This past weekend we drove to Telluride, Colorado for a car show.  Many of you know we have an auto repair shop and build hot rods and high performance cars.  We got to go up with a friend that we built a truck for.  It was a lovely break to get to drive up there, as the trees were just changing colors; the yellows and just a touch of red, gorgeous against the blue sky.
Telluride was so much fun.  Originally a mining town it is now a high priced ski resort.  Twelve dollars for bacon and eggs, $450 for a scarf!  We kind of just laughed at the prices of everything.  But the scenery and views were amazing.  At the back end of town a waterfall coming down the mountain.  Beautiful old buildings, tiny houses of every color.  And then smack dab in the center of town all of the cars for the car show.  Some exotics, some funky four door cars, a few hot rods.  But everywhere people taking pictures of the cars.  And one vehicle that was really a hit, and won people's choice award was the truck that Jim and Andy built at our shop.  It was crazy, here you have these McLarens, Ford Gt's, so many makes and models, and this 1957 Chevy pickup is star of the show.  Everyone taking pictures, exclaiming over the workmanship, the choices in how the truck was put together, the beauty of the artistry and design.  Cameras flashing every few seconds it seemed like.  People wanting to have their picture taken with the truck.  And when they heard the builder was there, they had questions about the build and what it took to finish it.  Even standing in the rain just to gawk at it.  
It was a wonderful weekend, ending way too quickly.   On our way home, the sun was finally shining and it seemed at every pullout, every turn there was someone taking photos of the mountains.  Every snow covered peak was the star of the show.  The trees preened in glorious array.  The river sparkled and shimmered in the sun.  There were people with painting easels set up, painting right there off the side of the road.  Each and every one amazed by the beauty. 
That got me to thinking.  If at the car show the day before, people looked at the cars and acknowledged that McLaren built that car, Ford built that super car, Prescott Premier Automotive built that truck...how could they not recognize that there was a master craftsman, an architect of all they see in the world around them?  To me, knowing how my husband and son built that truck just enhanced my appreciation for it.  Knowing all the hours of labor, all the measurements and precision that went into putting it together made enjoying looking at it all the greater.  I think everyone knows that that truck didn't just materialize out of thin air.  Well, unless they are dumb as a box of rocks.  There wasn't an engine block, some nuts and bolts, a few struts and a rear differential in a room, and lo and behold one day, that truck just appeared.  It took an artisan to make it.  It took time and effort to complete that build; blood, sweat and tears.  
How can any reasonable person took at the nature all around us and not be willing to acknowledge that it was crafted for us, it was made with us in mind as every atom, every little bit was put together.  Just as you don't look at the truck that we built, and think, hmmm, poof that just appeared, how can someone honestly look at all that IS, and say, yep, just a big gas ball.  As I appreciate the mountains and the valleys, as I see every type of tree; the pine, the aspen, the birch I see skill and craftsmanship.  As I see the different types of birds, I see something magnificent.  As I see the storm clouds rolling in across that blue sky I am amazed and delighted.  And all the more so because I know that the God of all created every bit of it with me in mind, with you in mind.  Isaiah 45:18, "For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): “I am the LORD, and there is no other. (ESV).  And in Job 38:4-7, "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.  Who determined its measurements—surely you know!  Or who stretched the line upon it?  On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" (ESV)  A planet, a universe so exquisitely made, so divinely put together and yet so many look at and see what?  I don't get it, honestly.  A bunch of atoms just appeared.  Some huge gas ball exploded and formed all of this?  Every color of flower, every variation of animal, every type of rock.  Every insect, every star, each and every blade of grass, and every one of us.  Just chance, just some space flatulence and abracadabra! here we are.  No, we were as scripture says 'fearfully and wonderfully made'.  Made, formed, thought of, adored, loved.  Made precisely so...all of it and all of us.
“God is a God of galaxies, of storms, of roaring seas and boiling thunder, but He is also the God of bread baking, of a child's smile, of dust motes in the sun. He is who He is, and always shall be. Look around you now. He is speaking always and everywhere. His personality can be seen and known and leaned upon. The sun is belching flares while mountains scrape our sky while ants are milking aphids on their colonial leaves and dolphins are laughing in the surf and wheat is rippling and wind is whipping and a boy is looking into the eyes of a girl and mortals are dying.” ― N.D. Wilson, Death by Living: Life Is Meant to Be Spent.
Oh, how my heart soars when I think of all He gave us.  As we drove up this weekend, I spent most of that drive wiping tears from my eyes.  The beauty, the spectacle He created for my enjoyment.  I felt almost silly, weeping like a baby, but I would rather be a baby who accedes to the greatness of God than one who looks with cold eyes; looks but does not see.  
What is the point of beauty without appreciating the maker?  What is creation without a Creator?  We are not random, we are a deliberate well-thought out actualization of the mind and heart of God; a visible testament of His love.  I will choose to praise Him for all He has done, I will be vocal in my delight.  After all, Jesus said in Luke 19:40 that if we stay silent, then the very rocks will cry out in praise.  And I think I'm smarter than a rock...at least a bit.
I will leave you with a few verses to meditate on as you go about your busy day.  But don't get too busy to smell the roses, to really see the trees and clouds, to appreciate all that He created.
Job 12:7-10 "But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you.  Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?   In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind." (NIV)
Romans 1:20 "For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." (NIV)
Psalm 148:1-6 "Hallelujah!  Praise God from heaven, praise him from the mountaintops; Praise him, all you his angels, praise him, all you his warriors, Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, you morning stars;
Praise him, high heaven, praise him, heavenly rain clouds; Praise, oh let them praise the name of God--
he spoke the word, and there they were!  He set them in place from all time to eternity;  He gave his orders, and that’s it!" (MSG)
​

I was sitting in the backyard yesterday, just enjoying probably one of the last really warm days before fall hits and the air starts to get cold.  Just 'being'.  Not doing anything other than relaxing in the sun, listening to the wind chime tinkle in the background.  And then I started looking around.  Seeing all the green growth.  The tomatoes and peppers growing, the aroma of the herb garden like a pungent Italian dinner.  The grass, that to Jim is overgrown, but to me looks lush and inviting.  I remember as a kid loving to play on the grass, sometimes just lying there looking up at the clouds.  How innocent we are as children.  Just enjoying life, not looking at or for the ugly things.  Because as I was looking at the grass yesterday pretty much all I could see were the myriads of grasshoppers jumping everywhere.  I'm talking a lot of grasshoppers.  And as I looked closer at the grass, I saw earwigs looking like they were playing a game of tag.  After watching in fascination for a few moments as they followed each other through the tall blades of grass I was just so glad I wasn't lying in that grass!  And then I thought, here were these tiny little insects in these seemingly insurmountable blades of grass.  If they could see me, I would have appeared as something so large they probably could not even put a name to me.  If I wanted I could have reached down and swooped them up.  I wouldn't, honestly earwigs just totally gross me out!  Regardless, here they were, just frolicking in their little world, earwig heaven.  They had no idea I was there and had the power of life and death over them.  And believe me, my thoughts were more of the blow torch, smoldering death kind!
I started thinking how we are like those little bugs.  Seemingly going through our lives.  Just doing what we do.  Going through life, day to day, same ol', same ol'.  On that hamster wheel we call life.  Going around and around, not aware of anything but what is in front of our noses.  We cannot see the forest for the tree-like blades of grass growing all around us.  Until we look up and then we have a decision to make.  What is that large, looming being hovering over us?  What is that thing that we sense, but cannot put a name to?  And then we have a choice.  We can be like so many and decide not to decide, which we know is a decision after all.  We can choose to ignore what we sense, and believe that we have control over this crazy thing called life or we can acknowledge there is a God.  But once you acknowledge Him, what then do you do with Him.  He, this large awesome being has the power of life or death over us.  But He, unlike me with those earwigs, has thoughts of life for us.  Thoughts for our good, and not for our harm, (Jeremiah 29:11).  He has no scorched earth thoughts when He thinks of us.  He doesn't see us as creepy, ugly pests disturbing His beautiful sun-filled day.  He sees us as His children.  Beautiful, valued and destined for great things.  
I think many of us, even as believers get caught in the rut of life.  I talked about that last week. We get so focused on the things of life, rather than living.  We get caught up in the minutiae of existence, rather than a vital experience.  We become like those insects, scurrying around, never making any real progress.  We were made for more than that.  We were created as human beings, yet we live our lives as human 'doings'.  God created us for better things.  He says this about us, His creation, in Isaiah 43:7, "everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” (NIV)  We were created for glory, not for obscurity amidst towering blades of grass.  Revelation 4:11, "for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." (KJV)  We were created for His pleasure!  Not like those earwigs that I want to obliterate.  Personally, things that I take pleasure in, I take care of.  I cherish them.  I give them special attention and great care.  And that is just the inanimate objects.  The people that I cherish in life, my heart almost bursts when I think of them.  My husband, my children.  Sometimes thinking of my kids, my heart is filled to overflowing.  And don't even get me started on my grandchildren.  I want the best for them, and I want them to know they are loved.  And me, being evil if I desire the best for them, how much more a perfect God desires for us?  I have tried my best, along with Jim to provide for our children.  We tried to give them the best that we could as they were growing up and would still do all we can for them now.  Many times that wasn't saying very much.  Food banks, dollar stores for Christmas and Salvation army clothes.  But they had a roof over their heads, and hopefully knew that they were loved and cherished.  God always provided; maybe not what we wanted, but He always gave us what we needed.  And I think of that, and how He still does that for us.  We are so blessed.  A beautiful home, a business that we can use to bless others, more 'things' than we really need.  And even above all of that, He says that He prepares a place for us in heaven.  By our salvation bought at so high a price with His blood, He not only cares about us and for us here, but He has made a way for us, a place for us to spend eternity with Him.  And, oh how I cannot wait for that day.  Not only to spend eternity with Him, but to see my parents again.  To know that they are now with Him, free of pain, every day in His glorious presence!  Realizing in bright, vivid truth that they are His pleasure and that He is theirs.
I seem to think with the mind of those earwigs; here is this giant thing blotting out the sun.  Bigger than I can imagine, I cannot wrap my mind around it.  But as I look closer, it doesn't blot out the sun.  It's brightness drowns out the sun.  His light makes the sun appear as darkness.   His majesty eclipses everything else.  His glory overshadows every seemingly overwhelming issue.  He overcomes every tall obstacle.  And His purpose is life.  Life, and that life more abundantly.  Both now and later in heaven.  And I'm not talking earwig heaven.  I'm talking about a place with no shadows.  No darkness.  No death.  I'm talking about a heaven filled with His glory, His grace and His presence, for all eternity.  And all because I give Him pleasure!

Most of you know I write quite often about movies. I get a lot of spiritual truths out of them, and often the old black and white movies are the best source of those truths. I was watching an old Clark Gable and Greer Garson movie the other day, called "Adventure". Clark Gable was a bosun on a ship; the ship gets torpedoed and one his shipmates makes promises to God that if they make it that he will change his life. He will quit drinking, quit spending time with women, give his money to the church. Well, of course they make it through and when they get back to land he is off to make good on his promises. But his hard drinking buddies convince him to raise just one glass to celebrate their rescue, and all those promises go out the window. In the course of this happening he believes that he loses his soul...he believes he saw it like a little spark fly away from him. So in his despair he asks Clark Gable to help him find out what to do and so they go into a library, where there is wisdom to be found. And there they meet Greer Garson, of course the stereotypical librarian and she and Clark Gable fall in love. In their adventure they go to her farm where she was raised and there is no food in the cupboards. So off to town they walk, buying bread and what other supplies they can find. But there is no meat. While walking back they pass another farmhouse and they lure a rooster out to try to draw some of the hens out of the yard. Clark Gable grabs the rooster and lays it on the ground. He holds it's head down and then with his finger draws a line in the dirt from it nose out. He tells Greer that "the line hypnotizes the rooster. That is why some people stay in ruts."
Being the inquisitive person that I am, of course I looked it up online. Yes, you can hypnotize a chicken this way. Honest to goodness, I am not joking here. Technically it is not hypnotism, but something called 'tonic immobility', or a state of near paralysis when they feel threatened. For some reason when it is lying down, as it watches that line being drawn it causes it to go into this catatonic state, unable to move or respond. Watching the movie, when Clark Gable said that seemingly throw away line, "that is why some people stay in ruts", it really struck me. How we are like that rooster. We see this line drawn and we become immobilized, or stuck in a rut. We become so hypnotized by the mundane routine, by the sameness of every day that we go into a tonic immobility and are unable to get out of it. It takes being waken up from that state to move forward in life. It means lifting our eyes from that line on the ground and looking up. We are meant for more than being in that rut, for more than being like that hamster on that wheel, just going round and round and not getting anywhere. We are meant for a glorious destiny and a joyful life.
Doesn't it seem, especially as we get older that each day runs into the next, each week is the same as the one before. Get up, go to work, go to school, get home, do housework, yardwork, go to sleep, wake up do it all over again. Stuck in a rut. Caught in this tonic immobility, this fear initiated response, certain that it all just leads to death. Oh, dear friend, we are meant for so much more than this!! We fear from the time that we can reason that it all just ends one day. That this is all there is. In a rut, caught in the web of just making do, wondering if this is all there is. To be honest, without Jesus in your life, that is all there is.
He came to give us life, and that life abundantly (John 10:10). To take another scripture a bit out of context, but it does apply, 2 Corinthians 1:8b-10a, " We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, we felt we were under the sentence of death, in order that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril..." (Berean Study Bible). God, through Jesus Christ has delivered us from such a deadly peril...not only giving us eternal life, but giving us abundant life here on earth. He has delivered us so that we can live joyful lives. Hopeful lives. Extravagant lives! Oh, I am so tired of being tired. I am so tired of living in that rut. I am so tired of making it through one day to wake up the next already exhausted and dreading what routine boredom the day holds. We were made for more than this! I am speaking to myself here. We were made for glorious, amazing things! We were made in His image. When we received Jesus we started on the path of becoming like Him. We become filled with His Spirit and receive all the wisdom, knowledge and comfort that that provides. Yet here we live these prosaic lives. We act like we are ordinary people, living humdrum lives. We are not ordinary, we are His! We are extraordinary! We are made in His image. We were made for more than the commonplace, for more than the banal. We were made for great exploits, even if those great exploits seem to 'just' mean raising our children in Godly homes and bringing His good news to others. We act as if we are still, as it says in that verse in 2 Corinthians, under a burden far beyond our ability to endure. We have been freed from that burden. We have been shown the path of life as I wrote about last week in Psalm 16:11, that path that leads to fullness of joy and pleasures forever. And in that new life, old things are gone, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new," 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV). What was, is no longer. Our sin has been washed away. Our lives become transformed as it says in Romans 12:2, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind," (ESV). As we lift our eyes off the ground and up to His glorious grace, we step out of that worn path, out of that rut. We no longer belong to this old threadbare world, but we become His and we walk in a new path, a new way. Our spirit is renewed by His Spirit, our mind is renewed by His word, our lives are changed!
The thing is, how do we live in that every day? How do we maintain that zeal for living, how do we continue to walk in that joy day after day? We do that by seeking Him daily. Psalm 63:1-3 says it so beautifully, "God—you’re my God! I can’t get enough of you! I’ve worked up such hunger and thirst for God, traveling across dry and weary deserts. So here I am in the place of worship, eyes open, drinking in your strength and glory. In your generous love I am really living at last!" (MSG) In His presence, in His love we are no longer in that rut, we are no longer in that state of tonic immobility; fearing death, but fearing life more. We are fully alive. The way to stay in that place every day, the way to live life fully every day, is to remember where we came from. As the verse in Psalms above says, we traveled across dry and weary deserts. Let the remembrance of that drive you to work up hunger and thirst for God. Let the memory of those wagon trail ruts across the desert of your life before Jesus drive you to drink deeply of Him. To fill yourself with His word. To rise each day with that desire for Him before you and that dry desert place behind you.
We will as those who trust in the Lord, as it says in Isaiah 40:31, "find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint," (NLT). They will soar like eagles! We will soar like eagles. No longer will we be those chickens hypnotized by that rut called life. We will be like that magnificent bird ascending into the heavens, rising above it all, in His strength, by His generous love!

Information on chicken hypnotism found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_hypnotism and http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/can-you-hypnotize-chicken-180949940/

and to see the chickens being hypnotized...come on, you know you're curious...copy and paste this link https://youtu.be/YgzLB2Qdu1U

#justmeredeemed

Last week I wrote about Thanksgiving dinner.  That time of fellowship and fun and food.  And that feeling of being sated and satisfied, being full to overflowing.  The scripture used was Psalm 16:11, "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy" (ESV).  I talked about being full, but now let's talk about what we are to be filled with.  Joy.  The definition of joy according to dictionary.com is this; the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation.  That is all well and good, but who can live in that all the time?  Emotions are fleeting.  Happiness is momentary.  Traffic gets crazy and that happiness we seemed to have when we left the driveway singing along with the radio flies out the window as a stream of sub-standard words flies out of our mouth.  The excitement of that promotion disappears as the work piles up.  The pleasure of that dream vacation of sun, sand and surf evaporates when we get home and the credit card bill arrives.  The delight of whatever good moment we are having dissipates as real life sinks in.  
The thing we have trouble understanding is that joy is not happiness.  And the world's idea of joy and God's are vastly disparate.  The worldly way of thinking about joy is based on emotion and circumstance. But the thing is emotions can change quicker than the weather here in Prescott Valley.  Sunny one moment, pouring rain the next.  The world's idea of joy usually depends on our circumstances.  And circumstances change all the time.  Happiness is fleeting, transitory.  Here one moment, gone the next; like the sun covered by the rain clouds.
As I said, happiness and joy are two greatly different things.  Happiness is emotional.  It's that high we feel when circumstances seem perfect; the planets align and we get a smile on our face.  Our child gets into that college that they applied for.  The tv we want just went on sale.  Heading into the store and we find a parking spot right up front!  Oh, we are happy!  Until we find out how much tuition is for that university.  Until the kids are rough-housing and they throw something and shatter the tv screen.  Until we saunter out of the grocery store and see that some jerk hit our car and left without a word.  Happiness; temporary, momentary, ephemeral.  Fading away like a wisp of smoke.
Joy does not depend on circumstances.  It does not depend on our position, our finances, our lifestyle or our prospects.  It all depends on proximity.  Our proximity to God.  Our being in His presence.  Joy is a deep abiding thing.  Hard to explain, but an indwelling sense of peace, comfort, satisfaction.  I have to admit I struggle with joy.  I struggle with happiness in general.  I am an introvert with a melancholy personality.  I tend to overthink things and then stay in that place.  Kind of a double whammy, added to the fact that my upbringing with alcoholic parents put me in a very wary, apprehensive place.  I don't remember smiling a lot.  I don't remember a lot of laughter.  I don't remember a lot of joy, let alone happiness.  It is still often a struggle for me.  I wouldn't say that I get depressed, more that I see the world through blue-colored glasses, not the rose-colored ones that so many others wear.  But I am working on that.  I am taking to heart that verse above, "in His presence is fullness of joy."  
I woke up the other morning feeling off.  I couldn't put a finger on what was wrong, but I felt kind of somber, wistful.  I could have stayed in that place like I would normally tend to, but I spoke that scripture over myself.  In His presence is fullness of joy.  I am a Christian.  I am a Christ-follower.  As a Christ-follower I am a child of God.  As His child I have a right to be in His presence.  Hebrews 4:14-16 "Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help" (MSG).  He has made a way for us to the Father; in fact He is the only way.  But the amazing thing about that is that we have that right, that ability to enter into His presence every day, all day.  So as His child, at that moment I decided to take His mercy, to accept the help.  I made the choice to be in His presence.  To, in a sense become entrenched in Him, like a soldier entrenched in a foxhole; safe, secure.
Where happiness is an emotion, joy is a choice.  It is the choice to enter into His presence.  It is a choice to not look at the transitory things, the passing things, but to look at the promises of the Father.  "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost," Romans 14:17 (KJV).  It is God's desire that you walk in joy; Romans 15:13, "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost."  (KJV)  Both of these scriptures mention the Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit.  That is how we stay in God's presence, so that our joy may be full.  It is through the power of His Spirit leading us, directing us, comforting us.  He whispers into our hearts, don't fret, believe.  Don't doubt, trust.  Don't let your mind stay on things of this world, remember His word.  Don't back away, dig in.  When the enemy is trying to steal your joy, don't let him.  Remember that greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.  Got that?  He that is in you.  In you, in your presence.  You are in His presence.  And in that place is joy.  Entrenched in His Spirit, rooted in His peace, firmly in His presence, fortified with His joy.
Are you in God's presence today?  Or are you in the presence of all your worries?  Is your being today dictated by that stack of bills?  Is your existence today based on what's on the news?  It is your choice.  To live in the past with frustration and regret.  To live in the future with fear and worry.  Or to live in the present with our great and mighty God.  Choose to live in the present with Him.  Choose to live IN His presence and He will give you that great and wonderful gift of joy.  So that you may be filled to overflowing.