The best $ 9.00 I've ever spent

Today was a sunny day. So sunny in fact, that my son Josh wanted to be in his element, which is the outdoors.

So I let him play outside on his playground while I mowed the lawn. After mowing, I pulled my weed-eater out to trim around the house and after one side, I ran out of line completely. So, I made a decision to make a trip to Wally World (that's Wal-Mart for all of you non-shoppers) and pick up some new line and Josh said he wanted to go with me.

After we located our line we needed, Josh and I made a pass through what he has affectionately dubbed "his section", otherwise known to you and I as the toy aisle.

Passing through the aisles, his eyes lit upon something that he marveled at. Now, before you get the wrong idea, let me inform you that I don't spoil my son rotten. I like to buy him things every once in a while, because I love him, but I don't want him growing up believing that he HAS to have everything.

So, anyways, in the toy aisle, he saw....the Slip and Slide. A wondrous toy. Ingeniously designed for those people whose HOA's won't allow an above ground swimming pool.

So, I asked him if he wanted it, seeing the longing in his eyes. YES! He exclaimed, without hesitating, and I said okay, and we bought it.

After seeing him at home, I now know that it was the best $ 9.00 that I ever spent.

Not because my son loves me. Not because he had fun, but because it was a moment where true joy shined through on his face and we made a memory. I love him and I want him to know that. I want him to experience joy.

Kind of how God wants things for us. God gives us blessings in our lives so that we can experience joy, just because he loves us. And He sacrificed his son, just because he loved us and I think he thought to himself, that's the best thing I ever spent it on.

Thank God for the blessings in your life today!

1st Corinthians 3 - You Are of Christ

1st Corinthians 3:21-23 - "21So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, 22whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God."

"21So then, no more boasting about men!" - Paul concludes his argument by reminding the Corinthians that they shouldn't boast about following certain men.

"All things are yours, 22whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours," - All things have been given to us by god so that we may know him more and worship him with all that we are. We shouldn't pick one person and follow them, rather we should follow God.

Paul throws a different name in here now, one that you may or may not recognize, depending on your bible background. Cephas is actually the word for Rock which is also known as Petros or Peter.

Don't worry about things such as the world, or life, or death, or the present, or the future. God has everything in his hands and he knows what will be with everyone and everything. It's a little talked about quality of his called omniscience, or "all knowing".

"23and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God." - God made everything for us so that we might know him more, but we are of Christ and that is really all that matters when you boil it all down. Jesus is everything. And Jesus is of God.

What do you have in your life that matters more to you than following Jesus?

Jesus is the only thing that matters.

1st Corinthians 3 - Foolish Wisdom

1st Corinthians 3:18-20 - ¹⁸Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise. ¹⁹For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness"; ²⁰and again, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile."

^"18Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise." - Deception is pulling the wool over your or someone else's eyes. You cannot deceive God, therefore, it is foolish to even try.

^"19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight." - You cannot be led away from the truth by having a high opinion of human wisdom. God's logic does not equal man's logic. God created logic and he can defy logic. You have to learn to follow God even when things don't make sense. The true way to wisdom is to submit your own understanding to God's will. Then you will be truly "foolish" in the eyes of the world, but wise in the eyes of God.

Which would you rather be?

"As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness"; - This would be a direct quote from Job 5:13.

^"20and again, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile." - And this one from Psalm 94:11.

There can be no comparison between God's wisdom and man's. All knowledge ultimately comes from God. This is the reason that we have faith. We cannot explain what we do not know. Scientists have tried with the theory of evolution and the science of eugenics, but they cannot produce an answer that fits their logical patterns.

God knows everything - he is omniscient. As proof of this, I'll leave you with this quote from Jesus as he conversed with Nicodemus in John 3:11-12 - ^"11I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. ¹²I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?"

We'll polish off this chapter tomorrow.

What Worship Is

I haven't posted in a couple of days. I know. I'll be back shortly.

In the mean time, I thought that you all might like to hear a definition that rocked my world today. It's the most clear, concise definition of this I've ever heard, so I'll get out of the way and just let you all ponder it for a minute:

"Simply put, worship is our response to the presence of God." - Rory Noland