Home Security

Today was a beautiful day! So beautiful that my 2 o'clock professor decided he needed to go home to get ready for a fishing trip so we were the beneficiaries of his excitement. I got home about an hour early. As soon as I walk in the door our 2 year old son is saying, "Daddy, get tree, get tree Daddy." That is his way of saying "let's go outside." What fun we had watching them play! Callie (our 1 year old) is walking now and they are able to interact in a whole new way.

I was pulling Callie around in the wagon when Tressa called me over to the flower bed. Jackson is standing in front of our ADT Security sign----praying: "...momma-daddy-sissy-nana-poppa-Ty-Tanner-Shan-Jeff-mema..." Tressa said he has been going straight to that sign when they go outside. Sometimes he speaks into the black rubber stopper on the top of the signpost. Apparently, that is his podium. Sometimes he will lead a song from there.

• Every day I wonder how much is getting through to him when we battle over taking a bite of corn or chewing up his meat or drinking all of his milk.

• I worry about saying the right thing in correcting him so that I do not come across as tyrannical.
  

• I worry about how much time I am away at school and then having to study. (Not because his mother does not do an outstanding job with our children because she does!).

Then, on his own, he prays out in the front yard, unashamedly, for everyone to see. I am quickly reminded of Proverbs 22:5,6:

In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares, but he who guards his soul stays far from them.

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Then I thought "how ironic" that a home security sign was the spiritual training ground for our child. That is what I call some real "home security."

Let me always remember the most important things, like teaching my children how to talk to their God who made them so special and full of possibilities.

Corn is probably overrated any way...

Moments

One of my favorite songs is called "Moments" by the band Emerson Drive. The first verse and chorus read:

"I was coming to the end of a long, long walk
When a man crawled out of a cardboard box
Under the E. Street Bridge,
Followed me onto it.
I went out halfway across
With that homeless shadow tagging along
So I dug for some change.
Wouldn't need it anyway.
He took it lookin' just a bit ashamed.
He said, 'You know I haven't always been this way.

I've had my moments, days in the sun.
Moments I was second to none.
Moments when I knew I did what I thought I couldn't do.
Like that plane ride coming home from the war
That summer my son was born.
And memories like a coat so warm
A cold wind can't get through.
Lookin' at me now you might not know it
But I've had my moments.'

'In every person's life, there have been moments, both positive and negative, that have defined and redefined who they are. Those events entered your consciousness with such power that they changed the very core of who and what you thought you were. You were not the same person after that one moment. Although your defining moments may seem trivial to others - you have to remember, if it's shaped you in any way, it's a defining moment.' (Unknown)

Your defining moments are the outlines of your life. Too often we allow sin to be THE defining moment in our life (and the lives of others).

Did God allow sin to be THE defining moment in the history of His creation? No! He put into action a plan to make sure that sin would not have to be THE defining moment in our lives, but rather A defining moment that would reshape us and direct us back toward Him.

Remember, if it has reshaped you in any way it is a defining moment.

Romans 8:1-11

Camry Guy

There I was. Staring at the orange digital numbers trying to guess how many gallons the car would hold today. I have never run out of gas in my little Honda (cyber-knock on wood) but I have sure come close. All of a sudden...BAM!...CRUNCH! It was that quick. On the road behind me a custom Chevy van and a small Toyota truck tried to become one and the relationship was doomed from the start.

Some good-intentioned person stopped their Camry in their lane of traffic to allow a van to turn left in front of them (across two lanes) into the gas station parking lot. As you have already figured out, the far lane of traffic did not see the van turning nor did they expect someone to dart in front of them.

There were several factors involved including:

• The van should not have expected to turn across two lanes of traffic during bumper to bumper rush hour.
• The Toyota should have been driving slower with that many blind spots in traffic.
• The Camry should not have stopped to allow the van to cross.

Consider the third point. The driver of the Camry was being polite and helpful by allowing the van to cross in front of them. But I wonder what Camry guy is thinking today:

• "I'll never let someone cross in front of me again."
• "Last time I try to give someone a break."
• "See what happens when you try to help someone?"

Sometimes when we try to help someone we can get hurt, either by their attitude toward us or the consequences of the help we provide. Sometimes they can get hurt by the unintentional consequences of our attempt to help. That doesn't mean we shouldn't help.

I see fewer people who are stepping out to help others because of the fear of repercussions. It seems people can be quick to retaliate if they don't like the help you give or they don't like the results of your help.

The good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37) took a chance when he stopped to help a man who had been robbed, beaten, and left for dead. Not only that but a Samaritan was looked down on by the very race to which the injured man belonged.

"What if I myself am attacked?" "What if I am sued for doing the wrong thing?" "What if I am inconvenienced by taking time to do this?" "What if my friends see me helping this guy?"

Jesus asked, "Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" He said, "The one who showed him mercy." And Jesus said to him, "You go, and do likewise (Luke 10:36-37).

We take a chance when we reach out to help someone else. We place ourselves in a vulnerable position because they can reject, accept, take advantage of , or resent the help we extend. Jesus said we are to love our neighbor just like and as much as we love ourselves (Mark 12:30-31).

Jesus helped others and his efforts got him arrested, beaten, and executed. He didn't consider what might happen if he helped. He considered what might happen if he didn't (Luke 9:22-25).

Thanks, Camry guy, for wanting to do the right thing. Don't let what happened keep you from helping someone else.

$27.75

That's what it is going to cost me to renew my vehicle registration this year. I don't mind paying the money but this year I got a kicker. (In the South a "kicker" is some information or a situation that you were not expecting, usually catches you off guard, and can sometimes be painful). So anyway, my registration renewal arrives. But this year I saw four words printed on the notice that were a "kicker."

MANDATORY LICENSE PLATE REPLACEMENT

It seems that my plate has been "in service" for eight years or more and that warrants the replacement. I don't want to give up my plate. It has significance to me. I have it memorized. It has been on three different vehicles all of which represent an important stage in my life. AND, I can easily recognize it in the Wal-Mart parking lot.

What in your life needs to be replaced? What has been hanging around for too long? Bad attitude? Resentment? Fear? Pornography? Violence? Apathy? Greed? Self-doubt? Self-Pity? (insert yours here)?

If you are ready for a voluntary replacement I would like to offer some suggestions:

...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things. Philippians 4:8

And that's no kicker.

sore athirst

"And he was sore athirst, and called on the Lord, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?" (Judges 15:18, KJV)

In the Bible, the seventh book from the front is called Judges. There is a story in chapter fifteen about Samson who judged Israel for 20 years. You probably have heard about the whole "Samson and Delilah" incident (Judges 16). With God's help, Samson actually ripped a jawbone out of a donkey and killed 1000 men who were enemies of God. In all that God did for Samson, the only thing Samson could think about was how thirsty he was. I like the King James rendition which says "sore athirst." But in Eugene Peterson's The Message Judges 15:18 reads,

"Now he was suddenly very thirsty. He called out to God, 'You have given your servant this great victory. Are you going to abandon me to die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?'"

I woke up this morning able to get out of bed.
"Thank you God for my health and ability to leave the house?" Nope.
"I hope I am not late for class!"

My children are healthy, laughing and playing in the living room.
"Thank you God for my beautiful children and the blessing of getting to hear them playing?" Nope.
"Jackson, I told you not to...!"

I stuffed myself on spaghetti for dinner tonight.
"Thank you God that I still have a job and get payed?" Nope.
"Did you eat the last brownie?!"

Samson had just won a great victory over a bad people.

However, in a moment of self-focus, Samson called out to God for deliverance once again. And you know what? God "opened up the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned and he revived." (Judges 15:19, NIV).

It is easy for me to judge Samson (no pun intended) on his character flaws and his disregard for the One from whom all of his successes came. But I, too, have been sore athirst. I have found myself calling out to God once again for deliverance, taking advantage of His loving nature. And you know what? Time and time again he has sent me relief. He has returned my strength and revived me. It may not be what I expect nor when I expect it. But I have found Him faithful and just. That makes me want to be a better person. I want to honor Him.

Cheers!