Fun for me...

Be4 I get to the fun for me I have a true story to tell.



The other day we were having pizza. Homemade, from scratch, best pizza ever. Every once in a while I get a hankerin' for some hot sauce on it. This was one of those times. However, I am not like my father in law. He coats his in jalepenos and needs a towel to wipe away the sweat! I am a lite weight when it comes to hot sauce. My favorite sauce is the Sriracha...or something like that...it's got a drawing of a rooster on it, but what sets it apart from all the other sauces and such is its green lid. You twist it and squeeze the goodness out.

Well, since I am the only on that uses it, it lasts quite a while and "sometimes" there's goop on the top that keeps the yummy goodness from coming out of the bottle. Again, this was one of those times. Since I am a lite weight user I just put a dab or 2 on the edge of my plate and dip the pizza in it...this time as I squeezed I was meet with resistance. I shook the bottle a bit and squeezed again, nothing. Finally, I started to bear down on it. Yeah, I am the man.

Instantaneously, the bottle was defeated. I had my way as the sauce exited the bottle. However, considering the blockage did not completely surrender, the stream of spicy goodness was misdirected. It was misdirected at about 270 degrees. In an instant 4 ounces of skin melting spicy goodness shot directly to my right. Unfortunately, that is where my sweet 2nd oldest daughter sits. In my shock I look in the direction of the high velocity squirt... She had caught it, right in the eye. It took a few seconds for the burnination to begin....she streaked to the bathroom and washed it for 5 minutes trying to diffuse the burning. Between the screams we could only decipher 2 words...IT .... BURNS....

She, as always, came back in the room giggling...and in good spirits.

What an unfortunate loss of some good hot sauce! ;-)

More on my fun later!!

Is it really a good idea?

I know this guy that is a super outstanding dude....he has an amazing story. See, his mom and dad were both very abusive physically and verbally to him and his brothers and sisters. While his brothers and sisters have dabbled in questionable activities and struggle consistently with abuse of their own family etc..., this man remained steadfast and has become a valiant warrior for the Lord.

So, here's my plan, we put alchoholic abusive parents in every household since there has been such a good result with this guy...

Yeah, I hear you. Pretty stupid. But don't we all do that with our own circumstances? Don't we think that our own experiences and successes would work for everyone? Obviously, I super exaggerated the story above, but the principle is the same. When I hear success stories of people in certain scenarios and hear how they support it because of that, it always makes me wonder. My primary question is, have we stoopified the miracles such as this story and made them commomplace or, in our efforts try to formulize our experiences to apply them to others and think that the outcomes will be the same, removed the Spirit's work? It's not that I think that we can thwart God's will, but I do think that He is never confined nor conformed to our ways of doing things and if we are too proud, He will pass us by.

I don't see in scripture any pattern that supports the copying of successes for the same blessings that were received.. The only consistencies that I see is the petitioning to God. The way He answers is His own for His own good. His ways are not ours and His thoughts are so far above ours that it would be silly to try to formulize things like that.

I would say that there is nothing that guarentees blessings based on anyone elses success or failure. Each blessing or answer or acknowledgement from the Lord, in my opinion, should be considered miraculous...

You don't follow your heart, you lead it.

My title is a quote from the movie Fireproof.

This morning at 4:30 am, I heard my not yet 2 year old scream from his bedroom, "NOOOO!". Then, I heard him thrashing around some in his bed. Then, silence. He had apparently dreamed something and verbalized his frustration outside his dream. This is an area where we are working with him now. He tends to want to exert his authority...Funny thing is, he doesn't have any.

As I was laying there wondering what I should do, I was overwhelmed with thoughts about the work I have at hand. No, not get up in the morning and drive to my place of employment kind of work, but the REAL work, the REAL life. Don't get me wrong, being at work is real...and I really try to work. But, rarely do the matters of the heart and life manifest themselves there. So, what work am I talking about?

Husband, Dad, Friend, Witness...

I am sure there should be an order to that list, but that's not what I am talking about now.

Each of these takes work. Fireproof did a great job in illustrating the work of not being selfish, the work of love, the work of commitment. If we become lazy in any of those areas, the other must pick up the slack lest the marriage go down the drain. It's actually a movie "worth" watching. Is the work worth it? Is it hard to serve?

I have posted in the past about "A little folding of the hands". Have you ever thought about the implications? Earlier when I was talking about my son, I was able to reason that he probably wasn't really mad at anybody that time of the day. But, it appears that his whole life right now is "Noooooo!". If I were to ignore his demands for correction, would I be being faithful? Isn't it interesting how it all ties together? The work that we have to do, (and do correctly) benefits the one we work for, which may be a blessing to the Lord as we are obedient, that may even come back to the worker...

So, if I get up (do the work) when my son is throwing a tantrum and chasten him (my work in raising a godly seed)..He is sad and I am sad...He eventually learns (Lord willing). But, that's not the end. As he grows, he understands that I am being faithful to the Lord as he is learning to be faithful and obedient to an earthly father. He understands honoring his father and his mother and does so. He comes to understand our faith and the work we did. He then listens to the real Father for the work He has for him. That blesses me.

Of course, doing it for the last sentence is the wrong reason and I don't think I do that. I would think that the primary reason I tend to do what I do is because I don't like the results that I have seen from those that didn't do that work. Although God's grace and mercy override EVERYTHING...jee whiz, I could go on for ever here....I'll move on.

Hebrews 12:4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. 5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “ My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.”[a]7 If[b] you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

I think that says it better anyway.

In any case, we have a work in every aspect of relationship....don't grow weary...just grow. (easier said than done, eh?)

Nathanael and Philip

So, Nathanael was fairly skeptical of the Messiah, especially being from Nazareth..but Philip was persistent. “Come and see!”

“Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” said Jesus as Nathanael approached.

I wonder what happened under that fig tree where Jesus said He saw Nathanael. That very statement proved to good ol’ Nate that Jesus was whom He said He was since Nathanael believed immediately after hearing that.

Ok, so here are a few observations..

1.      Philip was a great witness. Insisting to a skeptic to “come and see”… I am thinking I need more of that in me.

2.      Jesus proved in less than 2 sentences that He was the son of God. He knows us intimately..would he say of me “Behold, I see no deceit in you dad of the taggs?” Would he say it to you? Do you even care?

3.      Are we doing things in private to be seen only by God? How often do you visit your fig tree? I don’t visit it enough.

4.      How sweet it would be to hear encouraging words from Jesus….

One smart spider

Last night as I was making my rounds to check on sleeping kids. I headed toward the bathroom to shut off the light. I believe that light switches and electrical appliances don't work properly for anyone under 18 years old. Whatever room they enter the light switch will turn on...but never work when they leave, as they pass the lightswitch by. Seems like there needs to be some intervening physical factor that young people don't have the dexterity for. In any case, I was about to turn off the light and I checked the toilet. Same youthful physical phenomena inhibits youths from actuating that lever as well...so, I have a habit of checking and flushing lest the remnants get too rank. At that point I noticed a spider in the toilet at the waters edge. Since this seemed like a task where I'd kill 2 birds with one stone, I happily flushed. To my surprise, the spider pulled of a move worthy of being allowed to live. He had apparently planned ahead. As the water came swirling down the spider jumped toward the deepest part of the toilet and, to my surprise, started climbing up his web that led directly to the toilet seat. He promptly stood tall on the part where humans sit as to proclaim, "phew, what was that!?! I am glad I left myself an escape route!"

As impressed as I was, the spider was apparently not prepared for what happened next...to his demise.

Well, just goes to show you that no matter how well you plan things may still come up that you didn't expect. But, at least he impressed me!

A quote to ponder...

"I am much afraid that schools will prove to be the great gates of hell unless they diligently labor in explaining the Holy Scriptures, engraving them in the hearts of youth. I advise no one to place his child where the Scriptures do not reign paramount."

Martin Luther, German Monk, Theologian, and Church Reformer (1483-1546)

Special kids!!

I have been blessed with the greatest kids ever. They need training (as do I) but they all have teriffic character and hearts. Each of them "specializes" in something great as well. It's a testimony to their mothers hard work and love!.

You may have read about Buzz...(Our 2nd oldest daughter's new pup). He's definitely cute, fun and all puppy. However, I think the real excitement is in watching my daughter with him. We got her the pup for Christmas. My wife and I wanted to reward her and encourage her in what she is most interested in. She LOVES animals. However, we really only like dogs and whenever we got her a cat, it ends up disappearing. (Not my kids fault kind of dissappear). Anyway, we knew she had the heart for it and we also knew that she was responsible enough. She is amazing... She pops up at 3 am when the dog whimpers to go out, at 6am she's in the living room working on the "down" command. As the dog is deaf it's really a bit more difficult...but she is endeavoring to persevere.

I am so proud of her....and I like the dog too!!

DEATH!!

I have had another thought occupying my mind lately. Recently, an old friend of mine died from liver cancer. He was 58 when he died. I recall a lot of the things we talked about and argued about and laughed about. I really can’t believe he’s gone, but, he is. He now knows something that we all only imagine or speculate about….being dead. I believe the bible and what it says will happen but that’s not even what I have been thinking about. I have been thinking about wasted life. Death is inevitable…it will happen to ALL. But, do we all need to have a wasted life? I have read of men of valor living life with great cause and dying a valiant death, I have heard of men dying for their loved ones or friends or cause, I have heard of misguided men dying for the wrong reasons…but, in all those stories it seems that those men were living for something (whether right or wrong) and then died in some effort while doing that “living”. They had something to live for and died while trying to live for that.

So, it made me wonder…What am I living for? I know I will die…but, am I just lingering around until then?

My wife made an interesting point when we discussed my friend. She made a statement that went something like, “well, with cancer he probably had time to get his affairs in order and get right with God.” I would agree. Part of my angst with his death are comments that he made in his life about getting to heaven and the like. So, it would seem like cancer might have been merciful as horrid as that sounds.

But, what about those that believe? We should have our affairs in order everyday. We should know what we are living for and pursue it with vigor…unto death even.

I know that a lot of people think that believers are believers because they are afraid to die. My dad believes that. I don’t buy that for a minute…don’t get me wrong, I am not looking forward to whatever process would lead me to death…but, death itself, at this present time, causes no fear in me…The thought that is gripping me is if I am going to waste my life. Countless hours doing nothing that matters…things like: TV, surfing the internet, wondering what you are going to buy next, etc.

I think it’s time that I created a priority list…then lived it out with all I’ve got mainly because death is not the end..It’s only the end of hard part.

Truth v. Lies

I just read the introduction to our next strategic objectives meetings for my place of employment..it goes something like this: “

“Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but

most of them pick themselves up and hurry

off as if nothing had happened.”

Winston Churchill

Always and everywhere, Truth and Falsehood are locked in mortal combat. Until the end of time, first one and then the other will gain advantage in the battle for human souls and the fate of nations.

Ultimately, of course, Truth must prevail for Jesus has promised that we shall know the Truth, and thereby, be set free. He promised to send us a Counselor who is the Spirit of Truth and even declared that He, himself, is the Truth. So, at the end of history, the outcome is not in doubt.

In the meantime, however, the Evil One remains remarkably persuasive in deceiving our race about human nature, culture, science, politics, economics, good and evil, heaven and hell, the Truth of the Bible, the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and much more. All of this the Father of Liars manages to do while leaving most people in doubt of his own existence!

It almost seems as if people are eager to be deceived, to actively cooperate with the very deceptions that threaten their lives and souls. “It is a melancholy truth that bad arguments often prevail over better ones, and that very bad arguments sometimes gain a virtual monopoly in the court of public sentiment. In extreme cases, a bad argument so mesmerizes the public that its status as an argument – as one, necessarily limited point of view competing with others – tends to deliquesce. It takes on an aura of inevitability… When this happens… Dissent from this new orthodoxy appears as dissent from the simple reality of the way things are: less a challenge than a perversion,” Roger Kimball explains.

“

I do find that I am severely susceptible to lies especially when they appear that they benefit me personally. Like, too much change from the grocery store lady…or buying into the lie that 5mph over the speed limit is fine. My 2^nd oldest daughter and my oldest son recently blogged about such matters and based on a verse that states, “'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'”

so how am I to be trusted with anything great if I can’t observe the simple truths and what is my master’s happiness in giving back change and obeying worldly laws??? I am refreshed with a joy after being obedient to Him that really helps me understand it more, but, what do you think that happiness is? …It’s an interesting lesson that seems to have many facets and can be applied to many different parts of your life. I would encourage you to read it again too (Matthew 25:14-30).. Good job kids!

Good sermons!!

Typically those 2 words don't go together! Lol... Just kidding. But, God really used this last one to talk to my family. He mentioned growth and learning and how some people plateau. He also talked about how hitting a plateau was bad. Furthermore he mentioned that it usually occurs around my age!!!

It was inspiring. I pray that I act on it!!