hang in there...

Its funny how animals are a bit like people; in some households, the dog of the house thinks its the master of the house, in others different things happen. In this case I think the cat is very attached to this small boy and will not give up for anything. Reminds me of this passage from the book of John.

Joh 6:47-69 ESV
(47) Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.
(48) I am the bread of life.
(49) Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.
(50) This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.
(51) I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh."
(52) The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
(53) So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
(54) Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
(55) For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.
(56) Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.
(57) As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me.
(58) This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever."
(59) Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.
(60) When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?"
(61) But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, "Do you take offense at this?
(62) Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
(63) It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
(64) But there are some of you who do not believe." (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.)
(65) And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father."
(66) After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.
(67) So Jesus said to the Twelve, "Do you want to go away as well?"
(68) Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,
(69) and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."

Is there a point when friendship ends, or in other words, is there a limit to how far a friend will go? Some people will balk when things get a little tough, BUT OTHERS.... Like the cat in the picture, they just keep hanging on. True faith is like that; it just doesn't quit, no matter what. The twelve understood it (except Judas, of course), but I wonder if we do? No matter what means just that, no options, no holds barred, WHATEVER HAPPENS; PERIOD. Its not always easy to follow God, but don't quit. One more thing.... I hope that young fellow in the picture has a clean diaper; it would make life a whole lot easier!

Slow of speech

When I saw this today, I thought of my youngest grand-daughter, who is just learning to speak and I marveled at this form of communication that we so matter-of-factly use. I don't think I will ever be able to pronounce this, but if not, so what? Its not necessary if I do or don't, just interesting. But what if I was given something REALLY, REALLY, IMPORTANT TO SAY??? Moses was put in this position and here is how he handled it.

Exodus 4:10-17 (WEB)
10) Moses said to Yahweh, “O Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”
11) Yahweh said to him, “Who made man’s mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn’t it I, Yahweh?
12) Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak.”
13) He said, “Oh, Lord, please send someone else.”
14) The anger of Yahweh was kindled against Moses, and he said, “What about Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Also, behold, he comes out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
15) You shall speak to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with your mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do.
16) He will be your spokesman to the people; and it will happen, that he will be to you a mouth, and you will be to him as God.
17) You shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.”
(Exodus 4:10-17, WEB)

Moses didn't handle it at all; he tried to back out! God was angry with him, but made allowances for his weakness. Somehow, it seems strange for MOSES to act like this, but then, I can't imagine being given something this important by God. Moses knew his weaknesses, but God overcame them and used him for a truly great work. Humm, I wonder, could Aaron pronounce this sign? Not necessary, its not in Hebrew!!!

At the end of the day

I like this picture because it really says something to me: satisfaction at the end of the day. Have you ever worked very hard all day only to go home at dust and barely arrive before it was TOTAL DARKNESS? Perhaps you might have had a day full of all sorts of problems and it seemed too much for you, but, at the end of it, things all worked out and when the soothing cloak of darkness enveloped you as you set foot at your front door, the world seemed just fine. Problems solved, work done, day over and one overwhelming thought came to your mind: I AM HOME!! consider this passage from the old testament.

Esther 9:16-32 (WEB)
16) The other Jews who were in the king’s provinces gathered themselves together, defended their lives, had rest from their enemies, and killed seventy-five thousand of those who hated them; but they didn’t lay their hand on the plunder.
17) This was done on the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day of that month they rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness.
18) But the Jews who were in Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth and on the fourteenth days of the month; and on the fifteenth day of that month, they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.
19) Therefore the Jews of the villages, who live in the unwalled towns, make the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, a good day, and a day of sending presents of food to one another.
20) Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both near and far,
21) to enjoin them that they should keep the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month Adar yearly,
22) as the days in which the Jews had rest from their enemies, and the month which was turned to them from sorrow to gladness, and from mourning into a good day; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, and of sending presents of food to one another, and gifts to the needy.
23) The Jews accepted the custom that they had begun, as Mordecai had written to them;
24) because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast “Pur,” that is the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them;
25) but when this became known to the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he had devised against the Jews, should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.
26) Therefore they called these days “Purim,” from the word “Pur.” Therefore because of all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and that which had come to them,
27) the Jews established, and imposed on themselves, and on their descendants, and on all those who joined themselves to them, so that it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to what was written, and according to its appointed time, every year;
28) and that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor their memory perish from their seed.
29) Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all authority to confirm this second letter of Purim.
30) He sent letters to all the Jews, to the hundred twenty-seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth,
31) to confirm these days of Purim in their appointed times, as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had decreed, and as they had imposed upon themselves and their descendants, in the matter of the fastings and their cry.
32) The commandment of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.
(Esther 9:16-32, WEB)

The Jews were ALMOST DESTROYED! But, things worked out and they prevailed over their enemies. They rejoiced and made a new holiday. All is well that ends well. God has a way of doing that for those who love him and one way or another things work out!! Like I said, this picture reminds of satisfaction, but I can't help but wonder where his house is? Perhaps he has a houseboat, just waiting for him beyond our field of view, who knows? Whatever your day has been like, remember, God takes care of his own; in this life and beyond.

In your wildest dreams

When I saw this today, I thought of the Moody Blues song "In your wildest dreams". Looks pretty fantastic, doesn't it? Who would have ever thought 40 or 50 years ago that such things could exist outside the realm of Science Fiction. Looks like the stuff of Star Trek to me. But, once you understand, suddenly they seem simple. Take this parable for instance.

Luke 8:4-15 (WEB)
4) When a great multitude came together, and people from every city were coming to him, he spoke by a parable.
5) “The farmer went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell along the road, and it was trampled under foot, and the birds of the sky devoured it.
6) Other seed fell on the rock, and as soon as it grew, it withered away, because it had no moisture.
7) Other fell amid the thorns, and the thorns grew with it, and choked it.
8) Other fell into the good ground, and grew, and brought forth fruit one hundred times.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
9) Then his disciples asked him, “What does this parable mean?”
10) He said, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, but to the rest in parables; that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’
11) Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
12) Those along the road are those who hear, then the devil comes, and takes away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved.
13) Those on the rock are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; but these have no root, who believe for a while, then fall away in time of temptation.
14) That which fell among the thorns, these are those who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.
15) That in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it tightly, and bring forth fruit with patience.
(Luke 8:4-15, WEB)

Because the parable is explained to us, its simple. But, like so many Spiritual things, most people just don't get it. That's the way Spirituality is: you either get it or you don't. I probably will never understand the workings of the Large Hadron Collider we see in the picture, but thank God for Jesus, because without HIM large portions of the Scriptures would just not make any sense at all and I would be uttering the phrase "Beam me up, Scotty". I wonder when they will ever get around to inventing phasers and food replicators?

Its not the start, but the finish that counts!

Before you ask.... no, this isn't a post about Papal authority or sex or a commentary on authority in general. The only thing it is about is a conversation I had with a pharmacist friend of mine and an article he showed me about a recent step the current pontiff is going to take to do things "correctly" in the Roman Catholic Church. Just to set the record straight... I am NOT a fan of Catholicism and see much error there, BUT. Admitting guilt and promising to try to do better (my interpretation) is a good start and with THAT IN MIND, I thought of the following passage.

Matthew 19:16-22 (WEB)
16) Behold, one came to him and said, “Good teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?”
17) He said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but one, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
18) He said to him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder.’ ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ‘You shall not steal.’ ‘You shall not offer false testimony.’
19) ‘Honor your father and mother.’ And, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
20) The young man said to him, “All these things I have observed from my youth. What do I still lack?”
21) Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
22) But when the young man heard the saying, he went away sad, for he was one who had great possessions.
(Matthew 19:16-22, WEB)

The rich young man had an insight into truth and a practiced religion that was praiseworthy. Jesus knew his problem and confronted him directly. His true love was revealed and money kept him from following Jesus. Notice, Jesus didn't tell him he was a bad person or even an unfaithful Jew, instead he invited him to be "perfect" and be one of Jesus' followers. The young man had made a good start, but ended badly; I sincerely hope the current pontiff will do better.

The Cross in Our Bodies

Ron Cameron sent me this today and I liked it so much that I just had to post it (without one bit of change). Thanks Ron!!!!!

The Cross in Our Bodies
This is a pretty neat story and an interesting thing that few of us know. It's brief, so please read. (FROM A DOCTOR)

A couple of days ago I was running (I use that term very loosely) on my treadmill, watching a DVD sermon by Louie Giglio... And I was BLOWN AWAY! I want to share what I learned.... But I fear not being able to convey it as well as I want. I will share anyway.

He (Louie) was talking about how inconceivably BIG our God is... How He spoke the universe into being... How He breathes stars out of His mouth that are huge raging balls of fire.. Etc. Etc. Then He went on to speak of how this star-breathing, universe creating God ALSO knitted our human bodies together with amazing detail and wonder. At this point I am LOVING it (fascinating from a medical standpoint, you know.) . And I was remembering how I was constantly amazed during medical school as I learned more and more about God's handiwork. I remember so many times thinking.. 'How can ANYONE deny that a Creator did all of this???'

Louie went on to talk about how we can trust that the God who created all this, also has the power to hold it all together when things seem to be falling apart...how our loving Creator is also our sustainer.

And then I lost my breath. And it wasn't because I was running my treadmill, either!!!

It was because he started talking about laminin. I knew about laminin.. Here is how Wikipedia describes them: 'Laminins are a family of proteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding of basement membranes in almost every animal tissue' You see.... Laminins are what hold us together... LITERALLY. They are cell adhesion molecules. They are what holds one cell of our bodies to the next cell. Without them, we would literally fall apart. And I knew all this already. But what I didn't know is what they LOOKED LIKE..

But now I do. And I have thought about it a thousand times since (already)....Here is what the structure of laminin looks like... AND THIS IS NOT a 'Christian portrayal' of it.... If you look up laminin in any scientific/medical piece of literature, this is what you will see....

Now tell me that our God is not the coolest!!! Amazing. The glue that holds us together.... ALL of us..... Is in the shape of the cross. Immediately Colossians 1:15-17 comes to mind.

'He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible And invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or Authorities; All things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him All things HOLD TOGETHER.'
Colossians 1:15-17
Call me crazy. I just think that is very, very, very cool.. Thousands of years before the world knew anything about laminin, Paul penned those words. And now we see that from a very LITERAL standpoint, we are held together... One cell to another.... By the cross.
You would never in a quadrillion years convince me that is anything other than the mark of a Creator who knew EXACTLY what laminin 'glue' would look like long before Adam breathed his first breath!

a sense of humor

There may be a few of you out there who envision God as a somber, stoic personality. If you fall into this category, this post is for you. Abraham and his wife Sarah were old and God visits them and gives them some "GOOD NEWS".

Genesis 18:1-15 (WEB)
1) Yahweh appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.
2) He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood opposite him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,
3) and said, “My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please don’t go away from your servant.
4) Now let a little water be fetched, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.
5) I will get a morsel of bread so you can refresh your heart. After that you may go your way, now that you have come to your servant.” They said, “Very well, do as you have said.”
6) Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quickly prepare three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.”
7) Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to dress it.
8) He took butter, milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them. He stood by them under the tree, and they ate.
9) They asked him, “Where is Sarah, your wife?” He said, “See, in the tent.”
10) He said, “I will certainly return to you when the season comes round. Behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.
11) Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.
12) Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old will I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”
13) Yahweh said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Will I really bear a child, yet I am old?’
14) Is anything too hard for Yahweh? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes round, and Sarah will have a son.”
15) Then Sarah denied, saying, “I didn’t laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”
(Genesis 18:1-15, WEB)

Genesis 21:1-7 (WEB)
1) Yahweh visited Sarah as he had said, and Yahweh did to Sarah as he had spoken.
2) Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
3) Abraham called his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.
4) Abraham circumcised his son, Isaac, when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.
5) Abraham was one hundred years old when his son, Isaac, was born to him.
6) Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. Everyone who hears will laugh with me.”
7) She said, “Who would have said to Abraham, that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.”
(Genesis 21:1-7, WEB)

Sarah disbelieved God. And she showed it by laughter. But God had the "last laugh": Sarah, an old woman, really did have a son in her old age. Sometimes, things are just too coincidental; the son that Sarah bore was named Issac (he who laughs). God turned the laughter of disbelief into the laughter of JOY. You just gotta love the whole thing.... who says God doesn't have a sense of humor....