Wedding Day

He offered her a glance and she glanced back. Little did he know what that glance would turn into. 

There were dates and church functions. Dances and weddings. Graduations and funerals. Family meals and holidays galore!  Mission trips and beach trips. College degrees. First jobs in the chosen profession. 

And now today. 

He will glance again. And this time he will see his bride walking with her daddy.  He will take her hand and her heart.  The two will be joined and nothing can separate the love that Christ brings. This new covenant they enter into comes second only to the covenant of the blood of Christ. 

They both know Him. He is the one that brought them together. 

Today is my daughter's wedding day. 

Counting

Forty-four for me. 49 for him. The girl has had 22 so far. One boy has had almost 18 and the other 9. The union that started this has counted nearly 25. 

Looking back they had 47. He has had almost 72 now. She had 65. She didn't see 66. She didn't see 67. Or 68. Or 69. And we won't get to throw a party for 70 next year. 

Four years. 

She was mine for 40 years. 

She pushed me into this world in more ways than one. 

She birthed 5. 

She had 4 siblings. 

She had two parents. 

She had 11 biological grands and one biological great grand. 

Countless friends. 

Four years. 

Four years ago her body gave up. 

Four years ago she left numbers behind. 

Four years ago she left people behind. 

Four years ago she left family behind. 

Four years ago she left me behind. 

And I keep counting. Not knowing how many I will get to count. 

So I must make the counting count. 

Girl time

I know she is loved. She left the house this morning in anticipation of enjoying the love of good friends. In two short months she will be leaving the house to go to her own house. The house she will share with the one God has chosen for her. 

But for today she goes to teach a room full of third graders in desperate need of her love. She has certain ones that she struggles with and they are the very ones that need her the most. Her thoughts this morning were focused on getting through those struggles one more day to go enjoy some girl time. 

The ones she chose to stand by her side as she vows the pledge of life-time commitment to that one God chose for her will celebrate her this weekend. They will love on her and each other. Setting aside the demands of their lives for a few short days to celebrate friendship. Nothing more than to love on her. 

So there she goes. She changed my life twenty-two years ago and now it is changing again. I send a little piece of me with her.  Enjoy!

Unadulterated Worship

The desire to fellowship with God can be overwhelming. In the moment of pure devotion all obstacles to worship become great annoyances. Your heart yearns to explosion for Almighty God. Nothing else can satisfy and any intrusions are unwelcome and demand to be snuffed out. All things become trivial in the Light of Him. He is exalted and is magnificent. The cares of the world become so insignificant.  Pure worship. Nothing else matters. Nothing else but Him. Praise to God. Honor and glory are His. He places life in dry bones. He breathes life where death had been. His resuscitation is eternal.  Know that He holds the power of life and death. Be still and worship Him. Bask in His Presence. He delights in you. He sings over you. His love endures forever. 

Go see "War Room"

One week from today, the movie "War Room" will open. 

Check out the trailer here:  http://warroomthemovie.com

The ladies at my church have talked about the armor of God for a while now. We will be wrapping up our study of Ephesians next Wednesday evening. 

Toward the end of chapter 6, Paul says in verses 18 & 19:  "18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,"

Paul urged the readers of his letter to pray always. He had prayed for them.  He asked them to pray for other believers. He asked them to pray for him. He knew the necessity of prayer in the life of believers. He knew the fellowship that was created with God through bowing and bending at the feet of our Creator God and he knew the intercession of the Holy Spirit. He knew prayer to be a critical piece of armor for believers when battling the enemy. He said in verse 12 of the same chapter:  "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."

What better defense and offense can we take when wrestling and doing battle than to stand firm in prayer guarded and protected by the One who has already conquered the evil one and his forces?

Paul knew those readers of old needed to hear this message. God knew that you and I would be living at this very moment in time and, like all who came before us, would need prayer in our lives. He knew we would need this letter from Paul to remind us that our power is not ours but comes from God; His power manifested in the lives of faithful followers walking worthy of His call. 

Do you have a powerful prayer you can share?  Or can you give testimony of prayer at work?

Share if you will!

Breaking out of Mediocrity

Do you ever feel like whatever you are doing is not what you should be doing?  Not that you are doing something wrong but that the normal thing you do day in and day out just isn't where your energy should be expended anymore?  You could call it unsettled or discontent. Perhaps you could even call it boredom. Mediocrity screams discontent, right?

Like when you find that place in a good run where you break out in a full-fledged sprint and find exhilaration. Right there at that moment before you decide to ramp it up is that feeling of needing to push a little harder; go a little farther; see just what those legs can pump out. That is where I am. Desperately wanting to take that first all-out stride but finding that hamstring pulling back saying "Whoa!"

So what do you do?  Do you shorten your stride and keep the pace steady or do you throw caution to the wind and take that step in faith that mediocrity just isn't cutting it anymore?

And not just in your run but in your walk of life!  Same routine. Same food. Same job. Same activities. The security of the same becoming maddening. 

Maybe this is my step to a new pace. Lengthen my stride just enough to allow some pavement to pass quickly so I find new views. 

If none of this makes sense to you it is fine. Sometimes taking a step can bring arched eyebrows and questions. That is okay!  I welcome them. 

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called. Ephesians 4:1(NKJV)

If this does make sense, have you ramped up your walk lately?  Share with me!

Forms of practice

Practicing can be useful or detrimental. Depending upon that which is being practiced determines its usefulness. Benefits can come from certain practices but harmful consequences can come from others. 

From the world around us we see that certain practices bring positive results. Drinking plenty of water keeps you hydrated. Eating healthy foods provides all kinds of benefits. Exercise strengthens your physical body. Going to work on time when you are scheduled and doing a good job keeps you employed. Those are just a few worldly examples. 

Like the water that keeps you hydrated and the food that keeps you nourished, scripture and prayer helps to maintain your relationship with your Heavenly Father. Attending worship services on a continual basis and having fellowship with like-minded people keeps you active within the kingdom of God. These things are to be practiced so that your relationship with God is strong and continually enriched. 

What happens when you stop eating right or stop drinking water or stop exercising?  Your body goes crazy and you may get sick or gain too much weight or develop some dreadful health condition that prevents you from going to work or being a productive member of society.  When you stop going to work, chances are, you will lose your job. 

Sin is like that red velvet cake with cream cheese icing. It sure does look good and calls out to be tasted. One taste provides enough incentive for a second taste and then another and another and before long you want it all the time. You get a sugar high for just a little while and then come crashing down with regret. 

Galatians tells us that the practicing of sin will keep us separated from the kingdom of God. But the evidence of the Holy Spirit within us will provide useful fruit that can be practiced and becomes an inherent part of who we are. It is the evidence of our practice. 

Do you have a practice that is beneficial? Do you find yourself practicing something that keeps you separated from God?  

Will you share your thoughts?

As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.  Proverbs 27:17 (NKJV)

An old wooden swing in the shade

It isn't very often that I sit and do absolutely nothing. 

We moved our old wooden swing last weekend to the shade of a Drake elm in our backyard. When he built the swing we wanted it under a shade tree. When he planted the Drake elm we wanted shade. Guess what....

So I sit in the shade with an occasional breeze passing over me and I hear the birds and the quiet. All three kids are enjoying someone else's house at the moment and the builder of swing and planter of tree is off doing his preparations for hunting season already. So I sit alone. Ah!  Quiet. No beckoning mama!!

What does one do who doesn't sit still and quiet very often?  There is always something to read or wash or put away or repair.  Can I really sit here and be still for at least a little while?

Yes, I will sit here. But I can't help but think of those that have given time, blood and even life to allow me this freedom. I consider the Creator that gave the assurance of rest. I consider my Savior that gave me Himself. I will be still and know Him. 

And when it is time to get up and get moving again, I will be thankful for this time. I will be thankful that during this time there were no worries or fears. 

Luke 12:27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?29 And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

She graduates from college today

Today my first child graduates from college. She will walk across a stage in celebration of the last four years of hard work and determination. I know she will praise God for allowing her the opportunity to live in a time and place that allows this to be so. 

She has been interacting with children since she was six weeks old. I am not quite sure when she decided this so called major of hers. Her heart has always been on fire for loving others. And now she will make a career out of loving children in the classroom. 

She has no biological children of her own yet but she has already developed a love for a few she has come to meet through student teaching. Her heart breaks for those that seem to come to school with dejected hearts. Those are the ones she will love on the most. 

She will make a difference in the lives of children. She will be one of those teachers that they will never forget. She will be a light in the darkness for those that may not have the opportunity to see it elsewhere. 

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;  Matthew 5:14

She will not be hidden. She will shine the light within her for the glory of God. I am pleased to call her daughter.

Well done, child of mine. Well done, child of God. 

My kind of lace

The lace of grace that comes from God is so tightly woven nothing can penetrate it. 

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.  Romans 16:20 (NAS)

Rest

When my heart is heavy but light I desire nothing more than to sit in the Presence of God and rest in knowing Him.  Nothing fills the space in my soul like the wondrous outpouring of grace from Him. 

Public Service Message

It is too important to wait a second longer.  You need to stop whatever it is you are doing and listen to me.  This is not something you can put off any longer.  Do I have your attention?  I mean your full attention.  I cannot pound these keys any harder or faster to get this message across to you.  This is the most important message you will ever read.  I am not kidding.

Are you listening?  Really listening?  This is not my message but this message comes from the Most High.

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

This doesn’t say some have sinned.  Do you see that three-letter word?  ALL!  That includes me and you.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Holding on to sin will bring death.  Death in this passage is the reference to the eternal separation from God.  Closing your eyes for the final time and realizing you are not in the presence of the Lord is death.

Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Your heart and your mind have to come to an agreement and having it pour out of your mouth gives confirmation that the agreement has been made.

Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

Many will call on the name of the Lord, but so many call on Him in vain.

Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Transformation from the inside out giving evidence of the will of God through a life well-lived.

1 John 1:9  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

There is that three-letter word again.  ALL!

Galatians 5:19-23  Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

To practice something is to repeatedly perform some act or thought.  We practice all sorts of things including sin.  Practicing sin keeps us separated from God.  Repeatedly performing some act or thought contrary to the will of God without confession and doing away with that contrariness will keep your inheritance from you.  Sounds like some will be written out of the “will” of God.  You know a will is a final testamentary from someone.

Did you hear me?  I don’t want you to hear me for the sake of me being heard.  I want you to hear me for your sake.  If one hears this and comes to the knowledge of Jesus Christ as Savior and Redeemer then there will be a celebration in heaven.

Matthew 18:13  And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.

I do not need to know whether or not you have this assurance.  But I do remind you that if you have this assurance then you have received a commission.

James 5:19  Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

Will you share this message?  Not this writing I have written and copied from God’s Holy Word but will you share the message of forgiveness and redemption?  This is the most important message you will ever share.  If you don’t share it someone you know may be eternally separated from God.

And again, again...

Again?  Yes, again. A new opportunity awaits. With it comes new possibilities.

There may be bumps in the road but we can bounce right through them because sometimes we all need a good shaking. That shaking stirs us tighter. Packs us in and makes room for more. 

Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

Apply a little pressure and make more room so the filling will overflow. And who doesn't like it when filling overflows?  Goodness dripping down the sides in the bounty of His pouring out. 

A good measure, accurate and honest, with the overflow being collected and shared. 

And again...

Not again. Oh, please not again. The ripping in this heart can't take another blow. I am weary of this uncertainty. I am weary of this lack of stability. 

Is this a punishment for how we have treated others?  Have we brought this on ourselves by not being completely obedient?  Unity doesn't exist in division, right?  Are we so divided that unity can't exist?  A house divided cannot stand so on what does a divided house rely on for a sturdy foundation?  Do we each have our own thing going on and no one is really sure what the other one is doing so how can we be unified?

It is a confusing picture I paint. I was never any good at being creative so every now and then I colored inside the lines and forgot there may be beauty outside of those lines that needs a splash of color. So I paint this grim picture of another loss. The pain is really too much to bear. 

I am not holding out for a hero this time though. I have one that finished it long ago. So the pain will rip and tear but scars will form and leave Ebenezers behind so I won't soon forget the gripping pain that threatens to choke the life out of me.  Beauty from ashes will come in strength for standing firm through the power of God, not man. And just as Jesus rose, He will cause His church to rise. Arise, church. 

Be the church all you who believe. Don't believe in man but in the very God Who created you. Man will disappoint but never will God. Man will leave and forsake but never will God. Man may reject but God accepts this sinner just as I am. 

Standing firm!

Fill me up

I am so quick to desire God to fill me up and provide fulfillment and satisfaction. Even so far as demanding that I be saturated with His goodness. He is faithful and provides such bountiful blessings. 

But what do I do with those blessings?  Many times the provisions He blesses me with get poured out and wasted. Not poured out in worship of Him but poured out in vain. 

When my full devotion and worship should be poured out for Him. With the reflection of His love and light being evident in me. Me being a constant reminder of how much He loves me and you. 

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16 (NIV)