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Why Me God?

Well, for the day, Jason has given up the reigns of the Daily Buffet and passed them off to me, Ray. There is much more pressure than I thought there would be! Jason does a great job and I hope I can live up to his high standard for the post today.

As I was deciding what to write about today, an event in my life kept coming to mind. A couple of weeks ago the stomach bug was making it’s rounds around the Russell household. Passing from child to child and then to me. As I was making my way home from Unum in the middle of the afternoon sending my half digested lunch back into the box from wence it came. I started questioning, questioning why God would create such a miserable illness and why I had to get it? I even said it out loud to my wife Marti, what is the point? why would God create such an illness? I truly felt as if I was going to die and was upset that I had to endure this sickness. Well as fast as it came the stomach virus was gone and I was better. Since then I have thought much about my question of that day. You see so many times we see bad things happen to people and we say well God is in control and He has a plan. A person has cancer and we say God has a plan, an earthquake kills thousands and God is in control, a drunk driver kills a co-worker walking in to work and well God’s will was this but let me get a small little stomach virus and I question God?! Is my faith so weak? I pray not but it is something to think about.

Anytime I think of trials my mind is always drawn to Job. Job dealt with so much he lost his things, family, and health. His wife and friends told him to curse God and die but he wouldn’t do it. Job did however get frustrated and question God. God allowed this but then responded:

Job 38
The LORD Speaks
1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said:
2 “Who is this that darkens my counsel
with words without knowledge?

3 Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.

4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.

5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?

6 On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone-

7 while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels [a] shouted for joy?

8 “Who shut up the sea behind doors
when it burst forth from the womb,

9 when I made the clouds its garment
and wrapped it in thick darkness,

10 when I fixed limits for it
and set its doors and bars in place,

11 when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;
here is where your proud waves halt’?

12 “Have you ever given orders to the morning,
or shown the dawn its place,

13 that it might take the earth by the edges
and shake the wicked out of it?

God put Job back in his place and sometimes we need to be put there ourselves, to understand that God’s plan is not our own:

Isaiah 55:8 (New International Version)

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.

So today as we are out in the world let’s not just say God has a plan when bad things happen to us or others but truly believe that God has a plan for all things that happen even if we don’t understand why.

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Daily Post

Ides of March 2010

The Ides of March.  The middle of the month that switches personality – is it a Lion or a Lamb?  One month before your taxes are due. The day that good old Caesar was warned to watch out for his “friends”.  And for most of us another Monday, to get up and tackle.  Since this is such a memorable day in most peoples mind with it catchy little nomenclature, this can be a day for you to keep renewing and transforming yourself.

Just like with Caesar there may be things (temptations, emotions, situations) out there, not just today, that are wanting to trap you.  Use today to identify those things and develop an approach to stay strong.

13Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.  1 Corinthians 16:13 (New International Version)

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Days of our lives

Its good to be back home, where you know the only nastiness on the remote is your own nastiness.  This week has left me a little brain dead, so I have a simple thought to share this morning.  Last week I finally finished Crazy Love by Francis Chan.  This sentence has stuck with me:

I concur with Annie Dillard, who once said, “How we live our day is…. how we live our lives.”  We each need to discover for ourselves how to live this day in faithful surrender to God as we “continue to work out [our] salvation with fear and trembling”(Philippians 2:12).

I agree as well.  And that’s why its important to focus on your days, for they comprise your life.  And that’s also why I think vacations are good.  They allow you to step away from your day and evaluate if they are adding up to the life you want.  Next week I will be doing that, and there may be some guest bloggers keeping the buffetting going.

13But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. (Hebrews 3:13 (New International Version))

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Acts of Kindness

   I have a friend named Jon, who I follow on Twitter. Jon is always sharing links. He doesn’t always provide commentary on these links, so I am not sure of why he shares them sometimes, except that he find some interest in them.  Well, I try to find a time each week for follow these and he has directed me to some very interesting sites.  I am not sure how much work he gets done during the day, but it does help me in my own research!

Anyway, yesterday he posted something about a site call  Neat-O-Rama.  I only spent a few minutes checking it out, but I stumbled upon this arcticle:

Acts of kindness spread surprisingly easily: just a few people can make a difference

ScienceDaily (2010-03-10) — For all those dismayed by scenes of looting in disaster-struck zones, whether Haiti or Chile or elsewhere, take heart: good acts — acts of kindness, generosity and cooperation — spread just as easily as bad. And it takes only a handful of individuals to really make a difference. … > read full article

Very interesting.  This arcticle describes a study that shows how contagious acts of kindness can be.  Especially interesting to me is the chart they added.  In the study the following was noted:

When people benefit from kindness they “pay it forward” by helping others who were not originally involved, and this creates a cascade of cooperation that influences dozens more in a social network.

Hm, this sounds awfully familiar to me….

24Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. 1 Corinthians 10:24 (New International Version)

16And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hebrews 13:16 (New International Version)

The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:31 (New International Version)

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Galatians 6:10 (New International Version)

Interesting.  So this Christ fellow, must have know the impacts this can have on people, and  today you now know that these verses have been proven by science to work.

So, let me start:

  • Ray – Happy Birthday Man!  I will buy you lunch when I get back in town.
  • Jon – thanks for sharing these great stories!

How about you? Get out today, show acts of kindness and watch it spread like wild fire.

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Treadmills

As I slide the key into the door this morning, I reached up to my arm and press the start button.

Well I took a walk around the world to ease my troubled mind
I left my body lying somewhere in the sands of time
But I watched the world float to the dark side of the moon
I feel there is nothing I can do, yeah  – 3 Doors Down Krytonite

I walked across the room, hopped up on the treadmill and pushed the start button.

And if I go crazy then will you still call me Superman?
If I’m alive and well, will you be there holding my hand?
I’ll keep you by my side with my superhuman might
Kryptonite

And I was off, running hard, working hard, sweating up a storm, but going nowhere – just looking at the handsome man in the mirror. ( no that was not the person on the machine beside me!).   I so dislike running on treadmills, but sometimes when I travel I will do it.  It feels to0 monotonousness.  It feels so binding, and so mechanical.  I like the variety, the wind in your face, the change in terrain, and challenge of getting out there and being a apart of it.

Wow!  sounds like our lives sometimes doesn’t it?  Running hard, sweating up a storm, but going nowhere.  Feeling mechanical, bound – going through the motions.  Afraid to engage, staying safe in the exercise room called ourselves.

It reminds me of a Matthew West song  “Motions”

No regrets no this time

Just ok is not enough

I don’t want to go through the motions,  I don’t want to live one more day.  without your all consuming passion inside of me.

What if you had given everything..

Today, lets get off the treadmill of life.  Work to get out of your place of safety, use the bold spirit you have been blessed with and fully engage. 

13Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. 14Do everything in love. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14