I'm Back .... for a While!

Now that I am back from my travels to Cincinnati, Ohio and Ocean City, Maryland ... here are a few thoughts rambling through my rather numb brain - numb from being blitzed by all the work that has piled up in my absence!

1. "Vacation Time" passes at 3.67 times the rate of all other kinds of time. Have you noticed this phenomena? It seemed like we had just pulled out of our driveway on the way to Ocean City when lo and behold we were pulling into our driveway on our way back from Ocean City! This just doesn't seem quite fair to me ... but it's the way things are! SO ... I will accept it and move on!

2. Adjusting to new surroundings and routines can prove trying for adults ... but can be downright next to impossible for a 14 month old toddler. We were reminded of this during our stay down at the beach. Our granddaughter Ella thought sleeping in the same room as Mommy and Daddy meant more time to play ... when Mommy and Daddy (and the rest of us) wanted to sleep! (In all reality it wasn't that bad for us ... with the exception of Mommy and Daddy!) Having said this ... let me put a plug in to ask you to pray for our team down in Mexico this week ... and our team leaving for India on August 8th. Pray for their adjustments to new surroundings, food, situations, etc.

3. There is NO PLACE LIKE HOME! Despite being blitzed by the demands of my work -- I can honestly say that I am so very glad to be back - sleeping in my own bed, typing on my own computer, reclining on my living room lazy boy. Home is where I feel most comfortable (thanks Sharon for making it such a wonderful place to "kick back" and relax!). And of course, this is just a foretaste of our real home ... a place called HEAVEN! Are you ready to go? Have you made peace with God?

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

VACATION TIME IS HERE!

I will not be posting until next Wednesday. I am leaving this morning for a family vacation with my wife and our kids. We will be enjoying some hardcore beach time for the next several days.

So until I get back ... may God bless you and keep you ... and make HIS face shine upon you! And in turn - allow his light to shine through you upon others!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

Joy in Serving Others!

Sharon and I arrived home last evening after an all-day drive from Cincinnati, Ohio. Was I ever glad to see our driveway! Dorothy was right - "There's no place like home!"

During our time at Celebrate 2010 (the national conference for our Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches), Sharon and I enjoyed many aspects of the conference. The worship celebrations were just that - opportunities for celebrative worship and challenges from God's Word. It was also great to connect with other "Grace Brethren" people from around the world and to hear stories of God at work throughout our fellowship of churches.

On Saturday, Sharon and I took part in "We Care Miami Valley." This ministry initiative of serving included both the adults of Celebrate 2010 and the youth of Momentum 2010. We came together in the Dayton, Ohio area to serve churches and para church ministries. Sharon and I chose to come alongside of the ministry of the Dayton Vineyard Church in inner city Dayton. We did so because the youth of our church were also assigned to serve there (as were the youth of three other churches). As it turned out, Sharon and I served about three hours or so, painting in the kitchen of the Vineyard church (see photo). And the students we served with were not our students but teens from a Grace Brethren Church in Norwalk, CA!

Even though my body reminded me the next day of all the bending I had done on Saturday, I was so glad to be able to lend a hand where a hand was needed. And isn't that what God calls us to do? "You, my brothers, were called to be free. Do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love" (Galatians 5:13). Look for someone who needs a hand today .... and extend yours!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

Racing in the Wrong Direction!

I have been enjoying reading a newly published biography on the German pastor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer titled, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy. I have been amazed over and over again by this man who, at the cost of his life, stood up for his beliefs in the gospel of Christ while standing against the evil of the Nazi regime. If you are looking for an inspiring read, I highly recommend this book!

One of the many Bonhoeffer quotes that I highlighted is the following: “If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction.” His words got me thinking. How many people in this world are currently on the wrong train? Many! And as far as eternity is concerned, it does not matter what they are doing on that train ... they are headed for destruction (Proverbs 14:12: "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death"). Life for so many is like a train heading for a bridge that crosses a deep gorge ... and the bridge is no longer there having been washed away in a flash flood. The engineer is clueless (as are all the passengers) about their fate that lays ahead of them.

Friends, this describes so many of those who work and play and live next door, across the street, or across the office. Let's pray for them ... and seek out the opportunities that God will give us to proclaim the gospel of Christ!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

Time Is a Precious Gift - Don't Waste It!

Suresh Joachim might not be a household name here in the U.S. (and probably most other places in the world). But he does hold a world record. Last year Jocachim set the Guinness world for consecutive hours of television viewing. And just how long did Joachim stay glued to the tube? 72 hours! That's three days! And he did it by drinking some 30 cups of coffee.

Now I don't know about you. But quite frankly I am not all that impressed. Big deal. The guy watched TV for three straight days without falling asleep or taking a "time out." At the end of the day, what impact will his feat have on this desperately needy world in which we live? But before I go too far dismissing Joachim for wasting his time, I need to look in my own mirror (and I suspect you do as well). How much of what I do is, in the grand scheme of things, a literal waste of time. Now I am not saying that when we pause from life's busyness to watch a television program (or engage in any type of recreation) that we are wasting our time. All work and no play is a certain recipe for burnout. But I think all of us could stand to benefit by taking stock of how we spend our time - especially given the opportunities around us to work for God's kingdom! God tells us in His Word that we are to be "making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:16). Remember, every minute you spend doing something .... anything ... is gone forever!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

Follow the Evidence!

When CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) first hit the television airwaves, I was a fairly consistent viewer. I enjoyed watching how these men and women would meticulously comb over and over a crime scene, collecting as much evidence as they could find. And once they had the evidence -- they would allow it to tell them what happened. One line I heard repeated over and over again was "Just follow the evidence."

I have thought of that often when I have run across individuals who are hard core evolutionists. These individuals certainly don't follow the evidence. Here's just one (of many that I could offer) line of evidence as an example. DNA is a nucleic acid that is found in every human cell. It carries our genetic information. The volume of this information is mind boggling. A single human cell contains enough information storing capacity to hold all the information contained in the 30 volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica some 3 or 4 times over! That's amazing! Now just where did this huge mountain of highly complex information come from? Many scientists liken the genetic code of DNA to a very sophisticated computer program. Hmm. Every computer program that I know of had a computer programmer(s) behind it. But evolutionists want us to believe that across the course of millions and millions of year that DNA simply wrote its own code? In my mind that required far more faith than believing that an Intelligent Designer (a.k.a. "God") wrote the code! If we simply follow the evidence - it leads us right to Him!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

A Few Questions to Ponder

Today as I start my work week (I usually take Monday off), I offer you a few questions to ponder.

1. If Americans are growing more spiritual, why is our culture becoming less moral? A recent report from the Princeton Religion Research Center was labeled with the headline, "Religion is Gaining Ground, but Morality is Losing Ground." The report showed that even though our society has seen an increase recently in church attendance and Bible reading there is, at the same time, a marked decline in morality (a quick look at a newspaper or an Internet news site will confirm this reality of a declining morality!). So what is the answer to this question? Philip Ryken, in his book, Written in Stone: The Ten Commandments and Today's Moral Crisis, offers this assesment:

"How can people be more interested in God and at the same time less willing to do what he says? The only explanation is that people do not know the God of the Bible, because if they did, they would recognize the absolute authority of his law. Respect for God always demands respect for his law. And whenever people have a low regard for God's law, as they do in our culture, it is ultimately because they have a low regard for God."

Ryken, I believe, hits the proverbial nail on the head!

2. Are we as a culture too obsessed with "safety?" Now that I am a grandparent, I have been reintroduced to the world of baby things. In this process I have been struck by how things have changed since my kids were babies and toddlers (some 26 plus years now). For one thing, most toys now require batteries (I am convinced that toy makers and battery manufacturers got together to conspire against the American parent!). But I am also amazed at how "safe" everything has become. So much so that I am amazed that I and my children even lived to adulthood! Now I am all about keeping my grand kids safe. But I just wonder ... have we gone overboard with this? For those of us who are Christ followers, we need to remember that it does not matter where we are or what we are doing ... our safety ultimately comes from the fact that we are in the sovereign God's hands - and He will keep us safe! (see Tuesday July 6th posting).

3. Why does Jesus love me? My wife and I taught our children the song, "Jesus Loves Me" and plan to teach it also to our grandchildren. But did you ever stop to wonder, "Why does Jesus love me (or you)?" The Scripture is clear that from God's perspective, there really is NOTHING loveable about us (just take a moment and read the opening verses of Ephesians 2 and you will see what I mean). Yet in spite of who I was, God chose to love me! Wow! That blows me away!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj