Filter Through Life

Here are a few photos from the recent flooding near my workplace.

That ain’t no little tree.

Neither are these.

Let’s play “Where’s Waldo”…with a bridge.

Caution!  Ark Crossing!

If you look closely you will see that the sign reads “Danger”.  Ya think?!?

When my folks bought a home a few years back there was one of those old school dishes in the back yard.  I am not talking about the Millennium Falcon type dish that you see on houses now.  Now, this is one of those 5-6 feet wide satellite dishes that can pick up a signal from Sputnik 1.  What on Earth can you do with that?  Take a look.

I think that is pretty darn creative.  And you know, God is creative.  Look around you.  Take a look at all the colors in the foliage on the Earth.  Look at all the different animals.  Now take a look at what He has done with people.  We are each and every one unique and beautiful.  I think that is pretty cool and creative.  Our God, an awesome God.

So, a lot of these are dumb but just you try not to laugh…just try it.

Q. What kind of man was Boaz before he married Ruth?
A. Ruthless.
 
Q. What do they call pastors in Germany ?
A. German Shepherds.
 
Q. Who was the greatest financier in the Bible?
A. Noah He was floating his stock while
 everyone else was in liquidation.
 
Q. Who was the greatest female financier in the Bible?
A. Pharaoh’s daughter.  She went down to the bank of the Nile and drew out a
little prophet.
 
Q. What kind of motor vehicles are in the Bible?
A. Jehovah drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden in a Fury.
  David’s Triumph was heard throughout the land.
 Also, probably a Honda, because the apostles were all in one Accord..
 
Q.. Who was the greatest comedian in the Bible?
A. Samson. He brought the house down.
 
Q. What excuse did Adam give to his children
as to why he no longer lived in Eden ?
A. Your mother ate us out of house and home.

Q. Which servant of God was the most
flagrant lawbreaker in the Bible?
A. Moses.  He broke all 10 commandments at once. 
  

Whether we realize it or not the Lord is always working in us.  Sometimes He uses a small, still whisper, sometimes a nudge.  Sometimes He uses a gut-check or a swift kick in the pants.  In my case He tends to use all of the above.  I was born a bit hard of hearing so I use that as my excuse as to why I don’t hear the small still voice.  I am short and stocky, pretty solid on my feet so a nudge just doesn’t work.  I have had problems with my stomach since I was 19…You get the picture.  Unfortunately I usually need a swift kick in the pants.

Last night I was reading in the Bible.  I had finished with Hebrews and wasn’t really sure what I wanted to read or where God was directing me.  You see, I am still wet behind the ears in figuring out the whole bible study thing, but I am getting better.  Anyway, I decided I would just go in order.  Next up, James.  WOW!!!

I read James 1 and 2 last night.  Everything I have been even thinking the Lord wanted to deal with me about is in there: wisdom; my tongue; faith.  What a great book.  I felt like I had the wind knocked out of me only to take the best breath of air I have taken in years.  I learned that I have a forked tongue at times.  I learned that if I can control my tongue I can control all of me.  Isn’t that exciting?  If I just begin to control how I speak about myself, about others and in general, I will take a huge step in controlling my foolish actions.  Seriously, I am excited.  Read here in James 3: 2 “For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.” I was so excited that I got out of bed 30 minutes early so I could spend extra time with God and reading those chapters again.  For those of you that know me, you know that’s gotta be good news!!!

Unless you have been living under a rock you have heard that a live-action Transformers movie is coming out.  Chances are you have even seen a commercial or trailer for the film.  I have seen them all.  I am a total geek so I have sat on comingsoon.net for half an hour watching them all.  Most of them just retread the same old footage we’ve already seen.  Not this one!  Check it out.  I am totally Jazzed!  Get it?  Jazzed?  Jazz, he’s a Transfor…ahh, never mind.  Just watch.

It has been pointed out to me that I have a rare fervor for food.  I love eating.  It is one of my favorite activities…and it shows.  My friend Chad is going to be moving down from Smalltown, USA in the coming weeks.  He had nominated me as his official food guide for Austin. 

Maybe Chad will skip this one.  He recently posted a “Dave Post”.  His readership increased exponentially.  I didn’t tell him that I go to his blog every hour so it will bump his stats.  Just trying to be a friend, you know?

Okay, I am just kidding.  I just wanted to thank him for posting about me, now twice.  It is flattering.  He is a good dude.  To all of my loyal reader (no I didn’t mispell that).  Check out his blog.  It’s fun.  It’s poignant.  It’s relative.  It’s my friends.

Someone shared this with me at work so I thought I’d pass it along.  My gums hurt it’s so sweet…

Come with me to a third grade classroom….. There is a nine-year-old kid sitting at his desk and all of a sudden, there is a puddle between his feet and the front of his pants are wet. He thinks his heart is going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this has happened. It’s never happened before, and he knows that when the boys find out he will never hear the end of it. When the girls find out, they’ll never speak to him again as long as he lives. The boy believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his head down and prays this prayer, “Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes from now I’m dead meat.”

How often do you hear about a friend in need?  How often do you hear from your friend that they are in need of a miracle, or at least some serious prayer?  If your friend is a dude you probably don’t hear it very often.  If you do hear about it then the situation is probably pretty urgent.  So tell your friend, “I’ll pray for you” or “I’ll put you on my prayer list.”  That is great!  We need to pray for people.  We need to pray for people all the time, not just when they are in a desperate situation. 

I had dinner the other night with my wife, my pastor and his wife, and my new friend and partner in ministry and his wife.  We talked briefly about this.  We thought it a bit curious that the most immediate response is usually, “I’ll put you on my list.”  As followers of Christ, our most immediate response should be, “let me help you”, or “how can I help you?”  Jesus was and is a man of action.  When the disciples came to Jesus because they couldn’t exercise the demon He didn’t say He would pray for them.  He kicked that demon in the pants and told them how it was done.  When the woman with the possessed daughter came to Him He didn’t say, “I’ll put you on my prayer list.”  He told her she had great faith ‘cause she kept pestering Him and He healed her daughter.  And when the thief on the cross  asked Jesus to remember him, He just flat out told Him, “…today you will be with me in paradise.”  Action dude, action.

A few years ago I had some severe financial problems.  I called up a man from my former church for prayer and advice.  I considered, and still consider this man to be a very godly man.  However, when he told me that sometimes God allows us to fall flat on our face I was a bit upset.  When he told me God might allow me to go further into debt or possibly loose my truck and ruin my credit I was very distraught.  But he said he would pray for me.  I wasn’t asking him for money, just prayer and advice.  What I felt like I got was a paper-cut across my heart. 

I got off the phone and called one of the most godly and prayerful women in the world, my aunt.  She immediately said, “You go bind those words!”  She went on to explain that God does not want us in debt.  God wants victory for us!  How awesome is that?  I said aloud, “I bind those words in the name of Jesus Christ.”  It was like Bactine on my paper-cut, instant cleansing.  Well, an unexpected sum of money came in within the next few days and I was free and clear.  As a matter of fact, I have only had a few more issues in that area.  Jesus really does deliver.

My point is, when a friend (like I said, especially a dude) asks you to pray for him, pray for him and with him.  But, take a minute to listen to the voice of the Lord.  Are you the answer to your prayer for your friend?  What can Jesus do through you to help?  Are you willing to put yourself into a bind to help someone out of theirs?  That’s tough.

Yesterday was Father’s Day.  It is apparently the number one day for collect calls.  Still expecting Dad to pick up the tap even as adults, huh?  He is always good for that.  Pastor’s wife (we’ll call her Kandy) preached yesterday.  I thought it apropos given our wives probably have the best look at we men as fathers (or fathers-to-be).

Kandy spoke about connecting with her father.  She really held it together.  I could see just talking about her Dad moved her.  I doubt my Dad knows it but every time I talk about him and the kind of man he is I get a bit misty.  Our Dads should be our heroes.  Kandy’s Dad seems to be her hero.  My Dad is my hero. 

As great as we think our Dads are, how much greater is our Father in Heaven.  Without Him we wouldn’t have our Dads OR Moms to admire.  So next time you talk about your Dad, think about your Father-God and how great He really is and try not to get a little misty.