Do you know the band Skillet?  You should.  Solid rock band with powerful lyrics and sound.  One Day Too Late is from their new album Awake.  Do you remember when you thought time moved so slow?  When you wish you would hurry up and get on with your life?  This song beautifully and passionately encourages us to not life “one step behind.”
Tick tock, hear the clock countdown
Wish the minute hand could be rewound
So much to do and so much I need to say
Will tomorrow be too late?

Today, I’m gonna try a little harder
Gonna make every minute last longer
Gonna learn to forgive and forget
‘Cause we don’t have long, gonna make the most of it

Gutsy vocals by the lead singer that leaves you feeling he deeply knows what this song is talking about.  This is definitely a roll down the windows and crank up the music kind of song…. Take a listen and enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_imfiEI4Lk

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“What men call training and preparation, God calls the end.  God’s end is to enable me to see that He can walk on the chaos of my life just now.”

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When I was in 7^th grade I went to a new school where my big brother and sister were the only kids I knew.  Is there anything more lonely than being the new kid?  Starting school stressed me out but my mom was extremely confident that I would do just fine.  Of course moms are supposed to say things like that however this time she was right.  I got through the first day, the first week, the first semester and low and behold I had friends.  Mom knew two things I didn’t know. She knew I was prepared to make friends, because in my heart I really wanted friends and she knew that there were other kids prepared to be my friend because they were looking for friends just like me.

Of course, that school was not the last new place I have had to overcome.  I have been to new jobs, new neighborhoods, new churches and new towns.  Maybe you have too.  Even when I feel with certainty that I am moving in a direction the Lord has taken me, each new adventure brings anxiety.  Will I succeed?  Am I prepared?  Has the Lord really gone before me to prepare the way or am I all alone?  Even people of great faith can have times when they feel all alone.  Take Elijah.

Elijah was an Old Testament prophet who the Lord used to do amazing miracles.  I mean “fire raining down from the sky” type of miracles.  Elijah not only saw these miracles but He was the man God used to perform the miracles and yet Elijah went through a time of discouragement. People were trying to kill him, and Elijah was convinced he was the only man left that believed in God.  In 1 Kings 19:10 Elijah even told God “I am the only one left.”  Elijah felt all alone.

What Elijah didn’t know was that God had gone before him.  God had not only prepared other people to support Elijah, He had prepared Elijah to reach out to these other people.  To revive Elijah, the first thing God did was schedule a meeting with him.  He had Elijah come to a mountain and then God came to him in a still small voice.  Yet through all of this, Elijah keeps saying “I am the only one left.”  I imagine God smiling down on Elijah and slowly shaking His head.  So God tells Elijah he’s not the only believer, there’s actually 7000 believers.  And if that’s not enough to lift His isolation, God told him where and who to anoint as the next prophet.  So Elijah anointed Elisha who did not leave his side for the rest of Elijah’s days.

Just like Elijah, God has prepared others to help you on your path and God has prepared you to find them.

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Do you need a sweet, gentle song that speaks directly to the hurt in your heart?  Laura Story delivers just such a song called Blessings.  Her clear, passionate voice shares the pain and faith that God reaches into our lives for our good with each prayer we lift– whether it’s answered the way we want are not.  Here’s the big question…”What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?”  Laura calls this song a “Diary entry” because it is so personal.  Thank you for sharing…

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

I have two videos.  One a chance to hear her lovely voice and song and the other where she tells of the struggles with her husband’s health which inspired the song.  ALSO if you are in the St Louis area, she will be here in concert through Joyfm on Feb. 9th. I’m there!  Who’s going? For more info: http://joyfmonline.org/extras/sofa-series.asp

The song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajwUPdcmZ24

The story behind the song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDiTuSLSJB8

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“A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus would have said would not be a great moral teacher.  He would either be a lunatic- on a level with a man that who says he is a poached egg- or else he would be the Devil of Hell.  You must make your choice.  Either this man was and is the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse.  You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about Him being a great human teacher.  He has not left that open to us.  He did not intend to.”

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You would not believe the frightening noises that come out of my washing machine.  It began with that helicopter noise during the spin cycle. I tried moving the machine away from the wall.  It didn’t help but the clothes were still clean so I ignored the noise.  Then the wash cycle began to sound like an earth mover digging a subbasement in my laundry room.  I tried avoiding the heavy wash setting to cut down on the noise but the clothes were still clean so I moved on.  Let’s face it. There’s no puddle of water, no suds climbing the walls, not smoke and no sparks (that I know of) but really I know a complete breakdown is just a matter time.  At some point when the little fixes don’t work you have to face the reality that something is really wrong.

Relationships are like that. Take in-law relationships. When there’s a problem between a couple and their in-laws the tendency is to try and fix the in-law relationship when the real problem is between the parent and child.  But focusing on the in law relationship is the easy fix like moving my washer away from the wall.  It’s better for a little while but the real problem’s still there.   But in Matthew 5:24 Jesus tells us to “be reconciled to our brothers.”  Jesus doesn’t want us to settle for the easy fix.  He wants us to restore damaged relationships.  That means getting down to the real problem.

Most significant family problems originate in primary relationships like husbands and wives and parents and children.  In-law relationships are secondary relationships.  The friction in a secondary relationship is a symptom of the real problem in a primary relationship.

Think of it this way.  When parents don’t like the person their child has married it probably has to do with the way that person behaves but the real problem is that the child has not only chosen someone the parents would have never chosen but then their child tolerates their spouse’s behavior.  Parent’s think “I raised them to do better than this”.   What’s hard for the parent to see is that on some level the spouse their child picked fills a need and offers their child some level of completion. The parents need to acknowledge the positive things the spouse brings to the marriage even if they don’t understand it..

Likewise, a parent might ignore, belittle or insult the spouse or they find other ways to interfere with the marriage.  The real issue is the child’s need to show the parent they are an adult by telling them the marriage is the priority and the expectation is for them to treat the spouse with respect.  You see spouses don’t change their behaviors in a marriage to please their in-laws.  They change their behaviors to build and nurture the marriage.

Lasting change needs to occur in primary relationships.  Parents and adult children should ask the other to change and spouses should request change of each other.  Trying to change an in-law relationship without looking at the primary relationships is just trying to get rid of the noise by offering a quick fix.  You know you deserve better.  Jesus knows you deserve better too.

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Would you believe that this song “Make a Move” makes me want to move?  It’s got great rhythm and the lead vocalist for Royal Tailor, Tauren Wells,  has a smooth singing voice that still punches a lot of energy.  My favorite line is “I’ve been captured by the unimportant.”  To many days that is frighteningly true.

Mr. Good Intentions, so much I wanna do
My mouth just keeps on running, but I never follow through
I heard that true religion, is love with hands and feet
I wanna find my own way to reach a world in need
Yeah, I’ve been captured by the unimportant
Locked in, and now it’s time to break free

There’s more to life
Open my eyes
Someone is needing You
So I gotta make a move
What good are words
When this world hurts
Real faith will come through
When I make a move

This is another singing group that will be in the JoyFM Birthday Sofa Concert Series if you happen to be in the St Louis area.  Here’s the link for more info: http://joyfmonline.org/extras/sofa-series.asp

Enjoy the video…not just for the music but they’re pretty snappy dressers too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbELfw2H_Xc

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“The conviction that our effort makes a difference and that we are not victims of circumstance is what keep us persisting in the face of setbacks.  It saves us from apathy, hopelessness, and despair.”

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Growing up I had the greatest time climbing in this shade tree in the front yard. I’d do all sorts of things up there. I’d play house with my sister or read a good book or just hide in the branches so the people coming by couldn’t see me. I suppose if you stayed in the tree long enough you could get really good at balancing on those branches. But no matter how much fun you’re having, somewhere in the back of your mind there would always be the fear of falling. I guess the trick is keeping your balance.

Life can be a balancing act. Each of us live each day just trying to get things done but some people have things that make their life more of a balancing act. In addition to coping with the normal stress in life you may also be struggling with wanting too much of something in your life like food or alcohol or shopping or prescriptions. As you go through your day picking up the groceries and pumping gas in the car, a part of your brain is working to figure out how to work another drink, another shopping trip or another pill into your day without anyone else knowing.

Maybe your balancing act is not about excessive things but about excessive thoughts. Maybe your drive into work is filled with thoughts of worry, for things beyond your control or does your mind fill with the harsh stuff like bitterness, jealousy and anger? Whether it’s excessive things or excessive thoughts, dealing with these burdens plus the regular chores of living your life can be quite a balancing act. The problem is that like climbing trees, after you do it for a while you lose the fear of falling. And if you’re not afraid of falling, how bad can it really be?

The apostle Paul was worried about people thinking they had it all under control when they really didn’t. In 1 Corinthians 10:12 he said “… if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” You see battling temptation is hard enough when you see it coming but how do you battle something you’re busy ignoring? It’s like living your life balancing on tree limbs. You can do it for a while but at some point, odds are, you’re going to fall. How? by hurting yourself or someone you love.

What gets in the way of us seeing the temptations in our lives? We cover them up with thoughts like “I’m not that bad. I know people that shop more, eat more, and live with more jealousy or anger than I ever have.” OR “I know I shouldn’t live with this bitterness or drinking “thing” but it’s not affecting my work or my family.” OR “This is just not that bad– certainly nothing God would be upset with.”

The worst thing you can do is think you’re standing firm when really the branch beneath your feet is starting to crack. Let God’s word show you how to plant your feet firmly on the ground. Believe me it’s much better than waiting to hear the branch suddenly crack.

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“I believe there is a writer outside of ourselves, plotting a better story for us, interacting with us, even, and whispering a better story into our consciousness.”

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