grateful girl

Sometimes it helps to just realize how blessed we are. Sometimes children show us how it's done.

Memorial Day 2010

Thank you for serving us,

for protecting us,

for giving your all.

We haven't forgotten.

Thank you.

What God sees

God doesn't see things the way we do. Here's just one example:

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Mark 12:41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. 43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."

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Throughout the Bible we get glimpses of how God sees things. He doesn't see things the way we do. This short story gives us a glimpse of what God sees- his eyes are on the heart, not the size of the gift. In the world's eyes many others gave much more than this little widow, but what God saw was her heart, not the amount of her gift. Jesus' words should shock us all as he described how God saw her gift when he said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others." God didn't see the amount of the gift, but what was left for this poor widow after her gift. She gave all she had. All she had was two cents. These two cents impressed God more than the one who gave $10,000,000! You see, God doesn't need our money, he's after our hearts. This gift of two cents and Jesus' commentary on her great gift should reset our values in how we look at what we give to God.

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Now, I always want to know more. I wonder....what happened to this widow? Do you think that God took care of her? Do you think God provided more for her because of her gift? I wonder....what's the rest of the story? One thing I know is this- God loved this dear woman because of her heart. He's always more impressed with our hearts than he is with how much we give. It helps me to know that God sees things differently than I do. He's looking at hearts.

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Risking life for faith

"More than a year after Iranian authorities arrested Maryam Rustampoor and Marzieh Amirizadeh for apostasy—a capital offense in the Islamic nation—an Iranian judge acquitted the Christian women of all charges on Saturday. The judge warned the women not to conduct any further Christian activity in the country.
The pair left Iran after the hearing, bound for an undisclosed location to ensure their safety. The Christians spent 259 days in Iran’s notorious Evin Prison last year, accused of anti-government activity, apostasy, and propagating Christianity. As their health deteriorated in the prison’s grim conditions, court officials exerted intense pressure on the women to recant their faith. Their reply came in an August hearing: “We love Jesus. We will not deny our faith.”" -WORLD Magazine

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There are stories daily of Christians martyred for their faith. Here is a story of two women, willing to die for Christ, but graciously delivered. I loved their testimony, “We love Jesus. We will not deny our faith.” I'm sure it has been the testimony of many who have died for Christ, but these two were delivered to tell others about their faith. Pray for those around the world who are risking their lives for faith in Christ. Pray for them and their families as they, like these ladies, tell the world that their faith is worth their life. They believe that faith is Christ is worth any price. I wonder......do we?

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Honoring dad

Ephesians 6:2 "Honor your father and mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise—

My dad is 84 years old today. We came to Iowa to be with him for his birthday. It's great to have a dad who has lived this long. It is even better that he has been a wonderful dad and a Godly example of what a man should be like.

So, today I want honor my dad. I'm blessed to have a dad who loves God and has shown me the way to live a life that pleases God. Happy Birthday, dad. I love you.

A busy week

Just a short note this morning as we travel to see family in the mid-west. I'll post when I can, but will not have much access to internet this week. I'll be back with you in mind and body next week.

Finding the way

We are often late to technology. It's not because we avoid it, but we always wait for the next one...for the better one. And a second generation item has a lower price. All that to say we just bought our first GPS for the trip we are on. Most of you have them so I won't go into the workings of it, but what was great for us was to program in a destination and a little voice told us where to go. If we followed her directions, and we did by the way, we arrived at our destination...even though we had never been on this route before.

If you are a visitor here you know what's next, don't you? So, all this made me think. Jesus said, and I'll paraphrase here for my purposes, "I am the true GPS that will get you to the Father. No other GPS knows how to guide you there." It was a bold claim on his part. With millions of GPS units available to purchase an ad for the "Jesus GPS" would claim, "No other GPS can get you there!"

For our trip we put our full faith in a little black box to guide us on an unknown road to our goal. For my eternity I'm trusting in Jesus, who claimed to be the only GPS that knows the way to the Father. So, I'm following his directions on an unknown road and know I will reach my desired destination. My faith in the little GPS got us to our goal. My faith in Jesus will do the same thing.

We all are guided by something, by someone, does the voice you follow know the way?
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The challenge of the climb

The challenge of climbing a mountain is not the mountain itself. Yes, the climb may be difficult and must be done carefully, but the challenge of the mountain is not the mountain, but something you can't see. The great challenge and enemy of the mountain climber is gravity. Pulling against him every inch of his climb is an unseen opponent that is silently threatening defeat every moment. Gravity is his enemy, but without it the mountain would be no challenge at all. It's the reality of this enemy that makes the mountain such a challenge. There are two victories for a mountain climber who makes it to the top- the victory over the mountain itself, but also the victory over gravity's tug. Half of his victory is this simple reality...he didn't fall! That is as much a victory as the climb to the top of the mountain. In fact it's part of the victory. The challenge of his conquest is the price of loss. He's risking his life to climb this mountain and his enemy is unseen, but never sleeping. His enemy will kill him if he relaxes for even a moment.

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In my quest for a victorious Christian life I find I'm constantly fighting against a similar unseen enemy, my old nature, constantly pulling at me to bring about my fall, to cause my demise. It's an ever present enemy, an ever active adversary. Like gravity my old nature is constantly pulling at me to cause my failure, my fall, as I grow in faith. The challenge of my climb of faith is the reality that I have an ever present and unseen enemy that is seeking my fall. But it's the reality of that nature's pull that makes any victory so sweet. If I reach the peak I have won a victory in two ways- I have grown in faith and have resisted the pull of that old nature. If I ever forget that this enemy, although unseen, is real then I will soon find that I have fallen. Fallen in the very sin I'm trying to climb out of. Fallen to the bottom of the mountain to once more begin my ascent to the top. In the Christian life there is the thrill of victory, but there is also the ever present threat of defeat.

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Any climber who is still living will tell you that you have to be careful. You have to anchor to the mountain as you climb. There must always be a rope secured to the mountain as he climbs so, if he loses his grip, he will not fall. His safety precautions are based not on his lack of confidence, but on his knowledge of the enemy. Because he knows the risk he has safety measures in place. It is not a lack of confidence that causes his safety measures, it's wisdom! Every climber knows that he could lose his grip and so that rope, secured to the mountain, is wisdom. Confidence in our ability should never cause us to abandon the wisdom of knowing what our enemy is capable of doing to us.

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Sin's pull is strong. It's difficult to climb above its grasp. It may be unseen, but its tug never weakens. Paul described this battle as we climb and grow in our faith. He talked about it in his own life. The great conflict of faith is the desire to grow in faith while dealing with the pull of sin working against us at the same time. There is victory! There are thousands who have climbed the mountains of faith and won against the pull of sin, but they will all tell you to never dismiss the power of this unseen enemy to bring about our defeat. Paul's closing words give us all hope. These words are the promise to each of us. The climb demands safety ropes so that, if grip is lost, we will not fall. What do we tie our ropes to? How do we make sure we don't fall? Connect your ropes to other believers, to God's word, to prayer. Don't climb alone. Make sure you are climbing with others to keep you from falling. Climb for the peak, but never get careless and think this is easy....it isn't.

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Romans 7:15 ...For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

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Victory is possible! The mountain peak is ahead! Keep climbing!

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Saturday's cartoon

Quote of the day

"We depend on God to even be able to depend on God." -David Vinson, at our men's group this morning.

Great wisdom from a great guy! Thanks, David.

Scientists inadvertently prove Intelligent Design

"Created at a cost of $40 million and more than two decades of work, this experimental one-cell organism, which can reproduce, opens the way to the manipulation of life on a previously unattainable scale, several researchers and ethics experts said." -The Wall Street Journal

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Scientists are giddy about this new accomplishment, but what they have done unintentionally, is reinforce the claims of those who believe in Intelligent Design. Obviously, life cannot just happen. Chance could not be the source of all life and without intending to do so, these scientists have shown that a grand designer is a necessary part of all we see. Well done men, thank you for showing the world once more that God made it all.

Just thinking...

Like most of you, I have a thousand thoughts running through my head in a day....most are not worth mentioning, but this is a big year for me. This year I will turn 60. I never dreamed I would get this old this quickly! I knew it was coming, but as it draws closer I become more reflective. What could I have done differently? How could I have made better choices? Did I do all I could, all I should? If I were to do it all over again would I make the same mistakes?

None of those questions are of much use. I can't answer any of them with an answer that brings any help to my little brain, but they bounce around up there anyway. The one thing I do think about as I near the daunting age of 60 is something I read last fall. The author was describing the fact that we are in a time when there are few spiritual fathers. Men who are mature, walking with God and able to help those behind them take the leadership of the church and the world. That thought has been coming back to me often. Spiritual fathers....where are they? I see few men who, 1. qualify or 2. think they qualify, or 3. take the mantle of this identity if they do qualify. Where are the spiritual fathers leading the way for the Christian world? Showing the next generation how to live an authentic and honest Christian life? Where are the men of passion for God?

I know they are out there. I know many of them myself. I hope I can be one of them, but I don't think, if you asked them, they would describe themselves that way. Why not? If these mature men of faith do not lead the way then who will? So, let me throw out the challenge to my peers nearing this stage of life....are you willing to take on the identity of being a godly man, a leader and a spiritual father to the believers behind you? The next generation has to begin to lead the church. We need to help them and let them. Men, be the spiritual leaders of your family, church and generation and help the next generation to see what that looks like as they take the church into the years ahead.

Just a few thoughts I'm working through.....

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Funny church signs

Let's talk about it

An interesting thought from another site. Let's talk about it...

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"Self-improvement is evil."

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If Jesus answered all your prayers....

If Jesus answered all your prayers from the last 30 days, would anything change in THE world or just YOUR world? -Transforming Sermons
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