GuineaField

Christmas Bubble Popped I remember keenly the feeling that I had as a child after opening Christmas presents.   And it did not matter how many presents were given to me whether one or ten.   The same sinking feeling came back just a few moments after opening and playing or wearing or eating what was given.   “That’s it?”   “Yup, that’s it.”   I see it now so much in my little six-year-old son who is so anticipating opening presents tomorrow.   Yet I know what he will feel tomorrow night.   It’s never enough. It is a great lesson for all of us to learn.   No matter what you eagerly anticipate, once it comes, it will pass.   And once it has passed, you will experience some feelings of sadness.   This sadness teaches us a valuable lesson.   Happiness is not in any anticipated experience.   That experience changes for adults.   But it is the same lesson.   Pains of Christmas Past Present and Future T...

There is a huge difference between liking Christmas time and knowing the purpose for Christmas.  Of course, most people on the street would understand that Christmas is more than a commercial blockbuster for American stores.  Many would go even further and decry the over-busy nature of this time of year, and how it has so drifted into Santa and candy canes with no deeper religious meaning at all.  But, if asked about the positive nature of this time of year, they would limit their ideas to family, kindness, and warmth.  But the real message of Christmas goes much, much deeper than that.  The true meaning of Christmas is revealed in the name Jesus.  Listen to the angel’s command to Joseph to give Jesus this name: "Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.  She will bear a Son; and you shall cal...

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been working a bit in our Dining Room, trying to fill in cracks and re-plaster a fresh smooth surface to our wall.  That is easier said than done.  Especially since my wall smoothing gifts with a trowel and joint compound are far from professional.  Yet with enough trial and error, it works just fine.  But “trial and error” means messy; so a good rag is essential to keeping things neat.  I was so happy when in the middle of one of those trial and errors this week, that I glanced at a family towel and saw written across the whole length – “RAG.”  It was no longer to be used for normal drying but for sopping up dirt and grime.  I chose not to use the curtains that are designed to make the window beautiful and pleasant.  I chose to use the old, dirty, ripped up towel designated “RAG.” God used a similar illustration with Jeremiah.  Our Creator loves using illustrations to get our attention.  “Thu...

God’s presence is a never-ending flow of Edenic delight that can fully satisfy every human’s craving, yet cannot be fully tasted by mere human senses, no more than any human could fully drink a river dry. This week I enjoyed Memorial Day camping and hiking  with my family .  The little hiking trail ascended for about 3/4 th of a mile along a river bed to where it descended from a 60-80-foot cliff forming the beautiful Bash-Bish water falls.  It was a peaceful site to take in.  Perhaps the Lord made gravity just so we could enjoy the magnificence of trillions of little water drops descending in perfect unorganized beauty.  Thank you Lord for your creative genius! With the backdrop of that experience, this morning I meditated on Psalm 36:8.  So much to drink in this verse! They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house; And You give them to drink of the river of Your delights (Psalm 36:8). The delight is in God and His things.   ...

I have been reading a few biographies about the lives of men and women who have served the Lord in difficult areas of the world and difficult times in world history.   These are God’s precious jewels, those who sow, water, and reap in the most difficult acres of church history.   I don’t put NYC or any US urban center in this category.   I love NYC and I love church planting here.   Although the city is getting more antagonistic toward Bible Christianity, little blood has been spilt, little property seized.   They may boycott and berate, but we can still preach the Gospel boldly and freely, and worship our Lord unopposed. That being said, at times I feel like growing in this city is a bit like the plant pictured here.  I loved the tenacity of this little living thing!  It is 30 feet in the air above the blacktop of a busy street below, yet it still grows.  It is far from natural soil, but it keeps growing.  It stands on an elevated tra...

God loves variety.  He created day and night, and nature’s seasons.  I love spring!   That suits me well.  What a delight to feel the warmth of the sun and to relish the light of day a little longer each day.  But God designed summer and winter and fall as well. Another variety built into God’s creation is human emotion.  Seasons look calm and passionless when it comes to human emotions.  We pass through many different emotions.  You may feel fear, sadness, joy, doubt, delight, anxiety, and relief all in one day.  Perhaps some people feel these all in one hour.  As we gain age and experience, we learn to control and even channel these different emotions for good rather than allowing them to control us. One comforting thought is that Jesus not only designed us to emote, but He too felt human emotions.  Christ, the Son of God, took on human flesh and with that He took on the emotions of humanity.  In a very real...