Why pray? I’ve been asking the Lord that question for years. Until now, I’ve never understood why we needed to pray. Now before you start calling me names, let me explain.
I’ve been taught that God is sovereign… that He is in control of the universe. Sovereignty means that God can do anything He wants to do… anyway He wants to do it… anytime He wants to do it… to accomplish any purpose He wants to accomplish because He is God. If God knows what is best for me… If God loves me perfectly… If God has a purpose and a destiny for me to fulfill… then why doesn’t God just do it. Why does He need me to pray and tell Him what to do and how to do it? Don’t tell me that you’ve never wondered the same thing.
Recently, the Lord has been teaching me about FREEDOM. He is real big on freedom. Think about it. Didn’t God tell Adam and Eve that they were FREE to eat from ANY tree in the Garden? You will find that in Genesis 2:16 if you want to look it up yourself. He told them not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, or they would die. They were free to eat it, but if they did, they would suffer the consequences because its fruit was poison to them.
In Deuteronomy chapter 28, God presents to His people a list of blessings and curses. Then he says in Deuteronomy 30:19-20 He says: “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now CHOOSE life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the Lord is your life…”
God has always given us the freedom to make our own choices. Granted, He designed the universe to operate according to specific principles, but we have the freedom to choose whether or not we will align ourselves with those principles. For example, God designed the force of gravity. If I choose to jump off a skyscraper, I will fall downward every time and the landing will be very abrupt. God allows me the freedom to choose whether I jump or not, but He doesn’t allow me to alter gravity. Understand?
God also created the spiritual order. He created life to function in specific ways. If we follow God’s design, we will live life as God intended with joy, peace and love. If we choose to do things contrary to God’s designed order, we will experience discord and pain. Ask Adam and Eve if you don’t believe me.
God created us to live in a perfect world in complete dependence upon Him for everything we would ever want or need. We were not created to live in a natural world that has fallen and been corrupted. Hence, our souls long to return to the perfection of the Garden where mankind lived carefree in the care of God because they lived in dependence upon God, not independently from Him. Trusting in ourselves rather than trusting God is the essence of SIN. Sin separates us from God, the Source of all Life, and is the reason mankind is LOST and needs to be SAVED.
Being “lost and saved” has nothing to do with being “good or bad.” The religious people of Jesus’ day were really “good.” They kept all of God’s rules, and yet Jesus called them “hypocrites and a brood of vipers.” Why? Because they were proud of their “goodness.” They believed they were SAVED because they deserved to be. They did not understand how lost they were because they believed they didn’t need saving. They depended upon their good works to save them.
Sin blinds us to the goodness of God (Isaiah 59:2). Sin also put us in bondage (2 Timothy 2:26). In Luke 4:18, Jesus said that He had come to proclaim FREEDOM for the captives. Galatians 5:1 says that “it is for FREEDOM that Christ has set us FREE.” However, true freedom is not found in trusting ourselves, but in trusting the Lord.
As God was teaching me about freedom, I came across a verse that rocked my world and totally changed my concept of prayer. Would you agree with me that God is LOVE? If so, I Corinthians 13 is a description of God. In verse 7, it says: “Love (God) always protects, ALWAYS TRUSTS, always hopes, always perseveres.” Did you see that? Love always TRUSTS.
Listen! True love trusts. In order to trust, I must give up control. If God is love, then He gives up control to the object of His love… that would be you and me. God knows that love cannot be love without FREEDOM. If I trust you, I give you FREEDOM to live and choose as you see fit. The moment I try to limit your freedom is the very moment I cease to love and trust you. That’s why God never limits our freedom. He trusts US!!! He gives up His right to control us and gives us freedom to choose. Can you imagine that? God trusts US with all our self-centeredness and flaws! WOW!
Now, what does all this FREEDOM stuff have to do with prayer? If God has given up His control to me because He loves and trusts me, then He is not controlling things as I had originally believed. Oh, yes, I believe God causes all things that happen to work together for the good of those who love and trust Him (Romans 8:28), but I don’t believe God over-rides our freedom to choose. He does not violate our will.
If God has given me control, then prayer is not telling Him what to do and how to do it. It is not controlling Him. Prayer is willingly giving control back to God so that He can sovereignly control the circumstances about which I am praying. Note that I said “circumstances,” not “people.” I wish my prayers could control people, don’t you? But remember, God will never violate a person’s freedom to choose.
Prayer is simply asking God to take back the control He gave to you so that His will, not yours, can be done. Let me illustrate Scripturally. When the disciples asked the Lord to teach them to pray, Jesus told them to pray this way: “Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your Kingdom come. Your WILL BE DONE, on earth, as it is in Heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10). Jesus told them to give control back to Papa… to ask Him to be in control in the circumstances on earth just as He is in control of Heaven.
Now when I pray, I ask the Lord to help people SEE their circumstances from His perspective… thru His eyes. Then I ask Him to give them grace to CHOOSE His way over theirs.
Life is all about perspective. That reminds me of two shoe salesmen who went to Africa to sell shoes. The first guy arrived and saw nobody wearing shoes. He called the company and told them he was coming home. There was no market in Africa because nobody wore shoes. The second salesmen arrived and called his company: “Send me all the shoes we’ve got! It’s a gold mine here! Nobody has any shoes!”
Paul knew how important perspective is when it comes to prayer. Note how he prayed: “Every time I prayed, I'd think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask — ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory — to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing Him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is He is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life He has for Christians” (Ephesians 1:16-18 MSG).
What we see determines what we shall be. Be careful what you see little eyes! Keep praying, Beloved!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Monday, May 31, 2010
The Graceline
I’ve had a lot of formal education, but I have learned the most about life from four-legged friends and those with wings and feathers. Papa has turned the animal kingdom into a seminary for me, and His creatures have become my professors.
My latest class began back before Christmas of 2009. One of our parishioners who rescues dogs called to inform me that someone had brought her a scraggly looking ten pounder they had found wandering around the neighborhood. After a couple of weeks, no one had claimed him even though she had put out flyers and ads in the paper. She just wanted to know if we knew of anyone who might give him a good home.
Wanda and I had been discussing the possibility of getting another dog for Gracie, our 5 year-old Havanese, who has to stay alone all day while we are at work. We thought another dog might enhance her social skills and give her some company during the day, but we never got serious about it... until Linda called.
When it came down to crunch time, Wanda began to get cold feet. It was a big decision. Whoever said two dogs were as easy to keep as one will lie about others things, too. So we prayed about it and waited. In the meantime, Pop came up for a visit, and we swung by Linda’s just to see what the dog looked like. He was a solid black, curly-haired fuzzball with a real zest for life. And yet he would snuggle his head up under your chin and let you stroke his back all day long… if you could catch him.
Linda told us that someone else had called and shown an interest in the dog. I figured that Papa had answered our prayer, and Gracie was going to remain an “only child.” Or so I thought.
The following Sunday at church, Linda told us that the interested party had decided not to take the little guy. So Marley became an Ashley. We named him Marley because his hair curled up in dreadlocks like the Rastafarian, Bob Marley. We are not Bob Marley fans, but we sure do love his namesake.
It wasn’t long until we discovered why Marley was a rescued dog. He was a “bolter.” Open the door and he’s out in a flash. We chased him down the road several times before establishing the habit of picking him up before we answer the door.
Marley had belonged to someone. He was healthy, well-kept and had a small collar with no ID. The vet said he was in great shape. I’m convinced that he snuck out of someone’s house and couldn’t find his way back. His journey led him to the Ashley home where he has become quite a fixture.
He is the antithesis of Gracie. Gracie is a girly girl. She is prim and proper. She goes wild whenever we come home rolling over on her back for her belly rub, but then she finds her spot on the couch and chills out. She doesn’t get in a hurry. She is a picky eater, and her Mom insists on feeding her by hand so she doesn’t starve. Wow, what a diva! She is socially maladjusted around people clinging to her Mama whenever we have company. She is a Mama’s girl.
Marley, on the other hand, is wide opened. The world is his oyster. He loves life. When we take him out to pee, he crouches down, ears perked scoping out the squirrel population. Then he drags me down the steps squealing like a little girl in hot pursuit of the retreating varmints. I don’t know what he would do if he caught one. They are as big as he is.
He may be little, but he has a heart as big as all outdoors. He never meets a stranger. Whenever we walk around the block, he runs up to dogs ten times his size and bites them on the ear. Then he will back off and do the Ali Shuffle. Then he will charge them again. He just wants somebody… anybody to play with him.
He loves to chase the water as Wanda hoses down the flowers. He will run from one end of the yard to the other biting at the spray and getting soaked. He loves to be dried off with a big towel. He will sit still as can be and let you rub him down. He will look up at you with those dark eyes and lick you right in the mouth as if to say, “Boy, that feels good. Please don’t stop!” I think he feels safe and secure wrapped up in the towel and held close.
He is especially fond of stuffed dog toys. He will shake it violently and dare you to take it away from him. When you do grab it and throw it, he will go fetch it until your arm gets tired. He is a trip.
Like all of us, Marley came with baggage. He was so insecure and afraid, he hid behind his playfulness. Whenever anyone would reach down to pet him, he would back off, crouch and lurch forward as if he wanted to play. He was just afraid. He was as jumpy as Don Knotts. The least little sound would cause him to jump up and bark. At some time or another, he must have been really scared. Fear will rob anyone of the joy of being loved.
It has taken a few months, but now you can reach down and stroke his back without him recoiling. He is learning that his family loves him and only wants to make him happy. It’s taken me years to learn that Papa loves me and only wants to make me happy. I, too, used to hide behind coping mechanisms in order to protect myself and avoid the possibility of pain and rejection.
I used to become aggravated if Marley would not come when called or wouldn’t let me pick him up to love on him. Papa gave us Marley to let me know how frustrating it can be when you really love someone, and they won’t allow you love them. Marley just didn’t understand how much we loved him. For years, I didn’t understand how much Papa loved me. Now, Marley and me (sounds like a movie title, doesn’t it?) are learning to trust one another. He’s learning to trust me, and I’m learning to trust Papa. He’s learning to relax in my love, and I’m learning to relax in Papa’s.
Marley is slowly becoming a Daddy’s boy. He follows me everywhere. He is lying on the floor right beside me now as I’m writing this. He just wants to be where I am. He’s learning that my love drives away his fear. Marley is a visual aid from Papa to teach me the same thing. I just want to be where He is. And He just wants to be where I am.
Marley and I are enjoying the journey together. Marley is teaching me that the journey IS the destination. Life is to be enjoyed one squirrel at a time. He is also teaching me that it’s far better to learn to dance in the rain than complain about the storm. Besides, getting dried off by your Master after the shower is the best part of all.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
The Graceline
I'm getting pretty sick and tired of all my friends having grandbabies, and we don't have a single one. They go on and on about their grandchildren like they are the only ones in the world. Just wait until mine and Wanda's get here. We just bought a digital camera in faith that someday we will have some. Just wanted to warn all you current grandparents. Picture day is coming from the Ashley's. Count on it.
Lynn, my niece, just had her first grandbaby girl. I held Lynn in my arms when she was a baby, and now she has a grandbaby before I have one. There is something wrong with that picture. Anyway, she said something that made me think about how much Papa really loves us.
Like all grandmas, she has pictures, and she's proud. She showed off her precious to a co-worker the other day and all they said was, "She's cute."
"CUTE?!?! You better look at those pictures again. There's nothing in those pictures that is cute! Puppies are cute! She is beautiful! I don't know what you're looking at!" Lynn straightened them out right quick.
I thought to myself... If my niece feels that way about her grandbaby girl, can God feel any other way about us? He IS love, you know. How did we ever get the idea that God was not crazy wild about us? I know that the bad taste in our mouth about the goodness of God came from the off-limits fruit in the garden, but why has that bad after-taste lingered so long?
God has gone out of His way to pursue a love relationship with us. Jesus, His Son, came to earth to show us the way God intended for us to live... carelessly free in His care. Jesus died breaking the power of sin (living independently from God rather than in dependence upon Him) and setting us free. Free to do what? LIVE! Live life to the MAX! To enjoy life like we've never enjoyed life before.
Some of us have been programmed to believe that God expects us to be perfect. To do everything right and never mess up in order to gain His love and acceptance. Let me ask you grandparents out there: Do your grandkids mess up your house? Do they mess their diapers? Do they cry when they don't get their way? Do you put your life on hold just to be around them? Honestly, are they perfect? Really?
Don't you act like a monkey around them just to see them belly laugh? I've seen sophisticated people do some things they would have died over before they had grandchildren. Now they do stupid stuff routinely. Why! Because they have grandchildren!
I've come to believe that the people who make a difference in your life are not the people you believe in, but the people who believe in you. Many people believe in God, but He doesn't make much difference in their life. But those rare people who understand that God believes in them, they are the joyous, "live-life-wide-open" people who savor every drop of life, who are not afraid to fail, who take time to see the beauty of the world all around them. They enjoy the life Jesus died and rose again to give them. They don't take it for granted. They laugh out loud and are not afraid to cry when they are hurt, sad or mad. They live and love one minute at at time. They live carlessly in the care of God. Kinda like grandparents and grandchildren.
I'd like to leave you with some idea of how grandchildren view grandparents. Hope it brings a smile to your face... maybe even a belly laugh or a tear... both are cleansing for the soul.
• Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little children of their own but they like other people's.
• Grandparents don't have to do anything except be there when we come to see them.
• Grandparents are so old they shouldn't play hard or run but it is good if they drive us to the shops and give us money.
• Grandparents take us for walks and they slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillers.
• Grandparents show us things and talk to us about the color of the flowers and also why we shouldn't step on the sidewalk "cracks."
• Grandparents don't say, "Hurry up."
• Usually grandmothers are fat but not too fat to tie your shoes.
• Grandparents wear glasses and they can take their teeth and gums out.
• Grandparents always have time to answer our questions and they always know all the right answers to everything because they have lived a long time.
• When grandparents read to us, they don't skip and they don't mind if we ask for the same story over again.
• Everybody should try to have grandparents, especially if you don't have television, because they are the only grown ups who like to spend time with us.
• Grandparents know we should have snack-time before bedtime and they say prayers with us every time and kiss us even when we've acted badly.
I've heard it said that God has no grandchildren, but He sure does act like one. You think about that, Beloved.
Lynn, my niece, just had her first grandbaby girl. I held Lynn in my arms when she was a baby, and now she has a grandbaby before I have one. There is something wrong with that picture. Anyway, she said something that made me think about how much Papa really loves us.
Like all grandmas, she has pictures, and she's proud. She showed off her precious to a co-worker the other day and all they said was, "She's cute."
"CUTE?!?! You better look at those pictures again. There's nothing in those pictures that is cute! Puppies are cute! She is beautiful! I don't know what you're looking at!" Lynn straightened them out right quick.
I thought to myself... If my niece feels that way about her grandbaby girl, can God feel any other way about us? He IS love, you know. How did we ever get the idea that God was not crazy wild about us? I know that the bad taste in our mouth about the goodness of God came from the off-limits fruit in the garden, but why has that bad after-taste lingered so long?
God has gone out of His way to pursue a love relationship with us. Jesus, His Son, came to earth to show us the way God intended for us to live... carelessly free in His care. Jesus died breaking the power of sin (living independently from God rather than in dependence upon Him) and setting us free. Free to do what? LIVE! Live life to the MAX! To enjoy life like we've never enjoyed life before.
Some of us have been programmed to believe that God expects us to be perfect. To do everything right and never mess up in order to gain His love and acceptance. Let me ask you grandparents out there: Do your grandkids mess up your house? Do they mess their diapers? Do they cry when they don't get their way? Do you put your life on hold just to be around them? Honestly, are they perfect? Really?
Don't you act like a monkey around them just to see them belly laugh? I've seen sophisticated people do some things they would have died over before they had grandchildren. Now they do stupid stuff routinely. Why! Because they have grandchildren!
I've come to believe that the people who make a difference in your life are not the people you believe in, but the people who believe in you. Many people believe in God, but He doesn't make much difference in their life. But those rare people who understand that God believes in them, they are the joyous, "live-life-wide-open" people who savor every drop of life, who are not afraid to fail, who take time to see the beauty of the world all around them. They enjoy the life Jesus died and rose again to give them. They don't take it for granted. They laugh out loud and are not afraid to cry when they are hurt, sad or mad. They live and love one minute at at time. They live carlessly in the care of God. Kinda like grandparents and grandchildren.
I'd like to leave you with some idea of how grandchildren view grandparents. Hope it brings a smile to your face... maybe even a belly laugh or a tear... both are cleansing for the soul.
• Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little children of their own but they like other people's.
• Grandparents don't have to do anything except be there when we come to see them.
• Grandparents are so old they shouldn't play hard or run but it is good if they drive us to the shops and give us money.
• Grandparents take us for walks and they slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillers.
• Grandparents show us things and talk to us about the color of the flowers and also why we shouldn't step on the sidewalk "cracks."
• Grandparents don't say, "Hurry up."
• Usually grandmothers are fat but not too fat to tie your shoes.
• Grandparents wear glasses and they can take their teeth and gums out.
• Grandparents always have time to answer our questions and they always know all the right answers to everything because they have lived a long time.
• When grandparents read to us, they don't skip and they don't mind if we ask for the same story over again.
• Everybody should try to have grandparents, especially if you don't have television, because they are the only grown ups who like to spend time with us.
• Grandparents know we should have snack-time before bedtime and they say prayers with us every time and kiss us even when we've acted badly.
I've heard it said that God has no grandchildren, but He sure does act like one. You think about that, Beloved.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
The Graceline
Once upon a time, a foolish king complained that the rough ground hurt his feet. He ordered the whole country to be carpeted.
A wise man countered: "Your majesty, why all this needless expense. Why not cut out two small pads to protect your feet."
And that is what the king did. And that is how the idea of shoes was born.
We live in a fallen world where pain is inevitable, but misery is optional. God has given us everything we need to live an abundant life of joy and godliness thru Christ Jesus, our Lord. It's a matter of attitude. Much of our perceived pain stems for focusing on what we don't have, rather than enjoying the things we do have.
Beloved, it is better to put on a pair of shoes than to carpet the whole world. You think about that.
A wise man countered: "Your majesty, why all this needless expense. Why not cut out two small pads to protect your feet."
And that is what the king did. And that is how the idea of shoes was born.
We live in a fallen world where pain is inevitable, but misery is optional. God has given us everything we need to live an abundant life of joy and godliness thru Christ Jesus, our Lord. It's a matter of attitude. Much of our perceived pain stems for focusing on what we don't have, rather than enjoying the things we do have.
Beloved, it is better to put on a pair of shoes than to carpet the whole world. You think about that.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
The Graceline
When elephants are just babies, trainers tie the end of a rope around one of their ankles and attach the other end to a huge tent peg. The baby tries and tries to get away but to no avail. Restriction and captivity become a given. Eventually, he ceases to make any attempt to escape and accepts his lot in life.
Over time the “tiny” elephant grows into a mammoth creature with enough power to snap the rope with a single twitch of his mighty leg. However, because he still believes he can't get away, he never even tries. He has grown tremendously in every aspect but is still held hostage by what he wrongly believes to be true.
“Stinking thinking” is not unique to elephants. Fleas suffer the same affliction. If you put some fleas in a mason jar, they will jump up trying to escape. Repeatedly they bang their heads on the lid until they also ingrain the fatal thought pattern. They learn how high to jump before they reach the lid in order to avoid a headache. That height becomes their “terminal” altitude. Terminal in more ways than one. They believe they cannot jump any higher without painful consequences. Having “trained” the fleas to live within limits, you can take the lid off and they will never jump out. They live in captivity while having everything they need to escape to freedom.
Growing up, I was a pretty good athlete, but I didn't think I was good. As a quarterback, I could throw the ball where it needed to be thrown. I would hear commentators talk about the talent it took for great quarterbacks to throw the ball that way, and I took it for granted that anybody could do it. I believed everybody had more talent, more intelligence, more gifts, more everything than me.
Like the elephant and the fleas, I never took risks. I feared failure. I believed failure meant you were a terrible person. I avoided trying anything that might draw criticism. And if I did try, I overachieved because, to me, success or failure was a matter of life or death. I did do a lot of things people thought I should do because success brought the blessing of approval, appreciation and acceptance. Nevertheless, I never enjoyed much of anything I ever did. I was always too afraid to let go of my worries and just live life come what may.
I'm older now. Much older. To be politically correct (I hate the term by the way), I am chronologically gifted. They say that experience is the comb you get when you are bald. But listen to me, you are never to old to enjoy your second-childhood, or your first one if you never had the chance to enjoy it. Here's what Papa is teaching me. Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks?
God has given us everything we need for life and godliness thru our Lord Jesus (2 Peter 1:3). Jesus said, Himself, that the reason He came to earth was to give us life and life more abundantly (John 10:10). So we make a few mistakes. God knows we are not going to get it right all the time. He is good with that. "As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him. He certainly knows what we are made of. He bears in mind that we are dust" (Psalm 103:13-14 GWT).
God knows that we learn how to trust and depend upon Him by making mistakes, not being perfect. We have to learn what works and what doesn't work in life. That lesson is only learned by living. Nobody ever learned to swim without getting wet. You just have to dive in. Sure you might get some water up your nose, but swimming is a lot of fun. And knowing how to swim could save you life if you happen to fall in over your head which is where I find myself quite a lot.
What is keeping you from enjoying the abundant life? Whatever it is, it inevitably has to do with your attitude. Life is what you make it. When life hands you lemons, you can pucker up and make an ugly face, or you can make lemmonade. You can light a candle, or you can curse the darkness. The choice is up to you. You can do all things thru Christ Who strengthens you. No, you can't jump over the moon, or climb Mount Everest in street shoes and gym shorts, but you can live and enjoy the life God gave to YOU. That is why he gave it to you. Go live and quit worrying about what people think. They are just as messed up as you are, and Papa loves them just as much as He loves you. They have a right to be wrong, too.
One of my favorites country/pop singers is Roger Miller, another one of my chronologically gifted comrades. One of his songs goes something like this:
Oh, you can't roller skate in a buffalo herd. You can't go fishing in a watermelon patch. You can't go swimming in a baseball pool. But you can be happy if you've a mind to. All you gotta do is put your mind to it. Knuckle down. Buckle down. Do it! Do it! Do it!
Happiness is a choice, and you are the only one choosing for YOU.
Over time the “tiny” elephant grows into a mammoth creature with enough power to snap the rope with a single twitch of his mighty leg. However, because he still believes he can't get away, he never even tries. He has grown tremendously in every aspect but is still held hostage by what he wrongly believes to be true.
“Stinking thinking” is not unique to elephants. Fleas suffer the same affliction. If you put some fleas in a mason jar, they will jump up trying to escape. Repeatedly they bang their heads on the lid until they also ingrain the fatal thought pattern. They learn how high to jump before they reach the lid in order to avoid a headache. That height becomes their “terminal” altitude. Terminal in more ways than one. They believe they cannot jump any higher without painful consequences. Having “trained” the fleas to live within limits, you can take the lid off and they will never jump out. They live in captivity while having everything they need to escape to freedom.
Growing up, I was a pretty good athlete, but I didn't think I was good. As a quarterback, I could throw the ball where it needed to be thrown. I would hear commentators talk about the talent it took for great quarterbacks to throw the ball that way, and I took it for granted that anybody could do it. I believed everybody had more talent, more intelligence, more gifts, more everything than me.
Like the elephant and the fleas, I never took risks. I feared failure. I believed failure meant you were a terrible person. I avoided trying anything that might draw criticism. And if I did try, I overachieved because, to me, success or failure was a matter of life or death. I did do a lot of things people thought I should do because success brought the blessing of approval, appreciation and acceptance. Nevertheless, I never enjoyed much of anything I ever did. I was always too afraid to let go of my worries and just live life come what may.
I'm older now. Much older. To be politically correct (I hate the term by the way), I am chronologically gifted. They say that experience is the comb you get when you are bald. But listen to me, you are never to old to enjoy your second-childhood, or your first one if you never had the chance to enjoy it. Here's what Papa is teaching me. Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks?
God has given us everything we need for life and godliness thru our Lord Jesus (2 Peter 1:3). Jesus said, Himself, that the reason He came to earth was to give us life and life more abundantly (John 10:10). So we make a few mistakes. God knows we are not going to get it right all the time. He is good with that. "As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him. He certainly knows what we are made of. He bears in mind that we are dust" (Psalm 103:13-14 GWT).
God knows that we learn how to trust and depend upon Him by making mistakes, not being perfect. We have to learn what works and what doesn't work in life. That lesson is only learned by living. Nobody ever learned to swim without getting wet. You just have to dive in. Sure you might get some water up your nose, but swimming is a lot of fun. And knowing how to swim could save you life if you happen to fall in over your head which is where I find myself quite a lot.
What is keeping you from enjoying the abundant life? Whatever it is, it inevitably has to do with your attitude. Life is what you make it. When life hands you lemons, you can pucker up and make an ugly face, or you can make lemmonade. You can light a candle, or you can curse the darkness. The choice is up to you. You can do all things thru Christ Who strengthens you. No, you can't jump over the moon, or climb Mount Everest in street shoes and gym shorts, but you can live and enjoy the life God gave to YOU. That is why he gave it to you. Go live and quit worrying about what people think. They are just as messed up as you are, and Papa loves them just as much as He loves you. They have a right to be wrong, too.
One of my favorites country/pop singers is Roger Miller, another one of my chronologically gifted comrades. One of his songs goes something like this:
Oh, you can't roller skate in a buffalo herd. You can't go fishing in a watermelon patch. You can't go swimming in a baseball pool. But you can be happy if you've a mind to. All you gotta do is put your mind to it. Knuckle down. Buckle down. Do it! Do it! Do it!
Happiness is a choice, and you are the only one choosing for YOU.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
The Graceline
A young lumberjack had a dream of being the best wood cutter in the world. He traveled to the great forests of the northwest and hired on with a logging crew. He was a man's man and disdained modern equipment. He used only his trusty double-sided axe. A logging company foreman hired him on probation with much skepticism knowing that the proud young man could not keep up with the chain saws. Nevertheless, he gave him his chance.
On Monday, the young Paul Bunyan “want-to-be” cut twice as much wood as the whole crew. On Tuesday, he cut as much wood as the crew. On Wednesday, he cut only half as much. On Thursday, he could barely keep up. On Friday, the foreman called him in to fire him.
“Why are you firing me? I work harder than any ten men. I get here early, and I leave late. I never take a break or even stop for lunch. I don't understand,” the angry young logger shouted.
“No question about it. You do work harder than the others, but you don't work smarter. No matter how hard you work, it will never be enough to overcome the resistance of a dull axe. You have to take time to sharpen your axe. It is not wasted time. It is a necessity. Every minute you spend sharpening your axe increases your productivity tenfold. Come back to see me when you learn to work smarter, not harder,” replied the wise old logger.
I can sympathize with this young Paul Bunyan. I was programmed at an early age to get all your work done before you play or rest. Mama required me to get my homework as soon as I got home from school before I could go up the the neighbor's house and play ball. That tape keeps playing in my ears until this very day. As a pastor, your work is never done. There is always sermons to prepare, hospitals to visit, people to counsel, funerals and weddings to perform, meeting to attend... ad infinitum.
Relax? That's for slackards and lazy people. Work. Perform. You can rest when you get to Heaven. I had rather burn-out than rust-out. That's been my motto, but I don't think it's God's.
Jesus took as many a 10 retreats in His 3+ years on earth, and He never missed taking a Sabbath rest each and every week. He often retreated away from the clamoring multitudes to spend time with His Papa. Now, if Jesus needed to get away to rest and sharpen His axe, how much more do we need to do the same.
I'm stubborn and hard-headed. Ask Wanda. But God loves me and never gives up on teaching me that His ways are better than my ways. After 25 years in ministry in which I was never away from the church for more than six days at a time, I just crashed and burned. My “stinking thinking” kept lying to me that the church would collapse if I didn't keep it going. Talk about pride, not to mention stupidity! I got to the place where I could not keep my thoughts straight. I would lose my train of thought in mid-sentence. I lost my joy, my peace and my zest for life. I could not motivate myself to do anything... not even things I really enjoyed like golf, fishing and eating. I've been there before, but my work ethic just plowed right on thru, and I just kept on plodding along. This time, I couldn't make it happen.
By God's grace, He is re-programming me. I am not indispensable. Life can and will go on with or without me. I've learned the lesson of the water bucket. Whenever you think the world will grind to a halt without you, take a bucket of water and stick your hand down into it. Pull it out and the size of the hole that's left in the water will be how much you will be missed.
Now I'm not saying that people are not important. What I'm saying is that life is meant to be lived and enjoyed. If our work is not moving us toward that purpose, then our work has no meaning. Meaningless work will wear you out if you don't step back now and then to gain perspective.
I've been away from the church for two and a half weeks now. The muddiness of my clogged mind is starting to settle, and I am seeing life from a different and better perspective. I am very appreciative of my church family understanding and loving me enough to allow me this sabbath rest. I will return, Lord willing, on Sunday morning, February 7, at New Beginnings for my first sermon of the series: Running on E! I'll be sharing my experience of trying to live life with an empty tank and hopefully God will give us some high octane fuel to get us up and running again at peak efficiency.
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly” (Matthew 11:28-30 MSG).
I think I'll take Jesus up on that walk. Want to join us?
On Monday, the young Paul Bunyan “want-to-be” cut twice as much wood as the whole crew. On Tuesday, he cut as much wood as the crew. On Wednesday, he cut only half as much. On Thursday, he could barely keep up. On Friday, the foreman called him in to fire him.
“Why are you firing me? I work harder than any ten men. I get here early, and I leave late. I never take a break or even stop for lunch. I don't understand,” the angry young logger shouted.
“No question about it. You do work harder than the others, but you don't work smarter. No matter how hard you work, it will never be enough to overcome the resistance of a dull axe. You have to take time to sharpen your axe. It is not wasted time. It is a necessity. Every minute you spend sharpening your axe increases your productivity tenfold. Come back to see me when you learn to work smarter, not harder,” replied the wise old logger.
I can sympathize with this young Paul Bunyan. I was programmed at an early age to get all your work done before you play or rest. Mama required me to get my homework as soon as I got home from school before I could go up the the neighbor's house and play ball. That tape keeps playing in my ears until this very day. As a pastor, your work is never done. There is always sermons to prepare, hospitals to visit, people to counsel, funerals and weddings to perform, meeting to attend... ad infinitum.
Relax? That's for slackards and lazy people. Work. Perform. You can rest when you get to Heaven. I had rather burn-out than rust-out. That's been my motto, but I don't think it's God's.
Jesus took as many a 10 retreats in His 3+ years on earth, and He never missed taking a Sabbath rest each and every week. He often retreated away from the clamoring multitudes to spend time with His Papa. Now, if Jesus needed to get away to rest and sharpen His axe, how much more do we need to do the same.
I'm stubborn and hard-headed. Ask Wanda. But God loves me and never gives up on teaching me that His ways are better than my ways. After 25 years in ministry in which I was never away from the church for more than six days at a time, I just crashed and burned. My “stinking thinking” kept lying to me that the church would collapse if I didn't keep it going. Talk about pride, not to mention stupidity! I got to the place where I could not keep my thoughts straight. I would lose my train of thought in mid-sentence. I lost my joy, my peace and my zest for life. I could not motivate myself to do anything... not even things I really enjoyed like golf, fishing and eating. I've been there before, but my work ethic just plowed right on thru, and I just kept on plodding along. This time, I couldn't make it happen.
By God's grace, He is re-programming me. I am not indispensable. Life can and will go on with or without me. I've learned the lesson of the water bucket. Whenever you think the world will grind to a halt without you, take a bucket of water and stick your hand down into it. Pull it out and the size of the hole that's left in the water will be how much you will be missed.
Now I'm not saying that people are not important. What I'm saying is that life is meant to be lived and enjoyed. If our work is not moving us toward that purpose, then our work has no meaning. Meaningless work will wear you out if you don't step back now and then to gain perspective.
I've been away from the church for two and a half weeks now. The muddiness of my clogged mind is starting to settle, and I am seeing life from a different and better perspective. I am very appreciative of my church family understanding and loving me enough to allow me this sabbath rest. I will return, Lord willing, on Sunday morning, February 7, at New Beginnings for my first sermon of the series: Running on E! I'll be sharing my experience of trying to live life with an empty tank and hopefully God will give us some high octane fuel to get us up and running again at peak efficiency.
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly” (Matthew 11:28-30 MSG).
I think I'll take Jesus up on that walk. Want to join us?
The Graceline
"By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life" (2 Peter 1:3 NLT).
"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment" (1 Timothy 6:17 NIV).
"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13 NIV).
"So don't be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom" (Luke 12:32 NLT).
Do these verses make God out to be a "cosmic killjoy" Who is holding out on us and keeping the good stuff for Himself? Notice the key word: EVERYTHING! God is holding nothing back. As a matter of fact, it delights Him to give us His entire Kingdom.
So why don't we enjoy life? Why do we worry? Why are we anxious when we are King's Kids? Our Papa owns the universe.
My problem has always been one of trust. I used to think that all God wanted was my obedience. I was wrong. The thing God has wanted from each us all the way back to Adam and Eve is our trust. God knows if we trust Him, obedience will not be an issue. If we believe... really believe, not just give mental assent... then all things a possible to them who believe.
To believe, according to the Bible, means "to cling to, trust in, rely upon, put your whole weight upon." To believe means that we take God seriously and act on what He says. It's one thing to say you know that God will provide everything you need when you don't need anything. It's a different matter when you are in real need. What makes the difference?
Faith is an action word. Faith is not passive. It steps out on what it trusts. Faith is believing it's so, even though it's not so, so it can be so, because God said it is so. To put it another way: Faith is believing something is, even though it's not, so it can be because God said it was.
Jesus said He came so that we might have life and have more abundantly, to the max, over the top (John 10:10). Life is meant to be lived. It is not a spectator sport. It is not a dress rehearsal.
Life is a mixture of joy and sorrow. Sorrow is the dark threads the weaver weaves so that the vivid colors stand out. Punky Brewster theology: "How can you know when you're happy if you're never ever sad." To live life, you have to take some risks. Sometimes life hurts. It's the way it is in a fallen world. Life lived in a bubble to avoid pain is not worth living. You will never begin to live until you are not afraid to die.
One reason we don't enjoy life is fear. We are afraid we might get hurt, or make a mistake. We are afraid God will punish us, or be disappointed in us. And many of us spend our lives trying to avoid messing up rather than simply diving in and savoring all the pleasures of life that God has given us to enjoy.
God delights in our mistakes. What are you talking about, Kenny? I mean that God knows the only way we will ever come to trust Him is to realize we can't trust ourselves. Jesus said that we couldn't do a thing without Him. He is expecting us to mess up when we are trusting our own strength and wisdom. God is not disillusioned with us because He never had the illusion that we could make it without Him in the first place.
I'm pretty old now. When I was a kid, I used to think people died at my age. And I have lived this long and have never really lived because of fear. God says that when we know how much He loves and accepts us, fear will go completely away. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to live... really live... carefree in the care of God! Wow! I'm going to start living what I believe and put some feet on my faith. I ain't skeered, are you?
Nobody ever got drunk on the word, "wine." You think about that.
"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment" (1 Timothy 6:17 NIV).
"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13 NIV).
"So don't be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom" (Luke 12:32 NLT).
Do these verses make God out to be a "cosmic killjoy" Who is holding out on us and keeping the good stuff for Himself? Notice the key word: EVERYTHING! God is holding nothing back. As a matter of fact, it delights Him to give us His entire Kingdom.
So why don't we enjoy life? Why do we worry? Why are we anxious when we are King's Kids? Our Papa owns the universe.
My problem has always been one of trust. I used to think that all God wanted was my obedience. I was wrong. The thing God has wanted from each us all the way back to Adam and Eve is our trust. God knows if we trust Him, obedience will not be an issue. If we believe... really believe, not just give mental assent... then all things a possible to them who believe.
To believe, according to the Bible, means "to cling to, trust in, rely upon, put your whole weight upon." To believe means that we take God seriously and act on what He says. It's one thing to say you know that God will provide everything you need when you don't need anything. It's a different matter when you are in real need. What makes the difference?
Faith is an action word. Faith is not passive. It steps out on what it trusts. Faith is believing it's so, even though it's not so, so it can be so, because God said it is so. To put it another way: Faith is believing something is, even though it's not, so it can be because God said it was.
Jesus said He came so that we might have life and have more abundantly, to the max, over the top (John 10:10). Life is meant to be lived. It is not a spectator sport. It is not a dress rehearsal.
Life is a mixture of joy and sorrow. Sorrow is the dark threads the weaver weaves so that the vivid colors stand out. Punky Brewster theology: "How can you know when you're happy if you're never ever sad." To live life, you have to take some risks. Sometimes life hurts. It's the way it is in a fallen world. Life lived in a bubble to avoid pain is not worth living. You will never begin to live until you are not afraid to die.
One reason we don't enjoy life is fear. We are afraid we might get hurt, or make a mistake. We are afraid God will punish us, or be disappointed in us. And many of us spend our lives trying to avoid messing up rather than simply diving in and savoring all the pleasures of life that God has given us to enjoy.
God delights in our mistakes. What are you talking about, Kenny? I mean that God knows the only way we will ever come to trust Him is to realize we can't trust ourselves. Jesus said that we couldn't do a thing without Him. He is expecting us to mess up when we are trusting our own strength and wisdom. God is not disillusioned with us because He never had the illusion that we could make it without Him in the first place.
I'm pretty old now. When I was a kid, I used to think people died at my age. And I have lived this long and have never really lived because of fear. God says that when we know how much He loves and accepts us, fear will go completely away. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to live... really live... carefree in the care of God! Wow! I'm going to start living what I believe and put some feet on my faith. I ain't skeered, are you?
Nobody ever got drunk on the word, "wine." You think about that.
The Graceline
A visitor to an insane asylum found a man in the gathering space rocking back and forth in a rocking chair muttering repeatedly, "Vanessa, Vanessa...." in a soft,contented manner.
"What's his problem," he asked the doctor.
"Vanessa. She is the woman who jilted him and broke his heart," the doctor replied.
As they toured the facility, they came to a padded cell whose occupant was banging his head over and over against the wall and moaning, "Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa..."
"Is Vanessa this man's problem, too?" asked the visitor.
"Yes, she is. He is the one Vanessa finally married." said the doctor.
There are only two afflictions in life: not getting what you want and getting what you want.
Have you ever thought that the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence because it has a lot more manure on it? You think about that!
"What's his problem," he asked the doctor.
"Vanessa. She is the woman who jilted him and broke his heart," the doctor replied.
As they toured the facility, they came to a padded cell whose occupant was banging his head over and over against the wall and moaning, "Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa..."
"Is Vanessa this man's problem, too?" asked the visitor.
"Yes, she is. He is the one Vanessa finally married." said the doctor.
There are only two afflictions in life: not getting what you want and getting what you want.
Have you ever thought that the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence because it has a lot more manure on it? You think about that!
The Graceline
A visitor to an insane asylum found a man in the gathering space rocking back and forth in a rocking chair muttering repeatedly, "Vanessa, Vanessa...." in a soft,contented manner.
"What's his problem," he asked the doctor.
"Vanessa. She is the woman who jilted him and broke his heart," the doctor replied.
As they toured the facility, they came to a padded cell whose occupant was banging his head over and over against the wall and moaning, "Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa..."
"Is Vanessa this man's problem, too?" asked the visitor.
"Yes, she is. He is the one Vanessa finally married." said the doctor.
There are only two afflictions in life: not getting what you want and getting what you want.
Have you ever thought that the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence because it has a lot more manure on it? You think about that!
"What's his problem," he asked the doctor.
"Vanessa. She is the woman who jilted him and broke his heart," the doctor replied.
As they toured the facility, they came to a padded cell whose occupant was banging his head over and over against the wall and moaning, "Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa..."
"Is Vanessa this man's problem, too?" asked the visitor.
"Yes, she is. He is the one Vanessa finally married." said the doctor.
There are only two afflictions in life: not getting what you want and getting what you want.
Have you ever thought that the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence because it has a lot more manure on it? You think about that!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
The Graceline
Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. ---Matthew 24:12-13
Consider if you will the postage stamp. Its total usefulness consists in its ability to stick to one thing until it gets done. I have not looked looked it up, but has the word, commitment, been deleted from the dictionary? Even postage stamps are useless without commitment, or as I like to call it... stick-to-it-ivity. I don’t see much of that today.
You may have heard the story of the hen and the pig walking past a country church one day. There was a sign in the yard that said: Ham & Egg Breakfast Sunday, 7:00 a.m. The hen said to the pig, “Sounds good, to me. Why don’t we drop by and make a contribution for the breakfast?”
The pig replied, “It may be just a contribution for you, but for me, it’s total commitment!”
Where have all our heroes gone? What ever happened to our role models? Where are the men and women of courage, character and commitment who forged ahead against overwhelming opposition to clear the way for others to follow? In the past, there were a few willing to make the sacrifice for the good of others. Today, there are practically none. Why?
In 1945, there were no Blacks in major league baseball. A young Black man of extraordinary talent and intestinal fortitude began to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Branch Richey of the Dodgers took the young man aside and gave him the following prophecy: “It won’t be easy. You’ll be heckled from the bench. They’ll call you every name in the book. The pitchers will throw at your head. They’ll make it plain they don’t like you, and they’ll try to make it so tough that you’ll give it all up and quit. But you won’t fight back either. You’ll have to take everything they dish out and never strike back. Do you have the guts it will take?” (Hal Butler, Sports Heroes Who Wouldn’t Quit [New York: Simon & Shuster, Inc., 1973], p.46)
Jackie Robinson did, indeed, have the “guts.” Not only did he survive, but he surpassed many of the game’s greats. In 1947, he was the National League’s Rookie of the Year, and in 1949, the Most Valuable Player. He is now a member of the Hall of Fame. Because Jackie was willing to “take the lick” to open the door of opportunity, many players of all races and ethnic groups are professional athletes today.
There was another young man several hundred years ago that was born in humble beginnings. His parents were slandered in the rumor mill because His mom was pregnant and not officially married. He carried the stigma of being an illegitimate child the rest of His life. He was born in a smelly stable among sheep and cows. He grew up with dirt under His nails and splinters in His fingers serving as a carpenter’s apprentice with His dad. He grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man until He entered the ministry at the age of thirty. Then He was driven into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by the devil for forty days. When He came back in the power of the Spirit, the religious establishment slandered, mocked and tried to kill Him for over three years. He was misunderstood, ridiculed, mocked, mistreated, betrayed and ultimately crucified. And He never did a single thing wrong. While nailed to a cross, He even lost sight of His Father God. Nevertheless, He hung there. He never entertained the thought of coming down. For you see, it was not nails that kept Him on the cross. It was love. The first cousin of love is commitment.
Jesus could have called it quits and ended His suffering, but He was totally committed to His Father’s will as well as to you and me. He blazed the trail.
Watchman Nee once said,“Every suffering Jesus bore ripened into the fruit of obedience. No suffering of any kind was ever able to stir Him to murmuring or fretting.” Jesus never griped much less entertained thoughts of giving up.
How about you? What things in your life are most important to you? How committed are you to them? Are you willing to die for them? Is there anything that means everything to you? There are two kinds of people in the world: trail blazers and pathfinders. Those who take the road less traveled and those who take the broad way. There are those who make a difference, and those to whom it makes no difference. Which one are you?
Consider if you will the postage stamp. Its total usefulness consists in its ability to stick to one thing until it gets done. I have not looked looked it up, but has the word, commitment, been deleted from the dictionary? Even postage stamps are useless without commitment, or as I like to call it... stick-to-it-ivity. I don’t see much of that today.
You may have heard the story of the hen and the pig walking past a country church one day. There was a sign in the yard that said: Ham & Egg Breakfast Sunday, 7:00 a.m. The hen said to the pig, “Sounds good, to me. Why don’t we drop by and make a contribution for the breakfast?”
The pig replied, “It may be just a contribution for you, but for me, it’s total commitment!”
Where have all our heroes gone? What ever happened to our role models? Where are the men and women of courage, character and commitment who forged ahead against overwhelming opposition to clear the way for others to follow? In the past, there were a few willing to make the sacrifice for the good of others. Today, there are practically none. Why?
In 1945, there were no Blacks in major league baseball. A young Black man of extraordinary talent and intestinal fortitude began to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Branch Richey of the Dodgers took the young man aside and gave him the following prophecy: “It won’t be easy. You’ll be heckled from the bench. They’ll call you every name in the book. The pitchers will throw at your head. They’ll make it plain they don’t like you, and they’ll try to make it so tough that you’ll give it all up and quit. But you won’t fight back either. You’ll have to take everything they dish out and never strike back. Do you have the guts it will take?” (Hal Butler, Sports Heroes Who Wouldn’t Quit [New York: Simon & Shuster, Inc., 1973], p.46)
Jackie Robinson did, indeed, have the “guts.” Not only did he survive, but he surpassed many of the game’s greats. In 1947, he was the National League’s Rookie of the Year, and in 1949, the Most Valuable Player. He is now a member of the Hall of Fame. Because Jackie was willing to “take the lick” to open the door of opportunity, many players of all races and ethnic groups are professional athletes today.
There was another young man several hundred years ago that was born in humble beginnings. His parents were slandered in the rumor mill because His mom was pregnant and not officially married. He carried the stigma of being an illegitimate child the rest of His life. He was born in a smelly stable among sheep and cows. He grew up with dirt under His nails and splinters in His fingers serving as a carpenter’s apprentice with His dad. He grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man until He entered the ministry at the age of thirty. Then He was driven into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by the devil for forty days. When He came back in the power of the Spirit, the religious establishment slandered, mocked and tried to kill Him for over three years. He was misunderstood, ridiculed, mocked, mistreated, betrayed and ultimately crucified. And He never did a single thing wrong. While nailed to a cross, He even lost sight of His Father God. Nevertheless, He hung there. He never entertained the thought of coming down. For you see, it was not nails that kept Him on the cross. It was love. The first cousin of love is commitment.
Jesus could have called it quits and ended His suffering, but He was totally committed to His Father’s will as well as to you and me. He blazed the trail.
Watchman Nee once said,“Every suffering Jesus bore ripened into the fruit of obedience. No suffering of any kind was ever able to stir Him to murmuring or fretting.” Jesus never griped much less entertained thoughts of giving up.
How about you? What things in your life are most important to you? How committed are you to them? Are you willing to die for them? Is there anything that means everything to you? There are two kinds of people in the world: trail blazers and pathfinders. Those who take the road less traveled and those who take the broad way. There are those who make a difference, and those to whom it makes no difference. Which one are you?
Friday, November 6, 2009
The Graceline
This was written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio. Ms. Regina said: “To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more.”
This common sense, down-to-earth wisdom is too good not to pass along, especially since it stands in such stark contrast to the world gone brain-dead in which we find ourselves these days.
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative – dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you are loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."
I’ll add one more of my own.
Why are you still keeping score when God stopped keeping score at Calvary?
Blessings to you all who read The Graceline. I appreciate your listening to ramblings of a sojourner who’s trying not to miss the joy of life while searching for it. Carpe diem, Beloved.
This common sense, down-to-earth wisdom is too good not to pass along, especially since it stands in such stark contrast to the world gone brain-dead in which we find ourselves these days.
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative – dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you are loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."
I’ll add one more of my own.
Why are you still keeping score when God stopped keeping score at Calvary?
Blessings to you all who read The Graceline. I appreciate your listening to ramblings of a sojourner who’s trying not to miss the joy of life while searching for it. Carpe diem, Beloved.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
The Graceline
Do you know how much Jesus loves you? Do you really? I don’t think anybody can comprehend fully how much He loves us.
Ponder with me for a minute. Shame is a primary obstacle to our relationship with God. Guilt is different from shame. Guilt says I DID something wrong. Shame says I AM wrong. Shame leads to hopelessness. Shame is a deep feeling of contamination, uncleanness and yuckiness. Shame causes you to feel like you don’t belong; like you’re not supposed to be here. A feeling that you have to work twice as hard to get ½ as much accomplished. Shame makes you feel like a caterpillar in a butterfly world.
Shame comes when the important people in our lives curse our identity. This brings on a fear of abandonment, of being all alone, and of not being taken care of. Shame comes whenever you have been held accountable and have been made to feel wrong for things beyond your control. Shame is what Adam and Eve experienced in the Garden of Eden when they believed the lie of satan. He told them that God cared nothing for them, and they believed the lie. Mankind has been running from God ever since and hiding behind the fig leaves of hypocritical masks and false pretenses.
We all suffer the effects of shame to some degree, some more than others. When you grow up in a shame-based family (which we all have to some degree), the following unspoken rules are in effect:
1. Always remain in control of all behavior, feelings and circumstances.
2. Always be right and do it right. Never make a mistake.
Perfectionism rules the family, and there is no room for a learning process.
Nothing can be tainted, spoiled, flawed or outside the plan.
3. When rules #1 and #2 fail, and things get out of control, get angry and BLAME
someone (others, God or yourself).
Children are held responsible for the parent’s anger.
4. Deny everyone in the family 5 basic human experiences. It is wrong to:
• FEEL. (It is wrong to feel sad, lonely, fearful, etc.)
• PERCEIVE. (What parents say is right... period!)
• NEED. (Always be self-sufficient. Don’t bother anyone with a need.)
• BELIEVE. (Parents, or other important people, tell you “truth.”)
IMAGINE. (You have no right to imagine anything. A lifestyle of stuffing and denial of every “wrong” experience deep inside is established.
5. Always maintain secrecy regarding anything wrong.
6. Never acknowledge a mistake or make yourself vulnerable to anyone.
7. Don’t trust anyone. Relationships are erratic and unreliable.
Have you been shamed? There are two basic manifestations of a shame-based identity: a feeling of worthlessness, or a need to be independent and self-sufficient.
Worthlessness is manifested in the following ways:
ü Anger when circumstances seem to be out of control.
ü Fear of emotion. Fear of experiencing feeling, or getting out of control.
ü Difficulty saying “NO” to people.
ü Fear of failing. Fear of trying new things.
ü Frequent depression.
ü Compulsive sin or addictive habit.
ü Need to succeed in order to be accepted.
Self-sufficiency is manifested in the following ways:
ü Isolation and difficulty making close friends.
ü Avoidance of getting into a position of need or dependence.
ü Great difficulty in asking for a favor or help.
ü Being a much better “giver” than “receiver.”
ü Being fearful or uncomfortable being part of a small group without being the leader to control the group or withdrawing and not participating at all.
ü Feeling tolerated rather than chosen.
ü Having been the recipient of a gift, feeling the need to repay.
Do you remember the song that goes like this: “When a man loves a woman, she can do no wrong. Turn his back on his best friend if he puts her down?” When you are in love, you never see the faults of your beloved. She is the most beautiful, wonderful, blessed thing in the universe. Don’t you remember what it was like to be in love?
Beloved, as a child of God, you are the BRIDE of Christ. He is crazy in love with you. He only has eyes for you. He loves you so much he laid down His life for you. But you don’t believe that, do you? If you did, the realization of such fantastic love would transform your life and turn you into a butterfly instead of a worm. You have believed the lie of the devil and you’re crawling around in the dust of shame trying to keep from getting stomped. How’s that working for you?
Don’t you think it’s time to start believing the TRUTH? What do have to lose except your shame. Feel the exhilaration of your soul as you listen to the TRUTH:
Hebrews 13:5 AMP--- For He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not,[I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down ( relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]
Jeremiah31:3 MSG--- GOD told them, "I've never quit loving you and never will.
Expect love, love, and more love!
He’s talking about YOU, you know. Can you think of anything more frustrating than to love someone with all your heart, and they just won’t let you love them? It’s true. You can only be loved as much as you allow someone love you, no matter how much they love you.
He’s waiting to love YOU, Beloved. What are you waiting on?
Ponder with me for a minute. Shame is a primary obstacle to our relationship with God. Guilt is different from shame. Guilt says I DID something wrong. Shame says I AM wrong. Shame leads to hopelessness. Shame is a deep feeling of contamination, uncleanness and yuckiness. Shame causes you to feel like you don’t belong; like you’re not supposed to be here. A feeling that you have to work twice as hard to get ½ as much accomplished. Shame makes you feel like a caterpillar in a butterfly world.
Shame comes when the important people in our lives curse our identity. This brings on a fear of abandonment, of being all alone, and of not being taken care of. Shame comes whenever you have been held accountable and have been made to feel wrong for things beyond your control. Shame is what Adam and Eve experienced in the Garden of Eden when they believed the lie of satan. He told them that God cared nothing for them, and they believed the lie. Mankind has been running from God ever since and hiding behind the fig leaves of hypocritical masks and false pretenses.
We all suffer the effects of shame to some degree, some more than others. When you grow up in a shame-based family (which we all have to some degree), the following unspoken rules are in effect:
1. Always remain in control of all behavior, feelings and circumstances.
2. Always be right and do it right. Never make a mistake.
Perfectionism rules the family, and there is no room for a learning process.
Nothing can be tainted, spoiled, flawed or outside the plan.
3. When rules #1 and #2 fail, and things get out of control, get angry and BLAME
someone (others, God or yourself).
Children are held responsible for the parent’s anger.
4. Deny everyone in the family 5 basic human experiences. It is wrong to:
• FEEL. (It is wrong to feel sad, lonely, fearful, etc.)
• PERCEIVE. (What parents say is right... period!)
• NEED. (Always be self-sufficient. Don’t bother anyone with a need.)
• BELIEVE. (Parents, or other important people, tell you “truth.”)
IMAGINE. (You have no right to imagine anything. A lifestyle of stuffing and denial of every “wrong” experience deep inside is established.
5. Always maintain secrecy regarding anything wrong.
6. Never acknowledge a mistake or make yourself vulnerable to anyone.
7. Don’t trust anyone. Relationships are erratic and unreliable.
Have you been shamed? There are two basic manifestations of a shame-based identity: a feeling of worthlessness, or a need to be independent and self-sufficient.
Worthlessness is manifested in the following ways:
ü Anger when circumstances seem to be out of control.
ü Fear of emotion. Fear of experiencing feeling, or getting out of control.
ü Difficulty saying “NO” to people.
ü Fear of failing. Fear of trying new things.
ü Frequent depression.
ü Compulsive sin or addictive habit.
ü Need to succeed in order to be accepted.
Self-sufficiency is manifested in the following ways:
ü Isolation and difficulty making close friends.
ü Avoidance of getting into a position of need or dependence.
ü Great difficulty in asking for a favor or help.
ü Being a much better “giver” than “receiver.”
ü Being fearful or uncomfortable being part of a small group without being the leader to control the group or withdrawing and not participating at all.
ü Feeling tolerated rather than chosen.
ü Having been the recipient of a gift, feeling the need to repay.
Do you remember the song that goes like this: “When a man loves a woman, she can do no wrong. Turn his back on his best friend if he puts her down?” When you are in love, you never see the faults of your beloved. She is the most beautiful, wonderful, blessed thing in the universe. Don’t you remember what it was like to be in love?
Beloved, as a child of God, you are the BRIDE of Christ. He is crazy in love with you. He only has eyes for you. He loves you so much he laid down His life for you. But you don’t believe that, do you? If you did, the realization of such fantastic love would transform your life and turn you into a butterfly instead of a worm. You have believed the lie of the devil and you’re crawling around in the dust of shame trying to keep from getting stomped. How’s that working for you?
Don’t you think it’s time to start believing the TRUTH? What do have to lose except your shame. Feel the exhilaration of your soul as you listen to the TRUTH:
Hebrews 13:5 AMP--- For He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not,[I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down ( relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]
Jeremiah31:3 MSG--- GOD told them, "I've never quit loving you and never will.
Expect love, love, and more love!
He’s talking about YOU, you know. Can you think of anything more frustrating than to love someone with all your heart, and they just won’t let you love them? It’s true. You can only be loved as much as you allow someone love you, no matter how much they love you.
He’s waiting to love YOU, Beloved. What are you waiting on?
Monday, October 26, 2009
Wednesday Bible Study Returns
On Wednesday, November 4th, we will have Bible Study in the sanctuary from 6:30 to 7:30 pm like we used to have it. A lot of people have not CONNECTED with a small group yet. So many people are missing the blessing of being a part of a GRACE Group. I will continue to help you get CONNECTED. Call me anytime and let me help you find your group.
Supper time at the church is later now... from 5:30 to 6:30 pm.
We will be studying Romans 5 thru 8. PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN BIBLE. There will be no notes. Bring your Bible and a pen to write notes in your own Bible. See you on the 4th.
Supper time at the church is later now... from 5:30 to 6:30 pm.
We will be studying Romans 5 thru 8. PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN BIBLE. There will be no notes. Bring your Bible and a pen to write notes in your own Bible. See you on the 4th.
The Graceline
I performed a wedding ceremony this past Saturday at the same time my Clemson Football Tigers were playing the Miami Hurricanes. Of all the blessings Papa has given us in this technological age, TiVo has to be the best of them all. I recorded the game and planned to sit down and watch it after the wedding. My daughter, Kia, called me right before the ceremony began and asked if I was watching the game. I said, “No! I’m at a wedding and don’t tell me anything about it. I’m TiVo-ing it. I don’t want to know the score!”
“It’s really exciting!” she said.
“Thanks, Kia. I appreciate that,” I responded sarcastically.
We arrived home later that evening. We usually leave the TV on to keep Gracie company. As I take my coat off and head to the closet, I hear a sports announcer say: “What a game down in Miami this afternoon! Clemson pulls it out in overtime, 40 to 37!”
My heart sank. Watching a sports event after you know the score is a little bit like kissing your sister… not very exciting. Nevertheless, Wanda and I decided to watch it anyway just to see how them mighty Tigers survived the hurricanes down in Miami. Via the blessing of TiVo, we ran thru the commercials and the time between downs. We would watch the play and then fast forward to the next. It was great.
In the overtime, Miami got the ball first and kicked a field goal. Miami 37, Clemson 34. Clemson’s first two plays net them a yard loss, and it was third down and eleven on the twenty-six yard line. I looked at Wanda and said, “If I didn’t know we had already won, I’d be a little bit nervous right now.”
In this exciting game, there were like eight ties and/or lead changes. It was back and forth. You know, kinda like life. Sometimes you’re ahead, and sometimes you’re behind. Sometimes the breaks go your way, and sometimes they go against you.
In the game of life, I’d be a little bit nervous, too, if I didn’t know that because of Jesus we had already won the game. Jesus overcame sin and death on the cross and rose from the grave to assure our final victory. I don’t care what the score is now. The final score will be in favor of those who put their trust and faith in Him.
Sure, there are times when I look at the scoreboard and get discouraged. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever catch up with all the bad breaks and busted plays going against me. That’s when I remind myself that the victory is already won. When it’s all said and done, we will stand with Jesus in His victory. He will wipe away every tear and right every wrong. And then as the Clemson Alma Mater says: “Then the Tigers roar will echo o’er the mountain heights.” Or should that be, the Lion of Judah? Either way, we don’t need to get nervous since we already know Who wins the game.
“It’s really exciting!” she said.
“Thanks, Kia. I appreciate that,” I responded sarcastically.
We arrived home later that evening. We usually leave the TV on to keep Gracie company. As I take my coat off and head to the closet, I hear a sports announcer say: “What a game down in Miami this afternoon! Clemson pulls it out in overtime, 40 to 37!”
My heart sank. Watching a sports event after you know the score is a little bit like kissing your sister… not very exciting. Nevertheless, Wanda and I decided to watch it anyway just to see how them mighty Tigers survived the hurricanes down in Miami. Via the blessing of TiVo, we ran thru the commercials and the time between downs. We would watch the play and then fast forward to the next. It was great.
In the overtime, Miami got the ball first and kicked a field goal. Miami 37, Clemson 34. Clemson’s first two plays net them a yard loss, and it was third down and eleven on the twenty-six yard line. I looked at Wanda and said, “If I didn’t know we had already won, I’d be a little bit nervous right now.”
In this exciting game, there were like eight ties and/or lead changes. It was back and forth. You know, kinda like life. Sometimes you’re ahead, and sometimes you’re behind. Sometimes the breaks go your way, and sometimes they go against you.
In the game of life, I’d be a little bit nervous, too, if I didn’t know that because of Jesus we had already won the game. Jesus overcame sin and death on the cross and rose from the grave to assure our final victory. I don’t care what the score is now. The final score will be in favor of those who put their trust and faith in Him.
Sure, there are times when I look at the scoreboard and get discouraged. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever catch up with all the bad breaks and busted plays going against me. That’s when I remind myself that the victory is already won. When it’s all said and done, we will stand with Jesus in His victory. He will wipe away every tear and right every wrong. And then as the Clemson Alma Mater says: “Then the Tigers roar will echo o’er the mountain heights.” Or should that be, the Lion of Judah? Either way, we don’t need to get nervous since we already know Who wins the game.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Parenting GRACE Group
Our final Parenting Class, Loving Our Kids on Purpose, will be held in the sanctuary this Sunday evening, October 18th, from 5 to 7 pm. Mrs. Linda Cripps, a family counselor will be with us to answer specific questions you might have. Don't miss this opportunity even if you have not attended thus far. Please join us.
I know I shouldn't be disappointed, but I am saddened by the lack of response we've had. We have had at most 24 parents and grandparents attend. This is really good stuff. We had quality childcare and we have fed them every week except week one when we had 18 kids.
I really thought we would have 100 people attend this class. The parents who have attended have testified to the benefit of this series. Maybe you didn't know about it. Maybe we did a poor job of advertising. Maybe the time was not conducive. I don't know.
Anyway, I would like to hear from you as to what you would like for us to offer in the way of Discipleship and Bible Study. If we offered more on Parenting, would you be interested? I look forward to hearing from you.
I know I shouldn't be disappointed, but I am saddened by the lack of response we've had. We have had at most 24 parents and grandparents attend. This is really good stuff. We had quality childcare and we have fed them every week except week one when we had 18 kids.
I really thought we would have 100 people attend this class. The parents who have attended have testified to the benefit of this series. Maybe you didn't know about it. Maybe we did a poor job of advertising. Maybe the time was not conducive. I don't know.
Anyway, I would like to hear from you as to what you would like for us to offer in the way of Discipleship and Bible Study. If we offered more on Parenting, would you be interested? I look forward to hearing from you.
The Graceline
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. --- 2 Corinthians 4:7 NIV
Once upon a time, a man was walking along the beach when he came upon a cave. As he explored the cave, he found a pile of muddy globules each about the size of a golf ball. They were rather lightweight and brownish in color.
Intrigued by his find, he gathered them in his shirt and continued his walk along the beach. As he walked, he decided to see how far he could throw the balls out into the ocean. Having thrown a dozen or so out to sea, he dropped one. The ball cracked open revealing a precious gemstone inside. Hurriedly cracking open the other balls, he discovered each and every one contained a precious gem of great value. He was ecstatic. However, the joy of his discovery was quickly dispelled by sorrow as he began to imagine the fortune he had unknowingly cast out into the sea.
As God’s children, Christ Jesus is our very life. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20 NIV). Our body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). Not only does God live in us who trust Him by faith, God has molded each and every one of us into a unique, one-of-a-kind masterpiece of His own design.
“Oh yes, You shaped me first inside, then out; You formed me in my mother's womb. I thank you, High God — You're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration — what a creation! You know me inside and out, You know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, You watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before You, the days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day” (Psalm 139:13-16 MSG).
If God loves us that much, why do many people feel so badly about themselves? I think it’s because most people do not know how much God loves them and how beautiful they are on the inside. The world lauds and praises the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).
Jean Vanier said: “Love is to reveal the beauty of another to themselves.” Do you look for the gem inside of people, or do you inspect and criticize the clay that houses it? Why are we so critical of others? Could it be that it is easier to pull people down to our level by fault-finding than to celebrate the masterpiece God has created in them? When you walk into a room of people, does your presence bring joy and peace, or anxiety and tension? I have a sign in my office that reads: “Everyone brings joy to this office. Some when they enter. And others when they leave.”
We talked this week in our parenting small group about the reason kids act obnoxiously. We came to the conclusion that kids (and we are all kids to God) need a safe place to live. A place where they can be accepted and loved no matter how they act. We all need that kind of place because we all act ugly at times. What makes God so great is that He is our safe place where we can safely hide from the harshness of life.
God is the only One Who loves us for nothing. He needs nothing from us, so He can love us without condition. If we truly understood that God loves us like that, we would have no need to point out one another’s flaws and weaknesses. Instead, we would be celebrating and pointing out one another’s unique beauty, gifts and abilities. God intends for us to be a blessing, not a threat.
As you interact with people this week, look past the body… the clay vessel, if you will, and look for the hidden treasure within. Remind others of the blessing they are to you. Treat everyone you meet as a precious gem created in God’s image. Let’s make this world a better place by pulling out the best in one other. Don’t be like the man on the beach and throw away a fortune.
Remember: We have this treasure in jars of clay. Priceless treasures are often found in cracked pots.
Once upon a time, a man was walking along the beach when he came upon a cave. As he explored the cave, he found a pile of muddy globules each about the size of a golf ball. They were rather lightweight and brownish in color.
Intrigued by his find, he gathered them in his shirt and continued his walk along the beach. As he walked, he decided to see how far he could throw the balls out into the ocean. Having thrown a dozen or so out to sea, he dropped one. The ball cracked open revealing a precious gemstone inside. Hurriedly cracking open the other balls, he discovered each and every one contained a precious gem of great value. He was ecstatic. However, the joy of his discovery was quickly dispelled by sorrow as he began to imagine the fortune he had unknowingly cast out into the sea.
As God’s children, Christ Jesus is our very life. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20 NIV). Our body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). Not only does God live in us who trust Him by faith, God has molded each and every one of us into a unique, one-of-a-kind masterpiece of His own design.
“Oh yes, You shaped me first inside, then out; You formed me in my mother's womb. I thank you, High God — You're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration — what a creation! You know me inside and out, You know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, You watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before You, the days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day” (Psalm 139:13-16 MSG).
If God loves us that much, why do many people feel so badly about themselves? I think it’s because most people do not know how much God loves them and how beautiful they are on the inside. The world lauds and praises the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).
Jean Vanier said: “Love is to reveal the beauty of another to themselves.” Do you look for the gem inside of people, or do you inspect and criticize the clay that houses it? Why are we so critical of others? Could it be that it is easier to pull people down to our level by fault-finding than to celebrate the masterpiece God has created in them? When you walk into a room of people, does your presence bring joy and peace, or anxiety and tension? I have a sign in my office that reads: “Everyone brings joy to this office. Some when they enter. And others when they leave.”
We talked this week in our parenting small group about the reason kids act obnoxiously. We came to the conclusion that kids (and we are all kids to God) need a safe place to live. A place where they can be accepted and loved no matter how they act. We all need that kind of place because we all act ugly at times. What makes God so great is that He is our safe place where we can safely hide from the harshness of life.
God is the only One Who loves us for nothing. He needs nothing from us, so He can love us without condition. If we truly understood that God loves us like that, we would have no need to point out one another’s flaws and weaknesses. Instead, we would be celebrating and pointing out one another’s unique beauty, gifts and abilities. God intends for us to be a blessing, not a threat.
As you interact with people this week, look past the body… the clay vessel, if you will, and look for the hidden treasure within. Remind others of the blessing they are to you. Treat everyone you meet as a precious gem created in God’s image. Let’s make this world a better place by pulling out the best in one other. Don’t be like the man on the beach and throw away a fortune.
Remember: We have this treasure in jars of clay. Priceless treasures are often found in cracked pots.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Alaskan Cruise
Wanda and I always wanted to go to Israel. In February, 2007 our dream came true thanks to some very special friends. Israel was wonderful. The trip of a lifetime.
NOW, we are planning a trip to Alaska to see EAGLES, grizzly bears and salmon. The trip will be August 7-20, 2010. We plan to make this a GRACE Group excusion, too. We will have time to talk about our God Journey and do some Bible study. We want a big group of friends to go with us.
Linda Murfin is organizing the trip. She can give you all the details and particulars. Call or email me if you're interested. We would love for you to go with us on our second trip of a lifetime.
NOW, we are planning a trip to Alaska to see EAGLES, grizzly bears and salmon. The trip will be August 7-20, 2010. We plan to make this a GRACE Group excusion, too. We will have time to talk about our God Journey and do some Bible study. We want a big group of friends to go with us.
Linda Murfin is organizing the trip. She can give you all the details and particulars. Call or email me if you're interested. We would love for you to go with us on our second trip of a lifetime.
Kenny's Books
Several people have asked recently about the books I've written and how to obtain copies. I don't have big supply of them on hand, but you can obtain copies of Waterholes in the Wilderness and Jesus, My Final Answer from Amazon.com.
I am also passing along my reading list that God has used to help me on my journey with Him. They have been a blessing and I know they would bless you as well. You will find the list in the left column. I'll be adding books as God gives them to me. Enjoy.
Let me know of books that have blessed you as well. We need to share the good stuff.
I am also passing along my reading list that God has used to help me on my journey with Him. They have been a blessing and I know they would bless you as well. You will find the list in the left column. I'll be adding books as God gives them to me. Enjoy.
Let me know of books that have blessed you as well. We need to share the good stuff.
The Graceline
One day a lawyer came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, which command in God's Law is the most important?”
Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence. This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: Love others as well as you love yourself. These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them” (Mattthew 22:36-40 MSG).
Ever since I came to trust the Lord as my life and my salvation from sin and myself, I have tried hard to love Him with all my heart. For a long time, I tried to demonstrate my love by doing stuff FOR Him. I lived to sacrifice myself to Him by serving what I believed to be His purposes and by serving people. I was miserable. My son even told me as much one day. He said, “Dad, I have never known a man who has served God more faithfully than you, but you have been miserable doing it.”
What he said was like a dagger in my heart because he was right. I was miserable because I really didn’t understand a vital principle. Before we can love God, we must first be loved BY God. “This is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us… We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:10 & 19).
Truth out of balance is heresy. Grace without truth is license. Truth without grace is legalism. See what I mean? I have come to realize that I was lied to about God. I don’t mean that pastors, teachers and churches intentionally lied, but some gave me an unbalanced perspective of God. For example, “it is better to give than to receive.” I interpreted that to mean giving was good. Receiving was bad. There was no balance. In reality, you cannot give until you receive, or else you have nothing to give. Understand?
I was trying to love God without ever receiving His love for myself because I believed receiving was wrong. I was out of balance in the giving department for so long that I felt unbalanced when I began learning how to receive. At times now I don’t feel like I’m loving Him enough because I’ve slowed way down on doing things FOR Him and have just been allowing Him to love ON me. That brings me to another overlooked part of our Scripture passage that no one seems to talk about.
Jesus tells us to love others as well as we love ourselves. I contend that most people do just that. They do love others like they love themselves because most people do not love themselves. The world, the flesh and the devil constantly remind us of how inferior we are. Think about it. Doesn’t advertising thrive on making us feel less than okay? It tells us we need such and such to be better, thinner, stronger, prettier, healthier… most everything we think we are not. We are constantly made to feel that we don’t measure up and are therefore unworthy of unconditional love.
Jesus tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, that we are precious in His sight, that He loves us with an everlasting love, that we are the apple of His eye, that He is just crazy wild about us. Zephaniah gives us a glimpse of how God feels about us, His Beloved. “Cheer up, Zion! Don't be afraid! For the LORD your God has arrived to live among you. He is a mighty Savior. He will rejoice over you with great gladness. With His love, He will calm all your fears. He will exult over you by singing a happy song” (Zephaniah 3:16-17 NLT).
At the risk of sounding simplistic, I agree that what the world needs now is love, sweet love. If God loves us the way He says, why do so many people live as if they were unloved? Could it be that we have believed the serpent’s lie in the Garden of Eden? Satan told Adam and Eve that God was not good and could not be trusted. He told them that God didn’t want them to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil because they would then know as much as God and He would be jealous. They believed the lie that God could not be trusted, and we all have pretty much believed it, too.
After Adam and Eve ate the poison fruit, they hid in the bushes. Why? Because they were afraid. They didn’t trust God and fear consumed them. But the Bible tells us, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18 NIV). The apostle John said, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it” (John 3:16-17 NLT).
Question for you: Can you trust someone you don’t love? Sure you can. You trust a doctor you don’t love to perform surgery on you, do you not?
Another question: Can you truly love someone you don’t trust? I don’t think so. Adam and Eve didn’t trust God when He told them that eating the Tree would kill them. What was the result? Fear. They ran and hid from God. Did God love them any less because they didn’t trust Him? No. But because they didn’t trust God, they would not allow Him to love them.
Last question: Does God have a problem loving us, or do we have a problem trusting God? You think about that!
Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence. This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: Love others as well as you love yourself. These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them” (Mattthew 22:36-40 MSG).
Ever since I came to trust the Lord as my life and my salvation from sin and myself, I have tried hard to love Him with all my heart. For a long time, I tried to demonstrate my love by doing stuff FOR Him. I lived to sacrifice myself to Him by serving what I believed to be His purposes and by serving people. I was miserable. My son even told me as much one day. He said, “Dad, I have never known a man who has served God more faithfully than you, but you have been miserable doing it.”
What he said was like a dagger in my heart because he was right. I was miserable because I really didn’t understand a vital principle. Before we can love God, we must first be loved BY God. “This is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us… We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:10 & 19).
Truth out of balance is heresy. Grace without truth is license. Truth without grace is legalism. See what I mean? I have come to realize that I was lied to about God. I don’t mean that pastors, teachers and churches intentionally lied, but some gave me an unbalanced perspective of God. For example, “it is better to give than to receive.” I interpreted that to mean giving was good. Receiving was bad. There was no balance. In reality, you cannot give until you receive, or else you have nothing to give. Understand?
I was trying to love God without ever receiving His love for myself because I believed receiving was wrong. I was out of balance in the giving department for so long that I felt unbalanced when I began learning how to receive. At times now I don’t feel like I’m loving Him enough because I’ve slowed way down on doing things FOR Him and have just been allowing Him to love ON me. That brings me to another overlooked part of our Scripture passage that no one seems to talk about.
Jesus tells us to love others as well as we love ourselves. I contend that most people do just that. They do love others like they love themselves because most people do not love themselves. The world, the flesh and the devil constantly remind us of how inferior we are. Think about it. Doesn’t advertising thrive on making us feel less than okay? It tells us we need such and such to be better, thinner, stronger, prettier, healthier… most everything we think we are not. We are constantly made to feel that we don’t measure up and are therefore unworthy of unconditional love.
Jesus tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, that we are precious in His sight, that He loves us with an everlasting love, that we are the apple of His eye, that He is just crazy wild about us. Zephaniah gives us a glimpse of how God feels about us, His Beloved. “Cheer up, Zion! Don't be afraid! For the LORD your God has arrived to live among you. He is a mighty Savior. He will rejoice over you with great gladness. With His love, He will calm all your fears. He will exult over you by singing a happy song” (Zephaniah 3:16-17 NLT).
At the risk of sounding simplistic, I agree that what the world needs now is love, sweet love. If God loves us the way He says, why do so many people live as if they were unloved? Could it be that we have believed the serpent’s lie in the Garden of Eden? Satan told Adam and Eve that God was not good and could not be trusted. He told them that God didn’t want them to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil because they would then know as much as God and He would be jealous. They believed the lie that God could not be trusted, and we all have pretty much believed it, too.
After Adam and Eve ate the poison fruit, they hid in the bushes. Why? Because they were afraid. They didn’t trust God and fear consumed them. But the Bible tells us, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18 NIV). The apostle John said, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it” (John 3:16-17 NLT).
Question for you: Can you trust someone you don’t love? Sure you can. You trust a doctor you don’t love to perform surgery on you, do you not?
Another question: Can you truly love someone you don’t trust? I don’t think so. Adam and Eve didn’t trust God when He told them that eating the Tree would kill them. What was the result? Fear. They ran and hid from God. Did God love them any less because they didn’t trust Him? No. But because they didn’t trust God, they would not allow Him to love them.
Last question: Does God have a problem loving us, or do we have a problem trusting God? You think about that!
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