Tree Hugging Dirt Worshiper

Think on this…I recently saw a bumper sticker that read, ‘Tree Hugging Dirt Worshiper’. At first it made me chuckle, then it saddened me. Now, I am not a fan of bumper stickers, both Christian and other wise. I simply believe that a car looks better without them. But, every so often I will see one that makes me think. This was one of those. It was in the midst of a bunch of messages, but none of which grabbed my attention like that one.

On the surface, this bumper sticker was of care and concern for the earth. I can wholeheartedly agree with that. Save the whales, decrease your carbon footprint, conserve when possible. I am fully on board with that. My family recycles, and we even try to use eco friendly detergents, because the Bible encourages us to be good managers of this planet. But, I saw a deeper meaning in the message. It was that the environment is the most important thing, and life is all about taking care of the planet. With that thought, I strongly disagree.

You see, saving the planet doesn’t do anything for our inward souls. The environment is not important enough to pour our entire lives into. Preserving this world is valuable and necessary, just not worth our devotion. The Bible says, “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?” Mark 8:36 We shouldn’t be ‘Tree Hugging Dirt Worshipers’ because the ball of dirt we live on is too small. The solar system, galaxies, and universe are all too insignificant in comparison to the God who created everything. We must choose to live for the One who designed, shaped, and is holding them all together. His name is Jesus…Just a thought.

Still Breathing…

I came across a box of photos of Damian Jr being resuscitated in the delivery room. When Damian Jr was born, he came out blue and was not breathing. The medical staff invested 30-45 seconds resuscitating him.

I was unaware that all this was happening. The doctors and nurses intentionally did not indicate that anything was wrong as to not put me into to shock. All I remember is one of the nurses crying and whispering in my ear with such joy and relief, “He made it…”. My initial reaction was, “Of course, he made it!”. I no idea what our son had just experienced.

My husband, on the other hand, witnessed every second. He kept pacing back and forth and taking pictures. He too was crying while holding it all together. And he finally shared that our son almost didn’t make it. BUT he was breathing.

About the Breathing Process

You have to breathe because all of the cells in your body require oxygen. Without oxygen, your body wouldn't move. It would be like a parked car with no battery. The car might have gas, but without a battery, you are not going anywhere! So you might have blood in your body, but without oxygen, forget it! You receive oxygen from breathing in air, and then the oxygen goes to your blood which is then circulated throughout your entire body….Read more http://www.damianjrstory.blogspot.com/

Suffering, No Thank you

Think on this…we can be our children’s worst enemy as it pertains to their health and development. We can be so focused on giving them what we didn’t have that we forget to give them what we had, that got us to where we are. I grew up with very little, so I would often have to eat what ever what was available. To my chagrin that was often liver, yuck! Liver, although disgusting to my palate is rich in iron and very good for you. But, ever so often it would be what’s for dinner and if you didn’t eat it you didn’t eat.

There were no special meals for little people who were not pleased with the selection. There was no, “If you don’t like your veggies then you have the option to opt out”. It was eat or starve. Many of us are so far removed from that life that we have succumbed to the pressure from ungrateful mouths that don’t know how good they have it. Now we have to give our kids supplements because they don’t have the enough vitamins in their systems because we have acquiesced to their desires and not given what they needed most, to gives them what they wanted most. If we as their parents don’t give them what they need they will be malnourished.

Spiritually the same thing applies, we often want what sounds and feels good and not what is going to be most beneficial. Suffering is one of those things, which the church has lost a taste for. Early Christians saw it as a necessary part of their journey. Now we want fast food faith that tells us we can have it our way. No, God does not care about our childish ranting; He wants us to eat what is necessary for growth. The Bible says, ““ . We can kick, scream, hold our collective breaths, proclaim prophecy, quote scripture and the same thing will be waiting for us, when done complaining. God loves us too much to keep suffering off our plate. That is good news for us…Just a thought.

National Exposure

Think on this…I recently had an opportunity to do my first national interview, and it was amazing. I did better than even I expected. I have an extensive production background so I know what makes for good broadcasts, but my experience has been being the camera not in front of it. I did have a cheat; in that, my local church has been using me to do video devotionals, which gave me a chance to develop my skills. Then following the national interview, I had an opportunity to go into a studio and shoot promotional segments for my book. This has been a great learning and marketing all at the same time.

One thing I have come to learn is that just because you have a video, interview, promotional material, people won’t necessarily purchase the product or bring you out to speak about it. I was keeping my eyes on the book sales, and there has no direct connection. The people who book my speaking engagements were waiting for nothing. All I could think was, “COME ON!” I have hustled to get this resource done. Students that have received the book, love it. Still, trickle, trickle, trickle… What do you do when you have done everything you know to do?

I believe the answer is wait. Wait for the people who have it to read it…wait. Wait for the people who are waiting to view the interview to view it…wait. Wait for those who are interested in having me come to their event to move on it…wait. Wait for the right person to mention back both the book wait and me... Wait for God to do what I can’t do…wait. The Bible says, “Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” …Just a thought.

Damian Jr.'s Story

I have a new favorite blog. It just so happens to be one telling the story of my favorite little kid of all time. Please visit the site and make it a regular stop.

Welcome to the story! Damian Jr is a young man full of joy, laughter and musical passion who happens to have multiple medical diagnoses. His story is one of hope, determination, and love as he fights for the best life possible! We hope you find inspiration, resources, and support! Enjoy! http://damianjrstory.blogspot.com/

Squash Lessons

Think on this…my wife and I have been growing squash on our deck. I don’t know if you have ever seen squash growing, but it is wild. It grows like ivy in that it quickly stretches wide across everything. We anxiously awaited the moment when we could harvest this crop which was talking over our deck. We would check them everyday while water them (they take a lot of water and fertilizer). We even began to talk about what we would make with them once they arrived.

Well the day was quickly approaching and we were more excited then ever. I was waiting for them to begin to turn the proper color. Well, calamity hit when I saw small holes in my squash and upon closer examination I saw that some small creature had eaten its way into every one of them. It was devastating. I put time, serious time into caring for what was supposed to be our dinner and now it’s some insects dinner.

I realized something, that is the way many Christians live. We do our best to grow and take care of our spiritual well being. We struggle to water and feed our souls. But, we forget to get rid of the small things that are looking to sabotage our progress and it ruins us. The bible says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up…” Hebrews 12:1 It’s the small things that get us off track. This week carefully consider addressing at least one thing that trips you up…Just a thought