I Just Saw Jesus!

I've had this image for nearly two decades. My brother gave it to me. It's a picture of Jesus's face... well, at least what we white Americans portray Jesus as looking like.

Anyway, this hangs on my wall in my Strategic Work Environment (cube) at work. A couple of co-workers and I were discussing it the other day and only one of them could recognize the image. It can be difficult to see Jesus at times.

On Monday, I was talking with the one who wasn't able to recognize the image when, mid-sentence, she exclaims, "I just saw Jesus!" Her excitement overflowed to the rest of us as her "eyes were opened" and she finally realized that we were NOT crazy or trying to pull her leg.

It's easy to miss seeing Jesus because many times He is disguised. He appears in the form of someone serving another, a kind word spoken to encourage, a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on. Most of the time I see Jesus through the pages of Scripture. He has revealed Himself clearly in the Bible. Some of my best days have followed from investing my quiet time reading the Bible, asking the Holy Spirit to open my eyes and allowing the Word of God to show me something I've never seen before.

Have you seen Jesus today??? If you haven't, it's not because He isn't nearby. Slow down a bit and seek His face. Look at a tree, a flower or into the eyes of a loved one. But to see the clearest image of Jesus, open your Bible and read about Him. Once you see Him, you'll never be the same.

Ladder Ball

We learned about this game from some friends.  We call it "Ladder Ball."  It's easy to build and fun to play.  Watch the video to see how simple it is.

You make 2 "ladders" from PVC pipe (don't glue them together), then use 12 golf balls that you drill a hole through.  We used clothes line to connect the balls together (each set of balls is 16" on center).  One person has 3 sets of all white balls, the other person has 3 sets of one white & one colored ball (to tell the teams apart for scoring purposes).  You could use all colored balls for Team 2, we just didn't have that many colored golf balls.

Scoring: Top rung = 2 points, Middle rung = 3 points, Bottom rung = 1 point.  Top scoring Team wins.

The best part is that it's portable.  Simply take it apart, pack it into a bag and off you go.  Sets up in under 5 minutes.  

We hope you can have fun playing Ladder Ball with your family. If you want the building instructions, just email us. 

Spiritual Equivalent:  In Ladder Ball, getting the ball close to hanging on the rung doesn't help you win... you have to wrap it around perfectly.  In the Christian life, being close to perfect doesn't get you to heaven, only being perfect will.  Since we are not perfect, the only way to do this is through Jesus Christ, God's perfect Son.  He is our "ladder" to heaven.  

Whenever you play Ladder Ball, remember that to get to heaven we must rely on the One and Only way, God's perfect Son, Jesus Christ. 

A Moving Experience

The Lord, He is good!

I picked up the window motor assembly at 3pm - it had a few more components than I had thought it would. Fortunately, the removal of the old one was simple and the new one installed easily.

After connecting the motor to the switch, I quickly realized that the wires going to the motor were wired backwards, which means that when I pushed the window switch to the "up" position, the window went down. Not good! So, after a few minutes of re-wiring the motor, all was heading in the right direction. (see video below)



While re-assembling the door panel, I had some "issues" with a stubborn door latch rod which insisted on popping out multiple times. The Lord impressed upon me that I needed to be patient and allow Him to use this to develop patience and perseverance. I obeyed and all came together.

The Lord is so gracious to allow opportunities for growth in every day projects. I'm coming to learn (I'm a bit slow at times) that I can learn how to follow Christ more fully and closely through every situation He brings into my life.

This window wasn't working right because the power wasn't flowing through the motor. The same is true for all of us. When we don't allow God's power (His Holy Spirit) to flow through us, we won't work as we were designed. It's only when we yield to His prompting and allow Him to change our hard, defective hearts that we begin "working" as He desires.


Please join me in "flipping the switch" and allowing God's Power to flow through us. When we do, we'll be headed in the right direction.

Accord-ing to Hoyle

Our family enjoys playing card games. I grew up playing Euchre and my wife taught me to play Pinnochle. Many card games follow the strategies developed by Edmond Hoyle. When you're unsure of what to do next, knowing what Hoyle would do is a great backup.

Well, this morning I wasn't playing cards, but working on a Honda Accord for a friend. We were trying to locate the fuel pump relay. After 40 minutes of searching, removing various parts and praying, we gave up. Sure could have used "car repair according to Hoyle"!  

Next we found the solution to a weak windshield washer sprayer, and then moved on to a slow moving power window.  In spraying the window track w/ WD-40, the motor suddenly stopped working... before the window was all the way up (I thought that stuff was supposed to lubricate and make things work more smoothly, not stop all together). 

Again, Hoyle would have been a great resource.

After a few moments of pondering & pricing, we decided to remove the door panel and replace the motor.

At the time of this writing, I'm waiting for a window motor to arrive at the auto parts store. Lord willing, I'll get this installed and the door put back together without any further issues.

It's times like these when I have to remember that the Lord IS Sovereign and that He allows all events into my life. In doing so, I need to see how I respond, compare my response to how Jesus would respond, then pray for His Spirit to conform me into the image of God's Son. (Romans 8:29)

Sactification is an on-going process. I'm still learning to take what the Lord brings my way, pray for wisdom and humbly follow Him. Following Christ is not as simple as following Hoyle, but it is much more profitable.

Jeremy's Broken Arm

Jeremy was playing "capture the flag" at church a few weeks ago. Running at full speed, he extended his arms to stop himself against the wall. The wall didn't move, but the 2 bones in his lower arm did - OUCH!!! He had the presence of mind to re-set his arm on-the-spot.

Here's the X-Ray of his broken arm

Here's Jeremy displaying his "Colts Blue" cast.




Jeremy will get his cast off in mid-August. He'll still have plenty of time to swim.