Waking up earlier, on purpose, it was still dark outside. Taking coffee to the place that always starts my mornings I wondered, ‘Do I read my Bible first or check the weather report?’ It’s not a question that often comes. But then, neither do hurricanes! Since there is a statistically probable chance one may come, I decided It best to be open to God’s directive by first knowing what I’m facing!

For the first time in years, the thought hit me yesterday to dig out the plywood to cover the windows. Where it came from I can’t be certain… but it came. Looking at the weather and praying my heart out in faith had not changed the direction of the predicted storm… as I had believed. God’s hand HAS moved bigger storms than this away from us. But so far… not yet. So the plywood thought occurred!

Both life and Scouting have taught me the importance of being prepared in the wake of any kind of difficulty. Faith, being neither blind nor stupid, requires evaluation! Simply saying, “eh… it’ll be fine,” does not make it so and Scripture never gives awards for leaping off the cliffs of life without first evaluating what, when, why and how! FACTS, ‘a hurricane is on the way, I have plywood… put it up!’

Fear is something I don’t do very well. The Master of my life has told me, through His Word, to NOT fear, so I actively work on trusting Him. While I know that there is NO verse in the Bible that says, ‘God helps those that help themselves.’ Neither is there a verse that says, ‘Just have Faith and life will be smooth!’ After all, Noah had to build the ark! It took him, and God’s patience, 100 years to do so.

Like Paul, I am supposed to live my life in Christ as an example to follow. That means being careful what I do because people are watching. So if there are folks watching me today, I want them to see me praying in Faith that my God will move the Storm away, but see me preparing as if He won’t! Either way, He remains the quiet in the midst of all my storms!

“I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.” – Paul – Philippians 4:12

“Hey!! How about a cheap frozen Pizza tonight?” The words came out of my mouth after Katie asked what we could eat for dinner. We usually eat something quick and cheap on Sunday nights… so $5.50 and hour later, the oven was pre-heating. 8 minutes into a 10 minute process, I began making adjustments because the pizza wasn’t looking like it would meet my expectations!

Our oven runs hot, so instead of 425, I set it to 415. Under the oven light, the pizza was looking under-done. So I cranked the heat up a little. A minute later, I turned it off completely because it was too brown around the edges. Pulling it out after 12 minutes, it was what it was! DONE! Half the pizza was over-cooked, half was under-cooked. But being hungry, we ate it with contentment!

While writing this, my phone went off with an urgent text telling me that Tropical Storm Ian, which was SUPPOSED to turn away from us, had made an adjustment in the night and now MAY actually strengthen and hit us! His text came from anxiousness because, while he has a house here, he’s actually 5 states away! I’ve learned that anxious pre-storm calls are more predictable than weather!

If you’ve lived in Florida for as long as I have, you have lived through MANY storm warnings. And if the media and retailers have learned anything, it’s that ‘fear sells!’ Preying on those who fear is profitable because of what I call ‘The Contentment Factor!’ People don’t like unpredictable, uncomfortable situations and will spend lots of money to acquire just a small shot at contentment!

Today’s verse rests right in the middle of a list of experienced variables. From good to bad, Paul had seen them all. Through him, God is trying to warn and teach us that there are 2 possible directions from which contentment can arrive. From the outside or inside. God goes to extreme measures to prepare us to choose HIS REAL contentment, which ONLY comes from Him and from the inside.

Adjusting the oven and fiddling with externals may change the look of a pizza, but if contentment is determined by meeting external expectations, then disappointment and anxiousness are guaranteed! Like Paul, I have learned that preparing for the worst, expecting the least, and trusting GOD to meet my needs no matter what, is the key to being truly content. Weather forecasts do not even faze me!

Have YOU, like Paul, learned ‘the secret to being truly content in every situation?’ Because there WILL be tests!

F.A.I.T.H. – Fear Ain’t In This House!

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’” John 11:25-26

I fell into a hole last night and didn’t even see it coming! We were out with some friends singing Karaoke when Karen came up and asked if I had attended the funeral of Dylan. If you have ever had a punch in the heart like this one, you know the feeling. In an instant, my life changed. The ‘falling into the hole’ process starts with a dark, confusing attempt to find something solid to stand on.

I met Dylan after meeting Karen. We had been at the same place doing the same thing we were last night. She was a teacher, and after finding out what I did, she asked if I’d be interested in mentoring a 9^th grader who could use some help. One thing led to another and, about a month later, I met Dylan. Soon, Dylan brought 2 friends and we had weekly appointments. Then time moved us.

For about 2 years Dylan and I got together. Two years of creative thinking, adapting and praying to discover what I could do that would be beneficial. Donuts and Breakfast Sandwiches soon became a staple. But I ALWAYS made sure that Jesus was there as well. I know he heard every word. But time and events move, and the desires of a 14 year old are a lot different than at 16.

Other than desire over time, there was no 1 reason we stopped getting together. After a while, and after too many no shows, we just grew apart. I couldn’t MAKE him meet with me, so time brought us to a fork in the road where he went in another direction. I’d call him once in a while… he was doing well. My last call was around Thanksgiving last year. Last night I heard he had been killed in January!

I’m still in shock and didn’t sleep well last night. I’d wake up and he was on my mind with questions that I had no answers for. Finally, after running to Jesus in the midst of them, I placed those questions into His hands by faith. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to meet this young man and share what I could about life and The Savior.

One thing I have discovered out of this news is that I am honored to have met, gotten to know and to share the real meaning of life with a young man that no longer has a life here on this Earth. The sad story makes me want to remember that life is sad. And that there is truly only 1 hope in all of it. The ability to share the love of Christ and His Grace is never wasted. So I will continue to share.

Are YOU telling people about The Savior?

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17

BAHHHHHHM!  The sparks were flying last night.. and if you weren’t at our Bible Study you missed quite a show! Studying Colossians 3, we were diving into what it means to be dead WITH Christ and yet alive IN Him. One thing led to another, and 1 question to another. Soon, it seemed, everyone got their toes stepped on. Then the questions and opinions got louder! Then, because I had to… so did I!

I cannot begin to tell you how much I love and appreciate our special, little flock of sheep. As I thought about it, I’m thinking our ‘specialness’ might be the reason for our small size! Our sheep are so tough, few are willing to fit in! I’ve said it before, our sheep are SMART when it comes to the Bible. They are also opinionated and not afraid to show it! So when the tone raised up, I did too!

Many of the points they were trying to make were valid… kind of.  But they were missing the MAIN point where Jesus was trying to move us.  The comments weren’t getting us any closer. Finally I yelled… “STOP!!!! YA’LL KEEP TALKIN’ ABOUT STUFF YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT!” It got quieter! Smiling inside, I reminded myself, ‘these are my kind of sheep… cuz they’re not afraid to speak up!’

Visiting an office yesterday, I was waiting my turn when a long haired hippie from my generation walked in. The receptionist told him to please sign the register and sit down. He responded, “if ya want me to do something, tell me NOT to do it!” He didn’t know, but he’d just recited the idea found in Romans 7:7. My sheep had heard something they didn’t believe, so they argued! It’s natural!

To be a sheep is a special calling. Answering His call makes me special because I must realize, like every other Believer, either the hard way or the easy way, that JESUS is the Master. I am His servant! When getting together with Him and His other sheep, one thing is certain… sparks are gonna fly! And if I can’t handle sheep sparks… maybe I’m not as BAAAAAAAAHD as I think!     I LOVE our Flock!  How BAHHHHHHD are YOU?

P.S. The following is a sheep’s guide to being one. I HIGHLY recommend it

Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat Session 1

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

The day being Katie’s Birthday, I was out looking for special things. Not for things ON special, but things that WERE special… to HER! Having personally known her for over 45 years, and making a point to study and learn what she likes and dislikes, I was using that acquired knowledge to buy things I figured SHE would especially like. Then I discovered just how special, special could be!

My bride loves Twizzlers… Cherry Bites are her favorite candy. Going to a local store I found them in the candy aisle where, above the shelf hung a sign that said “2 for $4.50.” What surprise and joy it was to find out that I could actually get what she wanted at a special price! Grabbing 2, I went to the checkout where the lady said, “that will be $9.63 please!” My response was… “HUH?”

It turned out that the ‘special price’ was for ‘rewards members only!’ And since I hadn’t swiped a rewards card first, I was not entitled to the special discount! Providing some helpful suggestions as to why I really AM special, nothing would work! Then I remembered my special bride and asked,” Will you substitute my wife’s phone number? Instantly… ‘I’ became ‘special’ too… and saved $4.81!

When it comes to so many things in this life, and in the next one too, “it’s not what you do… but who you KNOW!” In the case of the candy, my special connection to my special wife made ME special too! Today’s verse is a Heavenly Special offered by Jesus Christ to ANYONE! That is… anyone who WANTS to take advantage of His offer! It’s a HUGE savings… but it’s not free!

Marriage can be a struggle when 2 independent people choose to lay aside their own interests to meet the interests of the one they love more than themselves. It’s like a law of diminished returns! When I give up my wants in favor of my lover’s wants, I get back more than I gave up! And Jesus promises the same special! Fruit becomes MUCH fruit when I join Him as a Rewards Member!

The cost isn’t really a debate. In fact, to get His special requires that I give Him EVERYTHING! Not just all my money… but the whole wallet, all the clothes, the house, the car and MY will for anything other than HIM! But the rewards to those who willingly take advantage of His offer… are out of this world!

So how about it? Are YOU special?

“For we will surely die and become like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away a life; but He devises means, so that His banished ones are not expelled from Him.” 2 Samuel 14:14 NKJV

I just know that today is going to be special, because today is our Church’s 2^nd meeting for the ‘Good News Club’ at our local Middle School. Being the first of it’s kind in the entire USA, we are excited to have the opportunity to share the Good News with kids this age. Being the 2^nd meeting means we’ve already had a 1^st! Unfortunately, we didn’t make it a week before receiving some bad news!

I didn’t personally see it, but I was sent a screenshot of some comments on one of our School Board members Facebook websites. I had to look at it twice before even registering a reaction, because the first look made no sense. Someone had attacked the club calling what we are doing ‘Christofascist Indoctrination,’ and ‘the worship of an imaginary sky daddy!’ And it got worse!!!

The picture attached showed a man on a cannon (representing God) aiming… and then blasting away a 4 year old child in flames! Beside the child was written the word ‘Leukemia.’ The message was loud and clear. The writer was insinuating what many people believe… that every death, accident or disaster is caused by God! The claim is outrageous, sad and WRONG! And it is also my fault!

I say it’s my fault because I am a part of The Church that has been infiltrated by an evil force that our loving God WARNED would be coming. The Church’s responsibility is to make sure that the evil NOT win! Unfortunately, I have heard FAR too many Believers in Christ repeat the same stupid idea with words like, “God must have needed an angel… so he took your baby!” I want to vomit!

The idea that God ‘TAKES’ people is disgusting, even though it may be well intended. It makes folks feel better that their loved one is no longer suffering and is now with God, in Heaven, where there is no more pain or sorrow! But even an idiot can see the illogical reasoning the myth leaves behind. “Since God takes life, then HE is responsible for killing MY BABY!” So they hate Him for it! STUPID!

I say “STUPID” as loud, obnoxious and disrespectful as I can! Because I want EVERYONE to know… telling people, directly or indirectly, that God takes life as some master plan is EVIL, WRONG and BAD NEWS! ANYONE who thinks, says or insinuates that notion needs to STOP! The fellow who took time to write a scathing review of Good News has been damaged because of this kind of Stupid News!

I am a Christian… a firm, faith-filled lover of the God who LOVES ME SO MUCH… He sent His Son to be MURDERED FOR ME! How dare I say, or allow other members of His Church say things that misrepresent Him… and without correction?! It is MY DUTY! If you are a Believer, it is yours too! An 11th Commandment could summarize the previous 10 by saying… ‘Thou shalt not be Stupid!’

Do you believe, or are YOU causing other people to believe, evil things about your loving Heavenly Father that are untrue? I am called to tell THE GOOD NEWS… and that is what I will do!  How about you?

“Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.” Ephesians 4:28

Katie and I were driving home in a torrential downpour recently and it was hard to even see the road. Since it was about dinner time anyway, I suggested we stop to get something to eat. After ordering, she went to get her drink and find us a seat. After getting the food and grabbing a wad of napkins by accident, I saw she had done the same. Immediately my guilt meter went off!

Raising 4 kids, and being a certified Sheepdog for Jesus, I’m still like a Father to the sheep in the flock. That means I am to teach those under my care about the important things of God. Because Church membership is voluntary, I can’t just come out and say things like, “clean up after yourself, be on time, or stop wasting money!” Sheep like diplomacy. But there I was, guilty of stealing!

It may seem like a minor offense, but the napkin holder had spewed out about 6 at a time. And there Katie and I were, with a stack of napkins we weren’t going to use! Not knowing napkin etiquette, I didn’t know if it was OK to put them back, throw them away or leave them for someone else to deal with. All I knew was, waste was sitting in front of me… and I was personally guilty!

Little things like that bother me. Some folks may tell you that I should be more worried about more important things, but I am me! Therefore, unless I’m taught by someone else, or by experience, my bothers are my bothers. I’ve learned that if something bothers Father God, it SHOULD bother ME! Today’s verse tells me that saving to share with others is a big deal with God.

The average cost of 1 paper towel is $.02. Two cents doesn’t sound like much, but if everyone twirled off 2 paper towels to dry their hands every time, the waste would be immeasurable. As I sat in the restaurant staring at our pile of stolen napkins, I gave that some thought. And THAT is my two cents worth for today!

Are YOU using God’s resources wisely and He expects?

“He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.'” Mark 16:15

“Have ya heard the news today?” That statement is used regularly these days. In fact, I heard it from 3 different people over the last 2 days myself! In each case, I had to say, “no I haven’t,” since I chose to quit listening to news broadcasts a few years ago. But that doesn’t diminish the effect of the line when I hear it. My immediate reaction is to cringe and think, “what now?”

The old line, ‘no news is good news’ has a lot of truth to it. When the word ‘news’ is said, the anticipation is usually negative. The fact is, the worse the news, the more attention it gets… and more money for the deliverer. The term ‘Breaking News’ came into being when something SO shocking happened it demanded interruption of everything normal. Until ‘shock’ became normal.

The word for this process is propaganda! Instead of reporting news, some crafty folks paid attention to the results and figured out how they could MAKE news that would actually influence and change the thoughts of hearers… effectively making good evil and evil good in the minds of the hearers. Marching to the beat, whole ideologies were born, from communism to WOKE!

Being a genuine Believer and follower of the Creator of the Universe, my thoughts on ‘News’ changed when I heard what HE had to say. His Words don’t echo as loudly these days as they once did. But that doesn’t make them any less ‘Breaking!’ In a world where sin and evil reign, The Lord of the Universe STILL expects that ‘The Gospel’ be proclaimed! And that friends, is GOOD NEWS!

As Believers and followers of what was once called ‘The Way,’ it is our honor to DO what today’s verse proclaims. That is to ‘go’ out into our world and tell folks about the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ! How His grace and mercy can BREAK sin’s hold and deliver us from it’s clutches. The story finds Jesus instructing the 11 disciples, but there is no way 11 can impact the world without US.

Have YOU heard the Good News lately? Is it affecting you to the point of wanting to share it with a broken world? There are people near you who need to hear some. 

“Do not trust in extortion or put vain hope in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.” Psalm 62:10

Katie and I like to eat out at restaurants because, being just the 2 of us, most of the time it works out to be more convenient and economical. When we have Gift Cards from Credit Card points to offset the pricing, it makes dining out even better. One thing I have learned is that, like most people, servers are a strange and varied group. But the last time out caused me to question my sanity!

The food was great, the server was good. Knowing service goes down as the restaurant population goes up, I sometimes have to put on patience with love. Especially when, after eating, I waited 10 minutes for the bill which, this time with a gift card, came to $4. Knowing servers like TIPS in cash, I laid a $20 bill down and waited 5 more minutes. His response? “Do you want change, sir?” “HUH?”

With a $25 gift card the meal came to $4. I make it a point to leave at least a 20% TIP on the total bill, including taxes! That meant $6 for the tip. Add $4 for the food balance and a $20 bill should get me $10 back, right? And that’s generous, right? But the server threw me off when he asked if I wanted change! Having been in sales for years, I wondered, “does that line work for you often?”

Now I can’t blame someone for trying! Or can I? Trying to get more for less might be considered smart if I’m shopping. But seeking patronage through excessive or exorbitant charge is called extortion… which God hates! The irritating thing was, I wasn’t as irritated at the server as I was at myself because the Holy Spirit pointed right at my heart and asked ME… “how often do YOU do that?”

Getting by with minimum effort for maximum gain is a sinful human trait. Being human, I both hate and fight the inclination. But according to the Holy Spirit, that doesn’t make me innocent! Pointing the comparison finger at other people and claiming, “but Lord, I’m not as guilty as THEM,” does not work! Because Christ’s standard is perfection. A position I have yet to attain, and one which He continues to press!

Seeking oceans full of Grace from God, for the tiniest droplet of obedience in return, is extortion. I am finding that God is as shocked at MY response and efforts as I was at MY server’s statement. OF COURSE God wants me to serve Him well. OF COURSE He expects change in return! Why was I thinking anything less would be just fine with Him?  And then He reminded me… “No, I don’t care HOW busy or stressed you are!  PAY ATTENTION!”

Are you extorting God for His maximum benefits, but giving Him back mediocre service?