The origin of “hook me up”

The slang today of “hookin’ me up” or being “hooked up” isn’t the brainchild of some young urban linguistician. It is a biblical term..just slightly modified.
Webster’s definitions:
* an agency of oppression, subjection, servitude, etc.
* an emblem or symbol of subjection, servitude, slavery, etc., as an archway under which prisoners of war were compelled to pass by the ancient Romans and others.
* something that couples or binds together; a bond or tie.
* something that couples or binds together; a bond or tie; a viselike piece gripping two parts firmly together

Matthew 11:28-30
NKJV : Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
(Amplified Bible) 28Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] 29Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. 30For My yoke is wholesome (useful,good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.

Feeling overwhelmed? Unsure of your path? Direction not clear? Then accept the invitation of Jesus to yoke with Him. It isn’t natural for you to bend yourself into a submissive posture and be placed into a yoke. Words such as restricting come to mind. But when you willingly choose to yoke with Jesus it isn’t restrictive at all. He is telling us, our burdens will lighten and we’ll find rest, regardless of our current situation, if we rest in Him. How do we do that? Submit to His will. How to do that? He says to learn of Him. Become more like Him for He is gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart.
Jesus is the ultimate hookup..so yoke up!

Walk the Talk

In David Jeremiah's book Signs of Life, he referenced two authors's work that I thought great to pass along: (one in previous blog)

The poet Edgar Guest once wrote:

I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day.
I'd rather one would walk with me than merely show the way.
The eye's a better pupil and much sharper than the ear.
Fine counsel can confuse me, but example's always clear.
The lecture you deliver may be very wise and true,
But I'd rather get my lesson by observing what you do.

The Power of a Consistent Life

In David Jeremiah's book Signs of Life, he referenced two authors's work that I thought great to pass along: (one below, the other to follow)
First, in his book Ten mistakes Parents Make with Teenagers, Jay Kesler describes a conversation he had with a young lady at a youth camp. She told him of long-term abuse and a dysfunctional home life. As they talked he noticed scars on her wrists. She admitted she had tried to kill herself. "Why didn't you do it?" Jay asked. "Well, I got to thinking," said the girl. "We have a youth pastor at our church--". At first Jay thought he was going to hear some ugly story about her involvement with a youth pastor. But that wasn't it at all. She said of the youth pastor, "He'd just gotten married before he came to our church and I've been watching him. When he is standing in line with his wife, he squeezes her hand. They look at each other and they hug..right there in church! One day I was sitting in the pastor's study and looked out the window, and the youth pastor was walking his wife out to the parking lot. Now there were no others cars around, no one was nearby, nobody was looking. And that guy walked all the way around the car and opened the door and let her in. And then he went around the car and got in himself. He did that and nobody was around to see."
Jay, thought that was a nice story, but he couldn't make the connection between that, her problems at home, or her attempted suicide. So he asked why this was so significant. She replied" I just got to thinking that all men must not be like my dad, huh?" Then she said, "Jay do you suppose our youth pastor is a Christian?"
I told her yes. "Well, that's why I came here tonight", she said. "I want to be a Christian too." She wanted to be a Christian simply because she saw a man being respectful to his wife even when no one was looking. Thats the power of a consistent life.

Lesson NOT learned

Archery is a new thing for the fellas here at the Ketchie house. We have a shooting range out back with hay bales, targets and bows and arrows. It looks like a lot of fun. But not for me. The first time I shot, I somehow got my upper arm in the way and I thought I would scream it hurt so badly. I was wearing the armguard but on the forearm (where it belongs!) but not a lot of good it did there.

After the icepack melted, I braved it again and shot again. I did it again! This time the lower arm got hit by the bowstring. This time I had worn the arm guard on my upper arm to protect it as it was already injured.
Tim says he has shot for years and NEVER has this happened to him! I sure didn’t learn my lesson did I?!
I’m that way sometimes spiritually too. I ask God,’ why am I going through a particular situation again’?! And when I am done fussing, or confessing and am ready to listen he answers me. It could be because I didn’t learn His lesson the first time or I need to …really listen and didn’t, show mercy and wouldn’t, be gracious and wasn’t or trust Him and couldn’t or extend love and refused to…or whatever.
I don’t always understand the “why” we go through painful lessons. But these three things I know for sure
* It is for my best and for His Glory
* He carries me through the process
* I learn from it

If I get bruised, it will more readily remind me “Hey I need to remember something here”. God, help me to “hit the mark” and learn from you what it is you have for me to learn.

Slow but steady

The Gate River Run is 3 weeks away and I’m excited to keep preparing for it. Saturday I decided to change my routine a bit and run the Baldwin trail, and extend my distance to run for 3 miles and then walk for 3 . My current disatance is 2.5. I ran for 3 miles without stopping!! The remaining 3 miles were a mix of run, walk and bike. That is HUGE for me and even more unbelievable is that he 3 miles were done in 36 minutes. I look back at my first blog entry in October in which I started charting my running: “Last year at the beginning of the training (Jan 07) I could run for 1 minute before I had to stop. Then after 12 weeks I could actually run a mile without stopping. This year, that is my start point. One mile, 17 minutes. Hey, it’s a start!! I have consistently worked out 3 days a week and two of those times being jogging. My goal is to run for 30 minutes without stopping. I’ve reached 22 minutes before. But I want a consistent pace. Building upon an already established work..moving forward, same with my faith..moving forward going deeper”.
Blogging is a type of journal and it helps me see progress in my goals in moving forward both in my faith, as well as my training progress. Seeing progress keeps me encouraged. Encouragement to one another is so necessary..a kind word, a note (by the way, thank you sister!), knowing someone is praying for you..how cool is that.

"Go outside and play"

We did crazy things when I was a kid, such as woppin' in the ditches after it rained. Or jumping in the top of a open rail car to see how far down you sink in the grain or sand..(deep by the way). Kids will be kids. So Valerie Sawyer, our neighbor and I tell the kids to go out and play..and this was their interpretation of our instructions. Our idea of play in no way included helmets, a rope, a motorized vehicle and the septic tank. Just because we didn't think it, doesn't mean it didn't work..and fit their category of "play". I'm not a kid anymore. I think more adult-like and therefore can reach more adults. Students, you think...well, young-like therefore YOU can reach more kids than I can. Reach out to those around you..those similar to you and those not! You never know what common ground you can find and once you do, you can reach them in a way that no other can..so...go out and play!

Dog lesson - wallering

This is my dog Clyde. One time after our morning jog he zeroed in on a scent he found in our yard. I couldn't see anything in particular, didn't smell anything either but that crazy dog wallered (is that a word?) around in that area until he was fully satisfied that he had "it" all over him..every inch. It was the craziest thing to see. You just know it had to remind me of something.
Wouldn't God be pleased if we wallered and submerged ourselves completely into Him just like the dog did in the scent he found? Imagine being so completely covered in His Word..we are already covered -filled - with the Holy Spirit..I can't get any more Holy Spirit in me, I have all I need. I need to dive in, cover myself completely until He is what people see in me.
Wow, a lesson from a dog.
Ephesians 3:19
May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

February Senior Leadership month

February in the student ministry is a month for our graduating Seniors to function in leadership roles. Yesterday was the first day and Chelsey R. taught the middle school girls their lesson, on the 3 aspects of salvation. The middle school ministry leaders are doing an awesome study of the Survival Kit. For all of the Sr. High, Justin L. taught a lesson of which two points were prayer and persecution (sorry I came in late). Hearing what I did I took home a few thoughts from my brother Justin.

Prayer charges you up. It is a time to rest in Him. It connects us to the One with the Power to change..Jesus. Prayer is the time in which you are calling out to God, seeking His face. In time of desperation, need, joy and pain. He is always there.
The next is persecution. Being alientated, laughed at, mocked or hurt for what you believe.
But I got to wondering...have I ever really been persecuted in which I was affected in any of these ways? If the answer is no then my next logical question would be...WHY NOT? Perhaps I should consider the following:
* I'm only hanging with people that are just like me (what a boring crowd!!)Not bold!
* I act no differently from those that I should be different
* I don't stand up for what I believe
* I don't know what I believe
* I don't share my beliefs nor convictions, therefore there isn't a door for discussion
* I look, act, speak, react, just like the non-believer...beloved student..if you're classmates don't ridicule you at all then do a reality check and make sure you are in the world, but not of it!

Genesis 18

Modern version of chapter 18:
After being in the sun, Old man Abe was sitting on his front porch in the shade cooling off. He saw three church fellows coming for a visit. He ran ahead to meet them and invited them to stay at their house to rest and eat. They said sure. Abe was excited for the manfolk company! He ran into his house and told his wife, "Sarah, I invited 3 men from church to come rest and eat. Get three meals ready for them..don't forget the dessert and make it snappy!" Sarah worked in the kitchen while Abe did the BBQ, hanging with the fellas under the shade trees.
Then they asked Abe where was Sarah? "In the house". With her not being near them, one guy begins to tell ol'man Abe that on one of his next visits, Sarah, his elderly wife will of had a son.

All along Sarah was eavesdropping from behind the door as the menfolk were outside talking!! Upon hearing this declaration of her bearing a son, she laughed in her heart..sort of one of those "yeah, right, when pigs fly" kind of snickers inside your heart. (Ketchie translation)

Then the Lord (who was one of the visitors)-still outside- asked Abe why his wife Sarah laughed (in her heart). Was there anything too hard for the Lord? Sarah, STILL EAVESDROPPING busts into their conversation and says "I didn't laugh". God said, "yes you did".

WOW! First, the Bible does not offer a conversation between the two at the time he tells her to hop-to for the guests' meal. In modern-day times..oh I think there would of been a husband-wife discussion!!! Second, Sarah never speaks aloud of her disbelief. God, knew Sarah's heart. Knowing her heart, he also knew of her disbelief and lie. God caught her in a lie - and now she was afraid.

Have you ever lied to God? Feeble excuses at our disobedience is a lie. Try this one next time: God I lied to you and myself. What I did was...sin. And then restore that fellowship. God isn't looking for us to PERFORM for Him. He is looking at our heart, our motives, our actions because of love. He knows all about you - He made you. Just as Sarah, we sometimes make mistakes. Coming clean before God and restoring that fellowship with Him...now that is showing the desire of the heart.