prayer

have you ever wondered what prayer is about? the simple answer is that it's all about talking to and listening to God - and that is very, very true. but, why pray? i mean what is the real purpose of prayer? i mean i talk to people all day long. i listen to people all day long. what do i gain out of it? is it like watching your favorite movie - yeah, that's part of it, because you're gaining information as you listen to the actors recite their lines. is it like giving a lecture or a sermon or describing an incident to a friend - again, yes, that's part of it, because you're giving information out. these two parts - giving and gaining information together help make up prayer - but is that all. prayer, meditation, whatever it is called is practiced by millions of people. i read an article about some very successful businessman the other day that starts every day with meditation - because it clears his mind and prepares him for the day. even that is part of prayer. but, i'm still not satisfied. what is prayer really about? i've come to this conclusion - prayer is about being able to walk into the Holy of holies, through the curtain in the temple that was rent when Jesus was crucified, and crawl up on Daddy's lap, then pulling His big arms around me, and just having a great time sharing my heart and listening to His so that my heart becomes more and more like His heart. i think that is prayer and i thank God that through Jesus He made prayer possible. as the deer pants for the water so my soul pants for You o God.

friends

what are friends? good question; maybe a better question is, what are friends for? i think that question is a bit tougher. friends are people we like hanging out with. friends are people that are just there. you can watch football with them. you can take a hike or backpack with them. you can ride bicycles with them. you can talk to them. these all give hints to what friends are for, but have you ever sat down and meditated on or analyzed the purpose of friends? first, i believe they are a gift - they are given to us for a purpose. i think true friends encourage us, want us to be blessed even when they aren't, bless us with wisdom, pick us up when we are down, don't abdicate the relationship when we screw up, gently head us in the right direction when we're heading in the wrong, etc. get my point. but, when you meditate on these "qualifications" of a friend it begs a question: will my friend fail me? unfortunately, he or she will, well, all but one friend. if Jesus is your best friend, He will never, never, ever fail you.

grocery stores

grocery stores are a wonderful place to visit. as soon as you walk in the door all of your senses come alive. how can they not? there are odors, beautiful things to look at, magnificent things to touch, all kinds of sizes, shapes and colors to admire, and all kinds of sounds of life to listen to. they contain sweet stuff and sour stuff. they contain healthy stuff and less than healthy stuff. they contain spicy stuff and fortunately, not so spicy stuff. they contain expensive stuff and cheap stuff. they contain "on brands" and "off brands". just lots and lots of stuff that attract and ultimately - at least for a period of time - satisfy our senses. that's how life is. it has lots and lots of stuff that attracts our senses - our attention - at least for a while. the sad part is that we settle for temporary fulfillment of our senses instead of focusing on something - rather someone, that eternally satisfies all of our senses, passions, and our entire being eternally - Jesus.

wow!

isn't it wonderful to be alive. it's like walking into your favorite candy store and having the freedom to pick out five pounds of your favorite chocolate and knowing that as you eat it not one ounce of fat will invade your body or one zit creep unto your face. life is good, no it's great! i get confused when i hear people talk about how miserable they are. yeah, i have my moments - i'm human! but they are short in duration - even the two times i flirted with death - when compared to the inescapable joy of living life. so, what is my secret? Jesus! He's the secret to everything - to all joy - to all happiness.

why party?

aaargh! oh no! death is upon us and has once again overcome us. the old has died and the new has come. 2005 has gone - so quickly. what happened? where did it go? did it really last 52 weeks? did it really last 12 months? yet people cheered and partied and shot off fireworks as they celebrated in the streets. for something that has died. for something we will never see again. did we party because we're glad it's gone and hope the new is better? or did we party because we're thankful we experienced it? it does make a huge difference. thank you God for the many blessings you provided in 2005.