Rest Well My Child

I am currently reading, "The Rest of God; Restoring Your Soul by Restoring your Sabbath" by Mark Buchanan. It is a beautifully crafted work that speaks of the Sabbath not only as an Old Testament mandate but an attitude of the heart and mind.

Buchanan advocates that we have been divinely designed for rest. We work, we labor, we toil, we boast about our busyness. We have the tendency to measure success by the volume of activities we are engaged in. STOP cries Buchanan. REST! Honor God, be at peace, renew your batteries-so you can run longer and more effectively when you get back on the treadmill. As one person rightly said, "if you don't pull away you will pull apart." How true.

So how do we rest, when are we to rest, what else can we experience on the Sabbath other than rest. All good questions. Rest is ordained and commanded by God says Buchanan. Rest is non-negotiable in the economy of God. Rest, reflection, recreation are all a part of Sabbath observance.

May you and I cultivate an attitude of Sabbath and have the courage to observe the Sabbath.

See you on the cold side of the pillow!

Yard Sale!! ...

Today we had the dubious distinction of hosting a large yard sale. As many of you will be able to relate to the sometimes dreaded event, we had sorting, pricing, cleaning, set-up, signage etc. to accomplish before the sale. Things went very well, with yard sale fanatics working their craft like finely accomplished dealing diplomats starting as early as 7:15 a.m.

With coffee in one hand and price tags and marker in the other I began to assist the busy shoppers. What I began to realize is two things: people are always looking for a deal and many know what they want. Though we had most all of our "stuff" marked way down, people still want a "deal" and will bargain without shame.

I thought to myself that the Lord offers the ultimate "deal" and there is no haggling and no sorting through a maze of items. No wondering if "it works", has a match, will fit in my car.

The item is salvation- a gift of His grace, rich yet free. It's an amazing find! No haggling, no bait and switch, no strings attached. Always available, has an eternal warranty!

I like yard sales but the gift of Jesus Christ is priceless.

Pardon me while I return to pricing some last minute items!

Changing Lanes

Life takes it quirky twists and turns. Family, marriage, health, relatives, work, the economy, and yes, even the weather. So many things can change so rapidly. The truth is we are always in some sort of state of change. Some change we can manage and other changes seem to manage us. The one thing that I have learned (and am learning) is to trust God and seek Him through whatever the change elements or conditions are. To seek Him and the greatest good as well as asking Him how I might better serve others through the change that I am experiencing.

I am also learning that God is not as interested in my success and/or failure and probably does not define them as wins or losses as much as He does staying on the journey of knowing Him and serving Him. I plan to remain on this journey for a long time.