tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86923962450560795032023-11-15T08:08:51.143-08:00Vander's Thoughts Thinking Out Loud About God and LifeVanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306997472319955070noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692396245056079503.post-49019221416634731422019-08-08T13:05:00.000-07:002019-08-08T13:05:12.205-07:00Love Hate and Guns <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This past weekend was a sobering reminder to me about how broken our world is. I went to bed Saturday night saddened by the shootings in El Paso Texas, only to wake up Sunday morning angered by another shooting tragedy in Dayton Ohio. In 2019 alone there have been 17 mass shootings with 104 victims. We have a serious problem in our country. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The really sad part is that with each of these tragedies, a different type of unintended death is occurring in our country, our unity. Every time a mass shooting happens our first response is to try and figure out who or what is to blame. To some it’s a gun rights issue. To others it’s a violent video game dilemma. And to many it the failure of our politicians. Unfortunately with every occurrence we don’t come up with answers, but only increase the division that we have in our nation. This has to stop if we want the United States of America to stay united. The weapon that is really killing our country is hate not guns. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m not saying I have the solution, but If we are ever going to solve this problem, and all the others facing our great nation, it will be through our unity. Instead of fighting over this issue lets unite over it. Let’s find a common ground to stand on, rather than choosing a side to fire at. Let’s allow our love to guide us towards healing, instead of our frustration to move us further apart. Let’s offer a helping hand to those who are hurting, rather than shake our fists at those who think differently. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If our nation is ever going to move towards unity again, it will be because we choose to respond in love instead of hate. Love is more powerful than hate. It always has been and always will be. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person...I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never—I promise—regret it.” - Jesus (Luke 6)</span></span>Vanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306997472319955070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692396245056079503.post-19354399066181177282018-11-07T11:36:00.000-08:002018-11-07T11:36:01.835-08:00Life’s Best Adventure <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is my third instalment on my blog series “Discovering The Best You” based on the new Apple smartwatch commercial, from which I wondered if a smartwatch can really help you be a “better you”. Because the truth is there is a better you in you and God wants to help you discover it and live your best life possible. <br /><br />This is my third instalment on my blog series “Discovering The Best You” based on the new Apple smartwatch commercial, from which I wondered if a smartwatch can really help you be a “better you” Because the truth is there is a better you in you and God wants to help you discover it and live a better life. <br /><br />Let me start with a question, when was the last time you went on an adventure? I mean a real adventure where you decided to go somewhere and do something you have never experienced before. Like me it’s probably been awhile. Remember the days when you packed a brown bag lunch jumped on your bike and rode until you were by a river or on top of a hill? Why don’t we do that anymore?<br /><br />It seems that at some point in our lives we start playing it safe because we believe that going on adventure presents to much risk, or is too time consuming or costly. So we settle for safe patterns of existence and call it life. But remember what happened when we went on those adventures? I do. I experienced things that gave me a new perspective about life. <br /><br />I remember the first time I went camping. I thought I knew what stars looked like until I saw them from the top of a mountain. Amazing! I remember the first time I surfed a wave. I thought water was easy to control until I experienced its force. Exhilarating! I remember the first time went to another country. I thought I understood culture until I tasted a real taco. Delicious! I remember the first time I saw real poverty in a 3rd world country. I thought I knew compassion until I met a real need. Life Changing! <br /><br />Our lives were designed for adventure and not playing it safe. That’s why when we try and find the safe path through life, we miss the best that life has to offer us. To experience your best in life it’s time for life to become an adventure again. You can go on an adventure today to begin to discover the best you right now. You can put up a tent and sleep in the backyard tonight. You can buy a meal and go out and give it to someone who is hungry. You can cancel your vacation to that place you always go and go on a mission trip to experience life beyond yourself. It’s time to stop playing life so safe and start living the best adventure ever! <br /><br /><i>"That’s what I mean: Risk your life and get more than you ever dreamed of. Play it safe and end up holding the bag."</i>- Jesus </span><br /><div>
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Vanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306997472319955070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692396245056079503.post-7040848800672795552018-10-30T16:54:00.000-07:002018-10-30T17:00:31.482-07:00Create Something, Anything!<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Last week I started a blog series on ‘Discovering the Best You’ <a href="https://vandersthoughts.blogspot.com/2018/10/dumb-smartwatch.html">https://vandersthoughts.blogspot.com/2018/10/dumb-smartwatch.html</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">because I truly believe that God placed the best you in you and I believe He wants to help you to figure out how to get it out. I’ll start with the challenge to tap into your creative side, even if you don’t think you have a creative side, we all do. God created us in His image, which means we share His creative properties. Not that you or I could create our own universe (although we try to exist in our own sometimes), each and every one of us has a creative side because we were created by a creative God. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now when it comes to being creative we usually think of the arts, music, writing, and drawing and if you do those things already then you have already discovered the creator in you. But if your like me and the most creative thing you have ever drawn is a stick figure, then it’s good to know that creativity goes well beyond these things. For example, have you ever made the best mac-and-cheese ever? Or discovered a new way to fold your socks? Or forged a new path through your garage? Then you’ve tapped into your creativity. You really have. You’re using your creative side every time you create a better or new way to do anything. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The key is to discovering the power of creativity is to share your creativity. What good is creating something that doesn't benefit others? Could you imagine writing a song that no one ever hears or painting a masterpiece that no one ever sees? It’s only when we learn to create for the benefits of others then we get the full experience and expression of creativity. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So start looking at what you do in life as a creative process and get busy creating. Create a delicious meal and bring joy to your family. Create a appreciation letter to make someone feel better. Create a new process so your co-workers work more unified. Create an activity that gets students excited to learn. Create a photograph that remind others the simple beauty of life. Create a service to make someone's life easier. Create a ministry to make our world a better place. I don’t care what you create, just create something that benefits others and keep doing it and you’ll discover the best you in you. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">God created us to be the best we can be, so let the creator in you help create a better world to live in. <br /><br /><i>“In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.” </i>- Jesus </span></div>
Vanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306997472319955070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692396245056079503.post-76851894317063067052018-10-23T16:20:00.000-07:002018-10-30T16:59:37.312-07:00Dumb Smartwatch <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><br />I own a smartwatch that connects to my smartphone and it’s supposed to make my life <br />easier and more productive. I can track my eating, my exercise, and my sleep patterns. <br />I can reply to text and emails, and even set meetings. The problem is I feel dumber every <br />time I try and figure out how to do all that to make my life better. Because my watch is <br />smarter than me, I usually resort to just changing the watch face and wonder why it’s so <br />hard to make my life easier?<br /><br /><br />And then I see the new ad for the Apple Watch about the guy who keeps duplicating himself <br />and the ends with the tagline, “There’s a better you in you” (if you haven’t seen it here’s the <br />link: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms4yxJcvW3s">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms4yxJcvW3s</a>). <br /><br /><br /> It seems like all you have to do to discover the better you is to get a smartwatch. But is <br />a smartwatch really all we need to get out the best of whatever is in us? <br /><br />I want the best out of my life and my watch doesn't seem to be doing it for me. That’s why <br />I’m convinced we already have the ability to tap into the best that’s within us, by simply <br />seeking the one who put it in there in the first place. <br /><br /><br />I believe Paul thought the same thing when he wrote this to the Romans....</span><br />
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<i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your </i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an <br />offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t <br />become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, <br />fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what<br />he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. </i>- Romans 12:1-2<br /><br />I may not be as smart as my smartwatch, but I’ve discovered a smart way to discover the <br />best of me and it starts with God. I believe that at the soul level of each and every one of us <br />exists our best, so over the next few weeks I’m going to work on some new blogs to help you and I discover the best in us. In the meantime I leave you with the words of the modern <br />poet and prophet Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters to ponder... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />“Has someone taken your faith? It’s real, the pain you feel. You trust, you must confess. <br />Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?” </span></div>
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Vanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306997472319955070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692396245056079503.post-58190516640212271592018-04-04T16:38:00.001-07:002018-04-04T16:51:23.683-07:00The Calendar Cure <div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: orange; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I don’t know about you, but my calendar can get full really quick. A meeting here, a lunch </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: orange; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">there and then throw in a few interruptions and next thing you know I didn't accomplish </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: orange; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">anything I needed too. Then I get so busy I need to start rearranging my appointments </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: orange; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">and schedule and then things get really crazy. That’s why we’ve all heard that if we don’t </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: orange; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">tell our calendars what to do, they’ll tell us what to do. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: orange; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">In fact the only time I like my calendar telling me what to do is when it comes to weekends </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: orange; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">and Holidays. I have noooo problem with my calendar telling me to take a day off. It's almost </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: orange; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">like calendars are programmed by the manufacturer to tell us to do what’s best for </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: orange; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">us. I mean we can always fill our calendars with what’s most important to us, but our </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: orange; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">calendar tells us what’s most important in life. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: orange; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Take weekends for example. We all know how vital rest is to our lives, so as bad as </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: orange; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Mondays are, without our calendars reminding us to take weekends off, we would </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: orange; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">really hate Mondays. Then there are holidays. Give me a day off to drink a green beer, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: orange; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">eat a stuffed bird, or an egg shaped piece of chocolate and I’m in. However, holidays </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: orange; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">aren’t just for eating and doing things we normally don’t, holidays are for remembering. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: orange; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">When we observe a holiday it’s about remembering important moments in history that </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: orange; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">shaped our world, our culture, and our faith. Our calendars tell us what matters most. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: orange; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The fact that our calendars remind us that we are in the year 2018 is measured by the </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: orange; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">most important person in human history who walked the earth some 2018 years ago. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: orange; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The reason we still remember this today is because of, you guessed it, our calendars. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: orange; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">If you think about it, Jesus changed time and wants to change the way we think about our </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: orange; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: orange; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Just like our calendars remind us what’s most important, maybe it’s time to realize </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: orange; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">how important time with Him is. </span></div>
<br />Vanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306997472319955070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692396245056079503.post-70997051335563813752018-03-14T16:13:00.001-07:002018-03-14T16:13:43.937-07:00Restless Sleep <div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: orange;">I’ve been thinking a lot about sleep lately. Maybe it’s been the time change and how just changing our clocks leaves me feeling like I’m missing out on the sleep I need. I know changing our clocks only makes everything an hour earlier, but it feels like I pulled an all-nighter when it’s time to wake up. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like feeling tired. Sometimes I wish I were back in kindergarten and I had nap time every afternoon because life sometimes just makes us tired. It doesn’t matter it it’s caused by changing the clock, or too much on my mind, or too much to do, or too much netflix binging, feeling tired and exhausted makes for a bad day. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: orange;">Maybe that’s why God tells us to make sure rest is part of doing life with Him. I’m discovering that being rested doesn't come from a good nap or a good night's sleep, rest comes from learning to do life with Jesus. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” - </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jesus </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: orange;">Maybe it’s time to wake up and get some real rest in our lives. </span></span></div>
Vanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306997472319955070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692396245056079503.post-61342153877868903702016-05-23T16:45:00.000-07:002016-05-23T17:05:22.298-07:00Dirt <div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[In memory of Geraldine Vander Dussen]</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-e35e8610-e014-0a0a-97c2-aeabcc017827" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My mom loved dirt. Now let me be clear, my mom didn’t like dirt in the house because dirt inside a Dutch home is a really bad thing. Growing up you never wanted to hear mom ask, “who tracked dirt in here?” because you knew you were trouble if you were the one who got dirt in the house. But my mom loved the dirt that she worked with.</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dirt was a sanctuary for my mom and that is where she taught me to love it too. She taught me to work in it in the cool of the morning when the dirt released it’s warmth into my hands. She taught me to turn the dirt and to make sure it always was prepared to enrich whatever was planted in it. She taught me to water and moisten dirt regularly so that roots could grow deep and plants could grow strong. And the most important aspect of dirt was to keep it weed free, because weeds rob other plants of life. My mom loved dirt because she discovered the beauty that emerges from dirt in the form of a flower or the flavors of vegetables, even the shade a tree provides is only possible because of dirt. Mom loved dirt because she loved God.</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">God loves dirt too. Dirt is the foundation of life. God used dirt to form us out of His great creation. God wants to enrich our lives with His presence. God instructs us to keep our lives saturated with His words to grow us deep and strong. God reminds us to keep our lives free from the weeds that rob us all of life. And when we love dirt like He does and the way mom did, we see the beauty and brilliance of life the way God intended us to live it. </span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That’s why Mom was the perfect reflection of a life that loved dirt. She radiated the love and compassion of Christ through all that she did. She brought a fragrance and a radiance into this world because of her love for God. A fragrance and life that will be deeply missed, but will resonate through the lives she touched with her love. And because mom let Christ take care of the dirt that she “tracked” into her life, she is planted firmly in the soil of eternity. And for that reason l too love dirt, it gives me great hope for today and for all eternity.</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I hope you learn to love dirt like my mom taught me to love dirt.</span></div>
Vanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306997472319955070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692396245056079503.post-55238812902066340192015-06-23T17:02:00.004-07:002015-06-23T17:02:22.091-07:00Zombies <div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">I knew I shouldn't have done it, but I did and then I couldn’t stop. My son Chad was just starting an episode of The Walking Dead and I sat for “just a minute” while I finished my sandwich. The sandwich was good, but the show was better and the next thing I knew I was hooked watching the potential affects of a Zombie Apocalypse. Since then I have Netflixed all the way through Season 3 and feel like I'm becoming a Zombie trying to cram in one more episode before I go to bed.</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-495e31f6-22d2-b12f-db4d-45ef87a30707" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The big question I have been pondering is, what's the draw? I mean why am I so compelled to watch humans fighting for their lives against Zombies and against other humans who don't want to become Zombies themselves? Frankly I'm not entertained by the gruesome realities of flesh eating Zombies (although there are some pretty cool scenes). What I have discovered that's drawing me into the story are people fighting for a reason to have hope in a hopeless world. Every episode is a discovery of what happens when people come together in a community that embraces life. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">It reminds me of story told long ago about a people who lived in a perfect world in perfect community until something went horribly wrong. It became infected with the sin virus and that virus brought death. The virus brought death even while they were living due to the corruption of all that was good. There was a way to avoid the corruption of the virus by relying on a the work of a selfless Man, who gave up His life so that they could live. These people still exist today and gather in community regularly to escape the “Zombie” effect by remembering the work of the selfless Man and learning to live more like Him. And the more they all learn to live this way, the more their hope increases in spite of the devastation around them. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Sound familiar? </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” - Ephesians 5:14</span></span></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">But we all know that Zombies aren’t real, right? </span></span>Vanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306997472319955070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692396245056079503.post-72856624081028669932014-08-21T13:35:00.000-07:002014-08-21T14:28:41.610-07:00Different <span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People are just different. The more I engage people the more I realize this obvious truth. We all live and interact with all sorts of people who are different from us and different from each other. Whether its their race, their culture, their wiring, their opinions, their passions or if they like their coffee iced or brewed, these things make us unique and at the same time can set us against each other. <br /><br />I can’t help but notice in the news what these difference are causing to happen in our world. The Gaza conflict, the persecutions in Iraq, even the recent riots in Ferguson are evidence that the world is not handling these differences very well. The problem seems a world away until it hits home. And when it actually affects our life, that’s when it really hits home. <br /><br />Not too long ago I pulled up on an accident scene that just happened. I pulled over to make sure everyone was alright and next thing I know I’m being accused of being a racist just because I have a shaved head. I think I’m starting to understand the depths and the challenge behind Rodney King’s infamous words, “Why can’t we all just get along?”<br /><br />I believe when we focus on the differences in each other is sets us against each other, but when we do our best to embrace and understand the differences, that’s when we begin to work through them. If we always expect people to be just like us, no matter what we are dealing with, we are setting ourselves up for frustration. It could be as simple as disagreeing on which restaurant to eat at or as difficult as deciding a strategic direction for an organization, embracing our differences is the starting point to changing our world. <br /><br />Even Jesus never forced anyone to change, but by embracing people in spite of their differences, He gave them a reason to change. That’s why He is the great example for all of us to “just get along” and change our world. <br /><br />So let me challenge you, like I am challenged every day, to embrace those who are different than you and give them a reason to change themselves. Imagine if the whole world started to do this, what would the news talk about? </span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: orange; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female,for you are all one in Christ Jesus. - Galatians 3:28</i></span>Vanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306997472319955070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692396245056079503.post-55509060637779388792014-02-20T14:54:00.003-08:002014-08-21T14:40:09.267-07:00Regrettable <div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last weekend I had the opportunity to visit my daughter
Nicole at her college. While there she asked if I could help her with a project
and go with her to interview some homeless people. At first I don’t want to too
and I didn't want her to either, but I realized this was something God had laid
on her heart to do, so of course I gave in. I’m not even sure if it is PC anymore
to call people who live on the streets homeless, but that’s where they were at
so that’s where we went. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nicole offered them some water to break the ice and then
asked them if she could ask them a few questions about their current situation.
She had a series of questions to ask
them in regards to how they got to this position in their life, but the kicker
questions was asked at the end. She asked each of them if they had any regrets
in their lives. Talk about a dangerous question! One would almost expect it to induce
denial, anger, or both. Each time she came to that question I was ready to grab
Nicole’s arm and run her off to safety just in case, but I was surprised by the
sadness that this question evoked. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I distinctly remember two gentlemen’s answers that really
impacted me. They first was from David who found himself homeless after being
laid off a number of times and just gave up trying. His regret was never
pursuing becoming a pilot. He had always loved airplanes and never did anything
about it. You could see the sadness in his face as he thought of what could
have been. The other response, which was the most emotional, was from Clark. Clark
had been hardened by the streets. He had a college education and at one point
had a really good career, so it really wasn't clear why Clark made a decision to
drop out of society until he answered the regret question. He simply said, “I
wish I would have never left my wife.” Not only did his response evoke sadness
in him, but I felt overwhelming compassion like never before for a person on
the streets. <o:p></o:p><span style="line-height: 115%;">An abandoned
dream and an abandoned relationship had left both of these men broken. </span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m sure we have all done things in our lives that we regret,
things that we wish would have done differently or wouldn't have done at all, but
we don’t have to live with regret. Regret stops the moment we do something about
it. If you don’t your regret with get the best of you. God wants to help us
overcome our regrets and get on with the best life possible. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>“But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets and end up on a deathbed of regrets.” – 2 Corinthians 7:10</i></span><div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you have a dream? What are you doing to pursue it? Do you
have a hurt in your life? What are doing to heal it? Move on your idea. Pursue
your dream. Say you’re sorry. Rebuild the relationship. Don’t wake up one day
with a life filled with regret because regret is a painful place to lay your
head every day.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe it’s time to stop tucking regret in with you every night
when you go to bed. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
Vanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306997472319955070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692396245056079503.post-78639451320578043162014-01-13T17:24:00.001-08:002014-01-13T17:24:29.631-08:00Regret<div class="MsoNormal">
While on my way to work recently I had the car behind me uncomfortably
close to my rear bumper. Some call it tail-gating some call bumper-riding all I
know is its annoying. I don’t know why this guy had to drive so close to me but
for some reason that I can’t explain, the closer he got to me the slower my car
seemed to go. It’s almost like I purposely (unconsciously of course) lifted my
foot off the accelerator. Regardless, what happened was that I found myself
looking out my review mirror more than my front windshield. Because of this I made
a discovery, that looking back is one of the most dangerous things we can do
when we are moving forward. While looking behind me I almost rear-ended the car
in front of me!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Makes me think about why what has happened in our past, so often, has
such a profound effect on our future. Maybe it’s because we start thinking so
much about our past that we fail to see what we have to look forward to. Sure we
have all had things that have happened in our life that we regret, but what
good does it do us when we are always thinking backward. The best moments of my
life had nothing to do with my past, but had everything to do with recognizing
the moment I was in and taking it for what is was. Maybe it’s time for the past
to be just that, the past and embrace the future that God has provided for each
of us through His grace. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Next time your past keeps you from focusing forward, try and remember
what Jesus says about the life that God calls us to look forward to everyday….<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Jesus said, “No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t
put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.”</span> – Luke 9:62</i><i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Vanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306997472319955070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692396245056079503.post-74992626387050555402013-07-25T14:33:00.001-07:002013-07-25T14:50:04.724-07:00LIVEHONEST <div class="MsoNormal">
In light of the latest sports scandal involving Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED’s) and cheating, I am compelled to write something that was on my heart since discovering Lance Armstrong had cheated his way to 7 Tour De France titles. The other day as I was watching Sportscenter and it was announced that Major League Baseball’s 2011 MVP Ryan Braun was suspended for using illegal PED’s I was crushed. Here is a guy who last year you rooted for as he defended his innocence and assured baseball fans everywhere that he was wrongly accused, only to discover that a year later he was only out to protect himself and hide behind someone else’s supposed ineptness. Now here he stands, just like Lance Armstrong, exposed and left to excuse his behavior and ask for our forgiveness. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This world will always be filled with people who make mistakes, fall short, and do stupid things, but I’m a little tired of people who won’t own-up to them. I know I've made my share of mistakes, missteps, and messes and I’m quite sure I’m not finished. I can even understand someone trying to find an edge and unintentionally crossing the line and even getting caught up in it and not being sure how to get out of it, but when you’re called out on it, be honest. Come clean. Be straight-up. And in borrowing and tweaking a term that Lance Armstrong made famous, LIVEHONEST. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The strongest people in the world aren't those who never mess up, the strongest and best in the world are those who shoulder the truth no matter how difficult. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Proverbs 10:9 - <span class="text"><i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Honesty lives confident and carefree,</span></i></span><i> <span class="text"><span style="background: white;">but Shifty is sure to be exposed.</span><o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<i><span class="text"><span style="background: white;"><br /></span></span></i>
<i><span class="text"><span style="background: white;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
Vanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306997472319955070noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692396245056079503.post-22358774203296894282013-06-17T17:33:00.000-07:002013-06-17T17:33:02.450-07:00Crowds <div class="MsoNormal">
Recently I was hoping to grab a quick bite to eat at one of
my favorite restaurants, but when I got there the line was out the door. I was disappointed
by the crowd there because I didn't have time to wait and eat my favorite tacos.
At the same time it affirmed in me that I wasn't the only one who thought highly
of those tacos.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Crowds are interesting. When we see a crowd we avoid them,
but at the same time crowds draw our attention to things we weren't aware of
before. So in that sense, we both avoid crowds and follow the crowd at the same time.
What a paradox. If it wasn't for crowds I probably wouldn't know as much about
this world as I would have without them, so crowds aren't all bad. But then
again crowds can be anything but good. When the crowd makes us do things we wouldn't
normally do, that’s bad. And when the crowd makes us lose our individual
identity, that’s bad as well. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To crowd or not to crowd? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jesus dealt with crowds a lot. During His ministry as He had
more and more impact in this world, He always drew a crowd, which in turn
created bigger crowds. And because of that, the crowd became both a good thing
and a bad thing at the same time. If it weren't for the crowd a lot of
individuals would have missed hearing the good news, but at the same time if it
weren't for the crowd a lot of individuals would have been able to hear His
message of hope. Another paradox! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Crowds contain two types of people, those who are there because
they like what happening and those who are there because they just like being a
part of it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
When it comes to His crowd, which one are you? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Vanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306997472319955070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692396245056079503.post-51147515969328521142013-04-15T15:19:00.000-07:002013-04-15T15:19:26.814-07:00Country Music <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
When it comes to music I have always appreciated all types
of music. Of course I can never get enough of my 80’s and I’m always up for some 90’s
Hair bands, but for the most part I like all types of music. However, when it
came to country music I have to admit that I used to make fun of it. When I listened
to it, the girls always sounded pretty, but the guys sounded dumb. The words seemed
to be a mixture of the blues and punk, sort of an “I-lost-my-dog-so-I-drank-some-beer-and-shot-my-gun” philosophy of life. In fact I used to say that if you spelled country
backwards it starts with a “Y” (why?). But
lately something has changed and I’ve really been enjoying country music and I think
I know why. In fact there are a few things I’ve come to love about country music.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First, I’ve come to realize how authentic country music is. Country
music isn’t trying to be something it’s not. It’s not trying to change from one
generation to the next or trying to come up with a progressive way to be
country. Country music is what country music has always been, music from the
heart of America expressing the true realities of life and how we deal with them.
As far as I am concerned, country music is the real deal when it comes to my
view on the way things work in this world. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Next, I’ve come to appreciate the way country music
expresses its love for life. From pickup trucks to pickup lines and hunting
with our dogs to hanging with our friends, country music has a unique way of expressing
the essence of the love of life. Love is
what we were created to do and the more I listen to country music I find it
easier and easier to express this myself. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And finally, even king David liked country music because I’m
pretty sure Psalm 57 is a country song: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>“I’m thanking you, God,
out loud in the streets, <u>singing your praises in town and country</u>. The
deeper your love, the higher it goes; every cloud is a flag to your
faithfulness.” <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When you take the authenticity of country music and the way
it expresses the love of life, I believe you get pretty close to what the
gospel is all about. A never changing God who loved us so much that he came
down to express to us an authentic love to help us understand what life is
truly all about. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ll leave you with words of Eric Church “We need a country
music Jesus to come and save us all”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yeehah and Amen! <o:p></o:p></div>
Vanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306997472319955070noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692396245056079503.post-10799346648263052182013-01-08T21:41:00.003-08:002013-01-08T21:41:55.170-08:00StuckThis past week I spent a week in a cabin with my family in
Lake Tahoe to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s. We had great weather and tons
of snow to build some great memories. I know rough life right? But
snowboarding, snowmobiling, and snowball fights can really have their effect on
a 45 year old body. On the last morning we were there, it snowed about 6
inches, enough to cover everything with the fascinating frozen white crystal.
Nothing else can make your life more enjoyable or more miserable depending on
what you are doing.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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The cabin we were staying in was situated next to a road
with a pretty good incline. It was steep enough that cars without all-wheel
drive having a difficult time navigating up it. Then, as the snow increased
some cars with chains couldn't even make it up, so as one car after another
failed to climb the hill, the cars without chains helplessly pulled along onto
the side of the road. At one point I think there were about 10 cars stuck just
sitting there watching. Finally one guy without chains came driving by and to
everyone’s astonishment, drove right up the hill. When everyone saw this, the
cars without chains made a go if it and made it up as well. Pretty soon
everyone one was removing their chains and heading up the hill and out of
sight. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Observing this really flew in the face of reason because
chains are supposed to help us, not hinder us. The sad truth is the same can be
said of religion. The world has fallen into a belief that religion is good, but
unfortunately religion is nothing more than a system of behavior based on rules
and regulations that has caused a lot of people to be stuck in life. God isn't into telling us how to live our lives; He is about being part of our lives. The
rules and regulations of religion just keep us from experiencing the freedom
that comes from God alone because rules make us believe there is a spiritual
formula for life, but there isn't There is no formula for grace, it just doesn't make sense, but it works. I've learned that God’s grace offers me the
freedom from the chains of a religious system and empowers me to experience a
life of love for others. People get
stuck in religion, but freedom is found in a relationship in Christ. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I love what the wisdom of Colossians says: <i>So, then, if with Christ you've put all that
pretentious and infantile religion behind you, why do you let yourselves be
bullied by it? “Don’t touch this! Don’t taste that! Don’t go near this!” Do you
think things that are here today and gone tomorrow are worth that kind of
attention? Such things sound impressive if said in a deep enough voice. They
even give the illusion of being pious and humble and ascetic. But they’re just
another way of showing off, making yourselves look important. So if you’re
serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like
it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to
the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be
alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things
from his perspective.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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Are you sick of being stuck and spinning your wheels in
life? It’s time to remove the chains of rules and live a life of freedom to love
like Christ calls us all too. That’s the
only way you will ever see His perspective. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Happy New Year! <o:p></o:p></div>
Vanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306997472319955070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692396245056079503.post-2585397217463503612012-12-13T17:08:00.002-08:002012-12-13T17:14:38.766-08:00Carpet So far I've already gone to my third Christmas party and I still
have two on my calendar. If there was ever a virus for White Elephant disease I
think I got it. Although I really do think I’m going to enjoy using the Mr. Potato
Head Potato peeler I got. <br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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A very inspiring thing that happened in the midst of one of
those parties was what my friend said in the middle of hosting one at her home.
We were serving dinner and a spill occurred when she embarrassingly said
something to the effect of, “Oh well just another stain on our wonderful carpet”.
This of course made me look at down and, sad to say, I couldn't disagree with
her. Her carpet was thrashed! <o:p></o:p></div>
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Now hear me out before you think I’m some mean spirited carpet
snob. The “wonderful” thing about her thrashed carpet was it told a story. A
story about what happens in her home. You see my friend is incredibly gracious
and is always opening up her home to others. I would have to say that I've probably been over her house more than any other in my two years up here in the
Northern California. And every stain, ever spill, and every unique color that isn't supposed to be part of her tan carpet is another chapter in how God uses her to
show others what an open home is supposed to be. <o:p></o:p></div>
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One of my favorite pictures of the early church is from Acts
2 where it talks about what happened in the homes of those who followed God: <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>“<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">They followed a daily discipline of
worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration,
exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they
saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved.</span>”
Acts 2”45-47 (The Message) <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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As I read this verse and remember my friend’s carpet, I can’t
help but realize how God desires to use our homes to further His church. What an awesome privilege.
What an awesome responsibility. What “wonderful” stains on our carpet! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So before ask for new carpet this Christmas or complain
about the fresh hot chocolate stain that happened last night, let’s celebrate
that God wants to use our homes to bring the joy of Christmas into our world. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Merry Christmas! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
Vanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306997472319955070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692396245056079503.post-78015906128789506002012-10-18T15:45:00.005-07:002012-10-18T15:45:45.246-07:00The Heart I found myself at my favorite burger place, Five Guys, yesterday
for an awesome bacon jalapeno cheeseburger and their amazing fries, when something
tragic occurred. I saw this gentleman stand up from his table and then immediately
crash to the floor. I jumped from my chair to assist him, as did many others in
the restaurant. Someone shouted out to call 911, so I reached for my phone,
dialed, and found myself instantly speaking to an emergency dispatcher. After
giving them the address and a brief description of what happened, I went back
into the restaurant to see a motionless man lying on the floor with his wife
laying over him trying to give him any type of comfort and everyone else standing
there helpless. I was compelled to reach out to her and offered the only thing I
could in that moment, prayer. I asked her if I could pray and she immediately
shouted her affirmation. It was in that moment that I called upon to the Great
Physician and His intervention.<br />
<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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As I laid my hand on the fallen man, however, I could feel that
his life was no longer in his hand, it was cold. I remember the feelings of inadequacy
in that moment as I kneeled there with this women and her husband and all I could
do was plead for God’s involvement and His peace. As I prayed out loud I could sense others in
the room joining me and it was confirmed when I heard a collective Amen when I was
finished. Within moments the paramedics where in the room and immediately went
to work on this man’s heart which I found out later had been stopped for at
least 5 minutes. They were able to regain a heartbeat with the defibrillator
and whisked him off to the Emergency Room for the fight of his life. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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In the aftermath I was able to speak to a few people about the
precious nature of life and the need to be right with God, but by the time I got
back to my lunch it was cold and soggy and not very appetizing for a number of
reasons. The manager let me know he appreciated my efforts and told me to come back
for lunch on him whenever I wanted. As I made my way to the soda fountain for a
quick refill, I was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion and completely lost it. I
was shocked. I mean I have been doing this pastor thing for over 17 years and
the many funerals and countless hospital visits had never done this to me
before. Why was my heart so burdened in this moment like never before? <o:p></o:p></div>
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It really makes you ponder the condition of your physical heart when
you experience something like that. However, the most important condition of
our hearts is the one Jesus mentions in Matthew 22,<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">“‘You must love
the L</span></span><span class="small-caps"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-variant: small-caps;">ord</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">your God
with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’</span></span><span class="woj"><b><sup value="[<a href="#fen-NLT-23884e" title="See footnote e">e</a>]"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 8pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></sup></b></span><span class="woj"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">This is the first and greatest commandment.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> </span></span></i><span class="woj"><i>A second is equally important: ‘Love your
neighbor as yourself.’"</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="woj"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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The true condition of our heart is measured in our love for God,
for others and ourselves. It all goes hand in hand. What good is a physically healthy
heart if the true condition of our heart is corrupted with a lack of love? What
I experienced yesterday was a culmination of what I believe Jesus was
expressing. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Our hearts need to be primarily focused on our love for God and
need for Him in our lives. He is our true heartbeat and source of life. We then
to need to be sharing that love with others by the way we share our lives. And finally,
we need to love ourselves by caring for the physical bodies He has given us to
glorify Him as long as possible in this life. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I hope your heart is in the best condition possible and you are
seeking His love, sharing His love and allowing Him to love you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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By the way, I made sure to go an extra mile on the Elliptical for
my workout this morning and I’m also not sure when I’ll be up to consuming one
of those burgers again.<o:p></o:p></div>
Vanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306997472319955070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692396245056079503.post-39410590195056397632012-10-15T17:29:00.000-07:002012-10-15T17:31:57.341-07:00Shortcuts <span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I’m not sure how you define a
shortcut, but for me it’s a way to get somewhere faster. It </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">doesn't</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> necessarily
have to be shorter, but if I can get where I want to be quicker, then I’m all for
finding a shortcut. There are all kinds of short cuts in life. Like skipping
the freeway at rush hour to take surface streets or taking a diet pill to raise
your metabolism to lose weight faster (if that even really works). I even look
for the shortest checkout lines to get into even if that means cutting off someone
who has been there longer. We all do that right? Man, I hope I’m not the only
one who does this because then I’m a chump! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">But have you ever thought about the
cost of shortcuts? Sure they help us get to where we want to be quicker, but we
may be missing an opportunity to grow in the process. We often speak of life
with God as a journey and on this journey there are lots of choices we get to
make. Many of those choices have to do with choosing the quickest path or the
most beneficial path, and all too often they </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">aren't</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> the same. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let’s say you need to develop patience,
do you think it’s wise to always look for the quickest path or to start practicing
waiting? What if you want to develop temperance, do you think it’s better to treat
yourself to whatever makes you feel better or begin to practice saving or self-care?
I think we could ably this process to all of our struggles like anger, stress
and even envy. Shortcuts don’t just cut off time they can cut into our very life.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">“Don’t
look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing
formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t
fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to
God!—is vigorous and requires total attention.</span>” Matthew 7:13-14 (Message)
</i><span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next time you’re
tempted to take a short cut, first ask yourself what you might learn if you
choose to work through it and then see how God develops and grows you because
of it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don’t sell
yourself short with shortcuts. </span><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Vanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306997472319955070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692396245056079503.post-78203562160341258772012-08-09T17:19:00.002-07:002012-08-09T17:25:11.099-07:00Highlights<br />
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I’m a pretty avid Sportscenter guy. I probably don’t go a
day without at least watching a portion of it to catch up on the world of
sports. Because there is something about seeing the Top 10 highlights everyday
that are highly entertaining, but unfortunately also make me feel pretty
inadequate. Which gets me to the point of my thought. Why is it that when a
draft is about to happen or a team has traded someone, we only see the
highlights and not the ‘low’lights or at least the ‘real’lights? In the NBA a player
has a good night when a he shoots 43%. That means he missed 57% of his shots,
but we don’t see those. And in baseball, a hitter is considered great when he
goes .350, meaning he got a hit 3.5 times for every 10 at bats. Well what about
the 6.5 outs he got? Boy I wish I was measured on the same scale in life. I
mean how great it would be if no one ever remembered the times I said something
stupid, or forgot to gargle, or worse yet wore my shirt inside out. </div>
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But that’s what so great about God’s grace. Because of what
Jesus did for us on the cross, grace is like a highlight reel in our life.
Because of Jesus, our sin, shortcomings, mistakes, blemishes, stains, wrinkles,
flaws, and everything else that keeps us imperfect is forgiven. Meaning God doesn’t
see it anymore. </div>
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<i>"Their sins and lawless acts I remember no more." - Hebrews 10:7 </i></div>
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When the cross and your life collide, it’s called
Gracecenter. Let the highlights begin. </div>
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Dun-na-na Dun-na-na! </div>Vanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306997472319955070noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692396245056079503.post-15908577778048157202012-07-10T17:22:00.000-07:002012-07-10T17:25:03.845-07:00GuestsRecently our home has felt a little like a hotel. Maybe it’s the price of travel or that we live in a pretty great area of California, but we have had the privilege and pain of hosting many of our friends as guests in our home this summer. Hey don’t get me wrong, I love having people over, but it’s nice to finally have our home back to ourselves and finally no one is eating all of my Pop Tarts. I have come to realize is that even though guests are fun to have over, guests are also a lot of work. I’m sure we have all said, “make yourself at home” at one time or another to the guests that come to our home and to a certain extent we mean it, but to another extent we don’t really think they’ll take you up on it. I mean we just say it to be nice right? I think I did more dish washing and shut off more lights in the past two weeks then I have all year.<br />
<br />
I love the story Jesus tells when he compares being a guest in someone’s home to life with God.<br />
<i><br /></i><br />
<i>"When someone invites you to dinner, don't take the place of honor. Somebody more important than you might have been invited by the host. Then he'll come and call out in front of everybody, 'You're in the wrong place. The place of honor belongs to this man.' Red-faced, you'll have to make your way to the very last table, the only place left. When you're invited to dinner, go and sit at the last place. Then when the host comes he may very well say, 'Friend, come up to the front.' That will give the dinner guests something to talk about! What I'm saying is, if you walk around with your nose in the air, you're going to end up flat on your face. But if you're content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself."</i><br />
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Being a guest is a privilege, but being invited is an honor. I hope I can remember that when I go to someone’s home, but also every day that I realize that I am a guest to experience life. God has invited us to honor Him with our lives and to live everyday remembering Him. When we place ourselves first before everyone else, we will only experience temporary recognition and comfort in life and eventually embarrassment when we are exposed for who we really are. However, when we place others first we can experience the real thrill of having God promote us in life. I haven’t got this totally figured out yet, but I’m working on being a good guest every day.<br />
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In the meantime come on over, just remember to eventually leave.Vanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306997472319955070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692396245056079503.post-77907716735318963012012-04-19T11:06:00.000-07:002012-04-19T11:06:16.766-07:00DreamsThe dreams that I have while I sleep are often strange entertainment. Rarely do they make any sense and they often make me wonder what the heck is going on inside my head. I’ve had dreams of flying, dreams where I couldn’t pedal a bike, and my least-favorite-of-all-dreams where I am reliving a job from my past and I’m in trouble because I forgot to do something. When I wake up I simply have to remind myself that it was just a dream and I’m not really going to get fired. Then there are those dreams that we remembered we had, but we can’t remember what they’re about. Often all I really remember are the emotions I had while I was dreaming. <br />
<br />
Experts say that dreams or our minds way of reshuffling our stored information and memories to allow us to make room for more. Which makes perfect sense and even gives me some peace about the randomness of my dreams, but then there are those dreams that are incredibly vivid and detailed. You know exactly who is in them and exactly where you are at. And I have to wonder if there isn’t something more going on in that moment of thought within my grey matter. Like something profoundly spiritual is happening. <br />
<br />
The bible is filled with references to dreams being a method of how God got someone’s attention and motivated them to act or respond. We see them in both the old and new testaments and because of the response to those dreams lives were changed and God’s purposes were realized. If this is the case, then I think the dreams that have that deeper affect on us should cause us to not just sit up in bed, but to motivate us to live differently. <br />
<br />
We often refer to the hopes and aspirations of a person as their dreams. And at the same time we know that we don’t control the dreams we have while sleeping, but God can and does speak into some of them. Therefore, I believe that the dreams that come from God are all about the things He desires us to know and realize. God inspired dreams can be about what burden’s Him or what concerns Him, all to draw attention to His plan and will. Some dreams are a portal into the heart of God. <br />
<br />
<i>“And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.” – Joel 2:28-19</i> <br />
<br />
So what are we supposed to do when we have these types of dreams? Respond. Don’t just dismiss them as random, purposeless, memory shuffling synapses. Pray for understanding, reach out to those who you dreamt about, and go with what you think God wants you to do. In this way our dreams can have the profound affect God intends for them. <br />
<br />
And I’m one of those people that doesn’t even dream in color! What’s up with that!Vanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306997472319955070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692396245056079503.post-49519725852720956522012-01-23T17:53:00.000-08:002012-01-23T17:53:00.335-08:00Right or Just Wrong?I am reading the book by David Kinnaman, You Lost Me, about the reason why many young Christians are leaving the church and it’s having a sobering affect on me. I’m convinced more than ever that God is good, Jesus loves us, and the church has to do a better job of living out the gospel. <br />
<br />
What particularly struck me today in my reading was a story that David tells about his friend Luke who works at a local coffee shop that he frequents. It seems that a man comes into the coffee shop everyday and regularly buys a small coffee and then always asks for an extra large cup as well. He then proceeds to put cream and sugar in his small coffee and then fills the extra large cup with 2% milk. After watching this man do this a number of times, Luke informed him that the next time he came in he would have to charge him for the cup if he continued to fill it with milk. The man became so upset that he complained to the manager and in the end the result was that Luke was written up for “failing to leave the customer with a positive experience”. <br />
<br />
Say what? When I read this story my jaw literally dropped with astonishment. I get it, value the customer, apologize for upsetting him, and give him a pleasant experience, but how can someone be written up for doing what is easily seen as the moral thing? What about saying, “Way to go Luke thanks for looking out for the best interest of the company” and rewarding him. When did our value system as a society change to depend more on the outcome of the situation rather than our own rights? <br />
<br />
I guess why this hijacks my emotions a bit isn’t because I’m worried if I’m going to eventually get busted for putting too much cream in my coffee, but more about how this reality will continually erode our world. What this begins to tell the next generation is that it is wrong to stand up for what they believe and it’s wrong to make a determination about someone else’s situation and react to it. I wouldn’t be the person I am today if someone hadn’t stood up to me and questioned my behavior. I owe my very life and soul to someone who didn’t even know me, but spoke to me about what they saw wrong with my life. <br />
<br />
In our society there has to be a standard to operate on to make us strive to achieve something greater and something more profound and useful than doing what we want. God set the standard for us and the more we know Him the more we live by His standards. <br />
<br />
<i>It is not what you and I do... It is what God is doing, and he is creating something totally new, a free life! All who walk by this standard are the true Israel of God—his chosen people. Peace and mercy on them!</i> – Galatians 6:16 (The Message) <br />
<br />
Have the courage to stand up for what you believe and help others see the standard that God set for us to live up to.Vanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306997472319955070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692396245056079503.post-72989280538215454382011-12-21T15:00:00.000-08:002011-12-21T15:31:49.959-08:00Man-madeI just got back from a great time In Lake Tahoe with my entire family to celebrate Christmas. It was a week early, but the busy lives we live and the miles that separate us all, cause us to work our schedules out this way. Unfortunately we were planning for a little more White Christmas than we got, but we made the best of it and created many great memories for years to come. <br />
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One of the plans we had was for all of us to going skiing or snowboarding, but the only option at the slopes was Man-made snow. You can choose your side on this debate, but once snow is packed I really can’t tell the difference and after a day of snowboarding neither can my quadriceps. Don’t get me wrong, nothing compares to fresh powder brought down from the heavens and shredding it on a snowboard (Sorry skiers I jumped onto one board years ago and I’m not going back anytime soon). However, this gets me to the point about the Christmas season that we are all celebrating today because there are two realities at Christmas, the Man-made and the Heavenly. <br />
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The true meaning of Christmas came down from heaven in the form of the incarnate baby Jesus Christ. He lived the perfect life to show us what life with the Father can truly be like. And then gave up his life to allow us the privilege to live our life to the fullest with God’s guidance. And ever since the first Christmas, man has been attempting his Man-made efforts to celebrate this truth and it’s gotten us farther and farther away from the real Heavenly reality. Now every where we look we see the evidence of Christmas, but it’s getting harder and harder to see the difference between the Man-made and the true Heavenly. <br />
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There is only one true meaning of Christmas and The Grinch, Scrooge, and Clark Griswold may have gotten close, but they didn’t truly discovery it because it’s not just being nice to our fellow man or giving gifts with sincerity. The true meaning of Christmas will radically change your entire life and can never be duplicated in Man-made efforts. The true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and the gift of life He brings. You can never be fulfilled with the Man-made efforts because they don’t really change anything, but can only mimic what only God can do. <br />
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<i>“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” - 2 Corinthians 9:15 </i><br />
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May the true meaning of Christmas bring the joy of fresh powder to your lives today and throughout the New Year. <br />
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Merry Christmas!Vanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306997472319955070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692396245056079503.post-61357926268919358882011-11-07T17:03:00.000-08:002011-11-08T10:46:34.526-08:00ListeningIf you are anything like me, when you listen to a song that you can’t understand the lyrics you simply make them up as you sing along. Eventually you start to believe that those are the actual words. I’ve had some pretty funny moments with my wife Amber when she hears me sing a lyric and she’s like, “that’s not what they say.” <br />
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When we get the lyrics to a song wrong it’s no big deal, but if we don’t hear what someone is trying to tell us it can cause big problems. When we don’t listen to what others are saying, just like lyrics, we make up whatever we want to believe about their lives. We fill in the gaps with our own understanding instead of the truth. But when we take the time to listen we start to hear things we never heard before. We begin to hear a need our friend has or a struggle our children may be dealing with. I’ve even been able to hear my wife drop a hint that I am not loving her the way she needs me to. I’ve discovered that when I take the time to listen, I learn more about what I am supposed to do then if someone were to simply tell me what to do. <br />
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Listening is the key to understanding and in our crazy busy lives, one of the hardest things to do is slow down and listen. That’s why God tell us to slow down and listen to Him. It helps us to be a listener first before anything else. The bible says over and over again, “Listen to what the Lord says.” It is a call to slow our lives down and listen to what God has to say to us before we act and before we make a mess of things. <br />
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Next time you try to sing the lyrics of a song that you don’t know, slow down and listen to what the creator of the song is really saying. And the next time you can’t figure out what to do in life, slow down and listen to what the creator of life has to say to you.Vanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306997472319955070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8692396245056079503.post-51039301287904364982011-10-26T10:51:00.000-07:002011-10-26T10:51:53.050-07:00QuestionsYou made the sky so incredibly blue and yet the world does not recognize You. <br />
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A dog that’s lost will always find it’s way, but a child still goes hungry everyday.<br />
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So many questions that fill my mind; So many things I ponder that I can’t unwind. <br />
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If I ever stand in your presence to ask, I’ll probably just forget the task.<br />
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I may not be able to clearly see, but I trust that there is a reason to be. <br />
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Today I ask you to take my hand and lead me through all that I don’t understand.Vanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12306997472319955070noreply@blogger.com0