SHoUt iT FrOm ThE RoOf TopS!

We HaNg on the WoRdS of many in oUr TiMe for our NeXt trend or CoUrSe of action. We look to Wall StrEEt and other prOfeSSionals for the DiReCtiOn and value of oUr economy, FinaNCes, and rEal eStAte. We place LaRgE weight on tHe President’s speeches for the FuTuRe of our country aNd to the Department oF Defense for PrEdiCtiONs on wars. We HaNG on for the aNNounCeMent of the nExT economic stimulus check to ArRivE in our mailboxes, CaR rebate or special LoW interest rate loan ModiFiCAtiOn program. We wAiT with bated bReAtH for aNNual fAshiOn sHows for the LaTesT trends in cLoTHinG and tHe cOlOrs of the next SeAsOn. We use our hard earned CaSh to sEll oUt magazines for the AnNoUnCemEntS of the most beAuTiful peOple. We cLeAr our calendars to Sit and EaT muNcHies as the PrEttY StArS fill oUr tElEviSion screeNs while aWard shows announce ToP hOnOrs in movies, music and tElEviSion series. We sit for HoUrS On End at oUr computers and laptops CoNNectEd to the InTeRnEt to see what online VidEos are being WaTcHeD and what mUsic will bE released tHis WeEk. We closely FoLLoW radio prograMMing to LiSteN for the nExT music celebrity song so that we can WiN TicKeTS for a sought after cOncert. WhErE in all this HoOpLa, we call LiFE, is our ExCiTeMeNt over where wE wiLL gO when iT’s aLL oVeR? How aRe we preparing DaiLy for the most iMpORtaNt TiMe in our lives to cOmE? MOrE importantly, wHoSe WoRdS will we HaNg on to when man’s FaBriCaTiOnS will matter no MoRe?

OnE dAy all the inveNtions, eVents, and TechNolOGy will have no EffEct on our LiVes. Our “bEiNg” will end one day SoON, much later in LiFe, suddenly without NoTiCe, or sLoWLy over time. We should EnJoY the present, of course, but be iNteLLigEnt, LiVE Smart, leave rOOm for the really ReAllY important MaTTerS that mAttER.

How do you fEEl about ineViTable DeAtH? Does it sound DiRe to you? StOp! NO! It’s nOt! PLeaSE, rEaLLy iT’S oKAy! You WoULnDn’T feel like tHaT if you KnEW and HaD aN iNkLiNg of what is WaiTiNG for yOu in GOD’s KiNgDoM.

Do yOu reMeMbEr JESUS? He DiEd and went to HeAvEn for . . . US!!!! (hello – our DeStiNy- your dEStiNy - you’re getting this right?) God’s is wAiTiNg for yOu to do your HoMEwoRk on the HistORy of your FaiTH (uhhh the BiBLe – available in soFt bAck, haRdbAck and inTerNet - jUsT SaYiNg). Spend TiMe each day getting HyPeD uP about YoUr FaiTh and yOur InHeRiTaNcE (no - not mOnEy – perHAps you should lOOk into that first – it’s OkAY – we all haVe to sTart SomEWheRe - there’s so MuCH we’ve yet to learn). Of course, enjoy the FrUiTs of man’s LaBoR (GOD did give us InTeLLiGeNcE after all), but also ENjoY what GOD has CrEaTed for you and TaLK aBOut IT! MaYBe sHOUt iT FrOM thE RooF tOpS (well OnLY if you are CoMfORTaBlE with that SoRt oF THinG! There are some rEaLLy StRAngE peOplE in the wOrLd who wOuld do tHat – I knOw – try not to roLL your eyes At ThEM.)

This EaRTh -- where you LiVe -- was oriGinaLLy destined to be HeAvEn, the GaRdEn Of EdEen – PaRaDiSe (You’ve heard the story riGht? RiGHt? Ugggh. . . I thought so.). So we’ve messed up our PaRadiSE a little (Well, a LOT!!!), but we can clEaN up our aCt, right? We can ReSEt our priorities? Yes? YeS? Ahhhhh, YES!!!! (Wheeew! Sometimes you worry me.)
BRiNg BaLaNcE to your liFe. Begin each day in PrAyEr thanking GOD for the LiFe He has giVen you. ThInK of Him at MeAl TiME, DRiviNG TiMe, and CoMpUteR TiME, heck - - ANYTimE!!!

Do ReSeArch to help expAnd and SoLiDifY your BeLiEfS. EnJoy the BeAuTy of the wOrLd He cReAtEd for yOu by SLoWing down from aLL the “bUsy BuSy”. Enjoy His ChUrCh, the physical oNe and tHe Body (the BoDy = YoU and mE – faMiLy-fRiEnDs-StRaNgErS - togEtHer - PeOPle = Body = stay with me nOw!)

There are many OppORtuNiTiES you can take AdVanTAge of EvEryDay to tAlk about JESUS too. TaLk about how HE treated eVeRYoNe with DiGniTy, PaTiEnCe and CoMpAssiOn. And then, (here’s a nOvel idEa) ImiTAtE HIM! TaLK about HIM FrEElY and BoLdLy! Not EvEry time you have a CoNveRsaTioN, of coUrse, but wHen you can, offer coMfOrtiNG words to oTHers and pOint out their bLeSSinGS! Oohhhh, ooooh, ohhhhh, or how about this - bE a bLeSSiNg to sOmeOne else! Now thAt’s tAkiNg it to tHe neXt lEvEl. (What do you think JESUS, huh – huh - - good ideas are coming!). The MoRe you lOOk for DiviNe WoNDerS, the more you’ll sEE.

JESUS is not a cOOl SeCrEt to be kept UnDeR wRaPS or only MeNtiONed when your HeAD hits the PillOw for a SoUnD sLeeP. Nor is He sOMeOne we only tALk about on His BiRtHdAy (His biRtHday – ChRisTmAs DaY – DEcEmbEr 25th – EvEry YeAr – DuH -- I know you KnEW that – coFFee kiCkiNg in yEt? – gO aHeAd – dRiNk just a tAd mOre!). Jesus was “tHe MaN” who shOwEd us the wAy to sAlvAtion- our SaLvAtiOn! Hello – anYbOdy out tHere? Oh, there yOu are – I thouGht you were . . . neVer miNd.

Get all sTiRRed uP over the FaCt that God, the GrEatEst PoWeR of this world (actually not of this WoRLd – He actually LivEs somewhere else – weLL – don’t worry - you’ll get it), is working for you 24/7. Show HiM the LoVe and tHat You’VE got YoUr AcT tOGethEr and gRoWinG in FaiTh eVerYdAy! When yOu do – you’LL nOtiCe How’S He’S bEEn and wiLL conTiNue to TaKE cARe of you EveRyDay of your LiFE and in the nExT (“in tHe Next” = “EtErNiTY” for those of you who are having A brain frEEze!)

It’s TiMe for uS to prEpAre our HeArTs, MiNds and SoULs for what’s to cOmE. It’s such an eXciTiNg JoUrNey we are on, are yOu ready for yOur FuTUre? I can’t HeAR yOu! Are you ReAdy? Uhhhh, try again. Are YoU ReAdy? Yes – that’s what I’m TaLKinG about – eXciTEd peOpLe – I’m impreSSed – whAt do You tHiNK LORD – they’re lOOkiNg GooD aren’t tHey? Yeah, r-e-a-l-l-y ShaPiNG Up! ThEy AllmOst LooK sPellBoUnd – I tHiNk YoU jUst MiGhT Be tHe NexT BiG CrazE to Hit SoCietY. (Yes – JESUS - I kNow FaiTh iS nOt a tEmpoRarY tHing – bUt tHey’LL get it – they wiLL learn a liTTle MoRe each dAy and oVer tiMe You’LL see tHe diFFerEnCe – giVe us sOme time LORD – really – We’LL keep wOrKing tOgEther . . . – hello fRiEnds hElp me hErE – tEll JESUS HOw You WAnt Him in YOur Life and How yOu will hElp othErs to come along tOO – aggggh – thank you. HE likes it wHen we wOrk in gRoUps – we have leSS roOm to stray.)

HallElUjaH! Now rUn ALonG and go teLL the WoRld about GOD and HIS SON JESUS! (yes -- YOU! – You CAN do iT – YES. . . YOU CAN. . . – go on now - one B-a-B-Y StEP at a time - people are WaiTiNG for direction – YoUr DiReCtiOn - you are the AppOiNTed LeADer – yOu go on now you LiTtLE aMbAsSaDoR fOr ChRisT yOu!)

I lOve it – PeoPle who BeLiEvE in GOD do gReAt ThiNGs when they sEt their MinDs to iT!
I’m PrOUd of yOu. You didn’t QUit ReADinG – you kept going with “oNe wORd, OnE tHouGHT, oNe BrEatH, OnE MinD, ONE BodY, OnE SpiRiT – that’s all it takes - - One SiTUatiOn at A tiMe! ShOw the WoRld how you’re LiVinG and WhEre you’re gOing. ThAt’s it bAby – make tHis the HeAvEn on eaRtH and lOOk foRwArd to YoUr EtErNiTy and BeYoNd!

(HoNEy - How CaN I GEt On Top oF tHe ROOF? It doesn’t matter what I’m going to do . . . I can use a ladder Dear! Fine! He doesn’t want me to get hurt, huh! He’s always trying to steal my joy! I’ll go and get my neighbor Jesus (He-Suuuss) to hElP me – I saw hiM up tHeRe yesTeRday! Heee, heee, heee – where thErE’s a will – thErE’s a way!

Uggggh – Is thErE somEtHing wrOng with your EyEs? They lOOk like they were like r-O-l-l-i-N-g back in their SocKeTs – I don’t know – it looked K-i-N-d of oDD? Maybe yOu should go gEt them CheCked – it just doEsN’t seem nOrMal to me! YOuR right, they’ll proBaBly be beTTer toMoRRow. SlEEp gOOd tOnigHt aNd Say a liTTle prAyer – it AlwaYs woRks for mE!)


Inspired by Luke 19:45-48

“Then Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling things there; and he said, ‘It is written, “My house shall be a house of prayer”; but you have made it a den of robbers.’ Everyday he was teaching in the temple. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people kept looking for a way to kill him; but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were spellbound by what they heard.”