Despereaux Tilling

By far the most honorable meecy I know!

Pondering the Past

THE TRACK

 My morning walk awhile back was a bit more challenging than usual. Snow covered the paved track at the local high school where I like to walk, making it impossible to tell where it was. As I stood staring at the whiteness, I realized I had a number of choices: I could choose to make my own path, I could choose to follow the tracks of others or of the snow mobile that had gone through, or I could search for the real path. The path of the snow mobile seemed the most solid, so I started there. It didn't take me long to realize however, that this path wasn't the right one. Besides going through the deepest snow, it led towards the middle of the open track area, in front of the baseball diamond, nowhere near the paved path. I then decided to follow in the tracks of others, but again, I quickly realized that they hadn't necessarily followed the path, either. Instead of going around the field, their tracks led off towards the high school campus. Making my own path was also not a good option. My tendency was to take short cuts, and where the ground underneath was a bit lower, I sank into knee-deep snow. Finally I decided to search for the true path. I knew that the track ran just to the outside of the 5-6 lights around the course. This was a good place to start! Next I watched for patches of pavement where the snow had melted, and I soon discovered that there were actually quite a few of these. Finally, I watched for signs of grass coming up through the snow, and if I could identify this on both sides but not under my feet, I had a pretty good idea I was on the track, even when there was snow. I soon found that parts of the track were easier to identify than others. The backside, for example, was easy. It was nearly bare. The front, on the other hand, was covered in about six inches of snow. I definitely had to pay more attention there.

 This reminds me of the Christian's walk through the world. We are told to stay on the path: "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matt 7:13-14 NIV). 

This could mean lots of things, but one of the very important applications is to have good, God-given convictions, and to stick to them. But often the path is hard to find because there is too much "snow"-our own desire-covering it. We want to "fit in", to "be like the crowd". We wish for an "easier path", one that runs into fewer conflicts! These desires can completely obscure our way! So what do you do? Just like I had several choices then, we have several choices.

        1. Make your own path-look at what seems logical and socially acceptable to base your convictions upon. This              alleviates the problem of not being like the crowd. But the world's wisest man warns against this:"There is              a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." (Prov 14:12 NIV) 

2. Follow the crowd. If everyone else is doing it, it can't be that bad! But what happens if the crowd's way isn't             Jesus' way? If you aren't careful you will soon find yourself on the wrong way! Jesus warns against this                     option: "For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through                       it."(Matt. 7:13) 

3. Take the "path of the snow mobile"-the "easy road"-the path of least resistance. Paul warns adamantly                     against this: "… All they want is easy street. They hate Christ's Cross. But easy street is a dead-end                           street." (Phil 3:18-19 The Message) 

And none of these options worked for me that morning. There is one other choice, the one that worked for me: Search for the true Path, the "small and narrow road" that leads to life: "But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matt 7:14 NIV).

  So how do you find this "small and narrow road"? The same way I found the track this morning: 

1. Watch for the lights: Just as my track had a few lights around it, we have been given a light, God's Word. The Bible gives you all the guidance you need, and God's Spirit helps you apply the principles of His Word to your individual situations. 

2. Clear away the snow: Allow Jesus to work in your heart to change your desires into Godly ones, to learn to hate the things of the world. 

3. Watch for the grass: Ask God to show you what compromise looks like and watch for it. Ask Him to show you the moment you step off the path! Naturally, this is easier to do sometimes than others. But in all times, we can ask God to help us, for "I can do all things in him that strengthens me" (Phil 4:13 NKJV) 

Lord, help us to not see the world in shades of gray, but in black and white! Help us to hate even the tiniest tinge of compromise so that like David, we will to be able to say: "I try to walk a straight and narrow path of doing what is right …" (Ps 26:11 TLB)

SPRING

Spring has finally peeked it's head out of my front border in the form of Daff~o~down~ dillies.hosta buds and tulip leaves! Yippee! Thank you God for the miracles You give us in the morning, and everyday!

Following

The Holy Bible, New International Version. Psalm 143 A psalm of David Ps 143:1 O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. 2 Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. 3 The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in darkness like those long dead. 4 So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed. 5 I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. 6 I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. 7 Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. 8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. 9 Rescue me from my enemies, O LORD, for I hide myself in you. 10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. 11 For your name’s sake, O LORD, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. 12 In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant. Clearly, the psalmist, David, wrote these words amidst circumstances of deep trouble and turmoil. In situations of suffering, we all know how appealing it is to wallow in the mire or self-pity and to think dark, vindictive thoughts against our 'enemies'. The Psalms are very candid in expressing grief and anger; and they give us the language for our own prayers when our own language fails us. God seems to be saying, through the Psalms, that it is all right to recognize and express these deep emotions to Him! After all, he knows that we are feeling them better than we know it ourselves! There is more to this poem than complaint, "I hide myself in You!" writes David. The place to flee in the midst of our struggles is to God, the only secure place of refuge. God is the only place of hope and comfort and safety. God is also the place to learn. "Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul." To remain in the place of refuge, and to know the peace we all long to have in our hearts, we must seek to know and do the will of God. Isaiah 55:8 says "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD." Because this is true, we need to be taught His ways and His will. He teaches us His will in many ways, and even though we may not find the discipline easy, there is tremendous fulfillment in following them. We are learning as we follow. Our prayers are being answered even as we pray.

"While we must devote enormous energy to conquering disease, it is equally important that we pay attention to the moral concerns raised by the new frontier of human embryo stem-cell research. Even the most noble ends do not justify any means."

— President George W. Bush, Aug. 9, 2001

Tuesday Dinner...

Dishwasher Salmon with Carrot Soup!

For years I have tried to remember where I saw that Salmon could be cooked in the dishwasher.  I think it was the Galloping Gourmet when I was little...

Anyway, no one has heard of it, and I thought I was crazy...but guess what we are having for dinner?!?!?!?!?!  

Picture...

I really like this picture. It's so cool. It's how I feel sometimes. Jesus just holding me. Cool.