The After-Oakdale Chronicles

perfect for seeing the joy in each day.

“And so, my children, listen to me, for all who follow my ways are joyful.”  Proverbs 8:32 NLT

“Don’t worry, be happy!”

“Jump for joy!”

No matter how you want to say it, today is the perfect day to be joyful! What’s so special about today? Because every day is a gift from God, and each new day becomes the new today.

Too many of us waste too many days always being mentally prepared for the clouds that do, indeed, creep into each and every life. There are inevitable events that occur that may bring moments where we are hurt, feel pain, or experience loss. These clouds that pass over cannot be stopped just as the clouds that cross the sky cannot be stopped.

Be that as it may, we all are aware that beyond those clouds, the sun still shines brightly and is only momentarily blocked from our view while we receive some much needed shade or rain, which gives life to everything on earth. So we welcome the clouds and the storms that they bring, knowing they will pass.

It is no different with the “clouds” that bring the “storms” of our lives.

The storms may be unpleasant, but they bring us the ability to learn about ourselves and to grow. The important thing to remember is that God, like the sun, is always there. Even when the pain in our heart or the trials we are experiencing block us from the joy of knowing God, we can still be joyful knowing He is there.

Sometimes it can be difficult to be joyful when surrounded by sadness. Imagine the tremendous sadness that befell Jesus’ disciples when He was crucified. These were individuals who were the recipients of teaching and reassurance from the mouth of the Lord Himself, and even though they were forewarned of His crucifixion, and in spite of the fact that Christ foretold of His resurrection, they were still unable to be joyful knowing that He was going to return.

Jesus ultimately stood before them and allowed them to touch Him and see Him and finally “… they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder.” (Luke 24:41a NLT).

It is not always a simple thing to see the joy that can be found in each and every day, but it is there. Perhaps a storm cloud has moved in front of it, but it is still there, just as God is always there.

Even though it may be difficult sometimes, we must always remember that knowing God brings joy to our daily existence, and even though there may be times when God and the joy He gives us may be blocked from view, both are still very near to us.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

a fine day to be strong and courageous.

“Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord.”  Psalm 31:24 NASB

Many of us are familiar with the famous movie lion who sought courage. He went on a journey with Dorothy and her dog, the man made of tin, and the man made of straw. Following the yellow brick road to a whimsical city, each one brought their request to the powerful wizard who they were told could help them.

Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

We do not need wizards in whimsical cities to overcome our fear, and President Roosevelt was correct in his assertion. But if wizards can’t give us courage, where do we find the courage to face the fears that President Roosevelt spoke of?

Almost every person reading these words will immediately answer, in their own minds, “God! We get our courage from God.”

We know where to go to find the courage we need. We really do.

Why then do we seem to be so afraid to say and do the right thing so often in our lives? It is true that we are merely human beings and we are flawed, but “As for God, His way is perfect: the word of the Lord is flawless; He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him.” (Psalm 18:30 NIV).

Far too often we shrink away from things we see around us that are wrong. Our justification is that “It is none of my business.”

In many cases, if we are to search our hearts for the truth, we will discover that at the root of our inaction lies fear. We are simply afraid to speak up or to step in. It is safer to “not get involved.”

What we should do is make God our shield and do the right thing.

The Lord gives us the knowledge of the difference between right and wrong, so we can see when there is something that we should do something about. It is our faith in God that fills us, “So we can say with confidence, ‘the Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man to do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:6 NIV).

Sometimes it takes courage to simply have faith. We turn to God and ask for the courage to believe, and with that belief we boldly confront whatever it is that we are afraid of, knowing that God is with us.

Our strength and our courage come from God and He is always ready to stand with us, to help us speak up, and to help us step in.

Put your hope in the Lord. The courage you need is in you, and He can show you where to find it.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

a good day to use well what you are given.

“’Yes,’ the king replied, ‘and to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.’”  Luke 19:26 NLT

We are not all flashy people, forceful people, or famous people.

Some people are born into a situation where they have much, in terms of material things, from the very beginning, and some are born into high-profile political or social families, guaranteeing them a certain amount of notoriety.

A far greater number of people enter this life with relatively little fanfare and not much in the way of material possessions, but they have talents and abilities and the personality to rise up to a level where they are known, listened to, and hold a certain amount of sway or influence over others.

But by far, the overwhelming majority of us come into this life quietly and our lives remain relatively quiet and unobtrusive.

Not everyone who is born is destined to capture the public’s imagination or attention, and this is perfectly alright.

We can still capture the attention of God, the only One who matters, by using what we do have in a manner that reflects His character.

Service to humanity does not require writing a check for one million dollars when a natural disaster occurs somewhere in the world. This is a wonderful gesture, mind you, but the person who lives each and every day of his or her life using the gifts and abilities provided by God to do little things will receive a far greater reward from God for doing so.

We should all give thanks for those who are in a position to write those large checks, but we should also give thanks for the many millions of individuals who work with the tens of thousands of organizations who serve the needy in communities throughout the world on a daily basis.

In the eyes of God, it is not a question of how much one person has compared to another.

The only thing taken into consideration is how well each one of us uses what we have been given. Many people are frozen into inaction because they don’t think that the little time, knowledge, talent, or money that they have will make a difference.

This is not true.

One coin in a kettle looks rather lonely, but when everyone uses what they have in a way that pleases God, that kettle is soon overflowing.

Use God’s gift of today to use your gifts from God in a manner that reflects His character.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

an awesome day to thank Jesus for His prayers.

“I pray that they will be one, just as You and I are One – as You are in Me, Father, and I am in You. And may they be in Us so that the world will believe You sent Me.”  John 17:21 NLT

The Bible encourages us to pray for one another as a part of God’s requirement that we love one another and look out for one another.

James, Jesus’ brother, made this clear when he wrote, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” (James 5:16 NLT).

Praying for someone who is hurt or hurting; has experienced pain or has a painful experience; has lost a job or found trouble of one kind or another is a wonderful way to demonstrate our love and concern for each other.

Paul prayed that the hearts of the Ephesians would be flooded with light and in his letter to them, he said, “I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe Him.” (Ephesians 1:19a NLT).

The power of prayer is at the center of Christian life.

Bringing our hopes and fears to God is one of the things we are encouraged to do without any embarrassment or reservation. Our ability to seek grace, mercy, and forgiveness, through prayer, for our sins and our mistakes is a gift from God that is beyond measure.

Yes, prayer is a wonderful blessing and we should spend more time making use of it, not only for ourselves, but for the benefit of others. When we do that, we are doing nothing less than following the example of our Lord, Jesus Christ who prayed for us.

How unbelievably special is that? Jesus Christ prayed for you. He prayed for all who believe, and what did He pray for? He prayed, “Father, I want these whom You have given Me to be with Me where I am. Then they can see all the glory You gave Me because You loved Me even before the world began!” (John 17:24 NLT).

Jesus Christ knew that He was going to die, but He knew that His death would mean everlasting life with Him in Heaven for all who believe in Him. He prayed to the Father His desire to share the glory given Him with us.

He prayed for us to join Him in Heaven.

Can any of us think of a more powerful person to pray for us than Jesus? And can anyone think of any request that can be made of God that is filled with more love?

Take time today and thank Jesus for His prayers.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

an excellent day to thank God for your tears.

“Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord.”  Lamentations 2:19a NIV

One of the greatest gifts that God has given us is the gift of our tears.

Many will wonder how tears can be a gift, but how else can we present ourselves to God and ask for forgiveness if we are not weeping as we do so? While it is the blood of Christ that washes away our sins, crying has a way of helping us to wash away the pain of our sins.

But our tears serve many more purposes than that and have much greater significance in our lives.

For many people tears flow freely during times of joy.

Men and women alike will get all misty-eyed at the birth of a child. While it is true that sad movies make people cry, the same holds true for some that end joyously. Tears through our joy produce rainbows in our hearts in much the same way as sun through the rain produces rainbows in the sky.

Weddings produce tears from many different people: fathers, mothers, maids of honor, guests, and the brides themselves – perhaps even the grooms.

Graduations, recitals, concerts, plays, sports competitions and on and on. Milestones in our lives and the lives of those we love all produce tears that signify happiness or extreme joy.

And, of course, tears also signify our pain.

Tears at the loss of a loved one wash the grief from our hearts. Men and women alike signify their sorrow by shedding tears. We console each other, and we weep together.

Tears reveal our humanity.

How unfortunate are those individuals who are raised to believe that tears, especially tears from men, are a sign of weakness. How sad that people go through life without rainbows in their hearts; without washing away sin or pain; or without being able to express that depth of joy that only tears can reveal.

Sadly, many young men are raised to believe that “real” men don’t cry.

Jesus Christ was the greatest man to ever walk this earth, and not least among all of the gifts His Father gave Him was the gift of tears. When told that Lazarus had died and had been placed in a tomb, “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35 NASB).

There are gifts to thank God for each and every day of our lives.

Today is an excellent day to thank God for the gift of our tears.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

a superb day to pray, “Lord, take from me my anger.”

“…for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.”  James 1:20 NASB

It is difficult for any Christian to not feel anger when confronted with sin and injustice in the world.

How can we not feel anger when we read about the estimated 50,000 Cambodian children sold into sexual slavery each year?

How can we not feel anger when we read about 48,000 women a year being raped in the Congo?

How can we not feel anger when we read about the millions of children who go to bed hungry throughout the world, including in the United States?

How can we not get angry when we see so much time, effort, and money being spent producing and watching some of the filth that bombards us daily on our televisions?

But James was not speaking of this type of anger. That type of anger should ignite righteous indignation which should also spark us to action to contribute somehow to correcting those things we see that are wrong and are contrary to the teachings of Christ.

The type of anger James was referring to was selfish anger. Selfish anger is ‘all about me‘ anger:

“My feelings got hurt!”

“No one listens to me!”

“I am jealous!”

“I don’t like what that person said!”

“You didn’t cook my dinner the way I wanted!”

That type of anger ignites selfish indignation and almost always results in someone being hurt in a physical, emotional, or spiritual way.

People have pointed to Jesus Himself and said, “But Jesus got angry!”

Using Christ to excuse our own inability to control our temperament is almost as childish as not being able to control our temperament in the first place.

Jesus never got angry because someone hurt His feelings. He never got angry because His meal was cooked wrong. He never got angry because He was jealous.

Jesus got angry because of the sin He felt in peoples’ hearts, saw in their actions, and heard in their words. Jesus got angry because He saw people being mistreated, abused, or taken advantage of. It is important to note that He used His anger to teach.

His anger produced indignation that moved Him to take corrective steps.

So let us all become moved to take action when our anger is over things we see that are sinful or harmful to others.

But when it comes to selfish, self-centered anger, let us pray, “Lord, take from me my anger.”

Amen.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

a wonderful day to hold on for the last half hour.

“So they said to one another, ‘Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.’”  Numbers 14:4 NASB

Someone said, “The greatest challenge in receiving great things from God is holding on for the last half hour.”

Many of us often make this statement very true. Let’s look at the Israelites, for example. They followed God’s direction and endured several years of hardship to arrive at Kadesh, at the very edge of the land promised by God.

Twelve men were sent to look around and report back. They were gone for 40 days and when they returned, only Joshua and Caleb were in favor of proceeding to conquer the land God had promised.

Caleb spoke confidently of entering Canaan, “But the men who had gone up with him said, ‘We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us.’” (Numbers 13:31 NASB).

God had promised them that the land would be theirs, but insecurity, fear, and doubt overcame them at the last moment. Their faith in God deserted them in “the last half hour.”

God’s patience is greater than that of any human being, but the Israelites were certainly testing it here. They had complained all the way from Egypt. They had expressed their doubt more than once. Even though they were now poised at the edge of the land they had endured much hardship to reach, they were now seriously considering going back the way they came rather than take the final “leap of faith” and enter the land God said He would give them.

How could they doubt Him now?

The same God who parted the Red Sea so they could pass safely and then destroyed Pharaoh’s army had promised victory over their enemies, and they could not hold onto their faith for just a little longer?

Something similar has probably occurred in the life of many of us. We have prayed for something and followed God’s direction, believing that what we have asked for has met with His approval. We have believed that we have God’s assurance that we will reach our goal. We have prayed in faith and we have gotten within sight of achieving what we have worked for.

And at the last moment, the shadow of doubt is cast over us, and we stop moving toward our goal. We somehow convince ourselves it is God telling us that we cannot do what we believed we could do.

But it is not God.

It is fear placed within us by the evil one and we must conquer that fear through prayer and faith and continue boldly forward until we have reached our own promised land.

All we have to do is ask God to help us hold on for “the last half hour”.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

an ideal day to be successful.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”  Jeremiah 1:5 NIV

Jeremiah served as God’s spokesman to Judah for 40 years. He was poor, was taken into prison, was thrown into a cistern, and was rejected by family and friends alike. Yet he spent his life courageously proclaiming the Word of God even though no one listened. He was largely ignored because the messages he delivered foretold of the bad things that would happen because God was becoming tired of people not doing what He required of them.

In the eyes of the world, Jeremiah was viewed as being a failure. Surely those with greater material wealth had more blessings from God than Jeremiah. Why would anyone follow, or listen to, someone who was poor?

The Bible teaches us that material wealth is not a sign of success in the eyes of God.

Obedience and faithfulness are what make us successful to God, and it is God’s approval only that should matter. On many levels, life today is not all that different than life in Jeremiah’s time. People don’t seem to learn, and don’t seem to listen. The people in the Northern Kingdom of Israel had been exiled to Babylon for their sins, and the people in the Southern Kingdom of Judah were headed for a similar fate.

But still they refused to open their eyes and see disaster coming, and they refused to open their ears to hear Jeremiah’s warnings.

It is the same today, if not worse. After all, we have the benefit of all of the teachings of the Bible and some of us still insist on measuring success in dollars and cents instead of obedience and faithfulness to God.

Even knowing, as we do, that there are many people with tremendous wealth who are lost and lead sad, miserable lives, we still fall short of understanding. We fail to see that many people with very few material possessions live their lives with joy because of their love of the Lord.

Being obedient and faithful to God makes us successful in His eyes.

Look to the Bible to guide you to success.

“The Lord your God will delight in you if you obey His voice and keep the commands and decrees in this Book of Instruction, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.” (Deuteronomy 30:10 NLT).

There is no greater measure of success than the approval of the Lord.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

the perfect day to go where you always feel safe.

“You are my hiding place: You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.”  Psalm 32:7 NIV

Many of us know that feeling of total comfort when we go to our mother’s or our grandmother’s house. We just walk through the door no matter how long we have been away or how old we are and are immediately welcome, always loved, and instantly comfortable.

In other words, we are safe. We are wrapped up in an environment of love and it simply makes us feel good.

That is exactly the type of relationship that each one of us should desire, and strive for, with the Lord. It is the type of relationship He wants for us, so the responsibility is ours to do everything necessary, and live our lives in a manner that will bring about the knowledge that being in the presence of the Lord will give us those same feelings of being welcome, instantly comfortable, and always loved.

God wants us to know that our relationship with Him gives us all we need to feel safe.

“I, yes I, am the one who comforts you. So why are you afraid of mere humans, who wither like grass and disappear?” (Isaiah 51:12 NLT).

Perhaps there are those of us who simply have not yet established a comfortable relationship with God. There could be many reasons, but there is no excuse. All that is required is the acceptance of Christ as our savior and then a desire to learn about God, live in a manner that honors Him, and seek His comfort and the safety He offers.

It is difficult for some who have lived extremely sinful lives and have felt alone, isolated, and lost as a result, to grasp the concept of God’s love. When we have surrounded ourselves with lust, greed, anger, hate, hypocrisy, dishonesty and other sinful acts and activities, it may take some getting used to for some of us to believe that anything so wonderful could be so easy to attain.

Satan knows that if we can be manipulated into living lives of sin, we will soon find it difficult to love even ourselves. Inability to love ourselves will translate to an inability to love others, or to love God. Do not give the evil one the power. Wrap yourself in the loving arms of the Lord. Turn to God when you are afraid, unsure, hurt or lonely.

Turn to God whenever you want to feel like you just arrived at your grandmother’s house. Will there be warm chocolate chip cookies waiting?

Perhaps not, but then…you just never know.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson

the day to make sure we get nourishment from the vine.

“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me, you can do nothing.”  John 15:5 NASB

Napa Valley, California is one of the best grape growing regions in the world. It is beautiful country with the right climate, the right conditions, and the right people. The wine produced from grapes grown there is among the best that can be found anywhere.

We won’t find vineyards just anywhere in the world, but in those places where grapes do flourish, we find that grapevines are very prolific plants and each vine supports many, many branches, which in turn yield many bunches of grapes.

Successful vineyards do not simply occur.

They require a lot of care and attention. Branches that are dead, which do not produce fruit, need to be cut off to make room for those branches that do produce fruit. Those productive branches must also be pruned to enable them to then produce even more fruit.

Christ compares Himself to the vine.

Each one of us represents a branch that is attached to the vine. Unlike the grapevines, the vine of Christ can – and does – grow everywhere in the world where there are people. Like the branches of the grapevine, we are dependent upon Christ, our vine, for nourishment. God, the master gardener, watches over every branch. Like any good gardener, He wants everything to bear fruit, but He sadly recognizes that sometimes certain branches just seem to resist nourishment and die.

Having received the message about the salvation offered to us by Christ on the cross, we must now do all we can do to continue to draw our nourishment from Him. Jesus tells us, “Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.” (John 15:4 NIV).

We require a constant connection with Christ in order to receive the spiritual nourishment we need that will allow us to bear the fruit that will glorify God.

Remain rooted in the Word of God, continue to grow and flourish as a Christian and help others find out how they, too, can grow with the spiritual nourishment that comes from having a constant connection to the vine that is Jesus Christ.

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Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson