Vacation. What thoughts or images come to your mind at the sound of the word vacation? Certainly I can’t help think of Chevy Chase and those of you who understand the context can appreciate the power of word association.

We’ve been on some elaborate vacations before as a family. We’ve traveled to Cape Cod, Miami, Dayton and who could forget the chocolate powder beach? We’ve stayed in some swanky places and some places where the shower was not used for health reasons.

I’m a firm believer (a recent convert) that vacations are not about the money you spend or the place you visit. A true vacation is about being with people you love and enjoy spending time with. That’s why you can vacation in Fresno, California and have a great time.

Sure we ate at some of our favorite places, but it was who we were with that made the difference. What a great thing it was to get together with friends.

We slept on a sleeper sofa and the only ammenity of our lodge was a huge backyard with the softest grass you could imagine. We played catch, field hockey, basketball and light sabre duels. We’d eat a krispy kreme donut (we prefer power rings to power bars) and we’d start the cycle again.

We only took 1 picture of our vacation activities in Fresno – but it was a pretty sweet picture!

Spring break has sprung early for the Wray family. We left yesterday afternoon and flew into Oakland, California arriving in the wee hours of the morning. Throw that time difference into the mix and we arrived at the lovely home of Brice and Neisha at 4 in the morning. We only got lost once – ended up taking the bay bridge by mistake. The toll booth guy was so filled with compassionativity as I explained we were lost. He said, “three dollars please, stay to the far left and take the first exit to turn around.” No kidding, his first words were “three dollars please.”

Beth is, I mean we, are looking forward to seeing all the California family.

I have a confession to make. The sweet, seductive call of the mac siren has taken root in my brain. I blame it all on Brad.

Thanks to all the thoughts from yesterday’s non-exam, reflective look at the text. I enjoyed reading your insights Рhearing the ways this text is currently speaking to you. Now we, those of us who preach on a regular basis, have one more message tucked away for just the right time. Combine everyone’s comments, refer to them by their blog name and it will sound like an early 2nd or 3rd century source.

Personally, I can’t wait to quote a blog comment in a message by that person’s blog name. So, please, someone say something worth quoting!

Here’s what this text has been saying to me recently. It’s something that is quite easy to miss. (I will italics and bold the respective words).

Ephesians 1:18-20 (NASB) I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places.

We get excited thinking about our heavenly reward, our inheritance through Jesus Christ that we overlook or forget that we ourselves are the inheritance that God will receive. Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians is for them to realize that they, “as saints,” are the inheritance God will receive.

That’s why there is such a struggle in the heavenly places over the souls of human beings. Satan is condemned, he knows it, we all know it. He’s just trying to take as many people as possible with them. Not because he loves or cares about people Рexactly the opposite Рbecause he knows how much God loves and cares about people.

That is why God gives the Holy Spirit to those who believe.

Ephesians 1:13-14 (NASB) In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation– having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

The holy spirit is the engagement ring God gives to every believer as a pledge of redemption. As the “soon to be bride of Christ” we have received his holy spirit as our promise ring Рwe belong to God. We are spoken for, we are off the market to other suitors.

We were made a heritage – not our inheritance Рbut we are God’s inheritance Рhe get’s us. We are just as important to God as heaven is to us.

In today’s post I want to conduct a little experiment. Read the following bible verse. Reflect on it and tell me what you notice, what captures your attention?

Ephesians 1:18-21 (NIV) I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

This is not an IQ test or a test of our spirituality. Our comments on other issues and previous posts should have made that quite obvious! Probably most of us will glean different ideas. There is a specific thing in this text I’m curious to see if anyone notices.

Have fun. Use a # 2 pencil as you leave your comments. Feel free to discuss amongst yourselves – this is an open book non-exam.

If there was ever any doubt, any speculation as to the identity of the toughest person in our house hands down (no pun intended) it would be Beth. Those of you who don’t know us all that well might be surprised at that statement. Those of you who do know me well are wondering why you are taking time to read something you already knew.

We went to see the orthopedic specialist yesterday. She injected Beth’s hand with pain killer and went about to set the broken bone in her finger. Satisfied with the result, the ortho tech applied a plaster splint cast. No problem. Short and sweet doctor visit, come back in 6 weeks.

Unfortunately the plaster didn’t immediately set. The ensuing result? The bone fragments shifted and the decision was made to reset and recast. This would not have been a problem had Beth been the only patient in the office that day. They were so busy, hopping around from room to room, that by the time they got back to working on Beth’s finger the 1hour window had elapsed for the pain blocking serum.

Deciding to push ahead, the doctor pulled and pushed and pressed and positioned the broken finger Рchecking each move with the x-ray machine. I thought I was going to pass out and I was just sitting on the doctor stool spinning around. Ok, I wasn’t spinning but it’s hard to see someone causing pain to someone you love.

I wish I could say that I had this moment of spiritual insight where I understood how God felt in watching his son suffer. I had no such moment.

My only insight in that moment was this: If there was ever any doubt, any speculation as to the identity of the toughest person in our house hands down it would be Beth.

Anything that I could write about concerning our weekend would certainly be overshadowed by the fact that our pitching machine misfired Friday afternoon and broke Beth’s finger.

We spent the bulk of Friday night in the urgent care division of Kaiser. That in itself was strange. Usually we make visits to emergency rooms or urgent care divisions because of something I’ve done.

Lorenzo (Lord of the Urgent Care Division) was perhaps the most professional, friendly, charismatic med tech I’ve ever had the privilege of spending time with. This guy was truly passionate about a job well done and taking care of people.

We will go to see an orthopedic specialist today. I know you will be praying for my sweetie.