A PP'sPs about Unintentional Compliments

I received an unintentional blessing last night! I was playing a game called "Compatability" with the fam. The game consists of several cards w/ pics. A word is given and you have to choose cards that represent that word to you, hoping to match cards with your partner. Well, one of the cards in the deck is of the cross of Christ. Here is where the blessing comes in (I know. You thought I was never gonna get here!).

As my wife and momma-in-law were explaining the game to my mom, they both declared that when in doubt, play the cross card when playing with me. "Josh always uses the cross." Now, they were being silly, but it got me thinking.

I do always play the cross because the cross and what it represents is vitally important to me and and my entire life is filtered through it. For others who are around me and know me to see that and acknowledge it was a huge blessing! They weren't trying to bless me, but I received it anyway!

May we who profess Christ ALWAYS play the Cross Card!

A Passionate Pastor's Ponderings about Total Depravity

So, it appears that total depravity extends even to golf. As I evaluate my own golf game, I have come to the embarrassing conclusion that I am totally depraved! While the rules of golf can basically be summed up with the statement, "Play it as it lies", I find that I don't like submitting to that constraint. I (and other pastors I know) am a big fan of occasional mulligans (do-overs), the foot wedge, and always improving my lie.

Darn you, Depravity!

I find myself wondering if I should be asking God for forgiveness and maturity in my golf game. But, then again, that would drastically affect my handicap, and that is unacceptable!

Oh well, I will go on in my depravity and my 6.7 handicap!

A Passionate Pastor's Persistent Ponderings about Faith

Why is it that when you finally reach a point of solid faith (as my previous post suggests), God tests it? This must be the pruning and refining that Paul was so fond of. My wife, Christy, has been anticipating double knee replacement surgery for awhile now. After having it postponed once already, the surgeon postponed it indefinitely today because of a slight infection. We were so confident that this was the time and place for this adventure; and now it has exploded in our faces! In my mind I know that this is part of God's plan, but my heart is pretty hacked off that I wasn't consulted first! My primary frustration is Christy's need for relief from this friggin' pain! Why can't that be easy? But, as we have discovered in the past, the process of pain relief is never easy or quick. As the psalmist says, when we wait patiently, He will pick us up from the miry pit.

And so we wait in the miry pit.

A Passionate Pastor's Ponderings about Faith

As I think about Christy's impending surgery, several thoughts flood my mind. However, each thought or worry or question is answered with the reality that God is on the Throne! God has led Christy and I to this point in our lives and he has us here for a reason. He knows about our fears and worries and has the perfect response for each. He has equipped us to be able to handle what ever the outcome of this surgery may be. I really and truly believe this! I have seen Him guide me (and us) in the past and know that He will do it again. I give God the glory for His providence in our past and thank Him in advance for His providential work in our lives as this surgery approaches. May God give any reader of this post the same peace and confidence in His providence that He has instilled in me.

I don't anticipate that my future posts will be this spiritual. Those who know me would agree! However, the idea of faith has inundated me lately and I want the kind of peace I have to be available to all!

Peace!