Fascination!

I’ve been spending a fair amount of time this week working in my yard trimming and pruning bushes, cleaning up the flower beds and planters after the frost-led demise of my summer flowers, and doing some early soil preparations as spring is only a little over a month away! 

I love gardening and as long as I can remember… always have.  My parents and grandparents were avid gardeners, and in fact, my dad’s father who passed before I was born, was a professional gardener who took care of the gardens of the wealthy folks living in San Francisco during the Great Depression!  So, I guess you could say that it is kind of in my DNA! 

I began working a side business with my brother when I was in junior high mowing lawns, caring for residential yard and gardens… and I even recall us taking care of the shrubbery and outdoor areas at a large green profession building in downtown Santa Rosa!

And ever since then, I have pretty much always had some sort of side yard and garden business to work with.  Even when we came to school here in 2006, I picked up a job mowing a friend’s lawn… besides going to school for up to 5 hours a day and working at Home Depot (in the garden department) for 40 hours a week… Oh!  And did I mention all of the exploratory doctor appointments we were scheduling for Piper?  Yeah… it was a sort of crazy busy time… but getting to attend Bible School made it all worth it!

Now… I said all that about gardening because whenever I am outdoors working with the grass, dirt and plants, I can’t help but find myself lost in all the great gardening memories from my childhood and in our own homes after Piper and I got married!  Watching my parents around the yard was like observing poetry in motion.  They loved every moment of it… and taught me most everything I know about it!

Piper never worked much in the garden as she was busy enough raising and teaching our four kids!  But once the kids were grown, she took a real liking to it.  When I was working the schedule I mentioned above while going to school out here, I would come home and find her weeding the lawn and she actively helped me to mow and care for it as well.  By then I had a pretty fancy, powerful, self-propelled, semi-professional mower that she really enjoyed operating!  (Like I’ve mentioned on previous occasions, she loved hot cars… and I guess that passion extended to hot lawnmowers as well!) 

After we moved back home to California and rented a little cluster home, she kept both patios and the gardens I planted clean, free of weeds and otherwise well-tended to, until the Alzheimer’s caused her to begin to forget how to do most things we all tend to take for granted.

So, those sweet and fun memories of the art of gardening, which always FASCINATED me, flooded my mind when I was mudding up my knees in the dirt this week.  It therefore, also caught my attention when I read a different translation of James 1:25 where the leader of the church in Jerusalem taught,

“Those who set their gaze deeply into the perfecting law of liberty (and) are FASCINATED by and respond to the truth they hear and are strengthened by it—they experience God’s blessing in all that they do!”  (TPT)

I got the distinct idea that James was referring to being FASCINATED by the Word, which he described as “the perfecting law of liberty,” in a similar way that I find myself FASCINATED by the art of gardening.  Except for the first house that we lived in out here while attending school, where the management company specifically requested that we didn’t plant anything, we have had a garden in every place we’ve lived!  I guess you could say that I have come to the point that gardening is something that I love and just gotta do!

When I go into a store, I always find myself being drawn to the garden department if they have one… even if it is a little bit funky and less than well stocked like the Walmart near my house… but I also have a Lowes, a Tractor Supply Company and an Atwood’s Ranch and Home store within a few miles of my home to keep me satisfied!

And as I think about it, James was right in that I find myself FASCINATED by the Word of God in a similar manner as gardening.  I’m drawn to it on a daily basis!  For me, a day NOT started with a cup of coffee and my Bible is… well… it just isn’t a day!  If something comes up and I have to leave the home early on a particular day, I always schedule enough time in my morning in order to have some quiet time with the Lord in His Word before I leave.

I am FASCINATED by different translations of the Bible and tend to order copies of versions that I had never heard of before.  It always FASCINATES me how different translations can bring out layers and understandings of a well-known verse, that I hadn’t seen before!  I always tend to laugh when I hear someone say, “Oh yeah, I read the Bible once before” and think that they have a good understanding of it!  Hebrews 4:12 tells us that “God's word is living and active…”   I am FASCINATED by the way that its revelation is always fresh and new when I pick it up!

I get excited on Sunday morning’s when I prepare to hear the Preacher bring forth that day’s fresh, new message from the Word of God.  I am continually FASCINATED by the way that I can EXPECT to learn something from them that I hadn’t known before.  

This is kind of off the subject of gardening… except maybe from the standpoint of cultivating a strong relationship… but I most likely kissed my wife thousands of times during the 48 years that we were together… and even though I may have known what was going to happen when we did kiss… I was always FASCINATED by how that current kiss was just as new, fresh and exciting (and maybe even more so) than our first kisses in high school!

So… let me ask you?  Is that how FASCINATED you are with the Word of God and of its influence in your life?  What hobby and/or activity that FASCINATES you in your life, can you… or would you like to… associate with your relationship to Jesus Christ through your personal time spent with Him in the Word?

Hummmm… quite the FASCINATING subject wouldn’t you say?

Have a great weekend!  We are freezing out here with 21-degree weather today (dropping from 65 for the last week…),but are EXPECTING God’s best as it is supposed to rise back up to the 50’s and beyond through tomorrow and next week… and I pray God’s best for you as well!

Don’t Just Hear… But DO!

Somewhere early on in my adult life, I learned the importance of taking good and detailed notes.  Often times going back over my initial notetaking and filling in any blanks or further detailing my remembrance of whatever I was learning at the time. I’ve heard it said... and would confess to be a living breathing example of the fact that one remembers more of what is heard when physical notes are written down.

I literally have reams of paper notes that I began taking in 1980 and continue on through today, of church sermon and daily personal Bible Study notes that fit into my old Geodex personal organizer, that I initially began using when I was promoted into management at Hewlett Packard in the fall of 1980. 

That system served me so well as a one-stop organizer for all the various activities in my life, that except for the calendar section, I never switched over to an electronic organizer.  I find that I can hand write my notes and thoughts when listening to something, far faster by hand than by typing them… although when writing, my creative juices seem to flow more succinctly and freely when I use my computer over a mechanical pencil.

That said though… I find that there is also one more additional step that needs to be taken in order for the lessons being heard, to become a practical part of one’s daily life.  And that, as we discussed in our last blog post,* is to “DO!” what is being taught by the pastor, Bible teacher, evangelist or guest speaker or through the Holy Spirit speaking directly to your heart during your personal Bible studies.

If you recall, James introduced the subject in the first chapter of his epistle by stating,

“Do what God's word says. Don't merely listen to it, or you will fool yourselves.”        (James 1:22 God’s Word ©) 

Then he further explains his reasoning in the next two verses by explaining,

“For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.”                                            (James 1:23-24 KJV) 

In other words, if you hear a great message from the Word of God that speaks to your very soul and take copious notes… it’s a good thing that may stick with you for a short amount of time… but if you don’t immediately begin to “DO!” that word, to put it into practice into your life, to begin making the changes necessary so that this Word becomes an active part of who you are… you will eventually forget it and continue on with your life, like you never heard that Word in the first place.

What I found extremely interesting as I studied these verses, is that the word translated “LISTEN and HEARER” in these scriptures, is defined as a “intensive use of the Greek word ‘akroatēs’” which is the normal Greek word used to describe someone who “attends to, considers, understands and perceives the sense of what is said.” (Strong’s and Thayer’s)  But in this particular usage, James adds to the definition, the idea of “INTENSIVE” which is “the concentrated study of a subject for a short time and/or being very thorough or vigorous.” (Oxford Online Dictionaries)

So, this person isn’t just a casual hearer.  As modern vernacular would say, they don’t just let it go in one ear and out the other, but No… they deeply consider the Word when they hear it in a thorough or vigorous manner… but then fail to follow through and take any personal action based on the truth that they have understood and learned. 

I am reminded of an example that Piper used when teaching during a mid-week service many years ago, about the individual who goes to a Christian Believer’s Convention and gets all excited about the Word being taught… and walks out of the convention center 10 feet tall.  But by the time they get into the car to go home, they are 7 feet tall.  Then when they pull up into their driveway, they are 5 feet tall… and by the time they get to the front door they are shorter than a pygmy and have to jump up and down just to reach the door knob!

That’s a great pictorial example of someone who hears and or studies the Word but doesn’t take any steps or make any personal adjustments in their lives that allow that Word to begin to work in and for them… and then the daily activities and cares of life come in and steal whatever Word they heard… and at times, may even become a little worse off than when they began!

Jesus told a parable on this specific subject in Mark 4:14-20.  In verses 18-19 He stated,

“Some hear the word, but the worries of life, the deceitful pleasures of riches, and the desires for other things take over. They choke the word so that it can't produce anything.”  

But for the one who hears the Word, takes the time to plant it into the good soil of their hearts and then puts it into use in their lives, Jesus declared in the next verse,

“They produce crops-thirty, sixty, or one hundred times as much as was planted." 

So… if you are anything like me… then you are going to want 100 times or better yet…100-fold as the King James puts it!  Why settle for less when a little attentiveness to the Word of God, some good Bible teaching, personal diligence, consistency, effort and self-control will reap a whole lot better life than most people will ever realize!

I want to be like the 10ft guy that’s full of the Word… and then stay that way…

Don’t You?

 

* http://pjberruto.blogspot.com/2022/02/do.html

DO!

I know that I have mentioned this on numerous occasions, but one of the first things that kept me coming around the gal I started dating as a senior in high school, was that she was always ready to DO something!  She had a sparkling glint in her eye that would shine whenever I suggested doing something different... no matter how crazy it may have seemed at the time!  I could probably count the number of times she declined my ideas on less than one hand.  (She didn’t like to be upside down… so acrobatics were off the table!)

But don’t misunderstand me here… she was a strong Christian young lady with well-defined morals that could not be crossed… and to be honest, I had so much respect for her, that I would have never put her in a position where she would need to test her convictions…  

What I am talking about is fun, usually outdoors activities like long walks, mountain hikes, sports, being the subject of the literally hundreds of photos she posed for me over the years, trips to the beach where we would run through the ice-cold northern California coastal water’s rising tides, singing with me in my band, setting up camping retreats for the youth and college groups that we were a part of… and even helping me to write, direct and put on a full scale Christian themed rock opera when we were in junior college. 

And as our faith in God and His Word grew over the years, she was always excited and game to agree and stand firm with me on various faith projects that others might (and did) deem as impossible (only to be proved incorrect when God proved faithful to His Word).

The memories of her desire and personal enthusiasm to DO bombarded my thoughts this morning as I read from Matthew 5:6 where Jesus taught,

“Blessed are they which DO hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” (KJV)

As I considered this verse and thought of Piper, I suddenly realized that the little two letter word “DO” held the most important point in Jesus’ statement.  Throughout our journey from being a part of a church youth group, the college and career ministry in our college years to eventually leading those age groups as adult leaders as well as ministering to adults in the church, we regularly came in touch with people who most definitely had a hunger and a thirst for the righteousness of God… but they hardly ever (at least not consistently)… if ever… actually DID anything about it!   

For some of these folks, I believe it was a matter of MENTAL ASSENT, where they believed in the righteousness of God, would argue in favor of it to anyone who questioned it… but when “push came to shove”* would not actually DO the work that this lifestyle entails and thereby be able to reap the benefits of their God-rewarded endeavors.  Simply because they had never allowed… or taken the time, made the effort and kept to the discipline for their understanding to graduate past the area of their intellectual thinking and move into their hearts where faith is produced.

In this regard, James 1:22 warns us to,

“Do what God's word says. Don't merely listen to it, or you will fool yourselves.” (God’s Word ©)

I can’t believe that anyone of us would want to be a fool… do you?  Therefore, I am going to DO my best to DO what the Word of God tells me to DO! 

How about you?

In my daily Christian walk, I desire to keep the legacy that Piper established early on in our relationship… and let that glint in my eye shine whenever I have any opportunity to DO whatever it is that the Word of God asks me to DO!

I’m a DOER… you Too?

Have a terrific weekend.  We’ve got sunny skies and melting snow… can’t get too much better than that!  Isn’t God Good!

 

*Of American-English origin, the phrase when (also if) push comes to shove means when a situation reaches a critical point and one must commit oneself to an action or decision.  https://wordhistories.net/

STORM WARNINGS!

Fiver’s and my morning walk today was a bit unusual as it was in the mid-fifties with a cooling wind coming from the south.  It seemed unusual because of the WINTER STORM WARNING that is supposed to go into effect tonight, where cold temperatures combined with rain, ice and snow are all forecasted!  I guess you could say that today is the calm before the storm… literally!

I believe Fiver knew that a change was coming.  He was hyper alert and maybe even a bit anxious as we walked along our normal path from our home to the neighborhood park and pond and back.  He wasn’t even as friendly as he normally is when a young golfer pulled over to us in his cart to ask some questions about Fiver and compliment me on Fiver’s good looks!

But I DO believe that we are ready for whatever is coming.  We went shopping yesterday… with a whole bunch of other folks… in order to stock up for the week.  And I have plenty of batteries, candles and kerosene and propane for our indoor heaters!  I went and got a haircut this morning and was a little surprised that the salon was practically empty.  The gal that trimmed my hair figured that it was because of the upcoming storm and that people were already sheltering, safe and warm at home!

The warnings that we’ve been getting for a few days now, all the preparations and the knowledge that we’ve been through these severe weather events before and will do it successfully again, helps me to carry on as usual and have the peace that we’ll be fine.

In my Christian walk, it also reminds me of a warning and ways to prepare that the Apostle Paul wrote to his young prodigy Timothy, who was in the early stages of pastoring.  In 2 Timothy 1:13 Paul wrote:

“Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.” (KJV)

Timothy had been around Paul long enough to know that Paul’s words to him were more than just a gentile encouragement, but instead, a firm reminder of what Timothy HAD to do, in order to be successful in his ministry challenges.  And adhering to that particular scripture passage also proved to be of utmost importance to me during Piper’s battle with Alzheimer’s.

I was thinking while looking over the pond on this morning’s walk, that it was almost like the Lord had been preparing us for that specific battle for the majority of our adult lives.  All the various experiences that we encountered and weathered together helped us to take a stand of defense that we never questioned but only pursued with expectancy and enthusiasm!  It would seem that all the times that we “HELD FAST the FORM of SOUND WORDS” that we had been taught over the previous 30 plus years, paid off with great dividends when we needed it the most.

I found it interesting in this regard, that one of the Greek definitions for the phrase “Hold Fast” is “to hold as an object of practice.” (Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary)  I wonder if this is where the saying that “Practice makes perfect” originated?  In order to “HOLD FAST” to the sound Word of God, one has to practice, practice and practice… which we did, beginning with the first new car we bought together in 1977 and ended up paying it off early!

The word translated “FORM” is defined in the Greek as “an outline, sketch, brief and summary exposition; an example, pattern.” (Thayer’s Greek Definitions)  In other words, you hold fast to, follow and practice the example that you’ve been taught or the pattern of faith that was demonstrated to work in every situation!  You do it over and over again, so that when the tests, trials and tribulations of life come upon you… you just simply react with what YOU KNOW will work for you… because you’ve been through it and done it before and are ASSURED that it will be successful again!

It was hard for me to see people fall apart when Piper’s diagnoses came to light, but I am so glad that we choose… early on… to follow Paul’s sage advice and learn to:  

“Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.” (KJV)

How will you react when the next major STORM WARNING is issued in your life?

Have a great week… practice, practice, practice… and while you’re at it… Remember to keep EXPECTING God’s best in your life!

 

Stirring Up Your PASSION!

What or whom do you think of when you hear the word “PASSION?”  Those of you who know me and/or have been reading this post for any amount of time, would immediately know that without a moment’s hesitation, that I would say my beloved wife Piper.  Throughout our 48 years together we had a very PASSIONATE relationship.  But it wasn’t a PASSION based strictly on feelings or the energy of the moment, but developed through a lifetime effort of love, respect, honor and giving one to another, as we sought to serve the Lord in and through our lives.

Ours was a PASSION that was founded on the love of God and His Word.  Paul summed it up in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 when he wrote,

“For it is Christ’s love that fuels our PASSION and motivates us, because we are absolutely convinced that He has given His life for all of us. This means all died with Him, so that those who live should no longer live self-absorbed lives but lives that are poured out for Him—the One who died for us and now lives again.” (TPT)

When I think back of my memories of Piper, I see that she was very PASSIONATE in just about everything she did.  Even before we started dating in high school, I was always impressed of how enthusiastically she would get behind a plan that a group of us friends had come up with for a Saturday trip to the coast, or an after-school softball game at Howarth Park near her family’s home.  She was always in for an adventure!

Later on in life, during a period when finances were tight, she could make a trip to a local fast-food restaurant seem to be the most wonderful and luxurious event of a lifetime!  She was PASSIONATE about our family, homeschooling, ministering to the youth or children at church, playing the piano, daily exercise, walks around the block, shopping at Food 4 Less or the totally out of the blue times when she would suddenly turn to me, look deeply into my eyes and say, “I love you!”  Like she did a few months before she passed in 2018.

She vividly and unmistakably lived her entire life with a PASSION for Christ and as an encourager to anyone around her.  I think that the Apostle Paul must have had her in mind when her wrote “… but my supreme PASSION is to please God” (Galatians 1:10 TPT) and in Ephesians 3:9, declaring that “my PASSION is to enlighten every person to this divine mystery (of the gospel of Jesus Christ).”

I think about her and her PASSION for life whenever I pray and consider my current place in life and the plans and purposes that the Lord still has for me.  I think once again, about Paul’s words of encouragement to the church in Rome and still prevalent to us today where he wrote,

“Be enthusiastic to serve the Lord, keeping your PASSION toward Him boiling hot! Radiate with the glow of the Holy Spirit and let Him fill you with excitement as you serve Him.” (Romans 12:11 TPT)

I like the excitement behind Paul’s words!  I like the PASSION that it stirs up in me!  That’s probably why I enjoyed working so much with the youth and children in the church.  Many times… it is a lot easier to stir up excitement and PASSION in the younger crowd than it is in us adults!

What about you?  What do you think and FEEL when it comes to the PASSION you have in your life… and in your relationship with God?  Is it RED HOT and RADIATING off of you?  If so… how much HOTTER can you make it?

And if not… Why not? And how can you reverse your current course in life?

Hummmmm… lots to think about on this weekend… but there are lots of rewards connected to the stirring up of your PASSION for life and for God… and lots of fun in doing it!

Have a great weekend… and as you do… keep EXPECTING and PARTICIPATING in God’s best for you!

Simplicity...

Throughout the 36 plus years of our ministry together, my wife Piper and I spent the far majority of our time working in the realms of Music and Student Ministries, many times with those 2 areas combined or going on at the same time.  I don’t think that I could accurately recall all the times over the years where we would lead the Sunday morning praise and worship service with the church and then file out the side entrance with the kids in tow for Children’s church in the Children’s Center.  And yes, while it made for a long and sometimes exhausting day, we enjoyed just about every minute of it!

So, whether it was working with the church’s Youth Group or Children’s Ministry or even the College Career/Singles, we always tried our best to assure that the message we delivered was brought forth in the simplest and most understandable way for the age group.  As I have most likely mentioned in other blogs, we also tried to make it FUN and exciting for our students, which meant that we were always looking for new and innovative ways to share the gospel.

Now I have to admit right up front, that Piper was much better at simplifying her Children’s Church messages than I was!  I would usually get too descriptive or involved in my lessons and tend to lose the kids!  But I am also very thankful that those kids in our first few years of Children’s Ministry were very patient with me, as was my wife who would many times walk to the back of the classroom to help direct my presentations!  I think that my one saving grace was my sense of humor and the intermixing of games, multimedia clips, activities, snacks and other surprises which helped to keep the kids connected!

I did much better with the Youth, but at first, still tended to be a little long winded!  But again, I learned and got to the point where I could hone and fine tune the important parts of my message into a ten or fifteen minute delivery. 

My point being, that even out of the classroom and into the daily activities of life, both Piper and I tended to share the gospel message in the simplest of terms… with lots of practical examples.  I think that this is one reason that Piper was so good at homeschooling.  She could turn just about any life event into an interesting, most times funny, and always meaningful, educational lesson!  While some families got burned out with homeschooling after a few years, Piper got more and more excited about it!

I guess that is one of the main reasons that I enjoy studying the Bible with the use of many translations.  I am always looking for the real meaning behind a verse, or maybe better said, the simplest interpretation of what the writer was trying to convey to their readers… without a lot of added description… or as I like to say… without a lot of added fluff!

For instance, I was reading from the Sermon on the Mount this morning where Jesus shared,

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”  (Matthew 5:6 NASB)

And as is my normal protocol, I looked up many of what I considered to be the most important words in the verse in the original Greek.  I’ve learned over the years that the original Greek in which the New Testament was written, was much more descriptive and definitive than the English language and the full concepts of the writer were sometimes lost when translated.  That said… one can also get so lost in the theological content of religious terms, that it is easy to lose the simplicity of the true point!

I remember years ago when in a casual conversation with a group of youth who were getting hung up on the idea of being “righteous” before God.  After a lot of interaction, I finally told the group that to me, “righteousness” simply means “being able to stand right there (in His presence) next to God.”  I explained that God is holy and pure and if you are comfortable with your life decisions and feel that you can stand right alongside Him without any condemnation, fear or doubt… then you’ve probably attained a level of righteousness in your life.

Simple, concise and easy to practically apply in your daily life.  I firmly believe that this is the way that our heavenly Father wants us to understand Him and live His ways and thereby enjoy the satisfaction and/or joy that comes with a life that is dedicated to Him.

What do you think?

We are halfway through the week and I am excited about it!  Have a great rest of your week… and as you do… keep EXPECTING and living God’s best in your life!

Appropriate Behaviour!

I was thinking the other day as I was ordering a couple of new 2022 calendars, that Piper’s yearly calendar selection was always very special to her.  Since the years in our first apartment, the calendar that hung in the kitchen was always hers!  She took great pains in selecting the right one with uplifting pictures and sometimes with meaningful sayings… but mostly one’s with a scripture theme for each month.

When we moved into our new home in North Carolina I wanted to keep the tradition going for her and always tried to have “her” uplifting calendar hanging in a prominent place in the dining room where we tended to spend the majority of our time together during the day.  The kitchen was off of that room and with her condition, Piper did not cook anymore, nor spend much time in there.

But the dining room was in the center of the house and had a nice view of the living room and of our front yard and neighborhood beyond and in the other direction, another gorgeous view of our spacious backyard through the sliding glass door that led to the deck, the patio and the lawn and garden.  And even though I had set up a study/office in one of the front bedrooms, I tended to pay bills, do my daily Bible Study, and keep up with all of her medical paperwork, while sitting at the table in the dining room due to its easy access for Piper and her custom wheelchair.

When I bought the house here in Oklahoma, I automatically felt as if the kitchen was hers and set up everything in the room according to the way she herself would have done it!  Which also meant that the calendar would have to be selected according to her tastes. 

I noticed after a few weeks, that the original 2022 calendar that I had purchased for the kitchen… well… it just didn’t seem to be the right one!  I don’t know if I could explain it… but when I looked at it… it just didn’t shout “PIPER!”  So, as I sat at my computer last week, looking through my favorite calendar website, I suddenly had a wave of peace with a few hints of Piper’s sweet laugh coming from somewhere in the recesses of my heart, when I came upon the Lang “Heart and Home” calendar for this New Year!  I had to smile and could almost hear her say “That’s it, Jim!”

So, when I brought in the large flat package that the postman left on our front porch on Saturday, I’m not sure who was more excited about it… Fiver or me!  For some reason, he always gets very excited when I bring a package in the front door!  And when I unwrapped the calendar, and exchanged it on the wall with the first one that I’d bought … I actually think the dog nodded his head to confirm that it WAS the RIGHT one!

And you know?  He was right!  It not only was the RIGHT one, but it was the APPROPRIATE one for the kitchen… and maybe more importantly to me… it was the APPROPRIATE one to best honor the essence of Piper’s memory.  Now, when I look daily upon the calendar to check for scheduled events, my heart gives a happy sigh as I hear her sweet voice from somewhere deep inside of me saying “It’s me, Jim!”

I was reminded of Piper’s kitchen calendar this morning when I was led to read from Psalm 23:6 in the Passion Translation, where the Psalmist inquired of the Lord saying,

“So why would I fear the future? For your goodness and love pursue me all the days of my life…”  

The word translated “goodness” has a long list of connotations including “good, pleasant, agreeable, valuable in estimation, happy, prosperous and becoming.” (Brown-Driver-Briggs)  But the definition that stood out to me today, was the idea of God’s “goodness” as being something that is “appropriate” to us, which Dictionary.com describes as something that is “suitable or fitting for a particular purpose, person or occasion.”

And while I admit, that I immediately thought about all the inappropriate things that were done or said to Piper and I over the years of her illness, the Lord quickly turned me from that line of thought and bought it up-close and personal by asking of me…

“What is YOUR ‘appropriate’ response to the daily events of your life TODAY?”

Well… that question didn’t necessarily surprise or shake me, but it did make me sit back in my desk chair and think for a couple of minutes!  I love the way that the Lord can easily turn a direction of thought and point it right back to me!  Have you ever had that happen?  I would bet that we all have!

The one common denominator that I saw with the different individuals whose actions were… shall we say… less than appropriate toward Piper and I in our situation at the time, was that the majority of their reactions were triggered by personal fears that they were dealing with.  But with the Lord’s question to me about ‘appropriate’ responses, I immediately deduced that if we were to respond to any given situation according to the will and purpose of God… as found in His Word… then our words and/or actions made in our response to any situation would be driven by His love and not be tainted by our personal fears.

Kind of simple right?  Well… that is the way that I believe God wants things to be for us!  His ways and His lifestyle aren’t meant to be a complicated web of does and don’ts… but a life that is devoted to and led by His Love operating in, for and through us unto others! 

It means that we have to keep growing in the wisdom, knowledge, understanding and operation of His Word… but hey… If you’re anything like me… Well… that’s where the real fun begins!

Have a great new week.  Keep finding and responding with His ‘appropriate’ responses to life’s situations and be a blessing to others… and while you’re at it… keep EXPECTING God’s best in your life!