11.15.2006

stolen gates




reflection on the visit of my son and his family usually happen when I view the pictures we take. I always smile. both my kids are married now. both are blessing us with children. both are great spouses.

I am an awesome grandfather.

Sheri snapped this picture. I thought of his future.

funny. someone actually stole the gate. it is not there. there is no hinderance to the exit. but he knew how far he could go based on several reminders from daddy. so he sits and watches what could be.
what should be. in his mind, he knows he should be out there...living, playing, seeking and exploring. he knows in his heart. he wants it...desires of a 2 1/2 year old are fresh, innocent, primal. they see it, like it, and want it.

my earnest prayer is that we never replace the gate in his life.

my hope is that he never stops at a hinderance, but fights through, contantly seeking, knocking, asking. wow...that sounds familiar.

somwhere along the line most adults stop at the gate. never quite experiencing all God has for us. not quite feeling the exileration of the wind, the sound of freedom.

someway I want to be part of that journey for him. standing beside his father, encouraging after the fall, promising it won't hurt long, dusting off the dust.

this is my legacy.

11.14.2006

Stank

we live in a house that is about 30 yards from a dumpster. most of the time that is not an issue.

sometime on Sat, some crackhead brought their fishy garbage that was left over from some event at their home. the odor began to eminate sometime Sunday.

stank. nasty. disgusting. as the cool afternoon breeze began to blow yesterday, the fog of funk eased up to the back porch as i worked out. I was having to smell some one elses trash. my junk is bad enough...but having to smell the stank that did not belong to me really pissed me off.

as usual, it got me to thinking.

much has happened to the more visible of some of my christian brothers and sisters over the last few years. immorality and deciet have found it's way to the front page of the newspaper and evening news on more than one occasion.

we tend to get on the band wagon of writers, pastors, worship leaders, tv personalities and entertainers so quickly these days. all it takes for us to be sucked into trust and idol worship is a slick sales pitch and a smile. we as christians are sluts. we don't even sell ourselves any more. we give it away.

stank.

I am aware of sin and it's consequences. I am also aware of forgiveness. I am certainly aware of resoration. what i seem to be not so aware of is accountability.

stank.

what we do as leaders affect the people who are in our lives and close to us.

stank.

I was made aware of a man (who I had held in esteem for his faithfulness)who had fell into...probably jumped into, sexual immorality. I wanted to slap him. not becasue I am holier. not because of my pride. but because of the fact he had stood in front of students for years saying one thing, yet doing another. I wanted to slap him becasue what will happen is he will disapear for a bit, then release an album about resoration. in the mean time, the majority of the situation will be covered up and pushed aside.

stank.

I love this guy. my flesh wants to send him his stuff back so he could satisfy my desire for a little suffering.

that is my stank.

don't think what you say or do affects others?

we all have a dumpster close by. we all are affected by the trash of another. we all have gone our own way. there is none righteous...no not one. there is none who seeks after him.

he pursues us inspite of the stank. now that smells good.