“But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.” Psalm 3:3 ESV

My newest grandson, Case, was born on Jan 17. That was 6 days ago. On the day of his birth, I got to see and hold him for about 15 minutes. Due to sickness in the house and the potential of him getting it, he was basically quarantined. We chose to let mom and dad have the time to themselves. But last night we went for a visit.

I don’t’ know why holding your baby in the hospital is different then holding your baby at home. But to me… it is. I always insist that my wife go first. It’s a mom kind of thing. I watched and listened as she cooed and talked to the newest member of our family like he understood. It immediately brought back the memories of her with our own babies long ago. She has not lost her touch. And then, it was MY turn!

Though nervous at first, I confirmed that holding a baby is like riding a bike. Once you learn, it just comes natural. Having had 4 of my own, I scooped him in my arms and held him length-ways away from me so we could look face to face. I wanted him to hear ME now. Throwing macho out the window, I cooed and baby talked to him myself. And then I gave him ‘The Speech!’ “Case, I want you to NEVER forget…YOU are SPECIAL!” He slept right through it!

It didn’t matter that I wasn’t heard or understood by him. In fact, the conversation was not for him anyway. It was for ME. By deliberately wrapping him in the context of those words, I was speaking to myself and verifying a unique declaration from Almighty God. “I” am required to remember who “HE” is in God’s eyes. Declaring it helps me live it. I was honored when my daughter grabbed her camera to record the moment. I don’t have a copy… but I don’t need one either! It’s on lock in my head.

My own father, Case’s great-grandfather, has passed. But he lived again last night as I repeated a major part of his ministry with those words… “NEVER forget…YOU are special!” He said it all the time. And so often that it became rote! But the point was made. As a person, grandfather, father, son, relative or friend, “’I’ am special… to GOD.” And with that label comes GREAT responsibility. To ACT like it!

As we readied to leave, my almost 2 year old grandson Coast, the brother of Case, was running around playing when I snatched him up and held him face to face and repeated the declaration one more time… JUST for HIM. “Never forget… YOU are SPECIAL!” He squirmed and wanted down to play. BUT… he heard me. So did God! And so did I!

Did YOU know?

“Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” John 7:38

It hasn’t rained a lot lately, and the plants around the house needed some water. Going out to do just that, I grabbed the hose, turned the faucet on and drug the hose behind me as I went down the line. I was reminded of ‘the curse’ on my life when all at once, the water stopped flowing. Turning around I saw 3 kinks in the line. “THIS hose was SUPPOSED to be KINK-LESS!” I thought.

I have the same problem with extension cords. It seems that EVERY time I have hold of a cord, it gets caught, kinked or tangled! Sometimes on the slightest thing! It’s a curse. I am convinced satan asked God if he could give it to me – SPECIAL! Since the only other curse available was the Lake of Fire… I thank God for His kindness and live with the kinks. But it drives me nuts!

Jesus is the source of abundant, eternal life. To get it I need to connect myself to HIM. Human spiritual lives have been compared to water hoses or extension cords. Neither of them contain any life or source in themselves. They are simply a means of conveyance by which water or electricity can flow from a source to a distant needed location. Flow is dependent upon connection and the condition of the conveyance being used.

Electricity does not stop flowing if an extension cord gets kinked. But is will stop the flow of electricity if the cord is broken. Hoses can be broken or kinked. Running over them with a lawnmower can be catastrophic… I know because I did it just last week! When it comes to plants.. no flow, no grow. With electric drills… no flow, no go! I can say the same thing for me and MY conveyance-ability!

Today’s Bible verse says that he who believes in Me will have living waters flowing through him. Experience tells me that it takes more then just intellectual assent for His life to flow though mine. It often takes ME examining my life, looking for kinks, breaks and bad connections before that flow can get going again. We live under a curse in this life… and keeping His life flowing through us is a 2 way affair!

How is YOUR connection?

“My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:15-16

Oh MAN… I have a busy, hectic and strenuous day tomorrow. In fact my WHOLE FAMILY’S world will be upset! It’s not like I haven’t been here before. I mean with 4 kids and 9 grandkids.. having kids isn’t new. But tomorrow morning my baby is going to deliver grandbaby #10!!! Now I am NOT the one who has to endure the wonders of childbirth. But honestly, I’m tired already just thinking about it!!

Listening to the cuckoo clock, by this time tomorrow night, it will have been long over! But that doesn’t mean that it just begins either! You see… this baby Grandson has been planned for an eternity! And God already has BIG plans! God’s log is about to be filled in reality!!

I have to confess that in my life I never looked forward, or thought about a day like this. I never imagined what it would be like to wait and pray and yearn to hear, “He’s HERE!” Now that it is upon me.. it’s kind of cool AGAIN! Like an actor stepping on the stage to play their part, history will begin recording this young lad’s days, weeks, hours and years. And God has seen them all already… before they even begin. HIS life WILL be… SIGNIFICANT! Just like yours and mine!

If God has baby plans.. and the Word says He does, I wonder how well I have stuck to them in MY life? Am I better or worse than what He intended. Can I fix anything? Can I change any part of my record to make it a better one than I have up until now? I confess that I am asking Him… because I really, really want to know!

Life is precious. So much so that God sent HIS Son to be born in the same exact way. But His purpose was to rescue me… for mine! So January 17 will be a special day. It will be celebrated as the beginning date of a very special person, knit in his mothers womb, but planned long before now. I can’t guarantee or promise much.. But I CAN promise this… as long as I live I am going to keep reminding him that he is NOT an accident. But a significant “on-purpose” child of Most High God! SPECIAL! Yup.. tomorrow is going to be a great day!  

Thank you for joining me in praying for a wonderful BIRTH-day

“No, in all these things we are MORE than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:37

Coming home last night we were stopped at a red-light. When it flashed to green I moved forward and was IMMEDIATELY passed by a new model Camarostangcharger kind of thing with about an 85 liter engine! For fun, it got slightly in front of us and the guy punched the gas! The tail end ROARED to life and slid back and forth as physics did took over. Easing off the throttle and gaining control, the driver then roared on down the road… until he hit a red light. THAT is where I caught him!

I’d like to say I resisted temptation. But we were in our 2004 Nissan Murano and just had to have a laugh. Pulling up beside the car I saw it was a kid. It was obvious the car wasn’t his. That privilege had to be held by the guy in the passenger seat. They were both smiling! That is until I roared my engine to signify I wanted to race. THEN… they laughed! We did too!

The boys were kind… I punched it to the floor and quickly accelerated ahead. Looking behind, they just stayed back there! I don’t know if it was embarrassment or respect! But either way.. it didn’t last long. Soon, my rear-view lit up like a Christmas tree and here they came!!! VAAAAROOOOM!! Naturally… I was smoked! BUT… and I want you to remember this.. .for about ¼ of a mile.. I beat those boys! No excuses allowed!

Some things just aren’t right. I found this picture of a Firebird Station wagon that needs NO explanation as to WHY it never made it to the assembly line! Whoever introduced it in the first place should have been fired! But the concept obviously made it through several meetings and on to a prototype! And for just a few blips in time… the impossible became.. well!!!!

My Salvation from the lake of fire and my current position as a Child of God is kind of like that. The devil knew there was NO way the concept would fly. Sinners deserve death and death is what they get… EVERYtime. It is NOT a laughing matter! Until it became one!

Over 2000 Christmases ago, God’s son came as a little baby, implanted in a peasant girl. His life and horrific death should have signaled a REAL win for the devil. Until it didn’t! And when the God of the Universe blew past the plans of ol Scratch… Christ never looked back! Until He looked back at ME!

The Bible tells me what GOD the Father thinks of me, now that I belong to Him. My Heavenly Father says that because of what Jesus did, and because I received His free offer to become His son… I AM untouchable. NO condemnation. EVER! He even calls me MORE than a conqueror! Which is something I don‘t know how I can be. But God said it! And that’s all that matters! And NOTHING will EVER change that! Take THAT.. devil!

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. “John 14:12

I was a personal witness to a miracle today. A bona fide, absolute, guaranteed miracle of God. Have YOU ever seen one of those feeding the 5000 or the raising the dead kind of miracles like Jesus did? Well… me neither! But I tell you again! I saw a miracle today. And it didn’t surprise me one bit!

Now you might think I am crazy. And you might be right. But I tell you I have never put a whole lot of substance into the healing of Cancer, flu or the growing out of a limb! I am NOT saying I do not believe it if you have experienced it yourself. Not saying He DOESN’T do that either! I am just saying I do not put a whole lot of stock in it… being as rare as it is. You can quote me that when THAT kind of miracle takes place, the recipient need be nervous as to what comes next! God typically doesn’t do the impossible without a requirement. But the OTHER kind? Well… let’s just say it happens every day!

The occasion was a meeting with a bunch of teenage kids. About 300 of them would be a good guess. The speaker wasn’t very good. In fact, as speakers go, I’d have given him a C- for presentation, content and delivery. As he wrapped it up, he asked if anyone would like to come and receive prayer and the gift of eternal life. And right there.. about 80 kids came rushing to the front! I stood there in absolute astonishment with a SMILE on my face! But NOT in disbelief!

I didn’t just fall off the turnip truck. I know God’s hand when I see it. And I LOVE when He does that kind of cool stuff! All I could do was shake my head and praise Him. Later, I had an opportunity to talk with the speaker.. and I told him.. “you know, that really wasn’t very good!” He looked at me with a grin and said… “tell me about it! I was exhausted! But JESUS showed up, right!?” And we just laughed together. Because… Indeed He did!

If you’ve ever seen God’s miracle hand of salvation touch a life and make it whole right before your eyes, you know EXACTLY what I am talking about. You understand that the REALTY of TRUTH doesn’t exist in what is seen with the eye.. but what is seen in by the Holy Spirit.

God is STILL in the saving business. And He is making people alive for eternity even NOW! If you are waiting around for one of those other miracles, I can’t make any promises. But if you want new, eternal abundant life that sets lives free… well… all you have to do is step up, grab it and keep walking with Him. After all – He does THAT kind of thing.. EVERY DAY!

“Blessed is the one… whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.” Psalm 1:1-2

I have a floor jack for jacking up a car. I also have a son. Well… 2 sons AND 2 daughters! My oldest wanted to borrow my floor jack. I also have a garage. You know… a place to park a vehicle. I have 2 vehicles AND a motorcycle. I can only fit 1 car and the motorcycle in the garage. Right now it is a squeeze to do even that…since I ALSO have 2 truckloads of Christmas stuff piled in the garage… blocking the door… that holds my jack.. that my son wants to borrow! I guess you could say I am a blessed man!

You’ve heard the saying, “He who dies with the most toys wins?” It is a facetious statement about the STUFF men collect. Another saying puts that one into perspective…. “You’ll never see a Hearse pulling a trailer!” I have been evaluating my life lately, and I can honestly say that I am a VERY blessed man. But NOT because of my ‘stuff!’

I know lots of people… miserable, unhappy people… who have WAY more ‘STUFF’ than me. I do not envy them and have learned, the hard way, that stuff can be VERY distracting! In fact, it can be a downright curse! Ever hear of a White Elephant? If so, then you understand the point.

This Psalm is the very first one in the book of Psalms. It CLEARLY tells mankind what we SHOULD be striving for and how we should be living our lives. The BLESSED person is NOT one who has a bunch of STUFF… but the one who delights in God and His Word. Who loves to spend time thinking, pondering and applying His Word to their daily lives. It is ‘The Proper’ collection for every man, woman and child. Yet… sadly… it is the one most ignored.

Stuff comes with its own set of distractions. Where to put it, how to organize it, and how to get to or find it when the need arises. All require time and focus, which steals time and focus from the most important thing… GOD and HIS stuff! Which is the REAL reason no hearse pulls a trailer. God doesn’t NEED our stuff! So He’s made it impossible to take it with us when we go!

The older I get the more I love God and the less I want earthly stuff! Lately I have been thinking about what to do with all my earthly blessings. Do I give it all away, sell it or just leave it for my kids to sort through? While I ponder the answer, I am dedicating my time to focusing on God’s stuff instead. For THAT is where my REAL blessing lies. And THAT”S the stuff I can take with me when I go!

“From the rising of the sun to its going down the Lord’s name is to be praised.” Psalm 113:3

I had this in my inbox and could not believe the timing.  It was the basis of what we discussed last night for FLAP at Church.  FAR TOO many of you are rolling through life driving your own train… while up ahead the bridge it OUT!  Driving to every whim or desire, you may feel like you’ve got this.  YOU DON’T!  God wants us all WALKING DAILY WITH HIM.  Taking on HIS life and characteristics and dying to ourselves and our petty wants.  

It is often said that God it in control.  He is NOT!  He SHARES control with YOU!  FOR NOW!  Are you living to grow up, and old with Him today and everyday, so that stepping off into heaven will be a natural adjustment instead of a shock?  If you are not spending at least 15 minutes a day with Him in His Word and prayer to get closer… to get your marching orders (that is equivalent to a baby bottle) then, as a preacher told me when I was young and selfish… you are a fool!  Yes.. I just said that!  My job is to challenge you… not make you feel good about yourself.  This is a long one… Grow up and read on please… and be blessed.

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“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.” Romans 13:8

Once again I was reminded, by text, that I owed money for services rendered. Drat!!! Discovered AGAIN! I honestly had NO intention of filching on the debt. I had even tried to pay it. But one thing led to another and I just could not complete the transaction. It was not for lack of trying! This time, I was determined to do what was necessary to clear my good name. Even though it was going to frustrate me completely.

Dialing the number for the company to which I was indebted, they SOUNDED nice over the phone. Until it got to the point of having to actually make the transaction. I was told AGAIN, that I needed to log on to my account and follow the instructions. And there it was… The WALL! Impenetrable and unyielding. All because 1. I had forgotten my password.. and 2. They wanted me to make up a new one.. with an unacceptable caveat. I was NOT allowed to use any password that I had used before. It had to be a NEW one!

Have you been forced to change a password on one of your own accounts? To me, writing down a password would be very secure. And REMEMBERING something not normal is well… not normal! All I wanted to do was use the password of MY choosing. But NO! NOT PERMITTED! Again we were at a stalemate. It never was about the money, but about the PRINCIPLE behind gaining access to my own account. Both of us were being stubborn and unreasonable. It made me think of the ongoing unreasonableness of sin and the process of restoration with a stubborn God.

Mankind owes a debt to God for our own sin. And God WILL exact payment. But with only ONE acceptable way to pay! The Blood of His Son, Jesus Christ! Talk about an impasse!!! And it has been the same way for thousands of years. 1 debt… only 1 way to pay. And men have been trying to invent ways to circumvent God’s plan with NO resolution and both parties are stubborn. But God can afford to be!

I remember realizing that His stubborn love was both unyielding AND complete. No other terms were acceptable. So to clear my name and be in good standing… I did what I did online.. I did what they demanded! I made up a new password that I’ll probably never remember, just to meet the requirement.

I am SO Glad that God will NEVER ever forget about ME! My debt has been PAID IN FULL!  I love Him for that!

“For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

This Christmas was a little different for me for a good reason. With my daughter soon to have our 10^th grandchild, it means that the other 9 have been growing right along. This year, my oldest grandson is 10. It was time to have some fun!

Looking through the list of who and possible what’s for each, I remembered back when MY sons were that age. “Double numbers,”my dad called it! A right of passage. So thinking about it, and asking my son if it was OK, I ordered a Swiss Army knife and a whittling book. I couldn’t wait for the gift giving to begin. When he opened it… he lit up like a Christmas tree! Just as I had figured! The fun was about to begin!

While everyone was busy playing with dolls and games, we slipped out to the side of the house and I cut come tree branches. Taking the time to teach him the safe way to handle a knife, we commenced to ‘whittlin’! Now we didn’t MAKE anything. We just skinned the bark off the branches… and talked! Matter of fact, I let him in on a little secret… whittlin’ is REALLY just about killing time… and talkin! But it’s how men are made!

In a way, the Bible is called a knife! And a SHARP one too! I told my grandson all the safety tips, then handed him a band-aid saying, “WHEN you cut yourself, don’t tell your mom. Moms tend to freak out at blood! Just wrap it up and go tell dad. He’ll know what to do.” I don’t know ANYONE who has ever used a knife that didn’t end up getting cut sooner or later. Come to think it it.. I don’t know ANYONE who’s handled God’s Word, with any seriousness at all, who hasn’t had their life cut up and changed because of the experience.

God knows EVERYTHING. And the very cool part about Him being our Father is that He isn’t interested in keeping it to Himself. He WANTS us to know and grow up ‘in Him.’ Cutting away that bad stuff is just part of the deal. WHEN we get cut, He’s right there to show us what He wants us to know.

My grandson and I got together over the weekend and whittled some more. Which brought my curious 7 year old grandson around wanting to join in. After asking permission of his mom, AND his cousin, we wasted more time… just whittlin’ n talkin! I asked the oldest if he had cut himself yet. “Nope,” was his answer. I smiled at both my teaching AND his learning prowess. But not too serious a smile. Cuz just like life and God’s Word… the cut’s comin!