Rite of Passage

Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth’s rite of passage?

His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone.

He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone.  Once he survives the night, he is a MAN.

He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own.

The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises.
Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm.

The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man!

Finally, after a horrific night, the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him.

He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm.

We, too, are never alone. Even when we don’t know it, our Heavenly Father is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us. When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him.

If you liked this story, pass it on. If not, you took off your
blindfold before dawn…

 

With God all things are possible Matt 19:26

Visions & Dreams

“…your young men will see visions and your old men will dream dreams.” Acts 2:17b

 

Are you visionary?

 

It seems not many people see past their own noses these days. If the Lord allows, what do I see myself doing in God’s kingdom a year from now?  Five years from now? Ten years from now?

 

When I close my mind to the things going on around me, I try to think of how the church is affecting our community, our county and our world. It is a cause/effect environment that we work within. I know some of the facts.

 

I can see changed lives. Some people are maturing in the Spirit, looking for their place in God’s kingdom. All looks bright by them in a dark world. They change lives and more maturing occurs. God is glorified.

 

Our efforts around the globe are impressive. Many are hearing of God’s grace for the first time in places like China and India. God is opening doors to the population centers of the world where the task looks ominous. Visionary people recognize that God gives the harvest and asks where I will be able to help.

 

Are you a dreamer?

 

In the fear of being called old (and I am) I attempt to dream. Dreams are the stuff that experienced visionary people wish for.

 

I recently heard that vision is the avenue to reach the dreams.

 

I am thinking about KINGDOM dreaming. In the next few blogs, I want to explore my dreams.

 

God of wonders, please open our eyes to the hard things you accomplish every day. I pray that knowing you are doing even the impossible will release the restraints Satan uses to keep our efforts small. Empower us with your Spirit to dream. Allow us to see your creation as you do, wishing that no one would perish, saving all in the name of Jesus, who reigns with You and your Spirit, one God. Now and forever.

American Idol

Is seems to me that the judges are fighting for camera time and are completely predictable.

Can anyone beat David Archuleta ?  David Cook ?

Who is the next to leave ?

What do you think?

Can you read this?

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too
Cna yuo raed tihs?  

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno’t mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Blessing of the Day

May your troubles be less,
may your blessings be more,
and may nothing but happiness
come through your door!

I’m Guilty

I’m GUILTY! Check out Dusty Rush’s blog here about ignoring God.

I will commit to do better, how about you?

Psalm 51

In the morning, we will discuss in the class I teach not the HOW of creation, but the WHO and the WHY of creation. The Creator that can take chaos and from it design orderly worlds into existance by just His command, can surely take the chaos of my life and change it to a God shaped purposeful life.

Psalm 51(The Message)

 1-3Generous in love—God, give grace! Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record.
   Scrub away my guilt,
      soak out my sins in your laundry.
   I know how bad I’ve been;
      my sins are staring me down. 

 7-15 Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean,
      scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life.
   Tune me in to foot-tapping songs,
      set these once-broken bones to dancing.
   Don’t look too close for blemishes,
      give me a clean bill of health.
   God, make a fresh start in me,
      shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.
   Don’t throw me out with the trash,
      or fail to breathe holiness in me.
   Bring me back from gray exile,
      put a fresh wind in my sails!
   Give me a job teaching rebels your ways
      so the lost can find their way home.
   Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God,
      and I’ll sing anthems to your life-giving ways.
   Unbutton my lips, dear God;
      I’ll let loose with your praise.

The Wheels of Life

Perks Of Being Over 50!

 1. Kidnappers are not very interested in you.

2. In a hostage situation you are likely to be released first.

3. No one expects you to run–anywhere.

4. People call at 9 pm and ask, did I wake you????

5. People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.

6. There is nothing left to learn the hard way.

7. Things you buy now won’t wear out.

8. You can eat supper at 4 pm.

9. You can live without sex but not your glasses.

10. You get into heated arguments about pension plans.

11. You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.

12. You quit trying to hold your stomach in no matter who walks into the room.

13. You sing along with elevator music.

14. Your eyes won’t get much worse.

15. Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off.

16. Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the national weather service

17. Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can’t remember them either.

18. Your supply of brain cells is finally down to manageable size.

19. You can’t remember where you read this list.

Three Trees

Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, “Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty.” Then the second tree said, “Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take Kings and Queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull.” Finally the third tree said, “I want to grow to be the tallest andstraightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me.”  After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, “This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter, “and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.  At the second tree the woodsman said, “This looks like a strong tree. I should be able to sell it to the shipyard.” The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.  When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true.  One of the woodsmen said, “I don’t need anything special from my tree, I’ll take this one,” and he cut it down.  When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for. The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. The third tree was cut into large pieces, and left alone in the dark.  The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams.  Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.  Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn’t think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and He stood and said “Peace” and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.  Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.  The moral of this story is that when things don’t seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, God will give you great gifts.  Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined. 

 We don’t always know what God’s plans are for us. We just know that His Ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.

(This was sent to me today, I thought I would share it with you)