There is a buzz I hear a lot. It goes like this, “If we get sponsorship, we will…”  Or, “We are running this if we get sponsors”.   Or, “Our sponsor wants us to…”.

I know that getting sponsorship is a big part of racing from the team/owner side, to the tracks, to the series. It is compounded by the tough economic times we are having.

As I think about that and even my own situation of needed sponsorship for the race ministry I am reminded that God owns everything and we only loan from Him. We are stewards and managers. We will give account to the Lord how and what we spent money on.

Psalm 24:1 The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;

Psalm 50:9-10 I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.

Luke 12:42 The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time?

We see clearly that we have a responsibility to the Lord. How are you doing on it?

By the way, if you wonder about sponsoring Team Jesus Racing Ministry or what our needs are, just let me know. We are not a large ministry but there are weekly costs and a need for workers at the track and events themselves.

Have a great day racin’ in the SONshine,

Todd

Take a moment to remember those who have served and are now serving this great country.

The last of the WWI veterans was laid to rest this week. Frank Buckles died at the age of 110 and was buried Tuesday at Arlington National Cemetery. It ends an era of men and women that fought for this nation in the early 1900’s.

My family has a old history of military service from the Civil War, WWI (grandfather), WWII (Dad), Uncles in WWII and Korea, brother-in-law in Vietnam, to my nephew now on another tour in the Middle East, so this is dear to me.

God has for some strange reason blessed this nation with freedoms and religious freedoms unlike most countries. But there has been a cost of many lives. Freedom is not cheap. It never has been and never will be.

To those who have served and those who are serving and will serve,

THANK YOU!

Ephesians 6:7-8 ⁷Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, ⁸because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

Have a great day racin’ in the SONshine,

Todd

This week, as we again had so many things happening around us, and I was reading 1 Samuel, I was reminded of what is really important. Here in the state of Wisconsin there is a political struggle going on. I have heard words thrown around like this, “this is like the Holocaust”, or it is “like Haiti” or “like Libya”. Both sides of the battle have used those situations and I cringe each time I hear this. Those are bad comparisons. The situation in Wisconsin is nothing like any of those places or times. In all three of those examples there is huge loss of life and terrible living conditions.

As I thought about those things I thought how important it is for parents to do their job as God calls them to. Listen to this quick commentary and example from Scripture.

1 Samuel 1:12-13 Hannah was praying in her heart,

The parents prayed.

1 Samuel 1:11 And she made a vow

The parents vowed to a vow that gave her son back to the Lord as we are to give our child to God.

1 Samuel 2:1-2 Then Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance. “There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.

The parents acknowledged who God is and His powerful ways. Strong worship.

1 Samuel 2:21 Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD. 1 Samuel 2:26 And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with men.

The son who was given to the Lord grows in the Lord

1 Samuel 3:1 The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli

The son was trained by godly men and began to minister at a young age.

1 Samuel 3:4-5 Then the LORD called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.” And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

The son needed to learn the voice of the Lord

1 Samuel 3:8-10 The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

Once the son learned the correct voice he obeyed.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children.

Deuteronomy, and many other places in the Bible, command and echo that parents are to teach the Scriptures. We are to exemplify them. We are to verbalize them. We are to echo the Scriptures daily and often.

3 John 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

In this time of much confusion we want our children to be able to discern truth and be able to make choices based not on confine, easy, or the crowd. We want them to think, “What does God want?” and then see them obey. What a blessing Hannah and her husband had.

I pray that you are being the godly parent God wants you to be. There is a point of accountability for each of us parents.

See you at a track soon and have a great day racin’ in the SONshine,

Todd