God appears in a football stadium

God showed up at a football game...this is a great article for this time of year.
Click HERE to read it:

Mac Christmas

A little humor for your Christmas...

Stuck in the snow

I have not blogged in over a week and there are two reasons. One is because there were some software issues with my site (thanks, Brad!). The other is an ongoing frustration.
For some reason, I cannot access my blog from the church office. It's really weird. The only sites I cannot access at the office are WordPress sites. I can't get to mine. I can't access Patrick's either.
Yesterday I couldn't have blogged because I was out playing in the snow all day. There is a family in our church who owns a large snow removal company, and I am one of many from our church who are a part of their team.
For a few days I was anticipating the many hours I would spend in the snow yesterday. And then yesterday came. And snow it did! There was one point yesterday morning when the area I just shoveled would be snow covered again in a matter of minutes. It was crazy! Snow was falling at a rate of one to two inches per hour.
One of the most interesting sights yesterday was by a Rite Aid in Pontiac. Several semi trucks were attempting to go up a road with a fairly steep incline. But once one of them was stuck, it was all over. There must have been over two dozen vehicles stuck for at least an hour or two. The entire stretch of road was shut down, and evidently the police came shortly after we headed off to our next stop.
Isn't it funny how people sometimes try to take on something without the proper help? I watched these trucks take on a road that never should have been attempted until they were properly treated by the road crews. Instead, they tried anyway and got stuck in the process.
That can happen to us in our spiritual journey as well. Sometimes we tell God we can take care of it ourselves and plow ahead, regardless of whether or not God is with us. We try to conquer things that can only be conquered through prayer without taking the time to pray. We make big decisions without fasting or a period of discernment. We rush into situations where we know we will be tempted without considering the consequences.
Just like the police and the road crews that eventually helped everyone out, God will be there when we ask for help. But when we move forward without God, it will often result in frustration and pain. Wouldn't it be better if we were to seek out the wisdom of God before going down a road that might be a little difficult to travel?

shine!
Jason

SNL's take on Hillary

Here's a little humor for your weekend...

Hospitality

Have you ever had an 'a-ha' moment when something that has been right in front of you for a long time becomes obvious?

I had one of those moments yesterday during our church service. During the sermon, Josh Graves was talking about hospitality. In the midst of his words, I realized something.

My dad is one of the most hospitable people I know.

When we go to his house, he makes you feel like he really wants you to be there. He makes sure he has drinks on hand that we like. He makes food that he knows we like. He serves us while we're there. When he brings you something to eat, he waits for your reaction to see how much you enjoy it.

He has always been like that.

Thanks, Dad, for helping me learn what it means to be a servant and a host.

shine!
Jason

Getting some rest

I have been fighting a nagging illness all week. Every time I feel like I am getting better, I feel worse a few hours later. It is honestly pretty annoying.

I realize part of the reason is because I have not gotten enough sleep this week. Between my huge paper for my grad class and snow removal, most nights have been limited and broken sleep.

I have been reminded this week of the importance of rest. It is vital to remain healthy.

Rest can come in many forms.

Sleep is a necessary rest. I always find it interesting when teenagers are on edge because they have been texting half the night. They wonder why their emotions are frayed and they are on edge. Maybe they haven't gotten enough rest.

Quiet is a necessary rest. So many people today seemed to be stressed to the max. I wonder how many of them build quiet time into their day. There is value in turning off the TV, pulling out the earphones, and enjoying stillness and silence.

Vacation is a necessary rest. Workaholics can put in hours upon hours at work and seldom take a break. With cell phones, smart phones, and the other communication tools we have, it is pretty easy to never leave your work alone.

Seek opportunities to slow down and take a break.

I don't think God took a Sabbath because He needed rest. I believe God wanted us to realize the importance of rest.

In today's "on-the-go" society, it can be challenging to build rest into your schedule.

Confession time. I am a work-a-holic who always feels like he needs to be busy. I have a really hard time just sitting still and being. I either want music in the background or a TV on. If I start to get restless, I will find something to do.

Not a day goes by when a teenager doesn't tell me or text me, "I'm bored." We have lost the fine art of rest in our world. We entertain and work ourselves to death. Maybe part of the cause of more cancer and illness is because we don't give our bodies time to rest.

I remember when I was a teenager, the local police department bought extra police cars. Before, the different shifts would share cars. That would mean that a car was being driven all day and night. By getting extra cars, they found the number of hours a car could drive would increase.

If cars are less effective when they don't get rest, shouldn't it be even more true for the human body? The next time you feel overwhelmed or stressed, don't increase your stress level by accelerating your speed. Take a few minutes to be still and enjoy the rest God intended you to have.

shine!
Jason

Giving for a change

The craziness of Christmas is now officially in full swing. This past Friday, millions of people camped out for hours in the cold, waiting to be the first line of invaders into stores.

For the next month – and to be honest for a while before now – we have been told that we need that certain gift. We have been shown in commercial after commercial that a specific brand name or product will bring us happiness, make our marriage better, or improve our lives.

While it is true that some things can help make our lives better, we have to be careful not to buy into the lie that those things are the ultimate source of satisfaction in our lives.

Jesus himself warned us about this very thing.

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:28-34)

Stuff is not the source of our problems. It is the unhealthy desire for stuff that causes so many struggles. People steal so they can have someone else's things and make their life better. Others cheat in school to get better grades to make more money someday, and thus have a "great life."

In this season that is so focused on getting, let’s do all we can to focus on the attitude and action of giving. True life, true freedom, and true joy are not found in how much we can accumulate. Rather, the more we give away, the more life we experience, the more free we feel, and the more joyful we may become.

It’s not always easy – and if we are honest, it’s not always enjoyable – but it is the path to peace and fulfillment.

Be open during the Christmas season to new ways to give. Time. Energy. Attention. Money. Possessions. Love. They are all things God has provided for us. But He has not given them as things to be hoarded. Instead, He wants us to give away all that we can, and in the process, change the world one transaction at a time.

Giving should not be something we do. It must become who we are. We should do all we can to make giving as natural as taking a breath. Watch what God can do with a heart like that.

shine!
Jason