Month: April 2010

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Talk Like Shakespeare

It’s sort of a nothing day.  ’tis Friday, there’s no big holiday today,  except its talk like Shakespeare Day.   Ye know thy humble servant willst give ‘t a valiant attempteth.  But proper English is not until me, methinks..

So, I will let ol’ King James speak for me today.  This morning I found myself drawn right back to this blog’s theme verse as I pursued through 1 Corinthians.  I was spending a lot of time at the end of Chapter 10, but those thoughts are for later,  and  “since brevity is the soul of wit, And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes, I will be brief”

24Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

25And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

26I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

27But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 1 Cor 9

Enjoyeth the day, ‘t is Friday afterall!  God Speed, and do not be afraid of greatness!

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Happy Earth Day

It’s Earth Day, and to celebrate when I went to start my post this morning I received this message

 Error establishing a database connection

Yes, its Earth day, so my database server decided to save energy and not run! Its finally back up, and I am able to post away!

 That’s one way to celebrate this sort of crazy holiday, a holiday I think we should all get behind, however, I may have a little different take then some people on how to approach it.  No chaining my self to a tree, however, I do think we should consider the trees we have.  For me this is a day to honor the Creator and to be in awe of the wonders he gave  us to manage

  26-28 God spoke: “Let us make human beings in our image, make them
      reflecting our nature
   So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea,
      the birds in the air, the cattle,
   And, yes, Earth itself,
      and every animal that moves on the face of Earth.”
   God created human beings;
      he created them godlike,
   Reflecting God’s nature.
      He created them male and female.
   God blessed them:
      “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge!
   Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air,
      for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth.”

 29-30 Then God said, “I’ve given you
      every sort of seed-bearing plant on Earth
   And every kind of fruit-bearing tree,
      given them to you for food.
   To all animals and all birds,
      everything that moves and breathes,
   I give whatever grows out of the ground for food.”
      And there it was.

 31 God looked over everything he had made;
      it was so good, so very good!
   It was evening, it was morning—
   Day Six.  Gen 1:26-31 The Message (MSG)

What is so great is that today, like every day creation screams out praising to the creator.  Last night, I was considering my finger nails, and what a marvelous thing they are. (No I did not get a manicure!)  In the simplicity and in the grandeur, it all declares the glory of the Master.

  1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
       the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

 2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
       night after night they display knowledge.

 3 There is no speech or language
       where their voice is not heard.  

 4 Their voice goes out into all the earth,
       their words to the ends of the world.
       In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, Psalm 19:1-4 New International Version (NIV)

So today, remember the Creator as you consider the trees, and the resources we have been pleased to have and to use.  Go over to this site (http://www.crazylovebook.com/videos_awe.html) and check out this video from Francis Chan.  I think that will give you an appreciation for the greatness of this creation we live in and the greatness of the Creator as well.

 1 The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it,
       the world, and all who live in it; Psalm 24

 Happy Earth Day, now go play in the yard!

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Prone to Wander

Last night I had the privilege to hear the bands at Boyd Buchanan in their spring concerts.  Of course Alex and his trumpet were incredible, but the second best part of the night for me was a saxophone trio ( actually there were 4 players) who played an arrangement of “Come Thou Fount” called Fantasia on Nettleton. Come Thou Fount is quickly becoming one of my favorite hymns, especially because of this one stanza that I have not been able to get out of my head since last night.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

Prone to wander.  Boy, does that describe us well?  So today, a simple encouragement to pray to seal and bind your heart.  And out of that a wellspring of action should arise.

13-14Meanwhile, we’ve got our hands full continually thanking God for you, our good friends—so loved by God! God picked you out as his from the very start. Think of it: included in God’s original plan of salvation by the bond of faith in the living truth. This is the life of the Spirit he invited you to through the Message we delivered, in which you get in on the glory of our Master, Jesus Christ.

15-17So, friends, take a firm stand, feet on the ground and head high. Keep a tight grip on what you were taught, whether in personal conversation or by our letter. May Jesus himself and God our Father, who reached out in love and surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence, put a fresh heart in you, invigorate your work, enliven your speech.  2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 The Message (MSG)

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Corner Sermon

Last night as I was coming home from the boy’s soccer practice, I exited the interstate and crested the hill to shock.  There in front of me at the intersection ahead where no cars, a red light and a beggar standing on the left hand side of the road.  This is a one way street and I was about to turn left, so I quickly understood that I would be the only one at the intersection and I would be waiting at the light right next to him.

“Oh No, I can’t believe this!”, I said out loud as I slowed my vehicle waiting anxiously for the light to change to green so I could zoom past without a care.  However, that was not my destiny for this day.  As I came to a stop, I was ear to ear with this man.  He was not four feet from me.  I am sure I could have reached out and touched his shoulder from my driving position.

So, there I sat, for what seemed like minutes, but what was really only 20-30 seconds.  I stared awkwardly straight ahead while he stood holding his sign, staring nervously the other direction.   What was his situation?  What where his needs?  I don’t know.  I looked at the empty bags on the floorboard that contained the remnants of my dinner, and thought about the items I had just purchased in my truck bed, but I took no action. I will add here, not to excuse myself but to set up the situation, this corner seems to be a professional corner.  Its one that is usually occupied by the sign holders.  However, this guy was not in the worn patch that is there, he was almost of the road.  But either way, this man has stuck with me all night.  Could I have helped him?  I don’t know.  Would a few loose coins, or a few dollars helped him?  I don’t know.  However, the part that has stuck with me is that whether I could have met his needs or not, he still is a person – made in God’s image, and I ignored him.  Its bothered me more that I judged him and didn’t even acknowledge that a person was standing right outside my car.  Had this been the Chick-fil-a cow and those idiotic Liberty Tax Dancers, or a dude holding a furniture store going out of business sign, I would have waved and watched their antics.  But since I felt this guy needed something from me, or was an inconvenience to me or something like that, I screened him and acted like he was not there.  EPIC FAIL!

42And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.” Matthew 10:42 NIV

So, my encouragement to you today, is to remember that all of us are made in God’s image and all of us are important and just people with problems.   I am not suggesting that I would have unloaded my wallet on this guy if I was back there again, but I may have at least made eye contact and treated him with respect.  The only way I could imagine that I might be better then him is the blood of Jesus and I did nothing to earn that gift.

27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.  Genesis 1:27 (New International Version)

Think about how you are looking at the people around you today!

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Living with Passion

Several times over this past weekend I heard individuals suggest or encourage the idea of living with passion.  It was such a recurring theme that is seemed liked maybe I should consider it for a while.  The idea expressed in multiple ways to me this weekend was one of living life to the fullest, being excited, having enthusiasm and really staying engaged in your life.  There was also an element of purpose and intent mixed in the messages as well.

I have been considering these thoughts all weekend and what it means to live with passion.  I am still not exactly sure, but I do think that you can’t do it if you don’t get up each and every day and approach the day as a gift from God.  My thoughts led me this morning in Philippians, first the fourth chapter and then back into the third right to these words:

Philippians 3:12-14

12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (NIV)

12-14I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. (MSG)

I certainly have not mastered passionate living, but I will continue to consider it.  However, one thing I know,  I am putting my eye on the goal and I am not turning back.  Maybe thats the starting line?

Runners Set….

Go,  get off the line and live! Give it your all, focus on the prize and live for him.

And if you have any ideas on passionate living, share them!