Awe Factor

We serve an incredible God! Just one look at His creation reveals to us His incredible majesty and power. Consider for a moment some amazing facts about our planet.

A caterpillar has 228 separate and distinct muscles in its head. The average elm tree has approximately 6 million leaves on it. Your heart generates enough pressure as it pumps blood throughout your body that it could squirt blood up to 30 feet. There are 3000 different species of trees in one square mile of the Amazon forest.

Spiders produce 3 different kinds of silk. They can create 60 feet of silk per hour while simultaneously producing special oil on their feet that protects them from sticking to their own web. Coral plants are so sensitive that they can die if the water temperature varies by even one or two degrees. When we get goose bumps, the hair in your follicles is actually helping you stay warmer by trapping body heat.

Do you get the idea? Wow! And this is just a small sampling!

R. C. Sproul once wrote, "Men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God."

Let's take these words to heart. If God is this amazing, isn't he big enough to take care of you?

Nature facts taken from Crazy Love by Francis Chan (c) 2008

Love Your Frenemies

Each year, a new set of words is added to the dictionary. Altogether, 25 words were picked in 2009 to join the ever expanding English language, some of which include vlog, earmark, pharmacogenetics, sock puppet and more. As I read through the list, there was one word that really jumped out at me: frenemy.

A frenemy is one who pretends to be a friend but is actually an enemy. Do you have any of these? These are people who flower you with niceties to your face and then say mean things about you behind your back. Yikes!

God's word is very clear about how we should respond to our frenemies. Mt. 5:44 tells us that we are to "love our (fr)enemies" How is this possible? I ran across some great thoughts on this from a study by Doug Britton called Let Jesus Transform Your Heart.

• Realize that you may have misinterpreted the other person's words.
• Realize that you may be right: The other person may be your enemy.
• Determine what part you played in the problem.
• See problems as opportunities to grow in Christ.
• Forgive . . . even if your enemy does not apologize.
• Pray for your enemies.

I hope these practical tips help you deal with your frenemies as much as they have helped me deal with mine. Be strong in the Lord, my friend!

Some Skunk Funk

This one is for all you jazz lovers! Wow! Click here.