This next week is going to feel a little out of balance.  Routine will not be common among the days.  It always seems odd to me how we complain about being stuck in ruts yet are scared to death of anything changing.  I already know of meetings, outings and a high school playoff game that will be on Thursday rather than Friday.  Cruise control is not an option for the next few days.  Maybe this just goes to our human tendency to be unhappy no matter how life moves along.  Ruts bore us.  Change scares us.  We just really do not often know how to react.  There is one lesson learned when I was sick that stays with me.  Each day is enough on its own to get through without adding stress over the unknown.  Jesus tried to tell us that by saying that worry adds nothing to tomorrow but only takes away from today.  Let's hope those words keep me company.

I have a new addition to the household since Saturday.  A little baby girl came to live here without warning.  You will be glad to know that it is a puppy.  She was wandering around the second house owned by our church.  It is a tiny pup that is barely past being weaned.  She came home with me mostly because it did not seem right for her to be damaged by other animals or people in the area.  We are working on our relationship now.  Looks like we have a long way to go for us to reach some agreements.  The first lesson always seems to be to get a new pet comfortable with the caretaker.  She needs to learn my voice and know that it is safe for her.  I hope she will trust me enough to know to feel important and such.  The next lesson will probably be for her to clean up after herself.  We will see how all of this goes but one can hope for the best.

Ezekial may be one of the oddest books in scripture.  We studied part of it today in our services.  The vision of the dry bones is a place where you can roam around while learning new lessons with each reading.  It still says that God has more in store for His church than clunking around as spiritual skeletons.  We are often guilty of counting or organizing our dry bones rather than asking God to give us life.  We saw that the Holy Spirit is more than capable to bring life according to His purpose.  Our trouble is we aren't always sure we want that purpose for our life.  We do not mind agreeing with God's Word but we are afraid to take a risk to follow through.  How many believers spend their days more afraid of losing what little they have without believing for better from God? 

Make this week count for something or someone more than just you.  Life is far richer when you give of yourself to another human being.  One reason we are filled with the Spirit is to give away what we receive.  When you spend time guarding what God gives you often discover how fast it is lost.  Math works differently in the Kingdom.  The more you give away will help determine how much more you gain.  This sounds contrary to our human nature but maybe this is why it is something only God can do if we let Him.

Bro. Trey