You'll shoot your eye out!!

Christmas is over and New Years is right around the corner. As I reflect on another year, I can't help but see how blessed I truly am and how blessed all my friends are as well as my church family at Skyline. This year has truly been a growth year for me personally and for a lot of people in our church family and in our worship ministry. I am always amazed by the things we think we need or want and yet God knows what we need and when we need it.

I always remember how our wants and the way we can idolize things seem so empty when we finally "get" those things that we think will matter so much or have a great impact on our lives. "A Christmas Story" is on of my ALL time favorite Holiday movies. I love that the last couple of years it has been on for 24 hours. I will watch it over and over...I love it.

You remember little Ralphie Parker, all he wanted was a Red Rider BB Gun. But to his dismay everyone of the grown up persuasion would tell him that he would " shot your eye out" if his wish was granted. All Ralphie wanted was the BB gun, every young boy has and wants a BB gun. He should be able to have that item as well, and share in the experience that all of his peers have...right?

What is that one thing that you really want, the one that everyone else has...you know the thing that will give you all the joy you think it will...come on what is it? Is that thing you want the exact thing that God may be telling you that if you get that you will " shoot your eye out". But everyone else has one, and they have not shot their eye out. If I only had...my way at church, if the Preacher would only, if we could go back to the way it was, if we could only get out of this worship rut, ...If If If.

I pray that God will allow us to reflect on this past year and show us that His grace was and is sufficient for ALL our needs. Besides do you remember what happened in the movie? Ralphie got his Red Rider BB Gun and what happened when he took it out side for the first time? He shot at his target it ricocheted and hit him right under his eye...in other words He almost "shot his eye out". After that little experience he never went back to get his gun. I am sure he did latter on but not during the rest of the movie he didn't...that is interesting to me.

I pray that everyone has a great New Year..give God the thanks and the praise for what He has done and will do in 2008. Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, may the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. And may the Lord give you His peace.

Peace.

Scrooge and Bob....who are you?

My Christmas tradition began last night with the watching of "A Christmas Carol" one of my all time favorites and must see movies at Christmas. No matter what version of the movie I watch or find I am always struck at the relationship or lack of one between Scrooge and the ever faithful Bob Cratchit. Scrooge treats Bob like less of a man. His wages are insulting for the time he gives to his work. Bob is a pleasant person even though he is surrounded with trouble and trails on every front. He is poor, has a terrible working environment, a dieing child with no means to be able to help him and other children as well. Yet he is in the very presence of someone who can change his situation with just the decision to do so.

Scrooge's redemption was in being reminded of his past, being awaken to the present and cast into the future to see what will be if things do not change. I need a scrooge experience sometimes. I need to be reminded that the past has a great deal to say about what has made us the people we are today, good or bad. I need to see the present as it is, again one quote that I can't forget is "do not ever think that your world is THE world". I so bad need to realize that what is done today will have a great deal to do with what happens tomorrow and the day after that.

How many Bob Cratchit's are in my little world, how many do I work with, how many wait on me in a restaurant, how many will I see Sunday as I lead worship? Have you ever been Cratchit? How many of us have been Scrooge...just not at work, but worse at church? We come in and have the attitude and demeanor of Scrooge. Nothing seems to give us joy except being left alone and maybe a little joy in looking at the world or church and passing judgement on what the problems are and what needs to be done to "fix" those problems.

During this time when we realize the greatest gift that was ever given, Jesus, may God show us mercy and bring us to understand our past, open our eyes to the present, and fill us up with anticipation for changing the future. May we pray for many Cratchit's to come into our lives and the life of our church. I have a pretty good idea Jesus would have hung out with Bob and Mrs. Cratchit. Will we?

Peace.

12 days of Christmas?....You bet

I hope this brings you as much joy as it has me. Merry Christmas. Hey praise team anybody want to try this next Sunday?

Peace.

Overflow

This time of year makes me think of being full. Full of excitement, about the up coming events and getting together with others. Full of anticipation, of how everyone will respond to the gifts they will receive. Full of joy, celebration, wonder, full of awe of what God really did by sending Jesus to be born of a virgin. I'm just full. I remember being a child and being at my grandma's house and eating Christmas dinner, how full I would feel. I would also be remind during the meal to be careful when helping my self. I can still hear my grandma, aunt and especially my mom, " be careful don't spill that..." I always seemed to spill something once and a while. My milk, tea, plate, something would spill out. Even when I got older I would be cautioned, " don't fill that glass up so much it might spill over." I have said the same thing to my girls as well.

As I reflect on that cautionary plea, I think how opposite that is to God's desire for our lives. God wants us to be so full of His Spirit that it overflows.That it just pours out of us to the people we are around everyday. Do we find ourselves being careful not to get "to much" of God? We don't want to spill do we? What would people think if we just spilled out God everywhere we go? A better question would be what would God think? You know some people may not want to get God all over them. So we should be careful right? I don't think that is God's plan.

The word overflow means a continuing flow, it does not stop. It is not like an occasional leak. It is a constant spilling, a continuing stream. Are we allowing God to fill us so full that we can't help but overflow? Overflowing with the witness of his Son? Overflowing with the grace of our Father? Overflowing with praise and worship? Overflowing with the compassion of Jesus? It is so filling for me when I am around others who are so filled with God they can't help but overflow in worship. A worship that is a pouring out of thankfulness and joy. One of celebration and one that gives God glory in what we do.

So as you read this, may you ask God to fill you to the point that you overflow. May you spill out God where ever you go this week. May the people you are with this week be soaked with God. And may you be so full you can't help but Overflow.


Peace.

Committed!?

What an interesting word. Committed. Are you committed?, do you need to be committed?, do you know some one that needs to be committed? Webster has a couple of interesting definitions I want to share with you.
1. to put into charge or trust
2. to place in a prison or mental institution
3. to consign or record for preservation
4. to put into a place for disposal or safekeeping
5. to pledge or assign to some particular course or use

Which one of these are you most familiar with? Which one do you use the most? I want to challenge your thinking to look at each of these from your spiritual "commitment." Are you committed to the point that you have put God in charge or trust of everything you have? Your time, money, attitude, family, job.... Have you committed everything to God?
Have you "been" committed? Has your life been so filled with the Holy Spirit and the mind of Christ that people see you as someone whose mind is controlled by something else and you need to be "watched?"
Are you committed to the degree that your life is a record of the goodness and love of God to be seen by all? Has your life been committed, and given to God to be used up for Him? Are you wasting your life with God?
And lastly are you committed? Have you pledged your life to the Holy other for His particular purpose and not your own?

A lot of things to ponder. We "commit" to so many things in this world. Our jobs, friendships, marriage, church, sports, kids, all our kids activities, on and on it goes. We say Yes so many times with out realizing what we have "committed" to. You may be committed to your church, but are you committed to Jesus? I know someone is saying " oh, that is the same thing.." Is it? I know people that are more worried about what the church ;looks like, acts like, does or does not do, that it seems they are more committed to the institution that the instituter.I sadly know people that are more committed to the preacher than to what God may be calling them or the local church to be doing. May God open our eyes to what we are truly committed to.

I pray for you today as you read this that God will put it on your heart to let Him be in charge, to let Him control your thoughts, that you will let Him use your life as an open journal to the world, that He will waste your life in what ever way He chooses, and that He will show you the divine purpose he has chosen for your life....That God will bless you and show you what it looks like to be committed.

Peace.