The up and down.

I was recently taking some time in my meditation and prayers to remember that life is a true roller coaster filled with ups and downs. I am hearing of many of my friends and family going through a discouraging time. I wish that our lives with Christ were just fun, fun, fun. The truth of real life is that it is filled with problems, disappointments, victories, fulfillment, work, play, tears, and laughter. I am constantly telling myself that problems are opportunities, but sometimes my own encouragement seems to fall on deaf ears. I find myself in the struggle and not overcoming with the zeal and ease that I should.

In the midst of all this I remember a passage in 1 Sam 30. It is a story of King David, and how he had a series of unfortunate things. He has just returned from a battle to find the Amalekites have raided Ziklag, where the Israelites had encamped. The Amalekites had carried off all the women and children. All of them. They even took David's wives. His army got so mad at him that they talked about stoning David. The men were very distraught over this incredible loss. It felt like the crunching body blow in a fifteen round fight. This was tough stuff.

In verse 6 the scripture tell us that he found strength or that he encouraged himself in the Lord. Wow, I am so moved by that statement. What true tenacity and optimism to have everything falling around you, be in the midst of the garbage and make a decision to encourage yourself. Folks that is spiritual. That is encouragement is not by a man's words, a favorite song, weather, book, coffee, or TV show. That is not fueld by how I feel, that is fueld by who I am. That is the intimate relationship the Lord wants to have with all of us.

Okay for the rest of the story. David then asks a friend "Should I pursue? Should I rescue? (v.8) When he gets the acknowledgement and the time is right, off he goes with his army in tow. Some of the men couldn't make it. David finds the raiding Amalekites and raids them. He recovers everything. (v. 18) He then plundered the Amalekites and takes their livestock.

Did you get that, he got everything back and even more. I know that sometimes we see this huge mountain, this huge Goliath, this huge obstacle. We feel down.

So encourage yourself, find strength in the Lord. Pursue your enemies and see what God would do. I am sorry to be so preachy, but I feel this is important to remind all of us to find strength in the Lord.

Shalom (Peace)

J

Addicted to Coffee

So here I am a few weeks past my 39th birthday. It was pretty uneventful as I was driving the family from Memphis,TN to Roanoke, VA for 10 hours. While on this trip and since returning I have noticed something about myself - I must have coffee in the morning. I know that many of you are saying, "Join the club" or "I have done that for years."

I have enjoyed coffee, had a regular cup, no big deal. Now I crave it, my body responds to it. I get up thinking about it. We get the pot ready the night before. I yearn to hear the gurgle of the brew and have my extra large cup sitting right there waiting for some life from brown water affected by the magic bean.

I guess that I am getting older. So thanks for letting me in the coffee crowd. I am no coffee snob like some of you - but I did take some steps toward that over the past year.

Hey everyone - Heroes series for the church is off and running. We just made the name change and removed community from it. This simplified it, and made it more like the website name. Hope that everyone likes the logo.

I guess you could say it is a new day. Let's embrace change and go forward for all that God had for us.

Yes, it is fall, time for football.

Blessings to all.

J