WORK HARD, PLAY HARD

The other day we took our grandkids to one of those kid friendly places where they have games and all kinds of stuff for kids to do.  Anyway, on the way there we took a picture of them and they were sitting in the backseat smiling and laughing, you could see the anticipation on their faces!  Then we took an “after” picture, and they were totally zonked, asleep with the sleep of absolute exhaustion!

What a great contrast!  What a great picture of life!  When we pour ourselves into it, it can be totally exhausting!  The Bible warns us not to “become weary in doing good…” (Gal 6:9 NIV) And I think most people I know work pretty hard.  We go to work every day, we take care of our families, we wrangle the kids, clean the house, pay the bills and then collapse at the end of a long day.  Then we get up and do it all over again the next day!

Some days we wake up in the morning and start the day feeling like those kids on the way home…utterly exhausted, and the day hasn’t even begun!  All we want to do is hit the snooze button over and over again.  But that won’t really help. We need to figure out how to restore our strength.

Did you know that Jesus would take a break every so often and go off by Himself to pray and restore?  Mark 6:45 records that after feeding the 5,000 Jesus sent the disciples away and then, “he went up on a mountainside to pray.”  The Bible also tells us Jesus went to a wedding, that He participated in feasts, that He took time to restore Himself.  If He needed restoration and refreshment, why do we think we can do without?

How do you take a break?  How do you restore your mind, your body, your soul?  First I’d suggest that we are all a little different, what works for me may not be your cup of tea.   But there all some things that can help for all of us, first, turn to God for help.  Remember, Jesus sought out His Father in prayer and found restoration that way.  We might want to start by seeking God’s grace, after all, He said, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matt 11:30 NIV)

And then, it may help to look for a change of pace.  Take a break from your regular routine and do something different.  Maybe you need to plan for a  vacation, but there are other options.  For example turn off the TV/video games one night and play board games with the kids, put on your favorite music and dance like no one is watching or have a pillow fight if you want, but be gentle!  Invite a long-time friend over for some good conversation.   Or this weekend, plan a big breakfast and make pancakes for the family and eat on paper plates so clean up is easy.

Take time to refresh.  Do something new, or maybe allow yourself to play so hard, that you find the sleep of joy and exhaustion!  May God bless you with His refreshment today!

Photographs

A couple of weeks ago my wife and I took a vacation.  Along the way, like most people, we took a lot of pictures.  With the new digital cameras it is easy to take tons of pictures, even though we may only print a few!

I bet you probably have vacation pictures around somewhere, or wedding pictures, maybe pictures of a birthday party or some other special event. Those pictures tell us stories from our lives, of special people, special places, special days.  Photographs can trigger memories and evoke emotions.  We remember how warm the sun was, or how much we laughed.

I forgot the camera one day, and not wanting to miss anything I pretended I had a camera and snapped a picture anyway.  I told my wife it was a memory picture.  We all have these as well.  In fact, the photo albums on the coffee table only serve to trigger our memory pictures.  That is why they are so powerful, they attach to our experiences and memories.  That is also why we can get a little bored at looking through someone else’s vacation album, we don’t have the memories that they connect with those pictures.

The important moments and people in our lives are captured in our mind’s eye. The question is where is God in your photo album?  Not the physical one on your coffee table, but the one you keep in your mind.  Is God a part of your special events, your everyday story?  I am reminded that, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights…” (James 1:17 NIV)

So God IS part of the story of our lives.  The good parts as James says, but also the hard parts. Consider this, “You have seen me tossing and turning through the night. You have collected all my tears and preserved them in your bottle! You have recorded every one in your book.” (Psalm 56:8 The Living Bible)  So in good times or in bad, God is with you.  Holding us and helping us in pain, rejoicing with us in our joy.

I don’t know where you are in the story of your life, but I know that God is there with you.  Will you recognize Him?  Will you reach out to Him when you are hurting?  Will you give thanks for His goodness to you?  Will He be a part of your photo album?  He is the guest at every party and the mourner at every funeral, and He loves you.  Let Him be a part of your life, you will never regret it!

Surprise Attack

Many will not realize it, but today is an important day.  Many will pass this day without a thought, but somehow it always sticks with me.  Though it happened before I was born, December 7^th, 1941 is a day that lives in my memory. 

 On that Sunday morning, Japanese planes flew over the U.S. Naval station at Pearl Harbor and when the fires cleared over 2400 souls had perished and the U.S. was suddenly at war.  That war ultimately cost millions of lives around the world and did not end for four more long years.  A sudden, surprise attack followed by four years of terrible strife before peace was again declared.

 Most of us do not realize it, but we frequently face similar attacks.  Bombs may not fall from the sky, but our peaceful world gets turned upside down in a moment.  One minute we are sipping a cup of coffee, the next we are dashing off to the hospital hoping the car wreck wasn’t as bad as the officer said.  One day we head off for another day of work, that evening we head home wondering where the next job will come from. 

 Following the attack on Pearl Harbor Americans learned to fight, they learned to sacrifice, and they finally found victory.  When we are attacked, when our world turns upside down, we need to do the same things.  We need to catch our breath and get ready for battle.  Some battles are won quickly; others take years of effort and struggle.

The promise of God is this, “everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4 NIV)  There are battles to be fought, obstacles to overcome, but by faith we have the victory.

This world has its share of struggle and strife, but it is also full of baby’s smiles, the laughter of friends and families, and the magic of a sunrise and the delicate beauty of snow.  Let alone the little joys like the satisfaction of a job well done or the miracle of finding a good parking place at WalMart, As we go through life we can get so trapped in our troubles that we forget the victories. 

Remember that though we may be surprised by our troubles, God is not.  He is ready to help us, to strengthen us, and even to see us through our darkest hours.  When we place our faith in Jesus, then the victory is ours.  Remember, He has even conquered death for us!

A Thanksgiving Prayer

Thanksgiving is just days away and most of us will gather around dinner tables with family and friends and offer thanks.  We’ll be thankful for our families.  We’ll be thankful for our health.  We’ll give thanks that we have a job.  We may give thanks for a new baby in the family, or even for a new car.  Some will give thanks for the freedoms we share as a nation.  Others may thank God for saving faith and the gift of Jesus.

But then, for some of us Thanksgiving does not seem so easy.  This year there is an empty spot at the dinner table, and thanksgiving comes hard. This year jobs were hard to come by and maybe the table isn’t as well filled as in past years, and thanksgiving comes hard.  Maybe this year you saw more doctors than you ever wanted to see, and it isn’t over yet.  Maybe this year every time the phone rang you feared more bad news, a credit card past due, a child in trouble at school, a friend facing divorce. Thanksgiving can be hard.

Paul tells encourages us to “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV)  We know that God wants us to have thankful hearts, but pain, doubt, and fear get in the way.  This is when we really need faith.

Most of the time we give thanks based on what we see and feel.  That is easy.  We can see and hold a new baby.  We can hug our family and friends.  We can feel the love when we laugh together across the dinner table. But it takes faith to offer thanks when times are tough.

Faith helps us see past the problems.  By faith we know that our current struggles are temporary and fleeting.  By faith we remember God’s faithfulness in the past and look forward to His faithfulness in the future.  By faith we look at around and see God’s hand even through our struggles, giving us strength through His Word, hope through His Presence, and help from His Church.

Thanksgiving, if it is about anything, is about renewing that faith.  It is about dedicating a day to God and saying “Thank You!”  It is about seeing our problems and struggles with the eyes of faith.  It is about giving God the glory despite the trials we face.  It is about honoring God with praise even when are hearts are hurting.

This year when you offer your Thanksgiving prayer, say a prayer for those who are hurting.  May God reveal Himself to them on this special day.  May He renew their faith that they may say with us, “Thanks be to God from whom all blessings flow.” Amen.

God’s Heart for Us

Have you ever been struck by something and found such a profound truth in it that you didn’t quite know how to express it?  That’s how I feel tonight.  I’m not sure if I can explain in a few simple words the thunderbolt that hit my heart watching the video for the song “Hello World” by Lady Antebellum.

 My thought was not about beautiful lyrics or great music, it was a revelation about God’s heart.  At one point in the video there is a young girl pulled out of a wrecked car.  The paramedics are working on her, but she is not responding.  Her mother is looking on in pure anguish, crying out with a breaking heart.

 And I thought is that how God sees us, broken and dying?  Victims of sin, ours and others?  Bleeding on the ground with no hope and no help?  His heart breaks for all the broken ones.  I think He cries out, and that heart cry is why Jesus came.  The broken heart of God led to the cross of Calvary.

 In the video, the paramedics give up, the watching crowd seems to slump in sympathy and defeat, the mother weeps uncontrollably. Then a miracle, the little girl gasps and starts to breathe again. Then you can see her cry out “Mommy!”  And that cry from a hurt and scared little girl must have been the sweetest sound that mother ever heard!

 And when we cry out to our Heavenly Father, when we, though dead in our trespasses and sins call out, “Daddy, help me!” it must be the sweetest sound He has ever heard!  Jesus came, to rescue the perishing, to seek and to save the lost.  And in that moment when we confess our need and call out to Jesus, all heaven rejoices. (Luke 15:7)

God loves us as desperately and deeply as any mother ever loved her child.  His pain and agony is real, just as real as the agony of Christ on the cross.  And His rejoicing is just as real.  Remember when the prodigal returned home?  His father runs to meet him, just as our Heavenly Father runs to meet us and says, “This son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” (Luke 15:24 NIV)

May our gracious Lord continue to reveal Himself to me in the simple things!  Thank you for speaking to my heart tonight!

 By the way, if you want to watch the video you can find it here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al2DFQEZl4M

Getting Breakfast Right

 Are you a breakfast person?  I generally am not, and I think I pay the price for it!  Now don’t get me wrong, I love breakfast, I just rarely take the time to eat it.  And I can hear some of you now saying, “Remember, breakfast is the most important meal of the day!”

 I think that is probably true.  I know that when I eat a good breakfast I tend to eat less the rest of the day.  My problem is two-fold, first, I usually don’t stop to eat anything, second, when I do eat I tend to grab quick junk!  Doughnuts or Pop-Tarts do not really a breakfast make!

 When I start the day with the right nutrition it gets my body off to a good start.  I am less tired during the day and less likely to overeat at lunch or dinner.  In 1 Timothy, Paul tells us that “Physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things…” (1 Tim 4:8 NIV). So breakfast or taking care of my body the right way does have value, but even more valuable is time spent with God.

 How do you start your day?  I hope you have breakfast, but that should be only one part of our daily routine.  Most of us get up and grab a shower, brush our teeth, things like that.  Many folks can’t live without their first cup of coffee, it is vital! But does God fit into your morning routine?

 Now I know mornings can get rushed.  Getting ready for work, getting the kids off to school, hitting the snooze button for just another 10 minutes can all cramp our morning time.  But maybe it would make our whole day run better if we could just rearrange a little.  The Psalmist says, “In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” (Ps 5:3 NIV)

 Wouldn’t you like to start each day waiting in expectation to see what God is going to do?  A few minutes with the Lord each morning sets a new tone for the day.  Opening His Word, offering our prayers gives us a new perspective.  It open possibilities and changes our outlook on the day.  I don’t know about you, but I need God on my side every day!  He loves you; invite Him to be a part of your morning.

Coyotes

 A few nights ago I was walking our dog one evening and I heard coyotes yipping and howling in the distance.  Having grown up in the city, I didn’t realize what a nuisance coyotes could be in a rural community.  Now I know that coyotes can kill calves and chickens and will even snag the occasional family pet!

 One friend of ours had a pesky coyote problem, but he finally shot one particular coyote and the problems stopped.  He had that thing stuffed and stood it by his front door like it was howling at you as you entered!

 You don’t hear the coyotes during the day; in fact you rarely see them.  They live at night, in the dark, doing their mischief when they can’t be seen or caught. We can be the same way, hiding our mischief in the darkness, pretending no one will see.

The Bible tells us “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” (Ephesians 5:11 NIV) That’s pretty clear, have nothing to do with the deeds of darkness. But have you noticed, a lot of mischief happens at night?  It is as if the darkness outside brings out the darkness in our own souls.

It may not be the dark of night, but we still hide our little sins away.  We hide our pride and our envy; we hide our private lusts and desires. We gossip and lie and try to pretend it doesn’t mean anything.  What are you hiding in the darkness?  Is it really wrong to cheat a little on your taxes?  Is it so wrong to click on that sleazy website?  What about what is hidden in your heart?  The Bible also says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9 NIV) 

We need to let God’s light shine in our hearts.  We need to let it shine into the darkest places in our souls.  Remember that friend who shot the coyote?  It came out into the light one day, and once in the light, it could be removed.

Now we probably don’t need to stuff the little coyotes of the heart, but we do need to bring them into the light.  Maybe we need a good friend to hold us accountable.  Maybe we need to offer someone a sincere apology.  But one thing we all need is God to shed His light on our hearts and show us what to do.

Dreaming

Last night I woke up laughing from a dream.  What I remember most vividly is an out of place baby elephant sitting in a watering trough spraying water all over my poor wife. Thinking about it even now I can’t help but chuckle, but I don’t know if I could explain it fully.  You’d have to know about the little white bull and the muddy cowboy for it to make sense!

Dreams are like that sometimes, they make an impression on us, but we can’t really explain them to anyone else.  Whether a dream makes you laugh or cry, they are hard to explain.  I think most of the dreams we experience at night are just random thoughts, but some are more than that.

The Bible tells us, “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” (Acts 2:17 NIV)  I am one of those who think the last days may be upon us, and I think this passage is for our times.

God wants to reach out to us, to all people everywhere.  God is reaching out through young people and old, so that we may know Him and follow Him.  One thing God is doing is giving people big dreams.  Not particularly the dreams that come in the night, but dreams that shape the way we look at the world. 

Some of those dreams should make us cry, because they show us a world in desperate need of God’s grace.  They show us a world of cruelty and violence, a world where lust takes the place of real love and where selfishness rules rather than kindness.  But some of those dreams give us hope because they show the transforming power of God.  They show us hope for troubles inner cities, hope for starving children, and hope for a lost and dying world.

Some dreams are just baby elephants and watering troughs, funny perhaps, but not life changing.  Real dreams, dreams that come from the heart of God change our lives.  They give us eyes to see the needs around us, both far and near.  Real dreams give us direction and courage to face up to the challenge to change our world for good and for God.

What dream is God challenging you with?  What needs do you see that God wants you to meet?  Do you believe that our Lord is able to help you meet that challenge? Face that need? Is your God big enough to help you make those dreams become reality?

One of a Kind

When I was young, my parents insisted that I take art lessons, and I guess they stuck.  Not that I am a great artist, but I really enjoy art of all kinds.  One of my favorite things to do is to wander around an arts and crafts show and see all the amazing things people create.

 For example, Taylorsville hosts the Kentucky Gourd Festival.  Now I admit, before coming to Taylorsville I never particularly thought of gourds as art, but then I saw what people do with them.  From gourd guitars and drums, to gourd vases and lamps, even to gourd people, the range of creativity is amazing.

 I also enjoy things like the St. James Court Art Fair in Louisville, or visiting the galleries and craft shops in Gatlinburg.  The creativity that people display is astounding, every artist has a different style and each piece is unique. Whether a painting or a sculpture, jewelry or clothing, each piece bears the stamp of its creator.

We also bear the stamp of our creator.  Each one of us is a unique and special creation of our heavenly Father.  The Bible says that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14 NIV)  We are each made by the hand of God and each of us bears His image in us.  I think part of that image is the very creativity that is on display in those art shows that I enjoy so much.

Each of us is truly one of a kind.  We each come with our own personalities, our own gifts and talents, even our own unique look.  And though we are each unique, we share a common need, a need for God Himself.

You see, like a beautiful piece of art that is shattered when it is thrown to the ground, we are shattered people.  We are shattered by our own pride and selfishness, shattered by an uncaring world that uses us up and throws us on the trash pile.  But our God specializes in putting us back together, in restoration, in making us whole again. 

The Psalmist cried out, “Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved. (Psalm 80:3 NIV)  Maybe you don’t feel like a work of art today.  Maybe you have been so shattered that you can’t even remember what it feels like to be whole.  Maybe you need to cry out, “Restore me O God.”  If you call out to Him, He will reach out to you!

Don’t Get Burned

Most cats I have met are independent and go their own way.  When I was a kid, our cat Kitty was certainly that way.  She did things her way and didn’t seem to care what the rest of the family thought about it!

Everything changed one night shortly after we had moved into a house in the country.  One night a black cat showed up meowing pitifully at our back door. We could not shoo her away, she just kept coming back.  I finally went out to chase her away, but something stopped me.  This cat somehow seemed familiar. 

Kitty was an orange tabby with pointed ears, this was a black cat with rounded ears, but still something seemed familiar. I reached out to pet this strange creature and its fur felt odd, rough and sort of oily.  It suddenly dawned on me, this was Kitty!  

Our neighbors had an orchard and they had been burning brush, apparently Kitty got caught in the fire. The good news is Kitty lived years after that, but she was a different cat.  We had to nurse her and care for her for weeks as she healed.  Her attitude changed, she became much more loving and seemed to appreciate us all a lot more.

It seems funny that a fire could change a cat’s heart, but it did.  She suddenly realized she needed us and that we really loved her.  Isn’t it sad that some of us are like that?  We have to go through the fires of life before we realize how much God loves us and how much we need Him.

In First Peter we read, “Now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine.” (1 Peter 1:6–7 NIV)  What kind of trials have you been facing?  Are you willing to let them draw you closer to God?

We like to believe that we can handle anything, but the truth is in our own strength we can’t.  Sometimes life hits us with fires that singe and scorch us and we need help to get through.  Turn to God through your trials; let Him be your comfort and strength.