sharpens...

When I was in school there were several classes that Sonya and I took together. That always made them better classes... it made study so much better... so much easier... I was thinking about that today... wondering why it was easier when we studied together than it was when I took a class alone... NO! It was not because Sonya did all the work... read the books... wrote the papers... etc. We both did our own work in those areas. The way it was most beneficial was in studying for tests... as we quizzed each other and worked on the material we learned the information more effectively - even easier ourselves.

I don't know if you have any experiences that are like that. I don't know if you've ever thought about it or not. This is true for all of us because God designed us to learn better with someone.

As we get close to a new year... as we look back at the last year... as we dream and plan for the future... spend some time thinking about how you have grown this year. Would you like to grow even more next year? If the answer is yes... these wise words from a wise father will be especially meaningful... and helpful - "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

What a difference it makes in our lives... in our growth when we have someone (or two) to walk on the journey together. Someone who will help us grow... someone we can help grow.

Today... spend some time looking back.
Today... spend some time looking ahead.
Today... find someone to help sharpen you and someone you can help sharpen!

it'll do... WILL IT?

How many times have you said it? How many times have you heard it? It is not exactly what I wanted... expected... hoped for... planned for... worked for, but it'll do. I hate settling! Sure there are times when it is OK.

At the car wash the other day I was struck - the attendant said we needed to go back through because the bugs on the front of our Suburban were still pretty bad. I said, "it'll do." He said, "are you sure? It will be no problem." "Naw, it will be fine," I replied. It really was no problem.

I did not think about it again, until the thought hit me yesterday - How often do you just settle... just get by... simply say - it'll do? There are some times when this is a tragic statement to make:

My marriage is not all it could be. It is not all I want, or we need for it to be... but it'll do. YIKES!

My relationship with my children has been neglected... it's not terrible, but it is not as good as I want and they NEED for it to be, but it'll do. CAUTION!

My level of performance at work is slipping. It's not that I'm not doing anything... I'm just not doing anything very well, but it'll do. TROUBLE!

We could go on and on... but let's just take time for one more: My relationship with God just does not seem to be very strong.

My discipleship has wavered... my desire is weak... my faith is faltering... Sure, there are lots of people who have abandoned ship, but that's not me. I'm better than most folks. I try to do right. I show up for church. I go through the motions. I even put on a good show occasionally. It's not all it needs to be... I want it to be... God wants it to be, but it'll do.

WHY SETTLE? Sure there are times and subjects that it may be fine. But in the ones mentioned above (along with several more aspects of our lives) we have got to quit settling, quit just getting by, quit saying, it'll do!

Today, make a decision... take some action... seek some help... find someone to hold you accountable... and give your best. Give your best to your family... and especially to God.

what's this all about...

Do you ever forget... forget what you are doing... forget why you are doing it? Several times in our running all over town looking for Christmas gifts we would get side tracked talking about what else we needed to get... where else we needed to go... one time we even left the store... purchases in hand... pulled out of the parking lot... then it hit me - we did not even get the gift we came here for.

Yesterday I realized how easy it is to foget that this season... this time of year... Christmas is about remembering God's amazing (stop and think about how amazing it really is that God became flesh!) gift... that Christmas is about us becoming more like God... God is a giver and when we sacrifice... when we give... we look like our father.

With all of the lists... the shopping... the wrapping... the parties... the traveling... it is way too easy to forget who we are... what we are about... WHO really matters... and our journey of becoming more like Jesus.

Today... Lord, my desire is to be like You - thanks for coming... for serving... for teaching... for dying... for being raised... for life... THANKS!

Today... Remember!

holding your breath...

How long can you hold your breath? Have you ever seen someone hold their breath until they passed out? Have you ever talked or sung until you just could not say another word without taking a breath?

How long do you go without breathing in the breath of God? This week my "quiet times" have been especially helpful - maybe for this reason - I have really focussed on stopping... being still... exhaling everything that is going on... that bothers me... and breathing deeply... letting the word of God come in and re-oxygenate my blood supply.

Just a qiuck note...

Today... breathe. Stop... read... pray... be still... listen!