Hoops!!!!

Hooray it is hoops season. I love to watch college basketball. I am not into the NBA at all. Only 4 months to the Final four. Last night I watched what may be the best game of the year. At the Maui tournment Gonzaga and Mich State played. I came in with 1:35 left in regulation and then saw a fantastic game for 15 min while they played three overtimes. They kept going because nobody missed a shot. There were a combined total of 57 FT and they made 53. MS missed 3 and G missed 1. MS lost on a simple shot from 2ft with 4.6 seconds left. It was well played and I don't particularly care for either team but it was a great game. Bring on the hoops!

Jesus is Lord?

Words carry powerful meanings and it is a shame when they are over used and the true meaning of the word is glossed over. Maybe some of the problem is our lack of understanding of the meaning of the word in the first place. The incident that brought this thought to mind was a statement I read that said the use of the phrase "Jesus is Lord" can be a shallow statement of faith. The feeling expressed was that too many people use this phrase as a shortcut to salvation. The idea was if you can say "Jesus is Lord" and that is all you have to do, you aren't really committed to Jesus. I guess that can be true, but if you understand what those words mean, it can be enough. I think increasing our understanding of the word "Lord" would help. The problem is Lord doesn't translate well into 21st century American english. We are too independent and obsessed with our "rights." All the way from the arrogant, "Nobody can tell me what to do!" to the, "this is a democracy and I can choose what I want." With beliefs like these, I can understand how the phrase "Jesus is Lord" can be superficial. What can be done? Now that is the question! I wish I had the answer. Personally, trying to make Jesus Lord of my life has become more important to me lately. I am tempted to look for a five step plan :>). But thankfully my wife who can many times cut right to the heart of the matter, told me just trust him. Just trust him? This is scary, trust means giving up control, letting someone else be in charge. But isn't that what a "Lord" is, the one in charge. So for Jesus to be my Lord, I must trust him and give up control of my life. I'm working on it, definitely not there yet.

Seeking God's Help

I suggested to our group today that we spend the rest of the year in prayer seeking God's help in the direction He wants us to go next year. Hopefully we will be able to overcome the "but" problem and not let it stifle us. We haven't always being very good at letting the Spirit lead us because our tradition of always needing to be right has lead us to being very proficient in using the "but" option. I currently am of the opinion that if a group of disciples are praying for God's guidance then what they decide on will be something that God can use or else He will block it. So if we feel God-lead, let us do it. If we are not of God, He will stop it. This is the advice Gamaliel gave the sanhedrin. God Fulfills

Morning thoughts

This morning during my early morning walk, I was thinking about vicarious learning. I have no idea why. Then my thoughts went to 1 Cor 10:6 and how the Israelites were to be an example for us, and that this is an opportunity for vicarious learning, too bad we aren't better learners. God has been teaching me about humility, this would be a great subject to learn vicariously :>) because it seems that the situations that teach humility emphasize my weaknesses (not what I want to hear). But it is only in my acknowledgement of a weakness that God's strength is available. God is wise.

Thank you, Carol

This past weekend we celebrated my wife's birthday. She spent her birthday engaged in one of her favorite activities, singing. The group she sings with had two performances Saturday. This group sings woman's barbershop. Sunday the final words for a new song finally came to her. She had been working on it for several weeks. Hopefully she will share with us Sunday morning as it fits in to our current study in the gospel of John. I know it sounds like a cliche, but I am so glad that she chose to spend her life with me. Sunday night our grandson Griffin, he is just over two, called to sing happy birthday to grandma. It was so cute and he is able to carry a tune, just like his parents and grandma. God is good.

From Over the Hill

I was reading an article today and one verse just really reached out and grabbed me. It is Luke 7:23. How could Jesus make me fall away? Interesting thought. In the context, is John the baptist asking if Jesus is really the messiah then why am I still in jail? If that is true then Jesus' response of - don't lose faith, I can't get you out of jail because it is not part of the overall plan - makes sense. (this is the Hill amplified version) Application for me today would be don't lose faith when God doesn't do what I want Him to do.

Choices

We face choices every day. Some have inconsequential results and others have results affecting the rest of our life. God has given us salvation and it’s our choice to accept it or not, with eternal consequences. Choosing to be apart of a specific group of believers is a choice, with life affecting consequences. Choices can also bring responsibilities. When I chose to become a disciple of Jesus, I committed to following Jesus wherever that might lead. I agreed to let Him teach me how to live. I expressed the desire to have a relationship with a God that wanted to have a relationship with me. I said, “I need help, guidance, and encouragement.” My God replied, “I love you.”
I have often wondered just how does He love me? One way is by providing a group of disciples in Powell to join. This means I can be committed to Jesus and this group at the same time, because God is responsible for both. It is easy to be committed to Jesus because of His holiness. It is not a relationship of convenience. It is a relationship that endures through the good and bad times. The more I trust Jesus with my life, the more He can bless me. The same appears to be true in the group. As I share with them, they share with me. As Jesus seeks my good in all things, why wouldn’t I seek the good for others?
My prayer for us is to choose Jesus as our guide in our relationships.

Grandsons

From Over the Hill
This past weekend we took a short trip to see our new grandson and it was great. Children truly are a gift from God. His older brother is also doing good and seems to be doing well with sharing mom and dad. Our son Blake always has some project in progress that I get to help with, this time it was framing a new bathroom in the basement. Blake has learned the true reason men do projects. It is so that we can buy new toys, err..tools. While I was there he bought to nailer, but it was used, so he saved a lot. It was a big help to us weekend carpenters whose arms wimp out after a while and hit the board beside the nail as much as the nail. So all is well in Bronco-land, can you believe it they didn't fold in the 4th quarter.