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Archives For November 30, 1999

Crutch

December 11, 2009 — Leave a comment

Crutch.

It’s an interesting word. Like many words, when you say it, it sounds kinda funny. Look in the dictionary and it’s even phonetically spelled funny: “kruhch” – I mean, why bother with the”h” in the middle! (OK, it would be “crooch” if you left it out.)

When we see or hear “crutch”, we generally think of someone who is hurt or needs something to assist them or support them as they walk. One definition of crutch is: A staff or support used by the physically injured or disabled as an aid in walking.

Anyway, “CRUTCH” popped in my mind this morning as I was getting ready for work.

You see, there’s some “stuff” going on in my family’s life – the specifics are not germane to this post – and our response to that “stuff” may seem like we are relying on a “crutch.” (BTW, isn’t “germane” another interesting word also?)

Continue Reading…

In Christianity, Life , ,
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Blessed Be THE Name

December 7, 2009 — 2 Comments

Resting on this truth today:

“We put our hope in the LORD. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in you alone.”

Psalm 33:20-22

Amazing Hope Giver,

You are all knowing, all powerful, all sufficient,…You are perfect.

I know it.

I trust it.

Blessed be Your amazing name!

d

In Adoption, Family, General, Life , , , , ,
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“At Least Jesus is My Friend!”

December 3, 2009 — Leave a comment

Last night, Karen and I went on a dinner/mall date!  We had a great time at Valley Fair – Rubio’s for dinner and we hit two of the newer stores in our lives: Lego Store and Gymboree!

One the way home as we were sitting the Starbucks drive-thru (appropriately capping off the evening), we were talking about stuff and Karen made the comment, “Well, at least Jesus is my friend!”

I think most of us would agree that there is a song that applies to most of the situations we go through…OK, maybe it just a musicians thing.

Anyway, being of that mind, I quickly drew my iPhone from its holster and played the song below…twice.

We had a great laugh – just thought I would share!

Lyrics:

Jesus is My Friend
Sonseed

Jesus is a friend of mine
Jesus is my friend
Jesus is a friend of mine
I have a friend in Jesus

Jesus is a friend of mine
Jesus is my friend
Jesus is a friend of mine

He taught me how to live my life as it should be
He taught me how to turn my cheek when people laugh at me
I’ve had friends before and I can tell you that
He’s one who will never leave you flat!

He taught me how to pray and how to save my soul
He taught me how to praise my god and still play rock and roll
The music may sound different but the message is the same
It’s just an instrumental praise his name

Once I tried to run, I tried to run and hide
But Jesus came and found me and he touched me down inside
He is like a mountie, he always gets his man
And he’ll zap you any way he can. Zap!

He loves me when I’m right, He loves me when I’m wrong
He loves me when I waste my time by writing silly songs
He loves me when I’m quiet and I have nothing to say
He’ll love me when I’m perfect if I ever get that way

In Life, Love, Marriage , , ,
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“All these”

November 13, 2009 — Leave a comment

mk 10_20This past Sunday, one of the missionaries our church supports (Rick Berry) mentioned Jesus’ conversation with the rich young ruler during Sunday School.

OK, full disclosure…  I was convicted by the remembrance of Jesus’ conversation with the rich young ruler in Mark 10:17-23.

[Gee thanks Rick!]

You can read the story for yourself, but the upshot is that this rich guy asked Jesus what must be done to receive eternal life.  Jesus recites a partial list of the 10 commandments, to which the guy responds, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”  (BTW, in my mind, I see the guy saying this with arms crossed and nodding his head in self-righteous confidence.  I guess I imagine this because it’s probably what we’d all do if someone challenged us in an area of our life.  GULP!) Anyway, Jesus responds – and don’t miss this part – IN LOVE and tells him to sell everything, give all the proceeds to the poor, and then he’d have eternal life.  Needless to say, the guy couldn’t do it and went away sad.  Christ was calling him to a sacrificial life – not just a checklist-based or costless one…and that was more than he was willing to commit to.

Certainly, one typical application of this passage is the idolatry of money or “stuff” over relationship with Jesus – the whole “camel through the eye of the needle” thing in verse 25.

The thing that convicted me was the “…all these things I have kept…” phrase.  How often we simply reduce living for Christ to a 10-item-checklist mentality.  Sure, we’d never admit this checklist-based-living-for-Christ belief out loud; but, in our heart (which is where God looks at us), it’s easy to have it.  There is comfort and often anonymity in this type of Christ-Follower life – the “it’s between me & God” – “what is the minimum I must do” mentality.

The truth is, Jesus (while He recognized and affirmed the “checklist” items in this and other passages) calls His followers (then, now, and to come) to so much more.  He knew if the ruler had kept those “things” (God knows the heart of all); but, Jesus also knew that a life that followed Him was characterized by SO MUCH MORE.  A life that costs something – and that “something” is more than money.

As a Christ Follower, I have got to be more than just a list follower/checkeroffer (if that’s a word).  That is what Rick is challenging the people he and Myla work with in the Philippines…and what he reminded/challenged me on last Sunday…

…So Father, stumbling forward I go!

In Christianity, Life
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It’s Basic: Water

November 12, 2009 — Leave a comment

“Speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

– Wisdom from King Lemuel’s mom (Proverbs 31:8-9)

x

I’s basic: Water.

Yet, we often take it for granted.  I know I do.

In fact, the average American uses 150 gallons of water a day.

Yep, it’s basic.

But:

  • 1.1 billion people on the planet don’t have access to safe, clean drinking water. (That’s 1 in 6 people in the world).
  • Those people often walk more than three hours each day to get water that is likely to make them sick.
  • The average person in a developing nation struggles to find 5 gallons of water.

That’s flat out wrong.

One organization trying to address this is Charity: Water – a non-profit organization bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations:

OK, so if that doesn’t bring it home, this should:

x

Consider supporting Charity: Water.  100% of all contributions go to projects, not administrative costs.

It’s mind blowing, but $20 can give one person clean, safe drinking water for 20 years.

It’s basic: Water.

Let’s listen to King Lemuel’s mom…

x

Statistics source: Charity: Water

In Christianity, Life
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Accepting God’s Omnipotence

October 28, 2009 — 1 Comment

I was reflecting on Francis Chan’s “Crazy Love” at Lunch…

x

God is all-powerful. (from chapter 1, “Stop Praying”)

For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him.

– Paul to the Church at Colossae (Collosians 1:16)

Don’t we live instead as though God is created for us, to do our bidding, to bless us, and to take care of our loved ones? – Chan

x

“His dominion is an eternal dominion; His kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as He pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back His hand or say to Him: ‘What have You done?’ ”

– King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:34-37)

Can you worship a God who isn’t obligated to explain His actions
to you? – Chan

x

Abba, Father:

 

At times, my human inclination to the often-hard-to-grasp truth of Your omnipotence is to the echo the Disciple’s statement, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”  I pray that, through the power of the Holy Spirit and based on the truth of Your inherent and strong Word, my faith would be strengthened when my human view and questions cloud things.

You are God…i am not. May my worship not be contingent on my full understanding of Your ways and thoughts.

dennis

In Christianity, Life , ,
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Rise Up

October 28, 2009 — Leave a comment

In the midst of the “stuff of life” happening lately in my circle of family and friends, just thought I would share this song…

[BTW, it you’re not familiar with Ben Shive, I highly recommend picking up his The Ill-Tempered Klavier album.]

x

Rise Up
Ben Shive

Every stone that makes you stumble,
and cuts you when you fall;
every serpent here that strikes your heel,
to curse you when you crawl,
the King of Love one day will crush them all.

And every sad seduction
and every clever lie,
every word that woos and wounds
the pilgrim children of the sky,
the King of Love will break them by and by.

And you will rise up in the end.
You will rise up in the end.
I know the night is cruel, but the day is coming soon
when you will rise up in the end.

If the thief had come to plunder
when the children were alone,
If he ravaged every daughter
and murdered every son,
Would not their Father see this?
Would not His anger burn?
And would He not repay the tyrant
in the day of His return?
Await, await the day of His return.

Cause He will rise up in the end.
He will rise up in the end.
I know you need a Savior. He is patient in His anger.
But He will rise up in the end.

And when the stars come crashing to the sea.
The high and mighty fall down on their knees.
When you see the Son descending in the sky.
The chains of death will fall around your feet.

You will rise up in the end.
You will rise up in the end.
You will rise up in the end.

Maranatha!

In Life ,
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Everything Falls

October 21, 2009 — 1 Comment

This song and its truth have been rattling around in my head since I got Fee’s new album a few weeks ago…

The story:x

The song:

WOW and AMEN.

x

Everything Falls
Steve Fee
from Hope Rising

You said You’d never leave or forsake me, when You said this life is shake me.
You said this world is gonna bring trouble on my soul. This I know.

When everything falls apart, Your arms hold me together.
When everything falls apart You’re the only hope for this heart.
When everything falls apart and my strength is gone, I find You mighty and strong.
You keep holding on, You keep holding on.

When I see darkness all around me, when I see tragedy has found me, I still believe.
Your faithful arms will never let me go. Still I know

Sorrow will last for the night, but hope is rising with the sun, it’s rising with the sun.
There will be storms in this life, but I know You have overcome, You have overcome

In Christianity, Life , , , ,
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HWJD?

September 23, 2009 — Leave a comment

think3So I was a little frustrated at some stuff/people recently and got to thinking, How Would Jesus Deal?…or for the acronym-minded: HWJD?*

That’s when my head started hurting…

  • Jesus dealt with life, family, school, church, work, people situations, the “stuff” of life…just like me.
  • He ate, slept, cried, had conversation, traveled, lead people, relaxed, laughed, prayed, spent time alone and with people, faced adversity, had an adoptive father (Joseph),…just like me.  (FYI: my adoptive Father is God [Ephesians 1:4-6])
  • He had feelings: anger, happiness, sadness, concern,sympathy,…just like me.

BUT…

  • Unlike me…He was perfect.
  • Unlike me…He was sinless.
  • Unlike me…He was holy.

So, HWJD?

How Would Jesus Deal with being, as I put it above, “a little frustrated at some stuff/people”?

There are a TON of passages in the Bible that speak about this, but one immediately comes to mind.  It’s a passage that talks about an attitude that was evident in Jesus’ life and one that is really is the essence of “dealing”.  To the “expert in the law” who tested Him, Jesus offered this framework for living a life that worships God:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself.  There is no commandment greater than these.”

Mark 12:30-31

Jesus was the perfect example of living this passage.  In spite of all the similarities with me (you, us) listed above, it’s the differences that set Him apart.  He loved and obeyed His Father and unconditionally loved the people with whom He “dealt” – the ones He created.  We do well to stumble and mumble at doing those things…

Will trying to live Mark 12:30-31 out and follow Jesus’ example make things magically better?  I think we all know the answer: no.  But, living out this passage through the power of the Holy Spirit enables me (you, us) to dependently fulfill our purpose in life: bringing God glory through a life of worship (Colossians 1:16).

So, HWiD? (How Will i Deal?)

Well, Jesus set the watermark.  I know full well that I cannot get close to it.  But, that does not exempt me from striving to follow Jesus’ example (through the conviction (John 16:10) and enabling power (Philippians 4:13) of the Holy Spirit).

In fact, not striving for this watermark is…well, sin:

Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do [think Mark 12:30-31, at a minimum] and doesn’t do it, sins.

James 4:17

Thank God for His grace, mercy, and forgiveness:

God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:21

Maranatha!

So…  HWuD?

x

*HWJD? OR How Would Jesus Deal? – not to be confused with HWJD (How Would Jesus Drive). In writing this post, I wanted to see other uses for “HWJD”…this site was at the top of the internet search.

In Christianity, Life , , , ,
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What I Did On My Summer “Vacation”

September 4, 2009 — 1 Comment

It’s a common question being asked by returning students right now – regardless of age or grade: “What did you do on your Summer vacation?”  It’s somewhat lost on us adults…we don’t generally get three months off from work (although we’d like it!)  OK, we do truncate the question and ask: “What did you do on your Summer vacation?”

Anyway, here we go:

<you>: Dennis!  How’s it going?  Love the blog, keep up the great work!
<me>: ‘sgoing pretty good.  How ’bout you?
<you>: Fantabulous!  Hey, What did you do on your Summer vacation?
<me>: I’m glad you asked…

The Deets:

bibleThis summer, our church went through a program called The Bible in 90 Days (aka BIND, aka B90X).  It’s not a hard program with hidden details – it’s reading the Bible in 90 days (OK, actually 88…there were two “grace” days built in).  We started on June 7th and from that day until September 3 (for me), we read about 12 pages each day – straight through…Genesis to Revelation.  Our adult Sunday School class and Sunday service sermons also followed the readings, highlighting various themes or characters from the previous weeks readings.

The Story:

True confessions here – I actually saw the official BIND Bible at our local Christian bookstore over a year ago. I bought it and thought I’d give it a go.  It didn’t go…  But, when we decided to go through the program at church, I decided I was going to do it!  GULP!

I read & study the Bible daily – but I don’t generally read 12 pages.  I’m also a slow reader (I’ll admit it!), so this was especially a challenge.  [FYI – my reading speed is really a product of wanting to fully understand and I just can’t get there by scanning…some can – I can’t.]

In addition, having just started this blog a few months before, I decided that I would write a post about each days reading.  Yes, EACH DAY (read: Leviticus).  My decision was based on two things:

  • If 2 Timothy 3:16-17 is true (and I believe it is), then I ought to be able to glean at least one nugget from each day’s reading.  Yes, even from Leviticus.
  • A comment I heard from a speaker a while back.  He said that he tried to find at least one thing in every sermon or talk he heard that was applicable or edifying.  This should be true of anything read in the bible.  [BTW, I hold to this truth in any meeting, seminar, conference, presentation.  It forces me to listen!]

So I started.  I read…and I blogged, and I read…and I blogged…  Eighty-eight days of reading, too many late nights trying to stay on track, and 67 blog posts (some were catch-up days) – all in all, an incredible journey.  I am glad I stuck it out.  It was great to read the whole Bible in a concentrated time frame.  It was amazing to see the thread of God’s redemptive love and care for man (me, you!) in this life-changing, life-giving book that has been lovingly preserved.

So, there’s no badge, t-shirt, or tattoo (?!) for completing the program.  But, there is the joy in knowing that I am a little bit more “equipped”  to be a better worshiper of my awesome and amazing God!

What’s Next?

For the Christ Follower, the Bible shouldn’t be a book that is read and then put on the shelf – saved for future reading if desired.  So, for that reason, I’ll never be “finished” reading the Bible…  I think I’ll even do BIND again next year.

I am starting two new books though:new_read

Both look to be GREAT reads…even blog subjects!

HEY, if you’d like to give BIND or B90X a try, here is a reading schedule that Elevation Church in North Carolina has posted.

In Bible in 90 Days, Christianity, Life , , , , , ,
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