Yesterday Carol, Dennis and I went to my parent’s house in Georgia to pick up some things my mother has given Carol. The low fuel light was glowing and I was trying to stretch it to get to Tifton for some of that cheap Georgia gas. Suddenly, traffic stacked up. Without thinking too much, I pulled the truck into the median and headed back to the previous exit and bought gas.
Life is a constant set of choices. We found out later that a watermelon truck that had burned caused the stack up. Would I have run out of gas? Would I have made it? No way to tell, at this point but sitting in the line, wondering if we were going to make it, would have been stress that I don’t need at this stage of my life. There are times to go backwards!
In our spiritual journey, we need to constantly evaluate our progress. The minute we discover that we’ve wandered off track, that we are going a direction not sanctioned by the Lord or we discover that we lack spiritual energy to get through --- we need to go backwards! Our journey should take us --- as fast as we can travel --- back to the place where we know we are in fellowship with the Lord.
Life is a constant set of choices. Do you need to pull onto the median today and get moving back to the source of spiritual power?
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
They're coming.....
I’m trying hard to keep my ear for Portuguese. My thought is that if I can keep remembering how it sounds and what they are saying, I should be able to speak it – if I ever have that necessity. Yesterday, I watched the afternoon news from Portugal over the Internet. One of the lead stories points out how different cultures can be: it seems sardine fishermen are extremely upset over the quotas and prices that have been set for their trade!
Sardines are important to the Portuguese. We’re not talking about the little sardines in a can. The Portuguese love the larger sardines. Fresh ones. Grilled. I’ll never forget the first time I smelled those fish over the fire – they smell almost like a tire burning. Not one that I enjoyed and not one that would entice me to try them, but the Portuguese have a national obsession over anything that comes out of the ocean and sardines are a favorite.
Can you imagine CNN, Fox or a leading network news show leading off with how sardine fishermen are upset? Only if it were the slowest news day in history!
Countries are different; cultures are different; and, what is important to people is different. Yet, despite all the differences there is one fundamental need: to know Christ and the power of His resurrection.
Different kinds of people are headed our way. They will come from all over the United States and will retire here in our part of north Florida. They will come with all sorts of different accents, attitudes and obsessions. Despite this, they will have the one fundament need: to know Christ and the power of His resurrection. The question is: will Wellborn be faithful to share the message that has changed our lives?
Sardines are important to the Portuguese. We’re not talking about the little sardines in a can. The Portuguese love the larger sardines. Fresh ones. Grilled. I’ll never forget the first time I smelled those fish over the fire – they smell almost like a tire burning. Not one that I enjoyed and not one that would entice me to try them, but the Portuguese have a national obsession over anything that comes out of the ocean and sardines are a favorite.
Can you imagine CNN, Fox or a leading network news show leading off with how sardine fishermen are upset? Only if it were the slowest news day in history!
Countries are different; cultures are different; and, what is important to people is different. Yet, despite all the differences there is one fundamental need: to know Christ and the power of His resurrection.
Different kinds of people are headed our way. They will come from all over the United States and will retire here in our part of north Florida. They will come with all sorts of different accents, attitudes and obsessions. Despite this, they will have the one fundament need: to know Christ and the power of His resurrection. The question is: will Wellborn be faithful to share the message that has changed our lives?
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Illegal immigration?
A debate is raging in our country over illegal immigration and its effects on us. Protests over the last couple of weeks have raised the level of debate, especially as it relates to illegal workers from the south – whether Mexico or other Central American countries. The illegals say that justice demands that they be allowed access to the freedoms American citizens enjoy. The President and Congress seem stymied by what to do about it all.
Carol and I can testify that immigration is a difficult process in America. Hoops have to be jumped through; a good bit of money has to be paid; but those steps have to be done in order to be recognized as a citizen of the United States.
There is a citizenship far superior to US citizenship. The basis for becoming a citizen of that place cost far more than US citizenship and was far more complicated. Every person in the world begins as an alien to this citizenship – and as the Scripture says, is “without hope and without God in the world.” But Christ Jesus stepped into our hopeless and broke it – by having his own body shattered on the Cross of Calvary. Now, those of us who have accepted His sacrificial work on the Cross have access to the Father by the Spirit. Now we have been granted a new status, not on the basis of our labor, but on the basis of His sacrifice. Now we are considered citizens – citizens of heaven. (Eph. 2:12-20; Phil. 2:19)
Carol and I can testify that immigration is a difficult process in America. Hoops have to be jumped through; a good bit of money has to be paid; but those steps have to be done in order to be recognized as a citizen of the United States.
There is a citizenship far superior to US citizenship. The basis for becoming a citizen of that place cost far more than US citizenship and was far more complicated. Every person in the world begins as an alien to this citizenship – and as the Scripture says, is “without hope and without God in the world.” But Christ Jesus stepped into our hopeless and broke it – by having his own body shattered on the Cross of Calvary. Now, those of us who have accepted His sacrificial work on the Cross have access to the Father by the Spirit. Now we have been granted a new status, not on the basis of our labor, but on the basis of His sacrifice. Now we are considered citizens – citizens of heaven. (Eph. 2:12-20; Phil. 2:19)
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