But you don't understand...

First is was money, then it was time, then it was more...
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When will it be enough and when will I get mine...
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I'm not sure if I'll ever give again...
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What if...
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Have you been like me. You involve yourself in something and after a while you think they owe you something. Well it may be that way in the world, but in the spiritual realm there needs to be a different perspective...
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Now before you jump to conclusions or finish reading and think "hey I know someone who needs to hear this", remember, all of us have given more than we have gotten in some realm or another. All of us have felt we got taken advantage of. Especially if you have let a vacuum salesman in your front door...
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Jesus understood this temptation, he also understood that our perspective is limited. That's why he said the following...
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"Moreover when you fast, don't be like the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Most assuredly I tell you, they have received their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face; so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. "Don't lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don't break through and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:16-21 WEB)
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I want you to ask yourself 2 questions...
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When you decided you should give because you felt "God" wanted you to, Where did you think you were investing?
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When you figure that one out, ask yourself... Why did you think you were investing?
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These questions may be closer than you are comfortable, but the reality is, the more honest you are, the more grace you'll understand you need...
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That's fertile ground for growth or revival !
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Till Next Time...

A Blast From The Past...

It's not a familiar sight these days with all the modern conveniences of life, but it's one that still has meaning to me. I saw it recently and it inspired me to think of a lesson in life that I have been taught and reminded of many times.
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Those of you who have a few memories behind you will relive days gone by. Your heart will be warmed and chilled, possibly at the same time. Sitting right there, in plain sight, with it's handle in tact and it's pipe extended as if to search for it's catch. Get ready for a walk down a path of yesteryear's....
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There sat a hand pump for a well...
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Those of you who lived when houses did not have water in them and a trip to the well meant a number of things will appreciate the next few paragraphs. For those of you who didn't, this would be a great time to practice the principle of this blog entry.
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I remember the well pump outside the back of my grandparents house in southern Kentucky. I remember pumping water for every purpose imaginable, all of which now I can turn on a faucet and accomplish.
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But one thing stands out to me about hand well pumps. Stories, not experiences. Stories of how if the pump was not used regularly, even some who had some "time" on them, the seals would get dry and the pump would not work.
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So, to get the pump to work, you had to pour water into it. There are stories of those who had come upon a well with a bucket of water hung on it with these instructions...
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Pour a little water in the pump and pump the handle. Do this a little at a time until the pump begins to bring up water. NOTE: When you are done, make sure to refill the bucket for the next person who will need this pump.
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Now, imagine you're thirsty, and you see the bucket of water there. It contains plenty of water for you to satisfy your parched throat. But, if you do that, you will not have the water needed to pump more. But you'd wouldn't be thirsty, your mouth would not stick together.
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You reason within yourself, both arguments seem valid...
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"What has anyone done for me lately..."
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"Someone pumped this bucket full for you..."
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"But I don't have the time to do all that work..."
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"Someone else took the time..."
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"You don't understand, the last time I tried to help, it just made things worse..."
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"But the job got done after you learned about your mistakes..."
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"Yea, but..."
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"I know but..."
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"You don't understand..."
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"No, you're the one mistaken..."
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This could go on forever, all the while, your thirst is not quenched and your conscience is not calmed.
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So what would you do?
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Better yet, what have you done.
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Paul the Apostle writes... Doing nothing through envy or through pride, but with low thoughts of self let everyone take others to be better than himself; Not looking everyone to his private good, but keeping in mind the things of others. (Philippians 2:3-4 BBE).
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You see, you've already made a choice.
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Some of you have given in to your desire. And there you sit with your belly full and your bucket empty. Emotionally you can't seem to find rest. Spiritually you can't seem to find peace. Relationally you can't find satisfaction.
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Some of you have primed the pump and in so doing, you have found the secret to life. Not every day is totally full emotionally but guess what, you've got a bucket from previous visits to prime with. Not every day is filled with peace, but guess what, you can grab that metal handle and pour a little prayer into the well, and in God's time, just like the pump, you get a cool drink of peace to caress your dry soul. All of your relationships are not perfect, but guess what, humility won out and you have a bucket full of forgiveness you can begin working with so that your heart will be lightened when God brings reconciliation.
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You see, self says drink up. Self says don't worry about filling up the bucket. Self says Today is all you have. Self says take the bucket with you just in case you get thirsty later. All the while, you forget that self leads to emptiness.
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Humility says, someone else thought of you. Humility says, it's hard work, but it's worth it. Humility says I'll do what I can, although I can't do everything. Humility says, I'm not the center of the universe. And when humility wins out, everyone gets a little water.
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Let me finish with just a couple of things, hoping they are helpful. First, humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less. God loves you, and it's not because you're good. It's because He's good. He wants to rain on your soul with forgiveness and confidence. You will need both, the first to understand what was done for you, the second to do for others because you've been done for.
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I pray that you will find a little cool water along your path today, some will need more than others, but remember, none of us are exempt from filling up the bucket again.
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None of us...
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We may need help pumping, but we're still not off the hook...
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Till Next Time...

Favorite Group, Great Words, Bees Killer...

Bees can be pesky, but there are products that get rid of them quickly. Last night while I was just "chilling" after a long day I put on my headphones and listed to some music I had put on my IPOD.
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As I was listening one of my favorite groups, the Newsboys, came on. I was totally blown away. I have listened to this song for years but it's timing was really quite interesting. I have printed the words below and a link, if you want to listen to the song, you'll be touched. Read on and watch bees die...
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You are waiting on a beach for a healing word to come maybe an apology in a bottle maybe a flare that says, "I'm sorry." and the hurting leaves you numb
.Will you forgive? will you forget? will you live what you know? He left his rights will you leave yours? you don't understand it let it go.You are waiting on a beach this is where the east meets west and as another sun sets on your anger the darkness laughs, as the wound destroys and it turns your prayers to noise.
Will you forgive? will you forget? will you live what you know? He left his rights will you leave yours? you won't understand it let it go
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This bitterness you hide it seeps into your soul and it steals your joy 'til it's all you know let it go.Will you forgive? will you forget? will you live what you know? He left his rights will you leave yours? you won't understand it let it go
.Will you forgive? will you forget? will you live what you know? beneath the cross you hear His words, "Father, forgive them," and you know you can't understand it let it go.Here is a link that shows a video that someone made from "Lost" and put the music in the background. It's pretty interesting as well. If you don't want to watch the video, at least you'll get a chance to hear the song.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiWDl3Vw3uc
.Happy Bee Hunting....Till Next Time...

Bees That Have Buzzed...

This morning I was re-reading my notes I have made in times of study or reflection. These often turn into blog entries. Most of the ideas I come up with are thoughts that have been spurred by others, experiences that have happened... Sermons I have heard... books or articles I have read... Insightful, funny or heart touching stories that I have come across.
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Out of these come the "ramblings" in my mind, which end up in print.
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This morning I came across a quote, I don't know it's origin at this point, but the thought came to my mind, "That's one of those things that 'buzz' and distract me from life on occasion."
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No one wants to admit faults or failures, but the reality is we all have them. So, from my life, both past and if I'm not careful (which sometimes I'm not) in the present, comes a "buzzing bee" that this quote reminded me of.
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I have in the past, and sometimes in the present, had hurts (perceived or actual) that I have not dealt with. Then I became angry at someone for what I think they did or did not do for me. As a result, I have fallen prey to bitterness. Bitterness truly is the seed of anger that has grown in the fertile ground of unforgiveness. One such incident happened about 15 years ago, I will not recount it, but the picture was so vivid to me this morning that I thought you, like me, might need to remind yourself of the effects of bitterness.
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So, without any extra commentary, just this brief introduction, I now introduce you to one of the "buzzing bees" that has distracted me. It may be one you can identify with...
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"Bitterness is like drinking poison and expecting your enemy to die."
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Be careful, don't get "buzzed" (a whole new look at this term for those of us who grew up in the Hippy era)...
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Watch out for distractions...
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Till next time...

Buzzy, Buzzy Bees...

Recently I decided that I would take a little time to "grow" my spiritual walk. So, Bible and study materials in hand, I ventured to a remote location for the day. Provided for me was a wonderful little cabin and a host of acres around it to roam. So, read, pray and roam I did.
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During my day I went for a walk in the morning sun to get my senses heightened and my mind cleared so that I could focus on a reading when I returned. Well, upon returning from my hike, I felt a little weary, so I laid down and began to read. If you're like me, that posture is not a good one for serious reading, and you guessed it, I fell asleep.
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About an hour later I awakened, ready to dive into spiritual truths that would bring my inner soul encouragement and life. The next few moments revealed that I was not alone!
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Much to my dismay, the window on the cabin had been left open by its previous occupant. Low and behold, I was surrounded by bees.
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I'm not afraid of bees, honest. I only have disdain for their sting. No allergies, unless not wanting to be in pain is an allergy. Last year I was stung 5 times. One day I was stung three times, twice by one bumble bee who, in my opinion, had gotten up that morning with my name on an attack order.
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Being the nimble young man that I am (gray hair is only a disguise) I began chasing these intruders to rid myself of their "buzz". By the way, that's what got my attention, the buzzing noise was so loud I thought the hive was in the room.
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One down, two. Three lay dead then four. One busy little one tried to escape but he joined a second and they became five and six In all I killed over a dozen. I know there were more than a dozen, but I got tired of making tally marks on the side of my fighter jet fly swatter.
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One thought came to mind as I was mining truths from scripture while waiting for the next Kamikaze to arrive, Satan would try something stupid.
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Scripture says "Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8) Without a long dissertation, I want to make a point before I finish. If you study the technique of lions, they often work in groups. One of the lions will scare the herd of prey away from itself with noise and roars, when the prey runs from the noise, it runs right into a trap. Your life and mine are no different, Satan, who has no victory over the Christian, makes noise and we run. The problem is, most times it's into a trap.
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Anger, self pity, unforgiveness, hurtful words and the like are the traps we find ourselves in. The main goal, distraction from our faithfulness to Christ.
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How about you? What distracts you from your task of following God and staying close to his Word?
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You've heard it said at a telethon, "the lines are open". Well, the blog is wide open, why not tell the world, or at least the three people who read this blog, and use it as a prayer of therapy for your soul today...
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Till Next time...

An Open Letter...

I felt burdened in my heart to share this letter I wrote to cancer patients. If you are currently going through a time of illness that has left you feeling less, take a moment and read....Dear Friend,.When I first began as a volunteer chaplain at Caylor Nickel Hospital, Bluffton Indiana, in 1987 I realized there were many more people facing health issues than I had ever imagined. Now, 20 years later, I am ministering to those individuals on an daily basis. Gilead Ministries has become such a blessing to me. And by the response of the cancer and long term illness patients we serve, it’s become a blessing to others as well..I write to you today about a difficult and yet important topic. I would say that many of us have felt uncomfortable around people who are Christians. My own experience early on in my church attendance was a bit intimidating. Although I have been a Christian for over 30 years now, I still find times when I struggle with the reality of God and the call to live for him. You may find this a little difficult yourself..I want to talk to you honestly for just a moment. From promises of wealth and prosperity to health and well being, the claims of many who represent the church can make us all a little weary. This is especially true if we have struggled with an illness that has taken away some of the very things we thought God would provide. The most challenging thing for me as I reach out to you and others who have a struggle with physical battles, is to help you understand that God works most often through a time of pain or trial..The only illustration, though it may fall way short of understanding God, is to equate it with the very treatment you have received for your own illness. Sometimes the administration of the treatment is painful or causes other sickness, but it is in this process that healing comes. Unlike medical treatment, God’s use of our pain is not limited by the fraility of a human body or intelligence. Where doctors don’t understand and are restricted by their own humanness, God does understand and brings assurance. He says to you and I, "there is something bigger than sickness"..Like you, I want to live forever. The very thought of death sometimes chills me to the soul. I have had a number of trials with my health in the last 10 years, none of which were so bad my life was threatened. Still, because I am human, they brought my heart pain. Two years ago, after 2 surgeries and my father’s death in a four month period, I battled depression and questioned all that I was going through. You may be experiencing or have experienced the same thing. I want you to know that I care, and although I cannot totally understand all you feel, God does..It is my prayer that you find hope, beyond the darkness of your difficulties. Hope in something bigger than the brevity of life here on earth. Hope in a God that says to you, "I love you". It’s why he sent His Son Jesus to earth..Friend, I did not write this letter to offend and I don’t presume to know what your relationship with God is. I only knew I had a burden to share these thoughts with you. Thank you for your patience with me as I shared my heart with you..Want a relationship with Jesus Christ?.Click Here... http://www.needhim.org/
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Till Next Time...