“Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.” John 1:16

Everyday, at about the same time, my wife and I approach the up coming question of the evening with a strange sense of foreboding. The question? “So…what what do you want to eat tonight?” Last night neither of us had the desire to work the process, so we settled on a frozen pizza. Which caused me another problem. If I’m going to eat that stuff, I HAVE to have something good to wash it down with!

Growing up, my father ALWAYS had Nestles Quick with dinner. He’d spoon that stuff into a glass of milk and let it slowly settle to the bottom before stirring it in. Suddenly I had a hankerin’ for it! I popped the pizza in the oven and headed QUICKLY to the store. I had 25 minutes! The first store didn’t have the small packets I usually get. The second store only had a gigantic BIG container… more than I really needed! Being sure my hankerin’ would not subside without it, I bought it anyway!

How did the meal go? Well… I DID tell you it was frozen pizza… right? So there is NO big yippie EEEEhaww about that. But what I washed it down with was really VERY good! And it made all the difference in the world! This morning, reflecting back on this silly experience, I find that there just might be a lesson for me to hold on to.

After the fall, when sin had separated man from God and eternal death was our only alternative, God in His mercy instituted ‘The Law.’ Though NO man could keep it, it DID provide a much needed GRACE. Who in their right mind would not rather sacrifice a goat to save their own skin? Which begs the foreboding question… how would that even be a reasonable choice?

There is a song that says, ‘”He came down to my level, when I couldn’t get up to His.” The expensive and gruesome act of redemption by blood was not a great choice for mankind. Not comprehending, man didn’t even have a taste for it. So God, in His Love, overextended His Grace and graced me with even GREATER Grace. The gift of His Son!

Sometimes I look at life and it is REALLY GOOD! Other times, not so much. My attitudes and desires can change like the wind. Often times I feel like those Israelites in the desert… not really contented with manna but complaining and desiring frozen pizza! The only thing that seems to help is to know that My Heavenly Father has given me a GREAT BIG OUTPOURING of His Grace to wash down with my fickle life. And I have MORE than I need to do just that!

“This only have I found: God created mankind upright, but they have gone in search of many schemes.” Ecclesiastes 7:29

There was a huge turnout last night for Band Practice. We changed the name of our choir to ‘The Band’ because too many people have asked us if we had one! Now we can say ‘we do!’ But DOING what we do was NOT getting done. The computer that plays the music had made the decision that it needed to update BEFORE we could continue! All of us sat there making small talk while ‘Mr. Windows’ took control of our time!

In all my years of work I have never reached for a hammer or screwdriver and had it lock up on me. Never once did I get a ‘recalculating’ message from them either! Tools were tools that made life better or easier to do a job. Not intelligent entities with which ’I’ had to conform. Now, with cell phones, computers, GPS’s and ‘smart’ everything… mankind is being told to wait for a link to sync! What scares me the most is, I have NO idea what it is REALLY doing! Do you?

Any device that can hold ALL of my most personal information and that requires an update from somewhere I don’t know CAN be used against me. When that devices STOPS doing what ‘I’ want and gets a higher priority calling than my own input… that device ceases to be MY servant and I become ‘its’ slave. With today’s technology, it is easy to jump to a conclusion that MY priority is not really THE priority. Something ELSE is running the show!

God made me to be in complete and open dependence upon Himself. Created in His image, I was programmed to BE His. My life is best lived when I follow Him and update my desires, goals and plans WITH Him at the center of my being. I am to reflect the Master’s invisible hand and make it visible to those around me. But there is one crazy catch!

Unlike the technology of today, updating my life to sync with ‘God’s will’ is always a critical process… but it is also ALWAYS voluntary! It is literally impossible to make the right choices in life if I am scheming to overthrow the Master. I have found that the longer I have put off the update, and the further away I have gotten from Him, the longer and harder it is to accept and implement His update in my life!

I don’t know what Windows is really doing when it forces me to wait. Maybe dark people ARE plotting dark things down the road. But I DO know my Creator…personally! And ALL of my past updates have proven that he is ALWAYS good and loving towards me. So when I get the message to update with Him, I think I will take it! He’s already proven to me that He knows what He is doing!  I’ll wait!

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Ecclesiastes 3:1

Something started 3 nights ago that I seem powerless to stop. I awoke at midnight hearing a sound from the other room… a blaring noise I was not used to. Getting up to investigate, I found it to be the alarm on a digital clock in my living room. Having just that day set the clock ahead 1 hour, I had SOMEHOW managed to set the alarm to go off at midnight. Finding a light to see, I hit the off button and silenced the oppressive noise. All was well… until midnight the next day!

Talking with someone yesterday about the ‘spring forward’ thing, they affirmed what everyone feels. We all hate time changes. Last night… I found that I dislike something even MORE! An alarm clock that signifies NOTHING. For the last 3 nights, I have played with the buttons and tried various combinations… to no avail. Unless I can figure out a way to permanently STOP time… I have a midnight appointment I do not wish to keep!

Recently I watched a group of students as they were told about God and Heaven. Like clockwork, the same thing happened as ALWAYS happens when Life and Death, Heaven and Hell are being explained to someone who is in the dark. All that I could see as a result of this alarm was a disinterested ‘yawn’ and a desire to hit the ‘off’ switch. As if turning off the alarm could eliminate the certainty of a coming judgment.

A serious question has come to mind. How does one wake up someone who does not want to BE UP? How do we set an alarm to warn someone who is never alarmed? How can we make an appeal of Love and Grace to someone who believes they have no need of it? I have to admit, like my ill programmed alarm clock, I have no answer except to keep trying.

As I have said many times, Jesus Himself gave us the Great Commission to ‘Go into the world and proclaim the Good News.’ He did NOT say to go and convince, badger, demand or force it upon those who do not choose to receive it. Ours is to simply ‘proclaim!’ It is up to the hearer to receive it and wake up, with Gods help… or turn us off. It is good to know that the time for judgment is not in my hands. And that His news is still Good!

“For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling;” Palm 27:5

Ever been sick and tired of being sick and tired? Waking up in the middle of the night for the fourth time, I swallowed… and reality startled my senses. My throat was so sore that just swallowing became an involuntary act of punishment. But how do I NOT swallow? KNOWING the pain that was coming, I was powerless to stop it. Then embarrassment settled in! Which made me feel even worse!

Remembering several people in my church who are going through things that are SO much worse than what I have, made me feel unworthy of even reflecting on my own stuff. What I have is some kind of cold. Having no actual ‘tough-guy’ monitor to determine how well I am doing with my own sickness, I can only feel like the worlds biggest wimp! I am sick and tired of even being in this valley. I cringe when my wife asks, “how are you feeling?” I hate even bothering her with the truth again! After all, my trouble assuredly brings HER trouble because, we are in this together.

I know people who are right now facing the loss of a parent through a long illness. Having lived through that process myself, I am reminded of that old familiar pain. All I can do is what I am led to do… I PRAY! I also know people who are battling cancer, and other diseases, that bring about MUCH larger trouble and pain than what I am going through. Which reminds me of my own mortality, making it a little frightening to even think about how THEY must feel. So inside I groan again… in PRAYER… that God will give THEM the power of His presence through their suffering as well.

Looking back, I didn’t really see ‘prayer for others’ as a positive result from my own wimpiness. But it happened! Knowing the Bible, I see that God CAN and DOES use ANYTHING to bring about His love and care into someone else’s difficulty. It is a way He ministers to His people.

In the end, everything is going to be all right. One day I will be in heaven with all those fellow believers, where will never be any sickness, sorrow or death again. I am reminded that it is a blessing that He resides with me.. even now… WITHIN the difficulties of life. No matter how big or small they come.

“pray continually…” 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Tossing and turning last night, I fell between awake and asleep. As I moved toward awake mode, the first words out of my mouth were, “Please bless him Lord!” I’d roll over and repeat that cycle until the next time I started to wake up… all night long! There was nothing more I could do! So I did it!

Being a dad and grandfather, there are times when there is nothing else I can do but PRAY! We have all been there. We shall all go through it again. The occasion for my prayer is rather significant. One of my kids is going through the hardest test he has ever taken. All he has to do is score higher than 19 other folks.. and the job is his! Knowing him, I have total confidence in his abilities. But I just need to DO something else! You know… cover ALL the bases! So I pray.

I don’t really know what kind of influence my prayers will have. He has studied for so long and so hard, that I know he is ready. His score will reflect HIS self discipline and brain power. Not mine! There is no way I can help him, as it is HIS mountain to climb. Being a Jesus Guy… I have the privilege of Prayer AND the command to Pray continually. So I do! Even thought though the outcome is 100% on my son! I think!

I noticed something funny happen to me as the date of his test got closer. I found myself talking to God and saying some VERY strange things. Even for me! “Hey God.. I have never really fasted and prayed… but I’ll try that today!” Another thought hit… I am embarrassed to say it.. but I have to be honest.. “Hey God.. give him this and I won’t ask for anything for a while!” Embarrassing right? But don’t we ALL do that… try to bargain with God to get a favorable outcome? Like asking God to influence the outcome of a football game, we KNOW it is ridiculous! But it doesn’t stop us from doing it!

In the end, my son belongs to God! He has prayed like it all depends on God.. and studied like it all depends on himself. Now, only time will tell the outcome. The rest of the family prays, as we ALL want the best for him. If there is something WE can do to give him a 1 up… we do it. But we already know that the one who will get the job is the one who gets the highest score!

I am glad that my destination of Heaven has NOTHING to do with my own preparation and good works. I failed that test before I was even born! But God was not satisfied with my score and REALLY wanted me to pass. So He sent HIS AWESOME Son to pass the test FOR me! “Am I banking on that same heart tug of God to help my son with his test,” is a question I cannot answer. But I DO know THIS… regardless of the outcome… God has my son because my son loves HIS Son. And NOTHING is more important! But I am going to pray anyway! 

“Those who have reverence for the LORD will learn from Him the path they should follow.” Psalm 25:12 GNT

I am trying to figure out how to say this. I know it may sound silly… but not NEAR as silly as the Jeremiah 13 story of the loincloth! I was very busy yesterday… doing what I do. An email request came for some help, then a phone call to talk, then another for help, then a couple call outs to set appointments, then a pleasant conversation with an unknown person that ended with clarifying how God works. LOTS of God things came to me in an orderly fashion! Let’s just call them sequenced sequins! See? I told you it’d be silly!

While reading the 25th Psalm, this verse jumped out at me. As my dad used to say, there is NO principle of God that stands on only 1 verse. If I ever argued about the Bible with him, he required at least THREE verses to prove my point. This verse is a sister verse to Proverbs 3:5-6 and it talks about how God directs the steps of someone if that someone is paying attention to directions! It is both a ‘FACT’ and a ‘DIRECTIVE.’

To DISCOVER a Truth to be true, one has to ACCEPT it and then personally APPLY it. There is a lot of hit and miss and trial and error in application. But over the years I have discovered that when I live my life according to the way God proclaims in the Bible, and then start my day off dedicating it to Him… asking for His guidance…He will guide me. But only IF I pay attention! Like I said, it is a practiced art! Yesterday morning was just like that as one by one, I was being led from one thing to another. I was busy… but not CRAZED!

The sequence of yesterday’s events was too perfect to be accidental. I WAS paying attention and it seemed that God was shining all over the place. Which is what made me think of ‘sequins!’ Yea… YOU ought to try living in my head! In EVERY situation, there was opportunity to talk about God and His Word. And in every listening ear, there was opportunity to HEAR and APPLY it. Some did … some didn’t! Which brings me back to sequins!

While Jesus was on earth He called Himself THE Light of the world.’(John 8). Elsewhere, He told a group of people that THEY were the Light of the world! (Matthew 5). It doesn’t take a brainiac to figure out that ‘I’ am a light to the world ONLY IF I reflect HIS light! Sometimes that light is received.. other times it is refused. But the shine’s reflection reception is not up to me! I am only one half of the sequence!

As Believers in Christ we are told to Go and tell! Not Go and convince or demand. Too often I have seen no result from my obedience and think that I have done a poor job. But if I have asked to shine for Him.. and I DO…the reflection reception is NOT up to me! He only promises to sequence my sequins. And I know that sounds silly… but it is Truth!

“He said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.'” Luke 5:4-5

Spending time at the local Youth for Christ center in town, it was quietly billed as a big day! The place has a half pipe for skateboarding and through the leaders connections, some very famous skateboarding celebrities were going to be showing up to show off their skills. I knew they were them because they were older than the kids usually hanging there. But I had NO idea who THEY were. I don’t skate.

Having never hung out at a skate park, I only knew what I had seen the local guys doing. And these guys were spectacular. On of them climbed a tree overlooking the ramp… leaping into the air he landed on the ramp with tremendous applause. I shouted out, “bet ya cant do it from the garage roof!!” So he did! CRAZY is not a large enough word.

One very big guy stood against a wall all by himself. I went over to him, introduced myself and shook his hand. As my hand disappeared into his, I asked, “so what do YOU do?” “I play for the Bucs” he replied. Stuttering I asked “da.. umm… you mean the Tampa BAY Bucs… The football team?” “Yes.” was all he said. Embarrassed, since I don’t follow football much, I quickly sashayed into a subject we might have in common… Jesus Christ! His eyes lit up like a Christmas Tree!

Throughout the course of the evening I listened to those famous visitors as they spoke… NOT about their fame or their games… but about their Master! Which lit ME up even more… because HE has been MY Master for even longer. Being the old guy in the group, I was energized and in awe that My Master continues to work His work in the ‘highly unlikely!’

The story line that flowed from each of their lips was basically the same. It flowed out with, “I USED to be… but THEN… and NOW!” Amazingly.. their pattern was the same as mine! It is the same story line as told in a poem in 1779 by a one time ‘BAD guy’ named John Newton. “Amazing Grace…. How sweet the sound!” As we sat around a smoky fire, our get together sparked the familiar glow that Jesus ALWAYS has a way of bringing into a crowd. The quiet was proof He was there… AND the center of attention!

The highlight of my night was not really the famous speakers. One gal looked at my Bible as saw its marked up, wrinkled pages. I was honored beyond belief when she asked… “How do you do that?” Apparently it was MY turn to ‘go deep!’ All I could whisper was, “Thank you for letting me play, Lord.”

“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” Romans 8:29

While walking through the main hallway from our bedroom to the living room, I noticed a picture upside down on the floor. A small spark of horror shot through me. It seems strange to say that… and just as strange to write. But I have DOZENS of pictures and portraits of my kids hanging on that Hall of Fame! ONE of them had dropped to the floor! I felt like I feel when I see a U.S. Flag touch the ground! UNACCEPTABLE!

Photographic memories are cherished honors to me. When I take the time to look back and remember, I have a better picture of my life than when the picture was actually taken. See those pictures of my kid’s receiving their college diplomas? I REMEMBER how HARD it was to get there… and I am reminded how much HARDER it was to get through! But the triumphant smile on the picture says… DONE!

Those pictures of weddings with everyone dressed in their best, all smiling, tell a story of expansion, as our family has increased over the years BY CHOICE! Each picture in sequence, with little one’s included, count off the blessed increase! Now ONE was on the floor…NOT ACCEPTABLE! I picked up the picture and looked… it brought back a flood of precious memories. As I put it back in its place, I realized that the restoration had an immediate affect on my heart as well. I was reminded that I am a VERY blessed man!

Being ‘Born Again’ into God’s family can be like a photo. The evidence of the moment is there…but I don’t clearly remember it. Looking back on my life, He has grown me up into a MUCH different person than I would have been without Him. Old struggles and trials, now over, serve as victorious snapshots as He was shaping me into the person I have become. What USED to hold fear and uncertainty has become laughing milestones… photos that prompt the question, “remember when?”

Children do not choose to be born. That is the decision of the parents… even if made in ignorance! But Parenting is the most serious business on the planet and my Heavenly Father takes it quite seriously! I was NOT an accident and my Father has an EXACT PURPOSE in my upbringing. He is ALWAYS working to mold me into a carbon copy of His son Jesus Christ… THE Perfect Picture!

There may be times I fall and feel UNACCEPTABLE!… like I deserve to be in the ‘Hall of Shame!’ But MY Father will NEVER allow me to hang there. Because His Son chose to hang on a Cross, I will forever hang on His wall! Take a look… See that smile? It is there because I could NOT be ANY more grateful!

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” Ephesians 2:8

In my wallet I held a $25 gift card to a specialized health food store in the next town. Since ‘Health Food’ is not really a thing with us, it had been in my wallet for a LONG time. We went to that store a couple months ago and shopped, walking out with 1 jar of Red Pepper Jelly! Since the card had about $21 left on it, since I was in that town, and since the Red Pepper Jelly was running low, I decided to stop in.

My wife is a preschool teacher and every year, on special occasions, she gets gifts from parents. Some are eclectic… like this gift card. We don’t shop at this store, but apparently they do… did…and thought it a great gift to honor my wife. They picked what THEY loved and passed it on to HER. The card lay unused because we do not treasure the place like they do. Though it does NOT make the gift any less act of love… it DOES make it of little use to US!

The gift card industry is BIG business. BILLIONS are spent on them, as it is a great way to give something without really having to pick out something user specific. Stores love them because a large percentage of gift cards go unused… bringing profit to the merchant without having to provide a product! The cards are store specific, so I can’t use THIS card at the junk food store! Too bad huh?

The biggest need, in this whole wide world of choices, is SALVATION from the lake of Fire. From the Garden of Eden to now, sin sincerely placed a HUGE debt upon every living human being. A debt that NO one could actually pay. But apparently enough distraction was found that eternal death wasn’t really that big of a deal to most humans. Enter God!

While we were sinners, God’s Son came and made a purchase. HE didn’t need the gift, didn’t NEED man, but LOVED us more than we deserved. His action at the cross paid for my debt… IN FULL! Afterward, He presented that free gift in the form of a card. “Here ya go! Life for FREE!” It is presented to man as “The Gospel!” It has to be CHOSEN and REDEEMED to work! Sadly, it mostly goes unused!

Far too many folks buy into satan’s lie that hell is about sinning, and that the chances of going there are diminished if sin is. Focus on sin is silly… since 1 sin kills us forever! NO one can reverse that fact. But there IS a GIFT CARD that EVERYONE has at their disposal. But to USE it.. you have to CHOOSE to accept it, GO to the only 1 place that honors it and purchase the ONE item for which it was given… Eternal LIFE!

SOOOOO… as the commercial asks.. “What’s in YOUR wallet?”