What Kind of Farmer Are You?

Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. For a person will reap what he sows, because the person who sows to his own flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 

Galatians 6:7-8

I have a confession to make, I do NOT enjoy gardening in the least.  If I were the only farmer left on earth, we'd starve....that's how much I do NOT enjoy gardening.  I know there are some who find it extremely relaxing to dig in the dirt, swat the gnats, mosquitoes, and whatever other annoying bugs decide to descend upon you, and I am glad for those....I applaud them.....I thank God for these people with every salad I eat!  

Here's a rule of thumb for those who like planting and all that goes with it: "If you want oranges, plant oranges; if you want weeds, do not plant anything."  While, on the surface, this is self explanatory, but if you look beyond the surface, you will see the true meaning: 

          *     Study = Good Grades

          *     Job = paycheck

          *     Teach children respect & boundaries = Respectful & Respectable Adults

          *     Teach children responsibility = responsible adults

You see, if we choose (and YES we do choose by our actions or inaction) to do nothing, should we be surprised when we have a generation who thinks everything is owed to them?

Honestly, I take umbrage with the Halo Orange advertisements that seem to encourage parents to fear their children, while it teaches the children that THEY, not their parents, are in charge.  We've seen it for years, children are smarter than parents.  Children know better than parents.  And parents are too busy, too tired, too career focused, or to apathetic to teach their children the way they should GO!

We get what we plant! And here's another consideration, it's never too late to clear your fields and replant your garden.  

  

Til Death Do Us Part

This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.

Genesis 2:24 

I'm going to get a little nosy for a moment...it might get a little uncomfortable so bear with me.  

How seriously do you take your wedding vows?  Let's face it, we respect those who do what they say and keep their word; we don't respect those who just speak without ever keeping their word.  So when you gave your vow of marriage to your spouse, did you take it seriously?

I like performing weddings.  Mainly because I like to help the couple understand the gravity and the fun of two becoming one.  Sadly, some just don't get it.  Part of the wedding vows I use go like this:

 "I promise to love you, honor you, cherish and protect you for as long as I draw breath."  While some vows contain particular wording ("forsaking all others") the point is clearly explained in today's passage.  A man LEAVES his parents' home and becomes one with his wife.  Husband and wife are to be UNITED INTO ONE!  Which means......nothing is to come between them and no one is to come between them!  Not job, not money, not sports, not the gym, not friends, not kids, not alcohol, not hobbies, not books, NOTHING!  They are to be so united that they are a SINGLE entity!

Oh, there will be all sorts of excuses, cries, and reasoning.  But YOU BOTH have to decide to either fight to keep your relationship and marriage strong, or watch it crumble into dust with the anger and pain of watching the disintegrating destruction.

When I was enduring military training, we were taught (had it drilled into us) that we were to think as one, train as one, move as one, because we were to think of our fellow platoon members as extensions of our own body.  The same holds true with marriage.  We are to be SO united that you move, think, and function as a single entity.  This is because TRUE LOVE is a decision, not a feeling!

So, again, I ask the nosy question: How seriously do you take your vows?  Has anything or anyone disrupted your marriage?

Too Tired? Too Weary?

Come to me and I will give you rest—all of you who work so hard beneath a heavy yoke. Wear my yoke—for it fits perfectly—and let me teach you; for I am gentle and humble, and you shall find rest for your souls; for I give you only light burdens.

Matthew 11:28 

 

You've seen the look.  Perhaps you've seen it in others.  Perhaps you've seen it in the mirror.  The deep-set eyes rimmed with shadows, the energy drained out of every pore of skin, the distant gaze of the soul weary.  It comes from fighting to do what's right against the onslaught of the apathetic or those who are just determined that what is right is not going to happen.  It's the look we have when we have been hammered by life's situations for so long that we are wondering if another breath is worth taking.  We've worn the mask of "everything's okay" for far too long.

 

We need a break.  We need a rest.  We need time to be restored and recharged.  We need to be able to laugh again.  We need time to play.  We need to remember what Happy truly feels like.  Yet the toil continues without respite.

 

Look carefully at the words of Christ: "Wear My yoke - for it fits perfectly - and let Me teach you."  We struggle when we are trying to wear a yoke that doesn't fit us.  What happens if you wear shoes that are too tight?  Your feet hurt terribly and walking becomes difficult.  What happens if you wear shoes that are too big?  They rub your skin until blisters form and walking becomes difficult.

 

We have talked about the curse we have brought on ourselves called "Busyness."  The curse of busyness also brings the curse of an ill-fitting yoke. This is not the yoke that Jesus intends for us to wear.  Jesus intends for us to wear the yoke that fits perfectly which is found in relationship with Him.  And when we have relationship with Christ, we will experience Isaiah 40:31:

 

"But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
    They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
    They will walk and not faint."

 

Tired of being weary? I am.  

Captain Busyness

As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”

  But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:38-42

Multi-tasking has become our mantra.  We work late, get home late, eat late, work some more until the wee hours of the morning, jump into bed expecting sleep to be waiting on us, then we remember that project we are supposed to have finished tomorrow, so we're up again, and on and on and on.  

Then we wonder why we're tired.  So we start pounding down the coffee, energy drinks, and push ourselves ever harder to do more of everything.....EXCEPT relax.  It's as if we have lost the ability to actually relax!

In today's passage, Martha is trying to be THE perfect hostess by greeting Jesus at the door and then off to the kitchen to prepare the meal, back out to set the table, back into the kitchen to peel potatos and carrots, shell the beans, make the bread, baste the meat, back to put napkins and silverware on the table......Martha was BUSY!

Mary, on the other hand, wanted to learn from Jesus.  She took the time for the IMPORTANT instead of all the busyness.  Martha decided it was time to call Mary out right in front of Jesus, so she comes blustering into the room, INTERRUPTS Jesus, and demands that Jesus make Mary leave the important to help her with the busyness.  Look at Jesus' response: "My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details!"  

Jesus chides Martha for focusing on the busyness of life.  Notice also that Mary isn't sitting on her backside being lazy, rather she is sitting at the feet of Jesus and she is LEARNING from Him.  Tired of being tired?  Let go of the busyness and learn to rest and relax.  Spend time with your loved ones.  Busyness is learned and has become ingrained in us.  Isn't it about time to learn how to rest, relax and recharge? 

It Just Won't Stop! I Feel Like I'm Drowning!!!

Why am I discouraged?
    Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
    I will praise him again—
    my Savior and my God!

~Psalm 42:11

 

Ever feel like that punching bag for a prize fighter?  Ever feel like that your circumstances are trying to drown you?  Ever feel so fed up that you're ready to walk away?

 

When we feel like life is funneling us through the passage filled with broken glass and rusting barbed wire, and the only thing between our will to continue through to the other side and our desire to just give up is a very thin layer of skin...what do you do?  Then you see someone who seems to have all the good things in life seemingly being handed to him on velvet pillows on golden trays.  How do you feel now?

 

When life kicks you over and over and no matter how hard you try, you just seemed to keep getting kicked, what are we supposed to do?  

 

Here are some practical things you can do: 

• Recognize that everything that is happening is for a purpose.  Like it or not.
• Talk with God, openly and HONESTLY, about what you are thinking and feeling.  If your words come out as tear drowned sobs, God knows what you're talking about.  If your words come out as angry shouts, God knows what you're talking about.  If your words just won't come at all, God knows what you're talking about.
• Be HONEST with your loved ones about what's going on with you, and seek their help.  The absolute worst thing we can do is put on the "I'm Okay" mask and lie about how we are doing and feeling.  Remember, God didn't put us here to be alone.
• Accept that what you want or hope for might not be the plan that is best for you.  Be flexible (especially if you expect others to be flexible). Your answer might not be the same answer God has in mind.
• Learn to look at the situations from multiple perspectives.  Ask your loved ones for their HONEST perspective.
•  Understand that you are NOT alone!
• Be prepared to TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF OF IT!

God allows some things in life to happen to us that can overwhelm us so that we can remember that HE is the one in control of all things.

Time To Actually DO Something!

But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”
Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”
“Yes, come,” Jesus said.
So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.
Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”
When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.
Matthew 14:27-32 

We hear it frequently...."I can't."  I hear it quite often from people who CAN but just want someone else to do it for them.  

Children are very good at this little game:

     Parent: Help me carry the groceries into the house.

     Child: I can't!  I am already doing something.

Sound familiar?  You see, we use "I can't" in place of "I don't want to" with astounding regularity.  And the truly sad part of this, is instead of holding the "I can't" accountable, we just sigh and do everything ourselves because "I don't want to" start an argument.

Here's an eye-opener for you: Almost every miracle Jesus performed, He required the recipient to DO something.  When Peter wanted to walk on water, Jesus didn't magically transport him out of the boat, He told Peter to DO something!  

Jesus told Peter "Come" which meant Peter had to:

•  gather the courage within himself, 
• step out of the boat, 
• TURN LOOSE OF THE BOAT, 
• ignore the raging storm around him,
•  and walk.

In Mark 2:1-12, a paralyzed man was lowered through the roof of a house by his friends.  The man was paralyzed, yet Jesus told him in verse 11:

• stand up
• pick up your mat
• go home

You'd think, because the man was paralyzed, Jesus would simply take pity on him and not expect anything from him.  Taking pity on someone, and you might not like this but it's true, means you have GIVEN UP on that person!  Having Compassion means you are willing to help but you expect effort from them in return.

 

We see this quite often from those who want you to give them ______ (housing, food, money, insert your favorite "help me request") without any effort on their part being expected or required.  It might sound harsh, if we were not supposed to actually put forth any effort, God would have created the Universe to revolve around us and everything on the Earth would be so easy, that we could lay around in our floatie chairs and do nothing!

 

People actually make it their life's mission to seek pity from others so they don't have to DO anything for themselves!  And many of us will sacrifice everything we have (life savings, time, effort, relationships, you name it) so the pity seeking person will not be inconvenienced by actually being expected to DO anything for themselves.  

 

1. Helen Keller - was born deaf AND blind, yet learned to overcome her disabilities to become an inspiration to others.
2. Tom Dempsey - was born without toes on his right foot and without fingers on his right hand, yet on November 8, 1970 he kicked the game winning 63-yard field goal for New Orleans against Detroit.
3. Stephen Hawking - has become paralyzed due to motor neurone disease and can now communicates using a single cheek muscle attached to a speech-generating device, yet is an author, lecturer, and professor.

We hear about marathon runners who use prosthetic legs.  We hear about blind mountain climbers. We hear story after story about people who decided that they wanted to DO instead of receive pity.

 

Here's my point: If Jesus expected those He helped to DO for themselves (thus, removing their excuses) who are we to do otherwise?  

 

What A Valentine!

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

 

Today's passage is very familiar.  In fact, it's so familiar that most of us can recite it without having any real idea what we are saying (because we learned it by rote years ago).  

 

Valentine's Day just passed.  I hope you got a Valentine or two, and I hope you gave a Valentine or two.  Valentine's Day is the holiday designated to express love for those we truly care about.  And the Greeting Card companies, Candy Companies, Jewelry Merchants, Stuffed Animal Sellers, and all the other corporations seeking to profit from love, spare no expense trying to get (or guilt) all sorts of material goods that are supposed to "express what's in your heart."  Yet, none of them have been able to capture (or even mention) the greatest Valentine's Gift of all....Jesus Christ!

 

Think about it:  God didn't have to create anything, but He did.   God didn't have to give us anything, yet He has given us everything.  God didn't have to provide a way to rescue us from ourselves, yet He did.  God provided the perfect gift for imperfect people in the form of His Son.  

 

Jesus, who did not sin, accepted ALL of our sin and paid the required price to purchase our freedom for eternity.  This is the Valentine's Gift God offers.  And the only "catch" is that we have to accept His gift. 

When Your Soul Is Thirsty

With joy you will drink deeply
    from the fountain of salvation!

In that wonderful day you will sing:
    “Thank the Lord! Praise his name!
Tell the nations what he has done.
    Let them know how mighty he is!

~Isaiah 12:3-4

 

I remember that it was in July when, on a family vacation, we stopped at a place called Bandelier, New Mexico so we could see the cliff dwellings of early Native Americans.  I was having a ball climbing the ladders, looking at the holes that had been carved into the cliffs to serve as homes.  There was QUITE a bit of temperature difference inside the caves compared to the outside where the ladders were.  Outside it was HOT!  Stifling dry heat where you could get dehydrated before you realized what was happening.

 

Now....our family seldom took a vacation without bringing our dachshund, Ginger, with us.  Ginger did her best to enjoy the time with us, but being so close to the ground, as dachshunds are so short, she was getting very hot very fast (not to mention dogs have fur coats).  So we strolled along pretty quickly and Ginger got carried a lot of the way.  

 

Finally, we reached a stream and the Park Ranger told us the water was naturally clean enough to drink from (remember this was in the early 70s).  Ginger didn't care, she saw the shallow stream, wandered out into the middle of it, had a drink, and then laid down in the cool water.  You could almost hear her singing praises to God for putting this stream right where she needed it most.

 

But think about this, have you ever been so thirsty that you couldn't even work up enough spit to swallow?  And when you finally got that first sip of cool water.......  Such is how our soul rejoices when we embrace the Living Water that Jesus promises us.  

If You Would Be Wise....

Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent;
    with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.

~Proverbs 17:28

 

Did you know that wisdom is a lesson learned?

 

Think about this:

     *     Is it a good idea to get between a Mama bear and her cub?

     *     Is it a good idea to walk barefoot through a room in the dark?

     *     Is it a good idea to wrestle with a skunk....or a porcupine?

     *     Is it a good idea to jump off a cliff without a parachute just to taunt gravity?

 

You see, we learn some wisdom from experience.  I learned very early on that talking less gave my ears more of a chance to hear, and also gave my mind more time to understand.  Ever met someone who thought the one who talks the most and the loudest MUST be the one who is right?  Hmmmmm.......just because one uses many loud words does not make them wise; it merely makes them loud and annoying.

 

Let me share with you some nuggets of wisdom I have learned by being observant and listening:

     *    If the drink machine takes your money, putting MORE money in it seldom works.

     *    If you are in a hurry, traffic lights will conspire to stop you at every intersection.

     *    If you don't ask for help, chances are the ones who can help you won't know.

     *    Learning to laugh is good for the body, mind AND spirit.

     *    Hugs are the best therapeutic tool ever.

     *    If you encourage honestly (instead of using flattery) the results will last much longer.

     *    Pretending nothing hurts is nothing more than lying to yourself.

     *    Children see MUCH more than we give them credit.

     *    Children hear far more than we would like them to.

     *    Children will tell way more than we want them to.

     *    The person who annoys you, OWNS you! Because they have captured your attention long after they're gone and far longer than they are thinking about you.

 

 

"From the errors of others, a wise man corrects his own." - Publilius Syrus

Laundry Money!

I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.

~Philippians 4:12 

 

 

We've all said it and we've all experienced it....when there seems to be more month than our salary can cover.  I'm with you on this one.  

 

Saturday is usually laundry day at our house.  There have been times where I literally had pocket change to survive on until payday.  Mostly because I had not planned adequately and partly because when you can least afford it, things start breaking or leaking or just quit working and the urgent expenditures begin snowballing.  But there have been a times where I have been SO stressed about finances (yes, Chaplains can get stressed too.  We're learning just like everyone else), that all of my prayers were for help making ends meet.

 

So imagine my ecstatic joy when I was folding my clothes and $10 landed on the floor at my feet.  Now for some, ten dollars isn't much, but for me it was the wealth of Solomon!

 

Here's something I have learned and God still reminds me of almost every day: Focus on the ONE who provides rather than the provision and my perspective will change to appreciation.  God is the God of ALL creation!  He owns it all.....every last bit of everything.  And He loves us!  He has promised to take care of us.  All He asks in return is that we put Him first ("Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.") and you will be astounded by the results.

 

 

I Give Up!!!!!

You won’t need to fight in this battle. Just stand strong in your places, and you will see the Lord save you. Judah and Jerusalem, don’t be afraid or discouraged, because the Lord is with you. So go out against those people tomorrow.

2 Chronicles 20:17 

 

 

I am going to be PAINFULLY honest with you....these last few weeks have pushed my bride and I to the point where we are ready to give up.  It's as if each time we're just about to get up and see sunshine, more punches come raining down on us.  And please let me be even more honest, when you have reached the point where you wonder "what next?" let me share a few things from personal experience:

•  When the punches rain down like boulders, it's very easy to focus on the pain and discomfort of the immediate situation instead of focusing on God who knew this was coming and has already put a plan in place to get us through this.
• You slap on a "happy face" for everyone to see, even though you heart is breaking and your life has been turned every which way but up.  But you're expected to never experience any turmoil because God loves you, and you're expected to wear the mask of serenity for the benefit of those who see you. 
• You want to spent all your time doing anything that will help distract you from the  bombardment EXCEPT listen to someone quote Bible verses to you.  You KNOW the Bible speaks truth, but you aren't in the frame of mind to truly hear what is being said.
• You feel as if you are drowning because stress and anxiety have such a tight hold on you that it takes conscious effort to breathe.

 

Now, I don't say these things seeking sympathy, but writing this is therapeutic for me, and I also know we are not the only ones having to deal with this blitzkrieg of challenges.  So....what can we take from this?  How can we practically make it through?  Here are some of the ways I am learning to deal:

• Accept what is happening and know that, even though it may be excruciating and life altering, this is a temporary situation.
• BE HONEST WITH GOD! Let's face it, God already knows everything about your situation and is already dealing with it.  If you need to change a perspective or an action or an attitude, be honest and tell God about it.
• Find an outlet!  Write it out, talk it out, praying is ALWAYS good because you are talking with God who is in control of all things.
• Keep with your routines.  Routines give you a way to physically occupy yourself and helps keep you focused.
• Try to find some positive point, no matter how seemingly insignificant, that will break your downward spiraling thought patterns. 
• And here's the part I struggle with most: When you talk with God about it,  let HIM deal with it! Take your hands off!  Don't try to tell Him how He needs to do His job or tell Him that your way is better than His.  Tell Him what is on your heart and then let Him deal with it.

The realization that hit my like a thump to the forehead....God has not taken you home yet, so it's His job to get you through this troublesome time.  We may not like the outcome, but when we understand that God does EVERYTHING for our good and His glory, our perspective will begin to change.

The Gift

May my words and my thoughts
be acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, my sheltering rock and my redeemer.

Psalm 19:14 

 

How many years have we spent on ourselves?  Doing what WE wanted to do because it was fun or would lead us to something better?  We like it when we enjoy what we do and when our lives are going well.

 

Did you know that OUR lives are one of God's gifts to us?  Did you also know that OUR lives are our gift to God?  What we think and what we say and what we do are our gift that we give to God every moment of every day.  

 

Now, understand, I am not saying that we should pretend to be nice to someone or that we should accept unacceptable behaviors, because that would be giving God the LIE of what we think He wants from us.  God wants us and, through Jesus, commands us that we are to love each other.  Love does not mean accept unacceptable behaviors or words; Love means you care enough about that person to go to them and try to correct the behavior or words.  Sometimes Love means keeping distance for a time so as to let wounds heal.  

 

In a few weeks, we will be celebrating the sacrifice Jesus made for us because He loves us so much, that is His gift.  What gift can we offer that will be acceptable to Him?

Time To Pick A Side!

But if you don’t want to serve the Lord, you must choose for yourselves today whom you will serve. You may serve the gods that your ancestors worshiped when they lived on the other side of the Euphrates River, or you may serve the gods of the Amorites who lived in this land. As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua 24:15 

 

Ever been asked why you choose to believe the way you do?  Ever chosen any other way to believe or have you ever chosen not to believe because you couldn't understand why things happened the way they did?

 

November 17, 1981, my world came crashing in and I admit that I began to question why I believed some of the things I believed.  In fact, when I got to college (at a BAPTIST school) the only church I would attend were the Tuesday morning required Chapel services where I spent my time either reading, sleeping, or finishing up a project.  I was not sure that what I believed was true!  So I took time to stop for a couple of years.  I took a few more years re-evaluating what I had been taught to believe.  Those 10 years were spent wondering and wandering.  

 

Then I found a book called "A Scandalous Freedom" by Steve Brown.  This was followed by a whole list of books that seemed as though were written just for me.  One of the points made through these authors is that we must look at WHAT we choose to worship because, after all, worship is a choice we make.

 

What do you worship?  

• Perhaps it's your job. Your job comes before everything and everyone.  Your job defines who you are and gives you great satisfaction at the cost of your friendships, relationships, and when you retire...you are left wondering what to do with yourself.  
• Perhaps it's your children.  You take pride in their accomplishments and gush with pride at their antics.  You ignore your spouse and those who don't worship your children with you because, "they just don't get it."  When your children are grown, you wonder what happened to them and what to do with yourself.
• Maybe it's sports.  You play sports, watch sports, quote all the statistics, schedule your day so you don't miss a single moment of a single game.  You might even go so far as to spend countless dollars on paraphernalia and memorabilia devoting entire rooms in your home to SPORTS!
• Some even worship church.  Odd, how that sounds, but it's the truth.  They worship church because the band plays songs we like to hear; the preacher is dynamic and preaches sermons make me feel good but doesn't make me understand that I need to make some changes.  The socials are great!

My point is this, every single one of us choose to worship something.  My life experience has taught me that the things I worshiped did not last and did not help.  Oh, they gave me moments of escape from reality for a while, but it wasn't long lasting and it wasn't satisfying. But there comes a time when we have to choose whose side we're going to be on.  Jesus told us, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. NO man comes to the Father except through Me" - John 14:6.  Jesus promised to be with us and never ever leave us.  My life experiences have proven that to me over and over.

This is not like picking teams for dodgeball where someone else decides whose team you end up on.  In life, YOU make the choice!  Please, choose wisely. 

 

 

 

Courtesy of God

¹ The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
    The skies display his craftsmanship.
² Day after day they continue to speak;
    night after night they make him known.
³ They speak without a sound or word;
    their voice is never heard.
⁴ Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
    and their words to all the world.

Psalm 19:1-4 

Have you ever seen a sunrise?  I'm not a "morning person" usually, but every once in a while I am up before the sun and get to see it rise.  That sight is amazing in its beauty! And it's courtesy of God.

Sunset is equally as breathtaking.  And there's truly nothing like a clear night where the stars stand out like lanterns and the full moon glows.  Again, courtesy of God.

And even though there are no words that can adequately describe the sights, God speaks to us through His creation as loudly as through a megaphone...but only if we are listening.  

The question I have to ask myself, and you need to ask yourself as well, are we listening to God?  

 

Excuse Me.....Are You Lost?

If you go the wrong way—to the right or to the left—you will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the right way. You should go this way.”

Isaiah 30:21 

 

Okay, I admit it....I speak sarcasm with some fluency.  I was picking up a couple of items from the grocery store the other day and when I got to the checkout, the exhausted clerk asked in a monotone exasperated I-Have-To-Ask-You-This tone of voice, "Did you find everything you were looking for?"  I wish I could say that I could not stop the words from coming out of my mouth, but that would be a lie.  Without looking up from the card reading contraption, I said, "Well......I found the peanut butter and the bread, but I just could NOT find where you keep the walrus jelly."

 

Men seem to have a reputation for not wanting to stop to ask directions.  I rode with one person who had a GPS on their phone and this person got angry with the voice because it was female and he didn't like some female telling him where to go.  But let's face facts, we don't like being lost, but we're also not very good at following directions sometimes either.

 

But imagine if you were traveling along the road, lost and looking for some sign of where you need to go, when you hear a voice in your ear say, "Might want to turn around, the bridge ahead is out and I love you enough to keep you safe."  Hmmmm......'But God doesn't really talk to us like that, Padre?" (I heard you say that).  But consider this, Scripture gives us direction and teaches us right from wrong.  Scripture even gives us some wonderful examples of good people making big blunders because they didn't follow God's directions.

 

Ponder this thought for a moment:  When you go to a city you have never visited before, do you know how to get to all the destinations you need?  NO!  It takes time and practice to learn the roads and the shortcuts (the ones that really are shortcuts, not the "more scenic" ones that take hours longer).  When we make it a habit to read the Bible, we will begin to find the direction we need to go.  When there's a question in our mind, God will bring to memory a verse that tells us where to go.

 

It's still not too late to begin a Bible Study....just sayin'  

Just Let Them Be? Are You Mad?

This is My commandment: that you love one another, as I have loved you.

John 15:12 

When you think of a parent showing love to their child, what comes to mind?  Is it giving them lots of gifts?  Perhaps it's letting them do whatever they want, when they want, to whom they want?  After all, children are adorable and would NEVER do anything that could construed as "wrong".....  If this is how you perceive showing love, you're completely miss the point of Jesus' words.

When a parent truly loves their child, they will teach that child!  They will teach their child that their actions have consequences...good or bad consequences, but every thought and action will result in some sort of consequences.

Remember the Israelites when they left Egypt heading toward the promised land?  God truly loved and loves His children.  What happened when the Israelites decided they knew the best way to do things instead of following God's direction?  God let them wander around the desert until the sinful generation had died (and that generation included Moses).

Remember King David, The Beloved of God? What did God do when David decided he wanted to take another man's wife (Bathsheba)?  Did God tell David, "That's okay.  You take who you want.  As long as it makes you happy, it's okay with me"?  If that's your answer, then perhaps you need to read the Bible story again.  God loved David enough to make him the ruler over Israel, but God also loved David enough to HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE!

You see, if we truly love someone we must love them enough to comfort them, as well as, correct them gently (or more harshly if the lesson is not learned).  

Let's look at this another way...let's say you want to lose weight (and I'm NOT saying that you do, just that you WANT to), what helps you more: your friends letting you do what you want, eat what you want, and not offering any motivation OR your friends holding you accountable by going to the gym WITH you, eating better WITH you, and encouraging you?

You see, giving someone everything they want so they don't have to do anything for themselves is NOT showing love.  Letting someone do whatever they want without any accountability or consequence is not love.  Love is teaching and guiding and encouraging and caring.  Jesus even reminds us in John 14:15: "IF you love Me, you will keep My commandments."  True love is never passive or inactive!  True love builds us up whether we like it or not.