"Hey, get lost; that was really a sheep trick!" A (found) memory just for ewe.

Great message at Living Stones today: http://livingstonescov.org/

Pastor John rocked me, using some metaphors and a passage from Luke 15: 1-10. Love the idea of the parable Jesus used about the 99 sheep and the one lost one that the shepherd looked for, found and carried home on his shoulders to his home. (I did try to do a parody on the "99 bottles of beer" song, but couldn't get the last word: "99 wandering sheep on the..." ??) But for me it really came home when he then referred to this great quip from Ezekial 34:11-16 - 

¹¹ " 'For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. ¹² As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. ¹³ I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. ¹⁴ I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. ¹⁵ I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD. ¹⁶ I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak...." 

I don't know about you, but I have experienced my doses of the "lost things syndrome" while grazing away from the herd. Any of these sound familiar?

"I lost my car keys."

"I lost my wallet."

"I lost control."

"I lost my job."

And my all-time (continuing) favorite: "I lost my mind."

Here's what I found while grazing where I wasn't supposed to be:

- I didn't really need to drive the car: I gave the wheel away and am on a ride.

- I didn't really need my wallet: I gave my old identity and assets a way.

- I didn't need control: I gave it away so I can be out of control.

- I didn't need the job: I am employed to do the work.

- I didn't need my mind: I have never minded any better since.

Stop looking for what you might have lost. Ewe might just end up with some found memories of your very own. 

Goodbah for now.

For emphasis - (b)

 

"I chased and conquered my WanderLost. No lion."

My favorite T-Shirt reads: "Not all who wander are lost." Well, I would have lost a wander filled moment had I not agreed (against all I-have-no-clue-what-to-do-for-three-hours-with-a-three-year-old-grandson wisdom) to pick up Kinley from daycare while visiting in Nashville. We did the "Sonic hotdog/fry/cherry limeade" run (23 minutes) after the "howthe h*** do you buckle this nuclear physics designed child car seat" drill (4 minutes), leading to a two-hour and 37 minute "activity deficit" before the scheduled mom & grandma calvary rescue.  

We ended up at his favorite park: a maze-rich area of wooden structures, sand, tires and other "thing-like" structures upon which to crawl, duck, hide, scamper and generally do anything your 3-year-old "totally boy" mind can imagine. Much "Chase me Grand Dude!" (C'mon guys, admit it; you'd love that name, too, someday.) Much bubble blowing & chasing as Captain Bubble Killer from the planet BubbleAnda. Much Transformers battle chronicles. Much eating sand superhero energy boosters. And two runs (one for each superhero) to the bathroom.   

The clock struck 5:00. They arrived. Seat locations switched. A Munchkin kiss. "I miss you Grand Dude." Off they drove, my heart held captive in the Captain's make-believe. And yes, I was reaaaaaaaaally beat.   

My friend, Mark Batterson's excellent book, In a pit with a lion on a snowy day" includes what he calls the "Lion Chasers Manifesto. It reads: Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Grab life by the mane. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Accumulate experiences. Consider the lilies. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life. Don't let what's wrong with you keep you from worshipping what's right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze new trails. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don't try to be who you're not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away.

Chase the lion.

Grrrrrrrrrrrreat advice. I added chasing bubbles and a three-year-old miracle.

For emphasis - (b)

"A penny found, is a penny found."

1. Some things just make cents without explanation. In response to my "pickup line" post of last week, I got the following email from my sister, Ilene. If you wonder if there is any value to pausing, noticing and picking up the coins God drops along your path...read:

"I had so hoped that today would be a penny day... I thought about pennies from the moment my day began.  My eyes scanned as much of the ground as possible during my many stops during the day..  By midday, my hopes were dimming and my mind began to drift just a little.  In that brief moment when I was clearly elsewhere in thought, the first penny appeared before me on the ground.  I naturally was besides myself in an utter state of jubilation.  I kept the excitement within so as not to look as though I had just discovered a gold bar in the midddle of the parking lot.  For me, it was just that.  I was so happy.  Later this afternnoon,as I was busily chatting away with Gabby on our walking route towards Olivia's lax game, another shiny penny called my name.  It was amazing.  Just when I had begun to lower my guard, God placed those pennies before me.  Not in my moment, by His.  He listenend and he answered."  Ilene has been found by even more pennies since this email. There is a sparkle in her voice, long tarnished. Just a penny. There is a resonance in her words, long discarded. Just a penny. There is joy glowing from within her, long ignored. Just a penny. Priceless. Just a penny for your thoughts? How about for life?

2. Have a penny you'd like to share with Ilene? She's on Facebook at Ilene Beaullan. She's one of my (best) friends.

3: Random Message #3.578: Is it true that you have to see it to believe it, or rather, do you have to believe it to see it?

For emphasis - (b)