What Kind of Children Are We Leaving For This World

On September 10, 2015September 30, 2015 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, dumbing down of America, integrity, kids will follow your example, music, The children we are leaving this world9 Comments

As I was contemplating yesterdays blog and thinking about what to write I took a bike ride and listened to Air1. On one of their segments “3 things you need to know” they talked about their is a movement to change high shool start times to 10:00, even 11:30 for juniors and seniors. All because some kids are hard to wake up to go to school at 7-8:00. Seriously? That led me to think, what kind of children are we leaving our world?

A short note on the above. If high schools start that late, doesn’t that mean they would have to go until 6-7 pm to meet the required hours? How does that affect after school activities? How does that affect family time, family dinners? How does that affect them when they get in the real world and have a job that starts at 8 or 9? What happens when they have a college class they can only take at 8? Quit catering to our kids. If they need more sleep, go to bed earlier. Parents, put a lights out policy and take their cell phones and laptops at 10-10:30. Children are exhausted in the morning because they aren’t getting enough sleep. They are constantly getting beeped by text messages and email alerts by their friends that is interrupting their sleep. The issue IS NOT because school starts too early.

Support, love, teach your children, quit enabling them. It is okay to fall down. Let them learn to get up by themselves. Yes, I know it can break your heart because I have been there but it is what is best for your children to grow. Our oldest daughter made a mess of her life. Moved out of our house, into her uncles, out of there to her boyfriends, got pregnant, had her baby, broke up with the father, moved back to our house but made our house so chaotic that it was hurting our marriage and our other children. We made the painful decision to send her to a shelter, YWCA. It was painful but today she thanks us for doing that.

Who thought of participation trophies? What does it show our kids? That they are entitled to something just for showing up. What happened to kids working together as a team, pushing each other to get better, trying to win games so that you can be first and WIN the trophy. When my teams didn’t finish first, I understood we just weren’t as good a team as the team that won. I understood as an individual that my team didn’t deserve the trophy. There is only one Super Bowl Champion. There is only one World Series Champion. That’s the world I grew up in. A world where we worked hard, did our best and sometimes it just didn’t work out and that was okay. The most important things we learned were working hard, doing our best, teamwork, supporting a teammate that had a bad game, and having some fun along the way.

What are we actually teaching our kids? As I did some research I found many educators think we are dumbing down America. we switch from one standarized test to another to another all while our kids are thinking the last math book didn’t teach me to do math this way. Why do we do this to our kids? Because companies buy our politicians, our politicians get paid to switch and then more books are made to support the new curriculum, or in some cases the books don’t even match the new standards. See the video below from Charlette Iserbyt about the deliberate dumbing down of America. The former US Department of Education Senior Policy Advisor suggests that the our educational system is not based upon children learning. She isn’t the only one that thinks this.

George Carlin knew the truth, too.

Schools won’t teach creation but they will teach transgender identity, gay marriage, etc. (for more details see Dr. James Dobson – September Newsletter 2015 EM. The Real Fallout of the Same-Sex Ruling.) Target now has unisex toy department. Why? Many states, and in the end probably all of them, have to change legal documents for marriage from husband and wife to spouse and spouse. Parents are no longer mother and father, they are parent 1 and parent 2. We need to quit playing politically correct and get back to the things this country was founded upon. Because I am a heterosexual I can’t be a father on my child’s birth certificate because the minority demand parent 1. What have we become? The minority is ruling the majority.

Our children now are following God less than ever. Many are living for pleasure, instant-gratification, and entitlement. Credit cards are being maxed out by them or by the parents that are buying for them, leaving no money to help the poor or give to charity or to have for the future. They are hooking up instead of having relationships because they have seen their parents have affairs and go through divorces. They are not being taught the values of saving, living for others, giving, volunteering, working for a relationship- it isn’t easy but it is worth it.

This generation is the first in history that is not supposed to outlive their parents. This generation is also the most physically inactive in history. Our health, self-esteem, happiness, productivity, quality and longevity of life all depend on being physically active. Physical inactivity is also now the leading cause of death, outranking cigarette smoking. The leading non-communicable diseases- heart disease, respiratory disease, diabetes, cancer and mental illness are all linked to physical inactivity.

Be active. Create active environments for your children. They will do what you do. I never thought of running long distances when I was ten years old but my daughter Kylie has grown up watching her mom and me run and has completed 16 5k’s, one quarter marathon and just this past Monday a 4 mile run. If they see you reading the Bible, they will read the Bible. If they see you drinking water, they will drink water. If they see you exercising, they will exercise. If they see you doing good, chances are they will do good. If they see you doing bad, chances are they will do bad.

I may not leave my children much money but I pray that I leave them a legacy of a good work ethic, values, ethics and morals to live by. Things that can take you a lot farther in this world than money ever could.

Something To Believe In by Poison – 2003 alternate acoustic version with alternate lyrics

We Can Change The World by Hawk Nelson –

We Can Change The World by Bridgit Mendler –

Together We Can Change The World by Rilee O’Neil –

One Girl Can Change The World by Shuree –

We Can Change The World by Colby Jeffers and Awu Donson –

We Can Change The World by Chris Medina –

We Can Change The World by Anonymous –

All These Things That I’ve Done by the Killers –

Everything by Murs –

Wasteland by NeedtoBreathe –

Say Goodbye by Michael Franti –

One Love by Bob Marley –

Light by Sleeping At Last –

The Dumbing Down of American School Children –

What Kind Of World Will We Leave Behind For Our Children

On September 9, 2015September 30, 2015 By roberthansen1317In chick-fil-a, chipolte, Christian life, integrity, music, sevenly, step in the right direction, think of the future, toms, what will we leave behind1 Comment

As I look at our world today I can’t help but wonder what are leaving behind for our children. Will there be any polar ice caps? Will there be any animals left that aren’t in our local zoo? Will the beach be thirty yards more inland? Will the United States be a desert and Africa be lush farmlands? Will they have any trees left? Will the sci-fi worlds we see in movies about the future really be all there is left of this world?

Corporate greed. A recent Stanford study estimates the world could convert to 100% renewable energy by 2030. Do you think corporate America will let that happen? I don’t. So many people fight for what keeps them making money instead of what is best for the world and the people in it. Take cigarette companies for example. As late as the 1940’s there was proof that smoking caused cancer. As of 1994, all seven of the top cigarette making companies denied that smoking causes cancer. Smoking is said to cause 1 out of every 5 deaths in America. The tobacco industry destroys more than 500,000 acres of forest per year. If tobacco farmers grew food instead, they could feed more than 78% of the worlds 28 million malnourished people. In 2012, cigarette companies spent $27 million lobbying government agencies and members of Congress. Now I am not picking on the cigarette industry because you can look up just about any industry, including the health industry, and find where money is being spent to get their products to sell instead of doing the right thing and selling the right products.

Just think about that for a minute? What if tobacco farmers grew food and fed the world instead of tobacco? They would help the world but make less money. What if they spent $27 million on healthier options – growing food, planting trees, charity, getting water to third world countries? What if Anheuser -Busch or Doritos spent the $ 4.5 millon for a 30 second ad for the Super Bowl on something that benefitted the people in the world? I mean we all know who Anheuser-Busch is right? Does that $4.5 million really make someone want to drink there brand over someone elses? I don’t think so. That money could be spent more wisely.

We destroy one area and take out all the non-renewable resources only to move to another area and destroy it. We cut off mountain tops and leave sludge in its place. We deforest large areas of land and do not plant trees to replace them. We are releasing high levels of nitrogen and phosphorous into our water systems and oceans from fertilizer use. We water, even on rainy days, our grass areas by our exit ramps but yet many in this world do not have water to drink.

We take away farmland to put up more and more strip malls. Many of them are abandoned in ten years for new strip malls. We introduce new animals to new lands that wipe out the old animals, therefore changing the food chain.

We over fish, so we make fish farms. We take away our farm lands then we produce GMO’s to make the food grow faster, be resistant to weeds, insects etc because we have less land to farm. This then causes super bugs which are resistant to the weed killer and antibiotics. We give animals steroids to grow faster. We grow chickens that never see the light of day in overcrowded enclosed shelters. How will this all affect not only ourselves but our children as well? Only time will tell but from what I can see, it isn’t good.

There is hope. Companies like Chipolte – who quit selling pork at hundreds of locations because they found a supplier wasn’t meeting their animal welfare standards. They will not be using GMO foods. Chipolte’s core mission is food with integrity. By the way, Chipolte is still making nice profits. Other companies like Toms, who give away one pair of shoes to children in need for each pair of shoes bought, is making money. Chick-fil-A who many people said wouldn’t be succesful being closed on Sundays is very succesful. Sevenly donates a portion of each sale to charity. Their core statement is people matter. Sevenly is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading “social good” companies, mashable.com just named Sevenly “America’s most social business” and “one of the Top 10 Stories in the First 10 Years of Facebook.”

You can do things the right way and still make a profit, keep the business healthy and help the world.

Stay tuned for tomorrow on what kind of children are we leaving this world. Can’t wait to see you then.

When The Children Cry by White Lion –

Something Worth Leaving Behind by Lee Ann Womack –

Heal The World by Michael Jackson –

We Could Change The World by Matt Redman –

Leave The World a Little Better –

Imagine by John Lennon –

Salvation Song by Avett Brothers –

Mad World by Gary Jules/ Tears For Fears –

Ghosts of Days Gone By by Alter Bridge –

Change The World by Los Lonely Boys –

Difference Maker by NeedtoBreathe –

Show Me A Sign by Michael Franti –

Same As It Ever Was by Michael Franti –

So Much Trouble In The World by Bob Marley –

Gonna Change My Way Of Thinkin by Bob Dylan –

We Can Change The World by Live Hart –

Together We Can Change The World by Nick Vujicic/ Elliot Band –

Vision of the Future by Marshall Rosenberg –

Happy Labor Day – People Over Profit

On September 7, 2015September 7, 2015 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, Labor Day, music, People over Profit, treat others well2 Comments

Happy Labor Day.

Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers. It was also intended to give workers a day off because in the late 1800’s, many workers worked 12 hour days, 7 days a week.

I recently read a book by Dale Partridge called People Over Profit. I like his blog, the Daily Positive, so I thought this would be a good read. It was. It is short, concise and, at least to me, very much common sense. I think it not only can be read as a business book but also a relationship book.

Mr. Partridge studied many organizations and says almost all companies go through four phases. The honest phase, the efficient phase, the deceptive phase, and the apologetic phase. I will give a short description of each.

The honest phase is all about getting established. Existing almost entirely for the benefit of others. The core of the company is mission, quality, and integrity. They are winning the hearts of their customers and employees.

The efficient phase is where the company shifts from honesty and quality to efficiency and quantity. More for less. They start substituting quality parts for cheaper parts. For example, GMO’s for our food. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with trying to be more efficient and make more profit, but when you compromise your core values and missions it becomes a problem.

The deceptive phase is where the company starts making the bottom line the number one issue for existing. They are in denial and start lying. Employees get burnt out, customers get dissatisfied with poor quality and higher prices, and a level of distrust starts.

The apologetic phase is where the company realizes they went the wrong way and start to try to make amends. They have to recommit to their core values and missions. They have to restore confidence, trust, health, faith, hope, mission, quality, and accountability. Not only for their customers, but also for their employees.

However, Mr. Partridge discovered many companies that start in the honest phase and move to the efficient phase while maintaining honesty and never moving into the deceptive phase. Some of these are Chick-fil-A, Whole Foods, REI and Patagonia. Companies that do this all have seven core beliefs. They are people matter, truth wins, transparency frees, authenticity attracts, quality speaks, generosity returns and courage sustains.

Don’t be afraid of fear. Fear of change, fear of failure, fear of admitting fault, and fear of the unknown. If you change nothing, nothing will change.

We, the people, are the most powerful people in the marketplace. The way we spend our money determines who stays in business and who does not. If you keep buying products from a company that values profits over people, poor quality, poor working conditions and wages, slave labor, etc. then you are keeping that company in business. The decisions we make will help determine prices, expected levels of quality and which products are in demand. If you don’t like spending $8 for beer at the ballgame, stop buying it. If enough people quit buying it, prices will go down.

The last part of the book I interpret is based on Christian beliefs. If we buy “good” it can change the world. Invest in our core values and beliefs. If something doesn’t seem right, don’t do it. Be a leader. Be ready to lose friends, encounter resistance and even lose your job. Be ready to have a heavy amount of emotional maturity. Know when to hold your tongue and when to stop pushing. Learn to empathize with others positions instead of being judgmental. To be a positive, great leader you have to have a rare mix of strength and meekness.

Pick your partners, and friends wisely. Be you.Own your mistakes. Learn to let go. Let yourself grieve. Put the torch down – learn to forgive instead of retaliating. Don’t let anger destroy you.

For all of you that have to work today I appreciate you. For those of you that don’t, I appreciate when you do work. For those of you looking for work, I pray that you find one.

The Theory by Jonathan Thulin –

Working for the Weekend by Loverboy –

Working for a Living by Huey Lewis –

Fly Over States by Jason Aldean –

Daughter of a Working Man by Danielle Bradbery –

Hard Workin Man by Brooks and Dunn –

Good Ole American Way by Justin Moore –

Shuttin Detroit Down by John Rich –

Working Man by NewWorldSon –

I Don’t Wanna Go To Work by Lissie –

Working Man Hands by Jonah33 –

Hands of a Working Man by Zane Williams –

Take This Job and Shove It by Johnny Paycheck –

New, forgotten, unknown 9/4/15 – New music Friday

On September 4, 2015September 25, 2015 By roberthansen1317In Christian, Christian life, country, gospel, music, new music Friday, pop, rockLeave a comment

A few more musician followers this week. Thanks for the follows. I hope my sharing your music will get word out about your music. Please take time to listen/share/purchase the song I wrote with the wonderful Lily Messer and Ceylon Wise at the bottom of this page. Thanks.

Tell Somebody by Unspoken – Love their last cd and the new cd Unplugged out now.

Thorns by Amanda Lopiccolo –

Life After Me by Hear Hear –

I Will Go by Irek Czech –

The Creation by Ambush –

Some other new music I am listening to this week. Check them out. Let me know what you think.

Crazy Faith by John Waller (feat in War Room) –

Bend by Corey Smith –

Lost My Way by NEEDMORE –

All The Glory by Alexis Spight –

Alright by Walk Off The Earth –

I Wanna Change The World by Club Nouveau –

You’re Not Alone by Owl City –

Cheap Shots & Setbacks by As It Is –

In My Head by Galantis –

and our song:

I Question You by Lily Messer –

Now on i tunes : https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/i-question-you-single/id1018588943

Are You Ready For Some Football?

On September 3, 2015September 25, 2015 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, College football, idols, music, The Ohio State University3 Comments

College football starts tonight.

I don’t even know why we are playing this season. Everyone knows God wants the Buckeyes to repeat. I mean, He was with them last year and He helped them win so I believe He will help them again this year. It’s not like He has anything else to do. Since God is for us, then He must be against every other team.

I am joking of course. I am sure God doesn’t really care about who wins or loses a game. Maybe about how you played the game, with teamwork, honesty, integrity, 100% effort, but not who wins. Using the ability He gives you to glorify Him in all you do.

Since I know God doesn’t care if the Buckeyes win, I will be sure to do all I can to guarantee that they will. I just bought my new scarlet and gray toothbrushes one week before the start of the season, like I always do. I will listen to Ohio State Pregame (listed below in songs) four times, once for each quarter, before the game. I will listen to The Buckeye Battle Cry four times, once for each quarter, exactly 30 minutes before kick-off. I will wear my lucky Ohio State shirt every game day. I will eat the exact same meals before and during the game. The only time I didn’t wear my lucky shirt last year, they lost to Virginia Tech. What I do determines whether they win or not. It is tough having the entire Buckeye Nation on my shoulders but I have to do what I have to do.

Uh-oh, I have made Ohio State football an idol. I can’t say I have ever said every Monday I have to get up and read John, Mark, Matthew or Luke. I have to thank God for today while I brush my teeth with my scarlet and gray toothbrushes. I haven’t said that exactly 30 minutes before I do anything that I have to pray about it first. I can’t say I have ever said I better not eat that because it isn’t good for me and could lead me to have problems later in life that only God could cure. I can say though that I have said I will wear a Run for God shirt or another God/Faith shirt when I run races.

Football is a game. It is not life and death. Don’t find happiness or sadness in how your team does. Don’t let a loss ruin your day or weekend. Don’t let a win give you too much excitement. Spend time with your family. In a few seasons your kids will be out of the house and you will wish you had these four months back. I’m not saying not to watch football because I will be watching. I’m saying incorporate family time into your weekends as well.

Go Bucks!

History by Lauren Alaina – new College Gameday song –

Ohio State Pregame – I don’t know who made this or what the actual name is but I have had it for a long time

Our House by Burn Halo – Big Ten Edition I made

The Shoe from The Buckeye Way Cd –

We Are Buckeyes by Joseph Allen White –

Tradition from The Buckeye Way Cd –

I’m A Buckeye by Geron T –

The Fight Song by The Ohio State Marching Band –

Dynamite – Ohio State Football Edition –

The Grind Defend the Title –

Buckeye Land from the Buckeye Way Cd –

Hang On Sloopy –

What It Means To Be A Buckeye –

Carmen, Ohio –

Was that..could that be…..Jesus?

On September 1, 2015September 1, 2015 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, helping the least of these, Jesus is coming, music, Was that Jesus4 Comments

Have you ever had someone come into your life that helped you but left you scratching your head wondering who they really were? Maybe they actually spent some time in your life, days or months or years. Maybe it was just for a second. After they left you wondered, could that be Jesus?

What about the people you see on the street that you don’t help? The one who is crying in a corner. The one who you see needs new shoes. The child that tells you he doesn’t get to eat at home. The last person on the bus who has no seats left, do you give up your seat? The one in front of you at the grocery store who is $10 short so has to put something back, do you pay the $10? The one who is asking people to volunteer this week because they are short help. Do you volunteer your time? What if all these people were Jesus?

On February 24th, 2015 in Colorado Springs Colorado, Shelby Hudgens, a homeless man, helped push people up that were stuck in snow. For over three hours he helped push people up and over a hill.

In Australia a new mom was in and out of the hospital with her newborn. One night she came out and saw a parking ticket on her car. She was already stressed from being in the hospital with her newborn. She then saw a note from a random stranger who paid the ticket for her.

How about a PB and Jams owner, Ashley Jiron, in Oklahoma who saw that her trash outside the shop was being rummaged through each night. She left the following note:

How about the couple, who grew up without dads, were so impressed with a dad taking his daughter out for Valentine’s Day they left a note and paid for their meal.

How about Officer Lawrence DePrimo who, on a cold night in Times Sqare saw a homeless man without shoes. He disappeared for a few minutes then came back with a new pair of boots and knelt down to help the man put them on.

We see so much bad news in the news and in our papers and on the internet but there is so much good that goes on in the world. Anonymous people who lend a helping hand. Every day heroes who don’t want recognition. All of them just doing what Jesus would do.

Maybe they are just good people. Maybe they are guardian angels. Maybe they are showing the world that Jesus is inside of them. Maybe, just maybe, they are Jesus in disguise.

One of Us by Joan Osborne –

What If Jesus Comes Back Like That by Collin Raye –

More by Seventh Day Slumber –

Moments by Emerson Drive –

Do Something by Matthew West –

Banner of Love by Luminate –

Don’t Laugh At Me by Mark Wills –

If We Are The Body by Casting Crowns –

Everyday Heroes by Dave Carroll –

Jesus In Disguise by Brandon Heath –

We Are by Kari Jobe –

Matthew 25 by Seventh Day Slumber –

Jesus Is Coming Soon by the Kry –

Thank You For Being A Friend by Andrew Gold –

I Wish We’d All Been Ready by DC Talk –

Merry Christmas – 115 Days To Go

On August 31, 2015August 31, 2015 By roberthansen1317In Birth of Jesus, Christian life, Christmas, music, reason for the season7 Comments

Some of you may be saying what? I say why not? Why wait until December 25th to celebrate the birth of our savior. Why wait until we are so busy with everything else that goes with the season that before we know it it is here and gone. Why wait until Christmas Eve to go to church?

Summer is winding down, fall is coming on and then winter will be here. This year has gone by so quick. Seems like winter just ended. I know, we still have 3 months and 22 days until winter officially begins and I will appreciate every minute of fall but.. Back to school shopping is done, Halloween is on the shelves and in probably about 30-40 days there will be Christmas items on the shelves. Wal-Mart has already started their lay-away program for Christmas. Two weeks earlier than last year. Keeping the c in commercial, not Christmas.

This is the first year that Kylie has kept the Christmas countdown up all year. We had to make some paper numbers to have all the days we needed but it is up. She actually kept up on it for a good part of the year but she has been slacking here lately. In case you were wondering, there are 115 days left. Now when you read that, how many of you are saying don’t remind me. Or something else that is negative. I know I have told people at work and here and there and it is always the same reaction, don’t remind me or I don’t even want to think about it.

When did the coming of Christmas become so negative. Is it because our society equates Christmas with shopping and busyness and parties and get-together and everything else except what the coming of Christmas is really about. The birth of Jesus. The forgiver of our sins. The only way for us to get to Heaven is through Him. Yet, He seems to be a by-product of Christmas instead of the only reason for Christmas.

Why don’t we play Christmas songs throughout the year? Obviously not the winter ones like Frosty or Rudolph or It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year but why not Mary, Did You Know or O Come All Ye Faithful or Joy to the World. Songs that remind of Jesus birth all year round. I’m not saying play them a lot but maybe once a month or something, just as a year long reminder. By the way new Christmas cd’s are made and coming out in the next few months. Looking forward to new Christmas recordings from MercyMe, Kenny Rogers, Chris Tomlin and many others as they are released.

Anyway, take a little time now before we all get to busy to thank God for sending His son Jesus to us in a manger, with no crib for a bed. Be thankful for the only reason we should be celebrating Christmas, the birth of our savior Jesus.

Merry Christmas, 115 days early.

Charlie Brown, the meaning of Christmas –

Here are a few songs that have really touched me over the years.

Little Drummer Boy – I think this song always hits me because of the lines I have no gift to bring that’s fit to give a king. Shall I play for you? On My drum. We all can’t bring expensive gifts and that is the beauty of Jesus but all He asks is that we bring what we have, come as we are.

Where’s the Line To See Jesus by Becky Kelley – I wish they would play this song more at Christmas time. The true reason for the season.

His Favorite Christmas Story by Capital Lights – Jesus can make miracles happen.

The Christmas Shoes by Newsong – Giving is better than receiving

The Heart of Christmas by Matthew West –

While You Were Sleeping by Casting Crowns –

Mary Did You Know – I chose Jeremy Camp version –

The Night Before Christmas by Brandon Heath –

I Pray on Christmas by Harry Connick Jr. –

Give This Christmas Away by Matthew West –

And for those of us who may not make it to Christmas or who are already in Heaven celebrating every day with Jesus, I love these two songs.

One Last Christmas by Matthew West –

Christmas in Heaven by Scotty McCreery –

New, forgotten, unknown 8/28/15 – New music Friday

On August 28, 2015September 18, 2015 By roberthansen1317In Christian, Christian life, country, gospel, music, new music, new music Friday, pop, rock1 Comment

A couple new followers this week. Thanks for the follows.

Please take a listen/ share/ purchase our song at the bottom. Thanks again.

Promise Me by .ara. –

Break Every Chain by The Digital Age (Mark Waldrop) –

Recollection by Evacuate the City (Eric Sky) –

Some new non-followers I am listening to:

The End of Me by Shaman’s Harvest –

Everything Changes by The Browns –

Jayton and Jill by Zane Williams –

Destined to Win by Karen Clark Sheard –

Welcome Home by Joy Williams –

Kill Me by the Damnwells –

Leave Me Alone by Ms Mr –

Tailgate Town by Granger Smith –

Our song, please feel free to share/purchase :

I Question You by Lily Messer –

Now on i tunes : https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/i-question-you-single/id1018588943

Thank You God

On August 27, 2015September 18, 2015 By roberthansen1317In Blessings, Christian life, Grateful, Gratitude, music, Thank you God, Thank you Holy Spirit, Thank you Jesus, thanks4 Comments

Thank you God for another day. Thank you for sending Your son Jesus to die for us and save us. Thank you Jesus for dying on the cross for our sins even though we don’t deserve it. It is amazing that You would die for us knowing that we would continue to sin against You but You love us that much that You did it anyway.

Thank you for giving us Your word that You were coming, that You were here and that You will be coming back. Thank you for giving us the people that wrote Your word down for us to read and study to help guide us through this life.

Thank you for giving us life. From our first breath to our last. From conception to death. Thank you for the miracle of life. Thank you for all the miracles around us every day, from the big miraculous ones to the ones we don’t even notice.

I pray that people will come to You today. I pray that You will give them what they need. Peace, patience, perseverance, hope, healing, grace, goodness, faith, forgiveness, love, compassion, acceptance, answers, self-control, joy or anything else I pray God that You will help Your people.

Thank you for my wife Kim. Thank you for the person she is TODAY. I pray that she puts You first in her life. I pray that when she reads Your word that she understands it, relates to it, and lives her life by it. I pray that when the devil comes in her life that she will remember the lies of her past and listen for Your truth. I pray You will heal her back so she can live without pain. I pray for her salvation and that her story, our story, will bring others to Your kingdom.

Thank you for my daughters. Thank you for each of their unique personalities. I pray that each of them choose to follow You and live their lives for You. I pray that they are listening to You in the choices they make. I pray that they choose joy in You instead of happiness of this world.

Thank you for my job. Thank you for the opportunity it gives me and so many others to provide for their families and hopefully give some back to You. I pray that we get as many employees as You want us to have. I pray that we will be a good Christian company and stay in business for many years to come. I pray that we will make a profit by treating our employees, customers, and anyone else we talk to every day the way You want us to treat them.

Thank you for me and the way You have made me. Thank you for everything I have had to go through to get me where I am today, everything that makes me the person I am today. Thank you for the dead-ends, the u-turns, the wrong turns, the curves, the straights, the hills, thank You for every road I have had to travel to get to You. I pray that You my God, my Jesus, my Lord and Savior, Holy Spirit, that You take over my life. Fill me with You. Teach me how to live like You, be like You, to forgive and love like You. I pray that when You speak to me that I will listen. I pray that You lead me God and that I will follow. Give me words to speak that will bring others to You. I pray that today You will use me to change one person today. Thank you for healing my knee.

Thank you for loving me, I love You.

Thank You by Hillsong United –

Thank God For Something by Hawk Nelson –

Thank You by Jesus Army – love her voice –

Give Thanks by Don Moen –

Thank You For Saving Me by Chris Tomlin –

Dear God a Kids Prayer –

Be Grateful by Tamar Braxton –

I Thank God by Rhema Marvanne –

Grateful by Paul Cardall –

Forever Grateful by Gary Rea –

Jesus We Are Grateful by Jason Gray –

Thanks Be To Our God by Travis Cottrell –

Thanks For The Joy by Ruthie Foster –

Gratitude by Joshua Kadison –

Grateful People by Anthony Brown –

This Band Wrote About My Life

On August 25, 2015August 25, 2015 By roberthansen1317In band wrote my life, Christian life, God uses the bad, music, my life, Oleander1 Comment

Have you ever had a band or singer that every time they released a cd the songs were exactly how your life was going at that time. Oleander was that group for me.

Their first major cd was February Son in 1999. At this point in my life I was 29 years old, had been married for a year and was already seeing the signs of a divorce in our future. We had been together five years, had a four year old daughter and we married when she was three. The first five years were good. No complaints, then we got married and I don’t know what happened. We fell apart. We quit doing things together. We started going out with our friends instead of each other. I would take Kayhla to the pool and she would stay home when before she always went to the pool with us. Knowing what I know now maybe I would’ve tried harder but at the time all I thought was this isn’t working. I’m not happy and neither are you. Let’s not waste our life living like this.

Their second cd, Unwind, came out in 2001. I had been single for a couple years and was getting tired of the dating scene. It seemed like a lot of dates but no relationships. I was okay with it somewhat since I was basically a single dad because I had Kayhla most of the time. Kayhla’s mom would also call at the last minute on days she was supposed to have Kayhla and cancel so I would cancel my plans. A lot of dates didn’t like that but Kayhla always came first. Anyway, no one wanted to stick around.

As you know 9/1/1 happened and I worked with someone who I thought was pretty. It made me think of how short life is so I rushed things. We started dating but she was not my type. She smoked, nothing against tattoos but she had many and I had never dated anyone with tattoos, she had the mouth of a sailor. Everything was totally opposite of me. Still, like a fool, I married her. Basically we dated, got engaged, married, built a house, got a divorce all in 15 months. I called off the wedding three times before we got married but she always talked me into going through with it. Then after we got married I said this wasn’t working, we should have never got married and she would talk me out of it. Finally she cheated. That was just the reason I needed to get divorced. I was stupid. Word of advice kids : when 99 out of 100 people tell you not to marry someone, don’t marry them. I thought I could change her but I know now only God can change someone. However, I am thankful to God that I went through this because God did use it for my good. I learned so much from this experience. Little did I know how God would use this experience to help me in the future. Their third album, Joyride, came out in 2003 at the end of this disaster.

Oleander didn’t release another cd until 2013.

I married Kim in June of 2005. Yes, it was kind of quick (1.5 years) after my second divorce but I had dated some people and I’ll admit I was shallow. I dated girls for how they looked and I know not all beautiful women are beautiful on the outside and not the inside but it seemed like that was all I was dating. Kim was different. She was beautiful inside and out. From 2005 until the end of 2012 I thought we had a pretty solid marriage but that marriage was rocked at the end of 2012 and going into 2013. Kim turned ugly inside and did things I never thought she would do. God worked us through those issues and we stayed together and now our marriage is better than it has ever been. Remember how I said God would use what I went through in my second marriage to help me later. This was it. If I hadn’t gone through and learned what I did from the second marriage, Kim and I would be divorced right now. That’s how God works. He takes the bad in your life and turns it into good for His glory.

Oleander then released their fourth cd, Something Beautiful, in April 2013. Right when I was ready to give up on our marriage.