This . . .
I met "Tami" at IHOP (International House Of Prayer) just one time thru my daughter, Tarah in Kansas City.
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I don't know Tami at all, but this is a really good post.
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This is That . . .
http://1life4him.blogspot.com///

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We have a fairly large, lighted nativity scene in our front yard. Our neighbor said she was out with her dog about 11:00 last night and saw a deer standing by the stable with the other animals.
Jesus didn't seem to mind.
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That . . .
Taylor and I climbed up into the Methodist Church bell tower tonight, to try and take pictures of the Christmas Parade in the dark. It is a rather treacherous and un-nerving climb straight up a pipe rung ladder to the top and the actual climb while carrying a flashlight, camera bag and tripod became "the event" rather than the parade. A look over one of the sides is a long way to the bottom, and as I say, "Makes my groin hurt".
I couldn't help but think of the words of Jesus . . . Low, I am with you always . . . Yikes!
When we got down, and outside, Taylor said he was going to just walk home and enjoy having both feet in contact with the ground.
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This is That . . .
Sometimes I just sit in silence before God and attempt to hear what it is He would like to say to me. In times past, I have often avoided doing this because I already knew what he was saying and I didn't want to hear it. Now, I long to live in obedience, because I know that hungering after righteouseness is a key to having God draw near. Even if I fall short, I know God is pleased with the yes in my spirit.
I enjoy sitting in His presence even if neither one of us says anything. There is a certain dimension of excitement involved in drawing near to God. I think it was Lucy who said to Aslan, "He is not safe, but He is good". He's a billion volts and I'm just 110 or maybe just a single AAA battery. My Heavenly Father created the universe . . . Big Stuff! Yet, He thinks of me. He loves me, He has plans to partner with me and to be with me.
And so I say, "God, I desire your presence. I ask that you would draw near and manifest your presence to me. But be gentle . . . for you are great and terribly wonderful while I am quite small, and only desiring to be with you, to hear your voice, and to be more and more like you. One more thing God, in light of your great power and majesty, I am so thankful that you are GOOD."
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Hey Curt, thanks for commenting. See you Sunday.

Elijah's Birthday

This . . .
My son Nathan and his wife Amy had a great birthday celebration for their son Elijah's first birthday this weekend. All of Nathan's immediate family (9) and Amy's (11) were on hand for lunch before the real party at 2:00. Nathan and Amy wanted Eli to open a special present while all of our families were there and before all the others arrived.
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That . . .
The gift was just a t-shirt.
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This is That . . .
The front of the t-shirt said , "Vote Eli, for best big brother".
The back said, "Available for office July 2007".
What a way to spring the good news to all 20 family members at one time!
Eli is no longer the best grandchild ever . . . He is just one of the best.
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I love Nathan. I love Amy. And I love both of my grandchildren.
Two more kids of the Kingdom! I'm callin' em in.

This . . .
Another Thanksgiving has come and has now went. It was a good day. I mowed the front yard this morning. After one pass, the riding mower let out a loud excruciating groan and then died. It didn't sound good. It is kind of sad to think it may have mowed it's last. All the neighbors were gone today, but there was plenty of family here to help push the mower up the hill to it's resting place. After a moment of silence, we went inside and ate turkey.
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That . . .
We put up "The" Nativity Scene today as well. The main crew consisted of Nathan, Elliott, my brother-in-law Brian, and myself. Taylor was cooking the turkey, my sister Jeanette was helping mom cook the best Thanksgiving Day Dinner ever, Tarah was holding Elijah and helping to properly align the nativity characters, while Amy and Lee Ann caught a nap. The stable was put up with care, the camels, wisemen, sheep and shepherds all looked just right in their places and Mary and Joseph were stategically placed with an angel looking on and the "Star" giving it's light. There was only one problem. The baby Jesus seemed to be a little too far back in the stable. Think about that for a minute. Everyone and everything placed just right, but Jesus too far in the background.
Selah.
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This is That . . .
Tomorrow we are all heading for Little Rock to watch the Razorback game at Nathan and Amy's - "Go, Hogs!" Then tomorrow night is "Fire in the Night" . . . a prayer meeting from 10:00 p.m. til ? at Journey in LR. Saturday is my grandson Elijah's Birthday bash - again at Nathan and Amy's. I think all of the relatives from both sides of the family will be there to celebrate Eli's first birthday, so I am going to try and behave myself.
Right now, bed sounds really good . . . thank you, Jesus, for a blessed day . . . later.

Jesus . . .
Take my heart . . . and come consume it.
Take my life and come and ruin it . . . with love.
To you, oh Lord, I lift up my soul, just as I am.
I come to you and in you I place my trust.
You are the one true God - There is no other.
The only one who really, really knows me.
Take my heart into your hands and make it . . . yours alone.
I put my trust in you and I will not be put to shame.
No one . . . who waits on you . . . will ever be put to shame.
I will wait.
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I want to be free - from everything - that keeps me - from loving you.
Whatever it takes - take it away - all that hinders love.
Show me your way, teach me your path;
Lead me in truth . . . I will follow you.
Steadfast, Steadfast, Steadfast, Steadfast.
Allure me with your love . . . I will follow you where ever you lead.
Show me the way, I am a lover of the day;
A seeker of the way, a lover of truth.
Your eyes are Radiating, Radiating, Radiating.
Guide me with your eyes. Guide me with your light.
This is the way - show me; This is the path to life.
Guide me with your eyes.
Open up my eyes, the eye of my understanding.
I cannot find my way alone.
You are the keeper, the keeper of the flame;
You are the shepherd, the shepherd of my heart.
Show me your way, teach me your path.

This . . .
Did you know that today is the 50th Anniversary of Spam? You know, the canned meat people. I understand that they are really celebrating in a big way by making another batch.
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That . . .
I grew up in Colby, Kansas, a small western Kansas town on Interstate 70 about 50 miles from the Colorado line. You probably stopped by or drove right past on your way to Colorado some time or another.
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Back in about 1960, the new "Colby Community Building" was the talk of Western Kansas. It had a fabulous basketball court with seating for about 1,500 people. It was a great thing for Colby High School to play their basketball games there. In the beginning, as each traveling basketball team would walk out onto that court for the first time, their eyes would pop and their jaws would drop just at the sight.
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After football, there were two sports to choose from for Colby sports enthusiasts, basketball and wrestling. I played basketball, but really enjoyed going to wrestling matches - great sport and fun to watch. Colby was primarily a basketball town, but some towns in our league held wrestling at the highest esteem. St. Francis was such a town. To play on the St. Francis basketball team was cool, but to be on the St. Francis wrestling team was WAY cool.
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Back to the Community Building. My dad owned the "Prairie Drummer" newspaper in Colby. He sold the advertising, wrote the news, took the pictures, set the type, drove to have the paper printed, hand addressed each paper, and took it to the post office to be mailed. As these basketball teams came to the Community Building for the first time, he liked to be there to take a picture and take down a quote or two. So it was when the St. Francis basketball team walked on the court for the first time. As always, everyone was wide eyed as they walked in while turning around at the same time, trying to take it all in. No one said anything for awhile, but just stood aghast. Then finally one of their star basketball players finally spoke. "Wow!" he said, "How would you like to wrestle here!"
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This is That . . .
I went to the Arkansas - Tennessee football game last week in Fayetteville. The town was all a buzz. Red everywhere and hog calls near and far. It is always a bit overwhelming to walk in to a stadium of 70,000 screaming people. I couldn't help but think that God knew each one there before they were in their mother's womb . . .the two drunk guys I was sitting by and even the one person who was sitting up in the very corner of the upper deck which was outside the lighted part of the stadium. I really was excited about the game, but here is what I was thinking. "Wow, what would it be like to worship here!"
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I believe that a time of "Stadium Christianity" is coming. A time when God rends the heavens and comes down and the response is so great that the only place large enough to accomodate is in a place like Razorback Stadium. Radical worship! Preaching with great power to transform lives! Prophetic singers and dancers as in the courts of David! No disease known to man will stand! Many believers will remain outside to leave room on the inside for unbelievers and the sick! And then revival will break out on the outside of the stadium as well! And all glory and honor will be given to Jesus!
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Could this happen? Could an end time revival lead us to a place of such a scene? I believe that it could and that such a time as this is coming. It is worth praying for . . . for sure.
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Have a great Thanksgiving . . . celebrate by eating a can of spam out of the new batch.
And if you don't know Jesus - "Today is the day of salvation".

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So what are you going to get your Dad for Christmas?
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I miss my Dad. I miss all the trouble he could get into by standing up for things he believed. I miss his friendship, his wisdom, his encouragement, his Christian witness, his humor, the tear that could often be found in his eye, his handshake, his hug, and his love.
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This is That . . .
My Dad, William Ezra Theron James better known as W. T. James, was a writer. I ran across this essay of sorts the other night, and just wanted to share it. Dad would have loved this blogging stuff, particularly if he could have done it on his old manual typewriter.
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The first time I went to church, I was 19 years old. My family had never gone to church when I was a boy, growing up in the Ozarks of north Arkansas, and in Lawrence, Kansas, where we moved in 1932. It wasn't until I was in the Navy, stationed in Hawaii that a friend talked me into going to the Catholic church with him. At that time most of the Catholic service was in Latin, and the whole thing was Greek to me.
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The next time I attended church was after I married Arlene. I went a couple of times, but didn't like it because they wouldn't let me smoke during the service. It was asking too much of me to go without a cigarette the whole hour, and I felt silly going out for a smoke during the service.
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So I started staying home. Arlene continued to go, and after we had our two children, she took them with her. That was great with me. because that gave me almost the whole morning to myself. I'd loaf around the house, and if I had had a bad night the night before, I'd go ahead and have a couple of drinks to sober up on without any fuss from Arlene.
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Then Jerry spoiled it all for me. He got wise to the fact that I wasn't going to Sunday School and church, so why should he? He made such a fuss about it, that I finally said, "Why make him go to church if he doesn't want to. I know the Bible says, 'suffer, little children, come unto me!' but that doesn't mean that he has to . . . suffer, that is."
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So Jerry stayed home with me and we let the women go to Sunday School and church. We had a great time! Until the next week. I mean a cold front moved into our house. Arlene couldn't get it off her mind. That's all we talked about all week long. By the next Sunday, I was ready to go to Sunday School and church. Arlene had had her fill of all that nonsense!
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So I started going to Sunday School and church, and after a couple of months the preacher got after me, and before I knew what was happening, I was scheduled to join the Colby United Methodist Church. Jerry who was 7, our daughter Jeanette who was 10, and I were all baptized one Saturday afternoon, and I joined the church the next Sunday.
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Immediately I began to work my way into Heaven! I took every job they asked me to the next six years. I was a Sunday School teacher, Sunday School Superintendent, then I moved up to vice-president of the Administrative Board, and chairman of the Evangelism Committee.
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As chairman of the Evangelism Committee, I helped organize a five day revival with an evangelist from Dallas, Texas. ON THE LAST DAY OF THE REVIVAL, I WAS SAVED! What a night that was! Back in those days I never did anything halfway, and being saved was no different. I bawled all the way to the altar, flung myself on my knees, and continued to cry. I had a lifetime of sins to repent of, and the only way I knew to do it was to bawl my eyes out. The preacher asked me what I had on my mind, and that really set me off! I think I scared the people of that church half to death! I don't think they had ever seen a man get saved quite the way I did!
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My entire life was changed. I became a FAMILY MAN, written in all caps! About this time Jerry was in junior high, playing football and basketball. We had always had a good relationship, but the more he got involved in sports, the more we had to talk about. Jerry only played football one season before he broke a finger. After that, it was basketball, track and cross country.
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At the time I was saved, Jerry was in the 7th grade, playing football and basketball. He had a very nervous stomach, and on game days, he would always throw-up at the beginning of first period. He was reluctant to tell the teacher he was sick, because they might not let him play that day. So he would keep it to himself and hang on as long as he could and then . . . throw-up.
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This went on until he was in the 8th grade. The kids in his first hour class would not sit near him, and the teacher continually would say, "Jerry, if you get to feeling sick, please leave the room. Do NOT throw-up in here!" Jerry would assure the teacher that he was feeling fine, then ten minutes later would lean over and throw up on the floor. He didn't break any distance records, but he was very consistant.
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Before every game, he would throw-up during first period. You can imagine that he was very embarrassed about it. He would never eat breakfast with us on game day, but would be off by himself. It was very nice out this one morning, so we had the back door open while we ate breakfast. I could look outside on the back porch and see Jerry hunched over with his head in his hands, looking very dejected. I went out and asked him what was worrying him. "I hate throwing up in school," he said. "But I really want to play in the game."
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It was silent for a moment and then I asked, "Do you want to pray about it?" His eyes lightened up and he said, "Yes!" Well we did. And let me tell you, the morning sun turned especially bright, as I watched him walk off to school with a peace in his heart and a bounce in his step!
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I love you, Dad.

This . . .
I believe praise is given to God for what He has done, is doing, and is going to do.
I praise Him for creation; for His mighty acts of deliverance; for healing; for provision; for protection; for His love, mercy and kindness; for His plan of salvation; for His son Jesus and His blood that was shed; for the good plans He has for me; and more.
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I believe we worship God for WHO He is. He is good; He is holy (completely other than), He is love; He is merciful; He is sovereign; He is righteous in His leadership and judgements; He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him; He is worthy; He is God.
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This is That . . .
God calls us to endure because our relationship with Him is ongoing. We are to knock and keep knocking. We are to ask and keep asking. We are to seek and keep seeking. It is not like a one time purchase of bread and wine, but a continual pursuit of a loving relationship with Him. We sign up, and then fall short, so we sign up again, and again, and again. This is endurance. When trouble comes, we run to Him and not away from Him. We put a big YES in our spirit and say no matter what God, I want to be with you and not against you. I will not turn aside or turn back, but I will press in, I will press on. As we draw near, He draws near. Step after step, He guides us. This is not about works, but about our hearts being ever drawn to Him in love.
He who endures to the end, will be saved.