October 31, 2008

I was reading through the Psalms today:

“I will search for faithful people to be my companions.  Only those who are above reproach will be allowed to serve me.”  (Psalm 101:6 New Living Translation)

King David said that by the way.  I have read those words several times over the last couple of weeks but they hit me differently today.  And I thought about my friends, those people I spend my time with.  And I thought, thank you God for faithful people to be my companions.  Thank you for people who are above reproach to be my friends.

Search your list of friends and thank God when you come across people like David mentioned in Psalm 101

Peace

Jim

October 30, 2008

I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to follow Jesus.  I can picture Jesus telling me at different moments in my life, “If you would be my disciple…”  “If.”

“If” seems to be the barrier between us and Jesus.  If it were not for my selfishness…If it were not for my busy-ness…If it were not for whatever excuses I can come up with, I would follow Jesus in everything he asked me to do.

Spend some time dismantling whatever the “If” is in your life.  “If, If I had time I would pray more.”  “If I had more time I would be more involved in church.”  What is it that causes us to say that?  Figure it out because whatever “If” is, is what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 16: 24.  “If you would be my disciple, you must take up your cross and follow me.”

Peace

Jim

October 29, 2008

I’m doing some heavy reading this morning… “The Orvis Fly-Fishing Guide.”

My friend Jim (The guy with the big fish) is enduring my learning how to fly fish.  I’m not real good at it but it sure is fun.  I think he enjoys having somebody to fish with.

I have discovered that some relaxation from any job helps to do that job better.  I catch myself thinking too hard sometimes, and when I think too hard for a long period of time I get what I call brain locked.  When I get brain locked I have tunnel vision and I miss the obvious.

Just my observations.

Peace

Jim

October 28, 2008

It is interesting that when God calls us he calls us to voluntary service.  “If you would be my disciples,” Jesus said, “Come and follow me.”

That puts “If” in the middle between us and God.  When you think about that, its pretty amazing that a little two letter word is all that stands between us and God…think about that for a while.

Peace

Jim

October 27, 2008

Max Lucado was speaking about worry, and he told about remembering what God has done for us in the past instead of stewing in the mess in which we occasionally find ourselves.  Max says:

“Do what David the shepherd boy did when he faced Goliath.  David didn’t cower before the giant’s strength.  He focused on God’s success.  When Saul refused to let him go head to knee with Goliath, David produced God’s track record.”

Read 1 Samuel 17:34-37.  God had been with David in the past, and David knew that God was still with him.  Trusting in God was what David saw as the only option.  David is our example.  We should be no different than David in that respect.

Peace

Jim

October 26, 2008

The Psalmist says,

“Will the Lord reject forever?  Will he never show his favor again?  Has his unfailing love vanished forever?  Has his promise failed for all time?  Has God forgotten to be merciful?  Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”  Psalm 77:7-9 NIV.

But what the Psalmist began to do… was to remember. 

  “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.” v 11.

When we stop and remember what God has done in the past for those who love and obey him then we can begin to see where God’s hand is involved in our life.  We simply have to stop, and somehow get our minds off of ourselves (easier said than done), and look to God.  That’s what the Psalmist did.

Peace

Jim

October 25, 2008

Somebody told me once that they didn’t need friends, in fact this person told me she didn’t need anybody.  And I thought, how sad.  Friends are so important.  Friends lift you up when you’re down.  Friends pray for us when we can’t pray for ourselves.  And friends just bring us joy.  Thank God for friends.

Peace

Jim

October 24, 2008

From Life’s Little Instruction Book volume II:

Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

Good things rarely fall into our laps, we have to go and get them, we have to do our part to make them happen.

Have a good rainy day

Jim

October 23, 2008

Have a good day today, pray that the risks you take everyday will help you to grow in wisdom, and in faith, and in love for God and neighbor.

Peace

Jim

October 22, 2008

In our religious life, take some risks.

Taking risks is taking the chance that something might interfere with our wants, our perceived needs, it might interfere with our lifestyle or our way of living.

Taking risks might even mean that we have to give up a few things…or worse yet…we might even have to risk becoming involved with people we don’t know, people who are outside of our immediate circle of friends.

Think about this:  Risks are the stuff that faith is made from.

Take some Risks

Jim