Chris' Thinking Tank

What a horrific tragedy.  Even before the earthquake there was inequity.  This truly widens that gap of fairness.

A couple years ago, I finished a task that I started atleast a decade earlier.  I finished writing a book.  It is not like a novel or anything.  It is more a devotional/testimonial/tutorial book filled with Life Lessons that God has taught me.  It is called, Life:A glimpse from God.  It is basically filled with tools that God has showed me to help cope with life and its ups and downs.

I will not bore you with the full chapter, but one of those lessons is called a Table and Shelves.

Greetings!

I am not a very outspoken man, but felt nudged by the Spirit to share this with you.  When I was pastoring, a couple things I always referred back to was my definitions of Grace and Mercy.  Grace is receiving something I don't deserve and mercy is not receiving something I do deserve.  In my limited understanding of life, these words, to me, define God's love and were made complete with Jesus.  I don't deserve a relationship with God forever, but I have been given one.  I deserve separation and torment forever, but have been spared that.  That is love.

For years I have always wrote "Proverbs 3:5-6" in wedding, graduation and birthday cards.  It has actually become somewhat of a habit, but what I hope is why I write it and what it means never does.

In a previous article, I mentioned about a storm that happened last August 2007. 

The storm happened while we were on vacation.  The storm traveled Southeast and hit our home farm where the country market is located and traveled directly over our home in Kouts.  My brother lost the roof of his pole barn and we lost our barn completely.  Trees were obliterated and the siding and windows on the house severely damaged.  It was a mess when we got home.

     My little girl Madison is quite an articulate communicator.  There are times I think she is older than 3, but soon actions and behavior take care of that over sight.  It is amazing, though, to hear her use of language.  Lately, I've noticed she has created a Madisonism.  She learned this from me.  You know, when you need a word, but there just isn't one created, so you create your own.  Her word is amn't.  Now, at first, we were taken back.  If you say it fast it could put you on the chair in the naughty corner.  She created a contraction.  I am not = I amn't.  Hilarious.  I always thought 'I ain't' was the tough non-contraction to weed out of a child's (my) vocabulary not I amn't.

I am commanded to...

     Last August while we were on vacation we received a phone call from home saying there was a bad storm the night before and that we should come home.  A little damage was done to our home, our trees and unfortunately our big barn blew down.  What a mess!  Yesterday I was still doing some cleaning from that disaster nine months ago!  It has really been a huge inconvenience!