Sunrise

I know you must get up early for this one ... but you should do it ever so often!

Sunset

Every once in a while it would be good to load the family up and drive to a nearby place that you can get a good view of a sunset ... and sit and take it in. That is what we did here yesterday. Just beautiful ... and of course the picture didn't begin to capture the true beauty of it.

Keep Off

Tempting sign, at least for my son it is! Lol!

I see the sign above not as a kill joy, a sign to keep me from having so much fun on the dunes, but a rule or guideline to protect the beach. It's the same way we should view God's "rules" or "guidelines". God is not trying to keep us from fun, but from pain. He is trying to protect us!

John 10:10b "...I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Trust Him!

Storms

Jesus said ...John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."

Just like life, it can't be sunny every day! Though I am sure most of us wish for that, but that just wouldn't be life now would it?

I can say this with certainty; we will have less storms in our life if and when we live as God has instructed.

I think I have mentioned this story before, but it bears repeating ... I once counseled a pregnant teenage girl who was just so upset over her "troubles" (being pregnant) and she actually said, "why is God doing this to me?" And my sarcasm almost came out of my mouth by asking, "is your name Mary ... Mother Mary?" But I held it in.

She was mistaken in her thinking that God was doing this to her. She did this to herself. She made the choice to have sexual relations with a boy she was not married to. And she was blaming God? You've got to be kidding me. But aren't we all guilt of this? I know I am!

I cry over not having enough money, (yet I am lazy when it comes to using my gift to make extra money) or I bellyache over a few pounds of weight I want to lose, (yet I still eat ice cream late at night and neglect physical exercise.) We all do this.

Like the picture above, some storms are not our fault, nor do they have anything to do with me or what I have done or haven't done ... they just come as a part of life. So how do you handle them? In the case of this storm Jana and I grabbed our gear and ran back to the condo, barely escaping the rain. In sort, we dealt with it by running away; when storms come your way in life, how do you deal with them? Hopefully you don't run away, unless that's is the best thing for you and those around you.

My answer is: Take each storm as they come and walk through them, prayerfully, with eyes wide open.

Directions

Finding your way around can be difficult at times. I know on our way down here I decided last minute to change our route. We usually go through St. Louis, then Nashville ... and I decided just as we pulled off 151st onto I-35 to go through Springfield, MO then Memphis (Elvis' hometown) and so on. And that could only be done because I had a map to look at ... like the sign above.

Signs give us clear direction, or should at least. I feel that is what the Bible is for humanity, a map if sorts. Giving us insight on HOW TO LIVE. It gives us direction.

Can I just say that a map doesn't help you unless you look at it ... just a thought!

Have a great day!