(These HALLELUJAHs Be) 

Multiplied

A song of thankfulness and Hope

There are many right now who have just come out of a fire, and those who are still in one, hoping, trusting, praising God. As they are consumed, then lifted up, God is Glorified.  May those in the fire today see the reward of their suffering, and sing.

Multiplied

(Needtobreathe)

Your love is like radiant diamonds

Bursting inside us we cannot contain

Your love will surely come find us

Like blazing wild fires singing Your name

God of mercy sweet love of mine

I have surrendered to Your design

May this offering stretch across the skies

And these Hallelujahs be multiplied

Your love is like radiant diamonds

Bursting inside us we cannot contain

Your love will surely come find us

Like blazing wild fires singing Your name

God of mercy sweet love of mine

I have surrendered to Your design

May this offering stretch across the skies

And these Hallelujahs be multiplied

(Multiplied)

(Oh multiplied)

God of mercy sweet love of mine

I have surrendered to Your design

May this offering stretch across the skies

And these Hallelujahs be multiplied

These Hallelujahs be multiplied

(Your love is like radiant diamonds)

(Bursting inside us we cannot contain)

(Your love will surely come find us)

Like blazing wild fires singing Your name

Daniel 3:24-26

Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!”

Middle Age?

Big trip with Julie, peaceful antiquing (bought nothing) in Shelbyville. Deep waters as we discussed how to deal with the red Zones in life that flow from our own wounds. Recommend all the Mark Gungor you tube videos you can watch about marriage, earning "points", and the way men and women really think. Hilarious!

To Apprehend His grace

In order to apprehend His Grace, I must apprehend my sin.

My complicity in the greatest crime ever, pushing the Thorns down upon His head, causing Him pain and agony. He would not retaliate, strike back, rage or even complain.

In fact He knew I would do this. He loved me, and while I was yet a sinner (and I still am) He provided a way out. I receive that by His grace, unmerited favor. He knows my choices, yet reaches out to me. I am guilty, he sacrifices.

I don't fully receive His grace, when I don't fully appreciate my sin. That choice was not a small thing.

"And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him.
And they began to salute him, "Hail, King of the Jews!"
And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him.
And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him."
Gospel of Mark 15:17-20

The pictures are of thorns from my wife's childhood farm near a creek by the railroad tracks where they used to play.

The picture of Jesus is from John and Millie Bowen, placed in their great room to remind us Jesus was a man acquainted with sorrows.

It seems so long ago... I was isolated, hopeless.  And then I got birthday cards, or Christmas cards that reminded me I was not alone, or forgotten. Now, years later I have so many friends, and such hope in God.  But I remember how important a simple act of kindness can be, in setting someone free.  Those little acts of kindness really matter.

"I led them with ***cords of human kindness***, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them." Hosea 11:4  

God uses real people, to touch real people. Thank you, keep it up!

I know where I would be, Forever running but losing this race
Were it not for grace
...that is how the saints persevere...
His grace is sufficient! 2 Corinthians 5:9

Were It Not For Grace
Larnelle Harris

Time measured out my days, life carried me along
In my soul I yearned to follow God but knew I'd never be so strong
I looked hard at this world to learn how Heaven could be gained
Just to end where I began, where human effort is all in vain

Were it not for grace, I can tell you where I'd be
Wandering down some pointless road to nowhere
With my salvation up to me, I know how that would go
The battles I would face forever running but losing the race
Were it not for grace

So here is all my praise expressed with all my heart
Offered to the Friend who took my place and ran a course I could not start
And when He saw in full just how much His love would cost
He still went the final mile between me and Heaven so I would not be lost

Were it not for grace, I can tell you where I'd be
Wandering down some pointless road to nowhere
With my salvation up to me and I know how that would go
The battles I would face forever running but losing the race
Were it not for grace

Forever running but losing this race
Were it not for grace

Integrity

 "Have you seen me? Please help me, I'm lost! My name is Gracie and I'm a 4 lb. pomeranian.  I got lost on stanley Road.  If you see me, please call my mom right away!!" 

Three days earlier Julie had been stopped on the road by a tiny little dog, with ice on her belly, in the middle of Brookside Road. She stopped her SUV and the little girl hopped right in. The next few days we nursed her, fed her and almost decided she would be ours. Julie checked with the neighbors, the local postings and Craig's list and had the vet look for a "chip" and yet did not find any sign of her owner. 

Anyone who knows my wife Julie knows what a heart she has for dogs, and that she raised dogs for years. It wasn't until I came onto the scene that she stopped being a dog owner. A great sacrifice for someone like Julie. Me? I had almost forgotten about her dogs. You see, I am dog-friendly, but not really a dog lover.

Back to the story. When we had almost given up searching for the owner, Julie went to past a "Lost Dog" notice at the Marsh community board. It was one of the hardest things she had done in a while, because she had really become attached, but she told me she kept thinking what it must be like to be the lost dog's owner. Julie's choice, illustrated for me the meaning of the golden rule "And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them." Luke 6:31 And that's when she saw the sign. "Have you seen me? Please help me, I'm lost!"

Seriously? You can't make this stuff up.  Julie was sad, and happy.  That night we reconnected Gracie and her "Mom" at Stoops Buick.  Gracie got all excited when were within a quarter mile of the dealership - must be "dog sense".  The reunion was pretty touching, even for me. We found out later that the owner had not posted the sign at the community board where Julie went, but somehow got moved to where Julie would look for it. Coincidence? :) "The integrity of the upright guides them..." Proverbs 11:3

During that time it became clear what lessons I could learn from a dog, and how much that meant to Julie. Somehow the pain of all that for Julie made it a poignant experience.  Those costly sacrifices are the ones that seem to matter most. We've decided that it's time to look again into being dog owners. Now in search for a Poodle and a Golden Retriever. Stay tuned.

PS.  If you see a lost dog, you just might want to take the chance of letting your heart get hurt.  

Rescue Time!

Conviction: Too much time on Facebook, not enough time writing and thinking about what matters.  I realized it because I resisted the conviction.

Sure, a lot can be said in 160 characters (Twitter), and there is a place for FB, but somehow FB has become a "time sinkhole".  No offense, there were plenty of great posts: Songs and funny pictures from great folks, but I have to admit, my closest friends just aren't spending a lot of time there, and a lot of the posts are well, just not where I am going.

Am I a laggard?  many people left FB a long time ago. They left their accounts up, but they don't really hang out there. Its just a channel of communication if needed. So like them, I'm not leaving, just putting FB on the shelf.

FB became a habit, kinda like chewing tobacco or smoking or that warm cup of coffee in the morning. I'm not giving up my coffee, but I have to spend more time on the things that matter more. Here are some thoughts from a recent sermon by my buddy BJ Bungard in a sermon called "Family Time".

1. Rescue Time from all the little leaks and distractions
2. In 100 Years the only thing that will matter is that you know God
3. What is the one really important thing I can do for your Kingdom today? 

Working through that sermon in our LifeGroup it occurred to me why its hard to realize our time is limited:  Because we worry instead of follow the Spirit, consume instead of care and ruminate instead of meditate. "Ruminate" means to compulsively focus attention on symptoms of distress and possible consequences as opposed to its solutions.  Ruminate is similar to "worry", except looking backwards instead of forwards, not something I don't want to do.

The "Big Kahuna" question from a LifeGroup study guide was this: "What do the most important people in my life need from me?" I thought, since I can't give them what I don't have, I need to have an authentic epiphany and humility before God that glorifies Him.  A big piece of that will come from saying "I'm sorry", or inwardly saying "I surrender".

Moving back to the blog lets me say what needs to be said, and by linking that to twitter and Facebook, it should be visible to just about anyone who cares to read. See you in 100 years?