Backwash in the Living Water

Let’s see…Get water from a fresh mountain spring (living water), or take a slip from someone else’s canteen from that spring? Okay, and imagine they just ate broccoli.

I think one of the worst things we can do, spiritually speaking, is try to get someone to drink from our spiritual canteen. We contaminate the message. That’s right, backwash. I’ve been guilty of this, and maybe you have been too.

We try to be convincing in our position, hoping the other person sees it our way, which just has to be the right way, because we just somehow “get it”. Then, we get surprised sometimes that they don’t like the message, or the messenger.

What’s the answer? What works?

Helping someone find the spring itself. Letting them feel the invigorating water for themselves, splash some of it over their fatigued body, and drink deeply from the Source. Not everyone will follow us there, but we can still tell them about what they can experience for themselves. We can think of ourselves as guides, not debaters. We can’t expect that anybody wants the stuff we kept in storage.

The same is true for us, and we can’t forget it! If we don’t fill up our spiritual canteen for ourselves, often, we’ll putrefy our pathetic container. We can’t settle, and get used to our stale, overstored water. Seriously. We’ll make ourselves sick.

While we make our way to the Spring, to engage in regular, honest intimacy with God, we can bring some weary travelers along with us. Nothing else will do.

Nothing quenches like water…from the source.

When was the last time you spiritually “drank from the Source”? AND What do you do to make sure the Living water doesn’t get stale in your spiritual canteen? I’d like to hear your ideas. Thanks for reading this today. Live Blessed.

-Lisa


Lenten Reflection: Freedom


John 8:31-36 (New Living Translation)

31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”33 “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?”34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35 A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

The season of Lent is especially helpful for calling our cravings (desires and temptations), and sin (missing the mark) into question. When we do not have the mind of God, we sin. We enact a way opposed to God, and his nature. It is sin that enslaves us. We become captive to corrupt desires, deeds, words, and thoughts. Sin is our Master, and we remain in chains.

What ungodly things are your master? The Son has made you free, and you are free indeed. If you remain faithful to God’s teachings, you will not be fooled by sinful things, and held in bondage.

Consider you sin, and your sinfulness. Confess it and Relinquish it. You have been set free! Live in that freedom.

Response Question: What has God freed you from?

#41 Reason to take a Road Trip: Giant Roadside Characters

Sometimes life seems to be larger than life…

…especially when we’re talking about humor related to contrasts in size. Behold the giant characters of the roadsides!

It seems Route 66 is dotted with a few more giant roadside characters per mile than other travel routes. Here are just 3:

(the one on the right isn't doing sign language for "day". He's a lumberjack who used to hold an axe)

But, you know what?
It’s not just route 66 with these attractions. America’s byways have lots of them…and really people in places all over the world create outlandish sights to attract attention or visitors.

Does anything else really say, “Buy stuff here!” as well as an oversized lumberjack with an axe?

In my area, this enormous Amish couple sits outside the famed Roadside America. Actually, they sort of frighten me.

What’s the craziest roadside creation you’ve seen?

Now for some spiritual reflection:
If someone was building a giant something to represent your personality, what would it look like?

Adventures in Chew Toys

mean dog

The following is a true story:

About five years ago, we had neighbors living on our south side. The mister of the family was a truck driver, and one day he found a strange dog at the rest stop and brought him home.

They told me, “Don’t let your children go near our dog, he bites.” The dog was red, fierce, and usually bristling or barking. They kept him in a pen in the back yard.

One day, I saw him playing in his pen. He was pouncing with his front paws on a squeaky toy about the size of a man’s shoe, and having the time of his life. He’d bite the toy, and it would squeak, then he would toss it in the air, and continue playing. I stared at him for a while.

Then, he threw the squeaky toy high in the air, it hit the ground…and ran. It ran squeaking. He pounced again, and started biting. It was a rat. A half-dead rat. Very shocking!

So, you tell, me, what would be a good moral of this story?

What is the strangest thing you’ve seen a pet play with?

toy rat