What a God!

God, you pulled me out of the grave, gave me another chance at life when I was down-and-out. All you saints! Sing your hearts out to God! Thank him to his face! He gets angry once in a while, but across a lifetime there is only love. The nights of crying your eyes out give way to days of laughter. You did it: you changed wild lament into whirling dance; You ripped off my black mourning band and decked me with wildflowers. I'm about to burst with song; I can't keep quiet about you. God, my God, I can't thank you enough. (Psalm 30:3-5, 11, 12 MSG)

Thoughts from Whitney Houston's funeral

I'm streaming tears after hearing R. Kelly's rendition of Whitney Houston's last publicly available recorded song, "I Look to You." Whitney's life is a portrait of love and struggle. Her much publicized struggles easily blind us to the contrast of virtue and vice which we each are. Hers-ours- is a story of struggle yet grace. As we remember Whit's life, we need a revelation. We, the people we touch and relate with are people of struggle-people, not defined by their individual struggles but by our place as created beings-born to fill God's purpose and destiny. An honest appraisal of Whitney's life leads us to look inward and freshly reconsider where, who we are publicly and who we are in private do not synch. Whitney's addictions were well known, but ours are less known, whether they be the praise of others, personal ease, or other things; we each are addicts in some measure. Truth be told, we need to be honest with ourselves regarding where we are and where we're headed. Are our lives truly straight lines? Are we emptying our lives of what drains them? Duty, Christ's giving life, a heart for being our best requires we look to Christ to change us from the inside out. It was comforting to hear of Whitney's progress toward the end of her life-swimming, vocal exercises, kicking even cigarettes-preparing herself for a new break come August; at her life's sunset she was moving in the right direction. Ours is a simple responsibility. The onus on us is to continue becoming all we can be. Part of this is addressing the unseemly parts of us we know of and those blind spots others reveal to us. Listening to the song "Tomorrow" by the Winans reminds me of the first duty of every living human-to make sure of their standing with God. Heaven is available to all, who begin a personal relationship with Christ; but this is merely the beginning. To begin a walk with God is to begin a process of God-induced change, which the holy Spirit is powerful to help us make good on. Allow Christ to help you follow through on the personal development He is pouring into you. We are gifts to the world. Blessed bountifully, we need to ensure we are gifts that keep on giving by becoming the persons God destined us to be. His heart is that deep within we know that we're truly becoming all we ought be. Other will have their personal impressions of us, but are we growing, becoming, conquering as we should? Tomorrow may be too late. The time is today to tap Christ's power and morph into the mirror images of Christ we were created to be. What a special day to see Christ's Gospel preached freely on national television. His words-His life-is transforming. Let's start a revolution a- a revolution of honest, changed living-today.

Life in the Psalms-life close to God

Light, space, zest-that's God! So, with him on my side I'm fearless, afraid of no one and nothing. When besieged, I'm calm as a baby. When all hell breaks loose, I'm collected and cool. I'm asking God for one thing, only one thing: To live with him in his house my whole life long. I'll contemplate his beauty; I'll study at his feet. That's the only quiet, secure place in a noisy world, The perfect getaway, far from the buzz of traffic. God holds me head and shoulders above all who try to pull me down. I'm headed for his place to offer anthems that will raise the roof! Already I'm singing God-songs; I'm making music to God. Listen, God, I'm calling at the top of my lungs: "Be good to me! Answer me!" When my heart whispered, "Seek God," my whole being replied, "I'm seeking him!" Don't hide from me now! You've always been right there for me; don't turn your back on me now. Don't throw me out, don't abandon me; you've always kept the door open. Point me down your highway, God; direct me along a well-lighted street; show my enemies whose side you're on. Stay with God! Take heart. Don't quit. I'll say it again: Stay with God. (Psalm 27:1, 3-9, 11, 14 MSG)

Timeless wisdom

A sterling reputation is better than striking it rich; a gracious spirit is better than money in the bank. The payoff for meekness and Fear-of-God is plenty and honor and a satisfying life. Point your kids in the right direction-when they're old they won't be lost. Generous hands are blessed hands because they give bread to the poor. God loves the pure-hearted and well-spoken; good leaders also delight in their friendship. God guards knowledge with a passion, but he'll have nothing to do with deception. The mouth of a whore is a bottomless pit; you'll fall in that pit if you're on the outs with God. Exploit the poor or glad-hand the rich-whichever, you'll end up the poorer for it. The Thirty Precepts of the Sages Don't Move Back the Boundary Lines Don't gamble on the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, hocking your house against a lucky chance. Observe people who are good at their work-skilled workers are always in demand and admired; they don't take a back seat to anyone. (Proverbs 22:1, 4, 6, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 26, 29 MSG)

Instant inspiration

Clear my name, God; I've kept an honest shop. I've thrown in my lot with you, God, and I'm not budging. Examine me, God, from head to foot, order your battery of tests. Make sure I'm fit inside and out So I never lose sight of your love, But keep in step with you, never missing a beat. You know I've been aboveboard with you; now be aboveboard with me. I'm on the level with you, God; I bless you every chance I get. (Psalm 26:1-3, 11, 12 MSG)

Such great wisdom from Proverbs 21

Good leadership is a channel of water controlled by God; he directs it to whatever ends he chooses. We justify our actions by appearances; God examines our motives. Clean living before God and justice with our neighbors mean far more to God than religious performance. Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run; hurry and scurry puts you further behind. Make it to the top by lying and cheating; get paid with smoke and a promotion-to death! Mixed motives twist life into tangles; pure motives take you straight down the road. Do Your Best, Prepare for the Worst Wicked souls love to make trouble; they feel nothing for friends and neighbors. Simpletons only learn the hard way, but the wise learn by listening. A God-loyal person will see right through the wicked and undo the evil they've planned. If you stop your ears to the cries of the poor, your cries will go unheard, unanswered. A quietly given gift soothes an irritable person; a heartfelt present cools a hot temper. Whoever wanders off the straight and narrow ends up in a congregation of ghosts. You're addicted to thrills? What an empty life! The pursuit of pleasure is never satisfied. What a bad person plots against the good, boomerangs; the plotter gets it in the end. Whoever goes hunting for what is right and kind finds life itself-glorious life! One sage entered a whole city of armed soldiers-their trusted defenses fell to pieces! Watch your words and hold your tongue; you'll save yourself a lot of grief. You know their names-Brash, Impudent, Blasphemer-intemperate hotheads, every one. Sinners are always wanting what they don't have; the God-loyal are always giving what they do have. Religious performance by the wicked stinks; it's even worse when they use it to get ahead. Unscrupulous people fake it a lot; honest people are sure of their steps. Nothing clever, nothing conceived, nothing contrived, can get the better of God. Do your best, prepare for the worst-then trust God to bring victory. (Proverbs 21:1-3, 5, 6, 8, 10-14, 16-18, 21-24, 26, 27, 29-31 MSG)