If I Were A Dog...

If I were a dog, I would be a Bulldog. At least that is what the quiz at dogster.com revealed. What kind of dog are you? Take the quiz and let me know!

It's Just a Test

In my Bible reading today I was struck by a comment inserted in the story of the feeding of the five thousand (John 6). It says:

Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?" He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.

Then Philip went on to try and solve the puzzle. What I find interesting is that Jesus already knew the answer. He knew exactly what his plan was. He knew exactly how he was going to feed the large crowd. But he threw the problem at Philip, just to see what he would say. And after Philip gives his attempt at a solution, Jesus goes ahead with his plan and feeds over five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish.

God continues to work in this same way in our lives today. He already knows what He is going to do. But He wants to involve us in the process. He wants us to build our faith, and trust Him for what seems impossible to us. Of course, nothing is impossible with God. But we tend to forget this. When faced with a problem, do you try to figure it out on your own? Or do you turn to the one who already has the answer, trusting Him for the solution?

I pray that we can remember this simple fact as we face circumstances in our lives. Jesus is testing us, for He already knows what He would do.

Mid-Life, One Month to Live, or High Gas Prices?

Why is it that we always feel like we need to justify everything we do? Do you know what I mean? Why can't we ever just do something, just because?

I have been wanting to buy a motorcycle for about 10 years. It looks like fun, they sound cool, I just thought it would be fun to drive. So for about 6 or 7 years I worked on convincing Nancy that I should have one. And it took that long.

Then about a month ago, after taking out a second mortgage to fill up the gas tank in my pick-up truck, I did some simple math. If I had a motorcycle that got 50 mpg, and drove the truck 80% less, I would save over $150 a month! Within a year the motorcycle would pay for itself! So I 'justified' my decision by saying that I was going to save money on gas.

We just started a brand new series at church (www.southbrookchurch.com) called "One Month to Live." What would you do if you knew you only had one month to live? Would you change anything? Would you go out and do something you've always wanted to, but never did? Maybe having a motorcycle is partly that for me. What if I decided to just play it safe, and never try the motorcycle thing?

So I did it! I found a great deal on a used bike on Craigslist. I bought it, I got my permit, and now I can cruise the streets on my new wheels. It's great - I love it!

Just don't ask me why. I'm not sure if it's my age, or if it's part of the answer to One Month to Live, or if it's really just as simple and practical as saving money on gas. I just did it because I wanted to!