The Simple Truth

Need a Little Motivation? Check this out!

I saw this video today and was brought to tears. If you are  in need of some motivation to keep going then you need to check this out.  Just when you think you've got it rough!

OTL: NO Excuses!

All He Does Is Win...

I thought this was hilarious...

 

You Are What You Worship

Every person who has ever walked the earth is a worshipper. God built us to worship. The problem is that often times our worship becomes horizontal rather than vertical. We begin to worship things/people rather than worshipping the one and only God.  Even the most sophisticated of society engage in idol worship. We may not bow before a golden image of our own creation but we have idols nonetheless.  Here are a few of the more common idols in western culture...

• Almighty $$$$. We bow before the god of Benjamin (as in Franklin).
• Automobiles.  Our god is sometimes parked in our driveway or garage.
• god of the Flat screen. We spend hours each day staring blankly into our god.
• Our job - we sacrific so much on the altar of our career.
• Good time - we pursue happiness and a good time and eliminate anything that hampers our ability to have fun.
• Food - we love to eat our god in huge portions.
• Children - our life revolves around our kids and their schedules.
• Sports teams - every Sunday afternoon in the Fall hundreds of thousands of people meet for church in their local stadium.
• Self - this is our A #1 god. 

The above things are not necessarily evil things but none of them deserve the #1 place in our life. None of them are worthy of worship.

What's the big deal with misguided worship? The answer is found in Psalm 115:8.  This verse tells us that we become like the gods we worship. If we worship $ we become greedy. If we worship material things we become materialistic.  If we worship self we become ego-centric, and selfish. As followers of Jesus our priority is to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.  This transformation takes place over time as we continually give ourselves to worshipping Him. If we desire to be like Him then we have to make him the center of our worship and guard our heart against other things that would steal our worship.  

He alone is worthy of our worship.

More Random Friday Thoughts

Here are some more of my not so insightful random Friday afternoon thoughts. Read at your own risk...

• The weather in NJ has been beautiful the last few days. The key - low humidity.
• Went to the eye doctor yesterday. Time for progressive lenses in my glasses. I'm officially old - I wear bi-focals, drive a mini-van, make noises when I get up and sit down. What's next? Wearing white socks with dress shoes and dark socks with running shoes, and eating dinner at 4pm.
• I don't drink enough water. (I told you these were random)
• I'm excited to watch the first preseason game for the Chiefs tonight.
• Busy weekend ahead filled with birthday parties, baby showers, church, Plainsboro bulk waste day, and much more.
• Saw pictures from my 25th High School class reunion. How come everyone else looks so much older but I still look the same? :)
• What a week for the Dow! I'm sure glad I don't have any money.
• Played hackey sack with Abby yesterday - really sore today. More proof I'm old.
• Finding more and more that naps don't help. I'm still tired when I awake and really grouchy. Answer - more coffee!
• Still really fired up about what God is doing in people's hearts to help raise funds for Snehashrya Woman's Shelter in India.  
• Working on some ideas for a new writing project - excited! Lord give me the discipline to do this.
• Saw Soul Surfer this week - really liked this flick!

I Want it NOW!

My favorite character in the classic movie, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" is not Charlie, or Willy Wonka; it's Veruca Salt.  Remember her? She was the spoiled little brat who wanted everything the world had to offer and she wanted it NOW!  My love for her character stems from the truth she demonstrates about the human condition.  We want what we want and we want it NOW!

As Christians we know this world is not our home and yet we consistently fall prey to Veruca Salt syndrome.  Our inheritance is not in the terrestrial realm but in the celestial.  We think what the world has to offer looks grand, but it cannot compare to what awaits. Sadly, we often exchange an inheritance in the here and now for one in the hereafter.

I was reminded of this fact this morning while reading in the book of Numbers 32:1-5.  The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half tribe of Manasseh asked for an inheritance just outside the promised land because the land was good for cattle.  They looked around and determined that what the promised land offered couldn't be any better than what was before them. They were sadly mistaken!  God accommodated their request and they got their inheritance outside of the promised land (Numbers 34:14-15).  I reminded of the passage in Matthew 6:19-21 where Jesus tells his follows to lay up treasure in heaven where no one can take it, and it cannot be corrupted.  Right before that passage he talks about a group of people who are overly concerned about earthly rewards and notoriety - he says they have their reward.  Meaning, they wanted the things of this world and they received what they sought. However, they will miss out on what the Father truly wanted to give them - an eternal inheritance.

The two and half tribes of Israel missed out on what God had for them because they made a decision based upon what they saw instead of what God asked of them.  Their hearts where on the treasures of this world rather than on God. I'm sure they had very nice cattle ranches in Gilead but they couldn't compare for what awaited them in Canaan.  The materials of the world are attractive, but don't be fooled, they cannot compare to the inheritance that awaits those who faithfully follow Jesus. 

Christmas Rush

This time of year we all start to feel the pressure of the Christmas rush. So much to do and so little time to get it done.  For most of us this isn't a feeling exclusive to the month of December.  Our life is defined by hurry.  This is more dangerous than we can possible know.  Hurry impacts our health through stress and fatigue.  Hurry causes us to live a superficial life - we don't have time for depth.  Most importantly, hurry is a relationship killer.  We don't have time to receive or give love. This is the most damaging aspect of hurry.

What are we to do?  How can we restore margin to our life and stop hurrying so much?  Here are a few things to consider...

1. Ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.  We need to learn a new two letter word - "NO".  We can't do it all and we need to stop trying. We don't say no in order to be selfish or because we are lacking in compassion. We say no to certain things so we can make sure we are pursuing the proper priorities of life.
2. Regularly unplug.  Its funny to me that the countries of the world with the most time saving technological devices have the most stress.  Most people would gain 20-30 hours a week by simply turning off the TV.  Create time in your life when you periodically unplug from the matrix.
3. Enjoy the Moment.  If you are like most driven people, you are always thinking about the next thing.  Work at staying in the moment.  Be there and engaged, and not just present.  
4. Practice slowing down.  Put yourself in situations where you have to wait.  Drive in the slow lane, pick the longest line at the store, eat slowly, let someone merge into traffic, or go thru the day and don't wear a watch.  Practice makes perfect, and we need a lot of practice at slowing down.
5. Practice times of solitude.  Jesus frequently withdrew from everyone and everything.  He counseled his followers to do the same - Mark 6:30-31.  Jesus was busy but he never hurried.  He never lost the life giving connection with his Father.  Don't be in such a hurry that you lose your life giving connection.  Schedule times of solitude in your life where your only objective is to be still and connect with God.

Best of luck as you battle the hurry sickness that plagues us all.

Haitian Adoption

A young lady my wife works with and her husband were in the process of adopting two little boys from Haiti when the earthquake hit a few weeks ago.  The adoption process was expedited after the earthquake and the boys were set to arrive in Florida last Friday.  Upon arriving at the airport in Port-au-Prince the escort for the boys and four other adoptive children was detained and accused of child trafficking.  They asked us to begin praying for the resolution of this matter as the children had been taken a Unicef tent city in Port-au-Prince.  We just got word that the boys flight has recently arrived in Florida.  Awesome!  I can't wait to meet these two little guys.

CNN got word of this situation and did a feature article on the escort and the children.  Here is a video produced by CNN.

Busy Weekend Ahead

This holiday weekend stands to be a busy one.  Here are a few of the things going on...

• Men's Breakfast, Saturday at 8:30a.  Always enjoy the time with the fellas.  Lookin' forward to Stan's famous waffles. 
• Ladies Tea, Saturday at 2p.  No, I'm not going but Kerrie is hosting the event at our house and so that means I need to make myself scarce - along with the kiddos.  We'll probably kill the time with some lunch and last minute V-day shopping.  Hopefully there will be some food leftover (not likely).
• Sunday service at PBC, Sunday at 10a.  Hope you'll join us this weekend. I'm doing a special Valentine's Day message.  I've got a special game planned which you don't want to miss.
• Valentine's Day - can't wait to see what Kerrie has planned for me!
• President's Day - no school on Monday.  Not as special since they just had the last three days off because of snow.  We may celebrate Kerrie's b-day on Monday (actual day - Tuesday).  Can't wait to give her the present we got her.  We may also, take the kids to see "Percy Jackson & the Olympians".  May also have to squeeze in a drama shoot for Drew on Monday.
• Almost forgot, I have to try and save some time to watch the Winter Olympics.  Nothing I enjoy more than watching me some "Curling".  Who needs the NFL?!

What are you doing this weekend?

Idol Worship

Here's a very good video from Nightline on ABC featuring Pastor Marc Driscoll from Mars Hill Church in Seattle.

American Idol Worship Shared via AddThis

Judging the Book by It's Cover

Yet more proof that you can't judge a book by it's cover.  Or as I Samuel 16:7 says, "don't look on the outward appearance.  Check out this clip from Britain's Got Talent.  If you can watch it without smiling or getting a bit choked up, you need to check your pulse.

Youtube won't allow me to embed the video so here's the link...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-KiGva9dV4