Crossroads Celebration Church

I was standing at the Crosswalk this morning again. It’s been six weeks crossing kids on their way to school and standing with four 6th graders waiting for the bus to pick them up at this corner. Kaylee said, you have your ear pierced. 30 days of standing together for ten minutes a day and she finally realizes my ear is pierced.

Observation. I remember vividly twenty years ago standing at my living room window one wintry Sunday morning. A squirrel passed by with what seemed to be a mouse in its mouth. Then came back empty. Again came by with something in it’s mouth. I finally realized the this was a mother squirrel moving her babies. It is the only time I have seen something like this. I was moved to tears at this scene. What a thing to observe.

One vacation morning we packed up the camper in the dark and headed out onto interstate out west before the sun rose. As the sun was rising, the sage brush had this emerald glow to it like the Wizard of Oz. Had we travelled this highway in the day it would not have been so amazingly beautiful. What a thing to observe.

Are you awake? Are you alive? Are your senses alert to the movement of God all around us. Even in our own back yards [and front yards] we can see things out of the ordinary, life happening and God moving. Are you experiencing life? Try going a different route to work today. Turn your head and look left if you happen to always look right. Be aware of your surroundings and ask God to reveal Himself in the things around you. Ask God to reveal new and fresh insights in your self.

God is still at work. God is still mysterious and miraculous. Pray for God to breath new life and insight into you today.

This spring and summer I have been out walking the lake area with my friend, Doc. Both of us enjoy a good walk and both of us have had some scouting experience. I know the sight and sound of a blue jay, robin and cardinal. But Doc knows way more birds and bird sounds than I will ever know.

He has records of bird songs and has memorized them. In fact, Doc, knows so much trivial kind of stuff I told him he needs to be on Jeopardy or Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Or I can go on and he can be my lifeline.

Doc showed me birds, local birds, that I was not aware of. I had my camera and sure enough there was a bird high up in the trees that Doc heard and then we spotted. This happened several times on our walks through the woods.

This got me to thinking about God and creation and the mysteries of the universe. It seems like those who do not believe in God or think there is some kind of evolution are like me. I know a few things, a couple birds and bird songs, but am very limited. Doc, is like those who have had more experience first hand with God. They’ve studied a few more things and memorized certain things that increase their knowledge.

I think if those who do not know God would do a little more research, expand their local world, and be open to knowing that there is more to this world than they might know or see, they might find God. I am amazed at what Doc knows, but even he is human and limited. What if I learned from others who know more about birds, I would find further knowledge about birds. What if we took this approach to finding out about God? All this time I was satisfied with knowing a few birds and bird songs, but now I know there is more, even in my own back yard.

God is a God of great mystery, but to those who have the interest, God is a God of great revelation. God gives glimpses of Himself as we need. Not any more than we can handle. If we had the full revelation of God, we could not handle it.

I hope you are open to finding out more about this world, even starting in your own back yard. I hope that you find interesting people who have a different knowledge base than you, so you can learn from their knowledge. And in being open to all things, I hope that God reveals more of Himself to you. Whether you know God or not.

I am glad to know Doc. I you want to talk with him, come and join us in our place of worship – Crossroads Church in Ankeny, Iowa.