I turned 50 last week...!

I turned 50 last week and let me tell you I done feel any different at 50 than I did at 49. Funny how that happens. Some have been known to panic just at the thought of waking up the morning of and thinking, “I’m 50!” It kind of reminded me of the Y2K scare in 1999. Many were predicting the end of the world or, at the very least, the end of our computer addictions. Well, I’m typing on my laptop while sitting on my bed in my room and all is well in the Windows world as far as I can see. As for me, well, I’m doing just fine at 50 thank you. Oh there is one thing, the person or persons that traded my desk chair for a wheelchair are on my hit list. They will remain nameless, but you all know who they are. I will give you a hint as to their identity, JS and SR are their initials and they are sisters. That’s all you will get out of me about it. Also, a great big thank you to all those who sent best wishes via Facebook. Greater things are yet to come!

Come Away

My wonderful wife is away this week on a mission’s trip and I’m left to keep everything running on my own. Boy, do I miss her and its only Thursday!

Somewhere someone once said, “You don’t know what you have until you miss it.” I’ve been thinking a lot on how much the Father must miss our companionship when we are away. You see, we have been identified by Him as His bride. As I have considered my own feelings about my wife’s absence, I can tell you I miss her! How much more does He miss us when we are absent?

There is, in all believers, a sense of great satisfaction when we spend the time needed with our Heavenly Father. Nothing can quite bring the kind of satisfaction that time with Him can bring. We tend to forget that He wants this even more than we do. You see, God created us for fellowship. Adam was God’s creation for just that…fellowship.

His original design was paradise and communion with His creation, but He wanted us to want the same with Him. Paradise is about position. He has prepared the place for fellowship. It was that for the first man and it remains the heart of God to this day for you and me to enter into that place of communion. David knew this. He once said, “There is only one thing that I desire most, and that’s to dwell in the house of the Lord, forever.” (paraphrasing)

I have been hearing Him calling me into that place more lately. I find my heart longing for those times. The more I find that place the more I want more of His presence. I have become an addict for Him. Position yourself today for His embrace, His voice and His love. Condition is about removing distractions.

Real communion is about relationship. The result of making room for Him and allowing that time to be intimate will change us into His image. This is not some attempt to get you to pray more, although that is a great thing to do. This is just my simple attempt to hopefully get your appetite set on some quite time with our best friend, our counselor, our defender and our lover.

I hope that as your reading this your desire has been kindled to hang out with God for a while.

See You On The Sea

When I think about the act of doing something outside my comfort zone it can bring up several thoughts and emotions. I can recall many occasions when I was called on to go beyond myself. One in particular happened several years ago when I was in business for myself. I recall getting a call to refurbish the exterior of an eight story hotel. My first thought was “Excuse me…did you say eight stories.” By the way that’s just under a hundred feet straight up! I think there is a scripture against working that high up. Something to the tune of “Low I will be with you always.” OK maybe that’s not what that verse meant…but it was one I thought I could use to convince myself not to accept the job. However, I did take the job, and boy was that out of my comfort zone. Someone even asked if I had lost my mind. We had never taken on a project of that magnitude before. Not only had we never taken on a job like that, but we had no equipment to meet the challenge. It was bigger than we were but I wasn’t about to let that stop us from getting out of our boat. The first day was the hardest. Between the time we accepted the job and the first day we arrived, it seemed like someone went and added several stories on top of that already very tall building. Well, that was my first impression anyway. Then after counting them once again, there were still only eight stories. The first time I went up in the man lift was no picnic. Everything in me wanted to run, quit, resign, bolt, skedaddle…did I leave any out?

When we find out there are more possibilities outside the rails of our boat there is a decision that must follow. Peter asked the question, “Lord, if that is You, can I come out there with You?"

What are your limitations today? Have you been told something that doesn’t ring true when it comes to how far you believe God can take you? If that’s you, then your first obstacle isn’t the water…it’s the boat. The boat is your comfort zone! It’s a stronger influence in getting you to stay put than the risk the water offers. There will always be a reason not to walk on water. Not sure how many of the Disciples were on the boat that day, but however many there were only one got out of the boat. That tells me the limitations to stay in the comforts of your boat are so powerful that you will not even dare to touch the water, let alone walk on it. Why? I’m glad you asked. Comfort will always be the better answer than risk, but risk is where the Supernatural is. So you will need to decide today to either live in the comforts of your boat or get out into the vast sea of God’s possibilities. I don’t know about you but I’m going overboard! See you on the sea!

Stay Full

Have you ever said, “When can I find time to do that”? This seems like a common statement we all have said or at the very least thought. Guess what, summer is here. And you know what that means, even more stuff to do. Much of what we do in the summer is things we just can’t do in the other three seasons. Things like camping, boating, gardening, picnics and outdoor sports. Things that bring the family together and some things are just for us to accomplish so we don’t feel like the summer is passing us by.

However, I want to challenge all of us with a thought. In our eagerness to enjoy this time of the year let’s not forsake those things that bring the greater reward. I’m not trying to put a damper on the festivities of the season. I too love to be out and enjoy the summer breeze that invigorates us and causes a since of satisfaction. But here is my thought. It begins with a verse of scripture in Proverbs 11:25 (NKJV), “…he who waters will also be watered himself.” What a great thought to ponder. We need to look at this a little closer to see how it affects us. At first glance it appears the word water is used twice. However, looking closer we find that the Hebrew paints a different picture than one may think. We might miss the magnitude of this verse if we are not careful. The first word ‘waters’ has a different Hebrew word definition than the second. The first is ravah which simply means ‘to satisfy a thirst.’ The second give us the difference between the two. It is the word yara which means ‘to pour out like rain, descend like a shower, fill up by a deluge, flow like waters from a cloud burst.’ WOW! What a transition from supplying water for the thirsty to receiving an abundance back more than we can even handle. I don’t see this as a challenge but an opportunity to live beneath the Father’s provisions. When we give a glass of water in His Name we get back a cloud burst!

So in the season of festivities and having fun, let’s not forget to keep our reservoir full by giving someone thirsty a refreshing drink of life giving water.

Stay Sharp

Ecclesiastes 10:10
“If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength…”

I’m certain you are like me that when I’m tired or weary from something strenuous I can get in a jam very quickly. I recall when I was a youth pastor and we were coming back from a long day of attending a service in Southern Illinois. It was getting close to midnight and everyone was running on fumes. I was driving and not feeling too sharp at all. This was a trip I had taken many times before but this time I was dull; maybe a little delirious or even hallucinating just a bit. I say this because we were seeing a distant light in the horizon that we thought was home; where our nice beds were awaiting our arrival. But we soon discovered a surprising revelation that somewhere on our journey we took the wrong road! A road that we thought was taking us to our nice warm beds was, in fact, taking us to a place we had not anticipated visiting; Decatur, Illinois! How could this be? We don’t live in Decatur! Who moved Bloomington and put this city in its place?

It was not that at all! Our extended travel began about an hour before when, out of exhaustion and with a lack of sharpness, we made the wrong turn!

How true it is for all of us today. If we fail to stay refreshed and rested we run the risk of doing the same thing…making the wrong turn. We will make choices that will make the journey longer. We may already know where some choices will lead us while others are made with little or no thought of where this may take us. Out of the dullness of heart or a moment of distraction between us and God we unwittingly choose a path that lengthens the process, or worse yet, leads us in a completely different direction. Decatur! (No offense to those who live in Decatur.)

Life is simply harder than it needs to be when we are not sharp. Believers can fall into a slumbering rhythm in their relationship with God which develops a pattern of dullness that will not produce the intended results. This leads to more confusion and disappointment in God. Paul’s admonition to all of us in Colossians 4:2 (ESV) says, “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving” and again in Ephesians 6:18 (ESV) Paul says, “…praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.”

My encouragement for you today is to remain sharp. Begin each day with an awareness of His plan for you. Staying alert to His promptings and nudgings will not only keep you directed but it will keep you sharp to handle the tough challenges life can throw your way. Stay fresh and “drink plenty of water!”