Sunday, March 21, 2010

STRETCHING THE GAS


A few years ago I rode one of my motorcycles
out to the west coast to visit with my kids. This
particular motorcycle has only a five gallon gas
tank on it. It's not like that land yacht you drive
around town with a huge gas tank. With only
five gallons you learn to measure out your gas
stops, and often. So I worked on about
one hundred and fifty miles between gas stops.
This gave me a margin of safety.
I left the Ozarks the last day of February. So
it would have been the first day of march that I
was out in west Texas. It was a Sunday afternoon.
In that part of Texas it can be a loooooong way
between towns, and the wind was blowing like
crazy. When I went through Pecos on Hwy 20,
it was so windy I had to lean the bike into the
wind just to stay on the road. Now if you drive
anything other than a golf cart, you know that
can be real hard on gas mileage.

I was getting low on gas. But seeing a sign that
another town was only about fifteen miles or so
ahead, I decided to push on to it. That would
leave me a little extra gas for that real long
stretch coming up.
When I pulled into that little town I found two
gas stations. One was boarded up. The other
was locked up. Ouch.

So I pulled back up onto the Hwy. looking for
a sign to see how far to the next town. Ninety
miles - almost out of gas, and no place to turn
around.

By now I was praying at about the same pace
I was breathing. I needed to go back to Pecos.
But could I make it?

The Lord let me see a small side road that went
back to the last small town. Then He let me find
a place where I could ride on the dirt over to that
small road.

As I was returning on that small road I noticed
something. The sun had come out. AND the wind
had quit blowing. Praise God. So I continued to
ease - as in eeeeease very carefully - back to the
small town and back up onto the return side of
Hwy 20.

All the way back to Pecos the sun shone. There
was absolutely no wind. It made a beautiful
Sunday after noon (but slow) ride, with lot's of
prayer.

The Lord let me get back to Pecos and find a
gas station. While the gas nozzle was in my
tank filling up - the wind returned so hard it
almost blew my bike over just setting there.
Praise God. He even controlled the weather
to help this little old guy.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

MULTI-TASKING CHRISTIANS ?


It began several decades ago. Some friends
declared that talking while they work did not
effect their work. So I began to watch.
I noticed that when they were working and talking, they had to begin again and redo
things a lot more than when they were not talking. Maybe it's just in the definition!!!!

Today it has become very popular to "multi-task".
But does it work? Consider an article from the
Los Angeles Times back on July 19, 2004.
"Multi-tasking, for most Americans, has become a
way of life."...

"But researchers peering into the brains of those
engaged in several tasks at once are concluding what
some overworked Americans had begun to suspect:
that multi-tasking, which many have embraced as the
key to success, is instead a formula for shoddy work,
mismanaged time, rote solutions, stress and
forgetfulness. Not to mention car crashes, kitchen
fires, forgotten children, near misses in the skies and
other dangers of inattention."

It comes as no surprise that there are a huge number
of articles about multi-tasking not working, at least
well. Each time we add a task to the one we are doing,
we are distracted to a greater degree from the task at
hand. The solution is obvious. FOCUS.

A couple of quotes from the business world. Their
interest is success in business, or finance. But the
trues apply in the spiritual realm as well.

"The secret of success is focus. It is the one secret
that ties everything together. According to the law
of attraction, what you focus on is what you get."
-Enoch Tan in Dream manifesto.

Terri Zwierzynski in Solo Entrepreneur states,
"O: 'How to stay focused?'
A: One easy way to get and stay focused is to
have less to focus on!"

The girl is right on. It is so obvious it is almost
funny.

What does all of this have to do with living for God?
A Christian wants to get close to God. As it were, to
walk hand in hand with Him through life. (I hope.)
So God tells us how.

"Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.
Cleanse our hands, ye sinners; and purify your heats,
ye double minded."
-James 4:8 KJV (Emphasis mine.)

See that "double minded". Dear old brother James
Strong tells us that double minded is,
"Two-spirited, i.e. Vacillating (in opinion or purpose)"
Hey. That's multi-tasking. That's unfocused.

The apostle John says's it a little different.
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in
the world. If any man love the world, the love of
the Father is not in him."
-1 John 2:15 KJV

When we have divided interest; money, ambition,
success, enjoyment, toys, honor, entertainment,
more things, fun etc., etc., etc. And trying to live
for God. We are multi-tasking. AND IT DON'T
WORK.

Jesus said,
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness;"
-Matthew 6:33 KJV
The apostle Paul was such an outstanding success
in living for and serving God because; his attitude
and example was,
"... but this one thing I do..."
-Philippians 3:13 KJV

Yes, I had to follow Terri's advice. Drop some things
so that there would be less to focus on. I do not need
every thing my little heart or mind desires. I do not
need every comfort or convenience there is. BUT I DO
NEED JESUS.