Tag: light

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Shining like Cereal???

Somehow I started receiving a daily email called Geek Today or Your Daily Geekness or something like that.  I am not even sure how I got on the mailing list, I guess my geekiness proceeds me.  Either way, a few days again this email pointed me to the video below.

That’s right – Cereal boxes that light up! Can you believe that! I just can’t help thinking about the words of the Christ in Matthew where he instructs those listening as follows:

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16 (New International Version, ©2010)

I would love to have my cereal boxes remind me each day that I am too be the light to the world.  It sure stands to reason that if even a cereal box can produce light, then I should be able to as well.

I write this today and refer to this verse as I often do to encourage myself, because as Paul says, “I have not attained this” in any way yet! Anyway, spend a little time considering wireless power and light up cereal boxes and hopefully you get a little encouragement from them to let your light shine.

So.. coming to a breakfast table near you soon…

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As You Once Were

Yesterday one of my liberal minded, utopia seeking college student friends, whom I dearly love,  posted on Facebook about some political things going on in Nashville.  Without going into all the gory details, I have to say that I spend a better part of the day thinking about how to tactfully post a response to his somewhat condemning post.

My thoughts quickly traveled to Ephesians however, for it is here that the writer of this letter lays out some very profound and yet simple ideas for those who wish to follow the Christ.

You see, my friend was calling out the way sin has been categorized to a point that some is acceptable and some is not. However, the letter the the Ephesians clearly calls out all sorts of dark behaviors and groups them in the same pot.  Then there’s the real kicker.  It’s not a condemnation for having had these sins in your life, but an impetus to move past them:

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord Ephesians 5:8 (NIV)

All of us have sinned. All of us continue to make mistakes.  All of us are so dependent on the grace the oozes from our Lord.  However, we are still admonished to move toward the light and to leave the other things in darkness.  The Message version of this brings home the point in a very contemporary way:

8-10You groped your way through that murk once, but no longer. You’re out in the open now. The bright light of Christ makes your way plain. So no more stumbling around. Get on with it! The good, the right, the true—these are the actions appropriate for daylight hours. Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it. Ephesians 5:8-10  The Message (MSG)

So, we need to leave the darkness behind, and move towards the light – transformed by the grace and love of Christ. As you battle the darkness in your life remember this admonishment. And as you deal with others steeped in the battle with darkness please remember that “you were once darkness” but now “you are the light”.  Approach them with the grace and love bestowed upon you.

Oh, and isn’t this just another reason to live a life of joy?

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Another Reason I Love My Truck

I love my truck for lots of reasons, but mostly because when we bought it Amy told the sales guy before we test drove it that we would be buying this when we returned. So, usually when I spy it across the parking lot and walk towards it I always think about her.
But, I yesterday I discovered another reason to add to the list of reasons that I just love my truck.

So yesterday, I am rushing to pick up the forgotten uniform and get it back over to my eldest before his game when in front of me is stop and go traffic. So much for rushing – all I can do is just roll along at a slow rate of speed and stop every so often. Then it happened. I rolled to a stop and Boom. Yep, the car behind decided my bumper was a better way of stopping then the breaks. No way! As the traffic pulled off in front of me, I pulled to the side and looked in the rear view mirror to see an upset young female driver. No way! Not only am have I been rear ended, but now I am on the side of the interstate with a crying teenage girl! As Filch from Harry Potter would say in his snarly voice, “ohhhh, we are in trouble”.

I jumped out, made sure she had her car off the road completely and tried to assure her that it was ok. What had happened happened. There was nothing to be done about it now. She decided to call her dad. The damage was surveyed, the TDOT assistance vehicle stopped by, the CPD eventually came.

While we were waiting for the PD to come, one of this young ladies high school coaches who was following close behind her had stopped off to help her – which was a blessing from above!
This lady noticed the Boyd-Buchanan sticker on my vehicle and started talking about some mutual people we knew that she went to church with, included my wife’s old principal. This got me thinking. What if I had come out of the truck angry as a hornet? What if this was the time I decided to leave Christ in the passenger seat? How would that have completed destroyed any ability to show Christ. It’s in these moments when we are able to let our lights shine. I hope that I was able to be kind and gentle in that stressful moment for that young lady, and I hope that when she think back on his first collision that that part stands out, and that in some sort of way I was able to point her towards my leader.

As you go about today, remember you never know who is watching and who you are influencing.

15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:15-17 (New International Version)

Oh why is this another reason that I love my truck – no damage. 🙂

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Plenty of Power

Let me start by apologizing for yesterday. We awoke to a a tremendous storm that was blowing stuff all over the place, and knocked out our electrical power. This made it a fun morning getting reading in the dark, but made it a difficult morning for constructing a blog entry. I then had to proceed off to a day full of activities that also made it difficult to construct a blog entry.
So my post yesterday said that I had no power. That was only partially correct. Yes, its correct that I did my home did not have any electrical power, but actually I shown the real power that I am able to tap into.  I was reminded of the song that we were singing just on Sunday, a hymn called Every Time by Philip Organ,  in which there is this verse:

Everytime I watch a storm I know the awesome power of my Lord

but then it goes on to say

I don’t know why so many things seem to get in the way of seeing my God’s glory
But I try everyday to see and thank Him for all the things He’s given me

Yep, it was a frantic and frustrating morning yesterday at the ol’ homestead, but what we missed in that was that God laid his glory and power right out in front of us.  After some time considering the morning, I see how wrong my post’s title from yesterday was.  I sure do have power – plenty of power!

 11 One thing God has spoken,
       two things have I heard:
       that you, O God, are strong,

 12 and that you, O Lord, are loving.
       Surely you will reward each person
       according to what he has done. Psalm 62:11-12 NIV

Now, we can choose to live our lives in the dark, like we were yesterday, fumbling and bumbling around, or we can plug into the spiritual power that exists and live in a way that is supercharged!  Be strengthened by the power of God. Step out of the darkness and into its light.  It’s enough to keep you going in the right direction!  It’s all you need to keep focused.

10And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:10-14 (New International Version)

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Where’s the lightning?

This morning is tough for me.  My body is craving the warmth and comfort of the bed, my mind is dreading the day the lays in front of me and me ear already hurts from the prospect of a having a headset on my ear all day!

But really what sort of life is it when you dread the day? The day is more than that, and so I starting thinking about how to refresh and renew on a day that my eyelids seems stuck together!  And since I could not conjure up a lightning delay that would stop the clock from moving toward the start of the day,  I needed to find a way to light myself up!  So, I took a look over in 1 Peter:

22Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24For,
“All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25but the word of the Lord stands forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you.  1 Peter 1:22-25 (New International Version)

Hm, its not about conference calls, its about loving those around you, because you have been born again.  Man, its amazing how changing your perspective can help you get you game face on.  Born Again – each and every day, because there are only few of them.

Let your light shine!