Kate's Cross...

We headed over to Cafe Monet on Saturday, which is a place to "pick out and paint your own pottery."
There were shelves filled with choices of things to paint: Bowls, cups, mug, piggy banks, animal figurines, etc.

But my Goddaughter, on her own, picked...a cross.

Not the big flashy one.

But a little simple one.

Just her size.

She saw a cross.

I saw a prayer answered.

She made it her own.

(picture taken pre-kiln)

"At that time Jesus said, "I praise you Father,
Lord of Heaven and Earth,

because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned,
and revealed them to little children."

~Matthew 11:25

God, Thank You for reminding me what to choose.

In His Dust,

DCC

Southern Stairs...

Those who came to worship at The Temple of Herod came from the southern side.

Different routes to The Temple, came together into a large stone paved plaza under the shadow of a giant southern retaining wall. This is a massive set of stairs. I have sat on the them...
I have walked on them...
I have been taught on them.
What I remember about them...is that they were purposely uneven.
You could not "run up' them.
You had to approach God with focus...and purpose. From these steps teachers could address those who had assembled in the plaza.
It is highly probable that Jesus, Himself taught from here.
If you were blessed enough to walk by...and smart enough to slow down...you would hear Him. Makes me wonder, where am I walking by Him today?

God, give me eyes to see You and ears to hear You.

In His Dust,
DCC

Where's Weeyum....

"Where's Weeyum?"

I've been bragging about my Godson William and his heart for as long as I can remember...

However, I've gotten to watch him lately with a little boy name Luke. (Lukey Duke to you and me). Luke wants to watch "Weeyum" all the time. He wants to see pics or videos on my iPhone. He also wants to watch him in person, especially on a "bakkettball" court. It's almost as if he wants to study him. He has fixed his eyes on him.

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, ad sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." -Hebrews 12:2

It challenges me and reminds me to have that kind of a "drive" to watch Jesus.

We are sure to be greeted by the same adoring eyes and hug that "Weeyum" gives Luke.

God, May we look for Jesus, like Luke looks for "Weeyum" today and everyday.

In His Dust,

DCC

Sermon On The Mount...

We are studying the Sermon On The Mount, in McNitzky's Bible Study.

I just learned that Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount actually lasted for several days. He probably spent the better part of a week encouraging and instructing people about obedience, anger, divorce, integrity, retaliation, loving our enemies, the poor, prayer, criticizing others, money, Kingdom of heaven and faith.

He was not a speaker that flew in lectured and left three days later...

One of the cool things about Jesus- was that He lived here. Which meant, they got to watch Him daily and nightly, to see Him walk the walk.....to see Him live out what He preached about.

His wisdom and questions perplexed and amazed the intellectuals of His day.

The Bible records that people traveled for days to see Him – sometimes getting nothing more than a brief glimpse, or a momentary chance to reach out and touch his garment in hopes of being healed.

Why are we not doing the same?

God, forgive me for not making more effort to hear You.

In His Dust,
DCC

Grammys...

My eyes.

What happened last night---

Bob Dylan turned into a woman that I am pretty sure,
I passed many years ago on the streets of Jerusalem-

CeeLo announced himself as the love child of... Elmo...Al Roker and Elton John.

Gaga arrived in an egg....I think on a cross...which scared me and then offended me.

She later emerged from it....with a yoke on her head.

and then sang to skulls on an old piano.

Mick Jagger showed up and I thought that would help...

but I couldn't get past his jeans from Baby Gap.

Quite frankly, I was really scared for the little Bieb.
All alone in the dark....with 16 shades of crazy all around him.

He received no Grammy's to protect himself with.

Whether these people were well received or not last night...and whether we are well received today wherever we are....

Do not forget that, "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

God, Thank You for calling me "Your's," I love you too.

In His Dust,
DCC

Shake It Off...

I just heard a great sermon by Robert Emmitt last night-
It was God's timing at it's finest.

It reminded me of Jesus command, not suggestion, to "shake the dust off" of our feet.

Matthew 10:14 says,"If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that town."

Jesus is referring to shaking off what is on your mind, not your feet.
If you are mistreated...If you are betrayed...If you are lied to...If you feel dismissed...

I don't know about you, but I instinctively "hang on" to my dust.

No matter if it is light or heavy dust-white lies, complete betrayal, anger, sadness, small loss to great loss. The worse it feels, the more I tend to "chew on it?

Jesus tells us 3 different times in the Gospels, to let go of that dust.
Not once, not twice...but three times, lady.

So, guess there is no time like the present to shake it off. Time to blast my sandals with the virtual dust remover.

My Mom is so good at this- she is constantly reminding me with three short words,

"dust, dust dust."

Which is a great reminder to get IN His Dust and OUT of my own.

God, Thank You for the profound instruction to shake it off and and move forward.

In His Dust,
DCC

Ministry of Interruption...

I’m a list maker. If it AIN'T on the list- it ain't happening.

If it IS on the list rest assured by day's end...it's been completed

Task oriented, Type A...call it what you will. I'm it.

This morning God lead me to reading Matthew 8:24,25

It's the story of Jesus sleeping on the boat....He was taking a power nap when His Disciples flipped out over a thunderstorm. His Plans to sleep were thwarted by their need for calm.

"Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, 'Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!'” ~Matthew 8:24,25

Jesus was and still is, a Master at the ministry of interruption. His mission was people, not plans.

If I was The Messiah, and woken up from a nap...it may have gone something like this-

"Seriously, you think the boat is going down with me on it? How stupid are you people??"

Thank God for Jesus...literally.

Basically, I can love my schedule....or I can love people.

That means when someone needs to talk and you'd rather sleep....you get up.
Someone walks in while you are writing your blog...you put the computer up.
(Even if it is 4 times with really boring stories)....yes.
If it is Christmas Eve and there is someone needing a hospital visit...you go.
If someone wants to talk & your catching up on overdue texts & emails...you put the phone down.

God gives us moments all day and all night where we can show Him if we are going to choose His People or our plans.

Years ago, RVL taught me that the ministry of interruption is the heart of The Great Rabbi. If I want to be like Jesus, I better start practicing the same thing.

God, Thank You for NEVER making me feel like an interruption.

In His Dust,
DCC

Brrrrrr.......

Wind chill here in SA...5.

Yeah, 5....I realize some of you are used to seeing things like that-you may or may not have small children that are dressed and ready to get out there and dig you out of your problems. However, we down here in the land of the puffy taco and The Alamo, are not.

So, we are shutting down streets and businesses because of, wait for it, cold.
Not snow, not sleet....but cold.
Apparently the people driving near me on the way to work, think there are sharp ice balls falling from the sky. To combat this.....they drive 5 miles an hour in order to match the wind chill.

I realize many of you are well below negative numbers...and neck deep in snow...

"He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes" -Psalm 147:16

There is something amazing to me about ONE winter storm that blankets our nation. It gives us a very, very, small morsel of just how big God's Hand is?

"He says to the snow, fall on the earth."-Job 37:6a

God, Thank You for warmth and provision.

In His Dust,
DCC