The Purer the Vessel, the Greater the Flow

Think about those who must have Coronary Artery Bypass surgery because one or more blocked coronary arteries are preventing normal blood flow. Then on a less physical note, consider a kitchen sink pipe that becomes clogged because of an abundance of grease or other substances. But, most important are our vessels (our spirits) that become filled with kunk and junk that prevents a free flow of God's joy, peace, love and all the other Fruit of the Spirit from flowing in our lives.

We all desire God's ultimate "stamp of approval" on our lives. There are times when it's easy, and even seemingly harmless, to make little compromises in doing the RIGHT thing. You know... when we lose our patience with the cashier who is taking FOREVER to check out customers because she talks so much or when we falter in our ability to love those who are so unlovely to us, or watching "dark" and "immoral" movies or TV shows, or gossiping or telling little white lies. It's the little things, that over time, that cause our consciences to become seared, and what was once a clean, pure vessel, now starts getting clogged and that free flow of God's blessings with a joy-filled, peace-filled life, and God's "stamp of approval" seem to be held back.

Again, this is that "tweaking" and "course correction" time, when we realize the LITTLE THINGS do matter. Don't we want the flow out of us to others to be abundant in encouragement, comfort, joy and love? And, don't we want God's flow back to us to be the same?

It just makes sense to get out God's roto-rooter to clean-out and purify our vessels -- our pipelines -- because, "The purer the vessel -- the greater the flow!" Oh how I desire that flow -- freely flowing -- in and out of my life! How about you?

I Believe I Can Fly

As a Private Pilot, when I hear that song "I Believe I Can Fly", I have extra help with the notion of flying. We had a single engine Cessna 182 that was a sweet ride, and we logged many hours flying across this great country. I've only flown an airplane once since my Honey's promotion to heaven, but I remember some crucially important things that ensured landing where AND when we intended. Knowing the plane's airspeed, wind velocity and wind direction is essential to a pilot. It requires course corrections throughout the flight. A strong wind can certainly take you off course. Constant “tweaking” is necessary. All it takes is to be off just a few degrees and you can end up in Timbuktu, instead of where you intended to go.

And isn’t that true in our lives, as well? Our emotions, our bodies, and our spirits may get off course by “negative winds” that blew in. They may have come in by the company we keep, the food choices we’ve made, some unhealthy habits, some compromising of our ethics and integrity, or literally missing the mark. The winds can certainly slow us down, and take us completely off course -- not to mention, keep us from receiving the blessings that could have been ours if we had stayed on course.

This season of Lent continues through March 24th, and we've been deliberately focusing our attention on getting it right – getting our hearts right. Lent is the perfect time to make course corrections – where we make the adjustments necessary to be fully devoted followers of Christ. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10.

I promise you….this is the stuff that helps us fly and soar higher than we’ve EVER flown before.

Lent Means Course Correction

What you may not know about me is that I’m a Private Pilot. So I have a little extra help with the notion of “I believe I can fly”. We had a single engine Cessna 182 – a sweet ride. We logged many hours flying across this great country. Though I haven’t flown in a while, I remember some crucially important things that ensured landing where, and when, we intended. Wind speed and wind direction requires course corrections throughout the flight. A strong wind can certainly take you off course. Constant “tweaking” is necessary. All it takes is to be off just a few degrees and you can end up in Timbuktu, instead of the intended destination.

And isn’t that true in our own lives? Our emotions, our bodies, and our spirits may get off course by “negative winds” that we’ve let come in. They may have come in by the company we keep, the food choices we’ve made, some unhealthy habits, some compromising of our ethics and integrity, or literally missing the mark. Perhaps, it’s time for tweaking and correcting our course. The winds can certainly slow us down, and take us completely off course -- not to mention keep us from receiving the blessings that could have been ours if we were on track. Tomorrow, the Lenten season begins -- the 40 days that precedes the passion of Christ and Easter -- the time we deliberately focus our attention on getting it right – getting our hearts right. It’s the perfect time to make course corrections – where we make the adjustments necessary to be fully devoted followers of Christ. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10. I promise you….this is the stuff that helps us fly higher than we’ve EVER flown before.