Not helpful

Not helpful to tell me that everything is going to be all right, that I will get used to it and that the new normal will become o.k. after all, it's been a year. That colored my whole day. That affected every single interaction I had from that point on. That was like the big rock thrown into the pond. Have you "lost" your son? Have you poured everything you have into someone, only to have them mostly taken away? I didn't think so. Therefore, please don't tell me how to feel.

The end of John 20, these are written so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God and that by believing, you might have life on his name. This is helpful.

Greedy

It's Cyber Monday. I was out on Black Friday. I read the ads on Thanksgiving. I watched 60 minutes last night about the 1,000's of kids in FLA living in cars and on the streets, entire families with no jobs, or not enough jobs to support themselves. Life was o.k. then stuff happened, and there they are. I just read John 19, the account of Jesus' Crucifixion. Let's not call it the story of his Crucifixion, that makes it not seem real. He died for me. He was tortured for me.

On Saturday I went to a memorial service for a former youth group kid. We tried. But did we try enough? The priest said she would be in heaven because of her infant baptism. I don't think so. I wonder if the people in the room thought so? They knew what she had done. They knew none of it made or makes sense.

I saw a friend yesterday. He needs friends too. He starts lots of projects and doesn't get them done.

Life doesn't to be easy for lots of us these days. I pray that my priorities wouldn't get in the way of what His priorities for me today would be.

Trust in Jesus

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me" These words start John 14. I've certainly read them many times before. The thing is, and I'm no Greek expert here, several almost failed attempts and a changed seminary degree prove that, at a quick read the verse seems all about simply putting our faith in Jesus. But think about it. The act of trusting takes effort. It is a decision we must make over and over. It doesn't just happen, and it won't just happen if we think, ase yeah, I should trust in Jesus, that sound like a nice thing to do.

I'm learning that this trusting thing is a continual process, it might be daily, it might be hourly, it might be every few minutes, or even seconds. It is a choice, it is a conscious effort. Place my trust in Jesus. Worry happens, things to worry about are all over the place. Don't let your hearts be troubled, instead place our trust, in the only one who can really ultimately take our worry away.

And with that, I realize what I am most thankful for this Thanksgiving, and I owe this thought to my "friend" Glenn. I am certainly thankful for my treasure Jo and our amazing daughter Shelby and our incredible son Wes. But most of all, I am thankful for Jesus.