Todays desk doodle

I'm in awe

I am in awe and I am humbled. I am most certainly grateful. To God be the glory. God is good. The viewership of this blog has risen tremendously during this past month, way past expectations. I can't thank those of you who take the time to read the posts enough. I certainly hope that they are worthy of your time.
If you are enjoying these little bitsa's that I post, perhaps you would consider sharing the link of the site, or the posts with those whom you have friended or followed on social media. And remember that you can automatically receive each post that is posted directly and daily from your e-mail should you sign up to receive them.
While it most likely seems as if I am a "numbers collector", please know that there is, in all honesty, a rhyme and reason for it. It is, frankly, all about several things which all tie in with an important event which is scheduled to occur in March of this year--the launch of my next book, Dog Walk Talk; when I walk, God talks. It's a book that is sure to capture hearts in a new fresh way. Numbers from all forms of social media helps to capture interest and followship in a very big way for authors, so please consider my "ask" from above.
Finally, please know that now that Dog Walk Talk is in it's final administrative machinations prior to release, that I am already pumping out material for the next book--and you have seen glimpses of it in some of these posts.
Thank you very much!

Todays desk doodle

The greatest investment broker ever

Stock markets and banks. Investing in them always carries some risks, as well as costs. Then there is the constant concerns; what’s going on with the market? Is it up or down? Does my broker really know what he’s doing? Am I getting a snow job? We’re on a high now—I wonder how long that will last? How bad will the next turn-down be? Will there be dividends this year, and how much will they be? These are all concerns and questions that legitimately keep the investors mind going. It’s all about your money.

Speaking about money (treasures), how do you invest it along with your time and talents? God is quite explicit about us investing our time, talents and treasures for Kingdom work. In fact, He’s quite blunt about it in His Word. And, He is equally direct about the dividends for that investment. They are dividends with only an upside, never a downside. They are lasting. They are forever. They are promised. They are real. If we choose His investment strategy, we will never have concerns and questions.

Off hand, I’d say that God is the greatest investment broker ever.

Todays desk doodle

The guts of a clock are deceiving

.

Romans 8:28

When you look at the guts inside of a non-digital clock or watch, well, it looks like mayhem. To most of us, a glance at it literally screams "mess". All of those tiny little pieces, seemingly randomly placed, moving in opposite directions, spells chaos to the untrained eye. There is no rhyme nor rhythm to the mess. Then, the reveal; turn the clock or watch around and lo and behold, the hands are moving just as they should move, keeping perfect time.

If we hold faith and trust God, our lives are just like that clock or watch. Often there is chaos and mess inside, but we still function, mostly just as we can and should--because we are holding faith and trusting God.

God sees to it that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 

Yes, even this old Timex can experience turmoil inside at times, and God will still use my hands and feet for His purposes. Yours too!

The first ever hide n seek

God doesn't play hide and seek with us. He never has, and He never will. 

He is always with us, and He always will be.

We are the ones who play hide and seek with God.

And, just as in the Garden of Eden, when He called out to Adam "Where are you?" He is often asking us that same question of us. 

God doesn't play hide and seek.

It is us who do.

Through the eyes of an author 101:

So, were one to ask me how I came to write about “that” (it being any particular musing I wrote and shared), the answer would almost always involve at least some, if not all, of the following parameters (my writing M.O., so to speak).

Many, many, many times a thought or something I see or hear will inspire me while I am walking the pooch. Sometimes, I am in the middle of work when it happens. Almost always I will make a voice note to myself in that moment because I have a forgetterer that works exceptionally well, and a rememberer that, well, doesn’t always function as I wish it would. Here are some things I have noticed about the process:

·        The time of day (or night) seems to play no role in when a thought is triggered. Yes, I have gotten up out of bed to record that voice dancing in my head, to save for a later moment.

·        The place also seems to have no boundaries; it has happened in the middle of church services, while driving, while simply engaging in a conversation with someone, while in the middle of working in a stressful situation, and more. They seldom occur when sitting at the desk while writing.

·        They are quite random and will surprisingly come in clumps.

·        They are seldom linked to what I am specifically doing or thinking about when they come.

·        Often, they come as surprises—as in, where did that thought come from?

I am convinced that I am blessed with a portion of my brain, that portion that is open to new ideas and thoughts, that has no off and on switch. It is always on. Evidence of that was the one-week lag when I knew that everything that I wanted to be included in Dog Walk Talk was written, that I would not be adding any more to it. So, I offered myself a sigh of relief and decided to take a mental vacation. That didn’t last even a week. Within seven short days I had begun jamming on the keyboard producing musings for book three-to-be. Within a day of that, I knew what the title would be.

Everyone has a story. Every story can be shared. Every story can be written. Too many people are simply too afraid to try it. What about you?

Todays desk doodle

A Prayer

Lord, as I met you in prayer today it suddenly dawned on me that you must have certainly been up there shaking your head while “tsking” me, and perhaps even chuckling a bit. It was almost as if you were saying to me, “Joey, Joey, Joey” when you were shaking your head. Just as suddenly I realized why I had had that thought.

Here I was, in honest and earnest intention, sharing with you the sins which had prompted the prayer, asking, even begging, for your forgiveness. That was followed by a pleading—“take this sin away from me, Lord.” I had previously been thinking about that sin and reflecting on the words of Paul in his well-known passage in Romans, the do-do statement, where he wrote about questioning himself. He wanted to know why he did the things he didn’t want to do and didn’t do the things he wanted to do, and I equated those sentiments to my recent sins.

Then it dawned on me, Lord. You are a giver. You are not a taker. And, I was asking you to do something that you don’t do…take my sins away, instead of thanking you for so very graciously and amply giving me every single tool to make the right choices so as not to sin in the first place, tools I simply keep ignoring. Yes Lord, you gave me the free will to make those choices, and I made the wrong ones.

Lord, it hurt me to sense that you were shaking your head at me and “tsking” me as I asked you to take my sin when I realized that you gave me everything in the world, including Your Son, to not sin in the first place. Forgive me for not using those gifts to bring about the change in me you so desire for me. May my imagined response of Yours become a benchmark upon which I will, in the future, make those better choices, using your gift of free will to make Kingdom choices instead, choices that are pleasing to You!

Todays desk doodle:

Book update

Yet another bridge crossed; today will see the completion of the final local edit of the new book. Next will be the short process of some rearranging of some of the pieces, insertion of the foreword and the advance praise the book has received, and it's off to the publisher. It's a great feeling knowing that a year and a half's work is on the cusp of becoming reality. And a bonus--I shared the unedited manuscript with a friend (a brilliantly knowledgeable professional who will be helping with the behind the scenes stuff of which I know very little), and her over the top positive response to what she had read literally shredded me--I bawled.

Curious?

Are you curious about Dog Walk Talk, the book?

You can read about it HERE.

Today's desk doodle

An opportunity to grow spiritually

It's not uncommon for folks, in the reflective moments we all experience, to wonder;

Why do I feel that I have "that empty spot" in my heart?
Why do I do the things that I really don't want to do?
Why don't I consistently do the things that I really want to do?
Am I somehow 'off' a bit?
Can I be a better person?
Am I okay--am I missing something about life?
Is there more to my Christianity than what I am experiencing?

I had all of those questions a few years back, and they bothered me. There was a part of me that I didn't like, and I knew that I had to dig into myself to find out why. My answers came as a result of attending a Men at the Cross retreat

Since attending, and discovering so much about myself, I have regularly staffed at these retreats in different capacities. It has been a real gift so see so many men going through the weekend since change so radically and become truly godly men.

My prayer is that at some point my wife will attend one of the weekend Women at the Cross retreats, and then that we, as a couple will attend a Couples at the Cross retreat.

If you would like to check them out, please go to THIS WEBSITE.

todays desk doodle

Todays desk doodle

Todays desk doodle

Through the eyes of an author

While thinking about things this morning during a coffee break, I realized once again how blessed I am. I write, am a published author and songwriter. While that's a blessing, the real blessing is the realization that I have been able to see something, hear something, or feel something and then sense a burning desire to stop what I'm doing and write. When that happens, my heart and mind are in sync and the words flow. It's a gift that I really believe most people have if they would only try it by simply slowing down and feeling it. Through the eyes of an author.

Todays desk doodle

Music speaks to me

While at work today I was bothered by an earworm. For those who are not familiar with the term, it is a term used when a song gets in ones head and won't leave. This song, a beautiful song we used to sing quite often at the midweek worship service I attended, was one which grabbed my heart--always!

Today as it was on repeat in my mind, I felt the same passion, but I think with a different slant. I want what I am, say, and do to be sweet, sweet music in His ear all the time.

It's a song of just 34 words, repeated three times, but the beauty of the song and the message it conveys doesn't need more words. Enjoy.

LISTEN HERE

Todays desk doodle

A Big Job

Adam, of Genesis fame (no, not the band—the Bible) had a big job. Were you aware of that? He was tasked with naming all the animals that God had created. I can almost visualize how that went. I picture Adam sitting naked on a rock there in the Garden, perhaps in the shade of a luscious tree, surrounded by the most beautiful flowers ever seen gracing the banks of a casually flowing stream of crystal-clear water. The scene brings a smile to my face as I try to envision how he may have come up with such names as elephants, hippopotumuses, and gnus. Or perhaps why he didn’t name those striped animals striped horses instead of zebras. But none of that is the point, which was—he had a big job to name all of the animals, which included birds and fish and every living thing. Wow! I wonder how any of us might have handled that job.

The truth is, we all have big jobs, jobs that were not only given to us by God, but jobs which God commanded us to do, probably just as He did in assigning Adam his job. Frankly, I can’t see God saying to Adam, “Hey Adam, can you please do me a favor and name all the animals?” I’m sure there were no caveats such as “when you get time” or “if you’d like to.” He hasn’t done that with the jobs He has assigned to us either.

Here’s the deal. The big job God has assigned to us is, in my opinion, far easier than Adam’s big job, and yet we fail miserably in doing it. He’s given us all the tools necessary to do it, and yet we don’t use them. Our simple, yet huge job, is to love God, and love others. No more, no less—and yet we find excuse after excuse not to do it. Do we really have it that bad that we wont just do our job?

I almost shudder to think what might have been if Adam hadn’t done his job and done it right. Would we now have giraffes as house pets?

Todays Desk Doodle

An Added Twist

I think sometimes we tend to try to put things into a neat little box, perhaps some things that shouldn’t go into that box in the first place. Some of the reasons for this is our upbringing, experiences, education, and yes—our own opinions.  My example for one such thing is the often-expressed statement “God loves us all”. Granted, that is quite true, and there should never be any denying of that biblical truth. It is, after all, in the Word, many, many times. To the believer, it is fact. To the non-believer, it is also fact though they may not acknowledge it or believe it—yet.

What if, during our conversations whenever we bring that up with whomever, we added a twist to that truth? What if we said something like this:

Does not that not only personalize, to a greater degree, the true meaning of God’s love as fully inclusive? And, it could also erase any sense of question that any one of us might somehow be “better” than, say, the unsaved we are sharing His love with? To me, it levels the playing field a bit in any conversation with that person because it would imply that we each can easily take ownership of that fact.

Yes, to a point it is semantics, but often just a simple little twist of semantics can make a huge difference in a positive way. Food for thought!

Todays Desk Doodle

Todays Desk Doodle

Todays Desk Doodle

God's Box

If we’re bluntly truthful about it, don’t we Christians have issues with control?  Oh, we do a mighty fine job to telling ourselves (and others) that “God is in control”, but when it really comes down to it, do we really mean it? Really, how open are we to His direction in all aspects of our lives? Frankly, I think a lot less than many of us would admit. I have not met anyone who is totally, fully, relentlessly dependent on God for the entirety of their lives. I don’t think it is possible because of our flawed state as humans. I think what it boils down to is a question of how big of a box we will build for God in our lives. The bigger the box, the more control we will allow Him to have over our lives.

Perhaps we should consider our own boxes. Were we to downsize them, we might find that we don’t really need the great big ones we feel that we need to carry all of our control in; and, we might discover that our box would then fit inside of God’s box enabling us so much more delight as we see just how much of a load His box can carry if we were to just let Him.

Todays Desk Doodle

Voices that need to be heard

Do you have a voice? 

Do you use it?

Do you?

What about you?

And you?

All of you.

Voices that need to be heard, are yours?

Todays Desk Doodle

God is Colorblind

While listening to a popular nationwide Christian radio station recently, a snippet of conversation between the two hosts of the show caught my attention. It bothered me. They had been kibitzing back and forth and one mentioned, using the term, “women of color”. Frankly, it not only bothered me, but I found myself stewing angrily about it.

I’m a product of earlier times—much earlier. My teen years were in the 50’s and 60’s. That in and of itself is no big deal, but let’s take it a step further. I was raised in the deep south. If you know anything about this country’s history, you will be familiar with the fact that in that part of the country racism ran rampant in many ugly ways. That was the culture in which I grew up, it was all I knew. And yes, I was very much a part of that culture. I knew no better. I’m not proud of that now, but it was what it was then. Ugly. 

It took years for me to change, and that came about only after I became a Christian and the Holy Spirit convinced me, convicted me, and changed my heart. Through that process I have come to believe that in no way did God make people of color. He made people of differing ethnicities, races, sizes, backgrounds, etc. The key word there is people. Further, one of the major similarities between them all is that each has a heart that pumps red blood—the same color as the blood of His Son Jesus who shed His for each of us. 

God is colorblind. The human race isn’t His coloring book. We shouldn’t have that coloring book either.

Today's Desk Doodle

Die!

From a friend:

When Jesus invites us to follow Him, it’s an invitation to die.

Only when we die to ourselves can we truly live for Him.

That kind of surrender goes against every instinct we have.

We want to hang on.

We can’t seem to let go.

We refuse to pull the plug.

But it is only when we die to ourselves that we can finally experience the resurrection power of Christ.

And my add to it is simply this—why do I fight it like I do so often?

Todays Desk Doodle

Keep Your Fork

Keep your fork!
There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things 'in order,' she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.

She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.

"There's one more thing," she said excitedly..
"What's that?" came the Pastor's reply.
"This is very important," the young woman continued. "I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand."

The Pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say.
"That surprises you, doesn't it?" the young woman asked.
"Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request," said the Pastor.

The young woman explained. "My grandmother once told me this story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement. In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, "Keep your fork." It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming .... like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!"

"So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder... "What's with the fork?" Then I want you to tell them: "Keep your fork ... the best is yet to come."

The Pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge. She KNEW that something better was coming.

At the funeral people were walking by the young woman's casket and they saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the Pastor heard the question, "What's with the fork?" And over and over he smiled.

During his message, the Pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the young woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. He told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either.
He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork let it remind you, ever so gently, that the best is yet to come. Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. Cherish the time you have, and the memories you share. Being friends with someone is not an opportunity, but a sweet responsibility.

Don't Lean into a Leaner

The Bible tells us not to lean into our own understanding.

It's being serious.

Your heart is deceitful.

Your emotions fluctuate.

Your understanding does not see the big picture.

God never lies.

God never changes.

God is the big picture. 

Trust Him.

Lean into God instead.

Todays Desk Doodle

Living with the Arent's

We all have our aren’ts. Some more so than others, but we all have them. Some keep them readily accessible in the foyer way of their mind so that they can easily and quickly grab them to carry them around. They’re more comfortable when they are close by. It’s as if they are a Linus blanket to their psyche. While they don’t provide the same level of comfort that the Linus blanket provides, they are “comfortable” in that in their minds they validate their way of thinking.

Others keep their aren’ts stored high up on a shelf in the back of some almost inaccessible closet located deeply within the recesses of their mind. There, they tend to get dusty from lack of use because they are seldom disturbed or brought out from the closet for use.

Our aren’ts primarily include the would-haves, should-haves, could-haves, and if-onlys that we all have. A good portion of our current story is a result of each of those aren’ts. As we have traveled along this path of life, we have each made decisions and choices that we later regretted as we faced their true consequences, sometimes unpleasant ones. Each time that happened we created another would-have, should-have, could-have or if-only.

By now you have most likely figured out that most folks would label their aren’ts as regrets. That is how we’ve been conditioned. We lament “oh, I’ve got a lot of regrets” or something similar. When you get right down to it, isn’t that somewhat of a negative to fall back on? It’s a downer. Our aren’ts, if you choose to remember, aren’t our story. Our story is what we are now, not what we were then. We can’t do anything with them. They are in storage in our minds and always will be. That said, why not choose to keep them way up high on the back shelf of that barely accessible closet in the recesses of the mind instead of the foyer way? We must live with them, but why not make them very hard to visit?

One last thing; as long as we must live with them, why not call them what they really are, aren’ts? After all, in reality those decisions and choices aren’t you anymore, and therefore neither are the arent's that arose from them.

Today's Desk Doodle

Todays Desk Doodle

We'll leave the light on

In 1986 a fresh voice hit the airwaves of America. It was the voice of Tom Bodett who touted Motel 6, and always ended the commercial with “I’m Tom Bodett from Motel 6, and we’ll leave the light on for you.” His voice, a very pleasing, melodious voice captured America and he became an icon of advertising—not unsimilar to Clara of the famous Wendy’s spiel, “Where’s the beef?” commercial.

When the thought of Mr. Bodett struck me as I was walking my dog Kelly today, my mind immediately shifted to my light, the one that is supposed to shine. Yes, I’m a Christian, but only because another gentleman years back let his light shine in everything he did, particularly the work place. It was that light that caught my attention…he was different from the others on the work force. He wasn’t pushy with his Christianity—he simply lived it, day in and day out, consistently and committedly. And, because of that, we all knew that here was a guy that didn’t keep a “book”, was always fair and honest, lived a clean life, harbored no grudges, was slow to anger and quick to help, and he exhibited a love that included all of those around him, not just those who were like him. He had no agenda other than to live his life as a godly man. He let his light shine. I saw that, so when the day came that he invited me to lunch, and later to witness to me, that I felt comfortable with him. Because of his light.

How many of us are Tom Bodetts, always leaving our light on for others? I fail at times, miserably so. Thank goodness it’s not like in the past when it was never on—that time when I had no light.

Todays Desk Doodle

Meet Joe Miller's co-author

Meet my co-author, Kelly. Well, kind of. You see, she's my furbaby that loves me to take her out for walks. And it's during those walks when I so easily find myself centered, when I can think deeply, when I can find inspiration. When that happens, the words seem to flow when I get back to the laptop to capture those words and get them out in the form of life musings as they relate to God's Word. So therefore Kelly has been a big part of the upcoming book, Dog Walk Talk; when I walk, God talks.

Todays Desk Doodle

Seeds

While at work today I saw a scene that pinged my heart. I was checking a greenhouse for the company I work for and was admiring the seedlings in the propagation center. It was just a few short weeks ago that the crew had tediously placed seeds no larger than mustard seeds into each thumb size cup of the seed pods they were filling. Today, the results of their labor was showing thanks to a warm, moist, controlled indoor climate--thousands of beautiful, vibrant green less-than-an-inch shoots of growth. Proper, patient, knowledgeable care and nourishment were the main ingredients in the journey from seed to sprout. That, and the trust that the process was right for the circumstances.

It took me back a few years to that time when a man patiently took the time to plant the seed of Jesus in the pod of my then hard heart. The soil in that pod wasn't receptive to growing that seed, but my friend was patient. As time went on, he provided the necessary amount of care, knowledge, and nourishment needed for the seed he had planted to grow. And, he trusted God for the outcome of his efforts.

Just as with the plants above, in time the seed that he planted sprouted into a beautiful growing seedling of God.
Have you planted any seeds lately? Are you helping them sprout?

Todays Desk Doodle

Todays Desk Doodle

Darned ol' DA

"Honey, I think we need to get a different car...we've had this one for a while"

'Let's go look at some model homes over the weekend"

"You know, I'd really like to move somewhere else"

"I think I'm going to change jobs...I'm just tired of this one"

"Maybe we should change churches, I'm getting bored here"

"No sweetie, I just can't get a divorce yet"

 

DA, otherwise known as destination addiction, is an insidious "itch" that can affect even the most unsuspecting guys.  It's more than the "7 year itch" or the infamous "mid-life crisis" people often joke about.  It's more, I believe, than the "itch" and so called "crisis" because it is not limited to just one thing...one's perceived love life, but rather it results from ones invented dissatisfaction with everything around him....his wife, his home, his stuff, his job, his church, etc.  DA's are not happy campers.  If one would be able to crack the shell he has encased himself in, the core root of the problem would be him himself....not everything around him.

 

DA's forget that no matter where they wake up, they are still themselves.  They fail to realize that wherever they are, when they look in that mirror, they will still be looking at themselves.  And, they also fail to realize that things and stuff just won't change their inner selves for any lasting time.  DA's are guys that just can't seem to find the handle on satisfaction, contentment, and joy.  And, lest you get too puffy with yourself, bear in mind that DA's are also often excellent pretenders.  They can pretend to be just perfectly happy with the way things are, just as they can pretend to be the most pious Christian in the house. 

 

Perhaps we all have a little bit of DA within us.  After all, we are human, and we do have baggage.  Since satisfaction, contentment, and joy are the key elements missing in the DA, what counteracts our yearnings for "change" and fulfills our longing for those three elements?  A good, solid, two-way relationship with the One in whose image we are made....God. 

 

 

If Christ is at your center, so will your satisfaction, contentment, and joy......your happiness.

Todays Desk Doodle

Todays Desk Doodle

New Years Resolutions

I dislike the term New Year’s Resolution. Probably some others do as well, including many of those that make them. It seems to me that when we make them, we often do it with that “wink-wink” look as in “I’ve bit off more than I really want to chew, but it sounds good”. Or, it’s like goal setting—the loftier the better in which we place ourselves into a box in which we know there is no way out without breaking them at best or diminishing them at least.

I don’t make them for the primary reason that I know my brokenness and my weaknesses better than anyone, and I know how those two things can drive all that I say, think, or do at any given moment. I also know how easily I can yield to that which I don’t want to yield at any given moment, and how difficult it is for me to purposefully and intentionally focus and act on that which is entirely pleasing to God, not just at any given moment, but most every waking moment. I accept that that is part of my fallen humanness.

Thus, trying to live in a holy and humble manner before God, something that will have only positive effects on myself, my relationships, and my quality of living is not a year to year effort. Indeed, it’s a minute by minute work in progress. It’s an effort that will have fallbacks, twists and turns, surprises, stumbling blocks, tears and pain, failures, and yes, some successes. It’s a lifelong process, one I will never complete to perfection, yet one which, by faith, has a reward my imagination can only begin to grasp.

Because of that faith led pending reward, the only thing I can consider and rely on is His strength in helping me to figuratively put the right foot forward at any given moment in any given situation. His plan for me is His resolution, and I don’t know what that plan is, so how can I make any resolutions knowing that whatever they are they may be contrary to His? If any resolution comes close to His, it would be to simply follow Him, and I have proven over and over that I fail at that time after time. Even those failures, however, have their upsides because they are actually gifting from Him. They are the gifts that teach me more about me.

So, some might say that my resolution should simply be to follow Him. I can’t accept that as a resolution. It’s my job. He made that clear in His word.

Todays Desk Doodle