Tag: Matthew

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Winter’s Over

Well, Spring is just a little over 12 hours old and I feel like a new man!  There’s just something about the first sunburn of the year that gets your heart going!  No more winter!  As much as I love snow, I love the transformation of Spring even more.  Reminds of a poem

No more snow, no more gobbledygook, No more teachers dirty looks.

oh wait, that’s about the end of school, not the end of winter! How about just the last stanza of “Spring in the South” by Henry Van Dyke

Hark, in his song no tremor of misgiving!
All of his heart he pours into his lay,–
“Love, love, love, and pure delight of living:
Winter is forgotten: here’s a happy day!”
Fair in your face I read the flowery presage,
Snowy on your brow and rosy on your mouth:
Sweet in your voice I hear the season’s message,–
Love, love, love, and Spring in the South!

Yes, its spring and after a weekend of soccer, grass mowing, planting, beautiful sunshine, warm weather and canoeing and on the lake and a great campfire with friends it seems that it is off to a great start! Oh, and lets not forget the Super Moon! WOW!

11 See! The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone.
12 Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
is heard in our land.
Song of Solomon 2:11-12 (New International Version, ©2011)

Get out there and watch the transformation of Spring. Ponder the transformation of the Earth, and the rising up of hope within you. If the Lord makes this happen each Spring, just imagine what sort of transformation he can do with you!

26 Look 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? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. Matthew 6:26-29 (New International Version, ©2011)

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Johnny Appleseed Day

First of all, thanks Ray for the great post yesterday, to keep us all focused on that so important Freedom in our lives. So I have been in the Nation’s Capitol and its oblivious a very inspiring place, and I am sure it will generate some ideas into next week. Today I wanted to continue the weeks “Day” theme, but after spending days with a bunch of 8th graders, my idea engine is a little rusty!

But this is one of those days in March that has a cool date 3-1-1. Its the non emergency number, and I thought I conjure up some good thought but then I remembered it was Johnny Appleseed Day!

Yeah, a day to remember that guy who walked around the county passing out various apple seeds and who is attributed with the spreading of so many apple varieties around the country. It’s a pretty good lesson on the power of one person impacts others by sharing a gift that he had.
So today on this Friday, how about considering the gifts you have, the knowledge you have the insight and hope that you have, the love that you have, the grace and forgiveness that you have, and share that with others. Think of yourself as Johnny Graceseed, or Susie Hopeful, and see how that impacts those around you!

oh of course that reminds we of several verses, but the first one is a sort of suggestion/command we are given my that hero, Jesus

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20(NIV)

and this maybe this one:

38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38 (New International Version, ©2011)

and finally this one:

6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 1 Corinthians 3:6 (New International Version, ©2011)

Spread some seed!

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Don’t Know and Have a Go

Well its Friday!  Yeah!  So, its time to wrap up another week of fun and new thoughts.  After last week where it seemed the whole thing was shutting down, this week I have been trying to parse through a load of ideas to see which ones to share and when.  I hope that it some of these thoughts and musing are actually helping you!

Anyway, last weekend, I was shown a video about creativity from Sir Ken Robinson about how the fear of being wrong can squelch our creative fires.  The whole premise of the idea is that children are so creative because, well, they don’t know they should not be.

It’s a pretty interesting concept and one that seems to hold true for us grown ups in so many ways.  The fear of something grips up and well paralyzes us.

Interestingly enough, with that fresh on my brain, I was in a discussion on Wednesday night about the “Parable of the Talents” in Matthew 25.  In that story 3 men are given gifts and each are expected to grow and cultivate what they have been given.  Two men do.  The third is captivated by fear, and does nothing. When the master returns he is harshly punished.  Check out what the master says:

26-27“The master was furious. ‘That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest.

28-30“‘Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this “play-it-safe” who won’t go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.’ (Matthew 25:26-30, The Message)

So today, examine what it is that is stopping you from moving forward.  What fears are stifling your creativity.  What fears are stopping you from cultivating the gifts you have been given.

Let us not play it safe, but let us go for the reward!  Don’t prepare to be wrong. Don’t be afraid of making a mistake.  Act like you “don’t know and have a go.”

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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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Lo Is A Funny Way To Start A Sentence

This morning as the rain fell, I was awaken by the cries and meows of a cat. Cries that seems to be desperate. Being the owner of two felines, I thought it best to see if the retorter was one of mine. So I began a fruitless search. I opened every door in the house to see if he was trapped in a room. I opened every outside door, and even took a little stroll in the rain looking for the kitties to no avail. Finally, I returned to the garage where I has previous discovered one of the cats up on his perch and upon opening the door again the undiscovered kitty showed himself – unharmed.

Who knows which cat was making noise before the crack of down this morning, but while I was searching around, I thought about someother searching that goes on in our lives ( you didn’t see that one coming did you!) Sometimes, we are out searching around, when the thing we are searching for is standing right at the door.

 20lo, I have stood at the door, and I knock; if any one may hear my voice, and may open the door, I will come in unto him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20, Young’s Literal Translation)

What is crazy about our search for spiriutaly safety is that the savior stands at the door, and waits, and he is not hard to find. Definitely not as hard to find a exclusive kitty.

7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7-9 (New International Version, ©2010)

If you are searching today, just remember the promise that you will find Him.