The Judean hillside was dark and dangerous under the new moon. The Shepherd had to be doubly vigilant as he searched the rocky hills. Evening had been drawing to a close, and he was process of putting his flock up for the night when he noticed that one little lamb was missing yet again. He finished corralling his group of fat tailed sheep, gave instructions to his hired workers, and then set off into the inky darkness. Now he was miles away, tired and dirty, but intent on finding that one little lamb. The hired hands thought he was foolish; he had seen as much in their eyes as he had turned to leave. They believed he should just cut his losses. After all, this was almost a weekly occurrence with this lamb. Every few days, the Shepherd had to leave the rest of the flock to hunt this wayward one down, risking life and limb to bring him back into the fold. The hired hands didn’t understand; for them it was just one lamb out of hundreds. Losing it was understandable, an acceptable loss, because it was only a job. It wasn’t merely a job for the Shepherd. These were his Father’s sheep, and his Father cared for them deeply. His Father had entrusted the care of the sheep to him, and no losses were acceptable. The Shepherd loved the sheep and would not leave even one to perish.
Monday, December 28, 2015
Monday, December 21, 2015
4th Week of Advent 2015
Joseph stared transfixed into the flames of the small fire. As he sat exhausted from the day’s events, he let his mind wander back to the day his life changed. He and his friends had been working on the house, his and Mary's house, when he got the news. Eliam bar Agee had come running through the little village of Nazareth to tell Joseph that Mary would soon be here. He had nodded solemnly to the lad, not wanting his face to betray his excitement; he couldn’t let his friends know how deeply he loved Mary or he would have to ever endure their heckling. The men working with him loved their wives, but the women they loved came after their trade or their children. The only thing Joseph loved more than Mary was Yahweh Himself. Yes he wanted sons, and yes he wanted to be a successful carpenter, but none of that compared to Mary. He watched Eliam dart off as young boys do, but continued to work steadily. He glanced around nonchalantly and saw three pairs of eyes watching him, dancing with laughter. He tried to feign disinterest, but then they started laughing outright; everyone knew how much Joseph loved Mary. Grinning sheepishly, Joseph gave up on the ruse. He stowed his tools and began to make his way toward the house of Mary’s father that he might see his beloved. He arrived as Mary’s parents were hurrying her into the house. He only caught a quick glimpse of her, but it was enough. Joseph had just enough time to see what everyone else had seen; his promised one was with child.
Monday, December 14, 2015
3rd Week of Advent 2015
She could hear the whispers as she carried the water jar through town, maybe not the exact words but definitely the whispers. Everywhere she looked, people quickly averted their gaze. If it wasn't so heart wrenching and lonely, Mary probably would have found their antics humorous. It had only been a few days since she had returned from Elizabeth’s, but the news that she was pregnant spread like wildfire like all gossip does in a small village. When she had left for her cousin’s home, Mary had only been a few weeks pregnant, a secret easy to keep. But now she was almost halfway through the pregnancy and her situation was blatantly obvious. Life the past few months had been wonderful. Elizabeth and Zechariah knew the truth and celebrated the coming Messiah with her, as she in turn celebrated with them and the birth of their son, John. Everyone there just saw a pregnant relative of Elizabeth's and assumed nothing sinister. It was a shock to come home after the months of peace. Her parents said they believed her, but the looks her parents shared around her spoke volumes on there own. And then there was Joseph. She had seen only his back as he avoided her these past few days. She had told Joseph about the angel’s visit before she left, but it seemed that he hadn’t believed her. Maybe he had thought that she was addled from long hours in the hot sun. Maybe he thought she was putting too much weight on an odd dream. Regardless, it was obvious that he now thought the worst, that she had been unfaithful and trying to cover it up.
Monday, December 7, 2015
2nd Week of Advent 2015
With a sigh, Yehoshua shifted his position. It looked like a comfortable position wasn't going to be possible tonight. If you moved one rock, the Judean hillside would grow two more in its place. Tonight was his night to be on the exhausting second watch, and he was only halfway through it. No one liked second watch. First watch and third watch weren't too bad because at least you got your sleep in one large cluster. On second watch, you only got a few hours of sleep before you were prodded awake with a staff in the ribs, forced to stay awake for four hours listening to the contented snores of those fortunate enough not to be on second watch. Once you finished the shift, you had to try to get what little sleep was left before the sheep started waking up. With a grunt of exasperation, he dug under his leg, pulled out the offending stone, and hurled it down the hillside in angry satisfaction. Oh well, it may not be the most coveted of jobs, but at least shepherding put food on the table which was more than some people had.
Monday, November 30, 2015
1st week of Advent 2015
The doors swung shut with a loud thud, and the world went from light to dark. Standing just inside the threshold of the temple, Zechariah could hear the prayers of the worshipers gathered outside the walls. As a priest, he had served many times at the temple as his family worked their allotted time, but he had never won the right to serve before the Lord in the Holy Place. Some priests waited their entire life and were never chosen. After years of cycling on and off, his name had finally been drawn; it was his turn to offer the incense to the Lord. He overcame his awe and walked reverently through the dimly lit Holy Place, watching motes of dust meander through the shafts of light. With piousness, he measured out the correct portions of oils and spices, spreading them out over the glowing coals that had come from the altar of burnt sacrifice in the courtyard.
Monday, July 6, 2015
The Semicolon and the Soul
"He restores my soul;I have been granted a new title in the past few months, Communications Guy. Anything that leaves the church office in an official capacity is supposed go through me for approval/editing. My internet history tab used to be filled with potential Bible studies, youth games, and the like. Now I bookmark my favorite grammar websites that I use to help me wade through newsletter articles and bulletin advertisements. All this proof reading has changed how I read. I used to be rather reckless in my reading, skipping over punctuation and carelessly structuring the sentences and phrases especially the more familiar passages. Now I read with intent and my proof-o-meter always seems to be on even if it is a bit faulty. You won't have to look too hard to find grammatical errors in this blog. Anyway, sometimes this is not so good; it is difficult to read text messages from teenagers and from some adults now. Other times this is good; my Bible study is richer than before. I know why there is a semicolon instead of a period. I see how it radically changes the meaning of the sentence.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
For His name's sake." -Psalm 23:3 NASB
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Phoebe and the Security Blanket
Phoebe is our 64 lb. doberman... |
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Forsaken Son
Easter is nearly here. On Sunday morning, my family will wake up, get dressed, and join with countless others around the world to celebrate Christ's resurrection from the dead. We will sing praises to God that are filled with barely containable joy. We will listen, with enraptured hearts, to a sermon proclaiming the wonders God has done for us through Christ Jesus. But now, in this week leading up to Easter, we remember the awful things that lead up to our Easter joy. As we read the events found in the Gospels, we come face to face with pain, suffering, grief, and unimaginable love.
Friday, March 27, 2015
The Kiss You Give
...the tenderness of a parents heart... |
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Grass Mowing Goats
...I hate mowing my grass... |
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Juggling Honey
...a "quick " grocery trip... |
"Everybody loves Little Female Explorer Cookies, right?"
"They sure do!"
"And people love flavored milk, right?"
"I like where this is going!"
"Let's make Mint Cookie flavored milk!"
"That's an awesome idea!"
And then room erupts into spastic high-fives and weird group hugs. This is how I amuse myself at that big chain store that I won't name for trademark reasons.
Friday, March 13, 2015
Little Sparks
About a
year ago, my wife found a journal that she just had to get me (it’s a Star Wars Moleskin). I decided to use it to keep track of the little moments I like to call “Everyday
Jesus”. Why “Everyday Jesus”? Well, I’m glad you asked! It’s because I firmly
believe that a little bit of spiritual truth can be found in everything we see.
The problem is we often do not take the time to notice. In no way am I saying
that Jesus is ordinary or uninteresting. In fact, it’s just the opposite. He is
extra-ordinary! He chooses to insert Himself into our lives just so He can draw
us into a closer relationship. I believe that this is one of the keys to the Christian
life. Yes, read your Bible. Yes, pray, tithe, and help the poor. By all means,
share the Good News! Do all these things but also build an actual relationship
with Jesus. Listen for when Jesus whispers to you during your waking hours. Look
for Him in all that you see and wherever you go. Let your mind wander to Him
instead of to the latest news headline or work problem. Time spent dwelling on Jesus
and his spiritual truths is worth so much more than the paltry things we
normally fill our extra time with. Here’s one of the first one’s I wrote back in
April of 2014.
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