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I am sure that everyone likes to get a star on their blogs... after all, it is a form of a compliment that what you have written is worthy of consideration or better said, "STARdom."
I am just curious why you give stars to folks. So, why do you?
As for me, I am slowly developing my own "criteria" that I use as a guide... here are some of my reason(s) for starring someone...
1. Well written. Clear, concise, and challenging.
2. I may not agree but you made me rethink my assumptions.
3. Uplifting.
4. Cute and pithy!
5. Doctrinal position well stated (though one may not agree)
6. Catchy
7. My wife wrote it!!!
Ok... so , why do you star?
Dr. W.
P.S. How about a star? LOLOLOLOL
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As many of you may know, I recently traveled to the beautiful Island of Puerto Rico where I suffered 80 degree temperatures overcast with clear blue skies! Yes, I know, someone has got to do it… why not the Pastor?
The journey began at Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC. When my family and I finally cleared TSA security, we rushed to gate 34 where we desperately waited for the lady to call our zone. And then it came, those unforgettable words from the beautiful lady blocking our access to the plane, “Zone 1-3 may now board the plane.” Well needless to say, the Morales Clan ran down the jet way and into to our assigned seats where we stuffed our things in the overhead bins. As we sat there watching attentively as the stewardess motioned all safety exits and procedures (Yea right!), I could see the joy and excitement in both my wife & boys eyes. Amazingly, before I realized it, the seatbelt signs were turned on and the announcement could be heard, “Folks, please prepare for arrival as we reach our final destination…”
I was so confident that we would arrive that I slept through two thirds of the flight! Then it dawned on me, the Boeing 737-200 weighs 27 tons when empty (without fuel!!!), now imagine what it weighs with fuel and people on board! Lord, have mercy!!! Why did I not once question the pilot nor his credentials… not once did I worry about the reality of being over 20,000 feet above land & sea… not once did I question the degree in which the plane turned as it approached its final destination. What was I thinking!?!?!?!
Here’s the lesson that I believe I learned and would like to share with you… You see, as I sat there enjoying the view of us flying over palm trees and beaches I learned a valuable lesson, “Wilson, if you could put your trust, your family’s wellbeing, and your final destination upon the shoulders of those individuals on the other side of that secured door leading to the cockpit, why not place your entire life, your family, your dreams, your fears, your hopes, and your ministry on the shoulders of Him who bore it all on the cross for you?”
Well, what about you? Are you aware that the secret of anxiety-free living is dependent on whether or not you trust the One at the helm? Are you aware that God is in charge of your Life’s journey (Psalm 121 )? Are you aware that your anxiety over your life’s journey can be overcome (John 14:1)? Are you aware that regardless of how alone you may feel, Jesus himself is by your side (Matthew 28:20)? Are you aware that even if you face failure, God can help you ‘fail forward’ (Psalm 145:14)? God used USAir flight 1071 to remind me that regardless of where I find myself in my life’s journey, He is holding on to me and assuring me that one day I will hear it said, “Please prepare for arrival… you have reached your final destination…”
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As I sit here on a chilly 72 degree breezy night overlooking the Caribbean, the thought runs through my mind of how quickly we forget the promises of God. You see, it was just a few days ago, we were celebrating the resurrected Christ. It is because of Christ's resurrection that we have the hope of an awesome future (1 Cor. 15) and an incredible life here on earth (John 10:10).
Sadly, like the early followers of Jesus Christ, we tend to allow the “negatives” of life rob us of the powerful promises of God. The disciples went into hiding when Christ was crucified (John 20:19), doubted the testimony of those who experienced the resurrected savior (Mark 16:11), and amazingly His very presence was placed in question when He manifested Himself to them (Luke 24:37-41). Wow! I wonder if I would of responded differently.
How many times have I allowed the pressures of life to drown out the voice of God telling me, “I am with you… fear not… be still… forgive…”? How many times do I imitate the behavior of Christ’s disciples and go into hiding because I am afraid that somehow God has forgotten me and His promises to me?
Well, just ask yourself the following questions and you will be shocked at how simple the answers are yet how easily you have forgotten their true value…
1. Does God love me?
2. Does God look out for me?
3. Does God have a plan for my life, my family, and my future?
Hmmm… I thank God that when I hide in fear & doubt, He knows where I am and lovingly seeks me out!
“Elijah was afraid and ran for his life…
There he went into a cave and spent the night.
And the word of the LORD came to him:
"What are you doing here, Elijah?"
(1 Kings 19:3a,9, NIV)
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 “I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work.” God’s Degree. For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think” (Isaiah 55:8,9, The Message).
Are you the type of person that tries to figure things out? Have you ever tried to work on a Rubic’s Cube? A standard ‘3x3x3’ Rubik’s Cube has 6 colored sides, 21 pieces and 54 outer surfaces. This means there are more than 43 trillion possible configurations, or 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 to be exact. But there is only one solution. Allowing a second for each turn, it would take 1400 trillion years to go through all the possible configurations. I found it humorous that ‘God’s algorithm’ is the name given to the formula for solving the cube in the least possible number of moves. In 2007, scientists put this figure at 26 (check out http://www.rubiks.com/).
Some folks are just gifted at solving complex situations or problems. Now, whether you are gifted like that or not, we always try to figure things out and attempt to find their “logical” reason. Just think, we try to figure out many things… “why the car won’t start,” or “why my son is upset” or “why I don’t feel well” or the best one… “why am I going through this?”
Amazingly, the verse mentioned above points out one critical reality, you can’t figure it all out!!! It is here where the limitations of our finite minds runs on a collision course with God’s infinite wisdom! Allow me to give you one major truth that I have learned in the midst of some recent profound grief and pain… “Just because you don’t understand doesn’t mean that God ceases to be faithful!” Somehow in the midst of grappling with my present reality and the depths of God’s love for me, I have come to the conclusion that God doesn’t think like I do; therefore, I need to just settle down and trust Him to see me through. You see, Trust is not dependant on my ability to logically calculate God’s strategic intervention in my life. Trust means I fully rely on God’s “trustworthiness” to keep His promises
When you carefully study the “character of God” as found in the Bible, you will realize that God’s love for you, goes beyond your ability to understand it, grasp it, and even resist it! Do yourself a favor and go to Toy’s R Us and buy yourself a Rubic’s Cube. Then, the next time you go through a situation that is hard to figure out, look at the Rubic’s Cube and say to yourself… “Just because I don’t understand doesn’t mean God isn’t involved.” Just remember God’s algorithm.
Leading by serving,
Dr. W.
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Just a note to my "spiritual" family on MyChurch.org. Its good to finally settle down and be back on with MyChurch.org. Sadly, our family suffered a third loss in that last 2.5 years and it was quite devastating as it had me travelling between NYC, PR, and MD. Nonetheless, as I sit here in beautiful Jacksonville, FL, I am "re-aligning" and placing my "blog times" for Tuesday's and Thursdays upon my return to MD this Wednesday evening.
To my ECC family, thank you for your unswerving love, dedication, and commitment to serve... You are awesome! To my "mychurch.org" family, its good to be back!
In Christ Alone,
Dr. W.
(Oh... the "tigger face" is a result of two things... my visit to the Rennaisance Festival in MD and a message to my fellow golfers... the "tigger" is coming out on the course!) Hey... how about a Star for Tigger Morales!?!?!?!
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