I Guess I Just Don't Know When to Quit

If the third time is charm, what is the tenth time?

No looking back! Forge on ahead! This is how the west was won and all that stuff...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

So check this out, let's sound off here. If you by some chance actually have read any of my past blogs and would like to see me go back to posting my random ramblings, let me know. I'll start the vote. I say yes! Anybody else care to add their two or three cents. Heck, I'll take a penny. Just let me know.

A Penny for Your Thoughts

Yesterday, in the midst of a storm, someone handed me a penny.

He said Jesus told him to do it. I smiled at him at first. Condescendingly, of course. I didn't know if he was all there but I appreciated his obvious empathy to how I felt inside. I didn't know how he knew, but he knew something was up. He met my gaze and wouldn't let it go for a moment. Then turned and walked away.

I glanced down a the penny, trying to make sure I wasn't missing any possible message from the Lord. Let's see. Abraham Lincoln, freed the slaves, 16th president... so on and so on...

And then on the top... Right above his head... These words...

In God We Trust

And I suddenly understood.

Here I Go Again

What amazes me is that I keep trying to do this. I like blogging, but I go months without doing one and then have a sudden attack of words.

"I'm mossy, Jerry! My brain is mossy"

What's up with me lately? Well, I'm about to go through some major changes that I almost wrote about here. But I can't say them yet. I don't know who reads this thing. Needless to say, some very interesting life changes are on the way.

I think my problem is that when I read my friends' blogs they seem to either be one thing or another. Some write about the externals of life, "what we did, what happened, what's up." The others seem to be more instructional devotional type things. both are good. But, I don't write like that.

Sure there's some of that here and there but what I write is more contemplative, internal... what is that word? ... introverted! This is what I think about... uh... cheetos and m&ms. You know, that kind of stuff.

By the way, whose idea was it to make mini-m&m's? Did some one really say "these regular m&m things are just too filling... can I have a smaller portion please?"

So I may just shorten the blog name to Ramblings... By the way, I will also start up the Rambling John stories again. I'll take blog name suggestions. But for the some of the best of the other kinds of blogs, visit my friends on the right hand side of the page.

See you in the funny papers.

Unfamiliar Shapes

"Yes, there will be many many times when I will cry and long for the familiar but it is the unfamiliar that shapes us."

These words, written by my friend Elizabeth have convicted me, encouraged me and challenged me for the new year.

Elizabeth is packing for Russia. It has been her dream to go there. And God has opened many doors to fulfill this prayer and heart dedicated for service to Him. She is wise beyond her years.... Come to think of it, she may be wise beyond my years too!

This awesome yet humble woman of God would cringe at the thought of any one putting her on a pedestal or calling her an "inspiration". But that is what she is to many of us. But her words today were just too powerful for me to read past.

In my life Lord, what is unfamiliar? How does it shape me? Am I comfortable... too comfortable?

As we get ready to launch the new CD, change things at the church, move from graphic arts to teaching, etc. etc. etc., I see a year full of the unfamiliar. I have already been tempted to back away. But I have not.

Thank you Elizabeth for all you have shared with us through your blog, words and heart. We will pray for you as you serve the Lord in Russia.

Lord, let my tomorrows be unfamilar...

The Spirit of Competition

Another excellent devotional from one of my favorite writers.

The Spirit of Competition
TGIF Today God Is First, by Os Hillman

I in them and You in Me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me. - John 17:23

A story is told about F.B. Meyer, the great Bible teacher and pastor who lived a century ago. He was pastoring a church and began to notice that attendance was suffering. This continued until he finally asked some members of his congregation one Sunday morning why they thought attendance was down.

A member volunteered, "It is because of this new church down the road. The young preacher has everyone talking and many are going to hear him speak."

His name was Charles Spurgeon. Meyer, rather than seeking to discourage this, exhorted the entire congregation to join him and go participate in seeing this "move of God" as he described it to his congregation.

"If this be happening, then God must be at work."

Meyer, even though he was an accomplished preacher and teacher, recognized where God was at work and joined Him in it. [The author heard this on a radio show from Key Life Ministries with Steve Brown, based in Orlando, Florida.]

Can you imagine this story taking place in our competitive world today? Competition has penetrated the Church so much that many churches and Christian organizations approach ministry like a sports event. They view their mission as a business that seeks to gain market share among Christians - donors, members, influence - all under the name of God. I am sure God looks down at us and asks, "Whatever happened to John 17:23?" Sometimes we must remind our fellow servants that we are all on the same team! We should be seeking to impact the Kingdom of God, not increase our own market share.

When Jesus made this statement about unity in John 17:23, it represented the key to bringing salvation to many. He was saying that when His Body is unified, the non-Christian would be able to see who Jesus really is - the Son of God. Are you contributing to unity in the Body of Christ? Or are you contributing to a spirit of competition? Ask God where you can be an instrument of unity in His Body.