The Rose

The most pure truth and beauty, come with pain....it is the way of the cross.

.

Some say love it is a river
that drowns the tender reed
Some say love it is a razor
that leaves your soul to bleed

Some say love it is a hunger
an endless aching need
I say love it is a flower
and you it's only seed

It's the heart afraid of breaking
that never learns to dance
It's the dream afraid of waking that never takes the chance

It's the one who won't be taken
who cannot seem to give
and the soul afraid of dying that never learns to live

When the night has been too lonely
and the road has been too long
and you think that love is only
for the lucky and the strong

Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snows
lies the seed
that with the sun's love
in the spring
becomes the rose

"though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." 
1st Corinthians 13:2

Seeing the Invisible.... Or shall I avoid the pain?

 Yesterday I was at a conference for the Hoosier Christian foundation with my friend Craig, the talk was about Habitat for humanity.  While we were having lunch, I spoke with a consultant at our table, the kind of person who walks into a failing or sub-par company and says "this needs to change". 


She described the situation of "franchise", where small parts of a  company or closely related companies may have redundancy, fail follow best practice and operate well below peak performance.  I asked her "How do you persuade people to surrender control, so that they can perform better?"  She said quite simply..."I explain to them how much pain they will avoid."  That evening I came home to a news show about how burn victims "cope" with pain using medically-designed video games.



The choice we face is to "fill" or "cover" the hurt with distractions, or to deal with it. 

 
Sometimes pain can't be entirely avoided.  As you and I struggle to rest in Him, He also allows those situations which test and refine our faith. As I walk up to the precipice, I am not alone.  I believe....... that the "tragedy" is but a moment, for my good and His glory.  Pardon me, while I "preach to myself."

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. " 1 Cor 4:16-18

Kenny, an 80-something man with a sparkle in His eye told me something a month ago at Hardees I cannot forget. He had known me for a total of about 8 minutes when he said...."You are a young man, don't lose hope".  I smile because I am almost 50 (not many call me young any more), and because that's just what I needed to hear.....still do. Knowing a little about "why" helps.

Local Office: How should I answer?

How should I answer? Come quickly Lord?

Dear Brad:

Hello this is Insight Pest Solutions writing to notify you of your upcoming Quarterly Pest Control Service scheduled for 09/09/2010.  As usual we will be pest proofing the exterior of your home through a perimeter treatment, granulation and dewebbing.  

If you are in need of any interior service or would like to schedule a
specific time please contact your local office for assistance (317-495-9433).  We appreciate your business and thank you for choosing Insight Pest Solutions.

 Hmmn, 
"Insight"
"Pest"
"Exterior perimeter treatment"
"dewebbing"

"Interior service"

I did not make this up...a real vendor sent the letter above to me.  Timing is everything.

    "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
    Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. ” Hebrews 4:13-16

 Dear Local office, Pray for 9/16? 

Filled with the fullness

Just some scribble to remind me about the messages from Calvary today....reasons why.  Does it ever occur strange we need to be reminded of these things?  We do need reminders...I did. 


Ephesians 3:14–19
“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.......to be strengthened ....  to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. ”

In case some of you read this with a little hesitation, I can assure you this is not mind control, weird stuff like some of us have seen and others have heard.  This is not imposed, but simply ways to be wise in the Spirit.  Control for example is one I know that I have struggled with, trying to make things happen, instead of a trusting response to the Spirit (not somebody else's expectation).  

Likewise, submission to one another does not undermine the Spirit, but in fact checks a sort of hierarchical mind that forbids resistance, or fears to resist. This submission doesn't replace the order of the State, The leadership, the family...it simply gives room for the Spirit to speak through anyone, in humility of course.

Check me if I am wrong.  :)   The goal is simply to experience the fullness...of His Spirit.  "Father, may your will be done"

Great is thy faithfulness

Psalm 127 

Unless the Lord builds the house,

They labor in vain who build it;

Unless the Lord guards the city,

The watchman stays awake in vain.

Kent Bottenfield, a former pro baseball picture came and played and sang music Sunday that had us reaching for God....He can't read music, not one note. Really. Guss what, he doesn't have to because God is faithful.

The same day Craig Brighton's  Habitat house for Patrice and Cameron came toward a close, but inside this story were so many others, a house full of people affected by Craigs faithfulness, and God's faithfulness to him.  JD for example just recommitted his wedding vows after 40 years, and a few months on the habitat job.  He brought his friend Patrick to the job, a man who is ready to leave the restaurant business to do something that "matters". Cameron, a young boy who should have died 3 years ago due to inoperable brain cancer.....now in a race with time to find God.  He has had help from Matt and Kristen, and Craig at camp. Did Craig have this all worked out, nope, he doesn't have to....


The song below is the one that Kent always plays wherever he goes....It brings him to  Psalm 61 "Take refuge in the shadow of your wing".  I heard that twice Sunday. 




Great is thy faithfulness 

Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
there is no shadow of turning with thee;
thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
as thou hast been thou forever will be.

Refrain:
Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
all I have needed thy hand hath provided;
great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
sun, moon and stars in their courses above
join with all nature in manifold witness
to thy great faithfulness, mercy and love. Refrain

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! Refrain

Prayer: What makes it go? What makes it stop?

What makes it go?  
What makes it stop?
A super short summary of notes from the Sunday School message. As a church, we are reading through "The Message of Prayer" by Timothy Chester.   One of the great helps is the emphasis on our need for God, even in prayer.   The story of George Mueller who struggled with prayer until he learned to start with scripture.  In our Iron Man meeting, the scriptures here were given to help Jump-Start prayer.  See how much you can read without breaking into prayer.

If this really is so important, why is it so hard?
Men in the foxhole with bullets all around don't have that problem.
People with hearts ablaze with gratitude and wonder don't have that problem.


Do we really need to pray more, or love and need God more?