The Parallelables Blog

Retrieving the Retriever

2016-07-06T23:06:00.001-04:00

Lessons of God's unconditional love for us,

from a Black Lab...

When crawl spaces are closed off with merely a piece of plywood and four buckets of dying ferns; and when there is a heat wave going on and it is hot as blazes outside; and when the incessant, loud booms of fireworks overhead become too much to bear; a dog's gonna do what a dog's gotta do...seek out the cool, quiet, comfortable solitude of the area underneath the house.

And when you're a Labrador Retriever, like our dog Scout, you have no fear of consequences.

"He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me." - Psalm 18:19 (NIV)

To my discredit, I knew Scout had been venturing underneath the house for a couple of days, but given the circumstances mentioned above, I didn't dog-proof the entry to the crawl space. After all, she'd been showing up for dinner and had been sleeping in her bed on the sunroom porch.

So late last night I noticed that she had not re-emerged, and that she didn't seem to want to play ball when called (from under the house). In lieu of crawling under the house at 11 pm, I chose to inspect the foundation vents on the street side of the house to ensure that she had not escaped the confines of the fenced backyard through an alternate route.

I figured if she hadn't re-emerged by morning, I'd go looking for her.

So, this morning, I found myself dressing in my purple knee-high tiger band socks, jeans, long sleeve t-shirt, sweatshirt, steel-toed boots and a winter hat (I did mention it's July and we're hot-t in SC, right?), and gloves.

I figured if there was something (like a poisonous snake) that had taken down my 72 pound dog, I'd be protected...as long as it didn't go for my face! (God bless all you HVAC, ELEC, & Cable installers who have spent years crawling under houses.)

I plugged in the yellow, handheld contractor's light into my 100' extension cord, and asked God for His protection, citing:

³⁸in your hands he has placed all mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds in the sky. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold. - Daniel 2:38 (NIV)

...and judging from the size of the dried excrement I encountered upon entering the crawl space on my belly...I was going to need that assurance of dominion going forward. I kept trying to imagine what kind of animal would have the head clearance necessary to drop a poop that size? Wharf Rat? Racoon? Lynx? I can assure you it did not originate with any regular sized cat, that we're used to seeing in our neighborhood, but I digress.

My fears of Scoutie having perished from some giant rodent or reptile attack, were quickly allayed, as I heard her familiar whimper from the OTHER side of the main HVAC trunk line (the big one) the one that you pretty much have to go around to get to the other side.

Thanking the Lord that she was alive, I continued sliding on my belly like some 236 pound Sea Lion, towards the HVAC duct. The noise of Scout's whimper had come from somewhere near the outside corner of the house. Could it be possible that she had escaped, and was calling to me through the foundation vent (from the outside)?

I backed out of the crawl space (not nearly as quickly as this sentence might suggest), and walked around the outside of the house. And I heard her again (through the foundation vent). I removed the vent cover, and there she was.

So, she was under the house, inside the crawl space, on the OTHER side of the Main HVAC Ducts.

I called for Wendi to bring her some water, and Scout seemed appropriately grateful. Then a neighbor walking his dog passed by the front yard, and Scout acted like she wanted to crawl out through the vent hole. Sensing she MIGHT fit, if I could get her sideways, but anticipating a "halfway in / halfway out stuck Lab" scenario, I sought to avoid the latter problem. It seemed to me, less time intensive to climb back under the house, and coax her back from whence she came, than to try to push a half stuck lab back into the crawl space she was attempting to flee from, and then crawl back under the house and attempt to coax her back from whence she came.

Oh, and by the way this was Wednesday morning, and my typical weekday morning routine which would otherwise had have me leaving for work, was no longer valid.

⁴“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? ⁵And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders ⁶and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ ⁷I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. - Luke 15:4-7 (NIV)

Back up under the house I went. Heading toward the main HVAC trunk line. I took a left and headed toward the middle of the house. The clearance between the bottom of the plumbing, HVAC ducts, etc and the top of the dirt became more of a challenge, and I was more frequently being reminded to "make myself small". (which is kind of a joke, for those of you who have witnessed my girth firsthand).

With my trusty contractor's light illuminating the perpetual darkness, I slid onward. Then suddenly faced an impasse.

I decided to leave my light where it was (located next to the HVAC line that I was eventually going to get around), and backtrack in search of a place that allowed for oversized rescuers. The light seemed to be adequately lighting the entire crawl space ahead of me, so I felt secure in leaving it. And I was hoping Scout would see the light and start working her way back towards it.

If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me

    and the light become night around me,”

¹²even the darkness will not be dark to you;

    the night will shine like the day,

    for darkness is as light to you. - Psalm 139:11-12 (NIV)

Since my journey had placed me on the wrong side of the back-to-back plumbing lines underneath our efficient Ranch floor plan, I had to slide all the way to the back wall of the foundation to find a place large enough to pass through. And then a funny thing happened (not so funny at the time). I heard the tapping of 4 feet on the floor above my head. It wasn't kid feet, it was dog feet.

Scout was somehow back inside the house!

I rejoiced for a brief moment, that she was back where she belonged. Apparently my wife had managed to coax Scout through the foundation vent.

So, I did a 180 (again, not nearly as simply as that sentence makes it sound), and started sliding back from whence I had slid. I still had to retrieve my light, which was tenuously tethered to the extension cord that I was finally approaching. I knew that I probably shouldn't try to pull it towards me by pulling the extension cord, but I did it anyway. And after 3 gentle tugs, it came unplugged. So I had to make my way back toward the light in the dark.

After reaching it, I reconnected the power cord and made my way toward the daylight of the open crawl space entry.

Of course Wendi was there to document the whole thing, as I reemerged from the darkness, filthy dirty from the rescue mission.

A small part of me wanted to punish Scout for having caused so much trouble this morning. But mostly I was glad she was back within the safe confines of our backyard, and glad that the search and rescue mission was over.

He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me. - Psalm 18:19 (NIV)

My friend, if you are currently stuck in a dark place with no apparent way out, there is hope. Your Heavenly Father loves you. He cares for you, and will rescue you from the darkness, if you will simply call out to Him.

⁶Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. - 1 Peter 5:6-7 (NKJV)

You may have gotten yourself into this situation, but you cannot get yourself out. God can. He has a plan for your life, and it is to have fellowship with you IN THE LIGHT.

⁵This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. ⁶If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. ⁷But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from allsin. - 1 John 1:5-7

It feels great to have rinsed all the dirt off my clothes from this morning, and to have taken a long shower.

I have adequately blocked the crawl space access door, and my hope is that Scout won't attempt such a maneuver again. However, having lived with her for almost eleven years, it's likely not going to be the last time she has to be rescued from somewhere she shouldn't have been. And that's ok, as long as we get her back

Thanks to "Reverend Scout" for yet another brilliant illustration of God's unconditional love and His unfailing desire to rescue each of us from the sins that we so often find ourselves entangled in.

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Dear Neighbor,

2015-01-28T21:19:00.000-05:00

Did you know that we are all to be human letters to those around us? So how are things with you?

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 3:3 New International Version (NIV)

3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

I'm an architect. Well, for all intents and purposes, I'm an architect. I'm not licensed, but I could be. I have the education and experience to adequately meet your design needs. However, by the letter of the (SC) law, I can only design certain spaces up to 5,000 sf...well, here...just read what the law says:

SECTION 40-3-290. Exceptions from coverage of chapter

(C) If the drawings and specifications are signed by the authors with the true title of their occupations, this chapter does not apply to the preparations of plans and specifications for:
(1) a building which is to be used for farm purposes only;
(2) a building less than three stories high and containing fewer than five thousand square feet of total floor area except buildings of assembly, institutional, educational, and hazardous occupancies as defined by the Standard Building Code (should read International Building Code - ka) , regardless of area...

Wake up! Wake up! It's not the best way to start a blog post you expect others to read, is it?

Now, imagine you and I are neighbors, and you send me an email (letter) which reads,

"I've got good news and bad news. We're moving, but we we want you to design our new house. Can you do that without being a licensed architect?"

Now, I could reply by simply copying and pasting the section of the law above.

Or...

With a spirit of wanting to serve my neighbor, I could enthusiastically say. "I hate to lose such a good neighbor, but sure, I can help you with that."

Notice which response ends the conversation and decreases the probability of future conversations, and which one doesn't. Which response is more loving?

Question:

Paul says in his 2nd letter to the Corinthians that we are to be human letters for Christ to those around us. We are to show our neighbors the love of Christ by how we live and conduct ourselves when we are with them.

He explains how in The Old Testament that Moses, after talking directly to God and receiving The Ten Commandments, had to veil his face because it shone so brightly with the glory of God.

He goes on to reason that as New Testament Christians, we have had that veil removed, and in fact, as the face of Christ on earth today, we necessarily share the unveiled glory of God to those we come into contact with on a daily basis.

9 If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!

- 2 Corinthians 3:9

Does approaching a more abundant (more fulfilling) life in Christ, require that we share God's love with others without any rules or condemnation? Will we become more like Christ (and shine brighter for Him) as we invite others to witness the unending glory that Christ has died to give all believers?

Answer:

Yes!

17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we, who with unveiled faces reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

- 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (NIV-84)

Notice in the scripture that there is "freedom". Freedom to approach those around us without any pre-conceived notions or prejudices. Just approach folks and let the love of God shine (through you) onto them.

Remember, we are not responsible for the harvest...just the sowing. Don't worry about the results, that's God's business. We simply "reflect the Lord's glory".

Going Forward:

Let's remember that we are always on for Jesus...or more importantly He is always on within us. My pastor shared a fitting story recently.

He mentioned that stepping out into (potentially uncomfortable) situations that we know The Spirit is leading us into, is something our fleshly selves will always argue against. "What if I get embarrassed? What if something I say embarrasses them? What if they get upset with me? Do I have the time or energy?" These are questions we always ask ourselves.

"However," the pastor continued, "I've learned the secret to overcoming that inner turmoil. I simply respond with a two word statement of Faith...and it works every time. I tell Jesus, 'You're On!' ".

Let's learn to interact with those around us, as if we are delivering a letter addressed to them from Our Creator. What a privilege to be chosen to deliver the mail for God!

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Thanks to Taylor Burnett for the use of the image...it's perfect.

R.S.V.P.

2015-01-20T21:41:00.000-05:00

Scripture:

" 'Let all who are simple come in here!' she says to those who lack judgment". -Proverbs 9:4

AND

" 'Let all who are simple come in here!' she says to those who lack judgment". -Proverbs 9:16

(This is not a typo)

You're invited to a party...no, make that 2 parties. Both on the same day and at the same time. One will take place at 904 Hilltop Lane and the other at 916 Hilltop Lane.

You need to R.S.V.P....which one will you will you be attending? In order to decide, let's take a look at what each will be like.

1 Wisdom has built her house;
she has set up its seven pillars.
2 She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
3 She has sent out her servants, and she calls
from the highest point of the city,
4 “Let all who are simple come to my house!”
To those who have no sense she says,
5 “Come, eat my food
and drink the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave your simple ways and you will live;
walk in the way of insight.” - Proverbs 9:1-6 (NIV)

Wisdom's party sounds nice, plenty to eat and drink. And a promise of life, and walking in the way of insight.

Now what about Folly's party?

13 Folly is an unruly woman;

she is simple and knows nothing.

14 She sits at the door of her house,

on a seat at the highest point of the city,

15 calling out to those who pass by,

who go straight on their way,

16 “Let all who are simple come to my house!”

To those who have no sense she says,

17 “Stolen water is sweet;

food eaten in secret is delicious!”

18 But little do they know that the dead are there,

that her guests are deep in the realm of the dead. - Proverbs 9:13-18 (NIV)

Folly's party will be wild, guaranteed. She'll be serving "Stolen water" and delicious "secret food".

I hope you're able to decipher by now, that the invitations are presenting a choice that each of us must make. Whether to live for God and seek His righteousness or to pursue the temporary pleasures of this world (and miss out on the perfect plan (and abundant life) that our Creator has in store for us).

Oh, and by the way, both parties are going on 24/7. That's right, we receive these invitations daily. Every day we must continually face the struggle of walking in the Spirit or walking in the flesh.

Matthew Henry says it a lot more concisely in his introduction to the commentary on Proverbs Chapter 9:

Both houses are built on the highest point in the city, presumably so that all can see them. We all have to make this decision every day.

I've gotta go get ready. I'll see y'all at Wisdom's a little later on...don't forget to R.S.V.P.

Merry Christmas from the Parallelables Blog

2014-12-20T16:40:00.000-05:00

I hope this finds everyone doing well. I'm so thankful for everyone that took the time to read even one of the Parallelables blog posts in 2014. What a year it has been!

On December 3, 2014, the Parallelables blog turned one year old! Be on the lookout for something special on January 15, 2015 ... that will be the anniversary of the first real post (content wise).

Here's hoping you and your family have a very merry Christmas and a blessed new year.

- Kevin

Lord, I thank you for your glory. I thank you for each and every person that has taken the time to read any of the words that you have generously placed before us. Continue to Bless these readers, according to their measure of faith in you, as they strive to battle sin and temptation through the transforming of their minds.

We give you the praise and honor for the illustrations that you have used to teach us your Truth. We thank you for the messages yet to be published. And we thank you for all the new readers that will one day arrive at your messages in the words published here.

Amen

Directions To God's Place

2014-11-24T00:45:00.000-05:00

Scripture:

Psalm 100:3-4

3 Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

Question:

Living in a tourist destination, one often finds himself giving directions to visitors by citing entertaining landmarks because, they tend to stand out and attract people's attention when driving past.

I used to lived in North Myrtle Beach, SC. When giving folks directions to my house, I would often say, go past Myrtle Waves water park, and continue past Planet Hollywood. When the highways (the bypass and business route) merge back together, you'll pass through Restaurant Row...keep going until you see the Hawaiian Rumble putt-putt course (rated #1 putt-putt course in the world by the PGA of Mini Golf AND it's where they play the Masters of Mini Golf each year)...I think you can see where I'm heading.

Looking back, I probably should have considered myself fortunate, to have had my guests actually arrive after passing by so many "worthy" distractions.

Fast forward to our current journey away from temptation and towards a renewed mind, and abundant life through walking with the Holy Spirit (the subject of the posts on this blog). What is keeping us from walking more closely with God on a daily basis?

Answer:

Jesus said in Luke 9:23, “23Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me."

Paul wrote in Galatians 5:16-17, "16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want."

Let's learn to call temptation what it is...a series of self indulgent distractions along the way to visit with God. Think about all the stuff that we spend our waking hours doing that keeps our minds occupied, and by default prevents us from serving others in the kingdom of God.

In each case, I would be willing to bet that it is something that we as individuals have convinced ourselves that we need.

I need to sleep in on Saturday, because I'm tired from working hard during the week.
I need to catch up on (fill in the blank), because I've been too busy with other things
I need to take a break from the hustle and bustle and just relax.

While these activities are often indeed physically justified, I wonder just how many times we justify an activity on the heels of temptation. Remember, God never leaves us (Deuteronomy 31:8), we choose to walk away from him when we engage in self-indulgent behaviors.

Going Forward:

So, what if we examine what we are stopping off to see (or more preferably, what we are bypassing (and choosing not to indulge in)) on our way to walk with God. Let's imagine that we received handwritten instructions on how to get to God's place:

There are two ways to get here:

Take the scenic route through the "big city" of Meboro...OR
Take the Living Way bypass around Meboro and all the "cool stuff to stop and see along the way".

If you choose the Scenic Route, it will take you much longer to get to where you need to be. You'll take Distraction Drive all the way through Meboro. Pass Nap Masters Mattress Super Store. Pass the Gluttonous Gourmetisserie. Pass the College Football Hall Of Fame. Pass the To-Do Voodoo Lounge.

When you get to the end of Distraction Drive, there will be a stoplight. Left goes toward Shadow Valley. A right turn onto His Way Highway will take you through the little towns of Repentance and Redemption, before eventually merging onto the Living Way bypass . You'll backtrack for several miles, as you seem to head back towards Meboro. Be on the lookout for a gateway arch in the distance.You're trying to get to a road called Thanksgiving Turnpike. Once you are on that road, aim for the arched stone gateway.(see the directions from the Living Way bypass below).

OR...

A much simpler, quicker way would be to veer off from Distraction Drive at The Great Transition, and onto the Living Way bypass. This will take you around the city of Meboro, and all its distractions. Take the first exit onto Thanksgiving Turnpike...after a short drive, you'll pass underneath a very large arched, stone gateway and then you're on Continuous Praise Court.

Park anywhere. Our Lord and Savior will meet you there.

PS - Don't mind the sheep.

Thanks to Quinn Dombrowski for the fantastic image

Leftover Mess

2014-08-10T17:31:00.001-04:00

SCRIPTURE:

Proverbs 16:9New Living Translation (NLT)

9 We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.

One morning, not too long ago, I took leftover pot roast, rice, and carrots to work for lunch in the oblong glass dish with the blue top. The top is not a snap lock and is merely a friction fit, which over time has worked its way loose.

When I typically transport lunch in my insulated lunch bag, if the container does not snap, I set it in so that I must carry the lunch bag horizontally. Otherwise, I just strap it onto my satchel and it hangs vertically.

Before leaving the house, I'd taken great care to transport the delicious contents to the car, and had set it on the floorboard for the twenty minute ride to work.

During the ride, life and its accompanying distractions made their claim on the priorities of my mind. Before exiting the car upon arrival at work, I strapped the lunch bag onto my satchel and began walking toward the office.

After about twenty seconds, I realized what I had done, so I immediately corrected the orientation of the lunch bag, and carried it like a tray the rest of the way in.

I knew that when I got to my desk, and unzipped the lunch bag pocket, I'd find a juicy mess. Yet, I hoped that by some miracle, it had not leaked inside the pocket.

Of course, when I got to my desk, it was just as expected, and I spent the next twenty minutes cleaning the inside of the lunch bag, as well as all the other contents that were along for the ride.

What a mess!

However, there was one redeeming aspect to this otherwise annoying experience. It was immediately brought to my mind that this mess illustrated what happens when we get ahead of God's will for our lives.

QUESTION:

Have you ever felt like you were walking right down the fairway of God's will? You're certain that God has put you on course towards the next destination on your journey with Him.

Then life happens, and instead of pursuing God's plan for us (by staying in constant communication with Him through prayer and the reading of His Word), we simply get complacent. We think we know the destination, and figure we'll eventually get there if we simply keep walking (that might be a "man" thing, but for the sake of illustration...).

We get comfortable with our day-to-day routine of our new path, and before we realize, we are veering off into another venture. Or worse, we begin accelerating our action, thinking if we work harder towards the goal that God has placed before us, we will succeed more quickly.

How ludicrous is it that we think we can accomplish something quicker than what God has planned (than what he has preordained)?

ANSWER:

Proverbs 16:9 tells us, "we make our plans, but (it is) the Lord (that) determines our steps". Yet, we seem to always get it backwards. We think the Lord determines the course (or destination), but we plan our steps...and we are wrong!

God seeks everyday communication (communion) with us (His creation).

It is important to have a continual conversation with God. My grandmother taught me that from a young age.

"You can talk to God all day long. If you get a good parking spot at the grocery store, tell God thank you."

- Emily Theola "Mema" (Humphries) Ammons

If you and your best friend were riding on a cross-country trip, and he was navigating from the passenger seat with a map (not a gps), would you ignore him for the last 3/4 of the trip? No.

And if your friend noticed that you made a wrong turn, and was attempting to turn the radio down so that he could inform you of your mistake and suggest a course correction, would you turn the radio back up and say,"I love this part!". Maybe, but even a good friend would eventually turn the radio off and tell you what you needed to hear.

And, there you go.

Going Forward:

When I pray the Lord's prayer, I often pray "...and lead us not to the point of trial that you would require to get our attention..."

Lord don't let us drive to the end of this road, only to discover a "road closed" sign. If we have to turn around after traveling so far, we'll certainly run out of gas and be in a mess, trying to get back on the right track.

And now back to the messy lunch bag analogy...

We set out with the knowledge that our steps must be taken with certain provisions in mind (we must keep the leftover dish inside our lunch bag in the upright position).

When we get distracted, or forget what we decided when we set out, we'll often create a real mess for ourselves. We need to continually remind ourselves of the most important detail, which is the goal of what we are trying to accomplish (getting that pot roast into the fridge at work without spilling any of it along the way due to carelessness).

When God blesses us with an opportunity to serve Him, let's continually remind ourselves of the goal of serving Him.

He knows the way, and will determine our steps. We'll receive peaceful instruction via God's Holy Spirit, if we seek His guidance each day before setting out.

And, perhaps more to the point of my journey, and the struggles reflected in this blog, let's not be so quick to expand upon the opportunity that God has put before us. In choosing to pursue other things that we may be interested in, or that seem (to us) to fit into God's plan, we may begin walking ahead of (or worse, away from) God's will.

I've chosen to start Parallelables, because I felt called into service by our Lord.

In the process of learning how to start a blog however, the entrepreneur in me wants to blog about several other subjects alongside. Meanwhile, parallelables are still sitting in "rough draft purgatory".

This doesn't mean we can't do lots of things for God. It means, we should test everything we do through the filter of "is this what God would have me to be doing right now?" Or put another way, by one of my new favorite preachers (Pastor Brian Biggers - The Lamb's Chapel in Haw River, NC), "Is this flesh or is this Spirit?"

So, talk to God often...every day. Ask him to guide and direct your steps. The closer you get to Him, the more clearly you'll be able to hear His voice, when He let's you know you've veered off track.

Thank you Lord for always being close to us. You've said that you will never leave us nor forsake us, and we're gonna hold you to it, by checking in every day to see what you have to say.

Halfhearted Attempt At Wholehearted Devotion

2014-07-28T17:13:00.003-04:00

Can God use this blog post to further His kingdom? Yes.

Should I be concerned about publishing this particular post, since it contains what appear to be disjointed story fragments (not ready for publication)? No.

Am I concerned...a little. Wait, No!

The rough drafts of too many #parallelable posts are sitting on the backside of my blog...(wait, who's blog?)...that is, God's blog. And it's time to unleash the inspiration, as it was shared and worry about piecing them together as the Spirit leads.

So, without further ado...

Scripture:

1 Chronicles 28:9-10New International Version (NIV)

9 “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 10 Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house as the sanctuary. Be strong and do the work.”

and

Psalm 139:16

"Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book all the days (of my life) were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them."

Showered by Grace

Joyce Meyer's devotion stated:

"Be determined to follow His lead all day, and you will enjoy every day of your life."

In Brandt's devotion, which cited Hosea 5:15 - 6:6, he mentioned that:

"God allows us to stray from Him, hoping that we will return to Him. If it requires, He will allow us to suffer the consequences of our chosen sins."

In the shower, the Spirit instructed:

""You can turn Your back on God, but I am still there. God desires a whole heart, without lustful indulgences.""

Post shower: Holden had head butted MK as she was trying to give him a hug. (Lesson in itself)

While Wendi was telling Holden "we don't head butt" and MK was attempting to describe (to Wendi) what had happened in detail...I heard Sly and the Family Stone's "I want to thank you for letting me be myself, again (ignoring Sly's preferred spelling for simplicity's sake) " coming from the radio in the living room. I don't think it was coincidence.

We cannot fully love God with personal gratification on our minds and in our hearts.

Question:

In fact, shortly after I asked God to show me the things in my heart that were keeping me from receiving His full glory, and He gave me the revelation in the shower, I was eager to get out of the shower to write down what I had heard so that I could share it later on the blog. Was this a "grab and run" attitude?

I was telling myself that I needed to write it down ASAP so that I would not forget it (and in order to tell it exactly as it was received).

But, how quick are we to depart from the place where we received God's glory, after we receive it?
That is not the loving relationship that God desires.

Answer:

This "wham bam thank you ma'am" approach to serving God ends up being more about serving ourselves. And it is the answer I was seeking.

That is what is crowding my heart...the eagerness to write for God is at best crowding and at worst countering my ACTUAL effectiveness at serving Him.

Meanwhile, MK is struggling with yelling at Holden when he does things that she thinks are being overlooked by us (the parents) or that he is not hearing.

She was playing cars with him, while Wendi was in the living room with them. Holden did something(?), and MK began exclaiming with crescendo, "Holdie, HOldie, HOLdie, HOLDIe, HOLDIE!" In rapid succession.

Wendi has been trying to break her of the habit, and once again explained,"OK, when has standing there yelling at him ever gotten you anywhere?"

I'm sure there is a correlation in that. Am I merely saying things out loud (on this blog) because I think there are things that we (myself included) are not hearing from God? Or worse, am I saying them out loud in order to make sure God sees me trying to do the right thing?

Either way, it's the wrong motivation.

God wants us to draw near to Him, and stay there. He doesn't want us head butting him as he reaches out to give us a hug. He doesn't want us grabbing a blessing, and dashing off on our way to tell everyone about it. And come to think of it, He probably doesn't want me telling you what He wants and doesn't want.

Going Forward:

When will we learn that we cannot do anything to win God's favor? His unconditional love is ever-present, and we need only to turn to Him in humility and gratitude.

Thanks be to God for this continuing revelation.

Amen

Light Unto My Path

2014-05-29T23:15:00.000-04:00

Scripture:

Psalm 119:105 (King James Version)

105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

After wrapping up the dinner/bath/book/bed routine with the kids, I started out on my 3-lap walk around our neighborhood. I had been wallowing in regret as a result of last week's backslide, and hadn't made much of an effort to reconnect with God since then.

Meanwhile, the inevitable, guilt-induced malaise had set in. Realizing that then was the perfect time to come crawling back, I thought, "It would be nice to see what God is up to...I should check in with him."

The Lord immediately laid it upon my heart that I should Tweet about repenting. I sensed that there were probably a few folks out there that may have struggled with their own "thorn in the flesh" this week, and like me were waiting to "get back to good" before getting back to God.

Again, it's so arrogant of us to think like that. God calls the shots around here, not us! When will we learn this basic concept?

Thus, this Tweet was born:

Getting back to "where you were" with God has never been easier: 1) Stop. 2) Turn around. He's been following you the whole time.
— Kevin D. Ammons (@KevinAmmons) May 29, 2014

I then prayed over the Tweet before sending it, asking God to bless the words according to His will.

I was immediately struck by the inadvertently omitted "step 3) Say you're sorry". I began telling God how sorry I was for having disobeyed.

We should say we're sorry, but don't think that we need to say we're sorry in order to be used again by God. Remember, He calls the shots (not us). I explored this notion in another blog post entitled "Empty Canvas In A Room Full of Paint".

He graciously gave me the following illustration, and I am so thankfully glad to share it with you:

When I walk at night, I always carry a flashlight, allowing it to swing with my hand alongside me as a result of my natural gait.

God showed me that He (His Word) is a light unto my path...but, unless I make a conscious effort to hold the Christ light steady in front of me, the light on the path will come and go as I allow my arms to swing freely, naturally.

It takes more effort, and is counter to what the natural self desires (which is to have both arms swing freely as you walk), to put God front and center in our lives.

We must carry the light of Christ out in front of us in order to always be walking in His light. This is not to say that we can't be used by God as we walk naturally, with intermittent illumination; we certainly can. But, if we want to be sure footed (and even run), we should always keep His light shining on the path ahead.

THEN, God shared with me, that we could walk in the dark, and trust Him to keep us safe (I imagined walking around our house at night in the dark). But, it will be a much more deliberate making our way through this world- this dark world- and will by default be much, much slower. We can't possibly get as much done for God in the dark, as we can in His light.

AND, God also brought to my mind

1 John 1:7 (New International Version)

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

God showed me the ambient light from the neighbors' front porch lights. During the times when I would pass these illuminated houses, my Christ light in front of me would not need to shine as brightly on the sidewalk in front of me...but, it shone with the same intensity nonetheless. It's just that I received help from those around me, to better see the way ahead.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, God also showed me the street lights placed intermittently throughout the neighborhood. These are milestones or highlights in our Christian walks. As mentioned before, we may not even need the light in front of us, as we pass underneath the bright light from above.

However, take note of your shadow that proceeds out of the bright light before you. Always be mindful of your shadow. For when you see it go before you, you know that you are once again entering the dark, and you better make sure to have your Christ light shining at the ready, lest your shadow disappear and leave you alone once again, attempting to find your way.

When we begin to take our eyes off the path ahead (back slide) during those easy times, we are acutely aware of the darkness around us. We feel as if we are all alone as we slip back into the darkness rather quickly. And for whatever reason, we tend to want to dwell therein (alone) for a little while longer, until we can muster enough courage to face God and ask for His illumination once more.

Question:

Why do we linger in the darkness as if alone?

Answer:

Because we don't fully understand that Christ has already paid the price for the guilt and shame of sin that plagues us when we are not fully convinced that we are His, and that He has redeemed us by His grace.

Going Forward:

We should always remember that God never leaves us nor forsakes us.

Deuteronomy 31:8 (New International Version)

8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

When we find ourselves wandering in the dark, we simply need to re-position our "Christ light" to the forefront of our lives and keep on walking.

Thanks and praise be to God for his ongoing illumination.

"Let Daddy Help You"

2014-05-07T16:00:00.001-04:00

Scripture:

Matthew 7:7 (NIV)

7 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Question:

My children often cause me to see how I am acting when approaching God...and maybe how God sees me sometime.

Holden, who is 2, hasn't grasped the concept of "Let Daddy help you". He thinks I am trying to take something away from him. Like opening a cheese stick or something similar.

As I reach down to try to open it for him, he says,"I can do it, I can do it," and he will scream and pitch a fit, until you let him try to do it on his own. Inevitably, he follows up with, "Daddy help?"

Aren't we just like that with God?

Don't we want to do things on our own?

Answer:

A great example of growth (and understanding) in this area, is mirrored in one of Holden's favorite past times...snacking on "squeezy fruits". (In our household, we refer to those squeezable, apple sauce based fruit pouches as "squeezy fruits").

Since before he could talk, Holden has been diggin' the sqeezy fruit. When he needs a fix, he encourages me to meet him at the refrigerator, so that I can open the refrigerator door for him. Once the door is opened, he knows exactly which crisper to go to get what he needs.

He also knows how to close the crisper door (unless it has been pulled a little too far (requiring a wiggle start) or is too full (heavy)). Then, he asks me to help him close the drawer.

As soon as he closes the refrigerator door he says,"Daddy, open squeezy fruit".

Then I open it, and he says. "Thank you," and goes on about his way.

Imagine how much more fulfilled our lives would become, if we could learn to approach our Heavenly Father this way. Not having to worry about the more difficult details of our provision, would certainly free us up to serve others.

Picture this:

"Lord, I would like to receive extra income that would free me up to write more for you. However, I'm going to need your help getting the first step of this blessing (door opened) in place."

So, God opens a door for us to receive more income.

Recognizing an opportunity and relying on our own experience, we gladly do our part to go after and receive the income (we open the crisper drawer, and grab the squeezy fruit).

Then, we hand the income back to God (to be opened) (Glory! I love it when God shows me something on the fly- "handing it back to God" is good) .

Malachi 3:10 (NIV)

10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

So, we hand the income back to God. Then,we ask God to open the income to make it available to us, as something we can use.

God gladly opens it. (He's not taking it back after giving it to you...relax) and then hands it back to us.

We grab the income and say thank you, and then close the door. Then we are on our way, and both God and us are happy.

Occasionally, when Holden has been playing for several hours without a juice drink...and I give him a juice to drink, he takes one sip and sets it aside as he goes back to playing. The juice will usually go unnoticed after that.

I've learned to suggest to Holden that he meet me at the fridge for a squeezy fruit, when I know he needs it (it's sort of like juice). And, I'm certain he'll finish that.

Thanks be to God that He knows our every need, even before we do. He's watching us while we go about our business.

Whew! Eye opening.

And, I'm almost sure it is just that simple.

Going Forward:

Involve the Lord; utilize His help in your serving Him, doing what you can, but ask for His help with the hard stuff.

Understand and know (TRUST) that God will be there to open doors and blessings (squeezy fruits) when you need Him.

And don't forget to thank Him.

Thanks be to God for my children, and to my Heavenly Father who reminds us that His love for us is very similar (in many ways) to our love for our children.

Scout Got Out Again

2014-03-16T22:37:00.000-04:00

Scripture:

Luke 15:17-20 (NIV)

17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

Last weekend we had our neighbor and her son over to play in our backyard. When they left, they exited through a fence gate that is seldom used, and...you guessed it...it didn't get latched back. I thought I checked it after they left.

Well, apparently not. Scout escaped again last night. That's right, again. Since we've been living in this house, she has bolted through the garage, or taken advantage of the almost shut side gate more than once.

She's fairly content to remain within the confines of our (relatively) spacious backyard. However, like every other curious creature (including some humans), if given the opportunity, she likes to explore.

Temptation is like an open gate that gives us a glimpse of sinful territory beyond.
We often sneak out of the safe, healthy confines of righteousness OR (more accurately) into sin .

Remember that TEMPTATION is the open gate...SIN is what lies outside your fence.

I noticed that Scout was not on the back porch last night, but I figured she was chillin' under the kids' sliding board or under the elevated, raised bed garden, as she has been known to do before.

This morning Wendi informed me that the side gate was open, and Scout was missing. I sort of halfway quickly got dressed, realizing that she could be anywhere, and that I might be embarking on an extended search.

Just out of the door, Wendi informed me that someone had posted on the neighborhood facebook page that they had found a black lab. She had replied, but had not received any response, yet.

Given that it was 8:30 on a Sunday morning, my crazy looking bedhead, no decent looking hat to don, and no address of the person who had posted the notification, I decided to take a shower and wait for a response from Scoutie's rescuer.

Question:

Is that how God thinks about us? Does he say, oh, Kevin got out of the fence again...he's probably safe, I'll just wait until a more appropriate hour to go and get him back?

Answer:

NO! It says in God's Word that He will never leave us nor forsake us.

Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)

8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Wow!

Imagine a mile long leash. God always knows where we are, and is always longing (yearning) for us to return to Him.

Like Scout, my natural inclination is to explore what lies beyond. However, relying on God's mercy and grace, I am attempting to learn how I might overcome that inclination.

The allure of sin (the temptation) will always remain while I am walking around here on Earth. The challenge I've accepted, is to get to the point of, after having seen the open gate of temptation, choosing to not go through it...NOT TO EVEN PEEK THROUGH the opening, realizing that what lies beyond has already been deemed unsuitable by my Master.

Going Forward:

Wendi and I will get Scout a reflective collar with an ID tag on it so that contacting us will be easier, which will make for a quicker return to the yard.

This is also a significant part of my journey: to be identified more clearly as a child of GOD, so that when I do drift away, I am quick to return. As a byproduct of working to improve the integrity of my Christian identity, I will be better able to resist temptation.

Unlike Scout, I am thankfully, knowledgeable of the dangers that walking through the open gate of temptation presents...I know better. And, I am grateful for the realization that I should return to the yard as quickly as possible. Not out of guilt so that I can remain in the good graces of my Master; but, out of love, so that I can remain in the good graces of my Master.

I was not mad at Scout, nor did I punish her for escaping this morning. I realize that if given the chance, she will venture out. I'm just glad that she's back home safe and sound with us tonight. And I rest in the thought that she should always return (eventually) because we love her and consistently take care of her every need.

Likewise, God will not be mad at us, nor punish us when we sin. He realizes that given our carnal nature and free will, we'll often venture into sin. He's just delighted when we repent, and return to Him. And just knowing how much He loves us (enough to send His only son to bear the burden of all the world's sin), should be enough to keep us close by the One who consistently takes care of our every need.

Thanks be to God for Scout, for the wisdom I've gained through life with her, and for the continual growth HE is granting me as I seek to live more fully for Him.

Study. Learn. Do. Teach (In That Order).

2014-03-06T15:15:00.001-05:00

Psalm 119:33-36 (NIV)

33 Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,
    that I may follow it to the end.

34 Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law
    and obey it with all my heart.

35 Direct me in the path of your commands,
    for there I find delight.

36 Turn my heart toward your statutes
    and not toward selfish gain.

Question:

For a couple of nights last month. I was distracted by watching big wave surfing videos on youtube (while parallelables remain unpublished...I know, priorities, right?) Big wave surfing in the Pacific Ocean at the end of January 2014 (specifically "Jaws" in Hawaii on January 19,2014 and "Mavericks" in California January 24, 2014 Billabong XXL tournament) was epic.

In searching for additional big wave photos, I came across a Kelly Slater quote overlaid on a surfing picture regarding studying the waves.

I tell you this, because it balances well with something else that I am currently struggling with. As I study the concept of blogging, in order to be able to publish Parallelables, I am also learning a lot about how to monetize blogs (with advertising, etc.) in order to increase income and pursue blogging full time. Despite my pledge to not monetize any blog that focuses on content derived from God's Word, which is freely given, I have been tempted to explore monetization further. Why is that?

This is not only counter to my mission of merely sharing God's messages, but it also serves as a distraction by taking time away from my goal. In my wanting to get ahead of God's will by establishing and monetizing an affiliate site, in addition to parallelables, I am actually walking further away from God's will for me. I am also not allowing Him to bless me.

Answer:

"We study to learn. We learn to do. We do to teach. Study to do or study to teach and you will fail."

I know (I've studied) how the pros are able to ride those massive waves, by finding their line on the wave. But, that doesn't make me qualified to hop on a surfboard at one of the big wave spots, and attempt to find the line. I'd be in a lot of trouble and would quickly find the bottom!

We must always start with the basics.

Ask yourself, "From what I've learned (by studying), what should I begin doing...and how do I go about that?" Then learn that. Then go do that.

Studying gives us a big picture overall. Then, we must break things down into basic components, in order to get started properly, if we want to succeed.

Going Forward:

I will continue to attempt to remain faithful in posting the parallelable messages that God provides. And I will continue to study God's word more deliberately, in order to learn what He would have me do to more fully serve Him.

Thanks be to God for his perfect timing. Thanks to Him who called me, before I was born, to do this (what He would have me to do today).

Captive Audience

2014-02-24T16:47:00.000-05:00

Romans 15:4 (NIV)

"4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope."

Question:

After reading the first six chapters of Isaiah, I noticed the Lord gave Isaiah prophetic visions of Judah and Jerusalem's dire need for repentance, as well as warnings against them if they didn't turn from their ways. The Lord did this before he called Isaiah. Yet, Isaiah enthusiastically responded.

You showed Isaiah many serious visions of a rebellious Judah and Jerusalem before you called him. My calling to simply reveal the wisdom you have shared with me in a blog, thankfully pales in comparison. Why is that?

Answer:

"People need teaching at all levels.

You are speaking to a captive audience.

They know their destinies because I have shown them their destiny.

They simply need encouragement to become mature so that they can fulfill their calling, and be able to receive even higher callings as they mature."

After hearing this, I re-read that day's devotion from Brandt, which contained this nugget:

"Our great God may not tap each of us on the shoulder and beckon us to specific tasks or arenas of service. If we are attuned to Him, however; if we abide daily in His presence, we can overhear Him calling out: "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" And we can be assured that He waits on us for our individual responses."

-Leslie F. Brandt from Meditations on a Loving God

Going Forward:

I intend to rely on the power of God's Word, and to simply relay His words. Further, I will attempt to refrain from mere embellishment for the sake of filling out a post.

It's important for me to realize that I can neither add to nor detract from the message that He wants those who are seeking Him to hear.

With that said, I pray that the Holy Spirit will be diligent in the delivery of this seemingly simple, but strikingly poignant revelation. And I thank God for entrusting me with this task.

Empty Canvas In A Room Full Of Paint

2014-01-16T02:32:00.000-05:00

Scripture:

Acts 17:24-28 (NIV)

²⁴“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. ²⁵And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. ²⁶From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. ²⁷God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ²⁸‘For in him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

Question: In seeking to more fully live out God's will for our lives, we are often distracted by seemingly worthy endeavors that actually seem to fit with daily Christian living. For example, spending time learning more about God, instead of on things we think we should be doing. How do we prioritize one worthy endeavor over another?

Answer: We aren't serving man...we are serving the Lord.

When we seek to serve the Lord more fully, we should consider ourselves an empty canvas. God is the master painter. All of our talents and abilities are merely paints situated all around the room. We don't have command of the paint, such that we can order it upon the canvas of our lives. God is the painter. He determines the picture of our lives. And the talents and abilities He's blessed us with, are at his disposal...not ours.

At any given moment, we should not (because we don't have the authority to) prioritize those things that are not presently in line with God's will or that get in the way of what God would have us do in serving Him. We should not become too confident in our abilities or what we can provide for people. Instead, our confidence should lie in the fact that the Lord is allowing us to do these things.

Charles Stanley said, "...if you walk ahead of God, you will walk out of his will".

God is the one orchestrating which paints get applied to the canvas. He is the artist, we are His art. We are simply the painting.

When our time on earth is done, and we have been given the opportunity to fully serve our purpose, our lives should reflect God's artful creation...his design. Others should be able to look at our lives, and recognize them as masterpieces of God's glory.

Going forward: I'm going to attempt to forget about my abilities. I will try to forget about my architectural abilities, my writing abilities, my gift of encouraging others, and everything else that I frequently take inventory of, in an attempt to determine how I might utilize them in serving God more fully. Instead, I will be ready to use what God has blessed me with, in the exact moment that He places me in.

We are what God causes us to become and no more. In thinking we are more than what God causes us to become, we are not allowing God to bless us with life more fully through Him.

So, let's place our confidence in God, and not in what he has provided us.

Day One

2013-12-03T15:33:00.000-05:00

Here it is...my leap of faith.

I have been preparing to start the Parallelables blog for a long time, and today seemed like the day to jump right in.

Give me a few days, and stop back by.

As you may have seen in the tagline, I intend to share with you, the illustrations from my personal experience that God uses to provide wisdom and insight into other areas of my life that I am struggling with simultaneously.

For example, I've come to realize that in order to more fully be of service to God, I must renew my mind, and gain control over my thoughts (especially the more impure thoughts). All sin begins with a thought. Thoughts lead to action.

So, after 42 years of entertaining just about every thought that popped into my head...I'm seeking to engage in what Joyce Meyer calls the "Battlefield of the Mind".

And throughout this journey, I have had (and continue to have) many questions. And quite frequently, God uses the most unlikely sources from my everyday life, to provide insight into these questions of mine.

Here are some parallelables you can look forward to hearing about in the upcoming weeks: Hol(e)y underwear and a renewed mind; empty toilet paper rolls and ignoring God in the good times; and clogged shower drains and remaining in sin.

As you may have noticed, many of the illustrations are revealed during shower time.

Thanks for joining me on this journey. I pray that the Lord will bless these words, so that they may become an avenue for further blessings to all who read them.

Now, if you will excuse me, I have a lot of front end work that needs to be taken care of. Don't worry, the blog will eventually become more visually interesting.

kda

The Parallelables Blog

Retrieving the Retriever

Lessons of God's unconditional love for us,

from a Black Lab...

"He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me." - Psalm 18:19 (NIV)

Dear Neighbor,

Did you know that we are all to be human letters to those around us? So how are things with you?

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 3:3 New International Version (NIV)

Question:

Answer:

Going Forward:

R.S.V.P.

Scripture:

Merry Christmas from the Parallelables Blog

Here's hoping you and your family have a very merry Christmas and a blessed new year.

- Kevin

Directions To God's Place

Scripture:

Psalm 100:3-4

Question:

Answer:

Going Forward:

Leftover Mess

SCRIPTURE:

Proverbs 16:9New Living Translation (NLT)

QUESTION:

ANSWER:

Going Forward:

Lord don't let us drive to the end of this road, only to discover a "road closed" sign. If we have to turn around after traveling so far, we'll certainly run out of gas and be in a mess, trying to get back on the right track.

When God blesses us with an opportunity to serve Him, let's continually remind ourselves of the goal of serving Him.

Halfhearted Attempt At Wholehearted Devotion

Scripture:

1 Chronicles 28:9-10New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 139:16

Showered by Grace

Question:

Answer:

Going Forward:

Light Unto My Path

Scripture:

Psalm 119:105 (King James Version)

Again, it's so arrogant of us to think like that. God calls the shots around here, not us! When will we learn this basic concept?

He graciously gave me the following illustration, and I am so thankfully glad to share it with you:

1 John 1:7 (New International Version)

Question:

Why do we linger in the darkness as if alone?

Answer:

Because we don't fully understand that Christ has already paid the price for the guilt and shame of sin that plagues us when we are not fully convinced that we are His, and that He has redeemed us by His grace.

Going Forward:

Deuteronomy 31:8 (New International Version)

"Let Daddy Help You"

Scripture:

Matthew 7:7 (NIV)

Question:

Answer:

Malachi 3:10 (NIV)

Going Forward:

Scout Got Out Again

Scripture:

Luke 15:17-20 (NIV)

Question:

Answer:

Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)

Going Forward:

Study. Learn. Do. Teach (In That Order).

Psalm 119:33-36 (NIV)

Question:

Answer:

Going Forward:

Captive Audience

Romans 15:4 (NIV)

Question:

"People need teaching at all levels. You are speaking to a captive audience. They know their destinies because I have shown them their destiny. They simply need encouragement to become mature so that they can fulfill their calling, and be able to receive even higher callings as they mature."

Going Forward:

Empty Canvas In A Room Full Of Paint

Scripture:

Acts 17:24-28 (NIV)

Day One

Here it is...my leap of faith.

"He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me." - Psalm 18:19 (NIV)

"People need teaching at all levels.

You are speaking to a captive audience.

They know their destinies because I have shown them their destiny.

They simply need encouragement to become mature so that they can fulfill their calling, and be able to receive even higher callings as they mature."