Thoughts for the Week is a compilation of Dean's Christian-based writings from 2005 to 2020. His "thoughts" started out as e-mails to friends and family (see below for the book's Introduction). While it's self-published only, it's available to you upon request for a small amount to cover printing and mailing costs. Complete your order, and a book will be mailed to you via USPS. Dean's desire is for these thoughts to be a blessing of hope and encouragement to you during these difficult and stressful times.
Introduction
I’ve been thinking…
that you might be wondering who I am. Well, I’m just an ordinary middle-aged guy from Texas (okay, maybe a little more than middle-aged). I’m nobody famous, and I’m certainly not what anybody would consider an author. I’m just a regular guy who’s really no one in particular in the scheme of the world. I simply managed to write down a few things over the years, some thoughts as I call them, and I wanted to share some of them with you.
Maybe you’re looking for some inspiration or encouragement…just like me. And maybe you and I have something in common. Maybe we’re not very famous, but we just happen to be a unique, one-of-a-kind individual. Yes, I’m talking about you. You’re somebody special. There’s no one else like you in the world. As for me, I grew up in San Antonio in a Christian home with loving parents. Even though they’re both deceased, I still think about them often and sometimes dream about them. I’ll wake up and say: “Hey Dad it was great to see you last night. Hope all is well.” That always makes me smile.
My Dad served in WWII in the U.S. Army Air Forces, 21st Bomber Command. He was stationed in the Mariana Islands mainly on Saipan beginning August 1944. He was in the maintenance division and worked on the B-29’s. He was discharged December 1945 as a Staff Sergeant. Thanks for your service, Dad. When he returned home to Somerset, TX, he married the girl next door…literally. My mom was a “stay-at-home” mom most of her life until I came along, the youngest of four children. She started teaching kindergarten when I was four. She and my dad also taught kids in Sunday School. I remember teenagers and college-aged kids coming up to Mom in her church and giving her a big hug. They remembered how she made them feel special. She made me feel special too. I’m telling you these things because I wanted to let you know how my mom and dad laid down a foundation in my life; the one true foundation that is immovable. Because of their unselfish love and devotion, I’ve decided to dedicate these thoughts to them. Thanks, Big Daddy and Big Mama.
I call my writings Thoughts…for the Week. There’s one thought for every week of the year. I started writing them simply to capture what God had been revealing to me through His Word, that is, the Bible. I would send them via email exclusively to friends, family, and people in my study groups. But…one time I accidentally emailed a thought, entitled Spoiled, to about 150 employees of the company I was working for…oops; not sure how that happened. Of course, I panicked thinking I was going to get fired because I was working for a large corporation, and “religious” material wasn’t to be distributed. Amazingly, not only did I not get fired but I received many responses, all of them with positive comments. This specific one really touched my heart:
Dean, I am honored that you chose to send that to me... I know it went to the office, but to me, who just lost a very close friend and will be attending his funeral this afternoon, it means a lot. It really does. Thank you for helping me on this very difficult day. That email was just an amazing reminder that my life is in the hands of Jesus and He alone will guide me and get me through.
The thoughts cover a period of almost fifteen years. I’ve placed them in chronological order so you can see the progression involved in not only my writing abilities (and I use that term loosely), but also the way I understood things during my life. Even though my understanding of things changed, there seems to be a central theme weaving throughout. That is, through the study of scripture, getting to know our God and His love for us in an intimate way through the guidance of the indwelling Spirit within us.
I wrote fifteen thoughts in 2006, which coincided with some of the most difficult times in my life. I was demoted at work (not because the thought went out…ha), I lost my dad; my mom was suffering physically. She eventually died in January 2007. I was experiencing a tremendous amount of inner turmoil and stress. But what I learned during that time is that God teaches us and reveals Himself to us during the hard times. When everything’s hunky-dory, we’re not really in a place of learning. It’s when we get knocked down by a sucker punch that leads to amazing revelations. That is, when you’re looking with spiritual eyes to the One who can reveal eternal things.
Throughout most of my Christian life, I’ve been blessed to have several close friends who have paced along with me. Likewise, my kids are an inspiration to me. I’m in awe of their amazing individuality; how they’re living their lives, each in a unique and awesome way. Then there’s my wife. She’s stood by me and with me when I’ve made some “not-so-smart” decisions. She’s challenged me to seek truth while I was being tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, while traveling down that ‘winding’ road. I’m beyond blessed to have her in my life; she’s my best friend.
For about three years leading up to me compiling these thoughts, I’d been trying to change my circumstances. I was trying to make things happen like finding a less stressful job. I’d think doors were being opened but then I watched them close quickly. I had the wrong motivation and wrong focus. I was focused on those three, amazing people – Me, Myself, and I. I certainly wasn’t thinking about my family. In January 2018, I began attending a Bible study at a local church that had recently started a series in Genesis. I had been asking God on many occasions to show me His will for my life. Was it a job with a non-profit organization, was it a new volunteer position, was it starting a successful woodworking business, was it going into some type of ministry, was it writing a “New York Times Best Selling” book? Well…I guess I was going to find out.
Within a few weeks after I began attending the study, this phrase was written on a handout. It’s time for a generation of men to stop looking for God’s will and start seeing and hearing it right around them and responding personally and sacrificially. The study that day was taken from Genesis 12:1-9. The Lord had said to Abram, go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. The teacher’s comments included this; “God always begins with a simple man who will trust and obey. He is never seeking out superstars”. I learned about how Abraham (known at that time as Abram) stepped out in faith, starting on a long journey; and about how he made mistakes and some bad decisions along the way. He eventually came to a point in his life when he raised a knife to sacrifice his son Isaac, but the Lord stopped him and said, Now I know that you fear God (Now I know that you trust me). Abram named that place - Jehovah Jireh…The Lord will provide.
Over the next several weeks, I knew I needed to take a step of faith based on what the Lord was teaching me through His Word about the life of Abraham. It was time to do what had been on my heart and mind for quite some time. No, there wasn’t going to be a job with a non-profit organization. There wouldn’t be a New York Times bestselling novel. There was no ‘calling’ into the ministry. There wasn’t a new volunteering position. There was no amazing and successful woodworking business. No, there wasn’t going to be anything like this. There was only a simple decision to retire from my current job without a clear vision of what was ahead. In March 2018 I gave my retirement notice to my employer. The only thing I knew was that I had a desire to compile these thoughts, continue studying God’s Word, continue writing more thoughts, continue my woodworking, spend more time with my family and friends; and hopefully glorify the name of Jesus along the way. How’s that for simple; nothing exciting at all.
All of this is just a simple story of a simple guy who had a few simple thoughts and wrote them down. It’s nothing more than that. It’s my testimony of how the true and living God wants to have a personal relationship with His children whom He dearly loves; those He has chosen to be a part of the church, His body. As for the thoughts themselves, they coincided with whatever Scripture I was studying at the time or had come across in the past. Just going through my everyday life, something would trigger a thought about a verse or passage; like the time I walked into the kitchen and smelled freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. (See the thought entitled Fragrance). Or the time I was driving in a 55mph zone behind a “moron” who was only going 35mph. (See A Simple Thought). Or the night I spent at my mom’s house, her last day on earth. (see Things I Don’t Know). These moments would remind me of a scripture, and I would then complete a more in-depth study to find out what the Lord wanted to show me. That’s one reason I want to encourage you to take a little time to read each thought. There’s no need to rush through them. Look up some of the scripture passages that might speak to you. Use a Bible concordance to find other places in Scripture where certain words are used. Look up the Greek or Hebrew definitions. It’s amazing what you’ll find with a small amount of effort.
All Scripture verses within the thoughts are printed in italics; and the references are listed at the end in the order in which they appear. Most Scripture is quoted from the NKJV or NIV translations, but other translations were also used on occasion (NASB, AMP, KJV). Some of the Scriptures cited are not actually quoted in the text but are there for you to use in your study. A summary is located at the end of the book. Following each thought is a prayer, which is merely a suggestion. If you want to use them, I recommend you pray them out loud while you’re alone. But again, that’s just a suggestion. I’ve also included an Invitation to accept Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life if you have any uncertainty or doubt…maybe you’re just not sure (see pg. 217). And lastly, an Evening with Jesus for you and your friends (pg. 221). It’s a communion service for small groups; and I think you’ll find it rewarding.
These thoughts are my gift to you; things shown to me by that certain Someone who loves His children more than we’ll ever know. My prayer for you is one of encouragement as you read them. My hope for you is one of inspiration to study God’s Word with an open heart, a humble spirit, and a calm mind.
And finally, my desire is for these thoughts to help you get to know the author and finisher of our faith, the Lord of lords, the Messiah. He is the One who loves you just the way you are. The One who will heal your broken heart. The One who will set your mind free. The One whose name is above all names.
The One whose name is Jesus.
Ephesians 4:14; Genesis 12:1; Genesis 22:12, 14; Hebrews 12:2
I’ve been thinking…
that you might be wondering who I am. Well, I’m just an ordinary middle-aged guy from Texas (okay, maybe a little more than middle-aged). I’m nobody famous, and I’m certainly not what anybody would consider an author. I’m just a regular guy who’s really no one in particular in the scheme of the world. I simply managed to write down a few things over the years, some thoughts as I call them, and I wanted to share some of them with you.
Maybe you’re looking for some inspiration or encouragement…just like me. And maybe you and I have something in common. Maybe we’re not very famous, but we just happen to be a unique, one-of-a-kind individual. Yes, I’m talking about you. You’re somebody special. There’s no one else like you in the world. As for me, I grew up in San Antonio in a Christian home with loving parents. Even though they’re both deceased, I still think about them often and sometimes dream about them. I’ll wake up and say: “Hey Dad it was great to see you last night. Hope all is well.” That always makes me smile.
My Dad served in WWII in the U.S. Army Air Forces, 21st Bomber Command. He was stationed in the Mariana Islands mainly on Saipan beginning August 1944. He was in the maintenance division and worked on the B-29’s. He was discharged December 1945 as a Staff Sergeant. Thanks for your service, Dad. When he returned home to Somerset, TX, he married the girl next door…literally. My mom was a “stay-at-home” mom most of her life until I came along, the youngest of four children. She started teaching kindergarten when I was four. She and my dad also taught kids in Sunday School. I remember teenagers and college-aged kids coming up to Mom in her church and giving her a big hug. They remembered how she made them feel special. She made me feel special too. I’m telling you these things because I wanted to let you know how my mom and dad laid down a foundation in my life; the one true foundation that is immovable. Because of their unselfish love and devotion, I’ve decided to dedicate these thoughts to them. Thanks, Big Daddy and Big Mama.
I call my writings Thoughts…for the Week. There’s one thought for every week of the year. I started writing them simply to capture what God had been revealing to me through His Word, that is, the Bible. I would send them via email exclusively to friends, family, and people in my study groups. But…one time I accidentally emailed a thought, entitled Spoiled, to about 150 employees of the company I was working for…oops; not sure how that happened. Of course, I panicked thinking I was going to get fired because I was working for a large corporation, and “religious” material wasn’t to be distributed. Amazingly, not only did I not get fired but I received many responses, all of them with positive comments. This specific one really touched my heart:
Dean, I am honored that you chose to send that to me... I know it went to the office, but to me, who just lost a very close friend and will be attending his funeral this afternoon, it means a lot. It really does. Thank you for helping me on this very difficult day. That email was just an amazing reminder that my life is in the hands of Jesus and He alone will guide me and get me through.
The thoughts cover a period of almost fifteen years. I’ve placed them in chronological order so you can see the progression involved in not only my writing abilities (and I use that term loosely), but also the way I understood things during my life. Even though my understanding of things changed, there seems to be a central theme weaving throughout. That is, through the study of scripture, getting to know our God and His love for us in an intimate way through the guidance of the indwelling Spirit within us.
I wrote fifteen thoughts in 2006, which coincided with some of the most difficult times in my life. I was demoted at work (not because the thought went out…ha), I lost my dad; my mom was suffering physically. She eventually died in January 2007. I was experiencing a tremendous amount of inner turmoil and stress. But what I learned during that time is that God teaches us and reveals Himself to us during the hard times. When everything’s hunky-dory, we’re not really in a place of learning. It’s when we get knocked down by a sucker punch that leads to amazing revelations. That is, when you’re looking with spiritual eyes to the One who can reveal eternal things.
Throughout most of my Christian life, I’ve been blessed to have several close friends who have paced along with me. Likewise, my kids are an inspiration to me. I’m in awe of their amazing individuality; how they’re living their lives, each in a unique and awesome way. Then there’s my wife. She’s stood by me and with me when I’ve made some “not-so-smart” decisions. She’s challenged me to seek truth while I was being tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, while traveling down that ‘winding’ road. I’m beyond blessed to have her in my life; she’s my best friend.
For about three years leading up to me compiling these thoughts, I’d been trying to change my circumstances. I was trying to make things happen like finding a less stressful job. I’d think doors were being opened but then I watched them close quickly. I had the wrong motivation and wrong focus. I was focused on those three, amazing people – Me, Myself, and I. I certainly wasn’t thinking about my family. In January 2018, I began attending a Bible study at a local church that had recently started a series in Genesis. I had been asking God on many occasions to show me His will for my life. Was it a job with a non-profit organization, was it a new volunteer position, was it starting a successful woodworking business, was it going into some type of ministry, was it writing a “New York Times Best Selling” book? Well…I guess I was going to find out.
Within a few weeks after I began attending the study, this phrase was written on a handout. It’s time for a generation of men to stop looking for God’s will and start seeing and hearing it right around them and responding personally and sacrificially. The study that day was taken from Genesis 12:1-9. The Lord had said to Abram, go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. The teacher’s comments included this; “God always begins with a simple man who will trust and obey. He is never seeking out superstars”. I learned about how Abraham (known at that time as Abram) stepped out in faith, starting on a long journey; and about how he made mistakes and some bad decisions along the way. He eventually came to a point in his life when he raised a knife to sacrifice his son Isaac, but the Lord stopped him and said, Now I know that you fear God (Now I know that you trust me). Abram named that place - Jehovah Jireh…The Lord will provide.
Over the next several weeks, I knew I needed to take a step of faith based on what the Lord was teaching me through His Word about the life of Abraham. It was time to do what had been on my heart and mind for quite some time. No, there wasn’t going to be a job with a non-profit organization. There wouldn’t be a New York Times bestselling novel. There was no ‘calling’ into the ministry. There wasn’t a new volunteering position. There was no amazing and successful woodworking business. No, there wasn’t going to be anything like this. There was only a simple decision to retire from my current job without a clear vision of what was ahead. In March 2018 I gave my retirement notice to my employer. The only thing I knew was that I had a desire to compile these thoughts, continue studying God’s Word, continue writing more thoughts, continue my woodworking, spend more time with my family and friends; and hopefully glorify the name of Jesus along the way. How’s that for simple; nothing exciting at all.
All of this is just a simple story of a simple guy who had a few simple thoughts and wrote them down. It’s nothing more than that. It’s my testimony of how the true and living God wants to have a personal relationship with His children whom He dearly loves; those He has chosen to be a part of the church, His body. As for the thoughts themselves, they coincided with whatever Scripture I was studying at the time or had come across in the past. Just going through my everyday life, something would trigger a thought about a verse or passage; like the time I walked into the kitchen and smelled freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. (See the thought entitled Fragrance). Or the time I was driving in a 55mph zone behind a “moron” who was only going 35mph. (See A Simple Thought). Or the night I spent at my mom’s house, her last day on earth. (see Things I Don’t Know). These moments would remind me of a scripture, and I would then complete a more in-depth study to find out what the Lord wanted to show me. That’s one reason I want to encourage you to take a little time to read each thought. There’s no need to rush through them. Look up some of the scripture passages that might speak to you. Use a Bible concordance to find other places in Scripture where certain words are used. Look up the Greek or Hebrew definitions. It’s amazing what you’ll find with a small amount of effort.
All Scripture verses within the thoughts are printed in italics; and the references are listed at the end in the order in which they appear. Most Scripture is quoted from the NKJV or NIV translations, but other translations were also used on occasion (NASB, AMP, KJV). Some of the Scriptures cited are not actually quoted in the text but are there for you to use in your study. A summary is located at the end of the book. Following each thought is a prayer, which is merely a suggestion. If you want to use them, I recommend you pray them out loud while you’re alone. But again, that’s just a suggestion. I’ve also included an Invitation to accept Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life if you have any uncertainty or doubt…maybe you’re just not sure (see pg. 217). And lastly, an Evening with Jesus for you and your friends (pg. 221). It’s a communion service for small groups; and I think you’ll find it rewarding.
These thoughts are my gift to you; things shown to me by that certain Someone who loves His children more than we’ll ever know. My prayer for you is one of encouragement as you read them. My hope for you is one of inspiration to study God’s Word with an open heart, a humble spirit, and a calm mind.
And finally, my desire is for these thoughts to help you get to know the author and finisher of our faith, the Lord of lords, the Messiah. He is the One who loves you just the way you are. The One who will heal your broken heart. The One who will set your mind free. The One whose name is above all names.
The One whose name is Jesus.
Ephesians 4:14; Genesis 12:1; Genesis 22:12, 14; Hebrews 12:2