I have been that son more times than I can count. And God has been that Father each and every time. I am blessed, indeed, with such a dad! 
Monday, April 30, 2012
The stumbling, bumbling prodigal
I have been that son more times than I can count. And God has been that Father each and every time. I am blessed, indeed, with such a dad!
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Who Stole my Joy?
Ever have someone "steal" your joy? Ever have a situation steal your joy?
"Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. John 16:22
Could this really be true? Once we've seen the resurrected Christ, no one can steal our joy? Surely this can't mean that "no one will take your joy away," can it? If you're anything like me, people steal my joy all the time. And I've met the resurrected Christ. So what gives?
I'd like to suggest that no one actually steals my joy. I give it away. I choose to take my eyes of the amazing gospel that is taking me to where God wants me. And I choose instead to put those eyes on the bothersome or evil person that has "stolen" my joy. Instead of setting my mind, my heart, on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, I set my mind and heart on what I'm not getting that I want, or what I'm getting that I don't want. And away goes my joy.
James puts it another way: "Count it all joy," he writes, "when you face a variety of trials." Count them joy? Count stuff I don't like as joy? James goes on: "because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." Did you catch that? There is an eternal purpose that God is pursuing in my life with each trial I face. James tells me not to just see the trial, but to also see the eternal purpose that God is intending.
So no more giving my joy away. No more allowing trials to knock joy out of my hands. I've seen the resurrected Christ. And because God raised Him from the dead, I know that God's promises to me are just as sure as can be.
Father, it is so easy to get into pity parties over the trials that people and situations are to me. Help me see the work you're trying to do in my life through those trials. Help me see your faithfulness as a Father to grow me up. Let me shine joy, even in the worst of times. For your glory. For your reputation.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
The G.I.G.O. Video
In my last TG post, I gave you the lyrics our Keno Afield 2010 Team came up with for our VBS "theme song." Well, here in all their glory, is G.I.G.O. . . Enjoy. We did.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
G.I.G.O.
The following are lyrics to a song that the KenoAfield 2010 Team wrote to help teach kids the principles of their Purify to Glorify Vacation Bible School curriculum. I hope to post a video soon of us singing it. Garbage in, garbage out
What comes in is what goes out
Good stuff in, good stuff out
What's poured in soaks throughout
What comes in is what goes out
Good stuff in, good stuff out
What's poured in soaks throughout
Don't take the bad stuff, it's no good
Only the things God says you should
tune your thoughts to God on high
Guard your heart, we'll tell you why
Only the things God says you should
tune your thoughts to God on high
Guard your heart, we'll tell you why
Garbage in, garbage out
What comes in is what goes out
Good stuff in, good stuff out
What's poured in soaks throughout
What comes in is what goes out
Good stuff in, good stuff out
What's poured in soaks throughout
Guard your heart so you can see
What an awesome God our God can be
but If you don't you'll someday shout
"How sad I lived that life of doubt"
What an awesome God our God can be
but If you don't you'll someday shout
"How sad I lived that life of doubt"
Garbage in, garbage out
What comes in is what goes out
Good stuff in, good stuff out
What's poured in soaks throughout
What's poured in soaks throughout
What comes in is what goes out
Good stuff in, good stuff out
What's poured in soaks throughout
What's poured in soaks throughout
Father, you alone can see how our hearts and minds have been influenced by our intake over the course of our lives. Open our eyes to help us see the lies, half-truths, and folly that continues to hinder our lives, and continues to hurt those you've placed around us. Help us see the truth and wisdom that needs to supplant those false and foolish ideas, theories, beliefs, and opinions, that we may clean out our hearts and minds.
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