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Saturday, December 17, 2011
If You Were Stuck On An Island
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Ants and Sin
We have recently experienced a hostile takeover in our home by ants. They have made life very wearisome for my wife. She can't stand them. My oldest son Will thinks that they are going to carry him off and dismember him. I haven't been to bothered by them until recently when they invaded the garbage can in the kitchen. It was the straw that broke the camels back. I have sprayed ant spray everywhere I can think of. I think they look at the spray as a sort of ant gatorade that quenched their thirst while they tear into our groceries. How can something so small cause so much stress?
One ant isn't a problem but 1,000 ants is. It reminds me alot of life. The small issues we face aren't that big of a deal but when the pile up they can throw us off focus, keep us from prayer, and hurt us. The small sin issues we deal with may not be so bad but when you have a pile of small sin issues they can destroy you spiritually.
I'm no pest control expert, but I would assume the best way to handle ants is to act when you first see them. I'm no spiritual guru but the best way to handle the small problems and sin issues is to get rid of them before they pile up. Don't let the ants of life get the best of you. Now, excuse me while I go burn my house down.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Father's Day
I was told that about 70 times yesterday.
"How was your Father's Day?"
I was asked that about 7 times today.
Well, I had one son break my iPhone, dump a glass of sweet tea all over me, and destroy 2 hours worth of video editing work. If I didn't know any better I would say we adopted Will and Nate from a remote tribe of Apache Indians. They are as close to out of control you can get. The word rest doesn't exist in our house. I wouldn't trade if for anything in the world though. Well, except maybe a peaceful quiet weekend in the Bahamas.
I am just kidding!
When I first found out I would be a father over six years ago, I was speechless. Seriously, I didn't talk for probably an hour. It was one of those "I am God and I'll decide when you have a kid" pregnancies. Now, life is unimaginable without my kids. They are my pride and joy.
To be honest my Father's Day was as bittersweet as all of them have been. You see every Father's Day I have celebrated as a father has been without my father. My dad died in 2005, two months before my first son was born. I realize more and more everyday how much influence he had on my life. For instance, I received my love for fishing from my dad. I am now passing down that fishing fever to my sons. To say I miss my dad is an understatement. I long to see his face and hear his voice. To be honest, I would give your right arm just to have him yell at me again. My dad taught me manly things. Things like working with your hands, fishing, gardening, discretely passing gas in public. I have perfected that last one. He taught me how to work until you can't move and then work some more.
My dad came to know Jesus just 3 months prior to his death. For 3 months he was the most dedicated Christ follower I have ever known. He truly experienced what it means to become a "new creation". So I spent most of my Father's Day enjoying the company of my sons and wishing I had the company of my dad. I can remember the day I had on a white t-shirt, jeans, and a tool belt and followed my dad around the house with him wearing his white t-shirt, jeans, and tool belt. I wanted to be like him. For a long time I was known as "Little Ricky", not Josh.
What if we tried so hard to be like our Heavenly Father that people would refer to us as "Little Jesus". Cheesy, I know. I can't believe I just stooped to that level of corny-ness. It is true though. Just like I was striving to be like my dad and my sons strive to be like me, God wants us to strive to be like Him. He wants to be our hero. Fathers are the most influential person in our lives. Some of us have had great ones and others have never even known theirs. Whatever the case is, we have a Heavenly Father that desires to be close to us. So let me take another step of Christian corny-ness and say Happy Father's day to the only One who has shaped me more than Richard Tillman.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Treadmill Moments
HILARIOUS!!
People tried to help him out. Me? I just laughed. What do you expect. He fell off a treadmill.
Truth is it was so funny because I had done it before. Yep, I too have kissed the floor after falling miserably from a treadmill.
I hate treadmills. Not because I fell off of one before but because I am a runner who prefers the outdoors. When I go running I like to pretend I am on an adventure somewhere. It helps me forget that I am about to pass out and die. I like to hit the open road in my Vibram's and knock out 5 or 6 miles. On a treadmill I bust my tail on to never leave the spot I started in. I can never run more than three miles on a treadmill and I have ran 30 miles on pavement before. It just so mentally draining. Any runner will tell you that running is a very mental sport. For me, treadmill running is depressive. I run 3 miles only to have never moved.
Life is like a treadmill sometimes. It feels like we are working hard, praying, serving God, and being faithful but getting nowhere. It's depressing. We have all found ourselves there. Trying so hard in life only to feel stuck in one place. Raise kids, love your wife, work, serve at church, chase your dreams and never move.
The funny thing about life and treadmills is that the second you lose focus on either is the moment you fall. You can't close you eyes on and treadmill and run because you will find yourself going backwards. You will eventually land on the floor crying with people asking you if you okay and a guy behind you laughing (that's me). I run best inns treadmill when I am looking straight ahead and focused. In life and serving God focus and perspective are key. I tend to forget that while on the treadmill I am burning calories and getting good exercise. I just don't keep that in mind because I am more focused on feeling like I'm not moving. What you and I have to keep in mind in the treadmill moments of life is feeling like your not moving and actually not moving are very different. It's during those treadmill moments when we are getting stronger and better capable of hitting the road. Don't despise the treadmill moments. Embrace those 3 miles of stationary movement.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
God is the Biggest
"Daddy, I love you as big as God!"
I said, "Well, you win because there is nothing bigger than God"
I kissed him goodnight and walked into my room and then that statement sunk in. There is NOTHING bigger than God. No problem, circumstance, situation, disease, or anything is bigger than God. We make our problems and situations bigger than God, but the truth is they don't even register on the radar next to Him. Life is about perspective and when we perceive things to be bigger than God everything gets messed up. My 5 year old son knows that God is the biggest. Inherently we all know that nothing is bigger than God. When the mortgage is due and the bank account is low our God mysteriously shrinks. When our family member is diagnosed with Giant Cancer our little god seems to be no match for it. The size of God is directly proportional to your belief and faith in Him. Life is tough. Everyday can be a battle. Hard times seem to outweigh the good times. When you understand that NOTHING is bigger than God, life is good. Life becomes more than manageable. You can do more than just survive. You can be more than a conqueror. You can overcome because He overcame it all.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Snow Crab Legs and Religion
That's why I like following Christ, it doesn't require work. It's not based on following strict, rigorous laws but based on a beautiful relationship between me and my Creator. It's not like snow crab leg religion where you have to work so hard to gain the rewards. It's a glorious plate of perfectly fried shrimp. Salvation is free and work-less. Following Christ is fun and rewarding. I truly feel sorry for those who are drudging through life cracking snow crabs trying to attain freedom. You and I cannot earn or work our way into God's grace. It is given to us through a relationship with His son who paid the price for us. The choice is completely ours. Will you sign up for strict, hard working religious practices or the free relationship found in Christ. I invite you to pick up your shrimp, dip them into some cocktail sauce and enjoy living for Christ.