Inspirations

  On Sunday, after church, we went to a town about thirty minutes away.   On the way we drove through an area where they were working on the road.  It was no big deal.  We had lunch, bought some food for the week, and drove back home.    Later, as we were on our way to church for the evening service, I heard the ominous flapping sound that a tire makes when it’s flat.  Yikes!  I pulled over and while I was debating how I was going to change a tire.  A car coming in the opposite direction drove by and stopped.   As the driver appeared from the vehicle, I recognized him as a neighbor and fellow believer.  He approached the car, and asked if I had an air compressor to inflate the tire.  My answer, “Yes, but I’m not sure how good it is.  I’ve never actually managed to inflate a tire using it. I may not be using it properly.”   I produced it from the trunk of the car and handed it to him.  Within a few minutes, he had it hooked up and running.   As it turned out, I was using it properly,

       Thinking back upon this year, it has been a year of ups and downs.  Most years are that way.  There were tears shed, and many laughs. While I couldn’t have predicted some of the things that happened this year, none of us can.  One thing I do know is that God was good and faithful, he always is.  As we look forward to the beginning of a new year, we can face it with confidence, joy, and peace because we know that whatever happens this year God is already there, and nothing that will happen this year can surprise him.   We can be sure that the year will bring both blessings and trials.  In fact, we can be sure that the year will bring both.  So, as we waltz into the new year, lets let God lead.   He knows the year ahead and the curves it will take, and he loves us more than anyone else.   We can trust him with each new year and each new day.

As I was washing my coffee mug, I thought of the quote, “You can’t pour from an empty cup.”  If you want to help others, you need to take time to recharge.   As I was thinking, I was reminded that you get out of the mug exactly what you put into the mug.  If I put coffee in the mug, guess what I will get out of the mug.   That’s right, coffee.   If I put dirt in the mug, I shouldn’t expect to find water.  It struck a chord with me that I need to be careful what I allow in my mug (life).   I will certainly get out of my life exactly what I put into it.  I can’t fill my life with negative thoughts, improper, sexually explicit movies, course jokes, anger, and the like and expect to get patience, love, joy, and peace.   It just won’t happen.   If I fill my life with the things of the world, my life will look like the world.  If I want my life to look like Christ, I need to let Christ fill my life, and fill my life the things of Christ.

                    We all know the story; Jesus has just fed more than five thousand people.   He sends the disciples ahead of him across the lake while he talked to his father.    While the disciples are in a boat in the middle of the lake, a wind violent comes up and the boat is taking a beating.   The disciples are fighting the wind and waves and suddenly, there is Jesus walking to them on the water.   Jesus speaks to the terrified disciples.    Impulsive Peter gets out of the boat and starts walking on the water to Jesus.    While on the water, Peter suddenly has a reality check and remembers that people can’t walk on water.   Looking around at the wind and waves, he starts to sink.   Jesus reaches out and lifts him out of the water.   Then Jesus, says, “ You of little faith,” , “why did you doubt?”             I love this narrative, but I have often wondered at Jesus response to Peter. You of little faith,” , “why did you doubt?   This is not the only time that Jesus says

    And let us  run  with perseverance the race marked out for us, Hebrews 12:1   When I read this verse, I am always reminded of a track and how each person is to  “stay in their lane”.    I have always thought of it as individual and personal.    Each of us  is responsible to do what God has set before us to do.   However, the other day I was  walking on a trail that was new to me.    This trail was longer, and there was paint on  some of the trees indicating the path.   Other paths intersected and they were different  colors.   As I was walking, I enjoyed looking for the color on the trees to let me know I  was still on the right path.    My mind came again to this verse and settled on the  words  marked out for us.    I was reminded that God is the one that marks out the way  that we should go.   As I journey through life, I can know I am on the right path.   God  has gone ahead of me and marked the path that I should be on.    As Christians we find  the markings in the Bib

  Lately, I’ve been praying that God would open doors for me to share my faith.    Sometimes this is hard for me.   I often feel inadequate, and I am afraid of  saying  the wrong thing.   Often, I miss opportunities to share my faith because I  am not ready to share my faith when the opportunity arises.   Last week I was  working in receiving when a vendor showed up.   I asked how he was doing, and  he said, “I’ve been better.”      I asked what was wrong and he replied, “Every  store I’ve been to, has had a problem checking in using the bar codes.   My first  thought was, well honey I don’t have time for that.”   Then, I bowed my head and  said a quick prayer asking God to let the bar code work.   He looked at me like I  had slipped a cog or something.    He handed me the invoice with the barcode  on  it. At this point, I was thinking, “I am going to look like a jerk if the bar code  doesn’t work.   I scanned the bar code, half afraid to look at the scanner to see  what happened.   I