books

have you ever looked around you and noticed how many books there are? our life is surrounded by books. when we are conceived parents start reading books. the doctors that care for us at that early age have devoured books. then we pop out and start growing. as we do, we find great delight in books being read to us. then off to school and more books. into high school and more complicated books. then college and thicker and more expensive books. then the fun time comes. as we look around we see that books, books, and more books are available. books that we actually want to read vs. have to read. mysteries, true life adventures, self-help, funny, political, economic, serious, religious, technical, how-to, philosophical, historical, westerns, detective stories, autobiographies, and on and on many, many books are available to read. again, not because we have to but because we can and we want to. books are fantastic - they open our worlds and our hearts and our minds. but there is a problem. every book you read will have a part that you disagree with. but it doesn't matter - because they are just the author's story. it really doesn't matter - well, with one exception. the Bible. yes, it's still the author's story - but in the Bible's case it's God's story. that does matter.

frost

when i woke up yesterday morning i saw an amazing site. frost. it was everywhere. frost. it was on my car (not my motorcycle as it was in the garage, hee hee.). it was on the roof of the house - in fact my black shingles looked white. it was on the trees. but, the most beautiful was how it covered my front lawn. it actually looked like it had snowed. it was gorgeous. no, it was beautiful. it was amazing. it covered everything with this amazing whiteness. it just looked clean. and as the sun came up you could stand there and watch the sparkles and reflections dancing across the yard. amazing. i loved it. as i stood there gazing at the beauty of it all it reminded me of something else - of something even more beautiful - even more clean and white. it reminded me of the cleanness and whiteness that i enjoy because Jesus washed away my sins by His blood sacrifice.

what is life

i was just reading some stuff about life. you know, some of that stuff where some expert says that he has it all figured out. but, i don't think he does. you know, to me it could almost seem like no one has it figured out. no one! the evidence to that is how many different approaches people take to life. some live it on the edge. some don't even come close to the edge. some spend a lot of time exercising. others are couch potatoes. some think life is wrapped up in stuff. some thing life is wrapped up in having little. some think religion is a significant part. others proclaim to be bonafide atheists. some are pleased with their weight. some are dieting constantly. some like sports. others like reading books. some are constantly trying to figure life out. others just go with the flow of life. i could go on and on, but you get the point. it seems to me that if we understood what life was about that there would be more commonality to everyone's approach. maybe, just maybe, we're missing the point of life. maybe, just maybe we're not living on the real edge. maybe, just maybe we're taking the wrong approach to life. maybe, just maybe there is only one true answer. maybe, just maybe that answer is Jesus.

president

it's that time, again. mccain vs obama. obama vs. mccain. biden vs. palin. palin vs. biden. yes, it is an important time. yes, we need to exercise our constitutional right to vote. and yes, we need to vote according to prayer, our research, and our conscience vs. how a person speaks or looks or what suit or clothes they wear or whatever! some say this is the most important election in history - at least the two candidates like to lead you to think so. some - actually quite a few - tell you that if their candidate looses we are in for very, very rough times. isn't that a bit arrogant? the truth: "there is no authority except from God. those that exist have been instituted by God" - Rom 13:1. so do we trust obama, mccain, palin, biden? they're humans. my vote goes for trusting God that He will do what He said He will do. that just leaves one question. for what reason did God establish the authority?

sleepless in missouri

seattle isn't the only place where you can have a sleepless night. it happens everywhere, even in central missouri. why? good question, gary! i think it boils down to the mind. the body wants to go to sleep, but the mind screams out no - i want to think. i want to think about things. then this battle ensues. body tries to rebuke the mind. mind responds with a thrust of activity. body then tries to deceive the mind by pretending it is relaxed and not caring. mind figures that tactic out rapidly and takes advantage by diverting more energy into thinking. body then gets up and paces the floor believing it will wear itself out and steal energy from the mind and simply pass out in bed. but the mind maintains the upper hand by drawing on some unknown energy source and is not thwarted, simply continuing to process the information overload. then the mind strikes the lethal blow - it sends out a raiding party to find an ally in the body - the target being the heart. why does it do that? because the mind knows that if it can get the heart involved as an ally that victory will be assured over the body. see, it's a plot. or is it really the heart getting the mind involved. either way, body loses. so who is really in control? the mind? the body? the heart? the body and the heart? i'm tired and going to bed. hopefully i will fall asleep and not have to figure it out. aren't you glad that God has it all figured out.

contented

life is changing! it's so different than it was a few years ago. it's radically different than what it was a few decades ago. it's indescribably different than what it was a few centuries ago. and it seems to be changing more and more rapidly. how are we suppose to keep up? it's like going to your favorite store and finding that they have changed everything around. it happens all the time. but it stresses me out. it happened recently at the local wal-mart. they turned everything upside down. i'd rather they keep things in the same place. i think we're a lot like that with life. leave it alone! don't mess with it! keep it at the same pace. yet, they keep messing with it. and it keeps stressing people out. kind of bitter sweet. we want more, but we want the same. therefore stress and frustration comes about. maybe we just need to figure out how to be contented. how? maybe we just need to be contented with life in Christ.

fire

when you think about it we live in a world where fire is ever present and oh so very important to our existence and lifestyle. if it wasn't for that big fireball in the sky - called the sun - the world wouldn't even exist - it would be frozen and barren. think about a camping trip with no fire - cold food, cold coffee (there's no starbuck's near), nothing to gaze into at night, and no gas lanterns. how would you get to work without the combustion engine? how about the coal fired generators that provide a significant amount of our electricity? the candles that so add to a romantic evening. how about the fire in your furnace that heats your bones on those chilly mornings (like the one i didn't have this morning). we need fire. it keeps us alive and it keeps us comfortable. but the fire we need the most is the fire of God in our souls. it keeps us from getting cold or lukewarm.