“Move it, lady!”

Let me begin this blog by sharing something that happened on the road just the other day. We were on our way home and there was a full-sized truck behind us. Cailey was driving the speed limit, yet the guy behind us was right up on her bumper. Then, in a no-passing lane, he guns it and passes her. What he did next was even more surprising. He slowed down to a ridiculous 25 mph right in front of us and maintained that pace for a good ¼ mile. When he turned off, he glared out his window at her with the most intense look of revenge.

I actually found this to be oddly humorous, and simply smiled and waved at him as we passed. Honestly, the most hilarious realization to me in this whole occurrence is that he was obviously in a huge rush to get somewhere fast…yet he was able to make time to drive even slower than my wife to make his point.

“Slowness to anger makes for deep understanding; a quick-tempered person stockpiles stupidity.” Proverbs 14:29 (Msg)

Whether it’s in traffic, at the register, or even the bank lobby…Lord, help me to have the patience and understanding toward others (despite what I have going on) so that my ignorance doesn’t cause someone else to see an incorrect image of you.

Your Life is a Commercial

You know what I love about DVR…that I can skip over all the commercials. Once in a while, however, an Ad is produced that is very creative and absolutely hysterical. But the problem with many of these is that the product or service being sold is not clearly communicated. We’ve all witnessed these. You’re left laughing out loud, and moments after the commercial is done the thought “What were they trying to sell, anyway” comes to mind. From a marketing standpoint, that’s not a good thing!

This got me thinking this morning. As Christians, what are WE advertising? Granted, the Church is not Corporate America…but it’s equally important that what (in this case, Who) we are advertising is crystal clear! As we interact with people in our communities, in the work place, at the YMCA, or in traffic…what are we advertising? In a way, our journey with Christ is a commercial. There ARE people watching all the time. This week, may they not see our self-righteousness, accomplishments, church denomination, or political preferences. May they simply see Jesus, and want to know Him because of what they see in us.

Galatians 5:22-26 reads:

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.”

VitaWord

At the beginning of this week my oldest son and I began exercising. Keep in mind this is the first time I have done any substantial physical exercise in about 6 months. After the first day or two I was noticing notable levels of discomfort…in parts of my body that haven’t hurt for a while. The muscles that did not ache, however, just happen to be the ones that I typically use all day long, every day to get through my daily routine. But I do know that most of the soreness will subside after a few more days of staying with this routine. My body simply needed to be re-conditioned.

There are similar times when our spirits need the same conditioning. I find that when I’ve been able to spend some daily quality time with God, in prayer and in the Word, it gets easier the more consistent I can be. When I do allow myself to fall out of that daily practice, however, it’s always tricky for me to get back into it. Take a look at the wisdom within this passage…

Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

Joshua 1:8 (NLT)

Thus, wisdom + consistency = achievement …simply stated! This week, may you remember to take your daily supplement of God's insight and love for your life...preferably after a meal.

Thanks, Captain Obvious!

Have you ever been in one of those chapters of life where you find yourself aggressively searching (harder that usual) for God’s blessings and answered prayers? You know what I mean…times when it’s difficult to see His loving involvement in our life. And things don’t even need to necessarily be terrible and falling apart. I would suggest that sometimes we tend to take these things for granted in a BIG way! Now, I’m not talking about things like health, finances, or even pets J What I am alluding to, however, is simply the stuff that is right under our noses.

Let me pose a question if I may. Why is it that when one small hair is out of place on our perfectly gelled head of hair we call life…we go running and screaming to Jesus as though our vary life was in eminent danger? Isn’t it interesting, confusing, maddening, or even convicting that we have no problem locating the flaws of life…no matter how great the magnitude? Then, along comes a high-end magnitude situation that shakes you so hard that everything around you crumbles. As the dust and particles settle and the destruction becomes visibly clear, you realize that you’re not the only one left standing. You see, God strategically places individuals in our lives to be His hands and voice of influence…to walk through these quakes of life with us.

“Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens.” James 1:17

This week, may you be encouraged by this. Might I encourage you to stop and experience a ‘Thanks, captain obvious’ moment for yourself. Take a step back, examine your life, and notice……notice that special person that God has placed in your life for this specific moment. For me, I was reminded that my wife is that person. After an entire day of being rather short-tempered and critical with her, we sat down and had a ‘talk.’ She had the Godly wisdom and insight to know I wasn’t having the best of days. We had a wonderful discussion, and I apologized for painting a target on her forehead. That is when it hit me! God is using her in my life MORE than I could notice on my own. Who is this person for you…wife, teacher, parent, brother/sister, pastor? Take time to thank God for them today.