Shabbat Eshtonah

#107 Regarding Time...

2012-03-17T05:48:00.000-04:00

Keeping up with the time is as basic to human life as about anything else we do really. Each day we have places to be and people to see; all of which is coordinated and directed by the mighty clock. The busier our life the more we are managed by the clock. Then twice a year we get a wrench thrown into the works of our lives as we either spring forward and lose an hour out of our day or fall

#106 Haptic Response

2012-03-10T07:29:00.000-05:00

Our lives are filled with many modern, fancy devices. Things that were only dreamed of in science fiction novels a few years back are now everyday realities for us. Not too many years ago no one had a mobile telephone, but all of our kids will grow up thinking that we have all always carried our digital leashes in our pockets, purses, or what ever.The other day I heard someone talking about

#105 Goliath in the Mirror

2012-03-02T16:28:00.000-05:00

No doubt many of us are familiar with the story of David and Goliath; a Biblical tale of God working through the seemingly weakest among men. This story tells of David who goes to the battle front to check on his brothers on behalf of his father, Jesse.Upon arriving on the scene of the battle David finds the mighty men of Israel cowering in fear because of an unconverted, Philistine giant named

#104 Outside Looking In

2012-02-17T16:16:00.002-05:00

As a young boy I wanted desperately to play peewee baseball for my school. We were the hornets and we wore black, yellow, and white uniforms. Somehow I convinced my parents to take me for tryouts and by stroke of another miracle I made it on the team and was assigned to right field. But even though I made it on the team it was quickly apparent to everyone that baseball was not my sport. Most

#103 Storing Up

2012-02-10T16:47:00.002-05:00

I recently read a news story that was concerned about the animals that are hibernating. Their concern stemmed from the fact that this winter has been fairly mild across the country, and because of the mild winter there is a fear that hibernating animals will come out of their sleep too soon. I suppose time will tell.Hibernation occurs in many animals. Bears, prairie dogs, bats, badgers, and

#102 High Octane Fuel

2012-02-04T06:41:00.000-05:00

When you join the military they control your life. This truth became quickly apparent when I went to basic combat training (BCT). One of the goals of BCT is to get you in good physical condition.I can recall the drill sergeants telling us that it was their job to make sure that we were in good shape before BCT was over. One of the drill sergeants stood before us and told us that he thought of

#101 Aggregate Faith

2012-01-28T08:34:00.002-05:00

I have had a lot of jobs in my life. Before realizing my call to ministry I basically went from job to job never having a sense of peace that I was doing what I was meant to be doing.One of those many jobs was working for a concrete and cement block supplier in North Carolina. It was one of the largest suppliers in the area and we stayed very busy nearly year round. I did several jobs while

#100 High Value Target

2012-01-20T18:00:00.006-05:00

Some things in life are worth more than other things. When we consider people we know, again, some are ranked as more important than others. Not because one human life is worth more than another's but because we may be more deeply connected to one person more so than another.In combat, certain leaders in a given group of Soldiers are considered High Value Targets (HVTs). This status is given

#99 Symbiosis: Part 2

2012-01-13T17:42:00.002-05:00

We have talked about symbiotic relationships before within the context of earthly human relationships and especially within the marital relationship. We discussed how those relationships work best when they are built around a model where all parties seek to benefit others instead of themselves. Only the Lord can help us break away from selfishness and greed to the point where we are givers and

#98 Symbiosis: Part 1

2012-01-07T00:52:00.000-05:00

Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;Relationships are the building blocks of our society. We have relationships with our family, friends, co-workers, governmental entities, and many others. Within all of our relationships we either function well or dysfunctionally to some degree or another. Sadly, it seems that

#97 Resolution or Revival?

2011-12-31T06:10:00.004-05:00

The time has come once again where much of the world looks forward to the new year with hope and fascination. People will gather to celebrate, party, and just generally enjoy one another's company as they ring in another year. A traditional part of any New Year's celebration is discussion about resolutions for the coming year. Some will vow to lose weight, others will say they are going to

#96 Divinely Unique

2011-12-24T05:33:00.003-05:00

I love to watch it snow. There is just something captivating about watching the flakes fall and collect on the ground and surrounding surfaces. This type of scene is especially serene when viewed from the comfort of a heated house, but walking around in the falling white flakes can be fun too.When you look at the snowflakes up close you see that they are very unique in their crystalline

#95 True Color

2011-12-17T04:31:00.003-05:00

Having grown up around a junk yard that my grandpa owned placed a love for cars and all things mechanical in me. Now serving as a pastor means that I do not get a lot of time to work with my hands because most of my work is mental and working with people.From the youngest memories of my life I can recall sitting in the cars that my grandpa would haul into his junk yard. I would mentally drive

#94 Duty or Delight?

2011-12-10T07:20:00.005-05:00

I would be willing to go out on a limb and say that all of us have things in our lives we do not enjoy doing but we have to do them regardless. Those items may even fall into the category of "must do". Sometimes our jobs fall into that category. We have to work to provide for our families but we may not really enjoy what we do.Disciplining our children can fall into the same area. We may not

#93 Full Bleed

2011-12-01T17:15:00.004-05:00

1 John 1:7 "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."Printing technology has always fascinated people. Well, until copiers and printers became so common place we as a society were more fascinated by printing because we had to depend on professionals to do so much for us. Now almost

#92 Weeding

2011-11-25T10:31:00.003-05:00

Decorating one's home has always given people more appreciation for where they live. Once pictures are hung on the walls and all the trinkets unique to our life are placed around the home we feel more welcomed and our homes feel more livable.Trends in home decoration change as time goes by and a recent trend is to have vinyl lettering or images on the walls. Lettering that expresses more of who

#91 Spoon Feeding

2011-11-18T23:02:00.003-05:00

Children are dependent upon others to care for them. Every need from the moment we arrive is thrust upon someone, be they parent or otherwise, to provide for us. Our food, cleanliness, protection, health care, and all facets of life that do not fall under the umbrella of autonomic function require attention from others.As we grow and mature we begin to take on those roles ourselves. We

#90 Somnambulance

2011-11-12T07:45:00.004-05:00

1:John 1:7 "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."I can remember when I was growing up that I went over to a friend's house to stay over. When it was time to go to bed he warned me that if I heard someone up walking around it may be his dad sleep walking as he had a habit to do.

#89 Managing the Load

2011-11-05T07:50:00.005-04:00

Matthew 11:30 NKJV "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."Moving has to be one of the most dreaded tasks that mankind has to encounter. The task of loading up all your stuff, taking it across town or across the country, then unloading, sorting, and putting away all that stuff at the new place can make for some tiring, cumbersome work.As a pastoral family we have to experience that

#88 Proof Reading

2011-10-28T20:53:00.004-04:00

Some people have a gift for writing. Stories, poems, research, or other written articles seem to pour from some people. My wife tells me I am one of those people. I am not sure I agree, but that's beside the point. As a pastor I have to do lots of writing for all sorts of tasks and part of writing is proof reading that which has been written.One time my family and I were eating lunch together

#87 Directed Landing

2011-10-21T22:33:00.003-04:00

Jude 1:24 "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling..."It has been said that nature is God's second book; second to the Bible of course. I am very inclined to believe that statement as it is so easy to see the fingerprints of God all over the great outdoors. From the tiniest insect to the majesty of the mountain you can see that God certainly knows how to impress.When I was dating

#86 Reversed Controls

2011-10-14T12:04:00.004-04:00

I have many loves in this life. I love the Lord with all my heart. I love my wife and kids more than I know how to express. I love great fellowship, food, music and playing the guitar, being outdoors, and I love to fly model aircraft. Yes, we are all just big kids I suppose.Since the time I was young boy flying has fascinated me. My grandmother and mom would buy me model airplanes that you

#85 Welcome Correction

2011-09-03T08:56:00.001-04:00

Fudge is a sugary treat that many, many people love to eat. No, I am not trying to be a poet, it just came out that way. But I am amazed at how much people love fudge. This reality came into to clear focus on a recent trip to Mackinac (pronounced mack-i-naw and means "great turtle" in a Native American tongue) island situated just above slightly northeast of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. You

#84 Empty Tank

2011-08-13T08:27:00.004-04:00

Matthew 26:41 "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."Coming to Michigan was an adjustment for our family at first. As with any major regional change in one's life, there are different things you have to grow accustom to. Yes, the amount of snowfall was new to us, the flatness of the scenery took some getting used to, and the type of

#83 Mistaken Identity

2011-08-06T05:42:00.003-04:00

2 Corinthians 5:20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us:Not too long ago my family and I were visiting friends and went to church with them on Sabbath. It was a church where we know a lot of people and have often enjoyed worshiping with them in times past. This particular Sabbath my good friend had the sermon and we were blessed by having attended

#82 Insurance or Assurance?

2011-07-29T21:59:00.004-04:00

Isaiah 32:17 The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.We live in a world that requires us to have our assets and ourselves protected. We have car insurance to make us whole in the event of an accident or crash. We have home owners insurance to take care of our houses and tool sheds. Medical insurance takes some of the bite out of

#81 Spiritual Zugzwang

2011-07-22T12:28:00.005-04:00

Matthew 7:14 "...narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."My childhood afforded me the opportunity to spend lots of time with my grandparents. It was a real blessing to be able to do so. Across the road from their house was my great-grandmother's home. My great uncle, Jerry, lived there with her.From time to time I would go over and visit

#80 Square and True

2011-07-15T22:02:00.003-04:00

Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...Not too long ago the toilet in our downstairs bathroom developed a leak and ruined the carpet in that bathroom. I know, I know who would ever put carpet in a bathroom, but that's what was there until this leak happened.Long story short is that we had to tear out the old carpet and then go back

#79 Obscured Vision

2011-07-01T20:52:00.003-04:00

1 Corinthians 13:12 NASB "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face;..."Windshields are rather important components of a vehicle wouldn't you agree? I mean if your windshield is clean and free of obstructions then it makes the task of driving that much easier in the sense that at least you have one less thing to occupy your time.I can recall back when I used to work doing rock

#78 Empty Knocking

2011-06-10T10:05:00.004-04:00

Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.Have you ever ran out of gas? Sadly, I have done it more than once. Every time it happened to me it was simply because I did not pay close enough attention to the fuel gauge. Shortly after moving to our current pastoral district I traveled

#77 Destination: Adulation

2011-06-04T06:45:00.003-04:00

Ephesians 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.As a young boy I had a fascination with martial arts and martial artists. I can recall watching Kung Fu Theater with my step-father and siblings. Yes, the movies were very horribly dubbed from Chinese with the movements of the mouths never matching the words we heard coming from the television.But despite the poorly dubbed English of

#76 Target Fixation

2011-05-27T06:28:00.004-04:00

Philippians 3:14 NASB I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Have you ever noticed that you seem to end up at the place that you focus your attention? This can be a good thing or a very bad thing depending on your focus. There have been accidents where people have hit the back of police and other emergency vehicles while they are parked along the

#75 Razor Sharp

2011-05-20T08:30:00.001-04:00

Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword..."I have always had a fascination with knives. No, not the tomato-slicing kind or any other type that might commonly be found in a kitchen. I mean manly knives; knives used for hunting or military purposes. When I was still just a boy I can recall my grandfather giving me an Old Timer knife. It was

#74 Genetic Sin-gineering

2011-03-30T15:11:00.003-04:00

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all...are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.I have oft been fascinated by the work of geneticists. The scientists who dedicate their lives to studying the blueprint of what makes us who we are have unraveled some marvelous mysteries about how the human body functions and how unique each one of us actually are.I

#73 Blocking the Light?

2011-01-14T16:24:00.003-05:00

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another,Garage doors these days are pretty high-tech. They have electric gear and chain driven motors that raise the door for us as we approach with our vehicles. Some of our vehicles even have a built-in home control unit that allows us to program our cars to operate the door.The other day I came home

#72 Balancing the Books

2010-12-10T11:47:00.003-05:00

Acts 20:35 "remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"Some people love to work with numbers. They love to count the "beans" so to speak and to make sure that each penny is accounted for. For them spending hours pouring over balance sheets and ledgers may bring joy and great satisfaction. Sadly, I am not among these people.Yes, I

#71 Obstructed View

2010-12-03T17:19:00.004-05:00

Habakkuk 2:4 ...the just shall live by his faith.Do you recall when you first got your drivers license? I do. I was so excited to have a measure of freedom. Yes, I had to be home when mom and dad told me to be there, but I no longer had to beg people for a ride here or there. Of course I soon found out gas was not free so my availability of funds dictated just how much "freedom" I actually

#70 Black Friday

2010-11-26T10:57:00.007-05:00

Revelation 3:5 NASB 'He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life...'Yesterday was an amazing day for our family. We decided to just stay home and enjoy Thanksgiving as a family and it was great getting to spend uninterrupted time with my wife and children; something I rarely get.As we spent time together my mind kept going back to

#69 Caveat Emptor

2010-11-15T11:04:00.004-05:00