Family Values
The thought came to mind this week about family and what that means. June is a time for many weddings and with weddings come the start of a new family. In May we celebrate Mother’s Day and June is reserved for Father’s day. What does your family unit look like? How are things going in your family? Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Family has come to mean many things in our society today. We call any group of people bonded by some common thread a family. Use the racing family for example, we come together around the sport of racing. We have a common language. We experience together the ups and downs of racing. We are bonded by the tread of racing.
It is interesting how a common thread can bind people of various backgrounds and histories together. We come from different times, different parts of the country, with different views on life, but when we talk racing we are all on the same level.
Recently I have had the opportunity to talk with racers from different backgrounds. I have had the pleasure of listening to them tell the stories of the good old days. Many of these folks have been doing this for a long time and they have stories to tell. No matter what we have shared as a racing family we all have our other family behind the scenes.
Some families race together and some tolerate the racing of their family. The family that we don’t always see at the track, the one we go home to is the one I want to talk about this week. Have you taken the time to consider how much that family means to you?
God created the family unit and gave each member responsibilities. In creation he created man and his perfect compliment a woman. Together they were to create and raise a family. God ordained marriage for a man and a woman to come together in a life commitment to each other. A commitment that starts with marriage and ends with death.
As I reflected on that commitment I thought about what it really meant. This commitment is a statement to the world that you value the other person so much that you set them apart from everyone else; you will remain with them for life. How many of us view it that way today?
A marriage commitment says I will walk alongside you and witness your life. I will be there for every moment. I will not let your life go unnoticed, I will share it with you. I will not leave you.
Mark 10:6-9, “But at the beginning of creation God `made them male and female.’ `For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”
God provided guidance for us as we grow our family and add children.
Proverbs 22:6, Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
This verse implies that we know the right way to go. He impresses upon us that we need to do what is right. It is not possible to live your life the wrong way and teach your children to go in the right direction. Our children will follow our lead.
If we don’t know the right way, we need to learn it ourselves before we have children.
We recently dedicated Samantha Ann Santerre to the Lord. In that dedication each member of the family, Mom, Dad, Sister, Grandparent, Godparents, other family members and friends made a commitment to guide that child in the way of the Lord. They committed to raise that young child to honor God and to follow His guidance.
God helps us understand the priorities that He has for our families. God has made the Husband responsible for the family unit. Whatever happens to that family will lay on the father’s shoulders. He first must love his wife more than he loves himself. If he does that she will respect him. He must teach his children right and wrong. He must not waver from that path, change the rules, have a different standard for his children than he does for himself. He first must honor God in all he does, then lead his family to do likewise.
Ephesians 5:33-6:4, However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right “Honor your father and mother”–which is the first commandment with a promise– “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
The family was created by God as the most intimate unit in society, the foundation of all we are. If we do not honor that and build strong, God respecting families, we cannot hope to experience the full life that God promises. A fulfilling and satisfying life starts with a family built on the foundation that will withstand any storm; Jesus Christ.
I understand there are reasons for the condition of each of our families, but that doesn’t mean we cannot start here and move toward God. Look at it this way, take a moment today and pray to God about your family. Just talk with Him, ask Him to lead you in the right direction, ask Him to guide your spirit, ask Him to teach you what you need to be doing. He will; he is our Heavenly Father, like he expects our earthly father to do, he will teach, guide and lead you in the right direction. Trust in Him and he will help you move from where you are to where you need to be. Your life will be fulfilling and satisfying.
Proverbs 3:5-6, Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
THOUGHTS FROM THE ROAD
RUNNING AROUND IN A FOG – The HOT summer air mass that moved into the Northeast this past weekend was preceded by a heavy fog that complicated the local racing scene this week. Thompson finished practice and the fog settled in. They called the drivers together and took a voice vote as to whether to race or not. By my calculations some 80 plus percent of the drivers voted to suspend the racing. I talked with a few and they shared that water was condensing on the cars and the track. The infield grass was wet, making for a dangerous slide if anyone went across it. It just wasn’t safe to compete.
On another safety related issue, the light pole in turn one was mentioned several times as a point of danger. Many thoughts were given as to the additional safety measures that need to be implemented before everyone will feel comfortable driving into turn one. The consensus was that some form of energy absorbing material need to be added. The existing concrete blocks serve to protect the light post not the driver. Let’s hope that there are plans in the works to make that a safer situation.
Stafford suffered the same fate as Thompson. Friday night at Stafford found a heavy fog hovering over the track but not to the extent that it posed a safety issue. Practice and heat races were run and the SKmod Lite feature was contested before the fog settled in on the track. The fog was so thick it obstructed the view of the backstretch. Several competitors were consulted and the decision was made to postpone the event.
This Friday night should be a great one at Stafford with two Late Model features and the 100 lap SKmod feature, make your plans to be there now.
I didn’t make it down to Waterford on Saturday night as it was our twenty-eighth wedding anniversary and it doesn’t matter how good the racing is, that is time that needs to be spent with family. Ron Yuhas fared well against the ACT Tour regulars coming home fourth in what I believe was his first try at running on the ACT Tour. Doug Coby took home the honors in the SKmod feature. I promise to get down there one of these Saturday nights that I am not on the road.
Let me put a little word in here to ask for your help. Both Stafford and Thompson have had extremely difficult early racing seasons. The weather has not cooperated and I am sure they cannot take too many more bad nights. Please consider going out and supporting them. Spend what entertainment dollars you have supporting our local tracks.
Racing team drives for glory of God- Charlie Butts – OneNewsNow – 6/5/2008
A newcomer has arrived on the tarmac ( at Indy) with an exciting plan to make a dent for God at the racetrack.
Houston based Kingdom Racing is driving home the message of honoring God through a promotion of excellence, and a series of ministry events at racetracks. Kingdom Racing spokesman Alan Litvak says they also want to deliver premium value to their racing sponsors.
Litvak says it is not that God is necessarily being disrespected at racetracks, but he says “…there’s a whole lot more room for a whole lot more God, and we know if there’s 300,000 people at the Indy 500 on a Sunday afternoon, they’re not in church.”
Kingdom Racing sponsored a car that finished 14 in the Indy 500 on a tough racing day. And future plans call for a car in each race in the series, and ministries including Christian concerts. Litvak says they could have a racing team running in “every race in the series” by 2009.
WATKINS GLEN RETURN- Mexico, Connecticut, Belgium, New York and Holland make the top five qualifiers truly an international group for the Camping World East Series event at the famed New York road course. Antonio Perez of Guadalajara, Mexico set a new track record in his first qualifying attempt. Matt Kobyluck and Steve Park, who won his first Cup race at the Glen, were the Americans represented in the top five.
Matt Kobyluck bested the field to add his first Watkins Glen victory to his road racing exploits. Matt won the drag race to turn one as the second band of thunderstorms necessitated a green-white-checker finish. He held the lead with the three DEI teams chasing him home. Jeffrey Earnhardt, Trevor Bayne, Jesus Hernandez and former DEI driver Steve Park closed out the top five.
SEVENTY-FIVE GREEN LAPS- Mark your calendars as the Whelen Modified Tour heads back to Thompson International Speedway on Thursday, June 19, 2008. The race will be a little different format this time with a guarantee of at least 75 green laps of racing. This has been something the fans have been asking for and I hope they will come out and support it. In addition to the Tour, the six local divisions will also be part of the racing event.
This coming weekend has both divisions off as we celebrate Father’s Day. Let’s hope the local tracks can finally get some good crowds and good racing in. See you at a local track near you.
Be a witness for our Lord with the ministry decals and apparel. Send your prayer request by mail, phone or E-mail. Until next time, remember God loves you and & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;
Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing! GOD BLESS.
Mail reaches Rev. Don and the staff at Racing with Jesus Ministries, PO Box 586, Tolland, CT 06084. Call (860) 202-3598. E-Mail to don@rwjm.com. Remember, the only way we can do this ministry is with your prayerful financial support. Thank You.
Sources: Rev. Don Rivers/RWJM.