Author: Jason

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Divide by Zero

Yesterday I was ready to give up, to give in – to just plain quit. I want to act like the inner city children do when they get in trouble – just go limp.

It was just one of those days when the whole meaningless nature of the work just gets the best of you.

I wanted to follow the advice I received in the bottom of the the Think Geek weekly email update (I love Think Geek, its one of my favorite stores)

When faced with trouble
And in need of an escape
Divide by zero. – Safiya from Vancouver, Canada!

That’s right. Yesterday I wanted to divide by zero and blow the whole thing up.  However….

9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9 (New International Version)

Yep, the harvest, the goal.  I have to remember that the things that choke me are not the important things in this world. There’s no place to give up. There’s no place to give in. Our lives are so much more then the mundane life sucking hope searing, mind scrambling activities thrust upon us. Our lives are to be lived to glorify God, our Savior, even in those situations. We are called to be a light, and we cannot, I cannot, let it be squished, stomped and put out.

11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:11-12 (New International Version)

So, I will not push the escape button or mess up the math world by dividing by zero. Together, with your encouragement, I will press on to the goal! How about you?

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In For Service

For the last few weeks I have been trying to find a day when I can drop my vehicle off at the garage and spend the time being carted to and fro the garage whilst it has a little routine maintenance completed. I think today may be the day – of course with early morning meetings that always makes it a little bit of a challenge.
Last night, I was feeling the anxiety of what could happen to my vehicle if I didn’t get the belt inspected, and the fluids topped off. It presented quite a bleak picture of a ruined investment.
As you know from previous post, I do enjoy quite a love affair with my vehicle and so I must sacrifice some time to keep it in tip top running condition. ( Sacrificing for keeping it clean appears to be a different issue!)

Anyway, it interesting how we will remind ourselves through stickers, alarms, mailing and phone calls to keep our vehicles tunes up. This morning, I drifted off to the routine maintenance we need in our lives, especially our spiritual lives, and how we also sometimes just let that go to the wayside as well. And the prospect of ruining that investment ( our lives) is of such greater consequence then a vehicle. Keep yourselves well oiled by sacrificing a little time for your spiritual routine maintenance.

5Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.

6For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience,

7and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.

8But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.

9Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,

10and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him–
Colossians 3:5-10 (New American Standard Bible)

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Moth and Rust

Over the past few weeks I have been closing down my square foot garden for the winter – well actually, I still have some tomato plants that will make it a few more weeks, and then I will have closed down the garden for the winter.  While I have been doing that I have been thinking about bigger and better gardens in the spring.

In the meantime next door, men have been tearing down my neighbors deck and removing his pool.  Their vehicles have been driving over the space where his garden once bloomed.  My neighbor is now a old man, and cannot maintain those projects any longer.

It’s has been a little sobering to consider my plans for expansion while watching it’s ultimate end state going on right before my eyes.  It’s not that it makes it appear futile, because I know my neighbor has had several great years of enjoyment and value from that deck and from his garden, but it does place a little perspective on things.

This weekend one of my friends received a message that his grandmother had passed.  He had mentioned how just a few years ago he was commenting on how lucky he was to have all four of his grandparents still living, and with her passing they are all gone.

It’s the circle of life, I suppose, but it sure is sobering to witness!  Let’s not let that drop us into an ‘all is vanity’ cry.  Let us use that understanding to motivate and focus us on those things of utmost importance.

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21 (New International Version)

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Run Run Run

When I was a younger man boy, I had several of my running goals and this verse of my wall in my bedroom.

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (New International Version)

It was a reminder to me to physically train and to run everyday. It is still one of my favorite verses and it continues to remind me to train physically and spiritually everyday, not like someone out of a nice little jog, or someone with no purpose, but to win the prize.

While I was doing some research yesterday for another subject I stumbled upon this video by Biblical Historian and Holy Lands Tour Guide Ray Vander Laan. You may have seen some of his on location bible studies, which are usually quite informative and inspirational. In this clip he references this verse while standing in an ancient Olympic stadium. Take a listen to this ‘locker room speech’:

I remember my father talking about Cross Country runners who would give so much to the race that they would be on hands and knees barfing after the race. They gave it all ( or they ate the wrong thing before the race). Regardless, they push themselves has hard as they could to win.

Give it your all for your Lord today. Don’t crawl, don’t walk, Run. Don’t hold back, don’t leave it out there, run for the King!

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Routine and Words

I am way out of my routine today and a little behind schedule.  Having no great stories about mysterious taxi rides, or no deep motivational thoughts this morning, I will reach into some other writers heads and pull out some nice simple thoughts about words:

Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. Proverbs 16:24 ESV

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14 ESV

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. Proverbs 25:11 ESV

Enjoy Friday and keep your words sweet.