpose. If I were 100% honest with myself, and pride will fight honesty, I would realize that I really think that life, and all who are engaged therein, are here for MY benefit and MY pleasure to serve MY purposes. At some point during each day, you will operate from this skillfully seductive philosophy. Guard your motives with the spirit of Christ found in Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” We are not here to be served, but to serve others. Life is all about OTHERS! Philippians 2: 4 “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”

Grace is not to be simply received, but it is to be readily given. Everyone believes that they are better than someone else. This is just being brutally honest. There are people in our life that we elevate ourselves over in our hearts and mind. And that elevation causes us to focus on that person’s negatives rather than celebrate their positives. Our Lord would have us to focus on the positives in others and give them the grace to change the negatives. Acceptance is the optimal environment for change. Philippians 2:3 “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”

The Spirit of God is grieved over a pride filled heart. Life and ministry are impossible without God’s help and supply of strength. Bottom line, pride is saying we do not need God. You say, “No way, I was with you up and until this point, but I  don’t boast myself as not needing God!” Really. Do you start your day asking for His strength? Wisdom? Provision? How often do you seek His counsel in a decision? Do you pray over your bills when you have money in the bank? Have you thanked Him for your health? Job? Home? Have you done so frequently? A day without prayer is a boast against God! I must never take for granted for one moment my helplessness to do anything, in any relationship without God. Would you for one moment consider starting the day without blood in your veins? How about without oxygen in your lungs? Well, Who placed them there??? God did. And a failure to recognize that truth regularly is arrogance against our Creator and Sustainer. James 4:14-17 “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

God seeks to do good to them that are of a humble spirit. I have learned that God is looking for occasions by which to bestow great grace into our lives, but He will only give that grace to the humble. 1 Peter 5:5 “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.”  

Humble people serve their most important relationships first. Humility means that you focus on what is a priority to your most important relationships first. For me, I must do what is a priority to my relationship to God first. Then that which is a priority to my wife, the one God has given me to care for, love, nurture, and build a life together. When we begin to believe that our desires are more important than God’s and your spouses, we have begun our plunge into selfishness and stubborn pride. Again, humility is best developed through practice. As I bow my heart to God’s desires and as I bow my heart to my wife’s desires, I find myself strengthening my own heart for service to the rest of my relationships. Pride fights this strengthening.

Being formed is rarely painless. But I am thankful for the skillful Potter that continues to mold my life into the image of Jesus Christ. A great part of that image is humility.

I am thoroughly convinced that you only get out of church what you put into church. Meaning that if you fail to make any physical, mental, or spiritual preparation of your own you will fail to receive anything in return. Church services are not a, “Do your best, preacher, to keep me entertained and I’ll listen.” It is cooperation. You have as much responsibility to listen and respond as the preacher has to prepare and deliver. Let me share with you several practical suggestions that I shared with our church family this past Sunday night in church.

Get adequate rest the night before church. Going to be early on Saturday night might be the number one preparation that you can make for Sunday church. Staying awake during the sermon is vital to receiving what God has for your heart. Be physically rested up. By the way, yawning and sleeping in church is used by the devil to discourage the preacher. Encourage him with your attentiveness.

Take notes during service. Writing down key thoughts not only helps you stay attentive to the message, but it also allows you to revisit what God did in your heart at a later time. A great idea is to revisit the message with your family during family devotions during the week. Learn the discipline of writing it down.

Respond during the message. Saying “amen” or responding during the message as the Spirit speaks to your heart draws you into the sermon being preached. It also goes a long way to encourage the preacher that is being discouraged by those yawning and sleeping. Then if God speaks to your heart, respond to at the alter and pray, not in your pew. Public decisions are biblical and helpful.

Pray with your family before the service. Our own hearts are normally an afterthought to most services. Make it forethought. Anticipate God working in your heart and in the heart of your family.

Bring your Bible. Seems basic but missed by so many. Don’t leave your Bible at home or in the car. It is God’s Word that is going to speak to your heart and it is God’s Word that is going to bring life change into your life. Have your Bible open in your hands as the preacher is preaching God’s Word.

Prepare your heart. Sin will hinder God’s Word from taking seed in your heart. Do not casually approach a church service. Take time to prepare your heart to receive the seed of God’s Word. A farmer would never just start throwing seed down on the ground in a field without first cultivating the soil to receive the seed. Imagine the frustration of a preacher who has prepared the good seed of God’s Word only to throw it continually on the hardened soils of people disinterested in having God work in their hearts. Don’t be that person!

For the child of God, church services are an important part of your spiritual growth. Be sure that adequate preparation is made to make sure that you get everything out of church that God intends for you to receive.

The second reason why Memorial Day is important to me is that every year on this day we hold a church wide picnic celebrating the freedoms that we all have in Christ. Ever since our first Memorial Day as a church, we have reserved a city park and softball diamond and engaged in a day of food, fun, and fellowship. Every year we have the opportunity to meet new friends, share the gospel, and build and strengthen the bond that we have in the Lord. And this year’s picnic was no exception!

Beginning at around 10am, families flooded in bringing their family, friends, and a picnic lunch. Our annual church softball game was held on a beautiful softball diamond with teams composed of 25+ players each (next year we are breaking down into four teams for tournament play). My team lost to Brother Dan’s team, but the competition was fierce and the score was close all the way to the end. The teenagers enjoyed a football game while the children participated in an afternoon of games led by my daughter, Chase. On top of all that, the Spanish department made some of the most delicious carne asada that I have ever eaten. Wow!

The psalmist observed in Psalm 133:1, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” What a joy it is to see well over 150 of God’s people being built up and brought together in the Lord, and then turning around to reach out to build others around them. People from all walks of life with ever sort of background imaginable from every country conceivable gathered in one place with one important thing in common – brotherhood in Christ. I am privileged to pastor some of the best Christians that I know.

It really is hard to believe that we have a daughter going into Senior High – a freshman in high school. I can still remember our first night at home after taking her home from the hospital and her crying ALL NIGHT! Tina and I (more I than Tina) thought that she was broken so we called the hospital, my mom, her mom, and everyone else in the world. Now she is dressing in formals and being called a freshman. Time stands still for no one.

I am reminded of what James 4:14 says, “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” I only have four more short years left before she is headed off to college and her life is drastically transformed! I will never have these years to do over again, so i must determine to make them spiritual, memorable, and life changing. Everyday is a gift as a father and I must treasure ever moment I have with my girls.