Taking Hebron

(July 15th, 2013) Today I visited Hollywood for the first time. You hear a lot about Hollywood and all the sights. I got to see the large theaters, flashy signs and lights, the hand and foot prints forever captured in the sidewalk in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre, and I got to stroll down the walk of fame. As we explored the surroundings I passed over the many stars in the sidewalk, reading the names, and Revelation 21:21 came to mind. " ...and the street of the city was pure gold... " In our world gold is one of the most valuable things there is, but in heaven it is just pavement for the street. Fame like gold, is one of the most desired things in our culture. People live and die to be known. So I found the situation a little ironic. All those stars were just pavement under my feet. All their recognition and fame was as valuable as the sidewalk we were standing on. Our worth doesn't lie in the things we can achieve in the name of ourselves. Our worth ...

    And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. Matthew 10:38-39     One afternoon, Betsy and I were cleaning through some old books and stumbled upon a Bible study book that we had gone through with Allison and my mom at least 10 years ago! After having a good laugh at our love of highlighting! (Yes the whole chapter is highlighted because it ALL moved me! And highlighter with underlined pen! Now that REALLY moved me!) Then we discovered the prayer requests we had written down at the end of each chapter. Oh boy! If we laughed at the highlighter you've got to know we really laughed at this part! Now you can sit and kick yourself for being so pathetic in the past or you can just be thankful the Lord rescued you from that sorry place and move on! On this occasion we just laughed when we discovered that the number ...

  The other night I was looking through an old hymnal and discovered the last verse of the Star Spangled Banner.   Oh, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand Between their loved homes and the war's Desolation; Blest with vict'ry  and peace, may the heav'n rescued land Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserved us a nation. Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto "In God is our trust!" And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave!