Green Gravy, Stone Mountain, and Thoughts from the heart

As 2007 ended with the holidays and 2008 has begun, I'd like to share a few thoughts with you. First of all if you've never experienced Red biscuits and Green Gravy on Christmas morning you sure don't know what you are missing (of maybe you are just a Yankee :). This is the breakfast of a champion, or at least a heart catheter recipient. Heart friendly, no, awesome, YES!!! And yes I did eat it with that much enthusiasm.



As we made our way back from Florida, we stopped by Stone Mountain, Georgia. It's a park on the east side of Atlanta, just off I285. Worth a stop if you are every out that way or just looking for a drive. The kids really enjoyed it. We also were given passes by a nice lady at the ticket counter which saved us about $100 for the 4 of us. We just chalked it us to the Favor of God and thanked him for the tickets.


We went to the top of this 350 acre piece of granite and took in the view. We also reflected on God and how he has blessed our family. I was also fighting off the flu and a round of pink eye. I made it to the Doctor the next

day.

Thoughts of the heart: As I read

through scripture the other day something stuck out in my mind that I thought I would like to share. In Mathew 8:28 Jesus crosses the lake and finds himself on the shores of the Gadareans. Two men Possessed by demons met him at the shore. Now let me set this up for you: These two men for years have lived in a cemetery and were so dangerous as scripture records that no one could go through that area. They question Jesus if he was to torture them before their time. Upon their request Jesus cast them out and into a heard of swine, that proceed to drowned themselves. The keepers of the swine go back to town and tell of what they had seen.

Vs 34

"The entire town came out to meet Jesus, but they begged him to go away and leave them alone"

The town surely were glad to be rid of the demons, and the families of these two men were surely glad to have them back, but the point is, they didn't want Jesus to change anything else. Often times God wants to do something with people or a church, but we don't want His kind of change. This is the same old idea like the Jews in biblical times wanted the Messiah to come as a ruling King and deliver them from the Romans, but God's idea was much bigger. He wanted to deliver them for all eternity. God was never meant to fit our ideas or into our box, but yet we limit him in the same ways in our lives. We need to be open to his desires for our lives, for our careers. If all that we are belongs to him, who are we to say "leave us alone. Don't ask us to change, we like our town." The Gadarenes missed out on what Jesus had for them, and didn't even let him minister to them.

Mt 9:1 says "Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to his own town." Christ is a gentleman. He won't force anything upon us, but we choose to stay the way we are. Even to our demise.

It's my prayer to offer up nothing less than my whole self to him in 2008. To go and to do or not do anything he ask. To let him lead, and follow with all reverence and humility. To find myself centered on his focus. To serve as he sees fit.

As February approaches fast, and this trip to Haiti weighing in the wings, I am regrouping and discerning his plans once again.

"What would you have me do, oh my God? Open my heart and my mind to your plans. Guide me in your everlasting way, lead me into all truth. In 2007 you took me around the world, and have shown me many places, I give you 2008 to do as you will. In Jesus name... Amen

In Christ

Kevin

Look up, Live Life, and be Thankful