At dusk–shortly before sunset–the colors of the sky became more precise and clear for a few brief moments, and then a quiet peace took over.  The colors became muted and soft, and even the air somehow became more gentle as the sun eased down.”
              –Paul Bagdon (Stallions at Burnt Rock)

    “That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun that there is no one besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other.”
              –Isaiah 4:56 (NASB)
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    Which is better–the sunrise or the sunset?  I promised myself many years ago that I would not miss any more sunrises if I could possibly help it.  There is something about the red and orange colors as the sun begins its rise in the eastern sky.  There is that promise of a new day.  It’s no wonder the Indians of the plains had the opening of their tepee to the sky.  Not to be lost is the fact that the Lord will return in the eastern sky.  What a thought, what a wonder, what a promise of a new day!
    But the sunset brings a deep, hopefully, satisfying sigh.  A sigh of a day well done; work completed.  The colors, painted by the great Artist Himself–the Holy Spirit promise us the night for rest.  It is a peaceful time with slumber not long in waiting.  There are the words from the pen of Longfellow,

              “The day is done, and the darkness 
                   Falls from the wings of Night, 
               As a feather is wafted downward 
                   From an eagle in his flight.”

or the quiet lullaby,

               “Day is done,
                Gone the sun,
                From the lake, from the hills, from the sky.
                All is well, safely rest,
                God is nigh.”

    With those restful respites and promises I want to bring you back again to the day; the job of living.  Sunrise, sunset, but what of between?  Three questions that you should ask yourself:
          1)  Who am I?
          2)  Where do I belong?
          3)  Am I happy?
Now, don’t get all hyped up about the term happy. I mean, generally, do you have a happy life?  If not, then ask yourself why not?
    One reason is that we have forgotten the excitement of the trip.  What trip you ask?  That trip to heaven.  Where is it in your thoughts?  Abraham left in search of a city, not build by man, but by God.  What/where are you searching?  We get distracted by this life and our outlook then becomes distorted.  “If we are stripped of a preoccupation of heaven this life will continue to disappoint.” (Ted Dekker)
    Dekker goes on to say, “We have fallen asleep to any tangible hope for the bliss of the afterlife and embrace earthly pleasures as a substitute.”  My, my, have we lost the hope of the incomparable riches that await us, and take for ourselves earthly substitutes?  It is time that stop being driven from a world of disappointment and start being drawn by the light of glory.  As I wrote before, C.S. Lewis so pointedly said, “We are far too easily pleased.”

I love mornings.  It smells good, it feels good, and makes me want to do something.”
              –Johnny Gunn (Terror on Flat Top Ridge)

    “Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might….”
              –Ecclesiastes 9:10
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    Get up, you’re a-burnin’ daylight!  Or maybe it was like the old sergeants I had in basic training, “get out of those racks you @$%$&*@@#.”  Now I wasn’t always a morning person.  College, my wife, and the military all helped change that.  But a morning is a start to a new day that the Lord has made and allowed you to be part of.
    The morning is a time to start working on those dreams you had.  You do remember them, don’t you?  Randy Alcorn wrote, “Rise up from slumber.  Set your mind and heart on an inheritance that will blow your mind.  Feel your heart flutter and find a new passion for life here and now.”  Get with the program–get up!
    Back to those dreams.  Where are you along in them?  Let’s take a brief look at dreams.  So many of you reading this have not seen your dream fulfilled, nor will you.  Let me share my dreams as a kid; there were a few.  First, I wanted to go to West Point, however, I didn’t study so that quickly went by the wayside.  Second, I thought maybe I’d work as a breeder/genetics, or in forestry, but really those were only thoughts, not deep down-in-the-heart dreams.  But there was one; one that was always on my mind; one that I worked on continually, and that was to be a baseball player.  In one sense I fulfilled that dream for I played in high school, college, and semi-pro, but never made it to the big leagues.  Did I have the stuff?  Maybe, maybe not, but circumstances began to play a role and I know looking back that the Lord was in it.  The dream of the big leagues was not fulfilled, but I sure did love to play baseball!
    Looking at your dreams, what were they?  I mean the legitimate ones.  Those that came from God, those that He gave you a talent and mind for.  First, were your dreams realistic?  Many have crazy, unrealistic dreams.  So look at the realistic one.  They should have fueled your ambition.  All your drive should have been toward those dreams.  Now, here is where so many get bogged down and do not realize that even though their dream was realistic, so is the war.  Satan for sure doesn’t want you to fulfill a dream that could enhance the kingdom of God.  Dreams often become casualties of war.  Don’t despair!  God continues to work in you and give your further dreams; in fact, He might give you things that you never dreamed of.
    Take some inventory.  Were the dreams realistic and practical?  If so, why weren’t they fulfilled?  What did you do, or didn’t do to bring them to pass?  What happened to the dream?  Was it a casualty of war?  Can the dream still be fulfilled?  For example, baseball, at my age, just ain’t going to happen.  Was the dream getting in the way of serving God?  Was more focus on the dream than on God?  
    Maybe, at this time in your life, it is time to ask God for a new dream.  Seek Him, let Him show you what He wants you to do, but remember, it can’t be haphazard, obedience and work are required and often sacrifice.  Look to Him for a dream in this season of your life.
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Friends, if you get a chance go to the Wild West Showdown, Episode 189, January 23 and listen to my radio interview with J.C. Hulsey.  It was fun and I think you’ll get a glimpse of why I want to write and why I do write.  It sure was a fun experience.

For the difference between a man and a boy is the willingness to do a man’s work and take a man’s responsibility.”
              –Louis L’Amour  (Killoe)

    “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him.”
              –James 1:5 (HCSB) 
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    I read a book a few years back by Phil Robertson, titled:  “Happy, Happy, Happy.”  But look around you, how many Christians look like they’re happy?  They have to go to “celebration” service, hop around a little, do a jig, or through the rest of the week they head to their local trough to get a drink like the rest of the world to say they’re “happy.”  One reason they chase after false-happiness is that they have not focused on real happiness.
    I truly believe that Ted Dekker had it right when he said, “This life is powerless to satisfy our dreams of great happiness and pleasure.  These dreams can be satisfied only in a mind-bending reality that awaits us in the next life.”  The church has lost sight of heaven.  Oh, there may be a song, now and then for they are rare in the modern church genre, that speaks of heaven, but overall, Christians don’t look upward; they tend to look outward.  Dekker goes on to say, “Christianity has become preoccupied with finding true pleasure and happiness and purpose on earth rather than in the age to come.”
    The claims of a Christian do not match up with their life and actions.  Their lives are very much the same as the lives of those without the church.  When people look at them they wonder why they should want to change their life–it is the same as the so-called Christian.  There is nothing to distinguish the Christian except their talk as they do the same things as unbelievers.  Where is the holiness?  Where is the separation?  Where is the fight against the world?  C.S. Lewis said that, “We are far too easily pleased.”
    Now, of course, you realize that I am speaking of generalities–there are those who are fighting the good fight of faith.  There are those who “dare to be a Daniel” in a vile, evil world.  But the norm seems to be an emotional, rushed filled sense of happiness that only lasts as long as the rush continues.  How often to you think of the beauty of heaven?  Of meeting with Christ and loved ones who have gone before?  
    Ted Dekker states that, “Most Christians are asleep to the bliss of the afterlife.”  The pleasures of this life are dependent on the passion of the next life.  Dekker continues, “Unless we become desperate for the bliss of the next life, we will never enjoy this life.”  This life must be bathed in an obsession for eternity.
    Maybe one of the things that we all should do as a resolution is to get a glimpse of eternity again.  To long to be with Jesus.  Maybe sing some of the songs of old that speak of heaven for “how beautiful heaven must be…”.
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Notice:  If you go to Amazon you will find that my first book has a new title, “The Journals of Elias Butler,” along with a new cover.