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Snow in Chattanooga?

I have said for years that the government had been using Chattanooga for some weather control experiment since it NEVER snows here.  To the north, to the east, to the south, to the west – oh yeah, they get snow, but not the Noog.   Well Paul Barys says the trend may be breaking with this tweet?

PAUL BARYS-Drier weather will move in for the next couple of days. But some snow could start falling early Saturday morning. 3:31 PM Dec 2nd from web

Snow – Maybe!!!

Yo, Ho, we love the snow.

Alright, well lets hope that’s a go, otherwise that State Championship football game is not going to be very enjoyable in the rain and cold. Go Bucs!

Enough talk about the weather.  I have always been one to hate James. As a matter of fact I pulled it out of one of my bibles.  Not because I don’t believe as some in the past, its just hard.  Its practical, it forces you to make your faith move from Sunday morning bible class to the late afternoon meeting where nothing is going your way.  I mean look at this fourth chapter, it just tears you up about thinking that:

  1. you are good,
  2. your will is good,
  3. the way you talk about other is good
  4. the way you talk about your life is good

Essentially, he says, when you are doing for yourself – FAIL! But the good news, no the Great news is  – when you are doing for God – Success.  Like yesterday – submit to Him, trust Him, focus only on HIM – and then life becomes  great.

So, I will tape this back in my bible, and I will do my best to focus on Christ in those tough relationships where I think I am more important then the others  (why I think that I can’t really even comprehend).  What will you do with these words:

James 4

Submit Yourselves to God

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

4You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?[a] 6But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”[b]

7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

11Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

Have a great “snowy” grace filled weekend!

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Took 14,018 showers!

Well, I woke up this morning with a classic Veggie Tune in my head:

Laura: I can’t believe it’s Christmas!
I think I’m finally gettin’ something
Can’t believe it’s Christmas,
My favorite time of year!

Percy: I can’t believe it’s Christmas!
Been dreaming of a sugar-plum thing
Can’t believe it’s Christmas,
Oh, boy! It’s finally here!

Dinkletown children: Ho, ho! Away we go!
With rosey cheeks and hearts aglowin’
Hey, hey! Our favorite day!
It makes us want to cheer!

(listen here)

I think the best line is little Lenny saying:

Lenny: Took 14,018 showers!

Anyway, its Christmas, and its a great time of the year.  More of that later in the month.  For now, following on some previous posts, and because of some thoughts I have on relationships and managing them that I will also post later ( tomorrow I think), today enjoy one of the starting points of deep faith.  Break yourself before God. Did you read that?   Break yourself.  Cast your cares on him. He wants them.  And he will lift you up.

1 Peter 5:6-7 (New International Version)

6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

When you are not singing today, spend some quieter moments considering humility, and what being humble before God really means.  Also think about how that manifests itself in relationships with people.

Percy: Yo, ho! We love the snow!

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Letting it Go

There are times in your life when you feel like you are in complete control.  Its amazing that its during these times that usually things go out of control!  God has a funny way of keeping us humble, it we don’t keep ourselves there.  But its in these times when we are not in control, or in times when you feel completely broken that great things can happen!

Take a look at this from the pen of Paul:

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (New International Version)

7To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Absolutely Amazing!  Can we accept this?  Can we accept that we are stronger when we completely rely on God?  Can we accept not being in control?  Can we be more glad in our weakness, in our hardtimes, in our difficulties?

Think deeply about this and see how this can transform you to be more dependent on Christ and less dependent on yourself.

Have a great (rainy) Wednesday!

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How Deep How Wide!

base-jumping-in-the-worlds-deepest-cave-shaft_1822

Did you know that this is a cave, or more of a shaft in Mexico that is so wide and deep that the entire Empire State building will fit in it?  Its amazing! Yes, its called the Cave of Swallows.  Its over 1100 feet deep and about 200 feet wide! Its such a big hole that its used by some thrill seekers as a place to base jump!  Amazing!  But if you took the love that Christ has for you, and dumped it in this hole, it would still overflow.  Can you love like that?  He asked you to.

Will you jump in?  Will you jump headfirst into his love?

Ephesians 3:14-21 (New International Version)

A Prayer for the Ephesians

14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom his whole family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

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Cyber Monday!

Wind and Rain in the Fall
Rain!!!

Rainy days and Mondays always get me down….

But not on Cyber Monday.  What a great day, a day when its apparently OK to shop at work!  “Hey, I am just helping out the economy!”  So good luck today finding that deal with free shipping online!!

Also today is Lori’s Birthday, so, buy something for her!

Did you notice Timbow’s sun glare stickers ( I wonder what those are really called) on Saturday night. What a great verse he had on there.  One I think that we should all think about often.  Actually its another one of my favorites and I think its a great motivator.

(What is odd is the commentator on TV only read verse 1 when he talked about it, verse 2 makes it worth it!)

Let us scorn the shame and serve whole heartily!  I think we all can learn something besides football from Tim!

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV