21 days till...

           Guess what! They finally pulled the plug on the Buick! Yeah, sent it right on to Buick heaven. I know it went to heaven because I would hate to think that anything that spent that much time with me didn’t know Jesus. And with the boatload of cash (hahahahahaha) that they sent me for the Buick I bought an F-150 truck. Same color as the Buick so the world isn’t completely off kilter just yet!

            Guess what else! Today is December 11^th. You know what that means right? 21 Days till a new year is here. Big year ahead for the Bryant household. Kelcey starts the final journey on her Nuke Med degree. Jordan graduates High School and starts college. I have 3, count’em, 3 mission trips that I am already looking at going on. I’ll have another niece in the family. It’s crazy stuff. What do you have going on? Have you thought about all the changes that happened in your life in 2012 and what a year can do? Boy I have!

            Would you like some guidance on how to start 2013 with a bang, or a whisper? I have some thoughts. Wanna hear’em? If not you better stop reading cuz ya know I’m bringin it!!!!!

            What seems like millenniums ago I got hurt playing basketball. It hurt like, you know what, and I went to an afterhour’s clinic and was referred to an orthopedic surgeon. Without the boring details between here is what happened. Ortho said knee felt strong but symptoms said something else. MRI said ACL was ruptured and options were given. I decided on surgery.

            The doctor explained that I was about to endure one of the most painful procedures that according to some women he had treated said rivaled childbirth (the only women to argue this is women who haven’t had both). Dr. Thomas also said that before the procedure that I needed to go to therapy to build up the muscles surrounding my knee so that recovery would be quicker. So here was the story. I was about to endure something painful. There was no way to stop the pain but there was a way that I could make it through and come out better. That way was called preparation.

            Transition back to the fact that there are 21 days until a New Year, the New Year will bring changes and some will be painful and some will be joyful and it takes approximately 21 days to create lasting habits. Here is what I propose…

            Start today and create a window in your day that you spend with your heavenly Father. A window is all I am suggesting to start. Not a door or a road but just a little window. I would suggest just 15 minutes if you have never done this before. This will begin your preparation for your big year or maybe, for your big life! Now is the perfect time to buy!!!!! Sorry, been listening to too many advertisements. Now is the best time to start. New Year’s resolution comes early.  Let’s face it. You and I have no idea what tomorrow holds or next month or even next year but if we look to the past we know that there very well  could be joy and there could be loss.

            (You must read this as a radio advertisement would sound for full effect) If you start now, we’ll throw in a lifetime supply of peace. And for the next 20 callers, we will give you a proverb every day, every month. More wisdom than you can contain just for spending the next 21 days making your life better because you got to know the God of the ages! What do you have to lose other than the 15 minutes that you and I both know you would have wasted on Facebook, Twitter or who knows what else! Mornings work best for me but afternoons, evenings, or nights are available. He is available 24 hours a day and He wants to connect with you!

            I have heard or at least used, all the excuses but I know this also; I make time for the things that I want to do and that I think are important. I make time to take my family to church on Sunday mornings because it’s important to me. I even take time to watch my favorite TV shows because it’s important to me. I make time for God because I want my life and not just my lips to express His goodness!

            Only in America are we so naïve to purchase something where the seller flaunts it in our face how much money they’re making off of us and we still buy it but someone offers us something that costs no money but is guaranteed to help and we blow it off as crazy!

“If you buy today, I am making so much money that I can afford to give you an ipad and still laugh at you all the way to the bank!”

“From now till eternity if you buy one pair of shoes I’ll show you how overpriced we are by giving you half off the next pair and I still make loads of money”

“Or my favorite, this car, today only, we’ll give you $7000 off just because its Christmas and we want to help you help make us incredibly wealthy. And not just one of us, all of us here at ‘Makin Bank Everyday Auto’ ”

            Here is all I am offering. A guarantee that if you will get to know God and His son, Jesus, that you will have a better life. A guarantee that if you will stop reading the media and Hollywood’s version of a Christian and see how Jesus lived and acted for yourself and start implementing that into your life that you will be a better person. A guarantee that joys will be more intense because of your hope and burdens will be lighter because you aren’t carrying them alone. A guarantee that your family life will be better. You will be a better father, mother, husband, wife, son, daughter, man or woman because of Jesus Christ. Wanna put Christ back in Christmas, then put him first in your life. You can either re-post a status or you can re-up your commitment! You can Tweet or you can live loud!

            21 days starts now! Don’t wait. Start today! Here is what I read this morning. How’s that for a motivational talk…

Proverbs 11 The Lord detests the use of dishonest scales,
but he delights in accurate weights.

² Pride leads to disgrace,
but with humility comes wisdom.

³ Honesty guides good people;
dishonesty destroys treacherous people.

⁴ Riches won’t help on the day of judgment,
but right living can save you from death.

⁵ The godly are directed by honesty;
the wicked fall beneath their load of sin.

⁶ The godliness of good people rescues them;
the ambition of treacherous people traps them.

⁷ When the wicked die, their hopes die with them,
for they rely on their own feeble strength.

⁸ The godly are rescued from trouble,
and it falls on the wicked instead.

⁹ With their words, the godless destroy their friends,
but knowledge will rescue the righteous.

¹⁰ The whole city celebrates when the godly succeed;
they shout for joy when the wicked die.

¹¹ Upright citizens are good for a city and make it prosper,
but the talk of the wicked tears it apart.

¹² It is foolish to belittle one’s neighbor;
a sensible person keeps quiet.

¹³ A gossip goes around telling secrets,
but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence.

¹⁴ Without wise leadership, a nation falls;
there is safety in having many advisers.

¹⁵ There’s danger in putting up security for a stranger’s debt;
it’s safer not to guarantee another person’s debt.

¹⁶ A gracious woman gains respect,
but ruthless men gain only wealth.

¹⁷ Your kindness will reward you,
but your cruelty will destroy you.

¹⁸ Evil people get rich for the moment,
but the reward of the godly will last.

¹⁹ Godly people find life;
evil people find death.

²⁰ The Lord detests people with crooked hearts,
but he delights in those with integrity.

²¹ Evil people will surely be punished,
but the children of the godly will go free.

²² A beautiful woman who lacks discretion
is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout.

²³ The godly can look forward to a reward,
while the wicked can expect only judgment.

²⁴ Give freely and become more wealthy;
be stingy and lose everything.

            The new you starts today, day 1 of 21!

            Pastor Dad