Shalom from Israel!

We have just completed our first two days of the journey here. I am studying with Ray Vander Laan from That the World May Know Ministry. We are walking in the footsteps of our Rabbi Jesus by following Ray to various locations with connections in the story of the Bible.

Among all the areas we visited today was Gath which enters the story of David and Goliath. We discussed the need for community and how David found himself with community behind him at some points and nowhere near him at others. This was juxtaposed with the story of Samson which we explored from the perspective on Samson's tendency to be a loner.

God has blessed us greatly with weather that is cooler than expected. It is still around 100 degrees Farenheit but we have been enjoying some breezes which bring much needed refreshment in the heat.

If you would like to view more pictures from our trip, please visit our photo page.

UPDATE: Five people on our trip from Riverside Community Church are doing a much better job than I could hope to do of updating on the daily activity of our trip.

Why Contemplating Eternity Causes Random Black Outs and Major Panic Attacks in Those Who Ask the Question!

Ecclesiastes 3:11 "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Arthur Stace was an ordinary vagabond. He liked his women, his beer and his lifestyle of freedom from authority and the "normal" life afforded to others. His life as a nomad was spent satisfying no one but himself. Then one day the Lord came knocking and asked him a simple question; "Where will you be in eternity?"

This one question so perplexed him, so made his life miserable, that he gave his life to Christ. He then took to the streets with a simple piece of chalk that wrote only one word..."eternity".

Read more!

Carl’s profound revelation for the day is (insert drum roll here) Love is a 4 letter word. That is right, in case you can not count, love is a 4 letter word, and it is spelled T. I. M. E.It is a simple pneumonic really, one that is easy enough to remember. Here is my definition of time.

Teach.

A verse familiar to most parents is Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” We are taught this verse so many different times in our life as parents that we should get the T-shirt that says “been there, heard that” next time our pastor uses this verse. It occurred to me recently that this verse must be important because we hear it so much. Maybe I should remember to teach my child at every moment I can. That does not mean I have to make every part of life a parable to share, but let my life reflect the parables of Jesus. This leads me to I.

Integrity

Proverbs 20:7 tells us “The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.” Doing what I say I am going to do, honoring my family in all that I do and dealing fairly with those around me in business, and in church, is a sign of my integrity. My child, although only four years old, is a sponge that soaks up everything I do and uses it to develop his own character. I recently heard the commander in charge of detention in Guantanamo Bay Cuba on television saying that he could defend what has (or has not) happened there to the media, to his superiors, and others. But the worst segment of the population he had to deal with was the regular phone calls from his children asking “Just what is it that you are doing down there?”

Model

Actions speak volumes more than our words. We are an action oriented society. If you want me to learn it, then do it first. Then I will choose to follow or not. Jesus was the ultimate model. He followed the will of his Father all the way to the cross. It is not promised to be easy all the time. We see Jesus in the garden before His arrest not only asking, but pleading with His Father to let this cup pass before him. We must prayerfully, and with the up most humility, check and cross check our lives to make sure that we are modeling the life of Christ to our children. If we are not, we are going to be judged and found lacking because we do not take our job seriously.

Enjoy

I regularly hear that God does not want us to feel or to be overly emotional. This is a very conservative view, and a very incorrect view. Php 2:13 tells us “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” God takes pleasure in His creation, in His children and he enjoys them. God enjoyed the company of David when he was a shepherd in the wilderness. We are told that God inhabits the praises of His people. How cool is it to consider that God not only tolerates us and responds to us only because He promised He would, He enjoys us and us living in His pleasure. This is a great model for parents and children. We should not just tolerate our children; we should embrace them in pleasure. When I am with my son it is an excuse to take the tie off, put on the Birkenstocks and go to the park and play like there is no tomorrow. This reassures my son that I love him and that I want to spend time with him and that I enjoy hearing from him.

If you are still reading this, would you take a moment and write to me at Carl@thoughtsofagyrovague.com and tell me how you spend time with you child? How do you make sure to reaffirm and build up your child? Tell me anything about it, and let me know if I can pray for your family as well.

Imagine this scenario:

You are booked on a full flight to LA, coach class, of course, window seat. The middle seat next to you remains vacant right up to departure. At the last moment, in comes a twenty-something young fellow to claim his seat. You notice he is carrying an odd looking bundle. Once seated, he proceeds to unwrap his python (emotional support pet, that is). Horrified, you say, "Isn't there a law against this?" Actually, thanks to a 2003 ruling by the Department of Transportation, scenes like this happen regularly. I used the snake for shock effect, but airlines report accommodating (in the passenger cabin) dogs, of course, but also cats, monkeys, miniature horses, goats, and yes, even an emotional support duck.

Here is an excerpt summarizing the 2003 ruling:

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Well, tomorrow is primary day, and after much consideration, I believe that fact merits a posting for today. If I wait until tomorrow, I'll have waited too long! I think the best way to approach this post is to start by quoting one of our Founding Fathers:

Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may treasure the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost. (John Adams)

This is the sort of politics I can appreciate! This is not a vote based on polls or trying to guess who can win. This is honestly analyzing the candidate or the bills (I would suggest Scripture as the litmus test) and then voting accordingly, regardless of the consequences.

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For several months now I have been praying for the gifts of the spirit to be present in my life and the life of my family. I pray through them regularly, but today God pressed in on me and asked me "What do you really know about the gifts of the spirit?" It has prompted me to look at each gift of the spirit a little deeper. Over the next 9 weeks (there are 9 gifts as noted in Galatians 5:22) I will dig into one of the gifts and share what God has shown me in regards to each gift.

Romans 8:5 tells us "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." I want to explore the first fruit of the spirit which is love.

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As we launch into the month of June here at Every Square Inch let this sign be a reminder to enjoy the life we have been given and celebrate God in all His glory inside and out.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Carl
Administrator, Every Square Inch