What are you gonna write today?

It is a blank page - it is empty!  Nothing yet has been written on it, but soon that will not be the case.  There is no way to write nothing - something has to be written.  Until the book is finished, something will be recorded.

What are you going to write?

What is it?  It is history.  Today's history has yet to be written, but by the end of the day, the page will be full and there is no way to erase what was written.  There is also no way to add to the writings of today after the day has passed.

What are you going to write?

Every morning we awake with pen in hand writing the story of our life and recording the events of our day.  From our deepest thoughts and feelings to our outward actions and attitudes, the day is being written down and it cannot be modified.

What are you going to write?

Tomorrow may not come - today's record may be the final writing in the book.  How I live today might be the last document of my life.  The people I talk with might hear my voice for the final time.  The places I go today might see me for the last time.  This could be the end of the book...

What am I going to write today?

Time is fleeting - it cannot be reclaimed.  History is passing - it will never come around again.  My story is being written - even as I sit here and write this...  What do I want my life story to say?  What record do I want to leave behind?  What message is the most important for me to pass on?

I better write it in my story today...

Ready For Battle??

There once was an army that was engaged in a battle.  The warfare was constant.  The enemy was strong.  Vigilance was expected.  Danger was imminent.

As a result, from the Colonel to the private, everyone was on high alert.  Soldiers were being trained daily.  They were tested for competency, skill, strength and durability.  Failing any of these tests was not an option, as it proved that you were not ready for battle, and the outcome of being unprepared could be deadly for the soldier, his company, and ultimately the entire army.  Laziness could not be tolerated.  Anything less than perfection was critiqued, and imperfections were improved by training, practice, and discipline. No one took vacation - no one went on break - no one would dream of resting on the job.  They could not, they would not leave their position to allow the enemy to advance.

Eventually, they drove back their foe.  Their enemy ran and retreated.  They had protected their position, and had even gained on the enemy.  No longer did he have any power or position, he was impotent and laid waste.  Or at least that was what they had begun to believe.  Actually, the enemy was dormant, he was in hiding, he was recalculating, reevaluating his position.

Over the course of time, the soldiers began to rest.  They began to grow comfortable.  They forgot about the struggles of war, the difficulty of battle, the danger of their enemy.  They allowed their weapons to accumulate dust.  They no longer honed their skills.  They began to rest in the freedom that they had.

Eventually, this group of soldiers aged and many died.  A new generation of soldiers had grown up after them.  A more relaxed group of soldiers.  Never had they tasted war.  Never had their skills been tested by real battle.  Instead, they practiced on occasion.  Mistakes were corrected as necessary, but those who strove for excellence were mocked by the others. These soldiers were satisfied with being relaxed and comfortable, and when training caused them discomfort, they sought to ease their pain in any way possible.  They were a soft bunch - primed and ready for the enemy to attack.

Which is exactly what happened.  Although not as you would expect.  You see, as the enemy sat back and watched, he realized that a full frontal assault would raise up a new generation of soldiers ready for battle, and those who were not ready now would begin to prepare.  Instead, he concluded that if he could just infiltrate the army, he could destroy them from within.  From the officers to the newest recruits, if he could convince them that there was no battle, there was nothing to prepare for, there was no enemy, he would eventually conquer them from the inside out.

How do I keep this from happening?  I need to remind myself that I am in a battle - a bloody warfare - every day.  I am the officer in charge of the next generation, and it is my duty to prepare them for the battle.  So I must first prepare myself for war, and then prepare those set to my charge.

So my question to me today is - Am I Ready? 

Is there such a thing as "Godly envy"?

Last Thursday, a mother of four, passed away at a fairly young age.  She had some heart difficulties, and after surgery two days earlier, she was getting ready to be moved into her own room and God called her home.  Just two days later marked the seven year anniversary of my father's death.

I mention these two deaths because they have something in common.  "What?", you ask.  The initial response in my heart was the same.  Both people died younger than what one would have expected.  But when I heard of their passing, my initial thought was envy.

I think about where they are, who they are with, what they are experiencing, and I envy them.  Yes, I love my life.  I enjoy the opportunities that God gives me each day, but I still struggle with sin, I still get tired, I still fail, I still experience pain, life here is difficult. 

Just so you understand, I don't wish to die.  I am not hoping to pass away.  However, I do look forward to what is next!  I am confident that no matter how long I could sit and ponder what life will be like in the next world, whatever I conceive will pale in comparison to the reality of standing side by side with Jesus and talking face to face with the Father.

I hurt for the people left here - including myself.  I wish the pain they experience at the loss of a loved one could be taken away.  But then I am reminded that the very pain I wish to remove makes me long for glory even more.

What is a "godly" response to the death of a believer?  Joy, maybe, but maybe just as healthy and right is envy. 

Some day I know I will stand in Heaven with my father, my Father and His Son.  It is this joy that gives me hope each day and helps me make it through all of the failures and pain I experience each day.