Looking Back and being still

Have you ever sat in the dark, and just listened, I mean really listened? This time of year I get to do that Deer hunting, but it serves many purposes. It is amazing to listen to the silence. You hear your own breath, you hear your heart beating. You hear the breeze on the leaves. But it also serves another purpose, you can hear callings from long ago. As I look back into the long ago, I see times when I was bound by bitterness, consumed by passions I thought were worth pursuing. I held tight to the bonds that gave me courage to continue. Wearing the robes of righteousness, self righteousness, I marched on like a one man army content in the fact that I was right and everyone else was wrong. As I have grown older I look back on those times when God sent a correction in my life and can now recognize them as blessings. Life has a way of creeping up on us. It was only yesterday in my mind when my girls were born, now I am a grandfather to a beautiful baby girl. She holds all of the hopes and dreams any grandfather would have for their grandchild. But also that reminiscing gives me pause, time to reflect on things I should have done differently, things I regret, things that God had to slap me back into reality for. So during the quiet times, which are infrequent around here, I reflect, I watch and I listen, not easy for a loud extrovert who has no idea what solace even means. But is during those times when it is revealed to me that through all of my foibles, all of my arrogance, God still had a plan for me. He used my insecurities to strengthen me. He used my arrogance to condemn me in correction. He used my transgressions to train me in his ways. When I used to see hard times in my past, I now see where he walked beside me. Where I once saw pain while going through a set of circumstances I see where his pain was even greater. When I thought I was going to drown in my own tears I see that he was keeping my head above water and crying along with me. He listened when I called, he held on tight when I pushed away, and he taught me when I was unteachable. And now in another chapter of our life I look forward to see where he will lead us, how he will use us, and what I can do during my still time to hear his voice. Thank you Jesus for standing for us, in spite of ourselves, thank you for being the rock that can not fail, thank you for your Grace that sustains us, but most of Thank You for being You, the Loving Creator of all things that loved us so much that you sent an innocent man who was your son to die with the full weight of all the world's sin on his back in order that we might come to know the saving Grace that is Christ Jesus. Amen

Church

Attending church is like running full speed across the top of a razor thin mountain. As long as your footing is correct the view is great, the experience is beautiful, but one loose pebble and you tumble. You grasp for anything, and sometimes that is a rope thrown from above or a push from below from someone else who is struggling to get back to the top, either way it should be a place where help is only a moment away, usually before you ask. And often times it is just that. But our jaded society has allowed excuses to creep into the church and its buildings. No longer is accountability asked for, no longer is forgiveness free. There are bonds that tie us to that atmosphere. We are asked to conform or be cast out. Sadly we accept these and ignore their limitations, and go on about our churchy life as though it is the one place where we can be on Sunday who we wish we were the other 6 days. Church should be the one place we are free to express our shortcomings and get loving support, church should be the place we bring our failures and disappointments with ourselves and others to get loving prayerful people to walk along side of us while we deal with different issues in our lives. But is it? Is it being the non judgemental, loving caring entity it should be? You have to ask yourself that question. Are you being that person to others? Are you so in tune to the Holy Spirit that when someone needs a shoulder or a prayer, you sense that? Churches are made up of people, in order for "the church" to become what Jesus would want it to be, each and every individual needs to be what God wants us to be. We need to shake off the feeling of going to church as a duty and see it as an opportunity. Start being open about our failures so we can begin to see others being open about theirs. Paul said in Galatians: Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. So we should be striving as the body to serve Christ through our servitude to others and the body of believers.Likewise 1 Peter 3:8 says, Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. All of that should be directed toward God, to please him, not ourselves. Years ago I walked away from organized religion and railed on it as an evil that man created to subvert the will of God. I no longer believe that, I find fellowship with other believers a necessary part of Christian life. But hear me on this, when your church begins to get in the way of you and your relationship with God(due to to your failings or theirs), one of you needs to change. That is where I am right now. No disrespect to my wonderful friends, but when something is ticking, it is time to look for the source of the noise. God may lead us elsewhere, and due to some rather unfortunate circumstances I believe he is. But I can clearly see the blessings he has bestowed on our family while we were in the body we have been in for over 10 years. I believe he will continue to bless them and my prayer is just that. But do not let what God has done in your life suffer from bitterness, but celebrate his victory that has brought you this far. God is Good! All the time!! All the Time!! God is Good!!!

Grocery Store Etiquette

OK in this tense time with politics and all, I want lay some future ground rules for grocery shopping. These came to me yesterday as I was in the store about to commit cart rage...so here it goes...:O)

1. If your girth plus that of the cart is equal to or greater than that of the width of the aisle, DO NOT shop next to your cart, place it in front or behind you!!

2. Pretend there are dotted lines in the middle of each aisle and STAY ON YOUR SIDE!

3. Make a list!!! standing and staring into the unknown all the while another person needs what you are standing in front of will just get you into trouble.

4. STAY OFF YOUR PHONE!!! Enough said about that one.

5. Make your children behave, if you can't then leave them with someone else, and don't beat them in front of me unless you want some too.

6. Don't fondle the produce, you can thump a melon or squeeze a cantaloupe but don't fondle stuff we eat, if you pick it up, buy it I don't want your germs!

7. If you see a friend, say hi and MOVE ON! Or at least find a good empty spot to park and talk NOT IN THE AISLE IN FRONT OF ME!!

8. If you are not disabled and only need the electric carts because you are fat....YOU ARE THE LAST PERSON THAT NEEDS IT, GET SOME EXERCISE AND WALK!!!!! LEAVE IT FOR THE TRULY HANDICAPPED FOLKS! (Big pet peeve).

9. If you have to constantly ask an employee where things are...LOOK UP! Guess what there are signs above every single aisle, who knew?? Sheese!

10. If your eyes are so bad you have to stand on one side of the aisle to see the other....Get some glasses!!

11. If you feel the need to read the ingredients on everything you buy before placing it in your cart, they are ALL on the Internet, look them up before you go shopping!

12. And last but not least, if you forget something while at the register, BUY IT NEXT TIME! Do not make other people be forced to stand there while your inept 8th grader goes to pick up your feminine products or 100 pound bag of dog food!

This is in no way an exhaustive list, just remember, you are NOT the only person in the store so don't act like you are!! Have a nice day!