Are you lost? Not with God on your side.

I came home last night and watched "Lost" on television. I confess that it is one of the shows I really enjoy. I don't get everything that is happening. I started following the show after the first season. Last year I watched almost every show. I got to know the characters and got caught up in the mystery and suspense. Every week there is something new that develops and unfolds.

It is funny but on television and in books we like that kind of thing. It keeps us coming back looking for more. I read a lot of mystery novels for the same reason. They keep us guessing and trying to figure out what is going to happen next. The more unexpected turns, the better. But in real life we have little tolerance for it. We want to know what is going to happen next. We don't like surprises.

Unfortunately life doesn't work that way. We never know what the next day will bring. We can plan, prepare and do everything in our power to ensure that things go our way but then life throws us a curve ball. The good news is that God has promised to be in all our tomorrows. He is the one constant that remains.

I am reading a book by Don Piper entitled, "90 Minutes in Heaven" and he describes a terrible accident he was in that disrupted and changed his whole life. The one thing he kept coming back to was the fact that God was with him and had a plan for his life.

I don't know how "Lost" will turn out but I do know how my future will end up, and yours too. It will end up with God in the center and a blessing for those who walk with him.

So stay tuned to next week and let's see what God has planned. Cal

Jesus at McDonalds

I found this inspirational story on the web and thought I would pass it on tonight. Carol writes a daily blog like I do. It is called "Sheep to the Right." Read the story and then check out her blog yourself. There is lots of good food for thought on it.

It is at http://sheeptotheright.blogspot.com/ Enjoy.

Cal

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:40 NIV

I just got back from McDonald's, and Jesus was there. I know because he pushed me off of my stool. Let me back up and tell you the whole story. My friend Carla called and invited me to meet her at McDonald's to have lunch. I was planning a peanut butter and jelly on some dry bread; so, of course, I jumped at any excuse to sup on something more delicious. Yes, I do think McDonald's qualifies as delicious - don't be raising your brows at me.

Back to the story. Carla and I were eating in the play area and our girls were already playing. My daughter, Faith gobbled a few nuggets and ran. As we sat there, a woman came in with what looked like her grandchildren. She got them seated, then left to order food. A few minutes later, she reappears with an overloaded tray full of the deliciousness that only McDonald's can provide. Just as she was bringing her tray in for a landing, catastrophe struck! One of her little cups of ketchup, full to the top, went flying over the edge of her tray to splatter all over the floor, the trashcan several feet away, and her.

Friends, an expletive came flying out of her mouth that I dare not repeat. But it started with the same sound mother's use to hush their kids in church. "Shhh!" Did you catch the fact that we were in the play area? There were sets of tiny ears everywhere, not to mention the two sets that were sitting with her. Here comes the point where I knew that Jesus was there.

Carla and I made eye contact, and I mouthed "Did she just say what I think she said?" Carla confirmed it with a nod. As my mouth hung open and my eyebrows raised, Jesus pushed me off of my stool. "Grab your napkins. You have more than enough" I heard him say. I stumbled (since I had been pushed, you see) over to this grandmother's table. I picked up the guilty ketchup cup and tossed it in the trash. Then I knelt down to wipe up the ketchup from the floor.

It was from this kneeling position that I saw the ketchup on this woman's feet (she had on flip flops) and pants. Funny how we can see so much more when we humble ourselves and get on our knees. "Oh, she'll probably want to wipe that off herself" I thought and as soon as the thought came - it went. And Jesus said, "Wipe her feet. I have washed your feet clean. Now you wipe hers." And so with the crunchy, white McDonald's napkins, I wiped this woman's feet and pants clean. The ketchup on her feet was only too close to resembling the blood on Christ's feet as he hung on the cross - to die for me and this grandma with the "whoopsie" mouth. As I wiped her clean, Carla finished wiping the floor.

"My goodness, thank you." The grandmother expressed her gratitude. Carla and I sat back down and cleaned up our own table as we readied to leave. As we walked out, the lady called after us, "Thank you again." And she smiled. I smiled, too, because I knew Jesus had just used Carla and me to represent Him. What an honor.

Itell you theis to let you know, friends, Jesus is everywhere - even at McDonald's. Be sure you're not too busy eating your Big Mac to hear himtell you tho get off of your stool, 'cause He just might push you.

Carol

God gives everyone a gift

My oldest daughter was a member of the Marching Band and I used to rue the late nights waiting for her to come back from a competition. Then I joined the Pit Crew and became part of her world. When I saw this video, it all came back to me and then some.

This is the story of a remarkable boy, gifted and loved. The world delivered a cruel blow to him when he was born but God gave him a gift and he is using it. He also has an incredible dad who is helping make the young man's dream come true.

Get the hankies and enjoy!

Cal

The moment it becomes real

I know I should be happy because my new status will begin to bear fruit in terms of discounts and rewards. I have finally been recognized after all these years. I have come to that place where one of the most important groups in American Society has noticed me. I received I AARP Card in the mail today.

At first I thought it was a mistake. Then I noticed that it said I could enjoy all their benefits at age 50. It's funny but we have been having fun with this in church. About ten of us will turn fifty this year. We are even planning a party. But I guess it didn't seem real until I received my card yesterday. Now I know it is real and going to happen. C'est la vie!

It reminded me that a lot of people talk about Jesus. They may even come to church on occasion. But until you have an encounter with our Lord, he will never be real to you. Last week I was in a Bible study with Dr. David Bartlett and he was talking about the search for the historical Jesus. He commented on the fact that it was very hard to dig through the scriptures to find the real Jesus under the layers of history and tradition. He went on to say that it was important to know the Jesus of the Bible, it was more important to know the living Jesus of today and to live with him. Your encounter with the living Christ is what makes him and our faith real.

So while I go out and use my card to get some discounts in the stores this week, I'm also going to invite Jesus to come along so I can enjoy his benefits. How about you? Want to come along?

God bless. Cal.

Victory in Jesus

Congratulations to Adele, Al and all my friends who were rooting for the New York Giants in the Super Bowl. You should enjoy the victory. It's funny but not too many people gave the Giants much of a chance. Most people who claim to know the sport gave in to the fact the Patriots would win even if they had sentimental ties to New York. It was literally a David vs Goliath situation. The strong and mighty Pats were going to manhandle the young and inexperienced Eli and the little Giants.

Well the game didn't exactly go the way it should have. That's because the game isn't played on paper. It is played with real live people filled with emotion and the ability to "gut it out." Yogi Berra was famous for the quote, "It ain't over till it's over" and that was the case last night and it is the case for many things in life.

You see the x-factor in life is our faith in God. We often face huge obstacles that seem to be impossible to overcome. Yet, many of us do walk through the valleys and come out on the other side. We muster up the courage, we find the strength and claim the ability to do things that we never thought were possible. God's promise is that he will be on our side if we call on him. He will be our rooting section and our coaching staff. He will help us find a way.

So if you are facing an impossible situation and everyone has written you off, think about the New York Giants. Yesterday they became more than conquerors and so can you. They may have Eli but you have God.

Cal

He's our advocate

Yesterday my friend George went to buy a new car and I tagged along for morale support. Buying a car can be quite an ordeal. It should be easy. For example George had already qualified for an auto and all he needed to do was fax in the paperwork. He went online and located two or three cars he wanted to look at. The prices were listed and all the pertinent facts were there to see. All we had to do was kick the tires.

We made the mistake of stopping at another place along the way and a short jaunt turned into an all day affair. I don't know why car dealers like to play games. Since my brother in law and a couple of good friends worked at a dealership a few years ago, I learned a lot about the business. It reminds me of a shell game and I don't like to play along.

George actually found a car he liked and the price was reasonable. We haggled a bit and then he signed the papers. I had to run some errands so I left. But then they ran him around in circles for a while. They began to play games and really left him hanging most of the afternoon. I came back to check in on him after a couple of hours and they had basically ignored him from the moment he signed a purchase agreement.

Like Jesus storming the temple, I came in and ended the charade. I told the salesman that we were leaving and George wanted his deposit back. Immediately the whole place moved into action. Within ten minutes George was the center of attention again and within forty minutes he was driving out of the lot. I joked about me playing the bad cop to his good guy cop. But the truth is that I acted as his advocate and helped move the process along.

It got me thinking about Jesus. Sometimes it seems as if the world is against us. Nothing seems to work in or favor. It is at those moments that Jesus has promised to step in on our behalf. He speaks up and make things happen. The apostle Paul asked, "If God is on our side, who can be against us?" What I did for George is nothing compared to what Jesus does for us. He opens the doors to heaven and brings God's grace to us. Thank God we have a friend in Jesus.
Cal

No need to be afraid

I came home the other day and saw something that was astonishing. Sitting on the fence posts of my deck were two of the biggest, ugliest birds I had ever seen. They looked like sentries on guard duty. They were like something out of a Stephen King novel. As I got out of my car, they both turned and looked at me, almost as if challenging me to advance on the house. I have to tell you the truth. For a moment I almost decided to get back in the car and drive away. As a fan of horror movies, it was almost to eerily like the things I've seen in the theaters.

Then I came to my senses and I grabbed my camera. They were just too unreal looking for me to ever convince anyone that I actually saw them. Like the great white shark of Jaws fame, these birds were beyond description and too menacing for anyone to believe they existed. Sure enough a I snapped off a few photos, they took flight and disappeared. The moment had passed.

I got to thinking afterwards about the number of scary intrusions that land on our door steps. The unexpected call from the doctor or the panicked cry for help from a family member are good examples of these things. They raise a spectre of fear and the unknown. We've never seen anything like them before. It is easy to turn around and run from them. But more often then not, we are always beter off standing up and facing them.

I have a friend who is facing serious surgery in the coming weeks. It is scary. The temptation is to put it off and hopes the problem goes away. Most of us would like to get in our cars and run from it. The truth is that we are always better off facing our fears and dealing with them head on. Most of the time they are never as bad as we think. Here is the good news. We don't have ot face them alone. God has promised to be there with us as we face them. He'll be there like he was when David faced Goliath. He'll be there like he was when Daniel was thrown into the lion's den. He'll be there like he was Mary and Martha were grieving the loss of their brother. That is what God does. He comes to us in our fear and weakness and he gives us power to overcome.

So what are you afraid of? You've got God on your side and it is that problem that should be worried. Peace. Cal