"Trey Tuesday" - April 30, 2019

Mayday!

Mayday!  Mayday!  Mayday!  A distress signal shouted 3 times in a row is vastly differently from the International Day of Workers (and/or honoring flowers) held on May 1 and is known as May Day.  One cries of needing help, the other a day of celebrating!

Are you ever misunderstood?  Do your words not quite express your intention?  Maybe it's time we listened to each other a little better.  Not just hear each other utter words, but truly understand the meaning behind what is going on.

Is there fear behind the nervous chatter?
Is there hurt fueling the accelerated tone?
Is the speaker testing your confidentiality?

Before He was crucified, Jesus went out to pray.  Some of His last words....What was He saying?   Did He shout, "Mayday!  Mayday!  Mayday!!"?  Not at this point.  He prayed, "May Day!"  He prayed for His workers!  What was on His mind as Jesus spoke to His Father God just hours before His death on the cross?  YOU!  Each one of us, thousands of years later, to boldly live out His life giving gospel message of hope!  Are you listening?

"I in them and You in Me--so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me."  John 17:23

"TreyTuesday" - April 23, 2019

That's the Point.

Trey spoke in exclamation marks!!  Whether he was happy (!) or sad (!) or tired (!) or silly (!!!!!!), there was no doubt, Trey lived his short little life out loud!

I rarely watch an entire YouTube or Facebook video....I catch the message in the first 10 seconds and move on.  Except.....for one performer who speaks my language!  :)

Darlene Davenport cracks me up!  (for the older crowd, she solely re-enacts

Dean Martin and Victor Borge's act).  I now read sentences and books with a new appreciation of punctuation!  :)

Think about how Jesus used punctuation.  Listen to the difference on Good Friday....

"My God, My God, Why have You forsaken Me?" to "It is Finished."  The finality in His statement takes my breath away.  He has the Authority.  And the Assurance.  To confidently declare:  My work is done.  Your sins are paid for.  The penalty is on Me.

Period.  Period.

"He is not here; He has risen, just as He said."  Matthew 28:6

"Trey Tuesday" - April 16, 2019

Once and For All

Maybe this saying reminds you of a threat a parent issued to you as a child.  "Dad decided once and for all that we will not have ice cream for dinner!"  Or maybe it was a boss telling you he/she would tolerate a discussion for the very last time. "Once and for all, we are NOT moving to a 4 day work week."

However, this Trey Tuesday, I'd like you to stop and consider the finality of personal things.  The finality of life....losing Trey.  The finality of seasons....winter willllll be over soon!  This Easter season, consider that Jesus took allllllllllllllllllll your/my/our sins - for allllllllllllllllllllllll time - and paid the penalty between us and God forever!  He cleared the Way for us to stand faultless before God!  Once and for all!  :)  

Consider the finality of Jesus' love for you:
Once Forever
The Final Act
Finally
Permanently
Settled
Conclusively
So as to end uncertainty.

"We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."  Hebrews 10:10

"Trey Tuesday" - April 9, 2019

A Challenge

As Easter approaches, I offer you a challenge:  Will you consider this passage of Scripture - one section per day - as we look toward Palm Sunday this weekend? 

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses...." You don't need to face life alone.  Are you surrounded by those who keep you close to God?

"let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles."  Do you throw off temptations?  Or do you dance with them?  Do you try to stay far from sin, or do you tiptoe as close to the line as possible?

"And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us..."  Do you run YOUR race?  Or do you measure your life against others?

"fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Pioneer and Perfecter of faith."   What is your focus?  Who are you listening to?  Who are you living for?

"For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."  Where do you find your joy?  Temporary happiness or true, eternal joy?

 "Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."  Consider Jesus.  His love for you.  His sacrifice for you.  That's a challenge you can take to heart every day!

"Trey Tuesday" - April 2, 2019

Confession Time

OK - I admit it.....I have an obsession....with open tabs on my devices.  I have more than 20 windows open on my phone...ok...more than 30....ok...between my lap top and my phone I have 73 tabs open!  Phew!  :)  That felt good to admit!  Now I don't have to hide as I scroll through endless screens!  And I don't have to edit my screenshots to crop my tabs!

Imagine a child with a secret.  Or an adult with a hidden habit.  Or a burden too heavy to share.  It is overwhelming.  Buttttt.....as soon as the truth is revealed, real life can begin!  :)  Trey's body carried cancer around before he was diagnosed.  As soon as the doctors revealed the true situation, the treatment could begin.

Is this true of your faith in Jesus?  Are you tiptoeing around avoiding living life out loud for Him due to a hurt or fear?  We have about 2 1/2 weeks before Easter. Wouldn't this be a great time for you to consider your own confession time with God?

"But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed."  Isaiah 53:5