Tag: Matthew

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Moth and Rust

Over the past few weeks I have been closing down my square foot garden for the winter – well actually, I still have some tomato plants that will make it a few more weeks, and then I will have closed down the garden for the winter.  While I have been doing that I have been thinking about bigger and better gardens in the spring.

In the meantime next door, men have been tearing down my neighbors deck and removing his pool.  Their vehicles have been driving over the space where his garden once bloomed.  My neighbor is now a old man, and cannot maintain those projects any longer.

It’s has been a little sobering to consider my plans for expansion while watching it’s ultimate end state going on right before my eyes.  It’s not that it makes it appear futile, because I know my neighbor has had several great years of enjoyment and value from that deck and from his garden, but it does place a little perspective on things.

This weekend one of my friends received a message that his grandmother had passed.  He had mentioned how just a few years ago he was commenting on how lucky he was to have all four of his grandparents still living, and with her passing they are all gone.

It’s the circle of life, I suppose, but it sure is sobering to witness!  Let’s not let that drop us into an ‘all is vanity’ cry.  Let us use that understanding to motivate and focus us on those things of utmost importance.

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21 (New International Version)

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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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Because its Christmas

Last night Amy came home from shopping and with a box of Coke cans.  On the box there was a picture of Santa!  Later in the evening she was skimming the online guide for something to watch on the television and while going through the music channels noticed that all 50 ( that may not be far fetched) of the Christmas music channels are now available – Hip hop Christmas, coffee house Christmas, classic Christmas, 50’s Christmas, Christmas Message – you name it.

It happens every year. And as much as I love Christmas, I still can believe that the Christmas season starts the day after Halloween. It seems so rushed, it seems so typical of our fast paced society.  Now, I am all for real time information, fast internet connections, doing more in less time etc, but the rushing and pushing of time seems to be just too much.  John Ortberg wrote one of my favorite quotes in his book “The Life You’ve Always Wanted:

We must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from our lives.

(Boy I wish I could write that I have attained that!)

Don’t you wish the saying “As slow as Christmas” still had some real meaning! Today, I give you a reminder to not blast through the next 50 days and rush headlong into Christmas.  Enjoy November.  Enjoy November 4th.  Look and see what blessings are waiting right here for you.

33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:33-34 (New International Version)

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All Saints Day

Well its November 1, All Saint’s Days, or All Hallows Day- the actual reason we have Halloween or All Hallows Even.  I am not much of a Saints guy – neither the New Orleans variety or the granting sainthood variety, as I think we all,  everyone of us, have fallen short of the glory of God.  However, we all have an opportunity to become saints or followers of Him.

8-9You never saw him, yet you love him. You still don’t see him, yet you trust him—with laughter and singing. Because you kept on believing, you’ll get what you’re looking forward to: total salvation. (1 Peter 1:8, The Message)

Yep, keep on believing and your will get total salvation.  Salvation for all who believe, so that all of those who believe can become saints!  Now that’s an All Saint’s Day I can celebrate!

14-16“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16, The Message)

Enjoy All Saints Day by being a light to all those around you!

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He had three ships and left from Spain

One friend of mine told me a few weeks ago he could not wait for the Columbus Day post, so I had to make sure this is a good one! Post some comments and let me know!

So today is Columbus Day! Seems appropriate to start with a little poem.

In fourteen hundred ninety-two
Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

Yep, I guess there were lots of questions? Was the world really flat? Was there a shorter way to India? Fountain of youth? Gold? All sorts of great explorer-type questions. And off he went on 3 ships to see what he could find. And what he found was the Bahamas.

So I guess its only obvious to honor an explorer with some thoughts about exploration from our Leader. Of course, I am not talking about geographical exploration, but spiritual exploration and discovery. And what we find are two very interesting thoughts to consider today.

First from Matthew, where the Christ himself explains how to gain spiritual understanding.

7″Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

9″Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

And later James writes this about asking and seeking

4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. James 1:4-6 (New International Version)

So today, get out and discover something. Learn something new, explore some new path, take a new way home after work and remember that if you need a spiritual lift, believe and ask, the Father is waiting to give!