Author: Jason

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Power of Love

Wednesday night I was afforded the privilege of being able to see Huey Lewis and the News in concert.  It was a pretty good show.  It was good to hear songs that I had not listened to for a long time, and to remember those great days in the eighties!
Anyway, its just an obvious leap that I have to take it – The Power of Love!  And that takes me to Romans 8, one of my favorite chapters in the Bible.  Check it:

31-39So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:

They kill us in cold blood because they hate you.
We’re sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.

None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. (Romans 8:38-39, The Message)

So on this Friday, ‘when all you want is a couple days off’, but you have to keep on ‘working for a living’, remember the ‘Power of Love’ in your life and the impact you can have on those around you!

“Step by Step, rung by rung”

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Fleeting

I have been considering all that is Las Vegas, and as I was doing some browsing around this morning I stumble on this thought in two different locations. It seems fitting giving my location at the time.

Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Proverbs 31:30, New International Version

Just like my time in this city, most of the things here are fleeting shallow and temporary.  Today invest in things that have value, that impact people for good and that make others better.  (Maybe like the Pressure Sensitive Tape Council which is also meeting in the same hotel as my conference. )  Well that’s not what I am talking about, put I think you know.  Go Do It Up!

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Intoxicating

This place is intoxicating – if you let it.  Its really strange, so much luxury, so much comfort, so much “playing”.  It even smells luxurious.  The amount of temptations are actually overwhelming.  Its really the most interesting, but yet the most bewildering place.  Yes I am still talking about Vegas.  I mean, even this morning while I was running I saw a truck with a billboard on it that proclaimed that there were ladies here that wanted to meet me!  I couldn’t believe it.  Those ladies really want to meet me!  I didn’t call them….

Anyway, the thing I noticed is the the temptation is so blantantly obvious that its seems that you are either going to jump right in with both feet or you can very easily guard yourself.  The extremeness of it is so different then the real world – where you have to be on guard all the time.  And that is my message for all you unfornunate souls who are not spending two more days in Vegas.  Be on guard.  Be strong and show others the greatness of the living a life of hope.

 6So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.  Colossians 2:6-7 (New International Version)

Oh by the way, Bally’s still has the sign up.   hm.. …Buffet of buffets,.. whatever.

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Offended

This morning I went for a run down the strip in Las Vegas, and lets just say, I  am deeply offended. I was running along, enjoy the enormity of the buildings, checking out the over the top decorations and even reading all the video displays when there it was.  Right on the side of Bally’s Resort and Casino was a huge sign. The sign covered 10 stories of the resort, and it said “Enjoy the Buffet of Buffets”.  Let me tell you that took me back.  This blog is the Buffet of Buffets. Right?  I am still in a little bit of shock!

Anyway, yes I am in Vegas today, and that is why this post is a little late, besides finding a good internet connection, I am a little off on what time of day it actually is.

I was a little apprehensive upon my arrival here, I was not sure what to expect, but I can tell you that the sheer size of everything is absolutely amazing and a little overwhelming.  I fell a little like Jacob in the promised land – those grapes are the size of my head!

So enjoy whats left of the day on the East Coast, and remember how big and how great and how enormous is the gift you have been given!

9 I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.

10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth. Ps 57

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How He Loves

Since I will be missing a few mornings with Andrew this week, I decided to sit down and eat a bowl of Trix cereal with him this morning.  Yes, Trix are for kids – what does that tell you?  Anyway, Andrew, usually a morning person, was a little grumpy this Monday morning, and really found my company to be more of a nuisance then a pleasure. (watch your thought there – especially Mrs Patty Z!)

But really, I was looking at him in his grumpy state and thinking about me, who was willing to do anything, talk about anything, and listen to anything – just generally wanting to share time with him. And as I watched his overall rejection of the idea, I could not miss the parallel to our larger lives staring at me.

It’s a Monday morning – the time when reluctantly we get back to the “work-a-day world”.  Usually we are so caught up in ourselves that we  very easily reject the goodness that is sitting at the breakfast table with us.

So today, take a moment to glance at the sun rise, notice the mountains off in the distance, feel the cool of the breeze on your skin, hear the rustle of the wind in the trees and remember that the Creator of all of this loves you more then any bit of the creation.

Of course, that reminds me of a song, one that  I have been listening to a lot this weekend, How He Loves, in which the second stanza says this:

We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…

He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

Psalm 136
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.

2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.

3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.

Remember His Love for you today, remember he is there for you. Let that impact your day as you impact those you touch!