Monthly Archives: July 2022

I haven’t written anything in a couple weeks. There’s lots of reasons for this – the heat, my schedule, plain laziness – but mainly it’s because we’ve just been super busy. Between going to visit our kids, gardening, remodeling the house, and a hundred other things, life’s been a little crazy.

One of the things that’s added to the busyness is we’ve finally gotten serious about dejunking our home. Over 38 years of marriage we’ve collected an awful lot of stuff, most of which we probably don’t need. We’ve still got unopened boxes from our move to Washington State in 2001! We just keep throwing them in the truck and taking them to the next place. Well, that’s all starting to change.

We’ve spent our free time in the last week going through some of those boxes. We’ve laughed when I pulled out a pair of slacks and discovered that, for some strange reason, I couldn’t button them up anymore. We’ve remembered good times when the kids were little as we went through a box of baby clothes. And we felt nostalgic when we discovered pictures of friends we haven’t seen in years (miss you guys!).

For the most part, however, most of the stuff we’ve found we don’t need or want anymore. It’s just been taking up space and wasting our time moving it around. These things we’re hauling to a friend’s yard sale, so some other poor soul can stack them in their attic or garage for awhile.

Just like occasionally cleaning out the attics and closets of our homes is a good idea, cleaning up the garbage cluttering our souls regularly is also essential. Those hurt feelings, cherished resentments, guilty pleasures, and harmful habits take up precious space in our minds, waste our time and hold us back from the abundant life Jesus wants for us (see John 10:10).

In Hebrews 12:1 Paul calls on us to “strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up”, so we can “run with endurance the race God has set before us.”

If we keep all this junk we’ve accumulated in our house, our next move will be more difficult and expensive than it needs to be. In the same way, if you hold on to the past, to your old habits, hurt feelings, and cherished sins, moving to your heavenly home will be impossible.

So, what weight is slowing you down? What sin is tripping you up? What old hurt is holding you back? It’s time to let it go. Just give it to Jesus. 1 John 1:9 promises, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

These things are just holding you back, weighing you down. Let them go! Give them to Jesus and let Him show you the way to a better (and lighter) tomorrow!

An old friend dropped in yesterday – literally!

Mark is a paraglider and yesterday afternoon, as Ana and I were just getting back from a drive up into the mountains to celebrate our 38th anniversary, he landed in our backyard.

Having paragliders land in our field is a pretty common occurrence, since they often launch off the mountain above our house, but it’d been a while since we’d seen Mark, so it was great to catch up.

As Mark folded up his paraglider we chatted about family, friends, work, politics, and even God. Later, when I drove him down to meet the other paragliders he’d launched with, our conversation continued, touching on recent events in the news and our reactions to them.

The crazy thing is, Mark and I agree on hardly anything. Whether it’s politics, religion, or something as simple as what to eat for dinner, Mark and I are usually on different sides of the issue. In spite of that, we get along great! Why? As Aretha Franklin sang, it’s a little thing called R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

A little respect goes a long way. I may not agree with Mark’s opinion very often, but I respect his right to have that opinion. At the same time he respects me for the stands I take. And just because we don’t always agree, doesn’t mean we can’t get along and enjoy each other’s company.

1 Peter 2:17 tells us to “Respect everyone.” In this world, where everyone seems to be taking things to extremes and where there’s more yelling than listening going on, Christians need to follow this advice more often. Even when it comes to sharing our faith Peter tells us to “do this in a gentle and respectful way.” (verse 16).

Proverbs 15:1 warns, “A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.” This week when you come across someone you disagree with (and you will), take a deep breath, tone down the rhetoric, and show a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T. You’ll be amazed what a difference it’ll make in both your attitudes.

Showing each other a little respect may not change the world, but it sure could brighten your little corner of it.

God bless and have a wonderful week!

My wife, Ana, recently bought a small pool for our dog’s yard. The weather is finally warming up, after a really cool spring, and the pool helps our puppies deal with the heat.

Ana used a hose to fill the pool with fresh cool water and Bella and Lilly had a wonderful time splashing in it all day. The next morning, however, Ana was surprised to find the pool totally empty. It didn’t seem possible the dogs could have splashed all that water out in such a short time, but she reconnected the hose and filled the pool again, much to the dog’s delight.

This morning, when Ana went to feed the dogs, she was surprised to find the pool empty again. We checked it for leaks, but it seemed fine. Feeling stumped as to what could be wrong, Ana started filling the pool again. That’s when it hit her!

She had been leaving one end of the hose in the pool after it was full and then disconnecting the other end, which was down the hill from the dog yard. The water was being siphoned off by the hose through the night. Mystery solved!

Do you ever feel like that pool? Every morning you get up and start the day with a refreshing drink from God’s Word. After drinking deeply from the “fresh, bubbling spring” Jesus spoke about in John 4 you go out filled with “living water”, ready to face the day.

Then life hits! Everything that can go wrong goes wrong! The car won’t start. The boss is a jerk. Bills need to be paid. The toilet overflows. Pretty soon, like the hose in the dog’s pool, the cares and frustrations of your everyday life have siphoned away the joy and hope you started the day with, leaving you dry and empty and ready to give up.

So, what’s the solution? Ana fixed the problem with the dog’s pool by pulling out the hose. However, that won’t work in our everyday lives. Bills will still need to be paid. Cars will still break down and toilets will overflow. Removing the hose is not an option, unless you decide to run off and be a hermit.

The only answer is to keep the hose connected to the Source. Filling up with “living water” in the morning is not enough. We need to stay connected to Jesus every moment of the day by lifting our hearts to Him in prayer, claiming His promises, and looking for His hand at work in the everyday things of life. If we do this we will never run dry and never thirst again.

This week, don’t let life siphon away your happiness, leaving you drained and empty. Instead, stay connected to Jesus. Drink deeply of the living water He provides and let it become in you “a fresh, bubbling spring within” flowing out in blessing on everyone you meet.