No Ceiling

When was the last time God spoke to you about what He wanted to do and you were scared to death by its magnitude? Henry Blackaby posed this question in his devotional thought for today (www.blackaby.org). I am not sure how warm and fuzzy the question feels. Sure fits in the Christmas story, according to the Bible.

The ceiling caught my attention early this morning. I was in the middle of doing one of those rock hard abs exercises. The Lord questioned my belief in His ability. If the room (my office) was the size of the universe, and all that could be done went only to the ceiling, than I would be even more terrified. God, who can cause a virgin to have a baby, who can feed multitudes with a small boy's lunch, who breathes live into every human thing, has no ceiling. Faith 101. Right? Yeah, but a friendly reminder never hurt a thing.

What Scares You to Death Could Save You!

Think about it a minute. Review the Christmas story from the Bible. Mary was terrified when an angel appeared to her. So were the shepherds. Another Bible example: the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water in the midst of a near death experience. What was their natural response? They thought He was a ghost. Terror (more spooky than I am about to die fear) gripped them. What scared them, ultimately saved them.

Have you ever experienced the same? What scares you to death could save you. What is terrifying you right now? What if your worse fear repositions you to a new place of safety, security and growth? Is that possible? How might that change your perspective?

Campfire Weenies II

Do you believe all things work out in the end? Be careful how your answer. It depends on what you mean by "all" and "things" and "work out." So many false assumptions can drive your "belief." If you are describing a higher belief, a theological statement, and your view of God as sovereign of the universe, then all things will work out according to His plan.

Often I tie big ideas about God with my little ideas about "all" and "things" and "work out." Whose pleasure is most important? My pleasure or His? Now this gets a little more spooky for your average Campfire Weenie (me). My view of God is that He is kind and caring. He is however, Father (bigger and smarter), and King (His word is flawless and final).

The small scripts in my life and my desire for them all to be resolved perfectly doesn't fit my view of God. Some things will go unresolved. Some stories will not have the "right ending."

I have never felt more compelled to bomb you with a clithe' here. This Christmas, no matter how much your day to day scripts are lacking . . . or how much terror they may cause . . .

Don't throw out the baby with the bathwater!

Campfire Weenies - Christmas 2009

This past weekend I went to East Tennessee with Abby. We enjoyed (I think) a new book. I may review it later, but let me warn you. Intellectually it may be over your head.

The Curse of the Campfire Weenies is kind of a Twilight Zone for kids. We did not like it at first, because we didn't get it. Now it has become a favorite. I am not sure if it comes under the category of enjoying unscripted endings or the roller coaster affect (love of terror).

Christmas is not a great time of year for everybody. For some (more than you know) it is a grim reminder of terrifying experiences. For others we think of people who made Christmas special, who no longer live with us. Christmas becomes the season of unscripted endings. We remember stories without happy endings.

Don't assume someone beside you does not need a little extra love as we swing into Christmas. People around you are looking for hope. They long for a new script. Wow, fits right in to the first Christmas. What do you think?