http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2010-04-21-tim-tebow_N.htm
I am continually amazed at Tim Tebow and his steadfastness, vision and integrity as a young person who is under intense scrutiny from the media as they HOPE THAT HE FAILS.
My favorite comment from this article is: "The NFL is not the end for me; it is a means to an end. It gives me a platform to make a difference, hopefully, for the next generation".
Tim Tebow...may you stand firm and become the greatest quarterback of all times...SO THAT...God may receive the glory.
Blessed to be a blessing,
tm
Monday, April 26, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
A Trunk, A Roller Bag, A Carry On and a Back Pack
You ever thought about what you would do for God?
I mean like...REALLY thought about it?
Take a look around at all the "stuff" that you prize, that you value, that you love. That 52" flat screen (ok I'm dreaming here), the truck with the heated seats, the "chair" (you guys know what I mean), your books (ok alot of you guys don't know what I mean here), your house, golf clubs, fishing stuff, hunting stuff (yes, hunting stuff), cool John Deere lawn mower, 43 purses, pictures, piano, bedroom suite that took the wife six months to pick out and then find just the right stuff to go with it and all those special things that you have worked so hard for and EARNED!
Ok so you got that? Let's expand it a little. How about your kids stuff? Their collection of stuffed animals, all those shoes, shoes, shoes (if you have girls), xbox live, wii, super nintendo, four wheelers, bicycles, basketball goal, closet full of toys, rock collection (ha), white wicker bedroom furniture, camo bedding and beautiful mount of that first duck or deer killed. Oh yes, and clothes....clothes for church, clothes for school, hot weather clothes, cold weather clothes, gloves, caps, scarfs, winter coats, fall coats, warm socks, cool socks, dresses, jeans, slacks, ties (well, maybe not ties), and on and on.
Got your arms around your family's stuff? Let's think a little broader than that. Picture your best friend in the entire world...or your 3 best friends (if you are that lucky). Think about your friends at church, from ball games, from work, from just around town. How about family? Got any family? Think about them...grandmas, grandpas, dads and moms, paw paws and maw maws, aunts and uncles, cousins...family.
Oh yes and lest I forget...think about all that STUFF that we ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY MUST DO with our kids. You know what I mean. Stuff that they can't live without. Stuff that defines who they are. Stuff that occupies every empty space on our calendar. Yep...that's it...sports. Baseball games, basketball games, softball games, football games, cheerleading, gymnastics, dance, recitals...stuff that rules our lives...our children's lives...that becomes our FOCUS.
But, doesn't it all become our FOCUS...the STUFF?
Now...you got the picture? So, select from that the choicest items. The real valuables. Those things that you can fit into "A Trunk, A Roller Bag, A Carry On, and a Back Pack".
Select them carefully. The rest you will leave behind. What would you take?
Better yet, what would you need to fulfill God's purpose for your life?
I have watched and listened again this week with my family and saw and heard their thoughts as another set of our friends has turned all their "STUFF" over to the Master. The Master...who has called them to go to another part of the world to tell the Good News of Jesus Christ...who has called them, just like He called the first disciples in Matthew 4, to abandon it all for the sake of the call (a great 4Him song). The Master...who has asked them to take all their "STUFF"...and narrow it down to A Trunk, A Roller Bag, A Carry On and a Back Pack...and begin an adventure with Him...for Him...for those that haven't heard.
Could you do it?
Russ and Jennifer...Emily and Kate and Sarah are. James and Marci...Taylor, Emily and Micah have. Could you? Could I?
As my daughter Abby watched Emily and Kate sort through their stuffed animals, their shoes (especially their shoes) she expressed with sad honesty what many of us would say if we told the truth, "I couldn't do that".
But couldn't we really? Couldn't we give up this STUFF which fades so quickly for the Kingdom...for the King...for the One who gave it ALL for us...who stepped down from the riches of Heaven to live as a servant and die a bloody, cruel death. Couldn't we?
Couldn't we if we trusted Phillipians 4:13 which we all love to claim when we need help?
Couldn't we if we could just catch a glimpse of who God really is?
I believe we could.
Let's not hold so tightly to the stuff...and hold more tightly to the promises of God and His plan for our lives. Thanks Russ, Jennifer, James and Marci for reminding us of the truly important things in life...God's will and God's plan for us and our children.
You can do it with only a little STUFF...enough to fit in A Trunk, A Roller Bag, A Carry On and a Back Pack.
Blessed to be a blessing,
tm
I mean like...REALLY thought about it?
Take a look around at all the "stuff" that you prize, that you value, that you love. That 52" flat screen (ok I'm dreaming here), the truck with the heated seats, the "chair" (you guys know what I mean), your books (ok alot of you guys don't know what I mean here), your house, golf clubs, fishing stuff, hunting stuff (yes, hunting stuff), cool John Deere lawn mower, 43 purses, pictures, piano, bedroom suite that took the wife six months to pick out and then find just the right stuff to go with it and all those special things that you have worked so hard for and EARNED!
Ok so you got that? Let's expand it a little. How about your kids stuff? Their collection of stuffed animals, all those shoes, shoes, shoes (if you have girls), xbox live, wii, super nintendo, four wheelers, bicycles, basketball goal, closet full of toys, rock collection (ha), white wicker bedroom furniture, camo bedding and beautiful mount of that first duck or deer killed. Oh yes, and clothes....clothes for church, clothes for school, hot weather clothes, cold weather clothes, gloves, caps, scarfs, winter coats, fall coats, warm socks, cool socks, dresses, jeans, slacks, ties (well, maybe not ties), and on and on.
Got your arms around your family's stuff? Let's think a little broader than that. Picture your best friend in the entire world...or your 3 best friends (if you are that lucky). Think about your friends at church, from ball games, from work, from just around town. How about family? Got any family? Think about them...grandmas, grandpas, dads and moms, paw paws and maw maws, aunts and uncles, cousins...family.
Oh yes and lest I forget...think about all that STUFF that we ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY MUST DO with our kids. You know what I mean. Stuff that they can't live without. Stuff that defines who they are. Stuff that occupies every empty space on our calendar. Yep...that's it...sports. Baseball games, basketball games, softball games, football games, cheerleading, gymnastics, dance, recitals...stuff that rules our lives...our children's lives...that becomes our FOCUS.
But, doesn't it all become our FOCUS...the STUFF?
Now...you got the picture? So, select from that the choicest items. The real valuables. Those things that you can fit into "A Trunk, A Roller Bag, A Carry On, and a Back Pack".
Select them carefully. The rest you will leave behind. What would you take?
Better yet, what would you need to fulfill God's purpose for your life?
I have watched and listened again this week with my family and saw and heard their thoughts as another set of our friends has turned all their "STUFF" over to the Master. The Master...who has called them to go to another part of the world to tell the Good News of Jesus Christ...who has called them, just like He called the first disciples in Matthew 4, to abandon it all for the sake of the call (a great 4Him song). The Master...who has asked them to take all their "STUFF"...and narrow it down to A Trunk, A Roller Bag, A Carry On and a Back Pack...and begin an adventure with Him...for Him...for those that haven't heard.
Could you do it?
Russ and Jennifer...Emily and Kate and Sarah are. James and Marci...Taylor, Emily and Micah have. Could you? Could I?
As my daughter Abby watched Emily and Kate sort through their stuffed animals, their shoes (especially their shoes) she expressed with sad honesty what many of us would say if we told the truth, "I couldn't do that".
But couldn't we really? Couldn't we give up this STUFF which fades so quickly for the Kingdom...for the King...for the One who gave it ALL for us...who stepped down from the riches of Heaven to live as a servant and die a bloody, cruel death. Couldn't we?
Couldn't we if we trusted Phillipians 4:13 which we all love to claim when we need help?
Couldn't we if we could just catch a glimpse of who God really is?
I believe we could.
Let's not hold so tightly to the stuff...and hold more tightly to the promises of God and His plan for our lives. Thanks Russ, Jennifer, James and Marci for reminding us of the truly important things in life...God's will and God's plan for us and our children.
You can do it with only a little STUFF...enough to fit in A Trunk, A Roller Bag, A Carry On and a Back Pack.
Blessed to be a blessing,
tm
Friday, April 2, 2010
Let's Celebrate...
There is a great old Michael English song that says, "there's gonna be a PARTY...up in Heaven"...well, I agree, that there "is gonna" and "already is" a party in Heaven. Because of Christ...the conquering Rescuer who has conqured death, hell and the grave, who has bridged the cavernous gap of sin that separated us from the Father, who has paid what we could not pay and done what we could not do.
The Resurrection of our Savior should cause Celebration...the Resurrection of our Saviour should cause Commitment...the Resurrection of our Savior should cause us to us to have a Concern that the Good News is spread around the world. Do we?
In my daily devotional from the late great Dr. Adrian Rogers, I think he sums it up very well. Check it out:
BIBLE MEDITATION:
Isaiah 53:4-5 - “Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed.”
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Jesus Christ did not die as a martyr or a helpless victim. He said, “I lay down my life, No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself.” (John 10:17-18) The cross was not an accident or an afterthought; it was in the heart and mind of God before the world was framed. Jesus was born in the shadow of the cross. John the Baptist announced, “Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world.” The Lamb of God died on the same day as the Passover lambs were being slain on Mount Moriah, the very place where long ago God told Abraham, “God will provide Himself a lamb.” Jesus said, “Abraham saw My day, and was glad.” (John 8:56) To the priests on Mount Moriah, He could say, “Your work is over. Put away your knives. We need no more lambs, no more sacrifices. The Lamb has died and has paid in full.”
ACTION POINT:
Take time today to meditate upon the price that was paid for your salvation. Read Matthew chapters 26 and 27. Thank Him for the price that was paid.
Have a HAPPY Easter, because He lives...
Tim
The Resurrection of our Savior should cause Celebration...the Resurrection of our Saviour should cause Commitment...the Resurrection of our Savior should cause us to us to have a Concern that the Good News is spread around the world. Do we?
In my daily devotional from the late great Dr. Adrian Rogers, I think he sums it up very well. Check it out:
BIBLE MEDITATION:
Isaiah 53:4-5 - “Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed.”
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Jesus Christ did not die as a martyr or a helpless victim. He said, “I lay down my life, No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself.” (John 10:17-18) The cross was not an accident or an afterthought; it was in the heart and mind of God before the world was framed. Jesus was born in the shadow of the cross. John the Baptist announced, “Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world.” The Lamb of God died on the same day as the Passover lambs were being slain on Mount Moriah, the very place where long ago God told Abraham, “God will provide Himself a lamb.” Jesus said, “Abraham saw My day, and was glad.” (John 8:56) To the priests on Mount Moriah, He could say, “Your work is over. Put away your knives. We need no more lambs, no more sacrifices. The Lamb has died and has paid in full.”
ACTION POINT:
Take time today to meditate upon the price that was paid for your salvation. Read Matthew chapters 26 and 27. Thank Him for the price that was paid.
Have a HAPPY Easter, because He lives...
Tim
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