“Keep yourself from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ by making every effort to add to your faith…” 2 Peter 1:5-8 (Kinda)

It’s been extremely busy at our house lately. Not unusual! But so busy, that normal has been drowned by the sweat of busy business. With several unusual events happening or coming up, we have adjusted and exchanged normalcy for the extreme. One of our ‘normal’ events we shelved last week was going to the Gym. I cringe to even write that!

There are only so many hours in a day. And when a goal to accomplish something bigger ends up driving the ship, even if only temporarily, directions and courses often get changed. Over a year ago Katie, and the results of a blood test, persuaded me to agree to join a gym. This week, we missed ‘Gym’ a couple of times. Though really, I was NOT sorry to see him go!

I have an image problem with Gym. I don’t carry the look of a buff, male specimen. And don’t really care to. When vising Gym, I see lots of specimens expending an extraordinary amount of sweat and energy. Looking in the mirror, as so man of them do, I am forced to ask the poignant question, “what’s the point?”

Looking buff and in shape are externals. Since I don’t regularly walk in front of a mirror, I don’t really focus looks. My goal and purpose in life lies within me. So internally focusing on an external is of no interest and seems a waste of time. At least when I’m cutting grass or trimming bushes, I can SEE progress. The same issue applies to my reading the Bible.

I have issues. We all do. Most of the time I do just fine. But now and again I fail. And while failure isn’t typically visual, it DOES carry a heavy load of guilt and sorrow along with it. And how I FEEL matters more than how look. Kinda! Exercising today’s partial Bible verse helps me to send guilt and sorrow down the road. Which BECOMES the point!

I read that when a cockroach touches a human, it will flee to safety in order to clean itself! I cringe at that thought because, this fact proves the cockroach my superior! When touched by the unclean, the distinct call of God’s intent for my life calls me to His Word to cleanse, perfect, and put me back on God’s track. Which, I have LEARNED… IS THE POINT!

Whose track are YOU running on?

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7 NLT

The legendary stories of the great coffee pot have come to an end. It is… no more! As my mortal soul slowly perks to the mournful tune of TAPS, I must seek, find and implement a mutually satisfying ‘coffee’ solution with my wife. Few things are more difficult!

It was Sunday morning when I got up early to prepare for church. Having preset the coffee to be made upon awakening, a lifeless, empty pot sat where there SHOULD have been hot, steamy, aromatic brew. A frantic pushing of buttons on the panel brought no signs of life. It was GONE! Problem 1… NEED COFFEE!

Katie was asleep and had NO idea the situation existed. But when she awoke, she would WANT COFFEE. That burden rests on me because… He-brews! After weighing options, I found myself standing at Walmart’s coffee pot isle, weighing options. Cost and color battled for dominance. Remembering the old one, BLACK was preferred. But all that sat on the shelf was ‘red’ or ‘silver.’ I had a problem. What do I want???

What I wanted was COFFEE. Knowing my wife to be color particular, I chose the red and hurried home. I KNEW it could go bad… and it did. Only AFTER she drank her coffee did the issue come up! “RED??” she said. “But it clashes! What can we do about THAT?” And the clock was ticking.

Returning the coffee pot didn’t seem a noble answer. “Thank you for the coffee fix, but we really don’t like the color” doesn’t seem a legitimate excuse. The item is now USED! What can THEY do with it? AND… It did DO what I bought it to do. Sunday night reminded me that we would need coffee Monday morning. All I had was a red coffee maker! So I loaded ‘er up!

Now this sounds ridiculous. But like SO many issues of life, it is VERY real. Desire and want constantly fight; color over convenience, easy over difficult, immediate need over artistic expression. No matter the choice, the other choice loses! And time keeps ticking.

Jesus said, “ask and you will receive.” At the initial reading of this verse lies an apparent promise. But with the promise comes other questions. What if what I ask for isn’t what I SHOULD be asking for? Is it possible for me to be WRONG? Will I have to ultimately live with that choice or do I get another. As with SO many lessons from Jesus, the answer to these questions is… “yes!” The REAL question then becomes… ‘what do I REALLY want?’What about YOU?  

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

It’s happened a lot lately. Going to sleep last night in the state of Florida, I woke up in the state of ‘conflicted!’ And I hadn’t even planned the trip! But after stepping on the scale this morning, evidence of ‘unintentional travel’ was staring me in the face. NOW… like it or not (and I apparently ‘liked it’ a LOT) I’ve got some decisions to make!

They call it ‘FALL’ for a reason. But I didn’t expect the season to reflect the desires of my heart! About a month ago, the HUGE sign at the frozen food section of Walmart said, “PUMPKIN PIE – $3.85”! So I bought one, not realizing it had to be BAKED. The bowl of soup, after it thawed, proved I hadn’t read the directions. So I tossed it and bought another! When cool enough, in the back of the refrigerator, I discovered a leftover container of whipped cream! The rest is history!

In the last month we have gone through 3 pies! But only two of us live in this house, and Katie doesn’t eat pie. So WE didn’t go through ANYTHING! The evidence, looking back from the scale, convicted me of single-handed over-indulgence. Apparently… I liked it WAY TOO MUCH! And it’s only October! So my convicted heart is now asking, “where do you go from HERE, Porky?”

Some Bible verses are clear and simple. Others, like today’s, require a little more study than just a simple reading can supply. Since God doesn’t make mistakes, I can’t blame HIM for my desire for pie. Going deceptively further, It would be easy to suggest that, “SINCE there was a half full container of whipped cream in my fridge, God MUST have desired I EAT IT!” Yes… I’ve met people who think like that! And that thinking is dangerously contagious!

When I place my emphasis on God and HIS desire for me, HE has the ability to change my heart to desire HIS virtue and will. It’s all discovered in the power of His Word and suggestions by the Holy Spirit. If I WANT to please Him, He shows me HOW. The more I look to HIM, the easier He can be seen and followed. Being honest with myself is a first step. The bad news from the scales of life CAN be demoralizing. But they’re not supposed to be.

Facts are Facts! And the facts do not display emotion. Having aligned the facts with my life, and after being convicted, my next step is to decide what I will DO with them. It is MY decision as to when, and if, change will come. But I NEED to decide! Because Walmart is ALWAYS open, my Bible and spirit need to be as well.

What are the desires of YOUR heart?  

 “… do not look to your own interests but to the interests of others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:4-5

The time has come to part with another blessing from our Heavenly Father. 15 years ago we bought another house, with the intention of selling this one, and moving. Having 2 houses doubles the work, and we’ve reached the decision to part ways with the other place. All was going well, until an inspector told us there’s a problem. Apparently I have leakage!

NOW is NOT the TIME! I was looking forward to being done and over with the repair business. When I went to check out the leaky problem, I discovered it was non-existent! Which makes matters even WORSE! Though I have a problem that doesn’t exist, it STILL needs to be addressed! In other words, a PERCEIVED problem needs to disappear!

I love my Realtor! Both she and my wife talked me down off the ledge, then gently helped me climb back into my Jesus suit! They helped me recognize the benefit of looking out for other people’s interests as well as my own. Oftentimes, this preacher needs preached TO! I really appreciate it when people who care about me do the hard thing and tell the truth.

Getting into other people’s business is something that Jesus did often… and well. Truthfully, it didn’t work out most of the time, and we KNOW what happened to Him. But He was not sent here by His Dad to be served. He came to serve! AND to teach people, like me, how to do the same! This verse today makes it crystal clear… Jesus wants me to leak!

When I was a kid, my mom often called me a ‘me-first-er.’ Demanding my own way, jumping to the head of a line, being non-cooperative and LOUD were just some of the ways I used to get my own way. My mom is resting from her troubles now and in Heaven with Jesus. But a MUCH more assertive leader, The Holy Spirit, has taken her place. And HE doesn’t mess around!

When I go to the store, He reminds me of things that Katie or the church need and urges me to get them. When I see someone in a tough spot, He interrupts me to offer assistance. I DON’T have to tell you the battles we have when I’m driving! There, I am a SERIOUS work in progress! But PROGRESS is what He is always shooting for.

I am called to look… and THINK… like Jesus! To be sure, this expectation from God is a MAJOR inconvenience! He NEVER leaves and RARELY quiets down. And He can be quite demanding. But as I face this day, I am reminded by my house incident, that leaks are not only inevitable… they are REQUIRED!

For God’s sake… what are YOU doing?

“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10

I’ve heard of stories where a woman’s plan was interrupted by the sudden jolt of her ‘water breaking,’ sending her into labor! Not being a woman, I’ve not experienced or witnessed such an event. That is… until last night, when within a matter of minutes, the BIGGEST BABY I have ever seen was born. And right there in the middle of a room full of people!

The subject of our Bible Study was ‘HOW’ someone is saved and assured of their guarantee of a place in Heaven. Is it by Faith…? By Works…? A combination of both? And IF they are saved, is it possible to ABSOLUTELY KNOW that they ARE? Suddenly, there was a groan in the room!

It wasn’t spectacular… or really even all that noticeable. I just happened to be looking in the right direction when it happened and recognized ‘the look!’ Within a matter of moments, about 30 of us witnessed the experience of a BIG baby being birthed!

It started with the simple question, “if YOU were to die right this moment, would YOU KNOW FOR CERTAIN you would go to Heaven?” It is NOT an essay question! When life is threatening to expire, or erupt, it’s a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer! With his negative answer, there was really no time to exacerbate the situation with long theological discussions and explanations. So I gave him what Sgt. Friday of ‘Dragnet’ fame used to say… “just the facts!”

Within moments, the Holy Spirit invaded the room and took over. All we could do was watch at the wonder of New Birth. Eternal and in Jesus Style! Birth went off without a hitch and Heaven received another citizen. Just like that! Tho preparations for that moment had been laid for YEARS!

When someone is Born Again in Christ, I ALWAYS remember when I was. At 12, I wasn’t an intellectual, moral or sophisticated prize. But I was old enough to understand that there was NO WAY a perfect God could allow an IMPERFECT being into His presence. I recognized that I was ‘eternally screwed’ and in need of a Savior. Enter Jesus!

Jesus does it all the time. And to people who don’t even know they are on the verge of being born. Some choose to stop the process by rejecting God’s free offer. But for those of us who said YES, Eternal Life is unexplainably VERY REAL. ‘Knowing so’ is just part of the experience.

Do you remember when YOU said ‘Yes’ to Jesus’ Offer of Free Eternal Life? If not, you might want to stop looking up what ‘ exacerbate’ means and instead, take the time to find out what being ‘Born Again’ is all about! I’m ALWAYS available and honored to fill in as a labor coach!

How about a little traveling music please, Maestro!!!

“I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths.” Proverbs 4:11

Today will be the start of something big! At least for our house. Having lived here for well over 30 years, the pathway and drive will be ripped up and replaced with new pavers. Though the physical experience of driving will remain unchanged, my lovely wife will LOVE coming home to the new look.

The choice for this project came because of her emphasis on the visual. She has an artist’s brain, so if something is messy, crooked or even old, she wants to see it replaced. I am the ONLY physical thing that has escaped that refined eye… so I TRY not to push my luck! I can appreciate that seeing, and HOW we see, has HUGE ramifications.

Because needs and wants are subjective, it is easy to confuse and distort someone’s view on almost any matter. Sometimes that can cause more problems than the actual problem! (just look at our political world today).  Katie and I have a fine driveway right now and we don’t NEED a new one! But HER vision and the way SHE sees it, tips the scales from ‘want’ to ‘need’ in a rather creative way. So I CHOOSE to get a new driveway because… ‘I’ need AND want… a happy wife!

God chose a rather colorful man to send us messages directly from Him. Solomon was given the wisdom to hear and communicate God’s heart to people in MANY matters that matter. But because God is loving and considerate, He did not make His wisdom MANdatory! Man chose, with the aid of ‘first loser satan,’ to press the “free will” button and go his own way. Unfortunately God, out of love, was forced to abide by the terms that man’s choice brought.

One of my favorite sayings comes from an old Scottish preacher named George Moore who said, “The difficulty in life… is the choice!” HUGE truth! God, who INVENTED nit-picking moms and wives, uses Proverbs as a method to … well pick! And He does so in Proverbs… over and over and over again. In a nutshell, God said… “pick me and get wisdom!” As the original salesman, He then goes on to lay out the features and benefits of doing just that.

Through the centuries, preachers, prophets, kings and commoners like me, have confirmed that God really MEANS what He says. His benefits to me are BEYOND counting and CANNOT be dismissed. “Jesus WORKS” is one of my sayings. “Try Me” is one of His. I did, and He does!

Now… How do YOU see life?

“Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.” Genesis 3:7b

It all started from a seed. An idea that sprouted in one of our church folk. Coming to me, he made the suggestion that, “since we own a land that is mostly just lawn, why don’t we plant a vegetable garden to help feed our flock?” This seed expanded and, before long, we now have a cleared out piece of dirt awaiting the next step. And somehow… I am now a farmer!

Greg, the brains behind this idea, handed me a pot with dirt and some green things growing out of it. “This is for you,” he said. Apparently it’s supposed to turn into huge thriving melon plants. As he described it, I had a vision of me sitting among large, green, orbs of juiciness. Within a week, the plants were dead! But I HAD WARNED him of my history!

I can’t grow anything. After trying numerous times, I apparently yielded my potential green thumb over to the powers of darkness! Weeds are all I seem to grow well! But not wishing to stunt the growth of a good idea, I’m playing along with a group of would be gardeners, doing what they ask me to do, planning for dirt, ordering fencing and just being available.

I’ve been to the site with shovel and ax. Already, I have invested sweat and blood. Literally! And we haven’t planted 1 seed yet. But I trust! There are people who have caught this vision and THEY believe! Me? I believe in THEM. So when the questions come, like, “hey, what’s with the garden?” Or, “when are we going to…?” I just forward those questions to a team of folks who seem to know the answers.

The whole process of gardening for food came about from the first sin. And since I’m good at sinning, I conclude that I should take some responsibility in the food growing project! Because, it seems to me, that it is God’s way of doing things!

God is a farmer! His parables of sowing and reaping, along with shepherding, prove that God plays the long game. Seeds and lambs take time, money and work before any results can be seen. And since there is an enemy lurking out there, there are NO guarantees. Except that HE will be with me through ANY situation.

I’m planning for painful toil! I see it coming, I WILL be ready and available. Because having read that Bible verse, one word stands out that gives me hope… “WILL!” If I do MY part, HE WILL see to it that the result will come to me in the form of a benefit. Even if the plants die! To God… NOTHING is ever wasted. Even the lessons to a poor gardener!

So what’s growing in YOU?  

“…cry aloud for understanding… look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure.” Proverbs 2:3-4

If God is ever interested in getting a laugh, all He needs to do is turn to the Channel of MY life! The older I get the more hilarious the show seems to become! That is, if ridiculous and nonsensical are considered funny! Why yesterday, for example, I managed to misplace a set of keys, a thermometer, a wire brush and the TV remote… TWICE! Which to me, isn’t funny!

In my experience, there are 2 kinds of lost things. One I call ‘JUST!’ Like, “I JUST had my keys in my hand!” Or, “I was JUST talking on my phone!” These kind are absolute brain scramblers because they imply personal stupidity on top of the frustration. The harder I try to remember, the dumber I feel as recent memory fades to black.

The other kind of loss is ‘GONE.’ My garage has DRAWERS FULL of tools and supplies in a loose kind of order. There’s a ‘fastener’ drawer that holds screws, nails, rivets etc. The rivet gun is in there (or supposed to be) for obvious reasons. When I looked for my old wire brush in the paint drawer, it wasn’t there. It was… GONE! I have at least 8 hammers, until I need one. Then… they are GONE! If a hammer was used recently, it is ‘JUST GONE!’

The Book of Proverbs is a Book about finding something that you never really had in the first place. Apparently it isn’t enough to keep track of your own stuff, God expects us to keep track of what we don’t even HAVE yet! Solomon, the writer of most of the Proverbs, spends 2 whole chapters telling us how important it is to look for, find and KEEP something that we don’t even own yet! Then he adds warnings to those who won’t even bother! Why? Because to our Creator, it’s important stuff!

The Bible is God’s Word and throughout the whole book of books there lies a clearly spelled out expectation from God Himself. ‘Dig into Me! Search for Me! Find Me! Catalog Me! Remember Me!’ Then follow His PROMISES of what will happen when I DO! Promises of an abundant life, Peace, Joy and even riches that the world knows nothing about! Unfortunately a better memory isn’t among them!

Today I have resolved to spend some quality time digging deep for God’s wisdom and understanding. As I do, I hear Katie ‘crying aloud’ in the other room. She JUST lost her keys and sunglasses… and her patience is JUST GONE! I think I’ll go help her first.

Are YOU looking for Wisdom and Understanding?

“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Colossians 2:15

Getting ready to walk out the door, my wife gave a little shriek! I say ‘little’ because there is ‘little’ she shrieks from. But it was enough to focus my attention… “is that a SNAKE under our furniture?” she asked. Bending down, I barely saw the aforementioned critter lying motionless before me. I reached in, grabbed it, then shook and shouted… “Snake! Snake! Snake!” Katie was not amused. Since all it proved to be was the TV Cable.

Of course I knew it before I grabbed it. I had just done some work there and cut part of that cable out. But I couldn’t resist a tease. Of course, she was never in any REAL danger. But she THOUGHT she was. Fear was the REASON I was able to pull off the prank in the first place. Genuine fear can come from pretend dangers that do not exist. I see it everyday as worry, doubt, concern and the unknown send little pranks my way on a daily basis. Pranks that come from a toothless snake that has absolutely NO power to harm me. Until or unless… I let it.

I LOVE this Bible verse today. It refers to Jesus taking the REAL and ULTIMATE enemies, death and satan, and defanging them. Making them unable to do ANYTHING but curl up, writhe and LOOK dangerous. THEN, the verse says Jesus went even further by making ‘a public spectacle of them.” I needed a little image to help me understand that part.

If you’ve ever seen the old Gene Kelly movie, ‘Singing in the Rain,’ or Michael Jackson’s video ‘Thriller,’ or Bruno Mar’s, ‘Uptown Funk,’ you may get the picture. Here’s Jesus, fresh out of the grave where, by rule, He should STAY… But He’s OPENLY DANCING! And not only in FRONT of satan and his demons, but along WITH every believer… ever to believe. Yup!! ALL of us… doing a line-dance of joy and victory… moving with Jesus! Now how cool is THAT?

So when I get an unexpected bill, a sad phone call or when I hear a bad news story, I literally have the ability… and according to Jesus… the responsibility… to DANCE! It’s isn’t a snake, a real danger or an ultimate game changer. It is just a toothless nothing that has ZERO ability to adjust my standing and future position with God the Father… because of Jesus His Son!

So hey! Yea YOU! Are ya dancin’?