My friend’s pop caught this nice bass at Collins Lake near Marysville, Ca. yesterday! It was great to camp with my friends and enjoy the fellowship and food outdoors. Man, I love summer!
PM
I keep going back to a story I once read about Corrie Ten Boom for encouragement. If you are not familiar with her plight I suggest you pick up a copy of her biography. It’s a short, but impacting read. Here’s one excerpt I remember from the book. I may have a few minor details wrong, but I still recall how this story changed the way I looked at trials in my life.
Corrie and her family were living in Poland during World War ll. Being motivated Christians they decided to help the Jews escape by hiding them in their safe house, and find alternative ways to get them out of the war.
Their involvement eventually was discovered and Corrie and her sister went to concentration camp even though they were not Jewish. In the barracks they were in a combination of heat and excrement produced an ideal habitat for fleas.
At one point it became so unbearable for Corrie she complained to her sister about the problem saying she didn’t know how much longer she could take it. As their legs and arms and any exposed skin bled from all the flea bites Corrie’s sister Becky said they needed to praise God for the fleas. “What!”, Corrie exclaimed! Her sister then reminded her of how God was in control of their lives and allowed them to sneak a bible into camp and that He was only allowing them their for His purpose. So they began to praise God for the fleas!
It was soon discovered that the guards had passed their barracks up due to the fleas and they were spared the gas chambers where they should have died. Not so fortunate were the other barracks at that camp. God had used the fleas and an awful situation to bring about His plan for Corrie Ten Boom.
You may have some problem you are dealing with right now, but if you love Jesus and know He has a purpose for your life, you can bet He will use your adversity to strengthen you as you place your trust in Him!
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.“ Romans 8:28
Be encouraged and praise God for the fleas in your life!
PM
Who would have guessed? If all else fails I’m sure he’d unholster that sidearm and fire a bat bullet into the river! Ha!
PM
We sometimes can only see the needles in front of our faces and miss the tree holding them in place. We often see the needles blowing gently in the wind, yet cannot detect the source that stirs them.
There is something much greater than the small view we have focused on. He longs to reveal His heart to you, but as long as your focus is only upon the needles you won’t see His bigger purpose for your life.
Faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you cannot see. Faith is built in darkness, not in light. Faith grows you into a stronger person as you learn to trust in Jesus. Without faith it’s impossible to please God. We live by faith and not by sight.
PM
“The Star-Maker decided to show how much He loved us, so He gave us His most valuable Light of which was His very best Essence, His Only Essence, so that those empty stars that received this gift would become full, shining brightly just as He showers shooting Star Lights of Love into the darkest places on earth.”
PM~ A simple paraphrase from me to you!
Beside the High School outdoor track a slight breeze cooled the sweat coming off my brow as I anticipated my next event, the 220. Even though I loved to race I never managed to take a first place finish, always settling for second or third at best. Inside my heart I gave all of me to the race even to the point of collapsing at the finish line just to get that win. Today I wanted to be different, I needed to be different, because I wanted to impress my Pop who took off work to watch me.
We come from a large family of nine children and my Pop always worked so hard as a teacher and then moonlighting at the pizza parlor afterward to provide for us. He also worked weekends rototilling people’s backyards for cash. I knew the sacrifice my father took to come this day and appreciated it and wanted to make him proud.
A very fast friend of mine, Jeff Otto, raced as a team mate of mine. We were allowed a certain amount of events to compete in and he would not race against me this time. As we talked with my Pop about my race coming up, Jeff had noticed my worn out tennis shoes. They were usually purchased a little big so they would last longer, and my small feet wore them out quickly as I stumbled over the fronts of the thick rubber souls.
Jeff quickly removed his track shoes and asked me if I would want to wear them. I looked up at my Pop then turned to him and said, “I don’t think they will fit, but I’ll try.” They announced my race and so quickly I removed my shoes and put Jeff’s on. They not only fit perfectly, they were about 10 times lighter! I had never even put on track shoes before and after I had these on my feet I felt like I was able to walk on water!
As I skipped up onto the track I had brand new confidence now that I didn’t have before welling up inside me. I placed my enlightened feet onto the blocks and when the gun fired I took off like a rocket! I must have ran out some 100 yards beyond the rest of the field in what would become the longest sprint I ever had.
The 200 is two full laps around the track and if I sprang out so quickly my fear was that I would fade and get beaten at the tape. This didn’t happen! I kept my distance from the rest of my opponents and ended up finishing with a huge distance between me and the others. I took first place.
Excitedly Jeff and my Pop came up to me and embraced me as I had a smile from ear to ear. My father told me he doubted that I would win because I shot out so fast, but was rebuked by the track coach who said, “some guys are able to take the lead like that and keep it.” I knew this race was different though. It was Jeff’s selflessness and awareness of my situation that put a confidence in me I didn’t have before. Also, I had a father I wanted to impress and show him I loved him for being there.
Both Jeff and my Pop have passed away now, but my memory of them both will always remain as two people that made others rise above themselves by their compassion and love. They both had a great sense of humor too, which I have come to see is an often overlooked gift of encouragement.
It is the grace of God lived out in simple ways that encourage us to become better people. I’m grateful for friend’s and family that understand that gift and exercise it with simple acts of selflessness. In Mother Teresa’s words, “We don’t do big things, we do small things with big love.” Jeff and my Pop did many small things with big love. It is as if those grace shoes are still on my feet today, watching for the next area to run and help others in some small way!
Blessings,
PM
Inside every human being there is the need to be significant. We build monuments, and museums to remind us of our grand accomplishments. On more ordinary practices we blog and post on facebook to let ourselves be known. The bigger achievement the bigger the hope we have that we made an impact on this planet. Our view of success almost always revolves around the things we’ve done while living here on earth’s soil.
I’m finding that following Christ is quite opposite of that path. The way to recognize significance is both outside of me yet inside of me. What a strange complex paradox! Christ in me, the Apostle Paul said is the hope of glory! We share in God’s Glory! Wow! But the way to get there is to become the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus even said that He didn’t come to be served but to serve and give His life away.
Up here on the top of the mountain where I shot this photograph is where I become small sometimes. I get a feeling when I’m all alone in this wilderness that I am like this small pine tree in a host of enormous forest specimens trailing off into the long canyon below. It is here that God speaks to me and tells me yes Paul you are small. But I AM..Big! Beyond your imagination! And I love you Paul! That makes me feel both very small, yet incredibly loved! The Maker of all Creation loves me? This is where I feel significant. So I keep trying to get small these days.
On a funny note Steve Martins was quoted in an SNL skit saying, “My goal: right now, I want to be the all-being master of time, space and dimension. Then, I want to go to Europe – I think.” Ha! Very funny, but really in a sense very true! We all want to become something larger than ourselves, to think there is more. Well, there is more to becoming great…and it comes through humility and worship of Our great Lord Almighty Jesus Christ!
Come let’s get small together!
PM
Here beside the cool refreshing River surveying it’s contents like a small sparrow pecking at crumbs between the surface reflection and moving shadows below my heart is yearning for more. More life pulling my floating line out of my reel and more life filling this need to be part of something much bigger than myself.
When Neil Armstrong walked upon the moon he put his thumb up in front of his face and was able to block out the earth from his sight. The people asked him if he felt big. His response was that he felt very small.
Clamoring over large granite boulders between deep canyon walls beside a powerful River I feel small. This space was created for me to recognize my inability to conquer and yet engage. The River is meant to make me bigger than myself as it fills that need within. And so I revisit him time and time again to be refreshed and allow the soothing power strip away the varnish of my little stained self perception.
Early this morning I have come to the River with two ideas I want to suggest to Him. I am here, willing and wanting. I am broken, needing and waiting.
The River has give me options today that will always remain constant for the River cannot deny itself. He has given me the choice between letting me be a leaf upon it’s surface while guiding me into the secret places. In this area He navigates me into strong current at times, placing me stuck in foam along the banks at times, and rides with me into the white water and over mighty falls at other times.
The other option is a much safer trip, because it means I trust my own ability. My experience is an illusion of safety. I know rocks I have trusted to support under my weight failing me which caused deep abrasions along my knees when they crumbled as I once gingerly trusted them. I have had smooth moss covered banks make me lose balance and plunge over my head catching me by surprise. And I have had snakes rise from under hollow logs causing me to reel backwards in an instant.
I can trust the River, and He knows me by name. This is my experience. This is my goal again this morning. To trust Him more…take my life River and move me where you want…I’m yours!
“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow Rivers of living water.”
Jesus Christ~ John 7:38
I’ll see you at the River perhaps?
PM
“It’s not as important that you find God or even detect Him in your problems, as knowing God knows exactly where you are at!”
PM
