What I’m reading…

Lectures on Revival by Charles Finney

My mentor, Dr. Roy Fish, mentioned to me once that no other book (aside from the Bible) has made more of an impact on his life than this one. I’m four chapters in and let me just say “it’s messin’ with me!”

Flowers in unexpected places

Okay… I know for many of you, the jolly green giant sized cacti that populate your neighborhoods are common sights. However, for country folks like me, the cactus we’re used to stay confined to the ground and never get very tall. It’s been really wild for me as I have been driving around this week to see all the flowers on top of those big cacti. (by they way, is there a funnier word than “cacti”?) Okay, back to the point…

For me, I have been so blown away by the flowers that have shown up. I never realized that those things “bloomed.” You know me, that got me to thinking about seeing fruit in unexpected places. So many times in our lives, we feel as though we have been planted in the deserts of life only to be starved and robbed of water. Yet it is in those dry places that God turns the ordinary into something beautiful. In Psalm 107, we find a story of God’s people who were thirsty.

“They wandered in the wilderness in a desert region; they did not find a way to an inhabited city. They were hungry and thirsty; their soul fainted within them. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He delivered them out of their distresses. He led them also by a straight way, to go to an inhabited city. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness, and for His wonders to the sons of men! For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, and the hungry soul He has filled with what is good… He changes a wilderness into a pool of water and a dry land into springs of water; and there He makes the hungry to dwell…” Psalm 107:4-9, 35-36 NASB

In other words, it doesn’t matter where you are in life – God can and will satisfy your deepest hunger and thirsts if you let Him. So many people look for satisfaction in so many places, only to find that they are still hungry and still thirsty. Jesus said in John 4:14 “whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” wow! let that sink in for a moment…

So as you drive around and see those big cacti today remember who it is that provides them the water and food to bloom. No matter where you find yourself today, turn to God… He is always enough. Seacrest…. out!

Paying the ultimate price

My grandmother will be 80 years old this november. I love her to death, I have so many wonderful memories of all the times I got to spend with her during my summers as a young boy. I also have a great deal of interest in history, i absolutely love it, it’s one of the very few subjects I excelled in while in school. I am even more intrigued by how I fit into history. Today I get to share one of the cool stories that I have been wanting to share for some time.

My grandmother’s first husband; Remer L. Harding (www.13thbombsquadron.org/images1/harding.html) was a bomber pilot during the Korean War, and ended up being the first air casuality of that war (www.13thbombsquadron.org/1stday.html). Growing up I got to hear my “momma B” tell me the stories (sometimes more than once in the same sitting – that one was for mom!), I got to read of my grandmother’s story on the pages of Life magazine and hear stories of the letter written to our family by General MacArthur… crazy.

But the first time that I heard that story it really got me to thinking. If it wasn’t for that tragic event, I wouldn’t be here today. I know, it’s dangerous to live life in between the “what if’s” but for me as a young boy my young mind was puzzled. If he didn’t die, then my grandmother woulnd’t have married my grandfather. They wouldn’t have had my dad, and I would have never seen the light of day. Remember, I was a young boy when all this started. You can all relate I’m sure.

So, in light of Easter, and after sharing a neat conversation with my grandmother on the phone the other night – I started thinking again. Had it not been for the faithfulness of a man named Jesus’ we might not be talking about life right now. I was reminded how much I owe my Savior. If it wasn’t for Him…

Remer Harding (my grandmothers first husband) paid the ultimate price on a stormy day so many years ago. He believed in the mission that he had been called to, and nothing would stand in his way – not even the storms of life that were raging that day. I want to encourage you today to let your mind wander back to a time when Jesus paid the ultimate price so that you and I might live… realize that eternity will tell stories of people just like you and me who owe everything to the one who laid down His life for us and for our freedom – freedom not just from hell and the grips of sin, but freedom to live the life that God planned for us, to walk hand in hand with him faithfully completing the mission he’s called each one of us to.

It’s stories like this that make me proud of my family name and the impact we have made in the world. But don’t forget that there’s a much bigger story going on right now that invites you and me to join with the countless millions of people who have come before us – people who have put their faith in and declared the wonder and majesty of God’s unending love and unfailing mercy. What a story!

“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died and for them and was raised again.” 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 NIV

Hearing God in the midst of all the noise

Okay… well, if you read my first post, and you are reading the second one… wow… you must REALLY be bored or avoiding studying or couldn’t sleep! Just kidding… I hope all is well.

I love sitting out on my balcony at night in my big rocking chair. It’s where I go to get alone with God and look at the stars at night. I love it. Last night I was outside rockin’ in my chair and doing my thing. I had my ipod with me and was listening to one of my favorite songs by Steven Curtis Chapman – “speechless” I can’t tell you how many thousands of times I’ve heard that song, but for some reason I heard something new last night.

I have those noise cancelling earphones, and I had the volume cranked up. In the first few seconds of the song I heard something that I’ve never heard before. I was blown away! I played it back at least 10 more times.

And that got me thinking…

So often as we go through our day, there’s so much “noise” that keeps us from hearing that deafening roar that is God’s whisper. I’m not talking about hearing God’s audible voice, I’ve never heard Him speak to me out loud, but it’s that undeniable voice that you hear on the inside, and you know it’s God. I am such a huge Steven Curtis Chapman fan, God has used his music to minister to me during so many seasons of my life. But I have never heard that part of the song until last night. I went inside to grab my wife, I was so blown away and wanted her to hear it. She put in the headphones and looked at me like “Is that what you made me listen to???” You know when you get that look…

Today I want to encourage you to filter out the noise around you. Get somewhere where you can listen to God, I mean really listen. It’s those moments when you hear from God that you walk away in awe of the great God we serve. I’ll leave you today with the lyrics to that wonderful song. Find some time today to stand in awe of God, take time to be speechless before God – don’t talk – just listen.

My words fall like drops of rain.
My lips are like clouds.
I’ve said so many things, trying to figure you out.
But as mercy opens my eyes, and my words are stolen away.
With this breathtaking view of your grace…

And I am Speechless
I’m astonished and amazed
I am silenced by your wondrous grace.
You have saved me
You have raised me from the grave.
And I am Speechless
In your presence now.
I’m astounded as I consider how
You have shown us the love that leaves us speechless.

So what kind of love could this be
That will trade heaven’s throne for a cross
And to think you still celebrate
over finding just one who was lost.
And to know you rejoice over this
The God of this whole universe.
It’s a story thats too great for words…

We are speechless
Oh how great is the love
The Father has lavished upon us,
That we should be called the sons and daughters of God

We are speechless
We stand in awe of your mercy
You have saved us
(from the grave) We are speechless

The Long Road

Okay Okay… I’m finally figuring out this blog thing!! And so I’m under some pressure because this is the first edition. If you are reading this, I’m guessing you might be a little bored… but I’ll do my best to keep these posts uplifting and maybe a little entertaining.

In Exodus 13 the nation of Israel is in the middle of one their greatest moments. God has used Moses to free them from the slavery and bondage that they had been experiencing for so long. As I was reading through this story, something grabbed my attention and made me stop in my tracks.

Exodus 13:17-18 says this; “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, thought that was shorter. For God said, ‘if they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.’ So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egpyt armed for battle.”

Wow! that blew me away! God was taking care of them in ways they weren’t even aware of! Throughout our lives, we go through times where we wonder if God knows what He’s doing and if He’s going to take care of us. In this story, God knew that if he took them directly from point A to Z they would see war, get discouraged and be tempted to give up and go back to the old way of living. At no point in this story do we as the reader ever doubt whether God knew what He was doing, but we have the advantage of having the whole story right in front of us. I’m sure those Israelites wondered a time or two if God knew what He was doing.

No matter where you find yourself today, you can rest assured that God knows where you are and He’s taking care of you, often in ways you can’t even see. It would be really easy for us to go from point A to Z, but we’d miss the adventure. I promise God knows your needs and knows how to take care of you, no matter where you are.

I love the way those two verses end; “the Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle.” That must have been an awesome sight to watch God’s people come marching out of Egypt. One of my favorite movies is the Ten Commandments with Charlton Heston. I mean, if I get to heaven and Moses doesn’t look a little like Heston… and as cool as that movie was, I’m afraid it didn’t do justice to God’s awesome power!

So today, trust in God’s power and ability to take care of you. Even if you can’t see what’s around the corner, stand firm. Later in chapter 14 God told them; “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Wow. What an awesome God we serve. He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever. That’s something to get excited about!!!

Until next time sports fans…