A NEW CREATION PART 2

2 Corinthians 5:17 (New Living Translation)

17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Ok, This one has an (OF) rating. Old Fogies warning.

Yesterday I discussed being a new creation in Christ.

The old has gone and the new has come. I am a new creation being added to every day for God's Glory.

I really enjoy many of the new, and young Christian Rock bands. I am a rocker, at heart and like their edgy message to young people about life and about being a Christian.

This song talks about a new creation in a different way.

Relient K is a band I like to listen to and the message they have on what we are to be as a new creation in Christ.

I'm sorry for the person I became
I'm sorry that it took so long for me to change
I'm ready to make sure I never become that way again
Cause who I am hates who I've been
Who I am hates who I've been

If I am a new creation, I must hate who I've been. Not that I can change it, but it is a way of life and attitude I must change continually to be a new evolving creation in Christ.

Take some time to listen to who I want to be before Christ , EACH DAY, on the Adventure in Middle Grove

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmaXUlXU7RU


I watched the proverbial sunrise
Coming up over the Pacific and
You might think I'm losing my mind
But I will shy away from the specifics

Cause I don't want you to know where I am
Cause then you'll see my heart
In the saddest state it's ever been
This is no place to try and live my life

Stop right there
That's exactly where I lost it
See that line
Where I never should've crossed it
Stop right there
Where I never should've said that
It's the very moment that I wish that I could take back

I'm sorry for the person I became
I'm sorry that it took so long for me to change
I'm ready to make sure I never become that way again
Cause who I am hates who I've been
Who I am hates who I've been

I talk to absolutely no one
Couldn't keep to myself enough
And the things bottled inside
Have finally begun to create so much pressure
That I'd soon blow up and

I heard the reverberating footsteps
Sinking up to the beating of my heart
And I was positive that unless I got myself together
I would watch me fall apart

And I can't let that happen again
Cause then you'll see my heart
In the saddest state it's ever been
This is no place to try and live my life

Stop right there
That's exactly where I lost it
See that line
I never should've crossed it
Stop right there
I never should've said that
It's the very moment that I wish that I could take back

Stop right there
That's exactly where I lost it
See that line
Where I never should've crossed it
Stop right there
Where I never should've said that
It's the very moment that I wish that I could take back

I'm sorry for the person I became
I'm sorry that it took so long for me to change
I'm ready to make sure I never become that way again
Cause who I am hates who I've been
Who I am hates who I've been
Who I am hates who I've been
And who I am will take the second chance you gave me
Who I am hates who I've been
Cause who I've been only ever made me

I'm sorry for the person I became
So sorry that it took so long for me to change
I'm ready to make sure I never become that way again
Cause who I am hates who I've been
Who I am hates who I've been

A New Version

This handbook may contain mistakes and printing errors. The information in this this handbook is regularly checked and corrections made in the next issue. We accept no liability for technical mistakes or printing errors or their consequences.










2 Corinthians 5:17 (New Living Translation)

17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

You all know I like gadgets and technology. I have a wireless weather station in the kitchen. It measures the indoor and out door temps, humidity and wind and wind chill. A handy item in the depths of winter. It also calculates a heat index in the summer.

Remember Summer! It has not happened in the Northeast US yet!

Well, as technology is more sophisticated, so it troubleshooting. As you can guess, the weather station did not work yesterday. Good thing it was a rainy day so I got to take a look at it.

This was serious. I had to get the manual!

As I read each section, I followed the procedures and, YES, I got it fixed. A major victory for a dreary Saturday afternoon

I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED BY TECHNOLOGY
I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED BY TECHNOLOGY
I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED BY TECHNOLOGY

Sorry, back to the point of all this...

At the end of the manual was the statement at the top of the page.

This handbook may contain mistakes and printing errors. The information in this handbook is regularly checked and corrections made in the next issue. We accept no liability for technical mistakes or printing errors or their consequences.

Basically, they say we know this manual contains mistakes and we really don't care and it is not our fault if something happens and we might get around to making corrections but you will never know anyway so why bother! (my translation) Aren't you glad I am not a Bible translator!

This happens to be the disclaimer that was written on my heart before I became a Christian and probably extended well into my walk with Christ.

What I said

I know I am a screw up

I accept no responsibility for who I am

I really don't care

I may do something if it is beneficial to me

That is UGLY

When God called me to be one of his own. Christ became the guiding force in who I was and who I am.


BUT, it wasn't all done on that day.

I know what I am, not a whole lot different from that person before I accepted Christ.

BUT

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Some translations say a new creation...

This is not a DONE DEAL.

God grabbed me many times to refine me and mold me more to who HE wants me to be. This was not a one time event but a continuation of refinement each day as long as I am one this earth.

I am a new creation, being change, each day to be more like the person God wants me to be.

Here is the statement at the end of my instruction book today as God works in me. Tough job sometimes!

This person may contain mistakes and personality errors. The information in this person should be regularly checked and corrections made in the as this is a new creation, a work in progress. I accept all responsibility for technical errors or stupidity and their consequences but I know I have a forgiving God who loves me.

Continue to work in me, Lord. Keep refining your new creation. I also know I have a forgiving God who is with me as he works on his creation on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Fiery Trials

"...don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through... Instead, be very glad-for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. " 1 Peter 4:12-13, NLT






This is what I think of when I read of fiery trials.

Not a pretty picture!

I started digging deeper on the use and writing about fire in the Bible.

When it came to the spiritual use of fire, the writers usually attributed fire to God. Yahweh manifested Himself in various forms of fire on many different occasions.

The making of the Covenant with Abraham (Gen. 15:17);

The burning bush (Exo. 3:2-4);

The pillar of fire (Exo. 13:21);

The fire on Sinai (Exo.19:18);

The flame on the altar (Judg. 13:20)

The answering of Yahweh by fire (1 Kings 18:24, 38).

I found it surprising that fire plays such a significant role in the Bible. The Creator Himself is described as a "consuming fire." (Dan. 4:24; Heb. 12:29) Doesn’t it seem rather strange to our understanding to call the Creator a consuming fire? We rarely associate fire with the creation process. We usually associate it with destruction.

Fire is never static.

It moves.

It seeks to consume.

Fire always produces change. It will force one to act, to respond. Fire brings focus. "Fiery" trials often let us know which kind of fire is burning in in us.


The fiery trials are designed for refining me so I might be made more pure as I seek the will of God.

Dear Lord, move me to your Love!

Focus me upward!

Let my sight be guided by your Spirit!

Cause me to be moved by your compassion and your desires!

Raise me up up that I would see with the mind of Christ!

Through your fiery love break me free from the bondage of corruption, and the foothold of sin, that I might truly become:

your praise;

your presence;

your glory;

your light.

and your love on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Let the GOOD and bad times ROLL

Ecclesiastes 7:14 (The Message)

14 On a good day, enjoy yourself; On a bad day, examine your conscience. God arranges for both kinds of days So that we won't take anything for granted.



God has balanced prosperity and adversity against each other. If this wasn't the case , how many would put the former in the place of God himself!

Some times scripture just comes up with the right advice. Funny thing about that!

I need to remind myself of this on a daily basis.


God is here no matter what the circumstances or situation. He is not the genie in the lamp that comes out when we want to get something.

He is ever present, everlasting and Omnipotent


From everlasting to everlasting You are God
From everlasting to everlasting You are God


In holiness you stand secure through culture's shifting sands
Unchanged by all the vanities of man
And as the nations rise and fall your sovereignty remains
You are You are You are the One True God

From everlasting to everlasting You are God
From everlasting to everlasting You are God


In faithfulness your love extends through times of turbulence
Adopting those who call upon your name
And every generation joins in songs of grateful praise
You are You are You are the One True God


From everlasting to everlasting You are God
From everlasting to everlasting You are God

Eternal immortal invisible God
Eternal immortal invisible God

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fL2Bf24nu1E

I see great encouragement in this verse! Its so true isn’t it – that even in the worst of times I don’t know what will happen next. Since I don’t have a clue should I ever think that an adverse situation is the end for me God just may appoint Joy so I don’t give up on the Adventure in Middle Grove

Defragging my Mind

"One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14).



Many of you know I offer assistance to people who have problems with their computers. I use this as a opportunity to help people and to talk about life. I have many great conversations while I work on computers and wait for maintenance programs to complete. One of the things most people forget to do is to "defrag" their disks. I won't get in to the technical aspects of this much but disk drives are some times not efficient as they can be.

When the computer needs to write information to the disk drive it needs to seek the drive media to see where there is space to put the information. If you have used your computer for a long time without defragging your disk, the available space is spread out over the disk drive media. The more fragmented the disk, the longer it takes to read and write the information to the drive. A fragmented drive is slow and contains alot of extraneous junk.

I've got a similar drive inside my head.

Wow! That is alot of junk!

Unfortunately, the contents of my hard drive aren't as harmless as the fragmented drive on my computer. This drive contains a complete archive of bad things that have happened in the past, both things that I've done and things that have been done to me. I've got video, audio, and text, a whole multimedia display of negativity. When I least want them to, these things worm their way out of my past into my present.

I remember the times I embarrassed myself. I remember the times that I hurt other people. I remember my failures. I remember my sin.

I remember the times I was mistreated. I remember the ways that people hurt me, the things they said, the things they did.

I remember those times that other people let me down.

I remember …

None of that does me any good. Those things from the past only serve to slow things down, to spoil today with yesterday's hurts. Like those fragmented files on my computer, what I really need to do is get get them in order and get rid of them.

The apostle Paul wrote: "One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14).

I have to put my past in the past and set my eyes on what lies ahead. I have a God who is willing to forgive anything and everything that I've done, if I only let him. And he'll teach me to do the same with other people close to me, near and far on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Patience

"I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. " Psalm 40:1, NLT











I admit to not being the most patient person in the world. Ok, you don't have to agree! God has really worked on me in this area. I continue to ask for his guidance and wisdom.
It is something that I constantly strive for, and usually fall short.



I can have the nature of wanting everything to be done as soon as possible, which works out well when it comes to things like work, or yard work. It does not work out so well when you are in relationships with others. Patience is needed in great measure!


That is where the definitions come in:


Patience:


1: bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint
2: manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain
3: not hasty or impetuous
4: steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity
5a: able or willing to bear



Ouch, I need to look in another dictionary!



Patience is hard... Reliance in God can make is easier.



Lord, help me bear the trials of life without complaint and manage the strain they can have on relationships. Help me to not be hasty in decisions and be steadfast in adversity and difficulty. Let me rest in your arms as you give me patience and wisdom on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

A WET LAP

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."


Luke 6:38


God is the God of all grace! (1 Pet. 5:10). He loves to give, bless, and empower. One of God's chosen ways to do these three things is through us; he wants us to be conduits of his blessing.



Like the faithful stewards in the parable of the talents (Matt. 25), when we are faithful in generously and willingly using what he has given us to administer, he blesses us with more to use to help others and bring him glory. It is not always material things. It is our hearts and souls we can give to others too!



As we give, share, and bless, God continues to supply us with more than we can imagine!



Father, open my heart and help me be a more generous person. I want to use the many blessings and resources, which you have entrusted to me, to bless others and bring you glory.



Please give me courage to not be afraid to use what you have given me in ways that are bold . I know that when my heart is pure and I share your grace you will be honored on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

What's my Title?

Matthew 5:9 (New International Version)


9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.







It seems to me that everybody needs a title in society today. This weekend I had the TV on as background noise in one of my "why are you up so early mornings" It was just that, noise.

Then something caught my attention. There was an infomercial on about fitness equipment. I do not know why I had this station on. The announcer introduced the spokesperson of the show.

I don't remember the person's name but she was a "Celebrity Fitness Instructor" I started thinking ...


Is she a celebrity who is a fitness instructor? ...

Is she is fitness instructor who is a celebrity?

or neither?

It seems there is a need for people to set themselves apart so they can do one thing... Make Money!

The more unique you are, the more money you can make, and them you get on OPRAH! You have reach the epitome of title status.

You have been Oprahsized.

Titles don't make the person, unless... you are a Christian.


God has a title for me and for you.

We are Sons of God

Saved by the death of Christ who was the SON OF GOD.

Jesus gave us the opportunity to have access to God through his sacrifice.

I have the greatest title existing offered on this side of eternity.

I am a SON of GOD, looking ahead while continuing on the path on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

My DAD

Lessons Learned from Dad

Hebrews 11:4b
. . . He being dead yet still speaks.

Even though Abel was long gone, he still had influence and wisdom in his death.

My dad was a remarkable man. I was named after him. I am Richard Ramon Cobello II. My son, who is now with his heavenly father, was Richard Ramon Cobello III. My dad had a great influence on me.

He was dedicated to his country and joined the Navy, very young. He was a gunner on a troop carried in Japan. He never talked much about the war but it must have affected him as the fear of war is something probably not forgotten. He did have an eagle tattoo on his arm and there must have been an unsaid story about that!

He got married after returning and went to college. He was an independent person and opened up an appliance store in Niagara Falls.

Yes, we always had a used washing machine that didn't work well!

We lived in the same building and our work and home were one in the same. He later saw the appliance business was not a good long term strategy and morphed our business in to a hobby shop. This was a successful business and a great place to be as a kid.

His spirit of adventure and his commitment to work hard took him a long way and he taught me some of life’s greatest lessons.

These lessons were important as he died when I was 15 and had to help run the family business. I went from the kid to the adult. It was difficult but I had a good teacher.

In my teenage years he showed me how to check the oil and fix cars, how to change a tire, and even how to jump start the other car that often refused to budge on it’s own. I learned how to paint, wallpaper and lay tile, do electrical work, from a man who could figure out how to do just about anything.

But he taught me more than just how to do things as he modeled patience, compassion and unconditional love. He let me always help even when I probably was not helpful!

The lessons I remember most from my dad were these:

Always keep your promises

Work hard and be proud of what you do.

A good imagination is one of life’s greatest gifts. Use it often and wisely.

When faced with a problem, don’t say, “It can’t be done.” Get busy and figure out a way to do it!

Don’t give up! You’ll succeed if you just keep trying.

There is one thing he did that I do not know why. He really did not go to church but he took me and my sister to church every Sunday. We went alone and went to church school and church. This early experience was the beginning of my adventure with God. It took a long time but I still can remember those early years of learning about who Jesus was and what he did for me.


I don't know why he did it. We never had the chance to talk about this before he died but his efforts to get me to church every Sunday provided the crucial foundation when God got me!

It has been many years but those life lessons are still guiding principles of my life. His dedication and effort to get me to church lead to his 4 grand children, who he never knew, to be followers of Christ.

God had a plan, some day I will see the rest of the story.

Father, thank You for giving me an earthly father who loved me and cared for me. Thank you for those life lessons as we continue together on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Out of Breath

Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?

Isaiah 2:22


"If only I had the right friends growing up." "If only my father hadn't died." "If only my mother was more supportive." "If only..." People can fail me, but I still pin so many of our hopes on them. I am  fallible and mortal. So while I am intimately involved in the lives of other people, let me  also remember to keep my hopes connected to the Son of God, who

"defeated death and brought immortality and life to light"


and who will "never leave or forsake" me.

My trust needs to continue to be in the Lord of the universe who created me. It also needs to continue to be in him  for his grace and mercy and he would change hearts and souls.

As I said in the past, he saved me even thought I did not deserve any of it!

Forgive me, dear Father, when I have pinned my well-being and happiness on being accepted or  loved by a  certain people. I know my only lasting hope is found in Jesus. A lasting hope I can only feel while walking on the path with you on the Adventure in Middle Grove

I HATE Rain

Psalm 139:1-10

1 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.

2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.


3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.

5 You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

Psalm 139 has so many good things in it I had to come back to it today after the day I had yesterday.

We have 2 buildings connected with wireless technology at work. They are about 1.5 miles apart There are 200 people in the off site building and they depend on the wireless for their computer and phone connections. If the wireless does not work, they got nothing!

When we installed the wireless in the fall, we calculated tree growth for 5 years.

We did not anticipate all the rain in the Northeast this spring. The trees grew out about 25 % more than we calculated.

O well, so much for logic!

The wireless dishes need a path so the radio signals can be most effective. Between tree growth and constant rain, we had periods where we lost connectivity to the off site building. 200 people were not really happy!

My office is on the top floor in the corner of the building and has windows on all sides. It faces the off site building. All I could see for the past few days was sheets of rain and the thought of 200 people who were really mad!

Ok, back to the point of all this...

God does not care if the trees grow or it rains so hard nothing can be seen.

You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.

He perceives my thoughts from afar no matter what the weather; no matter what the season; no matter what the message.

O LORD, you have searched me and you know me as the Adventure in Middle Grove continues.

The Onion Factor

Psalm 139:1-10



1 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.

2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.

5 You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

I was making a stir fry yesterday for dinner and my ADD got the better of me. I was getting ready to put in the onion and I started to peel the layers of the onion until I got to the core.

What does “peeling back the onion” mean? If you have not heard the expression, it refers to learning more about something or someone by peeling back the layers. It’s unfortunate that we do a very good job of peeling back the onion when it comes to others but do a poor job of looking at the core of our soul.

I guess I can look at this 2 ways. The layers of the onion are there to protect the core or the layers are there so we do not get to the core.

God does not wait to peel back the layers.

He looks right in to my soul and does not need to peel back the layers.

He starts from the core and works his way out through the layers of my personalities so the inner most part of my being can be seen as He refines me from the inside-out.

Lord, you are familiar with all my ways, protect me and guide me, as you work on my soul on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

THE X ROADS

This is what the LORD says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, 'We will not walk in it."

Jeremiah 6:16

Temptation is a choice between God's will for us -- the old path ...and a shortcut not ordained by God ... the new path. So often, this path is presented to me as a shortcut to happiness, prosperity, and accomplishment. This could be at work, at home or in relationships.

However, this path leads me away from God and the blessings he longs to give me. Let me not be like the people of God in Jeremiah's day who refused God's way and said,"We will not walk in it." The outcome of their choice was their own destruction. Pretty harsh!

Lord, forgive me for turning from your path and seeking a way that seemed easier at times in my life.

Forgive me for looking for a path that appears to lead to happiness more quickly.

Forgive me for not honoring you.

Forgive me for not trusting in you.

Forgive me for not seeing the importance in relationships.

Through your Holy Spirit, help me look through the facades of temptations and see their bitter end. Help remove the mask of humanity so I can see you more clearly.

I cannot have two God's.

The true God and the false God's that I can chase after.

I know your way is the way of joy, peace, and rest on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

The Cleansing Shower

Psalm 68:9 (New International Version)


9 You gave abundant showers, O God;
you refreshed your weary inheritance

Nature in the North Country of NY is an unpredictable event especially during the early spring .

Over the past few days, the humid air has the smell of oppression as the warm air is trapped in the atmosphere.

Suddenly, in the distance, a sheet of rain is heard approaching. The birds clamor for the protection of the arching trees.The sun of minutes before is gone as the sound of rain beating the trees approaches.

Just as soon as the rain arrives it leaves as the silence of spring returns and the birds start the chatter of relief from the beating of the rain.

The leaves drain the water from their leaves and a freshness returns as the air is cleared.

This is just like the action of God's Spirit as the approaching storm reaches my life.

But, as the impending storm quickly arrives, God's Spirit, cleanses my soul and refreshes my spirit as I focus on the nature of God.

Lord, refresh my spirit and restore my soul as your Spirit sweeps across the landscape of my life on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Keeping the line straight

Proverbs 4:10-13 (New Living Translation)

10 My child,[a] listen to me and do as I say,
and you will have a long, good life.
11 I will teach you wisdom’s ways
and lead you in straight paths.
12 When you walk, you won’t be held back;
when you run, you won’t stumble.
13 Take hold of my instructions; don’t let them go.
Guard them, for they are the key to life


Yesterday was a great day to be outside. My friends Caleb, Bet and I went to the Hudson River to go Kayaking for a few hours.

This past weekend was the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson and the discovery of the river and Albany. Sitting in the middle of a very calm river it is hard to imagine the enormity of his efforts since there were no maps and the river was extremely violent. Now there are dams for power production and flood control.

It also reminded me of the essentials of kayaking and boating. If I need to get to a spot, I need to keep my eyes focused on the spot. If I look at the water, it may appear I am going straight but I am only seeing what is right in front of me. I may not end up at my intended destination.

I also need to use my paddle with equal authority. If I only use my right hand or do not focus on my left hand, I may end up going in circles or at least an erratic direction.

My eyes, hands and head must work together to reach the intended destination in the most direct path.

God wants to direct my paths, just as I needed to direct my path on the river.

He wants to direct my eyes, my head and my feet. He wants me to rely on him for my direction and focus.

He wants me to take hold of his instructions; and not let them go.
He wants me to guard them, for they are the key to life on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

(Bet, thanks for the picture)

Make me Crotchety

10 In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.

1 Peter 5:10 (NLT)

Yesterday, I was in the woods cutting up the trees I took down during the winter. Matt and I cut down about a dozen trees in the depth of winter. It was time to cut them up so I can split the wood for firewood.
I was in the woods for about 3 hours. Cutting firewood is somewhat of a mindless activity, BUT, you need to pay attention or you can cut off some body part... Not what I was looking to do.

I was working very hard and got to a spot in a black birch tree that was giving me a difficult time. So I sat down to take a rest.

The birch tree is very strong and is great for burning as it has a high BTUs and burns with very little ash. It has also been used for medicinal purpose. Chewing on the twigs of a black birch is useful for teething babies and for upset stomachs. It is the wintergreen contained in the outer layers of the bark. Did you ever hear of birch beer. The birch tree was responsible for this too. It is also responsible for those 3 inch long Catkins that sway in the wind before they blow all the pollen all over the place. The birch is a VERY high allergen tree that blew all it's pollen this week. Probably why I cannot breath!

While I was spending a few moments thinking and some time in prayer, I looked closely at the tree proving to be troublesome.

The place I was trying to cut was extremely hard. It was in the crotch of a tree. U shaped tree crotches are very strong especially the ones close to the diameter to the main tree. Many times the crotches are trees formed as the tree diverges in different directions. This particular tree had some wind damage and the tree healed itself and had new growth around the damaged part of the tree.

OK, what does this all mean?

In weakness and damage, the birch tree found strength for the future.

In a time when I tree could have died, it emerged stronger

In a time where growth could have stopped, the tree flourished.

All the victories in life and all the suffering in life, come from God.

HE GIVE ME STRENGTH

Just as the tree gains strength from a seemingly impending disaster, God uses the trials in my life to strengthen me and grow me in new directions. He desires that I be made stronger as I rely on him. The seemingly impending disaster is only the strengthening of my character as God looks to heal the damage and provide stronger growth and direction for me.


Lord,

restore me,

support me ,

strengthen me,

and place me on a firm foundation as you make preparations for growth on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

24 Hour Security

God guards you from every evil,
he guards your very life.
He guards you when you leave and when you return,
he guards you now, he guards you always.

Psalm 121:7-8, Message



Security and safety monitoring is critical for my job as we have 5 computer rooms at work. We are in the process of installing temperature and humidity monitoring in the 3 larger rooms. the purpose of the equipment is to guard the computer room and let us know when the temperature or humidity is reaching a critical point so we can take action and summon one of the technicians to the computer room and diagnose the problem and fix the situation so the servers do not shut down and stop working.

This is a good step for improving the safety of the information contained in all the computers in these rooms. If this equipment does not operate properly, I am in real trouble. I would hate to be the one responsible for shutting down government!

Well,

God guards me too!

...From Every Evil

...My Very Life

...When I leave and Return

...Guards me Now

...Guards me Always

I do not have to worry about the equipment that guards me since God knows me and what I do at all times.

Thank you Lord for your presence and care as you guard me with your heart as I continue on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

GOT PLANS ?

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11


I have taken many classes on project management and planning and wrote a book on project management. Planning for any project is crucial for the success of the project.

Making sure all the resources and materials are on hand for the success and completion of the project is critical.

All people involved in the project must be coordinated for the project to smoothly complete.

The completion of a project takes many people focusing on a common goal or the project will not be successful.

God does project management and planning a different way!

Jeremiah was telling God's people that 70 years after the devastation, God would deliver and restore them. Despite the fact that they had repeatedly abandoned God, he would not abandon them or his promises to them. He would be faithful. In fact, God was planning and preparing a bright future for them.

They just did not know it yet or really believe it!

This promise also reminds me that no matter how deep my own personal gloom may seem, God does have plans for me.

He had the project management of me figured out long before I even knew I needed him!

He will keep his promises to me. He will deliver and bless me. I can have expectant hope and a bright future because of his faithfulness and my trust Jesus, who has already won the battle.


Give me faith, O Lord, during the times I'm weary, discouraged, and beaten down. Inspire me to trust in your great promises. Please give me courage, O Lord, when my faith wavers. Help me obey your word no matter how challenging it may seem or how discouraged I feel. Thank you for giving me a bright future in Jesus. Please help me live more consciously aware of this great gift while on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Confession

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive
us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.



1 John 1:9




Purification is a a detailed process. Did you ever go camping and use a water filter that takes all the impurities of the water in the woods out of the water so it is safe for drinking?




I had "Beaver Fever" once. the giardia cyst is 7 microns



To give an idea of a micron... A pin head is 1000 microns



Water filters used in the back woods filter out the cyst and make the water "PURE for drinking"


Confessing our sins means that I view my sin the same way that
God does -- the same revulsion and disdain for them. This kind of
confession opens my heart to the flood of heaven's grace (see
Psalm 51). God shares with me the liberation from sin that
Jesus purchased on the cross; and my sins are not only forgiven, but
I am purified. I are no longer a sinner and the stain of that sin
is removed as well.



I am clean, perfect, and without spot because of God's purifying grace (Col. 1:21-22). God filters out all the junk so we are pure before him



Father, I do confess to you my sins!




Thank you for letting me be honest with you and share with you my frustration and my sorrow for them. Please liberate me from their power in my life and give me the confidence that you have not only forgiven them, but that you have made me pure and holy on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Give me A Heart

Give me a stout heart to bear my own burdens. Give me a willing
heart to bear the burdens of others. Give me a believing heart
to cast all burdens upon Thee, O Lord.

John Baillie

I have been looking at some of the Christians of the past and the struggles and victories they all faced.

Not much different from me...

This is a great quote looking at the heart of man as he looks into the heart of God.

Give me a stout heart to bear my own burdens.

Job 112:7 He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.


Give me a willing heart to bear the burdens of others.

1 PE 1:22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart

Give me a believing heart to cast all burdens upon Thee, O Lord.

Matt 11:29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Let me have your heart of GRACE and MERCY as I put my trust in you today on the Adventure in Middle Grove

I Want to be a Tree

"But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank. " Jeremiah 17:7-8, NLT



Yesterday the meditation for the day was

A S K ( ASK SEEK KNOCK )

God wants to hear my prayers and wants to bless me with his love, grace and mercy.


Trees by the river bank are very unusual, especially in the development era we are in today.


Trees by the river are usually large majestic trees since they have plenty of water and are not stressed by the environmental damage of the asphalt prairies we create in the cities.


Trees by the river usually have a great amount of light as they do not have to compete with the aggressor plants in the forest.


Trees by the river have the confidence of knowing they are in a good place as they reach out over the rivers to shade and provide an active environment for plants and animals.

I want to be a TREE..

Planted by the river, by YOU. I want to be a tree of confidence and hope. I want you to continue to nourish me and feed me as you allow me to grow by the river. I want to be blessed by you so I can be a blessing to others.

My hope and confidence is in you as you allow me to grow on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

A S K

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."


Matthew 7:7



God wants me to seek his blessings. He wants me to pray and seek his will and his presence. This is not because he wants to manipulate my life, but because he longs to bless me and have me know the gifts in my life come from him. So let me seek his presence, his grace, and his blessing.


Father, I do need your blessing and guidance. Please bless me in several areas on my heart ....

In addition, dear Father, I need your wisdom in life decisions ....

Finally, dear God, please make your presence in my life very clear to me this week. I don't doubt your love for me, but I really do need to be reassured of your nearness as I face the challenges that lie before me at this time on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Truth and Peace

Peace if possible, truth at all costs.

-- Martin Luther

Let this day be a day of Peace and Truth as God is worshiped today on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

TRUST


Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6






It can't be a weak effort. It is full trust or it is clouded with suspicion. So as I face the everyday challenges of life, or as I look for answers for deep and difficult problems, I put my full trust in the LORD.

I ask for his wisdom and guidance as I make choices so that my path may be straight.


I praise God for the good in my life and seek his blessing for the days ahead.

He longs to bless me with my life, both now, and the future.

Lord, I place my trust in you.

Please guide my steps as I seek to bring you glory. Help me in the decisions I face. Give me discernment as I seek to influence others and to share your grace with them. Give me the right words to say so that I can have a Godly influence on my family and friends as you straighten the path on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Go to the Source

"God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. "

2 Corinthians 1:3, NLT

This is where God exists not in the literal sense as the Comfort Inn for rest for my body but for peace in my soul.

As I look for the call to action as I keep in step with God's will and wisdom, I need to come to him for my comfort also. Just as God is the source of wisdom and mercy, he is the source of comfort. In times of trouble, there are many instances in scripture where the results of life seem bad but the God of comfort and mercy intervenes so his will is done.

Today, Lord be my source of comfort. Let the mercy and comfort of your being intervene in my life as we walk together on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Committment

Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

Proverbs 16:3


Over the last few days, I have examined two important calls


Action

Keeping in Step

All are actions and wisdom while relying of God's wisdom and grace
The real meat behind this proverb is the basis for what I looked at in scripture the past few days.

How do I define success for my action and call to keep in step?

The answer is very simple as I need bring glory to God for his grace (see Eph. 1:6, 12, 14).


Committing my work and plan to God means surrendering them to
God's will (James 4:13-15),

trusting that God will be glorified in
them (Col. 3:17),

and recognizing that it is not in my power to
properly guide my own steps (Prov. 16:9).

God longs to bless me and empower me -- not for my own selfish ambition (James 3:16),

but for my eternal good (Rom. 8:28) and God's glory.

Like Jesus, when I commit our plans and works to the Lord, we are saying, "Not my will, Father, but yours be done!"

Father, I want your will to be my plans. I want your glory to be my goal. I have things that I want to do. However, if these plans are not for your glory, if these plans are not a blessing to my family or those over whom I have influence, then please defeat me in those plans and please guide me into other areas of blessing. I want you to be glorified in what I do. I want to go where your grace leads. I commit my ways, my plans, and my works to you on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Keeping in Step

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

Galatians 5:25


Yesterday I talked about actions and words and how my actions as a husband and Christian speak louder than any amount of words. It is one thing to talk about being filled with the Spirit; it is quite another to live under the Spirit's control and direction in my life. Paul is reminding me that I must do more than talk the talk; I must walk the walk. The Holy Spirit must guide my decisions, determine how I relate, and control my thoughts and speech.


His fruit --

love,

joy,

peace,

patience,

kindness,

goodness,

gentleness,

faithfulness,

and self-control

must be in evidence.


Paul says to Christians filled with the Spirit, "Live like it!"


Father, thank you for your gift of your Spirit, who is alive in me. May your Spirit guide my thoughts and mold me to be like Jesus in words and deeds on the ever adventurous Adventure in Middle Grove.

Actions not words

18 Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them

Romans 15:18-24 (New Living Translation)

How many times have I heard this during my life. Too many times for my own good. Yet scripture gives a very concrete example of what this means in the context of a Christian life.

A few rules to follow for a plan of action of living out the Christian life.


1. Don't boast about anything except what Christ has done through me.

2. Do what I do by example not by what I say.


Many times words are easy but the action behind the words take commitment to relationships and a long term investment in people. Actions take the heart and soul in acting out the wisdom of God through me.

Actions speak to the practical working out of my faith in word and deed on the Adventure in Middle Grove.

Significant Other

"Come to me all you people that are tired and have heavy
burdens. I will give you rest."

Matthew 11:28 (ERV)



Tired!

Weary!

Exhausted!

Depleted!

Burdened!

This is me sometimes!


There are times when the limits of my mortality overwhelm my intentions, commitments, and abilities. In my quest for significance, I chase so many things.

I miss the point.

But there is only one true quest for significance:

I must surrender my burdens to Jesus and trust him to supply my significance.

Why is it so hard for me some times ...

Why is it so hard to put down my burdens and come to him?

Don't miss the point!


Lord , you are my beyond comprehension many times. But since you came to the world in Jesus, I come to him to find you. Please help me know you as I come to Jesus for rest on the path while on the Adventure in Middle Grove.