The Mess

It is called my desk! Actually it is my office. I have never have been known as a neat freak, but it seems that this thing never gets cleared off. There is alwasy something cluttering up my office. I have these two huge green empty tubs in my office that need to go downstairs. I have a box of stuff that just probably needs to go to the trash. I think it is time for a good spring cleaning in the office. I know many people thatwork hard to spring clean. They move their furniture around and vaccum where they normally don't. The dust everything and clean all the windows. They go over their house with a fine tooth comb.

Sometimes we need that in our lives. To take time out in life and reflect on the things we do, the stuff we have and just do a personal spring cleaning. Get rid of the junk that is in our lives and stop doing it.

Spring offers so many opportunities for us in our lives. The ability to take out and breath in some fresh air and relax. The opportunity to notice the beauty of the Makers creation. Time to think about working off that 10 extra pounds, or in my case 20, that we gained over winter trying to stay warm.

Spring is a time of refreshment and renewal. Lawns start turning green and growing after lying dorment all summer. Trees start to bud and flowers begin to bloom. What a wonderful time of year.

Though along with all these growing things something else happens. The weeds start to come in and you have to do things to make sure they don't take over.

Take time to do a personal clean-up and clean-out. Do those things that will make your life better. Take time to enjoy the life that God has given you and strength you walk with Him.

Enjoy this time of the year and take time to lay some foundational practices for the rest of your life.

Welcome to Alaska

Not really, but I like to complain about all the cold weather. I am looking at weatherbug on my computer and it is flashing 20 degrees and the snow is on the way. I guess it is my Texas upbringing, where it rarely got in the 20's and only as late as February. I have not lived in Texas in almost 8 years. Actually I have lived more outside the state in my adult life than I have lived in the state. That includes the 4 years I was on the mission field in Arkansas.

I really have enjoyed being in different parts of the country. Seeing the differences and the similarities. The common thing I have found during this time is where ever I have been people are virtually the same. Whether it is the mountain man in Colorado, the factory worker in Pennsylvania, or the people of Maryland, they all want to be cared for in their lives. They want to know that they matter, their life means something. I think that is one of the main things I have enjoyed about living in small town America, that people take time to get to know each other and show they care.

I enjoy going back and visiting my parents in Texas, but I think I get a good dose of reality. My life is less complicated in Frostburg, Maryland than it would be in Dallas, Texas and I enjoy that. I wish sometimes for the choices that come from living in a bigger city, but I will trade that any day for the simple life of living in Frostburg, Maryland at least for right now.

WOW

I was reading Mark Driscoll's blog (Mark is the Pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington) tonight and he had met Chuck Colson the other day at a luncheon and got Colson to answer some questions. If you would like to read the whole thing you can do that here: http://theresurgence.com/chuck_Colson_2

One question in particular caught my eye. I have cut and pasted it here.

Question from Mark Driscoll: Does the greatest threat to Christianity come from forces outside the church, or from inside the church, through leaders who are more like Judas than Jesus?

Answer from Chuck Colson: The answer to your third question about whether the greatest threats are from inside or outside the church is "both." I get nauseous about some of the things that go on in the church. In fact, I'm comforted by Niebuhr who once said that the church of Jesus Christ is like Noah's ark; the stench inside would be unbearable if it weren't for the storm outside. I'm in favor of cleaning up the stench, and also navigating through the storm.

As I read that I really got slapped upside the head. As a pastor of church I often think that sometimes what is inside the church is worse than dealing with people outside the church. Sometimes Christians act worse that non-Christians. I have said for years that church would be great if were not for the people. Colson using the illustration from Niebuhr hit a home run for me. As bad as it is on the inside sometimes, it is worse on the outside.

As I work and live my life to be what God wants me to be, I need to work harder at cleaning up the stench on the inside of the place God has me. So often I think that the grass might be greener on the other side but it never has been and never will be.

So it is time for me to get on the shovel and the pitch fork and work towards making this a better place to navigate through storm.

The Weather

Well I am sitting inside my office working on Sunday's sermon and browsing. Most of the snow is melted around the house because it is sunny and warm here today. I am glad! I am ready for the snow to be over. Don't get me wrong I like living in the cold, especially after spending the majority of my life so far in Texas. We went there for Christmas this year and it was in the 80's the whole time.

With Frostburg weather you have two seasons, winter and wind! Today it is wind. Since we live on the side of a hill I am waiting for something to go flying across the yard and preferable this time not my grill.

There are two things I own that I value above about any other, my recliner (which has been replaced by a newer lazy boy model...it sleeps very well!!) and my grill. Well, the grill has been really beat up since moving here a year ago. The wind treats it like a red headed step child. One day I walked out and the wind had rolled it down a handicap ramp and into the church. Yes, we live in the church parsonage about 10 feet away from the church. From that the lid partially cracked. I have plans on replacing it sometime around by bday in April. After all the cash comes in from my friends and family for my bday.

We went back to Pennsylvania yesterday to check in on the house we still pay a mortgage and utilities on. We signed with a new real estate agent and are hoping for some good results. Good results being she sells it by the end of the month...now I am a little more realistic than that...we just really need it to sell!!! It has been a year since we moved out and we don't like paying for it.

Nothing else going on here....just some more running around and doing the same ole, same ole.