Prayer

Lord God, in your great mercy, you decided to reveal part of who you are through the written words of the Scriptures. Through the scriptures we have learned of your great power to create the universe and everything in it. You are sovereign over all, and there is no one like you. Your word has shown us how different your ways are from our ways. We’ve observed how your hand guides the nations to accomplish your plan. Lord, we know there are no dark places that can hide us from you gaze. Our words are known to you before we even speak them; and our actions are not a surprise to you. You, Lord are holy and righteous. Your justice is perfect and your grace is sufficient. Your love is overwhelming. You are the only eternal, true, and living God.

Lord, how awesome it is that you have extended your hand to us so that we may get to know you in a personal way, and experience you in an intimate relationship. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, your son, you have granted us permission to be called children of God.

Father, how can we even begin to thank you for the privilege of standing in your presence? Should we fall silent to the floor in awe? Or should we shout with joy? Should we lift our hands to you with singing, or dance before you like King David? Lord, we know it is right to worship you in spirit and in truth, so regardless of our outward response, please soften our hearts so that we may completely surrender ourselves to you.

Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose.
Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.

Look deep into our hearts, God, and know our thoughts. Please don't let us follow evil ways, but lead us in your way. Our desire is to trust you regardless of the circumstances we’re in and to obey you in all things.

STORY TIME!! “At the gate” (episode 3)

Once upon a time in the great (and of course far away) country of West lived a young knight. He married a lovely young maiden and God had blessed them with children. He was well known throughout the land as the “Sharpest Sword in the West” (episode 1). Aside from the little uneventful adventure when he heard the “Sounds of Battle Far Off” (episode 2), the knight went on with his life. Although the kingdom was at war, the knight lived in relative peace on an estate provided by the king; the king is merciful.

Whenever the knight had business at the royal courts, he made every effort to avoid seeing the king except for the times when he was duty bound to stand in his presence. At those times, he felt there was something missing in his life, that he aught to DO something, but he refused to meditate on those thoughts. He longed to hear the news and reports from the battle field that were presented to the king. The knight’s heart stirred in him as other brave warriors would recount the tales of courage and describe the difficulties of the battlefield – the war was very close.

Then, one day, while the knight was mending the fences on his land, his heart sank when he saw from afar a group of warriors riding fast toward him; their powerful war horses stirring up a great cloud of dust on the road. Without another glance, and knowing he did not have a moment to lose, he tossed the tools aside, and mounted his already excited horse. He galloped back to the house and with loud cries and shouts he sounded the alarm. The entire household was gripped with fear. With utmost haste, the knight helped his wife, son, daughter, and any servants who had not already run, climb down in the hiding place that was dug in the back of the orchard. Once they were safe, the knight grabbed his sword and ran to meet his foe by the gates of the courtyard.

He stopped at the gate and waited in ambush hidden from view. Standing there, in the silence, his excitement grew. His breathing began to quicken and chills ran down his back; he heard the sound of hoofs and armor clanking – initially far off, but now they were close. The knight raised his sword and got ready to strike. He was ready to fight, ready to defend, ready to die if necessary. He thought about his family, they were safe in the hiding place; he thought about the castle, was it under attack as well? Was it hopeless, maybe he should hide also? No, there is no time. He must stand and fight even if it meant death. It was certain death, for how can one knight stand against a group of warriors? The sounds of hoofs stopped and he heard them dismounting.

He gripped the sword tighter and lifted it with intent; he lowered his arm to strike but a commanding voice paralyzed him and he stood motionless. The powerful words gripped his pounding heart. A flood of emotions invaded his being. Part of him was dazed, confused-- how could this be? His eyes saw what his ears told him. The king of the land, his king, was standing at the gate, in the very doorstep of his house, asking to come in, asking the knight to dine with him that evening.

Imagine the knight’s surprise, relief, shock, and puzzlement! Sometime ago, the knight had refused the king’s request to ride out with his fellow knights and take back the land that was overrun by invaders. And now, the same king is honoring him with a visit? It seemed backwards! The knight could not comprehend why the king left his magnificent palace and took the time to travel down to his home. It did not seem proper! It just was not done. But his king had done it, and the knight was overjoyed at the visit.

At that very moment, the knight’s heart was transformed and with his entire being he made a new commitment to the king. But would the king accept him? The knight shuddered to think of it; perhaps the king would give him a second chance. With a heavy heart and a head filled with emotions the knight fell at the feet of the king and knelt on the hard ground. He was about to speak when the king took him by the shoulders and raised him up, looked deep into his eyes and his gaze seemed to split the knight’s marrow from his bones. The king smiled, and nodded with approval. In the simplest way the king asked “Are you prepared to serve me?” to which the knight was ready to answer “With all my heart, Lord”

That evening, the knight, his family, and all his servants dined with the king. It was a time of renewal and celebration; it was a time of commitment and planning. The kingdom is still at war.

If looks could kill

I was looking through some of the pictures I had taken these last few months deciding which ones would be worth keeping. It was hard to decide. Don’t get me wrong, they are not all masterpieces; on the contrary, they are average family pictures with the subject out of focus, not centered, or in bad lighting.

Which reminds me of something I have heard from a speaker recently – it seems that in our American society “looking good” and “feeling good” have replaced “being good” and “doing good” as primary core values. With messages like “image is everything” and popular media focusing so much on looks, no wander we have lost our perspective.

So what can we do about it? Actually, more to the point, what do I do about it? I have to have my values straight, my priorities in order, and the discipline to hold on to them. I believe I will need at least two things: (1) a daily “recalibration” and rededication to my values, (2) a set of values that are timeless (i.e. they do not change based on trends or the latest jargon). I already have a set of timeless values from the Scriptures, now I have to focus on the daily discipline to be the man that God intends me to be.

STORY TIME!! "Drowning the Sounds"

Once upon a time in the great (and of course far away) country of West lived a young knight. He married a lovely young maiden and God had blessed them with children. He was well known throughout the land as the “Sharpest Sword in the West”.

Sometime ago, the knight had refused the king’s request to ride out with his fellow knights and take back the land that was overrun by invaders. In spite of his training, the knight chose to live in relative peace with his family on an estate provided by the King; the King was both merciful and wise.

One day, as the young knight was returning home from the royal courts he thought he heard the sounds of battle far off, but the sounds were faint. By the time he stopped to listen, the battle sounds were gone. He could hear only the leaves dancing in the wind, the eagle’s song above his head, and the fast pounding of his heart.

In the silence, his excitement grew. His breathing began to quicken and chills ran down his back. Was it his imagination again? Was it another of those “strange coincidences” that he had encountered lately? He wanted something -- but what? There was something missing in his life but he refused to think about it. The familiar feeling that he ought to DO something had returned, and this time it was strong.

The knight tried telling himself that there are others handling the battles, and, they are, no doubt, better qualified for the job. He thought about the work that had to be done at home. He told himself the King allowed him to stay back – it was the will of the King. The knight’s mind would have kept going, but the horse stirred under him and he was jolted back to the task at hand. Unsettled, he continued on his way home.

At home, there were enough distractions to keep him occupied; the important questions from earlier were stifled. The knight found respite by focusing on the daily work. There was fire wood to split, barn animals to feed, stalls to clean, fences to mend, and repairs to be made on his home. He helped his wife draw water from the well and carried it back in the house. With the work done, he took some time to play with his son and daughter. Later in the evening, the family gathered by the fire to hear his eloquent explanations of sword fighting technique and read stories from The King’s Book of Wisdom.

After the children were asleep the knight settled at his desk. He took paper and quill and wrote letters to his friends, neighbors, and business associates. His loving wife sat next to him reading peacefully. After some time, she got up, smiled, embraced him gently, and retired for the night.

With a willing heart, the knight forgot about the sounds of battle he heard earlier that day…

He finished his letters;
blew out the candle;
walked over to the bed and got in.

He thought about the next day’s activities;
and fell sound asleep.

Meanwhile, there were sounds of battle far off,

but the sounds... were no longer faint.

The kingdom is still at war.

...like an annoying song

I recently had to return several library books that my family had checked out. As I was placing each one in the return bin, two words from the title of one of the books stood out to me – it read “Going Solo…”

I did not think much of it at the time, but the title stuck with me. I thought about it later that afternoon. I thought about it the next day, and the next, and the next. It was like an annoying song that gets in your head, and you keep singing over and over in your mind.

I’m not an expert in how the mind works, but while I was thinking about “Going Solo…” there were several other thoughts that “danced” around it; here they are in no particular order.

• We live in a culture that admires individuality. We love (generally speaking) the “Lone Ranger”, “Superman”, “Indiana Jones”, and “Rocky”. So we admire people who beat the odds – but are they really going SOLO?


• We are NOT created to be lone rangers. If that was the case, then solitary confinement would be an enjoyable pass time rather than something they use in prisons.


• There is something very selfish about “going solo” – no one else to worry about, my rules, my time, my life. I will do what I want to do and no one can tell me otherwise.


• “Going solo” temps us to think simplistically. But we are not simple creatures. All of us at one time or another have struggled (are struggling) with questions of origin (who am I, where did I come from), meaning (why am I here, what is my purpose in this life, I want to do something meaningful), morality (what is the right thing, who can set the standard for right and wrong, what is justice), and destiny (what happens when/after I die, is there an eternity).

Think about it…