Sour Grapes

I have to confess this morning to a slight case of "sour grapes." I say that, partly in jest, because I just took my daily trip to a terrific blog written by a niece of mine and noted that my blog looks wimpy by comparison.....and it all started with grapes. Green grapes to be exact. So maybe I should have titled this Green With Envy.

My niece's blog, "From City Streets to Country Roads" arose out of two key facts in her life: 1) although born and raised in cities, God saw fit to hitch her to a "country boy" and eventually they moved out to a place I can find only with a GPS and some prayer, and 2) she loves photography and is very good at it. Consequently her life is full of interesting activities that always come complete with a plethora of terrific pics. So when I went to her blog this morning, right on top was a picture of a bunch of (green) grapes that, due to the wonder of God's creation and the quality of Suzi's photography, look just delicious. Her blog also contains a number of buttons, bells, whistles, referrals to about 217 other interesting blogs, etc, etc, etc.

My blog on the other hand, has only a fuzzy background of blue skies and a few clouds and the text. Her blog seems to say, "Here is a site done by an interesting person with talent and some good things to offer," whereas my blog seems to say, "Well okay...you're here, you might as well read on." Of course God has given me other gifts and it is poor faith and ungrateful theological second-guessing to complain that he might have added some other or different gifts to the mix. Also I have to admit that I do have enough creativity to make my blog site more interesting if I took the time and made the effort to do so.

So while I am green with envy at Suzi's grapes, I might be better off trying to improve my site. But that would involve work. It's easier to just wallow in my sour grapes............:)

Good Day for a Blessings Count

Well it's Saturday and that usually means a good day; even those Saturdays when I have to get up with the chickens, get dressed and be off to a distant meeting of Methodist Men somewhere. But this happens to be one of those blessed Saturdays when neither of us has to jump up and run off. We can sit, talk, have our devotional time, enjoy good coffee and ease into the day.

But this particular Saturday is a count your blessings day. Since God gave me the best woman he ever made, I have to have one of those on a regular basis anyway. But today I am marveling that we actually, for the first time ever I think, got to see part of my family and part of hers in the same seven day period. My first reaction was "Surely the end is near." But then I realized God had worked that out to make me understand how blessed I am.

First a weekend with my little big sister and her husband, both in the 80s category but still in pretty good health. How wonderful to see them, have them enjoy the joy that is WUMC and see some of our new surroundings. Then a few quick days in Georgia for Jenny's mom's 84th birthday, also in pretty good health. Time well spent with a "seasoned" generation. But also time watching Jenny's sister and her husband interacting with their two way-too-cute redheaded grandsons ages 7 and 2 - a generation of family for whom all that God will do with and through them is still unknown.

Then back home to the big family where no real crisis had taken place while we were gone and little Libby Lou Who, our cat who tore through the house like a crazy person, so glad we were home.  "God is good all the time...and all the time God is good." But some days are just better than others.......:)

Blessings..............

do we hope for now?

There is a quality tv series that we like to watch that closes every show with a picture of the producer's logo and a voice saying, "That's done." That seems to reflect a feeling that follows the celebration of Easter. There is a sort of driving trajectory of major events in the church year from Advent in November through Easter in late March or April. During Advent we begin to prepare for that most amazing of historical events, the coming of God in human form. Then we have Christmas where we celebrate the birth itself, the a new year, then the season of Lent when we follow the public ministry of God's son and prepare for the remembrance of the fact that the world killed him. Finally, on the third day, we rejoice at the fact that death could not stop him and the grave couldn't hold him. We cry out and sing, "He lives!"

Easter in our particular worship was wonderful But for a day or two afterward I seemed to have the post-Easter blues. (It might be related to the post-nasal drip I have from my first cold in years.) But Easter is so glorious I think we tend to ask, "Okay, what now?" But that is where the book of Acts kicks in. About the second day I was asking that question, or addressing that feeling, I heard..."Are you kidding me? You think that was the final act? Look at what we've been doing since then." In John's gospel it is in the post-resurrection appearance that Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit into the disciples. Luke places that action fifty days later on the day known as Pentecost. It is God the son who saved us. But it is God the Holy Spirit that lives within us. And God always works on us best from the inside out.

So happy post-Easter! For God is writing the 29th chapter of the Book of Acts through us. So let us rejoice that we get to play a part in the eternal drama.

sort of man would do this???

Well it's Good Friday. I've heard the question asked, "Why in the world do they call it good Friday? What was good about it?" The thoughts behind the question are that it certainly wasn't a good day for Jesus. Pain and suffering do not a good day make. It certainly wasn't good for Judas who committed hari kari out of guilt. It wasn't a good day for the other eleven clueless disciples who were witnessing the death of all their dreams. The sky turned pitch black from noon until three o'clock. Not a good day for the beach crowd. Seems llike Black Friday would be a better name for it. But that's from the world's viewpoint.

But in fact it was a good day. In fact it was the best of days. Even for Jesus. One of the most satisfying things in life is seeing a task of major importance brought to a full and total completion. Even more so if that task is your very reason for living. Everyone loves Christmas. The song says, "It's the most wonderful time of the year." But the only reason for Christmas was to make Good Friday possible. On that day Jesus finished the very work for which he was born into this world - banishing the inevitability of sin and death. Certainly the pain and suffering were not good. But the result was the ultimate good. By paying the debt for our Sin on that day, Jesus set us free. By allowing his body to be broken, he made it possible for us to be whole. By shedding his blood unto death, he gave us life.

It actually was a good day for his disciples too, although that was not what they thought. It reminds us that even when it seems darkest in our lives, the Son is about to shine so brightly it will be hard to behold; that "it may be Friday...but Sunday's comin'.

And where was God the Father during all this? Right where he is when we hurt....right there in the middle of the pain. And as in Genesis chapter 1, God looked down...and "God saw that it was good."

Does it have to be so complicated?

I was thankful and happy when I realized my third novel was revised to the point where it was about as good as I can make it. Then I had to think about the best way to publish it. After much research I decided on a semi-local publishing company that had some good reviews from other authors. I was then highly pleased with the cover design provided by a niece of mine with a background in graphic arts. Things were looking good.
Then I got into the mechanics of electronically uploading the chapters so they could be printed and bound in book form. That is where all the wheels fell off. After repeated attempts and "guidance" from a "service coordinator" the "publishing wizard," their version of a software program that puts your files together in publishable form, it is still telling me that my 4" x 6" files are 8 1/2" x 11." I am at the point of suspecting this to be a ruse to get me to the point of frustration so that I will purchase the option to let them format my files...an action for which they charge a substantial extra fee. They also make money on the cover...and on the printing...and on the book.
Could there be a pattern here? Ah yes.......they who do little make much money; I....who did most of the work, make little. Sort of seems to be the way America is going these days, doesn't it?

I guess the question for the day is....when did we become such a nation of crooks?

kind of day is this?

This is one of those days that defies labeling. I feel great and active. The preacher has a stomach bug and is holding down the couch. I've managed to get some good things done...and feel like I haven't done much worthwhile. I am scheduled to play piano for the early service tomorrow...and have absolutely no motivation to practice. I have formed a closer friendship with a vibrant and interesting fellow pastor's spouse...and heard from an old friend who is disgusted with the church in general. The day has been sunny...but the sun keeps disappearing and the world turns dark. But that describes a whole lot of days in a whole lot of lives. "Such are the Days of Our Lives." (Cue bad music. Cue bad actors. Pass out meaningless script.)

Fortunately our feelings and circumstances do not have to be the basis for well-being. The Bible includes a book called Jeremiah after the prophet of that name. Jeremiah had a lousy job;  one of those assignments all preachers fear...preaching to those who are not listening during one of the worst times in his people's history. Yet in Jeremiah chapter 29, verse 11 God says this: "For surely I know the plans I have for you; plans for good and not for harm, for a future with hope."

Some days we can't decide if life is good/bad, up/down, making headway/going nowhere. But it's only one day. God has forever plans for us  and any single day is only a dot on that whole blueprint. I think I'll keep this day in perspective and wait to see what God does next.

How are you?.....I don't know.

"Rainy days and Mondays always  get me down." Actually it was hearing the Carpenters sing that song that always got me down. Today's not Monday and it's not raining...yet. But it's gray and rain is on the way. It's one of those mixed blessing thingys. We need the rain to bring to life the flowers and grass that have been trying to pretend it's spring and to flush the annual influx of omnipresent yellow pollen out of the air, our eyes, our noses and off the surface of everything known to mankind. On the other hand it's the weekend and we're in a coastal community. Plus tomorrow is Sunday and the senior pastor of one church I was part of once said that, "Three drops of rain will keep away ten Methodists."
So basically it's one of those days when if someone walked up and asked me, "How are ya?" I would have to say, "I really don't know." Some days are just like that. But that's okay. God knows how I am and where I am with his plan and, after all, he is the only scorekeeper that really counts anyway.
Speaking of scores, I was sorely disappointed at the poor showing of my Duke team Thursday night. But as my favorite preacher reminded me, those are just 18-22 year old boys whose only pay is a college scholarship and in the grand scheme of things it has little significance. Timely enough one of my devotions this morning was on keeping things in perspective. Psalm 46 reminds us to "Be still and know that I am God." Not easy in a world that often seems to be spinning out of control. But I remember the statement: "I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I know who holds tomorrow."

So "What in the world" is going on and ultimately how do I feel? As the songs goes that Willing Heart sings so well....."I Feel Good. I feel good. I know that I'm redeemed and I feel good."