Carry

I just learned something that needs to be shared. You know the third of the ten commandments, right? Go ahead...quote it. Got it.

Ok, in case you've forgotten it says: Don't misuse the name of the Lord your God. When most of us think about that commandment we think of cussing using the name of Jesus or God as an expletive. "Umm, I don't think God's last name is #$%^#."

Well, the word "misuse" could also be translated "to carry in vain." Doesn't that give a vivid image to that commandment?

All of us who claim to be Christ followers carry the true God's name with us wherever we go. May we not carry His name in vain. May we carry it for His honor and glory. Until we meet again...

Ramblings

I feel like I need to go to the blog confessional: Bloggers, I have sinned. It's been 12 days since my last blog. Not that it really matters. I just would like to get in the habit of writing this thing. Why does like sometimes get in the way of everything?
Is it just me or does life, and the stuff of life, move way to fast? It's like I can't keep up. Does anyone else ever look back over the past week and wonder where Thursday, Friday and Saturday went and if anything worthwhile happened during those days?
I don't know about you, but I do know that when I take some "in my closet with the door closed" time every morning (Rd Matt. 6:5-9 for more info) that my days seem to at least begin with some meaning.
Here's what I think I know (at least in theory, if not always in practice). Life is filled with too much stuff and the choices I have to make every day deal with knowing the difference between the good and the best. I know that sometimes our struggle is between right and wrong, but I am convinced that our adversary is more satisfied when we settle for good stuff over best stuff.
Here's an example: As some of you know, I am a survivor fan. Last night I watched as Aras won a million bucks. Then I stayed up way past my bedtime (10:00, which I know is early for some of you, but is late for a weenie like me) to watch the useless interviews with the cast. Thus, today I had moments of focussing problems and tiredness that I usually don't have. Was it wrong to stay up and watch the survivor finally? I know some of you would disagree, but I don't think it was wrong. Was it the best use of my time, however? Not at all.
I seem to so easily settle for the good when the best, which might require a small sacrifice, gets left behind.
I don't want to live a good life. I want to live the best life. I think that's what Jesus was getting at when he told us that he had come so that we might have life and have it to the fullest.
Here's my challenge to myself and anyone else reading this blog: Take a life inventory and discern what good things in your life are getting in the way of the best things for your life. Until next time...

In

We are in. Thanks to so many awesome people who helped us, we are in our new house. I must give them credit (this is like the credits at the end of a movie): Hub, Stephanie, Susan, Kevin, Linwood, Sherwood, Dustin, JJ, Scott, Chris, and Jim. You all were such an enormous help. I pray God's blessing on you, and may God heal your muscles, because if you feel anything like me this morning you can barely lift your arms!

I must say, I feel a bit out of my element in this new house. It feels like it's too nice of a place for us. I have to give the Heavenly Father credit for that. Now if we could just figure out where to put everything.... Back to work I go.

AAAHHH!!!

You know, there really is nothing like a little stress in our lives to keep us agitated. In 25 hours we are supposed to close on our new house. I am pumped, excited, thrilled, etc.. But in the back of my mind, or the pit of my stomach, I have this fear that things aren't going to work out. Do my fears have any grounding? No. It's just like I've been nailed by this wave of fear that's pulled me under and I'm all disoriented and confused, half unconsious, struggling to get to the surface.

Then there's this little voice that keeps quietly asking: Do you trust me? And I know that the answer to my fear problem is the same as the answer to my sin problem. It's trust. God is inviting me, once again, to trust Him.

I wonder how often we miss out on the opportunity to see God work, to see God move, to see God show up because we give in to our fears and miss the chance to trust Him. I really don't want to miss God. I just wish it didn't have to be so hard all the time.

I keep coming back to that verse in Hebrews that says without faith it is impossible to please God. I want to please God, but more than that, I don't want to miss Him. I don't want you to miss him either.

Maybe the next post will be from our new home. Until then...