"There is a time to be born and a time to die." Ecclesiastes 3:2
Sorrow. Joy. Sorrow. Joy to come.
On one morning I am speaking tribute to Mary Dunning, my mother-in-law, whose body is about to be laid to rest while her spirit has already been united with Christ. The very next day, I rejoice in the safe arrival of grandson, Jake Robert, who is waiting to meet his grandmother and I within days of his great grandmother's funeral and burial. A mother rejoices. A daughter grieves. "There is a time..."
While enjoying Jake Robert in St. Louis, I receive word of a tragic loss of an adult son as his shocked parents begin to navigate through their heartbreak. As I pat newborn Jake on his back, I cannot but imagine the thoughts of these two precious parents, re-tracing their history of loving their dear son for these many, but all too brief years. I hold Jake close to my heart and without so much as a word exchanged, I love this new Weber even more. Time is too short...I have to read to Gavin, (my 2 year old grandson, Jake's brother) before the wife and I make our journey back to Alabama from Missouri in just a few days.
There is a lot to be said about life. It is precious. It is fleeting. It is confounding and confusing. Life is fun, but it sure can be tough. If I bank everything on THIS life, then I will be overcome with sorrow. If I mix eternity in, then I gain perspective on this life while I anticipate the life to come...without fear, and one day free, completely, absolutely free from the grip of sorrow. Maybe that is what the Apostle meant when he said; "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21).
I do not see how anyone can really live apart from God. Life is too demanding, complex, unfair, and confusing for that, to me, anyway. Life is too startling, amazing, awe-inducing and complex to ignore the obvious ingenuity of Majestic God. I can't help but to be drawn to Him for these reasons and myriads of others for that matter.
Thank you, Father for creating Mary Dunning. I will miss her until I am reunited with her. Thank you for creating Jake Robert. I will try to make every opportunity I have with him count., and to point Him toward You with my attitude, actions and words. Thank you for the joy You promise to those who know you. I am banking on this pledge from you today...and probably tomorrow too;
"Weeping may last for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5
Monday, March 28, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Thanks Ben!
Daylight Saving Time (DST) was the brainchild of Benjamin Franklin. NOT!
Although he coined the phrase, 'Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise,' Ben's proverb became a legal proposition of New Zealand's George Hudson in the late 19th Century. The addition of an extra hour of daylight would give George the chance to trap more pests...he was an avid insect collector. OK...
In 1918, the United States adopted DST (scheduled for the second Saturday in March each year) so that all of us could catch more insects...or play more golf, or enjoy more jet skiing...or read more books on the porch, (can you believe that some folk would actually choose that with extra daylight?). In other words, more time to play, goof, vacation, enjoy, stay out, grill, and drive convertibles. You could even use DST to dodge the draft! Check out this story;
A man, born just after 12:00 a.m. DST, circumvented the Vietnam War draft by using a daylight saving time loophole. When drafted, he argued that standard time, not DST, was the official time for recording births in his state of Delaware in the year of his birth. Thus, under official standard time he was actually born on the previous day--and that day had a much higher draft lottery number, allowing him to avoid the draft.
Although he coined the phrase, 'Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise,' Ben's proverb became a legal proposition of New Zealand's George Hudson in the late 19th Century. The addition of an extra hour of daylight would give George the chance to trap more pests...he was an avid insect collector. OK...
In 1918, the United States adopted DST (scheduled for the second Saturday in March each year) so that all of us could catch more insects...or play more golf, or enjoy more jet skiing...or read more books on the porch, (can you believe that some folk would actually choose that with extra daylight?). In other words, more time to play, goof, vacation, enjoy, stay out, grill, and drive convertibles. You could even use DST to dodge the draft! Check out this story;
Draft Status, Vietnam War
A man, born just after 12:00 a.m. DST, circumvented the Vietnam War draft by using a daylight saving time loophole. When drafted, he argued that standard time, not DST, was the official time for recording births in his state of Delaware in the year of his birth. Thus, under official standard time he was actually born on the previous day--and that day had a much higher draft lottery number, allowing him to avoid the draft.Hard to believe that DST and be so abused. Even in the light, folk have a dark side. You just can't say that about the God of the Bible though.
Light is a good thing. Plants need light to grow. Your body needs sunlight to be healthy, actually. In the Bible, 'light' is a repeated description of the unmistakable character of God himself;
"God is light, pure light; there's not a trace of darkness in Him." (1 John 1:5).
There is a purity in light. There is nothing shaded or hidden in the character and the Person of the God of the Bible. He wants to disclose Himself to you in a very personal way. No matter what you may think about God, He is not one to keep Himself a secret. He longs for you to know Him and to experience the joy of His amazing grace.
I encourage you to walk in the light as He is in the light. Start by picking up a Bible and reading 1 John chapter 1, (it's near the back of your Bible, in what is called 'The New Testament'). You don't have to run from Him, or hide from Him. You can go DST right now! Don't wait until Saturday is my suggestion.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
AWESTRUCK
“Awe”: What you feel when God shows up.
There are some things that catch my attention. High definition graphics, the aroma of ribs roasting on the grill, a brilliant red sky at dusk for starters. A truth realized is a bit more gripping as it penetrates deeper into my core being. A conversation or a melody can strike me in a way that makes me think seriously about my life while eliciting emotions and responses that sometimes surprise me.
It’s different when God shows up. Much different. In the Bible, the word for that kind of uniqueness is ‘holy’.
When God shows up, my attention is not simply caught, it is captured. A holy moment transforms me and I cannot and should not ever be the same.
This past Sunday, I felt ‘awe’. I was not the only one. God showed up as His people worshiped Him and transformation was the result. Lives were changed and forever marked. His grace abounded and His people poured out their hearts to Him in obedience and gratitude. I was just one of the many who stood in awe of His greatness. We were living in the midst of a holy moment.
His church at Camden experienced an Acts 2 moment on Sunday, February 27th.
“Everyone around was in awe.” (v. 43)
I think this is the beginning of something very holy. It’s ‘awe-some’
There are some things that catch my attention. High definition graphics, the aroma of ribs roasting on the grill, a brilliant red sky at dusk for starters. A truth realized is a bit more gripping as it penetrates deeper into my core being. A conversation or a melody can strike me in a way that makes me think seriously about my life while eliciting emotions and responses that sometimes surprise me.
It’s different when God shows up. Much different. In the Bible, the word for that kind of uniqueness is ‘holy’.
When God shows up, my attention is not simply caught, it is captured. A holy moment transforms me and I cannot and should not ever be the same.
This past Sunday, I felt ‘awe’. I was not the only one. God showed up as His people worshiped Him and transformation was the result. Lives were changed and forever marked. His grace abounded and His people poured out their hearts to Him in obedience and gratitude. I was just one of the many who stood in awe of His greatness. We were living in the midst of a holy moment.
His church at Camden experienced an Acts 2 moment on Sunday, February 27th.
“Everyone around was in awe.” (v. 43)
I think this is the beginning of something very holy. It’s ‘awe-some’
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