A New Year List by Max Lucado

Laws of the Lighthouse

by Max Lucado

The first of the year is known for three things: black-eyed peas, bowl games, and lists. Some don’t eat black-eyed peas. Others hate football. But everybody likes lists.

The Bible certainly has its share of lists. Moses brought one down from the mountain.

There are lists of the gifts of the Spirit. Lists of good fruit and bad. Lists of salutations and greetings. Even the disciples’ boat got into the action as it listed in the stormy Sea of Galilee. (If you smiled at that, then I’ve got a list of puns you’d enjoy.)

But the greatest day of lists is still New Year’s Day. And the number one list is the list I call the Laws of the Lighthouse.

The Laws of the Lighthouse contain more than good ideas, personal preferences, and honest opinions. They are God-given, time-tested truths that define the way you should navigate your life. Observe them and enjoy secure passage. Ignore them and crash against the ragged rocks of reality.

Smart move. The wise captain shifts the direction of his craft according to the signal of the lighthouse. A wise person does the same.

Herewith, then, are the lights I look for and the signals I heed:

– Love God more than you fear hell.
– Once a week, let a child take you on a walk.
– Make major decisions in a cemetery.
– When no one is watching, live as if someone is.
– Succeed at home first.
– Don’t spend tomorrow’s money today.
– Pray twice as much as you fret.
– Listen twice as much as you speak.
– Only harbor a grudge when God does.
– Never outgrow your love of sunsets.
– Treat people like angels; you will meet some and help make some.
– ‘Tis wiser to err on the side of generosity than on the side of scrutiny.
– God has forgiven you; you’d be wise to do the same.
– When you can’t trace God’s hand, trust his heart.
– Toot your own horn and the notes will be flat.
– Don’t feel guilty for God’s goodness.
– The book of life is lived in chapters, so know your page number.
– Never let the important be the victim of the trivial.
– Live your liturgy.

To sum it all up:
Approach life like a voyage on a schooner. Enjoy the view. Explore the vessel. Make friends with the captain. Fish a little. And then get off when you get home.

Where is God?

by Max Lucado

It is important to recognize that God dwells in a different realm. He occupies another dimension. “My thoughts are not like your thoughts. Your ways are not like my ways. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:8–9).

Make special note of the word like. God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are they even like ours. We aren’t even in the same neighborhood. We’re thinking, Preserve the body; he’s thinking, Save the soul. We dream of a pay raise. He dreams of raising the dead. We avoid pain and seek peace. God uses pain to bring peace. “I’m going to live before I die,” we resolve. “Die so you can live,” he instructs. We love what rusts. He loves what endures. We rejoice at our successes. He rejoices at our confessions.

Our thoughts are not like God’s thoughts. Our ways are not like his ways. He has a different agenda. He dwells in a different dimension. He lives on another plane.

What controls you doesn’t control him. What troubles you doesn’t trouble him. What fatigues you doesn’t fatigue him. Is an eagle disturbed by traffic? No, he rises above it. Is the whale perturbed by a hurricane? Of course not; he plunges beneath it. Is the lion flustered by the mouse standing directly in his way? No, he steps over it.

How much more is God able to soar above, plunge beneath, and step over the troubles of the earth! “What is impossible with man is possible with God” (see Matt. 19:26). Our questions betray our lack of understanding:

How can God be everywhere at one time? (Who says God is bound by a body?)

How can God hear all the prayers that come to him? (Perhaps his ears are different from yours.)

How can God be the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit? (Could it be that heaven has a different set of physics than earth?)

How vital that we pray, armed with the knowledge that God is in heaven. Pray with any lesser conviction, and our prayers are timid, shallow, and hollow. Look up and see what God has done, and watch how your prayers are energized.

This knowledge gives us confidence as we face the uncertain future. We know that he is in control of the universe, and so we can rest secure. But important also is the knowledge that this God in heaven has chosen to bend near toward earth to see our sorrow and hear our prayers. He is not so far above us that he is not touched by our tears.

Though we may not be able to see his purpose or his plan, the Lord of heaven is on his throne and in firm control of the universe and our lives. So we entrust him with our future. We entrust him with our very lives.

The New Year!

Another year here already. It seems to me that I just got started with the last one and here is another one. I had a great time bringing this one in more than any other in my life. The reason...I celebrated with my friends and family at CCJ. The most amazing and wonderful people on the planet. I am certainly not biased as all one has to do to find out is come meet them all! If you are having a bad day or something is troubling you there is never a shortage of those who will come find out what is up or how can they help or pray with you...that's a glimpse of heaven. Any way we got to play games and eat food (we are the eatinest church I know of), fellowship, then at midnight we all had the sparkilng grape juice and apple cider and blew horns and made our noise. Then we prayed for the year to come and how God will use us and watch over us. It was fabulous fun. THEN...everyone started going home and the youth had their lock-in complete with games and a bonfire.

Oh man you should witness some of the things Russ comes up with. As an adult I am thinking yuck, gross and NO-WAY!, but man those kids love it and they come back every year. Sack lunch food races for the two teams with such food as baking chocolate squares to eat, bags of huge marshmallows, raw Ramen noodles with the sauce, dry stuffing cubes, the biggest gum drops I have ever seen, kool-aid packs plain, etc. But those kids are having the time of their lives and they are safe, and choosing to be here rather than other places. And you know what I mean by other places. And they start talking about the next year and what Russ could possibly come up with. But I know where they will be...at least mine.

Back to my friends...My friends are selfless, uplifting, courageous, encouraging, prayer warriors, they will cry with you and for you, they truly are the wind beneath your wings when you start to fall or plummet and have no strength of your own to climb back up.

I saw some of my friend Kims things to improve this year and some of the things I have been asking God to help ME with are on her list. You know what that means...we will both be getting the answer to improve thing number 1 on the list...to be in prayer more and His word. Starting with prayer for each other. LOL!

I am very excited to see what God has for me this year. I am not disillusioned into thinking it will be smooth sailing all of it, but what I can't wait to see is what he uses to draw me closer to him and to change me to be more like him everyday. I want to be more like my Savior every day and in everyway and if that means climbing the highest mountains on my hands and knees then that is what I will do. I love Jesus! Yeah!

It's midnight and I have to teach my Sunday School class in the morning so I better get to bed.

See you all down the road...

Christmas Time

Hey Everyone,
It is that time of year when we all say things like "Tis the Season". Why is one of the most joyous times of the year also when people get the most hateful? A man in New York died on "Black Friday" and for what a $5.00 Barbie. Come on! Really!? I have been pulled over three times this year by the police for nothing really. Once my lights were to dim and then the next they were too bright. And one of those the night before the Youth Formal. Did I let that diminish my joy? Not even!!!! I went home and finished baking those yummy sugar cookies for our kids. I know it is all just warfare and when I keep things in perspective it keeps me focused...on Jesus! And then those stupid little things that used to irritate me to fury just roll right off now.

Oh Yeah, I loved going shopping on "Black Friday" with Kim and Missy and Darrell. It was my first time ever. I can't wait to go next year. WHAT FUN!

Lets just try to remember what this time is really all about. Not $5.00 toy bargains, not about closer parking spaces or being first in line, it's not about the tree, decorations, presents we receive or give...but about the one who stepped down from his throne to put on human flesh and live to die... so that we might live forever. GOD IS GOOD! Thank You Jesus!

To God be the glory great things He hath done. So loved He the world that he gave us His Son. Who yielded his life an atonement for sin, and opened the life gates that all may go in. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let the earth hear His voice. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let the people rejoice. Oh come to the Father through Jesus the Son, and give Him the glory great things he hath done! YEAH!