Wanderings – Page 64 – The Life and Times of Joe Suttle

Lost and Not Found

joe May 8, 2008 Church, Faith, General

Funny how something like a Bible can disappear. Mine did on Sunday. Had it with my tool bag and someother things that I carried out of the gym, but have looked for it off and on, and no where to be found. Good thing we live in a country where owning a Bible is not a crime. Just pulled out another one and started reading.

Finished James, and spend some time thinking about where to start. Felt that it was time to read through 1, 2 and 3 John again. Enough meat to kick start any day.

Thought about re-reading Philippians, but don’t want to mess with anyone who is going through Bay Hills U. That was a pretty great class. The class that I was with spent three nights going through the course. Most of it sunk in, but some is still getting absorbed. The hardest thing (for me anyhow) was trying to memorize verses that my brain has in another language (King James). Trying to say the three memory verses in NIV was like…well, I really can’t describe it well.

Let’s just say that getting through the class was easy and hard at the same time. I enjoyed going over the basics (again) and getting to meet some new people. Sometimes, I think it’s a good thing to look again at what your beliefs are built upon and how those beliefs ought to be lived out.

Rambling on here and havent’ said a thing about I John 1. More on that next time. For now, just remember that a house is built upon a foundation, not a roof.

A Few Missing Days

joe May 6, 2008 Faith

No way to remember everything that has happened since my last notes on Friday. Seem to have gotten very busy, and doing a lot of running around. That’s how life is, and we have to remember that (okay, I have to remember) it is not other people’s fault. It’s me that does not start off right. Something crosses my mind that needs doing, and that’s the direction I head.

Every day, we make decisions about what we will or won’t do. We can try to blame someone else, but look at it carefully. Were you put in chains and dragged somewhere? Or were you beaten and locked in a room? Kinda doubt it…

It’s what we do and what we are – sometimes, we need to tune out the “squeaking wheel” and tune in on what we need.

Finally finished James, and found two things at the end of chapter five – “prayer and praise”. Now, I know that could be the subject for a message from some pastor, but James simply says “Got a problem? Pray about it! Are you happy? Sing songs of praise”. That’s the way to start a day!

I saw My Desktop

joe May 2, 2008 Faith

Monentarily. Then out came the things that get used to “do” things. Pens, paper, file folders – on and on it goes, and then the once clear plain that was my desk is filled again. It’s like a growing virus. We start one thing, but that leads to another and another. You know the routine. A simple project does not always end up “simple”.

Looking over my desk, there are cables, CDs and DVDs, and of course books.

Ah, there lies the problem – get rid of the books. That would not solve the problem, because among the books are two bibles, a Max Lucado devotional and my Study Guide from church.

Perhaps “neatly arranged” is what my desk needs to be, with only what I am working on at the moment in the forefront. Might be the best choice. Working at it a little at a time might accomplish more than trying to get it done in one fell swoop.

Kind of reminds me of James 5 verse 7 where he mentions the patience of the farmer. Nowadays (is that really one word?) most farmers use some kind of irrigation. They learned that what they have to do is be ready for the early rain, and wait for the late rain in the growing season.

Farmers wait for the crop – they know it does not happen overnight. But they also know that they have to plant the seed, keep the weeds down and tend their field. Ok, I’ll be patient as I tend my desk, but the Bibles stay near by.