Out of my element

Ok, I love going to see everyone at NHS at lunch, but I hate the first day back of every semester. I have to get retrained to where everyone is and is not so that I can see as many people in the lunch hour as I can. And it's hard too because there are new people intermixed in with everyone else and they look at me funny! A lot of people who see me every week look at me funny too, but I guess I'm kind of getting used to that. I'll settle in to the new way of things soon. I think I saw 90% of our kids who were there and talked to 90% of those kids for at least 30 seconds. It's a really fun part of my ministry but it's tough because it's a little (a lot) intimidating. I look forward to seeing my kids and talking some with their friends too, which many of them are starting to warm up to me sooner and sooner in the semesters. I suppose it's one of those things that will just take a little time to get everyone used to. I'm going to continue to do it until it ceases being fun and I don't expect it to any time soon.

Proverbs 10:6 says, "Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked". The Lord promises his people, those who follow him, good things. Throughout Scripture, he has made promises to us that he will be good to those who are for him. From the times in the desert, to the time of Christ, to today, his word remains true. If we honor God with our lives, he will honor us. Like a king or queen kneeling to be crowned, he will put his blessings on us. This picture might not mean much to us in the States but consider the inauguration of a President, the placing of a cape over someone receiving a Masters degree, or the dubbing of a knight in our average King Arthur spin off. Those pictures might give us the picture of being crowned with blessings. On the other hand, for those who oppose God in whatever way, they do not share the security of the blessings of God's people. "Wicked" encompasses a lot of folks but we won't focus in on who all that is here. For those who don't honor God, they can expect violence in abundance. Violence can come in many forms as well aside from the obvious examples of physical and verbal abuse. But the idea here is not so much that the mouth of the wicked person will get bombarded with violence, as in getting beat up, but that the mouth itself is the origin of violence! Violence is all that is there, not blessings. Where as the Lord showers his blessings on us, like a spring rain in during which the sun peeks out and warms everything up, what comes from the wicked person could be compared to a flood! There's just no end to their wickedness. But on the same vein, there is no limit to the blessings that the Lord has in store for his people. The choice is easy to make. It's like being on Let's Make a Deal and being able to see through the doors! I'd rather be showered on than flooded any day!

Wednesday Jan. 12: REMEMBER, I need to see all my baptized, believin' boys on Wednesday evening at 6:30 to talk about Youth Sunday responsibilities. Harold Boldon will be talking with you about offering and communion meditations. PLEASE BE THERE!

Later...