StoryTellers give some GREAT Lessons

 Luke 8: 4-8 While the crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town to town, he told them a parable: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and provided a crop a hundred times more than what was sown."

Clyde was a man in his late 50's who grew up in the hills of eastern Tennessee. During the week, we worked side by side at the local Coca-Cola bottling plant. But on Saturdays, he would travel to the little town of Jonesbourgh Tennessee for his second job.

He was an official "storyteller". Clyde could tell a simple country story with the greatest of ease and with great detail. When he talked about his grandmother's clear pie (pecan pie without the pecans), you could almost smell the brown sugar cooking. And when he would call like a crow or squawk like the hawk swooping down to grab it's prey, we would all look around expecting to see it happen. He was that good!

Each of Clyde's stories ended with a lesson on how to live with honor and integrity. Looking back on his stories, I now understand the importance of the stories, or parables, that Jesus told the people of His day.

Most everyone can relate to a well-told story. So, when He taught via parables, like the one above, everyone could relate because they had seen seeds planted. It was easy to understand the "moral" of the story as most had seen the perils and victories of planting seeds.

Sometimes we can become so "religious" that we miss the relationship Jesus wants with each one of us. We focus so much on the small things that we miss the excitement and love that is packed in a daily walk with Christ. His story is simple and one with a happy ending.

Everyone has a story to tell others; starting with the story of your relationship with the Lord.

To whom have you told your story, lately?

Never miss an opportunity to tell your story. . .the good, the bad, the ugly, and how you came though those times with a new understanding of life and relationships.

A Little Christmas Advice

Before Halloween costumes have been placed in storage, retailers and manufacturers start pumping the airwaves with propaganda about the perfect toy, the perfect diamond ring to prove your love and the perfect food for the perfect, wonderful family celebration. Even before Thanksgiving our minds race with too many decisions: What to get for the person who has everything (probably almost everyone on your list), where to get the money for those perfect gifts. What to wear, or how to lose that extra pounds so you can get into last year's clothes!

Talk about STRESS! Someone has defined "anxiety" as the inability to cope with stress. Is anxiety the context in which we are living out a "holiday" that represents peace and stability to the Christian world? If so, take a deep breath and consider incorporating some of these ideas into your every day life, one day at a time.

Don't Miss Christmas!  We need to make sure that we set some time aside for each other. You may want to start with events such as Christmas eve services or activities where the entire family can be together. Share the Workload Be realistic about how much you can do in one day and plan for delays and unexpected interruptions (traffic jams, a sick child, a flat tire, a cashier who doesn't know what he is doing, long lines).

Ask your family members what they like about Christmas - what are "non-negotiable" traditions. You might be surprised to learn that what you think absolutely must be done, no one else really cares about! Make lists of every job - even the smallest - and prioritize tasks.

As Christmas grows closer remember the reasons for the season and be willing to cross off your list some of the unfinished tasks. Enlist your children. Tell them ahead of time what your expectations are and assign specific responsibilities appropriate for their age. Even little ones can fold napkins or help in some way! Let Go of Unrealistic Expectations.  Too often we allow the media to define the perfect Christmas. Such a perfect season is depicted as incomplete without softly falling snow, piles of packages, food beyond our ability to consume, and a table surrounded by happy, happy people. Jesus is absent from this picture of warmth and "love". Unrealistic expectations lead to major disappointments.

Change the things you can, accept the things you can't. Expect people to act as they always do! The presence of Jesus in our hearts equips us to reflect His love and compassion when others disappoint us. Spend extra time with Him when you know you will be around people who are difficult.

Ask Him to help you be a reflection of His peace. Intentionally Extend God's Compassion Ask God who He wants you to touch with His love. Perhaps this is the year to invite neighbors to a Christmas celebration.

We need to make the effort to reflect the peace of Jesus to a hostile world.

Take Time to Play It's not the pile of gifts that will create the satisfaction in a child - it's the relationship. Take a walk and breathe in the creation of God. Are you alone? Refuse to feel sorry for yourself.

Ask God to bring to mind someone else who is alone and invite them to join you for a meal. Perhaps the best way to experience joy is to give joy away. Ask God to show you a way to share His love with someone who needs a special touch from Him. Joy and ministry to others are linked.

Joy comes when we know we are serving our Savior by serving others. Take Time Out to Pray When Jesus got busy, He slowed down. He deliberately withdrew for a while (Mark 1:37-39).

Early on Christmas morning turn the lights on the tree and just spend some time in quiet prayer of peace and love. You may find this could be the best Christmas ever.

Just Fell Out of Love

Some time ago, I was talking to a college friend of mine.  He was married  right our of college and has been married for 39 years.  Our conversation centered around  him saying that he just has fallen out of love with his wife.

I am no one to give speeches about divorce and how we should stick it out no matter what so I just listened to what he had to say.  He noted that right out of college he loved the time they spent together in taking walks, holding hands, cuddling for no reason at all and the list went on.  Then came full time job responsibilities and then kids and what had held them so close together for the first years foudn out that events and responsibilities began ever so slowly pulling them apart.

So the focus turned away from each other and onto the kids, jobs and the church.  He spent time with the boys and new hobies and she spent time with the girls and shopping.    His wife became short tempered and began critizing him over the dumbest things. To that end, he began pouring himself in things away from the home.  Yet that did not work because when he did get home problems continued to grow and the peace of home faded away.

Bob just retired and found out that he was in the hosue with a stranger so he turned more to the grandkids but the air is still tense when the grandkids have gone home.  Now he says that he does not want to spend the rest of his life making his wife miserable and himself miserable. 

My only response was, "Have you tried dating her again?"  He reply was, "We go out all the time".  I replied, "No, I remember seeing you on campus, holding hands, laughing, and taking time with no worrys except for the next exam."   Then I asked the "S" question.  "How's your sex life?"  "Non-existent  because it is just too much of an effort."  Then he asked me the big question.  "What should I do?"

My response was to fall back in love with your wife.  Focus on the first few months of your married life.  His comment was, "Have sex twice a day?"  I replied, "Why not?  You don't have a job anymore so be creative.  Set an alarm clock, fix her favorite snack, set the mood, give a massage, or anything that brings back the memories of the your first years." 

Are you falling out of love with your spouse?  You'll find out it is easier to try and make it work that to go through the pains of divorce. It is easier to recreate the times when you WERE in love than to encounter the unknown of a divorce.  But it does take two.  Bob's wife wanted to be back in love with him but just forgot about the fun in a relationship.  The best part is that Bob and his wife agree to be creative and set the mood for building the relationship and not just for sex.  Cuddling and holding hands was at one time high on thier list and so it is now coming back after years of responsibilities.

Never give up on another person, but take a step yourself to be fun like you did in your youth.  This may just start as cuddling, hand holding, kissing, laughing or doing things without critism.  The point is to start and not just be content to have fallen out of love.

A Blessing and A Curse

Many people who know me know that the Lord has blessed me with thinking outside the box.  Part of the blessing is that ideas and things come to my mind long before others imagine the an idea or a new way of doing something.  Often I thank God for this blessing.

One such event took place over a year and one half ago.  I was on the Board of Directors of a major corporation and brought a suggestion for action on program before someone else came up with the idea.  I was given the head nod and a table action by the then President.   A new president took over nine months later and I mentioned the idea as I was leaving the Board.  Before she could bring it up before the new Board for action, she copied me on an email and guess what?  An individual had the very same idea and acted upon that idea to create an application that did exactly what I mentioned to the corporation.    I was happy for the person who created the application and will make a lot of money but sad that so many cannot see potential and act on that potential.

Some strangers, family and friends try to "change me" rather than accept who I am so I become someone they want me to be.  I need to act and do things which do not make them uncomfortable.

A wise friend many years ago said that if 34% of my ideas are accepted then I will be successful.  I want 100%  because it has been revealed to me in depth the development of an idea but he reminded me that a professional baseball player who hits a 340 average during his life is in the hall of fame.  So don’t worry about those who cannot understand, it’s just that they have not received the Lord’s gift of perceiving and understanding a vision.

Then another event recently did not make me angry but quite hurt and sad.  I was having a conversation with a person and had previously told him about a marketing idea that is outside the box.  But this conversation with this senior staff person was one of appreciation for some work that the individual had done.   Within a minute, another staff member came up to this man and said, “I need you over here.”  As they walked away, I heard the staff person saying, “I had to get you away from him.”  I was quite hurt but did not show it and thought maybe I did not hear correctly.  As I looked over my shoulder from across the room, this senior staff person I had been talking to was making coffee.  I keep thinking, I was just imagining things but this is not the first time I have been dismissed for thinking outside the box.  Makes me believe that maybe this my reputation?

I’m tired of hurting being in tears, and in being hurt. 

The Lord continues to give me ideas beyond day to day activities, but these recent events have me withholding the sharing of anything anymore.  Instead I have begun a private listing of what God places in my heart and mind.  Once the Lord has called me home, then someone else will know what God had placed on my mind and I hope that something can be used.  My focus then will be on a wonderful Heaven and not what people here might have missed.

Even though you may not undersatnd a person, please do not just avoid them but try to see what they are really trying to say and not dismiss them and try and make them to what YOU want them to be.  

I encourage you to appreciate your blessings that God gives you but realize that a gift or blessing can be misconceived by others and it becomes a curse.   Persevere and try to focus on what the Lord is doing and not what people may be saying.  Trust me that the Lord will comfort.   Psalms 23:4

Bringing Back Rough Memories

Everyone is talking about the situation at Penn State and the events that took place years ago.   As they discuss the mindset of the coach during that time it has quickly brought back some rough memories of my daughter's experiences.

Her uncle was an elder in the church, high up in the Masonic Lodge, police officer and respected in the community.  But it was a program on TV that gave my daughter the courage to say something and come forward.  During the seven plus years of sexual abuse beginning at age 4 he would tell her that it was their secret and that if she told no one would believe her.  When confronted by the Sheriff's office he immediately denied everything and said it was her imagination.

For me too many "small" things that I felt were not right years before came to the surface and so we pursued legal action.  You don't want to believe it because it was family but I never doubted my daughter's tears and fears.

Then one week later, I got a phone call from him to simply say, "I'm sorry for what I did, but you see I was abused as a child and did not think I was doing anything wrong." At that moment, I did not pray or ask God for his or my forgiveness but just wanted to kill him right then.  He stole my daughter's innocence and damaged her spirit.

My daughter testified before the grand jury and to our surprise over 33 girls and women  over the past 35 years came forward to say they had experienced his approaches.  Each one told my daughter thank you because they had held in in during their lives as well and now could move on.

It took years before I could forgive him and one thing that has stuck with me for years is that my daughter said, "Unless I forgive him, he will have control over my life the rest of my life".  I am so proud of my daughter but events that were brought to life this past week can make me recall the rough memories.

Pray for the victims of abuse so they may grow to forgive their abusers so they will not have control over their life.  Trust me it is easier said than done, but necessary.  Is there someone you need to forgive?

What has This World Become?

As a Dreamer you are drawn to events and thoughts that many "normal" people may not think about.  For me I stumbled across a 4:00 a.m. morning radio show on the way to the airport where the host was talking to a book writer that we are involved in a Cosmic Chess Match (The name of his book).  Quoting the Old Testament he talked of the fallen angels and the need for God to Destroy the entire world. 

Not really believing everything that was being said, I looked up details on fallen angels and their interaction on the earth.  Click on the link and see how the scripture fits so well.  Fallen Angels having sex with women  

Once I read this I recalled what this man was saying on the radio.  Quoting the New Testament, "The coming of the Son of Man will be like what happened in the time of Noah.³⁸ In the days before the flood people ate and drank, men and women married, up to the very day Noah went into the boat;³⁹ yet they did not realize what was happening until the flood came and swept them all away. That is how it will be when the Son of Man comes.  Matthew 24:37-39

He noted that  when the UFO aliens show themselves to the entire world, the end is near.  In the Chess Match between God and Satan, the fallen angels will show themselves like they did in Genesis 6 and be so smooth in their approach to "Save the Earth"so that most people will follow them because of their abilities and power.  This may happen in our lifetime or the lifetime of your children.

Reading Matthew 24 can develop a pattern between Genesis 6 and End Times. 

The focus from this Dreamer is that you just go forward with your eyes wide open.  It may be a Dream thinking or it may not.  Just read further and be prepared. 

Dunamis - From which we get Dynamite

I found this article recently and it explains a lot.   See if this makes any sense to you.

In 1864, a nitroglycerine factory in Stockholm belonging to Dr. Alfred Nobel exploded, killing his younger brother Emil.  In an attempt to make his factories safer, Dr. Nobel stumbled upon an invention that would allow nitroglycerine to be used for explosive purposes in a controlled environment.  While searching for a word to his new discovery, he came upon a Greek word called dunamis from which translates to our English word of dynamite.

In Romans 1:16 the Bible uses the term "dunamis" to refer to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  This the phrase "The gospel is God's power (dunamis) unto salvation".

Humm. . . The gospel of Jesus demonstrates God's dynamite for salvation.  Image that kind of power.   Yet most people today either try to water down the dynamite, put it out of their minds, deny it ever existed, try to dictate it to others from yelling sermons or making it a cure all for any ills.  But they miss the real power (dunamis).

When you think about what the writer in Romans was saying this dynamite was being seen in the world at that time.  Jesus's journey set off an explosion that is still going on today.  As much as people want to water down the message, when you take it into your heart, an explosion of love, compassion, and desire comes into you.  You do not find this explosion in Religion but in that one on one relationship with the Creator.

Do you have a case of dynamite within you?  Has it exploded yet.  Take out a stick by reading or listening to some on line messages.  You will feel the dynamite exploding in your heart.  click here:  BRB

Love Ya!