Morning Thoughts

Happy Sunday. I hope you are ready for a wonderful Lord’s Day and are meeting with fellow believers for a time of corporate worship. What a perfect way to end this year.  Georgia and Oscar took their kids skiing this last week and they sent a video of little Ozzie coming down the mountain. At one point, he falls but pops right back up—I played it over and over again remembering times when I was skiing and fell. I didn’t ever pop up like that! It caused me to think, how very much skiing down that mountain is like our life. We all at some point are going to fall, but are we getting back up? And how adept are we at overcoming those falls? Ozzie didn’t hardly miss a beat which should be the goal for all of us I think. If we can get to the point where we quickly realize we are not standing, we can immediately jump back up with an “Oops, let’s fix that!” sort of reaction.  ““Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that ca

Happy Saturday to you! Do you have big plans for this long weekend? It’s going to be pretty cold here, I think the forecast is 8•F Sunday night—pretty cold!  Yesterday I went to see “The Last Jedi” in the iMax in 3D. It was quite the experience; not quite as exciting as the first one that summer in 1977 when we all were blown away by the “jump to light speed” but pretty good none-the-less. The thing that always sticks out to me about Star Wars is the clear cut Message that “Dark hates Light.” It sounds simplistic yet it truly is the battle of our universe, not quite like Star Wars, but in our current world, it is exactly what plays out in front of us every day. The Dark hates the Light. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” ‭‭John‬ ‭1:5‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Isn’t it amazing that for all other religions, the world shows great tolerance, however if you mention Jesús or Christianity, it is met with unparalleled resistance. That’s because Jesús is offensive to t

Happy Friday and I hope you have had a great week. Yesterday while I was cleaning out, throwing away, and re-boxing, I found love letters from Bob Hudson to Pam Smith from the spring of 1977 (13 cent stamps!) Obviously, I read them all again and couldn’t help but laugh over the 19 & 21 year-old kids so crazy in love. In every one, he says “I love you” or Have I told you lately that I love you?” about 5 times. And of course at that point, we had no idea how much love it would take to actually get through life.  Stumbling across those letters made me think what it must have been like for the people who first found the written scriptures—like the Dead Sea Scrolls. How exciting it must have been to first discover what they were—Gods love letters to us.  I’ve heard it said that love isn’t something you find, love is something that finds you and that’s the prevailing message throughout God’s love letter to us. In the Old Testament, God chose a people (Israel) to be the object of His aff

Happy Thursday to you! Are you having a great time watching to bowl games? I know there are those who aren’t avid football fans, but for those of us who love college ball, this is a great time.   One of the things I think that makes football such a great sport is the teamwork—there is absolutely no way a team can be successful if everyone on the team doesn’t do their part. It only takes one weak link on either side of the ball to give a huge advantage to the opponent. Even the very best quarterback has to have a solid front line, strong backs for the run game and receivers who will catch anything close. It can’t be done well with a selfish attitude, it has to be one of selflessness.  Jesus our perfect example of selfless tells all of us to think more highly of others and lay aside our pride. The Apostle Paul understood the power of working together as a team explaining how we can only reach our goals by common effort.  To the church at Philippi: “Then make me truly happy by agreeing w

Happy Wednesday. I hope this finds you recovered from holiday and looking forward to the new year. I’ve been thinking about things I need to change in the new year, like getting back to a regular exercise routine. I don’t like to exercise, but i know it’s good for me and makes me feel better. For me, it’s about self-discipline and working it into my day, just like brushing my teeth. My kids bought me a watch for Christmas that even helps with all of that.  I find that in my walk with the Lord, I need to use that same self-discipline and keep a regular routine of study, prayer, and reflection.  “Youths may faint and grow weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭40:30-31‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ The apostle Paul told us to “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” Ephesians 6:10. “I can do all things through Christ who stre

Good Tuesday morning. I hope you had a great Christmas with family and friends. My group was together for the whole day. It was pretty terrific. We shared lots of stories, tears, and laughter.  We listened to Christmas music all day and the song that kept playing in my head after I went to bed was “I bring an offering of worship to my King. No one on earth deserves the praises that we sing. Lord I bring an offering to you.” And that’s my prayer—that we can all bring that offering of praise to the King throughout this next year in all we do. Because truly, who does deserve our praise if not the one who destroyed death for us.  “but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” ‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭1:10‬ ‭NIV‬‬ Through His appearing, life and immortality are ours simply by asking. What more could He do? He is Jehovah-Sabaoth (the Lord Almighty) who is the sovereign God over

Merry Christmas Eve to you. Don’t you love it when the holiday falls right on Sunday? It’s so blessed to proclaim the Savior who was born as we sing praise, and worship together.  Yesterday, we braved the cold and went to Silver Dollar City. The lights were just amazing, breath-taking, and phenomenal. Just about the time I thought I’d seen the best, I would turn a corner and it was bigger and brighter! I so appreciate that the Savior’s Birth is proclaimed in very many ways there. The prophet Isaiah proclaimed the birth of this special child hundreds of years before the host of angels would fill the sky to sing.  “All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭7:14‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be a

Happy Saturday to you. The weather has turned nasty in my neck of the woods and I don’t like it at all...not even one little bit. Yesterday was cookie baking day. It’s always a fun time to get those shapes cut out and baked. And then, the decorating...not my forte but I had a helper who, with the aid of a ziplock bag, was great at it.  We also made a pie and wrapped a few small gifts to make a giant cellophane ball. We have it all done early because we were going to go to Branson to see the lights today, but now with this snow and ice, we are taking another vote. But regardless of our changing plans or what we have or have not baked, this season is special because of the birth we celebrate—not because of all the food, lights, trees and gifts.  “God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” ‭‭John‬ ‭3:17‬ ‭NLT‬‬ To save the world. That’s a fairly tall order, wouldn’t you say? Much like the script for a super hero, but this...this is real, no

Happy Friday. How are you doing today? Are you ready to take a deep breath and just enjoy Christmas with friends and family and to simply take joy in our Savior? Me too.  We do so much purchasing on line these days, We aren’t in stores much, but I did a little shopping yesterday. It was fun being in the crowds and seeing the big packages people were carrying. I’ve always been a gift giver—I delight in giving. It’s one of my love languages, I’m sure. Gift giving wasn’t one of Bob Hudson’s...we always teased him about his lack of skill in that area, but his love was shown in caring, words of affirmation, simply listening, and above all, intense loyalty. God’s Love language was demonstrated clearly when he send His Son so that we might live. Love such as that is certainly worth remembering and celebrating.  “My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to

It’s Thursday and the countdown is on. I hope you have been preparing your heart for Christmas rather than worrying and stressing over the holiday. Do your best to remember why we celebrate this wonderful day.  About 2,014 years ago, the prophecy of Isaiah concerning the virgin giving birth to the son who would be called “God with Us” was about to be fulfilled. An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and explained to him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife.  “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭1:21‬ ‭NIV‬‬ Those few words given to Joseph that would change the world must have completely stunned him. It’s hard to imagine a visit from an angel with a message, but one such as this? Talk about life changing event! And we know now what an amazing and glorious event it was and how he continues to save his people from their sins. This great and wonderful gift and what we hold most

Happy Wednesday to you. I hope this finds you well and not stressed about the quickly approaching holiday, but rather joyful in this special time that celebrates our Savior’s coming to earth in human flesh. What a wonderful, amazing God is Jesus Christ our Lord.  In this season when we talk of gift giving, the big news in Southwest Missouri this week has been that a major league pitcher (who was traded from the Phillies to the Rangers) decided to give away his new vacation home on 100 acres on Table Rock Lake valued at $9.75 M to a local Christian Camp. Camp Barnabas offers day camp programs for kids with chronic illnesses and special needs, matching each camper with their own volunteer and offering scholarships so no kid is turned away. Cole and Heidi Hamels said of all the charities in Southwest Missouri, this one just touched their hearts.  Now, by any standards that was a significant gift. A huge gift even considering the kind of money he makes (1/2 his salary) it’s still a ton of

It’s Tuesday the week before Christmas and all through my messy house I was cleaning like a crazy woman yesterday! And in my digging out and cleaning up, I ran across an old Christmas card that my boss and I had designed several years ago. On in inside, he wanted to include a quote of Ralph Hodgson’s “Some things have to be believed to be seen.” (He was a master of using quotes to get across a message.) I’ve thought about that quote so many times over the years and how it relates to our faith. First and foremost, Heaven must be believed before it will ever be seen, because obviously those who do not believe will never see the marvelous city of God.  So often in scripture we are told time and again sight follows belief. Jesús told the Mary and Martha as the grieved over their brother Lazarus, they had to believe first.  ““Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.” Jesus respon

Happy Monday to you and I hope you have a great week planned and that you are not going to be crazy busy this week before Christmas.  What a special time this is—this time for us to especially remember that God didn’t just create us as an experiment to be forgotten, but that He wanted to be with us from the very beginning. He walked with Adam and Eve in the garden in the cool of the day. And even after Adam and Eve sinned, God still wanted to be with mankind, so He went looking for us, found us, and gave us a new way to be close to Him through law and sacrifice. People would try to obey the law, but they’d fail. So, they’d give up their very best animal for a priest to sacrifice. This would roll their sins forward so they could get close to God through a priest. Yet, God wanted to be closer with us, so He sent His only Son, Jesus, the ultimate priest, the once-and-for-all sacrifice. Jesus came to Earth to be with us, where He gave His life to fulfill the law for us.  ““Look! The virgin

It’s Sunday in Oklahoma and I think somewhere between Samachique and Grove, I missed a devotion. We left earlier than we had planned due to weather in the Sierras. It started to snow and roads began to close and the forecast was for it to continue for the next couple of days. So, a day early, we threw our things in the truck and took off taking the lower route to avoid the deep snow. But what we saw was certainly beautiful.  Our plans are not always God’s plans and especially in December, we have to be flexible. Proverbs 16:1 says that we make elaborate plans, but God has the last word. And no matter where we are, what we have going, or how busy we think we are doing God’s work, he is working out his plans for us.  “The Lord will work out his plans for my life—for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭138:8‬ ‭NLT‬‬ I for one bask in the knowledge that my plans, however flawed, will be worked out for good for my life. As long as I co

It’s Friday morning in the Sierras. And it has been a frosty night. It was one that required lots of blankets on the bed and warm jammies. It’s the kind of morning that you know you need to get up and start the fire but you don’t want to leave the bed—the comfort zone.  It makes me think of how many other instances in life I need to step out and do but I don’t want to leave where it’s comfortable. My friend Jamie called it her “rut” and she likes living in it. We all like to live in our ruts to a certain extent. We know what to expect, who we are going to meet, what they think, and when we will be home. But what are we missing?  If I never get out of bed, I can’t have breakfast or go to the hospital or finish what I need to do or 50 other things. And if we never get out of our comfort zones, do we miss reaching someone for Jesus? Do we miss a blessing God has planned for us? And all the other things God really has waiting for us to accomplish.  “GOD made my life complete when I placed

It’s Thursday in the Sierras and I have to admit it—I’m sick. I don’t know what got me, but someone on the airplane must have had something and shared it with me. Yeah. Last night I woke up at 2:30 with a raging fever and if the covers were on, I was hot, off and I was cold. I was just miserable for about an hour until I realized I could take some ibuprofen and control that fever. In a little while I was able to go back to sleep.  Don’t we do the same thing with the struggles and issues in our lives? We try to handle them this way, and that way and go back and forth and end up just miserable. When all we have to do is reach for the Word. All the answers are there. Turn our issues, our troubles over to the One big enough to handle them and let his Word show us the way through.  “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:28‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Today, don’t struggle through the fever...reach for the Word.  Love you dear o

It’s Wednesday in the Sierras and although it’s still dark, there is a rooster demanding that it’s time for the day to begin! The last time I spent the night further up the mountain at Johnny’s house, he had a young rooster that didn’t want any of us to sleep the entire night! He was certain he he sun was coming any minute—all night long. About 3:00 in the morning I was ready to make fried rooster! But as I sit here this morning listening, I can’t help but think are we ready for the Son Rise? The return of the King? When I said something the next day to Johnny about that stupid little rooster, he laughed and said, “Oh, we don’t even hear it any more” which of course they wouldn’t. But, is that what we’ve done with the expectation of the return of Jesus? We’ve heard it so long, we don’t hear it any more? ““Then the kingdom of heaven will be like 10 virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible. When the foolish took their l

Yes, it IS Tuesday in Mexico and probably wherever you are as well! I flew into Chihuahua early yesterday morning and it was a beautiful “welcome back!”. The sun was just coming up red over the snow peaked mountains—amazing. However, once the bags were packed in the car, we had only gone a little ways down the road and had a flat tire! Hurray. And it was the same tire that I had ruined the night before we left Oklahoma. I didn’t have time to get a new tire, so I was running my spare, which I thought was a good tire. That, mixed with no sleep, set the schedule really behind.  In this world we have trouble, but isn’t it great to know we serve a God who has over come the world? Adversity, trials, tribulations are not something we can avoid and we will have stress (especially this time of the year). But it’s often in the wilderness seasons of this high stress and distress times when we look for meaning and God’s plan in our lives.  As a Christian, we expect to enjoy the abundant life of Ch

Well, it’s very early Monday Morning in Mexico City and I’m getting ready to board a plane for Chihuahua. I’m a bit sleepy having spend the better part of the night in this huge, cold airport. (I’ve yet to figure out why there are so very few places that are heated here when the temperatures drop to and below freezing on a regular basis in winter—maybe it has to do with warm blooded Latinos, of which I’m obviously not!)  A couple of days ago we were at a hotel with pools fed by multiple hot springs. Even though the temperatures were cold enough that we were wearing coats, boots and scarves (and I was still cold of course!) But the folks that had been in the pools were running around in their bathing suits (which made me even colder just looking at them!) It seemed so strange, but they had gotten so hot, that the cold air wasn’t touching them. I kept thinking I wish I was brave enough to get in the hot water but that meant taking off my coat and clothes and there was NO WAY I could stan

It’s Sunday in Mexico and Feliz Lord’s Day to you. I hope you are able to be in a service today and corporately worship our Lord and Savior.   Last night, I was able to attend a quinceañera and it was so much fun. I thought quite a bit about the tradition of this culture in celebrating the 15th Birthday of a young girl. This one day set aside when the family and friends come together, get dressed in their finest, attend a church service, then put on a VERY nice party, all to show her how special she is to them—how much she is loved. Such a grand celebration of her.  I think it’s a great model of how Christ loves and celebrates us. And no matter where we are in the world we know we have family who love and care for us and one day, when we have our next “birthday” they will throw us a party like none other—when we enter the gates!  “No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have

It’s Saturday here in Mexico. I hope you’ve had a great week. Have you ever gone somewhere expecting a certain thing but ended up with something else altogether and you felt like you’d been tricked?  My friend Rosa and I felt that way the other day when we though we were headed to a sauna and ended up at a place that was some spiritual retreat center. A place that worshiped mother earth and threw in some talk of God, being one with the universe, taking control of your mind, and just about any other new-age or spiritualism junk you might want to throw in there. We’d been tricked.  We laughed pretty hard about how crazy the two hours in that place was (because it was ludicrous) but the truth is, it was a sad take on how far from the truth and what it really means to really follow the Spirt. At one point while beating the drum we were told “Put your feet together and with your finger write a number in the air to ensure prosperity.” And I wanted to tell all of them, “You’ve missed the poin

It’s Friday here in Mexico and I’m writing this very early in the morning listening to laughter below me. Friends are telling stories of their days in the seminary and of crazy stunts and just life in general. It’s a marvelous sound. Earlier, now last evening, we had chulapas (who knew you made them with potatoes instead of beans?) and they were so good, I had 8!! She’ll be waddling across the border when she comes.. As the chulapas were being made, I tried to help, but I soon found out, I was way over my head. It’s an art. I just reaped the benefits. I felt a bit inept to say the least.  One of my friends posted this on Facebook yesterday and boy did it speak to me!  “FEAR NOT, for I have redeemed you, I HAVE CALLED YOU BY NAME, you are mine.”  No matter how inept I might be in what area of my life. How many times I try and fail, I still belong to the King of Kings, the Lord God Almighty. Jehovah has redeemed me and has called me by name. And that promise has been bound by an oath and

It’s Thursday in Mexico. And I’ve been having some experiences that have me thinking about things. I attended a Bible study with a group of women who were working through the role that God has called to them as wives and mothers. They started in Genesis at woman’s creation and ended up in Proverbs 31. Then yesterday, I attended the funeral of a mother and grandmother who has now gone to be with her Lord and Savior. And if the turn out was any indication, she was a much loved woman who lived her calling well.  Obviously it makes me wonder if I’m living up to my calling and if my life is well lived. And what is the very basis for that? Maybe it starts with the words from our mouths. And as I sat through both of these, I contemplated the conversations, lives being lived, and a life that had been well lived. The conversations that surrounded me continued to make me wonder “Are these words being used to equip and bring encouragement and strength?” You know, as we have daily conversations, t

Happy Wednesday. How’s your week going? I leaned an important lesson yesterday—the difference between sympathy and compassion. If someone has sympathy for you, they feel sorry for you, but if they have compassion, they do something about it—they become inconvenienced for you. When you are stuck and need a ride, someone may feel bad for you, but if they have compassion, they take the time to get in the car and come and get you.  In Luke 10, when the young lawyer came to Jesus asking him what he needed to do to enter heaven, Jesus asked him what the scriptures said.  “He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭10:27-28‬ ‭NIV‬‬ But that wasn’t enough for the lawyer and he pushed Jesus, probably because he knew WHAT to do, he just didn’t want to DO it. So Jesus told him the st

It’s Tuesday in Mexico. And how are you today? Yesterday, my friend Rosa took me across town to meet her friend Lola—by walking, by taxi, by big bus and smaller bus. We had a nice visit and a really nice meal Lola and her husband cooked for us. Before we left, Lola told me that her house was my house any time I was in Pachuca. All I could do is say “thank you” because I’d certainly done nothing to deserve it. I hadn’t really even added much to to the conversation and Rosa paid for the taxi and the bus fares!  In a small way, it’s the same way I feel about what Jesus has done for me. I didn’t do anything to deserve it. I certainly can’t make myself good enough or say the right things or follow the right rules someone else set up so I can be better than other people or check off enough boxes to make it work. No, it’s about realizing all I can do is my best for the Master. Give myself to him and follow his direction and just say “thank-you”.  When he healed the crippled woman on the Sab

Good Monday to you from Pachuca, Hildago México. As my sister often says “You just never know where the day will take you!” And I add “or who takes it with you!” I’m here with the Villanueva family—some of my very favorite people—who always seem to know just the perfect way to love on me and to minister to me. It’s a pretty nice place for the day to take me.  About 2 weeks ago one of my pre-teen heart throbs died. David Cassidy after years of drug and alcohol abuse suffered early dementia and died of organ failure at 67. His daughter said his last words were “So much wasted time.” What a sad last sentence for your time on this planet, isn’t is? I’m reminded of the man who wanted to tear down his barns and build bigger ones—he just couldn’t get enough stuff. And Jesus said “you fool! Tonite is your last night!” Wasted life.  So what does a life look like that’s not wasted? A life that has been lived to the fullest and accomplished the call the Master planned for that life? Obviously

Good Sunday Morning. I was reading Romans this morning and as I do, I read a couple of versions. When I hit this in the message, I though “I think this says it just about as clear as it can possibly be said!” So as I jump on an early morning flight to Mexico City, I want to leave you with these words of the Apostle Paul...how he probably would have said it in this decade.  “Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, “How can I help?” That’s exactly what Jesus did. He didn’t make it easy for himself by avoiding people’s troubles, but waded right in and helped out. “I took on the troubles of the troubled,” is the way Scripture puts it. Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it’s written for us. God wants the combination of his steady, c

It’s Saturday and I’m in Mexico today. I’ve had a limonada and a taco and I feel acclimated. I’ve got to buy Cooper some boots today because he has out grown his. Doesn’t it amaze you how quickly kids do that? Both physically and mentally as long as they as healthy, they are growing quickly. And I think they may learn faster than they outgrow their shoes!  And then, we grow up. And of course the physical growing slows way down. But that mental and spiritual growing we want to see keep happening? Those things that require more and more effort from us as we continue to age and get busier lives? Somehow, we lose our focus, our intensity and that single-mindedness we had as children. That “this thing in front of me is the most important” mental awareness that permits absorption and fast growth to occur.  “You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have f

Good Friday morning! I hope you’ve had a great week and are planning an adventure for the weekend. We left early this morning (4:28 when we pulled out of the driveway) and we hope to make the border this evening. I had a flat tire yesterday—I was hoping it was just a nail, but alas, it was a cut in the sidewalk of a nearly new tire! Bummer, right? It was just that kind of a day.  Sometimes no matter how much planning goes into what we are trying to do, we can’t plan enough for the unexpected...those unforeseen variables. Isn’t that life? One big unforeseen variable? But how great is it that we don’t have to face that great unknown alone? And all those battles both seen and unseen are not ours to fight.  “But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭14:13-14‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Of course I still have to deal with the ramificat