Seeing Clearly

I had my annual eye exam this morning. s I type this, the words are very blury on the computer screen because my pupils were dialted as part of the examination. It will take a good portion of the day for my eyesight to return to "normal" which for me, means the need for a slight correction for distance, and a little correction for reading. Yes, bifocals have been a way of life for me for the past several years. Not that I HAVE to wear my glasses all the time, or even when I am reading, but they help.

As I contemplate the words of the gal who did much of my exam this morning, I can't help but think about the notion that people think if they wear their glasses that their eyesight will actually deteriorate and they will be more dependent upon those glasses. She said that the rality of the matter is that your brain gets used to being able to see better, and recognizes the difference when you don't wear them.

When I spend time daily in God's Word, my life really is more closely aligned to God's plan for my life. Oh, I can "get by" when I don't spend time in the Word every day, but I am only fooling myself into thinking that it is okay. Just like "getting by" without wearing my glasses may be okay, I can "get by" with the reading I do for lesson prep, sermons, etc. But that is not what is best for me.

Just as wearing my glasses helps me see clearly, spending time daily in the Word helps me stay focused on my relationship with Christ. I don't need an annual exam to see how I am doing in this regard, I just need to be held accountable for my personal daily devotion time each day. I have a couple of accountability partners to help me in that regard. Do you?

Birthday Girl

Blowing Out The Candle
Originally uploaded by blountman

We celebrated my Bride's birthday on August 14th. Not only did she have the cake of her choosing, but a steak dinner and a fun evening at home with Ian, Emily and me. It was the kind of quiet family gathering we love, but don't often get with both Ian and Emily working these days. In light of the news of this week about Stacie Coomer, it makes me appreciate that much more the time God grants me with my Bride and my kids. Happy birthday, Peggy. I love you!

Slap Me Upside The Head

For the second time this summer, and unexpected calling Home of a brother or sister in Christ has me seriously contemplating the brevity of life on this planet. Last night, we got the call that Stacie Coomer had passed on. Stacie was in our first youth group at Westwood Christian Church some 20 years ago. She had stayed in touch over the years and the miles (she lived in Xenia, Ohio), and was one of the few who commented on my this blog. When Stacie didn't report for work at the library yesterday, and didn't respond to repeated phone calls from work and from her Mom, the building supervisor in the apartment building where Stacie lived was alerted and asked to go in the apartment to check on Stacie. She was found on the couch in her pajamas with no visible sign of foul play.

Barb and Tom Coomer are understandably devastated. I spoke with them both briefly last night. I know that Kristen (her older sister) is beside herself. I join them in their grief. I also know that God is in control, and that while we may never know while we are on this earth the purpose behind His calling Stacie Home now, someday it will all be made clear.

Earlier this summer, a brother in Christ and fellow minister of the Gospel, Mark Angel, died when caught up in a rip current in the Gulf of Mexico while on a Mission Trip. Heaven is rapidly filling with saints I have known personally on this planet. Sigh.