How to boil a frog

You’ve probably heard this old parable about how to boil a frog.

If you put a frog into a pot of boiling water, it will leap out right away to escape the danger. BUT, if you put a frog in a pot that is filled with water that is cool and pleasant, and then gradually heat the water until it starts boiling, the frog will not become aware of the threat until it is too late.

There are lots of ways to apply this little story, but I’m thinking about how easy and dangerous it is to slowly become desensitized to things in our life. We gradually allow the unacceptable to become accepted.

Do you see that?

Old Isaiah did (5:20).

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

How do you walk?

How do you walk?

Like an Egyptian? With swagger? Stagger? Stumble? Humble? Amble? Ramble?

Do you saunter or sashay?

The way you walk says a lot!

God has shown us the best way to walk.

Micah 6:8 — He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

How’s your walk?

What are you waiting for?

I guess you’ve noticed that most of life involves waiting? We wait for birth, and we wait to die, and most everything between requires waiting.

We even have rooms for doing it.

Waiting well is an art informed and influenced by faith.

Psalm 5:3 — In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and WAIT in expectation.

Psalm 27:14 — WAIT for the LORD; be strong and take heart and WAIT for the LORD.

Psalm 33:20 — We WAIT in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.

Psalm 37:7 — Be still before the LORD and WAIT patiently for him.

Maybe we can be a better waiters today? I’m working on it!

Know Regrets

I like word play! So I’m a sucker for these:

No Jesus - No Peace. Know Jesus - Know Peace.

Here’s one I ran into recently:

Know Regrets = no regrets.

It was in a book about how to be an Ironman triathlete, something I am trying to become. My problem is swimming, and I am going through the frustration of learning. I sometimes want to fling my goggles and quit, but I know how I feel will feel if do. I know that regret.

Once you begin the quest toward something and start to waver, it is good to imagine, vividly, what quitting will be like, feel like. Know regret! By knowing regret you will persevere to No Regret!

Let’s press on today. We can do that! Right?

What Was I Saying?

I don’t know about you, but my mouth has caused me more trouble than any other part of my body!

It’s so easy to speak first and then think later. That usually makes for trouble!

The Rotary club adopted this 4-Way Test of speech, and more, back in 1943.
"Of the things we think, say or do:

1. Is it the truth?
2. Is it fair to all concerned?
3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?"
James, the brother of Jesus, said it this way:

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

Now, what I was going to say?

What Can We Do?

Quite along time ago, my young family was crossing a street. My precious little girl, misreading the sign asked, "Are we allowed to cross here?"

"Yes, why do you ask?"

She explained, "Because we are not Presbyterians."

Still cracks me up!

There certainly are a lot of divisions amongst those who follow Jesus, and I think God is not especially pleased with that. You can read John 17 and 1 Corinthians 1 to get some idea of what he thinks.

What can we do? Maybe just start working side by side in serving people who are in need, walking together to help others? Seems like a good place to start to me.

The Last Tear

I hate to see people cry! Gets to me. Bad.

Yet tears are a part of life, and some people die with tears in their eyes.

Yesterday I saw a man who is dying. He was crying. Tears filled his eyes.

There is quite a promise to those who believe in, and follow, Jesus. If we die in pain, then guess who wipes that last tear away?

Revelation 21:4 — "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

And after that last tear is gone... Wow!

Desire to Finish

Last summer, during the Tour de France, I heard something like this:

"The desire to finish must be stronger than the rationale to quit." Wow!

I love endurance athletic events, in part, because they are a metaphor for the Christian race.

Hebrews 12:1 — Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Philippians 3:13,14 — Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Work through the rough patches, the temptations to quit, and keep moving! It’s worth it!

"The desire to finish must be stronger than the rationale to quit."

Wanna Get Away?

Ever just want to run away from everyone and everything?

You have had enough of whatever and you feel the best thing would be to leave, to escape.

A long time ago, David, in Psalm 55, articulated what you and I feel sometimes:

"Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest— I would flee far away..."

But David doesn’t flee. He stays, and he remembers that God is with him. I need to remember the same. How about you?

Several times in our Story, God says, "I will never leave you!" So we stay, and we stay aware that God walks with us.

Don’t you love this promise?

Who Are You Not?

Short, sweet, and light – the perfect thought for a Friday. Right?

And, it takes the form of a joke! Ready?

What's the difference between you and God?

God NEVER thinks He's you.

Let God handle the cares of this week, and then on Sunday, His Day, worship him with other flawed individuals who have found forgiveness and new life in Jesus Christ!

Why not?

Glorious Body

"I have the body of a god! Buddha is a god."

Are you satisfied with your body? From what I read and hear, most people aren’t. Why is that?

If we follow Jesus, then our bodies house the Holy Spirit of God and have been bought at a great price. We need to love our bodies and take care of them. Perfect bodies are rare, so let’s just give up on that idea.

The promise of God, in the resurrection, is that he "will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." A glorious body! Finally!

Your body is already glorious in lots of ways, because you are fearfully and wonderfully made by God! You are his masterpiece!

How can you honor God with your body?

[For further reflection, read: Philippians 3:20,21; 1 Corinthians 6:19,20 & 15:35-58]

Priorities

You only have so much time and energy, so what’s the best thing for you to do? What’s first?

I’ve discovered that I can’t do all that I want to do. I have too many interests, limited time and energy, physical and emotional. I have to decide how to spend my time.

I find it difficult to not do a good thing in order to do a better thing.

Priorities!

How do you make those decisions?

Jesus says this about life, God, and priorities, "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness..."

What do think that looks like?

Knowledge and Ignorance

"The more I know, the less I know." Does that sound right to you? No?

How about this one?

"As the island of our knowledge increases so does the seashore of our ignorance."

It’s clear to me that as my knowledge increases, I am increasingly aware of how little I know, relative to what there is to know. Humbling! I bow in humble adoration to the God who knows all, and I trust him with my ignorance. I know enough to do that!

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

What do you know?

One Day at at Time

I wonder what will happen this week?

A lot of us spend/waste a lot time wondering what will happen in the future. We act out scenarios in our head, anticipating things that may occur (but often don’t). That is the stuff of worry.

Here’s a quote to live by:

"I don’t know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future."

Jesus said this (Matt. 6):

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."

How about we just live faithfully today, being conscious of God’s presence and promises?

Sounds good to me!

Encouragement

Do you give it?

The biblical idea of encouragement pictures one person coming alongside another. Presence. Participation. Conversation. Walking together. Working together.

Interestingly enough, that is how the Holy Spirit of God is described also.

God empowers people to encourage other people, and the best kind of encouragement is specific rather than general. "Good job" is OK, but "I really appreciate you because _________" is much better and longer lasting.

Can you come alongside someone this weekend to provide encouragement in a specific way?

It’s a good way to imitate God!

Today

As a rule, a man’s a fool

When it’s hot, he wants it cool

And when it’s cool, he wants it hot

And he always wants what’s not

I memorized this decades ago. Speaks volumes, doesn’t it?

We talk about the weather a lot, even to strangers. Is it because it’s one of the most basic things we share in human existence? A lot of people complain about the weather. Why?

My running buddies, always positive, laugh and say, "There are no bad days to run, just bad running clothes."

God says, "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!"

Can we do that even on cruddy weather days, all days, always?

I do better when I remember that each day is a gift given by God.