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Happy Birthday Daily Buffet

Wow, with today’s post the Daily Buffet is one year old.  I hope that all you readers out there have been challenged to grow spiritually, have been directed toward the Christ and have been entertained throughout the year.  I know personally this little bit of literary fun has help me tremendously. I have even been asked recently to pull out a few fan favorites from the year and use them as conversation starters in a Wednesday night  men’s study in December. Just imagine that, an class on the Daily Buffet. What’s next a book? LOL! 🙂 So if you have favorites, let me know!

I expect that I will keep doing this into next year – until I run out of thoughts or I bore myself to death( or you!), or I finally actually give my complete self over to Christ.    Keep renewing yourself everyday, and continue to buffet your body ( both spiritually, mentally and physically) each day!

Thanks for reading, and thanks for your encouragement throughout the year!

And so here is the theme verse for this blog again.  Firsteth in oldeth Englisheth with lots of eth and thy’s and thou’s and things you don’t understandeth .  But this the version I remember from my youth.

23 And I do all things for the gospel’s sake, that I may be a joint partaker thereof.

24 Know ye not that they that run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? Even so run; that ye may attain.

25 And every man that striveth in the games exerciseth self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

26 I therefore so run, as not uncertainly; so fight I, as not beating the air:

27 but I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected. (1 Corinthians 9:23-27, American Standard Version)

and then from something that may make more sense

19-23Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!

24-25You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally.

26-27I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself. (1 Corinthians 9:23-27, The Message)

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Fantasy Lost

Well, I had been winning my fantasy league until last night!  I went head to head with the other team with a 7-3 record and come up short – 4 points short.  And today I can blame it on the coaching!  Not, the highly paid NFL coaches, I can blame it on this blogger’s coaching.  I guessed wrong.  I benched the players who scored touchdowns, and I played the players who forgot they had a game to play!  But really who would play Mark Sanchez over Kyle Orton or Forte over Bradshaw?  The inconsistency of it all is about to make me pull my hair out!  One week 2 touchdowns 150 yards, the next 25 yards and fumble! Who should I bench now!

The inconsistency of that fantasy football stuff started me thinking.  I found myself thinking about our spiritual lives.  We’re hot, we’re cold.  We fight off the devil, we let him win.  Man, if our Creator was playing Fantasy Spiritual Living, he would be going crazy with out inability to keep high scores each week.  But then again, he’s used to it – as he struggled with the nation of Israel for years in the love-love-not-so-much relationship.

However, he is always there.  He never trades us, he never benches us.  He is still there despite our selfish ambition and our affairs with Satan.

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 (New International Version, ©2010)

Wow. I don’t know about you, but I find comfort in knowing that. Despite my inconsistencies, he’s still the same, and still full of forgiveness.
Maybe, I just found a new coaching technique.

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Wacky Weekend

It was a wacky weekend for me, full of movies, parenting adventures, compassionate encounters, personal frustrations and football.  Several of those events are probably blog worthy, but just have not completely settled in my brain to become sharable.  What I do know is it has become more and more obvious how richly blessed I am, but how little I am concerned about those blessings.

Throughout the weekend, I become aware of places where I am “giving the Devil a foothold” (eph 4:27).  It was interesting that this morning, as I carved out the few minutes to jot down something before I headed off to work, that I opened up my Bible to Ephesians 4 and 5.  It’s an excellent reminder that followers of Christ are also to be imitators of Christ – kind, compassionate, and forgiven ( as He has forgiven you!!!).

Today, lets head the advice from the middle of chapter 5 of Ephesians as we imitator our leader and Savior:

15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  Ephesians 5:15-16 (New International Version)

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Undesirable Number One

As most of you know Harry Potter 7 was released today, and in this one Harry becomes “Undesirable Number One” in his battle of good versus evil. After I made a poster with my son’s picture and name on it at the Harry Potter web site, I started to think about those words.

Undesirable.  It made me think about a real person, who was in the exact state.

Remember this guy mentioned in 1 Peter

4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—

and in Isaiah 53

4 Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;

Yep.  That guy, Jesus, he was labeled, and still is lots of times, as undesirable number one, yet he still took the burden on sin for you.

the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

So today, remember that he who was undesirable, gave himself that you might life.  Use your life to bring him the glory and to shine the light throughout the world!

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
22 “He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”[e]

23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:21-24

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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?