Friday Coffee with PJ

A good Friday morning to one and all! For most of you, Friday morning brings the knowledge that in just a few short hours you will be done working (at least on the job) until next Monday! But alas, for me ... it means my most tiring day of work is just around the corner! Yep. It's Friday, but Sunday's coming! Please pour yourself a cup of coffee (and for the health benefits of java, click the link in last Friday's post), and join me for a few random thoughts. 

1. I am sure you have seen video and photos of the devastation left behind by the 100+mph winds of Hurricane Irma. Trees toppled. Huge RV's flipped over. Construction cranes mangled. Homes totally blown off their foundations. It is heartbreaking. Authorities estimate a quarter of the houses are gone in the hard hit Florida Keys. Ouch! Now ... why did some houses survive the storm's fury while others did not? I am sure there are probably a number of reasons for this ... one of which would be the quality of construction. Simply put, some houses are built more sturdy than others. This reminds me of a parable Jesus told as he wrapped up his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:24-27). In it, he contrasts a wise and a foolish builder. The wise man built his house on the rock and it withstood the storm. The foolish man's house collapsed when the storm hit because he build it upon the sand. Jesus went on to compare the wise man as one who not only hears his word but also takes the next step ... he puts it into practice. The foolish builder ... he also hears but FAILS to act upon what he hears! How about YOU? As you build your life (house), are you building on a solid foundation? If you are building on God's word, then YES! You are building on a VERY solid foundation. But if you are not taking God's truth and applying it in the trenches of your life ... when the storms of life hit (as they surely will), your life will collapse around you. I encourage you to take your Bible today and read it. Then ask yourself, "What is one step I can take that would help me put into practice what I have just read?" That's how you start building on a strong foundation!

2.  The Apostle Paul urges Timothy to "pay close attention" to his life (1 Timothy 4:16). A. W. Tozer, a giant of the faith in the last century offers up his list of questions for what he labels, "self discovery." I have found them to be quite helpful in examining ourselves. I encourage you to take some time and reflect on them. 

1. What we want most;

2. What we think about most; 
3. How we use our money; 
4. What we do with our leisure time; 
5. The company we enjoy; 
6. Who and what we admire; 
7. What we laugh at.

Thanks for stopping by . . .    
pj