“For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

The whole McCay fam was at the Birthday party when it happened. But with so many weans and excitement, it went unnoticed by everyone but me. My son Colt was helping unwrap a large toy for his nephew by cutting the zip ties that held it to the box… snip, snip, snip! Speechless, I asked to see the box when he was done to confirm what I thought I saw, then smiled!

Upon examination, I saw he had cut all the zip ties without even thinking, then was discarding the packaging, cut ties and all! What made it initially shocking to me was that the zip ties were LONG ones and, if cut carefully, could be used again! But not now!

My father was born a year before the Great Depression of 1929, and my whole life was affected by his experience. He didn’t throw ANYTHING away! Teaching me to be frugal came naturally since, being the youngest, he was the last to get what could be got! Dad taught me to depend on my own wits and resources for success. But over the years, I made other plans for my 2 sons.

Being poor means you make do with what you have. And if a job needs done, you do it yourself. If you don’t know how, you learn… hands on! Early on I committed to a goal for my boys, that they would NEVER have to own a tool, unless they WANTED it. I wanted my sons to be so successful, they could just pay a company to do work for them.

Owning tools for most any kind of job around the house, zip ties are just part of my necessary resources. I have discovered that with so many items wrapped with them, if I carefully cut a zip tie, I can reuse it again. As I stared at the ties Colt had just cut, I realized the thought of saving them for reuse hadn’t even crossed his mind! Because he was successful!

I was born poor, wretched, pitiful and blind! In need of salvation, my heavenly Father already knew there was no way for me to save myself. So He made other plans. He paid the price for my sin HIMSELF and WANTS me to be in His family… SUCCEEDING in the family business.  He doesn’t want me trying to save myself. I buy neither zip ties, nor salvation! My God, MY Father, already did!  

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…” Romans 8:1

“HAPPY 4^th OF JULY!!!” That is what someone said to me yesterday… on the 3^rd! This year the 4^th actually falls on a Monday, turning the HoliDAY into a WEEKEND! Which, for people who like to drink and party, extends celebrating to days on end without having to make up an excuse! As I wrote those words, I realized I did so with some serious jealousy!

While a teenager, I discovered that alcohol gave me PAINFUL hangovers that hung on for days. And it wasn’t for lack of trying! It took a while, but I finally accepted bad hangovers to be a gift from God! Had I not been blessed, and with my personality, I’d probably be dead by now. But I have to be very careful, because it is easy to become judgmental with such a gift.

This year, the timing of the 4^th is unusual because we’re getting ready to go on vacation. And though we do it every year, it never gets easier. For weeks now my brain has been overloaded with anxiousness due to ‘things I have to do’ before leaving! To top it off, I feel guilty for not getting things done well. All in all, I’ve been feeling guilty and bad about ME! I need some FREEDOM!!!

Guilt is a terrible thing. Being in the business of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ is similar to partying and vacationing because there are 2 sides to each coin! On 1 hand, Jesus Christ died for ALL my sins so that NOW… there is NO condemnation, or hangover, for me to face. EVER! BUT… His gift of grace ALSO expects me to live and act LIKE HE does… PERFECTLY! Since I don’t… GUILT!

So, as anyone can see, I have a problem! Taking my vocation seriously calls me to encourage and lead people to walk like The Savior, while NO one… including myself… DOES! Add to it the fact that satan has a field day playing on this field called Earth, we ‘ALL’ could use a ‘mighty pac’ of Christ’s freedom… which comes with permanent ‘stainlifting power!’ Just drink it in and rest on it

Are YOU free from ALL your guilty stains? Happy Independence (dependence) Day!

“See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.” Isaiah 65:17

Having a 4 wheeler to ride in the mountains is an absolute blast for me. I’ve had an older one that was gifted me by my kids for my 60^th birthday, but it’s gotten older as I have. Unfortunately once, the brakes gave out and sent me down the mountain… backwards! After I became conscious, I realized how close I came to seeing Jesus… an event which I look forward to. Just not in that manner!

I’ve spent lots of money and time to fix that old stopping problem. Finally, I took it to the Honda shop to let a certified factory rep take a look. Going to check progress, I walked into the store and toward the service area. But RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF ME sat a brand new shiny 4 wheeler on the showroom floor. Casting temptation aside, I headed to ‘Service,’ only to get bad news!

The things I have done to fix my old 4 wheeler actually caused more problems than helped. Swapping brake types and using aftermarket parts to make it run LIKE new SOUNDED creative and cheaper at the time. But as I asked the Service manager questions and offered suggestions like “what if?” and “how about?” he politely shook his head in wonderment! Then I remembered ‘The Crash!’

It didn’t take long, since I’m not a fool! As I walked back out through the storefront, the owner was standing beside that new shiny 4 wheeler, when I just blurted out… “how much?” Within a few moments I made my decision! And for pretty much the same reason that I took Jesus up on HIS offer of a New Life decades ago. Crashing through life with no brakes was no kind of life! So I got His!

Pain, always unwelcome and inconvenient, is often the greatest teacher of all. Having experienced the nightmare of a terrible crash made me wake up to a possibility I don’t EVER want to experience again! Which is why I like sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with those who are living lives full of bad news. Since trying to fix the old life to be good enough… just leaves Jesus His head shaking!

Do YOU possess the New Life of Christ? Cuz matey… thar be mountains ahead!

“Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you… By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food…” Genesis 3:17-19

This last Spring, someone got the idea to plant a vegetable garden at the Church. Many folks thought it a great idea! So with enthusiasm, several set about planting a garden to keep us all from starving, should an apocalypse come upon us. Since I possess NO skills for farming, I ran to the store to buy cases of veggies! Now, ‘The Garden’ serves only as a painful reminder.

Many a good idea has died on the vine simply because we tend to forget that (#1) no matter what we do, there is STILL an underlying curse upon us all. And (#2) we have an unrelenting enemy who hates us so much, he will not rest until he sees us completely destroyed. As Katie and I set out to undo what the curse had done, we were painfully reminded of those 2 basic truths.

The fence we had put up did little to keep out the rabbits, and NOTHING to keep out weeds. As UV rays broke down the plastic fence, tearing it out proved more work then anticipated. Standing in ankle high weeds trying to cut the zip-ties that held it to poles, I was visited by a welcoming company of fire ants! We hadn’t even started on the weeds and sweat covered my face! I felt cursed!

As I looked over the mess that was supposed to be a garden, I remembered the story of the FIRST Garden from my early Sunday School days. It was GRAND because GOD had planted it! Man was created AFTER everything was already made perfect. Adam and Eve were given the job of being in charge of maintaining it’s perfect standards. But someone got a bright idea… and history was born!

As sweat poured from every pore in my body, I felt God call me into the shade for a moment of His Son’s reflection. There, with the Holy Spirit’s leading, Jesus pulled it all together for me. Within nanoseconds, I was reminded of the curse that STILL exists today. AND of the sad fact that men STILL pursue bright ideas to circumvent God’s initial proclamation by saying “CURSE? WHAT CURSE?!”

I have learned that SOMETIMES… pain can be a blessing. The sad painful fact that sin and satan still reign on this Earth, actually serves to drive me to The Savior. Bad news serves to make the Good News all the more a blessing. Standing in weeds, sweating, with fire stinging my ankles, I actually smiled! Because I was reminded that, thanks to my Savior Jesus Christ, THIS Garden… ain’t my home!

Have you been feeling a little weedy lately? Why not step into the shade with the Son!

“For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.” Matthew 13:15

Walking into my daughter’s kitchen, the view through her sliding glass door revealed an unusual sight. Standing on the outside, looking in, were 7 chickens… all of differing sizes and colors. Not being a chicken guy, I didn’t really know WHY they were standing there, since they have their very own fancy, custom built coop to live in. But there they stood… on the outside looking in!

Cori has been raising chickens for years, and while there are only 7 of them, the low numbers do NOT reflect the amount of work it takes to keep them. Whether 7 or 70… chickens need to be kept, fed and cared for. They provide some amusing and interesting entertainment through their daily routine, along with their main purpose… eggs! But like people, they can be both dumb AND cool!

It was dusk when we were ready to leave, AND time for the chickens to go back into their coop. We followed Cori out, wanting to see how she’d get them in there. Curious, I wondered… would she whistle? Call? Cluck? Reaching for a bag, the chickens INSTANTLY ran to her feet, then followed her to the coop. When she threw mealworms from the bag onto the floor, they GALLOPED right in.

The epiphany hit me as the chickens scratched around looking for worms. They HAD been at the glass door because, beside it was where Cori kept the mealworms. They weren’t there because they adored their owner! They wanted WORMS! Sadly, I realized I was looking at the perfect metaphor for the lost of this world.

God created the perfect coop for man’s future. In Eden, no luxury was spared the stomach or eye of man… except for the fruit of 1 tree! And that, just to give them the chance to love Him in return. Sadly, it only took 1 taste to sidetrack mankind for eternity. Even more sadly, after God provided the perfect way for man to get BACK to Him through His son Jesus Christ, men still prefer worms!

How sad it is to watch people fight and scratch for wormy things instead of the real, abundant life Jesus offers to ANYONE who will choose Him over everything else. Tasting worms, and liking it, also produces heartless people who will do ANYTHING to their peers to get more. I thank God that He has provided me with a life filled with MUCH more than wormy things. How about you?

Are you standing on the outside looking in? God wants you IN!

“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.” Proverbs 31:25

The occasion called for celebration, and we were blessed to be invited to the 90^th Birthday Party of my mom’s oldest friend. They had known each other as young girls, which means like God… Mary Lee has known me since before I was born. The get together was a small affair since, how many people make it that far? But because of her impact on family and friends, it required renting a room!

Kids generally get a Slip n Slide or a Bounce House for their birthday. Cardiac arrest is what those would have gotten Mary Lee. But no doubt she would have tried them anyway. So there she sat… all 4’11” of her (I’m guessing here) with the dignity of her counterpart The Queen of England. Though MUCH more classy and interesting. I can actually say that… because so many people did!

Mary Lee is most known for her quick wit and classy humor. I don’t know how she didn’t make it to Prime Time TV, but she is still the brightest star in the room wherever she goes. The thing I’ve always admired was her ability to wrap a bad situation into a story that had everyone rolling in laughter, begging for more. Because sadly, there were enough bad situations to make her enormously popular.

As each person in the room had a chance to talk about her, I felt honored to be among those who joined in that club. And while it was her humor that was unanimously mentioned, the central processing center for that gift has always been her heart. I can’t rightly say that I ever heard her say anything bad about anyone. But like a ‘lady’ Don Rickles, if she did, they’d always beg for more.

I don’t expect to hit 90, and really have no desire to do so. Life on this planet has gotten a little too icky for me, and since I don’t possess Mary Lee’s ability to turn that much ick into a 90 season comedy show, I’ll leave that to her. For me, the big lesson I continue to work on, until Doctor Death rings my bell, is her ability to genuinely display real love and care for God’s people… with dignity.

So thank you M’Lady for the invite and the gift to aspire toward. But please keep your calendar open… I think I want YOU to do my funeral! 

“‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher. ‘Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.’” Ecclesiastes 1:2

My mom’s dearest friend from High School is celebrating her 90^th Birthday today. Which happens to be my birthday too! Since my mom is busy doing other things in Heaven, I am planning to attend the celebration. I rented a hotel room in Orlando a day early and started a fun weekend. Yesterday, as I sat beside a lake, I overheard a worker talking about life! He was prophetic!

He was telling a fellow worker about how his life USED to be. “Man… I had clothes and shoes and WHEW! I was fancy!” As he stood there sweating while trimming bushes, I felt God move, so I followed. Popping out from behind the bush I enthusiastically said, “YOU sir, are a WISE MAN!” Looking dumbfounded, I told him that he had just PERFECTLY summed up life! He was perplexed!

I asked him if he knew what the wisest and richest man ever to live on earth had said? With “Huh?” was his reply, I told him about Solomon’s summation of life as “MEANINGLESS!” This seemed to depress him even more, so I added the cure. “Do you know what the ONLY thing that matters in life happens to be? To Love God and follow His directions in the Bible.” A twinkle came to his eye.

This morning, while Katie slept, I went and got a cup of coffee, sat out by the pool, then opened my Bible. But before I even had a chance to read 1 word, I sensed the Holy Spirit of God say, “Good Morning son! And Happy Birthday!” Smiling, we went on to spend some beautiful time together. I was glad no one else was out there because I felt like I was beaming! God… I love Him!

Meaningless? Without God in my life… it would be! But with Him, there is not a thing in this world that I need. Not only did I get to spend meaningful time with Him, I also got a sermon out of it! I’ll share it with the folks on Sunday… because that is HIS purpose and meaning for MY life!

Is YOUR life meaningless… or is it filled with Him?   

“One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless.” Proverbs 14:16 ESV

Having just turned onto the main road heading south toward town, I didn’t expect to see one this close to home! But like a polar bear sighting in Florida, there he was! And he was a BIG one! As I got closer, I was able to confirm that, right there in front of my eyes… stood a fool! And so close, I had to swerve to miss him!

He was driving a Cadillac SUV which in some circles for what he was doing, MAY have been a clue! Because sitting askew on top of his car, was a mattress! Putting 2 + 2 together, I knew why he was on the side of the road, because he was trying to retie the mattress to the SUV’s luggage rack. Having had the same experience years ago, I knew his problem was LACK of experience. He was a newbie!

There are some things I have had to learn the hard way! Book studies on aerodynamics in science class was boring. Math and calculations were meant for people who liked that sort of thing. Until one day, while moving a mattress with only a car to do it, I received a ‘show and tell’ lesson in physics. I too ended up on the side of the road trying to keep my cargo from lifting off in the wind!

Using a Cadillac SUV to transport a mattress was NOT what identified the man as a genuine fool. It was his location that made him stand out! With 2 lanes of traffic moving at 55 mph, his car was parked with 2 tires ON the highway! All right lane traffic had to swerve to miss hitting him! The fool was relying on MY actions to avoid imminent danger. Satan LOVES fools!

God’s text book, The Bible, gives me words to live by. Admittedly I have had to learn MANY of His lessons the hard way. But I’ve come to realize that, while more painful and slow, there is nothing wrong with the hard way. As long as learning is the end result. But allowing desires, satan and other people’s ideals to define Truth is truly foolish. I thank God for HIS offered wisdom.

What makes YOU stand out… and is the cargo of YOUR life secure?

“…no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.” Ephesians 4:14

It just so happened that I was in the middle lane of a 3 lane highway moving at the speed limit of 55 mph. While I was coming up on a merge from the right… and an eventual reduction into a 2 lane highway, I was unconcerned, having done it thousands of times before. It was then that I saw the smashed bottle, wildly dancing in the center of the road! “Oooo,” I thought. “A metaphor!”

The speed of the traffic caused air currents to spin wildly out of any kind of long term prediction. As a car passed the bottle on the right, the helpless debris was thrust to the left. When a left side car hit the bottle’s position, it responded by veering to the right. Interestingly enough, as the dozens of cars passed, there was no way to determine where the bottle would ultimately come to rest.

There was no doubt the bottle was litter. Also no doubt that WHERE or HOW it got there in the first place would ever be discovered, recorded or told. Was it deliberately tossed out by an unlawful and unconcerned citizen? Was it an accident… maybe falling from a recycling truck or dropped by someone who later became thirsty, but then had no way to satisfy their thirst?

Deep pondering would have to wait because I was in traffic with far more important things upcoming which required my full attention. So I drove… and the bottle danced! But because the bottle lacked a soul and spirit, it’s fate was really of no concern to anyone… including me. But the metaphor started to form when a question popped into mind. What if it HAD a soul or spirit?

There are BILLIONS of people on this planet, and the currents of peoples, governments, groups and individuals blow in all directions. For every thought or idea, there is a counter. Being created as an individual with free will, I am left to decide my own fate. I am not junk or trash, but made for the highest possible honor above every other creature. While winds blow ideas, God awaits my choice!

All the traffic was moving in the same direction, at the same speed. Larger vehicles created more disruption and, like doctrines, had greater influence over the bottle. But when it comes to MY direction of choice for a forever location, my Creator had a PARTICULAR goal in mind from the very start… to make me HIS Child… FOREVER! I am no accident. Neither are you!

Are YOU flowing with His Spirit and goal in mind?