02 Friday Oct 2015
Posted in Children, Christianity, Devotional, Life, People, Raising The Mug
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children, encouragement, faith, feet, God, grace, hope, inspiration, Jesus, love, missions, sacrifice, shoes, Uganda
I can’t take credit for anything in this story. These are friends of mine who are now missionaries in Uganda. This is the latest from their blog site. Please take the time to read about what they are doing and how God is using them in Africa.
Click the link below
School of Fish
Grace and peace,
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
17 Thursday Sep 2015
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Bible, coffee, devotional, encouragement, faith, forgiveness, God, grace, hope, scripture, separation, sin
So I slammed my thumb with a rubber mallet one day. I wasn’t being particularly careful because in my mind I was thinking, “It’s a rubber hammer, not steel. If I hit my finger, how bad could it hurt?”
It hurt ………….. a lot.
Sin has a way of using the same argument to entice us into doing something we know we shouldn’t. “How bad could it hurt?”
Isaiah 59:1-2 (NIV)
Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save,
nor his ear too dull to hear.
But your iniquities have separated
you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you,
so that he will not hear.
Most of the time when we fail, we look at the earthly consequences: I ran a red light and got a ticket; I didn’t study for my test so I received a bad grade; I was late for work three days in a row and I got fired. We pay attention to those consequences because they are right in front of us.
The full consequences of sin are not always so obvious; we may not discover until much later the depth of its destruction. One of the most difficult things to understand is how it affects our relationship with God. It’s not as though God doesn’t expect us to sin. He knows how weak we are. But when we sin, what do we do? Run and hide; pretend like nothing happened?
Unconfessed sin separates us from God. It creates a barrier between us and Him until we have been reconciled. However, Paul wrote in Romans 5 that “where sin increased, grace increased even more.” We have a very forgiving Father whose arms are always open and ready to receive us when we repent. But that’s the key isn’t it? We need to repent.
A rubber mallet may not appear dangerous, but try whacking your finger with one. Sin needs to be confessed and repented. Don’t assume it is safe to ignore.
Mugs up!
04 Friday Sep 2015
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art, Bible, devotional, encouragement, faith, God, grace, inspiration, Jesus, joy, Life, Picasso, relationships, scripture
The Weeping Woman by Pablo Picasso
I have been told that I am an illustrator, not an artist. An illustrator draws what he sees with his eyes; an artist draws what he sees in his mind. Well ……….. that is quite possibly true.
This is no judgment against modern art or specifically Picasso. I just don’t get it.
I’ve begun a digital art class and one of the assignments was to pick out colors in different pieces of artwork that demonstrated “color plasticity.” Huh?
Supposedly, there are certain color combinations where colors “push and pull” at each other. Huh?
Opposing colors can cause the eye to move across the canvas while others are more “static” and cause the eye to get stuck in one location. Huh?
I’ll have to take your word for it ………. I don’t get it.
I, eh hem, didn’t score very high on that test.
Exodus 31:1-6 (NIV)
Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. 6 Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you:”
God is an artist and he loves beauty. He has placed in the hearts and minds of many people the ability to create works of art.
“It is important to define beauty. Art that is created to shock or horrify, or to glorify or elicit sin (violence, lust, greed) cannot be called “beautiful.” It is still “art” but not art that glorifies God. Art that glorifies God must have the same two properties as the designs created in Exodus 31. First, it must be “artistic”; that is, it must be creative, well executed (a good representation of the object) and well crafted (well made). It must have worth as an object of value. Second, it should be something of which the artist can say, “God put it in my heart to make this.” gotquestions.org
I agree with the above statement.
What do you think?
Mugs up!
02 Wednesday Sep 2015
Posted in Christianity, Devotional, Life, People, Raising The Mug
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Bible, devotional, encouragement, forgiveness, grace, inspiration, Jesus, love, mercy, scripture, spirituality, unity, wisdom
Some things are worth arguing about ……… others are not.
Like, for example, what color we should paint the walls or what color the carpet will be. Granted, I would just as soon not have hot pink for either. But the truth is that whether the wall is pink or blue has no bearing on my spiritual growth or my relationship with God. It doesn’t bring me any closer or drive me any further away from my Father.
In the Christian church, there are what some would call disputable matters and those that we could say are indisputable. There are some things that are non-negotiable if you claim to be a Christian. For example that Jesus is the Son of God. But there are many, many things that ultimately don’t matter.
Paul brings this discussion up in Romans 14. In this chapter, he is not addressing matters of sin; he already dealt with that in the first 13 chapters. We have been set free from the bondage of sin by the righteousness of Christ, which has been graciously imparted to us. Rather he is confronting issues over matters of opinion that could potentially lead to sin.
Let me explain. If you look around your congregation on any given Sunday morning, you will see old people, young people, and middle-aged people. If you were to take a survey on the number of years they had been Christians, you would have some say 40 years while others may say 40 days. You have individuals who grew up 10 miles away while others came from somewhere on the other side of the world. You have some who only drive pickup trucks while others insist on having a sports sedan. You have some who prefer classical music while others only listen to pop rock. You should begin to see my point.
The church is a soup pot of many people. Soup is not made up of just one element; it is a mixture of different vegetables, meat stock, and spices. Each ingredient adds to the overall flavor and enjoyment of the meal. The same applies to the church; each member, no matter how mature or experienced, adds something to the flavor. The potential problems arise when so many different people get thrown in together and begin to find fault with other believers who don’t agree with their way of thinking. Even though these issues may not start out as sin, differences in opinions that are not dealt with properly can become sin.
The purpose of Paul’s discussion is to encourage his readers, and us, that they should not judge people in the church who have a difference of opinion. If someone prefers Pepsi over Coke, so be it. Or if they prefer carrots in their soup, and you prefer potatoes, then don’t be discouraged ……… perhaps their vision will be improved.
Romans 14:4
4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.
Strive for unity and peace. Don’t let insignificant differences of opinion cause division among you.
Mugs up!
23 Tuesday Jun 2015
Posted in Christianity, Devotional, Life, Raising The Mug
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devotional, encouragement, family, friends, God, grace, inspiration, Mexico, mission team, prayer
My wife and I walked into a restaurant at around 3:00 PM Saturday afternoon right before a huge storm hit the area. Just as we entered, all the lights went dark. Power outage. We went ahead and sat down and ordered drinks and chips and ate them in the dark while we waited for power to return. After about 45 minutes we spoke to the manager who informed us that it might be several hours before power was restored; we decided to give it up and come back later. So we returned around 6:30 and enjoyed the meal we had intended to have at 3:00. The manager told us the power had come back on about 5 minutes after we had left. Go figure ……….
All this to say ………. this blog is going to go dark for a while, or at the very least there won’t be stories posted everyday. I am in the process of moving from one home to another and right on the heals of that I am leading a mission team to Mexico. So unfortunately, time is limited. I will be writing some in the interim and posting occasionally but I don’t expect to post daily stories. I might repost some tales from last fall. In the meantime, you’ll have to survive on drinks and chips. The full course meal won’t be available until later.
Thanks for your prayers and understanding. I hope to be back to normal at the end of July.
Grace and peace!
Oh, and keep that coffee flowing ……..
Mugs up!
22 Monday Jun 2015
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Bible, Christian, coffee, devotional, encouragement, faith, fear, God, grace, Jesus, laws, rules, tolerance, words
I carried a knife in my pocket exactly like the one in the picture from elementary school until I turned 41. It was something I learned in Boy Scouts – be prepared. I used it almost every day until I had it taken away from me before boarding a plane shortly after the 911 attacks. I haven’t carried one much since. I certainly wouldn’t try to take one into a school and I absolutely wouldn’t encourage a child to carry one. They could be expelled indefinitely or possibly put into juvenile detention!
What happened to our society? What used to be a tool that was helpful for multiple jobs is no longer permitted; it violates the “No Tolerance” rule in schools.
We don’t live in world driven by freedom and self-confidence; we live in a world driven by fear and intolerance.
Luke 21:32 NIV
32 “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
For better or for worse, man’s laws are constantly changing. Whatever happens to be the hot topic at the time forces people in public office to nullify, modify, or tweak the laws that govern our society. I may not like them, but I have to live by them. Next year the popular sentiment may change and pocket knives will be allowed again. Who knows?
God’s laws never change ……….. never, ever.
It’s good to know that some rules are worth keeping and that they can’t be improved upon.
Have a good hot cup of something delicious. It’ll get your day started right!
18 Thursday Jun 2015
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apostle Paul, Bible, cars, Christian, coffee, devotional, faith, gift, giving, grace, inspiration, old station wagon, volare
You should never reject a gift, right? When the car was first offered to me, I certainly had thoughts of doing just that. It was a ragged out old Plymouth Volare with no air conditioning, ripped seat covers, and paint peeling off the rusted old body, not much to brag about …….. The word volare is an Italian word meaning to fly. It would be hard to imagine that old station wagon flying anywhere. But, at the time, we only had one vehicle and two kids. Not wanting to leave my wife abandoned at home, I had been walking to work every day, leaving the car for her. So another vehicle would be useful, even if it was old and worn out.
After I accepted the car, I actually began to enjoy driving the old thing. I didn’t have to worry about messing up the interior ……….. it couldn’t get much worse. And there wasn’t a lot of incentive to wash the outside because, well ……… it was junk heap. It felt like a heavy old tank going down the road so there was an element of security. More than anything, it was a timely gift – providentially given when we needed it most.
2 Corinthians 9:12-15 NIV
12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
When Paul penned this section of his second letter to the Christians in Corinth, he used some very complimentary expressions for the recipients – like overflowing generosity and proven obedience. The Corinthian church was giving over and beyond what was required of them and this resulted in hearts that were so full that they burst into praise and thanks to God. Where did this immeasurable generosity come from?
An indescribable gift – God’s surpassing grace…….. grace so wonderful that it couldn’t be put into words.
God loves to give gifts. He is especially adept at timing them so that they are received at just that right moment ……… when they are most needed. His gifts exceed all expectations and bring immeasurable goodness and happiness. His gifts make the heart full, desiring to give back over and beyond what is required, extending the boundaries of grace farther and farther away.
God’s gift of grace propels us forward in a continuing cycle of giving; one person gives to another person in need which enables them to give to someone else. Like that old beat up Volare was for me, there may be items that you no longer need that could be a boost for someone else. Make a gift of them.
Let’s go make some coffee ………. then give something away.
17 Wednesday Jun 2015
Posted in Christianity, Devotional, Life, Raising The Mug, Travel
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Christ, face, gems, glory, grace, Holy Spirit, illumination, inspiration, Jesus, light, reality, scripture, sin
Sometimes reality is so fantastic that you find it nearly impossible to believe. For example, the Crystal Cave discovered in the deserts of Mexico. The size of the crystals are so enormous, it’s like something out of a fantasy movie.
“Buried a thousand feet (300 meters) below Naica mountain in the Chihuahuan Desert, the cave was discovered by two miners excavating a new tunnel for the Industrias Peñoles company in 2000.
The cave contains some of the largest natural crystals ever found: translucent gypsum beams measuring up to 36 feet (11 meters) long and weighing up to 55 tons.
“It’s a natural marvel,” said García-Ruiz, of the University of Granada in Spain.” national geographic
To see more photos you can click here
The natural world is so full of unbelievable wonders, like this cave. Who would have ever thought that there could be something so amazing buried so deep beneath the surface of the earth? What an incredible discovery!
God not only creates unbelievable things in the earth, he creates unbelievable things in our hearts.
2 Corinthians 4:6 NIV
6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
God’s ability to create and recreate is not limited to the physical world, it extends to the spiritual world as well. He looked inside us and made something out of nothing, making light shine where there was only darkness. Without the light that he put in us, that is his Holy Spirit, we would not have the ability to perceive and understand who he is anymore than we could explore a crystal cave in the dark. In the cave, light is not only necessary to see where you are going, it illuminates the glory and beauty of the crystals. The Spirit within us illuminates the glory of God displayed in the face of Christ.
I pray this day that your hearts will be bright, fully illuminated by the Spirit of God.
Here’s to a great new day! Mugs up!
13 Saturday Jun 2015
Posted in Christianity, Devotional, Life, People, Raising The Mug
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Bible, coffee, devotional, encouragement, faith, forgiveness, God, grace, Jesus, lies, rebuke, truth
A good friend passed away a few weeks ago. Always sad to see someone go, but sweet knowing they are In heaven, free from pain and suffering.
I learned a powerful lesson from this man one day. We were working late; both of us were exhausted and ready to go home. My friend stepped out of the office for a moment and the phone rang. I answered and the person on the line asked for my friend. I lied and said he had just gone home, thinking I was doing my friend a favor by sparing him one more phone call.
When my friend stepped back in, he asked who had called.
“It was so and so, but I told him you had already left for the day,” I answered.
I’ll never forget his response, “Why did you tell him that? You don’t have to lie for me.” Then he proceeded to call the person back.
It was a very formidable rebuke.
Proverbs 6:16-19 NIV
There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him:
haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
a false witness who pours out lies
and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.
Two out of seven are about lying. I would say God is opposed to it.
Lesson learned ……… you don’t have to lie.
12 Friday Jun 2015
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Bible, Christian, coffee, devotional, encouragement, faith, God, grace, hope, inspiration, Jesus, persistence, prayer, work
Sometimes the task in front of me is so overwhelming, all I want to do is give up. Recently I read a story about an Indian man who cut a path through a mountain by hand with nothing but a hammer and a chisel.
The Man Who Moved A Mountain – Milaap
It was 1960. Landless laborers, the Musahars lived amid rocky terrain in the remote Atri block of Gaya, Bihar, in Northern India. In the hamlet of Gehlour, they were regarded the lowest of the low in a caste-ridden society and denied the basics: water supply, electricity, a school, a medical center. A 300-foot tall mountain – Gehlour Ganj – loomed between them and civilization.
Like all the Musahar men, Dashrath Manjhi, worked on the other side of the mountain. At noon, his wife Phaguni would bring his lunch. As they had no road, the trek took hours over the mountain. Dashrath tilled fields for a landlord on the other side. He would quarry stone. And in a few hours from then, he would be tired and hungry. He would watch and wait for Phaguni.
One of those days, she would come to him empty handed, injured. As the sun harsh sun beat down, Phaguni tripped on loose rock. Her water pot shattered. She slid down several feet, injuring her leg. Hours past noon, she limped to her husband. He rushed to chastise her for being late. But on seeing her tears, he made a decision.
Dashrath sold his goats, and bought a hammer, chisel, and crowbar. He climbed to the top, and started chipping away at the mountain. Years later, he would recount, “That mountain had shattered so many pots, claimed lives. I could not bear that it hurt my wife. If it took all my life now, I would carve us a road through the mountain.”
Word spread. Chipping at the mountain, he quit his wage job. His family often went without food. Then, Phaguni fell ill. The doctor was in Wazirganj, 75 kilometers over the mountain. Unable to make the journey, she died. But her death only spurred him on.
After 22 years, Dashrath Das Manjhi, the outcast landless laborer had conquered the mountain: he had carved out a road 360 feet long, 30 feet wide. Wazirganj, with its doctors, jobs, and school, was now only 5 kilometers away. People from 60 villages in Atri could use his road. Children had to walk only 3 kilometers to reach school. Grateful, they began to call him ‘Baba‘, the revered man.
You can read the whole story here
When you hear a story like this, it makes you realize how trivial your problems are in comparison to someone else’s. It also makes you realize that insurmountable problems can be overcome if you just work at them long and hard enough.
Matthew 21:21-22 NIV
Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
Never give up. Whatever it is that seems impossible, is possible with God’s help. Even a hole through a mountain.
Mugs up!
