While I was researching obedience for Sunday's teaching, I came across this Proverb, which, being the sarcastic parent that I am, I wondered why I hadn't quoted it to my kids when they were not being obedient;

"The eye that mocks a father

and despises a mother's instructions

will be plucked out by ravens of the valley

and eaten by vultures."

Whoa!  That's gross.  And truthfully, even as sarcastic as I was, I really don't think I would have ever tossed that one at my kids.  The mental picture of Stephanie being chased across the yard by ravens and vultures after refusing to clean up her room is a bit off the wall; and a bit funny.  (Not sure I should admit that.)

But I have chewed on this verse this week.  If the meaning obviously isn't that you will literally lose your eyes to vultures for leaving your toys strewn across the room, what does it mean?  Perhaps in King David's time, if a person despised their parents and the wisdom that they offered, that person would either leave home, or be expelled from the home.  Without guidance, they may wander about the land, surviving as best they could, until they died; at which point the vultures would literally eat them. 

Or, possibly, that without the wisdom of the generation that is before us, we are spiritually short-sighted, or even blinded, and satan has the opportunity to steal our vision.  In a generation now that values everything that is cutting edge, culturally relevant, and globally accessible, the wisdom of the prior generation is easily discounted.  And though the venues for using that wisdom have certainly changed, and are constantly changing, the wisdom itself is of great value.

God hasn't changed.  His Word hasn't changed.  His faithfulness to the prior generation still needs to be rehearsed in the ears of their children just as the Israelites were instructed to rehearse all that God had done to deliver them from Egpyt; 

"Talk about them when you are at home and when your are on the road; when you are going to bed and when you are getting up."

We can "talk" about God's faithfulness on our podcasts and blogs.  We can attend webcasts broadcast from around the world.  We can facebook and twitter His goodness instantly to thousands of people that we may never meet in person.  But let's be careful that in our embracing of the immediate ability to share the now of what God is doing, we don't despise the testimony of our parents by discounting it as no longer valid.  But let's take what they have laid as a foundation, and continue to build on it, and present to the next generation a clear ability to see God and His vision for us today.

The Week of Reminders!

I have a love:hate relationship with to-do lists.  I love the satisfaction of marking off each item, and, by days end, holding a piece of paper full of lined out words.  On the other hand, I hate spending the time to write a to-do list, when I could be doing one of those things instead of composing the list.  Having that list on my desk, in my car, or in my pocket, reminds me of the things I need to accomplish that day.  I believe, part of my issue, is that I don't want to admit I need the reminder.  I want to think that I am aware of what I need to do, and that I will just do it.  I mean, hello?  I am an adult.  I have a brain.  I am aware of the day of the week.  I know what needs to be done.  But, my confession is, I still need reminders.

Last week, I had a week of reminders.  Not concerning my day to day responsibilities, but about what really matters.  Reminders of who God is and what He said in His Word.  Ok, again, I am an adult.  Spiritually.  (not a perfect one, or one who has arrived, but not a new Christian).  I am aware that the "hour is late, time is short, the night is coming when no man can work....".  I know what needs to be done; people need Jesus.  But, again, my confession is, I still need reminders.  These are some reminders God sent my way last week through others:

We are all a hopeless mess.  Pastor Ross has brought the best series I have ever heard from anyone these last few weeks.  You will be changed if you listen to Dysfunktion.  

That God's mercy and grace is evident in our families when we are far from perfect.  Both Stephanie's story at Journey Group and Reggie Joiner's message at the Orange Conference backed up Jeff's quote, "Satan is just giving God more to work with when he throws this junk in our lives."  I don't know a perfect family.  And if there was one, how would those kid's learn of God's grace and healing power?

And in all this mess, we have access to the Creator of the universe and everything in it, who can bring order to the chaos of our lives and get glory from doing it.  Eric and John both reminded me of this unlimited power that our God brings when we go to Him.  Those words flow so easily, unlimited power.  But stop; and be reminded of what ALL ACCESS means!

Then, mark that off your to-do list, put it back in your pocket, and watch God's grace be unveiled!

Lessons from the Mold

Ok, this time of year brings out the deepest desire in me to be able to produce a lawn that is nice.  And for me, that is a high goal.  It doesn't have to be  beautiful.  It doesn't have to be the best in the neighborhood.  I just don't want to be embarrassed.  My gardening skills are, to put it nicely, lacking.  I try.  I just don't seem to have that green thumb gifting.  So, I think the Lord, in His mercy, shows me things from time to time while I'm working in the yard, so that my time invested there isn't completely in vain.  

I was clearing out the leaves that had accumulated along a bed where a row of hostas grow in our back yard.  As I raked out the leaves that had settled there over last winter, I also raked away last year's stems and leaves from those hostas.  I noticed that many of the leaves were molded and wet.  I assumed by now they should have died, decomposed and disappeared into the ground.  But these had laid under those leaves, wet, dark and rotting.  I may not be the gardening expert, but I know that moldy leaves don't help plants grow.  They will actually cause disease to the new growth.

My heart wondered if that same process happens in our spiritual lives.  I can't live on last year's provision.  What was good for me in the past, not only is insufficient to sustain me now, but, if I cling to that, it can hamper my growth.  My walk with the Lord is a daily provision.  He knows and provides what I need today, for where I am today.  

And, can I even apply that to our world today?  If we only offer what sustained growth last year, will it be the best we can offer?  How much more if we only offer what was successful 10 years ago?  

So, I gathered up the moldy leaves and left the new hosta sprouts to breathe fresh air.  And I prayed, Lord, don't let me dwell in last year.  Keep me close to You for what You have for me today.  And as part of Your Church, let me be attentive to what You want to happen today to reach the world around me for You. 

Rest

Rest.  Everyone knows we need it.  Everyone knows that life goes better all the way  around when we get it.  But we often just don't do it.  Life is busy.  To-do lists abound.  "Opportunities" present themselves.  And we answer; we live, cross off one task, add two more to the list.  

I love my busy life.  It seems the more there is to do, the happier I am.  But happier in the moment sometimes comes at the expense of a quality of our work.  We are still doing our best, just our best, isn't really our best.

So, rest.  Find time, make time, take time.

I suggest sand and Starbucks at St. Simon's Island.

(ps - don't forget the sunblock)

What Do You Want?

Several days ago, I read in Luke 18 about Jesus healing the blind beggar.  It was one of those times that the words I had read, probably a hundred times before, jumped off the page as if they were printed in a 96 font; "Jesus asked him, 'What do you want me to do for you?' ".  I was overcome with the question, what if Jesus asked me that right now?  What would I ask?   

I rattled the thought around in my head as I headed outside to do some yard work.  I plugged in my ipod and turned on a podcast by one of my all-time favorite pastors, John Wood.  I was really excited about having his podcast because I hadn't been able to download them until Eric, another fav pastor, got me the right link.  So, I have a year's worth of sermons to catch up on, and start with the first one.  John's passage?  Luke 18, of course.  Sermon:  Jesus heals the blind beggar, of course.  I love it when God makes sure that I get it.  This is for me, right now.  You can't write that off as chance.

So, I continued to rattle that around, and came to some conclusions about myself that have been unsettling for the last week.  If Jesus asked me that question, in person, right now, I can't answer.  I can think of several things that would be helpful to my family life, my ministry, and my church.  But it seems to me that I should KNOW what I want and need most.  

The beggar knew what he needed and wanted most.  He knew what was keeping him from living the life he wanted.   

Have I lost the focus and sense of urgency about what I want to do?  Pastor Ross preached last year, Lord, make us addicted.  We should be consumed by the call You put on our lives.  We should be so focused on the goal of our walk with You, that we are keenly aware of what anything that keeps us from fulfilling that call. It's as though we have let ourselves be blinded by the busyness of the world.  It has distracted us, and caused us to be left sitting on the side of the road, useless for His Kingdom.  

Lord, I want my focus back.  I want to be so consumed by the drive You put in me to reach the lost, that I can give an instant answer to any opportunity You give me to ask.

 

Just have one things to say today.

You better get a seat belt, strap in, and hold on.

It's about to be a wild ride.  Only God can do what has been done for Momentum this week, and how He is going to continue what He has started is going to be wild.  It will have to be.  That is the only way it could happen.  So, like I said, get a seat belt.  Better be heavy duty.

Oh, yeah, and might want to get a new toothbrush, too.  We will have to get all the bugs off our teeth when this ride slows down...you know we will be grinning the whole way...........

Ping, Ping, Ping!!!!

This past week I decided that I was mentally-challenged.  Some of my friends  have thought that for years!  But that's not how I meant that.  I was challenged mentally, to try and keep up with all the thoughts, ideas and insanity that was flying through my mind, especially concerning all the upcoming events, changes and developments with the children's programs at Momentum Church. It has been an exciting week, but almost too exciting.   While working on one idea, 3 more would shoot through my thoughts, so I would jot them on a side note, and try and go back to the original idea, only to be sidetracked by 2 more tangents from there.  All these notes, tangents, ideas, and possibilities made me feel like my head might explode at any moment!  

The best way I could explain it to Steph was that my ideas felt like Ricochet Rabbit bouncing from side to side in my head.  This began a saddening of spirit as I realized that she, along with almost everyone I know, is too young to remember Ricochet Rabbit.  Back in the day, this was the type of television I watched.  Cartoons only came on Saturday morning.  It didn't teach anything.  No numbers, shapes, colors, or foreign language.  Just funny, at least it was to a 6 year old.   

So, if you are interested in what my brain was doing last week, you can watch this.  It's long.  6 minutes.  No interaction.  No redeeming value.  But may have been where I got the first concept that you should have your coffee all day long....... actually, it could explain a lot.  :-)

Ricochet Rabbit