Last Sunday I talked about the spiritual discipline of prayer.  Prayer is one of the most powerful tools in the believer’s arsenal.  It’s also one of the least used.  But even when we do discipline ourselves to pray, we often struggle through it and have little faith that what we are praying for will be heard.  The Bible tells us to pray expectantly.  James 1:6 says this - But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

Asking  confidently and expectantly is a challenge at times, but that is exactly what the Lord wants us to do.  And the reason is summed up nicely in this video clip from one of my all-time favorite movies “Facing the Giants”.  Watch this and let your faith in prayer grow!

Ever wanted to be in on a really big secret?  Have you ever wished that you could be on the inside getting the scoop on what’s really going on like and FBI agent, or James Bond, or Maxwell Smart?  Well, after you read Ephesians 3, consider yourself in on the biggest scoop of all - Jesus Christ has made himself and the power of heaven available to all who have called him Lord.  Let’s jump in!

VS 1-7 GET SOME - There is an important concept that I think Paul puts forward here.  By themselves, not even the best accountants or financial advisers can actually create wealth for their clients.  All they can do is give advice about the accumulation of a healthy reserve.  The rest is up to the clients who receive that advice.  The same is true for leaders who want to see others access the riches of heaven.  The lives and ministries of the Apostle Paul and Timothy demonstrate this principle.  On their own, neither Paul nor Timothy could equip the Ephesians to please God.  But they know how to direct them to the ultimate source of ultimate power:  the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.  Paul encourages the Ephesian Christians to take full advantage of all the resources and power God has made available to them.  He knows that all believers have at their disposal immeasurable wealth and power; infinite resources sufficient to equip every believer for the spiritual fight ahead.

VS 12, NO FEAR - Whoever came up with that t-shirt slogan was way behind the Apostle Paul on this one.  There is so much in this verse.  Let me address the ancient times first.  Coming into the presence of a king was a fearful and awesome thing.  A king could require someone’s head at the slightest provocation.  So it was pretty intimidating since it could cost you your life.  But Paul said we have no reason to be fearful when we come before our King.  We can come confidently.  WOW!  Now let me move into our culture.  We still have plenty of religions and faith beliefs that would have you believe that you’re not worthy to come before God in prayer… you’re not qualified.  You have to leave that to the professionals.  Let me say this gently… THAT’S A CROCK!  Because of the work of Christ on the cross, we can come directly before him with our requests and our concerns.  In fact, we are told to in this verse.  And to come fearlessly before him.  If you have invited Jesus Christ into your life, you have direct, unlimited, and fearless access to the King of Kings.  How awesome is that?

VS 14-21, A HALL OF FAME PRAYER - This is one of the most beautiful and inspiring passages of scripture in the Bible.  This is Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians and for all of us who call Jesus, LORD!  I don’t even want to add anything to it here.  I’ll just let it speak for itself….

14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 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.

20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

I can only add that I pray that all of you reading this will experience the same and that you will know God in a deeper, richer way today than you have before.  Be blessed!

YOUR TURN….

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Ever wanted to be in on a really big secret?  Have you ever wished that you could be on the inside getting the scoop on what’s really going on like and FBI agent, or James Bond, or Maxwell Smart?  Well, after you read Ephesians 3, consider yourself in on the biggest scoop of all - Jesus Christ has made himself and the power of heaven available to all who have called him Lord.  Let’s jump in!

VS 1-7 GET SOME - There is an important concept that I think Paul puts forward here.  By themselves, not even the best accountants or financial advisers can actually create wealth for their clients.  All they can do is give advice about the accumulation of a healthy reserve.  The rest is up to the clients who receive that advice.  The same is true for leaders who want to see others access the riches of heaven.  The lives and ministries of the Apostle Paul and Timothy demonstrate this principle.  On their own, neither Paul nor Timothy could equip the Ephesians to please God.  But they know how to direct them to the ultimate source of ultimate power:  the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.  Paul encourages the Ephesian Christians to take full advantage of all the resources and power God has made available to them.  He knows that all believers have at their disposal immeasurable wealth and power; infinite resources sufficient to equip every believer for the spiritual fight ahead.

VS 12, NO FEAR - Whoever came up with that t-shirt slogan was way behind the Apostle Paul on this one.  There is so much in this verse.  Let me address the ancient times first.  Coming into the presence of a king was a fearful and awesome thing.  A king could require someone’s head at the slightest provocation.  So it was pretty intimidating since it could cost you your life.  But Paul said we have no reason to be fearful when we come before our King.  We can come confidently.  WOW!  Now let me move into our culture.  We still have plenty of religions and faith beliefs that would have you believe that you’re not worthy to come before God in prayer… you’re not qualified.  You have to leave that to the professionals.  Let me say this gently… THAT’S A CROCK!  Because of the work of Christ on the cross, we can come directly before him with our requests and our concerns.  In fact, we are told to in this verse.  And to come fearlessly before him.  If you have invited Jesus Christ into your life, you have direct, unlimited, and fearless access to the King of Kings.  How awesome is that?

VS 14-21, A HALL OF FAME PRAYER - This is one of the most beautiful and inspiring passages of scripture in the Bible.  This is Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians and for all of us who call Jesus, LORD!  I don’t even want to add anything to it here.  I’ll just let it speak for itself….

14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 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.

20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

I can only add that I pray that all of you reading this will experience the same and that you will know God in a deeper, richer way today than you have before.  Be blessed!

YOUR TURN….

Start uga_filter:

Short and to the point.  Most guys like things that way.  Let’s get to the heart of the matter.  Don’t dance around the mulberry bush.  Just shoot straight.  Well, the Apostle Paul is right in the wheelhouse of most guys with his letters.  They are typically short, but packed with useful and important information.  Chapter 4 closes out the book of Colossians and Paul has a few powerhouse points left to make…

CHAPTER 4

VS 2-4 - PRAYER - This may be one of the simplest acts that a believer can participate in, and yet at times it can feel like the hardest.  In my own life, there are plenty of times that I have faced the simple task of communicating with God, and I just couldn’t (or maybe more appropriately, I wouldn’t).  Prayer is not this overblown weird talk that we often hear in church.  It’s just a simple conversation with God about your heart, your dreams, your desires, your failures, etc.  I know that it’s a completely natural way of talking, it’s just that the conversation is with God, not your neighbor across the street.  And yet, even with that understanding, prayer can be a battle.  I think the enemy really leans on us hard when it comes to prayer because prayer is the vital link between us and the Father.  We’re simply not the same without it.  That’s why Paul urges us to “devote” ourselves to prayer.  And he even has the nerve to tell us to do it with an “alert mind”.  That’s almost not fair is it?  How many times have you fallen asleep while trying to pray?  How many times has my mind wandered through everything on my “To Do” list while I’m trying to pray?  Prayer is simple, but it is also a battle.  And it’s a battle we must win.

VS 5-6 - I had someone send me an email this morning with these verses because they felt like this was a strength in our church.  I am blessed beyond mere words to receive that.  But this is so, so, so important.  We can never allow ourselves to become lazy with this.  Part of our mission (and every church’s mission) is to reach the lost and the hurting.  To be a place of love and acceptance to those who need a touch from the Father.  So Paul tells us to be wise about this.  We need to be intentional.  This doesn’t happen by accident.  It is most definitely NOT haphazard.  We have to make the effort to connect to those around us in ways that communicates the love and heart of Jesus Christ.  And to get in our Bibles so that we are prepared with helpful answers when questions are asked.  The church that commits itself to these principles will be a church that impacts the world around them.

VS 17 - Almost as an afterthought, Paul adds this line of scripture, “say to Archippus, ‘Be sure to carry out the work the Lord gave you.’”  What a powerful piece of advice.  There have been far too many believers that have felt God moving in their lives and then gave up on the work when it got hard or took to long.  I understand that dilemma.  I am a man of action.  I like things to happen now.  In my younger life, I was too quick to “move on to the next thing”.  I have no doubt left things of God undone while I looked for something else.  Age and maturity have tempered that, but it hasn’t gone completely away.  That’s why we have to be reminded to finish what God gave us to do.  FINISH…COMPLETE…ACCOMPLISH.  These word do not apply at the half-way mark or even at the 90% mark.  We need to stay with the task until it is done.  And one way we do that is to stay committed to prayer as Paul challenged us to do in verse 2.

How about it?  Got any unfinished business?  Are you struggling with prayer?  Are you in the Word so that you can provide answers and direction to those who need to hear from God through your life?

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Short and to the point.  Most guys like things that way.  Let’s get to the heart of the matter.  Don’t dance around the mulberry bush.  Just shoot straight.  Well, the Apostle Paul is right in the wheelhouse of most guys with his letters.  They are typically short, but packed with useful and important information.  Chapter 4 closes out the book of Colossians and Paul has a few powerhouse points left to make…

CHAPTER 4

VS 2-4 - PRAYER - This may be one of the simplest acts that a believer can participate in, and yet at times it can feel like the hardest.  In my own life, there are plenty of times that I have faced the simple task of communicating with God, and I just couldn’t (or maybe more appropriately, I wouldn’t).  Prayer is not this overblown weird talk that we often hear in church.  It’s just a simple conversation with God about your heart, your dreams, your desires, your failures, etc.  I know that it’s a completely natural way of talking, it’s just that the conversation is with God, not your neighbor across the street.  And yet, even with that understanding, prayer can be a battle.  I think the enemy really leans on us hard when it comes to prayer because prayer is the vital link between us and the Father.  We’re simply not the same without it.  That’s why Paul urges us to “devote” ourselves to prayer.  And he even has the nerve to tell us to do it with an “alert mind”.  That’s almost not fair is it?  How many times have you fallen asleep while trying to pray?  How many times has my mind wandered through everything on my “To Do” list while I’m trying to pray?  Prayer is simple, but it is also a battle.  And it’s a battle we must win.

VS 5-6 - I had someone send me an email this morning with these verses because they felt like this was a strength in our church.  I am blessed beyond mere words to receive that.  But this is so, so, so important.  We can never allow ourselves to become lazy with this.  Part of our mission (and every church’s mission) is to reach the lost and the hurting.  To be a place of love and acceptance to those who need a touch from the Father.  So Paul tells us to be wise about this.  We need to be intentional.  This doesn’t happen by accident.  It is most definitely NOT haphazard.  We have to make the effort to connect to those around us in ways that communicates the love and heart of Jesus Christ.  And to get in our Bibles so that we are prepared with helpful answers when questions are asked.  The church that commits itself to these principles will be a church that impacts the world around them.

VS 17 - Almost as an afterthought, Paul adds this line of scripture, “say to Archippus, ‘Be sure to carry out the work the Lord gave you.’”  What a powerful piece of advice.  There have been far too many believers that have felt God moving in their lives and then gave up on the work when it got hard or took to long.  I understand that dilemma.  I am a man of action.  I like things to happen now.  In my younger life, I was too quick to “move on to the next thing”.  I have no doubt left things of God undone while I looked for something else.  Age and maturity have tempered that, but it hasn’t gone completely away.  That’s why we have to be reminded to finish what God gave us to do.  FINISH…COMPLETE…ACCOMPLISH.  These word do not apply at the half-way mark or even at the 90% mark.  We need to stay with the task until it is done.  And one way we do that is to stay committed to prayer as Paul challenged us to do in verse 2.

How about it?  Got any unfinished business?  Are you struggling with prayer?  Are you in the Word so that you can provide answers and direction to those who need to hear from God through your life?

Start uga_filter:

It’s late Saturday afternoon and I just got a call from my mom in South Carolina (click the picture for a better view of where) that they survived a near miss from a series of tornados that broke out in GA, SC, and other parts of the South in the U.S. today. They were spared serious damage to their own home while a church across the street suffered significant damage. My folks had several outbuildings on their property that were severely damaged, but their home is in pretty decent condition although they have no electricity.

This reminds me of several key points from our message series that we are currently in - LOST:

1. We live in a broken world
2. There is often a randomness that seems to make no sense, and it challenges our faith.
3. In these crisis moments, there are some who will see the hand of God and take comfort while others will blame God and turn from him.
4. In the end, we always have a choice about how we will view our circumstances and ultimately what we will do with them.
5. It reminds me of a wise proverb that goes like this, “Fear is looking at God through circumstances. Faith is looking at circumstances through God.”

I’m glad my folks are choosing to see their current circumstances through God. Please pray for the many across the south that have been devastated by the current series of violent storms.

Start uga_in_feed Ending uga_in_feed: Start uga_track_user Start uga_get_option: ignore_users uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => true, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_authors' => true, 'track_ext_links' => true, 'prefix_ext_links' => '/outgoing/', 'track_files' => true, 'prefix_file_links' => '/downloads/', 'track_extensions' => 'gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc', 'track_mail_links' => true, 'prefix_mail_links' => '/mailto/', 'debug' => true, 'check_updates' => true, 'version_sent' => '1.6.0', 'advanced_config' => true, ) Ending uga_get_option: ignore_users (1) Start uga_get_option: max_user_level uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => true, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_authors' => true, 'track_ext_links' => true, 'prefix_ext_links' => '/outgoing/', 'track_files' => true, 'prefix_file_links' => '/downloads/', 'track_extensions' => 'gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc', 'track_mail_links' => true, 'prefix_mail_links' => '/mailto/', 'debug' => true, 'check_updates' => true, 'version_sent' => '1.6.0', 'advanced_config' => true, ) Ending uga_get_option: max_user_level (8) Tracking user with level Ending uga_track_user: 1 Calling preg_replace_callback: ]*?)href\s*=\s*['"](.*?)['"]([^>]*)>(.*?) Start uga_preg_callback: Array Get tracker for full url Start uga_track_full_url: markdoebler.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/burnettown-sc1.jpg Start uga_is_url_internal: markdoebler.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/burnettown-sc1.jpg Start uga_get_option: internal_domains uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => true, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_authors' => true, 'track_ext_links' => true, 'prefix_ext_links' => '/outgoing/', 'track_files' => true, 'prefix_file_links' => '/downloads/', 'track_extensions' => 'gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc', 'track_mail_links' => true, 'prefix_mail_links' => '/mailto/', 'debug' => true, 'check_updates' => true, 'version_sent' => '1.6.0', 'advanced_config' => true, ) Ending uga_get_option: internal_domains (markdoebler.com) Checking hostname markdoebler.com Match found, url is internal Ending uga_is_url_internal: 1 Get tracker for internal URL Start uga_track_internal_url: markdoebler.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/burnettown-sc1.jpg, Start uga_get_option: track_files uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => true, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_authors' => true, 'track_ext_links' => true, 'prefix_ext_links' => '/outgoing/', 'track_files' => true, 'prefix_file_links' => '/downloads/', 'track_extensions' => 'gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc', 'track_mail_links' => true, 'prefix_mail_links' => '/mailto/', 'debug' => true, 'check_updates' => true, 'version_sent' => '1.6.0', 'advanced_config' => true, ) Ending uga_get_option: track_files (1) Tracking files enabled Start uga_get_option: track_extensions uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => true, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_authors' => true, 'track_ext_links' => true, 'prefix_ext_links' => '/outgoing/', 'track_files' => true, 'prefix_file_links' => '/downloads/', 'track_extensions' => 'gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc', 'track_mail_links' => true, 'prefix_mail_links' => '/mailto/', 'debug' => true, 'check_updates' => true, 'version_sent' => '1.6.0', 'advanced_config' => true, ) Ending uga_get_option: track_extensions (gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc) Checking file extension gif Checking file extension jpg File extension found Absolute URL, remove hostname from URL Start uga_get_option: prefix_file_links uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => true, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_authors' => true, 'track_ext_links' => true, 'prefix_ext_links' => '/outgoing/', 'track_files' => true, 'prefix_file_links' => '/downloads/', 'track_extensions' => 'gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc', 'track_mail_links' => true, 'prefix_mail_links' => '/mailto/', 'debug' => true, 'check_updates' => true, 'version_sent' => '1.6.0', 'advanced_config' => true, ) Ending uga_get_option: prefix_file_links (/downloads/) Start uga_remove_hostname: markdoebler.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/burnettown-sc1.jpg Stripping everything up until and including first / Ending uga_remove_hostname: wp-content/uploads/2008/03/burnettown-sc1.jpg Checking file extension jpeg Checking file extension bmp Checking file extension png Checking file extension pdf Checking file extension mp3 Checking file extension wav Checking file extension phps Checking file extension zip Checking file extension gz Checking file extension tar Checking file extension rar Checking file extension jar Checking file extension exe Checking file extension pps Checking file extension ppt Checking file extension xls Checking file extension doc Ending uga_track_internal_url: /downloads/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/burnettown-sc1.jpg Ending uga_track_full_url: /downloads/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/burnettown-sc1.jpg Adding onclick attribute for /downloads/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/burnettown-sc1.jpg Ending uga_preg_callback: Start uga_preg_callback: Array Get tracker for full url Start uga_track_full_url: markdoebler.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/aiken-augusta1.jpg Start uga_is_url_internal: markdoebler.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/aiken-augusta1.jpg Start uga_get_option: internal_domains uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => true, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_authors' => true, 'track_ext_links' => true, 'prefix_ext_links' => '/outgoing/', 'track_files' => true, 'prefix_file_links' => '/downloads/', 'track_extensions' => 'gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc', 'track_mail_links' => true, 'prefix_mail_links' => '/mailto/', 'debug' => true, 'check_updates' => true, 'version_sent' => '1.6.0', 'advanced_config' => true, ) Ending uga_get_option: internal_domains (markdoebler.com) Checking hostname markdoebler.com Match found, url is internal Ending uga_is_url_internal: 1 Get tracker for internal URL Start uga_track_internal_url: markdoebler.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/aiken-augusta1.jpg, Start uga_get_option: track_files uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => true, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_authors' => true, 'track_ext_links' => true, 'prefix_ext_links' => '/outgoing/', 'track_files' => true, 'prefix_file_links' => '/downloads/', 'track_extensions' => 'gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc', 'track_mail_links' => true, 'prefix_mail_links' => '/mailto/', 'debug' => true, 'check_updates' => true, 'version_sent' => '1.6.0', 'advanced_config' => true, ) Ending uga_get_option: track_files (1) Tracking files enabled Start uga_get_option: track_extensions uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => true, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_authors' => true, 'track_ext_links' => true, 'prefix_ext_links' => '/outgoing/', 'track_files' => true, 'prefix_file_links' => '/downloads/', 'track_extensions' => 'gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc', 'track_mail_links' => true, 'prefix_mail_links' => '/mailto/', 'debug' => true, 'check_updates' => true, 'version_sent' => '1.6.0', 'advanced_config' => true, ) Ending uga_get_option: track_extensions (gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc) Checking file extension gif Checking file extension jpg File extension found Absolute URL, remove hostname from URL Start uga_get_option: prefix_file_links uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => true, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_authors' => true, 'track_ext_links' => true, 'prefix_ext_links' => '/outgoing/', 'track_files' => true, 'prefix_file_links' => '/downloads/', 'track_extensions' => 'gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc', 'track_mail_links' => true, 'prefix_mail_links' => '/mailto/', 'debug' => true, 'check_updates' => true, 'version_sent' => '1.6.0', 'advanced_config' => true, ) Ending uga_get_option: prefix_file_links (/downloads/) Start uga_remove_hostname: markdoebler.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/aiken-augusta1.jpg Stripping everything up until and including first / Ending uga_remove_hostname: wp-content/uploads/2008/03/aiken-augusta1.jpg Checking file extension jpeg Checking file extension bmp Checking file extension png Checking file extension pdf Checking file extension mp3 Checking file extension wav Checking file extension phps Checking file extension zip Checking file extension gz Checking file extension tar Checking file extension rar Checking file extension jar Checking file extension exe Checking file extension pps Checking file extension ppt Checking file extension xls Checking file extension doc Ending uga_track_internal_url: /downloads/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/aiken-augusta1.jpg Ending uga_track_full_url: /downloads/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/aiken-augusta1.jpg Adding onclick attribute for /downloads/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/aiken-augusta1.jpg Ending uga_preg_callback: Ending uga_filter:

It’s late Saturday afternoon and I just got a call from my mom in South Carolina (click the picture for a better view of where) that they survived a near miss from a series of tornados that broke out in GA, SC, and other parts of the South in the U.S. today. They were spared serious damage to their own home while a church across the street suffered significant damage. My folks had several outbuildings on their property that were severely damaged, but their home is in pretty decent condition although they have no electricity.

This reminds me of several key points from our message series that we are currently in - LOST:

1. We live in a broken world
2. There is often a randomness that seems to make no sense, and it challenges our faith.
3. In these crisis moments, there are some who will see the hand of God and take comfort while others will blame God and turn from him.
4. In the end, we always have a choice about how we will view our circumstances and ultimately what we will do with them.
5. It reminds me of a wise proverb that goes like this, “Fear is looking at God through circumstances. Faith is looking at circumstances through God.”

I’m glad my folks are choosing to see their current circumstances through God. Please pray for the many across the south that have been devastated by the current series of violent storms.

Start uga_wp_footer_track: Start uga_get_tracker Start uga_in_feed Ending uga_in_feed: Start uga_track_user Start uga_get_option: ignore_users uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => true, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_authors' => true, 'track_ext_links' => true, 'prefix_ext_links' => '/outgoing/', 'track_files' => true, 'prefix_file_links' => '/downloads/', 'track_extensions' => 'gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc', 'track_mail_links' => true, 'prefix_mail_links' => '/mailto/', 'debug' => true, 'check_updates' => true, 'version_sent' => '1.6.0', 'advanced_config' => true, ) Ending uga_get_option: ignore_users (1) Start uga_get_option: max_user_level uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => true, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_authors' => true, 'track_ext_links' => true, 'prefix_ext_links' => '/outgoing/', 'track_files' => true, 'prefix_file_links' => '/downloads/', 'track_extensions' => 'gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc', 'track_mail_links' => true, 'prefix_mail_links' => '/mailto/', 'debug' => true, 'check_updates' => true, 'version_sent' => '1.6.0', 'advanced_config' => true, ) Ending uga_get_option: max_user_level (8) Tracking user with level Ending uga_track_user: 1 Start uga_get_option: account_id uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => true, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_authors' => true, 'track_ext_links' => true, 'prefix_ext_links' => '/outgoing/', 'track_files' => true, 'prefix_file_links' => '/downloads/', 'track_extensions' => 'gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc', 'track_mail_links' => true, 'prefix_mail_links' => '/mailto/', 'debug' => true, 'check_updates' => true, 'version_sent' => '1.6.0', 'advanced_config' => true, ) Ending uga_get_option: account_id (UA-4827893-1) Ending uga_get_tracker: Start uga_insert_html_once: footer, Footer hooked: HTML inserted: Location is FOOTER Inserting HTML End uga_insert_html Ending uga_wp_footer_track: Start uga_shutdown Start uga_in_feed Ending uga_in_feed: Start uga_track_user Start uga_get_option: ignore_users uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => true, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_authors' => true, 'track_ext_links' => true, 'prefix_ext_links' => '/outgoing/', 'track_files' => true, 'prefix_file_links' => '/downloads/', 'track_extensions' => 'gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc', 'track_mail_links' => true, 'prefix_mail_links' => '/mailto/', 'debug' => true, 'check_updates' => true, 'version_sent' => '1.6.0', 'advanced_config' => true, ) Ending uga_get_option: ignore_users (1) Start uga_get_option: max_user_level uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => true, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_authors' => true, 'track_ext_links' => true, 'prefix_ext_links' => '/outgoing/', 'track_files' => true, 'prefix_file_links' => '/downloads/', 'track_extensions' => 'gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc', 'track_mail_links' => true, 'prefix_mail_links' => '/mailto/', 'debug' => true, 'check_updates' => true, 'version_sent' => '1.6.0', 'advanced_config' => true, ) Ending uga_get_option: max_user_level (8) Tracking user with level Ending uga_track_user: 1 Footer hook was executed Start uga_get_option: footer_hooked uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => true, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_authors' => true, 'track_ext_links' => true, 'prefix_ext_links' => '/outgoing/', 'track_files' => true, 'prefix_file_links' => '/downloads/', 'track_extensions' => 'gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc', 'track_mail_links' => true, 'prefix_mail_links' => '/mailto/', 'debug' => true, 'check_updates' => true, 'version_sent' => '1.6.0', 'advanced_config' => true, ) Ending uga_get_option: footer_hooked (1) Start uga_get_option: debug uga_options: array ( 'internal_domains' => 'markdoebler.com', 'account_id' => 'UA-4827893-1', 'enable_tracker' => true, 'track_adm_pages' => false, 'ignore_users' => true, 'max_user_level' => '8', 'footer_hooked' => true, 'filter_content' => true, 'filter_comments' => true, 'filter_comment_authors' => true, 'track_ext_links' => true, 'prefix_ext_links' => '/outgoing/', 'track_files' => true, 'prefix_file_links' => '/downloads/', 'track_extensions' => 'gif,jpg,jpeg,bmp,png,pdf,mp3,wav,phps,zip,gz,tar,rar,jar,exe,pps,ppt,xls,doc', 'track_mail_links' => true, 'prefix_mail_links' => '/mailto/', 'debug' => true, 'check_updates' => true, 'version_sent' => '1.6.0', 'advanced_config' => true, ) Ending uga_get_option: debug (1) -->