In 2009, Looking Forward ...

Looking forward ... was the title of Sunday's sermon; delivered by Reggie Norman. Scriptures were Exodus 32:1-8; Romans 8:28; and Romans 5. Thoughts I had... Choices - Something new or something proven. One might automatically chose proven; but proven what? reliable, good, fruitful? or faulty, to have pitfalls, uncertain? These are additional questions that must be answered. If the latter, new might be better than proven and the choice to make. but otherwise, new might have nothing to offer, so why chose it over what has held true time after time. God is faithful through all generations, and His mercies are new every morning. Choose God. Points to consider in looking forward:

• where have you been
• where are you right now (where do you fit in all of this?)
• do a 360 (the above, while looking forward), similar to driving a car - you can't just look ahead. One must keep what is behind and on the sides as well as what lies ahead in focus as one moves forward.

There was a reference to 'stopping living' in covering the point of keeping hope alive. It occurred to me that to stop living is synonymous with 'starting to die'. That can be applied in a secular and spiritual sense. When you stop living you start dying. If you don't move forward, you automatically slip back because time does not stand still. Marking time is an exercise of letting time slip away. Don't mistake standing still with preparation. Preparation is progress. I imagine the Hebrews waiting for the cloud to move, doing all that is necessary to be ready to 'head out' when that cloud moved. Spending time with God to hear him speak is also preparation, commensurate with getting that panoramic view necessary in forward travel. Blinders, I believe, were provided to horses, so as not to be blind-sided by what frightened them. The Word was provided to us so we could move without fear and be ready for what we will encounter. Reading the manual allows us to operate life optimally and not do something incorrectly in the process. Therein lies our hope. We don't have to operate in darkness. God is with us. Bring hope to someone else, we were told in the sermon. It was a good word for the New Year and a good follow up to his last sermon.

divine design ...

it is in the moments when one's heart reaches out to that of an woman of more years or the trucker that was given to share worship with us today, that I feel so in sync with the Lord. The lady comes when she can, otherwise going to church with her daughter, wanting to be worshipping the Lord any given Sunday. She reached out to me today, desiring more fellowship. I again gave her my numbers, and will be able to connect her with a like-minded woman we have in our church in desire of Godly fellowship. Too, I will be available to spend some of the holiday vacation time with her. She is a sweetheart. She stayed today for our church's family fellowship having been assured that not having a potluck dish didn't preclude her. I believe she was blessed. The trucker, having not been able to empty his load over the holiday weekend had laid over. He had family not too faraway and spent time with them. He looked up churches in our area (the vicinity of his rig) and was led to ours. What a blessing for us. It reminded me of Mike of Colorado who found us on the internet about a year ago - and shared worship with us. Now his mom who lives locally regularly attends our church and many of their family come. This trucker's wife passed away a year ago and takes to the byways with a canine companion. May the Lord bless and keep him in his journeys and bring us to cross paths again. Thank you Lord for the opportunity to be a blessing today. The Lord moves in mysterious ways and I marvel in it. May I continue to recognize the hand of God in all things. Praise and glory be to His name. Bless today Lord those who came into the house of the Lord and those Lord who couldn't be with us today. Sovereign God, your will be done. In Jesus name, Amen.