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IT’S NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO NOT SPILL from a cup that has been filled to the brim. Try as you may to walk across the room without spilling, sure enough some will drip over the sides or worse yet, slosh out onto the floor. That’s the problem when we fill a glass too full.
As I have journeyed through this life as a follower of Jesus the Messiah, I have been privileged to meet people who, like that glass, are filled to the brim with the Holy Spirit. Try as they may to cross the room without spilling, it will inadvertently happen, Jesus will spill out. They just can’t help themselves. For a “filled-up” Christian sloshing happens!
Vivian Edman was one of those “sloshing” Jesus followers. She and her dear husband Arnie were filled to overflowing with the grace, love and joy of the Lord. You couldn’t spend much time with them without getting Jesus spilt on you. It wasn’t that they were trying to spill on you, it just happened because they were carrying around a full cup.
Vivian was a constant reminder to me that the life of a Christian could be a joyous one, if fact, she may rather have me say, “a fun one.” Sure Arnie and Vivian knew difficult times, they knew of the seriousness of the Lord’s work, but they also knew the reality of that spiritual character trait called “the joy of the Lord.” They both expressed well the words of the Apostle Paul, “we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (2 Corinthians 4:7)
One of my fondest memories of Vivian is her shouting my name across the mall at Mount Hermon, to which I would answer back in my loudest voice, “Vivian!!!” I look forward to the day when across the courtyard of heaven I will hear her shout once more, for the joy of the Lord shall be her strength.
May we all be filled to the brim, sloshing over, with the joy of the Lord.

WHEN I WAS YOUNG the Lenten season always meant giving up of something I enjoyed, like chocolate, or watching a favorite television show. This “fasting” was to somehow let me know a little of what the Lord Jesus suffered for me, and to prepare me for the remembrance of Good Friday and the celebration of the Resurrection. Looking back it didn’t even come close, in any form, to helping me to understand what Jesus went through in the days leading to His crucifixion.
As I have grown older I still find myself “giving up” something during the forty days of Lent, while at the same time seeking to add something to my life such as time for more prayer or Bible reading. All this in the hope that I will become more aware of the Passion of our Lord, and sometimes it does help.
I have come to understand that true fasting is not just about giving up but it is also about giving in and giving out. It is about giving in to the desires of the Lord, and giving out to others. This is what the Lord addressed through the prophet Isaiah,
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?” (Is. 58:6-7)
This is the fast the Lord desires, to humbly give in to Him, while we give out to others. In some ways we are called to indulge ourselves in the work of the Lord, and when we do the prophet declares, “Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.” (Is. 58:8)

WHEN DOES THE GIVING STOP? Have you ever received a gift and then felt required to give a gift in return, and then the person gives a gift to you and, well you know how it goes, the gift-giving just keeps going and going? The gift giving becomes no longer motivated by love as much as motivated by obligation and guilt. The gift given out of love becomes the gift given out of guilt; tragically, this is not the way it was meant to be.
I often find myself in this same situation when it comes to giving to the Lord. The Bible tells me that I am able to give because God first has given to me. Without the gracious giving of God I would not have the ability, or even the desire to give. You see the problem is that God has given so much to us that we can feel guilty that we can give back to Him in like manner. Like trying to out give the super gift giver in your family we try to give God that which we do not even possess and since we fall so miserably short we either feel guilty or stop giving, both of which God does not desire of us.
I believe the answer to this dilemma is found in understanding that God does not call us to give that which we do not have, but only that which we do. We are not able to out give God, but that does not mean we shouldn’t give in return. But our giving should arise out of that which we possess. What is this that we possess? Our very life, the choice we make on how to spend our time and money, these are gifts which we can give. Our prayers of praise to God and our words of encouragement to others, these are gifts we can give. The skill, talent, or hobby that brings joy to our life, these are the gifts that we can give.
No trying to match God’s gift. No guilt involved, just the simple joy that comes from giving out of our heart and life. This is the gift that will best bless the heart of the great Gift-Giver.
So let us give.

SUMMER-TIME RUNNING MEANS SEEKING OUT the shady side of the street, but running in the winter months forces me to run from sun spot to sun spot. The shady side of the street can be down-right chilly during the winter months. When you run definitely changes how, and even where you run and this is true with life in general.
We all go through seasons in life; it is, well, part of life.
The writer of Ecclesiastes states, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot…” The problem often arises in that we try to live through all the seasons of life in the same way. We don’t make adjustments for the changes the seasons bring. We are satisfied to run in the shadows even on the coldest days, rather than to seek out sections of sunlight.
Where is your life journey taking you? Are you in the summer-time? Maybe it’s time to slow down a little and come under the shadow of God’s wings and enjoy the rest that comes from concentrated time in His presence. Are you in the winter-time? Maybe it’s time for you to step out into the brightness of God’s light, get under the light of His Word and let it penetrate and warm your soul. Running uphill? Often, at least in running, it’s the time top push hard and steady to the top, and once crested, ease back and let gravity do the work.
Wherever you are in the journey remember that you are not alone. There are others running the same path, and most importantly God is running with you. Shadows or sunlight you are not alone. So, keep running.