Surf and Ski Dawg's Almost Daily Devotion

SURF AND SKI DAWG’S ALMOST DAILY DEVOTION

Mike Harris

Smashwords Edition

Disclaimer and Copyright

The information contained in this book is for informational purposes only. Any suggestions that I give are my own opinions based on personal research and experience. Although I choose not to live in fear, we still live in the land of legal ramifications. As such, be forewarned to seek the advice of a professional before acting on anything I have published.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment. It may not be re-sold or given away to others. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. (I’ve made them cheap enough.) If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy.

By reading any of my stuff you are hereafter implying that you agree I am better looking than Brad Pitt and more debonair than Sean Connery. Who reads these things?

Meet you at the next section. By the way, thanks loads for downloading this EBook. Heck, for a whopping $15.00 download all five of them.

And now on with the show….

Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. Mike Harris.

mailto:mike@surfandskidawg.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

DAWGNESS

REAL DRAWS

EXTENDS

SCUSE ME, GOT THE TIME?

HELP MY UNBELIEF

REMEMBER THE LOAVES

HOW LONG IS TOO LONG?

DEFINE ‘ANYTHING’

SIGN HERE

THE BIGGER PICTURE

JUST A CARPENTER’S SON

WHO’S YOUR BUDDY?

MEET THE GODLY’S

REST STOP

IN THE ZONE

WHO KNEW?

STREET SMARTS

HELP MY UNBELIEF II

MIXED MESSAGES

BUSINESS SMARTS

A STAFF RAISED A MINUTE MEANS YOU’RE GONNA WIN IT

ADULT CHILDREN OF CHILDHOOD CONVERSIONS

ONE WAY STREET

TREE’S WALKING

FOR THE LOVE OF A MOTHER

HERO WORSHIP

HELP MY UNBELIEF III

DON’T WORRY ABOUT WHAT TO SAY

CHURCHESE

KING COOL

EVEN THE DEMONS KNOW

SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN

LOVE YOUR ENEMIES…MOST DAYS

ON BECOMING A CHRISTIAN JEDI

I’M NOT THE ONE…AM I?

VICTORY IS OURS

ONLY BY PRAYER

CHARACTER BUILDING

SHOW ME YOUR STATS

UP, UP AN AWAY

HOW’S YOUR ROUTINE WORKING FOR YA?

THE POWER OF WORDS

WHEN THE NORM ISN’T ENOUGH

THE BIBLICAL CASE AGAINST ENABLING

JUST SAY NO

FOR THEY LOVED THE PRAISE OF MEN

EVIDENCE SMHEVIDENCE

NOT IN OUR GROUP

THANKS

LOVE TRUMPS EVERYTHING

PLEASE PASS THE SALT

WHEN THE MAJIC STOPS

COMMON GROUND

WEAKNESS

EVERY PLANTER NEEDS A WATERER

COMPASSION

BE AWARE

NO SMOKE’EM PEACE PIPE

SO CALL ME NEEDY

EPILOGUE

Surf and Ski Dawg’s Almost Daily Devotion

By Mike Harris

INTRODUCTION

I read my Bible almost every day.

I am not a biblical scholar, nor do I study Hebrew or Greek. What I am is probably a lot like you. One who appreciates both structure and boundary in his life, as long as they aren’t moonlighting as prison walls. Oh sure, I ‘m aware of human limitations, I just don’t want to be limited by them.

I took God at his word years ago, where it says in the book of James that wisdom was available to everyone who asks. I’m assuming that means you don’t have to be a seminary professor.

I’ve asked for wisdom every day since. Seriously, every day. Not only wisdom but to be able to communicate it in a language that people receive. Seems to me wisdom is like anything else: a waste unless received.

Nevertheless, I am not the guru of all wisdom.

What I am is a simple guy who surfs and skis and all the rest of it. Brought up on the beach in the sixties and seventies—the era of questioning—with a slight remnant of that soulish, rambunctious spirit and the slang to sling it out.

I have chosen to follow Jesus Christ because I respect and relate to his style. Bottom line is, his is a style I want for myself. Don’t scoff; I’ve bet you’ve got your heroes. Jesus Christ is mine.

I'm not minimizing his Omniscience here; I'm simply saying that the way our Lord does things is an attention getter. And it's gotten mine!

For one thing, as an old time soul surfer and long time seeker of balance, Jesus was perfect balance in a wobbly world. I like that. For another, he challenged the traditional thinking of his day, just like I do. Well, not just like me; his motive was completely pure: to introduce himself, share the Truth, and set us free.

The religious community did not handle it well.

I have a Master’s degree in counseling psychology and fifteen years experience as a crisis counselor.

Why do I mention this? Well because it’s my book, and I can elevate my esteem any way I want. Just kidding. Because I’ve also been trained in the basic understanding of human nature (from man’s point of view) to include how we think, how we feel, and why we do what we do.

This much I can tell you, we bad mouth the Pharisees of Jesus’ day, but many of us are just one baby step from going there ourselves. And worse, totally unaware of it.

But the world knows. That’s one reason they stay away.

And now for the good and bad news. The bad news is that we’re not near as godly as we think we are. The good news is that God still loves us unfathomably in spite of it. The world, on the other hand, doesn’t cut us any slack. As a matter of fact, they’re just looking for us to mess up so they can be justified in staying away.

And they’re the ones we’re challenged to reach.

When I was in graduate school, we studied all of the different schools of thought about why people do what they do. Some Christian. Most not. Some focused on one’s family of origin. Others caring less. Some analytical. Others strictly solution-focused. I could go on and on. There were very bright theorists in each camp, agreeing on some things and disagreeing in others.

However, there was one thing on which they all agreed: the greatest predictor of client success. Can you guess what all theorists agreed gives the client the best chance of making a positive change? I can tell you one thing; it had nothing to do with one’s theory of behavior.

How about very simply the bond between the therapist and the client. Does the client feel a mutual respect? Do they feel special? Heard? Understood? Connected with in a genuine, meaningful way? Do they feel a genuine, non-judgmental bond?

Does this sound familiar?

1 Corinthians 13: 13: There are three things that will endure—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is LOVE.

It is the bond that Jesus came to give us. That very same bond between God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, he came to share with us. It is this bond that draws us to him. If you’re hoping to positively influence somebody, whether or not there is a similar bond between you and that person is the greatest predictor of his or her success. It is not what you know or how beautifully articulate you are. It is not how briefly entertained people are in your presence. It is not if their kids can be supervised and positively role-modeled for free in your daycare.

Nope. It’s all about the bond, bro.

I don’t care if you’re the baddest dude on the planet. I don’t care if you’ve won thirty straight MMA fights and live in a hole somewhere. I don’t care if you’re a cross-country truck driver, eat Matchbox cars for breakfast, and do nothing but grunt when around people. I don’t care if you’re the most respected Special Forces leader out there and spend all your time, alone, preparing strategies for America’s War College. (Oh by the way, salute!) You still crave it just like I crave it: the bond.

How do I know this? Because you were created in God’s image. You’re the natural image of the supernatural Triune God. I know it doesn’t seem like it, but you’re a lot like him. And not only is God in constant connection with the Holy Spirit and Jesus, he wants the same with you. That’s a major reason he created you. He’s all about the bond. He’s passed that same innate drive to you. In his image, remember?

So how did this book come about, and what is its purpose?

I was playing golf the other day with my best friend, Mark, who really couldn’t’ afford it, because, like some of you, this bad economy has floored him. But then again he couldn’t afford not to either, if you know what I mean. Like you, he needs a vent.

Mark is a strong Christian man. Long Christian history. Very bright. Educated. Wise. Committed husband and father to three teenage daughters.

Several years ago he was making six figures. Then, thanks to the domino effect resulting from greed in high places, Mark lost his job. Boomtown! See ya! Others in similar places lost their jobs too, so understandably his applications to other companies hit the slush pile. Of course, the bills kept coming in. Soon he couldn’t make payments.

Mark fell into a situation managing a painting business, and for that he was thankful, but certainly he was operating well under his Master’s degreed dreams and potential. He still couldn’t pay all of the bills. Like many of us, he’d lived close to his limits before the bottom fell out. Welcome to America, right?

I won’t go into all of the details, but what can go wrong has at the worst possible time. Again and again. The heavens have been silent, and now Mark struggles with feelings of failure. It’s been several years, and nothing has changed. He’s still looking. Praying. Struggling with his faith on and off.

Mark apologized for expressing his frustration, as though it was somehow a bother. No way, dude! I’ve never known him to be negative, a complainer. But Mark is definitely close to his limits.

Like Job’s friends in the Bible, I was tempted to plug Mark into a formula, into one of my books. Are you still tithing, Mark? Reading the Scripture every day? Entertaining a secret besetting sin? You’ve got your health, it could be worse. One day you’ll be more able to help others...

I was tempted to revert to standard Christian speak, but coming from a single guy with relatively little stress in his life, these quick fix-its, in spite of their biblical support, would have been nothing more than cruel and hollow. Maybe from another dad in a similar situation, but not me. I kept my mouth shut.

We are so solution-focused as men, sometimes it gets in the way. We can’t stand to not give advice; to not fix something. What a stretch it is to say I don’t get it. I’ve got no easy answers and no poetic salutations. One of these days it will make sense, Mark, but not now. A silent pause ensued.

Hey Mark, how about I do a blog? I’ve got a feeling that what we did today—gut-to-gut sharing—a lot of people could benefit from. Especially men. You can help me start it. I’ll call it Surf And Ski Dawg’s Almost Daily Devotion.

I’ll gear it to address some of the stuff we shared today. No fluff. No spin. None of your typical marketing smarts. I’ll start each post with scripture, just like your basic devotion, using the New Living translation. But my summary of things, I’d like to think, will be a little different. Otherwise why write it, right?

I promise not to make it fit some Christianese formula. I’m just going to throw it out and see what happens. Christians need to bond with each other, as well as with our Lord. That means sometimes we have to admit we don’t