"Where Are Your Eyes?"

No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Philippians 3:13-14

I had a problem.  I simply could not seem to get my shot grouping tight enough during Basic Training Firearms Training.  I tried everything I could think of, to no avail.  I always had one shot that was outside the perimeter. I didn't want to be "that guy" who failed Rifle Qualification and had to recycle through it again.  I was getting frustrated and so was my Drill Sergeant.  I could tell he was getting more than a bit irritated because his normally loud tone was becoming less and less loud.  Everyone else had finished and qualified except for me, so to say I was nervous and under pressure was an understatement.  I racked my first round and hit the target dead center. Whew? Maybe I can do it after all.  Second round was up and to the left but still in the perimeter.  Gulp. This is going sideways fast.  I took a deep breath and looked back at the rest of our platoon impatiently waiting on me.  Then right in my ear, I heard my Drill Sergeant hiss, "Where are your eyes soldier? Why are you looking behind you? Ain't nuthin you can do about the past! But you CAN do something about the present.  Eyes on the Prize Son!"  I took another deep breath, aimed, squeezed the trigger and the last round hit within the perimeter.  My Drill Sergeant grabbed the back of my collar and, quite literally, hoisted me out of the foxhole and told me "Keep Your Eyes On The Prize!"

I learned a valuable lesson. Worrying about the past, getting angry about the past, focusing on the past will only keep you locked in the past and you can't move forward when you're locked in the past.  Don't get me wrong, there are times when the Whisperer will hiss in my ear about the time I was beaten up in 5th grade, of that time when I was accused and punished for something I didn't do, or when got angry with my brother for telling me to jump off the roof of the garage with Dad's umbrella because it was a parachute.. The Whisperer never rests and never misses a chance to remind us of that time we can never change (aka The Past) because he wants us to get locked in the past and not keep our eyes on the prize.

I don't know about you, but I am convinced that the prize Abba has in store for us is WELL worth keeping as our focus!  Thank you SSGT Oliver Wendall Burnham for reminding me to KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE!

 

Noses Out

 

Interfering in someone else’s affairs

    is as foolish as yanking a dog’s ears.

Proverbs 26:17

Have you ever tried to yank on a dog's ears, especially a dog who didn't know you?   I can tell you from experience that dogs are not fond of having any part of them yanked.  As a matter of fact, doing so tends to truly tick them off and they will use their teeth to get their point across.

You are probably thinking "Why would ANYONE be so dumb as to yank a dog's ears?". Yet don't we do the same thing when we stick our noses into someone else's affairs?  Let's face it, there is an entire genre of "reality" television and entire print publishing that does nothing but invite us to intrude in the affairs of others.  And we eat it up like chocolate!  Why is that? Consider this: Would you like having your affairs displayed for everyone to see, critique, and analyze?  I wouldn't!

Solomon makes it very clear that when we stick our noses where they don't belong, we are begging for trouble!  Here's a wonderful rule of thumb: If someone wants my counsel, they will ask me for it. Otherwise, it's not my business UNLESS they are endangering themselves and/or others.

This all goes back to the simple truth -> Treat others as you want them to treat you.  

Under The Still Waters

"Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. 

He never changes or casts a shifting shadow."

 - James 1:17

When I was a child, my Grampa took me fishing. The surface of the pond was like glass. We dropped our lines in and Grampa took out some sandwiches Gramma had packed for us. He asked me to say grace and I looked at him with big tears in my eyes and said, "I can't. God doesn't seem to like me anymore."

I confessed to my Grampa that I had been praying that my brother and I could get along, but I REALLY didn't like him very much. I told him that because I didn't like my brother very much that God didn't seem to hear my prayer. My Grampa thought for a minute and said, "God always hears our prayers because God never changes, and He knows why you and your brother don't get along. Ask Him to show you why you two are always arguing and ask Him to show you what YOU need to do about it."

I felt a little better and said the God is Great prayer for our lunch. And then Grampa said, "Look at the pond. Smooth as glass. But look at our corks moving around. There's a current underneath that we can't see. God's like that, we may not see Him and we may not feel Him, but He is still working on us."

I did ask God to show me why and what I could do about it. It didn't make my brother and I best of friends, but we got along for the most part.

Comments

 

Tired Of Trying To Be Good?

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.
God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.
Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first.
1 John 4:16-19
 

Did you know that the reason people are so bad is that they are trying so very hard to be “good”? In fact, the trying is so often so prideful (look at me how good I’m being), narcissistic (don’t you wish you could be as good as I am), and ego-centered (I’m so very good) that holiness is never the product.  Now…because of justification (in Christ we are forgiven), imputation (we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ), and adoption (through Christ we are children of Abba), we can lighten up and allow Abba to show His love when we get better and when we don’t.

 

You see, it is at that moment when we will be surprised with the goodness that often follows. That happens because goodness and failure to be good are no longer the issue…why? Because Jesus has already taken care of that.

 

The reason Abba didn’t just drop a book in our laps to express His love, but instead sent His Son, was because of the nature of His love.  Let me as a question, have you ever tried to explain how beautiful the blue sky is to someone who cannot see?  How about trying to explain the beauty of a symphony to someone who cannot hear?  Abba wants us to know the true nature of His love and the only way He could do that so we would understand was to send His love incarnate in Christ.

 

You see, love is not a concept, or an action, or a doctrine! Love is an experience, both when it is received and when it is given.  Remember this, you can only share love to the degree you have received love. When we truly experience the love of Abba through Christ, we can’t help but share it with others!

 

Fortress

I love you, Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. I called on the Lord , who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.

Psalms 18:1-3

When I was a child, my friends and I would build tree forts.  No one knew we were there because we disguised them. There we would do those weird things young boys do, like read comic books, smoke (and choke) on a cigar one of the guys stole from his Dad, joke and laugh.  We felt safe and secure in our tree fort.  But there also came time when we had to leave it and enter the world again.

What is the purpose of a fortress?  It is a place where you feel safe. It a place where you are protected. It is a place where you are secure from intruders.  Yet a fortress cannot move.  BUT, consider that Abba is our fortress.  In Him we are safe and secure. In Him we are protected. In Him we find comfort.  And, here's the kicker, our fortress we have in Abba goes with us everywhere we go. We call on Him and He answers. We flee to Him and we are protected. We go to Him because we know we are loved!

There are times we seem to forget that, or am I the only one.  Yet Abba never forgets and never leaves us and always loves us.  Maybe it's time we tell Abba thank you for being our fortress.

 

Christianity IS For The Weak

You read that title correctly.  Christianity IS for the weak!  

Consider this:

1. Abba took on the helpless human flesh...an infant in a barn feed trough.
2. The Creator and Sustainer of ALL creation depended on weak humans for nourishment, comfort and diaper changes.
3. He suffered the ridicule and rejection of His own people and closest friends.
4. He dies a humiliating and degrading death at the hands of a brutal government.

BUT....that's NOT the end of the story!

I struggle with failure.  It's not that I try to fail, because I honestly do try to be good. Yet, I always seem to fail and then I am too embarrassed to go to Abba with the words, "I'm sorry. I failed You AGAIN!" 

Over time, my soul became seared because I thought confessing my struggles and failures was only for the weak. And I refused to be weak!  I had seen others confess with tears and sniffles, then go right back out with a smile on their face to do exactly the same things again, as if crocodile tears washed you clean.  But, hey, that's why they were weak!  I did what I wanted to do and didn't bother with weakness.

Now....let me tell you a secret: those who think they are strong because they "don't need" Abba are truly the weak ones.  How do I know? Because I was one of them. When my life came crashing down around me (I felt like Job with one disaster after another), I realized that I NEEDED Abba!  I actually pulled my car into a parking lot, and let Him love me and cleanse me.  

"As Jesus was having a meal in Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard this he said, “Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do." - Matthew 9:10-12

Think about it!  When we are sick, we ARE weak! And THAT is when we need the Greatest Physician, Abba!  Even the Apostle Paul said:

"Therefore I am content with weaknesses, with insults, with troubles, with persecutions and difficulties for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong." 

- 2 Corinthians 12:10

It's okay to be weak and acknowledge that we need Abba!  I know I do....how about you?

 

Inseparable

"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:38-39 

 What a comfort it is to know that God loves me enough to keep me in spite of myself. Because I love Abba, I want to do things that I feel would make Him happy, but Abba loves me no matter how badly I mess things up.

 

I've mentioned before that I am on my 59th year of living life wrong. I say that because I am not perfect and will never be perfect this side of heaven, but I learn from mistakes (most of the time). No matter what you have done or will do, Abba's heart is ALWAYS open to you. Abba never said "You must be this tall to ride this ride." Abba spoke through Jesus Christ and said, "Come to me all who are exhausted and weighed down, I will give you rest."

 

Fact: Abba loves us when we don't even love ourselves.

Fact: Abba loves us when we mess life up royally.

Fact: Abba loves us even when we don't like Him.

 

Abba loves you! And THAT'S the truth!

 

When You Feel Like Dancing

A cheerful look brings joy to the heart;
    good news makes for good health.

Proverbs 15:30

My Bride caught me.  She walked in and caught me dancing in the kitchen.  There was no music except what was in my head, but that's okay I wasn't dancing to impress anyone.  Apparently when your dancing are reminiscent of the dancing hippos from Fantasia it is quite the cause to laugh.

I was dancing simply because my heart was happy.  The music in my head is always there seeking expression, much to the further amusement of my Bride (by now you have an idea what she's been subjected to for the last 21 years).  That incident in  our kitchen brought to mind a quote from Friedrich Nietzsche: "Those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music." 

Just because we can't hear someone else's music doesn't mean they are weird (well...maybe they are part of the club), it means their heart is happy and we should celebrate with them.  Think about this, when your face reveals something is upsetting you, what to you hear? "Are you okay?"  So when someone has a smile on their face, why are we reluctant to ask "May I celebrate with you?"

Point to Ponder: "A shared burden is half as heavy, a shared joy is twice as bright." 

 

"Go Ahead...Complain Away!"

"I cannot keep from speaking.
    I must express my anguish.
    My bitter soul must complain."

Job 7:11

When I was in Sunday School, I remember hearing the story of Job and all His troubles.  I thought, "How on earth can he go through all this tragedy and NOT complain?".  However, the more I read, the more I realized Job DID complain to God.  A LOT!!  And guess what? God listened....and listened....and listened....and listened.

Look at today's verse...Job plainly states that "I cannot keep from speaking. I MUST express my anguish. My bitter soul MUST complain."  When we are hurting, frustrated, anxious, or just cannot believe life happens to us the way it does, we complain!  When was the last time you complained to a friend?  I did just this morning right before I read this verse for the gazillionth time.  

Remember when Abba decided Job had complained enough?  Read Job! Abba tells Job, Put on your big boy pants because I'm going to ask you and YOU WILL answer me. It was in this chapter that I learned a HUGELY Valuable lesson about Abba...you may want to write it down somewhere so you don't forget it.  "It's okay to complain to Abba, but remember WE do NOT get a vote!" Abba's plans are not up for debate!

 

Can NOT Be Thwarted!

I struggle.  There are many (many many many) times when I wonder if Abba has forgotten me.  I'm just being honest. If you're like me, there have been times when I really thought Abba made a HUGE mistake when He decided that I was to be born.  

After all, who am I that Abba should care?  This is a whispered lie told to us by our enemy!  When we are hurting, the whispers are there of "Abba doesn't care about you."  When you are stressed and anxious, the whispers are there of "Guess Abba is too busy to help the likes of you."  When we face tragedies in life, the whispers are there of "See? What have I been telling you? You don't matter to Abba!"

The whispers are real and they are deceptive.  They drip with poison.  They are like millions of needles adding you the pain.  And they are LIES!!  

Years ago, don't ask me how many, I read a study where psychologists took a group of kids and divided them into two groups based on their IQ.  The group with the higher IQ was told every day that they would not succeed and would not amount to anything.  The group with the lower IQ were told exactly the opposite, that they would succeed and they were going to be amazingly successful.  At first, the first group did perform quite well, having the higher IQ.  While the second group struggled.  However, within a year the second group had become the success while the first group struggled.

When we are told something enough times, we begin to perform based on what we are told.  Therefore, when the Whisperer tells us over and over lies about Abba, eventually they will take hold of us if we are not watchful.  Be careful to what you listen!  Remember, Abba does care and love you! He allowed His own Son to pay our way.  And always remember, what Abba has planned...NOTHING can stop it or change it!

 

Dreaming of the 'Good Old Days'?

Don’t long for “the good old days.”
    This is not wise.

Ecclesiastes 7:10

I admit it...I like old cars.  There's just something about them that appeals to me.  This picture got me feeling rather nostalgic and I began remembering some of my yesterdays:

• Mom putting the roast into the oven when we left for church.  When we got home the house smelled wonderful.
• Riding my bicycle without a helmet.
• Having a rotary dial phone (only ONE phone and it was in the kitchen).
• Getting taken to the Principal's Office to get three whacks with her paddle for misbehaving in class.
• Playing kickball during recess.
• Getting my mouth washed out with a bar of soap because I used a word I heard my Grampa had said.
• Watching cartoons on Saturday mornings with w mixing bowl full of Cheerios (which I ate like popcorn).
• Going to the Saturday Matinee while Mom got her hair fixed for Sunday (for $1.25  you got a popcorn, a soda, and two movies).
• Find the symbol for "cents" on the typewriter.

Memories are to help us see how far Abba has brought us in our journey.  Yet there are too many who only want to look back at the "Good Old Days."  We cannot live in the past. We cannot live in the future.  We can only live in the present. That's how Abba planned it and we can't change His plans no matter how much we look back.

 

Pain Hurts...But Also Teaches

"I will never forget this awful time,

as I grieve over my loss.

Yet I still dare to hope

when I remember this:

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!

His mercies never cease.

Great is His faithfulness;

His mercies begin afresh each morning.

I say to myself, 'The Lord is my inheritance;

therefore, I will hope in Him!'"

Lamentations 3:20-24

At Mom's funeral in December, one of the things the pastor said stuck with me. He said: "We are here to say 'Goodbye,' because our time with her on this side of Heaven is done. But when we meet again in Heaven there will never be 'Goodbye' again."

Whatever happens to us here may be painful, it may be confusing, it may be distressing, it may be frustrating, it may make absolutely no sense at all. BUT all that happens here is temporary except one thing...accepting God's offer of salvation through Christ. Saying 'YES' to that offer brings life everlasting.

"My hope is built on nothing less, that Jesus' love and righteousness."

 

Be Different

So then, let us pursue what makes for peace 

and for building up one another.

Romans 14:19

 I was asked what I thought about our country seemingly being torn apart.  I thought for a moment, and said "It's not our country.  It is Abba's to do with as He chooses. My job is to be an encourager to those who are discouraged. My job is to do my best to build others up. I cannot control anything about what's going on, but I can choose to be different." 

We have a choice: to look at all that is going on in the world and freak out, OR we can choose to BE the sense of calm in the midst of the storm by loving others enough to encourage them.

I may be weird because I choose to be different. So be it.  Who's with me?