You decide according to what you can see and touch. I don't make judgments like that. But even if I did, my judgment would be true because I wouldn't make it out of the narrowness of my experience but in the largeness of the One who sent me, the Father. -- John 8:15 - 16 MSG
Deciding to believe something on faith really doesn't come easy for me, and I suspect I'm not alone. You explain something to me in an abstract fashion and I'm probably going to balk at it and ask you to show me an example. I have to see something and study it so that I have an idea how it works and then I can begin to grasp it. Even more so if I have the freedom to tinker and make mistakes...I always learn better when I have the opportunity to fail. Do you know what I'm talking about?
So how on Earth did someone like me ever begin to realize the truth of Jesus...to come to the rational conclusion that He is for real, that God sent Him for us? After all, this isn't something that can be believed based on an abundance of physical evidence.
The freedom to make that decision comes when we have the freedom to fail...in other words, to try and do life on our own. Making decisions based only on what we can see and touch or simply out of the narrowness of our experience does little else besides closing us off to God's love!
Sometimes you just can't explain that to someone who doesn't want to hear it. You can talk until you run out of breath and show them all of the evidence that is there in the Bible, but if their mind is closed it won't do any good. I think sometimes it takes folks, like it did me, years and years of hearing it and not listening, and years and years of failing to make life work without God...sometimes it's gonna take many different people all speaking the Gospel into someone's life before they open their eyes to see and their ears to hear.
Don't be discouraged if you know people like this. Just stick to your guns, love them through it, and pray for them continually. I will literally be eternally grateful because a number of people did just that for me and I plan to thank them one day when we're in Heaven together.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Coming Home
So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. -- Luke 15:20 NIV
Our kids came home yesterday after a week at church camp. Zach was responsible for running the technology for most of the week and is fast becoming a leader among the youth. Rachel has discovered how intoxicating it can be when you really draw close to God and is turning into quite the young lady. I'm so proud of them both and very thankful to our friends at church who took the week and went down there to lead not only my kids but all of the others who went as well!
Suzanne and I woke up yesterday and decided we wanted to celebrate their return. We went and got some sirloins and some potatoes that might require a ticket if you were going to fly with them and planned a nice family evening. It was a good week for Suzanne and I (except for her getting sick) but it was really nice to have them home as well. We wanted to show them that they the father showed his son how much he missed him in that story from Luke.
That story from Luke demonstrates two other things for me as well. First, it shows us how much God loves us and misses us when we've been away from Him and trying to make things work on our own. No matter how long it's been or what we said when we left, our coming back home is cause for a celebration...a bring out of His very best just for us!
Second, it demonstrates the level of love and forgiveness we should have for one another. It can be really hard to forgive and move on and yet, if God can do it for us time and again and "run out to us", shouldn't we do exactly the same?
Our kids came home yesterday after a week at church camp. Zach was responsible for running the technology for most of the week and is fast becoming a leader among the youth. Rachel has discovered how intoxicating it can be when you really draw close to God and is turning into quite the young lady. I'm so proud of them both and very thankful to our friends at church who took the week and went down there to lead not only my kids but all of the others who went as well!
Suzanne and I woke up yesterday and decided we wanted to celebrate their return. We went and got some sirloins and some potatoes that might require a ticket if you were going to fly with them and planned a nice family evening. It was a good week for Suzanne and I (except for her getting sick) but it was really nice to have them home as well. We wanted to show them that they the father showed his son how much he missed him in that story from Luke.
That story from Luke demonstrates two other things for me as well. First, it shows us how much God loves us and misses us when we've been away from Him and trying to make things work on our own. No matter how long it's been or what we said when we left, our coming back home is cause for a celebration...a bring out of His very best just for us!
Second, it demonstrates the level of love and forgiveness we should have for one another. It can be really hard to forgive and move on and yet, if God can do it for us time and again and "run out to us", shouldn't we do exactly the same?
Friday, June 25, 2010
Duality
For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. -- Romans 5:19 NIV
I wrote yesterday about our jobs as Christians to support one another instead of tearing each other down. The verse from Romans bears out what I was talking about.
Over the years, I've heard plenty of celebrities and star athletes quoted as saying they don't consider themselves role models. I've always disagreed. We are all role models. The Bible tells us that our actions, our choice to be obedient to God or to be disobedient not only have personal consequences but also affect others. If I know someone who has struggled with alcohol and yet I spend my time drinking and partying and asking the friend to join me, my choices affect both of us. I have a responsibility to help keep my friend away from the things that he struggles with instead of trying to push him into them.
On the flip side, if I choose to remain obedient I have the opportunity to show others what it looks like to love Jesus. When you really feel connected spiritually I can tell you that people know you are different. I don't really understand how it works, but I know you'll find yourself talking about God more. You seem to be put into situations where you can continue to make an impact on others' lives. It's a great feeling to walk away from an encounter knowing you've gotten to be a part of something like that and, based on Romans, you know your obedience will create righteousness in others.
I wrote yesterday about our jobs as Christians to support one another instead of tearing each other down. The verse from Romans bears out what I was talking about.
Over the years, I've heard plenty of celebrities and star athletes quoted as saying they don't consider themselves role models. I've always disagreed. We are all role models. The Bible tells us that our actions, our choice to be obedient to God or to be disobedient not only have personal consequences but also affect others. If I know someone who has struggled with alcohol and yet I spend my time drinking and partying and asking the friend to join me, my choices affect both of us. I have a responsibility to help keep my friend away from the things that he struggles with instead of trying to push him into them.
On the flip side, if I choose to remain obedient I have the opportunity to show others what it looks like to love Jesus. When you really feel connected spiritually I can tell you that people know you are different. I don't really understand how it works, but I know you'll find yourself talking about God more. You seem to be put into situations where you can continue to make an impact on others' lives. It's a great feeling to walk away from an encounter knowing you've gotten to be a part of something like that and, based on Romans, you know your obedience will create righteousness in others.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Brothers And Sisters
Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me. -- Matthew 12:30 NIV
I remember growing up in that small Southern Baptist church that the grown-ups would call each other 'Brother Al' or 'Sister Kay'. It always struck me as odd and maybe even a little bit creepy. These people weren't related and family was supposed to be stronger than any friendship. Who were these people, as nice as they were, to try and encroach on my family? I couldn't have been more than 8 or 9, mind you, but I remember that being my mindset. I honestly think it is one more negative stigma for me with regard to traditional churches.
Having grown up and out of most (but maybe not quite all) of those issues, I have come to understand the reason they did that and I am happy to say that I have those same kinds of relationships with a number of people now...though we stop short of referring to one another as 'brother' or 'sister'. Becoming followers of Jesus, we enter into a new family. We all become children of God, unconditionally loved, with life eternal.
One of the aspects of this new family structure is that we need to stand firmly with Jesus and continue the work He started all those years ago. It's serious business and not to be overlooked or taken lightly. Like He says, we're either on board or we aren't...no room for mediocrity.
Another aspect that should also receive more attention than it sometimes does is that we need to support our new family members. We focus many times on helping the needy and those who don't really know about salvation (which are great undertakings!), and it can be easy to just expect other Christ followers to take care of themselves. What we fail to realize is that Satan is going to attack those of us with the most to lose the hardest!
When we come under fire is precisely the time we need to be standing together, not tearing each other down and feeling better about ourselves just because we see a brother or sister stumble instead of remembering we're just as guilty without Jesus and, instead, coming to their aid. The more chinks that get put in our armor and, as a result, into the church's armor the easier we make it for Satan to drive a wedge between us and delay the work we've been called to continue. The bulk of the New Testament is letters written in support of fellow Christians for crying out loud!!!
What if we really focused on coming together, not just over the course of a few days or weeks each year but every day, and helped our new family up instead of ripping them apart? What could we accomplish if that just become part of the mission of our lives?
It doesn't start with our government and it doesn't even start with our spiritual leaders. It starts with you and me doing the right thing because it's the right thing. It starts when we do it because it's what Jesus would do were He standing next to you in the flesh.
I remember growing up in that small Southern Baptist church that the grown-ups would call each other 'Brother Al' or 'Sister Kay'. It always struck me as odd and maybe even a little bit creepy. These people weren't related and family was supposed to be stronger than any friendship. Who were these people, as nice as they were, to try and encroach on my family? I couldn't have been more than 8 or 9, mind you, but I remember that being my mindset. I honestly think it is one more negative stigma for me with regard to traditional churches.
Having grown up and out of most (but maybe not quite all) of those issues, I have come to understand the reason they did that and I am happy to say that I have those same kinds of relationships with a number of people now...though we stop short of referring to one another as 'brother' or 'sister'. Becoming followers of Jesus, we enter into a new family. We all become children of God, unconditionally loved, with life eternal.
One of the aspects of this new family structure is that we need to stand firmly with Jesus and continue the work He started all those years ago. It's serious business and not to be overlooked or taken lightly. Like He says, we're either on board or we aren't...no room for mediocrity.
Another aspect that should also receive more attention than it sometimes does is that we need to support our new family members. We focus many times on helping the needy and those who don't really know about salvation (which are great undertakings!), and it can be easy to just expect other Christ followers to take care of themselves. What we fail to realize is that Satan is going to attack those of us with the most to lose the hardest!
When we come under fire is precisely the time we need to be standing together, not tearing each other down and feeling better about ourselves just because we see a brother or sister stumble instead of remembering we're just as guilty without Jesus and, instead, coming to their aid. The more chinks that get put in our armor and, as a result, into the church's armor the easier we make it for Satan to drive a wedge between us and delay the work we've been called to continue. The bulk of the New Testament is letters written in support of fellow Christians for crying out loud!!!
What if we really focused on coming together, not just over the course of a few days or weeks each year but every day, and helped our new family up instead of ripping them apart? What could we accomplish if that just become part of the mission of our lives?
It doesn't start with our government and it doesn't even start with our spiritual leaders. It starts with you and me doing the right thing because it's the right thing. It starts when we do it because it's what Jesus would do were He standing next to you in the flesh.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Angles
In just about everything we do, there may be several ways to get the job done but there is likely one way that is most efficient and probably more effective. It's all a question of your angle of attack, or in other words, your perspective.
In soccer, a goalkeeper is responsible for preventing the other team from scoring. They must defend a goal that is 24 feet wide and 8 feet high, or about 4 times as long as a 6' tall man and just tall enough that the same man could reach the cross bar at full reach. Clearly the keeper is at a disadvantage! The strategy is to set yourself at an angle to the goal that allows you to minimize the amount of empty goal space that the attacker can aim at. By taking the right angle, the keeper is more effective at preventing goals.
On Iron Chef America, two chefs are given 60 minutes to prepare a full five course meal utilizing a secret ingredient in each course that they don't discover until right before the competition begins. They lead a team of chefs to accomplish their goal and win the competition which is judged on taste, originality, and the artistry used to serve the food. To accomplish so much so quickly, you know they'll fall back on their experience to deliver the best product possible. The end result is directly derived from their perspective, or their past experiences. If you are like me and your perspective is how to boil water, then you wouldn't do very well!
The four gospels in the Bible are another example of perspective. They all tell the same story of Jesus, but do so in interestingly different ways. For example, take a look at these verses from each that show what happened as Jesus was being arrested.
With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. -- Matthew 26:51 NIV
Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. -- Mark 14:47 NIV
And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. But Jesus answered, "No more of this!" And he touched the man's ear and healed him. -- Luke 22:50-51 NIV
Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) -- John 18:10 NIV
They all describe the same event, but look at the differences. Three of them describe a sword but the other doesn't. There is an ear-ectomy in all of them but two accounts specify the right ear. Only one of them even mentions that Jesus healed the man's ear.
They all tell the truth. We could read any of the four accounts and would easily understand what had taken place, but by looking at all four perspectives we start to get a clearer picture, don't we?
Remember, there is always more than one side to a story. If you choose to only believe the first account you hear, you run the risk of narrowing your perspective which could very well lead to false assumptions and misconceptions...and those are not things you want to stock up on! By looking into a matter and searching for all of the different angles on it, you allow your own perspective to properly develop and by allowing that to happen, you gain wisdom.
In soccer, a goalkeeper is responsible for preventing the other team from scoring. They must defend a goal that is 24 feet wide and 8 feet high, or about 4 times as long as a 6' tall man and just tall enough that the same man could reach the cross bar at full reach. Clearly the keeper is at a disadvantage! The strategy is to set yourself at an angle to the goal that allows you to minimize the amount of empty goal space that the attacker can aim at. By taking the right angle, the keeper is more effective at preventing goals.
On Iron Chef America, two chefs are given 60 minutes to prepare a full five course meal utilizing a secret ingredient in each course that they don't discover until right before the competition begins. They lead a team of chefs to accomplish their goal and win the competition which is judged on taste, originality, and the artistry used to serve the food. To accomplish so much so quickly, you know they'll fall back on their experience to deliver the best product possible. The end result is directly derived from their perspective, or their past experiences. If you are like me and your perspective is how to boil water, then you wouldn't do very well!
The four gospels in the Bible are another example of perspective. They all tell the same story of Jesus, but do so in interestingly different ways. For example, take a look at these verses from each that show what happened as Jesus was being arrested.
With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. -- Matthew 26:51 NIV
Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. -- Mark 14:47 NIV
And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. But Jesus answered, "No more of this!" And he touched the man's ear and healed him. -- Luke 22:50-51 NIV
Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) -- John 18:10 NIV
They all describe the same event, but look at the differences. Three of them describe a sword but the other doesn't. There is an ear-ectomy in all of them but two accounts specify the right ear. Only one of them even mentions that Jesus healed the man's ear.
They all tell the truth. We could read any of the four accounts and would easily understand what had taken place, but by looking at all four perspectives we start to get a clearer picture, don't we?
Remember, there is always more than one side to a story. If you choose to only believe the first account you hear, you run the risk of narrowing your perspective which could very well lead to false assumptions and misconceptions...and those are not things you want to stock up on! By looking into a matter and searching for all of the different angles on it, you allow your own perspective to properly develop and by allowing that to happen, you gain wisdom.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Cooking For Two
Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together. -- Psalm 34:3 NIV
For the first time in a very, very long time Suzanne and I had to come up with and cook dinner just for the two of us. We decided on taco salad which meant we would need to get a few things from the store. Now, I want you to know that I am not stretching the truth here...I don't remember the last time I went into a store, any store, without spending at least 17 or 18 bucks. Even if it is just to grab a handful of ingredients for dinner. Tonight, we spent 9 and that included a slight splurge on some watermelon to have for dessert. 9? Seriously? Do kids really eat that much???
Cooking just for two proved to be a challenge for Zan too. She normally has to make plenty and send prayers to Heaven that there might be a little left over for tomorrow's lunch. Tonight she made less than usual, piled our bowls to the brim with taco salady goodness, and there is still a mountain of it left for tomorrow.
But it is all good here. We've had a bunch of time tonight between putting horses out, shopping for dinner, checking on Liz's chickens (they're doing fine Liz!) and dogs, and putting our horses up, to really focus on one another. Usually we're busy dealing with hurts or drama from the teenagers or getting them to do their chores. Tonight we're all alone and the house is extremely quiet. No Xboxes running or music blaring or phones ringing constantly and while we miss some of that at least a little and our kids a whole bunch, the time together without a bunch of distractions has been really cool.
What I see here is that we need to make sure we find time even when the kids are back to stay connected and together. Maybe it's a regular date night or just some dedicated pool time together. Could be a little time spent curled up on the couch just talking. Whatever it is...getting away from the TV and the PC and everything else for a while and focusing on each other will make all the difference.
God wants us to stay connected to the people He puts closest to us. They are there to support us and to provide us with His guidance through them. They are there to love us no matter what the rest of the world might say about us or think of us. God is always first, but I believe He gives all of us a second that is to be the other half of our connection with Him, like Jesus says in Matthew...
For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." -- Matthew 18:20 NIV
If you have your second, thank God for them and then thank them for remaining loyal and true to you. If you don't have your second, know that God will show them to you when the time is right and pray that you have the eyes to see it when it happens.
For the first time in a very, very long time Suzanne and I had to come up with and cook dinner just for the two of us. We decided on taco salad which meant we would need to get a few things from the store. Now, I want you to know that I am not stretching the truth here...I don't remember the last time I went into a store, any store, without spending at least 17 or 18 bucks. Even if it is just to grab a handful of ingredients for dinner. Tonight, we spent 9 and that included a slight splurge on some watermelon to have for dessert. 9? Seriously? Do kids really eat that much???
Cooking just for two proved to be a challenge for Zan too. She normally has to make plenty and send prayers to Heaven that there might be a little left over for tomorrow's lunch. Tonight she made less than usual, piled our bowls to the brim with taco salady goodness, and there is still a mountain of it left for tomorrow.
But it is all good here. We've had a bunch of time tonight between putting horses out, shopping for dinner, checking on Liz's chickens (they're doing fine Liz!) and dogs, and putting our horses up, to really focus on one another. Usually we're busy dealing with hurts or drama from the teenagers or getting them to do their chores. Tonight we're all alone and the house is extremely quiet. No Xboxes running or music blaring or phones ringing constantly and while we miss some of that at least a little and our kids a whole bunch, the time together without a bunch of distractions has been really cool.
What I see here is that we need to make sure we find time even when the kids are back to stay connected and together. Maybe it's a regular date night or just some dedicated pool time together. Could be a little time spent curled up on the couch just talking. Whatever it is...getting away from the TV and the PC and everything else for a while and focusing on each other will make all the difference.
God wants us to stay connected to the people He puts closest to us. They are there to support us and to provide us with His guidance through them. They are there to love us no matter what the rest of the world might say about us or think of us. God is always first, but I believe He gives all of us a second that is to be the other half of our connection with Him, like Jesus says in Matthew...
For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." -- Matthew 18:20 NIV
If you have your second, thank God for them and then thank them for remaining loyal and true to you. If you don't have your second, know that God will show them to you when the time is right and pray that you have the eyes to see it when it happens.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Empty Nest
He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. -- Isaiah 40:11 NIV
Today we sent our kids off to camp for the week. Not that we haven't been away from them for small periods of time before, but this is different. Our kids are 14 and 16 and well on their way to being grown, and it just feel really different to be sending them away while we stay home. It feels like a little bit of a dry run for me and Momma for the empty nest that is to come.
They'll be with great people who have become great friends of ours, and I know they'll come back even more determined followers of Christ, but I have to admit that I'm gonna miss the little buggers! I am happy that I'll get to spend a great week with my wife though, and I can't wait to hear about their trip when they get back.
For now, I'll rest my heart on the verse from Isaiah that reminds me that both God and the leaders traveling to camp with them will keep them close and teach them well while they're away. Today is a great day to thank God for the people in your children's lives who mentor them and help to guide their path along with you.
So, to all of you who have been and are a part of my kids' journeys, "thanks"!
Today we sent our kids off to camp for the week. Not that we haven't been away from them for small periods of time before, but this is different. Our kids are 14 and 16 and well on their way to being grown, and it just feel really different to be sending them away while we stay home. It feels like a little bit of a dry run for me and Momma for the empty nest that is to come.
They'll be with great people who have become great friends of ours, and I know they'll come back even more determined followers of Christ, but I have to admit that I'm gonna miss the little buggers! I am happy that I'll get to spend a great week with my wife though, and I can't wait to hear about their trip when they get back.
For now, I'll rest my heart on the verse from Isaiah that reminds me that both God and the leaders traveling to camp with them will keep them close and teach them well while they're away. Today is a great day to thank God for the people in your children's lives who mentor them and help to guide their path along with you.
So, to all of you who have been and are a part of my kids' journeys, "thanks"!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Dad
Happy Fathers Day to all you Dads out there!!!
We learn how to be a dad from the men in our lives as we grow up. I've been incredibly blessed to have a series of men in my life that have definitely shaped me into the man I am today. They taught me to not take myself too seriously, that there is a time for fun and a time for discipline, and that my primary responsibility in life is to make sure I provide for my family in all areas of life.
Just like all of those men, I've also come to learn a lot about being a dad from my Father in Heaven. He's taught me that the spiritual growth of my family is just as important as their physical health and that, while He's in charge and in control, it is my job to lead my family in this area. It's a big job and one I take seriously.
So, join me today in thanking God, your Dad, and all of the men in your life who have contributed to your success!
We learn how to be a dad from the men in our lives as we grow up. I've been incredibly blessed to have a series of men in my life that have definitely shaped me into the man I am today. They taught me to not take myself too seriously, that there is a time for fun and a time for discipline, and that my primary responsibility in life is to make sure I provide for my family in all areas of life.
Just like all of those men, I've also come to learn a lot about being a dad from my Father in Heaven. He's taught me that the spiritual growth of my family is just as important as their physical health and that, while He's in charge and in control, it is my job to lead my family in this area. It's a big job and one I take seriously.
So, join me today in thanking God, your Dad, and all of the men in your life who have contributed to your success!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
No Artificial Ingredients
Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. -- 2 Corinthians 4:2 NIV
Have you stopped to really investigate the list of ingredients that are going into the food we buy these days? I'll admit I have a sickness, but it has become a bit of an obsession of mine. Every time I see a Yahoo article about food or drink I can't help myself, I have to click and read immediately!
The other day I read one that said there are 39 ingredients listed on a bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos. Three of them are needed for making corn chips. Of the 36 remaining ingredients, three of those are needed for making nacho cheese...so there are 33 unnecessary ingredients in that stuff they use to coat their chips. That same article told me that the same ingredient exists in a Taco Bell Mexican Pizza that you will find in sand and that is used as a hardening agent in concrete! Are you kidding me?
They put high fructose corn syrup in pretty much everything now because it is cheaper...and we wonder why we have a nation of diabetics. That crap is simply the leftovers from the processing of sugar cane into bags of sugar. They don't want to pay for the real thing, so they put a by-product into everything from soda to bread to the honey mustard dipping sauce for chicken nuggets (do chickens have nuggets and nobody told me???). Last time I checked, honey mustard is supposed to be honey and mustard...and that's about it.
Not only is it time to start watching what we buy and eating natural, unprocessed foods...and I promise you won't be disappointed in doing so...but we also need to weed the by-products and fake ingredients out of our lives. Our aim should be to never "...use deception, nor distort the word of God" because there is no way to improve on His Word! Just like we can't do a better job of nourishing our bodies with preservatives and leftover ingredients, we can't do a better job of nourishing our hearts and our souls with teachings and thinking that don't come from Heaven.
Have you stopped to really investigate the list of ingredients that are going into the food we buy these days? I'll admit I have a sickness, but it has become a bit of an obsession of mine. Every time I see a Yahoo article about food or drink I can't help myself, I have to click and read immediately!
The other day I read one that said there are 39 ingredients listed on a bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos. Three of them are needed for making corn chips. Of the 36 remaining ingredients, three of those are needed for making nacho cheese...so there are 33 unnecessary ingredients in that stuff they use to coat their chips. That same article told me that the same ingredient exists in a Taco Bell Mexican Pizza that you will find in sand and that is used as a hardening agent in concrete! Are you kidding me?
They put high fructose corn syrup in pretty much everything now because it is cheaper...and we wonder why we have a nation of diabetics. That crap is simply the leftovers from the processing of sugar cane into bags of sugar. They don't want to pay for the real thing, so they put a by-product into everything from soda to bread to the honey mustard dipping sauce for chicken nuggets (do chickens have nuggets and nobody told me???). Last time I checked, honey mustard is supposed to be honey and mustard...and that's about it.
Not only is it time to start watching what we buy and eating natural, unprocessed foods...and I promise you won't be disappointed in doing so...but we also need to weed the by-products and fake ingredients out of our lives. Our aim should be to never "...use deception, nor distort the word of God" because there is no way to improve on His Word! Just like we can't do a better job of nourishing our bodies with preservatives and leftover ingredients, we can't do a better job of nourishing our hearts and our souls with teachings and thinking that don't come from Heaven.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
"God Don't Think Stuff's Funny"
The comedian Bill Engvall does a bit about his Dad being a disciplinarian. In the bit he describes being in a small church on Sundays with no air conditioning and listening to the preacher for what seemed like an eternity. Sooner or later, Bill and his siblings were going to get restless and not want to sit still any longer. This is when his Dad would thump them on the head and then point and say..."Hey boy, God don't think stuff's funny!"
I kinda grew up with that drilled into me as well. I spent a lot of time in a little church with inadequate AC and hard, wooden pews. I spent a bunch of Sundays listening to a preacher describe all the ways one might end up in hell. I was very much convinced that God means business and has no room for funny. I'm pretty sure I was wrong.
I think that laughter is a key part of our being. It is an essential part of our existence. If we spend all of our time being serious it makes it so much harder to enjoy life. We were originally created to enjoy each other and God through a life of joy and peace. You gotta think that would involve some laughter, right?
To be fair, the Bible doesn't say much about laughter, although Ecclesiastes 3:4 does say, "a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance". But it does say a bunch about joy and peace and happiness.
So make a point of finding joy in each of your days, and make sure it starts with God. Like everything else in life, any joy you find that doesn't come from God will only leave you empty at the end of the day. Enjoy the people God has put around you. Enjoy the natural beauty that was created specifically for us to enjoy. Laugh often and, as much as possible, at yourself. Joy is contagious, so give it to someone who needs it today!
I kinda grew up with that drilled into me as well. I spent a lot of time in a little church with inadequate AC and hard, wooden pews. I spent a bunch of Sundays listening to a preacher describe all the ways one might end up in hell. I was very much convinced that God means business and has no room for funny. I'm pretty sure I was wrong.
I think that laughter is a key part of our being. It is an essential part of our existence. If we spend all of our time being serious it makes it so much harder to enjoy life. We were originally created to enjoy each other and God through a life of joy and peace. You gotta think that would involve some laughter, right?
To be fair, the Bible doesn't say much about laughter, although Ecclesiastes 3:4 does say, "a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance". But it does say a bunch about joy and peace and happiness.
So make a point of finding joy in each of your days, and make sure it starts with God. Like everything else in life, any joy you find that doesn't come from God will only leave you empty at the end of the day. Enjoy the people God has put around you. Enjoy the natural beauty that was created specifically for us to enjoy. Laugh often and, as much as possible, at yourself. Joy is contagious, so give it to someone who needs it today!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Pride...In The Name Of Love
Pride is a funny thing. I'll be honest, my first reaction when I hear or see that word is a negative one. I think about being prideful and how that goes against Jesus' teachings. I think about pride leading to stubbornness and I know it isn't really a good thing.
But stepping back to really examine pride fully leads me to believe that there is good pride and bad pride...kinda like there is good naked and bad naked, but that's a whole other post! Now, self-pride is a path that leads to bad things and I don't think we can carry the proper level of humility with us and also be prideful, but pride isn't always a negative thing.
We want God to be proud of us for being obedient and loving towards Him...and that's a good thing. When we are really in tune with what God is showing us and we're sensitive to the opportunities to do His work, you better believe God smiles down on us for that.
When those around us, those whom we love and support through thick and then, accomplish amazing things and are being the people God called them to be, we can and should be very, very proud of them and let them know about it!
When those we were blessed with the gift of raising really "get it", when they learn the lessons that we, through God, so desperately want to teach them...that is an occasion to be quite proud of them.
I could go on and on, but I think you understand my point. Pride in and of itself is not a bad thing. Its just all in how you apply it to your life.
There are two people...and you know who you are...of which I am extremely proud today. Some time ago they had a chance to trash their relationship, to just throw in the towel and call it a day. They didn't, and today they are two people very much filled with God's love and with love for each other. Theirs is a relationship that is built to last. A relationship that is centered around God, and I know He looks down today very much a proud father of His two children...proud, in the name of love.
I leave you today with a proverb that displays this very good pride...
The father of a righteous man has great joy; he who has a wise son delights in him. -- Proverbs 23:24 NIV
But stepping back to really examine pride fully leads me to believe that there is good pride and bad pride...kinda like there is good naked and bad naked, but that's a whole other post! Now, self-pride is a path that leads to bad things and I don't think we can carry the proper level of humility with us and also be prideful, but pride isn't always a negative thing.
We want God to be proud of us for being obedient and loving towards Him...and that's a good thing. When we are really in tune with what God is showing us and we're sensitive to the opportunities to do His work, you better believe God smiles down on us for that.
When those around us, those whom we love and support through thick and then, accomplish amazing things and are being the people God called them to be, we can and should be very, very proud of them and let them know about it!
When those we were blessed with the gift of raising really "get it", when they learn the lessons that we, through God, so desperately want to teach them...that is an occasion to be quite proud of them.
I could go on and on, but I think you understand my point. Pride in and of itself is not a bad thing. Its just all in how you apply it to your life.
There are two people...and you know who you are...of which I am extremely proud today. Some time ago they had a chance to trash their relationship, to just throw in the towel and call it a day. They didn't, and today they are two people very much filled with God's love and with love for each other. Theirs is a relationship that is built to last. A relationship that is centered around God, and I know He looks down today very much a proud father of His two children...proud, in the name of love.
I leave you today with a proverb that displays this very good pride...
The father of a righteous man has great joy; he who has a wise son delights in him. -- Proverbs 23:24 NIV
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Feelin' It
Do you ever have days when you just aren't feeling it? Maybe the world seems like its moving really fast or maybe you feel like your running in the mud? Nothing comes easy and it seems like everything you touch goes wrong somehow?
I think this is a big sign that its time to rest and recharge. Could be that you've been going to hard for too long or maybe there is something that has been weighing on your mind and, even if you aren't consciously thinking about it, your brain is busy trying to make sense of it and the result is you just feel used up. It also could be that you feel physically drained and you just aren't resting like you should.
Whatever it is, sounds like a great time to rest in Christ's grace and then recharge yourself for God. When we aren't feelin' it we can't be what God has called us to be, but we can take it as a sign that maybe we've fallen into the trap of trying to rely on ourselves instead of on Him. I'll leave you today with a verse that speaks to the reason why we shouldn't be relying on ourselves.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." -- Matthew 11:28-30 NIV
I think this is a big sign that its time to rest and recharge. Could be that you've been going to hard for too long or maybe there is something that has been weighing on your mind and, even if you aren't consciously thinking about it, your brain is busy trying to make sense of it and the result is you just feel used up. It also could be that you feel physically drained and you just aren't resting like you should.
Whatever it is, sounds like a great time to rest in Christ's grace and then recharge yourself for God. When we aren't feelin' it we can't be what God has called us to be, but we can take it as a sign that maybe we've fallen into the trap of trying to rely on ourselves instead of on Him. I'll leave you today with a verse that speaks to the reason why we shouldn't be relying on ourselves.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." -- Matthew 11:28-30 NIV
Monday, June 14, 2010
Free To...
You get to finish the title today. Its another one of those Mondays, so pause for just a moment to remember that God has given you today so you can do something special for Him. Because you have accepted Christ, that makes you free.
Like the song says, "I am free to run, I am free to dance, I am free to live for You, I am free! Yes, I am free!"
Free your heart to accept all of God's love. Free your mind to receive all of God's teaching. Free your soul to receive wisdom from the Holy Spirit. Free your body to be strong with the power of Christ.
Have an awesome Monday...and fill in that blank!
Like the song says, "I am free to run, I am free to dance, I am free to live for You, I am free! Yes, I am free!"
Free your heart to accept all of God's love. Free your mind to receive all of God's teaching. Free your soul to receive wisdom from the Holy Spirit. Free your body to be strong with the power of Christ.
Have an awesome Monday...and fill in that blank!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Trust Issues
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. - Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
We've always taught our kids the value of trust. Sure, they've made mistakes and cost themselves the trust of their parents but they've also learned to treasure it all that much more when they earn it back. Trust takes time to build and can be destroyed in a flash. I'll bet most of us have put our trust in someone or something only to see it destroyed. We've dealt with the aftermath of having our faith dashed like glass against a rock.
How wonderful it is, then, that God is a sure thing! We are free to put our full faith and reliance on God with the certainty that He is going to come through for us. There is no such thing as God betraying the trust of one of His children.
Today is the Lord's day, so rejoice and be glad in it knowing that you have a Father in Heaven that always has your back!
We've always taught our kids the value of trust. Sure, they've made mistakes and cost themselves the trust of their parents but they've also learned to treasure it all that much more when they earn it back. Trust takes time to build and can be destroyed in a flash. I'll bet most of us have put our trust in someone or something only to see it destroyed. We've dealt with the aftermath of having our faith dashed like glass against a rock.
How wonderful it is, then, that God is a sure thing! We are free to put our full faith and reliance on God with the certainty that He is going to come through for us. There is no such thing as God betraying the trust of one of His children.
Today is the Lord's day, so rejoice and be glad in it knowing that you have a Father in Heaven that always has your back!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
The Little Things
It's 7:20 on a Saturday morning as I write this. During the week I would have been at work for 20 minutes by now, and my day would already have been a couple of hours old. Please understand that I'm not complaining, but I wake up at around 5:30 and let the dog out and then he and I head over to the stables to feed our horses, pausing before we leave to start the first zone of the sprinklers out front. We get back from the barn and switch the water over to zone 2 and while that's running I get my teeth brushed and find clothes to wear. Then I sit down to send out the daily devotional e-mail before turning the water off and getting dressed. Finally, I help my wife get her things collected to load up the car so we can leave for work (we carpool). A busy morning to be sure.
So, the fact that it is after 7 and I just got up a few minutes ago is very cool. Part of the reason it is so cool is that my wife is at the stables right now feeding the horses for me because she woke up earlier than I did. She is wonderful and I'm blessed that God has put us together!
Not only in a marriage but in any relationship, its the little things that make the biggest differences. When you give freely of yourself just because you want to and not because you expect anything, you will be rewarded for it. Don't believe me? Read this:
Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. -- Matthew 6:1-4(NIV)
Please note the quotes around 'acts of righteousness'. I believe that to mean that we shouldn't 'act' righteous and do something in the name of God in order to receive praise from people. But to give for the sake of others without making a big deal of it, well, that is what God expects from us. If we're called to give that way and do so for strangers, how much more so for those closest to us!??!?
Yep, its those little things that carry the loudest echoes in eternity. Make it a point in your daily life to look for the spots where you can quietly give of yourself to friend and stranger alike and know that not only will God take notice, but He will be the One to deliver your reward.
So, the fact that it is after 7 and I just got up a few minutes ago is very cool. Part of the reason it is so cool is that my wife is at the stables right now feeding the horses for me because she woke up earlier than I did. She is wonderful and I'm blessed that God has put us together!
Not only in a marriage but in any relationship, its the little things that make the biggest differences. When you give freely of yourself just because you want to and not because you expect anything, you will be rewarded for it. Don't believe me? Read this:
Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. -- Matthew 6:1-4(NIV)
Please note the quotes around 'acts of righteousness'. I believe that to mean that we shouldn't 'act' righteous and do something in the name of God in order to receive praise from people. But to give for the sake of others without making a big deal of it, well, that is what God expects from us. If we're called to give that way and do so for strangers, how much more so for those closest to us!??!?
Yep, its those little things that carry the loudest echoes in eternity. Make it a point in your daily life to look for the spots where you can quietly give of yourself to friend and stranger alike and know that not only will God take notice, but He will be the One to deliver your reward.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Center Bullseye
Think about a dart board. It has several rings on it ranging from fairly large all the way down to one little, tiny ring with no other ring inside of it. That's the bullseye. Now, imagine that dart board is your life and you are located at the very center of that bullseye.
With that in mind, I want to take you back to yesterday when I talked about throwing the world off of your shoulders so that you can swim against the current and towards God. Hopefully you've had a chance to reflect on the state of your life and see areas where you aren't really honoring God the way you should. I know my biggest area of need right now is financially. No matter how many times I try, I'm just never going to be as good a steward with my resources as God can be if I'd only let Him.
Life can be very intimidating, and sometimes just trying to think about ways to start to make God your priority can seem so daunting that it's easier just to give up and keep going with the flow. I hate to inform you of this, but that is just a trick Satan uses to keep you where he wants you...which is to say away from God!
What I want you to see is that you don't have to do it all at once. In fact, you can't. Instead, I want you to start shrinking your focus until you are pointing at something you can hit. Back to the dart board...instead of looking at those really big outer rings, I want you to start focusing on smaller and smaller rings until you find something you feel you can tackle. For some of us, we may need to go all the way in to the bullseye and start there. But for every one of those rings in your life that feels hopeless, I want you to give that part completely to God. No take-backs!!! Just give it to God and breathe a sigh of relief that absolutely nothing you have to deal with is too much for Him.
Why, that's great advice you say? Well thanks for the props, but I can't really take credit for it. As Jesus had gathered His 12 and prepared them to go and do His work, this is the advice they were given:
Jesus sent his twelve harvest hands out with this charge: "Don't begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don't try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously. -- Matthew 10:5-8 (The Message)
They must have felt out of their element. Here their Teacher was wanting them to do His work! But Jesus simplified it for them. He told them to shrink their focus to a manageable size, to tackle the tasks that were right in front of them and to do it generously. He actually goes on to tell them to pack lightly and to be gentle in their dealings.
He wants nothing more from you or me! We are to look around us and deal with the stuff that needs our immediate attention. If we are successful enough at that, then He will guide us farther and farther out to the edges of the dart board that is our life. Stressing out about things you can't control doesn't make any sense, and stressing about things you can control is just keeping you from formulating a plan of attack, so why bother stressing at all?
With that in mind, I want to take you back to yesterday when I talked about throwing the world off of your shoulders so that you can swim against the current and towards God. Hopefully you've had a chance to reflect on the state of your life and see areas where you aren't really honoring God the way you should. I know my biggest area of need right now is financially. No matter how many times I try, I'm just never going to be as good a steward with my resources as God can be if I'd only let Him.
Life can be very intimidating, and sometimes just trying to think about ways to start to make God your priority can seem so daunting that it's easier just to give up and keep going with the flow. I hate to inform you of this, but that is just a trick Satan uses to keep you where he wants you...which is to say away from God!
What I want you to see is that you don't have to do it all at once. In fact, you can't. Instead, I want you to start shrinking your focus until you are pointing at something you can hit. Back to the dart board...instead of looking at those really big outer rings, I want you to start focusing on smaller and smaller rings until you find something you feel you can tackle. For some of us, we may need to go all the way in to the bullseye and start there. But for every one of those rings in your life that feels hopeless, I want you to give that part completely to God. No take-backs!!! Just give it to God and breathe a sigh of relief that absolutely nothing you have to deal with is too much for Him.
Why, that's great advice you say? Well thanks for the props, but I can't really take credit for it. As Jesus had gathered His 12 and prepared them to go and do His work, this is the advice they were given:
Jesus sent his twelve harvest hands out with this charge: "Don't begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don't try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously. -- Matthew 10:5-8 (The Message)
They must have felt out of their element. Here their Teacher was wanting them to do His work! But Jesus simplified it for them. He told them to shrink their focus to a manageable size, to tackle the tasks that were right in front of them and to do it generously. He actually goes on to tell them to pack lightly and to be gentle in their dealings.
He wants nothing more from you or me! We are to look around us and deal with the stuff that needs our immediate attention. If we are successful enough at that, then He will guide us farther and farther out to the edges of the dart board that is our life. Stressing out about things you can't control doesn't make any sense, and stressing about things you can control is just keeping you from formulating a plan of attack, so why bother stressing at all?
Thursday, June 10, 2010
The Path Less Traveled
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” -- Matthew 7:13-14
It can be hard to travel against the grain, can't it? I know the salmon do it, but for us humans it can seem quite unnatural to try and swim against the current of the world. Things seem to move so fast these days and they get faster all the time. We have to keep up...we have to stay relevant, right? What are we to do if the kids aren't in 37 activities each week and pulling straight A's on top of that? We can't have the neighbors driving a bigger SUV than ours, and did you see the size of the pool with Wilson's put in this year? We have to keep up with the goings-on of Facebook, and the How To Lose 20 Pounds Without Exercise forum will fall apart if we don't get logged in and check it out. Then, the DVR still has 45 hours of last year's TV shows still on it...we simply have to get all of that stuff watched.
STOP!!!
We've gotten ourselves so out of control that I'm afraid many of us have lost ourselves in the midst of it all. I know, I've been there! There are news articles every week of people saying and doing things that simply defy any logical reasoning, and some of them are elected leaders which means enough other people think along the same lines.
It's time to stop trying to keep up with the current of the world and get off the beaten path. My beat up, 12-year old pickup truck gets me where I need to go just as easily as your Lincoln Navigator. My kids may not pull down A's at school and they may not have a list of activities and achievements a mile long, but they are well-behaved and respectful and seem like they might grow into the kind of adults that will make the world a better place. It's OK to not be going 90 mph 90% of the time.
Reading what Jesus said, it seems like the more we can buck the trend and the more we can swim against the current, the closer we are to finding that small gate.
It can be hard to travel against the grain, can't it? I know the salmon do it, but for us humans it can seem quite unnatural to try and swim against the current of the world. Things seem to move so fast these days and they get faster all the time. We have to keep up...we have to stay relevant, right? What are we to do if the kids aren't in 37 activities each week and pulling straight A's on top of that? We can't have the neighbors driving a bigger SUV than ours, and did you see the size of the pool with Wilson's put in this year? We have to keep up with the goings-on of Facebook, and the How To Lose 20 Pounds Without Exercise forum will fall apart if we don't get logged in and check it out. Then, the DVR still has 45 hours of last year's TV shows still on it...we simply have to get all of that stuff watched.
STOP!!!
We've gotten ourselves so out of control that I'm afraid many of us have lost ourselves in the midst of it all. I know, I've been there! There are news articles every week of people saying and doing things that simply defy any logical reasoning, and some of them are elected leaders which means enough other people think along the same lines.
It's time to stop trying to keep up with the current of the world and get off the beaten path. My beat up, 12-year old pickup truck gets me where I need to go just as easily as your Lincoln Navigator. My kids may not pull down A's at school and they may not have a list of activities and achievements a mile long, but they are well-behaved and respectful and seem like they might grow into the kind of adults that will make the world a better place. It's OK to not be going 90 mph 90% of the time.
Reading what Jesus said, it seems like the more we can buck the trend and the more we can swim against the current, the closer we are to finding that small gate.
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Leaving A Legacy
This may come as a shock to you, but barring Jesus returning and you believing in Him...you are going to die, and when you do you will leave a legacy behind. In fact, you leave a legacy behind you all of the time. People come in and go out of our lives all of the time. Some of them are only there for a moment, others for years and years. While there may be a bunch of those people who won't remember you 5 minutes after you're gone, it is the ones who do remember you that I want to talk about today.
Remember Judas? You know him...he's one of the more famous 'bad guys' ever. This is the guy who betrayed Jesus. Do you remember reading about what happened to Judas?
With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood. -- Acts 1:18-19
Now, you may very well be sitting there feeling like Judas got exactly what he deserved. I'm certainly not going to try to talk you out of that argument. But what really gets me is that, while Judas' legacy is to be the guy who betrayed Jesus, he was one of the 12! He walked around teaching people about Jesus and salvation! He healed people in Jesus' name! This guy did maybe more good in his life than most of us ever will and yet what we remember of him is that he was the bad guy.
With that in mind what I want to know is how do you want to be remembered? Will you be remembered for working 60 hours a week and being gone all of the time in the name of providing for your family or will you slow down and be the spiritual leader God has called you to be? Will you just go through life being a good person and trying to never ruffle any feathers or will you spend each day God gives you looking for opportunities to give, to serve, and to in at least some small way change the lives of those who cross your path?
Will the rest of us have to sit around and wonder if you really truly believed in Jesus as your Savior and Lord...wondering if we'll see you one day in Heaven or will we be left with the impact you made on us, knowing full well that we'll be with you again one day and for all eternity?
Will you be remembered for serving Jesus or for turning your back on Him? The choice is yours.
Remember Judas? You know him...he's one of the more famous 'bad guys' ever. This is the guy who betrayed Jesus. Do you remember reading about what happened to Judas?
With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood. -- Acts 1:18-19
Now, you may very well be sitting there feeling like Judas got exactly what he deserved. I'm certainly not going to try to talk you out of that argument. But what really gets me is that, while Judas' legacy is to be the guy who betrayed Jesus, he was one of the 12! He walked around teaching people about Jesus and salvation! He healed people in Jesus' name! This guy did maybe more good in his life than most of us ever will and yet what we remember of him is that he was the bad guy.
With that in mind what I want to know is how do you want to be remembered? Will you be remembered for working 60 hours a week and being gone all of the time in the name of providing for your family or will you slow down and be the spiritual leader God has called you to be? Will you just go through life being a good person and trying to never ruffle any feathers or will you spend each day God gives you looking for opportunities to give, to serve, and to in at least some small way change the lives of those who cross your path?
Will the rest of us have to sit around and wonder if you really truly believed in Jesus as your Savior and Lord...wondering if we'll see you one day in Heaven or will we be left with the impact you made on us, knowing full well that we'll be with you again one day and for all eternity?
Will you be remembered for serving Jesus or for turning your back on Him? The choice is yours.
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
Jesus Loves The Little Children
Can't tell you how many times I sang this song as a child. Did you? Do you remember it still? C'mon, sing it with me!
Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white. They're all precious in his sight.
Jesus loves the little children of the world.
Now, look around you...if people are staring at you or laughing, that means you were singing out loud. It also means you are willing to do whatever I say, which could be fun for everybody!!!
Kids can be a handful for us grown-ups to be sure, but I think they also give us a window to the soul and to God. I think what you see when you see little ones smiling and playing and learning is God's creation before the world's influences start to muck it up.
Do you think that maybe children, and especially the little ones, were Jesus' favorite part of his time here on Earth? Can you see Him smiling widely, sitting among a group of youngsters and enjoying the time with them? Imagine Jesus and his disciples going around teaching...keeping a busy schedule. The disciples are almost like Jesus' security detail. The crowds are pushing in, trying to get close to Jesus...many of them with children. The disciples start getting on the crowd, trying to get them pushed back so they can get to their next appointment...when Jesus gets upset with them. You know what He told them???
But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." -- Mark 10:14-15
Jesus was willing to interrupt the schedule in order to spend time with the little ones. How cool is that? Now, pair that with the following passage from 1 Corinthians; chapter 13, verses 11 and 12:
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
We were created to be innocent and joy-filled creatures; to spend quality time with God and have a life of peace. God didn't change His mind...we messed it up by deciding we'd rather have the knowledge of good and evil. I think that is part of the reason Jesus would have enjoyed being around kids so much.
I watched this past Sunday as five kids were the very first to be baptized at our church. They all love Jesus very much and can tell you exactly why they were baptized. It was very cool to be a part of it, and it makes me even more determined to make myself child-like when it comes to God. How about you?
Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white. They're all precious in his sight.
Jesus loves the little children of the world.
Now, look around you...if people are staring at you or laughing, that means you were singing out loud. It also means you are willing to do whatever I say, which could be fun for everybody!!!
Kids can be a handful for us grown-ups to be sure, but I think they also give us a window to the soul and to God. I think what you see when you see little ones smiling and playing and learning is God's creation before the world's influences start to muck it up.
Do you think that maybe children, and especially the little ones, were Jesus' favorite part of his time here on Earth? Can you see Him smiling widely, sitting among a group of youngsters and enjoying the time with them? Imagine Jesus and his disciples going around teaching...keeping a busy schedule. The disciples are almost like Jesus' security detail. The crowds are pushing in, trying to get close to Jesus...many of them with children. The disciples start getting on the crowd, trying to get them pushed back so they can get to their next appointment...when Jesus gets upset with them. You know what He told them???
But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." -- Mark 10:14-15
Jesus was willing to interrupt the schedule in order to spend time with the little ones. How cool is that? Now, pair that with the following passage from 1 Corinthians; chapter 13, verses 11 and 12:
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
We were created to be innocent and joy-filled creatures; to spend quality time with God and have a life of peace. God didn't change His mind...we messed it up by deciding we'd rather have the knowledge of good and evil. I think that is part of the reason Jesus would have enjoyed being around kids so much.
I watched this past Sunday as five kids were the very first to be baptized at our church. They all love Jesus very much and can tell you exactly why they were baptized. It was very cool to be a part of it, and it makes me even more determined to make myself child-like when it comes to God. How about you?
Monday, June 07, 2010
Keep Your Fork
I've seen this story circulate through e-mail from time to time and have even read it in the occasional newspaper column at times. But it rings true and I wanted to share it along with my thoughts on it with you today.
Keep Your Fork is the story of a terminally ill woman who, through a conversation with her pastor and family, was making sure all of her funeral arrangements were set just so. At the end of her instructions, she told them she wanted a fork to be placed in her right hand. When asked about it, she explained that in all of her years of parties and church events someone would always lean over and remind her to keep her fork as the dinner dishes were being cleared...because the best part was still to come. She wanted the fork to cause those passing by her body to ask about and be reminded that the best still lies ahead.
Now, my favorite part of any meal is dessert so I strongly relate to this story and, in fact, remember very fondly anytime a grown-up would tell me to keep my fork...I knew something extremely yummy was headed my way!
God has a way of telling us that as well...that we should keep our fork. He told Abraham to keep his fork because he was going to make a great and lasting nation out of his descendants, and he did. John the Baptist told everyone that, while what he was doing for them was worthwhile, someone far greater would be coming, and then there was Jesus. Jesus told his followers that He would be coming again, and He will.
If you don't believe, I encourage you to seek to learn more about God, and about who Jesus is and what has been done on your behalf. If you do believe, then remember to keep your fork...He has very great things in store for you!
Keep Your Fork is the story of a terminally ill woman who, through a conversation with her pastor and family, was making sure all of her funeral arrangements were set just so. At the end of her instructions, she told them she wanted a fork to be placed in her right hand. When asked about it, she explained that in all of her years of parties and church events someone would always lean over and remind her to keep her fork as the dinner dishes were being cleared...because the best part was still to come. She wanted the fork to cause those passing by her body to ask about and be reminded that the best still lies ahead.
Now, my favorite part of any meal is dessert so I strongly relate to this story and, in fact, remember very fondly anytime a grown-up would tell me to keep my fork...I knew something extremely yummy was headed my way!
God has a way of telling us that as well...that we should keep our fork. He told Abraham to keep his fork because he was going to make a great and lasting nation out of his descendants, and he did. John the Baptist told everyone that, while what he was doing for them was worthwhile, someone far greater would be coming, and then there was Jesus. Jesus told his followers that He would be coming again, and He will.
If you don't believe, I encourage you to seek to learn more about God, and about who Jesus is and what has been done on your behalf. If you do believe, then remember to keep your fork...He has very great things in store for you!
Sunday, June 06, 2010
The Wedding
Suzanne and I went to a wedding last night. Weddings are cool because you get to witness the creation of a brand new entity...the two become one. But I wonder how many of us really get a chance to take in what the pastor has to say at our wedding? I know to some it may seem unimportant, but it really is something we all need to pay attention to. Maybe we'd end up with fewer divorces if folks really took notice of what it means in God's eyes when two people make that commitment.
I couldn't have told you what was said at our wedding until several years later. Suzanne's grandfather, a Nazarene minister, presided over our wedding. I remember talking with him before the wedding about the commitment we were making, but it wasn't until his sudden passing and the ensuing trek to Kansas City for his funeral that we were blessed to find the very notebook that contained the notes (and the invitation we sent him) from our wedding all those years earlier. What a blessing to go back and read that again and again! I'm sure he'd done dozens upon dozens of weddings over the years, but this one was special enough that he kept the notes on his bookcase in his house...as if he intended us to have them one day.
I want to share with you today some of what he wrote and then spoke on my wedding day.
Dear friends,
People everywhere and in all ages have drawn together, especially in times of joy. It is thus we come together here in the presence of God to celebrate with a man and a woman their union for the founding of a new home among us.
The bond of marriage was established by God at creation, and is recognized as right and honorable around the world. Christ sanctified this holy estate by His presence at a wedding in Canaan of Galilee, and beautified it by His first recorded miracle.
Christian marriage is a covenant of faith and trust between a man and a woman, strengthened by freedom from suspicion. It is also a covenant of hope in which both husband and wife commit themselves to understanding and compassion toward each other. Furthermore, Christian marriage is a covenant of love, in which both partners seek to subordinate their own personal concerns to the concerns of the other and of their union.
I regret that I did not fully take in those words at the time, but am eternally grateful that God, through Grandpa Garrett, made sure we were given the gift of that little notebook. I've read it many times since and continue to strive towards an even stronger bond with my love. While I may have made my originally promise without full recognition of it's weight, I gladly wake up each morning and commit myself again to having the marriage God called me to have.
I couldn't have told you what was said at our wedding until several years later. Suzanne's grandfather, a Nazarene minister, presided over our wedding. I remember talking with him before the wedding about the commitment we were making, but it wasn't until his sudden passing and the ensuing trek to Kansas City for his funeral that we were blessed to find the very notebook that contained the notes (and the invitation we sent him) from our wedding all those years earlier. What a blessing to go back and read that again and again! I'm sure he'd done dozens upon dozens of weddings over the years, but this one was special enough that he kept the notes on his bookcase in his house...as if he intended us to have them one day.
I want to share with you today some of what he wrote and then spoke on my wedding day.
Dear friends,
People everywhere and in all ages have drawn together, especially in times of joy. It is thus we come together here in the presence of God to celebrate with a man and a woman their union for the founding of a new home among us.
The bond of marriage was established by God at creation, and is recognized as right and honorable around the world. Christ sanctified this holy estate by His presence at a wedding in Canaan of Galilee, and beautified it by His first recorded miracle.
Christian marriage is a covenant of faith and trust between a man and a woman, strengthened by freedom from suspicion. It is also a covenant of hope in which both husband and wife commit themselves to understanding and compassion toward each other. Furthermore, Christian marriage is a covenant of love, in which both partners seek to subordinate their own personal concerns to the concerns of the other and of their union.
I regret that I did not fully take in those words at the time, but am eternally grateful that God, through Grandpa Garrett, made sure we were given the gift of that little notebook. I've read it many times since and continue to strive towards an even stronger bond with my love. While I may have made my originally promise without full recognition of it's weight, I gladly wake up each morning and commit myself again to having the marriage God called me to have.
Saturday, June 05, 2010
Make Each Day Your Masterpiece
That was one of seven things written on a card that resided in the pocket of Coach John Wooden, given to him by his father when he completed the 8th grade, right up until he passed away yesterday. He was a faithful husband, willing mentor to hundreds of basketball players and coaches, and a child of God. He was 99. As a tribute to him and as a way for us to be mentored by him as well, I want to share with you a link to a great story written about him, some of his more famous quotes, and a story that displays his unconditional and Godly love for his wife.
The Link
Yahoo.com Story
The Quotes
The Story
He still sleeps on the left side of the bed and still lives in the same modest condo they shared together. He hasn't taken down any of her pictures. He has her robe laid out on her side of the bed and on the 21st of the month he writes her a letter and has done so for the past 25 years since she passed. His loyalty has remained strong, his love has remained true. What they had together he could not replicate with another, so why try?
Please, please listen to the following story by reporter Rick Reilly...filmed not too long ago, and hear it from the man himself and then apply some of what Coach has to teach you to your life so you can make each day your masterpiece.
John Wooden's Love Letter
The Link
Yahoo.com Story
The Quotes
- Be prepared and be honest.
- Consider the rights of others before your own feelings, and the feelings of others before your own rights.
- Don't let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.
- If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?
- It isn't what you do, but how you do it.
- It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.
- Material possessions, winning scores, and great reputations are meaningless in the eyes of the Lord, because He knows what we really are and that is all that matters.
- Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.
- Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.
- You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.
The Story
He still sleeps on the left side of the bed and still lives in the same modest condo they shared together. He hasn't taken down any of her pictures. He has her robe laid out on her side of the bed and on the 21st of the month he writes her a letter and has done so for the past 25 years since she passed. His loyalty has remained strong, his love has remained true. What they had together he could not replicate with another, so why try?
Please, please listen to the following story by reporter Rick Reilly...filmed not too long ago, and hear it from the man himself and then apply some of what Coach has to teach you to your life so you can make each day your masterpiece.
John Wooden's Love Letter
Thursday, June 03, 2010
Private Eyes
Private eyes, they're watching you. They see your every move. -- Hall & Oates
You younger folks should check out some Hall & Oates...you don't know what you're missing!
What are your thoughts on privacy? It seems like I see news articles or stories on TV a lot where someone is upset that their privacy could be threatened. When did we become so privately minded? I remember when I was a kid sitting out on my grandparent's front lawn on most spring and summer evenings watching the sunset and then the lightning bugs. People would be out walking and talking. They knew all of their neighbors fairly well.
Now we put up really tall fences around our yards. We spend a lot of time protecting ourselves from the world and we worry a LOT about our government spying on us. I just don't see where we really want to be involved with each other as God's children much anymore. For me it begs the question, what the heck are we so concerned about hiding? In my experience, people want to keep things a secret when they are either ashamed or selfish. I either don't want you to know what is going on with me because I'm embarrassed about it...maybe I think I just don't measure up...or I'm really possessive about what I have and I don't want you to come and try to take it away from me.
In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve started out free to roam and do as they pleased. They had absolutely nothing to hide and enjoyed a close relationship with God, each other, and the world He created for them. But then something happened:
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?" He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." -- Genesis 3:6-10
They did something they were embarrassed about, so they hid. Foolishly, they thought they were going to hide from God...but I would argue that we do the same thing and I would suggest that most often we do it because deep down we're ashamed of something. We have secrets so we have to be protective of them. We have to hide them so nobody knows how inadequate we really are.
Giving our lives to God through Jesus means we don't have to live in the shadows any longer. We don't have to be ashamed. Not only is there no longer a reason to hide, but we can proudly walk out into the light and share our journey with others. The most powerful story comes from the one who's been at the bottom and stands changed. So come out of hiding and live forgiven!
You younger folks should check out some Hall & Oates...you don't know what you're missing!
What are your thoughts on privacy? It seems like I see news articles or stories on TV a lot where someone is upset that their privacy could be threatened. When did we become so privately minded? I remember when I was a kid sitting out on my grandparent's front lawn on most spring and summer evenings watching the sunset and then the lightning bugs. People would be out walking and talking. They knew all of their neighbors fairly well.
Now we put up really tall fences around our yards. We spend a lot of time protecting ourselves from the world and we worry a LOT about our government spying on us. I just don't see where we really want to be involved with each other as God's children much anymore. For me it begs the question, what the heck are we so concerned about hiding? In my experience, people want to keep things a secret when they are either ashamed or selfish. I either don't want you to know what is going on with me because I'm embarrassed about it...maybe I think I just don't measure up...or I'm really possessive about what I have and I don't want you to come and try to take it away from me.
In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve started out free to roam and do as they pleased. They had absolutely nothing to hide and enjoyed a close relationship with God, each other, and the world He created for them. But then something happened:
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?" He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." -- Genesis 3:6-10
They did something they were embarrassed about, so they hid. Foolishly, they thought they were going to hide from God...but I would argue that we do the same thing and I would suggest that most often we do it because deep down we're ashamed of something. We have secrets so we have to be protective of them. We have to hide them so nobody knows how inadequate we really are.
Giving our lives to God through Jesus means we don't have to live in the shadows any longer. We don't have to be ashamed. Not only is there no longer a reason to hide, but we can proudly walk out into the light and share our journey with others. The most powerful story comes from the one who's been at the bottom and stands changed. So come out of hiding and live forgiven!
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
The Fruit Of...Love
Well, we've made it. Nine fruits in nine days and we are at the end of it. I hope I've caused you to think about them a bit and maybe to have looked at them differently than before. I know I've learned something about myself in writing about them. One quick note before I get on with my thoughts on love...all of today's quotes from the Bible come from 1 Corinthians 13. I highly recommend that you give the whole chapter a read today!
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
When you think of the word love, what or who do you think about? You probably think about your family right off the bat. You might have thought about Jesus. Maybe you put a couple of your favorite activities somewhere on your list. I'm sure we can all come up with a pretty good list of people and things that we would say we love, and I'll bet you that none of us would put the people who have wronged us on our lists but we're instructed to love them just the same as we love those closest to us. That passage up above tells us that it doesn't matter how Godly our actions look on the outside, if we don't have love in our hearts we have absolutely nothing, and we are absolutely nothing!
Pretty sobering for a guy like me who tends to get really ticked off when people act in ways with which I don't agree. We aren't just supposed to love those who make it easy for us to do so. If Jesus could sacrifice himself for all of us then what makes us think we are better judges of who is deserving of our love?
It isn't a persons actions that we're supposed to love, but their very being. Even when it isn't easy to do so, and maybe especially when it isn't easy to do so...that is when we need to turn the love on strongest. Everyone who has breath is but a single moment away from giving their life to Christ and He doesn't deal in degrees of sin. You are either forgiven and changed or you are not.
So allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with God's love. Allow yourself to let go of all of the things that verse up there says love is not and cling to the things that it tells you love is.
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
When you think of the word love, what or who do you think about? You probably think about your family right off the bat. You might have thought about Jesus. Maybe you put a couple of your favorite activities somewhere on your list. I'm sure we can all come up with a pretty good list of people and things that we would say we love, and I'll bet you that none of us would put the people who have wronged us on our lists but we're instructed to love them just the same as we love those closest to us. That passage up above tells us that it doesn't matter how Godly our actions look on the outside, if we don't have love in our hearts we have absolutely nothing, and we are absolutely nothing!
Pretty sobering for a guy like me who tends to get really ticked off when people act in ways with which I don't agree. We aren't just supposed to love those who make it easy for us to do so. If Jesus could sacrifice himself for all of us then what makes us think we are better judges of who is deserving of our love?
It isn't a persons actions that we're supposed to love, but their very being. Even when it isn't easy to do so, and maybe especially when it isn't easy to do so...that is when we need to turn the love on strongest. Everyone who has breath is but a single moment away from giving their life to Christ and He doesn't deal in degrees of sin. You are either forgiven and changed or you are not.
So allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with God's love. Allow yourself to let go of all of the things that verse up there says love is not and cling to the things that it tells you love is.
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
The Fruit Of...Kindness
Before we really begin today, let's take a look at the definition of kindness, taken from dictionary.com:
1. The state or quality of being kind: "kindness to animals".
2. A kind act; favor: "his many kindnesses to me".
3. Kind behavior: "I will never forget your kindness".
4. Friendly feeling; liking.
...and here are some synonyms for kindness:
benignity, benevolence, humanity, generosity, charity, sympathy, compassion, tenderness.
The Bible is ripe with instances of kindness. Jesus' life was one big ball of the ultimate kindness...giving us so much more than we really deserve. I think most of us have shown someone else kindness at one point at another, though I don't think it's possible to overdo it. No matter how often you show kindness, keep it up and do even more!
The fruit of kindness that we get from the Holy Spirit is one that allows us to encourage and benefit others with our talents and our resources. Jesus says that "whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me" so anytime you speak a kind word or give someone a ride or give to a charity, you are doing God's work. Giving is a sure sign of kindness and one that we can ALL take part in. Some of us will never get to minister to large congregations or write beautiful music that others will worship God with or go on an international mission trip...but there is so much we can do right here at home. Get out there and find the opportunities that your heart draws you to and offer your time, your money, and your talents to them and honor God with your kindness.
1. The state or quality of being kind: "kindness to animals".
2. A kind act; favor: "his many kindnesses to me".
3. Kind behavior: "I will never forget your kindness".
4. Friendly feeling; liking.
...and here are some synonyms for kindness:
benignity, benevolence, humanity, generosity, charity, sympathy, compassion, tenderness.
The Bible is ripe with instances of kindness. Jesus' life was one big ball of the ultimate kindness...giving us so much more than we really deserve. I think most of us have shown someone else kindness at one point at another, though I don't think it's possible to overdo it. No matter how often you show kindness, keep it up and do even more!
The fruit of kindness that we get from the Holy Spirit is one that allows us to encourage and benefit others with our talents and our resources. Jesus says that "whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me" so anytime you speak a kind word or give someone a ride or give to a charity, you are doing God's work. Giving is a sure sign of kindness and one that we can ALL take part in. Some of us will never get to minister to large congregations or write beautiful music that others will worship God with or go on an international mission trip...but there is so much we can do right here at home. Get out there and find the opportunities that your heart draws you to and offer your time, your money, and your talents to them and honor God with your kindness.
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