{"id":2801,"date":"2014-01-23T12:48:44","date_gmt":"2014-01-23T12:48:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/?p=2801"},"modified":"2014-01-23T12:48:44","modified_gmt":"2014-01-23T12:48:44","slug":"down-but-not-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/?p=2801","title":{"rendered":"Down, But Not Out"},"content":{"rendered":"

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I\u2019m feeling a little better today, but having a hard time moving this morning, so please be patient with me. I\u2019ve decided to take a day off from writing new material for my blog and share a post from last January.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Enjoy!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Just Plain Crazy!<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

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I have seen some crazy things on the roads of Colorado in the past few years. A few have had me scratching my head and saying, \u201cHow did that happen?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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For example, I saw a car on the median barriers. You know those large cement barriers. Like a teeter-totter. It was dangling, balanced as if a giant had come along and placed it strategically in that position. Now, how do you explain that to your spouse or your insurance company?<\/span><\/p>\n

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And then there was the time I saw a large moving van stopped along the highway. Smoke was streaming out the back end and flames were visible. The moving van was on fire! Again, how do you explain this situation to the people whose belongings have just burned up?<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"IMAG0313\"<\/a>And last year with our dry, hot, windy weather here in Colorado, I passed by a wildfire on the highway. It was frightening as traffic passed the whipping flames not more than 10 feet from our cars. That was a memorable, yet crazy moment.<\/span><\/p>\n

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I\u2019m sure if you took a moment to think about it you too, have seen some unusual happenings around you. Situations or scenes that seem very out of place and yes, even crazy.<\/span><\/p>\n

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I wonder if that isn\u2019t how the local people of Jesus\u2019 day reacted when He visited their villages. There were strange words spoken. There were strange and even crazy scenes witnessed. Jesus brought an entourage with Him that I suspect folks were leery of.<\/span><\/p>\n

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But the people were drawn to Jesus. They couldn\u2019t help but sit and listen to His words. They were mesmerized by the miracles He performed. There was nearly always a crowd. But why do you suppose that is?<\/span><\/p>\n

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Although Jesus\u2019 words and actions were unfamiliar to these people, His words and actions were filled with hope, love, acceptance, forgiveness, and honesty. They were exactly what they needed to hear. What they needed to see. Feel what they needed to feel.<\/span><\/p>\n

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As we read the accounts of Jesus\u2019 interactions with others, we also might say something like \u201cthat\u2019s crazy!\u201d But to be honest, we are drawn to His words just as much as the villagers were 2,000 years ago. Because we too need the hope, love, acceptance, forgiveness and honesty that Jesus offers.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Crazy? Some may think so. But for me, to hear or read Jesus\u2019 words in the Gospels fills my heart with joy. His words spoken all those years ago were spoken and recorded for me to read today. His words are just as relevant and meaningful today as they were then.<\/span><\/p>\n

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So as you continue through your day today, think of the craziness in your life. If you haven\u2019t already done so, isn\u2019t it time to give that craziness to Jesus? He would love to take it and make it into something beautiful and useful for His kingdom.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Just read what Jesus had to say about it. \u201cCome to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.\u201d<\/i> (Matthew 11:28-30 \u2013 NIV)<\/span><\/p>\n

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It may sound crazy, but it isn\u2019t. It\u2019s rational. It\u2019s reasonable. It\u2019s sensible. If you\u2019re looking for hope or love or acceptance or forgiveness or honesty, Jesus is your last stop on the searching train. He offers it all to you and me.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Today I pray that you will stop and listen to the words Jesus is speaking. They are for you.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Grace and peace be yours in abundance,<\/span><\/p>\n

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Donna<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m feeling a little better today, but having a hard time moving this morning, so please be patient with me. I\u2019ve decided to take a day off from writing new material for my blog and share a post from last January. \u00a0 Enjoy! \u00a0 Just Plain Crazy! \u00a0 I have seen some crazy things on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_s2mail":"yes","_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,21],"tags":[1758,1760,1757,1759,85],"class_list":["post-2801","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-believing-god","category-trusting-god","tag-but-not-out","tag-crazy-things","tag-down","tag-jesus-words","tag-matthew-1128-30"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2801","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2801"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2801\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2802,"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2801\/revisions\/2802"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2801"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2801"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2801"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}