Ah…Iced Tea
Father, as I come to sit with You this early evening, I would ask that You give me clarity of mind that it might not be swayed by distractions but be focused wholly on You. May my spiritual ears be attuned to Your word. Amen.
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I would consider my wife Karen to be an iced tea connoisseur. Many times, a major contributing factor in where we go to eat is if they have good iced tea! There are places we go that may have good food but will be our last option because they only have tea served from a soda fountain or have no tea at all. Yep, we go where they have good iced tea but we (and I know many who will be shocked!) …we only drink unsweet tea, preferring to sweeten it ourselves.
Jesus, how often do I have an unsweet spirit? I may not be feeling well or things just may not be going my way. Someone may have said or done something that did not sit well with me. I may not “taste” awful but I am sure that I am distasteful. And honestly what kind of reflection is that on You?!
You spoke of being “light to the world” (Matthew 5:14) and the “salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13) and I’m sure that being sweet would fit right into this mindset.
Many either drink sweet tea or unsweet tea sweetened with artificial sweetener. There may be some out there that will drink it with no sweetener at all, but I would imagine those individuals would be few and far between.
I truly believe that, as a whole, people are starving to interact with individuals of true authenticity. This world is just too full of fake, thinly veiled shysters. Those kinds of people are trying to take all they can get away with and give absolutely nothing in return except pain, hurt and confusion.
Lord Jesus, as Your ambassadors in the world, may we not be sickeningly sweet (there’s nothing much nastier than mistakenly putting artificial sweetener into sweet tea!) and most importantly may we be authentically sweet with absolutely nothing “artificial” about us. As you greeted Nathanael in John 1:47, may You say of us “…there is nothing false in him!” (Good News Translation) Our world – those standing right beside us – need to experience genuine love. And, boy, do we have the ultimate source! So be it and amen!
June 17th, 2019, Mon, 6:24 am
Celebrating My 4th Blogiversary!
As you read this post of the Morethanuseless Blog it is a really BIG day! On this date 4 years ago, I posted my very first blog! I was surprised when I checked it out that this is actually my 1,000th post! What better way to celebrate my 4th Blogiversary!
Here are a few statistics (I love statistics!). Altogether I have had over 32,198 views representing 16,132 visitors from 125 countries across the globe! (Only 70 more to go!) I’ve included a list below with the number of views per country if you’d like to check it out.
I am regularly amazed at how far reaching it is. I don’t have a huge number of official followers between email and Facebook subscribers but to think that over 16,000 people from all walks of life have interacted in some way just blows me away!
Only the Lord knows how many hearts have been touched. Some may have just done a random search on some word or topic and then clicked on a link to the blog but I am a firm believer that even those are God’s way of reaching out to those who don’t know Him, allowing the seed to be planted for which He is caring. I am just a tool in the Master’s hands.
In 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 the Apostle Paul states
I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos [another well-respected teacher] watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. (NLT)
I feel privileged to be used by God to share His glorious Great News – that is, the Gospel!
For those who are able, please pass the posts along – share them on Facebook, pin favorites to your Pinterest boards, forward email posts to those who might benefit from them! If something you read touches your heart it may touch the heart of another. Follow the Spirit’s leading, if He prompts you to do so.
Also, pray for those who read the blog. Some read it for regular encouragement. Other’s may be drawn in by a picture or a title. Pray that the Lord will find receptive hearts in which the seed can grow.
Thank you all for your continued support. May the Lord bless you in your walk with Him. May you draw closer to His side each day!
June 16th, 2019, Sunday, 10:06 pm
| Albania | 4 |
| Algeria | 5 |
| American Samoa | 38 |
| Argentina | 23 |
| Australia | 135 |
| Austria | 8 |
| Azerbaijan | 1 |
| Bahamas | 1 |
| Bangladesh | 5 |
| Belarus | 1 |
| Belgium | 10 |
| Benin | 2 |
| Bolivia | 1 |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | 4 |
| Botswana | 1 |
| Brazil | 275 |
| Bulgaria | 15 |
| Cambodia | 8 |
| Canada | 308 |
| Cayman Islands | 1 |
| Chile | 11 |
| China | 73 |
| Colombia | 19 |
| Costa Rica | 14 |
| Cote d’Ivoire | 1 |
| Croatia | 5 |
| Cyprus | 2 |
| Czech Republic | 61 |
| Denmark | 8 |
| Dominican Republic | 3 |
| Ecuador | 4 |
| Egypt | 34 |
| El Salvador | 7 |
| Estonia | 4 |
| Ethiopia | 1 |
| European Union | 73 |
| Fiji | 1 |
| Finland | 10 |
| France | 69 |
| Georgia | 1 |
| Germany | 103 |
| Ghana | 9 |
| Greece | 9 |
| Greenland | 1 |
| Guatemala | 3 |
| Honduras | 2 |
| Hong Kong SAR China | 35 |
| Hungary | 23 |
| Iceland | 3 |
| India | 215 |
| Indonesia | 52 |
| Iraq | 3 |
| Ireland | 130 |
| Isle of Man | 1 |
| Israel | 24 |
| Italy | 62 |
| Jamaica | 8 |
| Japan | 34 |
| Jordan | 1 |
| Kazakhstan | 5 |
| Kenya | 9 |
| Kuwait | 4 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 1 |
| Latvia | 3 |
| Lebanon | 5 |
| Lithuania | 7 |
| Luxembourg | 1 |
| Madagascar | 1 |
| Malawi | 1 |
| Malaysia | 24 |
| Malta | 1 |
| Martinique | 1 |
| Mauritius | 3 |
| Mexico | 65 |
| Mongolia | 1 |
| Morocco | 3 |
| Mozambique | 2 |
| Myanmar (Burma) | 2 |
| Namibia | 2 |
| Netherlands | 66 |
| New Zealand | 24 |
| Nigeria | 15 |
| Norway | 19 |
| Oman | 4 |
| Pakistan | 12 |
| Papua New Guinea | 2 |
| Paraguay | 1 |
| Peru | 9 |
| Philippines | 92 |
| Poland | 43 |
| Portugal | 22 |
| Puerto Rico | 7 |
| Qatar | 3 |
| Romania | 21 |
| Russia | 55 |
| Saudi Arabia | 6 |
| Serbia | 4 |
| Sierra Leone | 1 |
| Singapore | 58 |
| Slovakia | 13 |
| Slovenia | 3 |
| Somalia | 1 |
| South Africa | 89 |
| South Korea | 44 |
| Spain | 54 |
| Sri Lanka | 9 |
| St. Kitts & Nevis | 1 |
| Suriname | 2 |
| Sweden | 22 |
| Switzerland | 18 |
| Taiwan | 29 |
| Tajikistan | 1 |
| Thailand | 20 |
| Trinidad & Tobago | 3 |
| Turkey | 21 |
| Uganda | 2 |
| Ukraine | 24 |
| United Arab Emirates | 10 |
| United Kingdom | 190 |
| United States | 28,743 |
| Uzbekistan | 1 |
| Venezuela | 8 |
| Vietnam | 21 |
| Zambia | 3 |
| Zimbabwe | 5 |
Emboldened
Father, I cannot even begin to fathom all that You have forgiven me throughout my lifetime. My mind remembers a lot but You choose to forgive and forget! I rejoice in the prophet Micah’s proclamation!
He shall again have compassion on us; He will subdue and tread underfoot our wickedness [destroying sin’s power]. Yes, you will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:19 (AMP)
Mark 10:46-52 (<<click to read the passage)
Bartimaeus is a noteworthy character for sure! Due to his blindness, he would have been grouped with the lowliest people of his culture. In a society where physical labor was just about everyone’s way of making a living, his only source of income would have come from the generosity of others. But was certainly tenacious, regardless of his standing!
Jesus’ reputation had proceeded Him, and Bartimaeus had heard of His many miracles. When he heard that Jesus was near, “he began to shout, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’” v47
Those words were no sooner out of his mouth when many of those around him yelled, “Be quiet!”
He was not timid. He did not slink back into the shadows. Their command did not deter him for “he only shouted louder, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’” v48
Their words of discouragement did not push him back but gave him cause to thrust himself to the forefront!
It is to our detriment that our culture is so anti-Christ. Some are bold but many hold back. We could lose our job. We could be accused of harassment. Anymore, if someone didn’t like what we were saying they might punch us in the face or even pull a gun on us!
Lord Jesus, help us to be more like Bartimaeus. May the yelling of the crowds not deter us from shouting for more of You. May we be emboldened. In our case, part of the problem is that the crowd needs You, too. Give us a burning passion for them. They are trapped in the shallow, unforgiving, unfulfilling world in which we live. And we know the Savior!
June 13th, 2019, 3:49 pm
My Hands
And I thought I was tired yesterday! Father, thank You for the strength to make it through everything today. Karen and I were very productive today and even though I am just sitting down to write, You have been on my mind. May our time be productive. Amen.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
As I was getting ready to get cleaned up this evening, I looked at my hands. I had washed them before supper but the labors of the past couple of days did not wash readily away. I have handled black mulch at church and my in-laws’ home. I have had them totally covered in tacky, wet sand from an outdoor project at home.
They are not the hands of youth but not the hands of the aged…yet! They are worn. They are stained. When I first looked at them after they got wet, the stains outlined every single wrinkle!
They are feeling the beginnings of arthritis. The skin at the bend of my right thumb is split, making it tender. I have had carpal tunnel surgery on my right hand and at some point, I will have to have a bone removed from the base of my left thumb.
My hands are well used. I am blessed to have them. And I pray that they continue not just to be used for my benefit but for the benefit of God’s Kingdom. I truly want my hands to be used for His glory.
Right now, I sit here after a hot shower and they are much cleaner and they don’t hurt too much at the moment but are joyously typing away! The Lord has inspired me and I am writing with my hands, about my hands!
Before sitting down, I was pondering these many things and a song from my youth came to mind. It was written in 1976 by a man named Ray Hildebrand. I heard him sing at a youth congress – the same event where I heard Michael Pitts (see Bird on the Wing). The song was simply entitled Hands. Here is the chorus:
Hands, lift up your hands, you can give
Hands, lift up your hands, you can help out, you can reach out
To people all over the world, people all over the world
With your hands, yes you can, reach out with love
We are called to use what we have to help out and reach out…and most importantly reach out with love.
Lord Jesus, use every part of me to impact the “people all over the world” for You and Your glory! Amen!
June 12th, 2019, Wed, 9:42 pm
Rose-colored Glasses
Father, I am exhausted! But it was worth all the effort. I had the privilege of working with a young man who will benefit greatly from seeing You fleshed out before him. Help me to be a worthy ambassador for You. We worked hard and accomplished a lot. May we do so again. Please, bless our efforts.
Mark 10:35-45 (<<click to read the passage)
For whatever reason, my brain is regularly wired to spit out idioms. And today’s is “looking at the world through rose-colored glasses”. It is defined on thefreedictionary.com as meaning: with an unduly cheerful, optimistic, or favorable view of things. And if anybody was dealing with this issue if was James and John in today’s passage.
Because they had “turned a deaf ear” to Jesus’ prophetic proclamation they now blindly put on their “rose-colored glasses”. They ask for places of honor when Jesus comes to sit on His throne. And Jesus’ response is,
“You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?”
And, I’m sorry, but do James and John – these Sons of Thunder – have a big DUH! stamped across their foreheads? Their response?
“Oh yes, we are able!”
They have heard nothing! They have absolutely no idea what they are asking! They are blinded by their positioning to get to the top of the heap – they are both aiming to be top dog.
And boy, once the other disciples heard of their request, there was not a happy camper amongst them!
Jesus made it very clear that they all would get their taste of His Kingdom on this side of eternity but most importantly he once again stressed that the mindset of their world (and it continues today!) was upside down in the world of Kingdom reality!
“Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Lord Jesus, it is hard to even imagine what our world would be like if we took that as a challenge! If we put half as much effort into serving our fellowman as we do trying to one-up each other, our world would never be the same. Lord, as I draw closer to You, may that mindset be in me. May my goal be to serve. Amen.
June 11th, 2019, Tues, 6:45 pm