Love will never do....

I usually listen to pop music on my IPOD when I'm working out on the elliptical machine. I like upbeat dance-able music. I helps me keep rhythm. And sometimes it's just noise that keeps me going.

As I've mentioned before, I think God speaks to me often during those 40 minutes of cardio. The other day an old Janet Jackson song, "Love will never do without you" came up on my playlist. As I was listening to the words God moved in and turned them from just noise into something applicable to my time with Him.

Our friends think we're opposites
Falling in and out of love

Isn’t that just like the human in us! We fall in and out of love with our heavenly Father at a moment’s notice. Something goes awry, or we let the world wedge its way in between us and God.

They all said we'd never last
Still we manage to stay together

In our hearts we know what is true, we know what is real. We believe it despite our inclinations to drift.

There's no easy explanation for it
But whenever there's a problem
We always work it out somehow
Work it out somehow

Unbelievers say that we’re foolish. They say it’s just a fad. But we know deep down they’re wrong and we cling to God, sometimes by a thread, but we cling.

They said it wouldn't last
We had to prove them wrong
Cause I've learned in the past
That love will never do without you

How easily our focus gets shifted. We’re tempted by things that only provide momentary satisfaction when we’ve known all along that the only lasting satisfaction comes from God. We may not want to replace God, but the same traps are out ther enticing us over and over. What if I stumble? What if I fall?

Never did I have a doubt
Boy it's you I can't do without

But it comes back around to God every time. We know that we cannot do without Him. We know this deep within. It’s in our core. He is our hope.

I feel better when I have you near me
Cause no other love around
Has quite the same ooh ooh (ha ha ha!)
Like you do do do do babe

There is nothing better than connecting with God and having Him near me. The way He makes me feel is uncomparable. I’m protected. I’m loved. I’m cared for…

They said it wouldn't last
We had to prove them wrong

And prove them wrong You did. You rose from the grave. You are infinite.

Mark 16
1-3 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so they could embalm him. Very early on Sunday morning, as the sun rose, they went to the tomb. They worried out loud to each other, "Who will roll back the stone from the tomb for us?" 4-5 Then they looked up, saw that it had been rolled back—it was a huge stone—and walked right in. They saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed all in white. They were completely taken aback, astonished. 6-7 He said, "Don't be afraid. I know you're looking for Jesus the Nazarene, the One they nailed on the cross. He's been raised up; he's here no longer. You can see for yourselves that the place is empty. Now—on your way. Tell his disciples and Peter that he is going on ahead of you to Galilee. You'll see him there, exactly as he said."

Psalm 136:1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.

Cause I've learned in the past
That love will never do without you

What is your music saying to you?

Friends

The first verse of Michael W. Smith's song "Friends" reminds us that, despite how much we want things to always remain the same, change is inevitable. Jobs change. Relocations happen. Kids grow up and move out.

Packing up the dreams God planted
In the fertile soil of you
Cant believe the hopes hes granted
Means a chapter in your life is through
But well keep you close as always
It wont even seem youve gone
cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong

The way we always thought things would be isn't always true. How we react in those parting moments shapes the next chapter of our lives. Our hearts ache for things we forsake.

And friends are friends forever
If the lords the lord of them
And a friend will not say never
cause the welcome will not end
Though its hard to let you go
In the fathers hands we know
That a lifetimes not too long to live as friends

I hate to see relationships that have blossomed into incredible friendships over the years become damaged or even irreconcilable. I've witnessed more than once in my life, both in my own family and most recently among friends I hold dear to my heart.



Sometimes the pile of bile (aka the crap) gets so distorted that the window of hope gets nailed shut never to be opened.




With the faith and love Gods given
Springing from the hope we know
We will pray the joy youll live in
Is the strength that now you show

Faith and love wash away the "crap" that nails the windows of a friendship shut. There is a bond that between a mother and daughter that, when it finds its strength from God, returns to joy. It's my prayer that the bond I know exists between my friends is grasping for the strength from God to survive and live in joy once again. The friendship you shared is not worth a cavern between you.


'Cause friends are friends forever
If the lords the lord of them
And a friend will not say never
cause the welcome will not end
Though its hard to let you go
In the fathers hands we know
That a lifetimes not too long to live as friends

Wettest Day Ever

Saturday went on record as the wettest day ever in Michiana with a record rainfall of 6.43". June 25, 1968 previously held the record of 4.69" in one day. As of 6pm on Sunday the total weekend rainfall in Granger had grown to 10.50 and 11.75 in South bend.



High water levels caused many road closures throughout the area Saturday morning, and caused some damage to area homes.









But our two days of rainfall can't compare to the devastation that hit Texas.












On Granger Community Church's website (www.gccwired.com) you can find a synopsis of the weekend series entitled "Fear" In the brief series description is says "Fear is like an emotional flood that overwhelms our senses..."

This past weekends topic was the Fear of the Economy. Mark Beeson taught us that the firt reason that people desire money is to shelter themselves from pain.

Money couldn't protect the homes of many from the ramifications of the hurricane. It's flooding wrath even spread to the midwest.

Fear is like an emotional flood that overwhelms our senses. Despite the many warnings thousands didn't pay heed and chose to ride the storm out. Officials were asking them to write their social security numbers on their arms, so if necessary, their bodies could be identified.

Fear is like an emotional flood that overwhelms our senses. Is holding on to your home more important than holding on to your life? Mark pointed us to a some key verses in Matthew 6.....26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[b]? Yet fear causes us to hold on to the "stuff" we have.

The second reason, Mark told us, that people want money is for pleasure and stuff.





But this is what can happen to stuff. Fear is like an emotional flood that overwhelms our senses. We buy and we cry.



God knows we need stuff. The problem that arises is when our desire for stuff becomes greater than our desire for God. There is always an abundance of great information in the Granger Notes portion of our weekend bulletin, but I think these points tied it together well....You don't have to be rich to be happy...You don't have to be poor to be holy...Without self control our yearning capacity will always exceed our earning capacity.

At one point in his message, Mark pointed us to a verse in Proverbs 30 that summed it up well, v30:8-9 8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches,but give me only my daily bread. 9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the LORD ?'Or I may become poor and steal,and so dishonor the name of my God.

Fear is like an emotional flood that overwhelms our senses. I wanted to grumble about our never ending rain this weekend. I don't think I will. I don't think I can.

Things you do for your wife.....

Let your wife know you're stopping by the grocery store on the way home and.......



sometimes you get a list you'd rather not get!

Restaurant Review

Texas Land and Cattle opened in Mishawaka quite some time ago. Not being a big consumer of beef, I was curious about the selections it had to offer but not in any hurry to become a patron.

A week or so ago I received a coupon for the new lunch specials they were offering. We had a group lunch event coming up at my office so I thought it might be a good opportunity to check the restaurant out. Normally, when the 5 of us leave for our monthly lunch meeting we're still trying to decide where were going as we're driving down the road so having a destination ahead of time was kind of nice.

The building Texas Land and Cattle occupies was formerly a Lonestar restaurant. When we arrived at 1pm the parking lot was virtually empty. I was concerned that they were even open, but they were.

We were promptly seated as we wer only one of two tables in the entire place that were occupied. I panned the restaurant and decided that had not the name on the sign and some of the exterior facade changed, I would have thought I was still at Lonestar as the inside was pretty much the same. I don't know if I was expecting a big change but something noteable may have been nice.

The corner table we were seated at was pushed back into the corner a little too far and so we needed to pull it out somewhat. When I reached under the table it was considerably sticky, sticky enought that I immediately went to the restroom to wash my hands.

The restroom appeared to be clean which wasn't usually the case when I visited here when it was Lonestar. I made my way back to the table and the waitress had arrived and was distributing menus and taking drink orders.

All of uu ordered off the lunch special menu to take advantage of the coupon. Our drinks arrived and we engaged in conversation and waited......and waited...and waited....and waited and waited.

It wasn't long before we all started looking at each other and commented on what could possibly be taking so long. And we waited....and waited.....and waited.
I would say it was a good 30 plus minutes before our food finally arrived. Fortunately it did come out all at once.

The quality of the food was "ok". It wasn't bad, it wasn't spectacular. It was just ok. I think the waitress checked on us one time during the marathon waiting period on drink refills, when I could have used one the most. If I'm not mistaken, she checked on refills 2 or 3 times after we got our food. Interesting approach.

The restaurant seemed clean. The food was avereage. The service, well the waitress was nice, but I think the service was not so good. I'm not sure why we had to wait so long and no reason was ever given. Will I go back? Not in any big hurry that's for sure. Especially not for lunch....I don't have that much time!

Short week Friday

Day 2 of the dog waking me up hour(s) before I actually get up. Yesterday it was 2:30am, today it was 3:30am. Unfortunately when I get woke up I usually can't go back to sleep! Even though I usually get up at 4am, losing even 30 minutes of sleep is crucial.

A culmination of things including this lack of sleep has begun to take its toll on me. Ever feel like the walls are closing in and what lies ahead to get done just seems unconquerable. Then, when the weather changes, and what can't be checked off on your 'to do' list only adds flame to the fire.

It was my intention to mow the lawn last night. I think the growth has finally slowed to only needing to be mowed every 3rd day now. I mowed Sunday afternoon and knew that Thursday would be the first free evening that I had to tackle that chore again. But remnants of Gustav took care of the plan and the 'field of green' continued to grow.

I got up this morning with the lawn still on my mind and I went into the laundry room to put some water in the dogs dish (you know the dog that got me up at 3:30!) and forgot that laundry had been done the night before. There before me was, what appeared to be at 4am anyway, a never-ending rack of my clean laundry waiting to be ironed.

Someone turned the crank and the walls inched in even closer.

I left for the my work out at 5am with the lawn, the laundry, and all the things that needed to be accomplished today on my mind. Yes, I was having a party, a Bob party of one, cuz it was a pity party.

I got to the gym, climbed on the ellipical and powered on my IPOD. God seems to speak to me a lot when I'm working out. He tapped me on the shoulder today and whispered in my ear, "I'm here, you wanna talk?"

This song came on my IPOD and the words began to sink deep into my heart.

Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt
Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart

Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are

I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
Vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am
I am Yours, I am Yours

It hit me how self consumed I'd become. I'd let what were minor incoveniences or just simply routine chores become ginormous obstacles in my day. The song reminded me that God knows my every need. He knows what lies before me. It appeared that I'd disconnected and was in survival mode on my own. What if I just said to God "I don't know how all of this is going to get done, work, chores,....life. But You do." What if, when I make my checklist, I collaberate with God and ask for help....I think the difference in outcomes will be huge...ginormous even!

The next song that came on had this chorus.

(chorus)
Everyday it's You I live for
Everyday I'll follow after You
Everyday I'll walk with You my Lord

It made my kind of sad at first. I realized how easily I get caught up in what I perceived to be huge issues in my day and fell prey to thinking that I have to accomplish them on my own. How will I ever get everything on today's list checked off. Then the feeling of being overwhelmed moves in and pity party and shutdown are lurking around the corner. It made me sad because I didn't feel like I was living for God. I was living for myself because of myself -ishness.

But the more I thought about the chorus hope I began to find hope. When I realize that I'm trying to accomplish everything on a neverending check list on my own is only going to lead to frustration. But if I reach out and seek help from God I can live for Him, and follow after Him, and walk with Him. Why? Because I've put my dependance back where it belongs, on Him.

God time on the elliptical is so awesome! This is going to be a good day!

End of the Proverbs journey

I finished my month long study of Proverbs yesterday. It was an incredible journey. The things God has shown me about myself over the past 31 days has been eye opening, amazing, affirming and hopeful.

Solomon concluded this last Proverb with a Hymn to a good wife in verses 10 through 21. After I read this hymn I took some time to just think about my wonderful wife.

I am so blessed to have Lori as my wife. She is a woman full of love. She loves God. She loves me. She loves her family. She has compassion and understanding. She perseveres in all that she does. She is tenacious and strives to understand despite the many roadblocks she comes up against. When she is down she somehow manages to pick herself up, dust herself off, and push through. She is dedicated. She is loyal. She knows truth and lives within its boundaries. She is true. She goes above and beyond. Her smile lights up the room. She makes me laugh. Her worth exceeds the most precious gem.

What an honor to have the privilege of being her husband.