But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it,”

I was led to this scripture this morning; it literally popped into my head a piece at a time. The scripture itself seems pretty self-explanatory – “continue in what you have learned,” but I know there is deeper meaning meant specifically for me.

God is telling me what I should already recognize on my own; I am not “continuing” or “doing” what I already “know.” He has already taught me what I need to know for where I am in my life, and lately I haven’t been following.

It is important for me to remember that it is impossible to learn more complex things until one masters the basics. It’s time for me to live what I already know.

Yet here on the back porch, I am calmed. There is a feeling of nature here – even amongst the two and three story, minimal lot-line houses in the development they live in. As I look out, to my right is a section of woods on slopes so steep that I pray the developers never find a way to conquer and develop there. The tall trees line and overshadow the banks of a small creek that I cannot see except in my mind’s eye, but I know it is there for the manicured pond in front and to my right empties into it. The wind is blowing the 54 degree air causing the not yet fallen leaves to murmur with one voice. They speak loudly today, but even when they are silent, I know they are singing praises to their creator, to God.

In this place all is alive and bursting in song – in love and adoration – to the holiest of holies, God the father. In this moment, I close my eyes and drink Him in. I do not hear his voice, but I can feel his love and it warms me to my core.

Galatians 5:16

“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”

Galatians 5:22-23a

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

The leaves on the trees are just beginning to change. They are still mostly green, with those on the top and toward the south gradually becoming yellow, then orange, then a brilliant fiery red. It is, I am sure, no unplanned decision that the leaves facing the Sun are the first to change. Perhaps they are attempting to reflect the Sun’s brilliance, it’s beauty, it’s power. Or perhaps, this morning, just for my education, they are a visible demonstration of change I can expect when I focus on the Son.

We do this now as well. We make our own rules and regulations, our own boundaries – designed to keep “others” out and make us feel superior, part of the club. In short, we are just as guilty as the Israelites were.

Paul refers to Moses for a description of the law we need in Romans 10:8:

The word that saves is right here,
as near as the tongue in your mouth,
as close as the heart in your chest.

I really think that God was trying to tell us (through Moses) that the law we need is not written in a book, but written upon our very souls. We are born with it. We die with it. Our choice is whether we live with it.

I was thinking recently about lighthouses. Did you know that lighthouses have been around since before Jesus? I did a little research and learned the first recorded lighthouse was built in about 280 B.C. and rose to an amazing 450 feet (think 45-story skyscraper). It housed an actual open fire at the top. Can you imagine the poor soul that had to climb the steps or ladders to reach the top of the lighthouse to keep the fire going?

Throughout the years, lighthouses have helped seafarers far and wide skirt the dangers of a rocky cliff or show their way home on a dark and lonely night. Its ever present beacon of light reaches out into the depths of darkness and projects its brilliance into the world. The lighthouse has a simple job to do. It doesn’t care where you are from, or where you are going. It’s only job is to continue to shine its light for all those who need to see it. At one time, lighthouses were so important, they had caretakers that lived inside them. Keepers of the light would risk life and limb to ensure the light was never extinguished.

God wants us to be lighthouses. He created us, just as man created those lighthouses, in all different shapes and sizes, in different backgrounds and stages of life. No matter where we have been, or where we are going, God wants us to carry a light too. The light we are made to carry is one of hope and everlasting life. We are made to carry Jesus in our hearts.

Jesus said to the people, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” – John 8:12

We are so blessed to be created in such a beautiful way. God intends for us to carry Jesus with us, wherever we go. And it is His light that should shine from us, through whatever darkness there is to face, through whatever sin and despair is trying to darken our lives. We are made to carry His light, and to shine on those in darkness.

And you want to know the best part? Jesus is our caretaker. We are simply a building, and although we are all unique and beautiful in God’s eyes, our true beauty is in the light we carry. Every time we study His word, our light gets brighter. Every time we bow our heads and praise our Heavenly Father for the blessings he bestows upon us with every breath we take, our light gets stronger. Every time we speak His name, raise Him up and sing His praises, our light grows stronger. It is His light that casts hope into the hopeless, courage into the fearful, and love into the faithless. His light removes the darkness of sin in our lives and replaces it with the beauty of God. We have been given the opportunity to stand on that cliff, cast His light into the darkness, and spread His love throughout the world.

Our light should be seen by everyone, all the time, every day. And it’s our job to keep that light going. We cannot be flashlights that only shine their little narrow beams in emergencies or times of trouble. Our light must be strong, consistent and brilliant. The light of the world! Do you think the light of the world should be a flashlight? Be a lighthouse. Be God’s lighthouse.

As you may know from my wife, I like to cook. Not just open-the-box-and-pour-out-the-hamburger-helper cooking, but hey-this-recipe-has-47-ingredients-that-must-be-prepared-in-exact-order, in-the-light-of-a-full-moon, while-chanting-kum-by-ya cooking. This has accounted for some good dishes and some very, very bad ones. When I’m making something that doesn’t require a masters in the culinary arts, I do pretty well. I’ve even managed to re-create some Emeril recipes and not had them flop. However, once in a while I over-step my bounds.

Some time ago, we went with friends to a local Thai restaurant. I fell in love with Pad Thai. Being that we have not been back, and I have been craving the stuff, I attempted to make Pad Thai a few days ago. I say attempted, because my poor wife ran from the house in terror, dogs in the neighborhood were barking at the smell and even my brother wouldn’t eat it (he said something about not feeling well, but I’m not sure that wasn’t till after I started cooking). Although it was edible (I can eat anything), I can not honorably call my creation Pad Thai. I followed the instructions to the letter, which is not something I do every time. What I ended up with looked more like over-cooked shrimp in brown noodles with little bits of yellow (egg) floating around. In short, a failed plan.

I have discovered through trial and error (much error) that I am best inclined to create dishes that I have some type of background in: things my mother made (and then showed me), flavors I eat on a regular basis and dishes I just won’t give up on no matter how many times I’ve tried. Shocking, I know. If we are growing and enjoy new experiences, our interests will tend to take us further than that we grew up with. We expand, we try new things, we have new experiences, and in some cases, we try to re-create those experiences.

I would not know how to boil water had my mother not shown me how first (love you Mom!). I would not have known how to create the best burger in the world without my wife (love you too!). Everything, I have learned to cook, whether through technique or ingredients, someone else showed me how. This is my culinary growth.

Our spiritual growth is no different. We must have someone to lead us, even if they are only one step further along than we are. We need mentors that have “been there and done that,” so that hopefully we don’t end up making a mess that we then have to eat. Without mentors we would surely stagnate and fall away from God.

I am blessed to belong to a church filled with such people; people willing to lead where they can, willing to share experience. I am also blessed to belong to a very diverse small group; a group that regularly helps push me closer to God. Without both of these blessings, I guarantee that my walk with God would not be what it is for me.

I still love Pad Thai, but before I try to make it again myself, I’ll find someone who’s done it before. I suggest the same for anyone trying to get to God without a church and a mentor. Don’t forget that you can be a mentor too; you may have more to contribute than you know. There’s only one recipe for God, and it’s very difficult to make on your own.

You’ll have to pardon me now, I have to go get my antacids.

You are the greatest wonder of my life. You are marvelous beyond anything i know. I praise You for being You.

Thank you God for granting me another day on Your beautiful creation. Thank You for the blue sky, the singing birds, and the warmth of Your Son. Thank you for shelter, dear friends, and Your Word. Thank you for simple moments, romance, and meaning to this life. Thank you for the many blessings You heap upon me daily; please teach me that may i use them to glorify You.

This day, allow me to be part of Your plan, the plan that You have had in mind before i ever existed. The plan that will still be working when i leave this earth. That i may fulfill my part of Your plan is my greatest desire on this earth. I ask to be part of Your will, not my own.

I ask these things in Your beautiful Son Jesus’ name,

Amen

“From the fullness of His grace, we have all received one blessing after another.� (John 1:16)

Tonight God blessed me and my family. First, let me say that God blesses me every single day, every single breath, every single moment. And for those blessings, I am forever grateful to our most gracious Father in heaven. Tonight’s blessing, was extra special.

Our family went to see the movie “Facing the Giants.â€? My review of this incredible movie is for another day. The movie was fantastic, especially given the choices from today’s X-rated, violence driven movies. However, a movie review is not what this story is about. This is a story of God’s awesome power and glory.

Just so you know, Facing the Giants was about glorifying God. It was about praising Him not just in the good times, but in the bad times as well. It creatively showed that if you give everything to God, He will rain down blessings upon you like summertime showers. Most importantly, “With God, all things are possible.â€? (Matt 19:26). The movie depicted a story that made you weep with sorrow, and shout with joy. God’s grace was so intensely felt that your heart hurt, your lip quivered and your soul ached. When you weren’t wiping your tears, you were sitting on the edge of your seat with anticipation. God’s power and glory was evident. It inspired.

Tonight, God chose this movie to inspire our son. I watched him, watching the movie. His eyes were glued to every roll of the tape, and click of the projector. He was transfixed. I watched his eyes widen in amazement and weep with pure joy. He cheered for God’s soldiers and prayed for their success. And successful they were, because they inspired my 11 year old son to have faith in God at all times. To trust in Him and know that God will always be with him.

I believe that God helped create this movie. I hope that it inspires people of all walks of life, and all ages, to believe in Him, trust in Him, give Him all the glory, and He will bless you.

Tonight, my son was blessed. Long after we were home from the movie, he was still talking about how inspiring it was. This movie touched his heart. I pray he will keep that soul-drenching, heart pounding feeling with him the rest of his life. He was transformed. All the little things here and there he’s heard from his parents, from his church, from wherever, finally fell into place tonight. Blessings poured out like rays of sunshine. God spoke to his heart.

At bedtime, our son came to us and asked if we could have a family prayer. Can you believe it? An eleven year old boy that comes to you, and asked his family to come together to praise God. Even now, my eyes well with tears and my heart overflows with love.

Our little family of four sat down in a circle on the floor, held hands and prayed. My husband asked if he would like to lead the prayer, and he said yes, and suggested that it go around the circle. Our son bowed his head and started praising God for all the blessings he could think of, for all the good times and bad, for everything. His mouth couldn’t keep up with his little heart that was bursting to get it all out. With a gentle squeeze of my hand, my turn came next, and God again blessed me by removing the lump in my throat so that I too could praise Him. I thanked God for everything too, especially for the two beautiful children sitting next to us. I prayed that we would remember to keep Him in our hearts, our lives, and our every waking moments. My husband’s turn was next, and his eloquent praise came forth for the blessings of God as well. With the final squeeze of a tiny six year old’s hand, our daughter spoke up and prayed too. Even though the movie was far over her head tonight, she too was lead in her heart to praise God. Her soft little words melted my heart once more, and I silently praised God again.

Yes, we are so blessed.

First, the bad

I really don’t like to bad-mouth things, anything or anyone if I can keep from it. AND, given the fact that Sonya is a huge Disney fan, this is just a little bit harder.

I expect Disney to be masters at putting on concerts – after all, they’ve been putting on NoJ for 24 years, as well as numerous other concerts and events for even longer. So, count me as hugely surprized to find there were numerous places in front of the performances where I could only hear bass. Second, there were places in the park where you were literally being assaulted with 3 or more sources of audio at one time. Now, i can completely understand having bleed-over between the concert venues; what i can’t understand is why Disney decided to have a radio station full-blast in between the venues. Sorry, Disney, it was ridiculous to have so much audio in sometimes very small spaces. Next year, cut out the radio, or better yet, use those speakers to broadcast the closest concert for those that can’t get anywhere near the stage – maybe then I’ll get something besides bass.

Next, the ugly

Disney’s lack of crowd control the first night bordered on dangerous. Movement between the concerts was nearly impossible and resulted in numerous attitudes (from other people of course that most definately did not reflect where we were. In all fairness, the second night was not as bad, but for me that damage was already done. Because of the impossible walking situation (going from one concert to another would take the entire time of the concert), we missed Casting Crowns and Mercy Me – two of the main reasons we went.

I can attest that for at least one person, the crowds were too much. While Leaving the David Crowder Band concert, a woman had collapsed and was being looked after by medical personnel. Disney, i won’t be back because of crowd control issues. Honestly, there were far too many people in the park overall. I don’t have the numbers to prove it, but i suspect the event was over-booked. Either way, I will probably go to Rock the Universe next year.

Finally, the good

The performances (that we were able to see) were fantastic. We saw BarlowGirl both nights! They have incredible music and the best message I’ve heard yet for teen (and older) girls (and boys). The couple we were with has already bought all of their CDs since we got back. I absolutely hope my daughter thinks their message is “cool” when she gets there. Hope and pray, hope and pray.

David Crowder Band pumped so much energy into their perfomance, I was hard of hearing for two days, still humming their tunes. I had heard, but not seen David Crowder before, so he came as a little shock to me. Not a bad shock, he’s full of energy and uses it. Sonya kept asking when he takes a breath. I think this was probably the longest concert and they definately know how to worship. Even when we weren’t jumping up and down, our hands were raised in worship. A Collision is my next purchase.

Jeremy Camp was the last concert we got to. I think we were so tired that by the time we got here all we wanted to do was sit. JC definately put on a good show, but we couldn’t stand any longer. Sorry Jeremy, really we were jumping in our seats!

My hope

My honest hope is that DCB will go get BarlowGirl and come play at my house, well maybe not at my house – my walls won’t take it – but somewhere close. OK, my real hope is that someone with knowledge of how multi-concerts should work, with a large area of land and the inititive to get Christain artists out of the theme parks, will host some sort of woodstock event and transform some lives. Just make it near Ocala.

Their actions and customs would have been completely foreign to any other people, yet it would be incredibly obvious that these were a special people.

I used to thank God that we don’t have to live by the extreme rules and regulations of the Old Testament. How much easier it is to simply love Jesus and follow his teachings than some archaic protocals.

Now, i realize that the rules of the Old Testament weren’t a cage, but a release; release from the diseases, idolitry, and enslavements of the day. Jesus gave us his rules as well – and through Jesus, those rules give us the way to The Father.

We are still called to be recognizably different by our actions and customs. The actions and customs have just been changed to keep pace with the world around us.

The modern world is conflicted concerning sexuality. Jesus said to stay pure and avoid immoral thoughts. [1]

The modern world says the pursuit of wealth is most important. Jesus says money is not a treasure [2] , Love for the Father is most important. [3]

The modern world says spirituality comes from inside ourselves. Jesus says the Spirit comes only from God. [4]

We are called to be recognizably different. When the people around us stop asking why we are different, we have forgotten who we are here for.

[1] 27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. – Matthew 5 NIV

[2] “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” – Luke 12:21

[3] 35 One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” 37 Jesus replied, “`You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. – Matthew 22 NLT

[4] 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you do, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. – John 14 NLT

I would not be in love with the LORD had someone else not carried me to Jesus. We often think that we do everything for ourselves, and we try to. Yet this is not how God planned life or how it is in reality.

God puts people in our lives; some for us to help guide, some to help guide us. If we ignore the friends and family God has given us, we also ignore the gifts God is trying to give us through them. Beyond our current friends and family, God also wants us to seek out new relationships, to bring others to Christ – especially those who cannot carry their own mat.

I am so thankful for the members of my small group. They continually provide views i hadn’t (and wouldn’t have) thought of on my own. They offer fellowship freely, but most of all, they allow me to freely share my love of Christ. Without them, i don’t know that i would be growing as fast spiritually, or even growing at all without their help.

We don’t get to God on our own, at the very least Jesus takes us to the Father. I have friends who don’t yet know Christ. They say that they see a change in me, but that “Religion isn’t for [them].” I let them know that religion isn’t for me either, Christ is. I try not to pressure them – i know God will bring them around, and when he does, i hope i get to help lower their mat in front of Christ.