“You can purchase anything off the Internet except common sense.”
Jim Harrison of the Kentucky Reptile Zoo in Slade, KY, commenting on the exotic animal trade, some of which are used by “snake-handling” churches for feats of you fill in the blank.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25651899/>1=43001
I was playing with my oldest baby girl, who is 2. I said, “You’re beautiful.”
She replied, “I not boot-ee-fool.”
I asked wondering, “You’re not? What are you, then?”
Smiling, she replied with certain confidence, “I Annesley … and I a princess.”
I’ve been back from “vacation” for nearly a week now (Thursday will be a week). I must say that I can certainly tell that I’m no longer “on vacation.” But more on that in a bit.
What my vacation consisted of was seeing family, visiting who I consider to be my home church, a pastor’s retreat/conference, and spending time with my immediate family at the beach. You ever hear of the phrase, “I need a vacation from my vacation?”
All in all my vacation was “good” … at times unpleasant … but nonetheless good. Deciding to head off stress by discontinuing to keep score on the golf course is certainly less than pleasant … but in the long run being able to spend the time with my brother is invaluable … it was good.
I found out that I still have much to learn. For example my 4-year old nephew was about to sport some brand new Diego swim shorts and proceeded to inform me that Diego was not real. I asked him how he knew Diego was not real. A couple of minutes passed in our jostling debate, and he grew impatient with his obviously ignorant uncle. He ends the conversation with golden nugget of wisdom, “UNCLE WILLIAM … Diego is NOT real. He’s made in China just like everything else … except for gnats.”
I’ve never been put into my place quite like that before!
Yes, my life here in South Carolina is not my life in Georgia. I miss Georgia … and I especially felt my longing for “home” when I had the opportunity to attend what I consider to be my home church. No, my life here is not my life there.
In fact, I really don’t have a life there anymore. Oh, there are facets of my life here that are still in Georgia. But my life is not there … nor is my life here. Rather my life is in Christ … who has the authority to lead me to even the ends of the earth.
Don’t get me wrong. There is a philosophy that many of precious older believers live out. Christianity to them is getting saved … holding out here as best I can … and waiting to make it to heaven. This is not what I mean.
I have precious treasure in my friends and family, precious memories in the various places I’ve visited and lived. These will always be a part of me … a part of who I am. But all of these will always flow from my life in Christ Jesus … who is my very life.
These special people and places are shadows of Jesus’s great Salvation in my life. If I attempt to pursue them first, they become idols and Jesus becomes a mere shadow (and a bad one at that) of the Jesus in Scripture … and I find that instead of Jesus casting his shadow over me, the devil does … and his shadows are quite rough and scary.
Yet, if I chase Jesus, by taking up my cross and following him, I find that my shadows are chasing me.
