With Pentel P205 in my right hand, a mug of licorice spice tea in my left, and Kristene DiMarco singing "It is Well" in my ear (thanks to YouTube), I smile in joy over the simple things in life. Pencils, tea (nothing added), music - and the ability to write, taste, swallow, hear, emotionally respond.
Last night as my wife and I prayed with our children at bedtime, among other things, I praised God for the gifts of a warm house on a cold night. Today I rejoiced in the knowledge that when the plumber fixed the water valve connectors in both our toilet and our washing machine, we were able to afford the bill.
Today I also thank God for sweaters.
As I write, I'm wearing a beige (off white, light brown, I don't know!) cardigan. It provides, inexplicably, a comfort within - a security.
As I wrote those words, I questioned myself. Do I risk losing your "I get it!" to "What? That's strange!"? Like I mentioned, the fact that knitted wool comforts proves unexplainable, at least to me. If only sheep could speak! (I digress.)
Pencils, tea (nothing added, remember), music, warm homes, financial security . . . and sweaters. Ordinary things. Simple things. Meaningful things.
What will you add to the list? As you do, please feel free to drop one or more of mine, add cream to your tea, or laugh about sweaters.
Take a few moments to think. I'll wait.
. . .
. . .
. . .
Was that enough time? If not, pause from reading once more and resume thinking. Think so that you can thank.
8 Let [us] give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
9 for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.
Psalm 107:8-9 (NIV)
Start Here
Four score and . . .Undoubtedly you know several, if not all, of those phrases and you can pick up where the ". . ." leaves off.
I have a dream . . .
Ask not what your country . . .
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind . . .
Frankly, my dear . . .
You can't handle . . .
Two roads diverged in a yellow . . .
You and I are wired for words. Words not only communicate, they insist on our attention.
Three words (in English, at least) begin the first book of the inspired Text as well as the fourth record of the gospel of Jesus.
"In the beginning . . ."Whether "God created" or "was the Word" follows the ". . ." those combinations of three insist on the reader giving attention that all things started for, in, and through one Being - namely,God. The Triune God spoke, formed, and loved all things into existence. From that mark, we calibrate our life compasses.
When we do so, we discover, in the words of the anonymous poet, that
Whether the weather be fineThose words do more than play a song in my head worthy of Rocky Balboa's famous run up the stairs of the Philadelphia museum, they remind me to check my compass.
Or whether the weather be not,
Whether the weather be cold
Or whether the weather be hot,
We'll weather the weather
Whatever the weather
Whether we like it or not.
When gray skies block out blue, do I remember the One before "In the beginning"?Long before my beginning, the One from the beginning knew my steps, foresaw my pain, smiled at my joys that would become my experience, saw who would stand by my side, and set His plan in motion. So, if my path fails to line up with "In the beginning" - I fail to walk the right direction.
When bird song drowns out sad songs, do I remember to thank the One who set all things in motion?
You and I, like all before us, live in a time that is a mix of joy and jealousy, crime and celebration, destruction and determination, certainty and confusion, smiles and sin.
We, longing for a Garden world, live in a Genesis 3 world. We, therefore, face a weighty decision. Will we calibrate off of --
"In the beginning"If we will, we will find more ease in seeing raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens and, perhaps, even silver white winters that melt into springs for, indeed, these are a few of our favorite things.
Red, Blue?
How will you vote on November 8th? If you are reading this and you are not a U.S. citizen, you might count yourself lucky. "Contentious" doesn't even begin to describe the political world as we know it today. Each of my everyday, ordinary days for the past several weeks (maybe months) holds progressively more doses of information regarding the merits and/or ills of candidates, parties, and voters.
These days remind me of a lunch table conversation from my elementary school days. My friend, Derek, and I, merely echoing our fathers' opinions, debated whether a "peanut farmer" or a "Hollywood actor" should preside over our nation. I could not vote then, obviously. Several years later, now a college student, I argued, merely echoing one side of popular opinion, with others about whether a White House veteran or a rookie candidate should take the oath.
By my count, in all the elections in which I have voted for the Presidential office, I have "lost" and "won" just about an equal number of times. In less than a month I will walk into a booth and shade an oval. Perhaps you will, too.
A few days ago, the political rants of the day found themselves as topics of conversations at our family meal. Our oldest child will be able to vote in four years. Our other two are much farther away from voting age. They each are interested in the topics of the day. They often, to my enjoyment, echo my views or (sometimes to less of my enjoyment) echo the views of some other adult influences.
During the early morning meal a few days ago, I led a devotion from the Bible and prayed. In preparation (to which I devoted the time between pouring waffle batter and sitting down). I Googled "pray" and "submit" and "government authorities." I eventually landed on Romans 13.
1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
Romans 13:1-7 (NIV)
Those are straight-forward and, at times, hard-to-swallow commands. They are some of the most fitting words for our November 2016 days.
If you or I vote Red, Blue, Neutral, Conservative, Liberal, eenie meenie miney mo, or not at all, Romans 13 applies to each of us. Join me in remembering that on November 9th. And, regardless of the outcome of the election, if you are a follower of Christ, you can, in the old words of Jim Reeves sing, "This World Is Not My Home."
These days remind me of a lunch table conversation from my elementary school days. My friend, Derek, and I, merely echoing our fathers' opinions, debated whether a "peanut farmer" or a "Hollywood actor" should preside over our nation. I could not vote then, obviously. Several years later, now a college student, I argued, merely echoing one side of popular opinion, with others about whether a White House veteran or a rookie candidate should take the oath.
By my count, in all the elections in which I have voted for the Presidential office, I have "lost" and "won" just about an equal number of times. In less than a month I will walk into a booth and shade an oval. Perhaps you will, too.
A few days ago, the political rants of the day found themselves as topics of conversations at our family meal. Our oldest child will be able to vote in four years. Our other two are much farther away from voting age. They each are interested in the topics of the day. They often, to my enjoyment, echo my views or (sometimes to less of my enjoyment) echo the views of some other adult influences.
During the early morning meal a few days ago, I led a devotion from the Bible and prayed. In preparation (to which I devoted the time between pouring waffle batter and sitting down). I Googled "pray" and "submit" and "government authorities." I eventually landed on Romans 13.
1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
Romans 13:1-7 (NIV)
Those are straight-forward and, at times, hard-to-swallow commands. They are some of the most fitting words for our November 2016 days.
If you or I vote Red, Blue, Neutral, Conservative, Liberal, eenie meenie miney mo, or not at all, Romans 13 applies to each of us. Join me in remembering that on November 9th. And, regardless of the outcome of the election, if you are a follower of Christ, you can, in the old words of Jim Reeves sing, "This World Is Not My Home."
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