Category: Dino Shorte’s Journal


Prayer Time is Me Time!

Filed Under: Dino Shorte's Journal by Dino Shorte — 2 Comments
September 24, 2010

One of the tenets of Christianity is daily prayer.  It’s one of the things that a “good” Christian is supposed to do, not only to deepen our relationship with God.  But to bond ourselves closer to one another and become more Christ-Like in our daily walks.  And, many of us do exactly that.  We pray.  Boy oh boy do we pray.  We pray for just about anything and everything.  But what are we really praying for?  Or rather, whom are we praying for?

When Jesus prayed, he prayed for others.  Many, many times, throughout the New Testament, are examples of Jesus praying for “others.”  Even in midst of sinister machinations by those set to destroy his credibility and his life, Jesus would still lovingly pray for others.

Well, one thing I’ve discovered about myself, (with a tinge of shame, I might add) is that in the midst of my small daily problems, I can become so self-absorbed that all my prayers and supplications become singularly focused on three people and three people only.  No, not the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but rather . . . me, myself and I.

“Oh Lawd in Heb’m,” (oops, sorry, that’s the “Georgia” coming out in me). “Oh Lord, please don’t let MY tests come back positive,” “Dear Lord in Heaven, please help ME to get a good job;” “Lord, I pray you guide ME to prosperity,” “Oh Lord, help MY kid to get good grades, so I won’t have to pay for college all by MYself.”  Me, myself and I.  Me, My, Mine.  But, if I am to successfully attempt to follow the path of Jesus, shouldn’t I be putting others first, as he did?  Even when things are “rough” for me, I should be praying for others.

Now let me tell you, I know it’s difficult to pray for others before yourself, even when things are going well.  But these days, with all the economic hardship, disease, immorality, war, and worldwide strife happening daily, not to mention our own little daily “troubles”, the “difficult” can seem almost impossible.  But it is precisely at this time, during these moments, that we all should be praying for one another.  Even our enemies, or rather, those we perceive to be our enemies.

Wasn’t it Jesus who wanted us to do just that?  Wasn’t it Jesus who said:  Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you?,” Matthew 5:44.  Now if Jesus wants us to pray for our “enemies” then it just makes sense that He’d also want us to pray for our non-enemies as well.  Not just for our selves, or for our loved ones, but for EVERYONE.

Imagine how much more “Heavenly” our existence here on Earth would be if we all could manage to do that.  Praying for others is absolutely vital for each and every Christian’s spiritual growth.  And since my goal in my Christian walk is to grow in depth of spirit, grow in love for others and grow in the ability to become less self-absorbed and more “other-absorbed,” I need to pray more for others.  That way, I become much less self-absorbed and so much more “Christ-Absorbed.”  I’ve got a long way to go, I know.  But I also know that if I pray for others, then some “other” out there will probably pray for me.  Right?  Hint, hint.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Comment

Why Hammer with a Wrench?

Filed Under: Dino Shorte's Journal by Dino Shorte — Leave a comment
September 20, 2010

Sometimes, I’ll look at a particular thing that needs fixing around the house and suddenly, the “handy-man” bug bites me.  I’ll say to myself, “man, let me gone head and finally fix that such-and-such.”  Whether it’s that loose knob on the kitchen cabinet, the leaky faucet in the bathroom, or that bent hinge on the garage door, all of a sudden I get a surge of “do it yourself-ness” that makes me think that I’m a professional carpenter or something.

Well, one particular “handy-moment” spurred me to also remember something important about the Bible.  Used correctly, the Bible is an invaluable tool.  But when you don’t take the time to use the Bible right, you’re not really getting all that you can out of God’s word.  Like the time a “handy-moment” hit me and I decided that it was high time to finally hang that Billie Holiday poster I had framed a while ago.  So I hopped right up and pulled out everything I needed to hang a picture, the nails, the level, a pencil to mark the spot on the wall, had all my “tools” in place and ready to go, except one . . . my hammer.  I couldn’t find my hammer.

Well, to be honest, I just didn’t feel like looking for my hammer.  I knew it was in the pantry but I didn’t feel like rummaging through all the other stuff in there to look for it.  However . . . I knew exactly where my wrench was.  It was in the same place I’d left it from my last handy-moment, on top of the fridge.  Now, it’s a really heavy wrench so I figured, “if I just turn it this way, I can use the back of it like a hammer and hang that picture right up; get the job done.”  Yeah sure, I’d be using just PART of the wrench to do what I WANT, but I’d still get the job done, right?  Well, about seven nails, one ruined wrench and one dented wall later, I finally realized, two things, 1) “do it yourself” is never as easy as they make it sound on the Home Depot commercials, and 2) the back PART of my wrench does not make a good hammer.

In that moment, I thought of my Bible.  Weird, I know, but I did.  I suddenly realized that there have been many times I’ve actually used my Bible as a tool, but not fully.  I’ve used parts of the Bible when it suited me, but also NOT used certain parts when I didn’t want to feel “convicted.”  Many of us can quickly quote the Bible scripture that says “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me,” Philippians 4:13.  But how many of us will be so quick to quote “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?,” Matthew 7:3. Particularly when it comes to something we may not want to acknowledge about our own behavior?

That moment of clarity showed me that, if I am to truly get to the deeper connections to God that come from complete and diligent study of His WHOLE Word, then I must study and use the whole Bible, in its entirety, and not just the parts I like or feel comfortable with.  To me, when I don’t use my WHOLE Bible, it’s like trying to use a wrench as a hammer.  Sure, it probably can be done, (by someone way less clumsy than me, of course) but isn’t it always better to use the right tool in the right way?  So now, when I need to “nail something home” in my spirit, it’s much better to use my “whole” Bible as the hammer, rather than just “part” of it like a wrench.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Comment

Just Read the Manual!

Filed Under: Dino Shorte's Journal by Dino Shorte — Leave a comment
September 13, 2010

I just got a new “smart-phone” a little while ago.  Like a 6 year old with a new toy, man was I excited!  I was so excited that when I got it home, I immediately turned it on and started trying to use it (or play with it as my better-half would say).

Okay, now, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not the most computer-savvy guy in the world – or even in my house.  Yeah, I can type, and spell, and look up stuff, but when it comes to a computer, that’s pretty much the extent of my know-how.  And let’s face it, these new smart-phones are exactly that . . . mini-computers. Now of course, like every electrical gadget you can buy these days, my new smart-phone came with a manual with basically all the information one needs to trouble-shoot and solve most problems.

But did I actually take the time to read it?  No.  I just figured, “I don’t really need to read that whole thing to know how to operate my new phone.  It’s a smart-phone.  I’m smart.  I’ll be fine.”  And for a whole 3 hours, I was.  Then, the inevitable happened.  I ran into a “problem” that I didn’t know how to circumvent.  And because I had stubbornly refused to study the “manual” like I was supposed to, I got stuck at a point that I couldn’t get past.

Sound familiar?  It should.  For a lot of us, (especially me), that’s an exact description of how we’ve walked our Christian Walk.  We’ve neglected to read our “manual” like we should.  There have been times in my Christian Walk when I’ve forgotten that, no matter how much I think “I’ve got” this life stuff figured out, I still need to study my manual, The Bible, daily.

Like with my new smartphone, in life, problems are going to crop up.  (Or rather “pop up,” like those dreaded mini-commercials that seem to invade your computer screen every time you turn it on.)  But if I haven’t read my life-manual, how do I know how to solve the problem?  Or even recognize the problem?  And to be honest, the smart thing to do is to study my manual BEFORE I run into a problem.  Because once I’m IN the problem, sometimes I can get too frustrated or angry or depressed ABOUT the problem to pull out that manual to SOLVE the problem.

Well, I thank God, that He has graciously provided every Christian with a tangible tool specifically designed to help navigate through ANY problem we may face.  Whether the problem is

  • SICKNESS, Psalms 38: 1,   “O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath; for your arrows have pierced me, and your hand has come down upon me; because of your wrath there is no health in my body; my bones have no soundness because of my sin” or
  • FINANCE, Deuteronomy 23:19, “Do not charge your brother interest, whether on money or food or anything else that may earn interest,” or
  • RELATIONSHIP, Proverbs 12:4, “A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones,” you name it, the “fix” is IN there.

God’s manual, the Bible, can not only help us tackle any problem that we might encounter, but it also tells us exactly how to “work” and “operate” the greatest computer ever created, US.  But, just like with my smartphone manual, if I truly want to “get it,” . . . .I gotta read it.

Tags: , , , ,
Comment

He Who Finds A Wife . . .

Filed Under: Dino Shorte's Journal by Dino Shorte — 2 Comments
September 3, 2010

It’s funny how God uses life’s smallest moments to teach you what’s really important.  Case in point:  One morning last week, I was all set to go out for a nice little jog.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t find my fanny-pack anywhere.  Okay, for you youngsters, a “fanny pack” is what old people use when we want to exercise but keep our wallet, cell phone, car-keys, inhalers, pills, whatever, close to us.

Anyway, I searched high and low for that fanny pack, like a forensic scientist at a crime scene looking for fingerprints.  I mean, it became of paramount importance that I “find that pack!”  Suddenly, a thought popped into my head: . . . MY WIFE MUST HAVE MOVED IT.

So, I called her, and somewhat rudely asked her where it was.  She told me (very politely, I might add) that she’d picked it up (off the floor) and put it where it belongs, in the closet.  I sarcastically replied “oh thank you so much,” hung up and did what every red-blooded American Husband does, put on my “attitude” hat, and began stomping all around the house fussing out loud to myself.  “Why would she move it?”  “Just leave my stuff alone!”  Blah, blah, blah.  Oh yeah, I was saddled up and riding my high-horse all over the place.

But then, I just happened to catch a CNN report commemorating the five-year anniversary of the Katrina catastrophe.  They were doing a follow-up to the story of a man who’d literally witnessed his wife being swept away to her death by the flood.  A full five years later, and the guy’s just as devastated today about losing his “lady,” as he was back then.

Well, to me, this was God using a simple CNN “moment” to speak directly to ME — to remind me of just how priceless the gift He’s given me, in the form of a Wife, really is.  It made me think of that particular bible scripture that before, I’d never really paid much mind, Proverbs 18:22, “He who finds a wife, finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.” Well after that news report I truly felt God’s Favor.

How wonderful is God to remind me of just how great it is to have a loving wife?  Not only does she love me, honor me, support me, and love me (I know, I wrote that twice), but she picks up after me, and remembers that I’m her husband, even when I cop an attitude like I’ve forgotten it.  Well, needless to say, I was so moved by God’s gracious reminder that I called my wife back immediately.  Just to tell her how much I love and appreciate her.  I apologized for my attitude and promised to at least try to control my snippy little anger-moments in the future.  How thankful I am that God has blessed me so graciously with such “A Good Thing,” a life-partner, a companion, a friend, a “road-dawg.”  Amen!  And Amen!  And Amen Again!

Tags: , , , , , ,
Comment

Selective Amnesia

Filed Under: Dino Shorte's Journal by Dino Shorte — 2 Comments
August 20, 2010

The other day while in traffic, a driver completely cut me off. I hit him with “the horn.” You know the one. The long, sustained, continuous one that says “How dare you, sir!” “How Dare You!!”

Well I’m ashamed to admit my horn set off a war of “angry car horns” leading to volley after volley of unpleasant words and gestures. All because we decided to fight over who could be “next” to wait in line . . . with the rest of the cars! Things almost escalated, until I noticed something ironic.

My fellow “road warrior” had Christian symbols plastered on his bumper: a dove on one end, the outline of a fish on the other, and crosses in the middle! I thought to myself, “pitiful, just pitiful” and was just about to start adopting a “holier than thou” attitude, towards him, i.e., “you should be ashamed of yourself,” “God don’t like ugly,” blah, blah, blah, you know? Just getting all “judgy” towards the guy, right?

But then, pow, Matthew, Chapter 7, verses 1 and 2 just popped into my head: Judge not, that ye be not judged.  For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

I was like “whoa,” now where did that come from? I mean, let me tell you, although I do read my Bible, I am NO WHERE NEAR being the type of person who can quote scripture chapter and verse. So, I realized it was God trying to tell me something, but what?

Now, since it’s unlikely the other driver had stolen that car with all those symbols, he probably considered himself to be a “good Christian.” Which made me ask myself: What kind of Christian am I? Am I a selective-amnesia Christian, too? Do I also forget how to act, as a Christian, whenever someone offends me or makes me mad?

The Word, reminded me to check the “log in my own eye,” before I start judging the speck (or the driving) of somebody else’s. God reminded me that Christianity is not just an ideal that I review every Sunday, but it’s also supposed to be evident in the way I carry myself on a day-to-day basis.

After all, being a Christian means being “Christ-Like.” And Jesus never judged, or “went off” on somebody. He just Loved. God reminded me to be Christ-like not just when it’s convenient, but all the time, and to not judge others, even in traffic. Especially in traffic.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Comment

Are You Walking Cool?

Filed Under: Dino Shorte's Journal by Dino Shorte — 1 Comment
August 13, 2010

You know, I’m bothered by this attitude in America that says it’s not cool to be religious.  And it’s especially “uncool” to be a Christian.  Where did this come from?

Whenever Religion comes up in “polite” conversation, unless it’s happening under a church-roof, it’s considered “uncool” and usually met with either the cold shoulder, a rolling of the eyes, an irritated sigh, or some type of negative comment.  And sometimes ALL of the above: “Oh please, let’s not bring God into this!”  (Cue the eye-rolling and heavy sighs.)

Somehow a large part of American culture puts being religious down, or equates Religion with “oddness” and the “Christian’s Walk” particularly with weakness.  Well, yeah, some religions MAY seem a bit odd, (like “Tree-Hugging.”  You worship a Tree, but NOT the God who creates trees – never quite got that), but if you’re even attempting the Christian Walk, you my friend are the exact opposite of weak.

Only the strong can “walk the walk,” because the Christian walk ain’t easy.  Try loving others MORE than yourself.  Not “sometimes,” or right after a “bomb sermon,” or when you’re in a good mood, but ALL THE TIME.  When someone cuts you off in traffic, then hits you with that infamous hand-gesture we all know so well, try LOVING them then.  Or try it when they don’t want your love and want to knock you down with their hate.

At times, it seems many would prefer our Christian Walk to actually become more of a crawl.  And yes, there are times when you feel that’s all you can do when life repeatedly knocks you down with hate after hate after hate . . . is crawl.

But the difference between the Christian’s life and the non-believer’s life, is that when WE experience rough patches, or rough people or rough “patches of people” instead of letting “hate” make us crawl into drugs, or alcohol or lust or some other form of sin, we can crawl straight to the Love of Jesus.  He promises that His Love will raise us up, so we can get up.  And, like we used to say when I was a bell-bottom-pants-wearing, afro-sporting kid, “keep on truckin’!”

So the next time you get a “knock,” or when somebody tries to make you feel “uncool” because of your Christian Walk, remember God’s promises.  That should keep you Walking Cool and high-steppin’.  Come on, a God who promises to pick you up, no matter what?  Sounds very “cool” to me.  Downright frosty.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Comment
Content Protected Using Blog Protector Plugin By: Make Money.