Pondering on Scripture and Career - June 2022

Standard disclaimer:?Welcome Back to my continuing article titled Pondering on Scripture and Career this is my June 2022 edition. As a reminder, I don't do a lot of planning, this article is what the Holy Spirit brings to my mind to put down. So with that I continue to ask for forgiveness for run on sentences, punctuation errors, etc... I am not an English major just a person who loves God, Family and my Career.

So... Welcome. Today I have a few items of topic. Change/Turmoil/Analyze/Trust. I start out with this one:

There is a lot of change going on these days it seems. When you look at inflation, gas, food, and well everything just climbing in price these days.. Well this change is causing us all to have less "change" or only "change" in out pocket books. Beside this you also have changes in employment with many as the "great resignation" strolls on. Then there is the change with in many of our families with some having new babies, toddlers, graduates from high school, or well a multitude of other items. Even here in the Burkhart household there has been lots of change here lately as I pick up more and more Soccer Officiating games, traveling for work events, my kids are getting jobs, with one licensed and one a newly permitted driver, and even change in the air for April as we get the Homestead ready for a July 1 full launch as apposed to our soft launch we did in March of this year... Lots of change and lots going on.

With all this change turmoil can begin to creep in. It for sure is pretty easy to start worrying about budgets and how we will all make it though. I admit I am worried at times... however, I trust in the Lord our God and I will share a few of the tidbits from God's word that helps me to keep a level head and keeps me moving forward:

"Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today." - Matthew 6:34 NLT

Also as believers in Christ Jesus and thus Sons of Abraham, make sure to remember this promise from God's word:

?"I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to other" - Genesis 12:2 NLT

I mean Abraham is indeed one of the most famous folks I know and in most of the world religions and denominations... and indeed many a great nation have came from the decedents of Abraham... and through the blessings God provides to the believers we intern should try to be a blessing to others. By doing this and being a blessing to others with what God has blessed us all with we can show the agape love of God to all and together we pull though this as a community helping each other where we can. To tie this to the career... I like to take the blessings God has provided me in talent, personality, and willingness to help others to be that blessing for others when they need it. An example of this recently was I manned a tent at the Heatherwoode?Golf Course in Springboro, Ohio for my career during the Springboro Chamber of Commerce Golf outing where I was to spread the word of our high speed fiber connectivity to the area. The Tent was close to the club house and worked out great that I not only accomplished this objective but I was able to make new friends and serve some hot dogs and bring joy in conversation to others. This was just last Friday and then Monday in my email inbox I had an email thanking me and requesting that I for sure attend more chamber events. It was so nice that the chamber does these events and allows the members to not just participate but to be of help even when not asked. I saw a need and I did it. Do I always do this.. no sometimes my mind is a mile a minute and I miss these opportunities but when I am able to... there is great joy that comes from helping others.

Also with all this change and turmoil we all need to Analyze our situations and do what is necessary to be good stewards of what we are given by God. I recently did this by calling all my medical bills and creditors and working out arrangements to lower my monthly bills temporarily while we batten down the hatches to weather the storm we are all headed for through summer and fall with continued cost of living and travel seeing no end of climbing. The reassurance we can all have though as we analyze and do what we have to do to try and ensure our situations are as best as they can be through this season of excessive costs is this...

Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.??The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” Jesus responded,?“Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!”?Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm. The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him! - Matthew 8:24-27 NLT

"Even the winds and waves obey him" - pretty awesome stuff to know that as long as we are looking at our situations and doing what we can to ensure we are looking out for ourselves with the mind set of being able to help and look out for others and all this through a lens of Christ Jesus... that through all this ... we have a God that is in charge.

So as I look back now on this article and the past couple weeks. I find myself reflecting on

"But blessed are those who trust in the?Lord and have made the?Lord?their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit." - Jeremiah 17:7-8 NLT

Being rooted and trusting in God that He will guide and protect me and my family through this storm like the tree is rooted and secure that is planted near the stream. God will help us to know that He is God of all and that through the blessings He provides to me and my family that we too will be able to help bless others with the fruits of our homestead, talents, and lives.

So in closing I encourage you with the following:

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. - 2Timothy 1:7 NLT

and the cover photo verse of:

?What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? - Romans 8:31 NLT

And well as for me, my family, this homestead, and I hope many others who read this choose the Lord as Joshua did:

But if you refuse to serve the?Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the?Lord.” - Joshua 24:15 NLT

So with this please be encouraged that no matter your situation and no matter the amount of change and turmoil.. take a step back.. analyze and pray about your situation never ceasing asking earestly for God to help you through and then trust that it will be done through Him and the work God does through the believers in his son Jesus Christ. You can trust in this because it is often times the hardest of times that our faith is tested and can grow and flourish and always always remember:

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the?Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. - Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

If God knows the plans set forth He will help you get there. :-)

Take care all, have a great next couple weeks, and "May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace" - Numbers 6:24-26.

Sincerely

Luke