An Instrument

"Lord make me an instrument of your peace."

I love St. Francis of Assisi and his prayer! (Google it.)

It makes me think about lots of things, but the main thought for me is this. I need to make myself available to be an instrument in the hands of God.

It’s not about me and my service. It’s about me being available and willing to be used by God to accomplish his will in this world. I can be one of his instruments.

I’ve learned that most of the time it is in the simple, mundane things where I can be the most instrumental.

How can I can be an instrument in the hands of God this day?

Why? Just about every week, and I’m sure this week will be no exception, someone will ask me that question. It’s usually in the context of suffering of some kind. "Why did/does . . . ?"

Why? I ask the same question to myself and to God a fair bit also. Do you?

The further I go on my faith journey, the more I seem to ask it, AND the more comfortable I am with the question.

Why?

Because I’ve learned that true faith comes from doubt, and that the essence of faith is living with unanswered questions and still trusting God.

What do you think about "Why?"

Be Still?

I’m in a hurry to get things done

Oh, I rush and rush until life’s no fun

All I really got to do is live and die

But I’m in a hurry and don’t know why

"Seven days without rest makes one weak." Rest seems to be hard to come by in a culture that celebrates busyness. What’s that all about? A search for significance?

God says, "Be still and know that I am God."

Being still leads to and involves worship, knowing that we are dependent upon God for every (hurried) breath. Can you slow down this weekend and take the time to worship?

Will you?

Blame Shifting

"I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you."

Blame-shifting - it’s what we do. Some of us are quite good at it!

It really starts in the Garden of Eden. Adam blames Eve. (He really blames God, "the woman YOU gave me . . . ") Eve blames the serpent. It seems that no one wants to take responsibility.

Do you remember this old line? "For every finger you point at someone else, three are pointing back at you."

During a conflict/problem, it’s a good practice to pause before we shift the blame to someone else, thinking about our role in the problem.

How can we better assess our responsibility?

Words Create Worlds

The Story I live in says that God spoke the world into existence. His words created a world. Powerful!

Your words are powerful also and also create worlds. Do you believe that?

Part of being image-bearers of God is that we can speak words, distinguishing ourselves from animals. Clearly God wants us to speak, and he is concerned about what and how we speak.

Speak carefully because you are creating worlds with your words. Are they worlds of encouragement or discouragement, worlds of hope or hopelessness?

What kind of worlds are you creating with your words? At home? At work? At church?

Baptism is Beautiful

If I have a favorite baptism, then it was about 3 years ago when "Tiger" was baptized. As I raised him up from the cold creek water, the watching kids on the bridge shouted, "Snake!"

I looked up and watched a snake swim away, making Ss across the water. For me, it was interesting with goose bumps added.

Lots of mystery there, and lots of mystery in all baptisms. Baptism is a lot of things, and it is beautiful!

It’s beautiful because it pictures the amazing love of Jesus in his death, burial, and resurrection. Have you reenacted that? Die to sin. Be buried. Rise again. Have you been baptized?

Grumpy?

I was in Nashville, TN recently and drove past this place of business. I guess Grumpy owns it? Maybe the nature of his business made him grumpy?

How would you like to have a nickname like that? Grumpy.

Maybe we don’t have that nickname, but maybe we are described that way? If you belong to God, then there’s no need to be grumpy. In fact we just shouldn’t be, right?

"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God," says Paul in Philippians 2.

Might be a little more challenging on a Monday, but we can do it, right? We are children of God! Think about that. Good news!

Self-Control

This little diet kit came into the ReGeneration Store the other day. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I opened the box! When I saw the spoon with the hole, along with the half fork and knife, I laughed out loud.

I suppose that’s one way of losing weight. Do you think it would work?

It makes me think about the real issue: self-control. Disciplined self-control will not work unless there is a long term, "later on" view.

Hebrews 12:11 speaks to that. "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."

What do you need to imagine to exercise self-control this weekend?

Perseverance

"It’s called perseverance! Perseverance," Noni explained/emphasized, as she handed me the rather tall flower last week. She’s a regular giver of flower gifts. This flower now has a prominent place on my desk. Perseverance.

At 94, Noni is a picture of perseverance, a kind of feisty defiance of the aging process. She’s an inspiration to me. Failing eyesight and other health problems have not dampened Noni’s determination to enjoy life. Perseverance!

Got perseverance?

Friends

Do you know all of your Facebook friends? Me neither. Facebook has really dumbed-down the idea of friendship, I think, but that’s OK. Really.

What or who is a friend?

Jesus talks a lot about friends. When he does he invokes the idea that a friend is one who will lay down his life for you, AND a friend is one who will speak truth honestly and boldly. The idea of is his time was that lack of truthful boldness is not friendly. Interesting.

We need friends like that don’t we?

But can we handle friends like that?

Can we be friends like that?

Rocks in Trees?

In Yellowwood State Forest, near Bloomington, Indiana, there are 3 large rocks firmly resting in the tops of 3 tall trees. The largest rock is estimated to weigh several hundred pounds, and the tallest tree is around 80 feet.

The locals call them URBs - Unexplained Resting Boulders. (That’s kinda funny.) Mystery!

There are so many things that we cannot explain. Mystery can point us to God and lead us to worship.

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! (Romans 11:33)

What do you do with mystery?

Who do you work for?

A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a work station. . . It’s pretty much a joke for some isn’t it? Working hard at hardly working.

Even if we are in a bad job with a bad boss, we can still find the motivation to work, work well, and work honestly. Right?

Don't just do what you have to do to get by, but work heartily, as Christ's servants doing what God wants you to do. And work with a smile on your face, always keeping in mind that no matter who happens to be giving the orders, you're really serving God. 

--Ephesians 6

Work just got a little better, didn’t it?

Joey’s OK!

Sorry, Joey, but I cracked up watching you get cracked up!

We fall down, we get up.

"We fall down, but we get up. For a saint is just a sinner who fell down and got up..."

What do you need to rise from today? (Maybe some laughter would help the process?)

Forgive and Forget?

Forgive and forget? Is that possible?

It’s pretty hard when you have scars from an injury that constantly calls you to remember.

How about forgiving while remembering?

Isn’t that where the real power of forgiveness comes from? If we ask God to allow the forgiveness he extends to us to flow through us to our offender, then things change. We remember in a new way, a forgiving way, a way that reflects God’s way.

Who needs your forgiveness today? Remember to do it.

A Concealed Weapon

How do you feel about the controversy regarding carrying a concealed weapon? Regardless of your view you carry one, but it’s not a gun.

"The tongue has the power of life and death," says Proverbs 18:21.

That’s quite a picture isn’t it? And it’s true, even literally at times! People have taken their lives over what people have said to them. Others have stopped short because someone spoke life to them.

Words can crush, discourage, and destroy, and/or words can encourage and put a person on a road to life.

How will you use your words today?

Who needs to hear words of life from you?