Enjoy the Small Stuff

“To my mind the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar that it is taken for granted.”  Bill Bryson.  I can really relate to this quote from author Bill Bryson, because whenever we travel, near or far, I love taking in the small, bits and bobs of everyday life. A pair of boots on a door step, children at play, an old woman sunbathing, rusty old cars and so the list goes on and on.  I consider nothing mundane or boring, and I hope I never lose that precious zeal for life.

 In the same way, I joyfully anticipate each new travel day with God.  What will he reveal to me this morning from His word?  Is there someone on my path today who needs encouragement or prayer?  How will He use me or inspire me to accomplish his kingdom work?  Just as nothing on my worldly journeys is so familiar that I merely yawn and pass it by, so too I can’t wait for what treasures God has planted along my spiritual trek.

So, how is your journey going?  Do you find yourself just going through the motions, or are your eyes, ears, heart and mind open and eager to see what each new day will bring?  What an excellent adventure God has prepared for those who love and long to follow him….don’t miss out on one tiny detail of it! Nothing is mundane on this trip!!! “The LORD'S loving kindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I have hope in Him."… Lamentations 3:23-24.

Please note that I will be leaving on a 3 week trip to Europe tomorrow Sept. 10-Oct.2....stay tuned for my traveling blog and pictures!!

The Ultimate Travel Guide

Leaving the friendly confines of our home towns, and traveling to places outside our comfort zones, can be scary.  Exchanging the familiar for the unknown, is so daunting, that some folks have no desire to leave at all.  I’m not included in that group, but I still have my share of apprehensions anytime I head out, especially to a foreign country.  Will I be able to understand the language and customs? Can I figure the public transport system, or be a prisoner in my room?  The more I travel, the fewer fears I have.  Partly because I’ve done it before, but also because I rely on wise advice from others who have been there before.

Some of you may be familiar with Rick Steves.  He is an American, who has made it his life’s work, to travel extensively throughout Europe and write guide books.  I want his job!!!  Anyway, every time I’ve headed to undiscovered places, a copy of one of Rick’s books goes with me.  He covers all the information that a traveler would need; from what to wear, how to pack, what to see and where to stay.  In addition, he always gives helpful hints on things like; when to visit museums before the crowds arrive, or encouraging you to get out of the car and jump on a beat bog in Ireland! I trust Rick, even though I’ve never met him, and place my faith in his words, because he has personally walked the road ahead of me.  I jokingly call those books my bible, and so far, he’s never steered me wrong!

It’s always been interesting to me that many people find it easy to place their faith in wise-sounding human beings, but are dubious about the truths contained in the Bible.  In all fairness to those folks, I guess I was with them at one time in my life.  But, when I came to the pivotal point in my life, after much study and questioning, when Christ asked me if I believed he was who he said he was, I emphatically responded, “Yes, I believe!” From that time on, I’ve never doubted the truth of the Bible.  That’s not to say I don’t have my share of questions, but I believe that it was written by trustworthy men, inspired by God’s Holy Spirit, who had walked the road before me, not unlike Rick Steves. They covered every aspect of Christian life from the exhilarating  highs to the discouraging lows, and everything in between.  We are, after all, citizens of another kingdom, and need to be acutely aware of the beauty as well as the dangers that we will encounter on this earth.

I’m leaving on another European adventure in a few days, and you can be sure that Rick will accompany me.  And you can be just as sure that, on a daily basis,  I refer to the ultimate guidebook, the Bible, for all that I will ever need as a traveler on this amazing journey of Christian life!  Do you still have doubts, then heed the advice Christ gave to doubting Thomas; “Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!’ “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. Then Jesus told him, ‘You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.’” John 20:27-29. Put His book to the test, then fearlessly travel beyond your doubts!  “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” St. Augustine.





                                       



 

Unity Without Wrangling

“Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.…” Romans 15:5-6.  One of the most difficult things to achieve in the church, is unity or “having the same mind.”  If we all love Christ, and long to obediently follow him, why is there always strife involved? Reaching unity doesn’t come easily in any relationship.  Marriage; I rest my case.  We all come to Christ with the same love and desire, but because we’re uniquely gifted individuals, our forms and expressions of worship will vary widely.  Does God appreciate the diversity?  I can only imagine that he does. How boring it would be if we all gave God the same “store-bought” worship.  No time or talent involved, no thought given to what would please him, just get it over with.

 Now to the problem of achieving unity. As the church grew, and remember the church is the people of God, differences in opinion on how we should worship him began to appear.  It seemed logical to make things uniform, in order to “enforce” unity.  Obviously worshipers needed, and still need to be on the same page, biblically speaking, but as the centuries passed, the joy of celebrating was replaced with rote formality.  Individual expression was not encouraged, and the gifts of the Spirit were shelved having been replaced with a legalistic works mentality. Nowadays things are not a whole lot better.  We have many varieties of Christian churches, with different styles of worship, tradition and doctrine, but instead of bringing the unity God desires, we have division.  “My church is “the” church” or “Your form of worship isn’t enough, or it’s too much.”

In talking with a person recently, they told me, that because I didn’t attend his church, I was in essence saying his denomination was wrong. It is not my, nor should it be any Christian’s, intention to say any church, or method of serving God is wrong, that would be, well, WRONG! I do believe that is God’s area of expertise, and one day all of us will be judged for how well we operated, in the world, by spreading his word. Paul, in his letter to Timothy, reminded him that true unity is reached when all believers agree on the pure gospel, which, in it’s simplest form states that; Christ lived, taught, died, resurrected and will return for his church. He also said this; “Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers.” 2 Timothy 2:14.  Interesting, we should stick to the basic foundational facts about Christ, and leave the wrangling over words, styles, traditions and doctrine alone.  So, leave your boots and lassos at home, unity can only be reached when we stay true to the God-created, not the man-made church.

 

High Dynamic Range Imaging

As I grow in my knowledge of photography, I’ve learned new techniques and terminology within the art,  for example; bokeh, dof and HDR. The first two refer to the blurred backgrounds many photographers try to achieve, and HDR is High-dynamic-range imaging.  “HDR is a set of methods used in imaging and photography to capture a greater dynamic range between the lightest and darkest areas of an image than current standard digital imaging methods or photographic methods.” (Wikipedia)  Simply put, 3 pictures are taken of the same item, one overexposed, one underexposed and one with correct exposure.  The 3 are “layered” to compose a photo with such incredible depth and lighting that it almost jumps off the paper, or computer screen.

Of course it got me to thinking about our lives in Christ.  Sometimes our perception of God has so much light shone on  it, from a myriad of sources, that we are blinded and confused, or conversely, there is too little illumination, and we stumble trying to see the whole picture.  In either case, the important details are obscured by either too much or too little light. Jesus tells us repeatedly that he is the light, the perfectly exposed light.  “I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.” John 12:46.  When we merge our over and underexposed knowledge of Him, with His perfect light, the result is the stunningly awesome, perfect, HDR image of our Savior.

 As a photographer, I’ve learned  that trying to obtain consistent, perfect lighting isn’t easy, but when I do it makes an amazing difference in the quality of the picture.  As Christians, I am convinced that, when we operate within His perfect light, He will produce the HDR, picture-perfect image of Him in us. “….For God, who said, "Let there be light in the darkness," has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6.

Temptations vs Trials

Two words that pop up frequently, throughout scripture, are trials and temptations.   The Greek word for trials, “peirasmos”, which means that which breaks the pattern of tranquility or happiness, and occurs frequently in biblical Greek, has been  incorrectly  translated in the King James Version, as temptations.  Although they may seem similar, a temptation is far different from a trial.  Temptation is actually a “solicitation to do evil“, while trial refers to the difficulties God allows in our lives for the proving and strengthening of our faith.

 We know that God would never tempt us, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.” James 1:13. Temptation comes only from our adversary, the devil, as he beckons us, in delightful ways, to partake in some earthly pleasure.  His plan is to avert our spiritual eyes from that which pleases God, in hopes that we will become ensnared in his web of evil.  Don’t think you are immune to temptation, whether you are a Christian or not, this solicitation, like the old Publisher’s Clearing House letter, will arrive at your door, sooner or later.  Jesus knew that and addressed it in the Lord’s Prayer, “Lead me not into temptation”.  God would never lead us into sin, but he also doesn’t want us to be duped into believing the enemy’s alluring lie.

Trials are for the testing of faith and can come in the form of disappointments, frustrations, misunderstandings, unfulfilled dreams, unmet expectations, great loss, loneliness, fear, criticism, persecution, and conflict. If you consistently persevere through trials and never abandon your trust in God, then you prove to have genuine faith. Do we have to like trials? Of course not, they are sort of like exercise, we’re glad when it’s over, but feel stronger, even victorious because of the exertion expended.  When a false or weak Christian goes through a test, it will inevitably reveal his true colors. When a true believer goes through a test, he will be driven to prayer, leaning on the strength of God rather than his own weakness. Trials burn up imitation faith but strengthen true faith. They may cause pain in confronting us with our weaknesses, but they have the good result of causing us to turn from ourselves to the infinite strength of God.

Two things are true about temptations and trials. 1.” No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 and 2. “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4. So, to sum this up, don’t ever say God is tempting you, that is not possible, but He will send trials.  The way we respond to both is what matures us, or destroys as believers. Be prepared and equipped, both are coming your way.

 

The Lion of Judah

I really enjoy studying the Old Testament, and seeing how it foreshadows the coming of Christ.  As usual, God has a way of mixing up the orderliness that we, as mere humans, so dearly love.  For example, why did Jesus trace his lineage to the tribe of Judah?  If you remember your OT, Judah was the 3rd of Jacob’s 12 sons, the others being; Rueben, Simeon, Levi, Zebulon, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Joseph, and Benjamin.  Normally we think of the oldest son inheriting his father’s blessing and a major portion, if not all, of his estate, but not in this case. As you read through the scriptures, you’ll find incident after incident where God changed this “law” of primogeniture to suit his future purposes. For example, Jacob himself had stolen his older brother, Esau’s birthright; Isaac trumped Ishmael, and David, the soon to be king, beat out all his brothers.

 “Why mess with the law?”, you might well ask, and here’s why.  God looks on the heart of a man or woman, not on outward appearances or birth order.  Judah’s older siblings were told, by Jacob, why they were skipped over.  Rueben for a sexual sin, and Simeon and Levi because of their violent natures.  Next in line was Judah, and he was to become God’s chosen man.  Maybe part of it was because he had earlier spared Joseph’s life by selling him into slavery rather than killing him, but I’m sure Jacob had prayed fervently about it before making such a decision.  “Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you. You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.” Genesis 49:8-10.

Now don’t get the impression that Judah lived an exemplary life, far from it.  He married a non-Jewish woman, had three unruly sons, and allowed pagan worship to enter his home.  Not exactly what I would call godly behavior, especially for the “Lion of Judah” the chosen son.  So, how did this all work out? I won’t spoil the whole racy story, be sure to read it for yourself in Genesis 38. Suffice it to say, that in spite of the poor, personal choices Judah made, God continued to steer this designated vessel into His safe harbor. Those other folks, listed in the ancestry of Jesus (Matthew 1:1-16), were far from perfect individuals either, but they had one thing in common, a heart that ultimately turned and honored God.  All of us, who have been born anew, through a personal belief in Christ, are counted in His bloodline,as well.  Sure, we’re bound to make our share of mistakes, but even still, we’ll all be sharing in the Judah Family Reunion one day soon! Break out the Lion t-shirts!!

 

For Your Good

"Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the LORD'S commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?” Deuteronomy 10:12-13. I’ve read this passage many times before, but recently I heard someone read it, and the last part jumped out at me….”for your good.”

 How many times do you remember your parents saying to you, “this is for your own good”? Whether it was a punishment, a terrible tasting medicine, music lessons, or a task that that you weren’t eager to accomplish, that phrase never had a pleasant ring attached to it. But let’s take a step back and see this from God’s perspective.  He has clearly told us what he expects from us, in terms of behavior,  none of which is too difficult, and we know he means it all for good, so what gives?  As I see it, problems arise, for most people, not so much in the actions themselves, but rather in being told to by a higher authority to do them.

Why is it that we balk when it comes to obediently doing what we’re told, especially when we know that they’re for our good? Way back at the get go, Adam and Eve were the first to inaugurate human disobedience.  They had everything they could possibly want, and God had explained the rules, so why oh why did they mess it up for all of us? Obviously God gave us the desire to question and break away from what is good for us, have you been around a 2 year old lately? Unlike a toddler, who doesn’t understand what is for his own good, and needs to be reminded, we have experience and knowledge, and still go astray. For example, most people would agree that seatbelt use is for our own safety, but because the law states that we must put them on, many won’t, only for that reason.  

God requires us to walk in His ways, not to curtail our enjoyment of life, in fact just the opposite.  He wants us to experience the fullness that accompanies obedience.  When rebellion starts to rear its ugly head, and it will, ask the Holy Spirit to help you recognize it for what it is, a dangerous detour from God’s protection.  Each day as you walk out into a world of perils, be  sure to buckle up His safety belt of obedience….it’s for your good!!