Mountain Dew

I used to drink this wonderful nectar of God by the gallon.  Actually, a more accurate description would be by the 2-liter.  Morning, noon, night, if I was thirsty, it was a Dew. I was averaging somewhere between 10-15 16oz bottles a day.  Do the math, that's a lot.


Several years ago, I had lunch with my wife, and made a decision.  It was a hard decision, but it was wise for my health as well as our finances.  I gave up Dew.  Right there, that day, cold turkey, no more Dew, period.  So, for the past 9 years, I haven't taken even a sip of that glorious beverage, and my kids have never had Mt. Dew.


Fast forward to Easter a couple weeks ago.  After church, we went to share some fellowship with a lot of good friends.  They had Dew there, and my youngest son Jude asked if he could have some.  I started to say no, but figured, "why not?" and then said he could have a small glass.  I was interested to see what would happen since he's never had any, ever, and his normal energy level is, well, above average.


His face lit up after the first sip, and a loud, "MMMMMMMMMMMMMM!" escaped his mouth as a smile grew across his face.  I chuckled and continued chatting with some friends.  After a couple minutes, I went to check on Jude.  He was out in their backyard, all by himself, running laps.  Yup...he was running laps.  Their backyard isn't very large, so he was pretty much running in a large circle.  


I asked him what he was doing, and his response was, "I'm using my new energy to build muscles!"  This was said as he continued to circle the backyard.  I smiled, and then turned around and went back inside to let Jude continue his workout.  It lasted awhile.


I don't know what gets you going.  I'm talking about something deeper than your daily physical self.  I get wiped out spiritually, and sometimes, I need a boost to get it going again.  For me, being outside in God's beautiful Creation is a huge help.  Being in the Word is a must.  Serving someone else around me is another booster.  


I don't know what gets you going spiritually/mentally/physically, but I would recommend finding your "Mt. Dew" as quickly as possible.  Think and pray about it.  When you find some things, purposefully incorporate those into your life on a consistent basis.  Guard them...don't let busyness drown them out.  


In John 7:37-38, we read, "On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, 'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."


Sounds pretty good, huh?  Life is tough.  We all need our "Dew" on a regular basis to keep us focused and energized.  Jesus invites us to drink up.  Stay strong.

Thanksgiving in March

A week ago, hundreds of folks gathered at a park close to our church.  We shared an afternoon of food, beanbag toss, horseshoes, football, redneck golf, volleyball, stories, great weather, laughter, and smiles.  There were a lot of things that made us different:  our sizes, ethnicity, background, places of residence, likes/dislikes, languages spoken, etc.  There was one central reason that we were together though:  

KINGDOM WORK

Everyone at the picnic was there because they serve as a volunteer somewhere at Community Christian Church.  What an incredible gathering of servant-hearted folks.  Thank you all for your love and compassion for others.  Thank you for considering others before yourself.  Thank you for sharing the same attitude of Christ, who came not to be served but to serve.  You all are the heartbeat of Community (except for Jesus, of course).  Without you, programming could not happen like it does.  Your sacrificial attitude helps others see Christ week in and week out.

To quote the apostle Paul, "I thank my God every time I remember you." (Philippians 1:4)


I love serving the Kingdom with you all every week.  Never stop.  Stay strong.