Morningside Devotionals

Jack Canfield, noted author of "Chicken Soup for the Soul, and a book that is going over me now, "The Success Principles," is a man that I believe, has what the Nez Perce indians described as a "Big Soul."  Near as I can find from studying the Nez Perce culture, they had a word for human, and it meant a person who acted as they ought, lived as they ought, and respected others as they ought.  The Nez Perce I've heard, had not word, as we do, for someone who wasn't "human," it wasn't conceivable to them that someone would be so, instead they had only two descriptions for a person, they were, "human," or, they weren't described at all.  Think about that- what sort of difference might it make in our lives today if we simply didn't even acknowledge when someone was being a total jerk?  How much effort, time, energy and soulful hurt is engendered inside the Body of Christ, by  people who are expressing that someon...

View Site For This Poster CLICK HERE When you really care for somebody, think of them frequently, respect their opinion about things, honestly thrive on the time that you are able to be with them; they matter to you.  So it is when they are not in touch with you, or, you lose contact with them, that you notice the absence of them in your life. Fast forward that to how we react and act toward the church and church life, and even Christianity in the world today? For a moment put aside the grief you may think you can justify against this noble organization, rather, think of it based on the above, from the churches point of view?  What is horribly amusing is the rise of the behavior which used to be held at bay by the church, and how even those who profess to be against the church, find that they are in alignment with what the church would say.  A friend of mine, Chris Voss, just released a blog about sexting, an aberrant form of text video cellular that l...

The question gets asked often, as much as any other, that's for sure, and it's not unusual because we seem to believe that what a person does for a living is a large part of who they are?  Now you know me well enough to see ahead and know that I don't go that way in my thinking, even though I know on the surface such is true, when you dig beneath that surface appearance a bit, there is where you see what is real. Just this past Sunday a man stopped me in the hall and asked me, "hey I sit in class you with and you seem to be a pretty smart person, but what is it that you do, because it seems like folks really listen to you?" Well, he asked, so I told him. Hmm, wonder what he thought of that? For example, my friend Chris Voss who does " The Chris Voss ," show, seems on the surface to be a free-wheelin', fun lovin', let it roll, sort of guy.  But that's Chris's public persona, and here is what a little study of Chris re...

Mouthful isn't it, and it's the sum of what we are, we aren't what we were, but we aren't what we will be, either, we are in the present, and that's the only place we can be. That's a tough fact of life, and yet as we exist at that moment,  the moments that built up to it, have to be considered, else we'd never grasp any newness to life.  However we cannot live "back there," it doesn't exist, and we can't live for a future that isn't existing either.  Plan for it, anticipate it, if you must, certainly it's interesting to try, but ultimately, what we have is right here, right now, from both of those other perspectives.  It's not just the past, but also what you believe you want to have as a future that contribute to the person we see standing there, right now. That would be an exercise in semantics if it weren't for the fact that we who live out our faith know that we place a very significant amount of...

Click to Web Site of Image "What we have here is failure to communicate, now, that's not the way I wanted it, that's the way he wants it."   Those famous words are part of one of my favorite movies, "Cool Hand Luke," it has a lot to say to somebody who is wondering about life, hope and rules. "Cool Hand Luke," was a values based movie about values when such wasn't cool, it had a heavy moral within it, as does our Proverb for today, 22:6 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7gzI9gj3eU We're putting together a deeper section on this, because it is so often mis-interpreted. How you raise your child, may, or, in this day and age, as at no other time in history, affect how they live. We live in a time when the power, raw power of the media, and social media, FaceBook, for example, are not only as influential as a parent, but many times are viewed as more influential. We can continue to deny that in main stream evangelical relig...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burn_Notice "Burn Notice" a highly touted and much well received television series starring Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Amwar, Bruce Campbell, and Sharon Gless.  While it sounds like sensationalism and a reach is it possible this show can teach Christian's something?  Does the public image of a spy have anything to say to modern Christian's?  If you take it to the ultimate, this show which has nothing to do with the practice of religion, actually does speak about something that does have to do with religion, and it says it brilliantly.  If you cook you know too much heat under something for too long a time can be a disaster. While that is obvious because we call it "burnt," isn't it amazing in modern Christian circles how we manage to miss it? Did God intend that you should burn; would seem not, he covered Moses so he wouldn't burn, and yet, God does control the cooking as we see him using coa...

Does this sound like something you may have said to a young person, "don't stand in the street, you'll get..." and you finish that sentence with, "hit." We learn from early days what it means to anticipate or plan against danger, but do we learn to take refuge? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g9MYBtfUDc The idea in this Proverb is tied strongly into the relating of a person to God, the idea is tied into that because the Hebrew so strongly overtones their existence with that in their culture. We today are not so strongly tied into that idea. When this Proverb says to take refuge it is with the cultural understanding that your strength and refuge is found in God. We today in our culture don't see that we see instead our own way of design and that is where our flaw is. If you'd like to get some more impressions of this then click on the tab on this blog that says, "Taking It Deeper." In fact we today believe in plann...

"Well my time is already tied up, so I just don't know where he thinks I can find the time to do that?"  Ever hear somebody saying something like this when asked if they could do something concerning church or volunteer work?  Now in this blog we're going to go into why church work and volunteer work, ought to be the same thing, and my hope is that some Christian's will read this and just get furious and write me all sorts of really mean and nasty stuff- do it, defend your way of life; anybody should, we all should, but when we're wrong, we ought to be big enough to admit it, and correct it (!) (NOTE I DIDN'T SAY MOVE ON- MOVE ON  ISN'T GODLY...we'll "scuss" about that in "taking it deeper")  Christian's need to correct it.  Do you correct it? When  you get mad at somebody, without cause, and they get mad at you, without cause, do you correct it, or let it sit?  Heat on ice...melts the ice and turns it in...

Moved, we say it about the people who "used to live next door," they moved; we say it about a time when we felt strongly about something, we were "moved." Interesting how they mean a transport to somewhere else, you either go there in your mind, or, you go there physically, but you transport, you are moved, we are moved, we become, moved- it's an active word. The Proverbs are designed to move you, you aren't supposed to just read the words and say, "wow that was nice," that's not the deal. The Proverbs are really meant to be read under the starry sky, with your heart open to the heavens so far above what any human might even consider; so enormous, and so full of promise, or, something else, but if you can look up at the starry sky and not be moved, then you can read Proverbs and not have a clue, the sayings must move you. Like the first time I heard this... (a video of Leonard Cohen "Hallelujah" should app...

NIV - Pro 21:23 - He who guards his mouth and his                              tongue keeps himself from calamity. The facts, how do you get to know the facts? You may see them, on the evening news, you may hear them, from the radio or T.V., if you are just listening, but more often than you realize, you get your news, or at least your sense of the news, from someone else. You hear them tell you what they thought they heard.  It is a perpetual and much faster paced rumor mill than at any other time in history.  Now that's not a terrible problem if we are talking about things that people say that are just moderately important, but when the depth of the item takes an another dimension, the rumor spread can cause absolute devastation, and people can lose not only money, but something much more important than money- they can...

If you've ever walked down an alley late at night, and realized about halfway down that alley, that you were in a rough part of the town, and, alone, and it was late- you realize just how quickly safety can become much more of an issue than we'd like to believe.  If you've ever been driving along in your car and suddenly it gets bumpy and the steering gets funky-and you have to pull over- and you realize, it's a bad place to be - you realize quickly how safety can become much more of an issue than we believe. If you've ever been in an open forum discussing points of view and your point of view is not the one everybody else is sharing- wow wee, do you ever realize, quickly, how safety is an issue.  In your virtual life, on Facebook, or Twitter, or MySpace (practically dead as a social media tool now, from what I hear?) or on your cell phone with APPS (which is becoming much more popular amongst young folks or so I hear?) or YouTube- can your s...

FRESH FIRE As my body fell into the hole, rebar was every scavenging.wordpress.com 18 inches in a square pattern, so there is no way my body gets in between all of that rebar without an injury, not free falling as I did, and not without serious injury.  But it happened; and to this day, nobody can explain it.  Everybody who looked ashen face into that hole in the street said the same thing "if one of those would have gone ..oh my goodness," and they'd think of some precious spot, usually the head, which in my particular case, couldn't happen, too hard. So at eight years old, my life ended, if something didn't miraculously intervene?  But God did.  How do I know it was God, by faith, just ask my life, it will tell you that.  How about your life, does it say, "HEY Miracle HERE?"  Or have you fallen into another kind of hole? WELL GOOD... How do you know when you love someone, they have the power to hurt you, and frequently ...

GET REAL--- Just finished reading one of the most profound and profoundly disturbing writings ever- Ann Rice, the world renowned and internationally recognized author - has disclaimed the church- but has claimed Christ!   Look what author Rice says, with respect, is she has fought the hypocrisy of the church about issues which are close to her heart, and she's just tired of the plastic way that they are handling it- so- she says that she is going to follow Jesus- not the hypocrits? WOW- people can we please take this as a valid wake up call? Oh Boy- here we go... This isn't one of those blistering attack articles on the church- Ann Rice, has said - really, all that needs to be said there - and we all feel the issues.  I don't know a single Christian who doesn't honestly evaluate where they stand.  Yes I do know some folks who frankly are better at acting the act than being in the show- if you know what that means- you ain' one- because when you a...

Scientific American Heart Power... It wasn't long - if you think about it, between then time it occurred to you that this whole oil spill mess was a bigger deal than anyone thought; and, it began to seep into your life, through the media, through your friends conversations, and through the heightened fear of what would take place.  It wasn't long, was it?  We're pretty sensitive to each others hearts, and that makes your heart and our heart, powerful. If your browswer doesn't allow this video click here to see it We Are Family... Power of the Heart and You is about who you are, not alone, just you, but who you are when you  combine the family that you belong to, which is you and other Christian's, with the larger, much larger family you have that exists in a place that  is beyond comprehension in it's beauty- the ancients called it shamayim- the place which was the abode of God.  It takes a strong heart and much power to get up there, it ...

Image from Holy waters blog Imagine feeling so in touch with God that you knew what God was doing?  So that the distance between you and God were so small that you knew what God was up to?  You'd be smiling, and walking around saying "well that makes sense, because I know what God is up to,"  you'd have a sense of being in a family that was moving toward an accomplishment and you'd have fewer doubts about how the direction was going, because you'd know, "yup, that's God, He told me this is what He was going to do." After about a week or two- you'd become familiar with God- you'd know precisely what He was going to do- and God, would become, family.  Think about that- because according to what the New Testament says that is precisely how close you and God are supposed to be.  What that means is, if one of you has moved, it might not be God? The distance one travels from home is what often determines the closeness or ...

You know I love my atheists - first off, they're in a really bad spot- you see, if they are right- I'm an idiot who has eaten good food, had some really cool friends, experienced respect on massive levels, felt emotions that are so deep and so profound that children cry with me- AND- loved and been loved beyond belief- none of which because I'm in any way cool at all- but because my Savior- our Savior- and they're Savior if they'd smart up, Jesus, died on the cross. So if they're right- well, tough life I've had- but if I'm right- it will not be a happy Sulphuric smell which fills their nostrils after they hear the trumpet and they will hear it- oh then, well now, won't be a happy time for their prideful mouths which laugh at us and curse at us now- will it?  So I say "bless them- they sure are smart, and wow- are we ever stupid who believe in the name of Jesus!"  Now here is where they usually jump off and start ranti...

Don't you judge the worth of what you get by how it is? The end result?  Forget the buying, although those who do the "live the moment," thing would have you be all giddy while you are shopping, let's be the other way, normal, and realize we like the end product to be real and good and worthwhile.  All over this nation of America folks are waking up to the challenge of being real, and getting involved or losing what we've worked so hard to achieve.  So that we have good - what might be best, and what is better? Last night the Mocha frappe machine at McDonald's ran out just as it was my turn, so they gave me a full frappe for the price of a medium, and apologized because the machine ran out and it was time to clean it!  Liked that end result.  What might happen if the hypocrit machine, call that normal church culture in America, on love in God through Christ toward us and us toward loving others, ran out(!) and we gave them a full instead of ...

She said, through her teary eyed spasmed breathing, that she hadn't intended that they have that fight; they always fought about money, and she hadn't wanted to say anything to him about it, but last night when the electrical bill came in and it was so high; she just "lost it," and so this morning, she cried, the last thing I said to him was; "why can't you get a decent job you're a bum." As he drove off to his job as a janitor. Often in life we honestly think we have lots of time to say and do nice and good things, an associate dropped bye the other day and said that they knew someone wasn't feeling well, and rather than drive off, we stopped right then and took a moment to pray for them.  Another close associate said that it seemed like things were turning around in my life, and without even thinking or having to think, it was easy to explain to him that praying friends were the reason. One of my close associates is underg...

Oh gosh, don't you just hate the sweaty hot summertime? Heat so intense that you bust out a sweat going from the car to the house? Maybe it was such a hot time "in the old town tonight,"                 when a young lad, shocked at the accusations, against his favorite baseball hero asked with a cry in his voice- "say it ain' so Joe?" It's not dry heat here in the South of the U.S., so to my readers in the Greek Isles, China and Russia, folks you are better off there, than we are, here, in terms of heat. One time on a mission in New Orleans I was fussin' about the heat going into the worship service and Chris who was handling the reception desk said, "Ah Bray (Cajun accent a bit) ain nothin compared to Hell..." He was smilin' when he said it...thank God - or else I might've wondered... So you can tell I'm no fan of heat time- but it's here, and what I mean is, this blog may draw ...

Ever see a dog just relaxing in the shade, just, laying out relaxed and at ease, not bothered by anything, and find yourself saying to yourself, "its a dogs life?" We can relax far beyond any dog in the shade, we are held in the shade of the mightiest wings ever- and we are held in hands that never grow weak. Even a relaxed dog can awaken riled up, though, when someone or something that doesn't belong in the yard, enters. You've probably seen that, or been greeted by such a pup?  It's not fun is it?  We have a call to be ready alert at all times because we are aligned with the Master of all Masters, the one who makes all the towers over which we are Watchmen and guards. Guard your heart carefully that your inner peace doesn't get invaded by a presence which doesn't belong there.  That way you will feel a sense of peace without interruption. It might be a dogs life, and they might have it made, mine certainly does, and I wouldn...