Simple Fix

The other day I was able to take care of a problem I had at the house.  I plugged something into the extension cord that was plugged into the wall before I was to use the tool. For some reason, I got called away and you know the drill. It was one thing after another, after another, after . . . I know you can relate.

In fact I didn’t get back to it until the next day. By then my mind had moved on to other things and it took me a while to get my brain in gear for this project. After checking all the set up routine, including safety measures I turned on the switch expecting the tool to burst into action and away we would go. Didn’t happen. Actually, nothing happened and as any red blooded male would do I turned it off and on a number of times. Still nothing.

Before I decided to take the tool all apart and check it out, which might have led to going to the store and buying a new tool because I can’t seem to get it back together again, I followed the cord, then the extension cord.  Wouldn’t you know it, somehow the extension had come out of the wall. Easy fix and I didn’t even have to go as far as calling Allan.

Then I got to work and all went well.  Did you know that the same thing is true with our spiritual lives? So many times we need to get plugged in. At times we stretch our extension cords of the soul to the limit and they come out of the wall of the source of all life. It takes going back and taking a serious look at where we became disconnected. Many times we come unglued when things aren’t going right. It’s those times, we need to stop and go back, find our spiritual disconnect and get back to God.

By the way, He can fix everything. just thought you would like to know that.

Something to think about  

 Rob

Just Shout It Out

I sometimes think about weird stuff, like, there is no such thing as total darkness. What we perceive as darkness according to Einstein, is actually the absence of light. See what I mean.  There's a sermon there somewhere.

When I was a young teen I used to love listening to all kinds of music. Classical, Jazz, Country and yes, Rock & Roll. Listening to music turned up to 14 on a ten scale from a big radio perched on my shoulder like lots of guys around was never me.

No sir, I would wait until everyone had gone out for the evening and I would lie on the floor with a speaker on each side of the room. Slowly but surely I would turn the music down as low as I could but still be able to hear it clearly. Back then it was much less than a one on the ten scale, not so much today.

Just yesterday I was on the computer and one of those inane commercial pops up and started screaming at me. I turned the volume down to zero. Wait; there is one of those crazy things I think of. Why do we have a zero on a scale when all that we need to do is hit mute? Or should it be the other way around?

Just then a song came into my mind….the only one that I love to turn up the volume. The song is Pass It On. What I remembered was the chorus; “I’ll shout it from the mountain top, (HEY WORLD) I want my world to know, the Lord of love has come to me, I want to pass it on”.   

Our world is full of all kinds of screaming messages that want to get our attention but the only one that makes a difference in our life and the lives of those around us is the sound of Jesus voice saying, ‘Come to me all you who are carrying too much of a load and I will give you rest.’  The message, “Jesus Saves”.

Something to think & shout about!

Rob

The Grandma Moses In You

I have a belief that everyone is creative. Yes, everyone. There isn’t one of you out there that isn’t in some way creative. Some can build a fence, carve wood, put together a garden, make wonderful squares or work on crafty things. We are all able to do things with your hands. All of our minds searches for new ways to create something amazing.

Now don’t tell me you don’t. A long time ago, a teacher friend of mine change my understanding of this when she told me the reason I couldn’t do something was because I never had the chance or was never given the opportunity. She continued, “If you think you have the abilities, then go out and do it”. No, didn’t need the Nike motto, but it fits. I said, ‘sure’ but later I went out and found out she was right and now I love creating pictures in children’s minds. I found a way to learn how to teach.

Okay, don’t tell me you are not good enough. Isn’t it too bad that we find excuses? Yes, I said excuses and not reasons. Remember Grandma Moses? She just wanted to paint and away she went. They call her $100,000+ paintings ‘primitive’. At first we all thought they were a little, well, different and we thought they would never sell.  Wrong.

How about you? Norma started painting a long time back and I have two of her pieces of art work that I treasure. You can do the same. Here is what I know. In Ephesians 2:10 we read, ‘For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do’.  Do you get that? God categorically put Christ and us in the same verse. And that connection is Christ creating us to create. God, yes God created in us skills to creative just like He has. Everything in the universe was created by Him. What are you creating in your universe?

Don’t say like I did, 'sure' and then forget this. If you haven’t found your God given, God created abilities yet, go look for them. If you want a challenge, I want you to search and discover it and write me back what you found. God will show you what you didn’t think was in you. And if you already know yours, write and tell me and then go look for others

Something to think about.

Rob

Walk With Him

A very long time ago I heard my minister tell us that we can see God in all the world around us if we only look nearby. As a young lad at the time I decided to do just that on my way home. Yes, there were the obvious ones like plants and flowers, the bright blue sky and those white cotton ball clouds. At the time, that proved to my young inquisitive mind that Rev. Bill Simpson was right.

Over the years, I have seen God in many other places Even in strange and delightful places. Never forgot what he said that morning and over the years, God has shown Himself to me in the most unfamiliar places. A few years later, I saw Him standing at the door of my heart knocking. Of course I let Him in.

That one experience changed my perception of all the places I could see Him. There He was in a person helping an older person across the road, and even in the grocery store reaching to the top shelf for a shorter person who just couldn’t quite reach. I pray that you can, like me see God in others. That was and is the best place to see Him.

Last week I saw Him again. And no, it wasn’t seeing Him in me, even though that does happen. I saw God in the most loving place. I just happened to be out driving to the grocery store daydreaming as I drove. Then out of nowhere, there He was.  Across the corner was a tall dad, walking with his young son. An everyday happening for them I assume. They were walking and talking and dad had his arm about the boy with his hand resting on his shoulder.

BAM! What an amazing picture of God and us. I saw God walking with me and with you and I knew that God doesn’t walk with His big hand on our head but on our shoulder where we can feel the love and know His continual gentle guidance as “He walks with me and He talks with me and He tells me I am His own”.

I pray that the best place you see Jesus is in your everyday life, just spending time together.

Something to think about.

Rob