Welcome to my blog! (Image courtesy of pixabay.com)
Welcome to my new blog! My name is Billy Reinhardt and my goal with this blog is to encourage conversations regarding the Christian faith, culture, family, and life in general. Here are my general interests that will provide some content to this blog: I love Jesus, my family, the church, apologetics, theology, teaching, reading the Bible, thinking deeply (to a fault at times!), laughing, reading “The Valley of Vision,” (<<Best Devotional Book next to the Bible), reading Puritans, and a thousand other things that God has given us to enjoy and pursue in this life.
Do you like to think? I know that I am a thinker, and that I also like to help other people to think as well. My desire is to help Christian believers to believe more by thinking more deeply about the Christian faith. I also desire for those that do not believe the Christian faith to think more deeply about Christianity as well. All ideas have consequences and we must discover which consequences are imminent due to the ideas that we currently hold. If you are a thinker, and if you simply want some thoughts that might stimulate your thinking regarding the Christian faith, then this is the place for you! I hope that you find this site helpful to that end.
My plan is to post at least one or more times a week. I don’t intend on this to be a monologue, but a dialogue. I value your feedback and ideas in the comments section below. I will try to respond to any questions or comments you may have, as time allows.
Also, if you have a topic you’d like for me to address, then let me know in the comments section below. I also want to encourage you to comment on the “QUESTIONS” section below. I look forward to connecting and interacting with you!
QUESTIONS:
- What’s one idea or thought that you’ve had this past week that has affected your life positively?
- Where did you see God at work in your life yesterday?
Some of my ponderings for the week are about endurance, hope, and determination.
Ella came home from school with an article about Dr Seuss. One of our greatest authors of children’s books was rejected by 27 different publishing companies! I found that so interesting. He didn’t give up.
Lots of discouragement and disappointments have been happening in my corner of the world lately and that was a great pick me up to read about. Im still in this process of being *content in all circumstances and dependent on God in all things.*
God working in my life at the moment, giving me the *grace and strength, and a positive attitude* to make it through day in and day out of same ol’ same ol’ mixed with chaos and go, go, go.
Julie-We can find multiple leaders, authors, etc., that have “succeeded” in life, and yet they are standing on a mountain of failures (Lincoln comes to mind as one off the top of my head). We must remember that failure is not the final word over our lives, but GRACE. Jesus meets us where we are and then takes us beyond where we were. “There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Thank you for commenting and I pray this is a place of encouragement for you.
One idea and thought, more specifically a prayer, that has positively affected my life this week is this… The pastor at the church I’ve been attending asked me to ‘head up’ a new ministry in the church. Anything that makes me pray and seek the Lords will for my life is positive. Maybe you’ve heard of Celebrate Recovery? I’m currently a leader in Celebrate Recovery, but I’ve been asked to be THE leader of a new one. I’m… Excited and concerned. I haven’t ever lead a ministry, but I’ve always felt led to lead. I know I’m here to serve. I am so excited about the LORD I just want to tell everyone about Him…and I do. I love Jesus. He saved me from the hell I was living in and I just want to sing His name so loud that it wakes people up and puts this song in their hearts. I want to do the will of God in the name of Jesus. I’m seeking answers about if this is my time to lead Gods people, and lead the lost to Him through Celebrate Recovery. Sorry I wrote alot. Pray for me please. 😊😊😊
2. In my little baby girl Mercy. She’s 7 months old and she started saying “momma”. It makes me think of how God must have felt when I first started saying His name, once I learned it.
Nicki-I am so encouraged by your comments and your zeal for God. I want to encourage you that you Can lead the Celebrate Recovery and that God will use you greatly to impact others. And, it’s ok if you wrote “a lot.” You can write as much as you want as long as you are processing and reflecting on what’s been said and if it’s helpful to you and to others. Remember Paul in 2 Cor. 12…Paul had a “thorn” in his flesh, and God didn’t remove it after he’d asked 3 times for God to do so. God then says (v. 9ff), “‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me…For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Be encouraged that God will use you. He will give you the strength and grace to do it. Also, I’m touched by your comments about your 7-month-old…how precious! Thank you for commenting on my blog and I hope that you find encouragement here.
I’m replying to the latest blog entry.
I think putting up helpful messages to see later on is a great idea. Its like everytime I have something on my mind or my heart I can look up at those words and they were put there for me at that very moment. A couple of messages that I have put where I can see are tattoos on my arms. I know not everyone agrees with tattoos, but I have Romans 8:2 on my forearm and every time I’m discouraged I can read it. Its a tool. I have a small verse on my other arm but it says so much and has so much strength, it says ‘Have faith in God’. Jesus said that from His own mouth, and I can use it in any situation, any time, no matter what.
. The girl in your classroom. Dont believe for a second that you missed out on her. Maybe you did then, but there is still time. You remember her and you can pray for her Salvation NOW. Now that you do know the Truth you can pray it into her life. You didn’t miss out on her… You have an opportunity. I’m going to pray for her too now. She will be blessed. In the name of Jesus.
. I took a psychology class in college. Psychology was my major. The teacher would ask questions and I would raise my hand and respond with an answer about Christ,the Bible, and/or God. And she answered me saying… That she was a Christain, but psychology was not about God, there was a logical explanation. I haven’t found one thing on this earth yet, since my Salvation or even before, that was not about God. Its all for His glory. I continued to challenge her though. One day the class was having a conversation about energy in a room that could possibly be a spirit. The explanation that she had was that actual energy is alive. That it was living energy causing such a presence that others could feel when they walked into a room. That could also be called a spirit. I asked her was she speaking of a living spirit? A spirit with life in it? She knew me by now and knew that I was referring to the Living God. When I search for an answer I always get lead back to Christ. He is The Answer. To absolutely EVERYTHING. I’m so grateful that my intelligence doesn’t tell me otherwise.
Nicki-I appreciate you commenting here. 1. I’m glad you have some ways to remind you of Jesus around you. One thing I’ve seen others do (my wife?) is put a scripture verse on the mirror and she would read it everyday while getting ready for the day. 2. Yes, let’s pray for that girl! I don’t know where she is now, but we can pray! 3. I’m glad you didn’t back down or get intimidated by the psychology professor. My advice is always to listen to the professor and then ask good questions in a humble and inquisitive manner. I want to recommend the book “Tactics” by Greg Koukl as a good one for handling those that can be critical towards Christianity. It’s also a good book for assisting you in initiating spiritual conversations and guiding those conversations. Thanks! -Billy R.
1. This week, I learned about our mindset and how powerful that is! No doubt it’s why Paul encourages us to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” in Romans.
2. I’m not coming up with anything spectacular. But He graciously woke me up and gave me another day with my family! He provided food and shelter and clothing–things we too often take for granted. I am thankful for those things. 😊
Thank you, dear, for your comments! I’m learning that failure does not exist, but only feedback and learning!
Also, I’m grateful for my family, food, shelter, clothing, etc., as well. It’s so easy to take all these things for granted. I was listening to one podcast today and he has a “grateful stone” in his pocket. Every time he reaches into his pocket to get something out of it, he is reminded to think of one thing, right then-and-there, to be grateful for. I like that idea! May God help us to be more grateful, even if it’s a reminder stone in our pocket, or whatever!