Priorities

I can't think of a more scary word than the word, "Lost." I'm just like everyone in the sense that I have misplaced material possessions and searched high and low for them. Usually I find them where I have mislaid them but on the few occasions I don't find things I lose, I get over it pretty quickly.

You know it has to be a totally different emotion for us when we lose a person. Whether we lose them in a crowd of people or they move away or die or some other way they are lost to us, it's a horrible feeling to think we may never find them.

When I read Luke 15 where Jesus gives the 3 parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son and I read about the older brothers angry reaction to their dad throwing a party for his younger brothers return to the family it always makes me check to make sure my priorities are on people and relationships much more than they are on things.

Overcoming Fears

Kynzie rode her horse, Doc, all by herself yesterday for the first time in the pasture and it was a little, (actually a lot for), traumatic for her. She did fine after she got over her initial fear but it made me realize we’re all like that to varying degrees. I mean, we want to do something but we’re afraid to because we might get hurt, or this thing is bigger than me and a thousand other reasons our minds can conjure up why some new thing is going to be terrible. Actually if we can conquer our fear and do the thing we fear, it turns out to be a lot of fun. From a distance she wanted a horse but when it came time to get on a 1,200 pound animal it’s a different story. One thing you learn about horses is they can sense their riders’ fear. Kynzie’s instructor told her, “You have to get your bluff in on a horse.” In other words act like you’re confident and the horse will think you’re in control. We’re like that about a lot of things aren’t we? We want something really badly until we get it then realize this thing is much bigger than me and I have to overcome my fear to stay on top of this. We also need to understand we can act our way into a feeling and overcome our fears by acting like we are in control. I’m not sure what you’re afraid of today but do your best to get on top of your fear and you will discover you’re far better off when you control your fear than when it controls you.

Gettin' Hay

You never know who you’re going to run across in a day. Case in point: my friend Danny and I went to haul hay to feed the insatiable appetites of Mackynzie’s horses and happened to stop for lunch at a restaurant 60 miles from home. Well, our server was a young lady that noted the hay on our trailer and wondered where it came from. When I told her who I had bought if from she said “that’s my grandfather.” Upon further conversation we found out her grandfather, who I’ve bought hay from 6 or 8 times before, has 10 kids and out of all the family our server only feels close to her grandfather because she’s been rejected by everyone else in the family because of a teenage indiscretion.

We talked further with her and were impressed with her personality, her energy, and her friendliness. We also knew she had no use for her family’s religion and she actually rejected the church because of how her Christian family treated her.

Both of us on the way home talked about the hurt we sensed in her. It seems to me like if there’s any place on earth there would be forgiveness and grace it would be within our Christian families. It is really sad when that doesn’t happen and it makes me wonder how many people aren’t serving God because of the lack of forgiveness in our homes.

DREAMS

What did you want to be when you were growing up? I wanted to be a horse rancher in Wyoming (not sure why I picked there.) I think that dream came from watching Roy Rogers on TV. The cowboy life looked so romantic and I’ve always loved horses. Once in about the second year of our married life I had talked my new bride into me buying a horse at a horse auction even though we didn’t have a washer and dryer. My dream of being a horse rancher changed over the years but I never lost the desire to own a horse.

Years passed by and to be honest with you I had given up on that dream until about two years ago we moved out of town onto a few acres. I first bought a few cows because they will eventually make money and then with the help and influence of my granddaughter we began to talk about buying a horse for her 10th birthday. I have learned over the few years she has been around that she can get things from her nana that I don’t have a prayer of getting. Well, anyway a week before her birthday I was in a local restaurant and ran into an old friend and asked him if he knew of any horses I could buy for her. I just about passed out when he said he had two horses he would give me!! Sure enough 6 days later we went and picked up two registered quarter horses and man are we excited.

I share that story with you to ask if you have a special dream from years ago that you’ve given up on? The good news is it’s still not too late. Think about it. God is the ultimate creator and dreamer. He created us in His image and He is the One who put that dream inside you. Pray for big dreams and don’t give up!

“Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

Your Own Genesis Moments

As we begin a new year I am reminded of a verse I read in Genesis 51:10. "God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life." (MSG)

Genesis is the first book of the Bible and it begins with an account of how God created the world and everything in it by speaking it into existence. God spoke you into existence in your mother's womb. Even now He can speak into the chaos of your life to bring order and sense to it.

God creates something from nothing and He makes something good out of bad for His children. He can take a heart that is broken and impure and create in its place a heart that is whole, pure, and purposeful. God loves you and wants to pour His grace into your life. He wants you to be pure and for you to succeed--so much so that He takes an active role in creating a new heart in you and bringing order to the chaos of your life.

Your job is to submit to His sovereignty, (His right to rule over you because He created you,) humble yourself before Him, and ask for His help everyday.

I hope you have lots of Genesis moments in 2008.