When I am an old man

When I am an old man

I shall wear my old slippers whenever I choose

Have popcorn and pickles, while on my armchair cruise

Dance around in my bathrobe, put my false teeth in a jar

Make friends of my enemies and talk of love ~ not war

Eat ice cream for breakfast, and spend some days in bed

Nod off in the sunshine, over books I’ve not read

I’ll drink milk from the carton, eat peaches from their tin

And throw away my neckties, grow whiskers on my chin

Make music on an old guitar, to chase away the blues

And scratch where it itches, forget to shine my shoes

Wink at the girls and give a big grin

Notice the sunsets, and let the dogs come in

On holidays I’ll wear fine shirts, plaid trousers that are loose

And let one of the youngsters, carve the turkey or the goose

But now, we must get to work on time

Save every nickel, penny and dime

But maybe I’ll begin doing some of these things now

Like forgetting my manners when I’m eating my chow

So our friends will recognize me on that far away day

When suddenly I am old and acting that way!

(author unknown)

 

He Protects the Chaplain

This morning I read a very interesting Facebook thread. 

I have a close friend that is serving in the Army, stationed in Germany.  He and his family make unbelievable sacrifices to accommodate the demands of being a military family.  His wife made a Facebook post on her husband’s military responsibilities. 

She said he was a “chaplain’s assistant”. 

What that means, I have never been sure.

I assumed he was the head chair setter-upper and was in charge of keeping track of the hymn books. 

However, on Facebook today, his wife commented (and I quote):  “He is a chaplain’s assistant, he protects the chaplain.  The chaplain is a noncombatant, so he doesn't carry a gun.”

That brief statement moved me deeply. 

“He is a chaplain’s assistant, he protects the chaplain.” 

Can you imagine a higher calling than protecting God’s messenger? 

We live in an age where the average pastor changes churches about every 7 years.  They are considered “expendable”.

But my friend, has chosen to put his life on the line for his chaplain. 

No one can harm his chaplain without passing through John.  My friend is a combat vet and served his time in battle.  So now he is using his military experience and skills to protect the life of God’s messenger. 

Now let me play with this concept for just a moment:

Hebrews 13:17 NIV

“Obey your spiritual leaders,
and do what they say.
Their work is to watch over your souls,
and they are accountable to God.
Give them reason to do this with joy
and not with sorrow.
That would certainly not be for your benefit.” 

According to Hebrews 13:17,

The chaplain’s responsibility is to watch over John’s soul.
And John’s responsibility is to watch over his chaplain’s life. 

My respect for John increased this morning a 100 times over. 

And now his name is written on the top the white-board over my desk, as a reminder to pray for him every time I lift my eyes from studying. 

Psalm 121 NLT

¹ I look up to the mountains—
does my help come from there?
² My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!

³ He will not let you stumble;
the one who watches over you will not slumber.
⁴ Indeed, he who watches over Israel
never slumbers or sleeps.

⁵ The Lord himself watches over you!
The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
⁶ The sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon at night.

⁷ The Lord keeps you from all harm
and watches over your life.
⁸ The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
both now and forever.

My Christmas Story

Sometimes God strings along a chain of events that are so random that it is easy to miss His hand nudging and guiding behind the scenes. 

A month ago, a wonderful family in our church asked me to select a deserving family that could use help with their Christmas dinner.  They wanted to purchase and cook up a meal, then have it delivered anonymously. 

Immediately my mind went to one of my neighbors that have dedicated their life to raising foster children.  They don’t just stop at being foster parents; they make a lifelong commitment to love by adopting many of them. Their level of love and devotion humbles me and I have tremendous respect for their commitment and sacrifice.

The flip side is, they have adopted so many of these foster kids that their home is a very active place and I’m not sure I have met but ½ of them.  Suggesting that Christmas dinner at their house is an event, would be an understatement. They anticipate over 30 “family” members to set down together around their kitchen table.  That is a mental picture that would shake the bravest of souls. 

My church friends brought enough food to feed an army.  They piled it in the front seat of my pickup during church yesterday.  I confess that there were a couple pies that were in danger of not making it to their destination. 

Then I was asked to help another family after church and with the schedule conflict, I didn’t have enough time to deliver the food.  So I asked one of my dearest friends at church to make the food delivery.  He immediately responded with great enthusiasm, loaded his car and headed out to deliver the food. 

An hour later I received a phone call asking for assistance.  The food delivery car was stuck in a snow bank deep in the woods on a private driveway. 

So my wife and I grabbed a tow chain, my shovel and headed into the deep woods to see if I could rescue Christmas dinner. 

Just as I found the food delivery car stuck in the snow, the family the food was to be delivered to – showed up unexpectedly.  They were heading out to go sledding.  To make a long story short, the car was pushed out of the snow and back onto the road, the food was delivered and everything worked out perfectly. 

Then God’s hand was revealed.  The family with all the adopted kids told me that since all their kids were home for Christmas, they were willing to sing a couple songs for our church next Sunday. 

Whenever this incredibly musically talented family sings, hearts are moved closer to heaven and lives are touched by our good Lord.

So next Sunday, Garden Valley Community Church is going to be blessed with 1^st class music from a family that loves the Lord and strives to serve Him in all they do.

And this whole chain of events began when one family responded to the good Lord nudging them to provide food for a family in need.

Praise the Lord and thank God for His amazing people. 

 Every time I think of you,

I give thanks to my God.
 Whenever I pray,
I make my requests for all of you with joy,
 for you have been my partners
in spreading the Good News about Christ
from the time you first heard it until now.
 And I am certain that God,
who began the good work within you,
will continue his work until it is finally finished
on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
 So it is right that I should feel as I do
about all of you,
for you have a special place in my heart.
You share with me the special favor of God,
both in my imprisonment
and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News.
 God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus.
 I pray that your love will overflow more and more,
and that you will keep on growing
in knowledge and understanding.
 For I want you to understand what really matters,
so that you may live pure and blameless lives
until the day of Christ’s return.
 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation,
the righteous character produced in your life
by Jesus Christ,
for this will bring much glory and praise to God.
Philippians 1:3-11    

Just Once

Let me meet you on the majestic mountain, Lord
~ Just once ~
You wouldn't have to burn a whole bush.
Just a few smoking branches
And I would surely be
... your Moses

Let me meet you on the water, Lord
~ Just once ~
It wouldn't have to be on the mighty Columbia River
Just on a puddle in the driveway  ~
And I would surely be  
... your Peter

Let me meet you on the road, Lord,
~ Just once ~
You wouldn't have to blind me on the Interstate I-90
Just a few bright lights on the way to
the chapel on the Lake Ellen Road
And I would surely be
... your Paul

Let me meet you, Lord,
~ Just once ~ Anywhere  ~Anytime ~
Just meeting you in the Word
is so hard sometimes
Must I always be
...your Doubting Thomas?
(author unknown)
 
John 20:24-31 NLT
²⁴ One of the twelve disciples,
Thomas (nicknamed the Twin),
was not with the others when Jesus came.
²⁵ They told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he replied,
“I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands,
put my fingers into them,
and place my hand into the wound in his side.”
²⁶ Eight days later the disciples were together again,
and this time Thomas was with them.
The doors were locked; but suddenly,
as before, Jesus was standing among them.
“Peace be with you,” he said.
²⁷ Then he said to Thomas,
“Put your finger here, and look at my hands.
Put your hand into the wound in my side.
Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”
²⁸ “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.
²⁹ Then Jesus told him,
“You believe because you have seen me.
Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”
³⁰ The disciples saw Jesus do
many other miraculous signs in addition
to the ones recorded in this book.
³¹ But these are written so that you may continue to believe
that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God,
and that by believing in him
you will have life by the power of his name.

My Guardian Angels

If you are from the Pacific Northwest, the story I am about to spin, is all too familiar. 

There are two kinds of people in the Pacific Northwest, those who have already hit a deer with their car, and those who are about to hit a deer with their car.  It's not a matter of "if" but more a matter of "when". 

Last night, I was driving home on some pretty terrible roads, and I have no way of arguing whether I was driving too fast or not, because only a lunatic would attempt to drive on a treacherous night like that.  

Anyway, the the oncoming traffic was so heavy that I could only drive with my low beams.  And the snow was coming down so hard the visibility was, maybe 10 yards.  And to top it off, my headlights were dirty from all the road grime being flipped up on my truck. 

I came around a corner and standing on the fog line was a large doe, facing away from me.  Usually the easiest way to spot a deer in the road, is the light reflecting off its eyes, but when they face away from you, there are few decisions to make. 

I honestly saw the deer a quarter of a second before I drove past it.  If I missed the deer by 6", I would be shocked. 

Michele saw the deer at the same exact moment I did and I could hear her sharply inhale as we safely sailed past. 

For a moment we just stared at each other and were unable to formulate any coherent words.  Finally, she muttered under her breath, "Well done God". 

Being a pastor, I like to think I have some sort of super spiritual vision that allows me to see God at work behind the scenes.  Some people commonly refer to this thinking as, "delusional".  But who isn't without their quirks? 

So in my minds eye, I like to think I can see a guardian angel riding on the right front fender of my truck, riding shotgun.  And since this is my vision, my guardian angel is wearing wranglers, cowboy boots, and a cowboy hat, herding deer off the roadway so I can safely pass.  

Of course, there is a glitch in my vision, I have led a sometimes, difficult and dangerous life, so I suspect my guardian angels were "drafted" and not "volunteers". 

I imagine the archangel Gabriel called for volunteers and announced, "I need one of you to ride herd on Shane Moffitt today, he is off on another of his adventures". 

There is a murmur in the ranks and all the guardian angels stare at the ground and kick the dirt, praying the archangel Gabriel doesn't notice them. 

In the back of the ranks, a voice calls out, "How many of us are on L&I disabilities from watching over that guy?" 

My minds eye conjures up a vision of a room full of guardian angels with broken wings, scuffed white robes, and serious road rash.  All of which testifies to the price paid for their diligence in the line of duty, protecting me. 

So, protecting me may not be an easy cushy assignment, but it is never dull, but it holds the promise of coming out with some great war stores to share over coffee with the other angels. 

So, to the guardian angels that have kept me

shiny side up in 2012,
"Thanks guys -- Merry Christmas – see you next year". 

"For He will command His angels concerning you

to guard you in all your ways;
they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone."
Psalm 91:10

"See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. 

For I tell you that their angels in Heaven
always see always see the face of my Father in Heaven." 
Matthew 18:10

Winter Showed Up

My fearless wife pointed the snowblower toward our road and found the snow was too deep and too wet to move.  So I called a friend with a truck & blade to dig us out.

What normally takes him a couple quick passes, turned into a full half hour of pushing snow.

What makes this interesting is, the weather forecast for the next week is starting to call for more and more snow.

Living here my whole life has taught me a few things:
#1. keep a few days of food stored up
#2. keep a few days of firewood on the porch
#3. prep the generator and keep extra fuel on hand
#4. when driving - SLUSH is your worst enemy - slow down
#5. keep an eye on how much snow is piling up on the roof
#6. fire up a pot of stew & a loaf of homemade bread
#7. watch out for your neighbors (especially the elderly)
#8. find a good book and put a pot of coffee on

In an effort to encourage everyone dealing with snow issues, I am going to post a daily "Bible Study" this week.  It isn't going to be anything deep or revolutionary..... just practical & thought provoking (good Lord willing).

Lets spend the week taking a look at the book of Proverbs.

FIRST, "what is a proverb?"  
Most of us can recognize a proverb but putting a definition to it is confusing.  So, find the book of Proverbs in your Bible and somewhere on the first page write:  "A proverb is a short sentence of wisdom".

A proverb by definition is a short sentence drawn from long life experience.

By the way, "NLT" is an abbreviation for a Bible Translation I enjoy reading:  New Living Translation.

I will challenge you by sharing Proverbs 12:15 NLT:
"Fools think their own way is right,
but the wise listen to others." 

My "paraphrase" of this verse is simple:
"Every man's ways are right in his own eyes."

My point?
Carefully examine your views & opinions with an open mind --
in the Light of God's Word.

Also, for the next 6 days, I am going to begin our Bible Study lesson with one tool for Bible Study.

So I suggest you grab a notepad of some kind and take some notes.

"Open my (spiritual) eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions"
Psalm 119:18 NLT

PRAYER:
"Heavenly Father, please draw people to Your Word and give them a thirst for the Truth about You.  Please make them aware of all the distractions and false information that society has to offer.  Please speak to our hearts and give us a healthy relationship with You.  In your Son's name, Amen"

Winter

My father and I disagree on how to cut firewood. 

Dad has a theory that he calls, “2 heats”.  He believes that if you cut your firewood in cold weather, you work up a heat, then when you burn it, you get a second heat.  I have helped him cut firewood in knee deep snow and sub-zero temperatures.  Apparently, cutting wood in sub-zero temperatures also insures you work quickly ~ or freeze. 

Yesterday I put the motorcycles in the barn for winter.  Then I hooked up the air compressor to the water system and blew out the lines so they don’t freeze.  Also, the garden hoses had to be drained, coiled and packed away in the garden shed.  And much to my chagrin, the snow blower had to be moved out of the barn for easy access.  Finally, water pipes under the house have to be wrapped with heat-tape and insulated to keep them from freezing.  If you are going to live in the Pacific Northwest, winter is unavoidable and preparations must be made.

The more preparations that I make for winter, the fewer problems I encounter when the temperatures drop and the snow falls. 

There is an old saying that emphasizes this well:

“In times of peace ~ fortify …. In times of battle ~ rest.”

Our spiritual take-away is this: 

God demands that you spend time with Him everyday ~
which will build your faith and prepare you for difficult times.

However, most people try to “use” God as a spiritual 911.

God only hears from them when the storm rages and they have tried everything they can think of to escape the circumstances that are battering their life.  Finally, out of desperation, they call out to God for help.  And when He is silent, they shake their fist at Him and ask, “Why would God do this to me?” 

 

The truth is, we choose to wander far from God and then blame Him for the situation we find ourself in. 

That makes as much sense as refusing to prepare for winter, and when your water pipes freeze ~ yelling at January for being cold. 

Lets look at this another way.   

God loves His kids. 

And you are not a better parent that God. 

So if you sinful people

know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your heavenly Father
give good gifts to those who ask him.” 
Matthew 7:11 NLT

And if you, a flawed human, love your kids and try to do what is best for your kids.  Don’t you think that Almighty God, who is perfect in every way and loves His children without limit, isn’t working behind the scenes to always do what is best for them? 

What is confusing for humans is, we only view things in the temporary physical realm. 

We expect and demand that God remove us from whatever circumstance or situation we find uncomfortable and painful. 

God however, uses circumstances, events, and people to transform us into people that trust Him completely in every situation and respond to things in ways that honor Him.

When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.

Isaiah 43:2 NLT 

Sharing Your Faith

Sharing Your Faith

So today we celebrate "Monday".  So I extend to you and yours, a very "Happy Monday".

Numerous people have expressed confusion on how to "share their faith" when the opportunity arrises.

I suspect this is because, we are always self conscious every time we learn a new skill.  Remember how you felt during your first day on the job?  Or how difficult it was to learn a new computer program?  Every little detail required thought and seemed to take enormous effort.  However, with time,  the tasks began to be second nature and you were able to do them naturally.  As your skills developed, so did your confidence.

So I wanted to throw out some ideas on how to start the whole "sharing your faith" adventure:

#1. Ask Questions:

“Do you attend church anywhere?” The sad truth is, many people have had negative church experiences. Listen to their experience without making excuses or passing judgement, then gently point out that religion doesn’t change lives, Jesus does. This is my favorite, "door opener" for sharing my faith. And if you study the life of Jesus and how he started conversations with people, He often began by asking them a question.  Jesus is sitting by a well in John 4 waiting on a unbelieving woman.  When she drops her bucket into the well, Jesus comments, "If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water."  John 4:10

#2. Common ground:

“Where did you grow up? Tell me about your family, where you went to school and your job.” People love to talk about themselves. Asking engaging questions about someone’s life prepares you to identify their spiritual needs. Often I have found that "listening" is the price of admission into their heart.  Once I have "listened" (without interruption) to their story, they will begin to share their life struggles.  And Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted.  What an amazing opportunity to "share my faith".  Matthew 14:14, "Jesus saw the huge crowd as He stepped from the boat, and He had compassion on them and healed their sick."

#3. Be Transparent:

People do NOT want you to open your Bible and lecture them.  People do NOT want you express your opinion the error of their ways.  However, people DO want you to share HOW God used His Word to impact your life in your hour of struggle.  This is vital and you must not miss it.  If you refuse to share a life struggle that threatened your very soul, then how can you expect the person you are visiting with to be transparent and share a very sensitive painful experience they are living with?  Consider saying something like, "I know your heart is broken and you are hurting.  And I know there is nothing I can say that will make you stop suffering.  However, Jesus promised that He will walk with you through this terrible situation.  Could I show you what Jesus promised to do in your life?"  Then open your Bible to Matthew 11:28, Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you.  Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

#4. Ask to Pray:

I have never had anyone refuse my request to pray with them.  Think about his, by not taking their problem to the Lord in prayer, you are in practice, attempting to shoulder their pain yourself.  My suggestion is to take their pain and invite the good Lord to be their strength.  1 Peter 5:7, "Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you."

You will be amazed how offering to pray for them leads to open doors to share your faith.

#5. Can I Share a Story?

Everyone loves a good story, and this works with close friends or even casual acquaintances.  Be honest, don't exaggerate, and get to the point.  Don't drag your story out for 2 hours or the poor soul will regret ever talking to you.  2 Corinthians 1:4, "He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.  When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us."

So my friend, swallow your fears and share your faith with confidence.

"For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ.  It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believers -- the Jew first and also the Gentile."  Romans 1:16

Thoughts on Prayer

Early African converts to Christianity
were earnest and regular in private devotions.
Each one reportedly had a separate spot in the thicket
where he would pour out his heart to God.
Over time the paths to these places became well worn.
As a result, if one of these believers
began to neglect prayer,
it was soon apparent to the others.
They would kindly remind the negligent one,
"Brother, the grass grows on your path."

When we pray, remember:

1. The love of God that wants the best for us.
2. The wisdom of God that knows what is best for us.
3. The power of God that can accomplish it.

Deep End of the Pool

When I worked in 911 as a “call receiver / dispatcher”
it seemed like the call types came in groups. 

For instance, one night the majority of calls would be
dog barking complaints.
The next night, the majority of the calls would be
Domestic Violence in nature. 
Then the next night we would deal mostly with
traffic complaints.
This happened often enough that it seemed
(at least to me) like there was some sort of pattern. 

Anyway, now as a “pastor” ~ I notice the same thing.

Some weeks, I only deal with “issues” in marriages.
The next week, I will only deal with grumpy stuff in
church that has some people disgruntled. 
The next week, I will mostly deal with funeral details.

So this week the topic of discussion seems to be:

(((( drum roll ))))
Issues of FORGIVENESS.

I find this interesting because everyday this week,

I have counseled at least one person on “forgiveness”. 

99% of us, don’t realize that there is a HUGE difference

Between “forgiveness” and “restoration”. 

Forgiveness is between YOU and GOD. 

Restoration is between YOU, GOD and the OTHER PERSON. 

So it is very possible to achieve “forgiveness” even if you cannot get the offended person involved in “restoration” of the broken relationship. 

Forgiveness has to do with the good Lord giving your heart peace. 

The person who gains the most from forgiveness is the person who does the forgiving. 

I will cut this short by suggesting we follow the example Jesus set for us in Luke 23:34,

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them,
for they don’t know what they are doing.”

Or the example of Stephen in Acts 7:59,
As they stoned him, Stephen prayed,
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
He fell to his knees shouting,
“Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!”
And with that, he died.

So the PROOF that you have experienced genuine forgiveness,

is when you can, with a pure heart, ask God to let the person
that offended you off the hook.   

I will wrap this up with 1 more command from the good Lord:

“Make allowance for each other’s faults,
and forgive anyone who offends you. 
Remember, the Lord forgave you,
So you must forgive others”
Colossians 3:13

If we need to discuss the “Forgiveness” issue further, let me know.

I’m praying for you….

Scaling Walls

I read Don Quixote as a young boy, so perhaps I was ill-advisedly influenced by his fascination with charging unbeatable windmills.

My fascination with Don Quixote moved me to begin a life of coloring outside the lines and always taking the path less traveled.  If there was a hard way to do something, rest assured, that would be the path I chose.  And if I couldn't get it done, I would simply, out of sheer stubborn determination, stay in the battle and wear it down until it surrendered.

USMC General Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller is the most highly decorated Marine in history. In Korea, he led his Marine's into battle and found they were surrounded 29 to 1.  The story I read stated that General Puller stood up and yelled to his men, "All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us...they can't get away this time".
The next morning when reinforcements arrived and found the Marine's had stood their ground and fought all night.

A friend of mine once commented, "I am sure there is a harder way for us to get this done, but I have no idea what that might be."

When I was 15 years old, my father decided it was time that we embark on the proud tradition of "teaching the boy how to drive".  On the surface it appeared a harmless right of passage that millions of young boys survived before me.  My reality was somewhat more complicated.

My long-suffering father spent many hours with me in his 1967 Ford pickup driving around town.  Between parallel parking that old beast with no power steering and learning to start a manual transmission on a steep hill, my experience was tedious and painful.

One of dad's favorite comments was, "Son, you are a remarkable driver.  
A lesser driver would've missed one or two of those potholes."
It was his attempt at survival humor as he watched me knocking his tires out of round and the front end out of alignment.

It pleased my father a great deal when I discovered that it was ok not to rub the tires up against every curb I parked next to.  All that time I thought sidewalks were markers to advise on how far off the travelled roadway I needed to park.

Some of us have a natural ability to do everything the hard way.

It reminds me of the 1st Rocky movie where the coach told Rocky that it was ok not to block every punch with his face.

As I got older, I realized how wise my father was and how many walls I could avoid running into if I listened to his advice.

"With your help I can advance against a troop;
with my God I can scale a wall."
2 Samuel 22:30

Our spiritual-takeaway is simply this:
"With God's help,
we can move over unsurpassable walls
that have repeatedly beaten us in the past."

So what is the difference?

The difference is between doing life on my own terms
verses doing life on God's guidance and power.

I believe it comes down to
"WHO YOU OBEY????"

If you obey your own desires,
then God will allow you to walk alone in the dark.

However, if you obey God,
you will find that He will lead you safely
THROUGH the Valley of the Shadow of Death.

"When you go through deep waters,
    I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
    you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
    you will not be burned up;
    the flames will not consume you."
Isaiah 43:2

My question is this:
Are you getting tired of running into brick walls?

Are you ready to give God control?


 

A Spiritual Reboot

Congratulations ~ you survived Thanksgiving.

You are 1/3 of the way through “the silly season”. 

All you have left is Christmas & New Years. 

I just watched a news video of a WalMart in Georgia that showed a special “Black Friday” sale on “pay-as-you-go” iPhones.  The video showed hundreds of people ASSAULTING each other to get one of the phones.  I had to turn it off because I was on sermon-overload.  In that short news clip, I collected enough sermon illustrations to last 3 lifetimes. 

My wife and I went on a “date” yesterday (Black Friday) and dropped by Best Buy to check out the new laptops and were overwhelmed by the mass of aggressive shoppers. 

Silly me, all this time I thought the U.S. was in some sort of recession with a shortage of jobs and money.

So, I thought it would be healthy for us to take a moment for a REALITY CHECK. 

Do you remember the “old days” when there was a “RESET” button on the back of your VCR or digital equipment? 

When it “froze-up” ~ all you had to do with push the small red “RESET” button and the computer “rebooted”. 

Well, that is what this BLOG is, a “Spiritual Reboot”. 

During the “silly season”, there is a tendency to HURRY PAST GOD.

 Write this down somewhere because you will need it later: 

“As the speed of your life increases ~

the quality of your relationships decreases”. 

“Busyness” is the #1 killer of relationships. 

 

You see, priorities never conflict. 

If someone is important to you, you will make time for them. 

Your “spiritual take-away” today is a self-check”. 

Ask yourself this:                 

 “Are your relationships suffering because you are too busy?”

If so, “What are you going to do about it?” 

As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home.

Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”

But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details!

There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” 

Luke 10:38-42 NLT