LET US REJOICE!

So... I was on my way to work this morning and thinking about the imminent arrival of my nephew.  I was thinking about how my family would react when they get to see and hold him for the first time.  I was anticipating the torrential downpour of tears that is sure to flow from the collective Dyer tear ducts.

We're criers.  Unashamed.  Then the thought occurred to me, 'Why do we cry?'  Not scientifically, or what causes our proneness.  But, what causes us to cry?

What makes ME cry?  I thought about the last few times I've cried.  An ugly truth slapped me in the face.  I cry for me.  That's right.  It's all too often that my roommates and family have to sop up puddles of self-pity tears.  YUCK!

I like it when a man's not afraid to cry.  My dad's a crier.  But he doesn't cry like me.  He cries tears of joy, tears of sympathy and tears of empathy.  His heart ACTUALLY breaks for a lost and dying world.

The Bible says, in Romans 12:15, "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep."  These SHOULD be community events!

I'm going to cry with my family soon... but we won't want you to weep with us.

COME ON! LET'S REJOICE!

(the following are the lyrics to a song of praise to EMANUEL my REDEEMER, LORD, SAVIOR, ABBA and FRIEND that we used to sing in the church I grew up in)

"Hallelujah, salvation and glory, and honor and power unto the LORD our GOD. Praise our GOD, all ye HIS servants, and all ye that fear HIM, both small and great. LET US REJOICE! AND LET US BE GLAD! AND GIVE HONOR TO HIM THE ALMIGHTY GOD!"

If “Life is a Highway”, “How’s My Driving?”

I was recently provoked to certain thoughts after reading what this drunk had to say.

If Life Is A Highway Then How’s My Driving?

·        Am I driving under the influence of alcohol or other illegal substances?

·        Am I driving distracted?

·        Am I driving recklessly?  Swerving in & out of traffic & changing lanes with no regard for the others on the road with me?

·        Am I speeding?

·        Am I listening & looking for emergency vehicles?

·        Do I know where I’m going? …hmmm…

Do I know where I’m going?

My father says that I’m directionally challenged.  I prefer to explain that I have trouble multi-tasking when task #1 is driving & task #2 is navigating unfamiliar territory.

When I go somewhere new I have to be thorough. 

·        I check my trusty Google maps.

·        Ask my dad if Google is correct.

·        Print off a map including highlights of tricky parts.

·        Check to avoid construction, inclement weather & rush-hour traffic.

I do my research & I use ALL my resources!

What if we DAILY approach the highway of life with the same thoroughness?

What if we:

• Check our trusty map (Deuteronomy 17:19)
• Ask our Dad how the map applies today (Proverbs 19:20)
• Print off a copy to take with us highlighting the tricky parts(Psalm 119:11)
• Check to avoid construction, inclement weather & rush-hour traffic(Psalm 81:13)

While we're at it, why don't we take Dad with us?  He IS after all THE BEST navigator around.

Casting and Mending... for the church?!?!

Mark 1:16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men." 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him. (also found in Matthew 4:18-22)

Just some thoughts... 

Simon & Andrew were CASTING their net.
James & John were MENDING their nets.
They were doing these things because THEY WERE FISHERMEN!

I heard a sermon preached once during my high school days about the difference between casting and mending nets in the "fishers of men" context.  As a home schooler, I found myself with plenty of excuses not to cast my net.  What could I possibly catch in my little pond?!?!  Then, Hark!  Maybe I can get away with mending others' nets.  “Just make sure nobody falls through the gaping holes in our nets.” 

Ok, nice thought.  But, I wasn't off the hook, and I knew it.

Fast forward to this evening when I went over these verses again.  I'm still more inclined to minister to those within the church and leave the net casting to the evangelists.  So, I went in search of scripture that would substantiate this idea.  I came upon this, "And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers" (Eph 4:11) of course, when I kept reading, “12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ”.  So, “When I’m mending AND casting my own nets, I’m equipping the saints to do the same.”
 

Mmm… better thought!  And while we’re on the subject of hooks…

Don’t try to use bait and hooks.  Use nets.  It’s the right thing to do. :)

Just some further thoughts…

Do you find yourself more inclined to cast or mend?  Why?

all wRAPped up and nowhere to go

~ One of my favorite fairy tales from my childhood is Rapunzel.  It's a well known story that is currently being retold in the animated feature do to be released on blue-ray and DVD any day now, "Tangled".  My fondest memories of the story were illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman.

~ "Reader's Digest Version Erin."  Yes, yes.  The reason for my reverie...

~ I've been thinking about this story frequently of late.  The beginning of the story specifically.  Many people don't know how Rapunzel came to be locked in a tall tower, shut off from the world.  [the premiss in Tangled though cute is quite a strech from the Grimm Brothers' fairy tale]

~ Let me 'splain [pause] No, there is too much.  Let me sum up...

~ While Rapunzel's mother was pregnant she spent a lot of time... she spent a lot of time.  The cottage where her parents lived had a window that looked out over a witches garden.  In that garden was a particular pretty green veggie(rampion/rapunzel) and she longed for a taste.

"The desire grew day by day, and ( just because she knew she couldn't possibly get any), she pined away and became quite pale and wretched."  Just think about this for a moment.  Now, click on the links.


She pined away after something that didn't belong to her to the point of making herself SICK, even to the point of putting her unborn child at risk!  How ridiculous!?!?!?!!

(pause)

In the movie Sabrina, the heroin's mentor is sharing wisdom with her and warns that illusions can be very dangerous.  Because they have no flaws.  Because we can't see them.

How often does my ABBA give me good gifts only for me to pine away after something trivial even before the gift has fully grown and been birthed?!?!?!?!  

So, Dad jumped in and got stole some pretty green veggies for Mom but when the witch caught him steeling the pretty green veggies she bargained with him.  His and his wife's lives for the life of his unborn child.  The rest you know.  This precious child that God had entrusted to this mother was used as payment for pretty green vegetables!?!?!?!

I don't want my gift wRAPped up and locked in a tower where I can no longer access it.  I can live without pretty green veggies.

What has ABBA given you?

What are you pining for?

What are you putting at risk of death?

What are you willing to give up for your pretty green veggies?

Is it really worth it?

Who do you love?

So here I am again... putting my thoughts to type in an on-line blogg.  I've had 4 or 5 ideas for blogg entrees recently.  So, here's one to start us off.

The old cleche, "Hate the sin not the sinner", has come up more frequently of late than would be preferred.  Here is the thought that struck me while driving home the other day.

How can I avoid hating the sinner if I define the sinner by their sin?  For instance, if I refer to a person as a murderer, liar, backstabber, adulterer, homosexual, (does this list need to be exhaustive?) how do I divorce them from their sin?  How do they divorce themselves from their sin?

So I have purposed to endeavor to see every person I meet as either my family or my neighbor.  To love my family.  To love my neighbors.  To hate the sin in my own life first for what it is, a cancer of the soul.

hmmmmm...