New Beginnings (again)

Today is the first Sunday in at least 8 years that we do not have a worship service in Wherry Housing Community. It was much easier to decide to start the services than it was to decide it was time to release it and move on to God’s ‘next thing’.

At the bottom of my email signature is a Spanish phrase, “otra dia, otra adventura”, which means: another day, another adventure. This is the most accurate description of my life with God and Jesus Christ.

Honestly, some days it is really difficult to look at another adventure – a new beginning. On days like this I need to recall Micah’s words (inspired by the Holy Spirit) to the rebellious people of Israel: “But as for me,  I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.” (Micah 7:7 ESV ).

Today is a new adventure. Thank you my God and my Father.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Keeping On”

When I opened this site today, I realized that the last blog I wrote here was about the beginning of my running experiences. I have continued to run, and have continued to find joy in it.

However, last spring I was sidelined with some lung issues. In fact, Dr. K. said no exercise of any kind until we completed some tests and had the results in hand. The results came in in June and I was able to beginning walking again. Within a couple of weeks I was able to do some walk/run outings. Then the heat came.

This week, my schedule began to free up time to get indoors to walk/run – I am ‘keeping on’. I am not where I want to be. I may never get to the ‘running free’ state again. The ‘keeping on’ , I am discovering, is actually more important than the particular state that I might attain.

Do you think that might be some parallels between my running life and my spiritual life?

Journey to Joy

A few months ago I started a training program to enable me to run. My wife and I enjoy the outdoors and do a great deal of walking and hiking. I had begun to notice that when we were walking the greenway near our home I would get this desire to just take off and run like when I was a kid. So I began to gradually train to run greater distances.

There is joy for me in running. I try to run a minimum of 3 or 4 times a week and average about 10 miles a week running. I enjoy the exercise, the quiet time, the being in the outdoors, and the effort it takes to be consistent.

Occasionally, like today, when I run I have days where my legs feel as if they are made of lead. Those are the days that I have to force myself to keep moving to finish the run I had planned. On these days the joy is not in the journey, but the journey ends in the joy of accomplishing the run. The joy of being accountable to my goal of a healthy lifestyle.

For me whether the joy comes during the run or when the run is completed, the result is still joy.

Spiritually I find a parallel situation. Some days the run of life is joy, other days just finishing the day is joy. but the end result is still joy. Thank you Father God.

Question: Where do you find your joy?

PS: The photo is my grandson, not me.

Hear the Voice

As a  follower of Christ, I try to have a few minutes of time dedicated to God alone every morning. The time of quietness, for  me with Him, involves reading the Bible and making notes as well as some prayer time speaking to the Father.

This morning in the prayer time I was struck by a statement that I made. I generally write out my morning prayer each day, and today I wrote “thank You for always hearing my voice”.

Then I was struck with an answering voice in my head (or in my spirit) which asked, “Do you always hear My voice?”

Question: How do you make sure you hear the voice of God?

In the Image

It’s no secret that the Bible states that man was created in the image of God (Genesis 1). Most people who believe that this is a true statement also believe that the work of creation was genius.

Question: If you are made in God’s image, and God is genius, which part of your ‘genius-ness’ are you using to create a better world?

Remembering Loss

As I awoke this morning, there are two friends who are grieving the loss of a parent today. One will bury his mother today; the other will bury his father this weekend.

2Corinthians1:3-5 reminds me that I was comforted by God (in the loss of my parents) that I might comfort others ( my two friends) with the same comfort that God gave me.

Question: Why did you receive comfort 

Hearts Ablaze!

One of my favorite accounts of encounters with Jesus Christ is the two men walking toward Emmaus, recorded in Luke 24.

As these two were walking home(?) from Jerusalem, Jesus joins himself to them without identifying himself. They were discussing all the recent events in Jerusalem – the feast, the arrest & crucifixion, the resurrection. Jesus asks questions ans begins to give answers.

Having been invited to stay and dine with them, Jesus agreed. As they were eating, He was revealed to them as the Son of God and, then, disappeared. Their response was “weren’t our hearts ablaze within us while He was talking with us…”

Question: When was the last time your heart was ablaze?

Dimly Lit

My grandchildren, and sometimes I, are comforted by the night light that causes the hallway to be dimly lit. This is a good thing. However, Jesus Christ encourages us as His followers: “Take care then, that the light in you is not darkness.” Luke 11:35 HCSB).

What exactly does this mean? I don’t have the definitive answer, but the context suggests that it is possible for us to allow darkness rather than light to shine from our lives. I can only pray that when I proclaim my faith and take a stand for Christ that the light which goes forth is His glory and not my own thoughts, efforts, and human wisdom.

Question: What do you do to prevent your light from being darkness?

Take care how you Listen

As I read Luke 8 a couple of days ago, I ran across this verbage: “Take care how you listen” (v.18). It caught my attention because as I am aging I am “losing’ some of my capability to hear and thus have to take care when I listen.

Christ is teaching in this place that ‘listening’ is different than ‘hearing’. Listening implies paying attention and taking heed. As I physically ‘take care how I listen’ there are some habits that I have developed:

1. I ‘listen’ closely, i.e. I pay attention

2. I try to eliminate as much background noise as possible.

3. I ‘lean in’ and try to watch the mouth (read lips).

4. If I don’t hear something clearly, I ask the speaker to repeat it.

Can, or should, these type of techniques be applied to “take care how you listen” to God?

Question: “How to you ‘take care how you listen’? send me some ideas

Random Thoughts on a Sunday

Random thoughts from today:

Do I love to know the Book or do I love to know the One of the Book?

How can I have walked with God for so long and my heart still be so different from His?

Why do I have the desire to write, even if no one reads it in my lifetime?

What causes me to have so many random thoughts, when I try to be so focused?

Catch ya’ later!