Thought for the Day

From Dr. Leroy Bartel's FaceBook Notes - 9-26 08

Patience is sustained Intensity...


Wow!

"Katey"

Nearly every night, my daughter Kaitlin and I go outside and look at a particularly bright star in the southern sky. I'm sure it already has an official name, but, Kaitlin and I have named it "Katey". It's a father-daughter time that we both enjoy. OK. Kaitlin is done eating her ice cream and wants to go out. I'm blessed!

Discipleship Challenge - Accountability & Transparency

I've been talking with a Christian brother from our church about starting a personal discipleship group (3 guys - myself included). That idea has sparked another one that includes my interest in blogging. Rather than and in addition to, posting random thoughts and analogies, I want to include a few lines about my daily devotions and prayer. In discipleship, accountability is important, it helps us spur each other on in our growth in Christ.

OK. Here is where you, the reader, come in. Beginning October 1st, if I don't post about my devotions and prayer life at least twice a week, you have my permission to call me on it.

Hmmm, If this post has made you think, you can always join in the challenge. How cool would it be, if many of our blogging brothers and sisters joined in. Blogging discipleship group anyone?

Preparation

Those that know me, can attest to the fact that I've worn more than a few different caps and been in a wide variety of vocations while ministering. In some of those vocations I've questioned God, like, "Exactly why do you have me here, doing this?"

Let's face it, vocations get monotonous and mundane. When it happens, you realize what Clint Eastwood's character in the movie Heart Break Ridge meant when he said, "You can beat me and you can kill me, just don't bore me." I mean boredom is, well, boring.

I'm learning; however, that those times are often times of preparation, intentional times that God uses to teach us something about ourselves or a skill that He intends to use us in.

I learned the latter in a very real way this week. It seems that a skill that I learned in the past, while working in one of those mundane and boring vocations, will soon be put to considerable use - in ministry! Isn't that just like God.

If you feel like you're in a rut, and are going nowhere. Whatever you're doing, pay attention, God may be preparing you for something amazing.

Power's Back On - No More Amish Paradise

Our power - post-Ike - came back on at 3 PM today. Yay! we have running water again!!!

Backing Up

I really don't get it. Since we built our house in 1997, we've enjoyed a meticulously paved State Route as an address. One morning last week, we awoke to the sound of a road crew using jackhammers to remove the edge-line reflectors. By days end our address was a chip & seal - over pavement country road. Go figure. Why would anyone tar-glue gravel to the surface of an asphalt road?

Kind of reminds me of the times we Christians take what we have in Christ and cover it with our old ways or past behaviors. Maybe we hit a bump in our spiritual road and instead of allowing Jesus to renew us, we glue some black tar and gravel from our past or sinful nature to our lives.
Makes about as much sense as chip & seal over pavement. ???!!!

Just Breathe

Just got back to the church after attending the Ohio District's Ministers Forum for 2 1/2 days. Wow! It was awesome. We had some excellent speakers who challenged our hearts and minds with God's Word. Those speakers come from a large-prominent church in our Fellowship and they successfully combine contemporary worship with expository preaching. What a breath of fresh air. Excuse me, I'm just going to take some time and breathe in all that I've heard, learned and shared over the last few days...

Let The Fun Begin

OK, maybe not fun, but definitely another adventure. The fall semester has begun and, once again, I have a full course-load. Lots of courses from the Bible and Theology dept. this semester, from some of the toughest and best Bible Scholars in the A/G. Buckled up and hanging on! If I don't post as much - at least you'll know what I'm probably doing.

Crushed

Today, we took Alex and Kaitlin to their school's Open House. They found their homerooms and met their teachers. They unloaded their supplies into their desks and spent several minutes catching up with some of their previous teachers.

While we were leaving the building, Kaitlin saw a friend of hers walking toward us in the parking lot. Kaitlin ran to meet her, shouting her name. Her friend walked out and around her, never acknowledging Kaitlin's presence. Finally, at her mother's command the girl said, "Hi."

Kaitlin didn't cry, she took it in stride. About an hour after we returned home, Kaitlin asked me why the girl didn't even smile at her. Where do I even start? We have always taught our kids to be polite and friendly, with varying success. For the most part they are. Most importantly, we have taught them to be friendly no matter how they are treated by others.

I wonder about how often we are so absorbed in our own lives, that we ignore Jesus when He comes running toward us, so full of love and excitement. Does he feel rejected and crushed like Kaitlin did today?