Just a thought

My cousin and dear friend Jeff has inspired and challenged me for years. I saw a comment that he posted on FaceBook and I wanted to share it with all of you. His post was a simple enough, he was asking a question.

He said "How can the Church be all things to all people (1 Cor. 9:22) and yet come out and be separate from them (2 Cor. 6:17)?

Funny thing was, no one responded. Why is it that I wonder? Why is it that so many people claim to be Christ followers but so few people really know what God's word actually says?

Jeff even provided some scripture to help us along. I would love to hear some feedback from you. Anyone??

dave

Something to think about.......

Holy is the Father who chose to send His Son
Perfect is the Savior, the sacrificial One
Sacred was the cleansing blood that poured out of His hands
And righteous is Your power, that can change the heart of man
Here I will kneel before You, I vow to fall down and adore You
I've got to feel the touch of Your hand, I know I've got to feel the touch of Your hand

Worshipful, mighty, reverent, holy is Your name
From the beginning to forever You'll always be the same
You are the only way, You are the truth, You are the life
You are the only way, You are the truth, You are the life

Holy, the Redeemer, a tortured innocent man
Perfect was His broken body that died and rose again
And sacred are these words He gave us, written by His hand
And righteous is His kingdom where we will live with Him
Here I will kneel before You, I vow to forever adore You
I've got to feel the touch of Your hand, I know I've got to feel the touch of Your hand

Worshipful, mighty, reverent, holy is Your name
From the beginning to forever You'll always be the same
You will never leave or forsake usThere is no one that can separate usJust as long as we confess these wordsThere will be no endGod, will You forgive me?

God, make this blind man see
God, in You I believe
God, through Your Son redeem me

Just wanted to share some song lyrics that I think are amazing. Stop for a moment and pray these words to a mighty, mighty God. He is worthy and deserves the praise!

blessings,

dave

Simple Prayer

The longer I live the more I am reminded that I am incapable of a lot of things. What can I truly accomplish on my own? When I accepted Jesus as Lord and Master of my life I allowed Him to come in and make some much needed changes. He not only changed my life, but He gave me a sense of purpose, understanding and direction. For the first time in my life the storms of life did not seem so bad. Wow! How awesome is it that the creator of the Universe cares about us. That He reaches down and sets our feet on a solid rock.

I start off each and every day with a simple prayer. I say “God thanks”………..then I reflect on the things that I am thankful for today. I tell Him about it because I want Him to know that I am thankful for what He has done in my life. Why? Because without God I would be a hopeless wreck and I am truly thankful every day that God has given me a brand new day to life out.

I know that I cannot see what tomorrow will bring, and that I am incapable of a lot of things, but I serve a God who cares about me and He is truly capable of all things.

I encourage you to bow down daily and declare “God is awesome, and I am not.” See what a difference it can make in your life.

To He alone be all the praise, honor and glory. Forever and ever Amen!

In Christ,
dave

Tired

Ever hit a wall? Ever feel like you are completely out of gas? I am usually the last guy to ever feel like I have nothing left in the tank. It is a strange feeling for me. Again, I don’t usually run out of gas.

If you are close to me then you already know that I have been walking through more drama in the last few months then I have ever walked through in my entire life. But what makes this time particularly hard for me is that it has been coming from virtually every angle possible. I just finally feel real, real tired. Stacey is the best. She always tries to lift me up, always. Today she reminded me of a simple truth that we both already know and believe; God is still able and He is faithful.

I think that the worst is over but if you think to say a prayer for me, pray that God’s peace and joy rushes in to renew my strength, strength for the road ahead. A fresh new start.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-31

Amazing Grace

That song meant a lot to Grace Mae Shepard, or simply Granny to us. She was truely amazing, everything that a Grandma is supposed to be.

Granny was a simple woman who loved to talk about Jesus. She was always available, always willing to talk and share. She always had a warm smile and a kind word for you. She was always glad to have company and she would never let you leave without a great big hug and saying a word of prayer.

I remember many nights coming home from a late night gig hearing her in her room, waiting up and quietly praying for me. Wow! If not for those prayers and her persistence I may have never accepted Jesus into my life.

So today we have not only lost a loving Grandma, but we have also lost a sister in Christ. A child of God anxious to hear her name called, anxious to finally go home and be with her Jesus.

Praise God for His mercy and His amazing Grace.

We will all miss you Granny!

Grace Mae Culpepper (Shepard) 1921-2009

The vision of You

In my quiet time tonight I felt moved to grab my guitar and sing a song unto the Lord. I just felt led to find a song and sing. No one audience, no one in the room but me. As I searched for the right song for the moment the song "Vision of You" by Shane & Shane came to mind.

As I began to play and sing out to Him, the spirit of God rushed in and stilled my tongue. It became a real and much needed moment for me. A moment for which there were no words. Nothing coming out. Only tears. I was clearly overwhelmed.

If I were able to sing I would have said this to Him....

Come meet us, King Jesus
Oh wind of change blow through this temple
Sweet Spirit of God, come and mend our hearts
For all we have are songs, unless You come

Awaken what’s inside of me, tune my heart to all You are in me
Even though You’re here, God come
And may the vision of You be the death of me,
And even though you’ve given everything, Jesus come

Come free us, King Jesus
It’s the only way that freedom’s given.
From You and You alone, in the work You’ve already done
For all we have are songs, unless You come

Here we are, Lord in this place
Crying out for Your embrace
To hear Your voice, more than songs
Please come, Jesus come

Some how I know He heard every word, if only from my heart.

blessings,

dave

Life at the beach

Today I was sitting on the beach thinking about my kids. You know it really has been amazing watching these kids grow up in what seems like a very short period of time. Today I am also reminded how very different they all are. Four boys, four totally different mindsets.

Adin (2) feels content to fling sand everywhere and sing to himself, occassionally asking for some more water in his bucket and then destroying whatever was recently built in front of him.

Josh (7) bounces back and forth collecting what he sees as rare and priceless shells that the ocean gives up. Trying his hand at a wave or two but never really getting in above his knees.

Caleb (11) took to boogy boarding like it was his job. He is the calm and cool one who could probably spend all day out on the beach if it was not for the fear of getting too much sun.

Zack (14) never really likes to try new things. At first he sat back and watched us boogy board and it didn't look like he was having much fun. Then all of a sudden he was out there with us. Smiling from ear to ear as he caught small waves moving him just a few feet at a time.

You see, some times we just gotta go out there and do something. We can't ever really enjoy life just sitting there and watching it go by. Too many times we take life and even our own family for granted. Sad!

Life is too short to let it slip away. Take a moment and thank God for what you have in life. Then go out and do something about it.

blessings,

dave

True Friendship

How can we find true friendship in this often phony, temporary world? Genuine friendship involves a shared sense of caring and concern, a desire to see one another grow and develop, and a hope for each other to succeed in all aspects of life.

True friendship involves action, doing something for someone else while expecting nothing in return, sharing thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment or negative criticism.

True friendship involves relationship. Many people say, "Oh, he's a good friend of mine," yet they never take time to spend time with that "good friend." Friendship takes time. Time to get to know each other, time to build shared memories, time to invest in each other's growth.

Trust is essential to true friendship. We all need someone with whom we can share our lives, thoughts, feelings, and frustrations. We need to be able to share our deepest secrets with someone, without worrying that those secrets will end up on Facebook the next day! Haha

True friendship is biblical. In Genesis 18:17-33, we read about God sharing His intentions with Abraham. Abraham responds by telling God his thoughts and feelings about the situation. God and Abraham are able to do this because they trust and respect each other.

First Samuel 20 focuses on the friendship of David and Jonathan. Because of the true friendship they shared, David survived Saul's assassination attempts and went on to become one of Israel's greatest kings.

God's Word tells us that a friend sticks closer than a brother, and that in order for one to be a friend, one must show themselves friendly (Proverbs 18:24). The question is: what type of friend do you desire to be?

This life has blessed me with several true friendships, relationships that I would truly fight for. If you are a friend who happens by this blog, thank you. Thank you for leaving an imprint on my heart. I am a better person because of you.

Blessings,
dave

My thoughts on the "The Blood and the Body"

I asked for feedback for several reasons. One of those reason is that fact that I think too many Christians live out a faith that they are not sure of. In other words, we tend to live off of what we are told instead of what we truly know. Many times we take other peoples words as truth without ever really having real knowledge of the truth or any valid personal convictions of our own.

Communion is one of those things that we do but have you ever really thought about why we do it? It is required or beneficial? The Lord’s Supper is should be a soul-stirring experience because of the depth of meaning it contains. It was first celebrated during the celebration of the Passover on the eve of His death. This alone should tell you how significant this was to Jesus and His disciples. He instituted a new fellowship meal that we observe to this day. I believe it is an integral part of Christian worship because it causes us to remember our Lord’s death and resurrection and to look for His glorious return in the future.

The Passover was the most sacred feast of the Jewish religious year. It commemorated the final plague on Egypt when the firstborn of the Egyptians died and the Israelites were spared because of the blood of a lamb that was sprinkled on their doorposts. The lamb was then roasted and eaten with unleavened bread. God’s command was that throughout the generations to come the feast would be celebrated. The story is recorded in Exodus 12.

During the Last Supper (a Passover celebration) Jesus took a loaf of bread and gave thanks to God. As He broke it and gave it to His disciples, He said, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you’” (Luke 22:19-21). He concluded the feast by singing a hymn (Matthew 26:30), and they went out into the night to the Mount of Olives. It was there that Jesus was betrayed, as predicted, by Judas. The following day He was crucified.

He said that the bread spoke of His body which would be broken. There was not a broken bone, but His body was so badly tortured that it was hardly recognizable (Psalm 22:12-17; Isaiah 53:4-7). The wine was His blood, indicating the terrible death He would soon experience.

He, the perfect Son of God, became the fulfillment of the countless Old Testament prophecies concerning a Redeemer (Genesis 3:15; Psalm 22; Isaiah 53). When He said, “Do this in remembrance of me,” He indicated this was a ceremony that must be continued in the future. It indicated also that the Passover, which required the death of a lamb and looked forward to the coming of the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world, was fulfilled in the Lord’s Supper. The New Covenant replaced the Old Covenant when Christ, the Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7), was sacrificed (Hebrews 8:8-13). The sacrificial system was no longer needed (Hebrews 9:25-28). The Lord’s Supper or Christian Communion is done in remembrance of what Christ did for us and it should be a celebration of what we receive as a result of His sacrifice.

blessings, dave

the Body and the Blood?

Communion, Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper. Is it a holy sacrament or an expression of faith and of obedience to Christ? Most Christians recognize a special presence of Christ in this rite, though they differ about exactly how, where, and when Christ is present. Here are a few of the popular views.

Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy teach that the consecrated elements truly become the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Lutherans believe that the body and blood of Jesus are present "in, with and under" the forms of bread and wine, a concept known as the sacramental union.

The Reformed churches, following the teachings of John Calvin, believe in a real spiritual presence of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit and received by faith. Anglicans adhere to a range of views although the Anglican church officially teaches the real presence.

Some Christians reject the concept of the real presence, believing that the Eucharist is only a memorial of the death of Christ.

What do you think? I would love to hear from you about it. Take a moment and share you thought with me.

Blessings, dave

Prayer

A prayer from Reverend Billy Graham....

Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.

We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics.. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free.

Amen!'

Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, 'The Rest of the Story,' and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired. With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called 'One nation under God..'

blessings,

Dave

Overcome

Thanks be to God, who always causes us to triumph in His name
Thanks be to God, who always causes us To Win (yeah)

Thanks be to God, who always causes us to triumph in His name
Thanks be to God, Thanks be to God

We have Overcome, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
We have Overcome, by the power of Your Name
Jesus You're the One, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
The one who made the way for us, to triumph in Your Name
Whoa – oh, Whoa - oh

We got the victory, everything will be
Alright Alright, we got the victory
Everything will be alright, we're on the winning side

Random? not really, I am listening to Israel Houghton ~ A Deeper Level, reading the first John and thinking about how God conquered death and the grave.

“for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith”. 1 John 5:4

blessings, dave

Secrets to staying Married

We all aspire to be perfect in the things that we do. We all try our best to attain the highest standards in our academic achievements, career, social status and amongst many others...our marriage. So how does one work on one’s marriage? Is there a rule book, that once adhered to, will guarantee a successful marriage? As each marriage is unique to the couple, what secrets are there to maintain a fulfilling married life?

There’s no such thing as a perfect marriage, but that doesn’t mean your marriage can’t be fulfilling and happy. Building a strong marriage takes hard work and commitment. It takes two people who are willing to say to each other: “I know that tough times will come, but I promise to stay with you, no matter what.” When life gets hard, even the best marriages are tested. The ones that survive are those where each person makes a conscious decision to stay the course. In fact, couples who persevere through trials almost always come out stronger than ever.

Take time to remind your spouse how committed you are to your marriage. Use special occasions, like anniversaries, holidays, or other family events to focus on what’s important, and renew your love and devotion, both to your mate and your children. Remind your spouse often, and see if it doesn’t strengthen your relationship. And remember, strong marriages are built on loyalty, and loyalty is a decision, not a personality trait.

blessings, dave

The Story of Father's Day

Historians have recorded that there was a tradition to celebrate Father's Day even thousands of years ago. Their study say that 4,000 years ago in Babylon a son called Elmesu carved a father's day message on a clay card. In his message Elmesu wished his father a long and healthy life. There is no knowledge as to what happened to this father son duo but it is believed that several countries retained the custom of celebrating Father's Day.

The tradition of celebrating Father's Day as seen today originated in the last century. Though there are several people who are credited for furthering the cause of Father's Day, there is far greater acceptance for Sonora Louise Smart Dodd's contribution. A doting daughter from Spokane, Washington, Ms. Dodd is recognized as the Founder or Mother of the Father's Day Festival.

Inception of the Father's Day took place in Sonora's mind when she happened to hear a Mother's Day sermon in 1909. Sonora, who was 27 then, had begun to recognize the hardships her father must have gone through while bringing up his six children alone. When Sonora was 16, her mother had died during childbirth. Sonora's father a Civil War veteran by the name of William Jackson Smart raised six children including the newborn on his own. Sonora questioned that if there is a day to recognize mothers then why is not there a day to honor fathers?

Many people laughed and joked at Sonora's idea, but her will did not droop. She began a sincere campaign lobbying for the cause of Father's Day. Her hard work began to show signs of success when Spokane celebrated its first Father's Day on June 19, 1910 with the support of Spokane Ministerial Association and the local Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA). To pay tribute to her affectionate father, Sonora wished that Father's Day be celebrated on her father's birthday on June 5, but it so happened that there was not enough time for preparation and the day came to be celebrated on third Sunday in the month of June.

The noble idea of celebrating Father's Day became quite popular in US so much so that President Woodrow Wilson approved of the festival in 1916. President Calvin Coolidge too supported the idea but it was President Lyndon Johnson who signed a Presidential Proclamation declaring the third Sunday of June as Father's Day in 1966. Then in 1972, President Richard Nixon established a permanent national observance of Father's Day to be held on the third Sunday of June. Father's Day has become a popular festival. World over people thank their father and pay tribute to them.

I have many, many reasons to be thankful. Thankful that God chose for me to have a Godly earthly Father who has cared and supported me all of my life. And thankful that God has blessed me with four amazing boys.

Happy Fathers Day all!!

God's promises

Today I got to talk to a very honored and admired personal friend. If you know me then you know that the last 70 days or so have been both life changing and very disappointing to say the least. Many days I am tired, discouraged, confused and beaten down. My breaking point is very clearly in sight.

Today my good friend said very little. He only said enough to encourage and remind of the things that I have come to know as the truth. Whenever in doubt stay in the light, that is where you will always find the truth.

Again he said very few words and even though this is not what he said, I will tell you what I heard.....

"Look at the nations and watch - and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told". Hab 1:5

I first learned of this scripture about 7 years ago. It is always easy to live for today and forgets God's promises of thiings to come.


Today I am reminded of God's promises.

Thnx Bro, I needed that!

Love Dare??

Stacey and I have committed to doing the Love Dare together. I look forward to seeing how this brings us even closer together.

You should buy two copies of this book. One for you, and one for your spouse. See what happens after 40 days, I dare ya!!

Day 1: Love is patient

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2 NIV

TODAY’S DARE

The first part of this dare is fairly simple. Although love is communicated in a number of ways, our words often reflect the condition of our heart. For the next day, resolve to demonstrate patience and to say nothing negative to your spouse at all. If the temptation arises, choose not to say anything. It’s better to hold your tongue than to say something you’ll regret.

More to come!

dave

18 years and still going strong!!

Today we are celebrating our 18th wedding anniversary. I can honestly say that it has been 18 years of pure joy. I had no idea that marriage could be this much fun! It does take some work but it has been a labor of love. I guess when two people click, they click. I am blessed to have found the perfect person to spend the rest of my life with.

I cannot put into words the way I feel about this amazing, wonderful woman that I am proud to call my wife. God knew what I would need to make it through this life. He knew that me and the boys would need a special lady to keep us going. He sent me a wife, a best friend and so much more. I pray that I will never take her for granted and that I hope that I will always show her how much I love her with my actions, not just my words.

I thank God for her and the life that I have because of her. God’s word is always enough. This scripture says it all

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Ephesians 5:25-33

Be blessed, dave

God You Reign!

You paint the night
You count the stars and You call them by name
The skies proclaim, God You reign
Your glory shines
You teach the sun when to bring a new day
Creation sings, God You reign

God You reign, God You reign
Forever and ever, God You reign

You part the seas
You move the mountains with the words that You say
my song remains, God You reign
You hold my life,
You know my heart, and You call me by name
I live to say God You reign

Hallelujah, Hallelu

God You reign, God You reign
Forever and ever, God You reign

Amen!!

We serve God by serving others

The world defines greatness in terms of power, possessions, prestige, and position. If you can demand service from others, you’ve arrived. In our self-serving culture with its “me first” mentality, acting like a servant is not a popular concept.

Jesus, however, measured greatness in terms of service, not status. God determines your greatness by how many people you serve, not how many people serve you.

It is possible to serve in church for a lifetime without ever being a servant. You must have a servant’s heart.

How can you know if you have the heart of a servant?

In Matthew 7:16 Jesus said, “You can tell what they are by what they do”

How do you know when you are old?

When I was young, I remember looking at old people and wondering when that magic switch got turned on that made us like them. Seriously, I thought that you had to turn into to someone else. I fact when I was in school a thirty year old would have easily fit the bill as an old person to me. Now that I am a few year south of 40 I am starting to see more evidence of the inevitable.

Last week I was working with Redd on a few licks for a Lincoln Brewster song. As I talked him through the notes and progressions it dawned on me that even though I could identify every note, and my mind was willing, my hands did not seem to want to express that on the fret board like they used to. I have always done well copying other people and their guitar solos. But I rarely play lead guitar anymore so these notes were not easy for me. Am I off of my game or truly washed up?

The boys make me feel old most of the time. After all, my oldest is in High School already. In fact, one of the kids in youth group last night is 18 and graduates on Friday. I immediately thought, “wow 18 years ago I graduated”. Where did the time go?

If you had asked me how old I felt during the first Ultimate Frisbee season 2 years ago, I would have told you that I feel really old. My body was not handling it well. I felt wore out and beat down. But by the start of the second season, I had lost over 50 pounds and I was in much better shape. So I didn’t feel the wear and tear on my body at all, I felt young again. At least my body did.

So what is it? What is the secret to staying young?

Is it being able to do what you have always done?
Is it a state of mind?
Is it the shape of your body?

Whatever it is, I am in serious doubt that we all agree. My picture last night on my 365 project reflects the song lyrics of George Jones saying “I don’t need your rocking chair”



How do you feel? I would love to hear some feedback from you. I think these say it best…..

Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter. ~ Mark Twain

Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional. ~ Chili Davis

In the Light

Remember those science projects that they would have us do in school. I remember one where they wanted us to see the effect of light and darkness on the growth of seeds. So they gave us some marigold seeds along 4 Styrofoam cups and some dirt. They told us to put 2 cups in the closet where they was no light at all and two cups in the window sill. For a few hours, the plants in the dark and the ones in the light are quite similar. Two tiny green leaves break through the soil and begin to grow. Within a couple of days however, the plants in the closet turn yellow and begin to die, while the ones in the light grow and get more and more leaves. The experiment proves that plants have to absorb light in order to have the energy needed to grow, bloom, and make seeds.

The same is true of our spiritual lives. We need to live in the light in order to grow and become fruitful. Galatians 5:22-23 describes spiritual fruit ~ love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These attributes are in stark contrast to the ones Paul listed as acts of the sinful nature: jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambitions, envy, etc.

D C Talk sang it like this “I want to be in the light, cause You are in the light”. Enough said. I want to be wherever Jesus is.

Lord may all I do be pleasing to You!! Amen

What are you listening to?

How cool was it to have Anthony Evans here with us again. Last night in my quiet time I was asking the Lord to bless Anthony Evans’ ministry and the families of the men who had just spent their weekend here ministering to us. Then, being a musician myself, I started thinking about how the economy might impact the music industry. I bet is a real hard time to be in the concert business. Or even the music business in general. After looking around a bit online, I was shocked to find out that several Christian artists like Chris Tomlin and Israel & New Breed sell out the most of the large secular venues like the Sears Center in Chicago. A venue that’s recently hosted The Killers, Foo Fighters, and Lil Wayne.

Seeing a Christian artist playing a sold out arena is evidence that worship music is a big, big time business. Worship music is not only reaching the church audience but it is clearly getting out into the secular world. But did you know that even though music will fill up roughly half of the time that we spend inside a church building, some Christ followers think very little about what they are listening to.

There are a lot of amazing songs and artists coming out of the worship movement right now, and a lot of incredible work being done by worship leaders at local churches. Since I started attending FAM almost 10 years ago I have attended numerous seminars conferences and gone into literally every kind of church and scenario that you could dream up. Let me tell you, there are all types of people listning to all types of stuff.

We are blessed to attend a church where the leadership and worship leaders are mindful that God wants to speak to us not only in corporate worship but also in Godly music in general. This is where I want to challenge you a bit. How much do you think about what you are listening to? Are you even mindful of the impact of the songs that you listen to?

I encourage you to think carefully about what you are listening to. Try to find music that will speak to you and bring blessings into your life. Try to find music that takes you somewhere other than to an old memory of a “you” that should have died a long time ago. Martin Luther said it like this............

“I have no pleasure in any man who despises music. It is no invention of ours: it is a gift of God. I place it next to theology. Satan hates music: he knows how it drives the evil spirit out of us”.

Blessings, dave

A Little Flower

A few days ago I heard a few friends talking about a rare flower that only blooms for a short time in the spring every year. I was amused to find out that this area (Deep Creek in particular) would have such a wild and exotic flower. The very next day my buddy Sharon actually sent me a text with a picture of the rare flower. I could not believe it! Not only was the flower actually in bloom, but she had just sent me an actual picture of a plant that I had never seen before.

Many of you already know that a few months ago I took a huge interest in photography. So needless to say, I planned a trip the next day to shoot the flower myself. I arrived yesterday morning eagerly awaiting a chance to shoot this unique flower. After I walked around for nearly thirty minutes, I realized that the unique and mysterious flower was nowhere to be found. I anxiously called Sharon and asked her to lead me over to the place where she had seen and photographed the flowers. I could not find them. Apparently they had closed up and they only open during certain times of the day. What! I thought, are you kidding me? Plants actually do that?

So I went on to work and shared my recent disappointment with the others. A few hours later my phone rang. It was Sharon. Again she called me with news about the flower. This time she was standing right there looking right at the flower. Immediately I grabbed my camera and announced to everyone that I was heading out. Before I knew it everyone else was grabbing purses or keys to ride along with me. Also know that the flower is growing out behind a local icon, a local pharmacy that serves a pretty killer lunch menu. So I have to believe that their enthusiasm had more to do with hunger then their love for botany or photography.

When we arrived I was pleased to see Sharon. She quickly pointed us in the direction several of the little unique and mysterious flowers. The mid day sun had caused them to open up and show off a magnificent array of color and beauty. Wow! Amazing! As I clicked away shooting just over a hundred shots in just a few minutes, I was reminded of the greatest Botanist ever. The One who created not only this beautiful flower, but the One who created every living thing in the world.

It is hard for me to admire beauty without thinking of the wonders and beauty of the Lord. God knows exactly what every plant needs to survive and be fruitful. He knows that it needs sunlight and water to grow and flourish. Jesus even assures us that the Father knows exactly what we need even before we speak.

Matthew 6:7-8
7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

So I encourage you to look around and be amazed. Either by a small and unique flower or by the vast deep blue sky above, but be amazed. Take a moment to look around you and you will see God’s handy work. God knew that a little flower in Deep Creek would one day bring us great joy. And somehow He knew that that little flower would also find a way to bring Him glory.

Praise God!

A little side note, I found out later that day that the plant also has a very cool spiritual connection. click here

Also, if you want to see the flower in better detail, take a look at my flickr page click here

Blessings,
dave

You know, I have never been much of a blogger. As much as I love the internet and everything that the web has to offer, I have never really read a bunch or posted many blogs online. I am a hit and move type of web surfer. I get in, find what I need and move on to the next page. A blog would just hold me up or slow me down. I am ADHD remember!!

At work we had decided to start a blog that would offer up some personal insights and perspective from our pastors and executive staff. We have tried many times before to keep up with blogs, but we have always failed.

I myself was going to be part of this blog and I was convinced that we could do it no matter what. The truth is, none of us around the office much feel like blogging. Most of you reading this already know that things around the office have changed a bit.

So, why am I blogging? Good question. I am not sure who cares about what I think or what I may have to say. I am not on a personal journey. I am not looking for divine revelation or in search of inner peace. I am blogging because I have ideas and thoughts about areas that interested me. A great deal of my time involves personal reflections and analyses. In the past I have written them down on my own, like in a diary, but now I feel like it's a good time to share them and maybe see what other people have to say about them.

So there you go. Welcome to my blog! Here we go………………..