R S T s

"Mightier than the breakers of the sea"

2010-08-06T08:48:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

A few days ago we had church at the beach and we discussed Psalm 93 (thanks, Pastor, for the reminder) -- here are a few verses to chew on...

Your throne was established long ago;
you are from all eternity.

The seas have lifted up, O LORD,
the seas have lifted up their voice;
the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.

Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea--
the LORD on high is mighty.

Been thinking about the many different coastlines I've been fortunate enough to visit over the years: some cold and others tropical, some rocky and others sandy -- from black to sugar-white, with waters ranging from grey to green to deepest blue. Invariably they draw me, almost magically, (siren song?) and alternately hypnotize and humble, strengthen and soothe, energize and awe...

Why is that exactly? Is it the oceans' inscrutable depths? The neverending horizons? Or is it the seemingly unlimited variations on "Green" and "Blue"? Or the comforting constancy of the breeze, with its clean, briny scent? Is it the pounding thunder of the breakers? Or the hisssss as they recede back down the sand? What about the sound of utter silence interrupted only by the soft lapping of gentle waves on the shore (or against the side of a gently rocking boat) while enjoying the sheer bliss of eyes-closed-warm-sun-bare-skin?

What is it about the ocean?

What is it about us?

What is it about God?

You've been prayed for today...

J

What Is God Like? He rejoices over you...

2010-03-24T13:42:00.000-07:00

This is what Zephaniah 3:17 says, little Lea...

The LORD your God is with you,
He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
He will quiet you with his love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.

You've been prayed for today.

(Thanks mon frere Mike R. for the reminder) .

J

"The Influence of Grace"

2010-03-08T20:12:00.000-08:00

Hey, y'all,

Have had this sitting in my "on-deck circle" of RSTs for months -- seems like a good place to talk about it.

"...No man who has the true ideal of what constitutes a perfect character will fail to manifest the sympathy and tenderness of Christ. The influence of grace is to soften the heart, to refine and purify the feelings, giving a heaven-born delicacy and sense of propriety...

"A religion that leads men to place a low estimate upon human beings, whom Christ has esteemed of such value as to give Himself for them, a religion that would lead us to be careless of human needs, sufferings, or rights, is a spurious religion...

"It is because men take upon themselves the name of Christ, while in life they deny His character, that Christianity has so little power in the world."

—E G White, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, pp. 135-137

A couple of 'ouches' there:
Can't say I haven't (on a regular basis, good grief!) failed to "manifest the sympathy and tenderness of Christ" -- but I'm sure it's probably just me :-). And that's pretty potent stuff there at the end: "It is because men take upon themselves the name of Christ, while in life they deny His character, that Christianity has so little power in the world." How true is that?!? And how significant exactly is my contribution to that depressing little equation?

Interesting how grace isn't described as some namby-pamby soft-and-fuzzy little nothing; it's characterized as having powerful, transformative power. Thus, if I'm not being consistently changed by my acceptance of God's grace (manifested as a vital, life-altering relationship with Him), how authentic was the 'grace experience' really?

You've been prayed for today...

J

Faith? (Part 2)

2010-02-23T20:27:00.000-08:00

Following up the last post...

"Faith is seen in the substance of a life lived in service to others." [True religion is not] "...a cheap, disposable faith that says nothing, costs nothing, does nothing, risks nothing, and speaks not of God, but only of the grubby, temporal perspectives and fears of ground-bound women and men."

That's the hard question you need to ask yourself right there: what is your faith, your religion (or lack thereof), actually doing, how is it working on your mind, your soul, to motivate you to improve the lot of all of God's children here below? Not just your spouse, or your children, or your friends, not just the deserving (whatever that means to you), but the wretched, the most vulnerable, the least lovable.

Is your "faith" simply a warm, comfortable little 'something' that you take once a week (or less) to feel better? Is church just a social club where you pat yourselves on the back while saying tsk-tsk at what you see in the world around you?

Does it speak "only of the grubby, temporal perspectives and fears of ground-bound women and men?" Does it encourage you to turn away, holding your nose while looking beyond this present reality, focusing instead on your "eternal reward?" Or does it soften you to the plight of others, does it inspire you to serve, to give, perhaps even painfully, expecting nothing in return?

The crux of the matter is this: it matters not how much "truth" your religion lays claim to; it matters even less that you think you're right about this, that, or the other. Real faith is not cheap, it is not static nor weak; true religion is in fact costly, it is powerful, it works. If your beliefs do not move you toward service and even self-sacrifice, then they merit reconsideration--and perhaps outright rejection.

The inescapable truth is that any belief system that does not result in service to others is indeed "a cheap, disposable faith that says nothing, costs nothing, does nothing, risks nothing, and speaks not of God."

You've been prayed for today...

J

Faith? (Part 1)

2010-02-19T12:54:00.000-08:00

Hey, Y'all,

Ran across this in a column by Leonard Pitts; found it interesting because he is not an overtly christian writer, but mostly it really resonated with something Evonne and I (and our church as a whole) have been thinking about and discussing lately...

We specialize in cheesy expressions of faith here in God's favorite country. Indeed, you could build a tower unto heaven itself out of all the roadside Jesuses, prayer cloths, Ten Commandments rocks, and other trinkets of a cheap, disposable faith that says nothing, costs nothing, does nothing, risks nothing, and speaks not of God, but only of the grubby, temporal perspectives and fears of ground-bound women and men.

Last November, the University of Chicago published a study quantifying the blazingly obvious: people tend to create God in their own image, to ascribe to the deity their own opinions, interests and beliefs. But is that really faith, when you reduce God to a bigger version of you?

Mother Teresa's faith drove her to foreswear material riches and spend half a century working to uplift the wretched poor of Calcutta.

Martin Luther King's faith drove him to gamble his very life in a dangerous campaign to win human and civil rights for African-American people...

The point is not that we can do what Martin Luther King did or be who Mother Teresa was -- we all suffer in that comparison. Rather, faith is seen in the substance of a life lived in service to others, lived as if God were not in fact one's personal echo chamber in the sky.

(More to follow).

You've been prayed for today...

"I am not saved by believing..."

2009-11-02T22:28:00.000-08:00

Hey, Y'all,

Nearly 6 weeks since our last post--crazy how time passes, especially when you're trying to keep up with a perpetually awake (by which I mean utterly alive, observing, absorbing everything, and growing like a weed) 4-month-old, moreso in the context of being sick as a dog for over a week (piggy flu, anyone?) and starting the process of moving back home, to say nothing of working on buying a home--sweet! Can't believe our year-long sojourn is almost done...

At any rate, kind reader, here's the thought du jour. Ran across it October 28 in the devotional "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers. Give it a read, then stop for a second and read it again, slowly. Some spiritual writings are too profound for a mere cursory reading, so I'll slow it down, even read it aloud, and very often find that bit of extra lingering over the words lets them wash over and through me in a way I'd otherwise miss. So give it a try--see if God doesn't meet you (more than) half way :-)

I am not saved by believing--I simply realize that I am saved by believing. And it is not repentance that saves me--repentance is only a sign that I realize what God has done through Christ Jesus.

The danger here is putting the emphasis on the effect, instead of the cause. Is it my obedience, consecration, and dedication that make me right with God? It is never that! I am made right with God because, prior to all of that, Christ died for me.

When I turn to God and by belief accept what God reveals, the miraculous atonement by the Cross of Christ instantly places me into a right relationship with God. And as a result of the supernatural miracle of God's grace I stand justified, not because I am sorry for my sin, or because I have repented, but because of what He has done.

The Spirit of God brings justification with a shattering, radiant light, and I know I am saved, even though I don't know how it was accomplished.

You've been prayed for today...

J

"Listening to your life"

2009-09-23T21:28:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

I was looking in my (ironically-labeled, I now realize, as some of these are a couple of years old) "future RST" folder and found this quote whose citation I've apparently lost. Here it is...

I received word recently of the passing of a 68-year-old woman who was a mom and a grandmother--she was involved in an automobile accident which left her in a coma from which she never recovered. In the words of a family friend, she was "just a normal housewife whose family was her career." When they spoke at her funeral, they all spoke about a remarkable woman who had a profound influence on their lives by "merely" being there and being faithful to God.

Here's a truth among truths: there's no substitute for the power of a steady life of faith. It may not hit you over the head, but over time, the reality of a loving life takes hold and you cannot shake it. We often hear about the more glamorous stories of radical change faith can produce, and these are indeed thrilling and inspiring stories, but the real examples are often unclaimed until someone is suddenly taken from us, or we are given time to listen to the silence of someone's life. And that silence can speak volumes.

Think of all the unsung heroes like her who will shine like stars in Heaven. It's not always--no, in fact, it's almost never the convincing argument or the riveting miracle that changes lives. It's much more often the quiet power of a steady faith that leaves the deepest impression and can win over the hardest heart.

If someone listened to your life today, what would they hear? Anxiety, fear, confusion, hurry? Or love and a faith that is bigger than all those things? What speaks loudest in your life? It's a sobering thought and I, for one, have to say I am not real pleased with the results of my own self-assessment in this regard. Good thing we've all got a little more time by the grace of God. Live well today, live well every day. You never know who'll be listening to your life.

You've been prayed for today...

J

"Pour out your heart...Lift up your hands" (Part 2)

2009-09-13T20:45:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Wow, a week already -- good grief! OK, on to Part 2.

So I was reading Psalm 128 again as I periodically do (it's one of my favorite passages, but that's another RST for another time :-) when I decided to also read Psalm 127 (it's funny how often I'll run across something useful or thought-provoking when I read a chapter before and/or after; you should give it a try and see if the Lord doesn't use that little bit of initiative to speak to you in a shockingly clear voice).

At any rate, I'd forgotten that Psalm 127 starts out, "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain."

That's striking a pretty profound chord in me these days.

It then continues, "Don't you see that children are God's best gift, the fruit of the womb His generous legacy?"

Hmmm. Yeah. That one also found its mark. Funny how that works. I guess for me this RST is a call to action, the culmination of thoughts and conversations Evonne and I have been having recently. It's a reminder that even though much has been written about God and the Bible, and much of it is in fact worthwhile, nothing can take the place of actually opening The Book and communing with its Author directly. As we've said here before, He actually seeks us out, He relishes His time with us, His children. He knows our lives, He knows our needs; that's why the invitation woven throughout scripture -- His eternal message to us -- is to stop, even for a just moment, and be refreshed and filled, our characters refined and ennobled:

"The Lord called to the man--as He still does--and said, 'Where are you?' Come now, let us reason together. Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life. Whoever is thirsty, let them come; and whoever wishes, let them take the free gift of the water of life." (from Genesis 3, Isaiah 1, John 4, and Revelation 22).

You've been prayed for today...

J

"Pour out your heart...Lift up your hands" (Part 1)

2009-09-06T09:53:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Happy Labor Day weekend! It's been sweet, hope you too are taking a little breather, I know I needed one. Ran across this text in an excerpt from Max Lucado's new book -- Fearless -- that really touched me (don't remember ever having read it before; but then considering it's found in the book of Lamentations it's probably not that strange):

"Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to Him for the lives of your children."
Lamentations 2:19

Nice; really love the imagery, so vivid, so clear it's nearly heart-rending. Now here's the excerpt (for some reason this is all resonating with me a little more than it previously might have :-)

Jairus...begged Jesus to come to his home (Luke 8:41). The father wasn’t content with long distance assistance; he wanted Christ beneath his roof, walking through his rooms, standing at the bedside of his daughter. He wanted the presence of Christ to permeate his house. My wife displays this same longing. I will someday ask God, “Why were you so good to my daughters and me?” and he will answer by pointing to Denalyn. “She just kept talking about you and your kids.”

Denalyn takes regular prayer walks through our house, stepping into each bedroom and living area. She pauses to pray for her daughters and husband. She takes full advantage of the invitation of Lamentations 2:19: “Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift your hands toward Him for the life of your young children” (Lam. 2:19).

Yeah, I'm starting to understand the enormity of that need, the depth of that feeling. Now, before I lose those of you without children of your own, I'll say this: I realized a while ago that I was responsible for "my" children long before I had my first. What am I talking about?

First and most important, I realized that my walk with God was not something I would just be able to "flip on" when the time came; it's something that takes consistent, persistent effort on my part, not because God's that hard to find but because I'm that easy to distract. That's why I like to think of it as my "walk" with God; slow, rich, constant, life-long.

Secondly, I realized that I was (and am) Uncle Juan, and Tio Cacalos, and The Godfather, to more than a few little ones who watch everything I do and listen to every word I say. Am I showing them properly what a good man, a Godly man, looks like?

That's why I want -- no, why I need -- "Christ beneath my roof, walking through my rooms, standing at the bedside of my daughter. I want the presence of Christ to permeate my house," [starting with me].

More on this next post, but in the meantime...

You've been prayed for today.

J

Things To Tell Lea About God--A Continuation

2009-08-27T21:47:00.000-07:00

Dear Lea,

As I write this you are reclined in your rocker, cooing and wiggling and listening to lullabies. It’s hard for me to imagine that you will ever experience any fatigue (like me at the moment) or depression, financial hardship, poor health, anxiety, loss… (I could go on).

All you have to do is trust us for your every need--it is, in fact, your only option. We’ll do our best not to let you down, but later on in life people you trust might; or all your own good intentions may come to nothing. One day you will be asking yourself: “Is there something wrong with God, or is it just me?”

I don’t know what the pain in your life will be, but we all have some. There are always other ways to cope and struggle along, but oddly enough, the only answer that I have found is to return to a level of trust that some might call infantile.

Lea, my hope for you is that you come to know this as the truest truth of all about yourself and God:

“You, oh God are all I [really] have,
and you give me all I [really] need…”
Psalm 16:5

For now, keep on playing, and don’t worry about the future. Come to think of it, you already get this concept of trust don’t you? I guess that’s why He said,

“…Let the little children come unto me and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of God. Unless you receive the Kingdom of Heaven like a child you will never enter it.”
Mark 10:14, 15

Love,
Mama

Already Done

2009-08-15T19:41:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Our brother Chris sent this text out a couple of weeks ago, been percolating in the back of my mind ever since. Funny how you see different facets of texts at different times...Thanks for the reminder, brother! Here we go:

"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart!
I have overcome the world."
John 16:33

Today for some reason the fact that He has already overcome the world jumped out at me. Soothing thought. He isn't someday maybe-in-the-distant-future going to overcome the lord (usurper) of this world. He's already done it. Bank on it; it's "bruised His heel, crushed his head" definitively done.

"Take heart!"

It is finished.

You've been prayed for today...

J

What is God like? Reeds and Wicks

2009-08-04T21:59:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

It occurs to me that one of these days Lea is going to ask her dad what God is like. Been thinking about the answer; get the feeling this could take a while :-) So here's the first in a series...

This is what God is like, little Lea:

A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
Isaiah 42:3

How 'bout you? What is God like?

You've been prayed for today.

J

"Not Of This World"

2009-07-26T17:33:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Today's (somewhat crankified :-) RST is a follow-up to the "Flocks and Fields" one, but the funny thing is that it actually preceded and helped crystallize it. So anyway, here we go...

Observed the other day (for the nth time) a giant sticker in a car window stating in oversized pseudo-goth wannabe-hardcore font: "Not Of This World."

Muttered under my breath (for the nth time): "Not Of This World!" (yes, I did do the sarcastic 'air quotes' -- ask Evonne). "Not Of This World? Not of any use whatsoever!"

Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. Before I get thirty e-mails explaining the concept using really small words, it's OK, Mr. Grumpypants gets it: "in" and not "of" blahbittyblah, I get it. I'm just sayin'.

It's the too-often seen underlying sentiment that perturbs me--you probably know what I'm talking about. It goes a little like this:

"Not Of This World."
I'm a little bit better than you.
I have more Light. I have The Truth.
I need to stay away from you lest you soil me because
(wait for it)
I am not of this world; I'm just holding my nose and waiting for the next one.

So why does that sticker aggravate me? Because it seems to me that that is not how we're supposed to live. Even a casual glance at the gospels shows us that Christ was very much of this world. And before I get those thirty e-mails again, let me just remind you: He is the Son of God but He also repeatedly calls Himself the Son of Man. Jesus got His hands dirty--touching lepers, making mud with which to cure blind men, relishing interaction with all manner of questionable characters (you and me chief among them, I might add :-).

And just in case it wasn't completely clear, in His "opening manifesto" (The Sermon On The Mount recorded in Matthew 5, 6, and 7) He pointedly states, "You are the salt of the earth...You are the light of the world." Salt in the shaker is of no use whatsoever; neither is a light that won't shine.

So how 'bout it: are you "of this world" or not?

You've been prayed for today...

J

Taste and See

2009-07-11T10:17:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Happy Sabbath, again -- man, time flies when you're having fun (and sleeping intermittently :-) Today for no particular reason woke up feeling (aside from a mite groggy) all kinds of profound contentment; deep joy; sweet peace. I keep hearing this text in my head:

Taste and see that the LORD is good;
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Psalm 34:8

You know what? I am blessed. Without measure.
And He is very good.

You've been prayed for today...

J

InDependence

2009-07-04T11:03:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Happy Sabbath, and happy 233rd birthday, America. I'll admit it: I'm a patriot. I love this country, utterly...although admittedly these days it's more the ideal of this country that I love. So I thought that for starters I'd share one of my favorite quotes with y'all (if I remember right I owe this one to Linden--thanks man!). Samuel Adams, one of the founding fathers, said:

"If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen!”

Righteous...

OK, so on a completely different tack...Had a not-entirely-random thought most ironical this morning (wait, what am I, Yoda?!?). Anyway, it occurred to me--today being Independence Day and all--that we as a nation have always valued (or at least paid a great deal of lip service to) independence: "Do it yourself." "He pulled himself up by his bootstraps." "I did it my way." Sounds good; noble; right.

Thus couldn't help but feel anew the tension inherent in trying to reconcile that mentality (or, more correctly, that work ethic) with the completely contrasting idea put forth by Christ: that dependence on God is the only path to rest, and peace, and significance.

You can race around frantically trying to achieve, to fix it (whatever "it" is), to do all the stuff you have to do. To take care of it yourself. To do it yourself. Unfortunately, it's an utter fallacy. The only thing you achieve is complete bone weariness and worn-out frustration.

Here are the verses that kept bookending my ruminations:

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
John 15:5

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."
Philippians 4:12,13

May we come to see that striving for so-called independence from God is a sure way to run yourself ragged and find yourself wholly thwarted; that only in dependence can true meaning and real peace be found.

You've been prayed for today...

J

Flocks and Fields

2009-06-29T11:24:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

No, your eyes are not deceiving you: RSTs are back! You'll notice a couple of new things (including a space below for your responses/thoughts) and there's more yet to come. But for now, welcome back!

So, how do we kick off the new-and-improved RSTs blog? Funny you should ask. This particular idea has been simmering for some time now, but a few days ago I ran across this thought that I'd saved a while back. It's funny 'cause I'd just been thinking that we're at the Christmas Equinox (at least that's what I'm calling it) -- the day in the year at which point we are farthest from Christmas. I'd been listening to Christmas music--sounded really sweet and seemed to make the summer heat less oppressive...At any rate, that essay by Jon Walker of PurposeDrivenLife.com referenced this text that finally crystallized the not-entirely-random spiritual thought for today:

“The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks, glorifying and praising God for what the angels had told them, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had said.”
Luke 2:20 (NLT)

I love that. Now read the text again, slowly; see anything interesting?

These shepherds heard the angels; they saw the Christ child. What did they do in response? Did they run off and ensconce themselves in a monastery somewhere where they could preserve the purity of their experience and not be "soiled" by the common?

Nope. They went back to their flocks and fields. Glorifying and praising God, but they went back. They went back to work. They went back to school. They washed the dishes and took out the garbage and did their laundry and paid their taxes. They went back to their flocks and fields.

So too must we. If we are to be of any use in this world we must always return to our flocks and our fields. Christ's life, our chief example, illustrates this principle over and over. The Sermon on the Mount in fact states it explicitly--we are the light of the world (of no use whatsoever if covered up), we are the salt of the earth (of no use whatsoever if safely in the saltshaker).

So: you know that in one way or another angels have sung in your life and you've seen God; what flock has God placed in your hands to tend? What field has He given you to work?

You've been prayed for today...

J

Take Heed!

2008-11-15T12:28:00.000-08:00

Hey, Y'all,

Today's RST is short but solid; gotta remember to make it a point to remember, 'cause Lord knows we're prone to amnesia (or maybe it's just me again :-)

"Take heed, and guard your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen and lest they depart from your mind and heart all the days of your life. Teach them to your children and your children's children..."
Deuteronomy 4:9

There are so many things to chew on in this passage--here're a few:

"Guard your soul diligently" -- half-hearted (or actual disregard in my) efforts will not suffice as we do have an Adversary and his greatest joy is our misery.

"Take heed...lest you forget" -- yeah, 'cause that never happens.

"Lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen and lest they depart from your mind and heart" -- this is the crux of the matter: He's been mighty good to me, I've seen it with my own eyes, yet how often does that fact "depart from my mind and heart" (interesting too how it addresses both my logical and emotional ways of remembering).

"Teach them to your children and your children's children..." -- no greater joy, no greater responsibility.

So there you go--any thoughts?

"Take heed, and guard your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen and lest they depart from your mind and heart all the days of your life. Teach them to your children and your children's children..."

You've been prayed for today...

Action, Not Words

2008-11-08T13:34:00.001-08:00

Hey, Y'all,

Today's RST is based on a powerful thought of Max Lucado's -- I'd never thought of this passage in quite this way before.

Genesis 3:21 has been called 'the first gospel sermon,' preached not by preachers, but by God himself. And not in words, but in symbol and action.

'The LORD God made clothes from animal skins for the man and his wife and clothed them.'

God covered them. He protected them.

Love always does.

Made me think immediately of Psalm 91 -- to say nothing of the innumerable other passages describing the Lord's relentless love and actual affection for us, yes, even to the point of covering us and our shortcomings. Reminds me yet again --I don't get tired of this visual -- of the prodigal's father and His reaction to his son's appearance on the horizon (Luke 15:20):

'But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.'

Yep, consistent is our God; it's 'the first gospel sermon,' reiterated, and again, not in words, but in powerful symbol and unmistakable action. God is entirely too good to me, to you.

You've been prayed for today...

Delight, Petitions

2008-10-02T21:57:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

So I ran across this text and a funny thing happened: I read it, but it didn't sit well with me; so I read it again, and interestingly, I heard something different when I read it that second time.

Here's the text:

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."
Psalm 37:4

In all honesty it annoyed me a little bit that first time through. I think we're all big boys and girls and know that it's patently absurd to chronically expect to get what we want; sounded a little too "God is Santa Claus" to me. So I read it again (a couple of times :-) and this is what it sounded like:

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will change the desires of your heart."

So I read it again:

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will change the desires of your heart."

And once more:

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will change the desires of your heart."

That kind of made me sit up a little straighter. He will, wait, He has, He does, give me the desires of my heart. It's entirely possible that if I'm still thinking that I'd be better off with a giant estate or a better car, I can't quite see it that way. Maybe my desires need refining (or outright correction).

Another version of the text says that He'll give me "the secret petitions of my heart" if I find in Him my delight. Which got me thinking: what does that look like? How do I delight myself in the Lord? And is it possible that I've already received those "petitions of my heart" (and more) but I am only truly aware of it when He's actively influencing my understanding of "reality"? And what do I have rattling around in that part of my heart? What do I need to discuss further with Him? What (else) does He need to be made Lord over?

How 'bout you? Anything come to mind?

You've been prayed for today...

In The Arena?

2008-09-10T17:29:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Today's thought is not, at first blush, obviously spiritual, but I'm reminded of the quote that states that "Truth is Truth, even if you find it waiting for you in an unlikely place." I'm convinced that our God is big enough to reach us in unconventional ways. So here we go -- words to live by indeed:

"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place will never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
Theodore Roosevelt

Reminded me of something we discussed in church this past Sabbath -- the principle that rarely (if ever) does anything of any real significance come about by happenstance; nothing meaningful ever happens by accident. We must be deliberate, we must be intentional, if we expect to achieve anything of value, and this is doubly so in the spiritual arena where we are at all times (aware of it or not) in conflict with an Adversary whose primary goal is to disrupt our pursuit of genuine and meaningful interaction, of relationship if you will, with Our God.

So that's the deal; are you going to strive valiantly, yes, even erring and coming up short again and again? Or are you going to sleepwalk, or sit on the sidelines, or worse still, be one who critiques those in the arena? You are either one, or the other. Make your choice.

You've been prayed for today...

The Human Whisperer

2008-08-28T21:37:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Today's RST comes to us from the newer (and much cuter :-) half of this blog's writing tandem. Enjoy!

So one day I was at home doing laundry and I had an RST because of a bulldog on TV. It's true. I was watching the Dog Whisperer. For those of you who don't know about him, he's that guy on the National Geographic Channel (Cesar Millan) who is able to make 'death-row' dogs behave in shockingly short amounts of time and with methods that wouldn't occur to us average, non-dog-whisperer types.

On this particular show, The Dog Whisperer took a whacked-out Bulldog (who was snarling and nipping at everyone, even his family, for no good reason) and had him whipped in one day. He didn't put the dog on a chain and jerk him around. He didn't even kick him. He just forced him to the ground and held him still a few times whenever he got out of line. That's it.

The Dog Whisperer is surprisingly philosophical about what he does. He explained what he did for the dog by saying: 'The dog doesn't want to be out of control. He doesn't like that feeling. When I remind him that I am above him by holding him down and keeping him still, he becomes secure and calms down.'

What The Dog Whisperer said reminded me of the way some of my newborn patients fuss and cry--for no good reason--until I swaddle them up tight: then they fall right to sleep or start to quietly look around. They weren't hungry or in need of a diaper change. They just needed to feel right.

So...what about me? If dogs need a pack leader and babies need to feel held, what do I need in order to feel right? I think it's easy to negate and minimize the parameters that God puts on us; like keeping one day just for Him, not being fake, not being immoral...yet I'm starting to realize that all of those things (there are only 10 anyway) are exactly what we need to feel...well...swaddled.

It might be appropriate for us (like the bulldog) to realize that there's someone above us. We don't have to. But maybe, just maybe, He said (and did) what he said (and did) because he knows us like the Dog Whisperer knows dogs. Guess that makes God the Human Whisperer?

"Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the Lord Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. You shall therefore keep His statutes and His commandments which I command you today, that it may go well with you and your children after you..." Deuteronomy 4:39, 40

You've been prayed for today...

The Law Of The Garbage Truck

2008-08-16T13:16:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Today's thought arrives to us via Dena (thanks!) and, as usual, I'm quite sure it only applies to me (he says, tongue firmly in cheek :-)

How often do you let other people affect your mood negatively? Do you let a bad driver, a rude waiter, a curt boss (or an insensitive employee) ruin your day? Unless you're a robot, for at least an instant you're probably set back on your heels. However, the mark of a godly person is how quickly she/he can get back her/his focus on what's truly important.

Five years ago I vividly (re)learned this lesson in the back of a taxi in Chicago. I hopped in the cab and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and just missed the other car by mere inches!

At this point, the driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us (and showing us the one-fingered salute). My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. I mean, he was really, honestly, friendly. So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!' This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'

He explained, 'Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage--full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people. Just leave it and move on.'

Sounds a lot like the second half of Romans 12 which is chock-full of practical advice on how we ought to live with one another (here's a taste, but check it out for yourself!):

Love must be sincere.
Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
Be devoted to one another.
Honor one another above yourselves.
Share with God's people who are in need.
Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Live in harmony with one another.
Do not be proud...do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil.
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you,
live at peace with everyone.
Do not take revenge, my friends...On the contrary:
If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink...

And it concludes with my second-favorite verse (v.21) of this passage, a killer summary statement if ever there was one:

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Oh, and you were wondering about my favorite verse here? It's v.12--also words to live by if ever there were any, especially in the application of this lesson:

Be joyful in hope,
patient in affliction,
faithful in prayer.

You've been prayed for today...

More Interested In My Character

2008-07-30T23:02:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Today's thought is from PurposeDrivenLife.com and reminds me of something I recently read and saved (to follow as another post, of course :-)

"Much confusion in the Christian life comes from ignoring the simple truth that God is far more interested in building your character than He is in anything else. Sadly, a quick review of many popular Christian books reveals that many believers have abandoned living for God's great purposes and settle for so-called personal fulfillment and emotional stability. That is narcissism, not discipleship. Jesus did not die on the cross just so we could live comfortable lives. His purpose is far deeper: He wants to make us like Himself before He returns. This is our greatest privilege, our immediate responsibility, and our ultimate destiny."

Kind of gets you thinking: He is far more interested in building my (eternal) character than in my (short-term) comfort. Hmmm...

You've been prayed for today...

Knowing Is Not Enough

2008-07-27T22:03:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Today's is another short and powerful thought:

"Knowing is not enough; we must apply.
Willing is not enough; we must do."
--Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Hmmm..."Knowing is not enough...we must do." Yikes! Think about that for a minute. Words to live by...yep, words to live by.

You've been prayed for today...

You Play How You Practice

2008-07-20T23:15:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Today's RST is short and sweet, but as tends to be the case, it's potent despite (because of? :-) its brevity. Art sent this little gem my way a while back (thanks, mi he'mano):

The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.
--Muhammad Ali

Made me think of something we remind each other of frequently in men's group: you play how you practice. Kind of gets you thinkin', huh? Doesn't matter what you're talking about: you play how you practice.

You've been prayed for today...

Talking Down or Coming Down?

2008-07-12T13:27:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

So today we're kind of picking up where we left off last time (although this thought actually preceded that one). A few weeks ago in men's group we were discussing James 4 and paused at verses 11 and 12:

Don't speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters...Who are you to judge your neighbor?

The commentary we're reading from added this (my paraphrase):

James' admonition 'Do not speak evil against' is, more specifically, 'do not defame' or 'do not denigrate.' A defamatory word may be perfectly true; we do not have to tell lies in order to defame. But the fact that it is true gives us no right to say it. True or false, it puts us in a position of (supposed) superiority from which we can not but 'talk down' to them. If we profess to humbly bow low before our Lord, our Savior, how can we possibly be in a position to 'talk down' to anyone?

Suppose I do know something to someone's discredit; be it ever so true, my task is not to publicize it, nor even privately to berate him with it, but to go where he is and lift him up. I must be the Samaritan to him; he is my neighbor. There is no room for talking down but only for coming down to where the one in need is, identifying with the need and abandoning self-interest so as to meet it. We are, after all, professing to follow His example, are we not?

Words to live by...

You've been prayed for today.

Gentle, Humble, Patient, Bearing

2008-07-09T21:32:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Ran across today's thought (based on a message by Jon Walker on PurposeDrivenLife.com) and I was again struck by the (re-)realization that we're supposed to be treating each other well as a central tenet of our Christianity (as opposed to...). So how does this hit you?

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."
Ephesians 4:2

Humorist Dave Barry says, "A perfect parent is a person with excellent child-rearing theories and no actual children." The same could be said of a perfect world or a perfect family; there's one sure way to mess things up: people!

Living with imperfect people requires patience, and you -- now, I say this as a friend -- are one of those imperfect people who requires patience. Oh, and BTW, I'm an imperfect person too. Patience means putting up with me when you'd rather lose your temper; it means forgiving me when you'd rather nurture a grudge. Patience is love in action because "love is patient" (1 Corinthians 13:4).

Now hear this: patience and a critical spirit are mutually exclusive. Even when your complaints are justified, it is patience that pulls (or pushes :-) you toward forgiving and forgetting: "A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense" (Proverbs 19:11).

Being patient may try our patience, but we become stronger when we learn to love imperfect people. And that's where the first part of this passage comes in to play -- being completely humble and gentle -- because you can be no other way when truly you realize that you too are in need of being borne with in love.

More on this next post, but in the meantime,
you've been prayed for today...

Dear Dad

2008-06-15T22:42:00.001-07:00

(Someone shared this idea with me today--thank you!)

Been thinking a lot about you today, Dad...

Unless the Lord builds a house,
the work of the builders is wasted.
Unless the Lord protects a city,
guarding it with sentries will do no good.
It is useless for you to work so hard
from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
for God gives rest to his loved ones.

Children are a gift from the Lord;
they are a reward from him.
Children born to a young man
are like arrows in a warrior's hands.
How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!
He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.

Psalm 127

Yeah...I gotta say thank you (again :-)

Thank you for making it known, consistently, that God is the head of our house. Thank you for making it clear to me that I am a reward from Him to you. Thank you, Dad...more than I can say.

Now, receive the blessing, the real rest, that He has promised you (and have a happy Fathers' Day).

You've been prayed for today--dads especially...

Service, Purpose

2008-06-04T23:06:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Today's RST I've also been pondering for a while. Several months ago mi hermano Art shared this pearl with me--Acts 13:36--and it's been rattling around my mind ever since...

"For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep..."

In another version it sounds like this...

"For David, after he had served his own generation in the will of God, fell asleep..."

Guess I've been thinking: what is God's purpose for me? How am I to serve my own generation? Am I honoring my particular shape, that peculiar combination of abilities (and ineptitudes :-), of passions and pet peeves, and my unique sphere of influence?

Lest anyone get too smug prematurely, what about you? There are people you touch and influence, people you can serve that I'll never even come close to meeting...So how 'bout it? What is your purpose? What are you shaped for? How will you serve?

You've been prayed for today...

Where Were You?

2008-05-28T23:38:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Pardon the interruption :-) These past couple-three weeks have really made me think... In fact it's been the work of several days to put this RST together (and I still can't say I've got it all down the way I'd like). Been ruminating on all sorts of things--interestingly, they've been mostly common yet devastatingly profound things...

Sunlight.
Hard rain.
Providence.
Coincidence?
The restless ocean.
Vast desert panoramas.
Colossal mountains.
Wide open plains.
The inscrutable night sky.
The past.
The future?
Weddings.
Funerals.
Births.
Love.
Change.

Can't really say precisely how these are tied together, but they certainly are in my head and heart. The experience has, I think, changed me, grown me, opened my eyes a bit more. And most importantly lent me some perspective.

I've often thought these last couple of weeks of God's non-answer to Job's questioning--it starts out like this:

Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
Who marked off its dimensions?
Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?
On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone--
while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels shouted for joy?

I find myself staggered, literally, to my knees, reminded again that God is God, and I truly know nothing. I find myself answering, like Job: "I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer...Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to comprehend...I repent in dust and ashes."

Yep, as we've discussed (well, especially with one of you :-) real prayer is totally positional--it's how I know, how I learn, my place. And I find this to be a very good thing, because He said I should have no other gods before Him, and I keep dethroning Him.

So, you've been prayed for today...

Even as I put my hand over my mouth, reverently...
For surely I speak of things I do not truly understand,
things too wonderful for me to comprehend.

"Gracious Uncertainty"

2008-05-04T22:13:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Today's RST comes to us courtesy of Sharon (thanks!) and is for me a (relatively :-) gentle reminder of what I ought to be striving toward...'course I'm sure it's just me (oh, and Sharon of course LOL!). Check it out...

Came across this in "My Utmost for His Highest" for April 29th. Thought you might appreciate it...it reminded me of our conversation about being "still" [ed.: not an easy thing, at all].

"Our natural inclination is to be so precise--trying always to forecast accurately what will happen next--that we look upon uncertainty as a bad thing. We think we must reach some predetermined goal, but that is not the nature of the spiritual life. The nature of the spiritual life is that we are certain in our uncertainty...Certainty is the mark of the commonsense life--gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life...We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God...We are not uncertain of God, just uncertain of of what He is going to do next. If our certainty is only in our beliefs, we develop a sense of self righteousness, become overly critical, and are limited by the view that our beliefs are complete and settled. But, when we have the right relationship with God, life is full of spontaneous, joyful uncertainty and expectancy."

Someone passed this along too:

"A simple life....a simple faith...an uncluttered mind."

Oh how life could be if we didn't have all these grandiose plans and expectations. If we exercised that good "uncertainty" we might actually achieve greater plans and expectations.

Just thought I would share.

Words to live by, Sharon--not easy by any stretch, but words to live by nonetheless. Thanks for the reminder. You (and the rest of the list) have been prayed for today...

Slow

2008-04-28T22:03:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Meant to get this out while at NAF El Centro a couple of days ago (yes, it was time once again to visit "The Pearl of the Desert") but it turned out to be a crazy busy couple of days. Nevertheless, here we go...

So, maybe you're thinking the Bible is just an outdated collection of random weird stories...maybe you're thinking it has nothing to say to somewhat jaded 21st-century people who've seen it all and heard it all before...

Check this out (it's based on a couple of conversations I've had recently well as a thought from PurposeDrivenLife.com).

The Bible says we should be quick to listen (and slow to speak). In fact, here's what it says in James 1:19 -- "...Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry …." Hmmm...kinda thinkin' that it'd be nice if I kept that little tidbit handy a little more often, eh?

Here are three things that hinder our ability to hear what others are saying:

1) Presumption is when you think you already know what the other person is going to say. Yet, the Bible says, "He who answers before listening–-that is his folly and his shame." Proverbs 18:13

2) Impatience is when you interrupt and jump to conclusions: "There is more hope for a fool than for someone who speaks without thinking." Proverbs 29:20

3) Pride is when you become defensive and unteachable: "The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice." Proverbs 12:15

And here's the parting shot for today--yep, yet another irrelevant word: "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Proverbs 15:1

Hmmm...so how true were those?!?

You've been prayed for today...

He's Awake, And He's Working

2008-04-18T06:04:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

You know, I was just thinking that I seem to be in an "Amplified Bible" kind of mood today, and then I realized that evidently I've also got Philippians on the brain (though admittedly in an oddly inverted fashion, as you'll see)...funny how these things come together. And BTW, ya gotta love the Amplified Bible version--it might seem a little clumsy to read occasionally, but I love how it fleshes out the meaning of key words and sometimes puts them in a brand new light for me. Anyway, here are today's thoughts...

I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient but only in Christ's sufficiency].
Philippians 4:13

I love that thought: that thanks to His empowerment I am up to meeting anything that comes my way--'cause things happen (or maybe it's just me again? :-)

It is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and delight.
Philippians 2:13

I love this thought: God is constantly, effectually, at work in me, creating in me both the actual want and the ability to please Him. He meets me WAY more than half-way: He not only gives me the strength, He gives me the very desire to seek His way, to seek Him. Now, how cool is that?

And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.
Phil 1:6

I really love this as the parting thought: our God isn't a half-way God, He isn't a "gonna-leave-me-hangin' now-you're-on-your-own" kind of God. He who began this good work in us neither slumbers nor sleeps (a tip o' the hat to one of my favorite Psalms--121--check it out :-) He who began that good work in you, whatever it may be, will faithfully bring it to full completion...

It occurs to me (yet again) that God is good, and that's the truth.

You've been prayed for today...

"Between His Shoulders"

2008-04-09T22:12:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Today's RST is one of those whose very simplicity makes it unexpectedly powerful, sublime. It's found in Deuteronomy 33 (verse 12) where Moses' final blessings and prophecies regarding the Twelve Tribes of Israel are recorded. Funny...actually, I think of this verse fairly often, and must say that, without fail, I experience the same sense of wonder, of peace and reassurance, as the first time I heard it; like a cool breeze in the middle of an oppressively hot day, like that first gulp of cool water then you're utterly parched...funny too how Psalm 42's "As a deer pants (or longs) for streams of water, so my soul longs for You, O Lord," comes immediately to mind.

Anyway, it goes like this:

"Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him,
for He shields him all day long,
and the one the LORD loves
rests between His shoulders."

There's something about that phrase, "The one the LORD loves rests between His shoulders," that soothes me...probably 'cause they're mighty big shoulders, and consequently I can see myself resting secure there. How 'bout you?

You've been prayed for today...

"God Lives Under The Bed"

2008-03-26T21:39:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

This is "a nice reminder of the importance of having a simple God-filled life...that's all you ever really need (or matters)." Thank you--you know who you are :-)

God Lives Under The Bed

I envy Kevin. My brother Kevin thinks God lives under his bed. At least that's what I heard him say one night.

He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped to listen, 'Are you there, God?' he said. 'Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed...'

I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room. Kevin's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something else lingered long after the humor I realized for the first time the very different world Kevin lives in.

He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor. Apart from his size (he's 6-foot-2), there are few ways in which he is an adult.

He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.

I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life? Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the
disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, return to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed. nnThe only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child.

He does not seem dissatisfied.

He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work. He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores.

And Saturdays-oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That's the day my Dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculates loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. 'That one's goin' to Chi-car-go!' Kevin shouts as he claps his hands. His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights.

And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips. He doesn't know what it means to be discontent. His life is simple.

He will never know the entanglements of wealth of power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats. His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be.

His hands are diligent. Kevin is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it. He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax.

He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others. His heart is pure. He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue.

Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere. And he trusts God.

Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child. Kevin seems to know God -- to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an 'educated' person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion.

In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith. It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions.

It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances - they all become disabilities when I do not trust them to God's care.

Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn? After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the
goodness and love of God.

And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed.

And Kevin? He won't be surprised at all!

You've been prayed for today...

Sustained, Not Shaken...

2008-03-15T23:43:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Got this from Michelle (pointing out how "coincidences" happen where God is)--thanks for sharing it with the list...

"I went on a walk today to spend some time with The Lord and I was just pouring out my heart and talking to him because lately I have been in a funk. After my morning walk I came home and opened my email and this was the verse for the day. It was perfect...EXACTLY what I needed. I thought others would enjoy knowing that God wants to hear about our problems and desires to be there for us. He is in love with us! Then I thought, well I am not perfect and mess up all the time and maybe He is unhappy with me...Then the thought flooded in, 'It's not because of who you are--it's because of who He is!' And we can meditate on that and come boldly before Him in prayer--knowing we don't deserve it--and thank Him for loving us while we were yet sinners. That's a pretty amazing concept. He made everything and knows about everything that is happening in the world and yet--He still has the longing (and ability) to talk one on one with each of us. Now this is LOVE..."

Cast your burdens upon the LORD and He will sustain you;
He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.
Psalm 55:22

(Thanks, Michelle)

You've been prayed for today...

Growing Through The Motions: "Faint Not"

2008-03-11T23:16:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Pardon the interruption :-) minor home network issues slowin' me down some, but fret not, we're back. Today's thought is by Joel Kibble (yes, one of the guys in Take 6)--it's a little longer than usual, but it's a great story with a great point, and besides, I know y'all are big boys and girls :-). So, here we go...

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." Galatians 6:9

Most of the people who have known me for a long time know that I have always been a swimmer. Between the ages of 7 and 14, I swam for various swim teams in Alabama, finally joining a Junior Olympic team in Huntsville.

The swimming schedule was hectic. Every afternoon during the school year, I would leave school at 3 p.m. and head directly to swimming practice for two to two-and-a-half hours. The remainder of the evening would be devoted to doing homework until bedtime. Twice a week, I would be required to attend early morning training before school for an hour and a half, rising at 4:30 a.m. to be on time. When school let out for the summer and most kids departed for vacation fun, training for me was increased to every morning and every afternoon. Needless to say, it seemed as though there wasn't enough time in the day to do what I wanted to do before I had to return to the swimming pool.

In practice, most of the workout was devoted to technique and muscle training, spending large amounts of time exploding from the starting blocks and speeding up our flip turns at the other end. I can't forget to mention the drudgery of long distance swimming, and the lung-burning sprints. We were required to swim with floats positioned between our legs, while our feet were bound together to strengthen our arms. Then we kicked for miles holding on to a kickboard to strengthen our legs. Day in and day out, summer after school year, school year after summer, this was my schedule.

It is an understatement to say that I was bored to tears at times. The possibility of hanging out with friends and getting to know girls often gave way to that perpetual black line at the bottom of the pool. I hated the fact that I didn't have much of a social life, and while my body was in training, my mind was often somewhere else. Many times, I felt that my heart wasn't into it. I was just going through the motions, and because of that, I felt like I was simply "faking it." I often questioned myself. "If my heart isn't into the grueling swimming practices," I thought, "shouldn't I just quit and find something else that excites me? Why should I continue to go through the motions?" "I'm not accomplishing anything!"

Well, going through the motions does accomplish something. The truth of the matter is that all the instances of "going through the motions," whether my heart was in it or not, taught my muscles proper muscle response that only consistency could. Long afternoons of endless distance stroking I could have done asleep…that's how much I repeated the same motions; but those same motions were being committed to muscle memory every morning before school and every afternoon following school. When the big swimming competitions came, I simply needed to allow my body to do what it had been trained to do for years. I could then focus on doing my best rather than focusing on executing technique. Proper technique had been firmly entrenched into my soul during the drudgery of the many hours of practice I had logged over the years. Interestingly enough, I owe the blue ribbons, trophies and victories to the process of, you guessed it, "going through the motions."

It's funny then, that I've since decided that, in life, going through the motions has been less than noble. The process of going through the right motions is not fruitless, no matter how monotonous.

There have been a thousand times since that I've found myself going through the motions with marriage, child rearing, Take 6, ministry, family duties, finances, health issues, interpersonal relationships, etc. I can truly say that my heart has been in and out of each of these commitments; but the reason God admonishes us not to "be weary in well-doing" is because quite often, we may not be "feeling it." At times, "doing well" may feel like nothing more than going through the motions, but the right motions do accomplish something.

If you feel that you are going through the motions in some aspect of your life, take courage. "Feeling it" is not a requirement in doing God's will; but obedience is. Your heart will return if you are faithful to God and "faint not." No matter what you are feeling or not feeling, with God, you'll find that while going though the motions, you've been growing through the motions…right into what He wants you to be.

Amen to that, huh? Now mind you, I don't believe God created us for perpetual drudgery, but it's good to know that in God's economy, nothing is ever wasted--not even those stretches where all you can do is breathe in, breathe out, and put one foot in front of the other. God is good, and that's the truth.

You've been prayed for today...

Watching Wind, Staring At Clouds

2008-02-29T23:32:00.001-08:00

Hey, Y'all,

Found this in my Inbox the other day and been thinking about it off and on since--thanks! (you know who you are :-) It's Ecclesiastes 11:4-6...

He who watches the wind will not sow
and he who looks at the clouds will not reap.
Just as you do not know the path of the wind
and how bones are formed
in the womb of the pregnant woman,
so you do not know the activity of God
Who makes all things.

Sow your seed in the morning
and do not be idle in the evening,
for you do not know
whether the morning or evening sowing will succeed,
or whether both of them alike will be good.

Here it is in another version...

When the clouds are full of water, it rains.
When the wind blows down a tree, it lies where it falls.
Don't sit there watching the wind. Do your own work.
Don't stare at the clouds. Get on with your life.

Just as you'll never understand the mystery
of life forming in a pregnant woman,
So you'll never understand
the mystery at work in all that God does.

Go to work in the morning
and stick to it until evening
without watching the clock.
You never know
from moment to moment
how your work will turn out in the end.

Think about it for a minute...Now, ain't that the truth? Ya just gotta love Solomon...and his God--yours and mine as well :-)

You've been prayed for today, BTW.

Intercede --- Gently, Carefully.

2008-02-22T20:35:00.001-08:00

Hey, Y'all,

Today's RST is short and sweet (but as usual, not a little thought-provoking). In his classic devotional My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers said:

"God never allows us to see another person at fault so we may criticize them, but only that we might intercede."

Made me think of Galatians 6:2, "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." How true is that? 'Course, in the process of checking out the context, verse 1 practically leapt out at me: "Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted."

Hmmm..."gently"..."carefully"...is that your style?

You've been prayed for today.

Reply To "Let Nothing Perturb You" -- "Send Faith"

2008-02-17T20:35:00.000-08:00

Hey, Y'all,

Heard back re: this recent RST from a good friend who I value not only for his sense of humor but for his depth--thanks, brother, for passing this on.

I am always impressed with the use of the word 'buttress', and you used it as a verb! You are the man!

Since learning the Serenity Prayer about 7 years ago, I have often used it to forcefully buttress my own faith. I often use it to remind myself to focus on acceptance when I am angry about something beyond my control. I more frequently repeat it as a kind of meditation when I am scared silly or very nervous. It can have a calming effect because most of my fear is about something outside of me that I cannot change or something I can change but just need some courage to do it.

There is a short saying that I really like that demonstrates the effect of the Serenity Prayer on my fear. "Fear knocked at the door. When Faith opened the door, there was nobody there." The Serenity Prayer reminds me to quit freaking out when Fear knocks at the door and to send Faith to answer the knock.

Words to live by..."Send Faith to answer the knock."

You've been prayed for today...

Love

2008-02-14T23:31:00.000-08:00

The simple elegance of this passage makes any poor introduction or discussion on my part utterly superfluous;
1 Corinthians 13 says...

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would have gained nothing.

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when full understanding comes, these partial things will become useless.

When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—
and the greatest of these is love.

Thank God for that.

You've been prayed for today...

The One Principle

2008-02-11T21:19:00.001-08:00

Hey, Y'all,

Happy Monday (ahhh, sweet irony... :-)
Today, a short story.

So I'm in Anaheim last night, waiting for the train to take me back to SD after a great day of enjoying the company of friends (family, really) and especially one of my favorite little birthday girls (Stella-Bella!). We'd just gotten done talking in church the day before about reclaiming and redeeming these little "waiting" fragments of time--in line at the grocery store, in traffic, at the train station. So since we're reading James in men's group I gave it a quick gander and then let my mind wander--or, as we learned yesterday (thanks, Chip!) opened up my mind to His prompting as I meditated on the passage. Got to thinking about and praying for some of you, my people, dealing with the stuff you're dealing with.

So the train arrives, and I clamber aboard--long day--and grab a seat on the West side ('course no ocean to be seen 'cause barely a sliver of a new moon, oh well, still, it's the principle of the thing). So the train gets going again and the Lord and I do as well, once again just staring out of the window and mentally meandering through the James 1 stuff again--trials, joy, maturity, baseline lack of wisdom and God's generosity in supplementing it, doubting and not, standing firm versus getting tossed about, and then right back to my people and prayer. Funny, 'cause the very next thought after that prayer was clear as a bell, a quote I hadn't seen in a while but which came to mind with startling clarity (check out John 14:26 for more on that phenomenon--thanks Ellis!). Some of this we've talked about before here, but it's been a while, and the last line is what leapt out at me this time and stuck with me all the way home where I looked it up and started this thought. (Aside: to quote our brother Kirk Franklin: "To all my people in the struggle--here's some pain medicine." Righteous).

Worry is blind and cannot discern the future; but Jesus sees the end from the beginning. In every difficulty He has His way prepared to bring relief.

"No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly" (Psalm 84:11). Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us of which we know nothing.

Those who accept the one principle of making the service of God supreme, will find perplexities vanish and a plain path before their feet.

(Ministry of Healing p.480)

"Perplexities vanish and a plain path before their feet"...yeah, that sounds like a plan. Seek first...perplexities vanish. Seek first...plain path appears. Now if I can just remember that one little detail--seek first, "accept the one principle..." Anything you're seeking first that isn't "the one principle" or is it just me again? :-)

You've been prayed for today...

Let Nothing Perturb You

2008-02-09T10:48:00.001-08:00

Hey, Y'all,

A few days ago I was telling someone ('sup, E :-) about this incredibly powerful little poem called "Nada Te Turbe" ("Let Nothing Perturb You") written by Teresa de Avila (also known as Teresa de Jesus--something to aspire to, no? :-), a Carmelite nun who lived in Spain in the 1500s. I read it years ago in a Spanish literature class and I don't think it would be overstating things to say that it changed my life--it's one of those seemingly insignificant little things that has surprisingly forcefully buttressed my faith through the fierce storms of doubt and impatience that we go through...'course I'm sure that it's just me who goes through 'em :-)
God is good, and that's the truth.

"Nada te turbe,
nada te espante,
todo se pasa;
Dios no se muda.
La paciencia
todo lo alcanza.
Quien a Dios tiene,
nada le falta.
Sólo Dios basta."

(Let nothing perturb you,
Nothing dismay you,
All things pass;
God never changes.
Patience achieves all.
Whoever has God
lacks nothing.
He alone is enough.)

You've been prayed for today...

Would Choose To Be Led, If...

2008-02-02T20:43:00.000-08:00

Nothing like a birthday to get one contemplative, huh? :-)
Today's RST is short but powerful...

God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as coworkers with Him.
Desire of Ages, pp. 224, 225.

You've been prayed for today...

Just Do It!

2008-01-29T21:33:00.001-08:00

Hey, Y'all,

Today's RST is related to a passage in James (the book we're discussing in men's group).

Ran across this...

Do what the Lord bids you,
where He bids you,
as He bids you,
as long as He bids you,
and do it at once.
--Charles Spurgeon

Which reminded me of this...

"Do not merely listen to the word,
and so deceive yourselves.
Do what it says."
--James 1:22

Walk the walk.

You've been prayed for today...

"Is anything too hard for me?"

2008-01-24T21:02:00.001-08:00

Hey, Y'all,

Greetings from "The Pearl Of The Desert" NAF El Centro, part-time home of the Blue Angels (who happen to be in town and practicing)--you know, sometimes I really, really love this job :-).

I actually ran across today's RST several weeks ago and saved it 'cause it literally jumped out of the page at me--for some reason it's been rattling around my brain since last night:

"I am the LORD, the God of all mankind.
Is anything too hard for me?"
Jeremiah 32:27

The context was kind of difficult for Israel--you'll recall Jeremiah wasn't exactly a "happy-happy-joy-joy" prophet--maybe that's part of why this text leapt out at me. As we've often discussed in men's group (and at church in general): God is God--I am (very much) not. I don't have all the facts; I am incapable of seeing the big picture (not to mention the really big picture)--so why do I worry when I have apparently suffered a setback?

Did not Christ Himself promise to meet all my needs and never leave me nor forsake me (in innumerable Old and New Testament passages)? Am I not promised His comfort and care (and ultimate triumph) as I am passing through the deep waters and fires of this life? (see Isaiah 43:2 among other places in, again, the New and Old Testaments). Repeatedly Jeremiah himself records God's reassurance--29:11 ring a bell? "I have plans for you...to give you hope and a future." Paul and James remind us that ALL things work to our benefit when He is allowed to show us how.

A couple of quotes of Ellen White's spring to mind where she joins the chorus of (also-innumerable) more-contemporary Christian writers who reiterate the promise: Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us of which we know nothing; We will someday look over our lives and see that moments we experienced as great disappointments were in fact, unbeknownst to us, moments of great blessing. No wonder David couldn't help but exclaim: "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits..."

"I am the LORD, the God of all mankind.

Is anything too hard for me?"

You've been prayed for today...

God Is Love: Therefore We...

2008-01-21T20:45:00.000-08:00

Hey, Y'all,

Ran across this passage a few days ago, been rattling around in my head ever since. We just started discussing the book of James in our men's group and in chapter 1 (verses 22-27) it says:

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

What jumped out at me was the similarity of that message with that of Isaiah 1:11-18--basically this: "Stop merely doing stuff 'cause you think it appeases me as if I was some heathen God that needed appeasing. I AM Love; my Way is Love; my followers ought to manifest this trait above all others--including 'being right' and 'doing the right things'" (for more on that see all of 1 Corinthians 13 but especially verses 1-3 as well as 1 John 4 especially verses 7-8 and 19-21). Here's the Isaiah passage:

"The multitude of your sacrifices—
what are they to me?" says the LORD.
"I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
of rams and the fat of fattened animals;
I have no pleasure
in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.

"When you come to appear before me,
who has asked this of you,
this trampling of my courts?

"Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
I cannot bear your evil assemblies.
Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts
my soul hates.
They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.

"When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even if you offer many prayers,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood;
wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds
out of my sight!

"Stop doing wrong,
learn to do right!
Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow.

"Come now, let us reason together,"
says the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool."

God IS Love, therefore we, His professed followers...what?

You've been prayed for today...

Pascal On Our "Miseries"

2008-01-14T22:51:00.000-08:00

Hey, Y'all,

First, a small piece of housekeeping: it was pointed out to me (gracias, Mai!) that I did indeed forget one of the Angelas--my sweet cousin Chuchia (sorry, primita :-)

OK, now, on to the RST: it's a thought from the 17th century French mathematician, physicist, and philosopher, Blaise Pascal--see if this doesn't strike you as true of the human condition, of our search for Truth and Good...

It is in vain, O men, that you seek within yourselves the cure for your miseries. All your insight only leads you to the knowledge that it is not in yourselves that you will discover The True and The Good. The philosophers promised them to you and have not been able to keep their promises...Your principal maladies are pride, which cuts you off from God, and sensuality, which binds you to the earth, and they [philosophers] have done nothing but foster at least one of these maladies. If they have given you God for your object, it has only been to pander to your pride; they have made you think that you were like Him and resembled Him by your nature. And those who have grasped the vanity of such a pretension have cast you down into the other abyss by making you believe that your nature was like that of the beasts of the field, and have led you to seek your good in lust, which is the lot of animals.

Hmmm..."It is in vain, O men, that you seek within yourselves the cure for your miseries. All your insight only leads you to the knowledge that it is not in yourselves that you will discover The True and The Good...Your principal maladies are pride, which cuts you off from God, and sensuality, which binds you to the earth..." Kind of gets you thinking, huh?

You've been prayed for today...

The Greatest

2008-01-05T05:55:00.001-08:00

Hey, Y'all,

First of all, happy new year (albeit a bit belatedly :-) and hello from Palo Alto; I'm here (along with an actual herd of loved ones) for my prima Anya's wedding. In doing the myriad introductions one does at these things I came to the realization that there are at least 4 Angelas (of which the bride is one) among my cousins, hence the genesis of the differentiating nicknames Anya, Guidis, Papia, Joha (man, hope I'm not forgetting anyone, these Ortiz women are no joke--for sure they'll get me if I did :-) 'Course then there are all of us non-Angelas who (as I suspect is the case in many families) also have nicknames, engendered and used in affection. Doing a quick head count there were at least 50 of us from my cousin's side of the family at the rehearsal dinner last night (which BTW I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that Alex'--the VERY fortunate :-) groom's--parents very generously invited everyone to--awesome :-)

Got me thinking: we just got done spending a few days with great friends several hours away before heading up here for the wedding. Why did we do that? What motive would bring us all here, across the many miles, taking planes, trains, and automobiles, and of course time away from home and work? And it hit me: love. Not that mushy stuff that can be a bit flighty; I mean that deep, inexorable affection that binds us together, indifferent to the years and miles--and which gets new life (literally) breathed into it at milestone events like this. I mean of course my Tios and Primos are here, but I also met a couple of new Primos--there are 4 new kids among the cousins--and incredibly, as we all know but would do well to ponder, the love is not diluted, it's multiplied! What a riot of laughter and paparazzi-shaming flashes and, well, love. Made me think of Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 13 in a whole new light: "Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love." I think I understand it differently today than I did yesterday; the whole passage is worth re-examining:

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would have gained nothing.

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when full understanding comes, these partial things will become useless.

When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

It's easy to forget, as we scramble about doing the things we "have" to do, that there are really only a few important things in life, and a very few truly eternal ones--but the greatest of these is love.

You've been prayed for today...

Wonderful; Counselor; Mighty God; Everlasting Father; Prince of Peace...

2007-12-27T22:54:00.001-08:00

Hey, Y'all,

Today's message (which we've obviously been trying to get out for a few days) is a verse that I heard several times during the various peri-Christmas services, and as is often the case it sounded familiar and yet brand new--funny how that works. It's Isaiah 9:6 which spoke to the birth of the long-promised Messiah several hundred years down the road (and it of course rang most triumphantly in Handel's "Messiah" over a millennium-and-a-half after that event :-)

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulders.
His name will be called
Wonderful,
Counselor,
Mighty God,
Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace.

I guess it was the names that struck me this time: Wonderful; Counselor; Mighty God; Everlasting Father; Prince Of Peace; all things I really need Him to be in my life--but maybe it's just me? :-)

You've been prayed for today...

Want direction? Do what you know you're supposed to do.

2007-12-20T22:27:00.000-08:00

Hey, Y'all,

This thought is based on something I came across from PurposeDrivenLife.com--rang true (but I'm sure it's just me
:-)

Want specific direction from your heavenly Father? Do what you know God wants you to do. We often get so caught up in wanting to know a specific answer...I know you know the story: "I wish I could turn to a verse in the Bible and have it say, 'Hey, you, take this job and turn the other one down. Do this, not that.'" But here's the thing: there are already lots of things God wants us to do that are very clearly explained in the Bible. Like staying in a prayer conversation with Him constantly, or touching the people around you with a sacrificial love. Start doing those things and watch as God's voice becomes a little clearer in your head and heart.

Pretty cool (and a great reminder).

You've been prayed for today...

Doing The Right Thing

2007-12-16T23:16:00.000-08:00

Hey, Y'all,

Today's RST struck me over the weekend:

"Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."
James 4:17

"The truth of the matter is you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it."
Norman Schwarzkopf

Think about it...

You've been prayed for today.

Tearless Morning

2007-12-09T23:23:00.001-08:00

Hey, Y'all,

Today's RST is a follow-up to the previous one--thanks Bud for passing this along (you did indeed share this with me before :-) and I agree, there is a definitely something inspired about many of these hymns--it's no accident that they're still being sung and touching people, in some cases hundreds of years after their composition. Powerful words...

"In addition to Isaiah's inspired words, I believe that George Matheson's beautiful words of promise were inspired as well: O Love That Will Not Let Me Go (I rest my weary soul in thee ). They always come to my mind at the loss of a loved-one. It seems that I've shared Matheson's words with you before, but I will share them again. What a waking up morning that will be, my friend...

O joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain:
That morn shall tearless be.

In the interim, we can rejoice in the knowledge that He understands and surrounds us with His steadfast love and care during these times of loss and bereavement."

Thanks again for the reminder, Bud, and indeed, what a morning that will be: I trace the rainbow through the rain, and feel the promise is not vain: that morn shall tearless be.

You've been prayed for today...

Passing Through Deep Waters

2007-12-06T23:43:00.001-08:00

Hey, Y'all,

Got some very sad news today: my friend Tim lost his father very suddenly and unexpectedly after a surgical procedure yesterday. Now, you've gotta understand, Tim and I (and our families) go way back (4th grade as a matter of fact), so it's a little stunning to have years of fond memories rendered suddenly, shockingly bittersweet by the passing of Tom--Mr. Peters, that is :-), he of the sly, quick wit and undisputed master-engineer of killer pizzas (funny, the first things that spring to mind, eh?); Tim and Vicki's dad; Joyce's husband; our family's friend.

Death touches us all, and as time marches inexorably on it seems to sting a little more, to be a little less abstract, a lot more personal. Just a few months ago I was bemoaning with my friend Amanda (who'd also just lost her father very suddenly) how painfully ironic it is that all of the elegant treatises, all the well-reasoned arguments we've read and heard and embraced in sunnier times, leave us cold now, utterly hollow and devoid of meaning . It's no wonder that you hear the same phrase on a thousand lips: "I don't know what to say." What's worse, it's true: what is there to say in the face of such loss?

Funny too how the first passage that literally leaps out at me doesn't promise relief from the pain. Nope. This passage doesn't even begin to fix the problem--nothing this side of heaven can--but what it does do is reassure us that our God is very aware of our pain, that He cares deeply for us, and He gives His word that He is never, ever going to leave our side as we patiently endure and pass through these excruciatingly difficult times, as we must.

I suppose that's why this text (Isaiah 43:2) is always the first one I reach for (almost frantically, I realize) while my mind recoils from and tries desperately to come to grips with this profound a loss. I think it's indelibly engraved in my head and heart because when we hurt we want loved ones nearby--what they say or fail to say is completely immaterial; we just want them close by.

"When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not consume you."

I AM with you . And in the verses immediately preceding and following it reads: "This is what The Lord says, He who created you, He who formed you...For I am your God, your Savior." I will be with you.

That's the kind of God we need. And that's the kind of God we have. A God who, knowing full well what He was about to do, was nevertheless moved to tears at the scene of grief surrounding the death of His friend Lazarus. So Tim, Vicki, Joyce (can't tell you how hard it is to not call you Mrs. Peters :-), grandkids, family: words fail abjectly; I too join the chorus of, "I'm so, so sorry...I don't know what else to say." Other than to tell you that it's to that God, our God, that you're being prayed for, by many, and that earnestly.

Wisdom And Offense

2007-12-02T23:01:00.001-08:00

Hey, Y'all,

Here's another one that struck me (especially after some conversations I've had with several of you over the past few weeks)--it's pretty practical if you actually think about it. In the NIV, Proverbs 19:11 sounds like this:

A man's wisdom gives him patience;
it is to his glory to overlook an offense.

In the NLT is goes like this:

Sensible people control their temper;
they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.

Not easy, I'll readily admit, but I'll also say that when I see it exhibited I want to be more like that. You?

You've been prayed for today...

Angels Watching

2007-11-26T21:28:00.000-08:00

Hey, Y'all,

Today's RST is short and sweet--ran across it again the other day, been a while since I'd thought about it, actually. 'Course it's funny 'cause I really remember this one in Spanish, not English. It's one of those many texts that my mom and dad taught me a long, long time ago, and it's never left me; it's just kind of evolved and grown up right alongside me, acquiring depth and meaning as my life has gone on--pretty cool. So parents, if you wonder if it's worth the effort to teach your kids to memorize these little pearls, the answer, in my humble opinion, is a pretty resounding "yes!" ('course they're also pretty good for you too, you know :-)

Here it is:

"He has given His angels charge of you,
to watch over you,
wherever you go."
Psalm 91:11

Sweet! You've been prayed for (and watched over) today...

Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T12:10:00.000-08:00

Hey, Y'all,

Ran across this quote the other day and it really struck a chord:

Gratitude makes a meal into a feast, a house into a home, and a stranger into a friend. It makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and gives us a vision for tomorrow.
--Melody Beattie

How true is that?

Then I got a text message from Hasani (thanks brother!) earlier today that was in fact going to be the first part of this message--it's a line from the old song that says, "Give thanks with a grateful heart because of what the Lord has done for us." On this one day when we do purposely stop for a minute (for a change) and consider our many blessings, it really does hit home how good we have it and how good God is.

So, "Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise!" (Psalm 95:2), and if you do nothing else today, don't forget that "every good and perfect gift comes from above" (James 1:17) so do say thanks, even if it's just a heartfelt
--repeat after me--

"Rub-a-dub-dub,
Thanks for the grub,
Yay God!"

Happy Thanksgiving--you've been prayed for today...

Little Foxes? Search Me, Show Me

2007-11-18T21:00:00.001-08:00

Hey, Y'all,

Song of Solomon (2:15) may seem like an unlikely place to find an RST, but I ran across this useful reminder the other day...

"The little foxes spoil the vine." Are there 'little foxes' in your life? Questionable attitudes or sneaky thoughts that you've allowed to creep into your thinking? Sometimes sin isn't a huge and easily-identifiable thing; sometimes it's small and seemingly insignificant, but it doesn't tend to stay that way, does it? Think about your life for a minute and see if it isn't true.

So, what do you think God wants you to do with these 'little foxes' that entangle your walk and complicate your life? Pray this prayer of David's -- "Search me, O God and know my heart; test me, and know my thoughts; see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way of everlasting" (Psalm 139) -- and be on the lookout for how God responds, what He shows you.

You've been prayed for today...

Plan, Direct

2007-11-14T23:45:00.001-08:00

Hey, Y'all,

Today's RST is short and sweet--
it's Proverbs 16:9 which says:

"In his heart a man plans his course,
but the Lord determines his steps."

Once again, I like how it sounds in the Amplified Bible:

"A man's mind plans his way,
but the Lord directs his steps
and makes them sure."

Funny...if you think about it for a second...
ain't that the truth?

You've been prayed for today...

Fulfill Law? Carry Burdens.

2007-11-11T17:08:00.001-08:00

Hey, Y'all,

At first glance today's RST appears to have nothing to do with the last one, but upon further review (yep, too much football this weekend :-), I think it does...

"Carry each other's burdens,
and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."
Galatians 6:2

I like it even better in the Amplified Bible:
"Bear (endure, carry) one anothers' burdens and troublesome moral faults, and in this way fulfill and observe perfectly the law of Christ [the Messiah] and complete what is lacking [in your obedience to it]."

Wait; I most-completely fulfill the law of Christ not by focusing on dos and don'ts but rather by helping others carry their burdens?!? Hmmm...I'm going to think about that for a bit--how 'bout you?

You've been prayed for today...

Many Parts Of One Body

2007-11-05T20:29:00.001-08:00

Hey, Y'all,

Ran across this passage the other day--I never get tired of re-reading it (I always seem to pick up something new that I hadn't read or understood that way before). It's Romans 12:3-8...

Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ's body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

Two things jumped out at me this time; been kind of rolling them around in my head, especially in the context of "many parts of one body"...

(1) The idea that "we all belong to each other"--what does that look like?
(2) The exhortation to do well whatever it is you do. Everything I do?

Hmmm...

You've been prayed for today...

Reality Is Independent Of My Comprehension

2007-10-31T23:43:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Ran across this thought the other day (not sure where)--kind of dovetails with the previous post...

The Truth--Reality--is not dependent on my ability to understand what is going on. Let God interpret the facts for you; let Him explain the situation. Meanwhile, focus on your walk with God and not on your limited ability to understand events or circumstances.

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18

Kind of hard, but has the ring of truth to it, doesn't it?
Reality is not dependent on my ability to understand what is going on. I can not be the ultimate authority on what goes on around me (and to me)--why? Because I never have all the facts. Hence my need of God, of His wisdom and influence and guidance and peace and clarity...
'Course, it could just be me :-)

You've been prayed for today...

"I didn't know what I was talking about..."

2007-10-29T22:16:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Today's RST is kind of funny. On the surface it seems to merely consist of some cool Old Testament meanderings--but then it winds up exactly where I needed to be tonight--funny 'coincidence' huh? Yeah, right...

First I ran across this passage in Jeremiah 32:

Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you...O great and powerful God, whose name is the LORD Almighty, great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds.

That one reminded me of this one in Isaiah 55: "...my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Got me thinking about how my prayers, even the earnest and well-intentioned ones, must sound to God; how my limited vision and understanding must on the one hand sort of amuse Him and on the other frustrate Him--as stated in this unattributed comment on a passage in Job 42...

"'You [Lord] asked, "Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance? Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?" It is I—surely I spoke of things I did not understand; I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too profound for me.' This prayer experience of Job's revealed to him a whole new dimension of problems he was not aware of: ignorance- and arrogance-based attitudes that he never knew existed. In short: he had a problem with pride; 'God is God, and you are not.'"

Which brought me back to (and gave me an entirely new understanding of) these stunningly generous, loving, patient words from our heavenly Father found in Isaiah chapters 1 and 55:

"Come, let us reason together...Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live."

What a concept: "Come, let us reason together...Why spend money on what is not bread, and labor on what does not satisfy? Listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare." Funny...like Job, I often don't really know what I'm talking about, but He wants nothing more than to sit and to talk it over with me and help me see more clearly. How cool is that?!?

So if your soul is thirsty--and whose isn't, seriously--He invites you to come and drink deeply. And I love this line as well: Why spend money on what is not bread, and labor on what does not satisfy? Why indeed?

You've been prayed for today...

True Godly Life

2007-10-24T23:05:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Ran across this quote of Ellen White's the other day and it rang true--

"The influence of a true Godly life cannot be measured. It reaches beyond the immediate circle of home and friends shedding a light that wins souls to Christ."
Testimonies Vol. 4 p. 143.

Have you found this to be true of your life? Why (or why not)? What is the point of "winning souls to Christ?" Why does it matter? And what does a "true Godly life" look like anyway? Think about that for a minute; seriously, what does a "true Godly life" look like?

You've been prayed for today...

Eternity In Your Heart

2007-10-21T23:55:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Don't recall where I ran across this but I enjoyed it thoroughly...

"'He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.' Ecclesiastes 3:11. What a grand and gracious act---that even in fallen man, you and I, God has placed 'eternity' in our hearts! Something of vastness that we don't understand, yet yearn for; something of greatness that we long to attain."

Ever get that feeling, that there's more? That things ought to be better? That's no coincidence, you know; you were designed for eternity, you were built for unending peace and joy and on some level rebel against the idea of anything short of that. Do I fully get this idea? Nope...but I do know that God is good for having placed it there.

You've been prayed for today...

Find Rest In God Alone

2007-10-17T23:29:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Ran across this verse the other day and it rang true, resonated deep inside:

My soul finds rest in God alone;
My salvation comes from Him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation;
He is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
Psalm 62:1,2

In another version it's the imperative, "Find rest, O my soul, in God," and that also struck a chord in my heart--would that I could simply decide and command my easily distractable mind to be still and find peace and rest in His presence, especially in light of how this text is translated in another version:

"I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him."

Indeed. And hopefully, in deed as well. Funny how different versions shed light on the different facets and subtleties of meaning, huh?

You've been prayed for today...why don't you try it yourself; be still, see if you don't experience His peace, His rest, His victory.

Deep Peace

2007-10-14T20:36:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Ran across this the other day and really enjoyed it--it's called "Deep Peace" and is an old Gaelic Blessing:

Deep peace of the running wave to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the shining stars to you.
Deep peace of the gentle night to you;
moon and stars pour their beaming light on you.
Deep peace of Christ, the light of the world, to you.

So that is my prayer for you tonight:

May the deep peace of Christ renew you as you prepare for the new week's challenges.

When You (Don't) Pray

2007-10-10T23:13:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

I ran across this the other day--it was written by Gavin Anthony and was published in a recent Adventist Review. Though it was excerpted from an article called "When Leaders Don't Pray," it definitely applies to us all, whether you consider yourself a leader or not; people are always observing you and being influenced by you--for better or worse. Check it out...

We don't become intimate with God because we read the Bible or pray, though we cannot be intimate with God without these things. The foundation of intimacy is built on an attitude of the heart that propels us toward the person of God. I believe leaders can easily fail because our relationship with God becomes something we squeeze into our diaries, rather than a deep and ever-present craving for the living God in the very depths of our souls...

Here's a quote to consider: "This experience--above all else the assurance that God would hear his prayer and that the divine presence would attend him--was of more value to Moses as a leader than the learning of Egypt or all his attainments in military [or shepherding] science. No earthly power or skill or learning can supply the place of God's abiding presence. In the story of Moses we may see what intimate communion with God it is man's privilege to enjoy..."†

And this is meant for us too; yet another new beginning. Today, I can very clearly see how my intimacy with Christ is directly and powerfully related to everything I do, and everything I am. I do not pray because it is important. I pray because I am desperate. How can I do anything without the power and direction of the living God? The moment I break my intimacy with my Father, what do I have to offer?

I think I am beginning to understand what Jesus meant when He said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). The good news is that no matter how far we may have drifted in our leadership for God, or how tired we are, intimacy with God can be regained. And as long as we remain in Him, we really will bear much fruit.

Interesting, huh?

We don't become intimate with God because we read the Bible or pray, though we cannot be intimate with God without these things. The foundation of intimacy is built on an attitude of the heart... I believe [we] can easily fail because our relationship with God becomes something we squeeze into our diaries, rather than a deep and ever-present craving for the living God in the very depths of our souls...

No earthly power or skill or learning can supply the place of God's immediate presence...I can very clearly see how my intimacy with Christ is directly and powerfully related to everything I do, and everything I am. I do not pray because it is important. I pray because I am desperate. How can I do anything without the power and direction of the living God? The moment I break my intimacy with my Father, what do I have to offer?

You've been prayed for today...

† Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 533, and also Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 328.

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

2007-10-05T23:20:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

We've talked about this before--my susceptibility to music and lyrics late in the evening and early in the AM--and once again I was struck by a piece I've heard a thousand times. It hit me the other night on the way back from Pasadena and my Goddaughter's birthday (hi Justine!) and then again the following couple of mornings (at 0-dark-thirty as usual) on my way to work: it was the old hymn "Great Is Thy Faithfulness." Now I know a lot of y'all have chucked these out the window in favor of more contemporary praise songs; I will only say that not infrequently I am moved by the elegant, poetic message of the song.

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Yeah, damn-near speechless at how many of those lines spoke forcefully and reassuringly to my soul:

In a world of mercurial people and circumstances, I can count on His steadfastness, patience, and compassion...

He has met my needs--I can trust Him to continue to do so...

Enduring peace, strength for today, bright hope for tomorrow--blessings all mine...

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Indeed.

You've been prayed for today...

Follow-Up: Difficult, Untried

2007-10-01T22:57:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

A quick thank-you goes out to our brother Paul M. who pointed out that this is actually a quote of G.K. Chesterton's:

"The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult, and left untried."

It's interesting, I've only had a chance to read a little bit about Chesterton generally and about the context of this quote specifically (it's from his book entitled "What's Wrong With The World" originally published in 1910)--he apparently was a pretty fascinating guy, and it turns out that here he is referring to "The Christian Ideal" not just in terms of us as individuals; he states that, through the last couple of millennia, The Church has often (corporately) failed to live out the Christian Ideal--interesting...and of course, unfortunately true.

Now mind you, the church corporate is still made up of individuals, so it's a question you still must answer for yourself: what is The Christian Ideal fundamentally? Am I living in a manner consistent with it? If I am not, then what's the problem? I mean, I say that it's a better way to live, right?

Got to talking about this with some friends over the weekend--our semi-conclusion: unselfishness, altruism, humility, kindness, service--all traits that are totally valued and nurtured by our culture, right? How about your church: manifesting these characteristics or not? And you--how 'bout it? Hmmm...

You've been prayed for today...

I Am Your Servant...

2007-09-28T14:12:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Been a funny few weeks--I keep running across events and quotes and thoughts related to this topic. Unfortunately, they're numerous and often anonymous or unattributed so there's no easy way to cite them all; this RST is an amalgam of all of that--and in fact since I had an interesting experience recently along these lines myself, we'll start this posting with that story.

Someone did something that imposed on me. You know what I mean, nothing major, but something that knocks you out of that nice comfy groove of your life and that is somewhat irritating and and inconvenient, and makes you think to yourself, "You know, I really shouldn't have to deal with this; it's annoying."

So I was maybe a little grumpy about it (yeah, I know, y'all are doubtless shocked beyond words at that :-) and I even mentioned it to God--"What's the deal, Man? Why do I have to deal with this? Shouldn't I just be able to say 'Begone!' and let them figure it out and deal with it themselves?" So OK, maybe not the most eloquent prayer ever, but I do get points for honesty (and for checking in with The One who I can be certain understands the big picture better than I do). So that was my bedtime prayer that night -- nice, huh? :-) -- followed by a deep breath and the thought, "Alright, whatever, I'm going to try to leave this with You 'cause it's annoying the heck out of me and there is nothing I can do about it right at this moment anyway." So I fell asleep.

Next thing I know I'm waking up--always a joy I might add since I get up at "0-dark-thirty" every day, but the funny thing is that literally the very first coherent thought I had was, "I am your servant." Man! Clear as a bell, "I am your servant. How can I serve you?" As I struggled toward, you know, actual consciousness, slowly reconnecting fuzzy synapses and trying to de-addle my brain, the thought struck me: "I think I just heard from God!" (holy crap!)(woops, I think) (indeed, another stellar eloquent prayer moment for me :-) -- "I think He just answered my prayer"--which I hadn't really articulated but which sounded something like, "What am I supposed to do with this?"

So there it was, again, clear as a bell, "I am your servant. How can I be of use you?" And it occurred to me that that should be my attitude toward this person who imposed on me, who, when all was said and done, fundamentally, was simply asking for my help with something. Something annoying, I'll remind you, kind reader, something that I should've been well within my rights to blow off or get irritated at. 'Course, the very next thought I had was that that should also be my attitude toward God, especially since, oh yeah, I'd almost forgotten, I say that I'm a CHRISTian, a follower of, a disciple of, a student of, an emulator of God as manifested in Christ.

In Philippians 2:3-11 we are told that Jesus, even though He was God, took the form of a servant. It's always interesting (and not infrequently a little sobering) to see His selflessness in comparison to the Devil who aspired to be served and positioned even above God (Isaiah14:12-14). We 'become closer to God'--both in 'proximity' and 'appearance'--by serving others; we demonstrate what God is like by serving others.

Perhaps this is what is meant when we read that the peace- and joy-filled 'Kingdom of God' is entirely different from the tyrannical and upside-down 'Kingdom of Man' which we currently inhabit, and that Jesus really was talking sense when He said that we indeed have it up-side-down: "He who would be first must be the servant of all," a concept which He then proceeded to put teeth on by getting down on his hands and knees in front of His disciples (including the one that He knew was literally in the middle of the very act of betraying Him) and washing their dirty feet before The Last Supper. Now THAT's powerful! It's just not a power that we readily recognize, appreciate, or are entirely comfortable with--especially when you consider (lest we get too smug) that that story is about you and me.

There's a quote that has always struck me (though I can't remember where I read it first):

"Christianity has not been tried and found wanting.
It has been found difficult and not tried."

What would your world look like if you treated your fellow human beings the way that Jesus treated his disciples? Imagine all the petty fights and hurt feelings, all of the actual suffering that would be relieved, if we truly lived up to our name: Christian.

You've been prayed for today...

What You're For Or What You're Against?

2007-09-24T21:10:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

This was supposed to go out last night but I guess there was some sort of network hiccup 'cause here it still is--odd. :-) Anyway, hope you had a relaxing weekend and have gotten started on another great week--even if a few of us are a little under the weather. I don't know where today's thought originated, but it did strike me enough to get it down on paper and think about it a bit...

Do you find it alarming, then, to think that Christians are often known for what we are against, rather than what we're for? What we are for, or rather what we ought to be for, is for the Good News of a love so "wide and long and high and deep" that it encompasses more than any of us could ever imagine (Check out Ephesians 3:16-21 for more on that concept).

Hmmm...so if you think about it, what we ought to be for, what we were in fact made for, is for love, and joy, and peace, and kindness, and... (check out Galatians 5:22-23).

So what are you for?

You've been prayed for today...

My Daily Bread, The Very Air I Breathe

2007-09-17T18:53:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Literally just rolled into town from San Luis Obispo (yes, Art, as advertised: it's indeed a little slice o' heaven; thanks for a great weekend, mi he'mano, I had a blast--and thanks of course Laaana and Stella-bella and LeLe, and Cushita and Alahn and Not-So-Little-Anymore-Olivia--it was great seeing you guys as well)(and hopefully I'll catch you next time, John and Jerin). BTW, crazy scenic train ride--easily 3/4 of it is coastline and vineyards/agriculture--so yeah, how great was my day (and my weekend? :-)

So among other things I was listening to on the way back--it was after all an 8-hour train ride (BTW, what exactly did we do before iPods?!? I must be getting old 'cause I distinctly remember taking cassettes on long trips)(yes, kids, there was something before that now-obsolete technology--CDs)(don't even get me started on 8-tracks and records :-)

ANYWAY, among other things, I heard this song, and the lyrics--which I've always appreciated--really struck me this time, so I listened to it again, carefully, and again, and yet again...must've been the air in SLO as well as the good company and good conversations (as well as the good stuff I'm reading on prayer--books by Yancey and Cymbala--RSTs will follow of course :-)

So for some reason it really struck me that prayer, this mystical, inexplicable thing I attempt with varying degrees of success, this odd communion--actual communication?--with the incomprehensibly-more-than-me God, is not only possible, but it is somehow critical to my growth as a person and as a man who is striving to live a better life. The words go something like this...

This is the air I breathe--
Your holy presence living in me

This is my daily bread--
Your very word, spoken to me

And I...I'm desperate for you
and I'm lost without you

This is the air I breathe
This is my daily bread

I'm desperate for you
I'm lost without you

You are my daily bread
You are the air I breathe...

My daily bread, the very air I breathe...would that it were actually so, Lord.

You've been prayed for today...

Love Is, Am I? (Follow-Up to 'Right Or Relevant')

2007-09-12T23:24:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Today's RST comes to us from my friend Corissa (thanks, Ninja!) and is a follow-up to the last one [emphases mine].

During the Labour Day weekend I was participating in a 50th annual event where thousands upon thousands of people walked the 5 mile expanse of bridge between upper and lower Michigan. After finishing the bridge walk, I was idling in a crowded car park along the main streets of a boutique town near the bridge and saw a huge banner across the trunk of a parked Camry that read, "ALL SINNERS WILL BE PUNISHED," and in tiny micro print: Psalms something.

See, now, that made me want to scream out, "Satan LOVES 'Christians' like you!!!"

And honestly, I think it's true. I don't think these people really understand the calling of the Great Commission. Being called to be servants of God is a calling with a pre-requisite of humility, piousness, pitifulness (in the fact that we are groveling sub-level in comparison to the glory of God), and love. Because God calls us to be servants to do His good work, and not "ambassadors" [in the hoity-toity sense] or "administrators," people need to realise that when we are doing [His] work, we have to approach others from a lower-than-they attitude, which means we do not point fingers or pre-judge, [but we do] acknowledge our own piteous nature, which, without God could not be purged and purified.

I don't think these people really understood that their message was neither right in the eyes of God, nor relevant in the way that it needs to be so that it truly reaches people instead of disgusting them...

Thanks, C--love your emphasis on humility and servanthood, a lower-than-you posture (as contrasted with self-satisfied pride, fingerpointing, and a holier-than-thou attitude). The former was after all Christ's lifelong object lesson--modeled perhaps most literally in the upper room--was it not? We allege that we are followers of God, even take His name (clearly in vain at times), but how well do we actually follow Him when we consider that God is Love, and Love is patient, and kind, and not proud nor rude nor self-seeking (check out 1 Corinthians 13 to get a feel for the actual measuring stick).

How much better of a testimony could we give, how much more likely would people be to listen to what God has done for us (which BTW is fundamentally the only Gospel we can talk about with any authority), if that was our posture?

You've been prayed for today...

Right Or Relevant?

2007-09-10T20:58:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Ran across this thought from MaxLucado.com which reminded me of something we talked about in church last week--that we ought not lord our fortunate position over people, that we are not called to be dogmatic rulers and judgmental fingerwaggers. We are chosen to be servants; we are saved for service.

"You are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God's holy nation, His very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God." 1 Pet. 2:9 NLT [in the NIV it's: "You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."] A priest represents God, and you, my friend, represent God. So "let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus." Colossians 3:17 The Message [and in the NIV: "Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father."]

Something to think about, huh? Is your religion about being right, or is it about being relevant?

You've been prayed for today...

Faith Is...

2007-09-06T22:50:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

We were discussing this verse the other day (Hebrews 11:1) and it struck me again how rich even the "yeah, yeah, I've heard it a million times" texts are when you read them in several different versions.

In the NLT it goes like this:
"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see."

You might recognize the NIV more readily:
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

But THIS is the one I remember from when I was a kid--still sounds good and still rings true:
"Faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen."

Now listen, I'm by no means advocating a wholesale return to the KJV, but there are certain passages that are just...elegant. "The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Yeah--faith is that.

You've been prayed for today...

Joyful, Patient, Faithful

2007-09-02T21:33:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Hope your Labor Day Weekend is enjoyable and relaxing. That last RST reminded me of a supporting quote from Max Lucado's book "God Came Near" (p.67):

"Faithful servants have a way of knowing answered prayer when they see it, and a way of not despairing when they don't."

Hmmm...Do I always get it? Nope. Do I always do this? Nope. But am I working on it? Yep. How 'bout you? Oh, and here's one last related thought, this one from Romans 12:12--

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."
Words to live by, huh?

You've been prayed for today...

Never Wasted

2007-08-29T23:09:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Today's RST is based on an old post of John Fischer's from PurposeDrivenLife.com and is in line with some of what we talked about last night in Men's Group...

Is it possible that our difficult or painful experiences, in God's omnipotent hands, change us and shape us and prepare us for ministries he custom-designs us for? Now, listen, I know what you're thinking, but stop for a moment and think about it: haven't your problems, hurts, and trials taught you infinitely more than your easy times? Do you realize that God never wastes a hurt? In fact, it's possible that your greatest fulfillment in life may actually arise out of the ashes of your greatest hurts. The Bible says, "He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us" 2 Corinthians 1:4 NLT.

As Aldous Huxley has said, "Experience is not what happens to you. It is what you do with what happens to you." What will you do with what you've been through? Don't waste your painful experiences; use them to help others. Remember that God never wastes a hurt--unless you don't allow Him to redeem it for good (check out Romans 8:28).

Two key phrases keep rolling through my head: "It's possible that your greatest fulfillment in life may actually arise out of the ashes of your greatest hurts." Hmmm...how true have you found that to be? And how 'bout this one: "Experience is not what happens to you. It is what you do with what happens to you." Hmmm...kinda gets me thinking...So what're you doing with your stuff?

You've been prayed for today...

"Thoughts"...Practicing The Presence

2007-08-27T21:58:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Interestingly enough, I ran across today's thought (by Max Lucado) just after posting the last one--and it dovetails nicely with the former...

Practicing the Presence
How do I live in God's presence? How do I detect His unseen hand on my shoulder and His inaudible voice in my ear? How can you and I grow familiar with the voice of God? Here are a few ideas:

Give God your waking thoughts. Before you face the day, face the Father. Before you step out of bed, step into His presence. I have a friend who makes it a habit to roll out of his bed onto his knees and begin his day in prayer. Personally, I don't get that far. With my head still on the pillow and my eyes still closed, I offer God the first seconds of my day. The prayer is not lengthy and far from formal. Depending on how much sleep I got, it may not even be intelligible. Often it's nothing more than "Thank you for a night's rest. I belong to you today."

Give God your waiting thoughts. Spend time with him in silence. A mature married couple may have learned the treasure of shared silence; they don't need to fill the air with constant chatter. Just being together is sufficient. Try being silent with God. "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10 NIV). Awareness of God is a result of stillness before God.

Give God your whispering thoughts. Through the centuries Christians have learned the value of brief sentence prayers, prayers that can be whispered anywhere, in any setting. Imagine considering every moment as a potential time of communion with God. By giving God your whispering thoughts, the common becomes uncommon. Simple phrases such as "Thank you, Father," "Be sovereign in this hour, O Lord," "You are my resting place, Jesus" can turn a commute into a pilgrimage. You needn't leave your office or kneel in your kitchen. Just pray wherever you are, however you are. Let the kitchen become a cathedral or the cubicle a chapel. Give God your whispering thoughts.

And last, give God your waning thoughts. At the end of the day, let your mind settle on him. Conclude the day as you began it: talking to God. Thank him for the good parts. Question him about the hard parts. Seek his mercy. Seek his strength. And as you close your eyes, take assurance in the promise: "He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep" (Psalm 121:4 NIV). If you fall asleep as you pray, don't worry. What better place to doze off than in the arms of your Father.

You've been prayed for today...

Words To Live By: "Worship Is Central" and "Referred To God"

2007-08-22T21:58:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all--not sure where I read this but I liked it...

Throughout his life David believed, truly believed, that the spiritual world, though invisible to him, was every bit as real as the 'natural' world of swords and spears and caves and thrones. His psalms, his worship, form a conscious effort to reorient his own daily life to the reality of the supernatural world just beyond him. Now, centuries later, we can use those very same thoughts and prayers as steps of faith, a path to lead us from our obsession with ourselves to the actual presence of our God. ..

And here's the concluding thought:

[David understood that worship is] the central activity in life, not something to get over in order to resume other activity . As C.S Lewis has said: ideally, being a practicing Christian "means that every single act and feeling, every experience, whether pleasant or unpleasant, must be referred to God" [for context/clarification].

Hmmm...you really oughta read that last paragraph again 'cause it's loaded with some serious beef:

Worship is the central activity in life, not something to get over in order to resume other activity.

Do I live that?!? How 'bout this one:

Being a practicing Christian 'means that every single act and feeling, every experience, whether pleasant or unpleasant, must be referred to God.'

How many angst-laden times have I flailed through, how many circumstances have you failed to correctly understand, because of our failure to turn the things we're not supposed to handle alone over to The Only One who can actually fully comprehend and manage them?

Also loved this thought ('cause I need it--'course I'm sure it's just me as usual :-)

We can use those very same thoughts and prayers as steps of faith, a path to lead us from our obsession with ourselves to the actual presence of our God.

You've been prayed for today...

Focusing on "Godly Significance" Or Its Counterfeit?

2007-08-20T22:42:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Ran across this thought in an e-mail from Promise Keepers; hadn't reviewed their "7 Promises" (which are listed at the end) in a while and I was reminded once again that these are indeed worthy aspirations, irrespective of gender--see if you don't agree. But first, the RST...

"As a former pilot of a C-130, a large 4 engine turbo-prop, I flew around the world in various weather conditions. I remember one particular descent I had through a cloud deck at about 5,000 feet. Once we penetrated, it was beautiful underneath. Feeling good and seeing the runway straight ahead, I made my call: 'Center, this is Joyce 48, I am descending to 5,000 feet, have the runway in sight and request tower frequency.' The reply came back promptly: 'Roger, clear to go to tower, turn right 90 degrees.' I replied, 'Roger, going to tower, have runway in sight.' The controller came back immediately and said, 'You have the wrong runway, turn right 90 degrees, now.' Oops!! If I had landed on the wrong runway, I doubtless would have lost my wings!

"How many of us men find ourselves heading toward 'the wrong runway' in our lives by focusing on fleeting 'success' instead of Godly significance? The 7 Promises identify areas of a man's life that are paramount benchmarks for that life of significance--you might consider them an integrity-focused summary of 'Biblical manhood.'"

A Promise Keeper strives to keep these 7 Promises:

PROMISE 1
A Promise Keeper is committed to honoring Jesus Christ through worship, prayer, and obedience to God's Word, through the power and work of the Holy Spirit.
PROMISE 2
A Promise Keeper is committed to pursuing vital relationships with a few other men, understanding that he needs Brothers to help him keep his promises.
PROMISE 3
A Promise Keeper is committed to practicing spiritual, moral, ethical, and sexual purity.
PROMISE 4
A Promise Keeper is committed to building strong marriages and families with love, protection, and Biblical values.
PROMISE 5
A Promise Keeper is committed to supporting the mission of his church by honoring and praying for his pastor and by actively giving his time and resources.
PROMISE 6
A Promise Keeper is committed to reaching beyond racial and denominational barriers to demonstrate the power of Biblical unity.
PROMISE 7
A Promise Keeper is committed to influencing his world by being obedient to the Great Commandment (Mark 12:30-31) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).

So...are you a promise keeper?

You've been prayed for today...

In The Game?

2007-08-15T11:42:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Ran across this thought from PurposeDrivenLife.com which cracked me up and runs right alongside what we discussed last week in church: what good is your religion if it doesn't speak to you and your life, right here and now? What good is a religion that doesn't encourage me to become "God's instrument" --- an agent of change for Good and Peace and Justice and Mercy, in this world, right now?

"'But make sure that you don't get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God.'
Romans 13:11 MSG

"Several years ago, a movie called 'Hoosiers' told the story of a small-town basketball team that miraculously made it to the state championship. During the intense game, the team's coach sent a player from the bench into the game, but before going out on the court the boy, a devout Christian, knelt to pray. As he continued to pray, delaying the game on the court, finally, the coach leaned down and said, 'Son, The Lord wants you out on the court now.'

"Are some of us like that -- still praying for God to strengthen us for the game -- when God wants us to get right into the thick of things here and now, having already promised us that that He will be our strength? Are you? Am I?"

You've been prayed for today...

Don't Ask If Unwilling

2007-08-08T22:43:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Just a quick thought today (sometimes they are more verbose, and other times they're more compact, but they do seem to find their mark)...so here it is:

"Don't ask the Lord to guide your footsteps
if you aren't willing to move your feet."

Brings to mind a passage we've been talking about recently (and frequently) in the Men's Group--James 1:22-25. The punch line goes like this: "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." Here's what the whole passage sounds like:

"But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it."

So, unsatisfied with where you are? Ready for a better way? Ask Him for help working it out. Just don't be surprised if it entails some adjustment on your part (you are looking for a better way, right?). Yep, lovin' those pithy statements...

"Don't ask the Lord to guide your footsteps
if you aren't willing to move your feet."

"You can't stay where you are and walk with God."

"God does meet you where you are,
but He loves you entirely too much to leave you there."

You've been prayed for today...

Follow-Up To "Christ Plus Nothing" -- The Other Side Of The Coin

2007-08-02T21:57:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Today's RST is a follow-up to the last one and can be viewed as the other side of the same coin. I had a great e-mail conversation with our brother Tom B. earlier--and interestingly it was essentially a continuation of the discussion we had in men's group on Tuesday night (funny coincidence, huh...and yeah, and these are actually Random Spiritual Thoughts too :-)

So here's what we were talking about: it is a fact that real spirituality is truly "graduate-level" stuff, no simplistic cliched answers will satisfy real searching, and real searching--reading and thinking and praying (and living life in general)--seem to bring on more "speedbumps" and things to wrestle with (or temporarily step over) in the belief that God will clear things up when--and if--He wants me to understand whatever it was...all of which is a good thing! God is God, so there ought to be things I can't comprehend right away (or ever)--hence, well, faith :-)

Tom points out that Paul does say in Ephesians 2:8 that "we are saved by grace through faith" because salvation is a gift--which is what the last RST was trying to convey: (1) there is nothing you can do to make yourself more worthy of God's love and forgiveness--which are gifts from a Loved One, and (2) you're only kidding yourself when you try to earn salvation (Isaiah very eloquently says that even "our righteous acts are like filthy rags")--again, it's a true gift, by definition not something you deserve or earn.

However, Tom also reminds us, "James clearly states 'faith without works is dead.' Don't let your readers fall into the trap of not making Jesus the Lord of your life. When He is Lord, then you want to be like Him, which means you will have Christ-like works, but they are spawned from love, not obligation. How do we know this? Because Jesus Himself said that 'by their fruits you will recognize them' (Matthew 7:20). There is a huge difference, James states it so well that there is no doubt in my mind." [Great passage--check it out--James 2:14-26].

Thanks Tom, that's the good stuff :-) and I agree wholeheartedly that relating to Him as Savior and submitting to Him as Lord are both crucial components of "The Walk." I also agree that often it seems the 'salvation' aspect of the relationship is emphasized without talking about how that moment must become a long-term transformational experience in order for it to really, truly take root and thrive.

"You can't stay where you are and walk with God," is a quote that has always rung true for me, and it reminds me of another one: "God meets us where we are, but He loves us too much to leave us there." But I have to thank Tom S. for the one that brings it home: "It's by faith alone, but true faith is never alone."

So there it is: salvation is by grace, through faith, which without good Godly works is obviously dead--our "fruits" demonstrate irrefutably what spirit is on the throne of our hearts and producing those visible actions (and Galatians 5 doesn't mince words in that regard--check it out, it's a great read, and clears it all up if you're a little fuzzy on it).

You've each been prayed for today...

Resolved: It's Only Him--Christ Plus Nothing.

2007-07-31T23:53:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

In thinking about the last couple of RSTs (as well as the last few Sabbath School discussions) the same resounding theme keeps coming through (and interestingly it showed up in this thought from PurposeDrivenLife.com a few days ago)...

Paul's message is radically simple:
For the Christian, salvation is through Christ alone.

That means –

· It's not Christ plus your good behavior.
· It's not Christ plus the years you've taught a Bible study.
· It's not Christ plus your tithe (and church budget).
· It's not Christ plus fasting and prayer.
· It's not Christ plus the number of verses you memorize.
· It's not Christ plus well-behaved children.
· It's not Christ plus your newly shined shoes.
· It's not Christ plus the right job.
· It's not Christ plus the perfect spouse.
· It's not Christ plus the latest gadget.
· It's not Christ plus the church you attend.
· It's not Christ plus your position in the church.
· It's not Christ plus wisdom from the latest Christian seminar.

It's simply Him--

Christ plus nothing.

Think about it: is there something you think you need to do or achieve to be fully accepted by God? Are you adding to Scripture, changing it to read, "I resolve to know nothing except Jesus PLUS…?"

You've been prayed for today...

"Pure And Genuine?"

2007-07-26T23:34:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

So in thinking about that last RST I remembered a text we talked about in church a couple of weeks ago--kinda hammered it home--it's James 1:27...

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you."

Hmmm...

Simple...and yet not entirely so. Clear...and yet mighty deep.
So...how does your religion, your philosophy of life, stack up?
"Pure and genuine," or something else?

You've been prayed for today...

Nothing But...

2007-07-24T23:59:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Ran across this quote from PurposeDrivenLife.com...got me thinking...

"When I came to you … I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." 1 Corinthians 2:1,2

"The gospel message has gotten a little foggy these days with all the attention being paid to politics, family values, and culture wars, and a lot of folks have lost track of the fact that it's all about Jesus, His life, His example. Ask the man on the street what a Christian is today and you're likely to ask a long time until you hear anything about Jesus or the gospel. Our message, from beginning to end, must be Jesus – who He was, what He said, and what He did."

What do you think?

You've been prayed for today...

Whenever, Wherever, Whatever -- -Decide!

2007-07-16T21:02:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

That last RST reminded me of this short but also potent thought--

"Wherever you are, whatever time it is, you are only a decision away from the presence of your Father."
Max Lucado

Whatever it is, wherever you are, whenever the realization hits you--think of Him, ask for Him--He is always listening for you. You just have to decide to do it and it's done.

You've been prayed for today...

Angels Watching

2007-07-11T18:52:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,
Just a quick thought today--quick but solid. It's Ps. 91:11 (in a couple of different versions):

He has given His angels charge of you
to watch over you wherever you go...
For he will command his angels concerning you,
to guard you in all your ways...

Just a thought..."wherever you go" isn't just a geographical place: so, wherever you are--body, soul, mind--God is there.
How cool is that?

You've been prayed for today...

Need Some Quiet? Some Simplicity?

2007-07-08T21:20:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Today's RST is again from Yancey's book on prayer and it contains several very cool thoughts. Enjoy! (and BTW, you've been prayed for today...)

"Prayer can seem dull or difficult; though if we give ourselves to it, it commonly ends up less dull and less obstructed than it began. What is dull or dark or labored on our side is not so on the side of God, who rejoices in every least motion of our good will towards Him..." Austin Farrer

I am convinced that God finds ways to communicate with those who truly seek Him, especially when we lower the volume of the surrounding static. I remember reading the account of a spiritual seeker who interrupted his busy life to spend a few days in a monastery. "I hope your stay is a blessed one," said the monk who showed the visitor to his cell. "If you need anything, let us know and we'll teach you how to live without it."

We learn to pray by praying...To begin, I need to think more about God than about myself when I am praying...How often do I come to God not with consumer requests but simply with a desire to spend time with God, to discern what God wants from me and not vice versa?...Prayer that focuses on God, meditative prayer, can serve as a kind of self-forgetfulness...After an extended time with God, my urgent requests, which had seemed so significant, take on a new light. Though my needs drive me to prayer, there I come face-to-face with my greatest need: an encounter with God Himself.

"The quieter the mind, the more powerful, the worthier, the deeper, the more telling and more perfect the prayer is." Meister Eckhart

He's Already Here--Respond?

2007-07-05T22:53:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Hope you had a Happy Independence Day--Happy 231st Birthday, America!--'course as a result today felt a bit like a Monday back at work, but at least it's a "Monday" followed by Friday and Sabbath--thank God! Here's another cool thought of Yancey's on prayer--see if it isn't true of you as well...

Prayer is a subversive act performed in a world that constantly calls my faith into question. I may have a sense of estrangement in the very act of prayer, yet by faith I continue to pray and to look for other signs of God's presence...

I have learned to see prayer not as my way of establishing God's presence, but rather as my way of responding to God's presence that is a fact whether or not I can detect it...My feelings of God's presence--or God's absence--are not the same as His presence or absence.

Whenever I fixate on techniques, or sink into guilt over my inadequate prayers, or turn away in disappointment when a prayer "goes unanswered," I remind myself that prayer means keeping company with a God who is already present...God is present in my life and all around me; prayer offers me the chance to attend and respond to that presence.

You've been prayed for today....

Sometimes Distant, Sometimes Close, Always A Mystery

2007-06-28T23:46:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Well, another week's sailed by...unbelievable...feels like the last time I looked up it was like February :-) So anyway, I was thinking it's been a while since we heard from Yancey on prayer, so here we go...

These things feed my faith:
epiphanies of beauty in nature;
sunbursts of grace and forgiveness;
the portrait of God I get in Jesus;
stirring encounters with people who really live their faith.

These feed my doubts:
God's baffling tolerance of history's atrocities;
sustained periods of God's seeming absence;
my unanswered prayers.

My meetings with God may include ecstasy and joy, or withdrawal and silence...but always they include mystery. To come to terms with this unpredictability I remind myself that every friendship has a misty side, that all relationships sometimes reveal and sometimes conceal.

When I wonder why God doesn't simply "show up" I recall that when God did, as in Old Testament days, this appearance hardly enhanced communication: usually the person fell to the ground, flattened by blinding light.

In any event, I console myself, all relationships go through hot and cold spells. Sometimes communication is verbal, sometimes silent, sometimes close, sometimes distant. Usually, of course, these lectures to myself fail to convince. I am left with the unsettling truth that God, not I, has ultimate control over our relationship.

You've been prayed for today...

Replies To "He Has Shown You What Is Good"

2007-06-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Today's thoughts are brought to you by you--they're replies to the "He Has Shown You What Is Good" RST from a few days ago. BTW, this is the last duplicate Yahoo/Gmail posting, so don't forget to add randomspiritualthoughts@gmail.com to your addressbook/contact list (otherwise your spam filter may eat it).

The first thought is actually from my friend N (you know who you are :-) "For some it truly is hard to live that way, for others it seems to come more naturally. What is it that makes the difference? I mean I've seen it both ways, in Christian and non-Christian people alike…perhaps that's just part of being human, as with everything else, we fall short and God's grace covers us. The other aspect is of being on the receiving end of living like that or not: how do we as imperfect human beings ourselves perceive it? Have we been overly critical on occasion?"

The second thought consists of excerpts from a sort of conversation (including my brothers at Grace Church and my now-in-Michigan-brother Mike R):

"You know, it occurs to me that this text would make a powerful slogan if we truly lived up to it. I mean, what higher calling could there possibly be for a man (and wouldn't it pretty much encompass everything if we tried) to act in a just and fair and upright manner, to strive to demonstrate kindness and mercy in thought and deed, and to truly walk humbly with our God. Man...words to live by if ever there were any...and that's my prayer for you today, that you too will strive to live those words, and that you will help me and every other brother also reach for that Godly standard..."

"If we could really see and really understand what kind of a force in the world a Christlike man really is (with all that that implies--walking closely in the footsteps of our Brother/Father/Healer/Prince/Servant Jesus), I have to believe we'd be incredibly attracted to the idea of being like that ourselves (and it would be noticeable--and attractive--to others as well). [I want to continue] to grow in that direction, to make a difference for our King in this world."

He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly, and to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8

You've been prayed for today…

Turn To Him Last?

2007-06-20T20:40:00.000-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Today's thought comes our way from Olya (thanks, OlgaMona!) and is highly ironic (and painfully true):

"How often we look upon God as our last and feeblest resource! We go to him because we have nowhere else to go. And then we learn that the storms of life have driven us, not upon the rocks, but into the desired haven."
--George MacDonald

Hmmm...Ring a bell (or is it just me again? :-)

You've been prayed for today...

"He Has Showed You What Is Good"

2007-06-18T13:57:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Hope you had a great weekend--it's always cool, especially as I get older (and somewhat wiser? :-) to stop and think for a bit about dads and the sacrifices they've made (and make) without giving it a second thought--so thanks, dads (y gracias, Facho).

Also find it funny--like this weekend at church--to see dads who've been taking care of us for years, decades actually, being honored side-by-side with some dads who've been dads for all of like 5 minutes ('sup, Hose). Cool...I half-expected to hear Elton John belting out "The Circle Of Life" (little tangent: "Mufasa!" "OoOoOoh! Say it again!").

Anyway, got to thinking about Godly fatherhood, about being a real man and a real dad, not some inferior, weak imitation. About the privilege and responsibility that it is, to not only care for someone entirely dependent on you, but to also be responsible for being a child's first understanding of who God is and what He's really about.

And the verse that kept rolling around my head is actually one that I remember learning when I was way young--as evidenced by the fact that I remember it most clearly in the King James Version--it's Micah 6:8...

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."

So although there are a million verses and quotes on the topic, this is the one that kept ringing more and more true as I thought about it: to act justly, to demonstrate kindness and mercy, and to humbly walk with my Lord...is there a higher calling for a man?

You've been prayed for today...

Fail To Persevere?

2007-06-11T14:38:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Ran across this quote the other day and it resonated with me--'cause I'm sure I'm the only one who on occasion gets distracted by circumstances and can be discouraged and pout and (ironically) stay away from the only True Solution to whatever it is that ails me.

"There is no danger that the Lord will neglect the prayers of His people. The danger is that in temptation and trial they will become discouraged and fail to persevere in prayer."
Christ's Object Lessons p. 175

Key word, that--"persevere"--doesn't exactly imply a walk in the park but rather quite the opposite, no? Hmmm...I wonder, do I ever give up too quickly and mope? Do I fail to persevere in prayer while the winds and waves pick up and in moping fail to see a Lord ready and able to say, "Peace! Be still!"?

You've been prayed for today...

I Know My Redeemer Lives

2007-06-06T13:29:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Heard a song the other day and decided to hunt down the text that engendered it, and I was downright surprised to find it in Job:

I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that in the end He will stand upon the earth.
Job 19:25

What does it take to have that kind of faith...
how does that happen?

To really know the things I believe, to be utterly certain of them; that is my prayer, for me and for you--today, and every day.

Audio RST -- (Slightly Belated) Memorial Day Thought: "Gratefulness"

2007-05-31T23:22:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Sorry this has taken a bit to get out to you--been slightly busy this week at work (what is it about "short weeks" that makes them a little extra-crazy?), also been scheming--errr--planning a really cool program set for June 30th (stand by for further shameless plugs :-) as well as getting ready to preach this Sabbath and, finally, well, I guess it just took me a little while to get these thoughts just right (hey, I'm an editor, what do you want from me?!? :-)

So, though the wishes are now a bit belated, I hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend--I certainly did, managed to completely disconnect for a couple days and decompress from a phenomenally stressful couple of weeks/months/years (just in time of course to re-compress this week--oh well :-) Also had some time to realize again how gratifying the previous weekend was, especially because I got to see friends and family, some of whom I hadn't seen in far too long--thanks for making the effort and coming out (you know who you are :-) I am truly grateful to have you in my life. And to those who couldn't make it but wanted to--I know, and I totally understand. You were missed :-)

This weekend I was privileged to attend a wreath-laying ceremony on the flight deck of the (former) USS Midway. First of all, I've always liked Memorial Day--more than most holidays, I suppose--because it's all about concepts I value and respect immensely: real sacrifice, true honor, genuine idealism. Anyway, I figured there'd be a few of us standing around (after all it was fairly early in the morning and it was a long weekend), but I was very pleasantly surprised as more and more people (of all ages) arrived--families, boy and girl scouts in uniform, proud old codgers wearing their uniforms or VFW garrison caps--in all we numbered over 250. How cool is that? I love this town. My kind of people.

Anyway, we all rose and stood at attention as the color guard paraded and then posted the colors and the national anthem was played, then the speakers spoke briefly before we stood solemnly once more as Taps was sounded and the wreaths were reverently dropped into the bay while the destroyer USS Bunker Hill slipped silently by with her sailors manning the rails, rendering honors to the fallen as well. Utterly moving. Indescribably so...

One of the speakers used a couple of lines from favorite quotes of mine (one from the Tomb Of The Unknowns at Arlington, the other from Lincoln's Gettysburg address) to speak of the fallen. He reminded us that the purpose of Memorial Day is not merely to sleep-in and barbecue; we must teach the rising generations that there are those who rest in honored glory, having given the last full measure of their devotion, for these ideals.

As the service wound down, it occurred to me that Memorial Day is almost exactly 6 months before (and after :-) Thanksgiving (and Veterans' Day as well, I might add)--so that's kind of cool, huh? Two almost equidistant opportunities each year to scrape off some of the cynicism and selfishness I've accumulated and deeply feel and express and think about gratitude.

And then it occurred to me that long before all of these men and women I admire, these patriots, gave their all, Christ gave the last full measure of His devotion for me, and for you, that we might truly live, free. Hmmm...now how often do I remember that?

Funny, too, that all of this tied in beautifully with the conversation we'd just had (during a truly "superior" vespers at the James estate :-) about thankfulness and humility, and as I "threatened" to send out Hezekiah Walker's "Gratefulness" (BTW thanks Art for introducing me to quite seriously one of the greatest songs I've ever heard), here indeed it is. Put on some headphones, play it in your car, irritate your neighbors if you must, but play it loud, this song warrants it; close your eyes if you have to, and really listen to the message...and remember.

You've been prayed for today...

Vast Difference

2007-05-24T12:57:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

So as promised, we're back discussing Philip Yancey's book "Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?" and today's quote addresses some queries we've all no doubt had sometime...

All my friends have some similarities to me and some differences...Every relationship spawns a kind of dance between "the self" and "the other." How much more so with a holy, ineffable God, who both lives here with us as well as in the realm of spirit?

I am overwhelmed by the vastness of God, the imbalance or asymmetry of any creature's relationship to such a being. "Since it is God we are speaking of, you do not understand it. If you could, it would not be God of which we speak," said Saint Augustine. True. How strange to think that we who barely comprehend ourselves are approaching a God we cannot possibly comprehend...

In prayer I am approaching the creator of all that is, someone next to whom I feel immeasurably small. How can I do anything but fall silent in such presence? Moreover, how can I believe that anything I say matters to God?...

In one hand I hold the truth of God's vastness, and in the other hand I hold the truth of His desire for relationship, for intimacy with us...I gaze at the stars and marvel at the apparent insignificance of the entire human experiment; then I read the passage of scripture (and it is just one of many like it) that says that, just as a mother with her child, God "rejoices over us with singing." Only lately have I understood that it is the vast difference between God and us what allows this very capacity. God operates by vastly different rules. God's infinite greatness, which we expect to diminish us, in fact makes possible the closeness the we--and He--desire.

How amazing is that? His vastness, my tiny-ness, His interest, my disbelief, His insistence, my acceptance--and subsequent awakening (rebirth?) into a new and far better existence, right here, right now.

It is no wonder then that David wrote both

"When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars you set in place, what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?"

and

"The Lord is my shepherd--I have everything I need."

You've been prayed for today...

From Him, Through Him, To Him...

2007-05-16T22:52:00.001-07:00

Hey, Y'all,

Yeah, I know, I said we'd get back to Yancey's book on prayer this RST, but maybe it's the lack of sleep, or maybe it's the fact (like I told a friend of mine earlier: been waiting seems like forever to say) that I just got done with my final final finally (yep, fully embracing my inner geek tonight! can't take me anywhere :-) (hey, I did say I haven't been sleeping much of late, right?!?!).

Anyway, as I was saying, don't know what it is exactly, but I (not-so) randomly ran across this passage in Romans and it really really struck me--and interestingly enough, it does segue nicely back to Yancey's book as you'll see later. So here it is...

Oh, the depth of the riches
of the wisdom andknowledge of God!
How unsearchable His judgments,
and His paths beyond tracing out!

Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been His counselor?
Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay him?

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.
To Him be the glory forever! Amen.
Romans 11:33-36

Just...perfect for where my (somewhat addled) mind is tonight...

And you've been prayed for.