Sports Wrap-up

The Mavs win!  The Mavs win! 


You can thank me later.  I picked the opposing team in every series and the reverse psychology worked.  Dirk has made me a believer and I'm happy for several of the Mavs who get the rings.  I still think picking up Tyson Chandler was the best move the Mavs have made in awhile.  JJ Berea is my favorite NBA little man.  JJ is lights out.  I don't know how he gets it done but he does.  Rick Carlisle deserves some apologies but I doubt he wants them.  He did some good coaching this year. 

LeBron is 0-2 in championship series.  I wish he could have won in Cleveland.  I'll keep hoping they don't get close in Miami. 


Read this article.  Yes, it's about the Angels but it's good stuff.


Langdon Story

I'm headed east today for a funeral.  I'm sure it will be sad but I trust it will also be a celebration for a life well-lived and for addition to the ranks in heaven.  Join me in a prayer of peace and comfort for the Knight family today.

Why the Rangers Are Cool

It's Friday so how about nothing too heavy today?  Works for me.


I subscribe to the Newberg Report which is a daily email update on the Rangers.  I got this email earlier this week about the Rangers 2nd pick in the 1st round, Zach Cone, and a college teammate of Cone's who was injured in a collision with Cone on the playing field.

Recall this note from yesterday’s Newberg Report:

[Supplemental first-round pick Zach] Cone hit .363/.403/.627 for the Bulldogs in 2010, leading to pre-season All-America recognition and prompting BA’s Jim Callis to write a year ago that he profiled as a first-round pick this season and that he “[m]ight be the best athlete in the 2011 college crop.”  But he collided with fellow Bulldogs outfielder Jonathan Taylor as they converged on a looping line drive in March, leaving Taylor (who weighed 20 pounds less than the 200-lb. Cone) partially paralyzed with a neck injury after his head struck Cone’s hip.  He may not walk again. 

Texas just drafted Taylor in the 33^rd round (h/t Jason Cole of Lone Star Dugout).

I find this very, very, very cool.

Jamey

This is a good reason why I'm a Rangers fan; win, lose or draw.  I know it doesn't mean the Rangers organization has the heart of Jesus...or maybe it does.  Either way, it sounds like good people doing good stuff. I can't imagine being paralyzed and what that does to someone emotionally.  I can't imagine being the guy who ran into the guy who is now paralyzed.  I wonder if it slows him down on the field when he knows another player is chasing a ball.  I'm guessing there could be a strong bond between those two players now and maybe both getting drafted by the Rangers helps both of them heal and look forward to what can be. 

Go here for more on the story from the Rangers website: Rangers Draft Taylor


I think about my funeral a lot, probably too much, but it's mine so I can think about it all I want.  I've always hoped the things that were said about me had more to do with me loving God and doing his will than loving the Rangers or Longhorns or baseball or something of this world.  That said, I might not mind being mentioned as a Rangers fan after reading about their 33rd round draft choice.


I went to a memorial service for Jimmie Armes on Wednesday.  I didn't know Jimmie as well as I would have liked to but knew him well enough to know he was a good man, a sincere and compassionate man and based on what was said at his memorial service, a man who wanted to know God better every day of his life.  I'll miss seeing Jimmie, even as infrequently as I did, but he's someone who left a story of doing good and loving people for me and I will always appreciate him for that.  His wife, Marye Nella, is cut of the same cloth, a good woman with a loving heart and I am thankful to know her.  I hope she will find peace and comfort through the Lord with the loss of Jimmie.


Grace and peace to you.

Don't Be a Wiener

Anthony Wiener is the new poster boy for sexting and the question of how much/far is too much/far.  He followed all the typical paths; denial, blame, shifting responsibility and, finally, admitting what really happened.  I've walked some of that road he's on (no, not the sexting part) of finding a million reasons and excuses for doing something wrong and then wanting to take the position that it's not my fault.  I think Mr. Wiener will find that owning up to his wrongdoing and, I hope for him, making significant changes in his life will lead him to a better road.


I met with one of my counselors Tuesday.  It's been awhile since I've seen Jerry, a good, Godly man who has helped me get off the road of denial and blame and shifting responsibility and has helped me get on the path that God wants me to walk.  Oh, I've ventured off of it but I'm better equipped than ever to get back on God's path for me and to seek him more than seeking my own pleasure.  I went back to see him because I don't celebrate victories as well as I suffer defeats and I wanted to celebrate with him and share in what God has done through him in my life and to talk about areas where there are still some cracks that need to be fixed...because I want more victory celebrations.


I hope Mr. Wiener will learn what I'm learning.  With God, you're either all-in or you're walking the other way.  There's no "I sent lewd pictures but I didn't have a physical relationship with them" with God.  My heart is either set on the things of God or they are set on the things of Jeff.  I still have moments where I hurt for not learning that lesson years ago but all I have is today.  Will I live it for God or live it for Jeff?


I want to live it for God.  I am not my own.  I was bought at a price.  This day, I want to honor God with my body, with my actions, with my words, with my thoughts, with every fiber of my being.


Grace and peace to you.

Happy, Happy, Happy

I'm borrowing from John Eldredge again.  I get emails from him and he often speaks to things that are on my mind and on my heart.  This is one of those emails.

I have people tell me from time to time, "you deserve to be happy" and it's something that just doesn't sit well with me.  For me, happiness is a fleeting thing.  I'm happy one moment, not so happy the next.  I'm happy and a problem pops, I'm happy and someone does something to me that hurts, one minute I'm happy and then I'm not so happy for a multitude of reasons.  Happiness comes quickly and it goes quickly.  Sometimes life is hard and it beats me down and if happiness is what I really seek, I'll be miserable.

As Good as It Gets?

If for all practical purposes we believe that this life is our best shot at happiness, if this is as good as it gets, we will live as desperate, demanding, and eventually despairing men and women. We will place on this world a burden it was never intended to bear. We will try to find a way to sneak back into the Garden and when that fails, as it always does, our heart fails as well. If truth be told, most of us live as though this life is our only hope.

In his wonderful book The Eclipse of Heaven, A. J. Conyers put it quite simply: "We live in a world no longer under heaven." All the crises of the human soul flow from there. All our addictions and depressions, the rage that simmers just beneath the surface of our Christian facade, and the deadness that characterizes so much of our lives has a common root: We think this is as good as it gets. Take away the hope of arrival and our journey becomes the Battan death march. The best human life is unspeakably sad. Even if we manage to escape some of the bigger tragedies (and few of us do), life rarely matches our expectations. When we do get a taste of what we really long for, it never lasts. Every vacation eventually comes to an end. Friends move away. Our careers don't quite pan out. Sadly, we feel guilty about our disappointment, as though we ought to be more grateful.

Of course we're disappointed-we're made for so much more. "He has also set eternity in the hearts" (Eccl. 3:11). Our longing for heaven whispers to us in our disappointments and screams through our agony. "If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy," C. S. Lewis wrote, "the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world."

(The Sacred Romance , 179-80)

I know the people who tell me I deserve to be happy mean well and I don't set out to give them my outlook on things (because they'd likely think I'm loonier than they already do) and I appreciate their concern for me.  That said, I've also got some other friends who share their hopes for me in this way: Seek God.  Seek his favor.  Seek the peace that comes only from Him.  Seek joy from knowing Jesus' love.  Seek comfort from being a child of God.  Seek God.  Nothing more, nothing less.  I know today, more than ever, that seeking God and his ways for my life will lead me to something greater, more fulfilling, than happiness ever could.

Grace and peace to you.

BUSTED!

I got busted Sunday night.  Not the handcuffed, off-to-jail busted (at least not this time!) but the "why did you say that" kind of busted that reminds me so well that the moment I start thinking I'm doing so good, I go and do something I wish I didn't.  Now, the error of my ways was a bit of gossip I dropped into a conversation that 1) isn't something I really even care about and 2) was totally useless and inappropriate.  I had heard a 3rd or 4th hand story about someone famous a few days ago, the famous person came up in a conversation Sunday night, I spoke as if I was an authority on the subject and later, that friend asked why I said it if I really didn't know.


Good question.  It's why gossip is a bad thing.  It's why I detest those magazines hanging on the racks at Wal-Mart ready to give us all the dirt on someone.  And, the crazy thing is, I look at that stuff and think I'm above it.


The simple little reminder here is that I need to check what I say before I say it.  There's a reason James talks about the damage that can be done with the tongue.  There's a reason Paul tells the Corinthians that they are not their own, they were bought at a price and to honor God with their bodies (including their mouth).


A few years ago, that gentle reprimand might have brought forth some anger from inside me.  Sunday night, I was thankful for the reminder that I need to always be alert to the things I can say and do that do not honor God because that is what I want to be doing, honoring and glorifying him in all my ways.


Grace and peace to you.

Dream Sharing

It's scary sharing your dreams.  What if people laugh at you?  What if people talk about you behind your back?  What if people think you are crazy?  What if you are crazy?  Or...


What if they want to share in the dream, crazy or not?
Wednesday, I taught my last lesson out of Crazy Love at our workplace Bible study and my good friend Bart shared his dream of helping these guys we've met over in Denton.  As he shared, the interest level in what he discussed was evident and when he was done, everyone was offering to help in some way.

Sometimes our dreams seem wacky to the ways of the world but perfectly legitimate to people who want to be disciples of Christ.  Sometimes we are crazy for dreaming our dreams based on what the world/flesh tells us we should want or want to do but they seem so normal to God.


Normal to God.  Now that's a subject that I need to explore sometime.


Anyway, one of the favorite lines I ever heard Matt Chandler say in one of his sermon's was "how long do we have to study the playbook before we start running the plays?"  I know Bart's dream today is going to be reality soon...no longer a dream to think about but an action that is happening, that is revealing God to guys who are waiting to be loved, that is meeting physical, emotional and spiritual needs and hopefully, setting up some guys to find success in managing their physical life and success is growing in their spiritual walk.


Grace and peace to you.

The Lies We Are Told

I'm borrowing from John Eldredge again today.  He talks about a lie I have fallen for and still fall for from time to time but as I learn more and more about God's love for me, the lie is rapidly losing it's power over me. 

Subtle Attack?Looking for Agreements

The devil has more temptations than an actor has costumes for the stage. And one of his all-time favorite disguises is that of a lying spirit, to abuse your tender heart with the worst news he can deliver-that you do not really love Jesus Christ and that you are only pretending, you are only deceiving yourself. (William Gurnall)

Satan is called in Scripture the Father of Lies (John 8:44). His very first attack against the human race was to lie to Eve and Adam about God, and where life is to be found, and what the consequences of certain actions would and would not be. He is a master at this. He suggests to us-as he suggested to Adam and Eve-some sort of idea or inclination or impression, and what he is seeking is a sort of "agreement" on our part. He's hoping we'll buy into whatever he's saying, offering, insinuating. Our first parents bought into it, and look what disaster came of it. The Evil One is still lying to us, seeking our agreement every single day.

Your heart is good. Your heart matters to God. Those are the two hardest things to hang on to. I'm serious-try it. Try to hold this up for even a day. My heart is good. My heart matters to God. You will be amazed at how much accusation you live under. You have an argument with your daughter on the way to school; as you drive off, you have a nagging sense of, Well, you really blew that one. If your heart agrees-Yeah, I really did-without taking the issue to Jesus, then the Enemy will try to go for more. You're always blowing it with her. Another agreement is made. It's true. I'm such a lousy parent. Keep this up and your whole day is tanked in about five minutes. The Enemy will take any small victory he can get. It moves from You did a bad thing to You are bad. After a while it just becomes a cloud we live under, accept as normal.

(Waking the Dead , 152-53)

Lord, I thank you that your love has more power than anything else I will ever know.


Grace and peace to you.

Turn It Around LoMo

"If you don't want to follow me, don't follow me," he says with a shrug.

That's Logan Morrison's response to questions about his use of bad language, sexual jokes and innuendo and other comments he makes on his Twitter account.  He's a Florida Marlins baseball player who estimates his audience ranges from 15 years old and up.

I wonder what would happen if he used his Twitter account to say positive, wholesome statements.  He'd probably lose many of his 26,000 followers I suppose...or maybe he would gain more.  Either way, he takes a selfish approach to the social media opportunity.  I'll be one who doesn't follow him.
___________________________________________

Here's something good to follow.  Go to mycharitywater.org/campcoldwater and donate.  This is part of a project the youth group at our church in Decatur is doing this summer and they are wanting to raise $5,000 to help drill a water well somewhere in the world that doesn't have clean drinking water.




Grace and peace to you.

Can You Spare Some Change?

Mahatma Ghandi is quoted as saying, "Be the change you want to see in the world." 


I think about all the things I've seen or heard about that I wish wasn't going on in the world and my best idea to date has been to quit watching the news.  I have to admit I'm happier not keeping up with all the news, at least not the way it is typically reported, but my ability to ignore it isn't making it go away.


I'm thankful for great friends who have pushed me to do more, to get comfortable by going through some discomfort, to actually do things that look a little bit like what Jesus did. 


I hope my remaining days will find me being the change I want to see in the world.  Change that helps the poor.  Change that feeds the hungry.  Change that clothes the naked.  Change that gives shelter to the homeless.  Most of all, change that gives light to the lost, hope to the hopeless, compassion to the hurting, healing to the wounded and love to the lost, hopeless, hurting, wounded and lonely souls who need to know Jesus' love for them, who need to know there is love, mercy and grace in abundance that he wants to lavish on them. 


For anyone reading this, I would ask your prayers for some people headed to Ecuador later this week to be the change they want to see in the world that their efforts help people spiritually and physically and that they will grow in their effort to show others a glimpse of what Jesus looks like.


Grace and peace to you.

Going "Home"

I took Wendell and Preston home from church yesterday.  We had a good visit on the way with Wendell doing most of the talking and Preston cracking a few jokes at Wendell's expense along the way.  I heard about how good Preston had slept the night before and their fascination that the hotel they were in had a phone in the bathroom.  They couldn't figure that one out.  When we pulled up, they unloaded their stuff and got to take a brisket, beans, potato salad, cookies and cupcakes with them.  Not a bad haul!


The hard part of the whole thing was dropping them off because they are staying under a large tree that provides a good bit of shade with the Texas heat in the 90's to 100 degrees.  They've been run off a few times because it's close to an office building and they don't hang out there much during the week.  Preston wouldn't let me pull up in the parking lot close to the tree because he didn't want anyone to notice them getting out there if possible.  I left them there with some food, a little money and the knowledge that I was headed back to a comfortable place to live, air conditioning, a job that provides all I need and a reminder that I am blessed and that God is hoping I'll share some of what he has provided for me. 

Oh Lord, let Wendell and Preston and Mike be forever present in my mind so that when I start wanting this or that, I'll remember my friends who live under a tree with the clothes on their back and their appreciation for their bikes and their backpacks.  I pray you'll be with them and let them know you are with them always, that you love them completely and that this world and it's sufferings are only temporary.  Open my eyes to see what you want me to see so I may serve how you want me to serve. 

Grace and peace to you.

Wounds

Borrowing from John Eldredge today...

Friday, May 27, 2011

Honor Wounds

You will be wounded. Just because this battle is spiritual doesn't mean it's not real; it is, and the wounds a man can take are in some ways more ugly than those that come in a firefight. To lose a leg is nothing compared to losing heart; to be crippled by shrapnel need not destroy your soul, but to be crippled by shame and guilt may. You will be wounded by the Enemy. He knows the wounds of your past, and he will try to wound you again in the same place. But these wounds are different; these are honor-wounds.

Blaine was showing me his scars the other night at the dinner table. "This one is where Samuel threw a rock and hit me in the forehead. And this one is from the Tetons when I fell into that sharp log. I can't remember what this one was from; oh, here's a good one-this one is from when I fell into the pond while chasing Luke. This one is a really old one when I burned my leg on the stove camping." He's proud of his scars; they are badges of honor to a boy . . . and to a man. We have no equivalent now for a Purple Heart of spiritual warfare, but we will. One of the noblest moments that await us will come at the wedding feast of the Lamb. Our Lord will rise and begin to call those forward who were wounded in battle for his name's sake and they will be honored, their courage rewarded. I think of Henry V's line to his men,

He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian . . .
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars, And say, "These wounds I had on Crispin's day."
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day; then shall our names . . .
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember'd.

(Wild at Heart ,176-77) 




Grace and peace to you.

That There Is Rotation

I went to the Rangers game last night with my son to meet my dad and mom and to celebrate his 79th birthday.  It was all good until the 4th inning when the clouds above us started to swirl which was fun to watch while ominous all at the same time.  Now, I'm a storm watcher so I thought it was pretty cool but people around us were getting a little antsy.  Once they covered the field and some rain drops fell, my parents decided the best course of action was to head back to East Texas while I thought the best course of action was to watch the tarp blow on the field since the storms were coming from the west and I didn't want to drive into them.  Well, the rain really started to fall which drove us to the concourse and then someone decided it was best to send us all down to the tunnel.  Maybe it was the sirens going off and all the texts we were getting saying tornadoes were headed for us.  So, my son, me and 25,000 of my good friends hung out outside the Rangers clubhouse doors, cheered for a few players who walked through, while sweating it out.  Finally, they sent us out so the game could restart only to find out there would be a second rain delay which was my exit cue. 


So, a good night with my dad, a good night watching storms, a good night hanging out below the ballpark and a good night being with my favorite son. 


It's now 1:00 in the morning and I need to go to sleep but also need to prepare 2 Bible lessons to be delivered later today.  This is one of those times where praying that God will give me the words to say takes on a whole new level of meaning! 


Grace and peace to you.

One Person

I got this letter from a ministry I support recently.


Dear Jeff:

The death of the world's #1 public enemy evokes a range of emotions.  Relief that one menace is gone.  Pride at the skill and determination of those responsible for executing justice.  Sorrow over a soul gone to hell and all those souls he took with him.  Hope for a more peaceful world, yet aware of the sobering reality that the world is still a dangerous place because we are all of a fallen breed...mankind.

One thing to note: The power of one individual.  So far one individual has cost us $1.3 trillion and over 5,000 American lives in his pursuit.  And trillions more lost to the Global economy by him and his followers' actions.

Conversely, one person named Moody shared the love and life of Christ with ten million people.  Because one person told him about the Gospel of Christ.  One person named Carey ignited the modern missions movement.  One preacher named Graham...


And on it goes...


You can have that kind of influence for good and eternity by praying and going with us.  Or giving through us to reach people for Christ.  You may turn the next Osama into the next Dwight, William or Billy.  Imagine your opportunity to impact this world for good, forever!


Now, the first paragraph may be a little too flag-waving for my taste but what struck me was the idea of what I can do to change the world forever.  If someone is out there reading this, it's about what you can do to change the world.  Forever.  Will I answer the call?  Will you?

Grace and peace to you.

Chrisitan Relief Fund

I got an email the other day from a Sub-T friend about Christian Relief Fund and their effort to win some money that Chase Bank is donating to charity.  Go to Chrisitan Relief Fund and check them out and like them on Facebook to help them help others.


There are so many need charities around the world.  Thursday, I was telling my son a story I had heard about a guy I know buying a used motor home off someone in Utah.  The motor home was parked in one of two matching hangars owned by an inventor.  In one hangar was the motor home and a private jet with capacity for 14 people.  In the other hangar was another 14 passenger private jet and 36 Lamborghini vehicles.  I told him the story of the inventor flying his son and 10 friends to Las Vegas last Saturday for lunch and to ride the roller coaster at New York New York before returning home in time for prom.  I'm sure it's a fabulous life and nothing I can comprehend.  I don't know anything about the man and what he does with his time and money but we figured out how many water wells those 36 cars could drill through Charity: Water and it was an incredible number.  In fact, selling those cars would double the amount of money that Charity: Water has raised. 


Hopefully, you feel like you need to go donate money now.  Here's the ticket:  Go to the Camp Coldwater Charity: Water site and donate some moolah.  Our youth group is trying to raise $5,000 to drill a well to help people have clean water.  It's a great cause.


Grace and peace to you.

Catalyst

I spent last Thursday and Friday at a Christian leadership conference called Catalyst Dallas.  If you didn't go, all I can say is that you missed out.  It included some great content from Pastors, leaders and leaders of social justice causes. 


If you've never heard Dr. John Perkins speak, you're missing out.
If you've never heard Christine Caine speak, you might not know what a whirlwind feels like.
Andy Stanley, Craig Groeschel and Matt Chandler delivered some great messages on leadership in the church and in our lives.
Lecrae, Propaganda, Seryn and other artists displayed talents in sharing the message in ways other than the spoken word. 

I left knowing one thing.  I want to be a catalyst for sharing the gospel message and helping people know how much God loves them and what he has already done for them.

Grace and peace to you.

Catching Up

I'm behind.  Behind at work.  Behind on stuff I need to do at home.  Behind on Bible study lessons I need to complete.  Behind on school work.  I'm running behind and I can't seem to catch up but if I fail, I won't worry because some of the things keeping me behind are wonderful moments that allow me to see God at work.


I'm thankful for friends who share their darkest secrets and deepest hurts trusting that I will continue to love them for who they are in God's eyes.


I'm thankful for friends who encourage me to follow the teacher and his teachings to help the least of these.


I'm thankful for friends who are struggling with God's ways and share those struggles with me reminding me that I'm not alone in my own struggles of understanding "why?" may not be understandable in my small way of thinking.


I'm thankful for friends who accept me as I am at any given time - whether I'm on top of the world or being drug along the concrete by an imaginary bus that just ran over me knowing that the up's and down's are a part of a healing process that isn't always easy, isn't always pretty, isn't always without pain but a process.

I'm even thankful at times to be running behind.  It reminds me that there is much to do and getting comfortable and settling in isn't always a good thing if it allows me to stop obsessive pursuit of Christ and living a life worthy of his calling.

Maybe I'll catch up one day.  Until then, I hope my life is filled with moments that remind me God is in control when I don't understand completely and when I see his handiwork with perfect clarity.

Grace and peace to you.

Voting For The Lesser Evil

Voting for the lesser evil is the way I view the democratic process in our country these day.  Maybe I'm cynical, maybe I don't pay close enough attention, maybe I'm right.

I heard Obama was in Austin attending two fundraisers-one for 750 people at $1,000 each and one at a private home costing $35,000 per person (and Obama is no different than the Republican candidate).  Now, I wonder how much publicity the candidates would get if they encouraged people to take all the campaign money and give it to charities that help the poor, the hungry, the homeless and got out to help promote those organizations.  Would they get enough press to let me make a decision on who to vote for based on how much they tried to help those who needed the most help?

I don't know the answer but I know the current solution gives me a great disdain for poli-ticks.

I'm at the final day of Catalyst Dallas today (www.catalystdallas.com) and I hope I'm having as much fun as I did last year.  Catalyst is a Christian leadership conference and something I've been looking forward to since I left the previous Catalyst conference I attended outside of Atlanta.  

God loves you.  Wherever you are.  Whatever you are doing.  God love you.

Grace and peace to you.

Lifebread

My friend's Dusty and Cecily (and Cassaundra from Decatur shows up too).

Grace and peace to you.

Ministry

Ministry is using our gifts & resources to serve others. There is real joy in serving something bigger than our own agenda. -Lecrae Moore

I had the opportunity to minister to some folks I don't normally come in contact with on Sunday and I thank God for brothers who challenge me to step outside myself and my agenda.  

Our church set a goal of $100,000 for a special contribution going to our missions work on October 9.  It's a crazy amount of money and I don't know if we can reach it or not.  I do know God wants to use us to do unbelievable things.  Maybe $100k is a part of his plan, maybe not.  Either way, whatever we raise will be for his glory, not ours.  If we raise $25,000, it's for him.  If we raise $101,000, it's for him.  I hope no one will feel let down if we don't hit the number or feel pumped about ourselves if we do reach the goal.  It's a man-made number and maybe God has different plans for us.  Maybe his plans are going to be something bigger than we will ever dream of on our own.  Who knows?  I do know we will never know if we don't put our trust in him and allow him to use us as he knows best.

Grace and peace to you.

Obsessed...Again

I'm back to Chapter 8 of Crazy Love, the chapter about what it might look like to be obsessed with loving God.  It's my favorite chapter.  It's a challenging chapter for me.  It's an encouraging and motivating chapter for me.  I can't wait to start studying it in our Bible study at work on Wednesday.  

I wonder how God feels when I'm more upset by a call the umpire makes than I am by the people living under a bridge with little to eat.

I wonder how God feels when I buy enough clothes to wear for 3 weeks without wearing the same thing twice never thinking about the person wearing the same thing day in and day out.

I wonder how God feels when I dream of building a big, comfortable house while people are living in the woods on good weather nights and under a semi-trailer on bad weather nights.  

I know all the arguments.  Those people don't want to find a job.  Those people are willing to take whatever they can get for free.  Those people drink too much, do drugs too much, have put themselves in that position.  

I can make the argument but I wonder why Jesus doesn't make that argument when he tells me to take care of the poor, the hungry, the naked...the least of these.  Jesus doesn't tell me to make judgments about their intentions, to qualify them or to be more worried about catching someone cheating than just trusting in his goodness and guidance.  

I want to live more obsessed with what God is calling me to do in his kingdom.

Grace and peace to you.

Thoughts from Sunday night

I was watching a movie Sunday night and turned it off to catch the 10:00 o'clock news to find that Osama Bin Laden had been killed.  I sat there listening for quite some time with no words to say but as I watched, several thoughts started to flow through my mind.

I posted this on Facebook, a question borrowed from Chad Holtz, a Facebook friend, "A watching, cynical world will be looking to see how people who claim to follow Jesus will react to the death of a terrrorist. How does Jesus make a difference in our view of such events?"


As I watched the ongoing news, I was struck by the celebration on the TV while wondering if people really believe this is the end of terrorism.  When our nation is attacked, most people rally together and, as a country, we are more engaged in a war mentality.  I wonder if it will be any different for Osama's followers, if their resolve will grow stronger and their attacks will be ramped up.  


The celebrations I'm watching don't seem so much different than what I see from Middle East countries when they celebrate their attacks against us.  


I can understand what has happened and I can understand the decisions that were made.  What I'm not comfortable with is the response of so many.  Facebook comments that thank God that Osama is dead hurt my heart.  People singing God Bless America in response to someone's death doesn't strike me as a blessing.  Is God celebrating this death?  Is God going to bless this country because we killed someone who wanted to persecute us?  


I won't begin to suggest I know more about what living the life of a Christ-follower is than the next person but I can't help believe scriptures that suggest that we should celebrate in sharing in sufferings mean singing and dancing in the streets because of one man's death fly in the face of what God would have us do.


I pray that this world will know peace but, more, I pray that those who want to be disciples will act as disciples and that God will open my eyes to know what that looks like in my life.


Grace and peace to you.