Loaves and Fishes

Wow.  I don't know what else to say after reading about Mobile Loaves and Fishes in a recent Texas Monthly magazine.  Wow.  If you can catch the brief article in the April 2010 Texas Monthly issue, you need to check it out.  If not, you can go to this link and figure out what they are doing.  IMPRESSIVE.


http://www.mlfnow.org/site/PageServer


I had planned something else for this space on this day but I'm blown away by what this organization is doing.  It is definitely a case of "the church leaving the building" and go to where the people who need to be served can be served.


Changing gears, did you hear about the kid pitching for the Detroit Tigers that had a perfect game going through 8 2/3 innings only to have a blown call by the 1st base umpire prevent the 3rd perfect game this year?  Poor kid.  I heard in the interview, when asked about the umpire, the pitcher said "the only person who feels worse about the call than me is the umpire."  To the umpire's credit, he watched the replay after the game, went to the Tigers locker room and apologized for blowing it.  The next night, the umpire that blew the call was behind home plate and the pitcher brought the lineup card out before the game to him.  I believe the pitcher's name is Andres Gallaraga and the umpire's name is Mike Joyce.  While I hate Gallaraga misses out on a perfect game, I hope the world will see the sportsmanship these two men have exhibited over the past couple of days.  Their actions say it all.


Back to regular programming.  I hope the challenge laid out by Loaves and Fishes touches you like it did me.


Grace and peace to you.

Borrowing Again

From John Eldredge...

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)

Grace and peace to you.

Faith

My son recently presented a lesson on David and his faith.  It really got me thinking about my faith and how shaky it is at times.  There are circumstances in my life that are less than optimal and I wonder where God is in them and begin relying on myself to have the answers.  While these times can be painful, I am not hiding for my life in a cave.  I am not being sent into battle with a giant who could crush me in one hand.  I am not fending off wild animals.  No, I'm just going about my life, showing up at work, going to baseball games, catching a movie now and then while my faith seems to drift in and out.


I've pointed out time and time again how our Bible heroes suffered but the beauty that shows through in their suffering is their incredible faith, their unfailing knowledge that God is with them, that He will protect them and provide for them.  The kicker is...He will do that for me if I exercise faith and maybe a bit of patience too.  I want to be a man of faith.  I want to trust that God will give me what I need and overcome my enemies.  I want to live in the knowledge that the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.


Grace and peace to you.

Poor In Spirit...And Ice Cream

In November 2009 I posted a blog about some statistics I learned from Rob Bell about poverty around the world, statistics that were very eye-opening to me.  (The post can be found here: http://wayoutwise.blogspot.com/2009/11/how-rich-are-you.html).  Recently, another blog I read by Jonathon Storment, the associate minister at Richland Hills Church of Christ, reminded me of that post and told the story about Christopher and Mission Ice Cream.  I hope you enjoy the post found here: http://stormented.com/2010/05/poor-in-spirit/#more-1155.

Here's to hoping that we all learn to live below our means and we eradicate poverty around the world in our lifetime.  Here's to hoping that Christians are truly the hands and feet of Jesus, hands that can take a few dollars from our pocket and make meals to feed thousands upon thousands.

Grace and peace to you.

The People You Meet

I don't consider myself a "people-person" but I do enjoy meeting people and hearing their story, especially the people who will tell you the real story, not the persona they want to create in public.  I am often rewarded to meet some really, really fascinating folks and some people who become inspirations to me.  Recently I was thinking about some folks I identify with and some that I don't.


I identify more with the mom who fears her past sins will be visited on her kids
than the Christian who tells me God wants me to be healthy, wealthy and wise.

I identify more with the guy who has been through rehab because Satan got the best of him
than the Christian who wonders why some people don't get themselves to church.


I identify more with Abraham who made a decision that started a war that rages on today
than the Christian who appears to live an unscathed life.


I identify more with David who had to hide for his life and who sinned and was punished
than the Christian who has nothing to confess.

I identify more with the person who has admitted their faults and tries to follow God
than the Christian who shows up at church in their "Sunday best" ready to greet, meet and get to lunch.


I want to identify with the guy who goes out to feed the homeless
than the Christian who thinks giving thanks is the best he has to offer.


I want to identify with the guy who fights for social justice
more than the guy who wants to lower my taxes.


I want to draw closer to God, to look more like Jesus.  God gave me the example of his son and he has put people in my life today who are examples of what Christ-likeness is.  I hope I will be more and more drawn to that role and that one day my reward will be "well done good and faithful servant."

Grace and peace to you.

Video Preaching

Rob Bell is one of my favorite communicators.  Rob is the Pastor for the Mars Hill church in Grand Rapids, Michigan and the guy who does the NOOMA videos as well as many other speaking engagements around the world.  He has a gift for putting big, deep thoughts into simple, short messages.  I have used some of his videos as a teaching aid and have borrowed some of his sermon thoughts for classes I have taught.  Anyway, there are more and more preachers and churches turning to video to assist with sharing ideas, both in sermons and outside the normal meeting times and I often enjoy the provoking thoughts that come from them.

One such video was recently released by Josh Ross.  Josh is the preacher at the Sycamore View Church of Christ in Memphis, TN and even though I don't know him all that well, someone I consider a friend and one of the next great communicators for God.  I have learned a lot from Josh over the past few years through his blog and some of his sermons I have been able to hear.  His greatest claim to fame is being a son of Rick (another one of my favorite communicator of God's message) and Beverly Ross (a gifted communicator and wonderful family counselor), dear friends of mine.  Josh has some great thoughts in his video about what freedom means for us.  Enjoy!




Grace and peace to you.

So Long Jack Bauer

24 broadcast the last episode on Monday night.  It's a show I came to late but got caught up in the rough world of Jack Bauer, a U.S. counter-terrorism operative who found the people who did not want to be found, extracted information from people who did not want to share information and who eliminated people who didn't want to play nice.  In many ways, Bauer epitomized who almost every man wants to be, a warrior who is willing to do whatever necessary to obtain positive results.  There are many lessons to be learned from Bauer, some negative and some positive.  For instance, Jack could be overbearing with people, whether friend or foe.  On the other hand, his willingness to go and fight whatever evil when necessary is exactly what many of us wish we could do.  I will miss 24 and Jack Bauer, not the extreme violence that started to permeate this last season, but the hero, the guy who would fight against the bad folks to protect us and keep us safe.

As I say that, I wonder if the appeal isn't partially because Bauer reminds us of someone we need, someone who will protect us, someone who will sacrifice everything to protect us from the evil that wants to snare us and destroy us.

I don't have the relationship I want with God...yet.  It's getting better but there are still days I feel like I'm drifting through life trying to deal with my problems and disappointments and forgetting to bring God in, to seek his help, protection and guidance.  Today is a better day because that is what I did to start my day and I feel a sense of peace I didn't have yesterday.  Today is a better day because God is involved from the get-go.
Grace and peace to you.



 

Is It 8:00 yet?

It's after noon and I still haven't started off my day like I thought I would.  What's new?

Tonight is the FINALE (final ever) episode of 24.  I can't believe it.  I thought Jack Bauer would live forever and would still be taking out bad guys when he is 80.  A friend told me that Jack was going to get killed tonight.  Surely not, but I told my friend if Bauer did get killed, I would never watch 24 again. 

Happy birthday to my dad.  I won't say how young he is but he's got 2 years to go before hitting 80.  I remember when I thought someone who was 78 is ancient.  I don't think that way so much today.  Of course, I remember people having their 40th birthday when I was a kid and I thought that was old.  Whew!

The Rangers didn't fair so well with the Cubs but the sale sounds like it is finally going through for the Greenburg/Ryan group.  Normally I would have been to 5 or 6 games by now but I've only made it to 2 this year.  Different situations have impacted my ability to go but my son's baseball schedule has certainly impacted my ability to watch/listen to games but I rather be watching him play any day.

How do kids grow so fast?  I have one that is nearly driving and will fly the coup in the next couple of years.  That doesn't seem feasible since I was walking her into kindergarten just a few weeks ago. 

That's all for now.  I hope to have something of more substance posted soon.  I know I have a video link I want to share with you. 

Grace and peace to you.

Comfort

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.   Romans 8:38-39  (NIV)



I made a statement in class Wednesday night that if you don't believe God loves you, you don't know God.  Now that sounds silly to some people but I know a lot of people who say they are Christians who don't know God, the God who loves them unconditionally, the God who doesn't look at them as someone who has failed but as someone who has promise and purpose, the God who will let nothing, NO-THING come between Him and his creation.  I know people who have separated themselves from an intimate relationship with Christ because they have sin, suffering, a huge burden that they don't want to share or release because of shame or fear and all they can do is stand apart from God because they don't know His love.  Oh, they still show up at church and do the right stuff but they are miserable inside.


God is love.


But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Romans 5:8  (NIV)



While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Even in my sin, Christ died for me.
I sin but Christ still loves me.


God loves me, always.
Always.


Grace and peace to you.

Response Needed

Arizona is making all the news lately with new immigration laws and protests.  I have to admit I haven't paid attention to the news in the past few weeks and don't know much about what Arizona has done but it obviously has some folks riled up.  Illegal immigration has become a hot-button issue since the past election and while I am certainly not a scholar on the subject, I have been thinking about what my response to the issue should be. 


As a white man in America who has a good job and pays more taxes than I think I should, it is easy to be upset about these people sneaking into our country and using our resources without paying taxes and, in fact, getting a free ride on the back of my tax dollars.  From that perspective, it's easy to get bent out of shape over illegal immigration.


As a Christian, I see opportunity.  Opportunity to help people who are fleeing something that isn't what they want, fleeing something that has oppressed them or prevented them from being who they can be and I have knowledge of something that they might want - Christ.  I see opportunity to not only help them find a better life in this world but maybe even minister to them and help them find an opportunity greater than anything the United States can offer them.  Opportunity to be Christ-like towards them, to feed them and clothe them and give them shelter.


The trick is that taking the opportunity requires something of me while complaining about tax dollars allows me to stay insulated in my cozy cocoon. 


What would Christ have me do?


Grace and peace to you.

STOLEN!

My content today is stolen.  It's from a kid (I call him a kid because he finds ways to mention how young he is at times) who desperately wants to know his Lord better, more intimately.  When I started reading his blog I often thought, "whoa, slow down young man" but as I read it more and more I think, "whoa, stop and think about that statement for a minute because it's really good."  I'm stealing from his blog today. 


he credit today goes to Josh Ross.  Josh in the minister at Sycamore View in Memphis and he has a big heart for God and being God's servant.  Go here ( www.sycamoreview.org ) and watch the video that shows up on the left hand side of the page under the title Unchained.  Then, go read his blog post from last week here ( http://preacherjosh.blogspot.com/2010/05/when-im-70.html ).

Thanks for sharing your thoughts Josh.

Grace and peace to you.

The End of the Week Wrap-up

I went to a Rangers game on Wednesday night that was a great game.  The return of Derek Holland and six homeruns and a 10-1 Rangers win over Oakland.  I met some friends there and we walked to the entrance way with out tickets but they wouldn't scan.  On further review, we all realized the tickets were for Tuesday night, the 11th and we were there on Wednesday night, the 12th.  Oops.  It worked out well as we were able to exchange the tickets for some in the same general area, see a 9 inning game instead of a 13 inning game and see the Rangers win.  Cool!


I went to a funeral on Thursday.  Jim Barner was 43 years old on the day he died and one of the neatest people I've ever known.  He would drop everything to help anyone and never met a stranger.  The people speaking about him all talked about how he exhibited Jesus' life on earth and that is true.  Jim was too young to die and will be missed by so many but I believe today he communes with God and Jim has won the victory.  The line that stuck with me was "life is not about the duration but the donation."  Amen.


I wonder how many people who read my blog (maybe 10) and don't comment (8 - thanks Rick and Kyle for being my 20%'ers) think I've fallen and hit my head for bringing Buddha into the conversation. 


OK, I pulled up Google Analytics (free plug for Google) and 27% of my visitors come from Rick Ross' blog.  Thanks Rick.  I've had 17 unique visitors in the last month.  OK, that's a little depressing to my ego but I never really meant for this site to be for anyone but me so that's 16 more than I intended to ever see it.  It's obvious most people don't wake up wondering if I had written anything because they view nearly 3 pages at a time.  I've had 1 visitor from Cebu in the Phillipines and 1 from White Rock, Canada.  Seriously.  Also, Wal-Mart must be on to me because I had 1 visitor from Bentonville, Arkansas.  Someone from Humble comes back every now and then...cool...someone from Killeen and someone from Porter.  Where is Porter?  Fascinating stuff.  OK, I appreciate all of you but the Canadian and Phillipines visitors are really cool.  I'm international!  :)


Read your Bibles.  God wants to tell you something.


I was sitting in a room earlier this week a bit stressed so I opened the Bible on my phone to Psalms and decided to sweep my finger over the screen to let it scroll through the chapters trusting that where it landed was what God wanted me to read.  A friend calls it Bible roulette.  Anyway, it stopped, I opened and I read what I am 100% sure God wanted me to see.  He is sovereign.


Grace and peace to you.

My Buddha Buddy

I was talking to a friend who is studying Buddhism to better understand other world religions and he offered up the point that the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism all deal with suffering.  Our discussion turned to the idea that our churches have done little to help us understand suffering and the fact that it is a fact of life.  WE WILL SUFFER.  The world is a rough place and it is ruled by a force that wants to destroy us.  Maybe Christianity would do well to spend more time discussing suffering, it's implications and how God plans to help us overcome suffering. 

Let's talk about grace and mercy and Heaven.  They are great topics but I'm one of those folks that runs into a lot of suffering on a daily basis.  I've faced my own and have good friends who are and have suffered in ways I do not want to experience and in those times, I find it is when good Christians most question God and His ways.  I can't help but wonder if we wouldn't question less or be better prepared if we began treating suffering as one of the basic tenets of following Christ.

Let's admit it.  Adam and Eve suffered, Cain and Abel suffered, God's chosen people suffered, Abraham, Moses, Jonah, Daniel...should I go on?  The Bible is full of suffering.  Have you heard of a guy named Job?  God allowed Satan to make Job suffer.  Allowed it! 

The beauty is in the fact that there is a line God will not let Satan cross.  WE WILL SUFFER but, if we trust in the Lord and persevere there is a line, drawn at the foot of the cross, that crosses over to a life of perfect peace free of suffering.  Oh, I won't see it in this life but God has something planned for me that is immensely greater than what I know now. 

Plan to suffer but know in that suffering that God has something great in store for you, something not only without suffering but with joy and peace that I cannot adequately put in words.  There is something much greater waiting for us if we will hold God's hand as we walk through this present suffering.

Grace and peace to you.

Our Way Of Life

I often hear mention of "protecting our way of life" as something of utmost importance.  What is this "way of life" that is spoken of and what makes it so important?

I struggle mightily with the way I live and the question of how God wants me to live.  Is it important to God that I drive a new, more reliable vehicle?  Is it important to God that I have a certain size house, a pool, a great yard?  Is it important to God that I have health insurance or if I get a cost of living adjustment every year?  Is it important to God that I have a healthy 401k, that I live in a country where I can eat anything I want whenever I want, that I can buy clothes at the hippest stores, that I have an iPhone and other electrical gadgets?  Is that the way of life that needs to be important to protect?  If so, I'm doing alright.

On the other hand, is the way of life I need to be living one that has me interacting with the poor, the hurting, the addicts, the lost, the hopeless, the hungry, the homeless?  Is the way of life I need to be living supposed to look like what Jesus did or the life I described in the previous paragraph?  What is the way of life I need to be protecting?  Living?  It's easy for me to do the other things because they are convenient and they are normal with the people I most associate with.  It's hard to do the things that Jesus did because I would have to go looking for these folks.  I would have to go places I might not always go and be with people I might not feel comfortable being with.  People who eat much different than me, maybe even smell much different than me.

I am praying for conviction and courage.  I want my way of life to be God's way of life for me.  I have already seen how he can use me in my weakness with people I am comfortable with and I wonder what He could do with me where I might be more needed.

Next time you speak of protecting your way of life, spend a little time asking yourself if that's the way God wants you living life.

Grace and peace to you.

In Christ Alone - My Hope

In Christ alone, my hope is found...


My hope.  I have woken up so many mornings hopeful for something; a good day, good weather, a bad thing would just go away, strength, courage, a money tree, a hug and kiss from my kids, to know that I am loved unconditionally.  Selfishly, I wake up and I pray for many things and many people but I am always included because I hope for many things - nothing more than hoping for Jesus return so I can begin an eternity in the presence of my King.  The joy is knowing that it is my hope, to know it is mine and to know that I can and should have hope because of Christ.


In Christ alone, my hope is found...


Grace and peace to you.

In Christ Alone - The Source

In Christ alone, my hope is found...


I love this song.  I heard it for the first time during one of the darkest periods I have known and it has become a source of strength for me.  I get emotional every time I sing it because the words conjure up so many feelings about the power and strength and love and compassion of my Savior.


In Christ alone.  There is no where else to find hope.  Or life.  In Christ alone, through his life as man, his victory over temptation and evil, his caring and concern for the least of society, his teaching and patience, through his death and his resurrection...in Christ alone can I find hope.  Can you imagine this world without Jesus?  Can you imagine if President Obama, or Bush, or Clinton, or Bush, Reagan, Carter, if any of these people were supposed to be what gave me hope?  Can you imagine if we were supposed to find hope in our neighbors, our friends, our family?  Can you imagine if we had to live a life full of hope from people who hurt us, let us down, disappointed us at times?  I know if people were pinning all their hope on me, they would experience some hard times but that's not the case with Jesus, the Savior.  Put all your hope in him and the rewards will be more than I can possibly describe.  Put all your hope in him and know you will be in the presence of God one day.


In Christ alone, my hope is found...


Grace and peace to you.

Counseling

More from Eldredge today.  I have often wanted to walk through life figuring it out as I go and not really listening to outside counsel.  I've lived too often telling God what the plan was and how he fit into it.  I was giving God a role in my plan instead of realizing that I had a role in God's plan.  I tried to get out ahead of God but He is smarter than me so He gave me a counselor for when I was ready to listen.  Praise God!

This from John Eldredge's Waking the Dead:

Our life is a story. A rather long and complicated story that has unfolded over time. There are many scenes, large and small, and many “firsts.” Your first step; your first word; your first day of school. There was your first best friend; your first recital; your first date; your first love; your first kiss; your first heartbreak. If you stop and think of it, your heart has lived through quite a story thus far. And over the course of that story your heart has learned many things. Some of what you learned is true; much of it is not. Not when it comes to the core questions about your heart and the heart of God. Is your heart good? Does your heart really matter? What has life taught you about that? Imagine for a moment that God is walking softly beside you. You sense his presence, feel his warm breath. He says, “Tell me your sorrows.” What would you say in reply?

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16–17). Come again? How would you feel if your spouse or a friend said to you, “I think you need some counseling, and so I’ve arranged for it. You start tomorrow; it’ll probably take years”? I’ve got five bucks that says you’d get more than a little defensive. The combination of our pride—I don’t need any therapy, thank you very much—and the fact that it’s become a profession—Freud and Prozac and all that—has kept most of us from realizing that, in fact, we do need counseling. All of us. Jesus sends us his Spirit as Counselor; that ought to make it clear. In fact, we apparently need quite a lot of counsel—the Spirit isn’t just stopping in to give us a tune-up; not even an annual checkup. He has come to stay.  

Today, I'm definitely more aware of the power of counseling in my life and I cannot thank God enough for giving me all that I need in the Holy Spirit.

Grace and peace to you.

Heart Attack

My spiritual journey has been full of revelations but one that stands out above others is that our biggest struggle is a struggle of heart - turning our heart over to God, allowing it to be broken of the damage we have done and allowing God to rebuild it and opening it up to the direction of His will for us.  John Eldredge has written some wonderful stuff about our story and relationship with God and the following comes from his book, Waking the Dead:

Remember, the purpose of this thing called the Christian life is that our hearts might be restored and set free. That’s the deal. That’s what Jesus came to do, by his own announcement. Jesus wants Life for us, Life with a capital L, and that Life comes to us through our hearts. But restoring and releasing the heart is no easy project. God doesn’t just throw a switch and poof—it’s done. He sends his Counselor to walk with us instead. That tells us it’s going to be a process. All sorts of damage has been done to your heart over the years, all sorts of terrible things taken in—by sin, by those who should have known better, and by our Enemy, who seeks to steal and kill and destroy the image bearers of God. At best, “hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Prov. 13:12). Certainly there’s been a bit of that in your life. “Even in laughter the heart may ache” (Prov. 14:13), which is to say, things may look fine on the outside, but inside it’s another story.

We’re told to “trust in the LORD” with all our hearts (Prov. 3:5), but frankly, we find it hard to do. Does trust come easily for you? I would love to trust God wholeheartedly. Why is it almost second nature to worry about things? We’re told to love one another deeply, “from the heart” (1 Peter 1:22), but that’s even more rare. Why is it so easy to get angry at, or to resent, or simply to grow indifferent toward the very people we once loved? The answers lie down in the heart. “For it is with your heart that you believe,” Paul says (Rom. 10:10). And in Proverbs we read, “The heart of a man is like deep water, but a man of understanding draws it out” (20:5 NASB). Our deepest convictions—the ones that really shape our lives—they are down there somewhere in the depths of our hearts. 

I have elected to trust fully in the Lord.  I don't always succeed but find that when I do submit to Him, my life is more peaceful and more enjoyable.  My prayer is that I will continue to live more in His will for my life each day and in doing so will glorify Him before those who's paths I cross.

Grace and peace to you.

Monday Mumblings

Dallas Cowboys...don't care too much.  Dallas Mavericks...don't care too much.   Dallas Stars...don't care too much.  Texas Rangers...starting to wish I didn't care so much.  Man, the Rangers are wearing me out and I'm thinking as soon as the ownership transfer takes place Ron Washington's days are numbered.

I got a little sunburned from some weekend baseball in Wichita Falls.  I wish the games would have worked out better but it's always fun watching the kids play and it was even better because everyone on the team spent the night and the kids got to hang out and have some fun together.

I spent Saturday night talking with a dad-friend on the team about the concept of "the church has left the building."  This guy has a great story and has a passion for sharing Jesus with people.  I see God's hand at work in our paths crossing. 

Steve McCauley on Channel 8 talks more about "the cap" than any weatherman I've ever heard.

If you know me, you know I like my music hard and loud.  Here's one of my favorites from Creed.



Most of their lyrics are based on their faith but for the life of me, I can't figure out the video.  Still love the song though.

Grace and peace to you.

Obama to Defend National Day of Prayer

OK, this headline kind of cracks me up.  On one hand, I'm thankful that President Obama sees fit to defend proclaiming May 6th as a National Day of Prayer.  A group or groups representing agnostics, atheists and some others have sued the government and a Wisconsin judge ruled the proclamation unconstitutional so the federal government is taking up the fight.  That's cool but what I'm wondering is how many Christians, who abhor the Wisconsin judge's ruling and who will write and scream and talk in their homes and on their church pews knew what day of the year this typically occurred or how many of them ever spent the day in prayer.  I wonder.


Here's where I walk on thin ice with some of my friends.  I do not believe the government has the responsibility to defend our faith.  I do not believe God blesses our country because a bunch of folks show up for church on Sunday morning.  I do not believe this country is a Christian nation (have you seen the ads on TV, on billboards, the sex on TV and in the movies?) and I do not believe the government has to defend a National Day of Prayer.


Maybe I'm passionate about this because I'm convicted by it but I do not believe I can ask the government to defend this day or advocate prayer in schools or anywhere else if my kids aren't hearing me pray with them regularly, if they don't see me reading the Bible regularly, if they don't see me working among the hurting, the poor, the hopeless just like Jesus did.  If my life isn't consumed with Christ and living out his example, why would I expect Washington to do it for me?  What about you?


Don't get me wrong.  I appreciate President Obama for taking this stance and hope he wins.  I'm all for recognizing and promoting the positive aspects of Christianity but Christ-likeness starts with me...and with you.


Grace and peace to you.

Strategic Planning

If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plan.


I've heard that quote more than once but read it in a book Wednesday and wondered how many times I heard it while I was still telling God my plans for Him.  Why, oh why did I ever waste so much time trying to tell God the right thing to do?  The bigger question is why do I still do it even today when I've seen His power at work and I've seen the train wrecks my bright ideas led me to. 


I've heard God laugh too many times.  I want to put my plans in the trash can and follow His.  I just have to swallow my pride and realize the Creator knows better than the created, the Savior knows better than the saved.




I work in a pretty bizarre place.  I haven't had another job where the accounting department shuts down in the middle of the afternoon and leaves en masse because one of the staff members wanted to be baptized and didn't want to put it off.  It's a way cool moment and I am extremely blessed to work in an environment where I can participate in a Bible study each week and I can lead my staff in prayer.  God does some upside down stuff and I am fortunate to be allowed to participate in it at times.  My God is mighty to save.


Grace and peace to you.

Pursuit

I recently watched Up In The Air starring George Clooney as a guy who travels for a living and is in pursuit of 10,000,000 miles flown with American Airlines which would make him the 7th person to do it.  He teaches a seminar on getting rid of all the things that will hold you down if you are a person who is wanting to achieve such status, things like homes, cars, photos, family, anything that would slow or stop the pursuit.  For achieving the goal he gets a card made of real gold, lifetime Executive Platinum status and he gets to meet the Chief Captain of the airline.  The turning point of the show is once he achieves this great feat (in his mind), he has realized it was an empty dream. 


In Rick's sermon yesterday, he stated (and I'm paraphrasing a bit) "man spends the first half of his life looking for success and the second half looking for significance."  What happens when we set our course to pursuing something we think we want so badly only to realize it was the wrong thing to pursue?  What then? 


Some of us have been fortunate to learn there is only one thing we need to pursue with all of our being - a relationship with God - and having been successful in that effort, everything else will fall into place.  If we put all of our energy and devotion in pursuing wealth, relationships, happiness, 10,000,000 miles, anything other than God we will come to the end of the pursuit realizing it is not wholly fulfilling.  Only God can fill us up, only God can give us everything we need and only in God can we be truly content with what we have.


My daughter, who only saw the end of the movie but got the concept pretty quickly, got up and simply said "depressing."  Pursuing God will not be an easy road full of laughs, smiles and candy-canes but one thing I am confident of, at the end of the pursuit "depressing" will not be the response.  Instead, I expect to be speechless and filled with amazement at how wonderful the prize my God will give me.


Grace and peace to you.

Great Idea. Now, Make It Happen!

What do preachers and management consultants have in common?  They speak to hundreds of people each week about ways to improve the listener's lives, the listener's hear the message and agree it's a good idea and then the listeners go back to day-to-day living seldom implementing what they heard and agreed would improve their life.  What if I really lived the life I talk about living?  What if I really sought God in everything I do?  What if I really acted like the hands and feet of Jesus all the time?  What if I implemented all the good things Rick talks about on Sunday mornings?  Instead, I often spend my time talking about it and living a life that isn't full of glory to God.

I was talking to a good friend who I have had some great theological conversations with the other day.  I had got up and got ready to come to work, my mind full of the things I needed to do to a) leave the house dressed appropriately and b) get accomplished that day to make work seem successful.  On the way to the office, I knew I would see my friend that day and we would have another good theological discussion about all the things we wanted to do to live closer to God and I was glad we would talk.  Once we got together and started our discussion, I realized I had started my day full of the thoughts of the worldly things I needed to do and been excited about talking to him about God...but I had not spoken to God that whole morning.  Another day that I was happy to talk about it but failed to live close to God.

In a sense, this blog is that very thing.  It's a place where I write my ideas and talk about things I want to do but maybe haven't attempted yet.  My prayer today is that God will use me and that I will be open to His direction and, if he is still preparing me for what He wants me to do, that I will be content in the preparation and the relationship I will build with Him.

I don't want to be full of ideas and short on action.  I want to be His child and His disciple, doing what He would be doing on this earth.  Lord, give me strength and courage to act, wisdom to guide me in the right path and joy in all that brings glory to your name.

Grace and peace to you.

An Awesome God

A blog I read on Monday left me reeling with troubling thoughts, thoughts that scare me and leave me wondering what is going on in this evil, crazy, mixed up world.  As I thought about what I read, tears in my eyes, this song came on the radio. 


Our God is an awesome God and I like what Mullins has to say about Christianity.  If you want something to hold on to that makes sense, our God isn't the answer but if you want something to hold on to that brings LIFE, my God is the answer.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.  Isaiah 55:8

Truth.

Grace and peace to you.

Monday Mish-Mash

Way to go Phil!  Phil Mickelson won the Masters over the weekend.  I'm not a golfer, don't watch it on TV other than the highlights and haven't played in years because of a back problem but Mickelson remains one of my favorite players because a) he seems like a good guy and b) he's a left-handed golfer.  I saw one shot he hit from behind a pine tree that landed on the green in almost perfect placement.  Wow.
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I wonder why I have so much trouble living in submission to God?  I think I know and it boils down to a) I don't take the time to seek His guidance because b) I think I can handle it on my own.  This leads to several problems for me because submission is much easier, simpler and peaceful yet my flesh wants to set about creating my own path.  Crazy.  It's something I'm working on and wish I could get where I want to be quicker.  At times I can't help but criticize myself for being so self-focused.  Thankfully, I have experienced the unmatchable love and grace God covers me with and feeling it allows me to move closer to Him.  I hope my heart will be completely broken and open to God's good and perfect will soon and that I will not go backwards.  Perfection in my relationship with God is something I know will be hard but it is where I want to be because I know the reward will lead to perfect peace in every situation.  Just give me Jesus.


Grace and peace to you.

He Never Lets Go. Never.

This song has been on my heart for awhile.  I first mentioned it on my blog in November 2009 and it is one that has played many, many times on my iPod.  The words and message are so powerful - sharing some wording from Psalms 23 (one of my top 3 sections of the Word) and a reminder that God never leaves me.  I can choose to walk away but He is still there, He is still waiting with arms wide open.  I hope you enjoy.



As you surely know by now, it is baseball season and if you missed the play made by Elvis Andrus last night, pull up texasrangers.com and look for the highlights.  I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E.  I also heard last night that Texas has the 2nd youngest team in MLB.  My hopes of a 162-0 run were dashed last night but 161-1 isn't all bad either.

This will probably be it for the week.  Have a great weekend and remember, "even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for God is with me."  Whatever your valley, whatever your fear, whatever is out there to bring you down, God is with you and He is a king who will meet you not only at the throne, but at the depths of despair.  I praise God for meeting me at the lowest lows and giving me a glimpse of the highest highs.

Grace and peace to you.

Observations From Monday

President Obama throws like a girl. 
The Duke/Butler game didn't exactly go off like I imagined.  Butler gets 2 thumbs up from me.
I wonder if Jukes thought he would make a difference in the game before it started?
People wear some some weird stuff to a baseball game.
I wonder if anyone's double guessing their decision to give Feldman a big extension?
Vladamir got some big cheers from the crowd.
I wonder what Josh Hamilton tells an ump when he disagrees with a 3rd strike call?  I don't think it was a Philippians 4:8 moment for Josh. 
I thought it was a bad call too.
Every Rangers home opener should be a bottom of the 9th, come from behind victory.  Wow!
There sure is a lot of roadwork going on to have such bad roads.  I don't get it.
The double-amputee parachutist was great.  We could see the guy jump from a helicopter and then catch the 20mph winds blowing in.  I really thought he might hit the Jumbotron for a minute but it appears he was a professional who knew exactly what he was doing. 
Roger Staubach can still throw a ball.  Way to go Roger!
Nolan Ryan looks funny in a suit to me.  The video clip of him punching Robin Ventura still gets a lot of cheers but I'm guessing Nolan would be happy if they quit showing it.
I saw some people from Decatur one section to my left.
I saw a good friend from college two rows in front of me.
I saw a guy I knew when I lived in Ft. Worth one section to my right.
My neighbor when I was a kid who went on to become Ms. Texas several years ago was playing the Cotton Eyed Joe on her fiddle two sections to my right.
I was tempted to walk every section and see if I knew someone. 
The guy that went with me knew 2 or 3 people from my hometown from his college days and knows one of my old bosses. 
It's a small world and getting smaller.


This blog was all for me and no one else.  Sorry if you are still reading and bored to tears. 


I had some great conversations about God with the guy who was with me.  It's exciting to have conversations like that with people, sharing our faith, sharing our fears, sharing our hopes.  I blessed with great kingdom-people around me.  God is good.


Grace and peace to you.

Opening Day

http://www.mediafire.com/?kq5irulnumt


I love Opening Day.  It's a day of new beginnings, of hope, of excitement for what the future holds.  Today I'm headed to The Ballpark to share in the excitement of a new baseball season and hope for what could be a great year.  I look forward to this day every year with all the pageantry - Roger Staubach throwing out the first pitch after the ball arrives with a parachutist from the Army, the national anthem, the fly-over.  All fun.

Yesterday I celebrated another kind of Opening Day.  This Opening Day was the day that hope was created for me, it was the day my Lord conquered evil once and for all and my Savior rose from death to life, it was the day the tomb was opened so life eternal could burst free.  It was a day created after horrors I cannot imagine and a day that brought beauty I am excited to see.  It was a day that freed me from the bondage of sin and pain and suffering - not that I won't face those things but the blood of Christ provides cleansing and His exit of the tomb provides peace.  There is no Opening Day that compares to the day Christ arose and walked out of death and into the life God has planned for me.  It was and remains a spectacular day.

The link above is for a Rob Bell video on the resurrection.  When you have a few minutes, watch and listen to one of the best preachers/wordsmiths of our day. 

Grace and peace to you.

My Savior

My Savior lives.  My Savior reigns.  HALLELUJAH!

Grace and peace to you.

An Elusive Thing

Peace is an elusive thing.  I love seasons of peace whether it's for a day, a week...only a few minutes.  The calm, the serenity of knowing everything is OK.  Maybe it's just me but those seasons of peace come and go and I'm not always aware of their coming or going.  Sometimes it's over a course of hours and days, sometimes it's immediate (and I think I hate the immediate going the most).  I never knew what peace was like until I really began to understand what God is like.  I remember times when I thought things were good, manageable at least and I thought that was peace but it wasn't.  It wasn't the peace I've found that holds me in the hardest of times, that allows me to hurt but to believe that God is sovereign, that He knows my pain and He is going to help me heal and recover.  Knowing that, feeling that when I am in the midst of a storm is the craziest thing I have ever experienced but there are some storms that get so dark, I lose focus of who is in control and resort to trying to find my own way again and that is when I lose the peace, when all seems hectic, when I feel panic setting in, when I start grasping for something to hold onto and become defensive.


I want peace in my life; not a stress-free life, not a life of riches and health, only a knowledge that God never lets go, never walks away, never hides or hopes I will simply drift off but remains steadfast in His overwhelming flood of love for me.


I told a friend the other day I was ready to be with God and I think it freaked him out a little bit.  I could only ask him what the ultimate hope of being a Christian is if it's not spending eternity with God.  He asked why I didn't want to wait around and see what goes on.  All I could say was that I can't imagine anything here being as good as what God has waiting for me but I want to live in the moment while I am here since this seems to be where God wants me right now.  When it's His time, it will be my time.  Until then, it is well with my soul.


These guys played at the conference I was attending last week and this song is all over me right now. 




Grace and peace to you.

Easy Does It

I find myself being careful with my thoughts that go on this blog.  The last few months have sent me into a tailspin of putting together thoughts and words and saying what I want to say.  I took time off thinking I would come back ready to write and still find myself going days, fingers on the keyboard and thoughts coming from all over that lack cohesion and, sometimes, lack civility.


One thing that keeps floating around in my head is the idea of worship.  I know there are debates that could go on for eons about worship allowing us to spend time on our soapboxes while ignoring the broken and the lost.  That is not my intent here but I have certainly had some heart and mind changes about what worship is and looks like and this is my spot to start sorting some of it out and for the purposes of what I'm talking about today, I'm only looking at our assemblies on Sundays where Christians come together to worship God. 

I've seen a church building on I-35 around Waco sporting a sign for a 39 minute worship.  Now, for some of us, worshiping for 39 minutes would be a record because we are thinking about what needs to get done this week, whether anyone noticed our closed eyes, wondering if we are going to get out of here in time to eat and see the Cowboys game or whether we need to pick a restaurant with a TV, wondering why Wade is starting Barber over Jones or Jones over Barber and why in the world Jerry ever signed TO.  We are thinking about the next vacation, the next day, the next big spending spree.  We are doing a lot of things without participating until someone mentions the 39 minute worship and we re-engage to decry something so dastardly.  On the other hand, if church runs over more than 60 minutes (21 more minutes than the other guys are putting in), we are in an uproar that it took too long, the preacher's sermon isn't that interesting, the comments made by Brother So-and-So were unnecessary, too many songs, blah, blah, blah. 

I grew up in the Church of Christ and I knew that the service should not take more than an hour and if it did, well someone was going to hear about it.  Yes, we can come together to worship for one hour but that's all you get God.

Let me suggest that if we come together and our hearts are fully attuned to worship the LORD, the Creator of heaven and earth, the Redeemer and Savior of our souls, if we come fully aware of who it is we are praising, an hour could pass by like a moment and we would never know.  If the greatness of God was on our hearts and on our minds, what could possibly be more compelling than a day full of worship? 

Understand, these are the questions I am asking of myself and no one else.  I am only confessing my past problems and my current thoughts on what and who I want to be from this day forward.  There is no doubt in my my mind that the people leading a worship service can have a great impact on the mood and attitude of the worshippers but if I don't show up with the right attitude, the right mind-set towards my God, I need to check my heart and examine my thoughts because I know, deep down, I want to lay it all out for the One who has saved me from death, covered me in grace and loves me like no other. 

Grace and peace to you.

Homeward Bound

I'm sitting in the Chicago airport waiting to catch a plane back to the Metromess surrounded by a world community.  A woman sitting close to me that might not be a woman.  A family that I'm guessing is from Germany - it sounds like German to me anyway.  A dad taking two of his boys to Japan for spring break and hundreds of other people coming home and going somewhere.  I always enjoy sitting back and watching, trying to guess their stories.  It's fascinating to me how people come and go, some are hurried, others not, all with places to go and people to see.  I wonder if they are all aware of their purpose?


I attended the Catalyst One Day conference at Willow Creek Church yesterday.  An awesome conference and a great facility.  What church shouldn't have a cafeteria that will feed 2,100 people in an hour, have a coffee shop that is bigger than any Starbucks I've been to and it's own bookstore?  Anyway, I'm at the conference on my own and walk up to the line to get in and find myself next to a guy wearing cowboy boots.  I asked where he was from and his response cracked me up.  "I'm from a little town outside Fort Worth, Texas called Bridgeport."  I laughed and told him I was from a little town outside Fort Worth, Texas called Decatur.  What are the odds?  I later ran into a friend who used to live in Decatur but moved several years ago.  It's a small world.


The Catalyst conference was awesome.  The topic was momentum and while it was targeted to church leaders (all of them should have been there) it applied to the business world equally well.  It was a blessing and a great learning experience to be there.


I'm ready to head home and it's time to head to the gate.  Sic 'em Bears!


Grace and peace to you.

Stuck

I'm stuck trying to decide who to pull for during the remainder of March Madness.  I'm a Duke guy at heart so they will likely get my vote but I think it will come down to Kentucky and Syracuse.  Speaking of Baylor (huh?), I think Scott Drew is a very underrated coach.  What he's done with the Baylor program has been amazing.  He should be able to name his price to stay there and he seems like a guy who would name a reasonable price.  I hope he will write a book one day.

I'm stuck on the theme of hardship and suffering.  I wish I wasn't, I really do, but I see it more and more in my life and all around me.  


"You can't live an inspiring life without hardship." - Donald Miller

How many of us are inspired by the story of the guy who lives in a great middle-class family, goes to college, marries a nice girl, gets a good job and drives a Volvo?  BORING.  No, we are inspired by the young black man living on the streets who makes it to the NFL because of a good family.  We are inspired by a wealthy white family that takes a chance on a homeless kid so they can give him a better life.  We are inspired by a family reeling in agony by the death of a child who had inspired hundreds in life and thousands through unexplainable hardship.  We're inspired by the baseball player who's trying to overcome drug addiction and his wife who has overcome bitterness and now speak boldly about the love of God in their lives.  Those are the people who inspire us to be better, to walk closer to Christ. 

I'm under attack by Satan and I feel it.  I feel it in the core of my being and know he is waiting for an opening, waiting to find me vulnerable and he's very good at what he does.  Praise God that He loads us up with the Holy Spirit.  We are responsible to call on the Spirit and when we do there is power to stand strong that is unexplainable. 

I'm stuck on trying to find the path that allows me to follow God daily, moment-by-moment.  I want desperately to seek God's will, to hear His voice, to know where He wants me to go, what He wants me to do, to say the things He wants me to say. 

I need you LORD.  Fill me up with strength and wisdom so I will see things as you want me to see them.  I'm weak and I need the power that comes only from you.  I'm scared and I need the courage that comes only from you.  I praise you because you never leave, you never let go, you always love unconditionally.  I want people to see your love in me and flowing out of me.  Use me.  Make me your instrument on earth.

Grace and peace to you.

Government Reform=Contradiction of Terms

Health care "reform" is supposed to be shoved down our throats today.  Now, I'm all for health care reform but having been in a business that worked with Medicare I can tell you the opportunity for abuse is there and the government has no sense of what they are doing.  I'm still saddened that the President acted like he had learned a lesson about partisanship and is going to allow this bill to come through without a true vote.  I'll all for change President Obama but not the kind of change that is forced on me by people who really don't know what they are doing.


Great quote I read this weekend, I believe attributed to Albert Einstein.  "We all want to be on the mountaintop but nothing grows there."  Isn't that the truth?  We want to "ride the wave", to have a "mountaintop experience" and the experience of reaching a pinnacle is exhilarating but not much happens at the top.  All the work, all the growing, all the pain needed to prepare us for the pinnacle is done at the base of the mountain, even in the valley between mountains.  We need to be prepared for the fact that when we reach the mountaintop, we can't stay there long and will have to come back to where we started at some point and do it all over again.  Our life with Christ is like that.  We have moments of awakenings only to find that there are more awakenings ahead of us.  We may feel like we are on top of the mountain one day but we'll have another mountain we have to climb soon and better beginning preparing for it.  We cannot remain where nothing grows.


Grace and peace to you.