Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep,
and if I die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.
In Jesus' name. Amen.

It's bedtime. The house is mostly dark and quiet...peaceful. Then baby Zachary stirs and starts crying. My wife has thankfully managed to get to sleep and he hasn't stirred enough to wake her yet. I go in and try to give him the pacifier he's spit out but he won't have it. So me and the little man hike it up out of the crib and head for the other end of the apartment.

As I sit and rock him and gently brush his blanket across his cheek, I wonder how I got so lucky. He's the most amazing thing I've ever seen. I feel thankful. I'm blessed to have the privilege of a son I can rock to sleep. What will he be like when he grows up? What kind of man will he be?

Boy, it can be hard to remember that sweet little boy sometimes. Zach is 16 now and quickly...more quickly than maybe I would like...is becoming a man. But I still remember him as a baby when I could rock him to sleep and rub his cheek with his blanket.

Parents, be thankful that you've been blessed with kids. They can be real buggers at times, for sure, and they have the knack of turning us into our parents(for better or worse, you decide)...but they are yours, given to you by God, and they are your prize as much as they are your responsibility.

Sure, they eat a lot and they smell bad at times and they can be really ungrateful at times for all we do for them as parents. But, they teach us as much about ourselves and God as they learn about anything we teach them. Even if you don't have kids of your own, I encourage you to really spend some time with the children that are in your life and see God through their eyes. You won't be sorry.

Child-Like Attitude

Do you ever have one of "those" days when your attitude pretty much stinks from the time you get out of bed until the time you lay back down? You know the ones I'm talking about...maybe the toilet overflows all over the floor when you first get up and then while you get that cleaned up the dog vomits all over the living room rug. Then you finally get it all cleaned up and head to work but you have a wreck on the way and the boss is ticked because you are late. You are already grumpy so when your spouse calls to see how your day is going you end up picking a fight. The microwave quits on you as you try to heat up the leftovers for dinner, and you just learned that your mother-in-law is coming to town for a visit.

Alright, so you've probably never had a day quite like that...and neither have I. But sometimes it can feel that bad, and it's really easy for the mood to sour and dark clouds to appear everywhere. The more we try, the worse it gets too. Before you know it, you probably aren't even really remembering that there IS a God let alone remembering to ask for help. I know I'm certainly guilty of that at times.

So, how do we break that cycle and get ourselves back in tune with The Creator? How do we go about making sense of the senseless and put a silver lining in those 'ol dark clouds? Maybe we need to reconnect with the child-like attitude that we were born with...the one the world is really good at melting away.

A child isn't usually afraid to ask for help. Sure, there is a certain amount of independence that they'll strive for but anytime something that seems too big or daunting for them comes along, what do they do? They go find Mom and Dad and ask for help. I think we could all spend a little more time being like that. Look at what Jesus said about asking for help:

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. -- Luke 11:9-10

When a child asks for something, they don't spend a lot of time trying to use fancy words or making long-winded speeches, either. They come to you sincerely and ask you for whatever it is they are after. Not shyly at all, but with confidence. Check out one more verse where a blind beggar does just that:

Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" "Lord, I want to see," he replied. Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." -- Luke 18:40-42

Jesus told him that his faith is what healed him. The man wasn't shy at all about taking his shot and asking for the thing he desired. Don't be afraid to ask!

Now, what I find interesting is to ponder what would have happened if Jesus had told this man no. Likely he would have wanted to know why, and he might have gotten upset...or he might have accepted it as God's will that he remain blind. I suspect that, if Jesus had told him no, He would also have told the man how he could better serve God without his sight.

Understand that we aren't always going to get the answer we are looking for to our prayers. But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't ask and that we shouldn't realize that just because an outcome isn't what we wanted doesn't mean that our prayer wasn't answered just the same.

Child-Like Worship

I've been trying to come up with a good way to equate what I think it means to worship God like a child. Here is what I came up with...

It's like you get to remain in that one special moment that only comes once a year...I'm talking about the moment early in the morning on December 25th when you throw off the blankets and race out of your room, Spider-man pajamas and all, and into the living room where you stop dead in your tracks and behold the wonder that is all of your Christmas presents piled up under the tree. What??? You mean you don't still have Spider-man pajamas??? That's...just...me?

But anyway, you know the moment I'm talking about. It's exciting and special and completely wonderful. Maybe that's a tall task for all of us silly grown-up types. Maybe the key is getting some of those pajamas! Or maybe not...but the trick is putting ourselves in that mindset. While God is constantly with us through the Holy Spirit, I truly believe that the act of us entering into worship puts a smile on His face. Worship is an outward expression of our thanks, a recognition of His awesome power and glory, and a celebration of the gift of salvation that we've received. Sometimes it's like the best party ever. Sometimes it's so emotional that tears are inevitable.

The point is...appreciate it for how special it is and then be thankful for Jesus that we're allowed to experience it anytime we like! I've experienced worship driving in my car, sitting at my desk at work, being with our horses, watching a movie, when I hold my wife...you get the point. There is no bad time to worship.

I want to close with an example of the worship I'm describing from the Bible. Jesus is talking to a non-Jewish woman in Galilee who had come to the well where He rested to draw water. In their conversation, she talks about how the Jewish leaders had told them they had to travel to Jerusalem to worship. Jesus explains why that isn't necessary any longer...

"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." -- John 4:23-24

Worship with your spirit and do it truthfully...and keep that Christmas morning smile in your heart and on your face!

Child-Like Faith

I wrote yesterday about how the way to really seek after God is to make ourselves "as a child". But what does that really mean, anyway? I have definitely run into my share of kids that I don't ever want to emulate! I believe the answer lies in making things as simple as most kids do. If you think about it, what is the universal cry of older generations? "Life was just so much simpler when we were kids", right? So I want to take a look at some different ways we can seek God like we might have in simpler times, and the first of those ways is with our faith.

Think about how much faith a child has, even before they really know about God or Jesus. They have unlimited amounts of faith in their parents. They eat and play and sleep and learn and never spend much time worrying about having a place to sleep or how to buy food or having clothes to wear. They rely on us to provide all of their needs!

How much more, then, should we as adults put our reliance on God to provide for us? Our task is to understand that God is in control and that our needs will be met. Not an easy task for most of us, but maybe a very crucial one in order for us to truly receive all of God's blessings for us. Take a look at what Jesus had to say about worry...

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? -- Luke 12:22-26

There is nothing produced by worrying except more worries. God created everything in the world and made us His special creation, so why would we think for a second that there isn't anything but good to come from giving our worries and concerns away to Him?

Maybe today for the first time in a long time, you can take the opportunity to exhale as you pray and give all of your concerns up and let God handle them.

What does a parent say to their child when they are hurt or scared or tired? "Shhhhh...it's OK. I've got ya! Everything is going to be alright."

And so it goes when you let God do the worrying for you.

Keep It Simple...Stupid!

It's complicated seems to be a way of life anymore, doesn't it? Whether it's our money, our governments, our marriages, our addictions, our regrets...it's all so complicated.

Once things get complicated, it seems like it never gets any easier either. We're told when we are young and going to school that if we think that's tough just wait until we're grown. When we get grown (we even call it "being out on our own") we feel pressure to be successful and we measure ourselves constantly against our peers. The pressure to keep up complicates our marriages and then we go and put all of that same pressure on our kids! It all adds up and before we know it we feel like we're drowning and we're pulling everyone around us down with us.

So we go to other extremes. We go to great lengths to numb the pain and the pressure by lying to ourselves. We've created a world for ourselves where whatever you want to believe is fine, where there are no losers and everyone wins, where anything goes, and that behavior directly mimics that of a drug addict. You get high and then, when the high wears off you have to get higher and do it quicker the next time.

That's the bad news. The good news, the really great news, is that we were never meant to have to deal with all of that alone! We are going to have more in our lives than we can handle...no way around it. But we have the Ace in our hand...the ultimate backup plan.

God is the great simplifier. He is the big secret that people seem to forget all too easily. He wants us to seek Him out and, when we do, to seek Him as a child. Take a look...

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." -- Matthew 19:14

Keep things simple. There are things you can control, so focus on those things. Put your trust completely on God and let Him have all of that other stuff that is going on in your life. Want to know how powerful God really is?

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. -- Isaiah 40:29-31

Let God take everything that has weighed you down and carry it for you. Let Him be your strength and your shield.

Jesus Is...Strong

When you think about Jesus, do you see His strength? I think there are many who maybe haven't studied the Gospel very deeply that only see the compassionate side. But I tend to relate much more to the warrior. He came with a mission and to be certain love and compassion were a big part of it, but He also came to shake the foundation of the establishment by taking things to a new level. As opposed to a bunch of my commentary, let me finish up this series on Jesus by showing you examples of His strength.

"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." -- Matthew 10:34

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.' -- Matthew 4:8-10

Be quiet!" Jesus said sternly. "Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. All the people were amazed and said to each other, "What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!" -- Luke 4:35-36

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. -- Matthew 23:13-15

"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. -- Matthew 24:30

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. -- John 20:30-31

Jesus Is...Knowledgable

What makes a good teacher? What kind of teacher helped you learn the best? I can think of three common characteristics of great teachers:

• They are passionate about their subject.
• They make the material relevant and interesting.
• They are authoritative in their knowledge of the subject.

Jesus is called Teacher over 40 times in the Bible. Obviously, He had all three of those things in spades.

Passion
The first thing that He preached (as written in Matthew) was "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." Wherever He went, His message was consistent and passionate, and the message was that He was the only way to receive eternal life.

Relevance
While His passion was repentance and salvation, He made it relevant by showing them that simply following the Law of Moses wasn't enough...that they had to take that and apply it throughout their daily lives instead of getting lost in ritual. That the way to believe in Him was to apply His teaching. For example, it was no longer enough to simply not murder anyone. To truly repent of your sins, you no longer should even hold any anger in your heart or be subject to the same judgement as a murderer. I call that pretty relevant.

Authoritative Knowledge
Many of the lessons Jesus taught were in the form of parables, and they usually were preceded or followed by the words, "He who has ears, let him hear." I absolutely love that. He knows what He's talking about and He wants you to actually think about it and search out the meaning as opposed to having it spoon fed to you. He covered all of the subjects of the law and wasn't afraid to call out those who clung to the law without applying it appropriately to their lives.

This is one of my favorite things about our Lord and Savior. There was just no messing around in Him. Everything He had to teach you and me is still right there in the pages of the Gospels. He delivered the material passionately, with relevance, and with the authoritative knowledge of The Most High God.

I challenge you to take time over the next couple of weeks and read through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...even if you've done it before, and see if you can't find ways to apply His teachings to your life.

Jesus Is...Compassionate

Jesus was a very busy man. He had disciples to train, masses to teach, Pharisees to correct. Places to go, people to see, lives to save!

No doubt, Jesus wasn't messing around and He was never afraid to talk straight about anything. But He also made a habit of stopping and helping those in need. He gave comfort, peace, and healing to so many. Just as He was quick to give criticism where warranted, He was quicker to show love and mercy.

Twice, He took just a small amount of food and fed thousands with it. Can you fathom being there when that took place? The Bible says He gave thanks to God and then started breaking the bread and the fish to hand out. It must have taken a long time, but everyone ate their fill and there were leftovers!

He healed on many occasions, but one that sticks out in my mind is the gentile woman with a demon-possessed daughter. She was desperate and persistent, even after the apostles asked Jesus to send her away. Here is how the conversation played out:

He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

How cool is that? This mother believed that Jesus would heal her daughter and Jesus, I believe because of her faith, made it happen. We serve a truly loving and caring God. He cares for you just as much as He cares for me. If you have never taken the time to study the compassion of Jesus, now is the time! Grab a Bible (I have a couple linked on the blog) and take a careful read through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Thank you Jesus, for loving me enough to sacrifice yourself for my benefit! I pray that I never let you down by neglecting your teaching.

Jesus Is...Charismatic

Charisma is defined as "a spiritual power or personal quality that gives an individual influence or authority over large numbers of people."

Wherever Jesus went, the people were drawn to Him. They wanted to hear what He had to say and they wanted to see what He would do next. Think about it...this was an age without CNN and Fox News and without the internet and yet, word of Jesus would precede Him wherever He went. Crowds would gather. People would want healing. The buzz in the crowds had to be almost deafening.

Jesus is our Savior and our Lord. He is powerful and wise. I read a book recently where the author had a vision and was in the presence of Jesus during part of this vision. Here is an excerpt of the experience he describes:

"Peace replaced terror and safety took the place of danger. The feelings of worthlessness, shame, and humiliation disappeared as the value that He had placed on me was revealed. It was then that I truly understood how much God loves us. -- Bill Wiese from 23 Minutes In Hell

At the same time powerful...and awesome. God loves us enough that He gave us Jesus, a capable leader and warrior on our behalf. All we are asked to do is believe in and love Him and to share Him with those who don't know Him.

Sounds like a really good deal to me...so the next time the opportunity arises, I'm going to make sure I do what He commanded I do. How about you?

The Most Interesting Man In The World

He stood up to the establishment...and won.
He fed thousands with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish...and there were leftovers.
He healed the sick and the lame...and never failed.
He taught life lessons...and they still apply today.
He outwitted the devil...and beat death.

He is...the most interesting man in the world!


Jesus was, and is, the man! No matter which way you come at it, it's easy to relate to Him. I know for me personally, I really admire the way He lays things out exactly as they are. There is no beating around the bush when He teaches. It doesn't matter who the audience is or what the occasion is, you are going to get nothing but the truth out of Him.

Over the coming days...who knows how many, I'm going to be focusing myself on Jesus' teachings. He changed everything when He sacrificed Himself for you and for me. Seems to me like we can't really spend too much time thinking and praying on the lessons He taught.

For today, I urge you just to spend a few minutes thinking about all that has been done on your behalf and all that still remains to be accomplished both for and through you. Be thankful that we are loved enough to given such a wonderful and eternal gift...the gift of Jesus!

Calling His Shot

In January of 1969 (not too long before yours truly was born!), the NFL and the AFL were still two separate leagues. The AFL wasn't considered an equal at all. Super Bowl III was all set between the NFL's Baltimore Colts and the AFL's New York Jets. The Colts has star power across the board, scoring the 4th most points on offense and leading the league in defense. The classic powerhouse team and a heavy favorite.

The Jets, on the other hand, had some offensive talent even though QB Joe Namath (he was only 25) threw more interceptions than touchdowns that year. Several Jets players were cast-offs from NFL teams. But just three days before the game while making a public appearance, a Colts fan heckled Broadway Joe, inciting the young QB to utter the now famous prediction..."We're gonna win the game. I guarantee it."

He called his shot, and it helped rally his team to overcome the odds...and it worked! The Jets defeated the Colts 16 - 7 in one of the biggest upsets in sports history. The leagues merged shortly after that season and Broadway Joe reached a level of celebrity that far exceeded his accomplishments on the football field.

You know, I've been following a reading plan on YouVersion that has me reading the entire Bible in 90 days. What I've come to understand from reading so much of it so quickly is that God is big on calling His shots too. Anytime in the Old Testament that God would say "Here is what I'm about to do" you could be sure that it was going to happen.

Maybe the surest evidence we have as to whether God is everything He says He is can be found in the knowledge that He tells you exactly what is to come and then follows through with it. I can't think of any other gods worshipped anywhere else in the world that have anything close to that kind of track record. How awesome is the one true God that you know He doesn't make promises that He doesn't keep?

He told Israel He was taking them to a land of their own...and He did.
He told of the coming of Jesus, repeatedly, through the line of David...and He came.
He told us, through Jesus, that Jesus would come again and bring all who believe back with Him...and He will.

Thanks be to God for loving us enough to prove it and thanks be to Jesus for being our sacrifice. Can I get an Amen???

Fellowship Of The Ring

No, no, no...I'm not talking about hobbits and wizards, though those are really good books and movies!

I'm talking about the fellowship that is meant to exist between spouses, soul mates. The Bible contains some variation of the following verses 5 times. The first is all the way back in Genesis, and it's important enough that Jesus restated it, and then Paul reinforced it in Ephesians. Sounds pretty important to me!

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. -- Mark 10:7-9

I know there are times when Suzanne and I think so much alike that we finish each others sentences and at other times it's like we are talking different languages altogether. Early on in our marriage, that would lead to an argument including almost anything but fists flying followed by no communication at all. Satan definitely managed to put a serious wedge between us. She had to take an evening job since we had little kids, so then we weren't even seeing each other and when we did it was nothing but stress.

Clearly not the fellowship and the oneness that the Bible talks about. So how do you fight against that kind of pressure? What the heck are you supposed to do when you can't even talk to your spouse anymore? Seems pretty hopeless I'll admit, and I certainly reached that point myself. I didn't know what to do next, but I knew that hanging around wasn't part of the plan. After all, plenty of people divorce and then re-marry and live happily ever after. So why not me?

It took a strong woman willing to fight for our marriage and, even though we wouldn't have told you at the time that God was in the middle of it, He was. We talked and cried and spent a lot of time over the next weeks putting ourselves back together. We re-dedicated ourselves to the marriage, to each other. We learned, though not all at once to be sure, how to deal with the things that are stresses for any marriage. We simply willed ourselves to remember our covenant and make the other of us our priority.

We are called to put our individuality on the back burner and create a new entity. One that is sacred and holy before the Lord. Like the byline on this blog says, "If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time." Aim for nothing short of living out God's will for your marriage!

Leader Of The Pack

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." -- Joshua 24:15

As my kids have grown into teenagers, we've had many interesting conversations. Of course, I knew there would be conversations about things like sex, driving, death...the usual stuff. But it's the unexpected conversations that I treasure the most.

Rachel comes and sits down and curls up next to me late last night and asks me this question: "Daddy, what is a boyfriend's job?" If you are a father and have a daughter, you might just have sprayed your keyboard! What is awesome is after we talked about the differences between boyfriends and husbands, and what type of man she needs to look for one day when she's grown and ready for a family, she asked me why Jesus never got married. How awesome is it to hear a question like that? She asked great questions and I gave the best answers I could muster and I believe we both came away better for it.

I showed her that Jesus is the head of the church the same way that I am the head of our family and that just like I look after and lead my family, He looks after and leads all of His followers who are the church.

Men, that is our measure. Our instruction book is Jesus. We are called to be the spiritual leaders of our families. It's our job to be in tune with their needs, both individually and as one. We can't serve more than one master, so each day we have to decide who that master will be. Women, many times we are only as good as the woman standing by our side. Know that we are honestly trying and realize that we need your help, sometimes more than we'll admit!

Today, I choose the LORD!

Too Much Is Never Enough

We've all done it...usually at Thanksgiving or maybe at your neighborhood cow trough, er, buffet place. You might even have done it at college parties or at the all you can eat steak place (guilty as charged).

Yes, it's the fine art of too much.

We live in America where there is no such thing as too much...especially if you live in Texas where "everything is bigger". We are a nation of consumers. We even have our own major holiday (Black Friday anyone???) not to mention several minor holidays (otherwise known as the greeting card holidays). We have the iPad, the iTouch, the iScream...yeah, so I made that one up. We have built a society where, no matter how much you have, somebody has more which means you are falling behind!

Here is what the Bible says about gluttony:

Listen, my son, and be wise,
and keep your heart on the right path.
Do not join those who drink too much wine
or gorge themselves on meat,
for drunkards and gluttons become poor,
and drowsiness clothes them in rags. -- Proverbs 23:19 - 21

What would happen if we stopped trying to win the race for the most stuff and got back to the basics? What if we quit buying things with money we don't have? What if we focused more on God and less on ourselves and the stuff our neighbors have?

I think that would make us wise and I think it would be easier to keep our hearts on the right path, on God's path for us. Maybe, just maybe, that would be enough.

I Wanna Be Like Him!

So which Elvis do you like better?  Young Elvis who made the cheesy movies or the old one who wore the jumpsuit with the huge belt buckle?  Nah, I'm not really talking about Elvis (but the younger version was WAY cooler).

I'm really talking about those in our lives who impact us the most. They help shape our beliefs and inspire us to be better than we are. Take some time today and think about that and don't be shy about letting them know you appreciate them!

For me, it all starts with my Grandad Johnson. I don't know that I would even have enough room on this blog to share everything this man has meant to me throughout my life...and you would probably fall asleep before you finished reading anyway...so to quote Inigo Montoya, "There is too much. Let me sum up."

My Grandad is first a Godly man. From him, I learned about prayer and about service. He was always a leader, someone that everyone else respected. I especially remember a time when I got to go with him to deliver a meal to a church member who was ill and couldn't get out. We weren't there more than 10 minutes and he didn't say a word about why we were doing it, but I still remember how good it felt to help someone in need and how much I learned from him that day.

I learned to work hard. He worked for many years on the graveyard shift at The Oklahoman getting newspapers out the door for delivery. He also did small engine work on the side, grew and tended a garden every year, did the yard work, hung the window air conditioners in late srping, crawled under the house to light the floor furnace each fall, etc...you get the point.

I learned to laugh often. Even to this day, he always has a couple of jokes to tell you. When I step back and just think about my Grandad, I smile. It isn't often that he doesn't have a smile on his face. I remember him dressing up like a lady and showing up at a church function...couldn't tell what the occasion was, but I remember that everyone laughed until they cried. He taught me that you should never take yourself too seriously and that true joy in your heart can't be faked.

I learned about marriage. He loves my grandmother with all of his heart. You can't be around them very long without knowing that to be true. They, for me, are the picture of the kind of marriage God wants us all to have. Sure, they don't always get along but it's never very long before they are smiling and laughing again and giving each other a smooch! I want very much for Suzanne and I to be that happy for that long.

I love you Grandad. Thank you for being my example and inspiration!

Hide And Seek

The question is...were you a better hider or a better seeker?  Hide and seek is one of the games that I'm betting has been played since the beginning of time and will be until the end of time.  We might even get to play in Heaven! 

Growing up, my brother and I played hide and seek quite a bit.  Being boys, we always mixed it up a bit and had some type of weaponry available to pummel each other with once the ambush was sprung.  Did you ever hide so good that nobody could find you?  Or maybe you waited for them to search a spot and then, when they weren't looking, you went and re-hid yourself where they had already searched.  Devious, right?  If you are good at hiding it makes it really tough for people to find you.  But if you are a great seeker, then there is almost no way you can't eventually find your target!

Read this passage from Hosea:

Sow for yourselves righteousness,
reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground;
for it is time to seek the LORD,
until he comes and showers righteousness on you. -- Hosea 10:12

Sometimes it can seem like God is hiding, can't it?  No matter where we look, we just can't seem to find Him.  But the thing is, while I'm sure God could hide very, very well...He usually doesn't.  We are supposed to be able to find Him.  So you say, "if it's so stinking easy then why can't I seem to make it happen?"

I think this verse speaks to that.  It kinda looks to me like a set of instructions...a bit of a treasure map if you will.  I think what it's telling us to be prepared for the search.  Sow righteousness (read the Bible), reap unfailing love (Jesus), break up your unplowed ground (be ready to grow!) and then you will be ready for the blessings that come when you win the game of Hide And Seek!!!

Dashboard Jesus

"So I drive, years and miles are flying by...and waiting there to greet us is my plastic dashboard Jesus." - Bon Jovi



Really great song, by the way. Sometimes I feel like my faith has been reduced to that level...that the Son of God has for me been reduced to just watching the years and miles pass by and I'm just hoping to get through another day. We get wrapped up in our lives and in ourselves and it's easy to put Jesus on the back burner (or on the dashboard). Small dreams make for a small God.

Now, check out the words of King Darius of Babylon after seeing God save Daniel from the lion's den:

"For he is the living God
and he endures forever;
his kingdom will not be destroyed,
his dominion will never end.

He rescues and he saves;
he performs signs and wonders
in the heavens and on the earth.
He has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions."

He rescues and saves...and it is so because Jesus was strong and courageous and driven to fulfill His purpose. We're free to dream big and to accomplish so much in God's name! Don't let life drag you down and make you tired. Give it all up to The One who can help you make the impossible a reality. He will shut the lion's mouths and be your protection. After all, He is sooo much more than a plastic statue!!!

Broken

We all experience varying degrees of pain throughout our lives. Anything from a paper cut to the death of a loved one and everything in between. When I was 12 or 13, I went and visited my great aunt and uncle down near Houston and hung out with my cousin. It was near my birthday (July 4th if you didn't know) so fireworks were readily available and they lived out in the woods so we were free to do what all teenage boys want to do...blow things up! Long story short, as I lit a small string of black cats my brain failed to tell my hand to let go of them and I just about blew my thumb off.

It hurt....REALLY bad. Then it swelled up, turned funny colors, and went numb. I was sincerely worried that it was going to just fall off. It didn't, but as you might suspect I have been overly cautious around fireworks ever since. Lesson learned.

There are always lessons to be learned in life, but especially during our times of pain. There is healing that follows pain and I truly believe that we can come out the other side of that pain with a deeper understanding of God's love for us, because He may not have been the cause of our pain but He most definitely is there with us through the healing.