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This is one of my favorite pictures of all time–not because it is such a great picture, but because of the memory.  We had just moved to California a few weeks before.  Josh (slugging down the A & W and sporting the sweet fighter jet T shirt) was 7.  He was in the early stages of getting acclimated to a new community and seeking out new friends.  We saw an ad for a baseball clinic and showed up not knowing anyone.  He was one of the youngest and definitely the newest–a pretty overwhelming situation for a little guy.  I stayed with him to make sure everything went all right.  It did–until they picked teams for a scrimmage.  My heart broke as Josh waited and waited for someone to pick the new kid.  No one did.  He was picked last.  The game was tied until the very end, when up comes (you guessed it) the kid no one wanted.  With the flair of a Disney-script, Josh drove in the winning run with a smash up the middle.  His smile (and pizza stained face) say it all.  Great memory with my son.

Psalm 124:8 (NIV)
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

Here is the rest of today’s Bible reading:  Hosea 1:1-3:5; 1 John 5:1-21; Psalm 124:1-8; Proverbs 29:5-8.

1 John 4:7-11 (NIV)
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. [8] Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. [9] This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. [10] This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. [11] Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Here is the rest of today’s Bible reading:  Daniel 11:36-12:13; 1 John 4:1-21; Psalm 123:1-4; Proverbs 29:2-4.

1 John 1:1 (NIV)
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched–this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.

I come from a theological tradition which tends to be very cautious when it comes to spiritual experience.  This is probably a response to some of the counterfeit experiences that sadly give Christianity a bad name.  But we must not lose sight of the fact that a true relationship with God is going to be experiential.  You cannot have a personal relationship with the creator of the universe and not have an experience!  May God give us all a deeper experience with Jesus Christ.

Here is the rest of today’s Bible reading:  Daniel 7:1-28; 1 John  1:1-10; Psalm 119:153-176; Proverbs 28:23-24.

2 Peter 3:8-9 (NIV)
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. [9] The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Here is the rest of today’s Bible reading:  Daniel 6:1-28; 2 Peter 3:1-18; Psalm 119:129-152; Proverbs 28:21-22.

Today’s reading in Daniel is a great lesson in the importance of learning from the mistakes of others.  Belshazzar was king of Babylon and arrogantly set himself against God.  Years before, his Dad had done the same thing and paid a great price.  Now Daniel says to Belshazzar, Daniel 5:22 (NIV)   “But you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this.  And as a consequence, Daniel 5:30-31 (NIV)  That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, [31] and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.  May God grant us the ability to learn from the mistakes of others and not repeat them.

Here is the rest of today’s Bible reading:  Daniel 5:1-31; 2 Peter 2:1-22; Psalm 119:113-128; Proverbs 28:19-20.