A Day in A Life

A day in Golden Gate Park with their kid, nephew and a family friend culminated with the five of them coming out of the tunnel and standing on the edge of Stanyan and Haight: Humans, everywhere, every kind, and lot’s of them. The day had been a family affair of picnicking, paddle boats, merry go rounds, snacks, trips down memory lane, and several exhortations from the husband and wife on the need to deal with this God-man, Jesus Christ. With four of the five in the group secured in their eternal destiny, the nephew found himself, once again, in deep dialogue about God, Jesus, evil, the Devil and all other topics related to this thing called Christianity. The nephew had been visiting for a good 10 days and each night before bed would come a question, for example: “why Jesus”, or “Is Jesus really the only one?”, or “Is the Devil real” (That last one was easy…..!).
Standing at Haight and Stanyon the group looked across and saw numerous middle eastern looking gentlemen mingling just outside McDonald’s (McDonald’s in the Haight……what a great juxtaposition). The family cruised by and saw the men with tracts in their hands……tracts promoting Islam. Hhmmmm thought the husband, looks like a great chance to witness, but they sauntered on by because stomachs were growling and coffee was sought. After a small stint up Haight, chowing pizza and grabbing some iced jo the family made there way back toward the Park. The Muslims were scattered about handing out tracts, one area of interest came to the husband’s attention, conveniently outside Amoeba Music. The Five were walking past as a vocal man was engaged in what appeared to be a monologue against the Muslim man……the husband stopped, smiled, inclined his ear, saw a twinkle in the wife’s eye, pivoted and returned to the monologue.
As this man continued his monologue he continued to proclaim that Buddhism gives him his avenue to know himself better, and that mathematics do not allow for the type of universe that most people think there is. He formed circles with his fingers, questioned western thought, continued to demonstrate that mathematics will solve it all and certainly Islam was just another way to figure one self out. The husband continued to listen, the Muslim interjecting the need for a God and truth……San Francisco the bastion of relativism……

Husband: “John 14:6 states that Jesus claimed that he is the way , the truth and the life, and that no one comes to the Father except through the Son.” How do you deal with that?
Buddhist: I don’t believe he said that
Muslim: Jesus is a prophet, but not God

Husband: No, how do you deal with it?
Muslim: What do you mean?
Buddhist: Yeah, what do you mean?

Husband: History is clear that the Gospels are accurate, historically and linguistically

Buddhist and Muslim: yes

Husband: What are you going to do with Jesus; you are forced to make a decision about him. He cannot be whisked away.
Buddhist: I don’t think I believe it
Muslim: Jesus was a prophet, but he was not God

Husband: He said he was God; what say you.

It is at this point that the wife jumps in and the Spirit moves as she testifies to the healing, restorative powers of Jesus Christ; personal testimony of powerful transformation. The wife and the Buddhist go back and forth, the daughter tells the Muslim that Jesus is God and at some point the Muslim went mute; he made no more comments and was side tracked by another woman who was questioning his faith. It was divine that the Muslim’s voice was no longer heard as the Buddhist ranted on about the persecution his people endured and why they did not belong in this country and how Christianity was jammed down their throat……..oh, okay, the anger is coming out thought the husband. Bitterness and hurt……right……..find your inner chi and get balanced. Yes, must look within and find your balance.

The wife continued to testify and he listened, he wanted to speak, but he too was muted and listened. A glance around saw numerous people gathering to listen to the dialogue; hungry people, thirsty people. The husband spoke to him that God came out of eternity for the sake of their eternal souls. And so he listened and he relayed that his mom was Christian but he couldn’t deal with it. But, he said, no one had ever talked to him about Jesus the way the couple had (sad, thought the husband). He wanted to talk more, as long as the husband would listen to him. Of course, the husband said. All the Buddhist wanted was to be heard, he ached, it was clear, he wanted to be heard, to know that people wanted to hear him……a heart aching to be healed. Husband gave the man his number: “call me”; I will he said. A man in search of himself, looking inward rather than outward; defeated and hurt he knew only what he himself could understand.

Three young men, boys really, screamed at the group that the key to life was money and dope. The Buddhist and Muslim tried to shut the spokesman for the boys down. No, the husband and wife say, let them express. Husband walks over to boy, shakes his hand and welcomes him into dialogue….he goes mute, just kind of looks dazed that he would be acknowledged. It was no coincidence that people went mute, greater men have been silenced by the Spirit (Zechariah, for one, who questioned the Creator).

Back to the park and into the car; the kids got a great view of spiritual warfare in action. They thought it was cool; the husband and wife just smiled; it was another day on the frontlines of kingdom serving.

Waiting for a phone call……praying for the nephew.....God is good, all the time; all the time, God is good.
Lesson from the Creator: The Gospel will always be heard when His people obey and do His will (Matthew 28: 19-20).

The Botox Church

A good read on a subject that needs addressing:

http://www.worldviewweekend.com/secure/cwnetwork/article.php?ArticleID=380

My guess is that I could find each of these sayings in the Proverbs, just with different words. Enjoy this glorious day that the Creator has brought us!

An Old Farmer's Advice:
* Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.
* Keep skunks and bankers and lawyers at a distance.
* Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.
* A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.
* Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled.
* Meanness don't jes' happen overnight.
* Forgive your enemies. It messes up their heads.
* Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.
* It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.
* You cannot unsay a cruel word.
* Every path has a few puddles.
* When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.
* The best sermons are lived, not preached.
* Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway.
* Don't judge folks by their relatives.
* Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
* Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time.
* Don't interfere with somethin' that ain't botherin' you none. * Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.
* If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.
* Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.
* The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin'."
* Always drink upstream from the herd.
* Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.
* Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in.
* If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around.
* Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

A sweet smell

God is the aroma of sweet perfumed air,
Honeysuckle sweet with a joy so replete……
Abounding love and grace.


I, who sin is alive and at odds with the Spirit who dwells in me, at war with the very son of God, Jesus, who lives in my heart. For my flesh devours all that it sees; to claim as much as it can, like a voracious dictator that sees only his own glory and exultation.

But, the Spirit of the living God is royal and strong and it subdues the flesh, when and only when, the mind and heart of that flesh chooses not the will of the dictator but the will of Him who sent Jesus to Palestine; allowed his death, burial and resurrection. No, that death was not by any means, but by the cruelest of all means (even by today’s standards). All this so that we may see that our God is not beyond the understanding of our suffering. He took the nails, the scourge, the crown, the Cross, the ridicule, all that was destined for our souls and set us free from the tyranny of the dictator of sin. A paradox: such a violent act, yet the most liberating act of all time. Sweetness wafts from the ash heap, like a perfumed incense filling the nostrils of our LORD. Pleasing to Him is the desecration of our flesh, for He knows that we have acknowledged Him as Lord and Savior.

We may say that America has been a great liberator of peoples who lived under tyranny, but Christ liberated all-once and for all- from the bondage of hate, greed, selfishness, insolence and rebellion. The brutality of doing it on your own, or the act of succumbing to the One who pointed the Way. Oh, what a great release this act is, only to find that the battle has just begun! Oh flesh! What good do you have with me…..

A mournful passing

Greetings in the name of the Lord!

Below is "my" rant today, but I do not claim authorship, I am merely copying and pasting and letting it fly.......God bless you all today!


He's GoneToday we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Mr. Common Sense. Mr. Sense had been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old hewas since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such value lessons as knowingwhen to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm and thatlife isn't always fair. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend morethan you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not kids, are incharge).His health began to rapidly deteriorate when well intentioned, butoverbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing aclassmate, teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch, anda teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student. This only worsened his condition.Mr. Sense declined even further when schools were required to get parentalconsent to administer aspirin to a student, but could not inform the parentswhen a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.Finally, Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandmentsbecame contraband; churches became businesses; criminals receivedbetter treatment than their victims.Common Sense finally gave up the ghost after a woman failed to realize thata steaming cup of coffee was hot; she spilled a bit in her lap, and wasawarded a huge financial settlement.Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust, hiswife, Discretion, his daughter, Responsibility, and his son, Reason. He is survived by two stepbrothers; My Rights and Ima Whiner.Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.If you still remember him, pass this on; if not, join the majority and donothing.

Greetings!

Hello
This is my first attempt at blogging and it is a pleasure to have a blog dedicated to the One who is the Creator of all things good! As we survey the wondrous creation each morning let's not forget who made it, who continues to reveal Himself in the created world and us, who were placed here for His purpose to worship Him and make Him known to the world.

Each new day is a day to rejoice, for we are given another opportunity to be ambassadors for Christ; for you who do not know him yet, it is another day to seek him, for he is there waiting patiently for your invitation, that he may enter your heart and begin a good work in you!

Gazing at the setting sun over the Pacific I am reminded that this vast island home of ours is a special place. A place where we discover more about ourselves, a place where we our uniquely situated to view much of the goings on of the Milky Way and other galaxies. Yet our place in this galaxy is situated in a safe have of the large spiral arms of the galaxy, away from the tumultuous oceans of supernovae, yet nicely situated in the galaxy to view them.

The created order is evident in every facet of life, and we are blessed this day to live in it. I welcome your input and thoughts.

Struggle brings us closer to dependence and relationship with God