My life has been crazy of late. Yet, I am still thankful. In the last month, the following has happened.

• My wife broker her shoulder
• My daughter broke her pinkie
• A tire on my car was gashed, so I had to replace the tire
• A tire on my other car was flat, so I had to repair the tire
• My clothes dryer caught on fire
• My wife was in a fender bender accident
• I got a speeding ticket
• I dropped my phone and cracked it
• I am about to run a marathon, but have serious foot/ankle pain

Yet, I am thankful because

• My wife’s shoulder is healing
• My daughter’s pinkie is healing
• My family was not traveling while the tires went out, and I was able to replace/repair then
• My dryer, not my house caught on fire, and someone blessed me with a new dryer
• I got a speeding ticket, but got home safely
• My wife was in an accident, but she and the girls were OK
• My phone is cracked, but still works
• My foot/ankle is hurting, but I am still in good health

You have your own list I am sure! Things may be awful, but there is always reason to give thanks. God is good!

My wife broke her shoulder a few days ago. She slipped and fell. It has been a whirlwind of emotions, good and bad. Really, the past month has been that way. See, my wife is not the only one who visited the Emergency Room. My two year old daughter did too. She had a viral infection that kept her in the hospital for two days. Not only that, my wife was in a minor accident. That is just a taste of the drama we have faced. I feel a bit like Job – what is going on? There is another side to this story. It has been the best of times too. I went on a mission trip to Belarus. God blessed it in a mighty way. My book was even available in Russian for the people! Not only that, my wife started a new job. Also, right before my wife’s wreck, we were able to buy her parents used suburban. Our old vehicle sold in less than two weeks!

My wife and I visited the orthopedic doctor yesterday. He believes my wife will not require surgery. The shoulder should heal on its own. What a blessing! So, in the midst of all this bad, there has been much good. Life is usually that way. The good and bad are mixed together like peanut butter and jelly. So, you may be in a tough time. Don’t give in or give up. It might be the worst of times, it could be the best of times too!

Most of our prayers are done halfway. We are all aware of Jesus’ agony in the Garden. The cross is before Him. So, He spends an intimate and intense moment with the Father. He utters one of the most famous prayer lines ever, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” The cup is of course the cross. Jesus’ desire was to avoid the cross. He knew the agony that awaited. Yet, Jesus submitted Himself to the will of the Father.

We are good at the first half of the prayer. We tell God all about our crosses. We don’t want to go through something. We don’t want to do something. We don’t want to go somewhere. We ask God to spare us and pass the cup. That is good and godly. We need to take everything to the Lord in prayer, but we don’t need to leave off the last half of the prayer – Thy Will Be Done.

Are you praying both parts? I am sure you are asking God to take the cup. Are you asking for God’s will to be done? The cross was the very will of God. Perhaps the cross you bear is God’s will as well. Perhaps it is not. Either way, you need to submit yourself to God’s will, whatever that may be.

Today is my 22nd Anniversary. I am so blessed.  Here are 22 reasons I love you Lori.

1. You are always faithful.
2. I can always trust you.
3. You love Jesus.
4. You love our precious three daughters.
5. You have a great sense of humor.
6. You appreciate my sense of humor.
7. You are a great mom.
8. You put up with faults.
9. You encourage me to be a better man.
10. You are a great cook.
11. You support my ministry.
12. You respect me as the leader of the home.
13. You are my best friend.
14. You are very forgiving of me.
15. You are very patient with me.
16. We have endured some hard times together, with joy.
17. We usually never disagree on things that matter.
18. When we do disagree, you follow my lead.
19. You support my hobbies.
20. You are beautiful on the outside.
21. You are beautiful on the inside.
22. You are always there for me.

God is good!

Carol is a black woman, probably in her late 40’s or early 50’s. I met her recently at a bus stop in Memphis. I was there on a mission trip. She was sitting on a bench with a small, white trash bag. I soon realized this small bag contained everything she owned. I spoke with her and she told me that she had just gotten out of prison. I am not sure if it was that very day, but it certainly seemed like it. She was on the way to surprise her family. They were unaware of her new found freedom. I told her that I firmly believed in Jesus. He could help her. Carol smiled and confessed she too followed Jesus. She opened up her bag and pulled out one of her prized possessions, one of her only possessions, a Bible. I prayed with her and for her. We happened to climb onto the same bus. I could see her during the trip. She had her Bible open, reading with great hunger and joy. Carol and I are from two very different worlds. I have not struggled much, at least not to pay bills or stay out of prison. She is a black woman, struggling to survive the harsh realities of life. Yet, before God we are no different. We are united not by race, gender, or background. We are one in Christ. It was a thrill, even for a few moments, to see life from her eyes.

My book has been translated into Russian! This is the first step to it being printed and distributed in Belarus. I was able to go on a mission trip to Belarus this past September. I spoke about depression at a conference. Soon thereafter, it became apparent the book would be a benefit to Belarus. This week marks the two year anniversary for my book. I am always surprised and blessed how God has used it for His kingdom. My book has been sold through Amazon in at least 9 countries. Some of those Amazon marketplaces may have sold one or two books mind you. Still, God is getting the word out to those who can read English. The book will soon be in the Russian language, Lord willing, for people in Belarus and area countries to read. I want to encourage you to do several things:

1. Pray for God’s hand of blessing upon the project.
2. Give to support the project, if you so felt led. It is not a cheap endeavor. You can click to my church’s website and give to the fund- Jason’s book project @ http://fbcnr.org/give.  If you have questions as to the cost of the project you can e-mail me @ jasonmac@bellsouth.net. 
3. If you have read my book, please give it a review @ www.amazon.com/dp/B00VGAB08Y. The more reviews, the more likely others are to get it for themselves and be helped.

Here is a sample of my book in Russian – the “About the Author” page

Об авторе

У Джейсона Макноттена прекрасная семья. Его жену зовут Лори. У них есть две дочери. За время своего служения он был пастором в нескольких церквах: в штатах Миссури и Луизиана. В данный момент является пастором Первой Баптистской церкви в г. Нью Роудс, Луизиана.

Джейсон получил степень магистра богословия в Баптистской богословской семинарии Мидвэстерн, и позже степень доктора служения в семинарии Нового Орлеана.

Пастор Джейсон серьезно увлекается бегом. Не раз он участвовал в различных забегах и марафонах.

The weather has been just perfect of late. I recently noticed several people out walking. Three ladies especially caught my eye. They were walking together side by side, but two of them were on the phone. The third lady was stuck listening to the conversations of others. They were missing out on the beauty around them. Most of all, they were missing out on the people they were with. In my mind I was thinking, “Get off the phone. Pay attention to who you are with.” Too many times we allow our phones to distract us. One day care recently noticed this too. They put a sign in the window asking parents to get off the phone before they pick up their children. They were tired of seeing little Johnny and Sally wait all day for mom and dad. When mom and dad show up they are on the phone. Johnny and Sally feel invisible and forgotten. Does someone in your life feel invisible and forgotten because of your phone? Phones are good, but some things in life are far more important. Take some time today and get off the phone. Pay attention to God’s creation. Pay attention to the people around you.

My house is a mess. Every room looks like a war zone. There are no bullets, tanks, or soldiers. The house is instead filled with toys, dolls, and dirty dishes. I had to laugh the other day at lunch time. Three different cups were spilled by my children. A cup of water fell. A cup of milk followed. Then my wife’s diet coke found its way onto the floor. The dishes are cleaned everyday, but they magically reappear. Every day the laundry is cleaned and put away, but it seems to hurry right back to the hamper. My poor wife seems to change a diaper every 15 seconds. It is so easy for me to get discouraged at the mess surrounding me. I need to remember that my house is full of blessings. I am so blessed to have clothes to clean and dishes to wash. I am so blessed my children are healthy, healthy enough to demolish the place! I am blessed to have a roof over my head. This is the good life. God is good. Whatever your home is like, take a deep breath, relax, and thank God for it.

No one wants to have the talk. My parents never had a talk with me. I do remember the talk they had with my older sister. I heard things I really didn’t want to! Things are so different these days. We live in a sex saturated world. The average age for the first exposure to pornography is around 8 years old. I have three daughters. Two of them are still babies, but the oldest is 10. This is how my wife and I approach the sex talk with our daughter:

1. It is more than one talk

It is a an ongoing conversation. Do not just sit down, tell your child about the birds and bees, and think you have done all that is needed. One talk is not sufficient. It is an ongoing conversation, a dialogue.

2. Better too early rather than too late

If you wait until your child is a teenager and interested in sex, you are way too late. Talk about it before it gets to this. I don’t want to suggest a specific age. Every child is different. We started with our daughter when she was 8 or so. Kids hear far more about sex than you realize. I would rather them hear it from me first than from their friend or a television show. If you have waited too long, start the conversation anyway. Maybe your child has questions, and is ashamed or afraid to ask. At the least, your child needs to hear the truth about sex, not what is portrayed on YouTube or Instagram.

3. Stress that sex is from God

The temptation is to make sex gross. It is a good thing because it is a God thing. Stress that sex is a gift from God, but it is only for the context of marriage. You also need to tell them the dark side to that. Bad choices can ruin a life and a marriage.

4. Use some good resources

I highly recommend a book called The Talk, by Luke Gilkerson. Right now I am using Good Pictures: Porn-Proofing Today’s Young Kids, by Kristen A. Jenson.

If your child has access to a smart phone or I-pad, put a filter on it. Monitor their activity. Above all, make sure you are setting a good example in the home. Speak of sex and treat sex in a healthy way that honors God.

Do you believe in the power of prayer? Someone prayed for me yesterday. It was powerful. God definitely answered that prayer. It was a great reminder of the power of prayer. James reminds us, in James 5:16, that the effective prayer of a righteous person can accomplish much. It is not that the person is powerful, but the person is tapping into God’s power. I think we miss out on so much because we fail to pray.One of the greatest needs for our nation is prayer. One of the greatest needs for our churches is prayer. Prayer is perhaps the greatest need for families. Yet, we fail to pray. No wonder our lives are powerless. No wonder we feel defeated and discouraged. If you are facing a tough situation, pray. If you are discouraged about something, pray. Does your community or family have a glaring need? Pray. As a great old song reminds us, “Oh, what peace we often forfeit. O what needless pain we bare, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.”