Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Breakfast with friends, shopping fun, and a quick devotional...

We've had a great full day already and it's only lunch. This morning Landree and I met several of our friends for breakfast at IHOP.


Tricia and Caleb

Traci and Logan (and baby #4 who's official name is Hampton; I love it!)

Jennifer and Cooper
Mommy and Landree (too busy eating to look at the camera)

Now for my X-rated picture of the youth pastor's daughter...after we left IHOP Landree and I headed over to Babies R Us and Goodie 2 Shoes. I looked back at her and she had her sunglasses on upside down. I was cracking up! I was driving, but I had my camera in the car so I just pointed it in her general direction and started shooting. I wouldn't normally show this, but this is the only one with out her head cut off. I thought it was so funny when I looked at it.


Landree got two new pair of shoes. Aren't they cute? I am going to order the white ones too. They didn't have Landree's size. Our store had all the shoes buy one get the second 1/2 off, but I found a great site where there is no tax and free shipping for shoes that are the same price as the store. It's http://www.shoebuy.com/ and they have every brand imaginable.







And our final stop of the morning...no day can be complete without a trip to The Red Dot Boutique (Target). We were looking around (we had to buy something with the gift card Jack and Denise got us-thanks ya'll!) and Landree spotted this buggy...it belonged to another shopper. She kept going to it and climbing all over it-I did what any other mother would do...I went to find a buggy like it so I could shop and Landree would be happy! Can you imagine me pushing this thing around Target with my stroller in the basket part. Landree was climbing all over it and hanging from the handle like we were My Gym. She had fun so that's all that matters!


And now for something completely different...Jeff writes a devotional to his leadership team each week. I got it today, and it really struck home with me. I don't think he'll mind if I share. This is a copy of the email:

I have been reading in Psalm 115 this week and I have been hit with some big stuff. What would you say to people who dip or smoke about whether or not it was right? Can you be a sold out Christian and dip and or smoke? I was hit with this question a few weeks ago. This is a touchy subject. Now, I don’t want to make this e-mail about that subject, but I want to give you some principles that we need to focus on to live our lives fully for Christ.

Check this out…

Psalm 115:1-13 “1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. Why do the nations say, "Where is their God?" Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell; they have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but they cannot walk; nor can they utter a sound with their throats. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them. O house of Israel , trust in the LORD—he is their help and shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD—he is their help and shield. You who fear him, trust in the LORD—he is their help and shield. The LORD remembers us and will bless us: He will bless the house of Israel , he will bless the house of Aaron, he will bless those who fear the LORD—small and great alike.

Anything if given too much love and time, can become an idol. People in these days would make a statue, and then worshipped it. Think about all the things you have made. I once painted a picture of a lighthouse. I helped (along with Travis and Ralph and Mel, and others) build the stage. It is pretty awesome. I make some mean chicken wings. However, I wouldn’t worship them. People in that day would make these little statues and call them their gods. They would look at them, pray to them. The prophets wanted to say, you made it, so how is it a God? Are you the maker of God? So, then by association, you are actually worshipping yourself because you created this God, so you must be more powerful. Look at what the psalm says…”They have mouths but they cannot speak, eyes by they cannot see, ears but they cannot hear.” One of my favorite stories is in I Kings 18. Elijah and the prophets of Baal go toe to toe to see whose God is bigger and badder. They take two offerings of a bull and build a fire around it and then ask their God to consume it with fire. The prophets of Baal are dancing around asking their God (which they made) to come form heaven and light this thing on fire. Verse 27, Elijah says this, “At noon Elijah began to taunt them. "Shout louder!" he said. "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened."” Too funny. Maybe he went to Hawaii …leave him a message on his answering machine. WE would call these people stupid and arrogant.

What, however, have we replaced God with? Our idols are not made of stone, metal, or clay necessarily, but they are just as dumb, deaf, and blind. What replaces God? Video Games? TV? Blogging? Talking on the Phone? Being a Family group leader? Being a CIU student? Money? Ourselves? Don’t we do the same thing. Something bad happens, we ask for advice, we drown ourselves in something so we don’t have toe take the pain anymore. WE turn to drugs, eating, porn, alcohol, video games, sex, spending money, and many other things. In some ways, we are not as different from our students as we think. Sadly, we are sometimes not as different from the prophets of Baal or the person described in this psalm as we think.

Look at the verse in psalm 115 – “Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.” How are we like them. We are not real. We have eyes but don’t really see. We have ears but we don’t really hear. We have hands and feet, but we don’t touch. What idols have you put before God? We all do it at some point in time, if not all the time. Is God getting all of you. God is your help and your shield. Put your trust in Him alone.

This really challenged me (as I sit here and blog for an hour while Landree naps). Jeff said he didn't write this for me, but it's challenging anyway. I love to blog! It's fun! It's a great way for our family and friends to keep up with what we have going on. I can't wait to get on the computer when Landree naps and goes to bed at night, but I let other things slide (housework, quite time, etc.) I'm going to be taking a break for a few days to refocus. Maybe this will help challenge some of you too. Great devo Jeff! Love you!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

That picture of Landree is sooo funny! What are you teaching your daughter over there?:)
We had so much fun at breakfast this morning and I am so glad you had your camera! Thanks for coming and we look forward to doing it again soon!!!

Tricia said...

We had such a fun time this morning. Love the picture of Landree. It is really cute. Guess you can't blame her for using her finger to try to keep her glasses on. :)

Fun to see you at the Red Dot Boutique. We love that place too.

Great devotional, Jeff. He could write a book of them. Wow. It definitely hit home. THanks for sharing it.

Pixel Fairy Princess said...

OMG - I just LOVE your new blog header :D Great job! I don't why - but you keep dropping off my bloglines - Going to go and put you back on there :D

Ladybug hugs,
;D

Pixel Fairy Princess said...

LOL - You know what they say about pastor's kids! LOL!

Ladybug hugs,
;D

Unknown said...

Just wanted to let you know how much I love ya'll!!
Love the pic of Landree!

Baby Jackson said...

If I would have known Landree was that type of girl she and Jack would never have been able to hang out!! Just kidding!! That is the cutest picture!! LOVE the devotional...really made me think about what my idols have become.