Last week I took Caleb to see the new movie, Eragon. If you’re a fan of this type movie, its good and don’t listen to the critics. There are many good things about the film… but this story is about the aftermath. On the way home from the movie I was telling Cale that the book was written by a 17 year old boy. Caleb was surprised that there was a book. He reads a lot, (gets that and other good things from his dad,) and his interest was peaked right away. So on Saturday we stopped by a store and looked at the books. He was looking at Eragon and wanted to read it, but the sequel is out as well, its called Eldest. So he was struggling with which one to get. Then it happened. What Caleb calls, his Christmas Miracle. A teenage girl saw him looking at these two sizable books and heard him arguing with himself about which one to get. She spoke up and said, “Tell you what, if you’ll buy the sequel, I buy you the first one for you for Christmas.” He couldn’t believe it. He said, “For real!?” The clouds parted. A light from heaven shown all around and Angels sang. She said, “Sure, I’ll do that for you.” 

She was a total stranger. We found out later that her name was Valen. She told us that she liked to encourage kids to read and this was something that she did as a practice.  Caleb wont soon forget her. I hope if he ever writes a book, the heroin of his story is named Valen. She displayed nobility in a number of ways. She listened to a child. She admired what was good. She practiced giving. She initiated the blessing. She was selfless and gave only her first name. She did not seek attention or acknowledgement. She asked nothing in return.   Caleb couldn’t believe that a total stranger would give to him simply because. When Jesus Christ was born, the Angel proclaimed… “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of

John Stossel does those, Give Me a Break programs on ABC. I like them because most of the time he is saying things the rest of us think but don’t have a platform to speak about. Like why when you buy a box of Pop Tarts – and the box is 30% empty. Like we’re to dumb to know they’re doing this to us. Give me a break. Well I think there comes a time for each of us when we’ve had enough and we simply need a break. I’m a news junkie. I listen to talk radio a lot. Love to watch FOX News. I enjoy railing on liberal media and their deceptions. I love sports, politics and religious talk. And I’m tired of all of it. I need a famine in regard to these things. It’s been a week since I watched, read or listened to the news, saw a little sports and only did bible study and worship, no religious talk. 

Famines can be dangerous though. In the Old Book, famine always represents God’s judgment on a people. And worse than a famine of food is the famine of hearing God’s word. God warns us through the Prophet Amos, “The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign LORD, “when I will send a famine through the land– not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.” Amos 8:11   A self-imposed famine from the things that bog us down is a good thing. What’s in your life that you need to set aside for a while? Are there some people you need a break from? Have you been experiencing a famine from hearing God? Perhaps those other things are crowding him out.  

I don’t know how long I will stay clear of all that stuff, but I have a ways to go. So consider this free advice from a friend. Take a famine from the things that burden your heart and allow the things of God to fill in the gaps. The things you don’t hear will free you… the things you hear from God will amaze and inspire you. telemicus out

It was one year ago this week, (or something close to this week,) that I began a weekly blog called, The Telemicus Files. It is mostly to point friends and family to thoughts on spiritual things. As I told you from the beginning, this is not meant to be a deep theological endeavor, its meant to help us think a little and to see that nobility is sewn into the fabric of our souls because God is that way by the nature of his character and we bear his image. So how was this past year for you? Do you feel that you grew as a person? Are you closer to being your true self than you were a year ago? Are you more content than you were? Are you happier? Did you find a better measure of health? Are you closer to God? Do you know Him better? Do you know more of His Word than a year ago? Did you get in shape? Did you find purpose for your life? 

Paul told a group of new Christians in some of the cities where they had established churches, “We must go through many hardships to enter the

Years ago, Billy Joel did a song called, A Matter of Trust. Good song! Trust is easy – until it’s put to a test. When the circumstances are not what we have in mind, our trust becomes a precarious cliff that we walk the edge of until we either move to secure ground or dive headlong into the abyss.  But our trust is not simply the words we say, it is more than that. Our trust is a statement to everyone around us. It speaks not only to where we are in our living, but it also speaks about the one in whom we trust. If I say that I trust my daughter, but then I constantly check up on everything she does, not only do I not trust her, but I testify that my words cannot be trusted. (I am a believer in the “trust but verify” policy with teens. To verify is wise – to be stalker of your own child is disingenuous at best.) 

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,“Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.” Numbers 20:12   They did not trust God “enough” to honor him as Holy. Their actions said something about God to the Israelites. It said, “We don’t honor God as Holy.” It said, “Don’t trust him that far.” This experience came at great cost. They were not allowed to fulfill their calling. 

I’ve found this to be true in my life recently. I told the Lord, “Do what you think best, I trust you.” I was ok with his decision. But the results were not what I expected and that angered me. I didn’t trust him enough. To trust the Lord is to trust beyond than the immediate situation and into the eventualities that will result. When we display displeasure with God’s decisions or the results of his decisions, we do not honor him as Holy.  I’ve repented of my distrust. I’m working to change my heart. I trust the Lord. I want to honor Him as Holy to everyone, especially my kids. The noble heart does not make another person look bad in order to own its own feelings.  telemicus out