Friday Coffee with PJ - Special Wednesday Edition

If you are like me ... you drink coffee (and several cups) on other days besides Friday. .So I thought you might want to join me for a random thought or two here in the middle of the week.

1. For some people, the lunar eclipse on Sunday evening was magnificent to see. For others who looked toward the sky it was "Where's this eclipse everyone is talking about?" The difference is that the former were looking up into clear skies. For the latter, clouds obscured their view of the moon. As I reflect on this it reminds me of how some Christians can look toward heaven and see eternity. As a result, their lives are different as they live in the here and now in light of the there and then. However there are many other believers (myself included far too often here) that allow this or that to obscure our view of heaven. It may be material things ... or a desire to be entertained ... or careers ... or friends ... or ... But I am guessing you know what I am talking about. The Bible urges us to set our minds on things above vs. the things of this earth (Colossians 3:1-4). This was the practice of the Apostle Paul for, as he put it, the stuff of this life is temporary ... but the things of heaven last forever (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). So ... what is obscuring your view of eternity? For more insight into developing an eternal perspective, check out Randy Alcorn's website. It will be time well spent!

2. If you are reading this before Wednesday evening, and you live in the vicinity of Grace Church, I invite you to attend our Preview this evening of Financial Peace University. Beginning next Wednesday evening (October 7th) and running through Wednesday December 9th, we will be offering this workshop. Dave Ramsey's material is some of the best there is dealing with money matters and how to best handle it ... whether you have a lot or very little! The preview begins at 6:30 pm. This workshop can change your life ... for the better!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Friday Coffee with PJ

Friends ... it's Friday ... it's time for another cup of coffee with PJ! So pour yourself a cup of your favorite brew (mine is San Fransisco Fog Chaser) .... and enjoy a few random thoughts with me.

1. Wednesday marked the first day of autumn! That means winter is "on deck" as far as the seasons go. I just saw a long range forecast for this upcoming winter from one of my favorite meterologists (Joe Bastardi) who also happens to be one of the most accurate when it comes to long range forecasting (you can follow Joe on twitter at @BigJoeBastardi). Joe is forecasting a winter for our area that is below average in temperature and above average in precipitation (and given the temperature forecast I am guessing that much of the precip that will fall will be of the frozen variety ---- I am trying to avoid the "s" word!). Now ... time will tell whether or not Joe got this right (and based on his track record he is more often right than wrong). So we will revisit his forecast on the other side of winter and see how accurate he was. But we don't ever have to do this with the Bible. This book is unique among the books of the world. I happen to believe it's claim to be the inspired word of the Creator is true. And because it is God's Word ... it is accurate in all that it "forecasts!" To sum it up, I believe that the Scripture, being God’s own Word, written by men carried along by God’s Spirit as they wrote, is of infallible divine authority in all matters upon which it touches: it is to be believed, as God’s instruction, in all that it affirms, obeyed, as God’s command, in all that it requires; embraced, as God’s pledge, in all that it promises. What a privilege we have to open, read, treasure and obey this book of books!  I hope you spend some time in it today! 

2. This week is Fair week as the West Lampeter Fair opened for its 92nd run! What makes this fair so unique is the absence of things like carnival rides and games. This fair is about as down home as you can get. But there is plenty of food and plenty of animals (not to mention people as the community turns out in droves for this annual event). Fair booths fill numerous tents. These are sponsored by churches and other community organizations, schools and businesses (one of my favorite booths is the one sponsored by Herr's as they offer free bags of potato chips to fair goers!). Of course, our church sponsors a booth as we have been doing for over 20 years. This year along with our ongoing "Baby Comfort Station" - a clean place to change diapers, etc. - we have a photo booth complete with an assortment of props to complement any person's good looks! We spend the time and effort and money to do this to provide a window to our community of who we are as a church. We realize that we are not for everyone. But for those who decide to make Grace Church their spiritual family ... we believe we have a lot to offer! So ... if you are planning to head to the fair today, please stop in and say "hello!" I will be present tonight and would love to meet you! And always remember you can visit us online at gracewv.org or on campus at 300 Willow Valley Square (behind Darrenkamps Market). 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 
pj

Friday mornings is coffee time for me (well, EVERY morning is coffee time for me!). If you enjoy coffee ... I invite you to pour a cup and enjoy a few minutes with me (and if you don't enjoy coffee, I hope you don't run off!).

1. I recently went out and bought a new pair of shoes (I actually bought two because the store was offering buy one get a second pair half off). The day after I bought them, I wore one of the pairs. By the day's end I was more than ready to take them off (my "dogs" were really barking!). As you well know, it takes some time to break in a new pair of shoes. So you have to put up with the stiffness and discomfort for a time. This week my wife has been working on "breaking in" her new knee (which looks really cool on the x-rays she had done at her post-op visit). And after watching my wife go through this process, I have added to my prayer list, "Lord let me keep my original knees!" It has not been an easy path for her to walk (as some of you know from your own experience). So ... when you think of my wife, please pray for her! And pray that I will be the cheerleader she needs me to be!

2. Back in 1975 I purchased a book that would revolutionize my view of God. The book was written by J. I. Packer, a man whose writings I have come to highly value. I can still picture myself sitting at my security desk in the lobby of the Robert Morris Dormitory in Center City Philadelphia (17th and Arch Streets to be exact) - reading Packer's classic, Knowing God. Even though the hour was late (or early - I worked from 1:30 - 5:30 AM), I had little trouble staying awake as I explored the person of God through Packer's book. If you have never read this book (and I would hope you would do so!), here is a taste of Packer's thinking about God:

"What matters supremely, therefore, is not, in the last analysis, the fact that I know God, but the larger fact which underlies it-the fact that he knows me. I am graven on the palms of his hands. I am never out of his mind. All my knowledge of him depends on his sustained initiative in knowing me. I know him because he first knew me, and continues to know me. He knows me as a friend, one who loves me; and there is no moment when his eye is off me, or his attention distracted from me, and no moment, therefore, when his care falters. This is momentous knowledge."

I couldn't agree more! This is momentous knowledge ... and it is knowledge that will change the way we look at life and live it out (Jeremiah 9:23-24)!

3. A month ago we had just finished our family week at the beach. During our time on the beach, I decided to take the little kids for a wagon ride. What seemed like a good and fun idea ... was anything but. I pulled a muscle in my back that has been cranky every since. Some days are better than others. In fact, there have been a few days on which I heard little from this cranky muscle. But most days it has been letting me know its around and I had better behave myself! Well, not only do muscles get "cranky." So do people! And I would guess that if you are anything like me - you are sometimes among the cranky people of the world. The other morning I got up and was thinking about my day and certain challenges I/we are facing at the moment. I felt myself growing cranky. About that time, I pulled a loaf of bread out of our bread box, removed a piece of bread and dropped it in the toaster. That's when it hit me. "Hmmm," I remember thinking to myself. "There are some people in this world that would do anything to be able to do what I had just done with this bread - because they have none!" All of a sudden, the crankiness that was growing within me was now being pushed out by feelings of gratitude. Wow! What a difference perspective can make! Yes? So the next time circumstances are pushing you toward crankiness ... count your blessings! You are more blessed than you know (Psalm 103:1-5)!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Friday Coffee with PJ

Friday morning means .... coffee time! (well, any morning means coffee time in my book!). So ...

pour yourself a steamy hot cup of joe and join me for a couple of random thoughts.

1. Speed bumps. Don't you hate them? Especially when you aren't paying enough attention to your driving and you hit one without warning? Speed bumps are there for a purpose ... to slow us down! Which is definitely a GOOD thing ... even though we like to complain about them. Our journey through life contains "speed bumps." These are circumstances that come our way that slow us down. And as their counterparts on the streets we drive .... we grumble about these as well. Last Friday my wife underwent a total knee replacement surgery. From the very get go we began to encounter speed bumps. For starters, the anesthesiologist could not administer the spinal block they planned to use due to Sharon's 25 year old back fusion. So they had to administer a heavier general anesthetic. This in turn caused nausea which in turn delayed the start of her in-hospital physical therapy. Speed bump #2 came in the form of low blood pressure. This added to the delay in the start of her therapy. Finally, on Monday, she was cleared for discharge. However, since it was a holiday, the medical supply company was not open. Hence there was no walker for Sharon which she needed to use at home. After an hour or so of seeking an answer, a walker was located for Sharon to use (fortunately she is on the shorter side as the walker was a "Jr. walker!"). All this to say ,,,, life does not always proceed at the comfortable and steady pace that we would like. Speed bumps pop up from time to time .... causing us to slow down and adjust. Can you guess what we did when these unexpected speed bumps showed up? We prayed!  Hmmm. Seems to me that in the long run ... these speed bumps were a blessing in disguise!

2.  As I write these words it is raining outside ... and raining quite heavily. Considering that it has been very dry the past several weeks, this rain is a very good thing. However, the National Weather

Service has posted a flood watch for our area - and at present, a flood warning for York County (just to our west). All this to say ... Too much of a good thing is simply too much! Now this is often the case in life. But one area in which it does not hold true is in our relationship with God. Fellowship with God and the worship of God are good things ... and they are good things that we could never get enough of! Take a moment and read Psalm 27:4 and Psalm 16:11 and you will see why!

3. Finally an outstanding quote from John Piper of Desiring God Ministries: "The Bible stabilizes us by reminding us of who we are - known by God, made new by the Spirit, bought by Christ." Wow! Chew on that powerful thought. It may be just what you need to make it through a tough day!

Thanks for stopping by ...
pj

Friday Coffee with PJ

It's Friday!!!!!  So it's time to pour yourself a cup of that wonderful beverage we call "coffee" and join me for a couple of random thoughts.

1. Bertrand Russel once said, "Many Christians would rather die than think; in fact, they do!" Ouch! Sad to say, what he said half a century or so ago is just as true (if not more so) today. But following Christ does not require us to check our brains at the door of the church. God calls upon us to love him with all of our hearts, souls and minds (Matthew 22:37). Our faith is not a "leap into intellectual darkness!" There is evidence for our faith. And when one follows the evidence, it leads to the God who made us ... the God to whom we are accountable (Romans 1:18-20). Regrettably, the mass of humanity takes this evidence and suppresses it (Romans 1:18) and exchange it for a lie (Romans 1:25). But for those of us who take God at His Word .... we can ill afford NOT TO THINK. Consider these words written by Charles Spurgeon, arguably one of the greatest preachers the church ever produced:

"The highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy, which can ever engage the attention of a child of God, is the name, the nature, the person, the work, the doings, and the existence of the great God whom he calls his Father. There is something exceedingly improving to the mind in a contemplation of the Divinity. It is a subject so vast, that all our thoughts are lost in its immensity; so deep, that our pride is drowned in its infinity. Other subjects we can compass and grapple with; in them we feel a kind of self-content, and go our way with the thought, “Behold I am wise.” But when we come to this master science, finding that our plumbline cannot sound its depth, and that our eagle eye cannot see its height, we turn away with the thought that vain man would be wise, but he is like a wild ass’s colt; and with solemn exclamation, “I am but of yesterday, and know nothing.” No subject of contemplation will tend more to humble the mind, than thoughts of God.... But while the subject humbles the mind, it also expands it. He who often thinks of God, will have a larger mind than the man who simply plods around this narrow globe.... The most excellent study for expanding the soul, is the science of Christ, and Him crucified, and the knowledge of the Godhead in the glorious Trinity. Nothing will so enlarge the intellect, nothing so magnify the whole soul of man, as a devout, earnest, continued investigation of the great subject of the Deity" (quoted from Knowing God by J.I. Packer - which is, I believe, a must read book for anyone desiring of knowing God better!).

So ... all this to say .... "Let God's people THINK!"

2. The other day as I was driving from Hershey back to Lancaster, a driver began to tail gate me. Now according to SmartDriver.com, when driving 45 mph, one should allow 198 feet between yourself and the car in front of you. This driver was allowing about 10! So .... I slowed down and then motioned in my rear view mirror for the driver to move back. She simply waved her hand at me as if ... "whatever!" and continued to tailgate. When I said something to my wife (who was seated in the back seat with our grandson), she turned and looked back and also motioned for the diver to back off. At that point ... the driver went ballistic, throwing her arms all about, her mouth showing that she was screaming (which fortunately neither we nor our grandson could hear). She finished by showing

us one of her fingers (and I am sure you can guess which one). Well at that point, I decided to pull into a gas station that we were approaching. I put on my turn signal. Before I could turn, she raced past us (passing on a double yellow line). All that to repeat the same thing with the driver I was following! After she passed I said to my wife, "There goes one very angry woman!" Now before I condemn this woman for her anger ... I must (as we all must) take a look into the mirror. All of us struggle with sinful anger from time to time. Some of us more so than others. When our agenda gets preempted ... we grow angry! The Scripture tells us, "Be angry and do not sin - do not let the sun go down on your anger" (Ephesians 4:26). IF you have problems with anger, let me suggest you take a moment to read How Can I Manage My Anger? You will be better for it (as will those around you!)!

3. Finally, I would ask all of my blog friends to offer up a prayer for my wife today. She is undergoing surgery to receive a new right knee. Thanks! Your prayers are much appreciated!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj