#307.4 – “Forgetful”

"For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was." - James 1:23-24
The boys needed a bath last night. Neither one wanted to take it, but they did. After Grant got in the tub, he decided he wanted to stay and play in there after his bath. And so he did. He actually stayed in there for about an hour.
It always amazes me how it is a struggle to get them in the bathtub, and then it is so difficult to get them out. They realize how neat it is to be in there and play after they get in, but they think it is too much fun out of the tub beforehand to want to get in there to start with. It’s like they quickly and easily forget how great it is.
That’s sort of the same thing that happens when we behold the Word and then do not apply it in our lives; we act like someone who forgets what he looks like… or more to the point, who he is. We as Christians get our identity from God Himself. He reveals Himself to us through our looking for Him in His Word. We then should imitate what we see of Him in His Word and live it out. When we do not, it is like we forget how great He is and how great it is to imitate Him. When we do, we recognize who He is and we remember who we are.

Daniel

#307.3 – “Old Shoes”

"But I am poor and in need; come to me quickly, O God; You are my help and my Savior; let there be no waiting, O Lord." - Psalms 70:5
Sarah had the kids up here yesterday with her while she worked out. When they got ready to leave, I noticed that Joshua was bare foot. I asked him if he had shoes on when he came. He shrugged his shoulders. I asked him if he knew where his shoes were. He said ‘I dunno’. That boy kicks his shoes off as soon as he gets into a room or a building. And then he can’t ever remember where they are when the time comes that he needs them.
That kind of lackadaisical attitude has relatively minor consequences when it comes to shoes (although it doesn’t always feel minor when you’re the one having to wait for and/or help Joshua find them when you’re ready to go somewhere), but it can be a big deal when it comes to our relationship with God, and that’s what I want to talk about today…
I know I have been guilty of ‘putting God down’ wherever I am in my spiritual walk when I reach the place where I feel like I can handle things on my own. Then when the time comes that I realize I can’t go another step without Him, I sort of ‘pick Him back up’ again and dust Him off and let Him lead once more.
When I think about how casually I treat my relationship with Him at times, I realize how wrong it is do so. Furthermore, I am both overwhelmed by His mercy and cautioned against His wrath, which I hope will help me not be so thoughtless again.
God, forgive me for the times I toss You aside and then run to find You when I need You, and not give the whole thing a second thought. Help me to not treat You like a pair of old shoes, but to honor and respect and love You with all of my heart and soul and life. And give me the understanding that I desperately need You all of the time.

Daniel

#307.2 – “Workin’ at the Car Wash”

"For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's harvest field, God's building." - 1 Corinthians 3:9
Our yesterday was spent washing both of our vehicles and waxing the van, a project I would not have completed were it not for the help of four little washer-helpers. Our kids got out there and helped me wash our van while Sarah took the truck and went to the doctor for a check on her thyroid. Anna wiped down the windows from the inside, and they all helped wash - taking turns scrubbing and rinsing every inch of that vehicle. We had it super clean in short order. Working together – with everybody pitching in and helping – we accomplished our task.

We as the Church, the Body of Christ, have a huge task – one that is too great for any one person to do… one that is too great for all of us to do without the guidance of God’s Spirit. And so, if this Great Commission of reaching the world for Christ is to be carried out, we must all work together and help one another and continually seek God’s face as we follow His leadership. So let’s all jump in and give our part to the glory of God!



Daniel

#307.1 – “Pass This Way”

"So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today." So he made haste and came down, and received him joyfully." - Luke 19:4-6
Our youngest is now officially five. Our second will be ten this Sunday. Our third will be seven at the end of the month, and our first will be twelve in November. It’s a good thing Sarah and I aren’t getting old, ‘cause this could get overwhelming, you know it?! Seriously, time sure does fly, doesn’t it? This weekend after Joshua’s birthday party, Sarah pulled out some old pictures and we all reminisced. It seems like just yesterday that Anna was born… and then Ruthie… and Grant… and Joshua… and yet, here we are today - years later.

I had a recent conversation with one of our senior adults, who commented about a lesson they had been reminding themselves of lately: we better take advantage of every opportunity we have for Christ, because we may never pass this way again.

Lord, help me make the most of today, that I may honor You and be satisfied with knowing I did my best for Your glory.



Daniel

#306.4 – “A Big Deal”

"Have the power to comprehend in all its width and length and height and depth, And to understand--though it surpasses all understanding--the love of the Christ; and so be filled to the full with God himself." - Ephesians 3:18-19
Joshua is getting ready to turn five tomorrow (Saturday). By ‘getting ready’, I mean he is asking every day how many more days there are till his birthday… he’s constantly pestering us about what we’ve got him for a present… he’s telling all his friends he’s going to have a party… he’s just plain excited!

Turning five is a big deal!

What’s important to us gets us excited. We tell all our friends and neighbors… we can’t keep it inside… we get all keyed up.

Jesus redefined the word ‘passion’ when He went to the cross and died for you and for me. More than a temporary excitement, His passion for you and me caused Him extreme pain… His love for us hurt Him deeply… He suffered… and bled… and died… all because He was passionate about us.

We are a big deal to Him.

So are others who have yet to believe. And so He wants you and me to be passionate about Him and compassionate towards them… to show them that they are a big deal to Him, too.



Daniel

#306.3 – “Teeth Pullers”

"In order that I might not be overmuch lifted up, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, one sent from Satan to give me pain." - 2 Corinthians 12:7
Our girls each had a tooth that was ready to come out this week. Anna and I pulled one of her teeth Tuesday night and Ruthie pulled her own last night. I didn’t see what all Ruthie went through to get hers out, but I helped Anna, and I was struck by something in that experience…
Anna knew that her tooth was terribly loose and needed to come out. This was the last in a set that her dentist had told her would be coming out over the past few months. She didn’t want to let me help her get it out; so instead she worked with it for while. Altogether, she probably spent fifteen minutes and hadn’t really made much difference in it. Finally, she let me take a turn, and it came out. She felt relief almost instantly.
Pain is a powerful prevention; it keeps you from doing what you know you should do. Pain hurts… and we don’t like to hurt… so we avoid it at all costs. We try to navigate around it… or slow down our pace in order to not get near it… or pretend it’s not there… or whatever to cope, but pain is ultimately one of those things that we all have to go through because of our sinful nature and our sinful world.
Yet God, being the great Teacher, uses pain to show us how wonderful relief is. Think about it: we wouldn’t otherwise know just how good ‘good’ is without the bad. God uses the painful experiences in our lives to help us learn – among other lessons – that we need something greater than the pain to come and relieve us of it and then to appreciate the One who can do that.
Thank You, God, for being greater than any pain i may experience here on earth. I praise You for overcoming death, hell and the grave. Help me remember the greatness of Your power and might.

Daniel

#306.2 – “Zonked!”

"Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree." - Genesis 18:4
Our girls went to GA camp this past weekend. Before they came home Saturday afternoon, Sarah and I talked about having the family take a nap. But we decided after their arrival that we wanted instead to let them all just reconnect with each other and us, and so we let them just ‘hang out’ - nothing big… just spending time with each other the way they wanted to spend time.

Since we did not have them take a nap Saturday, we thought we would probably let them take one Sunday afternoon. But then the older three came up to us after Sunday morning service and asked if they could go to Grammie and Grandpa’s house. We agreed, and they played over there while Sarah and I took Joshua to the store to get him an early birthday present (he will be five Saturday).

By the time it got bedtime Sunday evening, the girls were zonked! They just didn’t have any more juice left! A weekend of fun and learning and laughing and playing and talking had just worn them out.

Our physical bodies need rest. Our spiritual bodies need rest. When one or both of those are not getting what they need, the result is complete drain and dysfunction, or as I like to call it: ‘zonked’. So now may be a good time to evaluate these two and see if either is needful of rest. If so, I invite you to join me and carve out some time for it.

Daniel

#306.1 – “On MY Time Table”

"You, in Your great compassion, did not forsake them in the wilderness; the pillar of cloud did not leave them by day, to guide them on their way, nor the pillar of fire by night, to light for them the way in which they were to go." - Nehemiah 9:19
Our boys were up here in the office with Sarah and me pretty much all day on Friday while she and I worked together on some things. They played games and ran around the halls and pretended and played more games and laughed and giggled. When we got ready to leave, they had to stop what they were doing and load up in the van. I got to thinking about how it must feel to be a little one... having to stop what you are doing - even if you are right in the middle of something - and go whenever mommy and daddy say to go.
I can learn a great lesson my kids: that I need to stay with the presence of God as He leads me... and when He says 'go', I should go... and when He says 'stop', I should stop. I need to be willing to drop my agenda - my time table, my plans, my ambitions - for His perfect will. I need to trust in His compassionate nature to take care of me on this journey of faith.

Daniel

#305.3 - "The Power Necessary"

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands" - Psalm 19:1
On Tuesday, I installed the new lawnmower battery. I was careful to wipe down any acid left on the posts from the weekend, so as to not awaken what I lovingly refer to as 'volcano eye'. After getting it in place and hooking the battery up, I gave the ignition a turn and the lawnmower fired right up.
Batteries are supposed to provide the power necessary to operate whatever equipment it is you are using. It's their job. When they go bad, they don't work anymore. They no longer function as they were intended.
Creation (that includes you and me) exists to glorify God. That's our primary purpose. When we miss the mark of being who we're created to be and doing what we're created to do, we find ourselves in a place of discontent. That discontent can take many different forms, but ultimately, it brings about the same kind of results as a dead battery.
I encourage us all to be energized with a relationship with Almighty God and let our lives line up with His character and will so that we may be who God wants us to be and do what God wants us to do.

Daniel

#305.2 - "Protection for the Eye"

"The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light." - Matthew 6:22
So if the eye is the lamp of the body, and if its position in the body puts it in a place where it affects everything else, then protecting it should be of great importance. I told you I was wearing my glasses the other day when the battery acid got in my eye (I wasn't really wearing them to protect my eyes; I was wearing them because I am pretty much blind without them, and therefore can't do anything without them). The glasses didn't help me that time, because there was just enough space on either side of them for that little granule of acid to make it past them and get into my eyeball. And that's exactly what happened.
How important it is that a Christian - part of the Body of Christ - protect their eyes! How important it is that a Christian parent/ grandparent/ teacher/ leader serve to help protect the eyes of children! We as fathers and grandfathers particularly have a charge to 'hold the line' of defense in homes. And that begins by watching what goes into our own eyes. We must guard ourselves against the influential attacks of evil in our bodies and thereby protect the very temple of God. We must work together, encouraging one another in the war that rages against our homes and families. We must be the people that God has called us to be by honoring Him with the decisions we make about what we view.

Daniel

#305.1 – “The Value of the Eye”

“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light.” – Matthew 6:22
This weekend, I needed to change out the battery in my riding lawnmower. As I was ratcheting the nut off of one of the posts in order to free the old battery so I could remove it, I inadvertently cast off a tiny chip – probably about the size of a grain of salt – of battery acid that had corroded and caked up around the post. When it dislodged, it flew up around my glasses into my right eye (one in a million shot, I tell ya). I thought to myself: ‘Man, I just got something in my…’ and about the time I got that much out, this intense burning sensation hit me. I immediately dropped my ratchet… took off my glasses… and ran to the bathroom to begin rinsing my eye in the sink there. I had Sarah call poison control for me. She talked to them for about three or four minutes while I continued rinsing the eye. After five minutes or so of rinsing, I began to feel some relief. I quit for a minute in order to dry my eye and see what I could see. I got a towel and blotted the eye and opened…
It was kind of like looking through an old window pane that hasn’t been cleaned in a long time; I could see everything okay, but it had a sort of film over it.
By this point, Sarah had finished talking with the lady at poison control, who told me to get in the shower and let the water run over that eye for thirty minutes… keeping the eye open as much as possible during that time. I did, and afterwards I blotted the eye and looked again…
This time, everything was much clearer – not perfect, but clearer. Within ten minutes of getting out of the shower, everything had cleared up completely and gone back to normal. Boy, was I relieved!
The eye is something that I typically take for granted. It just works like it’s supposed to, and I don’t give it a second thought. But for those thirty to forty minutes Saturday morning, I realized just how valuable it is!
I also tend to take people and relationships and hearts for granted. As long as everything is going like it should, I don’t think to be grateful for them. But that little episode made me see the importance of expressing gratitude to those I love.
Lord, help me to treasure the relationships I have here on earth and to seek to build new ones, that I may treasure them, too. Help me to cherish our relationship and to not take You for granted.

Daniel

#304.3 – “Helping Hands”

“And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the porters, every day his portion: and they sanctified holy things unto the Levites; and the Levites sanctified them unto the children of Aaron.” – Nehemiah 12:47
Last night, I decided to trim a few of the trees in our front yard (when they start whacking me on the head while I am cutting grass, I start cutting back some limbs!). I asked the boys if they wanted to help me (not really expecting that they would), and they did. To my surprise, they both came out and worked hard, helping me carry off the limbs I was cutting. After about an hour of work, they took a popsicle break, and I figured that was the end of my help. But not so. They ate their popsicles… rested and played a few short minutes… and then came right back and helped me some more until the job was finished (which took until dark). I was so proud that they were willing to work hard to help their dear ol’ dad!
Working together to complete a task makes that task so much more ‘do’able, not to mention more enjoyable. More hands and minds and feet and hearts put toward a common mission creates a certain joy and expectancy, and helps reduce the chance of fatigue and burn-out.
God created His Church, the Body of Christ, to function as a unit to carry out the Great Commission. Each individual church family is a microcosm representing that larger Body, wherein the work pertaining to that community is to be carried out by that local group of believers – working together to see God’s Kingdom increased and His people built up towards Christ. When we all focus on a common, Christ-oriented goal and work to help accomplish it, lives are changed and love is shown forth... work is minimized and joy is spread… God’s design is fulfilled and He is honored.

Daniel

#304.2 – “Building Bonds”

“And they said, Come, let us make a town, and a tower whose top will go up as high as heaven; and let us make a great name for ourselves, so that we may not be wanderers over the face of the earth.” – Genesis 11:4
After picking blackberries Monday morning, I was in need of a shower and cooling off. My Monday evening and Tuesday morning consisted primarily of playing with the kids. One of the things we worked on together was building some forts with Lincoln Logs. The set that my parents have includes some final stage pictures of several different forts you can build, with minimal instructions on how to achieve those. It’s just complicated enough that the kids still need and want my help in doing it. The boys especially can’t quite figure out how to get from nothing to the finished product, and so I come in and play construction worker/engineer and we get it built. I enjoy being needed in this role, as I am keenly aware that it won’t be long before they don’t need me for that (or anything, really).
So, for me, building forts is more than just erecting some play toys for the kids; it’s about strengthening the bonds I have with my children and establishing relationship as of primary importance. And I can only hope that they will one day see the value of relationship with me and Sarah when they don’t ‘need’ us for anything anymore.
Whenever the children of Israel became prosperous and rather self-sufficient, they tended to forget about the importance of relationship with their God. Whenever I find myself in similar circumstances, I do likewise.
God, I pray You would have mercy on me whenever I forget about You or push You to the side in favor of my own pleasure, when what You really want more than anything is to be with me and spend time with me and love on me and grow me toward You in a strong relationship. Help me to see the value in our time together and to make time for You regularly. Amen.

Daniel

#304.1 – “Pickin’ Patience”

“Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” – James 1:3-4
Our family spent Sunday night through Tuesday morning at my parent’s house. Monday morning, mom and I went out to pick some wild blackberries they have growing in their back yard. Picking any kind of berry is an exercise in patience, but most especially with a raspberry or blackberry, because you have to watch for the tiny thorns that will ‘get you’ as you are reaching in for the fruit. I took my time the other day, and am grateful to report that I only got ‘got’ a couple of times.
James said that trials produce patience… and that patience helps perfect what God does in the heart of the believer. Thorns may stick and sting us from time to time, but God will use even those things to make in us a Christ-like character that will honor Him and help others who follow us in the path of the thorns.

Daniel

#303.3 – “Friends, Part Two”

“He must increase, but I must decrease.” – John 3:30
One of those friends from college came up from Birmingham on Monday night just to see the old gang and visit with us. She and her husband were in the band together with us at Samford. Her husband and oldest son were unable to come, but she brought her two year old son with her… and it was uncanny how much he looked like his daddy. His hair was a different color, but everything else about that boy was daddy made over! Off and on throughout the whole evening, I would just look at him… in awe of what a carbon copy he was of his pop.
You and I who are Christians bear the identity of Christ everywhere we go. We show forth a representation (good or bad) of Him to everyone with whom we come in contact. They see Him when they look at us. Our goal ought to be that we do our best to show forth Him more and us less… that nothing we do draws any attention to ourselves but reflects the heart and nature and love of Christ in all we are.

Daniel