Piece of Cake...

Wow- hard to fathom that God not only made this- but hung it in place when finished.

Does it ever cross your mind- since He is able to place the stars in their sockets and hold the sky up- that possibly, just possibly, He is able to help you, and me?

Since our God is big enough to turn on the sun, helping us out of the trials of our lives should be a piece of cake, right?

God, please forgive me when I forget-how big you actually are.

In His Dust,

DCC

Abundance....

Whether it is a mouthful of chocolate chip cookies...

Riding your aunt around a party with your purse...

cooling off after hot parade...

playing in a fountain you are not allowed to play in....

(but your aunt says you can do anything you want!)

waiting for King Antonio...

playing tag with the world's best grandmother...

giggling with your favorite two people on God's Green Earth...

I did the children's sermon yesterday on John 10:10.

"I have come that you may life and have it in the abundance!"

Such an awesome verse-so promising, encouraging and a great reminder to go out there and EAT IT UP!!! It's our one chance!!!

God, thank You so much for Jesus- and the opportunities You offer us have to take advantage of them!

Donut Bush...

Sadly, I think I would be stopped immediately by the Donut Bush.

God, thank you for the many ways in which You speak to us-and Your constant devotion to doing so-especially when we walk right by You. Please open our eyes and ears to You.

In His Dust,
DCC

cartoon by Cuyler Black www.inheritthemirth.com

Mac's got an iphone

My dad got an iPhone.

Those of you that know him....well, let's just say, we have just given a monkey keys to a Ferrari.

Don't get me wrong- my father is Brilliant...off the charts..

The finest architect I have ever known or been aware of

He is honest to a fault....his word is his bond.

His handshake is from West Texas...it is strong and binding.

His heart is as sensitive as the touch pad on his new phone.

But technology.

ummm....not so much.....

I feel certain, handling the repercussions of this purchase, will soon be become my new part time job.

First of all, he refers to it as his iPod.I can't even begin to tell him this also has an iPod on it.

Not to mention, all of the other features it has on it.

He gave me about 5 minutes, to explain the entire thing...and accidentally "prank" called about 4 people shortly there after.

Thank goodness my brother is an attorney. This is a potential law suit waiting to happen.

Another thing, he informed me he is, and I quote, "not interested in getting iTunes. Whatever that is- I don't need it or have time for it!"

Ok.

I wonder, if God must have felt this way, in a much smaller scale, when He decided to give us free will?

God, I am sorry. This monkey writing this blog has wrecked many a Ferrari. Thank you for Your Patience and Mercy.

In His Dust,

DCC

Following...

Following people is hard work.....

Thus, the concept of following in the first place.

First, there must be the desire and obedience to do so.

Second, you must trust who you are following.

Third, you must act on it.

Imagine, physically following Jesus must have been amazing...
to see the way He spoke to people...
The way He looked at people...
The way He handled frustration, happiness, sadness.
The way He interacted with children...
To see Him laugh!
Thank you God, for LETTING me follow you. What a pain it must be to listen to all my questions and concerns the whole way. Your Grace is amazing!

In His Dust,

DCC

Still Empty...

" Well, I certainly hope you kept the receipt for the burial spices."

Just in case this week got the best of you.....remember, the tomb is STILL EMPTY!!

Have a great weekend-

In His Dust,

DCC

Cartoon by Cuyler Black- www.inheritthemirth.com

A Moment with The Disciples...

Well, it's a few days after Easter...I would love to have been a fly on the wall among the disciples.
Can't you hear them now?
John: He did it!!!
Luke: Just as He said!
Andrew: Why did we ever doubt?
Simon: He knows us so well.
James: Why did we walk away?
Peter: How did I deny Him.
Matthew: We all did.
Thomas: How do we know it is really Him?
Bartholomew: We know His Voice. It is Him.
Phillip: Did you see His Mom's face when He came back!?!?
Simon (Zealot): After 3 days in Joseph's tomb-He busted out with His Chin up &
shoulders back!
Peter: How about Satan's face when Rabbi looked him square in the eye face and asked- is that all you got?!”
John: I can't believe He did this for us. For everyone.
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and Only Son.
You can quote me on it!

In His Freshly Resurrected Dust,
DCC

HE IS RISEN!!!

He is not here- He is risen, just as he said." Matthew 28:6

The tomb is empty!!

In the shadow of the cross death couldn't contain The One who poured Himself out in Love.

Our debt has been paid, the last enemy death has been whipped.

Hell has been conquered, the captives have been liberated,

Love has triumphed and heavens gates have been opened wide.

He is Alive and all those who stand at the Cross,

believing in His promise, shall live forever in Him.

The tomb is empty!!

God, thank you for Loving us THIS MUCH.

In His Dust,

DCC

Good Friday...

There was nothing easy about it at all.

The cross was heavy.

The blood was real.

The price was extravagant.

It would have bankrupted you or me, so He paid it for us.

God put our sin on his Son and punished it there.

“God put on Him the wrong Who never did anything wrong,

so we could be put right with God” 2 Corinthians 5:21

This is an recent picture of Calvary/Golgotha. See the Skull face?

Today there is a bus station here.

I watched as people boarded buses and went on with there every day lives,

as if nothing had ever happened there.

Let US not be one of those people today, of all days.

God, Thank You. I love you.

In His Dust,

DCC

Maundy Thursday/Last Supper...

Jesus shared the final meal with his disciples, called the Last Supper, on the night before he was crucified. 
When we see paintings or think about The Last Supper, we often see Jesus surrounded by His disciples at a large table, sitting in regular upright chairs. Those paintings are more than likely, very inaccurate.

While studying in Israel, I learned that The Last Supper would not have included upright chairs.

Jesus and His disciples “reclined” to eat.

Huh?

They laid down, on their left side to dine.

Special "couches" were placed around a table in a horseshoe, leaving one side open for servants to bring and clear away food. In some cases, a piece of leather was merely rolled out on the floor as the table and people would lie down around it. The host reclined at the head of the table, and guests were arranged according to their esteem. The closer one was placed to the host, the more greatness and honor given.

Why am I telling you about tables and seating arrangement?

Notice who Jesus has on each side of Him.

John and Judas. did you catch that?

Jesus knew what Judas was going to do....had an intimate dinner, literally right next to him and STILL....went to the cross for him...as well as for you and for me.

"But God demonstrated his own love for us in this:

While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." -Romans 5:8

"While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, 'Take and eat; this is my body.'"

Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom.'"

~Matthew 26:26-29

Scripture tells that Jesus was crucified on a Friday, Jesus shared the important Last Supper with His Apostles on a Thursday.

So, why Maundy?

Good question...I had to go and look it up again myself-

The name "Maundy" means "a new mandate" in Latin.

This new mandate from Jesus is from John 13:34, "A new command I give you;

Love one another. As I have I have loved you, so you must love one another."

He is not asking us- He is commanding us...Commanding!!

God, thank you for your unconditional love. I can not believe what you went through for each of us, as if there were only one of us.

In His Dust,

DCC

My Popo...

This is Popo, my grandfather, and one of my first friends...and me at my Christening-

We did everything together...

He taught me about gun safety and how to hunt
"Guns don't kill people, people kill people"

He taught me how to fix things myself...regardless of your skills.You must build a fire when it is cold outside. (lots of kindling is crucial)

He taught me how to drive...in this great old truck.....all over Olmos Park

He made everything a fun for me. He even turned his precious deer blind sideways in order to make a play house, just for me.

Taught me the importance of walking dogs...knew the crowd at my second bday party overwhelmed me-so snuck me away for some private time...in the safest lap I knew....we picked up pecans together- to see who would be captain on the pecan picking team..along with other things the dogs had left behind...

Most importantly, he taught me something about God that I carry with me to this day.
He used to take me to the San Antonio Gun Club....the visit was two fold- one was to spend time with me..the second was to spend time with me.
I brought along my invisible friends...John and Bea. We would sit at a table, among all of his hunting buddies...and have pretend birthday parties-
Clay Pigeons for plate--shells for salt and pepper.

He taught me about doing a good deed each day...and NOT telling anyone about it....I used to think it was to keep it from my parents or grandmother....but the older I got, I realized it was to teach me to be more like Jesus.

"When you do a charitable deed,

do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing" Matthew 6:3He Taught me to slow down...and appreciate the simple things....the quiet times.

"Don't Sweat the Small Stuff kid- 'nuf said."

LOVED this man always did...always will...'nuf said.

Thank you God for my grandfather...who taught me the importance of availability...
and lived the example of Christ- rather than just tell me about it. Thank you for your Son. It is because of His Sacrifice on Good Friday and Victory on Easter, that we will see each other again.

In His Dust,
DCC

Palm Sunday = Lamb Selection Day

Some things get lost in the translation- such as Palm Sunday.

This is the day Christians call “Palm Sunday.” However, it is much more. If you are familiar with the culture of Jesus' day, you will know it as Lamb Selection Day.

It was on this day The Lamb of God, born in the flocks of Bethlehem, who was sacrificed for all of our sins, entered the city.

This would have been the same day the Passover lambs were being selected for each family group. (similar to how we go out and search for the perfect Christmas Tree.)

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet thousands of years before:
“Say to the Daughter of Zion,‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey,on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

Hosanna the highest!”

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

The Jews would have seen a very obvious picture here- Jesus is proclaimed Messiah by the people, in doing so, they were selecting him as the Passover lamb to cover all the sins of the people for all time.

He was from the flocks of Bethlehem, as all lambs were required to be in that time.

You see, early Christians understood this day (which we celebrate as Palm Sunday) as the day in which Jesus was selected to be our sacrifice.
So this Perfect Lamb waits again today....do you chose him?

Thank you Jesus , for offering Yourself as the perfect and complete sacrifice for our sins. I choose You.

In His Dust,

DCC

Impossible?

Moses, stop it!

Look for unexpected blessings this weekend...

God, thank you for being the God if impossibilities!

In His Dust,

DCC

Dwight is back....

A few weeks ago... Moses, Coach K and Gen. Robert E Lee mourned the missing Dwight Shrute.

Actually only Moses and Lee look sad....Coach K seems to be just fine...happy actually...

must have been before the game. Regardless....he was gone.

This past Sunday, we found this.

Dwight is back....and why should we be surprised?

It's Resurrection Season, after all.

He is very tight lipped about where he has been...won't even confess to the Pastor.

Thank you God for this season of surprises...please, teach us to be looking for the blessings.

In His Dust,
DCC
Director of Special Operation.

Mission Complete.