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6/27/2019

Light v Dark (toast & life)

I am one of those folks who likes my food ever so slightly overcooked. I like the cheese on my pizza to be golden.. maybe even a 'dark' golden. I like my bagel toasted dark contrasted with a spread of cream cheese. I want it to hear a slight CRUNCH when I bite into it. And I like DUSK where the sun has just dropped peacefully below the western horizon but before the black of night,

Of course choosing dark over light in the weighty matters of bagEls and pizza is fine, but in matters of the SPIRIT.. always choose the LIGHT.

This Present Darkness is a Christian novel by Frank Paretti published in 1986 showing a contemporary view on angels, demons, prayer, and spiritual warfare as demons and angels interact and struggle for control in our lives and communities. And though this book was fiction, I believe this battle is real.

Of course there is obvious DARKNESS of this world, but I am surprised by many Churches Frog in the Boiling Pot perspective on life where God is fit into societal norms rather than the other way around as God intends.

"In God We Trust" may be the official motto of the United States of America, but in this world's shadows we move closer to a Godless reality found in Judges 17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

How else can explain our society where

Crass is considered clever
Profane is considered Profound
Greed and Envy is in the heart of man
Hatred, War, and Genocide exist
Women are degraded and used via Pornography

The gentle word CHOICE masks the ongoing Holocaust of Aborting babies
LGBT is lauded as normal and
Gender is just another 'selection' on the happy meal of life no longer determined by a look in your pants.

Some items from this list of our world's woes are pitch black dark, but all of them lurk in this land of shadows where Wrong is considered a gray area defined by man rather than God. If anyone espouses traditional Christian values we are deemed judgmental, hateful bigots or worse.

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. John 3:19-21

So these very words of Jesus make it clear.. It matters what we believe, our choices matter. JESUS WAS NOT TALKIN' TOAST. We are commanded in loving firm truths to stay in the light by Jesus. He does not mince word and the world hated Him for it.

So I prayer God finds us IN THE LIGHT, living in obedience to His word, loving and truthful in our words and deeds with others, and never lingering in this world's shadows.

Enjoy this life in the LIGHT.

Blessings

Jeff (dark toast please) Larson

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6/19/2019

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So Earthly Minded?? (rr)

I like the old saying ‘That fella is so Heavenly minded, they are no Earthly good.’ This describes a person is so in to church and ‘churchy’ things that they don’t add much value or function outside of church walls. He can barely change a light bulb let alone the oil on his car.

Over the years I have smirked at a person or twenty that fits that description, BUT I have come to believe the irony is actually there are too many people are so EARTHLY minded to be much HEAVENLY GOOD.

It's just too easy to be caught up in this pace and 'stuff' of life (good and bad) to where God is put on the back burner. Instead of starting my day quiet before God, reading my Bible, and prayerful I often clutter my life with the very real demands of work, family, rush hour traffic, and.. maybe what is on the TV and become simply more EARTHLY MINDED than HEAVENLY GOOD.

The real irony is.. When I drift from God is NOT when I am too busy or stressed but instead when life is good. No immediate worries or concerns so I relax my dependence, praise and appreciation of God to again become so earthly minded... and erroneously feelings of being self sufficient. Maybe even a little bit proud.

So while I don’t want my life to look as out of place as an Amish folk high rollin' in Las Vegas.. I do want my spirit, and life to start and end with God. A place where my personal faith shows through in all that I do and say.

My prayer for all of you is that this day and always be a life in love with God, and a life where God is not fit in around the details of the day. That sweet spot where our minds on God/Heaven impact our lives on Earth.

May your life be blessed and USED by God in ways that have both Heaven and Earth in mind.
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Mt. 6:10
Be 'Blessed and Used' of course in ways that are BEYOND YOUR DREAMS and all that God intends for you!

Jeff

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6/10/2019

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The Me-Monster (rr)

Me, myself, and I. Me.. me.. me. , What about me? , What's in it for ME?

A while back I heard a sermon where the pastor described the Me-Monster. I have to admit I don't recall much of the sermon, but I remember it was good AND it impressed on my cartoonist brain to sketch in my sermon notes The Me-Monster.

So I brought Mr. Me-Monster home scanned him into my computer and did a little Photoshop extreme makeover on him all so I could share his surly mugshot with you. Without further delay Ilet me present.. The Me-Monster. Ta-da!

The Me-Monster is an ugly fella, and even his open mouth resembles an M, and the back of his throat an E. The disturbing thing about this Me-Monster is that when our motives, focus, and actions are focused on .. SELF.. any of us can become a pretty gnarly looking creature too.

There are plenty of attention seeking folk out there that flaunt there success and perceived self-worth without a speck of humility. They live in a world where success is measured by the car they drive, the neighborhood they live in and that lovely lake home up north. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with any of these things unless it inspires a me-centered ego trip.

Now on the other hand I have more of an econo-sized Me-Monster. My monster is does not get identity from a high profile existence, but did show up recently as I became unemployed.

What do I do now? What will my friends think of me? What do my wife, and my adult children think of me?

Of course it is important to learn from life's pitfalls, circumstances, and/or blunders.. And it is ok to hurt when bad 'stuff' happens. These are opportunities to move do my best, learn and move forward.

I will confess in the past I have wallowed pretty low during difficult times. I struggle with anxiety and depression from time to time (which I am pretty sure neither are NOT listed in the 'fruit of God's spirit).

Panic and Despair have in the past injured my self-esteem and worth and all fed my Econo-Me-Monster .

I share this because my wife told me recently how proud she is of how I am handling my current unemployed state. She can see I am sad, but not going to a low place, and that I am seeking God during this time. I must confess those where precious words of affirmation to ME from the woman I love,

I could ramble on about ME as I am prone to do, but wanted to conclude with again God's two greatest commandments. 'Love God with all your soul and mind and others as yourself.' Mt 22:37.

What if I focused my life on these words of Jesus? Then all the details and trimmings of this life while nice would be trivia to a life well lived... and no Me-Monster.

So I pray for God's Holy Spirit to lead me, and for me to trust His direction so that I can SERVE Him and others. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, and finally in all things to God be the glory!

May God bless and use each of you in ways that are beyond your dreams. May our lives be about God's Kingdom and not ours. And may you be Me-Monster free.

Jeff

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6/5/2019

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Pick me, pick me! (rr)

I Remember back when I was a kid in gym class and did not want to be that last kid chosen for a team? Well I don't like to brag (as I puff out my (almost) 62 year old chest, not my gut it puffs out on it's own) but I was not that kid. I loved sports and was a decent athlete even if the game was dodge-ball I was always a solid pick. Of course if there was a robotics team back then I may have been been that last pick, then placed on the 'my brain hurts' injury reserved list.

We can all breath a sigh of relief God does not operate that way. He seems to like the odd ducks, and unlikely picks to be on his team, even LEAD his team. Hmm.. I might even be chosen on God's robotics team. :)

So here is a partial list of those God chose for his team.

Noah was Mr. 'if you build it they will come'. These were the paraphrased words of God from the book of Genesis as 600 year old Noah is chosen to craft an Ark with his 100 year old sons. And.. not just any Ark, an Ark in the desert.

Abraham was a spry 75 years old or so when called by God to pack up the Winnebago (figuratively speaking) and hit the road.

So much for the Golden Years. "I will make you a mighty nation you." Thus saith the Lord.

A mighty nation?.. Abe and the Mrs. were past the age of having their own kids, so unless God is talking about some 'Mighty Nation' app for his smartphone then he did not know how this was going to happen.

Moses, the exiled (for murder) prince of Egypt is working in a land far far away as an overqualified sheep tender when God speaks to him from a burning bush.

"Moses .. you and I are going to free the children of Israel." Ok, mostly I will but do I have a job for you." - Thus saith the Lord.

I don't know about you, but I would not have chosen a guy on the run for murder who smells like sheep.

Speaking of sheep, how about the Shepherd boy chosen by God to slay Golaith, and later becomes king!
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Then off to the New Testament..

"This very day you will be with me in paradise." were the words spoken by Jesus to the thief on the cross shortly before he died.

The spiritual resume of this thief from what we know was pretty light, but that is how big God's Grace is.

Now it's time to choose an Apostle to lead to share the gospel message to the world. Who would God choose #1 in the very first 'Missionary Gospel Draft'? The number one pick is Saul of Tarsus.. Saul? The same Saul who recently could be found attending the stoning of Stephen? Yep, that Saul.

"Saul why do you persecute me?" were the blunt words of Jesus from a blinding light while Saul was on the road to Damascus.

"I've got good news and bad news. First the bad news.. your cushy leader of the Pharisees job is going away. The good news.. You will be my very first Missionary." - Thus saith the Lord.

I may be going out on a limb, but I don't see many literal burning bushes, or blinding lights on my horizon, but I do believe I am chosen and capable.

Not that it makes sense based on our relative and limited qualifications, but in fact we are all chosen by our loving Heavenly Father. Chosen not only to be a part of God's Kingdom, but also to serve in big and small ways.

So do not keep God in a box, and a lid on what is possible with regards to the blessings and opportunities to serve.

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" Isaiah 6:8

Just like Isaiah, be listening for God's leading in big and small ways, and when God calls on you.. reply "Here am I. pick me! pick me!"

May God bless and use you in ways that are BEYOND YOUR DREAMS and all that God intends.

Jeff

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Light v Dark (toast & life)

So Earthly Minded?? (rr)

The Me-Monster (rr)

Pick me, pick me! (rr)

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