LOVE GOD - LOVE PEOPLE

Sometimes simplicity is good...especially for me, when I am so busy and stressed.   When I get busy and life gets complicated, and I get so caught up in everything I am DOING...I need to have this little motto tied out in front of me on a stick and hanging right down in front of me like a carrot out in front of a horse.  "Remember Chuck,  LOVE GOD & LOVE PEOPLE !"    Sounds easy enough doesn't it?    I think it was fairly high up on Jesus priority list too.  When Jesus was ask, what is the greatest commandment...his response was basically, LOVE GOD & LOVE PEOPLE!. Matt 22: 34-39    I guess that is once again my prayer then... that in  the midst of crazy, busy, hectic demanding times....that I can stick with the basics and not get so caught up in the stuff that has to be done...that I am not able to keep priorities in line with how God would have them ordered in my life.   Jesus was filled with compassion for people on a regular basis.  I know that I am not compassionate on a regular basis, and can even try to explain it away, due to the fact that I am not able to BE compassionate right now...due to whatever excuse I might have at the moment.  So, as I begin another busy season...the most busy season of the year for me...I am asking God that in the midst of responsibilities...that I might be able to keep HIM and OTHERS first...before the rat race.
By the way, I almost missed the exclamation point after this verse in Matthew.  If you add vs. 40 into the mix...you get a giant exclamation point!  If I could paraphrase this verse...I would say, "Everything else depends on this!"  (keeping God and others first).  Matt 22:34-40

God's Timing & Our Purpose

Today, as I started my day, very confused by the state I am currently in, and different anxieties in life...these reminders from this devotional I receive via email were extremely timely.  I call this a personal message from God letting me know, once again, what my priorities in life should be and how I should arrange them.  Here is the link to this email devo, but I also copied it in case the link disappears over time.  Purpose Driven Devotional

Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Don't Be Distracted From Your Purpose, by Rick Warren

"Will we fulfill God’s purpose, or will we shrink back and live a comfortable, self-centered life?",
Rick Warren

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22 (NIV)

Living this decade for the glory of God will require a change in your priorities, your schedule, your relationships, and everything else. It will sometimes mean choosing a difficult path instead of the easy one.

Steve Adams, our pastor to children at Saddleback Church, says when we are moving forward in the direction God tells us, “Action requires traction, but the enemy brings distraction.” In other words, we can’t just say we believe in God’s plan, or say we need to take some steps. God requires that we take real steps to move us forward.

But the enemy, as Steve notes, rushes in with distractions designed to pull us away from God’s plan. We become like the man described by James in the Bible, who looks into a mirror, but then forgets what he looks like as he walks away. Distractions such as bad attitudes, excuses, procrastination, and busyness make us mere ‘listeners’ of the word when God calls us to be ‘doers.’

We face a choice with every step we take into this decade of destiny: Will we fulfill God’s purpose, or will we shrink back and live a comfortable, self-centered life? Will we live for our own goals, comfort, and pleasure, or will we live the rest of our lives for God’s glory, knowing that he has promised eternal rewards?

From Saddleback Resources –

Guys and Dolls - Vandercook Lake Spring Play

Caleb voluntarily went out for the play this year...and we had to work on Zack to get him to go for it too....but I am hoping that the success of the play will be the reward for all the work and time they have put into this production!   It is an awesome show!  The best part is that it has truly been a family affair.  The Johnson cousins, Grace, Nathan, and Laura are also in the play.   And, Lenn and Karen Johnson  and Rene' and I are also parent helpers (Lenn and Karen have been involved since day 1, with Lenn heading up the set construction, running the spot light, helping with props and Karen doing promotion, program, props, costumes and more).   (Rene' has helped with props, and food and concessions and I have helped with set construction, electrical, lighting and misc stuff).  It has been a lot of work...but now that the show is here and going well...it is all worth it!   Here is a link to some of the photos of the play:  http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2082993&id=1086892434&l=3f4a129d8a

Ice Storm

On our way home from Wisconsin, Rene' and I hit the tail end of the snow storm that had been a very severe ice storm in southern Michigan the day before...and was currently covering our home and neck of the woods with anywhere from 1/4" to 1/2" of ice on trees and brush to  around 1/2" to 1" of ice on the ground.  It was amazingly beautiful and equally distructive (although, not near as severe of damage as we had about 10 years ago when entire trees were falling over with everything covered in at least 1/2" of ice).   Of course, with this much tree damage....power outages were numerous and wide spread and we were personally told that we would be out of power for at least 5 days.  We ended up only having to use a generator for about 36 hours, which we were very thankful for the surprise power coming back on fairly quick...where many people in our area were indeed out for 4 or 5 days.   Here are a few pics of the campground and this ice storm: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2080804&id=1086892434&l=0e533cfcc6

Catching up on the ole blog...

I have fallen into another blog rut and realized that quite a bit of life has gone by since my last post.  Some of the more memorable moments are worth documenting.  First and foremost is a long, and much awaited 25th Wedding Anniversary Get-Away for Rene' and I.   My parents offered to allow us to use their time share, so we chose the Wisconsin Dells!   One reason is because we wanted to see the musical production, "Wicked"...and it was showing in Appleton, WI at the same time period we planned to get away.  The time share unit was amazing too.  It is touted as being the largest indoor water park in America...and we enjoyed sitting poolside in Wisconsin in the middle of February with a snow storm outside.   The rooms were awesome suites! It was great!  Here is a link for the FEW pictures we took (bummer). http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2080335&id=1086892434&l=0b2721d46a

Heaven Is For Real...

This book was a "faith builder" for me.  I have always believed in heaven...but, like many, still have a very hard time actually visualizing it and even getting my mind around the concept of heaven.    Being an extremely "visual" person anyway...I am finding myself thinking more about the verse in 2 Cor 5:7, where is says, "We live by faith, not by sight".   Well, in this book, 4 year old, Colton Burpo gets to be our eyes...and it has helped grow my faith in what is usually unseen....but has obviously been seen by the eyes of this little 4 year old ... and the book tells the whole story to help you understand that this is not just some hokie spoof type book...but this little guy actually was in heaven.  Gotta read it!!!  By the end of the book, your faith will grow too...and hopefully it will help us all live even better lives here in the meantime, until we can see it for ourselves.
Here is the link for the book:  http://www.heavenisforreal.net/
And here is a link for one of the better news articles out there related to the book, if you want to read it to get an idea of what the book is about:News article - Heaven is for Real

Also, in this book is the story of how this picture/painting of Jesus is quite possibly very accurate in the likeness of how Jesus really looks.   Here is the link for the artists web site:  http://www.artakiane.com/home
If you click on the "gallery" you will see this painting of Jesus along with many others.

A Blogging slump....

Well, the holidays have come and gone...and I have found myself in  a blogging slump.  It has been over a month now since I have made an entry... and in that time I have celebrated Christmas three times, (here at home with my own little clan of 5, down in Greenville with Mom and Dad, CK, Kayce...and a surprise visit from Benton that we all totally enjoyed, and then also here at Mom and Dad Osborne's with the whole Osborne-Johnson-Smith gang).  Of course, we rang in the New Year with family and friends gathering here at our home...and a good time was had by all.  Emily was home for all of the above, and it was great having her home for the holidays.  Zack has had basketball practices and games and both he and Caleb are in the spring play (Guys and Dolls)...and they just had auditions a little over a week ago and have just started practicing.  The boys and I also enjoyed the NFL play-offs, although the Colts did not go very far (which is the team we would have all enjoyed rooting for...) so, instead I decided to become a cheese-head (Greenbay Packers fan). 

I have also started reading 4 different books...unfortunately, that is one of my idiosyncrasies, in that I read multiple books at the same time...well, not exactly at the same time...that would really be amazing...but, I think you know what I mean.  Nevertheless, at least 2 of these books are "life changers"!  Crazy Love, by Francis Chan  and Heaven is for Real,  by Todd Burpo.    I will tell more about Heaven is for Real in another entry.   Both of these are awesome books...and I can only hope that God will allow them to penetrate into my innermost being. 

Christmas at Nana & PawPaw's house

A cheesehead "wanna-be"