Wanna see me get mad?

If you want to see the preacher get mad mess with my kids. Not the kind of junk that happens at school (though I don't like that either) but as an adult, mess with my kids. Hurt them. Call them names. Make faces at them. Pretend that they aren't good enough for you. Abuse them. Go ahead, make my day.

I'm a pretty relaxed, easy going, non-violent kind of guy. But don't mess with my kids. If you beat up my son you better have a big dad. If you hurt my daughter ...you better have an army. Cause' I'll be the judge, jury and executioner, (this is why I'm not a cop! - don't have the temperament for it!).

Don't you feel like this? Mess with me, no big deal. Mess with my kids... game on. It brings something kinda ugly and sinister deep from within me. Even sitting here writing I'm agitated thinking of something happening to one of my kids. As a follower of Christ I'm sure I'd apologize and ask for forgiveness... after. As a father - watch out.

This is the picture of God I see in the book (at least the first 16 chapters or so) of Isaiah. All these nations have beat up on the Israelites for awhile and God can't take it anymore. Yea, they started it. They sinned and followed other gods and did things they weren't supposed to but they've paid for that... and now God is angry. You Ammonites and Philistines and Moabites and Egyptians, get ready. Prepare yourselves, if you can. Because you've messed with the wrong child. You've stirred the wrong nest. You took the wrong toy, from the wrong kid and now you're gonna pay.

This is the picture of God that is seen quite often in the Old Testament. But only after punishment has been dealt. After the consequences for foolish desires and actions have been taken care of, Dad gets involved.

Here's the deal with your Heavenly Father. He wants what is best for you, whether you do or not. If you mess up, you have to pay the price for your choice, for your sin, for your silly decision. But after that, God is gonna get involved. So, hold your head up. Smile at the bully. Walk with some pride. Because you know something they don't... Your Dad is ALWAYS the biggest.

Thank you Father for the discipline... and the defense.

a Word from our Sponsor... Conspiracy.

Isaiah 8

Just a short reminder this cool morning from the lips of God through Isaiah the Prophet.

12 "Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear,and do not dread it.13 The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread,14 and he will be a sanctuary;

There are lots and lots of ideas swimming around right now about world governments, including our own. Viruses and death. Wars and drugs and poverty. And there is always someone to blame. Always someone who knows more then they are saying. Always just enough hidden that the rest of us wonder what "it" really is.

But for Isaiah it was pretty clear. Outright war. Pain and death and famine.

But God's simple trust is to not fear or dread what others do. The Lord Almighty is the only one to fear - but He does not choose to be feared, in contrast, He is a sanctuary. I find no comfort in our government. No peace in the system. No justice in the law. But Peace. Justice. And comfort abound in the hands of the Lord.

Like the commercial says, why worry about disaster? Your in Good Hands...

Monday, Monday...

What a good Monday. Took the day off (pretty much) and stayed in. After the hiccup attack that started late Friday night and lasted all day Saturday, all day Sunday (though God gave a respite during the 35 min message) and only a bit this morning, I am sore but feel pretty good.

We had a great Sunday morning at Real Life and the rest today was very welcome. I painted and finished putting hardware on the coat rack I built last winter. I have washed, folded and put away about 5 loads of laundry (the washer/dryer are still going!) and I got some dishes done. Now, don't go beating your husband over the head, he probably had to work today. And since my wife teaches full-time, is taking 12 hours of graduate studies, leads worship at Real Life and still makes dinner and loves on the kids (and me!). So, I'm just doing my part.

But it was so nice to relax and enjoy a quite day at the homestead. Thank you God for days like this. For my family. For Real Life. For wi-fi and for a day of rest.

Now, it's on to football!

Sometimes it's the little things

It started on Thursday evening, a friend, who hadn't talked to her son for some time was praying and asking God to lead him to call. Do you know what happened? He called, of course. And while on the phone he not only shared what was going on with him, he quoted Bible verses to his folks. You just have no idea how big this is. God can, if we allow Him, use what we believe are terrible situations to actually bring us and others closer to Himself. Thank you Lord for answering that prayer!

Thursday night while my friend was on the phone, I was getting sick! Terrible sinus infection and horrible sore-throat. After not sleeping much Thursday night I took Trent to school and decided to head to the Dr's office and see if I could politely force myself into an unscheduled appointment. I prayed on the way to his office, "God, please let them have an opening for me." I usually pray for that stuff, but I felt really bad and was not looking forward to a Sunday morning feeling like that! So I walked into the office and asked the receptionist if there was any way the Dr. could fit me in. She said "good luck" and began to look over his schedule. A moment later she says, "you're not going to believe this, but he just had a 9am cancel" (it was 10 min till 9). I just smiled and said, "I believe it."

I then got to spend the rest of the day at the office working on the message for this Sunday. One of the passages we will look at is the story of the Apostle Peter getting out of the boat and walking with Jesus on the water in the middle of the sea of Galilee during a big storm.
We often think the safest place is in the boat of our comfort, in the boat of our lives that we have built in order to weather the storms of life and see us safely to the other side of eternity. The problem is that we can't get there on our own, by our own power, smarts or abilities. We have to be willing to get out of the boat, to experience the storms of life with Jesus, relying on Him and not on our own "boat."

So, ditch the boat, test the water and see if Jesus doesn't reach out his hand and see you through the storm.

An interesting morning... decisions/consequences

So, Trent had an appointment with the developmental Specialist today in Wichita. What started out as a routine question/answer time quickly lots more interesting when I decided to make the statement, "so, health care is going to get fixed soon I hear." 30 minutes later we had discussed Fox News (of which her husband is a fan) and the fact that her son is writing a major paper for school (some college) on bias in the media and whether they are aware of it or not. She actually took notes on my comments to share with him! A Dr. taking notes on what I had to say about how we behave and act and what truth is. Probably the best Dr's Appointment I have ever been to!

Once we left the Dr. Trent and I headed out to find a Sonic so that he could get some popcorn chicken (thank you Lord for Sonic serving a full menu all day! Trent has to have chicken and doesn't understand why you can't get chicken at McDonald's before 10:30am!).

So I called Andi and asked for the closest Sonic and she reminded me of the one at 21st and K96 - we headed there. While in the drive-thru waiting (forever) for the chicken the guy behind us pulls forward and rams us! That's right! Several cars in the line waiting for their food and he just let's his foot off the brake! Well, I can't get out cause I'm pinned in by the building and he's making frantic "I can't believe I just did that! Just one more stupid thing..." faces and gestures to pull ahead when we can.

Well, we get out food and pull out of the way and I go look at the bumper and the guy is visibly shaken and frustrated by what he has done. Turns out his wife is at the Surgery Center down the road and he just had too many things on his mind. No damage to the Focus so I just said, "no worries" shook his hand told him it happens to everybody and left... much to his surprise and delight (I'm sure - cause I could have been a jerk about it!).

Every decision, every choice we make carries a consequence.
I decided to breech the politic issue with the Dr. and had a great conversation with her about people that may end up helping her son with a paper he's writing... every other time it's "thanks for coming see you in three months."
I decided to go to the 21st street Sonic for chicken - where I go hit by another car.
I decided to live like I claim to believe and let a guy that was obviously dealing with much more important things breath a bit easier, instead of adding an insurance issue for him to deal with.
I decided not to tell him that I was a follower of Christ (not a conscious decision but a decision none-the-less) and just let him off of the hook without explaining that when Jesus died for me I had done much more than scratch a plastic bumper, and He not only let me off He promised me eternal life!

While driving away and kicking myself I hoped that he saw the Real Life window sticker on my car (in the 5+ min he had to wait behind me in the drive-thru line) and maybe that will click with him, have an impact on him plant some sort of seed with him.

My prayer this week has been that I would SEE GOD more in the every day and that by seeing Him I would come to know Him MORE and Love Him BETTER. I think I'm on my way.