NCC - Youth

Rod’s Ramblins

It's Not Just A Job--It's An Adventure!

There’s an old story about two warring tribes in the Andes, one that lived in the lowlands and the other high in the mountains. The mountain people invaded the lowlanders one day, and as part of their plundering of the people, they kidnapped a baby of one of the lowlander families and took the infant with them back up into the mountains.

The lowlanders didn't know how to climb the mountain. They didn't know any of the trails that the mountain people used, and they didn't know where to find the mountain people or how to track them in the steep terrain. Even so, they sent out their best party of fighting men to climb the mountain and bring the baby home.

The men tried first one method of climbing and then another. They tried one trail and then another. After several days of effort, however, they had climbed only a couple of hundred feet. Feeling hopeless and helpless, the lowlander men decided that the cause was lost, and they prepared to return to their village below.

As they were packing their gear for the descent, they saw the baby's mother walking toward them. They realized that she was coming down the mountain that they hadn't figured out how to climb. And then they saw that she had the baby strapped to her back. How could that be? One man greeted her and said, "We couldn't climb this mountain. How did you do this when we, the strongest and most able men in the village, couldn't do it?" She shrugged her shoulders and said, "It wasn't your baby."

This month we honor our mothers, and rightly so. One thing we all have in common, is that we each have a mother. And all through this life, she will always be your mother, and you will always be her “baby”. You will always be so precious to her that she would give up anything or climb any mountain for you. Proverbs 23:25 gives us this bit of wisdom:

“May your father and mother be glad; may she who gave you birth rejoice!”

Let’s remember, whether we’re relying on Mom to take care of us, or Mom is relying on us to take care of her, to honor her through our lives, our examples, and our families.

Because I care,

Rod

(APRIL)

KEEP THE CHANGE???

We hear a lot about “CHANGE” these days. And if you’ve lived very long, you’ve already seen a lot of “CHANGE”. Sadly, we cannot say that it all has been good. I admit, there is need for “CHANGE”, but if it’s not scriptural or the will of God, I’m afraid it’s not going to be good “CHANGE”. It seems like every day there is more corruption, immorality, and godlessness filling our nation. And the worst part is that it is disguised as “CHANGE”. At first we abhor it, then we allow it, then we embrace it! I can’t take credit for this article, but I wish I could. I think it pretty well hits the nail on the head!

IF I WERE THE DEVIL By Paul Harvey
I would gain control of the most powerful nation in the world
I would delude their minds into thinking that they had come from man's effort, instead of God's blessings
I would promote an attitude of loving things and using people, instead of the other way around
I would dupe entire states into relying on gambling for their state revenue
I would convince people that character is not an issue when it comes to leadership
I would make it legal to take the life of unborn babies
I would make it socially acceptable to take one's own life, and invent machines to make it convenient
I would cheapen human life as much as possible so that life of animals are valued more than human beings
I would take God out of the schools, where even the mention of His name was grounds for a lawsuit
I would come up with drugs that sedate the mind and target the young, and I would get sports heroes to advertise them
I would get control of the media, so that every night I could pollute the minds of every family member for my agenda
I would attack the family, the backbone of any nation. If the family crumbles, so does the nation
I would make divorce acceptable and easy, even fashionable
I would compel people to express their most depraved fantasies on canvas and movies screens, and I would call it art
I would convince the world that people are born homosexuals, and that their lifestyles should be accepted and marveled
I would persuade people that the church is irrelevant and out of date, and that the Bible is for the naive
I would convince the people that right and wrong are determined by a few who call themselves authorities and refer to
their agendas as politically correct
I would dull the minds of Christians, and make them believe that prayer is not important, and that faithfulness and
obedience are optional
I GUESS I WOULD LEAVE THINGS PRETTY MUCH THE WAY THEY ARE!

Sad but true, isn’t it? Many of us have seen these things happen right before our eyes. It’s a downward spiral that we continue to allow. Christian people seem to be the only ones with no right to speak out any more, even if our speech is based on God’s Word. This week, you have a chance to stand up for what we know is right according to that Word. I hope to see you in the Rotunda at the State Capitol in support of State Representative Sally Kern and free speech this Wednesday, April 2, at noon. I think Satan’s had his way long enough, and it’s time to make a real “CHANGE”.

Because I care,
Rod

(MARCH)

FORWARD WITH FUSION!

While realizing the threat of losing your interest, I’m going to start this annual report talking about thermonuclear energy, but please bear with me. There are just two ways to create it—FUSION and FISSION. Do you remember the difference from science or physics class? FUSION is described as a merging, or the state of being combined into one body, while FISSION is divisive or the act of splitting into parts. Both processes have a simultaneous release of energy, but are achieved by different means. Both can be productive and both can also be destructive. So what am I getting at?

I continue to be encouraged by so many evidences of “energy” here at NCC. And I see the cause of that energy to be FUSION. One of my favorite passages is in Ephesians, where Paul assures us that we have all been given different gifts “to prepare God’s people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (4:12-13)

I may be biased, but I think you would look far and wide to find a body of believers who better demonstrate this passage. God has wonderfully blessed us with a diversity of talented, faithful, dedicated servants. I praise God for every one of you, and my prayer is that we continue to work together in FUSION and release energy in the form of contagious Christianity!

I really couldn’t tell you if we have grown that much in numbers over the last few years. I’ve come to the conclusion that really isn’t what we should be striving for. Certainly, we are called to evangelize, but it seems to me that the Word also focuses strongly on our individual growth. We need to build solid relationships, strong families, and steadfast leaders. We need elders and deacons to stand up and lead in spiritual matters. We need members to lead others to Christ through invitation and example. We need parents to lead their children in the right direction. That’s when the FUSION takes place and the energy is generated!

But please beware! I see our adversary wanting to cause destructive energy released through FISSION, and he will be doing his best to implement that divisiveness. The best way to combat that is to keep studying, praying, and growing, and to restrain those urges of selfishness and stubbornness that bring on disharmony and discord.

I’ve seen many evidences of “WET FEET” throughout the year, and while I want to encourage you to continue in your service and involvement, our new focus for 2008 will be to

“FEED YOUR HUNGER”

If you’re only being fed with spiritual nutrition from God’s Word one hour a week, it’s time to gorge yourself and generate a little energy!

“Carefully study to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

Because I care,

Rod

(FEBRUARY)
Nearsighted, Farsighted, or just Blind?

Did you see the cartoon depicting the two Eskimo fishermen? They had both cut their holes in the ice, and were holding their poles patiently. There is no caption, and you might say, “So, what’s so funny?” The humor comes in the two holes in the ice. While the one expectant fisherman had cut a small circular hole, the other had cut a huge opening in the shape of a whale extending to the horizon!

Proverbs 29:18 says: “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”

I am guilty, and possibly you are too, of being a little nearsighted like the first fisherman. I don’t have great expectations because I really don’t believe anything too monumental is going to happen.

A Gallup pole says that in 10 years, 40% of our churches will no longer exist. Why? There may be many factors, but I believe the main reason to be lack of vision. We can’t see beyond our limited, blinded resources. Therefore, we are content to merely “exist” as we watch things deteriorate around us.

Four bricklayers were being interviewed as they went about their work on a large project. Each was asked the same simple question: “What are you doing?” Here are the four different answers:

I’m just putting in my time.
I’m laying this brick.
I’m building this wall.
I’m helping construct this mansion!

Where there is no vision, the people perish. Are you content to just put in your time? Or are you helping construct the mansion? We see all the signs that we are living in the last days. There are many who are not prepared for eternity. We all need to have our poles in the water, being “fishers of men”. But first, answer this question…
“How big is your hole in the ice?”

Because I care,

Rod

(JANUARY)

TIME WILL TELL...

I’m sure you’ve noticed that each year almost all the major news magazines put out an issue with special pictorial sections recalling people and events that made news during the previous year. And, of course, this year the events of the war in Iraq, global warming, and the presidential race dominated the news reviews of 2007, and are sure to make the lists. Many of the magazines also include articles by experts predicting what they expect to see happening in the years ahead. Some even go so far as to make predictions covering 10, 20, or more years in the future. In the past, a few of these predictions have proven amazingly accurate, while others couldn’t have been more wrong.

For example, back in 1967, experts predicted that by the turn of the century technology would have taken over so much of the work we do that the average American work week would be only 22 hours long, and that we would work only 27 weeks a year. As a result, one of our biggest problems would be in deciding what to do with all our leisure time. Well, I don’t know about you, but that prediction certainly missed the mark as far as my life was concerned!

So here we are, at the start of 2008. I wonder how we’ll do this year. Will we be as busy? Will we make any better use of our time? At this time next year, will we be looking back with joy, or with regret? Will we be looking at the future with anticipation, or with dread?

There is a passage of Scripture that I believe can be of help to us as we look forward to the rest of 2008--if we’ll listen to it. The passage is Ephesians 5:15-17, and here is what it says,
"Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is."
First of all, we must be very careful how we live because our time on this earth is limited. The Psalmist wrote, "Show me, O Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life" (Psalm 39:4). And then again, "The length of our days is 70 years or 80, if we have the strength...they quickly pass, and we fly away" (Psalm 90:10).

Now, I realize that for some of you younger folk, 70 or 80 years sounds like a long, long time. In fact, I can remember when I thought anyone over 50 was ancient. But no longer! It is all rather relative, isn’t it?

For example, for teenagers in love talking together in the car, an hour or two seems like a blink of an eye. But for mom and dad worrying about what’s going on out in that car, an hour or two seems like eternity! The Psalmist also tells us to number our days so that we will develop a heart of wisdom. A few years ago, People Magazine published an article entitled "Dead Ahead" telling about a new clock that keeps track of how much time you have left to live. It calculates an average life span of 75 years for men and 80 years for women. So you program your sex and age into the clock, and from then on it will tell you how much time you have left. It sold for $99.95. I didn’t buy one. But it is an intriguing idea. In fact, that’s what the Psalmist told us to do--to number our days. So if I live to be 75 years old, I have about 8,879 days left to live. That’s all, just 8,879 days left to live. But wait a minute. I don’t have a guarantee of even one day more to live. In fact the Bible tells us not to count on tomorrow because tomorrow may not come for you or for me. All we have is right now, making our time on this earth so valuable because it is very limited.

You may have heard the story about a girl who went to college and she just hated it. But she told herself, "If I can ever get out of college, get married and have children, I know I’ll finally be able to enjoy life." So she stuck with it. She went to classes every day and finally graduated from college. Then she got married, had children, and discovered that children are a lot of work. So she told herself, "If I can just get these kids raised, then I’ll be able to relax and really enjoy life."

But about the time the kids were entering high school, her husband said, "Guess what? We don’t have enough money to send our kids to college. I guess you’ll have to get a job." Well, she didn’t want to, but she knew he was right, so she went to work. And she hated it. But she told herself, "If I can just get these kids out of college and get all of the bills paid, then I can quit work and really enjoy life."

Finally, the last child graduated from college and all the bills were paid, so she walked into her employer’s office and said, "I quit." He said, "Oh, you don’t want to quit now. If you stay with us just another 8 years you’ll have a pension for the rest of your life." She thought, "Well, I don’t want to work another 8 years, but there’s all that money there, and I really can’t turn down the opportunity." So she worked for another 8 years. Finally, she and her husband retired at the same time. They sold their home and bought a little retirement cottage. Then they sat down on the swing on their front porch and looked at the family picture album and dreamed about the good old days.

Someone said, "Life is what happens to you while you’re making plans to do something else." True, isn’t it? Another year has come and gone. A New Year stretches before us. Help us Lord, to seek your will and to redeem the time.

HAVE A GREAT NEW YEAR!

Rod

(DECEMBER)

Who Started This, Anyway?

Bah, humbug! I have to admit that I’m somewhat of a “Scrooge” at this time of year. Oh, I enjoy Christmas when it finally gets here, but all that light-hanging, bell-ringing, gift-wrapping, and credit buying can pretty well quench my spirit at times.

Compounding my attitude is the idea that Christ should be taken out of Christmas by many of our retailers and our schools. The very One whose birth we celebrate is slowly but surely being phased out of the holiday brought about by His coming to earth!

Like all of you, I enjoy giving and receiving gifts, time with family, and bringing joy to celebrate the birth of Christ. But I pray that as we all go through the motions of this most wonderful time of the year, that we don’t forget the most important item on our list. It reminds me of this story…

A woman was out Christmas shopping with her two children. After many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable; and after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the elevator with her two kids.

She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season time of the year. Overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food and treats, getting that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, making sure we don't forget anyone on our card list, and the pressure of making sure we respond to everyone who sent us a card.

Finally the elevator doors opened and there was already a crowd in the car. She pushed her way into the car and dragged her two kids in with her and all the bags of stuff. When the doors closed she couldn’t take it anymore and stated, "Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up and shot." From the back of the elevator, everyone heard a quiet calm voice respond, "Don't worry, we already crucified Him." For the rest of the trip down the elevator it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

Don't forget this year to keep the One who started this whole Christmas thing in your every thought, deed, purchase, and word. If we all did it, just think of how different this whole world would be!

Because I care,
Rod

(NOVEMBER)

God’s World.Wide.Web

It seems that at this time of year, we make a strong emphasis on being thankful. Now, that’s good, but it’s somewhat sad that we tend to stuff ourselves and spend the remainder of the day feeling miserable all in the name of being thankful. Having a holiday set aside to give thanks is great, and it prompts us to remember the bountiful blessings that God has provided, but there is another annual event that has been more prominent in making me feel particularly blessed.

For the last 14 years or so, God has put on my heart the need to help those who haven’t had it quite as “cushy” as I have for most of my life. Traveling south of the border for a week of visiting, encouraging, and doing benevolent work has made me realize how truly fortunate I am to have adequate provisions and to have been raised in a Christian home. If you haven’t been able to be involved in such a mission trip, I hope that you will give much thought and prayer about “GETTING YOUR FEET WET” with some personal mission work.

You possibly have concerns, and I admit that I have had reservations from year to year about going, and often almost talked myself out of it. I ask myself: Can I afford it this year? Isn’t it too dangerous at this time? Will my going really make any difference? What if I have an accident or need medical attention? Why should I take my time for this when no one ever helps me? I guess those are all legitimate concerns, but do I ask myself those same questions when I’m planning a vacation or wanting to attend some event?

All I can tell you is that God has always taken care of me, and He always provides a way. Sometimes we don’t see the way God works, but if you make your concerns a matter of prayer, and continue to trust in Him, you’ll be amazed as His plan unfolds. While standing at the edge of the Red Sea, Moses told the people in Exodus 14:13 "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.” Too many times we don’t see God’s plan because it’s not the way we envisioned it!

During World War II, a US marine was separated from his unit on a Pacific island. The fighting had been intense, and in the smoke and the crossfire he had lost touch with his comrades. Alone in the jungle, he could hear enemy soldiers coming in his direction. Scrambling for cover, he found his way up a high ridge to several small caves in the rock. Quickly he crawled inside one of the caves. Although safe for the moment, he realized that once the enemy soldiers looking for him swept up the ridge, they would quickly search all the caves and he would be killed.

As he waited, he prayed, “Oh Lord, if it be your will, please protect me. Whatever your will though, I love you and trust you. Amen.” After praying, he lay quietly listening to the enemy begin to draw close. He thought, “Oh well, I guess the Lord isn't going to help me out of this one.” Then he noticed a spider crawling along the ground, but suppressed the urge to smash it with his boot. The spider crawled toward the entrance and began to build a web over the front of his cave. As he watched, listening to the enemy searching for him all the while, the spider layered strand after strand of web across the opening of the cave. Hah, he thought. What I need is a brick wall and what the Lord has sent me is a spider web. God does have a sense of humor!

As the enemy drew closer he watched from the darkness of his hideout and could see them searching one cave after another. As they came to his, he got ready to make his last stand. To his amazement, however, after glancing in the direction of his cave, they moved on. Suddenly, he realized that with the spider web over the entrance, his cave looked as if no one had entered for quite a while. “Oh Lord, forgive me,” prayed the young man. “I had forgotten that in You a spider's web is stronger than a brick wall!”

As you remember with gratitude during the coming season of Thanksgiving, don’t fail to see and acknowledge the little things in your life that come from Him. And don’t be too quick to smash what God may be doing, and don’t lose faith and give up. And remember that if God can use a scary, hairy creature to accomplish His purpose, He might even be able to use YOU!
Please keep OPERATION:CARE in prayer, and prepare to join the affair. I dare!

Because I care,
Rod

(OCTOBER)

Brightly Burning or Dimly Darkening?

A member of a certain church, who previously hadbeen attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the pastor decided to visit him. Itwas a chilly evening. The pastor found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire.

Guessing the reason for his pastor's visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a big chair near the fireplace and waited. The pastor made himself comfortable but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the play of the flames around the burning logs. After some minutes, the pastor took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet fascination. As the one lone ember's flame diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and "dead as a doornail." Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting.

Just before the pastor was ready to leave, he picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it. As the pastor reached the door to leave, his host said, "Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday!"

The writer of Hebrews says in chapter 10, verses 24-25, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

I’m afraid that I can see some dying embers among those of you who are reading this. You’ve removed yourself from the warmth and glow of the fellowship, and you are continuing to darken and die out. You may feel that you can maintain a fire in your spiritual life without the encouragement of others. And maybe you can—for a short while. But, the result of being apart from the fire will ultimately be a darkening and then extinction.

God has given the church to us to keep us fiery and impassioned as we work together for the kingdom. The church wasn’t man’s idea, but God’s provision to keep us warm and glowing. It’s not just a place to come occasionally when it’s convenient, and hope that everything has been taken care of while you were away. God wants you to be ablaze!—not just a smoldering, dying ember. Paul tells Timothy in his second letter “I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you…”

Here’s my challenge—how about making a REAL commitment to the Lord—like the ones you make to the other activities you involve yourself and your family in. You know, the events that you would not miss for the world! How about putting worship to your creator, service to His church, and fellowship with His people on that priority list. If your fire’s been fading, it will raise your temperature to ignition again!

Because I care,

Rod

(SEPTEMBER)

SOUL SURVIVAL

I just realized, I’m a survivor! I beat the odds, stared death in the face, and it’s almost a miracle that I’m still alive! No, I didn’t bungi jump or skydive this past week. I didn’t brave a commercial flight, drive in rush hour traffic, or get called to substitute teach. I’ve just been thinking back on all the strange things I did and all the chances I took while growing up, and it’s a wonder that my friends and I are here to talk about it.

We use to play outside a lot, talk about dangerous! We would sometimes leave home in the morning, pack a sack lunch, and play all day, as long as we were back before dark. No one could reach us because we didn’t have a cell phone or pager. We drank our water straight from the tap, sometimes even from the garden hose, and we were even known to share a soft drink from one bottle among several friends. I can’t believe we made it!
At school, we played the deadly game “dodge ball’, and sometimes the ball would kinda hurt. We got over it. We climbed trees, built tree houses all by ourselves, and walked all over town with our BB guns shooting sparrows. It doesn’t seem that we put them on the endangered species list, but how did we survive prosecution and injury?

I remember riding in the back of Dad’s pickup truck on warm days. He even let me ride my bike without a helmet. I didn’t realize he was so abusive. And he broke a wooden ruler on my posterior once. I should have called DHS. I can’t believe I’m still alive! (but believe me, I still remember that, and I didn’t repeat the behavior that brought it on.)
There were no childproof caps on our medicine, and no warnings on coffee cups that the coffee was hot. I suppose someone was irresponsible there. I should look into the statute of limitations on lawsuits. And how did I ever survive without public education until I was six years old. Yes, I am a living miracle.

Please forgive my reminiscing and negative outlook today. I realize that you probably read this column for some spiritual guidance, positive reinforcing, or some uplifting thoughts. My intent today, though, is to challenge you to make some changes to better this world before it is totally void of common sense and moral compass. We call dirty pictures “art”, dirty jokes “comedy”, and unborn babies “a choice”. All the while, full-time moms are called “unfulfilled” and anyone having Christian values is called a “fanatical freak”. We accept two daddies or mommies as normal, and God’s sacred institution of marriage as an old-fashioned joke. I just see the scene described in the first chapter of Romans becoming reality more each day. Paul describes a generation who neither glorified nor gave thanks to God. Their thinking became futile, they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and although they claimed to be wise, they became fools.

The time is now to take measures to save the next generation. I am not against safeguards for our children and reasonable protection, but we have exceeded sensible and practical behavior. We go overboard in some areas of supervision, and are totally void in others. We make up for our problems by appropriating funds to treat the consequences, instead of trying to halt the perversion. It is time to seek God’s Word for answers instead of the noisy pagan minority. And it’s time for parents to set some guidelines for moral and social behavior. I am embarrassed and appalled at what is allowed as appropriate dress and conduct in public today, and I’m not just talking about California or New York, but right here. The reflection of a deteriorating society is blatantly evident, and equally apparent is that humanistic methods are simply not effective. If people are falling off a cliff at the rate of 100 an hour, it’s not enough to provide a sufficient number of ambulances at the bottom. It’s time to build a fence at the top!

I’m thankful that I had a dad and a mom, and that one or both were home, and that they were watching my behavior more than I knew. I’m thankful for the discipline and the examples my parents set for me. I’m thankful they stressed the importance of worshiping God and meeting together regularly with believers for encouragement. I’m thankful they sent me to church camp instead of sports camp. I’m even thankful for the times they said “NO” and didn’t try to win my favor with an alternate bribe. My challenge to you is to take a stand to strengthen your family with some good Christian values. If we don’t, I have some real doubts about there being any survivors.

Because I care,
Rod

(AUGUST)

CHOOSE YOUR PATH...

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what do you see?"

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they had gotten soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma, and then asked, "What's the point, Mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity - boiling water - but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?" Think of this: Which am I?

Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor..

If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate to another level? How do you handle adversity?

James reminds us in the first chapter and verse 2 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”

It is said that 10% of life is what happens to us, and 90% in how we react. How’s your reaction? How’s your response? Are you going to sit around being a vegetable, a hard-boiled egg, or are you going to wake up and smell the coffee?

Because I care,

Rod