Understanding

Luke 24:45 - Then He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.

I have been reading the Bible for about 25yrs now so you can imagine I have read certain parts over and over again.
There are some portions of Scripture I have never completely understood. There are other parts I thought I knew the meaning of but, out of nowhere, clarity has defined it in such a way that's its now obvious I had not really understood it.

One thing I do understand is that unless God opens my mind to His word I will only have a very limited view of the truth.

God's word is so living, so active, so helpful.
- Lord, please open my mind to all You have placed in the Scriptures.

Shut Up!

It is alarming to me how many times I keep going when my body is saying stop!
This is so obvious when it comes to communication. Have you ever been in that situation where you know you have already said too much and for some strange reason you keep speaking? Crazy huh!
Don't you just wish someone loved you enough to say Shut Up!

Well, think about Shut Up from a different angle.

Neh 13:19 says, When evening shadows fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my own men at the gates so that no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day.

Wow!
Is there a day, or even a part of your week, every week, where you stop and cease from regular activity?

I am getting better at guarding the city walls of my life but, I must admit, there are times where I still leave the gates open for regular transactions and trading to occur.

The Proverbs encourage us to guard our heart will all diligence because the issues of life flow out from our heart.

From my experience, the best way to guard my heart is to Shut Up!
If my heart is a city, I need to close the gates to regular trading.

Find a day and create a space.
Today, if you can hear His voice, take action and Shut Up!

Thoughts from Above

Anytime I get the opportunity to be on a plane I am always overwhelmed with the view. There is always a clear distinction between how I normally live on the ground and how I remember it to be from the air.

Its so easy to get lost down there. I mean I have friends who would find it difficult without a GPS but from up here I can see the city at a glance.

Its so easy to feel lonely down there. Some days it seems like there is nobody around but from up here I can see people everywhere.

Its so easy to get stressed down there. There are times when smallest of details becomes a big deal but from here the bigger picture seems obvious.

Its so easy to think its just another day like any other down there. I mean what is so different about today? But from up here every day seems to be a new day filled with endless possibilities.

Is 55:9 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts - God.

Its so encouraging to know that whatever I'm experiencing down there I always have alternative way to think about things.
Lord help to see from your perspective!

Patience or Patients?

Prov 25:15 - through patience a ruler can be persuaded...

How often do we expect others to change and give us a break?
I find whenever I am getting frustrated with not getting an answer from someone its because I don't want to change!

But to get frustrated requires a change from being not frustrated.
Patience is obviously tested the longer you have to wait. And if I am waiting its seems that the person I'm waiting on doesn't need to change. And the more I get frustrated, the more the other person will not be able to be persuaded.
Remember - through patience a ruler can be persuaded.

If I don't show Patience toward you there will be Patients around me!

Above the Haze!

I'm 30,000 feet above what was responsible for grounding and delaying so many flights for Sydney this morning! This orange haze I see out the window of the plane is a giant dust storm across NSW. In fact, by the time we took off at Brisbane, the dust storm was arriving there too.

As I sit looking down at the Earth, I notice a vast difference above and below! Above is blue and clear, below is Orange and hazy. - a metaphor perhaps?

Isaiah 55:9 - as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts - says God.

V7 says, Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.
Perhaps we have been allowed to see the reality of our planet today?
Perhaps today is a snapshot of how our world is spiritually?
Perhaps the regular reality of our daily routine is leaving a dust storm in our wake?

V11 is all about God' word coming down bringing clarity to accomplish what He desires!

So soak up this strange phenomena today and understand that God wants clarity of purpose for everyONE!

The Panaitan Project

We just spent 10 days with 10 guys surfing the west coast of Java in Indonesia.

There were some amazing waves and one day while surfing Inside Lefts, we tried to leave the bay in big swell. We were on a 60 foot yacht and the set waves broke over the bow of the boat.

What started to seem fun, even harmless, soon became a risk and potentially dangerous.

Watch the video clip here

Crazy Jakarta

I'm so very impressed with the way people get around in Jakarta.
Right now I'm looking at 2 lanes of traffic with at 30 motor bikes in between the cars!

Everyone seems to get along.
Nothing seems too difficult.
In fact, families don't just ride in cars here, they also ride on little motor bikes...together!

So I've been thinking about how we use the horn when driving.
What is the first thought or emotion that arises when you hear someone beeping the horn at you? Usually, if you're like me, its not a positive reaction.

What is so crazy here in Jakarta is that all you hear is horns. Its almost a way of saying hello. For example, 8 of us jumped into a 4 seater van for a 7min ride to the shops and our driver used his horn at least 20 times. And that's just one car!
But not once did I hear any shouting. Not even sign language of disapproval. Come to think of it, there was no negative emotions at all - anywhere!

So I ask you, who is crazy?
Is it the Javanese who create extra traffic lanes in an otherwise already crowded street or is it perhaps those of us in more developed countries who find it increasingly difficult to share the road?