Little Drips...lots of time...lasting Impressions

Drip, Drip, Drip. Put an object under a dripping faucet and eventually
an impression is made. At any given moment, in a single snapshot of
time, there can appear to be no impression at all; no movement from
one state to the next. It's only over a series of snapshots, over
Time, that the indentations become visible. The steady diet of drips
and sometimes gushes of water DO make lasting impressions! How true of
the discipleship process with our children. Do you know that the
average Christian child gets one hour of discipleship each week -
1/168 (one hour out of the 168 available!) In many cases YOU are the 1
hour.  I encourage you today in your walk with Lord and service to Him
that you are making impressions - indentations in the spiritual
formation of the little ones He gives to you on Sundays. I pray He
gives you glimpses of Himself this week as you minister on Sunday.

Shepherding in the way he should go....

More from the Prodigal God;  The Father knew (knows) those who need to GO and find him.  Proverbs 22:6 says we should "train up a child in the way he should go..." The Father knew the younger son needed to go in order to find Him.  How true for us as parents.  My own experience says I want all my children to stay. That shepherding one of my flock one way should be the same road to shepherding the rest.  Oh how I wish it were so! But He has created some to go and others to stay.  Holding onto to those meant to go inhibits, maybe even stunts their faith journey.  Oh for the wisdom of Solomon to be ever-present with us in guiding us to steward the gift of His children.

Vomit

Back from a little hiatus - so...re-freshed learnings for me from The Revelation of Jesus Christ  chapter 3. The Laodician church arrests me, causing me to pause and take stock of my "temperature."  So in the vain of "you might be a redneck if..." here are a few things to ponder from Francis Chan's "Crazy Love:"

You might be a Lukewarm Christian if:
- You choose what is popular over what is right
- You give money to charity as long as it doesn't impinge on your standard of living
- You don't want to be saved from you sin, but from the penalty of your sin
- You rarely share your faith with your friends, co-workers or neighbors
- You are moved by stories about people who do radical things, but do not act
- You guage your morality or goodness according to secular standards
- You Love God, but not with all your heart, soul and strength
- You love others but do not seek to love others as much as you love yourself
- You serve others but with limits on how far you'll go with your time, energy and money
- You think about life on earth more than eternity in heaven
- You do whatever is necessary to keep yourself from feeling guilty
- You continually play it safe being slaves to the god (little g) of control
- You probably drink less and swear less than the average person but aren't really very different from the typical unbeliever

And the one that pierces me the deepest - You do NOT live by faith, structuring your lives so you never have to!

Food for thought - not for the faint of heart.  Thanks and blessings to each of our Promiseland Volunteers for joining me and our families in our faith journeys. I pray your time with God is rich this week and that your love for Him flows to the precious ones in your care.

Avocados....

...I can't stand them. Green slimy, mushy; I guess its a texture thing.   But, I found out recently that its takes seven years on average for an Avocado plant to produce it's fruit.  That's a lot of tender care for a long time for the "fruit" of the Avocado farmer's labor to pay off.  Application...you know where I'm going...

To the Harvest

 Dear Fellow Farmer;

Interesting greeting I know. Have you read, re-read John 15 lately?  Fascinating implications about the vineyard (or the farm).   Sowing seed in the field implies that there will be “fruit” at some point in the future.   Jesus said that “unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.”  The reference of course was both to himself and to us.  It seems to me generational teaching, passing on the faith form one fruitful branch to the next is, in itself, dying. The very system God created to re-produce the body of Christ - the faithfulness of of mums, dads, grandmas and granddads “dying to self” to pass on the “sayings of old” (read Psalm 78) is being sup ”planted” by the bright shiny allures of the ever changing landscape of the marketplace (put whatever you want here: facebook, ipod, tv, shopping, eating, sports, etc).   So what am I saying?   THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for plowing, planting, watering (no P word) and pruning in the fields of our children’s hearts.  I love children because the soil of their heart is fertile and ready to receive the seed of the Good News of Jesus Christ...

To the Harvest!

Come Home...

Jeremiah 29:7 "And seek peace for the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in it's peace you will have peace."  The imagery here of the Israelites in Babylon brings to mind the reality of our sojournings in the places the Lord sends us.  Peter reminds us of the reality that we are aliens in the land but for a short while, and then on to eternity.  The time passes so quickly. We chase and chase and chase and spin and spin and turn and turn...to what end? Focused on ourselves most of the time, yet with each passing hour the things of eternity become neglected, lay fallow, weeded over and good for nothing.  Turn our hearts back to you oh Lord!  You tell us that You think of us, have thoughts of us, plans for us. Plans for a future and a hope of eternity.  Your covenant to me..."And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive" Je 29:14 NKJ

I, says the Lord will bring you Home.  What is holding you captive today?

Prodigal Son...

Fascinating take on Luke 15...Are you an older Son?  The younger came back.  Was the older really ever "with" the Father?  Did he ever join the banquet? - Thanks to Tim Keller for stirring His presence in me in fresh and provocative ways...