Food For Thought Fridays

Yesterday was a busy day for Amanda and the Langley family. Caleb and Isaiah had appointments with the allergist in Fayetteville. They are allergic to a ton of stuff. Amanda had to go to the store and by casings for the mattresses and pillows. All of the linens had to be washed in HOT water. The casings had to be put on the beds. The floors had to be vacuumed and mopped. And last but not least, Caleb and Isaiah needed to go to Vacation Bible School.

Amanda had to do all this on her own because I was working 9 to 6.

When I got home around 6:30, the boys were still there. Amanda had given them a choice to go to VBS or spend some time with Daddy.

The boys chose Daddy time over friends, food, fun (even though I am quite the life of the party).

In Luke 6:12 it reads, "One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God."

Jesus' life was pretty chaotic and hectic. Pharisees, healing the sick, raising the dead, bringing the Kingdom of God. A little more complicated than filling prescriptions and mopping floors.

But in all the chaos, He never forgot to choose Daddy time.

He desired it, He needed, He lived for it, He depended on it.

Can we say the same?

Blessings

Food For Thought Fridays

Well, it is almost Father's Day! A day to celebrate the dad in our life and a great day to remember our Heavenly Father.

Every year about this time, I start thinking of the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. This is a great story and image of the love God has for us and the love earthly Fathers should show their children.

Luke 15:20 says, "But when he (the son) was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him."

The son who disconnected from the father, wasted everything, played with pigs, comes to his senses and decides to start back home.

Even though the son was far away, the Father ran.

He didn't wait for an apology or for his kid to get cleaned up, he ran.

I can imagine the old man hiking up his robe and with the most excitedly, undignified run imaginable, he takes off and grabs hold of his son (still stinking from the pig pen) and hugs the fool out of him.

We have an amazing Father that loves us like that.

But do we as earthly fathers love our children in that same way?

Many of todays children have yet to see their fathers running and have chosen to walk down a different road.

I would encourage all fathers and mothers to RUN.

Food For Thought Fridays

WARNING: This may be a bit heavy.

Just thinking about this.

Romans 1:24-25 says, "Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen."

In these verses, whether they like it or not, everybody is worshiping.

We will worship something or someone because you and I are worshipers. It is what we do. We can't help it. We can't stop it.

Every day, there is a battle for our worship.

Money, entertainment, food, alcohol, sports, sex, popularity, the list goes on and on. . .

We call them addictions, but really it is a worship problem. We have chosen to run to these other things to meet our needs and desires rather than the Creator who is blessed forever and ever.

We may not be able to stop worshiping, but we can choose to make our worship count for today and for eternity.

Shalom.

Super Watermelon Men

Super Watermelon, originally uploaded by DocUNC.

Watermelon Man, originally uploaded by DocUNC.

One afternoon this week, Caleb and Isaiah were enjoying one of their favorite summertime treats.

Food For Thought Fridays

Ephesians 6: 12-17 says, "For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Wherefore take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; withal taking up the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

This is a very familiar passage. Unfortunately, many Believers don't practice the directive.

We take way too lightly our enemy and worse, our God. If we didn't, we would value His Word more.

If you look at the armor, it is not just the sword that deals with the Word.

The whole armor is based on the Word and the Word become flesh.

You learn truth through the Word.
You build righteousness through the Word.
You grow faith through the Word.
You understand the gospel through the Word.
You experience salvation through the Word.

Luther said, "Satan hates goose quills!"

I believe it because the Word has definitely done much damage to his kingdom.

But, if you don't know the Word, Satan will do much damage to you.

Stand.

The Old Well

Old Well, originally uploaded by DocUNC.

Over the holiday weekend, Amanda and I took the boys to Chapel Hill to see where Mommy and Daddy went to school. We walked around the Arboretum, ate on Franklin Street and visited the Old Well.

While on Franklin Street, Caleb said, "Daddy, I want anything with Carolina on it. I love Carolina!"

I said, "How can I resist?" I bought them a shirt and a hat before the Old Well.

All I can say is GO HEELS!!!!!