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10.  Look down it at somebody.  After all, everyone needs to know that you are a proud person.
9.  Poke it into someone else’s business.  This will help you keep strife and dissension stirred up and others will know how much you care.
8.  Snoop around with it.  Being nosy and a gossip is good if you have the other person’s wellbeing in mind, isn’t it?
7.  Get it out of joint.  A little anger sure helps get your point across.
6.  Cut it off to spite your face.  Nothing like a little bitterness to help you feel better.
5.  Pay through it.  No price is too high if you really want something–so says our materialistic world.
4.  Find something right under it.  Close at hand are the love and salvation of God–if we will only look.
3.  See past it.   Keep hope and eternity in view.
2.  Keep it clean.  Good advice–humility and obedience.
And the number one thing to do with your nose….
1.   Get it stuck in a book (the Bible!)

I was just driving down the road, minding my own business, when I saw “it”.  “It” was a 4-5 inch spider casually crossing the road.  I went on about my business–it went on about its business.

Why did I notice it?  Why am I writing about a spider on the road?  I noticed it because it was unusual and out of the ordinary.  I don’t see spiders crossing the road every day.

I see a life lesson.  People notice the unusual.  As long as God’s people look pretty much like others around us, we will not often be noticed.  As long as our lives pretty much mirror the lives of those around us–why would anyone notice or care? 

Look for opportunities today.  What could you do that would be out of the ordinary?  What opportunity will God present for you to demonstrate Christ’s present in your life by reacting differently than others do?  What will I do that is counter-cultural.  “In the world, but not of the world.”  “Let your lights so shine….”

Beware:  Christian crossing! 

I love some of the signature lines people put at the end of their e-mails. Here’s my nomination for the signature of the day: “Drop out of the ‘Ain’t It Awful Club’—Volunteer!”

Easy to figure out what’s wrong. Easier to bemoan what’s wrong. Easiest to criticize what’s wrong.

Hard to to get involved. Hard to make a difference. Hard to change the world. But worth it.

It may not be the longest word in the world, or even in the United States, but it certainly qualifies for consideration as one of the most difficult to pronounce.

 NAROMIYOCKNOWUSUNKALANKSHUNK.  It’s the name of a small stream near Milford, Connecticut.  It is an Indian word which is said to mean, “You fish on your end of the stream; I’ll fish on mine.”  In modern jargon, it means, “You mind your business; I’ll mind mine.”

 I believe God’s blessings are withheld from his children because of grudges and secret resentments harbored.  Too many Christians have decided on the course of “peaceful coexistence” because of some small differences that became so large they couldn’t get along with one another.  People worship side by side who will not speak to one another.  Perhaps even worse, people segregate into separate congregations because of some little matter that they allowed to become large.  They call one another “brother” and “sister” while the surrounding community laughs.  At worst, grudges are nourished, resentment reigns.  At best, some level of grudging fellowship is maintained.  Regardless, the gospel is crippled.

 “You fish on your end of the stream; I’ll fish on mine.”  Such an attitude may avoid open conflict, but it does not fulfill our responsibility as Christians when we are at odds with another Christian.  The course of “peaceful coexistence” will not bring us to the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  We who have spoken against ecumenical movements in which people “agree to disagree” ought to examine our own lives, lest we fall.

“We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren.  He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.  If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? (1 John 3:14; 4:20).  “Moreover if they brother shall trespass against thee, go…. (Matt. 18:15).

 The same Christ who reconciles us to God makes it possible for us to be reconciled to one another when differences arise.  Jesus came to break down the vertical barriers erected by sin; he also came to break down walls between brothers (Ephesians 2).  Here’s a scary thought–our reconciliation with God depends upon our reconciliation to one another (Matt. 5:24).

Romans 8:28-30 affirms that God calls.  The challenge of calling is deciding to follow God’s purpose rather than our own.  Today I challenge you to consider God’s calling in your life.

• His calling is to be conformed to his image, Rom. 8:29
• Many are called, Matt. 20:16
• We are called in one hope, Eph. 4:4
• We are called to peace, 1 Cor. 7:15
• Our call is to walk worthy, Eph. 4:1
• We are called to be saints, 1 Cor. 1:2
• Ours is a holy calling, 2 Tim. 1:9

Let us strive to make our calling and election sure, 2 Pet 1:10.

I recently spent some time with a group of guys who were far too advanced in the use of acronyms.  It began with a reference to the EHM ministry (extreme home makeover) at their church, and by the end of a couple of days together everything was an acronym. 

I can’t remember all of them, but one brother shared a couple that made a lot of sense.  He said that “sin” is “self-induced nonsense.”  I might give Satan a little credit in the whole sin thing, but the nonsense idea made a lot of sense to me.  He went on to say that “God” is “good orderly direction.”  Certainly there is a lot more to God than good and order and direction, but the ideas are helpful.  It is true, is it not, that I can measure (at least in part) how I am doing in following God by asking whether my life reflects good, whether my life is orderly, and what is the direction of my life.