Notice: I've taken a part-time job, and it's definitely affecting my blogging time. I'll continue to add content here as often as possible.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Today is an Empty Box


empty box with the word today on it

Talk about a message falling from the sky! You might think that I posed this picture, or doctored it, but I didn't. It literally fell from the sky.

A couple of days ago the winds were howling across our county- gusts up to 45 mph. The dog and I took a short walk anyway. Quite a lot of trash was sailing around our property, empty topsoil bags from somewhere, and other assorted scraps. One of them was this box.

This message is pretty trite, but the delivery was so unique that I was forced to pay attention.

Yes, today IS an empty box. Each of us is given a brand new chance, every morning, to fill our box with... good things, positive things, helpful things... or negativity, degrading images, laziness, hurtful things. We DO get to choose what we will put in that box.

If we fill it with garbage, the box will hide it for a while, until the odors seep into the cardboard and the whole box begins to stink, our "secret" will be out. If we fill it with fresh flowers, the beautiful scent will accompany us on our daily rounds.

If we put things in the box that don't belong there- perhaps some slimy mud, before long the box will begin to sag and lose its structure... its health. If we fill it with the kinds of things a box was designed to hold, it will serve us for many days.

If we think that we can ignore the box and put nothing in it, we have even made a choice. Before long, spiders and cockroaches and moths will come and begin to degrade the box until it's no longer useful.

What will I put in my box today? How about you?

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Proverbs 23:7
for as [a person] thinks within himself, so he is

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Lyrics- Hiding Place

Every Sunday the lyrics from some great piece of Christian music will be featured. It's not that I want worship to revert to using all hymns, it's just that many modern Christian songs don't SAY anything. I really miss some deeper meaning. So I'm going to remind us of some great words.

Hiding Place
Jerry Dean Salley, Jr, Steven Curtis Chapman

In the distance I can see the storm clouds coming my way
And I need to find a shelter before it starts to rain
So I turn and run to You Lord, You're the only place to go
Where unfailing love surrounds me when I need it most.

Chorus:
You're my hiding place, safe in Your embrace
I'm protected from the storm that rages
When the waters rise, and I run to hide
Lord, in You I find my hiding place.

I'm not asking you to take away my troubles, Lord
'Cause it's through the stormy weather I learn to trust You more
And I thank You for Your promise I have come to know
Your unfailing love surrounds me when I need it most.
Chorus

So let your people seek You
While You may be found
'Cause You're our only refuge
When the rain comes pouring down
Chorus

This is attributed to Jerry Dean Salley, Jr and Steven Curtis Chapman with a date of 1997, but I learned the chorus in about 1988, so I don't know if the verses were added later. There is a very popular song with similar lyrics "You Are My Hiding Place" which seems to be the only one that videos were made for. I found exactly one video with this song, and it has no visuals except for the album cover. Just close your eyes and listen. This song became one of those that helped to hold us together through a very difficult time.