EG Ministries INC.

Just Another Day…

During this time of “Stay at home orders”, many of us are feeling like one day is running into the next.

 

Is it Monday?

Wait, no it must be Wednesday…

Now I’m not so sure.

Just a minute, let me look at my phone (calendar).

 

We’re feeling like every day, is just another day.

 

But each day is a gift, made especially by God!  (Psalm 118:24)

Each day you awake, there is purpose and plan for you!  (Jeremiah 29:11)

There are jobs to do!  (Ephesians 2:10; Matthew 28:19)

Each day there are people placed on your path to love, listen, and laugh with.  (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

There are people with which to share joy and sorrow, to encourage, to teach, to be taught by.  (Romans 12:9-21)

There is LIFE TO LIVE!!  (Colossians 1:10)

 

Just another day…

another day to show off God’s glory!  (Isaiah 43:7; Revelation 4:11)

another day to be a fisher of men!  (Matthew 4:19)

another day to pray for others!  (Ephesian 3:14-21)

another day to serve each other!  (1 Peter 4:10)

another day to rejoice in the LORD ALWAYS!  (Philippians 4:4)

another day to make a joyful noise!  (Psalm 100)

another day to give thanks!  (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

another day to grow in your knowledge of Jesus!  (2 Peter 3:18)

another day to ripen your “fruit”:  Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control!  (Galatians 5:22,23)

another day to walk with the LORD, becoming more like Him in all things!

 

There is NO such thing as Just Another Day!

Don’t just count the days!

Make the days count!

Are you a “Paraclete” or a “Parakeet”?

First a few definitions:

Paraclete is a Greek word meaning “one who comes along side”.

Parakeet is a small chatty bird that (under natural circumstances) lives in nomadic flocks of thousands.

 

A Paraclete is someone who encourages others.

A parakeet could be compared to a gossiper, someone who chats with the crowd about anything, then moves on to the next crowd and repeats the same “chat”.

 

A Paraclete is given praise:

2 Corinthians 13:11  Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice!  Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace.  And the God of love and peace will be with you.

1 Thessalonians 5:11  Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Hebrews 3:13a  But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today”

 

A “parakeet” (gossiper, whisperer) is given a warning:

Proverbs 16:28b …a whisperer separates close friends.

Ephesians 4:29a Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths

Psalm 34:13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.

Proverbs 20:19 A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much.

 

So, Are you a “Paraclete” or a “parakeet”?

The choice is yours…

Living a Balanced life vs. Living a Centered life…

Picture two boys, about 8 years old, sitting on a teeter-totter.  As one pushes off the ground, he goes up as the other goes down.  In order for both of them to be balanced, they would have to be exactly the same weight, patient enough to hover without wanting to be the one way high up or the one pushing off to make himself go high.  It’s nearly impossible to have two boys keep a balanced teeter-totter for more than a few moments.

 

Now, picture these same two boys on one of those spinning merry-go-rounds.  If both boys sit in the center, they can both enjoy a fun ride when someone spins them.  There is no struggle to see who can be higher, or who gets bumped off the ride (like the teeter-totter), just the same crazy spinning ride for both! 

 

Many people think we need to live a balanced life.  But that means that we need equal weight on each end.  If Jesus is sitting on the one end, do we need anything/anyone else sitting on the other end EQUAL to Him?  Jesus + Something = Nothing!  Life is NOT a balancing game!

 

Life needs to be more like the merry-go-round, a CENTERED LIFE.  When we live centered on JESUS, life stays balanced, all areas get the same “ride”.  Sometimes the spinning gets crazy!  But if you’ve ever been dizzy, the first thing you are told to do is find a fixed place and stare at it.  When we keep our eyes on Jesus, ,the fixed-unshakable-sovereign-Son of God, we get focus.

 

Get off the teeter-totter, and jump on the merry go round!

Keep your life centered on Jesus!

 

Matthew 6:33  Seek Him FIRST!

Proverbs 3:5  Trust in the LORD with ALL…

Proverbs 3:5  Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

Lessons from a Duck

  1.  Community is EVERYTHING! Ducks “imprint” themselves on each other and on their caregiver.  Once you are seen you are TRIBE!
  2.  There are “squawk” subtleties.  Some are happy; some are hungry; some are fear.  You have to listen!
  3.  They have no defense:  No teeth, no claws, rounded bills.  They NEED each other to protect one another.
  4.  Mud is their friend. A clean space is not duck-friendly.  There is order in their messy world.
  5.  Water TRULY rolls off their back.  Nothing gets under their feathers/skin.
  6.  They can be taught.  When I say, “Bedtime”, they all line up and march into their coop.  They listen better than most people.  ?
  7.  They call all the birds to the yard.  Since getting ducks, we’ve had a LOT of other birds come for a visit.

 

May we be like a duck:

 

Create community!

Listen to each other!

Protect each other!

Don’t mind other’s messes!

Let things roll off our back!

Be teachable!

Attract others with our love and acceptance!

 

1 Peter 4:8

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

Father’s Day

This Sunday is Father’s Day.

My dad is no longer with us, graduated to heaven in 2011.  He was a tough soul, but I never doubted his love for me.

My father-in-law is still earth bound and a wonderful man of God.  He’s a soft soul, caring for others in ways far beyond my comprehension!

My husband is a dad of five grown kids (4 law + 1 in law).  He’s an open soul, accepting, encouraging, welcoming, passionate about people!

My grandfather (dad’s dad- Pop) was a humble soul.  He was smart as anyone, but he never put himself above another, a southern gentleman.

My uncle (I have many) is a creative soul dad!  He can make something from nothing!

My brothers (I have three—1 law, 2 in law) are provider souls.  Whatever their family needs they are ready to supply!

My old neighbor is a humor soul dad!  Always has a smile, and a dad joke ready!

 

What is/was your dad like?

(I pray you had an awesome dad.  I know that’s not everyone’s story.  Some dads have destructive souls, angry souls, hurt so bad they don’t know how to love others’ souls, or just not interested in others’ souls.  Men are human, without God’s influence we’d all be in this list and not in the other.  I pray your thoughts of “FATHER” are good.)

 

The beauty of dads is that they are created in the image of our HEAVENLY FATHER Who is tough, caring, open, smart, humble, creative, provider, and comedian!  HE is also love and grace, joy and peace, justice and mercy, giver and sustainer!

Take time this week to say thanks to all the dads in your life…especially the One on The Throne!

 

“Our Father, Who art in heaven, HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME!!”

Matthew 6:9