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Freely Give

This morning I am trying to remove the cold hard depressing realization that the weekend is over and the work week has returned from the front of my mind.  Yes, as depressing as that thought is, I am forcing myself this morning to look for the wonderful things that exist in this curse we call work.  Benefits the extend beyond funding the weekend.

So, as we head off for a week of cubicle warfare, I am cementing the power of the time away from work in my brain, and on of those things in the acknowledgment of the amount of grace and blessings that my life is bathed in.  And so, here is where my mind goes as I head off to the ‘work-a-day’ world.  I look towards the instruction the Christ gave his disciples, as he sent them out on a mission.

 

8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. Matthew 10:8

No, I will not be healing the sick, raising the dead or messing with lepers or demons today, but I have received freely, and so, I will attempt to give in that same way.  Well who knows, maybe that will help someone who feels like a leper or is dealing with demons, or feels dead as they live or is broken.

hm.. that’s pretty good motivation for the day.

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Hope for Renewal

Yesterday I ended up making a trip to the Doctor’s office.  I can say with some certainty that this getting older stuff is for the birds.  I would tell you the results of my visit, but because of HIPPA regulations, I am not free to share with you :).  Anyway, after my visit I was reminded of this verse about the creation:

20Meanwhile, creation is confused, but not because it wants to be confused. God made it this way in the hope 21that creation would be set free from decay and would share in the glorious freedom of his children. 22We know that all creation is still groaning and is in pain, like a woman about to give birth.Romans 8:20-22

The creation, and its parts, that’s us, are unfortunately in this constant state of decay.  That is not to be depressing or morbid, it’s just the way it is.  Until the Christ comes back the creation and it’s members are continually heading towards disarray , decay and death.

Yuck!

But it is not so with our spirit.  There is hope for renewal

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 New American Standard Bible (©1995)

And then there is this encouragement from one of my favorite chapters, Romans 8, which happens to be immediately follow the depressing verses above.

23The Spirit makes us sure about what we will be in the future. But now we groan silently, while we wait for God to show that we are his children. This means that our bodies will also be set free. 24And this hope is what saves us. Romans 8:23-24

So, today, despite the junk that your physical body may be dealing with and the groaning ( oh I am going to be a bad old person), remember that we will be set free from those bounds one day and made new.

That’s something nice to hope for.

(Now, if I can just get this body of mine out of this chair!)

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Laziness, or Fear?

Last night I was laying in bed recounting my day, and I thought to myself – was that it?  I mean really, what did I do?  Yes,there were some great highlights, like dinner with some good friends and time with my family.  But what did I do?  And I as I lay there, ending another day on this wonderful planet, I wondered to myself, are all the days to be like this, or is there something else that I am to be doing.

Of course, then I fell into hours of sleeping!

But as I awoke, to the same radio station, which somehow plays just about the same songs everyday at the same time, I started another day of sameness – checking email, Facebook and twitter – catching up on the events of the night time, and making sure nothing ‘important’ happened in some other person’s  life.  That’s when I saw this tweet:

Spark Good (@sparkgood)
7/19/11 3:05 AM
RT @laura_ocean: bloggity blog:
“babble”
read it.
http://laceandleaf.blogspot.com/2011/07/babble.html

There was something about this that was intriguing, so I did read it this morning and I think you should too. I do not know Laura Ocean, but I understand her babble this morning and I think her name is especially cool sounding.

I completely get her idea of being in a rut of habit – of being lazy, and watching others go and do, while I sit on the sidelines, not even adding a cheer.  It’s been driving me crazy of late.  I especially found this part of her post intriguing and personally relevant.

And then, instead of saying “you know what, you’re right Nike. Thanks!” and then trotting off to go do it, I find some little distraction, something that doesn’t really move me in the right direction, and go do that instead. Because its easier. It won’t require sacrifice. It doesn’t sting when it goes wrong.
But how many times have I heard and seen evidence of how important and just awesome it is when we do the things we were created to do, no matter the cost, despite the potential and inevitable failures, risking what we cling to most – our pride – and humble ourselves to the point of, heaven forbid,

being who we are supposed to be.

There is such a challenge in her words – and quite a clever observation of the state of our lives. One that I think many of us can relate.  This is a big challenge.  To get out of our habits of ‘laziness’ and into a habit of being and doing and impacting. So, today, start something new – don’t just agree – but begin to move. Don’t try to be someone else, but do the things that you are meant to do to reach others and really live this life.

18Jesus came to them and said: “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth! 19Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 20and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.” Matthew 28:18-20 CEV

11Christ chose some of us to be apostles, prophets, missionaries, pastors, and teachers, 12so that his people would learn to serve and his body would grow strong. 13This will continue until we are united by our faith and by our understanding of the Son of God. Then we will be mature, just as Christ is, and we will be completely like him. 14We must stop acting like children. We must not let deceitful people trick us by their false teachings, which are like winds that toss us around from place to place. 15Love should always make us tell the truth. Then we will grow in every way and be more like Christ, the head 16of the body. Christ holds it together and makes all of its parts work perfectly, as it grows and becomes strong because of love. Ephesians 4:11-16 (Contemporary English Version)

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Liquid Mountaineering

Have you seen this video?  It’s a great “manufactured” viral video from Hi-Tech shoes.  In the video that was released some time last year ( I am so behind the times), they introduce a new sport – called Liquid Mountaineering – which is essentially running on water.

Sound familiar?
What I thought was the most interesting is that one of the guys is being interviewed and he says in order to do this “you just have to believe”.
Sound familiar?

I am sure it certainly reminds you of the real creator of this sport – the Christ Jesus. As a matter of fact he gets two direct mentions in the video, and a few more subtle references. And what it reminds me of is that fact that he says to Peter “Dude, you just have to believe”!

25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

29 “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. You of little faith,” he said, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:25-31, New International Version)

So on this Friday, consider this new sport, which is really an old sport – giving yourself complelete over to Christ, so that you can do the amazing, the unreal and the positively unimaginable – things like walking on water.

Let get out there and tackle some liquid mountaineering.

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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)