Choose Wisely

We are faced with choices almost non-stop in our daily lives.  When to get up, what to do, what to wear, what to eat, how to respond to others, when to go to bed, and each choice impacts other choices we make. 

Growing up, I remember often hearing the phrase "Choose wisely."  It was probably applied more to friends and how I responded to my parents in obeying what they had asked me to do.  Today it reaches out into far more areas.  In grocery shopping, I try to choose wisely by buying the size and brand that gives me the most food for the least money.  Many purchase decisions involve a balancing act between quality and price.  Time management is based on accomplishing things of value rather than wasting time.

How often do we think of choosing wisely as adults?  We don't have a parent leaning over our shoulder reminding us to measure the wisdom of our choices.  Many times, our choices end up being made by what feels right at the moment, whether we're feeling pain, discomfort, hunger, anger, or joy, our decisions are often based on our circumstances. 

In I Samuel 25, David was responding to his circumstances in anger.  He was going to get what was due him.  Providentially, God sent Abigail to David to remind him of his need to choose wisely.  He did, and blessings were all around for almost all involved. 

It reminds me of how we need to be voices reminding others to "choose wisely."  Not scolding and railing on, but gently reminding others to consider the consequences of their choices.  We also need "Abigails" in our lives to remind us to think about the choices we make.  Maybe this will be a needed reminder for you today, I'm hoping it will be a reminder for me when I am tempted to respond without considering the consequences.

And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me: And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.

- I Samuel 25:32-33

He meets my needs!

We had a good week of seeing God's provision and I thought I would share to encourage you in your walk with the Lord as well.

Just over a week ago, we headed out to go to garage sales.  We sat down and made up a list of the things that were needed in our wardrobes for the coming year.  We aren't psychics, but just looked at what we had, where the kids are size wise, and where we think they will be by the end of the coming school year.  After piling into the van, we prayed and asked God if He would meet these needs through the garage sales we would find that day.  And if not, would He meet them in whatever way the He desired. 

The first several (loosely translated as 20-30) garage sales were fairly lousy, but toward the end of our hunting, we loaded up on a couple of hand made jumpers for Larissa, some pants and jeans for Austin, some assorted clothes for most of the kids, and even a few small bonuses.  All told, we hit some of everything on the list, except 1 or 2 that weren't really necessities. We came home praising the Lord for His provision.


This past week, we settled in, looked at the garden, and realized that it was not going to meet all of our produce needs for canning and freezing.  So, off to the produce auction I went.  On Tuesday, all the produce went for twice what I would be interested in paying.  Needless to say, I was kind of disappointed.  Thursday, we were given almost a bushel of beautiful tomatoes.  We ate some, and canned 14 quarts of tomatoes.  We also were able to get 2 bushel of sweet corn for $10.  We froze, and felt much better about how things were looking.  Even so, I headed to the auction Friday morning, as well.  And prices were lower than I have seen all year.  I bought sweet corn for $3.50 a bushel, plum tomatoes for $5.00 a half bushel, and a bushel box of green peppers for $6.00.  We also picked almost a bushel of green beans out of our garden.  In 2 days time, we canned or froze 104 quarts of veggies!

On Sunday, we were given a very full bushel of green beans, and today, at least a half bushel of green & yellow beans.  We look and see God's gracious hand of provision in all of these things.  Whether through our garden, or through the generosity of God's people, or through the providence of His hand at the auction, God has been very good.  I hope you have been encouraged by seeing His hand of provision in our lives, and I hope it has helped you to see His hand more clearly in providing for your needs, as well.

"Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?"    - Psalm 78:20

Chicken Eggs

Within the last week we have been enjoying the first eggs from our little flock of chickens.  Actually, just from one of the chickens, so far, but since Mara began laying, we have had a new egg just over 24 hours later.

Chickens have given me a great chance to observe instinct in animals.  God has pre-programmed chickens toward certain behaviors.  A rooster will learn to crow - even though he has never heard another rooster crow before.  A rooster will learn to fertilize the hens, even though he has not received any training.  Chickens will clean themselves, take dust baths to clean themselves and get rid of mites and bugs.

And the ultimate, in my book, hens will lay eggs.  No instruction manual, but inside of their bodies, they form the yolk, surround in with the white, and lastly, surround that with a shell that hardens when it hits the outside air.  Why do hens produce delicious eggs?  Because they are hens!  Very simple, but a great illustration.

The Bible tells us that Christians are to live in the Spirit - to allow the Spirit of God to control their lives, to abide in Christ, and fruit will come.  We tend to work at fruit production, read books, make plans, get discouraged if we don't see fruit.  But the truth is, if we would let the Spirit rule in our lives, abide in the vine, let the Word of God dwell richly in us - all phrases indicating our submission to God's will & way in our lives, we will produce fruit.  Why?  Because that is our character, that is what we were made to produce, that is what will naturally flow out of our lives.

Who knew I would learn so much from chickens?  I hope my chickens can be an encouragement to you today as well. (Or at the very least, an illustration of God's power at work in our lives)

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Colossians 3:16-17

"Thinking For a Change" - Book 'Review'

I have been repeatedly challenged about the importance of reading non fiction books over the past serveral months (and even years).  I often will just shrug it off because I am too busy to read, or push it aside because too many books have too many seeds that need to be spit out.  I once heard the comparison between reading a book and eating a watermelon.  It's fine to enjoy the fruit, but make sure that you spit out the seeds.  Sometimes, identifying the seeds is difficult, sometimes it is hard, but we need to be discerning readers when we are reading materials written by man (this blog included).

The book I am currently finishing up is "Thinking For a Change", by John Maxwell.  I think the title has a double meaning - firstly of thinking that will bring change (improvement) to our lives, and thinking, as opposed to not thinking in our lives (for a change).

The book is well written, and thoughtful (I guess it has to be, right).  It approaches the idea of thinking from many different angles that continues through the book to expand on the picture he is drawing - that purposeful, thinking makes a difference in the outcomes of our endeavors.  While some of the chapters seemed to me as repetitive and overlapping, they each gave a slightly different twist to his main point, and were helpful in that way.

The 'seeds' of the book were clear by the second chapter.  Maxwell states "And if I had stayed the same, I never would have spoken to more than the few hundred people I had in my first church.  But I desired to reach my potential, to go to the highest level of which I was capable.  I was determined to improve."  This sounds good and even spiritual in trying to be the best we can be, but there are some seeds below the surface.  Maxwell is a business man, he believes bigger is better.  To Maxwell, preaching to a few hundred people at his first church was a waste of his potential.  In his thinking, small churches have mediocre pastors, but the good pastors are given bigger churches.  I'm all for personal improvement, but wouldn't leadership at his first 'small' church have been a better test of his leadership?  This 'seed' is the lack of distinction between the way God's kingdom works, and the way things work in the kingdoms of men.  From that point on, it was easy to digest the fruit without choking on the seeds.

I desire to be a better pastor, a better communicator, an better leader, a better evangelist, a better father, a better husband, a better friend, a better neighbor, . . . (you get the idea).  I desire these things, not so that I can get a bigger church, speak to more people, lead 'better' people, get 'better' children, get a 'better' wife, get 'better' friends, or a 'better' neighborhood.  I desire these things so that I can be found faithful.  You might think that being a good pastor is different than being a better husband.  The connection between pastor and church is much different between husband and wife.  I agree, a husband and wife is a bond until death separates the two, but shouldn't a pastor be committed to the flock God has led him to?  Not 'til death do us part, but at least until God separates.  "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder" would apply to churches and pastors if we understand that God leads a man to his ministry. 

I'll get off my soap box now, but I use my soap box to encourage and strengthen my resolve and my choices to live a godly life.  I hope it encourages you, as well.

Nothing Better in Life Nothing Better For a Man . . .

"There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God."

- Ecclesiastes 2:24

For many years, I have enjoyed the good in my labor.  I learned in my family the joy and fulfillment in working.  The good of accomplishing a task, the enjoyment of being physically tired, the pleasure in being able to do things with my own two hands.  I enjoyed being reminded from Scripture last week in my Bible reading that this joy is from the hand of God.  Labor is a gift from God, and the blessing that we receive from it is one of those "good and perfect" gifts from God.

This past week or so I have been able to enjoy some opportunities of physical labor for others.  Last week, I got to learn some haying and enjoy being tired from throwing around bales of hay.  Today I got to do some cleaning on a construction site.  Lathe and plaster is wonderful stuff to clean up, such a sense of fulfillment from cleaning it up and leaving the rooms cleaned up and ready for the next part of the project.

Of those that probably read my blog, most are hard workers and know this joy, but if you were looking for some encouragement this week, even God's Word tells us that labor is good.  With the heat of this week, take it easy, but enjoy not just the fruit of your labor, but enjoy the labor itself.

Garden Growth

It's official now that Memorial Day is past, up in in the north, gardening season is underway.  We often get late frosts as late as the first or second week in June, so we have to approach this season with caution.  I think we are past the frosts, but I did wake up this morning with the temperature already rising.  At 6 am, the temperature was 40 degrees, I imagine 5 am was a couple of degrees cooler.

Normally, this is the time of year I fall behind in my garden.  I plant carrots, beets & onions early, but when I go to plant the rest of the garden, weeds overtake my early plantings.  So far, the beets, onions and carrots have been weeded at least once, and all have been weeded in the last week.

Gardens are fun for me, and many say that I have a green thumb.  I'm not sure about my thumb, but I know that gardening is a lot of work.  The ground has to be prepared, the seed or seedling planted at the right depth, sufficient water and food need to be available to the plants, and plants have to be able to grow free from weeds or animals digging them up.  Why do I go through the effort?  Because I want the fruit of my labor - tasty, fresh vegetables. 

The same can be said in our walk with God.  Some people we may look at and say "They are just naturally a more spiritual person," but a vibrant spiritual life can be considered a lot of work.  We have to prepare our hearts with humility and a dependence on God.  We have to get God's Word planted in us from seed (reading the Bible) or seedling (sermons and Bible lessons) in the prepared soil of our heart in a way that it will spring forth and grow, rather than rot in the ground.  We have to feed and water these truths by bathing our lives in prayer and continuing to feed on God's Word.  As with many plants, it also helps to grow near and with others (like corn) so the winds of life don't push us over.  We have to be vigilant to weed out of our hearts thoughts and influences that don't belong, and protect God's truth from crows that would pluck the seed out of our hearts, and dogs who would dig them up. 

A lot of work.  Why would anyone do it?  For the fruits that come - a life that pleases God and receives His favor.  I normally post a verse at this point, but this post, I'm going to add a verse from a Hymn we sang on Sunday.

Must I be carried to the skies

On flowery beds of ease,

While others fought to win the prize

And sailed through bloody seas?

I hope any garden you've planted in dirt or in your heart is receiving the attention it needs today.

The Purpose of Pain

I have realized this week that we often have a disjointed view of pain.  When pain causes me to pull my hand back from further injury from a flame, or a sharp object, or a moving object scraping away my skin, I view pain as a good thing.  I appreciate the warning that the pain is to me in removing my hand from the place where further injury could occur.

When a pain causes us to go to the doctor and get checked out, so that the doctor finds the underlying cause of the pain and fixes something that could have caused our body a great deal of harm.  While we do not enjoy the pain, we can appreciate the purpose it has served in our body.

Pain is God's way of telling us that there is something wrong.  For those who suffer from chronic pain, it would be easy to say "Enough!," but the truth remains that the pain tells us that there is something wrong. 

Our view of pain becomes disjointed when we move away from the physical realm.  Pain in relationships.  Pain from people, pain in losing something we care about.  These things aren't physical pain, although the pain caused can affect us physically.  When we move into this realm, we more often than not view the pain as the problem.  We seek to remove the pain.  Someone has hurt me, I will not give them that opportunity again  so we shut them out.  We have lost someone we love, so we purpose not to love that deeply again.  We take offense at something someone says to us, and we view them as the problem. 

If we carry over our lesson from physical pain, could it be that we often look to solve our pain by fixing other people?  Why is that?  Could it be that emotional pain in our hearts and minds is more indicative of something wrong in us?  Why do I take offense at gossip shared about me?  Because I have pride in who I am, or in what I've done, and it hurts my pride.  Certainly the gossip is wrong, and should be fixed, but is it possible that the pain is pointing to a part of myself that also needs to get fixed?  If we dealt with the pain from that perspective, it will free us up to forgive as God desires us to. 

I don't know if I've been as clear as the thoughts seem to be in my mind, today, but I hope I've encouraged you to view emotional pain in a different light.  As a symptom of pride in some form in our lives that needs to be dealt with.  When we count up the wrongs against us in our minds, it forms a blockade in our hearts against forgiveness, but when we take ourselves out of the picture, remove the pride that tells us that we deserve better treatment than we got, we'll be free to live without pain, and with forgiving hearts.

Why deal with pride?  because:

"He must increase,

but I must decrease" 

John 3:30