August 2004
Monthly Archive
Backpacking For The Lord!
Posted by Paul on 31 Aug 2004 | Tagged as: General
No, not the type of backpacking you do when your hiking, or climbing a mountain, or on a high adventure. Nothing like that at all.
I thought I would just be a little humerous today and talk about my handy dandy backpack as one of my blogging friends, Weebie calls it.
It all started when on one of the blogs, they were talking about purses and what they carry in them and of course, not being a woman, (they were even talking about purses that have a built in light, so when you open it up you can see what is in it, for a writer, that is a novel idea [pun intended]) I don’t carry a purse, it just would not be big enough for me 
My backpack and I travel together, everywhere. To Isaack’s or Sunshine Cafe when I go for breakfast and spend time at my favorite booth reading, writing into my journal or my article and then typing it into my electronic notebook. I take it to Church, to Sunday School, anywhere and everywhere. Wherever I go, it goeth!
Now what do I carry in my backpack? Let’s see, I have everything that I need for writing, taking notes. You need a pen, I got it, a stapler, yep, have that too, oh, you need some paper to take notes, yep. You prefer a pencil to a pen, got those. Clip board, yep, several of those. You know, you got to have something solid to write on. You say you need some 3X5 index cards, hey, I got it. Highlighters, a number of those also. I am beginning to think that I have a mini office supply in my backpack.
Also carry my AphaSmart 3000 electronic notebook in it. Hmm, paper clips, clips for holding things open. Oh yeah, a couple of books that I am reading and lets not forget my daily journal, my to do list, calendar and that is about it I think.
Munchies, hey, I put a small pack of carrots in one of those pockets and I am seriously thinking about adding a small thermos for coffee, or water, or tea. Wow, I could survive for a couple of days if I fill those extra pockets up with health food type snacks. Got to keep my youngest daughter happy, as well as the rest of the family. Would you believe I have gone a whole week, I mean a whole week with no bread, that I have been eating salads and veggies, ok, I did cheat a little, I had a medium size order of fries and gravy with my coffee today. But don’t tell my daughter
Hmm, I feel like I am forgetting something, Ah, I know what I forgot, my cell phone is clipped to the outside of the backpack. I could add a extra set of car keys just in case I lock the others in the car.
Hmm, now I wonder where I sat that backpack down?
Sometimes, the Lord just wants us to sit back and smile and enjoy the day, friends and those around us and be just a little silly once in awhile. It is ok. Laughter is like a medicine and today has been one of those days, that I just sense the Lord saying, Paul lighten up, relax and enjoy the day that I have given you.
So I rejoice in the Lord, have a smile on my face, and I took the challenge of my friend Weebie, to write about my handy dandy backpack. We give cars and other things names. Do you think I ought to give my backpack a name?
Till later,
Paul
Resting In The Lord!!
Posted by Paul on 30 Aug 2004 | Tagged as: General
It is a little after 03:00 AM in the morning when I woke up and came and sat on the front porch. You know what I heard? Nothing, absolutely nothing!
Not even the sound of the crickets. It was as if everything was at peace, resting in the morning hours.
Then I realized, that earlier I had laid down for a few minutes to rest for awhile and that my thoughts were on the Lord and when I woke, I woke to a calmness and peacefulness of heart and soul.
I became aware that the Lord had given me a taste of what it means to rest in Him. To know His presence in the midst of all that is going on in my life. I have a peace, rest and assurance that the Lord is well aware of what I have need of and that He wants me to rest, to simply rest in Him!
He wants us to know that we can truly rest in Him. That in Him we will find the strength for the day. That He has not given us a spirit of fear but of a sound mind. That He has given us an assurance that He will walk with us day by day as we rest in Him.
We were talking in bible study the other day, that the Lord is bringing us back to the basics, to the foundational truths of simply believing Him, trusting Him and walking in His ways and learning to rest in that which He has done and is doing in our lives.
I think that often times, we make it more complicated than it should be. The word of God says: “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy-burden and I will cause you to rest [I will ease and release your souls]” Matthew 11:28 Amplified Bible.
He wants us to come to a place of rest, not to be in spiritual anxiety, but to be at ease, at rest. That He wants to give us that peace that passes all understanding. He wants us to be refreshed in Him.
That we take comfort in His Word, in His Presence!
Rest in the Lord my friends, Rest in the Lord!!
Till later,
Paul
He Sets My Heart To Dancing!!
Posted by Paul on 29 Aug 2004 | Tagged as: General
I am beginning to see more and more how important worship and praise is for the beginning of the day and the ending of the night.
As I awoke this morning I was feeling a little blah, not particularly happy nor sad just blah and I was beginning to allow it to effect my day and then I started listening to some music, not worship or praise, though I listen to it often, but lately I have been just listening the instrumental background of various types of music.
I found myself beginning to worship and praise the Lord, to just begin to sing the words that came to my heart to the Lord and I began to soar in the Spirit and my heart began to rejoice in the Lord and I felt like I was just dancing in the spirit, making melody with my heart, that I was in the presence of my Lord.
I was thinking Lord, this is really awesome, that we can take music, any of it and began to focus on you and it brings us into your presence and you rejoice with us as we worship you, that it fills your heart to over flowing when your children sing to you and it delights you to bless them with your presence.
When you are feeling kind of down, a little stressed, worried, in the pits, so far down that you wonder why try, then I challenge you this day, to just begin to worship the Lord with your voice.
Oh, it doesn’t matter how it sounds, because your singing it to your father and He thinks you are one of the greatest singers that He has had the pleasure of listening too.
He hears the song from your heart and Oh, it does please Him. It brings a smile to His face and I can hear Him saying to the angels, these are my sons and daughters, these are my children, don’t they sing beautifully?
Our father takes pride in us when we give of ourselves to Him, when we abandon ourselves to Him and trust Him each and everyday, to lead us a fresh in the paths that He has sit before us.
So my friends, rejoice this day in the Lord, sing praises to the Most High, and sense and know the presence of His Spirit in a new way.
Delight yourselves in the Lord!!
Till later,
Paul
A Little Light!!
Posted by Paul on 28 Aug 2004 | Tagged as: General
I woke up at around 03:30 this morning so I thought I would go and sit on the front porch for awhile. As I sat down and lit the oil lamp, the thought came to me how when it was lit, the darkness around me disappeared.
Though there was darkness, the porch was lit up from the soft glow of the oil lamp and I was able to see everything. It was all brought into the light so that I would not stumble or fall or trip over anything in my path.
That is what it is like when we come to the Lord, a light is lit within and it begins to expose those things that need to be dealt with in our lives so that the Lord can bring the changes that are so necessary.
But the light does more than expose things, it illuminates the way before us. The Word of the Lord is a lamp unto our feet, showing us the way to walk and guiding us in the paths of the Lord.
Light is an important aspect in our life. The light keeps us from falling into the traps that the enemy sets before us. Keeps us aware of his tactics. Light also shows us the beauty of things around us, that we can see the Lord reflected in so many things.
It is up to us as to how much light we want to shine forth. As I adjusted the wick, I could get the flame so small that you could barely tell there was any light at all, but as I adjusted the wick it got brighter and brighter and eventually the whole porch and surrounding area was covered with the radiance of the light, of its glow.
So what do you want to do with the light of Christ? Do we hide it under a bushel? Keep it for ourselves, not to share it or do we set it on the table and let it shine forth and adjust it to get the maximum light, not so low you barely see it.
Let us adjust the light for its maximum effectiveness, to allow the Lord to adjust the light within, that we will give off a light that will make it easier for others to see that in the midst of a world full of darkness, there is hope, there is a way.
To give hope to those around us and to shine forth and truly reflect the light of the Lord. To reflect the reality of who He.
Till later,
Paul
Get Passionate!!
Posted by Paul on 27 Aug 2004 | Tagged as: General
How is your walk with the Lord?
How have you and Him been getting along lately? How much time have you given Him? How much do you show your love for Him?
I think if there is one thing that I have learned over the last couple of years is how unpassionate I had become. That I lacked passion for the Lord, for those He gave me to love, I didn’t stop loving them, I just did not have anymore passion.
I just let each day roll by and not aware that I had begun to take things for granted. I lost touch with the Lord. He did not lose touch with me. I lost touch with those that were the most precious to me.
If there is anything that the Lord wants in our lives, it is for us to be passionate. I mean sold out, your all I want, I am madly in love with you Lord type passion.
For only then can we have a passion that pours out to our families, to our friends, to those in our life that mean the most to us.
The Lord is calling us back to that first love relationship with Him. Where our desire is to intimately know Him, to know His word that He might write it upon our hearts, to know His presence, and to know His voice, that still small voice that speaks to our hearts, to our spirit and leads us in His ways.
We need to be passionate about the things of God, to share the reality of who He is. Not only in the words that we speak, but in the life that we live.
As we do this, then we will learn to be passionate for the things that the Lord is passionate about. We will learn to be passionate in our relationship with those who are important in our lives.
That they will begin to see the reality of the Christ within. That they will see the life changing power of Christ, and the Spirit of the Lord working in our life.
Take time this day to let the Lord know how much you love Him and ask Him to rekindle that flame within, that flame of passion that has been reduced to an ember that is almost ready to go out.
Let the Lord by His Spirit begin to breathe upon that ember, that the breath of His presence will cause that ember to break forth into an all consuming fire that will cause you to fall passionately in love with your Lord and Savior as He woo’s you back to know Him in an even greater way, learning to fall in love all over again with the one who gave Himself for you!
Till later,
Paul
With A Heart Of A Child!!
Posted by Paul on 26 Aug 2004 | Tagged as: General
Sitting here this morning just enjoying the breaking forth of a new day. Watching as the sun rises over the hill’s of the Hill Country of Texas and it is so breath taking to behold. I find it hard to believe that anyone could ever think this was all an accident, that is beyond comprehension to me.
The birds are singing this morning, making melody in their hearts as they sing and bring in the new day. They set a good example for us, to bring in the day, with a song in our heart, even when our heart’s feel broken, we can begin to offer the Lord the sacrifice of praise, of worship and allow Him to draw us into His presence.
Having my youngest daughter, Elise, here for a couple of weeks is good for this dad’s heart and for her mom. To hear the excitement in her heart, the plans that she has, the dreams and the hopes. I am so thankful to the Lord for opening a wide door of communication in my life with her. Also with my oldest daughter, Gloria and my son Joshua.
I want to encourage mom’s and dad’s, grandparent’s, single mom’s and dad’s to never be so busy with anything that you can’t stop and listen to the hearts of your children because one day you might wake up and they are gone and so are the moments and times that you could have had with them. Begin today to gain back those moments and let them be the center of your attention at that moment and time.
Our children are a trust given to us, they are a treasure to our hearts. Yes there are times that it is heart breaking when you watch them go through things in their lives and the only tool that you have is prayer, lots of prayer and faith in God, that He will watch over them and keep them in the hollow of His hand.
Lift your children, your grandchildren to the Lord each day. Cover them in prayer and pray a hedge of covering over them and pray that the Word of God would be written upon their hearts and become part of who they are. Lift them up, encourage them and let them know how precious they are.
As grandparents, it is a double blessing, when our grandchildren come and talk to us and share their child like faith and we have the honor of being there for them. To encourage them in the Lord.
When my grand daughter Rebekah came up to me and said, “You know what grandpa?” and I said, “What?”, she said, “I really do love Jesus!” That melted my heart!
Oh, the faith of a child, how we need that in this day and time! To simply believe and know that God’s word is true.
Till later,
Paul
