Sunday, December 4, 2011
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Friday, December 2, 2011
"A man must be able to cut a knot, for everything cannot be untied." ~~Henri Frederic Amiel
"A man must be able to cut a knot, for everything cannot be untied; he must know how to disengage what is essential from the detail in which it is enwrapped, for everything cannot be equally considered; in a word, he must be able to simplify his duties, his business and his life." — Henri Frederic Amiel
Words of the year
Those who spend time on Twitter might have guessed that OWS, occupy or 99% would have come out on top this year. They didn’t come out on top, but they did make the shortlist, alongside some notable tech buzzwords. Gamification, clicktivism and crowdfunding made the U.S. shortlist, while hacktivism, sodcasting (playing music on your phone’s speaker in a public place) and — not surprisingly — phone hacking made the UK list.
Here’s the full U.S. shortlist for 2011′s word of the year:
- Arab Spring
- Bunga bunga
- Clicktivism
- Crowdfunding
- Fracking
- Gamification
- Occupy
- The 99%
- Tiger mother
- Sifi
"Good character is the best insurance; crooks get trapped in their sinful lust." ~~King Solomon
Looking for a reward in this world and the next? Get God's good character. Get it now.
Good character is the best insurance; crooks get trapped in their sinful lust. ~~King Solomon (Proverbs 11:6)
Thursday, December 1, 2011
"Reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it." ~~Jane Wagner
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Calm me with His love
Now that is good stuff. So very simple but powerful.
May I delight in His love. May He calm me as He sings to me.
Jerusalem will be told: 'Don't be afraid. Dear Zion, don't despair.
Your God is present among you, a strong Warrior there to save you.
Happy to have you back, he'll calm you with his love and delight you with his songs. Zephaniah3:14-17
Monday, November 28, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Provoked to sarcasm
Peter, James and John got in. I want to be one of the ones who goes in with Jesus. I don't want to be sarcastic with what our Lord can do. Nothing is impossible for Him!!
He permitted no one to go in with him except Peter, James, and John. They entered the leader's house and pushed their way through the gossips looking for a story and neighbors bringing in casseroles. Jesus was abrupt: 'Why all this busybody grief and gossip? This child isn't dead; she's sleeping.' Provoked to sarcasm, they told him he didn't know what he was talking about.
But when he had sent them all out, he took the child's father and mother, along with his companions, and entered the child's room. He clasped the girl's hand and said, 'Talitha koum,' which means, 'Little girl, get up.' At that, she was up and walking around! This girl was twelve years of age. They, of course, were all beside themselves with joy. He gave them strict orders that no one was to know what had taken place in that room. Then he said, 'Give her something to eat.' Mark 5:39-43
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Georgia 31, Georgia Tech 17
My how things can change.
God can do anything
May I not limit God to my dreams. May I lean in to hear what He has in mind. It is more than I can ever imagine. His desire for me is greater than my desires for myself.
God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Ephesians3:20
Friday, November 25, 2011
The promise
His word is true. He is faithful to His promise. He invites me move in closer. Lean in and hear His promise. The promise starts close to me. Then to those I care most about. I need the courage to believe. I need the love to persist. He is mighty and He will deliver on His promise.
Woo Hoo!!! He is so amazing.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Giving Thanks
In my "work" and sometimes "family" life, I have to qualify myself. I have to prove myself. I have to demonstrate I can get it done. That is the way it works.
God's world is different. It doesn't make sense to us but it is reality. I can share in the inheritance that my Father is preparing for me and all the saints. He has done it. There is nothing I can do to make it happen myself.
This is some good news.
Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. Collosians 1:12
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Shouldn't we be afraid?
But, Love has been added to the equation. While we are on our knees, it is God's Love that lets us feel His hands on our cheeks. And He is turning our face upward to Him. He is telling us that He loves us and He is saying that He even knew us before we were born. And we can hear Him. And there is no need at all to be afraid.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Romans 8:35
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
Our Father would rather do it right than do it quick!
Now, in a culture of "I want it now", that may come as a shock. He knows what He is doing. He is doing it right. He is doing it. I can count on that. He is a strong man. Mighty in every way. He is doing it and doing right. I must lean in to hear Him and what He wants. Nothing is impossible with Him.
He so ROCKS.
“More time on the problem isn't the way. More guts is." ~~Seth Godin
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
Can't keep quiet about God
God had used Peter and John to heal a lame man. The story is stunning. They were arrested for it. After spending the night in jail, they were bold beyond belief. They drew the line in the sand with the religious leaders. Do we listen to you or to God? They chose God.
May I not keep quiet about what I see God doing.
They (the religious leaders) called them back and warned them that they (Peter and John) were on no account ever again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John spoke right back, "Whether it's right in God's eyes to listen to you rather than to God, you decide. As for us, there's no question—we can't keep quiet about what we've seen and heard." Acts 4:18-20
Thursday, November 17, 2011
"Carpé diem quam minimum credula postero." ~ Horace (Roman poet)
He whispers to me
He is strong like a warrior. Strong like an Iron Man. He is not decrepit. He is here to save me. He is very happy I am his child. He calms me with His love. He delights me with His songs. He lifts my soul as He whispers to me not to despair. Nothing is impossible for Him.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
Words of strength and heart
May I have his same faithfulness. May I speak words that give people strenght and heart.
There was a lot more of this—words that gave strength to the people, words that put heart in them. The Message! But Herod, the ruler, stung by John's rebuke in the matter of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, capped his long string of evil deeds with this outrage: He put John in jail. Luke 3:18-20
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Ronald Reagan on the equlity of all men and women
"Recognizing the equality of all men and women, we are willing and able to lift the weak, cradle those who hurt, and nurture the bonds that tie us together as one nation under God." ~~Ronald Reagan
Leaning In: A Poem
I am leaning in to hear
the Lord more clearly.
I want to get closer.
I want to hear Him clearly.
I want the completeness
that comes from knowing Him.
So what can lead to that?
What is the path I should be on?
Trust.
Trust steadily in Him.
Trust completely.
Trust in what He says to me.
Hope.
And hope more.
Hope unswervingly.
Hope without the doubt
that can creep in.
Hope.
Love.
Love extravagantly.
Love without fear.
Love perfectly in His love.
Love like He loves me.
The best of all of these
is His extravagent love.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Nick in Las Vegas with custom car
Life Starts with my Heart
So ... I should keep my eyes straight ahead and completely ignore distractions which take me away from you, my Father. If I watch my step and focus on what you want, the road will be smooth. It will straighten out in front of me. If I focus on my relationship with you, looking only at you, I will leave evil in the dust.
Friday, November 11, 2011
When?
When does he get frustrated and quit? When does He just walk away from it all?
Never!!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Putting my foot down
It was completely His doing. I had absolutely nothing to do with it. He gave me a good bath and I came out a totally clean man. I was washed on the inside. I was washed on the outside. Clean inside and out!! My Savior Jesus poured out a whole new life for me. It is a generous life. It is a gift of right relationship with my Father. He has given me back my life. AND, woo hoo, there is more to come. An eternity of the glorious life. I can count on it. If is a fact Jack!!
So ... I am putting my foot down. I really am. I am taking a firm stand on all of this. I am putting my trust in God and concentrating on the essentials that are good for me. I am staying completely away mindless issues and the fine print. It gets me nowhere. I am radically trusting in Jesus. The HOLY Spirit that raised Him from the dead is in me. And with me.
I am putting my foot down.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Monday, November 7, 2011
The LIST
May I love the way He loves.
Love doesn't keep a list of the sins of others. 1 Corinthians 13
Sunday, November 6, 2011
A perpetual victory parade
In Jesus, we are in one perpetual victory parade. We march through life, in Him, moving from place to place, always in victory. We are triumphant in His life of resurrection. The power that raised Him from the dead is in us and upon us. When the crowd sees us in His victory parade, they know it is Him who deserves the praise.
In the Messiah, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade. Through us, he brings knowledge of the Messiah. 2 Corinthians 2:14-16
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Songs from my heart
May I drink in huge draughts of the HOLY Spirit. May I be filled with Him.
Drink the Spirit of God, huge draughts of him. Sing hymns instead of drinking songs! Sing songs from your heart to Christ. Sing praises over everything, any excuse for a song to God the Father in the name of our Master, Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:15-20
Friday, November 4, 2011
I hunger
I thirst for His word. I hunger for His word. I can't do without it. I can't wait for the next meal.
May I hunger and thirst for you like no other. May I receive your nurishment.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Take Heart
Many days, there is a whole lot of worrying going on. Fear can cripple. How many times does God come to us and say, "Fear not"? That is one of His great themes. Trust in Him. He is in control. He didn't bring us this far to leave us now.
Here is the good news. Jesus has overcome everything. He is seated at the right hand of the Father. All is well. It is finished.
“But take heart! I have overcome the world."
----- Jesus,John 16:33
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Never giving up
May I love like Him. May I never give up. May I have His heart.
Love never gives up. 1 Corinthians 13
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Rock solid guarantee
I can take it to the bank. He won't break His promise to me. He is faithful so I can be faithful.
When God wanted to guarantee his promises, he gave his word, a rock-solid guarantee—God can't break his word. And because his word cannot change, the promise is likewise unchangeable. Hebrews 6:18
Monday, October 31, 2011
Against the grain
- With less of me there is more of God and his rule.
- I have to lose what is most dear to me.
- I must be content in who I am in His kingdom.
- I must be a glutton for Him spiritually. Hunger for Him more than food.
- I must care for others, not myself.
- I must get my inside world, mind and heart, right first.
- I must show others how to cooperate not compete.
- I must be comfortable that my commitment to God will provoke persecution.
- I must please Him first.
So, there it is. It is not conventional wisdom at. It is God's way.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Things way over my head
That God has done something in my life is a real surprise, Him handling every single detail. It is nothing but a gift, His riches which I have a hard time understanding, coming to me every day. I am writing about things that are way over my head.
My task is to bring out into open what He is doing. His generosity is amazing. It is hard to get my arms around it. The credit goes to Him. It is His work for sure.
To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, Ephesians 3:8
Thursday, October 27, 2011
"The Message that points to Messiah on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction." ~~Apostle Paul
Of course, this is the way children think as well. "I don't get it" they say. "Why can't I do X?" they ask. "I don't understand why you want let me" they protest after we have explained it 10 times. Our decisons seem silly to them.
That what God is doing makes sense to me is a sign that I am on the way to salvation. I am on the road. I must stay focused on what He is doing and not get diverted by what He isn't. If I stay focused on His wisdom, I will be more than happy.
The Message that points to Messiah on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out. It's written, I'll turn conventional wisdom on its head, I'll expose so-called experts as crackpots. So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn't God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered dumb—proclaiming the Message, of all things!—to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation. 1 Corinthians 1:18-21
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
"Do not be anxious about anything." ~~Apostle Paul
I need to talk with my Father, ask Him for what I need, and be thankful in my conversations with Him. He knows what I need and will do more than I can imagine.
I don't understand it, but as a result, His peace is mine. I can rest and relax. His peace is at attention in my heart. He is protecting me and the enemy can't reach my heart.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-9
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
"People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." ~ Maya Angelou
"People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." ~ Maya Angelou
"I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart." ~~King David
And so I seek to do every act at home out of pure love. No selfishness. No boasting. No ego gratification. Only love.
I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart. Psalm 101:2
Sunday, October 23, 2011
"Regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it." ~~ Apostle Paul
- Compassion
- Kindness
- Humility
- Quiet strength
- Discipline
- Even tempered
- Forgiving
And so, we should wear love everyday. It is a garment we should always put on.
So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. Colossians 3:12-14
"The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity." ~~Dorothy Parker
"The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity." ~~Dorothy Parker
Saturday, October 22, 2011
"I've made myself available to those who haven't bothered to ask.' ~~God
He is there. He is available. He is ready.
"I've made myself available to those who haven't bothered to ask.' ~~God (Isaiah 65:1)
"My arms wave like banners of praise to you." ~~King David
So here I am in the place of worship, eyes open,
drinking in your strength and glory.
In your generous love I am really living at last!
My lips brim praises like fountains.
I bless you every time I take a breath;
My arms wave like banners of praise to you. Psalm 63
Friday, October 21, 2011
Mere busywork
Not all work is the same. Some things are much more important in the Kingdom than others. I shouldn't waste my time on useless work. Am I just doing busywork? Do I see that as a sham? How would this look in the light of Jesus and His glory?May I know what He wants me to do and may I do it with enthusiasm!!
Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them--Ephesians 5:11
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
"I pray for good fortune in everything you do—that your everyday affairs prosper." ~~ Apostle John
And, it is not just for a few parts of my life, it is for everything I do. Every part of my life. My health, my finances, my relationships. Everything. He wants me to prosper. That is just His way.
May my everyday affairs prosper, as He has them in mind for me.
I pray for good fortune in everything you do, and for your good health—that your everyday affairs prosper, as well as your soul! 3 John 2
Friday, October 14, 2011
A man after His heart
May I be a man after God's own heart!! May I do what He asks me to do.
"The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people ..." 1 Samuel 13:13-14
Thursday, October 6, 2011
"Action springs not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"Action springs not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer