A Mimosa Tree

We have a Mimosa tree in our back yard.  It started out small (as they all do) and has been growing for the last few years.  My wife really likes them so we let it grow.  It is right outside our back door and has gotten remarkably large.

We also have a back porch.  Maybe you can see where this is going.

Mimosa trees have a tap root.  the root frequently travels horizontally just under the surface of the ground.  In the case of trees near houses, the root has been known to damage foundations.  In the case of our house and tree, the root went under the outside edge of the back porch.  At some point in the past, before we owned the house, someone had extended the foundation under the porch.  Well, now you can clearly see where they did that because the root has pushed the newest part up leaving a very noticeable ledge.

The point I'm after is this: sometimes we let things into our lives, things that we like, enjoy, or just don't think about, and those things seem harmless at the moment.  But we must be constantly searching, allowing the Holy Spirit to examine all things in all areas in our lives, so that those things do not begin to develop entrenching roots.  These roots (as harmless as the tree may seem) can grow strong at foundation level and cause damage that is not easily repaired.

Little chats with friends to catch up with each others' lives are alright, but if they go unchecked they can lead to a little bit of gossip, which can lead to a lot of gossip, which can lead to rumors and betrayals of confidence.  I realize that that example may seem a little extreme, but that is how the beast works.  It doesn't happen all at once.  It happens an inch at a time, day by day, foot by foot.  You don't see the real problem until it has caused damage.

We have had this tree for years and have been noticing problems with our porch for a while now.  We only just realized that the Mimosa was the cause.  This could have been avoided by transplanting the tree when it first started growing, or by reading up on Mimosas when we first noticed it growing so close to the house. We just saw a "baby tree" and thought that it was neat.

Check your life.  Look for things while they are new in your life and check them out in the word and in prayer.

Don't let a new video game become a lifestyle that ruins your sense of time management.  Don't let a love for reading do the same.  Or a new desire to write.  :)

I did not post yesterday because I had begun to let things slide around the house.  I was determined to
not miss a day, which is a good goal in itself, but when it took the place of more important things, I had to make choices.  Writing, reading, and other hobbies are okay, but only if they are kept in their proper place in our list of priorities.

God bless you all.

I've Decided Not to Be Compulsive About this

I went from zero posts in nearly a year to 17 posts in 17 days.  I'm pretty excited about that, but I don't want to do it just to keep a personal record.  So, tonight I'm just saying "Good night, and God bless!"

Sometimes It's Time to Be Quiet

I remember (several years ago) when a group of my friends from church were all invited to go to a meeting for a bunch of pastors who look to our pastor.  It was quite an honor and I was very excited to go.

I had only just begun to recognize when I was actually hearing God, so I wasn't very confident in it.  I was looking forward to hearing all of these pastors talking to each other about GOD.

and.  I was hoping to hear God too.

So.  We got to the meeting and the pastors were very friendly and informal.  They set up chairs in a circle and just started sharing with each other about what God was doing in their lives and churches.  Many of the pastors had included members of their churches as well, so it was a decent sized crowd.  The floor was open, so anyone who had something to share was invited to do so.

After a short while, as I listened to the pastors share, I heard them ask questions about what God was doing and why.  I was shocked when I realized that I KNEW what God was doing and why.  There I was, a nineteen-ish year old kid,  in this group of PASTORS (I italicized the word in my head at the time, so I'm doing it here too), and I was hearing God answer their questions.  And I knew, with CERTAINTY, that it really was God.  I was so excited that I was getting ready to raise my hand to share (a miracle in itself at the time) when I heard God say "Wait."  Okay.  How long?

God didn't say.

"When do I get to tell them?"

"You don't," God stated.

". . .what?"

"You. Don't."

"You mean I'm supposed to keep listening to all of this stuff You're saying and I'm just supposed to keep quiet?"  I was having a hard time with this.

"Yes." and that was all God said on that topic.

It wasn't easy, but through that silence, I kept hearing more and more of what God was saying and didn't have to try to translate it, or say it just right.

I actually learned more about speaking for God by being silent than I had on what few occasions I had spoken before.

So, for those of you who are learning to hear and speak for God:  Sometimes the word from God is "Hush."

Don't worry.  It's just as good.

Be blessed and press on.

It's Not about Forgiveness, It's about Heart

What I am about to say may rub some people the wrong way (doctrinally).  That is not my purpose.  All I ask is that you read it all and look at the heart of the message.

I recently had a conversation with a friend about forgiveness and grace.  My friend, we'll call him "Jacob," had been speaking to someone else, we'll call that one "Zeke."  Zeke had been talking about the idea that since Jesus paid the price for sin--past, present, and future--that all sin was already forgiven and therefore did not require one to ask for forgiveness.  Jacob was worried about this because that attitude could easily lead someone to a place of pride (or, at least, a place of no humility).  Jacob was worried that such attitude would lure someone away from anything like repentance.

We ARE forgiven.  The price IS paid.  BUT.  There is a difference between being forgiven and being repentant.  Repentance means to "Change your thinking/reasoning/mind from wrong-doing to righteousness."

There can be two different kinds of attitudes with this idea about forgiveness.

The first says "I'm forgiven so I can mess up and not worry about it.  I won't even let it bother me because it doesn't matter.  I don't need to talk about this with God or anything else."

The second says "I'm forgiven so I don't have to be a slave to this.  I don't have to beg God to forgive me because He already has.  I do need to talk with Him about this because I need His wisdom on how to avoid this failure in the future.  God is so good."

The biggest difference is the heart of the person who is exploring his or her forgiveness.  If he or she is seeking God, then that relationship will bear the fruit of humility and repentance.  If that person does NOT seek God's heart, then the "grace" becomes a trap to lead one into license (permission to do whatever).

Being forgiven of sin means that we are free to pursue a relationship with God.

Bless you all.

The Sword of the Lord and Gideon

Tonight, my wife and I were invited to a meeting of the local Gideons.  It was very interesting. For one thing, we were the only people under the age of 60.

They were great people.  I recently heard one of them speak at our church, and was interested in the organization.

My dad was one of the biggest Bible enthusiasts I've ever known.  He love the Word, and, largely because of his influence, I do too.  The Gideons are volunteers that raise money and go out and place Bibles all over the place.  They speak at churches and give testimonies.  Everything they do is out of their own pockets.

Needless to say, I had already filled out an application to join, and tonight I turned in the application.  There were not many members in the local "camp."

It reminded me of the verse that says "The harvest is great; the workers are few.  Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send more workers." (Matthew 9:36-38)

I realize that this is not a very "spiritual" post today, but it seemed in keeping with the current trend of the Importance of the Bible.

God Bless!