The Life and Times of Joe Suttle

Well, not really. For a long time, we have heard that men don't ask directions. Me, I'm in love with my maps. Still have my Thomas Bros. Bay Area maps in my car. Want to know how to get where I need to be, with the least possibility of getting lost. Actually sorry to hear that the AAA is going to get out of the paper map business. Still enjoy opening a map of some state and planning a trip from point to point on that big sheet of paper.

Now along come those electronic wonders that when given a destination, they will talk to you and tell you when to turn, and which direction. People are buying the things in droves – they even come as standard in many new cars. They even have it down to the point that there are ones that can tell you where the cheapest gas is.

I wondered about the cheap gas though, because prices change between the time we pass the station going to the grocery store and returning home thirty minutes later. At any rate, the GPS will help you get where you are going (or want to go). If the GPS works like Mapquest, Google or Yahoo, then I'm not sure that it is always getting you there the best or quickest way – remember, it's tied to a computer that has never driven a mile. Someone had to give it instructions about finding the shortest path, etc., which it now passes on to you.

People put their trust in that electronic device and don't even bat an eye. Too bad they never learned to put their trust in the maps that were put together by people, and now those maps have been scanned into a computer, analyzed and spewed out at people who don't want to get lost.

Maybe we need to make a computerized Bible and call it the GLS (Global Living System). Wonder how many people would rush out and buy one. Wouldn't they be surprised at the directions they would get for their lives. The directions in 1 John 2 get pretty clear "Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did." Do I really want to go down that road? Isn't there an easier way to get thereRight.

Just very busy with Adventure Camp. What a fantastic week with kids running around doing silly and wonderful things. Karen had a super group of helpers working with her to make our “Power Lab” at church work.

It’s not my place to thank anyone, but everyone who helped made the burden lighter. They also helped make the “Good News” clear (like “visible”) in the way they lived their lives for the kids.

These past three weeks have been a whirlwind of activity. It was like one thing led to another – everything tied together. Rush from one thing to another – something every hour in our lives. Did manage to get away that one night just to catch our breaths.

Now it’s back to the “normal” things, and a little slower pace.

Got back to I John 2, and he pulled no punches. Even used a big word like “propitiation” to describe what Jesus is for our sins. This kind of goes along with the sermon yesterday (which talked about selfishness) when in verse 3 he says “we know if we know Him if we keep His commandments.” A hard measure to check myself against.

So, it makes me wonder if James and John got together in writing their letters. The old “faith and works” thing and the way I can know I know him.

Hmmm…Sounds like the measurement I need to apply to my life is based on what I know about His commandments. That implies (no demands) that there is a lot of reading for me to do just so I will know what His commandments are. It means living out (doing) what He wants me to do.