A Bird, Maybe a Cardinal

I have always felt like a bird. I like to migrate, usually during the summer i have to travel somewhere. I love to sing and at the most inopportune moments such as 2 in the morning. I also like shinny things...I am beginning to sound crazy am I not? But this love for shinny things is deep! Here, let me explain...We are told to be the light of the world, but wait! I am completely sinful aside from the Holy Spirit, so who can I be a light? The most beautiful explanation i have heard is the analogy of the sun and the moon. The moon is just a big hunk of dirt orbiting the earth, but it provides light in the darkest places...so how does it do that without producing its own energy? It is a reflection of the sun...when we look at the big shinny moon, pouring its shine down on us, it is reflecting the sun. I want to be the reflection of the Son; I only want people to see the Lord in me! I fail so often, and every moon has its dark days, but the Son never stops shinning...even when I fail as a human, the Lord is perfect and will never fail you. So that is how I explain my crazy attraction to shinny things...I know there are more out there who know what I'm talking about, the sparkles on the pavement, the light on the water, the reflection off a ring...they mesmerize you. There is just something about light.

The One that Got Away, Kind Of...

So I have been thinking, what is interesting enough in my life to write about. And what do I come up with? Fishing. Of course not just any old type of fishing! This is the hardcore, fight with a marlin for hours type of fishing...if you have never experienced this...give me a call; everyone needs to try deep sea fishing at least once in their life. Why would some chick from the middle of nowhere care about fishing? Maybe it has something to do with sentiments of the trips, just good old fashion quality time with dad, but I think there is something more to it...Unless you have felt the salty wind on your face and felt the surge of adrenaline run through your veins when you hear the zip of a line it maybe hard to imagine. Picture this...early dawn, chilly with the lack of sunshine and anticipation in the air; bait on the boat, gas in the tanks and polls ready to go. Before the sun has even fully risen, the boat is in the water and just asking for some horsepower! Stalked with enough food and drink to last a week, we call the harbormaster, which signals the beginning of the fun. After cruising at 40 knots for an hour or so, we finally reach the spot...just deep enough to attract the lower lying fish like tuna and far enough away to go undisturbed by other boats. We release the brightly colored lures to whitecaps and begin the slow ritual of trolling in wide figure eights. There are some set on look out for the fisherman's friend...seagulls; where there are seagulls, usually you find fish. So we wait, laughing and singing to old jimmy buffet and bob Marley songs...trying snag a line or two. Suddenly, the ringing of running fish can be heard above the music and everyone shoots into action. Lock the line, strap on the fighting belt, reel in the other lines and most of all, get the bat...here i must explain...it has always been the tradition on my fathers boat that the youngest child present is given the task of the bat...one can only imagine the scene that takes place when my small-for-his-age brother of 7 is given a large wooden bat and given the task of "calming" the 15-35lb. fish. Barely able to lift the heavy bat above his head, it is quite a laugh to watch his efforts...but i digress...So proceeds the fight...the patience, determination, and concentration that goes into the task is enough to shock the fish into a stupor, but there would be no sport in that! After a length of time, anywhere from 20 min. to 5 hours and longer, the fish must come to an end in some way or another. Either he is caught and kept or cut loose. Lets go with the scenario of caught and kept, and since i mentioned it, the record of a 5 hour fight is a pretty interesting one. So after the (in this case) first 4 1/2 hours, we realize that for some reason, this fish, which we believed to be a large tuna, began acting very peculiar. As the fish swam under the boat we realize that there was an oddly large shadow directly behind our target. No sooner had the fish on the line circled around and shot for the surface did a large shark break the water...our tuna was having a particularly bad day...not only did he get snagged on one of our lines, but he also seemed to attract the attention of a large reef shark! Needless to say, our tuna did not fair well. After being partially devoured by a shark, he was reeled it in to complete the unbelievable story. After a full day at sea, we head back to the harbor under the moonlight. The peace that settles at the end of a full day of fishing is one of relaxation and contentment. The high hum of a full throttle twin engine fishing boat allows one to slip into a state of reflection beyon comparison. Admiring one of God's masterpieces, the moon relecting on the water puts one into a state of worship and the day is complete. The silence of the harbor after slowing down to an idle. The lapping of the waves can be heard as we unload the boat and clean the fish...9 beautiful tune, 1 half eaten tuna, and 3 dolphin (mahi mahi). We arrive home and start the grill to enjoy the rest of our night.

Fire, Salt and Sound

I have always seen life as an orchestra, with crescendos, decrescendos, solos and even a piece that goes flat or sharp once in a while. This symphony, conducted by the Lord, has become a beautiful masterpiece, even with my bad notes thrown in. Well recently this song has been playing some really aweful flat notes and if you know anything about music you will understand when i say that those notes can really make your head spin. When hard times come, sometimes we see it as an excuse to "relax" on the job a little bit. When we lose focus and motivation, we are sure to lose valuable ground. It's so hard to keep that little bit of spark going. We need to feed it into a flame; and don't worry, the hand of the Lord will always be there to sheild it, but it takes faith and committment. We are told to be lights of the world and salt of the earth. I learned something interesting about salt...when salt loses it's saltiness, it is a direct result of outside substances comtaminating the salt. This is how the world effects us; when we are blinded by indifference and our own personal problems, we begin to act and react in different way that one who's life is fully consummed by the Lord. I guess what I'm saying is that...life is just like fire, salt and sound...totally random and totally contoled by God.

Removing Idols

"But the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places." 2 Kings 12:3 (NKJV)

We often encounter new believers who still have idols or other pagan objects in their homes. On one occasion, we were discipling a married couple. While touring their apartment, we discovered their idol shelf in a back room. After we showed them scriptural teachings on idols, they were determined to remove the shelf immediately.
The idol shelf was removed with a screwdriver, and all its implement were tossed into a box. We patched the holes in the wall with putty, and the new believers placed a cross over the patching just to make it clear where their loyalty rested. Then the husband boldly walked outside and smashed the head off the idol with a hammer as his curious neighbors started in disbelief.
While cleansing their home of pagan objects, I reflected on my life. How many "high places" do I still have in my own life? God revealed to me the stronghold of pride in my heart. Instead of relying on God's power, I often summon my pride and tell myself, "I can do this." When criticized by others, instead of turning to Jesus, I soothe my pride by saying to myself, "Who cares what they think?"
Pride was getting me deeper in sin and further away from God's powerful grace. My idol, pride, wasn't sitting up on a shelf; it was hidden deep in my heart. It will take more than a one-time smash with a hammer to remove pride. It requires daily confession and repentance for me to take away this "high place."

~A worker in China
Voices of the Faithful w/ Beth Moore
Integrity Publishers: 2005