After prayer meeting Wednesday, I did something quite unusual – I ate milk and crackers. It is unusual, for one thing, because of the combination. This is not merely milk and crackers eaten separately. No. This is an intimate union between both inside the glass of milk. This is also unusual because I have not done this for probably 20 years. My dad would often eat milk and crackers in the late evening, after supper. Of course, I would follow suit. For some reason, last night I had a hankering for it. It did not disappoint. Hopefully, it will not take another 20 years to enjoy such an unusual, tasty, memory-filled treat. I wonder, do you have a snack you used to eat as a child? Do you have a memory of eating something with a family member? I would love to hear your story.
Month: January 2009
Lessons on Prayer – The Fruits
Are you stuck in your prayers? Sometimes it is hard to find the right words. Over the next few posts, I want to share with you some things I have learned and practiced over the years. It typically involves praying through certain portions of Scriptures. For this first lesson I encourage you to pray through the fruits of the Spirit, as found in Galatians 5. Pray that the Spirit would produce these fruits in your life, and in the lives of family members, church family, etc:
1. Love
2. Joy
3. Peace
4. Patience
5. Kindness
6. Goodness
7. Faithfulness
8. Gentleness
9. Self-Control
Baptist Standard Time
I often joke about Baptist Standard Time. Baptists are known for being late to Sunday School, Meetings, and even Worship. I think that grieves God. People show up early for ballgames. They show up early or on time for work. But, when it comes to the things of God – they are late. The occasional tardiness cannot be avoided. The kids have a bad morning. The traffic was extra heavy. The alarm clock failed. But, when you are almost always late, it reveals something – the things of God are not important. If Sunday School, Worship, etc was important, people would arrive early and with eagerness. As it is, sad to say, many just do not care.
Food for Thought
“An empty barrel makes the most noise.”
My Dad
My dad died six months ago today (July 20, 2008). In two days he would have celebrated his 68th birthday (Janurary 22, 2009). Dealing with his death has been an intersesting journey. At times, it seems he only died yesterday. In other moments, his life and death seem like a distant memory – a dream perhaps. Some days it is easy to rejoice in his life and memory. Other days are filled with sadness and a yearning for his presence. I do not think it will get any easier. I wonder, will it get any harder? I suspect it will. People say that time heals everything. I am not so sure now. As life goes on, and I advance in years, dad’s life and memory will seem farther and farther away. Yet, in a another sense, he will be getting closer and closer. The more time goes on, the closer I get to my own death and of course – Heaven. There I will be with dad, and more than that – with Christ Himself! Dad, we miss you and love you.
Read Upside Down
This evening I was reading through Genesis 8-11. I found my mind racing and giving no thought to the words. So I did something to cure that – I read upside down. What do you mean? I turned the Bible upside down and started reading. This forced my mind to slow down and process the truth. It sounds weird, but it works. When you are racing through your readings, or you can’t seem to concentrate – read upside down [the book – not yourself of course]!
A Morning Prayer
“Lord – may I represent you well today.”
Tim Tebow – Quarterback for Christ
Here is a great article on Tim Tebow (Florida Quarterback) and his faith.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=3812762&sportCat=ncf
My Wife is Awesome
Our daughter doesn’t like being in the bed by herself. It is high time for her to be doing it. The other night we drew a line in the sand. It was an awful experience. Ainzley finally went to sleep after crying for 3 hours. Last night, my wife thought of a way to make the situation better. She played “hide and seek” with Ainzley. Ainzley would hide under the covers and Lori would go back to her room and try to find her. Thirty minutes later Ainzley was sound asleep. I hope this works again. Leave it to my wife to find such a clever way for this dillema. She is awesome!
Be a Kid Again
I am reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobeby C. S. Lewis. This is a welcome break from my typical readings. If you recall, it is a story of four young children finding adventure in the land of Narnia. Last night, I was so wrapped up in their grand adventure, I begin to enter into my own. I took a trip down memory lane and encountered many of my own childhood memories. I was reminded of something – I had forgotten who I was. We are so busy being adults that we forget the excitement, adventure, and bliss of life. Instead of seeing a new day as one big opportunity, we see it as one big burden. We can’t wait to get the day over. We can’t wait to get home from work. We can’t wait to get one more bill behind us. Where is the adventure of life? Where is the excitement? Where is the wonder that we had as kids? If just for a moment, be a kid again. Take a brief stroll down memory lane. Enjoy your grand adventure!
Just a Thought 