It seems that creation is wired to show us how each any every part of our lives is unique. There are overarching patterns and themes, but every voice carries its own melody into the symphony.

The uniqueness of all creation fills me with awe. I am completely amazed when I think of all the infinite detail of everything. I appreciate the work of scientists who can focus on a specific small slice of the universe and spend their whole lives looking deeper and deeper into that one area. At the same time, I know I could not do it. I enjoy looking at the interactions and the big picture far too much.

My life hinges on a series of wonders. I’m talking about spiritually, but as I typed that I know that physically it is also true. My spirit, though, seeks wonder. When I travel, I much prefer spending time in nature than in cities. Although humans have built and done great things, our achievements can be seen around the world, while animals, plants, mountains, ocean floors, they are all unique to each place. Most of all, the natural world fills me with wonder. In that wonder is my worship and adoration to my God.

When I traveled to Bolivia as a teenager, the most striking thing in that entire trip was a night that our bus broke down in the middle of nothing. We had to get out of the bus. When we did, I saw the most awe inspiring sight of my life. The stars. Not the stars like I have ever seen anywhere else in the world. We were far far away from the lights of any city. It was the middle of a dark night, and the middle of a desert area. It was incredible. There were millions, millions, of stars. We are missing so much of wonder in our cities, for all of our civilization and technology. I have never seen a new gadget and been awed by it. But looking at a single leaf, or an ant, or another person: those can create awe and wonder.

Peter gives this input into how to use the gifts given you,

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 5:10-11

I pray that I have the grace to speak as one speaking the very words of God, and not to use my words to hurt and destroy others.

BTW – the series Wired was excellent. You can check it out here.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
James 1:27

Have you considered adoption? If you are like most people I know, you have adopted, or considered adoption of a furry companion, but have not seriously considered adopting a child. Yet, here and in numerous other passages in scripture, God talks about caring for orphans. In fact, we were all orphans, and God chose us to become his children. God adopted us.

[Jesus said,] “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”
John 14:18

In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
Romans 1:4-6

If you are intrigued, you can find more information at this website: Adopt(ed). I think that adoption is a very good thing for Christians to be a part of. What better picture can there be of God’s love at work through his children than taking children who need a family and giving them a forever family in your own home?

Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.

- Hebrews 3:1

Fixing your eyes on Jesus is vital to every believer. There are so many distractions in every part of our lives, and so many things we can focus on instead. Christianity is so simple, yet we all complicate it. Our sinful nature complicates it, making us think that we must do something to earn our salvation. Our science complicates it, making us doubt whether we are truly made in the image of God, or just evolved primates. Our media complicates it by pulling us away from Jesus towards sensuality, violence, anger, and fear.

In all this we still reach for Jesus. We must cry out for Him and search for Him alone. He is our only hope. Without Jesus we are all damned and without hope in this world. Empty and broken, hurt and alone, but for our Lord.

Thank you so much Lord, for your unending love and grace. Thank you for searching for us and finding us in our deathly lifestyles, and rescuing us. Please help us not be distracted by either the world, or the latest Christian trend, or our own problems. Please help us to look to you and fix our eyes, without blinking on our King. Praise and Glory to your name, Lord. Amen.

Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,
like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

Proverbs 6:5

The 6th chapter of Proverbs has a lot to say about freedom in finances. You can read Proverbs 6:1-11, and learn a lot about how to be wise or foolish with money. Thankfully, God gave us wisdom about how to change our behavior from being foolish so that we can become wise.

If you have gotten in debt… God says to free yourself like a gazelle…

or like a bird from a hunter.

How do both the gazelle and the bird escape almost certain death? They run for their lives. If you are in debt, you have fallen into a hunter’s trap. But, thanks be to God, that doesn’t have to be the end of the story. With God’s help and grace, and intense focus and determination, you can run for your life and become free.

When I graduated college, I had something like $40,000 of debt. I also needed a car, so I borrowed another $10,000 for a car. But, thankfully I was working for a church that wanted all their staff to deal with their finances well and Biblically. They enrolled all the staff in Financial Peace University with Dave Ramsey. When I caught the vision of becoming debt free and living like no one else, so I could live like no one else… I was ready to start. I saved $1000 in a temporary emergency fund. I got on a budget. I started paying cash for things, from money that was designated in my budget to certain categories, so I would know where my money was going.

Josh and I got married, and we went through FPU together (again for me). He got on board, and together we paid off all our debt (he had about $30,000 in college loans as well) and have now saved a full 6 months of expenses in a full fledged emergency fund. We are saving 15% of our income for retirement. We are giving about 15-20% of our income away. We are also going on a 2.5 month trip around the world trip – PAID IN FULL.

You can do it too. You don’t need to be superhuman to get out of debt. Paying the debt is the hard part. We had to give up things we wanted. I sold my car that I loved. We postponed buying certain things. But it’s possible, especially with God. The Bible is clear:

The borrower is slave to the lender.

Proverbs 22:7

I pray that you would see the danger of debt and be like the gazelle, who outruns that fastest hunter in the world, and lives.

A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge,
but the simple keep going and suffer for it.

Proverbs 22:3

If you are interested in changing your financial situation, and want some help… check out a series that LifeChurch did recently. In 3 half-hour segments it will give you a taste of Financial Peace University for free. I highly recommend Dave Ramsey’s FPU, which you can sign up for in your local area here.

It is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.

Lamentations 3:26

I’m making overhead announcement slides for a church again. I enjoy doing it. This is my scripture for turning off cell phones.

I have been feeling, for several months now, the command that Jesus gave to several of his disciples: “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Matthew 19:21) As I was reading Under Cover today, John was discussing the way that Satan deceives us subtly by causing us to question whether God really has our best at heart. Whether God really gives us good, and doesn’t withhold what is good from us. Something I read made me stop and think that perhaps I was hesitant to sell everything and give it away because I felt that God wouldn’t take care of me.

I watched The Ultimate Gift last night, and at one point the grandfather takes away all of his grandson’s money, in order to teach him. A lot of people who are truly successful have started with nothing several times. Is there something significant in stripping down to absolutely nothing material?

If that is what you are calling me to do, Lord, I pray that you would make it clear to Joshua, and would lead us completely in your will. In Jesus’ holy name I pray and surrender to You. Amen.

Do not revile the king even in your thoughts,
or curse the rich in your bedroom,
Ecclesiastes 10:20

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone: for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
1 Timothy 2:1-2

Recently I have had to work on honoring my leaders. I have disagreed with a lot of the recent government actions, and every day adds to the disagreeable responses to the economy and to businesses and to everything else. But I need to turn off the news and pray. In reality, unless you are an elected official, you don’t have a say in what happens. You can write to your congress man or woman, but that’s the extent of it.

You can obey the Bible though. Pray for your leaders that you may live in peace. Don’t abuse your President or government leaders with your words of thoughts. Pray.

I think this command is effective for both parties: your heart can be changed, and the power of God is at work in the lives of our leaders.

John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Luke 3:7-8

The people didn’t know what that fruit was, that would demonstrate a true change from their sinful and selfish way of life, to one that honored God.

“What should we do then?” the crowd asked.

John answered, “The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.”

Tax collectors also came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

“Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.

Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”

He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely–be content with your pay.”

Luke 3:9-14

John had an answer to each group of people who approached him. Each was to give up something that they were taking from others, or give out of their abundance to meet the needs of those poorer and worse off. In North America we are so richly blessed, and out of that, we need to turn away from our riches and abundance and give it to those who are in great need.

I challenge you today to sponsor a child in a third world country. Go through your closet and donate a lot of your clothing to a homeless shelter. Look at your belongings and sell them, and donate the money to an organization that feeds the poor or cares for widows.

Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.

Deuteronomy 4:39 (NIV, emphasis mine)

Thank you Lord for the incredible range of blessings that you pour out on our lives. You have formed us out of a world that is so beautiful, so diverse, and so awe inspiring that we see your works in all of nature. I pray that we would learn to appreciate the ways that you speak to us through the creation, and that we would learn each day how to become less connected to the machines that man made, and more connected to our Creator, and His creation.