Easy As Sunday Morning...

Today was a beautiful day.
Northern Tennessee awakened to a cool, clear 60 degrees instead of the normal hot and muggy 80+.
This morning, our family actually got to go to church together...all at the same time! Normally, our oldest daughters or myself leave two hours early to attend Worship Team practice. Sometimes my wife and our youngest leaves an hour early to teach or work with Children's Church. Sometimes, we're filling in at the coffee bar. It alway's seems to be something. But today, we went, we worshipped as a family.
Today was a beautiful day.
After church, most of the modern, contemporary music listenin', coffee bar drinkin', casual clothing wearin', 'come as you are' members jumped in their vehicles and headed down the street a few miles for a good ol' fashioned baptism at the creek!
As the participants tried to muster up enough courage to tread the near frigid currents, the young ones took an opportunity to bombard the little creek with an arsenal of rocks. The splashes could have appeared to be annoying during such a holy time but, hey, at least they were scaring off the snakes!
Today was a beautiful day.
After church we all joined around the kitchen table for fried chicken, baked apples, and peach cobbler. OH, SORRY, wrong family... No, we rushed over to Hardee's for a quick burger, then to Wal-Mart for our daily 'pick up the few things we need to make it to tomorrow' run. Then home to catch up on the never-ending 'To Do List'. Yeah, that's more like it.
Back to the creek baptism. I wonder how God enjoys them. On top of the rejoicing over saved souls, it is a beautiful reminder of when Jesus himself was baptized.
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"
Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." Matthew 3:13-17

Yes, today was a beautiful day.

"Busier Than Three Cats on a Linoleum Roof!"

Now that's busy.
Have you ever seen a cat try to run on a linoleum floor? It's hilarious! I think they could get better traction on a treadmill or a pond of ice.
I've spent the last four weeks on this simple schedule - 'wake up... go to work'. It's been crazy. The part-time business we have has been booming, thankfully. And the day job is still steady. As a result, there's been absolutely no time for anything else.
Please don't get me wrong... I'm not complaining. Actually, I'm very grateful, considering the economy as it is. But, the 'side effects' are not as good as they should be. No family time, no lesuire time, and no time with God. All bad. Thankfully, my family is patient, my friends are patient, and God is patient. I just don't want to take advantage of their goodness. And, I don't want to send the 'wrong message' to any of them.
They say the best way to invest in your family is to spend time with them. They say the best way to build and grow friendships is to spend time with friends. They say the best way to gain a deeper relationship with God is to spend time with Him. I fail in all of these areas, especially lately. Humbly I confess, my family and my God, they just keep waiting for me.
Sometimes we just have too much to do, this is a busy world for sure. But, as I heard a pastor say one time, 'we all have the same 24 hours'. Ouch! That hurts, though true. The art of saying ' no' is a hard skill to master, though worth working for if family, friends and God are missing us. And that's the key point here. Are they missing us? Maybe more than we know.
Luke 10:38-42 says this: As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"
"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." Notice, Jesus didn't blame Martha for being concerned with her responsibilities. He just wanted her to set her priorities.
I need to do the same thing. I really do, and I really want to. I just don't do it.
What about you and your life? Are you able to spend time with your loved ones? Are you able to spend time with your friends? And, with God? I sure hope so. I really do...
Have a great day! I'm 'pulling for you'. Keep up the good work!

Keep pressing on...