Fragrant Aromas...

I have been studying in the second chapter of the book of 2 Corinthians for a few days now.  Yesterday the picture of us being a fragrant aroma really captured my attention. Kinda like walking past the coffee section in our local Safeway does when someone has just grounded up some gourmet beans. I think that my wife must get tired of the same remark that I make every time we smell it.  It always takes me by pleasant surprise and I begin to savor the thought of a hot cup of delicious coffee and say… “Gee that smells good!”  Verse 15 says that “To God we are the aroma of Christ among those who are saved and among those who are dying.”  (Gods Word ©) 

I can remember something that the Pastor of the second church that had come out of the tiny group that met in that old motel room that I mentioned last Friday (11-4-11 “Using The Right Tool”) shared with me when we were alone one day.  His told of an intimate time of Praise and Worship that the Holiness congregation he had Pastored, about ten years previously, had experienced on a warm summer evening.  He said that they had just finished singing a very worshipful song unto the Lord and were quietly sitting in the old church building with all the windows open, when the room was suddenly filled with the soft fragrance of roses.  He related how it was a glorious and awe inspiring occasion that was definitely a move of the Spirit, as there were no rose bushes planted anywhere in the vicinity of the church grounds.

He described the phenomenon as the presence of the Lord, Who had come into the room in response to their heart felt worship to Him.  It was just like the verse in 2 Corinthians 2:15.  It was the physical manifestation of the “aroma of Christ.” 

I have thought about that story many times over the years since then, especially during those intimate times of worship that we have experienced.  Have you ever sensed or actually smelled the fragrance of Jesus in your midst?  2 Corinthians 2:15 says that we are that fragrance to others!  Think about that the next time that you go to the mall, or to the auto parts store, or to pick up your kids from school.  Consider the aroma of Christ that you carry along with you.  Does your outside appearance, your attitude and the words you use match the fragrance that is emitting from your spirit?

Whoa!  That will get you thinking huh?  Have a great day, stay tuned and keep asking your self… “What am I expecting to smell like today? (!!!)”

From Failure To Success!

I had kind of a weird experience in the wee hours of the morning today.  I suddenly awoke around 5:30 and began to think about this blog!  I mentally reviewed what I had shared yesterday, especially concerning the beautiful blooms on the red geranium.  From there is was almost like I was sitting in front of the TV as I watched a video replay of all the times that I went out and harvested an abundance of tomatoes, basil, rosemary and artichokes from the lush green foliage of the various plants in our garden.  It has been many years since we have had a harvest similar to the successful one that we enjoyed this year.  This summer we got to enjoy some of our old time favorites including fresh tomato and basil salad mixed with olive oil, garlic (lots!), parmesan cheese, and a touch of salt and pepper, pesto made with with freshly picked basil, olive oil and parmesan cheese, and then the crème de la crème… fresh artichokes steamed in olive oil, water and garlic!  The last time that we successfully grew and enjoyed our own artichokes was way back in the summer of 1978!

With all those remembrances vividly flooding my mind this morning, I had to arise from the bed and throw up my arms in thanksgiving and praise to God!  He is so faithful to those who never give up but keep their fervent trust in Him.  If you would have seen the harvest (if you want to call it that) from our first attempt at a garden in this house last year, you would then understand my joyous reaction to this years experience.

In the spring of 2009 I went out and aggressively pruned back the branches of the flowering tree that is planted in the only dirt area in our larger patio.  This action allowed the sun to make its way to the ground in that spot.  I then turned the soil, added amendments and planted tomatoes, basil, and zucchini.  The only problem that I came to discover was that the sun only shone on that little stretch of ground for 3 to 4 hours a day.  After 3:00 pm the sun was blocked by a neighbor’s house!  Needless to say, our harvest of zucchini was nil and the tomatoes produced a fair amount of green fruit that never ripened!  The only fruit that we actually got to pick was a few tiny tomatoes from a cherry tomato that I had planted in a pot on the deck.  (This was before the infamous invasion of the rats that quickly ended the pursuit of anymore thoughts of harvest!)

I think I’ve already shared with you what our course of action was following the devastating results of that garden attempt.  We finally took care of the rats, and then planted everything for 2011 in pots filled with an excellent potting soil.  We placed these next to the back fence where the sun shone throughout the afternoon and also radiated heat from off the painted wood slates of the fence. The only thing we planted in the dirt area was a small artichoke shoot that my folks gave to us.

The point that the Lord showed me this morning, is that because we didn’t give up after failure and were faithful to the dream of a successful garden, that our efforts were greatly rewarded.  The fruits of those few plants were enough… in fact more than enough to satisfy our hungry desires as we were able to give away some of the excess harvest! 

Psalm 91:16 promises that God will satisfy us with a long life.  But it also depends on some effort on our behalf!  If we had shrugged our shoulders and just given up, we would have had to endure another summer of store bought vegetables that just don’t match up to the flavor and freshness of those that are picked, sliced and brought immediately to the table!

So once again, I encourage you to NOT GIVE UP!  Don’t let a little adversity or even a few failures stop you from pursuing the dreams and desires that God has placed in you.  Remember that our Heavenly Father is faithful.  He won’t give up on you, so why should you give up on Him?  Stay tuned and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting to ACCOMPLISH today?”

Undercover Victory!

We have entered that time of year where I have to check the weather forecast every night in order to discern if I need to cover my tender outside plants overnight or not.  Last night was a good example, The weather listing on my iPhone said that it was supposed to go down to the mid thirties.  So I decided that it was best to be safe rather than sorry and to cover them against the treat of frost.  When I got up around 7:00 AM I looked outside and sure enough, there was frost on the rooftops as well as on our outside deck. 

Later in the morning I was temporarily stunned as I gently lifted off the covers, by the brightness of the red flowers from one of our geraniums that seemingly exploded right in front of my eyes.  What came to mind was the thought of how easily that vibrant beauty was hidden from view by a thin bed sheet.  It brought back the Word that I had read earlier from 2 Corinthians 2:14.  Here the Apostle Paul told of his thanksgiving to God “who always leads us in victory because of Christ Jesus…”  (Gods Word ©)  As I meditated on that familiar verse, I took it as an encouragement to never give up, even when the victory seems hidden from view or even totally impossible!

A few years ago my older son introduced me to the Dirk Pitt Adventure books written by the popular New York Times Best Selling author Clive Cussler.  He baited my interest by telling me that these books were just like Hardy Boys Mystery Adventures for adults.  I had grownup with a love for that series written by the fictional author Franklin W. Dixon and had helped to develop a similar interest in both of my sons in their childhood.  In the Cussler books the hero always finds himself in perilous situations with no hope for escape when suddenly, a miraculous solution is come upon that pulls him and whoever he is rescuing to safety, all within a hairs breath of calamity.

While these books are fictional in nature, they do contain an important comparison to our faith in God’s word.  Dirk Pitt is described as an individual bursting forth with confidence and a zest for life that enables him to spit in the eye of the grim reaper.  As Christians we should project the same confidence and zeal for life based solely on our unmovable faith in the power of Jesus Christ as our unflappable leader who always leads us in victory (see I Corinthians 1:24).  Like my pulling of the sheet trick this morning, we need to walk in such a way as to emulate our belief that the victory of our faith, although unseen, is available to us under the cover of the current situation that we might be experiencing in our lives.  The victory is there, it is just temporarily covered and waiting for us to pull it off!

So don’t give up.  Keep the picture of that bright red vibrant geranium hidden under that sheet forever before you, as you come ever closer to the unveiling of the victory that you are believing for!  Have a great day, stay tuned and keep asking yourself… “What VICTORY am I expecting today?”

Using The Right Tool

I think the first time that I really started to conceptualize the concept of God helping to strengthen us physically was back in the early 1980’s.  After much seeking of the Lord’s guidance, my wife and I decided to leave the church we had been attending.  We felt that we were spiritually starving and had concerns about raising our budding family in that atmosphere.  Don’t get me wrong… It was a loving family centered church, but they never seemed to get beyond the Salvation message, and while I understand the paramount importance of this foundational truth of the Gospel, it is only the beginning of the journey of the Christian’s walk.  We both felt a gnawing hunger for the meat of the Word that the Apostle Paul talked about.

For months prior to this I kept noticing a tiny ad in the newspaper advertising a new church that was pastored by a graduate of Rhema Bible College in Tulsa Oklahoma.  Since we had been acquainted with that ministry for many years, we decided to give it a try.  The first service that we attended was on January first of that year and we never left.  A remnant of that fellowship stayed together through two other churches and was the foundation of the one we currently attend.

That tiny little fellowship called Faith Christian Fellowship was totally different to the large denominational church my wife had attended with her family since birth and then with me for the first eight years of our marriage.  And besides everything else, it met in a small room in a large old motel at the bad end of town.  You know what though, none of that mattered!  The depth of understanding that the Pastor brought to us from the Word was outstanding!  The satisfaction and awe that we felt as we went home each Sunday and Wednesday night far outweighed any inconvenience or lack of tradition!

It was in that bland hotel room where the Pastor’s wife first opened up my understanding of the reality of Romans 8:11 as she shared from her King James Bible.  “…he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you.”  The idea of trusting God for your energy was a little foreign for both my wife and I.

We had come from different ends of the spectrum.  In my wife’s family sleep and naps held a high priority.  In mine, we learned to push ourselves in order to complete any task we endeavored to accomplish.  Naps were relatively unheard of unless we were recovering from a cold or the flu.  This revelation from the Word was actually quite freeing for both of us.  After learning this my wife didn’t have to always be concerned with wearing herself out and I didn’t have to always relay on my own strength.

God in His all-knowing wisdom and love for us has given us the practical tools that we need to be successful in this life (see II Peter 1:3).  Our job is to search them out and then learn to correctly use them!  This isn’t always as easy as it sounds, but the rewards are worth the effort that we put out in order to take Him at His Word!  Have a great weekend.  Let Him be your strength, stay tuned and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting TO LEARN today?”

Energy Drinks

This last Tuesday was an interesting day for me.  I had awoken with a slight headache that continued to increase in intensity throughout the day.  By the time my wife and I retired for the evening the headache had only gotten worse and made for a very fitful night’s sleep.  When I got up in the morning the migraine was gone, but my mind and body were quite exhausted from the ordeal.  Therefore I knowingly brewed a mug of strong coffee and retreated to the solitude of my study to ingest a strong dosage of the Word of God!  After an energizing workout in the book of Romans, I put down my Bible and pen and went upstairs to wake up my wife.

As we were getting ready for the day I began to tell her about my experience and how God wants to invigorate her physical body through His word. As I was sharing this my mind drifted back to a time at least ten years ago when we were involved in a summer VBS program at our church.  The scene opened up on the morning of the fourth day of the five day program.  I was standing at the front of the elementary Children’s room as the volunteer workers were entering for our quick meeting before the kids started to arrive.  As I looked across the room into the faces of our thirty plus member team, I could see the tiredness of the week’s activities coming out.  I myself was also feeling the strain as I had not only written the program, but was also coordinating the daily schedule, led some of the group teaching times as well as the multiple singing sessions throughout the morning.  Following the clean up each day I would quickly drive home, change my clothes and then go off to my secular job.

On that particular day I knew that I needed the Lord’s assistance in order to encourage and invigorate the team.  So, from deep inside, I pulled up a big smile and some energy that I didn’t know was there and proceeded to uplift them with natural encouragement, God’s Word and a funny interactive children’s song.  As we all piled out of the room on that Thursday morning the anointing of the Holy Ghost had taken over and we had one of the best, most fun days of the week!

In Romans 8:11 the Apostle Paul asks if the Spirit of Christ lives in us and says if so “Then the one who brought Christ back to life will also make your mortal bodies alive by his Spirit who lives in you.” (Gods Word © Translation)  The King James Version accurately translates the word “alive” as “quicken.”  The word in the original Greek actually means to revitalize the physical body.  So just like my experience ten years ago and then again on Wednesday morning, the Word I received into my heart acted as a spiritual caffeine that healthfully strengthened and energized my natural body!

I’ll share some more thoughts on this tomorrow, but for today, I want you to consider the power that is resident within the Word of God that is available to revitalize the natural makeup of our physical beings.  Isn’t God amazing?  And isn’t it amazing that He has made the power of His Word available to you and me?  So if you’re tired, exhausted or just worn out from the pressures in your life, take up your Bible and allow the One “that raised up Christ from the dead (to) also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you” (Romans 8:11 KJV – parenthesis mine)  Then, have a great day and keep asking yourself… “What Invigorating Things am I expecting today?”

Go Get 'Em!

Well, today is the day that I decided to go out and face the leaves that are slowly overtaking our side patio.  As I have mentioned many times in this blog, we live in a beautiful park like community.  The area is filled with grassy knolls, fragrant flowers and shrubbery as well as a multitude of trees.  We have a rather large Oak tree that sits right outside this patio off our living room.   It straddles the space that separates our cluster home from one of our neighbors.  This particular neighbor has had some problems with water damage on the wall that faces our patio.  In the various conversations that I have had with her, I promised that I would keep the falling leaves from gathering along her foundation that is exposed in my yard.

The Oak tree is of the kind that sheds its leaves in the fall, which means I will have my work cut out for me.  My plan is to rake up the leaves, but not the fallen acorns.  My reasoning comes from our experiences last year when a small but persistent squirrel spent the majority of the winter months harvesting the nuts, while playing a game of cat and mouse with our dog.  It was actually a fun daily ritual to observe… and participate in. 

At first the squirrel would leap up to the fence top and quickly disappear when Mandie our dog, would bark at him through the large sliding window.  Then when he began to figure out that she couldn’t get to him, the squirrel would jump to the top of the fence and just stare back at the dog until my wife our I would get the pooch to quiet down.  Finally as his courage grew, in the final weeks of his harvest, the squirrel would just ignore the dog and concentrate on collecting the nuts off the patio until…

Well, let’s just say that I wanted to have a little fun with the dog and the squirrel!  In remembrance of an activity that my kids used to engage in with the family Sheltie when cats came into our backyard, I decided to give the squirrel a little thrill.  So when he appeared I would sneak across the living room, unnoticed by the varmint, get the dog’s attention and then throw open the slider so the dog had quick access to the patio.  Needless to say, the little fury critter would fly like the wind up and over the fence, or leap into the safety of the lower branches of the tree near the fence line.

Now before you get upset, I want you to know that I think the squirrel actually enjoyed playing the game, because he came back day after day and went through the same routine with us!  It was actually quite funny to watch and was good exercise for the dog as well as for the squirrel, I’m sure!  So what’s the point of all this… I’m not quite sure, but it was a fun memory to tell about!

 

But then again, for some winter can be a drab and depressing time, while for others it is filled with possibilities.  It’s kinda like my interactions with the dog and her squirrel friend.  That little patio is shady and dark most of the year.  It is not as inviting to go out and enjoy as our large back patio off the kitchen.  With the falling of the leaves and acorns though, the area lightens up and presents a whole new arena to play chase the squirrel!  I guess it’s all about what you want to make of the situations in your life.  You can choose to do nothing and become sedimentary or step out and make some fun in ways you’ve not considered before.

Are there things in your life that you can change for the positive?  I encourage you to take a look around and see what new arenas are available for you to step into and enjoy.  Stay tuned and keep asking yourself… “What NEW THINGS am I expecting today?”

Road Trip!

Mondays tend to be a relaxed day for us.  With everything that goes on during our weekends, we look forward to taking some time just to kick back and enjoy life.  Yesterday after writing the post, doing some laundry, and washing the floor in the kitchen and eating areas, I told my wife that we were going to go for a drive.  First of all though, we needed to take the dog for a walk so that she would be content when we left.  After that task was enjoyably completed we grab the camera and headed for the garage!

Recently we have been taking some day trips around the western part of the county that we live in, and this day was to have the same venue!  I decided to drive south and then west along a road that we hadn’t traveled for many years.  The view in this part of the county is filled with scenes of gentle rolling hills that are dotted with dairy farms, cattle, flocks of sheep and various horse ranches.  It is one of the few areas that does not abound with vineyards.  From there we drove out to the small fishing hamlet of Bodega Bay.  On the return trip we stayed on the coastal highway and proceeded through the tiny unincorporated town of Valley Ford (population of about 160!).

The clear blue skies and crisp autumn air gave way to the gorgeous expanse of grassy meadows that seemed to traverse up to the hills as far as our eyes could see.  This part of the highway runs through a little valley that hid our observations of the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean.  The tranquil beauty of the scenery was almost overwhelming.  It got me to thinking about a young David as he sat in similar surroundings tending to his sheep. His thoughts must have been similar to mine as he wrote in Psalm 65:12, “The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain, they shout for joy and sing.” (NIV)

Sometimes the works of our Creator take away one’s breath, and at other times they make you want to join them as they seem to sing out for joy.  That’s exactly what my wife and I experienced yesterday as we traveled through the wonder of what He made for us to enjoy.  Is there something that He has done for you that makes you want to sit in quiet awe or rejoice with bold song today?

Go ahead!  Let the praises flow and see how much better you feel when your done!  Have a GREAT day, and stay tuned while you keep asking yourself… “What GREAT THINGS am I expecting today?”