THE CALL STILL ECHOES ACROSS THE PLAYGROUND, “I call Do-Overs!” It’s that magical phrase one utters when they have served the ball badly in games like four-square. Many a game has been saved through the declaration of those power-infused words.
Two-thousand years ago another set of power-infused set of words were uttered, words that would forever change the course of not only history, but time itself. Those words were, “He is not here, He has risen!” In some sense it was the God injected “Do-Over.” In, and through, the resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah, from the dead, God was declaring that we were given the grace-filled opportunity to start over again from all the previous bad starts.
Through the death of Jesus Christ upon the Cross the penalty of our sin was paid, and through His resurrection we have been granted new life. Jesus Himself has proclaimed, “Because I live, you too shall live.” (John 14:19) For those who place their faith, trust, hope, belief in the Person of Jesus a divine “do-over” is granted. The blessed gift of God’s grace is bestowed, and a new life is started. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Are you in need of a “Do-Over” in your life? God’s gracious gift is still offered to you. There is no better day than today to receive that gift and begin anew.
The ball is in your court.

LIVING IN A FOG is not always a bad thing.
When a fog settles down upon our little valley a unique event takes place. Trees, usually lost among the forest, now stand in singular relief against the gray curtain of early morning mist. That which was once not seen, is now noticed. Though we often understand fog as that which obscures our sight, in reality it can help us to see.
A fog can also settle upon us emotionally. Our spirits feel damp and sullen, we move forward unsure of that which lies before us. We find ourselves living somewhere between the light of a new morning and the lingering night. But, just like the shroud that sometimes settles upon our valley, a spiritual and emotional fog can help us to see things in new relief.
The foggy days of our lives are times for us to focus upon that which we can see rather on that which we cannot. It is an opportunity for us to search more intently and to listen more carefully, for it may be during these times of shadow that we experience the closeness of God. It is often in the darkened gardens of prayer that the assurance of God’s presence can be felt most distinctly. As our Lord Jesus taught us through His prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane, calling out to God from the darkness and doubt of our lives allows us to see in stark relief that which was hidden in plain sight.
When faced with an encompassing fog, allow it to quiet your spirit, refocus the eyes of your heart, and see the God who is there.

CRESTING THE HILL ON QUAIL HOLLOW road I was amazed to see the green expanse of grassy parkland in the distance. Bright, beautiful, rising terraces of spring-time green, this park-like setting beckoned me on. But wait! That’s no park, that’s the dump! (Now euphemistically referred to as “The Ben Lomond Transfer Station.”)
Underneath those verdant hills lay years of garbage. Some of it mine. The sculptured seeded somewhat appealing scene may have looked inviting on the surface, but the death and decay which lie beneath could no doubt make your toes curl. You can dress it up, rename it, but it’s still the dump.
As I pondered this uneasy reality I wondered if the landscape before me was a picture of my own life. On the surface things look almost park-like, while underneath garbage abounded. Not a pretty thought, and not unlike the Lord Jesus’ comments to the Pharisees about being white-washed tombs full of dead man’s bones. (Matthew 23:27) Yet, there is a grand and wonderful difference between the Ben Lomond Transfer Station and myself; it is the all-sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ upon the Cross. The Word of God reminds us that the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin, not just the surface stuff, but down to the dredges! (1 John 1:7-9) What a glorious truth!
It is this deep, from the inside out, cleaning, that allows us to flourish. The garbage of sin is replaced by the growth-causing presence of the Holy Spirit. The work of Christ was not just to make us look better, or to dress us up, but to completely, radically change us from deep within. We are a new creation! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Now, there’s a reason to celebrate!

ONE WOMAN’S SLOW IS another man’s fast. This was brought home to me this past week at the first early morning gathering of the “Runners Club” at the National Pastor’s Convention in San Diego. As we gathered to stretch and pray and set out on the morning’s course, our fearless leader told us that she was not a fast runner and the pace would be something we could all handle. I should have known better. As I sized up my group of fellow runners, of which I was one of the oldest and roundest, I should have known that her idea of a slow pace and mine were minutes apart.
In the cool of that San Diego morning we took off at a conversational pace, that is as long as you only wanted to speak a word every ten seconds or so while sucking much needed air into your lungs. Thankfully, as the group of rabbits pulled away from this plodding pastor I was joined by another “conversationally-challenged” pastor-runner. Together we plodded on, sharing of our individual ministries between gasps for breath and prayers of help.
As we shared together we noticed that our other brothers and sisters were no longer insight, so much for looking out for the “weaker brother.” Being left behind can be a lonely place, thankfully, though left, I was not alone. Together we persevered, encouraging each other in the course before us. Such as it should be in the walk of faith, for all do not move at the same speed, and that’s OK.