Just because it is a hectic week does not mean we cannot sneak in one more post.  This will be short for various reasons.  One big motive for being brief is to go up to the school to share in a few moments of birthday celebration for my youngest.  There is one huge item running through the news lately that seems worth at least a comment.  One danger is knowing whatever one says will be misunderstood.  Another issue is the very nature of the current events.  But let's take a swing at this with the hope we don't miss.


The shooting of the young man in Florida is a tragedy all the way around.  Our liberal friends want to think of us as an enlightened society yet we are very far from that.  Our conservative friends take a different road yet cannot explain how events like this continue.  Herein lies my irritation with all of the reporting on a human tragedy.  Facts are hard to come by amid all of the finger pointing. Every news network brings its unique bias to their reports.  No one seems the least concerned about the loss of a life when you want to find fault.  Even reading news articles can be little help in this case.  What rings true to me is the ongoing presence of racism in our world no matter how smart we think we may be.  It also bothers me that even if the shooter will bear responsibility that no idea of innocent until proven guilty is on display.


Growing up in the South is different to be sure.  My journey included all sides of the civil rights struggle in the 70's.  Some of my very best friends during those years were black.  I traveled with more than a few of them in varied settings.  This does not mean any immunity from the temptation of racism.  This is not a confession made gladly.  But we seem to imagine that education or other human tools will lift us past this sin.  My very first sermon was delivered in a black church close to my hometown.  Nothing says excitement like sharing a worship experience with those beloved people.  God even allowed me to speak one Sunday at a significant black church in Shreveport of all places.  My life is richer because of the friendships and experiences with people with a different skin color than I.


A family struggles with grief over the loss of a son.  It seems like everyone else looks for a way to use this story to their advantage.  Be sure about one thing.  Both the liberal and the conservative cannot fully explain this horrific act.  God keeps telling us that until we deal with sin that such tragedies will occur.  I can only hope we can stop at some point to be sure we do not add our failings to this sad tale.


Bro. Trey

How amazing is it that something as small as a tooth can color an entire day?  That is my story of Wednesday.  My lower right tooth did hurt on Tuesday but it was removed this afternoon.  Maybe to say it hurt is an understatement.  Twice last night I woke up due to the various pains arising from such a tiny part of my being.  Needless to say my first task on today was to go visit our dentist to beg, plead or even negotiate for an appointment.  You may or may not want to know that God didn't seem fit to grant me good teeth.  No amount of brushing or other oral care ever worked to any degree of success.  To even say it was my tooth that was hurting cannot be accurate as very little of it was left.  This wasn't even an entire toothache.  Thank goodness they let me come in this afternoon to do something about it.  Another sleepless night was a long way from being on my list of stuff to accomplish.  


We seem to have those peculiar blends of the small and the large interruptions in our world.  Hectic is a good way to describe this week so far.  Taking time away from my actual list of goals somehow didn't appear until today.  Pain sometimes moves you to do whatever it takes to remove the irritation.  Even the usual weekly demands had to fall in line with my new priority.  Nailing down some upcoming scheduling would be done between getting ready for the dentist.  Don't get me wrong.  Many good things were done today around here.  It all just required some adjusting to do what really mattered most.  I wanted this pain to go away.  Sleeping tonight will be far less painful than last evening.  So there is a silver lining among those clouds of living in a complex world.


Remind me to thank the dentist along with his assistants tomorrow.  I got in to see him in mid afternoon which can be a difficult achievement.  My small, diseased tooth required amputation from the mouth.  It may be a positive thing that those four anchors below the gum line were really healthy.  But for today they did add to the physical drama of removing that painful piece.  Going to the dentist really doesn't scare me.  I went through those six rounds of chemo so how hard will it be to have that tooth extracted?  My mouth is presently a bit sore from the violence but it is far better than the last 24 hours or so.  It did not stop me from doing those tasks on my list.  It did not limit me from thinking about those demands each week brings.  I was able to just go along despite any swelling or numbing to keep at the work.  Tomorrow we just move into my son's birthday with all of its celebration.  I need to accomplish a few things that are way behind this week.  My prayer is for more than the usual share of divine aid to get it done.


You can choose how to approach setbacks, interruptions or pain as you journey through each day.  God's purpose does not waver regardless of the conditions.  The mouth finally woke up from its numbing early this evening.  Our great task is to remain sensitive to what God is doing each day.  Far too many believers live numb to the Spirit's prompting.  Deciding to remain in line with God's will goes far in being sure we are alive to Him.  You may not get a smoother or a pain free day but you can be sure He is in charge.  Perhaps you end up going to the dentist but even that may have its reasons.  The question will be if you choose to keep your heart open even when life changes.  Let's hope we can do that even more in our world.


Bro. Trey

Looks like it is time to put all of the winter clothes away.  We really never needed any this year but even the long sleeve shirts are about to go into another closet.  Easter is usually the beginning of spring no matter when it falls.  It just ended up behind the weather this year.  Maybe we can enjoy the celebration with no worries about temperatures and the like.  The egg hunts deserve decent surroundings.  Our new clothes need a nice day for us to parade around in them.  I would be happy if the allergies improve by then.  Even my youngest was sniffling and coughing some this evening.  Nothing says the start of spring like sneezing and wheezing.  That does get old fast.


Nothing bothers me more than missing what this time of the year is all about.  It's bad enough we do it at Christmas but do we have to do the same at Easter?  Increased church attendance doesn't really get to me.  You would think knowing some are there for the yearly appearance would drive the minister up a wall.  Don't get me wrong.  We do enjoy seeing a larger than average crowd on any Sunday much less Easter.  You should know that our egos do sadly need that attention.  Each year there comes the illusion that perhaps they will all return the following week.  Even though it seldom if ever happens there is that same temptation to think this is the year.  Maybe if we really got Easter then we would better follow through on our promises.


What happened on that very first Easter does strip away illusions to guide us to harsh reality.  The event was never meant to be an escape.  It is a divine encounter with how we truly live.  We discover that suffering is a part of life we cannot avoid.  No amount of denial shields us from hardship.  God takes that head on at Easter.  We also learn that death still is very much a real part of our journey.  Sometimes we forget that truth.  Easter doesn't say that death has no pain but that it cannot win.  We need to remember that hope is more than wishing for better times.  Easter almost screams at us about authentic hope.  God is involved in every single step of that initial Easter experience.  At no time do things get out of His control.  Not anything those human beings do to Jesus is beyond that divine participation.  We experience hope because our God remains intertwined in every moment of our life.  I do wish we understood all of that.


So let us continue to pray and hope God will get the attention of people this year.  All we need to get us through the year is expressed in the Easter experience.  It may not be that we need an easier world but that we need an authentic God.  The truth is we already have that but now we need to let Him into our world no matter where we are.


Bro. Trey

Tonight was a good time to slip into my son's room as he drifted off to sleep.  I spent a few minutes just watching him until he decided that was enough.  So it was time for one last kiss before he fell asleep.  I still do that even though he turns 16 on Thursday.  Dad's have that right as long as they can get away with it.  My mind cannot fathom he will be in the midst of his teenage years in a few days.  Seems like yesterday that he came barreling into our world.  No one knew that first night of his autism.  That discovery would come a few years later.  He looked like any other healthy baby boy that evening.  Hopes were high for whatever his future would hold.  Those hopes still remain.


Some wonder how it is to be the parent of a special needs child.  There are no guidelines no matter how many books you may read.  Every child is unique and this includes those with special needs.  Some suffer from severe disabilities.  Others have much milder symptoms.  Mine is somewhat in the middle.  He is smart.  God knows he can communicate when he feels like it.  We are fortunate in that he does not mind being touched or hugged.  There are times he needs some encouragement that way but it happens.  No book or resource can do more than offer suggestions for any child whether healthy or disabled.  God still makes everyone in individual fashion.  This dad feels very blessed to have his son no matter the problems.


Not everyone understand the unusual demands on occasion.  How my time gets spent is somewhat dependent on his schedule.    He does do some church stuff with me from time to time.  A few people have the experience of him joining me to visit the hospital.  He is much better at doing this with me than when he was young.  One of the motives is him getting to be in charge of the elevator.  You never know how pushing those buttons can assist in a kid being better behaved.  God brought him into this world for a divine reason.  My life is beyond wealth because he is my best buddy.  We laugh.  We do silly stuff.  We are a team.  I am going to enjoy his birthday.  But be sure that I celebrate each day we have together.


Bro. Trey

There will sometime come a day when my promise to do better with writing will ring true.  I sat here tonight thinking last week had more posts than two or three.  You should know that my goal is to increase my time doing other work duties.  There is also the addition of more fatherhood stuff that demands my attention.  The point is that blog posting sometimes is second place in relation to the other things.  It is true that ideas do run short on occasion.  It is also true that time runs out in a day to finish all of my tasks.


This morning we talked about forgiveness.  Well, we tried to talk about it following my eleven hours yesterday outside at the track meet.  My voice was pretty shot after helping get races lined up or underway.  Seems to me that far too many churchgoers live content with putting up a good front.  We aim for being respectable in appearance more than being genuine.  Being forgiven is always God directed.  The heart longs for God's best again even after a large failure.  Our worse trait is the tendency to meander along in mediocrity.  God is kept at a distance to avoid getting to worked up about our faith.  We can use a healthy dose of forgiveness to keep us humble in the spiritual life.  Being forgiven is often much better than thinking we are perfect.


We turned our attention to evangelism in the evening time.  Southern Baptists are defined by this practice throughout our history.  It's one of those spiritual disciplines we lost over the last few decades.  Even our efforts to keep our theology biblical took a toll on our reaching out to others.  I fully realize that not every person has that natural gift of sharing their faith.  You should know that is not one of my strong suits either.  Lots of time passed in my search for my niche when it comes to talking faith to others.  Please be aware of my ongoing imperfections when it comes to evangelism.  But there is at least a comfort level with my efforts.  God does seem to enable those who can "close the deal" when it comes to evangelism.  I admire those people.  My best approach seems to be in building bridges with others.  Every person has some gift to allow them to do evangelism or play a part in God's work.  The only method that does not work is the one untried.


It was a good turn at the start of a new week.  Few things are better than having God push you into some new areas of thought.  It can only mean He has more in store for you should you remain open.  That's always a good thing.


Bro. Trey

This was the day of my four month checkup with my oncology doctor.  It is also a good time to admit to things about this visit.  Brevity will again be our goal but maybe it will make some sense in the end.  Cancer is one of those issues that never crossed my mind in terms of it affecting me.  That all changed about two years ago.  Now there is another adjective used to describe me.  I am a cancer survivor.  What this means still escapes me most of the time.  No doubt it is a good thing but there are some side effects also.  There lies the struggle that continues in my mind still.


My visit brought on more nerves than usual.  Why this happened escapes me.  There are no symptoms to mention.  Any other signs of illness just are not present.  I cannot say that worry was part of the package but just an uneasiness that would not stop.  None of this got better as they seemed behind today at the clinic.  Sitting in waiting rooms is a sure way to kick those nervous butterflies up another notch.  Temptation comes as you wonder what is taking longer than normal. There is no point in feeding doubt since whatever is taking place is beyond your control.  But it probably does play a role in the blood pressure reading!  All turned out fine in the end.  My doctor is great so I take her word on it that all is going well.  No one called afterward to change my mind on that either.  You really cannot ask for more.


I still struggle with the aftermath of surviving my disease.  Part of that is theological in wondering what God was doing or is still doing.  Anger really never crossed my mind.  God knows what He is doing so my role is to be in line with that purpose.  Being mad would only clutter the mind to do that.  Some of my struggle is still emotional.  Guilt plays some part in wondering how my story ended well back then yet others don't make it.  Celebrating good news is always tempered with the knowledge that others will never know that joy.  I do not know if this is right or wrong but it is what it is.  My job plays a big part in that reaction for sure.  Most events in our life are never totally good or totally bad.  They are dependent on our heart toward God.  Even the very best of divine moments can come down to what we make of them.  My other struggle is personal.  There are just an awful lot of things that do not bother me any longer.  There also comes a new set of priorities that do not match up with other people.  People tend to stare at you with strange expressions when you don't share their particular passion.  To use a cliche, my life has very few mountains now but mostly molehills.  My apologies if I fail to get worked up over some things after surviving this disease.  


Maybe you won't be subject to more writing about my illness for awhile.  Just know it is a huge part of who I am.  Cancer is one of my filters in life.  My choice is to allow God to act with each area of my being.  It seems the best path to really being completely healthy.


Bro. Trey

We will be writing faster than usual this evening with the storms approaching.  It reminds me of waiting to have a tooth pulled.  You know the time is coming but there is nothing to do but wait.  Brevity will be needed on this one.  Many things wait to be done prior to the arrival of the weather. Posting tomorrow may depend on how it all plays out tonight.  Few things are as awesome as Texas storms.  We can only hope it rains without any additional damage.  Preparation can be made but all you can do is wait to see how it goes.

I am reading through one of those books that stayed on my shelf for awhile.  Some of my reading is in other areas than theology.  This is a business book but it already has practical relevance.  The authors past works related to how companies succeed even when times are tough.  You can find those efforts on most bestselling lists even today.  But this book goes in a different direction.  Their search is about why even established businesses fail.  The last few years are overrun with stories of even the most popular of companies reaching a painful end.  Part of the thesis of this work is no amount of success can guarantee future greatness.  There is no amount of money, resources or history that protects a business from decline.  So the writers attempt to uncover why it happens along with what can be done to avoid it.  

Perhaps you will read more of my findings here on the blog.  My motive in reading this book is not about organizations but about our lives.  Can we who follow Jesus still fall miserably short despite every resource offered to us?  My answer for now is yes.  No one is ever totally perfect.  This flies in the face of what many believers think but it is still true.  We all suffer from varying degrees of sin even with God's help.  It is just part of being human.  A pure sign of our sinful pride is in how we can live in the denial that our sinfulness is still better than another person.  Comparing our actions to others is a good way to avoid dealing with God about our own.  Maybe we think that our theology or our experience is some immunity against decline?  Ask some of the great biblical characters if that one is valid.  Even the very best of God's people self destructed due to that faulty logic.  If we are to become authentic disciples then we must allow God to search our hearts.  We have to accept His verdict on our being.  Maybe the initial step that leads to spiritual decline is thinking it cannot happen to me?  That will be the most honest path to real maturity.  It is the only path that lasts.

Bro. Trey

Many of our New Testament letters deal with churches in crisis over the faith.  Some group or another sought to change the minds of believers with some falsehood.  One method was in trying to add something to the truths of the gospel.  Another approach was to make Jesus into something He wasn't.  Those men serving as apostles take heroic action to combat such deceit.  Those problems would become the source for our great theology.  What is said is that we still deal with similar issues today.  Recent musings lead me to conclude that some try to create their own faith.  It is not about being radically wrong.  It is about having that facade of real faith while missing out on the core elements.  


We talked last Sunday morning about the crucial role of the cross in our lives.  Much more goes into this than wood or nails.  It is all about who Jesus is the day of His dying.  God enters our world to offer salvation yet is rejected in violent fashion in what appears to be the end.  There are about six occasions when Jesus will tell us to carry our cross while following Him.  Our lot as disciples is to constantly discover God's method for dealing with our sin.  Some churchgoers seem to bypass the cross in their journey.  It still matters when they become believers but is conveniently ignored after that.  God knows no better way to deal with our resistance and rebellion other than the raw power of the cross.  You just cannot be a healthy disciple without knowing this.


Today we picked up on our crisis with grace.  Baptists sing and talk a lot about this subject but do not fair as well in application.  We eagerly depend on divine grace yet we see so little of it in relationships.  Grace means our sin does not have to be last word.  God acts in Jesus to make us new creations.  His mercy and kindness transform our very nature into one of His making.  Our failure is in trying to carry on in our faith without daily grace.  We are told of God's intent of us being witnesses.  You will not be able to give away grace if you do not receive it on a consistent basis.  You cannot truly sing about amazing grace if it remains optional in your world.  It is essential to surviving in a sinful society.


Perhaps the question is whether or not it really is faith should we leave these two parts out of the equation?  Living with these ideas would not go over well in those early Christian communities.  Writers such as Paul would point out our theological failure as well as the impact on our spiritual life.  Faith is mediocre at best without grace or the cross.  It says we believe more in our abilities than in God's action.  It is a faith that really trusts nothing but self.  No wonder our spiritual mood is far from divine.  Can't we do better than this?


Bro. Trey

Allergies are just part of my spring ritual.  All of the signs of nature blooming into action tend to make me sneeze.  Not even our recent rain showers will diminish that aspect.  It also means that sinus medicine is a constant companion for the next few weeks.  They do help but being lethargic is one of the side effects.  I cannot imagine how some people take those illegal drugs regularly.  Today my goal was to go as long without them as possible.  Let me report some success in that effort.  Breathing is still possible today without all of the chemicals wrecking havoc with the rest of me.  I can only hope that no one else will share my malady.


Easter approaches fast.  It is one of those times that sends me into a deeper reflection than usual.  How do we move past the new clothes and painted eggs to remember why this day matters?  Every minister worth the time weighs that question each year.  I know just how easy it can be to repeat the same cliches as in years gone by.  My constant prayer is to find fresh relevance for this eternal message.  What takes place that day centuries ago still brings new meaning to our world.  It defines life while defeating death.  It acknowledges doubt while making the statement on reality.  Easter deserves much better acknowledgement than it may receive.  God is at His best that day.  May we recognize that in both our heart and our mind.


Time stops for no man as they say.  Spring leads to summer and so forth.  Soon we will return to our complaining about the heat or lack of rain.  Winter passed us by totally.  I heard they were wearing shorts today on the golf course in Minnesota.  That is only about two months early.  But just as time is a constant so is the truth that change revolves all around us at the same time.  Allergies will come and go.  Weather will always be something we complain about regardless of the season.  Easter will always be a given to those who believe.  In fact, it can be said it is a truth with or without the presence of faith.  One who resists believing will face that day of admitting the validity of Easter.  Those who take God at His word will be welcomed for that affirmation.  Easter is nothing to sneeze at nor take lightly.  May we all rediscover this great act of God as we move forward.


Bro. Trey

I spent the day with my son running errands.  My evening involved sitting around with my daughter catching up on stuff.  What this means is it is spring break around here.  Don't look for many deep postings this week on the blog.  Maybe we can get in one or two but most of my focus will be enjoying them.  It is always a good feeling to sit with the daughter while talking or watching our programs on television.  My youngest entertains me constantly with some new thing he tries out.  Today he ate french fries with a fork.  That was brand new to me.  He said it was his "forklift."  He is probably picking that up at school.  We tried to get him a haircut with no success.  But he did end up with a few games to keep him entertained.  My allergies are atrocious this year with all of the pollen in the air.  I only mention that because breathing is something worth doing regularly.  Getting my run and walk in today took more out of me than usual.  Maybe my respiratory functions will resume normally before too long.  That's about it from my corner of the world so far this week.  Family does matter to me.  Perhaps my talents may be few but I do enjoy being a dad.  You know this should you read with any regularity here.  Check back this week as there may be a few shorter posts along the way.  Next week will be back to life as normal whatever that may be.

Bro. Trey

Rain, time change and spring break are a lethal triple dose of doom for a Sunday.  Today we got all of these things yet lived to tell about it.  Arks were needed just to get to the church building with the storms overhead.  Spring break means more than a few people are on their way to vacation spots from the mountains to the beach.  Time change is bad enough when you lose an hour of sleep.  All it was today was icing on a very bad recipe.  But let me just say how proud and grateful I am for those who made it.  You are appreciated.  You also got to hear my favorite daughter play and sing with her two best friends.  Just having that makes for a happy dad.  It's one thing to encourage her to spread her wings.  It's another thing to want those wings to bring her home on occasion.


Letting go is still a daily conflict for me.  Being over protective is a big temptation.  Human beings do tend to dwell on controlling one another in relationships.  Some times this control is benign manipulation that does little harm.  It is however possible to get caught in a trap of serious control.  Danger arises when one person seeks to dominate another into a position of weakness.  Words are a huge tool in this event.  Vocal insults or deception tend to be the chief weapon of those who want this level of control.  We learned a big lie when we were young.  Someone told us how words could never hurt us.  Words do hurt.  They also have the capacity to open wounds only God can heal.  Letting go is not easy for sinful humanity.  Grace is required to allow freedom to grow.


Maybe we miss that idea when we think about the cross?  God takes the risk of unveiling His love toward humanity with no promise we will love Him back.  It dawned on me this past week that the cross is certainly nothing we would imagine when it comes to God.  Every other religion of philosophy born of our mind will be centered on self.  God is the only one who remotely conceives of this approach to living.  He comes into our world through Jesus to declare genuine love and mercy.  Rather than wait for us to reach His level the invitation is extended for us to trust His grace.  Paul understood this as his life would be eternally altered by the grace of God.  His is a first hand experience at letting go of his ideas to accept the truth of the cross.  Going from murderer to missionary takes an enormous divine action.  He gets that when his heart sees God through the cross.  


God does not control us in the sense that He manipulates us.  His will is to keep revealing truth so we adjust to Him.  Understanding the cross means gaining perspective on how far God is willing to go to save us.  His arms stand wide open to us.  It is a risk He chooses to take.  How well are we doing in taking Him up on that offer?


Bro. Trey

Peyton Manning is a model of class and character.  This may not mean much to you but it matters to sports fans.  It should matter to more than the casual fan as he expressed such class today as he said goodbye to his former team.  Let me remind you of a few things if you are climbing out from under a rock.  His fourteen years of playing football so far leave him with enough records to enter the Hall of Fame.  He is leaving the Colts for any number of reasons and will most probably play for another team next year.  Some of this is due to money.  Some of it is because of his aging and injuries.  He said farewell to his past this afternoon.  Words cannot describe my admiration for both what he said and how he said it.  But this is not just about athletics or athletes.  His behavior is something we could all wish to emulate.  


I just finished reading of a high school playoff game where the fans of one team chanted racial slurs at the other.  This took place in our "christian" state of Texas.  We can read or watch the news daily where so called adults persist in all types of ugly behavior.  Parents do things no child would be allowed to do.  Politicians who are to be leaders get exposed for unspeakable and just idiotic acts.  Churches are no safe haven either in this area.  How many business meetings look like they should be held in a steel cage?  Being civil is not a trait much appreciated in our world.  Here is one reason why I wanted to cheer hearing Manning be so gracious in his exit.  There is no doubt he deals with some hard feelings now.  He wants to keep playing but it will not be for the organization he carried by himself for over a decade.  Why is it that it takes an athlete to remind me of what being classy is all about?


We choose our character.  God does indeed wire us in differing ways but we can make the decision about our behavior.  He promises to infuse us with grace to change how we go about our lives.  Being filled with the Spirit is much more than how loud we yell or carry on in church.  It demands we reflect the personality of our Savior.  Could it be that God is less impressed with our theology or our ecstasy and focuses on our character?  Far too many believers live with a rock solid theology but cannot build healthy relationships with others.  Something is tragically missing in that situation.  Eleanor Roosevelt remarked that no person could make her behave badly as it was her choice.  She would like Peyton Manning.  You will never convince me that theology should not lead to being a class act.  Not all of us may be gifted with a warm personality.  We can all depend on God to help us improve.  May we all learn how to be gracious and classy with God and with one another.


Bro. Trey

Let's weave a few things together tonight in our writing.  Maybe it is more accurate to say we are going to try to pull some ideas together.  There are just a few odds and ends running through my brain.  Perhaps this means its time to write it out.  More than a few people use a lot of energy reading between the lines in what I may say or write.  Sometimes they may be hitting on something that is here.  Other times my words are just words.  I found out long ago that people go through different issues along the way.  So there may be sermons or blog posts that are directed toward some situation or the other.  Just know that there are occasions when a sermon or post is just what it is.  No one is targeted unless the shoe fits.  


Timing comes into play here.  We spent several weeks looking at the strange prophet named Jonah.  I really enjoyed reading and learning about this wayward soul.  Who would imagine there would be eight decent sermons within this small book?  Odds are good that other good material was left out for whatever reason.  I made myself a promise years ago that my pulpit would never become a place to lash out at anyone who may or may not deserve it.  Far too many ministers will stand up to deliver a stinging lecture when there is no chance to respond.  You know my view that divine timing is critical in our world.  Trying to hurry God is a futile task.  It seems that the best approach is to be faithful over time to leave Him room to work.  Not everyone understands this but it works for me.


Our message yesterday would wrap up our look at Jonah.  What began several weeks ago would reach a conclusion.  My mind had no clue whatsoever that this last study would arrive at the right time.  Was there a second or more direct message in my comments?  I have to admit there probably were some points that grew out of experience.  But also be sure what was said was not just for one person or another.  That is just not my style.  It is however also true that if the shoe fits for one person then it probably fits another.  God seems to work that way through me.  Patience always works out over the course of time with me.  It happened again yesterday to my gratitude to God.  We wrote yesterday that there is pain while waiting for that divine answer.  But what God does to His glory outweighs the discomfort.  We may be missing that divine touch due to our impatience.  My hope or goal tries to remain fixed on His ability to do far beyond what I can.  Not everyone understands but this is where my heart remains.  


Perhaps my hope is people will spend less time trying to read between the lines to just see if God is speaking to them.  You may not need what you read or hear at any given moment but you may in time.  That is always good enough for me.


Bro. Trey

We are offered the opportunity to learn something every day.  Finding out new ideas or information is one of my most favorite things to do.  Anyone can always learn something daily.  I fear that not enough of us take up this offer.  Far too many people live content with what they know as the final statement on living.  Areas for discover range from just trivia to deep truth.  It also includes every aspect of human existence.  We are not isolated in being human.  Emotions matter as much as the physical for example.  Tomorrow promises to be another day to grow more in some area of our life.  One can hope Monday will be as profitable as today.  


Timing matters in our world.  You know this is one of my core ideals should you read here often.  I believe it is possible to do the right thing at the wrong time on occasion.  God is always at work beyond our concept or understanding.  Waiting on God is just as important as leaping out in faith. This is again a both/and reality for us.  This morning was a sermon that basically wrote itself.  What is just as fascinating is how it arrived at precisely the right time.  God needed for me to learn some lessons before passing it along to others.  Faithfulness and timing intersected in some terrific ways today.  What could not be said at the start of our journey with Jonah was right on time today.  God's method of working never ceases to amaze me.  He just always knows best.


Human beings are not prone to instant or easy growth by nature.  Our hearts tend to be slow to adjusting to God's will.  You need to know this is just one of those normal traits of being imperfect.    Even the very best of God's word can be difficult to wrap our mind or our heart around.  There is one thing that excites me to the core each time it happens.  I truly embrace when God works through a situation or problem to shape the character of a believer.  Maturity that lasts beyond the surface or superficial require time for God to work.  This does not mean there is no room in my theology for the occasions when the realization is instantaneous.  My pilgrimage of faith includes some of those very experiences.  Just remember that our developing as followers is normally much like each day.  We move one day at a time while God builds a life.  


Letting this take place is stressful on us.  Impatience is one of the leading failings in humanity.  We want what we want and we want it now.  It's easy for us to wonder if God is doing anything based on our perspective.  Temptation comes at us to jump in to help God do the work.  Getting ahead of God is as dangerous as falling behind.  Pain is part of the process of spiritual growth.  Lasting change moves slowly most of the times.  God extracts the damaged part of our being so He can infuse us with a new spirit.  Today included several elements of this around here.  My prayer is it lasts longer than a day.  I hope it continues well into the future.  


Bro. Trey