Dear Gentle Readers,

I won't be writing anything that you don't already know, but rather just penning some reminders via excerpts from Max Lucado's book, It's Not About Me (Integrity Publishers, Nashville. 2004). The sub-title of this book is "Rescue from the Life We Thought Would Make Us Happy", and the inside of the book jacket has these notes: "For our entire lives we've been urged to look out for number one. To find our place in the sun and soak it for all its worth. To make a name for ourselves as if we are the headliners in life's drama.... Max Lucado turns the greatest lie we've believed on its head--the one that says, "It's all about me"--and sets our sights on a different goal. "We were not made to live this way."

I confess that I'm not a Max Lucado "fan" -- It's not that I'm anti-Max Lucado (not at all)...it's just that after reading the blurbs on the book jackets of the books he's written I just don't usually feel compelled to read them, with the exception of this one and the one titled "God Came Near" (which I remember as being a good read many years ago...admittedly I haven't looked at all the book jackets of all the books he has written.) But this new book by Lucado has some good "reminders" in it, and I thought y'all might like to read some excerpts.

David Robinson, former NBA player, wrote the foreword to this book, which includes the following: "NBA championship teams have something in common: they play with one goal in mind. Each player contributes his own gifts and efforts so that the greater goal--winning--can be reached. But players who seek their own glory at the sacrifice of the team's glory drive the team away from success. So it is with life. The goal is not our own glory. In fact, trying to make life "all about us" pushes happiness further out of reach." "Our society is not wired for this kind of thinking. It's a "me-centric" world out there, which destroys much of what should be good. Marriages are ruined because one or both partners are focused on their own happiness. Successful men and women are ruined by their own success, believing they don't need anyone else's input. And for some, life's troubles are magnified because they believe life is all about them." "The Bible is full of men and women who struggled with "me-centric" thinking, so our generation is not alone. If we would learn from them, we could live in freedom. . . . "....May God free us all from "me-centric" living. All the glory is His!"

I hope you find these thoughts from the excerpts below to be thought-provoking and helpful . . .

Grace and Peace, Elaine

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Blame the bump on Copernicus."

"Until Copernicus came along in 1543, we earthlings enjoyed center stage, Fathers could place an arm around their children, point to the night sky, and proclaim, "The Universe revolves around us."

"Ah, the hub of the planetary wheel, the navel of the heavnly body, the 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue of the cosmos. Ptolemy's second-century finding convinced us. Stick a pin in the center of the stellar map, and you've found the earth. Dead center."

"And, what's more, dead still! Let the other planets vagabond through the skies. Not us. No sir. We stay put. As predictable as Christmas. No orbiting. No rotating. Some fickle planets revolve 180 degrees from one day to the next. Not ours. As budgeless as the Rock of Gibraltar. Let's hear loud applause for the earth, the anchor of the universe."

"But then came . . . Nicolaus Copernicus with his maps, drawings, bony nose, Polish accent, and pestering questions. Oh, those questions he asked."

"Ahem, can anyone tell me what causes the seasons to change?

"Why do some stars appear in the day and others at night?"

"Does anyone know exactly how far ships can sail before falling off the edge of the earth?

"Trivialities!" people scoffed. "Who has time for such problems? Smile and wave, everyone. Heaven's homecoming queen has more pressing matters to which to attend."

"But Copernicus persisted. He tapped our collective shoulder and cleared his throat. "Forgive my proclamation, but," and pointing a lone finger toward the sun, he announced, "behold the center of the solar system."

"People denied the facts for over half a century. When like-minded Galileo came along, the throne locked him up, and the church kicked him out. You'd have thought he had called the king a stepchild or the pope a Baptist."

"People didn't take well to demotions back then."

"We still don't"

"What Copernicus did for the earth, God does for our souls....He points to the Son--His Son--and says, "Behold the center of it all."

"And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,..." (Ephesians 1:19-22. )

"When God looks at the center of the universe, He doesn't look at you. When heaven's stagehands direct the spotlight toward the star of the show, I need no sunglasses. No light falls on me."

"Lesser orbs, that's us. Appreciated. Valued. Loved dearly. But central? Essential? Pivotal? Nope ... Contrary to the Ptolemy within us, the world does not revolve around us. Our comfort is not God's priority....God does not exist to make a big deal out of us. We exist to make a big deal out of Him. It's not about you. It's not about me. It's all about Him.

* * * * *

God's Unchanging Hand

"God's plans will never change, because He makes His plans in complete knowledge. Forget hopeful forecasting. He declares "the end from the beginning" (Isaiah 46:10). Nothing takes Him by surprise. l "The plans of the Lord stand firm forever" (Psalm 33:11 NIV).

"The Cross will never lose its power. The blood of Christ will not fade in strength. . . . God will never return to the drawing board. "What He does in time He planned from eternity. And all that He planned in eternity He carries out in time." (J.I.Packer, Knowing God).

"The Lord Almighty has spoken--who can change His plans? When His hand moves, who can stop Him?" ()Isaiah 14:27 NLT). God never changes. Everyone else does. Everything else will."

".... What changes are you facing?

"Cemeteries interrupt the finest families."

"Retirement finds the best employees."

"Age withers the strongest bodies."

"With life life comes change."

"But with change comes the reassuring appreciation of heaven's permanence. His "firm foundation stands" (2 Timothy 2:19 ESV). His house will stand forever."

* * * * *

God's Immeasurable Love

"Several hundred feet beneath my chair is a lake, an underground cavern of crystalline water known as the Edwards Aquifer. We South Texans know much about this aquifer. We know its length (175 miles). We know its layout (west to east except under San Antonio, where it runs north to south). We know the water is pure. Fresh. It irrigates farms and waters lawns and fills pools and quenches thirst. We know much about the aquifer."

"But for all the facts we do know, there is an essential one we don't. We don't know its size. The depth of the cavern? A mystery. Number of gallons? Unmeasured. No one knows the amount of water the aquifer contains."

"Watch the nightly weather report, and you'd think otherwise. Meteorologists give regular updates on the aquifer level. You get the impression that the amount of water is calculated. "The truth is," a friend told me,"no one knows how much water is down there."

"Could this be? I decided to find out. I called a water conservationist. "That's right," he affirmed. "We estimate. We try to measure. But the exact quantity? No one knows." Remarkable. We use it, depend upon it, would perish without it . . . but measure it? We can't.

"Bring to mind . . . . God's love. Aquifer fresh. Pure as April snow. One swallow slackens the thirsty throat . . . Immerse a life in God's love, and watch it emerge cleansed and changed. We know the impact of God's love." "But the volume? No person has ever measured it."

* * * * *

"Does God love you? Behold the Cross, and behold your answer."

* * * * *

"And, oh, what a love this is. It's too wonderful to be measured" (Ephesians 3:19 CEV). But though we cannot measure it, may I urge you to trust it? Some of you are so hungry for such love. Those who should have loved you didn't. Those who could have loved you wouldn't. You were left at the hospital. Left at the altar. Left with an empty bed. Left with a broken heart. Left with your question, "Does anybody love me?"

"Please listen to heaven's answer. As you ponder him on the cross, hear God assure, "I do."

"Someday someone will likely find the limits of the South Texas aquifer. A robotic submarine, even a diver, will descend through the water until it his solid ground. "We've plumbed the depths," newspaper will announce. Will someone say the same of God's love? No. When it comes to water, we'll find the limit. But when it comes to His love, we never will."

* * * * *

Book blurb (back of book):

"There's really more to this life than you've been told...."

"We've been demanding our way since day one . . . Self-promotion. Self-preservation. Selfcenteredness . . . It's all about me."

"They all told us it was, didn't they? And we took them up on it. We thought self-celebration would make us happy . . . "

"But believing that has created chaos--noisy homes, stress-filled businesses, cutthroat relationships. . . .

"If you want to shift into high gear with purpose, this is it . . . . Our pleasures, our problems, our gifts and talents . . . when they're all for the One who created us, we suddenly gain what we've been missing and find what we've been seeking. . . . "

* * * * *

(End)