But the day finally came that he took the step! His family cheered and his mom and dad are probably talking about buying some new running shoes to keep up with him!

The spiritual life is learning how to walk again. One of our motto’s around our church is “We fall on our feet… we fly on our knees.” In the spiritual realm we make progress when we go in prayer or “on our knees.”  I wonder if heaven watches us like we watch our kids learning to walk. I wonder if the conversation runs… “Did you see so & so? She’s about to take her 1st step!”?

I hope you have a great day learning how walk… run… fly!

Your brother,

Jon

One word that comes to mind as I watch the athletes compete is “wholehearted”. They are spending it! It’s the way God calls us to follow Him.

Mark 12.30 – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”

May we spend our time, energy, abilities and life in an all-out effort to love HIM! Life lived like that is golden regardless of your speed records at the park hill!

ALL for HIM!

Your brother,
Jon

But frost is cosmetic. By noon is will likely melt. And it will be back to the dull colors of a Midwest winter.

Jesus can change a life at the deepest level turning it a beautiful that is beyond description. He can do it in a moment! And when He changes a life it goes way beyond cosmetic! He is about internal/eternal soul transformation (2 Cor.3.18; 4.16-18)! And He uses things as odd as a frozen cloud to create beauty out of our messed up lives…things like big problems.

Sunday we’ll be celebrating the incredible gift of life transformation through faith in Christ. If you’re in the area I hope you can join us!

Forever FROSTED by His grace!

Your brother,

Jon

There have been some days I wish I had eaten a breakfast like that if would have helped me keep my mouth shut!

The QUESTION: How do we keep from saying things that create more harm than good?

I’m so thankful God has given us tip after tip to help us use our tongue in a way that helps the team and make Him look good rather than hurt the team and make Him look bad! One thing I’ve noticed is that the tongue and the heart are closing connected.

Ephesians 4.29 is one example: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” And then one verse later he points to the heart and says, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with ever form of malice.”

What if we carried a jar of peanut butter around with us? Whenever we felt a non-beneficial word about to exit our mouth we took a bite? We would need to run an extra 8 miles a day to work off the calories but those around might appreciate it! But better than peanut butter would be start everyday making sure our heart is aligned with God’s heart.

A great prayer to start the day, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in YOUR sight.”

Have a great day spitt’in words that LIFT!

Jon

George loved his wife for over 60 years. The primary reason he held on so long was her. She was the apple of his eye. He loved his kids, his grandkids, his friends and family with all his heart. He lived with a smile that reflected a heart full of joy. His life birthed a library full of inspiring stories.

How do you live that kind of life? George walked with Jesus. He tasted the “living water” that satisfies the deepest longings of the soul. He tasted the “bread of life” that energizes us to live strong even through tough times. He followed the “light of the world” that led him through the maze of life and filled his soul with the hope of a home in heaven that is beyond comprehension in its beauty!

Unless you’re into horses “spurs” aren’t something we deal with daily. Maybe a good word for the culture we live in would be “caffeinate or energize”. Let us consider how we may “caffeinate…energize…red bull” one another on toward love and good deeds!

The life of George Springer was red bull to my soul and I didn’t have the privilege of meeting him. You never know how your life might “red bull” someone.

My prayer today: “Lord help my little life be red bull to someone’s soul helping them LOVE BIG and do good for YOUR glory!”

Have a great one LOVING BIG!
Your brother,
Jon

I think it might be about the “name”.

It’s about the name of the team – “Colts” – not historically known for huge amounts of respect out there in the world of media. This week the story line is all about their history of choking. I want them to win so the name “Colts” will have its appropriate place on the shelf of “respect.”

It’s about the names of Peyton…Dallas…Reggie…Jeff…Dwight the guys I’ve come to appreciate and respect. I want the rest of the football watching world to see what I see and respect them the way I do.

The BIG QUESTION do I have the same desire to see the NAME above all NAMES lifted up and respected? Isaiah writes, “Your name and renown are the desire of our hearts” (26.3).

My prayer today is that His name would be respected a little more by the way I live for Him. And that my primary “jitters” would flow from my passion to lift up the name above all names…the name of Jesus!

A jittery fan of the Greatest ever!

Jon