I Know What I Should Do ....

Have you ever thought, "why does everyone seem to have their act together - everyone but me?"

Well there's a dirty little secret out there ........  listen ..... listen to me ...... here it is:  No one has their act together  - they just pretend to, and / or - they get lucky.   

Some of us think we know what to do - all the time.  Some of us never know what to do - ever.  The rest of us fall in the middle somewhere.

For instance, I took this picture in San Diego about a year ago.  Someone may look at this and say: "wow - your a good photographer - how do you do it?"  I didn't do anything, I got lucky. I have a crummy camera and I pointed it, and snapped the shutter.  I think it's because its such a rotten camera that the picture looks good - for some reason - less is more sometimes (MOST of the time!).  And sometimes you just have to raise the camera and take a shot - and hope for the best.  (the picture might look better if I 'photoshop' it - but I prefer the real thing - always).
      
What are you going to do?  It's a new year, January is coming to an end already.   Everyone is wondering the same thing:  "What am I going to do?"   And while you wonder, the weeks click by.
 
On the other end of the spectrum are those people who seem to know exactly what to do - all the time - they have the answer.  I generally don't like these people.  Be careful that you think you know too much.  Stop putting so much faith in yourself!  Sounds wrong doesn't it?  The world tells us to have faith in ourselves - to follow our dreams - BELIEVE!.  There's nothing really wrong with that until we trust ourselves too much.
         
To quote Oswald Chambers (Jan 29):  "God has to destroy our determined confidence in our own convictions.  We say, "I know that this is what I should do" -  and suddenly the voice of God speaks in a way that overwhelms us by revealing the depths of our ignorance."

Trust Him - alone.  And to hear what he's saying, we need to read His Word (a lot) and ask Him for wisdom and to speak to us directly.  And then take the shot.    
       


  

My Dad @ 80

In 1930, somewhere in New York, Donald Edward Kanaley was born.  Now, he's EIGHTY (80!) and he's been my dad for over 50 years.
 
(fyi, in this picture, he's not 80 yet).
   
Turns out, he came from a broken home.  I never met his father, my grandfather.   Things happen.  People make decisions.  It happened back then, and it happens today.  You think things are tough now, but they were tougher back then.
   
When he was 20 years old - someone walked into dad's life:  Jesus.  He told him to 'follow me', and dad was obediant - like Peter and Paul.  From that day on, dad followed - sometimes blindly, by faith alone.  And he's still following.  Some people think that's an easy road (walking with the Lord) - I know - I hear them, I've talked to them  (but I don't tolerate them much).  It's the HARD road, the narrow road.  A life lived for Christ is anything but easy.  It's joyful when you're walking with Him, but miserable in ways you can't imagine (and until you've done it, you'll not understand the paradox of it).  The world despises you, loathes you, laughs at you, mocks you.  Outside the US, they simply kill you for being a Christian.  No big deal, thousands a day. 
 
Like the Israelites in the desert leaving Egypt, God gave them enough bread to eat for one day at a time - that's it.  It forced them to trust Him everyday and to not look past that day.  So too, with dad it seems - always given enough to survive on for the day.  The result has been amazing to watch over the years.  He's been taken care of.  And the family has grown to some 17 or 18 grandkids and 23 or so great grandkids (I can't keep track).

None of it came easy and none of it was simple (and never will be).  But the result has been grand.  So hang in there and keep on pushing - stay on the narrow path - the tough path.  Don't ever give up!

Dad is our example that Christ takes care of his flock.
     

   


 
    
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