Pretty Dangerous – Green Caterpillar

“But each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” James 1:14-15

‘oooo’ turned into ‘OWWWWW’ in less than a minute! And all I did was try to help! I was visiting someone and as we sat in the driveway, I saw a pretty large green caterpillar crawling across the cement. It was VERY pretty! To me, it looked like a woolly bear caterpillar I used to see as a kid, but green!   Admiring it, I thought, “hey… that thing could get squashed!”

I have to admit to being rather picky about creatures of the crawling and flying kind. Had it been a mosquito, I would have squashed it myself. A roach or fly… the same thing. If it had been a bee, I would have left it alone to simply fly away. But I had never seen a big, fat, pretty, bright green caterpillar before. Being worried for it’s safety, I picked it up and put it in the grass.

It was less than a minute and happened slowly, when the tips of my fingers began to burn. My first thought was, ‘maybe that thing is poisonous!’ After a few more minutes I KNEW that thing was poisonous! The tips of my thumb and forefinger were burning! Having been stung bit by bugs before, I knew it would pass, but the lesson would not. It reminded me of sin!

Sin is a category that carries the same kind of attraction and pain… and urge and lesson. Sin usually looks good and seems attractive. I’ve needlessly learned many lessons the hard way! Some things I do, like Paul said in Romans 6, I keep doing… even tho I don’t want to. Once I let that bugger in, sometimes it’s hard to get it out! So I’ve learned my lesson of the Big Green IO caterpillar (yes I looked it up like I would a Bible verse). I’m leaving it alone!

What sin have YOU allowed to sting you?  And what are you doing to make it go away?

Technically it’s still morning… I took Katie for a standard test VERY EARLY this morning.  May I say to you all .. HAPPY THANKSGIVING.  You are ALL SOOOO SPECIAL.  

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

The clock beside my bed said it was 9:34am. My first thought was, “WOW! I haven’t slept this late in YEARS! My normal time to start working on the God Morning Words of the Day is 7:30am. There was NO way I could get to it in time. Besides, the bed felt REALLY comfortable. As I lay there a few more moments, I had a sense of His peace, then decided to take a break!

I remembered going to bed the night before, TOTALLY exhausted. Last week, along with our normal vocational duties, we added “paint inside of house” to our list. Extra time requirements, and choices to do some other things, made sleep more of an extracurricular activity. I find that age, activity and sleep have some sort of mathematical connection as well.

Sleep is required by all mammals, though I’ve never really understood why. Today’s Bible verse tells us we were MADE to rest, though humans are the only species that willingly delay sleep… a choice that has zero benefit. I was surprised to find out that today, 75% of us dream in color. Before color television, just 15% of us did, proving what we see CAN determine our ‘ZZZZZZ’s.’

I have today’s Bible verse memorized out of boredom. As a kid, I had to sit in church and listen to my dad preach. Heck… I listened to him all the time! Looking for something ELSE to shift my attention, I read the Bulletin. In those days, the 1 side of the bulletin came to the church quarterly. Mom typed and printed the inside. So for 3 months, I read today’s verse!

Now that I am older, I look back on those days and smile. How was I to know that I was being built into a man who has a lot of ‘boring’ Bible stuff stuffed in my brain. What a blessing it is to KNOW that no matter how things look right now, there is a PERSON and place where I can go and find rest and peace from my burdens. How about you? Do YOU find your rest in Jesus?

“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” Proverbs 15:24

“Those who disregard discipline despise themselves, but the one who heeds correction gains understanding.” Proverbs 15:32

“WHA’D YOU SAY?” was my response… because I didn’t like what I had just been told! Thinking I had ‘heard it wrong’ only proved that I was acting foolish. I had just asked a professional his opinion, and for ZERO CHARGE… he gave it to me. Now the ball was in MY court. Did I REALLY WANT a solution to my problem and would I DO what he suggested?

I have lived with GERD (a stomach acid problem) for over 45 years. It was a hand-me-down problem of my dad’s that I had ZERO say-so over. I simply got it for nothing when I inherited his genes! Lately the situation has deteriorated to something beyond simply taking a pill. In talking to my pharmacist, He just suggested I quit drinking coffee. “WHA’D YOU SAY?”

My parents were coffee drinkers and I followed suit. It was in my DNA I guess! Now I don’t drink NEARLY the amount THEY did. But 2-3 cups in the morning are a pleasure for me. My Pharmer friend suggested it was time to cut it out, since ‘coffee is a major stomach irritant.’ I had a question. I asked a smart guy. He gave me his answer. Now… am ‘I’ a smart guy?

Today, Katie noticed I heated up some water in the microwave. She asked what it was for.. so I told her… “I’m not doing coffee and this seemed to work yesterday.” Her facial expression screamed out “WHA’D YOU SAY?” She thought I was nuts. But the hot water seemed to satisfy, or trick my mind into thinking it was as satisfying as coffee. So I’ll keep doing it.

I find in my profession that LOTS of people have LOTS of questions. But very FEW people REALLY want answers. How I can TELL is by watching what they do. If they are REALLY interested in change, they will DO what God says. Not just provide lip service. Now it was MY turn to be either a truth receiver… or a hypocrite! MMMMMM… Love that hot water!

Are YOU facing an area in your life where you know God is trying to get your attention? Do you give it to Him and listen? Or do you keep doing things your own way? How we respond shows just how smart we really are at learning His wisdom. “WHA’DA YOU SAY?”

“Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel.” 1 Kings 10:9

“Wow!” was all I could say, as my mouth hung open in unexpected awe! We were at the waterfront in Tampa attending a spectacular Festival and watching something I would never expect or even imagine. Nine huge, powerful Tugboats assembled before a crowd of over 1500 people to put on a ‘Ballet like’ show of precision and power. It was awesome!

Because of their powerful engines, Tugboats are used to push and pull ships around MANY times their own size! With the ability to spin a full 360 degrees, they added speed to turn those capabilities into a show. The skill of their crew fascinated me as they pulled to within inches of the seawall. Then sat there to a thunderous applause! We were inspired!

I have it all recorded on video, so I can look at it again. What caught me by surprise… was that I was surprised! The Tugboats are built PRECISELY to BE PRECISE! Maneuvering over 17 BILLION dollars of cargo a year into Tampa Bay, they are used to precisely dock up to 1200 foot vessels without scratch or dent! That is their purpose! Showing off is just a sideline!

The entire crowd of people were delighted in the seemingly magical display. Like fighter pilots performing at an airshow, someone, at one point, held a meeting and thought… ‘WE can do that too!’ And the big chunky Tugs held the crowd ‘s delight to a fanfare of applause. After reading the story of Solomon, I remembered the event and thought about Heaven.

I am a Child of God by Faith in His Son Jesus Christ! I can be big and chunky in my human nature. But I meet with God every morning, and He reminds me of my capabilities AND points out my responsibilities. Sometimes He surprises ME in what it is HE wants to see! God has a Throne where He expects me to sit through all eternity… and it’s right beside His Son Jesus!

Are YOU delighting God in your walk with His Son? Are you working on your performance for Him in this world? Are you displaying His power and abilities to turn ‘Big and Chunky’ into a beautiful vessel of His Will? Cuz He’s watching and recording video! The Throne is already built!

I pray this eye-opening article will help you see what can, and WILL, benefit and bless YOU!  Some of this is sadly unbelievable… but true!  Are YOU connecting daily with God, through the Bible, and Walking with Him every minute?  You can!  It is YOUR CHOICE!  After reading this article, you will no longer be ignorant.  Continuing to ‘do your own thing’ will only prove you stupid!  (YES…!  I said the ‘S’ word!)    Today’s inspiration comes from:

Eternal Perspective or the Black Dot on the String

Beyond Our Control

by Michael McAfee & Lauren Green McAfee

Perspective can be thought of as the way we think about life. Think about life in terms of its brevity. If eternity were a string of yarn wrapped all the way around the world, our life is briefer than a single dot placed anywhere along that yarn with a marker. We can live with just that black dot on the yarn as our understanding about life, or we can form our understanding of our black dot of life considering the rest of the miles of string. Viewing this life in light of eternity will ultimately bring more joy in the present.

How do we gain an eternal perspective? It starts with knowing Scripture. Michael and I are both passionate advocates for biblical literacy, which is why our first co-authorship was a book on that subject titled Not What You Think: Why the Bible Might Be Nothing We Expected Yet Everything We Need. We know the power of God’s Word. We don’t point people to Scripture for the sake of knowledge alone but for the sake of seeing their lives transformed as they strengthen their relationship and deepen their intimacy with God.

Our current culture, Christians included, has the lowest biblical literacy score ever recorded in the United States.According to the American Bible Society’s annual report, Bible engagement in America has been mostly trending downward since 2014. Every year it has maintained or gone down by one or two percentage points until 2021, when engagement increased by 2 percent. Most interestingly, in 2022 the percentage of Americans engaging in the Bible decreased by 10 percent. That means roughly twenty-six million Americans reduced or discontinued their engagement with the Bible in one year.

Bible engagement matters. If people of faith don’t know what the Bible says, they can’t apply its truth as the foundation that shapes their ability to have an eternal perspective.

• A Christian’s belief about God matters because with proper theology, our hearts can respond to God and our lives can be shaped by truth.

There is a significant misunderstanding in our biblically illiterate culture about what the Bible teaches. Consider a recent report from Ligonier Ministries on the state of theology, which shows that in a broad survey of Americans, 67 percent of people agree that God accepts the worship of all religions, 53 percent say that Jesus was a great teacher but not God, 71 percent agree that “everyone is born innocent in the eyes of God,” and only 51 percent agree that “the Bible is accurate in all it teaches.”

According to research from 2022, 63–69 percent of Americans identify as Christian.While this means that nearly three out of four claim Christianity as their religious preference, that statistic represents a significant decline from the early 1990s, when 90 percent of Americans identified as Christian.

The Top of Our Heart’s Desire

For believers, having an eternal perspective comes from knowing what God says through His Word, the Bible; knowing what it teaches; and identifying how that is relevant for your life. When we are left with only an earthly perspective, then we live life trying to get all we can out of that tiny “black dot” of life, and the ups and downs in this short life are the only thing we have to affect how we feel.

Living with only the black dot in mind will move our hearts to become more desperate for what we can hold on to and control in this world.

Whenever I think about the loss of the son I expected to adopt, if I am in the mindset of the black dot — meaning that I’m stuck in my earthly circumstances alone — the pain of the here and now is all I can see. I question God. I want to find happiness in this life, and having my son would have brought that. So why did God take him away? (oops.. this is the Author’s assumption)

On the flip side, when I’m able to step back to consider things in light of eternity, I view the situation differently, taking into account what God might be doing in my son’s life that I’m not privy to because I don’t see all that God sees. I can also see my pain in light of the hopeful future that is mine, knowing God will use it and work it together for His good. Developing my trust in God’s providence is the key to finding peace in this life because we have more to live for than our earthly circumstances.

When Jesus spoke to His disciples about this earthly and heavenly divide, He said,

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. — Matthew 6:19–21

In verse 24 Jesus reminded us that ultimately; no one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

The word “money” is translated from the Greek word for mammon, which can mean riches, money, possessions, or property. The passage teaches us that we can’t have our heart devoted to two masters simultaneously, for one master will always trump the other.

We may have many different things we love and serve to varying degrees in life, but only one can take top spot. If that sole master is earthly — money, power, pleasure… and also family, parenting, ministry work, serving others — then our hearts can’t focus on our treasures being found in heaven. In claiming our best time and energy, they also take our hearts.

Viewing this life in light of eternity will ultimately bring more joy in the present.

We Need Whole-Heart Commitment

Our identity is not made for an earthly gaze. Saint Augustine touched on this concept long before I did when he wrote, “Our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee.”As image bearers created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), our heart’s very identity and desire is for our Creator, not the created. We are made to reflect God so that we can bring His glory into our world. Doing anything less than that will never bring us fulfillment and purpose.

• God requires the whole heart, not our split attention.

Focusing on earthly things as ultimate will bring anxiety; centering our hearts on the eternal will bring not only treasures in Heaven someday but also greater peace and enjoyment in life here and now.

CENTERING OUR HEARTS ON THE ETERNAL WILL BRING NOT ONLY TREASURES IN HEAVEN BUT GREATER PEACE AND ENJOYMENT RIGHT NOW.

Maybe your life isn’t centered on possessions and money but instead revolves around your relationships. Relationships aren’t possessions and wealth, but even so, they can become idols when we value them more than we value God. To value the relationships in our lives is good and right, but when those relationships, like possessions and money, take our gaze off God and onto worldly things, we are idolizing something we are not meant to worship.

Shifting our perspective from the temporal to the eternal is a daily practice that changes everything. Ultimately the perspective shift to the eternal is a shift that focuses on Jesus, our greatest treasure. In his letter to the Philippian church, the apostle Paul wrote, What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ. — Philippians 3:8

Paul certainly had his fair share of suffering and hardship. He had faced death, been beaten and shipwrecked, and endured a variety of other hardships in his life — yet he still maintained his posture of gratitude (2 Corinthians 11:23–27). Paul’s hope was in Christ. He was looking to eternity and finding intimacy with God through the hardships and pain he faced in life.

Paul knew we would be wrestling between this earthly and heavenly perspective, admitting that;

for we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in Heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling. He then made this acknowledgment: For we live by faith, not by sight. — 2 Corinthians 5:1–2, 7

We must walk in what we believe about eternity, not by what we see on this earth.

I don’t mean to sound trite or to imply that we should brush off the very real grief and hardships we will experience in this life. They are real and ridiculously tough. But while we acknowledge them, we must not forget to direct our hearts toward the hope we have in God and in His promises.

Excerpted with permission from Beyond Our Control by Lauren & Michael McAfee, copyright Lauren and Michael McAfee. (I recommend the Book)

It’s hard to think about a different perspective when we’re in pain or struggling, but that’s what will help us! Shifting from that black dot (which includes suffering, loss, waiting, and longing) to viewing circumstances in light of eternity is vital to our faith walk. Remember the faithfulness of God and how much He loves you and wait on Him in hope. ~ Devotionals Daily

“Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.” Proverbs 4:25

“EH!” Was the word of the day for me. Said quietly, and to myself, it marked my mistake or failure to ‘KEEP A STRAIGHT LINE!’ It’s painting time at the McCay house, and that means pulling out old tricks that haven’t been used in a while. Like any habit, painting straight lines comes with rudimentary practice and habit. It’s been a while since I painted.

Being 2023, I thought technology might have caught up! So I went to the Paint Store and asked them for an ‘Automatic Line Brush!” When the technician told me it was back by the ‘left- handed smoke shifter,’ I knew I was on my own! Painting straight lines is something humans still have to do by hand. In other words, it’s an acquired skill that comes with time.

Years ago I painted for a living. The ‘Old Man’ gave me some tips to help me get better and faster at it. The best tip being, “watch where you’re going… NOT where you’ve been!” Since it’s tempting for me to look back to see how I’m doing. But doing so actually CAUSES my hand to a wobble. Then, when my focus shifts, the ‘the straight line’ I want, is NOT what I get!

The concept of ‘watching where I’m going and not where I’ve been’ is not a new one. In fact… it’s Biblical! The Old Testament verse came out of the Book of Proverbs, which dates back to King Solomon, King David’s son, who wrote them about 3000 years ago! In other words… the advice is VERY old! Only Solomon wasn’t talking about painting. He was pontificating LIFE!

Sailors and Pioneers have used that advice centuries before Google Maps. You lay a compass heading, look for a spot far in the distance, then aim straight toward it. Once there, you do it again… until you’ve arrived! When men failed at getting to God, Jesus came here and clearly stated… place and keep your eyes on ME! I AM THE WAY! When I do THAT, HE clearly works!

It’s just plain human to look back! But “everybody does it,” is not an acceptable excuse! Painting has reminded me of a very big truth I had forgotten. So I’m working on my ‘looking ahead only’ skills. How about YOU? Are YOU walking in His Truth and looking ahead only at Him?

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

“Oh BOY! The TEA is KICKING IN!” I don’t know if it’s because I’m older now, or because of a medication I’m taking, but I do know that lately, it’s been harder to ‘go’ than usual. Being one who hasn’t had this problem before, I thought I could just let time pass and everything would go… back to normal. But reality was saying otherwise! Then Katie intervened!

I admit it… there was some pride on the line. For years Katie has been a great advocate for a special tea she drinks every night. I’ve been with her many times when another lady hinted about ‘the problem,’ and Katie would immediately chime in to provide HER secret weapon. Not having the problem myself, I’d laugh. Recently, bent over in pain, I wasn’t laughing!

We all know what right and wrong is. We ALL KNOW which is which too! As I agonizingly looked up, my bride had a priceless smirk on her face. Holding a tea bag, she lovingly asked… “would you like me to make you some Smooth Move now?” I KNEW she was right, but it felt so wrong! Swallowing both pride and the tea, the countdown started, with a 7:59am liftoff!!

Being human, experience has taught me that ALL of us are in the same boat. We ALL have things within us that need to get gone! We all have need of something to help us do just that. Experience has ALSO taught me that Jesus REALLY DOES WORK! HE offers me His life to make my life go smoother and better! BUT… I have to be willing to take the remedy and apply Him.

Resistance to His Truth, and remedy, is futile and only hurts YOU! Jesus never fails! But He can’t succeed, either… unless you let Him into your life. Are YOU willing to give Him a try at smoothing out YOUR old problems and become a new you??

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.” Ephesians 5:8

From the corner of my eye, something caught my attention. When my brain realized something was off, it subconsciously did the math and woke me up! Turning my head, I spotted two rows of Christmas decorations at Walmart… and Christmas 2023 was officially kicked off. Not looking for it, it found ME. Now, like it or not, I cannot deny… He’s Coming!

There have been random spotages of evidence pointing toward what lay around the corner. But none as brilliantly lit and monstrous enough to make the bold declaration like the Walmart display. The message was clear and made official… “IT’S CHRISTMAS TIME!” I had just put away Halloween and fall decorations, now it is clear. I need to get the Christmas Stuff!

There is NO Holiday like Christmas. Which means there is NO Holiday that takes quite as much WORK as getting prepared for Christmas. Easter has 2 boxes of decorations. The 4^th of July… 1. Halloween and fall make up about 5. Christmas??? About 23 Boxes PLUS! The celebration usually starts the day after Thanksgiving (1 box). But we’re starting now!

I pondered the thought, after my initial reaction to the Christmas display caused a “humph” in me. Whatever would cause ME to form a “scrooge” attitude toward my favorite Holiday? After giving it more thought, I have to admit a spirit of sadness had briefly overshadowed my brightness, light and Joy! I thought, “68 years of Hope… FOR WHAT? Look at the world!”

Yes!!! Look at the world INDEED! It is a mess and getting messier! But for ‘People of The Book,’ that should… no MUST… cause us to light up even more brightly than before. Because He SAID it would get darkest before His Return. THIS now, gives me ALL THE MORE REASON to shine. He’s COMING! Where once HE was… now I AM… the Light of the World. So are YOU!

Being a beacon of Hope is a choice. Will you make it? We have enough Scrooges in the world!

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30

“What Happened?” is the question when ‘IT’ happens. And ‘IT’ is not really something I can always put a finger on! Each night around 9pm, my lovely wife and I take a seat next to each other and turn on the TV. Watching ‘a show’ is our way of winding down before bed time. Once in a while, the TV screen gets interrupted and freezes when the internet signal goes out.

I have 3 potential internet failure points… the incoming Internet Terminal, the Wireless Server, the TV itself. All 3 need to be ‘in sync’ and uncluttered to be able to ‘talk’ to each other. When their memory buffers get filled with old stuff, turning them off and on again will clear and reset them, making them capable of clearly receiving the internet signal as it is sent!

Sometimes the program we’re watching locks up and I’ll have to call for a ‘break,’ then turn everything off and on again. It takes time to ‘boot’ back up, but when it does, interruptions are no longer a problem. One doesn’t have to understand computer technology to catch the metaphor between internet signals and the communication between the Holy Spirit and ME.

The FACT that this verse says ‘DO NOT GRIEVE the HOLY SPIRIT,’ proves that it IS possible to DO so. The term ‘grieve’ emits the exact same sensation that comes from losing a loved one to death. This verse says that the PERSON of the Holy Spirit CAN be provoked to feel great sadness or loss because of MY actions! Chapters 4-6 of Ephesians list many grieving points.

I received the Holy Spirit when I was saved as a boy. I was sealed and secured for eternity when the Holy spirit came to reside in me. Sadly, I have OFTEN turned the room of my heart, the place He resides, into a disgusting, filthy pigsty by MY choices! Since he can’t go away, He is forced to live in squalor, until I take measures to clean it up, and keep it clean… WITH HIM!

Have I loved my wife today… deliberately. Even when she doesn’t seem to deserve it. Has my wife honored me? Did I show the appreciation or patience as needed? Have I been selfish in my desires and attitudes, or am I seeking to find ways to show love to Him and the people around me? Do I selfishly lie and lust, or do I love and lean on the one who lives in me?

I do NOT want to make God sad, or grieve Him anymore than I already have. Do you? Are you? Today I’m going to spend time reading Ephesians 4-5 and ask God where I might be hurting Him. Have YOU ‘reset’ your Body, Soul and Spirit to LIVE FOR Him and bring Him JOY?