Category: Daily Post

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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!

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Daily Post

Anxious for Something

I am anxious today.  No it’s not because its No Pants Day.   It’s not the fear that my reoccurring dream will come true. I mean when its no pants day it’s OK to end up in the office in your underwear!

No, I am anxious, and stressed, and I am not sure really why.  It’s funny how life will to that do you.  Sometimes like today, the worries of life, the pressure of work, the amount of things that have to “get down” are choking me.  I am so anxious and I can’t really even tell you why.

And so I turn back to the pages of the Sermon of the Mount in Matthew, where I have found myself drawn this week.  Right there in chapter 6 it screams this at you:  ( I don’t think Jesus actually screamed this, but I bet it was emphatic).

25“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

Yep, this anxiety, it has no value.  It’s a trap.  I still find it amazing what reading these words can do to change you viewpoint on the day.  So that’s it, for today.  Look at the birds, don’t worry and seek him first, and enjoy no pants day, after all it will be over 90 today.

33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

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Prayer Day

It’s the National Day of Prayer ( yes, these days just keep on coming!).  You would be surprised to find out that almost every day is some sort of observance.  First instance, today is also Nurses Day, No Homework Day, No Diet Day, National Day of Reason, National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, and Joseph Bracket Day ( A Mainer who wrote the song Simple Gifts – one of my all time favorite songs).

But any way, back to Prayer Day.  It is the National Day of Prayer, and despite the constant emails and Facebook postings that Barry O canceled it, it’s still happening.  It’s good to take a day and pray especially for the country.  There are lots of challenges we face as a people, and I think that its good to take those to God.

Its also good to take your personal challenges there.  I mean check out 1 Peter 5:6-8 ( it is also a good verse for Joseph Bracket day, since it speaks of humility)

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.

8Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.  Prayer is not just some ritual done to appease our own spirituality, we do it because He wants to hear it. Did you ever think about that. The Creator of the Universe wants to hear about your anxieties, because He cares about you!

That’s sort of the crux of this whole “I’ll follow Jesus” thing isn’t it.  He cares about you and wants  you to follow him and to talk with him and to share with him.  Its nice to be wanted isn’t it!

So enjoy the Day of Prayer and remember “‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free!”

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Cinco de Mayo

Hola, es Hoy Cinco de mayo, así que pensé que debo escribir en español a celebrar hoy.  Inglés a traductores españoles en el Internet es tal bendición de Dios.  Para comenzar hoy, aquí, es el versículo más corto de la Biblia.

35 Jesús lloró.  – Juan 11:35  Nueva Versión Internacional(NVI)

y ahora el más largo versículo de la Biblia

9 De inmediato fueron convocados los secretarios del rey. Era el día veintitrés del mes tercero, el mes de *siván. Se escribió todo lo que Mardoqueo ordenó a los judíos y a los *sátrapas, intendentes y funcionarios de las ciento veintisiete provincias que se extendían desde la India hasta *Cus. Esas órdenes se promulgaron en la escritura de cada provincia y en el idioma de cada pueblo, y también en la escritura e idioma propios de los judíos. Ester 8:9 Nueva Versión Internacional (NVI)

No estoy seguro de lo que este día se trata, pero es una buena oportunidad para hablar a la gente y les deseamos un gran Cinco de Mayo.  Me siento como Nacho Libre.

24 Éste es el día en que el Señor actuó;
regocijémonos y alegrémonos en él.Nueva Versión Internacional(NVI) Salmos 118:24

Well that was fun!  The one of the great things about mornings, its always a new day and new days bring new challenges and provide us with another chance to do things.  Some days you can do things differently – like writing in Spanish.

24 This is the day the LORD has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it. New International Version(NIV) Psalm 118:24

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A New Hope

Last week I was privileged to drive the middle school band to Pigeon Forge TN for a trip to Dollywood and a band festival.  On the way there, the guys in my van decided to watch one of the Star Wars movies.   Of course, I was there in the front seat with nothing to do but follow the bus and think.  The one they were watching was the actual first one in the series where little Anakin is discovered and the Jedi place their hope in him.

Of course the movie that most readers of this blog remember as the first one is called A New Hope.  A New Hope because little Anakin doesn’t turn out so well, and they place their hope this time in his son Luke Skywalker.  Despite all of his childish whining Luke saves the day, and provides peace and joy for everyone with a nice party in the woods at the end of the saga.

The story has several parallels to life, and would probably make for a good study, but today I was just thinking about hope.  What so great is that we have A New Hope!

3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 1 Peter 2:3-4

We have a hope that gives us a gift in heaven.  That should bring you joy today.  When you live with a hope like that joy should abound, and others should notice.  Go through today remembering the hope you have, and since it is Star Wars Day,  May the Fourth be With You!