God's A Funny Guy.....

What do I mean by 'God's a funny guy'? I mean He uses humor, irony and otherwise ordinary circumstances to open our eyes and give us not just 'teachable moments' but the occasional rebuke. Case in point:

I just returned from a short vacation to Las Vegas - one that included a plethora of little screw-ups, inconveniences and disappointments. Minor problems all, but annoying and frustrating nonetheless.

My friends and I stayed at a five-diamond resort in the lap of luxury and opulence. We had fine food and wine, gambled a little, shopped a lot and had fun despite the 'issues'. Yesterday, as we traveled to the airport in a Lincoln Navigator stretch limousine, we discussed what we didn't like about the resort and why we wouldn't stay there again. 'I didn't get the bed I requested.' 'The doorman didn't even help with the luggage!' Stuff like that. Then I had my first 'God's a funny guy' moment of the day...

As the limo driver unloaded our mountain of luggage, a pickup truck pulled up to the curb in front of us and a young couple got out. He was dressed in full desert camo and put an enormous pack on his back that looked like it must have weighed 200 pounds. They embraced and kissed for a few minutes before he turned and walked away. She cried. He cried. I cried. Then I thought, 'Will there be a doorman to help with the luggage where this soldier is going?' Of course not. I am free to ride around in fancy limos and whine about hotel doormen because brave young men like this one are at war for me.

Talk about God slapping you upside your head!

Later, as I sat on the small plane that would take me from Detroit to Flint, I commented to my friends that it was odd the seat next to me was vacant.  Just minutes before, the airline had asked for someone to take a voluntary bump due to the flight being over-sold by one passenger. At the last possible minute, a handsome young man rushed down the aisle, stuffed his things in the overhead and sat down next to me. He told me how happy he was that he had made the flight so he didn't have to rent a car and drive home.

I asked if he had a long trip. 'Yes.', he said, 'I've been in Saudi Arabia for a year.' 'Are you military?', I asked. 'Yes.'

I shook his hand and said 'Thank you for what you're doing for me. I appreciate it.' It seemed to surprise him a little, so I told him I don't think our troops hear that enough. He agreed. (They don't.... so thank a soldier every chance you get!) The conversation then went something like this:

'Are you home for a while now?'
'Until after Christmas. Then I'm headed to Germany.'
'Well, Germany isn't home, but it's a lot better than Saudi Arabia.'
'That's for sure.'
'Germany has nice people and good beer.'
'Yeah! I was stationed there for a while before.'
'I've been to Germany. I liked it a lot. Never been to Saudi Arabia, though.'
'You wouldn't like Saudi Arabia. Worst country in the Middle East for women.'
'Yeah, I don't want to wear a Hefty bag.'
'Ha!'

After takeoff, he started to doze, so I shut up and started thinking about my second 'God's a funny guy' moment of the day. This fine young soldier spent a year in Saudi Arabia - where women are chattel - so I can have the freedom to travel across the country with four girlfriends to enjoy the luxuries of one of the world's most extravagant cities. That really puts things in perspective!

God is indeed a funny guy... and I'm listening, Lord.

Earth Day My Way

Psalm 24:1 - The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.

Psalm 19:1 - The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.

The earth is a gift from God to man. We should praise and worship it's Creator, not the creation. He has placed so much beauty all around us; I see it everywhere! If you look closely at these photos, I hope you can see it, too.

WINTER

SPRING

SUMMER

FALL

*Copyright 2008-2009, all rights reserved. All photos are digitally protected.

Old Time Gospel Sunday

The message of this hymn couldn't be more appropriate now. Please listen carefully.

Pastor Wintley Phipps, 'Heal Our Land'

Think You're Having A Bad Day? Meet Nick.

Times are hard. We hear it on the news and read it in the papers. People worry about keeping their jobs, making a living, paying for college. These are legitimate concerns, but maybe if we step back, take a breath and consider what someone else is dealing with, we won't feel so stressed. Allow me to introduce you to Nick:

Nick Vujicic

I complained that I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet. ~ Indian Proverb

The Four Tops, 'I'll Be There'

If you feel that you can't go on
Because all of your hope is gone
And your life is filled with much confusion
Until happiness is just an illusion
And your world around is crumbling down
Reach out
Reach out
I'll be there
With a love that will shelter you
I'll be there
With a love that will see you through.

If God brings you to it, He'll bring you through it.
Life is tough. Pray hard.

A Prayer for America

This arrived in my inbox today. I wish I had written it, but I didn't. I don't know the 'Jo Ann' to whom it is attributed, but I could not have said it better myself. God bless Jo Ann, and God bless America!

America stands at a crossroads, not just politically but also spiritually. The current election cycle is nothing less than a battle for the very soul of our country. The discerning among you already know this to be true. The deepening political polarization we have witnessed in the past few elections is merely a symptom of an ever-intensifying spiritual polarization, as the battle lines between the righteous and the wicked are drawn with increasing clarity. The stakes are enormous, whether politically, economically, morally or in terms of our physical security. We are about to step off in a direction that could very well lead to our destruction as a nation — and so many millions are blind to this reality.

As I observe popular attitudes and watch the public opinion polls, my heart grieves for our nation. We have abandoned the principles upon which our nation was founded, principles which in turn were anchored in the person and principles of God. The wicked grow ever more powerful and influential. Once respectable journalistic organizations have degenerated to little more than propaganda organs for the political left. Godly leaders who can rise up in defense of righteousness and our God-given liberties seem nowhere to be found. As a nation, we have cast God out of our thinking. The murder of the unborn is championed in the streets and in the courts. Homosexual ‘marriage’ is trumpeted as a constitutional right and as the sign of a so-called progressive culture. Sexual immorality, drug abuse, violence, idolatry, pornography, and a host of other sins have overtaken us. As a nation we either justify these things or, at a minimum, turn a blind eye to them. And God’s people have certainly not been immune from these things.

Now we stand ready to reap the fruits of our national godlessness. God sometimes judges sin by giving people over to the very things they desire and allowing the natural consequences to play out. However, as the wicked gain the upper hand in the halls of power, all of us of whatever political leaning will experience the predictable consequences.

So where does that leave us? Current polls indicate that the left is in position to seize decisive control of our entire political system, including all three branches of government. They stand to take the White House , both houses of Congress and, by inevitable extension, the courts as well. If that happens, they will take the country hard to the left in a way from which I do not believe we will ever recover. Socialism, moral libertinism, contempt for the sanctity of life, and increasing efforts to stifle political dissent (and I would add, to silence biblically-based ‘hate speech‘) are sure to follow in short order. If God severely judged Israel for her wickedness, who are we to expect differently?

‘If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?’ What can we do to prevent the unmaking of America from happening right before our eyes?
We can call upon the name of the Lord, who is rich in mercy and mighty to deliver His people. We can pray along with the psalmist that the designs of the wicked and the oppressors would be thwarted by the hand of God. We can pray that God would lift the evident blindness that has gripped our nation, and that He would grant widespread repentance. We can pray that only the most godly men and women would be elected to lead this nation, and that they would lead in righteousness. We can pray that such righteousness would again exalt our nation as we return to the Lord in humility and repentance. We can pray that, regardless of what happens on November 4, the people of God will manifest ‘the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Christ’ in ever increasing measure.

To that end, I am asking every believer in Jesus Christ to set aside Monday, November 3 as a day of fasting and prayer. I would urge you to review the prayer of Daniel on behalf of his people in Daniel 9:3-19, and to pray that way for our nation. And finally, I would ask you to distribute this call to prayer as widely as possible so that the greatest number of people would lay hold of the throne of grace all at once. It may be that God will show mercy to America, that He will shed His grace on her once again.

Amen, Jo Ann! Please pray for our nation, her leaders, and her deliverance on Monday as we prepare for historic elections on Tuesday.