Diffusing Rage

At our son's wedding, upon exiting the church building to the run the gauntlet to their vehicle - wherein they were to be whisked away to their honeymoon - they chose to be showered with bubbles {rather than the traditional rice or bird seed}. They were really great bubbles ~ thousands of little iridescent globes of joy, each individual eagerly floating along on its one time, brilliant though brief voyage. Bubbles make you smile!

When it was all over, I still had most of a bottle-of-bubbles left over, so I tossed them into the cup holder in my truck... soon to be forgotten.

A few week's later, on a tight schedule and in a hurry, I was stuck in traffic. Being the "patient" man that I am in such instances {NOT!} I began to fidget and mutter... until my eyes settled on ~ the bubbles. On a whim, I picked them up, rolled down my window and started blowing bubbles. The result was amusing... I began to smile, my fellow cell-mates-in-traffic began to smile... things weren't so bad after all.

Like the little Sunflower figurines used to chirp every morning at breakfast from my Mama's kitchen shelf ~ "Swap a Smile - Trade Some Cheer - Let's be Happy while We're here!"

It doesn't take much effort ~ try it ~ keep a little bottle of bubbles - at the ready!

Night Skies in the Desert

Big Bend National Park is a Texas treasure. Located along the border of Mexico in the “big bend” of the Rio Grande river (over 600 miles west of Katy, 155 south of Fort Stockton, and 270 miles from Del Rio). Big Bend National Park is, in this modern era, remote in the extreme. Accordingly, its vast expanse is in an area of the country with little competing light i.e. commercial structures; shopping centers, neighborhoods, and the like.

If you are fortunate to experience the New Moon, or better yet [so I’ve read] a Lunar eclipse in Big Bend… reportedly it is an unforgettable, and awe inspiring experience. Witnesses say, that under such optimum nighttime conditions, the stars create a brilliant ceiling of intense starlight. Light that is pure and undiluted by diffusing illuminates.

Let’s focus our thoughts on Christianity and light…
· I Corinthians states, “There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.”

· Isaiah tells us, “the LORD will be your everlasting light”.

· In John, Christ says "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

· II Samuel proclaims, “You are my lamp, O LORD; the LORD turns my darkness into light”.

· As Paul told the Ephesians…, “Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)”
Our children sing a song, “This Little Christian Light of Mine ~ I’m Gonna Let it Shine”…

It will… if we let it…?

Gus and the Chicken

My parents, like many young couples, couldn’t wait to run out and buy a dog shortly after being married. They were living in the Oklahoma City area at the time and bought a German Shepherd puppy from a police dog breeding operation. They named their new pride and joy “Gus”. It soon became apparent that [apartment living + working + large {and growing} active puppy] was not a winning combination and they successfully talked mom’s parents into welcoming Gus onto their farm.

My grandparents were egg producers, operating a laying operation of 4,000 or so laying hens. Gus, being an adventurous adolescent by now, found it quite sporting to kill chickens. Not a good idea to threaten country folks’ livelihood. Rather than “dispose” of Gus immediately, they decided to try and break his bad habit. They bound a dead chicken up in wire, secured it around young Gus’ neck and left it there until it rotted off. While he bore the brunt of the discomfort upon himself, I am sure that all in his presence suffered, to a degree, as well. Isn’t that the way it is with sin!?

Gus never killed another chicken. You and I should be so fortunate in our bouts with sin.

Romans 7:24 states, ‘Wretched man that I am! ... who shall deliver me out of the body of this death?”

Coffman, in his commentary of this verse writes, in part,
“Acceptance of the gospel of Christ, through obedient faith, cuts the chains that bind people to their former selves, enabling them to be born again.
After conversion, the sins that people commit do not remain upon them and bind them, as formerly, but are cleansed and forgiven continually during the Christian pilgrimage.”

I John 1:7 encourages us with the reminder that ~ “if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”

Mountain Lakes

At 11,000 feet altitude, things are different. In southwest Colorado, you’re right at tree-line, that point where climatic and other conditions necessary to healthy tree life, diminish to the point that trees simply don’t exist. Altitude has its positive effects too. Some people’s vision sharpens noticeably. Perhaps it’s the lack of pressure on the lens and other mechanical components of the eyeball, or just the clear mountain air… I can’t say for certain.

Regardless, good vision is a blessing in the mountains, especially in the back-country. There are magnificent vistas everywhere you turn. That said, it is not just the vistas. Sometimes, unexpected sights present themselves up-close and personal.

Hiking along, you cross a rise and happen upon a beautiful mountain lake. Weary from the morning’s effort, you make your way to the water’s edge. Climbing out onto a rock overlooking a deep-pool in the lake, you settle in for a rest… to observe and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Peering idly into the icy clear waters, you notice the movement of a school of trout out on maneuvers. While you passively enjoy their activities, nature’s unexpected elements begin to play their part in the experience. At first, the winds pick up -- rippling the water, blurring your vision. Next clouds roll in, casting the waters into an opaque state – again interrupting your view. Then, just as unexpectedly ~ the sky clears, the breeze calms ~ clear vision returns.

James 1, verses 22 and following read …
· “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
· Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

How often do we allow the unexpected winds and clouds of trouble and doubt to obscure the vision of who we are as Christians. Do you ever allow outside forces to blur your vision, impede good works?

Keep searching, studying, and perfecting your mission as a Christian.

· “But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.”